by Juniper Hart
“They are not animals,” Dane hissed, sensing Elle’s tension. “I imagine that they don’t know their own powers for the most part.”
“Why are you bringing this to us?” Henry interjected, speaking in a reasonable tone. “Have you come to claim your place on the Council of Seven?”
“No, of course not.” Dane shook his head quickly. “I have been gone far too long to understand the ways of this world. I have no place on the Council…” He trailed off, ensuring that he had the full attention of the group before continuing. “But the Vulpes have opened a door that can’t easily be shut now.”
“Of course they did,” Lane huffed, sinking back to fold her arms over her chest. Dane’s temper flared, and his eyes flashed.
“You have a child now, Lane, something that is impossible for someone of your stature. And might I ask how you came to be a hybrid in the first place?”
Lane flushed at the question, quickly shooting her own mate a wary look.
“That matter has been resolved,” she mumbled, but Dane could clearly tell she was backing down from her position.
“Of course it has, because that is the purpose of Council—we adapt to changes in the world around us.”
“What is it you want, Alaric?” Alec asked in his quiet way, speaking for the first time since the meeting had commenced.
“Dane,” he and Elle corrected in unison. “I am Dane Hawthorne now. Alaric Aldwin is lost in the underworld.” He and Elle exchanged a look, the energy flowing between them almost palpable.
“Fine. Why are you here?” Alec wanted to know. “If you don’t care for a seat on the Council, and you’re living as someone else…?” He didn’t fully finish his thought, but Dane knew what he was thinking. Why bother telling anyone anything?
“We are going to need to bond together for what’s coming,” Dane said. “All of us from all walks of the Enchanted.” His announcement was met with a blank stare, the group waiting expectantly. “Kendra roused the dead,” he explained, trying to sort his thoughts. “She opened a portal between the living and dead that should never have been breached.”
“If it hadn’t been breached, you wouldn’t be here,” Elle reminded him softly, but Dane shook his head.
“I’m not saying I’m ungrateful,” he offered quickly. “I’m saying that her doing so opened a problem that won’t easily be resolved.”
“Why don’t you explain?” Alec pressed. “What problem?”
Dane inhaled, collecting his thoughts as best he could. How could he possibly put into words what had happened as a result?
“There are laws of nature,” he started slowly. “Laws that can’t be broken without grave risk or consequence.”
“What kind of laws?” Raven asked impatiently. Dane could see that his drawing out of what needed to be said was irritating her, but he wasn’t sure how to say it.
“I was allowed to leave the underworld,” he began. “I had powers like no one else on Earth, and at first, it was emboldening. Me being here already defied those laws I spoke of. The dead and the living were never supposed to meet, but my father, in his infinite wisdom, sent me to rule.” He chewed on the insides of his cheeks for a moment. “I didn’t want to rule the living. I was lonely, and I wanted more beings like myself. At first, I turned only a handful of mortals, one vampire, one dragon, and one werewolf, but when I saw what they could do…”
“You got a little taste of power and realized you wanted to rule us,” Laurel said bitterly.
“I didn’t want to rule anyone,” Dane replied. “I wanted to create a species of beings who could live forever. The underworld… I didn’t want anyone to return there.”
“The witches die,” Lane reminded him.
“The witches don’t go to the underworld when they die,” Dane protested, unthinking. “My father doesn’t like competition.”
A collective gasp filled the chamber, and he suddenly realized he was being gawked at.
“Where do they go?”
“What happens to them?”
“What is the underworld like?”
The firing of questions caught him off guard, and Dane returned their gazes blankly.
“Never mind any of that,” he said quickly. “I need to tell you what’s going to happen now that the portal between the worlds has opened.”
“The dead are among us,” Landon offered dryly. “So what?”
“Aside from the fact that nature won’t allow it, this means that my father’s minions will be out looking to reclaim any souls that have wandered.”
“Including Dane,” Elle concluded. “And he’s not going back.”
The Council looked to one another, unsure of what to make of this new information. Finally, Lane spoke.
“Fine,” she sighed. “How do we close the portal and ensure you and the other souls aren’t being hunted?”
Dane gave her a wry smile and looked to his mate.
“You’re probably not going to like this,” he said softly.
“I already don’t like any of this,” Lane agreed. “What’s one more thing?”
“We need to find as many Vulpes as we can.”
“What?! What the hell will that do?”
Dane shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. All I know is that they are the best hope of saving the dead souls—and me—right now.”
“They’re bad enough by themselves!” Laurel exploded. “If we bring them together—”
“It could be catastrophic,” Lane finished.
“Or it could be our salvation,” Dane said. “Either way, the portal is open, and every minute we spend arguing, another minion is slipping through. I am being hunted as we speak, and so are others.” He thought of Berlin, hiding with Aaron overseas. How long would they stay out of Onyx’s sights?
“I’m not happy about this, either,” Elle volunteered, and the Council reluctantly turned their attention toward her.
“Why is that?” Landon asked angrily. “You’re one of them.”
“Because that means I’m going to be reunited with my family,” she said quietly. “And that’s not a can of worms I want to open.”
2
Emma wailed furiously while her brother tried to calm her.
“She’s got your temper,” Sam joked, trying to feed Emma. The baby was having none of it, throwing her arms around as she tried to push the food away.
“You know what to do,” Jordan said lightly. “It only takes a second.”
Sam’s smile faded slightly, and she shook her head indignantly.
“I’m not using manipulation on my children every time they have a fit,” she insisted. “They need to learn to control their emotions without me.”
“But it’s so much easier when you do it your way,” Jordan chuckled, not picking up on his wife’s annoyance.
“It’s a curse, Jordan,” she grumbled, dropping the spoon back into the puree and wiping her hands with a wipe. “And it’s not fair to you or them.”
Jordan finally seemed to sense that he’d spoken out of turn and eyed her warily. “Sam, you’re battling twins with Lycan and Vulpes abilities. You’re not the average mother. You have an advantage on your side. I say use it.”
“Forcing them to bend to my will is not an advantage—it’s child abuse,” Sam retorted, rising from the chair. She hated that she was considering Jordan’s advice in spite of herself.
“All right!” Jordan conceded, throwing up his hands. “It was only a suggestion.”
“Anyway, Riley is good at calming her down,” Sam added, softening slightly as the male infant coddled his sister.
“Ugh. It’s your mother,” Jordan groaned, and it was only then that Samantha realized her cell was ringing. “That’s the second time she’s called. You should probably take it.” If anything, it was reason enough to ignore it, but Sam knew it would just play on her until she found out what Jennifer wanted.
“Hey, Mom,” she answered, swiping the call. “This isn�
�t the best—”
“The Council of Seven has put out a universal announcement,” Jennifer interjected as if Sam hadn’t been speaking. “They’re looking for all Vulpes.”
Samantha blinked, unsure she’d heard the words properly.
“Mom,” she sighed. “Have you been drinking?”
“It’s a real thing,” Jennifer said. “There’s something happening, and they’re trying to locate all the Vulpes.”
Sam felt her shoulders tense. “Why are you telling me?”
“Why do you think? You’re a fox, aren’t you? You need to respond to the call.”
“I’m not responding to anything!” she retorted. “They don’t need to know about me—”
“They know about me, Sam, which means they know about you and your sisters. Besides, your mate is a Council member’s brother-in-law. We all need to present ourselves.”
Gooseflesh exploded over Samantha’s arms, and for a moment, she thought about hanging up the phone.
“Why did you show yourself without talking to me about it?” she muttered.
“I don’t need your permission to do the right thing, Samantha. When the Council calls, we have no choice but to answer.”
“We have never lived by the rules of the Enchanted!” Sam almost screamed. “Why is this any different? There isn’t even a Vulpes representative on the Council!”
Jennifer paused. “There is now.”
“What?!” Samantha screeched. “When did this happen?” Behind her, the twins began to wail, perhaps picking up on their mother’s anxiety.
“Recently,” Jennifer sighed. “And she knows about us, anyway, even if I didn’t turn myself in.”
“Who? Why?” Sam choked, dragging herself into the hallway as Jordan looked on in confusion.
“Don’t get upset, Samantha. It’s good that we finally have representation—”
“Cut the bullshit, Mom. Who is it?”
Jennifer grunted. “Elle.”
The wind was almost knocked clear from Sam’s chest. “H-how did that happen?”
“I don’t know all the details, baby, but you need to present yourself. Any idea where Harmony is these days? Kendra has already shown herself.”
“KENDRA?!” Samantha felt like she was going to pass out. “Where the hell has Kendra been for the past decade?”
“She’s in the States now,” Jennifer offered nonchalantly. “Apparently, she was living overseas.”
It was all becoming too much for Sam to handle, and she struggled to breathe.
“What is going on?” Jordan demanded from behind her, but Sam waved him away.
“No,” she said flatly. “No, I don’t want anything to do with whatever this is. I have a life, I have babies. I can’t be dragged into whatever mess the Council of Seven is concocting.”
“Fine,” Jennifer snapped. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. They know you’re out there, and they’ll come for you.” She hung up in Sam’s ear, leaving her oldest daughter to gape at the cell phone in her hand in disbelief.
“Sam, what happened?” Jordan asked again, seeing how pale his wife had gone.
“The Council of Seven is demanding that the Vulpes surface.”
Jordan’s brow furrowed. “What?”
She nodded, slowly raising her eyes to meet his. “Something’s happening.”
Jordan nodded curtly.
“I’ll call Wren and find out what’s going on,” he reassured her. “She’s always privy to Council meetings.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Samantha said dully, shaking her head. “I can’t escape it, whatever it is.”
Jordan grimaced.
“Of course you can refuse,” he replied. “You’re not a slave to the Council. None of us are.”
But the words were weak, and they both knew it. What the Council wanted, the Council got.
“What do you think it’s all about?” Jordan asked, trying to wipe the stricken look off his mate’s face.
“Whatever it is, it’s nothing good,” Sam answered sourly. She knew from experience that whenever the Jagger sisters were together, bad things were bound to happen.
3
Twenty Years Ago
Harmony stared at the baby in its crib, her face twisted in an ugly expression of jealousy.
“What’s so special about you?” she muttered in disgust. “All you do is poo and stink.”
“Aw, look, Brent!” Jennifer called out from the doorway. “Look at how much Harmony loves little Shawn.”
Harmony’s stepfather grunted from the living room, but the little girl didn’t need to shift her eyes to know that he wasn’t coming to look at the scene before them. Brent didn’t care about her or her sisters, Harmony knew. All he cared about were Aiden and Shawn and stupid UFC.
Sometimes, Harmony thought life would be better if her mother had never married Brent, but she was too young to remember what life had been like before.
“Do you want to hold him, Har?” Jennifer asked. Harmony whipped her head around, teal eyes flashing with fury.
“No!” she spat, pushing past her mother and making her way into the hallway of their little house. It was an upgrade from the trailer she and her sisters had lived in before, but it was still too small for eight people.
Harmony threw open the door to the bedroom she shared with Kendra, her scowl deepening when she saw her sister younger sleeping.
Kids everywhere! Purposely, she stomped her feet, slamming the door in her wake, and roused Kendra from sleep. Her redheaded sister blinked in confusion before opening her mouth to release a wail. Instantly, Samantha and her mother were in the room.
“Harmony!” Jennifer chided as Shawn began to scream from his crib. “You’re making too much noise!”
Harmony grunted, ignoring her mother as she flopped onto her bed, folding her arms over her chest defiantly.
“Harmony, why don’t you come watch TV with us?” Samantha asked quietly, sensing the darkness building around the young girl. “Brent put on UFC.” Her eyes were bright and hopeful, fueling Harmony’s already sullen mood.
“I HATE UFC!” she screamed, causing Kendra to scream louder.
“Harmony!” Jennifer gasped. “What has gotten into you?” It was the same question her mother asked every time these fits of rage ensued. Samantha hurried forward to steer her younger sister out of the noise.
“Harmony, don’t!” Sam pleaded. Harmony looked at her, a small, wicked smirk forming on her lips.
“Why not?” she muttered back. “It will shut them up.”
Samantha’s eyes widened in panic as Harmony’s eyes closed. In a second, things began to fly, untouched, through the bedroom.
“HARMONY!” Sam yelled, but Harmony was just getting started. A lamp fell from the table, the energy oozing from her body almost tangible as she mentally guided pictures off the walls. Kendra howled in terror when a blanket swooped up to wrap her.
Suddenly, a feeling of melancholy seized Harmony’s body, and she gasped at the sensation, tears of sadness filling her eyes. Her lids parted in amazement as she gaped at her sister, knowing that Sam was responsible for her abrupt change in mood.
“STOP IT!” Harmony sobbed, but Samantha didn’t release the emotional hold she had on her sister.
“You stop it first,” Sam said evenly, unflinchingly. The two oldest girls held each other’s gazes until Harmony finally relented, stopping the firestorm of items from destroying the house with her telekinetic abilities. Slowly, the wave of inconsolable depression lifted, and they were both left to face with the aftermath of what they’d done.
“I can’t live in a madhouse!” Brent screamed, holding Aiden in his arms. “Jenn, you better contain your brats, or I’ll find a way to do it for you.”
Kendra sniffled, burying her face in the pillow as Harmony glowered at Brent.
One day, I’ll get you when Sam can’t stop me, she vowed.
A slight shudder slithered down Harmony’s spine, remembering that day and so
many others like it. Sometimes she wondered, if she hadn’t been taken in by Eden, if she would still be the same hateful child she’d been back then. She looked at Orion across the bed. He was still fast asleep, the sun of daylight still strong, but Harmony wasn’t able to rest as easily.
For the past two weeks, she’d found herself unusually restless, even in her mate’s arms, as if she was anticipating something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. When she did sleep, she was plagued with dreams about her childhood, about Sam and the battles they’d gotten into while they lived under the same roof. It was all very strange—Harmony hadn’t thought about her sisters in a very long time.
You have other things to think about now that you’re not fighting for your survival in the glass room, she reminded herself, but it was more than that, and she knew it.
“You okay, love?” Orion mumbled from the far side of the California king bed.
“Shh, it’s still early in the day,” she urged him. “Go back to sleep.”
Orion flipped over, his blue eyes searching her face warily.
“You haven’t been sleeping,” he said. “Is it my schedule?”
Harmony forced a smile and shook her head.
“No,” she replied honestly. “I’ve always preferred to be up at night, anyway. I just… I’m restless for some reason.”
Slowly, Orion sat up, the sleep from his eyes clearing. He studied her through the darkness of the blacked-out master bedroom.
“You’re probably sensing the calling,” he told her gently. Harmony cocked her head, the smile on her lips remaining.
“I’m not religious,” she reminded him. Orion chuckled and ran a hand through his blonde tresses.
“Not a religious calling, Harmony. There’s been a calling for the foxes to unite.”
The words froze Harmony in her place, and she could only stare at her mate with a blank expression.
“What do you mean?” she asked slowly. “What calling?”
Orion shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know what it’s all about, but there’s been a call out for a fortnight.”