Howl of the Wolf

Chapter Thirteen

Freshly showered and dressed once again, Sabrina sat at the kitchen table and picked at one of the muffins Tilly had sent along with them. It was chocolate, but even that wasn’t enough to stimulate her appetite. “Where is he?”

Arand prowled around the small living space, stalking from the kitchen to the dining room into the living room and back to the kitchen again. Watching him was making her dizzy. “I don’t know.”

The clock over the sink said it was three o’clock. Sabrina was beginning to worry about her friends, but neither of them was answering her phone. “Do you think something’s happened to Jessica and Tilly?” That was her greatest fear.

Arand shrugged and continued pacing. His seeming lack of concern for her friends ignited the anger simmering just below the surface. She jumped out of her chair. “I know they don’t matter to you in the scheme of things, but they’re important to me.” She crossed the kitchen, heading for the back door, needing some fresh air and some space.

He pressed his big hand on the door above her head before she could open it. He said nothing, but his large body hovered just behind her, not touching.

“Let me go,” she whispered.

“I can’t,” came his tortured reply. She was whipped around and her back hit the door with Arand looming before her. His eyes were as black as night but blazed with passion. Thin lines radiated out from the corners of his eyes and his teeth were bared. “I can’t,” he repeated.

His mouth came down on hers, harsh and fevered. He clamped his hands down on her shoulders and dragged her to him. It was the first time they’d touched since she’d rolled away from him in bed. This was madness. The separation between them was good, necessary. But this was so much better.

Sabrina felt alive when he touched her, every cell in her body humming with profound pleasure at his touch. She clasped his head in her hands and returned his kiss, letting him taste her desperation.

The ticking clock mocked her, marking the passage of time. It was passing way too slow, but yet too fast. She wanted the curse to end, but that would mean her time with Arand was also at an end.

She pulled back, wanting to see his face. His features were harsh, almost cruel, but she felt no fear, only a deep pull. An ache started in her chest and spread to the rest of her body. “This is madness.”

He nodded, but yanked her back into his arms, burying his face in the curve of her neck. “Insanity,” he agreed.

“What are we going to do?” she whispered.

He straightened his shoulders, and when he spoke, his words were a solemn vow. “We will survive.”

She wanted to stay snuggled in his arms but knew that wasn’t smart. They needed to keep their minds on Hades. They’d been lucky as it was not to have literally gotten caught with their pants down. Not that it was such a big deal for Arand. After all, the guy was totally built, plus he could conjure clothing out of thin air. For her, it was a huge deal. No way did she want the devil or his minions catching her in her birthday suit.

“I don’t understand why we haven’t had some contact with anyone.” It was really starting to bother her.

Arand sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. I expected something before now. A demand, a deal, something.”

Sabrina gazed longingly through the glass in the back door. “Let’s go outside for a minute. We could both use the fresh air.” His sense of smell was probably a hundred times more powerful then hers and all she could smell was his masculine, musky scent. It was making her crazy. She could only imagine how he was faring in the confines of the small house.

She turned the handle and opened the door. Immediately, the familiar scent of the woods, grass and water surrounded her. She could hear the heat—the low buzz of the insects and the almost inaudible hum of heat in the air. The afternoon had really warmed up and her top was clinging to her torso.

But she was used to the heat and embraced it. She walked to the end of the porch and sat on the railing. There used to be a rocking chair there where Granny liked to sit at the end of the day and watch the sun set. The chair was in the living room now. Sabrina didn’t like to leave it outside when she wasn’t here.

If she survived today, she planned on spending a week out here. It was time for a semi-annual cleaning, and she’d see to any repairs that needed doing. No way did she want to let Granny’s house get rundown.

She played with the amulet Tilly had given her and stared at the strand of beads Jessica had gifted her with. The beads were wrapped around her wrist, a bracelet instead of a necklace today. Her worry for her friends increased as she stared out over the encroaching swamp, listening to the birds and small animals flitting from tree to tree. Without someone living out here fulltime, the swamp was starting to reclaim the land.

Arand stood at the top of the two steps that led down to the yard. She could just catch a glimpse of the tattoo on his back and was conscious of the one on her own. It was beyond coincidence that they’d both have a wolf tattoo, hers more guardian and his all feral wolf. Of course, his tattoo was a representation of a very real creature, while hers would never be anything more than ink.

His biceps and forearms were heavily muscled. His pecs and abs were as hard as steel, but he wasn’t muscle-bound and was incredibly quick. The familiar leather pants covered him and fitted leather moccasins protected his feet. A pulsing energy surrounded him, a restlessness just waiting to explode.

Sabrina could only wonder what it would be like to be imprisoned for thousands of years. How did you keep from going crazy?

“Arand?” she began, not quite sure what she wanted to ask him.

He started to turn toward her and stopped, whipping his head around to stare at the corner of the yard. “Go inside.”

A black hole appeared in front of a willow tree, swirling faster and growing larger with each passing second.

“Holy shit.” Sabrina jumped up and ran toward the kitchen door. Arand didn’t even glance in her direction, but her heart skipped a beat as two huge swords appeared in his hands. He was ready to fight.

She raced through the living space and into Granny’s bedroom. The shotgun was on the top shelf where it had always been kept. She grabbed it, went to the nightstand beside the bed and ripped open the top drawer. A box of shells sat there. There were only a few left and Sabrina desperately wished there were more. They would have to do.

Quickly, she loaded the shotgun, all the while cursing herself for not doing it earlier. She stuffed the remaining ammo into her jeans’ pocket. Armed, she hurried out of the room, determined to stand by Arand no matter what.

She yanked her phone out of her back pocket and thumbed her speed dial again, hoping, praying to reach Jessica. Once again, her call went to voice mail. “Listen, you guys stay away. The shit’s about to hit the fan.” She ended the call and shoved her phone into her ass pocket as she burst through the backdoor into a scene straight from hell.

A shiver raced down Mordecai’s spine. The final battle in the curse had begun. He was so attuned to Hades now that he knew the god had opened a portal to this world. Arand, the warrior he’d been closest to, his best friend, was under siege from Hades’ demons.

Mordecai hardened his heart, or what was left of it. No time for regrets or second thoughts. He’d made his decision a long time ago and there was no changing it now.

He straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath. There was no way he’d reach New Orleans in time to fight. Not unless he got some help. His powers were still too weak to teleport.

The trees rustled behind him and he slowly turned.

Arand was relieved when Sabrina hurried inside on his command. It would give him less to worry about while he was fighting. The black hole grew until it blocked one entire side of the yard. He knew there were demons and possibly even Hades himself on the other side. The hilts of his swords fit into his hands like old friends. He hadn’t wielded them in many, many years, but he hadn’t forgotten how.

It felt good to fight rather than to wait. He’d spent far too many years waiting.

The first demon stepped out, quickly followed by a second one. They were both large, about six-four, their dark skin tough as leather. They wore thick armor made from the flesh of other demons and short horns protruded from their foreheads. He was familiar with them. They were more brawn than brain, foot soldiers sent in to tire him before Hades attacked. The god was nothing if not predictable. He never put himself in the direct line of fire.

Still, they were not to be discounted. Their blood and spit was acidic and their sharp teeth could rip the flesh from a man’s body. Thankfully, their muscular bodies, and the armor that covered it, slowed them down.

As he stepped off the back step, the back door burst open. He jerked his head around and fear clenched his heart. Had demons snuck in from the other side? How had he not smelled them? Heard them?

But it was no demon, it was Sabrina, face pale, eyes wide, with what he recognized as a shotgun held in her arms. She raised the barrel of the weapon toward him and fired. He instinctively ducked, but it wasn’t him she was aiming at. A demonic howl echoed all around them.

“Take that, you bastard,” she yelled as she pumped in another shell and fired.

Arand whirled back around, raised his swords and attacked, praying Sabrina wouldn’t get trigger-happy and accidentally shoot him. He’d heard of such weapons, intellectually knew what they were, but even he’d had no idea just how loud or deadly they would be. The stench of spent gunpowder burned his nostrils, but he savored the scent of demon blood that went along with it. The gun couldn’t kill the demons, but it would slow them down.

He should have told Sabrina how to kill the demons, but he hadn’t figured on allowing her close enough to them for it to matter. “Their necks. Shoot at their necks. They have to be beheaded in order to die,” he yelled over the growing din, not sure if she could hear him or not.

There were four demons in the yard now, all of them angry and all carrying swords as long as his, but none were nearly as skilled. He was a warrior of the Lady of the Beasts, a fighter of renown, not a lowly demon.

Arand went in low and hacked at the backs of the demons’ legs, cutting their hamstrings. Two of them toppled and fell, blood spraying all over the ground. The other two danced out of the way at the last second, avoiding his blade.

Arand whirled around, ever conscious of the black hole swirling just off to his left. He didn’t want the portal at his back as he had no idea what would come out of it.

Why hadn’t the line of salt held them off? The portal had opened inside the circle. Maybe an animal had scuffed the salt away, opening a breach in their protective circle. More likely was that Hades was more powerful than Sabrina’s witch friend. Not that Arand was surprised, but he’d hoped the salt boundary would offer Sabrina some protection.

The two upright demons attacked and he met them both at once. Metal clashed and sparks flew as the demons hacked and he countered. The two on the ground were dragging themselves toward him. He growled and went on the offensive, driving the two standing demons backward. They didn’t watch where they were going and fell over their comrades, falling into a tangled heap.

Arand went in for the kill.

“Holy shit. Holy shit,” Sabrina chanted under her breath. There were actual living, breathing demons in her granny’s backyard. Her shoulder ached from the kickback of the shotgun, but she fired again when one of the demons sprawled on the ground started to crawl toward Arand.

The man was a fighting machine. It was like watching an action movie, only this was chillingly real. Arand’s swords were an extension of his hands and he used them with lethal force. He’d cut the backs of two demons’ legs in the blink of an eye, whirling into position to face the remaining two.

Their heads. He’d said they needed to be beheaded. And here she was without an axe or a handy machete. She didn’t think any of Granny’s carving knives would be big enough to do the job either.

Stepping down off the porch, Sabrina cautiously moved toward one of the downed demons. She’d already filled his chest with buckshot but wasn’t sure how much of an effect it had had on him since Arand had slit his hamstrings so soon after. The hideous creature still had a nasty-looking sword in his hands. And the demon’s fingernails were like something out of a horror movie—sharp and long.

Its skin was mottled a dark black and blue color. Not attractive. And those teeth. The creature hissed at her, exposing two rows of sharp, dark teeth. Obviously, there were no dentists in Hell.

“I’m not exactly happy to see you either.” She raised the rifle and aimed at his neck, praying she’d hit him. Before she could fire, Arand pushed the two upright demons toward them and she jumped back just in time to avoid being knocked down. As it was, the two demons Arand had pushed back fell over their comrades.

Arand moved in for the kill.

He slashed with his blades, cutting through the thick demon flesh like a hot knife through butter. Blood sprayed and demon cries pierced her eardrums. She fell back and her butt hit the step.

When the last demon’s head was detached from its body, Arand threw back his head and howled. Sabrina couldn’t look away. Blood-spattered and sweaty, this was the immortal warrior of the Lady of the Beasts. He raised his swords into the air, the blades coated with demon blood and gore.

The grass around the beheaded creatures sizzled and burned and she drew her feet up onto the step. The air grew still and the demons’ bodies began to disintegrate before her very eyes.

Arand lowered his swords and his dark gaze cut toward her. “I told you to go inside.”

Sabrina swallowed hard, reminding herself that Arand wouldn’t hurt her. His fury whipped at her, but she didn’t flinch. “I did go inside. I just didn’t stay there.”

He swore. “By the Lady, Sabrina. This is not a game.”

She pushed herself to her feet, locking her shaky knees to keep them from collapsing beneath her. “I know. But this is my fight as much as it is yours.”

A breeze blew up, lifting the ashy remains of the demons and carrying it toward the swirling black hole. “The devil always claims his own.” Arand’s voice was grim.

Sabrina kept her gaze on what had to be a portal into Hell. “Is that all of them?”

Arand shook his head. “That is only the beginning.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” Sabrina peered around the yard, taking in the scorched earth and the smudged line of salt. “Guess the salt didn’t work this time.”

Arand took a deep breath and slowly released it. “No, not this time. Hades is much too powerful to be kept out by nothing more than salt.”

Sabrina could have kicked herself. Jessica had told her to cleanse the area as well and burn incense. The entire ritual had to be done for the salt to have real strength.

She took a good look at Arand and was appalled to see blisters forming on his chest and arms where the demon blood had struck him. “Your skin. It’s burned.”

He raised his arms in the air and began to chant. It wasn’t any language Sabrina recognized, but there was no mistaking the rise of power around them. The short hairs on her arms rose and the air was electrically charged, much like it was before a thunderstorm. A radiant light surrounded Arand, bathing the blood from his body and leaving his skin whole and healthy and his swords gleaming bright once again.

Wow, that was some skill to have. Just another reminder of how different they were.

The swords winked out of existence as Arand stalked toward her. She took a step back before remembering she wasn’t intimidated by him. He glanced over his shoulder at the portal. “I don’t know what is coming out of there next, but you will do as I tell you.”

“Will I?” She knew she should just agree with him. This was no time to pick a fight with him. But it galled her that he would think she would just up and abandon him to battle on his own.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “You will do as I say.” The harsh planes of his face and his tight grip left little doubt that he was more than willing to do whatever it took to get her to agree.

The swirling black circle grew darker, as though it were sucking all the light from the very air around it. Sabrina’s gaze was locked on to the portal, wondering what fresh nightmare would step from its midst.

But it wasn’t a demon that stepped out of the black swirling mass, it was a man. He wore a well-tailored charcoal-gray suit, a black shirt and tie and a shiny pair of leather shoes that looked like they cost a bundle. A diamond earring winked from one ear and a ring with a large black stone sat on his left hand.

“Having trouble with the little woman, wolf?”

Power struck her with the force of a hurricane. No one needed to tell her who this was. She’d recognized him the moment he spoke. He’d spoken to her in her dreams. This was Hades, Lord of the Underworld, god of Hell.

The time of reckoning had arrived.