Asanni

by J. F. Kaufmann

“I couldn’t kill him, Jack. He was so scared.”

  “Of course. That’s okay.”

  “The other two?”

  “Dead.”

  “Oh... Jack?”

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “I’m hungry.”

  Jack pressed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. “Tristan’s making something for you.”

  Astrid sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, a soft, amber gaze met Jack’s eyes.

  Tristan came in with a bowl in his hands. “Does your Highness prefer her dinner served in the dining salon, or here in the casual comfort of her chamber?” he asked, smiling.

  Jack voiced Astrid’s reply. “As long as our faithful subjects stay here to entertain us.”

  “In your case, your Royal We is totally justified!” Liv said as she entered the room. She walked to the bed and sat beside Astrid, stroking her head. “How are you, darling?”

  Once again, Jack translated Astrid thoughts. “Good! Oh, you should’ve seen that Tel-Urugh’s face when I spontaneously combusted... What happened? How did they find us?”

  “We don’t know,” Tristan said. “Our source in Copper Ridge didn’t know about Seth’s plans until this morning. She phoned as soon as she heard about it.”

  “Oh, Astrid, I’m so sorry that you and Jack had to fight them alone. We should never have left you,” Liv said bitterly.

  “Stop it, Liv. It’s my mistake,” Jack said. “I should have let you come with us. I should have brought Alec and Drew here. God, we even slept outside!”

  “Now will you stop whining, all of you!” Jack heard Astrid’s fiery voice in his head. “Nothing happened! They wouldn’t have hurt me. It’s you, Jack, who could have been injured or killed! Don’t do that to me ever again! You hear me? What if they managed to take me with them? Half of Red Cliffs, Liv and Tristan, my grandparents, Ingmar and his friends, everybody would be there within a day to take me back. We can raise a small army on short notice, for Pete’s sake, so stop fidgeting! I didn’t risk anything! You risked your life today! Please, please don’t be so reckless ever again!”

  A tremor shook Astrid’s body. She let out a sound equivalent to an angry human sob, saturated with postponed fear.

  The Blakes looked at her, alarmed.

  “Take it easy, Astrid! You’ll change back before it’s time,” Jack said in a soothing voice and stroked her back. “I’ll promise whatever you want, just calm down. Hey, where did I stop last time with that Cohen song? Aha, here...”

  Jack leaned toward her head and sang softly into her ear.

  She cracked a small, wolfish smile. “Oh, I love that part. It’s so sexy.”

  “You’re a very sexy beast, did I tell you that? I love you so much, Astrid.”

  “I fell in love with you after the first two lines, Jack,” Astrid said, already calmer, “the night you sang them into my ear for the first time.”

  Liv cleared her throat. “I’m going to talk to my captives. Please ignore any excessive noise that we might make. I won’t kill them, don’t worry, Astrid,” she added, recognizing a warning in Astrid’s amber eyes. “I’ll just scare them until they drop dead.” She uttered a short, dry chuckle and left the room.

  Jack turned to Astrid. “Tell me what you remember from this morning.”

  “I remember everything, which doesn’t mean I will remember a thing when I change back.”

  “You brought up Astrid the Wizard to help you.”

  “Only together could we fight. I needed her for the Fire Spell.” She laughed. “You know, your Ms. Spock is quite smart, but I have the muscles and the brain. It was my idea to bring her up. Now she’ll know, or at least sense, I’m her ally. I am her, and she is me.”

  “JACK, ARE you going to phone James?” Tristan asked later.

  “In a bit. First, let’s see if those two know anything. If I phone him now, he’ll be here tonight. You know him.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to take over, Jack. There are now two of you in charge, two kings on one throne. It’s tough even for such close friends as James and you. You’re bound to lock horns sooner or later. And then, Astrid’s here. You’ll act as her husband, he’ll act as her father.”

  “Well, I suppose my carefree years are over. James is ready to step down, and I’m ready to take over, but we’ll need to work together for a while. This is going to be a sort of transitional period, but we can do that. With anybody else I’d say it would be almost impossible, but James is, well, James. Larger than life.”

  “He’s been a great leader, yes, but you’ll be, too. I know that. Jack, back to what happened this morning. Do you think Seth knew where Astrid was or did he just randomly send Frank after Alec and Drew?”

  “If he knew where she was, he would know about you and Liv.”

  “That’s right.”

  Astrid lifted her head. “It could be a coincidence, Jack. Or just an accident. Somebody said something, somebody else heard it. It’s not a big secret in Red Cliffs that I was in hiding, that my change is difficult, and especially that Seth wants me in Copper Ridge. Besides, Alec and Drew were absent for months, they came back and then were gone again. It wouldn’t be hard to connect the dots.”

  “You may be right, love. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Jack said.

  “What did you say, Astrid?” Tristan asked.

  Jack told him. His hand rubbed Astrid’s head resting in his lap.

  “There are still some connections between Copper Ridge and Red Cliffs. People talk. I can’t imagine anyone in Red Cliffs who’d willingly harm Astrid,” Tristan said.

  “Yesterday, I couldn’t either. Today, I’m not taking any chances. I thought Astrid would be out of danger once I took her home. Now I’m not sure. And I won’t be there all the time.”

  “Keep your eyes open,” Tristan said. “And you know, Astrid’s right. If we need to fight them, we’ll fight them. If they somehow—”

  “There is no room for somehow, Tristan. He must not get her, period.”

  “Take it easy, Jack. Talk to Darius, let’s see if he’s ready to deal with Seth.”

  “Is he still in Scotland?”

  “Yes, my love. Which means I have to go there.”

  LIV CAME back with disappointing news: the two Tel-Urughs could tell her almost nothing about Frank’s plans that preceded the attack. Seth’s orders were to bring Astrid, unharmed, to Copper Ridge. They knew Jack would be with Astrid. Frank had planned to make Astrid surrender in return for Jack’s freedom, but then kill him nonetheless. In front of her eyes.

  “We should have protected you better, Astrid. I’m sorry, darling.”

  Astrid let out a frustrating growl and turned her head to Jack. “Oh, not again! Tell her to stop, please, Jack.”

  “It’s okay, baby. It’s nobody’s fault, but we all feel responsible.”

  “Liv and Tristan wanted to come with us but I refused. So it’s my fault, nobody else’s.”

  Jack lowered his head until his lips touched Astrid’s ear. “Well, baby, we’ll certainly discuss your stubbornness and lack of obedience as soon as you feel better,” he whispered, smiling.

  Astrid’s body instantly relaxed. She looked at Jack, and lifting her head, licked his face. “I like those sparks in your eyes. You sure know how to distract me, Jack Canagan. Hmm... What sort of disciplinary measures do you have in mind? I can certainly suggest a few.”

  “What do you say, Astrid?” Liv asked. “It’s funny to listen to Jack’s part of your conversation only.”

  “She says don’t rile her up again with your irrational sense of guilt,” Jack said. Astrid let out a series of short gnarls that resembled laughter.

  “What else did you figure out, Liv?” Tristan asked and sat beside Astrid.

  “They’ve been hiding a few hours from here. Frank decided to attack in the morning. They came to the cabin first, only to find it empty. Frank kept telling them he wanted to smell Astrid’s fear. Bastard! I wish I killed him!”


  “It’s okay Liv. He can’t smell a thing anymore. Tell me, the guy that I fried, did anybody treat his wounds?”

  Jack translated Astrid’s question.

  Liv rolled her eyes at Astrid. “Of course I did. If you can’t kill them, heal them. Anyway, they didn’t expect Jack to be so strong. And the nastiest surprise was your pyromaniac exhibition, darling. You scared the shit out of them.”

  Liv was still enraged, in spite of her light voice. She only used s- and f- words when very angry.

  “What are you going to do with them, Liv?” Tristan asked.

  “Well, Frank and the other one that Jack killed were the bad guys there. These two pathetic creatures, they’re not totally rotten. They don’t hunt humans, at least. I showed them what would happen if they ever cross me again. That will suffice. And besides, Astrid would be upset with more drastic measures.”

  “Jack, tell her I’m thankful. There was enough violence for one day.”

  “You are welcome, darling.” Liv sat down on the other side of the bed and for a while silently stroked Astrid’s long back.

  ASTRID CHANGED back to her human form as soon as the moon popped out on the horizon. This time she didn’t ask to be left alone, and Jack witnessed the reverse process, equally fast and as spectacular as the previous night’s transformation.

  She’d asked him to take her clothes and follow her outside. They walked slowly to the pond, where she once again looked into her reflection. Then she lay down, moaning softly. There was the same ripping sound as her big, strong body shifted first into that inside-out bloody matter, dark in the night, and the next moment Astrid’s white, naked body shivered on the wet grass.

  “Here, baby.” Jack wrapped a blanket around her, pulling her into his lap. “It’s over.”

  She was still breathing in short, shallow gasps. “How are you?”

  “Uh, okay, I suppose.” She pressed her head against Jack’s chest. “You feel good, Jack. Hold me.”

  They sat on the grass and let the night embrace them. They didn’t talk. There would be time for that later. For now, the soft grass beside the small pond, the bright night with its gentle sounds, and the soft light of the full moon slicing a silvery path across the water was all they wanted. And each other: the touch of their skin, the echo of their heartbeats, the scent of their bodies.

  And just a few words.

  “I love you, Astrid.”

  “I love you, too, Jack.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Astrid

  WE WALKED back to the cabin, hand-in-hand. The night was cool and quiet, and smelled of pine and resin. My body temperature was rapidly dropping down to normal. I was tired, but the total exhaustion that had always been associated with transformation was missing.

  So many things had changed since Jack had come into my life.

  Through the trees, I could see the welcoming lights of the cabin. It felt like coming home after a long trip. I squeezed Jack’s fingers and my heart sped up.

  “Are you tired?” Jack asked, picking up my accelerated heartbeats.

  “No. Just happy.”

  Without any warning, Jack tossed me over his shoulder and carried me to the door.

  “Astrid, you have the sweetest little ass I’ve ever seen,” he said and patted my bottom.

  I laughed, my head dangling down his shoulder. “From my viewpoint, Jack, I have no reason to complain either.”

  Still laughing, we pushed through the door into the improvised hallway. Jack set me back on my feet, but held me close. He lowered his head and found my lips, gently parting them. He tasted sweet and cool, and I responded with my customary enthusiasm.

  Tristan’s voice reached us from the sitting room. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to check Astrid, and besides, your reinforcements are about to show up. Liv asked them to come.”

  “I’ve spoken to Drew and Alec,” Liv said when Jack and I joined them. “I had to be sure they didn’t know anything about the attack. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, I don’t mind. I do trust them completely, though,” Jack said.

  Livia smiled. “Now I do, too.”

  Nobody would be able to trick Liv, no matter how skilled. Not only were her powerful inner sensors like the most precise lie detector, but she could also easily get inside other people’s minds, if necessary.

  I heard a car stopping and discretely sniffed the air: my cousin and his girlfriend.

  They burst in and rushed toward me shouting questions. Alec closed his arms around my shoulders in a tight embrace. “Astrid, you okay? Liv told us what happened. Jack, are you okay?”

  Drew hugged me too, and kissed my cheek. “Are you all right? Come here, sit on the sofa. Do you want anything?”

  IN GENERAL, werewolves are extremely social creatures, and consequently, their concept of personal space was quite different from mine. Wizards are exactly at the opposite end of the scale of social needs. Most of the time they prefer solitude, or, at best, the company of another wizard. Being both, I was, naturally, somewhere in between. I wouldn’t mind leaving hugs and kisses and any other physical contact to Jack exclusively, but right now I couldn’t help but appreciate Alec’s genuine concern and Drew’s fussing attention. They were my family, I thought, and my heart swelled with emotion.

  “You’ll excuse us for a moment,” Tristan said. “I need to examine Astrid.”

  “Is something wrong with her?” Alec said, worried.

  “No. But I always do that when she changes. And she’s been wounded today. Come on, Princess.” Tristan reached out for my hand and walked me to the tiny bedroom.

  “I’m afraid you and Jack are not going to have a lot of privacy anymore,” he said as he closed the door behind.

  “I know,” I said and sighed.

  Tristan made me sit on the bed. He checked my blood pressure, temperature and pulse. His skilled fingers gently probed my stomach.

  “I’m going to miss you a lot,” I said quietly, trying to swallow a cotton ball that had bobbed up in my throat. “You and Liv are my little precious circle of friends.”

  “We’ll stay close, Astrid. It’s not like you won’t see us ever again,” Tristan said and stroked my cheek. “It’s been a privilege being your friend, Princess. I’m not going to deny myself that pleasure just because you are going to Red Cliffs.”

  My eyes filled with tears, and for a moment my friend looked blurred.

  As he continued with the checkup, I studied his calm face. While Liv’s physical beauty was classical, Tristan’s was exotic. Predatory exotic, like the beauty of a tiger. Or a bird of prey. Far from perfection, the combination of his warm, olive skin tone, sleek black hair, prominent, slightly hooked nose and wide-set hazel eyes was well balanced and masculine. If Jack had the powerful, muscular body of a football player, Tristan’s more delicate, elegant features evoked the image of a fencer, and not surprisingly so—fencing was one of his greatest passions.

  The son of a vampire French-Algerian mother and her human English lover, Tristan was a relatively young vampire. About a century ago, he’d met Liv, and from once-upon-a-time to happily-ever-after, their love was one of the most beautiful tales I’d ever heard.

  I BROUGHT myself back. “Did anybody talk to James?” I said.

  “Jack will,” Tristan said. “Speak of the devil...” He glanced toward the door a moment before Jack announced his presence on the other side with two loud knocks. “We’re not done yet, Jack! Wait!”

  Tristan then turned back to me. “Take off your top, Astrid, please. Leave your bra on.”

  “She doesn’t have a bra to leave on. It’s here, I brought it for her.” I heard Jack’s upset whispering through the solid, one-inch thick oak door.

  “It’s okay, Jack,” Tristan said. “I’m her doctor.”

  “Astrid, you have serious issues with your undergarments. And why can’t Liv examine you?”

  Tristan carried on with the checkup, ignoring Jack’s rant. “Lift you
r arm, Astrid... That’s good. No abdominal pain?”

  “Astrid, let me in. I need to talk to you.”

  “We’re almost done, Jack,” Tristan said and smiled at me. “You are occasionally going to have to live with this craziness, you know that, Princess?”

  “He’s capable of being civilized when he puts some effort into it. Did Liv tell you what Jack did when Ingmar showed up? He was fantastic.”

  “He is here, and he can hear you, and he doesn’t like when you talk about your ex-boyfriends! Let me in, Astrid.”

  “In a minute!”

  “Astrid!!!”

  “Just a moment, Jack. I’m half-naked.”

  “Don’t get him too worked up, Astrid,” Tristan said quietly. “It’s postponed fear. He got scared to death today when he saw you lying on the ground. This is the aftershock. Jack’s usually capable of controlling his instincts better than this. And don’t forget, his wolf’s still close.”

  “I know, Tristan.”

  “Astrid, let me in, or I’ll break the damn door!” Jack yelled. A series of hard slams confirmed he meant business.

  I opened the door and pulled him in. “Put that on,” he said, pushing my white bra into my hands. “When you’re done, I mean.”

  I sat back on the table to let Tristan finish the exam.

  “Alec and Drew probably heard you, Jack. How are you going to explain it to them?” I said, amused.

  “I’ve told them.”

  “You have?!” Tristan and I said simultaneously.

  “They have to stay with us for the next couple of days, and I’m not going to pretend I’m your cousin, too, for their sake. I want to be with you as much as I can before we go to Red Cliffs.” He let out a sharp breath. “Once you’re there, every damn male will try to court you. And I won’t even be there most of the time.”

  “Jack, it’s going to be fine,” I said and reached for his hand. “We’re bond-mates, nothing can change that.”

  “We know that, but they don’t.”

  “James won’t be happy you’ve told Alec and Drew about us,” I said.