Last Wolf Standing (#7, The Mystic Wolves) Read online

  “How do you want to do this, Mason?” Moses asked, finally speaking up. He’d kept to himself through the drive, caught up in his own thoughts. “Should we wait to see if Thorne appears or assume the worst?”

  It was a good question. “Assume the worst. If he is okay, he’ll be a cranky ass; but hey, we all heal fast.”

  “I’ll take Moses and a few others and check out the back side of the house. Thorne knows who I am, so he might be less likely to shoot if he recognizes a familiar face.”

  “I agree. Wade will join me and we’ll go through the front door. Have the rest of your people spread out and check the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary.” Dread filled me when I caught sight of the empty porch. The single story wood home stood in complete darkness—completely void of life. “Be careful. Julian may not be here, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t leave behind a few surprises.” I didn’t put it past the bastard. Based on the grunts of agreement, I wasn’t alone.

  Everything from that point on happened quickly.

  “Thorne,” I called out, my hands shifting to claws, just in case. Nothing. Not even the sounds of bugs and critters filled the air—a warning in and of itself. “Thorne. It’s me, Mason. I called you earlier. We’re here to pick something up for Zane.”

  Gesturing for Devlin to continue around the house, I pointed toward the shadowed porch. Wade nodded, understanding what was expected and dropping to all fours, shifting into his wolf form. I wouldn’t do the same unless absolutely necessary, my Alpha power enabling me to change rapidly.

  It was eerie how quiet the night was. Even though it was late, the parcel of land lay in the midst of dense marsh. It should’ve been teeming with life—foraging raccoons, croaking frogs, something.

  Racing up the stairs, I didn’t wait or draw out the inevitable. As I burst through the door, my eyes adjusting to the inky blackness, there was no satisfaction in being right. The room was empty. Switching on the light by the door didn’t reveal anything different.

  “He’s not here,” Devlin announced, coming in from the back. “No sign of struggle.”

  A light shone from the kitchen as Moses’ body filled the doorway. “It doesn’t look like anything’s been touched for at least twelve-thirteen hours. No dirty dishes, no sign of food being prepared. It looks more like a cabin rental than a home that’s being lived in.”

  That was the thing that concerned me most. Thorne was a recluse. There should’ve been at least some kind of evidence showing he’d been here. “Anyone found him?”

  Devlin shook his head. “I don’t smell blood, either.”

  I took a sniff of the air, uncovering nothing out of the ordinary. “So, what? They come, take the artifact, Thorne, and then clean up before they leave?” It didn’t make sense. Julian had no use for Thorne—not even to recruit him. If there was something the wolf hated more than Pack, it was sadistic, power hungry fools who thought they could manipulate him.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think he’s here, either.” Moses didn’t bother hiding his bafflement. His gaze swept across the room, hoping to find a clue to what had happened there.

  We’d resigned ourselves to find Thorne dead, his sanctuary violated and destroyed. It was part of Julian’s trademark, after all.

  “I need to make sure the artifact is, in fact, gone. Maybe we’ll catch a lucky break and Thorne was taken out of spite, because he wouldn’t reveal its location.” As much as I wanted to believe Devlin’s hope, I couldn’t.

  If Thorne had refused to divulge its whereabouts, he’d have been slaughtered.

  Wade nudged at my hand, returning from his inspection of the house. Annoyance flowed through our Pack link. He’d found nothing.

  Devlin jogged back into the room, shaking his head. “It’s gone.”

  “Then so are we,” I countered, suddenly needing to be anywhere but here.

  And without another look, I headed back to the truck, each step the sound of tempered thunder.

  ****

  “Where is she, Morgan?”

  Arriving back at the mansion, I’d stopped long enough to learn that while every measure had been taken to find Darcy, we were still no closer to her rescue. Vivien had exhausted herself casting spells and enchantments—anything that might provide valuable insight.

  All of our best efforts had come up short—stumping even the most seasoned trackers. Julian refused to surface from whatever rock he’d crawled under. For all his bluster, now wasn’t the time for his silence. Even the constant attacks and crimes that had escalated since we became aware of his presence had stopped.

  He was messing with us, turning the war from physical to a more psychological one.

  Finding her original holding cell empty, it wasn’t difficult to locate the witch who owed me for her betrayal. Someone had moved her to a more appropriate room—under heavy guards and magic wards—but still a far cry from the lavish accommodations she’d begged for.

  She jumped when I barged in. “Who?” It didn’t matter if her confusion was genuine or the result of a lifetime of perfecting her acting skills. I wanted to throttle the truth from her.

  “My mate. Julian has her and you know where he is.” I stepped forward menacingly, that cold calmness that existed beyond my anger taking over.

  “I promise I told you everything. He never said where he lived, only that if my spell worked the way he wanted, he’d contact me and bring me there. I got the feeling he was somewhat disgruntled with Helena and was looking for a new power source.” Despite the voice inside my head warning me Morgan couldn’t be trusted, I had a hard time ignoring the honesty in her eyes, the way she held my gaze, daring me to believe her.

  “No.” I pushed, just to make sure. Whenever someone felt backed into a corner, desperation had a way of exposing truths they’d never planned on speaking. “Don’t. Lie. To. Me.” I spat out each word.

  “What more do you want me to say, Mason? Tell me and I’ll say it? Do you want me to try and find her with my magic? Can I help Vivien?”

  “Is that how this is going to work? I pay you for your services and miraculously you locate her, even though the greatest witch I know has failed?” Bitterness tainted my laughter. “You must think I’m a fool.”

  “No, I see an opportunity to help!” Wringing her hands, Morgan almost advanced toward me until she saw something that terrified her.

  “You think you’ve found an opportunity to take advantage, to profit from the misery of others. I warned you before that I wasn’t someone to cross.” Backing her up against the wall, her face blanched when she realized what I’d done. “So I’m going to give you one last chance, Morgan. Where is Julian?”

  I ignored the self-loathing that surfaced when she struggled to answer. Morgan had always come across as someone who could hold her own—fearless in the way she sometimes flirted with danger.

  She’d shown reckless stupidity in the way she’d baited Devlin that night he’d taken her in to question her about the strange happenings around town before we realized that Amber had possessed Darcy.

  None of that bravado remained as she cowered before me—broken.

  I’d done that by refusing to take a more gentle approach. I’d allowed my frustrations to dictate my actions, and as a result, Morgan saw the real me.

  The one who always lurked beneath the person I strived hard to be.

  Here, in this room, she saw a man who had nothing to lose. The one who didn’t know how far he’d go before he realized he’d gone too far.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. Real tears. “I don’t know. I promise,” she cried, her voice trembling.

  Make her tell you. She’s an actress, a growl echoed in my mind. When my hands curled into fists and my jaw clenched, I felt myself crumbling, unable to resist that source of pure animalistic anger.

  “Mason.” The only person who could keep me from crossing that line I’d vowed to avoid was Darcy; but it was her uncle who now held that power. Whether he knew it or not, h
e’d just saved my life.

  I would have never recovered if I’d given into my baser, more violent urges. Wolf or not, I was a man first, a good man. Not a beast.

  Relief exploded from Morgan as I took a step back, and then another, until there was over half a room’s worth of distance between us.

  “With your permission, I would like to place you under compulsion and ask you that same question. Do you agree?” Devlin asked, watching me from the corner of his eye.

  Where Morgan had refused before, she was more than eager to prove her innocence, now. “Whatever it takes so Mason will believe me.” Not Devlin, but me. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “We’ll do it now.” Coming to stand before her, he lightly gripped her chin, ensuring she held his gaze. “Now don’t move. I’m going to ask you some questions and you will tell me the truth.” When her expression softened, he continued. “Do you know where Julian is currently hiding?”

  “No.”

  “Have you ever been to where he lives?”

  “No.”

  “Do you know anyone who might have that information?”

  She nodded. “I do. Julian. He knows the answer.” She was brutally honest, withholding nothing.

  Devlin glanced over at me, making sure I was listening. “We’re almost done. Do you know where Darcy O’Connor is being held?”

  There was no hesitation. “She is with Julian.”

  “And where is that?”

  “I don’t know. Julian didn’t tell me or give me an address. He doesn’t trust me, yet.” And with that final admission, I knew she was telling the truth. While there were reported cases where people had broken through compulsion, Devlin had hit her with a thick layer of his power. Morgan had remained entranced through the entire thing, with no telltale signs that she was giving false witness.

  “Is that good enough for you?” he asked, finally releasing Morgan from his control to look straight at me.

  “Yes, she doesn’t know anything.” I’d almost attacked an innocent woman—well innocent of this particular crime, at least.

  “I may be many things, Mason O’Connor, but I’m not a liar. If I had valuable information like that, don’t you think I’d negotiate for something better than this pitiful room?” Her snarky bravado had returned, her way of restoring the sense of confidence I’d stripped from her.

  We stared at each other—neither of us saying a word.

  Finally Devlin spoke. “Zane wants us both upstairs. Vivien thinks she might have something.” Reluctantly dragging my gaze away from Morgan, I nodded, following him from the room. We hadn’t even gotten halfway up the stairs before he stopped. “What the hell was that?”

  Suddenly, there was no containing the anguish and pain I’d kept bottled inside. Slamming my fist into the wall, I didn’t stop until a large hole appeared, chunks of plaster showering to the floor.

  Too much had happened.

  Too many swallowed words and tempered conversations.

  Everyone had a breaking point, and I’d just careened wildly over mine.

  “Feel better?” Devlin retorted, his arms folded across his chest as he watched.

  “What do you think?” I spat out, tired of having to bite my tongue.

  “I think you need to get a grip, because Darcy needs you. You don’t have time for this meltdown bullshit.”

  My fists were tangled in his shirt before I knew it, our faces inches apart. “Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do! You don’t command an Alpha, Vampire.”

  He didn’t flinch, his steely gaze piercing mine. “Then act like one, damn it.” And pushing at my chest, he sent me stumbling back.

  I surged forward, snarling that he’d had the audacity to strike me. “She’s my mate! She’s my mate and I failed her!” As the truth fell from my lips, something inside my chest unlocked. Whether it was manly or not, whether it was Alpha or not, whether my reputation disintegrated by this perceived display of weakness, I didn’t give a shit. “He has her and I don’t know how to bring her home!” Cracks in the armor I’d encased myself in appeared, and when Devlin pulled me into his embrace, I didn’t fight it.

  I was too damn tired.

  “And I give you my word, we will find her. If that means I must make a blood oath with you, then so be it. But know this, Mason. The man I saw in that room, that is not you. Don’t let this destroy everything you’ve built because of fear and desperation.”

  There was no holding back my tears as they left hot streaks over my cheeks. He was right. I didn’t even need to hear him say it to know that. If I were in his situation, I’d repeat the exact same thing.

  Moments like these defined and refined us.

  I just had to decide what kind of definition I wanted the world to see.

  “I’ve never known this kind of fear before,” I confessed, my chest tight from carrying around this weight. “Yes, I’ve been afraid, scared of all kinds of things. But the thought of losing Darcy, of having someone rip her from me, it wrecks me. It leaves me desperate.”

  “Desperate enough to lose who you are?” Devlin added.

  “So blind that I was willing to become something that would dishonor my mate. She doesn’t need a monster, someone who could so easily casts aside his morals when times get tough.”

  Gripping my shoulder, Devlin’s expression was filled with compassion. “While it worried me to find you like that, I don’t think you would’ve crossed that line.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether I did or not. The fact that I was tempted, and felt powerless to resist that baser instinct inside me, tells me I still have a lot to learn.”

  “Take it one day at a time. We all do. We may have different experiences and origins, but we all need to face that part of us that scares us. Vampire . . . werewolf . . . human, even. We all fight against the beast within. The trick is to not let it win.”

  He made it sound so simple that I laughed. “Or have a good friend step in at the right time.”

  “Or that,” Devlin replied quickly. “Let it go and move on.”

  “Awww, I love seeing the birth of a bromance.” Standing at the top of the stairs with his hand placed over his heart, Vlad offered a sappy grin. “Zane sent me to check up on you two, but I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  “I can see why you frequently want to kill him, Devlin,” I retorted, glaring up at Darcy’s cousin.

  “It’s almost a daily occurrence. Sometimes two-three times a day,” Devlin answered, pretending to look like it was a challenge he hated dealing with.

  Vlad rolled his eyes, waving his hand to dismiss us. “Whatever. You were both Dr. Philing each other. Hell, I’m practically choking on all the ‘feels’ in the air!”

  I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “Are you even speaking the same language?” Turning to Devlin, I shook my head in confusion. “How do you understand a thing he says?”

  Ignoring his nephew, Devlin answered in a loud whisper. “I just nod and smile. He eventually stops and leaves me alone.”

  “I don’t know why I bother with either of you.” Vlad all but stomped his foot with irritation. “One day you’ll appreciate how amazing I am and how much you need me.”

  With perfect synchronicity, Devlin and I nodded. “Uh huh.” We smiled.

  “Whatever, you heathens. Zane wants to see you both. Ignore his request at your own peril.” Not waiting to see if we followed, Vlad retreated.

  “I guess we better go. As fun as this has been, we have more important things to do—like finding Darcy.”

  “And removing Julian, so he can’t hurt anyone else.” My focus was back, balanced and grounded. “Thanks,” I added, softly.

  “”What is family for if we don’t take a few blows once in a while?” Pushing away from the wall, Devlin began climbing the steps to the main floor.

  “So it’s okay if I kick your ass every now and then?”

  “Hell, no. I’d need to bruise that pretty face of yours and then Darcy would be pissed a
t me. I just found out you’re like a giant teddy bear. Your mate, on the other hand . . .” Devlin shuddered. “She scares the crap out of me.”

  “I’ll let her know you said that,” I goaded, feeling more and more like myself.

  I know you can’t hear me, sweetheart. But don’t worry. I’ll be there soon. And with that promise, I flooded our quiet connection with love.

  Chapter Twenty

  Darcy

  I jolted awake, my heart racing, a yell on my lips.

  It didn’t surprise me that I was no longer inside the bathroom at Club Suck. As soon as Helena’s son stepped out from the stall, revealing he was now the body Julian currently possessed, things had escalated quickly. There was a lot my wolf could defend us against—but two powerful witches, together, was a definite stretch. She’d tried, though, rushing to the surface in a rapid shift.

  Unfortunately, it hadn’t been fast enough. Whatever Julian had blasted me with had done the trick. I was still somewhat dazed and confused, but that wouldn’t last for long, now I was awake.

  Mason? Testing our connection, relief struck me with full force when I instantly felt his presence.

  Darcy? Are you okay? Panic fueled his question.

  I’m okay, I think. Nothing seemed broken as I gingerly moved my body and sat up against what felt like a cold, hard wall behind me. Just the small amount of movement made my muscles scream in protest.

  The thick chain wound around my waist, linked to the manacles clasped at my wrists, didn’t help, either. While the metal didn’t have the telltale burn of pure silver, the way my energy ebbed and faltered, there was enough magic woven through my restraints to mess with my strength.

  I’m chained, Mason, I whispered, trying to break free, but failing. I can’t shift.

  He’ll want to keep you weak, sweetheart. Can you tell where you are? Do you remember anything from when you left the club?

  Comfort flowed through our connection and it became my anchor as I tried to focus. We were both afraid—scared of what might happen—of how this complicated things further. A bubble of hysteria stirred in the back of my mind, but I refused to give in to it. I’d wanted to prove I could face danger and not buckle under pressure. Here was my chance to redeem myself for struggling with my bloodlust.