by A Lonergan
“How is Lucas?” I didn’t care for the small talk anymore. I wanted to know how my friend was. I had my suspicions that he was being mistreated with me gone.
“He is boring,” Damian bared his teeth. “All he does is sit in your room and play cards with himself.”
That seemed strange. Why would Lucas play cards with himself? I wanted to look at Micah but I couldn’t give myself away. I couldn’t let him know I had an ally in this mess. He had to believe I was all in, on my own. Friends would come later.
Damian pushed off of the edge of the car and patted Micah on the shoulder. “I thought I would have trouble with you, especially after your first few months here. I’m glad to see you are finally accepting the cause.”
Micah nodded. “I wasn’t thinking clearly before. The wolfsbane will do that to you.”
Damian smiled again, but wider this time. “Good, glad to hear it. Gather the group that is waiting back in the cabin then head back to HQ. It’s time Jade met the rest of our rogues.”
Chapter 23
Tracey
Shouting blasted me from the sweet darkness that had wrapped around my consciousness. I blinked my eyes slowly as the lights berated me from above. I tried to throw my arm over my face to shield me from the abrasiveness, but it was no use. My arms wouldn’t corporate. I kept my eyes closed even though it wasn’t much relief from the brightness around me.
“For all I know, she hasn’t had witch blood. Usually, one species takes over the other and destroys it. She shouldn’t be having this kind of reaction.” My granny’s voice was shrill. “She has never shown signs of knowing magic before. As far as I knew, the magic lay dormant in her DNA. There aren’t many wolf/witch babies out there. Normally shifters mate with other shifters, not other supernatural species. It should have been impossible for them to have one child, and they managed to have two. This is all new to me.”
I had never heard Granny so panicked before. Another person spoke beside her and it took me a moment to recognize Carden’s voice. I had forgotten he still lived here with her. He was a prisoner for a while but now, all he wanted to do was learn about magic and help Granny. I didn’t understand it but I also hadn’t had time to ask questions while I had been knee-deep in cottage renovations. “Do you think you could contact the covens around here and see if they know anything about it?”
Granny clucked her tongue. “I’m afraid not, boy. Witches did this and they would not be so fond to help. There is more to this than what appears. We can’t risk our stance. We have a witch and a wolf in one body. The last thing we need is to get Pack Law involved, or the other covens. This could be more dangerous than what we are already dealing with.”
With that, I let out a groan as I tried to roll over. I didn’t know where I was but I was tired of being talked about like I wasn’t lying right there next to them. Hands grasped me as I went airborne, right off of the table they had me perched on. No wonder my body ached the way it did. They had me on a metal exam table.
“Turn the damn lights off please,” My voice croaked out from a dry throat. I coughed once before it felt a little better, then a glass was being pressed to my lips. I couldn’t remember what had happened last. I remembered seeing Jade.
I shot up and almost collided with Knox. He was the one pressing the cup to my lips. My head swam with the sudden movement. With trembling hands, I managed to take the cup from the Guardian's fingers. He tried to give me a reassuring grin but all it did was the opposite. Who had hounded him to care this time?
Rafe had his hands braced on either side of the wooden chair. It was flipped around so he straddled it. His hair was pulled back slightly and his eyes were dark, but not with his wolf. “Good morning, sleeping beauty. How was your rest?”
I scrunched up my nose. “It was fine, as long as none of you woke me with a kiss.” My eyes found Knox’s right before he smirked. My look went lethal. He held his hands up in surrender before he chuckled. The dark sound wrapped around me and I felt myself shiver in response. I clamped down my teeth and tried to not rip him apart. Damn him, and damn the rest of them. I didn’t need an audience as I had awoken.
“How are you feeling?” Granny’s voice ripped me from my rage. When I looked up at her I blinked. Golden threads wove around her in intricate patterns. They never stopped moving. It reminded me of the forest before I had seen Jade. I blinked then blinked again but it didn’t matter. The gold remained around her like she was an angel.
Granny’s eyes softened as she watched something shimmering around me. I held my hands up to inspect myself but there was nothing there. “You can’t see your own magical aura. I would imagine that’s what you’re seeing around me now.”
I nodded my head uncertain. This was new territory for all of us, based on their conversation.
“It wasn’t until you were conscious again, that your aura flared to life. You can prevent people from seeing it as you learn more about witchcraft. But for now, this is very interesting.” Granny got down on her knees and before I knew it, I was pulled into one of her amazing hugs. Relief and love flooded my body. If anyone knew how to help me navigate all of this, it was Granny. “I will recommend that you don’t leave the Pack Lands until you get this under control. You have a lot to learn before we release you back into the big world with witches that will want to dissect you.”
I nodded my head. I could agree to that, it would cause more trouble than it was worth if I ran into another witch or I insisted on helping with Jade and only made things worse. After all, I was probably one of the main reasons we had to leave so quickly the other night and I probably put Jade in danger.
I looked up at Rafe and smiled. “Where is Jade? I figured she would be here when I woke up, but I kind of understand. She looked like she needed a lot of rest and food. Just tell me you didn’t show her the cottage yet.”
The Alpha and Knox shared pained looks. Rafe spoke first. “She isn’t here.”
He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t know if it was for my sake or for his. Granny took that as her cue to explain it to me. “There were a few complications besides the magic spelled against you.”
I didn’t know if I wanted to know. “How am I still here if I was poisoned?”
Knox scratched the top of his head. “You have your wolf to thank for that. She saved your life with your advanced healing.”
That made sense. “They’re holding her prisoner.” I had to know, even if I didn’t want to.
Rafe clenched his jaw. “They are holding a lot more than her prisoner there.”
“Then why don’t we bust up in there and save them?” Carden said from the doorway. It was so weird to see him innocent and without all the piercings and tats that he had before. The spell had seemed so realistic.
Knox sighed. “Their pack is highly protected. Whoever is being held captive, isn’t there.”
“She didn’t tell you who is holding her prisoner?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Knox chewed on his lip. “We didn’t exactly have time for questions.”
Oh. Because of me.
Chapter 24
Jade
“I want to be able to call my parents.” We were blasting down the highway faster than I had ever gone. I was too scared to take a peek at the speedometer. A heart attack was imminent if I knew. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the seat.
Ignorance is bliss.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Damian said from the driver’s seat. I didn’t bother opening my eyes to look at him. I would die on this hill.
“I told you that I would be willing to work with you, now I expect you to do the same.” I felt myself wanting to pout. My bottom lip started to pucker before I sucked it into my mouth. None of that. I couldn’t afford to get comfortable. I couldn’t afford for him to think I was flirting. I shivered.
“You don’t think your parents will want to see you?” He scoffed.
“Magic is a powerful force, I understand but you need
to understand that eventually they are going to want to see me. Is your game a long one?” I opened my eyes and leveled him with a death stare.
He let out an exasperated sound. “Yes, relatively.”
“Then they will come looking. I don’t know how much you looked into me before you made your plans, but my parents fought to have me. They have hovered my entire life. All I know is them. If you don’t let me speak to them or see them, they will get suspicious and then your operation will crumble to the ground.”
He didn’t say anything back and I let him stew on it. There was no point in continuing to try to sell it. We had already been in the car for what felt like hours. I hadn’t realized where we had been playing pretend was so far from where we actually stayed. I didn’t even know what to call it. The compound? HQ? Hell?
As he pulled down a long winding dirt road, his eyes turned toward me. “Fine, you can call your parents and possibly see them. But you’ll have to tell them the same thing you told the Crimson Pack. You’ll have to explain you’ve taken up work somewhere else, or that you are required to travel because your boss wants you as his right-hand man.” He winked. “You can possibly twist it into a workplace romance if you’d like, if you think it’ll sell it. I don’t care.”
Hope flared brightly in my chest. Before I could stop myself, I threw my body across the little space separating us and wrapped my arms around him the best I could. “Thank you!”
His body tensed before he relaxed a bit and I had to remind myself that he was the villain here. That he had kidnapped me. But something in the back of my head reminded me that Rafe had still turned me without my consent. That was where the lines got blurred and I knew, if I wasn’t careful, I would fall right into the belly of the beast without any way out.
Lucas was waiting in my room with a deck of cards. He was flicking through each card when I opened the door. To the common, untrained eye they looked just like regular playing cards. But as I got closer, I noticed something different on the faces of each card. It was a tarot deck. I grinned. I wondered how he had managed to get that in here or if Damian was experimenting with the once witch.
He didn’t look up when I sat across from him. I had brought in a whole trove of clothes with me, except they weren’t for me. They were for him. He didn’t look up. His bronzed fingers worked through the deck of cards once more.
“You’ve been gone for a while,” His voice held no emotion as he shuffled the deck.
“I brought you back a gift,” I nudged the suitcase beside my foot.
He continued playing with the cards. “You sold your soul to the monster.”
I felt my lips stretch across my teeth in a predatory grin. “Lucas, the only monster I sold myself to, was myself. I might not have been monster material before, but I sure as hell am now.”
His eyes flicked up to mine before they looked over my body. “What did they do to you?”
I leaned forward like I was going to kiss his neck but instead whispered into his ear. “They showed me the one thing I am willing to fight for.”
He leaned back and planted his hands on either side of himself. His cards forgotten now. “What’s that?”
I ran the tip of my tongue over my canine. “Myself, silly.”
Chapter 25
Jade
The sound of the phone ringing was like music to my ears. I had never thought it possible to miss my parents as much as I did but when my mother’s voice blasted through the speaker my chest got tight. My eyes burned as I tried to think of what to say. I had been able to read all the text messages between my parents and the fake Jade. I had a little insight on the role I was supposed to play.
“Two calls in one week!” My dad’s voice sounded thrilled. I pressed my palm to my chest as an unfamiliar feeling washed through me. “We must be super lucky! What do we owe the occasion?”
“I just missed you,” My voice broke and I knew when my mom caught onto my emotion immediately.
“Are you okay?”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “Of course, I’m just a bit homesick. I don’t think I have ever been away from home this long before. Do you ever feel like this?”
“Yes, sweetie!” My mom reassured me. “We feel that way often. Especially without you here when we get back. When do you think you’ll be coming home? You said you’re going to finish school remotely?”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to lie to them but I knew I had no other choice. They couldn’t be put in danger. They were so fragile. I couldn’t risk it. “About that,” I paused as I gathered my thoughts. “I’m going to be traveling for a while. I was offered a new position recently and well,” This was the part I hated the most. “I started seeing someone.”
My dad chuckled as my mom spoke. “I knew it! I knew there had to be something more keeping you away like this!”
“Tell us all about him,” My dad didn’t sound amused at all and I knew he only asked to humor my mom.
My thoughts immediately went to Rafe. The way his hair had fallen across his collar in the woods. The constant smirk he wore on his face. The golden hue of his eyes when I first met him.
But it wasn’t Rafe I described. “He’s very headstrong and has an incredible work ethic. He’s a big team leader and he loves to play games.” Mind games. “He’s very handsome and determined.” None of it was a lie, but not exactly the truth either.
“We can’t wait to meet him. What’s his name?” My mom wasn’t going to let me skimp on any details.
“Damian,” I breathed.
Lucas’s eyes shot to mine from across the room. I didn’t know why I had thought today would be a good day to call them but I couldn’t put it off any longer. It wasn’t like I could leave this room and I definitely couldn’t kick Lucas out either.
“Ohhhh,” my mom cooed into the phone. “I already know you have good taste too! I’m sure he’s just as good looking as the rest of the men that would frequent the house.”
My dad let out an exasperated sound. “On that note, I think we are going to be late for our train.”
They were in Belgium again, I had read in the text messages. Dad had a huge client that lived there. He liked to do freelance accounting for rich people all over the world. At least that was what he said. There was no telling what he really did. He was technically retired and had invested right. But he was a workaholic and there was no telling how he was managing to scratch that itch now.
After a few goodbyes, they hung up and I was left with silence on the other end. It took me a few moments before I could pull the phone away from my face.
“So that’s how it’s going to be?” Lucas leaned against the wall now and his eyes practically glowed in the dim lighting. He wasn’t happy.
“What?”
“Damian and you,” He growled through gritted teeth.
I rolled my eyes. “I have to do what I have to do to keep them safe. I would never sell my body like that.”
“And what if that’s what he requires next?”
I thought of the night Knox had ripped the heart from the rogue’s chest. The night I had thought he was a horrible person. I had been terrified but now? I couldn’t help but smile. “Then I will enjoy ripping his heart from his chest. Nalia will enjoy eating it.”
The yellow in Lucas’s eyes faded. “You think you are up for that challenge?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know but I will say this. Do not underestimate me, unless you want to die too.”
“You aren’t the scared pup they threw in here weeks ago.”
“Good.”
I didn’t know what game Damian was playing at but our meals were no longer laced with wolfsbane and we didn’t have a guard posted at our door anymore. But I knew better than to think the surveillance in our room had been turned off. I knew we were being watched even if someone wasn’t posted at the door and I knew better than to think they didn’t know our every move if we left the room.
Lucas shook his head the first day we
had left our room. He hadn’t wanted to go. He insisted it was a trap but they hadn’t brought us a meal and I was starving. I could keep myself from eating a lot but I needed something. The water from the shower didn’t keep my stomach full. So I shrugged and yanked the door open. I blinked a few times when I realized Micah wasn’t at the door. Then I shrugged again and left. Lucas whispered aggressively behind me as I walked away and found the cafeteria.
It wasn’t as busy as it usually was and I wondered if they were using us as a social experiment. No one looked up as we passed, like they usually did. We were allowed to get our own food and it actually smelled like real food. When the lady on the other side of the counter passed me a massive slice of chocolate cake, I felt like I was going to cry. My nose immediately started to burn and my eyes filled. I doubted she was doing it out of kindness, but the fact was, I couldn’t remember the last time I had had something sweet. Maybe at the Crimson Manor? But how long ago was that? All of my days were blurred together at this point.
Lucas looked equally emotional and shocked as she gave him a slice even bigger than my own. The edges of the icing grazed over the side of the white plate. He didn’t wait till we got to the table and didn’t even use a fork. He simply stuck his mouth right into the top of it while he managed to balance his tray full of other mouthwatering foods. It wasn’t until we sat down that he pulled his mouth away from the dessert.
His entire mouth and chin were covered in chocolate icing. He grinned at me lazily as he picked up a fork and ate the rest of the cake before his actual lunch. How long had he been here? When was the last time he had eaten like this or enjoyed his food? I pushed my cake to him as guilt flooded me. He had been here a lot longer than I had. He deserved all the cake.
Country fried steak sat untouched on my tray but not for long. The scent of it was driving me crazy, almost as crazy as the cake. All of our food was gone in seconds. We wolfed it down without really tasting anything. Lucas ate both slices of cake before he finished off his lunch too.
