Chapter 38: : Chapter 38

I sensed the maenad before she stepped out of the trees.

“You made it,” Cavra whispered with a mixture of shock and disbelief, her gaze locked on the bloodstone. “What a delightful surprise ”

She observed Savannah, and a dangerous light flickered in her eyes. The maenad couldn’t be trusted. Her sweet voice hid a wicked cunning and lust for power, which made my skin itch.

I stepped between them, claws extended, blocking Cavra’s view. “How does this play out now?”

It took every bit of strength to maintain my calm. My protective instincts were still in overdrive after what had unfolded in the jungle, and I was certain that Cavra was far more dangerous than anything we’d encountered there.

The maenad examined me with a deadpan expression, and then her lips twitched up in a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I’m true to my word, wolf man. Give me the bloodstone, and I’ll fulfill my end of the bargain…with your help, of course.”

“What do you mean, with help?” I growled.

“The spell you’ve asked of me is not a simple one. I’ll need you to contribute a bit of your magic to bring it to fruition.”

“What’re you suggesting?” Savannah asked, suspicion ringing in her voice.

“I’m a maenad. I draw my power from passion and pleasure, so I’ll need you two to join me and my family in our revel. Come.” Cavra turned and motioned for us to follow with the flick of her wrist.

Savannah shrugged and stepped past me, but I caught her hand. She had no fucking clue how bad it was.

“No,” I growled. “We will be participating in your debauched rituals.”

A maenad’s revel involved wine, drugs, and sex. Cavra was dangerous, and I didn’t want to risk losing focus. Moreover, I didn’t want to risk losing control around Savannah—her scent alone, rich with sweat and desire, was enough to drive me wild with lust.

If passion took her, how would I hold myself back?

Cavra gave me a knowing smile that slowly took on a sinister twist. “Don’t worry, Jaxson. All you two need to do is have a good time. I’ll do all the rest. But don’t delude yourself that your participation is negotiable. It’s not.”

Savannah pulled her arm from my grasp. “We’ve come this far. We’re not backing out now.”

She had no idea what she was dealing with.

“Delightful! I knew that you would see reason.” Cavra held her hand out. “The bloodstone, please.”

Before I could object, Savannah stepped forward and delivered it. My breath caught. The maenad cradled the stone like an egg, her gaze wild. After a few moments, she shifted her bright eyes up to us. “Thank you. Now, are you ready?”

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Savannah muttered as Cavra stepped up to the base of a massive, twisted banyan tree.

Cavra chuckled. “The show is just getting started, child. Watch out—you might even enjoy yourselves.”

A wall of silvery moss hung from the lowest branch like a curtain, and with a wink, Cavra slowly parted it.

Closing my eyes, I begged the moon mother for strength. No matter what happened inside, Savannah and I could fuck. If I could just hold that line…

Savannah stepped through, but I paused before the maenad. “If this turns out badly, I won’t hesitate to rip your throat out.”

“Oh, I you. By all means, wolf man, go wild and don’t hold back. After all, a revel wouldn’t be complete without a little blood spilled. Desire is what makes us alive.” She snickered and lowered her voice, her glance flicking toward Savannah. “Something tells me, though, that your desires have nothing to do with killing.”

“Watch yourself, maenad,” I growled, ducking under the curtain. But then I froze, my senses bombarded from an explosion of sounds, smells, and sights.

Scantily clad males and females danced and scampered through a garden wholly different than the jungle we’d just left. Faerie lights floated above a circular podium in the center that was ringed by white marble columns draped in vines and crimson flowers. Music drifted through the air, and the heady smell of jasmine and honey was intoxicating.

“What this place?” Savannah asked, wonder glinting in her eyes.

“A trap,” I muttered, and I fought against the haze creeping in around the corners of my mind.

“My home.” Cavra motioned with outstretched arms. “You’re safe here to explore your deepest desires. Drink and eat. Dance. Fight or fuck. As I was telling your mate, .”

I stiffened as Savannah laughed weakly. “My mate? Oh, no, we’re not together.”

“Hmm,” the maenad mused, and gave me a wink. “What an interesting way to play it.”

A male approached holding a tray of goblets. He had the legs and hooves of a goat but the upper body of a man with a bestial face. Savannah’s jaw dropped as she took in his form, her gaze lingering on his upright ears and horns.

“What are you?” she blurted.

Cavra snorted as she scooped up two goblets from his tray and handed them to us. “This is Elias. He’s a satyr and a great companion, but something tells me that you won’t be requiring his services.”

She eyed me playfully and took a sip from her cup. The silver goblet I was holding dented within my fist.

Mercifully, Savannah was taken by the satyr and missed the insinuation. She raised the goblet to her lips.

“Don’t drink that.” My arm shot out, and I gripped her wrist. As if waking from a spell, Savannah shook her head and frowned.

“Actually, you must drink that for this to work. Consider it part of your contribution,” Cavra said. “I promise it’s not poisoned, and no harm will befall you.”

“Why do I doubt that promise?” I growled.

Cavra drummed her fingers on her goblet as her signature rose, vibrating the air around us and pressing in like the depths of the ocean. “Because I don’t need to trick you or impair you to harm you. You are in dream now.”

The pressure released, and Savannah gasped.

“But you’re my guests,” Cavra said, in a cheerful voice. “So eat, drink, and be merry, and enjoy the safety of my protection.”

Savannah narrowed her eyes at the maenad. “When will you cast the blocking spell on the grimoire?”

“I’ve already begun. I only need the power of the revel to complete it, so drink up. Just one word of advice—don’t fall asleep.”

“I’ve heard that before, but why?” Savannah asked.

“There’s no telling where you might wake up.” Cavra turned and lifted her arms above her head, moving seductively toward the columned podium. The music amplified, and revelers flocked around her, drinking, dancing, and gyrating their bodies together.

“Fucking hell,” I muttered.

Savannah turned to me, eyes wide. “Don’t let me fall asleep, Jaxson.”

“That’s the of our worries,” I ground out, my voice rough. Heat coursed through me, and I knew full well that as soon as we drank that wine, we’d be doing everything sleeping.

Worry wrapped around Savannah, and her lips pressed together. “We’re not participating in an orgy, if what you were implying.”

I raised the goblet to my lips and released my alpha presence, hoping it might help Savannah keep her head on straight. “Whatever happens, whatever you think you want, don’t let me fuck you.”

She swallowed hard and nodded.