Wolf's Wager (Northbane Shifters)

by Isabella Hunt

I turned back. Cassidy’s brows had knotted up, and her lips were a thin line. “Reagan and I—we talked a little.” She rolled her eyes. “I know she must have told you.”

  I nodded, trying not to look too wary. After we’d told her family that we were getting married, the two Grace sisters had vanished for a little while. In fact, Reagan hadn’t told me much, beyond, “It was a start.”

  “She said that you might be able to find out what happened to our grandfather,” Cassidy said in a rush. “Could you look into someone else, too?”

  "Reagan hasn't asked me to look into your grandfather yet," I said, scratching my jaw and trying to look unconcerned. “She’s indecisive.”

  She knows whatever we’ll find will confirm what she already knows.

  “Oh,” Cassidy said and then sighed. “That’s probably my fault. I’ll talk to her. In the meantime, could you look into someone else?” I nodded. “William Doherty.”

  “Ex-fiancé?” I asked, and Cassidy bit her cheek. “Take it from me, exes are trouble.”

  “I know it seems like I’m holding on, but it’s not that. I want to make sure he’s okay,” Cassidy said. “I was engaged to him, and I know I’m probably on some shifter registry. Besides, I’m…”

  “How is Niles these days?” I asked as she fumbled for words.

  “Oh my God, shut up,” Cassidy shrieked, sounding both pleased and horrified.

  “Hey, he better know if he messes with my li’l sister, I'll kick his ass, ice wolf or not." Cassidy put her hands on her bright cheeks, exactly like Reagan did. "And I'll see what I can find out."

  “Thank you.” Cassidy hesitated. “Any chance you could not tell my sister?”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “Only if you promise to talk to her about this.”

  Cassidy gave me a bright smile. “I can do that. Thanks, big bro.”

  “See ya, little sis.”

  Laughing, we parted ways, and I rushed home, eager to see if Reagan was back.

  “Reagan, we really need to go,” I said, smoothing down my hair again and checking over my dark blue jeans. I was wearing a nice button-up and had cleaned the hell out of my boots. “Are you done?” I knocked on the office door again. The best mirror in the house was in there, and she’d vanished in there over an hour ago. “What are you doing in there?”

  “I’m almost done.”

  “I’m coming in,” I said and opened the door, then swung to a stop. “Rea.”

  She was sitting at my desk, going through a manifest.

  “I wanted to double-check something about the greenhouse construction in Cobalt.” I stalked over, and she shrank in the chair, waving the folder at me. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

  “We have to go.”

  Standing up, Reagan swirled the skirt of her dress around her and smiled. It was a dark green, patterned over with leaves, and she had a simple, short sweater over it. With a flower tucked behind one ear, she looked like a forest sprite.

  “You’re beautiful,” I said.

  “You look nice, too,” she said and brushed her hand up my arm. “What is this for again?”

  “A little Winfyre tradition,” I said. “Now, let’s go get your family.”

  Leaving the dogs at home, we walked through the late spring afternoon, the air thick with warmth. Reagan had shed her sweater by the time we got to her parents’ house. She let out a happy sigh as she looked at the placid bay.

  “This place doesn’t seem real sometimes,” Reagan said and leaned into me. “Or you, for that matter.” We turned down to her parents’, and she slowed down. “Hey, Luke?”

  “Yeah?” I asked, trying to sound patient.

  "I found out the other day that Fallon claimed Bix, Drue, Gabriel, and Collette. Now, last I checked, the kids don't work for her." My breath caught, and I swallowed. "What is a claim?"

  “I don’t know if now is the time for this,” I said.

  “Is it a matter of strength or something? Like a paternal thing?”

  “Not at all,” I said. “It’s complicated and varies from shifter to shifter. Claim isn’t even the right word for it.”

  “Well, are you ever going to tell me?”

  Stepping closer, I cupped her cheek with one hand and squeezed the other. “Claiming might have led me to you, but it is not the reason I fell in love with you. Claims, well, it’s a connection. It’s something that started after we staked out Winfyre.

  “Northbane shifters began to have strong, protective instincts cropping up. Sometimes for perfect strangers.” I gave her a crooked smile. “Now that I’ve met you, I think it might be strangers who aren’t going to stay that way. People who belong in your life.”

  “Wow, you really downplayed that at first,” Reagan said, and her eyes crinkled up.

  “Well, like I said, it’s a variable thing for such a stark term. Some people it happens to all the time, like Fallon,” I said. “Xander decided to limit her in how many claims she could make. If you go over so many, you have to review them every year.”

  Reagan laughed. “So bureaucratic.”

  “Fallon would claim the world if she could,” I said.

  “How many people do you have?” Reagan asked.

  I let out a laugh and then stopped, seeing she was serious. “You don’t know?” She shook her head. “Let’s see, I think it’s…” I trailed off and pretended to think. “Yeah, that’s it. Just the one.”

  “One?” Reagan echoed. “Me?”

  “You.” I leaned down and kissed her quickly. “Now come on.”

  Tucking her arm in mine, I saw a rustle of grass and knew Bix, Drue, and Gabriel had spotted us. Reagan craned her neck, looking around at the woods and up at me. I schooled my face into a neutral expression.

  “Did you see that?”

  “No,” I said. “And I am the shifter, so I would know.”

  “Are you up to something?” Reagan asked as I led her around to the back of her family’s house. “And why are we—”

  A roar went up as people bellowed, “Surprise!”

  “What the hell?” Reagan gasped and grabbed my arm. “Luke.”

  A guitar twanged as Rett began to play a song, and the kids ran up, scattering flower petals. That had not been my idea, but I appreciated whosever it was. Hell of a nice touch, and scoring points for me. As people came forward to greet us, Reagan turned, and I grinned at her.

  “You did this?”

  “I had a lot of help,” I said.

  “I love you,” Reagan said and stood on her tiptoes, brushing a kiss against my lips.

  A cheer went up, and I didn’t even care. I would have kissed her back harder, but Drue was hugging Reagan tightly around her waist. Then Bix and Gabriel jumped on me, followed by Tristan.

  “Get this man a drink,” Tristan said and gave me a rough hug. “Happy for you, brother.”

  The sun was out, food was grilling, and friends abounded.

  As the five Alphas of Northbane came together for a brief moment, clinking our bottles, we all knew what we were thinking of. Through it all, the hellfire and heartbreak, we’d endured.

  Winfyre was no longer only a sanctuary. It was a home.

  After they’d toasted me and Reagan, I proposed toasting Northbane, our mountains, our people, and our roots. We were striking our legacy into this land.

  Or, as Tristan put it, “If Luke’s gettin’ hitched, we gotta be doing something right.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Reagan

  “Congratulations, Reagan,” Rogda said and pulled me in for a long hug. She’d opted for a sun hat, and it was tilted towards her eye patch. “I had a good feeling about you.”

  "Was that before or after I barged into the bathroom?" I asked, and she laughed.

  “You are a dear, sweet girl,” she said and squeezed my hands. “You’ve made him so happy.”

  “I hope as happy as he makes me,” I said and glanced over to where he was laughing with his four best friends, with Bix at his side and Gabrie
l on Tristan’s shoulders, while Drue hovered by Kal. He glanced over at me and winked. “Although I think I’m not doing too shabby in that regard.”

  “Hey, Ma,” Niles said, coming over and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Hi, Reagan.”

  “Niles, hello,” I said warmly, happy to see the man who’d been helping my sister smile again.

  “Are you all right?” Rogda asked, and I did a double-take, studying Niles more closely. The big man was gripping his drink tightly, and his shoulders were hunched.

  “Yes, yes,” he said and tried to smile. “It’s just…” He glanced at me.

  “Cassidy?” I asked.

  “I don’t know where she is,” he said. “She got a message earlier, and I haven’t seen her since.”

  “A message?” I asked. “From whom?”

  “I don’t know,” Niles admitted. “But she was looking forward to today.”

  Something itched in the back of my head, and I excused myself, going over to my mother. She was sipping wine, alight with joy on my father’s arm, and laughing with Jemma and Risa. Risa was teasing a burly, thick-necked man named Kyzen, who looked flushed.

  Plucking at my mother’s elbow, I led her to a quiet corner, and she embraced me. “Oh, Reagan. I’m so, so happy for you. Oh, Jemma, Risa, and I have so many ideas for the wedding, and the dress—”

  “That’s sweet, thank you,” I said. “Hey, have you seen Cassidy?”

  “Cass?” Mom asked, her eyes bright and glancing around. She blinked, and suddenly her face changed subtly. “Not since this morning. She said she had an errand to run, but that she’d be back in plenty of time.” Her fingers wrapped around my wrist. “Is she not back?”

  “Niles can’t find her, but maybe she got back late and is still getting ready,” I said. “Let me go check. Go back to the party.”

  “No, Rea, let me go,” Mom said.

  “Mom, please,” I said. “I needed to talk to her anyway.”

  “If you’re sure…” my mother said, and I gave her a quick kiss, then squeezed her shoulders. "Reagan," she called, but I'd already darted away, intent on finding my sister.

  It took me several minutes to make my way through the crowd of Winfyre folks, who were smiling, laughing, and toasting me, trying to pull me into conversations. I kept promising to talk to them later and hoped I’d remember whom I’d said what to.

  Inside the house, the sounds of the party were muted and distant. I felt strangely cut off as I slipped upstairs, holding up my skirt and listening carefully. Cassidy had the attic to herself, and it was empty. Her bed was made, a dress tossed across it and shoes set up on the floor.

  Something about it made my throat go tight, and I walked around, eyes flicking all over the place. The room looked lived in. Loved, even. It wasn't the barren space of months ago, with rumpled sheets and piles of clothes. It was neat, with flowers in the windows and clothes hung by color. Deep down, I knew she hadn’t run away.

  So why did I suddenly have a terrible knot forming in my gut?

  Going over to her desk, I jumped when I heard something behind me. Then Drue came in.

  “Oh, Drue, hi,” I said, and she padded over to me. “You scared me.”

  “Sorry, I saw you come up here.” Drue bit her lip. “Cassidy doesn’t mind if we come into her room, as long as we knock, and she’s here. She won’t like it if she finds us up here without permission.”

  “I know. I didn’t mean to snoop—I just wanted to see where she was,” I said and held out my hand. “Come on, I need to go find Luke.”

  Drue was looking around the room. “Wait, she’s not back yet?”

  I took Drue’s shoulders and looked down at my cousin, who was far more poised and a little taller than she’d been while we’d been nomads in the woods, but still sweet and eager to please.

  “You know where she is,” I said.

  “Not exactly,” Drue said. “Only that she had to go meet someone.”

  “Why?” I asked. “When?”

  Drue shrugged. “This morning. And I don’t know, but she was worried, I think.”

  “She didn’t tell you anything else?”

  “Hey,” Luke said and knocked on the door. “Am I interrupting?”

  “No,” I said and waved him in. Drue made a face. “Do you remember anything that could help me and Luke find her? Anything about who it was or what direction she went in?”

  “Um, I think she said Will,” Drue said, and I froze, staring at her. “But I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Cass said she wanted to deal with it and find out what he wanted.”

  “Rea?” Luke asked, and he led me to a chair. “What’s wrong? Who’s Will?”

  “Will was Cassidy’s fiancé. How could he have gotten a message to her?” I asked. “Is he here in Winfyre? Could we find that out?”

  Luke shook his head. “I doubt it’s him. Probably another Will.”

  “Drue, was it Will Doherty?” I asked, and Drue shrugged. “Dammit, I’m telling you, it has to be.” Luke opened his mouth. “Yes, I know Will is a popular name.”

  “No, Rea, you know that Cassidy asked me…” Luke trailed off as I whipped my head to his. “Or she hasn’t told you that yet.” I stared at him. “She wanted us to look into William Doherty. Make sure he’s okay.”

  “Oh my God,” I murmured and put my face in my hands. “And you listened to her?”

  “Rea, we haven’t found anything yet,” I said. “It was only the other day.”

  “She said he was in trouble,” Drue spoke up, and we both looked up at her. “Bad dreams.”

  Jumping to my feet, I rushed out the door and down the stairs, Luke and Drue following. Outside, I glanced around for Rogda or Niles. I spotted a few Orlovs down by the lake and rushed towards them. They gave me surprised looks as I stopped, panting for breath.

  “My sister—her abilities—what are they?”

  “We’re still trying to figure that out,” Niles said and held out a hand to steady me. “Why?”

  “Any precognition? Dreams?” I asked and gripped his forearm. I was remembering the few times I’d strayed into that territory. Niles shrugged. “Please, if there’s a chance—”

  “Of course there is,” Rogda said. “But it’s a fickle gift.”

  “I think Cassidy might have convinced herself that Will was in danger,” I said. “And she left Winfyre to go see if he was okay.”

  “Will who?” Niles growled.

  “She got a message, Reagan,” Drue said stubbornly. “I saw it.”

  "Do you remember if it was stamped with a color?" Luke asked, and Drue blinked at him. "C'mon, I know you can remember, little lion.”

  Drue pinked with pleasure. “I think it was green.”

  “From the gates?” I asked.

  “Thanks, everyone,” Luke said and dragged me away. “Listen, why don’t you let me—”

  “She’s in trouble,” I said and pressed a hand to my stomach. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to ruin this day, but I know. I just know. We have to go get her.”

  “Luke.” Rett was there, and he gave me a smile that was a shade too reassuring. “Could you—”

  “We know,” Luke said.

  “About the Barrowmen?” Rett asked, perplexed, and I saw Luke’s face go taut with horror.

  “What the hell are those?” I asked. “Excris?”

  “Really annoying ones,” Rett said. “They’re at the gate. Want to talk.”

  Luke’s shoulders rose, and he blew out a long breath. “Of course. Of all days.”

  “I’m coming, too,” I said. “We have to find out about that message Cassidy received.”

  “Cassidy received a message from the gates?” Rett asked. “That’s odd.”

  “Exactly,” I said grimly.

  Twenty minutes later, we were at the gates. I'd ridden there, while Luke and the others had shifted and flanked me. There were several shifters clustered between the trees, stiff-backed and vigilant. All of them relaxed as we Alphas strode for
ward. We'd left Tristan behind.

  Jeques came jogging forward and bowed his head at me. “Hear congratulations are in order.” I smiled and nodded, but my eyes were darting to the barracks. Was Cassidy in there?

  “What do they want?” Xander asked. “How did they get so close?”

  “Think you better talk to ’em,” Jeques said, looking troubled. “And Luke, I think you should come, too.”

  “All right,” Luke said and gripped my hand briefly. “Meet you in the barracks?”

  “Sure,” I said and held up my skirt as I headed inside, the shadows and scent of sawdust overwhelming me. It was empty except for a young, bored shifter who had his leg propped up. I recognized him as Brinney, the mountain lion shifter who’d survived the Skrors’ attack all those weeks ago. He looked fine, except for a wrapped left leg.

  “Can I help you?” he asked and then sat up. “Hey, you’re Reagan Grace. Second one today.”

  “Second what?” I asked.

  “Grace sister. I saw Cassidy earlier,” he said.

  “What did she want?” I asked forcefully, and Brinney recoiled, shaking his head. “Listen, I know you probably don’t want to rat her out, but she’s missing. You have to tell me.”

  “Oh, damn. Um, she wanted to know about some message that had come through, and where Osko’s Point was.” He sat up and tapped a folder. “And about this. New refugee.”

  “Okso’s Point—is that inside Winfyre?” I asked.

  “Yeah, it’s like a mile that way,” Brinney said and jerked his thumb southwest. “Kind of out of the way, down near the border.” Now my eyes were on the file. “You wanna take a look?”

  “I have a feeling I already know what happened,” I said and picked it up. My fingers gripped the edges and rattled it so badly, Brinney started up in alarm. “Dammit, Cassidy.”

  The folder was for one Will Doherty, origin Seattle.

  There was a copy of the message tucked inside, and the first line asked for her to meet him.

  Whatever this was, it wasn’t the reunion my sister had dreamed of.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Luke

  Rett and Kal prowled next to me and Xander, their black and white forms towering over us.