Chapter Eight

The first to arrive was Stefan and Kayla. The tension between them was palpable, but while Stefan’s face was completely devoid of expression, Kayla looked like a thundercloud ready to burst. Stefan greeted them with a regal nod, but before Kayla could utter a word, he maneuvered her toward the back of the cabin.

Max jerked her head toward the couple, indicating her concern, but Caleb merely winked before opening the door again. This time a strikingly handsome man dressed in the red robes of a mage entered. His power preceded him into the room, rolling in like a gentle wave washing ashore. He was a mage of great power. But he was also something more, and the power within her rose to the forefront to challenge him, demanding to know if he was friend or foe.

“Peace, little sister,” the mage said, ignoring Caleb’s low growl of warning as he walked calmly toward Max. “I am Mage, but I do not serve the dark ones.” He lifted a hand, and the power within her receded. Whatever he was, he wasn’t a danger to her, or the thing within her would never have acquiesced so easily, but he was too powerful for her to feel totally comfortable with.

“That could come in handy,” Max said, extending her hand to Noori. “Maybe, later, you’ll tell me how you did it.”

Noori smiled and took her hand in his, but he examined her with more than just his eyes. Max would have been offended, but Noori’s eyes held approval and the unspoken offer of friendship.

“I’m Max, by the way,” she offered, when he continued to stare at her.

“I am Noori, Caleb’s blood brother.” He glanced at Caleb from beneath heavily lashed eyelids that any woman would kill for. “And I can see the positive effect you have had on him already. Perhaps there is hope for him yet.” He brushed Max’s hand lightly with a kiss before releasing it. “You are a very courageous woman to mate with one such as him, and if you ever require my assistance, you have only to ask.” He glanced in amusement at Caleb. “I have experience in dealing with wild animals.”

Caleb raised his finger and flipped Noori off, but the mage merely smiled and watched as Caleb pulled Max against his side. “Put a lid on it, Noori. My mate doesn’t need to hear any of your B.S. Were you able to contact Ronan?”

“He is on his way, and I have kept him fully aware of the situation.” He stepped around Caleb and angled his head as he looked at Stefan. “Kayla, my love, is that you the wicked vampire has pinned in the corner?” His eyes lit with delight as Kayla managed to dart around Stefan and, with a small cry of joy, ran to him.

“Noori, I’ve missed you so much!” She gave him a fierce hug. “Thank God you’re home. Stefan is being unreasonable again!”

Noori returned her hug, all the while openly grinning at Stefan over her head. “I can see you have had your hands full, little one. Clearly, awakening the dark one’s emotions has not improved his disposition.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead before holding her at arm’s length. “But look at you! You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. We will go to Las Vegas to celebrate, a sort of coming out party. Vegas is a very wicked city but—” He slid a sly chance at Stefan. “—we will only be a little wicked.”

Kayla laughed, clearly delighted at his words. “And don’t forget your promise to me.”

“Never. It will be my pleasure to instruct you in whatever you wish.”

“Like hell, you will,” Stefan said, his voice frigid as he closed the distance between them. “Kayla is my bride, and you will respect that. Remove your hands from her, or I will see that you do so.”

Noori released Kayla, but he didn’t move away from her. Instead, he leaned over to whisper loudly in her ear, “The dark one is the jealous type, but he is much too cold-blooded to mate you. Do you wish me to rid you of him, little one? I would make you a much better groom.”

At that moment, Max wondered if Noori was completely sane. He chatted away, planning a trip to Vegas with Kayla, while Stefan watched him with the stone-cold eyes of a killer. And judging by the powerful auras encompassing both men, if the two of them tangled, it would be the equivalent of setting off a nuclear blast in the small cabin.

Caleb must have thought the same thing, because he moved to place himself between Noori and Stefan. In the same moment, Kayla whirled to face a snarling Stefan, knocking a chair over in the process, and Max moved to the other side of the room.

She wasn’t worried about her safety, she knew how to shield, but the big guy needed maneuvering space if he was going to keep a lid on the situation. In any case, things were bound to get broken, and Max didn’t plan to be one of them.

“I see I have arrived just in time.”

Max tried to move, to turn toward the doorway from where the voice had come, but she found she couldn’t move a muscle.

A hooded, dark skinned man, garbed in the brown robe of a monk, walked across her field of vision, and the battle-ready tension wafting off the men in the room changed to blistering anger. Whoever the newcomer was, he was not unknown, but Max didn’t know if he’d survive the day. Stefan and Caleb looked ready to tear him apart, and Noori had a look in his eyes that said he was more than willing to lend a hand.

“Noori, you are incorrigible,” the man said, coming to a halt next to the mage. “I know you seek to help Stefan at this difficult time, but try not to get yourself killed in the process.” He waved his hand, removing the force keeping them in place, and all three men turned to glare at him with the promise of retribution in their eyes.

Caleb was the first to speak, his voice distorted as he brought the urge to shift under control. “Ronan, I told you not to use any of that time-shifting shit on me again or I’d rip you a new asshole. And what the hell took you so long? You should have been here over an hour ago.”

“I am pleased to see you as well,” Ronan said dryly, appearing not the least bit disturbed by the three large men glaring daggers at him. “And I am aware of every threat you have ever made to my person. Please forgive my abrupt intervention, but we have females present, and I could not permit them to be further stressed.” He nodded toward a clearly relieved Kayla, and then turned to Max. “We have yet to be introduced, Caleb’s mate. I am Ronan, and I welcome you to our dysfunctional family.”

Max acknowledged his greeting with a small smile, but she moved closer to Caleb. Ronan was a warlock, and despite the pleasant smile on his gaunt face, his aura said he was as dark of spirit as Noori was bright. When Caleb had told her about those who would be present at this meeting, he’d informed her that Ronan was a good man, but he was often called to battle forces so dark his friends feared for his health—and his soul. After meeting him, she understood Caleb’s warning. Ronan was a powerful warlock, but he was not alone in his body. His was a deeply personal battle with evil, and the outcome was far from certain.

Caleb called the meeting to order, and though it was clear the men were still more than a little pissed off at Ronan, they took up places around the room, directing only a few lingering glares in his direction.

Caleb seated Max next to Kayla, but he remained standing and faced the group. “We all know why we’re here, so there’s no need to rehash what’s already been agreed upon. Once I destroy the stone of Asreal, it will be safe for the rest of you to enter. Just remember, Michael is mine.” His gaze touched briefly on each member of his team as if to re-enforce his words. “Now, is everyone clear on what they need to do?”

They all nodded, but when Max glanced around the room, she noted the men avoided looking in her direction. Kayla gave her a reassuring smile before glancing away.

“Okay,” Max said, directing a steely look at Caleb. “Why do I have the feeling I haven’t been kept completely in the loop? And what do you mean, We all know why we’re here? I thought we were here to formulate a plan. But clearly, everything is a done deal. And now that I think on it, you shut down the mate bond between us for several minutes this afternoon. Care to explain why you did that?”

“Babe,” Caleb admonished, “I thought you understood I mind linked earlier with the others and discussed our options. Everything is settled. I leave immediately for Michael’s stronghold. The others will follow when I give the signal.”

Max shook her head, fighting to contain the fear that gripped her. “You can’t go in alone. There has to be another way.”

“I wish there was, but now that Michael has the stone of Asreal, his power is growing exponentially. We could destroy him with the magical equivalent of a nuclear blast, but that would mean everyone in the stronghold would die. Many of the mages who follow him are foolish young men with no knowledge of Michael’s true plans. They don’t deserve to die, and no one wants that to happen. A surgical strike is risky, but it minimizes the loss of life.”

“You make him sound invincible,” Stefan scoffed, leaning casually against the back wall of the cabin. “Your were senses may make you immune to most of the effects of the stone, but none of us have been controlled for more than a few seconds by its influence. There’s no need for you to go in alone. I, for one, am willing to risk it.”

“But I’m not,” Caleb said flatly, giving him a look that brooked no argument. “And as the Alliance’s hand of justice, it’s my job to deal with Michael. I appreciate your help…but the decision is mine.”

Stefan looked far from pleased, but he acquiesced with a nod of his head, and the room quickly emptied, leaving Caleb and Max alone.

“I still don’t like it, Caleb,” Max grumbled. “What if—”

“It’s too late for what ifs, babe,” Caleb said, pulling her into his arms. “Michael must be stopped before any more innocent blood is shed. Now be a good little hellion and shut up. Your man needs a kiss before he leaves.”

“Good thing you didn’t ask for a goodbye kiss,” Max said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, “because I’m coming with you. And don’t try and stop me. I know you’re a tough guy, but you never know when a Mage Slayer might come in handy.”

Caleb rested his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. “Much as I’d like to, I’m not going to try and keep you here in the cabin. I already tried that, and trouble found you anyway.” He released her and, with a slap on the butt, turned her toward the door. “You’ll remain with the others, though, and this time you will not disobey me.”

Max said nothing, allowing him to believe she agreed with him, but as she headed out the door, she quietly began making plans of her own. Caleb was hers. And she’d learned long ago that you protect what was yours.

Over two hours had come and gone since Caleb had entered the cave, and still no signal. Max had spent the time pacing nervously, peering constantly into the darkened interior of the cave as if she could will him to appear. She’d even sent up a few fervent prayers, promising all matter of things. But the minutes had slowly changed into hours, and still no sign of Caleb.

Fighting back tears of frustration, Max sat on a small boulder near the cave’s entrance and tried to think of a rescue plan that the others would agree to. She wasn’t surprised when Noori walked out of the thick foliage ringing the cave and sat down beside her. Since Caleb had left, he’d kept a silent vigil, never more than a few feet from her side.

“Caleb is a fortunate man,” he said softly. “He has a mate who cares deeply for him.”

Max turned to look at the man sitting next to her and, not for the first time, wondered why it was the bad boys of the world always had velvety voices and impossibly long eyelashes. Not to mention, he had a smile never far from his lips that would make a saint think of forbidden pleasures. His black hair, held by a strip of leather at his neck, looked as if it would flow like silk down his back when unbound. He was as potent as a shot of Jack Daniels, and handsome enough to make a nun lust in her heart. But he wasn’t Caleb. He didn’t growl protectively when another male got too close to her, he didn’t inhale her scent as if it was the finest of perfumes, and he didn’t look at her as though she was the very air he needed to breathe.

“He will return,” Noori assured her when she remained silent. “He has no equal when it comes to sheer cunning and ferocity in battle.” He turned to look at her. “But more importantly, he has found you. He will not leave the one thing he has always hoped for but never really believed he would find.”

“You speak as if you’ve known Caleb a long time.”

“I believe I have always known him, but in this life we met as small boys, heralded by our seers to be the ones who would stand on the front lines in the coming war against the dark mages. I came from Peru, Stefan from England, Ronan from Africa, and Caleb from America to spend our formative years together and learn from our greatest teachers. It was a wise decision. When you are envied for your birthright and feared for the power you wield, the world can be a lonely place.”

“You were feared…even as children?”

Noori nodded solemnly. “We came into our powers at an early age, and like all children, we made mistakes. Not many, but enough that we were kept separate from the others of our kind until we learned discipline.”

“I know what it’s like to be feared because you’re different, but at least you had each other.”

“Forgive me, Max.” He touched her lightly on the shoulder, his manner comforting. “That was thoughtless of me. But we will speak of other things now, such as your plan to go after Caleb.”

Max looked at him in mild surprise. “Is mind reading one of your gifts?”

His lips turned up in a wicked smile. “Many who have found pleasure in my bed believe so, but the truth is you have an open face. I believe you are right to be concerned. And the others believe something has gone wrong also, but they won’t discuss it in your presence. They think to protect you.”

“He needs my help, Noori. My mate bond with him tells me he’s alive, but my body burns with the danger surrounding him.”

Noori shook his head. “I know I am going to regret it, but I will ask anyway. What is your plan, little sister?”

“I wish I could say I’ve thought of something extraordinary, but the truth is, I’m so worried I can barely think. But if you can open a vortex for me, similar to the one you opened for Caleb, I know I can find him and get him out of there. And don’t ask me how I know that, I just do. Just as I know that without my help, he won’t make it out of alive.”

His eyes narrowed, and Max knew he was seeing her with his magic, delving into the deepest corner of her soul, before answering her. Something he saw there must have convinced him to help her, because he took her hand in his and rose to his feet.

“I will help you, but I don’t know if the others will. And I will need their aid to create another vortex.”

When Kayla, Stefan, and Ronan suddenly appeared in a circle around her, Max realized Noori had silently communicated with them. It was a little disconcerting the way they talked to each other without words, but Max found comfort in Caleb’s claim that as her gift grew in strength, she too would gain the ability to mind link with others.

Stefan broke from the circle and walked over to stand directly in front of her, his gaze unblinking as he looked down at her. “Caleb will not be pleased,” he stated flatly, his tone so cold a shiver raced down her spine. “I—” He winced, as if someone had screamed in his ear, and he shot a cool glance at Kayla before continuing. “I do not think your plan is wise, little sister, but my bride has reminded me that I owe you a boon for saving her life. I will aid you in whatever way I can, but you are mate to my brother, and it is his wish that your life be placed before his. If at any time I deem the risk too great, I will remove you to a place of safety.”

Max gave him a small nod of thanks, but she smiled at Kayla before looking across at Ronan. The Warlock stood off to her left, hands folded into the sleeves of his robe, his head bowed. He looked to be meditating, but Max knew he was aware of everything that happened around him and that he could, and would, stop her if he deemed it necessary.

“I can do this, Ronan.” Max tried to sound confident, but she had a feeling the warlock knew she had locked her knees to keep them from shaking. “You know what the prophesy says. You know what I did to Michael.”

Ronan lifted his head, his bleak eyes giving nothing away as his gaze met hers. “I know you are impetuous and overflowing with a wild magic you have yet to master. Are you certain you wish to do this?”

“No, but I am certain I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done. I admit I’m impetuous and don’t have full control of my gifts, but I can disrupt mage power. So check your egos at the door. I’m Caleb’s best chance of getting out alive, and your best chance at avoiding a bloodbath. So unless one of you has a better plan, let’s get on with it. Anyway—” Max shrugged. “—if I fail, you can always fall back on plan B.”

Stefan hissed, clearly displeased with her words, and Max narrowed her eyes at him.

“What? Do you think I don’t know you guys have a Plan B? I may be the new kid on the block, but it doesn’t take much of a brain to see Noori is a master manipulator, Stefan’s middle name is Tyrant, and Ronan is a really scary combination of the two. I know you guys have a plan B, you’re just not sharing it with me.”

For several long seconds nobody said a word, and Max realized they were doing the mind link thing again. Max tried not to let it bother her, but she had just about run out of patience when Kayla spoke out.

“Forgive our rudeness, Max, but we were attempting once again to communicate with Caleb. The spell blocking us is impenetrable, and since none of us believed that was even possible, our Plan B, as you call it, needed some revising. We are in agreement now. We’ll form a vortex for you, but you’ll have to agree to a blood link.”

Max frowned. “You mean you want Stefan to take my blood?”         

“No, that’s not what she means,” Stefan snapped. “I am not Dracula. You have only to prick your thumb, and one of us can link with your essence.”

“Sorry,” Max said with a sheepish grin, “I didn’t mean to offend. I’m relieved to know forming a link doesn’t involve blood sucking. But even if it did, I’m sure Caleb would understand. You’re his brothers, and all that stuff about weres being territorial and unable to tolerate other males near their mates doesn’t apply.”

Max looked at the others for confirmation, but no one said a word.

It was Kayla, her eyes alight with suppressed laughter, who stepped forward to prick Max’s thumb with a small dagger. The men remained at a respectful distance.

Max stood with Ronan, watching as little wisps of white smoke coalesced and swirled in a circular pattern at the entrance to the cave. The others stood several feet off to the side, heads bowed and eyes closed as they channeled energy into the forming vortex.

“It is quite deceptive in appearance,” Ronan said, studying the whirling mass. “But it is quite literally a door across time and space. When you exit the vortex, you will be in the cellar of Michael’s ancestral home. His home is heavily warded and possessed of a malevolent magic. So take care to keep your gift buried deep inside you until it is needed.” He pulled a dark, hooded cape seemingly out of the air and draped it over her shoulders. “Wear this with the hood pulled about your face. The garment is identical to the kind worn by Michael’s human servants, and as long as you keep to the shadows, no one should question your presence. If you are stopped, keep your eyes downcast and address everyone as Master or Mistress. And remember, you have only an hour to find Caleb. After that, we attack with whatever force is needed to destroy the Stone of Asreal.”

She gathered the cape around her, but before she could step into the vortex, Stefan blocked her path.

“Take this.” He held out a small tube filled with some sort of dark red liquid. “It will mask your life force and magical essence from the dark mages. To anyone using magic to scan for intruders, you will be undetectable.”

Max nodded her thanks and, with a deep breath to steady her nerves, stepped into the whirling wisps of smoke. It was like walking into a cloud on the ground, and she literally had no idea where each footfall would land. But she kept moving forward, praying with each step that she reached Caleb in time.

She had walked only a few feet, when the whirling wisps of white smoke dispersed, and she found herself standing in a small dark room. Damn. Max breathed through her mouth to combat the stench that assailed her nostrils. Ronan had told her she would exit into a cellar, but he failed to mention it would smell like a sewer and look like a medieval dungeon.

Fortunately, a small vent afforded some light from the outside, and Max was able to make her way up a flight of narrow stairs to the room’s only door. She carefully cracked it open and peered out into a narrow hallway lined with several doors. No one was about, and she stepped out into the corridor, allowing her senses to flare outward in search of Caleb.

To her surprise, he was only a few yards away, behind one of the nondescript doors lining the hallway. Remembering Ronan’s instructions, she pulled the hood over her head before making her way along the poorly lit passageway. If anyone saw her, she was certain her disguise would hold, but she doubted anyone would stop her. She’d worked as a maid on more than one occasion, and she knew servants were expected to be seen everywhere and as a result were seen nowhere.

Max had taken only a few steps when a door along the corridor swung open. Two men dressed in the blood-red robes of the dark mages came out.

“What are you doing here?” the one closet to Max asked. His tone was only slightly suspicious, and his companion looked annoyed that he’d even bothered to speak to her.

Max walked over to the two men, making sure she kept her eyes downcast and her head bowed subserviently. She knew from the cool gray of the men’s auras her presence didn’t alarm them, but that didn’t stop her heart from racing with fear.

“The master wishes a report on the status of the prisoner. Your presence is requested at once.” Max told the lie without hesitation. She knew Caleb was in the room the men had exited, and it was a safe bet these men were his jailers. If she could get them to leave, even for a few minutes, the team could swish them to safety in seconds.

“May our magic protect us,” he said on a heartfelt groan. He looked at his companion, his fear evident in the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “He will not be pleased with our lack of success.”

“No doubt,” the other mumbled, pulling the door closed behind him. “But I do not think he will be surprised. The Lycan is like no other. I only wish there was time for us to have a meal. I haven’t eaten since noon, and the way things are going I doubt we will be allowed to dine with the master.” He fell silent, and Max sensed his eyes on her, but she kept her head bent in the manner of a well-trained servant. “Girl, there is no need for you to return immediately to your master. We will inform him of our progress, and you will go to the kitchen and gather sustenance for us. A simple meal of bread and cheese will suffice. Wait here for our return, but do not attempt to enter the room. It is heavily warded against intruders and could well cost you your life.”

“And bring plenty of wine,” the other added. “Breaking the bastard is hard work, and I intend to burn every inch of flesh from his bones if necessary. He probably won’t tell us much of anything, but it is work I will enjoy. I lost my brother less than a year ago to his damned hand of justice, and he will pay dearly for my loss.”

The two men hurried off, and Max waited until they had taken the stairs leading to the upper floors before reaching for the doorknob. As soon has her hand made contact, she felt the sting of a thousand hot needles piercing her arm. She held on, despite the pain, and reached for her gift. It rose swiftly, and almost at once the burning eased.

Max silently said a small prayer of thanks and slipped inside the room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Caleb lay unconscious atop a high wooden table, his nude body covered from the chest down in a series of red markings resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Max hurried to his side and did a quick assessment of his body for injuries. He didn’t appear to have any broken bones or serious injuries, but what she had thought were markings drawn on his body with red paint were actually symbols burned into his flesh. Bastards. They’d pay for what they’d done to him, but first she had to get Caleb out of harm’s way.

“Caleb.” She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “Caleb, wake up! We have to get out of here.”

He slowly opened his eyes, and Max bit back a cry of anguish at the pain reflected in them. “Caleb, honey, we have to get out of here. The mages could return at any moment.”

“Max, what are you doing here?” He groaned weakly. Then more forcefully, as he came to full consciousness, he said, “God, I’m going to kill them for letting you come here.”

“Yea, well, you’ll have to get out of here first. Do you think you can stand?”

He shook his head. “They’ve bound my powers, and my strength has been siphoned away. Don’t know how they’ve done it, but somehow they’ve managed to bind me using my own blood.” He paused to fill his lungs with air, and Max realized even breathing was difficult for him. “Leave me. It’s more important to get a message to the others. Tell Ronan he was right. Michael is the front man, and the real danger lies with the one he serves. I don’t know who he is, but he has the undiluted strength of a Watcher.” He coughed, and Max lifted his head off the table, hoping to make it easier for him to breathe, but he tried to pull away from her. “Don’t worry about me. I can hold out until the others get here. Go now. I’ll be okay.”

“Like hell you will,” Max snapped. “I’m not leaving you here for them to burn all the flesh from your bones. If I go, you go. Do you think by disrupting the wards I could undo what they’ve done to you?”

“No, just go. Whatever Michael used, you’re no match for it. I can hold out until the others get here.”

“You’re lying. You forget this mate bond thing works both ways. How do I free you? And make it quick. Your jailers could return at any moment.”

Caleb’s eyes narrowed, and Max knew there’d be hell to pay later, but he dropped the machismo and answered her.

“Your gift is mostly wild magic. If anything can release me, it can. But the risk to you—”

“Drop it, Caleb. The only thing I want to know is whether my magic is dangerous to you.”

He shook his head. “Lycans are impervious to most forms of magic. That’s one of the reasons dark mages hate us so much. But power comes at a price. To release me, you’ll have to fully embrace your gift. Once you do that, there is no going back. It will live as you live, and die as you die.”

“Will we be able to be together?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then nothing else matters.” Max stepped away from him and reached for the thing locked away inside her. She whispered her willingness to accept it as a part of her and asked forgiveness for the years she’d kept it a prisoner behind a wall of ignorance and fear.

“Max, don’t!”

She heard Caleb calling to her, but his voice sounded far away. He feared she would lose herself to the thing rising up to cover her like a warm blanket. But he was worrying needlessly. She had lost nothing and gained everything.

The word home whispered through her mind, and Max opened her eyes and smiled. It was home. For the first time in her life, she felt whole.

“Max, someone is coming,” Caleb whispered, bringing her back to the present. “Hide behind the curtains. If we’re lucky, they won’t scan for intruders.”

Still slightly disoriented, Max stumbled across the floor and hid behind the heavy tapestries adorning the room. She managed to make a small opening between panels, just enough to give her a view of Caleb and the room beyond. She was well hidden, and though Caleb didn’t know it, with Stefan’s vial in her pocket, a magical scan wouldn’t detect her.

She had barely managed to conceal herself when Michael entered the room, followed closely by the two mages Max had met earlier. A third figure, completely cloaked in a deep purple robe, followed several steps behind. Max was certain it was a woman, not only because of the exotic perfume that filtered through the room, but because the air was suddenly charged with sexual tension.

Michael went to Caleb and waved a hand over him. The burns covering his body faded slightly, and his breathing grew easier.

“You will find speaking easier now,” he informed Caleb. “But movement will remain impossible, and any further efforts to escape, will be met with swift punishment.” Not bothering to wait for a response, Michael turned and waved the purple-clad figure forward. “I have brought you a gift.”

“No thanks,” Caleb said dryly. “I’ve already been the beneficiary of several of your gifts.”

“But unlike my previous gifts, you will like this one immensely. Sasha, my dear, come closer and let Caleb get a good look at you.”

The purple-robed woman took a step forward, drawing back her hood to reveal a face of astonishing beauty.

“She is exquisite, is she not?” Michael purred, untying the strings that held her cape in place. “But the best is yet to come.” With a dramatic flair, he snatched the cape away, leaving the women completely nude except for the coverage provided by her waist-length black hair and a thin gold chain that hung low across her hips. Max expected the woman to show some reaction to being bared before the men, but she merely appeared bored by the adulation in the lust-filled eyes of the two lesser mages.

Michael kept his attention on Caleb, clearly gauging his reaction to the woman. When Caleb merely arched a questioning brow at him, Michael’s face hardened. “Sasha’s beauty commands a high price in our world, yet I see you are unmoved. When we toured the brothels of Europe in our youth, I don’t recall you being so difficult to please.”

“I am a mated were. Your gift offends me.”

Max couldn’t keep the grin from her face. When this was all over, she was going to make sure the big guy got something good for that remark. He was definitely a keeper.

“Yes, I have met your mate.” Michael sneered. “It is unacceptable that one of your pure bloodline, destined to be a future king of the Lycans, should mate with a mixed-race human of no standing. But Sasha will ensure your line remains untainted. It would have made things easier if you had felt some attraction to her, but it isn’t necessary. She is a skilled whore and will do whatever it takes to earn her fee.”

Sasha sent an ugly look Michael’s way, but with his attention focused on Caleb, he missed it. Max doubted it would have had any effect on him anyway. Michael was a megalomaniac who clearly didn’t give a damn about anything except his twisted plans.

“I am aware of the quaint mating habits of the were,” Michael continued, “but Sasha is succubae. You will not be able to resist her. But before Sasha earns her fee, you will assuage my curiosity. Did your spies inform you of the role you will play in the coming war?”

“Why don’t you tell me your plans, Michael? There’s nothing better than first-hand information.”

“Not my plan, Caleb, but the plan of one who is greater than any who has come before. He will create a master race, and you will help him.”

“Don’t think so. And I hate to burst your bubble, but the master race thing has been tried before, more than once, and the outcome was the same.”

“What the human monkeys attempted with their world wars cannot be compared to what will be achieved,” Michael snapped, obviously angered by Caleb’s words. “In the past year, Sasha has visited those of our kind known for the strength of their gifts. She appears to them in the guise of an erotic dream, but the release of their seed into her body is all too real. They are left sterile, and their harvested seed is used by the master to breed Rephaims with the strength of the old ones. And since no others of comparable strength will be born—”

“He rules unchallenged,” Caleb broke in.

“For the most part,” Michael replied with a sly smile. “But nothing will be left to chance. From your seed an elite guard of pure-blooded Lycans will be bred. They will be invincible, and they will be loyal protectors of the master. I see by your reaction, this does not entirely surprise you. But here is something your spies could not have told you because no one except the master and I know the full scope of his plans.

“Using the stone of Asreal, he has the power to bring his elite guard from babe to adulthood in a matter of months. The Rephaims who stand against him will have no chance against warriors bred from the seed of our most gifted. Those who manage to survive the coming war will serve his will, just as the human monkeys will learn to serve their betters.”

“Never thought you’d go into the bootlicking business, Michael. You were always so proud of your family and its position in the Alliance. What caused the about face?”

“It is better to serve one who is worthy than to serve the offshoots of apes.” He turned to the two mages standing off to the side. “Leave us. I no longer require your presence, and the smell of your arousal offends me. Find a servant girl and relieve yourselves, but bring her here when you are finished. After the ceremony is performed, I will need a human to restore my strength.”

The men left, but both of them glanced repeatedly back at the woman, clearly reluctant to leave her presence. Sasha was certainly beautiful, but Max had a feeling the heavily scented perfume she wore was a powerful pheromone that intensified their sexual attraction to her and clouded their judgment.

As the door closed behind the two men, Michael nodded to Sasha. “He can no longer speak, but I will need a moment to secure my control over him. His mind is impenetrable.” He parted his robe to reveal a blood-red stone suspended from a chain around his neck. “But the Stone of Asreal will force a reaction from his body. Milk him dry. Leave him impotent as well as sterile as an example to others who would stand in my way. Your fee will be doubled.”

Max forced aside the horror of Michael’s words as she watched him move his hands in an intricate pattern, gathering his power. She had to find a way to stop him, but how? And even if she managed to hold Michael at bay until help arrived, there was Sasha. Even now, the woman was crawling atop Caleb’s body, her eyes gleaming with avarice.

Caleb snarled, drawing her attention back to him, and Max saw his canine’s had elongated and his eyes glowed. He couldn’t speak nor move, but he unnerved Sasha enough that she glanced at Michael for reassurance. Michael’s eyes remained closed, one hand now clenching the glowing Stone of Asreal, but something she saw must have reassured her, because she turned back to Caleb with a smug smile on her lips.

“The mated Lycan does not want what other men have killed for,” Sasha mocked, running a hand over her breasts and across her stomach as she leaned over Caleb. “But despite his anger, his great strength is harnessed. He cannot speak, he cannot move, and he cannot deny me his seed. I will take what I want. And though I no longer enjoy the bodies of men, I think I will very much enjoy this coupling. Your anger fires my blood better than the sweetest of wines.”

“Don’t worry,” Max whispered, hoping to connect with Caleb and provide him some measure of comfort. “When I’m done frying this bitch, she’ll be so thin you can roll her up and smoke her.”

“Relax honey,” Caleb returned. “This woman is no threat to what we have. And may I say, I like your new skill. I can’t wait to hear the naughty thoughts running through your mind when we make love.”

“You can think of love making at a time like this?”

“When it comes to you, it’s never far from my mind. You’ve become my world.”

“You’re going to make me cry, and that’s the last thing I need when I’m thinking about putting my foot up Sasha’s rear end.”

“I know, babe, but I’ve managed to connect with the others. Help is on the way. And although I can’t stop Michael, I can slow him down. Remain hidden.”

“I don’t know if I can. My gift really doesn’t like her touching you.”

“You and it are one and the same. It feels what you feel, and loves where you love. Just as my wolf and I love you.”

“Great, now you tell me when you have a belly rolling whore crawling all over you! When we get out of this, I am so going to make you say it again.”

“For the rest of my life, babe…and as often as you like.”

Max was left speechless by that, while Michael, as if on cue, raised the stone of Asreal to his lips and began to chant out loud.

Caleb’s body jerked suddenly, and his eyes widened. Max bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as she watched Caleb’s body began to contort, his bones and muscles shifting against his will. Caleb fought back, using what strength he had left to block Michael’s power, but Max could see he was losing the battle.

“Babe,” Caleb whispered into her mind, his voice laden with pain was almost unrecognizable. “You must remain hidden. No matter what happens. Remain hidden!”

Max didn’t answer him. She couldn’t. Her mind was filled with the horror of what was happening to him. She could hear the crunch of bones and sinew twisting and contorting as Caleb’s body became a battleground. The bastard was literally tearing his body apart in an effort to control him.

“Sorry, big guy,” Max finally managed to whisper. “Looks like the posse has been delayed. I have to do something or there won’t be anything left of you to rescue.”

Knowing Caleb would continue to press her to remain hidden, Max shut down the mind link between them and reached for her gift. In nearly the same moment, Sasha flung her head back and laughed triumphantly. Caleb had lost the battle to retain control of his body, and his cock rose fully erect.

Afraid of delaying a second longer, Max flung the heavy drape back and leaped onto the table. Her gaze never left Michael, but she grabbed a startled Sasha by the roots of her long black hair and forced her into a kneeling position at her feet.

“Michael, you will release Caleb or the whore of Babylon will be practicing her profession in the afterlife. And don’t think I won’t do it. Watching you tear into Caleb has put me in a really ugly mood.”

Michael remained where he was, his face devoid of all expression, but Max sensed he was surprised he hadn’t detected her presence. It was another mark against her, and this time Michael wouldn’t back down.

He moved his hand, a barely discernible movement. Sasha’s form wavered and then disappeared. Max was left holding…nothing.

“As you can see, my powers have increased considerably since the last time we met,” Michael said with a small smile. “It would be quite satisfying to correct your earlier impression of me, but I am well aware that my home is being invaded by your allies.”

He angled his head, the red stone hanging around his neck glowing as the sounds of battle rang out from the floors above them. He was drawing on the power of the stone, attempting to shore up the defensive wards encasing the room, but she hesitated to make a move to stop him while Caleb lay vulnerable to attack.

“I must leave you now. But when we meet again, the score will be settled between us.”

Max shook her head. “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.” She allowed her power to rise, hoping it would siphon enough of Michael’s power to delay his departure until help arrived. “You can’t just walk away from what you’ve done.”

Michael’s gaze shifted pointedly toward Caleb. “I know that in your rage over what was done to Caleb you want revenge, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Your mate is weak and defenseless, barely conscious. It is possible you might succeed in harming me, but if you strike at me, I will strike at him. And in his current state, it would be a killing blow.”

He was right; she did want to punish him for what he’d done to Caleb, but she was willing to leave that to others. Keeping Caleb safe was all that mattered. She climbed down from the table, and took a protective position in front of Caleb. Totally focused on Michael, she was slightly surprised when Caleb’s voice poured into her mind.

“Babe, you know better than to fall for his drivel. He’s little more than a mage on steroids. Being in your presence has weakened his power. I can feel the wards loosening. Add your power to mine, and the wards will fall away. When I shift, I will be restored to full strength.”

“But I don’t know how to do that!”

“Visualize the wards. See them as a chain holding me down. Then imagine them dropping away. Your gift will do the rest, but keep your eyes on Michael. He won’t go without a parting shot.”

Max kept her gaze trained on Michael, but in her mind she drew a picture of chains breaking all around Caleb. In the next second he stood at her side, fully shifted to were, completely unscathed, and staring at Michael with bloodlust in his eyes.

Michael shouted a dark incantation, and a blast of pure red fire shot from the stone around his neck. It hit Caleb in the center of his chest. Max screamed, certain her worst nightmare had come to fruition, but Caleb did nothing to douse the flames racing over his body. Instead, he stood like a warrior of old, fiercely proud, with his inhumanly beautiful eyes locked onto his prey.

“Got anything else you want to try?” Caleb growled as the flames died out, leaving him unscathed. “Cause I gotta tell you, if that’s the best you’ve got, your ass is mine.”

Michael snatched the stone from around his neck and stared at it incredulously. “Impossible. The fire from the Stone of Asreal is indomitable. You should not have been able to extinguish its flames.”

“You’re right, but that’s not the Stone of Asreal.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Not the stone? But my master—”

“Lied to you. He stole the Stone of Asreal from the Alliance’s vault, but he also took another stone. The stone in your hand is sister to the Stone of Asreal and nearly identical in appearance, but unlike the Stone of Asreal, each time you use it, it grows weaker. Which means your master put that pretty bauble in your hand and sent you off to war knowing you wouldn’t make it home for dinner.”

Michael’s eyes darkened with rage, and he flung the stone against the nearest wall, where it shattered into pieces. When he looked again at Caleb, the glamour maintaining his facial perfection had dropped away. Unadorned, Michael’s face was austere, his eyes tainted with madness.

“It appears your assessment of the situation is correct, and the master will answer to me for his actions, but neither of you will live to see it.” He threw his arms out, clearly intending to strike a killing blow, but this time Max was ready for him.

She mirrored his actions and found her magic flowing seamlessly out her fingertips in a stream of white-red fire. The opposing powers clashed, and Max felt a jolt of pleasure as if her wild magic reveled in the confrontation.

“Max,” Caleb called out over the roar caused by the clashing forces. “Can you hold him?”

“I’ve got him,” she shouted back. There was no going back now. No denying who and what she was. She was Mage Slayer. And God help her, she loved it!

“Good girl.” Caleb grinned down at her. “Just save some of that fire for later, because that kick-butt look on your face has got me hard as nails.”

Max rolled her eyes mockingly in disbelief, but Caleb only laughed. A second later, Michael’s head hit the floor, ripped from his body by a single blow of Caleb’s clawed hand.

Max called her magic back, but it didn’t respond immediately. Instead, it lightly caressed Caleb along the side of his face, before returning to Max.

“Eww,” Max said, turning away from Michael’s headless body. “Did you have to do that? I had him locked down. He wasn’t going anywhere.”

Caleb shifted back to human and tried to pull her into his arms, but Max resisted him, more than a little annoyed at him. “Why did you intervene? I’m Mage Slayer here. If this thing between us is going to work, I’m going to have to be allowed to do my thing.”

He brushed aside her efforts to keep him at bay and pulled her into his arms. “You’re not a killer, Max. You’re resilient, determined, and just looking at you starts a fire in me that will never be quenched. But you’re not a killer. One day you will have no choice in the matter, but I want to spare you that fate for as long as I can.”

“Okay,” Max said, allowing his words to soothe her. “But I’m in this thing with you as a full partner. I can hold up my end.”

Caleb chuckled and gave her a sexy wink. “That you can, and it was one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen.”

Max pushed him away, feigning disgust. “Back off, wolf man. We still have work to do. We need to help the others finish this thing before you drag me off to your lair.”

Caleb shook his head, still smiling at her. “I’m going to help the others. You are going back to the cabin.”

Max’s eyes flashed with anger. “I thought we just came to an agreement. And in case you missed it, I just held my own against the number two bad guy in this war.”

“You wiped the floor with him, babe, but you need training. Some of the mages fighting on the floors above us are on our side, and I know you’d never forgive yourself if you harmed one of them because you didn’t have full control of your magic.”

“I guess you’re right,” Max conceded reluctantly, and then she did her best to look wistful. “But maybe I can just hang around, you know, learn a few things by watching you guys in action?”

Caleb eyes narrowed at her obvious attempt to manipulate him, and Max dropped the pretense with a sigh. “It was worth a try.”

“If you say so.” Caleb planted a brief kiss on the tip of her nose. “But Stefan is on his way, and you are going back to the cabin.”

Stefan materialized as Caleb spoke, and Max was glad he’d warned her of his impending arrival. People popping in and out like bread from a toaster put her nerves on edge.

“Take her to the cabin,” Caleb told Stefan. “If she resists, you have my permission to put her under.”

Max opened her mouth to protest, but Stefan tapped her forehead with his finger, and the world went blank.