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  Mahon would make sure the ritual was done right. He didn’t want to kill the raven girl; it may compromise his goal and cause her tattoo to become static. Just an image painted on her flesh instead of a living pet.

  Back at the motel, he carefully wiped the blood off her face. It had dripped onto her shirt in the meanwhile. He wouldn’t be able to explain that away as sleepiness. A crazy bar fight. Perfect excuse. The people around here would probably believe anything. However, no one was around.

  He carried the raven girl on his shoulder to his room. Silence dominated the still night air. Perhaps everyone had already turned in already. Thank goddess.

  Inside his room, he laid her on the bed. He stripped away all of her clothes except her panties. She was lean, bordering on skinny. Her body didn’t suite his tastes, but that wasn’t why he was here.

  Now, he’d wait until she woke up, then he’d get her to agree to his wishes. This time, he wouldn’t let his kindness and desire not to hurt her get in the way. Not like with Angelique. He’d learned his lesson well.

  She had nearly been his death. If the werewolf hadn’t been so concerned about her to let him escape, Mahon would be dead right now. However, the fool would pay for his mistake. He intended to take advantage of his second chance, especially with the wealth of information he had at his disposal now. His second chance wouldn’t be a wasted effort.

  Mahon brushed his hand over her face. Aside from her physique, the raven girl was pretty. Both her and Angelique were. They both possessed such fragile strength. The girls weren’t like the werewolves who were supernaturally strong, but they were not weaklings either. Each of them had great magic within them.

  However, neither wielded it to their full potential. At least it had been in the last girl. She’d been frightened, yet he couldn’t deny his admiration for her stubbornness not to give in to Mahon’s wishes.

  In that regard, this raven girl had failed where Angelique had backbone. Nonetheless, she’d be a good bargaining tool. Maybe he’d keep his hands off her long enough for her to hold some value to them, if they even wanted her back. He wasn’t sure what her worth was to the werewolves, but he knew she meant something to the wolf’s girl. They were of the same race, and her people were known to stick together.

  He could practice some newly learned interrogation techniques on the raven girl. Find out more about their people. The druids would finally gain the true power they’d longed to possess. This power fit them better than any of the other magical groups. The tattoos were raw and natural. Perfectly befitting.

  He slumped into the chair at the bedside, watching the raven-haired girl, then he propped his feet on the bed. If he didn’t get at least one of their pets, he would have gone against his druidic group for naught. He’d held fast to his resolve for many, many years. If anyone were capable of taking the pets, it would be him.

  Once Mahon convinced the others of the magic and that what they knew was not mythical nonsense, he’d no longer be the enemy. He’d be looked upon favorably. The exalted one they’d all been waiting for. Everyone would beg him for his knowledge, so they too could possess the powers he had.

  A muffled caw broke through Mahon’s thoughts. He pulled out a knife from his belt without thinking. Jumpy? Perhaps a little.

  On the woman’s flesh, the raven hopped from her bony back to the flesh of her stomach. It stayed still for a moment, then swiveled his head toward Mahon, watching him with distrustful eyes.

  The bird was right to feel that way.

  After Mahon finished with the girl, the raven would learn the wisdom of not trusting.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Connor sat in front his laptop at Angelique’s kitchen table. After Dave and Ravenna left, things had gone okay. She’d drunk some water, then fell asleep. He’d been by her side for the whole night without incident.

  Angelique watched television in the living room. She barely met his eyes today, and he knew she felt bad about what happened yesterday. They were both frustrated. He wouldn’t take his anger and disappointment out on her. Even keeping her home like a prisoner felt so wrong, but he didn’t know what else to do.

  She had broken his trust twice. Once by having Ravenna around without letting him know. It’d be one thing if they were just friends, but for her to try to learn about her gifts from a total stranger, then she’d run off and nearly got herself killed after hitting a tree.

  He grimaced, focusing on the computer screen. If he didn’t get his head together, he’d be even farther behind on his workload than he wanted. That wasn’t something he could afford either.

  The phone rang, and when she answered, she nearly dropped the handset. “What? Are you sure?”

  He rose to his feet. From the fear etched on her face, he knew something was wrong. “What is it?” he asked.

  “Mahon. H-he has Ravenna.” Nausea pinched her features, and she leaned against the wall for support.

  Guilt swept through him. If he hadn’t told her to leave last night, she’d be safe. Better yet, if he’d just told them both to go at once, she might’ve been fine with Dave. What had he done? Damn it!

  He didn’t want Ravenna hurt. That wasn’t the kind of man he was. Besides, Mahon would get what he wanted, probably doing to Ravenna what he’d hoped to do to Angelique. Balling his hands into fists, he snatched the phone. “Dave? What happened?”

  Only the dial tone answered. His friend had hung up before Connor could get any answers.

  She wrapped her arms around herself. Fine trembles broke out over her body, raising goose bumps on her arms. Her eyes watered, but she held back her tears.

  “We’re going to get her back. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” He pulled her into a hug. “There, there.” He massaged her back in soothing circles, hoping to calm her down.

  She drew in several deep breaths. “If only I’d left, she wouldn’t be in trouble now. He might’ve chased me, not gone after her.” She pulled back a little but didn’t meet his eyes. “Why did you have to stop me?”

  He tilted her chin up to stare into her gaze. “You don’t know that. He would’ve taken her regardless. Simply because he knew taking her would hold power over you. The jerk would think she knew where you were.”

  “Ugh.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “That does sound like him. He’d do anything to take Kira from me.” Sighing, she leaned her forehead against his chest. “I hate that you’re right, but you are.”

  “You’re not the only one who feels that way.” He held her close, pressing his lips to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him for dear life.

  “I just wish this were all to be over with, and yet I doubt it’s even begun. This is all my fault, isn’t it?” Tears wet his bare chest.

  He gritted his teeth. How could he explain to her that he was the reason her friend was gone? While he knew it was deceitful, if he had any hope of mating with her, he had to keep it a secret, at least for now.

  “It’s not your fault. We’re going to find her. We’ll get her back. Don’t worry.” Yet he wasn’t so sure they would. He knew how near a miss getting Angelique back had been, and he’d known exactly where she was. They had no idea where Mahon kept Ravenna.

  But Connor knew he’d have to call Dave back. If he had any hope of figuring out how to help, he’d need to talk to Dave. He hoped Dave had more information than they did. Part of him wondered how his friend knew about Ravenna getting caught by Mahon, but he’d seen the way the two of them were together. Dave had fallen for her. Perhaps they’d planned breakfast together. Regardless, they needed to work together. Dave couldn’t go off half-cocked, or things might end badly for Ravenna.

  “Do you need anything to drink, Angelique?” he asked. “Tea? Coke?”

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll go get something for us.”

  He held her close, wishing she’d responded to his request, but she was shaken up. Releasing her from his embrace, he watched her turn the corner into the kitchen.

&nb
sp; Knowing there was nothing more he could do for her, he pulled out his cell phone then dialed up Dave. At first, he wasn’t sure Dave would even answer.

  “Hello?” Dave’s voice was nearly a growl. “What is it?”

  The words froze in his throat. He’d never heard his friend sound so hurt before. From the anger radiating through the phone line, he suspected Dave wasn’t thrilled to be talking with him.

  “Connor?” When he didn’t answer, Dave changed his tone. “Is it Angelique? Should I be on my way?”

  He cleared his throat. “No, it’s not Angelique. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Ravenna being taken.” He looked to see her watching him with two glasses of water in her hands. The ice cubes rattled together in the glasses, a sign of her shaky hands.

  “As much furious as I am, you didn’t do it. The druid needs to pay for what he’s done. He can’t get away with this.” Dave’s voice was breathy like he was about to lose control. “If only you’d finished him off when you had a chance.”

  He clenched his hand into a fist, nearly crushing his phone. “I think about that too. Believe me, Dave. However, my priority was Angelique’s life and safety.” Sighing, he loosened his grip on the cell phone. He’d lost too many phones recently. His cell phone provider would get suspicious if he kept breaking them. “We’ll find her.”

  “I know. I’m going to be right over. Maybe we can sniff out a trail. There has to be something. We need to find her.”

  Damn. Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Good call. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Please call the Alpha. Perhaps he could help find her.” Dave knew Connor didn’t want to talk to Lowell any more than he had to, but if they found Ravenna before Mahon damaged her too much, there would be less of Angelique ending up as one of Mahon’s toys as well.

  That was the plan at least.

  He ended the call then tucked his phone back in his pocket. She handed him one of the water glasses. Her hands still trembled, and he pulled her back into his arms.

  “Dave is coming over to help find her?” She stared up at him. Trust radiated in her gaze, making the guilt he felt flare that much more.

  “Yes, we’re going to sniff out a trail to hopefully see where she went. Our sense of smell is…well, you know how good it is.” Monica had tracked her down. He didn’t need to bring up that subject.

  “More than most.” She smiled, but it was sad around the edges. “We’ll make it through this. I’m safe with you here. There’s no way Mahon can get to me now.”

  “You’re right. I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to find her, Angel.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Dave is on his way, and I’m going to call the Alpha. We’ll make sure she’s found.” He wanted to say that they’d find Ravenna before anything horrible happened, but he couldn’t guarantee that even though he most definitely wanted to.

  * * *

  Less than thirty minutes later, several werewolves were at Angelique’s house. She wanted to crawl into her skin with Kira. Lowell, their Alpha, made her uneasy. He watched her with intense eyes.

  Dave was mostly fine. He didn’t disturb her too much; besides, he had a lot more on his mind at the moment than her. One of the other two wolves looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps he was the man whom Monica had convinced to follow her over a week ago.

  She wanted to excuse herself to her room, but she didn’t want to stray too far from Connor. It’d be dangerous to do so, and she wouldn’t be helping much with getting Ravenna back to safety. Both of those were top priority right now.

  “We’ll go see what we can find. We shouldn’t be too long.” Dave waved to the other werewolf who had followed her for Monica.

  “I’ll go too.” Lowell nodded at Dave. “My senses are keen. While I trust the two of you, I think it’d be best for everyone involved, if I see if I can spot anything as well.” He turned his gaze to the other wolf who really unsettled her. “Tyler, you’ll stay here with Connor and Angelique.” The werewolves headed outside following their leader.

  She almost felt like she could breathe again with them gone. While there was still Tyler, at least she could keep some distance between them, instead of having so many werewolves in such close proximity and feeling trapped.

  Connor walked up behind her, circling his hands around her waist and holding her to him. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry. Want to go in the other room? I still need to finish my report.”

  She nodded, a weight lifting off her chest at the escape. “Okay. I’ll come along.”

  They headed into the dining room. Connor went to his laptop while she sat in the chair beside him. She didn’t know what the heck she’d do, especially since she didn’t want to disturb him while he was working, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to be so close to Tyler. Seemed she was damned either way. For once she wished she had a hobby like knitting. Something quiet and nonintrusive that could keep her busy.

  She started to thrum her fingers on the table but stopped the moment she realized what she was doing.

  He frowned at her. “I’m sorry. I know this is probably not what you’re hoping for. I hate the fact you’re having to skip work yet again. I really do.” He let out a sigh. “As I said previously, if there’s anything at all I can do.”

  “No, it’s fine. Besides, knowing the druid knows where I work has made me not so eager to return, especially with Ravenna gone. Part of me wishes we knew for sure that this was the druid’s handiwork. I know Dave is concerned, but what if she just didn’t show—”

  The front door banged open, and Connor shot to his feet nearly knocking his laptop onto the floor.

  “He took her. Connor, I smelled him. That fucking bastard.” Dave’s voice shook with unadulterated rage. “If he hurts even one hair on her head—”

  “Calm down,” Lowell said. While he did a much better job of controlling himself, she could tell there the man wasn’t entirely emotionless.

  She darted to the doorway.

  He stood beside Dave whose face pinched with anger and sorrow, but he didn’t say anything further. Dave bit his tongue for his Alpha.

  “I assume there wasn’t much of a trail?” Connor asked, his gaze was on Dave, but the question was obviously directed at Lowell.

  “No. We smelled blood from where he’d punched her, but they must’ve gotten into a car because the trail ended at a pair of skid marks.” Lowell crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll have a couple of my wolves visit area hotels, but that’ll take a while. If we don’t think of some other way to find her, she might not make it.”

  Dave narrowed his gaze at his Alpha for a split second before he returned his attention to the floor. “I’ll help. I know his scent.”

  Lowell waved his wrists in dismissal. “You’re too connected to this. You might overlook something or jump to conclusions.”

  “I don’t agree. He knows the scent.” Connor held his chin up. “Besides, this is something serious to him. If he’s not on it, he’ll be worrying about it unable to function at work or whatever else he does.”

  Lowell froze at Connor’s words, and the Alpha stared down him until Connor lowered his gaze. There had obviously been some kind of dominance issue there, and while Connor probably shouldn’t have downright stood up to his Alpha, he certainly had a point. She’d seen how close Dave and Ravenna were. Dave wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he didn’t search for her.

  “Fine. Help, but don’t get in the way, Dave.”

  Dave bowed his head. “Thank you, Alpha. Thank you. I won’t let you down.” He took off out the front door, and in a matter of moments, Dave’s truck rumbled to life.

  “You two keep an eye on him. Help him. We don’t need any more trouble with this druid. He’s caused problems on our land, and we’re going to make sure that trouble stops once and for all.” Lowell glanced back at Connor then turned his gaze on her, causing her more sharp discomfort. “You stay out of harm’s way. I don’t need him to have yet
another hostage.”

  Kira stirred from her static state, crouching into a pounce position. She wasn’t happy with Lowell being around either. Very rarely did she ever come alive like that. Asleep one minute and aware of the situation the next.

  “Calm down, Kira,” Angelique said under her breath. “He’s not a threat.”

  He stiffened as if he knew something she didn’t.

  “Remember those words.” A menacing grin reached Lowell’s eyes. Instead of saying more, he walked out the door, waving over his shoulder.

  When all the other werewolves were gone, he fixed his gaze on her. “You underestimate him. Anyone would know that Lowell’s more of a threat than anything Mahon could throw at us. If he wanted to, he could keep us apart. Monica’s petition is still valid, and our time to consummate our mating bond is running up.” He sighed, then turned away and walked back into the dining room, leaving her to her thoughts.

  Connor was right, and she’d just discredited Lowell’s reach in front of him. Part of her didn’t even want to know how this might affect their future. Would he take her comments out on her relationship with Connor? Would he bring back Monica or ship off her true love?

  God, she hoped not. While she’d done some stupid things recently, refusing to mate with him would be at the top of the list; especially after all they’d been through together. There was no more time to waste.

  She darted to the dining room, her heart hammering against her chest. “I truly want to be mated to you. I want to make things right.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Connor’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. “That’s great, Angel.”

  While they’d agreed on mating during the throes of passion, it changed when he came down hard on her for not telling him the truth about Ravenna. While he was thrilled with being mated to Angelique, knowing he was one of the reasons Ravenna had been captured weighed heavily on his heart.

  He’d carry around that guilt until they rescued her acquaintance. If only he hadn’t been such a jerk.