Jewel of Darkness (4 page)

“Are you not only sixteen, niñita?” he asked, a frown marring his handsome face. “I am centuries older than you. Forgive me if I think I know a little more about true mates than you.”

“Yeah, well I’m more human than you, not to mention a tad more female. So forgive me if I think I know a little more about the human female you are attempting to claim,” Kara snapped.

“I’ll ask again, do you really think you want one of these healers as your mate?” Costin asked, his brow raising as he glanced between Gustavo and Kara.

“She’s right,” Sally told him. “You’re going to have to get your natural instincts under control if you don’t want to scare her.”

Ainsel looked at the high fae. “Can you subdue him if he gets out of control?”

The high fae nodded then added, “I don’t believe he will be a problem. He simply wants to meet her.”

Sally coughed. “Meet her, claim her, bite her, and drag her to his den by her hair,” she muttered.

Costin smacked her on her backside. “Behave.”

She stuck her tongue out at her mate, earning her another swat to her rear.

The pixie king let out a long sigh. “I suppose I might as well let you all in. He’s just going to stand out here until I do.” He motioned to Gustavo, “And I don’t like hulking Alphas roaming the borders of my realm. It sets my people on edge.”

“Good idea,” Alston agreed.

Ainsel made a motion with his hand and the air in front of them shimmered. “Welcome to our most glorious realm.” He swept his arm forward dramatically inviting them in.

The group stepped forward, transitioning from one realm to another.

Gustavo nearly fell to his knees as emotions swarmed him. Anxiety, confusion, fear, desperation, need, curiosity, and frustration all bombarded him in the same instant. He heard Kara gasp and Sally mutter, “Here we go.”

He knew his eyes were glowing as his wolf pushed forward, and he felt his canines lengthen. She was so close. His wolf pushed closer to the surface, causing him to throw his head back and let out a loud howl — a call to their mate. If Gustavo could put the howl into words it would have said I’m here, I’m a safe place, come to me where you belong. Instead of feeling her move closer to him, she moved further and her emotions began to bounce all over the place. Gustavo closed his eyes and let his instincts take over. He allowed his wolf control for a moment, using his superior senses to guide him. He shed his human form, bursting into his wolf skin, clothes falling in shreds all around him.

“Holy crap,” Kara shouted. “He’s huge.”

“I thought you said you could control him,” Ainsel said, an edge in his voice.

“He’s not going to hurt her,” the Beta, Alston, assured.

“But he might tear this realm apart to find her,” Costin pointed out.

Gustavo pushed all of their voices away as he took off at a sprint, his paws chewing up ground as he ran. His only thought was for his female. She was close. And the Beta was correct. He would remove every obstacle in his way to find his mate.
So close,
his wolf growled. After several minutes, his paws came to a skidding halt as he came upon a group of humans and wolves, four of which he recognized. There were two other females that he did not.
Not ours,
his wolf confirmed.

“Gustavo,” the male he knew as Sorin said and stood stepping in front of his female, a fae warrior named Elle.

Gustavo shifted, uncaring that he was naked. “Where is she?” he asked, unable to keep the gruffness from his voice.

“I totally get that you werewolves are comfortable with the whole
phasing and lack of clothing
thing, but us mere humans prefer the essentials to stay covered,” the dark skinned female bit out.

“Wait, he’s just standing there in his birthday suit?” the girl he figured must be Heather asked as a thick southern accent rolled off her tongue.

“Naked as the day he was born,” the other female confirmed.

The blind female smacked her leg. “Ain’t that the way of it. Blind chick misses out on all the fun.”

“Stella, Heather,” Sorin snapped. “Now is not the time for your antics.”

“Is that his way of saying we should put a cork in it?” the one they called Stella asked.

“I’m assuming, since you two aren’t his mate, Anna must be, and she isn’t here at the moment to calm him, if you get my drift,” Crina, the she wolf Gustavo knew belonged to Vasile’s pack, told them.

“Anna,” her name rolled off his tongue like the sweetest prayer.

“At least I’m not deaf,” Heather said with a shiver. “That Spanish accent gives me the tingles.”

“There will be no tingling,” Elle growled. “You two are going to get yourselves put on Anna’s hit list once her instincts take over and she claims him.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t exactly ask to get a look at him. So, not exactly our fault, however, I am with Heather on the whole Spanish accent. That’s nice,” Stella pointed out. “I’ll totally risk her ire just to hear him talk. Go on handsome,” she encouraged. “Grace us with some more of that magical voice and accent.”

Adam, the other elf warrior in the group, pinched the bridge of his nose. “These healers are going to be the death of me.”

Gustavo was growing impatient. He didn’t give a damn if the females saw him without his clothes or liked his accent. All he cared about was Anna, his Anna. He looked back at Sorin. “¿Dondé,” he asked again.

“Perhaps, Alpha, it would be better if you waited on her to return instead of chasing after her.” Sorin tilted his head slightly to show he wasn’t challenging him. It didn’t mean that Gustavo didn’t appreciate his suggestion. He growled at the younger, less dominant wolf.

“She is mine.”

“No one is disputing that,” Elle said calmly. “But right now you are thinking with your instincts instead of with your good sense.”

Gustavo growled so low that it rumbled in his chest as his gaze bore into the female. Sorin pushed her behind him and met the alpha’s gaze briefly before dropping his eyes. “We aren’t trying to keep you from her. But she is young, she’s human, and she’s new to our world. You don’t want her to fear you, so don’t give her a reason to.”

Anna. Ours. They stand between us and what is ours.
His wolf was agitated and growing more so by the minute. Gustavo understood what they were saying, but he wasn’t the one in control. His instincts were stronger than his logic in that moment.
Hunt,
his wolf told him.
Yes,
the man agreed. He phased. Fur covered his skin and his hands and feet changed to paws. His paws hit the ground and he lunged, bounding over the clearing in a single leap. He followed the only scent that seemed to travel in that direction ― the smell of sweet spices and ocean air. He knew it was the unique smell of his mate.

Gustavo felt the bond opening between them the closer he got. His excitement grew knowing he would see her soon.
I’m coming, querida.

Chapter 2

“The dark ones are parasites. Without their hosts, they would wither and die. This means that they cannot live on their own, nor should they be allowed to. I only know of one thing to with parasites — purge the world of them.” ~Dillon Jacobs

T
he prospect of meeting with a coven of vampires would have intimidated some wolves, and certainly all men. But Dalton would meet with every bloodsucker on this continent if that is what it took to get his Jewel back. He would even fight to extinguish those covens if that is what was required — and likely it would be. Like any Canis lupus, he would go into the very fires of hell to save his true mate. He kept trying to reach through the bond, but every attempt ended the same ― nothing. It was as though the chord that connected them had been cut right at the place it attached to Jewel. Being unable to communicate with her, to at least feel her and know whether she was safe, was beginning to become an unneeded distraction. Dalton couldn’t afford to have his attention divided. He needed to be clearheaded and focused. Volcan was a cunning foe and there was no margin for error when it came to his mate’s life.

“How are you holding up?” Dillon’s voice pulled him out of his own head.

Dalton looked at his Alpha and could see the concern in his eyes. He knew that Dillon was worried, not only about his Beta’s wellbeing but also what would happen if the bond wasn’t restored. If that happened, Dalton would deteriorate past the point of no return, and it would be Dillon’s responsibility to deal with him. Dalton knew he could count on his Alpha to do what was necessary if it came to that, even if it meant that Dillon would have to take the life of an old friend. He sincerely hoped that it did not come to that.

“I’m ready to get this confrontation over with,” Dalton answered. His voice was low and reverberated in his chest with the frustration of his wolf.

They stood next to a manhole that was tucked away in the back alley of a group of congested apartments. They were built one on top of the other and stood so close together that a resident could lean out his window and touch the opposite building. He wondered if the people living there ever felt like rats, scampering in and out of their little rat holes. It was no wonder the vampires chose this particular place to inhabit. What better place for a group of snakes to make their nest than outside of a rat hole?

“Peri, what’s the problem?” Dillon asked, shifting his attention from his Beta to the high fae. He approached her and Dalton followed, though he’d been trying to give everyone some space from his seething wolf. Wherever Peri went, Lucian followed, of course, and even though Lucian was an ally, it didn’t make it easy for three dominants to work together without the occasional snarl. Dalton being on edge, the way he was, would only make it that much harder for Lucian and Dillon to keep their cool.

Peri let out a whistle as she planted her hands on her hips and turned to face the males. “Boys, here’s a history lesson. Once upon a
long
time ago, there were witches lurking about, lots of them. Naturally, these witches had to support themselves. Dark rituals don’t pay for themselves, you know? So they often sold their services to those willing to pay their prices, which, I can assure you, were not cheap. But lucky for us, immortality tends to make one extremely wealthy, and one group in particular could always afford to pay — vampires. The bloodsuckers and the witches have always had a working relationship. Equally lucky for us is this — I can detect the witches’ magic. And I can tell you that one such spell has been cast on this manhole cover.”

“The entrance to their lair is right under your feet, gentlemen.”

“Then let’s go,” Dalton growled, stooping to remove the manhole cover.

“Stop!” Peri barked. “As much as I would love to see you fried where you stand, I can’t stand the smell of burnt fur. Do you think the vamps would leave the entrance to their coven unguarded?”

Dalton froze, eyes wide, staring at the high fae.
Distractions,
he thought to himself.
I’m so obsessed with getting Jewel back that I am taking unnecessary risks. I have to get it together.

“Do you have a plan?” Dillon asked, putting a hand on Dalton’s shoulder and pulling him back a pace.

Peri scoffed. “Of course, I have a plan. Good grief what kind of high fae do you take me for?”

They waited. Finally, Lucian prompted, “Love, would you mind sharing the plan?”

Peri turned and faced the manhole, crossing her arms over her chest. “I will happily share it.” She paused. “I’m going to break the spell.”

Dalton clenched his jaw tightly trying with every ounce of self-control he had to keep from growling at Peri. Despite his earlier misstep, he felt like they were wasting valuable time. He needed to be moving forward, if only to have the illusion of getting closer to wherever Volcan was holding Jewel. He knew the others were doing everything they could to find Jewel, but it just didn’t seem like enough. They cared about Jewel and they wouldn’t waste time needlessly. That was the only reason he didn’t roar at the high fae to hurry the hell up.

Dalton and the other males watched as Peri’s power built around her. She was muttering words in a language he didn’t understand, strangely beautiful and haunting at the same time. Kneeling down, she placed her hands on the metal. The cadence of her words began to pick up speed and the light around her grew almost blindingly bright. What seemed like hours later, the light faded and the chanting stopped. Peri stood and stepped away from the cover.

“Whatever witch cast that spell was quite powerful,” Peri admitted. She motioned for Lucian to step forward and her mate moved in his smooth, fluid way, kneeling down and grasping the handle of the manhole. He lifted the solid metal lid with no effort and placed it aside. He glanced back at Dillon and then Dalton before hopping down into the dark hole. Suddenly a high-pitched screeching came rushing up to their ears out of the opening.

Peri tsked her tongue. “Somebody knows that they have uninvited guests and they aren’t too happy about it,” she said nonchalantly as she hopped into the darkness following her mate.

Dillon turned to him. “I know you want her back. I completely understand that your patience has long since evaporated, but you have to hold it together in there,” he pointed to the manhole. “Vampires like to play games. It makes them feel clever and powerful. Don’t challenge them yet. If we play along, it will speed things up.”

Dalton gave a stiff nod as Dillon turned and jumped down the hole. He didn’t hesitate as he followed his Alpha. The darkness engulfed him completely, causing him to look up at the opening and wonder why no light from the street shone down through the hole.

“It’s another spell,” Peri spoke up, apparently anticipating that they would all be wondering the same thing. “They have to keep the light out at all times. But I suspect that they occasionally leave the cover off the hole on purpose, hoping to catch an onlooker who is too curious for his own good. The bloodsuckers play many such games.”

Dalton felt a moment’s sympathy for those who had unknowingly walked into the lair of these particular spiders. But it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. His mind snapped back to the present. His mate had been snatched by a spider as well. Perhaps, it was a different kind of spider, but a spider nonetheless, and one even more dangerous than these. For the victims of the vampires, it was too late. But he refused to believe that it was too late for Jewel. He would get to her in time; there simply was no other option.

P
eri held out her hand and pushed out her magic producing a small ball of white light. The darkness seemed to shrink away from the glowing orb as though the light was causing it physical pain. She felt the filth of the vampires the minute Lucian had removed the manhole covering. But as soon as she had entered the tunnel, she felt saturated in it. “Bleach,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m going to need lots and lots of bleach.”

Peri looked right and then left down each side of the tunnel and decided to follow her nose. She turned to the right and made a motion with her hand. “Let’s go, gentlemen.” She glanced back at Dillon who looked about as happy as a cat being baptized. A slow smile slid across her face. “If you want to stay back here and keep watch over the hole, I won’t tell
everyone
what a pansy you were, maybe just Jacque.” She paused and the smile grew wider. “Who, I’m sure, will tell Jen.”

Dillon shook his head. He knew exactly what kind of trouble Jen, the mate of the Serbia pack Alpha and all around troublemaker, would get him into. “If I was going to stay behind, which I’m not, and Jen was going to find out about it, you might as well put it on social media.”

“My point exactly,” she agreed. Peri turned back around and continued forward. Mentioning Dillon’s daughter, Jacque, and her friend, Jen, caused a small pang in the fae’s heart. They were best friends to Sally, and both mated to Alpha males. Jacque was mated to the Prince of the Romanian wolves, Fane Lupei, and Jen was mated to Decebel, the Alpha of the Serbia pack. She had grown close to them over the past months as they too faced some very challenging foes. For the moment, they seemed to have a reprieve, which was a good thing since she couldn’t be there to save their heroic butts. Peri could only imagine how they would complain about not getting to be a part of rescuing Jewel, and Jen was going to whine about not getting to be around to tease the healers about finding their true mates. Yep, she missed those crazy hussies, but she would never let them know that. They would never let her live it down.

Low growls from beside and behind her pushed Peri’s thoughts of her friends aside. Lucian reached an arm out in front of her, stopping her progress. She tried very hard not to roll her eyes. She understood all too well that it was ingrained in his very fiber to protect her, regardless of the fact that she was one of the most powerful supernaturals alive. Oftentimes, she simply humored him and he knew it; he had access to her thoughts after all, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to bother him.

“Only a male not confident in himself would be threatened by a female such as you.”
Lucian’s voice was warm inside her mind.

“And what kind of female am I, wolf?”

“A powerful, beautiful, caring one.”

“And…?”
she prompted, knowing her mate had a subtle sense of humor that often caught her off guard but delighted her like few things did anymore.

“And, a bit obstinate, bossy, perhaps, a tad conceded, sometimes.”

“Okay, I think you’ve made your point,”
she interrupted him. Her words were clipped but she knew he felt her humor.

“Okay, the suspense is killing me,” Peri said out loud. “Would one of you walking rugs tell me what you’re obviously sensing that I can’t?”

“Blood and death,” Lucian growled.

“Not to undermine your intelligence, love, but they are vampires. It’s not like we expected to find juice boxes and cotton candy.”

“Either this coven is hundreds strong, or they are simply just killing in large numbers,” Dillon added.

“It’s young,” Dalton said quietly.

Peri turned to look at him. “What’s young?” She watched as his eyes grew brighter with his wolf.

“The blood,” he answered. “It is young and full of innocence.”

Peri’s stomach dropped to her feet as his words registered. Young blood, innocent blood, meant children. Children were sacred to the Canis lupus. Their females did not often bear more than one child in their long life, and if there wasn’t a healer in their pack, it wasn’t uncommon for the female to lose the child. Children were few and far between for the wolves, and she’d watched them over the centuries weep over many a lost little one. If the vampires were targeting children, especially in large numbers, Peri might not be able to keep the wolves at bay. In fact, she had a feeling Dillon would be on the phone with Vasile, the Romanian pack Alpha and most powerful Canis lupus alive, as soon as they were back above ground. When Vasile found out about this, heads would roll ― lots of heads. She wouldn’t put it past the Alpha to try to eradicate the world of vampires once and for all.

Peri turned to face all of the males. Her eyes narrowed as she saw that all three of them were barely holding their wolves in check. “Let me remind you that we are here for information. If you rip their throats out, we will not get any information. If you tear their heads off, we will not get any information. If you pull their fangs out and relieve them of their tongues, we will not get any information. Do you see a pattern here?”

“So we can break their legs,” Dillon said in a guttural voice.

“And then rip them off,” Dalton snarled.

“Their arms can be next. They don’t need arms to speak,” Lucian added.

Peri pinched the bridge of her nose and clamped her eyes closed. She had known this little visit was going to be a risky maneuver, but she hadn’t realized how risky. Now what she needed to decide, and quickly, was whether or not the risk was worth it.

Hating to do it, she built up a wall in her thoughts, shutting Lucian out of that place. He hated when she used her power on him, but she didn’t see any other way to get through the coming encounter without the wolves bathing in vampire blood. She’d done many things in the past to keep the wolves under control when she deemed it necessary, and it never made them happy. Granted, by the time she released them from her spells, she was usually long gone. She wasn’t stupid, but now she was beginning to question her sense of self-preservation.