We waited. And waited even longer. For nearly two hours, we waited for Samuel to call. Sebastian lacked patience when he didn’t have control of situations. Free-falling without a plan B and other contingencies obviously made him uncomfortable. We focused on the apex predator who stalked through the room, on a razor’s edge. When he took a seat, it was for just a few minutes before he was up again, padding through the large space.
Samuel didn’t call me, he called Sebastian.
“You are interested in a trade?” Samuel asked the moment he answered the phone.
“No. I need the third Clostra.”
“For?”
“Pack business.”
Samuel was silent for a long time as he always was with us. He despised were-animals and entered into agreements with us reluctantly. “Is it true that Marcia is dead and it was your doing?”
Technically, the Wicked Witch of the West was dead because of Josh and her own thirst for vengeance.
“Yes.”
Once again, there was a long silence. “Will Josh be taking over as the head of the Creed?”
“No. But there is someone already in place.” Sebastian looked as though he was making an attempt to anticipate where the questions were leading.
“The book is yours if I am given Marcia’s position. It was rightfully mine before I was exiled, and I want what is mine.”
Sebastian was capable of brokering a lot of deals, but getting the witches to sign off on putting the vigilante witch in a position of power was beyond even his control. He didn’t even flinch at the request. “Done. Be here tomorrow with the Clostra.”
Done? Is Sebastian a wizard? A hypnotist? How in the hell is this “done”?
“Sky, unless you have something you need to say, you might want to close your mouth.” My mouth was open in shock, and I had plenty to say—it all started with “how the fuck?” That was all I had.
I looked around the room, waiting for others to show the same concern I had, but it was business as usual. I had seen Sebastian get many impossible things done, but asking the new leader of the Creed to step down so the Midwest Anti-Magic Witch could take her place wasn’t just impossible, it was ridiculous.
“Thank you for your help,” Sebastian said, and I assumed that was his way of asking us to leave and he couldn’t do it like a normal person. Ethan and Josh took the cue, but I had more to say.
Resting back in his chair, he looked at me, the door, and back again. “May I help you with something?”
“How are you going to do this?”
His face didn’t falter, unwarranted aplomb worn just as casually as before.
“I’m going to need you to trust me on this.”
Trust was one thing—abandoning logic was another. Nothing about this seemed like it was going to work. I didn’t care if I had to be the pack’s skeptic.
He ushered a smile onto his lips before looking at the door again. “Please close the door behind you, Sky.”
“Fine, I’ll let you get to your wizardry.” And that’s what it had to be.
Ethan took me by the arm as soon as I was outside Sebastian’s door and led me down the hall to another room. He closed the door and leaned against it. We stood as a protracted quiet consumed the room. What should have been a few seconds ended up being close to five minutes of silence that was meant to indemnify us against the inevitable—addressing the elephant in the room. The raw discord that existed, that didn’t seem to have any means of being mended.
Ethan’s proclivity for reticence made it inevitable that I was going to have to broach the subject first.
“I love you,” Ethan blurted. I swallowed my words, rendered speechless as I just stared at him.
Although he had a wary confidence, when he said it again, it sounded penitent as he looked at me. He’d said it as if he needed to get used to the words. “I love you. It’s not what I expected. Definitely not what I wanted, because it only serves to complicate things. But I needed you to know.”
“What was your plan, to keep being a jackass until you, me, or both of us died?”
The pensive look on his face made it implicit that it was an option. A viable option. A preferred option. I brushed my hands gingerly over his cheek before I kissed him. I pulled away to look at him, resolved to show feelings he had a hard time expressing and an even harder time succumbing to.
Resting my lips against his, I teased, “Did you think the last part was romantic?”
He laughed.
I kissed him again. “I’m just saying, if you would have left the last part off, we would have had a very kickass moment the first time you confessed your love. Now I’m going to have to take creative license with the story and rework it and take all the ‘I don’t want to love you, Sky, you’re a complicated mess. We are a complicated mess’ stuff out. Or no one is going to dote over that story.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead, pulling me to him. “You know what I want, but I won’t press it. I’m content just being with you, okay?”
I nodded, embracing him tighter.
Josh sat at his spot at the desk, his feet kicked up on it, scanning over the translations we’d made for the Clostra when last we’d had all three books. He focused too hard on them, so I knew that there had to be something else going on. We’d gone through them so many times, I knew them by heart. I knew he did as well. Something else was bothering him, and I had a feeling it was the same thing I had been thinking about before Ethan’s confession of his feelings not less than two hours earlier. Running his fingers through his hair, he shifted forward in his chair.
“You can stop debating whether to tell me, I already know.” He fixed me with a hard stare. “About the challenge.”
“He told you?”
“Of course not. Aligning with everything he does when it comes to me, I had to hear from someone else. Kelly told me. Apparently, everyone else was sworn to silence, because I’m a child that needs to be protected at all cost,” he said caustically.
I remained quiet because there wasn’t anything I could say to make it better. I’d tried to talk Ethan out of challenging Sebastian after he’d been injured and failed. I was doubtful I could do it when he himself was the one being challenged. A challenge to the death—at what point would it stop feeling needless and barbaric? I was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“There isn’t any shame in choosing a fight to submission rather than death,” I commented to myself. Josh had dealt with this longer than I had. Perhaps he’d found some rationale in it.
“To my brother there is.” Josh shared my concern and burden. Talking about it didn’t make things better, it just ignited a feeling of helplessness, and that wasn’t what we needed right then.
Josh returned to looking at the notebook we’d used to translate the Clostra. Finally, in troubled resolve, he said, “If we use any spells from the Clostra for this, you’ll have to be used as a conduit. Different than the other spells.”
He looked over the notebook with the translations, flipped through a couple of pages, and then started scribbling things on a piece of paper beside him. I really hoped he wasn’t trying to mix any of the spells from it together. I was reluctant to use it already. It was like dealing with a wish-granting genie—there were consequences to what you asked for. Not only did we have to deal with the potential consequences, we would have to deal with Samuel.
I shrugged with false bravado, because it wasn’t going to help if he was worrying about me, too. We had to use it, and consequences be damned. We’d tried other things because the Clostra was a last-resort option. It was the carpet-bombing approach to magic.
“Do you really understand what it means for you to be a conduit?”
Of course I did, but I tried not to think of complications that could occur. The curse would still happen, but it would happen to me and me alone. Technically, because I existed because of Maya, not my were-animal half, I would be immune. Or so we hoped.
/> “How dangerous is it?” Ethan asked, walking into the room.
“Not as dangerous as a challenge to the death,” Josh shot back, glaring at his brother. “Of all the times to do something so stupid—both of you. Your lives are on the line and you want to have a pissing contest. Good, I guess whoever survives the challenge gets to see if they survive the curse, too.”
Ethan sighed his annoyance. “We’ve agreed to wait until after the curse is lifted.”
“How admirable of you two. Good to know, at least you told me that. Why don’t you tell me”—he glared and stood—“when exactly you planned on telling me about the challenge? While you were in the middle of the fucking death match?” Josh was yelling, something he didn’t do often, and Ethan’s dismissive look only fueled his rage, which he clearly didn’t have a handle on.
“I didn’t tell you because you tend to act like this when I do,” Ethan said coolly.
If Josh were a were-animal, I would have expected to see his eyes shift to that of his animal, but instead we were treated to a blast of magic that rolled over us and felt like being near a squall. Both Ethan and I sucked in a sharp breath as it hit.
He tried to leave in silence, but wasn’t able to without mumbling that his brother was an ass and some other choice words. When Ethan called his name, he didn’t respond. Minutes later I heard the front door slam.
Ethan excused himself and left. I knew he was going after Josh. As much as they argued, they didn’t do well with fighting for extended periods of time. Even if they had to punch it out, which happened more often than it should have between grown men, it seemed to end there without lingering animosity.
Counting on Kelly’s assurance that Cole was a reasonable person, I visited his hotel. I was clearly not the type of person they catered to in the posh hotel, and since Cole seemed more comfortable in a pair of jeans than a suit, he didn’t seem like the type who would feel comfortable there, either. I looked over the hotel before the concierge asked if she could assist me, and with a forced smile she gave my t-shirt and jeans a sweeping look. She delivered the same treatment to my hair, poorly tamed into a bun with masses of wavy locks sprouting from it. Taking the time to bring out my arsenal of straightening agents hadn’t been a concern when I’d dressed.
I gave her Cole’s name, and she called him to let him know he had a guest. Then she directed me to a sitting area, informing me that he would be down. After a long chunk of time, he came down, dressed in light gray slacks and a light gray shirt; he looked as silver as he had when I’d first met him. His eyes dazzled with amusement when he saw me. I saw him before my gaze landed on the person behind him—Ariel. She waved at me.
He shook her hand, as though it was a friendly business transaction. “I can’t thank you enough for meeting with me, and I look forward to more productive meetings in the future.”
It was quite apparent that he was laying the groundwork to be an intermediary between the witches and the packs. I remembered Claudia telling me that the strength of the Midwest Pack was that they worked together, whereas most packs destroyed themselves from within because the Alpha always needed to be aware that, if at any point he showed weakness, the Beta was there waiting in the mist, ready to challenge him and take his position. Daily I saw what Sebastian went through. How he had to deal with the fragility of the relationships we had with others, and how easily alliances could be broken or betrayed. I just couldn’t figure out what was so broken in him that he would fight for the position.
“Sky, it’s good to see you. I was just about to have dinner, will you join me?”
I was starving, but I didn’t want to have dinner with him. This wasn’t a casual meeting or a date. “I’m pressed for time.”
“Of course. I’m starving, so you will have to take a moment for me to eat; you might as well join me. I’m more amicable on a full stomach.” There wasn’t any doubt that he knew why I was there to speak to him. He extended his hand for me to take; instead I stared at it. The amiable smile remained as he dropped his hand to his side, and I followed him to the hotel’s restaurant.
Once we were seated, he ordered a bottle of wine, and when it came and he poured me a glass, I asked, “Are we celebrating something?” My attempt to be sweet and convivial was becoming harder by the second. His ruggedly handsome features were cloaked with the flagrant arrogance and confidence that Alphas possessed. It was their uniform, and there wasn’t any mistaking it: I was sitting with the Alpha of the East Coast Pack.
“You tell me. You fixed Ethan, that should be something to celebrate. Or have you already grown tired of your role in his little performance and don’t really care?” He took a sip from his glass and leaned in. “You deserve better, you know that?”
Armed with the knowledge of how Ethan really felt about me, I found Cole’s attempts to cast doubt about us easier to dismiss. “You’ve been here all of six days, please don’t assume you know anything about us.”
“I’ve been the Alpha of the East as long as Ethan has been the Beta of the Midwest. I am very well aware of Ethan. I’ll concede, though, perhaps I don’t know. Tell me. Why are you with him?”
“That’s none of your business. My biggest concern is why an Alpha would ever be content with taking an inferior role in our pack.”
“As you’ve so astutely pointed out, I’ve been here six days. A good Alpha understands the dynamics in hours, not days. I don’t think it’s wise to assume the position of Beta of the Midwest Pack is an inferior role. It’s a lateral move. I’ve seen why they have continued to be a force that’s loathed and admired because of their power. I admire it and think I will fit in quite well, don’t you?”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I realized that I didn’t have an argument that was going to work. I tried it anyway. “If I were you, I’d be reluctant to bet my life on it.”
“Well, I guess that is the difference between you and me. And you and Ethan. His arrogance and confidence would never allow you to be here on his behalf. So, I do suspect you are the one who’s concerned, not him.” He pushed the wineglass in my direction. I took a sip as he studied me, lingering too long over my lips. He moistened his before continuing. “No one’s description of you really gave you justice. I’m surprised Ethan controlled himself this long. My understanding is that he usually doesn’t possess such control.” His easy, languid gaze roved over me several times. “You’re not marked. His decision or yours?”
When he leaned into the table, eyes narrowed as he waited for my answer, I knew it would be an exercise in futility to be dishonest. “I didn’t come here to discuss my relationship with you.”
“Then, Skylar, why are you here?”
I paused, taking too long to choose my words, and he took the opportunity to add, “Ethan is charming, and I definitely see why women are quick to do whatever is necessary to be with him. But when I look at you, I see a woman who isn’t as experienced as the other women who have been with him. He doesn’t strike me as the type who wouldn’t exploit it, and not necessarily out of cruelty but because he can. For whatever nebulous reason, he remains a mystery to me and I suspect to you as well.”
Tune him out. I tried, but the confidence I had in Ethan and our relationship was waning. Tune him out!
“That’s not important to me,” I lied. But at this point I didn’t care. “But it does seem to be important to you. You are willing to risk your life to find out, and I’m the one you consider naïve?”
Dark amusement coiled around his words as he spoke. “Here you are with me, making a very poor attempt to get me to change my mind. You care about him. It is unfortunate, because he’s going to lose.” He said it with a cool confidence that made goose bumps run up my arms at the thought. “It will hurt you, and Ethan knows that, yet not once did he consider giving up the position for you, or at least opting for a submission fight. I’m not sure if my ego is that big.”
“Are you sure about that? You’ve been hitting on me since you arrived. You’re not the type of
man who seems to be easily accepting of rejection. Obviously you thought you had a chance. Should we discuss your ego again?” Indomitable personality, inflated ego, self-assurance, and even shades of arrogance were in the Alpha package and to expect otherwise was foolish. Cole wielded the arrogance like a weapon. His undeniable Alpha hubris could no longer be ignored no matter how much I tried.
With an easy smile he said, “Compromise is hard for Ethan, so he leaves that job for you. When there is a situation that requires concession, is it wrong for me to assume you are the one who does it? I’m getting to you, and I’ve known you just a matter of days. Are you sure that Ethan wouldn’t know what strings to pull, what things to say to you, what displays of affection he must demonstrate to give you enough to feel confident?”
I wasn’t sure if Cole was as manipulative as he was painting Ethan to be, but his words rang true, or at least they made me think about my relationship with Ethan. I cursed my meager experience with other men. Dating Ethan was like going from riding a well-trained pony at the fair to wrangling and mounting a free-roaming mustang. Cole had succeeded in making me feel that Ethan’s declaration of his feelings was nothing more than a way to manipulate me and the situation.
He scrubbed his hand over the shadow of a beard on his face. He opened his mouth to speak again but took several moments before he spoke. When he did, his voice had dropped, low, silky, and inviting, making me aware of the room, the dimmed lights, and the candles on each table. Waitstaff dressed in pristine white shirts and black slacks spoke in whispers and seldom came to the table to keep from intruding on what I was sure they suspected was a dinner after which we both would end up in his room. There was a miscreant curve to his easy smile that made me think he suspected it, too.
“Do you find me interesting?” he finally asked.
“No.”
“That’s not the truth.”
I remained quiet for a moment, and when I spoke, my intonation was chilled. “Yes, like most people, I find manipulative assholes pretty interesting because they are just one unrestrained act from being sociopaths. There is an odd curiosity in all of us that’s drawn to that, not out of interest but solely out of inquisitiveness. I think you might be really close to that act. You’re meeting with the new head of the witches as though you are already part of the pack. If by some fluke or accident you do win against Ethan, which is highly unlikely, what do you think happens next? Do you think I will forget him the moment his body is buried and that I come with the position of Beta?”
Moon Cursed (Sky Brooks Series Book 5) Page 26