“To help you,” he repeated, the words a dark rumble of sound. “You traded my brother’s life for yours?”
“No, I—” Hell, hadn’t she? “I’m still not used to it,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know I could control wolves, not until I stopped Rafe from sinking his teeth into me.”
Stop! Get the hell away!
Her wild psychic shout. Rafe had frozen, his eyes wide and startled. Then he’d flown back across the room, like a puppet on a string, snarling and growling the whole time. But he hadn’t been able to attack her.
That had been the first time she’d used her power, but not the last. Once she’d realized what she could do, she’d started to practice. To try and control her newfound strength by working on the wolf shifters who crossed her path.
I didn’t practice hard enough.
“I never meant to hurt Jordan.” Her shoulders sagged. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“I wish I could believe you.” His drawl was mocking.
“But, babe, you’ve been lying to me since day one.”
Half-truths. White lies. Lies of omission. When had she become so good at deceit? Before or after she joined the FBI?
Before. I lied for years, pretending to be normal. Lying was all I knew.
“I’m a charmer. Rafe wants me dead. He wants you dead. All of that is true. I left the FBI shortly after Sean was killed. I’m not an agent anymore.”
“Then why are they covering your ass?”
She knew he was talking about the detective’s death. Damn Rafe. Sarah exhaled. “I suspect they’re covering because they want me back. My ex-boss made contact with me right before I got into town.” That was why she’d been late. Miller had held her up when he’d caught her at that gas station. Of course, he’d known exactly where to find her. He’d probably tracked the GPS on her phone.
But Miller hadn’t offered protection. Oh, no, because there wasn’t a human safe house strong enough to protect her, not from a whole wolf pack. But the FBI had wanted something . . .
“What does he want?” Lucas turned away.
“He wants the killings to stop. Rafe has plans—he’s attracting attention, a national manhunt is going to be launched soon if we don’t stop him. Everyone will know about The Werewolf. The kills will come faster, the coyotes he has in his pocket will help him. The dead will fill every airwave, every newspaper—”
He glanced back over his shoulder.
“He has plans,” she said again softly. “And it doesn’t matter what the FBI’s motives are,
we
have to stop him. If we don’t, he’ll just keep killing. He’ll come after me, after you, and he’ll keep killing.”
The floorboards creaked behind Marie. Those soft creaks were the only sounds that the wolf shifter made. Marie didn’t jump. She was far too old and experienced for that. Her fingers smoothed over her necklace. The delicate ruby ring hung on the thick chain, always resting close to her heart. “You came faster than I thought,” she softly said.
Silence.
She wouldn’t look at him. Her eyes were going hazy again, the sun blurring and she liked that. But if she looked at him—she’d see the evil too clearly. And that would
not
be the last sight she had.
“You saved the fucking bastard,” he snarled.
“Yes, Rafael, I did.” She’d helped him once. Her mistake. But he’d been young, grieving, his father lost to fangs and claws.
Her mistake.
But he’d crossed her line then. Meant no harm.
It wasn’t until after she’d helped him, after she’d given the wolf within strength, that she’d seen the glimmer of darkness. Darkness could hide easily inside a child. She hadn’t possessed the will to kill him, not when he was so young.
What if she’d been wrong? Her vision had failed twice in her life.
Once with her daughter, Carline
.
She began to rock slowly, back and forth. The cold whispered over her skin. “I know why you killed Maxime and Helene.” The poor souls that had come to her. Lost, forced back from the grave. Only dark magic could pull the souls back.
Should have been left at peace.
Some people had a hard time letting go.
Carline.
Hadn’t she been tempted to raise her baby? But her strength lay in another area.
Whereas her belle fille . . .
Her grand-daughter Josette had surprised her. Saddened her.
“Good fucking deal for you.” More creaks filled the air as he stalked closer. “You couldn’t keep me out this time, could you? Guess I’m stronger than your red dust now.”
No, not stronger. She’d left the line open. He wouldn’t come away from this deed unscathed. Fool.
“You should have let the wolf die
, mambo.
”
That wouldn’t have served her purposes. If Simone had died, then the charmer wouldn’t owe her.
His fingers rose, and his claws curled over her shoulder.
I won’t see him.
But she could feel the press of darkness, those same whispers that had been in the boy, only they were screams now. Screams from all the dead he’d taken.
“Tell me how you brought Simone back. You don’t touch the Dark. He should have been a rotting corpse.
Tell me.
”
“I used something you can’t understand.” Something he’d never grasp. “Sacrifice.”
“What? Did you kill a fucking chicken?” His rough laughter grated in her ears.
He dared to mock her? Her faith? Her power?
No one mocked Marie Dusean.
See him.
She turned in his grasp. The fog parted for her, and she saw the monster staring down at her. “Death’s comin’ for you, boy.” Her voice rolled with the promise. “You can beg, you can plead, but in the end . . . he’ll have you.”
His claws sliced across her throat. Marie didn’t feel the pain. She was already gone. Gone into the fog that waited. Welcomed.
He’ll have you.
Her necklace fell to the floor, severed by a wolf’s claws. The ruby ring slipped off the chain, then became lost in the blood.
Chapter 13
“W
ill you still help me?” Sarah whispered. “Now that you know I’m—”
“Bait from the Feds?” Lucas finished, voice biting, and he saw her flinch. Dammit, he didn’t want to attack her. He wanted to yank her back into his arms, hold her tight but—
Pack law.
She’d deceived not just him, but his whole pack. Controlled them. Wolves didn’t like being controlled by others.
Might as well be a fucking mental cage to them.
“I told you,” Sarah said, voice tight. “I don’t work for them anymore.”
But he didn’t believe her. Sarah’s ex-boss had contacted her right before she came to LA, and he was supposed to buy that the guy hadn’t brought her back into the fold?
Lucas knew he was on the FBI’s extermination list—and he didn’t trust those Bureau bastards not to set him up . . . and not to use their perfect bait to do it.
Shit. From the beginning, he’d known she’d held back. He’d known better than to trust her, but damn if he hadn’t started to let his guard down for her.
Now that he knew about her past, it made him want her all the more. She’d been so strong, keeping her talents hidden from the world, then struggling through life on her own.
But the pack . . .
Sarah came closer to him. Her hands pressed to his chest. “We want the same thing. To stop Rafe. Once he’s dead . . .”
What? She’d slip away? Get out of his life?
No.
One delicate shoulder lifted. “Then you can tell me to hit the road, okay?”
But what if he couldn’t let her go? The woman didn’t realize just how thin his control was with her. “You’re a dangerous weapon, Sarah King.”
Her eyes widened a bit. Such green eyes.
“Tell me . . .” He breathed in her scent. “Are you still lying?”
“No!”
“If you wanted, could you control me right now? Get me to do anything you wanted?”
She licked her lips, a quick flash of pink tongue that made his idiotic cock twitch.
Always want her.
“N-no . . . I told you before. I can’t read your thoughts when you’re in human form—”
“That’s not really the same thing, is it?” He broke through her words. His heart thundered too fast and he knew she felt the wild beat. But when he was close to her, he was wild.
Need more.
“Not talking about reading thoughts. I’m talking about
control.
” He waited a beat. “Can you control me now?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“You sure about that, babe? Wouldn’t be the first time you were . . . ah . . . a bit unclear with me.”
Her hands dropped. “I tried to control Rafe when he was in human form. It didn’t work.” Anger fueled her own words. “And it’s not working now with you, or else you’d be on your knees in front of me, telling me how sorry you are for being a jerk.”
One brow lifted. “A jerk?” He’d been called much worse. But the word still drove into his gut. “I’m not the one who’s been lying.” Odd, that. He usually lied one hell of a lot, but . . .
not to her.
While she spent all her time lying to him.
“I stayed with you.” She spun around, giving him her back. “I made the deal with Marie. I was willing to trade everything—”
His body tensed at that. “Tell me you didn’t.” He remembered the fire in his gut. The burn that lashed through his organs. “
Tell me you didn’t.”
He could still feel it—the whisper of cold, of death, sinking into his body.
She threw a glance back over her shoulder. “I agreed to her trade.” A rough laugh. “Hell, I don’t even know what was happening. You were dying. She was chanting, asking me about binding with you.”
No, hell,
no.
“Sarah, did you—”
Her body swung toward him. “Did I what? Fight for your ungrateful self? Yes, I did. I’m not all bad, you know, Lucas. I don’t want you dead. I don’t want Jordan dead. I just want—”
He lunged forward and grabbed her arms. “Did she bind us?”
Her lips parted. “I—”
A hard rap shook the door.
“Did she?” He gritted, his eyes only on her.
Sarah nodded. “Yes.”
And he knew he was fucked.
The door swung open. “Alpha, Caleb’s up.”
He didn’t glance at Dane. He’d known the pack had recovered the wolf. Severely injured, barely alive.
But barely was all they needed.
“He’s awake. I don’t know how long he’s got, though.” No emotion filtered through Dane’s voice. Not like he was talking about a friend, a pack brother. Oh, yeah,
he damn well was.
The betrayal ate at Lucas.
Dane exhaled on a hard sigh. “He won’t make it through the trial by pack.”
Lucas was still staring at Sarah. He saw her pale. “You—you would force him to face that?”
A trial by pack. The same method Rafe had used to “eliminate” the threat of Sean. When the pack was attacked, when a wolf crossed the line, the trial was to a wolf’s surrender or to his death. If the wolf surrendered—he lived, but would be banished from the pack.
If he fought to the end, either he killed the alpha . . . or died trying.
“Does she go up, too?” Dane asked, voice still flat.
Sarah tried to jerk back. “What? I’m not pack. I get that you guys are pissed over the control thing—but, dammit, I’m not pack!”
“But you came to us for protection. We took you
in.
” He didn’t let her go. Couldn’t. Because she hadn’t just deceived him, she’d used,
controlled
the whole pack. And the pack wanted their justice.
He had to give it to them.
“Does she go up?” Dane repeated.
Lucas nodded. The man couldn’t make this choice. The alpha had to lead the pack. Protect the pack from all enemies.
Even those from within.
“I’m sorry, Sarah.” He was.
“They’ll kill me.” Were those tears in her eyes? “You’d really let them—” She broke off, shaking her head, sending that thick mane flying. “You’d make love to me and then, not ten minutes later, you’d let them
kill
me?”
Dane’s footsteps thudded down the hallway as he left. But he was still close enough to hear every word they said.
Who could he trust these days? Suddenly, Lucas just wasn’t sure.
So he didn’t speak. A teardrop streaked down Sarah’s right cheek. Just one drop because she didn’t let the other tears swimming in her eyes fall. “You’re really not so different from Rafe, are you?” she whispered.
The fuck he wasn’t.
Her shoulders straightened. Her eyes narrowed. “
Your
mistake. You’ll regret this, Lucas Simone.”
Maybe.
She brushed by him.
When he was sure Sarah was gone, he finally unclenched his fists. His claws were out. They’d dug into his flesh. His blood dripped on the floor.
That wasn’t the only blood that would spill. Not even close.
Pack law.
It was the only law they had. Human rules didn’t mean a shit. They were too easy to break. But pack . . . it was more than skin deep. They all had to follow the law.
All.
Even the alpha.
She wouldn’t let them see her fear. Sarah went into the back courtyard, her steps slow but sure. She kept her chin up and her gaze focused straight ahead. Those wolves wearing the bodies of men wouldn’t see how scared she was.
Sure, they could probably
smell
the fear. Sweat trickled down her back as the group closed around her. And she was sure they could hear the frantic beat of her heart.
Didn’t matter. She’d stare them down. She’d be ready for what came.
“Easy.” Dane’s whisper in her ear. His shoulder bumped against her. He was on her right. Piers on her left. Jordan stood in front of her. Two more wolves, she didn’t even know who the hell they were, had come up behind her.
“I hear that you’ve got some secrets,” Jordan murmured. The sun beat down on them. They were protected from prying eyes by the thick walls that surrounded the back of the compound. So if they wanted to shift and attack out there as wolves, no one would see.
No one would stop them.
Did I really think I’d be safer here?
“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” Sarah’s voice was clear. “I sent the order out to stop him, but I didn’t consider the risk to you.” She hadn’t anticipated the guy would fly through a freaking window. The power of suggestion. Too strong. She’d remember that.
For next time.
Warm, hard fingers curled around her shoulder. Sarah didn’t look back. No need. She’d know Lucas’s touch anywhere. The bastard.
“Caleb first.” His command.
The other wolves eased back.
What? A reprieve for her?
Jordan turned and stalked toward the small guardhouse in the back. The guy didn’t even seem to be limping from his injuries today. The power of the wolf. If only she had some of that power right then.
Jordan shoved open the door. Piers went in first. Then Dane. Sarah hung back. Tried to, anyway, but Lucas pushed her forward.
Caleb was on a bed. Michael stood guard near him. Caleb’s eyes were open, the smoky stare on her. Blood had dried on his chest and near his mouth. “Little . . . charmer . . .” He murmured. “Still . . . alive, too?”
His voice rasped at her, so weak. But his injuries didn’t look that bad. And as a shifter, he should have healed by now.
Lucas stepped in front of her. “Why.” An order.
She tried to slide around Lucas. He shoved her back, keeping her away from the injured shifter.
“I fucking trusted you, Caleb. I brought you in when you had
nothing.
” Lucas lunged forward and grabbed Caleb, jerking him out of the bed. “Then you turn on me. Try to
kill
me.” He shook Caleb, hard. “
Why?”
Caleb laughed, but Sarah heard the edge of desperation in the sound.
“Why didn’t you stop him?” Piers asked her, his breath blowing against her ear. “You can control us—why the hell didn’t you just stop him?”
She saw Lucas freeze. He dropped the still-laughing Caleb and turned to lock his glittered eyes on her. “Yes, Sarah . . .” He drew out her name slowly. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
“You controlled me easily enough,” Piers said.
“Me, too.” Disgusted, from Dane.
What? Now they thought she was working with Caleb? With Rafe? Jerks. What did a woman have to do to prove her loyalty? Other than risking her life for them.
Been there, done that.
So she’d lied, more than once. But she’d also fought for their sorry asses, and she’d gone to the damn edge to save Lucas in the
mambo
’s house. “He has a shield,” she gritted from between clenched teeth. “I couldn’t get past it. I couldn’t get to
him.
”
“But you could get to all of us?” Piers pressed.
Now she was getting scared
and
pissed. “With barely a thought.”
His eyes slit at that. What? What was he going to do? Force her to face the pack in a life-or-death battle? Already doing that.
Caleb had finally stopped laughing. Now he was wheezing. Wheezing?
“Something’s different about him,” she said, voice thoughtful, her eyes drifting to Lucas. “I couldn’t control his beast.”
“Caleb’s a hybrid,” he said.
“Like Rafe?”
“Not quite.” Lucas’s gaze watched her so carefully. “Half wolf,” Lucas murmured, “and half demon.”
Wow.
Silence. The thick, hard silence that pressed down on a woman.
“You . . . knew?” Whispered from Caleb.
“What the fuck?” Snarled from Piers as he lunged forward.
Lucas’s hand shoved against Piers’s chest as he held him back. “What?” His hand was on Piers but his stare had turned to Caleb. “Did you really think you were so damn special? That you were the only hybrid wolf running around out there?”
No, Sarah had learned of others like him while she’d been at the FBI. There had been one incredibly powerful wolf/ demon hybrid in Atlanta who’d almost taken the city to hell a while back.
Caleb’s skin paled even more. As she watched, the gray bled away from his eyes until only demon black remained. No more pretending. No more glamour. “You . . . let me in . . . pack . . .”
“So you had demon blood.” Lucas shrugged. “At the core, you’re wolf.” A pause. “Or you were.”
Until he’d betrayed the pack.
A demon
. That would explain why she hadn’t been able to get into Caleb’s head. Demons, even the low-level ones, had psychic powers. In the
Other
world, demons were gifted with many powers. Low-level demons, those who ranged on the scale from one to three, could barely work most magic. They could do glamour spells, but little else. But the higher end demons, those with a power scale of seven or higher, those were the guys that humans truly needed to fear. They could make the phrase, “hell on earth” come true.