The Burning Claw: Book 10, The Grey Wolves Series (36 page)

C
ostin knew they were hunting him. He had caught their scent a couple of times. His wolf was leading them on a merry chase, doubling back and going over his trail again and then splashing through streams to try and shake them.

They’d found the dead human. He knew it because they’d picked up their pace after that. Decebel was probably thinking that he was beyond saving and dreading the idea of having to kill him. Costin had thought he was too, but then he’d come upon that man attempting to rape a female. With a flash of rage, he saw Sally as the victim. He’d dragged the man off of the woman and through the forest far away from her. And then his wolf had taken his rage out on the rapist.

He had wanted to go back and make sure that the female got to safety—he knew there was a house near where he’d found them—but his wolf was too worked up. So he ran. He ran until he felt as though he was going to collapse. Having pulled himself from the darkness long enough to kill the man that had been attacking Sally—but not
really
Sally—had helped him keep it together a little longer. And now that he was thinking just a bit clearer, he knew what he had to do in order to keep himself alive long enough to find his mate. It was desperate, but he couldn’t think of another way.

With a painful howl of turmoil, he sped onward to the one place that he knew he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else if his wolf lost control again—the In Between. It would be another day before he made it to the bridge, and he needed to come up with a payment for the troll. He wouldn’t be able to fight his way in. Even if he defeated the troll, the gate wouldn’t open unless the troll opened it himself, so that was priority number one for tomorrow.  Slowing to trot, almost collapsing from exhaustion, Costin found a nice hole at the base of a large tree. With the screams of the rapist, and the whimpers of the poor girl he’d saved, ringing in his ears, he curled up for the night, hoping against hope that he might get some small amount of peaceful sleep before the coming ordeal the following day.

He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when he felt a nudge to wake up. He blinked his eyes open and saw soft, pure, white light illuminating the area around him. Costin stood and realized he was in his human form and wearing a pair of shorts.

“Costin Miklos, my child, mate to Sally, father of Titus, and Beta of the Serbia pack,” the Great Luna called him.

He turned to face her and then bowed his head. “Maker,” he said, his voice full of awe. He felt peace for the first time since he’d lost his mate.

“You have been strong. You have stumbled, but you have not fully succumbed to the darkness. I implore you to stand fast. Your time in this world is not over, nor is your mates.”

Costin fell to his knees at the mention of Sally. “I miss her,” he admitted. “I miss her so much and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to function without her. I lived so long without her, and then boom, there she was, and her light practically blinded me. Her goodness and kindness radiated from her but now she’s gone. She’s just gone.” Costin’s heart felt as though it was going to pound out of his chest as he poured himself out to his Creator. He was so very broken and trying desperately to hold it together.

He felt her hand on his head and the compassion she had for him flowed over him like a raging river. It filled every fiber of his being and he fell forward until he was bracing himself on his hands.

“She is the one I created for you. I did not design you to be an island. I designed you to complement each other. Her weaknesses are your strengths and yours are her strengths. But I also must allow you to go through the trials. Love is never easy. And choosing to love your mate through difficult, painful situations shows what kind of person you have become. You are wise to go to a place where you can control your wolf. Don’t take the easy road and give in. The reward for standing strong is so much better.” She stepped back and Costin stayed kneeling. “Remember you are loved, Costin of the Grey Wolves. I have loved you with an everlasting love and, no matter what, you cannot lose that love.”

Costin felt her presence leave him, but he could still feel her inside of him. He could feel her love. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall. He cried for his mate, he cried for the grace he felt from his Creator, and he cried for all of the lives that would be lost when all was said and done. He phased back to his wolf and once again curled up in the hole at the base of the tree. Morning would come quickly and he would have to push himself to make it to the In Between before Decebel caught up with him. He knew his Alpha felt responsible for his actions. If he could make it to the In Between in time, then he could keep his wolf at bay long enough to explain about the human.

That was his plan, at least. With the way life had been going for the past two weeks, he wasn’t putting a whole lot of stock in it, but he had to do something. He had to hold it together for his mate. Oh, how he missed her.

Chapter 20

“Just when you think life can’t get any weirder. It does. And doesn’t that just make you want to rear back and kick someone in the nuts?” ~ Zara

S
kender listened as Alston and Sincaro discussed the best way for the Order to proceed, given that the high fae were apparently aware of their workings in Oceanside. They’d been in touch with the King of the elves, and he’d informed the Order that he was in the process of taking the kingdom back from his son. Skender didn’t see how it could possibly be that easy since Prince Thalion had been leading the elves for many years and they were loyal to him. The situation in Oceanside was much more concerning. Skender had warned Alston that if Peri were involved, then Vasile and his wolves wouldn’t be far behind. Skender knew what would happened if Vasile interfered and it wouldn’t be pretty. Skender had tried warning the Order leaders, but they wouldn’t listen. What pissed him off most is that he was the one who would have to go in and clean up the mess that was left behind when the wolves did come. And if Costin ended up in Oceanside, there was going to be a big ass mess.

C
ostin reached the bridge that lead to the entrance of the In Between a few hours after sunrise. His wolf was not excited about going back into that hell hole, but he knew the rules of the In Between. If you went there willingly, seeking sanctuary, the experience wasn’t nearly as bad as when you were placed there for punishment.

He phased back into his human form and put on the shorts he’d carried in his mouth that the Great Luna had provided him. He pulled the three gold pieces out of the pocket. He’d found them lying beside him when he’d woken up. His Creator had provided exactly what he needed in order to gain entrance. The gift was confirmation that the In Between would be able to keep his wolf from going beyond the point of no return.

He started across the bridge and, as he expected, the troll stepped up in front of him, coming from somewhere beneath it.

“No payment, no pass,” he barked.

Costin held out the gold pieces. “I have payment.”

The troll stepped forward and examined the gold. After several long moments, the beast decided that the offering was sufficient. He took the gold and stepped aside so that Costin could cross over.

“Have a nice stay,” the troll cackled.

Costin pushed his wolf down, fighting the urge to kill the stupid creature. Since he’d never fought a troll before, he wasn’t sure how he would fare against the monster. He continued forward, his face set and his pace determined. As he entered into the other realm, he immediately felt the temperature drop several degrees. He was in a corridor, which he followed as it grew darker and darker. After about ten minutes of walking, he began to feel something growing inside of him. Those fears that lived inside of him began to surface, but they were different from the last time he was here. This time they were about himself. What if he never found her? What if he found her and she had been tortured? How would his wolf handle it? At that point, the fear that stood out the most was his fear of going feral and never seeing Sally again. He forced his wolf down as he leaned back against the wall and let the images come. It wasn’t nearly as bad as when the pixies had put him there, but it wasn’t a swim in the creek either.

He saw himself ripping into innocent humans and tried to close his eyes to the carnage, but the In Between isn’t that kind. He had to watch it and anything else that it grabbed from the deepest recesses of his mind.

Time was a blur. He had no idea how long he’d been there. He didn’t know day from night. All he knew was his wolf was contained, but the human was beginning to go mad.

V
asile came to a halt about fifty feet from the bridge. “He went in there.” The Alpha pointed to the entrance to the In Between. The three had risen early that morning before dawn and finally picked up Costin’s scent after searching and sniffing for about an hour. Now they were less than an hour behind him, judging by the strength of the scent.

“Why would he go in there?” Decebel asked.

Vasile pondered what Costin could possibly be thinking. Why would Costin go into the In Between unless he wanted to make certain that he was contained—that he couldn’t hurt anyone else if his wolf went feral. If the Beta was able to think that rationally, then he probably wasn’t fully gone.

“Maybe he knew it would protect everyone else,” Fane spoke up, almost as if he’d read Vasile’s mind.

“That’s what I was thinking,” the Romanian Alpha told them.

“But what about the man we found?” Decebel asked. “Why would he have killed that man if his wolf wasn’t already feral?”

Vasile shrugged. “Maybe there is more to that story than we know.”

“What are we going to do now?” Fane asked.

“I don’t think we should go barreling in after him. We know what kind of torture awaits in that place. I, for one, am not in a hurry to experience it again. Costin has made his choice. We have to trust him now—trust in the good man that we know him to be. We will camp out here for a few days. If Costin doesn’t emerge we will head home and set a watch on the bridge to ensure that he doesn’t leave,” Vasile explained as he found a comfortable spot to sit.

He laid his head back against the tree behind him and closed his eyes.
“Mina,”
he called to his mate.

“Vasile,”
she answered in that calm, impersonal way. She was upset he knew. She was upset because she thought they were going to have to kill Costin. His mate, mother to all, couldn’t stand the idea of one of theirs— especially Sally’s mate—being put to death.

“Temper your anger, love. He isn’t dead and we aren’t going to execute him.”
He felt her relief as if it was his own.

“Where is he?”

“He went into the In Between.”

“What?”
Alina gasped.

“Costin is clever. He knows that he can hurt no one in there. This suggests to me that he is not completely feral. He killed a man. That much we know. Perhaps, that snapped him back to his human side for a bit,”
Vasile explained.
“We’re going to stay here for a few days and make sure he doesn’t leave. Then I’m going to have Peri bring us back a few times a week to check with the troll to see if he’s left. Hopefully, we’ll hear good news about Sally sooner than later.”

“Be safe, Alpha. I love you.”

He smiled to himself.
“I always am, Mina. I miss you. Kiss my grandson for me.”
Vasile let himself drift into a shallow sleep after speaking with his mate. Their hunt had taken an unexpected turn, but he was thankful for it. Now if they could just get Sally to remember something—anything that would allow Costin to return to her.

C
yn watched as the man she loved paced restlessly in a cottage on the outermost part of the kingdom. They were waiting on a few of his supporters—those who would remain loyal to him—to meet them there. His father hadn’t wasted any time in taking back the castle and he had the nerve to bring vampires with him. The elves defending the castle hadn’t stood a chance against Ludcarab. Thalion and Cyn had fought tooth and nail but were soon overwhelmed and driven into the wilderness.

“He’s delusional if he thinks I will hand my people over to him and those parasites,” Thalion growled.

Cyn had only seen him that upset a few times before, and always when she had been in danger. She’d tried to soothe his rage, but he was too upset—and rightfully so.

“Do you have the loyalty of the blacksmiths?” she asked him. Cyn was already thinking tactically. She knew that they wouldn’t be able to take back the kingdom without help. That help, whether it be fae, wolves, warlocks, pixies, or humans, would need weapons, and the elven blacksmiths made the very best. By the same token, should those resources fall into the hands of the vampires…Cyn shuddered to think about it.

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t. I can’t imagine there are many, if any, of my people who will bow to a king that stands beside vampires.”

“Thalion,” she said his name softly, which always caught his attention and this time was no exception. He stopped in front of her and his countenance softened. “Yes?”

“Why did you never take the title of king? If your father had died, why did people continue to call you prince?”

“Because, though I took over his rule at his supposed death, there is a certain age an elf must reach before he can take the title of king. I am not there yet.”

Cyn nodded as though she understood. She didn’t, but then, every species, including her own, had its own strange customs and laws. This made her think of another question. “Will I be queen when we mate?”

His lips turned up and he stepped closer to where she sat on the edge of the dining room table. He pushed her legs apart and stepped in between them. Thalion’s hand cupped her face as he looked down at her. His eyes held complete adoration in them. “You will be my queen. But my people will only recognize you as my consort. You are not an elf and, therefore, cannot hold the title of queen.” His voice held sadness in it.

“That doesn’t bother me,” she told him. “I am not offended by it…if you’re worried about that.”

His lips turned up in a wisp of a smile. “And that is one of the many reasons why I love you. You, my love, are incredibly selfless.”

She grinned at him. “That’s not how you felt when I was serving my own people and not mating with you.”

He chuckled. “Can you blame me? I wanted you for my own. I’ve wanted you for decades and you have spurned my advances. There has never been another, Cyn. I never touched another woman after I met you. I couldn’t. Every other woman pales in comparison to you. The few kisses you let me steal over the decades were the only physical contact I have had with the opposite sex.”

“There were some that were more than kisses, Prince,” she teased. “You act as if I left you wanting every time we saw each other.”

His hand slipped around her neck as he grasped her hair and pulled her head back, tilting it and holding her still. “You still leave me wanting. I can never get enough of you. You’ve accepted my claim, but you do not wear my ring on your hand, nor do you sleep in our bed. I will be wanting until I hold you every night, until I kiss you every morning, until I see your body rounded with my child growing inside of you. I will be in wanting of you until I have the right to touch you whenever I choose, until you’ve claimed every inch of me as your own, until you ache for me as much as I do for you.” He didn’t give her time to respond. His lips were against hers as she sucked in a breath at his passionate words. He pressed closer to her and tightened his hold on her hair.