Page 34 of Lycan and Lark
Romani swallowed thickly, his face turning a shade paler.
Aria lifted a hand to touch Graham’s fingers as they gripped his glass so hard she thought it might break. “Is that why there are so few wolves left?”
Graham released a pent-up breath and nodded.
“I’m sorry. That must have been devastating to your pack.” A wave of guilt and sadness put Aria back in her place. She sipped her beer quietly, feeling more lost and alone than ever before.
When was Gideon going to let them come back? If they didn’t leave soon she was going to do something desperate. She would take whatever means necessary to find her way back. Or fight her way back, if that’s what it took.
ChapterFifteen
Gideon’s driver had already disclosed their destination for the evening. Not willingly, of course. The group was headed to a strip club called the Fun House. It made Lark sick. How could Gideon be having parties and group outings when his sister was still nowhere in sight?
The limo was ostentatious and it rubbed Lark the wrong way. He had to look up the location of the club on a stranger’s phone before he teleported there. It was circus themed, and complete with unusual acts like contortionists and fire breathers. One of the photos on their website was of a woman with a striking resemblance to Gideon’s Celestial mate, Dahlia. Maybe she was a stripper before she snagged the Alpha. Stranger things had happened. He and Aria were proof of that.
Lark teleported to the outside of the club. He watched as Gideon’s group filed out of the limo, foregoing the fun house carnival entrance and taking a back door into the building. He waited a few minutes after they were out of sight to make his approach. Lark’s knuckles rapped loudly on the steel door. It was opened a moment later by a surly-looking bouncer. He was big, buff, and hopefully dumber than he looked.
“What do you want?” His voice had a deep Southern drawl.
“I’m with the group that just went in.” Lark imbued a soothing tone into his words.
“They didn’t say nothing about nobody else showing up.” The bouncer folded his massive arms and blocked the doorway.
Lark laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. People had a much more difficult time resisting his influence when he made physical contact. “I’m with the group that just arrived. Let me pass. It’s what your boss wants you to do.”
The bouncer didn’t comply right away and Lark had to push a little harder to persuade him.
“Right this way.” The man stepped aside, allowing Lark to pass, then slammed the door behind him. That big, dumb brute had been more of a challenge than anticipated, but Lark had a lot of practice recently compelling headstrong lycans. A mere human wouldn’t stand a chance.
Lark followed Gideon’s scent down the hallway and through a thick black curtain. Gideon smelled similar to Aria, but not nearly as intoxicating. Lark took the glamour of a clean-cut blond businessman as he surveyed the club. The Fun House girls flocked to him, unconsciously drawn to his magic. Lark cursed himself for not cloaking his abilities in an air of insignificance before he walked in. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself before he was ready. A tall, exotic-looking woman with pink hair and fake lips slid a hand toward his pants and he slapped it away. The other girls gasped and he quickly allowed an aura of malice to creep outward.
The girls scattered, and he finally got a look at Gideon and his crew. They were sitting at a large table in front of the stage. Lark’s gaze raked over the various lycans and mates in attendance. His wolf growled when it spotted the cowboy hat among the group. The animal began to push forward for control and Lark’s heart seized up. Not again.
His time was up. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he was out of options. He began the tedious process of slowing time. The sheer number of bodies in the club meant he had to expend a massive amount of energy. The air around him began to thicken and slow. He focused on the Ulric pack, allowing them immunity to the effects of his magic. The lycans began to notice the shift in energy, each one looking side to side as nervous energy rolled off of them.
Lark hijacked the lights, dropping the club into complete darkness before teleporting to the stage. The glamour slid from his skin and he cracked his neck and stretched as his true form came forward. Many startled pairs of glowing eyes greeted him when the lights flicked back on. Everyone was still moving in slow motion, with the exception of Gideon and his companions.
The Alpha rose slowly to his feet. Lark could see the thick, heavy pressure of his magic slowing Gideon’s movements. Lark had them right where he wanted. None of the lycans could fight under these conditions. But he couldn’t maintain this level of magic for long.
“Where is she?” Lark kept his voice low and controlled despite the maelstrom raging in his chest.
“Who?” Gideon sidestepped in front of Dahlia. The move was oddly irritating. Hadn’t he been there when Lark rescued Dahlia from Creedin’s clutches? Only a fool blinded by love would believe Lark was there to claim the other man’s mate. Gideon obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. His instinct to protect his mate and their unborn child was trumping all other thoughts.
“Aria,” Lark growled out. His wolf clawed to the surface as he uttered their mate’s name. Lark’s hands shook with the tremendous strain of maintaining his magic and subduing his inner animal. A new level of fear entered the group’s scents and he knew his eyes had settled on their foreboding crimson.
Gideon’s roar shook the club. “Why? Why do you need to know where my sister is?”
Lark felt icy daggers plunge through his heart. The pain of being away from Aria welled within him, along with the worry of rejection from the pack. He broke through the fear with an anguished cry. “Because she’s my mate.”
The pack seemed to gasp as one. The shock in their eyes fed Lark’s insecurities. He couldn’t let them alter his decision. He had come to claim Aria, to bring her home. His wolf continued to tear at the flesh beneath his skin. Pain radiated through him as his body trembled beneath the strain.
“Where is she?” Lark’s tortured words snaked out between gritted teeth.
Gideon remained silent and Lark took a casual step off the stage. He walked forward like a predator stalking his prey. Gideon’s eyes betrayed his own struggle to control his emotions and wolf.
Lark closed the space between the two and a low, slow growl reverberated from his chest. “Last chance, Gideon. Now where is she?”
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