Chapter Three
Joseph paced from the kitchen to the living room and back again. He knew he needed to get himself under control before they attended the gathering, but the mere thought of that self-important ass anywhere near Karli put him on edge. But he had to keep that under wraps for Karli’s sake. This was hard enough on her without adding his issues to the pile.
Lothar had assigned warriors to keep an eye on their “guests” after their bizarre arrival and Joseph wholeheartedly agreed. He and Rowl were not allowed to be part of that detail, which was probably the smart thing to do, considering Joseph still wanted to rip the head off the man who dared growl at Alpha Aldric—even if it was another alpha.
“You’re going to drive yourself nuts unless you shut those thoughts down.” Rowl warned as he walked into the room. “We can’t maim him, and Karli will sense your anger and assume the worst. We cannot allow that. We are here to support her.”
“Usually I’m the logical one. Now the roles are reversed, old friend. I can’t shake the feeling that this alpha is dangerous. And it’s more than taking Karli away from us. Something’s off about him,” Joseph explained.
“I agree,” a firm feminine voice stated from directly behind them.
Neither men bothered to turn around quickly or even act surprised. She had taken an interest in Karli’s happiness and popped in repeatedly. “Hello, Ceva,” Rowl greeted.
“Good afternoon, boys. We should be going.”
“But you just said you think Rocco is a threat. Shouldn’t we do something?” Joseph asked.
“We are. Lothar has been personally escorting Rocco around the grounds this morning, and we’re headed to the gathering to keep an eye on them now. You guys need to rein in any show of aggression until it’s warranted. Besides, I could be wrong,” Ceva explained as she laid her hand on her belly and her growing child.
“And how often have you been wrong?” Rowl asked.
“There’s always a first time,” Ceva responded with a grin.
“Is that supposed to make us feel better?” Joseph replied.
“No, it’s to make us more vigilant.”
“No problem there,” he agreed. “And promise. I’ll get myself under control.”
Joseph looked over at his best friend and saw the glint of fear in his eyes before Rowl muttered, “I don’t like Karli in danger. I won’t risk her.”
“That’s why we’ve assigned two warriors to watch over her, as well as Laura. Initially, we didn’t think we would need such precautions since we are in our own territory. But the visitors have already proven they are willing to avoid protocol or follow rules,” Ceva explained before turning toward the front door. “Shall we?”
Rowl stepped away, but Joseph placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder to stop him. “She’ll be protected at all times, Rowl. I swear it, even if we have to shift every night and sit outside her room.”
Rowl reached up to gripped Joseph’s hand. “I believe you.”
Joseph knew Rowl trusted him, and that’s why he chose to allow Joseph to lead in most situations. Neither was stronger than the other or more intelligent; it was a choice they had made based on their personalities and preferences.
They flanked Ceva as they walked toward the pack hall. As they got closer, they could see the large group in the gardens, and they headed in that direction. Joseph held the gate open for Ceva and Rowl before following them into the fray. Even though he was desperate to find Karli, the three made their rounds with the pack. Sympathy may have been heavy in the air, but so was unity. They knew the pack stood with Karli and her choice to mate with him and Rowl.
Ceva grabbed his hand, and Joseph turned to her to find she was looking off to the center of the crowd. Joseph looked over to Rowl to see him looking in the same direction, so he turned and was struck by the vision in front of them. Karli stood holding baby Orion in her arms and talking with Helena and Laura. She wore a long, soft yellow sundress, her flaming red hair pinned back, showcasing her beautiful green eyes. Two warriors were standing only a few feet away and Joseph gave a mental sigh of relief. He and Rowl had trained both of the warriors. Joseph knew they were two of the best. Karli would be safe.
He knew the moment she saw them because a radiant smile broke out across her glowing face. As if of their own accord, his legs led him forward until he found himself in front of his love, Rowl at his side. Before any of them could say a word, Joseph was pushed aside from behind and right into Ceva. Rowl was quick to catch her before she fell, and Joseph turned to defend them both, only to find Rocco standing behind him with a smug look on his face. Lothar came running over and gathered Ceva into his arms. The entire time, Ceva looked like she was about to blow. And anyone who knew Ceva would be running in the opposite direction right about now.
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t see you standing there,” Rocco spouted as he went to stand beside Karli.
She looked shocked before taking Ceva’s hand and asking, “Are you okay?”
Ceva stood tall and took one step toward Rocco before stopping herself, taking a deep breath and turning to face Karli. “I’m fine, Karli. Thank you for asking.”
“Karli, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Rocco asked.
Karli wanted to scream at the jerk, but instead she pasted a smile on her face and turned to introduce the men she loved to a man she was beginning to loathe.
“Alpha Rocco, I’d like to introduce Ceva, Joseph, and Rowl.”
“Ah, the white witch and the two men that believe they are good enough to mate an omega. While it’s an honor to meet you, Ceva, I can’t say the same about your friends.”
Karli was so stunned that she was speechless. Literally nothing would come out of her mouth. How did he know who her men were? She glanced over at her parents and knew the answer immediately by their matching smiles. Growls rose up throughout the gathering. Karli was beginning to understand why this particular alpha hadn’t been able to find an omega to mate. Joseph took a step forward but stopped when Aldric’s voice broke the tension.
“I see you’ve met two of my strongest warriors, Rocco. I expect you’ll show them the respect they deserve.”
“I would if they hadn’t barged into a gathering celebrating Karli’s and my meeting. Or is rude behavior acceptable in your pack?” Rocco sneered at Joseph and Rowl as he spoke. More growls erupted from the surrounding group.
“The only rude behavior is your own. Joseph and Rowl were invited,” Karli spoke out, unable to stay quiet any longer.
“You invited them?”
Karli carefully placed Orion in Helena’s arms before answering. “Yes, they are an important part of this pack.”
A strange look crossed Rocco’s face, almost a sick satisfaction. She knew she’d never make three days with him.
“Of course, my dear, whatever you wish.” Rocco acquiesced way too quickly for Karli’s liking, but at least everyone calmed down a touch. She’d take that as a win.
Lothar led his mate, Ceva, away while Aldric did the same with Karli’s men, leaving her alone with Rocco. Well, she still had her warriors and Laura, but they were staying back. Shit, now I have no other choice but to talk to him.
She went with something safe. “Orion is a wonderful baby.”
Rocco turned toward her with a gleam in his eyes. “You’ll not have to worry about them taking much of your time. We’ll have nannies.”
“What?” Karli asked for what felt like the hundredth time around this man. She never knew what was going to come out of his mouth next.
“Our pups will have nannies, of course. You will be busy taking your place at my side as pack omega.” Before Karli could respond, he continued. “I’ve brought you a gift.”
She didn’t want to accept anything from him but knew it would be an insult to refuse it. Rocco reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a golden bracelet covered in diamonds and rubies. Rocco held each end and looked to be waiting for her to put out her wrist, so she complied. As the bracelet got closer to her skin, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, but she had no idea why. Was she so appalled by this man that the thought of accepting anything from him felt sickening?
As soon as the clasp was clipped and the bracelet touched her flesh, she knew why her body had gone on alert. The tentacles of dark magic crawled up her arm, leaving a trail of fire in its path. She used her own omega powers to fight it back. Thank the gods she was impervious to his magical attack or she’d probably be planning her bonding ceremony with Rocco. She hated love spells. She’d heard of them being used a long time ago, but to have one spelled on her was eye opening. It was a strong dark magic only an alpha with vast resources could afford to buy.
“Laura, would you please get Ceva and Alpha Aldric? I have some important news.” Karli would play along until she had backup. She wasn’t helpless by any standard, but this was going over the line. She smiled sweetly at Rocco, who seemed way too happy with himself. Bastard.
She looked out at the pack and saw many worried faces. She couldn’t calm anyone right now; she was too busy pushing the dark magic out of her body. She desperately needed Ceva to take the bracelet off. Ceva, being a white witch, would be able to withstand the magic as well. Anyone else would immediately fall under its spell.
The crowd parted, revealing Laura, Ceva, and Aldric, followed by Karli’s men, Lothar, and Helena. This was about to get interesting.
“Ceva, come see the gift Rocco has presented to me,” Karli beckoned, causing everyone to look a bit confused, but Ceva stepped closer.
As she neared, Karli could see Ceva’s fangs peeking out from under her lip. She was sensing the magic and her eyes began to glow a deep red. Yep. The white witch was pissed.
“I would like for you to take it off of me, please,” Karli requested, and Rocco blustered.
“I give you a gift and you want it removed?”
“Yes. When it’s laced with dark magic, I do.” That got the crowd’s attention and Rocco began to look a bit worried. The sky began to grey and the clouds darkened in response to her anger. If she had half a chance, she swore she was going to slam a lightning bolt through that jerk.
“Guards,” Aldric yelled, and Rocco and his men were surrounded.
Rocco began arguing, but all Karli cared about was getting the damn bracelet away from her. Ceva began chanting while she delicately lifted the clasp of the bracelet away from Karli’s skin. The pain had reached her elbow and she concentrated harder to push it back into the bracelet. Joseph and Rowl flanked Karli; both had their arms securely around her.
The yelling in the background was turning into growls and she knew blood would be shed. There was nothing she could do but focus on the bracelet. Ceva continued to chant as she pushed the tiny clip and slowly undid the clasp. She let the bracelet fall to the ground and immediately stomped on it, crushing it into pieces.
Suddenly, Karli was lifted off of the ground and into Rowl’s strong arms before the trees started flying past her. She wanted to yell at him to take her back so she could fry Rocco but decided against it. The next thing she knew, she was being brought inside a building, the door slamming behind them, and set on the couch in the middle of Rowl and Joseph’s home. Rowl dropped to his knees in front of her, gently holding the arm that’d had the bracelet around it.
“Are you hurt?” Rowl half-cried, the words rushing from his mouth.
“My arm still hurts a bit, but I’m sure it will fade,” Karli explained as she glanced at her now swollen wrist.
“It’s swelling. I’ll get you ice.” Rowl was up and on his way to the kitchen before she had a chance to say she’d be okay. Maybe some ice would be good.
He quickly returned with a small bag of ice in one hand and a towel in the other. He knelt down once again, placed the towel over her wrist, and gently set the ice on top. The cold felt good on the throbbing pain and she sighed in relief.
“Thank you, love. Where is Joseph?”
“Dealing with Alpha Rocco along with Lothar and Aldric. All that matters is you were brought to safety. He’ll never get near you again. I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I swear it will not happen again.”
Just as she was about to tell him none of this was his fault, the front door flew open. Rowl jumped to his feet, unsheathed his five-inch claws, and put himself between her and the door. As quickly as he had prepared to attack, his shoulders eased and he pulled back his claws. Karli leaned to peek around him and found Joseph standing in the doorway, bleeding from the side of his head. Rowl quickly went to him, pulled off his own shirt, and pressed it to the side of Joseph’s head. Karli set the ice down and quickly went to the two of them.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
Joseph stepped forward and gathered her into his arms while Rowl still held the fabric to his friend’s head. “I’m fine. Your wrist is swollen,” he replied as he inspected her.
“Right. You’re both injured and you need to sit down,” Rowl ordered as he led them back toward the couch.
The moment her butt hit the cushion, Rowl took over. He was a caregiver inside a warrior’s body. He had Joseph hold the bloody shirt to his head, placed the ice back on her wrist, and went to retrieve the first-aid kit. Karli leaned into Joseph, who wrapped his arm around her. She needed the reassurance of her men right now.
“I’m so sorry, my love. Your safety is my responsibility and I’ve failed.”
“Neither one of you are to blame for any of this. Alpha Rocco is responsible for his own actions.”
Rowl came walking back from the bathroom with the red first-aid kit in his hands, along with a wet washcloth. “We knew something wasn’t right about that guy,” he rumbled before setting everything down and checking on her wrist. “The swelling is coming down, sweetheart.” Then he looked at Joseph with worried eyes and prompted, “What happened to you?”
“Yes, what happened?” Karli seconded.
Rowl removed the shirt from Joseph’s head. The bleeding had stopped, but it would take a few more hours for the wound to close. Karli watched as Rowl cleaned the wound and put a temporary dressing on it.
“Well, while we were attempting to take Rocco into custody, he broke free and got a lucky shot in before we were able to subdue him. He’s currently being held in one of the cells on the far side of the compound,” Joseph explained before taking both Karli and Rowl’s hands. “I promise to do better at protecting our family.”
“You are not at fault, Joseph,” Rowl stated strongly.
“It’s neither of your faults, so let’s lay that to rest right now,” Karli insisted.
“Agreed,” Joseph and Rowl said at the same time, causing the three of them to let out a much-needed laugh.
Karli hugged her men close, ever thankful for having them in her life once more. What had happened only hardened her resolve to get this over with so that she could begin to live her life with these wonderful men. Each held her arm and kissed her swollen wrist before another knock came from the door. Both men growled as Rowl stood to answer it.
“It’s only me. Stop growling.” Laura’s voice came from the other side of the closed door. “Remember me, the chaperone?”
Rowl let Laura in as Joseph lifted Karli and placed her on his lap. She could feel the stress pouring off of him. All too soon, people would be arriving to take her back to the pack house. She pressed herself even farther into Joseph’s embrace.
Laura walked in and straight to Karli’s side. “Let me see your wrist.”
Karli lifted her arm, and immediately Laura encircled the injury with her hands to spread warmth throughout Karli’s arm, easing her pain. One of Laura’s omega gifts was the ability to heal non-life-threatening wounds. Even though Karli was able to fight off the effects of magic, she did have the ability to accept pure healing magic. Laura removed her hands and the swelling and pain were gone. She then turned and placed her hand on Joseph’s head, healing him as well.
“Thank you.” Joseph removed the bandage.
“Thank you, my friend,” Karli sighed before hugging Laura. “How long do we have before they figure out where we are?”
“You’re welcome, and you don’t have much time before your parents show up. I know the alpha will try to detain them as long as he can, but it’s inevitable.”
“I don’t know why they care. They chose that horrible Rocco,” Karli remarked as she took Rowl’s hand. “Maybe they’re sorry.”
The silence in the room was answer enough. She knew sometimes she was delusional when it came to her parents, but she always held out hope. No matter how slim the chance was.
“Thank the gods you are immune to magic and were able to fight the effects. If not, you’d be readying for your move to Rocco’s pack,” Laura fumed as she visibly shivered at the thought.
Two angry growls joined in.
“How dare he try a spell on you. The king will be notified and Rocco will be dealt with,” Joseph assured as he lifted Karli from his lap and placed her in Rowl’s. He understood that she needed the comfort of both of her men. Rowl hugged her close.
“Only two more to go,” Karli huffed out. She didn’t want to keep this up, but she’d made a promise and would see it through.
“Surely they will not force you to continue with this.” Joseph asserted.
“I made a promise to the king, and unless he rescinds his request, I will fulfill it.” Karli sighed. “Then there won’t be anything anyone can do to stop us from having our bonding ceremony and being mated.”
Someone started pounding on the door. Rowl stood with Karli in his arms while Joseph went to open the front door. Whoever it was on the other side kept whaling on the door until Joseph swung it open, ready for an attack—only to come face to face with Karli’s irate parents. Without missing a beat, Atilia and Ferone stormed past Joseph, who Karli could tell was holding back his anger, and started in on her.
“Look what you’ve done,” Atilia spat out.
“What I’ve done? Rocco was the one who tried to put a spell on me with dark magic,” Karli responded in shock. Why were her parents attacking her?
“You forced him to do that, with all your foolishness with these two. What else was he supposed to do?” Ferone yelled.
Karli could feel the electricity in the air and began to draw it to her until the tips of her fingers began to spark. A warning of sorts that her parents might finally understand they’d gone too far this time. Everyone turned toward her as the little sparks of lightning zapped around the room.
How could they be this way? Is there no love inside them for me? Have I been fooling myself all these years?
Rowl held her tighter to his chest as Joseph came over to stand in front of her. “Easy, Karli, they’re not worth it. All that matters now is our family. We love you.”
“Love? Only a word,” Atilia snapped. “You could have had riches and power, but you were too stupid to take advantage of it. How did you even know the bracelet was cursed?” Even as her mother asked the question, Karli got the distinct impression Atilia already knew the answer to that.
“Any omega would be able to feel that much dark magic,” a deep voice said from the doorway.
Joseph stepped aside, allowing Karli to see the new arrivals. Aldric stood with his brother and beta, Godric, arms crossed and murderous looks on their faces.
“And why didn’t it work?” Ferone asked.
“Were you hoping it would?” Rowl growled.
“Well, it would be preferable to this,” Atilia said as she waved her hand at the three of them.
Karli was stunned. Her own parents didn’t care if dark magic was used against her, as long as they got what they wanted. How could she have been so wrong?
“That’s it. The two of you are now confined to your temporary house. You’ve caused enough damage,” Aldric ordered, and two guards walked in behind him and Godric.
“Take them into custody,” Godric said, his voice deepening the closer his wolf came to the surface.
“You can’t do this. How dare you,” Atilia screeched.
“No, how dare you?” Joseph bellowed. “How dare you use your daughter as a pawn? How dare you be so selfish to not even care that she was attacked with dark magic? How dare you even claim to love her?”
For the first time, her parents actually looked frightened. It was about time. They took a step back away from Joseph. She couldn’t see his face, but from the rage pouring off of him, it must have been deadly.
“Take them,” Aldric commanded, and her parents were forced out the door.
Karli wiggled out of Rowl’s arms. She wanted to stand on her own two feet. She needed fresh air and to feel the ground beneath her paws. Her body demanded she shift. “I’m going for a run,” she said as she walked toward the bedroom, Laura on her heels. Karli thought it better to take her clothes off in private or her men may have gone ballistic. Even though nudity amongst shifters wasn’t unusual, the fact that they hadn’t mated yet made her men extra possessive.
They left the door open a crack so they could get out in their wolf forms. Neither spoke, for which Karli was thankful. She’d had enough for one day and wanted to let her wild nature take over. She undressed and seamlessly shifted into her wolf form. Karli glanced over at Laura’s golden-streaked white wolf and smiled, but in wolf form, it was more of a grimace and tail wag.
She nudged the door open with her snout and padded into the living room, where both Rowl and Joseph stood waiting, having shifted into their wolves. Karli’s men towered over her in both forms. Each took turns rubbing their scent on her before the four of them ran for the open door, leaving Aldric and Godric standing alone in the house.
Karli felt the grass under her paws and warm breeze flowing through her thick fur. Freedom. As they were about to cross into the thick forest, another large black wolf came running toward them. Joseph and Rowl pushed her and Laura behind them. It wasn’t until the wolf got closer that she realized it was Alpha Dedric, and her men calmed. Laura ran forward and rubbed herself against Dedric’s side, mixing each other’s scents. Laura glowed with happiness, and Karli was happy for her friend.
Rowl licked her muzzle as Joseph brushed against her side. Flanked by her men, Karli took off into the forest. Birds abandoned their nests and took to the sky as the wolves raced through the trees. Leaping over fallen logs and gliding through the long grass had always been exhilarating. Karli’s heart raced, her blood pumping as hard as her legs, making her feel alive.
They ran into a small clearing and stopped to rest. Karli lay down on her side with her tongue hanging out and looked up at the sky. This was where she found peace, out in the middle of the forest. She rolled onto her back, all four paws up in the air. Joseph and Rowl lied down on either side of her, and for the first time in days, she could breathe again.