MacRieve

TEN

Will had tried—he’d truly tried—to hate her just for who she was.

None doing. When his brother’s SUV skidded to a stop just feet from him, Will was cradling the unconscious girl as if she were the most treasured thing in the universe.

She’d been so brave, barely whimpering when he’d forced her arm back into its socket. She’d thanked him.

And then she’d uttered the most chilling words he’d ever heard: I think I’m bleeding out.

“How bad is she?” Munro asked as he drove them away, speeding toward the city.

“Bluidy bad!” Will had stopped the blood flow, but she was pale and cold. He reached for the heater control, blasting warm air over her damp skin. “I had to get past a dozen centaurs and ten Cerunnos to seize her. They were no’ exactly gentle with her!”

She’d been passed among the centaurs and then to the Cerunnos like a sodding rugby ball. Each time she’d changed hands, he’d experienced fear as never before.

He inhaled, still struggling to rein in his beast. He’d always heard that nothing made it rise up like a mate in peril.

If she woke and saw him like this, the mortal would probably stroke out before he could ever get her to a healer. Their immortal enemies cowered in the face of the beast. A young human might never recover from the sight.

He’d leave the bag on for now.

“And where the hell were you?” Will snapped at his brother. Right before Will had taken off after his mate, Munro had told him to meet in the woods if they got separated.

“Fighting my way out of a war to rescue you!” It was only then that Will noticed Munro was covered in blood and gore as well. “It’s pandemonium back there. You were the spark on a powder keg. When the Vertas realized you were stealing the girl, they rose up and battled the Pravus back. Kind of like a real alliance—who knew we had it in us? By the by, remind me never to tangle with Malkom Slaine.” He whistled low.

Chloe began shivering even harder. “We need to get to a witch healer. Drive to Andoain.” Will couldn’t believe that he was demanding his brother take them to Louisiana’s infamous coven, the bloody H.O.W.

“We just cost them a serious loss of face. They’ll hex us on sight.”

They both shuddered.

“Besides, others will be waiting for us there. Brother, you ken this girl’s the most valuable asset in the Lore right now? They’re no’ going to just forget about her.”

Because she was Webb’s daughter. The beast inside him didn’t seem to give a fuck about that. Will’s newly recovered Instinct didn’t.

Munro asked, “What about a mortal hospital?”

“They’ll be expecting us to go there. Besides, I doona trust mortal quacks. Sawbones, all of them.”

“They’ve come a long way in the last century, Will.”

“She might be past their reach. As much as I hate to say this, she needs mystical means. We head to Loa’s.” Loa was a voodoo priestess with a curiosity shop in the Quarter. “She sells witch potions. She might have a healing tonic.”

Munro sighed. “Music to my ears.” Loa was a comely one, with abundant curves and coffee-and-cream skin. She tended to show off both in revealing garments. He cast Will a sidelong glance. “You’ve had a change of heart about your mate?”

“When I realized who her father was, I imagined her to be like him, but I think she’s . . . good. She talked about being a soccer player.”

“Football, huh? Is that how your female got those scars?” She had surgical scars on one wrist, an ankle, and her right knee.

“Doona be looking at her legs!” Will yanked her frock down, accidentally ripping the lower half clean away, leaving her in only the top of her gown, the makeshift bandage, and her sleek black underwear. He took deep breaths to tamp down his beast. Inhale. Exhale. Precarious moments passed.

“Good man. You got control, heading back to normal. Well, relatively. I think you can risk taking her bag off. You must be dying to see what she looks like.”

I’m going to behold my mate’s face for the first time. He nervously clawed through the bag’s tie.

With a shaking hand, he began to draw the material away . . . revealing her face.

While Will worked to catch his breath, Munro glanced over. “Ach, and there she is. You lucky sod.”

Her damp hair was sun-streaked, cropped close to her head. Her lips were plump. She sported freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her cheekbones were prominent, like a model’s might be, but with her pointed chin, bee-stung mouth, and short locks, she looked like a wee pixie.

He felt one corner of his lips curl. —Yours.— Had his arms closed more tightly around her?

Munro said, “Her timing is impeccable. She’s your lucky penny.”

Will’s grip loosened, his excitement dimming. “Just look at her. She’s too . . . too . . .” Too everything he could ever dream. “You know something’s inherently wrong with her. She must be shallow, vapid, dim. Webb must’ve left his mark on her.”

“She’s also young, Will. Whatever damage Webb might’ve done can be righted if you’re patient with her.”

“Why would fate give me a human to protect? Especially this human?” When he was raw with rage toward her father?

“Because, brother, you can handle it.”

Will’s Instinct was pushing, his beast stirring for her; resisting her pull was harder than the tortures he’d recently endured. He gazed down at her, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. It was plush like a little pillow. The lower edge went straight across before curving up at the corners, a soft bracket. Gods, she was a pretty thing.

—Yours.—

Mayhap she was his reward? To help me get over torture, help me understand my past. “Looks like I’ll have to handle it.”

“Where do we take her after Loa’s?” Munro asked. “My first thought is Bheinnrose. We’d be isolated up in Nova Scotia, away from all this commotion.”

“I say we stay in Louisiana, at Glenrial. Strategically, it’s easier to defend.” Though the compound consisted of hundreds of acres, it was completely walled in, with a trained watch stationed at intervals. The place was simply too close to the homes of myriad other factions not to be guarded like a vault.

“Aye then, I’ll make the call.” Munro briefly spoke to Madadh, Glenrial’s master of the watch, explaining all that had happened, telling him to get the clan prepared for anything. Munro hung up once they’d made the Quarter, concentrating on driving.

The maze of one-way streets was filled with drunken tourists, mounted police, and rolling Lucky Dog stands.

Will gazed down at Chloe. Were her breaths shallowing? —Protect!— Another jolt of fear hit him. I canna lose her, just when I’ve found her. “Faster, Munro.”

With his lips thinned, Munro made a sharp left, heading the wrong way down a one-way street. “I’ll get us there—just have your credit card ready. Loa will be pissed that we’re no’ there to flirt with her.”