Love Is Fear (37 page)

She looked back at him, could see his emotions warring within him. “If I had, you wouldn’t remember Valerie screaming. Wouldn’t remember Lucas using his compulsion on her. Tell me you understand.” She released him, felt his body go rigid as it came back under his own control.

His first impulse was to throw her away from him in disgust and hate. She could see the battle on his face. But he didn’t. His head went back, hitting the wall so hard it must have hurt. He was breathing fast, nostrils flared in anger.

“
I understand,” he said, gutturally.

She could see him swallow. Wanted to lick the flesh at the hollow of his throat. She nodded and took a step back. “Take my hand.”

He looked at it furiously, like touching her would contaminate him on a fundamental level. Cell-deep revulsion. But he did it. He reached out and took her hand, grabbing it hard and then relaxing, making his grip soft on hers. Holding her hand like he 
wanted
 to be with her.

And all the while she could see the desire to kill her in his eyes. She pulled him away from the door, stepping backwards, tugging him along as though she were about to take him to bed. They went down the hall a little to wait. She let go of his hand, but he held her fast, pulled her in closer to him.

Her mouth went dray, knees weak, not understanding what he wanted. Why wouldn’t he let her go? He made a gesture with his head, and she knew he wanted to say something, was asking her to come closer to him again. He was inviting her deep into his personal space, so he could whisper in her ear.

Her heart pounded.

It was dangerous. Lucas might hear. But Jack was going to say something, his breath would be on her body, his voice quiet and intimate. She’d never hear it like this again. She couldn’t say no to that.

Wouldn’t.

She stepped closer and he waited patiently, relaxed against the wall, the faintest smile on his lips. His hand came up, cupping her jaw tenderly, pulling her closer so that his lips brushed her ear. She shivered, exhaled shakily. He spoke softly, and she moved closer yet, so that she felt each brush of his lips as he spoke to her. His voice snuck inside her, pierced her, left her soaked and wanting.

Flesh, blood, him.

Darkness.

Sex.

She wanted all of it from him.

Then his words registered and she pulled back, met the rage in his gaze, absorbed the promise on his hard, unyielding features. “Touch me again, and I’ll fucking kill you,” he’d said.

With a slow nod of understanding, she stepped back.

Chapter 
41

The door opened and Lucas came out, Valerie walking beside him, looking up at him with a smile. Rachel’s stomach churned, adrenaline arcing through her body like lightning. She felt almost as sick with foreboding as she had the night of the Challenge. Things were going to end badly. Jack couldn’t keep his cool around Lucas. She’d acted irrationally.

Was it sad that she’d assumed he could lie well? Didn’t everyone compartmentalize their emotions while they waited for the perfect moment to strike? It was second nature for her to smile. Smile until it was too late and her victim looked at her with surprise. But Jack was too 
good
 to lie well. Too heroic. Considering who he palled around with, it was a big fucking problem.

Lucas closed his eyes for a long moment, as though he was composing himself. “We cannot leave until Cer releases his hold on Valerie. I believe he is in the North tower, where the portal is.”

“
Why?” Jack asked, only a hint of anger in his tone.

“
Because it is the only exit available to us, and he does not wish us to leave,” Lucas said, his gaze intent on Valerie. She cast a look up at him and blushed.

Ah, young compelled love.

“
I will go there, make him release her, and then we will leave.”

“
You want to leave us 
here
?” Jack said, gesturing around the empty corridor.

“
No. I want to leave you in a room. Barricade the door. You will be safe. Cer will not waste his energy on you, and the Wolves cannot get through the door.”

“
I’m coming with you,” Jack said.

“
No. You will stay.” Lucas reached out, brushing the back of his hand along Val’s cheek.

“
The hell I will. I’m going.”

Lucas dropped his hand from Val’s cheek and turned to Jack. Absorbing every detail of him, Rachel thought. 
Oh god
. He would know she hadn’t done it. Why the fuck hadn’t she done what Lucas told her to?

A big conversation transpired in that one look between Jack and Lucas. They sized each other up, exchanged death threats, could have talked about sports, the stare lasted so damned long. Lucas turned those pale, cold blue eyes to Rachel, and she got chills. 
I see you and what you’ve done
, the look said.

“
Fine,” Lucas said, tonelessly. “We will return as soon as we may.”

Jack walked out of the room and Lucas followed, closing the door behind him, the sound reminiscent of a sarcophagus lid shoved into place.

Valerie was just standing there like a bump on a log, looking at a tapestry on the wall. She blinked and frowned. Hopefully, she’d come out of it now that Lucas was farther away. Rachel wondered if she even knew her own name, she was so whacked out.

Dammit
. Rachel would never say she knew Lucas well enough to predict his actions. No one did. But she knew with a certainty in her bones that Jack wouldn’t be coming back. And it was her fault. But if she went after them Lucas would…kill her? Stick her in a coffin like Marion? Leave her behind? She felt sick with the weight of what was to come.

Hadn’t Lucas always planned on killing Jack? Her mistake meant that it was just going to happen a little sooner. Rachel valued her life. She had to get out of Fey. Save Molly.

The cards were dealt, she’d pushed all her money to the center of the table, and she was still sitting there, unaware she’d just been conned, waiting for the house to throw her out. Or for Jimmy Hoffa to take her to the desert to see the sunrise. Rachel paced back and forth for a few minutes, thinking furiously.

I’m evil. Just do what you are supposed to do. Just stay here and wait until—

“
We have to go. We have to catch them, now!” Rachel said, grabbing Val by the hand and rushing down the hallway. Val stumbled as she tried to keep up with Rachel’s breakneck pace, but Rachel couldn’t stop to help her, just tugged a little harder as they skidded around the corner.

Chapter 
42

Jack followed Lucas down the hall— knife out. This was a special knife. Half silver, half wood. It would get the job done if given the opportunity. He didn’t doubt that it was the right decision. The Fey hated Lucas. That’s why they were here. Lucas couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag over here, so he was useless. Their chance of survival did not improve with Lucas being here. And he knew Lucas was gunning for him too. If the chance came…yeah, he’d take it.

And then he heard them. Wolves. They came out of nowhere, barreling down the corridor, snapping and snarling as they launched themselves forward, taking Lucas to the ground. One clamped its razor-like jaws on Lucas’ thigh, blood gushing out of him as the wolf unerringly sank his canines into the femoral artery.

Another wolf landed on Lucas’ chest, jaw locked on his arm, trying to get to the vampire’s vulnerable throat. The wolf let go of his leg, bloody spittle dripping from its mouth. The wolf bit into Lucas’ ribcage, head and shoulders thrashing from side to side as the wolf tried to gnaw through him. With a wild roar, Lucas used his free hand to attack the wolf attacking his arm. Lucas stabbed upward, deep into the wolf’s gut.

Where the fuck did he get a blade from?

Both wolves jumped clear of him, eyes focused on the blade—a sign of intelligence that was unnatural. Lucas pushed himself up, using the wall as leverage to get himself standing. Desperate for a more defensible position. There was a pool of blood underneath him, black blood pulsing from his leg, oozing from his side and also his arm. The wolves waited, ignoring Jack, intent only on Lucas who was pale, shaking, and breathing hard.

If only Lucas had been weaponless, the wolves would have killed him. Jack was sure of it. Lucas raised his arm, trying to reach behind him into his scabbard to draw his sword, the better to keep the wolves at a distance, but his arm collapsed, hanging limply at his side, blood gushing out of his side from the aborted move.

The vampire’s attention was focused solely on the wolves in front of him, his back toward Jack. This was
 it
. Jack’s one and only chance to kill Lucas. Jack waited, felt the rush of anticipation he always felt before a kill.

With a curse, Lucas reached up again, agonizingly slowly, groaning in pain as he tried to make contact with the sword. The wolves darted forward, attacking with snarls, claws slashing as they tried to keep Lucas from reaching his blade and getting the advantage. Lucas drew the blade, hand adjusting on the pommel, as though he couldn’t grip it as tightly as he wanted to.

Jack pulled his gun, sighted carefully and fired, the bullet slamming into Lucas’ hand. The sword clattered to the ground, and Lucas stumbled into the wall, clutching his hand to his body instinctively. The wolves launched at him, and Lucas put his arm out, swinging wildly at one with a yell, making contact so that the wolf smashed into the opposite wall.

The distraction cost him, the other wolf reaching Lucas before he could recover The wolf stood on its hind legs, mouth close to the vampire’s throat. Lucas fell forward, using his weight to push the wolf backwards—and giving Jack his chance. He drew the wood and silver knife, then lunged forward, shoving the blade deep into Lucas’ side, just beneath the ribcage, angling the blade up, searching for Lucas’ black fucking heart. Lucas staggered forward, a shudder going through him as he collapsed to his knees. Jack followed him down, but Lucas turned, rolling onto the dagger and crying out as he pulled Jack over him, using Jack as a shield to protect himself from the wolf.

Jack threw his hands outwards, trying to keep the wolf at bay, its long claws slicing into his stomach, catching on something so that the claws didn’t slide all the way through him, from one side to the other. The wolf jerked back, and Jack knew what the claw had gotten tangled on—his spine.

It should hurt more, 
Jack thought as he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep his intestines inside his body. White, blinding pain sliced through him as Lucas shoved Jack off of him and onto the floor. A moment passed, an eternity. Then there was a yelp, a crunch.

Silence.

Dimly, Jack hoped it had been enough. That the attack on Lucas would prove fatal. Jack sank into the shadows and had a moment of perfect clarity. As if it was a final parting gift from God, telling him the truth of his life just before it ebbed out of him completely: He would have died for his parents. He would have died for Nate. But it felt right that, in the end, he died for Val.

Chapter 
43

Valerie came around the corner and didn’t understand what was in front of her. Lucas sat on the ground, covered in blood, his head in his hands, a dark pool spreading beneath him. He was pale and looked up at them sluggishly, blinking slowly. Two dead wolves lay on the ground and beyond that was…

“
Jack!”

He was on the ground, unmoving, bloody ropes of intestine surrounding him. 
He needs those
, she thought stupidly and rushed to him, trying to stuff them back into his stomach. His blood warmed her hands. The intestines were slick and elusive. Soft. She called his name and, when he didn’t respond, didn’t even move, she shouted. He needed to hear her. He 
had
 to answer.

Rachel was beside her, saying something in a low hurried tone, her hands over Jack’s heart. The air was suddenly warm, like the first day of summer. His skin, blood and organs grew hot under her palms, and Val jerked away from his body, which was now suffused with a golden glow
.

“
Stop! It’s too late,” Lucas called hoarsely, stumbling towards them on his hands and knees. Val looked at him, shocked. His wounds were healing, though slowly, the one on his side still a bleeding gash, his thigh dripping blood.

Rachel didn’t look at him as she stayed leaning over Jack, her hands still on his chest. “No it isn’t. I can save him!”

Lucas swore, kept his gaze on Valerie for a moment before turning his attention to Rachel. He spoke quickly, his accent thicker than she had ever heard it, the words running together. “He is dead. It is done. Cease 
now
.”

“
No!” Rachel said frantically, shaking her head, “He’ll live. I can do this. It’s not over, give me a chance.”

Valerie reached for Lucas, her hand sliding down his face, scanning his injuries. Lucas ignored her, every fiber of his being riveted on Jack.

She put her arms around Lucas, her cheek resting in a patch of blood on his shirt. He was soft, not as hard as he was at his full strength. The impenetrable exterior gone, so weak that his flesh was almost mortal. Red lines that dripped black blood marred his face where a Werewolf had slashed at him.