Moonrise

by Ines Johnson

  "You know," she said tentatively, "we have witches in the family."

  Lucia turned wide-eyed to stare at his mother. "You do?"

  "Of course," then she frowned. "Well, descendants of witches, not full blooded. I believe they're one-sixteenth witch."

  "I'm from a coven," Lucia said with apology. "Pierce and I met on the train into the city earlier this evening."

  "This evening?" Now the wheels in Jackson's brain worked overtime. "Tomorrow night is the Blue Moon."

  There were at least three Full Moons every season. Each Moon held a different significance to the moonkind. But because human calculations didn't mirror the Goddesses design, it happened that a few times a year there was an extra Full Moon in some of the seasons. That Full Moon was called the Blue Moon. With the additional Moon the Goddess' children, wolves, fae, and witches, felt an increased pull to her will. That increased pull translated into an increase in their powers. Wolves felt an insatiable need to shift and run. Fae felt an unquenchable lust. And witches, who felt an increase in their lunar and feminine powers, used the time to suit both purposes.

  "You're here on your Rumwicca, aren't you?" Jackson's blood boiled at the idea of another male getting in sniffing distance of her. And that included his brother.

  "No," she shook her head. "Well yes, but no."

  "Which is it?" Suddenly he needed to know if another man had touched her.

  "I'm supposed to be here on my Rumwicca, but I'm not going back. I'm staying and I'm marrying Pierce." She raised her head and looked directly into his gaze. "He knows I'm a witch, and he accepts me as I am."

  Jackson looked as though he'd swallowed something foul. It all sounded preposterous. "Are you trying to tell me that you fell for my brother in the few hours it took to get from the mountains to the city?"

  "Yes," she said. "Isn't it always like that for wolves? They know in that first glance."

  Jackson ground his teeth. He'd claimed her the first moment he'd seen her. But that was before he'd known his brother had done the same. Unfortunately, Jackson had seen her a few hours too late.

  "And I'm not a full blooded witch," she said. "I'm half wolf."

  "Impossible." Jackson slammed his hand down on the table causing his drink to spill.

  "My parents met the same way. My mother was a witch and my father a wolf. I came to the city to find my father and along the way I met Pierce."

  Her eyes went faraway for a second. Jackson wanted to snap his fingers to bring her back to the present, back to him.

  "Pierce decided to come with me to help me find the other half of my family."

  In the history of modern times, Jackson had never heard such a thing as a wolf and a witch mating. Wolves staked a claim on their females. The ultra-feminist witches would never allow such an intrusion to their personal autonomy. Perhaps a half-blooded witch who'd been raised in the city for generations would consider pairing off with a human—that wasn't too far fetched. But a coven witch?

  Maybe Lucia had cast a spell on his brother? Maybe she'd cast the same spell on him when they were alone in the room together?

  But he'd seen no hint of silver in her eyes when he'd looked at her, and he'd looked his fill. Her eyes had been wide with shock as he gazed into them. It was as though she'd never had anyone look at her. He remembered how still she'd held as though she'd been afraid to spook him away. He had the urge now to go to her and brush the tendril of hair that fell into her eyes.

  Jackson shook his head. This was not normal. He could not fall for a witch. Jackson wanted a permanent home filled with a den of cubs and a loving wife he'd pamper and pet. A witch would never hold still for or stomach such a proposition.

  And still, there was something off about her story. He couldn't understand why the rest of his family couldn't see it. His mother could sniff out a half-truth before any of her children opened their mouths to spin the tale. His father was the best interrogator he knew, but even the old man didn't poke a single hole in Lucia's flimsy story.

  Something wasn't right. Jackson knew it. It wasn't just because Lucia wasn't Pierce's type. Pierce had always been drawn to human women and fae girls he could have a good time with. Jackson thought it was because if his brother showed any interest in a wolf woman it might lead him to sniff his mate and then he'd be tied down. Her witch moonblood aside, Lucia was a woman any male wolf would want to tie himself to.

  "You have wolf family," said his mother. "I knew it. I could smell it on you."

  "My father's wolf," Lucia confirmed. "He left when I was five."

  All eyes gaped.

  "How's that possible?" said Harold. "A wolf would never abandon his child."

  "My mother got sick," Lucia admitted. "The only chance she had to heal was to return to her coven, and so my father took us back. They wouldn't let him up the mountain. My mother got better for a while. She waited for him to return, but he never did. She died when I was ten. I always knew that as soon as I came into my majority I would come and find my father."

  "Jackson will help you," said his mother. "He’s a detective.”

  Lucia's eyes found his. Jackson's self-preservation told him to look away lest she spell him any further. But the hope in those hazel depths silenced every doubt he'd had in the past few hours. He'd push the Moon back into the stars if she asked it of him.

  "Yes," he said. "I'll help you."

  Chapter Twelve

  When Lucia came down the mountain, she hadn't been prepared for many things. One of those things was the chill in the air. It was always warm up on the mountain. Now, being closer to the large body of water that was the Pacifica Oceana, the moisture nipped at her exposed flesh.

  After waking from sleeping on the softest bed, snuggled under thick blankets, Karyn bundled her up in a thick overcoat. The smell of the overcoat warmed Lucia's blood, and she smiled as she nuzzled into the fur lining.

  "Is this Pierce's coat?"

  Karyn frowned. "No, I think it's Jackson's old coat."

  Lucia turned her face away and exhaled through her nose.

  "He won't mind. It's not like he can't fit it anymore," Karyn chuckled as she fit the last button.

  Of course Lucia could dress herself, but it had been such a long time since someone fussed over her. Even her own mother had initiated Lucia on a trek toward being an independent woman early in her life. After her father left them on the mountain, Lucia's mother reverted to many of the old ways, including teaching her daughter not to depend on anyone. Witches were expected to be fully self-reliant.

  Karyn Alcede finished the last button and gave Lucia a squeeze and a huge smile. Then she narrowed her eyes. "It's funny..."

  "What is?" Lucia asked.

  "You're the exact type of girl I would've pictured with..."

  "Ma, is she ready to go?" Jackson's booming voice broke the connection. "I have work to do and—"

  Jackson froze in the doorway as he took Lucia in. She felt every place on her body heat as his eyes raked over her form. She felt like his eyes saw through her, even though she was covered from head to toe; mostly by his jacket.

  His lips parted. One fist balled at his side. His knee bent and his heel rose in preparation for advance. But then, he turned away and exhaled through his nose.

  Lucia struggled with whether to take the coat off. He must be annoyed with her for wearing his belongings. But neither did she want to expose more of herself to his judgmental eyes.

  Jackson shook himself, reminding Lucia of a dog emerging from a cold dip in the lake. "You ready?" he growled.

  The warm smile she'd given to his mother, wobbled under his glare. This man would be her brother-in-law. She'd be spending many lunar celebrations and Monday night dinners with him. She knew he thought poorly of her after the display in Pierce's hospital room. He obviously thought she was a scheming breeder after her brother's seed. That she would abscond with the baby, back up to the mountains, never to be heard from again. A witch's mountain was impenetrable, even for a wolf
.

  She had no desire to run from Pierce and his kindness. She'd just have to show Jackson that she wasn't like the other witches in her coven.

  Lucia put on her brightest smile. "I am ready, and I want to thank you for helping me search for my father. Ever since he left I've felt like a piece of me has been missing. Now I'm going to be put back together."

  Jackson startled. His eyes dipped to her lips as though he couldn't believe the words emanating from them. But they were real. The statement was true.

  "And when Pierce wakes up," she continued "I'll be able to come to him, and to this family, as a whole woman. I'll be able to settle down and have a family of my own; a family I would never abandon."

  Karyn came up behind Lucia and squeezed her shoulder. "Goddess, bless you child." She kissed the side of Lucia's face.

  When Karyn released her, Jackson kissed his mom on the cheek and then opened the door for Lucia. He didn't meet her eyes as she passed by him. He gave her a wide berth to let her pass.

  He did the same outside when he opened the vehicle door for her. Once she was in her seat, he reached for the belt strap next to the door. Then he seemed to think better of it.

  "Buckle in," he commanded.

  Lucia looked at the contraption. She pulled the strap and saw a metallic apparatus that looked like a key. But she wasn't sure where the lock was.

  Jackson reached for the buckle and brushed her breast. They both gasped. Something sizzled from the point of contact and warmed Lucia through. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Jackson. He glared at her. Then he huffed and reached across her again, carefully this time.

  With clenched teeth, he yanked the apparatus and clicked the pieces together trapping her into the seat. For a moment, she panicked as the belt held her torso firmly in place.

  Jackson's eyes softened. His hands went up as though to calm a frightened animal. Without touching her, he directed her attention to a large red button where the metallic key had disappeared. Still making sure not to touch her, he pressed the button. Lucia was instantly free.

  He stared into her eyes, searching for comprehension. Lucia nodded, to indicate that she now understood the process. When she looked up at him, Jackson's gaze lingered a moment longer after his acknowledgement of her understanding she could free herself.

  Lucia couldn't break free of his gaze. She leaned forward ever so slightly. She heard his breathing kick up. She tasted the warm musk of his exhale on her tongue.

  A loud snick broke the haze. Her body could lean no further forward. He'd trapped her in the seat. His face transformed back into a glaring, impenetrable mask. He slammed her door shut, rounded the car, and buckled himself into his own seat. He started the car and pulled into the street traffic.

  Lucia had been taught to speak her mind living amongst a tribe of strong women. She'd also come to figure out the silent, but just as effective, art of passive aggression living amongst those same women. She debated which tactic to take with the cagey wolf beside her.

  "Why don't you like me?" she asked directly.

  "What makes you think I don't like you?"

  Lucia laughed. "You glare at me whenever you look at me. You growl whenever you speak to me."

  "I'm a wolf."

  "Pierce never once glared at me, even when he found out what I was. His eyes were always kind, and so were his words."

  "Well, I'm not my brother and you're not..."

  "I'm not what?"

  He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You not exactly Pierce's type."

  "What type do you mean, Jackson?"

  Jackson struggled for words.

  "Is this about what happened in the hospital room?" she asked.

  Jackson's chin dipped low. His eyes stayed trained on the road before him. "That was a mistake. I thought you were someone else?"

  "Who?"

  He didn't answer. He focused on maneuvering the vehicle.

  "Do you think I'm out to steal your brother's seed?"

  He looked at her then. His face contorted in absolute horror. Cars around them emitted loud horn-like calls. Jackson's hands swerved on the wheel and then quickly regained control of the vehicle.

  "Because I'm not," Lucia clarified. "I believe a child should have both its parents. That's why I want to find my father. Even if he doesn't want me, I want the opportunity to at least see him again, to find out why he didn't come back."

  Jackson grit his teeth and the steering wheel. "That's not what I meant," he said after a long while. "You say you want to settle down, you want a family, and I believe you."

  "You do?" she startled.

  He turned to her, but stopped himself. "All evidence points that way. You genuinely seem to like my family and want to be apart of it. Pierce..." he sighed. Then he winced as though he'd swallowed something bitter. "Pierce is more of a loner." He tripped on that last word.

  Pierce had said his family was loving, but difficult. That they didn't understand him. "You've got him all wrong. He's the friendliest person I've ever met."

  "Yes," Jackson nodded. "He is that. He gets along well with everybody, which is why we all didn't see it until it was too late."

  "Didn't see what?"

  "Pierce is a lone wolf."

  Lucia nodded, waiting for the bomb to drop. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

  When Jackson glanced at her this time, his look wasn't a glare. It was full of sympathy, and something else she couldn't identify. "It means that Pierce will keep traveling and roaming for the rest of his days. That's a loner's nature. They can't help it."

  Lucia frowned. The way Jackson described lone wolves you'd think they were completely alone, without a family, or a homestead. Her memories of her time with both her parents were filtered through the prism of a five-year old's mind, but she remembered being loved and cared for and safe. That's what she'd felt with Pierce those few hours on the train.

  "He's never had more than a casual relationship with a woman," Jackson continued. "Usually humans and fae. Never a wolf."

  But she was a wolf; half wolf. That had to mean his feelings ran deep for her. That when he woke up, he would claim her as his mate.

  Pierce had said he'd been traveling, and he was hesitant to go home. More than anything Lucia wanted a home, with a family like the Alcedes that looked after and depended on one another. Maybe once Pierce woke up and realized he was destined to spend his life with her, he'd want to stay in the city, stay near his loving family, and buy a house that would belong to her and him alone.

  "There are stories of lone wolves that settle down when they find their mate." Jackson looked at her. There was doubt etched on his face.

  Lucia wasn't sure if it was his brother he doubted, or her. Maybe he doubted the whole relationship between her and his brother. Well, the relationship between her and his brother wasn't exactly real—at least not yet. But Lucia was certain Pierce would claim her as soon as he woke up.

  But what if he woke up, and she wasn't there? What if his family talked about her as his mate before she had a chance to seal the deal with him?

  The vehicle stopped in the middle of the street. An oblong fixture hung low in the sky. Three colored circles marked the face of the fixture. Currently, the red light glared at them.

  Lucia turned to Jackson. He studied her face, probing. Lucia had never had anyone, besides Mother Sage, stare her down. But Jackson did just now. He was searching for something, and the firm set to his jaw told Lucia that he would find it.

  She inhaled; reaching for calm but his scent filled her chest. It had been on the pillow in the spare room that Kayla told her had once been Jackson's bedroom. And now Lucia wore his old jacket. The smell on it increased as she sat next to him in his car.

  Lucia kept her breaths shallow and her gaze out the window. Soon enough, they pulled up to the policing building. Jackson put the vehicle in park, but instead of departing the vehicle, he sat with his hands gripping the steering wheel.

  "Look, I didn't mean to ins
ult you earlier," he said. "I'm happy Pierce has found someone. It's just unexpected. You're...unexpected."

  His voice lowered with that last statement. He faced her straight on. He stared directly into her eyes, still searching.

  Lucia held his gaze, showing she had nothing to hide. Hoping he couldn't hear the fluttering of her pulse. "Maybe we misjudged one another?"

  Jackson regarded her with eyes so like Pierce's, but harder. Where she'd fallen into Pierce's depths, Jackson's was steady, like a banister of support.

  "No," he said, releasing the steering wheel. "I think I see you very clearly, Lucia. You have a good heart. You're kind. You want to help others. You could've been born into this family," he grinned and it transformed his face into something devastatingly handsome.

  Lucia offered him a smile in return. She was making headway with him. "I've learned you can't live your life to please others. If you try, you're living their life and you'll never do it right."

  Jackson's mouth opened. She couldn't tell if he was stunned or flattered. She wouldn't learn because he closed his mouth and got out of the car. He came around to open the door for her. He unbuckled her, freeing her from her place. Then he offered her his hand. Lucia placed her capable hand in his strong paw.

  Where their fingers touched, she felt warm sparks. It was the same zing that went through her when she fell into Pierce's arms, but this time it was stronger, hotter. It spread through her whole body and buzzed in her head, like the hum of a thousand bees.

  Lucia looked up at Jackson. His eyes were fixed on their hands that were still connected. His hand closed entirely around hers, squeezing. With only that firm touch, it felt as if he'd gripped her whole body in a warm hug. But this hug was very different from the one his mother had given her earlier. It awakened something beyond her heart, a place deeper inside the core of her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jackson turned his gaze up towards the sky. It was early in the night. The Moon peeked out from the horizon. Its full, rounded tip arched over the city like a watchman. Jackson felt the beams of the Full Moon's rays shine on his hand, on the fingers that entwined with his brother's mate.