Release (The Protector Book 3) (54 page)

Willy grabbed my arm and pulled it, forcing the medallion to fall back against my skin. “Chase?” he asked, his brows furrowed and eyes serious. “You kinda left me there for a minute, you okay?”

I shook my head. “I need to get this thing off.”

Willy jumped to his feet and pulled me up. “Well, I feel amazing!” He smiled. “Let’s get going then.”

We were both shirtless, and Willy’s pants were in shreds. We walked for hours along the side of the road. No cars drove by and the breeze was chilly. For a moment I almost found myself missing the heat of Vortan.

I shivered, rubbing my arms with my hands and Willy laughed.

“What? Aren’t you cold at all?”

“I don’t get cold anymore,” he said. “Ever since I was turned, it’s like my blood runs hotter.”

“Must be nice.”

Willy shook his head. “You forget I’m still the lowest man on the totem pole. Jax is a wel—welcome change from Radek, but the rest of the guys still treat me the same. Werewolf customs are werewolf customs. I’m the Omega—they have little to no respect for me, and until a new Omega wolf is turned, that’s the way it’ll be. Not being able to get a chill is a small mercy.”

“Your time is coming, Willy, and when it does, everything will come together for you. I know it will. Besides, if you’re not happy, you could always come back with us.”

“The Shadowpack is my home now. It may not be a per—perfect home, but it’s home nonetheless.”

I nodded but couldn’t speak. I had this intense guilt tearing through me—I’d had it for a while. I didn’t know what to do, or what to say, to make everything okay. Willy was there because of me. So many bad things had happened because of me. I wasn’t sure there was anything I could say that would change that.

We walked for over an hour with only the sound of our footsteps on the gravel road. The guilt had swelled inside me with each step, and finally I broke down and just said what I had wanted to for so long.

“I’m sorry, Willy.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry for everything. All the things I’ve done have wrecked your life at every turn. All the things I’ve put you through, the way I’ve acted and treated you…I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

Willy stopped and grabbed my arm, forcing me to face him. “Hey, don’t you ever talk like that.” His voice was angry. “You’re…you’re my best friend, Chase. I know with me being in the pack we don’t see each other much anymore, but I can’t help that right now. I know I can’t be there for everything you have to deal with, and that makes me sad, but I don’t regret any of this. Not for one second.”

Willy’s confidence ruled him with each word he spoke. His gaze was intense and I felt his beast staring back at me.

“How can you even say that?” I asked. “Look at everything that’s happened. You’ve been torn apart on multiple occasions. I forced you to work with Vincent several times against your will, not caring that you were scared. You became a werewolf because I was stupid, and…all of this is because I let my arrogant attitude get in the way.” I kicked the gravel at my feet and shoved my hands in my blood-soaked pockets. “Some days I wish I’d never met you.”

“Ouch…” Willy said. He watched me, sadness covering his face.

I sighed. “I don’t mean it like that. I just mean…I put that blade to your throat and I made you bleed. I dragged you into all this when you had no need to be here. If I hadn’t met you, you could have been spared so much.”

Willy laughed. “Is that what you think? That my life was some grand adventure of fun and friendship? Before I met Duncan, and after he…passed, I had nobody, Chase. Nobody but Grams, and half the time I’m not even sure she likes me.” Willy offered a smirk. “I lurked in the corners of Revelations, trying to go unnoticed. I was a shadow—a chameleon in a world that didn’t want me. You didn’t pull me into this. Riley did when he sent Brock and his cronies after me. If you did anything, you gave me a fighting chance.”

The gravel road had turned to pavement and I relived all of what Willy had said through my mind. I wanted to believe him. I would have loved to throw the blame on Riley for this, but I couldn’t. It just wasn’t true.

“Please, Chase,” Willy said. “I can see it in the way you’re looking at me—you pity me. Don’t do that. I don’t want it, and after all we’ve been through, I certainly don’t deserve it. We’re friends, and I’m glad to be here no matter what the terms are. I don’t regret any of this and you need to respect that.”

I smiled. Willy’s face looked serious and his words finally rang true inside me. I didn’t know if Willy was just saying all this to make me feel better, but Willy was a horrible liar, so I didn’t think he had it in him.

“Thanks. I’ve been feeling horrible about this and…well, it means a lot to me.”

Willy nodded, but his stern expression didn’t go away at first. “Good,” he said. “Cause I’m with you until the end.”

“And I’m glad,” I said. “I just wish the others were here with me too.”

“They’ll be okay. They’re all fighters, well, except for Grayson, but before you know it, they’ll be back here too.”

“I hope you’re right…” My voice trailed off and images of the battle replayed in my mind.

Would they be back? Rayna was just learning to summon. Her power couldn’t possibly hold off Riley and the Dark Brothers for long. I shook my head. I needed to think positive. But images of the Kivrakai thrusting Tiki to the ground made all the guilt wash back up to the surface.

“Please let them be okay, Elyas...please help them,” I whispered, praying to Serephina’s soul piece. I was sure she could hear me; she had to. If I couldn’t believe in that right now, I couldn’t believe in anything.

When Willy and I got to the edge of town, we called a cab from what might have been the only pay phone left on the planet. It took the cab over an hour to find us, and when we approached the door, I wasn’t sure the cabbie would let us in. His thin black mustache matched his hair and twitched over his lip. He glared at our blood stained clothes and finally, after a few moments, the locks finally clicked up.

“Must have been quite the party,” he said, eyeing our bare chests in the mirror.

Willy and I looked at each another and ignored him. We gave him the address and the car jerked forward, sucking me to my seat.

I ran my fingers down the amulet and smiled. We got it. I had it right now, and we were on our way to the other soul piece. In less than an hour, this would be destroyed, and all of Riley’s plans would be unachievable.

The cab raced through the city, taking Main Street and weaving down different avenues to avoid stopping at red lights. The meter jumped in numbers every few seconds and I smiled as we passed the condo.

Speeding the rest of the way, the car jerked Willy and me back and forth. I wanted to tell the cabbie to take it easy, but I wasn’t about to complain. The faster we got there, the better.

The last turn came, and we traveled down the long, dusty road to an old industrial park. Shattered windows lined some warehouses and doors were missing on others. A crack of thunder boomed in the sky and a flash of light brightened up the street.

The car jerked and my body flew forward, my face slamming against the safety glass that separated us from the front seat. The tires squealed against the pavement and the taxi fishtailed, finally stopping sideways on the road.

Outside Willy’s window, a black hole swirled over the gravel, and Riley and the Brothers stepped through.

Chapter 40

My heart sank in my chest, and all the hope I’d tasted turned sour in my mouth. Willy turned to me, panic in his eyes. “Chase?”

We were so close. Five hundred feet and I was inside the warehouse. Sixty feet and I was in the back room, where Athaniel’s Claw floated in a stream of white magic, waiting for me to reach out, grab it, and crush the amulet under its power. Riley wasn’t taking this off my neck. His quest for supremacy was over, and the key to shattering it was a sprint away.

The driver reached under his seat and pulled out a 9mm Beretta, but before he could do anything with it, black tendrils shattered the passenger side glass and tore him from the car. Riley’s magic held him in the air, engulfing him in coils of dark power.

“Stay here,” I said.

I pushed the cab door open and stepped outside. Bones crunched and snapped, and a few seconds later the magic released the driver, his limp body making a
thud
against the road.

Riley and the Brothers didn’t skip a beat. Their legs moved in sync with each other, and they approached me, faces unmoving.

I wasn’t going to fight. Not this time. I had the amulet, and it gave me strength and speed I’d never had. Riley had one piece and I had the other; with the added power of the Mark, I was willing to bet I was faster.

I broke into a sprint, and after two strides I was a blur speeding through the air. I moved left then right across the road, sending rocks in dirt up in a funnel around me. Riley and the Brothers lunged towards me but I swerved to the side, leaving them in the dust.

The warehouse was in my sight, coming closer with each step. The gravel crunched beneath my feet; I was only fifty feet away. The silver handles on the doors were dull but inviting, waiting for my hands.

Thirty feet.

The warehouse windows reflected the flashes of lightning from above. I could taste Athaniel’s magic pulsing, calling me forward.

Ten feet.

There was nothing but dust behind me. Thunder crashed through the skies but I didn’t care. Riley wasn’t going to catch me. I was here.

I reached for the handle and swung the door open, stepping over the threshold, but before the door shut behind me, dark tendrils flew inside and wrapped themselves around my waist.

“No!” I screamed.

I pushed forward and fought against him. I’d seen massive men pull entire jet planes across a runway, but I had the power of a god around my neck. I wasn’t leaving, not now. I was too close.

My feet slipped, sliding against the concrete and I cursed, putting everything I had into each step, but I couldn’t gain any traction.

A hard jerk caused me to flail backwards. My body tore through the air and smashed into the nearly closed steel door. Cold air rushed over my skin and I slammed into the gravel parking lot. My body skidded against the rocks and they cut into my back, but the pain vanished as soon as it came. The amulet was alight with red magic, closing each wound that formed.

Tendrils squeezed around me, trying to crush my bones, but only succeeded in stealing the air from my lungs. The black arms lifted me into the air and threw me down the road like a missile.

I was going too fast to breathe and as my body descended, the cab came into view. I curled into a ball, preparing myself for pain, and my body smashed through the windshield. Tiny bits of glass cut into my skin and black dots flashed in my vision. The leather seat squeaked around me and the amulet came to my aid. In seconds I felt fine.

I slid across the seat and pulled the handle on the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Holy sh—shit, are you alright?” Willy asked. Fear filled his eyes as he pressed his face against the safety glass.

“I’m fine.” I squirmed against the seat, smashing my shoulder into the door. “Willy, you need to leave.”

Willy shook his head. “I’m not leaving and I’m not staying in this car. I won’t. I’ll stand and fight.”

“No!” I shouted. Shift, use your power, turn into a wolf, and disappear. Run as fast as you can and don’t you dare look back.”

“Chase—”

“Don’t argue, Willy. This is your chance to escape. Go, taste freedom, live your life, and be rid of me. I’m a black cloud hanging over everything you do. You’ll be better off, I promise.”

“How can you—”

“Go Willy! Now!” I shouted, bright red light flashing in my eyes.

Willy’s face paled and he leaned back in his seat staring at me.

“Please…” I gasped.

“Okay,” he whispered.

I leaned back, pulled my legs to my chest, and shoved both feet against the door with a god’s force. It blew off the hinges and hit the ground, sparks igniting around it as it slid across the gravel, coming to a twirling stop at Riley’s feet.

“Goodbye, Chase…” Willy said.

I didn’t respond. My feet crunched the gravel beneath my feet and power curled around me. The amulet pulsed, filling me with magic as I stormed towards them. If I had to fight, I would. With this power, nothing was going to get in my way. I would destroy this amulet, and this time Riley would feel
my
wrath.

Willy jumped out of the cab and his bones snapped and shifted. I walked towards Riley, and the moment I looked back, Willy was a solid black wolf running away from the car. He dove into the ditch, disappearing into the shadows. Relief filled my heart knowing he was safe, and I felt like for once I’d made the right decision.

“This ends now,” I said.

“Oh no, son. The only thing that ends now is your opposition.” Riley reached inside his coat and pulled out Ithreal’s dagger with one hand. The blade flashed with power and lightning exploded above us.

“I wouldn’t be so proud,” I said. “I have one too.” I ran my fingers over the amulet. The red power rippled around it and Riley’s smile faded only slightly.