A Deadly Secret (The Deadly Series Book 2)

by R M Connor

  “It’s me.” Ethan moved out of the shadows, holding his palms up. He placed a finger over his mouth. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered, grabbing my elbow and pulling me toward the tree line.

  “There’s no way Eugene can fight Vargas.” I drew the glass bottle from my pocket.

  “Where is he?” Maisie piped in.

  A howl broke through the silence, Ethan’s grip tightened around my arm, his fingers digging in. I stiffened, turning around to face the cabin. Ethan spun me back around, pulling me further. I looked into his golden eyes, the blue only a tiny sliver.

  “Go home.” He brushed his hand against my jaw, his lips thin with worry. “Please, go home.” His hands dropped to his side and he ran toward the front of the cabin.

  Maisie’s finger interlocked with mine. I glanced at her and she nodded. “Let’s go.”

  But we didn’t go back to the broom. We moved through the darkness, pressed against the cabin until we reached the edge. There were fewer humans now, more wolves. They paced the tree line and I knew at any moment one of them would spot us.

  The front door of the cabin opened, light spilling onto the dark lawn. Eugene stumbled from the doorway, falling to his hands and knees. Vargas stomped toward him, announcing to the wolves that he was challenging the current alpha. The hair on the back of my neck stood at the sound of snarls and snapping jaws in response.

  This wasn’t a fair fight.

  Eugene pushed himself up onto his knees. He held his chin up and looked at the man before him. Gritting my teeth, I stopped myself from going to him, from screaming for this to stop.

  Something touched my leg and I slapped a hand over my mouth. Looking at the ground, Beans bright-yellow eyes locked onto mine. I knew that look. I reached to grab him but he ran toward Eugene.

  Vargas jerked his head toward us. I screamed through my hand. Bean ran past the men, catching their attention, and I ran after him. This was a terrible idea. A stupid idea. He was going to get himself killed, and probably us too.

  I had no idea how many wolves were on either side of this challenge. For all we knew, only Ethan, Michael, and Jennifer were standing on Eugene’s side. I dug my heels into the ground as Vargas threw his head back and howled. His body began to change in a ripple of muscle under his skin, the same as Ethan’s had.

  I slid to the ground, crying out from the pain in my thigh. Stomach acid rose in my throat and I forced myself to swallow it. I could cry about my thigh later. I laid my hand on Eugene’s bloodied arm and he blinked at me.

  “Riley . . .” his voice was hoarse. His eyes could barely focus. The skin on his face was blue and purple, one eye blackened and half shut from the swelling. They beat him too? Was poisoning him not enough? I touched his cheek and he winced.

  Scrambling to get the jar out of my pocket, I looked at Vargas. He was almost fully changed. His arms no longer looked like a man’s, and a snout began to form. I didn’t have more than a few seconds.

  “Please, trust me,” I begged Eugene and unscrewed the lid. Realizing Connie didn’t give me any instructions, I threw the dropper to the side and pressed the opening to his busted lip, and he opened his mouth.

  His throat moved vigorously. I dropped the empty jar, it rolled down the hill toward Vargas. Eugene gagged. Please do not throw it up. I had no idea what it was made of and by Eugene’s reaction, it mustn’t taste great. I scooted away as Eugene fell forward onto his hands. His coughs were loud and painful. His arms gave out, he hit the ground with a loud thud and went still.

  A cry escaped me, and I stared at his lifeless body. Had I been too late?

  Movement in front of me caught my attention. Sophia barreled toward us, her body changing as she ran. Fur broke out over her legs, her arms. Her clothing ripped as more fur exploded from her skin to cover her chest. It ran up her neck, her face becoming elongated as it transformed into a snout.

  Sophia launched herself at us. I screamed, covering my head with my arms. There was no time for me to move out of the way. Another scream came from behind me. I looked past my arms to see Sophia being tossed backward mid-jump. Turning around, Maisie stood with her palms held out in front of her.

  Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she lowered her arms to her side. She looked at me, her eyes wide. Her nostrils flared, tears streaming down her cheeks. Pushing myself up from the ground, I backed up toward her, waiting for Sophia to get up.

  The wolf laid sprawled out, her mouth hanging open and her long, pink tongue dangling. She didn’t budge. I couldn’t see her chest moving. I glanced at Maisie. She raised her hands to cover her mouth, her brows pulled together.

  A growl rang out and I watched as Eugene pushed himself up from the ground. The antidote must’ve worked! He lifted his head, rolling his shoulders back, his chest puffing out. Eugene glanced at us. “It’s time you two go.”

  He turned his attention to Vargas who subsequently backed up, his tail between his legs at the realization his plan had failed. Eugene began to shift into a large, black wolf. His form towered over Vargas’. I then understood Sasha’s fear of her husband challenging the alpha. He was no match for the alpha.

  Eugen took one last look at us, giving a slight nod before turning back to his foe. I grabbed Maisie’s hand and pulled her behind the cabin to the broom where Bean was waiting for us. I grabbed him. The howls of the wolves caused goosebumps to rise on my skin. My stomach turned as we listened to what could only be the tearing of flesh, and I knew we had to leave now. Right now.

  Maisie ran inside the house. She had been silent the whole ride home. Her head buried into my shoulder, wetting my jacket with her tears. I didn’t want to say anything, or rather, I didn’t know what to say.

  She had killed Sophia.

  My arms dangled heavily; my shoulders sagged. The broom slipped from my grasp, the snow silencing its fall. I choked back a cry, turning away from the open door. What had I done?

  This was all my fault.

  If I hadn’t insisted we go to Peaceful Acres, this would’ve never happened. My stomach turned and I leaned over the porch railing, emptying its contents. I would’ve done anything to protect her, and yet she followed me into a situation we should’ve never been involved in.

  Running the back of my hand over my mouth, I could barely see through my tears. I looked down at the broom. My fingers tingled, electricity violently pulsing through my veins. I raised my hand into the air, the broom following, and threw the broom toward the tree in the back.

  The broom exploded into wooden shavings as it hit the trunk. Why was it so difficult for me to use my magic? Why was it so easy for Maisie?

  I ran down the steps, ignoring the growing pain in my leg, and fell to my knees. Pounding my hands on the frozen ground, I screamed. The bushes beside the house unearthed in a burst of dirt and snow.

  “Riley!” Agatha called from behind me.

  My scream turned into a silent sob and I slumped over. My fists opened; my hands red from the cold. The electricity I felt fizzled away as if the snow had cooled it.

  “What happened? Maisie won’t come out of her room and you—you’re tearing up the landscaping,” Agatha asked, hovering in front of me.

  I looked up at her, sniffling. “Maisie used her magic to kill.”

  Agatha motioned for me to stand. She placed her hand on my arm, her jaw tightening, and for a second I felt the weight of it. I pushed myself up, knowing she couldn’t help me and walked back up the porch steps then into the house.

  “Do you know what spell she used?” her voice was low. She waved her hand and the back door closed.

  I shook my head. My throat felt as if it were closing, and all I could do was shake my head.

  Agatha touched my arm again. I knew it took every ounce of energy for her to truly touch me. I looked into her eyes. She brushed her other hand over my head, barely moving a piece of hair back. “She’ll be okay.”

  Even though she was dead, the lines on her forehead deepened. She didn’t believe
a word she said, and neither did I.

  We were cursed. One of us would go mad with power. I worried now more than ever that Maisie would be the one to lose her sanity as the power of our magic consumed her. And it was all my fault. I would do anything to take back that moment, to find an alternative. But unfortunately, I was certain I couldn’t turn back the hand of time. We would have to deal with whatever came our way, and I would be right beside her.

  I kicked my boots off at the bottom of the stairs. It took longer to reach the loft; my thigh burned and I was certain I had damaged the stitches. Pulling my wet clothes off, I threw them into the hamper and put on a pair of drawstring, black pajama pants and a T-shirt of Ethan’s.

  I walked back down the stairs, my body growing tired with every step I took. Outside of Maisie’s room, I listened to her quiet sobs. Pushing the door open, my chest tightened seeing her small frame curled in a ball on top of the comforter. Her shoulders bobbed as she cried into the pillow she held against her.

  I crawled beside her, my arm going around her shoulders, and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

  I woke to Ethan gently shaking my shoulder. Maisie was quiet, her breathing steady as she slept. Slipping off her bed, I followed him into the kitchen and gasped as I turned on the light. He was bruised and bloody.

  Grabbing a clean washcloth from the bathroom, I dampened it and pulled him to the couch. Pressing it against a deep cut on Ethan’s cheek, I could barely wrap my mind around the blood, gashes, and bites covering his body. Had they transferred from his wolf form to his human one? Ethan winced. He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and pulled my hand away.

  “I promise, I’ll be fine.” He took the cloth from my fingers.

  “You look terrible.”

  His eyes sparkled, his lips turning up into a smile but the cut stopped him. “I promise. I heal quickly.”

  “What happened after I left last night?” I took the washcloth back and proceeded to deal with a bloody cut on his arm.

  Ethan sighed, leaning back against the couch. He lowered his head, staring at his fingers in his lap. “Pack issues.”

  A bubble of anger welled up inside of me. I tossed the washcloth beside him. “Dammit, Ethan. Stop trying to hide things from me.”

  Ethan took a deep breath, wincing as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay. You’re right.”

  “Is Vargas still alive?”

  “Yes.” His head bobbed in a slow nod.

  “How?” I questioned, certain Eugene would have killed him after what he had done.

  “He conceded.”

  There was a dark part of me that wished he was dead, but I felt relief knowing Eugene had shown mercy. Even though Sophia had been responsible for the death of his wife, Jessica, and had put Eugene in a weakened state, Vargas hadn’t stopped her. But that’s because she had been doing his bidding.

  “What is going to happen to him now?” I asked.

  “He has to leave the pack.”

  “That’s it?” That’s pack justice? He gets to walk free after orchestrating a takeover that went against not only pack policy, but human laws? Sophia may have been the one with blood on her hands, but Vargas was far from innocent.

  “No, that’s not it,” Ethan snapped.

  A scowl spread across my face. “Then what? Where is he?”

  Ethan brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. He took a deep breath. “I’m struggling to open up to you.” He gave a weak smile. “I’ve only ever talked to other pack members about these things.”

  My chest tightened, and I let out a shaky breath. This was the first time I felt Ethan was truly trying to let me in. I didn’t want to say anything that would cause him to slam the door shut again.

  “There’s a place in Twin Falls . . .” He licked his busted lip. “A jail, so to speak, for supernaturals.”

  My voice was a whisper, “Is that where he is?”

  Ethan nodded. “He can never see the inside of a human jail. It would be too dangerous. Humans can never know we exist.”

  I rubbed his forearm, a gentle way to thank him for opening up. His forehead creased; he pinched the bridge of his nose. Looking at me, the gold in his eyes was not as prominent anymore.

  “I suppose there’s no reason to keep anything from you now.” He took my hand and brushed his lips over my knuckles.

  “Will you tell me about Peaceful Acres? I don’t understand why that land is so important.”

  I understood that the wolf pack used the land, that it passed from alpha to alpha. I understood that Eugene changed that, but not why it would cause Vargas to let his wife be murdered.

  “I know why.”

  I looked behind me to see Harold standing between the kitchen and living room. He turned the small, chrome-colored bowl in his hands as he fidgeted, his right foot stroked the floor and he cast his eyes down.

  Facing him, I leaned down, my elbows on my thigh. “Harold? You know why the land is important?”

  Agatha appeared behind him. Harold made a mousy shriek, throwing the bowl into the air. He ran toward me and hid behind my back. His little, sharp nails dug into my skin as he grabbed a hold of my shirt. If he kept hanging around, I was going to have to clip those babies. Agatha rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms with her hip cocked.

  I glared at her. She’d done that on purpose. Harold was skittish and she knew it. I pulled him to stand in front of me. “Tell me what you know.”

  Agatha cleared her throat and Harold pulled his large, pointy ears over his eyes.

  Maisie opened her bedroom door and took a step out. “What’s going on?” Her hair was matted, her eyes swollen. She still wore the clothes from the night before.

  “Harold was just about to tell us why Peaceful Acres was worth killing over.”

  Maisie walked past Agatha and lowered to her knees in front of the coffee table. “Go on.”

  “I can show you.” He peeked through his ears, finally letting them go, and they sprang back up on the top of his head.

  “Show us what?” Maisie asked, laying her hand on the table near him.

  “Harold,” Agatha warned.

  Maisie narrowed her eyes at Agatha, who then threw her hands in the air. She turned back to Harold with a sweet smile tugging on her lips. He held up his finger and disappeared in a streak of black. Within seconds, he returned, holding the picture of Maisie and me with our mother. He laid it in front of us and poked the door in the photo.

  “What does this have to do with Peaceful Acres?” I asked.

  “The Wildewood mansion,” Harold squeaked.

  Ethan grabbed the photo, taking a long look at it as he walked into the kitchen. “Supposedly the Wildewood Mansion is on the land. I thought it was just lore.”

  “Not supposedly,” Agatha mumbled.

  “What’s the Wildewood Mansion?” I followed him.

  “Your ancestral home.” Agatha floated to sit on the counter.

  I looked back at Harold. “Can you take us to it?” I grabbed my jacket, not waiting for a reply, and tossed Maisie hers. Ethan stood in front of the door, blocking my exit.

  “Riley, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I grew up hearing bad stories about that house.”

  Maisie had Harold in her arms. “What? Like it’s haunted?” She glanced at Agatha.

  Ethan’s shoulders slumped and he pulled his keys out of his pocket, gripping them tightly as if he were unsure of what to do. He looked past me, and I followed his gaze to Agatha. Great. My boyfriend and dead aunt were in cahoots with one another. At this point, if they wouldn’t get out of my way, I would be forced to use magic on them. She would be back in her hat, and he would be stuck to the floor.

  Agatha nodded with an exasperated sigh.

  “Lead the way, little guy.” Ethan opened the door and, before he could change his mind, I stepped outside.

  We loaded into Ethan’s truck. Harold sat on the dashboard, trying his best to give directions. He didn’t know any street names; he could only
tell us to go toward the Falls. The double waterfalls separated our town from Twin Falls, and I hadn’t been near them since Leah Crane died by plunging to her death.

  This was not the entrance to Peaceful Acres we had gone to previously. That one was right before the bridge that led out of town. But I had to trust Harold and hope he knew how to get to this “Wildewood Mansion” that no one wanted us to know about.

  When we got to the top of the Falls, the truck idled in the parking lot. There was nowhere for us to go. Harold stood, squishing his nose to the windshield, his hot breath fogging the glass, and pointed to the tree line.

  “We can’t drive through trees, Harold,” I explained.

  He let out a heavy sigh then disappeared. The sun was waking up, a sliver of light on the horizon. I saw the tree line ripple and a paved driveway appeared. Harold once again sat on the dashboard. “All fixed.”

  Ethan glanced at me.

  I shrugged. My curiosity was piqued. It seemed magic had been hiding this from view. But was it Wildewood magic? Ours didn’t work at the Falls. I needed to get my hands on a map that showed the true boundary of Wildewood. Ethan pressed on the gas and we drove down a rather steep, winding drive around the Falls until we reached flat land. A large wrought-iron gate appeared in front of us. Two Ws formed in the middle.

  “Harold?” I leaned forward.

  “Wildewood.” He scrambled off the dashboard to hide in my coat.

  “We’re still in Wildewood?” I opened my coat to look at him.

  “Yes.” He shook his head and pulled the fabric back over himself.

  “We can’t get through.” Ethan glanced at the bulge at my side. If we were still in Wildewood, Maisie and I could easily unlock the gate.

  Unbuckling my seat belt, I grabbed the door handle. Harold disappeared before I could open it and the gate creaked, sounding rusted and needing oil. I wondered how long it’d been since the last time it was opened. Harold reappeared under my jacket as the truck crept through the entrance.

  “Oh my God.” Maisie gawked from the backseat.