Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

A deep growl vibrated the cupboards, and dishes shattered onto the floor. I shielded my eyes with my hands until the room fell silent. When I peeked out from behind my fingers, I swallowed hard as Nevaeh stood face-to-face with a massive black wolf in the doorway.

Bigger than the white wolves I saw earlier, its head was the only part that could fit in the house. With bared jowls, it growled at Nevaeh, but she stood her ground.

“We were coming to get you,” she said, her tone annoyed.

It sniffed the air, then settled its sapphire eyes on me. My heart raced as sweat formed on the back of my neck. The wolf chuffed and bobbed its head before retreating outside.

Nevaeh’s smile was gentle as she ushered me to join her on the porch. I stepped outside and watched the wolf walk away from the house. It turned around and waited by the fence line.

“He’s been waiting for you,” Nevaeh whispered, her eyes glistening with a hidden fire .

I gasped in amazement as I leaned on the railing for support. “Me? I don’t understand.”

Vincent, Jossy, and Lex stood behind me, their faces etched with a mix of awe and anticipation. As I took one step down the stairs, I couldn’t help but pause. My breath caught in my throat as a sudden pull carried me toward the wolf.

“Go on,” Jossy said, his voice tinged with urgency. “He belongs to you.”

My head swiveled back toward him, then back to the wolf. “ Belongs to me?” I asked.

The wolf fixed its unblinking gaze on mine, as if it held a secret that only I could unravel. Then, a strange connection formed between us, like a silken thread woven from the very fabric of the universe, binding me to him. He felt like home.

He stood again, and patches of melting snow dotted the expansive field behind him, making my throat bob. He was majestic as he stretched and shook out his fur. I inched down the steps and approached him, careful not to make any sudden movements.

I shivered as the wind picked up and cut through my shirt, but with a deep breath, I went to him. His fur shimmered under the sunlight, revealing hints of silver and blue intertwined in a mesmerizing pattern. It illuminated the contours of his magnificent wolf form, accentuating the powerful muscles rippling beneath his sleek black fur.

My heart skipped in awe as I extended my hand, and he allowed me to touch him. I ran my fingers along his side before facing him. With a sudden gracefulness that belied his size, he lowered his head to nuzzle my outstretched hand.

In that moment, a rush of images flooded my mind—flashes of memories I couldn’t quite grasp. The bond between us was unbreakable. A surge of warmth and energy coursed through me at his touch.

“You’re one magnificent type of angel,” I breathed, my voice a whisper. Speaking too loudly could have disrupted the magic swirling between us.

“Thank you.” His voice was low and gravelly, a sound that rumbled deep within me like distant thunder, sending shivers through my entire body.

I dropped my hand and took a step back, pulling away from the warm, inviting fur and creating some distance between us. “Did you?—”

“Don’t draw attention to us. They don’t need to know I can talk to you. Keep petting me,” he grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he glanced toward the porch.

“How are you in my head?” I whispered, my curiosity bubbling over as my mind struggled to comprehend the impossible.

“The easiest explanation—I’m your guardian angel,” he replied, his tone both playful and serious.

“Holy shit!” The words escaped me in a gasp, an involuntary reaction to the revelation that felt exhilarating.

“My name is Baz,” he offered. “And keep quiet before they all come down here. They don’t know I can talk to you, and it’s rare.”

I turned back and waved at everyone on the porch. “His teeth are like a foot long!” I called out, my laughter mingling with the frigid air.

“Thank you,” Baz said, his tone shifting to something more focused.

“But I found you. Or you found me,” I stated when I looked up at him again. “You look different as a wolf, but the black fur makes sense because your hair is black.” I rambled on, trying to piece together this surreal encounter. I barely took a breath before asking, “Can all the wolves shift into a human?”

“Noa, this is the first time I’ve ever spoken to you.” Baz paused and shook his head. “There has only been one account of a guardian angel shifting back into human form.”

I stepped back again, dropping my hands to my side as reality crashed over me like cold water. “That’s not possible. Then who?—”

The sound of approaching footsteps caused Baz to shift backward into a sitting position. I turned to see Lex standing behind me, his hands jammed into the back pockets of his training pants. He was confidently casual. It clashed with my turmoil, and I felt annoyed that he interrupted my one spectacular moment in this disaster.

“What is it, Lex?” My tone bordered on resentment, not wanting anyone to disturb us.

“This is amazing, right?” he chuckled, amusement dancing across his features as he gestured toward Baz. “That wolf could swallow you whole.”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Baz shot back with certainty.

I coughed back a laugh, unable to stay mad at Lex for any length of time. “So, you guys have been hiding him from me?” I asked, tapping my foot.

“Only a couple of weeks.” He tilted his head with an expression of mock innocence. “The wolves start out as young pups.”

I turned and collided against Baz’s belly, inhaling a mouthful of fur. Heat rose in my cheeks from the sudden physical intimacy. I wiped my face and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Why did you do this?” I questioned him.

Lex tapped me on the shoulder as if trying to ground me in this bizarre reality. “He can’t exactly answer you, Noa.”

I lowered my gaze and turned back to Lex, pretending to seek clarity. “Good point.” I faked a smile and folded my arms across my chest. “How do you know he’s mine? Did he come with papers, or did Angels ‘R Us drop him off with an adoption certificate?”

Baz lowered his snout and released a low growl against my neck. It sent goosebumps racing down my arms. “That was unnecessary,” he told me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and said, “After dealing with everything thrown at me for the last couple of days, that was me being nice.”

“Baz told us before he transformed,” Lex stated with an annoyed shake of his head. He leaned past me and eyed Baz with an analytical gaze. “Trust me, we know he shouldn’t be here,” Lex said to Baz. “Since Noa’s still alive.”

Baz growled, stood up, and circled Lex, ready for a challenge. He blew out an oversized breath in Lex’s face before sitting next to me again.

“Alright, brother,” Lex conceded with his palms facing out. “But you know I’m right. It’s bad enough other guardian angels have fallen for the Drake women, but now that Noa is the last one, it could put you both in jeopardy.”

“Isn’t it better he’s with me here?” I implored, wanting to cling to this newfound connection despite the danger it might stir up in our lives.

“We don’t know,” Lex replied. His expression turned curious as he met Baz’s gaze once more .

“What is it with this place? For angels, you don’t have a clue about what you’re doing.” I leaned my head back for a second and shut my eyes.

“It’s the truth, Noa,” Lex insisted with a gentle yet firm touch on my arm.

“I don’t know what to believe,” I admitted to myself, feeling adrift.

“You can trust Lex.” Baz’s voice resonated within me again.

My eyes widened. “ I just talked to you without talking.”

He chuffed in amusement. “Because you relaxed.” His cobalt eyes sparkled with something akin to mischief mixed with genuine affection.

But I wasn’t relaxed. In awe, yes, but the thought of that Lurker trying to kidnap me yesterday gave me chills. The man in my head who wasn’t Baz sent a different kind of worry through my core. Not to mention Vallen and Maros, the bastards who killed my mom, were still out there breathing.

“Lex, could you give us a minute alone?” I asked, shading my eyes from the sun with my hands.

As he turned to leave, Baz’s body went rigid. He moved closer to shield me when a piercing shriek tore through the sky. I fell to my knees, covering my ears.

“Ivy’s coming,” he bobbed his head and used his body to cover mine.

Ignoring the cold, I took off my shirt, then wrapped it around my head to block out the deafening shrieks, but not a chance. They grew stronger with each passing second, and I covered my ears. The ground rumbled beneath us, sending rocks and debris flying into the air.

“Crawl under me!” directed Baz .

I fell to my knees and tucked myself under Baz’s stomach, lying flat as he stood over me. Through trembling fingers, I looked into the sky and saw storm clouds churning like the formation of a hurricane.

My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, and my eyes expanded like saucers as I turned to look at Lex. “What in the name of all that’s holy is that?”

“It’s the Baneful!” Lex confirmed over the incessant noise, his eyes never leaving the sky.

Jossy and Vincent leaped off the porch, and in less than two strides, all the angels surrounded me. They were ready for a counterattack, but the wards held strong this time. Just then, the sounds faded into the distance, and the clouds returned to normal. I lifted my head as a sleek black car drove up the gravel road.

It screeched to a stop a few yards from where we were, and Ivy tumbled out of the open door. She fell onto her back, coughing. What looked like spatters of blood covered her shirt, and one eye was swollen shut. I didn’t know what could cause that much damage to a powerful angel, but I imagined it was a powerful one.

Maros.

Without hesitating, I rolled out from under Baz and ripped my shirt from my head as I sprinted to Ivy’s side. Panic rose in my chest at the sight of her injuries, and I prayed they were not as bad as they looked.

My face twisted as I shouted, “What happened?”

Ivy clutched her throat as terror flashed in her eyes. I knelt beside her and brushed pieces of blood-soaked hair away from her face .

Coughing, she rolled onto her side and spat out a tooth. “You don’t have much time,” she stated before her gaze shifted past me and focused on Vincent. “Maros is coming for Noa.”

Baz stretched his mouth wide and howled a primal cry that echoed off the mountains, then was joined by the distant cawing of crows. Lex and Jossy dashed over to me then hoisted Ivy up, each of them supporting one of her arms. She had endured a beating from that sadistic bastard.

Vincent’s brows snapped together as he waved for Nevaeh. “Get Nakoma here, please. And fast!” He turned to Jossy and Lex. “Let me have her.”

My eyes filled with tears as I scrambled to my feet and followed them. “Is she going to die?” I questioned Vincent.

Vincent avoided looking at me as he carried Ivy across the path, his face warped with rage. “If the injuries are bad enough and she doesn’t get enough time to heal, then yes,” he yelled back to me.

My body locked up as I wrapped my arms around myself. “This is wrong on so many levels. Vallen… he caused this!” I shouted.

“Jossy, follow me,” Vincent ordered, his tone clipped.

I rushed after them, not wanting to leave Ivy when Lex stepped in front of me with my flannel shirt.

“You dropped this,” he said, then followed Vincent and Jossy into the house.

As I slipped into the shirt again, someone who resembled a younger version of Nevaeh appeared on the porch. I hesitated when my eyes caught a glimpse of a rifle in her hands. She smiled and raised a hand, but it didn’t matter. I needed to help Ivy. When I reached the top of the steps, Nevaeh stood in front of me with a camouflaged coat.

“Take it,” she offered, then placed her hand on the small of my back and guided me closer to the other woman.

I pressed the jacket against my chest and shook my head. “No, Ivy needs me.”

“What Ivy needs is for you to be safe, Noa. And that is not in this cabin,” she insisted.

Baz stood on the other side of the railing waiting for me, his eyes following my every move. “You’re exposed here, Noa; an easy target.”

A rusted truck with a significant dent in the front fender came around the corner at a ridiculous speed. As the truck pulled to a stop, Nakoma jumped out with a medical kit in his hand. He left it running, but offered a slight nod as he rushed into the cabin. I whirled around to follow him, but Nevaeh sidestepped in front of me.

“Let’s go,” Baz demanded, then sauntered toward the truck.

“I can’t leave her,” I argued while keeping my feet planted on the porch. “Besides, the wards are fine. Nothing got through them.”

“You need to get out of the open, then we can assess the situation.” His tone left no room to argue. “If it’s safe, you can come back. ”

“Noa, this is Ena. My granddaughter and Nakoma’s sister.” Nevaeh gestured to the woman who now held the gun with a finality that was almost unsettling. A flicker of apprehension flashed across my mind—one more stranger thrown into this chaotic mix.

Ena’s smooth raven-braided hair brushed the top of her butt as she searched the sky. “Nice to meet you,” she said with bright eyes .

“Ena’s going to take you to my house,” Nevaeh advised. “My husband, Dawson, is waiting there.”

My best friend needed me, and I needed her. My skin flushed, and my feet turned to concrete bricks.

“Please,” I begged, with an ache ripping through my heart.

“This is new to you, Noa, but angels can endure more than any human,” Nevaeh assured me with a soft smile. “She’ll be okay. Besides,” she added, “you want answers, don’t you?”

I sniffed and wiped tears from my cheek. “Yes.”

“Then go. Trust your gut, Noa.” She raised a brow and gestured her head over her shoulder.

Without realizing it, I was somehow standing on the passenger side of the running truck. Baz nudged me with his snout. “I’ll lead the way.”

I climbed inside as Ena secured the rifle to the gun rack above our heads, then drove us toward the back of the property. I couldn’t shake off the image in my head of Ivy’s battered figure. Guilt gnawed at me; she had suffered because of me, because of a world I didn’t know or understand.

Maros was coming, and I didn’t care how powerful he was. I had to stop him. Especially, since he started attacking the ones I loved. If he could do that much damage to an angel, then what else was he capable of doing?

It was evident he only kept Ivy alive to deliver that message. And as much as I hurt leaving her behind, Nevaeh wanted me to know something that seemed like Vincent wasn’t ready to share.