Savage Possession (#5, The Mystic Wolves)

By Belinda Boring

Growing up, Darcy knew that life would be filled with challenges and tough decisions, but none so difficult as the one that would alter her future forever. Given the choice between losing Mason or becoming a vampire, Darcy risks the overwhelming threat of insanity, and places her destiny, her hopes and dreams, in the hands of Devlin. When she survives the conversion and shows how truly strong she is, everyone thinks that the worst is behind them. It’s time to get back to normal—or their new normal—and live happily ever after.

But danger still lurks within the shadows—both in Woodside Hollow, the supernatural community, and within Darcy. Even though she looks fine, she seems “altered” to those closest to her, something beyond the expected consequences of her dual nature. With reports of dark rituals and blood sacrifices being performed, the Council has their hands filled trying to solve that mystery, leaving Mason scrambling to find out what’s wrong with his mate.

Will the imbalance warring within Darcy eventually settle, or will her decision to become part vampire-part werewolf lead to a SAVAGE POSSESSION?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Belinda Boring
• Release date: May 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310467110

Belinda Boring

A homesick Aussie living amongst the cactus and mountains of Arizona, Belinda Boring is a self proclaimed addict of romance and all things swoon worthy. It wasn't long before she began writing, pouring her imagination and creativity into the stories she dreams. Whether urban fantasy, paranormal romance or romance in general, Belinda strives to share great plots with heart and characters that you can't help but connect with. Of course, she wouldn't be Belinda without adding heroes she hopes will curl your toes. Surrounded by a supportive cast of family, friends and the man she gives her heart and soul to, Belinda is living the good life. Happy reading!

Book preview

Prologue

Darcy

Trust. In the end, that’s what it always boils down to. Or was it love? Even in my short life, I’d learned that power comes from having the kind of soul connection that makes anything possible—a relationship that robs you of both breath and the ability to think, that feeling that makes everything worth it—the good, the bad, and the very, very stupid.

The decision to become vampire had seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite the risk, and the slight chance I’d go completely insane, the thought of saying goodbye to my Mason, my family, and my friends . . . it was what I’d like to call a no-brainer.

I stared into the eyes of my mother; just her presence in the room had surprised me. This wasn’t something I ever imagined us sharing together—a moment of bonding that went beyond late night gossip and defiant teenage tantrums. In my very hour of need, consumed by debilitating fear, she’d come. Not because I’d asked, but because there was nowhere else she’d rather be. Call it what you will—intuition or motherly protectiveness—she refused to leave me to weather the upcoming storm alone.

Mason was locked in the Pack’s silver barred cage. While my heart yearned for him, my spirit aching to have him hold me and whisper ‘be still’, there was no way anyone would survive what Devlin was preparing to do if Mason were free. I knew the nature of the wolf too well. I knew him too well.

He’d have killed Devlin where he stood, the second his razor sharp teeth slid into my skin, even before a drop of blood touched my uncle’s tongue. Mason wouldn’t have been able to bear watching the conversion process.

So, even though it pained me, even though the soothing sensation from my mother’s gentle hand brushing over my hair helped quiet my anxiety, I chose to be brave.

I chose to ignore the insecurity that flared within me.

I chose to embrace the hope I saw shining in Devlin’s eyes.

He wouldn’t let me fall. He held faith that this would work and that by turning me into a vampire, it would fill the void inside me—the void that was killing me. It wasn’t fair that I’d only just learned I was part witch, in addition to my being part werewolf. The excitement I’d felt at the discovery was quickly overshadowed by the instant knowledge that it placed me in great danger.

All my life, my true heritage, who I really was, had been kept a secret. A blood oath to his sister prevented Devlin from exposing the hidden truth that I was his niece, while he masqueraded as merely my friend. I didn’t begrudge him; he’d been a constant in my life, someone I’d learned I could always rely on.

Not only had he withheld certain aspects of our relationship, he’d also worked together with Vivien, the local witch coven leader and family friend, to bind my powers. His intention had been honorable, his way of keeping me safe from a dangerous foe from his past.

But in the end, it hadn’t mattered. On my wedding night, as my connection with Mason solidified, the binding broke and it sent out a beacon of power to Julian Blackwell—the villain behind all the lies of omission.

Julian had come. We’d fought. And as a result, my witch nature was destroyed at the moment of his death. It left a gaping hole in my psyche that nothing would heal—nothing short of the gamble that replacing it with vampirism would make me whole, again.

It was a long shot; but for the sake of my beloved Mason, and my refusal to let him go, I didn’t flinch as Devlin sunk his teeth into my flesh.

Hope, bravery, love, trust . . . it all burned as I felt my body being consumed. All intentions of graciously accepting the gift I was offered fell away.

I was in hell.

I was in torment.

And then I died.

Chapter One

Mason

I couldn't feel her.

One minute she was there and the next she was gone.

I'd expected it—the sharp sting as our connection severed, but nothing could've prepared me for the pain that ricocheted through my body at that exact moment.

It was savage—brutal.

It triggered every aggressive nerve and protective instinct I held.

Something, someone, had seized Darcy from my mind.

Figuratively, someone had just ripped my beating heart from my chest; the anguish drove me to my knees and was nowhere near bearable.

A heartbreaking howl erupted from my mouth, filling the air with the guttural sounds of a man who had nothing left. Unable to sense her, to feel her own spirit communing with mine through our mental link, I caught a glimpse of what Hell was.

Life wouldn’t be worth living unless she took that important next breath. I needed her to return to me, needed to feel some semblance of her warmth.

Darkness.

Damn. Blackness and pain inducing emptiness answered.

She was gone. And in that moment, my grief vowed vengeance.

Let. Me. Out. Now. I glared at my captives, wondering whether they would continue to have the audacity to ignore my orders. I was Alpha and my word law. If I wanted the door to my prison opened, it would bode well for them not to refuse me.

Mason . . . Daniel begged, a pained expression covering his face.

Either open this cage or so help me, I snarled, not caring that the guy on the other side of the bars was my best friend and second-in-command. A vague memory threatened to remind me that I'd ordered him not to release me until we were certain everything with Darcy was successful. But as far as I could feel, her heart still wasn't beating.

She was dead.

My wife.

My mate.

Completely and utterly beyond my reach.

Give Devlin more time, he pleaded. His tone was low and non-threatening, his body language submissive enough to be non-challenging. It was a smart move on his part—a technique learned from watching others talk down a werewolf bordering on out-of-control.

There were times I'd mimicked the same gestures, but that was before. This was now. Friend or not, I'd rip his throat out if he didn't move out of my way. The only thing that would placate the fierce, wild beast inside me was Darcy herself. Only her voice, her touch, would extinguish the increasing madness.

So this is what it feels like to lose a soul mate, I wondered bitterly, rising to my feet. With fists clenched at my sides, I straddled a dangerous line. With each second that passed, I lost the chance to be reasoned with. Growling from deep within my throat, time was running out.

She's dead. I need to go to her.

If that's so, then it’s even more reason to keep you locked up. The second voice belonged to my cousin, Alex. He'd come over from Ireland, bringing wedding blessings from my family. Seems he'd also be going to a funeral before returning home.

That is if I didn't kill him, as well.

Excuse me? I thundered.

I know what you think you want right now, but you need to trust us. It isn’t safe for you, the Pack . . . hell, even Darcy, for you to leave that cage right now. Think about it logically, Cousin. Quit reacting with your heart and try to see the sense.

Don’t talk to me about logic, about seeing things reasonably. My mate’s heart has just stopped and you expect me to act without emotion? I don’t care about anything else but her. Anger dripped from my tone. As I glanced back and forth between them, their calm facade spiked the fury already stirring in my blood. How can you stand there? Did you not love her, as well? My voice cracked, disbelief making it difficult to get my words out. I glared accusingly at Daniel. I know you thought of her as a sister. Let me out. Together we can go to her.

Give her more time, Mason. Please. Trust that Devlin knows what he’s doing. He’d never have agreed to the conversion if he thought for a second he couldn’t bring her safely through it.

I slammed my palms against the bars, getting a sick kind of pleasure from the way the silver laced through the metal and burned my skin. It was the only real thing I could rely on at the moment. My heart felt like it was disconnected from the rest of my body, my mind already succumbing to the grief riddled fog that stood between me and impending madness. Nothing about this made sense—especially the way my best friend and cousin were betraying me.

I was wrong to believe him. What good has ever come from taking the word of a bloodsucker? We welcomed him into our home, our Pack, and offered him friendship. He swore he acted in Darcy’s best interest, but look where that’s led? I swear, as God is my witness, I will plant a sharpened stake into his heart, myself, for this.

Mason! Daniel’s face revealed the astonishment he felt by my promise. Calm yourself.

Speak again and you’ll join him in death. As your Alpha, I’m ordering you to open this cage. Now.

We were talking in circles—each sentence exchanged became more and more surreal.

No. Shaking his head, Daniel stepped away from my confinement; sorrow causing his shoulders to stoop. He joined Alex by the wall, both their arms crossed over their chests as though they had no trouble waiting this nightmare out. I’d seen that stubbornness before. I wasn’t reaching him. Something told me nothing I could say would earn me my freedom.

You’re committing treason, I growled. A numbing detachment replaced the all-consuming rage from before. Think about what you’re doing.

You don’t think I realize that? You don’t think it kills me to stand here and deny your wish, knowing that there’s nothing more I want than to rush upstairs and see for myself? I love her, too, Mason. I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Screw the fact you’re my Alpha. You’re my family.

Then why the hell won’t you do what I ask?

Because sometimes loving someone means saying no. It means going against that person’s wishes because it’s ultimately the right thing to do, no matter how hard it is. You taught me that. Daniel’s eyes never left mine. Stop for a second and search your conscience. Honestly, what would you have me do? His agony matched my own.

I’d—

Bullshit. Search deeper.

I tilted back my head and released a frustrated howl as the truth surfaced. I would expect him to honor my original order. I would want him to honor my need to safeguard those I’d been entrusted to serve and protect. No matter the cost. No matter the price.

I feel like my heart stopped beating the second hers did. My admission came out as a strangled whisper.

Don’t give up. She showed incredible courage in accepting this, in agreeing to do whatever it took to be with you. Don’t turn your back on her now. She’s going to need you to be strong for her when she comes through this.

But what if—

It was Alex who interrupted me this time. No doubts.

I looked at them both; suddenly grateful for the choice I’d made to keep them close. A lot could be said about the company a person keeps, the people they choose to surround themselves with. With my own determination flailing, I wasn’t ashamed to admit I needed them.

In my own moment of weakness, I was humbled that they didn’t chastise their Alpha for being vulnerable. It showed the marks of true friendship—a bond that would continue to carry us into the future.

Even though I didn’t find condemnation in their faces, I still felt the need to apologize. As much as it killed me to be locked away, common sense had broken through my grief.

Daniel . . . Alex. I paused for a moment, not wanting to utter the heavy words of my heart. She’s gone. Truly gone. I can’t feel her anymore. My voice cracked with grief as tears threatened to fall. She’s not here. I touched the side of my head, signaling the devastating loss.

You don’t know, yet. Don’t assume until someone comes and tells you, personally, Alex said. His counsel was sound, but for someone else. Not me.

Mason, Daniel added, his distress clearly showing.

Please, don’t say it, I whispered. I couldn’t bear to hear him speak words of condolences. Worse, I didn’t want him to utter false hope.

She’ll live. Her heart will beat, again. Just hang on. Daniel nodded with a tired smile.

The three of us stood there in silence. Could it be? Was that what we were waiting for and what my future hinged on?

A heart beat?

Tears began streaming down my cheeks.

Mason?

I held my hand up to Daniel, blocking out all distractions, holding my breath and willing to feel and hear it once more, before finally allowing myself to believe.

Burying my head in my hands, I sobbed for what I’d almost lost.

****

The room had been silent for a long time. I’d lost count of how many minutes had passed since Lynn had disappeared.

I was too busy second-guessing whether she’d actually been here telling us Darcy had survived, or whether it was my imagination. I wanted to believe with certainty that she had pulled through, but with each breath I took, doubt chipped away at my nerves.

Testing the connection for the hundredth time, I pushed a little harder, quieting my mind and opening myself up to her.

There was the slightest hint of an echo—something just out of reach. I stretched out again and found nothing.

She wasn’t there; and that realization made my stomach feel like it had dropped through the floor.

It had been my own vain expectation. Hell, for all I knew, I’d simply heard my own thudding heart in my chest.

Letting out a long, drawn out breath, I lifted my head to glance about the room. Through the small paned window on the far wall, I could see the faint hint of the approaching dawn, signaling that a new day was approaching with no more news from upstairs.

I longed for some kind of confirmation through our connection. It was so strong; yet I’d felt our mental pathway break. That was a fact. One moment she’d been talking to me and then she vanished. I’d tried following to where she’d retreated, but there was no trace. It was as if she’d never been there, the sweetness our mating ritual had brought had evaporated.

It wasn’t even like back when our link was sporadic and temperamental. Even with that, I’d had some semblance of presence from her, soft caresses as her thoughts occasionally brushed against mine.

Whatever Devlin did had severed everything; so what made me think that magically it had been restored and I could sense her again?

I didn’t voice my doubts to Daniel or Alex, who sat with their backs against the wall by the door. I didn’t have the heart to dash their hopes, too. Light had erupted in their eyes when Lynn spoke those blessed words. There would be plenty of time to return to that numbing emptiness when . . . if I was wrong.

Do you want anything to eat or drink, Mason? Daniel asked, finally standing up and stretching out his tired muscles. I could hear the subtle cracking of bones as his back popped, followed by a relieved moan.

No, thank you, I murmured. I couldn’t bear the idea of food.

I’m going to join you, Alex added, getting to his feet, as well. I didn’t speak a word as they quietly left with promises of returning shortly. I ignored Daniel’s worried glance as he closed the door.

My body screamed to shift positions—anything to alleviate the tension in my own muscles. I’d never been able to sit for long, always feeling the need to move and be active. It had been both a blessing and a curse growing up. Living on Pack property always provided something to do, some kind of mischief to enjoy, which usually led to shenanigans that gave my mother fits. As much as she loved me, there was a small part of her that wished she could quell the rambunctious nature of her son.

I refused to budge now, using the discomfort to keep me in the here and now. If I became comfortable, I ran the risk of thinking. Thinking was dangerous. It led to the craziness that made my friends worry.

Besides, now that I was alone in the room, my sole purpose was to stare at the closed door and will either Devlin, or Darcy, to walk through it. I needed someone to come and tell me everything was okay.

My sanity needed it.

I’d always thought the love I had for Darcy was all consuming. After the night I’d just spent, I discovered how wrong I was. The depths of my feelings for her were still intact, but it was overshadowed by my fear of losing her.

Truly losing her.

Come on, I growled beneath my breath, my fingers drumming impatiently on the side of my knees as I wrapped my arms around my legs. My focus was absolute. As if by sheer will power alone, I could bring them to me.

Sensing a noise approaching, I stood, my hands clenching and unclenching beside me. Nervous energy poured from me and my heart began racing. Someone was coming—someone other than Daniel or Alex. The footstep was light, suggesting it wasn’t Devlin either, and at that moment, my hope took flight.

It was my Darcy. She was okay. And once I saw her for myself, I would pull her into my arms and never, ever, let her go. Overprotectiveness be damned.

Her name was on my lips as the door handle turned, but my nose caught the scent of the newcomer, stopping me.

Lynn tentatively peeked into the room, scanning the outside of the cage for the others, before finally looking at me. She seemed older than the last time I saw her; as if watching her daughter undergo the conversion had aged her quickly.

Weariness weighed her down and her body language all but screamed just how difficult the night had been. I found no hint that things had gone well. There was no smile on her face, no relief signaling Darcy was out of the woods, so to speak. No, she appeared as someone with something to say, but unsure about how to approach the topic.

Mason. Just my name and tears began to fall, again. I didn’t even bother trying to wipe them away.

Did she? The two-word question was all I could utter.

She licked her lips, hesitating for a second before chewing on her bottom lip. She was nervous. I could all but smell it in the air. It agitated my wolf and grief came roaring to the forefront. The time for calmness and positive thinking, or whatever mumbo jumbo Daniel had tried to instill in me earlier, fled.

Lynn was here to tell me my mate had died.

I… I staggered backward.

Oh no, Mason, no. I’m so sorry. She’s okay. She rushed forward, her arms carefully pushing between the bars to reach for me. Like a magnet, I closed the distance between us and grabbed hold of her hand, gripping it like a lifeline.

But? I was confused.

I’m so sorry, she repeated, compassion filling her delicate features—the face that held so many similarities to Darcy’s. Oh, I can imagine what you were thinking when I came in. I wasn’t thinking. Actually, I was. I’m exhausted; but still. I didn’t mean to worry you. By the way she rambled, I could tell the whole experience had obviously taken a toll on her.

So, she’s alive? I allowed myself the tiniest speck of hope to flood my voice.

Yes, honey. Yes. It was a little touch and go at first, because she wouldn’t drink from Devlin; but he was able to get her to obey him. From what he said before I left, everything’s going according to schedule. The blood exchange is complete and her body is adapting to accommodate her new vampiric nature. Devlin said he wished he could come deliver this news himself, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. He’s not sure when she’ll wake, but it’s important she not be alone when it happens. She’s going to be disorientated . . .

And hungry, I added.

From what he explained, that first pang of true blood lust is where the risk of her becoming crazy lies. The trick is to balance it with feedings, and he will talk her through it. Everything will be different for her.

Lynn didn’t say it, but I knew we both thought it. We weren’t sure how Darcy would be or whether her dual predators would be able to strike an accord and reside within her peacefully.

My heart knew all the reasons why we’d both agreed to this—the need to fill that void inside her left by the loss of her witch powers. But the idea that she wouldn’t be the same

Reviews for Savage Possession (#5, The Mystic Wolves)

[leila.khouane · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 Stars!
Well this author never cease to amaze me,even if this serie is killing me with all the cliffhangers,and heartache. Not to mention all the dangers and enemy they make with each breath (I may be a little exaggerating :p)
but seriously it is one of my favorite ones
I loved mason and darcy, how they overcome all their fears (I totally fangirling over mason *o*!!)*Sigh* they are so perfect together
this book both thrilled me when i first opened it but shocked before shutting it. Why belinda, just Why! all those feels i have right now, I think i need a little break before i read the next one. Or maybe not...

[obsessed7by7books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review

What can I say where do I start with this book.

OMG, Belinda has done it again, we have here such a sexy, hard hitting, jaw breaking read. A book that has you so engrossed you don't realise that one of your kids has been talking to you for the last ten minutes.

You all really have to read this series, it just gets better and better. I'm not going to put any spoilers, so you just have to buy it.

[dlynch-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Savage Possession (Mystic Wolves #5) by Belinda BoringDarcy O’Connor agreed to being transformed into a vampire in order to avoid insanity. Now a werewolf-vampire hybrid she needs to adjust to the changes. However, something does not seem right with Darcy and Mason will do everything in his power to help his mate. Darcy and Mason are such a wonderful couple. The poor newlyweds can’t catch a break. They have endured so much together. I love that the story is told from both their points of view. I find it fascinating to know what they are both thinking.I love that Darcy and Mason have such a wonderful support system in some seriously powerful people. Belinda Boring does such a great job with her characters. The plot is really interesting with lots of stuff going on. Savage Possession had an unexpected ending that left me salivating for book six in the series, Darkness Unleashed. I can’t wait to find out what happens next! Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.