Breaking the Storm (25 page)

“And
I'm not going to,” he responded gruffly.

We
entered the luxurious master suite with the largest bed that I've seen in my life. He put me down onto it, grabbing the bottle of water from my hand and gulping it down.

Now
I was livid. “What do you mean that you're not going to?” My heart was racing out of control. The mate-bond was too new to be separated from him. If he were a wolf-shifter, he’d be fixated with sealing our bond by sinking his canines into me, finalizing the mate-claim while pumping me full of his seed. I jumped up, agitated. “So you’re telling me that what we just had together meant nothing?”

“It
meant everything and you know it.” He grabbed the back of my neck possessively. “Now stop it. When Ryker needs me, I'm there no matter what. This is a fact that you better get used to fast.” He kissed me hard before walking into a large, custom-fitted, walk-in closet, coming back out with jeans and a black T-shirt. His jaw was tense as he pulled on his clothes calmly.

He
just didn't understand. Ryker's world was dangerous. I was incensed with Ryker. How could he be so reckless? This was inexcusable. “And what if I don't want to get used to it?” I asked, tapping my foot. I was bluffing, but I was desperate to stop him from leaving.

He
stalked over to me with a cool demeanor. “What did I tell you about my loyalty? I'm not going to change who I am, Storm. And I don't expect you to either.” He was right. This wasn't me. This needy, cloying woman annoyed the shit out of me. Embarrassed, I turned my face. He grabbed it firmly. “I know you’re scared for me. I see it in your eyes. But believe me, I can handle myself. Trust me on this.”

Uncontrolled
tears slid down my cheeks. I was so scared. I hated the helpless feeling the mate-bond churned within me. A connection that, if severed by his death, would slowly send me into a downward spiral of helplessness. I've seen what happens to mated couples when one of them dies. With the anchor gone, it leaves the survivor drifting in an emotional abyss.

I
placed my hand over his heart, comforted by the vigorous thump. “We need to have a serious talk when you get back. There are things you need to know, about me, about us, and about Ryker.” It was time. My bloodline duty dictated that I tell him everything, which opened a whole host of issues that went along with it like the Credence Curse, the Other Council wrath, and his impending death.

“I've
been ready for that conversation with you forever, Storm.” He kissed me hard, dragging my body against his, comforting me. “Promise me you’ll stay here until I get back.”

I
nodded. “Yes. I'll be here. So don't get your ass killed, rock star.”

He
slapped my butt before grabbing his leather jacket and walking away swiftly. I crawled onto the bed, wrapping myself in his sheets. His scent was all over it, which lulled me into calmness. My eyelids felt heavy and my breathing evened as I slipped into a cool, calm slumber.

There
was nothing worse than a nightmare filled with four rabid wolves running through dense woods, chasing me like I was their next meal. And no matter how fast I ran, they were there, nipping at my heels, howling, growling… pretty much scaring the shit out of me.

The
air was crisp as white puffs of smoke formed as I panted, pushing branches out of the way. Exhausted and desperate, I ran over to a large, gnarly oak tree, climbing it nimbly, scratching the flesh of my palms brutally. My thighs burned and trembled as I crawled along a large limb, hanging on for dear life. Clueless as to how to get out of this hairy predicament, I stared as the wolves circled the tree base.

There
was no way out and, for the first time in my life, I contemplated giving up. The largest of the pack, a midnight-black wolf with red highlights running through its fur, shook violently before transforming into the largest man I've ever seen. His golden-tanned skin was slick with sweat. His wild, midnight-black hair cascaded down his back as he stood with arms akimbo, looking up at me.

“Fae-witch
, we mean you no harm,” his voice rumbled.

Squeezing
my thighs tighter around the branch, I almost groaned from the effort it took to stay put. “If that’s the case, why were you chasing me through a forest with your pack of merry wolf-shifters?”

His
sea-green eyes narrowed. “You ran. Never run from shifters. It’s an invitation to chase.”

“Yeah
, okay,” I responded sarcastically.

“I
don't have much time, Stormy. Please come down.”

My
palms slipped, causing my chest to bang against the branch painfully. “Ouch! That really hurt.” This wasn't right. You weren't supposed to feel pain in a dream. I looked down. The other four wolves were now transformed into men and staring at me impatiently.

“Stormy
Credence, descendant of Solista Credence, I am Tiber Alfero. Alpha of the Alfero pack. Bearer of the Sword of Souls.”

Holy
shit, this was real. He lived centuries before I was born. His history entwined with the Credence bloodline. It was like history leaping off the pages, but in a very bad way. “How?” My stomach was a queasy, churning mess. “Why?”

“Believe
me, that is irrelevant right now.” He nodded to one of the men. “Get her down before she breaks her damn neck.”

My
eyes widened as the man gripped the tree, proceeding to scale it easily. I sighed heavily, not bothering to panic. They could have killed me long ago if that's what they wanted. The man reached the branch, looking at me with weird gold eyes. “Hand, Fae-witch,” he demanded gruffly.

I
couldn't get down on my own. Hell, I didn't even know how I managed to get up here. I wasn't that athletic. Grabbing his hand quickly, our palms touched, my soft palms gliding against his callused ones before I was effortlessly slung over his broad shoulder as he scaled down the tree without breaking a sweat. Hopping onto the mossy ground, he righted me with surprising gentleness, bowing his head respectfully before stepping back while Tiber and I stared at each other silently. So this was the infamous Tiber who went down in history as the most ruthless wolf-shifter who ever lived. He was also known as a notorious womanizer, who strung my great-grandmother around for years. I tried not to look below his waist, but it was very hard and he knew it by the smirk on his face.

“Remarkable.
You look just like her,” Tiber said.

“So
I've been told.” I paused, licking my lips nervously. “Tiber. Alpha. Look, this whole thing is really freaking me out.” I looked around the eerie dark forest anxiously. “What is this place?”

“The
realm between the human realm and the Other realm. They granted me the gift of bringing you here.”

“And
who are they?”

He
looked at me impatiently. “Your ancestors. The Fae.”

“No
disrespect, Tiber, but the only thing the Fae gave my family is a really bad reputation.” My jaw tightened. “A reputation that even you didn't want anything to do with.” I scowled. “I know my history, so I know that you turned your back on Solista when she needed you.”

He
flinched, widening his stance. “A mistake that I paid for… threefold.”

I
crossed my arms, not giving an inch. “All your issues and all your mistakes. So, if you want forgiveness, you won't get it from me.” I looked over at his pack and then back at him. “Besides, shouldn't you be contacting your own bloodline? Your grandson Ryker, he's pack Alpha. So, if there are issues that involve your bloodline, then you should get him to resolve it. Not me.”

“Ryker
does not have the Fae power.” He stepped closer. “You and Light are the bond that ties us together.”

I
arched a brow. “There's no bond, Tiber. Trust me on this.”

He
looked over his shoulder sharply, then looked back at me worriedly. “I have sacrificed a lot for the chance to speak with you, Stormy. The sacrifice was great, but this message I bring to you is very important.” I tried to interrupt, but he cut me off briskly. “And it doesn't only involve the survival of my bloodline—but yours too. Listen to me very closely. There are those that work to destroy all the Others under the pretense of cleansing the world of what they deem as a blight of nature.”

Humans.
I shook my head with disappointment. There were a few humans who knew about the existence of the Others and viewed us as unnatural. But to actually be successful in wiping us out, that would be simply impossible.

I
scoffed. “No offense, but humans don’t have the power or resources to eliminate the Others.” It was ridiculous to think otherwise. Besides, those that came out publicly with our existence were deemed crazy.

He
shook his head. “Not humans, Shadows devoted to the legacy of the Fae and obsessed with creating a new race of Fae using the Credence bloodline.”

My
mouth dropped open in shock. Oh damn, this wasn't good. Just like I thought, Solista wasn't as insane as the family thought.

He
continued. “Our bond is the only thing that prevents this destruction from happening. Use it wisely.”

One
of his men said, “Tiber… they’re closing the doorway. We must leave.” Tiber reached forward, touching my shoulder. “He loves you very much, Stormy. Do not let ignorance or fear keep you from moving forward. The Credence Curse has no legs if you cut them off. A lesson I didn’t learn until it was too late.” He turned abruptly on his heels, following his men into the thick woods.

I
tried to follow, but my legs felt like they were wading through water, too slow to follow. Tiber looked back over his shoulder before completely disappearing into thin air. A heavy weight slammed into my chest, shoving me back. Then I was engulfed into total blackness before I jolted awake, lying tangled in the sheets, sweating profusely. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to clear my sleep-fogged brain when I felt the tingling sensation across my hands. Scrambling to my knees, I stared at the redness of my palms, a wicked reminder it was not a damn dream.

Easing
back on my heels, I just sat there, blinking at the bright morning sunlight streaming across the bedroom. My mind raced with all of the possibilities that the appearance of Tiber signified… like me getting Fae powers I didn’t want. It would just be another burden to carry, and I had enough with the Credence Curse looming over me like the Grim Reaper. And God help everyone when Light finds out that she's doomed to get Fae powers too. She could barely cope with her minor empath affliction. I dropped my head in my hands.
Damn, she's going to freak.

The
buzzing of my cell interrupted my slow slide into depression. Digging under the sheets, I reached for my cell, hoping it was Knox, who was going get his ass chewed out for not returning last night like he promised.

I
looked at the number. Nope. It wasn't him. “Yes?”

“Didn't
I warn you to stay away from him?”

My
back instantly straightened. “How the hell did you get my number, Luke?”

“Believe
me, I have my ways,” he spat.

I
rolled my eyes. “Okay, look, whatever. Lose my number, psycho.” I was about to hang up when he continued his lunatic ranting.

“What's
with you Credence women? Why do you insist on whoring yourself to humans?” He laughed hysterically. “For the life of me, I can't understand why you Credence women insist on polluting the Credence bloodline with inferior human genes.”

“What
we do is none of your business.”

“Oh,
I beg to differ. The Credence bloodline is my business until the day I die.”

I
pushed the sheets away, scrambling off the bed and really listening to him. There was something in his voice that was very concerning. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He
went on some crazy tirade, actually talking to himself. “They insist on denying what's before them. Men born to love only them.” He switched back to talking to me. “Do you know how much I love you?”

“Do
you know how crazy you sound right now?”

He
cut me off. “Do you?” he screamed. “Do you even understand the things I've done for you?”

For
the first time in my life, I felt myself hyperventilating just thinking about Knox lying in a pool of blood, dead. My stomach clenched as I tried to slow down my breathing and think—rationally. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. I would have felt it through our bond. At least I think I would. But what about Celina and the reporter? Someone killed them and I hoped it wasn’t Luke. I reached down deep, pulling the last of my sanity to use the firm, confident voice reserved for hysterical escorts bitching about needing a pay raise. “What type of things, Luke?”

He
laughed in a maniacal way that set my nerves on edge. “He was too close to the truth. Snooping, always snooping. I saw him, you know, outside your house waiting. Taking pictures. I did it for you, don't you see?” His voice was high-pitched and whiny.

I
closed my eyes, pushing down the building rage. “So you killed the reporter? For me?”

His
voice hardened. “I did what was necessary. We always do.”

My
eyes narrowed. “And exactly who is we?”

He
totally ignored my question, continuing his insane tirade. “It was done to protect you. That's how much I love you, Storm.” My stomach heaved at the adoration in his voice.

“What
about Celina? Did you kill her to protect me too?” I held my breath, waiting for his response.

There
was dead silence before he responded. “I didn't kill her. But believe me, she more than deserved to die for betraying you.”

“Betraying
me? What the hell does that mean?” I paced back and forth. “Do you know who killed her?”

“Trust
me. We know more than you think, Storm.”

“Did
you break into my office?” My fingers tightened around my cell tensely. “Better yet, did you leave my business documents all over the scene of the crime, incriminating me?”

His
laughter was like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Are you even listening to me? I said I love you. Why would I want to hurt you? You have no clue, do you? There are Others trying to destroy you and your family. They’re very close to destroying the world that you know. I can't let them do it. I need to protect you.”

I
had enough and walked into the bathroom; I turned on the water, wetting a soft washcloth. “I don't need your protection. I need you to get fucking help—lots of it. Now, the best thing you can do for me is turn yourself into the police. Like now!” I needed the lunatic off the streets and in a padded cell pronto.

My
fingers gripped the cell when he barked. “No! I'm never leaving your side. I can't. Don't you realize that I was born to love and serve you? I'll do what the Brassons are charged to do.”

“Knox
is the man I want to do that. Get help.”

I
was about to hang up the cell when he stopped me cold by saying, “Don't you dare fuck with me, Storm. I'll kill him. I swear… I'll do it. Kill him dead. Carve him into pieces until there is nothing left for you to love.”

My
hands trembled at the passion in his words. “To hell with you, Luke.”

“No,
to hell with him and that's exactly where I'll send him. Straight to the underworld.” He cackled like a lunatic. “He's the only man in the way of having you. And failure is not an option. Not this time. This game is over. It's time to show you how serious I am.” He hung up with a sharp click.

Instantly,
all of the pieces came together. Solista's diary. Morpheus Brasson. Solista's stepfather. Luke Brasson, his descendant. Damn! Not good. Running out of the bathroom, I scrambled, grabbing my clothes and putting them on quickly. With shoes in hand, I ran out of the room, careening around the corner only to run smack into a solid wall of muscles.