Dire Secrets
Micca Michaels
To those that believed in me, when I didn’t.
To our Stabby Mary, may your knives always be sharp.
Cynthia, may you always be the light in a dark room.
Kellie, for always keeping me in the present.
Elizabeth Knight, you are a Goddess among mere mortals.
Love you ladies
Copyright © 2021
Micca Michaels
Dire Secrets
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in book reviews.
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Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Artist: Kismet New Moon
Editor: CreativeLee
Formatting: Bookish Author Services
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
About the Author
“Becca!”
“Becca! What is she doing that she can’t hear me? Ailin, you’re not helping,”
Sinead says with a bit of a growl. “Ailin, are you sure about this?” Sinead says over her shoulder as she packs their luggage, “I mean, I know she’s almost eighteen years old, but what if she...”
“Sinead, stop,” sounding exasperated Ailin asks, “Did you have anyone stay with you when you were seventeen or this close to eighteen? Sinead, sweetheart, stop. Becca is very mature, responsible, and has more common sense than the average person her age. It’s not like we’re leaving the country. We’re going to Aspen for our snow run. You know this is important. Now, stop worrying and let's get on the road. We have a long drive ahead of us.”
“Ailin,” she warns. He braces himself for the inevitable with thinning patience.
“What Sinead?” comes his reply.
With a coy smile that reaches her beautiful mint green eyes, Sinead turns and locks her arms around Ailin’s neck and whispers, “I love you.”
Sighing with relief, Ailin let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Wrapping his arms around her waist and letting his hands rest on her ass, “I love you too, now scoot woman.”
Walking downstairs, Sinead feels a chill run down her spine. Understanding this as a sign of one of her knowings, she decides to ignore it, telling herself this trip will be as amazing as it is everytime they go.
Becca, having her earbuds in, cranked as loud as they can possibly go while staring at her favorite sight in the world, Pikes Peak, doesn’t hear her mom call her. Living in Colorado Springs offers one of the most gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains. Loving to look at what she calls her mountain is one thing, hiking it is totally different. Thinking about hiking makes Becca’s skin itch for some reason. Thinking to herself, I’m in shape and no, not round, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I consider myself the girl next door. Smiling inwardly, I am a mix of sassy, sarcastic, and just the right amount of sexy. At 5’6, I don’t see myself as too tall, and I love my natural raven blue, black hair. It’s long, thick, and I can do anything with it. I have an athletic build, a flat tummy, and, thank the Gods, I am not too big-chested. My favorite features, though, are my eyes, electric green. Seriously, sometimes I swear they glow, and no, I don’t need a one-way ticket to a psychiatric ward.
Jack should be here soon. I think Jack and I should go to Garden of the Gods for a picnic. Mmm, maybe some guy watching. I mean come on, guys that hike tend to be fit, and I have eyes, after all.
You see, Jack’s full name is Jacqueline Kelly; she’s my best friend and has been since we started walking. Jack is everything to me. She supports me and keeps me from getting into too much trouble. Hey, I said too much trouble, I am a teenager, don’t judge me.
I guess I should go say bye to my mom and dad. A whole weekend with the house all to ourselves, I cannot wait till Jack gets here.
As Ailin starts to load their luggage into the car, Sinead finally has Becca’s attention.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go stay with Miread and her family? The house can be pretty scary when you’re home alone.”
“Mom, for one, I won’t be alone, Jack is coming over. Two, we have always lived in this house, there is nothing scary about it. Seriously, go. If someone breaks in to kill us, I remember how to dial 911.”
“Becca, that is so not funny. I can’t do this,” Sinead worries out loud.
“Mom, go! I was joking. Come on, nothing is going to happen,” Becca tries to sound reassuring.
“Sinead! Let's go, we have got to get on the road,” Ailin calls from the car, “I want to be there before they have the first event. Mo Chroi, we love you and trust you. Have fun, just not too much fun.”
“Well, I guess I better call and cancel the strippers and liquor delivery,” Jack says, sneaking up on Ailin. Giggling, both girls laugh harder as Ailin’s face turns as red as a beet.
“Girls,” he warns.
“Dad, she’s only joking.” At least I think she’s joking. You never know with Jack. This one time, she warned some asshat at school that if he didn’t leave us alone, he would regret it. Let's just say he didn’t heed her warning. She printed out party flyers, saying the time and place for an “All Invited” party. She then proceeded to order 50 supreme pizzas. Oh, and the party was set for the night his parents were having a dinner party. We sat across the street and watched the show unfold. It was epic. Needless to say, said asshat didn’t bother us again. Mainly because he was grounded for the rest of the school year, and it was only October.
Ailin gives Becca a hug and what is supposed to be an intimidating look to Jack, resulting in another round of giggles from the girls. He then ushers Sinead to the car.
Yelling over her shoulder, “I love you, Becca, always remember that.” As Sinead gets into the car, she knows nothing will be the same when they return. They will have to start preparing Becca for what would be coming. Sinead waves affectionately at her daughter as Ailin pulls out of the driveway.
Becca feels a chill run down her spine. As the girls watch Becca’s parents drive away, Becca decides to ignore the sensation, assuring herself it’s just nerves or something, not anything serious. Closing the door and rubbing her hands together, Jack proclaims, “Let the fun begin.”
Two hours later, both girls are sitting and staring at the televis
ion, bored out of their minds. “Jack, what happened to fun times? Either I am having so much fun I am having an out of body experience, or I am so bored that my body has gone numb.”
“Well, what exactly are two seventeen years supposed to do that doesn’t involve guys, partying, or something just as dumb? Huh? Answer me that.”
“Let’s bake. We can plug in my ipod and listen to music while we’re in the kitchen. We can prepare for our picnic tomorrow,” Becca suggests.
With a raised eyebrow, Jack follows Becca into the kitchen, “And where exactly are we going on this mysterious picnic we’re now baking for?”
Becca whirles around with a gleaming smile, “Garden of the Gods. We can have a picnic and people watch.”
Giggling, Jack says, “You mean guy watch?”
Shrugging, “Isn’t that what I said? Come on, what else do we have to do? Besides, I have the keys to the Mustang. You know you love that car. I might even let you drive it. What do you say?”
With a heavy breath, acting put out, Jack smiles, “I am totally on board. Let’s do this. What are we gonna wear?”
“Jack, you know you are totally prepared for any kind of outing. You’re staying for two days and totally packed for a week. We’ll coordinate after we bake.”
Baking was the only thing Becca could think of to keep her mind from wandering. If I had total access to my powers, I could look and see how my parents are, but I don’t come into those till my eighteenth birthday. That’s an even mix of exciting and scary. You see my family has had witches in it since records started to be kept. Now, don’t get me wrong, we all have some powers starting at about two years old. That gives an entire new meaning to the term terrible twos. However, we don’t fully come into power until 3:33 am, the witching hour, on our eighteenth birthday. For me, that’s in three weeks.
Jack shouts, “Becca!”
“What? Why are you yelling?” Becca replies, coming out of her own thoughts.
“Maybe because you completely zoned out on me. What were you thinking about? Where did you go?”
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking of my birthday,” Becca answers her with a half truth. There’s that damn chill again. What does it mean? Shake it off, push it away before Jack notices.
“Sinead, we’ve been on the road for a couple of hours, and you’ve barely said a word. What’s going on in that head of yours?” Ailin wonders aloud.
Looking out the passenger window, “I know this is a long drive for a weekend, but I can never complain about the view. Colorado is so beautiful, especially this time of year. The winter months, everything is covered in glistening snow, I can’t imagine anything more beautiful,” Sinead says with a peaceful sigh.
Sneaking a quick peek at his wife, Ailin smiles, “Sweetheart, I don’t think it’s a long drive, and I’m the one doing the driving. It’s only about four and a half hours, four and a half hours that I get you all to myself. You are right about the view though, but I don’t think that’s what is on your mind. Come on, talk to me.”
Feeling weighed down, Sinead turns to Ailin, “I don’t know what to say or even how to say what’s on my mind. It’s just so damn frustrating.”
“Take a deep breath and just start talking,” Ailin reassures his wife, “We’ll work it out as it comes.”
Taking a deep calming breath to center herself, she begins to voice her thoughts, “I don’t know. I keep getting that knowing feeling running down my spine. I can’t say it’s good, and I can’t say it’s bad. It’s just there, and it’s bothering me. It’s a weight that feels too heavy to bare, but for whatever reason, I won’t look. You know I could, but something tells me not to.”
“Do you think it could be the changes coming for Becca? We have a lot to prepare for, a flight to Ireland, and speaking to and teaching Becca about everything she will soon go through.”
“You’re probably right, we have to talk to Becca. We can’t leave her blind about her future. She needs to prepare for it, and we need to help her. I know she can’t come with us till she is officially eighteen and mated, but we can show her and teach her. If she thinks coming into her powers is going to change things, what will she think of this? I am worried, Ailin.” Sighing with frustration, she continues, “I can’t see anything. I mean, I see Becca, I see her coming of age on her next birthday, but that’s it. I see her, but it’s like there is something else there, and I am being blocked from seeing it.”
“Sinead, you know we can’t see everything. Some things aren’t meant for us to see. As long as you can see Becca, healthy and happy, isn’t that all that matters? You shouldn’t worry so much. You know if you worry you’ll start turning grey,” wincing, he knows what’s coming.
“Ailin Michael Sullivan, you take that back right this second. So help me, if I see one grey hair on my head you’ll pay for it.” Feeling totally exasperated, Sinead turns back to look out her window with an audible “Humph”.
Chuckling Ailin redirects the conversation, “Sweetheart, you know I was only kidding. Come on. Why don’t you call and check on the girls before we enter cell hell? You know you want to.”
Sinead agrees with a sly grin, “Yeah, okay, I do want to check on them.”
Pulling out her cell phone, Sinead calls the girls. It’s not like I am checking on them, I am simply letting them know that we will be unreachable till we head back. Unless of course there is an emergency. They can’t get mad at me for that, right?
Dialing Becca, Sinead knows to let it ring cause they are probably listening to music. So loud the neighbors can hear it. Nope, stop. Everything is fine.
A muffled “Hello” comes through the phone.
“Becca, turn the music down. I can barely hear you.”
Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Becca does as her mother says, “Sorry mom, is that better?”
“Yes, darling it is, and don’t roll your eyes at me. Now, I just wanted to let you know that dad and I are entering what dad calls “cell hell” and won’t have reception till our return trip.”
“No, you’re calling to check on us and using the cell phones as an excuse,” giggling Becca says, “You’re busted mom, just own up to it.”
“Okay, okay. Will you buy that I am calling for both reasons?”
“I can buy that, but I want my change,” Becca giggles at herself
“Ha ha ha, you’re just on a roll tonight. Anyways, you know how to reach us should there be an emergency. Do you girls have any plans?”
“Actually we are baking right now. We’re going to the Garden of the Gods tomorrow to have a picnic. Wish you were gonna be here to join us.”
“That’s sweet, but we both know I would only cramp your boy-watching style. If you need extra cash you know where it is. Have fun and make smart decisions. We love you, and tell Jack we love her too. I have to go.”
“Okay, Mom, and I will. You guys have fun. We love you, and we’ll see you in a couple days.”
Hanging up the phone, Sinead and Becca both stare at their blacked out screens for a moment. Both say a silent prayer that the other will stay safe.
With a look mixed with love and worry, Ailin caresses his mate's face, “Do you feel better now that you’ve talked to her?”
“I do and I don’t to be honest. I do because I know she is fine. I don’t, well, I don’t like this feeling I keep having. Becca knows what’s coming, part of what’s coming. I don’t believe anything will lessen the shock factor concerning the other side of who and what she is. I know nothing lessened my shock,” growling in pure frustration, Sinead whirls in the passenger seat of the car, “Ailin, I am sorry, but this entire situation is shit. I don’t understand why our pups aren’t told as soon as they are old enough to understand and keep our secret. Throwing their shifter side at them at the same time they come into their power is too much. I almost couldn’t handle it. I never understood or agreed with that law.”
“I will admit I understand what you’re saying, but our laws are laws for a reason. We may not agr
ee with it, but it’s not like we can change it.” Ailin changes the subject, “Come on, let’s not have this weighing us down during our weekend. Let’s set it to the side for now. We’ll have to deal with it soon enough. Let’s get ready to have fun.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, “You’re right, let’s set it aside and enjoy our weekend away. Besides, soon enough we will be very busy teaching and guiding our girl. You know what I am curious about? Becca’s mate. I mean none of us will have any idea who it is till the sunset of her eighteenth birthday. I can’t help but be curious and excited for her. I mean, I know who she wants to be her mate. ”
“Sinead, can we not? I mean, I know it’s going to happen, but let me live in my own little world a while longer. I just can’t handle the idea of my baby girl mating. The very idea…” Ailin shakes with a full body chill, “See, I’m getting chills. Let’s focus on this weekend, then we can focus on Becca’s ascension and her mating. One thing at a time, please.”
“Breathe, Ailin, I agree. Besides, we should be almost to the lodge. I can’t wait to see everyone again. I realize we see some of them all the time, but I mean the ones we don’t see as often. I do agree with the Alpha that we should gather at least once every season. We can always travel to where there is snow. That way we can blend in on our runs.”
“Sinead, that isn’t a bad idea. We’d get to travel all over the world. We could stay better connected as a pack. I bet it would make things a bit easier on the Alpha as well. Hey, we should suggest it at the meeting before the first run. Well, depending on what the schedule is this year.”
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