Wolfish: Curseborne

by G. K. DeRosa

  “Absolutely not,” Hunter roared, the force of his beta power slamming into Ransom. He staggered back a step, but his face remained a mask of calm.

  “Aristaeus, how can I explain the two of you in my home at this hour? One female is much easier to sneak around. Think on it for a minute. You have to agree.”

  He had a point. As much as I hated to separate, it was the only option. Every minute that passed we were further away from finding Mom. “Ransom’s right.” I turned to Hunter and clenched my fingers into tight fists to keep from touching him. His concern bled through the bond, leeching through every part of me. I wanted to reassure him somehow, but I couldn’t, not in front of Ransom. I’ll be fine, I shot through our link. If anything goes wrong, I’ll call for you.

  Hunter gritted his teeth and shook his head. “No,” he grated out. I can’t lose you. His wolf’s voice caressed the building turmoil.

  “Relax, Aristaeus, she’ll be safe with me.” Ransom shot him a playful wink and for a second, I was certain my mate would lunge.

  I risked a quick squeeze to his hand. I have to do this, Hunter. She’s my mom.

  He finally nodded. I tried to pull free of his hold, but his fingers only tightened around mine. He turned to Ransom, and his wings snapped out. The sharp talons loomed over his head, the shimmering golden appendages fierce beneath the moonlight. He leveled him with a piercing glare as flames danced across the gold. “If anything happens to her,” he snarled, the sound more beast than man, “I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb, drag your burnt and battered carcass across the valley, and feed you live to the ixa demons. I won’t sever your head until they’ve skinned you to the bone.” He jabbed his finger into Ransom’s chest. “Are we clear?”

  “Crystal.” The Royal kept a straight face, but even I’d noticed the sharp bob of his Adam’s apple.

  An inexplicable lusty wave crashed over me at my mate’s terrifying words. I was certain it had to have come from him, but only rage surged through his side of the bond. Nope, it was me. My wolf liked his threats.

  That noxiously sweet scent filled the air again, and my cheeks burned. Oh gods, this was so embarrassing. My wolf was turned on!

  Both Hunter and Ransom’s nostrils flared, and I wanted to curl into the fetal position as they inhaled deeply. Instead, I squealed, “Can we go please?”

  Ransom nodded and motioned toward the dark ominous structure. “Follow me.”

  With one last glance at Hunter, I followed him through the pathway back to the foot of the hill.

  Please, be careful. Hunter’s voice echoed through my mind.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The search of De La Sangue Lair was a bust. With every empty room, vacant closet, desolate basement, fear clawed deeper into my gut. Where was she? We’d spent hours searching the sprawling hilltop fortress, and I was certain Ransom had taken me through every inch of the place, but he was right, she wasn’t there.

  Exhausted and dejected, I followed Ransom through the suffocating tunnel. The moment we stepped foot outside, I gulped in a deep breath of fresh air. The first rays of the sun were creeping over the valley, but pitch black ruled in my heart. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since my mom went missing and everyone knew time was critical when it came to missing persons.

  “It’s not over, Violet.” Ransom swung his arm across my shoulders. “I’ll speak to my father today and see if I can glean any information. If I hear anything, I’ll contact you right away.”

  I paused in front of the side entrance into the lair he’d brought me through. The edge of the forest was only a few yards away where Hunter waited. “Do you honestly think your father had nothing to do with this?”

  He paused for a long moment before answering. “I don’t know. What I do know is that he and Tyrien have been rather chummy lately, which is unusual. If there is something going on, my bet is our supreme alpha is also involved.”

  I gulped and peered into the dim forest. I feared the same. Grams’ accusations weren’t entirely off base. Tyrien had hunted down and slaughtered my pack. Maybe he was using my mom to finish off what he’d started.

  Ransom followed my gaze to the forest and grunted. “You’re his mate, aren’t you?”

  I spun around and whipped my head back and forth. “No, I’m not!”

  “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” He chuckled.

  “Really? You’re going to quote Hamlet on me?” I schooled my features, hoping the heat seeping up my neck wasn’t turning my cheeks red. “We’re just messing around.”

  “Have you slept together yet?”

  My jaw nearly hit the floor. “That’s none of your business.”

  Another wicked grin. “My guess is you haven’t, because if you had, you would’ve completed the bond. It’s only a matter of time, Violet.” He stabbed at his heart dramatically. “Then it’ll be all over for us.” His dark eyes roamed over me, drilling into my flesh. “I don’t typically come between fated mates, but this time, I might have to forgo my rule. Especially since there seems to be something holding you back from completing the bond.”

  I threw him a narrowed glare. “My mom’s missing so I have more important things to worry about than horny wolves.”

  “You’re right. I apologize.” He took a step back and receded into the dim recesses of the tunnel. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear anything.”

  “Thanks.” I took off into the woods, my nerves begging me to keep moving. If I stopped, I’d have to focus on the fact that my mom was gone, and I had no idea where she was or why someone had taken her.

  Hot tears stung my eyes, and I finally let them fall. I hadn’t cried since finding out Mom had been taken. I hadn’t had a second to myself, but now that the dam had opened, the surge flowed freely. I sobbed as I ran deeper into the forest, tears blurring my eyes.

  A body shot out in front of me, and I fell into strong arms. “I’ve got you,” Hunter whispered into my hair as I collapsed into his firm frame.

  “She’s gone.” I cried and cried, pain and guilt shredding my insides. If I’d left Moon Valley when my mom had come, none of this would’ve happened. Why hadn’t I listened to her?

  “We’ll find her, I promise.” Weaving his arm beneath my knees, he lifted and cradled me against his chest. He moved slowly through the woods as the sun crept over his shoulder. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing the light in. The sun’s bright rays were too intrusive, too invasive. They shed the light on the truth, on the devastating fact that my mom was gone.

  When we reached my apartment, Hunter gently lay me in bed. The flight back had been a blur, my mind sinking into a downward spiral. The most terrible feeling had burrowed into my heart, and I couldn’t chase it away no matter how hard I tried.

  “You have to rest,” he whispered as I clung onto his shirt.

  “I can’t. I can’t just sit here and sleep while she’s somewhere out there getting tortured, or worse.”

  “We don’t know that’s what’s happening. We have no idea why Lucien, or whoever, took her. Don’t start assuming the worst because it’s not going to help anyone. Least of all your mom.”

  I released my hold on his soft tee and lay against the pillow. A streak of pain seared across my back, reminding me of my still-healing wound. I rolled to my side, and Hunter’s anxious gaze followed mine. “Are you okay?”

  “Just a little twinge. No biggie.” Something Ransom said was still niggling at the back of my mind. Tyrien. He had to have some sort of role in all of this. I glanced up to meet a pair of smoldering irises. “If I stay here and rest, will you go talk to your father?”

  He nodded slowly. “Let me get Vander over here to stay with you, and then I’ll go.”

  “You don’t have to, I’ll be fine.”

  His hand reached for my face, as if moving of its own will. He paused, and indecision knitted his dark brows. He finally cupped my cheek, exhaling a sigh of relief. “Sierra, someone kidnapped your mom. If you think I’m lea
ving you alone, you’re out of your mind.”

  I leaned into his touch, helpless not to. “Okay,” I finally murmured, my lids growing heavy.

  “Rest,” he instructed, and I sank deeper under the covers. He pulled his phone from his pocket and jabbed at the screen.

  I watched him as he shot off a message to Vander, I assumed. Once he finished, he lifted his eyes to mine. I fought the fatigue and met his concerned gaze. I could feel the unease pulsating through our bond. Did he think his father capable of this? And if he was, what would he do about it?

  “Once this is over, we’re going to find the Lune Sacré coven,” I muttered. “I haven’t forgotten, you know.”

  “I know. I know exactly how stubborn you are. I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

  A hint of light seeped through the darkness blanketing my thoughts. “It’s weird this mate bond, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “I’ve seen a few of my friends go through it, but no matter how much they tell you, you never really understand until it’s happening to you. My thoughts of you are all-consuming. I close my eyes, and you’re all I see. I want to be next to you, touching you, constantly. It’s an impossible battle. One I fear I won’t win.”

  Even now, with the fear and uncertainty of my mother looming over me, I wanted him. I knew exactly what he meant. It was all-consuming.

  The turmoil whipping across those golden irises lanced into me. I couldn’t imagine my emotions being split in half. I chewed on my lower lip as I fumbled with the question I’d had on my mind for a while now. Given the circumstances, Hunter might sugarcoat his answer, making the truth more bearable. I steeled my nerves and spat it out. “Hunter, I know the curse stops you from loving me, but what do you feel for me? You, not your wolf.”

  The gold of his irises darkened, until only the deep emerald remained. He didn’t speak for an impossibly long minute and just when I was sure he wouldn’t answer, his Adam’s apple bobbed. He cracked his knuckles and seared me with a penetrating stare that reached my bone marrow. “It’s hard to separate myself from my wolf. His feelings bleed into our connection, making it hard…” He gritted his teeth as streaks of yellow darted across his irises. “I admire you, respect you, and I’m unbelievably attracted to you. I want to protect you, I feel insanely possessive over you, and the jealousy is overwhelming. But when I think about you, about us together, there’s a void. A black, bottomless chasm that I simply can’t overcome. I want to more than anything. I remember what it feels like to love you now. It’s like grasping at snowflakes. Just when I think I’ve gotten a hold of it, it disappears in my palm, melting to nothing. It’s exasperating.”

  A pang of hurt lanced through my insides, but I shoved it down. I had asked the question and now I needed to deal with the consequences. It was easy to fool myself into thinking he loved me. The way he’d been acting lately seemed a lot like love, but it was his wolf. His wolf’s feelings bleeding into his own. After all, a wolf was just an animal, it couldn’t truly feel love, could it?

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. Especially not right now.”

  I shook my head and tugged the blanket up to my chin. “No, I needed to hear it.” I released a slow breath. “And I’m not mad. I know this isn’t your fault. You’ve fought me fang and claw the whole way. I’m the one that keeps pushing for us to be together.”

  He scooted closer and found my hand beneath the comforter. His fingers entwined with mine, and the hurt dissipated. “You were right. I was being stubborn, but it was only because I wanted to protect you. Sometimes hope can do more harm than good. But now that I’ve seen you’re really not giving up, I know that we have to try to break the curse. I want to try. There’s nothing I’d want more than to love you, to claim you as mine.”

  A chill snaked up my spine at the rough edge to his tone. His wolf was back.

  Hunter squeezed my hand, and sparks tingled over my skin. I gave him a smile, and a yawn slipped out. “Vander should be here soon. You need to get some rest. That was the deal, right?”

  I curled into the blanket and Hunter leaned over me, sweeping his lips over my forehead. His breath skated over my skin, and I clasped my hands together to keep from pulling his head back down and capturing his lips.

  He released my hand and stood, blowing out a breath. “Sleep,” he whispered as he headed toward the door.

  I watched him disappear into the living room, my eyes fixed on his broad shoulders and narrow hips. At least he’d distracted me from grim thoughts of my mom for a few minutes. The adrenaline had worn off and exhaustion was setting in. I convinced myself I’d take a quick power nap and feel much better. My lids began to close, and I gave in to the peace of darkness.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hunter

  Leaving Sierra was the hardest thing I’d had to do today. Well, except maybe letting her go into De La Sangue Lair without me. Or anytime I left her if I was being honest. She was naïve in thinking Ransom wanted nothing more than friendship from her. I’d stolen into his mind and read his thoughts, the things he’d imagined doing to her… A growl forced its way through my gritted teeth. I’d rip his head off before I’d let him touch her that way.

  If only I could read my father’s thoughts as easily. Ransom was weak. Stealing into a stronger wolf’s mind was a trickier feat, especially one that was hiding something.

  I marched up the tunnel to my father’s private quarters, anger building with each step. I didn’t want to believe he’d kidnapped Sierra’s mom but at this point, I wouldn’t put anything past him. The question was why?

  He already knew Sierra was a Mystic. He’d already forced her into the trials, surely in hopes of getting her killed. What could he want from her mother? Maybe he’s searching for confirmation of her sire? Or could he believe there were more Mystics in hiding?

  Dozens of questions swirled through my mind as I trudged up the steep incline to the top of the hill. My father’s personal guards met me at the door to his chambers. The pair of old wolves bristled as I approached. They’d been with my father since he became alpha of the Dragos pack all those years ago and were as nasty as he was.

  I gave a slight nod and the two dipped their heads, their gazes casting down for only an instant. “I’m here to see my father. It’s important.”

  Walt cocked his head at me, and a low growl vibrated between his clenched teeth. The supreme alpha has asked not to be disturbed. He countered through the pack mind link.

  “You heard me say it’s important, right?” I shot a hint of my beta power in his direction, and a sharp whine slid out. “Tell him his son is here, and I need to see him at once.” As supreme alpha, my connection with my father was only one way. He could burst into my head whenever he wanted, but I had to knock and deal with his guards. From what I’d heard, that wasn’t the case in other packs. Some fathers actually enjoyed a two-way connection with their offspring. I shook off the pointless thought. There had never been anything fatherly about Tyrien.

  Grayson nudged past Walt and slipped into the outer foyer of the alpha’s chambers. Walt remained at the door, his amber eyes trained on me.

  “What do you think I’m going to do, sneak in?”

  He chuffed and sat back on his haunches. No wonder my mom always hated my father’s loyal guard dogs. The great alpha’s voice boomed across his chambers, the annoyance in his tone seeping into the hallway.

  Walt jumped to his feet at the sound of thundering footfalls. Tyrien craned his neck through the crack in the double doors and eyed me. “Aristaeus. I have a high council meeting in thirty minutes, can this wait?”

  “No. Which is why I asked them to interrupt.”

  He huffed out a breath. “Fine,” he growled and waved me in.

  The two wolf sentinels returned to their places on either side of the door, a threatening snarl bouncing between them as I crossed the threshold. I slammed the doors behind me, secretly hoping to snag one of their tails.
<
br />   Father led me to the outer chamber of his massive space and my eyes landed on the woman perched on the edge of his old leather wingback, her slim silhouette highlighted by the flickering flames of the hearth. Sonia De La Sangue canted her head at my approach, a wry smile on her crimson lips. She adjusted her blouse and ran a hand through her disheveled dark mane. My gaze bounced from my father to the Royal alpha’s mate and back. My father’s face was a mask of calm arrogance. What the hell did I walk in on?

  I wiped the shock from my face and gave the detestable woman a tight smile. “Sorry to interrupt, Sonia. I didn’t realize my father had company, but I’ve come to speak to him about an urgent matter.”

  She barely dipped her head but made no motion to move.

  “In private,” I gritted out.

  Tyrien stepped forward and ticked his head toward the door in the far back, which was slightly ajar. “Please give us a moment, Sonia.”

  I couldn’t remember the last time he’d allowed me to enter his bedroom. It was probably right after Mom died. I shook off my wandering thoughts and focused on the awkward scene I’d found myself in.

  Lucien’s mate sauntered past me, her hips swaying to an imaginary rhythm before disappearing into my father’s sacred chamber. I couldn’t help the pang of betrayal that streaked across my chest, a hot knife through butter. I had no delusions that Tyrien had remained faithful to my mother’s memory, but he’d never flaunted his trysts either.

  Tossing my head from side to side, I attempted to dislodge the nauseating images and focus on the reason for my visit. I’d considered my plan of attack the entire flight over here, but still I wasn’t convinced on the best method to extract the information I needed from my father.

  “Well?” he asked.

  A tiny masochistic part of me wanted to inquire about Sonia’s presence, but the other part thought better of it. If he wanted to incur the Royal alpha’s wrath by screwing his mate, all the better for me. Besides, I had more pressing issues to address. A thought niggled at the back of my mind as I attempted to refocus. “Why hasn’t Sierra been added to the high alpha council? Technically, she is an alpha.”