Chapter Fourteen

WOLF

The moment the bandaging drops, my eyes widen in disbelief as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Blinking, I furrow my brows in response as my jaw slackens. Am I hallucinating?

I fell asleep battered and bruised with a few broken ribs, but this morning, however…

I can’t stop staring at the reflection looking back at me; my abs are ripped as fuck, my biceps are huge, and I’ve got to do a double take as my eyes slowly roam over my features.

I’ve always been lean and well-built, but this is next level; everything has doubled in size. Have I grown two or three inches taller than last night?

That’s impossible.

At eighteen, I stopped growing two years ago, the norm for mutts. I mean, you either fill out, become lean, or stay scrawny; it all depends on your wolf, but this, however, is just unreal; what the fuck is going on?

My body went through this insane transformation overnight while I was asleep; this is off the charts.

My mind is still racing a mile a minute after the frantic phone call from Sasha last night; my beast won’t settle, and the more on edge he becomes, the more static energy begins to ripple through my entire body, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

Looking down at my arms, I flex them as I fist my hands out in front of me; the energy coursing through my veins is unexplainable. Smirking, I shake my head in disbelief as a satisfied grin creeps up at the corners of my mouth. Is this what happens when you find your mate?

It’s unreal.

My wolf needs to protect her, and the longer we’re apart, the worse it’s getting; it’s becoming a physical kind of painful to be away from her. I want her so badly that it burns through my veins.

I’ve heard the mate bond can be pretty intense; this is way more than I ever suspected it would feel like.

It’s as if with each second we’re apart, the impending full moon in a couple of days is forcing us together like magnets.

I’m doing everything I can to try and control it, to force it back down and bury it in the deepest and darkest crevices of my soul, but it just won’t stay there. She’s in my head constantly. I’m drowning in her, and I don’t know how I will survive this without her after I walk away.

Will this feeling disappear when the full moon comes, and the bond is severed? Will we just go back to how we were before, not sharing this pull and connection?

That instantly has a lump forming in my throat, and I hate it. I’ve never felt this way before, and the more I allow myself to explore the possibilities, the worse it gets.

Could I keep Sasha? Could she remain mine?

Stop being selfish, Wolf. I instantly scold myself as I close my eyes, clenching my fists against the wall before me; I shake my head at how stupid that all sounds. She doesn’t need a piece of shit like me as a mate; she’s an alpha’s daughter, not a mutt like me.

At that moment, as I’m still trying to wrap my head around what’s happening to me, I suddenly sense Mason standing at my door; slowly turning my head, I’m met with a bewildered look of shock and surprise on her face, her dark brown eyes. She’s just gawking at me as her jaw drops, her eyes widen, her brain is trying to process what her eyes are seeing, and her wolf shimmers behind her orbs in a way I haven’t seen before.

What the fuck is wrong with her?

“H-how did you...” She stammers, but the words are lost to her, and the only thing I can respond with is,

“I...um...” I don’t know what else to say; I’m just as stumped.

Her eyes shoot up to mine, and the look in them is something I’m finding difficult to place. Is that... fear?

My brows furrow in confusion as I turn towards her before taking a step in her direction,

“Mace?” My voice is calm and low like I’m approaching a deer caught in headlights. She looks spooked, and it’s so out of place to see that expression on her face that it’s freaking me out.

Her breath becomes hitched in her throat as she takes a step back; I take another slow and calculated step towards her when she suddenly spins around and bolts out the door and up towards the entrance of the mine shaft.

Fuck!

“Mason!” I shout after her, and even my voice comes out different; it’s deeper, radiating with a commanding tone that wasn’t there before, having me stop dead in my tracks.

What the... did my voice break again or something?

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I growl in frustration when I go after her.

Fuck.

The last thing I need is for her to run off to Caius with this, at least not until I’ve had a chance to figure it out for myself. Because the person I was looking at in the mirror a second ago looks more like I’m related to a Samoan warrior than who I looked like before.

The moment I reach outside, the daylight hits me, blinding me for a second. My hand shoots up to block the sun.

My eyes slowly adjust and lower as I try to find my bearings when I suddenly freeze.

The moment I see Caius standing a few feet away with his rogues by his side, my jaw clenches in response, my eyes narrow, and a low rumble pushes up from my chest.

All of them are just standing out in front of me, staring at me like I’m some strange, foreign creature they’ve never seen. The shock and disbelief on their faces make me realize that there’s no going back now; I’m on full display, and they have definitely noticed that I look different.

My brows furrow into a scowl as I stare them all down; I’m in nothing but grey sweatpants as my beast ripples through my body, causing every well-defined muscle to twitch. Then, I notice Mason hiding behind Caius; my jaw clenches, and my eyes narrow even more.

What’s wrong with her? It’s almost as if she’s cowering behind Caius to get away from me; that’s nothing like the Mason I know.

When my eyes land back on Caius, I realize he’s not at all shocked nor surprised by my appearance; it’s almost as if he expected it. Instead, he looks pissed, and the way he’s staring at me has my wolf pacing aggressively behind my ribs, growling so loudly in my ears that I can’t understand him; it’s like he’s lost his mind.

I wince, my body tensing. He needs to calm down now.

A sinister smirk reaches Caius’s dead eyes and pierces mine; only then do I notice something in his hand; he’s aimlessly rolling it over and over between his fingers as he silently continues staring at me.

I can’t look away even though I want to.

The shimmery green reflection of it has me mesmerized. It looks like some stone, and I don’t know why it’s captivating me, but it is; something about it has me drawn to it.

“What the fuck is that?” My voice rumbles in a stern and deep tone, taking everyone by surprise except Caius, who still has a smirk as he looks at me.

The other rogues turn to look at him all at once, anxious as they expect him to lash out, but I don’t give a fuck; my wolf is clawing under the surface of my skin. He wants out...now!

Scoffing, Caius merely looks down at the stone in his hand, still rolling it in between his fingers as he again smirks and then sighs,

“It’s a moldavite stone called the holy grail stone. A compelling gem indeed, if used for good, it can become an excellent source of transformation and protection, but if used for evil... well...” His voice trails off as he raises a sinister brow. “It’s tied to a spiritual element, a scarce creature, and in my hands, this stone could cause some serious complications.”

His words instantly have me on edge; I can feel the shift of energy vibrating beneath the surface as it rattles my beast.

“What does any of that have to do with me?” I grumble.

Smirking, Caius shakes his head menacingly at me,

“Your wolf,” He says as he looks back up at me. “It seems to have Damien on edge; there are concerns.” My eyes narrow on him when I grumble,

“What kind of concerns?”

“He doesn’t think it can be trusted around the pack; he feels that your beast will threaten us, and he wants it contained.”

Scoffing, I give him a suspicious look while I quickly scan the area, my eyes raking over to see if I can find the cowardly little shit anywhere, but he’s not there.

My eyes shift back over towards Caius when I mutter,

“Contained?”

Caius nods slowly as he cocks his head in response,

“Well, my wolf is completely under control, so there’s no need for concern,” I grumble irritably as I clench my fists.

Letting out a dry, sinister laugh, Caius looks back down at the stone,

“Perhaps,” He nods before looking back up again, “Or perhaps your wolf will decide that he would rather attack me next; considering that you blatantly refused to take my blood, one could say that your wolf might have a different agenda. And that you will never show any form of submission into our pack of mutts.”

Rage instantly courses through my veins like an inferno when I growl,

“So what the fuck was last night then, Caius. If not showing some form of submission, why would I have allowed you to beat the living shit out of me?”

Caius clenches his jaw as his eyes narrow in response,

“Temper-temper, Wolf. And that wasn’t a form of submission. If anything, all last night proved to me was just how far you would be willing to go to avoid submission.”

My wolf shimmers behind the irises of my eyes as I blow out a disgruntled groan,

“This is bullshit, Caius. You fucking beat me within an inch of my life, and still, that’s not good enough for you. Stop your mind games; I’m not here to overthrow you, to try and take anything from you. I want the alpha packs off my back; that’s it, that’s why I’m here.”

My chest rises and falls hard as I continue to stare him down, and only then do I hear the threatening deep growl surging from deep inside me. It takes me by surprise. Blinking, I straighten up, trying with all my might to reign my beast back in, but it’s not working; he’s taking complete control and not letting up.

Fuck!

As my chest continues to rise and fall, my eyes are burning with the energy of my beast when I grit out,

“If you can’t accept that I’m here to help get rid of alpha packs and not to join yours, then I’m out.”

Caius snarls at me, his wolf showing within his eyes, and my words are still left lingering in the air; when I shake my head at him and turn back toward the entrance of the cave, my mind is already made up, I’m grabbing my stuff and getting the fuck out of here.

Caius clears his throat as he tuts,

“Not so fast, Wolf. You asked me what this stone has to do with you, and the answer is simple... everything.” Stopping in my tracks, I slowly turn back to face him, my brows furrowing in response, when I mutter,

“What do you mean?” Smirking, a wicked grin forms at the corners of his mouth when he shrugs,

“That dog tag hanging around you’re neck, do you honestly think I put it there because you had soldiered through my beatings and that I wanted to reward you for it? Are you that fucking gullible?” Scoffing, he lowers his eyes as he shakes his head.

That’s when I lower my eyes and look down at the dog tag hanging around my neck; I immediately go to grab it, fisting it in my hand and wanting to rip it off, when Caius calls out in a warning,

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I stop as my eyes slowly lift, a glare forming as I stare at him. “That dog tag and this stone are linked and connected. A fierce and aggressive curse has been placed on it that if you remove it in any way, you’ll be dead before it hits the ground.”

A deep and challenging growl reverberates from me as I take a step toward him,

“Liar!” I growl, my wolf swirling violently behind my eyes.

Smirking, he sighs when he shrugs,

“By all means, if you think I’m lying, go ahead, take it off, and see what happens. But know this: if you try to harm me or show any form of disobedience. I’ll smash this stone and watch you drop dead at my feet. I told you, Wolf. They’re connected, one needing the other to survive.”

Dropping the tag against my chest, I can feel my beast pushing to the surface; he wants to rip Caius’s fucking head off, and so do I.

My beast has had enough, and so have I. Caius isn’t getting away with this. The second I feel the shift happening, I’m preparing myself for the bones to crack and snap into place when, out of nowhere, an excruciating shooting pain pierces right through my chest, instantly knocking me to my knees as I gasp for air. It feels like someone has just driven a blistering hot, serrated sword through me, and I can’t think or breathe as everything begins spinning, my ears ringing in response to it.

“What the fuck have you done to me!?” My breathing is labored, and even my beast feels its full effects as he whimpers and snarls in my head.

Caius bursts out laughing; his devious and sinister joy immediately has him clapping his hands together in victory.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, that dog tag also prevents you from shifting into your beast. So you see, you either do as I say or die; it’s that simple, Wolf.” Another row of laughs reverberates through him, and my eyes narrow into slits as I bear my teeth, but I can only stare at him as I continue to take deep breaths.

“What- do you want?” I grit out. Shrugging, he sighs with a grin when he mutters,

“I plan on taking the Erebus pack in six days; I want to hit Fenris exactly where it will hurt him the most... His daughter, Sasha.”

My entire body tenses and goes rigid at mentioning her name as it rattles my beast.

“What’s- so special about his daughter?” I grind out, my beast snarling inside my head.

“She is the key to everything; I will be unstoppable with her by my side.”

Glaring at him, I slowly push myself up to stand against my feet, still shaky but strong enough as a growl reverberates through my chest, and I can’t stop it.

“What do you mean by your side?” I growl aggressively. Smirking at me, I see a glint of something so evil in his eyes that my beast is almost crazy enough to initiate another shift. I force him back down, and a guttural groan murmurs through me as I wrap my arms around myself.

“I plan on claiming her as mine, of course. When I mark that little bitch as my mate, nothing will stand in my way from having what I want.”

Hearing him say those words instantly has bile rising in my throat when I grumble,

“And what’s that?”

“Complete control over all the packs, one by one. I want them to cower before me as their alphas drop dead, and what’s inside that girl is the key to everything.”

I’m glaring up at him; Caius has lost his fucking mind; he wants to take all alpha packs; that’s impossible. It can’t be done.

The fact that he needs Sasha for his plan to work makes me want to lose my mind, though. My beast growls chaotically inside my head,

PROTECT. MATE.

Clenching my jaw, I grind my teeth so hard it feels like I could chip them while forcing my wolf back down.

I swear he’s going to get us killed.

My eyes lower to the ground as it suddenly dawns on me: the full moon is in six days. My eyes widen in horror as they fly up to bore into his,

“You want to claim her under the full moon?”

Nodding, he grins,

“Well. I couldn’t think of a better time to do it, can you?”

Closing my eyes, my chest feels tight; it’s hard to breathe. I’m trying to stay calm, but I fucking can’t. Get it together, Wolf; you can’t lose it, not here, not now.

Is this some sick joke? Is Caius planning on claiming Sasha under the full moon, with me there to witness it?

I continue trying to focus on my breathing, but between Caius and my beast, it’s almost impossible.

Looking up at him, I’m visibly shaking as I stare daggers at him; I need to play this down and keep calm. Fuck. I have to pretend I don’t know her, like she means nothing to me.

I have to make it seem convincing because Caius doesn’t know what she is to me, and he can’t, not ever.

“Why would I help you capture his daughter? She’s not my problem?” I grit out, my fists clenching into hard balls by my side,

“Oh, but you see, she’s connected to this stone, which ultimately connects her to you.”

My eyes widen as my jaw slackens, and I instantly forget how to breathe; I’m just staring at Caius in disbelief.

“If she isn’t united with this stone under the next full moon,” He continues, “then you both die; it’s how the curse works.” He smirks.

Gritting my teeth, I’m glaring at Caius. I bite down so hard against my inner cheek that I don’t even realize the blood is pooling inside my mouth until I swallow the metallic taste, making me want to kill. And for the first time, it’s not out of self-defense. I want to kill Caius for pleasure.

“You wouldn’t kill her, not if you need her.” I grind out. I’m trying to shift his mindset, but by the smirk on his face, it won’t happen.

“Oh no, but if she dies, it won’t be by my hands; it will be by yours, Wolf. It’s your responsibility to make sure she stays alive, for your own sake, if nothing else.”

At that moment, it feels like I’ve been punched in the gut; all air escapes me as I realize he’s got me right where he wants me. I want to kill the bastard and save my mate, but there isn’t a damn thing I can do to stop this trainwreck from happening. He’s holding all the cards, and like a fool, I walked right into his trap.

I have to follow his plan; I don’t have a choice.

“Why her, why Erebus?” My voice is low, and I suddenly feel powerless as I swallow hard. I’m utterly vulnerable when it comes to Sasha; I would do anything to protect her.

Anything.

“It’s a long story; let’s just say that the little bitch was promised to be mine a very long time ago, but her so-called mother thought she was stronger, that she could protect her daughter from me until I ripped her throat out.” He grins wickedly.

My eyes fly up to him, narrowing in response as my throat thickens.

Caius was the rogue who killed Sasha’s mother.

My beast is about to explode with rage, but I can’t let him. I’m no use to Sasha if I’m dead; if I die, she dies too.

Looking back up at Caius, I swallow the bile in my throat; when I grit out,

“Who cursed that stone and this dog tag, and why?”

Smirking, he sighs as his eyes pierce mine,

“There are deeper forces at play here, boy, and the same witch that enchanted this curse wants to see the same thing as I do. To see Erebus fall and Fenris on his knees.”

Not being able to take it any longer, I turn away; I need to run, blow off steam, anything to release the raging fire twisting away at my insides.

Marching off toward the trees, I suddenly hear Caius call out,

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“I need fucking air,” I bellow back before disappearing into the forest.

Air swooshes past me; I suddenly pick up the pace. I’m running as if my life depended on it, the oxygen burning my lungs as I gulp it down.

I planned to sever the mate bond under the full moon to free her from being mated to a rogue. But now, if I don’t claim her, then Caius will, and the thought of that has me wanting to lose my goddam mind.

I’m panting hard as I try and catch my breath. Standing up on the ledge of a high cliff, I can see the entire town from up here, the ocean; it’s all there, far down below.

My body is so tense that it could snap; taking a deep breath in, it explodes from me in waves, my beast roaring as I drop to my knees.

Once it’s all out, and I’m panting as I push back against my knees, my head hangs low; I’m suddenly feeling so deflated. What the fuck am I going to do? How am I meant to save her now?

Caius plans on kidnapping her, claiming her as his mate in six days, all under the next full moon; that’s when the mate bond will be at its strongest.

He plans to make her his because of what she is and wants me to help him.

What exactly is she, and why does he keep referring to her as the key to everything?

I swallow the heavy lump in my throat; I already know what I will do; there’s no other way.

My beast is possessively protective of her, and so am I; she belongs to me.

The only flaw in Caius’s plan is me because Sasha is mine, and he can’t have her.

I won’t let him.