by RJ Blain
I bared my teeth and growled at Richard.
“Not my fault.” The Alpha held his hands up. “Elliot, hurry up and marry her. This is your fault.”
“I’m happy where I’m at, Richard. You’re going to get me evicted if you keep pressuring her. Stop it. When she wants to marry me, she’ll club me over the head, drag me off somewhere, and accost some poor priest to do it.”
“You’re a priest. You do it.”
“Richard, if you can’t behave, I’m going to lower myself to tattling on you to Evelyn. And anyway, I’m not a priest. I’m not even a real pope. I hate that title sometimes, although sounding like a villain does have its perks.”
Sometimes, I really questioned why my wolf and I had chosen Elliot Anderson, the Shadow Pope of the Inquisition, to be our mate.
We had the attention span of a three-year-old on a sugar high. Part of it was my fault; between Elliot and Snowflake, I couldn’t keep focused. Sometimes, my mate would take advantage of when everyone else too distracted to pay attention to him and slip his hand under my shirt, teasing me with his fingertips. When Elliot wasn’t distracting me, Snowflake kept crawling onto my lap to demand attention.
What the fox wanted, he got. Whenever I ran my fingers through his fur, my wolf and I relaxed. Did all canines possess the power to soothe?
Without my allergies choking off my breath, I liked Snowflake’s attention. When he focused on me, I felt like he saw through me, knew me for who I was, and liked me anyway. I’d lived most of my life trying not to care who approved of me, but one little fox had managed to undermine all my efforts.
I couldn’t help myself. I scooped him up, buried my face in his fur, and hugged him tight.
“Vicky?” The surprise in Elliot’s voice reminded me I wasn’t alone.
The best and only way to survive my audience was to pretend they didn’t exist, so I rubbed my cheek against Snowflake’s fur and drew in a deep breath.
After so much exposure to Fenerec, the fox had a faint hint of cinnamon to him.
Richard laughed. “I think you just lost your woman to a fox, Anderson.”
“Evelyn! Richard just promised to make your Frankencookie,” Elliot called out.
His twin’s mate waddled into the room, her eyes wide. “My cookie? You’ll make my cookie?”
My mate played dirty, and I liked it.
“You bastard,” Richard growled.
I set Snowflake aside and patted my leg. “Who’s a good boy? Elliot is, yes, he is.”
I savored the gleam in his eye when he sprawled across my lap. “Woof!”
“That’s just wrong.” Richard sighed and got to his feet. “Fine, fine. I’ll bake Frankencookie. I’m doing this under protest. Under no circumstances will pickles come anywhere near that cookie.”
“Raspberry sorbet?”
“There is a god, and he has mercy on me. I have raspberry sorbet. You can have all the raspberry sorbet you want, right up to two gallons. If you want more than that, you’ll have to send someone to the lodge.”
“In this weather? I told Alex and Lisa if they even considered bringing Jacqueline home in that mess—or if anyone left the lodge at all—I would personally steal your best snowmobile and hunt them down. March, Richard. I need my cookies. Ah, Vicky? Your puppies are awake, but they have discovered the pool table and are currently occupied. I’ll watch them, so why don’t you stay with that darling of yours for a while longer?”
“Thanks, Evelyn. Please tell them I’ll be around soon?”
“Take your time. Males need a great deal of affection or they whine, especially Anderson males. Trust me on this one. I’ve had more than my fair share of dealing with Anderson males, although yours is a more vocal than the others—they just use sad eyes and whine, hoping for the best. I wouldn’t want to have to dangle your male out the third-floor window until he cries for mercy again.”
“Again?” I blurted, sitting straighter.
“Never underestimate an angry pregnant bitch,” my mate muttered, rolling over and pressing his face to my stomach. “Protect me.”
“Richard, did I pick a useless male?” I frowned, prodding Elliot’s shoulder. “You’re being pathetic.”
“He coerced me into baking Evelyn a Frankencookie. He’s masterfully pathetic and useless. Throw him out the window and record how many times he bounces,” the Alpha snarled, storming out of the sitting room. Evelyn clapped her hands together and tailed him out of the room.
“I’m truly impressed, Elliot. That was a work of art. You manipulated Richard like a champion. He’s going to be trying to crack the recipe for an edible Frankencookie all day long. Was this a part of your plan?”
“My plan involves Vicky and some private time. Maybe a honeymoon in the Caribbean. Is it working?”
“No.” I pinched him. “It’s not. Be quiet or be removed.”
“Take progress where you can, Elliot.” Amber grabbed her laptop and checked it, clacking her teeth together. “Ah. Gerald just emailed. Looks like we have some hits.”
Elliot sat up and snatched his laptop from the coffee table. “How solid?”
“From the Swiss bankers, from the looks of it. Seems someone was willing to get his hands dirty; they violated their privacy policies to give us this information.” After a few more taps at her keyboard, Amber turned the screen so I could see it. A map of the United States had six flags, three of which were on the east coast, one in New Mexico, and two in California. “Home addresses of the primary account holders.”
“Locations?”
“San Francisco, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Greenville, and two in Charleston.”
I recognized all but one of the cities named. “Greenville?”
“Georgia. It’s north and east of Atlanta, west of Cohutta.”
Elliot tapped away at his laptop. “Cohutta? That’s the park where Vicky, Nicole, and Dante were taken.”
“One and the same.”
“House, apartment, or what?”
“House, outskirts of town, rather secluded.”
“Forward me the name and address.” Elliot shifted on the couch, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. “Is there any way we can get back to Georgia?”
Laughter burst out of Amber. “In this weather? Are you nuts? We’d need a miracle and a dogsled team.”
“We have Fenerec. What are our travel options?”
“It’s just not realistic. We’re stuck. Unless the weather clears, we aren’t going anywhere, and even if it does, we’d have to pull out the big guns to get a runway cleared enough for takeoff. I could do it if Nicole were here, but…”
I clasped my hands together on my lap and stared at them. Every day of my life, I faced choices. Some were difficult, some were easy. Some hurt, some made even me smile for a little while.
Within the Inquisition, many choices had been taken from me. Who lived and who died had fallen to my mate’s predecessors, and they had, one and all, showed so little regard for life. Every life had a price, and more often than not, it equaled approximately fifteen thousand dollars when ended. The more dangerous lives, those with powers worth worrying about, were worth millions.
Some lives, like mine, were worth far more, but only alive. I was of no use to anyone dead.
“If the storms cleared, how long would it take us to reach Georgia?” I asked.
Amber shrugged. “That depends on the type of plane Richard can get his hands on. If he can get a commercial jet, eight hours? That would include getting to the airfield, assuming we have a place to land.”
“Richard can make a place to land,” Elliot growled. “I swear he’s going to give me gray hair with how often he crashes planes. I considered having his license revoked a few times.”
Amber snorted. “Why haven’t you? Nicole would kiss you if you did.”
“I considered it, then I realized the cruelest thing I could ever do to that man was take the sky away from him. I cheated; I told him he could only have planes younger t
han Dante’s youngest children.”
“That’s evil.”
I looked up. “Why is that evil?”
Smiling at me, Amber pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. “Evelyn wants a hockey team of her very own. She saw little Jacqueline on ice skates and fell in love with the idea of her puppies playing hockey or figure skating. When she first made a wishful comment about having all her puppies form a team, I don’t think she understood quite how many players were involved. Dante, however, immediately agreed.”
“How many are on a hockey team?”
“Twenty or so.”
I choked on my own spit. “What?”
“Turns out Dante knew exactly how many players were on a hockey team when he agreed. Your brother’s sly, Elliot. Don’t let that innocent look and those big brown eyes fool you.”
“You realize the same applies to me, right? It’s by default. Twins and all.”
“Vicky, does Elliot look innocent to you? How about those big brown eyes?”
I regarded my mate with narrowed eyes, beginning a slow inspection of him starting with his ruffled hair all the way down to his toes. “I’ll have to think about it. He doesn’t look very innocent to me. He does, however, have nice eyes.”
“Like a puppy’s, right? Dante’s much better at putting his to devastating use. Now that you’re able to come to the house, you’ll be able to see him in action.”
“Impossible, unless we do something about that.” I pointed in the direction of the muted television, which was set on the Weather Channel.
In reality, there was no ‘we’ involved. The problem of restoring the weather was mine. Maybe Basin had triggered the catastrophe, but it was my witchcraft running loose, and I had no idea how to fix it. There was one surefire way I could do something, but I wouldn’t be the one to pay the full price for putting an end to my rogue witch powers.
I’d be dead.
Chapter Twenty-Six
If I’d never met Elliot, deciding what to do would’ve been far simpler. Without Samantha anchoring me, without Donnie, James, or Elizabeth, I could’ve let go without regret. I could’ve finished the last chapter of my life with a few ripples, disappearing without anyone missing me for long.
Elliot’s presence in my life had changed everything.
What should’ve been easy wasn’t, but I couldn’t justify saving myself when Dante and Nicole depended on me. So many others did as well. If I let the storms rampage unchecked, innocent people would die. I tried to avoid thinking about what would happen beyond my death.
“I’ve got nothing,” Amber declared, slouching in her armchair with a sigh. “The best we can do is hope some local Inquisitors can make the hit.”
“Not happening.” Elliot ran both his hands through his hair, making it stick up on end. Distress soured his scent. “I can’t justify it. There just aren’t enough heavy hitters in the area. I’d be potentially sending a lot of people to their deaths on a maybe.”
I wasn’t the only one with difficult choices to make, and the weight of mine would only crush a few people and save many. My mate couldn’t afford to hurt many to save two.
Realistically, neither one of us had any choice at all.
For me, I would have a chance to give my death meaning, and Elliot would have a chance to move on. In that, Richard was right. In time, our bond would solidify, strengthen, and become something no one could break.
Fear had held me back, but if the ties binding us had been stronger, I’d have even more trouble doing the miserable, the unwanted, and the necessary.
If I lived, how many would die from the storms? If I died, if the skies cleared and nature returned to its proper course, how many would live? Would Elliot be able to find his twin? Would Dante live to see his child—or children—born?
Would the anguish in Richard’s expression and eyes ease when he was reunited with his mate?
I knew no stronger man than Elliot. He could live beyond my death, as I had lived beyond the death of so many. I was who I was, and as much as my magic defined me, I defined it, too.
The seasons needed to return to its true and proper flow, even if I had to spill every last drop of my blood to do it. Elliot would care for our puppies, as would Richard. They’d be safe with Yellowknife’s pack.
I would die a thousand deaths to give them a future without Basin in it.
“I don’t know if it’ll work, but if I can get outside for a while without anyone interrupting me, I can try.” I swallowed. Without knowing what Amber could detect with her witchcraft, I’d have to watch my words carefully.
I couldn’t risk anyone scenting a lie on me. With so much to lose, I couldn’t afford anyone trying to stop me from undoing the damage Basin had caused, no matter the cost.
My choice hurt, but any other decision I could make would be far, far worse. Like Elliot couldn’t sacrifice many for two, I couldn’t save myself and sacrifice the well-being of so many others.
“It’s worth a try. Richard will be a while keeping Evelyn happy, and Evelyn’s happiest with puppies underfoot, so she’ll keep a close eye on them. Still, we better go armed, or Richard won’t forgive any of us.
“I’m going to need space to work. I can’t promise it’ll be safe for anyone who gets near me when I’m trying to do this.” I expected Elliot to argue, and I tensed, focusing all my attention on him.
“However much I hate to admit it, she’s probably right. I’ve seen the level of damage her witchcraft can cause, especially if it gets out of hand. She should be safe enough, as long as we’re close and can check on her. But, I only want you seeing if you can tap into your power, Vicky. You understand me? If you can get a handle on your witchcraft, we can find a way to channel energy to you.”
“Nicole has focus stones!” Amber hopped to her feet. “I’m so, so stupid. She left the stones here when she left. They might help. Is there anything else you can use, Vicky?”
“Silver.”
Amber’s eyes widened. “Silver?”
“Keeps the wolf tamed.” It wasn’t a lie. “Even a chambered silver bullet is enough. It just keeps her back, which makes it easier to work with the weather.”
“Oh! I didn’t think about that. You’re not like other witches I know. You’ll need to be armed anyway. If Basin somehow does get here and has Fenerec helping them, you’ll be equipped. Okay. Beretta, Beemiller, or Glock?”
“No preference.”
Elliot chuckled. “I’ll take whatever you ladies don’t.”
“I’d rather you both stay here and keep an eye on the puppies—and stay out of the cold. I’ll be much safer than either one of you.” I scratched my forehead. “I’ll want to head at least a quarter mile from here so I don’t damage the house.”
“Probably safer to go a mile. Is it possible to get one of the snowmobiles running, Amber?”
“Easily. Actually, the shed’s perfect. Elliot can keep in touch with you on the radio from the shed. It’s heated, so he’ll be safe, and he’ll be in a position to go to you if necessary. All the snowmobiles are tracked, so you won’t even need to be collared, as long as you stay with the snowmobile.”
“I can do that. Not sure I’d be able to use my witchcraft with that damned collar on anyway.”
“Another good point, so no arguing this time, Mr. Shadow Pope,” Amber said, jabbing her finger in Elliot’s direction. “Don’t start whining.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Of course you don’t. She’s your mate. Let me go get Nicole’s focus stones and see if they’ll cooperate. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. If they do, Vicky should have enough power backing her. Nicole’s been charging those damned things for years. Basin’s diamonds don’t have anything on the moonstone when Nicole can get the damned thing to cooperate with her. It’s about as moody as she is.”
Amber bounded off, and the instant she left the room, Elliot was on me, pinning me to the couch, his nose pressed to mine with his eyes narrowed. “You’r
e up to something.”
“I have to at least try—really try.” I would, too. I’d try until I was left without any doubt my witchcraft was fully out of control. “If it works, we can chase Dante and Nicole.”
“Do you really think you can do something?”
“I have to try. He’s your brother. She’s Richard’s beloved. I can’t do nothing. It may not work, but I have to do something.”
Elliot sighed, leaning forward so he could press his brow to mine. “I can’t justify sending in unprepared Inquisitors. I can’t.”
“I know. You need to be able to bring in qualified people to help with the hit. I understand. You’re making the right choice, no matter how much it hurts.”
“So much,” he whispered, slumping against me. “He’s my brother.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“I know you will. I can’t do anything, and I’m going to lose them both because of it. If Basin can take out you, Dante, and Nicole together, there are so few operatives who stand a chance against them. They’re all here or in Seattle. A few in Vegas. One in Houston. A couple in eastern Canada. There’s no one close I can send. They’ll die, too.”
The anguish in his voice hurt me and my wolf. There was nothing I could say to change anything, so I did the only thing I could. I held him. He needed me, but he needed his twin and Nicole even more.
I hoped when the storms cleared, he would forgive me for what I had to do.
I heard Nicole’s moonstone long before Amber showed up with it and several other crystal spheres cradled in her hands. The stone sang, and in its voice, I heard its anguish. The fire witch had several holsters draped over her shoulder, and an infuriated Richard stalked after Amber, growling with every step.