Torn From the Shadows (33 page)

“Who is smart enough to do it, then?” My pulse quickened. After what I’d seen this demonic man do—pull a whip and sword out of thin air and then make them fade to smoke—I should be scared. But I wasn’t. Instead, his intrigue factor had risen.

“You will never have a reason to fear me,” Saul whispered.

“Just answer my question,” I said, not wanting to discuss my unspoken thoughts and the connection my grandmother had created between this demon and me. “Who do you think is behind this?”

He regarded me for a few silent moments. “Looks to me like the ghosts from the past have returned to claim what they believe was theirs all along.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but there was only one thing left to say. “I can handle ghosts.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Can you handle ghosts that are still alive?” Saul asked me half an hour later, after we’d vaulted over the brick wall enclosing what looked more like a getaway resort than a gated community of werewolves.

A variety of strategically placed cottages in various styles and colors were scattered in different spots inside the perimeter, with distance between each, presumably for privacy. There were no fences around any of the properties, though some did have nice gardens that set them apart from the rest of the meadow. At the top of the sloping hill was a two-story house, much larger than the ones below. I assumed it was the alpha’s house overlooking everyone.

I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone lived there now. Was that the house where Papan had grown up? Would there be a new pre-assigned mate waiting for him?

An elbow in the ribs made me look away.

“Stop gawking and pay attention,” Saul said.

We were hiding behind a tall wooden building. It looked like a barn but the inside was spacious, brightly lit and reminded me more of a town hall. Conrad and Narelle had gone around the other side, but I had no idea where Oren was. I hadn’t seen him since the wolves attacked.

“Take a look.” Saul pointed at the peeping hole on the wall he’d been spying out of. On the other side was what we were up against.

I closed one eye and peered inside with the other. A tall, slim woman with a messy blonde ponytail stood next to a dark-haired man. The two wore the same outfit—jeans and white wifebeaters. The couple was having some sort of heated discussion. The audience sat on plastic chairs, and was comprised of people of all ages, including children. When I looked closer, none of them seemed happy and a lot of the kids were crying.

“Well?” Saul whispered near my ear. “What do you see?”

I kneeled back and shrugged. “I don’t know who any of those people are, but I’m getting the feeling no one likes the twins at the front.”

“You don’t know who they are?”

I shook my head. “Why would I?”

“I thought he might have shown you a picture.”

“What? Who would show me a picture of whom?”

Saul peered into my eyes. “The
twins
are Jeff and Laura.”

I recognized those names. “No way, Papan told me they were dead. They killed themselves with silver, years ago—”

“It was staged. Those two would never have the guts to kill themselves.” A sour expression crossed his face. “Jeff and Laura only know how to inflict pain on others, not on themselves. Jeff is nothing like his brother, and his bitch of a girlfriend is even worse. Together, they’re a sadistic couple of crooks.”

“But why did they pretend to die?”

“Neither was happy with Jason being heir to the alpha throne—”

“But according to Papan, she could’ve been his partner.”

“Laura only wanted Jeff, so they hatched a plan and got out from under the pack’s watchful glare.
Dying
allowed them to cruise under the radar, to prepare a takeover when they were ready.” He paused for a moment, sneaking another look. “I should’ve looked further into it back then, always felt something was off about what happened…”

I rubbed my forehead. “How do you know about any of this now?”

“I read it on Thomas.”

“Ah, of course you did.” This sounded so farfetched, such a confusing situation that I needed a moment to think. If this couple were willing to stage such an elaborate hoax, it would make sense that once they were ready, they would plan to kill all the players standing in their way. Starting with the one who started it all—Hugo. And that’s when it hit me—Michael saying Papan recognized the smell at the house where the pookas were kept, the teenager also recognizing the smell of wolf.

Things were starting to make some sort of sick sense. “It was them! They’re the ones who took the kids. They killed Hugo and took Papan.”

Saul nodded. “I suspect they set Jason up.”

“No, those kids were being held hostage,” I said. “He was hired by a group of parents who wanted to find their lost children.”

“One of those parents might have been lying. It could very well be whoever suggested these parents hire Jason,” Saul said, looking at me. “You’d be surprised what people are willing to do for money. Or to get a loved one back…”

“Do you think Papan’s dead?” My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.

“No, I can smell him. He’s here and he’s hurt, but he’s not dead yet.”

Inside the barn, the couple addressed their reluctant audience with a lot more vigor, enough to make a few people yell back at them. Jeff stuck each of his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, and pulled something out. In one hand he held a syringe with some dark gunk inside it, in the other was one filled with silver liquid.

My skin crawled.

“We have to find him,” Saul said.

“Let’s go,” I whispered, not wanting to see anymore. We stuck close to the exterior, careful to make as little noise as possible while separated from a bunch of wolves by only a wooden wall. As we were about to turn the back corner of the structure, I slammed into someone and nearly screamed.

“Sierra, hey, it’s me,” Conrad said, catching me before I stumbled.

I caught my breath and managed to say, “Did you two find anything?”
 

He nodded but avoided my eyes. “Narelle’s like a bloodhound and led me right to him.”

“You found Papan?”

Conrad nodded. “He’s still alive. C’mon.”

The jog across the grassy clearing, past a pretty garden with bright flowers, and into the outskirts of the gated estate was a blur. Everything was foreign, nothing smelled right and my breathing was erratic. By the time Conrad stopped in front of a corrugated storage shed, my lungs burned.

Conrad hitched a thumb at the door. “He’s in there.”

I took a step, pausing in the doorway while trying to find him in the darkness. When I did, my heart broke. Papan was lying on the ground with his eyes closed and teeth gritted. Narelle stood behind him, cradling a weeping girl in her arms. When our eyes met and Willow recognized me, she flew out of the vampire’s arms and into mine.

“Sierra, thank God you’re here.” She held on so tight I struggled to catch a breath. I ran my hand over her loose, knotty hair. There were leaves and dirt stuck in the strands. It took a few tries to untangle her arms from around me and push her back gently to look her over.

“What did they do to you?” I asked.

Her eyes were wide, almost crazed and haunted. “They…”

My heart sank as worst-case scenarios raced through my mind. “What happened?” When I noticed the blood dripping from her arm, my heart stopped for several beats. “Willow,
tell me
.”

Tears slid down her face, leaving streaks where the dirt had dried. “They did something to Jason, and he lost control. He tried so hard, I know he did, but he…”

The thought of Papan biting my sister was enough to make me nauseous. I tried to grab her arm but she stepped away. “Did he bite you?”

She shook her head, raising it enough for me to see the familiar black-tinged bite.

Oh no, this can’t be happening again.

“Vixen bit you,” I whispered.

Willow didn’t respond. She didn’t have to. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Jason tried to protect me. They injected him with something. I don’t know what.”

I was going to kill Vixen. There was no other way. I hugged my sister, kissed the top of her head, and then handed her back to Narelle. Willow didn’t complain. “Make sure she’s safe. I’m putting her life in your hands. Protect her.”

The vampire nodded, dragging my sister towards the door.

I took a few deep breaths of the musty air around me, never taking my eyes off Papan. My fingers itched to touch him. There was nothing on this earth strong enough to keep me away from Jason Papan right now.
Nothing.

I exhaled and closed the distance between us. When I reached him, my heart felt as if it was shattering into a hundred pieces. He was naked and lying on his side, most of his exposed skin was bruised, battered and covered in random cuts or burns. His arms were crossed over his stomach, his eyes clenched as tightly as his mouth. I could hear his teeth grinding against each other and I wanted to take his pain away.

My only consolation was that he was still alive.

“What did they do to you?” I knelt down beside him. “Papan, it’s me.”

He stopped shaking long enough to open his eyes. The beautiful green irises usually filled with cheer and tease now only shed pain. His pupils were dilated and his face had a sickly pallor, while sweat coated his skin.

Papan coughed a few times before managing to say, “Fox, is it really you?”

I ran my hand over his sweaty forehead. “Yeah, it’s me. What did they do to you?”

He shook his head and a lock of hair fell into his eyes. “Don’t get too close. It’s taking every ounce of willpower I have to keep the wolf at bay. I can’t control him.”

“It’s almost the blue moon. You have to let him out.” My fingers caught the slick strands of his dark blond hair and I swept them away from his face.

“They did something to the wolf.”

I’d spent a lot of time with his werewolf side during our months together. I loved the animal as much as the man. Everything about his cream-colored wolf was beautiful and real. In spite of his constant fear to be around me during full-moon cycles, he’d never hurt me. Papan’s furry side didn’t see me as prey. And I now knew why—he saw me as mate.

“I’m not scared of you, Papan.”

He struggled for breath. “I thought I…terrified you.”

I caressed his cheek. “Not as much as you thrill me.”

His attempt at laughter turned into a rough cough, leaving droplets of blood on the ground in front of him.

I was so caught up in the moment I didn’t hear Saul’s approach until he crouched on Papan’s other side. “Jason, what did they inject you with?”

“Saul.” Papan uncrossed his arms long enough to point at something. “There.”

The demon reached out and picked up a syringe. He sniffed it, made a face and threw it across the shed. It bounced off the wall, melting into the shadows.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s demonic essence. More accurately, demonic essence from the hounds of Hades,” he answered, the disgust evident in his voice. “Hounds are feral, vile creatures hell-bent on destruction. Their endless hunger for flesh drives them insane and is never quenched. If they’ve injected any amount of this essence into Jason during a blue moon, it’s a wonder he managed to shift back to human at all.”

My mind reeled, thinking about what he’d just said—Mauricio, the kids, the crazy couple engaging an unwilling audience inside the barn. “It’s gotta be the same thing they used on the pookas! What’s in that syringe kept the kids stuck in their animal shape.” Everything tumbled around inside my head, falling into place. If the gunk supposedly made shifters crazy and feral, why hadn’t Michael exhibited any of those qualities when Willow brought him home? Maybe it had something to do with age, breed, or dosage. I had no idea, but I was starting to understand exactly what the couple intended. “They’re going to do the same to the other wolves. I think that’s why they’ve rounded them up.”

“I have to stop them,” Papan whispered. He licked his lips, raised his voice and said, “They want the Pack, but doing this will only tear everyone and everything apart.”

Saul nodded, meeting my gaze. “He’s right. The weaker ones will perish while the stronger ones seek prey. The community might be away from the rest of civilization, but it won’t take the wolves long to reach humans. It’s been hard enough keeping all of this quiet after Hugo was discovered. We’ll never be able to keep this under wraps if everyone goes feral.”

“We can’t let them do this,” I said.

Papan made a move to sit up but slid back down. “Fuck!”

I pressed a hand to his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”

He looked me in the eye and forced a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We
are
partners in crime, I suppose.”

I squeezed his shoulder and his clammy hand covered mine.

We all tensed when footsteps sounded outside the shed and Oren appeared in the doorway.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Assessing the situation,” was all he said as he looked around the shed. “Someone’s coming, we need to hide.”