by A Lonergan
Besides Bee, twelve others had died in the explosion because of the building falling on them or the fire. We were two of the lucky ones.
I tried to remind myself of that every time I looked at Lucas. He had suffered a bad head injury and a concussion but other than that he was fine. I had needed six stitches on the top of my head because the amount of wolfsbane in the air had been toxic. That was another reason four wolves had died. They had been too close to it when it exploded.
Lucas was laying on the plush canopy bed reading a magazine when our routine watch came through the door to do an inspection. He checked under the beds, behind the curtains, and in the bathroom before he marched out. He wore a ski mask and didn’t speak to us. None of the guards were permitted to speak to us and now we hardly had a chance to be alone or speak quietly. If we got too close, a guard marched in to separate us. My skin crawled with the thought of it. There was nothing more I hated than Damian.
I had hated Rafe. I had hated how he had taken my choice away from me. I had hated his smirking face and his taunting. But now? Now all I hated was being under Damian’s thumb and he enjoyed it too. He always wore a little knowing smile when I saw him. But he never asked. He never asked if I had planned the explosion until one evening when I was eating lunch on the balcony outside of my room. I had already checked to see if I could jump off of it, but it had a magical forcefield surrounding it.
I took a bite out of my sandwich as he came out. He sat in the metal patio chair beside me and we watched as the rain poured from the heavens and bounced off of the magic surrounding us. It was like we were in our own little bubble.
“Did you plan it?” His voice came out quiet, unsure.
“Plan what?” I asked confused. I really had no idea what he was talking about.
“The explosion?”
“No, I didn’t. Everything about that day makes me sick.”
A guard I hadn’t realized was behind us spoke up. “Truth.”
“What?” I asked.
“I brought a wolf with me to tell me if you were lying or not.”
I nodded my head. It was to be expected and I was thankful that I hadn’t been included in that day. I felt guilty enough over it. I shouldn’t have tried anything or thought about trying anything when it meant another person would get hurt. Now I had several deaths on my hands, even if I wasn’t the one that planned it. I chewed a few more bites of my sandwich before I placed my plate on the iron table between us. The wolfsbane coated my tongue and I had the urge to throw up all the food I had eaten. I was back to being fed wolfsbane with every meal. Would this interrogation change anything? I doubted it, Damian was on edge. He was extra jumpy. A bird squawked in the distance and he about jumped out of his skin.
“Are you okay?” I asked as his head twitched.
He ran his hands down his thighs before he shot me a dazzling smile. “Yes, of course. There have just been some hiccups lately. Nothing I can’t fix.”
I nodded my head and watched the mountains. The previous day there had been deer feeding in the distance. This had become my happy place. Lucas didn’t even bother me when I came out here to eat the poison they called meals.
I stayed out on the balcony until the sun dipped down and disappeared for the night. I tucked my legs beneath myself as the night grew chilly and I wished I had my sweater.
Right on cue, Lucas came out with a blanket. He wrapped it around my shoulders before he sat down beside me. “Do you think Micah is okay?”
It seemed like a safe enough question. I reached out between us and pulled his hand into mine. We threaded our fingers together and I shrugged. “I really don’t know.”
We lapsed back into a safe silence before he got up and scooted his chair closer to mine. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I snuggled into the crook of his arm. His warmth spread into me and I sighed in contentment. “Do you think we will be here forever?”
Lucas rested his chin on top of my head. “I think Damian will get bored of you by then.”
“He mentioned that I have a mate,” I hadn’t said it out loud until that moment. I had a mate out there somewhere.
“I figured you did,” He ran his hands over the tops of my arms. “All the best ones do.”
I poked him in the ribs. “You have a mate out there too.”
His chest vibrated with a hum. “I don’t know. I would like to think so. Before I was a wolf, the thought of having a mate terrified me. Now the thought isn’t so bad. Maybe it will be someone that is everything I’m not. Strong and courageous.”
I rolled my eyes and poked him again. “You are those things.”
He shrugged. “My dad never thought so.”
“Axel is kind of an ass.”
He let out a laugh before he said, “Shhhh. I’m sure he can hear you all the way over here.”
“I hope he can.” I cupped my hands around my mouth. “YOU’RE A SWOLLEN ASSHOLE AXEL.”
He leaned over at the waist and choked on a laugh. “Swollen?” He let out a wheeze.
I shrugged. “I don’t like the word fat.”
He continued to laugh. “So you call him swollen? That is rich.”
His laugh was infectious and eventually I was doubled over with him as we poked each other and giggled like maniacs. The best part of it? We weren’t broken up by a stupid guard and we were allowed to live in that moment.
Lucas had left for breakfast already when a knock on the door woke me up. I was enjoying the ability to sleep in, especially with the wolfsbane in my system. It made me even more sleepy than usual. I rolled out of the bed and landed on the balls of my feet. I flopped my hair away from my face. I pulled the dark wooden door open and came face to face with Damian. He looked uncertain as I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it.
“Hi,” I breathed out behind my palm. I still hadn’t brushed my teeth and was sure my breath was nasty.
He smiled softly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
The soft tone of his voice made me nervous. He had been on edge lately but this was different. Damian was usually confident about everything he did, but today he didn’t seem as sure of himself.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m up now, what’s up?”
He looked down at my silk nightclothes and a blush tinged his cheeks. An actual blush. I cocked my head as I scrubbed a hand down my face. It was all I had to wear to bed. I imagined this had been one of his personal quarters at one point, meant to occupy female guests, judging by the clothing that was kept here. It was barely my size but I made it work. Poor Lucas had to have his clothes delivered every morning and I hated the commotion that happened with that. There was no point in making more trouble. I crossed my arms over my ample chest, self-conscious now.
“I was going to ask if you would come take a walk with me?” He ran a hand through his dark hair and for a moment, he was so breathtakingly handsome I couldn’t stand it.
I nodded my head. “Yes, I would like that.” Even though I wasn’t so sure if I would like it. The thought of him this nervous made my insides feel weird and not in a good way.
My movements were jerky as I yanked on jeans and a black t-shirt in the bathroom. My fingers were a bit more steady as I braided my hair over my shoulder. It was strange looking at myself without makeup. It had been weeks since I had worn it and I didn’t really miss it anymore. My green eyes were brighter than they had ever been, even though the wolfsbane flooded thickly through my veins. My skin had never been clearer either.
Damian was rubbing his hands together when I walked into the hall. I didn’t bother with locking my room. There was nothing in there that held any importance to me. I didn’t have personal belongings or items that gave me nostalgia. All of that was at my home. My parents had called after the explosion and I tried to sound as calm as I could manage while we were all being herded into a new home. They didn’t seem concerned as the connection kept cutting out anyway. The only thing that held importance to my life now was that phone and
it was tucked safely in my back pocket.
Damian kept a good foot of distance between us as we walked down the heavily decorated halls. I had been stunned when Lucas and I had been led to the room we now shared. I hadn’t expected to be kept in such lavish quarters but Damian was stretched thin as it was. It only made sense that his two most valuable assets were close to him. The rug that ran all the way down the hall was a deep burgundy that reminded me of spilled blood and the edges were decorated with gold tassels. On the walls, every few feet, were massive portraits of what looked to be important people. They were all dressed nicely and as we continued farther, I noticed the style of clothing changed drastically too.
“Did you know them?” I didn’t know how long witches would live but I imagined it would be similar to a werewolf’s life span.
He shook his head before he smiled ruthlessly. “No,” He cleared his throat and reminded me of why he was the villain. “They were some rich snobs that stole from the poor, especially the witches in the coven nearby. I killed them nearly a decade ago and took this castle for myself before I really started to put my plan in action.”
“They were human?”
I couldn’t help but think of what Tracey’s mother, Vivian, had told us. We were the guardians over the humans. We were here to help protect them against themselves and the other supernatural races that would do them harm.
He ran his tongue over his teeth as he looked at each painting we passed. “Deliciously so.”
“I didn’t think witches bothered with humans or eating them. I thought that was a wolf and vampire thing.”
Damian laughed. “No, it’s definitely a thing for every race. Supernatural or otherwise. The blood holds power that a witch can’t get from anywhere else. It’s rich in life. I only tasted it when I killed the people that owned this estate. It was the best experience of my life.” His eyes flicked to mine. “I wish I hadn’t poisoned my father and tasted his blood instead. The blood holds many secrets, as well as power.”
Chapter 38
Jade
Damian had gone through all the trouble of having a picnic set up for us in the field behind the massive estate. But no matter how thoughtful it was, I couldn’t get over how twisted his mind was. His comment about his father made me think of Rafe. Except there were two drastic differences between the men. Damian had enjoyed killing his father, while Rafe didn’t.
The food wasn’t laced in wolfsbane, thankfully, but, I still couldn’t enjoy it. All I could think about was that I wasn’t a guest here. I was a prisoner and I didn’t know how I had let myself forget that. Especially after how he had burned Bee’s body without any flicker of emotion. Lucas had told me that night, as I was trying to fall asleep, that a witch needed to remain whole in the resting process or her magic wouldn’t pass onto her offspring. It was why the Salem Witch Trials happened the way they did. They wanted to prevent the passing of one’s power. If they had buried them, the remaining witches would have only gotten stronger.
Damian spoke very little as we ate and even less as we were walking back to his home. We were passing under an ornate brick archway when something didn’t feel right. The vibe in the air changed slightly. Before I knew it, Damian had me pressed against the wall in the shadows. The brick pressed into the exposed skin on my arms and a breeze made a chill brush over my skin. Damian’s fingers wrapped around my throat while he leaned in.
All I wanted to do was transform my hand into claws to rip his throat out. I couldn’t breathe but he didn’t care. His pupils were completely dilated as he looked at me beneath him.
“If you’ve been involved in the plan to take me from my throne, I will find out,” he whispered. “I will find out and I will make you beg for death, do you understand?”
The pressure on my neck grew heavier until the breath was completely gone from my lungs. I nodded the best I could.
His fingers unwrapped from my neck and he took a step back. “Good, I’m glad we are on the same page.” He ran a finger down my cheek and I flinched away. Not because I was afraid, but because I was disgusted. Disgusted that he could get away with this. “If you betray me, I will make sure you regret it.”
He walked away before I could say or do anything. My hands trembled as I reached up to rub the sensitive skin there. With the wolfsbane still in my system, whatever marks he had left behind would still be present when I saw Lucas. I closed my eyes as I leaned back into the shadows and let the tears slip from my eyes.
The pain that shook my body wasn’t from what he had done to me, but instead, how angry I was that I couldn’t do anything back. My body shook with the frustration that I couldn’t retaliate. I hastily wiped the tears from my face as I stewed over what Damian had said.
Had Micah been caught trying to defy Damian? Had he been caught planning or cleaning up the plan from the bomb? As much as I worried about him, I knew it was pointless to do so. There was nothing I could do while I was trapped here. Even so, he could take care of himself. He had proven that when he created the entire diversion and kept me out of it.
A shaky breath escaped me as I pushed away from the shadows and marched back to the house. None of us had been permitted to explore the castle but we were allowed to be on the grounds, outside. I hadn’t bothered with trying to see what was out here on what seemed to be a hundred acres. I knew we were in the middle of nowhere. I had seen the massive winding drive that brought us to the compound out front that had to have been a servant housing at one point. I didn’t know how I had missed this massive building behind it.
I rolled my eyes to myself.
Magic, duh.
Of course, he wouldn’t want anyone to know the luxury he was living in, especially with the way we had been living. I couldn’t imagine his followers being thrilled that he was living in a castle that could house all of them, but kept them on a leash in hell. I wondered what they thought of him now. Or was he wining and dining them so well that they no longer cared? I sighed. I had no business walking around the grounds or trying to make friends again. We were being watched closer than we had been before. I had no doubt that my tears would be reported back to Damian. He was looking for weakness and his men would find it.
Making friends only meant more heartache in a place like this. I couldn’t watch any more people burn for me or Damian. I would stay far away from them if it meant keeping them safe. Especially Lucas. He got joy from exploring the grounds and hiking each day with a supervisor nearby but I couldn’t stomach it. I couldn’t handle the thought of enjoying anything here. All Damian would do was exploit it.
Lucas’s smile flashed through my thoughts. Pain seared my chest. I knew the time would come when Damian would use him against me. I was just too damn selfish to do anything to prevent that heartache. I couldn’t give up Lucas even if I wanted to and that was what scared me the most.
Chapter 39
Rafe
What now? I couldn’t help but ask myself that daily since we had rescued the kids and we waited. What we were waiting for, I wasn’t exactly sure. Micah said we were waiting for a sign from the witches. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I was getting increasingly frustrated with waiting.
At least the kids were free and adjusting well to the new environment they had been thrown in. Most of them were in elementary school so they went to class with the younger pups in the pack. They took everything that was happening with a smile. Micah watched them daily to make sure they were adjusting okay too. I could see the worry in his eyes and body language. One of the children had lost their mother and yet, he hadn’t told me which one and he hadn’t told the child either. He refused to get too close, even though he watched them.
Micah shook his head as we walked from the manor’s porch. “You don’t understand. We can’t just attack. He has the most powerful witches in his employ and I don’t think they know the kids were saved. We would have heard from them by now. They would have risen up. Plus he has an army of wolves.”
Knox rolled his eyes.
“We have…” He smacked his lips together reconsidering. “We have two witches and a bunch of kids.”
Tracey’s eyes rolled to the heavens as Archer snickered. “You should probably still be in school with the children.”
Mav shook his head before he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Micah is right, we can’t go in there claws out and think we are going to win with just the few of us.”
Micah scratched his cheek. “You don’t understand, this isn’t to win. We aren’t going in there to win anything. We would be going there to get Jade out, that’s it.”
Gabriel pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I don’t like that idea. There are others in there that need help too.”
Micah let out an exasperated sigh. “The more people we try to save, the worse this will go. It’s only Jade or I don’t agree to help.”
The man was starting to get on my nerves. He knew Jade was my mate and I was Alpha, yet he kept trying to call all the shots. I didn’t mind more ideas but he wouldn’t take anything else into consideration.
“Let’s go to the war room,” I looked at all the people in my pack as we walked down to the path to my building. “There are too many ears.”
In the center of my war room was a massive round table. When I was a child I had always imagined it as King Arther’s round table. All the important things happened there. We hadn’t sat at the table while we were planning before but I was too tired to stand around or sit at the bar.
Tracey gasped as I pulled the first leather chair out. I sat down, the weariness in my body followed. I could have slept there if I had come alone. “I feel like this is a pivotal moment.” Her voice held awe.
