Penance (Dark Alpha #5) Read Online Free
Author: Alisa Woods
able to. I’ll bring one of them with me. Hopefully the other one can meet us later. He’s tied up at the moment.”
“That’s fine. I’ll have Kalis text you the address when I hang up. And Arianna?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, sis.” His voice was choked. “There’s not a day I haven’t been trying to find a way to get you free.”
She was tearing up again. “We’ll have time to talk later.”
Marco cleared his throat. “Later. Right. See you soon, Ari.”
He hung up the phone.
“What is this business about a coven of witches?” Sarra was standing now, looking tense and staring Arianna down from her spot by the table.
Arianna winced. “I guess they’re helping us.”
Sarra looked askance at her. “Look, country girl, I don’t know about where you’re from, but here in the city, witches don’t generally help wolves. Unless they’re helping themselves to our body parts. Especially female wolves. Especially, especially mated female wolves.”
“I know.” Arianna handed back her phone. “But I trust my brother. If you just want to drop me off, I’d totally understand.”
Sarra let out a dry laugh. “Jak would skin me alive, and rightly so, if I dropped you off at a coven of witches. Um, no. I’ll be going with you.”
Arianna wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry about dragging you into all this.” It seemed like everyone she loved, and even strangers she had just met, were risking themselves, all to help her get free of Mace. She felt bad about that, but she couldn’t help it either. It was either that or stay with him. And she’d already made that choice. Now she had to see it through.
“Looks like we’re going on a road trip,” Sarra said. “You might need a few things, just in case we’re not coming back any time soon.”
Arianna unfolded her arms and held her hands out. “Oh, no. No, no, no. I can’t take anything from you. You’ve already given me too much help.”
Sarra motioned her toward the bedroom. “Shut up and help me pack.”
Arianna had no choice but to follow her and help in any way she could. And she couldn’t help wondering what she did to deserve all this—Jak working to free her, Marco taking the risk to team up with witches to get her back, and now Sarra, giving her safe shelter, tea, and packing her up with things to go on the road. Which was probably where she was going to be—on the road, on the run—for a good long time. Possibly forever.
Arianna didn’t know what she could ever do to repay any of them. But she would do everything in her power to live a life worthy of all the risks these people were taking to give her a chance to live one.
Jak and Circe spent five tense minutes waiting in the reception area of Morgan Media, subjected to the ogling and whispers of the two receptionists. Circe eventually banished them to the main office area of Morgan Media. A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and two men stepped out. They were both tall, well-built males, clearly in possession of the shifter gene—the younger one was no more than sixteen, while the older one seemed closer to twenty. But what froze the breath in Jak’s chest was the brilliant blue eyes, the dark brown hair, and the fresh-faced innocence of both.
There was no question in his mind: they were Arianna’s brothers.
Circe quickly addressed the older one. “Marco, nice to see you again.” There was a purr in her voice that Jak recognized instantly as Circe-lusting-after-wolves. He wondered just what Marco had traded to earn Circe’s help in finding his sister. Then again, maybe he had just paid her in money—the kid looked as innocent as Arianna, although he had that same world-weariness that didn’t seem to belong on her face either.
Marco frowned, coolly taking in Jak’s presence. “When you said you wanted to meet, Circe, I didn’t realize you meant with other shifters. Who is this character?”
The younger one stood at attention, like he was ready to
“That’s fine. I’ll have Kalis text you the address when I hang up. And Arianna?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, sis.” His voice was choked. “There’s not a day I haven’t been trying to find a way to get you free.”
She was tearing up again. “We’ll have time to talk later.”
Marco cleared his throat. “Later. Right. See you soon, Ari.”
He hung up the phone.
“What is this business about a coven of witches?” Sarra was standing now, looking tense and staring Arianna down from her spot by the table.
Arianna winced. “I guess they’re helping us.”
Sarra looked askance at her. “Look, country girl, I don’t know about where you’re from, but here in the city, witches don’t generally help wolves. Unless they’re helping themselves to our body parts. Especially female wolves. Especially, especially mated female wolves.”
“I know.” Arianna handed back her phone. “But I trust my brother. If you just want to drop me off, I’d totally understand.”
Sarra let out a dry laugh. “Jak would skin me alive, and rightly so, if I dropped you off at a coven of witches. Um, no. I’ll be going with you.”
Arianna wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry about dragging you into all this.” It seemed like everyone she loved, and even strangers she had just met, were risking themselves, all to help her get free of Mace. She felt bad about that, but she couldn’t help it either. It was either that or stay with him. And she’d already made that choice. Now she had to see it through.
“Looks like we’re going on a road trip,” Sarra said. “You might need a few things, just in case we’re not coming back any time soon.”
Arianna unfolded her arms and held her hands out. “Oh, no. No, no, no. I can’t take anything from you. You’ve already given me too much help.”
Sarra motioned her toward the bedroom. “Shut up and help me pack.”
Arianna had no choice but to follow her and help in any way she could. And she couldn’t help wondering what she did to deserve all this—Jak working to free her, Marco taking the risk to team up with witches to get her back, and now Sarra, giving her safe shelter, tea, and packing her up with things to go on the road. Which was probably where she was going to be—on the road, on the run—for a good long time. Possibly forever.
Arianna didn’t know what she could ever do to repay any of them. But she would do everything in her power to live a life worthy of all the risks these people were taking to give her a chance to live one.
Jak and Circe spent five tense minutes waiting in the reception area of Morgan Media, subjected to the ogling and whispers of the two receptionists. Circe eventually banished them to the main office area of Morgan Media. A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and two men stepped out. They were both tall, well-built males, clearly in possession of the shifter gene—the younger one was no more than sixteen, while the older one seemed closer to twenty. But what froze the breath in Jak’s chest was the brilliant blue eyes, the dark brown hair, and the fresh-faced innocence of both.
There was no question in his mind: they were Arianna’s brothers.
Circe quickly addressed the older one. “Marco, nice to see you again.” There was a purr in her voice that Jak recognized instantly as Circe-lusting-after-wolves. He wondered just what Marco had traded to earn Circe’s help in finding his sister. Then again, maybe he had just paid her in money—the kid looked as innocent as Arianna, although he had that same world-weariness that didn’t seem to belong on her face either.
Marco frowned, coolly taking in Jak’s presence. “When you said you wanted to meet, Circe, I didn’t realize you meant with other shifters. Who is this character?”
The younger one stood at attention, like he was ready to