Chapter 23
After his passengers slid off his dragon’s back, Logan shifted and, taking Kieran’s hand, led the group down to their suites where he found Oracle waiting for him.
Tired and pissed, Logan wasn’t up for a long discussion with her. “Hi Oracle, good to see you. What can I do for you?”
“Zane has claimed David!”
“And how do you know that? Right…never mind.”
“Logan, I know you are tired, but it is more important than ever that I speak to Zane and David.”
“I figured that, but I can’t help you. They were gone by the time we got there. And no, I don’t have a clue as to where they went. But when I do find them, I’m going to insist Zane has a tracker so it doesn’t happen again.”
“That is a good idea, but we need to find them now. Zane has received his gift and I am worried others will seek to exploit that gift along with David’s ability.”
“I’m worried too,” Logan said, now a bit calmer.
“They were under siege when we got there. I was able to scare off the attackers but I’m sure they won’t give up.
Unfortunately, unless Zane calls us or we can figure out where they've gone, I’m at a dead end.
Let’s hope we get a break soon. In the meantime, if there’s nothing more for now, I’m going to bed. ”
“Of course. Get some rest and I will see if Mystia has found out anything in the meantime.”
After Oracle left, Logan turned and found his mate, standing naked in the doorway of their bedroom.
Growling, he stalked towards Kieran, “You better not have been there when Oracle was here. No one sees you naked but me!” Reaching his mate, Logan picked Kieran up and, tossing him over his shoulder, strode into their bedroom where they fell on the bed together.
Giggling, Kieran said, “I thought you were proud of me.”
“I am but that doesn’t mean I want anyone to see your delicious body without clothes,” Logan growled in Kieran’s ear.
“Oh, macushla! You know what that does to me!”
“Good! Because I just found some energy.”
Sighing, Kieran said, “Perfecto!”
~/~/~/~/~
Waiting impatiently on the shoreline, Michael listened for the arrival of his men.
He peered out over Loch Ness, hoping to see where David was but the night sky gave no help as its darkness merged with the blackness of the water.
Finally, he heard the motor before seeing a small fishing boat pull up to the shore.
Climbing aboard, he said, “Head straight out from here about 100 yards.” Keeping an eye on his phone map showing him where David should be, Michael’s head shot up when the app reflected he had reached the spot.
Peering through the dark, he saw…nothing.
“Stop,” he growled, searching for another boat but seeing only the black of the night. “Where the fuck is he?” Turning in his seat, Michael looked behind him then down at his phone. “Do you have a spotlight on this tub?” he asked the man at the wheel.
“Ahh, yeah.” The pilot flipped a switch and suddenly a beam of light shot out across the water.
“Move it so I can see everything around us,” Michael ordered.
When the light had made a complete circle and Michael hadn’t found the boat he thought David would be on, he growled in frustration.
Glancing down at his app, he knew something was wrong; it showed he was right where David should be.
That left him with two possibilities—either David’s tracker had fucked up or David was at the bottom of Loch Ness. Both pissed him off to no end.
“Take me back,” he growled. When the boat’s bow bumped against the shoreline, Michael jumped and, taking one last glance at his phone, headed off into the night.
~/~/~/~/~
Angus was making his rounds checking to make sure every pack member was safe when he was suddenly tossed to the ground.
Rising and shifting, he snarled in warning to the person who’d dare to attack him but saw no one.
Padding around, he sniffed the ground, looking for a scent so he could show his attacker the errors of his ways.
Unable to locate anything, he looked up just in time to see a wave of light shoot at him.
Quickly lowering himself to the ground, he watched as it passed over him, then glanced to see where it came from just in time to see another approaching him.
Realizing they were coming from the cottage Zane and David were in, his wolf cautiously crept toward it, all senses on the alert.
It certainly was nothing he’d ever seen before, and he wondered if the men hunting David had somehow snuck past his guards and into the cottage.
When he was finally below one of the windows, he paused, waiting for another wave to pulse.
After it passed over him, he shifted and peeked in the window.
Gobsmacked at what he saw, he quickly lowered himself and sat on the ground, stunned at being a witness to an extraordinary power.
~/~/~/~/~
Mystia and Maximus were waiting for Oracle when she returned to her suite. “Oh, thank goodness you are here, Mystia. I was just about to call you. What did you find out about David?” Oracle asked, sitting down next to Maximus.
“Not a thing. No birth or school record. He wasn’t a member of any of the packs in Tuscany or in Italy, for that matter. Everyone I asked never heard of him, even the head witch of Italy…and if anyone would know, she would.”
“How would she know?” Maximus asked.
“Well, normally she wouldn’t, but I called in some favors and asked her to use her Ruling Orb,” Mystia answered.
“And…” Maximus said.
“And nothing. It drew a blank. It’s as if he never existed…that is, at least in Italy. How sure are we that he was born there?” asked Mystia.
“Logan told us and he got it from David,” Maximus replied.
“He was born in Italy, that much I know,” Oracle said.
“Thank you, Oracle, but that only muddies the waters more. If the Ruling Orb can’t find any proof David lived in Italy, than I have to conclude there is black magic at work here,” Mystia said.
“Black magic!” exclaimed Maximus, intrigued at this possibility. “In what way?”
“Someone has erased all evidence of David’s existence and the only way I know it can be done is with a black magic spell,” Mystia answered, then adding, “I need to inform the Witches’ Governing Council immediately.”
“Why?” asked Maximus.
“It’s the law that if a witch has proof or believes black magic has been used, she’s obligated to make a report to the Council immediately.
The law was put in place a long time ago when black magic was used to create havoc among humans and the only way David’s existence can be concealed like this is by a powerful witch using it. ”
Maximus, who’d been thinking about various possibilities, said, “Maybe a witch placed a spell on the Ruling Orb, blocking it from revealing details about David.”
“No, Ruling Orbs are immune to all kinds of magic, including black,” replied Mystia. “I’ll be back after I make my report.”
After Mystia left, Maximus looked at his wife. “Why did you go to see Logan tonight?”
Sighing, Oracle said, “Zane and David claimed each other and I was hoping Logan had found them.”
Maximus studied his wife’s face, seeing what others would not notice—stress, worry, and concern. Pulling her into his lap, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her softly on the cheek. “Darling, it will be okay. We’ll find them before any harm befalls them.”
~/~/~/~/~
Zane held David in his arms; his mate had fallen asleep after their second round of fucking.
Snickering softly at his mate’s eagerness to go yet another time, Zane decided David was a secret sex fiend.
Who would have thought that? Not me, that’s for sure.
Resting his head on his mate’s soft hair, he thought back to their claiming.
Even Zane knew it wasn’t a normal claiming, at least not according to what he learned in school, but as to what it was, he was clueless.
He really needed to speak with Oracle because there was more to David than just being able to pop from place to place.
And then there was his own gift that David also received. What is it?
Zane looked to see if his wolf knew, but found him curled around David’s wolf, both of them sound asleep.
Any information his wolf could give him would have to wait until morning.
But his gift wasn’t the only thing on his mind—nope, he needed to know about the sparks that flew every time he touched his mate.
Even now he could feel them—not as he did during their claiming—but a subdued version.
Even so, nothing like it occurred with anyone else he ever fucked.
So why with my mate? Too many questions and not enough answers!
Refusing to think any more, his exhausting day finally caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep next to his mate, determined to find the answers tomorrow.
~/~/~/~/~
In the dingy, musty room he’d rented, Michael looked around, curling his lip at the stained and peeling wallpaper, the ratty threadbare carpet, and the lumpy bed.
Striding over to his makeshift desk and turning on his computer, he sat down waiting for it to boot up.
Looking at the rain-splattered window, he silently cursed, pissed to be stuck in this filthy hole instead of sunny Italy.
And whose fault is it? That fucking whore who couldn’t even do one thing right!
Shit, you’d think Brenda would be on her knees sucking my dick for giving her a new life.
But no, she was too busy getting her cookies off caning and torturing her slaves.
He had been willing to turn a blind eye to her sadism, but that ended abruptly when she let David escape.
Michael had spent years searching before finding a child fitting the description listed in the old book a witch had given him.
He had no regrets about spending most of his money on his pursuit because the endgame would make it all worthwhile.
David…my ticket to untold riches and what does the bitch do?
Let him escape! Now his entire plan was in danger.
Drumming his fingers on the chair arm, Michael decided Brenda had to go; it was time to replace her with someone without an attitude who would do his bidding.
Picking up his phone, Michael scrolled through his contacts until he found the perfect person for the job. Then, hitting the number, he waited.
“What?”
“Got a job for you.”
“Send me the details.”
“Right away.” Ending the call, Michael quickly sent off a text. If everything went according to plan, Brenda would be out of the picture by tomorrow night. He grinned as he opened up a program on his computer, entered a password and found what he was looking for. “Gotcha!”
~/~/~/~/~
David’s eyelids fluttered before opening wide.
He saw the darkness outside as his nose first picked up his mate’s scent followed by the smell of sex.
He grinned, knowing it’d be his second favorite scent of all time.
Lying there quietly, held in place by his mate’s heavy arm and leg on him, he felt loved and protected—something he’d searched for and wanted his whole life.
Now he had it, all because his mother encouraged him to run away.
That thought was bittersweet; his mother was still caught in the darkness surrounding the High Priestess.
Sighing at his seemingly unsolvable predicament, David could only hope Zane would be able to help once he told him everything.
My mate trusted me enough to claim me but now it’s time to come clean.
But what if he rejects me after finding out about me?
Just the thought of losing Zane caused a sharp shaft of pain to pierce his chest, giving him an answer he didn’t want—he would die of a broken heart.
Trembling at the fear filling his body, David was seized by a sudden panic attack; he couldn’t breathe enough air into his lungs.
The harder he tried, the more futile it became and he began to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen.
Darkness edged his vision as he tried to use breathing exercises a doctor had taught him, but it only became worse.
Zane woke to the sound of his mate’s distress.
Quickly realizing what was happening, he rolled David over.
“Look at me, babe! Focus on me!” Gripping his mate’s arms and shaking them, Zane raised his voice.
“Look at me!” When David failed to respond, Zane felt time standing still.
Yelling sharply at his mate, he commanded, “LOOK AT ME, NOW!” David’s eyes fluttered before finally connecting with Zane’s.
“Babe, keep your eyes on me. I’m here and nothing will happen to you.
Everything will be fine. Just keep looking at me. ”
David felt his body calm down and, blinking several times, he felt his panic recede allowing him to breathe normally again. Seeing the worry in Zane’s eyes, David said, “I’m better now. How did you know what to do?”
“One day a friend of mine had a panic attack at school and Colton just happened by and immediately took charge. When it was over, I asked my brother to teach me so I’d know what to do if my friend had another attack.”
“Lucky for me!”
“What brought on your attack? The last I knew you were sleeping.”
“I was but I woke up and I was thinking about different stuff especially how you’d react once I told you about myself. The more I thought about it, the more I worried you’d reject me and…”
Cupping David’s face between his hands, Zane kissed his mate’s forehead.
“Babe, listen to me. Please stop worrying about it. There’s nothing you can tell me that would make me reject you.
Nothing, do you hear me? Nada! My decision to claim you was made by me and my wolf because we know who you are.
I don’t care if you never tell me anything about yourself because I know everything that’s important to me already.
Tell me or don’t…it will never change how I feel about you, I swear. ”
“But how can you say that? What if I’m an evil person?”
Chuckling, Zane said, “Babe, you can be no more be evil than I am. I know this about you, and so does my wolf. And my wolf is never wrong.”
Giving a slight smile, David said, “I still think it’s important you know why these people are after me.”
“Fair enough. Go ahead.”