by Jayne Hawke
Amy jogged across the car park and embraced me in a deep hug.
“It’s been too long! I’ve been so busy; Maat hasn’t let me rest. Anyway, I have something that maybe you and Cole should know about.”
I maintained a tight smile and waited. My stomach was twisting. If both Cole and I needed to know, then it was likely garou related.
Amy blew her hair out of her face and quickly tidied it while I waited.
“I think you’re going to gain two new additions to the Loxwood pack.”
12
“I… is this something Maat said, or…?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. On one hand, my wolf was very pleased at the idea of having more pack members; on the other, I had no idea who they were or what was going to happen.
“Yes and no. There are some whispers on the witch grapevines about a pair of troublesome wandering garou. And well, you guys have room in your pack, and you’re a guardian, so…”
I squeezed my eyes closed. Troublesome wandering garou sounded exhausting.
“Do you know anything more about them?”
Amy beamed at me.
“They’re teenagers. I’m not sure what happened to their pack, but I think they’re cursed.”
“Oh, fantastic,” I muttered.
“This is perfect! As a guardian, you’ll be able to help them!”
“No pressure,” I said sarcastically.
“It’ll be fine. All of the reading I’ve done suggests that it’ll be instinctual. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
“Ok, so, how do we find them or what happens now?”
Amy frowned and gained a weird far-away expression, her eyes becoming distant and slightly glassy.
“Wait. They’ll come to you,” she finally said.
Because that didn’t sound ominous.
“Do you want to grab coffee?” she said with a grin.
“Sure.”
She hooked her arm around mine and proceeded to lead me across the car park. It looked like my baking plans were going down the drain. I had to admit that I was glad to spend some time with Amy, even if she did bring ominous-sounding news.
We had settled ourselves in one of the newer coffee shops in town. It had a rough edge to it with bare brick walls covered in graffiti. The tables were highly polished wood with a pretty red tone. All of the staff were ridiculously friendly and smiley; it seemed completely genuine, too. My introvert self wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it all, but the coffee was amazing. I’d ordered a pot of Cameroonian coffee (they had a number of different single-country coffees on offer; it was very fancy). It put Cole’s coffee to shame. The initial citrus taste gave way to a rich classic coffee flavour and ended with a light, almost vanilla note. I could drink a gallon of it and come back for more. There was no way I was leaving there without a big bag to take home.
“So, tell me about life with Cole,” Amy said mischievously.
I took another sip of my coffee and debated ordering a pot from another country for when I’d finished that one.
“It’s not like that. We’re… you know. So things are actually pretty relaxed. We have a nice routine. The food is incredible, though! That man can really cook.”
Amy smiled and leaned forward a little.
“Is that all?”
I rolled my eyes and laughed.
“We both know he’s easy on the eyes, but he’s too uptight.”
“Mhm.”
“What have you been up to?” I said, not at all subtly changing the subject.
Amy shrugged.
“Lots of work. I can’t really talk about most of it, but I was doing some stuff in a local court.”
“I have to be honest, that sounds really tedious,” I said.
Amy wrinkled her nose and finished her cup of coffee.
“It’s complicated. There’s a lot of paperwork, but also a lot of work with my… employer.”
I was beginning to think we should have gone to Toil and Trouble. Having to talk around the real topics was getting tiring.
“Well, that sounds, nice?” I said with a laugh.
Amy echoed the laugh.
“You look far happier these days. As much as Jake was definitely hot, I don’t think he was doing you any good.”
I sighed. She was right, and I hated to admit that. Things had become too complicated and unpleasant between us and I hadn’t really realised until I’d gotten out.
“Yea, I feel far more myself, and I have more freedom.”
“Have you done any reading on guardians?”
“Some. It sounds like a lot of pressure,” I said with a small laugh.
Amy reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
“You wouldn’t be one if you couldn’t handle it. You’re going to face some trouble, but you’ll come through it.”
I raised an eyebrow. That sounded a lot like a prediction. I wasn’t sure if her goddess could give her that magic.
“Thanks. Is there anything I should be worrying about?”
Amy shrugged and smiled.
We changed the topic to easier things such as the latest Supernatural episode and upcoming movies. It felt so good to have a conversation about anything and everything. Cole didn’t much like relaxing and just talking, he was far more interested in brooding and looking at me with deep frustration.
By the time we left, it was dark outside and I’d tried every coffee on the menu. I walked out with almost a hundred dollars’ worth of coffee beans, but it was worth it. Good coffee made the world a far brighter place.
13
A loud banging roused me from a pleasant dream where I was running through a strange and beautiful forest. The banging didn’t go away when I covered my head in my pillow. I was left with no choice but to open my eyes and investigate. Looking across at the crack in the curtains told me that it was still dark out. I groaned. People shouldn’t be allowed to drag me from wonderful sleep before the crack of dawn.
Cole was already moving around downstairs. I debated letting him handle it, but my protective instincts kicked in and I was halfway down the stairs before I even realised I was moving. Cole had opened the front door and was glaring at a pair of tall lithe women when I moved to his side. My wolf side pushed forward, and I found myself beginning to curl my lips to bare my teeth. I quickly put a stop to that and stood in a strong position ready to fight should I need to.
To my irritation, Cole shifted his weight and moved himself slightly in front of me.
“Why are you banging on my door at this hour?” Cole said icily.
“There are two garou in our custody. As garou councilman, they are your responsibility,” the blonde said.
She was pristine. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back into a French twist and her make-up was flawless, highlighting her bright blue eyes. It was the time where everyone should be in bed, or out running through the forests, and she was wearing what looked suspiciously like designer pumps and a suit.
Amy’s words popped back into my head, and I exhaled slowly. This was going to be a sticky situation. I went to step around Cole, but he subtly put his hand on my hip, holding me where I was, half behind him. Safe.
“And what have they done to be in your custody?” Cole growled.
“They were sneaking around the grounds of our coven house.”
I sighed in relief. That wasn’t so bad. I’d been bracing for something far worse.
“We’ll get dressed and speak to them,” Cole said as he stepped back and closed the door in their faces.
“Stay here,” Cole said as he looked down at me.
Even in the darkness, he was an imposing and handsome man. The slivers of light coming from the living room window behind him formed shadows in just the right places to add to his intensity. I crossed my arms and stared him down.
“No. I’m the garou guardian.”
He snorted.
“That is irrelevant here.”
“Garou are in witch custody. T
hat feels like something I should deal with.”
“They are dangerous,” he growled.
“So am I,” I growled back.
The witches were getting restless on the porch.
“Dress sensibly.”
He stalked off up the stairs in nothing but his boxers, which gave a very nice view of his tight, toned ass. I pushed the sinful images out of my mind and hurried up to my room after him. A pair of jeans and a Riverdale t-shirt were close at hand. I pulled on a pair of sensible ass-kicking boots and hurriedly added a pair of sheaths and their corresponding knives as I jogged down the stairs.
Somehow, Cole looked as though he’d had an hour to primp and preen. Where my hair was a tangled mane, his was that perfect bedhead that took three hours to get right. His jeans were smart and clean; mine had dirt where I’d been knocked to the ground in a sparring session. He looked me up and down, giving me a small shake of his head before he opened the front door once more.
“We’ll take my car,” Cole said, more to the witches than me.
He had no faith in my poor old Mustang. I’d fixed it up with the payment I’d received for killing Valentin, but Cole still refused to step foot in it. I had concluded it was a controlling alpha thing and he just wanted to drive.
The coven house wasn’t what I’d been expecting. It was big, as it needed to be to hold an entire coven. There was an English cottage vibe, though, which I hadn’t seen coming. There were only two stories, and it seemed to hug the earth around it. The rooves were done in a pitched style that looked as though they were meant to be covered in thatch rather than pale grey tiles. Simple stonework surrounded the windows and distinctly cottage-y door. Even the gardens wrapping around the space made me think of an English cottage.
The lawns were neatly trimmed with a winding path leading up to the front door. Wildflower beds sat in front of the cold grey stone of the main building, and mature trees lined the edge of the lawn area. We parked next to the blue sedan the witches had driven. The parking area was full of nondescript cars; it would have fit in at a normal office had it have been asphalt instead of pale-yellow gravel.
Cole and I followed the witches down the winding path, and I tried to ignore the feeling of walking into a Grimm’s fairy tale. I swore I saw the shadow of a sword on the back of the red-headed witch. It was there and gone in the blink of an eye. Part of me wanted to think it was nothing more than a trick of the light, but my instincts said differently.
“Morrigan witches,” Cole whispered.
I frowned and tried to remember if I’d read anything about them. The witches didn’t like outsiders knowing anything about them. Amy had given me pointers, though.
If I remembered correctly, Morrigan witches were warriors. They brought down justice on those who had stepped out of line, and fought in the battles of the supernatural world. Some were said to be corvid shifters too, but I could have imagined or misremembered that bit.
Cole insisted on walking just in front of me. He was protecting me, and I understood that was his role as alpha, but it still irritated me. I pushed forward and pointedly walked at his side for the last little stretch of the path. I could feel his glare but ignored it. I was a guardian and his equal.
14
The interior of the coven house was every bit as English cottage-y as the exterior. The walls were painted a pure white and had paintings of corvids and battlefields in many styles. The furniture was a mix of large and squishy with subdued floral prints, and hard leather pieces that didn’t look as though they were designed to be sat on.
The witches led us through to the back of the house. The distinct sound of metal clanging made me prick my ears. Cole’s hand went to my wrist and tugged me forward before I could pause to see where it was coming from. He was right, of course. We were there for one thing. That didn’t stop me from being curious.
“They’re in here. They will not be staying in our house. We don’t care where you take them,” the blonde witch said before she opened the heavy mahogany door.
We stepped into the plain white room with a single hard leather couch set on small round wooden feet. It looked like it was torturous to sit on.
A younger witch somewhere around my age, by the looks of her, with dark blonde hair and striking pale brown eyes looked at me with her mouth set in a firm line. She was wide awake and ready to fight. Her stance was that of a practised fighter, and I felt pretty sure she knew how to use the sword on her back.
“Skylar, these are the garou here to deal with the miscreants,” the older blonde said.
Skylar narrowed her eyes at a pair of teenagers leaning sulkily against the far wall.
“You want me to leave them alone together?” Skylar asked.
“Yes,” the older blonde said sharply.
Skylar’s posture tightened, but she walked forward. Her eyes flicked to mine, and she tilted her head slightly. Something passed through me, an understanding that she knew what I was. Then she was gone.
“Names?” Cole barked at the teenagers.
The girl, the younger of the pair, pushed off the wall and strode toward him. She couldn’t keep her eyes on his for long; they soon dipped, and her shoulders rounded in submission.
“Briar. My brother is Adam.”
I looked to Adam, who was standing tall with his eyes firmly on the floor. My protective instincts kicked in hard. I spoke before I thought about what I was going to say.
“Welcome to the Loxwood pack. Do you have any belongings?”
Cole growled and grabbed onto my wrist before he pulled me to the door.
“You cannot claim them as Loxwood pack,” he hissed.
I smiled.
“I believe I just did.”
Cole bared his teeth and I smiled, not looking away from him.
“Great. More people who’re going to throw us out like trash,” Briar said.
“You’ll have a comfortable room in our home, and a good forest to run around,” I said as I stepped around Cole.
Adam and Briar looked between Cole and me. A deep frown formed on Adam’s face and he walked to Briar’s side, where he put an arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t lie to us,” Adam said softly.
“I’m not,” I said, taking another step towards them.
Briar lifted her eyes and narrowed them at me.
“You’re the guardian? You? I thought guardians were supposed to be badass.”
I sighed. That was not the reaction I’d been hoping for.
“Briar,” Adam said, nudging her in the ribs.
“What? Look at her,” Briar gestured at me.
“Is there somewhere we can talk freely?” Adam said to Cole.
“Apparently you’re joining us in the Loxwood pack.” Cole shot a dark look at me. “So gather your things, we’ll go there now.”
I made no attempt to keep the victorious grin off my face. Cole’s scowl deepened. Sure, they weren’t the top of the ideal packmates list, but they were still packmates. Once we got through the grumpy teen thing, they could be awesome. I wasn’t going to brush them off based on first appearances.
Adam and Briar collected a large backpack each and followed us out to Cole’s car. Adam gave a low whistle of appreciation upon seeing the car but said nothing more. I waited until we were safely off the witches’ land before I turned to look at the latest members of the Loxwood pack.
“What were you doing on the witches’ land?”
“Looking for you,” Briar said, crossing her arms.
I frowned and glanced at Cole who said nothing.
“Why?”
“You’re a guardian, we can feel it. That means you can break our curses.”
A large weight formed in the pit of my stomach. I had no idea how to break curses.
“How and why are you cursed?” Cole demanded.
I wanted to swat him and tell him to relax a bit, but he was the alpha so I reined in the desire.
“We can’t shift. We irritated a witch a coup
le of years back,” Adam said sullenly.
“Irritated?” I asked.
Briar sighed dramatically.
“She didn’t like that her daughter was falling hard for Adam. We were planning on running away, the three of us. The dumb witch hated that and cursed us as revenge,” Briar said.
Adam pursed his lips and kept his eyes down.
I couldn’t imagine not being able to shift for two years. The thought of it was agony.
I pulled my phone out and sent a quick text to Amy.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIFT CURSES!? HELP!!
Briar was huffing in the back seat. I needed to put off this curse-breaking attempt as long as possible. I was clueless, and I couldn’t let them down. There had to be a resource somewhere on guardians.
“As you are apparently members of my pack now,” Cole shot a glare at me, “you will live by my rules. No more wandering around witch lands. You will treat people with respect, and you will not step foot outside of my territory without my prior explicit permission.”
“Understood,” Adam replied quickly.
“Got it,” Briar said while looking out the window.
My wolf was warming to Adam already. He was showing respect and calm. Briar was going to be a more difficult process.
15
The teens were assigned the rooms opposite mine and Cole’s. The sun was turning the horizon a delicate shade of rose pink, which meant that I wasn’t going to get back to sleep. Cole set about making everyone waffles for breakfast, which I very much appreciated. I set the table and pulled out my laptop. There had to be something more about guardians and breaking curses somewhere.
Amy got back to me as Cole served my waffles. Adam and Briar were sitting quietly at the table awaiting their turn.
INSTINCTUAL
I sighed. My instincts were completely silent on the topic of curse-breaking. Why did it always have to be this way? They did the same in the movies where the heroine struggled and then something suddenly clicked and she was the hero everyone needed. Briar was picking at the table in front of her.