Chapter 11

The Wolf

Iwake to the soft touch of Pix's fingers caressing my cheek. And I smile when her lips begin to leave a trail of kisses down my neck. Her hair tickles my chest as she goes down. Down. Down. I let her explore, relishing in the feel of her mouth on my lower stomach. As she undoes my trousers, I lift my hips, keen to rid myself of any barrier between us.

I let out a long breath when she takes me in her mouth, my cock already hard and ready. It was as soon as I felt her kiss me.

Now. This is a nice way to be woken up!

My fingers knot in her hair as I move her head up and down. I lift my head, watching her head bob as she works me.

Her tongue runs the length of me and swirls around my tip. Her gaze lifts, and her eyes meet mine.

But they're not her eyes.

They're Sinthia's.

Her pale and soulless eyes peer at me through my girl. Her childlike smile. Her tongue flicked so gently around my cock.

Her wrists are bare and the charms Dorian made her are nowhere to be seen.

‘Hello, puppy,' she coos. ‘Did you miss me?'

‘F-Fuck!' I yell, scrambling away and slamming my foot into her face again and again.

Sinthia has possessed Pix!

Her nose breaks and blood explodes over her face as she falls back off the bed. I'm on her in a second, my hand around her throat as I throttle the bitch.

‘GET THE FUCK OUT OF HER!' I scream, my fingers tight around her throat. ‘GET OUT!'

She laughs, with blood in her teeth and falling onto her shirt.

Dorian throws me away from her in a second and stands between us, his eyes wide in shock.

‘What the fuck are you doing?!' he demands.

Behind him, Pix coughs and gasps, clutching at her throat as she struggles to breathe. The scent of her blood fills the air as it continues to splatter on the ground.

When she looks up at me, her eyes are hers once more and are filled with pain.

When I take a step towards her, she scurries back. Utter confusion stretches across her face as she looks around, holding her broken and bloody nose.

‘I'm sorry,' I insist, loathing the guilt corrupting my body. ‘It wasn't you I hit. It was her!'

Dorian kneels beside Pix and takes her face, inspecting the damage and wincing as she lets him look.

‘You broke her nose, Archie!'

‘I broke Sinthia's nose!' I argue, quickly doing up my trousers.

He looks back at me, his shadows writhing behind him. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?'

Pix looks to my left, staring at nothing. Her face hardens.

‘Stop laughing!' she snaps at the air. ‘Bitch!'

Dorian follows her gaze and then looks at her wrist.

‘Your charms. Where are your charms?' He takes her hand roughly in hand, looking at her as she stares into the corner. ‘Do you see Sinthia?'

‘Go away!' she commands, staring at the corner.

She stands, her fists balled at her side and dark veins pulsing up her arms. ‘I said LEAVE!' She reaches out, the dark veins thick and terrifying. The stench of blood magic fills the air as she taps into her forbidden magic.

The room shakes as she roars her command. Chunks of plaster rain down from above and leaves from the plant life inside her room are shaken loose.

Pix calms with a deep breath, and the veins withdraw. Then she looks at me.

And she is furious.

‘You have her body downstairs.' The betrayal in her eyes matches that of her tone. ‘Why do you have your ex-lover's body downstairs?'

‘You went downstairs?' Dorian asks her. But her eyes are on mine. Even as he goes to take her hand, she snatches it away and looks at nothing but me.

‘Why do you have her body, Wolf?'

‘It was a precaution. Just in case we needed her,' Dorian replies.

‘Need her?' Pix scoffs. ‘Need her! Why would we ever need her?'

‘It was just… in case we did,' I reply. ‘Information or leverage against Neve.' And then I feel my anger rise. ‘You went down there to speak to her? You used blood magic when we ordered you not to?!' I grab and shake her. ‘Are you so fucking stupid?'

‘Get your fucking hands off me,' she warns, yanking her arm out of my grip. ‘There's only one person alive who can speak to the dead, and that's me.' She glares at Dorian. ‘Should I see Dhalia? Then you can wake up with your ex-psychopath lover sucking your dick, too?'

The mention of Dhalia's name has Dorian unable to meet anyone's eye.

‘They're too dangerous to be left with Neve.' He refuses to meet her accusatory glare.

‘You wanted me to control them. After everything you said. Everything we agreed on. You are absolute pricks. Stay the fuck away from me.'

She leaves the room.

Shit. And she only just started talking to us again.

‘You okay?' Dorian asks.

‘No. I just woke up to Sinthia possessing my girl and sucking my dick, Dorian. I'm not fucking okay.'

I leave, seeking Pix out.

I stalk the halls, following her scent, but stop in the entrance hall when I catch another entirely different scent drifting up from the open door. The door leading down to the cellar.

I stop at the top of the stairs, my eyes burning and my stomach turning.

I open the door wider and peer down into the dark. My feet take me there without instruction from me, and as if led on a rope, I end up standing beside Sinthia. Her severed head is tilted, and her grey eyes are staring at the wall. Her mouth is agape, but the way it curls up still manages to hold her sweet smile.

Sinthia.

I run my fingers through the length of her blonde hair. It's dry and tangled. A far cry from the silky smooth curls she had when she was alive. I lean down so my eyes are level with hers, tilting my head to the side and placing myself in her eyeline.

‘You look so pretty,' I tell her, still stroking her hair. ‘Even more now than you ever have. Are you watching me right now, Sin?' I ask, glancing around the room before resting my gaze back on her. ‘Is your soul trapped, my dear? Are you nothing but pain and suffering? All agony and torture? Trapped here, watching your pretty little body decay and rot?' I laugh at the idea of her standing right here watching me. My fingers knot in her hair as I hold her up by the roots. She sways in my hand. ‘Did you watch me fuck your niece?' I ask her. ‘Did you enjoy watching me worship her?' I lean in close, thoroughly enjoying the idea of her standing there screaming as I took Ashe. With my free hand, I sink the fingers of my free hand into her mouth and force her jaws apart. I then undo my trousers and unleash my cock. ‘For old times sake. I learnt this from your niece.' I put my tip in her mouth. And I start to piss. My head falls back in relief as I fill her mouth with urine until it trickles down the hole in her neck, splattering on the floor by my feet. Then I drop her and shake myself off over her.

‘See you in hell, sweetheart.' I slam my foot into her skull and feel it shatter underfoot.

And I do it again and again and again until all that remains is mush, chips of bone and bloody hair.

‘That was fun.' I see Pix's charms in her hand and take them back.

I turn and leave, keen to fix the mess I've made with Pix. As I pass the cells, however, I notice that one of them has been left open. I head inside, slowly opening the door wider.

‘Shit,' I groan. ‘Thalia. You silly little cunt. Where the hell have you gone?'

I leave, spotting Dorian heading down the stairs with a face like thunder.

‘Thalia's got out,' I tell him as I pass. ‘May want to check on Leo. He was supposed to be watching her, but I'm pretty sure he's been sneaking down there to fuck her. He may have set her free.'

‘What about-'

‘I'll find Pix. You check on the barrier and the escaped mud bitch.'

Outside, the fire is abandoned and dying. All the humans have left. And I wonder if the creatures have taken off, too.

It wouldn't surprise me.

I find Pix on her own and away from the fire, looking up at the sky. Her arms are at her side, and her head is tilted back as she watches the stars. I stop at her side.

‘I am really fucking sorry,' I tell her, handing her back her charms. She takes them without looking away from the sky. ‘We didn't tell you because we didn't want to worry you. Are you okay?'

‘I'm fine.'

When she has her charms back on, she finally looks at me.

And all I see is her. Her eyes. Her soul. All of her, looking at me through a blood-splattered face.

‘I couldn't keep her out,' she admits sadly. ‘I'm sorry I did that to you.'

‘It wasn't you,' I sigh, ignoring the sense of disgust and shame. ‘You managed to get her out and make her leave.' I look at her arms. There are no black veins to be seen. ‘You used blood magic, Pix.'

‘I felt more in control,' she admits. ‘She got inside, but I was able to get her out myself. Usually, the spirits struggle to hold on. They're not strong enough. But Sinthia was more than strong enough. She could have stayed inside me for much, much longer. But I could feel her and see her. And I could push her out.' She rests her hand on her stomach. ‘I felt her death. Her second one. How her guts slipped outside of her body.' Then she looks up at me. ‘And I saw what she did,' she whispers. ‘I felt her joy as she did terrible things to you. I saw her do unspeakable things.' Her eyes glisten with tears. ‘I saw your pack die.'

‘H-how… I mean… that's never happened to you before, right?'

‘I only see how they died. Not how they lived. It felt different this time. Like there was more light inside me, I could see more. Feel more power and possibilities. I think my necromancer power is growing.'

‘We expected it to,' I admit. ‘Over time and with your blood as powerful as it is, we knew you would get more powerful.'

‘I still feel like me,' she says. ‘As I spoke to her, I wasn't tempted by the darkness so much that I couldn't control myself. I just… she got in before I could protect myself. Next time, I'll be ready.'

‘There isn't going to be a next time, Pix!' I snap. ‘You know how dangerous it is for you to use your blood magic! She got inside you with ease. You forget that she was a powerful and talented blood witch who had skills beyond your comprehension.'

‘I know. I just…' She lets out a breathy sigh and looks back up at the stars. Confusion etches across her face. ‘Archie. What's Renatus?' she asks.

I shake my head.

‘I have no idea. Why?'

‘When I reanimated her, I asked her what Neve might be planning. She smiled and said… "Renatus".' She blinks and looks away, shaking her head.

I guide her face back to mine.

‘What else did she say, Pix?'

‘She said that when she returns, she'll skin me alive and wear me as a coat as she makes love to you.'

Fucking tears spring to my eyes. Tears!

‘She did that,' she whispers. ‘To your sister.'

‘You saw that?'

‘Glimpses.'

I swallow against the tightening of my throat.

‘How could you ever stay with a woman who did that to you?'

‘I refused to obey her at first,' I tell her. ‘No matter what she did to me, I didn't care. She had slaughtered my pack.' I shrug. ‘I had nothing left. Or so I thought. She brought out my sister. She had made her shift and refused to let her go back as a girl. For weeks, Sinthia had played with her. Looked after her. Fed her. She treated her well, and my sister loved her. She hadn't seen what had happened to the pack. She didn't even know they were dead, and Sinthia was very playful and fun when she wanted to be.' The pain of this is agonising, but how Pix looks at me gives me the courage to speak. ‘When she was still in her pup form, Sinthia stabbed her in front of me and skinned her as she died.' My words become a whisper. ‘Her little whimpers…'

My eyes close as if that might help me rid myself of the memories. All that does is give the images more life.

Pix strokes my cheek. I decide looking at her is easier than the darkness.

‘Sinthia wore her pelt for years. She never took it off. How could I have loved Sinthia? The truth is, I don't know. I don't think I did. She could show the most intense cruelty, Pix. Have you in the dirt and wishing for death, all the while, she was gentle and sweet and soft. She would make you scream, and she would giggle like an excited child. And then she would show such kindness and love. Utter devotion. When she looked at me, I was all there was. And she made certain she was all I had, too. As long as I did what she wanted, she wouldn't hurt me or those I cared about. And her blood. Your blood. It's like a drug. It connects me to my power. To my wolf. To my pack. And when I'm connected, I feel them again. I feel that deep sense of belonging and home. Without her blood, I was empty. So fucking empty. But with it, I was strong and whole. I wasn't alone. Over the years, the pain of the past became so small compared to everything else. I would gladly take the small peace she offered rather than drown in the darkness she created.' I take a breath. ‘Does that make sense?'

‘It does. I know what you mean completely.'

‘Is that what I am to you?' I ask, wiping the blood from her face. ‘Am I peace in the darkness I create?'

‘A little, maybe. At first. But I meant my father. Not you. He'd beat me half to death and spend weeks taking care of me. He would belittle me and then give me a book I had mentioned I wanted in passing, showing me he was always listening and thinking of me. I was used to the cruelty. And I craved the kindness.'

‘I'm sorry I broke your nose.'

‘I'm sorry I gave you a blowjob when I was possessed by your ex.'

We both look up at the stars once more.

‘I dreamt about them,' she says.

‘About what?'

‘Them.' She leans in close and points up to the sky. I follow to the tip of her finger as she points out a series of stars. ‘That cluster of stars will soon align and mark the beginnings of Athir's celebration. A two-day festival marking the end of summer and the start of his winter. I would say it's a day or two away.'

‘Athir. Your earth god, right? The celebration is tomorrow night,' I tell her.

‘You know the constellations?'

‘I know witch festivals. The earth coven gathers at their sacred fire tomorrow for the festival of Athir. From what I've heard, it's a pretty dull affair. Lots of meditation and fasting. Seems a far cry from a festival to me, but witches are a strange lot.'

‘We are. As are witch killers who tried to screw a banshee while in wolf form.' She nudges me with her elbow and rolls her eyes.

‘Fair point well made. So. You dreamt about the stars?'

‘I did. And fire in the sky and one of the bone archways… bleeding.'

‘Gross.'

‘Hmmm,' she says distractedly. ‘Neve was there. Beneath the arch and speaking in a strange language. It didn't feel like a dream. It felt like something else.'

‘Well, Shaw wasn't walking with you. So it wasn't him.'

‘It felt real. Like watching something happening through the reflection of a mirror.' She chews on her lip with the cutest little concentration crease forming on her brow. ‘I have the awful feeling something is coming, Archie. It felt like a glimpse of what was to come.'

‘Like a premonition?' I ask. ‘You think you had a vision?'

‘I'm not sure. I mean, I brought Neve back from the dead. I held her soul in my hands. I died her death. Perhaps a part of me is still connected to her. Like we're linked. If she is planning something or practising a spell, perhaps I might feel it. I see their deaths. I saw Sinthia's past. Perhaps I can see Neve's plans for the future.'

‘I don't know what to say to that,' I admit, looking at her with growing apprehension.

I get struck with these sharp reminders of what she is. Of what she is capable of. All blood witches are evil. It's the nature of their magic. Of where they get their powers from. Death. Blood. From their dark goddess, Hel.

She looks up at me, afraid. Seeking out some comfort from me because I know she doesn't want to become dark. To become evil. But she is a blood witch, and denying that fact is futile. I know it. I think we all do. And she is so powerful I struggle even to comprehend it. A necromancer has command over the dead. The dying. The lost souls and their pain. She is the first one I have seen, but I have heard stories. Many, many stories.

And they terrify me.

‘You're a rare thing. One of a kind. So much magic all encased in that beautiful little body of yours. Perhaps you are connected to Neve. But you can't let that define you. You're also connected to the earth. And to us.'

‘You sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than convince me,' she replies with a sad little laugh.

I slide my hands in my pockets, and we carry on stargazing.

‘There's something I need to tell you,' I say before I get a chance to change my mind. ‘You might not like it.'

‘Tell me anyway.'

‘You heard me when I was a wolf.'

‘Yeah.'

‘No one has ever heard me in my wolf form before.'

‘No?'

‘No, Pix. Because only Mates can hear each other.' I look at her, expecting to see shock or even anger. But she just has a slightly raised brow. ‘You're not mad?'

‘I have no idea what you're talking about.'

‘I've fallen in love with you so hard, Pix, that your body has become bonded to mine. It's rare, but it can happen. A wolf can become mated to someone outside of their species.'

‘So that means I can hear you when you're in your wolf form?'

‘Yeah. It means a fair bit, Pix.'

She doesn't say anything else. She asks no questions. And I don't offer up anything more because, if I'm honest, she should be a little more honoured than she is. Mating bonds are profound. Not something to brush off.

But I guess she is mortal. And doesn't know our ways.

She will. Soon enough.

‘Thalia is gone,' I tell her. ‘Her cell door was open, and she's gone. Dorian's looking for her now. Shaw tasted her blood so he'll know when she falls asleep, and he can dream walk. Scare her back or something.'

She takes a deep breath and folds her arms across her chest. ‘She could tell the coven what I did. That Neve is back.'

‘She won't. Never mind the fact she has no tongue, so she can't speak; she knows that telling on you also tells on her coven and Cole. She won't risk either. Besides. We'll get her back.'

Even now, after everything Thalia did to her, she feels guilty for her suffering. Thalia screwed her fiancé. Betrayed her. Lied to her and turned her back on her when she needed her. And still, Pix cares.

‘Maybe we just let her go,' she contemplates. ‘She's suffered enough.'

‘Unsure that's wise.'

‘You just said she wouldn't talk.'

What can I say? I want her dead because she's a threat. Yes. But also, she deserves to die for what she did to Pix.

I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off.

‘Let her go. I think you may find Leo is gone as well. They hated each other too much for it not to turn into something. Trust me.' She looks up at me with a sly smile. ‘We're on borrowed time as it is. We need to go. The castle is all but abandoned. We're alone here, and they will come back to finish what they started.'

Her shoulders slump as she looks once more at the sky.

‘My coven will be celebrating Athir in two days. I'll be sad to miss it.'

‘You enjoy that crap?'

‘I do,' she smiles. ‘Everyone out in the fields barefoot. Music and food everywhere. Games and stories by firelight. Dancing.'

‘The earth covens dance?'

‘Only twice a year,' she laughs. ‘The spring and the winter. Welcoming Athir for the spring and then bidding him goodnight for the winter. The earth hums even when the fire hasn't freed your magic, so I bet it feels fantastic when you have access. It's a great boost for the coven's magic.'

Athir, their God. Others call him The Green Man. The covens each have their own deity to worship. Legend is that each deity wrote the grimoires and passed them onto the covens for their most powerful to read from it.

If only they knew the truth. A story for another time, I think. I'm not in the mood to ruin her mood any further.

‘I shall miss it,' she adds. ‘It was a lot of fun.'

‘We can do our own,' I offer. ‘Some music. Some wine. Just the four of us barefoot. We won't summon any power for you, but it could be a laugh.'

‘Perhaps,' she replies half-heartedly.

A sharp whistle comes from the treeline, and we see Shaw returning to the castle after walking the soldiers back through the boundary.

He has something large tucked under his arm.

Shaw gestures for us to follow him back inside.

‘He looks mad,' she whispers.

‘Let's go see why.'