A Witch's Fury (21 page)

“In a demeaning,
I-can’t-fight-since-I’m-a-girl way.”

“Can’t say I thought it through that
far.”

“If you two idiots are finished, I’ll be
killing you now,” Silver Hair said.

“Who are you, anyways?” I questioned, annoyed
our conversation was interrupted.

“Eli, and I’ll be taking over now. I’ve been
patiently waiting, gathering power and supporters in order to
rectify the grievous errors Logan has led us into as Alpha.” He
stood perfectly straight. “It’s time for the wolves to be in their
proper position of power.”

“I get him, Olie. I want to know how he was
able to disguise his scent and approach.”

“Fine,” I grumbled, seeing the logic of Logan
having to deal with the main threat. “So, are we going to do this,
or is there official ‘I challenge the Alpha’ language?’” I asked,
deepening my voice.

Logan and Eli both gave me disbelieving looks
like, “What? That’s what the romance novels say.”

With a huff Logan tore his shirt. “Show off,”
I muttered.

He shrugged. “It was bound to be ruined
anyways, hanging out with you.”

A growl had me turning my attention as the
dark silver wolf of Eli launched at Logan. That was the fastest
shift I had ever seen. Eli’s extended claws scored the naked flesh
of Logan, opening four fresh lines of blood across his chest.

“Humpf,” I grunted, as I was suddenly slammed
to the cold concrete on my side, landing heavily on my right wrist
and shoulder.

Good news, they were in human form, with
human arms wrapped around my middle. Bad news, I couldn’t reach my
dagger hidden in the small of my back. With a grunt I rolled to my
other side, pinning the asshole under me, wiggling my arms.

“Hold her!” another flunkie yelled, holding
out zip ties.

“Oh hell to the fuck no,” I whispered,
wrenching my top arm free in a fit of both desperation and
annoyance at my inattention. Clenching my fist, I cracked it into
his exposed neck, shutting down his windpipe.

“Heal from that, fucker.”

Launching to my feet, I pulled the dagger at
my back. “Let’s fucking dance,” I invited the other three. While
they were highly unintelligent to attack us, I’d have to give them
a few points in the not-a-complete-waste-of-space column for
looking properly terrified.

I’m pretty sure I grinned at that fact.

“Call the zombies!” one of them screamed,
backing up.

I paid no attention to the growling next to
me as Logan and Eli slammed into a rack of guns together.

“What zombies?” I asked, stepping outside of
the storage unit. The three remaining shifters were moving back
behind a row of zombies, two deep.

“Where is a necromancer when you need one?” I
sighed. How the fuck was this even possible?

Slowly, they lumbered toward me. Not in the
mood to wait, I ran at them, slicing across putrid flesh, my
stomach cramping from the vile smells. Spinning around, I caught an
arm with loose flesh that was ready to slam down on my already
healing head. Ducking down, I buried my blade into the loose muscle
in his thigh, pulling forcefully and removing the limb from his
body.

I can’t say it was my most well thought-out
plan, as the zombie fell on top of me while I struggled to clear
off the dead flesh from my blade. With a grunt and a poorly
executed roll, I dislodged the fallen zombie and cleaned off my
blade.

I couldn’t tell you what made me look up,
what made me check on Logan, but I did. While he was busy fending
off Eli, who was trying to take bites out of Logan’s now furry
hide, the asshole flunky was creeping steadily toward him in wolf
form, belly low to the ground.

Not on my watch fucker, you want to take out
the leader of the Shifter Nation you go through me.

“Logan, behind you!”

The shift in my attention earned me a zombie
latching on to my forearm, but thankfully, not my throwing arm. I
pulled out the blade at my back, balancing it by the tip before
launching it with force.

Logan turned, meeting my eyes for a split
second before the zombie horde I had been keeping at bay launched
themselves with renewed force. I lost sight of him as I fell
beneath a pile of rotting flesh.

Dammit.

Flat on my back, I struggled to keep my mouth
closed as half decayed teeth chomped down on my appendages. It was
bad enough that the smell would destroy this outfit. I was not
going to swallow anything these fuckers were throwing out.

One of them bit through my leather pants and
into the tender flesh of my thigh. I forgot myself, letting loose
an open-mouthed scream.

I could hear the sounds of Logan fighting
with the wolf, even above the chomping of the zombies on my body.
Rolling onto my side, I crushed the jaw of the zombie on my thigh,
embedding the flat teeth even deeper into my already tender flesh.
My legs free, I began kicking my way out from the walking dead.

With a final heave, I stood, brushing bits of
undead flesh from my jacket.

Logan nodded, acknowledging I was still
breathing, before renewing his attack on the wolf.

As I reached down to remove the jaw from my
thigh, I saw movement from the corner of my eye, too fast to be a
zombie. My breath left me as I was tackled to the ground by another
wolf. His attack sent us skidding across the floor back into the
storage room, and again I lost sight of Logan, preoccupied as I was
with my own shifter issues.

The wolf rolled off me, baring his teeth with
menace as he crouched to launch at my jugular.

I’d had enough. Pulling a gun from the racks
behind me, I took a gamble it was loaded and squeezed the trigger
four times. The shifter dropped midair, landing at my feet and
trying to pull himself away to heal.

“Fuck you,” I told him before emptying my
clip of, thank the Gods, bullets into his head. I suppose the gun
might appear a strange item for Logan to stock, but being powerful
always means having enemies, both within one’s species and
outside.

“I am done with this shit!” I screamed,
marching back to where I’d last seen Logan.

What I saw there dumbfounded me. Logan had
Eli, the silver shifter, pinned to the ground, Logan’s massive jaws
clenching down on the skull of the wolf.

Lorraine was on her knees, sobbing. “Let him
go, please Logan,” she whispered, hands clutched in front of
her.

Hearing my footsteps, they all turned to
me.

“Kill him,” was my vote.

Logan growled, tightening his jaw. I smiled
upon hearing the bones crack and pop.

“I’M PREGNANT!” Lorraine screamed.

Shock alone had Logan opening his mouth, but
then I saw his eyes growing hopeful. The silver wolf was no fool,
seizing the opportunity to beat a hasty retreat while Logan’s gaze
was locked on Lorraine.

“Aww shit Logan, REALLY? You don’t even know
if it is yours! What the fuck are you doing here anyway,
Lorraine?”

Logan’s eyes narrowed again as he sniffed
Lorraine, completely ignoring me. Shifters could smell pregnancy.
Kass had told me how Darren had been the one to sit her down and
tell her she was knocked up. I was hoping she was lying, really,
really fucking hoping. But when Logan’s lion gently rubbed his head
against her stomach I knew it was, at least, a partial truth from
her.

I refused to acknowledge the disappointment
or the trickle of loss that wanted to flood my emotions. Nor was I
thinking about what The Oracle had said, or my curiosity about what
might have blossomed between us. Nope, wasn’t thinking about any of
it.

Logan shifted back to human form and I took
myself out of the storage unit. I didn’t need to hear any of this,
nor did I need the temptation of looking below his nonexistent
belt.

“When?” Logan whispered, dammit for still
being able to hear. I moved around the SUV and slid down, staring
at the bite marks on my legs.

“Only a few days ago,” her shaky voice
answered. “I was avoiding you, until I knew for certain.”

“Is it mine?” Logan asked, with heartbreaking
hope in his voice.

“Of course,” the hussy lied.

“Why are you here?” Steel coated Logan’s
words. I was glad to see the pregnancy announcement hadn’t totally
deluded him.

“I was coming to check on you.” More
lies.

“Bullshit Lorraine, you were one of two
people I told I was coming here and the other was my brother.”

“I’ve always said he was untrustworthy.”

“Why, Lorraine?” Logan’s voice was soft
either from anger or hurt, I wasn’t sure.

“Does it matter?” She sounded tired.

“Yes.” Logan’s answer was clipped.

“You replaced me with her!” she screamed,
stomping her foot. “The place beside you was for me and you let her
have it.”

Silence descended.

“Who is Eli to you?” His voice was deadly
quiet.

“I’ve been seeing him for a few months. He
promised I would be his Queen.”

“Want me to slap her?” I hollered.

“No, she’s pregnant. But I would appreciate
your help with her.”

I was not feeling excited about his wanting
my help. Not. At. All.

Dragging myself back to an upright position,
I winced as I put weight on my thigh. Logan’s gaze hadn’t left
Lorraine, nor had he put clothing on.

“Clothing, Logan,” I reminded him. “I’ll
protect the now pregnant wannabe queen bitch.”

His gaze cut swiftly to me. I rolled my eyes.
“Nor will I hit her.”

He gave me a curt nod before rummaging in one
of the black plastic totes.

“Who is Eli?” I asked point blank, while
shifting my weight to my uninjured leg.

Lorraine fiddled with the hem of her top,
shrugging.

Now was usually the time when I would smack,
hit, threaten or maim someone who had just betrayed me, but the
pregnancy forced a change in my approach. Unfortunately, the little
life inside of her hadn’t done anything to deserve my
brutality.

“Don’t play games, Lorraine, we know you set
us up based on your timely appearance. And we now know Eli holds a
very special place in your heart for you to BEG for his life.”

She didn’t glance at me, instead trying to
hold Logan’s gaze as he arrived back next to me, standing closer to
me than her.

Lorraine pulled out a winning smile, reaching
out to touch Logan. He recoiled, his gaze riveted to her, her
fingers brushing empty air.

“Answer her question.”

“Logan, don’t do this, please.”

“Betrayal is not something I am capable of
forgiving.” Thank the Gods. “Answer Olivia.”

“Or what?” Lorraine taunted, crossing her
arms. “I can abort the pregnancy.”

Logan stepped forward then, anger rippling
along his arms, “You’d kill your own child for spite?”

“I can disappear, you will never see us
again.”

“Switching tactics won’t help you, Lorraine,”
I warned. “From this moment you will be accompanied by someone
loyal to Logan or myself twenty four hours a day. You will not be
allowed to grocery shop, shower, or even shit alone while you are
carrying Logan’s child. We protect our own, and we protect it
ruthlessly.”

I hadn’t realized I had stepped forward until
I pulled back.

“I have rights,” she hissed, her chin
trembling.

I smiled. “Not if you disappear.”

She turned to Logan again, properly
terrified, although why I have no idea. I had just told her she
would be protected to the highest degree and that scared her. I had
to be missing something.

“You wouldn’t cage me up, Logan. You trust
me.”

I couldn’t help the scoff that left my lips
as I turned my attention to him.

“You can arrange that?” he asked me
softly.

“Of course,” I answered quickly. “She has to
be protected, even if it is from herself.”

His warm hand rested on my shoulder with
approval as he spoke. “It doesn’t matter who he was to you,
Lorraine. I will find him and I will kill him. You will be
protected from harming yourself and the child. Do not think that
others will not attempt to kill you as well. You are carrying my
child, a powerful child.”

Lifting her chin, she attempted to appear
brave.

“How does Eli have access to zombies?” Logan
asked.

She shook her head. If she did know, she
wasn’t spilling.

I turned to Logan. “It doesn’t matter. We
will figure it out.”

He nodded, turning his attention back to
Lorraine. With a pent-up breath I dictated, “Let’s get our gear,
call a cleanup crew, and regroup at my security compound.”

“The manor would be better,” Logan grunted,
filling a duffel bag with all sorts of pretties.

“I’m not taking her around the children.”

“I’m more stable than you are around the
children,” Lorraine declared, her head held high. It sure didn’t
take her long to go back to being a stuck-up bitch.

“Can you get her into the SUV?” Logan asked,
two full duffel bags hanging from his shoulders. Thank goodness I
couldn’t see the outline of his bulging biceps or the strength in
his shoulders. Ugh, damn him and his skintight undershirt.

“Yeah, I got it.” Turning to Lorraine I
asked, “You going to walk, or do I have to carry you?”

“I can walk.” Crossing her arms over her
chest, she proved she still had the ability to move one foot in
front of another, getting into the back seat. I made quick work of
enabling the childproof locks; I wasn’t about to put anything past
this bitch.

Logan pulled me back to his storage room,
picking me up and setting me on the table.

I raised an eyebrow. “What are you
doing?”

“Your leg needs to be cleaned.”

I looked down at the wound on my leg.
“Probably,” I agreed.

“Leathers off or you want me to cut
them?”

I sighed, debating. “Just cut them, like you
said they are already ruined from our adventures.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I watched Logan
work. He carefully pulled the fabric away from the scarlet wound,
oozing puss. “Fucking zombies,” I hissed as Logan pushed on the
wound, sending additional puss shooting out.