The Wolf and His Earth Goddess

by Maia Dylan

  “You’re worried that Fiona will freak out.” Casey flopped down on the fugly green couch they had found in the attic.

  “I never freak out.” Fiona came striding into the room, and plopping down on the couch. “Not once in my entire life have I ever freaked out. So you might as well man up, grow a pair, and tell me what you hell you think I should know.” She crossed her arms and glared at Cole.

  Cole sat back, returned the glare, and assumed the same position. “If you want me to man up with you, little girl, I would be more than willing to take you to bed and do so. And I have a pretty damn good idea that you would love the way I’d do it.” His eyes darkened and his voice did the same growly thing that Micah’s did when he was about to get with the dominating.

  “Whatever, Cole, are you sure there would be enough room in that damn bed for you, me and your ego? I think it might be a tight squeeze.” Casey noticed that Fiona’s breathing had increased and if she wasn’t mistaken that was arousal flashing in her eyes, not anger. Wait. Flashing eyes, bad! Casey needed to get them to dial this back or the fucking house was going to go up in flames!

  “I think we should all just calm—”

  “God damn it, Fiona!” Cole yelled as he jumped to his feet, Fiona just a second behind him. Casey heard Micah and Ryan walk into the room at the same time. “What the fuck have I ever done to you? Why in the hell do you have to jump down my throat every damn time we talk?”

  “If you were content to just fucking talk with me that would be one thing, but you are always flirting! I’m not one of your bimbos!” Fiona’s face was very red, her fists were clenched at her sides, and her eyes had started to glow. Oh, shit!

  “Fiona?” Cole’s volume and tone dropped immediately. Fiona’s eyes were solid flame now, and Casey knew it was too late. Micah suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her across the room as the couch burst into flames.

  “Fuck!” Cole leaped forward pulling Fiona out of harm’s way, and then removed everything close to the couch that was in danger of catching fire then opened the windows. Ryan ran out of the room yelling something about a garden hose, but Casey couldn’t take her eyes off Fiona. She looked terrified.

  “Fiona, are you OK?” Casey sent down their link, hoping to snap her out of it. Her gaze remained locked to the flames leaping out of the couch.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t hurt me, I’m sorry.” Casey heard Fiona’s voice come back to her, but it was almost unrecognizable. It was small and threaded with fear. She sounded so young. Casey started to wonder what the repercussions of her gift had actually been.

  Ryan came sprinting back into the room with the hose, and started to put the couch out. Casey pulled out of Micah’s arms and moved across to Fiona. When she was near enough for the woman to recognize that someone approached she whimpered and flinched back, as if trying to avoid a blow.

  “Fiona, it’s me, Casey? You’re safe and no one here is going to hurt you.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cole spin around to face them. “Do you hear me honey? It’s okay.” Casey moved and touched her cheek. Fiona’s gaze flew to hers and Casey was relieved to see they had returned to normal. “Fiona?”

  Fiona leaned into her so Casey wrapped her arms around her. “I’m sorry, Casey, it’s just that sometimes it gets away from me.” Her voice was so quiet and filled with sorrow it broke Casey’s heart.

  “It’s okay, sweetness, we can help you get control of it more.” She pulled back so Fiona could see her grin. “Besides, that couch was so fucking ugly it got more of a sendoff than it deserved.”

  After a few more moments, the color had returned to Fiona’s cheeks. Once Micah and the boys had disposed of the couch, she seemed to snap out of the almost catatonic state she had been in. Casey walked her over and sat down with her on the window seat. She felt Fiona tense slightly when the brothers walked back into the room, Cole never taking his eyes off Fiona.

  “I think I can safely assume you won’t freak out about what I want to tell you, now.” Cole’s voice was calm and almost tender. Something that Casey would forever be grateful to him for, because Fiona immediately relaxed. She had obviously feared their reaction to her ability, but all three of them just walked in as if nothing happened. Micah and Ryan were removing the sodden rug the couch had been sitting on, and they had resumed arguing about what to take into the park that day.

  “My brothers and I are part of the Freedom Springs wolf pack. We are shape-shifters, and have this really cool ability to shift into a wolf. Not as cool as being able to torch a couch or spot burn the hand of an innocent man.” He narrowed his gaze at Fiona and Casey heard her soft laugh. “But cool nonetheless.” He sent her a sweet smile that Casey looked away from. This seemed like one of those moments when she should be…well, anywhere but here.

  “Coming, Micah!” She shouted as she stood and walked out of the room, running smack into the chest of her confused mate.

  “Huh?” Casey hustled Micah out of the room, pushing Ryan along with them.

  “Oh, just move! Come on, you two, into the kitchen!” Casey didn’t know what was going on between Cole and Fiona, but she knew that neither of them needed two wolves sticking their noses into it.

  * * * *

  Three hours later and Cole felt his wolf pacing within him. There was something coming at them he could fucking feel it, but he had no idea from where. He glanced at the beautiful redheaded spitfire that intrigued the hell out of him and his wolf from the moment he had met her. He was so drawn to her. It wasn’t just because she was beautiful, because she was and to be fair he had never met her equal, but it was her dry wit and quick humor that he loved to verbally spar with. She never let him get away with anything. And her temper? All that told him was she was passionate as hell, and he knew, just fucking knew, she would be just as passionate in the bedroom.

  When she had set the couch alight that morning, Cole’s first thought had been “Huh, well that makes perfect sense.” He had always been drawn to fire, had loved the way that flames seemed to have a mind of their own and burned with an intensity he would lose himself in watching. But more than that, he loved taming the fire and bending it to his will. That was why he had become a firefighter. Now, having met Fiona and knowing that fire was her element, his attraction to this woman made sense, but the fact that the mating bond had not sparked between the two made it extremely frustrating.

  “Hey, Cole!” Ryan called from just behind him, and when he turned Ryan had stilled and was looking around them. “You feel something wrong? Like something is out there just waiting for us?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Cole turned back to see that Micah and the girls had stopped moving forward too. Micah had the same intense look on his face, and Cole noticed he had not moved from Casey’s shoulder, his need to protect his mate there on his face for anyone to see. “Fi, what do you two sense? Our wolves are going crazy, because the closer we get to the Table the stronger the sense of danger we feel.”

  He watched as the two shared a glance and he got the distinct impression they were talking with each other. And that just pissed him off! “Hey! You got something to say then share with the rest of the damn class. Fiona, I swear to God, if there is something you are keeping back from us, I will put you over my knee and spank your ass. Now spill!” Cole was so damn close to shifting he could literally feel his wolf beneath his skin.

  Fiona growled back at him, “Speak to me like that again, puppy, and you and I will go a round or two.”

  “Baby.” Cole’s drawl was heavy with challenge. “I promise you I am all about going a round or two with you and we will definitely get there, but you need to tell me what the fuck is going on here! I can’t protect you if I’m in the dark!”

  “Casey, I’m with Cole on this one.” Micah’s voice was deep, and his wolf could be heard in his voice. “I know you need to get to the table, but if there’s anything else coming, you need to tell us.” Casey turned and placed her pal
m against Micah’s cheek, instinctively knowing how to calm her mate

  “Micah, all I can tell you is that we are on the right track. The altar is exactly where we need to get to, and there something is happening there. Something is building, gathering strength I can feel it in the earth, but I don’t know what it is, all I know is that we need to get there as soon as possible. I felt it that day I was shot, but it was nowhere near as strong as this.” Casey stretched up and pressed a kiss to Micah’s lips. “Baby, this is it. I know it is, but I don’t know what to expect.”

  Micah nodded and his face became fierce. “You’re my mate Casey, claiming bite or not, you are the other half of my heart and soul. If I see anything that puts you in danger, then you must know that I will pull you out of there faster than you can say ‘fuck the prophecy,’ are we clear?” Casey smiled and nodded.

  “Same goes for you too, Fiona.” Cole pointed in her direction and Fiona glared back. He watched as her eyes widened and he lost himself in her beautiful dark brown eyes. Hell, maybe the fates hadn’t chosen this woman as his, but he sure as fuck could. He couldn’t imagine another woman out there that he would feel as strong a connection to as Fiona. Jesus, Travis was the only other person he had such a strong connection with and that was because they were twins. How fucking dare the fates put someone as perfect as Fiona into his life and then not see her as the other half of him?

  “Cole, perhaps you should just let Fiona and Casey get to where they need to be,” Ryan reasoned, no doubt trying to get him brother to back off a little. Ryan gave him a pointed look and Cole ground his teeth but nodded. Hell, if there was going to be a fight here today then bring it the fuck on! He suddenly felt like kicking someone’s ass.

  Casey started to move quicker through the forest, urgency driving her faster toward the ridge. “It’s not far, halfway up that ridge.” Micah pointed, but Casey knew exactly where it was. She could see it clearly in her mind. The five of them scrambled up the ridge and came to a path cut into the rock. As they made their way along it, Casey noticed that the forest hadn’t grown over in this area. The right side was rock face, clear of all growth or even moss that you would expect to see in a place this sheltered, and to the left was a sheer drop down to the forest floor. The trees had not grown over the top and the sun shone into the area. As they rounded a corner, Casey stopped Fiona right beside her.

  A huge rock wall loomed in front of them. The path that they had been following simply disappeared beneath it. Casey had seen rockslides in her time, but this was something different. Almost as if the rock had simply swelled out of the rock face beside them. This hadn’t formed naturally—the rock face had been manipulated so that the path was hidden.

  “Has this always been here?” Casey turned and looked at Micah who had a distant look on his face.

  “We need to leave this place, there is nothing here.” Then he turned and started walking back the way they came. Her jaw dropped as Ryan and Cole said pretty much the same things word for word, and then both started walking back down the path. Casey turned to Fiona, who was standing there looking just as perplexed as she felt.

  “What the hell do you make of that?” They still hadn’t looked back.

  “I have no idea. Micah did say that his Grandmother said this place had bad juju?” Fiona turned to her with a shrug.

  “Casey!” Micah suddenly roared from ahead of them in the forest. “Baby, where the hell are you?” This was just getting weirder and weirder.

  “Micah! I’m back up the path, where you just damn well left me!” she yelled back. She heard a growl and then trees rustling like they were being pushed aside and then he burst back onto the path, looking around wildly. He charged for her as soon as he saw her.

  “What the hell is going on? One minute we’re all walking in the forest toward…shit I can’t even remember! Then you weren’t beside me where you were fucking supposed to be.” His scowl suddenly started to slide away and he got that same far-off look in his eye. “We need to leave—”

  “Oh hell no! Micah! Look at me,” Casey shouted, grabbed her mate by the shoulders, and made him look her in the eye. He had to shake his head to clear it a little. “Something is messing with you. This is exactly where we need to be. I just need to work some magic to get us past this rock to lift the damn wards he’s set. I need you to just focus on me, okay, babe?” Casey waited until Micah focused on her and nodded.

  “Fiona!” Cole’s yell was further away and Casey guessed he and Ryan would be tearing back this way soon. She turned back to the rock, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Then she called upon Olwen to show her the pattern of the shield that she needed to remove.

  When she opened her eyes, she could clearly see the ward that sat across the rock, and the path on which they stood. She studied it for a while, knowing that Aeron wouldn’t have something too easy to crack.

  She noticed one little trap halfway through the shielding spell, but because she could see it she knew what to look out for. After looking carefully over the rest, she was comfortable that there was only the one trap and she was confident that she would be able to unravel it. Lifting her hand, she started to untangle it.

  The more she unwound it, the more Micah began to grumble behind her, carefully disarming the trap that had been set she continued to work her way through the ward, her arm moving faster and faster as it became clearer to her. Eventually with a glimmer of light, it disappeared. She closed her eyes, thanking Olwen for her help.

  Opening her eyes, she turned back to Micah and saw that he was one pissed-off wolf. “What in the hell was that? Who in the fuck would have the strength to put something like that there? Something so damn strong it convinced a damn wolf to abandon his fucking mate!” Casey reached out her hand to pet her wolf to help him calm down.

  Ryan and Cole came tearing out of the bushes surround the path and they too looked pissed. “There was a ward, which is basically a magical shield, across the path. As soon as we approached it, it activated and convinced you that you needed to leave,” Fiona explained. Ryan nodded like he understood, but Cole looked livid. “It’s gone now. Casey managed to remove it.” Interestingly, Fiona placed her hand on Cole’s arm and he calmed immediately. If these two weren’t bloody mates, then Casey would eat her walking boots!

  “Well, why the hell didn’t it affect you two?” Cole grumbled, looking around as if searching for someone or something to punch.

  “I guess because as I have always secretly known.” Fiona grinned slyly. “Women are superior to men.” Cole shook his head at her, but there was mirth in his eyes.

  “So what do we do now?” Ryan asked, pointing at the rock over the path. Casey grinned—this was the fun part!

  “Now, I move that damn rock,” Casey growled as she called her power down, breathing deeply through the swirl of power and strength that streamed through her body.

  Raising both hands, she started to weave the pattern that would move the rock, and then she noticed that there was no seam between it and the rock-face wall. She changed her pattern and started to restore the rock face to how it had been before it had been manipulated. Faster and faster, she wove through the pattern. The ground shock as the wall began to recede.

  “Holy fuck!” That had been Cole. He hadn’t seen her use her powers before, and she guessed she should have told him what hers were, but meh, too late now. The rock slid slowly back into the wall and eventually the path was clear. Casey took a deep breath and pushed her power back, slowly coming back to herself.

  “Damn, Casey, you have to teach me how to be that controlled,” Fiona spoke from beside her. Casey turned to look at her and she was grinning with excitement.

  “Yeah, it is pretty cool, huh?” She winked at her then the two continued down the path, three wary wolves behind them. When they turned a corner in the path they came to another halt. There it was. The Devil’s Table, except that wasn’t its name. As soon as Casey saw it she knew exactly what it was, and instantly saw what ha
ppened here centuries ago. This was the Pagan Stone, the place where Olwen had passed from this realm into the Otherworld, when she had sacrificed her future in order to save her father all because of her jealous sister.

  It was actually quite simple really, just a slab of rock that had been flattened and an ornate pattern carved around the outside of it, and it was propped up on two large rocks. The air suddenly became dense, and Casey felt a tremble in the earth as they stood there, and then Casey heard a female voice. “Come to me, time is short, we must unlock the portal.”

  Casey felt Fiona flinch beside her and knew that she had heard the same thing. “Micah, did you hear someone talking then?”

  “No.” Micah’s voice was garbled, signaling that his canines had dropped and he was close to shifting. “But my wolf is going crazy. There is danger here, baby. Something is reaching for you but I can’t see from where.” Casey felt the same danger. But she felt that whatever was reaching for her wasn’t dangerous, just insistent. She needed to get closer.

  They moved toward the Pagan Stone and Casey felt her heart start to beat faster. “Um, guys,” Ryan said and Casey turned to look at him. “Does that rock face look like it’s…swirling to anyone else? Or am I about to have a stroke, because if it is a stroke I wouldn’t be surprised.” He pointed to the rock face immediately opposite the stone. Casey whipped her head around to look and sure enough, the damn things was swirling.

  Then it began to light up, and grow bigger. “Casey! What the hell is happening?” She heard Micah call out but her eyes were locked to the rock wall.

  Then a face appeared in the rock, a beautiful blond woman with startling blue eyes. Casey gasped in shock and she inhaled the scent of lilies in the air. This was Olwen. Casey stared at the face of the woman she had been born to help and protect, the woman who had guided her to be here at this moment in time with people she was coming to care a great deal about. And she had guided her to her wolf. She had thought about what she would say in this poignant moment, knowing that it needed to be eloquent and powerful to accurately represent the powerful essence of the moment.