Wounded(53)

Everything in Liam stilled, but he didn’t shift, just trotted to Bear and put his muzzle next to Bear’s neck. There were no words anyway. With an efficiency born of months of practice, and a millennium of instinct, he snapped Bear’s neck and wrenched his head from his body. The demon’s essence floated away, sucked back through the veil as it laughed.

If only that would still the fear spiking through him, the fear that Bear wasn’t just making idle threats.

The fear … that Orion knew his secret.

That Orion knew Rylee’s secret.





Chapter 14



LOUISA WAS, TO say the least, shaken. It took Liam half an hour to convince her to come out of the bathroom. It wasn’t until Crystal, the youngest of the shamans, showed up that they talked her out.

Crystal took the lead, helping Louisa to the couch and then getting tea made. “Here”—she handed Louisa a cup—“drink this.”

He didn’t really want to wait around, but with Coyote in rough shape, he also didn’t want to leave them without any protection. The wolf in him didn’t like leaving allies to be killed.

“Bear, I thought something was off with him, but I couldn’t figure it out,” Louisa said, her lips touching the rim of her cup, but she didn’t sip any of the hot liquid. On her lap lay the copper knife. Liam itched to take it from her, but restrained himself. Any sudden moves would have the two shamans on high alert.

Coyote still lay on the floor, no longer contorted but very still, all his previous humor gone. “I can’t believe Hawk was possessed.”

Liam wasn’t surprised by anything now. “They may come for you yet, Coyote. Whether to possess or to kill for your blood, it doesn’t matter.” He thought for a moment. “Where are the other shamans?”

Crystal looked up at him, her eyes soft with sorrow and tears. “Dead. We are the only two left.”

That didn’t bode well. His wolf urged him to act, to pin Crystal down and force the truth from her. With his time running out, feeling it slide away with every passing second, he agreed, and before he thought better of it, grabbed Crystal and jerked her to him. Reluctantly, he tightened his hands on her arms and squeezed hard enough that the bones ground together. He put his face close enough that their lips nearly touched, though his teeth were bared.

“You did it, you killed them.”

She shook her head frantically as Louisa shrieked at him to let the younger woman go. But there could be no way to be sure that Crystal hadn’t been possessed too. Louisa threw her tea at him, the hot water burning his bare chest, but he held on, waiting for Crystal to do something, anything to give herself away.

Crystal was frantic, her eyes wild with fear. “I didn’t, I swear I didn’t kill them! I don’t know who did it!”

Louisa stood, the copper knife pointed at him, and though it shook, he knew she would use it.

Crystal’s eyes rolled and as she slipped into a faint, so he let her body slide to the couch once more. “She would have fought back if she’d been possessed.”

“You bastard, you can’t just go threatening people!” Louisa screeched, the edge of hysteria in her voice making the words crack and break.

“I’m not Rylee, I can’t Track people and figure out if they are hiding things. There is no other way for us to know.” He kept his voice even and firm. Business-like, more than reminiscent of his FBI days.

Louisa crouched beside Crystal, stroking her cheek. “She’s breathing, I thought—”

“If he’d thought she was a danger, he would have killed her, shaman,” Coyote said from the floor. “You don’t remember Wolf, but I do. He always does the right thing, no matter the cost.” He took in a shuddering breath. “Let me guess, before you became a guardian, you were a cop of some sort?”

Liam turned toward the guardian. “FBI.”

Coyote barked a laugh. “Not surprised.”

None of this really mattered, not in the scheme of things. “Louisa, you and Crystal need to go to London. Now. It is where Rylee’s allies are rallying.”

The shaman stood and folded her arms in front of her. “Why would I listen to you?”

“Because I just saved your ass from your own guardian,” he snarled. “And more demons will come for the rest of you.”

She paled, and her arms tightened around herself. “Fine. We will go.”

Crystal came around, her eyes wide when she took in Liam. He apologized and while she nodded and said she understood, he could see she was nervous about him now. He didn’t really care. He just needed them to do as he told them. The two shamans left, though not without Louisa glaring at Liam again for good measure. As she passed him, she handed him the copper knife. No words, just slapped the handle into his open palm with a sniff.