The Wolf's Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen (15 page)

Chapter 17

Lindy woke up slowly.  Her stomach rolled, and her head ached.  Remembering that she was not safe inside Crimson’s home, but had been drugged and taken, she forced her body to appear relaxed and took in a few, deep breaths.  She listened intently with her eyes closed.  She could tell that several people were around her because of the sound of their breathing.  Drawing in several slow, deep breaths, she tried to decipher what she smelled.  Aside from the ground under her, she could scent nothing else.

Her hands were tied in front of her with rough rope, but her legs were free.  Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in a wooden cage in a clearing in the woods.  She rolled to her butt and sat up, swooning for a moment as her head pounded and her vision blurred.  Rubbing her thumb between her eyes, she groaned softly.

There were empty cages on either side of her.  The clearing was surrounded by thick trees, but over the tops of them, she could see the mountains.  They didn’t look all that far.  Maybe just a few miles.  If she could shift, she could run and maybe find a cavern to hide in until whoever took her stopped hunting for her.  Then she could climb the mountain and find Crimson.  It would be difficult, but she had to get back to him.

The sound of heavy footsteps filled the air.  Turning to the side, she saw four huge men with bulky forearms lumbering toward the cages.  They wore loincloths made of dark fabric and no shoes.  Long hair hung in matted clumps from their heads, and their squished faces reminded her of bulldogs.  Fear inched up her spine as they came toward her, but she breathed through it and willed herself to be strong.

The huge men parted, and the man who had taken her came toward the cage with another man.  She stifled the growl in her throat and glared at them.

“She is lovely, is she not, Nikao?” the man who had taken her remarked.

The other man was thin and tall, with wispy blond hair and blue eyes, a hawk-like nose and pursed lips.  “I don’t know, Crakin.  She’s awfully fleshy.”

“Did you just call me fat?” she demanded.

Both men ignored her, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on her wolf.  She could feel the drugs still in her system, but her wolf was there and ready, stronger than whatever potion she’d been given.

Clearing her mind, she opened her eyes and focused on the group of four huge creatures.  Trolls, maybe.  The enormous forearms made them look comical, and she bet from their stocky legs they couldn’t run fast, either.

The rope rubbed against her wrists, chafing them.  It was too tight for her to wiggle her hands free, but when she shifted, it wouldn’t matter.  The best plan was to wait until she was outside the cage and then shift.

Crakin gestured to the trolls.  “Open the cage.”

“What if she tries to run?” Nikao asked.

Crakin lifted a narrow vial from the pocket of his jacket.  “She’s not going anywhere.”

Nikao shook his head.  “If she’s unconscious, no one will buy her.”

“This is a lighter dose.  It will make her sluggish and complacent.”

One of the trolls lumbered forward.  He flipped a latch on the top of the cage and threw open the lid.  Reaching inside, he grabbed Lindy by the back of the shirt and hauled her out of the cage as if she were a sack of potatoes.

“Put me down!”  She struggled, twisting her body to try to get free, but the troll didn’t let go of her shirt.

Crakin dipped the tip of a dart into the vial, and Lindy knew she had to take the opportunity to flee or she might never see Crimson again.

Exhaling, she let herself go into her shift, pushing her body to change quickly.  The men shouted in surprise as she slipped from her clothes and the rope fell away.  She hit the ground on four paws and ran for the mountains, not daring to look back.

The forest raced by her as she kept her eyes trained on the mountains rising up in the distance.  She didn’t know if she was being followed, and she wasn’t about to stop and check.  Her feet ached, and her body was sore as she pushed herself to get to the mountains.

The ground changed from mossy to rocky as she cleared the trees.  She paused for only a heartbeat, finding a narrow trail that led up the mountain and headed for it.  The sun set while she ran, but she could see enough to pick her way up the mountain.  She searched as she climbed, hoping to find a cavern like Crimson had taken her to.

She stopped on the trail and sat down on her haunches.  She was exhausted.  She’d never pushed her body so hard in her shift.  All she wanted was a cold drink of water and a long nap.  Her head dropped, and she let out a soft whine.  She wished that Crimson was there with her.

Shaking herself out of her exhaustion, she pushed on, knowing that stopping on the trail was a bad idea.  She could rest when the sun came out.

Her paw stepped on dry branches that cracked, and she paused.  She sniffed and scented bread.  Was she going crazy?  The scent of bread came from the right, and she turned her nose in that direction and smelled the rock.  But it wasn’t rock, it was soft like a sponge.  Pushing gingerly on the spongy material, she caught the scent of bread again and growled lightly.  She took a step closer, and her paws suddenly went out from under her.  The spongy material split apart, and she tumbled down a smooth, stone ramp, her body bouncing and jarring, knocking into every jutting rock.

Her head cracked hard against a stone, and she felt herself roll to a stop as she slipped into unconsciousness, unsure of where she was or whether she would ever see her mate again.

* * * * *

Cold water dribbled into Lindy’s mouth, waking her.  She swallowed and choked, coughing slightly.  Sitting up, she banged her head on a rock and winced, groaning.

“Ouch, damn it.”

Something small and warm touched her knee as she opened her eyes and looked down.  The small, warm thing touching her was a small creature.  It had tan skin and wispy brown hair.  Its eyes were golden-brown.

“Shush now,” the creature said with a lilting, feminine voice.  “There is nothing to harm you here in our home.”

Lindy looked around and found herself surrounded by dozens of the little creatures.  The tallest among them were no more than two feet tall, each with the same tan skin and wispy brown hair.

Licking her lips again, she looked around for an exit but found nothing except rock walls.  She must have fallen inside the mountain.  The ceiling of the cave was just above her head and not tall enough for her to stand.  Small homes made of wood were scattered around the cave and what looked like a hot spring was in one corner.

“What are you?”  Lindy asked.

The one who had given her water smiled at her.  “We’re brownies.  My name is Veril.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Veril.  My mate told me that some of you used to work in the fae glens for the fairies.”

There was a murmur of discontent, and Veril said, “We did, but we found that the fairies were happier taking credit for our work than thanking us for what we did.  We love to work, but we also love to be appreciated.”

Lindy remembered suddenly that she was in her human form, which meant she was naked.  Looking down, she discovered she was wearing a simple but elegant shift.  It was the color of pine needles and knit of soft, thick yarn.

“Thank you for dressing me while I was unconscious.  It’s lovely.”

Veril preened.  “It was our pleasure.  It’s not every day that a mortal-realm werewolf tumbles into our hidden home.”

“I smelled bread.”

Veril chuckled, and the others did as well.  “It was our baking day.”

As if on cue, food was brought to Lindy, and as she ate, she told the brownies about her kidnapping.

The leader of the brownies, a stocky male named Levrin, shook his head.  “That Crakin is a menace.  The she-fae who hired him to take you was foolish.  If he planned to sell you at the
merash
, then he will find her and sell
her
instead.”

“What is a
merash
?” Lindy asked, sopping up meat gravy with a thick slice of bread.

Levrin’s wife, Hior, shuddered.  “You might call it a slave auction in your realm.  Dark wizards like Crakin make money by kidnapping and selling supernatural creatures from this realm and others.  You’re very lovely, and Nikao is a sex slave trader, so the
merash
was most likely for those looking for sex slaves.  I’m afraid your future would have been a very bad one indeed if you had not escaped.”

“I don’t think they knew I could shift,” she said.  “They seemed very surprised.”

“It’s possible he believed you to be human.  Regardless, we’re happy to offer you protection.”

“I’d like to get to my mate.  Can you show me how to make it to the other side of the mountain so I can get to him?”

“Better than that,” Levrin said.  “We can take you to his home.”

She grinned, and tears filled her eyes.  “You can?”

“Of course.  We’re not fairies, but we do have magic,” Yunni, Veril’s daughter said.

Levrin nodded.  “It will be our pleasure.”

Lindy wiped at the tears that fell to her cheeks.  “Thank you so much.  For saving me and protecting me.”

Levrin bowed, and the other brownies ducked their heads.  “We were happy to do it.”

While the brownies prepared the portal that would take her to Crimson’s home, she washed her hands and face in the pool of the hot spring.  She crawled on her hands and knees to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling, and knelt next to Veril and Yunni.

Levrin arranged some brightly colored rocks into a circle and spoke a few words.  The brownies surrounded her, and Levrin said, “I would send you with my best fighters to ensure you are safe until you reach your mate.”

A handful of male brownies wearing black trousers with swords strapped to their backs came to stand near her.  One of them stepped forward and went down on one knee.  “We would see you safe, she-wolf, until you are back in your mate’s arms.”

She smiled in gratitude.  “Thank you.”

Veril said, “Yunni and I will come as well.”

Lindy said, “I appreciate the company.”

Levrin asked for Lindy to extend her hand toward him.  When she did, he positioned her hand over the center of the stone circle and took a small dagger, the size of a letter opener, and made several quick strikes across her flesh.  She winced, but the pain passed quickly.  He turned her hand over, and a few drops of blood fell onto the stones.

He said, “The blood of your mate is within your own blood, she-wolf Lindy.  The portal will take you to his home.  My people and I wish you a safe journey and a swift reunion with the one that you love.”

“Thank you all for everything,” she said.  The six warriors and the two females put their hands on Lindy as Levrin began to chant.  A bright glow rose from the circle, multi-hued like a rainbow and sparkling like the sunlight on water.  It grew until it enveloped her with warmth, as if she were standing outside on a hot summer day.

Closing her eyes as the glow became too bright, she felt her body move and the air around her rush, and then she felt thick grass underneath her knees.

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at Crimson’s house and a very surprised woman.

She’d come home.

But where was Crimson?

Chapter 18

Crimson smashed his fist into the face of the dark wizard named Crakin.

“Tell me where my mate is!” Crimson roared.  He was struggling to keep his wolf under wraps.  His beast wanted to tear Crakin apart with his claws.

Crimson and his friends had been searching for Lindy for almost an entire day.  The horse and carriage tracks leading from his home ended abruptly at the bottom of the mountain.  The horse lay dead, and the carriage had been set on fire.  He could sense dark magic had been used, and it only confirmed his belief that she had been taken by a wizard.  As far as he knew, wizards only kidnapped for two reasons:  for sacrifice or sale.  Although he didn’t want to think about Lindy being sold in a
maresh,
he preferred that thought to her being slaughtered for some dark ritual.

They didn’t know where the wizard had gone, so they were unable to open a portal.  He had tried a location spell for Lindy, but it had been unable to tell him where she was.  He felt as if she was still alive, and he assumed the reason he couldn’t spell for her location was because she was being shielded by dark magic.  They’d had to fly over the mountain, which had cost them precious time.  Then they split up, and he, his father, and Riyad went one direction while Merik and the others went in another.

It had taken hours before he’d finally caught a faint scent of her.  He followed it to a clearing just outside of Balladat City, which was known for its
mareshes
.  There, he’d found the cage where Lindy had been kept.

It hadn’t taken long to find the male who had taken her.  There were three distinct scents near the cage:  the wizard who stank of sulfur and ash, a fae male, and trolls.  He wasn’t worried about the trolls.  They were stupid creatures that only followed the orders of those who ruled over them. He’d bet that they belonged to the fae male or the wizard.

First, they found the fae male named Nikao, who readily gave up the wizard, Crakin.  Nikao had been restrained and was going to be taken back to the other side of the mountain to stand trial for his crimes.  Crimson had a feeling that besides attempting to buy Lindy, he had done many, horrible things to others as well, and his crimes would need to be documented.  From Nikao’s information, they’d found Crakin easily, but finding out what had happened to Lindy was proving difficult.

Crakin spit blood on the ground and laughed.  “Your she-bitch is gone.  Hit me all you like, you will never see her again.”

Riyad had restrained the wizard with thick vines filled with thorns, which were keeping the wizard kneeling on the ground.  Crimson snarled and let go of the tight hold on his wolf a little.  He felt his eyes change color, his fangs dropped from his gums, and his claws pushed out from his fingertips.  Growling darkly, he gripped Crakin’s neck with his hands and dug his claws into his flesh.

He snarled and said, “I will not kill you quickly.  I will kill you slowly and painfully.”

There was just a glimmer of fear in Crakin’s eyes.  Crimson tightened his hold and reached his other clawed hand to grasp Crakin’s arm.  He drew his hand up and opened his mouth widely over Crakin’s wrist.  Crimson hid his disgust at the stench of the male’s skin that made him want to retch.  He would do anything to see Lindy back in his arms.  Anything.

With a swift motion, he snapped his jaws around Crakin’s wrist, and the bones cracked.  Crakin tried to scream, but he could do no more than gurgle because Crimson held his throat in one hand.

“Tell me,” Crimson said.

Crakin panted, his eyes wide with fear, but he remained quiet.  Crimson opened his mouth again, moving up to the elbow joint of Crakin’s arm.  Just before Crimson would have bitten down again, Crakin whispered, “Wait!  Please!  Wait!  I’ll tell you!”

Crimson released his hold on the wizard, and Crimson’s father and Riyad grabbed him by the shoulders to keep him from falling over.  Crakin cradled his broken wrist against his chest.

“The she-wolf fled into the mountains.  She was too fast for the trolls to grab her, and when I cast a tracking spell for her, I lost track of her on the mountain.  It’s like she vanished.”

Crimson clenched his hands into fists.  “You lie!  Tell me where she is!”

Crakin tried to scoot backward but couldn’t move because of the thorny vines.  “I’m not, I swear!”

Riyad gave him a shake.  “What were you going to do with her?”

“Nikao was going to sell her as a sex slave in the
maresh
.  I was told she was human, or I would have used a different potion to keep her from getting away.”

Crimson moved closer.  “Who told you that she was human?”

Crakin grinned suddenly, and his lips moved as he whispered very softly, his eyes flashing.  Crimson manifested his sword and thrust it through Crakin’s thigh and into the ground, skewering him into the dirt.  Crakin screamed in pain, the transportation spell he was casting stopped in its tracks.

“Try to spell yourself out of that, asshole.  Tell me where my mate is!”

Crakin seemed unable to do anything except cry and try to pry the sword from his leg with his good hand.

Riyad looked at Crimson, frowning.  “You should try a location spell for her.”

“I already did.”

“That was before.  It’s been hours.  If she escaped, then you might be able to find her now.”

Crimson moved away from the group and gathered several stones, arranging them in a circle in front of a thick tree.  He used his fangs to pierce his palm and let his blood drop onto the stones as he cast the spell to locate Lindy.  Location spells were normally done with candles and an item belonging to the one that was supposed to be found.  Crimson’s blood was mixed with Lindy’s because they had shared blood when they mated.  She was a part of him forever.  The important part of the candle was the flame, and he called his power forth and lit the drops of blood on fire, laying his hands on the tree and willing his power to find Lindy.

An image appeared, hazy like he was looking through frosted glass.  He saw Lindy sitting on a hide couch surrounded by brownies and his mother sitting nearby with a cup of tea.

Hades!  She was at his home!

Scattering the stones with his hand to break up the circle, he said, “She’s home!  Lindy made it home!”

Riyad and Crimson’s father smiled in relief.  His father said, “Riyad and I will wait for the authorities and contact Merik and the others.  We’ll find out how this
wolly-mouthed tryuo
found Lindy and was able to capture her.  Go home to your mate.”

Crimson embraced his dad and his best friend.  “Thank you.”

“You can thank me by naming your firstborn after me,” Riyad called as Crimson took to the sky.

Crimson laughed, happiness blurring his vision as tears filled his eyes.  His mate was home and safe.  He flew as fast as he could towards home.