Eclipsed Empire (The Wolves of Crescent Creek, #2)

by Tessa Hale

“Wren.” The word tore from Brix’s throat. Tears filled my eyes as he moved closer. My shoulders burned with the pain of dislocation, and my skin blazed with countless cuts. Everything hurt. But none of it compared to the agony swirling in my heart. “Going. To. Get. You. Down.” Brix panted between each word. “Help. You.” He reached out. “Don’t.” My voice was barely audible, nothing but a raspy whisper, but it still stopped Brix in his tracks. He cocked his head to one side, his animal half bleeding through. “It’s okay.”

He lifted me from the hook, pain flooding my system so intensely that the world around me flickered in and out. “Hurts,” I moaned. “I know,” Brix gritted out. “Gonna fix you.” But it wasn’t the physical that hurt; it was Brix. The contact. The pain of his rejection just days ago. “No,” I whispered as I faded. “It’s you touching me. You hate me. It hurts.” And then I was gone.

Puck’s green eyes bled to gold as he glared at my torso. I had the sudden urge to cover myself and disappear. I shifted, turning slightly so I wasn’t quite in full sight. Everything about my body felt mangled. Ruined. My skin would never be the same. My body would never be whole. Just like my soul. Not when my bond would always be fractured. “Don’t,” Puck growled. “Don’t hide. Not from me.” I sucked in a sharp breath as he moved into my space and dropped to his knees. Puck’s hands moved to my hips, gripping me gently around the band of my sweatpants. Then he leaned in, his lips ghosting over one especially bad scar. Locke’s hand curved around my shoulders, steadying me as my body started to falter. Puck’s lips moved to the next scar. “I’d give anything to save you from these. Keep you from feeling this pain. I’d pay any price.” His mouth skimmed each healed wound as if he could erase them with touch and word. “But you never have to hide them from me. From us.”

I stared down at the man before me. So massive and strong yet kneeling at my feet. “They made you mad,” I whispered. “They make me want to find every man who’s laid a finger on you and remove their organs one by one,” Puck gritted out. His fury blasted off him in fiery waves I could feel. It was like it was a living, breathing thing. “I don’t want you to have that kind of hate. I don’t want it to turn you.”

Puck’s thumb skimmed along a scar. “You keep me from the edge. But I’ll always want to protect you. Will always be willing to lay my life down for yours.” “Puck,” I whispered. “You have to know, Birdie. You changed everything.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to my belly again. As he pulled back, his eyes had a little more green in them. His fingers hooked in the band of my sweats. “Let’s get you into the bath.”

“I can’t stay here,” I whispered. There were countless reasons why. Half their pack didn’t want me, and who knew which of Ender’s sources had figured out my link to the Red River pack? I didn’t know whether that information had gotten back to my father. I couldn’t stay here. Not anymore. “If you leave, we’re going with you.” There was a defiance and certainty to Locke’s voice I’d never heard before. “Locke—” “We’re with you,” he growled. Puck picked up his massage again. “He’s right, Birdie. You’re ours, and we’re yours. We go where you do.” My eyes stung, the same burn lighting in my throat. The sense of belonging felt too good. But it was dangerous, too. Because it meant there was more to lose.

Locke’s hand slipped into the bath water, taking mine. “We don’t have to figure it out right now. You need time to recover. Take it. We have nothing we need to do at this very moment.”

“Okay. I get stronger, and then we figure it out.” Puck’s lips pressed to my temple. “Will you let us take care of you? Find that strength again?” A hint of confusion swirled inside me until Puck’s hand slipped beneath the bubbles, his fingers tracing my nipple under the water. My lips parted as the bud tightened. “Our connection will feed you,” Puck rasped. My back arched as I leaned into his touch. The lore said that every aspect of physical closeness helped mates grow stronger. Physically. Emotionally. Supernaturally. Every part of our being was better with that intimacy. Puck’s finger circled the hard peak. “Say the word, Birdie. Tell us we can take care of our girl.” My walls were no match for Puck. “Yes,” I breathed. A low, rumbling growl slipped from Puck’s lips. “Locke. Help me.”

“I need you,” I whispered. That was all it took for Locke—just knowing I’d asked for something he could give. His hand slid up my thigh in soothing strokes. My blood heated as my nerve endings came alive. Puck’s lips skimmed the column of my neck. “You smell like heaven and home. Everything about you is so damn perfect.” I tipped my head to the side, granting him better access, relishing the feel of his lips and the occasional prickle of his scruff. “Tell me what she feels like.” Puck’s words were a gentle order, and Locke’s eyes flashed again. “So smooth,” Locke whispered. His finger traced a scar on my thigh. “Her body is a map of her life, telling me everything she’s been through to get to me. To us.” Tears pricked my eyes. “Locke.” Our gazes collided, chaining us there. “She’s so damn strong. Been through a war. And now we’re going to make sure she never has to fight again.”

Puck pressed a kiss to my temple. “How do you feel?” My mouth curved. “Like my bones turned to soup.” Locke chuckled. “You’re beautiful when you come apart.” My gaze locked on his. “Thank you.” “Nothing makes me happier than giving you what you need.” I just hoped I could do the same for them. That we could find some miracle that would allow us to make this bond work. But some dark voice in my mind told me it would never happen.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I moved into Wren’s space and let the scent of wolf, rain, and wildflowers swirl around me. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I will spend the rest of my life making sure you’re safe.” “Brix—” “My only purpose. That and making sure you’re happy.”

It was Wren who moved then. Her hand slid along my jaw and into my hair, her thumb stroking the knife inked by my eye. And then her lips met mine. Her tongue stroked in, and I couldn’t help the growl that slipped free as I pulled her to me, my dick hardening to the point of pain at the mere taste of her. Everything that was Wren flooded my system. That slight tingling feeling swept through me again. The buzz. And the lightness that followed. I tore my mouth from hers. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I knew if I didn’t stop, I’d be pinning her to a tree and taking her. That wouldn’t rebuild trust. Wren’s chest heaved as she grabbed my shoulders to steady herself. “Brix.” “I’m yours,” I rasped. “Whatever you need. I’m yours.” Something shifted in her gaze. I wasn’t sure what Wren might do. She didn’t run. She didn’t grab my face for another kiss. She wrapped herself around me, her face burrowing into my neck as she breathed deeply. “I’m yours, too.” Those were the sweetest words I’d ever heard.

“We need to make a defensive plan,” Brix growled. “Whoever he’s associated with could be planning an attack.” What none of us wanted to give voice to was the fact that the man could have also been planning to abduct Wren—the same way the Death Walkers had. “I already have a call into the caster about strengthening the wards,” Kingston began. Wren straightened on my lap. “I can do that.” He instantly shook his head. “You’re still recovering. You should save your strength.”

Sparks of silver flashed in Wren’s eyes. “Is it that? Or is it that you don’t trust me?” Kingston blanched, and the room went silent. “I would trust you with my life.”

“Okay. I need to go out to where the wards have been placed so I can feel what’s been put into them. Then I’ll know how to strengthen them.” “Not happening,” Ender clipped. Wren glared daggers at him. “I like telling you you’re not going to be an asshole, but that hasn’t worked either.” Puck choked on a laugh and tried to cover it with a cough. Ender sent him a dirty look. “It’s not safe. Others could be out there.” “Then you guys can come with me. But I’m doing this.” The defiance in Wren’s tone said it was no use arguing with her. Ender muttered something about headstrong she-wolves under his breath. Brix moved closer to me and Wren, his hand reaching to caress her face. His thumb traced the length of her scar, up and down, over and over, as if he could erase it. The room went quiet again. None of us were used to Brix touching someone so easily. “We worry about you,” he said, his voice low. “Just want you safe.” Wren leaned into his touch. “I know,” she whispered. “But I need to help, too.”

“Bastian showed. Sat down at the fucking bar.” Snarls surged around me, even with the guys trying to keep their voices low. “He. Tried. To. Grab. Her?” King gritted out, his fingernails lengthening to claws. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. “He tried to force her to submit.” More sounds of derision and anger filled the air. It was the lowest of the low to force a wolf’s submission. But it shouldn’t have shocked any of us that Bastian would stoop to that level. “Tell me you got him,” Locke pleaded. My jaw worked back and forth. “I couldn’t. The goddamned sheriff was right there, and Wren—she needed me.” Brix’s eyes bled to silver. “What. Did. He. Do. To. Her?” “Threatened her.” I couldn’t force my mouth to form the details. It was too much. “She got triggered. She…she showed me. Everything he did to her. I—it was so much worse than we could’ve imagined.” A burn lit in my throat, and pressure built behind my eyes. I couldn’t take it. All she’d been through. Our fucking mate. And there was only one thing I knew to do right now. One action I could take to make things better. To atone. I met each of their gazes. “We can’t wait any longer. We have to kill Bastian Boudreaux. Now.”

“You’re an empath.”

“I’m not. Why would you say that?” My eyes narrowed. “You are. I felt something the first time you touched me in my wolf form and couldn’t identify it. But this time? I felt you easing the darkness. You bled it out of me.” All color drained from Wren’s face as panic took root. “You’re mistaken. I⁠—” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me as I struggled to keep my hold on her gentle. “You’re my mate. Do you honestly think I would betray you by telling this secret to the world?”

So many pieces slid into place. All the ways Wren was guarded. Her headaches. Her reaction when emotions ran high. “Brix,” she whispered. “Trust me,” I begged. It was the ultimate request. I knew I had no right to that gift, but I asked for it anyway. “Trust me to protect you in every way I can.” A little of the fear slid out of Wren’s expression, her face softening as she looked up at me. “If anyone finds out…” “I know.” I pulled her against me and wrapped her in my arms as if I could shield her from everything that could possibly come her way.

“I’m just so tired,” she whispered. “Tired of running. Fighting. I just want it to be done.” I heard the defeat in her voice and understood it. She’d been fighting for her entire life. Never free to simply…be. She deserved that freedom, a life without worry or fear. And I would do anything to give it to her. “Wren.” My thumb traced her jawline. “Why do you think the universe brought you to us?” She looked up at me, her brows pulling together. “So you can rest. Let us fight for you. Let us give you strength. None of us is as powerful alone as we are together.” Wren’s eyes glistened, her unshed tears glittering in the fading light of the day. “Brix.” She needed more than my words. She needed my actions. I let my hands fall from her face and took a step back before dropping to my knee and dipping my head to look at the ground. “Wren. Little Warrior. Mate. I swear my devotion to you and only you. Where you lead, I will follow. What you need, I will provide. My life is yours to do with as you will.”

I stared down at the man before me. His dark hair fell over his face, and his tan skin glowed in the fading light. Brix was an alpha. He had the power to lead a pack. Yet here he was, kneeling before me as a submissive. This was a pledge of fealty. A sacred oath. To me. For me. “Brix,” I croaked. He raised his head slowly until those captivating blue-green eyes met mine. “I love you, Wren. My life is yours.” A tear slid free, trailing down my cheek and falling to the earth. Brix pushed to his feet, his hands framing my face to wipe away the tears. “I love you. I didn’t think I was capable of it, but you showed me differently. You showed me I can still come alive, even if it hurts.” “Brix.” I could only manage to say his name, but maybe that said it all. He leaned into me, his mouth taking mine in a slow kiss.

And when Brix pulled back, he left me breathless. He searched my face, seeming as if he were trying to find something. “Let me make you mine. Let me be wholly yours.”

“Yes.” My mouth spoke the word before my brain even registered it.

Brix let out a snarl of pleasure. “Mark me, mate. I want to carry your brands with me into forever.”

“Brix,” I rasped. “Take me.” The growl that tore through the air had a power I’d never heard before. He thrust, going impossibly deeper, his movements picking up speed to a fevered pace. Brix lifted his head, his canines lengthening. Mine did the same in response. His eyes were pure silver as they met mine. “Forever,” he snarled. “Forever,” I echoed.

Brix cupped my face. “Because you made me feel again. Made me know I was seen.” “I love you,” I whispered against his lips as he slid from my body. “More than life,” he rasped. Then Brix took me to the creek. He cleaned me, dried me with a towel they had stored in one of the trees, and then dressed me as if I were the most precious thing in the world to him. Because I was. Just like he was to me. He kissed me again. This time when he pulled back, something passed over those beautiful eyes. A trickle of fear slid through me. “What?” Brix pulled me to him and held me tightly. “Don’t make me keep this secret from my brothers.” I knew what he meant. The bond told me. He didn’t want to shoulder the knowledge of my empath status alone. But the idea of telling all of them terrified me. Calming, reassuring feelings trickled through our bond as Brix tried to reassure me. “I’ll be with you the whole time.” I pulled back and met his gaze. Trust. I had to give him that. So, I said the only word I could. “Okay.”

The faint sound of footsteps caught my attention. They were light. Bare feet. A slight figure. By the time the mystery individual reached my office, I’d straightened. Just in time to see Wren reach my doorway. Her hair hung around her in a tangle of waves matted from sleep. She wore an oversized shirt I was pretty sure belonged to Puck, her bare legs peeking out from beneath it. She was fucking gorgeous. Had the kind of beauty that froze a man to the spot, punched through his chest, grabbed his heart in a vicious fist, and clung to it tightly. “Are you okay?” I croaked. It was a stupid question. Of course, she wasn’t. But I had to ask. She nodded. “Headache’s gone.” “Good.”

Wren didn’t move. Not to leave. Not to come closer. And wasn’t that a metaphor for where we stood? Hovering on the threshold of what we both wanted. “Do you need something?” I rasped. She bit her bottom lip, making my jeans suddenly feel two sizes tighter. She released that hold and let out a breath, stepping inside. “I wanted to see how you were doing.” I stared at the beautiful woman in front of me—so raw and real and everything I’d ever wanted. Holding our cards close to our chests had done nothing but hurt us. So, I decided to give her my brutal truth. No self-protection, no shielding, just me. “Not good,” I croaked. “I miss you. I’m fucking terrified that something’s going to happen to you, and it’ll all be my fault. I’m scared you’ll never forgive me for not having your back when you needed me the most. I’m worried I can’t be the leader my pack needs me to be. That I’ll make the wrong decision or not give my brothers what they need.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “And having Bastian in Crescent Creek has all these memories of my sister flooding me. It’s killing me. And knowing that he hurt you, too? I want to rip him limb from limb. I’m a wreck, Wren. A shattered mess. And I don’t want anyone to know.”

My hands lifted and slid through his dark hair. King let out a sound that resembled a purr—deeper than Princess’s, but the quality was the same. He slowly bowed his head, lowering until it connected with my belly. My fingernails scraped his scalp, and that purr morphed into a soft growl. “Too much?” I asked. “Perfect,” King mumbled. I kept massaging his head as if it would solve all our problems. But I knew it wouldn’t. I realized I had to be brave, too. Sucking in a breath, I gave him a piece of my truth. “I’m scared you’ll never be able to see past who my father is.” King didn’t lift his head, but his hands moved to my hips, holding on as if I were his lifeline. “You’re not the man who brought you into this world. I won’t even call him your father because he’s not. He’s the bastard who terrorized you and held you captive, nothing more.”

“His blood is still in me.” “No,” King clipped. “It’s not. Because you are your own person. You fought everyone who tried to break you and made yourself into a warrior.” A burn lit down my throat as pressure built behind my eyes. “Will you tell me about her? Your sister?” Kingston stiffened but slowly forced himself to relax. “Natasha. Her name was Natasha.”

Tears tracked down my cheeks, and my hands fisted in King’s tee. There were no appropriate words. Nothing that could ease that kind of pain. But I had to try. “I’m so sorry,” I croaked. “It’s not enough, but it’s all I have.” King’s head lifted, and I saw pure agony in his eyes. “It’s not yours to be sorry for.” “Isn’t it?” I asked. “I should’ve plunged a knife into Bastian’s back years ago and taken the death sentence that would’ve come from it.”

Silver sparked in Kingston’s gaze. “And then what? His beta would’ve taken over and continued it all. It would’ve done nothing but extinguish your light. A light this world needs. A light this pack needs.” “And what about you? What do you need?” His hand lifted, his fingers brushing away my fallen tears. “You, Wren. My little warrior. What I’ve always needed was you.” Fresh tears began to fall, spilling down my cheeks and onto King’s fingers. “I’m scared you’ll always see him when you look at me.” Kingston’s expression gentled as he gazed up at me. “I see you. Your fierceness. Your gentle care. The way you give to those around you, even when they don’t deserve it. I see everything about you. And one day, you’ll see that, too. But I’m not in a rush.” He stood then, pushing his chair back and towering over me before bending, his lips hovering for a moment before pressing gently to my forehead. Suddenly, he was gone. But the feeling of him wasn’t. The place where King had kissed me still burned. It was a scalding brand—a promise of forever.

“I love you.” Wren spoke the words in a barely audible voice, but they still sounded like they’d been shot out of a cannon. My entire body tensed as a low growl left my throat. “Say it again.” “I love you.” The words were louder this time as Wren’s gaze moved from me to Puck. “I love you both. You gave me a sense of belonging. Safety. You made me feel seen. I’ll never be able to tell you how much that means to me.” “Show us,” Puck growled. “Let us claim you. Claim us right back.” My dick hardened at Puck’s words and what they would mean for the three of us: a bond that meant forever. Wren looked from Puck to me and back again. “Yes.”

Locke’s fingers slid under the hem of my T-shirt and traced a lopsided figure eight on my back. “Want to watch a movie?” “That’s okay.” I didn’t think I could focus on anything right now. “We could play a video game,” he offered. “No thanks.” “We could make out.” That had a surprised laugh bubbling out of me. I pulled back to take him in. “I do like making out with you.” A hint of pink hit Locke’s cheeks. “Good to know.” I brushed the brown strands from his face, taking in the beautiful gray eyes behind his black-framed glasses. “I love you.”

Sparks of silver danced in those eyes. “I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.” “I feel it,” I whispered. “Every single day.” And it was true. It was like this foreign energy swirling around me at every moment. A reassuring breeze and phantom presence that was always with me. “I’m glad,” Locke rasped. His hold on me tightened a fraction. “I hate that he could’ve hurt you tonight—or worse.” “Hey,” I said, burrowing deeper into him. “I’m fine. Better than. I kicked his ass. So, I’m feeling pretty damn badass at the moment.” One corner of Locke’s mouth kicked up. “As you should.” I laid a hand over his heart, feeling the beat of it beneath my palm. “I’m sorry I scared you.” Locke stared up into my face. “Having someone so vital to me walking around out there, exposed, is new for me.” “I get that. It’s…unnerving.” I felt like that when I left the guys. And even on the days when Puck worked the bar with me, I still felt so…vulnerable. “I was going to go with terrifying, but…” I chuckled. “Okay, maybe that’s more honest.”

“Birdie.” Puck strode across the room, pulling me into his arms. “He’s not going to get you.” “No, he’s fucking not,” Brix snarled. “I put out a different sort of call,” King said, his voice carrying coldness. “I let it be known far and wide that you are under The Diablos’ protection. That you are mated to The Diablos. And if anyone so much as tries to harm a hair on your head, they will be hunted into eternity.” I pulled out of Puck’s hold but stayed close to him and Locke. My gaze was only for Kingston, though. Because I knew what this cost him. King didn’t want to be known for his cruelty or brutality. The Diablos were a reputation and name bestowed on him and the others by evil men. But King was nothing but goodness. Taking a deep breath, I crossed to him, standing so close our shoes almost touched. “Thank you,” I whispered. Then I closed the tiny distance and let the scents of pine and mint swirl around me. I swept my lips across King’s in the barest touch before stepping back and meeting his eyes. “Thank you.” Kingston let out a shuddering breath, color and life bleeding back into his face. “I’d do anything for you, Little Warrior. Anything.” I knew it, too. And it had warmth flooding back into me. Something else, as well. Hope.

“I’m not used to fearing for someone other than me.” “Not even your brothers?” I shook my head. “I’ve always just known they’ll take care of themselves.” Heat flashed in Wren’s blue eyes. “I can take care of myself.” “I know you can. But it’s different. You’re a part of me. You’re my soul’s mate. The urge to protect you…it’s like it drowns out everything else.” She frowned and then pushed up the hem of her shorts on one leg. “Then let me help you deal. Let me take the pain.”

“No.” The word was low and a little angry as it tore from Brix’s throat. “It’s my pain. It’s not for you to take.”

“And you don’t take on my pain? You help me fight back my nightmares. You protect me with everything you have. You listen and truly hear.” A muscle fluttered in Brix’s cheek. “It’s not the same. I’m too dark.” “You’re not.” I reached out, needing more connection. I gripped his black tee with faded Arcane lettering and

tugged him to me. “You’re scarred. Just like me.” I slipped my hand under the soft cotton, feeling for his marked flesh, the twisted skin covered by the ink. “It’s how we understand each other so deeply. And I’d pay those prices over and over if it meant finding you in the end.” “Little Warrior,” he growled. I took a little of his darkness into me then, making his pain mine. “Don’t.” “It’s mine, the same as you are,” I whispered. A different sort of pain flashed across his face. “Enough.” Slowly, I pulled my hand away from his skin, knowing I’d taken the edge off. Just enough for him to see a little more clearly. But I asked for something more. “Mark me. Paint our tether in a way I’ll see it every day.” “Wren—” “I love you,” I said, cupping his face with my hands. “I feel it. I see it in our mark here.” I pressed a hand to my shoulder. “I want to see your art on me, too. I want to feel that piece of you with me.”

“You don’t want to tell me what to ink on your skin forever?” I released my hold on his face and lay back on the bed that resembled a massage table. “I told you. I trust you.”

“Tell me if it’s too much,” Brix said, his voice low. “I will.” I wouldn’t. I’d already walked through fire. This would be nothing.

“He has her.” Clyde’s voice was barely audible, but I made out every word. “Who?” I demanded. Terror and panic striking deep. “Weird…name…Ba-Bastian.” My brothers and I froze. “Traded…my…life…for…hers,” Clyde wheezed.