The threat heightened the tension in the air, and Mark’s body trembled with the imagined consequence of Caster’s anger. The hulking bodyguard at the door leveled him with a smirk before looking away. Mark had no intention of ever being alone with Caster again. This had gone from simple confusion to all-out danger.
Maybe they would find the witch tonight, he’d get his vengeance, and never need to analyze whatever this was ever again. If the Goddess loved him even a little bit, she’d grant him the grace to get through this until then.
As soon as the door closed behind Mark, Caster let out a breath. His frustration was back. As beautiful and skittish as he was, Mark was not ready to replace Nick. Yet, he’d allowed the subservient wolf to interrupt his feeding session. Now he was hungry and ill-prepared for the journey to find the witch.
He was at full strength, having only fed the other day, but he’d hoped to get a little more before they left. Nick’s blood was not remarkable by any stretch. He was average at best, but sufficient, and now, thanks to Mark and the havoc he wreaked on his emotions, he was no longer in the mood to feed.
All wolves, except Alphas, had a level of subservience inthem, but with Mark, it seemed more than that. Was he aware of the effect his effortless obedience had?
His arousal gone, Caster reached into Riley’s mind.Are we ready to go?
We were just waiting for you. Everyone is in the study, ready for the teleportation spell.
Caster nodded and took a much-needed fortifying breath. He expected to shoulder the irritation of his less-than-successful feeding session for quite a while, and there was no need to take it out on the rest of his household.
Kyle unlocked the door as he approached. “Do you need me to go with you?”
Caster shook his head. “We are not even sure she’s there, and I suspect Damien won’t leave Julian behind.”
Kyle’s curt nod was the expected response.
The three wolves, plus Damien, Julian, and Riley, made his spacious study appear smaller than it was. His eyes landed on Mark, who turned away from his scrutiny. Unsure why he would intend to torture himself, Caster’s feet carried him as close to Mark as he could.
“Everyone ready?” Riley asked, his tremendous power already engulfing the space. It was a thing of beauty, his power. The tiny, almost imperceptible gasp from his left indicated that Mark had sensed it.
Caster reached into his mind.You’re safe.
He wasn’t sure why he needed to assure Mark of his safety, but he still glanced at the wolf just to make sure his message hadbeen received.
Take my hand.
Mark narrowed his eyes.
We need to connect to each other, so we all end up in the same place.
Mark glanced at the others before placing his hand in Caster’s open palm.
Caster soon regretted the contact, but didn’t have a chance to analyze the foreign feeling before Riley’s power engulfed them. In a split second, the warm familiarity of the study was replaced by cold and damp. The sounds of the forest around them reached his senses first, and the tingling sensation Riley’s power invoked spread through his body as it dissipated. It was then that he noticed the tight grip on his hand. Mark held on tight enough to cause him pain.
You’re OK.He squeezed his hand.
Mark drew his hand away as if burned and took a few steps away from Caster.
“It is best if we split up. She could be anywhere.” Dean’s take-charge attitude was welcome at the moment. “Mikey, you go with Damien and Julian. I’ll go with Riley. Mark, you’re with Caster.”
Mark’s eyes found his, and Caster saw the same emotion he felt mirrored in them. This was a bad idea, but they couldn’t disagree with Dean without drawing unwanted attention to whatever this was. Everyone was on high alert, the tension increasing to obscure the beauty of the night in the few minutes it took for Dean and his youngest brother to transform into theiranimal magnificence. Mark remained in human form. What was that about?
The group dispersed, disappearing in the cover of darkness and endless trees. Uncomfortable silence blanketed the air around them, and Mark’s arms went around his torso, as if to protect himself from a threat only he could see.
Caster walked through the undergrowth in the direction the others had reserved for them. If they were to find the witch before daybreak, they needed to get moving. Whatever it was between them could wait until they completed the task at hand. Protecting his kind was his first and only priority, which meant finding the witch and bringing her to justice.
Caster heard Mark’s tentative steps as they moved through the brush. His senses picked up everything. The steady thump of Mark’s heart, the scurrying animals for miles around, and even the distant heartbeats of the rest of their party as they all focused on the task.
They’d only walked a few minutes when a low growl he couldn’t identify reached his ears, and he stopped mid-stride, reaching behind him to grab Mark’s arm before he could slam into him.
“What—”
Caster whipped around so fast, he had to grab onto both of Mark’s shoulders to keep him upright. He shook his head when Mark opened his mouth to question him again, using his hold to push him against the nearest tree and pinning him there. They were so close he could feel the warmth of Mark’s shallow breaths on his face. He tried to zero in on the others, but the distant movement and faint heartbeats he’d heard earlier weregone.
