by Bianca D'Arc
He went out to greet the work crew, taking his cell phone with him. He’d place the call as soon as he got a moment.
Work on the first small addition to his house was well underway before he had a chance to phone his folks, but he knew he could put it off no longer. Rocky walked a short distance from the house and the new construction and hit the button. Leaning against a tree for support, he waited for someone to answer. He should’ve known it would be his mother. She always seemed to know when he was calling.
“Hi, mom, it’s me.”
“Rocco? Sweetheart, how are you?”
Even after all these years on his own, his mother’s voice still made him homesick for those early days when she’d baked his favorite cookies and fussed over him and Tony after school. If it wasn’t his mom, it was Tony’s, since the boys were never far apart as they grew.
“I have news. Can you get Dad to pick up the extension? I think you both should hear all this at once.”
“I hope it’s nothing bad. Are you all right, son?” He heard her moving through the house as she spoke. Probably looking for his dad.
He heard a click and knew his dad was on the line even before he had a chance to answer his mother’s question.
“The news is mixed, but I think overall you’ll be happy. First, Maggie’s here. Did you know she was pregnant? She had the babies last night. Twins. Twin boys.”
“Oh, sweet blessed Lady. Where’s Tony? We haven’t heard from him in so long, but I didn’t worry because he had Maggie.” His mother’s voice broke his heart. He hated to have to tell her this. Tony had been like a second son to her.
“He’s gone, Mom. A mage was hunting him and killed him about eight months ago according to Maggie. She’s been on the run from the same people ever since. Tony made her promise she’d come to me when the time came for her to have the babies.”
“Twins?” That was his father’s gruff voice.
“Yes, Dad. The next Lords, if their appearance at the sabbat is anything to go by. They’re already shifting. They’ve got so much of Tony in them. So much of his magic.” Rocky had to swallow hard to keep his voice from cracking.
“You claimed them.” His dad’s voice was certain. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes. They’re your grandsons now.”
He heard his mother sniffle and knew there were tears running down her face. His dad would probably have his arm around her, offering silent comfort. He hated to have to tell them all this over the phone, but they needed to know.
“We’ll be on the first flight we can arrange,” his father said in a firm voice.
“Actually, Dad, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We’ve been up against the Venifucus before in recent months.”
“Venifucus?” His mother’s shocked whisper reached through the phone line to twist his heart.
Word had gone out from the Lords to all shifters in their domain a few months ago about the reappearance of the organization most had thought long gone. The Venifucus were a collection of regular people and magic users intent on bringing back an evil the likes of which this realm had not seen in centuries.
Elspeth, the one known as Destroyer of Worlds, had been banished to a forgotten realm by the combined efforts of many different kinds of magical folk the last time the Venifucus had been confronted. Now they were back, and they were trying to bring her back too. It would take a great deal of dark, evil magic to retrieve her from such a place and her minions in this realm were working toward that goal.
They’d already tried to kill Allie and the Lords. They’d failed in that attempt, but who knew how many Others on the side of light had been silenced already? The Venifucus were playing the long game, taking out their opposition one by one before anyone even realized they were still a viable organization.
Now that the Lords knew for sure they were back and what they were plotting, the forces of Light were being rallied. Nobody really knew if it would be enough to prevent catastrophe. And no one knew exactly when or how the Venifucus planned to act. Vigilence was the order of the day.
“Yeah, that’s the other bad news. Tony was killed by a Venifucus mage. Another of their mages tried to kill Allie a while back. She’s Rafe and Tim’s mate, the new Priestess. It was a close thing. Rafe was nearly killed. It took a hell of a lot of magical firepower to get that mage. This one’s got to be even stronger. I mean, if he was able to take out Tony…”
It went without saying that Tony was one of the most magical grizzly shamans in recent history. It would take someone equally as powerful or even stronger to take him down.
“All the more reason for us to come out there and help guard our grandsons.” Rocky knew that tone in his father’s voice. There was no arguing with that particular sound. The old grizzly’s mind was made up. Rocky sighed.
“All right. Call me when you have the flight information. I’ll get some wolves to pick you up at the airport and bring you to my house. I’m sorry, but I’m not leaving Maggie or the boys for even a minute. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? Why would we mind? You’re doing the right thing. Guard her and the boys. They come first. We’ll be fine on our own if you can’t spare anyone to get us. We do know how to drive, you know.” His mother tried to be upbeat, but he knew it was hard for her. She’d just had a lot dumped on her. It would take time for her to deal with it all, if he knew his mother.
“Don’t drive yourselves. You’ll be safer in numbers. Until this mage is caught, nobody is running around alone. Rafe and Tim are spreading the word today. I’ll make sure you have a strong group to escort you here.”
“A wise precaution.” Rocky breathed a sigh of relief at his father’s easy acceptance of his plan. “We’ll call you back with our flight plan as soon as we get it.”
“In the meantime, give Maggie and our grandsons a hug from us,” his mother requested tearfully. “Tell her we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“I’ll tell her. I know she’ll be happy to see you.”
Rocky ended the call after a few more words, glad to have that ordeal over with. It would be hard when his parents arrived. They’d known Maggie almost as long as they’d known Tony, and they loved her too. It would be a sad reunion without Tony here to share it, but perhaps his parents could help Maggie. They were pillars of strength, and his mother especially might be a good shoulder for Maggie to cry on. Another woman might be able to help with her grief in ways he couldn’t.
By that evening, the basic framework of what looked like a whole new house had taken form. Maggie was amazed by the speed with which these people moved. They were not only faster but stronger than normal people, and Rocky was the most powerful of them all physically. She’d watched from the sidelines all day as he hoisted beams and logs easily five times his weight into position while others secured them. The construction was simple and lovely, built to withstand the rigors of time yet blend in beautifully with the surrounding forest as if the home were part of it.
Maggie took the babies outside for a while, setting up a playpen to keep them safe. Various people stopped by to talk with her and coo over them, not blinking an eye when they shifted into little bear cubs, barely able to wobble on their own paws. They shifted twice during the day, each time shocking her a bit before she really took a look and realized how incredibly adorable they were. And their eyes were the same in either form. There was intelligence there, insatiable curiosity and immense and powerful magic.
Rocky scooped up the cubs the second time they became little bears and lay down on the leafy ground with the little ones on his chest. They dug in their tiny paws and made him laugh with their antics as they sniffed at him and licked his neck and hands.
“They are so cute,” she said softly.
“Curious too,” he agreed, lifting the bear cubs by the scruff of their necks as a mama bear in the wild would have done. It alarmed her at first, but the boys seemed to enjoy the new mode of transport as Rocky placed them back in the playpen. “It’s a good t
hing we’ll have this addition done quickly. Soon they’ll begin to want to roam, and we can’t let them get outside or we’ll have a hell of a time trying to keep up with them.” He chuckled as the cubs settled down for a little bear nap, wrapped around each other.
Rocky looked at her and she sensed something heavy was on his mind.
“Is it bad news?” she whispered. All day, she’d watched men placing little electronic things all around the existing house. Security lights. Stuff that looked like motion sensors but really small. And after they’d been installed, they were pretty much invisible, even though she knew where to look.
“I called my parents. They’re on their way here.” Rocky’s face was grim, but Maggie’s heart lightened at the news. Then she remembered the danger and worry ate at her.
“It’s too dangerous. Did you warn them? Do they know what they’re walking into?” She bit her lip, anxiety that was never far away filling her once again.
“They know. Probably better than you do, Maggie.” Rocky placed one warm hand on her shoulder and she felt her tension ease a bit. That’s all it took. Just that one touch and she felt his strength surrounding her, protecting her.
It was so tempting to just lean on him and let him take over and do everything. She’d done that to this point, and she’d need his help a while longer until she healed fully, but it went against her grain to be so totally dependent on anyone.
Tony and she had been partners in every sense. Or at least she’d believed they had been. He’d been keeping secrets, but that hadn’t really interfered with their relationship. They had made all the major decisions together, each respecting the other’s wishes and desires. They’d both worked and contributed to the household. They’d shared chores and responsibilities, each taking on what they were best at and pitching in wherever needed.
It had been a perfect marriage. Or so she’d thought. Then one day, out of the blue, Tony had turned into a bear.
A real, live, freaking magical grizzly bear.
“The guys are going to help me move some furniture around this afternoon. The front bedroom is too exposed for you and the boys, but it makes a good guard position,” Rocky said conversationally. She looked at the tension lines around his compressed lips and realized he was anything but casual, though she supposed he was trying to keep his words calm for her benefit. “My den is in the center of the house. It’s the most secure room in the original structure. You and the boys will be safest there, and I have to make room for my parents. At least at first, they’ll want to stay with us, if for no other reason than so they can help with the twins.”
While she liked the idea of having help with the boys—especially help she knew and trusted like no other—she worried for the older couple.
“The bad guys will most likely find me again, Rocky. I’ve managed to escape their notice for short bursts of time, but they always find me. I still don’t like putting your folks in danger.” The hunted feeling that had plagued her for the past eight months returned in force as she thought about it.
“Honey, we’re all grizzly bears. Even though my folks are retired, Dad was an enforcer for the local weretribes near Whitefish. Like I am here. Mom’s no slouch either. Never mess with a mama bear, especially when she’s protecting cubs.” Rocky chuckled. “We’re not all that different from our wild cousins, except we have a human side that can be just as deviously clever as those who hunt us. Having three bears in the house—and no Goldilocks jokes, please—will keep you and the boys safe if danger comes to our door.”
She chuckled at the Goldilocks line and some of her tension disappeared. Rocky stepped back and removed his hand from her shoulder. She missed the warmth of him, but the attraction she felt for him was still a little uncomfortable. She was Tony’s wife. The feelings she’d always had for Rocky were almost easy to ignore when he was so far away, but now that they were sharing space, it was nearly impossible.
“So where will your parents stay?” she asked to change the subject of her dangerous thoughts.
“The front bedroom for now. It’s the first line of defense if anyone actually gets past the new security measures and patrols in the woods. My folks can also keep watch from the window in that bedroom. It’s got a good view of the front of the property. I’ll be watching the back and watching all the new monitors. They can stay there until the addition starts to take shape, and Dad can be a big help with the design.”
Maggie knew Rocky’s dad had been an architect and builder before retirement, so that made perfect sense to her. She only wished they wouldn’t be in so much danger, because she knew in her heart that things had not yet come to a head with the man who’d killed Tony and then chased her all across the country. She feared a showdown, though she fully expected it at some point in the not-too-distant future.
“There will be wolves and other shifters patrolling the woods at all hours, of course. Try not to worry, Mags. There are more resources here than you think. Just because you can’t see them all, doesn’t mean they aren’t here. A large part of our defense is stealth.”
She ceded the point, but nothing could make her feel better about the danger on her trail. Danger that she’d brought to these good people who had given nothing but kindness to her and her boys.
Chapter Seven
That following night—after a day spent watching furniture being moved all around Rocky’s house—they had dinner with Tim, Rafe and Allie at Rocky’s place. The Alphas, as Rocky called them, explained a bit more about their role as the leaders of all were, and the uncommon marriage between themselves and the priestess, Allie. Maggie was shocked at first but tried hard not to let it show. She asked Rocky about it later that evening, but he seemed to take it all in stride, his attitude doing more to settle her mind than his actual words.
He helped her fix the linens on the large bed they’d moved into his windowless den. Some of the Pack members had brought it over earlier in the day. The room was done up in warm, honey colored wood paneling and hunter green fabrics. It felt as much like being in the woods as you could get without actually being outside. Maggie liked it.
The twin sized crib had been moved into the farthest corner, and Rocky had helped ready the boys for sleep as if he’d done it a million times before. Maggie felt comfortable with him at her side helping. Their friendship and the closeness they had always seemed to share had come back to life with very little prodding. He was a steady presence that reminded her of all the good times in her past.
Rocky and Tony had been central figures in her high school years and beyond. That had only changed after her marriage, when Rocky had drifted away and they’d lost touch. She’d been sad but focused on her new life with Tony, and she’d supposed Rocky was forging a new life of his own. She had figured they’d all reconnect eventually, but it hadn’t happened. Until now.
“I hope this room is okay. I know it doesn’t have a window, but that’s actually for the best. It’s more secure, and since the boys will probably have you up during the night, the sun won’t wake you in the morning and you can sleep in.” He looked over at the sleeping children. “If the cubs will let you.”
She nodded in agreement, smiling at the babies now fast asleep in their crib.
“It’s perfect.” And it was. Close to the bathroom and centrally located in the house, she could see how it would be the safest place for the boys.
Rocky’s massive desk, a state-of-the-art computer setup and several filing cabinets had been taken out to make room for the bed. Rows of built-in bookcases held everything from adventure novels to stock market analysis. The crib, a changing table and the rocking chair had been arranged on the far side of the room from the door. All in all, it was very homey for something so makeshift.
Rocky and his friends had moved out all the furniture, but hadn’t been able to do much about the books. She didn’t mind. She liked books and would probably spend some time browsing the titles if she couldn’t sleep.
“We’re going to do some more r
earranging tomorrow. The Pack will be out early to help, so don’t worry if you hear a bunch of trucks pull up in the drive just after dawn.”
“I’m sorry to have brought such upheaval to your home.” She was amazed at the way he’d taken all of this in stride.
He turned and caught her in a quick hug. “I’d do anything for you, Maggie. Moving a little furniture around is the least of it,” he whispered near her ear and kissed her hair before releasing her.
He’d been treating her with kid gloves since that first night. He’d backed off, which both confused her and brought comfort. Her emotions were all over the place, and she wasn’t sure she could have handled full on seduction mode from him on top of everything else. Knowing Rocky, he was sensitive enough to realize it and was cutting her a break.
“If you need anything, just call. I’ll be in the living room tonight. Right next door. If nothing else, I can help you juggle the twins if and when the boys wake in the middle of the night. Mom and Dad are flying in tomorrow and the wolves will bring them from the airport about mid-morning. After that, you’ll have all the help you need with the boys. We should also have a bit of the new construction done soon, so we’ll have room for everybody and everything.”
She knew his computer had been set up on the coffee table in the living room. His desk and the other furniture from the den had gone into the construction zone and sat under a tarp.
Things were up in the air in many ways, but in the way that mattered most—the security of the babies—she felt more confident than she had in a long, long time. They were safer here with Rocky and his friends than they would be anywhere else. In the back of her mind, she knew the bad guy on her trail would have to be dealt with, but she was letting things ride for now. Trouble would come for her sooner or later, but this time she had powerful allies. This time she wouldn’t run. She would make her stand here, with Rocky.