Page 60 of Wolf Trap

“I don’t know.” I took his large hand into mine. “I feel like I’m responsible. I used blood magic the night I went to rescue Lisa, and,” I hated admitting this, “that might be partly why things have got worse.”

Jax’s voice sounded behind me. “No! You’re not to blame. Though blood magic, I don’t need to tell you, is highly volatile. Still, Marrock is an asshole, so who could blame you for protecting yourself? That said, Adara have been my best clients for a long time, but,” she sighed, looking off into the distance, “there are always others.”

Her heels were replaced with long black leather boots. She still wore leather trousers and a top, but now she wore a fitted wool coat with a hood that framed her face.

“Here! Come on wolfman, I need your muscles,” Austin exclaimed.

Grunting,Lycaon bent down, twisting his lips as he looked up at Austin. “Here? That’s just grass there.”

Strolling over, Jax pointed to the ground. “It’s under the grass, hidden. You’re going to have to get your hands dirty, easy for a wolf.”

Shaking his head, Lycaon asked, “Really, can’t anyone use their magic? I may be half wolf, but I don’t want muddy hands!”

Tutting, Jax looked away. “Oh my God!”

I edged beside Lycaon. “Budge over then. I’ll help.”

Lycaon slapped my hand away. He was really pissed that out of all of us, he was the only one in chains. Maybe Anthony was right. I caught the vampire watching Lycaon, an exasperated look on his face.

“I would need to use more power to open that, and they’d probably detect it. We’re too close, no more magic,” Austin insisted, his voice biting.

Lycaon huffed. “But you just used magic?”

“Low key, to detect an entrance…” Austin resigned, “I’ll move the earth, move over.”

He placed his hand on the ground, but Lycaon was determined.

Jax shot me a look, rolling her eyes.

Anthony pushed past all of them, and with no effort, shoved Lycaon out of the way. Crouching down, he peeled back the earth until the grass came out like a square.

Bounding back, Lycaon grunted, “I’ve got this!”

Tutting Anthony chided him, “Stand over there, vanilla-boy!”

Rubbing his muddy fingers and hands on his jeans, Anthony felt for the latch and strained.

Lycaon tried to move him out of the way again, whilst Hakon chuntered, laughing. Anthony didn’t move. His fingers caught around a loop, then he yanked open the shaft door, staggering backwards.

“Well, that’s alright. Honestly, for such a large shifter, you certainly are a whiner.”

Lycaon sneered at him.

I shook my head at Jax, who rolled her eyes again.

“Well, I don’t think that’s been used in a while. It was stuck.”

Slapping Anthony’s shoulder, Austin promoted, “Good man. Now, come on.”

One final glance at the building in the distance, I said, “We’ve got a long way to go and I’m already gasping for a coffee.”

Austin pulled out a torch. We all peered in.

“I’ll go first.” Holding the torch in his mouth, Austin scrambled over the edge. A metal rung ladder led the way down. He grunted and groaned as his feet tapped each rung.

“Well, now my hands are filthy, too. Looks rusty down here.”

Looking down into it, I watched as his torch beam lit up the surrounding tunnel, his voice echoing. “It’s pretty dry, though.”

---