Page 36 of Shadow Spirit

“I know I can locate him, but they’re going to have a head start on me and a faster way to travel.”

“Not necessarily. We may only have two Ducatis, but we do have a Triumph Rocket 3, which in my opinion is faster and easier to control on less than perfect roads. Besides the people in that village may have seen the black Ducatis, but the Triumph is red.”

Adriana grinned at her. “I don’t care what people say, you’re far more devious than Colby ever dreamed of being.”

“I like to think so.”

CHAPTER 17

ADRIANA

Brie’s assessment of the Triumph was more than justified; Adriana was able to make good time and she could feel not only Greg’s anger but Decker’s as well, flowing down the bond until she shut them down. She could no longer shut Greg out completely—he would still be able to locate her using the newly formed bond link, but she could keep Decker from having that information, and could shield her thoughts and emotions from them both.

Tightening down her link to her fated mates, she allowed the link to Eoghan to flow freely.

“There you are,” he rumbled. “Come to me Adriana or the little witch will die.”

Adriana kept a close rein on both her feelings and thinking, and used the link to actually manipulate the information Eoghan was able to pick up. She wanted him to believe she was frightened of him and would do whatever he wanted in order to keep Erin safe. It wasn’t as difficult as it might have been because she was willing to do whatever it took to keep the little girl safe. She’d had enough violence and chaos in her life.

Adriana knew that Eoghan and his men were neither at the village outside the coven’s compound nor at the compound itself. He had taken refuge at his own stronghold, where he had taken Erin as well. Adriana was treading a fine line. She had to make Eoghan believe he was still in control, and she had no way to keep herself and Erin safe. But there was a part of her that needed him to believe the time they’d been apart had changed her—not necessarily for the better as far as he was concerned. When she’d run from him to her coven, she’d been shattered by what he’d done to her. It might have been better to let him believe she’d never recovered, but she couldn’t let him have that victory. She needed him to know that she had grown and would never be his victim again.

She watched as the gothic gates creaked open and two of his men, including his beta, came out to confront her. She was certain Eoghan had given them instructions to bring her to him and force her to kneel in front of him. Well, that wasn’t happening.

Gunning the engine, Adriana sped up and raced towards the iron gates, swerving closer to the man who wasn’t the pack’s beta. She leaned the bike toward him, making him jump back as she brought up her opposite leg and slammed her foot into the beta’s solar plexus, knocking the sonofabitch backwards and onto his ass. That prick would think twice before putting his hands on her again.

Adriana opened up the throttle and roared into the courtyard, skidding to a halt at the foot of the stairs that led to the front door.

“Eoghan O’Shea!” she shouted.

Two more warriors came running down the steps. Adriana raised her hand and pushed them back with a violent shove of energy.

Eoghan appeared with Erin at his side, his hand clutching her shoulder. Not in command of her power yet, Erin turned and kicked him in the shin, running down to Adriana and throwing her arms around her as Adriana dismounted from the Triumph.

“Really, Eoghan? Terrorizing little girls? You truly are a bastard of the first order,” growled Adriana.

“So, my mate has found her inner wolf,” drawled Eoghan.

“Seize her,” cried his beta from behind them.

Adriana whirled and brushed him away with a flick of her wrist and a gale-force gust of wind.

“Call your mutt off, Eoghan.”

“Cease your magic. It will not work on me. You bear my mark.”

“One inflicted on me without my consent, and one that only protects you. The rest of this mongrel pack of yours isn’t so lucky. I got your message. I’m here with the protection of no clan, and I’ve told no one where I was coming.” Technically that was true. She’d told no one her destination, but Greg should be able to track her along their link.

“Why would I exchange one witch for another?” Eoghan snorted. “She might be young and puny now, but who knows how she’ll develop. If I keep you both, I would have double the power, and who knows what her true value might be?”

Trying not to let him know how much she feared him—not for what he could do to her, but to Erin—she opened the link to Greg and tried to figure out how to stall for time as well as probe for information.

“So why are we so important to you? What is our significance? What is it you think our magic will do for you, and what makes you think we’ll do your bidding? I might not be able to use my magic against you, but Erin is not your marked mate. She may be able to use magic, and my Sisters have taught me how to defend myself without magic.”

“The prophecy that will give the Shadow League and its leader the power required to rule humans, shifters, and the entire paranormal world requires a witch/wolf-shifter hybrid. They are incredibly rare and are doubly moon-blessed… at least, that’s what that ancient dragon-shifter believed. I figured you were the first step, and I could use the little witchlet there to keep you in line until she’s old enough to turn. Then I’ll have the both of you wearing my mark.”

Adriana gently pushed Erin behind her. “You promised me that if I gave myself up to you, you’d let her go.”

Eoghan gave a nasty laugh. “I never promised you any such thing. What you assumed is on you. What better way could I have to keep you in line than to keep control of the child?”

---