The Chase: Book 2 in The Hunt Series

by Alainna MacPherson

  “Either way, the fight doesn’t happen until the next full moon.”

  Drawing a blank, I asked, “Which is when?”

  “Two weeks.”

  The sign that welcomed us back into Port Bell had me breathing a sigh of relief. Though, it didn’t make sense now, seeing as how the threat was gone. Sure, we had a new problem on our hands, but at least Jerry’s family was safe. Thirty minutes later we pulled into the driveway just before Jolleen did. With the doctor’s help, Jerry came stumbling down the front steps to meet the van. I didn’t notice the tears running down my face when I watched him reunite with his family until Gearden caught one with his thumb and brushed it away. Ro and Bri exited the car to help unload our other guest as Gearden held me tight. I felt it, too. Now that all the adrenaline, the fear and the anxiety had washed away, we were left with the aftermath of it all. We held on to each other until we felt steadier and exited the car to go inside, all the while the rest of the pack crowded on the front lawn.

  I’m not sure they would call it a party, but it certainly looked like the MacIntires were having one after we returned. Someone had stopped to get barbeque fixings on their way back through town, and the back yard was full of pack members now. Those left behind were now mingling with the warriors who went on the hunt. Drinks were in hands; both the hard and soft kind and smiles and laughter were shared with one another. I looked down at it from my bedroom window, freshly showered and newly clothed. Internally, I debated joining them. A large part of me craved the socialization of my pack, while the other wasn’t sure I was ready for any questions they might have on how I killed the enemy.

  My thoughts were interrupted when Gearden came in to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle. I leaned into him, taking in his strength.

  “They want you there just as much as you want to be there.”

  With eyes focused out the window, I nodded and let him pull me to the door.

  As soon as we stepped outside, Bri handed me a Solo cup of red, sparkling punch and Ro came over to hand Gearden a can of soda.

  “OKAY?” Bri signed.

  I nodded, attempting to put on a brave face. “I’M OKAY.”

  She gave me her classic bright smile and led me to the group of girls I mostly knew from school. There were some older ones, too, maybe college age, but they were all sisters to one another. And I felt the same.

  Beneath my feet, I felt the beat of a rhythmic pop song playing and I swayed to it when they started to dance and sing along, uncaring of the audience we had around us.

  In the middle of the song, though, everyone suddenly stopped. Looking to Freya, I saw she and Kassady were looking wide eyed at something behind me, I turned towards it.

  There, under the pergola behind the garage side of the house, was Alistahr. He seemed to be putting on a show of excitement, but I could see the awkwardness he felt beneath the façade. He wasn’t alone. He came with two men wearing black suits and a woman with long silvery hair. The expensive pantsuit she wore, a sort of periwinkle color, might as well have been an evening gown for how elegant she made it look. She appeared to be my age, but I wasn’t fooled. Her eyes told a tale of a thousand lifetimes.

  I swung around, eyes searching for Gearden. Zeroing in on him, I asked, “Who are they?”

  Gaze snapping to mine, he shook his head and moved to follow his dad towards the newcomers. Dad was there, too, frowning at Alistahr as he said something to him. Gearden’s gait skipped a little as he hesitated, and I frowned. What the hell is going on?

  The woman said something to Liam just then, too, and he looked back to his son, then to me.

  Stalling, Gearden slowly turned around and watched me as he said, “She is queen Selena, of the Unseelie fae.” My brows raised, but he wasn’t done. “She’s asking to speak with you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Maeleigh

  Soundless laughter came from Rowen as she climbed atop the playground in the backyard. From Liam’s office window, I watched the party go on without me. Though the tone had been turned down just a bit since the queen’s arrival, I couldn’t help but feel jealous to be ripped away from the celebration. I wanted to be with the rest of the pack. With my family. Instead I was sitting on the couch along the wall, waiting for Liam to finish his pleasantries and greetings. Sally was there as well. She started to sign what they were saying, but I turned away. I was starting to feel like I wasn’t allowed normal anymore. I mean, I loved being a wolf and Druid, but what came with it was a sudden responsibility of some prophecy. The goddess had a plan for me and it seemed like my plans, or any I would have set for myself, are no longer relevant. I was a tool now.

  Sally waved her hand to get my attention. I turned away from the window to look at her.

  “THE QUEEN IS ASKING TO SPEAK WITH YOU.”

  Nodding, I turned my focus to the Unseelie Queen and nodded.

  “Hello, Maeleigh.” She said.

  I smiled kindly at her.

  “I am Selena.” She looked kind, but if I’ve learned anything over the last month, it’s that nothing is ever as it seems. Her silver hair glinted from the sunlight filtering through the window. It was just starting to go down, but the party seemed to still be going without us. Aside from Liam, myself and the queen, Gearden, Dad and the queen’s bodyguard joined us, crowding the office space with the power emanating from each of us. I could even feel Luna clawing at the surface. Something about Selena called to her, to me. Even the Druid part of me had energy surging to my fingertips and my arm hairs raised like I’d just rubbed a flipping balloon over them.

  Waiting for her to say more, still trying to get a feel for her. She was new and, despite how Luna felt, I needed to be sure for myself who I was speaking with and figure out what the heck she wanted from me.

  She didn’t speak again right away. Rather, it looked like she was doing some of her own gauging on me. Good. I wanted her to feel like I wasn’t someone to just push around to her will. Danu was one thing, but I’d be damned if I was going to be someone’s pawn in whatever the hell this prophecy was.

  Finally, she said, “I’ve waited a long time for you, Maeleigh.” That… was not what I was expecting.

  A little speechless, it took me a moment to finally sign something. “What do you want from me, now that you’ve found me?”

  A knowing smile ticked up her gorgeous lips. “To help you.”

  “Help me?” I hoped Sally portrayed my sarcasm in my words.

  The queen didn’t give any indication she did, though. Still, she could just be unaffected. “Yes. I know you’re here because Danu put you here. And I want to help you. And her.”

  “A dutiful servant?”

  She didn’t blink an eye. “Yes. I suppose I am, in this.” She folded her hands over her crossed knees and waited me out, not bothered at all by my obvious scrutiny. She must have kids because she had this parenting thing down pat.

  “Fine. What exactly do you think you can help me with?”

  “With your magic. And not just your druid. You’re different, Maeleigh. I’m sure you’ve already learned that.” She glanced at Dad, who remained by the door with her bodyguard. He met her gaze with a stoic expression. Obviously, he wasn’t giving away anything either.

  “How do you think you can help me?”

  “My kind hasn’t deviated from our faerie nature. Which means I can help you tap into the nature of your gifts better than anyone else can. Your father and mate are not like you.” She stood up and started to walk towards me. Not missing a beat, I jumped up too, Luna at the ready. “They’ve evolved from their roots. Yours isn’t just from within you. It’s from the air you breathe, the earth beneath you, the trees around you and those around you. You can do so much more than you know.” Stopping just inches away from me, she reached towards me. I jerked my head back, but she continued, until she finally touched my forehead with her fingers and lightly ran them down my temple and the side of my face, brushing my hair back to tuck it behin
d my ear. It felt so odd for her to do something so intimate but it didn’t rouse any disgust or discomfort. Instead, a sense of peace flooded through me.

  My eyes drifted closed, a will of their own. It was brief but the second I realized the darkness I saw was from my own eyelids, I snapped them open again. What I saw then was confusing, to say the least. Selena wore a satisfied smile. I looked at Sally, waiting to see if I’d missed something while I was momentarily brainless, but the expression on her face was one of shock. Her mouth hung open slightly as she stared at me. Frowning at her, I signed, “What?” But she didn’t respond.

  I glanced up to see Gearden walking towards me from behind the queen. Not too carefully, he reached around her, placing one hand on my shoulder, to hold me still as he turned my face to the side with the other. He studied the side she’d touched. When too long had past, I jerked my chin out of his grasp. “What the hell is—“

  Dad caught my eye as he peeled away from his spot at the door, but he wasn’t aiming for me. The deadly rage that boiled behind his gaze was focused on the queen. Dom, the bodyguard, flew— and I mean literally flew— from his own position, intercepting Dad before he reached Selena. Luna jumped up and out at the show of danger and aggression before I could stop her. In the span of a heartbeat, I was no longer standing in front of Gearden, I was standing before the queen. I could feel my incisors had lengthened and my fingertips stung from the prick of claws as I raised them up threateningly towards Dad. I didn’t understand it, but I was no longer in control, Luna was. And she wanted to protect the queen.

  I made a sound that I think could have been a hiss, but it probably sounded more like a growl to them. Dad stopped, but so did Dom. Coming up short, he looked to his queen right before she placed a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t flinch. Instead I held my position, staring at my own father with murderous rage.

  Stop it! It’s my dad!

  Luna mentally shook her head, almost like a horse trying to buck off its rider. “He means our queen harm.”

  Our queen?

  She didn’t answer. But then, I don’t think she needed to, either. She’d made her point. Somehow, some way, maybe entirely unexplainable to me, she’d accepted Selena as her queen. And I trusted Luna.

  “Dad,” I said warningly. “Back off.” I didn’t sign, for fear of cutting myself with my own claws, and I hoped he heard me well enough to get the message.

  His outrageously stunned look sent a pang in my gut, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on it. Not here. Not now.

  He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and backed up a few steps. When he was at a relatively safe distance, he dropped them and started to sign. “Maeleigh, you don’t know her. She’s known for manipulating people for what she wants.”

  “My wolf says otherwise.”

  Suddenly, the door swung open, sending my nerves to the brink of breaking. It was Alistahr though, striding in quickly and with purpose. Taking a stance between myself and Dad, he spoke slowly. “She’s our queen, and she means to save our people. All of her people.” Sally moved slowly to stand in my view.

  “And it’s not just your wolf that calls to her. It’s your druid side as well, isn’t it? The static on the tiny hairs along your body. The humming that won’t stop since she came here?”

  When I didn’t deny it, he nodded knowingly.

  Liam came around to touch my shoulder calmly, at the same moment his son reached for my other hand. Immediately, I felt my teeth and claws recede. Both men were anchoring me to the moment. Men I trusted with my heart and soul. Looking at my alpha, I asked, “Can I trust her?” He smiled softly and nodded.

  “Remember what Alistahr said. We are all faerie. We’ve just forgotten how to be.”

  “Maeleigh,” Gearden’s voice touched my mind and it was like a balm to my conflicted soul. That feeling didn’t last long though. “She’s done something, though. To your face.”

  Frowning, I swung around to look at him, dislodging Liam’s hand. “What? What do you mean? What’s wrong with my face?”

  “It’s nothing—“

  Jerking away from him, I shoved through the rest of them and stumbled out the door. I raced for the hall bathroom, the one we both shared with Rowen. Pushing the door open, I tripped over an abandoned bath toy as I slammed the door shut and stumbled to the mirror above the sink. Turning my head, I held my breath as I gazed at the incandescent ink-like patterns that swirled and burst over the left side of my face. From my forehead, just under the hairline, down my temple, touching the corner of my eye, looping to cover my cheek and tucking back in to flow over my jaw and down my throat. Tugging my shirt to the side, I saw the faint mating marks accentuated by what looked like vines and leaves. That’s when I took a harder look at the rest of it. It wasn’t just random swirls and starbursts; there were climbing roses and leaves. Turning my head, I checked for other marks or places it might have touched. Nothing. It was just localized to where the queen had touched me. What the hell did she do?

  Storming back into the office, I bypassed Gearden, Liam and Dad and went toe-to-toe with the queen. “WHAT DID YOU DO?” I signed. Sally was still there, so I’m sure she got the message. In fact, Sally appeared over her shoulder as she spoke.

  She gave me an infuriatingly placating smile. “I merely brought to the surface what’s always been there.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Studying it, like an artist would a piece of their own work, she said, “It’s the mark of Danu. You would not be the prophesied if you didn’t have her mark.”

  Closing my eyes, I gave a minute shake of my head and then came back. “Aren’t you chosen as well? Aren’t you the only one who has her blessing?”

  There it was again, that damned smile that told any kid that they’d been outsmarted by their parent. “Child, that was before you were born.” She looked around to Dom, then Alistahr, before saying. “She is the only blessed one now.” Without hesitation, I saw Dom begin to bow on a knee. Turning, I saw Alistahr belatedly follow suit.

  “Whoa.” Swirling around on my heal, I backed up at the same time I looked back at her. “I don’t want to be anyone’s leader. Especially not a whole…people.”

  I think she giggled. “No, no. That’s still my job. But you are still important. I’m simply here to help you learn more about what the prophecy means to you.”

  “Why would you do that? Isn’t it your fault all those people defected in the first place?”

  Minutely, she glanced in Alistahr’s direction. “Someone’s been doing their homework.”

  “You could have stayed with the rest of your people. Underground.”

  Well that shut her up. At least for a moment. Then, “You mean imprisoned for the rest of our lives?”

  It was my turn to gape at her. “What do you mean “imprisoned?”

  “It appears Alistahr didn’t do a very good job at telling our story.”

  I didn’t have to look to know that Alistahr probably wore a sheepish look from his queen’s words. “When we were banished to the underground, those who stayed, have been there for thousands of years. They swore to the humans that they would stay, and faeries can’t break promises.” I turned to look at Dad and he shook his head, confirming her words.

  Letting the words sink in, I chose my next question carefully. “Then what does Danu expect me to do?”

  I think I already knew, though.

  “To break their promise. You have both human and faerie ancestors. You also possess the blood of two of the three sects of magic, wolf and druid.”

  Shock made my hands shake a little. “You want me to help you break your promise, to set the rest of faerie free.” The last sign had my hands feeling heavy, so I dropped them to my sides, feeling exhausted.

  “I want you to bring forth a new age where we can all live harmoniously once again.”

  Dad stepped in then, turning me away from her. “WE DON’T KNOW WHY EXACTLY THEY WERE PUT DOWN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.”r />
  I studied him, turning his words around in my head, along with hers. He had a point, but so did she. After a moment, I turned away. From her, from Dad, from Alistahr, everyone, and walked out of the room. I felt the mating pull that told me Gearden had followed me into the hall. Thankful he didn’t try to stop me; we entered my room. He closed the door as I sat on the bed and pulled my legs up to hug my knees. Climbing onto the bed behind me, he began to massage my shoulders, loosening the tension that had built there in the last hour. He remained silent though, and I loved him even more for it. I just needed to process everything. I had a good idea how everyone else felt on this, now it was time for me to find out how I felt about it. Dad seemed to be the only one against allying with Selena. I wasn’t sure if that was just bruised feelings over something he wasn’t talking about or if he really did know something. At the moment, though, I just knew that he didn’t have my full trust back yet. Liam did. If he thinks it’s a good move for me to go under her guidance, to learn all that I could about who and what I was, then I would. But it seemed that Liam didn’t know much about her either.

  “What are you thinking?” Gearden finally broke his silence.

  I sighed deeply as he pressed on a particularly tight spot under my shoulder. “That I should do what Selena wants, let her train me.”

  He didn’t say anything, but I could feel the slight tensing of his body behind mine. “I’ll keep my guard up though. I won’t trust her until I’m sure.” I felt a rumble at my back that told me he agreed. “Do we have anyone who’s good at keeping a low profile?”

  Slowly, he dropped his hands and turned me to face him. “Why? What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking we should do a little recon ourselves on her.” I held still, not entirely sure how he’d accept the idea. But when he leaned in suddenly and pressed his lips to mine, I got the feeling he wasn’t entirely against it.