“Go find Melinda. Keep her safe. I’m going after the witch.”
Louis nodded and bounded silently up the stairs. Pierre followed his nose down the hall.
He stepped into a room full of shadows even his keen eyesight couldn’t penetrate. Witchcraft. The smell was strongest here. His wolf held at the ready, close to the surface, he inched his way forward.
A dry and dusty chuckle echoed about the room. “You’re too late, wolf.”
The voice crawled over his skin like a thousand ants, raising the hair on the back of his neck.
“Show yourself, witch.”
The shadows shifted, thick and suffocating, swirling around his face, whispering across his skin, taunting his eyes with glimpses of cream and gold opulence, a brocade chair, but no Cordelia.
He eased a few steps further into the room, his senses peeled, ready to lunge the moment he could pinpoint her.
“You made a mistake coming here.”
The disembodied voice sent shivers along his spine. His wolf had never backed down from anything, but this woman, this witch, set him on edge like no other threat before. Where was she?
“You kidnapped our mate. Nothing would stop us from coming after you.” His voice was little more than a growl, his vocal cords shifting, coarse hairs bristling on the backs of his arms. His wolf wanted out, wanted to take over.
Another cackle. “Oh, I knewthat, wolf.That’s why I had Veilleux bring her here.”
Then what was she talking about?
“You should’ve stayed with your twin. Coming after me is going to cost you.” A light flared—a match—and for a brief instant the flame cut through the shadows, laying bare the old woman standing over a bowl of herbs, malevolent glee in her mismatched eyes. “Make your choice, wolf. Me or them.”
A scream ripped through the house. “Louis! No!”
Melinda.
The old woman dropped the match into the bowl of herbs and began chanting, but Pierre didn’t care. He was out the door, bounding up the stairs. His twin howled, and the pain of it sliced through him. The sound cut off, leaving only the harsh breathing of human males and the broken sobs of their mate.
* * * *
Louis groaned. His throat and wrists burned and his wolf was silent.Silver.They’d bound him in silver. The slight deadening of his senses as he’d stepped into the room had warned him there was wolfsbane present, but with his cuff turned over to protect him, and the image of Melinda on her knees, the barrel of a gun pressed against her temple, nothing short of a silver bullet to the head would’ve stopped him from taking that step.
FilthyfuckingFaucherians. He’d sworn the man threatening her would count his remaining lifespan in seconds.
It had been his undoing. That, and the copious amounts of wolfsbane they had stored in the room. Far too much for the small amount of silver of his wrist cuff to counteract. Theconnardshad used it to good effect, and Louis had lost control of his wolf. Now he lay here, naked but for a few scraps of clothing, shackled in silver. Louis chuffed. Pierre would maintain Louis never had control, and he wouldn’t be far wrong, but he swore to the fates he’d learn some if they ever got out of this situation.
He shifted, hissing as the silver shackles around his wrists and neck blistered fresh skin.Putain.It burned, but the hollow emptiness in his mind, the absence of his wolf, hurt more. And hearing the sobs of their mate…
“Chouquette.”
Melinda lifted her tear-stained face. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
He shook his head. “Non, bébé.I’m sorry. We’re both sorry. We should never have deceived you.” If not for their betrayal, she wouldn’t be here. “It’s going to be okay, Melinda.”
He grunted as a Faucherian kicked him in the ribs. “Quiet. Filthy animal.”
Louis would have growled and chewed his ankle off if he could’ve called forth his wolf. “I’m going to rip out your throat the moment I’m free.”
Thefils de putelaughed. “Brave words, but zey mean nozing.” He leaned in close. “I’m going to personally put a bullet in your ’ead ze moment you’re no longer needed.”
Another Faucherian walked into the room. “You could be waiting a while. Veilluex wants this one alive.”
An American accent. The Faucherians’ reach was spreading far and wide.
