Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I see a ghost house where others only see a foundation. The scorched earth below me feels alive, it's as if all our memories were trapped here with the remnants of the burned-down dwelling.

"That's weird," Kirk says.

"What?" I turn toward where Kirk is kneeling.

"It looks tampered with." Kirk shines a flashlight on the ground that's been disturbed.

"Kids with nothing better to do than see the tragic site?" I shrug.

"No." Cadoc shines his light a little further down where another pile of rubble has been formed.

"I think they were looking for something."

"Why would they do that?" It's been a dare spot for young kids for years, but this is different.

"Does anyone else know about this room?" Cadoc's spine stiffens.

"I don't think so," I say.

He exchanges a look with Kirk. "Fell and I will keep watch outside. Take Kirk and Bo with you to look for the entrance."

"I don't even know what we're looking for," I say as my palms grow slick.

"Any part of the ground that looks or feels different." Cadoc's already turned away, studying the horizon for signs of a threat.

"That doesn't make sense. I know this home too." Fell protests.

"And sending you and Bo in together would be a disaster," Cadoc adds.

Bo winks.

"I'll keep her safe from outside. You do the same in there, Jensen." Fell's green gaze bores into Bo.

"I don't need to be told what to do with my mate," Fell says. The energy between them crackles.

"She's not yours—" Fell's chest expands and his eyes flicker to yellow as his wolf surfaces.

"Yet. The way I see it, she likes me a lot more than she does you, lately." Bo smirks.

"Bo." I reach out place my hand on his wrist and shake my head. "Please, don't." I hold my wrist out for Fell.

He brings my pulse point to his nose and breaths in my scent, slowly settling as I ground him. Nothing brings a wolf out of an emotional spiral like their mate.

"Fine, Princess. I'll lay off."

I pull my arm back after a moment, ignoring his goading.

"Thank you." I squeeze and release him. "Can we go now?" I ignore Fells' wounded expression.

Bo grabs my hand to annoy Fell and pulls me with him further into what used to be my home.

"Where are we now?"

"The front hallway, take a left." We turn and I see the opening imposed in the nothingness.

"And this would lead us into the kitchen. Through here." I walk the distance and stop.

I crane my neck, peering up "It's a door." Awed, I observe the swirling vortex of energy. "I think I found it."

"Do you see something?" Bo asks.

"You don't?"

Bo shakes his head.

"It's right there." I reach out and gasp at the prickling cold bursting through my fingertips and back to the peculiar portal.

"Ohhh," Bo whispers. "That."

"You see it?" I remove my hand.

Bo grunts. "Well, not anymore."

I touch it with the tip of my finger.

"It's back." Bo frowns. "It must be tied to you."

The light pulses. Neon blue and green swirl together in an odd pattern. Moving in a strange rhythm it forms an arrow. Shooting itself like it was attached to an invisible bow and released, it flies high and lands on the ground a half foot away.

Crouching down, I brush away dirt and find a metal plate. I place my hand on the square. It warms under my touch.

The triangle on my upper arm warms. My fingers brush across the surface. Pain lances through me. I stumble back. Droplets of blood fall to the ground.

"What happened?" Kirk takes hold of my bleeding finger.

"I don't –" The door rumbles and swings open.

"It was blood-warded to make sure no one but her family could enter," Bo whispers.

"That's powerful magic," Kirk adds.

"Why would your family go through that trouble?" Bo's brow wrinkles.

Excitement builds inside me like carbonation in a drink. "I don't know, but we're about to find out."

"No." Bo thrusts his arm in front of me. "You can't go first."

"If I don't, you'll probably be burnt to a crisp." I thumb at the turbulent sea of energy. The pale bluish green energy rolls like thick smoke.

"We don't know what it'll do," Bo protests.

"It's almost like you care," I stick my hand in and the others cry out in protest. The choppy energy fades away. "See I'm fine."

"You're a damned menace," Cadoc growls suddenly beside us.

"That was reckless and stupid." Fell barks.

"And yet, I'm fine. Let's see what they worked so hard to keep hidden." I aim my flashlight into the hole and find a built-in metal ladder.

"Shine a light for them, I'm going to keep watch." Cadoc shifts. Man becomes wolf in a seamless transition that speaks to control and strength. Fur replaces skin and bones elongate. His frame increases to impressive proportions.

I use the beams of light to swing a leg over and begin my descent into the dark hole.

Carefully traversing the dusty tunnel, I sneeze. Grit sticks to my fingers. I shake the dust off, disgusted by the thick layer of grime. Thrown off balance, my foot slips. My body slams against the railing. Hooking my arm through the rung, I hold on tight.

"Yl?"

"Princess."

"I'm fine. I just slipped." Their protective instincts surprise me. As much as I hate to admit it, things are changing.

"Be careful." Fell says.

I nod. "I wasn't trying to break my neck."

I reach the bottom. Grateful to have my feet on the ground, I wipe my palms on my jeans and pull the flashlight from my pocket.

The light slices through the darkness and I see the tunnel I'd traveled in my dream.

"What do you see?" Kirk asks.

"A hallway."

"Wait for us," Bo demands.

"Yes, Your Highness." I roll my eyes.

"Finally, you acknowledge my nobility," Bo says cheekily.

"Cocky bastard." I hide my smile.

"Are you thinking about my cock, love?" Bo yells down.

"Yeah, ripping it off if you bring it near me," I call back.

Kirk's laughter drowns out his response. I grin. I love seeing the somber man lighten up. He'd been dealt a bad hand that changed him in ways that hurt my heart. Like me, he's a victim of circumstances bigger than him.

They join me and we turn to face the darkness. Despite the filth, the enclosed space doesn't feel negative. We walk down the hallway. I stop a few feet away from the opening. I'll never be able to unknow whatever it is I'm about to discover.

"What's wrong?" Kirk asks.

"My parents kept this hidden from me." Had my brother known? " What if I'm about to learn something horrific?" Tarnishing my family's image would kill me.

Kirk places a hand on my shoulder. "I can't promise you it won't hurt, but I think not knowing would be worse at this point."

"I don't want to ruin their memory," I whisper.

Kirk wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into him. "We'll do it together."

Inhaling, I straighten up. "Let's go."

For once, Bo keeps his mouth shut, and I'm grateful. The closer we get the faster my heart beats.

I hold my breath. We step in front of the door frame. I see the room from my dreams. Sconces flicker to life, revealing the room in pristine condition.

Moving inside feels like trudging through water. The air is thicker than it should be. I exhale. Peace washes over me. The staleness is replaced with the scent of leather, old parchment, and lemongrass.

I feel like Belle stepping into the Beast's library. Bookshelves, display cases with strange objects and a small apothecary section rest against the walls.

Bo releases a low whistle. Kirk heads straight for the apothecary. His brown eyes sparkle with delight as he runs his hands over the labeled glass bottles. Once a healer, always a healer.

I approach the shelf, and run my fingertip over the worn leather just as I did in the dream.

The gold lettering on the spine of a book shimmers and catches the light. The font changes to a symbol. I blink. The lettering returns to normal, and my fingers itch to hold the thick tome. I remove it.

The book falls open. Words appear on the blank page.

Our time has come again to protect Fenrir's amulet. Keepers dedicate their lives to the safety of the pack under Fenrir's blessing. Should you be found wanting, the great wolf will not come to your aid. His chains will be weakened and the end shall begin.

"No pressure, huh?" Bo reads over my shoulder.

"I don't understand why the amulet isn't here." I glance around, seeking more clues.

"Maybe it is. There's enough stuff." Kirk thumbs at the cases on the other side of the room.

I groan at the sheer volume of artifacts. "It could take forever."

"You have other plans?" Bo asks.

I glare. "You make it very easy to dislike you."

He laughs, moving into my personal space. "All part of my charm."

"Abrasiveness is not sexy." I'm distracted by his warm breath caressing my lips.

"Plenty of people would not agree with that." His lids lower to half-mast.

"I think I found something," Kirk's deep voice interrupts the charged moment.

Clutching the journal to my chest, I walk over to find him hovering over another book open on a table.

"According to the start of the chapter, during times of peace, they hide the amulet to prevent strife, and when it's needed again the ancestors of Fenrir will be called to find it. The chosen one will lead their people into a position of power to rule the others." Kirk taps the spell. "They're called the children of Fenrir."

"That means others might be out there going after the same thing," I say in a hushed tone. The thought is chilling.

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly," Kirk turns the page.

"I saw this in my dream." I study the detailed drawing of the silver coin with runes etched around the edges and a wolf howling in the center.

"Where did you see it?" Bo asks. "Maybe that was a clue."

"I don't think so." I frown. "It was in a field of white ash oak trees. It fell into my hands when I caught a green bloom."

"What else was happening?" Bo's tone is serious.

"There were others there who were trying to capture the amulet."

The boys exchange a concerned look. "It's all here." Kirk taps the book.

"Time to go!" Fell's shout breaks the quiet tension.

"Take these." Kirk closes the book and shoves it toward me along with the one I'm holding.

I tighten my grip on the tomes. We exit the room, and I shove our chance for answers in my hoody and sprint down the stone hall.

"You first," Kirk insists.

I begin to climb. Sweat slicks my palms, slowing my ascent. My head pops up and Fell is there to help when I emerge, the others right behind me.

The second they clear the ladder, the door closes.

"Well, that explains why no one else found it. It seems to be keyed in to people from your bloodline" Fell says.

"How did they know to look for it in the first place?" Panic tried to claw its way to the surface. Beads of sweat roll down my neck, and my skin itches. The dust and grime are affecting me.

"We'll add it to our lists of questions. Let's go," Cadoc, sets a grueling pace, leading us into the surrounding woods. I race to keep up with the boys' long legs, dodging small branches and tree roots. We round a clearing. Sticks snap behind us.

"I'll circle back. Get her to the car and I'll meet you back at the house," Cadoc says.

"No. we're not leaving you." I shake my head.

"Sorry, Princess." Bo scoops me up and tosses me over his shoulder as he takes off running.

I grip his bulky sweater to keep from banging into his broad back. I swallow my curse words, to stop from giving away our position. I'm going to rain hell on him the second we're out of this.

Dizziness hits. I close my eyes to block out the blurring landscape. With his protective pheromones flooding out of his pores, my nipples harden, and my breasts grow heavy.

I hate the instincts I have no control over. Inhaling a lungful of the scent spiced honey and vanilla against my will I nestle my face into his clothing. Humming, I wiggle on his shoulder. His hand comes down on my ass.

"Stop that." Bo darts to the left and slows, sliding me off his shoulder. Disoriented, I peer up at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

"We're here."

Blinking, I force away the stupor. "Thanks. Never do that again."

"No promises."

He opens the door and I climb into the back with the books, feeling like my head is stuffed with cotton. "If I'd known a little rough handling is all it took to get you wet, I'd have done it sooner."

Leaning back against the seat, I close my eyes, ignoring him. I lift the hoodie and sniff.

The material holds hints of all of them, burnt orange, rosemary, licorice lemon, and camphor. Dragging the smell into my lungs, I feel my temperature spike as a sense of safety tempers my lingering fear.

No. I can't go into a mating heat over that asshole. Disgusted by the response, I shove it away from me. Fully accepting them as my mates will trigger my biological response. I don't want that. whether I want it to or not.

As a beta, I've never experienced this needy time of bonding that's thought to be a gift from the gods. Omegas experience the heat cycle regularly, for others, it's a state that only comes with an official mating.

Horrified, I roll down the window and stick my head out, trying to escape the swelling of my breasts and the tension building in my belly.

I press my thighs together, easing my pulsing core. My breasts become sensitive. Taut nipples press against my bra. I stifle a moan and press my thighs together. When we pull up to the house, I leap from the vehicle.

"I need to shower. I ran into so many cobwebs." I shudder and shift my weight from one foot to the other.

Kirk laughs. "Sure."

He moves to the front door unlocking it, and I dart inside and up the stairs, ignoring their curious looks.

Removing the books, I rest them on my desk. I need to cool down. Tearing off my clothes, I hurry to the bathroom.

Running the water as cold as I can get it, I climb in. When the tub is full, I sink beneath water and scream. Sitting up, I slump over the edge, letting the soothing liquid lower my core temperature.

I ignore the need to sate my lust. Relieving the ache would only make things worse. Inhaling and exhaling, I meditate.

This can't happen right now. I rack my brain to think of ways I can slow the process.

I never had to deal with this at college. I'd started to think I might be one of the few who got to skip this part of our biological makeup.

No such luck. Tomorrow, I'll take the herb Ashwagandha to dull my emotions. I just need to get through tonight. No one will ever have to know. Going into heat now would be disastrous.

I smell the increased hormones seeping from my pores and swear. This situation is spiraling out of control. There's no way I can hide this from the four of them.

A knock comes at the door. I slosh water on the floor. Dunking myself, I force my thoughts away from anything remotely sexy. They've already scented me.