Alpha Divided (Alpha Girl Book 3) Page 20

  She rushed off out the door, and I hurried up to my room. I packed up everything. I didn’t want to leave even the littlest bit here. When it was all done, I opened up the bedside drawer.

  The gris-gris was still there. I dug through my bag and grabbed out a sock. I picked it up with the sock, and then folded it inside the cotton. I placed it carefully in my messenger bag.

  I glanced at the little clock on the bedside table. Claudia had been gone for thirty minutes. I hauled everything downstairs, and piled it by the door.

  What now?

  I thought about leaving anyway, but another wave of dizziness almost made me topple to the floor. I sat on the couch to wait, taking a few calming breaths.

  Soon I’d be gone. Far away from here. The next time I saw Luciana, I’d be taking her down.

  Exhaustion started to weigh on me as I waited.

  Even as my eyes grew heavy, I could feel the vision coming on. Pressing against my barriers. I couldn’t fight it off and I couldn’t stop myself from falling asleep.

  ***

  The only reason I knew I was asleep was the slight hazy glow the room had taken on. It was brighter but duller than how it had looked a split second ago. The couch dipped beside me.

  My breath caught. “Grams.” Her long black hair was streaked with white, and loosely braided. She was wearing a traditional Mexican embroidered dress, and smelled of roses.

  “Sí, amor. I sat here a long time ago, in the hopes that I could link with you one day. I’m sorry that I couldn’t stop this from happening. I fought it, but every path I uncovered seemed to lead to the same place.” She smiled, and I ached to sit up and hold her, but I didn’t want to destroy the illusion. “It’s time for you to wake up and fight. You know what you want, but you’ve been catering too much to everyone else. I know why—you didn’t understand the way things were. The way it worked. You have to know the rules to know when to break them.” She paused. “Break them. Fight. Or lose everything you love.”

  The image of Dastien cowering in the feral cages, upset and alone, filled my mind. Of his broken spirit. Of him withering.

  I’d been wrong. As always. I’d tried to do the right thing, and I’d ended up hurting those around me.

  I’d tried to help Meredith and it’d almost killed her.

  Now, I’d tried to help the pack, and it was only hurting my mate.

  “That’s right, amor. Time to wake.” She clapped her hands, and I blinked. “Wake! Before you lose it all!”

  She clapped her hands again. And I jolted awake.

  ***

  The scent of cloves burned in my nostrils. I tried to sit up, but couldn’t.

  My hands were tied. My legs were tied. I was chained to the floor, blindfolded. Gagged.

  And then I smelled it. The faint scent of blood. The decay of the chicken.

  I was in Luciana’s craft room.

  I’d woken too late.

  Chapter Twenty

  The strangest things occurred to me as I lay there against the cool floor. Like the fact that the last time the pack was in danger, it was Dastien and the others who’d been tied up and left to die. But I’d been there to get Dastien. I’d seen him go. I’d seen him be taken. My abilities and determination had saved him and the others.

  No one knew I was gone. Dastien wouldn’t be coming for me. Neither would Claudia or Raphael. No one in this coven would stand up to Luciana for me.

  As I waited for whatever was to come next, I knew that I’d cut myself off from my mate. There was no way to reach him. There was nothing I could do. I was stuck until I figured a way to get myself free.

  It was almost funny how bad my luck was. I hadn’t gotten a vision telling me that something bad was going to happen, so I’d figured it was okay. Except that I’d ignored the gut feeling telling me to get the hell out of the compound.

  This was why I hadn’t wanted to trust the visions. I didn’t want to depend on seeing something, because right when I needed help the most, they’d failed me. I could only trust what I could hold on to with my hands.

  So why had I ever let myself be separated from Dastien? We were a team. Infinitely more powerful together than we were apart.

  The floor moaned as someone walked toward me.

  “She’s awake.”

  Mr. Hoel. If I could say anything, I would’ve ordered him to let me go. I was more alpha than him. No matter what he tried, I could’ve overridden it.

  Silent spells worked with my witchy stuff, but could I do the same with my alpha powers? I reached for the wolf inside me and pushed my demand toward Mr. Hoel—Set me free!

  Nothing happened. No one moved. I bit back a wave of despair.

  “Did you bind her yet?”

  “Yes. Of course,” Luciana said. “We’ll start now.”

  Someone struck a match. The faint smell of wood burning filled the room.

  I could feel the magic before Luciana said anything. Her spell seeped under my skin and my back bowed in pain, and I screamed through the cotton stuffed in my mouth.

  I struggled against the bonds, but whatever they were made of was too strong for a Were—or at least this Were—to break.

  It was like slime was sliding under my skin. Oily. Dirty.

  I screamed again as I struggled. It felt like I was getting bit by a million fire ants all at once.

  The chanting started and then it was all I could do to breathe.

  I was being sucked dry. All my power was draining away. Separating.

  A hand held each of my shoulders. One was bigger, stronger than the other.

  I didn’t understand the words, but I could feel my power being absorbed by them. My alpha powers were going to Mr. Hoel. My bruja to Luciana.

  The hands let go of me and I thrashed as much as my bonds would allow. I didn’t care as they bit into my skin.

  The smell of sulfur choked the room and the chanting got louder.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks. Something was burning under my skin. Like I was on fire inside.

  I screamed until my voice was hoarse, but it didn’t do any good. The sound was muffled against the cloth. Overrun by the chanting. But I couldn’t stop. So much pain.

  Suddenly the room was quiet except for my screams and breathing.

  Hands unchained me from the ground, and I was dragged across the floor. A door shut, and I was sobbing. Unable to stop.

  My powers were gone. I could feel them missing. Like they’d chopped off my arm. I felt dead inside. Drained. No more.

  They’d taken a piece of my soul.

  I thought I’d die there. That I would never get to go home. I’d never see my parents again. Never see my brother.

  And Dastien.

  There were so many things I wished I could do. That I wished I’d done. And now, here I was. Tied up. All my powers drained. In the dark.

  It was a while before my harsh gasps slowed. Before I could think clearly. It could’ve been minutes or hours, but when I did, I knew three things.

  I was alive.

  I had to get out of here.

  And I had to stop Mr. Hoel and Luciana. No matter what. Even if I started a war. Even if it outed us all to the humans. Even if it cost me my life and the lives of others.

  They were evil.

  Somewhere in the dark, I found clarity. Focus.

  I remembered Grams’ words from the journal.

  …you that even at your darkest hour, when you’re stripped bare, I will be with you. Don’t ever lose faith.

  That was how I felt now. Stripped bare. But I didn’t have faith. It was gone. I was broken. They’d already taken my powers. They’d ripped something so vital from me it was like my soul was rent in two.

  I wiggled around in the space as I sobbed. Something brushed against my face and I jerked, knocking my head against the wall before I realized it was just a robe. One of the robes I’d seen in here earlier.

  Something about the feeling of the cloth against my face made me calm down. I was forgetting
something.

  I shook as I lay there.

  I should never have broken into the craft room. And I should’ve run as soon as I got the vision from that knife—

  I sucked in a breath. The knife.

  The tiniest spark of hope flared inside me.

  It had to be in here. Please, God. Let it still be in here.

  My hands were tied behind my back, but I could roll a little and feel the walls. I moved around and found a way to sit up. Sort of.

  I frantically searched. Praying. Hoping. Please, let Grams be right. It was here. I knew it was.

  I felt along all the walls and still nothing. Exhausted I relaxed against the floorboards.

  Come on, Tessa. Keep looking. It’s got to be here.

  I needed to sit up more. I wiggled until my back was against the wall, and then rolled until I was sitting. My head clunked into a shelf, and something rattled.

  I froze. Was that the knife?

  Something else Grams had written came to mind.

  The thing that will set you free is just above your head. Don’t be afraid to break through.

  I hit my head against the shelf harder, and the rattle came again.

  I didn’t want to hurt myself, but I’d heal. I was still a werewolf, even if Mr. Hoel had a hold on my alpha powers. I wasn’t afraid.

  I positioned myself just under the shelf, right where I heard the rattle.

  One. Two. Three.

  I slammed my head into it, and the wood splintered. Pain flared across my forehead and I smelled my own blood, but something cool and metal landed in my lap.

  I managed to get an awkward grip and sawed at the bonds at my wrist. As soon as I got the ones off of my arms, I ripped off the mask over my eyes, then the gag.

  “Fuck.”

  After freeing my legs I held my breath and listened.

  I wanted to run out of the house, but what if Luciana and Mr. Hoel were still here? What if they were waiting?

  I’d been dumb enough. I needed to be smarter now.

  I counted to sixty three times, taking care not to rush.

  Not a sound in the house.

  They were gone. Using my powers in whatever way they wanted. But not for long.

  I opened the closet door. I was still in the craft room.

  The bowl on the altar was gone. In its place were two mason jars. They glowed with a light so bright, so pure, it dimmed the shadows even in this room of darkness and evil.

  I wasn’t scared of crossing the circle anymore. I knew what was in those jars, and it belonged to me.

  There was a faint smell of sulfur as I crossed the circle. It was hot. At least twenty degrees hotter than the temperature outside the boundary.

  I wanted to break the jars right then and there, but Luciana would know I was out and that her plan had failed. I couldn’t afford that yet.

  I gritted my teeth. I had to deal with the empty feeling for a little bit longer. Not much longer, I promised myself. Just enough time to take these motherfuckers down.

  I grabbed the jars, cradling them to my chest, and ran as fast as I could to my cousins’ house.

  ***

  Claudia flew out from the kitchen as soon as I stepped through her front door. “Where have you been? What’s in those jars? Are you bleeding?”

  The cut on my head had already healed, but I wiped at it anyway. “I’m not bleeding anymore. My powers are in these.” I held up the jars. “Luciana did some spell on me. I need to go. Right now. I’m getting my keys and my things. When I leave, I want nothing here that they can use to spell me again. Not a single piece of hair. Nothing.”

  “Holy shit,” Raphael said from the top of the stairs. “Are you okay?”

  “No. I’m not okay.” I went to get my things, grabbing out a shirt from my duffle. I wrapped the jars in the T-shirt so they wouldn’t break. I tucked them carefully inside my messenger bag before grabbing my keys. Then I scooped up the rest of my stuff and headed for the door. “Anyone who wants to leave can come to the pack. I’m not waiting a second longer.” I didn’t pause as I strode toward my car. I took the jars out of my bag, set each one in a cup holder, and then threw everything else in the back. I didn’t want them out of my sight.

  I buckled my seatbelt as I drove over the cattle guards. My bond to Dastien slammed in place, but it was weak. Barely there. I heard him cry out, but couldn’t even make out what he was saying, only a vague feeling of fear and anger. I couldn’t answer. I didn’t have the strength to.

  I was in the zone as I drove. Maybe it was shock. Or maybe I was ready to kick some ass. Or maybe I was traumatized. All I could see were the road stripes as I hit the accelerator. I focused on the road. I pushed my car to go as fast as it could. Nothing was getting in my way. I was going home.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  As I pulled through the gates of St. Ailbe’s, I was still numb. My hands shook as I grabbed the two jars from the cup holders, and cradled them to my chest. I left the rest of my stuff in the car. I didn’t need it. There were two things that I really needed.

  A shower and Dastien.

  I bumped the car door with my hip, closing it, and as I turned, my breath caught.

  Dastien stood at the edge of the parking lot, waiting for me. Meredith, Donovan, Mr. Dawson, Adrian, Chris, and Dr. Gonzales were there too, but I hardly spared them a glance. Dastien alone filled my vision as he took slow measured steps toward me. He was wearing a pair of sweats and nothing else, which meant he’d shifted too quickly to go home for clothes.

  I walked straight to him and no one said anything. His arms wrapped around me, and I buried my nose in his chest.

  He muttered things that I couldn’t understand, rubbing his hands up and down my spine. “Are you okay?”

  “No.” I stepped away from him, and started toward the dorm. I didn’t pay attention to what anyone was doing. I kept moving. Any questions, any comments fell on deaf ears, as I moved woodenly.

  I didn’t stop until I got to my bathroom. I closed the door and started the shower. I placed the glowing jars on the counter and stared down at them.

  It was like two stars were trapped inside. In the one with my alpha powers, the light flickered and swirled with a glowing red orange center and yellow and white along the edges. The energy in the bruja jar shone vibrant blue and green on the outside with a pure, bright white center. It looked like they should be burning, but both glasses were cool to the touch.

  I took a quick shower, and when I was done, I felt maybe ten percent better. But I couldn’t scrub away that oily feeling. I couldn’t shove aside the knowledge that something had been stolen, and even if I could get it back, I might never be the same. I’d never trust in the same way again.

  The worst part was, I didn’t trust myself anymore.

  I felt like everything I’d done since the Tribunal was a mistake. I tried to let go of my anger and frustration, but it wasn’t easy. If only I could learn lessons the easy way…

  I reached through the shower curtain for a towel, but found it much closer than it was supposed to be. I peeked out to see Dastien leaning against the wall, holding a towel out to me. I hadn’t noticed when he’d come in, which said how out of it I was, but I was glad he was there. I wrapped myself in the towel and got out. The first thing I did was grab the jars.

  Dastien watched me without a word as I left the bathroom.

  Everyone was in my bedroom. Meredith and Chris stood up from where they were sitting on my bed when I walked in. No one was talking. I was back early, and they knew that I wouldn’t be here—not speaking—unless something terrible had happened. They all had to know something was wrong. Majorly wrong.

  I didn’t have a free hand to make sure the towel was tightly wrapped, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

  “What’s in the jars?” Donovan said.

  A tear slipped free and I shook my head.

  “Cherie.” Dastien’s voice rolled through me. His body heat warmed me as he stepped close, his che
st brushing my back and I closed my eyes. “What’s in the jars?”

  I kept my eyes shut tight as I held up the one in my left hand. I didn’t think I could take their sympathy and hold it together. “Alpha.” I held up the one in my right. “Bruja.”

  It was quiet for a second before Donovan spoke. “She’s been stripped.”

  It was chaos after that. Questions. Arguments about whether or not it was possible. About how it could’ve been done.

  I couldn’t handle it. Not then. Especially not in a towel.

  I turned to Dastien. “Hold them please. Don’t break them.”

  He nodded, and took the jars.

  I moved to my closet, and grabbed out some clothes. I’d feel better once I had clothes. Probably.

  I quickly dressed in the bathroom. It was only then—as I brushed my hair—that I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were a dull brown. My skin looked pale and tinged with green. My cheekbones stuck out, and my eyes were sunken in their sockets.

  I looked sick. Half-starved. Weak.

  I put my hair in a loose braid and went back into the room.

  “—Even if it were possible, it would be black. No one would do that. Not when the cost is so high. It’s impossible for—”

  “Believe me, the scent of sulfur and the heat and the fire under my skin—when she dies, Luciana will pay a high price for what she’s done.” My voice sounded flat even to me. “La Aquelarre is lost. Rupert Hoel is working with them. He’s the one who wanted my alpha power. She wanted my witchy stuff. They absorbed some of it into themselves, and drained the rest into these jars. And now I’m left with nothing. My only hope is that when I open the jars, I’ll have everything back. That it won’t just escape into the world at large, and I’ll get back whatever they’re still carrying. But we don’t have time to research or do anything about it now. Luciana will attack soon, and we need to be ready.”

  “Can we stop it?” Meredith said.

  “It’s coming whether we want it or not. The coven never cared about me.” I pointed to the jars. “That’s what Luciana wanted, and she got it.” I swallowed. “All we can do now is prepare for a fight.” I glanced at Dastien. “I’m hungry, I think?”