Wolves' Bane (The Order of the Wolf, #3)(78)

“It was an elder with powers like mine who made the cloak. He fashioned it to absorb the essence of the Huntress, concealing her from the wolves. When I came into my powers, I recognized the power signature as being similar to mine, similar but weaker and I knew that I could do better. I managed to jolt it with more power, and it’s held over the years. It protected Kelly and then Candy when we brought them in, and now you. I etched the perimeter of the compound’s grounds as well. This is what I was born to do. I’m the protector.” He took two steps toward me. “I’m your protector.”

I stared up at him. “I want to believe you,” I said as some of my anger drained away.

He reached his hand up to cradle my cheek. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Morgan.”

“Unless I betray you,” I whispered. “And then you’ll kill me.”

He flinched and I took a step away from him, leaving his hand suspended in mid-air where he’d been touching me.

“Listen, Cal. I appreciate you taking the time to etch your magic.” I wasn’t looking at him as I spoke, my tone frosty, sarcasm tinting my words. “How about we just see what happens? You do your job and I’ll do mine.” I turned toward him. “And if you have to, take your best shot.”

He opened his mouth to protest when Lance came back into the clearing. “You all good here? Can we go back now? This place gives me the creeps.”

I moved toward Lance, nodding as I distanced myself from Cal. “Yeah, I’ve seen enough. I was wrong—there’s nothing here that I really needed to see before the battle tomorrow. It’s the things I can’t see—like trust and loyalty—that are going to be the real killers.”

I looked back to see Cal lower his head, his eyes closing briefly.

“You coming, Cal?” Lance asked.

He shook his head. “No, I’m going to stick around here and do some more work.”

“I’d offer to help,” I said, “but the motivation to aid in my potential murder just isn’t there.”

Lance grimaced and shook his head, shooting a look of pity Cal’s way before directing me out of the clearing and into the forest.





Chapter Thirty-Eight





The Game Changer


The afternoon of the lunar eclipse had everyone on edge, Cal most of all. It was another four hours until sunset, another four hours until Lazarus would take his human form. The battleground was ready. Cal had spent hours more after Morgan and Lance had left, etching a thicker barrier to trap Lazarus and his pack. As soon as the Huntress made her appearance without the cloak, Lazarus would attack. And as soon as he stepped into the clearing he’d be trapped.

Both the texts and Kelly were saying things were going to be different this time. Neither could say exactly what, and Cal only hoped that it was because of his interference—that it meant things would go their way.

Morgan sat in the study, her nose buried in some book. She was pretending to be preoccupied and unbothered, but he knew better. Her eyes merely skimmed the pages, and he found her gazing out the window, only to snap her eyes back to the page when she realized she was being watched. He was surprised she tolerated him in the room with her. After the anger he’d seen simmering in her eyes the day before, he was prepared for another tongue-lashing today. But she remained stonily silent all morning, hardly looking at him, barely speaking to anyone.

Almost all of the Hunters were in attendance, save for Doug and his team of four who were out on patrol, monitoring the wolves’ movements. Of the Hunters in the house, some were seated at the dining room table, others in the kitchen. Cal stood at the study doorway leaning against the frame, waiting, watching.

He so badly wanted to comfort her. But her body language screamed for him to stay away.

When the phone rang the tension kicked up a notch. Cal moved to pick it up, but Andrew beat him to it.

“Yes?” He paused. “Doug? What’s going on? Where are you guys right now?”

Morgan lifted her eyes from the page, a frown of concern pulling her forehead into a deep vee.

“Rachel? I don’t think…”

Morgan jumped from the seat, knocking the book from her lap to the floor in her haste. She rushed to Andrew, snatching the phone from his hand before he could stop her.

“What do you know about Rachel? You tell me what the f*ck you know about her right now, Doug!” As she listened, all of the color seemed to seep from her face. She dropped the phone a moment later and turned her gaze toward Cal. “Lazarus has Rachel.”

“Who’s Rachel?” Andrew demanded as he swooped down and picked up the receiver from the floor. “Doug? What the hell is going on?”

As Andrew continued to speak with Doug, Cal frowned at Morgan. “Your friend Rachel?”

“She told Doug that Lazarus is going to kill her if I don’t come to him.”

“Where is he?” Cal demanded.

Andrew hung up the phone on a curse. “At the carnival grounds where Cal found Morgan. He’s got your friend there. He wants the battle to happen on his terms.”

“That’s eight hours away! The sun will be down by the time we get there. Impossible, we can’t let him have his way. We’ll be walking into a trap.” Cal’s mind was reeling. How could they have let Lazarus turn the tables on them?