Jewel of Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page B

the world of them.” ~Dillon Jacobs

    T he prospect of meeting with a coven of vampires would have intimidated some wolves, and certainly all men. But Dalton would meet with every bloodsucker on this continent if that is what it took to get his Jewel back. He would even fight to extinguish those covens if that is what was required — and likely it would be. Like any Canis lupus, he would go into the very fires of hell to save his true mate. He kept trying to reach through the bond, but every attempt ended the same ― nothing. It was as though the chord that connected them had been cut right at the place it attached to Jewel. Being unable to communicate with her, to at least feel her and know whether she was safe, was beginning to become an unneeded distraction. Dalton couldn’t afford to have his attention divided. He needed to be clearheaded and focused. Volcan was a cunning foe and there was no margin for error when it came to his mate’s life.
    “How are you holding up?” Dillon’s voice pulled him out of his own head.
    Dalton looked at his Alpha and could see the concern in his eyes. He knew that Dillon was worried, not only about his Beta’s wellbeing but also what would happen if the bond wasn’t restored. If that happened, Dalton would deteriorate past the point of no return, and it would be Dillon’s responsibility to deal with him. Dalton knew he could count on his Alpha to do what was necessary if it came to that, even if it meant that Dillon would have to take the life of an old friend. He sincerely hoped that it did not come to that.
    “I’m ready to get this confrontation over with,” Dalton answered. His voice was low and reverberated in his chest with the frustration of his wolf.
    They stood next to a manhole that was tucked away in the back alley of a group of congested apartments. They were built one on top of the other and stood so close together that a resident could lean out his window and touch the opposite building. He wondered if the people living there ever felt like rats, scampering in and out of their little rat holes. It was no wonder the vampires chose this particular place to inhabit. What better place for a group of snakes to make their nest than outside of a rat hole?
    “Peri, what’s the problem?” Dillon asked, shifting his attention from his Beta to the high fae. He approached her and Dalton followed, though he’d been trying to give everyone some space from his seething wolf. Wherever Peri went, Lucian followed, of course, and even though Lucian was an ally, it didn’t make it easy for three dominants to work together without the occasional snarl. Dalton being on edge, the way he was, would only make it that much harder for Lucian and Dillon to keep their cool.
    Peri let out a whistle as she planted her hands on her hips and turned to face the males. “Boys, here’s a history lesson. Once upon a long time ago, there were witches lurking about, lots of them. Naturally, these witches had to support themselves. Dark rituals don’t pay for themselves, you know? So they often sold their services to those willing to pay their prices, which, I can assure you, were not cheap. But lucky for us, immortality tends to make one extremely wealthy, and one group in particular could always afford to pay — vampires. The bloodsuckers and the witches have always had a working relationship. Equally lucky for us is this — I can detect the witches’ magic. And I can tell you that one such spell has been cast on this manhole cover.”
    “The entrance to their lair is right under your feet, gentlemen.”
    “Then let’s go,” Dalton growled, stooping to remove the manhole cover.
    “Stop!” Peri barked. “As much as I would love to see you fried where you stand, I can’t stand the smell of burnt fur. Do you think the vamps would leave the entrance to their coven unguarded?”
    Dalton froze, eyes wide, staring at the high fae. Distractions, he thought to himself. I’m so obsessed