by Ines Johnson
The gesture was one of kindness and support; he told himself while his wolf purred in his head. There was construction in the parking lot and he didn't want her to trip over any loose gravel, he insisted while his wolf licked its chops.
If Lucia was at all uncomfortable, she would've pulled away. She should have pulled away. Not because she was claimed by his brother. Because she was a witch. And not just a normal witch, a coven witch.
Even city witches eschewed many of the inbred acts of chivalry wolves, elves, and most human males subscribed to. But Lucia didn't pull away from his grip. She hadn't reprimanded him when he'd opened the car door for her, either. She wasn't reacting in any way he'd been led to believe a coven witch would behave towards a man's courtesy.
Jackson wasn't being gallant. He was reacting the way a courting wolf intent on staking a claim would behave.
He handed her onto the sidewalk and released her hand. His attention was pulled to a thread as he walked a tightrope of keeping the chokehold on his wolf, who growled at the disconnection of what it claimed was his, and keeping a facade of cool on his face.
He wasn't the first male to have his wolf lust after a woman who was already taken. It was a common enough occurrence. He was an intelligent, civilized man. He would back off. He would get this under control.
It was just that back at the hospital the other night, and just now in the car, it was as though Lucia had seen right through him. Seen past his carefully constructed facade to the heart of him. You can't live your life to please others, she'd said. If you try, you're living their life, and you'll never do it right.
He wanted to admit to her that he thought she was right. He wanted to tell her about his law degree, his plans to move from law enforcement to policy maker. But as they neared the precinct building, he clammed up.
They approached the building and Lucia cowered into his side. His wolf growled low, eyes flashing to discover the threat. A delivery drone hovered overhead, a wrapped parcel hanging from its belly.
Looking down at Lucia, Jackson saw her hazel eyes glint silver in defense. He knew he should look away lest he be caught in her spell. But it was already too late for him. He was caught in the depths of her eyes when they were their natural hazel.
"It's how we deliver the mail," he said gently. "It won't hurt you."
She blinked, and the silver faded. "We don't have very many mechanicals were I come from." Now that she knew the device held no ill will towards her, she looked at it in fascination. "I've always wanted to fly."
Her eyes lit up like a child during the Yuletide Moon as the drone released its package down a chute. Man and wolf stood rooted to the spot as Lucia tilted her head up, watching the drone take off into the sky. With her head tilted back, her collarbone was exposed. Jackson had to swallow many times to hold his canines at bay.
Her eyes found his, the wonder in them shone bright under the Moon's pale light. "Did you know there are tales from the last millennia of witches who flew on brooms?"
Jackson fought to hold on to his center of gravity and not fall into the depths of her gaze. He swallowed twice more before words could make their way past desire. "I have heard some of those stories."
Her smile faltered, and she looked down at the ground, running a hand self-consciously over her hair. It took Jackson another long moment before he realized he'd been staring. He turned from her then and motioned for her to precede him into the precinct.
When the glass doors opened automatically, Lucia paused. "Is it magic?"
"No, not magic. Just science."
Lucia stepped back, and the doors closed. She stepped forward again, and they opened. "We weren't allowed to study much of the mechanical sciences in my coven. Mother Sage thought any subject besides Earth Science was the manifestos of misogynists."
"Not all men are out to subvert a woman's will."
"I know that," she said. "I was with my father for a few years, remember. But the other novice witches don't see any males until they're near their majority. Some not until their Rumwicca. A lot of the stories the elders tell about men are frightening."
"Are you frightened?"
"No," she whispered. "I'm very happy to be here."
She held his gaze for a moment too long. Jackson's wolf slipped its leash, but before it could get its claws into her, she walked past him and into the precinct.
Just beyond the doors, she froze. Her dead stop caused him to walk into her. Her ass came in direct contact with his groin and his beast pounced. Before Jackson could regain control of himself, the wolf grasped her shoulders and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply.
"I'm sorry," her voice wobbled. "I've just never been around this many males at once."
Jackson's eyes tore open at the tint of fear in her voice. All around him, men in police uniforms went about the business of protecting the citizens of the city. There were, of course, females in the policing force. But it was largely a man's calling to protect and serve in both the police force and the PPU.
Jackson fought his animalistic urge to regain hold of her hand, to tuck her lush curves into his side. Thankfully, his protective instincts overrode his lust. He stopped them from encircling her torso. His hands stayed on her shoulders. But there was only an inch between her ass and his cock.
"No one will touch you," he assured her.
Lucia gave a slight laugh. "Oh, I know." She rolled her shoulders beneath his palms. She easily evaded his grasp and turned to peer up into his face. "They're men."
Jackson chuckled. It was such a witchy thing to say.
"It just caught me off guard," she admitted.
Her wild hair fell into her face. Jackson raised his hand to move the strands aside so they no longer obstructed his view of her eyes. Her breath hitched as his fingers trailed her brow. Her eyes locked on his, and Jackson did not look away. If she wanted to she could spell him to eat his own hand and he would do so obediently.
Lucia's eyes did not flash silver, but they stared him down. Witches were prideful. Lucia would not appreciate it if he continued to touch her without her permission. He knew the only reason she allowed these minor infractions was because she thought they were family. She'd likely never heard that wolf brothers could imprint on the same woman. She likely didn't know the war that was waging inside him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I've been taking a lot of liberties touching you. I know it's not something you're used to. I'll try to stop myself."
"No." She raised her hand in a stopping motion. But at the last second she withdrew. "I mean... I don't mind. I like it. I like all the affection you and your family have shown me. I want to be a part of this family."
And by a part of this family, she meant mating his brother. Jackson balled his hand into a fist, and then placed it behind his back. "We should get started. Hopefully, we can find your father this night. Then you can be re-acquainted with him and introduce him to Pierce by the time he wakes up."
This woman would be his sister when his brother woke up. He needed to beat that into his wolf now. They turned and proceeded down the hallway of the precinct. They came to his desk. He indicated that she take a seat at the chair opposite him.
“Tell me your father's name and I should be able to find his address."
He wasn't looking directly at her. When the silence went on longer than he thought it should, he chanced a glance. Lucia bit her lip. Instead of looking at him, her eyes ping-ponged around the room.
"Lucia?"
Her eyes rose to his and then dipped away again. "There's something I didn't tell you."
Jackson leaned in, his heart pounding. His mind went through an irrational litany of topics. She wished he had kissed her in the hospital. She was rejecting Pierce's claim. She wanted to mate him instead.
"My father's a lone wolf."
Jackson blinked.
Lucia's chin dipped and her chest caved. "I didn't understand what that meant until you explained it on the way here. I remember traveling a lot;
camping, beaches, trains... I don't remember that we ever had a home." She started to speak again, but stopped. She closed her mouth and pushed the stray piece of hair out of her face like he'd wanted to do.
She glanced up at the exit door. Jackson followed her gaze. In his line of sight was his father's office. The door was closed, and the light was off. His father hadn't come in tonight. It was one of the few times the chief had taken a leave of absence; understandable because his youngest son was in the hospital. But Jackson couldn't remember his father ever not being behind that door or walking these halls. He couldn't remember a time when his father hadn't made it home to dinner, even if late. Family was paramount to his father.
Jackson turned his gaze back to Lucia. Here was a woman who had lost so much. The one thing she wanted, her family, might be forever out of reach and lost to the wind. The man she'd hitched herself to would likely head in the other direction on the opposing wind. More than ever Jackson wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her still, and let her know she was safe. With him.
Jackson reached across the desk towards her. "It's okay."
She stared at his hand for a moment before placing hers in his, then meeting his eyes.
"Everything will be okay, Lucia. I promise."
Jackson closed his fingers around hers, lacing hers with his down to the webbing. Someone would have to pull very hard if they ever wanted to break them apart. And if anyone ever tried, his wolf would rip their heads off.
Chapter Fourteen
From the window of the passenger seat, Lucia marveled at the tall concrete and metal structures. Witches typically lived in one-story homes. Fae royalty had glass spires, but she'd never seen any. The Fae of Tahoe Lake were all nightshade farmers and herbalists. Their homes and businesses rose no higher than three stories. Zooming down the streets of the human city, she had to lean back in her seat to find the tops of the buildings. They were so tall they scraped the sky.
At the bottoms of the buildings, Lucia noted the patches of earth spaced uniformly in front of and in between each structure. The flora of the forest didn't grow in such an orderly and manicured way. She supposed humankind and moonkind inserted the greenery into the concrete and brick to remind them of their connection to the earth beneath all the pavement.
She should have felt claustrophobic in such an unnatural place. She should've felt overwhelmed by the amount of bodies rushing up and down the paved walkways. Instead, she wanted to step out of the car and explore.
Beside her, Jackson played tour guide. He explained to her the purpose of many of the buildings they passed. Lucia was fascinated by a building with a golden dome Jackson called the bank. She knew what a bank was—conceptually. Witches had no need for currency being entirely self-sufficient. But Lucia had assumed that greed would've had everyone ransacking such an institution. Instead, an elf held open the door for an elderly she-wolf as he walked out and she walked into the building.
Jackson pointed out another structure that was dominated by golden arches. He said the place sold something called fast food.
"If you're hungry," he said, "they'll have it ready for you in five minutes or less."
Lucia couldn't imagine food preparation that took less than twenty minutes unless the food was a raw fruit or vegetable. Instead of disgusting her, she was fascinated. There was so much to see and do here. It would take a lifetime to explore the whole city. There would be some new place to see every day. She could lean into Jackson's side as he explained the function of each structure and stone.
She chanced a glance at him now. His eyes were focused on the road as they left the congested two lane streets and turned onto a massive, sinuous landscape of paved concrete full of vehicles zooming by at top speed. She should have been afraid at moving so fast with control out of her hands. But Lucia didn't feel a single ounce of fear.
Instead, she remembered the feel of Jackson's strong body behind hers. She remembered the assurance of his hands resting gently on her shoulders. No one had ever lent her their strength before. She would've never thought to ask for it. It had felt good to be cradled, held, supported.
As though he sensed her thoughts, Jackson turned to look at her. Directly into her gaze. Cars zoomed by and Jackson kept pace, steady hands on the wheel. He looked into her brown orbs, his tiger's eyes churning brown and gold. She would never tire of having his gaze on her, open and unafraid. She wanted to reach out and trace the lines of strength and compassion she saw there.
"What will you do in the city once... Pierce awakes?" he asked.
Lucia looked away. There was a sign up ahead. It was an inverted triangle that read, "yield." Her mind was clear now, and she had been thinking back to her time on the train with Pierce. He'd never reached for her; not once while they sat together. His eyes were often trained out the window, looking far away and not at her. She remembered very clearly that when she'd leaned in to kiss him on the platform, he'd leaned away from her looking surprised.
Lucia looked to Jackson who hadn't been able to keep his hands off her. He lived permanently in this city of wonders. He was as stable as the skyscrapers. But she'd already placed all her eggs in Pierce's basket, just like Clara had warned her against.
They passed the yield sign and Lucia felt weary. The seasonal Blue Moon was on its ascent into the sky. She felt the power coursing through her veins. Enough power that she could spell Jackson into claiming her if she wanted to. And in that moment, she wanted to.
But she wouldn't. She would never betray his trust—at least not anymore than she already had betrayed his entire family's trust by lying to them about the status of her relationship with Pierce.
A new sign hung up ahead. Detour, it read.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," she admitted. "My favorite job back in the coven was working in the library. But other than the requisite women's history and feminist tomes, we only had old books about history and the fall of civilizations."
"I love those kinds of books," Jackson's face beamed back at her. Then he bit his lip before continuing. "I... I have a law degree."
The way he said the words made Lucia think he was making a confession. "That makes sense if you're in law enforcement."
Jackson nodded, his eyes back on the road. "I had intended to go into politics. The creation of laws, the rise and fall of civilizations, it all fascinates me."
"My favorite civilization is the Egyptian empire," she said.
His eyes lit up. "Because their engineering and sciences were far more advanced than what we saw millennia later? Or because that's where the true seeds of democracy were first sewn?"
Now, Lucia bit the inside of her cheek before she spoke. "Um, those are good reasons. But I liked that women were truly equal in that society. The first female rulers came from Egypt."
Jackson chuckled and then turned serious. "You know that wolves place their females on a pedestal, not because we think them weak. It's because we think them a precious prize we would give our lives to defend."
The Moon loomed large in the night's sky and Lucia felt the pull of her nature to spell this man. Her palms itched with the abundance of power at her fingertips. Her eyes watered as the silver moonglow pushed at her irises. Up ahead, a new hanging sign read, "Wrong Way."
Lucia turned her head out of the window and stared at the other cars zooming by. "Do you think my father will be at this address you have; that of his old pack?"
Jackson removed a hand from the wheel and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. "Lone wolves are males without a pack," he said softly. "They have no loyalties, no homeland. They have family. They just don't feel bound to them like other wolves do. A pack wolf would never leave his woman or his family. Not ever."
His description sounded miserable to Lucia. She understood the loneliness of being an island to one's self. "He was loyal to me and my mother... once."
Jackson replaced his hand on the wheel as he made a turn that led them from the pack of vehicles and onto a solitary street. "If
a lone wolf is not bound, they roam."
"Like Pierce?"
Jackson's jaw tensed. They came to a red light at a cross section and he stopped the car in the middle of the road. "You said that Pierce claimed you. A lone wolf wouldn't do that."
Except Pierce hadn't done that, and when he woke up, he'd be off again roaming. She turned back to Jackson, but his eyes were on the road. The encircled light turned green, which meant it was time to get moving again.
That's what Lucia would do soon. Pierce would wake up and they all would learn the truth. She wouldn't be able to stay with the Alcedes. Her father hadn't likely been barred from the mountain like she'd always believed, he'd probably moved on long ago. Lucia would be alone again, but this time she'd be well and truly alone. No Sisters to turn to. No man either.
The next time they stopped they were at a house. Even under the pale moonlight, Lucia saw that the home badly needed repairs. The paint was chipped. The roof looked in shambles. Debris littered the yard.
Jackson got out of the car. He came around the side. Lucia knew to wait for him to open the door. She could open it herself, but there was something about having Jackson do it for her. Something about the way he offered her his hand to debark that made her pulse quicken. It made her feel cared for, like she was important, like she was high up on a pedestal.
Jackson held on to her hand as they walked through the warped gate at the front of the property. Lucia wrapped her fingers around his strong palm and held on. The heat of his touch permeated her skin.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
She wasn't, but she nodded.
They walked up to the door. She hesitated. It was Jackson who knocked for her.
It took several moments for the door to open. When it did a haggard older woman put her head out the door.
"We're looking for Luke Serrano," said Jackson.
"Never heard of him." The woman went to slam the door.