by Jayne Hawke
“You’re clearly not interested in small talk, so I’ll get straight to the point. You’re an abysmal guardian, and I can help with that. I can tell you how to step into your full guardian nature. All I ask in return is for a little help with a problem I’m having, and a favour.”
I snorted. No one in their right mind offered a favour, let alone an open favour, to a fae.
Eira pursed her lips. The temperature around us dropped further, sending a shiver skittering down my spine.
“What’s the problem?” I ground out.
She smiled and the temperature shot up. My body didn’t know what was going on.
“Your little friend, Jake, is refusing to take up his position as prince. That is causing some difficulties on Fae. Tell him to be a good prince, and I’ll help you with your guardian situation.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear that Jake was being a general pain in the ass. Some part of me was proud of him, it couldn’t have been easy to stand up to that pressure.
“I have lost contact with him,” I said with a shrug.
“Then I suggest you reconnect with him,” Eira said sharply.
I smiled sweetly.
“No deal.”
Eira stepped forward and placed her very cold hands on my arms.
“Garou are dying because you are not doing your duty as a guardian. All you have to do is one little favour, and talk some sense into your friend. You do want to save your people… don’t you?”
I swallowed down my rage and tried to speak calmly.
“Of course.”
She stepped back, delighted.
“Excellent. Then you’ll speak with Jake. I’ll find you once you’ve upheld that part of our little bargain.”
“I never agreed to anything.”
“Didn’t you?” she asked innocently.
Damn fae. They were a nightmare to deal with. I should have walked away when I had the chance.
38
I had left the coffee shop and moved two blocks over, where I sat on a bench furiously texting Jake. He might not even have been on the Earth plane any more, and I assumed Fae didn’t get cell signal.
Pausing my flurry of texts, I returned to the Grim and looked at the posts about the two latest garou sacrifices. Why hadn’t my instincts kicked in? I growled. Eira was right, those deaths were on my head. Something was wrong with me and I needed to fix it. Now.
Jake finally rang me, I answered on the second ring.
“Where the hell have you been? I need to see you. Now,” I said.
Jake sighed.
“Things have been complicated.”
“Eira says hi.”
The tension crackled between us.
“The ice queen?”
I hadn’t known she was a queen but it wasn’t surprising.
“Yes.”
“Are you ok?”
I shrugged then remembered he couldn’t see me.
“Ok enough.”
I could see him running his fingers through his hair in my mind’s eye.
“Where are you?”
“My favourite bench.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
He was in Wolf Ridge and he’d made no attempt to contact me. I closed my eyes and tried to unclench my jaw before I broke something. Emotions rolled through me. My gut twisted and butterflies formed as I bounced between heartbreak that he’d vanished on me, and excitement to see him again.
I slowed my breathing and tried to make myself look less like a complete wreck.
He showed up as if nothing had happened. He still wore the same jeans he’d loved for years and the familiar dark t-shirt that highlighted his toned body. There was a slight coldness to his eyes now, though, and a predatory efficiency to his movements that hadn’t been there before. He was Jake, but he wasn’t. Not any more.
39
Jake made a similar little motion with his hand that Eira had before he sat down on the bench next to me.
“What happened?” he asked flatly.
“I’m doing ok, thanks. Living with Cole is weird, but we have a couple of new packmates now. His ex-fiancée showed up which isn’t great, but it’s ok, I have my best friend to lean on. Oh, wait…” I said sarcastically.
Jake’s mouth thinned.
“I didn’t abandon you for my own amusement. There are many things going on that I can’t pull you into.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Drop the cryptic act. Eira told me you’re refusing to step up as prince. She’s demanded that I make you.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed and something golden sparked within them.
“Did she threaten you?”
I shrugged.
“She’s fae. I don’t think they do anything without a threat.”
She hadn’t threatened me per se, but there was a clear warning to her tone and the fact she tried to give me hypothermia.
He exhaled slowly and sat a little taller, composing himself.
“Stepping up as prince would put a lot of lives in danger,” he said carefully.
“I’ll tell Eira you said no,” I said as I stood.
I could figure this guardian thing out for myself. Jake might have abandoned me, but I was not going to put him in danger.
Jake’s hand wrapped around mine.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” he said softly.
I turned to face him.
“I’m not going to put you in danger, especially not fae danger.”
He looked away.
“Eira isn’t someone you say no to.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m a guardian.”
Admittedly a really bad guardian, but I was sure I’d figure it out.
Jake stood.
“The arrangements will take a couple of days.”
I glared at him. This was too weird, too easy.
“You’ve been pushing back against being a prince, and now you’re rolling over just like that?”
He snorted.
“You have no idea. Eira won’t kill you if you deny her. She’ll torture your pack and make them beg for death. Then she’ll go after your dad, Amy, that barista you like because he makes your cappuccinos just right. She will rain down death, pain, and destruction in your name.”
“She could have made that a bit clearer,” I grumbled.
Jake leaned in and kissed my forehead.
“I’ll find a way to make this work. For both of us.”
With that, he turned and walked away. My stomach dropped as I knew that would be the last time I’d see him.
40
Natasha was still there when I finally returned home. It was beginning to feel less like home. I wondered if there were any nice places to rent in the area, my income was much better these days.
“Two more garou are dead. What did you do to help them? Where were you, guardian?”
After the morning I’d had, the last thing I was capable of was dealing with her verbal assault. Cole was nowhere in sight. Briar was standing watching in the kitchen. I should have reacted in a calm, aloof, alpha-ly way. I should have done a lot of things.
I strode up to Natasha and wrapped my fingers around her slender throat and shoved her back against the wall. She struggled and fought against me. Her nails dug into my arm like talons, and I wrapped my hand tighter around her throat until she gasped and let go.
“You are in my home, and you are going to learn some respect,” I snarled.
“Put her down, you useless freak!” Briar shouted.
I gave her my most predatory glare and watched in satisfaction as she trembled and looked away.
Uncontrollable rage flooded my system. This woman had swanned into my home, laid her hands all over Cole, and was claiming my packmates. I was done.
“I am a guardian, not a miracle worker.”
“We know. You haven’t even tried to lift my curse recently,” Briar muttered.
I snarled at her and she ran out of the room.
&nbs
p; Natasha stared at me wide-eyed.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re a pack princess, the last survivor of some magical space wolves, or a glittery damn vampire in disguise, I have had enough of your attitude and BS. Yes, those garou died. Yes, I will look into their deaths, but I swear to every god that if you speak to me in that tone again I will break your pretty little neck.”
I dropped her and she gulped down air while shaking. The rage subsided and I was left feeling barren. My wolf side was unsatisfied and slunk away leaving me with the sensation that I wasn’t myself. I turned and saw Cole looking at me with his arms crossed.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine,” I spat.
“Natasha, leave,” Cole growled.
“She attacked me!” Natasha whined as she approached Cole.
“Now.”
Natasha walked out with her head high. Briar scurried after her.
Cole pulled me into his arms and rested his head against mine.
“Tell me everything,” he said softly.
An exhaustion overcame me. I closed my eyes and slumped against him before I told him everything. The frustration at not being a good guardian, jealousy over Natasha, the Jake and Eira situation. Everything.
Cole stroked my hair and bundled me into his arms before he carried me to his favourite armchair and sat down with me still in his lap.
“Firstly, things with Natasha are complicated.”
I held back a growl. Complicated was never a good thing.
“Next, do not trust Eira. Finally, no one said being a guardian was going to be easy.”
I sighed.
“I know.”
He gently turned my head to look at him.
“Learn control, Rosalyn. Bursts of anger like that are unacceptable.”
His tone was so soft and gentle, I wanted to hear it as affection but all I heard was an alpha scolding a young wolf.
“I need to dig deeper into the blood witches,” I said as I got up.
Cole frowned and released me from his arms. He watched me as I turned away from him. I felt his gaze on my back as I left the room. My wolf side was crying to return to him and take solace in his presence, but I couldn’t do it. I needed to prove to myself and those around me that I was the guardian and alpha I was meant to be.
41
I went out at just after dawn for a coffee run. Sleep had eluded me as I’d tried to find something of use on the blood witches. The facts were slowly coming together and told us that their relationship with their god was brutal. The witches would be severely punished if they didn’t fulfil the commands they’d been given. That meant they had suffered greatly when Valentin was killed as it meant the Loxwood pack wasn’t entirely sacrificed. Cole would be a primary target for them.
The actual ritual stuff wasn’t coming together as easily. There were mentions of other gods, the rise and fall of the moon, the spirit of the forest, but nothing that we could pin down into a sacrificial site. I needed a large dose of caffeine and a change of scene to get my head straight before I dove back into that quagmire.
Eira stepped out in front of me as I turned the corner to approach my preferred early morning coffee shop. The victorious smile on her face made me wanted to slap her, but I resisted.
“Jake has been a good boy, which just leaves you.”
My chest clenched at the thought of Jake out there in Fae alone. Being a prince was incredibly dangerous and he didn’t have any allies as far as I knew. I wished he hadn’t pushed me away so I could help him. Damn him and his protective instincts.
“Do you have a book or…?” I asked.
She laughed, a delicate sound like icicles tinkling in a breeze.
“Oh, no, it’s far simpler than that.”
I ground my teeth together. I could feel the fae betrayal coming.
“To be a real guardian you have to let go and allow your guardian instincts to come forward. Like you did with your wolf.”
She watched me closely, the smug look spreading across her porcelain features. My fingernails dug into the palm of my hand where I’d formed fists and was holding myself back. I’d asked Jake to step into the pit of lions for that piece of hippie nonsense.
“The deal is off,” I ground out.
Eira’s face flickered, revealing something hideous beneath the beautiful mask.
“No. You cannot and will not go back on this deal,” she snarled.
A thick carpet of ice gathered around my feet.
“You did not uphold your end,” I said.
She bared razor-sharp teeth.
“You dare call me a liar?”
Her eyes were blazing a pale blue that sent shivers racing down my spine. I wasn’t going to back down this easily.
“You gave me nothing but hippie sentiments. That is not worth a favour or the life of my best friend.”
“Be careful, little wolf. If you continue down this path, it won’t be you who pays for your treachery.”
I remembered Jake’s words. Gruesome images of my dad flashed before my eyes.
A sharp-edged smile spread across the fae queen’s face and I knew I’d lost. There was no way I could go back on this deal.
“You owe me one favour, and I’ll have fun with Jake.”
“I swear that if you so much as harm a hair on his head, I will hunt you down,” I snarled.
She pursed her lips.
“Such fire for such a weak little girl.”
She shrugged as the ice receded and she turned to leave. I remembered Cole’s words. This wasn’t the time to lose control. Slowing my breathing, I focused on happy calm things like running through the forest. I needed to find a way to keep tabs on Jake. I wasn’t screwing around when I told Eira I’d hunt her down if she hurt him.
Amy had come to my rescue. I didn’t feel as though I could talk to Cole about what had happened. He was likely having a delightful breakfast with Natasha anyway. Closing my eyes, I knew I needed to figure out exactly where things stood with him. The jealousy that came with my wolf side was exhausting.
I re-opened my eyes and breathed in the scent of fake pine from the candle Amy was burning to try and help me connect with my guardian side.
“The guardian is something you are, like your wolf. So you just need to find it. I think,” Amy said.
She was about as clueless as I was but she was giving her all to help me. We were sitting on the floor of her living room cross-legged facing each other. She’d said her goddess refused to offer any help or guidance, so it was all on us.
Once again I closed my eyes and searched inside myself for something guardian-shaped. The wolf had been right there. I had no idea what I was doing with the guardian thing though. Would it look like a bigger more badass wolf? Was it something else entirely?
Amy frowned, I felt it. Something in the air changed. Opening my eyes, I looked at her.
“Something’s blocking you.”
I sighed. Great, I was going to get more weird hippie advice.
“There’s a magic barb sticking out of the nape of your neck. I didn’t notice it before because it was smaller, thinner, then.”
I reflexively ran my fingertips over the nape of my neck.
“What does that mean?”
“Someone’s holding you back. Blocking your guardian side.”
I growled.
“Is it fae magic?”
“No. Witch.”
Amy’s frown deepened. It’s an old, odd magic. Not blood, something else entirely.
“Morrigan?” I asked.
They were the only witches I’d come into contact with recently.
“No, they’re warriors, they don’t do bindings. We should check your room.”
A growl rumbled in my throat unbidden. The idea of a witch sneaking into my room, my sanctuary, made me very unhappy.
42
I was ready to blame Natasha for my guardian woes when I returned home. The more I thought about it, the more it added up. She’d been needling at
me about the guardian thing since she’d rocked up. Then there was the fact she’d been roaming around the house as though it were hers from day one. I should have known better.
Amy put her hand on my wrist when I saw Natasha with Cole in the kitchen. Cole was keeping his distance this time; his face pulled back into a grimace as Natasha tried to touch him.
“We should check your room,” Amy said softly.
She was right. This wasn’t the time for another showdown with Natasha. Cole would make his decision, and if need be I’d find an apartment in town again. I was a guardian, I’d find or create a new pack. The sadness creeping around the edges of my mind and the soft whimper of my wolf side told me it wouldn’t be that easy. They were my pack. Cole was my pack. I ignored it all and pulled on the rage that a witch had been in my room.
Amy said nothing but stepped in front of me and made a small ‘stop’ gesture with her hand as I reached the doorway to my room. Sniffing the air, I tried to pick out something different, something I’d missed before. There was a faint sand smell I couldn’t place, but I might have been imagining that.
I waited in the doorway as the witch made her way methodically through my room. Her eyes were half closed and she delicately pulled the curtains back before she ran her fingertips over the walls. Finally she crouched down and pulled a small pale wooden box out from under my bed. It had sat under where my head usually lay.
“You can come in now,” she said.
“What’s wrong?” Cole asked.
I ignored him and walked to Amy and the box.
“She’s just sulking,” Natasha said.
Cole growled and I heard Natasha take a step back.
Amy ran her fingers over the box which was barely the size of the palm of my hand. Swirling patterns had been engraved into the golden wood and a small copper latch held it closed.
“This is old magic,” Amy murmured.
“Rosalyn?” Cole pushed.
“A witch has been binding her,” Amy said sharply. She glared at Natasha as she did so.