Chapter 16
BERTRAM
Bertram couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he’d had for the past hour. He could tell something was wrong. He found Redd in front of the fireplace, playing a game with Coral and Jake. “Have you seen Jillian?” he asked the whole group.
“I saw her about an hour ago. I ran into her when she was hightailing it out to the stables.” Jake looked up from the game. “She was pretty upset about something and needed to get some fresh air.” He scowled and stood up quickly. “Is she not back yet?”
Bertram looked out the bay window at the rapidly falling snow. “I don’t know. I can’t find her, and no one else has seen her.” He turned to Redd, who shifted in her seat with a guilty expression flooding her cheeks.
“Did something happen this morning, Redd?”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes, “I don’t know.”
“Young lady…” he growled, startling everyone in the room.
“Okay. Don’t get angry, but we had an argument this morning.”
“About what?” He strode over to the petite woman and towered above her.
“We just argued.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry. I may have said some kinda mean things to make her think you didn’t care about her.”
“What!!” he bellowed, and she shrank back as Jake pulled Coral behind him.
She started crying. “I said you already had a submissive, and I might have insinuated that you were spanking and sleeping with the rest of the women in the lodge. I’m sorry.”
“Go. To Your. Room.” He was so angry, he felt afraid to even touch her. His blood boiled, and his heart raced as his claws extended.
Redd ran sobbing from the room.
“You two” –he pointed at Jake and Coral– “go search the lodge and report back to me in ten minutes. I’ll check the grounds and the stable.”
He stormed from the lodge and inhaled deeply. If anything happened to her… He shook his head. He couldn’t bear the thought. When he got around the lodge and to the back, he caught a faint whiff of her. Heading north. He howled in rage and watched the blizzard pick up intensity around him.
He was about to use his magick and transform when he heard movement behind him.
Jake, dressed in his parka and carrying his bag and sword, strode toward him, his eyes fierce and determined. Redd followed closely behind, looking nervous and upset.
“She’s not in the lodge,” Jake confirmed and pointed the direction he had found her scent. “She went that way.”
“Thanks. You two stay here and take care of the lodge. I’ll be back as soon as I find her.” Bertram turned, but felt a firm grip on his shoulder. He steeled himself so as not to rip off the younger man’s head and settled for growling into his face.
“Listen, Wolfe,” Jakes voice was low and deadly, “that is my sister out there, and you are not going to stop me from searching for her. I can feel her. She’s a part of me.
” He looked at the snow swirling around them and frowned.
“Besides, the way this snow is coming down, your other side won’t be able to track her more than a few hundred yards. ”
That surprised him. “You know what I am?”
“Of course I know. The whole place is crawling with magick and paranormals. You’d have to be Simple Simon to not figure that out.”
He liked this man and turned to grasp his shoulders firmly. “You’re a good man, Jake Hill.”
“You have my permission to marry my sister.” Jake shook his hand, then took the horse Coral had brought to him. He kissed her and mounted the grey thoroughbred. “What are we waiting for?” He turned and nudged the horse into the direction Jillian had traveled.
“Coral, you stay and keep an eye on the place. No more thieves in the den while I’m gone, okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. Be careful.” She scurried back into the warmth of the lodge.
“You.” He stared down at Redd. “We’ll discuss this later.”
Redd nodded solemnly and turned to trudge back into the lodge.
“Wait.”
She froze at his barked command.
“Go get your gear.”
“Sir?” The confusion was evident in her sad eyes.
He pulled her into a tight embrace. “You’re the best at what you do, which is tracking, slaying, and fighting. I need you.”
“I thought you didn’t trust me out there, Daddy.” Her lower lip trembled.
“Just because I fear for your safety doesn’t mean I don’t trust you.” He chucked her lightly on the chin. “Want to help me save a damsel in distress, little slayer?”
He met the joyful pride that shone in her eyes at his words.
“Get yourself ready and catch up. I’m going to change into something more… comfortable.”
She smiled and sprinted back into the lodge.
He turned to see the large silver wolf with the golden eyes emerge from the side of the lodge. “I heard you’d arrived. You always did have a nose for trouble, Cousin. Let’s go.”
He quickly undressed, then took a deep breath and pulled the magick from the core of his being. He felt a shimmering, popping sensation as the world blended and swirled around him.
A moment later, he felt a strange calm come over him as he embraced his true nature, beast. He let out a howl, and they raced to catch up with Jake.
JILLIAN
She was going to die; she knew it.
She skirted the edge of the cliff until she couldn’t go any further.
Backed against the large, smooth stone face of a mountain with a cliff on her other side, a pack of snarling wolves circled her.
She was trapped, and they all knew it. She called out for help, knowing it would do no good, but it was all she could do.
She picked up a large stick, feeling a strange déjà vu over the situation.
There were eight of them, advancing slowly with their teeth bared, their dirty coats matted as they growled and crept forward. She stifled the sob in her throat and swung the stick in the air, shouting at them to go away. It almost seemed like they were laughing, playing with her.
The leader of the group stalked toward the front, a mere ten feet from her, cocked his head, and narrowed his eyes. If she wasn’t going completely crazy, it almost seemed it recognized her. Surely these weren’t the same wolves from their earlier journey?
He leaned down on his rear haunches and tensed to leap, and she knew her time was over.
She prepared her body for the impact, kneeling down and instinctively covering her head with her hands as he leapt through the air.
But her attacker was stopped mid-soar, a few feet from where she huddled, as a larger wolf came out of nowhere and took him to the ground.
As they snarled and fought and rolled and bit at each other, she saw the others come into view out of the corner of her blurry eyes.
Another large wolf, this one silver, landed between her and her attackers and quickly took on several of them.
The other wolves were taken on by a small human, dressed in red Lycra, moving with a sword, slashing and cutting so fast her eyes could barely keep up.
It was a woman. She could tell by the small frame, curves, and long ponytail.
“Redd?” she choked, confused and terrified by the battle around her.
The petite woman turned to her and grinned as she slashed behind her to kill one of her opponents. It lay on its side, bleeding and choking for air, and she put it out of its misery with a quick stab through the heart. Jillian grimaced and tried not to vomit.
“Jillian!”
She recognized that voice and rushed into her brother’s embrace. He pulled her away from the fight. “I’m so glad to see you!” she quavered.
He scanned her quickly, checking for wounds. “Are you okay?” His gaze was worried.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. But what’s going—” Her question was interrupted by the howl of a wolf as it soared through the air directly toward them. Jake shoved her to the ground and impaled it with his sword as the wolf landed in a heavy thud on top of him.
“Jake!” she screamed and rushed to his side.
He looked a little dazed but otherwise unharmed as he tried to roll the dead wolf off him.
“God, these things are heavy,” he muttered as he finally got out from underneath. “I swear to God, if I get another head injury, it’s your ass.”
She smiled through her tears and flung herself onto his prone form. “I’m so glad you are okay. I’m sorry.”
He lifted them both to standing positions, just as the fight around them seemed to be ending.
Five wolves lay dead or bleeding heavily on the snow covered ground, and two more had yelped and run away with their tails between their legs, leaving one remaining wolf, the leader of the pack.
The two “friendly” wolves paired up, their long white fangs bared, their shiny silver coats reflecting off the snow, growling at the lead wolf, daring him to challenge them.
They planted themselves between Jake and Redd, who were standing on each side of her, with their swords drawn.
She watched the smaller, dirty grey wolf snarl, bare his fangs, then turn and race out of the trees.
It was over. She didn’t know how or why, but she felt safe.
Redd cleaned off her sword, and Jake whistled for the horses.
But she couldn’t take her eyes off the larger of the two silver wolves.
He looked so familiar, like she should know him.
He walked toward her slowly and lifted his head, meeting her eyes.
The dark brown eyes with flecks of amber that met her were familiar.
She stumbled and felt her breath hitch as she reached out toward him tentatively. “Bertram?”
He nodded and nudged his head under her hand and she felt his coarse silver, grey hairs and saw the specks of pepper and the line of dark fur along his left ear. It really was him! She threw her arms around him and sobbed as she stroked his soft wet fur. He had come for her.
Redd pulled her sword out of the back of one of the dead wolves and met her gaze. A look of wistful understanding came across the other woman’s face, and she nodded her acceptance.
She was still holding him tightly when he gave a sudden growl and turned his head, tensing immediately.
She watched as if in slow motion as the dark wolf leapt toward them, teeth bared, claws reaching.
Her silver wolf rolled her under him, shielding her as the claws struck him across the back.
He howled in rage, but kept his body sheltering her.
She pounded him with her fists. “Protect yourself, you big lug!”
She screamed, as the dark wolf opened its mouth, fangs gleaming, preparing to rip into Bertram’s neck. She watched it lunge and snarl, and then its eyes widened and it faltered. It stumbled to the side, and she saw Jake’s sword buried deep into its shoulder blades.
Jake strode into view, cursing. His eyes dark and angry. “That’s my future brother-in-law, dickwad!”
He pulled her into his arms and away from the other wolf as Bertram released his grip on her. Jake propelled her further into the woods, towards the horses, away from the scene.
“Where are we going?” She could barely keep up with his long, angry strides.
“Trust me, you don’t want to see what happens next.”
She covered her ears, but still couldn’t keep out the sounds of the howling and biting and ravaging. She shuddered when she heard the agonizing cries and the ripping of muscles and tendons and the snarling of what could only be described as feeding.
Where was Bertram? She would never forgive herself if he had been harmed because of her foolishness. She couldn’t breathe, and her stomach churned in dread. Jake held her tightly until all fell suddenly silent.
Redd joined them, a skip in her step, a bright gleam in her eyes. “That was awesome!”
That seemed to be the final straw for her poor stomach. She turned and heaved into the bushes, expelling everything, feeling dizzy and warm and really regretting having such a full stomach.
“Ugh, that’s so nasty.” She overheard Redd’s high pitched comment.
Jake patted her back and chuckled, “Seriously, Redd. After all that. You get squeamish over a little puke?”
She rubbed her mouth and looked up as the two large silver wolves trudged toward them. Exhausted, covered in blood and God knows what else, she shuddered and heaved again, thankful her stomach was finally empty.
She watched as the larger of the two, her wolf, came up to Redd and nudged her in the leg.
“He wants us to head back to the lodge ASAP,” Redd explained. “They’re going to follow behind us so they don’t scare the horses.” She leaned in and whispered, “He loves you, ya know?”
Jillian finally took notice of the swirling winds and the snow that fell heavily around them.
“Come on, Jillybean, you can ride with me.” Jake helped her walk on her shaky legs over to his horse.
“What. Are. You?” She turned her tired eyes back onto the larger wolf behind them.
He cocked his head and nodded.
That was the last thing she saw before the world went white, then black.