Scarred Wolf by Charlene Hartnady
32
Everleigh
Burning…Searing-white hot pain. Familiar now. I’ve felt it before…when the men took me.
Why did I let him in? I’m even more of a fool than I thought.
“I’m sorry, my dear, but it has to be this way,” he’s saying. He has me by the wrist and he’s dragging me into the living room. He’s surprisingly strong, considering he walks with a pronounced limp. “Can’t have you turning that lightning bolt of yours on me now, can we?”
I’m silently cursing the foolishness that led me to step aside and turn to lead him in – he’d used the moment to stick a needle in me and I was down before I knew what hit me. I thought that maybe…maybe there was an explanation for all this. An explanation in which Jaxon isn’t my enemy. It was hope that lead me here. Hope and stupidity.
My shoulder catches against the edge of a chair and he jerks me past it. It would hurt if I could feel anything past this blinding heat in my veins. He chuckles and shakes his head, then rolls me over, patting me up and down. It turns my stomach, even though I’m barely aware of the sensation of his hands on me.
“Ah, here we go,” he says, tugging at something and standing. I see that he’s pulled my phone from my back pocket. “Now, let’s see…how do I access this thing.”
I groan deep in my throat. What the fuck is he doing? What does he want with me? Why is it every time I see one of these damn men, everything goes to shit?
He’s chuckling again, and I swear if I could move, I’d knock that slimy smirk right off his face. “Don’t bother fighting it, dear. I adjusted the ingredients – this dose is far more potent.”
I know he’s right; I can already feel myself slipping away. He has my hand again and is pressing my thumb against the screen to open it. Through the haze, I try vainly to understand what’s going on.
“I’ll admit, you gave me quite a surprise the other night. The way you recovered so fast. I underestimated you. But that won’t happen again. Ever. I put together a nice little cocktail this time. My special blend of proprietary ingredients…all held together in a nice base of colloidal silver.” He glances up from the screen and winks at me. “I’m betting you’re figuring out by now that silver is pretty much fatal to our kind. But never fear, you’ll be around long enough for the happy reunion…” His laughter is tainted with evil and madness.
I bite back bile. The burning has passed the point of being unbearable and I’m ready to welcome unconsciousness now. Through the fog, I’m dimly aware of him tapping on my screen.
“Right, that should do it. Little note to loverboy should have him here in no time. And then we can turn this little party into a threesome.”
Oh, no! Jaxon.He’s bringing him over. Why? What is he planning? Whatever it is, I know it can’t be good. I have to stop him. I have to let Jaxon know. I reach through my thoughts, trying to call out to him. But it’s like trying to breathe underwater.
Everything goes dark.
* * *
Jaxon
I boundup the stairs four at a time, too impatient to wait for the elevator to arrive in the lobby. My phone had buzzed thirty minutes ago. Six words from Everleigh.
We need to talk. Please come over.
If anything could have convincedme of the danger she is in, it’s that message.
Everleigh wouldn’t have called me with her phone. He has her. I don’t know how he’s done it, but he’s forced her to send that message. My fucking uncle. My mentor. The man I’ve thought of as more of a father than Warden Skau. Garret is the real enemy. The wolf in sheep’s clothing. It would be funny if it weren’t for the gravity of the situation.
I reach the landing of her floor, pumped too full of adrenalin to have lost my breath up the twenty flights of stairs it took to get there. Aiming a booted foot at the door, I kick it open. The sight that greets me stops me cold.
Garret is leaning up against the back of a sofa. He has Everleigh clasped in front of him, a vicious-looking blade pressed up against the column of her throat. The silver glints in the sun.
“Hello, Jaxon,” he says coolly. Evil son-of-a-bitch. “You got here quicker than I expected. Eager, aren’t we?”
“Motherfucker!” the curse escapes me inadvertently.
“Now, now, pup. Is that any way to greet your dear old uncle? Particularly since I obviously have the upper hand, wouldn’t you say?” he says, pressing the blade more firmly. She doesn’t resist and from the way her head lolls, I’m guessing she’s unconscious, or on the verge of it.
“It’s alright, Princess, everything is going to be alright,” I say softly, hoping she can hear me from wherever she is. I shut my eyes briefly, waiting for some sort of contact, but there’s nothing.
“Get real, you fucking idiot,” Garret snaps at me. “It should be obvious that everything is not going to be alright. Not for you, at any rate.”
“Leave her out of this, Garret. She’s done nothing wrong. She’s innocent. Haven’t we done enough to this family?” I press.
He shrugs, rolling his eyes. “Do you really think I care? Guilt or innocence means nothing to me. You’re in my way. She’s my ticket to you. I’ll get rid of her if it suits me. It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”
I feel rage swirl. “You killed my mother,” I bite out, working hard to keep it together.
If he’s surprised that I know, he doesn’t show it. “Of course I did,” he says calmly. No fucking remorse. “I’ll admit it was a mistake. You weren’t supposed to be there that day. I only intended to take out Arken.” He gives a dramatic sigh. “But there you were, the pair of you. Fucking up my plans.”
The enormity of what he’s saying is slowly sinking in. I’d been so fixated on learning about my mother I hadn’t even consider the ramifications of him killing the pack alpha. He’s the one who did it. And then he pinned it on the Moones. They were innocent, too.
He sees my expression and seems to realize I’m putting the pieces together. He shifts slightly, the blade pressing deeper and I see a bead of blood form. His other arm is wrapped around her waist, his palm almost cupping her breast, and I swear I’m going to rip it off if I get half a chance.
“Yes, I killed Arken, and your mother. And I got the Moones out of the picture. Almost you too, but I guess I got soft.” He gives a rueful smile. “I’ve always had a soft spot for you, pup. Nobody’s perfect.”
Pup.
Fuck him!
“But why?” I ask. It seems incomprehensible to me that one man could do so much harm with so little guilt. There’s never been a moment in my life that I’ve been aware of my uncle showing any signs of a guilty conscience. Surely a normal man would have some sense of that? I’m starting to see that my uncle is not normal now. The expression on his face is bordering on insanity.
“Why?” He shakes his head. “You ask why? Because it was supposed to be mine! All fucking mine!” he yells out the last words and now I’m convinced. He’s insane. “I was firstborn! Me! But they took one look at me and decided I wasn’t good enough. Because of this!” He sweeps a hand at his side, indicating his twisted hip. Everleigh slips down a little as he releases her, and I flinch as I see more blood form and trickle. He hefts her up again. “Your fucking father did this to me in the womb. Before I was even born, he was screwing up my world.” His face is twisted with hatred. My father’s trusted advisor and confidant has wished him ill from the moment of his birth.
“How could you blame him for that, Garret? It makes no sense. My father loves you,” I say, not trying to appease him, but I need him to calm down.
He snorts. “He’s weak. And foolish. How do you think I’ve controlled him all these years? Your mother’s death may have been a mistake, but it worked for me. While your father was wallowing in his grief, he was putty in my hands. I molded him. Every major decision that has been made in the past twenty years, has been my doing. Those fools may not deem me fit to lead, but I’ve been doing it all along. And I will continue to do so.” He laughs maniacally. His eyes are wild, but they stay on me.
“But what does that have to do with me? With Everleigh?” I ask.
“The pack is going to question Warden’s leadership after all of this. I can sense it. This creature,” he dips his chin at Everleigh, “is clearly more powerful than any of us. A double-alpha in the flesh. And with you at her side, you’d be the obvious choice to take over.” He shakes his head. “I can’t have that. I can’t have that at all. It’s my turn to shine. I will be a hero for killing her. It’ll work out well in the end…for me.”
“I don’t want to lead them!” I snap. It’s true. I don’t. I have no taste for leadership after all this. Not after seeing what it can do to a man. My father has treated his people harshly; I don’t care if it was grief that caused it. And my uncle’s lust for power has driven him to slaughter innocents. All collateral damage on his mad quest for glory.
“Don’t be foolish, pup. Just look at you. You’ll do anything for her. And she’s destined to be queen.” He sneers as he says the words, though I know he’s right. There’s nothing this woman could ask that I wouldn’t do. She holds my heart. My blood sings in her veins.
I run my eyes down her still-slumped form, where she hangs limply in his grasp. My mind is racing as I take in the room, trying to think of how to get us out of this situation. And then I see it. Her fingers twitch.
“I can convince her to leave with me,” I say desperately, trying to buy time. “We’ll go somewhere else. Like her parents did. You can tell the others we’re in exile too.”
He narrows his eyes. “What do you take me for? Do you think I don’t know you’ll rat me out the minute we leave this room? No, it’s better this way. I’ve worked it out…you’ve come here to confront her over your father and you’re going to take a silver dagger to the chest. Dutiful uncle that I am, I come racing to your aid…but too late.” He grins. “Fortunately, I’ll get a chance to deliver a fatal dose of the toxin. Which, as you may notice, I’ve already given her. Then I’ll go home, get your dear Pops back on his feet and take up where we left off. Except he’ll be even more malleable now that he’s gnashing his teeth over losing his only son.”
I take a step forward, then pause.
He snorts with impatience. “She’s dying as we speak; make it snappy. Who knows? Maybe I have an antidote and you can still save her.” He winks.
But she’s not dying. I’ve seen her moving. Even now, I can sense something stirring in my mind. I have to keep him talking.
“How does that stuff work?” I ask. I’m trying to keep him talking, but I’m also curious. This “antidote” of my uncle’s has been at the root of half of his strategy. But I’m pretty sure he has no idea what he’s dealing with.
“What difference does it make?” He tosses his head. “All that matters is that it’ll end her. But if you must know, I’ve pumped her full of silver. There are other ingredients, of course.”
Jesus,I think, she must be in a whole world of hurt right now. But the fact that she’s still breathing convinces me that he really has no idea how strong she is. Hope surges. And then more…I hear her voice.
“Distract him,” is all she says, and I nod. Garret tilts his head quizzically.
“What do you need from me?” I ask.
“Get over here,” he says. “You’re going to die today, and her hand is going to be on the blade that kills you.”
“Why would I do that?” I press. “You’ve already told me that she’s dying.”
“Because I’ll carve her pretty face up if you don’t. Or maybe I’ll fuck her right here in front of you, then gut her. Or gut her while I’m fucking her… Come to think of it, that would be interesting to see. Believe me, pup, there’s dying…and then there’s dying.”
Christ, he’s psychotic.I can’t believe this sick bastard has been living alongside me all these years. I clench my jaw and step forward. He nods his approval, his eyes bright with madness. I close the distance between us, every inch of me braced for what’s about to come.
And I hear it. “Now!”
I lunge through the air as Everleigh ducks and twists away from him. The force keeps me moving and I smash into him. Even if he hadn’t been physically compromised, the sheer weight of me would have knocked him flying.
I glance to the side, relieved to see that Everleigh is free and clear. I attack my uncle, it’s my turn to slash his chest. To watch him bleed. To hear him scream…and scream he does. It’s loud and piercing. I think he’s begging. I can’t hear because…I’m…this makes no sense. I’m dropping to one knee. I try to get up. There’s more screaming. This time I think it’s Everleigh. But there’s a searing pain in my chest and I look down and see the handle of the blade protruding. Fuck!
Everleigh lets out another piercing shriek and turns on my uncle, fangs bared, eyes blazing, twin beams of light pouring from her palms. Even in my pain-induced haze, she is magnificent. My uncle stares at her in horror as the light touches him, and then it’s rushing through him, streaming from his eyes; he’s glowing with it. He starts to scream. Before my eyes, I see his shape begin to crumble, cave in on itself. He’s clawing at his chest, his face, but there’s nothing he can do. Nothing anyone can do. He’s disintegrating from within.
It’s all over in seconds. All that’s left of the man who caused so much pain and misery is a pile of pale dust on Everleigh’s living room floor.
I reach my hand up, grasping at the handle of the dagger. The silver is sizzling in my chest and I’m pretty sure it’s pierced my heart. The evil fucker may have died, but he’s succeeded in taking me with him. I drop back, no strength left to support myself. She falls to her knees at my side.
“Jaxon! Oh god!” She clutches the handle and tugs. It’s probably not the right thing to do, but I’m beyond resisting. The blade makes a squelching sound as it leaves my flesh and I hiss.
“Ev- Ev-” I gasp. I want to tell her all of it. That I’m sorry. That she’s my everything. That I love her.
But it’s going to be too late.
“Stop!” she pleads. “Don’t speak!”
“Can’t. Breathe,” I choke out, the great engine that has driven me pumping slower, giving out. Blood squirts. I’m bleeding out…and this time, when I die, I probably won’t come back.
“No!” she screams, and gathers me to her chest. I’m too limp to respond. Then her mouth closes over mine and I’m lost.
Surrounded by glowing white light. It floods me, filling every particle of me. In that moment, I feel my heart heal, thump, and begin to beat.
What. The. Fuck!
I don’t know what this thing is that she does. Where the power is from. But she’s saved my life. I slide a hand behind her neck and return the kiss, feeling her give a hiccupping little sob into my mouth. We stay like that a while, inhaling each other as I feel my strength return. I can’t believe what she’s just done. She draws back eventually, rises to her feet, and I do too.
We stand and stare at each other in the silence that comes after devastation, and I sense unspoken words. Her eyes are huge with them. I wrap my arms around her, drawing her to me, aching for her to be near. But she’s stiffened against me and I feel her draw back. I don’t hold her.
“I’m sorry, Jaxon.” She’s shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t forget. It’s not that you lied to me. It’s not that you were sent here to kill me. That you almost went through with it. Those things I could forgive. I could find it within myself. It’s them.” Her jaw tightens and her beautiful bright eyes cloud over. “I grew up with just two bright beacons in my world. We lived on the move, never settling anywhere long, just us against the world. I understand now – they were afraid you would find them. Your kind. It was a hard, lonely life, but they were right to be afraid. Because when they were discovered, your people took them out. They were all I had. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at you without remembering that. I can’t do it. I need you to leave.”
The words tear me to pieces inside. She can’t see beyond what has happened. Her family. My lies. I’d die for her and she’d bring me back. But in the pain of her past, my role in it, we are broken. I know that. I don’t want to accept it.
“Everleigh, I—” I stop as she shakes her head again.
I drop my hands at my sides, and she steps further out of reach as I release her. Her face is a mask of sorrow and regret. And then it’s studiously blank. She shuts me out.
I’ve known all along that I’d do anything she asks. But I never thought it would be this. I nod silently once, then turn and walk out the door.
