AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where the hell is Darbonne?” Axel growled, pacing and practically ripping his hair out. None of us were faring any better. “That fucker always likes to pop up and surprise us, except for the one time we need him.”
“What’s your plan?” Dason crossed his arms, and we locked eyes, sharing that easy camaraderie, that united front we needed to hold our pack together right now.
Alpha power radiated from me as I issued an order, unwilling to hear any arguments from the pack. “We’re going to Mama Dunne.”
No one contradicted me.
“Thank fuck,” Kota growled.
Chayton was already spinning a portal and the interior of the shop came into view.
“That’s a risk,” I told him.
“I’m out of fucks to give.” Chayton swirled the portal lager, and we saw Mama stomp before us and prop her hands on her generous hips. “Every minute is precious.”
“I’d always pegged you as a rule follower.”
“Normally, you’d be right.” Chayton grunted as he pushed the portal beyond its limits, so several of us could cross at one time. “But I’ll take any punishment that comes if I accidentally expose us to the mundane world as long as we get Lorn back healthy and safe.”
“Dat won’t be necessary,” Mama Dunne bellowed from the other side of the portal, and we stepped through, the six of us crowding into her shop. “I got da vision you’d be coming in enough time to clear da shop,” she scolded. “And I’d be as mad as a hornet at da risk you’re taking with my shop and my livelihood if I didn’t understand the reason.”
“Then you know.” Dason crossed his arms and leveled the woman with a look that would wither a lesser man—or woman—to dust.
You think she knew someone would take Lorn and didn’t warn us?Syler pressed the question into my head, his betrayal and anger making the giant man beside me bulk even further with the nearness of his grizzly spirit.
As if she was privy to our telepathic conversation, she answered our questions. “I know many dings, chil’, many dings that I’m not allowed to speak of until asked. And even den, dats why dere’s a price to be paid for learning da future. Dere are repercussions for knowing dings before deir time.”
“Do you know who took her?” Axel demanded, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Mama Dunne motioned for us to follow her into her office, if you could even call it that. Deep red tapestries hung on the walls, and crystals and various trinkets decorated the tops of the furniture. Her desk was cluttered with tarot cards, tea leaves, a dagger, different sized bowls full of herbs and plants, as well as other magickal paraphernalia. She sat down in the ornate chair behind the table and motioned toward the various seats on the other side, but none of us moved to sit. We were too wired with angry energy to do more than stand tensely while we waited for the old bat to get to the point.
Axel gripped the back of a chair, his fingers bleeding white from the strength of his hold, and Kota tapped his fingers anxiously along his outer thigh while Mama hovered her hands around the outside of the crystal ball that sat in the center of her messy desk.
“I can show you what I know.” Her steady chant took effect as the inside clouded over. Slowly, a form took shape out of the smoky mist, starting with a pair of masculine legs in a pair of jeans and working upward. A bare, tattooed torso came into view next. Whoever she was trying to show us was obviously physically fit. The wisps trailed higher to reveal the dude’s neck, then stopped, swirling like a cloud around an undefined jawline and face.
I growled. “What shit are you playing?”
“This isn’t a game. We need answers.” Dason stalked closer, done with the vagueness and warnings.
“I have da answers, but you must ask da right questions,” Mama Dunne snapped. “I cannot see dis stranger’s face. Dere is strange magick,” she muttered. “I can almost taste it. Like smoke and—” She paused and undulated her tongue within her mouth as if she was actually tasting something. “And sulfur.”
Sulfur? Like the shades? What the fuck…
“Are you sure?” I needed to hear it again.
“I’m rarely wrong.” Mama snapped.
Don’t ruin this by insulting the woman. We need her help, Syler reminded me.
Sighing, I apologized.
Mama relaxed marginally. “Dere are few who can hide from me, and I dink you know what dat means.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. I wanted to hit something. To tear this room apart with my rage. Muscles tense, I closed my eyes while the spirit of my fox yipped in my mind, reminding me to remain calm so we could solve the problem.
Fuck, this is bad, I told the group, opening the lines of communication between us. I wouldn’t sugarcoat reality. Not for myself or the others.I think Lorn’s with the enemy.The mental link filled with low growls of anger, but they’d all come to the same dark conclusion.
Lorn’s seventh mate had kidnapped her, and he’d cloaked himself from Mama Dunne’s sight in the same way our enemy had. It wasn’t a hard jump. He was working with the enemy, or hewasthe enemy. Either way, the entire situation had just become more dire.
