Love and Deception

Chapter Seventeen

Noah

The damage to Elizabeth’s apartment was a lot more extensive than Carlie’s had been. It was very clear there had been a struggle to subdue his sister. Not that the knowledge of her drive to fight against her captor was surprising to him. The only shock was the lack of blood anywhere in the room. Or corpses. Despite her aversion to the topic, Elizabeth was by far the most ruthless of all of his siblings. Not unlike their father. Though Noah could only smell Carlie and Lucius. Lucius was no doubt using magic to fight his sister and she wouldn’t have wanted to hurt Carlie. The fact that his mate had been privy to this act of war stung him enough as it was. He had to keep focusing on the fact that she was a slave in this situation. There was no betrayal to hurt over.

Noah had also discovered a new side to Wade that had him reevaluating the sorcerer yet again. When he’d forcefully teleported Noah here with barely a warning he hadn’t expected the response the man would have to the scene before them. Noah was still busy trying to get his insides to stop vomiting themselves out through his throat and rubbing his hands over his skin in a near frantic need to make sure it was still encasing his body. Teleporting was a b***h. Wade however was nearly vibrating with rage. He cast a much more powerful spell than he had ever done in Noah’s presence, sending purple tendrils shooting through the room, touching everything. Almost as if they were tasting it. Though what they were searching for he had no idea. And Wade still hadn’t spoken. The don’t f**k with me aura he was putting off was enough to keep Noah quiet. However impatiently.

Noah was nearly rocked to his core when his mate bond suddenly flared to life and he felt Carlie’s presence blast through his mind. He didn’t get a chance to say anything as it was closed almost instantly. He did get one word from her though. Help. He’d known she was in trouble. But her reaching out to him meant she was alive and fighting. It gave him hope that he would get to her in time. As well as a soul shattering relief that washed over him and left him trembling softly. She was still his. They were going to be together. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes but refused to let them spill. Even if he wasn’t in the middle of launching a rescue operation, he would never show such a weakness in front of another male. Especially one who wasn’t even a wolf.

He opened his mouth to tell Wade about the contact when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and answered without looking, expecting his parents. Yet it was Emmeline’s scared voice that didn’t wait for him to speak before assaulting him. “Noah what the f**k is going on? Why aren’t you with Elizabeth? You better be on your way. Do I need to come down there?”

“Em! Let me speak, Jesus.” He heard an angry grumble from the younger twin and fought a very inappropriate smile. “I’m searching for her right now. You don’t need to come. It will be over before you get here.” There was an air of judgement to her silence at his proclamation. When she didn’t say anything further he sighed heavily. “He has my mate too Em. I’m going as fast as I possibly can.”

“Liz told me that you’d found her. While I am very happy for you and can’t wait to shower my nephew with all sorts of spoiling I am not going to be distracted. I am very, very upset with you right now. Elizabeth says that you convinced Dad not to interfere.”

“Well it was more Mother but yes.”

“Why the f**k would you do that? He would have already killed this sorcerer and Elizabeth wouldn’t be in the middle.” Noah winced at the truth behind that statement. Yet what kind of man would he be if he let Daddy step in and fix everything? What kind of father? Emmeline made a soft gasp on the other end of the line drawing his focus back to their conversation. “He’s hurting her again.” Noah couldn’t suppress the growl. Wade was suddenly standing before him holding out his hand for the phone. Noah’s brow rose but he did as the sorcerer wanted. If Em didn’t like what he had to say she would have his heart for lunch. She always paid her debts, no matter how long it took.

Wade introduced himself quickly and managed to deflect Emmeline’s rage. That was an impressive feat all on its own yet he also demanded that she use her twin link to ascertain Elizabeth’s whereabouts. His tone brooked no opposition though Noah was sure Emmeline was seething at being commanded by a lowly human. She was one of the snobbier werewolves he knew, believing herself to be far above the average humans that dominated the planet. Yet he heard her start to relay what she saw to Wade, only for him to interrupt her and request she send the mental image to Noah and he would see it in his mind. There was silence on the other end for a full minute before the image of the ritual slaughter room overtook Noah’s vision. He grimaced and then tensed when he felt Wade in his mind. It wasn’t like it had been before when he’d talked to him. This time it felt like there was a large eye scouring his mind for the image it wanted. Noah shut everything else out and forcefully shielded his mind as soon as he was certain Wade has seen enough.

“Keep the link open. We’ll be there momentarily.” With that Wade hung up the phone and gave Noah a look of determination. Noah groaned but held out his hand for Wade to grasp. More f*****g teleportation. But at least he was getting where he wanted to go. As soon as their skin made contact Noah was thrust into a world of unknown energies and non existent laws of physics. Just as before he was dragged through too quickly to actually process any of the overwhelming information bombarding his brain. They rematerialized in the torture room with no fanfare. They were simply there. Noah felt a lot less ill this time though he still took a moment to breathe deeply through his mouth so the smell of the room didn’t overpower his control over his queasiness.

He wasn’t even finished getting his breathing under control when a large grey and white wolf prowled slowly towards him. He stilled and stared like a lovestruck teenager. He’d never seen Carlie’s wolf before. She was absolutely stunning and he found himself reacting to her presence and appearance in a decidedly out of place way. But he couldn’t help himself. She was magnificent and she was all his. He stared into her deep green eyes and tried to contact her through their link. He could sense her but very distantly. The wolf before him lowered it’s head and growled viciously. It bared it’s teeth and assumed a hostile position of aggression. Noah tried harder to get her to recognize him but it didn’t work. He was going to have to fight her. His own mate. How the hell was he supposed to keep her from killing him without hurting her? And why did that damned sorcerer always have to be right?

Noah turned to the man in question and found his gaze skimming past him to his sister on the floor in the center of a circle of blood. She had several tears in her clothes but no visible wounds. She was also smirking at her captor in one of the smugest looks she’d ever expressed in front of him. He would have rolled his eyes if he wasn’t focused on keeping his attention on Carlie as well as the spectacle of a genuine witch fight. At least she hadn’t been hurt too badly. Wade’s focus was lasered onto Elizabeth as well. After coming to the same conclusion he had he turned his attention to the other sorcerer in the room. The one with a sickly shade of purple energy coursing over his body in random intervals and glowing from his eyes. Noah figured that was the physical manifestation of a sorcerer’s magic. Wade’s was a purer shade but basically the same.

“Lucius Varros. The Council has found you guilty of crimes against the defenseless, use of forbidden magics, and an irreversible embracement of the Dark. The threat you pose has been deemed too great and you are to be executed immediately. By order of the Council I am to be your executioner. Surrender now and your sentence will be carried out swiftly.” Noah’s wolf growled deeply at that. Lucius deserved a long, slow, painful end. Preferably one that took days. Noah did not care if it meant he had a chance to get out of it. He would personally ensure it didn’t happen. Lucius scoffed at Wade’s formal recitation of what was about to happen.

“You think you can kill me? I don’t care about the Council. I swore them off years ago. And the Dark? Please. How unevolved of you. There is no Dark and Light Wade. There is power. And mine is unbreakable by the likes of you.” Translation: he was not interested in surrender. That was just fine with Noah and Wade looked like he agreed. In a display of epic badassery, albeit a bit theatrical, Wade stepped across the boundary of the blood circle without even flinching at the visible resistance he met. He didn’t even break stride. Lucius’ eyes widened briefly before slamming down into a rage fueled look of imminent violence.

“I’ve got Lucius. Get them out of here.” Noah turned back to Carlie wondering how the hell he was supposed to manage that. Elizabeth could take care of herself. Carlie would need to be subdued before he could take her anywhere. That meant probably rendering her unconscious. His wolf immediately refused to be the instrument of that action. The man didn’t disagree. There had to be another way. He called his wolf and shifted into his own massive black wolf form. Maybe if he distracted her long enough for Wade to weaken Lucius the spell would break and he could get her to leave voluntarily. He heard Lucius scoff and then cackle maniacally.

“You think I’d make it that easy? Caroline. Kill him.” The magical weight of that command pressed through the room and centered around Carlie. Noah bit back the need to turn and growl at the sorcerer. No one called his mate by her full name. Not only did she not like it but it implied a level of intimacy that was intolerable. He’d take it out of his hide later. For now he had to contend with a wolf hell bent on killing him, whether or not they were mates. And yet...she hadn’t moved. She was still in her hostile posture, throwing off growls and snapping her jaws at him. But she hadn’t tried to come closer. She was fighting it. Hope thundered through his veins and he took up a defensive posture without being openly aggressive. If her wolf was still taking the lead perhaps she would respond to his wolf using animal language instead of the human one.

It was a tense standoff both in the circle and between the wolves. Several long moments passed where no one moved and the tension was thick in the squalid air surrounding them. Then with an audible snap, someone broke the standoff in the circle and sent a bolt of energy hurtling towards their opponent. It missed and cracked the cement of the wall it connected with. The sound broke the stalemate for the wolves as well. Carlie bunched up her hind legs and launched herself at Noah. He dodged out of the way and turned to face her as she whirled on him with an even angrier glint to her eyes. Lucky for him she’d never had cause to challenge a wolf like him. He could keep her distracted easily. Yet he wasn’t sure how successful he would be ensuring she came to no harm in the process. He gritted his teeth and dove out of the way of a dive attack with a close miss of her snapping jaws.

And so it began.

Carlie

Carlie’s wolf flailed wildly against the collar forcing her to attack her mate. The human struggled to hold onto the wolf and also keep the body somewhat under their control. There was a moment when she had been able to fight against the magic holding them while she focused hard on doing so. The second the sound had distracted them she was pushed aside for the spell to exert Lucius’ will. She hoped that meant his concentration was slipping and she’d be able to break free of the hold soon. The wolf stopped its suicidal attempts to forcefully break free when it finally listened to her full plan. It refused to take part in the attacks on its mate however so Carlie was left to struggle with attacking a far superior opponent. Though that was probably a good thing.

Noah was easily dodging all of her attacks as it was. He probably would have beaten her even if they had only been fooling around. He had lived his whole life like this not to mention being a powerful werewolf in his own right. She bet lots of lesser wolves had sought to earn a better place in their hierarchy by challenging him. And he was an impressive wolf. He was far larger than any other she’d come across and his coat was a pure midnight black. It shined in the multicolored light bouncing off the cement walls as the sorcerers fought each other in the center of the room. When he’d first shifted her wolf had paused to appreciate their mate in his full splendor. Long powerful limbs and a sleek but powerful body built for endurance. And those fangs. The wolf had nearly drooled at the sight of them. Carlie was impressed herself, though considerably less sexually aroused by the sight.

She launched again, this time chancing a last minute swerve and managing to get a passing glance off the hind leg of her mate. She came away with a mouth full of fur which she spat on the floor with another growl. Damnit. If she was going to actually be forced into a full fight she needed Noah to win. Not that she had any way of telling him that. f*****g Lucius. If he somehow managed to survive the sorcerer she was certain Noah and his sister were going to shred him to bits. She wondered what he honestly thought was going to be the end here. At the sound of a shout of pain she was able to stop a charge at Noah and turn her head to the center of the room and the raging conflict. Lucius looked like he had gone insane. His hair was wildly standing out, his clothes looked like they hadn’t been changed in days, and his eyes were wide and focused on the other sorcerer. She had never seen him look so unhinged and yet somehow this version was less terrifying. This must have been what was really lurking behind all of that carefully polished appearance and fake civilities.

The moment passed and the bindings tightened around her once more. She had a feeling she wouldn’t get many more chances. Do not allow the mate to be harmed. I will wait for the opening. The wolf spoke clearly and deeply in her mind. It felt like she had also said it. If nothing else this whole ordeal was melding her and the wolf closer together. She thought she would hate the idea but she was beginning to feel whole in a way she never noticed she hadn’t before. How much stronger would they be if the constantly worked in concert like this? The wolf rumbled a wordless agreement to her sentiments that quirked the corner of her lips. They were going to have plenty of time to figure that out. She would make sure of it. No. They would make sure of it.

The spell forced her to stop making feints and take a real run at Noah. He tried to dodge but she ended up rearing on her hind legs as soon as they were in close quarters. No more run and dodge like prey. She got up close in his face and batted him hard. She landed more than one hit though he valiantly tried to keep away from her swinging paws. He managed to get underneath her jaw at one point and used his head to butt her hard, wrenching away her balance and forcing her to her side on the floor. Her instincts flared to life and she immediately scrambled back to her feet and the offensive. She closed in again, this time staying low and aiming for a weak spot with her jaws.

Noah seemed to guess her intention and swerved at the last minute, getting a grip of her haunch in his mouth as she struggled to change her trajectory once his did. He didn’t bite hard but it was enough to let her know that he wasn’t going to let her hurt him. The woman and wolf both sagged a little in relief. The spell tightened harder and forced her to whirl on him, snapping her jaws at his snout when he didn’t let her go quickly enough. He released her just as one of her paws hit the space where his eye had been, claws extended. The spell meant business now. Carlie focused all of her will and attention on fighting the command to kill Noah. Doing so would shatter her, body and soul. She would never cross that line. She’d rather drive herself into a wall until she was unconscious or dead. The wolf agreed.

Noah deftly avoided another attempt of hers to get her jaws into the thick fur around his foreleg and then used his own heavy paw to bat her nose to the floor. Her entire body followed. She was disoriented from the impact and the sudden change in her elevation. When she shook her head clear of the fuzziness she saw Noah’s black tail bouncing farther and farther away as he trotted in the other direction. There wasn’t really enough room to truly run in the cellar room but it was clear he wasn’t interested in close combat anymore. The body growled and the wolf turned its attention back to the conflict. Switch. I will show our mate that we are worthy. Carlie was about to object when she got a wave of emotion off of her other half. More arousal? Really? Not that the sight of Noah, even in his wolf form, wasn’t stimulating and she definitely would have enjoyed the activity more if they were in private and you know outside preferably. Yet they most definitely were not alone, or outside, or in the right situation to enjoy the chase. The wolf apparently did not care. She surrendered with her hands up in defeat trying not to be disgusted with the baser desires of the animal she shared her mind and body with.

A bolt of magic energy hissed past Noah taking some fur with it, filling the room with the acrid scent of burnt hair. She stilled her pursuit, overwhelming the spell momentarily with her intense worry for her mates safety. She watched with pride as he whirled on the circle’s inhabitants and gave them all a menacing growl and a few barks. The other wolf was still in her weaker form trying best to stay out of the way of the magic arching and striking out through the air. She didn’t understand the hesitation but perhaps the other wolf felt too confined to shift comfortably. She could certainly understand that. Her reprise from the constant fighting against the spell holding her and her mate trying to fend her off was short lived and the body launched itself at Noah yet again. This time he took off at a faster run and circled the perimeter of the room.

She was hot on his heels. Every turn gave her a little gain only to have it stripped away again as his legs ate up the long strides easily. She heaved a sigh of frustration. She didn’t want to kill the mate. Her entire being recoiled from the mere thought of it. She did want to show him that she was a capable hunter in her own right though. She had taken down three other werewolves before he’d come back into her life. She was a worthy mate and mother for his pups. She would defend them all with her life and ensure that those who sought to harm them joined her in death if it came to it. Yet she couldn’t seem to catch her annoyingly superior mate. She swore she saw a wolfy grin once or twice when she was nearly close enough to nip his rear. Every time he managed to avoid her.

he’d lost count of the laps they’d completed around the room when she felt herself beginning to tire. Fear struck on instinct as she started to require a new strategy to survive. And then she remembered that she would. Noah was her mate. He was no more interested in harming her than she was him. Her body was acting without her conscious decisions. If she exhausted it beyond its means would it be able to continue on its relentless assaults? Would the spell try to force her to continue and kill her if she collapsed? She wanted to try but at the same time she needed to live. Her mate and her son were waiting for her so they could leave. The human seemed intrigued by the idea as well. She gave her go ahead to try it out giving the wolf a surge of renewed hope. They didn’t need to wait out the sorcerer anymore. They just needed to use up their strength and energy.

She careened past Noah and made for another circuit. She put more of her energy into and felt the increase in her speed. Not only did it feel exceptional but it was burning through her reserves faster and faster. The body hadn’t eaten for many hours. It had precious little left to burn for fuel. She could probably reach peak exhaustion with less than ten more laps at a full run. She passed Noah, lamely trying to hit him so the spell wouldn’t fight her too hard, and nearly laughed at his expression of curiosity. When she got close again he seemed to understand her plan at least and he fell in behind her, snapping at her hind legs to spur her on even faster. She made a mental not to pay her mate back for this but appreciated the immediate aid he was attempting to provide.

It all ground to a halt when Elizabeth’s pain filled scream bombarded their sharp ears. Noah stilled nearly instantly in a fully alert pose, focused on the center circle. Carlie followed albeit much less gracefully. She was still righting herself when Elizabeth screamed again. The collar was loosened enough that she was able to sit and focus on the scene. Lucius was using one hand to defend against Wade’s onslaught of rapidly firing energy bolts and the other to send to razor sharp barbs of pure magic into Elizabeth’s prone form. The wolf tensed in recognition of the other scent pinging the tip of her tongue. The spell to force the change. Lucius was trying to pull Elizabeth’s wolf out of her and she was resisting. Hard. Carlie knew from experience how painful it was even if you didn’t fight. She tried to get enough control to open her bond with Noah but the collar hadn’t slipped enough. She growled in frustration. She needed just a little more slack in the leash.

Noah lowered his head closer to the ground and stalked slowly and silently to the edge of the circle. He made no growls or open displays of aggression. He kept his yellow eyes laser focused on Lucius and Lucius alone. He pulled up to the ring of blood behind Wade and paced slowly back and forth. Every time Elizabeth shrieked in pain his tail twitched. Belaying the agitation of his mind. Carlie and her wolf desperately wanted to help but they couldn’t force their body to move any closer. The wolf wanted to try to attack the spell like they had the barrier. Carlie wasn’t sure her weakened state could do it but she agreed anyway. Anything was better than doing nothing. Not when she was the cause of all of this to begin with.