Page 59 of Blood Sacrifice

“I have no problem saying how I feel about this entire situation,” Jethro replied. “We were violated by some psycho bitch, and when I find who she is, I will personally blow her brains out so she can never do that to anyone ever again.”

“Death is too good for someone like that,” Paulo bit out. “She should be tried by the olden laws since they govern over the forbidden enchantments.”

Those had been dark days when the magical community had suffered more than they had during the witch trials. Old scores had been settled and petty jealousies allowed to fester and bloom into full hatred. Coven leaders and the elders vowed to never allow the punishments used in that period to be utilised again.

“Those were dark times,” I replied. “People are still suffering from what happened back then. Some of us barely survived with our sanity and lives.”

“A bullet will suffice,” Salvator said, trailing his fingers through his hair. “Let’s end this as quickly as possible and try to move on with our lives.”

He gave me a brief look and my heart stuttered in my chest. Did he mean to move on from me, that because he had been manipulated by witches he didn’t want any in his life? I had witnessed his memories, seen what he had been forced to participate in, and that left a mark on your soul.

I was his mate, meaning that in the weird cosmic lottery, we were destined for each other, but that didn’t mean that love was involved. Salvator wanted me, his wolf desired me as the mother of his children, but since we had been reunited there had been no words of love as there had been in the past, only words of possession.

“The olden ways are named that for a reason,” Dominic added, his face pinched since he had lived through that dark time as well. “The world is changing and finding more efficient ways of removing threats. Daggers marked with runes to ensure those we kill stay dead, to prevent them reincarnating into hellspawn. Weapons designed to kill only certain species. We have evolved in many ways and we no longer need to torture and torment those we wish to kill.”

“I might not need to, but after the atrocity committed against my wolf, I want to,” Paulo replied. “The witch who cast her spell didn’t need to, but she did it anyway.”

Paulo walked on without another backward glance.

“His memories have been returning,” Jethro explained. “None of us are proud of what we did. I wake up at night in a cold sweat with the memories still fresh in my head. She took something from us, a pride that we carried that we had never lowered ourselves to be involved in those sick events.” Jethro followed Paulo.

Salvator stood impassively, his expression filled with hatred. “It leaves a taint behind that you can’t wash away, leaving you feeling dirty and unworthy.” His top lip lifted in a sneer. “For years I refused to go near anyone with magic, astrong aversion to the sensation of it, and now I know why.” He spun on his heel and stormed off after his packmates.

Dominic’s stare felt heavy on me and I finally looked at him. “He doesn’t mean you, Luna. Right now, he’s angry and seeking vengeance. Give him time to rid his system of that anger.”

I’d spent my entire life pretending to be okay, but my façade started to splinter around me. A tear escaped, and I dashed it away, a shaky smile on my lips as I nodded. Dominic was wrong. From the moment Salvator realised the full extent of what happened to him, he hated me the same as all the other magic users. We may be mated, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be with me.

The tunnel felt as if it was closing in around me, and my vision blurred as I kept moving forward. Dominic’s hand gripped my arm when I stumbled. I would see this mission through, and then I would return to the life I had built myself far from the prying eyes of the world. It wasn’t my turn to sleep through the decades, but right now my heart needed that more than anything else.

A metal doorway covered the entrance, a panel to the side of it that required Salvator’s fingerprints and retinal scan to open it. A spiral staircase behind it led up into the building that housed the heart of his organisation.

“I feel like an innocent lamb being led into a den of vicious wolves,” Dominic drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. The ancient vampire spent his life dancing with death, deliberately taunting the fates. His grin made me smile for the first time in days. There could be a thousand wolves in this building and he would still view it as a challenge.

“One of these days, you will find someone strong enough to make you re-evaluate your life,” I said.

“What makes you think I haven’t found that person?” he queried. “I’ve lived long enough for several human lifetimes and travelled the globe. I learnt a long time ago in the same way you did to keep my secrets to myself and show the world what they want to see.”

His gaze bored into mine and I saw something I never had before; a desperate longing that resonated inside me.

“A happy ending isn’t for everyone,” I replied.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Some loves burn so brightly you can only spend a limited time with that person before you are incinerated.”

“If you are both finished the great debate on love, we need to mask your appearance.” Salvator’s face was emotionless, and that wounded me more than his anger. His expression was impossible to read, all his thoughts and feelings hidden from me.

I dropped my head, rummaging in my bag to find the small make-up bag at the bottom with the enchanted products that would conceal who we were. Without speaking, I quickly applied some of the products to Dominic, changing his appearance to make him the opposite of his dark and moody persona. Then I worked on myself, pulling my long hair back and tying it into a tight bun at the back of my neck. Anyone who looked at me would see someone taller and curvier with blonde hair and a tanned complexion.

“Remember your stories if someone stops you,” Salvator said, his gaze running over me. “Tarrack is already in the command centre, and we’re heading to a briefing to alert everyone to the next threat.”

We had found a loophole to give them a story to allow them back in the base with minimal questions. The hellspawn that Dominic was so fond of talking about was the perfect alibi, especially since no one in this area knew much about them and the magic they wielded.

“We will wander the base, releasing your hounds from that which binds them,” Dominic said, retrieving the specially adapted dart gun from his coat. I had created a potion that would neutralise the spell cast on the wolves.

I sucked in a breath and slowly released it. “Good luck, everyone. We have your trackers in our pockets, so Tarrack should be able to locate us.” Salvator nodded once and turned to move away only I caught his fingers with mine. “Stay safe,” I said, unable to help myself. His eyes met mine for a brief moment before he transformed into an alpha wolf and strode through the base with authority and power.

Dominic and I stood in the corridor, and no one gave us a second glance, which meant the extra ingredient I had added to my make-up bag was working and we were invisible to those who weren’t seeking us. Dominic aimed at a wolf walking past and shot him with a dart. The wolf rubbed the side of his neck, a confused expression appearing on his face.

“All good. Stick to the plan, little witch. There are not many people I like in this world, but you are one of them.” Dominic squeezed my shoulder before moving deeper into the base.

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