To be Claimed by Her

Chapter 53

Gabriel's POV

"Who the fuck are you?" I yelled, stepping towards him.

The man looked me up and down then zeroed in on my soul bond mark. "Holy shit! She fucking found you. Oh, oh, oh, this is huge, so damn huge," he babbled, grabbing my arm.

I yanked free and asked again, "Man, you really need to tell us who you are and how you know my little wolf."

He cackled, "Hmmm, one of Odin's huh? Figures." He stuck his hand out and announced proudly, "I'm Jace, and I'm Cricket's best friend. I'm here because the Council got a suspicious email about her being on an assignment, but we didn't send her on one. Fuck, I thought she was still in Ireland, still taking a break."

Owen stood, "Are you with the Council? What do you mean they didn't send her? She told us the coven had been referred to her by them."

Jace shook his head, "Hell no. We haven't received any requests from the States in months. Not to mention, she really hates it here, especially if it's up north. My Cricket is definitely not a fan of snow and cold." He found an empty chair and sat down. He really did act as if he owned the place. "So, give me the story - who is this coven, and again, where is my Cricket?"

We gave him the very abridged version of the past few days. He seemed to absorb everything, especially taking note of who was claimed by who. When Luke and Marc recounted what they had seen he became upset and began to pace.

He pointed at Victor. "You, I need you right now. Follow me." He turned and stormed out into the yard without further explanation. We all looked around in confusion but still followed him. "You all stay on the porch. Don't interfere. Dragon boy, I need you to get really mad. I need you to channel your gift and become indestructible because if I don't fight something right now that I can't hurt, things will get very ugly."

Fight something? This guy looked like a strong wind might take him down. How the hell could he even attempt to fight Vic?

Vic stood confused for a minute. "I don't know how to turn it on? I've never done it without a trigger," he told Jace.

"You want a trigger? I'll give you a fucking trigger. That bastard has trapped her soul! That's why she's acting like a zombie," he snarled, then threw his head back and roared.

We watched as both Vic and Jace began to transform. Vic was at least eight feet tall and looked like a walking volcano. Jace's body had become something almost demonic with large curved horns, thick blackened skin, large fangs, and claws. They circled one another, growling and roaring then finally attacking. Jace's claws slashed at Victor's chest, cracking the skin, but it quickly healed. He countered by launching fireballs at Jace. They seemed to absorb into his skin without much impact. They fought for what seemed hours until they were both panting and fell to the grass, slowly regaining their human forms.

Jace stood, holding his hand out to Victor. "Thank you. Now we need to make a plan to get her out of there fast. If he isn't there yet, he will be soon."

"He? Are you talking about Phineas?" Vic asked as they approached the porch.

Jace scoffed, "No. He's just the middle man. Erebus is the God seeking to claim her, and not in the way you have been claimed." He stopped and gave us all hard stares. "If he takes her soul, she will be lost forever to shadow. Not even death would free her." He pointed to our marks, "And in all likelihood, you would be taken with her due to your bonds."

We needed a plan - now.

Author's Notes:  What do you think of Jace?  He's an original character based on a bestie of mine - you know who you are :)

Warning - I'm heading this story down a dark path next.  Please heed all trigger warnings!