Chapter 22
Based on the tremors of terror spreading through the eyes of the betas, my damn eyes are silver right now. I really need to figure out a way to cap that off.
"How did you know?" Kane growls.
Reese's sinister grin only grows as his eyes churn with the autumn promise of his Were blood. He holds his hand up and motions over his shoulder for someone to bring him something.
I gasp when I realize that something is a bound and gagged human wearing a blindfold. His silver necklace glistens against the sun, making me squint. He drops to his knees, his begging muffled by the rubber ball strapped between his teeth. He's shirtless, his hands are handcuffed behind his back, and his pants are not far from falling off.
It almost looks like some BDSM kink instead of a hostage situation. I wish he had a safe-word.
"What the fuck is this?" Kane blares, motioning toward what is most likely a human, possibly an unturned immortal, based on the panic in his motions and his stench of fear.
"This?" Reese asks, sounding bored. "The human male who helped the witch bitch that killed our werecat."
My fear and sympathy for the human don't flee, but they do simmer down some. If he helped kill Thad, I don't know if I'll have any compassion. I pray I do.
"How do you know he acted of his own accord?" Kane asks, clenching his teeth.
Reese bends over, unsnaps the gag, and rips the blindfold off in one motion. The human male starts whimpering and groveling, begging for mercy. Reese nods toward Kane.
"Show him who you really are."
Kane tilts his head and looks toward Dray who has taken his place at Drackus's side. When he nods in reluctant approval, Kane sighs and lets his night stalker blues come to life, and his fangs slip free.
The human squeals and scrambles backwards with his hands still bound. "Vampire."
Reese chuckles when he snaps the cuffs in half, letting the man free. He leaps up, and screams, "Vampire!" again.
Then he grabs the cross on his neck and holds it out, acting as though Kane is supposed to burst into flames or something. We all roll our eyes in unison. Zee actually snorts out a laugh. Stupid human.
"And you think this cross-wielding human helped kill a changer as strong as Thad? Or a vicious werecat?" Kane asks incredulously, pointing to the sloppy human who is now slobbering out verses from the bible. We're not demons. "Next thing you know, he'll try driving a stake through my heart."
Deke laughs this time, and even Drackus cracks a smile. Mom and Shay appear in time to catch what's going on. Where have they been?
Dice walks up from the woods, shaking his head. "The human knows we exist. That's apparent. But he didn't actively help her kill the Were or the changer. Not possible. He's rolling around and praying. Seriously?"
Reese huffs, but he slaps the human on the back of the head.
"Tell them what the human witch told you, and I might not rip you to shreds while you try holding me off with your cross."
The human cries harder, possibly hyperventilating, but he heaves it out between breaths. "The girl... she's a creature of... some stupid... I don't know what it's called. A... goddess or something! I didn't want to believe it. She... she made me see them change. I... swear... I swear I didn't kill anyone!"
Unless he has a secret Buffy power, this human isn't capable of killing one of us.
"Fine," Reese groans. "Get him out of here and have someone dust his memories."
The betas oblige, and Shay runs over. "I'll dust them."
Chaz appears at my side, his head already tilted in confusion as he stares at the autumn eyes of the alpha.
"Didn't know these woods had wolves."
Reese stares at the duster in disbelief, snarling in disgust.
"I didn't realize this crowd was pathetic enough to bring along fairies."
Chaz opens his mouth to speak—or threaten the alpha—but Dice beats him to it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. He really doesn't like to be called a fairy."
That changes Chaz's scowl to a near grin, and I have to stifle a laugh.
Reese snorts derisively, but he doesn't press it. Instead, he turns his attention to me. "Creature Goddess. You're not supposed to exist."
Kane grinds his teeth and steps in front of me. "If you try to—"
"Wolves are loyal," Reese says, interrupting my fuming fiancé. Fiancé. That sounds so good. "Very loyal. Freya was our queen long ago. She saved us from extinction. A daughter or granddaughter of hers is a queen of ours. There's a war coming. You're going to need more allies than this," he says, motioning to our small semblance of a fucked-up coven.
He's right. There is a war coming, but I'm not so sure wolves are really as loyal as he claims.
"How did the human witch know who she was?" Zee asks.
Reese doesn't look so cocky or intimidating. Instead, he seems helpful for a change. "The spirit told her. It seems someone had been talking to the spirit—someone from our world. They know she exists. They're planning to strike, and they'll be prepared for her. We need to be ready."
Kane breathes out heavily, watching in dismay as our brief moment of euphoria is swept away by the darkness in our lives.
"How'd you find us?" Kane asks, still grilling the supposed-friendly wolf.
"We were staking out your place, waiting on you to return. We followed your lycans back from your old place. They really need to learn to spot a tail better."
Kane murmurs something under his breath, and then he shakes his head.
"I need to go instruct my pack," Reese says, turning to walk away and leave us with the heaviness that has settled.
"Just when I thought things were getting better," I mumble.
"Where’re the lycans and Frankie?" Chaz asks, looking to us.
I shrug, and Kane does the same. Dice smirks as he answers. "The she-devils and the warlock went to go check the perimeter after the wolves snuck in without catching our attention. Everyone got out of the house like you did when the two of them got to celebrating," he says teasingly, pointing a thumb in our direction.
I'm actually a little worried my cheeks are on fire right now—that's how bad they burn. Kane coughs on a laugh while shaking his head.
"I really didn't think—"
"Night stalker," Drackus growls, motioning for Kane to follow him just as my snickering mother walks up to my side.
"Shit," Kane mumbles under his breath before walking toward my fuming father. I suppose his anger had been put on a temporary hold until the wolves were settled.
"That's beautiful," Mom says, looking at the red and green stone—obviously I'm irritated. "But you've got it on the wrong finger, dear."
The smile that spreads is unavoidable, and the stone fills up with night stalker blue.
"It's not on the wrong finger," I say, still grinning, and delighting in the horror that spreads across her face.
"Alyssa, it's too soon. You barely know him."
I shrug, still unable to wipe away my smile. "I've known him longer than you knew most of your husbands when you married them—including Drackus."
She tries to sound offended, but then she rolls her eyes when she thinks of how right I am. My ring refuses to budge from its brilliant blue. But something tells me it'll be widow's purple before long.
My moment of trepidation is cast aside when I see Drackus’s arms flailing high in the air as he dramatically emphasizes his threats to Kane. My poor fiancé looks to me for help, but he’s on his own. Drackus and I can’t both get pissed at the same time. That has already proven to be bad—very bad.
Kane's body rests firmly against mine, keeping one arm wrapped around me protectively, as he sleeps peacefully. I'm dying of thirst. And I'm worried about Gage being out there by himself. There's only one way to make sure he's okay.
With Kane here, Gage's spell won't have an effect on me. We need him and his knowledge, and though I want to slap him for being stupid enough to cast a love spell on me, I also want to know he's safe. I won't believe it until he's here.
Slipping out from under my beautiful night stalker, I head toward the kitchen, ready to piece a phone together—not mine, of course. I choose Drackus's. Gage will answer quickly when he sees his name.
Absently, I make myself a glass of iced tea while using my magic to assemble the scattered pieces, and then I summon it to me, watching as it floats.
I shut the door to the fridge and sip on my glass of tea while waiting for the dark user to answer. Nothing. It just rings and rings. I frown, sighing as I put the phone down.
"What are you doing?" a smooth voice asks, drawing my attention.
I look up to see Chaz, and I grin at his bed-head. "Calling Gage," I murmur softly, letting my smile fall. "I'm worried about him being on his own."
He gives me a you-can't-be-serious look, and then shakes his head. "He's Somage. He's not alone. You can't ask him to come here if you're worried about him. If your new fiancé doesn't kill him, your father will."
"They won't kill him—I don't think. Look, Gage is alone. He was leaving the Somage because he thought we were going to be together. This spell is eating him alive. I have to help him."
"Why would you help him out of something he brought on himself?"
I glance down at my side, knowing the tattoo he got me—when he worried about a spirit coming after me—is lying underneath my shirt. Then I look up to meet Chaz's eyes.
"Because he loved me. He's an idiot, but people do stupid things when they're in love. And he's my friend. Friends fuck up and you forgive them."
I look pointedly at him, reminding him that he abandoned me to make things easier between him and his mom. He nods knowingly while taking a deep breath.
"Since you're up, do you want to watch a movie with a friend you've forgiven for fucking up?"
I snicker lightly and then nod, letting him lead the way to the living room. It's after one in the morning, but I can't sleep. I'll keep calling Gage and hope he answers.
"Boringest movie ever," Chaz groans as the credits roll.
"Is that a word?" I chuckle.
"Yep. Someone created it after suffering through two hours of that shit."
I laugh louder than I mean to, but movement outside draws my attention. Chaz's eyes move to the window, and they grow wide.
"I'll check it out," he whispers before vanishing, leaving me alone.
Fortunately, this house has a special spell cast to keep out anyone intending me harm. Unfortunately, spells aren't always all they’re cracked up to be.
A hand wraps around my mouth, a body presses against my back, and I'm suddenly moving faster than I can see. But I'm not being vaporized, and considering I can't use my fucking powers, it means a night stalker has me. Not one of our night stalkers, either.
The wind strikes me, and I can't manage to scream to warn anyone about what's going on. As his grip becomes tighter, I dread the worst. Where the hell is my creature fucking goddess when I need it?
His hand finds my throat as he twirls me around, letting me see the house still barely in sight. When my eyes meet his, shock fills me and steals what little breath I have left.
It's the leader—the one from the ambushing night stalkers that attacked me the night Kane was missing.
His devious grin spreads as his night stalker blues taunt me, chilling me to my core with the promise of a painful death. He's here? Why? They have the black diamond of Roth.
"What do you want?" I choke out, coughing on the air he refuses to let me have.
"The creature that shouldn't exist has to die before the wakening.”
I squirm, seeing spots before my eyes as he chokes me harder. I'd give anything to go crazy right now.
Before I have to attempt the impossible, the night stalker drops to the ground. I never heard the power buzzing, never heard footsteps approaching, never knew he was coming, but Kane stands there as I drop to the ground, staring at the night stalker he's about to kill.
"Fuck," Zee spews, stumbling up behind us. "How did they get past the fucking barriers?"
Kane shakes his head as he steps over the body, quickly scooping me up like a wounded lamb. I prefer Ms. Hyde to the damsel in distress any day.
"You okay?" Kane asks me, ignoring Zee's important question.
I nod slowly, still reeling over the quick turn of events.
I see spurts of golden streaks bursting in the air, and my heartbeat quickens as a word finally escapes. "Chaz."
More power erupts with a powerful buzz, and I get a little sick to my stomach when I see the sky churning with power—my father’s unrestrained power. Drackus just lost it. My fears are confirmed when tortured screams blanket the night air.
Chaz appears beside us, his eyes wide—as thought they’ve been scarred. "Drackus is one crazy mother-fucker."
Kane doesn't smile as he studies me for a second longer.
"Alyssa's mom can handle him. We need to interrogate this son of a bitch," he says, pointing to the night stalker.
The night stalker on the ground is still breathing, but the shot of power Kane hit him with knocked him out cold. A roar bellows from inside the house where the crazy ass lycans are locked away for the red moon. I don't mean to jump in Kane's arms, but I do. His grip tightens in response as he cradles me against him. I was supposed to be locked up, but my cage wasn't ready yet.
Dice walks up just as Zee repeats his question. "How the hell did they get in?"
Dice leans over the slumbering night stalker and pulls a stone from the bastard's pocket. I've seen that stone before. One just like it. Isolis used it to break into my home.
"How did they know where we were?" the incubus asks as he studies the man still on the ground.
No one speaks for a second, and then Chaz lets out a harsh breath. "If they have any dark users working with them, then it's probably because Alyssa made a call from Drackus's phone."
I lower my head before anyone can say anything. "Sorry."
"Who were you calling?" Kane asks, kissing my forehead.
The way I tense up against him answers the question without words.
"Why were you calling him?" he says evenly, but I can hear the anger lacing his words with a subtle touch.
"Because he's alone. He's an idiot, but he's my friend. Would you leave Amy alone out there?" I ask, looking up at him.
His teeth grind together, but he doesn't say anything else.
Deke jogs down to us, but he freezes just as we do when the roars from inside burst free and two crazy bitch lycans tear out the side of the house as they surge forth, shredding trees on their path to us.
Kane drops me to my feet as he runs with Zee toward the rabid beasts. I never wanted to see this connection. I realize his night stalker half is somehow tied to Amy's lycan, but every bit of the rest of him is tied to me.
Deke tackles Sierra, wrestling her to the ground as his night stalker blues stare into her wild oranges. Kane takes a different approach. As he circles the monstrous version of Amy, he stares into her eyes, ignoring her snarling warnings.
"Down," he says, making it a command.
She doesn't listen. She starts to charge, when a golden streak of power ties up her legs, wrapping around them like a powerful bind. She thuds to the ground, trying to break free, but it's no use. The smirk on Chaz's face is not overlooked.
Kane moves his eyes to Chaz, trying his best not to smile, as Amy roars out her contempt for the duster.
"I'd say that's a little more badass than glitter farts," Chaz mutters, rolling his eyes.
Dice chuckles beside me, but I look at Kane who places his hand on her head, stroking her as if he's petting her. Within seconds, the beast is asleep, no longer making threatening growls and roaring promises of death.
"Let's find out what this bastard knows," Chaz says, ripping the night stalker up from the ground and dragging him toward the house.
Kane stands there, hands in his pockets, still staring at me as he waits for me to make the first move. That's it? That was the big connection? He can pet her and put her to sleep? I can so live with that until we kill Castine.
With quick strides, I make my way to him as Deke finishes putting Sierra to rest. It doesn't take long before I'm in his arms, feeling him draw me as close as he possibly can.
"I love you," he murmurs against my ear, nuzzling me as he picks me up off the ground.
I feel his tension fading. Maybe I don't realize the depth of what he just had to do, but I don't care.
"I love you."
"Come on, witch and fangs. We've got a night stalker to grill," Dice chirps, strutting by us while rubbing the rock in his hand. "And then we've got a war to fight."