“Ryder?”
He shook his head at Leah’s words. “Nothing’s going on. We’re just having a brother issue.”
She studied his face then licked her lips. He wanted to do the same but held himself back.
The sound of two people coming through the trees, purposely stepping hard as to announce their presence, hit his ears and he turned on his heel, grabbing Leah’s wrist and tugging her close at the same time.
She didn’t pull away, but he did feel water sliding up his fingers. It seemed his little witch was more powerful than he thought.
No, not his witch.
He needed to remember that.
As soon as he inhaled and scented Finn and Drake, the Heir and Omega of the Redwood Pack, he relaxed marginally. He couldn’t relax fully, as he had Leah at his side and his wolf craved her more than air, but at least he didn’t feel as if he were in more danger than usual.
“You ready?” Finn asked, his wolf in his eyes. His new brother-in-law was one damn strong wolf and had recently increased his strength after almost dying for his bond with Brynn. It was good to have him on their side rather than the enemy’s.
Everyone nodded before taking deep breaths and starting their way to the official meeting place. Instead of meeting on anyone’s land, they were going to meet in an older building that was not claimed by either wolf or witch.
As soon as they entered the building, Ryder’s senses went on alert. There hadn’t been a sentry on duty, but there had been magic. He’d felt it on his skin, and Leah had let out a slight gasp. His wolf pushed against him, but she didn’t scent of pain, only surprise, so he didn’t mention it. He couldn’t let others know there might be a weakness.
“You’ve made it, wolf,” a deep voice with a slightly nasal tone said.
Leah’s hand brushed his arm discreetly, and he wanted to pull her behind him to shield her. Only to do so would undermine her own strength.
Ryder raised his chin and met the gaze of an older man with dark hair, sprinkled with white and grey. His pointed nose and chin made him look aristocratic, but he had Leah’s blue eyes.
This was the Coven leader.
Leah’s father.
The man who’d abandoned her, shunned her, and called for her death.
Ryder’s wolf growled, pushed, and scraped. Yet on the outside, he looked cool, calm, and collected. That was one of his strengths. It had kept him alive through the worst.
While his gaze was on the man in front of him, his senses were on the others around him. Six witches sat around the leader, men and woman in dark robes with frowns on their faces.
But they weren’t alone.
Dozens of spirits lined the walls. He’d never seen so many at once. His skin grew cold and his lungs seized. He couldn’t allow the others to see his reaction, couldn’t let them know what he saw. The spirits looked at him, frowns on their faces, as well. Some screamed. Others called his name, called for his death, for his life. They didn’t move forward, and he wasn’t sure if they could.
It seemed to him that these spirits were of the Coven, ancestors of the seven breathing witches that stood in front of him.
Interesting.
And scary as hell.
He’d been born with the power to hear and see the dead, been born with another, darker power, as well. And yet he didn’t know what to do with it.
However, this wasn’t the time. He met the leader’s eyes and set his jaw. The other man finally lowered his gaze, and Ryder’s wolf was satisfied. He might not be the Alpha, but he was damn strong, and this fucking peon in front of him couldn’t match his strength. He wouldn’t ignore the magic within, but he knew Leah was stronger than her father, as well. Knew deep in his bones.
He just didn’t think she knew that.
But from the look of pure hatred in the other man’s eyes, her father knew it.
“I am Ryder, Heir of the Talon Pack.” His voice was strong, not a hint of anger, just pure wolf.
“I am Finn, Heir of the Redwood Pack.”
“I am Brandon, Omega of the Talon Pack.”
“I am Drake, Omega of the Redwood Pack.”
“And I am Leah. Daughter of the moon goddess and water witch.”
They hadn’t planned what they would say, and yet what they had said sounded as if it were buried deep within tradition and meaning. That Leah would use those exact words made his wolf sing. Damn the Coven for shunning her.
“You dare bring that abomination in our presence!”
“Luis!” One of the younger female witches called.
“Quiet, Diana. You know the law. This witch, Leah, is an abomination and should never have been born.”
“An abomination?” Leah asked, her voice deadly quiet. “Or just your bastard?”
The woman by Luis’s side hissed. “You are not my husband’s child. You are nothing. You should have been killed when you were born.”
“My wife, Darynda, is correct. If you hadn’t been born, the witches would be safe. Now the world knows we are real. They will burn us at the stake as they did a century ago. You have caused our ruin.” Luis stood up and pointed his finger. Water wrapped around his arm in a rush of waves but didn’t lash out.
Ryder let out a growl and barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. So dramatic, these witches.
“We aren’t here to have you call for her death. She is ours.” Ryder’s words surprised even him. Brandon stiffened by his side but relaxed so quickly Ryder wasn’t sure anyone else had seen it other than perhaps Finn and Drake.
“Yours? She’s a wolf, then? You want to start our negotiations with a threat?”
Ryder smiled, then. It wasn’t a happy one, and from the way some of the Coven members paled, he knew his point had gotten across.
“It wasn’t a threat. It’s a promise. As for our negotiations… You know as well as I do that our meeting today is just that, a meeting. We are not enemies. We never have been. You summoned our Alpha, and he is not here because you do not summon a wolf. We are here because our people are dying. Your people are dying. The humans are running scared right now, but soon they will formulate a plan and we could all be in their hands in the end.”
Luis opened his mouth to speak, but Finn cut him off.
“We will meet again to discuss our plans. We want to live in a world where we can be free and not threatened. I can see we’ve started off on the wrong foot. Because of that, we will be back again at a later time to discuss our options.” Finn met Ryder’s eyes and nodded. “The humans who came after the Packs and then after Leah are the ones at fault. Not a witch who was trying to protect herself. I see no proof she’s an abomination, nor do I know what the hell that even means. So, yeah. She’s with us.”
“So it’s wolves versus witches, then?” Luis snarled.
“It’s not anything as of yet,” Ryder answered. “We will begin again, but know this, we are wolves, we are strong. We have fought by your side before, have always worked with you to protect our secrets, but we are Pack. Never forget that.”
On that note, he turned on his heel and the others followed. The witches began to fight within their Coven, screaming at one another, but Ryder let that go. He needed to get Leah and Brandon within the ward walls so he could breathe.
“Ryder,” Leah whispered once they were out of hearing range. “You shouldn’t have done that. You might have started a war over me. I’m not worth that.”
Ryder snarled and turned to her. The others stood around them, not bothering to walk away to give them privacy.
“You are worth that and more,” he said and wanted to curse. He hadn’t meant to say that. “We do not allow the innocent to get hurt by those in power. And frankly, we wouldn’t have given you away to them because we don’t do what we’re ordered to. They are not my Alpha. And they should know that.”
“Ryder…”
Finn let out a breath, then shook his head, a small smile on his face. “Well, that went well.”
Ryder snorted
. “Fucked up for sure.”
Brandon and Drake both rolled their eyes.
“We’ll figure it out,” Finn said then brought Leah into a hug. It was only because he was mated that Ryder didn’t rip Finn’s arms off for doing that.
“It was never going to end well,” Brandon said. “We were pissed going in because of the summoning. The witches are running scared because of their own Unveiling. But it’s not your fault, Leah.”
She scowled. “It sure feels like it. I’m not going to allow that to be for nothing, though. I’ll help you protect your Pack. I have some power, enough that my father wanted me dead from birth. So I’ll do what I can to help you, even as I try to figure out what I’m doing.”
Ryder’s wolf let out a happy howl, but he didn’t let his face say anything. He’d claimed her in front of the Redwoods, his brother, and the witches, and she hadn’t said anything about it. He was giving her mixed signals, and yet, he didn’t care. He couldn’t think when there was so much going on, so much that could go wrong.
The first witch and wolf meeting had gone to hell, but they would figure it out.
There wasn’t another choice.
And it didn’t take seeing the dead for him to know that with one wrong move, all would be lost.
Chapter Six
“Is he staring?” Leah asked.
Charlotte’s eyes danced and she looked over Leah’s shoulder. “No, but he was earlier.”
So Ryder wasn’t looking at her, but he had been. That sounded about right. He kept changing his damn mind. First he’d pushed her away before he kissed her. Then he’d said he wouldn’t mate her, but damn well claimed her in the Coven meeting. She still wasn’t sure what that had meant or exactly what the others had thought, but it had meant something. She wasn’t Pack, but he’d still said she was his. Or, at least, theirs. It wasn’t as if she wanted to marry him and have his babies, but it would be nice if he would make his choice and stick to it.
She’d told herself years ago she wouldn’t have children and wouldn’t find a man to live her life with. She’d always thought her twin would be able to do that despite the danger, but that wasn’t for her. She hadn’t wanted her bloodline to continue with her, not with all the pain she’d lived with for so long.
But letting her hands run along that wolf’s body as they both panted with need wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Her cheeks heated, and Charlotte raised a brow at her.
“Interesting place your thoughts went, I would think.” She smiled and her whole face brightened. The woman was absolutely beautiful, though there was a sadness in her eyes that she couldn’t quite hide. Leah knew what Bram saw in the woman, though he, like Ryder, did his best not to stare for too long.
If Leah had planned to stay within the den for any amount of time, she might have asked Charlotte what the story was behind that, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know her future and what path she would take. Therefore, making friends and promises wasn’t for her. It hadn’t been the case for more years than she cared to count.
“Leah? Are you okay?”
Charlotte’s voice brought her out of her thoughts and she nodded. “Sorry, just woolgathering.”
The other woman’s head tilted. “Are you sure that’s it? You can talk to me, you know. I’m not an Omega or anything close to that, but I’m a good listener.” Her words echoed what she’d said at Roland’s gravesite, and Leah couldn’t take anything away from them but pure honesty.
“I…” She trailed off then tried to look casual as she glanced over her shoulder at Bram, Ryder, and Brandon.
Brandon had come over to Ryder’s that morning with coffee and pastries and, apparently, an agenda. The quiet Omega and his Heir brother had been in deep talks since they’d politely asked to speak privately. She didn’t feel slighted in the least, as she was the one intruding. She didn’t belong with the Talons, didn’t belong with anyone, and she knew that. Having two very handsome wolves ask for some space to work without her around wasn’t an insult. It was just life.
When Bram and Charlotte had shown up, it had been a surprise. Though not an unwelcome one, as Ryder had opened his home to the two. Bram had quickly joined in whatever conversation the other two men were having, and Charlotte had taken Leah aside to the living room, where they were now.
Any other time, Leah might have felt overwhelmed at the drastic changes in her life and the fact that she was now living with a wolf who wanted her, yet didn’t want to want her, as well as being surrounded by wolves who could kill her in an instant. They were that strong. It was only the pureness of their hearts and the integrity of their souls that led them down the path of humanity and away from depravity.
She wasn’t a pacifist, but she also preferred to use her words to fight rather than her magic. It just wasn’t in her as a water witch. Oh, she would try, and could even inflict some damage if she had to, but she tried not to.
And that wasn’t the way to survive on the run.
It had been Roland that saved her countless times because he could work past the inherent calmness of his powers. He had been the storm to her quiet lake.
And now he was gone, and she had to provide the waves.
Leah let out a breath, reaching out to grip Charlotte’s hand. The other woman had quietly waited while Leah tumbled through her thoughts.
“One day, I will be able to have a full conversation without getting lost within myself,” Leah said simply.
Charlotte just smiled softly and shook her head. “You’ve been through a lot. I’m surprised you’re even out here and not wrapped in your quilt on your bed. Or perhaps in a bath?”
Leah smiled then. “I do love baths.” And Ryder had a beautiful claw foot tub in the master bathroom he had offered to her. She hadn’t taken him up on the offer yet, as she hadn’t wanted to take four hours in the bath when he might need something, but she would soon. Her powers demanded it.
“You know, there’s a lake on Talon land, I believe,” Charlotte added. She looked over Leah’s shoulder. “Ryder, is the lake within the den wards?”
The conversation at the dining room table stopped, and Leah turned as all three men looked over at them. Was it wrong that she heated up just at the thought of Ryder looking at her like that? Sure, the other two were attractive, but, apparently, all she wanted was Ryder.
Who wouldn’t take her for a mate.
But she didn’t want that, she reminded herself.
Ryder met Leah’s gaze and nodded. “It’s within the den wards.” He kept looking at her, though it had been Charlotte who’d posed the question. “I should have thought of that before. Do you need to recharge? I can take you to the lake tonight.”
“I’m fine for now,” she said honestly. She hadn’t used her powers, and since she’d been able to drink as much water as she wanted plus take long showers, she was fine. A natural lake would be amazing, but it wasn’t necessarily needed yet. “I don’t want to take you away from your duties or burden you.” She didn’t want to be anyone’s burden, least of all Ryder’s.
“You just tell me, and we will go.” He paused. “Or someone else can take you, of course. It doesn’t have to be me.”
So polite. So formal.
She honestly did not understand this wolf.
Nor did she understand herself recently.
“Thanks.”
“Let’s go for a walk,” Charlotte said suddenly. She stood and brought Leah with her. “We’ll let you guys talk Pack business or whatever is so interesting over there, and I’ll show Leah around.”
Ryder snorted. “You’re not a Talon, Charlotte. How are you going to show her around?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Between Finn, Gina, and Brie, my family is slowly mating with all of you so much that I’m here just as much as I’m on Redwood land. If I get lost, I’ll call Brie.” She paused. “Unless you don’t want a Redwood and a lone witch walking around without supervision.”
Brandon sighed. “It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?” Leah asked. “Am I a prisoner here?” She couldn’t keep the bite out of her tone, and when Brandon sat back, she regretted it. He may not be able to feel her emotions because she wasn’t Pack, but he could feel Ryder’s.
She kept messing up, and yet because she didn’t know where she stood, she couldn’t find her balance. That needed to change. She wasn’t some weak-kneed girl who couldn’t breathe without fainting. And despite how she’d acted since she’d first come to the Talons over a week ago, she needed to show them who she was.
Ryder stood and made his way to her, a frown on his face. Leah took a deep breath, her heart racing, though she wasn’t sure why. He didn’t move to touch her, didn’t do anything but stand closer to her than was necessary for a mere acquaintance.
“You aren’t a prisoner. You were always able to leave when you wanted. However, you stayed. You stayed to grieve and to find your next step. Then, two days ago, you told us you would fight alongside us. Or at least stay by our sides as we protect our people. You might not have the bonds to become Pack, but that doesn’t mean you’re an outsider.”
She sighed. “There’s a reason I don’t have the bonds.” She hadn’t meant to say that.
He closed his eyes and his nostrils flared. “Leah.”
She held up her hands. “I didn’t mean that. Charlotte’s right. I need some air to clear my head. Go back to your conversation. You say I’m not a prisoner, so prove it.”
His jaw clenched. “I don’t want you hurt.” The words were ripped from him.
“Who would hurt me? I’m going to be in the middle of the den with your people. Are you saying your people don’t want me here?” She didn’t know why that hurt to think about. It wasn’t as if anyone had ever wanted her to be with them. She’d only had her mother and twin for so long, she should have been used to the rejections.
He stayed silent for so long, Leah was afraid she’d overstepped her bounds. But since she didn’t know her bounds to begin with, she wasn’t sure what to think.
“Just be careful.”
With that, he walked away, leaving Leah as confused as ever. Charlotte rolled her shoulders and took her hand, practically dragging her to the front door. When the door closed behind them, Charlotte let out a breath.
Mated in Mist Page 7