we sliced you open, we’d find all sorts of fun answers.” He smiled and rubbed his hands together as several yips and howls resonated from the pack.
I shuddered and bit back a small twinge of fear. Of course, I would never let it get that far. I didn’t want to hurt these men. At least not yet. I needed to know their motives first. I couldn’t fight them if I knew they were here only because they were following orders. They had to have a pure intent to do harm. Voltaire on the other hand, I couldn’t care less what his intent was. I just wanted him dead in a big way. The only problem with that idea was how to achieve it. Believe me I’ve tried to get into his head, but his mind is a steel vault.
I spotted Dillon shuffling forward a bit. His eyes were huge and oddly shaped. It didn’t take any special powers to understand that he was ready to shift.
I turned my attention back to Voltaire. “You said a few things; so far all you have discovered is that I no longer need the ring. Why drag an entire pack out here just to verify that? Sorry, V but I get the impression that you have a few more things up your sleeve.” I folded my arms and yawned dramatically. “If that’s the case, can you get on with it? I’m a bit sleepy.”
“You mock me?” He seemed to grow larger. His sallow old man façade shrunk and shriveled into a horrible mask of decay. I felt my eyes grow large with shock and revulsion as chunks of skin began to slide off Voltaire’s putrid face.
Patrick’s pack swelled in numbers. Filthy bodies crowded closer to my home. The sickening smell of sweat and Voltaire’s rotting flesh played havoc with my composure. I knew I was in trouble and thanks to Patrick; a lot of these men were going to die.
I was about to break yet another rule and strike out at the group in masse when a mud covered Range Rover screeched wildly into my driveway, kicking up a choking cloud of rocks and dirt. The door was thrown open and Lucian jumped out at a run, his hair flying behind him in a tangled mass. He was shirtless and his feet were bare. Faded jeans hugged his firm thighs as he ran. I had only a moment to appreciate the view before all hell broke loose.
Voltaire spun toward Lucian as I ran from the porch. Lucian’s arms were extended toward Voltaire while he screamed at him in Latin. It was some sort of spell, freezing Voltaire in place like a satanic mime. It was impressive and took me completely by surprise. My mind was spinning as chaos erupted around us.
Patrick’s pack began to scream and holler as one by one they each fell to the ground in a heap of fluid and cracking bone. The change was awe-inspiring and also a bit disgusting. It sounded like a thousand carrots being snapped in half. Clothing ripped as well as flesh. Jaws elongated, splitting human lips to shreds. It was a train wreck; I couldn’t look away. There was no magical cloud to disguise the shift, no shield to save my mind from the horror and pain.
The screaming and moaning died down as the wolves appeared. They were beautiful. My feet were rooted to the spot as I gazed in wonder at the magnificent animals. I could hear Lucian yelling at me and then I felt a violent jerk as he forced me from my daze into a run beside him.
“Why are we running?” I asked somewhat dreamily. “I won’t get hurt; I can take care of myself.” My voice shook as we picked up speed, Lucian all but dragging me along side him.
“We have to lead those bastards away from your house! Jesus, Grace! What the hell do they want? A whole pack? Why would they show up at your door? I thought only Voltaire was here. I was prepared for that!”
I could hear the wolves close behind us. “How could you have prepared?” I was getting a bad feeling. My mind was picking up speed and I knew that whatever Lucian was about to say was going to piss me off.
“I was scrying.”
Yep. I was pissed. “Damn it Lucian!” I stopped abruptly, freezing the area around us in a flash of anger. I didn’t mean to do it, but somehow my subconscious took