Revocation (The Canyon Wolves) (7 page)

“Yeah,
so I’ve been told.” She glanced back at Axel, but his guarded expression gave
nothing away.

He
cursed under his breath and said,
There’s about to be a scuffle in the back
parking lot. Mason and Thomas haven’t yet figured out their pack rank, so it’s
likely to get bloody. I need to officiate. Stay with Gregory.
With that, he
strode through an office door in the warehouse, leaving Harper with Gabby and
her husband.

“Tell
me again how you proposed,” Harper said to Gregory, even though Gabby had
already told her. Harper kind of wanted to go watch the fight, but she decided
to listen to her mate and stay here inside.

“It
was the sweetest thing!” Gabby exclaimed with a mega-watt smile, eager to talk
for her husband.

While
she was retelling the story, the warehouse began to fill with pack members. It
left an odd feeling for her wolf. She felt at home with the other werewolves,
but Wolf still stayed on guard.

After
Gabby had finished her story, she glanced around at the forty or so werewolves.
Harper had been trying to ignore them all in order to keep her nervousness to a
minimum. She mimicked Gabby by looking around the room.

Yep,
some of them were
definitely
staring at her. The pack as a whole looked
friendly enough, but she caught the eyes of several wolves who looked like they
wanted to rip out her heart. Dang, she had definitely ticked some people off in
the past.

Where
was Axel? She hoped he didn’t need any help regulating the fight. Wolf reminded
Harper that he was alpha; he could take care of himself.

Gabby’s
voice broke Harper’s worried thoughts. “Oh, shit. There’s Miranda. She looks so
pissed.”

“Who’s
Miranda?” Harper whispered.

“She’s
Conner’s mate,” Gabby whispered back after nodding her head towards a tall
woman with silky black hair.

She
had been one of the ones staring straight at Harper with a look that could kill.
Harper quickly glanced down quickly after meeting her gaze. Wolf growled, angry
that Harper showed her submissiveness like that.
I didn’t know that I was
supposed to stare back at her!
Harper yelled at her wolf.

What
now?
she frantically asked Wolf. Miranda
the witch was walking to them from across the room. Harper caught Gabby’s eye
and gave her a desperate what-do-I-do look, but Gabby just unhelpfully
shrugged.

Wolf
was glad Harper had pretended weakness like that. Now Miranda would believe
that Harper’s wolf had lost her memories as well and wouldn’t be able to fight.
Wolf really wanted to beat Miranda to a pulp. Harper swallowed. She, on the
other hand, didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“Harper,”
Miranda purred, emphasizing the ‘ha’ part of her name in a way that made her
want to flinch.

“Miranda,”
she replied coolly.

Miranda’s
eyes widened at the knowledge that Harper knew her name. Little did she know
that Gabby had whispered it seconds before her arrival. There were so many of
the pack, all watching her every move. Harper's heart was thumping wildly with
nerves and fear. Her wolf disliked the attention as much as she did, which only
put her more on edge.

“I
heard you lost your memories,” Miranda hissed.

Harper
replied just as rudely, “I’ve had a bit of a setback, yes.”

“Then
I need to remind you to keep your hands off my husband.”

Gabby’s
eyes darted between the two women with surprise. Harper was just as shocked. What
the heck was this woman talking about? “Umm, unless your husband is somehow
Axel, I don’t think you need to be reminding me of anything.”

Gregory
stepped between Harper and Miranda, but it only made Wolf angry. She was really
gunning for a fight after the lack of action from the past few days.

Axel
felt Harper’s distress and said,
Harper? What’s wrong?

“Miranda-”
Gregory started, but Harper interrupted him.

“No,
Gregory. It’s fine.”

Miranda
leaned around Gregory until her hot breath scathed Harper’s skin and made Wolf
growl in warning. “You’re going to pay, bitch.”

At
that moment, Wolf had taken control of Harper’s arm, so it technically wasn’t
her fault for slapping Miranda. The evil woman stared in shock while one hand
pressed against her red cheek.

What
just happened?
Axel half-yelled
through the bond.

I
just slapped the shit out of Miranda.

He sighed
in her head, but she could tell he was proud.
On my way.

Gabby
was staring in shock, and Gregory looked like he was trying to keep a smile off
his face. Miranda’s eyes began turning yellow, and Wolf knew that it was game
time.

Harper
relinquished control and Wolf immediately began shifting. The pack magic
gathered around to guide her through the change. She landed on all fours within
seconds, but Miranda was still changing. Her face had elongated into a snout,
and her bones were slowly reforming. The human side of Harper would have waited
until she was completely done with the change, but her wolf side wasn’t a fair
fighter.

She
leapt on Miranda, dragging her to the floor. Wolf’s russet-colored paws pinned
her down as she dove for Miranda’s throat. She rolled out from under Harper,
finally fully changed. Her fur was as silky black as her hair. Wolf brought her
head down and growled warningly. Miranda answered with a snarl.

Wolf’s
thoughts were at the forefront of her mind, leaving Harper’s human side dazed. Her
wolf was the perfect predator with her cunning and calculating mind. Each move
of Miranda’s was recorded with unemotional preciseness. Left. Right. Vulnerable
left hind leg. The wolves circled each other while waiting for a weakness. On
the third lap, Wolf lunged.

Before
Miranda could react, she had her right leg in a death clamp. Wolf knew that she
wasn’t the alpha’s mate for no good reason. Fate had created her to be one of
the best female fighters in order to survive the top position.

Miranda
snapped at Wolf’s side, catching the edge of her belly in her jaws. She ignored
the pain and shook her head violently, breaking Miranda’s leg.

Wolf
dropped it and leapt away to circle for the kill. Miranda stood, but her broken
leg could hold no weight. She was severely handicapped, leaving her a victim to
Wolf’s wishes.

Harper’s
human side could feel the exact moment when her wolf lost control. Wolf’s
thoughts had stopped being distantly calculated and had started being tinted
red with rage. Wolf lunged for Miranda’s throat, intent on ending her life, but
she was yanked backwards.

Immediately,
Wolf twirled on the intervening body and snapped in warning. Axel’s voice
sounded in her head.
Enough, Harper.

But
she hadn’t had enough. She wanted more fighting, more blood. Wolf fought
against Axel’s restraining hands before finally breaking free.

Before
she could take a step, Axel said, “
Stop.”

Wolf
whined sharply as the pack magic made her freeze. Miranda was still waiting on
the floor while her leg oozed dark blood. Wolf snarled at her, and Miranda
growled back.

From
far away, she heard Gabby say, “Oh, you’ve gotta love pack drama.”

Axel’s
voice sounded in Wolf’s ear, “I’m taking you into the office.”

He gently
picked her up and carried her to the back door. Pack members parted to let him
through, and Wolf snapped at the few who were brave enough to venture close.

After
they reached the office, Axel sat her gently down on the floor. It was sparsely
furnished with only a desk, metal chair, and broken computer. She noted the
back door that let outside as Axel rummaged through the desk and emerged with a
change of clothing. Wolf shifted back and took the clothes. Wolf didn’t care
about being naked as a human, but Harper was internally cringing. Just as she
had tugged the hoodie over her head, the door opened.

Wolf
was still in control, and she growled threateningly at Conner’s presence. The
only person Wolf felt comfortable being around when injured was her mate.

“My
wife,” Conner said, looking distraught. “It was her. This whole time. I had no
idea.”

“What
did your wife do, Conner?” Axel asked quietly.

“She
was the murder. Oh God. She was the one,” he whispered.

Axel
sprang to his feet. “How did you find out?”

“During
the fight, I got a glimpse into her memories. She was killing. How did this
happen?” he moaned.

“Where
is she now? Is she aware you know?” Axel kneeled down so he could wrap Harper’s
wound while asking questions.

“Yes.
She’s running right now. I couldn’t catch her. I couldn’t be the one to do it.”

“I’ll
get Anthony to-”

“No!
It has to be you. I couldn’t stand anything less.” Conner was about to start
sobbing, and Harper’s heart hurt for him.

Axel
glanced down at Harper. He didn’t want to leave her alone and wounded, but
Harper knew that he needed to catch the killer.

“Go,
Axel. I’ll be fine. Promise,” she whispered.

Still,
he looked torn. It went against every instinct to leave her here with another
man. His eyes turned golden as his wolf took control. Axel looked up at Conner.
His voice had dropped an octave and his wolf said, “Anthony will have to take
care of it. I’m not leaving my mate.”

Conner
froze in the doorway. His sadness had melted away, leaving anger.

He
glanced at her with disgust before saying, “I didn’t want it to end like this.”
Conner then pulled a gun out of his jacket and pointed it at them.

She
was frozen with shock. Wolf wanted to ignore the threat and lunge at Conner,
but Harper held her at bay. Why was Conner doing this? Wolf had never trusted
him, but Harper had always thought it was a normal reaction.

“I
wanted to wait, but I couldn’t risk Harper’s memories returning. My mate ruined
everything by opening her big mouth.”

“What?”
Harper whispered.

Axel
moved in between her and the gun. His wolf was still in control, so at least
they had some advantage. Conner’s gaze was dead, and Harper realized she was
looking into the eyes of a killer.

“I
don’t know how she found out, but it sure didn’t make things easier,” he spat
while closing the door with his foot.

Harper
found her voice again and whispered, “What she said… It wasn’t the truth.”

“Of
course it was.” Conner laughed. “We were together and your precious alpha had
no idea.”

Before
he had even finished his sentence, Axel had lunged at him. Conner wildly shot
in surprise. The bullet pierced Axel’s shoulder and Harper screamed. Conner
cursed loudly as Axel fell to the ground. Blood was pooling on the floor.

Axel?
Axel!
Harper yelled through the
bond, but there was no response but pain.

“You’re
coming with me.” Conner stepped over Axel’s body and grabbed her arm. He had
his gun pointed at her head, but Harper didn’t care; her life meant nothing
without Axel. She kept fight back, kicking and clawing, but she froze when he
pointed the gun at Axel.

“I’ll
kill him!” He madly waved the gun in her mate’s direction, and she held her
hands up in surrender.

“Okay,
okay,” Harper soothed. If there was still a chance that Axel was alive, she
didn’t want to ruin it. She let him drag her outside even though every instinct
in her body told her to stay and help her mate.

A
sleek black car sat directly outside the door. As soon as she stepped outside,
Conner slammed the gun into her head and everything went black.

Chapter
6

Harper’s
spit tasted metallic. The air was musty and damp. Her cheek rested against a
hard surface, and she was lying on her side. Her headache thumped in rhythm
with her heart. She groaned in pain and then wished she hadn’t.

Opening
one eye allowed her to see the stone gray walls of a dark basement. Her bound
hands and feet left her virtually immobile. Conner walked into her field of
vision and sneered.

Axel,
Harper cried through the bond. She
didn’t know what she’d do if he had died. Their link was oddly quiet, and she
tried again.
Axel, please answer me.

Tears
dripped down her cheek to land on the stone. Her bindings cut through skin and
burned like fire.

“Good
morning, sunshine. Don’t even try to change; your hands and feet are tied with
silver, so it would be extremely painful.

“Why?”
Harper’s throat hurt as she whispered the scratchy words.

“Why
what? Why did I kidnap you instead of kill you?” He crouched down until he was
eye-level. “Everyone knew you were unhappy, so it won’t be much of a surprise
when they discover you had shot Axel. It actually worked out quite well; after
he dies, I will take over as pack leader and introduce werewolves to the
public. It’s too bad you won’t be by my side.”

“I
would never stand by your stupid plans,” she spat.

“Oh,
darling, but you did. You just can’t remember.”

“What?
You lie.” The words would have been convincing if it weren’t for her wavering
voice.

“Would
you like to know what really happened on the night you lost your memories?”
Conner dragged a chair to her table and sat down heavily. “We had just
completed the last murder. Ah, you remember Ben’s dead body? I can see it in
your eyes. Yes, you had helped me kill the worthless human. After the deed was
done, we staged a kidnapping for you while I called the police and left a tip about
the two murders. Axel was too worried about you to help regulate the press, so
when a video of a werewolf were to magically emerge one week later, he would be
too distraught about you to stop it.”

“I
would have never done that.” Harper’s wolf wanted to take control and shift so
she could get them to safety, but she knew the basement door would be locked.

“You
underestimate yourself. After the last murder, you returned to Gabby and then
ditched her to hop in the car with me. You then used sedatives so it would seem
like you had been knocked unconscious. After waking, you kept up the kidnapping
ruse by sending Axel panicked images of a dark room.”

“No,
I didn’t.”

“Everything
was going great until your worthless wolf erased your memories.”

“She
what?” Harper whispered.

So
this whole time, she hadn’t had amnesia? It had been her wolf protecting Harper
from herself, hiding her memories like a mental reset button. Harper’s wolf
sighed deeply, and she finally noticed Wolf’s depression. This was why they
hadn’t been getting along.

As
soon as she had the thought, everything rushed back in a storm of feelings.
Harper remembered sneaking through Ben’s home, clamping his mouth shut as
Conner crushed his temple. She felt the warm blood soak through her palm,
dripping onto her shirt. She watched as Conner used clamps to press bite marks
into his flesh before going outside and relaxing on the old swing.

The
second man was younger, and Harper had been angry because his sticky blood had ruined
her favorite socks.

She
was a murderer.

A
killer.

Harper
leaned over the side of the table and puked at Conner’s feet. He leapt back in
disgust before cackling.

Harper!
Axel suddenly yelled through the
bond. Harper didn’t let herself feel relief that he was alive. She didn’t
deserve him. Axel couldn’t find out what she was, what she had done. He would
hate her if he knew. She severed the link to keep him from seeing her thoughts.

Harper
despised herself. How had this happened?

She
flipped through her returned memories to find answers. The first few months
with Axel had been perfect. She soon moved into his house and eagerly took her
place as the alpha’s mate. Then, things began to change.

For
the first time in her life, she was feared and respected. No one in the pack
bullied her, and no one had dared to insult her directly. Harper hadn’t been
respected; she had been feared.

The
addiction to power began like a slow sickness that slept unnoticed in the
blood. Being dominant pleased her wolf, but it thrilled Harper more. She began
getting paranoid that someone would harm her mate and steal their ranks. Harper
had plotted and planned; she let authority cloud every thought until it became
her only worry. It wasn’t satisfying enough to be the matriarch of the second
largest werewolf pack; she had wanted to rule over humans, too.

Suddenly,
Axel busted down the wall in their link with something akin to a mental
battering ram.

“Kill
me,” Harper whispered, knowing that Axel was in her head but not caring.
Hearing her own voice sickened her. Spending the past few days with a clear
mind had yanked her personality back in order. She never would have been happy,
even if she had managed to rule the entire universe. It never would have been
enough.

Harper,
where are you? What’s wrong?
Axel
asked her frantically. She ignored him.

Conner
sneered. "No. You deserve to be punished, stupid bitch."

"Why,
Conner? What did I ever do to you?"

"You
wanted me! Wanted to leave your alpha for me. Ah, you conveniently forgot?
Allow me to remind you of the pack party two weeks ago, then."

Unbidden,
the memory rose out of the muck of her mind.
The room was full with pack
members. They were all gathered at her house, eating and laughing. Harper was
on the couch next to Gabby, drinking red wine. They were giggling together, and
then Harper glanced up, locking gazes with Conner. She winked one blue eye suggestively
at him when no one else was looking.

It
was completely inappropriate of her, but that one action shouldn't have been
enough to justify Conner's claim. She must have been doing things like that for
a long, long time.

Harper?
Axel had seen her memory, and she
could feel his pain. He was in her head now and she couldn’t get him out.

She
felt sick. What kind of person was she? Harper hadn’t been attracted to Conner,
but he had been a means to an end. Her mate didn’t want the public to know about
werewolves, so she went to the next most powerful male: Conner.

Harper
deserved to die here, in this damp cellar. The world would be a better place
without her. She had another sudden glance into the past. Conner was kissing
her, and she was pressed into the wall.

Harper
knew herself well enough to know that she wasn't enjoying the kiss. Her eyes
were open, and one hand was fiddling with a ring on her pinky finger. This kiss
wasn't like Axel's all-consuming do or die kiss, so why did she do it?

Harper
began crying as she watched herself cheat on her mate.

"Did
I sleep with you?" She needed to know, however painful. 

"No,
damn it. You lost your memories and then fell in love with
him
again." Conner kicked a piece of metal, and it flew across the room with a
clang.

"Why
would I do that to Axel? Why?" she whispered, trying to keep from sobbing.

"Power.
You crave power."

"No.
I don't."

He
strode over to her while whispering, "Can't you feel it, Harper? You still
want this as much as I do, so just accept it."

"You're
lying!" She would not lose her sanity in front of this evil man.

"Power.
You wanted to help lead the werewolves into society with me.”

“But
your mate…
My
mate,” she protested.

“Power
is stronger than love, my dear.”

"Going
public would be a disaster. The power would never be worth the lives lost."
Why hadn’t she seen that before?

"No,
it will be glorious. Think about it. We won't have to hide. We could be
ourselves and be a part of society. Join me again, Harper. Together, we are
dominant enough to lead the new world."

“I
will never join you. Never again.”

“Then
you’ll have to die. You know too much with your memories back. No, don’t look
so relieved. It won’t be quick, I can promise you that.”

I’m
on my way,
Axel told her coldly. She
didn’t care how he knew where she was because all she could think about was
getting away from Conner.

He
yanked Harper by her hair into a sitting position, and a growl slipped passed
her lips. A knife in his hand glinted in the light. He brought it up slowly and
dragged the tip across her cheek. The silver left a burning path as it sliced
through her skin like butter. She screamed and tried to squirm out of his grip.

Why
was she fighting? She deserved every moment of this. Her wolf, however,
wouldn’t let Harper quit. Wolf took control and knew enough not to change. She
placed her weight on her bound human hands and swung her feet at Conner’s head.
Wolf made contact with a sickening thud, but there wasn’t enough power behind
the blow to do much but startle him.

She
doubled over and stepped through her linked arms so they were now in front of
her body. Clasping them together, she swung again at his temple. Conner ducked
and swiped at her side with the knife.

Harper
dodged, but not quickly enough. The silver sliced through her shirt and left a
three inch long cut by her stomach. She couldn’t back away because of her bound
feet, so instead she countered his move by grabbing his chair and swinging it
wildly.

The
chair leg caught Conner’s ribs, stealing his breath. Harper used the spare
second to flip backwards over the table. She landed painfully upside-down on
her shoulder, but the distance that had been created through the move was worth
it.

Harper
glanced around the basement for the exit. There was a narrow gap with stairs
leading upwards, but if the door was locked she’d be cornered. A memory filled
her mind. She was in her office with Gabby, and they were laughing. Harper saw
someone pass in the hallway, and she peeked her head out the door. The man was
young, one of the new wolves, and Harper knew that.

“Hey!”
she had said. “
Fetch us some water.”

The
wolf in him had been powerless to disobey her command. He didn’t look happy to
be sent on such a meaningless errand, but there was nothing he could do about
it.

Could
Harper control Conner like that since he was the beta? Sure the alpha’s mate
ranked second-highest in the pack.

Harper
had an idea, and she retook command from her wolf. Her eyes shifted with the
change of control.
“Stop!”

Conner
had been about to lunge over the table, but his movement slowed at her demand.

“
Drop
the knife.”
It clattered to the floor. Conner was enraged at her realization,
but there was nothing he could do but scowl.

“
Get
on the floor.”
He fought the pack magic momentarily. “I said,
get on the
floor!”
Harper’s voice was raw and hysterical.

Wolf
was in shock. Pack ranking should have left Harper and Conner on equal levels.
There was no way Harper should have been able to control him so easily.

Harper
whispered, “
Pick up the knife.”

Conner’s
eyes widened, but his hand reached for the silver. She was so angry at him. It
was his fault she became such a monster. Harper was so conflicted. The world
would be a better place without Conner, but if she killed him she would be
guilty of another murder.

The
words snaked out of her throat without thought. “
Cut your throat.”

Conner
fought with every fiber of his being. The knife inched towards his neck like
death. There was nothing he could do but prolong the inevitable.

Harper,
I’m here. Hold on, just hold on.
Axel’s
voice shattered Harper’s concentration, and her wolf retook control.

“
Stop,”
Wolf said, using the human voice. Wolf knew that Conner deserved to die,
but it was her mate’s job as alpha to deliver the punishment.

“Harper!”
Axel shouted. His voice came from above the basement.

“Axel!”
Wolf cried back, so happy to hear his voice.

Harper
was trapped behind a wall her wolf had created, but she still fought. Harper
wanted justice to be served; she wanted Conner dead.

She
heard the door crash open, and Axel soon emerged. His chest was bloody, but he
was alive. He was here to help her. At the sight of him, Harper’s bloodlust
faded and she stopped struggling against her wolf.