Page 57 of The Kill

With tears brimming in my eyes, I turn and launch myself at my mate. Tyson almost topples backward, caught by surprise as I bury my face in his neck and sob. It’s all over. Noah’s really safe. He made sure he was nowhere near trouble, and he lied to Wilson knowing it could cost him his life if things went bad.

“Shh. I told you it was all going to be okay,” Tyson murmurs, stroking my hair and holding me close as all the fear and worry I’ve been carrying around pours out of me.

“But what about him?” Lucian asks, glaring at the bloody mess that is Alpha Weston. Seth snarls but stays beside Lucian, not keen to get close to his former leader. “What do we do with him?”

Blake clears his throat, and when he speaks, I can hear the smile in his voice. “Ah, yes. Well, you all have better places to be, and I’ve got another pack to keep in line. He’s the council’s problem now.” With a laugh, he makes a loud wolf whistle, short and sharp, then falls silent.

The hairs stand up on the back of my neck as the still night air drops in temperature, a strong breeze kicking up and sending the fallen leaves skittering across the forest floor.

“You know that’s rude?” The soft feminine voice has Lucian and Seth nearly jumping out of their skins. They watch, bug-eyed, as a tiny white-haired witch steps from the shadows, appearing as if from thin air. Her eyes glow bright violet as she approaches.

“Raiden?” Weston hisses, rubbing his torn neck, eyes widening in mock alarm at the blood all over his hand. “Thank God you’re here. Stop him. He’s lost his mind.”

The witch tilts her head and tuts at him. “Give me a bit more credit than that. Nobody is going to believe your bullshit. Especially since I’ve been here the whole time.”

“That’s Raiden?” Lucian whispers, staring at her in wonder as her long, pale hair whips around the stiff wind now circling us.

“Oh, you wish it was Raiden,” Blake laughs, stepping to the side to allow her through, and dipping his head in respect to the powerful witch. “This is Sharon, Raiden’s older, much stronger sister, and the newest member of the council. She’s the one who’s going to bind your wolf until we can get you in front of a trial.”

Despite already looking deathly ill, Weston visibly pales. Sharon casts a cool gaze over the rest of us, unsmiling and unbothered, before looking at Weston like a bug she’d love to swat.

“I’d prefer to just end you right now, but at least the council will make sure you languish somewhere far, far away. I might even find the time to come and visit.” With a small smile, Sharon bends and eyes Weston like a cat who’s caught a mouse to play with. “Go. I’ll mind him until the others get here.”

34

TYSON

The nearer we get to Steel territory, the more Mandy fidgets, her pulse erratic, and her mood swinging dramatically from exhausted, to anxious, to downright excited.

I keep her hand in mine as we walk, all four of us, across the border without incident. When she looks up at me, eyes wild, and her lips caught between her teeth for the hundredth time, I take pity on her. Confident now that Blake is true to his word and no welcome party is coming to attack us, I stop and turn Mandy to face me.

Dipping my head, I brush a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She smiles at me, but her relaxed mood only lasts a split second, then she looks like she wants to murder me for slowing us down.

“Boys, do you think you can follow my trail? My little mate here wants to get home in a hurry.” Mandy’s expression lights up, and she nods enthusiastically. Lucian laughs, sensing how eager she is to see her son.

“Of course. We’ll stay out of trouble.” Lucian gives me a mock salute which makes me nervous.

“Don’t wander off,” I warn, still not convinced the rest of the pack will be entirely thrilled to see two vampires among them. Mandy steps away, about to shift, when I tug her back and take a knee in the soft dirt in front of her. “Climb aboard.”

Blinking, it takes her a second to figure what I’m asking, but she claps her hands with glee and hops onto my back. Winking at the boys, I blur away, sprinting through the forest at a speed I used to find terrifying when I was testing my vampire abilities.

“Close your eyes if you feel sick,” I offer. “I won’t crash, but if you want to stop, tell me. I’d prefer that to you puking down my neck.”

Mandy pinches my arm playfully and leans forward to kiss the back of my shoulder, her appreciation that I’m helping her get home faster buzzing through the bond. “Thank you.”

As we clear the tree line, dawn begins to break, and Max’s house comes into view. Max and Matt sit on the porch with Noah sandwiched between them, chatting away happily. Raising an arm in greeting when he sees us, Max stands and taps Noah on the shoulder. Mandy squeaks in my ear but shoves that burst of emotion down when we get to the lawn in front of their house.

Setting her down gently, I hold her for an extra second to give her a chance to regain her balance. She practically swats my hands away, rushing forward.

“Noah,” she gasps, wrapping him in a tight hug as soon as she’s within arms-reach. She keeps him in her grip while his amused gaze meets mine briefly, and he carefully peels himself from her grasp. Only a teenager would find his mother’s concern funny.

“I wasn’t gone that long, Mum.” He looks her over, confused. “Max just said we had to come home early. What’s going on?” When he spots the fading mating marks on her shoulder, he smiles tentatively. “Did you bring me home just for a party? That’s a bit dramatic. I mean, I knew you were going to get mated. You could have just sent me a postcard.”

Her shoulders shake with tear-filled laughter as she pulls his face down to hers, the boy already towering over her, and he hasn’t finished growing yet. Matt and Max must have filled him in a bit more than he’s letting on; after a lifetime on the run, he’d be suspicious when his first trip anywhere without his mum was cut short.

Watching as he distracts his overwhelmed mum with teasing and ridiculous stories of what they got up to in Grey Ridge, certainty sweeps over me: he’s going to be an excellent alpha someday soon. Sensing me watching him, wanting to give them space to have their reunion, Noah lifts his chin so his gaze meets mine and mouths thank you, a brief flash of emotion crossing his features.

When Raiden appears, not even remotely concerned that there’s a feral wolf and a strange vampire now approaching her garden, she ushers everyone inside. As I pass, she rests her hand on my arm and waits for me to look at her. Knowing she can see things makes me uncomfortable. There’s a lot about the time after I was turned that I’m not proud of. I was an out-of-control vampire mixed with a wolf who couldn’t find his mate.

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