Page 101 of Feral Possession

At last, he stood before her door. “You know nothing.” He winged it open. Startled guests spun his way. No Helen. Fuck!

Helen laughed. “Again, you underestimate me. Poor Marcus, too full of yourself to see beyond the end of your aristocratic nose. Too focused on your position and your clan. Too blind to recognize what is right in front of you. Tell me, did you investigate the books for all of your holdings or just the ones I managed?”

He hesitated to respond, racing into the corridor to the next door.

“Let me guess, you stopped digging when you stumbled upon the most obvious answer. Such narrow thinking. Maybe that demon you’re hosting will open your eyes. Give you a new perspective.”

He wasn’t surprised she knew about his possession. After all, she was likely the one who’d given him Shadow. “That’s the part of this I can’t figure out. How did you do it? How did you get your hands on the demon?”

“Again, you blame me.” She sighed, only this time it sounded false. “So predictable. I suppose I should be flattered by this obsession of yours.” She cleared her throat. “Perhaps I’ll help you, for old times’ sake.”

He threw open the next door. His heart soared in his chest, only to sink. Empty. “I’m listening.”

“Tell me. Who do you know that has the resources to bind you to a rare demon entity from another dimension?”

He retreated back into the corridor. “Now who’s playing games?”

She chuckled. “I learned from the best.”

He scanned the people darting past and sucked in a breath. At the end of the hallway, near the exit to the stairwell, he spotted her. Helen looked just as he remembered. The way she appeared in his nightmares; boxy dress, bony knees, blond hair drawn into a tight chignon. She stared back at him, a maniacal gleam in her heartless eyes.

He braced his legs, ready to charge if she moved an inch. “Game over, Helen. Surrender to me, and I’ll ask the Council to go easy on you.”

“You disappoint me, Steele.” She pursed narrow lips. “After all I’ve told you, you still believe I am your enemy. This is why I sided with Zion. Because men like you refuse to open your eyes. To see what is right under your nose.”

Screams erupted in the arena. Behind him, doors flung open. Patrons fled the building.

Marcus’s demon surfaced, snarling, “Our female needs us. She is in danger. Sense her fear.” Shadows ripped from his core, slid across the floor, shot up the walls. Lights flickered. Sparked.

“Ah, I see my distraction has arrived. Right about now, it’s tearing through your only friend and targeting your little bird. What’s it going to be, Steele? Which of us is more important to you?”

Marcus glanced behind him in Dove’s direction. Then back to Helen, the female he needed to reclaim his former life. More than ever, his body was torn in half. He was so close. So close to his salvation.

Dove held her breath as Marcus battled Helen over the phone. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm, mouthing stay here, and raced out the door. She turned to Celeste, heart pounding in her throat. This wasn’t the plan. He wasn’t supposed to engage Helen himself. After all, he had an entire team at his disposal for just this sort of thing.

Celeste planted her hands on her hips, scowling. “Alright. What the heck is going on?”

“I guess there’s no reason not to tell you at this point. Bishop and Marcus came here tonight to set a trap for Helen.”

“By the goddess,” Celeste huffed an exasperated breath. “The only person they’ve caught so far with this crazy plan is Bishop.”

Dove feared she was right. She slapped her hands to her cheeks, drawing them down, stretching her lower eyelids. “This is a disaster.”

“Now, now. Let’s not panic.” Celeste patted her shoulder, perhaps sensing her impending breakdown. “Both Bishop and Steele are more than capable.”

The crowd cheered, but Dove was too afraid to see which of the lycans they championed. “Fine. Tell me honestly, do you think Bishop can hold his own against his nemesis?”

Celeste smirked. “Look for yourself.”

Dove dared to peek down at the ring. Bishop landed punch after punch to Damion’s ribs. Minutes into the match, and the other man was bleeding from multiple wounds. Below them, the crowd was going nuts.

“Oh, wow.” Dove released her cheeks, taking in the scene. The medallion on Bishop’s chest blazed, the magical restraint allowing only a partial shift. Still, razor-sharp claws tipped his fingers. Powerful muscles bulged over his massive frame. Lupine angles elongated his face. No wonder Celeste was so hot to see him fight. “I’ve never seen a shifted lycan before.”

“Pretty awesome, right?”

“Um, yes?” Also, a little terrifying.

“He’s got him now.” Celeste beamed like a proud soccer mom.

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