Page 50 of Wolf Trap

Lycaon took my hand, squeezing it. “I don’t think so. I mean, initially, when your power surged through me, I felt nauseous, weak. Feverish even. Now, I feel indomitable. It took some getting used to that blood from the werewolf, but you saw what happened. It’s strengthened me, they submitted. I admit, the power inside of me has been unruly. Nothing I can’t manage, though. Perhaps because I drank from a werewolf, and somewhere his lineage will link back to my own.”

I wasn’t so sure. In fact, I was now anxious. But I kept my face as neutral as possible.

Staring at the screen,Anthony gestured. “Mate, you’ve just got laid. We all feel that after sex. She could be right, not destroying you perhaps, but certainly altering you. Maybe Adara knew this, all of this. Perhaps your meeting wasn’t a chance. It was all a setup. A trap.”

“How would they do that?” Lycaon growled.

Trying to steady my voice, I added, “The question is, how do we take them down, and where is their base? I think we need an invite to this club. We should be able to find out more there. Hakon, has Austin contacted Jax?”

“I don’t know, love. Probably.”

My shoulders sagged as I saw the pieces of the puzzle Anthony was referring to.

I let go of Lycaon’s hand. “Um, Mattie told us about Lisa. She said Lisa had run off, or worse, been kidnapped by one of Marrock’s pack. Mattie insisted that she’d bring Lisa back, but she was livid that a witch would be on pack territory. She was adamant that no one else should seek Lisa out. That Lisa would be severely punished if she’d gone to Savernake of her own accord. If Lisa had been kidnapped, Mattie said it would spell war, but if Lisa was consorting with a werewolf, well, expulsion would be the least of it.”

I took a breath.

Hakon reached out, his voice like silk, “It’s alright, go on, love…”

I felt Lycaon’s hand grip my hand as he moved protectively beside me.

“Um, Mattie had said that under no circumstances should we try to find Lisa. Lisa’s consequences were her own and if she’d gone willingly, she would be dealt with severely. I mean, she hammered that point over and over. I questioned then whether this coven was for me. I was the one who persuaded Josey and Becca to rescue Lisa before Mattie’s iron fist came crashing down. I also saw the invite Mattie had from Adara when I was at Mattie’s home.”

His voice almost rumbling, Lycaon answered, “Reverse psychology. Mattie knew you’d take the bait. As would any of us to protect a friend. How long were you in the coven? Any of us here would rather face a monster to rescue a friend than see that friend taken down. Adara knew I was with Marrock, somehow. I suppose the rest was easy.” He pulled himself up. “It’s my blood they want. It’s me.”

“You could be their experiment,” Anthony added dryly. “However,” he moved swiftly from leaning on the desk, suddenly animated, “they never bargained on us finding this. Or,” he ran his fingers through his hair, pulling the curls back from his face,“or maybe they did. Either way, we need your blood, and yours, Elsa, and we’ll find a way to strengthen it. Or, add something in it that will kill them. We could use it, knowing it’s volatile, or taint it?”

“How?” I asked.

“I’ve no idea at the moment, but there’s always more than one way.”

“We found blood stored at Ellsworth House. Luke’s, amongst others,” I offered.

“So, blood is the key to their power and their weapons. Question is, how do we help Lycaon?”

I glanced at my wolfman. “Well, even a transfusion if we had that available wouldn’t work. That’s why they were after Zale.” I held his eye. “A direct descendant of yours. Your blood. Potent. Perhaps we need to think bigger. Hecate has channelled energy through me. And Lycaon, your curse is a product of Zeus. Is it Zeus they want?”

Lycaon glanced at Hakon. “Maybe. Though even they can’t challenge a god.”

The doorbell rang startling us. Similar to his phone, Anthony’s doorbell blasted an old rock tune that had him leap up the stairs to answer it.

Nathaniel tilted his head. “He always does that. I told him not to replace my beautiful antique door chime with his eighties rock trash, honestly, he’s very uncultured at times. Then he leaps to answer the door without a thought of who could be standing on the other side!”

A woman’s voice travelled down the stairs. “I’ll leave this here, shall I? Wow, look at your eyes, so white! How do you, ah, you wear sunglasses when you go amongst mortals, or coloured contact lenses?”

Anthony spluttered, “Both. Well, yes… Sometimes. Thanks for coming. Austin, how did he contact you again?”

“Oh no, you’re not having my details. Well, maybe. I’ll see… so where is he, the big bad wolfman?”

The clip clop of heels clattered on the ceramic floor above. We all turned around as a woman clad in tight leather, with raven hair and bronze skin, came sauntering down into the cellar.

Her blood red lipstick highlighted Cupid’s bow lips, her eyes gleamed like her smile.

“Oh my,” her voice deepened, dramatic, “Lycaon, the first werewolf. I would love to reap your soul!” She cast her eyes over me. “No offence.”

I felt small, back to feeling like the street urchin beside her. “Oh, what a pretty little witch! Aw, you two are together! How dangerous!” She laughed.

She ignored Nathaniel at first, then shot him a sexy smile, her brows raised. “Afternoon Nathaniel. Long time?”

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