Edie broke into a grin and actually clapped her hands at me. “Oh, good. I’ll let Tara know.”
I shook my head, utterly confused. “Wait. Tara’s here?”
Edie nodded. “She wanted to check on Sam for herself. Work on their friendship now that Sam’s speaking to her again.”
“Huh.” I hadn’t realized they’d patched things up after…
Then again, I hadn’t stuck around for anything after.
Maybe there was more I didn’t know. I needed back in the loop. I needed Sam.
“Okay, yeah, let Tara know,” I mumbled, already planning ahead with a strategy that would allow us to return to Half Moon Bay. It wasn’t my first choice since her energy signature was all over town but maybe we could use that to our advantage.
The confusion would make her harder to find.
“I’ll do that,” Edie said, bringing me out of my thoughts. “But you have to promise me one thing first.”
“What’s that?” I asked, eyes narrowing. Edie didn’t often make deals but when she did, I tended to be on the frustrating end of them. She was a master negotiator. A politician and a ruthless fighter wrapped up in a sweet, grandmotherly package that made it impossible to tell her no.
“If we send you back you have to promise me you’ll let Sam heal you if she figures out how to do so.”
I growled. Out of everything Edie could have asked me to do, this was the only thing I was absolutely against.
“No.” I planted my feet, determined. “Anything else. Not that.”
“Fine. Then you’re on your own.”
“Fine.” I fumed.
“Look, you and I both know you can go around me. Go in as a civilian. But it won’t be enough to keep her alive when they all come for her—and they will come for her. All of them. Abel was proof of that. You need our resources. You need your pull with the organization or she doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Edie … I can’t,” I growled, turning away to pace.
This waiting room, though empty and with plenty of space, suddenly felt too small. Like a fucking cage. Or maybe it was Edie’s deal. Trapping me.
“Sam warned me you’d say that.”
“You already talked to her about this?” I asked, whirling.
“Of course not,” she said and I went back to pacing. “But she told me you refused her help when you left. Why are you so against finding a way to stay alive?” Edie demanded, her voice rising to a shrill octave that had me turning back to her, instantly regretting the hurt I’d obviously caused. “This affects more than you, don’t forget.”
Her eyes filled with tears and I almost dropped to my knees right there. I hated hurting Edie. And I’d never seen her so close to losing it.
“I’m not against staying alive,” I said softly. “I just… Sam’s magic…” I shook my head, suddenly beaten. My arms hung limp at my sides and I couldn’t find the determination to refuse her any longer. Or to keep my own secrets. Not from Edie.
“There’s an important part of the legend that’s missing,” I said finally. My voice was strained with the memories that came unbidden as I spoke. I’d never talked to a single soul about this and I sure as shit didn’t want to do it now. But I couldn’t bear the way Edie was looking at me. That my choices were hurting her so badly.
“You mean the part about the goddess and her revenge? Because we already know about that from the experts we’ve consulted, though we haven’t shared it with Sam. I don’t want to pressure her.”
I sighed. “That’s good, but that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what—?”
“Magic, especially the old, earth magic, always comes with a price. Did your experts tell you that?” I demanded, thinking back to a time in my life that held both the happiest and most tragic moments I’d ever experienced. My hands shook but now it wasn’t the venom causing it. I cleared my throat but my voice was rough as I explained. “My mother was a witch.”
“Your mother?” Edie shook her head, but I’d already anticipated her confusion. “But… She was a hunter.”
“She was,” I confirmed.
“She had abilities then?”
I shook my head. “I know plenty of hunters have gifts, but my mother’s magic was different. Bigger. Broader. According to the stories she told me, the magic had been in her family’s blood for generations and I think being a hunter only made her gifts stronger.” I chuckled. “She used to conjure little windstorms for us when we’d walk in the woods behind the house. We’d have dance parties while the fallen leaves swirled in little cyclones around us. I can still remember the way she’d laugh as the leaves tickled her arms.”
“She sounds wonderful,” Edie said and the sincerity in her words made my chest ache.
“She could also commune with the trees.”
“Oh.” Edie blinked as what I’d said sunk in. Only one kind of magic was known to tap into nature that way. “Old magic then?”
I nodded and a little bit of the weight I’d carried my whole life lifted. Only a piece and only a fraction of the weight—but it was something. When I spoke again, I barely recognized my own voice. It was full of pain and raw, just like I felt about that time in my life. “The magic was hard on her, I think.” My smile faded. “When I was around five, I went to public school and she stopped using it for a while. Trying to give me some normalcy, I think. But the pull was strong and she had such an innate talent for it that even when she tried to resist, it would seep out. A rich bouquet of flowers here. A spark of fire in the hearth there. A new tree in the yard, its buds bent toward the house. She had a special affinity for the elements and my father loved nature so he encouraged it. By the time we began to notice the changes in her, it was too late. The magic had taken its toll.”
“I knew your parents—not well, but I met them once at a school fundraiser. Your mother was so friendly, so happy. I—I had no idea,” Edie said softly. She sank into one of the chairs I hadn’t overturned and patted the empty one next to her.
“No one did. My father didn’t talk about it. In fact, he made me swear to never tell a soul. He started drinking around that time and never stopped. The worse she got, the more he drank.” I sat heavily, still lost in the memories of what felt like another lifetime for me. “The magic ate at her, injuring and distorting. By the time we were attacked, my mother had already slipped far from the sharp hunter I knew her to be.”
So had my father but Edie knew that part of the story. I used to tell myself if he’d been sober, maybe we could have taken the pack of werewolves that had invaded our house that night. But the truth was that we hadn’t stood a chance. There had been too many and I had been too young. Staying hidden throughout the ordeal had been the only chance I’d had at survival. And the truth was, maybe my parents’ death was a mercy for them, each in their own way.
“I’ve seen too much magic kill a person slowly, and I won’t be the cause of it again.”
“Again?” Edie frowned. “Alex, it wasn’t your fault with your mother.”
“Look, I don’t want to debate this,” I said stiffly, my temper and resolve both returning and covering the vulnerability that had threatened to scrape me raw. This is exactly why I never talked about this. I cleared my throat and planted my feet, folding my hands behind my back. At attention. My message was clear as I added, “I’ve made up my mind.”
Edie was silent and I thought for a moment she’d finally come to see my side. But then she asked, “How do you know Sam would pay a price like that? Maybe she—”
I cut her off, impatient that I still had to argue this. That she still couldn’t understand. Why couldn’t she see that I couldn’t do this to someone else. Not again. Not someone like Sam. “Because I saw it. Earlier. When Sam and I were— She has scars on her body, Edie. Scars that weren’t there before I left.”
“And you think they’re from using magic?” Edie asked.
“I know they are.”
“Did you ask Sam how she felt about
the scars? About the cost of her magic?”
“Of course not,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. But really, it was a stupid question. Why was she still not getting this?
Edie gave me a reproachful look. “It should be up to her, not you, whether she continues to use the magic. Regardless of the price, it’s hers to pay, not yours.”
“That’s my point,” I began, but Edie held up a hand, cutting me off.
“No, your point is that you want to punish yourself while inflating your ego at the same time.”
I frowned. “That’s not what—”
“Shut your mouth and listen to me, darling boy. I love you as if you were my own. You know that I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. Hell, I have already. But you’re being an ass. Again. You’re acting out of guilt. Yes, you’re taking what you think is the high road but you don’t get points for that when you’re doing it to make yourself feel better. Or safer.”
“I’m doing this for her, Edie. Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?”
“Haven’t you?” she shot back and her eyes gleamed with the parental lecture I could practically see radiating from her pores.
“I’ve known that girl longer than you have and she’s strong. Stronger than you’re giving her credit for. Sam doesn’t need you to martyr yourself for her. She needs you to live. And if there’s a price to pay for that, she can decide whether she’s willing to pay it. You can’t decide for her and worse, you can’t push her out. Your life affects her too, like it or not.”
“I can’t do something that will deliberately hurt her,” I said but my argument was feeling weaker by the minute. Edie’s words struck a chord. I was treating Sam like she was fragile when she was anything but. Still, I couldn’t just let her get hurt for me.
“You already are,” Edie grumbled.
“What do you—?”
“If you need me to tell you, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought, Alex Channing. That girl’s half in love with you already. The other half probably wants to save your ass so she can kick it herself.”
My jaw fell open at that. Had Edie just endorsed Sam injuring me?
“Now, pick your jaw up off the floor and go get your witch. If she hasn’t left without your sorry ass already.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sam
My phone wouldn’t stop ringing. I stared down at it as it lit up with yet another incoming call—all of them from the same number. Mason Harding, the caller ID said. I’d already silenced it since it had echoed loudly in the still-empty dining room. My plate of food sat half-eaten and Tara’s chair was now empty. She’d left a while ago to let me eat and to make some calls. I’d managed to put down half the food but then Mason had started blowing up my phone and my appetite was gone.
I couldn’t bring myself to keep ignoring him.
What if he was sicker?
I couldn’t turn my back on him now. Not when I was apparently the one who might save him. With a reluctant swipe across the screen, I answered the call.
“Hello?” I asked tentatively.
“Sam.” The relief in that one word made my heart hurt. “God, I’ve been going crazy.” I winced because, honestly, it sounded true. “Where are you? How are you? I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me where you are. Obviously you don’t want to do that. I’m dangerous, right? I’ve been thinking about you though—shit, not a creepy way. I’m—”
“Mason, I’m fine,” I said, genuinely wanting to ease this for him. He sounded so small and unsure. I’d never heard him like this before. “I went to Guam to visit my aunt but I’m back now. Just flew in,” I said mostly because I already knew I wouldn’t be going home and Brittany was still out of town. It was safe to at least tell him that much. “How was your holiday?”
“My holiday was good. I went home to see my parents.”
“How are they?”
“Fine. Listen, I … I know this is a lot to ask but can we meet? To talk? I mean, you can bring your boyfriend. I just—”
“Alex is not my boyfriend,” I said, vehemence packed in every word. Mason fell awkwardly silent and I realized too late that I’d given away more than I’d wanted to in my reaction.
“Okay,” Mason said and all I could think was “who sounded crazy now?” “Well, anyway, whoever you want to bring for protection is fine. I just need to talk to you.” He lowered his voice to a whisper and added, “not on the phone.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, scooting to the edge of my seat. “Are you okay? Are you sicker?”
“No, I—” He paused and then sighed. “Yes. But it’s not what you think. I just need to talk to you. There is a lot going on in Half Moon Bay that you don’t know. But you should because it’s you she’s—Shit!”
Something crashed in the background.
“Mason?” I shoved to my feet, eyes frantic and searching as I waited, straining to hear what was really going on. “Mason, what’s happening? Are you okay?”
He didn’t answer.
I could hear him breathing heavily and grunting so I knew he was still on the line. My stomach tightened as I imagined him turning into a wolf again. Maybe he was fighting it. Maybe he was trying to stave off the change to feral…
“Sam?”
I whirled and almost screamed. “Alex,” I said, my knees almost buckling.
He frowned and hurried forward, stopping at the last minute and dropping his hands awkwardly to his sides. “What is it?” he asked in a low, urgent voice.
“Mason. He’s…” I didn’t know how to finish and judging from the darkening expression Alex gave me, I shouldn’t bother.
“Never mind,” I muttered, turning away, but Alex stopped me.
His hand landed on my arm, too hot, and he held his other hand out for the phone. “Let me,” he said.
I hesitated but Mason was still grunting and I didn’t know what else to do. Alex was literally my only option right now. Reluctantly, I handed him the phone, glaring for good measure as I did it.
His fingers brushed mine, too warm. I scowled, hating the pleasure I got from the touch. Hating the fever I could still feel on his skin.
“Mason,” Alex said brusquely. He listened for a moment and I fidgeted, nervous for so many reasons. Alex was here. Two feet away. Every cell in my body was hyper-aware of that. He was also sick. Still dying. Still probably leaving me after he hung up. And in the meantime, he was on the phone with my ex.
I chugged some water just to have something to do with my hands—and ended up shaking so bad that I spilled half of it down the front of my shirt. I swiped at my chin and then my shirt—and looked up to find Alex watching me, the phone still pressed to his ear, one brow cocked.
Figured.
“Man, listen, I can’t give you a location until we re-establish a base for her. She just flew into town,” he said and I stilled.
Why did he make it sound like he was going to have some part in the decision? Or that he might be around longer than it took to conclude this phone call?
After another moment of listening, he said, “I hear you. I agree, this information sounds useful. We’re moving her to a secure location tonight. It’ll take us a day or so to get approval, and then I’m happy to set something up.”
Alex moved away to pace as he talked. I still didn’t move. What the hell was he even saying?
“Have you had any more episodes?” Alex asked. “Uh-huh, yeah…”
I listened intently but couldn’t decipher Mason’s response to that. Whatever the answer, Alex didn’t seem put out. I listened as he talked a moment more and then he ended the call, holding the phone back out to me.
“Sam?”
I was careful not to touch him as I slid it free of his hand.
“What was happening to Mason?” I asked quietly, not meeting his gaze. My heart thudded hard against my ribs. I couldn’t bring myself to ask the real question. “The grunting,” I added.
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. But he seemed to
get it together when I started talking. You want to meet with him?” he asked.
His tone was deadly serious and all I could do was stare at him, slowly shaking my head.
“What?” he asked, frowning. The expression was the epitome of Alex Channing and I had to shake my head to clear it of the fog that made it hard to think or speak or act with him this close. I still couldn’t believe he was actually here.
I struggled to find my voice and when I did, I was pissed. “What are you even saying right now?” I demanded.
“What do you mean? I’m asking if you want to meet with Mason to hear him out. I think he wants to try and shed some light about his behavior that night and honestly, it might help us diagnose—”
“Us?” I echoed.
“Oh.” Impossibly, the frown deepened. “Right. I’ve been assigned to protect you again—”
“You have got to be kidding me.” I laughed and even I was startled at the threat level present in the sound. I clenched the water bottle tightly in my hands and glared up at him. “You think you can just announce something like that? Like a declaration? Like—it’s totally up to you and you alone?”
Alex opened his mouth and then wisely closed it again.
“You are unbelievable. Do you have any idea how hard it was watching you leave? Hearing you tell me you’d rather die than stay here and look at me for one more day? Did you stop for a second to think about that? No, of course not. You thought about you.”
Guilt and remorse marred his expression. He held his hands out, silently pleading. “Sam, I—”
“Don’t even think about defending it. Why? Because you’re dying. Which means I can’t actually be mad at you. I don’t get that luxury. So listen up and listen good. You have one chance to get this right. If you answer me wrong, I will walk away forever and file enough complaints to make sure you’re never allowed to step foot in this town again.”
“What is it?” he asked.
Inheritance: (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) (Heart Lines Series Book 2) Page 11