by Macy Blake
Other new guy lost it again.
Cody scowled at him. “You aren’t helping.”
“No, Aleron, you are not.”
“Aleron. Is there like some sort of contest or something that names you guys? Because, I’ve gotta say, the names are cool. I mean, again, Cody, not so cool. Gideon and Aleron and… damn, what was the other guy’s name?”
“Dasan,” Solomon said.
“Right. Dasan. Totally great names.”
Solomon growled again.
“Finish introducing me.”
Aleron hadn’t stopped laughing. Cody was pretty sure Solomon wanted to strangle him. Instead, he dragged Cody over to the other group of young men. At least they had the decency to look nervous. Not laughing like an idiot like certain people.
“Cody, this is Keziah, Emmett, Rowan, and Calder.”
Cody waved. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” Keziah said softly. “Solomon, he should go now.”
Cody squeezed Solomon’s hand tightly.
“I know,” Solomon said. “Cody, it’s time.”
But he didn’t want to go.
“I know,” Cody said, instead of fighting it like he wanted to.
“I’ll come for you as soon as it’s over.”
Cody couldn’t help but smirk at the choice of words. Solomon groaned and Aleron starting laughing hysterically once more. Cody tugged Sol down and kissed him quickly. “You better.”
Solomon’s eyes flared, and Cody lost himself in them for a moment.
He heard the portal open and took a second to glance around the parking lot once more.
“See you all soon,” Cody said. He stole one more look at Solomon before straightening his shoulders and walking into the portal. He stepped out into a large yard, filled with the refugees from the bar’s parking lot. The portal swooshed closed behind him. It took everything Cody had not to freak out and demand someone take him to the bar immediately.
Instead, he zipped up Sol’s jacket, even though it was way too warm for that, and began making the rounds once more. Sol was counting on him, and he wouldn’t let him down. The faces were quickly becoming familiar. Some of them he had known through the years he’d been working at the bar. The Jerricks and some of their pack members came in often enough for Cody to recognize them. Everyone seemed to be settling in. Cody had no idea where everyone would sleep if this lasted longer than Sol expected, but he had a feeling it would all work out somehow. He had a lot to learn about this world. He helped pack members hand out bottles of water, passed out snacks, and tried not to worry himself sick over Sol and the pack. Although there was so much tension in the air, Cody could feel it creeping up his spine and his hair kept standing up— spidey senses for the win— he tried to stay calm and cheerful.
After several hours, he found Ollie sitting off to the side, leaning against one of the big trees at the edge of the yard. Ollie smiled up at him, but if there was one thing Cody was an expert in, it was seeing through fake smiles. He sat down next to the teenager and let out a long sigh.
“You okay?” Ollie asked.
“Yeah. Tired. You?”
Ollie shrugged.
“You know, I just found out about this world. Crazy, right? I’ve known you for years and boom, wolf!Ollie.”
Ollie grinned, but it was still fake.
“I mean, I had no idea all this even existed, and it was all around me. I have so many questions. Like, how come when Sol shifts into his heckpuppy form, he doesn’t have to get naked, but when Leandra shifted, I saw all of her, you know, bits and bobs?”
Ollie snickered. “Heckpuppy?”
“What? I didn’t want to curse in front of you. Sol might frown at me.”
“And goddess knows that would be bad.”
“See? You said goddess not god. Although I have said goddess a few times since Sol told me the basics, and I don’t even know why. My whole world view shifted. Heh. Shifted. That’s punny.”
Ollie bumped their shoulders together. “You don’t have to do the whole funny-dork guy routine for me, Cody.”
Cody sighed and his own fake smile slipped. “Saw through that, did ya?”
“Yeah. If there’s anything I know how to do well, it’s laugh my way through a crisis.”
“So tell me. I’ll listen. And won’t laugh or be a dork.”
Ollie leaned forward and crossed his arms over his knees before laying his head on them. He rolled his neck so he could look at Cody. “The lion you brought in?”
“Yeah?”
“She escaped with her cubs from a place that was bad. Well, she escaped before she had them. But still.”
“Oh damn,” Cody said gently.
“Yeah. I shouldn’t have listened when my dads were talking to her, but I wanted to know what was going on, you know?”
“I get that.”
Ollie turned his head again and hid his face in his arms. Cody reached out and touched his back. “I’m sorry, Ollie. I know something happened to you as a kid, but I don’t know what. This must be bringing back some bad memories.”
Ollie sniffed. “It is. I mean, I knew my mom was probably dead. Wolves are super protective of their cubs, so if they got me away from her, they probably had to kill her. But now it’s worse, because… I think they took my mom and got her pregnant with me, even though she didn’t want me. And then they killed her.”
Which meant that’s what happened to Leandra. Cody scooted closer and wrapped his arm over Ollie’s shoulders. “Fucking hell.”
Ollie sniffed again. “That’s what I said.”
“That’s really horrible, Ollie. Have you talked to your dads about this?”
“No. They’re busy.”
And they were. Everyone was busy. They had a huge number of people to feed and keep calm. They were all on edge.
“Okay, we’re going to do what we’ve got to do to get through today, right? Because believe it or not, I’m having my own freak-out. So stick with me, and we’ll be fake-smile buddies. I know that there’s nothing I can do to make it better, Ollie, but I would if I could. And when things settle down, talk to your dads.”
Ollie sucked in a breath and raised his head. “I will.”
“Now, since we’re going to be funny-dork guys together, let’s come up with a new playlist to torment Sol. I’m thinking lots and lots of uses of the word hell. You with me?”
Ollie grinned, and although it wasn’t a full-fledged happy smile, it wasn’t quite the fake one from before. “That sounds good. I’ll go get my phone.”
Cody watched as Ollie darted toward the big house where he lived with his dads and siblings and tried not to let his heart break for all of them. If that was the fate of all of their mothers, then the people responsible were true monsters. Cody didn’t know the rules, but he planned on making sure Sol knew about it. Whoever had done that to Leandra had to be stopped.
Ben wandered over and sat down on the ground beside Cody.
“Thanks for talking to him,” Ben said quietly.
“You heard?”
Ben shrugged. “I listened, too.”
“I’m so sorry, Ben.”
“I am, too. But we all knew it was possible. Nothing else made sense. We’d already realized we hadn’t been kidnapped or abandoned. Someone would have been looking for us. And trust me, Uncle Shaq searched high and low for any sign of our families.”
“I don’t even know how to process all of this.”
Ben looked sadly across the grass. “You can’t. You keep moving, Cody. That’s all we can do. You look tired. You should get some rest.”
“I’ll rest when Sol gets back.”
Ben sighed. “You’re as stubborn as my papa.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Ben grinned. “You should.”
“I know you probably can’t tell me, but are Leandra and the cubs really okay? Medically speaking, I mean. After what you just told me, I know she’s not okay.”
/> “Medically speaking, they’re fine. They’ll be better once they’ve had a few days here with us to get enough food and plenty of rest.”
Cody looked out at the yard again. “This is so scary.”
“Yeah. I’ve never even seen an aswang, but if Dad is that upset, it’s bad. And when he told Pop-Pop? Whoa. He was not happy.”
“Ben, honey bear, I need you!”
Ben blushed and pushed to his feet. “Only Nana Jerrick can call me that name. Twenty-four years old, and I’m still her honey bear.”
Cody laughed. “Treasure it, Ben.”
“I do. Now you should go talk to the fauns. They’re getting antsy, and since Cosmo isn’t here to keep them in check, they’re probably planning something stupid. And whatever you do, don’t tell them they can sing. It’s a hard no on singing.”
“Why?”
“Magic happens.”
“Got it. No singing.”
“Also, you’re about to get pounced.”
“What?”
A fluffy fur ball landed on his shoulder. Cody yelped and fell to the side, only to get licked in the face by one of the cubs. He felt a second thump against his back, and then another tiny face appeared. “Menaces, both of you.”
It didn’t stop the licking. Cody scooped them both up in his arms, but Ariella wiggled until he put her down. Lionel, on the other hand, managed to squirm his way inside Sol’s jacket. He was asleep about thirty seconds later. It was funny, actually. He’d always had a way with kids and animals. He couldn’t help but smirk. Maybe now he understood why. He walked over to the fauns, and sure enough, they looked slightly guilty, like he’d caught them doing something they shouldn’t be.
“I’m expecting Sol back soon,” Cody said.
They glanced quickly at each other then at him. They were attempting the wide-eyed and innocent routine, but Cody wasn’t going to fall for it.
“It’d be great if I could tell him no one caused any trouble, you know? Everything’s been going so great, and I wanted to say thank you. I appreciate it. You guys doing okay? Need anything else?”
And guilty faces all around. “We’re good, beta-mate.”
“Call me Cody,” Cody said. “And I’m glad to hear it. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“We will.”
They sat down, a little glumly, but without the mischief he’d seen in their eyes before. Cody continued making the rounds, making sure everyone was fed and had what they needed. Afternoon turned to evening, and still no word from Sol. Cody kept the smile pasted on and did his job. Sol was counting on him.
Solomon
Solomon waited until the portal closed behind Cody before he turned to face everyone who’d stayed behind. He heard the distant sound of a motorcycle approaching, followed by Gideon’s groan. “Really? You invited him to the party?”
The engine growled louder as it approached, and Ezra stopped the bike inches from Gideon’s feet. He revved the engine, just to be a jackass, before killing it and flipping down the kickstand. He got off the bike and pulled off his helmet, revealing the cocky grin he was shooting the vampire’s way.
“Miss me?”
Gideon flipped him off.
“Move your bike, Ezra,” Sol said. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Fine, fine.” He climbed back on and walked the bike backward into the parking lot before getting off it once more. “Better?”
Before Sol could answer, Dasan made a noise from above, drawing their attention upward.
“Well, that doesn’t sound good. What’s got his feathers in a knot?” Ezra asked.
Dasan landed and shifted in a fluid swirl of feathers and skin. “They approach. Hours to the east, but heading our way. They are using stealth but are easy to spot when you know what to look for.”
Keziah inhaled sharply, and Sol turned to the coven.
“We’ve got to tamp down on their magic. It’s the only way we’re going to beat them.”
“Not the only way,” Gideon said.
“No, not the only way,” Sol agreed.
Cosmo stepped up from the crowd of others who stayed behind. “Blood lust,” he said quietly. Then he held up his arm. “Start with me.”
“Cosmo—”
“Start with me, Solomon.”
The others would be braver if Cosmo went first. They both knew it.
“Take it to the perimeter, into the trees. Gideon, assist them. We’ve got to get these things riled up and confused. Their instincts will go crazy, and they’ll go after the blood. Dasan, Ezra, protect the coven. No matter what.”
“Got it.”
“Aleron, you—”
“I’ve been training with the blade as well, Solomon. Since our compound was attacked, Augustus insisted we all renew our efforts at defense and prepare ourselves for war.”
Solomon had heard that the griffin leader wasn’t impressed with his clan’s defenses but hadn’t heard about his upgrades to security. “Good for him. Then do your thing. And for the goddess’s sake, don’t get hurt. I need Eduard to keep making me money, and he’ll quit if you get hurt.”
Aleron grinned, but it quickly faded. “I want to know what is going on. First, my cousin. Now this. What is happening in our world, Solomon? We had peace for so long.”
“Did we?” Solomon asked. “Because I don’t think it was peace at all. I think we’ve been living between times, and the reckoning has come.”
“What do you mean?” Keziah asked.
“Magic is changing. Some force we don’t know or understand is using it in ways that should not be possible. Our goddesses know what is going on, but do not share this information even with their champions.”
“Dark days,” Dasan said quietly.
“Yes. My alpha and his mate are away on business for the goddess at the same time the Chosen One and his guardians are away from this realm. They were attacked by a banshee, even though the fae prince was with him. Something powerful is dividing us, breaking us into smaller and more vulnerable groups. Going after weak links, and in turn, attempting to weaken the entire chain of magic. But we will not be one of those weak links. They will not break this chain. We will destroy anyone who comes for us.”
He heard growls and snarls of agreement all around.
“Keziah, focus on the ghouls. That part of their spirit is weakest, and it’s one we can’t defeat with claws or blades. See if you can figure out a way to help us with the shields they’re managing to put up. I was able to get through the last one easily enough, but it wasn’t pleasant by any means.”
“I understand.”
“Is there anything you need?”
“No. I have everything.”
“Then rest until it is time. I’ll let you know when they draw close.”
“Thank you.”
Keziah turned to the others in his coven and they sat in a circle near the front of the bar. They joined hands and seemed to slip into some sort of meditation. Calli appeared beside him and glanced around at the others.
“The smell of blood is going to fuck them up. What made you think of it?”
“How crazy they got during the last battle. When one of us went down, they were all drawn to it, unable to focus completely. I hope it gives us enough of an advantage.”
“It will,” Calli said.
“Any suggestions, strategy-wise?”
“Spread out and take them down. It’s going to get messy, but as long as we stay paired up, we should be able to keep them from feeding. If we keep them from feeding—”
“Then we all stay alive,” Sol added.
“We’ll have to be fast,” Achim said.
“Yes. And we’ll have to work in teams. That’s the key.” Sol paused and turned to Walt. “You ready for this?”
Walt nodded. “I’ve kicked ass a time or two before.”
“I know. Remember your training. Listen to your beast. If it says go left, you go left. Understood?”
“Got it.”
“J
edrek!”
“Here.”
“Stay with Walt.”
Cosmo sidled up beside him with what appeared to be a torn strip of shirt around a cut in his arm. “Solomon?”
“How bad is that cut?”
Cosmo seemed confused and glanced down at it. “It is already healing.”
“Good. I want you to help me keep these fuckers distracted when they get here. Does the faun song work on them?”
Cosmo grinned. “I will be happy to find out, although it could distract you all.”
“Hmm. Good point.”
“I do have another idea, which is why I approached.”
“Now’s the time,” Sol said.
“We are using the mages to distract the ghoul, and the blood to distract the vampire. What of the wolf?”
“Go on.”
“I do believe marking your territory is in order.”
It took Sol a second, and then he started laughing. Everyone within listening distance did as well, the dire mood lifting a bit.
“You heard him. Mark it up, boys.”
Calli scoffed. “I’m glad you said boys. I believe I’ll refrain.”
“I thought you might,” Sol said. “Thank you, Cosmo. Meshaq will be impressed. Spread the word to the others. The more the merrier. Let’s confuse the hell out of them.”
Cosmo cackled and ran off to tell the others.
“This is crazy enough to work,” Calli said.
“They had the advantage last time. This time, we do.”
“Now we just have to wait,” Calli griped. “I hate this part.”
Solomon did as well.
It took hours, as Dasan had predicted. Night had fallen by the time Solomon felt the familiar prickle of unease he’d felt when they’d gathered the pack at Shaq’s the night before. It felt like forever ago. Everything changed in the blink of an eye, proving once again that whatever magic was behind this was dangerous and powerful.
“Get ready,” Sol said. “They’re here.”
Everyone moved into position. The coven chanted and the flow of magic began to fill the area. It sent a chill down Solomon’s side. He retained his human form, even though he ordered the rest of the pack to shift. He needed to be able to communicate with everyone, not just his pack. Instead, he let the half-shift come over him, walking the edge between man and beast.