Howl of the Wolf

Chapter Sixteen

Sabrina peered around the living room of her granny’s house and shook her head in wonder. The small room was currently jammed with immortal shapeshifting warriors, their mates and her two friends. They were all waiting for the Lady—an actual goddess—to arrive.

The warriors were talking, catching up on what had happened to all of them. Well, all but Mordecai. He was standing in the corner of the room, his back to the wall while the other warriors pointedly ignored him. She understood why they didn’t trust him, but she still felt a twinge of sadness for Mordecai. She wasn’t quite sure why he hadn’t been sent back to Hell with Hades, why he was still here.

“How do you feel?” Arand had been asking her the same question every two minutes since she’d woke about an hour ago.

She gave him the same answer she’d given him each time. “I’m fine. Really.” Well, fine for a woman who’d apparently died, not just once, but twice. There was an echo of an ache in her chest, but even that was beginning to fade the longer she was awake.

She glanced at the clock as it struck midnight. The others stopped talking, all of them waiting until the last chime was struck. The curse was truly over. They were all free.

As if that was the signal she’d been waiting for, the front door opened and the Lady of the Beasts stepped into the room. Sabrina blinked at the lovely young woman standing before them. The Lady looked no older than she or Tilly or Jessica, but she was truly ancient. The proof was in her blue-eyed gaze. Her eyes reflected the mysteries and heartaches of the entire history of time.

She was wearing a dark-green dress that fell to her ankles. Her unbound hair skimmed the floor as she walked. There were colorful flowers twined in her locks that were every shade of brown from almost blonde to mahogany. The corners of her mouth were turned up slightly, not quite a smile, but almost.

But it was the light that radiated from her, the sheer energy surrounding her that let everyone around her know she was something special, a woman of great power, a goddess.

As one, all the men rose, thumped their right hands over their hearts and went down on their left knees before her. The Lady smiled, and Sabrina knew she’d never seen a more beautiful woman in her life.

“Rise, my loyal warriors.” They all stood and she walked toward them. One by one, she touched their faces and patted their arms, her actions almost motherly.

And she was their mother, wasn’t she? Their creator. Sabrina watched as Arand lowered his head so the Lady could touch him. The warriors all crowded around her, but Mordecai hung back.

The Lady paused and made some kind of sign with her hand. The warriors parted, leaving her a clear path to the serpent. “Won’t you come forward and greet me?”

Mordecai shook his head. “I am tainted.”

The Lady walked toward him and Sabrina tensed, wondering what the goddess would do to the betraying warrior.

“Why did you join Hades?”

The entire room seemed to hold its breath. It was the question all of them wanted answered.

“Why?” Mordecai squared his shoulders and glared at the other warriors. “Because I knew we needed someone on the inside if we were going to defeat Hades, and I knew none of the others would do it.”

The other warriors erupted, outrage pouring from them. “What did you do to help?” Roric roared. “You tried to kill Aimee.”

Aimee, a slender woman with short black hair, placed her arm on Roric’s arm to retrain him. Sabrina had been introduced to all of them earlier, but her head had still been spinning at the time. If Sabrina was remembering correctly, Aimee was an artist of some kind.

Mordecai sneered. “If I’d wanted to kill her I could have done so several times.”

“You stabbed Araminta.” Leander took a threatening step forward. “And you stabbed me.” Leander wrapped his arm protectively around a woman with long tawny-brown hair and steady gray eyes. Sabrina remembered being told that Araminta was a writer.

“She attacked me and I reacted automatically. I knew you wouldn’t die from your wounds. All you had to do was let the clock run out and you would have both been fine.”

Marko grunted and started to speak, but the Lady raised her hand and all the warriors fell silent. “What happened to you, Mordecai?”

He glared at his fellow warriors and raked a hand through his hair. It amazed Sabrina how good all the warriors looked. They were all dressed in leather leggings, boots and tunics, except for Mordecai, who looked more like a mercenary for hire in his jeans, a new black T-shirt and combat boots.

“Like all of you, I was set free by a woman. We disappeared, but I knew it was only a matter of time until Hades came after us.” He paused, his expression sad. “I was lucky. She was a very smart woman, and a woman of some skill. She took my soul.” He rubbed his chest as though it still pained him.

Took his soul. “How is that even possible?” Sabrina asked.

Mordecai looked at her and shrugged. “As I said, she was very clever and learned, and I was more than willing. She held my animal form, the very essence of my soul, keeping it safe from Hades.”

“But you killed her,” Marko stated.

“Did I?” Mordecai sighed, looking very tired, his shoulders slumping.

“No, he didn’t kill her.” Sabrina was shocked when Jessica stepped forward. Jessica glanced toward the Lady and received her nod of approval before continuing to speak. “That woman who set Mordecai free was my grandmother, and she wrote about the episode in her journal. She was a witch of great power and took Mordecai’s animal essence to protect it.”

“It was in the amulet you wore.” Mordecai went down on one knee before Jessica and lowered his head. “I am in your debt and your grandmother’s debt for returning my other half to me. How does she fare?” Mordecai raised his head to look up at Jessica.

“She’s gone from this world, but after a long, happy life, thanks to you.” Jessica put her hand on Mordecai’s shoulder and urged him to stand. “I owe you my life. Without you saving my grandmother, I would never have been born.”

Sabrina’s head was spinning at this revelation. Jessica had known about the warriors all this time and hadn’t said anything at all.

Jessica turned away from Mordecai to address them all. “Mordecai went to a local cemetery and dug up the body of a recently deceased woman and took that to Hades. The god didn’t bother to check to see if it was the right woman, just as he never checked to see if Mordecai still had his soul. Hades had one of the warriors at his side and that was all he cared about.” Jessica looked at Sabrina as if pleading with her to understand. “I had to repay this debt my family owed. I had to. I promised my grandmother on her deathbed that I would. It was she who told me to come to New Orleans. She told me I’d find my destiny here.”

Sabrina slowly nodded and Jessica immediately looked relieved. Her friend had done everything in her power to help. Sabrina understood she had to keep her word to her grandmother. She’d have done the same if she’d made a promise to her granny.

“Amazing.” It was Kellsie who spoke. “What happened then?”

Mordecai shrugged. “I did what I could.” He turned to Stavros. “When Stavros was released, I pretended to kill him. Instead, I killed a very large jaguar and took that body to Hades. I told him I’d killed the woman who’d freed him too.”

“And he never checked to see if the jaguar really was Stavros.” The Lady’s soft voice calmed some of the rising tension in the room.

“I never knew.” Stavros stared at Mordecai, his dark gaze filled with unspoken thanks. “I wondered why Hades wasn’t searching for me. When the curse was broken, I watched over Melinda until the day she died.” He turned his sad gaze onto the Lady. “I’ve spent almost all the years since I was released in my animal form. I am sorry for that, sorry for not trying to find and help my fellow warriors.”

Sabrina could feel the sense of shame coming from Stavros and wanted to give the tall, dark-haired warrior a hug. The Lady did it for her, walking over to her warrior and wrapping her arms around him. “There is no shame, my brave warrior.”

The Lady stepped back and turned her sharp gaze back to Mordecai. “What about Phoenix?”

One corner of Mordecai’s mouth tipped upward, not quite a grin, but almost. “That bastard went up in flame and smoke and we never saw him again.”

They all looked toward Phoenix, who shrugged. “It was reflex. Unfortunately, I was not able to save the woman who set me free.” Sadness filled his emerald-green gaze. “I was weak, my powers almost nonexistent and it took me decades to regenerate. I’ve only become aware of the world again over the past few years, and I’ve been searching for all of you ever since. When I felt the Lady’s power, I was able to follow the trail and I found her here.”

“Hades never had your soul, never truly had you, Mordecai.” The Lady glided across the room, stopping in front of Mordecai. “If you’d gotten out of Hell during the first twenty-four hours after you were released from the curse, you would have been free. You tricked the devil himself. But you gave up your freedom and stayed in his domain for decades.”

Mordecai nodded but said nothing.

The Lady continued. “You did it to protect your fellow warriors, to help them as much as you could. But you were playing a dangerous game, Mordecai. You had to do enough to keep the devil from realizing he had no real hold over you. But you were residing in his realm. Because you went willingly to him, because you were in Hell when your twenty-four-hour time limit of the curse came and went, he had the power to kill you himself if he chose. You were alone in Hell.”

“It was a chance I was willing to take.”

The Lady placed her hand in the center of his chest. “Your heart is heavy, Mordecai. You are whole once again, your soul returned to you, your animal half joined with your human half once again. Because of that, you are now free from the curse and from Hades for all time.” She shook her head and sighed, sadness filling the very air around her. “But you will never be the warrior you once were.”

Sabrina reached out and took Arand’s hand, wondering what was going to happen to Mordecai.

Arand was stunned, and there were similar expressions on the faces of his fellow warriors. Mordecai had tricked Hades and then willingly gone into his domain to try to help the rest of them. All this time they’d thought he was a traitor he’d been trying to help them.

But the Lady was right. Mordecai was changed by the experience. There had always been a darkness surrounding him, but now it seemed a permanent part of him, clinging to his very skin.

Arand was grateful for Sabrina’s touch. He held her hand, wishing they were alone so he could make love to her. After so many long centuries in captivity, it still stunned him to realize he was free. They all were. And according to his brethren, his Sabrina was now immortal, his forever.

His cock stirred, but he willed it back into submission. Now was not the time for such thoughts, but later, later he had plans for his woman.

The Lady removed her hand from Mordecai’s chest. Power surrounded the goddess, pulsing like a heartbeat. Arand felt the hair on his arms stand on end. He swallowed hard, wondering what the Lady was going to do to his former friend. No, Mordecai was still his friend. He’d tried to help them, putting himself in peril.

Arand gave Sabrina’s hand a squeeze before he released it and stepped away from her. He took the two steps necessary to bring him to Mordecai’s side. “My Lady, I beg you have mercy on my fellow warrior.” He looked at Mordecai, seeing the depth of pain in his eyes. Arand kept Mordecai’s gaze as he added, “My friend.”

He looked toward Sabrina, willing her to understand. She offered him a soft smile and her complete understanding. Arand could see in her eyes that she knew this was something he had to do. He truly was lucky to have her in his life. And he could thank the Lady for that miracle.

It was Stavros who broke ranks next, coming to stand on Mordecai’s other side. “I beg mercy for my brother.”

Mordecai glance at both of them, looking overwhelmed. He swallowed hard and inclined his head at both of them. “I thank you, but I am ready to stand alone in my judgment.”

“But you are no longer alone.” It was Phoenix who joined them next.

Roric heaved a great sigh and stepped up to join them. “You always have to be difficult, don’t you, serpent?”

“It’s a gift.” Mordecai’s quip made Roric smile.

“What the heck.” Marko joined them, leaving only Leander.

The lion glared at Mordecai but grudgingly came forward, the floor buckling slightly beneath his heavy footfalls.

The Lady’s gaze fell on all of them. Arand could sense she was both pleased and disappointed, and she confirmed that with her next words. “You think I would punish one of my warriors for trying to protect his brothers?” She twined a lock of her hair through her fingers. “I have failed you.”

The warriors protested at once, their voices rising in a cacophony of sound. She said nothing until they fell silent once again. “It is true. I did not listen to your warnings about the Greek gods until it was too late. It was because of me you ended up trapped and cursed for five thousand years.”

“You saved us,” Roric protested.

“The Greek gods would have attacked no matter what you did,” Mordecai stated. “They are always power hungry.”

The Lady shook her head. “I failed you so I now offer you compensation. You are free. The women who freed you and lived now share your immortality. You no longer owe me service.”

His fellow warriors protested, but Arand’s gaze went to Sabrina. She appeared to be as shocked as he felt. Free from the Lady. He wanted to be with Sabrina, but it felt wrong to cut ties with his Lady.

Sabrina met his gaze and shook her head. His heart swelled with a love he knew would never fade and die, would only expand and grow richer over the coming centuries.

Arand once again went down on one knee before the Lady of the Beasts. “I thank you for the gift of Sabrina. My heart is full. But I would also serve you as you wish.” He stood and smiled at his goddess. “I can do both.”

“As can I,” Roric added, bowing before the Lady.

Marko and Leander echoed Roric’s vow. Then Phoenix and Stavros renewed their commitment to the Lady. Arand felt bad for them. Neither of them had been lucky enough to find love as he had. He didn’t know how he could have survived if Sabrina had died or lived her life without him. He admired the bravery and fortitude of his friends.

Mordecai was the only one who didn’t pledge himself. They all waited, but he didn’t speak.

“What of you, Mordecai?” the Lady asked.

“I am not worthy.”

The Lady shook her head. “No, my brave warrior. You are very worthy. You are changed by your experience, your soul dark and weary, but you never wavered in your intent. Your courage is great.” She smiled at him. “I would be a very lucky goddess indeed to count you in my service.”

“Then I am yours, my Lady.” Mordecai pledge his life and service to the goddess who had created him.

“That is good.” The Lady smiled and turned toward the door. “We have many years until Hades starts to make trouble again, and then he will be someone else’s problem. I plan to roam the world and visit my favorite places. I suggest you all enjoy your new lives.”

“My Lady?” It was Mordecai who asked the question. “What will I do?”

The goddess glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Rediscover the world and the many wonders it has to offer. Find happiness. Live. You all have your full powers again and can be by my side with but a thought. You have your fellow warriors. You are not alone.” She put her hand on the doorknob but paused. “Mordecai, you and Stavros and Phoenix need not be alone. If someday down the road you find your mate, you may share your immortality with her as the others have done. That is my gift to all of you for your years of imprisonment.”

The Lady left them then, disappearing out the door. Arand felt the moment she was gone from the area, her power taking her to the other side of the country. He smiled, pleased to be able to feel his goddess once again. He concentrated for a moment and felt the connection he had to his fellow warriors as well. It was as it once had been, only better. He now appreciated what he had much more than before and would never take it for granted again.

Arand pulled Sabrina into his arms, holding her close to his heart. “Thank you.” He didn’t have to tell her for what. He knew she understood he was thanking her for her unwavering support of his decision to remain with his goddess.

“She’s part of you.” Sabrina patted his chest and then her own. “Of us.”

Arand knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He scooped Sabrina into his arms. “My woman needs her rest. Feel free to stay. There’s not a lot of food, but you’re welcome to it.”

“Arand.” Sabrina gasped and started to speak, but he cut off her admonishment with a kiss.

Roric snorted. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I think we’ll all head into the city and find a hotel. We’ll meet again in a couple of days.”

“Works for me,” Arand called over his shoulder as he carried Sabrina into the bedroom. Marko’s booming laugh followed them as Arand kicked the door shut behind them.

“How could you do that?” Sabrina wailed. “They’ll all know what we plan to do in here, and it doesn’t involve a nap.”

“Sure it does.” He tossed her onto the bed and pounced on top of her, careful not to crush her with his weight.

“It does?”

He caught the disappointment in her tone and smiled. “Yes, it does. After.”

“After,” she repeated.

He kissed her as he ripped her top open and dragged it off her body. “Much later.”

Sabrina laughed and the sound went through him like a physical caress, making his spine arch with pleasure. He willed his own clothing to disappear, freeing his engorged cock.

Her laughter died as she reached for him. “Much, much later,” she agreed, wrapping her fingers around his erection.

Arand sensed the others leaving the cabin and the swamp. They were finally alone. He yanked off her shoes and the rest of her clothes until she was naked. He paused, as always, taken by her beauty and the way she gave herself to him, holding nothing back.

Humbled, he leaned down and kissed her, the caress gentle and filled with love. Sabrina stroked his heavy erection and the kiss changed, becoming ravenous in a heartbeat. They were both breathless when he pulled back, but he still managed to laugh. Sabrina had changed his life, made him feel alive once again. Happy.

He threw back his head and howled his joy. Then he made love to his mate, again and again and again.