“I guess that means he’s back to normal,” Evan chuckled, elbowing Kyle in the ribs. “Better watch out, Tanya. He’s quite the lady killer.”
Aidan looked at Tanya approvingly, “I think Jared’s met his match with this one,” he replied with a half grin.
Walking to his brother, he slapped him lightly on the rump. “Come on, bro, you’re keeping everyone in suspense.” Aidan’s tone may have been teasing, but there was a definite edge of concern beneath his jocularity. He wanted to make sure Jared was completely healed.
In a shimmer of sparks, Jared phased to human. He looked a little unsteady at first, but when his eyes fell to Tanya, he simply gathered her in his arms and kissed her.
Evan laughed. “What did I tell you? Back to normal.”
Chapter Fourteen
Tanya sat in the kitchen with steaming mug of tea, while Jared’s mother puttered around making dinner. The older woman chattered about him and his brothers, but Tanya’s could barely keep her eyes open. The woman’s voice was calming, and she had the same soothingly delicious scent surrounding her as Jared.
“Tanya?” Jared’s mother prompted.
She shook her head, trying to clear it. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Durant, did you say something?”
“Jared’s in the shower, he’ll be down as soon as he feels human again.” Aidan smirked as he walked in with Luke. “No offense, Tanya.”
He grabbed an apple from the table, pecking his mother’s cheek before biting into the sweet fruit. Sniffing the air, he smiled at Tanya’s dazed expression.
“Mother, you’ve done it again.” He chuckled, chewing.
She whirled around only to catch Tanya rubbing her eyes like she’d just woken up. “Oh, dear.” She quickly dried her hands on a dish towel.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. Just calm your nerves a bit. Can I get you anything? And please, call me Lisette.”
Tanya smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m fine, thanks. That’s quite a gift you possess. Does it work on anyone, or is it just me?”
“Nah,” Luke replied. “Just Jared and his mom share that particular talent. They’re like emotional barometers. They can either calm you down or rile you up. It’s actually pretty cool to watch, especially when Aunt Lisette goes after my dad.
“He can work up quite a head of steam when it comes to me, but get Lisette in the same room with him, and he doesn’t stand a chance.” Luke laughed. “Right, Aunt Lis?”
Lisette’s eyes crinkled with her smile. “I love my brother, but he never had much of a sense of humor. Even as children, he was serious to the point of being dour. Sadly, Gregory learned that from our father. He would have done well in the military, but our Sentinels are about as close as we get.”
“That’s for sure. Aidan could certainly use a dose of those happy vibes, Aunt Lis. He’s getting more and more like my old man since he became alpha around here.” Luke laughed at his cousin’s dirty look.
“There can be more than one alpha?” Tanya asked, perplexed.
Lisette sat at the table across from her. “This has to be so confusing for you, but you’ll understand it in time. The answer to your question is yes and no. You see, we are one clan, but different packs. There are three separate packs on this side of the U.S. and in Quebec, but there are many others scattered throughout the country.”
“Jared mentioned something like that when we first met. He said the packs were related.”
“Again, yes and no. The best way I can describe being clan, is to compare it to being American. A clan is like the United States. Just as there are fifty states with their own individual governments, our clan has different packs with the same kind of individual autonomy. Just as states have their own laws, but are still bound by federal jurisdiction, our packs have to follow clan law as well.
“Many of the packs are related, as we do intermarry, but we also intermarry with humans. There can only be one alpha for each pack. My family is from Montreal. Before I married into the Durant wolf pack, I was originally from the Paquet de Loup Lavel or the Lavel wolf pack. Gregory is their alpha, and Luke is next in line for leadership when his father steps down. That’s if my sister-in-law, Marie, doesn’t kill him first.”
Tanya chuckled, stealing a glance at Luke. Instead of the like-minded, sarcastic smirk she expected, a distinct shadow crossed his face. Was it the idea of intermarriage, or just his domineering father that left him scowling? Maybe Luke didn’t approve of her and Jared. Either way it made her wonder.
She looked to Lisette to gauge his reaction, but pity was all she saw for woman’s nephew.
“Jared mentioned something about New Orleans. That’s the third pack.” Tanya tried to change the subject.
Luke turned his attention at the mention of New Orleans. He smiled, and his eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Laissez le Bon Temp Rouler, eh, Aidan!”
Aidan’s face went red. “Shut it, Luke.”
“Oh, ma petit, please!” Lisette laughed. “We all know how taken you were with Colette Mayfair when they hosted the last alpha council.”
“Mother—” he groaned.
“What I miss?” Jared asked, walking into the kitchen with a towel around his shoulders. He gave his mother and Tanya each a kiss before sitting between them.
“Colette,” his mother whispered conspiratorially.
Jared was still weak. His face was wan, and Tanya noted he moved cautiously, wincing as he sat. She wondered if it was too soon for him to be up and around.
“Ah ha,” Jared snickered, taking a sip of Tanya’s now cold tea. He looked at his brother and winked. “They’re still on you about that, huh. It’s ancient history.”
Tilting his head, he gestured to both his brother and cousin. “You both need to shut up about it. Aidan let his wolf run for once. Big deal.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Look who turned over a new leaf. Trying to impress your girl by showcasing your newfound maturity, Jared? Maybe Aidan and I should tell Tanya some of your previous escapades? No?”
“That French Canadian accent might charm the ladies, but right now it’s irritating the crap out of me,” Jared shot back dryly.
Tanya’s lips twitched listening to them squabble, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Okay, boys…ca suffit! That’s enough. Dinner’s almost ready. You all need to eat then rest. The council is convening early on account of this latest demon attack. We’re gathering tomorrow night instead of next week. Isn’t that right, Aidan?”
He took a deep breath. “Yes. This has gone beyond any normal threat, and there have been some interesting developments that need to be brought to light.” Aidan looked pointedly at Tanya before continuing. “It will all be explained tomorrow night.”
“Good. Let’s set the table and eat.”
***
Dinner was wonderful. Succulent roast beef and homemade biscuits and gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans from Lisette’s garden. Tanya hadn’t had a home cooked meal since she last visited her parents, and it made her a little homesick.
“Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Durant. It was wonderful. Just like the family dinners my mom would cook for me and my dad. Definitely something I miss, now that they live so far away.”
“Oh, you’re welcome, Cherie. Sleep well.”
Jared waited in the doorway watching Tanya hug his mother goodnight, and when she walked toward him, he met her with a smile.
“What?”
“My mother seems to be quite taken with you.”
Tanya shrugged a little. “She’s great. Everyone seems so happy and taken care of here. You’re very lucky, Jared.”
He glanced back at his mother. “I know.” He took Tanya’s hand, and walked with her out onto the front porch. “Tired?”
“Not really. Too much to think about.”
“Like what?”
Tanya chewed on her lip. There was no point beating around the bush. “Aidan mentioned new devel
opments regarding the council meeting. What did he mean by that?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he steered her toward the porch swing.
“You’re being evasive. “Does this have something to do with what happened at my house? The hurricane that blew through my living room?”
The moon was waning, but its silver glow was still bright enough to illuminate the flowerbeds on either side of the walk.
Jared pulled Tanya beside him on the porch swing. He looked up at the pale orb and exhaled. “Did you happen to catch what the demon called you before it vanished?”
This was it. What she itched to ask since they got to Durant Ranch. “It looked right at me and said, ‘Blood Witch.’”
“I’m guessing you have no clue what that means.” He looked straight at her, no hedging.
“Not really. I can only hypothesize I have some innate magic, like you explained at my house. Somewhere in my lineage there’s supernatural blood. A witch or something.”
He nodded. “That’s part of it, but not all. The term blood witch doesn’t just refer to abilities inherited through a bloodline. A Blood Witch also means one who can control the ebb and flow of natural things.”
“I don’t understand what you mean by natural things. Do you mean animals?”
“No. A Blood Witch can’t control animals. In this instance, natural has to do with the manipulation of energy. For example, a Blood Witch can influence the weather. Wind, rain, etc. It also means he or she has complete control over fire and earth, as well. All the elements. But that’s not what scared the demon.
“What scared it most was that aside from shifters who can match it strength for strength and speed for speed, a Blood Witch is demonkind’s only natural enemy. So, when two of its enemies join forces, well, you can guess what went through its mind after your raw display.”
“It was afraid, Jared. I saw real fear in its eyes before it vanished. Why would it come back?”
“I wish it were that simple,” he replied sadly. “This is the calm before the storm while it regroups. It’ll be back, and this time it’ll be prepared.”
With her head on his chest, she nestled further into his arms. She couldn’t imagine feeling any safer than she did at that moment, but listening to his deep voice resonate, she shivered at his words.
She had no idea what Jared’s family thought, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Based on Aidan’s cryptic comments, they had to think her capable of replicating what she did at her house. Problem was she hadn’t a clue how she did so in the first place.
“Jared, do you think I should call my mother? Someone from her side of my family might know something more.”
“Up to you, love, but if your mother is clueless about this as well, then we’ve broken one of the main rules of the clan and outed our secret unnecessarily.”
“This secrecy tenet really gets in the way of a lot.”
“Not really. For the most part, it has worked fine for centuries. Only under certain circumstances are humans allowed in on it.”
“Like when one of you hooks up with a human, for better or worse.”
Jared nodded. “Pretty much.”
Tanya chewed her lip. “I know your claim on me bought us time until we can plead my case, but you never told me what would happen if I refused you.”
“We don’t have to worry about that now, do we?” Jared leaned over for a kiss, letting his tongue run across her full bottom lip.
Dizzy and flushed, her lower belly immediately filled with heat, but she shook her head to keep her focus. “Jared, stop distracting me. Nothing’s been decided, but I want to know, hypothetically.”
“I don’t think you need me to tell you what would happen,” he said, leaning back against the swing. “One thing is for certain, though. It would end up in one hell of a fight.”
Tanya smacked his shoulder. “I’d be condemned to death, and all you think about is the glory of the fight?”
“No. All I mean is I, and probably most of the other Sentinels, would fight to save you. After all, you’re innocent of any crimes against the pack. The elders make such an issue about secrecy, and we get it, but it’s becoming a serious point of contention among the younger members of the clan, especially since many of us are finding our mates from outside.”
“Why? I thought that was the one exception to the rule?”
“It is, except relationships with humans are discouraged. In fact, some of the other alphas are downright cruel about it. Forcing clan members to choose. My uncle is one of those.”
Tanya thought about Payton and her husband, wondering what hell the two had to go through to be together. “That’s wrong. Is that why Luke is here?”
“No. Luke came to help fight demons. He’s an unbelievably talented fighter, and he’s got a sixth sense about how to track them. We’ve had to hunt more than a few in the past six months. It’s unusual. Almost epidemic. In fact, one of the things the council plans to discuss is the possibility someone is manifesting them.”
“You mean purposefully summoning demons?” She said the words aloud, surprised at how normal they sounded in her ears.
“Scary concept.”
“You said the demon is regrouping. Can it come back with reinforcements? More of its kind?”
“That’s hard to say. It depends, really. If it’s here of its own free will, then I don’t see how. However, if it’s being summoned, then maybe whoever’s responsible will be shaken enough to raise the stakes, rather than be outed.”
“So, what will the council decide to do?”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see like everyone else.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tanya followed Jared through the woods toward the largest bonfire she’d ever seen. There had to be over a hundred people gathered in the clearing. They had broken into small groups, talking softly among themselves as they waiting for things to start.
“Wow. Everyone showed,” Jared remarked, walking to the center of the clearing.
“Why do you sound surprised? You said this was serious, right? Didn’t you expect clan members would believe you?”
“Tanya, clan politics can be as sticky as trying to wade through a swamp, and twice as treacherous. If you think getting democrats and republicans to agree is impossible, stick around and you’ll understand what I mean.”
“Jared, that may be true under normal circumstances, but don’t you think this goes a little deeper than arguing over semantics or finessing policy? This affects the lives of their people. The only argument that’ll happen tonight will be how to proceed. Not whether or not you should.”
A genuine smile spread across his face, and his eyes warmed. “You know, you’re pretty smart, for a human.” He was teasing, but there was a definite hint of pride in his voice.
“I don’t think that term applies anymore,” she replied quietly. “Not after what the demon dubbed me.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re as human as I am. Just a new and improved edition to the race.” He squeezed her hand.
Tanya was about to reply when a hushed silence fell across the clearing. The only sound was the dull roar from the bonfire as wood crackled and sputtered into flame. Luke joined them, indicating with a subtle nod it was time to begin.
All eyes focused on the twelve men entering the camp to the left of the bonfire. At first glance, they looked completely ordinary. As innocuous as anyone you’d pass on the street, but as they got closer, it was impossible not to sense the power emanating from them like an aura of live current.
“Not your everyday gene pool.”
Luke chuckled at that, flashing her an appreciative smirk.
The elders’ chairs were arranged in a semi-circle facing the crowd. The men took their seats, and a low murmur of worry hummed through the crowd at their grim expressions.
“Brethren, settle yourselves,” one of the elders began. “We have asked you here tonight because we are all faced with the same imminent danger. Over the p
ast six months, the Sentinels have seen a marked increase in demon sightings and attacks. Not just in number, but in their voracity and strength.
“Under normal circumstances, most of these assaults would barely touch the fringe of our society, with the main attacks primarily affecting the nearest human population. Now these attacks are aimed at the very core of our clan. Brother Aidan, the specifics, please.”
Aidan stood. His face was severe as he elaborated in detail the sort of demon the Sentinels were facing. Evasive, cunning and clever, with telepathic abilities beyond what they had ever experienced. He spoke of demonic ability to cast illusions, hindering counterattack, and in effect leaving the Sentinels fighting blind.
Worried murmurs grew steadily into panicked shouts within the crowd, causing the elders to rise from their seats in a call for quiet.
Aidan waited for the crowd’s unease to subside before he continued, and Tanya tensed, knowing exactly what part of the story came next.
Jared put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “It’s okay, babe,” he whispered. “I’m right here.”
“I understand your apprehensions,” Aidan’s voice rang clear and honest. “However, something unexpected has happened that may tilt the odds in our favor. A Blood Witch, newly come into her power, has aligned herself with one of our own.”
Tanya closed her eyes. Murmurs of disbelief whirled. The weight of many eyes shifted to her, as the only tenderfoot at the gathering.
“I’ll be beside you the entire time, love,” Jared said, leading her forward. “Remember, you’re a courtroom rock star. Just work your magic.”
She shot him a look.
“Bad joke. Sorry.”
Butterflies in her stomach somersaulted worse than the first time she took lead council. Stopping in front of Aidan, the alpha winked, before continuing to address the elders.
“Gentlemen, this is Tanya Richards. In the greatest display of raw power anyone in our clan has ever witnessed, it was she who saved my brother from the most recent demon attack. While I am well aware her abilities are as yet untapped, I believe she can and will help us succeed.”
The Wolf's Secret Witch: Howl's Romance (The Sentinel Brotherhood Book 1) Page 12