Pack Possessed, page 16
part #4 of Thrown to the Wolves Series
Attempting to hide my reaction, I take a drink, but lock eyes with my twin. With as disconnected as we’ve been in recent weeks, I thought that we’d lost the ability to read each other like open books, to know exactly where the other’s mind will go and be able to finish their sentences simply because we’re an extension of each other. But the small flash in his matching arctic gaze across from me as he conceals his smirk with a drink proves that recent events have merely been a bump in the road.
We were right. Ash is simply good at making people think that he’s all-powerful and has eyes everywhere. The biggest problems are his healing abilities, breaching the demonic energy he uses as an acidic, living shield, and the people he manipulates into doing his dirty work. Even he admits that Sabrina is more powerful than him, so he’s attempting to seduce her as a means of controlling and using her, or threaten the people she loves as a failsafe to keep her in line.
As if the rest of us don’t exist, he keeps his attention fixated on Sabrina. “Isn’t that right, Aurelia? We have to want something to make it happen, and I never gave up on believing it was possible to bring you back to me. The world loves balance, and it was poetic that the very thing that destroyed you, you became. So I amassed as much demonic energy as I could to piece you back together from the aether. If you wish to mock the fact that I’m unable to undo the chaos you left in your wake, be my guest. But power is an imaginary concept, and yours and mine together are limitless. It’s why we were made for each other.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Go for it. You sniff out people’s weaknesses like it’s your life’s calling; as soon as you figure out how to do it that won’t get Sabrina or our brothers killed, you have my blessing. Piss on his grave while you’re at it.
We’re left processing his speech as several waiters and waitresses return to pass out our food. Only once the last plate has been set down and glasses are refilled do they depart, closing the door behind them.
A purple glow from the waterfall alights the side of Damian’s face as he grits out, “You keep trying to paint yourself as this amazing person with her best interest at heart, but don’t forget, you killed her father.”
Absolute delight appears in Ash’s face as he begins cutting up his steak, popping a piece in his mouth before replying. “No, you three were the ones that disposed of the human that was going to get Sabrina killed. His death was in order to protect her, and your hands in it were to prove that you were willing to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe, even if you didn’t want to and she’d hate you for it. All I did was make the hard call that it couldn’t be put off any longer and insist that it needed to be done.”
Pointedly waiting for Sabrina to start eating before he continues, as soon as she takes a bite, he smirks. “For whatever reason, Annika was happy with that human. That didn't leave much for you to siphon from in order to keep you alive, and Annika made sure to keep you away from other shifters, so I had no choice. If Noah Laroque hadn’t died, you would have. And I wasn't going to allow that to happen; never again.”
Sabrina polishes off her glass, and I snag the nearest bottle of wine before she’s even done. A high alcohol tolerance and a low tolerance for Acheron Wilder don’t particularly mix. May not be the healthiest of ways to deal with the conversation, but unless we want to repeat the futile efforts of uselessly attacking him, liquid encouragement is necessary to keep our cool.
Setting her glass aside, she holds his stare as she stabs her fork into her food. “How benevolent of you.”
Reaching beside his chair, he retrieves a thick manilla envelope. “I’m aware the situation caused you a great amount of grief, and for that, I do sincerely apologize. But you need to realize that I never make a decision lightly. These mates of yours are another necessary evil I’m willing to endure only because you are far too important to leave vulnerable, especially when you’ve always had a habit of getting yourself into trouble.”
Taking a breath to collect himself, his trademark plastic smile reemerges. “I got you something as not only an apology gift, but a show of good faith to assure you that I have no intention of killing the humans in order to free the demons. Regardless of what Aurelia may lead you to believe, I genuinely care not only for her, but you as well. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I do understand you, Sabrina. You don’t want to give up your life for people you’ve never met, and I’d like to prove that I’m not asking you to. On the contrary; I want to give you everything.”
Passing the envelope off to Slade, it makes its way down the line to Hunter and Reid, where he hesitates like he’s debating opening it for inspection first. Reluctantly, he hands it off to her while I crane my neck to shamelessly get the first look as she slides the packet of papers free.
On an incredulous breath, I murmur, “What the fuck?”
Bo crowds my personal space to investigate, but the moment he sees it, he has a wildly different reaction. Unperturbed, he returns to his seat and his meal. With a heavy exhale, I follow his lead, even if my stomach is a mess of knots.
Sabrina isn’t impressed by expensive gifts. My unease stems from the fact that he managed to pull this off in only a few days as a result of Kaige’s goading, and realizing how far his reach actually extends.
“I don’t,” Sabrina trails off with a shake of her head.
Unable to form a coherent sentence, she tilts it Reid’s way, and his eyes widen before whipping his attention to Ash. “You bought Byte-Ware?”
Acheron soaks up her loss of words with smug satisfaction, taking it as a sign of victory. “I did, but as you’ll note, Sabrina’s co-owner, and I intend to leave it in her very capable hands.” When she finally looks at him, he emphasizes, “Once we set things straight, I’m happy to never set foot on that mountain again. I can give you everything you could ever want, Sabrina. All I ask is that you help me make things right, and give me the shot that Aurelia was too scared to take a chance on.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to hear her thoughts right now.
“Aurelia is probably screaming at Sabrina to burn his nuts off for that comment.”
Taking a bite of my dinner, I study her expression, but all I find is stunned silence and a glazed look in her eye as she’s caught in her own discussion with her inner wolf demon.
Face, maybe. Neither of them want to be anywhere near that manipulative bastard’s junk. He’s spinning it as a present, but it’s just a way to keep her busy and happy while he’s off waging his war against the world, financially tied to him. He’s trying to pull her deeper and deeper into his web so that he’ll be able to control her since even he admitted that she’s more powerful than he is.
“And if we see that, so does she, don’t worry.”
Clearing her throat, Sabrina sits up straighter in her chair. Taking another sip of her wine, she grabs her fork and knife, concentrating her attention on her meal. “The demons. How do I free them exactly?”
Grinning ear to ear, Ash languidly drags his gaze over her before returning to his steak. “I’m going to need you to tell me exactly what Aurelia was thinking of when she did it originally to be sure, but it should be as straightforward as desiring to open a path from them to us and releasing a surge of power, if you will.”
After a few more bites, I still can’t let go of the question nagging at me and decide to go for broke and interject. “That’ll free the ones under the mountain, but what about shifters like us?”
“That’s where the drug comes in. You all did me the favor of perfecting it, so it’ll simply be a matter of distributing it. Wolves will be able to shift without the need of a mate, and their demons will be free to share the body they’re confined in. Not a perfect solution, but a good start. In this day and age, having an influx of demons roaming around won’t be received well.”
He didn’t comment on the fact that they’ll be immune to manipulation outside of Sabrina and there’s no way he didn’t catch that fact if he left our first test subject’s corpse on our doorstep to make a point.
“The shifters aren’t the goal; it’s the demons in the mountain. Or maybe he isn’t worried about having to physically force them into compliance and thinks his other avenues of controlling people will be sufficient?”
Bolder than I’ve ever seen him, Slade calls him out to his face. “Until the regular human population is dealt with, you mean. Once they’re culled down to a more manageable number, shifters can take their place as the dominant species and the demons won’t have to hide. Then we can revisit the idea of separating the two entities and experimenting on how to pull it off without killing either one, is that about right?”
A slow smirk rises on Ash’s face before he nonchalantly takes another bite. Drawing the moment out, he swallows and refills his glass before deigning to respond. “As wonderful as it would be to solve every problem in one fell swoop, the world rarely works that way. One step at a time.”
Kaige’s fork bends under the force of his grip. “So you’re stringing her along and hoping that if she’s forced to be around you long enough with you showering her in gifts, she’ll finally take you as a mate?”
“Aww, I liked that guy. I’m going to miss him.”
Everyone tenses as they await Ash’s reaction. Still riding the high of his perceived victory, he takes the question in stride, but shuts down the topic. “I’m hoping to create a world where shifters and demons aren’t killed simply for existing.”
Several minutes pass as we all get lost in our thoughts, picking at our food. The waitress returns to check on us, taking away a few empty plates and bottles, promptly returning with additional bottles and various desserts without even being asked if they were wanted. Clearly, Ash worked out plenty of the semantics before we arrived, namely; make the evening last as long as humanly possible by whatever means necessary.
Annoyed, I snag one of the pieces of strawberry cheesecake. As the first bite melts in my mouth and I don’t drop dead from poison, I run my fork through it again and offer it to Sabrina. “I hate to admit it, but this is fucking delicious and you have to try it.”
Lip twitching, she takes the distraction, leaning in to steal it off of my fork. “Damn it, it really is.” Rising out of her chair in order to reach the last slice before Bo gets his hands on it, she settles back in her seat with her prize. Treating it like casual dinner conversation, she asks, “So what are you going to do with the demons in the meantime? You know, since they’d be killed for being different, and you’re happy to move away from the mountain of depression.”
Weighing his answer, Ash buys himself a few seconds by taking a long drink. “Ideally, I’d like to use the time to bring them up to speed on the modern world and give them a chance to gradually acclimate so it isn’t such a culture shock. I’m not sure what sort of conditions they’ve spent the past several centuries in, so we’re officially entering a grey area where an official plan will need to be developed once I have more facts to work with.”
“You’ve spent all of this time not only trying to resurrect Aurelia, but free these people. You must have some sort of reason.”
When he turns to me, the amusement drains from his eyes in favor of warning. “You’re here because you serve a purpose; keeping Sabrina safe and happy. Nothing beyond that is your concern. Obviously I have my reasons, and I’m happy to share them with her, but you? You’re tolerated as a courtesy, so mind your tone, because you’re easily replaceable.”
The scent of charred fabric proceeds Sabrina rising to her feet, her palms burning patterns into the tablecloth. “For someone that admitted he needs me and has gone so far as to stalk me the entirety of my life, I’d think you’d be smart enough to know that that was an incredibly stupid thing to say.”
Ash matches her energy, rising to his feet. “And for someone that damned an entire race, I’d think you of all people would understand the importance of enforcing boundaries so people don’t get carried away.”
The LED lights in the waterfall surge, the faint tinkling of exploding glass shards enveloped by the stream of water. It darkens the room considerably, but the low overhead lighting is more than enough for us to see by with our heightened senses. Heart kicking into overdrive, I cover the back of her hand.
“Sabrina.” She doesn’t immediately look my way, staring down Ash like she’s prepared for things to come to a head right here and now. “Angel?”
Finally breaking her stare off, she turns my way. I’m not sure what she sees on my face, but whatever she finds, it’s enough to have her reluctantly backing down. Dropping into her seat, she angrily stabs into her dessert. “So, I free your demon buddies and they help you take over the world, then we all live happily ever after, is the gist of it?”
After a beat, Ash sinks back into his chair, body stiff. “You free people that you never should have imprisoned in the first place, and we go back to the way things were meant to be.” Slamming back his drink, he finishes, “The humans were a practice run to work out the kinks, and they continuously prove that they aren’t worthy for this world. So we’re going to do what we were created for; removing the misery from this earth. And the only way to do that is by eradicating the humans we were born to replace.”
Chapter 12
Boden
“Fuck, give a guy some warning next time." Needing to catch my breath, I take a seat on the ledge and drag her up onto my lap so I can risk closing my eyes for a second.
"Feel better?" she asks with an amused lilt to her voice.
Damian sighs in annoyance as he hauls himself up next. "How could he not when you decided the perfect moment to siphon from him was two hundred feet in the air when you both could have slipped and died? That would put anyone in a fantastic mood."
Prying one eyelid open, I take in her flushed cheeks and pleased smile, and the start of my worried lecture immediately dies in my throat. She just looks so... full of life. No putting one foot in front of the other to get through the day, or simply surviving. Even with as frustrating and hopeless as the situation feels right now, she’s handling it in stride, burning off her pent-up energy before it can destroy anything else around the cabin.
"I would like to point out though, that these two got laid when you decided to siphon from them. Seems a little unfair if you ask me. You picking favorites on us, pretty girl?"
Rotating so that she's straddling my lap facing me, she shrugs. "Don't blame me, blame the seating chart. I'm not scheduled to sit on your face until Tuesday."
Gently biting her shoulder, I tighten my grip on her hips, slowly dragging her closer and torturing us both. "Don't let a schedule tell you who you can and can't do. Show it who's boss, fuck me out of spite.” Catching her eye, I wink. “And to be clear, yes, this is me flirting."
Barking out a laugh, she kisses me hard just as Hunter catches up, climbing onto the stone ledge to growl, "Don't give her ideas, Hawthorne. If there's a way to tempt fate, she'll insist on fucking doing it."
She grins against my lips. "You could have gone to the warehouse with the others if you didn’t want to come exploring with us, you know."
He narrows his eyes. "After the last time you nearly got yourself killed rock climbing?” Extending a hand with a scoff, he adds, “And that was before you became a blood bank."
With a sigh, she takes his hand and I pass her off, getting to my feet next. Glancing at the path ahead of us, I breathe a little easier. It was more of a rough hike than anything until the last hundred feet, but from here on out, the ledges are wide enough we could stand three people wide without worry of someone falling off. There are even a handful of paths worn into the stone like ramps leading upward that managed to survive all of these years.
“What are you even hoping to find up here? More rocks?”
Hunter insists on leading the way to test the ground’s stability first, but it’s Sabrina directing us. “Anything, really. If nothing else, if we keep going, it’ll offer somewhere out of view from below that I can experiment a little without risk of anyone watching us.”
A small stone breaks away under Sabrina’s foot, but my firm grip on the back of her shirt keeps her from stumbling. “Of course someone did,” she continues, unfazed. “And it’s going to drive him crazy wondering what we’re doing. Even if we don’t find anything useful, it’s a win simply for getting under his skin.”
“Why would he care that we’re up here?”
Tossing a smirk over her shoulder, she announces with utter confidence, “Because if this area is still abandoned after all of these centuries, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that means he’s scared to step foot in our old village. Fears are fun things to exploit.”
Hunter, Damian, and I come to an abrupt stop.
“His old village, you mean. And Aurelia’s. Not yours.”
Waving off the slip, she corrects, “You know what I meant.”
Still, I share a look with Hunter as he whirls around to face her, both of us uneasy at the slip. Normally we can tell when Sabrina’s demon is running the show, so either that means she’s getting better at adopting Sabrina’s behavior and blending in, or our mate is really starting to blur the lines between the two of them.
Hunter blocks her path, spinning her around and pushing her back towards me. "You didn’t say anything about going to that cursed place. What the fuck, Sabrina? Even if it's not the actual demon prison, we are not going inside the mountain to play around with your abilities in an area that's known for landslides. Not just no, but hard fucking no."
Obviously expecting as much, she shrugs. "Okay, so I don't practice and we stick with trial by fire when push comes to shove. We can at least look around a little. He doesn't care about the people he uses here despite his claims of having the demons’ best interest at heart, and we need to figure out why. It’s not like they’re in some air pocket inside the mountain, or he'd have bought an excavator and some dynamite to blow the mountain up himself ages ago."
"Or maybe we'll find nothing, get trapped inside the mountain, and then eaten alive by the demons that hate you for imprisoning them?" Damian counters.
