Chapter Fifteen
Impossible. She’d seen him die.
Ignoring Dagen’s curses and order to wait, she ran after the retreating figure, her bag bumping against her side with each stride. Her logical mind screamed at her to go back, that this was some kind of horrible trick, but her heart refused to listen.
The man was taller and broader than the teenage boy had been, but the face, the eyes, the way he moved were identical. Sorrow pierced her when she lost sight of him among the crowd. There! She caught sight of his shaggy brown hair as he turned down a side street. Boots pounding against the sidewalk, she gave chase. She followed him away from the crowds to a less populated area. He always stayed within sight but not close enough for her to catch. She couldn’t lose him, not now.
Panting, she came to a stop, resting her hands against her thighs. He’d vanished into thin air. Had she really seen him or was her imagination playing games? She looked up and down the street.
“Looking for me?” The low voice had her spinning around, where she came face-to-face with a ghost. He leaned against a wall between two buildings, looking relaxed and totally at ease. His lips quirked up in a familiar smile.
“Theo,” she whispered. “I don’t understand. You died. Solange blasted you with her magic.” She’d seen it with her own two eyes. “She tossed me back in my cage and destroyed the lab.” Like a sleepwalker, she shuffled toward him. Maybe this was a dream. It didn’t make sense.
He pushed upright and moved deeper into the alley. It was cooler, darker, too. The streetlights were beginning to come on but their light didn’t penetrate back this far. She halted, a belated sense of caution shouting a warning. She was essentially alone with a wolf she didn’t know, not anymore.
“It would’ve been better if I had died. You look good, Onyx.” He held out his arms. She ached to run to him, to hug him, but a scrap of common sense held her back. Neither of them were kids anymore. He dropped his arms to his sides. “Can’t blame you for not trusting me.” He canted his head to the side and a sly smile slid across his face, as if something had pleased him. “You want to call off your guard dog.”
She’d been so wrapped up in the revelation Theo was alive that she hadn’t sensed Dagen joining them. He was right behind her, arms loose by his sides, expression void of emotion. There might be no outward signs, but he was furious and rightfully so. They were supposed to remain in a populated area. And what had she done? She’d gone haring off on her own. She’d played right into Theo’s hands. It was no coincidence he’d sauntered past the table where they were eating. It smacked of a setup.
“I take it this is Theo, the dead wolf you told me about.”
There was no inflection in his tone but she flinched. Talk about destroying what little credibility she’d built up. He might never believe anything she said again. He had to be wondering if this was some plot against him cooked up by her and Theo.
“What can I say?” Theo held his arms out at his sides. “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”
The testosterone level nearly blew the top off the meter as the two deadly predators faced off. “What happened, Theo? I saw you fall after your first shift. You weren’t moving. Your body was gone when I escaped later that night.” She’d assumed Solange had disposed of it.
This situation was a powder keg waiting to explode. She drew on memories of their past, hoping to reach any part of the boy that might exist inside the stranger he’d become.
Bleakness flickered in his brown eyes before vanishing beneath a layer of bravado. “What can I say? I’m a survivor. After her little tantrum, Solange discovered I was alive. Barely, but I was breathing. She took me to another place, one not quite as accommodating as the lab.”
“God, Theo.” She started toward him, unable to halt the flood of compassion. It was all too easy to imagine the living hell he’d found himself in. Dagen wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her beside him. “I didn’t know. If I had, I would never have left without you. I would have found a way to free you.”
His big shoulders moved up and down and his lips twisted into a sneer. “Easy to say. All I know is you made it out.”
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She dashed it away.
Something softened in his expression. “Don’t cry for me, sweetheart. I’m not worth it.”
“Don’t say that, Theo. I never would have made it out without you. I owe my freedom to you.”
“He’s calling in that debt now.” The hardness in Dagen’s voice shoved away the cobwebs of the past, bringing her back to the harsh reality of the present. “Aren’t you?”
“I don’t understand.” Then it struck her. “How did you escape?” He was walking free on the streets of New York.
“I didn’t.” His smile wasn’t one she recognized. It was cruel and calculated. “You were always predictable, Onyx. I knew you’d come to me. All I had to do was set the trap and let you walk into it.” Right on cue, two wolves blocked the end of the alley. Two more dropped down from above beside Theo.
Her mouth went dry. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you home.”
“Don’t do this.” She shook her head, not wanting to believe he’d betray her. “We were family. You were my brother.”
“I was a tool, one you used and discarded when it was no longer useful. You share that in common with your dear mother.”
The blow was emotional, but it landed with the force of a punch. “No, it wasn’t like that.”
“You keep telling yourself whatever you have to in order to sleep at night.” He looked over her head at Dagen, who’d taken a step away from her. “Word of warning, she’ll use you to get what you want.”
“We both have the same goal.”
The knot in her stomach wrenched tight. The two most important men in her life—brother and lover—viewed her as someone who’d use them for her own purposes. In short, to them, she was no different from Solange.
There were no tears. The pain went too deep. She shoved it down, using it to fuel the flames of fury burning in her soul. She could forgive Theo. He didn’t know the woman she’d become, but Dagen did. That he’d believe her brother over her wounded her heart.
“Take him.” At Theo’s command, the men all drew weapons. Not guns. Tasers.
“No!” She shoved Dagen out of the way and threw a web of magical protection around him. Two of the Tasers missed. One struck her back. Her entire body jolted. Concentration shattered, her magic winked out. The other one slammed into Dagen.
Swearing, Theo scooped her into his arms before she hit the ground. “Take him down,” he called over his shoulder as he ran.
…
Grabbing the prongs of the Taser, Dagen ripped them from his chest. His body absorbed the electrical shock. It stung like a son of a bitch, but he remained upright and clearheaded.
“What the hell.” One of his attackers fired a second shot. He jerked to the side, avoiding the strike. “You should be on the ground.” His friends fired. Moving rapidly, he evaded them all.
A low growl rolled up from deep inside him. Onyx had taken a direct hit. The shock etched on her face was burned into his brain. It had been followed by fear, not for herself but for him. Once again, she’d put herself in danger to save him. It had happened so fast, it stunned him more than the Taser strike.
The four wolves circled him. While he’d love nothing better than to indulge in a fight to work off some of his pent-up anger, there was no time. Theo had Onyx and was taking her to Solange.
He gave a sharp whistle. Simultaneously, bullets slammed into the foreheads of each of the wolves. His attackers all flew backward, dead before their bodies hit the ground—even a werewolf couldn’t come back from having his brains blown out.
At least someone followed instructions. If Onyx hadn’t run off, they wouldn’t be in this situation. “Clean it up,” he called up to Galen, the leader of the elite four-man werewolf squad on the surrounding rooftops.
There was no regret in taking the lives of the other wolves. They’d chosen their side. What they didn’t understand was that the lone wolves were the only thing standing between their entire species and a megalomaniac mage. Someone like Solange was never satisfied. Immortality had been an obsession for more than a century. Once she attained her goal, she’d need something new to fill the void. Her next logical step would be to figure out how to enslave all werewolves to use as her private army. And it wouldn’t stop there.
Raising his head, he sniffed the air. The faint scent of lavender and rose lingered. Hurry! The inner voice was one he heard at pivotal moments in his life. He had no idea if it was his wolf or some source outside him, but he trusted it with his life. It was as much part of him as the sickle-shaped blade etched over his heart. Both had appeared the first time he’d shifted to a wolf.
The roar of an engine had him cursing and picking up speed. He sprinted into the private parking garage, homing in on the SUV heading straight for him. Theo stared out the front windshield. Leaning forward, he floored the gas pedal. Onyx was in that vehicle.
Giving a roar, he planted his feet and slammed his hands into the front grill. Man met metal. Neither gave. The front of the SUV crumpled. Bones shattered in his hands and arms. The pain momentarily left him breathless, but his body was already making repairs, bones snapping back into place. Score one for immortality.
Theo wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was thrown forward into the windshield. Glass shattered. Blood rolled down his face as he shook his head to clear it. Snarling, he shoved open the door.
Good, it would save Dagen the trouble of having to drag him out. The scent of Onyx’s blood had his head jerking toward the back seat. She’d been injured in the crash. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and ducked, barely avoiding the crowbar aimed at his head.
“You think you’re so tough, so badass. Mr. Lone Wolf.” Theo’s blood was hot, his eyes wild. Dagen went in the opposite direction, turning to ice.
“That’s right.” Easing to the right, he maneuvered his opponent away from the vehicle, away from Onyx. A smart man would have used her as a hostage. He didn’t want to give him the opportunity. “And you’re a flunky for a mage.”
Theo smirked. “And you’re not? You came after your little mage. She’s grown up since I last saw her. She was thin and gangly when I knew her, but she’s filled out nicely.” He licked his lips. “I plan on getting a piece of that.”
Dagen wrenched his wolf under control when all he wanted to do was go for the man’s throat. Over his dead body would Theo touch her. The man was smarter than he’d assumed, goading Dagen to provoke a mistake.
“All Solange talks about is you and the other two.” They circled, two predators, each out for blood.
“And you’re a captive audience.” He doubted her paramour would want to constantly hear about her obsession.
“She trusts me with her plans.”
Something in his tone gave Dagen pause. “You think she’ll share her immortality with you?” He shook his head. “You’re nothing more than hired muscle.” He cocked his head to one side. “Do you get paid or does she simply yank your leash to bring you to heel?”
Theo’s brown eyes flashed to gold, his wolf riding the surface, but he didn’t break. Dagen saw something else in the gaze—bleakness and despair. How right was he about Solange having his wolf on a leash? Could he shift? He’d been a kid when the mage had taken him, another victim to the woman’s insatiable greed.
“You can’t save her.” Theo’s gaze flicked toward the mangled vehicle, and his hand tightened around the tire iron. The veins in his neck tightened and pulsed, as if he was forcing the words out.
Onyx’s soft moan was music to his ears. He had no idea how badly she was injured but awake was better than unconscious. He needed to get her out of here, but he couldn’t hold off Theo and carry her—he needed her mobile.
Why hadn’t Theo attacked? Shit, he was waiting on reinforcements. That’s what all the conversation was about. This was one of Charles Armstrong’s buildings—had to be. Solange depended on him for money and resources. It explained why there was no one else around. He’d played right into their hands. Not that he’d had a choice. No way was he letting them have Onyx.
Pulling on his wolf, he manifested claws. Without warning, he attacked, driving his hand toward his opponent’s chest. Theo roared and jumped back, but not before four long slash marks appeared on his torso.
“Fun trick, but I can do it, too.” Licking his lips, the other man dropped the makeshift weapon and manifested claws.
That was surprising. Most wolves couldn’t hold a partial shift. It was all or nothing. Was it natural or had Solange meddled with his biology? The wounds on his chest slowly closed, faster than they should have. Dread formed a ball in the pit of his stomach.
“I’m like you.” Theo smiled, exposing sharp fangs. “Solange has been experimenting. Your blood, her blood.”
“How many?” His heart began to race. A group of supercharged wolves might be able to take him down.
“I’m one of a kind.”
“An experiment. You’re expendable.”
“No, you are.” Theo leapt, his lips pulled back in a feral snarl.
…
A loud groan made her head throb. Onyx opened her mouth to tell them to be quiet and groaned. Crap, she was the one making the noise. Reaching up, she touched her forehead, wincing when she encountered a lump. She marshaled the energy to open her eyes and stared at the blood staining her fingers. That explained the pounding in her head.
Carefully, she turned her head and stared up at the back of a leather seat. Why am I in a car? Theo! He’d taken her after she’d been Tasered. That was an unpleasant experience she never wanted to repeat. The electrical impulses had messed with her magic. There was no telling what it might do to a werewolf, especially if they were in mid-shift.
The roaring in her ears eased enough to allow other noises to filter in. Voices. She levered herself into a seated position, planting one hand on the seat behind her. Her stomach protested the sudden move. The pain in her skull became a pounding tempo. She swallowed several times and breathed deeply through her nose to keep from vomiting.
Gritting her teeth, she shoved up from the vehicle floor and onto the actual seat. Pain made her dizzy. She grabbed the seat in front of her, closed her eyes, and breathed through the worst of it. When she was certain she wouldn’t pass out, she opened them and stared through the shattered windshield. She blinked, uncomprehending at first. They’d been in a crash. No wonder every muscle in her body ached.
Dagen! She had to get to him. There’d been four wolves with weapons to capture him or worse. Theo was not the boy she’d known, but loyal to Solange.
A snarl had her head snapping around. Huge mistake. The pain was momentarily blinding. She pulled on her magic, calling up enough to heal the worst of her injuries. Normally, she’d never take the risk of drawing attention, but these were extenuating circumstances. And frankly, Solange’s people had found her. She needed to be at her best to fight them…and to save Dagen.
When her vision cleared, she swore and shoved open the door, practically falling in her haste. Both men were partially shifted—fangs and claws showing. She thought only the lone wolves could maintain a partial shift and fight. Their shirts hung in tatters, stained with blood, although neither appeared injured. She soaked in the sight of Dagen. He’d come for her. She hadn’t been sure he would.
Theo leaped, claws extended. A scream of warning caught in her throat. Any distraction could be lethal. Dagen might be immortal, but beheading would kill him. Only he was already gone, his movements a blur. Theo landed and spun around in one graceful motion.
Reinforcements would be coming. There was no time to waste. “Theo.” She was counting on him being easier to distract. Sure enough, he turned at the sound of her voice. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” The girl inside her wanted to rescue the boy who’d been her friend and brother all those years ago. Being on her own, hungry, scared, and alone, was nothing to what he’d survived.
Fury turned his features into a mask, one that promised death. Claws extended, he rushed toward her. Before she could summon her magic, Dagen rammed into him. Theo flew back, his back slamming against a steel post. The snap of bones was audible.
Forgetting his murderous intent, she raced toward him. Dagen caught her around the waist, lifting her off her feet. “Wait.”
She was panting hard, both from fear and relief. Theo rolled to his hands and knees. Mouth set in a grimace, his body contorted as his spine realigned. “How is that possible?” Wolves healed faster than humans, but an injury that severe should have kept him down for days, if not longer.
“A gift from Solange.” Dagen released her, setting her aside. “Seems she’s been experimenting.”
Hand to her mouth, she swallowed back the horror of what had been done to her friend. How much had he suffered to get to this point? Solange didn’t care about her test subjects. It was little wonder he was more than half out of his mind. No one could live through what he had and be fully sane.
“We need to go or I need to kill him.” The blunt assessment of the situation made her flinch. “Or I can go and you can stay.” That struck straight at her heart.
“We’ll go.”
Theo pushed himself upright. “I can’t allow that. You’re my golden ticket to freedom.” Sweat beaded on his forehead.
She shook her head. “You can’t honestly believe she’ll ever let you go.”
“I have to take you to her.” His lips compressed into a thin line, bracketed by lines of pain. She didn’t think it was because of the injury. Something in his tone grabbed her.
“Have to?” Was he under a compulsion or was she grasping at straws?
“Want to.” His gaze darted up and to the right. A security camera was pointed at them, watching their every move. Was he signaling someone or warning them? His smile was a parody of what it had been. It was still cocky, but it was tinged with desperation and a hint of madness.
Drawing up her magic, she waved her hand at the camera. “Eyes that watch now cannot hear or see. As I will, so must it be.” The device sparked and then winked out. It was a small use of magic, a basic spell, nothing that would alarm Solange or alert her to Onyx’s true powers. “We’re alone. Talk to me, Theo.” Beside her, Dagen stood, a silent guardian, watching and waiting.
“You’re too late. They’re on their way.”
“Onyx, we need to go now.”
He was right. If they stayed, more people would die, possibly them. “I’m sorry,” she told Theo. It was tearing her apart, but she’d made her choice, chosen her side. If that wasn’t enough, she’d made a blood vow. If Dagen died, so would she.
“So am I.” A lonesome howl ripped through the air as he flew at her. Dagen shoved her aside and rammed his clawed hand into her friend’s chest.
“No! Oh, God, Theo. What have you done?” It wasn’t fear or anger reflected in his eyes. It was relief.
“You were right. She did something to me. Changed me.” Blood bubbled from the corners of his mouth. “I can’t shift, not fully. A partial is all I can manage. I’m her puppet, dancing to her tune.”
“No.” She pressed her hands to his face. “It’s okay, I can fix you.” She’d find a way. Dagen lowered him to the ground with his hand still buried inside Theo’s chest. One tug and it would all be over. She went to her knees and took her friend’s, her brother’s hand in hers. “I won’t leave you. Not again. I can fix this.” Tears flowed freely down her face.
Theo coughed, blood bubbling from his lips. “You don’t have a choice. There’s nothing you can do. It’s the only way I’ll ever be free. As long as I’m alive, I’ll be a threat. I don’t want to live this way any longer.” He reached up with his free hand and stroked away a tear with his thumb. “I’m not worth crying over.”
“You’re worth it. None of this is your fault. We were children.” It was so unfair. The injustice and sheer horror made her want to scream at the universe.
“Then help me. Set me free. Quickly before she can get me back.” His hand dropped down by his side. He looked at Dagen. “Do it. Take my head when you’re done. I don’t want to be reanimated like some Frankenstein’s monster.”
A groan of pain escaped her. “Theo.”
“It’s okay, it’s what I want. What I need.”
“Onyx?” Dagen was asking her permission. It was her choice, her decision. The weight of it threatened to crush her. She shook her head, making a sound like a trapped animal, because that’s what she was. Both choices damned her. If she let him live, he’d end up back in Solange’s clutches. If she let him die, she was responsible for his death for a second time.
“Please, little sister.” A lone tear trickled down his cheek. “Set me free.”
Bending down, she brushed her lips over his forehead. “I love you, Theo.” She wanted to shut her eyes but that would be cowardly. “Do it.” There was no hesitation. Dagen withdrew his hand, taking his heart. With her eyes locked on his, she saw the light drain from Theo’s eyes and his lips curve into a smile.
Strong hands gripped her shoulders. “I have to finish it.” When she shook her head, Dagen repeated, “I have to finish it.”
“No, I will.” Placing his hands carefully on his chest, she rose. When she faltered, Dagen steadied her. He was always there, steady and stalwart, a shield between her and their enemies. It might be only because he needed her to defeat them, but that didn’t negate the effect. He was her port in the storm.
With her hands extended, she began to chant. Magic flared to life, more potent due to her emotions. There was no way for her to be calm and steady. Rather than fight it, she used it. Energy swirled inside her. “From dust we come, to dust we go. Honor and love go with you, forever and ever part of you.” It was simple but effective. His body crumbled, turning to ash. She’d tapped into a werewolf’s natural response to death, speeding the process. In seconds, he was gone.
“The heart,” Dagen whispered in her ear.
With a nod, she pointed at the heart. It disintegrated. There was no time to mourn for what had been, what might have been. “He’s gone.”
“He was gone all those years ago.” She wanted to rage at the callousness of his words, but he was right, to a degree.
“Enough of him remained to want to protect me. He fought a mage’s compulsion, Solange’s compulsion. That was a feat worthy of the greatest of wolves. I’ll never know if I could have saved him.”
“Don’t cheapen his sacrifice. He chose freedom. He chose honor.”
“Does it get any easier to kill?” It was the first time she’d ever taken a life.
“No.” His black eyes were grim. “Do you need to dispel the magic? We’re about to have company.”
“I’m sorry. It would take longer than we have.” She’d indulged her need to give Theo the respect he deserved, and it might cost them. “I need my bag.” She prayed it was in the SUV. With everything happening, she hadn’t thought to look.
Dagen rushed by her, reached into the vehicle, and came out with her bag. “Here.” He dropped the long strap over her head, and then lifted her off her feet. “Hold on. We’re going fast and hard.”
Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.