by Jen Talty
“Strip this warlock of which he seeks and make him meek until the council of the deed can form a creed,” someone said from the other side of the room.
Isidore tried to see who cast the spell, but the room expanded into one large blur like a magnified mirror not placed at the right distance.
Nico’s hands covered hers as she curled up in a ball. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, closing her eyes, letting the darkness engulf her. The babies that had barely formed in her womb fell weak from the poison. “It’s too late.”
“Don’t you dare give up on me now,” Nico said, taking her into his arms. “Fight, if not for us, for our children.”
She tried to stay focused, but darkness took over, and the world went blank.
Chapter 11
NICO PACED in his parents’ family room, stopping by the tall grandfather clock, checking the time.
“Nico, sit down,” his mother said in that tone she used when he’d been a pup and she meant business. Only human that could make him want to crawl in the corner and hide.
“I don’t understand why I can’t be in there with her.” He let out a long breath and fell back on the sofa next to his mother. Chaz and his father sat calmly in the two other chairs on either side.
The vase rested on the coffee table. They had all tried to open it.
All had failed.
The only one left was Isidore.
And she was fighting for her life.
“You’ve done everything in your power to save her, now you have to let her sister and Daphne do their thing.”
“I should be in there with her. I’m her mate.” It had been four hours since he’d raced back through the woods with Drew and a witch from the Coven of the Raindrops to find her dying on the kitchen floor.
Three hours since he felt her skin against his. Three hours since she’d been able to communicate with him in any way.
Three hours of what it was like to be in hell.
“You’re not a fairy with the power to heal,” his mother said with a sharp tongue.
“What about the twins? Aren’t you worried about—”
Chaz interrupted him. “Daphne knows what she’s doing, and the power of the twins can only help.”
“Using it like that drains them.” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose, swallowing a howl of anguish.
“But it doesn’t hurt them, or kill them,” his father pointed out. “However, the poison that had started to seep into your mate’s bloodstream could have. You need to relax, son, you’re not helping anyone.”
“You’re acting like an overprotective hen.”
“That’s classic, coming from you, Mom. As if you wouldn’t be all in a hissy if—”
“Bite your tongue, son,” his mother said, waving her finger. “She is every bit as much a part of this family as any of you are and of course I’m worried. I was scared to death when you carried her in this house, just like when your father carried Chaz in the cabin when he had a bullet in his chest.”
“I’m sorry,” Nico said, repositioning himself so he could look his mother in the eye, showing her the respect she deserved. “I just feel so useless.”
“That’s a feeling I understand,” his father said, crossing his legs. “When your mother went into labor with you, five weeks too soon, I was out of town. I got word and was five hours away.”
Nico had heard this story a million times, and usually either interrupted his father, or just walked away. But today, he needed the distraction.
“I nearly changed to my wolf form, thinking I’d get home faster.”
His mother covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. “My smart husband, thinking such nonsense.”
“I could tell everyone about the time Cheryl shifted for the first time right in front of you.”
Now his mother burst out laughing. “I was changing a diaper, what the hell did you expect from me? It was weird.”
“Yeah, but you soon learned that pups in their wolf form are potty trained,” his father said, smiling wide.
A warm, comfortable sensation eased his aching muscles, but only Isidore could fill the cold spot in his heart.
“Saved us a ton of money.” His mother glanced to the foyer, and he followed her gaze.
Isidore slowly came down the steps, gripping the railing, obviously still weak from the poison, but she was upright. And she smiled when her head turned in his direction, her long, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders in a tangled mess. Her eyes were swollen from heavy sleep, not a drop of make-up anywhere on her face.
Yet she was the most beautiful creature in the universe.
He jumped from the sofa, leaping over the table, nearly knocking over the vase. Thankfully, his mother caught it.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, cupping her face, searching her dark orbs for signs of anything bad.
“I have a headache, and I’m really tired, but otherwise, I think I’m good,” she said, her hands gliding over his shoulders. “Where’s my father?”
“Gone,” Chaz said, standing at the base of the stairs. “We’ve turned him over to his own authorities. Since he used a substance that has been banned for centuries, there will be no trial. He’ll never be able to harm anyone again.”
“What was his sentencing?”
“His powers were bottled, and they will keep him in an isolated cell, trying to extract information from him and his powers on other witch cells that wish your kind harm.” Chaz put one hand on the banister. “How is Daphne? Your sister?”
Isidore let out a weak laugh. “Coral is snoring like a drunken sailor, but Daphne could use your help with the twins. Seems healing people doesn’t drain them but makes them stronger.”
“Wonderful, just what we need,” Chaz muttered, taking Isidore’s hand. “Welcome home.” He turned, taking two steps at a time, racing up to his family.
The death grip Nico had on fear finally lifted except for one last problem.
“Come on, let’s sit.” Nico gave her a quick, but loving kiss before wrapping an arm around her waist and practically lifting her off the ground.
She pointed to the vase in his mother’s hand. “No one opened it? Freed the rest of the Royals?”
“We all tried,” he said, easing her on the sofa, next to his mother. His heart swelled with more love than he knew what to do with. “I wanted to smash it, but my father thought that might not be a good idea.”
“Your father is a smart man,” she said softly as his mother handed her the vase.
The second she touched it, fireflies filled the air in a warm, white glow.
“We’ll leave you two alone for this.” His mother pushed to a standing position.
The vase itself glittered with various colors until it finally landed on sea-foam green.
He nodded to his parents as they quietly slipped from the room, Isidore so focused on the object in her hands, she barely noticed them leaving.
Reaching for the cork at the top, she gently wiggled it open.
Nico held his breath. The fate of the Wolfairies depended on this moment.
Pop!
The cork flew up into the air and mist sprayed out like champagne from a bottle. Larger sparkles than he’d ever seen appeared in the room. They danced, weaving around each other, and practically bounced off the walls. He could hear them giggling.
***
“Wow,” Isidore whispered as each white light turned into a living person. One by one they walked by, kissing her cheek, and bowing to Nico, who just sat there with wide eyes and his mouth gaping open.
These were her ancestors.
Her family.
The final light formed, and her father appeared before her eyes.
“Dad,” she whispered.
“I have longed to hear you call me that, child.” Her father sat on the coffee table, taking her hands in his. “Now introduce me to your mate and the father of my grandbabies.”
Nico choked as he ground out one single word, “Sir.” He cleared his throat
. “Sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for helping to save all of us.”
“Your daughter did it all.”
“Humble wolf, I like that,” her father said.
“May I ask how you became trapped in that bottle?” Nico asked. “How you all got there?”
Isidore gave him a sideways glance. All she wanted to do was find out more about her father. Spend time with him. Not drudge up the painful event. They could do that later.
“We all come from a different place in time. It started as a way to protect us. A kind witch, a good witch collected the rest of the Royals, the ones with magic so great, it needs to be channeled, and it needs to stay behind the protection of the castle, like you’ve built here.”
“This is a farm, Dad.” The word rolled off her tongue like melting ice cream. It felt so right, and it destroyed all the agony she’d suffered. This moment made it all worth it.
“It looks that way, but it’s our new haven, thanks to our protectors.” Her father patted Nico’s leg. “You truly are Herod.” Her father bent over, kissing her cheek. “I’ll leave you two alone for now. You have lots to talk about.”
“Your father thinks I’m a God,” Nico said the moment they were left alone in the family room.
“We really need to take your ego down a notch.” Needing to feel all of him against her body, she straddled him, cupping his face.
“Um, we’re in my parents’ family room?”
She laughed. “Where do you live? I have no idea.”
“In a cabin not far from here.”
“What are we waiting for?” she asked, leaning closer so she could catch his warm breath. “I love you.”
“I know.”
“Do I have to tie you up again?”
“I wouldn’t mind,” he whispered, his tongue licking her lips. “I also wouldn’t mind if we found you that outfit from the first vision.”
“You would like that.” Nothing in the world felt more natural than to be in Nico’s arms. “But first, we do need to acknowledge two tiny little things and talk about one other.”
“What’s that?” He arched a brow.
“I am pregnant,” she said as a funny tickle rumbled in her stomach. This was not how she thought her life would turn out. Not even in her wildest dreams. The best she ever thought she’d have, was to escape the Coven of the Unseen Moon.
“I’m a stud and a God.”
She shook her head. “Get over yourself.”
“What’s the other matter you wanted to talk about before I race you back to our cabin?”
“I’m not wearing a dress when I get married.”
“Good, because that might look bad against my leather jacket and jeans.” He smiled wickedly. “I love you with all my heart and soul.
”
Epilogue
THE SPRING FLING…
No one really knew what to expect the morning of the Spring Fling, the day the Wolfaires would be brought into this world.
The farm had been all a buzz with activity, starting with the morning wedding of Nico and Isidore. It had been a quiet ceremony. Mostly family, and of course all the fairies. A few hours after the nuptials, Daphne went into labor.
Drew thought it odd that his brother would marry on the day his other brother brought his children into the world.
A boy named Finn.
A girl named Ivy.
Then again, Drew thought a lot of things odd these days.
Especially a fairy named Coral. The girl never stopped smiling. Ever. But something wasn’t right and Drew seemed to be the only one who sensed it.
Though, he didn’t know what it was that bothered him.
He sat on the front stoop of his cabin, watching the glow of the festivities wind down on his parent’s farm.
His chest tightened. He should be happy for his brothers and their families. The tension had lifted, and he should be feeling relieved and ecstatic that the Wolfairies had been born. Deep down he was, if only he could get the thick cloud he felt looming in the distance.
This next month was just as important as the coming of the twins. If something happened to them, it could destroy the next set, currently growing ins Isidore’s belly.
Coral’s sister.
A man walking across the field, waving, snapped Drew into high alert.
He stood, puffing out his chest, ready to change into his wolf form in a flash.
“It’s Ralph, Coral’s father.”
Drew relaxed, settling back down on the steps. “What brings you by?”
“The bigger question is did you do as your brothers asked?”
Going to see Gerri Wilder, the match maker, hadn’t been his idea. He fought it tooth and nail. Barely twenty-three, the last thing he wanted, was to be tied to a mate.
Wasn’t even sure if he ever wanted one.
“I had the appointment yesterday,” Drew admitted.
“And?”
“She said she’d call me later,” Drew said.
“And?”
Sometimes Ralph could be annoying as hell with his one-word questions that he repeated over and over again.
“There is no and.”
“Are you sure, because you fated mate awaits you eagerly.” Ralph leaned against the porch railing, toothpick hanging from his mouth.
Drew bit back a laugh. “If I have no clue who she is, then there is no way you could know.”
“When was the last time you check your phone?”
“An hour ago,” Drew said. The damn thing was charging in the den and he had no attention to check it till morning.
Maybe he’d lose the damn thing.
“I bet she’s called you with your mate. Why don’t you go check?”
“Because I don’t want to. It’s late. I’m tired. I’ll deal with it in the morning.”
“Aren’t you even a little curious?”
Terrified was the better descriptor. “Not right this second.”
“Go check your phone. Do it now. Your mate needs your help before it’s too late.” With that, Ralph waved his hand and he turned from his human self, to a large white speck, floating happily across the sky.
“God damn it,” Drew muttered, taking the steps two at a time, wondering where this sense of urgency came from. Once inside, he snagged his phone off the table.
One message.
From Gerri.
He hit play.
Hi Drew, this is Gerri Wilder. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is I found your mate. Interestingly enough, it’s Coral Crowe.
The phone slipped out of his hand and plummeted to the floor. He bent over, and hit play again.
The bad news is that she’s possessed and you have three days to find a way to banish the being inside her, or she’ll remain this way forever, destroying the Chaz’s children and Nico’s unborn children.
The End
Look for SUMMER’S GONE, the next installment in the Twilight Crossing Series.
Books by Jen Talty
NY State Trooper Series
IN TWO WEEKS
DARK WATER
DEADLY SECRETS
MURDER IN PARADISE BAY
TO PROTECT HIS OWN
DEADLY SEDUCTION
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
Other novels
REKINDLED
JANE DOE’S RETURN
THE BUTTERFLY MURDERS
Dare to Love Kindle World by Carli Philips
DON’T DARE ME
The Omega Team Kindle World
THE LIGHTHOUSE
HER LAST CHANCE
THE LAST FLIGHT
THE RETURN HOME
The Phoenix Agency Kindle World
THE LOST SISTER
THE LOST SOLDIER
THE LOST SOUL
THE LOST CONNECTION
Dallas Fire and Rescue Kindle World
STEALING HIS FIRE
IGNITING HIS FLAME
Special F
orces Operation Alpha
BURNING DESIRE
BURNING KISS
BURNING SKIES
Coming soon!
BURNING LIES
BURNING HEART
Brotherhood Protectors Kindle World
ROUGH JUSTICE
Coming Soon!
ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
ROUGH RIDE
About the Author
Jen Talty is an award-winning author of Romantic Suspense. Dark Water hit #10 in Barnes and Noble and her books have been in the top 50 on Amazon. Jen grew up in Rochester, New York. She recently retired from being a full-time hockey mom as her children hung up their skates. She and her husband still live in Rochester while her children travel globe. Jen is the co-founder of Cool Gus Publishing with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer. To learn more about Jen Talty please visit her website: jentalty.com
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