by E Hall
“That’s because wolves are the best,” Camilla singsongs. “Then again, I’m biased.”
“Betas, Kenna and I don’t have time to waste. We have to find Greyson. You need to find the werewolf.”
“Apart from the obvious reasons, are we up against a deadline?” Trigg asks.
I don’t tell them about the Council ultimatum. Instead, I say, “Clint said there will be a full investigation if there’s another death. That means police, guards, and people snooping around on our land. We have the support of the local authorities. However, the national level is another story.”
“Shall I ready the plane?” Baker asks, tapping away on his computer.
“I’d like to leave as soon as possible.”
After making arrangements, Kenna and I go to Intherness. She watches the scenery out the window. “This is a beautiful country. I’d like to explore sometime when I’m not trying to make sense of a past I didn’t know about.”
I point toward the city. “The Christmas markets are my favorite. There’s a river that runs through the city that freezes over in the winter. Visitors can ice skate during the day or at night when it’s all lit up. If you think the chocolate cake here is delicious, the cocoa is amazing. You can get it served with caramel, marshmallow cream, or double chocolate.”
Kenna beams a smile. “Now, you’re speaking my language.”
I chuckle as I turn into the private airport entrance.
“I didn’t realize I could’ve flown in. I took a train. It was cool, but took a while.”
“The airport is for private jets only.”
Her eyes widen. “Now, you’re not speaking my language. We’re taking a private plane?”
“Wolf pack privilege. We also have a helicopter.” I wink.
Kenna mouths the word wow.
We skip lines, security, and all the fuss of regular travel. I slide onto the creamy leather seat aboard the jet. An attendant brings us warm cloths infused with lavender and fizzy water as we prepare for takeoff.
Kenna watches out the window as Concordia shrinks to a play-sized city. I watch her expression soften as we move over the water. The matching sky almost makes her smoky eyes look blue. Her lips press gently together. She’s so beautiful my breath catches.
She turns slowly toward me, and the corner of her mouth lip lifts into a smile. “Like what you see, Mr. Stone?” she asks.
“Very much.” My voice is rough.
I clear my throat and shift back into the matter at hand. We review everything we’ve learned so far. I recap the various kinds of ghosts and what we may encounter if we find her father.
“I was joking about the house being haunted, so this kind of blows my mind. Also, that haunting isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Alister is nice enough.”
“I’m afraid his boss doesn’t have the same reputation.”
“You mean my father? Mom never talked about him. Couldn’t, it turns out.”
“I’m sorry to say that he wasn’t a good man. He caused a lot of difficulty for magicals among humans, attempting to wage a war with an army of battle wolves. Inga has told me the stories.”
Her eyes crimp. “Then what did Clove mean about finishing what he started?”
“My concern exactly.”
The attendant brings us a steak dinner with potatoes and asparagus. Kenna pushes her food around on her plate. “I’m looking forward to a doughnut or two.”
To change the subject, I say, “Tell me about where you used to live.”
“After my mom’s last breakup with a troll named Matt—”
“An actual troll?” I ask.
“Are they real?”
I nod.
Kenna’s big eyes widen. “No, just a jerk. Anyway, my mom moved I guess, but stayed in Portsmouth because of her job.”
She goes on to tell me about the old port city and the ocean. In truth, it reminds me of some areas in Concordia and Scotland but on another continent.
After getting a couple of hours rest, we touch down early the next morning. I hire a limo service to bring us north of Boston to New Hampshire. I hold the door open for Kenna.
When I get in, she says, “I’d like to say my mom will flip about how fancy this all is, but if she didn’t bat an eyelash about you being a wolf, I fear this won’t impress her a bit. However, I am. It’s a far cry from the bus, train, plane, tram, and the second train I took to get to Concordia.”
I chuckle. “Get used to it, babe.”
We travel north. This time, I take in the new-to-me landscape as Kenna talks about points of interest. The traffic isn’t bad, and soon we’re in Portsmouth. Kenna gives the driver her mother’s new address.
She slows as we walk up to the shabby apartment building. “It had always been just her and me. Everything is different now, do I knock or—?”
“She’s still your mom. That hasn’t changed. Also, she’s a vampire. I have a feeling she sensed your approach the moment the car pulled up.”
“Good point. I was going to text her, but—”
The front door to the apartment flies open. “Kenna,” Jackie says with wide-open arms. She snugs her daughter in a hug. I give a wave and then Jackie dives toward me for a hug.
“Haven’t hugged a wolf shifter in a while,” she whispers. “You stink.”
“Don’t tell your daughter that,” I whisper back.
“I can hear you both,” Kenna says.
We all laugh.
“Come on up. I got pizza from Kenna’s favorite place.”
Kenna’s shoulders relax pretty much for the first time since we’ve met. A faint smile plays on her lips. This is home to her.
“I didn’t know how much I could miss someone,” Jackie says as we dig into the pizza.
“I’ve been homesick,” Kenna admits. “Glad to be back.”
“But not for long,” Jackie says. “I got your message. I understand that you want to try to find your father.” She doesn’t look hopeful.
“We need to start somewhere. Alister mentioned he was romantic and adventurous. Anything come to mind?”
Jackie tilts her head back and laughs. “Our relationship was fiery, passionate, unlike anything I’d experienced previously or since. Maybe it was because it was forbidden. Perhaps it was due to our various natures.” She shrugs. “But yes, plenty comes to mind.”
Kenna makes a gagging face at the idea of her parents being romantic.
I chuckle.
“We met after I lost my purse—remember, this was a long time ago. I was beside myself. I searched everywhere, reported it to the authorities. The next day the most handsome man I’d ever seen showed up on my doorstep, holding it. Of course, I scented wolf and fae. He recognized I was a vampire. We were both living among humans because back then magicals tended to keep to themselves. How boring. It didn’t take much to convince him to take me on a date.”
“Mom, did you mesmer him?”
She shimmies her shoulders. “Didn’t need to.”
Kenna grumbles. “Maybe I don’t want to hear about this.”
“Oh, come on. It’s a love story. I just wish it had a happily ever after.” Jackie sighs.
Kenna glances at me. I sense the question in her heart. Will we have a happily ever after? I wish I could answer her. But the way her presence, her voice, and her determination connect with my wolf, I’d like to say yes. Our present reality tells me otherwise.
“It was love at first sight.” Jackie glances at me. “Fated mates aren’t limited to wolf shifters. Or perhaps it was the wolf in him that connected with whatever good exists inside me. But it was hard for us. We had to be secretive. Greyson hated that. He wanted to change the way magicals kept apart.”
Kenna’s eyes slip toward me. Heat builds under my skin. Now that I’ve met her and our wolves have bonded, I understand. There is nothing, no Council member, Accord, or power in this world that could keep me from fighting to be with her. Nonetheless, I have to be careful.
“Anyway, aft
er Greyson and I got married, we wanted to go somewhere private and secluded for our honeymoon so we didn’t have to hide our relationship. There is a small town in Mexico that welcomes our kind. Or at least it did. Kind of like a resort for magicals.” Jackie laughs genially. “It’s on the Baja Peninsula and called Bahia Magia.”
“Clever,” Kenna says. “Is it still there?”
“Kenna, are you planning your wedding?” Her eyes flash to me. “There is no arguing with fated mates. But remember how much trouble I’ve had. I just want you to be happy.” Jackie squeezes her daughter's hand.
“No, we’re not quite there yet. First, we have to stop that werewolf and bring down the Klave.”
Jackie sits back in her chair. “Well, in that case, I suppose you’re on the right track. I imagine Greyson will be of great help. If you can find him. No one has. Though plenty have tried.”
“Including Clove.”
“Is that the young man we met at Lonsdale?”
“Yes, and yesterday, I found out he’s my brother.”
Jackie goes still. “I’m certain I only had one child. I’d remember something like that.”
“He’s fae.”
Jackie’s face slackens. “I knew something was different about him. But not that he was your brother. Greyson is—” She finishes her sentence with a series of expletives.
Kenna winces.
“Does that mean Greyson hooked up with Jana? That bombshell fae sure got around. Oh, the stories I could tell about her.” Jackie takes a deep breath. “Sorry, I got carried away. She never liked me.”
“I thought vamps and fae weren’t the best of friends anyway?” Kenna asks.
“No, they’re not, but way, way back there were balls and revels and all kinds of festivities. Things were different then. I can’t believe he kept that from me.” She narrows her eyes.
“Well, you kept everything about him, and by default the nature of my existence, to yourself, so can you criticize?” Kenna’s cheeks flame with frustration.
“I was bound to secrecy. Hidden away to keep us safe. He went off and hooked up with a fae? Though, knowing Jana, she probably tricked him. I’m sorry. I will keep apologizing to you until you forgive me, but had I not married your father, you wouldn’t have come along, and I’m not sorry for that. The Council can fine me, arrest me, or sentence me to death, but I will never apologize for your existence, Kenna.”
I mouth mic drop.
“Thanks, Mom,” Kenna says in a small voice. “To me, you’re my mother first and a vampire second. But I understand what you needed to do. I will find my father and figure this out. But, um, according to Clove, Greyson is a hollow ghost.”
Jackie gasps. “He didn’t. Oh, Kenna. I am sorry. If he’s a hollow ghost, there’s even less of a chance you’ll be able to find him.”
“Unless he wants me to.”
“Yeah,” Jackie says slowly as though she means to say that’s unlikely.
“Corbin and I are going to fly to this resort in Mexico. I have a feeling about it.”
“I’m sorry to say that you won’t find him...because you can’t fly to Bahia Magia. You can only drive, and even then it’s a complicated trip and not something you can make in that sleek Cadillac you rolled up in.”
“We don’t have time to drive,” I say, cutting in.
“Then you’re out of luck,” Jackie says. “There are numerous Runes of power and protections to stop humans and magicals alike from accessing the resort. The area also has hazards and requires extra care in traveling. The Cadillac would be spotted instantly and your mission thwarted. You want to take something that will allow you to pass through unbothered by anyone who wants to mess with a posh car.”
Kenna wears a mischievous smile. “In other words, we want something rusty with dents. A vehicle with faded, sunbaked paint. We could give the Cadillac a make-under or—”
“I don’t understand. What does it matter what kind of car we take?” I ask, interrupting Kenna.
Jackie presses her lips together as if torn up about mother protection and magical duty. “It’s like this, that area has a reputation for being just a little dangerous thanks to humans who like shiny things and the magical wards that want to keep our kind from poking around down there at a minimum. Even if Kenna used fae glamour to make the Cadillac look junky, they’d be stripped away.”
“Also, for the record, I don’t know how to glamour anything. At least not yet.”
I love Kenna. My wolf loves her, but I don’t love the idea of her magic being split. What if she decided she no longer wants to be a wolf and prefers fae or vamp life?
Kenna looks out the window. “In that case can we borrow the Honda?”
“I’ll leave the Cadillac for you to use while we’re gone,” I offer.
Jackie crosses her arms in front of her chest. “It’s dangerous. I don’t want you to go, but I also can’t stop you.” She steps closer to her daughter and brushes her cheek. “You’ve come of age as a magical, and I daresay a lot more powerful than me. Technically, I probably couldn’t stop you. And maybe you will find your father.”
“So we can take Rhonda?”
“After going into hiding, I’ve lived simply, frugally to not draw attention to myself after years of luxury. So I won’t say no to driving in style.” Jackie eyes the Cadillac through the window.
Kenna fist pumps the air and bounces on her toes, gripping my arm. “Road trip!”
Chapter 13
Kenna
“We’re going to Mexico. Have you ever been?” I ask Corbin.
A light breeze wafts the scent of grease and motor oil as we cross the lot toward my mother’s Honda Odyssey minivan circa 1994. The car is older than me. I tap the roof of what can only be described as a rust bucket on wheels complete with a bumper sticker that says My honor student can beat up your honor student. My mom thought it was funny. Turns out, considering I’m part wolf, part vamp, and part fae, she was on to something.
“Corbin, meet Rhonda the Honda. Rhonda, meet Corbin.” I make a grand, sweeping gesture with my arms as though presenting a game show prize.
Corbin’s eyebrows lift, wrinkling his forehead. “It’ll never make it.”
I scoff. “She’s rough-looking, which is just what we need. The old gal will be just fine.”
My mom sidles up beside us in what I now realize is her sneaky, vampire way.
“When Kenna was little, I wanted to blend in with the other moms so I got a minivan. Never looked back. I recently got a quote for a new alternator, but the brakes are decent, although the defroster is finicky...”
Corbin lifts an eyebrow with concern.
“Rhonda has never failed us.”
“Well, there was that one time in the snowstorm,” my mom starts.
“Shh. You’ll scare him off,” I whisper to my mom. I’ll try to ply Corbin with the promise of good food. “The other day, we had delicious tacos. In Mexico, I bet there are burritos, salsa, guacamole, flautas, enchiladas, chimichangas, quesadillas…” I trail off.
“I’m not opposed to the trip, but want to make sure we get there,” Corbin replies.
“I wonder how much a bus ticket costs,” I say absently.
My mother huffs. “Rhonda will make it.”
Corbin doesn’t budge.
“The protection of the Accord spell is lifting. People are dying. We have to find Greyson and hope that he can lead us to the Klave so we can stop them from turning our world into a beast feast. I’ve seen enough movies that suggest what would happen if our kind is exposed. No matter how powerful we are, scientists will pick us apart, study us, try to use us for weapons of war. Who knows? If stopping that means taking this jalopy, then so be it,” I say in one long breath that’s threaded with desperation.
My mom gives me a reassuring smile.
“Okay, fine,” Corbin says. “Let’s go.”
He’s been kind of dreary today. Maybe that’s because we’re far from the pack and heading into uncerta
in territory. I prefer to think of it as an adventure. Sure, life, death, and the future of the human and magical races may hinge on our success, but still, it’s exciting. Maybe that’s just my father’s influence. I can’t deny I have a feeling we’ll find him.
My mom gives me a new phone—I didn’t tell her I killed the girl that broke my old one—obviously, that wasn’t the reason, but it sounds like something I could still get grounded for.
“Bahia Magia isn’t going to show up on the GPS. But I programmed an address in that will get you close. After that, you will have to tap into the magic in the area. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you spot the rainbow made of stars and surrounded by the moon.”
“That’s not much to go on,” Corbin says.
“You’ll know it when you see it,” my mom says.
After packing up the rest of the pizza, hugs, double and triple hugs, and my mom insisting that we take half the contents of the pantry, we step back into the late afternoon sun, destined for the west coast. I haven’t felt this kind of promise and hope since I realized how much I love Corbin.
My mom dangles the keys to Rhonda the Honda.
“Don’t worry. I’ll give her plenty of go-go juice and wipe her mouth if she drools.”
My mom laughs. “Don’t forget to fluff her ruffles too.”
We hug around my giggle. For a second I don’t want to let go because a tiny part of me knows that when I do, this trip and everything after it will become more real.
Corbin reluctantly gets in the passenger side, and I get behind the wheel. My mom closes the door for me and leans on the frame.
“I’ll let you know as soon as we find out anything.”
She nods and for possibly the first time in my life, she looks sad. Jackie Slade mostly has only one setting: fierce.
“Be safe.” She waves at us, a lone figure in a dark jacket in the center of the parking lot until I turn onto the main road. I glance one more time over my shoulder, but she’s gone. Nervous and excited in equal measure, I wiggle in my seat.
I prop the new phone on the center console even though I don’t need instructions on how to leave town. “It feels good to be back on familiar soil,” I say.