Shift of Fate: A Wolfguard Protectors Novel Page 9

  “This wasn’t an indictment of either of you or your work for me. In fact, I know full well if Willow had been in your care, she never would have tried to run again. But, there’s more going on than just Willow. She’s here. She’s safe. Rousseau will be here in a few days. I just need you to keep doing what you do. I can’t afford to have any more mistakes. You keep our guest under control. He’s just as important as she is. If he wakes up, you tell me.”

  Jason kept twirling the gold key ring on his index finger. The diamonds flashed, casting a prism on the wall. It was hypnotic.

  I shuddered thinking what would have happened if these two men got their wish and they’d shown up to get me from my apartment instead of Val.

  But where the hell was he now? And what did Jason mean with these cryptic references to Wolfguard? He’s just as important as she is. Did he mean Val?

  My head started to spin in time with Jason’s keyring. The hairs pricked on the back of my neck and I moved away from the window.

  I found myself edging backward toward the rose garden. It’s where I was supposed to be, after all. I didn’t know whether Jason had anyone following me without my knowing about it. I felt alone. I felt hopeless.

  This whole thing was insane. I’d be forced to marry a man I now feared to keep my father out of prison or worse. And if I went through with it all, what then?

  An image flashed of the last time Jason kissed me. He had been cruel, demanding. I could feel the lust coursing through him, primal and wild. Possessive. Every cell in my body rejected it. He was different. Or I was. Either way, I felt like I could kill him before I let him touch me like that.

  My skin burned for something else. Something just as primal. Desire thundered through me, taking my breath away. I hadn’t expected it. It came unbidden.

  Before I knew what was happening, I broke into a run. The woods called to me even as I knew they represented something dangerous. I couldn’t see them. I didn’t know where they were, but I felt certain down to the bone that Jason had either guards posted along the property or an alarm system that would call me out.

  I didn’t know where I was going. I just knew I couldn’t go back to the house. Not yet. Not until…

  I found myself at the stables. I wasn’t even sure how I got here. I hadn’t been back here since I was fourteen or fifteen years old. The place looked exactly the same. Newly painted with bright red, the barn loomed before me. Two of Jason’s horses whinnied near the electrical fence. I went to the chestnut thoroughbred and ran my hand down his face. He calmed instantly. I had half a mind to mount him bareback and jump the damn fence.

  Instead, I ducked beneath it, heading straight for the barn. It would be quiet in there. I knew a tucked away place high in the loft. Maybe I could just hide out for an hour or so and think.

  Two more horses brayed in their stalls as I stepped inside. I felt a wave of heat. It hit me square in the chest, making my heart stop for a moment.

  There was movement in the shadows. I felt pulled like a tractor beam. I made my way down to the very last stall.

  What I saw there sucked the air from me. My legs gave out. I gripped the side of the stall door to keep from falling.

  “Val,” I whispered. “My God!”

  He was badly hurt, laying on his side. His breath came in ragged pants. He was naked from the waist up. His suit pants were tattered. His shoes missing. But, it was his back that shocked me the most.

  He had deep gashes marring his muscled torso and back. It looked like he’d been mauled by something big. The back of his neck was nearly torn away.

  I collected myself and stepped quietly into the stall. By the light of the rising moon, I saw the chains around his wrist. They were wound around his forearms and crossed through a heavy loop bolted to the floor.

  “Val,” I whispered. I reached for him, my fingers trembling.

  I gently touched his shoulder on the only patch of skin I could find not torn open.

  He jerked backward, as if my touch sent an electric shock through him. It had a similar effect on me. When he opened his eyes, something was wrong with them. They blazed almost neon blue. It didn’t make sense here in the shadows. The light played tricks on my vision. I swore his teeth looked like fangs.

  “Val,” I said again, finding my own strength. “God. What did they do to you?”

  He came into himself. Val jerked up to a sitting position and shuffled back against the wall. He had angry welts beneath his eyes. He’d been badly beaten. Tortured.

  “Who did this to you?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

  “Willow,” he said, his voice scratched and raw. “You have to leave. Don’t let them find you here.”

  “Jason,” I said. “He hurt you. Val, you need a doctor.”

  He gave me a sad smile and lifted his arms. The chains made a heavy rattle.

  I bolted to my feet and felt along the wall. I scanned the equipment bench and tack on the far wall looking for a…

  It hit me like a thunderbolt.

  The key. The prism of light it made as Jason twirled the ring around his finger.

  “I know where the key is,” I said. “At least...I think I do. I’ll figure this out. I’ll get you out of here.”

  I went to him, sliding to my knees. Val winced as I placed a hand to his jaw. His skin burned hot. It ignited something in me as well.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. I didn’t understand everything that was happening. But, I knew in my heart what had happened to Val was because of me.

  “He’s going to kill you, isn’t he?” I said.

  Val gritted his teeth. “He’s going to try. But, Willow, I don’t care about that. I can take care of myself. Despite...what this looks like. You have to get the hell out of here. If you keep to the north of the property. Head through the woods. Follow the stream. Keep running and don’t look back. But, go now. They’ll be back. Does Soren even know you left the house?”

  “He...I told the housekeeper I wanted to take a walk through the garden. Nobody stopped me. Jason is...I saw him from the window. He’s in his study. Two other men. Big ones. And Kenneth Ramsey.”

  “Then go now,” he said. “He’ll track you here. I can buy you some time.”

  “Track me?” I asked.

  “Willow, go! You might not get another chance. But you cannot be here when Jason figures out you’re gone.”

  He was right. I knew it in my heart. I also knew this might be the only chance I’d have to make a run for it and take charge of my own fate.

  Fate.

  I don’t know why, but the word echoed through my mind with the force of a thunderclap.

  My eyes were drawn to those heavy chains on Val’s wrists. He was strong. But no man could be strong enough to break them.

  “No,” I said. “I have another plan. I’m not leaving you here like this. I’m going to figure out a way to get you out. Trust me.”

  Val’s eyes widened. In the distance, I heard a wolf howl. But, that was impossible. My ears were now playing tricks on me along with my eyes.

  He shouted in a whisper, trying to call me back. But, I was already gone, running at top speed back toward the house.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Val

  Had I dreamt it? Sweat poured from me. My vision blurred. It felt like I had an anvil sitting on my chest. Willow’s scent lingered. Her desire. Her fear.

  I rolled to my side and pain gripped me.

  This was no dream. My arms were on fire. My wrists. Something had taken a bite out of me. The back of my neck ached.

  Soren’s pack. Thirteen on one they’d dragged me here and chained me to this wall. I pulled at the cuffs. It was no use. Dragonsteel. Soren had used iron forged with Dragonfire. It was the only metal strong enough to keep a shifter like me in chains.

  How he’d gotten ahold of the stuff was probably a bigger problem than just my predicament.

  “I think I know where he keeps the key.”

  “Willow!” I whi
spered into the darkness. She can’t have been serious. God. No matter what else happened, she had to stay away. If Soren found her trying to help me…

  A growl ripped from me. I yanked the chains. I would tear the fucking barn down and drag it with me if I had to. I would not let him touch her. I would go through all thirteen or more of Jason Soren’s pack if that’s what it took.

  It was no use. The man knew what he was doing when he built this place. The chains were secured by a metal loop bolted the floor. It was anchored by another block of metal buried deep in the ground. That was made of dragonsteel too.

  New horror sunk in. The barn was built around the chains and the structure had to be at least a hundred years old. What in the hell was Soren’s family into?

  Payne had to know. I had to figure out a way to get loose and get word to him. I was starting to believe the shoddy cellphone reception was no accident either.

  I closed my eyes and tried to call forth my wolf. I knew it was useless to try, but I needed it. I felt the beast clamoring to get out. He clawed from the inside.

  Then...nothing. My wolf’s heart went quiet. The dragonsteel did more than just keep me chained to the floor. Its ancient magic kept my own from rising.

  The morning sun peeked through the slats in the roof. I tried to make myself still. I tried to listen for Willow.

  Her touch still lingered on my chest. I craved her. She was out there. Deep in my soul, I could sense her heart beating.

  Mine. She was mine. I would kill or die for her if it came to it.

  The barn door creaked open. Two gray wolves came in, their tails low. They took sentry on either side of the stall, their teeth bared. I sensed four other wolves surrounding the perimeter of the barn. I knew the rest stayed hidden in the woods, ready to give chase if I managed to get past those closest. I longed for the chance to try.

  Then, the air seemed to grow thick and cold. Jason Soren walked in. His yellow wolf eyes glinted, but he kept his beast in check.

  He came to the stall opening. His wolves snapped their teeth. I pulled at the chains, envisioning wrapping them around his damn neck and squeezing until his eyes bulged.

  “You’re awake,” he said. “Good. I’ll have them bring you something to eat.”

  “Fuck you,” I spat.

  Soren was dressed more casually then I’d seen him. He was barefoot, in jeans and a faded t-shirt. So, he wanted to be ready to shift. I couldn’t help but curl my lips into a smile. Even with over a dozen members of his pack and the dragonsteel binding me, the asshole was still a little afraid of what I might do.

  “You want to kill me,” he said, his tone calm. It was more an observation than an accusation.

  I had just enough beast simmering that I answered with a snap of my teeth. Soren’s wolves responded, lunging forward. He put a hand up. In an instant, they fell back, tails tucked flat between their legs.

  “It’s good that you want to kill me,” he said. “How would you do it? With your bare hands? Would you try to squeeze the life out of me? Or would you rather let your wolf out?”

  I growled. He edged closer. It seemed he knew exactly how far the chains would stretch.

  “Right,” he said, smiling. “It’d be your wolf then. I suppose that’s how I’d do it too. Have you ever killed a man in your wolf? Or another wolf? You feel their lifeblood flowing. There’s a taste. It changes after they’ve crossed the brink and they know they’re going to die. It sweetens. Some say it’s better than sex. I don’t know if I agree. I suppose it depends on the partner. Now...Willow...I think her nectar will be the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  My vision went pure red. Fire shot through my veins as I strained against the chains. My heart thundered in my head. Blood. Pain. Death. My wolf took over, even though he couldn’t get out.

  It was madness. Chaos. This bridge between beast and man.

  Bloodlust.

  Jason Soren stood at the center of it. His voice filled my head.

  “Let go,” he said. “Submit.”

  My growl tore through me. I felt his pack. Their thoughts joined as one. They were calm. Soren was in control.

  “Submit!”

  Blood poured down my arms where I tried to throw off the chains. My blood. My strength. I was an Alpha. Without his pack, I knew I was far stronger than Jason Soren could ever be.

  I pushed against him with my mind. I wasn’t human. I wasn’t wolf. I was something in between.

  The force of it knocked Soren back against the wall. He bared his teeth. His wolves charged. They were inches from my face.

  At the last second, Soren got control and called them back. I was close enough to hear the deafening siren of his command. His wolves dropped, twitching on the ground with a keening howl.

  Then, Soren rose and towered over me.

  “You’re strong,” he said. “That’ll make this all the better.”

  Did he really not know? “You’re not too bright, are you?” I said. I knew I should keep my mouth shut. The more I talked, the more power I gave him.

  I dared him to come closer. Just an inch. I could crush his windpipe in the span of a heartbeat. If I could just get to him before he had a chance to send a command to the pack.

  “You know,” he said. “I never believed in fate. I mean, I know we were all raised on it. Fated mates. An Alpha’s one true love. I’ve never seen it. Never felt that. I think it’s just another fairytale we get told. My parents weren’t fated. It was an arranged marriage. My mother was the daughter of a powerful Alpha from the Yukon. My father descended from the Alphas who led the strongest packs of Virginia since before it was a colony. I have Monacan blood flowing through me. My parents? They were happy though.”

  I turned from him. Though I’d broken his weak attempt at trying to subjugate me into his pack, the effort of it drained me. Between that and the dragonsteel’s magic, I felt a blackout coming on.

  “You believe it though, don’t you?” Soren said. He edged just a hair’s breadth closer.

  I wouldn’t look at him.

  “Or...maybe you didn’t believe it until...she crossed your path.”

  I must have flinched. Soren’s smile widened.

  “Willow,” he said. “You know, I knew she was a wolf’s mate the second I saw her. It’s in her blood. I did some digging into her genealogy. I couldn’t find him though. Her shifter ancestor. I know some say wolves’ mates have to have some dormant shifter blood in them somewhere. That if it weren’t for a witch’s curse a thousand years ago, they’d all be shifters too. I don’t know. I suppose it doesn’t much matter.”

  He leaned against the wall of the stall. “What does matter is that she was born to this. You felt it too. Admit it. She smells so, so sweet. I’ll let you in on a little secret. She tastes even better.”

  His eyes flashed. My head spun with the image of Soren’s hands on Willow in the gazebo. He’d kissed her.

  “The sweetest nectar,” he said. “It makes your blood sing. That’s just her mouth. Imagine how good she’ll taste down…”

  I launched myself at him. Two floorboards cracked in half, but the anchor held.

  Soren didn’t even flinch. His eyes though, they flashed bright red for an instant.

  “You think she’s yours,” he said. “I can feel it pouring off of you. I can almost hear it in your head. You’re telling yourself she was made for you. That’s good. You just keep telling yourself that. This time tomorrow night, I’ll make her mine while you rot here in your dragon chains.”

  “She’s not your mate,” I said.

  “She will be,” he answered. “One bite at the base of her neck. You know how it goes. She’ll start to crave me too. She’ll be part of my pack. I’ll hear her heartbeat alongside mine. Wherever she is...I’ll always be able to find her. Just one bite. It’ll be her coming out party.”

  He slapped my face. I stayed still as stone. He wanted my rage. He could use it against me. I had to keep my head. If I had a prayer of stopping him fr
om marking Willow, I had to stay in control. I had to think.

  “It’ll be easier for you after that,” he said.

  God. Now I understood. He knew what Willow was to me. If he claimed her, it would make it that much easier the next time he tried to force me into his pack. He would use her as bait.

  “I’ll kill you,” I said. “I don’t care what you try to do to me. You won’t be strong enough to stop me.”

  “I won’t have to be,” he smiled.

  He gestured with his chin. The four wolves in the barn came to his side.

  “Tomorrow night,” Soren said. “You’ll see the lights from the main house. In fact, maybe I’ll move you there so you can hear better. I’m throwing a little engagement party. Plenty of important people will be there to see how beautiful my fiancée is. She’ll be a star. And later, she’ll be mine.”

  I had to force the vision of me ripping his throat out from my head. He was right. My rage made it so much easier for him.

  “Why?” I asked, not expecting him to respond.

  “Because I need her,” he said, surprising me. “For her family. For mine. And it turns out, this is fate at work. It’s completely changed my way of thinking. Exciting, isn’t it?”

  I didn’t get a chance to answer. One more flick of Soren’s wrist and his wolves closed in.

  Two clawed my chest. One drove me back against the wall. The dragonsteel held, but I landed a blow across his snout, sending him reeling end over end to the other side of the stall.

  The fourth one shifted. He curled his fist and punched me. Pain exploded across my face as my nose broke. The blackness took over as I sank to the ground.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Willow

  The dress was Valentino. Red. Strapless. Backless with a hard bodice that hugged me close, nearly constricting my breath. In that, it matched the theme of the night. I felt trapped in it.

  My engagement gift hung just above my cleavage. It was a teardrop, ten-carat diamond. It matched my earrings.