Bloodfire (Blood Destiny) (42 page)

“It’s none of your concern,” he muttered.

Fuckwit, I thought, enjoying the feeling
of my bloodfire rise further.
 
“You
can’t keep the pack safe with this open, Anton.”

“You are pushing your luck,” he hissed at
me, his breath warm and unpleasant in my face.
 
“The mage will close it now that we have
returned.
 
The pack will only be
safe once you have gone.”
 
His eyes
narrowed to slits.
 
“And it’s time you
did so now.”

I took a step closer to him and was
rewarded to see that he took a step backwards, away from me.
 
“Oh, I’ll go, Anton.
 
But you’d better be the best fucking
alpha in the country.
 
Because if I
ever hear that you’ve done anything to endanger the pack, or if you abuse your
power in any way, I’ll be back.”
 
I
licked my lips.
 
“And we both know
who would win the fight.”
 
I dared
him to remember the fact that I’d bested him the gym in the Brethren’s
test.
 
He snarled at me, but I’d
already had the last word and meant every part of it.
 
And he knew it.
 
Spinning on my heel, I stalked away,
towards the road and away from the keep.

*

Walking through the forest, I knew I’d
have to be fast.
 
Corrigan could
easily catch me, probably in his human form as much as in his shifter form and
there was nothing left that would hide my so-called humanity from him.
 
I scoffed at myself.
 
Humanity?
 
That was a laugh.
 
I wasn’t
human,
I was some weird kind of weak dragon by-blow with stupid hot blood that was
apparently addictive.
 

I picked up the pace.
 
Before too long the road leading to
Truro and then beyond appeared in sight.
 
I pulled a few large leaves off a nearby tree, using them to rub off the
worst of the blood.
 
The last thing
I’d need was to be picked up by some
well meaning
passerby who’d be so horrified by my appearance I’d be taken straight to
hospital, no matter what I said.
 
The leaves did a fairly poor job, but they were better than
nothing.
 
I started to jog.
 
I had to put as much distance between
myself and the keep as possible – not only because Corrigan might find me
but because despite my vow to Anton I knew I was in danger of changing my mind
and going back to the only home I’d ever known, whatever the consequences.
 
I spared a thought for Tom, Julia,
Betsy,
Johannes
, even Nick.
 
I hoped they’d understand why I’d left.

Suddenly a Voice slammed into my head.

You’re
running away.
 
It was Corrigan.

I swallowed, slightly scared.
 
Actually
who
was I kidding?
 
The man more than
scared me - he terrified me.
 
I have to,
I sent back.
 
He wouldn’t understand but lying again
right now was beyond me.

You
don’t have to just join another rural pack, Mackenzie.
 
Come to the Brethren.
 
Your boyfriend is joining us after all
– you won’t be alone.

I didn’t respond.
 
Silence hung in the mental air for just
a second and his Voice appeared again.
 
You’re not joining another pack,
are you?
 
You’re going rogue.

Again, I didn’t bother to reply.
 
My actions would be clear soon enough.

You
know the consequences of this.

Way Directive No 6: All shifters must
belong to a pack or they are to be considered outcasts.
 
The Brethren put rogue shifters on their
watchlist and they ended up forever looking over their shoulder, waiting to be
caught.
 
Fair enough
,
 
yeah
, but I
wasn’t actually a shifter, was I?

I
will
find you
,
kitten, sooner or
later
.

Goodbye
Corrigan.
 
I slammed shut my mental gates, pushing him out and trying to ignore
the little flicker of regret as I did so.

The sound of a car appeared behind me and I
stuck out my thumb, half-hoping it wouldn’t stop.
 
It did.
 
The window wound down and a ruddy face
peered out.
 
“Where to, love?”

I batted down my irrational irritation at
the ‘love’ and bit out a smile.
 
“As
far as you’re going.”

“Exeter
do
you?”

It was a start.
 
I smiled and walked round to the
passenger side.