by Bianca D'Arc
“I’m Nathan and this is Gunnar,” the taller one said as he shook Dante’s hand.
“I’m Dante,” he replied politely. “You’ve met Duncan and Megan, of course. Thanks once again for your help last night.”
They all moved farther into the room and took seats around the big table. Megan sat on Dante’s left, the taller of the selkies, Nathan, on his right. They arranged themselves around one corner of the oblong table, the weres on one side, Dante, Megan and Duncan along the other.
“It’s good to see you looking better, Megan.” Nathan nodded toward her.
“Once Poferov was gone, his hold over me dissipated.”
“We recognized his magic but not the man,” Gunnar spoke in a gravelly voice. “We didn’t realize it was actually Poferov until Kevin told us. We could sense the evil. Unfortunately, neither of us got a good enough look at him to be sure of his identity.”
Nathan picked up the narrative. “We’ve had people watching Poferov for a while now. We’ve had suspicions about his activities unrelated to his position in the Altor Custodis. He’s been doing a lot of moonlighting according to our sources. We just weren’t able to pin down all the details of exactly what he was doing, with whom, or why.”
“He’s been my AC contact—my keeper¾since my mother’s death,” Megan offered. “Before that, both my mother and my grandfathers were used by him in the same capacity.”
“The Alpha filled us in on your background.” Nathan nodded toward Kevin. “We’re sorry for what happened to your family after your grandfathers’ banishment. From what we were able to learn today, your grandfathers disappeared off the map after their disgrace. Nobody knew they had a daughter or granddaughter. I like to think some Alpha somewhere would’ve taken you into his pack, had any of us known about you.”
Megan shrugged but Dante knew, through their connection, the selkie’s words touched her deeply. “We did all right on our own. Except for the Altor Custodis interference, of course.”
“Well, thanks to the sharing of information, we’ve been able to piece together some of the puzzle we’ve been working on for a few years.” Nathan stood and went to a whiteboard setup that was folded shut on the wall. He opened it up to reveal a flow chart of sorts, with the names, rankings and positions of a network Dante had only begun to guess at. “This is as much as we have for the New York Metro area. As you can see, Poferov was the kingpin. The Vabians figure prominently in the hierarchy and may even be poised to take over that top slot now that Poferov’s out of the picture.”
“Son of a bitch.” Dante had known they’d been used the night before. He hadn’t minded too much at the time, since by killing Poferov they’d managed to free Megan, but this information put a new spin on the situation. The Vabians had gained far more than Dante had imagined. He didn’t like being used. “How does Siobhan figure into this? I assume it’s her father or mother who would step into Poferov’s shoes, right?”
“Exactly,” Gunnar spoke again, his harsh voice driving home the point. “Viktor and Una Vabian. Both are, from all accounts, very gifted magic users. For sheer ambition, my money’s on Una. She seems to wear the pants in the family.”
“They both pretend to be regular mortals. Some of our people have gotten close enough to them to detect their level of magical ability. It’s intense, according to our reports. They also both hold minor administrative positions in the AC. Ostensibly, they were members of Poferov’s extended staff. Either could be selected to fill his position once his disappearance has been noticed by higher ups at the AC.”
“I always heard the Altor Custodis was supposed to be an organization free from magic of any kind. They’re supposed to be regular mortals who watch and record but don’t become involved in supernatural doings.” Kevin looked askance at the two seals.
“Yes, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. However, we began noticing some time ago that certain key positions within the AC had been awarded to magic users. We don’t think the mortals who originally appointed them knew about their hidden talents. Once one mage infiltrated the higher levels of the organization, he brought in others. Over the years, it’s been a challenge to find any non-magical humans in the upper ranks of the AC at all.” Nathan sighed and ran one hand through his short hair. “We’ve been watching the watchers for a long time. It seems the time has come to share the information we’ve managed to gather. The prophesied time may be upon us.”
“Prophecy?” Megan asked in surprise.
“Magic runs strong in our clan and every once in a while, a seer is born,” Gunnar explained. “The strongest seer of our generation is my baby sister. She foresaw the coming of evil, the return of the Venifucus, a time when things that had not happened for centuries would come to pass. In fact, she spoke of a lone wolf bitch who was not fully wolf.” His eyes swiveled to pin Megan. “And her bloodletter mate.” The dark eyes turned to Dante as the room fell silent.
“Is this true?” Kevin asked finally.
Dante saw no need to lie, though it might ruin any chance of more help from the Alpha. Prejudices and traditions ran deep, after all.
“It is.” Dante reached for Megan’s hand, glad when she gave it into his keeping without comment, presenting a unified front for all to see. “We discovered the truth last night. We are One.”
“Blessed Lady!” Kevin swore, sitting back heavily in his chair as he watched them. “I never thought I’d live to see such a thing.”
“I did,” Gunnar said with a knowing grin. “You are the ones my sister foresaw. You are the ones we’re meant to help with the knowledge we’ve gathered and with the skills we can provide.”
Nathan, still standing by the whiteboard, inclined his head in a gesture of respect. “Gunnar’s right. Our people have been waiting for a sign, and this is it. Congratulations on your mating.”
“Thank you,” Megan murmured. Dante could feel her confusion through their link. It was a reflection of his own.
“Yes, thank you for your good wishes. To be honest, Megan and I aren’t quite sure what to make of this yet ourselves. We’re taking it slow and learning our way.” He squeezed her hand, sending comfort through their link, which was quickly reciprocated.
“The first order of business has to be getting Siobhan Vabian off your back.” Gunnar brought them back to the main issue they’d come here to discuss. “You two are key. You need to survive. Any threat to either of you must be eliminated.”
That sounded serious to Dante. While he agreed with the idea of them surviving, he was a little put off by the vehemence in Gunnar’s words.
“Excuse me, but why are we key? What else did your sister say about us?” Dante’s brows drew together in a frown.
“Your union was foretold. It is the first but not the last, my sister said. All will be needed to defeat the coming storm. There’s a reason things that have been forbidden since the last time evil threatened are happening now. Forbidden, powerful unions like yours will help defeat the enemy that has grown stronger in exile. Our duty is to protect you and others like you so you’ll be ready to fight against an even stronger enemy, should Elspeth’s forces manage to free her and bring her back.”
“Holy shit.” Kevin was white faced as he listened. “You guys aren’t kidding, are you?”
“Unfortunately not, Alpha.” Nathan breathed deeply. “We’ve been quietly preparing for this for a long time. There’s a reason our people have kept separate from the other were tribes. We’re more magical than most were. We’ve never shied away from taking human mates who had magical ability or breeding with idle fey lads who wanted a fling with a pretty selkie lass. As a tribe, we took on the responsibility of historians, caretakers, observers and warriors a long time ago. Now’s the payoff. Now’s our time to come forward and reveal the things we’ve learned, trained for and prepared over the years.”
“Such as?” Kevin challenged.
Gunnar grinned. “Such as a majority of the elite fighting forces of the U.S. Navy. There’s a
reason they’re called SEALs, Alpha.”
Kevin’s jaw went slack. “Holy shit.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Back during the Vietnam War, a few of our brethren signed on for duty in the Underwater Demolition Teams. The UDTs were the precursors to the SEALs. There were a bunch of humans in the original teams, and there still are some that make it through the intense training, but a lot of Navy SEALs nowadays are shifters.”
“They’re all selkies?” Megan asked, clearly astounded.
“No,” Gunnar chuckled. “We just started the tradition. Remember, there are a lot of shifter varieties that enjoy the water. Tigers are one example. There are quite a few of them in the Teams today, as well as other kinds of big cats.”
“The thing is,” Nathan spoke up, “we have a lot of men with a lot of training. SEAL shifters have to retire from the Teams at some point to discourage questions about why they don’t age like normal people. That’s why we got out close to thirty years ago. Since then, we’ve collected a lot of former SEALs and other special operatives into a loose organization.”
“How many men are we talking about?” Duncan asked, speaking for the first time.
“Hundreds,” Gunnar answered. “All aware of our mission and working to collect data for just this kind of thing. They’re all over the country and the world. And they all report back to Nate.” Gunnar hooked his thumb toward his comrade in a familiar gesture.
“They’ve prepared an army of highly trained warriors with specialized skills,” Dante mused, and Megan jumped. He’d unconsciously shared that thought with her in the privacy of their minds.
“Navy, if I heard him correctly,” came her tentative, joking reply in his mind. He loved the feeling of her thoughts. It was a new and exciting experience. Something they would share together for years to come if they were lucky.
“Thank heaven they’re on our side,” he said. “I feel marginally better knowing men like these are looking out for you.”
“You too, Dante. Thank the Goddess. But I fear what it means for our future.”
“I will do all in my power to keep us both alive and together for many years to come.”
“Right back atcha.” She squeezed his hand as they shared this private moment out of time.
“Forgive them.” Dante became aware of Duncan’s teasing voice, pulling him away from the magnificent reverie of their silent communication. “They’re newlyweds, after all.”
Duncan’s grin was echoed around the room as Dante cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. Megan blushed beautifully, but fierce as always, she refused to flinch under the scrutiny. By the Goddess, he loved her.
“I love you too.” Her voice touched his mind with warmth even as she stared down the men who snickered at them.
“You’re at the very beginning of your relationship.” Nathan leaned against the table. “It’s the most vulnerable time for you. As you learn how to work together and share your minds, you’ll acquire skills most of us can only dream about. It’s our mission to help you live long enough to develop those abilities.”
“While I appreciate your enthusiasm for keeping us alive to serve a higher purpose,—” Dante felt compelled to say, “—we’re not exactly helpless. As you saw last night.”
“Even the fey knight would have had some trouble with the things we found under that tub,” Gunnar muttered.
“And we were glad of your assistance,” Duncan put in. “Dante merely points out that while you and your brethren have been warriors of some renown for several decades, he and I were fighting side by side when the sword was still the most advanced personal protection device available.” Duncan laughed self-consciously. “I don’t claim that because we’ve been at it longer, we’re necessarily better than you who know modern weaponry and tactics, but we are not novices either.”
“I’ll grant you that,” Nathan allowed. “And I mean no disrespect. We’re here to help you. It’s what we’ve been preparing for. And now that you have Megan to consider…”
Dante firmed his grip on her hand. “She is as capable a woman as I’ve ever known. Truth be told, she saved my life the night we first met. She also helped save my house from being torched with us all inside. She can hold the half-shift longer than any wolf I’ve ever seen, and it doesn’t drain her.”
She squeezed his hand, and he knew he was embarrassing her, but he didn’t want these newcomers counting her out of the action or dismissing her entirely. She would be by his side, no matter what. Right where he could keep a close eye on her. Where he could defend her with his life.
“While I appreciate the thought,” she whispered in his mind, “it goes both ways, lover. We’ll be watching out for each other.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He raised her hand to his lips for a gentle salute.
Duncan cut in once more. “As best I can tell, in addition to being the granddaughter of a Priestess, Megan is also part fey, part human and half wolf. The mixture appears to have made a formidable combination.” He sent her a kindly smile that Dante knew made her feel better. She knew as well as he did that Duncan didn’t praise lightly.
“I also have a personal dislike for Siobhan Vabian. She’s tried to kill us twice. Three times if you count those shadow warriors at her house. And then she or her family set us up for last night’s fun and games.” Megan was getting angry, and it came through in her tone. “I want a piece of her.”
“Spoken like a true Alpha bitch.” Kevin gave her the highest compliment a werewolf Alpha could give a female of his kind. The fire chief had a gleam of admiration in his eye if Dante wasn’t much mistaken. It didn’t bother him. After all was said and done, Megan would be going home with him. She was his as much as he was hers and the joining of their minds had made him as sure of that as he was of the sun setting every evening.
“All right then.” Nathan nodded to her respectfully. “We’ll tell you what we know about the Vabians and provide assistance, but I can see you want to call the shots.” He grinned at them. “Frankly, I’d have been disappointed if you were weaker willed.”
Dante understood then that much of the posturing of the past few minutes had been a test of sorts. Nathan was craftier than he looked, as was his comrade, Gunnar. Dante doubted Kevin had been in on it because the Alpha wolf’s expression wasn’t as guarded as he probably thought it was. Dante could easily see that the seals had surprised the wolf Alpha with their deceptively tough talk.
“Now that we’ve got that cleared away—” Dante sat forward, “—let’s get down to business.”
Smiles from the selkies indicated their approval of his straightforward manner. These men played a deep game. Dante would have to be on his toes around them. It was good to be challenged by such warriors as these. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed the company of comrades in arms, excepting Duncan, of course.
“All right.” Nathan opened the other side of the whiteboard, which had a list of addresses on it. He must have written it beforehand, indicating again that they’d planned for this entire scenario. “All of these locations have something to do with either the Vabians or Poferov. We’ve included Poferov’s haunts operating under the assumption that it’ll take a while before others realize he’s gone and during that time, the Vabians should be clear to use his properties as they wish. In fact, it would be to their advantage to do this on his land so that even in death, he could take the fall if something went wrong. Viktor and Una like to have their bases covered and in this case, I believe they are doing their best to keep their daughter out of trouble with the more powerful members of their sect. We have intel that suggests Poferov already spoke to the parents about keeping Siobhan in line. Shortly after that meeting, they set him up for death. Their playing field is clear for a time, if they handle it right, to do what they like without repercussions from above.”
“Then it is as we suspect,” Duncan spoke into the tense silence following Nathan’s words. “Poferov was the head of not only the
Altor Custodis contingent here in the New York area, but the Venifucus as well?”
“Aye,” Gunnar spoke with a steely look in his gray eyes. “We’ve been watching them for some time. Poferov kept the New York Venifucus under control and working toward the organization’s goals. The Vabians appear to be highly placed, but as soon as certain others learn that Poferov is dead, there will likely be a huge turf war to decide the succession. I’d bet good money Una and Viktor will be at the head of the line of magic users contending to fill Poferov’s shoes.”
“So Siobhan—and her family, if they’re involved in the vendetta against me—has only a short time to operate freely,” Dante observed.
Nathan nodded. “Once Poferov’s absence is noted, the elder Vabians will most likely be too wrapped up in their own fight for power to continue, or assist with, Siobhan’s plans. Once the succession is settled, if you haven’t taken care of the problem already, it will most likely come back to haunt you. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to take care of the situation now, before the Vabians gain even more power.”
“Then you think they’ll succeed in claiming Poferov’s position?” Duncan watched them with an assessing gaze.
Nathan looked to Gunnar who nodded. “Highly likely given the family background and skills. There are few in the metro area who can compete with Viktor and Una acting as a team.”
Megan leaned forward in her chair to make her point. “The way I see it, we have two options. We can either find where Siobhan is hiding and attack her on her own ground, or let her come to us in a place of our choosing, a position fortified with our power.”
“So you’d wait and let her attack first?” Gunnar challenged her strategy, watching her with measuring gray eyes.
Megan stood firm. “I would.” All eyes turned to her. “For one thing, we already know she likes to set booby traps, and they’re nasty. I imagine she learned to do so from her parents so any property they own would most likely pose some problems for us just getting in. Second, on our own ground, or in a place of our choosing, we could set our own traps and fortifications to make Siobhan’s life difficult. Third, I doubt the Vabians would come en masse to attack Dante. More likely, it would be Siobhan alone or at most, with a helper or two. If we go to them, we won’t really be certain how many we’ll face until we get there. Fourth, we know she has a limited time to act. We probably won’t have to wait long for her to take action. And finally, the idea of going after her when she’s not actively engaging us first just doesn’t sit well. Oh, my inner wolf is all for hunting her as prey, but my human side thinks it’s just a little too much like assassination or murder. We’re supposed to be the good guys.”