Ivar’s condescending tone grated on Christoph’s last nerve. If it weren’t for the shared blood running through their veins, Christoph would have killed Ivar long ago.
“It wasn’t the Alpha who killed our father, it was his bitch, Mina. She betrayed Father, her true mate.”
Ivar kicked his dirty boots up on the coffee table. “So what do you plan to do?”
“I’m going to avenge our father.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“I’m going to kill that bitch and everyone at Black Paw.”
“I never knew you were so close to Father, Christoph. If I remember correctly, you hated the cruel bastard. Not only that, you told me on any number of occasions Griffin wasn’t our real father.”
Memories of Griffin killing Christoph’s mother flashed through his mind. Though he and Ivar had only been pups when she’d died, the painful memories of her brutal murder haunted him still. He would never forget the blood covering her angelic face as her lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling. Even when he closed his eyes to escape the image, all he could see was his mother’s long blonde hair soaking up the last of her life force.
“It doesn’t matter if he was our father or not. What matters is the fact that we carry his last name. It’s our duty to seek vengeance against those responsible for his death.”
Ivar combed his fingers through his prickly blonde hair. “Look around us, Christoph. We’re holed up in this sleazy roach motel, with twenty bucks to our name. We have no wolves to fight with us, and even if we did, it would take a miracle to destroy a pack as large as Black Paw.”
Ivar was right, and Christoph knew it. They had nothing. No land. No mates. No pack to stand behind them.
The gods offered no blessings to anyone in the former Twisted Tail hierarchy. They were on their own, and that was just the way Christoph liked it.
“Have faith, brother. I will avenge our family name. We will take back what is rightfully ours.”
“If you say so.”
Chapter Three
“I’m telling you the woman is out to kill me, Rafe.” The stress of his mate denying him had started to set in. Days’ worth of bristly stubble covered his face. Dark bags settled under his eyes. “My mate is going to be the death of me. She has no care for the fact that I saved her life or that I’m her true mate.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic? Surely she’s thankful you saved her life.”
Lucas took a deep breath, gazing at the passing trees. Erin’s scent from their morning encounter clung to him, even after an ice-cold shower.
“She told me I should have let her die. Apparently, she’d rather let her wolf die than complete our mating ritual.”
Rafe slowed the SUV to a crawl as he pulled into a parking space. “The person you’re describing doesn’t sound like Erin at all. Are you sure she’s not just playing hard to get?”
Lucas unfastened his seatbelt. “That’s exactly what I wondered at first…now, not so much. I thought maybe I pissed her off way back when, or some shit. But there’s something else going on and I have no idea what it is. I know she wants me if her reaction to my presence today was any indication.”
“What do you mean?” Rafe turned the vehicle off.
“She pushed me out the door and turned to lock it. When she turned back to me, I grabbed her and kissed her. Let’s just say her response wasn’t the shit she spouted about hating my guts. She was on fire.”
“I agree there’s more going on. Let me think on it for a bit. Maybe we can draw her out of her shell.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Rafe opened the door and stepped out of the SUV. “You ready for this?”
Lucas straightened his crimson tie. “Gods, I feel like this thing is going to choke the life out of me. A woman must have invented ties.”
“I’m not loving it either, but the Council expects a professional appearance. Why, I have no idea. It would be so much easier if we got to stroll through the door in our wolf forms.”
Lucas stared up at the nondescript brick building. It looked like any other high-rise in the city: boring, bland. He was not impressed. Neither was his wolf.
“This is it?” Lucas asked.
“Yep.”
“Wow. I expected so much…more. It’s kind of a letdown.”
“I felt the same way when my dad brought me to a Council meeting for the first time. I expected statues of wolves or the gods, or something.”
“Right?” Lucas shrugged.
Rafe headed for the building. “Let’s do this.”
The glass doors opened to a beautiful marble lobby complete with a cozy yet modern reception area.
The scent of so many unknown wolves hit Lucas immediately. His wolf sprang to high alert for any potential threats. He scanned the reception area, counting the guards, looking for a quick exit, and noting each security camera.
“How may I help you, sir?” The young blonde receptionist perked up at the sight of Rafe.
“Rafe Erickson and Lucas Jansen. We have a meeting scheduled for 9:00 A.M. with the Council.”
“Please have a seat. Someone will be right with you to escort you to the conference room.”
The receptionist handed Rafe two visitor passes.
“Thanks.” Rafe clipped one to his suit jacket and handed the other to Lucas.
The minutes passed by as they flipped through the latest issues of National Wildlife Magazine.
“Did you know that hummingbird eggs are the size of jellybeans?” Lucas asked.
Rafe grinned. “I had no idea.”
“Learn something new every day.”
Lucas continued reading until his wolf whimpered in his mind and immediately dropped into a submissive position.
Glancing up from his magazine, he carefully inspected the newcomer and was left speechless by his appearance. The man was unlike any other he had ever seen. Powerful majik seeped from his pores, making the hair on Lucas’ arm stand on end.
In human form, the man dwarfed Rafe in height and bulk. Lucas guessed the man’s age at around fifty, judging by the streaks of gray covering his perfectly cropped brown hair and goatee, and the tiny laugh lines circling his eyes and mouth.
“Gus, it’s great to see you, my friend.” Rafe embraced Gus in a brotherly hug.
“Rafe, it’s been far too long. How are you? How’s your mom doing?”
“She’s doing much better these days. Thanks for asking.”
Gus sniffed the air around them. “You’ve taken a mate!” Surprise filled his voice.
“I have.” Rafe smiled.
“What wonderful news! And quite unexpected. I didn’t know you had any prospects lined up.”
Rafe laughed. “The mating came as a surprise to me as well, old friend. But you know how the Fates work.”
“That I do. Tell me, who have you brought with you?”
Lucas rose and stepped forward.
“Gus, this is Lucas Jansen, my second-in-command. Lucas, this is Gustav Eklund, Council Leader.”
“Ah, Lucas my boy. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” Gus extended his hand in greeting.
“All good things, I hope.” Lucas shook his hand.
“Of course! You’ve held a very prestigious position at Black Paw for many years. Don’t think the Council isn’t aware of all you’ve done for your Alpha and your community.”
Lucas and his wolf relaxed a bit as they followed Gus and Rafe to the conference room.
Chapter Four
Erin ran her fingers through her poker-straight blonde hair for the fifteenth time that morning.
What the fuck am I going to do?
“What’s the matter, daughter?” Brenna asked as she looped a stethoscope around her neck.
“Everything.” Erin sucked in a deep breath and held it, hoping she’d pass out from a lack of oxygen. Maybe that way she wouldn’t have to face the fucked-up life she had waiting for her.
“You found your true mate. What could be so bad?”
Erin’s jaw hit the floor. Is she serious? “Are you serious? You of all people should know how badly this whole ‘Lucas being my true mate’ thing is going to go down.”
“It’s not so bad, sweetie. You have a man who wants to spend the rest of his life pleasing you if you’ll only let him,” Brenna tried to reassure her daughter.
As Erin pushed her salad around in the clear plastic container, tears formed in her eyes. “Relationships are supposed to be built on honesty and trust. How can I do that when I have to pretend to be someone I’m not?”
“Then tell him the truth. Open up to your mate. If he loves you, none of it will matter.”
Erin knew her mom had her best intentions at heart, but she was the one who had bound Erin’s powers years ago. Not to mention the one who’d taught Erin the ancient concealing spell so she could hide her scent from the wolves.
“Tell me, just exactly how am I supposed to do that? If I even try to utter a word to anyone about my ancestry, I’m left curled in a fetal position, crying in pain for days. Remember?”
“That would make it quite difficult, wouldn’t it?” Brenna joked.
“You think?” Erin shook her head in disbelief.
“Perhaps it’s time for me to remove the binding spell.”
“I’ve never been more confused in my life. For as long as I can remember, you’ve drilled it into my head that I must never tell anyone about the fact that I’m part witch. And now you’re just like, ‘Hey, let’s remove the spell and tell your mate. Even though I told you the wolves will probably kill you if you say anything.’” Erin threw her hands up in the air, giving her mom the best WTF look she could manage.
Brenna shrugged.
“Mom, you’re giving me whiplash.”
Brenna pulled up a chair next to Erin. “Clearly you have feelings for Lucas—and your wolf must too, or you wouldn’t be such a mess.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks, Mom.”
“Look, what I’m saying is, if Lucas is your true mate, which we both know he is, the fact that you’re part witch won’t matter to him. His wolf has already marked you. And I’m certain as soon as he got a taste of your blood, the wolf recognized the witch and accepted her.”
“Wait. So he knows?” Erin’s heart raced at the thought.
“The wolf knows. The man hasn’t figured it out yet, but he knows there’s something very different about you.” Brenna rubbed Erin’s back. “Just relax and go with it. Stop by the house tonight and I’ll remove the binding. It will give you a good excuse to visit your dad. He misses you, you know.”
“I miss him too.”
Erin picked up her fork and stabbed her lettuce. Her wolf turned her nose up at the vegetarian lunch.
I want meat. Erin’s wolf sent images of her ideal lunch through their mind: hamburgers, steak, and chicken. Cooked or raw, it didn’t matter one bit to her wolf. She was sick of rabbit food.
Oh, you hush. There’s nothing wrong with a nice salad. You act like it’s going to kill us to eat healthy.
Erin’s wolf responded by falling over and playing dead.
Hardy-har-har. Such a funny girl. Besides, we need to shed some of the pounds we packed on over the winter.
Images of her wolf running flashed through her mind. We could easily drop those pounds and not eat rabbit food.
What is this? Everyone-give-Erin-a-hard-time day? I happen to like salads, by the way.
Liar. With that final exchange, her wolf trotted off to the back of her mind.
“Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“What will happen when you remove the binding? Will it hurt?”
Brenna took a deep breath. “No, it shouldn’t hurt. But—”
“But what?” Great! More anxiety, Erin thought.
“Well, you’ll have more majik than you’re used to. The binding spell also scaled back your powers.”
“What? Why would you do that?” Erin stood to face her mom.
“It’s part of the spell. It’s not like I added in a special clause for reining in your strength. Anyway. You’ll be able to talk about your heritage and your powers, but you need to do so with caution. There’s still a lot of bias against witches. I would keep it between you and your mate. No one else really needs to know—and they won’t know, as long as you continue to wear your pendant.”
“So, I can finally talk about it, and I’ll be stronger.”
“Yep.”
“Well, this should be interesting.”
“There’s no doubt about that.”
Erin hugged her mom. “Thanks. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetie, but don’t thank me yet.”
Brenna pulled the breakroom door open, ready to get back to her shift at the clinic.
“Hey, Mom. One more thing.”
“What’s up?”
“There’s been some talk among the pack that the wolves from Twisted Tail used a spell to conceal their scent from Black Paw. Where do you think they would get a spell like that?”
“When I left my coven, I was very young and not very well versed when it came to spells. It took me quite a while to find the ancient concealment spell, but once I found it, I realized that any witch worth her weight would know a spell like that. It’s actually very common.” Brenna pushed the door closed so no one would hear their conversation.
“But who would sell it?”
“Therein lies the problem. The Witches’ Board strictly forbids the sale of any spells to outsiders, especially wolves.”
“So, how is it happening then?”
“I don’t know.”
Chapter Five
Lucas followed quietly behind Rafe and Gus. It was clear to him the men had once been close, but he couldn’t quite figure out the connection.
His wolf worked overtime cataloging every scent they came across, creating a map in his mind of who the scent belonged to and where they found it. It was a methodical technique he’d practiced for as long as he could remember. The compulsive ritual had saved his tail more than once.
They were in the presence of strong wolves with very powerful majik.
“You’re going to have to get out from behind the desk and come visit us out at Black Paw.” Rafe extended the offer to Gus.
“It would be nice to stretch my legs a bit. I’m sure my wolf would agree. It’s been far too long since we’ve had enough wide open space to let loose.”
“I know Mom would love to see you. She asks about you often and sends her best wishes.”
“It would be nice to see Grace again. It’s been ages. The Fates have not been very kind to your mother over the years. Perhaps I should have visited more after my brother’s passing, but I couldn’t bring myself to make the drive.”
Lucas nearly stumbled when he heard Gus’ words. Surely he would have met the man before now if he were Rafe’s uncle?
Rafe nodded, placing his palm on his uncle’s shoulder. “It’s time to come home for a visit.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Gus sighed. “When did you become the wise Alpha telling the old men what to do?”
“I have no freaking idea.” Rafe smirked.
Gus slowed and came to a stop at a set of fortified double doors where a pair of heavily armed guards stood sentry. The scent from the silver bullets in their guns burned Lucas’ nose.
Sensing Lucas’ apprehension, Gus turned to him. “They are here for protection of the Council and our guests. Whether we want to admit it or not, we tend to see more than our fair share of rough individuals in here for charges and trials. If a wolf goes rogue, they have standing orders to take them down by any means necessary.”
Lucas nodded in response. What more was there to say? Don’t fuck up.
Gus gave an almost invisible signal for the guards to open the doors. Others might have missed the slight gesture, but nothing escaped Lucas’ notice.
They were ushered
into an imposing room where thick marble pillars stood at each end of the Council podium. Several feet away rested a large oak table with two chairs. Behind that sat a wooden divider with a dozen or so rows of chairs for an audience.
Seven leather seats were placed neatly along the Council table. Each Council station contained a meticulously arranged microphone, notepad, and pen.
Lucas drew in a sharp breath as a sense of awe passed through him. Raw, undiluted power crackled through the air, forcing his wolf to stand at full attention.
“Have a seat, gentlemen. The rest of the Council will join us in a few minutes.” Gus waved to the two chairs. “Would you like a drink? Water? Coffee perhaps?”
“Coffee would be great, thank you,” Rafe replied.
“Coffee please,” Lucas agreed.
Gus nodded to a woman waiting in the corner. Moments later she appeared with a glass tray, two mugs, a carafe of coffee, and a container with various sugars and creamers.
“Thank you,” Rafe and Lucas said in unison.
“Gentlemen.” The woman placed the tray on the table and left the room.
“Make yourselves comfortable. When the Council comes in, I want you to try to remember everything that happened. No detail is too small.”
“Okay.” Rafe nodded to Gus.
“This is where I’m going to part ways with you and join the Council.”
Gus crossed the room. A single armed guard stood in front of the passageway to the Council area. The guard opened the door as he made his approach.
“Please rise,” a male voice called out as the Council members, dressed in their finest three-piece Armani suits, entered the room single file, Gus trailing the pack.
Lucas and Rafe stood, awaiting further instructions.
Once the members were seated, the speaker in the corner asked, “Rafe Erickson, Alpha of Black Paw, you come before the International Wolf Council for what reason?”
“To file a formal complaint against Griffin Engle, Alpha of Twisted Tail, and any successor he may have named.”
“Who have you brought with you to corroborate your complaint?”
“My name is Lucas Jansen, Second Lieutenant of Black Paw.”
Fur Ever Witched (Black Paw Pack Book 2) Page 2