CHAPTER THIRTY
The sun was not far from breaking over the horizon by the time Tan stopped the snowmobile’s engine and turned back to look at Layla. She had been napping for the last half mile, her cheek against his back, while Annabelle had curled herself around him burying her face in his chest against the cold of the air. The sudden silence was grating after the last few hours of constant noise from the machine, but he welcomed it, taking a few moments of quiet to look around the forest.
They were officially off the beaten path out here. It had been well over two hours since they left the main hiking path and weaved their way up the mountain. Finally they were to the point the snowmobile could go no further. Now it looked like it was time to walk.
All he could smell was snow and good solid nature, no human or angel had been up this way. That was a good sign. A soft groan behind him had him turning slowly. Layla’s arms tightened around him.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” She looked amazingly sexy when she had that just woken up look in her eyes.
He leaned in and covered her lips in a kiss, loving the way she melted and submitted easily while still drowsy. Her sleep-soft little mewing moans sent heat curling in his groin. With a nip to her lips he pulled back with a grin. She licked her lips with a smile, fully awake now, and clearly wanting the same as him if her flushed skin gave any indication.
“Tease.”
“Always. Besides, there is no need to apologize, you kept me warm. But the easy part is over, I’m afraid—time to hike.” He nodded up the mountain.
It was pretty obvious to him where they were headed. The mountain itself seemed to glow from within, energy emanating from within the rocks and the trees. Unless someone could sense the energy coming from the land they would never know this place held such power. Maybe they would feel at peace here or they would feel rested and recharged. But he could see the thin, almost vein-like tendrils of energy that ran through the land. This place held very old magic, the kind of magic that instinct told him he really should not be messing with.
This place made him feel uneasy, his skin felt too tight, as if he needed to shift and run to get away from it. Clearly Layla was having a different reaction. He watched her slide from the seat and walk as if in a daze, running her hands over the trees, her eyes wide in awe. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, rubbing the spot over his chest where his heart felt like it was being crushed. He wasn’t going to mention this to her; she needed to be here as Ilianna had told her, so he would damn well deal with the feeling.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Tan?” Layla’s eyes were so bright he just smiled and nodded, then stood while holding a sleeping Annabelle to him.
“We should get moving, Layla. Can you take her so I can get the packs?” He couldn’t help but smile as she blinked and clearly remembered they were here for a reason. Blushing softly, she carefully reached out taking Annabelle from him before tucking her daughter in her arms.
Tan got to work removing the packs from the sled while Layla sat watching the play of light around her and gently rocked her daughter to keep her asleep. Last thing they needed was Bella running off chasing the glowing lights. Pushing the snowmobile and sled behind a bush he made short work of covering it with branches, just in case someone came looking. Last thing, he slung the shotgun Lexi threatened him with over his shoulder and headed back toward the women. He might have claws and teeth to defend himself, but Layla didn’t have much, so a shotgun with a wide range spread was better than nothing.
“Okay, give her to me.” It had been agreed that, unless he needed to change forms, he would remain in human form and carry Annabelle in a sling tied to his chest. That way he could carry the largest pack on his back. Layla would then be able to carry the lighter two packs with the tent, sleeping gear, and clothing with little trouble.
It took a few minutes to arrange a sleepy Annabelle so he was comfortable, the whole process waking her up and leaving her in a grumpy mood. Good thing she was too tired to notice where they were, and as soon as she was settled next to his chest she fell right back to sleep. Next came the pack. Tan could have sworn it didn’t feel this fuckin’ heavy when he was down the mountain earlier; he had no doubt the strange energy of this place had something to do with it.
Finally, with the sky dappled in painted blues and purples, they headed up the mountain, Layla setting the pace with more energy than Tan expected her to have. Whatever energy this mountain contained, it seemed to feed her, energize her—and drain him. Gritting his teeth against the crushing weight it pushed upon him he continued on, confirming each step was sure before he put his weight down; he would not put Annabelle at risk because he slipped.
They had been walking about an hour. The sun, though still hidden behind the mountain, was up, the shadow of the stone edifice keeping the temperature low. His head pounded behind his eyes, those damned flashing, flowing lights giving him the migraine of all migraines. Layla was a fair way ahead. He could see the back of her pack through the trees. The closer to the cave they got, the worse he became.
“Wolfie? You look sick.” He looked down at Annabelle, her little icicle eyes wide as she watched his face.
“I’m fine, Bella, just tired. I’m going to put you down, okay? Your mother is just ahead, you see her pack?” Annabelle turned her head and nodded.
Tan released the sling. Holding her slight weight in his arms, he lowered her to the snow. With a smile, he leaned against the closest tree—which really didn’t help him because now its energy just crept over his skin.
“Go to your mother, Bella, I will catch up.” She hesitated, biting on her bottom lip and looking around her. Clearly, she could see the glowing energy but she did not seem as impressed by it as her mother did. His voice broke a little as he spoke. “Please, Bella, go to Layla. I will be fine in a little while.”
“Okay. But you better be. You’re my daddy now. If you don’t come in five minutes I’m coming back.” With her very vehement statement she turned her little feet, struggling with the deep snow. She took off after her mother, looking back at him every so often until the trees swallowed her up.
It was a good thing she had no concept of time because five minutes passed long ago, he thought, sliding the pack from his back and slowly sinking to the forest floor. Grabbing a bottle of water from the pack he drained it in about twenty seconds, panting softly. He could hear a constant ringing in his ears, and no matter how much water he drank, his throat remained bone dry. This mountain didn’t want him here; it wanted him gone, no doubt because of what he was. Not a chance in hell—His family was here. All he needed was a bit of rest and he would press on.
“No fuckin’ hunk of rock is keeping me from what is mine.” Taking in a deep breath he made a move to stand, pain piercing into his head. He gripped his skull, hissing as the ringing increased in tone until he felt his stomach rolling from it. The high-pitched tone turned into voices in his head. Was the madness back?
You are Wrath, anger manifested—he who spurns love and opts instead for fury. You are wired for it. You do not know love. You are self-destruction, violence and hate. War comes from your blood.
“No! Shut up. That’s not true. I don’t believe you.” He covered his ears but that did nothing to stop the voices ringing louder in his head.
The only love you know is the love of revenge and spite. You feel it in your soul. You crave it. You need to make Michael suffer for what he did to you. You will abandon them for your need to make him pay.
“No, no. Never! I’m never leaving them. They. Are. Mine. Do you hear me? Bastard spirits, they belong to me!” Tan couldn’t stop it, he didn’t know if it was them, or his own weakness of control that caused the fury to rush through his veins, feeding the change. Roughly he ripped off his jacket and shirt, the material like sandpaper against his skin.
See, already he changes. No control. Violent, vicious animal. Vile creature, demon.
He had never felt the change so acutely before—the world around him, the scents of the forest, the air against his skin—it was all so sharp. Maybe it was because of where he was; maybe the magic in this place sought to remind him of what he was, remind him of what he could never have. He tried to think of Layla, tried to bring her into his mind. She usually calmed him, but this time it didn’t work. The laughter echoed in his head as his back arched, his nails turning into claws. The spirits had set out to do one thing, prove to him he did not belong here, and they had done it in one sweep of their power.
“Tanus!”
“Daddy!”
He turned his head, his blue eyes going wide. No, he didn’t want Annabelle to see him like this. He opened his mouth to ward her away, but all that came out was a roar that shook the air around them. Seeing the shock on her little face, her eyes wide, was enough to break him.
“Leave him alone, you mean fairies, he didn’t do anything to you!” Her little angry voice was lost in the haze as his change, now too far along, continued, his spine cracking and dark fur erupting from his flesh. He could see their faint outlines as Layla and his daughter faced four small glowing creatures no bigger than a foot in height. Had such small beings brought him so low?
He is a demon, he does not belong here.
The air around him changed. It became charged with an energy thick with power from the depths of the earth. It was heady and heavy, settling around the mountain, stealing the sounds from around them. He turned his head, focusing his eyes on Layla. Wait, was that Layla? The snow danced around her almost lazily. Her eyes were locked on four shimmering forms.
“If you do not release him immediately, I will bring this mountain down, and all the spirits who reside within it.” Was that his Layla? Her voice rocked the very ground upon which he lay. The mountain rumbled under him, the air thrumming with so much power it made his fur stand on end.
No! no! Dear Mother, forgive us! Please, please. Then, as if powered by a switch, the pain in his chest was gone, the ringing vanished, and he could breathe again. But he was already in hellhound form. There was not much he could do about that now.
Panting hard, he rolled to his side. Shadows fell from his form in slow curling coils that vanished into the snow. He opened his eyes. His vision was finally clear. He blinked just before two tiny arms flung around him and Annabelle started to cry.
“Those mean creatures. I ran as hard as I could and told Mommy what they were doing. They were trying to hurt you.” The change was damn hard on his body, but significantly less painful than last time. Lifting his head, he pressed his cold nose into her neck. He was rewarded with an eruption of tearful giggles.
Layla knelt beside him, running her hand over his head and down his neck. Leaning down she pressed her head to his, the shadows wrapping around her body as if embracing her when he could not.
“I’m so sorry. I fell for the most basic of enchantments. I didn’t even notice they had me until Annabelle caught up. Little bastards, who are they to judge?”
They have a point. I am Wrath, I have felt the rage burning in my blood.
“I don’t care if you’re Hades himself. I love you, got it? You’re not the only possessive one, you know.” That earned her a cold nose to the neck simply because that was about all he could muster for the moment.
“Think you can walk? We’re not far from the cave. We can get the pack later.”
With a snort of warm air against her cheek, Tan slowly got to his feet, shaking off the snow from his black coat. Without those damn imps, or fairies, or whatever the hell they were, he was already feeling much better; the energy of the mountain was less oppressive. Annabelle kept a hand on his back the whole time they walked toward the cave opening. She was reluctant to leave his side, her eyes darting around as if warning off any other mischievous spirit that might harm him. He felt a bloom of pride in his chest at her protective streak. That’s my girl.
As they approached the opening he tilted his head to the side, watching Layla as she walked back and forth in front of what looked like a blocked entrance. Then she moved to the far edge and vanished behind a large rock. He followed, slipping behind the same rock and into the cave. He stopped dead just inside and looked around, sitting back on his haunches. Annabelle finally let him go, running over to her sleeping bag laid out on the floor.
He was still staring at the damn cave—it glowed, it really glowed. The whole thing shimmered with light. Nothing amazingly bright, but you didn’t need a light within the cave to see. He found himself wondering if normal mortals would see the light, or if to them the cave would be pitch black. It even emitted warmth to the air, keeping the cold out. Seemed Ilianna knew just the place to keep Annabelle safe from Richard until the mortal gave up trying to steal his daughter.
“Amazing, isn’t it? I had no idea this is what she meant when she said it would be safe for Annabelle.”
It is a sight to behold, I will give her that. Trotting over to Layla as she laid out a sleeping bag, he settled down on it, unsure how long this form was going to last.
The pants he had been wearing were a torn mess just down the mountain. As soon as he was back on two feet he would go and clean up. It would not do having someone find the pack or his torn clothes. Someone might think a bear got a hiker, or something equally horrific.
Layla, what was that earlier? If not for the fact he was in hound form he might have missed her heartbeat as it kicked up to racing speed. When she did not answer him right away he tilted his head to the side and huffed out hot breath against her hand. Layla.
“It’s a thing, okay. It happens sometimes. When I am angry or upset, really upset.” When she lifted her hand and began scratching behind his ear he couldn’t help the low groan of canine appreciation.
Keep talking, woman, and don’t stop scratching. If I have to be stuck like this I might as well enjoy it.
“Demanding, even as a dog.” With a smile, she found that spot causing the involuntary twitching of his hind leg.
Hellhound, come on now, I have an image to uphold.
He lifted his head as he felt the weight of a small child laying herself along his body. He was surprised how small Annabelle was compared to him. Turning his nose to her hair he snorted out hot air, making her giggle. He laid his head back down, and Annabelle yawned and closed her eyes. No doubt she was exhausted. His eyes found Layla, and he nudged her leg with his nose bringing her attention to him.
So tell me, Layla, what is it?