Chapter 16
I found a set of tracks outside of my house. The footprints were large and the toes spread out, gouged into the ground as they pushed off toward the Candy Forest. I didn’t know where Percy might have gone. I didn’t even know where he lived.
My chest tightened as I realized how little I knew about Percy and how much more I wanted to know. But I couldn’t do that If I couldn’t find him.
Master tracker, I was not, but I could follow footprints as long as they lasted. Unfortunately, Percy decided to change back a short ways into the Candy Forest. His prints were harder to find now, practically disappearing after a few feet deeper into the woods.
“Fuck!” I dragged my hands through my hair and stomped my foot. “Gods damn it!”
I spun around and threw my fist, planning on punching a tree. Instead a pale, pink hand caught it. Long fingers tipped with black nails wrapped around my fist firmly.
I rolled my eyes to the sky and sighed. “Of course. Misery loves company so of course you’re here.”
Blackthorn's lips tipped up on one side, flashing a fang before he released my hand. “I apologize if this is a bad time for you. However, I wanted to remind you of our agreement.”
“Yes, I remember.” I shoved my hands into my pockets. “You want me to find some woman for you. Brown hair—”
“Mousy. Mousy brown hair.”
“Right. Mousy brown hair, big eyes. Probably waaaay too good for you.” I sniffed and rubbed my nose. “Do you happen to have a name for me?”
Blackthorn cocked his head to the side, and his black hair fell over his forehead. “I do not know her name. She had a label in her coat. Gold.”
I pursed my lips. “Gold? Like the metal?”
“I do not know. It had a symbol on it. A… what do you call it? A spindle?” His fingers flittered in the air as he explained.
My eyes widened. “Oh, Blackthorn, you should just forget about this woman. She’s one of his girls.”
“His?” Blackthorn's brows furrowed. “She belongs to someone?”
I snorted. “She might as well have ‘Property of Rumplestilskin’ stamped on her ass. She’s one of the little orphans he collects. You should just forget about her. There’s no way you’re getting anywhere near her again. The fact that you met her in the first place is a miracle alone. Just move on, you’ll be happier not to have the hassle.”
Blackthorn scowled at me. “And is that what you are doing, witch? You have gone to quite a lot of hassle to find your mutt.”
“That’s not the same thing.” I wrapped my arms around my middle.
Blackthorn tsked and arched a thin brow. “Then I suppose you do not care that I know where the mutt has gone then?”
My mouth dropped open, and I half stepped toward him before I forced myself to stop. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind knowing. If you happened to know his whereabouts. We could call it payment for telling you what I know about that woman.”
“You haven’t told me anything.” Blackthorn huffed a laugh. “So If my information means something to you, I will need something more… substantial in trade.”
My eyes narrowed into slits as I contemplated turning this poor woman over to Blackthorn. Though if she’s one of Rumplestilskin, she might be better off with Blackthorn.
“Fine. I don’t know her name. He’s got too many of them running around his place to keep up with all of them.” I traced where Rumplestilskin’s workhouse was located in my mind so I could explain it to Blackthorn. “He runs a workhouse off of Drewie Lane next to the Muffin Man’s shop. You can’t miss it. Stinks to high heavens all the dyes they use for the clothes.”
Blackthorn's eyes filled with excitement, and part of me hated to be the one to kill it.
“Like I said before, you’ll never reach her. That place is guarded night and day, even more than the palace.”
“You let me worry about that.” Blackthorn adjusted his suit jacket and started down the path toward town.
“Hey now. You’re supposed to tell me where Percy went.”
Blackthorn paused and looked over his shoulder. “The mutt stormed into the forest about thirty minutes ago. He walked in circles for a few moments before he said fuck it and started racing back toward the mountain. So you see, witch, you should have stayed where you were.”
I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to turn the vampire into an undead popsicle.
Spinning on my heel, I stalked back through the trees.
“Stupid men and their stupid inability to just do as they’re told,” I muttered under my breath. “Don’t the words ‘Wait here’ mean anything? No. He had to run off. And here I am running all over creation trying to find him only for him to go back! Does he want to give me a heart attack?”
A roar so powerful that the ground shook beneath me, knocking me off balance and falling to the ground. My eyes widened, breath catching in my chest.
“Percy.”
Shoving myself up to my feet, I took off in a run straight toward the sound. I didn't know what I was running into or what danger made Percy roar that way. All I could see was Percy. I had to get to Percy.
Another set of roars joined Percy’s. The ground rumbled beneath my feet as I pushed myself faster. The closer I got to the cacophony, the more my stomach twisted. I couldn’t lose Percy before I’d even really had him.
I pulled myself over the top of a hill, and my eyes locked on the battle before me.
Percy was there alright. Seeing him in his shifter form caused a visceral reaction in my body that I didn’t think was possible. My lower half jerked with each flex of his massive muscles. His claws swung through the air and dug into the body of a white monster made of snow and ice.
Snow and ice?
I dragged my eyes away from Percy to the creature he was fighting and blinked. Hold on a second. I knew that monster.
That was one of mine.
Face flushing, I scrambled over the hill and stalked toward the fight. The creature was as large as Percy, with large shoulders and a slender waist. Besides the fact that he was made out of ice and snow, he was almost Percy’s twin, at least in beast form.
Not liking where this conversation was going to go, I had a sudden urge to flee. Maybe Percy would get rid of the beast, and I wouldn’t have to explain. I could just turn around and pretend I hadn’t heard them.
Unfortunately, that plan went straight out the window as Percy caught sight of me.
“Bianca, get back!” he roared as he held the ice monster at bay.
Then the monster saw me. It shoved Percy away and charged toward me on all fours, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth with glee.
“Bianca, watch out!” Percy tried to tackle the monster, but he only was able to grab his legs. Still, he tried to pull the beast back from me.
The monster kept crawling forward by its front legs and dragged Percy along. Its brows furrowed in concentration the harder Percy became to pull.
“Percy.” I sighed and rubbed my temples. “It’s alright.”
“No. It’s not.” Percy grunted and braced his back legs, dragging vanilla snow with him. “This thing will kill you.”
“No. It won't.” I walked towards the pair, holding a hand out.
“Seriously, witch, do you have a death wish?” Percy snapped.
“Mama,” the creature whined as it jerked its head toward me.
“Mama?” Percy’s red eyes widened as he finally let the creature go.
The monster launched toward me. I held my hands up to keep it from trampling me. It scrambled to a stop in front of me, sniffing me before growling back over its shoulder at Percy.
“It’s okay, Junior.” I brushed my hands over Junior’s snout and scratched him beneath his chin. “I’m here.”
Junior leaned into my hand and rumbled his contentment.
My gaze shifted from Junior to Percy as he shifted back to his human form, his clothes once again having gone missing. “I was coming to find you,” I told Percy as I forced my eyes to stay on Junior.
“I'm right here.” Percy stopped next to me and Junior, looking him over with growing curiosity.
“Clearly,” I snapped, and my tone caused Junior to whine. “Sorry, boy. I’m not mad at you. But you aren’t supposed to be down here, and you know it.”
Junior bowed his head and scratched at the ground. “Mama. Miss.”
I sighed and patted him on the head. “I know, boy. I’m sorry. I was coming to see you. I promise.”
“Bianca…” Percy started, glancing between me and Junior. “I have… questions. Lots of them. First of them being… why does… Junior, is it? Why does he look like me? I mean, in my beast form.”
I avoided his gaze, shifting in place. “You know. Reasons.”
Percy cupped my chin and turned my face to look at him. “Bianca.”
I closed my eyes and savored the feel of his hand on my face before pushing it away with a huff. “Why did you leave?”
“Are we really going to do this now?” Percy growled as he closed the distance between us.
Junior snarled and tensed to attack.
I shot him a stern look. “No. Down, boy.”
Junior whined before sinking back on his haunches.
Percy’s chest pressed up against mine, his face bending down so our noses almost touched. “Answer the question.”
I bared my teeth at him. “Yes, I want to do this now.”
“Not that question.” Percy grabbed my shoulders and stared me down. “The other one.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Why are you avoiding the question?” Percy countered.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed up on my toes so he didn’t have the advantage of height on me. “Why can't you leave it alone?”
Percy smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist, pressing me flat against him. His hard length was trapped between us. “Because I want you to admit you were obsessed with me.”
“You wish.” I rolled my eyes.
“I do.” Percy peered down into my eyes. “Because then that means you’re as obsessed with me as I have been about you.”
I licked my lips and pressed my hands to his chest. “Maybe. It’s quite possible that I might have made it ‘cause I wondered…” I traced my finger along his pecs, enjoying the way they flexed underneath my hand. “You know, I mean, who wouldn’t want to know how that schlongasaurus would feel?”
Percy whipped back slightly from me suddenly. His eyes narrowed as, a low growl rumbled from him. “Did you fuck that thing?”
“What?” My eyes widened. "No!”
Percy simply stared at me.
I threw my hands up and walked a path back and forth in front of him. “Okay. So I made him with the intention of fucking him. But then… I mean, look at him.”
Junior watched us with his head cocked to the side, his tongue hanging out, just happy to be there.
“He’s like a puppy. I couldn’t do that. That’s icky. Plus, I mean…” I stepped back up to him. “It wouldn’t be real. If I was going to get railed by you, I wanted it to be the real you, not something I created.”
“Good, because I’d hate to have to kill him for touching what’s mine.” Percy dragged me back against him. His lips crashed into mine, and he ravished my mouth until all I could think about was him.
My arms slid up and around his neck, digging my fingers into the lengths of his hair. I couldn’t get close enough to him. I needed him. Wanted him right here. Right now. Always.
Percy must have felt the same because he pulled my leg up and over his hip, thrusting against my center.
I gasped pulling back from him with a groan. “Percy.”
He buried his face in the side of my neck and breathed me in. His teeth scraped along my pulse. “You’ve fucked the monster in me. Now it’s my turn to fuck you.”
A shiver of delight ripped through me and I almost said, “Yes, please. Right here.”
Then Junior whined and huffed.
“Yes. That. All of that.” I sighed and then pushed away from him. “But first we have to get Junior back home. The council will be here any time, and I can’t have Junior wandering around.” I turned back toward my home further up the mountain.
“The council?” Percy asked as he followed after me. “There’s a witches’ council?”