by Desiree Holt
“You better watch her,” Matrice warned. “She’s going down.”
As fast as possible, he stepped behind her, catching her fall. As light as a load of lumber, she tumbled into his arms.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and her muscles sagged.
“She’s passed out,” he yelled. Adrenaline pumped. Here he was to protect her, and he couldn’t even keep her conscious. Fuck. Forget about outside assaults. What the hell was going on?
“Here, bring her indoors.”
Despite being occupied by the woman in his arms, he noted how quickly the pack leader moved, graceful in her older age. He hadn’t thought about the circumstance too much, but many in his pack were young. This woman had seen a lot. “What’s wrong with her?”
The older woman’s cheeks pinched. “I’m afraid, she must have the same thing her mother did before she died after giving birth to Zada and her sister.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Zada was perfectly healthy, wasn’t she? He couldn’t think of her and “died” in the same sentence.
With the door held open for him, he angled in Zada’s unconscious form. As he carried her, he saw the slight rise and fall of her chest. Good, at least she was breathing.
“What happened?” Charlie – the good-for-nothing, see if he could have caught her – rushed forward.
“Get back. Give me some room,” he growled. He searched the living room for the best place to put her, and decided on the couch. It was narrow but did the job. Gently, he laid her down.
Matrice slid a pillow behind her head.
“If you hurt her,” Charlie said.
Alex turned, pushing away the runt with a bump of his chest. “I’d never harm her, and I suggest you stay away until we know what’s wrong.”
“Don’t fight over me,” Zada said in a weakened voice from the couch. She touched her forehead with her hand. “How did I end up in here?”
“Don’t try to get up yet, dear,” Matrice said, a restraining hand on Zada’s shoulder. “You fainted.”
“Bullshit. I don’t faint like a damsel in distress.”
“I’m afraid you did, and I caught you.” Alex angled toward the couch, wanting to be as close as possible. The feeling that he couldn’t do everything in the world to keep her safe riled. The duty was his. Sort of. Somewhere along the way, he’d made it his mission to serve as her protector.
Mine.
“Pam.” Matrice rang a bell to an unseen servant.
“Yes, ma’am?” A young blonde woman in an old-fashioned white apron arrived.
Alex knew someone else must have made dinner, but he hadn’t seen other inhabitants yet. Where did they hang out?
“Can you bring us some fresh lemonade and a cool cloth for my guest’s forehead?”
“Right away, ma’am.”
A second woman returned with the requested items. She poured the drink, adding in a few extra slices of lemon.
“I don’t need any special treatment.” Zada brushed off the washcloth and placed a hand on the back of the couch. “Plus, if my hair gets wet I’ll dye your pretty cream-colored throw pillows purple.”
Matrice tsked the response. “Yes, unfortunately, you appear to need some assistance. I hoped the situation wouldn’t develop so soon.”
The meaning behind her words cast a darkness to the parlor’s atmosphere. They’d simply come to drop off a prisoner. How or why could something else go wrong?
Ever stubborn, Zada pushed up on her elbows. “Damn if you’ll keep me in the dark any longer. I want to know what’s going on.”
With a sigh, Matrice settled on the blue stuffed chair next to the couch. “I need something stronger to drink than lemonade.” She directed Charlie to the bar in the cupboard, and requested a bottle of vodka to wash down the sweetness.
Charlie, of course, poured a shot for himself, sans mixer. As he went to sip it, he toasted the room, despite no one else drinking, and downed it. Before sitting, he poured another.
He’d be some great back-up in a fight about now. As everyone settled, Alex studied his rival. Sure, he was an attractive man. He hadn’t seen him in his shifter form yet, and that meant something. In this form, he only saw half the person. It was different to see someone in their animal shape.
“The tale may be short, but it is tragic,” Matrice said.
She went on to weave a story about a young woman falling in love with two men. Eventually, she became pregnant and couldn’t name the father. The eerie similarity between Zada, her sister Jana, and their potential love interests unnerved Alex. Do I love her already? Yes. If he truly had to admit the emotion, he loved her. What that meant in relation to his duties to the Pack, and to her as a potential mate, he had no idea.
But he also knew that she’d grown too important to him. He’d have to work the relationship out. Charlie on the other hand? Well, at the moment, he thought of a few ways to dispose of the alternative suitor.
“But the story is mine, right?” Zada asked. “I deserve to hear it.”
Matrice gazed at the younger woman laying on the couch. “Yes, and hear it you will.”
One of the men had crossed a vampire in his past, and that ancient one had cursed the shifter’s mates going forward in time.
Zada scoffed. “From a curse? How could my mother have died from a curse?”
“Do not mock what you don’t know. When death comes calling, someone has to answer the door.”
This time, Charlie stood and held up a hand. “What about this prophecy that says I should lead the city pack with one of the Luna Twins? How can I do that if she’s dying?”
Alex’s blood boiled at that inanity of the question.
“Fair response,” Matrice said. “The curse has gone back generations, and many have suffered the outcome. How can you doubt that you do not know?”
Alex could only sit back idle for so long. “Let’s get to the end-game, right? You wouldn’t be telling us this if there wasn’t a way for us to break the curse. What do we need to do?”
“That’s where I come in.” At that moment, a tall man stepped into the room. A vampire with dark hair and an aristocratic air.
Alex’s wolf side warred to come out, and he fought to keep it in check, and him in his human form. Just because he was an undead didn’t mean he was an enemy.
“Lawrence.” Charlie dropped to a sort of half bow, and kept his head down.
The vampire waived his hand. “No need for theatrics. I’ve come because Matrice asked, and to help a distant family member.” He waived toward Zada.
“Sorry, dude, but I don’t wanna be turned into a vamp.” She shifted on her pillow to face the visitor. “Death or not. I’d rather choose death than undead.”
“No insult, young lady, but I wasn’t offering.”
“Charlie, Zada – coming from New Orleans, I’m sure you’re acquainted with Mr. Justice.” Matrice introduced the newcomer.
“Yes, we’ve had a few run-ins over the years,” Charlie said. “How is your, ah, quaint little family? Trevor and Lily?”
Intrigued, Alex watched the exchange. For being the next leader in his Pack, Charlie deferred to the older vampire. He didn’t quite know his age, but his entire persona exuded a confident calm that bespoke experience.
“Exactly how old are you?” Alex blurted out. The moment Lawrence turned to evaluate him, he wished he could reign in the question. It’s not like he’d never met a creature of the night before. Not often one he wasn’t trying to kill.
“Around 185 years old,” he said with a quiet patience. “Give or take a few years.”
The smile on his face put Alex at ease, and spoke of knowing the answers to many mysteries. He’d be a good ally to have on their side.
“Guess you’ve been around the block a few times, eh?” Alex asked. He held out his hand to shake and as he got closer, he caught the scent of a wolf on him. “You spend a lot of time with a shifter?”
“My mate, Trevor,” Lawrence said. “Or at least one of
them.”
“Hasn’t Lawrence ever visited the Pack?” Zada asked. He stooped next to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. “He’s mated to Silver’s brother, Trevor.”
“Ah, yes, now I remember who you are. I haven’t always been present when visitors come. Sometimes, I’m out on hunting excursions.”
“I consider us all one big extended family,” Lawrence explained. “So when Matrice sent message that she expected some trouble and needed my help, I came. If you’re in danger, then I’ll do whatever I can in order to help solve the problem.”
All of them seemed to turn to look at Matrice for answers. She’d brought them all together, and only she truly knew why.
“You need to go on an excursion. A pilgrimage if you will. You must return what once was taken, and appease the gods of the curse. And, you need to do this united.”
“Easy-peasy,” Charlie said with a smile. “Where are we going, and when do we leave?”
“You might take that light attitude now,” Matrice said, “but it’s guaranteed it won’t be all that simple.”
Chapter 4
“The task is not that easy,” Alex said. “Is everything a joke to you?”
Charlie didn’t like feeling like an outsider, and right now that’s the role he played. Despite wanting to make inroads with Zada, he got pushed aside by the country-wolf. The anger built until it felt like he was going to explode.
“If you all don’t mind excusing me, I’m going to go back to my room for a little bit.”
It might seem an odd request, right when they were all preparing to strike off on another adventure. He couldn’t take being with them, and seeing the interaction between Zada and Alex for any longer.
He didn’t wait for a reply, but instead took off down the hallway. The moment he stepped over the threshold, he stripped off his borrowed clothes. To hell with the buttoned-up shirts and slacks. He wasn’t the stuffy type of guy.
Instead, he picked out a concert T-shirt, and a pair of loose jeans. If he needed to run after someone, or someone was chasing him, he felt more secure.
All these years, his grandfather had told him about the ideal woman he’d marry. Zada didn’t quite fit the description. The woman acted much more laid back he’d expected. She put on a tough outside appearance, but inside he suspected she was different.
Overall, he wasn’t gone too long. Probably, a bit more than ten minutes. Hopefully, it gave everyone a cooling off period. If he wouldn’t have gone, he imagined the chaos multiplying
“Well don’t you look different?” Zada teased when he entered the room.
“This style is a bit more my pace. No offense Ma’am,” he addressed Matrice.
The woman inspected him, and he must have passed. “Well, I guess I didn’t know Ms. Zada all that well. She prefers her men to be a bit more edgy.”
From the front pocket of her dress, Matrice brought out a set of keys. She crossed the room to a curio cabinet and removed a wooden box. She unlocked it, and brought out a leather journal with another lock on it.
“I’ve been the keeper of this information for too long,” she said, flipping through the pages. “First I’ll read the prophecy, and then we’ll talk about what needs to be done.”
The Luna Twins Prophecy
Twin shifters born under the Hunter’s Moon
Destined to unite the Packs
From the countryside to the city’s heart
The ancient tale shall endure
A legend that last the ages
Love, deceit and death
That once taken
Must be returned
From enemies to lovers
Worlds shall merge
Three into one – United
The room remained silent for a few beats, and Zada pondered the meaning. She glanced at the two men vying for her affections. Three into one?
“What the fuck?” Charlie said. “Sorry to be so crass. But what the hell does that mean?”
“Wondering how that became some magic foretelling of you mating with Zada?” Alex said. “Guess you better re-think that one.”
In a flash, Charlie lunged across the room and grabbed Alex’s shirt. “I’ve about had enough of you. You may have had her,” he snarled, “but she belongs with me.”
Anger fueling her movements, Zada forced her traitorous body off the couch. “Stop it. Right now. Fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
Suitably, the faces of the arguing men appeared stricken. For the second time in a few hours, they acted like kids fighting over a new ball. “I’m not a commodity to be won,” she emphasized.
The room around her swayed, and her vision blurred. She reached to grab something to stop her fall, and came up with empty air.
“Watch out. She’s going down again.” The voice of one of them echoed.
In a flash, Lawrence moved behind her, and steadied her shoulders. “Shouldn't stand so quick,” he said. “Let’s get you back to the couch, and you two – behave.”
With an oomph, she sat back, and covered her legs with a blanket. “How am I supposed to go on some type of pilgrimage to return a stolen item, when I can’t even stand up?” she asked.
“There is no choice.” Lawrence took the spot next to her, and patted her knee with a “there, there.” There was nothing sexual in the gesture. It came off as more of a soothing action. The coldness of his hand seeped through her jeans. “If we don’t succeed, you die.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Zada said. The information made her stomach cramp and her throat tighten. She wasn’t used to being weak. What were the odds that they succeeded?
Matrice shut the book with a loud thud. “It may not sound positive, but it’s the truth. Now Lawrence, did you bring the item?”
“Yes.” He reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and removed a small package wrapped in a gray cloth. “Like the prophecy, I’ve been entrusted with keeping this safe.”
Zada waited, breath held, as he unraveled the material. The suspense stretched out with each roll. She wanted to grab it and let it fly.
Finished, the night-walker held the precious item for all to see.
What was it?
“Is that a wolf?” Alex asked. He moved in closer.
“Carved in wood.” Lawrence rubbed the statue between his fingers.
Charlie approached him, hand outstretched. “Where did you get it?”
“No touching.” Without waiting for a response, Lawrence re-wrapped the item, and fisted his hand around it.
If she didn’t feel so weak, Zada thought she could probably take it. Since he was sitting next to her, she’d have the element of surprise. In her state, though, she’d fail.
“Don’t even think about it.” Lawrence turned toward her.
“Ahhh! You can read my thoughts?”
“Maybe not on a regular basis, but you’re not protected right now. Your intended thievery comes through loud and clear.”
“Why does he have it?” Alex said. He stood back against the wall, with his eyes intent on the vampire.
After spending as much time with the Hunter as she had, Zada saw through his relaxed attitude. Something about the totem touched him, too. He wanted it. Probably as bad as she did. It called to her.
“The three of you are starting to look at me like I’m a juicy steak,” Lawrence said.
He placed the item back into his pocket, and the feeling dissipated. Zada rubbed the sides of her temples with her fingers.
“What is up with that thing?” she asked.
“Is is said to belong to the Pack of Stone Mountain,” Matrice said. “It had been lost, years and years ago.”
“As you can see,” Lawrence chimed in, “it has possessive powers that make others seek it out. But for whatever reason, I mask it.”
“So for safe-keeping, we gave it to a vampire,” Matrice said.
“Why not give it back to the Pack?” Zada asked. “I don’t understand. If we’re at this gigantic terri
torial war, why antagonize them by keeping their sacred totem?”
Lawrence and Matrice made eye contact, and something passed between them. An uneasy feeling crept up Zada’s back. She didn’t really want to hear what was coming next.
“It was given to your mother as a mating gift,” Matrice explained. “And then she was killed for having it. We didn’t return it because it was no longer theirs.”
“Then why return it now?”
The woman leaned forward in her chair and grasped Zada’s hands. “Our population is down already. We can’t afford to lose another young, beautiful shifter. Your sister and you are the future of our packs. You three must come together to fight this evil, and we all need to unite.”
“Killed for that piece of wood?” Zada didn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Do you want me to bring it out again to demonstrate its effects on the three of you?” Lawrence touched the outside of his jacket. “Maybe this time we could draw in some of the household help.”
“No, that’s not necessary,” Alex said. “I like being in control of my facilities, and when that baby came out, I might have killed to get my hands on it.”
“That’s the fear,” Matrice said. “It’s more than a simple piece of carved wood. It has all sorts of mystical powers.”
The story the pack leader had told them weighed heavily on Zada. If the totem had been given to her mother as a mating gift, where was the gift giver?
“What about my father?” she finally gathered the courage to ask. “How does he play into all of this?”
“Well, he’s the one who gave her the charm,” Matrice said. “He was from the pack at Stone Mountains. It’s kind of like a shifter Romeo and Juliet. They were star-crossed lovers, and thought they’d change the future of the packs. Instead, your mother got herself killed. But first she had you and your sister, the Luna Twins.”
The next question stuck in the base of her throat. She wanted to know the answer, but didn’t want to ask. Finally, she realized if she didn’t ask, no one would.
“What about my father? Is he still alive?”