Page 18 of The Wolf and the Chimera (The Witch and the Cowboy #3)

Elle

“C’mon, Ella-Bella,” Dad teased and knocked over my knight. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

We sat below the deck of the ship that had been home for the last three years.

Being constantly on the run was part of my existence, but I didn’t mind life on the ocean.

At our little fold-out table, I sat across from Dad and bit back a smile.

He was an excellent chess player, but his fatal flaw was consistently underestimating me.

I feigned disappointment. “Man, I thought you would miss that.”

Over Dad’s broad shoulder was the petite galley.

Freshly brewed coffee and sea salt scented the air.

We hit a big wave, and the light above us swung.

Dad reached out to steady its wire. He wore one of his tacky, floral-printed shirts that I hated and that Mom teased him for relentlessly.

As if my thoughts summoned her, she descended the spiral staircase and headed toward the pot of coffee.

Her blonde hair was coiled into an impeccable bun, and she wore her usual nylon battle suit. Unlike Dad, she didn’t believe in leisure.

A pang of longing struck me so violently, I gasped.

“What is it, honey?” Dad asked.

An image of Mom—bloody and broken and surrounded by snarling wolves—flashed back to me.

“This,” I whispered, “this isn’t real. You guys are…you gu ys are…”

They’re out of your reach, the sorceress whispered, but I can take you to them.

When I had been forced to leave him, Dad had been so terribly outnumbered. No one could’ve survived such an attack.

Could they?

I had harbored hope that they had survived, but…

Memories of the sorceress’s promises from her last possession hurtled back to me. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten.

It was the damned sedative, she cooed. It made you forget, but I’m here to help you remember.

From the galley, Mom set down her coffee mug and stared at me.

“Find us,” she said. “We’ll be in the meeting spot.”

Call out to me, the sorceress whispered, and I will come. I will help you reach them.

Dad clutched my hand. Tears brimmed in his angular eyes.

“Find us, sweet girl,” he said. “We’re waiting for you.”

???

I hurtled back into consciousness and clutched my heaving chest. From the couch in front of me, Ryder’s soft snores hiccupped, and he jerked upright.

“Elle,” he whispered. Glowing amber eyes met mine. “Elle, what is it?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Tears swam in my vision, and Ryder rushed to my side. With a click, he turned on the bedside lamp, as if chasing away the darkness in the room would ease the weight in my heart.

“They’re waiting for me,” I said. “All this time, they’ve been waiting. I have to get to them. ”

I had already forgotten the sorceress’s promise once. I wouldn’t forget it again.

“Who?” Ryder asked. “Who’s waiting for you?”

I took a deep breath. “My parents.”

Pity softened his features. “You were dreaming,” he whispered.

“Yes,” I agreed, “but it wasn’t a normal dream. The sorceress whispered to me—”

He growled. “How dare she toy with you.”

“I don’t think she is,” I said in a rush. “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but she’s told me this before. She said they’re in our meeting place. How else would she know we had a place to meet in case anything ever happened to us, and we got separated—”

“Maybe,” Ryder interrupted, “because she’s in your head.”

He tucked a braid behind my ear, but I pushed him away.

“I know,” I said. “I know she’s not trustworthy, but this feels like the truth.”

“Does it?” he asked gently. “Or do you want it to be the truth?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Can’t it be both?”

“Your mom was in bad shape,” Ryder whispered. “Your dad was outnumbered.”

“But those wolves never caught us,” I said. “Maybe it’s because my parents ended them. Maybe they’re out there, Ryder.”

He sighed. “Maybe, but are you willing to do the sorceress’s bidding to get to them?”

Confused and exhausted, I laid back down and searched for the answer to Ryder’s question. All I could think about was how good it was to see Dad’s laugh lines and hear Mom’s voice.

“I miss them,” I whispered.

Ryder laid at my side and held my hand. This time, I didn’t pull away.

“I know,” he whispered. His other hand caught a tear I didn’t realize had slipped down my cheek. “I know, Ellie, but think. If your parents were alive, why haven’t they come to you? Why go to some meeting place? Where is it you’re supposed to meet anyway?”

“Maybe they fear they’ll be followed by the High Witch if they come to me,” I said. “And as for the meeting place, I swore to them I would never reveal it to another living soul.”

“How am I supposed to help you get to it if I don’t know where it is?” he countered.

I looked at him sideways. “Would you help me if I told you?”

Ryder’s brow furrowed. “It’s a trick, Elle. The sorceress is using what you want most against you.”

His words confirmed my suspicions. He wouldn’t.

If I wanted to find my parents, I would have to do it on my own.

Not entirely alone, I thought.

Even worse, I would have to rely on the sorceress’s aid.

???

Ryder

After Elle’s dream, the last place I wanted to be was away from her side, yet that’s where I found myself the next day.

“This’ll be fun,” Lyall repeated.

I wondered if he thought saying something enough times would make it true.

We stood in the back pasture of the estate in front of the smoldering embers of yesterday’s bonfire.

All around us, wolves picked up trash and packed away speakers.

I wanted to help, but Lyall insisted they had it under control.

Instead of helping his pack clean up after a party he required, the Sovereign wanted to spend his time going on a run with me.

Maybe he’ll kill me and call it an accident, I thought .

Part of me welcomed him to try. My wolf was eager to sink its teeth into the slimy son of a bitch. The other part remembered that hubris killed wolves as often as hunters.

A fight with Lyall wasn’t one I was sure I could win.

“Let’s get this over with,” I said.

As I stripped and shifted forms, I reminded myself that Kieran had promised to stay with Elle throughout my absence.

I only hoped I wasn’t mistaken in trusting him.

I shook my head and embraced the strength that coursed through my body.

Lyall stood beside me, and his brown fur gleamed in the sunshine.

He jogged through the grassy field, and I followed him.

Lyall picked up the pace, and we quickly entered the forest. Shadows danced across the rocky ground, brambles, and shrubbery.

Birds chirped, and creatures scuttled. Skirting around trees, I lost myself in the methodical motions of running.

We passed other wolves on hunts and patrols, and they bowed their heads to their Sovereign, though even in wolf form, Lyall failed to acknowledge his pack.

Mates or not, I didn’t understand how Kalli loved this man.

When we leaped over a trickling creek, the afternoon sun was high in the sky. I was tempted to pause for a drink, but I refused to appear weak in front of Lyall.

The farther we got from the rest of the pack, however, the more I thought Lyall might be coming out here to try to kill me.

Part of me quaked in fear at the thought, but my animalistic side relished the challenge. My wolf was done with mind games and tedious dinners.

He wanted Lyall’s blood spilled across the forest floor.

As we navigated thicker and thicker foliage, I listened for the slightest increase in the Sovereign’s heartbeat or the smallest catch in his breath to indicate an oncoming attack.

Ahead of us, a small, wooden cabin was built into the mountainside and covered in foliage, but a single light by the door indicated the place wasn’t abandoned. Lyall slowed then stopped, and I copied his movements. When he shifted into his human form, I did the same.

Back on two legs, I rolled my shoulders to relieve the tension there. It was always weird becoming human again after being in wolf form for a while. Legend said that a wolf who stayed in one form or the other would get trapped that way, but I’d never heard of anyone being crazy enough to try it.

Lyall grabbed some sweatpants out of a drawer on the front porch and tossed them to me. While the Alpha dressed in his own fancy clothes, I quickly put the sweatpants on and crossed my arms.

“So,” I said, “you bring me out here to kill me?”

Lyall, now partially clothed, chuckled and shot me a feral grin. “Is that a challenge?”

Adrenaline coursed through me, and fur sprouted on my arms. My jaw ached with the need to shift, but Lyall quickly waved off my concerns.

“Relax,” he chided. “I brought you here because this is where I like to think. Sometimes it’s hard to do that with so many underlings around. You’re an Alpha. You get it.”

I had never heard any Alpha refer to his packmates as underlings, but I bit my tongue. I didn’t want to distract the egomaniac from what he’d brought me here to think about.

“Sure,” I said drily.

Lyall opened the creaky door. “Where are my manners? Come in.”

As Lyall flicked on the ceiling light, I followed him inside.

The cabin was a stark contrast to the chateau.

The round kitchen table was well-structured, but old, and the beige wall paint was chipped.

A worn, leather sofa faced a dusty fireplace, and the faint scent of mold wafted in the air.

Lyall walked to the countertops and cabinets, built into the corner of the quaint space, and grabbed a couple of glasses.

Instead of getting water from the sink, he surprised me by grabbing a half-empty bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

He poured both of us some. I accepted the glass and brought it to my lips but didn’t swallow any of the putrid smelling liquid.

Lyall watched me closely, so I winced and cleared my throat.

“That’s strong,” I said.

Lyall smirked and polished his off.