by Zana Wilder
All of the recruits have a memory blank over what happened right before they lost their wolf, like it's been deliberately erased. I'm fucking sure it has – this stinks of the Coven's manipulation. When I offer him the chance to find out what happened to him, he jumps at it.
I know he thinks we'll definitely be able to reverse it once we know what happened, and I don't dissuade him of the idea. I've no fucking idea if we'll be able to... but I need someone to step up and let Morganna rifle through their memories. I'm potentially misleading him, but I won't allow it to bother me. I need this for Aurora. The pack needs this.
If the rumours are anything to go by then our new recruits are not the only shifters to be separated from their animals. If I can somehow reverse it, I have a way of growing this pack significantly – an alpha who returns stolen shifter animals is going to gain a shit load of loyalty. Goddess knows we need strength and numbers to fight the Coven.
I set Carl and Morganna up in a small cottage on the edge of the estate – far enough away from the pack-house that I hope any disturbance won't be felt. Tavey's pacing around anxiously.
“Aaron, I don't know this is a good idea... why don't you let me or Freya try?”
I roll my eyes “Morganna is far more experienced in witchcraft than either of you!” I know my beta is very wary of his mother and has struggled to forge a bond so I take a chance on mind-linking him “and she's more expendable than either of you...”
His eyes flick in my direction and widen slightly, but his face remains otherwise impassive in front of Morganna. He's good, my beta. He knows the implications of us being able to repair shifter-animal bonds. I'm almost salivating at the idea of having the chance to expand the pack with some new blood.
Morganna gives a little cough and she and Carl settle down to begin. They both shut their eyes, then she places a hand on either side of Carls head, leans in and presses her forehead to his. A light thrumming fills the air and I swear the room cools by a couple of degrees.
The humming intensifies, becoming louder, more insistent, almost buzzing. It's getting inside my fucking head nevermind Carl's.
I guess something is happening because Carl's eyes begin to flicker rapidly under his eyelids and his lips start to move. Morganna's getting more agitated too... the cottage gives a light tremor. Tavey and I look at each other before moving towards her. I'm holding the suppression bracelet in my hand, ready just in case.
Morganna starts chanting words I can't make sense of, and to my shock both she and Carl start to lift off the floor. My wolf's hackles rise up and I can feel my feet backing towards the door as I fight not to shift.
I've seen Tavey do some little majiks but this feels heavy, it feels different, and it's damn freaky to watch. Slowly they both start spinning in the air, round and around. The noise in the room grows and the whole cottage is shaking. Maybe we've started something we shouldn't have meddled in.
Suddenly Morganna's eyes fly wide open and she lets out a banshee wail, her head flies up, she stares straight ahead. Her hair is all on end. The windows in the cottage shatter and objects start flying across the room. Morganna and Carl whirl faster and faster.
I need to get the bracelet on her right fucking now, but I can't get close enough to grab her. I'm aware of Tavey mind-linking Freya and myself but I can't clear my head enough of the humming to understand.
Suddenly Freya appears at my side. She takes a look at the room, then a longer look at me, kissing me on the lips, strongly, passionately, grounding me. I can think clearer with her touch, and the humming is less distracting.
Tavey and Freya mind-link that they are going to try to contain Morganna with a spell – it'll only work briefly and I have a very small time frame to get the bracelet back on her wrist.
Just as we go to put our plan into action Carl drops from Morganna's whirling grasp to the floor. Morganna rises from the lotus position to stand upright, feet still a good meter off the ground. Her eyes blaze and the room edges seem blurry.
“NOW!” scream Tavey and Freya down the mind-link. Had it not been my beta and my mate I'm not sure I'd have heard. It sounds tinny and far away, but I can feel Freya compelling me forward.
Tavey and Freya stand either side of Morganna, eyes shut, chanting. The room hums louder, I swear the air itself is vibrating. Using every bit of my strength, and my wolf's, I dart forward against the thickness surrounding me.
I'm moving at my fastest but it feels like wading through treacle. Just as I reach Morganna, her eyes flick to me. I get the bracelet snapped over her wrist just as she sends me flying backwards with a flick of her wrist. I slam against the cottage wall harder than I've ever hit anything.
When I come to, there's a beautiful piney smell surrounding me. I feel at home, relaxed. I open my eyes to see Freya's stunning green ones staring straight at me.
“Come here beautiful” I murmur pulling her into a bear hug. She feels so small, so perfect nestled into my chest. I kiss the top of her head and nibble her ear before hearing a throat being cleared and look up into the disapproving face of my beta.
“Fuck” I groan, everything that's just happened coming back to me in a rush.
“Not here in front of me please” snarks Tavey “that is my sister you know.”
I grin to myself and give Freya's bum a quick squeeze before staggering upright. My head swims and the floor tilts.
The room is destroyed. The roof has partly caved in and the windows are blown out. Rubble litters the floor. Sitting in amongst it all is Morganna. She looks blank... like there's nothing behind her eyes. She's just staring at her hands, her hair is full of dust and debris, and her mouth slightly open, a tiny glob of spittle on her lip.
I hope she's not completely broken, I need her for my plans. I catch myself, of course she's Angus' wife and Tavey & Freya's mother which is more important than my plans. A little voice in my head disagrees. I need her, and she needs me. We have a plan.
I catch sight of Carl, half buried under the rubble and I dash over to him. He's still breathing and starting to come around, but it looks like his arm's broken. In his human form he's going to take some time to heal.
I sigh. I hope one of them is compos mentis enough to tell me if we were successful soon. I need to know if they remember anything new.
The pack doctor takes the two of them to our makeshift infirmary to keep an eye on them overnight, as neither seems to be coming round quickly. Freya and I retire to my rooms. She's raging that I kept her out of the loop, but it's tempered by the genuine fear she had that Morganna had injured me.
“Don't look so worried, beautiful. It'll take more than a half crazed witch to harm me” I start to laugh, but have to stop, wincing at the rib pain.
“That half crazed witch is my mother, and you brought it on yourself!”
Freya tuts dramatically and ushers me, like a small boy, into the bathroom for a soak in the tub. Her heroics today make me so fucking proud of who she's becoming.
The feeling of being 'home' that surrounded me when I woke up with her scent on me tells me just how lucky we are to have found each other. How lucky I am. When Freya comes to see if I need anything, I pull her laughing into the tub with me.
I love how cross she looks with a little furrow between her eyebrows. I kiss it away, ignoring her swatting at me. Her soaked t-shirt clings to her breasts in the most magnificent way.
I yank it over her head, trying to ignore the pain in my side, and pull her on top of my erection. Her legs wrap around my back and I growl. Her in this position, skirt pants and all, is a massive turn on.
“You should be resting” she admonishes
“That's why you're on top beautiful – you're doing all the work” I murmur, enjoying seeing her eyes widen a little.
I've claimed her already, but I have no problem claiming her over and over again. The little twinkle in her eye tells me she doesn't mind either.
She pushes me back against the bath, lathering me in soap and starting to m
assage it into my muscles. Her touch makes my skin feel like it's on fire. She traces her fingers over my chest and naughtily down my torso towards my dick. There's no way I can stay passive when she's teasing me like this.
I grab her panties and rip them off.
“That hurt! And those were my favourite!” Freya pouts and pokes me playfully.
I grab her arms and pull her down onto my chest, splashing water everywhere. Her pussy nestles just over my dick, and the little minx moves her hips up and down, teasing me.
I lift her and, ignoring my complaining ribs, stand up clutching her to me.
“Time for me to take control again, little one” I growl, flipping her around and placing her arms on the wall in front of her.
I tease her slit, making sure she's ready for me, then slide my whole length inside in one quick lunge forwards. I hear her gasp and she tenses, trying to accommodate me.
I still myself, one hand holding her waist, the other playing circles around her clit, until she starts to moan.
I pull out slightly and give myself enough room to smack her bottom. She gasps and I pause a few seconds before doing it again. This time I feel her pussy clench around me.
“That's for trying to make me rest and not fuck your brains out” I growl at her, bending her over further. I slide in an out of her, our bodies making slapping sounds coming together dripping with water.
I take hold of her hips and move her up and down my length, loving hearing her moans as I bury myself in her. Her breathing gets harsher and my own climax builds with the rhythm.
Grabbing her hair I pull her head back towards me just as she gives a cheeky swivel of her hips. Her cry turns me on so much I can't hold back any more and I ram myself into her coming with such ferocity I can't catch my breath.
Well, that was quicker than expected.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Freya's POV
The amazing make-up sex hasn't quelled my unease over this whole situation. But hell was it good. A smile escapes me remembering Aaron in the bath, but it fades quickly. I can't believe Aaron didn't involve me in his hair-brained scheme to get Morganna to look into the shifter's memories. She's my bloody mother, and I could have told him she wasn't anywhere near ready.
Now, Morganna is back to being mute and staring at the fucking wall. I could strangle my mate. How the hell am I supposed to learn to be Luna if he won't involve me?!
I'll be a Luna-in-waiting until I turn twenty-five, but that's only short while away... and not growing up a shifter, I've got a shed load to catch up on. He has to stop protecting me, if that's what he was doing.
After our love-making I slip out our rooms quietly, leaving Aaron to sleep off his cracked ribs. Hopefully by the time he's awake again his shifter healing will have gone to work and he'll be better.
Making my way toward the hospital building a sneaky plan begins to form on the edge of my mind. Really, I should seek permission from the council first but Aaron didn't – why should I?!
“Freya! Where are you sneaking off to?!” Liz's voice booms
“Shhhhhht!" I hiss at my pal “Nowhere. And you nearly made me shit myself!”
“Uh huh. That's why I've to be quiet is it? Because you're going nowhere and aren't up to anything.” She gives me a sly sideways glance and I groan. I'm not going to get away without an explanation.
“Right. Well. If you insist on being a nosey bitch, you're just going to have to join in as look out” I grab her arm and explain my plan on the way to the hospital.
I float in past the pack-doctor, trying to look like I'm expected to be here, and track down Carl. He looks very beat-up, not even the scratches and bruises have started to fade. It brings it home just how much more vulnerable the shifter's who've lost their animals are – they've lost their ability to heal quickly along with everything else.
I feel a sudden pang for Aurora, she's plucky as hell, and doesn't complain much, but it must be killing her inside to be without her wolf so long.
“Carl, I hear you're the one responsible for putting my mum back in a comatose state.” I start out on the attack.
“Uh.. I... I mean... Alpha Aaron asked me to help” he looks down indicating submission “I am sorry Luna.”
I glare, hopefully convincingly. He completely threw me, referring to me as Luna, but I can't let him see that. He glances into my face quickly before looking away again, a defeated grimace passing over his features.
“I.. I guess she doesn't remember anything either?”
“She's not talking” I remind him sternly.
He sinks lower in his hospital bed, picking at the cover dejectedly.
“I hoped, maybe... I could help find a way for us to get our animals back” the rough looking shifter seems like he's about to break.
He doesn't deserve me pressing him like this. I know fine well it was fucking Aaron's idea. Except I have one of my own, and it relies on this guy. I cut to the chase.
“I know, Carl. And I need you to do it again – with me this time, not Morganna”
He looks up quickly, a mixture of fear and excitement written across his face.
“Of course Luna! Anything... emm” he hesitates “Alpha Aaron does know, doesn't he?”
I could lie, but he deserves better. He needs to know what he's agreeing to.
“No. And he doesn't need to. I'm no fractured witch like Morganna – I'm not dangerous to you or anyone. The danger here is that it might not work, and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up.”
Truthfully, I'm terrified it doesn't work and the council loose the little faith in me they have. I square my shoulders and force my voice to sound firm “What do you say Carl? I'm asking you, not commanding you. You can say no.” I won't take the choice away from him.
He blinks at me as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind, before saying slowly “No, Luna, I'm honoured you asked me.”
I sneak Carl away in an infirmary wheelchair. Once we're out of sight, between Liz and I, we manage to get him up and walking. We must look like an odd triad, a tiny redhead acting as a crutch, a slender blonde peering around every corner looking guilty as sin, and a giant swarthy man covered in tattoos trying his hardest not to squash his 'crutch'. I giggle to myself and Carl looks at me bemused.
I lead us to a beautiful quiet spot I found in the woods on the estate. It's right next to a little waterfall and full of calm and tranquillity. Liz stalks the perimeter of the clearing, while Carl settles as comfortably as he can on the ground and I sit down next to him.
He's trying hard to look unconcerned but I can feel waves of uneasiness rolling off him. It's understandable – he's been beaten up pretty badly only a few hours ago and here I am asking him to do the same all over again. Except, I'm not Morganna. I can control this.
I gently reassure this hulk of a man, and take his temples in my hands, making him take the sides of my head in return, then we rest our foreheads together. I start meditating, then slowly probe his mind. It's easier than I expected.
I feel a wind pick up around us, but I daren't open my eyes. I'm inside his mind, I somehow am him.
I see a dank concrete floor, covered in dirt and excrement, and smell the fear that's all around. Suddenly a door opens in the corner of the room and a fucking scummy human stomps towards our cell. I pull away briefly, confused by the hatred I feel, before I realise I'm feeling what Carl's feeling – he hates humans with a passion.
The guard unlocks the door and I scramble backwards away from the entrance, crowding with the others towards the back of the cell. Dread forms in the pit of my stomach as the guard picks me out and manhandles me out the cell – it's my turn.
I don't know what's beyond the door in the corner of the room... but I know once you go through you either don't come back or you come back... unnatural, with no animal.
My vision fades, before streaming back very bright, sharp, and painful. This time I'm in a stark clinic room that looks like an operating theatre, with a very bright light p
ointed at me.
I must in another of Carl's memories, this time it feels far more real – like I'm here instead of Carl. I can't sense him any more. My arms and legs are strapped down and my back is cold against the metal table. I panic a little feeling my head held tightly in place too.
I sense witches, but I can't turn to look. I can hear only snippets of a conversation, my hearing's muffled like I'm underwater.
“Bring the severance stone and prepare the vessel for reception of the shifter's wraith.”
A feeling of nausea washes over me. It's all so clinical. I hear enough to realise what they're about to do to me, to Carl. I have to remind myself over and over that this is a memory. That I'm not in danger. I have to pay attention – even the slightest detail might help.
“Ready the Separator” comes a voice. I strain to see what's happening. Some members of the Coven seem to be on a tour of the facilities, and I'm the fucking freak on show. They're here to see first hand my wolf cut from me.
I can't do this, I can't stay here and watch this, I can't feel this. I try to pull away, to end the memory, but I'm trapped. Fuck, now it feels very very real.
I've missed some of what they're saying in my panic. The 'tour-guide' is answering questions about the Separator. The Separator is a powerful witch, whom they've bound to their cause. Without a Separator the cast won't remain permanent – only the Separator can break and replace the bond between shifter and animal.
They start talking about many 'Separators' in the employ of covens across the country, and it hits me - we're screwed. There must be hundreds of shifters without animals already. Hundreds of shifters bound to the Coven, doing their bidding in the hope of getting their animals back.
A familiar voice interrupts my thoughts – Marc. It's fucking Marciel, what the hell is he doing here?! I flail around, trying to turn my head to see him, but I'm held firm.
“Esteemed guests, please, don't be alarmed by the rumours, the procedure is quite safe, I assure you. It gives us complete control over the shifter – after they are separated they do not get access to their animal unless we grant it. Once they have done the task required, we take their animal back with a few simple words. The procedure in front of you only needs to happen once per shifter”