Better Mate Than Never (New Adult Werewolf Romance) Read online

“Don’t worry. We’ll be there before you know it. And then the real fun will begin.”

  His cruel laughter chased her as she sank into blackness.

  *

  Caleb paced back and forth in Adam’s living room, struggling mightily against the desire to punch a hole in the wall. He’d already ripped Matt a new one, and would do the same to Ryan, who was downstairs in the medical room being treated for his injuries. His spine had been cracked by the force of the blow—whatever had thrown him had been strong enough that the tree trunk Ryan had slammed into had been split in two.

  What the hell had come after him that was so powerful it could sling his men around as if they were children? Whatever it was, it had Paige now. His palms grew sweaty at the thought of her being at the mercy of such a beast. God, what had he done? He should have never left her alone.

  “Stop blaming yourself,” Adam ordered as he stepped into the room. “The only thing that might have changed if you had been there is that you’d be the one laying on a hospital bed instead of Ryan.” The vein pulsing in the clan leader’s temple told Caleb he wasn’t nearly as calm as he sounded. “Matt and I have finally figured out who these goons are.”

  “You have?” Caleb stopped pacing and turned his full attention to Adam. “Tell me,” he demanded.

  “The two shifters who attacked you and Paige in the alley are deserters from the Columbia shifter clan… or at least, that’s the surface story.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “They didn’t so much as desert their clan but disappeared off the map completely. One day the two of them were gone. Their mother had just died of a serious illness, so some speculated that maybe they’d just gone mad with grief. They’d never shown signs of discontent with their clan before, but when they never came back the clan just wrote them off as deserters.”

  “Adam, I’m not really interested in their backstory,” Caleb said tightly. “They took Paige and all I care about is finding out how I can get her back.”

  “If you’ll calm down long enough to think this through, you’ll realize this information about them is relevant. Or don’t you remember a certain warlock with a penchant for collecting superhuman creatures for his menagerie?”

  “Darius?” Oh God. “But that’s impossible. My father killed him nearly fifty years ago.”

  “Doesn’t mean he didn’t have an offspring or prodigy following in his footsteps.”

  “Fuck.” Caleb scooped his hands through his hair. If it had been a fellow lycan he could have just tracked him down by scent. But a warlock was a whole other story. “This is all just speculation at this point though, Caleb. We don’t really know if these two are enslaved by a warlock, or if Darius did have an apprentice loyal enough to seek vengeance so many years later.”

  “No. But I did manage to track down the place these two were staying at.” Adam pulled out his phone and plugged in an address. “It’s maybe fifteen minutes from here. Less than three from your apartment.”

  “Jesus. These bastards were sitting in my backyard the entire time.” Caleb struggled to control his temper. He’d never felt so completely out of control in his entire life. “I’m going over there. They might have left something useful behind, something that will lead us to Paige.”

  “I’m right behind you.”

  Chapter Seven

  They lucked out. Big time. Not only had they not cleared out the dingy motel room, but one of the wolves, the blonde Paige had shot in the neck, was still there, laying on the bed. Caleb kicked the door in, then hauled him up by the front of his bloodstained t-shirt and slammed him into the wall.

  “You bastard. What have you done with Paige?”

  “What have I done?” the wolf shifter sputtered. “I’ve been lying here for over twenty-four hours, out of commission because your little side-piece nearly blew my neck to smithereens. I haven’t done anything with her.”

  “No, but you were going to, weren’t you, Kyle Greene?” Adam spoke softly, but the quiet authority in his voice settled over the room like a warm, slightly dangerous blanket. “Who are you working for, Kyle?”

  “I c-can’t tell you,” Kyle stammered, his eyes bulging suddenly even though Caleb hadn’t done anything. “H-h-he won’t let m-me.”

  “Caleb, ease off,” Adam ordered. “Whoever owns him has put a compulsion spell on him. He couldn’t tell us even if we pulled his intestines out, inch by painful inch.” The expression on Adam’s face told Kyle that if the clan leader thought it would get them anywhere, he would be getting a very up close and personal look at his insides right now.

  “Isn’t there any way to get rid of the spell?” Caleb demanded. “Or at least find a way around it?” He wasn’t an expert at magic, but Adam had connections and knew a lot of things about it.

  Adam frowned. “I don’t know, but I know someone we can ask.” He pulled out his phone from his belt and dialed a number. The look Caleb gave Kyle was effective enough to keep him pinned to the wall without having to touch him, but the younger shifter still had the guts to glare at him.

  “If there was a way to escape, Randy and I would have done it a long time ago,” he said bitterly.

  Adam only raised an eyebrow. “Hi Marcella. I’ve got a problem I could use your assistance with.” He waited a beat, then nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll bring him over right away.”

  He put the phone away, then took Kyle firmly by the arm, gesturing Caleb to do the same. “Where are you taking me?” Kyle asked, struggling against their grip, but the combined strength of two alpha shifters was too much for him to overcome.

  “To a witch. If anyone can help us, it’s Marcella.”

  *

  The SUV jolted as it passed over a particularly nasty pothole, and Paige woke with a start. Her head throbbed fiercely, and there was a God-awful taste in her mouth that made her nearly beg for water. She was about to open her mouth to croak for some when she remembered where she was—in an armored car with creatures that were taking her to some unknown stranger.

  Cracking her eyes open just a slit, she saw that it was the middle of the night. The two of them were completely silent.

  “We know you’re awake back there,” Blair said without taking his eyes off the screen, making Paige jump. “As long as you don’t make trouble, you can stay like that. If not… I always have more needles.”

  Paige shuddered. She did not want to go through that again. Taking stock of herself, she saw that her hands and feet were bound with twine, but her hands were bound in front, giving her more economy of movement than if they’d been tied from behind.

  A concession, she thought sarcastically as she shimmied herself into an upright seated position. The throbbing in her head increased tenfold, and she nearly passed out again. With a groan, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass. Only when the pain had gotten down to a more manageable level did she dare to speak.

  “How did you know I was awake?” She winced at the raspy sound of her own voice.

  “The sound of your breathing changed.” Blair passed her a bottle of water. “Drink slow,” he warned.

  She followed his advice, though it was difficult to take such small sips when the water felt like Heaven over her parched tongue. Her headache receded further. “Why do you even care if I’m thirsty?” she asked after finishing half the bottle. “Especially if you are just going to kill me.”

  He shrugged. “The warlock isn’t paying me to torture you, just make sure you’re delivered safely.”

  Randy growled. “Blair, you shouldn’t be talking to her about Master.”

  Blair raised an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly a secret that he’s a warlock. And besides, he’s your master, not mine. I can say whatever I like.”

  “Why won’t you tell me who he is, then?” Paige asked. “What does he want with me?”

  Blair gave her a considering look. “You’ll know soon enough.”

  “I thought you didn’t want to torture me,”
she snapped. “You’ve kidnapped me and you’re taking me to a warlock without telling me my fate?”

  “It’s not you that he’s after. You’re just the bait to draw Stone to him.” Blair waggled his eyebrows. “Now that one, the warlock has a serious hard-on for. His death will be long and slow and painful.”

  A cold ball of lead settled into the pit of Paige’s stomach. “He’s… he’s going to kill Caleb?”

  “Yes, but he’ll torture him first. The guy’s got a taste for pain.” Blair glanced back as panic threatened to choke her.

  Oh God. What am I going to do?

  *

  They drove through the night, stopping only for gas and food. Paige was so terrified it was hard for her to concentrate on anything. She was surprised she hadn’t been reduced to a babbling, incoherent mess. After all, she hadn’t been hardwired for this kind of insanity and was still having a hard time catching up on recent events and all that she had learned. She was a normal human, who’d had a very average life…until recently.

  The sun was just cresting over the horizon when they turned onto a long, gravel driveway surrounded by tall pines. It should have been a beautiful drive, but the trees loomed ominously, like guardians looking down on her from outside a gate. She half-expected them to come to life, but they just stood in silent vigil. The drive twisted and turned for nearly a mile, then straightened out as the trees gave way to beautifully manicured lawns. A mansion sat in the center, old and mysterious, with deeply pitched roofs, lancet windows and gingerbread trim marking it as Victorian.

  Randy parked the SUV at the edge of the drive, then came around the side of the vehicle and roughly tossed Paige over his shoulder. Fighting back the urge to kick and scream, she hung there limply as he carried her up the front steps and into the house. Blair took the lead, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, a bored expression on his face as he sauntered up the path to the front door. Paige couldn’t see him, but she heard him rap the door with what sounded like a heavy metal knocker, and the tapping of an impatient foot.

  The door swung open, and Paige was roughly hauled inside. The curtains had been drawn tightly closed on all the windows, leaving the interior dark, but she could make out oil paintings on the walls, Persian rugs on the floors and antique furnishings as she was carried through the house. They stepped into a parlor, where she was deposited on a dusty chaise lounge.

  “The Master will be with you shortly.”

  Paige jumped as she noticed the small woman standing by the door. She wore a stark, black dress, but her skin, hair and eyes were so pale she might have been a ghost. She spoke in a faint, whispery voice before disappearing, closing the door quietly behind her.

  Blair sighed. “Warlocks. They always like to make such a dramatically grand entrance. I hope he doesn’t keep us waiting too long. I’ve got places to be.”

  They didn’t have to wait long at all. Five minutes later, the door opened, and a tall, gaunt man with jet-black hair and a sallow complexion entered. His pale grey eyes gleamed with avarice as they settled on her, and Paige squirmed in her seat—something about his gaze made her feel dirty.

  “I see you’ve managed to deliver once again, Blair.” He didn’t take his eyes off her as he spoke. “As usual, you’ve proven to be worth your price.”

  “There is no doubt that I am worth every penny. Here she is, in one piece, without so much as a scratch on her perfectly smooth skin.” Blair stood up and stretched. “Now, unless you’re planning to hire me for another job, I’ve got to go. I figure now that she’s in your place, you won’t be getting any more trouble from her.”

  “Indeed.” The warlock tapped his hooked nose with a finger, his eyes darkening slightly. “You may go.”

  With a deep breath, she fought the inner turmoil long enough to develop a plan. She needed to turn this situation around – to be seen as non-threatening, to be …friendly despite the circumstances.

  “It’s awfully rude to welcome a guest without properly introducing yourself,” she said, wondering if she could possibly convince this man to let her go.

  His thin lips smiled, but his eyes remained cold. “So very true… although to be fair, you’re a prisoner, not a guest. My name is Garth, and I’m afraid you’ll only be enjoying my hospitality for a very short time.”

  “What do you want with me?” She tried to remain calm, her mind churning furiously.

  “Now, you needn’t worry about that right now.” His lips twisted. “But I promise you, it will be quick.” He crossed the distance and slid a bony finger beneath her chin. It felt like ice on her heated flesh. “I must admit…you are very beautiful. I can see how Caleb was so easily tempted, despite the fact that he knows he can never have you.”

  Her heart dropped like a stone. “What do you mean?”

  Garth laughed, a surprisingly rich sound considering it was coming from such a dark, emaciated character. “He’s too high-ranking for the likes of a human mate. Didn’t he explain any of this to you? He is next in line to be Alpha and as such, he is expected to mate with a fellow shifter…to keep the line pure, of course. Lycans are a very rare animal, a dying breed. Clan members, if they care at all about their species survival, cannot choose to mate with humans. They have certain responsibilities to their elders…to those who have sacrificed before them.”

  Paige swallowed past the painful lump in her throat. No wonder he’d been so determined to put distance between them. He knew that it was impossible for them to ever be together. He couldn’t choose her…but she now had no doubt that he would have if he had the choice.

  A part of her felt strangely relieved that there was a reason behind the distance, but the rest of her heart, the larger part, was devastated at the finality that they truly could never be one. She knew he had strong feelings for her, dammit. After the last few days, she had no doubt in her mind that he loved her.

  “Why do you think he’ll come for me, then?” she asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone. “If he can’t have me, then what’s the point in rescuing me?”

  Garth shrugged. “Logic would indicate that there’s no point at all. But Lycans are incredibly possessive and territorial. He’ll come for you, Paige, have no doubt about it. And when he does, I’ll be waiting for him.” He grinned, and the expression was so malicious she broke out into a cold sweat.

  “Take her to her room, wolf,” he snapped at Randy. “I want her under careful watch at all times.”

  *

  The ‘room’ Paige was given was little more than a small, cramped jail cell, with an old-fashioned chamber pot in one corner and a wooden pallet in the other. Randy sat in a chair just outside the steel door, his icy blue eyes trained resolutely on her. For hours they sat in complete silence, Paige frantically trying to think of what she could do to get out of the situation she was in. She had to think of something…she had to save Caleb.

  After staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, she chanced a glance at Randy.

  He hadn’t budged a single inch. Tired of the wearing silence, she levered herself up onto her elbows. “So, how long have you been forced to work for Garth for?”

  The shifter blinked, bewilderment flashing over his stony features, as if he wasn’t used to engaging in real conversation. “Twenty-two years,” he grunted.

  “That’s a very long time. And Kyle?” she asked. “Has he been with you the same amount of time?”

  Randy nodded. “He’s my brother. We were both taken at the same time.”

  “Taken? That must have been terrible,” she replied, making her voice as soft as silk, and her eyes limpid. “To be forced to serve a man for so long without having any choice in the matter. Have you ever thought about escape?”

  Randy seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, and then he crossed his arms over his barrel chest, his expression stony once more. “Kyle and I are loyal to our Master. He is good to us.”

  “Really?” Sensing weakness, Paige pressed forward. Sh
e wasn’t a frightened woman in a jail cell surrounded by monsters and magic anymore; she was a high-powered attorney questioning someone on the witness stand. “Then why don’t I see Kyle anywhere? Why didn’t he come back with us? You don’t strike me as the type of person who would leave your brother behind willingly,” she added as a look of pain flashed across the shifter’s face. “Garth made you leave him behind, didn’t he?”

  “It… it’s not my fault.” Randy’s eyes flared. “You’re the one who shot him.”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry about that.” Paige injected a soothing note into her voice. “I was frightened, and just trying to protect myself. I didn’t know anything about you, or Kyle, or the hardships you faced. I didn’t realize you were just following orders, and that you had no choice.”

  “No choice,” Randy agreed.

  “But right now you have a problem,” Paige switched tactics again—back to aggressive attorney. “Kyle is wounded and alone, and there’s a strong possibility Caleb’s clan has found him. Even now, they could be torturing him for information on how to find me.” She leaned forward, intensity burning in her eyes. “You know that Caleb wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get me back. Even if that means killing your brother.”

  Randy’s face paled as he shot to his feet. “We’ve just been following orders. We didn’t do anything to deserve this. My brother can’t die. He can’t.”

  “Help me save him, then,” Paige urged. “If you let me go, help me get back, I’ll make sure they spare him.”

  Randy opened his mouth, then shut it as they heard footsteps down the hall. Paige’s hope started to shrivel—it was his relief. She watched Randy’s face turn stony again as he left the dungeon without so much as a backward glance. If only she’d had a little more time… she’d been so close she could taste it.

  Chapter Eight

  “This is a very complex spell,” Marcella muttered as she paced around Kyle, studying him like a scientist might a particularly interesting specimen before he dissects it. The tiny bells woven into her skirt and the bangles on her skinny wrists jangled with each step she took. “I don’t think I will be able to remove it, at least not without having the caster under my control.”