by Sarah Makela
He answered his phone, hoping his friend was only calling to say hi and nothing more. After last night, he needed peace and the ability to focus on protecting her. The druid would take his revenge, and neither knew how to find him, so they would have to wait until he revealed himself.
“Hey, Connor,” Dave said, his voice sounding normal, not afraid or submissive. Great. “I’m not catching you at a bad time, am I?”
“Nah, I’m at lunch. How are things going? It’s been a while.”
“You’ve had a lot on your plate, so I didn’t want to disturb you. However, there’s something you should know.” Dave let out a breath and went quiet.
He waited. His stomach sank, and he couldn’t wait for an answer. “What’s going on, Dave?”
“It’s…Monica.”
“What about her?” His voice dropped a few octaves, taking on a growling, gravelly tone. His beast lurched to the surface faster than he’d ever experienced.
“She’s trying to petition and fight to come back. Says if you’re not mated with Angelique by the deadline she’s still willing to be your mate, and Lowell should allow her to have a place at your side.” Dave sighed. “The Alpha is quiet and hasn’t told anyone his position on the subject. He hasn’t said he’ll bring her back, but he hasn’t disregarded the idea either.”
Nausea plagued him. Despite his werewolf needs to eat often, especially protein, he didn’t want any more food. He pushed the sandwich away and stared at it in disgust.
“Connor? Are you okay?” Dave sounded worried as if he would leap through the phone and rip out his throat. No, he wouldn’t do that. At least Dave had shared the news. He didn’t want to hear it. It pissed him off. No, more than that. The news downright infuriated him, but he still needed to be aware of the situation. It didn’t help that the wolves were quieter around him, aside from Dave.
“No, I’m not okay.” Part of him wanted to go to his office, pack his things, and work the rest of the day from home, but he had another meeting this afternoon. Maybe he could reschedule or leave afterward. While he’d planned on seeing Angelique again tonight, he might have to visit her tomorrow. If he told her what was happening with Monica’s petition, their relationship might be doomed, and now more than ever, he needed her in his life. She was the only one capable of saving him from utter hell and damnation. If he had to mate with Monica— He’d rather die.
Desperation pushed him to be with Angel. He loved her a lot. He only hoped she wouldn’t throw him away once more. If she ran away again, he didn’t know what he’d do.
“Sorry, Connor. I hate to be the one to break the news. I wish it wasn’t like that, but I thought you’d want to know.”
“Thank you, Dave. You’re a good friend.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m just hoping things go smoothly with Angelique because I do not want to be with Monica. She would make my life a living hell. I can’t handle it, man.” Frustration brought him near tears, but he shook them away. “I have to get back to my desk.”
“You’re probably not going to eat that sandwich, but you should.”
Connor jerked his head up to see Dave standing at the entrance to the cafe. Dave crossed the distance between them, then sat in the chair opposite him. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I was in the area. No, I actually was. You like this café, and it’s convenient to your office. When you said you were at lunch, I decided to see you for myself. I’m sorry about what’s going on.” Dave rose to leave.
Connor reached out his hand to grab the other man’s wrist but stopped himself. “You don’t have to go yet. I’ll split the sandwich with you. I’m not hungry anymore.” However, sharing with a submissive wolf wasn’t cut and dry. He had to eat what he wanted to first, only then could he allow Dave to have his portion. Just like real wolves.
Dave nodded. “If you want to share.” He lowered himself onto the chair.
“I do.” Connor split the sandwich, eating his half before serving the other half to Dave. Nauseas still wreaked havoc on his gut, but at least he had the energy to keep going.
“Why are you really here, Dave?” he asked, looking back at his friend.
If he needed to, he could use his dominant influence to make Dave tell him what he wanted to know, but he hated doing so. They’d been friends for a while, and Dave had been there for him. However, they had their ranks within the Pack. Dave wasn’t stupid. The wolf within them was great. They might act civilized, but their instincts weren’t human.
“Fine. I’m here because of Lowell. He wanted me to remind you of the deadline. With our friendship, he figured you wouldn’t take it aggressively if I told you, kind of a don’t-shoot-the-messenger?” Dave nervously laughed as if he wasn’t convinced. He didn’t need to fear.
Connor wouldn’t hurt Dave for two reasons. One, Dave had nothing to do with the deadline, and two, they were in a public place. He wouldn’t oust their kind or risk arrest over a fistfight.
“Was that so hard?” he said, then shook his head. “You could’ve come out and said it. You’re still alive, and I’m not an asshole, regardless of what Lowell thinks.” They used their Alpha’s human name due to the public setting. That way if someone listened in, they wouldn’t become suspicious. Or think they were nut jobs.
Dave shrugged. “Guess I’m never exactly sure how to handle you. I enjoy breathing.” He smiled, but it was still a bit hesitant.
“It’s okay. I understand. Tell Lowell I remember the deadline, and I’m doing my best under the circumstances. For fuck’s sake, I don’t want to rush things when that man attacked her last week. We haven’t had time to reconnect, never mind discussing mating.” Pressure built behind his eyes. He was in for a nasty headache.
“Sorry. I wish things were going better for you, man.” Dave frowned. “Thanks for lunch. I have to get out of here and head back to work.”
“Thanks for dropping by. I hate you had to come all the way out here to share the message.”
“Well, I’m bound by…” Dave glanced around the café. “I had to do it anyways. It’s not your fault.” He shrugged. They both knew that wasn’t true. His association with Connor was the reason he was here.
“Still.” He grabbed his briefcase and nodded. “You take care.” He headed back to his office, needing space. When he got off work, he’d explain to Angelique that he wouldn’t be able to come over. He hoped she’d understand but being at her place risked them arguing again.
Right now, he needed a plan to keep her safe and make her his mate.
Chapter Five
Angelique pulled into her driveway to find the woman from earlier sitting on her steps. Part of her wanted to scream and be left alone. While she loved Connor, she was glad he’d be staying home tonight.
He’d given her the safety talk about staying inside and not opening the door for anyone. Like she needed that. Why would she put herself in needless danger? For years, she’d taken care of herself without anyone looking out for her and Kira.
Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes. Remain calm. Riling herself would stir Kira, and her familiar didn’t need to get more wound up. That would make things worse.
She stepped out of the car and pulled her jacket closed against the cool breeze. “What are you doing here?”
Ravenna smiled. “You said to come back later, so I took you up on it.”
While part of her was interested in what Ravenna had to say, she had enough aggravation weighing on her. Angelique cursed. If only she hadn’t said that earlier, but she’d needed to get to work.
Besides, Ravenna was of her kind. She wanted to learn about her people since her parents hadn’t provided much information. They thought getting away from their people and blending into the normal world would be safer. The normal world wasn’t safe. If it had been safe, they would still be alive.
No one was left. A family friend had tattooed her familiar, but she felt like an outsider, someone who roamed and tried to stay safe. However, some
how the druid had caught her in his sights. Thoughts of running toyed with her again, but escape wouldn’t guarantee security. That would only make things harder and make her further stressed and paranoid.
She unlocked the front door. Uneasiness slithered along her skin. She remained on the front porch, looking around her neighborhood. Someone was out there, but she couldn’t spot anyone. Maybe Ravenna’s presence was unnerving her.
She shrugged her shoulders to loosen the tension.
“Is everything okay?” Frowning, Ravenna stared into the growing darkness. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Guess I’m feeling a bit paranoid after what happened.”
Ravenna shook her head. “You might be sensing his presence. Maybe he’s—”
“Let’s get inside.” She held the door for her, then secured the locks." How do I know it’s not your presence making me uncomfortable?” She locked eyes with her.
Sighing, Ravenna hung her head. “You don’t, but I’m not here to hurt you. There’s no way I am working with him since he’d want to take my gift as he tried to take yours.”
Couldn’t argue with that logic. However, that meant this woman risked herself by being here. Who’s to say Mahon wouldn’t come after her as furiously as he had Angelique? She refused to have anyone else’s blood on her hands.
“If that is the case, why are you here? You’re putting your life and your familiar’s in jeopardy by being here. I don’t want anyone else to suffer. With you being here, he’ll have the chance to take both of our familiars instead of just mine.” The low rumbling of her stomach quieted her protests. After the draining day at work, she wanted to have dinner, then get to bed early for a good night’s sleep.
Everyone had stared at her bruises, asking her how she was doing and what happened. She’d wanted to bury her face in her hands and ignore everyone, but of course, she couldn’t act antisocial. She had to act naturally. One of the ladies who sat near her told people to lay off toward the end of the day. She had appreciated that more than her co-worker could possibly know.
Ravenna sat at the kitchen island again, retaking the stool she’d sat in earlier that morning. “I’m here to help. Your life is in danger, and while you haven’t had the support of the community in the past, we’re still here. You don’t deserve death because your parents left.” Silence stretched between them. “I don’t know how much you know, but I can help. My father trained me and others of our kind. You should at least have the ability to protect yourself when you’re facing the enemy.”
Angelique didn’t even realize her kind trained. She’d thought when her people reached the right age, they received their familiars. That’s it. Her mother had only shared very little before she died.
Sighing, she wished she knew what to do now. Maybe she should ask this woman to get out of her house. Training? She never thought she would need something like that before, yet her love for Connor kept her from running now.
Unfortunately she needed to train to better use her abilities to protect herself and Kira.
The fact she’d now be using Kira as more than a companion frustrated her. She didn’t want to wield Kira as a weapon, as a tool. Kira was so much more to her than that.
Her familiar brushed against her shoulder, still hidden beneath her blouse and jacket. Deep down, Kira whispered that she was fine with it. Not to worry. Kira was happy to protect them. Angelique didn’t like it, but knowing that made her feel better. Besides, black panthers were accustomed to defending themselves and their cubs.
“I don’t want to cause you more stress, Angelique.” Ravenna’s voice drew her gaze toward her. She propped her elbow on the counter, resting her chin on her fist. The black raven’s head peeked out of her collar. Its head cocked to the side.
“Thanks.”
The bird watched her, unsettling her, and she could only imagine what Connor went through when she wore tank tops with Kira active. Shaking the thought away, she went back to fixing dinner. Before him, she’d never used her kitchen, but now, she didn’t mind cooking as much, especially with the memories of them in here. And, well, she stayed at home more too. He took over most of the cooking, but she could make a mean grilled cheese or cereal or other simple meals.
She got the milk from the fridge and looked at Ravenna. The woman just watched her intently. “What kind of training would you be providing?”
“I’ll teach whatever you need. I’m not sure what your parents taught, but I could go through the basics or whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“They didn’t talk about our gifts. They felt it was safer.”
Ravenna jerked back, almost tumbling off the stool. “Safer? You’re in danger. How can you defend yourself? While you don’t want to flash your gifts around, you’re better able to control what you know you’re capable of if you know what you’re doing.”
“Yes, but they always shut me down when I brought the subject up, so I never mentioned it.” She stirred the macaroni. Thoughts of her parents were always hard to deal with. Most of the time, it was better to not think of them. Not because she didn’t love them, but they weren’t how she wanted to be.
She wanted to be free and happy, yet she was constantly battling fear since reuniting with him. If he got hurt because of Mahon— Ugh, she didn’t want to think about it. However, running wouldn’t work. He’d only track her down again.
She had to admit, him being so passionate excited her. He cared enough about their relationship to find out why she’d left and try again. Perhaps she didn’t give him enough credit sometimes for what she put him through. Her whole life felt like one crisis after the other sometimes.
“I hate to hear that, Angelique. I wish your life had been better, but maybe we were meant to meet.” The stool scraped the tile floor, and Ravenna took a few steps toward her.
She set aside the finished macaroni. “Why do you think that?”
“So you will be able to develop your gifts.” Ravenna stayed where she was, leaning against the island. “It’s a good thing.”
She frowned. “I don’t see this as good. I’d rather not have had to go through it.”
The woman nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry.” She chewed her lower lip. “If you’re not up for this tonight, I can come back. Give me your number, I can even call and not intrude on your evenings like I did tonight.”
“Okay.” She grabbed a pen and paper, scribbling down her phone number. Although with the woman knowing her address, she was surprised she didn’t conjure her number too. Be nice. Even if only in her head. Ravenna had been very generous.
“Typically I’m home the same time as tonight.”
“Okay. Have a nice evening.” Ravenna waved.
“You too.”
The raven cawed making her jump as she took a bowl from the cupboard. Angelique grabbed the bowl before it fell.
Kira gave a rumbling growl and paced toward her neck. Her familiar wanted a shot at the bird.
Stay calm. I don’t need any more trouble tonight, please.
She followed Ravenna to the door, locking it behind her. She leaned against the front door. Once she finished eating, she was diving into bed without a second thought.
* * *
Mahon crouched deeper into the shadows of a nearby house. Somehow they’d sensed him, but he calmed his energy while they were inside. If he freaked Angelique out now, he could screw up his plans.
She closed the door behind the woman from yesterday. He was curious about this new face. While there was the possibility of her being related to the wolf Pack, for some reason, he didn’t suspect that to be the case. Hmm…
Perhaps she was someone of interest. He’d have to see if the woman came back again, then he could gain a better sense of her magic. Wolves had a distinct magical scent. If she wasn’t a wolf, she was another woman with a magical tattoo. A unique brand of power would surround her.
He smirked, excited at the potentia
l of finding someone else with the gift. This meant less work and more power in a shorter time span. Keeping Angelique alive longer wouldn’t only allow him to heal more, but may provide plenty of targets for him to pick off.
However, if he waited too long, he could risk her gaining more protectors to make taking her out a challenge. But he’d worry about that later. For now, he had errands to do before he came back in the morning to watch, waiting for the best time to strike.
The new woman stared in his direction before sprinting toward a car. There’s no way she could see him. He froze until she was in the car, then he headed for his car in the back alleyway.
Once inside his vehicle, Mahon whipped out his phone. He dialed up his old friend and fellow druid, Alfie, with a smirk on his face. Alfie had been his apprentice for many years, and they’d accomplished a lot together. He’d been the intermediary between the Celtic gods and mortals. Due to his position, his lifespan stretched farther than most. Sacrifices, both human and animal, had helped him gain this much power. Several rings passed, and he started to wonder about the guy. Would he ever pick up his bloody phone?
A gruff hello answered his demand.
“Ah, good to see you’re still answering your phone,” Mahon said, leaning back in the seat.
“Do you have any idea what time it is over here, lad? Or have you forgotten on your damn hunt to find that tattooed lass?” From the way Alfie spoke, he didn’t believe Mahon would ever find the girl. If Mahon had been thinking clearly, he would’ve called Alfie sooner. Although he hated to admit it, he’d underestimated his target.
It was just as well. After last week’s injuries, he needed rest and healing. The wolf had taken the fight from him.
Anger boiled at the thought, but he shoved it down, forcing himself to concentrate on the phone call. Now wasn’t the time to let his thoughts wander.
“Well, mate, I found her. Almost got the bloody tattoo, but a werewolf came to her rescue.”
Silence stretched over the phone line. “You’re telling me they do exist? These lasses aren’t just myth?” Alfie sounded cautious…skeptical even.