Mine to Have
Page 49
Zoe nodded. It seemed the werewolf believed Mina, too.
But still Ryan hesitated. His gaze had softened, but he wasn’t moving. “We need to know where Lorcan went.”
“You don’t have to go find him.” Mina’s smile was bitter. “He’ll be back here, the moment he thinks you’re at your weakest.”
“Sounds like him,” Ryan muttered. Then he stepped aside.
Mina’s shoulders slumped. “Thank you.”
She skirted out of the room. Jane followed her. She wanted to make sure the wolves below knew that the witch was clear.
Only…
There were no wolves below. There should have been. They should have been guarding the house.
Where are they?
Mina was running down the stairs.
Jane just jumped right over the bannister and hit the bottom floor, her knees barely buckling. The enhanced power that she’d gotten after taking Alerac’s blood was sure a nice bonus.
Finn’s body was gone. So was Heath’s.
Jane tilted her head. She’d been distracted upstairs and hadn’t noticed the silence. So complete. Too complete.
Mina yanked open the house’s front door.
Some of Alerac’s packmates should have been out there, protecting that door.
The men were on the ground, not moving.
“Wh-what’s happening?” Mina’s voice shook as she turned to glance back at Jane.
“Get away from the door!” Jane screamed as she lunged for the witch.
But it was too late. Because even as Jane rushed toward Mina, she saw Liam appear behind the witch. His claws drove right into Mina’s back.
“No!” Jane screamed.
Mina’s eyes were on hers. Shocked. Pain-filled. Terrified.
Those eyes were on Jane, and the life was slowly bleeding away from them, even as Mina’s blood soaked her clothing once more.
Then Liam tossed Mina aside, as if she were of no more consequence than garbage. To him, she probably was. He didn’t know anything about Mina or her pain, and he didn’t care.
Liam filled the doorway.
Footsteps thundered from overhead. Ryan. Zoe. Rushing down in response to Jane’s scream.
“I knew he’d leave you…leave you waiting for me.” Liam leapt toward her.
She didn’t back away from him. Her own claws ripped free, and she attacked him. They collided in a tangle of limbs and claws.
“Get away from her!” Ryan’s yell.
Liam wasn’t getting away from her. She raked her claws over his stomach. This man—he thought to hurt her Alerac? Thought to destroy the pack? “You were his friend!”
“I was his f**king shadow,” Liam snarled right back. “No more.”
“You’re right.” That booming voice was Alerac’s. And he was—he was standing right behind Liam. “No more.”
Liam whirled to confront him. But even as he turned, shoving Jane to the side, Alerac was attacking. Alerac’s claws sank into Liam’s chest.
“You’re not the only one who knows how to disguise his scent,” Alerac told him as he sank his claws even deeper in Liam’s chest.
Liam cried out.
But Alerac wasn’t showing mercy. Alerac was taking Liam’s heart. Just as Liam had taken Finn’s heart. Part of Jane wanted to look away from the horrible sight, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move at all.
Ryan pushed into her back. Zoe gasped.
“You were like a brother to me,” Alerac told Liam, voice thundering. “Why? Why betray me?”
Liam shoved his hand, no, his claws—right over Alerac’s chest.
“No!” Now Jane was moving. Because she was desperate. She grabbed Liam, but couldn’t pull him away from Alerac. The werewolf was too strong. If she couldn’t get him to break free, then both werewolves might die.
Not happening.
Jane sank her teeth into Liam’s neck. Liam jerked his hand back as he tried to attack her.
And images, dozens of them, immediately swam through her mind.
Liam. Vampires. Fangs and claws and blood.
Voices that wouldn’t stop shouting in his head. Dark desires that could never be satisfied. Desires that just grew worse as the blood flowed. Urges to hurt, to kill, to destroy.
It’s not me anymore. I can’t stop. Help me. Help me!
Jane wrenched her mouth away from Liam. Alerac yanked his hand back at the same instant.
And Liam fell. He slammed face-first into the floor.
She swiped her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to banish his taste and those terrible, twisted memories. She’d seen Liam hurting so many people. Humans and vampires and werewolves.
He’d hid his darkness for so many years.
No longer.
His heart was gone. His body was still. Liam was dead. Killed by his alpha’s hand.
Jane looked up at Alerac. He stood there, bleeding, chest heaving, staring at her with the eyes of an enraged beast.
Part of her was afraid of him. He’d taken the heart straight from Liam’s chest.
Alerac stepped toward her.
Her own heart raced faster.
His nostrils twitched.
He smells my fear. Oh, crap. “Alerac—”
But he’d whirled away from her. He stalked outside. Other werewolves were there. When had they gathered?
“It’s done.” His voice was flat. “The traitor is dead.”
Ryan’s fingers brushed down her arm. “Are you okay?”
She was. She just needed to talk with Alerac. To make him understand how she felt. “I need Alerac.” Jane stepped toward him.
But the visions from Liam’s head—those images of blood and pain and torture, flooded through her once more. She tried to stop them, but it was as if a dam had broken. The images wouldn’t stop. They slammed through her, over and over again.
Was this what it was like for him? She could feel her sanity draining away.
She tried to call out to Alerac again, but couldn’t.
Jane didn’t hit the floor when she fell.
Her brother was there to catch her.
But there was nothing to stop the bloody visions that filled her mind.
Chapter Eleven
She thought he was a monster.
Fitting, considering that was exactly what Alerac was.
I killed Liam. Alerac had done what was necessary. Liam had been a menace, turning on his own kind, attacking Jane.
And when I killed him, I could have sworn I saw relief flash in his eyes.
But still Ryan hesitated. His gaze had softened, but he wasn’t moving. “We need to know where Lorcan went.”
“You don’t have to go find him.” Mina’s smile was bitter. “He’ll be back here, the moment he thinks you’re at your weakest.”
“Sounds like him,” Ryan muttered. Then he stepped aside.
Mina’s shoulders slumped. “Thank you.”
She skirted out of the room. Jane followed her. She wanted to make sure the wolves below knew that the witch was clear.
Only…
There were no wolves below. There should have been. They should have been guarding the house.
Where are they?
Mina was running down the stairs.
Jane just jumped right over the bannister and hit the bottom floor, her knees barely buckling. The enhanced power that she’d gotten after taking Alerac’s blood was sure a nice bonus.
Finn’s body was gone. So was Heath’s.
Jane tilted her head. She’d been distracted upstairs and hadn’t noticed the silence. So complete. Too complete.
Mina yanked open the house’s front door.
Some of Alerac’s packmates should have been out there, protecting that door.
The men were on the ground, not moving.
“Wh-what’s happening?” Mina’s voice shook as she turned to glance back at Jane.
“Get away from the door!” Jane screamed as she lunged for the witch.
But it was too late. Because even as Jane rushed toward Mina, she saw Liam appear behind the witch. His claws drove right into Mina’s back.
“No!” Jane screamed.
Mina’s eyes were on hers. Shocked. Pain-filled. Terrified.
Those eyes were on Jane, and the life was slowly bleeding away from them, even as Mina’s blood soaked her clothing once more.
Then Liam tossed Mina aside, as if she were of no more consequence than garbage. To him, she probably was. He didn’t know anything about Mina or her pain, and he didn’t care.
Liam filled the doorway.
Footsteps thundered from overhead. Ryan. Zoe. Rushing down in response to Jane’s scream.
“I knew he’d leave you…leave you waiting for me.” Liam leapt toward her.
She didn’t back away from him. Her own claws ripped free, and she attacked him. They collided in a tangle of limbs and claws.
“Get away from her!” Ryan’s yell.
Liam wasn’t getting away from her. She raked her claws over his stomach. This man—he thought to hurt her Alerac? Thought to destroy the pack? “You were his friend!”
“I was his f**king shadow,” Liam snarled right back. “No more.”
“You’re right.” That booming voice was Alerac’s. And he was—he was standing right behind Liam. “No more.”
Liam whirled to confront him. But even as he turned, shoving Jane to the side, Alerac was attacking. Alerac’s claws sank into Liam’s chest.
“You’re not the only one who knows how to disguise his scent,” Alerac told him as he sank his claws even deeper in Liam’s chest.
Liam cried out.
But Alerac wasn’t showing mercy. Alerac was taking Liam’s heart. Just as Liam had taken Finn’s heart. Part of Jane wanted to look away from the horrible sight, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move at all.
Ryan pushed into her back. Zoe gasped.
“You were like a brother to me,” Alerac told Liam, voice thundering. “Why? Why betray me?”
Liam shoved his hand, no, his claws—right over Alerac’s chest.
“No!” Now Jane was moving. Because she was desperate. She grabbed Liam, but couldn’t pull him away from Alerac. The werewolf was too strong. If she couldn’t get him to break free, then both werewolves might die.
Not happening.
Jane sank her teeth into Liam’s neck. Liam jerked his hand back as he tried to attack her.
And images, dozens of them, immediately swam through her mind.
Liam. Vampires. Fangs and claws and blood.
Voices that wouldn’t stop shouting in his head. Dark desires that could never be satisfied. Desires that just grew worse as the blood flowed. Urges to hurt, to kill, to destroy.
It’s not me anymore. I can’t stop. Help me. Help me!
Jane wrenched her mouth away from Liam. Alerac yanked his hand back at the same instant.
And Liam fell. He slammed face-first into the floor.
She swiped her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to banish his taste and those terrible, twisted memories. She’d seen Liam hurting so many people. Humans and vampires and werewolves.
He’d hid his darkness for so many years.
No longer.
His heart was gone. His body was still. Liam was dead. Killed by his alpha’s hand.
Jane looked up at Alerac. He stood there, bleeding, chest heaving, staring at her with the eyes of an enraged beast.
Part of her was afraid of him. He’d taken the heart straight from Liam’s chest.
Alerac stepped toward her.
Her own heart raced faster.
His nostrils twitched.
He smells my fear. Oh, crap. “Alerac—”
But he’d whirled away from her. He stalked outside. Other werewolves were there. When had they gathered?
“It’s done.” His voice was flat. “The traitor is dead.”
Ryan’s fingers brushed down her arm. “Are you okay?”
She was. She just needed to talk with Alerac. To make him understand how she felt. “I need Alerac.” Jane stepped toward him.
But the visions from Liam’s head—those images of blood and pain and torture, flooded through her once more. She tried to stop them, but it was as if a dam had broken. The images wouldn’t stop. They slammed through her, over and over again.
Was this what it was like for him? She could feel her sanity draining away.
She tried to call out to Alerac again, but couldn’t.
Jane didn’t hit the floor when she fell.
Her brother was there to catch her.
But there was nothing to stop the bloody visions that filled her mind.
Chapter Eleven
She thought he was a monster.
Fitting, considering that was exactly what Alerac was.
I killed Liam. Alerac had done what was necessary. Liam had been a menace, turning on his own kind, attacking Jane.
And when I killed him, I could have sworn I saw relief flash in his eyes.
