Battle for a Mates Heart

by Raven Darkwing

  “You could come with me, Brenna. I’m sure my alpha would give you sanctuary.” Sparky placed a hand on the woman’s arm. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch. It seems that the subs under Winston’s control weren’t the only ones who suffered.

  Brenna smiled sadly, “I would not want to bring my troubles to your pack, but there is someone I would like to have you take instead. Besides, he’ll need to show you the way out through the secret tunnel.” She turned and motioned for the sub who had once again knelt on the floor by her side to stand. The young man stood but kept his eyes downcast.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Sparky. I’m not doing this to help you. But I’m tired of Winston parading his latest toys in front of me. So, if I can get rid of two of his favorite playthings, then more the better.” She paused and looked down at the young man at her feet.

  Her voice softened slightly, “This young member of our coven should not be here, but because he has not exhibited his true talent, my father has discarded him.” She touched the sub’s shoulder for a moment before she returned her gaze to Sparky. “He is magi and deserves better.”

  “And what of those who are not magi? What of the other sub who was here, does he deserve to be sold as a sex slave?” Sparky clenched his hands into fists. She was no better than Winston or her father.

  Brenna grimaced, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the power to change what my husband and father are doing. I’m not strong enough.” She shook her head, “But we don’t have time for this, you have to leave.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m going, but first, I need you to tell me what you know about the trap being set for my alpha and the attack against my pack.” He watched as she quickly looked toward the door.

  If what he overheard was accurate, his alpha and his pack were in danger. He would be damned if he didn’t do everything he could to warn them. Even if it meant forcing Brenna to come with him.

  Brenna glanced back at Sparky, “I really can’t tell you anything. As you saw, my husband treats me like the little woman, and my father is no better. My job is to run the house and bear the next generation. Anything else is above my pay grade.” He could hear the bitterness in her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Brenna.”

  She shook her head, “Don’t feel sorry for me. Now shift quickly, and Seb will lead you out of here. It would be best if you remained in your wolf form until you’ve gotten far enough away from here. At least in your animal form, you may have a chance.”

  Sparky touched the collar around his neck. He tried to open the latch, but it stood fast. Brenna huffed as she walked back toward the shifter. She glanced down at the young magi, “Seb dear, I need you to concentrate so you can use your magic to unlock the collar.”

  “Why can’t you do it?” The mechanic took a step back.

  Brenna put her hands on her hips, “You’re mated to a magi. Didn’t he explain to you that we can’t reverse or affect magic done by our other half?”

  “It hasn’t really come up in our conversation yet. I thought you said your small friend here couldn’t do magic?” He glanced down at the quiet young magi. The dark-haired youth was still kneeling, his head bowed. He didn’t look threatening, but then neither had Winston when they had first met.

  “I never said he couldn’t perform magic,” She held her hand out and motioned for Sebastian to stand. “When a magi hits puberty, normally our primary power appears. In my case, it was telekinesis. Unfortunately, Sebastian never showed a primary power when he was tested. He can still perform magic, but in our culture, he is considered a gelding.”

  “A neutered horse?” Sparky looked at the young magi. The mechanic quickly glanced down and was relieved to find the boy was intact. When he looked up, he could see the slight blush to the pale skin, and when the dark eyes glanced up briefly, he clearly saw the shame deep within their depths.

  Brenna rolled her eyes, “It’s a term that refers to his inability to perform more powerful magic. He can do basic spells only.” She tapped Sebastian on the arm and pointed to the collar on Sparky’s neck. “You know the magic words, just concentrate and get that thing off.”

  Sebastian nodded, closed his eyes briefly and then as he lightly touched the latch he began to softly chant, “Aperire Magna.”

  For a moment nothing happened. He could see the nervous twitch of the magi’s hands as he stepped back. Sparky touched the collar and quickly dropped his hand as he felt a slight electric current pass to his fingers. He was just about to tell the crazy she-witch to forget it, he’d get his naked ass out of here without shifting when the collar began to move on his neck.

  He saw Sebastian’s mouth tighten before his gaze once again dropped to the floor. The young man’s shoulders hunched forward as if he was expecting a blow. Sparky started to reach toward the obviously traumatized man when he felt something brush across his chest. He glanced down, and his mouth dropped open. The collar that had been tightly affixed to his neck appeared to have grown to be ten times bigger than it originally was.

  Sparky chuckled. “Well, that’s one way to get this freakin’ thing off.”

  He heard Brenna sigh and glanced at the young man who had dropped back to his knees, his ass was lifted, and his back was straight. It was a pose that Sparky knew all too well. Sebastian expected punishment. Sparky quickly pulled the collar from around his neck and threw it across the room. He knelt beside Sebastian, “Come on kid, let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

  “M’sorry, Master,” Sebastian whispered without moving.

  “First, it’s just, Sparky,” The mechanic forced the young magi to his feet. He placed a finger under the man’s chin and tilted his head up until he could see his eyes. “Second, you did fine. You just found a more creative way to solve the problem.”

  Brenna coughed lightly, “While your little brotherly moment is enchanting, need I remind you that Winston could return any time now?” She walked quickly toward the door. “Now shift and give me a couple of minutes to clear the way. Sebastian, you need to show him the secret tunnel that will lead you both out of the club. Be quick and be quiet—I won’t be able to help either of you if you get caught.”

  Sparky nodded in agreement. The plan had merit, and his wolf would have the strength to fight if need be. He could also carry the young magi on his back. He looked at the young man. He was tiny compared to most men his age. “How old is he?” Sparky couldn’t help but ask.

  Brenna chuckled, “Don’t worry, he’s of age, just barely. He’s twenty now, but he’s been under Winston’s thumb since he turned eighteen. My father may be tough, but even he would not turn a child over to become a sex slave.”

  “Fine, I’ll take him with me. You know of our pack, yes?” Sparky asked as he walked further into the room. He’d need the space to complete the change.

  “I know where the Windy River Pack is located,” Brenna responded.

  “Good, because if you ever decide to leave, you’ll be welcome there.” Sparky offered. He was sure Alpha Grant would help her once he told him how she helped him to escape. Without saying another word, Sparky shifted and quickly followed Sebastian to freedom.

  ◆◆◆

  Charlie paced in the living room. He hadn’t been able to get through to his mate using their link for over twenty-four hours. Dakota and some of the sentries had arrived with a young pup in tow. The alpha mate had briefly introduced himself and his younger brother before he whisked the pup upstairs. While he was surprised to find an omega alive, and living in the pack he’d called home for years, he couldn’t help feeling if Sparky hadn’t been involved with the boy he’d still be safe.

  Jason had been working non-stop to try to find where Winston could have gone. The problem was, there were too many locations. They had ruled out the Goldfield Coven right away as being too far and too easy. No, Charlie agreed with Jason that his mate was most likely being held at one of the many Leather Bound BDSM clubs located on the west coast. Since Charlie wasn’t able to establish the mate l
ink, it meant Sparky was no longer close to the pack lands.

  When Artemus returned, he needed to talk to him about the limitations of the mate link. More importantly, he wanted to understand exactly how the bonding of his power to Sparky would actually work. Sparky thought he’d kept things from him, but the truth was, he had no idea how this worked between a magi and a shifter.

  It was one of the conversations he wished there had been time to have with his father. But since he hadn’t even been sure a hybrid would get one, much less a Semme’ mate, it hadn’t been a priority. With both of his parents dead, he would have to rely on his older brother to fill in some of the gaps.

  Since interspecies matings were discouraged on both sides, it wasn’t likely there would be too many magi or shifters who would be in the same situation. One thing was clear though, once he got Sparky back, he was going to have to admit he didn’t have a freakin’ clue how their double mating would affect them both. Then, he was going to lock the wolf away to keep him safe. Charlie chuckled, who was he kidding, Sparky would just flip him off and head right into trouble. Maybe it was time for him to accept his powers and to learn to be a true magi.

  “Here you go, Charlie. I’ve brought you some sandwiches and coffee. You need to eat so you can get your strength back.” Vicky Walker remarked as she put the tray on the coffee table in front of him. Her long, light-brown hair was neatly confined in a braid that ran down to her waist. Even though there were streaks of gray showing, the woman still was stunningly beautiful. He’d met her earlier when she was making breakfast for those who were still staying at the house.

  She was the former alpha mate of the pack and the mother of Alpha Grant. When he’d become part of the pack, she and the former alpha had retired and no longer lived in Montana. This was the first time he’d met her in person. He wondered why they had returned, but then with all the strange things happening lately, maybe Grant had called on his father for advice.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Walker,” Charlie said softly. He really didn’t think he’d be able to eat, but the coffee certainly was welcome. He hadn’t been to sleep since his mate disappeared. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand clip the back of his head.

  “Everyone calls me Vicky, and I expect you to eat every bit of that food,” Her eyes narrowed in warning, “You don’t want to find out what will happen if I return and find you didn’t eat.”

  Charlie swallowed. He had no idea what she would do, but somehow he didn’t think he wanted to find out. He picked up one of the sandwiches and bit into it. The taste of roast beef and fresh home-made bread exploded on his tongue. Without thinking, he actually moaned at how good it tasted. After months of being fed scraps while he’d been held captive, this was heaven.

  “Good boy,” Vicky chuckled. “If you want more, you know where the kitchen is, I expect to see you there later for dinner as well.” Her eyes softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. “You’ll need your strength when Jason finds out where that bastard is keeping your mate.”

  The hybrid shifter choked slightly at the language but smiled when the she-wolf winked and then left the room. He was grateful that the shifters in the house were not crowding him. They kept contact with him short, and he could tell they were trying to keep a reign on their emotions. While the voices in his head were getting a little louder, he still was able to maintain control over his gift.

  He managed to finish the sandwiches and was getting ready to bring the tray back to the kitchen when he suddenly felt a surge of panic. “Sparky?” Charlie closed his eyes and tried to open his mind further. It was a risk, but he had to take the chance.

  “Charlie?” Sparky’s voice was weak, but it was there. Charlie’s knees gave out, and the tray clattered to the floor. He could hear the sound of feet running, but he quickly tuned everything out; except the link to his mate.

  “Where are you?”

  There was a moment of silence, but then his mate’s voice returned, “As close as I can tell I’m about three hours from home, just outside of Spokane. But that’s not important, you have to warn Alpha Grant and Beta Jason.”

  “Warn them about what? Are you safe?” Charlie felt a hand on his shoulder. He broke his concentration long enough to see Jason kneeling in front of him; while Dakota stood just inside the door to the room.

  “What happened?” Jason asked as he put a reassuring hand on Charlie’s thigh. “We heard the tray fall and found you zoned out.”

  “It’s Sparky, he’s in Spokane.” Charlie had put up his shields, but he could still feel his mate’s frustration coming through the link. “I need, I have to be alone right now,” Charlie stated briskly. Before either wolf could respond, he stood and walked quickly outside. He sat on the front porch step and opened his mind once more.

  “Damn it! Charlie!” Sparky’s voice sounded desperate.

  “I’m here. Tell me where you are exactly and I’ll come for you.”

  “No! I’m fine. Well, as long as I don’t get stopped by a local cop. I kind of had to liberate Winston’s car when we escaped from the club in Salem,” there was a pause, “Look, we can talk about what happened to me when I get back. You have to warn them. Alpha Grant is walking into a trap, and apparently, some of Alpha Clifton’s new recruits are planning to attack the compound—they’re after Sandy!”

  Chapter 17

  Alpha Grant couldn’t put his finger on it, but something just wasn’t right with the whole situation. Dove had signaled for them to move closer and explained that his vermin patrol hadn’t seen anyone inside the building. “It looks like we’re too late, Alpha,” Dove said quietly as they all stood outside the front doors of the building.

  “Alpha Clifton probably left a few of his less experienced sentries behind to guard their escape. I doubt we’ll learn much from the ones the Seattle Pack captured.” Blaze responded as he continued to glance around the area.

  “What do you want to do, Grant?” David asked quietly.

  Grant took a deep breath. “We’ll go in, but not all of us. David, you and Dad are with me. We’ll do a quick search of the upper levels and try to find anything that will tell us where the bastard managed to slink off to,” he paused and looked at Jake who had remained in wolf form. He could tell from the way the animal paced he was close to disobeying once again.

  “Blaze, you take your men and Jake here to the lower levels. Charlie said there were cells in the basement and the sub-basement. Make sure you check every one of them,” he looked directly into Jake’s eyes, “I doubt he had time to take his prisoners with him. If they are alive, that is where they will be.”

  He turned to face the other wolves. “The rest of you, cover our backs. Something seems off around here. Keep alert and use your com-links if you see anything suspicious.”

  Rafael nodded and then with a short yip to his enforcers, began to take up positions around the building. Grant waited until they were set before he took a step toward the door.

  “Hold on, Alpha, I think we should take a less obvious choice for entry,” Dove said as he pointed to a large barred window set to the side of the door. “The front door could be booby- trapped.”

  “He’s right, Alpha Grant, we can’t discount the possibility of explosives or other nasty surprises,” Blaze replied.

  “I agree, let’s get this done and get home. I don’t like leaving the pack short of protection with Alpha Clifton on the loose,” He tapped his com-link, “Artemus, keep an eye out for any magi mischief, I don’t think there is anyone here, but then we don’t know who else has been helping Clifton.” Without waiting for a response, Grant walked up to the window and using his shifter strength pulled the bars from the window. It only took them a couple of minutes to gain access to what looked like some kind of cafeteria.

  “Blaze, be careful and report to me when you’ve cleared out the cells. Dove, let me know if you find any unpleasant surprises. Dad, you and I will try to find the bastard’s office. David, see if you can find some
kind of security room. If they have any kind of tapes, grab them. Maybe we’ll get lucky and be able to identify some of the new members of his pack.”

  He watched as Blaze and his crew left quietly. Blaze and Dove had remained in their human form while Jake, Falcon, Tank, and Shadow remained in their wolf forms. Grant watched as David walked out the door and turned to the left. From the schematics they were able to tap into, the most likely place for the security room would be in that direction. Grant knew the former administrator of the facility had an office down the hallway in the opposite direction. The third floor also had some offices, but it was mostly made up of rooms used by the unfortunate residents of the mental hospital.

  Sure enough, they located the office Alpha Clifton had been using. From the disarray, it looked like he had fled in haste. His father went directly to the old metal filing cabinets and began to sift through the papers inside. Grant took a look at the desk. He could see the various cords and cables where a computer had probably sat. Of course, the computer was gone.

  The drawers on the desk also appeared to be empty. He glanced up at his father who simply shook his head. “I’ll leave you to finish checking this room,” Grant said softly.

  “Where are you going, son?” His father asked.

  “I’m going up to the third floor. I want to make sure no one is locked in one of the patient rooms, and maybe there will be something the wolves left behind by mistake. Call me if you find anything.”

  “Just be careful son. Alpha Clifton might not be the brightest wolf, but he still is cunning,” Forest warned. “I’ll check out the rest of this floor when I’m finished here and then check in with David.”

  Grant nodded, “Sounds like a plan. Just make it quick. I can’t help but feel this whole thing is a trap.”