Chapter Thirty-One
Jade was as still as a rock as she sat in the back seat of the town car. Her hands were tied up, as were her feet, though loosely enough so she could still walk. Daric was in the front, his eyes steady on the road as he drove them down the New Jersey turnpike.
The Lycans had come up with a plan to kill Stefan once and for all. Grant didn’t mince his words—he wanted Stefan stopped, dead or alive. They took the entire Lycan security force, plus Alynna, Alex, Meredith, Sebastian, and Nick. Vivianne came as well, and brought along various defensive and offensive potions they could use against the mages. Liam and Lara were on their way, but they would not make it on time. They would follow as soon as they landed in New York.
Daric told them the reason he decided to strike the bargain was that Stefan gave him an ultimatum. The master mage was able to tap into the link between Daric and his mother to send him a message—use any means necessary to escape the Lycans and bring him Sebastian and Jade. The master mage had grown impatient and was tired of waiting for his protégé to escape.
So, the Lycans crafted a plan to trick Stefan. They made it look like Daric had kidnapped Jade while she was examining the bracelet and used her as a hostage to escape Fenrir. He “stole” one of the company cars and was now driving to southern New Jersey. Daric had sent a message through the link, telling Stefan to meet him at a specific location. The Lycans had picked a spot that was isolated, to reduce the risk of being seen by humans.
“Has Stefan answered back?” Jade asked from the back seat.
“No,” Daric answered. “Will you not remove the bracelet?”
Jade shook her head. “Alpha’s orders. Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I don’t have the right equipment with me.”
“That is unfortunate,” Daric said.
“What if he doesn’t show?” Jade asked.
“He will,” Daric assured her. “If he wants your mate bad enough, he will.”
“What is he?” Jade finally asked the burning question in her mind. “Can he even shift?”
The warlock shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”
Cold fear gripped her. No, Sebastian couldn’t be a monster, could he? Anyway, it didn’t matter. Stefan would never succeed. Changing subjects, she decided to make the most of her time. “So, how does it work? How are the mages controlling the humans?”
“Curious little scientist,” Daric commented. “Since I may not live past tonight, I supposed I can reveal this secret, in case I do not kill Stefan. You were very close, you know, when you asked me about the source. I’m quite impressed you got that far. Stefan himself took years to gather the information, even with my father’s powers.”
“So, what’s the source?”
“The puppet masters act as channels for Stefan’s power, like conduits, if you will. Stefan is the source. It takes some talent to become a puppet master and not all mages have the strength or stamina for it. It drains them and they lose their power over their slaves. Stefan found a way to share his power with the conduits, so they can keep their control over the human slaves.”
“How can we stop him?”
“There are two ways—one is to kill him, and the other is with the right spell, one that would break his control over them.”
“Tell me the spell then?”
Daric shook his head. “I do not know. Stefan—if he even knew what it was—never shared this with me. But perhaps, you could figure it out.”
Jade chewed on her lip, filing the information away for later. She would try to get whatever information she could. “And how do you get the humans for your army?”
Daric’s lips tightened. “That’s where he needs me. I find them and take them.”
Jade’s brows wrinkled. “Take them? How? Where?”
“With my powers of course. You know what I can do. I can change and move anything made of matter, but I can also transfer it from place to place. I go to Army camps, training facilities and other places where the best soldiers are, and take them.”
“How does your power work? Can you change anything and anyone? Does it have any limits?” Jade’s scientific curiosity was fired up and eager to get answers.
“We would need hours for me to explain everything to you, dear Doctor,” Daric said. “Unfortunately, we’re here,” he declared as the car skidded to a halt.
The Lycans had chosen an empty field deep in the most rural area of New Jersey. Frankie had assured them this place was miles from civilization and no other clan claimed the territory. It was dark, and the only the glow of the full moon high above them provided any type of illumination. Another tactical advantage for the Lycans, as they could see much better in the dark than the mages.
Daric opened the door and pulled Jade to her feet. He dragged her a few feet from the car until they were standing in the middle of the field.
She wanted to ask Daric more questions about his powers, as well as Sebastian and what he had seen in his visions, but she couldn’t. After all, she was a prisoner, and Stefan could arrive at any moment.
Just as she thought those words, the master mage appeared suddenly from out of thin air. She would have found the whole transmogrification thing fascinating, if her heart wasn’t threatening to break her ribcage.
Stefan stood in front of them, tall and pale. With a wave of his hand, two men dressed in black, as well as two dozen more wearing black combat gear and sporting weapons appeared behind him. The master mage waved his hand one more time and two figures materialized next to him. Victoria Chatraine was holding on to another woman with long, matted blonde hair dressed in dirty robes. Her hands were tied behind her and she had a gag around her mouth.
“Mother!” Daric cried. “Are you all right?”
“She’s fine, Daric,” Stefan said. “Don’t be so dramatic. I knew you could escape from those abhorrent creatures, given the right incentive. Now,” he peered at Jade. “What have your brought me?”
“Creed’s True Mate,” Daric said, giving Jade a push. “Just as you instructed.”
“Excellent! Soon, he will come for her and we will have the monster under our control.”
“What’s the plan, Master?” Daric asked. “How will we get Creed to join us?”
Stefan laughed. “I thought that would be obvious, especially to you, Daric.” His eyes flickered over Jade. “She will join your mother in her prison. And then I shall have you and Creed by my side, and we will destroy the Lycans and enslave the humans!”
“You monster!” Jade cried out.
“Take her away,” he said to the mages behind him. One of them waved his hand to the group of men assembled behind them. Two soldiers jogged over to Jade, grabbed her arms and pulled her towards Stefan. “Your pup will make a nice addition to my forces too,” the master mage cackled. “With father and daughter by my side, obeying my every command, I will rule the world.”
No! Must…protect…
The threat to her pup awakened the she-wolf, and Jade fought for control of her body. It was too early. She wasn’t even supposed to shift into her Lycan form, in case she didn’t have full control yet. Where was her clan? They were supposed to be here by now!
Kill him. Now.
Jade let out a piercing scream as the she-wolf tore through her body, her limbs elongating and thick, gray fur sprouted all over her. She snapped her giant teeth at the men who held her, her canines ripping through their flesh like tissue paper.
With the two men writhing on the ground, she turned her attention to Stefan. Someone screamed her name, and while she didn’t know who it was, she knew what it meant. The New York clan had arrived in full force.
“Get them! Kill all of them!” Stefan ordered.
The two puppet masters sent their troops to battle. A dozen or so Lycans were charging at the men, claws and fangs bared. Gunshots rang through the air, as well as growls and screams.
The puppet masters had to be stopped. But in her she-wolf form, she couldn’t convey the message to her clan. Instead, she jumped at the first one she could reach, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground. The mage cowered and cried out, and the she-wolf snapped her teeth to keep him at bay.
“Daric! What are you doing?” Jade heard Stefan shout in horror. She wanted to look, but the she-wolf kept her attention on her prey.
“You’ve used me for the last time, Stefan!” Daric shouted.
“What are you…fool! You can’t kill me with that toy! Traitor!”
“No!” Daric shouted. The sickening sound of a body hitting the ground near her startled Jade. Finally, the she-wolf turned its head.
Stefan was heading straight for her, his arms outstretched. Pain tore through Jade, and the she-wolf rolled over. Her limbs were on fire and whenever she tried to move, the pain increased.
“Filthy dogs!” Stefan screamed at the top of his lungs. “Stop or the she-wolf dies!”
The air suddenly became still and silence hung thick in the air.
The master mage withdrew a sword from his robe and placed the blade over the she-wolf’s neck. “Now, I know True Mates’ pups protect their mothers, but I don’t think Dr. Cross could possibly recover from a severed head? Or shall we put it to the test?”
“Let her go!” It was Sebastian. He was here.
“Ah, here he is,” the master mage sneered. “Good of you to come, Creed.”
“You motherfucker!” Sebastian trained his weapon on Stefan. “Let her go or I’ll blow your brains out.”
“Do you think your weapon can kill me faster than I can take off your mate’s head?” Stefan challenged, pressing the blade harder against the she-wolf’s neck. “Put your weapon down and come here. Now. You will do as I say from now on.”
Jade could feel the sharp steel digging into her neck, blood slowly trickling out of the shallow wound. No, she couldn’t let Stefan gain control over Sebastian the way he did Daric. That was no way to live. Her decision made, she wrenched control of her body from the she-wolf. The animal fought her, but she was able to gain enough power to move her head sideways, the blade cutting a deep gash into her neck. Blood spurted out, painting her fur with red streaks. She rolled away and landed on her paws, and she could feel the gash on her neck sealing together.
“You disgusting dog!” Stefan screamed. He raised the sword high and brought it down on her back, piercing through the fur and flesh.
“No!” Sebastian screamed, dropping to his knees.
Jade let out a gasp as she watched Sebastian’s body become engulfed in flames. She let out a pained growl as Stefan pulled the sword out. The flesh was healing quickly, closing up completely. She would live, but Sebastian…Stefan must have used his powers to burn him alive. Anger, grief, and heartache surged through her, and she forced the she-wolf’s massive body to stand.
The flames around Sebastian grew larger, higher. The she-wolf let out a howl of pain, watching her as her mate was consumed by the fire.
No. Our mate. Alive.
A deafening roar rang through the air, and a burst of power sent a shockwave across the field that knocked everyone off their feet. Sebastian didn’t burn. Instead, he had turned into a monster. A dragon.
Sebastian’s dragon was bigger than a building, probably a hundred feet tall. Its scales were gold, overlapping his body like thick armor, and big spiny horns ran down its back and all the way to the tip of its tail. Its limbs—two short back legs and two longer forearms—were the size of trucks and tipped with large black talons. The dragon’s head was covered in thorny spikes, and its golden eyes burned with anger. The long snout opened, as it threw its head back and let out another roar, spewing fire and lava straight up in the air. Terrifying and massive wings stretched out, flapping and creating great gusts of winds that shook the trees. Jade stood there, rooted in her spot. Sebastian was terrifying and magnificent at the same time.
“He really is a monster!” Victoria cried.
“We must get him under our control!” Stefan trained his bloodshot eyes back at Jade. “Come here, little she-wolf!” He raised his hands again, and Jade could feel coldness wrap around as Stefan willed the matter in her body to come to him. She felt her body fly through the air and braced herself for the fall.
But her body never hit the ground. Air rushed around her, and gigantic talons wrapped around her body. She looked up at the dragon’s massive body, its wings beating as they flew through the air. The ground got smaller and smaller and the atmosphere was so thin she could hardly breathe. Don’t fly too high, my dragon, was her last thought before she passed out.
***
Sebastian slowed his wings down, laying Jade down gently on the soft grass before he landed next to her. The Beast’s body was humungous, but pure instinct must have kicked in as he didn’t have any trouble controlling it. It was a strange sensation, being in such a body. As far as he could tell, he had complete control over it, but the being he called The Beast was in there with him.
Seeing Jade hurt had snapped something in him. After years of fighting with The Beast, Sebastian finally relinquished control. His body felt like it was on fire, and it probably was, but it didn’t burn him. No, instead, it let The Beast out. A motherfucking dragon.
The Beast let out a snort. Our mate. Safe.
Sebastian nodded in agreement. Jade had passed out from the flight, but she was safe. She wasn’t bleeding and he could hear her heartbeat with his enhanced senses. The, he felt something else. A small pulse of life from her belly. Their child.
The Beast roared one last time, then gave up the body he shared with Sebastian. It tucked itself deep inside him, and Sebastian dropped to his knees, letting out a gasp as he breathed the cool air into his lungs. As soon as his head cleared, he leapt over to the she-wolf.
“Jade,” he whispered, stroking the soft, thick fur which had begun to recede back into the wolf’s body. Her limbs shortened and the massive snout began to turn back into a human head. His Jade was back.
Clear green eyes opened slowly. “Where am I?”
Sebastian gathered her into his arms, the emotions that he had held back were now threatening to break free like an overflowing dam. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Sebastian?” She looked up at him, her face breaking into a shocked expression. “You…you’re a…”
“Dragon,” he finished. “The Beast is a dragon. Are you scared of it?”
She shook her head. “I know I should be…but…” She took his hand and put it over her chest. “She knows. The she-wolf knows. The Beast is her mate.”
“And you’re mine, too, right? My True Mate?”
She nodded. “Sebastian, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you right away. I was scared.”
“Why? Why would you think I don’t love you?”
Jade’s back grew stiff as a board. “You never said anything.”
“I didn’t think I had to,” he reasoned. “Good God, woman, I got rid of all those men, took you on a romantic date, listened to your damn cat videos, introduced you to my mother, moved you into my home, and chased you across the country!”
Jade let out a small laugh. “But you didn’t say it.”
“I thought…you just knew.” Sebastian frowned. “And that you could feel it, the way I feel you love me, too. You love me, right?”
She sobbed, placing her head on his chest. “Yes, I do love you.”
“And I love you, Jade,” he answered back. He tipped her chin and gave her a soft kiss.
She leaned into him, demanding more, opening her mouth so he could taste her. His little she-wolf. All his.
Sebastian broke away after a few minutes. “As much as I’d like to keep doing this, darlin’,” he said, grinning at her. “We’re sitting in the middle of nowhere, naked as jaybirds.”
Jade chuckled. “I kissed a dragon and I liked it,” she sang.
He rolled his eyes at her and got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “C’mon, maybe we can find some leaves or something. I don’t want anyone looking at your sexy ass when they find us.”