Jackal's Pride (Seven Deadly Book 2), page 4
Beside me, my wife cried and tended to me while I was on my deathbed. I never knew fatigue like this before. I could barely muster up a breath, let alone peer up at the dark circles framing the blue eyes I fell in love with three summers ago. I pushed her away with what waning strength I had, but she grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. Tears were in her eyes. I begged her to stay away to keep from getting the sickness, but of course she wouldn’t. Dehydration kept my tears from forming, but the helplessness I felt at being unable to save her or myself—the fact that I was completely powerless and that I’d die—hurt worse than this disease. The true agony of death awaiting me, was knowing because of me, my love would follow soon after.
As the memory deteriorated, I slammed my head against the floor but it did nothing to erase the agony. A scream escaped my mouth. Lifting up, I punched my chest and cried out for a remedy. This discomfort, however, wasn’t going away. Every time I experienced a memory, the despair and devastation taught me the same thing.
I didn’t want emotions.
Sleeping forever was a better option than enduring this madness. How did humans even exist if living was so hard? Why did emotions hurt so much? I-I did what I was supposed to do. Why was I being punished for it?
But I knew why. The witch made sure the hearts let me live it. And they weren’t ever going to stop. Why am I awake? The churning in my stomach made me sweat. Back to sleep. Back to sleep. I stood, staggered, and then let myself fall over.
Just sleep.
Nothing tied me to this world, and I didn’t care whether or not I existed. All I knew was I couldn’t go on like this.
I’d just sleep.
Put the hearts to rest once more.
My eyes closed, and I waited for the heartbeats to cease. Unfortunately, my anger hit me like a freight train as her fiery appearance filtered through the agony. I remembered the collar on my neck. The Grim Reaper’s raven-haired daughter and her unabashed gaze crawled through me like bugs on the skin. Her eyes were darker than the smile hiding her deceit.
She won’t let me be. Why did she put this on me? She said it was a bet. I should chain her in a dungeon and leave her there.
She won’t let me be. She wouldn’t. Why would she wake me to begin with? A bet. She told me, but my insides were catching fire. What was this growing intensity? Skepticism. That was it.
She won’t let me be…
I couldn’t trust her.
Sleep. I demanded my body to comply.
Seconds. Minutes. Maybe hours ticked by, and I couldn’t put myself asleep with a sleeping spell. This was never a problem before the collar. I sat up, gripped it, and yanked. Only the venom and fury clawing up my throat got worse.
I’m going to tear her limb from limb, then maybe eat her after. I didn’t have taste buds, but something told me if I did she’d be a worthy meal.
The collar prevented me from going back to sleep, not that it mattered. As long as this was on me she could come and wake me any time she pleased. The thought sent me to my feet, panting and breathing loudly through my nostrils.
I wasn’t sure what to do with myself or what I was feeling. All I knew was how much I wanted to get a hold of her… My muscles jumped.
Wait… Somehow through my seething I noticed one thing. When I was angry at the girl, I didn’t notice anything else. Not even the one hundred and thirty-seven.
Chapter 3
Maureen
“Where have you been?”
Barron’s deep, booming voice came as no surprise when I faded into my home. I was used to him barging in or waiting on me. I didn’t mind that, but what I did mind was the tone in his voice and the authority in which he thought I should answer that question.
Brothers. Always so overbearing and protective.
“Where have you been?” I mocked as I rounded the edge of the island in my kitchen. He was leaning against the sink with an apple in his hand.
“Heard from Ryan and Molly that you’re still going down to The Den with Gavin and them and betting.” Crunch. His eyes were on the apple in his hand instead of me. Out of my brothers, I thought Barron looked the most like our father. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a quiet, yet devastatingly powerful calm. While my dad could be gentle, it was a rare sight for Barron. He was closed off completely and gave zero apologies for it. But I knew the truth. The big lug kept his heart sealed away because he was terrified of his wrath. His sin made him rage out and when Barron raged, he hurt everyone in his path, including us.
The only ones he would open up to were his family. And that was a rarity. Like right now, I’d consider this Barron being loving. His coldness was still there, but he was here to check on me. Always checking on me. He did that for all of us. Even Sebastian and August and the fact that they gave each other hell when together, he still tucked himself into the shadows and appeared whenever they needed him.
I raised a brow. “You say it like I said I’d stop.”
“The vamp is bad news.” Crunch. “He’s been after your ass for years. He needs to be gone.”
I scoffed and crossed my arms. “What’s he gonna do? Kill me? Fine. I’ll just revive and kill him.”
“With the right resources here in the Underworld there’s a lot he can do to you before any of us can get to you in time.” His next words were like acid on my curse. “Why do you keep going back to let him bet you?”
Because every time you, Sebastian, or August tell me I can’t do something or that I’m in danger, I HAVE to prove you wrong.
The more they cared, the further they buried me with my curse. “I can take care of myself,” I gritted out.
Thank God he placed the apple down on the counter behind him. I was seconds from snatching it from his hand and popping him in the head with it. Damn, why did he have to eat an apple while talking to me? My nerves were already thinned out from my run-in with Jackal.
He grabbed my shoulders. “What did you do?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond since I didn’t know what he was talking about. My mouth was agape right about the time I sensed what Barron must have been referring to. Jackal’s powerful presence came barreling through the house from a portal. He stepped out, eyes locked on me, and the idiot had every intention of coming at me again. The collar reacted right about the time he tried. He wasn’t in human form—the fucker was tearing my kitchen to pieces in wolf form, his sharp nails slipping across my marble floor.
The collar was a force to reckon with. I simply sucked in a breath as it sent the giant black wolf soaring into the wall. Correction: through my damn wall! “Mind telling me when you got a pet?” Barron grunted in his usual manner as he moved like a panther toward Jackal. Unfortunately, Barron wasn’t the owner of the collar. The magic imbued on it seemed to prevent the wearer from hurting the holder, but everyone else was free reign. The entity pounced on my brother. Jackal’s teeth tore into Barron’s neck right as he shoved him back, materializing a sword. He gripped his neck and hissed. “Maureen.”
“He tore out my wall!” I managed to yell.
Barron snapped his head around and growled. “He nearly took off my head!”
I blinked, Barron’s skin prickled in and out, and then I blinked some more. “Oh fuck, don’t you dare rage on me!”
“Do something with your pet then.” Barron’s body faded in and out, even his voice was alternating. He was close, too close for my liking.
“That’s Jackal,” I pointed at the wolf currently stalking Barron.
Barron’s eyes widened in understanding before he gripped his sword tighter. “I see.”
“Jackal,” my voice vibrated with urgency. “Stop it.”
I had forgotten what the collar did until Jackal planted his wolf behind on the floor like a good dog. One of Barron’s brows shot up. “What did you do?” he asked lowly. When he spoke quietly like he did right now, I knew he was upset with me.
“I got Gavin off my back with this last bet.”
Jackal shifted into his human form and stood. “You think this is gonna hold forever?” His focus was solely on me as he yanked at the collar. “No magical possession will last as long as you and I will.”
As far as Gavin and the others were concerned, the collars couldn’t be broken, but as confident as they seemed I couldn’t help but study the band each and every time he yanked at it. Was that a crack already?
“The moment this breaks—”
“I’d watch what you say next,” Barron interrupted.
“Easy.” I grabbed Barron by the shoulder, and he glimpsed back at me. “I can handle Jackal, but having you raging out on me…um… I’d rather not deal with.”
“Did you know?” Barron asked.
I frowned. “Know what?”
“That Sebastian and Isabella have been searching for Jackal.”
I stepped back, and the creases on my face dug deeper. “No. Why are they searching for him?” I pointed toward the naked man standing in my kitchen.
Barron shrugged. “A witch told them he may be of help to the…” He glanced back toward Jackal who was being good because he had no choice, but his body was practically humming it was so wound up as he blatantly ogled me in disdain. “End of the world crisis,” Barron finished.
I tossed my head back and laughed as Jackal muttered, “Did you say the end is here?”
“We have plans assuring that doesn’t happen,” I told him.
I didn’t like the way Jackal crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. “How so?”
Why did he say that like he didn’t believe me? Maybe we didn’t have a plan per se but what I did know was there was no way I was dying in less than eight months. I hadn’t even lived two centuries yet. Nor have I tried pizza from Italy to know how different it was from America’s. I still hadn’t lived a life as a human. I figured I’d get around to it, eventually. I could live a double life as a Reaper and sex some hunky human male on the side. Let us not forget that there was no way any of us wanted to see the Devil crawl out of his hole and destroy all the bits and pieces that made the world whole and beautiful.
We also couldn’t allow Harvest to take the Devil’s place.
As much as I adored the darkest places of the Underworld—all the wicked and wrongdoings we shouldn’t indulge in—I loved the light just as much. I balanced the best of both worlds—I was the Grim Reaper’s daughter after all. We walked in the middle of good and bad, light and dark, with no intentions of explaining ourselves to anyone.
“Maybe I’ll get another collar and use it on Harvest,” I muttered hatefully, considering I had no actual clue what we’d do other than fight Harvest and the Devil and possibly fuck shit up.
Barron ignored me. “Is it true you can create plagues?”
“It’s true,” I told him quickly. “Tried to place one on me earlier.”
“Why are you asking?” For someone that slept for thousands of years, Jackal was sharp.
“Can you reverse devastation?” Barron cut straight to the point. Was this the reason they were searching for Jackal? Were they actually looking for him to ask for help?
One of Jackal’s brows shot up toward his forehead. “I’ve never tried to reverse anything. What would be the point?”
Barron took a deep breath, disappointment clear on his slumped shoulders. “Yeah, that’s what I expected.” He turned his head to the side. “Can you handle him?”
I scoffed and turned to Jackal. “Pinch your cheeks.” I really shouldn’t keep poking the beast but as usual I had to prove myself. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing as Jackal did as I said, eyes promising to kill as he glared at me.
Barron observed like he wanted to say something. From his sigh, I knew whatever it was wouldn’t be appropriate, but I was okay with that. I wasn’t in the mood to be lectured from someone I hated disappointing.
“I can’t just leave now that I know what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Barron muttered.
“Jackal’s leaving and so are you.” I smirked. “Right after you tell me your number.”
Barron shook his head. “I only went three over the quota today.”
I stuck my nose up in the air, beaming smugly. “Of course I win. I always win. I went ten over.”
Barron grabbed my shoulder. “You won’t always.” He glared at Jackal. “When I see the vamp, he’s as good as dead and any other being that thought this was a good idea.” He was referring to the collar strapped around Jackal’s neck.
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
“It’s not.” I hated the weight in his eyes. The one that took on all our troubles. “And you, stay away from Maureen, or I’ll have fun rearranging your viscera,” he said to Jackal. “I don’t care that you’re an entity, you still know pain.” Barron cupped the wound on his neck which was likely already healing itself. “I already owe you some hurt.” My brother’s eyes gleamed with a menacing promise as he glared at Jackal.
Jackal’s gaze moved back and forth between us, then he nodded as if he’d reached some sort of conclusion. “You’re blood relatives.” He half-smirked at me. “You are, Maureen?”
“And?” Where was he going with this?
“Just coming to terms with something,” was his hushed reply.
I squinted and crossed my arms below my breasts. “And what are you coming to terms with?”
“This thing called patience.” He eyed Barron. “And just so we’re clear, she woke me and put this collar on me.”
“Don’t take it off him,” Barron told me, his eyes locked with Jackal’s. “At least until we figure out what to do with him. Considering what Harvest has done, we can’t predict what this one might do.”
Jackal remained impassive as he had his staring contest with Barron, outwardly unaffected by what he just heard. But on the inside, I was sure the beast was furious. His black essence rippled all around him.
Barron faded without saying goodbye and left me with Jackal. I waited until Jackal’s green eyes were burning into mine before I said, “Do whatever you want. I don’t care. The only one making this difficult is you.”
“Me?” He didn’t even sound upset. Apparently, he had been awake long enough to learn some moderation. “I’ve been collared by a female that simply left without bothering to take it off of me.”
“I am not removing it until I’m ready,” I pointed out. “And with your attitude, I’m in no rush.”
“You’re poking the wrong kind of monster. You have no idea what little control I have over how I feel, especially when it comes to you and my anger.”
I chuckled dryly. “When does anyone ever have control of their emotions every second of each day? If we were meant to discipline them better than what we do then they would be buttons we could shut off when needed.” I’d caught him off guard. I could tell by the bewilderment in his widened eyes as he rubbed his chest. Without thinking much of it, I materialized some clothes on him so I’d stop gawking at his flawless bronze perfection. “As for your temper, I’d advice some anger management. When it comes to me, you better just get use to me. You and I are bound together by that collar until I’m ready to free you.”
I was burning up, and then I realized I was still dressed for a snow day. Time for a quick change. I materialized a pair of tight black pants and a loose blouse. When I glanced up, Jackal watched me curiously. He peered down at himself before ripping off the shirt.
“You think you can dress me as well?” he growled as the remnants of the shirt fell to the floor.
“Oh my Hades, you’re such a Neanderthal.” I groaned. “In this day and age, it’s no longer common to walk around butt naked, even in the Underworld.”
“It’s constricting is what it is,” He said as he took off his pants. “Every creature is born naked. I don’t see the point in covering up what everyone knows is already there.”
I covered the smile with my palm. “It’s called decency. I’m all about getting naked when it matters but you walk around like that, and you’re going to scare someone.”
“Scare?” He raised his head up, back straightening—as if to appear more frightening, and I fought my laughter. “Everyone already fears me.” He went back to removing his pants.
My eyes took in his cock again, and I coughed. “That’s not what I’m referring to. I mean one peek at that, and everyone’s going to assume you’re out there murdering with it. I mean, that doesn’t look usable—it can’t be.” I realized I was still staring at his murder weapon when I saw him watching me.
“I am a killer,” he stated, still not getting what I meant.
I was killing myself. He was missing the innuendo. More accurately, he was totally missing what it I was talking about. I’m cracking myself up. But seriously, he was hung like a horse and he was soft. I’d hate to see what it looked like in working use. I wasn’t kidding about him hurting someone with that thing. A delightful little shiver snaked down my spine. A totally normal response. The dude was godly. Too bad for me he was the entity known as Jackal.
“You know, I don’t care if you want to be naked. Just go be naked somewhere else.” I waved him away as I concentrated on repairing the wall he destroyed. In seconds the wall was mending itself as I walked over to the sink to pour a glass of water. Using power was effortless—it was an extension of our soul. A matter of one’s will. Mom often mentioned that we were levitating furniture and materializing objects we wanted before we walked.
“I’m not leaving your side.”
I turned off the faucet. I didn’t believe I heard him right. I tipped my head over my shoulder.
“Tell me what’s going on in the world right now. Is the end finally here?” I tried to read his expression as he spoke.
“I don’t like the way you say finally like you’ve been waiting on it.”
“I have,” he said it so easily that the glass in my hand shattered. He continued like it didn’t faze him. “Or had so that I could finally be done with what I was made to do. Not all of us want to live eternally.”
I studied the firm line in his expression. The gravity I saw in his eyes was as strong as the stubbornness normally in mine. Suddenly I was curious. I liked living. I always wanted more, and yet I could see that there was nothing tethering him to this life. Jackal was an entity who wanted death. He was a puzzle I wanted to solve. “You won’t die then... Even in the end.” I mumbled with the lift of one brow, already curious as to what his reply would be.
