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Chapter Twenty-Six

Jagger

The wooden door shattered, splintering to pieces as I exploded through it.

My paws thudded on the rug as I pressed my nose to the floor, breathing in Sutton’s fading scent like I had for the last couple of days. Her scent ended here though.

I’d come back to Tarrant’s house repeatedly, because I was positive this was the last place she’d been. We’d searched the entire place from top to bottom, same with the sewer. Lars had reluctantly given us the grand tour, but there’d been no sign of Sutton.

Now I was back, and I was going to tear this fucking house apart until I found something that would lead me to her.

Fear pounded through me, along with more rage than I knew what to do with.

Rune had just found out the reason Tarrant was so controlling with Poe—the last female he’d become obsessed with, a demi-demon who was selling product for them, had been held captive by him—and he’d slowly mutilated and eaten her.

The thud of boots followed me as I raced down the hall. I breathed in Sutton’s faint scent, stoking the wildfire raging inside me. But she was alive.

If she wasn’t, I’d know. I’d feel it. Mated or not, I would feel it.

Head down, I ran at the first wall, smashing through it, and I kept on going, systematically tearing the house down. Tarrant had completely disappeared. If he was in Hell, I’d know. Our brothers down there would have seen or heard something. Unless he was being hidden from us.

I’d find him, though, then I’d kill him.

My brothers followed my lead, tearing the walls down, looking for anywhere she could have been taken.

I turned to the paneled wall at the end of the hall and bounded toward it, exploding through it with a roar—and dropped, landing halfway down a set of stairs.

Howling, I alerted my brothers and tore down the stairs into a small empty room.

War, Relic, and Lothar ran in as I shifted, and tilting my head back scented the air.

“Brimstone,” I said and pressed my hand to the brick wall in front of me.

Echoes of Hell reached out to me, shooting up my arm and nailing me in the gut.

“Somehow, Tarrant opened a gateway, and did it down here to try to hide it.”

War moved up beside me and pressed his hand to the warm brick just as I had done. His eyes flashed red. “Only a lord could have opened a portal for that asshole. No way a hound would have done it, and Brick’s too young to have the ability. And Lucifer sure as fuck wouldn’t have.”

War got on his phone, while I tried to fucking breathe. Pressing both hands to the brick, I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to see her, to find her. Her scent lived inside me, I should be able to track her anywhere. “Why can’t I track her? Why the fuck can’t I see her?”

“Check it out,” Loth said. “More fucking sigils. Powerful ones. Stronger than the ones we found in the sewer. They’re designed to conceal. Only a lord could create something like that, something powerful enough to block them between this realm and Hell.”

War finished his call with Lucifer. “He’s alerting our brothers in Hell and calling in his lords. I told him several of us were heading down.”

War, Relic, and the others needed to make sure the females and pups were covered above ground.

“Keep me updated,” War said as I lifted a hand and opened a gateway.

I jerked my chin up, then Loth, Rome, Fender, and I walked through the portal and into Hell.

As soon as I stepped through, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. My world instantly spun, recalibrating—there. Finally.

There you are, sunshine.

“This way,” I said, shifted, and ran like hell toward my mate.

Sutton

A naked Brick and I followed the huge and also naked Kurgan, though neither male seemed bothered. Lenny was frozen in Kurgan’s enormous arms. She looked terrified, and I wanted to help her, but there was no way Kurgan was going to put her down.

We’d been walking for hours. Every now and then we’d come across a group of demons, and Kurgan and Brick would growl and snarl and they’d run away. So far, so good.

Except for my wound that was hot and weeping.

It throbbed as infection set in. I was starting to feel feverish and achy.

As much as I needed to tend it, I didn’t have any of my supplies.

I could use magic to help it, but I was too weak to do that, especially after depleting my power to get free. I needed rest first.

Kurgan headed down another path that opened up into a wide expanse.

A forest, but all the colors were wrong.

There were clumps of red rock and black-trunked trees with leaves in deep autumn colors, deep reds and browns and burned oranges.

There were openings in the forest floor, and every now and then flames licked up from somewhere below, while strange spindly birds with leathery wings perched on ebony branches watching us with red eyes as we passed.

“What is this place?”

Brick shrugged. “Hell is vast, there are many levels, and different climates and landscapes. This is just one forest among many.”

I had no idea. “Jagger brought me to Hell, but it looked different. There were caverns and tunnels like the one we just walked out of. How far away is that from here?”

“My sire has shown me a lot of places down here,” Brick said, “but we spend most of our time where Jagger took you. That’s where Lucifer resides. We’re a long way from there now.”

“How do you know?”

He placed his hand on the center of his chest. “Lucifer is part of us, even I, born not made like my sire, feel the connection. I know how far away I am from him at all times, and my pack. They feel very distant. I’ve never been this far from them before.”

There was a lost look in his eyes, and I gave his hand a squeeze and didn’t let go. He squeezed my hand in return and released a small sigh. My young friend needed physical touch just as badly as his brothers. “If Jagger realizes we’re down here, can he open a gateway and come straight to us?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

He glanced my way. “On whether or not he caught your scent before he came through. Without a scent to guide him, or any idea where you are, he’ll probably open a gateway in Lucifer’s quadrant.

If that happens, he’ll have to travel on foot to get to you.

The gateway takes us between realms, once we’re down here we have to walk like everyone else. ”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Kurgan stopped suddenly, and I almost walked into the back of him. “What are we doing?”

“Lenny is wounded. I need to tend her,” Kurgan said. Lenny’s eyes widened with alarm as his green eyes came to me. “You smell sick. The pup will tend you.”

Brick looked at me and frowned, then scented me. “He’s right, I can smell the infection.”

I pulled my shirt down a little to show him the damage.

“Fuck. Why didn’t you say something? My senses are all over the place after the shit that happened, but still?—”

“It’s fine, and you’ll need time before you’re back to feeling like yourself.”

“Suck out the infection and lick,” Kurgan said to him.

Brick looked at me, brows lifted. “I’ll help you, whatever you need.”

Kurgan nodded in approval. “Jagger might kill you, but his female won’t be dead.”

Brick made a choking sound.

“I’ll be okay,” I said quickly. “I just need to rest, so I can recharge my magic and work on the infection myself.”

Brick puffed up his chest. “I can do it. I can help you. Jagger won’t be pissed if I save your life. He will, however, kill me if I let you die because I was too much of a coward to do it.”

I couldn’t believe he’d ever hurt Brick. He still held my hand, and I squeezed it again. “Let me see if I can do something first, okay?”

He nodded, and we both watched as Kurgan kicked broken branches onto a pile, while still holding Lenny in his arms, then finally aimed one hand at the pile, blasting it with fire and setting the branches alight.

At least we’d be warm. Despite the hellfire, the forest wasn’t hot, the opposite in fact.

He sat then, still holding Lenny on his lap.

“Put me down now, Kurgan,” she said shakily.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m protecting you.” He took her foot in his hand and lifted her leg, studying the bite he’d given her. “You’re wounded. I’ll heal it.”

“You caused it,” she said. “You caused that wound, and I want you to put me down.”

He snarled and gripped her tighter, breathing hard.

“Lenny,” I said low, “hounds are emotionless until they find their mates. Being with you will awaken new emotions in him, and he’ll have no idea how to deal with it. I know it’s hard, but try to keep him calm.”

His gaze sliced to me, and he bared his teeth. “She’s mine. I protect her. I won’t hurt her.”

“I know,” I said. “You’re doing a really good job too. You’ve kept her safe.”

He pressed his nose to her hair. “You’re safe, Lenny.”

She squeezed her eyes closed. “I know. Thank you.”

He lifted her then, sitting her beside him, and grabbed her ankle, dragging his nose along her calf as he growled low, before he started licking.

Lenny shrieked and tried to shove him away.

Kurgan didn’t seem to notice.

“Calm,” I said to her. “Licking is how a hound heals others.”

Kurgan was focused . He licked the wound thoroughly and then went back for another round, while Lenny squirmed.

Kurgan made a low, vibrating, repetitive sound and dragged his nose higher along Lenny’s thigh.

“No, Kurgan,” Lenny said, her face flushing.

He dragged his nose higher still, while she pushed at his head.

“Kurgan,” I said urgently. “Stop.”

His eyes lifted, and they were glowing. “The scent up here…” He breathed deeply again and made more rumbling sounds. “It makes me...” He licked his lips. “Hungry.”

In other words, his pleasure receptors were all fired up. Shit .

Lenny shoved him hard. “No! I don’t like that.”

Brick strode back, carrying firewood, and looked like he was about to intervene, which would have been disastrous.

Lenny quickly started singing, and Kurgan lifted his head instantly to watch her, to listen. Her voice was soft and so incredibly beautiful.

“I think we’re good for now,” I said to Brick and hoped I was right.

“You should try to sleep,” he said to me when he was loading up the fire.

I wasn’t sure I could. I was sick, shaking with fever now, and scared. I felt weaker than I had in a long time—and we were literally in Hell. “I’ll try.”

Lenny stopped singing. “What about demons?” she said from the other side of the fire, now plastered to Kurgan’s side. “Will they try to ambush us? If we sleep, they could attack.”

Kurgan tilted his head back and roared , the sound like a demented lion in bloodlust. We all jumped, then froze. “They won’t come now,” he said, his green eyes taking in the little female beside him, a look of utter rapture on his face. “And I won’t sleep.”

She blew out a slow breath, but I could see the pulse at her throat beating wildly. “Thank you,” she said.

He looked from her to Brick, a conflicted expression on his face. His jaw clenched, and he looked down at Lenny again, then back at Brick. “Pup,” he barked.

“Yeah?” Brick said.

“Find meat. The females need food. Go.”

That explained the conflict. He wanted to be the one to get Lenny food, but he didn’t want to let her go, or leave her unprotected either.

“I’m fine,” Lenny said.

“Me as well.”

“You need to eat,” he said.

“Not sure if Hell meat will agree with us,” I said. “We’re not from here, Kurgan. It might make us sick.” The birds alone were a breed I’d never seen before, I had no idea what other creatures were out there.

He growled. “Pup, sit down.”

Brick cursed under his breath but did as the older and stronger hound commanded.

Kurgan appeared distressed and kept looking down at Lenny.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, and I knew she had to be lying because I was starving.

“So where in Roxburgh do you live?” I asked her, trying to stop Kurgan from worrying and possibly losing his shit.

“I’m in Linville,” she said, studiously ignoring the huge hound who was again scenting her while a low rumble vibrated from his chest. “What about you?”

“I live in the city. I was with my coven before that, I had to leave, though…to protect them.”

She blinked rapidly. “I…I had to leave my family as well, for the same reason, to protect them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” she said and she attempted to scoot over and put a little distance between her and her hound. He wouldn’t give her an inch.

“You’re a shifter, yes?”

She nodded. “Fox.”

Her quiet nature made a lot of sense. Foxes were gentle, sweet-natured, and fiercely protective of their loved ones but also tried to avoid conflict. I knew only one other fox shifter. Ren was Willow’s familiar, and he had the same gentle yet fierce nature.

I had no idea what the fates were thinking, matching Lenny with such a strong male, but then I’d thought the fates had made a mistake when they paired me and Jagger.

I didn’t think that anymore.

All my life I’d felt unwanted. I’d been thrown away.

I hadn’t even tried to fight it, not once.

I’d been so sure I was worthless, so sure I somehow must deserve it, that I took it all.

I almost lost Jagger as well, because I hadn’t fought.

Instead, I’d accepted it as fate kicking me around again, taking on the role of victim, but that wasn’t what I was, and that wasn’t what they were trying to do. No, the fates had been testing me.

They’d given me a second chance.

To fight.

They wanted me to show Jagger, to show everyone, including myself, just how worthy I was of a happily ever after, and that I was strong enough to fight for what was mine.

And that’s exactly what I was going to do.