lightning witch 02 - lightning legacy (26 page)

It was Mitch and someone else chained to a wall. Who the hell was that? Delaney's hand flew to her mouth as if to stifle a scream. I looked at Tyler, who also looked sick.

He must have seen the question in my eyes, because he answered me with one word.

"Mark."

And then it began. This went so far beyond a simple beating. This was the most brutal torture I’d ever seen. I’d seen some things in my long life, but this was beyond all of them. It was clear Mitch was enjoying it. It was hard to hide his slow, panting breaths and his erection pressing against his pants. Was this what it was like for Delaney? Had he been aroused when he beat her? I looked over at her. Tears were streaming down her face, but she refused to look away. No doubt she blamed herself for this. How? How could she possibly go through one more thing and still come out on the other side unscathed? I returned my attention to the screen. Mitch picked up a small knife and walked over to Mark.

"Nope. Hell, no. Naw," Troy said, standing up. He threw his arms in the air and sprinted to the bathroom. Garrett followed him. I soon heard the sound of the two men fighting. I could guess what it was about.

"Shut it off," I told Tyler. We didn’t need to be reminded of his brutality. I didn’t need everyone to see just what would happen if we failed. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, failure was a very real possibility. Tyler closed the computer. I just sat there and stared at the laptop. God, now was not the time to be questioning if we could do this.

“Delaney, I know you want to be the one to kill him, but I may have to fight you for the right.” It was Monique who spoke first.

“Tyler, we need to record our own video and email. Only send it to those whom you know will want to stand against Mitch.”

"They need to see the power we have. They need to know if they stand with us they will be on the right side." Delaney seemed not the least bit shaken. If anything she seemed more resolved.
That’s my girl.

“We can do it with my phone. But we need to make it fast. We need to leave for the meeting place. It will take about three hours.”

“And we need to get there sooner. If what I have planned is going to work we need to set up,” I added.

The video only took a few minutes to complete once Tyler uploaded and sent it. After a few more minutes, Tyler's phone began blowing up with text messages. I looked at Delaney, who had been quiet. I stood up and took her hand. I only had a few moments with her before everything would hit the proverbial fan. I led her up the stairs to our room. We didn't have the kind of time I would have liked, but I needed to show her how I felt. I needed her to feel me in every way I could. I needed more than anything for this moment to last; for it to be a memory. If something happened, there would be nothing left unsaid.

I pulled her to me and held her. She wasn’t trembling. She was vibrating, nearly tingling with power.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

“Nothing about this is okay. God, Mitch was aroused when he beat Mark. I thought it was just me. But it was the act. He’s sick.” Her arms tightened around me.

I tried to tamp down on my anger. I had no idea about the details of what Mitch had done to her other than the fact he didn’t force her to sleep with him. Had she stayed much longer he would have, I had no doubt.

I grabbed her face and cradled it between my hands. I wanted her to see what I was about to say, I wanted her to feel the power of it.

“I love you. I have no idea what will happen tonight, but I know no matter what, I love the woman you are right now, and I’ll love the woman you become.” Now, I just had to show her. And show her well.

I PULLED AWAY
and narrowed my eyes at him. “This better not be a goodbye fuck.”

His eyes widened at my use of the word fuck.
Where had that come from? I have lost any semblance of a filter.

“No, love, we don’t have that kind of time,” he purred as he pulled me closer.

I softened into him. Heat surged to my sex and I grew damp for him. The man had a direct connection to my libido that bypassed my brain. He inhaled a deep breath. The feel of his nearness and the knowledge of what he was doing made me weak in the knees.

"I can smell you." Those four words propelled me back to our almost first time. The time Troy stopped us. I tried to stifle a moan, but it slipped out. I seriously couldn’t help my emotions and reactions to this male.
Hell, I don't think I ever will.

"Oh? Do you like what you smell?" My voice was quaking. I knew goading an aroused werewolf may not be a smart idea, but I only had one fuck to give, and it involved me and him on that bed. Or floor. Or standing pinned against a wall.

His hand flew to the back of my head and he took a fist full of hair and yanked my head back, exposing my throat. He ground himself against me and I could feel just how hard he was, and sweet mother of God, I was nearly dripping for him. I felt his tongue trace a slow, wet line from my jaw down my neck.

I whimpered. I needed more.
I would never get enough of him.
I felt his free hand trace down my front and stop at my right breast. He cupped it and found the nipple in short order. He rolled the distended flesh between his thumb and finger, causing me to cry out. His slow laps turned into soft sucking and then he bit, hard. Not breaking the skin, but enough to make me praise the gods he was holding me up. I was quickly becoming a puddle of my former self.

"Delaney! You need to go!" Troy called out while banging on the door. "And as much as everyone in the greater Savannah area enjoys hearing you and Reid go at it, you have a date with destiny."

I wanted to yell at him. In fact, I was close to telling him to go fuck himself, but he was right. There was no way I'd tell him that though; if his head got any bigger he would have trouble getting out of the house.

I groaned. Reid rested his forehead against mine. We both stood there, not knowing what to say. Every time I went to say something like: I love you, I need to go, be careful, or please don't die; the words seemed to fall flat. What does one say to someone they love? I didn't want to leave him wondering or questioning. I opened my mouth to tell him some long diatribe of my feelings, but he stopped me with a kiss.

He turned and walked over to the nightstand and pulled something out. It looked like a small box.

He met my eyes and he gave me a shy smile. He handed me the small box. My heart was racing.
Calm it down, Delaney, sheesh it’s just a box
. I slowly lifted the lid. Sitting inside was a small white gold necklace. There were two charms nestled in the center of the chain: a small silver lightning bolt and a gold paw print. The charms were so delicate. It was beautiful. The lightning bolt was cut in a way that when the light hit it, it seemed to spark. I looked at him. He was studying my reactions. I plucked the necklace up and handed it to him. He took it without question and I turned my back to him and lifted up my hair.

He secured the chain and I turned to face him. He fingered the charms as he spoke, “Lightning for you. And a wolf print for me. You and me, Delaney.”

I threw my arms around him, knowing this could be the last time. I knew I would do anything for this moment to be the first of many more to come. First, we had a few things to deal with. Mitch being number one.

We reluctantly went down the stairs. Everything else was a whirlwind. Reid, Troy, and Monique left before me. Tyler and I would leave about forty-five minutes after. Leaving me with someone Reid didn't trust one-hundred percent nearly killed him. And the goodbye between Troy and Garrett had Monique and me bawling like two big blubbering babies. I tried to tamp down on my feelings of guilt I had from so many of my friends putting their lives on the line. I knew they were willing to, but I hated to ask it of them.

“You ready?” Tyler asked, bringing me out of my own head.

“Yeah. Hey, how many do we have on our side?”

“Other than the five of us? Seven others. But that’s iffy.”

“I have one more question. Why? I mean, why go against your alpha?” I needed to know. No one just up and flips sides without a reason.

“Delaney, you have no reason to trust me, but believe me when I tell you Mitch has this coming. He forced this change on me, knowing I could have died. I didn’t ask for this. He saw me as a tool to use and I’m done with it. When I saw what he did to you, what I unknowingly helped him do, I was ashamed. But I knew of all people, you would know how I felt.” And I did.

I looked up to the sky and closed my eyes.
Look, I know you may have a plan for me, but please protect my friends. If I'm your daughter, please help us.
As if in answer, I heard the low, distant rumble of thunder.

“THIS ISN’T GOING
to work," I said as we pulled up to the clearing.

“You’re right. How about we leave and go get some beef and broccoli?”

I did a double take at Tyler. “What?” Was he serious? I mean I could eat, but now was not the best time.

He saw my confusion and shook his head. “Come on, and try to be afraid of me, please.”

We picked this location because it was in the middle of nowhere, and it was an open field. Part of Reid's plan was forming a magical barricade cutting Mitch off from the rest of the pack. I wasn't sure how it would all come together, as we had only managed it twice in a five-foot circle; this circle was a hell of a lot bigger. And by we, I mean Troy. This was his only job. This had to work. I had no idea where the three were, but I knew it was close by. We weren't naive enough to think that Mitch would believe I was here on my own. The point of doing it this way was to throw him off.

God, this is going to be a clusterfuck! Shut up, Delaney, you pessimist.

There were a few things we had on our side. I could shift with clothes on. I could kill him or at least I thought I could. And we had wolves or at least I hoped we did. I could see Troy's reaction to my thoughts. He'd throw his hands up and yell, "Well, that's it, we dead!" And I didn't think I could argue with him. I shook my head to try to get my self-doubt and the negative thoughts to dissipate. I didn't hear a car, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Mitch was here. It was time.

My throat was dry, and I could already feel the sparks falling from my fingers.
Try to keep calm, Delaney.
I took in a deep breath and held it, willing my heart to beat slower. I needed my body to be on-point. I needed my reflexes to be sharp. I needed to be the most powerful I’d ever been. And I needed it all to happen right damn now.

I slowly let the breath out. Then, I saw him. Whatever air was left in my lungs exited with a whoosh. Seeing him felt like a physical blow. I tried to keep the memories at bay, but failed utterly. The feel of his cool hands caressing me, then pinching, then hitting. The scent of his anger when he beat me and the sharp tang of his arousal as he inflicted as much pain as he could on me. If not me, then it would be someone else. The buck had to stop with me.

With great power, comes great responsibility
. Okay, yes, a Spiderman quote popped into my head at that moment. Damn it, Uncle Ben was right. I had the ability, therefore I had the responsibility. It was my time. The fear was so real. I tried to keep myself from shaking, but it was fleeting. I was scared half to death. I knew the scent would work in my favor, but this was not a situation I was faking. This was real, soul-shaking the fear. I had to do this, I had to perform. I had to succeed.

Mitch was flanked by three men. Anderson, Matthew, and Dillon. Matthew was his next in command; of the four, other than Mitch, it was Dillon whom I knew was especially brutal. I could feel their excitement. Mitch, though, I could also feel his extreme lust and it nearly made me gag.

"Calm," Tyler whispered.

It was so low I almost missed it, but I knew it was that way because it was meant for my ears only. I nodded with just a small jerk of my head; he caught the motion. A strong gust of air sent my hair flying over my face. I tucked the strands behind my ears. Then I caught the scent of other wolves. The scents were too mingled to tell just how many, but there were a few.