Shadow of the Wolf

by Dana Marie Bell

  “Christopher.” She could hear Gareth’s frustrated sigh and wondered how long they’d been fighting. “Grounding it through you wasn’t an option. You know that.”

  It was starting to come back to her. Chris had been lying on the ground, bleeding badly. Cole’s body had been close by, eerily still. The Godwins had been fighting the Becketts while the Arbiter tried to stop it all and failed miserably.

  “He could have asked someone else.”

  “We were all dealing with the Godwins. Damn it, Chris! Zach had seconds to act. If he’d waited for one of us, you’d be dead.”

  Oh. Zach. That picture was probably going to stick with her forever. Zach kneeling over Chris’s body, glowing and holding out his hand, begging for her help. At the thought of the new witch, Lana winced. The spell he’d used, forcing the toxins from the wound through her, purifying them before grounding them, had been excruciating. But with no time to come up with an alternative way it had been the only way to save Chris from the wound that was rapidly killing him. Cleansing the taint before releasing it into the ground meant no one else would suffer ill effects from the demonic power. Otherwise the clean earth of the dueling circle would have been twisted and perverted, unable to sustain the spells of the wizards who used it.

  The power Cole Godwin had held was apparently nothing compared to what Davis Godwin had. The second wound had been more horrific than the first. Thank the Lord and Lady the wand was destroyed. She’d hate to think what would happen if an object of such evil was ever placed in the hands of someone even stronger than Davis Godwin.

  She shifted her leg, hoping in some weird way that it would alleviate the pain in her head. That’s when she realized it wasn’t just her head that hurt. Her whole body did.

  “I think she’s waking up.” A hand gently picked up hers, even that soft touch painful. “Sweetheart?”

  “Ow.” She hoped he’d heard her, because the barely there whisper was the best she could do.

  “Get Annabelle. Now.”

  The authority in his hushed voice was reassuring. She felt her lips curl up at the thought of her mate being his usual bossy self.

  “I don’t know what you’re smiling about, sweetheart. The minute Annabelle gives you a clean bill of health I’m spanking your ass so hard you won’t sit down for a week.” He stroked her hair away from her face. She thought it trembled. “I still can’t believe you and Zach did that.”

  She couldn’t really speak, couldn’t move without wanting to scream, so she did the only thing she could. She pursed her lips and blew him a kiss.

  His breath caught. “Fuck it.” She felt the bed dip. “Annabelle can kiss my ass.”

  If she had the strength, she would have giggled.

  “I know it hurts, so I’m not going to try and hold you.” His hand came to rest against her stomach. “But I can sure as hell touch you.”

  She licked her lips. “’Kay.” It did hurt a little, but there was no way she’d tell him that.

  She felt his lips press against her arm. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake.”

  “Mm.” She drifted off, trusting him to keep his word.

  *

  Christopher stared down at the woman sleeping in his bed. She hadn’t opened her eyes once, barely spoke, and he’d never been more relieved in his life. She’d been out for two hellish days, days in which his baby brother had been whisked out of the house to face possible punishment for going against the wishes of Annabelle Evans, casting spells when she’d expressly forbidden it. He had the feeling the punishment would be more severe considering the cost to her granddaughter.

  He yawned, weary beyond belief. He’d barely slept since they carried Lana into his bedroom, too afraid she’d wake up and he wouldn’t be there.

  Lana looked horrible. Her eyes were sunken, her skin sallow, her hair limp. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she suffered from a life-threatening illness. Her palm was bandaged, hiding the damage the protection amulet had done to her. He’d wanted to see the damage but Annabelle had told him to leave the bandages in place. The only good thing he could see was that her hand wasn’t swathed the same way Zach’s had been.

  And she’d done this for him. He still couldn’t quite get over that.

  He’d have to make sure certain things were clear to her from now on. First off, he was never letting her out of his sight again. Second, she was to stay away from his insane brother. She and Zachary were a deadly combination. Third, he’d have to make sure she understood exactly what she meant to him.

  In the meantime, he’d wait. When she woke, he’d be there. There was no where else he’d rather be.

  “How is she?”

  He turned his head slightly, careful not to jar his mate. “Sleeping again.”

  Annabelle frowned and studied Lana through narrowed eyes. “Let’s take a look at her.” She waved a hand at him. “Off the bed.”

  “No.”

  She glared at him. He glared right back, making sure his hand stayed relaxed against Lana’s stomach. “I told you not to jar her at all. We’re still not certain of the full effects of the spell Zach used.”

  “I was careful.” He kept his voice low, but couldn’t keep the warning out of his voice. His wolf was still howling in grief at the damage done to their mate. “We need to be here.”

  She cocked her hip, reminding him forcibly of the woman lying beside him. “Oh? We?”

  He had no intention of getting into how the Beckett family curse worked with her. Annabelle Evans might be a powerful witch, but he was a wolf with an injured mate. There was no way in hell he was getting off that bed. “Do your examination.”

  She bristled at his commanding tone before huffing out a breath. “Wizards. Always have to have things your way.” She bent over her granddaughter and began her careful examination.

  Christopher watched, keeping a close eye on Annabelle. Her expression slowly eased, and so did the clamp around his heart.

  When Annabelle smiled at him, he sighed in relief. Lana was going to be all right. “You look exhausted. As long as you don’t jar her too much it should be safe for you to sleep there.” She smoothed his hair back from his forehead, much like his own grandmother had done when he was a child.

  “Annabelle?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Thank you.”

  She nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  The door shut quietly behind her, and Chris followed her advice. For the first time in two days he allowed himself to fall asleep.

  * * * *

  Something woke him later in the day.

  “Chris?”

  “Mm.”

  “Chris.”

  He opened his eyes to darkness. “Still sleepin’.”

  A soft sigh blew across his hair. “Chris.”

  “What?”

  “I’m thirsty.”

  He stifled a yawn. “M’kay.” He turned on the bedside lamp and stumbled to the bathroom. Grabbing a cup he filled it with water and headed back to the bed. “Here.”

  She blinked up at him. “Help me?”

  “Mm.” He took her into his arms and held the cup to her lips, her gasp of pain bringing him full awake. “Oh crap. I’m sorry, little witch.”

  She took a sip of the water and settled in against him. “It’s okay.” She shuddered, her face pale and drawn. “Everything hurts.”

  “I have some ibuprofen Annabelle left for you in case you woke up, but she said you need to take it with food.”

  She grinned up weakly at him. “I’ll wait while you fetch something.”

  One brow rose. “Fetch?”

  “Go, boy! Go!”

  He shook his head at her. “How can you be making jokes right now?”

  “We won.” Her bandaged caressed his cheek. “We’re here, and Cole isn’t.”

  “But his family got away.” In the scramble to save Chris, the rest of the Godwins had gotten away. He wasn’t certain what punishments the other family wo
uld receive but one thing was certain. The Godwins were out of the running as far as the court of the wizard king was concerned. The fact that it had slipped everyone’s attention that Cole and his father were actually warlocks had several of their sages scratching their heads. The entries into the Registry were clear, yet no one had thought to check until Gareth had started wondering exactly who Cole was working with. Once he’d pointed the entry out to Daniel, it was as if a veil was lifted from their eyes.

  There were rumors that the Godwins would suffer no consequences other than formal expulsion from the wizard’s court for all of their warlock family members. What Davis Godwin would do from there, Christopher didn’t know, but he had the feeling that this wasn’t over. With Cole’s death, the war between the Becketts and the Godwins had reached a new level.

  “So you think it isn’t over?” She snuggled against him with a wince.

  “No. I don’t. I’m sorry, little witch. I never meant to drag you into something like this.”

  She shot him a disgusted look. “Yup, you just grabbed hold of my arm and pasted a sign on my ass that said ‘Warlocks Eat Free’.” He growled. She giggled, then gasped. “Oh, remind me not to laugh.”

  “I’ll go grab a snack for both of us. You settle back down and try to rest.” He placed a kiss on her forehead before heading for the kitchen.

  A light was already on. “Hey, Gareth.”

  “Chris. How’s Lana?”

  Chris frowned when Gareth adjusted his sling. His older brother was in pain but ever since the fight with the Godwins he’d refused to take any of his medications. He said he didn’t want his brain fuzzed if he had to “wolf out”. “She’s hungry and wants some ibuprofen. She’s in a lot of pain, but at least she’s talking to me now and her eyes are open.” He reached into the fridge and pulled out some cheese and grapes, hoping they’d be easy on her stomach.

  “It’s good that she’s awake.” Gareth spooned up some chocolate ice cream and reached for the chocolate syrup on the counter. “We’re looking further into how the Godwins managed to tamper with their entry into the Registry.”

  “We?”

  Gareth started to shrug but stopped. “Daniel and I.” Gareth stirred his ice cream and chocolate syrup together, making a sort of milkshake in his bowl. He’d been doing it since he was a child. “I think Daniel’s going to want the ring soon.”

  Chris blinked. “Why?”

  “Have you noticed how remote he’s become?”

  “He’s always been a little aloof.” He thought back to Daniel’s recent behavior, the way he seemed to have closed himself off. “He’s been worse?”

  “He’s holed up in his office or his house all the time now. He doesn’t leave except for family stuff like this.”

  That sounded very familiar to Chris. He’d done the same thing before going to his father and begging him for the ring. “I’ll talk to him, let him know that the ring will be ready for him.” It gave him ideas on what sort of engagement ring he’d buy for Lana; perhaps he’d replace the family emerald with another one. He liked the look of Venus’s stone on her hand. Besides, now that she wore his mark, she no longer needed the ring. It would pass on to the next Beckett who was ready to find his mate.

  “Chris?”

  “Yeah?”

  “He told me earlier he’s thinking about transferring to Philadelphia.”

  Chris finished loading the tray with two glasses of milk. “Really?”

  He picked up the tray and turned to find Gareth studying him closely. “You don’t sound surprised.”

  Chris laughed wearily. “First off, I think I’ve used up all my surprise for the next month or so. Second…” Chris shook his head and headed out of the kitchen. “I don’t know. Something tells me it would be the right move.”

  Gareth followed him up the stairs. “Isn’t it Lana’s job to go on instinct?”

  Chris snorted. “Open the door for me.”

  Gareth opened the bedroom door, but stopped Chris with a hand on his arm. “Hey.”

  “What?” At this point Chris just wanted to crawl into bed with his mate.

  “They did the right thing.”

  “Who?”

  “Lana and Zach.”

  Chris growled.

  “You don’t know what it did to Zach, Chris.”

  He stopped growling. “You do?”

  Gareth grimaced. “Let’s just say I don’t think he’ll ever be the same.” The sorrow on Gareth’s face had Chris rethinking a few things. “Just don’t be too hard on him the next time you see him.”

  Chris nodded and, satisfied, Gareth let him go. “Good night, Chris.”

  “Night, Gareth.” He entered the bedroom and pushed the door closed with his foot. Lana was watching him with a frown. “What?”

  “Did you give Zach a hard time?”

  He sighed and walked to the bed, putting the tray down on the bedside table. “Don’t start, Lana.”

  “You did, didn’t you?” She tugged on his arm, the movement casing her to hiss in pain. “You don’t understand.”

  He placed his hand over hers, the bandage rough under his palm. “I understand that you didn’t have to go through this.”

  “Oh yes I did!” She was becoming agitated, her legs moving restlessly under the covers.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to calm her down. “Do you think this was worth it?”

  “Yes!”

  He gave her an ibuprofen, holding the milk for her while she swallowed it down. “No. Seeing you in pain isn’t worth it.”

  Her brow furrowed, her lips thinned, and her eyes flashed up at him. “I would rather go through this, knowing I’ll heal, than have you dead, you stubborn son of a bitch.”

  “Hey. Mom doesn’t like to be called that.”

  It worked; her eyes rolled, but her body relaxed. “You know what I mean, wolfman. No way could I live with you dead.” She grabbed hold of him again, ignoring her own pain. “I can’t lose you.”

  “You won’t.”

  “You were bleeding so much.” She was beginning to cry.

  “Shh.” The hell with Annabelle. Chris carefully pulled Lana into his arms. “I’m here. Cole’s gone. You’re safe now.”

  He was surprised when she punched him in the arm. “Idiot.”

  “What?”

  “Get it through your thick skull! You. Almost. Died!”

  “Ow.” She’d pinched him, hard. “Okay, okay. I get that. But why you?”

  “You think men are the only ones who can ride to the rescue?”

  He decided not to answer on the grounds that he might be incinerated.

  Lana glared up at him impatiently. “I thought so. If I had been the one on the ground and Zach reached for you, what would you have done?”

  He didn’t even hesitate. “Whatever was necessary.”

  “Because…?”

  Because I love you. He blinked. A slow smile spread across his face. He’d never felt so happy in his entire fucking life, not even when his mark had appeared on her skin. “You love me.”

  “Duh.”

  “Duh? The best you can say is duh?” He held back the urge to tickle her, to force her to say what he already knew.

  She held her hand to his cheek. “We both do.”

  He gulped. “We?” His hand immediately went to her stomach.

  “Huh?” Her eyes went wide. “No! Not that. Zach!”

  “Oh.” He was more disappointed than he’d expected. “I guess we’ll have to try harder, then.”

  It was her turn to gulp. “Harder?”

  “Mm-hmm.” He held a grape to her lips, teasing her with it. “Much harder.”

  “Oh boy.”

  He chuckled and slipped the grape between her lips. “Say it for me.”

  She swallowed the grape. “You first.”

  Not a problem. He wanted to shout it from the highest rooftop, post it to his Facebook, hell, he’d put it on the front page of Black Wolf Designs if he could
. “I love you, little witch.”

  “I love you too, wolfman.”

  When he kissed her, she tasted of grapes and the sweetness that was his witch.

  * * * *

  Lana picked at the bandage on her hand. She’d been bedridden for two weeks now, and finally Grammy was going to let her get up. She was still in some pain, but between her grandmother’s nursing and Chris’s attentiveness, she was mostly healed.

  Davis Godwin was now officially listed as a warlock in the Registry, along with two other members of the Godwin family, including his second son, Paul, and his daughter Genevieve. The only odd thing was Genevieve had called Chris to personally apologize for the actions of her family members, and to offer reparation for their injuries. Neither of them had been willing to accept her offer, and she’d left it at that.

  Lana had no idea what the younger woman was up to, but there’d been something… strange about her. Something Lana almost wanted to trust. But until they could figure out how Cole and his father had tampered with the Registry, she was unwilling to trust her instincts on where this particular Godwin was concerned. She had no idea if Genevieve had attempted to contact any of the other Becketts.

  “Ready, sweetheart?”

  She blinked up at Chris, pulled out of her thoughts. “More than.”

  He looked back at Grammy, who nodded. “Any sign of serious pain and you’re back on the bed, young lady.”

  Lana stuck out her tongue and put her hands in Chris’s. “Pull, He-Man.”

  With a muffled laugh, Chris pulled.

  Lana stood. Her legs were wobbly, but there was very little pain. “I’m good.” It felt great to be on her own two feet. Chris had been forced to carry her everywhere; just trying to place weight on her legs had caused excruciating pain. The first time they’d tried she’d actually screamed. “Can we take the bandage off my hand now?”

  Chris held her steady while she made her way to the gold wing chair he’d moved from the great room into the bedroom. “Let’s get you settled in first, okay?”

  That chair was looking better and better. “Sure.”

  Chris helped her to sit. The fact that her legs were shaking like leaves let her know her recovery was going to be a lot longer than she’d thought. It was disappointing, to say the least. “You did good, sweetheart.”