Cold Blooded

I ran toward the next hedge and ripped through a screen of branches, breaking them off without thought. We were in a small patch of side yard, away from anything. This is why Alana sent me through the house. I had to exit these windows in order to find him. Now that I was outside, I could hear all the commotion on the other side of the wall, just as Tyler had said.

Once I saw him, my knees gave way and I dropped to the ground.

He was naked, lying on his side. He’d just shifted back from his wolf form, which meant he’d arrived right before Eudoxia set the ward. He must have jumped the wall.

His body was covered in festering angry welts.

Those weren’t normal welts.

“What are these? What’s going on?” My voice was rushed. When he didn’t answer, I panicked. “Dad, you have to tell me! I need to know what’s going on.”

He tried to lift his head, but succeeded only in raising it a few inches. “The rest of my wolves are behind me. I had to pull ahead. But the fracture pack is right behind them, Redman in the lead. He crossed over to their side at the last moment. There were too many wolves to fight. I should’ve brought an army with me. It was a bad decision, and now I’m paying the price.”

“You weren’t going down to fight,” I cried. “You were going down to cement alliances. How would you have known? But I need to help you now. What are these welts?”

His breath was shallow. “I was cursed.”

“Cursed?” I repeated, stunned.

“Not by a witch.” He reached out and grabbed my wrist. A trickle of power tingled up my arm. Whatever was harming him was sucking away his magic.

“Then by what?”

“Jessica,” he said quietly. “It’s already ravaged me from the inside out. What you’re seeing is the latent damage. The only thing that’s kept me alive was shifting into my wolf and knowing I had to get here to you. Now that I’m human, I have very little time left, so you need to listen—”

“No!” I said, balling my fists. “We can fix this. You’re not going to die! Maggie said you’d be fine if—” I needed Ray. “I need to find Tyler.” Tyler! Where are you? I yelled in my mind.

We’re in the front yard. Where are you? In good news, the witches are outside the gate with Nick. It seems he’s been coordinating the Pack and the witches. There’s a solid defense going on, but we can’t get in or out because of the ward.

Never mind all that; I found Dad and I need you right now! Bring Ray. I’m on the north side of the house in the bushes. Dad’s been cursed. I can’t figure it out. But, Tyler, he’s dying.

We are on our way. I heard him yell something to someone.

“It comes again,” a whisper floated against my ear. “You must get away.”

I waved my hand, trying to shoo away the ghost. I didn’t have time to deal with it.

A crash, followed a second later by a big thud, sounded right behind us.

My father snarled. He tried to get up. I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll take care of this.” I stood and turned to see the Screamer stumbling toward us, even more disfigured from its fall. Behind me, my father began to shift into his wolf form. I hoped he had enough strength to finish the change. He would be better protected in wolf form.

“I don’t have time for this, Conan. Do you hear me?” I walked toward it, determined to keep it away from my injured father.

The Screamer almost smiled.

But instead of engaging me, its horrid nostrils flared. It scented death in the air.

“Oh no, that’s so not going to happen,” I said, waving my arms to center its attention on me. “You want me, remember? I have all the kickass blood you need right here.”

There was noise above us. I glanced up right as my mate burst out one of the windows, jumping through the air cleanly with his powerful arms splayed. He came down hard, landing and rolling twice, twisting at the last moment, his feline abilities at the forefront. Both of his feet crashed into the Screamer’s knees from behind.

The Screamer flew to the side and struck the wall. I knew it wasn’t enough to keep it down for long, but Rourke had bought us some much-needed time.

“Go to your father and I’ll keep this thing occupied,” he urged. “I can smell him from here. I will make sure this thing stays away from you.” Fur sprouted along his powerful forearms. He’d have his work cut out for him.

I nodded once and ran back to my father, calling over my shoulder, “Tyler and Ray are on their way.”

Rourke was right—the smell was awful. The scent of rotted flesh wound its way up my nose, making me gag. It was stronger now that he was in his wolf form. Without thinking, I dropped to my knees and dug my hands into his fur and grabbed tightly, pouring as much power as I could into his body. More, I urged my wolf. Can you see anything? Images of mustard-colored masses emerged in my senses. Ohmygods, they’re everywhere. We have to try and get rid of them. I aimed my power at the masses, trying to encapsulate them. Once my essence touched the putridity, it scorched me. The curse fought back, burning along my senses, trying to keep me out.

The festering sores didn’t give at all.

Instead, they seemed to feed off my power. But my father’s relief was palpable. I was insulating him from the pain by wrapping my power around the globs.

I shoved more power into his body. Dad, I said. Is this better?

Yes. His voice was hollow. It’s helping, but I don’t want to hurt you. Be careful.

Don’t worry about me. Tell me what happened to you. Who’s behind this? I left out because I will kill them, as we both knew they would die for this, whether it was at my hand or his.

We were tracking the fracture group in the Everglades, but it turned out they weren’t working alone. The magic they were using was strong, but I couldn’t place it. They attacked. When we fought, several of the humans shifted into wolves … but they were not … true wolves.

I don’t understand. What do you mean?

Jessica, these wolves were made with some kind of black magic. They were not born.

Made? That’s impossible. How can anyone make a wolf? Our gift is genetic, passed on by birth. Saliva wasn’t enough to change anyone into a wolf. You had to be born or nothing.

I witnessed it with my own eyes. They were wolves, but changed. They were rabid and feral. Someone must have taken our DNA and cursed it somehow. There is no other explanation.

If that were true, it was incredible. And horrific.

So we eradicate them, take out the culprit who is crafting the curses, and we win.

My father chuckled and sucked in his breath. My power had begun to leak out of his body. I readjusted, trying to keep it better contained. It took everything I had not to show my emotion to him and start weeping like a child.

It won’t be an easy task, he managed. They are making war machines. They don’t care if it goes against nature. They want to win at all costs.

How many were there?

There were at least three in the first group that followed us out. If they bite you, they spread their vile curse. Their bite will change a human to wolf, but for us it means death.

There was a deafening boom behind us.

I jumped, shielding my father’s body with my own.

Rourke was down and the Screamer was ambling toward us. Anger and fury fueled me as I leapt forward. “You want me? Is that what you want?”