Every muscle in Boots’s large body is tense as we make our way through the trees. Dusk has fallen, casting the world in shadows, as the moon slowly rises overhead. I don’t dare call out for Merrick, though I want nothing more than to scream for him.
Despite the wolves’ constant growls of protest, I’ve already checked the cavern Merrick took me to when I first discovered his secret, and it’s completely empty. The falls too.
Everywhere I can think to look for him shows no sign of him being there. No disturbed branches or leaves, nothing to indicate he’s even passed through. The terror in my gut grows substantially until it is all I can feel.
Ferris took care of Devrona’s body, but the sight of her corpse lying in the street—I shiver and wrap the blanket Faera made me leave with tighter around my shoulders. Winter is setting in, which means soon the rest of the leaves shall fall and the ground will be powder coated. I only hope Merrick finds his way back to me before then.
Boots’s huge head whips to the left, and he stops, ears perking.
Breath held, I reach down and close my hand around the hilt of Merrick’s sword where it rests in the sheathe alongside Boots’s saddle.
Footsteps grow loud enough I can hear them now, and my heart begins to race. I turn in my saddle, but all three wolves are gone.
Where the hell did they go?
“Merrick?” I whisper.
“Fucking-A! Finally!” Maynard bursts through the trees, MacKenna at his side. Both men are completely nude, and Maverick stalking out after them makes three. “Every time we shift I remember just how damn much I miss having thumbs.”
I let out the breath I’ve been holding.
MacKenna scans the area around me. “I told you we wouldn’t find him.”
“You told me? Really? Was that what you were growling about?” I say, exhausted and not wanting to fight.
“You know good and damn well that’s what we were trying to say,” Maynard replies. He takes Boots’s reins, and we begin walking again.
”What are we going to do now?” I choke out, emotion clawing at my throat.
“We stick to our plan, and when Merrick returns, we can take it from there.” Maynard shakes his head. “Never cared for Devrona, but damn. Talk about a horrible way to go.”
“He didn’t mean to,” I insist. “She pushed me and—”
“You don’t need to defend our brother to us, Beta,” MacKenna interrupts. “We saw the whole thing.”
“That wasn’t even our brother,” Maynard argues. “That beast is a creature all its own.”
A tear slips down my cheek, and I nod because he’s absolutely correct. Merrick might be aware of what’s happening while the creature takes over, but the beast’s actions are its own.
“We need to get you back.”
I shake my head. “Not until I find him. I have to find him.”
Maverick smiles softly at me, his hand resting on my leg as we walk. “Kiya, he’s been changing like this on his own for a century. If there’s one thing Merrick is damn good at—besides being an insufferable ass at times—it’s taking care of himself. He’ll return tomorrow, you’ll see.”
I turn to the trees. Leaving feels wrong, like I’m abandoning Merrick when he needs me. But Maynard is right. Merrick was surviving long before I arrived, and my being out here will force Maynard and MacKenna to remain. Which means, if we do find Merrick’s beast—no. The images of their bodies is not something I can handle.
“Fine. But if he’s not back tomorrow—”
“We’ll all go looking.” MacKenna touches his nose. “With our better noses, too.” He takes Boots’s reigns and guides us back down the path, both of them falling into step beside us.
“Do you guys know Zane and Corrine?”
“Met Zane a handful of times at the pub in the village. He’s a hoot.”
“A hoot?” I question, arching a brow at Maynard. “So you like him.”
“Seems like a decent enough guy, why?”
“Do you know what he is?”
MacKenna throws his head back and laughs. “Damn, I wish I had been inside when you found out. You should have seen your shock when you realized shifters existed.”
“Okay, but I was pretty open-minded about that.”
“You were,” he confirms. “But it was still hilarious.”
Settling back in the saddle, I mentally recap everything that happened today, from the original meeting with Ferris and Faera to addressing the town and, finally, Devrona’s brutal death and Merrick’s disappearance.
Ferris assured me that he will handle everyone in town. My only hope is that when Merrick returns, he’s not going to have a full uprising on his hand. The last thing we need is the people he swore to protect coming for his head.
I will not stand for that.
“Your thoughts are loud, Beta,” Maynard comments as we reach the edge of the clearing.
“I have a lot of them.”
Peter comes running toward us, so I add, “We’ll discuss them inside.”
“Is everything all right?” he demands, coming to a stop beside us. “Where’s Merrick? Why are you three naked?”
“He had to stay behind,” MacKenna says. Even though Peter knows Merrick is a wolf, the last thing I need is him discovering the true nature of Merrick’s cursed side and becoming so terrified he flees. “And I rather enjoy a light breeze,” he adds.
I climb off the horse and MacKenna assists me then steps back.
“Can you please see to it he’s watered and fed?” I ask Peter.
“Of course.” I turn away, but Peter grips my arm. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“You’re going to want to let her go,” MacKenna warns. “I’m nowhere near as level-headed as Merrick, and I might just rip it off without warning.
I force a smile at Peter as he releases me. “Absolutely. Just tired.”
The stable hand stares at me for a moment then nods. “I’ll take care of Boots. Have a nice night, Beta.”
“Thank you.” Dipping my head in appreciation, I fall into step between Merrick’s naked brothers. It should be awkward, but somehow it’s not. Perhaps because I’m so caught up in the fear of not finding Merrick.
Or the shock of what happened.
Three naked men are hardly the craziest thing that I’ve seen today.
We do not speak again until we’re inside. Lark, Lea, and Madox are the first ones rushing toward me.
“Where have you been?” Lea questions.
“Go get dressed, you three,” Lark adds.
“Is Devrona really dead?” Madox demands.
“Easy.” Maynard throws his hands up. “Can we get the beta some food before we interrogate her?”
“Of course, I’m sorry.” Lark steps back and crosses her arms. “I’m going to go in and let Myke and Maxwell know you’re home. Lea, can you get her some food? And you three—clothes. Now.”
“Yes, Mother,” they all say in unison then jog off to their rooms to dress.
“I can definitely get you some food.” Lea wraps both arms around me and squeezes. “We’ll find him,” she whispers in my ear. “I promise.” Then she releases me and heads toward the kitchen while Madox ushers me into the dining room.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, taking my hand and checking my arm for injury.
“No,” I say, though my voice is hollow.
“Okay. Here, sit.” He guides me to the chair at the end of the table then gently rubs my back. “Breathe easy, Beta. We will find Merrick.”
I let out a breath, then another, until finally I’ve managed to ease the knot in my chest. At some point, the room has filled, because when I look up again, MacKenna, Maynard, Lark, and Maverick have all joined Madox and me. He takes a seat beside me.
Lea sets a plate of meat and vegetables in front of me, followed by a mug of ale, before taking her seat beside MacKenna. Once most of the family is seated, Myke and Maxwell having been ushered upstairs by their mother, I finally lift my gaze to all of them.
Their expressions betray their worry even if I can clearly tell they are trying to keep a level head for my benefit. I push my plate away, not at all hungry.
“What the hell happened?” Lark demands.
“Merrick shifted in the middle of town and killed Devrona,” Maynard tells her.
Lea shakes her head angrily. “I bet she deserved it. That girl was nothing but trouble.”
“She pushed me,” I say quickly. “I don’t think he would have attacked had she not, but after he killed her, he took off into the woods.”
“Did the town see?” Lark demands. “Did they see what he turned into?”
I swallow hard. “Ferris said some of them noticed. He says he will handle them.”
“Son of a bitch.” Lark shoves to her feet and begins to pace. “He never should have gone into town. Not when we had no idea what was going on with the curse. He went days without changing. That was evidence enough the curse wasn’t acting reliably.”
Her words piss me off. So, I stand slowly and place both palms on the table. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re facing a war.” My reminder has her angry glare shifting to me. “We needed the town to go into the caverns so we can protect them. So we can ensure they do not suffer given that Julius had the forethought to send a messenger into town.”
“A messenger?” Maynard questions.
Honestly, I’m surprised Ferris did not tell them when they went to see him, but I leave that out. “Yes. He is currently sitting in a cell in town.”
“What did he know?” MacKenna questions.
While he’d been physically in town, none of them were down in that cellar with us. “Nothing more than what we already know. Though I think I’ll pay him another visit. We have history,” I add. “He killed a friend of mine.”
No one asks anything further, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. Re-living it once was enough to last me lifetimes.
“Either way,” Lark continues, her voice little more than a low growl. “You should have handled the villagers as Beta. Merrick never should have left this house.”
Maverick turns to his mother. “Do you seriously think Merrick would have let her go alone?”
She glares at him. “She should have insisted. Besides, you three went anyway.”
“What else should I have done, Lark?” I demand, anger shoving all of my fear aside—for now. “Please, I would love to get your thoughts on the matter, especially considering you seem to have had such a huge hand in Merrick being cursed to begin with.”
Lark’s cheeks turn crimson, and all eyes turn to me. “You continue speaking about something you have no understanding of.”
“I understand it perfectly,” I tell her. “So if you feel the need to blame me for the current predicament, I will continue to remind you why he was cursed in the first place. It was your inaction, your refusal to turn your husband over that led to this entire damned situation.”
Lark’s eyes narrow on my face. I’m literally taunting a wolf right now, playing cat and mouse with an animal, and yet somehow she is not even close to anything I fear.
“This realm does not need more violence, and yet every time I turn around, bodies are beginning to pile up,” she retorts.
“Sometimes violence is the only answer,” I snap. “Barclay, the man you tried to save, would have raped me if given the right opportunity. Had the king not required my virginity to remain intact, he would have taken me when I was only fifteen. Merrick killing him was so much more satisfying than I can even begin to put into words.”
“And Devrona?” she demands. “What was her slight?”
“She may not have deserved death, but I warned her. I tried to get her to leave, and she shoved me. Her actions led to her death. You treat your son like a monster, and you don’t even bother to stop to think about why he kills. Every death has been to protect those he cares about. Something you clearly know nothing about.”
Lark’s cheeks turn crimson. “If only you knew the true cost of what you claim to be justified violence.” She spins on her heel to march out of the room.
I don’t follow. How I ever believed this woman to be strong, I’ll never know. But I see her clearly now. She’s weak, and weakness will get you killed in a world riddled with monsters who look like men.
“Damn. Talk about an ass chewing.” Maverick lets out a low whistle.
“I apologize, I shouldn’t have—”
“Behaved like a beta?” Maynard questions. “Merrick would be proud.” He leans in, arms resting on the table. “We love our mother. We would die for her. But that doesn’t mean she’s perfect. Far from it, even.”
“She’s run this family for over a century,” Madox says. “And she doesn’t seem to want to let that power go.”
Exasperated, I sit back down. “I’m not trying to steal her power. But I won’t have her treating her son like he’s a soulless murderer.”
“Her power is your power now,” Maynard tells me.
“What cost is she talking about?”
All five men stare back at me.
Lea looks between them then turns to me and shrugs.
“Who the hell knows,” Madox replies.
“She always was a tad dramatic,” Maverick adds.
But MacKenna and Maynard remain silent, and I get the overwhelming feeling that there’s something I’m missing.
MacKenna clears his throat. “Now, we need to get down to business. Since, as much as it pains me to admit it, the king seems to be the least of our problems at the moment, what the hell are we going to do about this curse?”
I hate that he’s right. Hate that Merrick changing in the center of town today created even more problems for us. But hating it doesn’t make it any less true. “Merrick said he couldn’t find the witch that cast it.”
“She fled nearly immediately after she cursed us,” Madox says as he runs a hand over his face and leans back in his chair.
“And no one knows where she went?”
“Our best guess is she left the realm altogether.”
“That, or she’s hiding in the Feral Swamps,” Lea says. “It’s what I would do.”
MacKenna whirls on her. “You’d hide out in the swamps? Are you mad?”
She shrugs. “If I wanted to make sure no one could find me, that seems the best bet, don’t you agree? The Cerulean Seas are not safe, that’s for damn sure, which means the only option is to remain here. Since both kingdoms have their own problems and I would have pissed off the Alpha of the Shadow Lands, where else is there to go?”
Honestly, it makes perfect sense even if it does introduce a whole carriage full of new problems. The swamps are where barbaric men who defy all laws reside. They kill without mercy or reason, steal what is not theirs, and when they grow tired of the day-to-day, they attack villages out of sheer boredom.
They’re the very reason I’m here at all.
“With the villagers retreating to the caves, we will hopefully have more time to figure out our next move. Even if he does move on our lands and we have to steal them back.” I take a deep breath. “So, we start with the curse. I will go to the swamps.” I stand. “And if the witch is there, I will find her.”
“You cannot be serious!” Maynard yells as he gets to his feet. “The swamps are deadly, Beta!” I’ve never seen him so enraged, and honestly, it catches me off guard.
But the steady feeling of hope in my gut tells me there is no other way. “What option do we have, then? Merrick didn’t shift for two nights then turned into his beast in the middle of town. What if the curse is so flawed he doesn’t turn back in the morning? Or, what if the next time he turns, it’s in a room full of people with nowhere to go?”
“Kiya—” Lea starts.
“You and I both know this is the right thing to do. You all know it,” I add, gesturing to the brothers. “I can take someone with me. Someone who can add protection on the off chance I run into trouble. But don’t you want this too? To have the curse broken so you can actually live?”
“Merrick will never stand for you going into the swamps,” Maynard snaps. “So let’s hope he’s back by the morning.” He stomps from the room and slams the door behind him.
“So yelling at his mother doesn’t piss him off, but my trying to break the curse does?”
“Maynard’s fiancé was killed in the swamps,” Maverick tells me sadly. “About a month before the curse was cast, she and her brother had gone in to collect some herbs. He found their bodies at the edge of the boundary line.”
To say my heart shatters is an understatement. “I am so sorry.”
“You didn’t know,” Maverick replies plainly. “And the idea is a good one, even if it is foolish.”
“I will go with you,” MacKenna offers.
“So will I,” Maverick adds.
“We’ll just be shit conversation during the day given that we’ll be—you know—wolves.”
“It’s better that way,” Lea half-jokes. “No one can annoy Kiya with incessant speaking.”
The ghost of a smile passes over my lips. “I don’t want to put you both at risk.”
“He’s our brother,” he replies.
“And it’s also our curse,” Mackenna adds. “If anything, we’ll be putting you at risk.”
”When will you leave?” Lea questions.
“Two days. That will give me time to pack and come up with a reasonable plan when I find her,” I say. And, with any luck, Merrick will be back by then.
“If you can find her, how will you convince her to fix it?” Madox asks.
Turning to him, I note the hope burning brightly in his gaze. Hope that I seriously hope I can deliver on. “When,” I correct. “I will not give her the option to refuse.”