“If we were to become part of the pack, they would make us swear oaths,” Aric said. “Those oaths would include bowing to their decisions.”
“Oh, well, I’m not doing that.”
Aric smirked. “No, we’re not.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my temple as he rubbed the back of my neck. “This was a waste of time.”
“It’s certainly starting to feel that way,” I agreed, rubbing my thumb over his knee. “Still, whoever is after us followed us here. I can’t help but like the idea of taking out our enemies on someone else’s property and leaving them to clean up the mess.”
Aric barked out a laugh. “You’re nothing if not lazy.”
“Yeah, well … .” I pursed my lips as I considered the situation. “Maybe I should go back and talk to them myself.”
Aric stiffened. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because I don’t think they’re seeing things from our perspective.”
“Probably not,” Aric conceded. “They’re not interested in seeing things from your perspective. They’re interested in making you bow down to them. Don’t you understand that?”
“I won’t ever do that. You don’t have anything to worry about that happening. Still, what would that possibly get them?”
“I forget how oblivious you are sometimes,” Aric muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Zoe, you’re the most powerful magical entity in the area. Heck, you could be the most powerful magical entity in the world. If you swear your loyalty to this pack, that makes them the most powerful entity in the area. They’ll be able to order you around and make you do things.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not going to do that, so stop having a conniption fit,” I ordered. “What if I go in there and negotiate a compromise?”
“They won’t do that.”
“You don’t know,” I countered. “You just said I was the most powerful magical entity in the world … .”
“I said you might be the most powerful magical entity in the world,” Aric clarified. “You always let power go straight to your head. You know that, right?”
“I’m well aware,” I said, smirking. “If they’re so desperate to own a piece of us, we can give them that. We can negotiate a small piece of our lives for them but retain all autonomy.”
“They’ll never go for that.” Aric shook his head. “They want to be in charge.”
“And they clearly have information we need,” I added. “I think I can negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement.”
“I think I don’t want you to try, because they’ll go out of their way to manipulate you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Do you think I’ll be that easily fooled?”
“I think that you’ll go in with good intentions and try to hammer out an honorable deal, but they’ll try to swindle you.”
“I … .” I didn’t get a chance to finish what I was about to say because the front door of the cabin swung open and allowed James and Sami entrance. Sami’s face was flushed with excitement, and she pulled up short when she saw us.
“What are you guys doing here?” Sami asked, flustered. “Grandpa said you would be gone all day.”
“That’s what I expected,” James said, his eyes bouncing between Aric and me. “What happened?”
“I’m pretty sure you already know what happened,” Aric said, choosing his words carefully thanks to Sami’s presence. “They believe they have information that can help us but are only willing to share it for a price.”
“Oh, really?” James feigned surprise. “What price?”
“They want us to join the pack,” I answered. “All of us.”
“Well, I know you’re not really interested in that, Zoe, but it seems like a small price to pay to ensure your child’s safety.” James averted his gaze and found something fascinating to stare at on the wall.
“Well, that answers that question,” Aric said, standing. “You were in on it with them. You knew they were going to pressure us in this manner and you were hoping we’d be desperate enough to agree to their terms.”
James balked. “I didn’t!”
“Don’t bother lying,” Aric snapped, his fury showing. “Are you really so fixated on getting a spot on that council that you would gladly ruin my marriage to do it?”
Sami’s eyes widened. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I said, locking gazes with her. “Why don’t you hang around with your grandmother while the grownups talk about a few things in here, huh?”
“Because I don’t want to leave,” Sami said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“Sami … .”
“How would joining the pack ruin your marriage?” James challenged. “Joining the pack would strengthen our family. It would make the pack bonds stronger. There is nothing to lose in this scenario.”
“There is everything to lose,” Aric snapped. “Are you really going to stand there and deny that one of the first things they would do is assign a surrogate so I have a son? Do you think Zoe will put up with me having a kid with another woman?”
“She wouldn’t have to be involved,” James sniffed.
“I swore to love only her for the rest of my life and I meant my vows when I said them!” Aric exploded. “She’s my wife. My only wife. Sami is my only child. That’s not going to change. If you think we’re giving the council power over our lives, you’re crazy.”
“And what about Sami?” James asked, his face flushed. “How are you going to keep her safe without the pack’s help?”
“We’ll do the same things we’ve done so far,” Aric replied. “The pack didn’t help last night. That was all Zoe. If you think for a second I’m going to help these power-hungry jerks hurt my wife … I just … you’re not the man I thought you were.”
“That’s not what’s going on here, Aric,” James said, his voice strained. “I would never try to hurt Zoe.”
“That’s exactly what you tried to do,” Aric shot back. “We’re not playing this game. It’s not going to happen. Period. I’m happy with my family.”
“And we need a male heir because Sami isn’t enough!”
There it was. James finally said it. I knew that deep down he felt that way, but to hear the words finally spoken was a slap in the face. It was worse for Sami. Her face turned a mottled shade of red as tears filled her eyes.
“Sami.” I reached for her hand but she slapped me away.
James realized too late what he’d said. “Oh, sweetheart, that came out wrong.” He took a step in her direction but Sami scurried away from him and toward the door.
“Sami, wait,” Aric said, moving to follow her.
“I want to be alone,” Sami said. “I just … don’t follow me!”
With those words she bolted out the door … and my fury was officially unleashed.
Twenty-One
“I can’t believe you just said that to her!”
I was livid as I strode toward the open front door.
James followed, a determined look on his face. “I didn’t mean it the way that she took it.”
“There was no other way for her to take it,” Aric snarled, using his shoulder to box James away from the door as he waited for me to walk through first. I hurried down the steps, scanning to my left and right. I almost missed Sami as she bolted into the woods, but I caught a glimpse of her hair and picked up my pace.
Aric fell into step with me, his jaw set. He looked furious. Fighting with his father would have to take a back seat to finding Sami. No matter how upset she was, she couldn’t disappear into the woods when we had no idea what enemy we were fighting.
Aric grabbed my hand as we turned into the trees, lifting his nose to scent for Sami and then pointing to the right. By the time we reached her she was leaning against a tree – her arms spread out in front of her and her face screwed up in concentration – and she seemed surprised by our sudden appearance.
“I want to be alone,” Sami
sniffed, tears running down her cheeks. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Well, that’s not really an option,” I said, licking my lips. “Sami, what your grandfather said … .”
Aric cut me off. “Was complete and total bullshit. You’re not less than a boy, Sami. He never should’ve said that.”
“That’s not what I meant anyway,” James whined. I couldn’t believe he followed us the entire way. He was either extremely courageous or stupid. I couldn’t decide which. “You know I love you, Sami. You’re my only grandchild.”
“But you want it another way,” Sami spat, flexing her fingers and shaking them. It took me a moment to realize she was trying to perform magic.
“What do you want?” I asked, stepping closer. “Are you trying to set something on fire? You can’t do that in the woods. You might hurt someone. I can take you somewhere if you want to practice venting.”
“We will take you somewhere if you want to do that,” Aric clarified. “The three of us are a family. We’ll all go together.”
“What does that mean?” James asked, frustrated. “Are you leaving?”
“Oh, we’re leaving,” Aric replied. “I am so sick of this place I can’t even tell you. There’s a reason I chose to disengage from the pack. Thank you for reminding me why.”
“Because of this?” James refused to back down, which was obviously a mistake, but I opted not to get involved. Instead I focused on Sami and let Aric battle it out with his father. This had been a long time coming. “This is nothing. If you don’t want another child … .”
“I’ve never wanted another child!” Aric bellowed, his voice echoing loud enough that it jolted me. “I’ve always been perfectly happy with my one child. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because that’s Zoe talking,” James pressed. “Zoe was the one who put her foot down and said you were only going to have one child. If it wasn’t for her I know you would have at least five children. You’ve always wanted multiple children.”
“No, you wanted that,” Aric snapped. “You wanted me to have a boatload of kids even though you had only one. You didn’t want to take care of more than one child and were happy with me.”
“Because you’re a boy,” Sami interjected.
“I don’t care that you’re not a boy, Sami,” Aric said. “We’ve been over this so many times. Why can’t you believe me?”
“Because you heard Grandpa,” Sami replied. “You need a boy. I’m not a boy, so I’m not good enough.”
“Oh, Sami, that’s not what I meant,” James said, his face flushed. “That came out all wrong. It’s just … there won’t be anyone to carry on the Winters name after you. We’ll be done.”
“And that’s not her problem,” I said, anger coursing through me. “We wanted one child and that’s what we got.”
“And she’s perfect,” James said. “I know that. It’s just … .”
I snorted. “She’s not perfect,” I said, earning a murderous look from Sami. “What? You’re not perfect. No one is perfect, Sami. You’re mouthy, pouty, spoiled and prone to dramatic fits.”
“You get all of that from your mother,” Aric interjected.
“You’re also stubborn, bossy and liable to bang your head into a wall rather than give in,” I added. “You get that from your father.”
“No, she gets part of that from you, too,” Aric argued. “It doesn’t matter, though. Sami, I chose to put the pack behind me because I wanted the best life for me. That’s what I got with your mother. That’s what I got when you came along.
“Your mother is right,” he continued. “No one is perfect. That doesn’t mean you’re not perfect for us.”
“But … Grandpa hates me,” Sami wailed.
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s not true,” James said, his eyes filling with tears. “Ignore what I said. That wasn’t for you. I was … trying to hurt your father. I was trying to bully him into my way of thinking. I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
He took a step toward Sami, his arm outstretched, but I slapped him away and cut off his approach. I locked gazes with Sami and forced a rueful smile as I tried to decide how to make this better.
“We’re happy you’re a girl,” I said. “We don’t want a boy. There’s never going to be a boy. We only want you.”
“Stop lying to me!” Sami’s anger took me by surprise and her sad expression morphed into something out of a horror book as she slapped out at my hand. I realized too late that her fingers looked different, long nails extending from the ends as her fingers turned a dark shade of brown.
My mouth dropped open, and I didn’t bother to take a step away because I was so confused. Aric smoothly stepped in and grabbed me around the waist and shifted me away from Sami before she could hurt me.
“What is that?” I asked, wrestling to get a clearer look. “Are you … ?”
Sami looked down at her fingers. She seemed equally confused. “I … .”
“She’s starting to shift,” James said excitedly, his earlier worry dissipating. “She’s finally going to shift!”
Sami glanced at me, mortified. Her hand remained partially transformed as the tears returned. “Oh, no! Now I’m going to get all hairy and have to shave five times a day.”
James frowned. “Who told you that?”
Aric shifted his eyes to me. “Only your daughter would react that way.”
“You’re welcome.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“DO SOMETHING!”
Sami’s excitement about partially shifting lasted five minutes. We managed to get her back to the cabin – as long as we promised to shield her from prying eyes – but once the door closed she became a weeping mess.
“I’m deformed,” Sami wailed. “No boy is ever going to want me when I have a hand like this.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Aric said, holding her wrist as he studied her fingernails. He seemed more curious than anything else. It was irritating. “You don’t need a boyfriend. You have me.”
“Yes, that was the exact wrong thing to say,” I pointed out when Sami’s shoulders started shaking with silent sobs. I knelt next to her and studied her hand. “You know, Sami, this is pretty cool. Boys will probably think this is neat. They like weird stuff.”
“Zoe!” Aric was horrified. “Don’t tell her that.”
Sami’s tears slowed as she stared at me. “Is that how you got boyfriends before Dad? Is it because you were weird?”
I was pretty sure that was an insult, but I decided to let it slide. “Pretty much.”
“Oh, don’t tell her things like that,” Aric said. “Your mother got boyfriends because she was … .”
I cocked a challenging eyebrow, legitimately curious as to where he would go with his argument. Part of me thought the word “easy” was on the tip of his tongue, and I practically dared him to say it.
“Your mother got boyfriends because she’s the best woman in the world,” Aric announced, changing course. “That’s the same reason you’ll get boyfriends.”
“Good save.”
“I do my best.”
“I don’t want my hand to stay like this,” Sami said, glancing furtively at the door as James and Helen rushed in. Upon making it back to the cabin, James agreed to collect Helen in case she could help, while we worked overtime to calm down Sami. We weren’t holding up our end of the bargain very well.
“Your hand won’t stay like this,” I said. I was almost positive I was telling the truth. I shifted my eyes to Aric just to be sure. “Right?”
“I don’t know,” Aric gritted out. “I don’t think so, but … .”
“You don’t know?” Sami screeched again. “My life is over!”
“I thought you were calming her down,” James chided, moving to Sami’s side. “Sweetheart, you need to stop making that noise. You’re a wolf now. Wolves don’t cry.”
His admonishment only made things worse, and Sami wailed louder.
&nb
sp; “Good job, James,” I deadpanned. “I’m starting to think it’s good that you got your precious boy on the first try and didn’t make any little girls suffer through your special brand of parenting.” I shot him a sarcastic thumbs-up while Aric silenced me with a quelling look.
“Now is not the time,” Aric growled. “Mom, have you ever seen anything like this?”
“No,” Helen replied, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “Most hybrid children either shift completely or not at all. There’s usually no middle ground. Sami is … different.”
“Special,” I corrected, hoping to make Sami smile. “Sami is special.”
“Oh, don’t suck up to me now,” Sami spat. “Fix me!”
“I’m starting to think we should drug her,” I suggested. “Where is that whiskey you had the other night?”
“Don’t make jokes like that,” Aric said. “She just needs to calm down.”
Who was joking? “I … .”
“Sami, I think this is happening because you’re upset,” Helen said, cutting me off. “You need to stop crying. You need to take some deep breaths and calm yourself. If you do, your hand will return to normal.”
“Is that true?” I asked.
Helen didn’t bother glancing in my direction. “Absolutely.”
Something told me she didn’t know the answer to my question, but she was a much better liar than the rest of us. “Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. “Listen to your grandmother, Sami. She knows what’s best for you.”
“Yes, listen to your grandmother and me,” James intoned. “We want what’s best for you.”
Sami’s eyes darkened as she glared at James, her temper flaring. As it did, her fingers turned darker and a few hairs sprouted near the cuticles. It was completely freaky. Thankfully Sami was too focused on her grandfather to notice.
“You don’t want what’s best for me,” Sami snapped. “You told Mom and Dad that I wasn’t enough for the family. You said they need to have a son, and you tried to trick them into joining the pack even though you knew it would kill Mom.”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 45