Frowning, it was actually Ro who spoke up, surprising the whole table, “You mean they mean for us all to stop being lycan?” He gestured to Jolleen. “And Druid?”
Alistahr sensed the upset this revelation was causing and tried to sound placating. “Remember, your races were never supposed to exist in the first place.”
“According to whom?” Maeleigh asked. Alistahr looked up at Sally at first, then over to Maeleigh, eyes wide. My daughter had asked a question the arrogant fae beside me hadn’t an answer to. The rest of them looked at him in question and he didn’t answer, except to give a minute shake of the head and shrug of the shoulders.
Chapter Twelve
Maeleigh
After dad left with Alistahr, a vial of Lycan blood, curtesy of Liam himself, in hand, I couldn’t help but consider all that he had told us. It amazed me to think that we were all descendants of the original fae. That being separated from our ancestors and creator, had caused us to evolve into baser beings who, mixed with more and more human genetics, made us what we were today. What really tripped me though, was his thoughts on the prophecy. I didn’t agree that we were Darwin-ed mistakes. It didn’t escape me that I may be biased as well, which just got me even more riled up.
Trudging up the stairs, I felt footsteps following me, knowing it was Gearden. Reaching behind me, he hooked his fingers with mine as we climbed. We entered my room, leaving the door open, and sat on the bed. I frowned up at him.
“Do you believe what he said?” I asked.
Thinking over his answer, he tucked hair behind my ear, then massaged the tight muscles there.
“I believe he believes it.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
He dropped his hand and sighed, “I know.”
“Do you believe we’re accidents the goddess hopes to fix?” I gripped his hand and held it on his lap.
“I’d like to think not.” But I could tell from his expression that it was more hope than belief, which didn’t help the pit in my stomach.
“Let’s get some sleep,” he suggested, standing up.
Nodding I watched him head out to change. He’d be back, after the rest of the house had gone to their beds, like he did every night. Shutting the door behind him, I changed into my pajama shorts and shirt. Just when I took my hair down, from its perch on the nightstand my phone blinked. Checking it, I saw I had a message from an unknown number.
“BITCHES NEED TO KNOW THEIR PLACE.”
Heart racing, I typed furiously, “WHO IS THIS?”
“YOU’LL LEARN SOON ENOUGH TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.”
I was more pissed than I was offended. Obviously, it was a wolf, but it wasn’t anyone I knew, at least not personally. No one would dare be stupid enough to send me something so crass.
Before I could type a reply, another message appeared.
“SEE YOU SOON.”
See, before that, I was fine. Mad, but fine. But the threat of seeing me soon had goosebumps spreading over my skin.
Gearden popped through the window a few minutes later, jarring me out of my nervous thoughts. I was a mess of anxiety before the suspicious messages, now I was downright sick with it. But he was there and picked up on it all. I didn’t tell him about the texts as he pulled down the covers and eased me between the sheets. Or when he tucked me in before turning off the light and climbing in behind me. After what happened with his wolf, as unstable as he was currently, I wasn’t sure if telling him about it was a good idea. I’d wait. At least until he got a better handle on things. He’d claimed me, so maybe his wolf would settle down soon. So, instead I sunk into his blessed warmth. The tension that had my belly jittery eased enough to allow my eyes to droop. Soon, I was able to shut off my thoughts and sleep.
“You never were one to believe.” Said a voice, but not in my head. I heard it plain as day. With my ears, not my mind. I stood on the edge of a riverbank, surrounded by lush trees and brush. The air was warm, and sun filtered through the leaves and branches to kiss my skin. I heard a tinkling sound echoing around me. Looking down, I found it was the steady rush of the water along the rocks and mini waterfalls.
“What the— “
“If you were, this would be much simpler.” Jolting upright and turning, wide eyed, to stare at the gorgeous woman suddenly standing beside me, I gaped.
“Who are you?” I demanded…more like breathed as I was still a little more than surprised.
Amused, she smiled at me. She was tall with supple brown hair that flowed down her lithe back. “I am Danu. Your goddess…well, that is, if you’d accept me.” With a regent air, she turned to stare out at the water with her chin tilted up. I got the impression that I’d somehow offended this beautiful creature.
“Wait—“ I turned to fully face her. “Danu? You mean the goddess, Danu? The Danu?”
“Stop gaping, darling, it doesn’t become you. And yes,” she said, sniffing unnecessarily and rolling her shoulders. “The Danu.”
I let out a burst of laughter. “Ha. I’m dreaming. Because, NOPE!” Turning on my heel, I trudged through some flowery looking bushes look for…I really had no idea what I was looking for. If this were a dream, my mind should have already created some sort of exit, a trail, a road, a different scenario entirely…right?
“You won’t find one.” Danu called from behind me.
I spun around. “Don’t do that,” I demanded. “Don’t read my mind.”
“Child, I have no need to read what you’re telling me.”
Frowning, I eyed her with disgust through low hanging branches. “What the hell does that mean?”
She sighed. “It means, that like your mate, I can hear your projected thoughts.”
“What do you know of Gearden?” I asked, slowly walking back.
She smiled at me again. “That he is the next alpha and is the closest to his original fae cousins as any other in centuries.”
Taking it all in, I regrouped for a moment. Then, “What is this?”
“I’ve brought you here to talk.”
“Where is here?” I squinted at her. The trees rustled with a breeze that made my hair tickle the back of my arms, but it was more of a calming effect than bothersome.
“Hmm…” was the only response she gave me.
I didn’t press though. After all, goddess.
“You said you wanted to talk?” I inquired, moving to stand alongside her again, just…with a couple more feet between us.
She smiled over at me, pleased. “Yes,” she said. “I haven’t got long, as you’re not exactly a heavy sleeper.”
“I am dreaming,” I whispered triumphantly.
“Focus,” she chided, and I shook my head, as if to show her I was all ears.
“The prophecy is true, but I can’t tell you any details without changing your fate.” She looked concerned and hopeful that I would take her at her word.
“Oookay,” I drew out, then squinted at her. “That doesn’t help me at all.”
With a sniff, she looked the epitome of an offended mother rather than the goddess she claimed to be. “Don’t be childish. I only mean that you should continue to take it seriously. And not to lose faith in your mate.”
Concerned, I frowned at her. “Why would I lose faith in him? Do you know something?”
A short chuckle escaped her as she turned as if to go. “My dear girl, of course I know something. Mothers always know what their children are up to.”
She began to fade before my eyes, still walking away. Then it hit me, “Wait! Mothers?”
But she was already gone.
My eyes snapped open with my alarm buzzing the bed. Gearden leaned in and nuzzled into my neck. His heat under the blankets was like a sauna but I didn’t care, I wanted nothing more than to stay with him like this forever. Thoughts of my dream were crystal clear, unlike my usual ones that were more fuzzy-on-the-details-like.
Not quite ready to wake up yet, I started to drift back to sleep, alarm forgotten. Something tickled
my nose, a new scent. It was Gearden but something else, with a hint of damp musk. Opening my eyes to turn into him, intent on asking him if he’d gone out for a run during the night, he stopped me, his hand around my waste sliding between the mattress to grip my waist. A shocked gasp escaped my lips right when I felt them, the claws pressing into my skin, not hurting, but definitely a warning to remain still.
Gearden’s wolf.
Closing my eyes, I reminded myself to remain calm, not to set it on edge.
“Is everything alright?” I asked it cautiously.
“You feel good here, mate.” It said.
For a moment I was at a loss on how to respond. Keep it calm yes, but how to get Gearden back was the real goal.
“So, do you,” I told it. Then, “So does Gearden.”
It made a sound somewhere between a scoff and an annoyed chuckle. “He doesn’t appreciate it.”
“What—“ I stalled, choosing a lighter tone. “What do you mean?”
He sniffed my hair and dragged his hand from my waist, along my hip and then massaged my flank, agonizingly slow.
“He hasn’t mated with you,” it growled with distaste.
“But he’s claimed me,” I reminded it, sure it would have been satisfied.
“That’s not enough.” The hand now moved, its next destination clearly one even more sensitive and intimate.
Before he could take the liberty, I grabbed his hand. “That’s our choice,” I growled this time. Tossing his hand off, I rolled over to glare at him. His eyes had turned to the wolf’s misty gray, and they were looking at me with contempt. But that was fine by me as they probably match what I was projecting of my own. “My choice.”
A clicking feeling mixed in with his growl reverberated from his chest and I knew he was pissed. He stared me down, daring me. I didn’t back down though, keeping my eyes locked on his.
It felt like minutes, but I’m sure it was more like twenty seconds before his eyes suddenly went around with realization and then slowly melted back to the green I love. Gearden.
Blinking away the fog the wolf left there, he checked my face, gauging my reaction. “I’m sorry. It happened again, didn’t it?”
“It’s okay,” I told him, hugging him to me. “Yes. He and I shared words.”
Picking up on my agitation, he pulled away, “What did he say?”
I shrugged; not sure I should tell him.
“Maeleigh,” he coaxed.
“He doesn’t approve us waiting before we uh, make things final. With the mating.” To say I was blushing would be an understatement. From flame I felt on my cheeks, I’m sure I was as red as a lobster.
Gearden’s brows slammed down. “What—“
“No, it’s okay! It’s— “
“But it’s not!” He exploded, as he rolled out of bed. I felt bereft of his presence and missed his warmth. Somehow his sudden absence drove the earlier encounter with his wolf all the more disheartening. I felt awkward, so I slowly climbed out of bed myself, pulled the covers up on my side and turned to the dresser to pull out clothes. What else could I say? I literally just talked to two different personas of the same man I loved—
Yep. I stopped dead in my tracks, fresh underwear still dangling in my hand above the open drawer. Holy crap. There was no denying it either. I clutched the cotton briefs in my fist as I turned, only to see that my suspicions were accurate and, judging from the stillness of his own frame across the room, he had heard that last thought.
Before I could think about back tracking, he crossed the room, a determined look on his face. For a second, the ferociousness of it had me worried his wolf was at the forefront, but his eyes remained green. When he reached me, he took my face between his palms and kissed me. Just our lips, but it was enough to tell me all the things necessary: that he felt the same way.
I wrapped my hands around his wrists and held on. It was just a pressing of our mouths and it went on for what seemed forever and then, as he eased away, not long enough.
He spoke at the same time his words reached my mind, “I love you.”
Since I hadn’t actually said it out loud the first time, I said it again, “I love you, too.” He looked me over, like he was engraving an image in his mind of my face right then and there, in that moment. I smiled softly at him as I did the same of him.
Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he slowly backed away. I let him go when he gently tugged his hands free. He didn’t look away until he was forced to turn to open the window. When he was finally gone from view, I let out a whoosh of air I didn’t realize I was holding and slumped onto the foot of the bed, nearly falling off as one cheek didn’t quite make a full landing. Shakily, I forced my muscles to regroup and readjusted myself. I lifted a hand to rub at my temple, then eyed the swatch of cloth in it. What— Oh, yeah. Underwear. School.
Yep. That boy was trouble.
But he was mine.
Chapter Thirteen
Derrek
When would I get my turn, damn it? I groused inside. It was the one hour of the day pack members could bring their grievances to the alpha and today of all days, people dug up some balls to come forward with their pathetic sob stories while I have something important to discuss. I waited though. Everyone told me I had to wait. I couldn’t just request a meeting with the alpha, not like— Well, not like before. I didn’t hide the sneer that crossed my face at the thought of the McIntire Pack. It seemed to be me more drive to my purpose. The hunters wanted Gearden for some reason, though he was never privy as to what that was, but if they still wanted him, that meant he had information, which could, potentially, make him invaluable. He just had to get a god damned audience with Vic, the alpha of the Westboro Pack.
“Next!” Called AJ, the beta, standing like an angry linebacker beside the large wing backed chair the alpha sat in. AJ’s muscles barely squeezed into the black t-shirt he wore and could scare a person a mile away, before he flexed them. The rabid wolf tattoos on the inside of each forearm helped with that, too. He kept his head shaved. Or at least I think he must as it constantly resembled a bowling ball’s sheen. His tanned skin looked like the rest of the higher ups of the pack, courtesy of their native ancestors.
The guy ahead of me sat in the metal chair at a folding table and presented his case: he was in need of more land and his neighbor, who wasn’t using his, wouldn’t allow him to rent out the space. After this loser, I was next.
“I offered to pay him thirty-percent of the profits from what I’d make at the market,” the farmer said.
I watched Vic think it over. He kept his hair short but that was putting it lightly as it was still a little shaggy. He rubbed his scarred chin with his pointer finger. It was a classic move for him. He did it when he wanted people to think he cared about a subject, when really, he agreed with the other party. I’d seen it often since my time here.
“I see,” he said. “And, what if, you aren’t able to make a profit? What then?” He gestured to the other landowner, who stood smirking on the outskirts of the crowd who watched.
Eyes darting between Vic and his opponent, the plaintiff’s eyes seemed to bleed out uncertainty. My wolf picked up on it right away as well as, I’m sure, the others in the room could. It called to all the dominate urges within the wolf, and there were many of us.
I chuckled at his fumble. He’d lost, but I wondered if the man would let it go and accept defeat or if he’d stretch it out even further, risking the agitation of the alpha as well as the rest of the crowd.
“Yes, alpha,” he whispered. Slowly, he left the room, dejected.
“Ne— “
I hurried forward. “I’m next!” Standing before him, finally, I spoke. “Alpha, there’s— “
“What are you doing?” Vic asked incredulously.
Frowning, I looked around, confused, “Um?”
“Sit!” he directed, only raising his voice a little, but I still had to tamp down my wolf’s desire to show some belly with the undesirable shiver it
caused to go through me.
I plopped down in the chair the farmer had vacated, folded my hands atop the table and started again, “Alpha, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you regarding the conditions in which I came to this pack.”
Vic’s brow ticked up, and I could tell I had peaked his interest. Now, to get him to take the bait.
“When the hunters approached me—“ I stopped because the sudden outburst from the crowd gasping and murmuring about hunters became too loud to talk over.
“What are you doing?” Vic asked. He angrily pushed out of his chair to round it and advance on me. I shrunk back in the chair and looked to the right as I felt his gaze bore into me, daring me to meet it.
“I-I have information.” I stammered.
Vic looked over at AJ. “Did you know about this?”
Cool as a cucumber, the beta shrugged a large shoulder, “Kid mentioned having dealt with the hunters but, we didn’t give it much attention. Seeing as.” He left it at that. And as much as I wanted to glare up at him and demand what he meant by “Seeing as,” but I was smart enough to remain still with the alpha so close and so angry at that moment.
He thought on it for a second before looking up at the onlookers. He jerked his head towards the door. “Out.”
They all scurried out. And we waited, my eyes still downcast.
After a few moments it got quiet, everyone had left. Still, I waited. Obviously, I’d done something to piss the guy off. And you never wanted to piss off Vic of the Westboro Pack. There were stories about what he’d done to people who crossed his law, things that nearly broke lycan law, but not quite.
“Go on, kid,” he finally said. “Tell me about these Hunters.”
I glanced around warily before I began again. “Like I said, I have information.” I swallowed to soothe my suddenly parched throat. “They approached me asking about Gearden. They think he’s a part of some prophecy.”
The Chase: Book 2 in The Hunt Series Page 6