by Bianca D’Arc
Chapter Twenty-One
Helen sat at Jim’s side, seemingly fascinated by the younger werewolf as they recounted the events of the day for her. Helen was both appalled at the dire situation Kiki had been in and proud of her little sister for having saved the day with her knowledge and bravery. Helen admitted that she’d been sent to get Patches, as she called her, out of trouble but was very happy to see that it was unnecessary. Then, Helen volunteered to go to the plant tomorrow with the rest of them to help clear the place of possible magical traps and begin cleansing the area.
Ben, Arch and Jim left with Helen, taking her to the hotel where she had already reserved a room, knowing the cottage was way too small and not wanting to impose. Helen’s eyebrows rose when Jack stayed behind with Kiki, but then she just smiled and left with the others. Kiki was going to have to have a long, private conversation with her sister about shifter mating, but that could wait until tomorrow.
Tonight, she was going to enjoy being alone with her shifter mate…
*
Kiki was doing her best to catch her breath after some of the most intense lovemaking of her life. She’d never known there could be such pleasure, such joy…such love. Jack was showing her things she never imagined she’d ever find. He’d arranged them in her bed so that she rested her head on his shoulder.
“We’ve got to get a bigger bed,” Jack said, his voice pitched low, his tone teasing.
“You think?” she replied, content and amused but too wrung out to expend much energy on talking.
“Where do you want to live?” he asked, his arm tightening around her waist. “I mean, if you want to go on working at the plant after all this, I guess we could stay here, but much as I love this cottage for protecting you, it’s not really big enough for me.”
“Where do you live? The headquarters for SeaLife is near Seattle, right?” she asked, frowning a bit. Where they’d live hadn’t really occurred to her until he’d brought it up.
“Grizzly Cove. It’s below Seattle, on the coast. The town is new and sort of off the beaten track, but I don’t really live there. My brothers just moved there to be with their mates. Before that, we moved around a lot. The last place we spent any real time was Phoenix,” he said, a contemplative tone in his voice.
“But you’d probably like to be near your brothers, right?”
“Yeah, but don’t you want to live near your family?” He shifted them around so he could lean up to meet her gaze.
Kiki shook her head. “I love them, but I’ve never really fit in with them,” she explained, finding it difficult to put a lifetime of disappointment in herself into words. “I was happy to leave so I could go to college and content to work away from the family farm, so I could try to be a success on my own, in the non-magical world.” She tried not to let the hurt show, but she had to be truthful with Jack, of all people. “They love me, but I was always a bit of a disappointment to them.”
“You could never disappoint me. In any way,” Jack whispered, then leaned down and kissed her.
From him, she had the love and acceptance she’d always craved. He was her magic. He was the thing she’d searched for all her life without even knowing it. Love. Laughter. Acceptance… Jack.
He drew back and gazed solemnly down at her. “Do you want to keep working at the plant? If not, I think Ezra would probably hire us both on a more permanent basis if we wanted to troubleshoot for SeaLife. This plant wasn’t the only business in their portfolio that has problems, and since the new ownership took over, they’ve been working overtime to straighten things out. Or we could find something a little less dangerous.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” she quipped, though she wasn’t really sure she wanted to be involved in anything like what had happened the previous afternoon, ever again.
“Well, we can visit Grizzly Cove for a bit, if you want. I’d like you to meet my family. We can take a look around and see if it’s for us. If not, then we’ll find another place.” Jack shrugged. “As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”
Kiki rose and rolled so that she was on top of him. “I feel the same,” she told him, reaching between their bodies to see if he might be interested in a little more…uh…vigorous demonstrations of their commitment to each other. Surprise, surprise. He was.
Their lovemaking, this time, was eager and playful. Kiki stayed on top and took him at her pace as he gazed at her with what she could only describe as eyes full of love. She was never in doubt when she was with him. She knew he loved her, now, and she had the delicious feeling that this mutual lovefest would last for the rest of their days.
She rode him gently at first, then with more focus, as she drove them both higher and higher. When her hunger came to the apex, she cried out his name, and he held her, helping her through the climax that stole her breath. After she’d had a moment to regain her sanity, he sat up and reversed their positions. Then, he started all over again, raising her passion thrust by delicious thrust, until finally, they exploded toward the stars, together.
*
Jack and Kiki were just getting ready to leave the cottage so they could meet up with Helen, Ben, and the two werewolves when there was a knock on the front door. Jack went immediately on alert. That knock hadn’t sounded like any of the four they were supposed to meet, and there was a scent—very faint, but very familiar.
Jack went to the door. The fey garden and Kiki’s rudimentary wards wouldn’t let anything dangerous through, and if he was right, he’d be very happy to see the new guests. He opened the door and sure enough, there were his brothers and their new mates, grinning at him on the other side of the threshold.
“Sorry to barge in unannounced,” Sabrina said, standing next to Ace.
“A few of the magic circle folks in Grizzly Cove sort of insisted we make the trip,” Ace added, grinning at Jack. “Apparently, you’ve stumbled onto something important here, and we’re supposed to make connections that will help everybody in the future.”
Kiki picked that moment to join Jack at the door. She had been finishing dressing in the bedroom and was just putting in her second earring as she walked up behind him.
“Who’s at the…?” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the crowd outside. Four people. Two big men who looked a lot like Jack and two women. Jack’s brothers and their wives?
Jack turned to her, his expression tight. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t know they were coming, or I’d have said something.” He turned back to the group outside. “You really should’ve called, Ace.”
“It’s okay,” Kiki insisted. “Don’t leave them standing on the doorstep. Invite them in,” she told Jack, patting his shoulder.
He stepped back and opened the door wide, making room for the others to enter. “You heard the lady. Welcome to Kiki’s cottage.” He was shaking his head, but he had the hint of a smile on his lips.
The big men filled the cottage’s small living room, one couple taking the couch, the other fellow taking the overstuffed chair and tugging his wife down onto his lap. Cozy. Kiki was nervous. This was Jack’s family. Would they like her? Had they come to pass judgment on her or something? She didn’t know what to do or say, so she fell back on the manners her mother had taught all her children.
“Can I get you some coffee?” she asked her guests, but they all declined.
“Sorry for barging in on you like this,” the woman sitting on her husband’s lap said, a slight flush of pink on her cheeks. “Your address was in your file and Ezra gave it to us.”
“We got here as fast as we could, but it’s a long trip from the coast, and we realized too late that we’d probably miss the main event.” The brother sitting on the chair added. “Sorry, Jack.”
“That’s okay,” Jack said with a big grin as he put his arm around Kiki’s shoulder. “As it turned out, Kiki saved the day.”
“But you said she had no magic,” the man on the couch stated rather bluntly, making Kiki cringe. The woman next to him put her han
d on his shoulder and smiled at Kiki.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she said, giving Kiki a conspiratorial wink. “I’m Sabrina, by the way.”
“Oh, sorry,” Jack muttered. “Kiki, that’s my brother, Ace, on the couch with his mate, Sabrina, and the two on the chair are King and Marilee.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Kiki murmured.
Jack tightened his grip on her shoulders. “Kiki is my mate,” he proclaimed, seeming to take his brothers by surprise, though the women just smiled as if they’d guessed.
“That’s fantastic news, little bro,” King said, smiling broadly as he and Marilee stood and came over to Jack and Kiki, who were still standing. “Welcome to the family, Kiki.”
Hugs were exchanged, and Kiki started to feel as if maybe these people would accept her as she was, no magic and all. Ace and Sabrina hugged her too, uttering welcoming phrases that touched her heart. They all seemed like such nice people. Kiki shouldn’t have been surprised. Jack was a keeper. His family was bound to be just as nice as he was.
When they’d all settled down again, Ace demanded an explanation of everything that had taken place the day before. Jack gave him a precise play-by-play, and when he got to the end of the story, they were all very complimentary about the way Kiki had thought to use the herbs to break the dark ward. They were also surprised by the appearance of the two werewolves.
“Arch and Jim are here?” King demanded.
“Yeah, we were just about to head out to meet them at the hotel and then go over to the mill and begin investigating and cleanup. I think they took turns watching the place overnight, just to make sure nobody messed with anything,” Jack explained. “Oh, and Kiki’s sister, Helen, also showed up last night. She’s at the hotel, too.”
“Great,” Sabrina exclaimed. “I think she’s the one I need to speak to. At least, according to Gus.” Sabrina grinned at Kiki. “Gus is the resident shaman in Grizzly Cove. He has his mysterious ways.” She waggled her fingers in the air while making a ghostly woo sound, which made Kiki laugh. “I’m a weather witch, in case Jack didn’t tell you,” Sabrina went on. “Need more rain on your crops? I’m your girl.”
“I don’t have any crops, per se, but be careful around my brothers. They might just put you to work,” Kiki warned, liking Sabrina instantly.
“Well, we’re here now, and we’re happy to help with the investigation and cleanup at the mill. Beth and Trevor are footing the bill for this entire excursion, so we might as well do some work for them,” Ace said. It took Kiki a moment to realize the Beth and Trevor he was talking about so casually were the new owners of SeaLife Enterprises.
“We’ve got a rental car, so we’ll follow you,” King said, already dangling the keys from his hand. Apparently, when the brothers decided to take action, they didn’t let any grass grow under their feet.
Marilee touched Kiki’s arm as she passed, following her mate toward the door. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to them,” Marilee offered quietly, grinning. Kiki wasn’t so sure.
Jack and Kiki rode to the paper mill on his bike. She’d dressed casually today, knowing it wasn’t going to be a regular work day. Nobody else would be at the mill, just the team of shifters and magical folk who had come to assess the site and figure out what to do next.
They led the way to the hotel, where they met up with Helen, Ben and Arch. Jim, they explained, was already on duty guarding the factory. Arch had a motorcycle, but Ben had a rental car, and he drove Helen in the little parade that eventually ended up at the plant. They’d waited to make introductions to Jack’s family until they were at the plant and away from possible prying eyes.
They parked right by the front door, finding Jim there, waiting. Kiki heard Arch ask Jim if there’d been any problems, but she couldn’t hear Jim’s reply. It was lengthy, which led her to believe there had been something going on here while the rest of them had been resting.
They all headed into the main lobby, and Kiki introduced everybody to her sister. Arch and Jim exchanged friendly greetings with Jack’s brothers, and everybody was made aware of everybody else and where they fit into this odd little troupe.
“A few of the employees tried to get in earlier,” Jim reported once introductions had been made. “I took names and license plate numbers and told them to go home until next week. A few were more insistent, and I had to threaten to call the police.”
Jack took the clipboard Jim held out that had the names and notations. He shared it with Kiki, which she appreciated.
“Bob is the manager, so it makes sense he thought he should at least check on things,” she mused as they read over the list. “But Buford Somersby? He’s a warehouse employee. He’s a forklift operator, if I remember correctly. He doesn’t have any real responsibility for the operation. He’s just an entry-level employee. I would’ve thought he’d be happy for the paid time off.”
“And he made a big stink about needing to check his area,” Jim put in.
“Which makes me think we’d better check his area very closely,” Jack observed.
“I’ll work security with Jim, if you don’t need me back there,” Ben said. “That way, one of us can stay up here while the other does a perimeter sweep.”
“Good thinking.” Jack nodded in agreement. “If we need your input, we’ll call you, but I really don’t expect anything urgent will turn up.”
Jack led everyone except Ben and Jim to the back of the building where it went from office to lab, taking time to explain the basic layout of the place and, specifically, where Carol had worked. They decided to look at her lab first, then the ritual site in the warehouse where everything had happened, and then check the cafeteria kitchen. After those locations, they’d fan out and check every inch of the place in more detail.
When they entered the lab, Jack took point. “I can’t sense anything overt,” he said after a moment. “Sabrina? Helen? Do either of you sense anything?”
“Not here,” Sabrina said quietly. “This area is clear, but that office…” She pointed to the opening that led to Carol’s private office.
“Yeah, that makes sense. That’s Carol’s desk and her private papers,” Kiki said, moving to stand next to Jack.
“Do you have any of those herbs, honey?” Jack asked gently. He’d suggested that Kiki bring whatever she had with her this morning, and she’d even taken a few minutes to pick some fresh springs on her way out of the cottage.
Kiki smiled at him and opened the little bag she’d brought with her. It was chock full of magical herbs from the fey garden.
“That little willow wand might be useful—” Helen began, but Kiki cut her off.
“Hel, please. I know what I’m doing.” Kiki grabbed the willow wand and a sprig of lavender, twining them together before she made a counter-clockwise, spiral motion, with just the tip of the wand, starting in the center of the opening to the office.
Kiki recited the words she had been taught to unwind a spell. Not that she’d ever been able to do much with those words before. The magic of the ingredients from the fey garden at the cottage had to be making all the difference.
Or, maybe it was Jack. He was at her side. Her good luck charm. Her very own magic in a tall, sexy package.
Whatever the reason, Kiki was able to cut through Carol’s residual magic like a hot knife through butter. She gathered the threads of the sturdy wards that had survived Carol’s demise on the tip of her willow wand, the lavender acting as a block to protect Kiki. When she had it all, she redirected the energy to the earth, where it could dissipate harmlessly.
“Nicely done,” Sabrina paused to comment.
Kiki felt the compliment down to her toes. She stepped back when Jack indicated he wanted to go into the office first.
“Is that safe?” Helen asked, moving to stand at Kiki’s side while they watched Jack check out Carol’s office.
“He’s a bear, Hel.” Kiki said, sounding like more of an authority than she really was on the matter. Al
though, she had seen him take a pounding from Carol’s ward in the warehouse and just shrug it off. “Jack is very sturdy,” she added. “I’ve seen magic just roll off his fur.”
“But he’s not furry now,” Helen said, watching Jack with a concerned expression.
“Don’t worry,” King said, coming up beside Helen. “We bears are among the most magical of shifters, and we’re pretty impervious to a wide variety of things. Jack will be fine.”
“He’s also the biggest of the three of us,” Ace put in, standing beside Kiki.
“As he constantly reminds us,” King added.
“He’s built pretty much like a tank,” Ace assured them as something sparked, and Jack muttered under his breath.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You okay, Jack?” Kiki couldn’t help but ask.
“Fine. Just a little singed. Carol had a nasty trap on her personal space, but it’s been sprung now, and it’s dissipated. I think the office is clear,” he reported, coming back to the doorway.
“If you’ve got the office covered, we’ll look at the lab areas,” Ace told his brother. Jack nodded, and the other two men left to check out the other parts of the lab. Their mates stuck with them, leaving Helen with Kiki and Jack.
“Would you ladies like to help me examine Carol’s filing cabinets?” Jack asked.
Helen stepped right up. “Sure. What are we looking for?”
“Any evidence that might help us figure out who else she was working with or allied with. Why she chose this plant for her efforts. Any magical texts that need to be handled with care and removed to a safer location. That sort of thing,” Jack told her as he sat down behind Carol’s desk and started rifling through the drawers.
Kiki took one of the tall filing cabinets against the far wall of the office, where there was an entire row of the things. Helen started at the opposite end of the row from Kiki, and they worked toward the center while Jack checked out the desk and the smaller cabinets behind it.