Coveted (27 page)

There was one thing
she could do that no one could stop. She could summon the wraiths. It would be
dangerous to enter the Frost World again so soon, but she was willing to take
the risk to keep Aiden alive.

Something bumped into
her under the surface, stirred up by all the jostling. She cringed, but the
need for a weapon was more important. With trembling fingers, she stuck her
hand into the water. When she lifted her prize, she fumbled and nearly dropped it.

A human bone.

Then her fingers
tightened. She would do whatever was necessary to end this once and for all.

* * *

Aiden loped toward
the ruined castle in his werewolf form, his chest heaving, his heart pounding
in time with his feet. All his thoughts were centered on what that bastard might
be doing to Shayla.

Touching her.

Torturing her.

A snarl curled his muzzle,
and he pushed for a burst of speed. The few wolves who had managed to keep up
during most of the run fell back a few lengths. Water beaded off his thick fur,
the clean air and rain helping clear the drug from his system, but it also
meant heavy flooding in the tunnels.

He’d allowed Shayla
to accompany them despite the danger. He’d believed he could keep her safe.

He’d been a fool, and
now she was alone in the dark with a lunatic.

Lightning crashed,
and the ragged edges of the ruins stood out in stark relief against the stormy
sea. His skin crawled with the irrational fear that if he went back into that
hellhole, he’d never emerge again. But to have Shayla back, healthy and safe,
he’d risk the wrath of hell and all its minions.

Hundreds of blue and
purple flowers were scattered around the base of the castle.

Wolfsbane.

The wind and rain
dampened the effects, but it wouldn’t take much to pull him under again.

Aiden took one last
breath of clean air and charged to where Shayla had found the entrance. The
hole was a tiny thing. If he hadn’t been searching, he might have missed it.

Aiden leapt and landed
hard…and wedged himself tight in the narrow opening. His weight sucked him down,
but much too slowly. He slammed his fist against the slick surface, but the mud
absorbed the blow, the ground taking its own precious time before it finally
crumbled. Sensing the weakness, he rammed his fists down twice more before he fell
through air.

He landed in a
crouch, claws scraping against stone. The ceiling pelted him with large chunks
of mud and rain as the fragile structure began a slow landslide. Flashes of
lightning sent shadows dancing before the celling sealed shut behind him.

They were on their
own.

There would be no
rescue.

His eyes adjusted in
seconds, but he faltered when the tunnel split off in two different directions.
If he took the wrong route, he’d lose precious time.

He stopped and closed
his eyes.

The world around him
quieted. Two faint heartbeats echoed off to the right. Without hesitation, he
sprinted through the tunnel, running full tilt into the blackened corridor.

There was no reason
to be quiet.

The man wanted him, he
was going to get him.

Water sloshed up to
his shins and continued to rise. The stench of decay brought back visceral memories
of his cramped cell. Tunnels closed in on him, the weight of the walls pressing
against his chest, smothering all the air. His back tightened as he unconsciously
braced for the inevitable strike of the whip. His careened off a sharp stone corner,
shaking him out of the horror of his memories, and he concentrated on Shayla to
preserve his sanity.

She must have been
terrified when she stumbled upon him in the dungeon. The first thing he recalled
was her beauty beneath the muck, her fierce refusal to back down.  

She’d been trapped
underground, stuck in the dark, yet stopped to rescue a being more beast than
man imprisoned in an ancient dungeon. She’d been attacked by two men, beaten
and left to drown.

She’d saved his life
more than once and never complained. She stood up to him, called him a caveman when
he deserved it. He hadn’t given her enough credit. Now that the roles were
reversed, he was amazed at her ability to adapt. Anyone else would’ve buckled
at the first hurdle.

A meager light shone
ahead, and Aiden recognized the all-too-familiar setting of his cell. The hall
was clear. He approached the dungeon cautiously, waiting for an ambush. The
last thing he expected to find was Jacob behind the locked door of his old cell.
Aiden shoved his arm through the bars, fur singeing at the sharp bite of
silver, but he didn’t back down. “Where is she?”

The words were a
little mumbled, distorted by his canines and muzzle.

The man leaned
against the far wall as if he hadn’t a care in the world. That was if you
ignored his fat lip and bloodied face.

Aiden smirked, realizing
Shayla had landed a few well-deserved shots. But that pleasure dimmed when he envisaged
the retaliation she’d suffered in return.

Jacob smiled, his
eyes gone glassy with madness and the need for retribution. His absolute belief
of his superiority thickened the air as he lifted a key. “How about we trade?”

The bastard’s smug
attitude set his teeth on edge.

Something was wrong.

Instead of ripping
his head off as his beast demanded, Aiden angled his body until he could see every
corner of the cell he knew so intimately.

It was empty except
for the human filth leaning so nonchalantly against one wall. Shayla was gone. His
heart bottomed out, and Aiden very deliberately turned toward Jacob. “I’m
listening.”

“Your little
rebellion destroyed my business.”

Aiden’s growl rumbled
in the tunnels, his rage deepening at how Jacob so casually phrased his justification
of genocide.

“You will give me
your blood, a small dose now to confirm its potency. Then you’ll give me the
rest to re-stock my inventory. In exchange, you may have the key to release
your little pet.” Jacob nodded to wall behind Aiden.

Dread thickened in his
gut. There was only one thing behind him…the old, dilapidated cell that they
used to punish unruly wolves. Aiden whirled, eyes tracking across the other room.
It appeared empty on the first sweep, and he crammed closer to the wall, not
even breathing as he searched again. It was only when he studied the surface of
the pool that he spotted Shayla.

She was alive.

He nearly dropped to
his knees. His heart thudded painfully against his ribs. “Shayla.”

She didn’t respond at
all, and worry ate away what little calm he’d managed to scrape together.

Time was running out.

No matter how much
his mind rebelled, the quickest way to save her was to do what the bastard
wanted.

For now.

 Chapter Twenty-eight

D
esperate to get to Shayla,
Aiden clutched the bars of the cell. Flesh sizzled, the skin of his palms tightened
then cracked, but he didn’t feel any of it. He heaved against the bars until his
muscles trembled under the strain. Only when the entire wall threatened to come
crashing down on top of her did Aiden reluctantly stopped, afraid to even breathe
as the stones shifted.

A roar of frustration
ripped from his throat.

He was so close.

“It’s useless, you
know. You’ll not get to her without the key. The metal is reinforced. The
longer you touch it, the more the silver will poison you. Weaken you. You tried
for months and never escaped. Use force, and you’ll only bring the place down
on her lovely little head.”

Aiden reluctantly
conceded defeat. When he uncurled his fingers, the top layers of his skin peeled
away like thick calluses.

Determined to
conserve his energy, he released his hold over his wolf. His body melted down,
pressure increased on his bones, the density making them heavier. Fur receded,
his skin grew tight until it felt stretched over his bones.

It worried him that
she hadn’t reacted to anything.

Something wasn’t
right.

“Shayla? Can you hear
me?”

Her eyelids
fluttered, but that was her only response.

A chill crept from
her cell, so cold a light crust of ice floated on the water.

Then it hit him.

She was using her
fucking powers, calling her wraiths.

Killing herself to
save him.

His heart skipped a
beat before he finally conceded there was only one thing he could do to save
her.

As if sensing his
capitulation, Jacob wandered toward the edges of his prison. “There is a syringe
by the wall where the key used to hang before I took to wearing it. You know
the place, don’t you? You used to stare at it for hours.”

Aiden lifted his head
to see a needle resting at eye level. Everything in him rebelled against giving
into the demand.

Until he looked back
and saw Shayla barely clinging to life. Then he did what two months in prison
failed to do and stabbed the needle into his arm.

“Give it here.”

Jacob had his face
pressed up against the bars of the prison, his arm outstretched as far as he
could reach. Aiden wanted to rip off that arm and beat him with it. The only
thing that stayed his hand was the bastard had left the key at the far end of
the cell. Frustration lengthened his canines. Shayla didn’t have time for his
team to dismantle the prison.

He handed over the
vial. “Give me the key.”

The bastard didn’t
even bother to look at him as he rolled up his sleeve. “Not until I’ve confirm
your blood works. If it’s acceptable, you’ll fill those bags. The chemicals in
them should keep the blood viable long enough for me to restart my operation.”

Jacob inserted the
needle and hit the plunger. He grunted and collapsed to his knees as the drug
sped through his system. A muffled scream ripped past his closed lips, the pain
a side effect of healing too fast.

Aiden glanced away to
see bags with tubs hanging by the door.

Five bags.

Half of his blood.

Under normal
circumstances, his wolf would ensure his survival. After months of prison and
continual poisoning, he’d grown weak. He just had to hang on long enough to free
Shayla.

If only one of them was
going to survive, it would be her.

Aiden was drawn back
toward her cell, compelled to watch over her even if he could do nothing. But
with each step, a bitter cold snaked around him. All the hair on his body rose.

Symptoms he felt once
before.

Shayla had succeeded
in opening the doors to the Frost World. His wolf lunged to the surface,
enraged that she would risk her life that way when they’d nearly lost her the
last time. He needed to move quickly if he wanted to save her from herself. He
picked up the butterfly needle and hit the vein first try. Blood filled the
first bag quickly.

“You will
not
die on me. Hold on. I’m going to get you out of here.” Power infused his words.
As if he’d finally broken through to her, Shayla began coughing, and Aiden
crouched next to the bars.

“Aiden?” Her
beautiful blue eyes snapped open, looking vague and unfocused. Until her eyes
landed on him and sharpened to a dangerous point. “You have to leave. They’ll
be coming soon.”

“I’m here. You can
stop. Come back to me.”

Shayla shook her head
then winced, tugging at the collar as the metal bit into her throat. The pain
seemed to sharpen her focus, and her eyes dropped to the long tubing running
from his arm. Alarm gave her voice power. “Stop. You don’t need to do this. He
won’t get away.”

Aiden gave a short
bark of laughter, easily able to push aside the compulsion in her voice. The
first bag was filled, and he quickly changed them out. “Is that why you think
I’m here? I don’t give a shit about vengeance. I’ll give him what he wants in
exchange for your freedom.”

“What about you?” Her
voice was sharp. She leaned forward, ready to speak, when she lost her footing
and plunged beneath the surface.

“Shayla!” Aiden
lunged toward the bars, his arm fully extended as he frantically combed through
the water, straining for even a glimpse of her. Seconds passed, and Aiden swore
his heart stopped.

Then her face broke
the surface.

Aiden watched her
struggle to breathe, never having felt helpless. He stayed pressed against the bars,
ignoring the scent of his burning flesh. The tightness in his chest threatened to
cut off his air supply. “Promise me, Shayla.”

She weakly rested her
face against the filthy wall. “Promise what?”

He didn’t like the thready
quality in her voice. “We leave here together.”

Aiden couldn’t take
his eyes away from her precious face, afraid that if he looked away for even a
second that she’d disappear under the water and never resurface. Her answer
took so long in coming that claws burst from the tips of his fingers.

All she did was shake
her head.

The rain came down
harder. Water was pouring out of her cell now. Her strength was waning.

Drowning was a real
threat, if hypothermia didn’t kill her first.

“Do you still have
that necklace?”

Shayla gave a jerky
nod.

“The necklace chose
you for a reason. It allows you to draw strength from the pack.” Aiden reluctantly
backed away from the cell. He ignored his burns, the way they weren’t healing,
and hooked up the third bag.

“And most of them are
grievously wounded. They need all their strength. I’ll be fine.”

There was acceptance
in her voice, as if she already made up her mind to give her life in exchange
for his.

“Aiden, you have to
stop. Your wolves need you.”

“The pack needs us
both.” Emotions thickened his voice. “I need you. The pack can survive without
me, but I can’t go on without you.”

“Awww, ain’t that
sweet.” The snide comment was ruined by Jacob’s obvious pain. He rested weakly
against the door, panting with exertion. The jagged edges of his wounds had
already closed, leaving behind lumps of twisted flesh. Muscles twitched in his
jaw like centipedes were wiggling under the surface, and his skin smoothed out like
clay. “Less talk, more blood. I’m sure none of us want to stay here any longer
than necessary.”

Aiden clenched and
unclenched his hand, watching his blood flow into the bag. He avoided meeting
Shayla’s gaze, not wanting to see her reaction. “I’ve always done what was
expected of me. I’ve always put the pack first. Not this time.”

“Why is this
different?”

Hearing her teeth
chatter, he looked up, studying every nuance of her expression, his eyes
caressing the face that had become so precious to him. And couldn’t read
anything. Memories of his late wife rose between them, her disgust at being
tied to a monster. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “Don’t you know?”    

Shayla mutely shook
her head. The revulsion he expected, a beast baring his soul for a beautiful
woman, never appeared. She watched him with her big blue eyes, so exhausted he
wanted to gather her up against him.

Unable to stomach her
scrutiny, he reached down to change the next bag when the asshole spoke. “Those
bags need to be completely full or the deal’s off.”

Precious seconds
passed agonizingly slow as he waited for it to finish filling. When he reached
for the fourth bag, the world spun, darkening a little around the edges.

He leaned heavily
against the wall. He couldn’t pass out or they were both dead.

“Tell me, Aiden.”

“I want you for myself.
I won’t let him win.”

A wild laugh echoed
in the hallway. “Isn’t that cute. The big bad wolf has a case of puppy love.”

* * *

Aiden’s declaration sent
her heartbeat skyrocketing. Astonishment knocked her off center, and she nearly
lost her precarious perch. She’d expected Aiden to stomp around. Snarl with
rage. Instead, he was ominously silent.

“Aiden?” She said his
name softly.

He tensed, his
shoulders hunched, watching the water swirl around his shins. Her heart pounded
in a frantic dance when he didn’t reply. “You love me.”

He flinched, and a
lump formed in her throat. He didn’t deny her words, but he wasn’t happy.

“How long have you
known?”

Aiden shrugged,
turning to change out the last bag. His movements were slow, very precise.
“I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you. You looked miserable. You were
soaked, muddy, your clothes clinging to your every curve. All I could think about
was getting my hands on you. You had every right to run screaming from me, but
you stupidly risked your life for mine.”

He rested his back
against the wall and slowly slid down, his arms propped up on his knees. He looked
up at her finally, his eyes blazing with emotions. “I couldn’t let you go then,
and I can’t let you go now.”

The fragile emotion she’d
buried deep, protected beneath layers of denial, crawled toward the surface. Telling
him terrified her, but he deserved the truth. Shayla swallowed hard, the hope a
painful thing. “You were right.”

His brows furrowed in
question.

“I was thinking about
love when I stumbled upon you.”

His head snapped up.
“Say it.”

His voice was a
demand, but she recognized the terror of wanting something so much you’re
afraid to ask for it.

“I love you.”

Disbelief and
yearning warred across his face, so painful that her breath hiccupped in her chest.
“I was raised with fairy tales about werewolves, and their all-consuming love
for their mates. Even at the age of five, I knew I wanted that. No one could
live up to my dreams.” Shayla ached to be in his arms. “Until you.”

A rumbled rose from
his chest, and he never once took his eyes from hers as his blood continued to
drain. “I will get you out of here.”

“How touching.” Jacob
stared hungrily at the five bags of blood, casually swinging the key around his
finger over the rushing water. “But we have a deal to complete.”

Aiden yanked the
needle from his arm, a drop of blood beading up on the puncture wound. He
rolled to his knees and swayed, resorting to using the wall to pull himself to
his feet. Blood whooshed in his ears, and he gritted his teeth against blacking
out. He refused to show any weakness, refused to let Shayla down, not when she
was so close to where he wanted her most.

In his arms.

His limbs felt heavy
as he gathered the bags. He locked his knees and took a determined step forward,
then another, until he stood before the bastard who’d hurt Shayla.

Jacob didn’t know it
yet, but he was a dead man.

Aiden would see to
it.

Jacob stood in the
center of the cell, his body all but vibrating, still riding high on the drug.
He smiled boldly, the wounds on his face receded until they resembled wrinkles
you’d get after sleeping too hard. “After another treatment or two, even the
scars will be gone. I’ve never seen blood this strong.”