I'll Be Damned (Anna Wolfe Series) (41 page)

“Oh Lordy, please tell me you didn’t feeds her the punch?”

Roman and I smile.

“What punch?” Kristy questions.

“Girl, you knows the Artillery Punch? I can’t believe girlfriend is still standing,” he says, nodding towards me.

Kristy has a classic
aha
moment, finally realizing what punch he’s referring to. Valen turns his back to me, clearly stating he’s agitated. I cross my arms over my chest defensively. The blond snorts as she slowly turns her back to us as well. What a bitch. Irritation fills me, causing my muscles to contract. I take a few deep breaths, not wanting to reveal my weakness in a fit of cramps. They slowly begin to settle, although vow to return if provoked. A faint whispering catches my ear. The blond is evidently trying to keep her discussion under wraps. Between the hushed dialogues, I hear “ball” and “date” clearly. My cheeks turn red, just as the blond turns around with a huge grin on her too beautiful face. She stands and steps over to me, fluidly, the same way Valen does.

“Looks like we weren’t properly introduced,” she says, extending her hand towards me.

Being the bigger person, I grab it and shake it strongly, the way Jack taught me. “My name is Brielle," she continues.

“I’m Anna,” I reply coldly. Her smile takes on a sinister twist. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

“I know who you are,” she says abruptly. “I hear you’ll be joining us at the ball this year.”

“That’s right,” I respond confidently.

She returns it with a wide sneer. “That’s wonderful. Hopefully, Valen and I will be seated at your table. It would be such a shame if I missed the opportunity to get to know you better,” she says coolly, narrowing her eyes the way a wolf does before pouncing on its prey.

It takes all my restraint not to rip the smile clear off her face. Valen doesn't even look at me, but I feel Martello’s and Kristy’s fiery gazes on me.

“Oh, and who is your date, Anna?” she asks, deviously tilting her head.

All the moisture in my mouth dries up under her scrutiny. I want to say something, but don't know what. I assumed Valen would take me, but obviously, I am wrong. Defeated, I open my mouth to speak.

“She’s going with me,” Roman interrupts assertively. “I asked her before Valen got the chance to,” he grins, exposing his movie star smile.

Valen swings around in his chair, eyes wide. He's trying to hide his frustration and failing brilliantly. Brielle doesn't look too happy either. Roman's response gets under her skin, seeing that her smirk is replaced with a strong look of irritation. I glance at Roman, trying not to give the impression of looking dumbfounded. I smile at my saving grace. He slides his arm around my waist, pulling me into him gently. Brielle sits down next to Valen, who doesn't even acknowledge her presence. Valen's eyes turn an angry blue. I ignore him and prepare to exit. I can't stand being here any longer, or I might spell her into a cockroach. I refuse to call her by her dainty name lest I choke on it.

The minute my foot lands on the cobblestone street, relief washes over me. I was suffocating in there… again. I stroll towards the river, trying to make sense of my emotions. They're all over the place - angry one minute, hurt the next. Trying to focus on one is impossible since they change in priority so often. I exhale, leaning on the railing that separates me from the river. Water races by with vigor, forcing small waves to smack against the concrete wall a few feet below me. Chills cover me like a coat when I think of its depths and what resides in there. I've never been a fan of the ocean or rivers. When I was a child, I used to love the ocean, but getting caught in a strong riptide ruined it for me. Now, I steer clear of any fast moving, shadowy waters. I glance at my watch. It's one a.m., so I have an hour until we leave. I toss around the idea of calling a cab, but that would cost me a pretty penny. If I wait for Martello, I won’t be home until dawn. I exhale a frustrated sigh.

"What's wrong my, dear Anna?" A deep voice asks, startling me.

I turn around in fear. Micah is standing only inches from me. Swiftly, his strong hand anchors itself to the back of my neck. Sharp pain shoots to my feet like a lightning bolt. I cry out, only for his hold to tighten. I try lifting my arms, but they weigh too much. I focus on spelling myself free, which results in excruciating pain.

"I wouldn't try that, love," his voice whispers in my ear. "I have a potent spell on you, so if you try to get out of it, you'll receive incalculable pain," he says gliding his hand down the side of my face.

I try to pull away, but find I am unable to. He grabs my arms, roughly placing them behind my back, and loops a zip-tie around my wrists faster than I can blink. He tightens the plastic, cutting into my skin. I try to shimmy my wrists, but they are completely immobilized.

"Let's go," he says, pushing me.

Unfortunately, my legs are unaffected by the spell. Figures. I walk slowly, in case Roman or Valen step outside and frantically scour the street, hopelessly. It’s deserted, as if Micah wiped the crowd away.

"No one can see you, love," he states. "I sent them all home." I can hear the satisfied smile in his voice.

My hope rapidly abates as the Wet Willies sign fades into the distance. He turns down a dark alley, sending my anxiety into overdrive. I struggle to ignore it. If I don't, unwanted thoughts will reproduce faster than jackrabbits.

"Where are you taking me?" I probe, trying to keep my shaky voice at bay.

"Where else?" he responds calmly. "I'm taking you home." He pushes me again, this time causing my foot to catch on an uneven cobblestone. I stumble forward, twisting my body to avoid a face-plant. I land on my shoulder hard enough for it to produce a loud pop, which is followed by a rush of pain. I roll back and forth, trying to take my mind off it without any luck. The damp concrete stones don't help either.

"Anna, you’re such a klutz. You really need to be more careful," he says, hoisting me to my feet.

The muscles in my shoulder feel like they're being shredded by hundreds of tiny razorblades. The pain is so intense, my stomach churns in fits of nausea. Micah places one hand on my chest and the other behind my shoulder blade. With a great deal of force, he pushes on my shoulder. Another loud pop rings in my ears, almost causing me to faint. I fall to my knees, unable to hold myself up.

"Come on now, love, we don't have all night," he spits, pulling me up by my bad arm.

I whine in agony. "Stop," is all I manage to spit out.

"Stop?" he questions, looking confused. "My love, this is only the beginning," he laughs.

Any remaining optimism I have suddenly abandons me. I am defeated. Valen and Roman have no idea where I am and I have no way to reach them. I never should have left them. I'm such an idiot. Micah nudges my back, signaling me to begin walking again.

"Up the stairs, love," he says, pointing to one of the steepest stairwells on River Street.

I change direction, walking towards the stairs. I scan the area, hoping to see someone, but the darkness is my only witness. With my foot on the bottom step, I climb slowly, taking the opportunity to move sluggishly. I need to do something before we reach the top or I can kiss my life goodbye. Screaming won't do anything but piss him off. My magic is blocked, so that's out. The only idea left is pushing him down the stairs. It might buy me enough time to run and hide. My flimsy plan to use my body weight and slam backwards into him might be juvenile, but it’s all I have. With enough momentum, along with the element of surprise, I might be able to knock him off his feet. I look down at the thick, concrete steps. I have to be careful. Any hard landing on one of these will break a bone. I inhale deeply, deciding the middle of the staircase is perfect. He nudges my back again, indicating my pace is too slow. I ignore it and continue. I can't allow too much space between him and me, or I'll strike dead air. I'm one step away from executing my plan. My heart hammers in my throat as I focus my energy and concentration on my next move. Right as my foot makes contact, a loud boom echoes off the walls, causing me to duck out of sheer instinct. Nervously, I browse the area, directing my attention to Micah. He's standing next to me with a look of dread. I don't know what scares me more, the unknown explosion or seeing Micah afraid.

"Good to see you again, Micah," Roman yells, materializing from thin air. He’s tossing an orb up and down in his palm. A small spring of faith bursts in my chest. "It's been a while. Looks like you've been busy," he grins, adding an arrogant wink.

Valen appears next to him, his eyes yellow with fury. His balled fists hang at his sides on the end of tense arms, struggling to control his shift.

"Hello, Roman. It's good to see you, old friend," Micah responds. If he is nervous, I can't tell by his unruffled demeanor. "Ah and I see you brought your pet," he adds in a condescending undertone.

Roman ignores his banter. "The way I see it, you have two options," he states, inching towards us. "One... you let Anna go and we let you go... or two, you try to take her and I kill you on the spot," Roman finishes.

Micah pretends to consider his ultimatum, killing time to hatch a plan B. He's the kind of man who always has a plan B. I close my eyes, concentrating on my magic, and feel a hint of it spiraling inside me. I grin, assuming Micah's spell is falling away due to his lack of concentration.

Micah snaps his head toward me. "Oh no, you don't, love," he says, flinging his lit hand at me.

The feeling of weightlessness consumes me as the ground beneath my feet disappears. I look around me, realizing I'm encased in a giant orange bubble, floating a good ten feet off the ground. My magic disappears, rendering me helpless. Looking at Roman and Valen, I see both of them infuriated with worry. Valen's eyes dance with rage as he shifts into a striking, black wolf. In the blink of an eye, he lunges at the orb. He makes contact, yelping as he falls to the ground, landing on all fours. He growls at Micah, preparing to pounce.

"Silly dog," Micah bellows. "You can't penetrate that.”

"No, but
I
can," Roman adds, throwing a glowing blue orb in my direction.

The clash of magic explodes around me, swallowing me in a bright light. I slam my eyes closed as I fall towards the ground. I don't have enough time to spell anything, so I brace myself for a hard fall. I gasp when I land softly in Valen's arms. Only seconds ago, he was a wolf. Without hesitation, he sprints towards his car. His high-speed running paints the landscape in a blur of lights and colors. My shoulder and wrists scream in anguish as the adrenaline begins to subside. Valen halts abruptly when we reach his car. With his hand, he rips off my binding without blinking. My raw skin throbs in contact with the air, causing me to flinch.

"Are you okay?" he asks, pulling me into a firm hug. "When I saw you with him..." his voice cracks, "I thought I would never see you again," he murmurs through my hair. He pushes me away by my shoulders.

"Ouch," I respond, shrugging away his hands. Instinctively, I reach up and cup my shoulder. "Sorry. I think it was dislocated," I murmur.

He gently places his hand on my shoulder, inspecting the damage. "That sonofabitch," he growls. "I'm going to kill him; screw the Treaty," he exclaims, pacing back and forth.

"He didn't do it on purpose," I reply. "He pushed me and I lost my balance. I was the one who fell." I drop my gaze to my feet. I sound like a battered woman making excuses for her mate’s unacceptable behavior.

Valen stops pacing. He strides over to me, stopping a few inches from my face. His normally opalescent blue eyes are darkened with purpose. I absorb myself in them like a moth to a flame.

"Are you kidding, Anna?" he demands sternly. We both know he’s not asking a question. "It doesn't matter if he pushed you or dislocated it himself. The bottom line is he shouldn't touch any woman, especially you."

"I know." I don't know why I said it.

"You need to be more careful," he adds. "You can't just take off without telling anyone," his voice trails off.

"I know," I repeat. He's right. I can't wander off from the group because I want to throw a temper tantrum. I put other people in danger, not to mention fits of anxiety. I'm relieved he's not angry, but guilt spins through me like a cyclone.