by West, Tara
She thought about Agent Johnson and all the times she had told him off or scowled at him and totally understood what Tanner meant.
She forced a smile. “He’s happy, very happy, and loved.”
Tanner released a slow breath. “Thank you.”
She nodded at Tanner and then climbed into the truck beside Mako. She couldn’t wait to get home to her family and put this nightmare behind her.
THEY WERE HALFWAY HOME when Drasko got a call from Hakon, asking him to take Amara to the clinic. Once there, she found Roy sleeping in a back room and hooked up to an IV, Takaani sitting by his side.
With an excited bark, Mako leapt at Takaani, tail wildly wagging, plastering her face with sloppy kisses.
She went to her knees and hugged him. “I missed you, too, baby.” She looked up at Amara through a sheen of tears, mouthing her thanks.
Her heart skipped a beat when she got a good look at Roy’s face. “Great Ancients,” she whispered to Takaani. “What happened?”
“Richter got him.”
Dr. Johnson came in and checked his vitals, then scribbled on his chart. “I got the shrapnel out of his hand and gave him an antibiotic,” she said with a wink, “but I figured you could finish fixing him up, Amara.”
“Of course.” She sat beside him and applied her healing magic.
She was suddenly reminded of the time when Roy had come down with pneumonia. He’d been small for his age, looking more like a child than a thirteen-year-old boy. She hadn’t had healing powers back then, and she’d sat by his bed for two days, making sure he drank plenty of fluids and took his medicine. His parents, as usual, didn’t seem to care about him. Her uncle had stayed away, saying that a virus like that could kill him. Her aunt just didn’t give a shit. Amara remembered cleaning her sick cousin’s vomit off her clothes when her aunt walked into the house, laughing and twirling after buying a new dress and getting a manicure. She hadn’t even asked about Roy, singing all the way to her room. Amara caught her sneaking out of the house later that night and climbing into some dude’s truck.
Not once during Roy’s delirium had he asked for his mom, but he’d asked for Amara plenty. And she’d left him, then turned her back on him after he’d found her. She felt like a bucket of horse dung for the way she’d treated him.
By the time she’d finished healing him, it was well past dinner. She’d gone all day without seeing Hrod. Her boobs ached, and she wanted to go home. She ate two disgusting MREs and drank some juice.
She returned to Jovan’s room and finished healing him. He remained asleep after the last bullet scar faded. She’d rather he slept off his depression than wake up, crying for Katarina. Her fathers sat beside Jovan’s bed, stoic but with red-rimmed eyes. After giving them consolatory hugs, she left them to brood, unable to stand the stifling misery in the room.
She went back to Roy’s room, falling into a chair beside Takaani. When her eyelids grew heavy, it occurred to her that she’d healed three people and a dog, all in one day. No wonder she was tired. At Eilea’s insistence, she curled up on a hospital bed beside Roy and gave in to her fatigue.
TAKAANI SAT IN A CHAIR beside her brother’s bed, Mako sleeping at her feet, and waited for Roy to wake up. Her cousin’s mates, especially Rone, kept checking on them, asking her if she needed anything. How thoughtful they all were. She hoped her mates, wherever they were, would be as considerate.
She straightened when Roy groaned and his eyelids fluttered. Then his eyes shot open and he gasped, arms and legs flailing. “Annie!”
“Calm down. I’m here.” She climbed in beside him, keeping him from ripping the IV out of his arm. “Everything’s okay. You’re safe. We’re safe.”
HE STILLED, THEN THREW an arm across his brow. “Thank god. I had a crazy fucking dream that you were a wolf and this man was trying to kill us, then Amara healed me with magic fingers.”
She held his clammy hand in hers, trying to think of the right words. Finally she decided being abrupt would be best. “That wasn’t a dream, Roy.”
He dropped his arm and looked at her. He noticed Amara, sleeping in the adjoining bed, and clapped a hand over his mouth.
She grabbed juice off a nearby table, then adjusted his bed until he was sitting up. “Here.” She handed him the drink.
He sipped through the straw, gazing intently at Amara’s mates when they peeked in the window.
Takaani resisted the urge to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “They won’t hurt you.”
“Yeah, right. They threatened me the last time I saw them.”
“You were a threat to them, too,” she said, taking the empty juice box from him and tossing it in a nearby wastebasket. “They didn’t know if they could trust you with their secrets.”
He reminded her of that little boy from her youth. Though he was a year older, there were times when she thought of him as her sweet, innocent little brother.
“They can trust me,” he said. So can you, he thought, though I know I don’t deserve it.
She clasped his hands in hers. She was sorely tempted to tell him she was ready to put the past behind her, but obviously she wasn’t, since she didn’t have the nerve to tell him she could hear his thoughts.
According to Amara’s mates, she was the only Amaroki they knew of who could read minds. Hakon and Drasko especially had acted strange around her after they found out, keeping their distance from her. And here she thought she’d finally met her own kind, but once again she was the freak. Cousin Amara had a much better magical gift. She could heal people with her touch. If only Takaani had magic like Amara’s.
“I really watched you change into a wolf, didn’t I,” he said.
She smiled. “Yep.”
“Fucking amazing. Is this something only the women in our family can do?”
“Long story. I’ll tell you after you get better.” She wasn’t looking forward to explaining they had different fathers. Hopefully, he’d still love her as his half-sister.
“They shot my hand.” He held it up. “Look at it now. It’s normal again. How did Amara do that?”
“It’s her magical gift.” Takaani couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy in her voice.
“And she can change into a wolf, too?”
“She can,” Takaani answered evenly.
“Do you have a magical gift?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“What is it?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“You don’t trust me?” The hurt in his eyes was more than she could bear.
She affectionately patted his arm. “You’ve already got a lot to process.”
He laid his head on the pillow. “All this time I thought you were on drugs.”
She bristled, her inner-wolf growling. “I’ve never done drugs, Roy. Not once in my life.”
“I believe you now,” he said solemnly.
Warmth flooded her chest. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry I thought the worst of you.” His cheeks colored.
“It’s okay.” She pretended his accusations had never bothered her. “It was more believable than the truth.”
When Agent Johnson peeked inside the window, Roy said, “Those agents aren’t chasing us anymore, right?”
“No, they’re not,” Takaani answered. “The good agent is in charge now.”
“Good.” He heaved a sigh. “If you need someone to take care of you, I’m here for you, Annie.”
Her throat tightened. He knew what she was, and he still wanted to be her big brother. “You don’t know what that means to me. I’m tired of running.”
“And I’m tired of losing you.”
She flung herself into her brother’s arms. She was so relieved she finally had his love again, and she was determined not to lose it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Amara awoke in Rone’s arms and surprisingly in her own bed.
She sat up. “What happened?”
“You were knocked out,” Rone said,
brushing a strand of hair off her face, “so we took you home.”
She felt rested and sore at the same time. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“About fourteen hours.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“You used up a lot of energy.” He handed her a juice box. “Here. I know how much you like these.”
She drank it all in a few swallows, though her throat was still parched and her boobs hurt so bad, they felt ready to explode.
“Annie and Roy?” she asked.
“They’re here. They’re playing video games in the basement.”
“And everyone’s okay with Roy?”
“So far, so good.”
“Thank the Ancients. Hrod?”
“He misses his mommy. Want me to get him?”
“Please.” Her legs felt like two wet noodles. She didn’t know if she had the strength to get up yet. She leaped for him, latching onto his wrist as he was rising. “What about my fathers and Eilea?”
“She’s back at the clinic, and your fathers took Katarina home for the funeral.”
Sorrow thickened her throat. She felt guilty that she was more sorry she hadn’t gotten to spend time with her fathers than that their mate died. Then she felt more guilt that she was secretly happy they now had the chance to court Eilea without Katarina in the way. “Are they coming back?”
He twisted a lock of her hair around her finger and kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t know.”
She felt ten shades of selfish that she was annoyed by the inconvenience of Katarina’s funeral. She’d been a raging bitch, but she hadn’t deserved such a horrible death. “My bunic and bunica?”
“They went with them. Amaroki funerals are a big deal.” He hesitated as if he was searching for the right words. “No matter who the wolf was.”
Her heart plummeted. Her family was gone. Then she remembered Roy and Takaani were still here. She should’ve been rejoicing, not pouting.
HROD’S INFECTIOUS GIGGLES when Rone brought him to the bed lit up Amara’s world. She didn’t pine for her fathers and her bunics with him in her arms. Much to her amazement and delight, she heard laughter from the basement. Were her mates getting along with her cousins?
Clutching Hrod to her bosom, she followed Rone downstairs. Hakon paused the game, jumping to his feet when he saw her. “How was your nap?” He took Hrod from her, kissing her cheek.
“Good.”
Rone led her to the sofa, sitting her beside Roy.
“How are you doing?” she asked him awkwardly, and not just because she was in her PJs with bed hair. She’d treated him awfully the past few days, and he’d suffered so much because of her.
“A million times better,” he said with a grin.
“Roy.” She reached for him, hesitated, then pulled back. Maybe he wouldn’t want a hug from her. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“Don’t be.” He vehemently shook his head. “I don’t blame you. Most people would run screaming if they learned your secrets.”
“And yet you didn’t.”
Laughter escaped his throat. “It’s better than being a druggie.”
She looked at him and then at Takaani, who rolled her eyes. She was sure there was a story there, but instinct told her to wait for Takaani to tell it.
They flinched when Hakon let out a roar, cussing out Drasko, who’d killed him in their video game. Hakon recharged his avatar and battled Luc and Drasko as a giant mythical beast. Ironic, considering he was a real beast.
“You’re okay with all this?” she asked Roy.
“I’m cool with it.” He wrapped an arm around Takaani’s shoulders. “My sister and cousin are safe, and that’s what’s important.”
Amara placed a hand over her heart. “I’ve missed you both.”
“We missed you, too.” Takaani held out her arms. “Family hug!”
She hugged them, so happy when Roy didn’t flinch or tremble in her arms.
After the tearful reunion, Takaani said, “Let’s go to the living room. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
She followed her cousins upstairs, casting one last look at her mates, blowing them kisses when they winked at her. Wow. So this was really happening.
Amara and her cousins shared stories over lunch. She ate two huge sandwiches, an entire jar of pickles, pie, and ice cream, then they played with the dogs and Hrod until the baby got cranky. She fed him in the privacy of their bedroom, rocking him in her arms and singing a lullaby Bunica had taught her before crawling in bed with him and taking another nap. Though she was relieved her family was home, she wondered if she’d ever recover her strength. A buzzing in her tummy reminded her she was resting for two.
SKUNK CLUTCHED A MUG of beer in one hand and a Bible in the other. He hadn’t cared much about religion since his youth. After he was old enough to move out, he left his family and never contacted them again, eager to get away from his father, a fire and brimstone preacher who’d whipped him almost every day for committing some sort of sin or blasphemy. But now Skunk was a believer. Now he understood why his father had warned him that demons walked among them. These demons had Roy’s cousin, and most likely they had captured or killed Roy, too. Though Henry said the big beast had saved him from the fire, Skunk had no doubt it was the demon who’d probably created the explosion.
He stared at the small gathering of about twenty crewmen. Skunk had coerced them all into coming to the bar with the promise of free beer and pizza, thanks to the money he’d found in Roy’s cabin.
Clearing his throat, he stood by the stage. “Thank you for coming, brothers. I know a lot of you are stressed after being laid off. They still haven’t told us when it’s safe to go back to work. A few of you were there that morning of the explosion. Though some of you are too afraid to talk, I know you saw the demon Hakon Thunderfoot. Henry thinks this demon saved him, but that’s what the devil wanted him to think. Satan doesn’t approach you as his enemy. He comes to you as his friend. He gains your trust before stealing your soul.”
He paused and looked around the room, refusing to be discouraged when men gave each other uncomfortable looks, and Henry refused to look him in the eye. They were scared, as they should be, but he’d been rehearsing this speech all morning. He was determined to sway them to his side, the righteous side.
“Hakon Thunderfoot and his brothers are demons disguised as men,” he continued, getting louder with each intake of breath. “Before Roy Miller disappeared, he told me he’d seen the beast take over Drasko Thunderfoot’s face. My friends and I saw Roy’s house. It had been shot up and destroyed, and there were giant animal tracks nearby, and not a wolf or a bear, but something unholy.” Skunk decided to skip the part about the money he’d taken from Roy’s house and the fact that Moose said the tracks were from a wolf. “These monsters are living among us, working with us and putting our lives at risk. How many of our friends will they steal? How many more explosions will they create?” He shook a fist at them, encouraged when one of them raised his head and looked in his direction.
“Last week my friends and I saw one of those unholy demons. Her face contorted and shifted, revealing her inner monster. The bar where she worked was closed. Last night my friends and I snuck in through the back and saw the place was in shambles, just like Roy’s house. We also saw a blood stain on the concrete. The bar owner has disappeared, just like Roy.” Skunk decided to leave out that he and his friends had also cleared the bar of its inventory, enough for them to party for free for the next six months. The owner had most likely been killed and didn’t need the spirits anyway. “It is my belief that these demons are all related, and they have infiltrated society.”
He planted his feet shoulder-width apart, crossed his arms, and searched each man’s face. “I’m asking those of you who witnessed Hakon Thunderfoot change into a demon to come forward, tell us what you saw, and explain Roy Miller’s disappearance.”
An eerie hush fell over the place, and for the first time
, Skunk started to doubt himself. What if nobody sided with him? What if they were too afraid to rock the boat?
Finally a man in back cleared his throat. It was Matt Tso, a known card shark and little league coach. He slowly rose to his feet, clutching a woolen cap in whitened knuckles. “They threatened us with our jobs and our lives if we talked.”
“Who?” Skunk asked.
He shrugged, sharing nervous glances with his friends. “I don’t know who they worked for. I think they were CIA or NSA.”
“And you did see something?” Skunk asked.
“I did, but I can’t say what.” He shoved the hat back on his head. “And I have a family to think of.”
“It may be too late for you and your family,” Skunk boomed, pointing at him accusingly. “What if they come after you like they did Roy?”
Henry stood. “We don’t know it was them. Hakon Thunderfoot prevented the whole place from exploding.”
He’d spoken so timidly, Skunk had to strain to hear. Skunk shook a fist at him. “But who set off the first explosion?”
Henry shrugged and sat back down. “They’re still investigating the cause.”
Skunk shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Do you think they’ll give you the real reason?”
“I don’t know.” Henry scratched the back of his neck. “I do know that nobody died, thanks to Hakon.”
“Nobody has died yet.” Skunk emphasized each word, imagining punching Henry in the gut.
“What do you want me to do?” Henry protested, his scrawny chest caving inward.
“Tell us what you saw,” Skunk demanded.
Henry’s hands trembled like leaves in a windstorm. “I can’t.”
Skunk paced, pounding his palm. “Henry, you told me you saw Hakon change into a ten-foot beast with glowing yellow eyes. Were you lying?”
Henry abruptly sat down, clamping his mouth shut.
Skunk scanned the room, narrowing his eyes as all men looked away. “Can anyone tell me if Henry was lying when he said Hakon can transform into a big, hairy beast?”