by Janelle Peel
One thing I could always count on was her insatiable appetite. If she held her human shape more often, she’d look like a gangly fourteen year old, despite being born nearly two years ago. It was difficult to get used to her changing face in between her sporadic shifts.
Kane was coming in from the backdoor as we arrived. His brows drew low in question as he took in her canine form, “Is she going to eat like that?”
Irritated, I snarked, “Is there a problem?”
His face closed down into an emotionless mask, “No.”
Shrugging off our jerk of a host, I took in the buffet laid out on the polished oak table. Seared ribeye, mashed potatoes, corn, and an assortment of store bought rolls. My mouth watered, yum!
Pulling out a chair, I grabbed two mismatching plates from the table and a set of wrapped silverware.
Bex nosed another chair out beside me and hopped up. Licking her lips, she gave me her best puppy dog face and whined softly.
Smirking, I answered, “I know. Let me cut it, first. I don’t need you choking on the bone like last time. I also don’t want to give you a bath when you make a mess of your paws.”
Kane watched our interaction with an amused expression and seated himself at the opposite end of the oval table.
Busying myself with the familiar task, I inquired, “How do you get items from a store?”
He nodded, “Justine can come and go as she pleases. Most everything comes from home shopping on the internet, though.”
His answer led to my next question, “How do you make money?”
“We have a trust fund we draw from in emergencies. Every member of our Pack works from home in the computer programming field. Of course, we also have some lucrative investments as well.”
Hmm, that made sense.
Bex’s tail patted an impatient beat as she woofed. Focusing once again, I moved her plate in front of her and she attacked it with enthusiasm.
Plating my own food, I went to grab a roll when Kane’s hand inadvertently touched mine and the same shock as before lit up my arm.
I gasped.
Bex growled low in her throat as her ruff stood on end.
Kane slowly pulled his hand back with mock seriousness, “Apologies, Bex.”
Satisfied, her rumble cut off and she refocused on her food once more.
Laughing internally, I imagined my mini would be protector attacking the big bad Wolf. Talk about dinner comedy, ha!
When the last bite entered my mouth and I had pushed my plate away, Kane spoke again.
“Natalie, did you have any other questions?”
I nodded, “Where’s Justine?”
“She is dining with the rest of the Pack.”
Odd. “Why?”
He rolled a shoulder, “She didn’t want to be a distraction.”
“Okaay,” I drew out. “Where?”
“We have homes scattered throughout the woods.”
Huh, weird. I felt like I’d covered a pretty good portion of the forest earlier, but I hadn’t noticed a single one. Shrugging, I got down to business, “What have you tried to dispel the curse?”
Adopting a monotone, he answered, “We placed an ad on the dark web a few years back. That’s how Justine found us. She has tried every spell you can imagine but hasn’t made any progress.” He frowned, “My Wolves have been patient so far, but most of them are older. Without a Mate, the loneliness of our seclusion has begun to set in. Infighting, needless dominance displays, etcetera.”
My brow lowered, “Dominance displays?”
His lips thinned into a line, “Yes. I’ve had to put down two Wolves this year alone.”
Goddess, two Wolves? He’d had to kill his Pack? My stomach rebelled at the thought of killing any of my family. “So… you only have Wolves here?”
“Yes. My uncle never entertained the idea of allowing any other species into our Pack.”
Riiight. Shelving the information, I continued, “Where is your uncle?”
His eyes tightened, “He also had to be put down.”
Closing off the pang of sympathy, I changed the subject, “Do you know what the magic dwellers were?”
He sighed in frustration, “We aren’t exactly sure. From all the years of our combined research, we’ve only been able to come up with one possible idea.”
Curious, I queried, “What?”
“We believe they were some sort of Elemental; a type of Fae.”
I scoffed, “You’re joking, right?”
His tone hardened, “I know it sounds crazy, but from all of the descriptions I have received from my Pack, it’s the best answer I can come up with.”
Incredulous, I asked, “And you believe them?”
Irritation laced his tone as he rumbled, “Why would they lie?”
“I want to speak with them.”
“No, absolutely not. The Pack is off limits to you and your,” he hesitated as his voice dropped into a whisper, “child.”
I laughed, long and loud as Bex chuffed a snort.
“No,” I grinned while wiping the corners of my eyes, “Bex isn’t mine in that sense. She’s a member of my Pack.”
An incredulous expression lit his face, “You took in a pup?”
Confusion coursed through my thoughts, “Um, yes? Why?”
He frowned, “Forgive my ignorance, I’ve never seen a Wolf child, nor am I familiar with their rearing. Add in the fact you’re maybe only, 20? It just seems odd.”
“Not any odder than being cursed by the Fae,” I snarked.
“Touché.”
Getting back on track, I lifted a brow, “Why is the Pack off limits?”
With gravity, he answered, “Their initial reaction to you was… not what I had expected.”
Ah, because they’d answered my call. “Are you afraid I would take your Pack?” I chortled, “That’s crazy.”
He flared his nostrils, “It’s not only that. Are you Mated?”
Irritation laced my response, “What the hell is it with all of you Alpha assholes being so concerned if I am Mated or not? I’m my own fucking person!”
Throwing up his hands in a placating gesture, he continued, “Wait. It’s just, well, I don’t scent a mark on you… and my Wolves are already worked up enough as it is.” His green eyes took on a pleading expression, “Please, for your safety and theirs, stay away from them.”
Their safety? What the hell did he mean, I wondered as comprehension slowly dawned. He was afraid he’d have to kill them if they went after me. Gritting my teeth, I acquiesced, “Fine, for now. There may come a time when I need to speak with them, though.”
Releasing a relieved sigh, he jerked a nod. “It can be arranged, one on one. Just, give me some notice.”
Bex yipped; breaking our stand off as she pushed a plate of sugar cookies with her nose across the table.
I smiled, “Okay, only one.”
Kane stood and gathered our plates while she inhaled her treat.
His deep voice rumbled, “Natalie, I meant what I said. It’s not personal, okay?”
“It’s Nat,” I responded.
“Nat?”
“Yes. Everyone calls me Nat.”
Softly, he whispered my name with a strange sort of longing, “Nat.”
Slightly creeped out, I scrunched my nose at Bex, “Come on you, let’s go call Sora.
Crossing my ankles, I held the phone with one hand and gently fingered Bex’s soft ears as she laid beside me on the queen-sized bed.
“I’m not kidding, Sora. He actually said Fae.”
Her voice held a tiny quality as she replied, “That’s crazy. The Fae are a legend.”
“You’re telling me,” I scoffed. “We need to investigate every option, though. Do you think Daisy might have any information she can access in the Archives?”
Daisy and Cooper had gone back to Seattle to reorganize what was left of the Mages. So far, they’d made a great deal of progress and had actually turned the Stronghold into a sort of
democracy. If anyone could ferret out anything of use, it’d be her.
Sora sighed, “I can’t, Babe. Maybe you can call her? I have my hands full over here at the moment.”
I sucked in a disappointed breath, “You can’t? Why? What could be more important than this?”
She chuckled, “It’s not like that. It’s just well, there’s been a development with Lila.”
Lila was everything to our Clutch. My disappointment immediately turned to worry, “Is she okay?”
“Yes. She, uh…” she paused. “Well, she kind of lit her crib on fire.”
“What?” I shrieked. “How the hell did-”
She snickered, interrupting my tirade, “I had the same reaction. Evidently, the Goddess must have big plans for her. No one, to mine or anyone’s knowledge, has ever been gifted with their magic so early.”
I snarked, “Ya think? There’s a good reason for that. Obviously, it’s so babies don’t go around burning down their parents’ house!”
“Agreed.”
Taking a moment to reorder my crazy mind, I whispered, “I want to come home.”
Her tone softened, “I know, Babe. I want you here, too. Honestly, I could use the help. But, in the meantime, I’m positive you can figure this curse shit out. Look how far you’ve come in such a short time.”
Bex wagged her bushy tail in agreement.
In a small voice, I replied, “I know, I’ll try.”
She growled into the speaker and vibrated the small hairs inside my sensitive ear. “There is no try, Nat. You can, you are, and you will. Quit the pity party right this minute.”
I giggled at her bossy tone, “Okay.”
“That’s more like it. Now, call Daisy. If you need anything, call me. If I don’t answer-”
“Yes, Mom,” I mocked, “I’ll call Viv.”
“Good. I believe in you.”
Her confidence lifted my spirits, “Thanks.”
A sharp wail picked up in the background on her end. “Shit, I have to go… No, Blaze! Not the fire extinguisher!”
The line went dead and I laughed. All Mother, I could imagine Blaze running around with a red canister to put out his daughter’s fires. It was rather amusing he’d once called Sora his Firestarter.
Fate sure was twisted.
Thumbing the screen to life, I dialed Daisy.
She answered on the first ring with a grunt.
“Hey, um, do you have a minute?” I asked.
A thump sounded as she dropped something. “Sure, what’s up, Nat?”
“Well, you’re not going to believe this, but I need your help…”
Kane
The walk to his Beta’s cabin was uneventful as the Moon rose in the distance. Her silver face brought to mind the color of Nat’s magic…
Sighing to himself, he knocked on the door.
“It’s open,” a deep voice boomed through the mahogany.
Turning the handle, he kicked the mud from his boots on the frame and entered.
Justine snapped her gaze to his from the new episode of Stranger Things and released her death grip on a decorative blue pillow. Sitting forward on the couch, she asked, “How’d it go?”
Jet held up one meaty hand and hit pause on the remote.
He crossed the room and sat heavily on a brown leather recliner before answering, “It could have gone better, that’s for sure.”
Jet rumbled with sarcasm, “So, you’re saying she didn’t receive the kidnapping well?”
Justine slapped his thick shoulder, “Hush. What happened?”
Pacing the small length of the living room, Justine shook her head after he’d filled them both in. “How could you let this happen? I came to help you because this curse doesn’t affect me, and now you’re saying there’s an innocent pup mixed up in all of this?” Turning on her heel, she snapped, “How could you, Kane?”
He threw his arms wide, “It wasn’t my intent! You of all people know how hard the decision was for me to even take Nat. How was I supposed to know a pup would follow her?”
Jet rolled a massive shoulder, “It doesn’t matter, right? I mean, she’ll be more motivated, now.”
Justine threw him a glare, “And if she can’t fix it? They can’t stay hidden from the Pack forever. They’re volatile enough as it is!”
Jet’s dark brows lowered in thought.
While he was a dammed good Beta, he hardly ever took the time to think things through. At nearly fifty, he was in the prime of his long life. Physically, he could even challenge him for his position as Alpha. Unfortunately, he didn’t want the job. Kane couldn’t blame him, not really. It was hard work keeping their twenty-seven strong group in any semblance of order.
He rubbed his face aggressively, “What’s done is done, I’d change it if I could, Justine. You know that.”
The fight went out of her and she slumped her shoulders, “Now what?”
“Now, we wait. Jet, can you get a detailed account from everyone who actually remembers the Fae, including yourself? No embellishments. It needs to be as accurate as possible.”
Brushing his knuckles across the stubble of his chin, Jet nodded, “It’ll take maybe a day or two.”
“Good, get each one to me as soon as you can.” He tipped his head toward Justine, “In the meantime, can you get to know Nat and Bex? I’m sure they can use a friend.”
Cocking her head to the side, she examined him with her critical blue eyes, “Sure, but why can’t you do it?”
Kane jerked his head once, “The less contact I have with her, the better.”
Her gaze sharpened, “What else did you do?”
“It’s not that… my Wolf, he thinks…” a growl rose unbidden from his chest as his beast gnashed his teeth in annoyance. “We think, she’s… our Mate.”
Chapter 6
Daisy
Pitching my voice loud enough to be heard over my Bluetooth speaker, I called out, “Cooper? You find anything yet?”
A loud thump and a mumbled curse met my ears as he rounded the stack of dusty old tomes. “Nope. Have you?”
Wiping the sweat from my brow, I muttered, “No”
The dark denim of his jeans highlighted the thick muscles cording his thighs as he picked his way down the messy aisle toward me. Hooking me around the waist with one sinewy arm, he kissed my crown and rumbled, “We’ll find something. What else did Nat say?”
I shrugged out of his embrace and threw my hands up in frustration, “Native magic dwellers. Fae. The last one was,” holding up a finger, I sneezed four times in quick succession and sniffled, “Elemental.”
He grinned at my predicament for a moment before sobering, “Elementals?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yeah, why? You find something?”
Tipping his head in thought, he closed his hazel eyes in remembrance. Snapping them open, he smirked, “I did a job once for the Council about four years ago. I was sent to Europe to investigate some strange magical anomalies. Sudden drops in temperature, frozen crops, and the like. I never did find the source, but a farmer swore up and down Elemental magic was at work.”
“A human farmer?” I queried.
“Yes. I thought it was odd at the time, but it was later explained there is a lot of superstition in that part of the world.”
Hmm. Elemental magic… temperature dropping, frozen crops. Maybe there was something to this. “Nat described the barrier as an invisible wall. It actually froze her skin to it. If we go with that, I think we need to move further back in the Archives.” Excitement lit through my chest before it was quickly tempered by the vast amount of space we would need to cover. The Archives were incredibly large. A plethora of information, if you were willing to search for it. I’d been down here countless times and still hadn’t found the end of the massive underground chamber. Something else tickled the back of my mind… what was it? I’d heard something on the news during my foray in SoCal… Like a lightning bolt, my memory spat out the information in crystal clarity-
I was getting a few things at a gas station for the road on my way down to Sora’s Clutch…
The anchorwoman spoke over the radio behind the cashier, “After the recent earthquakes in Mexico, officials are now placing the majority of California on high alert. The San Andreas Fault has continued to show small seismic shifts beneath the Earth’s crust. If the tectonic plates continue to move, a large chunk of California could potentially drop into the Pacific Ocean…”
Pulling out my wallet, I handed the young man a twenty and waited for my change.
“That’s right, Daisy. Very scary indeed.” A male anchorman said.
My ears pricked at the sound of my name and I focused on the newscast.
“Let’s listen to UCLA’s top environmental engineer,” he said.
Another man’s voice spoke from the small speaker, “Tom, Daisy, as I have said before, this could very well be Armageddon for California.”
Environmental engineer… Could this be connected? I’d previously assumed the quakes were due to the malignance of evil in the area… was I wrong?
Cooper snapped his fingers in front of my face, “Hey, where’d you go?”
In a worried tone, I replied, “Could you grab a few more Mages? I think we’re going to need a lot more help down here.”
Nat
Movement on the bed drew me from a light sleep.
“Bex?” I called.
A scratching at the door announced her intention.
She needed to relieve herself. Sighing in annoyance, I grouched, “If you’d shift, you could use the bathroom.”
She whined softly.
Blowing a breath of air through my teeth, I sat up and pulled on my now dry hoodie. The stiff material scratched at my skin as I plodded to the door. “Fine, but next time you go before we sleep, deal?”
No response.
Rolling my eyes, I let her out.
Bex took off like a shot down the hall; making quite the racket with her sharp nails.
“Shh,” I whispered as I followed her down the stairs, “you’ll wake up Kane.” Honestly, I didn’t even know where he slept, but I sure as hell wasn’t eager to find out.