Dire Wants (22 page)

Chapter 34

N
ight cycled around. Cain didn’t feel all that much better, knew he had to wait, play possum until darkness settled and so he remained close to the fed, pretending to sleep soundly under the cheap motel quilt. Wondered again why Angus would risk his life for him.

Realized how much he owed the man. Cain didn’t like owing anyone.

Now he felt his twin was close, waiting to pick him up. And he could swear the ground under his feet was shifting a little, but that was probably a leftover effect of the drugs.

He stood, still a little shaky, and pulled his shirt on as Angus watched. “Look, thanks for this. I owe you.”

“And I’ll collect.”

“I figured as much.” Cain pocketed his phone. “But you still need to be careful. I’m not the most dangerous thing out there.”

The wolf was almost out the door before Angus told him, “You’re the most dangerous for me.”

* * *

Seb leaned against the stone wall, watched the man go down on him as Seb’s hand fisted his hair, moving his head faster.

He’d come four times already and still he needed more. He felt as though he was ready to burst through his skin. His body’s appetites were suddenly ferocious, and the women Leo brought him weren’t enough. No, they were like sacrificial lambs laid to slaughter and they gladly sacrificed themselves for what they considered the cause.

Earlier, he’d watched the Dire army slaughter yet another cemetery full of corpses and ghosts. They were bloodthirsty and bent on revenge.

They were perfect. Leo was pleased, as was the demon Kondo
.

Lila wouldn’t be pleased at all
, a voice he didn’t recognize at all spoke inside his head.

“Who the fuck is that?” he demanded of the demon, but the only sounds were the furious sucking ones. He yanked the man away from him disgustedly and began to prowl around the otherwise unoccupied room with the bed in one corner and the small bathroom in the other.

He hadn’t been allowed out since Mars was killed, not even to glimpse the sunlight.

Now he decided he’d make it rain all the time, since he didn’t care.

A brilliant white light flashed before his eyes. He turned away, momentarily blinded as though he’d just run across a flash-bang grenade from his Navy days. Kondo scrabbled madly inside his head, like it was unable to gain access to Seb’s mind. For the first time in weeks, Seb’s mind was momentarily all his own.

“I can’t promise it will stay that way,” the white light explained. He blinked and stared at it, shielding his gaze a little with one hand above them. He could make out some kind of figure within, but it was like she wore a purposeful shroud.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“For every demon, there’s one of us,” she explained. “Even though you brought this on yourself with hubris—and power combined.”

“Fuck you,” he told her. “And that’s not the demon talking. That’s all me.”

“What you need . . .”

“Is sex,” Kondo growled through him, cutting her off.

“Can you get this bastard out?” Seb demanded of the white light.

“Out, yes, but you’ll still be half controlled. I’m here for balance.”

“Can everyone see you?”

“Just you and demon-breath. If you want it out, you have to help me.”

He closed his eyes and focused on that black ball of negative energy inside of him, imagined it growing smaller and smaller until he was able to force it out of himself.

It came out through his mouth in a huff of smoke, causing him to choke, fall to his knees. When he looked up, there was black smoke next to the white gauzy shroud.

Somehow, he’d gotten strong enough to force Kondo to live outside his body.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t have control,” Kondo pointed out.

“How did I do that?” Seb asked.

“It’s too cursed inside your body for him to gain a foothold,” the white shroud answered. “You’ve become your own worst enemy.”

That couldn’t be good. “Why are you here?”

“Lila sent me,” the white shroud answered.

Kondo laughed and said, “You can’t believe her.”

Seb knew at that moment that he couldn’t trust either of them. He also couldn’t trust himself, but he’d known that for much longer.

* * *

Playing both sides against the middle was always a risky move, but Angus hadn’t gotten as far as he had in life and his career by being safe. And so going back to Shimmin and telling him that he’d taken Cain on purpose, that Shimmin didn’t realize the Were was so much more useful to them alive because of his semi-relationship with Angus could’ve meant certain death for him. But Shimmin wasn’t completely stupid—and not all that hard to convince.

“The trappers, especially Al, think you talk too much,” Shimmin told him now.

“I get results.”

“What results did you get from Cain Chambers?”

“He’s not an omega.”

“He’s lying to you, then.”

“He’s lying to everyone—including the Dires—so they’ll keep him. The only one who’s supposed to see his glow is Liam, and Cain’s convinced that would-be king that he hasn’t seen it because he’s so new,” Angus lied.

Shimmin nodded, and Angus began to wonder if he’d told an actual truth. He must’ve, because Shimmin said, “Only his alpha king
and
his mate can see the glow—it’s an omega’s protection very few know about. And he doesn’t have a mate.”

Angus swallowed hard. “Right.”

“So you’re the only one he trusted with his deception?”

“I heard him convincing Liam, and then I did some research. I can spot a fraud, Shimmin.”

“Well, then, welcome to your initiation. Al will walk you through it.” Shimmin pointed to the small group of trappers coming through the trees, clapped Angus on the shoulder and began to walk to his car. “If all goes well today—and it should—you’ll be official.”

Angus watched Shimmin drive off before turning his attention to Al, who narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t trust you fully, Angus, but Shimmin said you have a plan.”

He had a plan, all right. It involved all these assholes getting hurt.

But obviously, so did they. Two trappers dragged a young, terrified boy wrapped in silver chains and dropped him to the ground in front of Angus.

The boy’s skin was smoking where the silver touched it.

They weren’t even giving the poor bastard a chance to run, to be hunted. That would’ve evened the playing field, but the trappers weren’t about fair.

“First, you practice on this. And then you get to take down Cain Chambers. It’ll be tougher, because the Dires are training him. But he’s taken a liking to you—shouldn’t be hard to get him alone.”

Angus didn’t show any emotion on his face. He hadn’t needed training for that—he’d learned very early on that emotion got you in trouble, that it was always misinterpreted. That it showed weakness. And he was far from weak.

It was time for the trappers to know that. “Bring the Were here.”

They dragged the wolf, trussed in silver, smoke coming from his skin, and shoved him to his knees in front of Angus.

“What did he do?”

“Do?” The trappers started laughing, and Al said, “Like we told you before—he didn’t need to do anything. He’s a fucking Were. A killer. He will kill. It’s his nature.”

And then Al handed him the long silver blade. “Killing is your initiation. Part one, anyway. Do it right, Angus.”

Chapter 35

V
ice came into Stray’s room, where Kate sat alone on the bed, flipping through the grimoire. She’d been doing so for the past hour while Stray was with Killian.

Stray was purposely keeping her out of his mind during this time, which she appreciated. It didn’t stop her from worrying, though, and the words swam on the page.

Frustrated, she closed the grimoire and put her palm on it as she stared up at the silver-eyed wolf.

“Waiting on Stray?” he asked.

“Yes—did everything go okay?”

“There’s no bloodshed, so I’m guessing yes. There’s some strategizing going on now. Sometimes it’s better I’m not there when they’re discussing fighting. I tend to rile everyone up.” He carried two sodas, walked in and handed her one. “I’m going to hang with Rogue—wanna join me?”

She hesitated. “I think I’ll stay here and work.”

“Suit yourself.” He left without pressuring her any further, but she couldn’t get Rogue’s
thank you
out of her head.

She tucked the book under her arm, walked into the hallway and saw Vice waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

“What, you read minds too?” she called up to him.

“Just people.”

“Witch, remember?” She climbed the steps to close the gap between them. When she stood on the landing next to him, she continued. “Rifter’s worried—thinks I shouldn’t go in there because the mare reports to Seb.”

Vice shrugged. “Hell, it’s not like he doesn’t know you’re here. And you’ve got the book—and Stray is right in the house.”

He opened the door wider, almost a dare, and she took it, walked in and went right to Rogue.

It was hard to ignore the mare, but she did. Stroked Rogue’s hair again, heard the same
thank you
echo inside her head. And then everything felt peaceful, despite the mare’s horrid presence.

“I’m guessing you’re on board.”

She glanced at Vice and back to Rogue. “Yes.”

“You’re connected to Stray.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t hurt him.”

The words were a soft growl, less of a menacing threat than a simple statement of fact.

“I don’t want to.” She tightened her grip into fists in her lap, watched the color blanch from her knuckles as the lights flickered.

“I know you’re doing that. And it’s all right that you are,” Vice told her.

“I keep forgetting I don’t have to hide anything anymore.”

“You don’t have to hide anything from us.”

“I’m used to freaking people out,” she said.

“Not much worries us here,” Vice told her. “Feel free to fly your freak flag high and proud.”

His upper body—and his bare feet—were covered with tats, but when she looked hard enough, she saw the tribal wolf looking at her through the maze of black-and-white symbols.

She’d seen him strip to shift the other night, knew his entire body was tatted and pierced in some interesting places.

The weird thing was, as attractive as Vice was, being around him made her only hotter for Stray. Although maybe that was not so weird for a wolf whose abilities centered on vice.

She made a mental note to ask more about that and then she moved closer to Rogue, kept a hand on the book and chanted the spell to rid a person of mares. A person,
not
a wolf.

Still, what could it hurt to try?

It did nothing but make the mare laugh at her harder.

“I’m sorry, Rogue. I’m trying.”

Distracted by the brothers.

“Yes,” she agreed.

Both will walk the earth forever, but one will remain cursed for all days.

She had no idea what that meant, but it couldn’t be good.

More to the prophecy than meets the eye.

“Like what?” she asked Rogue.

“Kate.”

It was Stray. She turned from Rogue to go to him. He looked tired, but there were no visible signs of a physical fight. She guessed progress had been made.

“Rifter’s waiting to prep you downstairs,” he told Vice.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Vice told them. “I’m going to check on Cain first and then I’ll catch up with Rift.”

He sank to the floor next to her and she hugged him hard. His arms wrapped around her and she whispered, “Proud of you.”

“Thanks.” He brushed the hair back from her face. “What were you trying to do here?”

“I think Rogue can talk to me. Or, at least, I can hear him. I’d like to try again with you here, if you’re up for it.”

“No time like the present.”

This was all so important—for the war between man and wolf, for her and Stray, for their families. “Vice said all of you have abilities. I know what yours is. What’s Killian’s?”

“I read minds and my brother manipulates thoughts separately,” he told her. “When I’m physically with him, we can erase and cement new memories. Which means that together, we’re—”

“Unstoppable.”

“Dangerous,” he corrected.

“Could you use it on me?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t.” He paused. “You have to believe that.”

“I do, Stray.” She stared up at the moon thoughtfully and then back at him. “You can read minds; so can I. Kill can manipulate—if we all work together, there has to be a way we can use what Seb did against him.”

“No. As much as I forgive Killian, I’m not about to let him go roaming in your mind.”

“I can roam in Seb’s, though.”

“Yes, and you can let him back into yours at will. But even though you’re strong, that will be dangerous.”

“But if you’re there, you can stop me if things go too far.”

He nodded. “I don’t know if I want to. I’m not in a sharing mood. With you, I’ll never be again.”

“I don’t plan on being shared. I promise. The only one I want is you.”

Stray stared at her for a long moment, the look of complete ownership warming her in ways she never thought possible. He wanted her—all of her—and that was the best thing to happen from all of this.

“Ready?” he asked finally.

She nodded. Blew out a breath and linked her hand with Stray’s. Opened her mind the way the book taught her to, imagining the protective lining opening like a zippered purse to let Seb have access to her.

He did, almost immediately, like he’d been waiting for this opportunity. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for him.

Lila, come back to me. I’ll lead you—show you the way. It’s so hard for you now, but with me, it will be so easy.

Stray’s hand on her elbow squeezed as she answered, “What do you want with me? You know who I am.”

You’re part of Lila, and I want her back.

“You gave Lila up. That’s part of why she died—you betrayed her.” With her free hand, she reached out to touch the mare, who was intricately and intimately connected with Seb, and she recoiled in horror. Hissed. Ran her nails in a raking motion down Rogue’s chest as the wolf remained stoic and unmoving, even though she swore she heard his moans in her head.

Stray started, like he did, too.

“I can see you, Sebastian,” she whispered, knowing that’s what Lila called him as her connection to the witch flared. “I will stop you.”

The mare shrieked, a sound like nails on a chalkboard as Rogue did a silent writhe of pain under her.

Seb pushed back, hard.
Silly witch. You can’t do this.

In another time and place, this wouldn’t happen; they would be friends. Seb would be her mentor. “You know it’s wrong.”

Of course I know. But sometimes you have to cause great damage to do the most good.

“You’re not doing any good—and I’m here to stop you.”

No.
That was Rogue, his thoughts clenching hers so tightly, her head began to throb.
Stop. This isn’t your place—this isn’t what you were meant to do.

“Then what?” she asked.

Stop the army. You and Jinx together can do it.

“How?”

Lean in to me.

She did, and Rogue whispered things about the dead, their path, their crossings . . . Over the mare’s screams, he told her secrets about the dead no one should know, things buried by the rushing River Styx, and it felt right and wrong at the same time. It confused her—like what he was telling her didn’t match the truth he was giving her.

But he did tell her what was wrong with Jinx. And by the time he’d finished, his voice was fading, and she was exhausted and dizzy. But fortified.

Your witch knows what to do.

“It will hurt your brother,” she said.

Yes, it has to,
Rogue agreed.
He knows it. Put yourself in his presence and work together. Don’t be distracted by the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

* * *

Seb went insane that a new witch was disrespecting him. He used to have everything, including and especially Lila. Now Lila’s new witch had made him look like a fool.

And he was no fool.

The girl might have Lila’s power, but she knew nothing.

Nothing.

Ah, so that’s what it takes to get your ire up
, the white shroud whispered, and that’s when Seb realized he couldn’t tell the difference between angels and devils at all.

Let it go, Sebastian. Show them all what you can do
, Kondo urged, and for the first time, Seb listened to his dark side wholeheartedly.

He’d been afraid of it his entire life. Now he had nothing to fear. He could be all-powerful, let people bow to him. The jig was up, the worry gone.

And it felt good.