Amber Flame

  What do you need me to do? Warren asked.

  You’d better get over here and bring a squad with you. At the very least, I’ll need you to liaison with the rest of the packs.

  I’m with you, brother.

  Fergus’s throat tightened. Thanks.

  Whatever happened with Sydon’s assault, Fergus had to find some way of getting Mary safely out of the bunker. The counter-attack wouldn’t begin for at least a half hour, so he had time to figure things out and put a plan together.

  Needing a minute alone, he turned the pack over to Ryan, then left the room. He couldn’t feel his feet as he moved. Maybe he was levitating; he wasn’t sure. His heart pounded in his chest.

  Sydon and his witch had taken Mary well before sundown.

  Jesus. They must have used humans.

  His limbs shook with a profound drive to go after her. But a hasty move could jeopardize not only her life, but the counter-attack as well.

  He headed back to the guest room and shut the soundproof door. He paced at the foot the bed. ‘Fuck’ became his mantra. The word burned the air repeatedly.

  He clenched his fists. The wolf in him wanted to run, something that would help the raw state of his nerves, but he didn’t have time for that. He had no way of getting to Mary.

  Frustration caused the dam to break. He dropped on all fours, shifting at the same time, then lifted his neck and howled over and over.

  Fully wolf, he called for his alpha-mate, for Mary, for the woman he loved.

  There was his greatest truth, fully acknowledged: He loved Mary and he needed her. He had from the moment he’d held her in his arms during her rescue from Roche’s sex club. His wolf had recognized her for exactly who she was in his life, his woman, his mate.

  He’d known it all along, of course, but he’d refused to allow himself to see it. He howled some more, then guilt struck because if he’d permitted himself to bond with her when he’d had the chance, she would never have gone back to her house. She’d be with him right now. She’d be safe.

  After a minute, his howls ceased and his mind began to grow calm.

  Reason returned.

  He’d kept himself separated from Mary in the same way he’d built a heavy steel door between himself and Sharon.

  But the same door that had been useful to keep his pack safe in his early alpha days now seemed obsolete. Maybe it had been for a long time.

  With powerful intent, he mentally bulldozed the damn thing down. And as he did, a fresh breeze blew through his soul.

  A familiar woman’s voice entered mind. Fergus, I’m here. Let me help.

  Fergus turned and saw a misty form taking shape. He recognized Sharon immediately and flowed back into his human form to speak with her.

  She floated above the dresser but appeared to be sitting with her knees crossed. She had a quirky smile on her lips as she looked him up and down. Damn, you look good. Were you always that tall?

  He slipped into telepathy as well. And you look the way I remember you, Sharon. But I’m so fucking sorry for the way I treated you.

  She nodded. I know and its okay, all of it. So many of our wolves died the year you took over and I know their deaths caused you to shut down. I also understand that I could have helped you through the transition, but I didn’t. I was too self-absorbed. Fergus, I never took to Savage like you did and I never liked being a wolf, though you seemed okay with all of it.

  He nodded. I don’t know how it happened, but I accepted my transformation pretty quickly and I always liked serving on the border patrol. But what are you doing here and why have you been hanging around Mary?

  To make sure you didn’t do anything stupid, of course. But there is something you need to know. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. When she did, she looked guilty as hell. Our friend, Sydon, was the wolf who killed me.

  He stared at Sharon uncertain he’d heard her right. You had sex with Sydon?

  He’d been after me for a long time and finally persuaded me to meet him. Her misty nostrils flared. The sex wasn’t exactly consensual.

  He raped you.

  She nodded slowly. But right now, that’s not the important part. It was Sydon’s plan all along to get rid of me. He and Sandrine had been planning this whole thing for years, starting with the takeover of the Gordion pack and ending here with a full-on Savage territory assault. In an attempt to weaken you, he got rid of me.

  Until this moment Fergus hadn’t quite realized how nefarious Sydon’s plan had been. Sharon, I knew little about Sydon back then. If I’d understood what we were up against, maybe I could have prevented what happened to you.

  I’m not sure about that, she said. Sydon is a devious monster and he’s had Sandrine’s help all along the way. Her lips slowly curved, But you know what? Neither of these assholes counted on Mary.

  At that, his spirit grew deeply settled, purposeful. He sat down on the end of the bed and watched Sharon, knowing she’d deliberately come from the other side to help him. You like her, don’t you?

  Sharon floated to the floor and moved to hover in front of him. Oh, hell, yeah, but she’s way too good for you. Her ghostly lips quirked again.

  You won’t get any arguments from me. He felt as though he’d already lived an entire lifetime with Mary.

  He shifted his gaze away from Sharon, then continued, She’d taken her dreamglide into Sydon’s den the second time, but Sandrine was right there, probably waiting for her in case she returned. I lost contact with her but not before she relayed a critical piece of information, about a bomb on the southwest entrance, then nothing. I’m pretty sure Sandrine did something to her in the dreamglide. Reverting his gaze to her, he asked, Do you know what happened to her?

  Sharon nodded, which moved the ghostly mist around. Sandrine brought Mary’s dreamglide straight to the floor. And in case you’re wondering, she sent a team of humans to kidnap Mary from Revel.

  That’s what I thought. He had to figure all of this out. But based on what Mary had told me earlier, I’ve been able to mobilize all the pack alphas in anticipation of the assault. And I have a team ready to attack in their bunker beneath the Naked Wolf. I take it she’s there?

  She is. But, hold on a minute. You mean you’ve even gotten cooperation from packs you’ve gone to war with?

  Sure. What choice did any of them have? Sydon has been cultivating traitors in each of our packs. They’re with him now, in his bunker.

  Fergus, you’ve built a lot of respect in Savage over the years. I was there to watch some of it develop and seeing what’s happening here, you’ve accomplished a lot.

  He stood up and met Sharon’s gaze. That’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.

  Her quirky smile returned. Just giving you a hint about the future.

  Is that why you’re here?

  In part. Mostly, I’m supposed to tell you to do everything you can to save Mary. She’s the key for you and for Savage. Also, she knew she might not make it out of there the second time she went back in her dreamglide. She’s basically sacrificed her life for you and for all the packs. The least you could do is get her the hell out of Sydon’s bunker.

  He watched her for a long moment. I’m sorry I didn’t stop you from going out that last night, the night you died. I waited up for you. I’d intended to make more of an effort. I know I failed you.

  She drew close to him, her form little more than mist. She lifted her arms and the next moment he felt a drift of fingers down his face. And I apologize for cheating on you, especially with a bastard like Sydon. If I’d been a better mate to you, I could have helped. Instead, I don’t think I ever got over losing my human life and that beautiful resort we built together. But I am sorry. I know I caused you a lot of grief.

  All is forgiven then? he asked.

  Of course. Now, I’m going to tell you one more thing, then my job here is done. When you draw close to the Naked Wolf, make contact with Mary and have her tell our heinous pair that if they kill her, t
he moment she dies, you’ll know of her death and you won’t hesitate to bomb the hell out of their bunker. Have her inform them that you’re part fae now and that you’ll know exactly if and when she dies. That will keep her alive long enough for you to get in there and take care of business. Got it?

  I do. And thanks.

  At that, she smiled. And one last thing. Sandrine will soon think about using a killing spell on Mary. Apparently, Sydon is about to show a little too much interest in taking Mary to bed.

  These last words created the right imagery to spur Fergus forward. He headed toward the door.

  Sharon called after him. I won’t be back, Fergus. Be sure to let Mary know I think the world of her and that I wish you both well.

  Reaching for the door, he glanced at her over his shoulder. Will do. And thanks, Sharon.

  With another quirky smile, she saluted him then disappeared.

  ~ ~ ~

  Mary’s eyes rolled back in her head and she couldn’t focus. Her vision was blurred. She ached in strange places, which made her howl softly.

  The humans, four strong men, had come to her front door and broken it down. She’d tried to fight them off, but they were heavily muscled and knew what they were doing. They’d pinned her to the couch, roped off her arm, and shot her up with amber flame.

  She’d passed out.

  Now she lay on the purple velvet couch in Sydon’s office. She could smell Sandrine’s dark, smoky scent nearby, and she could feel the witch’s powerful drive to kill her.

  But there was another smell now, very wolf that kept teasing the insides of her legs all the way to her sex.

  She ground her hips into the cushion. She needed sex and she needed it now.

  Oh, dear God, she’d forgotten this aspect of amber flame, how it affected female wolves, making them ready to work the sex clubs. All she wanted right now was a man between her legs, any man, and the scent that kept her in an aroused state was very male.

  Her first impulse was to sit up and maybe attack the next male wolf she saw. Instead, the fae part of her kept her very still. As much as she was able, she needed to think.

  Her gaze became fixed on Sydon. A very distant part of her brain despised him for the killer he was. But the part doused with amber flame thought he’d never looked better in his snug gray t-shirt and leathers. Right afterward, however, the fae part of her made a disgusted snort inside her head. That helped.

  She looked away from him.

  What she didn’t understand was why she was still alive. What was Sydon’s game? Or Sandrine’s, for that matter?

  “Looks like our guest is waking up.”

  “Would you just kill her, Sandrine, and get it over with? I have a territory … to take … over.” Sydon must have caught Mary’s scent, because he stopped what he was doing and turned to stare at her.

  He moved suddenly in Mary’s direction.

  “Sydon, my love, what’s going on?”

  “Can’t you smell her? The woman is part wolf now.”

  “What?” Sandrine almost shouted the word.

  “Yes, she’s wolf the way you are and she’s ripe. Her scent is pouring off of her now because of the drug. A good fuck is just what I need before we launch. Besides, if you didn’t want me to take her, why did you shoot her up with amber flame?”

  “I didn’t know that it would affect her like this. She can’t be part wolf. She’s a Revel fae.”

  “You’re part wolf,” Sydon state reasonably.

  “Shit. You’re right.”

  She then moved to float in front of Sydon, levitating to compensate for their height difference and took his face in her hands.

  Mary still had enough of a survival instinct not to get caught between Sandrine and her man, but it was hard as hell to stay put. Amber flame was doing a number on her libido.

  “Look at me.” Sandrine’s voice carried a dedicated resonance. She followed with a soft speech Mary could hardly make out, though she kept repeating something about staying focused on ‘Amber Flame Rising’.

  But in the exact same moment, Fergus broke through the witch’s control over her and entered her mind. Mary, are you there?

  Fergus? How did you reach me? I couldn’t make contact because of Sandrine. She spelled me or something.

  I’m not sure, but Sharon was just with me. She said you need to remind Sandrine and Sydon that if they kill you, or even try to, the fae part of me will know exactly when that happens. And if they take your life, I’ll happily bomb their bunker to hell and back.

  Got it.

  And Mary?

  Yes?

  I’m coming for you. His wolf’s voice, even inside her mind, was low, hoarse, and sexy as hell.

  At the same time, her heart melted. I love you, Fergus. No matter what happens, I need you to know that.

  Without a beat, he responded, I love you, too, and when this is all over I’m going to show you just how much.

  Because he was a wolf and because amber flame had hijacked her brain, she did a full body undulation on the couch. Can’t wait.

  I’m going now. But I’ll have you out of there in a few minutes. I promise.

  Mary felt him disconnect. Her body was on fire for him even in the middle of a nightmare. At the same time, her heart slammed around in her chest. She was grateful Sandrine was working to keep Sydon’s attention on her, otherwise she might have detected the telepathic interference.

  She watched the couple carefully as she forced herself to calm down. Sandrine was still talking her mate down, diminishing the possibility she’d discover that Mary had alerted Fergus to their plans.

  “It doesn’t matter what any of the packs know about Amber Flame Rising at this point. They’ll be too late. Once our rogues start attacking and get all the Savage wolves stirred up, chaos will do the rest.” Sandrine still caressed Sydon’s face.

  Sydon glanced at Mary. “And I say we don’t take any chances. Just kill the bitch.”

  Those words were Mary’s cue. “If you do,” she called out, though her voice was slurred since she was still horribly weak, “Fergus will know I’m dead because he’s part fae now, in the same way you’re part warlock.” She drew a deep breath and pressed on. “If he thinks for a second I’m gone, he’ll blow this place up, my corpse with it. Face it, I’m your best insurance to keep your enemies from dropping a bomb on the Naked Wolf and destroying this bunker.”

  Sandrine nodded. “The woman is right. We have to keep her alive until the very last second. Then I’ll gut her myself.”

  Sydon’s nostrils flared. “Fine, but in the meantime, can you get rid of the wolf smell?”

  “Of course I can, my love. You only had to ask.” Sandrine reached into the black leather pouch at her waist, withdrew her hand and flicked something in Mary’s direction. A teal powder flew through the air straight for her.

  Mary held her breath, but the airborne substance clung to her nose and mouth. It wasn’t long before her body forced her to open up her lungs. As soon as she drew the spell into her throat, a new kind of dizziness assailed her. At least she didn’t black out. But whatever it was, she became too weak to move.

  The new spell, though easing the reaction of the flame drug in her body, also created a profound layer of fatigue. She could barely keep her eyes open.

  Fergus came to mind once more. She knew there was a strong possibility he wouldn’t be able to get her out of the bunker in time, but she didn’t regret returning to Sydon’s HQ. Alerting Fergus to the presence of a failsafe bomb had been worth the risk. If only there was a way out for her.

  She tried to create another dreamglide, but found it impossible. Whatever Sandrine had done to the first one, she felt broken in that respect, at least while the witch had control of her.

  She felt the energy in Sydon’s office intensify, and she knew the hour was closing in on nine. Dread seized her once more at what he was about to unleash on Savage.

  She held her eyes open the barest crack to watch events unfold. S
ydon rose to his feet, his dark eyes glinting. He rounded the desk and held his hand out to Sandrine. “Are you ready, my love?”

  Sandrine smiled. “I am.”

  He inclined his head toward the couch. “Will she give us any more trouble?”

  “No. She won’t be able to move for at least another hour. By then, she won’t even belong to this earth.”

  “Excellent. Then let’s move this party to the war room.”

  Mary lay very still. She heard their footsteps as they left. Now that Sandrine wasn’t in the immediate vicinity, Mary didn’t feel nearly as tired, but she still couldn’t move. She couldn’t rebuild her dreamglide, either.

  Then another idea came to her and since Sydon and Sandrine were gone, she decided to try to reach Fergus again. She opened her telepathic channel. Fergus? Are you there?

  ~ ~ ~

  Fergus had made his way to his gun cabinet off his study, when Mary’s voice once more entered his mind, this time loud and clear.

  Checking his Glock, then sliding it into his holster, he asked, Is everything all right? Has anything changed?

  Yes. Right now Sandrine, Sydon and his entire administrative staff have moved to the strategy room ready to launch Amber Flame Rising. But I have an idea that might help you and your troops as you bust into Sydon’s HQ.

  Fergus drew a steel, half-sword from the several he owned and slowly slid it into its sheath on his left side. He couldn’t get over Mary’s extraordinary presence of mind. She was in a terrible situation, but she had enough inner calm to be thinking about the upcoming assault. Have you uncovered more information?

  Not exactly. Do you think you can still build a dreamglide?

  Yes, of course. Why?

  I’m thinking that if you could pilot your dreamglide into the bunker, you could gather the intelligence you’d need to attack Sydon’s HQ with very little loss of life. What do you think?

  Fergus made quick calculations in his head, his nostrils flaring and elongating with the exciting possibilities inherent in her proposal. It hadn’t occurred to him to make use of his dreamglide ability in the course of a battle. He’d been thinking more like a wolf and a warrior. But Mary’s idea might be the turning point.