by Haley Weir
“There you go again with expectations.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been saying it for days now,” Beth claimed. “What are you really worried about, Mary? Sam loves you, and he adores your rebelliousness. All he wants to do is make his claim known to the world. He has no expectations. Just love him. That’s all he needs.”
“Thank you…” Mary Ann blushed. “I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you, Beth. You’ve been nothin’ but a friend to me. I apologize.”
Beth shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”
The door to the study opened, and Charlotte entered the room with a huff. “You must come quickly. I found something you need to see.”
Mary Ann ran the baby to Abigail and Ruth. She followed Beth and Charlotte into the forest. They wandered to the field where they fought the wendigo and the witches. And in the middle of that clearing were three wooden posts where the bodies of the witches had been displayed like offerings to the gods. Mary Ann was nauseated by the scent of blood. She could hardly look away from the gruesome sight.
Charlotte and Beth approached the posts and pulled a letter from around Kaia’s ankle. She returned and showed Mary Ann. It was merely a black symbol with a red slash running through it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Outskirts of
Cheyenne, Wyoming
The sun began to set in the distance as Sam guarded the entrance to the caves. They didn't have long to set the explosives before the wendigo migrated their way. Though they struggled in the beginning, they learned the patterns and habits of their enemy. Wendigo were quite similar to bats. They hunted at night and slept during the day due to their blindness. They made an eerie clicking noise to locate their prey. But the wendigo were bloodthirsty and moved much faster than any normal creature, for they had darkness in their veins.
A shrill sound reverberated from the cave, and Sam's heart dropped. He abandoned their gear and ran into the cave without caution. Gunshots ricocheted off of the slimy walls, causing sparks to fly. One bad move and the entire place would blow. Sam didn't know if he or Jesse could survive a blast with the special gunpowder. They didn't know if the blessed weapons could harm them as badly as they wounded wendigo and the witches.
Sam made it to Jesse and found his friend propped up against the wall. A large gash in his side looked to be the worst of it...until he pulled Jesse's shirt up and saw three large bite marks. "Can it spread to us?" Jesse asked shakily.
"I-I don't know. Let's get you out of here, partner." Sam shoved his shoulder beneath Jesse's arm and all but dragged him out of the cave. "There must have been a second entrance that wasn't on the map. How the hell did they get the jump on us?" He lifted Jesse onto his horse and ran back into the cave.
Sam saw the cases not too far from where he had found Jesse. He took a deep breath and pressed his back to the wall. Six wendigo sniffed around the boxes. Sam closed his eyes and shot around the corner. The roar of fire in his ears was just as bad as the gust of hot flames and smoke. Hands reached in and grabbed him, pulling Sam out of the inferno.
"You crazy son of a bitch!"
"Boone?" he croaked.
"Damn right, it's Boone. I got a message from Itsá that you two were lookin' to do somethin' real stupid. And guess what? He was right."
"I just killed at least six wendigo, asshole. You should be thankin' me." Sam smirked. He could barely hear a damn thing over the ringing in his ears. "Besides, you would be bored if it weren't for me and my stupid ideas."
"And what, pray tell, did this plan involve?" Boone asked with an expression that said he expected an answer just as stupid as their execution of the plan.
"I used the rubble at the bottom of Beth's forge to make modified gunpowder like what's in our guns to make explosives. As you can see, it's effective." Sam pointed to the healing burns on his shoulder.
Wesley went inside the cave with his gun drawn to check if Sam's words were true. He confirmed them with a quick thumbs up. "It looks like minced meat in there, Boone. I'd say the plan worked out just fine."
"Not exactly," Jesse said as he collapsed against the saddle. Sam ran over to him and checked the bite. They weren't any different than the first time he saw them. Sam didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Jesse should have started healing by now. Boone and Wesley gasped when they saw the bites.
"Sam…"
"I know, all right! Don't give me that look, Boone. It might mean nothin'. Let's just get him back to Abbey." Sam climbed into his saddle. Boone and Wesley followed him back to Cheyenne. The roads were too dangerous to travel after dark, so they rode to the inn and laid Jesse on one of the beds.
Jesse was in and out of consciousness. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin, and he shivered as a fever took hold of him. Sam did what he could to clean Jesse up and bandage his wounds before letting the man rest. He washed the blood from his hands and sat beside the window. "How did I let this happen?"
"Ya'll had to have known the risks goin' into this," Boone said. "Jesse knew what he was gettin' himself into. No one is to blame for this except the Wendigo Spirit."
"How rude," a voice growled. Sam, Boone, and Wesley bared their teeth as well as their weapons. Ethan Tate pouted mockingly. "That any way to greet an old friend, Samuel? After all, I'm here to settle our past grievances, and I hear that you've killed some of my children."
"Your children? You infected innocent people with your wickedness. Puttin' them down is showin' mercy. Better dead than a slave to the hunger you give them."
"Is it?" Ethan stood up with fluid grace that looked out of place on the outlaw. "I’m giving their lives purpose. They serve a god, and they will be part of a new race to rule this world when all of you humans and shifters are gone.”
“And the Draoi? Will he let you rule?”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Of course you do,” Sam taunted. “He’s more powerful than you, and he’s lookin’ for someone to possess. Word around here is he’s sizin’ me up to be his vessel.”
“He can’t. Not now, not with the child.”
“Child?”
Sam saw that Ethan hadn’t meant to let that slip. He used it to his advantage, lowering his gun as he took a step closer to the entity. “You don’t want the Draoi to rise, do you? No, you thought you could hire on witches and outlaws to do your dirty work so that you could establish dominance before he awakened. Then the Skadegamutc crawled out of her grave and—”
Ethan left as quickly as he appeared.
Boone glanced over at Sam. “Glad I ain’t the only one that feels the need to flee a room when you get to talkin’.”
~*~
Silver Fox Ranch
Mary Ann saw Itsá and Gabriel approach and ran for the door. Beth was a bit quicker and threw herself into the arms of Itsá’s younger brother. Gabriel closed his eyes blissfully and held Beth as though she were the most precious thing ever to walk the Earth. Mary Ann found it both sweet and sad, for a wagon rolled into the stables with Sam at the reins. She waved to her fiancé but felt an overwhelming sense of dread come over her. “Where’s Jesse?”
“He ain’t...he ain’t doin’ too good.” Sam jumped from the bench seat, and Mary Ann saw that he was covered in blood. She gently touched every inch of his body to make sure the blood wasn’t his. When she found no wounds, Mary Ann ran to the back of the wagon. She gasped in shock as Boone and Wesley carried Jesse down from the wagon bed.
Mary Ann went to fetch Abigail and made herself useful by looking after the baby. Beth and Gabriel caught on to what was happening. The younger woman could say or do whatever she wanted, but Mary Ann saw the heartbroken look on her face when she saw Jesse lying on a makeshift carrier. Abigail washed her hands and met them in her office. Ruth was at her side, washing up to assist in case Jesse needed an operation.
Sam moved to stand beside Mary Ann. He kissed the top of her head, and she pulled him aside.
Mary Ann handed him his nephew before she began cleaning away Jesse’s blood from his face and neck. The sleeping infant was oblivious to the chaos around him. “I know you’re healin’ quicker nowadays, Sam, but is everythin’ all right?”
“We killed a few of the wendigo and Ethan let a few things slip when we saw him. I can’t really get into it right now, Mary. We’ll talk about it later.” His smile failed to reach his eyes, and Mary Ann wished she could do more to help him.
Hours went by before Boone and the others returned. Ruth had offered to sit with Jesse while he healed, so Abigail came inside and took the baby back. “I don’t think the bites will do much. It gave me quite a scare, I’ll admit it. However, the reason he is not healing as quickly as he used to is because of a toxin in his system. I do not know what it is yet, but I think it comes from the wendigo claws. I should know more in the morning. It doesn’t seem lethal.”
Everyone released a collective sigh.
After Abigail put the baby to sleep, there was a meeting in the study. Boone filled Mary Ann, Beth, and Charlotte in on what had happened in Cheyenne. The idea of being trapped in an explosion made Mary Ann feel a bit sick. Actually, she had been feeling very sick lately. As Beth informed them what they had found in the meadow, Mary Ann excused herself.
Sam accompanied her back to their bedchamber.
“I love you, Samuel.”
“I love you too, Mary.” He kissed her soundly and curled up around her to sleep.
The sky was black and lifeless. Petrified trees of white bark and bare limbs circled the field. Patches of dead grass and shriveled flowers cluttered the ground. Mary Ann walked on bare feet towards the center of the field. Before her stood the Wendigo Spirit and the Skadegamutc. Their mouths opened, and black blood spilled from their lips. A man stepped out of the pool of darkness. Sam. Like them, he had taken the form of a beast, half-wolf and half-man with sightless eyes. Mary Ann reached for him, trying to call out to her beloved, but something held her back...
She looked down and saw pale fingers encircling her wrist.
Ruby eyes blinked up at her. “Mother!”
Mary Ann lifted her daughter into her arms as a swarm of wendigo surrounded them. She clutched her child to her chest and held her hand out in front of her as if she could ward them off with sheer determination. When there was a break in the swarm, Mary Ann ran as quickly as she could. A voice whispered into her mind… “He is the defiler. He is the father. He is destruction.”
~*~
Sam awakened to the sound of Mary Ann screaming. He grabbed her shoulders and forced them to the bed, holding her down so she didn’t hurt herself or the baby. His hold was gentle but firm enough to keep her still. Her eyes were open and her lips parted to release another scream, only no sound came. Sam cradled her in his arms and whispered in her ear until she stopped trembling. “Wake up, my love. I need you. Come on, Mary. Come back, sweetheart.”
The door to the bedchamber opened.
Boone stood shirtless in the doorway with Abigail a few feet away, a crying baby in her arms. They took one look at the bed and closed the door once again. Sam was grateful for the privacy as he held Mary Ann through her nightmare. When her eyes closed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Mary Ann went limp in his arms, and her breathing returned to normal. Sam didn’t know how long she had slept before the light of dawn crept in through the windows.
She awakened with a gasp, clinging to his arms as if she would die if he let her go.
“Sam...Sam. Sam. Sam…”
“I got you, Mary,” he whispered. “Nothin’ can hurt you now.”
She relaxed in his arms. “It was terrible, Sam. Our daughter was in danger. The evil spirits were there, and they called you the Defiler. They said you would destroy everythin’...I don’t believe it. Not my Sam. You would never.”
Sam tilted her head back and kissed her once more. “Go back to bed, love.”
“I..I can’t. Our baby is in danger. We need to protect her.” Mary Ann pressed his hand to her belly, and he felt a restless kick against his hand. “She knows somethin’ is wrong. We can feel it. Somethin’ wants to take you away from us.”
“Listen to me,” Sam whispered. He gripped her face and kissed her slowly, but only for a quick second. “You have no idea how important all of this is to me, Mary. I love you so much, and so long as we remember that...we can get through anythin’. With you by my side, I can overcome any darkness. Our baby ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“The dark spirits want her. And they want you, too.”
“I don’t give a damn what they want,” he snorted. “They ain’t gettin’ anywhere near my family. It’s us, darlin’. The three of us will face off with a world of dark spirits if it means we can be together in the end.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Silver Fox Ranch
Tables were set in the barn with neatly tucked-in chairs. Beautiful lanterns had been strung up to provide light in the small structure. A long carpet had been rolled out to make an aisle, and wildflowers covered every surface. Mary Ann looked around at what had been done in celebration of her love for Sam. She placed a hand on her round belly and moved to sit beside Itsá. He reached over and grasped her hand. “You seem happy,” he observed.
“I am...and in many ways, I’m not.”
“What worries you?”
She looked him in the eyes and asked, “Do the spirits want my baby? I mean it, Itsá. I don’t want any cryptic verses from your ancestors or prophecies from your visions. I want to know if you think the Draoi will try to use my husband and my child to bring darkness to this world.”
“Yes. I do. And I believe the Wendigo Spirit and the Skadegamutc wish to kill the child before the Draoi can take complete control.” Itsá’s honesty was appreciated but unexpected. Mary Ann didn’t know whether to find it comforting or disturbing to hear such truth from the wise shaman who preferred to speak in riddles.
“Why us?”
“Because while you are susceptible to great darkness, you’re also strong enough to handle it and overcome it,” Itsá explained. “And no harm will come to your child so long as I have breath in my lungs, Mary. You have my word. What you did for Aani...I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“Your friendship is payment enough.” Mary Ann squeezed Itsá’s hand reassuringly.
“Mary! Hurry up; you have to get into your dress.”
Mary Ann huffed and chased after Charlotte. She dressed in the servant’s quarters. The pale pink dress brought out the hues of blue in her eyes. It was trimmed with white lace and pearls. Her mother’s locket hung from around her neck, and a matching hairpin was tucked into her hair as it was piled atop her head. Elegant tendrils fell around her face. Mary Ann smiled at her reflection. She slipped her feet in a pair of short mules.
Tears fell from her eyes when she glanced at the ladies in the room. “Amazin’, ain’t it?”
“What?”
“Abbey, Charlotte, Beth, Ruth, and me...all of us are orphans tryin’ to find our way in this world, and somehow, we all ended up formin’ a family of our own here,” Mary Ann sniffled. “I love all of you as if ya’ll were my sisters and I look forward to many more years with you.”
Mary Ann was pulled into a loving embrace by the women in her life.
The baby fussed and everyone giggled as they wiped away the tears in their eyes. A knock on the door interrupted them and Mary Ann saw Sam in the reflection of the mirror. He smiled bashfully as he leaned against the doorjamb. “May I have a moment with the bride, ladies?”
“Though it goes against tradition…” Abigail teased. “Yes, you may.”
The ladies shuffled down to their seats. Sam moved to stand behind her, placing his hands gently on her hips. His long hair had been cut close to the scalp and gone was the beard that often covered his chin. She kissed his freshly shaven cheek. “You look beautiful,” he said softly. “I could not go another minute without bein’ near you, Mary. You’ve got a hold on me that
I never thought would make me feel so powerful. I thought you would make me a weaker man, Mary, but you make me stronger than I’ve ever been.”
“I spent my whole life buildin’ up walls around my heart, Samuel. My mother taught me to fear men, to see nothin’ but usefulness when I looked at them. But you were different. You were always different,” she confessed. “You made me want to be vulnerable and let someone in. That’s why I didn’t want to let you run away from me. Whether you’re a wolf or a man, I’m yours.”
Sam spun Mary Ann around in his arms and kissed her deeply. His hand slid to the back of her head and pulled her closer. Mary Ann pressed as close as she was able, allowing him to claim her with a fierceness that left her weak in the knees. The kiss only broke when Beth slammed her fist into Sam’s side. “Hey! Now we have to fix her hair again!”
Mary Ann laughed as she was released from the arms of the man she loved. Sam walked away reluctantly, glaring at Beth as he disappeared through the door. After tidying her appearance one last time, Mary Ann wandered out to the barn. The doors opened, and she saw Sam standing bedside Boone, Jesse, Wesley, and Itsá. Gabriel had chosen to stand against the wall right inside the door. He grabbed her suddenly, tucking her hand into his crook of his elbow with a playful wink. “Come on, Mary. Let’s make them all jealous.”
Mary Ann smiled from ear to ear with moisture glistening in her eyes. She walked slowly with Gabriel by her side, never once taking her eyes off of Sam. He was everything she ever dreamed of and more. When everyone else failed to see beyond his arrogant façade, she had peered into the depths of his soul.
Sam growled at Gabriel when the skinshifter refused to release her right away. The impish grin on Gabriel's face disappeared when Sam snarled, "Rabbit stew." Gabriel blanched and took his place at one of the tables. Sam smiled victoriously and yanked Mary Ann against his chest possessively. But when his gaze met hers once more, his features softened into a look of pure adoration. "Only you could make this wanted man dream of home, Mary."