“Rourke,” I called. “We can’t beat this thing in here. I’m going out the window. Meet me outside.”
The Screamer understood my words and roared its displeasure. “You cannot escape,” its garbled voice cawed at me. It sounded nothing like Conan.
“The only way you can devour me is if you can catch me, ass**le. And I’m much faster than you are.” I was close enough to the back windows to act. I sprang, the glass shattered easily. I soared out the window in a semi-graceful dive. But it was dark and I couldn’t fly. Get ready for a hard landing, I yelled to my wolf. I was already in my Lycan form, but more power coursed through me courtesy of my wolf.
“You will not die,” the voice sounded in my ear right as I hit the ground feetfirst.
I tucked and rolled and rolled and rolled, finally smashing up against the bushes at the edge of the stone gate that ran around the property.
“I told you,” the ghost whispered.
I groaned. Several bones were broken, including a couple ribs, which made it painful to breathe. They were healing, but I hurt a ridiculous amount while each of them knit back together. They had to heal fast, because I knew the Screamer would be right behind me. I inhaled sharply as my body gave a few jumps as bones shifted. “Who are you anyway?” I asked the ghost through gritted teeth.
“My name is Benjamin.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“I want my property back.”
“So you’re tied to this place? You’re its rightful owner?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re certainly good at answering all my burning questions, Ben.” I lay there for a second, trying not to breathe as my ribs mended. “Please don’t tell me you’re my ghost pal for life. My heart can’t take it—”
Jessica.
My head shot up, the pain forgotten.
I was on my feet in the next moment. “Dad? Dad! Where are you? Are you hurt?” His voice had been shallow. Dad! Tell me where you are!
“Here,” he said weakly.
I ran toward the next hedge and ripped through a screen of branches, breaking them off without thought. We were in a small patch of side yard, away from anything. This is why Alana sent me through the house. I had to exit these windows in order to find him. Now that I was outside, I could hear all the commotion on the other side of the wall, just as Tyler had said.
Once I saw him, my knees gave way and I dropped to the ground.
He was naked, lying on his side. He’d just shifted back from his wolf form, which meant he’d arrived right before Eudoxia set the ward. He must have jumped the wall.
His body was covered in festering angry welts.
Those weren’t normal welts.
“What are these? What’s going on?” My voice was rushed. When he didn’t answer, I panicked. “Dad, you have to tell me! I need to know what’s going on.”
He tried to lift his head, but succeeded only in raising it a few inches. “The rest of my wolves are behind me. I had to pull ahead. But the fracture pack is right behind them, Redman in the lead. He crossed over to their side at the last moment. There were too many wolves to fight. I should’ve brought an army with me. It was a bad decision, and now I’m paying the price.”
“You weren’t going down to fight,” I cried. “You were going down to cement alliances. How would you have known? But I need to help you now. What are these welts?”
His breath was shallow. “I was cursed.”
“Cursed?” I repeated, stunned.
“Not by a witch.” He reached out and grabbed my wrist. A trickle of power tingled up my arm. Whatever was harming him was sucking away his magic.
“Then by what?”
“Jessica,” he said quietly. “It’s already ravaged me from the inside out. What you’re seeing is the latent damage. The only thing that’s kept me alive was shifting into my wolf and knowing I had to get here to you. Now that I’m human, I have very little time left, so you need to listen—”
“No!” I said, balling my fists. “We can fix this. You’re not going to die! Maggie said you’d be fine if—” I needed Ray. “I need to find Tyler.” Tyler! Where are you? I yelled in my mind.
We’re in the front yard. Where are you? In good news, the witches are outside the gate with Nick. It seems he’s been coordinating the Pack and the witches. There’s a solid defense going on, but we can’t get in or out because of the ward.
Never mind all that; I found Dad and I need you right now! Bring Ray. I’m on the north side of the house in the bushes. Dad’s been cursed. I can’t figure it out. But, Tyler, he’s dying.
We are on our way. I heard him yell something to someone.
“It comes again,” a whisper floated against my ear. “You must get away.”
I waved my hand, trying to shoo away the ghost. I didn’t have time to deal with it.
A crash, followed a second later by a big thud, sounded right behind us.
My father snarled. He tried to get up. I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll take care of this.” I stood and turned to see the Screamer stumbling toward us, even more disfigured from its fall. Behind me, my father began to shift into his wolf form. I hoped he had enough strength to finish the change. He would be better protected in wolf form.
“I don’t have time for this, Conan. Do you hear me?” I walked toward it, determined to keep it away from my injured father.
The Screamer almost smiled.
But instead of engaging me, its horrid nostrils flared. It scented death in the air.
“Oh no, that’s so not going to happen,” I said, waving my arms to center its attention on me. “You want me, remember? I have all the kickass blood you need right here.”
There was noise above us. I glanced up right as my mate burst out one of the windows, jumping through the air cleanly with his powerful arms splayed. He came down hard, landing and rolling twice, twisting at the last moment, his feline abilities at the forefront. Both of his feet crashed into the Screamer’s knees from behind.
The Screamer flew to the side and struck the wall. I knew it wasn’t enough to keep it down for long, but Rourke had bought us some much-needed time.
“Go to your father and I’ll keep this thing occupied,” he urged. “I can smell him from here. I will make sure this thing stays away from you.” Fur sprouted along his powerful forearms. He’d have his work cut out for him.