Pack magic, p.5
Pack Magic, page 5
I pulled away and met his stare, running my finger over his quivering lips. “This is what you chose to mark.” I bopped his nose with my index finger before straightening to my feet. I stepped away, mentally releasing him from my hold as I grappled with the heat filling my pores. I wanted to strip him down and do the dirtiest things to him. And from his labored breathing, he was wrestling with some of the same feelings.
He sat back on his knees and looked up at me with a hint of awe before it wiped away into a mask of anger. His entire form began to shake with the fury contained within his skin. “How dare you.”
I crossed my arms, not impressed by his indignation. “How dare me what? Make you obey? Take advantage of you?”
He pressed his lips together and found his feet.
“Violate you?” I added. “Like you violated me in that alley?”
His jaw dropped open, and he blinked as though the truth of what he had done was short-circuiting his brain.
“I could have bitten you. Taken my fill. But it was not your wish, and I don’t take what’s not freely offered. Ever.” I pointed at him. “I can’t say the same for you.”
“You’re being obstinate to prove a point?”
“I’m being obstinate because you are treating me like a possession that you are entitled to. I’m not some ditsy arm candy who will lay down and spread her legs any time you damn well please. I’m the fucking alpha of this pack, and you have to earn my trust and affections. And so far, you’re sorely lacking in that department. You are nothing like the kind of a mate I’m looking for. Fated or not, this will never work because you are a self-serving prick.”
His face bloomed red, and he took a step toward me, but thought twice about whatever darkness was playing in his irises. He turned and stomped out of the room, leaving me just as fuming as he was.
Chapter 6
THE FRONT DOOR SLAMMED, and both Phillip and William came into the sparring room.
I concentrated on taking slow breaths so I wouldn’t run after Logan. The pull in my chest was as if a physical hook had pierced my heart and tugged on it incessantly.
“I’m sorry. He did that alpha thing to me to let him in the house.” William’s cheeks held the blotchy redness of embarrassment, and he shuffled his feet as if he didn’t know what type of stance to adopt.
“I get it.” Logan’s alpha influence was as strong as my own. And even I was affected by it, so William must have been like putty in his hands.
I met Phillip’s gaze, wondering what the hell was going to fall from his mouth. What slight was he going to deliver based on the last few minutes that he had witnessed? I certainly wasn’t going to confess spilling exactly what I could do to Logan. Phillip would be pissed.
“He’s really your true mate?”
Thankfully, he asked about the least painful piece of information, hooking his thumb toward the front of the house.
“Wait. What?” William looked between the two of us as if we had just admitted to wiping out all of humanity, and not this doomed love connection.
“Unfortunately. Yes.” I straightened out my shirt. “And next Friday, he dies by my hand,” I added, looking between the two of them.
Being mates and being marked changed nothing. I was the rightful alpha, and I wasn’t yielding to him. He was not what was best for this pack. Had he been what they needed, maybe I wouldn’t be this stubborn and ornery. But Logan Blaez was only concerned with his own needs, not my pack’s needs. For him, it was all about his station in life. For me, it was deeper. I was groomed to step into my father’s position, and my dad cultivated the compassion in me for these people. That made their rejection sting all that much more.
William recovered from his shock. “Or he kills you.”
My gaze moved from Phillip’s to his. “You really think he’ll kill me?”
“He killed me.” His shrug followed his words.
“You’re not as good of a fighter as I am with my bo.” I pointed at the wooden shaft lying uselessly on the floor where I had tossed it. The unassuming weapon could knock a grown man out with one timely swing.
“If he remains in human form, yes. But his wolf is fast and vicious,” Phillip piped in.
William rubbed his throat at the memory. He paled a fraction and nodded his agreement to Phillip’s statement. “He’s as scary as Dad could be when he was mad. If you could use your vampire speed, I’d say you might have the edge, but you can’t. They’ll disqualify you.” He picked up the bo and brought it to the rack on the wall.
“And disqualification warrants death, according to the rule book.” Phillip pulled a tiny book from his pocket, waving it at me. “I read enough to be disgusted with the barbaric quality of an alpha challenge.” He wiped his face and tossed the book to me. “Your father told me that your mother was one of the fiercest fighters he’d ever seen even before she became a vampire. And you reminded him of her.”
Phillip crossed to the glass windows and stared outside. “I am not sure that you can win this fight without relying on your vampire speed. You are good, but against what I saw in the ring with your brother...” He turned to me, shaking his head. “You’ll do damage, that I’m sure of, but I don’t know that you will kill him. Even if you weren’t fated, you would hesitate and that will be your demise.” His lips tilted in a sad smile. “Your heart is purer than either of your parents’. Despite how adept you are in the ring, that innocence and purity is what makes you stand out from everyone else in this town. And it will be the thing that gets you killed.”
I didn’t say anything. As much as I professed that I was going to kill Logan, I wasn’t sure I would be able to follow through in the moment. And Phillip was right; the fact he was my fated mate didn’t make a difference. I would have tried to find a way around the rule of death, regardless.
William’s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. His face reddened, and his gaze shot from my shoulder to my eyes. “You let him mark you?”
My hand flew to Logan’s mark. “I didn’t let him do anything.”
My brother’s eyes blazed and his hands balled into fists. He turned and marched toward the front of the house with the intention to defend my honor.
My heart jumped in my chest, and Maddy’s warning note barreled into the front of my brain.
“William. You can’t go outside until after the match next week,” Phillip called after him. “The town does not know your sister is a phoenix, and if they see you walking around, they’ll tag her as a necromancer.”
William stopped in the hallway and slowly turned with his eyes wide.
Necromancers were forbidden beings that manipulated the dead. That was what Logan had first thought when he saw my brother, and he still had a smidgeon of doubt even after I told him it had been phoenix tears that resurrected William.
I ran both hands into my hair. Exhaustion played in my muscles and although I could have easily just crashed for the night, I needed to get this anxiety building inside me out. And the only way I knew how was to shift and run like the night was on fire.
“I need some time to get my head in the right space.” I glanced at William and Phillip. “If I’m not back by sunrise, send out a search party.” My bad joke swan dived to the floor.
“I can go with—” William started, but I cut him off with a splayed palm.
“I need to be alone on this one.” There was no way I’d get any thinking time if he came with me. I loved my brother and most of the time his company was welcome, but I needed the solace of the forest to clear my head. There was too much shit churning inside me, and I needed to figure out a way to win this war of wills without compromising my honor. “Besides, you need to lay low.”
He nodded, looking dejected.
“Once this is all behind us, we’ll go for a long run together,” I offered because his hurt was palpable on the air. “I promise.”
“Sure thing, Sissy.” He still looked uneasy, but I wasn’t sure whether it was me being out there alone or him being stuck in the house until this challenge resolved itself. “Be careful out there,” he added when I stepped toward the sliding glass door.
“Don’t burn the forest down,” Phillip warned.
It wasn’t in jest. I had to control my flaming fur; otherwise, it had a habit of getting away from me.
I opened the sliders at the back of the gym and stepped out into the crisp air of our backyard. There was close to fifty yards between the house and the beginning of the state forest that lined our property. Many a day had been spent here playing kickball with the neighborhood kids. I missed the simplicity of childhood sometimes. I shook the memories away and took a deep breath. I closed the door and then focused on my reflection. I forced my shot nerves to calm, and then shifted. My pelt of flame licked far beyond the fur underneath, and I pulled it in, concentrating until it was just the length of my fur.
I shuffled my feet as I held the flame at bay. When I was satisfied that I would be able to maintain this level of control, I turned and bolted toward the forest and the freedom of pushing my wolf stride to the maximum.
With this kind of concentration, I was in for a really good night’s sleep when I returned home. But for now, I traversed the state forest for miles, running at top speed until my muscles screamed with the exertion.
I slowed and doubled back to a hearty stream that cut through the forest and stepped into the fast-running water to quench my thirst. Steam rose around me as my fire continued burning even below the surface of the water. I stared down at my feet, marveling at the freakishness of fire burning below water. This waterway headed in the direction of home, and I navigated the valleys and plateaus of the river floor until I found an area shallow enough to rest.
Just as I stretched and went to settle into the water, a branch snapped. I raised to all fours, sniffed the air, and scanned the woods. A glimpse of blue appeared and then disappeared behind a tree trunk.
The wolf I had seen in the arena holding my brother’s throat stepped out from the woods. He was a gorgeous lobo, with white and gray markings. Damn him for being so fucking beautiful. His blue eyes tracked me with caution as he approached.
I should have been irritated at the intrusion of my quiet peace, but I wasn’t. And he wasn’t approaching me in a manner that ruffled my defenses. He was approaching as if I might bolt any second, and he didn’t seem to want that. He tentatively stepped into the cool stream and circled around me, stopping only when he was facing me and almost invading my personal space.
I sniffed the air and breathed in his musky scent. Honey and pine filled my senses, along with a salty sea breeze. No one had the right to smell that good.
He stepped even closer, touching his nose to mine. His tail wagged slowly. He moved back, giving me some room in case I decided to turn my fangs on him.
A moment later, he shifted. The nearly full moon reflected off his magnificent muscles. The bruises that had been there earlier had faded into the yellowish after-bruise color that preceded them disappearing altogether.
I shifted and willed jeans and a t-shirt for me and jeans and an open shirt on him before he had too long of a look. He had already had a chance to see the goods in all their glory in the arena. I didn’t need him getting the idea that I was open to another pass, either.
“Why are you out here?”
“I like to run when I’m aggravated.” He glanced around. “What are you doing out here alone?” His gaze landed back on me.
“None of your business.” I headed toward the shore.
He grabbed my arm. “It’s dangerous.”
“I’m a big girl. Besides, what’s out here that is more badass than I am?”
“Hunters with guns.”
A chill snaked down my spine. “It’s a state forest. Hunting isn’t allowed here until later in the year.” But even as I said the words, I knew that sometimes humans didn’t follow the posted rules, and a wolf pelt was a prize to some.
“That’s what we thought, too. Then my mother was shot and killed.” His grip on my arm remained, and heat and sorrow flowed into me.
I stared at his grip and then up at him. “I’m sorry for your loss, but you don’t have to worry about me.” I placed my hand over his and squeezed before peeling his hand off my arm. I climbed up on shore, and he followed.
“I’ve never seen a flaming wolf before. It’s wild to see streaking through the woods.”
He fell into step next to me, and I halted. “Stop the small talk and tell me what’s eating at you.” Intellectually, I did not want to know anything about him. But emotionally, I wanted to hear his every thought and learn his every quirk.
“Why do you think something’s bothering me?”
“You’ve got that look like you have a question but are not sure you want to ask it.”
“And you know my looks now?” He cocked an eyebrow and began to walk again. This time with his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed in contemplation.
He reminded me so much of my father that I nearly stumbled on my own two feet. I caught up with him and kept pace.
“I got to thinking.” He didn’t expand more. He just kept walking as he scanned our surroundings.
I let him formulate his thoughts, especially with the warmth radiating from him. There was no underlying aggravation or anger like the last couple of times we crossed paths. It calmed whatever turmoil had knotted my stomach all day.
“Why didn’t you use that vampire power on the council?” he finally asked and stopped. “You could easily order them and the whole pack to accept you.”
I sighed and stepped closer, putting my palm on his bare chest so he’d be able to read me better. His heart thundered against my hand. “It’s not right. Just because I hold that kind of power doesn’t mean I should use it to coerce people to do things against their will.”
He blinked and stared down at me, considering my words. “And yet you used it on me.”
I smirked and nodded. “You needed to be taken down a few pegs.”
He let out a soft laugh. “Who takes you down a peg or two when you need it?” His intense gaze fell on me.
“Phillip, now that my parents have passed.”
“Are you two involved?” he asked quietly.
I burst out laughing and quickly covered my mouth before my guffaw echoed through the empty forest. “Oh, my heavens, no.” I giggled at the thought. “He’s like, ancient.”
Relief flooded his features, and he smiled.
It wasn’t lecherous or snide or sly. I think it was actually his natural smile, and it nearly cut me at the knees.
“Good to know. And ancient, like thirty or forty?”
“No. Ancient like in the thousands.” I started to walk, shocked that I had revealed that.
“Did you put a spell on me today?” Logan asked.
“No.” The answer fell out as if I had been compelled to spill my secrets. It wasn’t normal. I spun and looked closer at him. Searching for something that would indicate a magic spell. Why else would I have dropped Phillip’s age so thoughtlessly? I scanned him until my gaze fell to a string around his ankle and a small sachet attached to it. “What the hell is that?” I pointed at it.
He looked down at the little cloth packet tied to his ankle and then up at me. “Truth spell, activated by touching. I figured it was only fair.”
Anger flared, and I reached out, shooting a blast of flame at the thing, torching it in a flash, along with frying part of his foot.
“What the fuck?” He batted at the fire still searing his skin. He hopped around on one foot, putting out what sparks remained.
“You are an ass.” I started to walk away, aggravated.
He grabbed a handful of my shirt and pulled backward. I slammed into him with an oof. “I’m no more of an ass than you are. You forced the truth from me, so I thought it only fair to turn the tables.”
I spun around to face him. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“No. I was hoping you had done some witchy shit, because marking a fated mate isn’t something that can be broken or taken back, even when the mate dies.” He huffed at me.
“Regretting your impulses already?” I glared up at him.
He looked up at the sky peeking through the treetops. “Yes, I am.”
I stepped back, not expecting his answer.
He looked down at me. “Because this is un-fucking bearable.” He slid closer, grasping my face between his palms. “I can’t get you out of my head. From your flaming crown to that intricate tattoo between your breasts that I want to study up close, to the pout of your fucking lips, all mingled with your sweet, intoxicating scent. My mind keeps replaying all the things I want to do to you, and I know if I do any of them, it’ll be the death of me.” He searched my eyes. “And I know you have the same weaknesses. Under that feisty exterior, you crave my touch just as much as I crave yours. I didn’t have to mark you to feel that.”
I removed his hands from my face and took a step back. “It’s been less than a day. You’ll get over it.” I spun on my heels and shifted, bolting from one bare spot of earth to the next until I had my flame under control.
I ran harder than before, but this time I wasn’t trying to outrun the aggravation. This time I was trying to outrun the emotions slamming me from all sides. I needed Logan Blaez out of my system, but I had a sinking feeling that would only come with one of our deaths.
Chapter 7
WITH ALL THE ANGST plowing through my form, I thought I’d have a difficult time falling asleep. But the minute my head hit the pillow, I fell into an exhausted slumber that sucked me into the black.
My dreams were haunted by someone hunting me, and echoes of gunshots and blood splattering in the woods. Someone plotted my demise through subterfuge and manipulation. And no matter how far or how fast I ran, that shadow kept creeping closer and closer.
