“Family,” Liam said, “means everything, Luna. If I trust you with my family, my pack, they are yours fully. To stand beside, protect, and not create harm. Do you agree to those terms?”
Luna closed her eyes. When they reopened, the silver hue of her irises sparkled. “I believe I can, Alpha.”
“Then welcome to the Lowell Pack.” He offered his hand and she shook it.
“Thank you, Alpha,” she said softly.
“What if she is brainwashed, or Mitch just tossed us a spy?” Drew shouted.
“She's not brainwashed and if they try to, we will save her like we did Bryn.” I pulled Luna into a hug. “Luna wasn't the one trying to kill us. She will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Luna stepped away from me, and blushed at my appraisal.
I tugged Connor toward me. “Let's go home. I'm done with today.” I looked around one last time, relishing my friends and family. Their love encompassed me even through the rubble that surrounded us.
“See ya.” Connor lifted me into his arms, stealing a brief kiss before placing me back on the ground.
I slapped his chest. “Show off.”
“Wait till later.” He winked.
“I swear, I'm going to kill you, Connor.” Drew's angry voice did little to diminish the jitters in my stomach.
Chapter Thirteen
Mansfield
The black tar returned with fury. Mansfield soaked a towel in a heaping pot of hot water mixed with curry, ginger root, and magic. After wringing it out, he placed the towel across Master's heart. Mansfield cringed. As if he has one.
“We need to let this set for thirty minutes. The healing power will dampen the poison and extract the redhead's power.” Mansfield scrubbed his hands hard as he rinsed the mixture from them. He hastily dried them and threw the napkin in the trash, wishing he could toss someone else away.
He looked upon the man in the makeshift hospital bed. He had intended the room for Master's many experiments, but with his weakening power, it became Master's sanctuary. And another form of hell for himself.
Minutes passed in a flurry of curses and grunts as the magic worked through Master's body. The extraction worked at a rapid pace. Already, Master's face was flushed with color. His eyes became darker, more evil than before.
“What have you done to me, Mansfield? I will kill you! Make you suffer a slow death once my strength returns.”
A chill raced down Mansfield's spine. Master’s hoarse voice did not dampen the threat.
If only he could wrap his hands around Master’s throat and squeeze.
But he couldn't.
Master possessed something that Mansfield hungered for, and he would sacrifice anything to acquire it. Even kill.
But he wouldn't.
He made a promise to never kill again. Not after the last time.
“I-I... told you not to link the poison to your own blood, Master. It needs to be extracted since it lived in both hosts. Once the others vanquished the poison, the black tar returns to the blood source — you. So, you must fight to remove it from yourself. Only you can separate the poison from the power. Or else, the poison will overtake your body and you will be no more.” Mansfield couldn't bring himself to say die. Surely, that word would be his death sentence if Master recovered.
“It was the only way to transfer the witch's power to me.” Master took a deep breath and closed his eyes, smiling. “What type of witch is she, anyway? I feel different.” He held his hand in front of his face and turned it back and forth as if seeing it for the first time.
Mansfield scoffed at the question. He had told the Master a thousand times the girl was a wild card.
“Her origin is unknown, but she is powerful. My sources tell me she is the enforcer for the Lowell pack. For a woman of her age to attain that position, she must possess some extraordinary capability or magic.”
The power circling through Master's body, tackling the poison was like nothing Mansfield had ever seen. Finally, he removed the magic-infused towel from Master's heart. “It's done.”
Master stood and took a careful step forward. “Extraordinary.” He took another step.
Mansfield had hoped the poison would kill Master, but then he would ne—
No!
He wouldn't allow himself to hope. Over the past twenty years, he had endured this hellhole. His heart had hardened to allow him to do what he had done. Only one precious little spark would permit him to forget all the horrible things he had witnessed. Had done. All in the name of a battle he didn't care to fight, but had to because Master threatened his daughter.
“Oh, I like this.” Master's grin split his face, his teeth shining in a way that froze Mansfield's already sinking heart.
“What—” He stumbled, unable to spit out the rest. Pain shot through his body. He tumbled to his knees, then toppled like a statue that had its base knocked out from under it. He tried to form words and yell “stop,” but his brain became jumbled. No sound left his lips. He was paralyzed.
“Yes, indeed.” Master squeezed his hand into a fist and the pressure grew tighter until Mansfield felt as if he would pop. “I need to know more about this witch and her powers.”
Master exited the room as though he had never been drained of power. As if the last several months of weakness and near death had been just a nuisance.
His laughter reverberated off the walls.
When Master's power released him, Mansfield gasped for breath. “What have I done?”
***
Aylin
By the time we reached Connor's house, I was alive with power, need, want. The grief that had worn me down earlier had either diminished or been pushed out of the way by a much stronger emotion and my need to forget.
I didn't want to be so overcome with anguish that I couldn't function. A miniscule piece of that woman prodded my consciousness. Although I respected the hell out of her,
