by Bianca D'Arc
“I see your point.” Sally searched her mind for what little first aid she knew. She dug a small pocketknife out of her pocket. “What about germs? Should I sterilize this?”
“Infection is not a worry. The silver poison that is already spreading through her body is. Time is of the essence.” Dmitri sounded worried, which spurred Sally into action.
She pulled the fabric away that she’d used to try to stop the flow of the nymph’s sap-like blood. The ground soaked it up like rainwater. Sally could see the silver of the bullet, not too far down inside her flesh.
Gritting her teeth, she dug into the wound as gently as she could, coaxing the bullet out as quickly as her fingers would allow.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled as Leonora’s body went rigid on the forest floor. With only a little more effort, the bullet came out.
Leonora’s relief was evident almost immediately, but her blood still flowed.
“Put the bullet in your pocket. Best not to litter the forest with something that could harm our furry friends,” Dmitri advised. Sally saw the merit in his words and put the dully gleaming bullet away.
“Such a small thing to cause so much harm.” She looked from Leonora to Dmitri. “What now? She’s still bleeding and I can’t seem to get it to stop.”
Dmitri crouched on Leonora’s other side, across from Sally. He took her hand and smiled gently at the bleeding nymph.
“So it is true that dryads bleed tree sap. I’ve always wondered.” His teasing words brought a faint smile to Leonora’s face, though her energy was fading.
“Of course you have, old friend. But it is too magical for the likes of you. If you’re tempted to taste, go slow. It could change you for all time.”
“What can we do for you now, sweetling?” Dmitri was so tender with Leonora, it brought a tear to Sally’s eye. Could Leonora be dying? Is that why the ancient vampire was being so kind to her?
Sally wouldn’t stand for it. Not when she’d finally found her. Sally had lost enough people in her life. She wasn’t about to lose the only grandmother she’d ever known.
Sally called on her power as she’d never done before.
Wind sang through the leaves, whipping the forest into action. The branches of the willow under which they sat closed in around them, forming a canopy. A living, breathing, leafy green canopy in the night that blocked out almost everything. Only Dmitri and Sally hovered within, Leonora between them.
“I think your granddaughter is unwilling to let you travel beyond this realm just yet, my friend.” Dmitri’s eyes blazed encouragement in the night. An unearthly light surrounded them, painting each living thing within the dome of the tree in a hazy glow. Dmitri was outlined in red, Leonora in the purest golden green, while Sally’s light was more toward the muddy end of the spectrum, a sort of olive green that leaned heavily toward brown. It was darker than Leonora’s golden light, but it was no less powerful.
“Her light is that of the earth itself,” Leonora whispered, her gaze taking in the magic Sally had called with what looked like pride. “It can heal me, but not quickly and not alone.”
“Tell me what else I need to keep you here, grandmother,” Sally pleaded. “I’ll do everything I can. Just tell me how. I know so little of my heritage.”
“And yet you’ve learned so much,” Leonora said. Her gaze was calmer now as the bleeding began to slow. “This willow will protect me while you gather the necessary people.”
“People?” Sally was confused.
“Your tree, my dear. You must find your sister and cousins. It will take a blending of all their magics with yours to bring me back. I can heal with help of the forest alone, but it would take many decades. If you can find your relatives and bring them here, together you could augment the power of this wood many times over. For now, you must put me in the care of the forest. The willow will anchor my body to this realm while it heals. My spirit will float on the edge of this realm and the next while you fulfill your quest.”
“Will you take the gift of my blood to help sustain you while you rest, Leonora?” Dmitri asked in a gentle voice. “Fair warning though—it could change you for all time as well.” He winked at Leonora, bringing a faint smile to her face. One of her eyebrows quirked upward.
“An even exchange then? It’s probably about time we expanded the bounds of our friendship to include that kind of trust.”
Dmitri nodded gravely, the smile still touching his lips. “As you say, my old friend. I have long valued your presence in the woods near where I have made my home.”
“And your empire,” Leonora added with a weak grin. She was losing energy. Whatever they were going to do, they had to do it now.
Sally’s power flared along with her worry. That seemed to get Dmitri’s attention.
“Right. Let’s get on with this so you can rest more easily,” he said, his gaze moving from Leonora’s to Sally’s.
Lifting one hand, he shifted the shape of just one finger into a wickedly sharp claw. Sally felt the rush of magic in a way she’d never before experienced and saw the glow of red increase around his hand as he willed it to change. Before she knew what he intended, he used the claw to slash a fine line over his other wrist. Blood welled and he was careful to drip it directly into the hole in Leonora’s shoulder.
From about twelve inches above, he dripped his dark red blood into the wound as Sally watched, dumbfounded by his actions. Leonora wasn’t complaining, other than an initial hiss as the first drop found its way into the wound and sent up a sizzle as it began to react with her own chemistry. Sally had to trust that these two magical creatures knew what they were doing. She was totally out of her depth where vampire blood was concerned.
Dmitri stopped at exactly thirteen drops. He removed his hand from over Leonora’s body and licked at the remainder of blood on his wrist. When Sally looked at his wrist, the wound was gone. Not even a faint scar remained. Amazing.
Leonora looked a little better too. Her wound was bubbling with pinkish light as her magical blood met and was aided by Dmitri’s. She stopped fading though she was quite obviously still in bad shape. Still, the effects of the poison seemed to have stopped in their tracks. She wasn’t getting any worse, which was a huge relief.
“You’ll understand my inclination to wait until you are completely healed of the poison to complete our exchange.” Dmitri bowed his head in a formal manner.
Leonora nodded slightly, a faint smile hovering over her lips. “I look forward to the day I can fulfill my promise. For now, I must rest in the wildwood.”
“And I will guard over your resting place by night, my old friend.”
“The wolves will watch by day,” Sally said without thinking.
“Already you speak on behalf of your mate?” Leonora seemed amused.
“I—”
“Don’t worry. I approve wholeheartedly of Jason Moore. He’s nothing like the creature my Marisol chose to wed. He’s a good and honest man and you will do well with him. He will also support you on your quest, which could be useful. It’s a good match.”
Sally was speechless. She and Jason…well, it didn’t bear thinking about at the moment. It was too complicated.
“You will find your way,” Leonora assured her. The woman amazed her. She was at death’s door and here she was reassuring Sally. Leonora was a trooper, that was for sure.
A tear tracked down Sally’s face to splash onto the leaves that were hovering close. It sparked silver off the leaf. Only then did Sally realize the willow was weeping. It rained dew from its leaves onto Leonora, though none of the three within the circle of the willow’s embrace were wet.
The silver sparkling dew was life. The tree’s life force. Perhaps the whole forest’s life force, being given to the nymph who loved and sustained this portion of the wildwood. The dew landed on Leonora and her body soaked it in. The dew seemed to be somehow preparing her body for what would come next, if Sally understood what it was Leonora wanted her to do.
; “It’s nearly time.” Leonora’s voice was fading as her own power ebbed. “You must deliver me into the willow. It will hold my body safe for as long as it takes.”
Dmitri pressed a quick kiss to Leonora’s hand, then retreated a short distance, not touching her. He nodded toward Sally and she took his signal to mean that it was show time. Now if only she knew what it was she was supposed to do.
“Speak the willow’s name in your heart,” Leonora coached. Sally held tight to her hand, disliking the way her skin had cooled. Leonora was in bad shape. “Ask for its help. Send it your power to help it do what it must.”
Sally tried to do as Leonora instructed. She searched for and found the willow’s name. How? She had no idea. She only knew that when she sent her thoughts spiraling toward the tree, she knew exactly what to say. It was as if some ancient instinct kicked in and took her by the hand, showing her what to do.
Sally kissed Leonora’s hand much as Dmitri had done, then moved back a few inches to let the willow do what it would. It was in the tree’s hands—or limbs, rather—now. As she watched, feeding her power to the pliable branches of the willow tree, small tendrils snaked down from above and wove a complex pattern under Leonora’s pale body. In no time at all, it had woven a sort of basket around her. Sally and Dmitri stood as one when the branches lifted Leonora off the ground, raising her to a standing position before pulling her into the heart of the tree.
She blended with the trunk in a flash of golden, green and pulsing brown light. A blend of her magic and Sally’s, along with a hint of the blood red essence that Sally now recognized as Dmitri. The power flared to a high intensity. It was so bright, Sally had to look away. When she turned back, Leonora was inside the tree, standing in the trunk as it slowly faded from crystal clear, to translucent, then to opaque.
Before she lost sight of her completely, Leonora smiled. She looked stronger. Happy in the embrace of the tree’s ancient wisdom. Sally had touched its heart, its mind, and knew it would hold her safe for as long as it took, sustaining Leonora’s life with its own. With the life of the very forest around it, if necessary. It was her guardian now, and honored to be so.
“I’ll miss you, Leonora,” she whispered tearfully.
“I’ll be with you in spirit, granddaughter.” Sally shook her head, surprised to hear the voice in her mind. “Now go settle things with your mate. I’ll be around, but not often. It’s taxing to communicate this way, so don’t expect me to be here all the time. Just know that if you need me, I can be with you in your thoughts.”
“Wow.”
Leonora’s tinkling laughter faded as did the touch on Sally’s mind as the willow returned to its normal appearance. With a last word of thanks to the tree that would give its life for Leonora’s if necessary, she drew her newfound power back. The glow of magic faded and the forest returned to normal. The leaves parted as if driven by the wind, and a circle of wolves were waiting for her.
Dmitri faded into nothingness, mist evaporating before anyone could see him. Leaving her to face the music all alone. Nice.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where is she?” Jason stepped forward, facing Sally, his gaze speaking of his fear that Leonora had indeed died.
“She rests inside this willow until I can gather her granddaughters and bring her back.”
“Then our Pack will guard her resting place.” Jason didn’t let her down.
“Good. Because I already sort of promised her you would.” Sally tried to brazen it out but ended up smiling sheepishly, wondering if she’d overstepped some sort of magical boundary.
Jason surprised her by yanking her into his arms for a fierce kiss. It was a possessive kiss. In front of the toughest wolves in his Pack.
Instead of jeering and complaints, Sally was shocked to hear wolf howls in the night. Joyous wolf howls.
When Jason let her up for air, he turned her in his arms to meet the gazes of the main fighting force in his Pack. Some were in human form. Many were wolves. Quite a few of them were bloodstained, but it didn’t seem to be their blood. Why that sent a rush of relief through her, she’d question later.
“They all saw your power, sweetheart,” Jason whispered in her ear. “They’ll accept you as their Alpha female.” She turned in his arms to look at him. He looked suddenly uncertain. “If you’ll accept me, that is.”
“Accept you?”
“As your mate. Your husband. For as many years as the Lady grants us. After all, wolves mate for life.” He went down on one knee and the howls stopped as the whole forest seemed to hold its breath. “Will you be mine, Sally?”
Her heart felt like it would burst with joy. The emotional roller coaster of the day had just taken her to an all-new height.
“Are you sure?”
“Surer than I’ve ever been about anything. I love you, Sally.”
“Oh, Jason.” She choked up. Reaching down with one hand, she cupped his cheek. He was so tall, even kneeling he was close to her eye level. “I love you too.”
She closed the space between them and kissed him with all the love blossoming inside her. The howls resumed at an even louder volume. She heard it only dimly as Jason stood, lifting her into his arms as he continued to dominate her mouth in the most thrilling kiss she’d ever received. She’d instigated it, but he’d taken control in a big way.
The earth fell away beneath her as Jason began to move. He continued to kiss her as he walked and before she knew where they were, he was placing her on the softly cushioned passenger seat of the truck. He broke the kiss, taking time to fasten her seatbelt before bolting around to the driver’s side.
The ride passed in a blur through country she hadn’t seen before on roads she’d never been down.
“Where are we going? Not the Pack house.” Nothing looked familiar at all.
“Not the Pack house,” he agreed, pulling into a driveway that led through the dark heart of the forest.
She couldn’t see where it led for all the trees. Wherever he was taking her, it was well hidden in the woods.
They rounded another bend and there it was before her. A lovely, rustic log home that blended beautifully with its surroundings. It added to the forest, not invaded.
“This is my home. Yours now too, if you agree.” He stopped the car, turned off the engine and sat there for a moment, his hands tense on the steering wheel. “If you don’t like it, we can build somewhere else. Anywhere you want, Sally.”
She liked that he was willing to sacrifice this beautiful place for her, but she would never dream of asking that of him. It was clear he belonged in the wild places. This house suited him.
“It’s beautiful, Jason.”
“Come on, I’ll show you around.” Relief filled his voice as he opened the door and came around to her side to help her out of the truck.
He surprised her by lifting her into his arms again. He wasn’t letting her walk. Not one foot. He marched her right up the steps and paused only when he came to the threshold. It was a significant moment. She felt like a bride, even if they hadn’t had an official ceremony.
“Do werewolves have weddings?” She spoke the words as she thought them.
Jason paused. “Not like the shindigs in the human world. In the eyes of my Pack, we’re already mated. They’ll probably throw us a party at some point, when we have time to celebrate.”
“Okay, but I’m human.” She placed one hand on his chest.
“And part dryad,” he went along with the spirit of her teasing.
“I thought it was nymph.”
“Dryads are a kind of nymph. The ones who look after trees,” he confirmed as he walked through the house. She wasn’t able to see much of it. He seemed to have a singular destination in mind.
“There are other kinds of nymphs?”
“A few. But we can talk about that later. What does the human part of you require, my love?” Oh, she liked the sound of that. His love. Part of her wanted to bask in that for a little while, but he dipped to
open a door and jostled her.
It was the door to his bedroom. He carried her over that threshold too and walked right up to a massive, wood framed bed.
“I want a wedding. One I can invite my friends to, like normal people.” He placed her on her feet, only inches away from the edge of the mattress.
“Might I point out that most of your friends are vampires?”
“Details, details,” she teased as he began to undress her and she returned the favor.
He removed her weapons first, placing them on the nightstand alongside his own. He then made short work of his shirt and hers, throwing them to the floor somewhere behind him. She’d have to pick up after him later, but for the moment, all she wanted to do was feel his bare skin against hers.
He reached around her to release the clasp of her bra, dragging out the motions, making the act an embrace in itself. She rested her head on his deeply muscled shoulder while he unhooked the bra one tiny hook at a time. When all were free, he held her for a long, timeless moment, rubbing circles on the skin of her back, rocking her slightly within the circle of his arms.
When he finally stepped back, he took the straps of the bra with him, revealing her breasts to his gaze. His hands rose to cup her, fingering her nipples with his large, work-roughened hands. The dark tan of his skin made a tempting contrast with the parts of her body that never saw the tanning rays of the sun. He stood, less than a foot away from her, his hands laying claim to her bounty as his gaze met hers.
“You’re mine, Sally. For the rest of our lives.”
The moment was charged with a delicious electric tension. He seemed to be waiting for her reply, though she’d already told him she loved him in front of his Pack. What more validation could he want?
“For the rest of our lives,” she repeated. “So don’t you get any ideas about chasing any other tails but mine,” she teased. Which brought up another question in her mind.