Another young life cut short by the woman he called his friend.
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Clara continued to talk, but Lachlan was no longer listening. To hear more of her cruel intentions didn’t matter now. He’d die before he ever got the chance to tell someone. The blow to his back snapped his spine in two. Sure, he’d heal in time, but the look in Clara’s eyes proved that time had run out.
His head lolled to the side, and staring back at him were Victor’s lifeless eyes where his head lay detached from his body. Victor died because Lachlan wasn’t smart or quick enough. Clara had sucked him into her game of deceit, and it cost Victor’s, and soon Josh’s, lives.
Lachlan’s vision started to fade out. He no longer had the energy to fight or keep his eyes open. If he were going to die, the last thing he saw was not going to be the crazy bitch preparing to kill him.
Letting his eyelids drop shut, Lachlan brought up Garrett’s image. He pictured the ruggedly handsome man who had captured his heart and given Lachlan’s life purpose after so many years of going through the motions. His time with Garrett was short but oh so sweet. Lachlan had to believe Garrett would find the strength to go on without him.
Losing one’s mate was the hardest thing a paranormal could suffer through, but it could be done, and if what Clara said was true, Garrett was destined for great things and needed to survive.
Succumbing to his fate, Lachlan let go of everything around him.
His time had come to an end. The haziness of sleep dragged him under, and then there was nothing.
Garrett’s Choice
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“Where the fuck did he go?” Garrett yelled into his earpiece as he turned in a circle. One minute Lachlan was by his side, then the next he was gone. In the flash of an eye his mate had disappeared.
“Garrett, where did who go?” Ben’s voice came over the airway.
“Lachlan. We were walking together searching the area, then he just took off running. I followed, but he just disappeared. As if by mag…”
Garrett’s words trailed off as what he just said sunk in. Klaus had warned them he felt some type of energy in the air, and now Lachlan was gone. Whatever was out here with them took Lachlan.
The sound of feet crunching leaves and twigs grew nearer. Ben came into sight with Miles and Klaus by his sides. A pissed-off look marred the Warriors of the Light’s leader.
“How did you let this happen?” Ben accused in a not-so-friendly tone.
“Me?” Garrett stepped up to Ben until they stood chest to chest. “I didn’t let anything happen. He was here one minute and gone the next. We weren’t prepared for something like this.” Garrett started to lose all the fight in him. “I let my mate get taken from me.”
Garrett could hear the men around him talk, but he couldn’t make out the words. The most important person in his life just vanished into thin air. He could still feel Lachlan and knew he was alive but for how long? Whoever was responsible for this wanted Garrett dead, and killing Lachlan was a good way to do it.
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“Everyone calm the fuck down,” Klaus ordered. “There was nothing Garrett could have done. This place reeks of magic. What happened was meant to. Whoever did this has great power.”
“We heard what happened.” The witch named Carter came barreling toward them with his mate, Abner, not far behind. “Klaus, what should we do? Can our combined magic counteract this? Or at least point to where Lachlan disappeared to?”
Garrett’s head shot up at that. It was his only hope.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Klaus answered. “How far away are Quinn and Trevor?”
“We’re right here.” Quinn spoke up in a clear voice. “We headed this way when we heard Garrett shouting.”
“Okay, Carter and I will try to merge together our magic and break or at least put a crack into whatever magic is blocking us from finding Lachlan.” Klaus looked at Garrett. “Can you sense him? Does he feel far away or close?”
Garrett closed his eyes and brought up Lachlan’s image. His heart yearned to see its mate again, but he dug beneath all that for his connection to Lachlan. Flashes of light and jumbled-up pictures floated through his head. But the most important thing he could feel was the fast-paced beating of Lachlan’s heart.
“He’s close. I can feel him like he’s right here with us.” Garrett kept darting his eyes around as if he thought Lachlan would come out from behind a tree or something.
“That’s good. Hopefully it won’t take much, but we will need you guys to watch our backs. Once we start we can’t stop or it’ll break our spell. Whatever is surrounding us is pure evil. This has to be one badass witch,” Klaus said.
Carter nodded his head. “I agree. I’ve never felt this kind of energy before.” The thin witch shivered. “It’s dark and lifeless.”
Garrett didn’t like what they were saying because wherever Lachlan was, he was with that witch. He didn’t know how, but he knew it with his whole body that Lachlan was in danger.
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“Okay, let’s do this,” Ben said as he motioned for all the men to circle Klaus and Carter. They were the only link to reach Lachlan, and they had to protect the two witches.
Garrett looked over his shoulder, and Klaus and Carter stood facing each other holding hands. They didn’t say anything. They just stood still like statues with their eyes shut.
“Do you hear that?” Trevor asked.
Garrett’s head tilted to the side, and he heard a faint screaming.
Not one of someone in pain or fear but of pure unadulterated rage.
“Shit.” Someone shouted as black smoke swirled around them.
Black forms surrounded them. They looked to be in the shape of humans, but they weren’t solid. Garrett thought they looked like smoke, black and hazy but definitely took on a human form.
“What the fuck are they?” It was Miles who spoke.
Garrett, too, wanted to know what they were up against. The figures swayed back and forth then sprung toward them.
One lunged at Garrett, but he jumped to the side. Then another swung at his face. It made contact with a stunning blow to Garrett’s cheek. He stood dazed for just a moment before he straightened his shoulders and spun around and swung. His fist connected with a solid mass, but just as soon as he hit it, it was gone. Not knowing what else to do, Garrett kept at it.
The battle raged all around them. Faceless beings hammered down on them, one after another. It was an army with an endless supply of energy, who could battle into forever.
“Garrett,” Klaus shouted to get his attention. “Go.”
Garrett turned around just barely missing a punch to the jaw. As he did a small flash of light grabbed his attention. As he moved forward, he could see bits and pieces bleeding through the dark scenery in front of him. A fire burned bright, and two people were on the ground. The picture before him held longer, and he could make out clearer images.
Lachlan!
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His heart threatened to stop as he watched a woman sitting on top of his mate with a large knife held above her head.
Intent on getting to his mate, Garrett started to run. A blow to the back of the head had him falling to his knees. His brain felt shaken, and his vision had begun to blur. Garrett brought a hand up to the back of his head while using the other to push himself up off the ground. Once on his knees, he focused on the flickers of light out in the clearing in front of him. The ground was bumpy and covered with dying grass. Branches lay discarded on the ground where they fell from the withering trees. The vision he’d seen of Lachlan on the ground was gone.
What the hell is going on?
Garrett cursed whatever magic that was at play. How could he get to his mate if the portal that would take him to Lachlan kept fading in and out?
“Go!” Klaus shouted. “We can’t hold it for much longer.”
Just as Klaus spoke again, the invisible curtain fell away and he saw Lachlan still lying on the ground.
Pushing to his feet, Garrett ran all out. He wasn’t going to miss his chance again. He had to get through the barrier.
Garrett was almost there when he saw the woman on his mate start to lower her knife. Even with the distance separating them, he saw the smile on her face. Garrett’s pulse spiked along with his fear and rage. Allowing the shift to come over him, Garrett felt bones pop, muscles stretch, and his clothes tear away. Digging deep into the cold hard soil, Garrett jumped into the light and snapped his heavy jaws at the woman.
He took her by complete surprise. She screamed and fought with her right arm. Garrett had her left arm in his mouth, and he bit down harder. Jerking his head to the side he ripped the thin arm from her body. She howled in pain, but Garrett didn’t care. He tossed the limb into the fire and went back for her neck.
“This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen,” the woman cried as she tried to fight Garrett off.
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Garrett kept his teeth safely planted in the soft flesh where her neck and shoulder met and looked up. He’d heard that voice before but never with such venom and hatred.
Clara?
Garrett couldn’t speak in his wolf form, but thoughts ran rampant in his head. How could this be the same sweet Clara he’d known for years? She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Why is she doing this?
Garrett darted his eyes around the area as much as he could. The sight of feet dangling in the air had him turning his muzzle with Clara still attached. She screeched in pain, but he ignored her screams.
Josh was held suspended in the air with ropes and a headless body right next to his. Garrett wanted to retch at the sight. Shifting his gaze over the carnage, he saw it. Victor’s head was lying on the ground.
“Like what you see?” Clara started to laugh. The sound was so cruel and vile to his ears. “I might die tonight, but let these deaths linger over your head, Alpha. The guilt will eat you alive.”
Not giving it a second thought, Garrett sunk his teeth deeper, then pulled. The wet sloshing of her head coming free of her body as bone broke, filled Garrett with a since of triumph. Spitting her head to the ground, Garrett let the change flow over him again.
Blood dripped from his mouth. He swiped it away as he quickly crawled over to where Lachlan lay unconscious on the ground. He lifted Lachlan’s limp body into his arms. Voices grew louder, but Garrett didn’t look up. All his focus was on his mate. He felt for a pulse and thanked god it was there. Faint but there.
“Dear God in heaven,” Ben’s voice met his ears. “Cut him down.”
“She kil…killed him,” Josh stuttered. “She didn’t even care.” The young wolf broke down and started to sob.
Garrett knew he needed to check on the others, but he couldn’t.
Everything he held dear lay limp in his arms. More than anything Garrett needed Lachlan to wake up.
Another set of fingers appeared and felt around Lachlan’s neck.
Garrett growled low but didn’t speak.
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“Garrett, buddy, he’s alive. He’s just sleeping,” Ben said. Garrett nodded his head. He already knew this. “Let’s get him back to the house. He might be hurt, but he’ll heal.”
Garrett stood to his feet, still cradling Lachlan to his chest. He started to walk. Some of the warriors were following, but he didn’t care to see which ones. Lachlan needed to be in bed where all the destruction he’d witnessed this night couldn’t touch him.
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Once back at the house Garrett went straight up the steps with Lachlan in his arms. When he reached their room, he pushed open the door and laid Lachlan on the bed. He took off Lachlan’s heavy boots then went for his clothes. Garrett wanted to make sure there weren’t any visible wounds they needed to worry about.
When Garrett rolled Lachlan to the side to pull back the blanket he saw the large purple-and-black bruise in the center of his back. He felt around the darkest part and could feel the separation in bone.
Lachlan’s back had been broken. A little rest would heal his mate back to normal, but Garrett started to think about what he saw in that clearing. What his mate had watched and was helpless to do anything about. Garrett ran his fingers through Lachlan’s wavy hair and bent to kiss his forehead.
“It wasn’t your fault, baby. Don’t let this consume you,” Garrett whispered to his mate. Lachlan played at being a hard-ass, but he was a sensitive man. Garrett knew his mate would probably blame himself for what happed to Victor and to Josh, but no one was to blame. Clara had fooled them all. If anyone was to blame it was Garrett. He was the alpha. He should have seen through her charade, but he didn’t.
With one last kiss to his mate’s lips, Garrett got up and went to his dresser to get some clothes on. He flipped off the light when he left the room and eased the door shut behind him. Garrett walked down the stairs more slowly this time. Now they needed to try and piece together what exactly happened.
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As he came around the corner, he saw Ben, Miles, Trevor, and Quinn in the entryway. The door to the living room where Damon was had been closed. He looked at Ben and quirked an eyebrow.
“Why’s the door shut?” Garrett pointed to the closed door.
“I did that before Aaron could see anything.” Ben stepped forward and waved for Garrett to come closer. “While you were upstairs with Lachlan, Aaron brought Josh back. The young wolf is in shock, and Aaron had his hands full getting him up the stairs.”
“What does that have to do with the door being shut?” Garrett asked.
“Because of this.” Ben cracked opened the door.
Garrett peeked into the low-lit room and his eyes landed on where Damon lay sleeping. A towel still covered his head, but the blood on the sides of his face had dried. The witch was finally starting to heal.