Fated for the Alphas: The Complete Collection (Nine Book Paranormal Romance Box Set) (63 page)

“I told you, you gormless lackwit!” Shade bellowed. “I can smell you!”

Twisting Finn’s arm, Shade made him drop his knife. The boy sobbed in pain.

“You like playing with knives?” Shade drew his. “I didn’t realize we had so much in common.” He glanced at Lia, grinning. “You have a soft spot for him, don’t you? I know you’ve always wanted to save him. But if I can’t have my mage, no one can.”

“No!” Lilah was running toward him, but she’d never get there in time.

Lia reached for an arrow, but Shade had already brought down his knife.

Finn fell, a dazed expression on his face. Blood bloomed on his shirt. Shade had stabbed him in the heart.

With a cry of rage, Lilah sprang forward. Drawing her swords, she knocked the knife from Shade’s hand.

He stepped back, confused. “Didn’t I already kill you?”

“Try again next time.”

Shade tried to shift, but Lilah was too quick for him. Her blades flashed as they sliced through his neck. A black wolf’s head rolled across the meadow grass.

There was a momentary hush. Then the Shadow pack threw down their weapons and fled.

Lilah fell to her knees. She touched Finn’s face with a trembling hand. He stared at the sky with sightless eyes.

“Pretty good, huh?” Finn asked, standing beside her.

Lilah blinked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “But you—you’re—”

“Really good, I know.” He grinned at Lia. “This way, Shade would leave me alone no matter how the battle ended. Sorry for scaring you, Lia. You had to believe it too for Shade to buy it.”

Lia shook her head in admiration. “You even made the illusion smell like you, didn’t you?”

“I’m learning.” He smiled. “Trying to, anyway. Did you see how some of the blood spurted out? I’ve been working on that for a week.”

Finn sidled away as Kane and Ronan approached them. It would probably take him awhile to trust an Alpha again.

Dumbly, Kane stared at Lilah. “You killed Shade,” he said. “You saved my mate and unborn pup. I owe you such a debt, and I don’t even know you.”

Ronan looked between Lia and Lilah. “I think you’ll know her soon enough.”

Lilah blushed. “I should go.”

“Don’t go,” Kane said. “Stay with us. How can we repay you?”

Lilah cleaned her swords on the grass, then sheathed them. “Take care of your mate, your pack, and your pup.” She turned to hug Lia. “Bye, Mom,” she whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

Then Lilah stepped away, walking into thin air.

Kane frowned. “Where’d she go?”

Lia and Ronan exchanged a look. Between them, they’d try to explain.

But now there was work to do. Orion went with Dove to retrieve Briar. Lia wasn’t sure how extensive his wounds were, but she wanted him treated right away. The Shadow pack had fought desperately, and Twin River flesh showed it. Blossom directed who should make stretchers, and where they should go. Clove retrieved the salves and bandages, despite Ivy’s protests.

“Lie down,” Clove told her. “This time, I’m nursing you.”

Ivy had lost enough blood that she didn’t argue.

The worst off was Briar, who had lost consciousness. He had been beaten bloody in the ambush. Lia couldn’t help but feel guilty. He’d been defending her, after all.

Then there was Cricket, who was also unconscious. She had no other injuries, but one kick from Crossbones had been enough. She and Briar were laid side by side in the den.

Grey and Huck also went in on stretchers. Violet and Dash were permitted to walk inside, but nothing more.

Ronan let out a long sigh. “We got lucky,” he said. “No casualties.”

Lia swallowed. “There was one casualty.”

He and Kane looked at her sharply. “Who?”

“I’ll take you to her.”

They brought Sequoia out into the meadow. Ronan’s face was blank when Lia told them what happened. Kane’s was enraged. He turned away from the body, refusing to look at it. Lia was half-afraid he’d ask her to bring Sequoia back to life just so he could kill her again.

“It’s a pity,” Ronan said softly.

Kane snarled. “I have no pity for a traitor.”

“It’s hard to hate your family,” Ronan said. “Even if they’re awful.”

Growling, Kane stamped away. Lia met Ronan’s sympathetic eyes. She knew both Alphas were thinking of Angela. Sequoia was tragic, in the end. She had only wanted her brother’s love.

Lia reached out to take Ronan’s hand. She would always be there for him, and for Kane. He gave her hand a squeeze, and a look that said that he would always be there for her, too.

***

It was time for another pyre. The flames licked at Raid and Claw. Sequoia lay next to her brother, whose head had been placed on his chest. Lia watched them burn. At least Shade couldn’t haunt her in this world anymore.

Behind them, the campfire roared, turning bright red. Lia turned as her father stepped out of the flames. He was dragging a huge creature, with pointed hooves and twisting horns. White stripes stood out on its brown flanks. So this was a kudu.

Lark and Dove rushed to help him with the carcass. Magnus handed it over gladly, walking to Lia’s side.

His eyes roamed over the pyre. “It seems I’ve missed some excitement.”

“You didn’t miss much. Just more death.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” He drew her to one side, away from the flames.

Lia looked back to watch the fire burn away the last traces of Shade. She had to be certain he was gone. Part of her was still afraid he’d stalk through her nightmares.

The pyre was in ashes, their enemies burned. The pack drifted toward the kudu, admiring Magnus’s kill. Lark and Dove carried it into the meadow, arguing over who got the honor of cleaning it. Lia smiled. It was good to know that life still went on as normal.

For most of them, anyway. Flint and Duke still stood at the pyre, staring into the ashes.

“I hope they’ll be okay,” she said. “Regardless of what she did, Sequoia was still their mate.”

“Mmm.” Magnus didn’t seem all that interested as he led her toward the campfire. Its flames still burned bright red. “Can I talk to you?” he asked suddenly.

“Sure. What about?”

“Does a father need a reason to talk to his daughter?” Magnus asked.

Lia shrugged. Across the meadow, the kudu was being butchered. Kane had returned to help. Slitting its throat to drain the blood, he looked up at Lia. She smiled at him. They would talk later. She knew he regretted his outburst earlier. She’d have to come up with a way to let him know all was well. It would probably involve getting hot tonight in their bed furs. She grinned slyly.

“I’ve been thinking.” Magnus’s voice brought her back to the present. “Where would you and your pack have been last week, without me to save you? Where would your friend Dove be?”

Lia stiffened. “We would be in a lot of trouble. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened without you.” Would that satisfy him?

“I protected you from that mage boy, from Shade, from your witch friend, and from Magda.” Magnus’s eyes bore into her. “You couldn’t have driven out the coven without me. I’ve saved your life many times over, daughter of mine.”

She licked lips that were suddenly dry. “If I haven’t thanked you enough for it, I apologize. I’m not sure I could thank you enough.”

“But I believe thanks are still in order.”

Lia repressed the urge to grab his staff and hurl it into the meadow. “What do you want, then?”

“Just a few years.”

A chill went up her spine. “And who are you planning to get them from?”

He looked at her belly, his eyes hungry. “She won’t even miss them,” he whispered. “She’ll jump through so many years, anyway. What will a handful matter?”

“I thought we had a bargain,” Lia snapped. “You’d help us, and in return I agreed to learn from you. And I have learned, all too much.”

He drew up his crimson cloak. “You wouldn’t even spare some years for your father?”

“They’re not mine to give. How could you ask this of me, after all I’ve been through? I don’t want to deal in blood magic, seeing how you use it.”

He placed a hand on her belly. “I can take them now, you know. Before she’s even born. The child need never know.”

Lia stepped back. “I’ll stop you if you try. It’s a new moon, but I’ll use blood magic one last time if it means thwarting you.”

She took an arrow from the quiver she still carried. Holding its point against her finger, she challenged him with a stare.

“You’re going to stop me?” He smiled as if she’d told a marvelous joke. “Go ahead.”

“Lia?” Kane called. “What’s going on?”

“Stay back, curs.” Magnus struck the ground with his staff, and a bubble of red light bloomed. It enveloped him, Lia, and the crackling fire. Outside, the Alphas howled their rage. Shifting, wolves threw themselves at the walls.

It wouldn’t do any good. Lia turned back toward the mage. She’d finish him herself.

Jabbing the arrow into her flesh, she let a drop of blood fall.
Destroy him
, she thought.

Magnus watched her, amused. “Do let me know when you’ve started,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be in agonizing pain at any moment.”

Lia glared at him. She let a second drop fall, then a third. Why wasn’t this working? She was imagining his bones melting, his skin peeling, his blood boiling away. But he simply stood there, yawning to add insult to her confusion.

“Are you done playing games?” he asked. “If so, here’s another lesson for you. I’m your father. The same blood that runs in your veins flows through mine. It’s very unnatural for blood to rebel against itself. Without highly advanced magic, it can’t. You could hurt Magda with my help, but I’m afraid you’ll find yourself unable to harm me.”

A wave of panic crashed over her. It felt like the fire was burning all the air in the bubble, leaving none for Lia. Was she really powerless against him? Had she seen her unborn daughter through a final battle with Shade, only to lose her future to Magnus?

He twirled his staff. “I can’t interfere with the years she’s already used. She must not run out of years before she comes to help you today, for instance. We’ll leave her with twenty-five, to be safe. She doesn’t need any more than that.”

Lia stabbed at him with an arrow, but it was comically useless without a bow. “I won’t let you do this!”

“It’s a new moon, and you can’t use blood magic against me. But please elaborate on how you’ll stop me.” Leveling his staff, he advanced on her.

She held a shielding hand over her stomach, for all the good it would do. “You’re worse than Magda. How could you do this to your own granddaughter?”

Magnus sneered. “She wouldn’t live to birth without my aid. She should be grateful I let her live any years at all.” He whipped his staff, as if closing the conversation. “I won’t be bothering you again, daughter. This is the last thing I’ll require from you. After this, your debt will be repaid.”

He had backed her into one side of the bubble. Electricity jolted through her skin when her foot touched the edge. She recoiled, sobbing. She couldn’t let him steal Lilah’s life away.

Lia closed her eyes, wishing the dark god would strike him down.

Her eyes snapped open. Her blood couldn’t work against Magnus, but maybe it didn’t have to.

Placing the arrowhead to her palm, she cut into her skin.

“Are you dim?” Magnus asked. “Did you not hear what I just said?”

Lia drew in a deep breath, hoping the dark god would hear her. “I offer you a single drop of blood, and a life’s vow: I will cease to use blood magic, if, in exchange, you take my father’s blood magic from him. This I promise.”

“Lia, no!” He rushed toward her, his cloak fluttering behind him.

She turned her hand, and a single drop fell to the ground.

Magnus stopped dead, as if halted by some invisible force.

Lia waited for the ice to hit her veins, but it didn’t come. She wasn’t cold at all.

Magnus exhaled, his breath like frost. He was shivering.

“How could you?” he asked.

Already his hair was falling out, his back bending. He gripped his staff to keep from collapsing. He grew wizened before her eyes, skin wrinkling and growing sallow. His aging would continue, she knew, until he showed all 725 of his years.

He tottered toward the fire, pulling his cloak around him. His knobby knees were shaking with the effort of staying upright. Magnus put one foot into the fire. “You’ve killed me, Lia.” His voice was weak and quavery.

“I know.”

Magnus kept aging before her eyes. Liver spots bloomed on his hands. His cheeks sagged, then hollowed, until his once-handsome face was unrecognizable. A foul reek betrayed the fact that he’d soiled himself.

“It seems you were my apprentice after all.” Stepping into the fire, he was gone. The flames roared, then died.

Lia sat heavily as the bubble of light disappeared. Her pack rushed in.

“Are you okay?” Kane asked. “Are you hurt?”

“What did he do to you?” Ronan growled. “He’d better not come back. If he tries, I’ll rip out his throat.”

“I don’t think he will,” Lia said. “I don’t think he could if he wanted to.”

It took a long while to calm down her Alphas. Lia told the pack what had happened, holding her belly and trying to breathe evenly. Lilah was safe, for now. That was all that mattered.

Kane doused the fire, scattering the ashes. The pack built a new campfire, on the other side of the den. It might not actually help, but it made Lia feel better. Besides, there was no way Magnus could return. The dark god had taken his stolen years, as well as his ability to steal more. He’d probably stepped out of a fire halfway around the world, and promptly died.

They still ate Magnus’s kudu, but only because they had no other choice and they were all half-starved. For what was supposed to be a feast, it wasn’t particularly celebratory. Talk of Sequoia’s betrayal still rippled through the pack, and Magnus’s attempt to harm Lia’s unborn pup had killed any good mood that remained.

Lia munched on her chunk of kudu. Chewing it, she realized it was the only gift Magnus ever really gave her. Everything else had strings attached, even the wards for Lilah. He had only wanted to make sure her babe was born so he could steal her years.