A Cursed Bloodline (WG 4) (29 page)

“The only thing he wants to eat is us,” Tye answered irritably.

I ignored him and went to find something I could use as a bowl. A helmet stuffed into a storage compartment seemed like my best bet. I filled it with a bottle of water from a cooler we’d found, and grabbed a pack of dehydrated meat the pilots had purchased. I ripped open the pack with my teeth and shoved it into the cage. As I worked to position the water close to the bars, something about Aric’s eyes caught my attention. They rolled from side to side, but they no longer glimmered green. I smiled. “Michael, Aric is getting better. He’s—”

Tye launched himself on me and slammed me against the rear of the plane. Aric had awoken in a vicious state. He crashed his body furiously against the metal bars like a battering ram, shaking the whole plane. Michael shot him repeatedly, but it didn’t slow him. His snarls rumbled with menace despite the blood that soaked his snout.

“I’m out of darts!” Michael yelled.

Aric’s thrashing moved the cage directly over the two rifles that remained. Tye and Michael kept trying to snag them, but Aric’s snapping jowls held them to a standstill.

I tried to sound as soothing is possible. “Aric, stop it.” He beat himself against the bars, jolting the cage forcibly against Michael and knocking him aside. I raised my voice. “Aric, no!”

He fixed his gaze on me. I thought he recognized me, but his menacing stare and the increasing growls said otherwise. If any other predator had stared at me that way, my tigress would demand we snap its vertebrae. But this wasn’t some unknown aggressor. It was Aric. “Baby. It’s me. Please don’t look at me like that.”

In one jump, Aric forced the cage toward me, cornering me near the entrance to the cockpit. His snout protruded through the bars mere inches from my throat. The metal creaked and bent as his mangled face advanced through. His oozing nose scraped against my skin. He was almost to me.

The sound of rapid fire reverberated from the rear of the plane. Michael had reached the gun.

One of the pilots burst into the cargo area. He seemed confused, but unafraid. “I don’t know what the hell that was,” he called over his shoulder. “Everything seems in order.”

“Turbulence,” sputtered Michael. He sprawled on the floor breathing heavily.

“It must have been turbulence,” the pilot repeated before returning to his seat.

Michael continued to pant. “I’d told them not to notice us or the cage.”

I slumped to the floor. “Good…good thinking, Michael.”

Tye shoved the cage away from me. I couldn’t look at him. The last thing I needed was his sanctimonious needling. “I thought he was getting better,” I mumbled. “His eyes weren’t green anymore.”

Tye sat next to me. “A cursed
were’s
eyes won’t persistently stay green.”

“Okay.” I avoided his gaze.

Tye continued. “When a vampire has bloodlust, he constantly needs to feed to suppress his insatiable hunger. When a
were
is cursed with bloodlust, he’s compelled to kill to combat his pain.” He sighed. “Aric’s violence will continue to escalate…and so will his hurting. You have to accept that he’s getting worse, Celia.”

I listened to Tye, really I did. And I wasn’t stupid. Aric was growing sicker—I could see and scent it. But that didn’t mean I’d admit defeat. I stood and made like I was dusting off. Now that was a joke. My clothes lay in shreds and nothing short of a thorough Clorox soaking would remove all the blood, dirt, and vampire ash. “Well, then. I guess we’d better get him cured quick.”

Michael’s normally composed demeanor collapsed like the Mayan ruin. In his alarm, I realized he, too, had begun to doubt my sanity. I was done with everyone thinking I was unstable and felt compelled to defend my actions. “Aric managed his first
change
at less than two months of age—an incredible feat, considering that even the strongest
weres
can’t
change
before six months. He’s from a long line of pures that have saved the world time and time again—overcoming astronomical odds. Aric isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. He can fight this, I know he can.”

Tye dug his fingers into his chin-length hair. “Celia, no one doubts Aric’s strength. That first hex Lucinda struck him with was a death curse meant for you. It would have killed you if he hadn’t shielded you from it—hell, it would have killed most anyone I know.”

“See, this is what I mean. Aric’s might is unparalleled….”

My voice trailed off as Tye shook his head. He ambled toward me and took my hands in his. “Celia, when a witch launches a death curse she instantly knows if it works. She knew it had failed, so she hit him with the only other hex that would seal his fate. Lucinda is crazy and evil, but she’s also smart. She knew we’d have to kill him—” I jerked away from Tye and walked to the opposite end of the plane, but it wasn’t far enough to keep from hearing his next words. “Sweetheart, don’t you think if there was a cure we would have discovered it by now?”

I ignored his question. “Why didn’t Lucinda die when I stabbed her?”

Tye watched me for a while before answering. He didn’t want to stop hounding me about Aric, but he also realized it wasn’t getting him anywhere. “Lucinda is powerful. If you had stabbed her with any other blade, all you would have done was piss her off.”

I recalled the creepy dagger. “The hilt had skulls on it.”

“The skulls signify death. It’s likely the weapon she used to kill her sacrifices. If so, dark magic is attached to it.”

“Celia used her own magic against her,” Michael said.

Tye nodded. “If the Alliance is smart they’ll finish her now that she’s weakened.”

Michael rolled onto his knees. “She won’t die on her own?”

“She will, eventually, considering what Celia did to her. Problem is, ‘eventually’ could be a long damn time. That nutcase is still dangerous on her deathbed. She has to be destroyed.”

Aric stirred, causing us to tense and forcing Michael to his feet. He leveled his gun at him. Thank God, Aric slumped back to the floor. I looked to Michael. “How much longer to Tahoe?”

He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Two hours. Celia…we only have eight darts left.”

Two hours of flying and another forty minutes to the Den. “Michael, can you see if the pilots can arrange for a moving truck when we arrive—something with metal walls and a full tank of gas?” He nodded and hurried to speak to the pilots. Aric stirred again, lifting his paw. “And Michael…can you see if they can fly any faster?”

Chapter Twenty-five

We ran out of tranquilizers an hour later. Michael was forced to beat Aric with giant bolt cutters any time he stirred. I covered my ears to muffle Aric’s growls and yelps. It didn’t help, and I became faint more than once. The only reason I didn’t pass out was out of fear Tye would try to kill Aric. He hadn’t spoken to me, and I worried he was plotting against us.

A rental truck was waiting when we landed in Tahoe. Tye helped me position the cage so the door rested against a metal wall. It was a tight fit, and one that served to better contain Aric. Michael influenced the memories of the landing crew and set to work on creating a diversion. A loud explosion signaled he’d completed his task. He’d set fire to one of the plane’s engines, making our emergency landing appear believable. It was the distraction we needed to tear out of the airport.

Michael and his giant bolt cutter rode in the back with Aric. Tye sat in front with me. He still wouldn’t talk and continued to watch me carefully. The damn truck wouldn’t go faster than seventy and it slowed considerably once we started to ascend Granite Chief Peak.

As eager as I’d been to reach the Den, my entire body trembled the closer we drew. Tye finally spoke as we reached the main gates. “I’ll take care of you.” It wasn’t a threat. His voice held a great deal of compassion. Yet I didn’t welcome his offer nor the words that followed. “With your mate bond severed, there’s a good chance you’ll survive no matter what happens to him.”

“I can take care of myself. And nothing is going to happen to him!” I tried to growl, but didn’t manage. Terror licked my skin and pulsed hot through my veins.

Heidi stepped out of the guard station, ready to tear heads until she saw us. She smiled, until she caught the traces of my fear. “Celia—”

I reached out my hand to her. “Aric is in the back. He’s hurt. I need my sisters and the Elders right away.”

Her lips parted. She was likely shocked that anything could hurt Aric enough to keep him down. “Your sisters are at their jobs. Go to the main building—I’ll summon the Elders.”

“Heidi!” Tye called to her before she could run off. “
Everyone
needs to be there.”

I didn’t like the look Tye shot her and neither did she. She nodded slowly before opening the large metal gates. I stomped the accelerator, passing a group of young
weres
playing football in a large open field. A howl from a wolf sent them, and another band headed for the library, racing toward the main building.

The truck thundered down the road as
weres
emerged from the châteaus that served as dormitories and classrooms. Martin and Makawee waited at the end, standing at the foot of the stacked stone porch, their expressions tight and distraught.

I skidded to a stop. Michael kicked the back doors open and leapt out before I cut the engine, clutching the giant bolt cutters against him.

Aric was waking up.

I raced toward the back of the truck and so did the Elders. Martin took in Aric’s state. “Celia, what’s happened? Why is Aric caged?”

Like a hound from hell, a deep menacing growl rattled from Aric’s throat.

“He’s cursed with moon sickness,” Tye said before I could answer.

Everyone stilled. “My
God,
” Martin whispered.

Aric struggled to his feet, falling more than once. His growls worsened each time he fought to stand. I veered to face Martin. “It’s okay. He’s going to be all right. Emme can help him. I know she can.”

Strong hands fastened around my arms. Koda, Liam, and Gemini had arrived, their faces ashen with shock. I hadn’t noticed them until Koda attempted to lead me away. I jerked out of his hold. He reached for me again. “Celia, get away from the truck.”

Aric rammed his body from side to side, rocking the giant vehicle. He was now completely awake and rabid with fury.

Gemini yanked me back. “Celia, you have to move
now
!”

I struggled against his strength. “No! We need to—”

Aric tipped the truck over. It slammed against the gravel, scattering the stones and coating the air with a large cloud of dust. He collided against the bars, bending the metal.

Gemini and Koda restrained each of my arms, keeping me in place as Makawee approached. Her wise eyes darkened as they met mine. “Child,” she said quietly. She stroked my hair away from my face. To my absolute horror, the faint howl of wolves erupted around me. She was using the power of the Pack against me.

Tye’s arms circled my waist and hauled me backward. “I’ve got her!”

“No. No. No!” I screamed as he dragged me inside the building, trying to
change
and
shift
—anything to break free. But like Anara, Makawee had robbed me of my abilities. I kicked and clawed. Tye wrestled to control my upper body while another wolf hugged my legs. Michael followed, except he did nothing to help. I couldn’t fault him. He stood as a lone vampire on
were
territory.

We reached the door in time for Aric to burst free.

Tye dragged me to a large study on the second floor where a grand piano sat in the corner and a large shelving unit took up an entire wall behind a mahogany desk. Michael shut the door to deaden the chaos and uproar outside. I still heard it, even through my struggles and swears.

Pain sharpened Gemini’s commands. “Herd him toward the back, but keep your distance.”

“
Jason,
you’re getting too close!” Liam’s tone was off, as if fighting back cries of anguish.

I started to hyperventilate and grew limp in my captors’ arms. They relaxed their hold.

And I attacked.

I head-butted Tye and slammed my right elbow into his stomach. The other
were
dropped with a single kick to the head. I scrambled under the piano and out the other side before Tye could grab me again. Michael stayed put by the door. He couldn’t help me any further, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to help Tye.

Tye and I circled around the piano. He clenched his jaw. “Celia, listen to me.”

The baby grand weighed about five hundred pounds. I grunted as I lifted it over my head and propelled it forward. Tye dove across the wood floor, thinking I meant to launch it at him. But it was meant for the window and that’s where it headed.

Glass shattered in a melodious shower. I leapt outside before he could stop me, landing hard atop a thick layer of slivers. I dug in my heels, kicked back the shards, and sprinted toward Aric’s snarls.

Tye bolted behind me, stopping short when the Elders halted my steps with their magic. Their power weighted down my muscles like hundreds of sandbags. I could barely move. Tye’s hand touched my face. “Celia,
please
. Come back with me, you don’t want to see this.”

He was right; I didn’t want to watch. But I did. The entire pack closed in as they surrounded Aric. He bared his fangs and scanned the crowd, seeking the weakest to kill first. Except among a throng of thickly muscled
weres
trained to fight, trained to slaughter, no one looked weak.

I turned desperately toward Martin. “Please don’t do this. You raised him as your own—like a
son
. My sister can help him. I know she can!”

Martin shuddered. His head slumped and his entire body seemed on the verge of collapsing. The Alpha male I’d always known vanished, in his place stood a dispirited old man. “Makawee…give the order,” he said. Then, almost silently, he murmured, “Forgive me.”

Makawee held up her head. “Members of the Squaw Valley Pack, your honorable Leader, Aric Connor, suffers. As his loyal supporters it is your duty to send him to his final resting place.” Makawee’s voice remained soft, but the might of her command was unmistakable.