Magic Resistant (37 page)

He stood up, grabbed hold of Julia and held
her tight, his face buried into her hair. He inhaled, savouring the
feel and scent of her. They would have trials and tribulations
along the way, however, she was worth it. Their life together was
worth all the anguish he’d gone through.

Epilogue

“MARKUS,
YOU HAVE done well. The werewolves have taken the blame.” A voice
came out of the shadows. It was hard to tell if the speaker was
male or female.

“The video’s modified back to nearly its
original content. It shows the werewolves summoning the demon with
the help of the inept mages. All trace of Oonis is gone. No one
will know the demon Coterie leader powered the circle and brought
the demon into this dimension.” Markus replied. He had spent a lot
of time working this case and no one was screwing it up on him.

###

Thank you for reading my book. If you liked
it, please take a moment and leave a review at your favourite
retailer. I hope you enjoy the first chapter included for the
second book of the Enforcers and Coterie series - Sylvia’s
Torment.

Thank you,

Veronica Del Rosa.

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The Enforcers and
Coterie Series

Throwing Away the Good (Novella)

Magic Resistant (Book 1)

And now a sneak peak of the first chapter for
Veronica Del Rosa’s Enforcers and Coterie Series - Sylvia’s
Torment.

Chapter One

DEREK WOKE
UP drenched in sweat. His heart pounded, threatening to burst from
his chest. Dread, despair and helplessness crashed through him. He
sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his head
on his hands with his elbows propped up on his thick thighs. He
scrubbed hard at his face, trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep.
When his fingers touched a lock of black hair hanging across his
forehead, he ruthlessly pushed it back, combing through his short
mohawk.

Anger, this time his own emotion and not
hers, had him standing, fists now clenched at his side. He prowled
over to the en suite bathroom. Muscles rippled as he moved, his
massive body naturally graceful. A predator hiding in human skin.
His shoulders brushed the edges of the doorway and he had to duck
to avoid hitting his head on the door frame. It was sheer habit, no
longer conscious thought as he’d lived here for decades.

Flinging back the shower curtain, he turned
on the taps and let the water warm up. Settling the curtain back
into place, he jumped into the shower and pulled the knob. Water
cascaded on him, failing to soothe his temper. He slammed a fist
into the tile, wincing as it cracked under the onslaught.

How long can he stand this? How much more
until he snapped?

His cell phone rang, a special tone
indicating it was his mother. His sensitive hearing picked out the
faint noise from the rushing water. He sighed. Ignoring her was not
an option. She’d just call back until he eventually picked up. He
didn’t have to look far for where he got his own stubborn
streak.

Cursing, he turned off the water and grabbed
a nearby towel to hastily dry off. Slinging the damp terry cloth
around his hips, he stalked over to the nightstand.

Be polite, he reminded himself and forced a
calming breath before picking up the cell phone.

“Hello, Mama.” Respect and love seeped into
his voice. While he didn’t feel fit for company, he couldn’t deny
the peace he felt when speaking to his mother.

“My son, how are you?” Amaka asked, a hint of
worry shadowing her words. She must be worried to let it colour her
words. Amaka was the Top Alpha for all of Africa, a brutal position
where she had iron clad control at all times. Emotions were a
weakness.

“I’m fine, Mama. A little tired.” He tried to
appease her concerns, but she would have none of it.

“Do not lie to your mother.” She replied
sharply. “I can still thrash you. Now, let’s start again. How are
you?”

He contained his sigh, knowing she’d hear it
over the phone. “I’m upset, Mama. I’m tired, weary of this. I can’t
sleep and I want to rage at everything. I fear I’m losing my mind.
I feel her beating at me, her hopelessness, and her fear. We
haven’t found her and I’m going insane.”

“Oh my dear boy. I didn’t realize you could
feel her. You didn’t tell me.” She lightly accused him.

Damn, he hadn’t meant for that part to slip
out. It showed just how distraught he was. Normally, he was
tight-lipped, especially about anything personal, even with his
dear Mama.

“Well, there isn’t much you can do, so I
figured no reason to burden you. You have enough to deal with. I
heard about the traitor. You’ve taken care of the situation?” He
knew better to express any concern over his mother. It’d be viewed
as doubt towards her ability. She’d been an Alpha for almost as
long as he’s been alive and more than capable of handling her
pack.

Icy cold steel hardened her words and he was
grateful he wasn’t on the receiving end of her displeasure. “Not
yet. I’m still searching, but I will find the coward.”

Rustling in the background and a soft,
insistent whisper. “Amaka, we must go. Now.”

“Derek, I must leave now. I’ll contact you
when I can. You have my number if you need me. Do not worry. I’m
sure you will find her soon. I love you, son.” He barely had time
to reply when she’d hung up the phone.

Restlessness now, his skin tight and itchy.
Long strides took him to the bathroom and he tossed the towel into
the hamper. Stalking naked to the nightstand, he tossed his cell on
it, worried he’d crush it in a fit of anger.

Silence shrouded him, pure silence in his
mind. His own chaotic thoughts to keep him company.

Grasping his skull with his fingers, he threw
back his head and screamed in rage and frustration. The scream
ended in a mournful howl as his body went through the painful
transformation from human to wolf.

It was cowardly to hide in his wolf form, to
push aside his humanity. However, even worse than her despair was
the silence that followed. The worry that this time she’d slipped
away into death. The minutes, hours, until he felt her again were
always agony. His nerves shot after close to three months of her
pain, encouraging her to hold on.

Sleep was next to impossible with short
bursts here and there. He was becoming irrational, short-tempered
and a danger to his pack. He should step down as Alpha, but refused
to sever the one link holding them together. If he stepped down, it
meant he gave up the pack link, the psychic communication he had
with his entire pack, including her.

Restless, he paced the room, walking past the
bed to the door and back again. He caught sight of himself in the
mirror and growled with aggression. A huge, dark gray wolf, larger
than most wolves, he neared four feet tall at the highest point on
his shoulders.

The intelligence gleaming in his bright amber
eyes pissed him off. He didn’t want his human side so close to the
surface. Escape into his animal’s baser instincts, run free without
worry and fear. He didn’t want to think about what was happening to
her, how he’d failed to save her.

The urge to slam into the mirror took hold
and he almost gave into it. Splinter his reflection, destroy it.
Fragmented himself, it seemed fitting for his reflection to echo
his state of mind. Pinning his ears back, he exposed his teeth in a
snarl and turned his back on the mirror. None of this was helping
her.

For three months, he searched for her. He
called in every favour, sent his whole pack out each night and had
not a single lead on his missing pack mate, his Beta. She was still
alive, he sensed her and yet, he was no closer to finding her as
the day she went missing.

He told her involvement with that damn Mage
Enforcer would cause her trouble. But she was too frigging stubborn
and pig-headed to listen to him. She was very by-the-book when it
came to her job, however she refused to follow orders about her
personal life. And look where that got her: kidnapped, tortured and
who knows what else.

He shook his head, trying to free his mind of
human thoughts, wanting to lose himself in his other half. Tonight,
he was going to hunt. He needed blood in his mouth, the ripping of
flesh and the taste of meat. A green space in the city, the woods
behind his house were teeming with wildlife and his muscles
quivered in anticipation.

Dashing out of his bedroom, he pounded down
the stairs and through the hallway. He had enough presence of mind
to use the sliding door in the kitchen and not break the window,
unlike the previous time. His pack mates were getting tired of
cleaning up broken glass.