by Laura Hysell
He watched John drive, asking him so many questions that John finally pulled over and let Aidan have the driver’s seat. Aidan was overjoyed at this new opportunity, and took to driving as though he had been born to it. I watched Aidan happily, my heart full seeing his simple joy, despite my irritation at John for never letting me drive. After a year listening to him in my mind, it was strange sitting beside him. He was taller than I had imagined, with black tattoos covering his chest, back, and arms. He had a strong, chiseled jaw, defined cheekbones, and the most perfect lips I’d ever seen on a man. In a word, he was gorgeous. Now I understood a bit of his egotism. He very likely had been as much a lady’s man as he had boasted. He was going to have a hell of a time adapting to this world. Although, he did seem to be learning quickly. As we neared the meeting place with Vanessa’s original pack, John demanded to be back in the driver’s seat, and we settled back into companionable silence.
Have you told Mark? Aidan asked as we turned onto a long dirt drive. Several wolves were visible running near the trucks now, and I knew we were within the Pack’s home boundaries. My heart thudded in anticipation.
Told Mark? You mean that you and I can still hear each other? No.
Are you going to?
Of course, but I haven’t exactly had the opportunity yet.
Oh, of course. You two were… busy last night.
I punched Aidan in the arm, and he barked a laugh. John frowned at us, but we both just laughed harder. I wonder if we should tell Declan. What if something went wrong with the spell, and that’s why we can still hear each other.
Aidan was silent, his body pressed up close to mine. He had been like that most of the trip, except when he’d been driving. I can still feel the dagger, he finally said.
I looked over at him, my hand automatically reaching for the hilt of the knife. When I touched the blade, I felt an echoing response from his own knives. His blades were in a single holster under his arm. I reached a hand out, touching the hilt of his daggers, and feeling that same echoing call from my own. The blades are linked?
I think it more likely that you and I are both linked to both sets. You could use my daggers as well as I could use yours. I’m not sure what this means for either of us.
I leaned my head on his shoulder as I stared out the windshield, my eyesight blurry with unshed tears. We should speak to Declan.
Aidan kissed the top of my head and pulled his arm around me, tucking me in close beside him. It was strange how comfortable we were together. Perhaps it was all the time he spent in my head. You’re probably right. After we’ve met with this new Pack.
I nodded my head and sat up as a large clearing came into view. A massive house stood at the far end of the clearing, and all around the house were wolves. We were here. John followed the other vehicles, parking the truck in a line with the others. I jumped out of the truck, with Aidan close on my heels, and followed John’s lead. Already, Mark was here with those who had traveled in wolf form. Most remained in wolf form, including Mark, but I’d know him anywhere. Jed, on the other hand, stood in human form, talking quietly to an older man with wispy gray hair. The man was tall and thin, with deep wrinkles in his forehead and skin splotched with age spots. He was hunched forward with one gnarled hand gripping a cane. Two younger men flanked him, looking like bodyguards, while more men and wolves came out of the house and forest nearby.
John stopped walking, and I filed in beside him. The other members of our Pack, as well as the Packs who had already joined with us, spaced out behind Jed. We were quickly surrounded, and definitely outnumbered, within a matter of minutes. It took everything in me to stand still, despite the itch between my shoulder blades telling me to run away. I felt a shiver of Pack magic, and glanced to my right in time to see Vanessa shift into her human form seamlessly. She stepped forward, shaking out her long, dark hair as she walked toward Jed and the older man.
“Alpha, greetings to your Pack,” Vanessa said, bowing her head rather formally.
“Ah, Vanessa,” the old man said, raising a hand. Vanessa stood back up and stepped forward until the man had placed his hand on her bent head. “It is good to see you home, child.” He removed his hand, and Vanessa stepped back until she stood just behind Jed. The old man turned to look back at Jed, a smile on his weathered face. “Let us dispense with formalities. I am too old to stand around for so long. Come, let us sit and speak.”
Jed offered the older man his arm and led him toward a large fire pit I hadn’t noticed before. As they walked slowly, the other men and women bustled around, gathering stools and log rounds for seating around the fire pit while a few others busied themselves building a massive fire. John nodded his head toward us, and we followed his lead once more, situating ourselves on the outer edge of the fire pit.
I kept my mouth shut, and thankfully Aidan did the same, as we sat down on logs. Almost everyone had shifted back into human form, and quiet conversations started up here and there. John had filled me in on a little of Pack etiquette, but I wasn’t sure what to make of this. He had stressed repeatedly how formal this meeting would be, but it appeared far from formal to my eyes. Vanessa had thrown on a simple brown dress, and now she chatted amicably with a large group of women just on the outskirts of the fire pit. All the women also wore simple dresses in colors of brown, green, and gray. No one wore shoes, except us. I looked down at my shoes, feeling slightly self-conscious.
A shiver ran down my spine, and I saw Aidan jerk upright suddenly. I turned and looked over my shoulder. All three magicians walked toward the group, and conversation quieted down at their approach. Jed drew himself up and motioned toward Declan and his two men. Declan smiled and nodded his head before proceeding through the crowd of werewolves. Every set of eyes followed the three men. I wondered if they realized the danger they were in. Declan walked with his head held high as though he had not a care in the world. Ivan and Brody, on the other hand, looked as though they were entering a lion’s den. Wolf den, I amended.
Jed’s voice suddenly raised as Declan stopped before him. He turned toward the old man and spoke, “Alpha Nosh, may I present the Draoi.”
I frowned and cast a glance at Aidan, who wore a deep scowl on his face and had one hand firmly clasped on his hilt. I wasn’t the only one who had noticed Aidan though. A few other men I didn’t know had their eyes on him, even though most were focused on Declan. I tentatively touched Aidan’s arm, and he shot me a glance before relaxing minutely and releasing the hilt.
Declan was speaking, and I turned my focus back on him. “My name is Declan, and these men are Brody and Ivan. We are only here to help against the vampire plague upon us. Peace,” he said, holding up his hands. Ivan towered behind Declan, but he bowed his head, trying to look smaller.
The tension was palpable as everyone turned their attention to the three wizards. The old man, Alpha Nosh as Jed had called him, raised a hand as though to still everyone to silence despite the fact no one was speaking. The level of tension went down slightly though, nonetheless. “Alpha Jed says you have been helpful, and that your words are true. We will trust the Draoi in this, but be warned, any deceit and we will destroy you and all Draoi once and for all.” His words were spoken plainly, with no hint of the malice that drenched the words.
“We are not what we once were,” Declan replied curtly.
Bullshit, Aidan growled in my mind.
The old Alpha’s eyes turned toward Jed, then his eyes drifted to Aidan and me. “Perhaps you are somewhat changed from your origins, but you are a still a user of blood magic,” he said. “Those two are proof of that.”
“We did what we could with an ancient spell,” Declan said. “There was no way around it. And the blood we used was their own. We do not do human sacrifice.” The last was said vehemently.
“No, not human sacrifice. What about other animals?” Declan didn’t respond, and his silence was answer enough. Nosh shrugged and nodded toward Aidan. “The taint of blood magic lingers on that man.”
; “We can’t fix it,” Brody spoke softly, but his voice still carried. “It’s the old magic. It was there already.”
Nosh nodded his head, but his eyes never left Aidan. “Irishman, have they explained your curse? Have they told you what awaits you?”
Aidan stood and bowed at the waist. “Great Alpha, I knew the cost when I agreed to be a weapon against the vampires the first time. I saw that cost when I died by my own blade and was cursed to live as nothing more than a consciousness inside a blade. Nothing more could surprise me.”
“You have eternity before you, Irishman,” the old man replied.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “I figured as much.”
“You have done an injustice to this man,” the Alpha continued, turning back toward Declan. “When this battle is done, you will help him. Eternity as a cursed man is no life.”
Declan bowed deeply, and the two other magicians followed suit. “I vow I will…” he stopped as Aidan shouted.
“No! Make no vows, wizard. I want no more of your sorcery,” Aidan replied angrily.
“Irishman, you know not what you say. There will come a day when you will wish yourself free,” Nosh continued. “They have not told you everything.”
“I know enough,” Aidan responded, shaking his head. “I don’t trust them.”
The old man nodded and said, “Yes, that I understand, Irishman. Declan, you will research this curse, but you will do no magic upon this man unless he has agreed. Swear this to me.”
“I swear,” Declan replied, standing upright and placing a fist to his chest. Ivan and Brody followed suit, swearing as Declan had.
“There,” the Alpha said as though the matter was settled. “You also need to tell him everything.”
“We will.”
“Good. Now, let us move on to the reason you are all here. Jed, my Pack knows why you are here, and they are ready to join your ranks. Some, of course, will stay behind. I understand time is of the essence, but there are more Packs joining us here,” he added.
“We have set meeting times,” Jed replied. “We can stay here three days.”
“That should be sufficient. Three days it is.” The Alpha paused, looking at Jed curiously. I got the feeling they were communicating silently, and perhaps they had been all along. A smile slowly formed on the man’s face and he nodded once. “I agree.”
Talking and movement suddenly commenced once more, and the feeling in the air went from high tension to sudden relaxation. Grills were moved out as men and women set to making a grand feast. Aidan still stood, staring at the place the three wizards had moved to. I stood up and touched his hand, pulling him away from the others until we were on the outskirts of the fire pit and I felt the chill of the coming evening.
“Aidan, what was that all about?” I asked as soon as we were mostly out of earshot. “What is Draoi?”
“It is the term used by those men, those wizards. It means something like druid or magic-wielder. In my day, they used a great deal of blood magic and human sacrifice to carry out their spells. They did it all on the pretense of saving the world, and saving humanity, but they didn’t care about the means to achieve their ends.”
“Declan had said they were all but gone,” I remembered.
“Perhaps, but these men are their descendants. I trusted them once, and look where it got me. I knew there was a risk, but I thought…” he stopped, swallowing hard. “I figured I’d just die. I’d take as many blood-sucking, soulless demons with me as possible, but in the end, I’d eventually die. That was fine with me.”
“You did die, sort of.”
Aidan chuckled and shook his head, his face turning serious once more. “He said I’m cursed,” he murmured, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it just as quickly. I could sense his pain and anger, his emotions trickling through the strange bond we held. Our proximity seemed to make the bond stronger, and I caught little snippets of his thoughts, but they were just a jumble of anger and confusion.
“Aidan, why don’t you just go talk to Declan. They obviously know things they haven’t told you.”
“I’ve been avoiding them,” he replied. “They wanted me to ride with them today, but I told them no. I don’t particularly want to speak with them.”
“Avoiding them won’t change the facts.”
“I already know what they’re going to say.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“You heard that Alpha Nosh. They obviously already spoke to Jed about it, and Jed told the other Alpha. I’m cursed. Doomed to never die. Unless I get stabbed by my own blade again, I suppose,” he added, fingering the hilt of his knife.
Declan had moved away from the werewolves and stood several feet behind us, waiting. “He’s waiting to talk to you,” I said softly, nodding toward Declan.
Aidan crossed his arms, flexing the muscles in his biceps unconsciously. “Might as well get this over with,” he murmured. With that, he turned and headed straight toward Declan, his posture rigid.
I watched them walk away, wanting to help but ultimately deciding it wasn’t my battle. As I made my way back to the fire pit, I noticed that all of the women had congregated off to one side. I started making my way that direction when I caught sight of Mark. He looked tired, but he was smiling as he walked toward me. He wore nothing but a pair of shorts, his chest bare except for a trail of hair down his stomach. His brown hair was longer than usual and he looked as though he hadn’t shaved in three days.
He hurried toward me determinedly, the smile on his face widening as he drew closer. His arms wrapped around me as soon as he reached me, lifting me off the ground and pulling me toward him in a fierce kiss. I melted into his body, closing my eyes and relishing every second with him. After far too soon, he lowered me to the ground and pulled away. I groaned and leaned against his chest.
“Miss me?” he asked, his voice tinged with laughter.
“Always,” I replied.
His hand stroked my hair then gently pushed me back to look at me. “I want to speak to you about something,” he said slowly.
I frowned and stepped back, glancing around to see if anyone was close by. Mark took my hand and led me away, not saying a word until we were on the other side of the vehicles, far from sight. We finally stopped, but Mark was silent for several minutes, taking deep breaths as though to calm himself. My nervousness grew with each passing moment. The sun was setting, casting shades of deep orange through the treetops. I waited, watching the progress of the sunlight dip lower and lower.
“This Pack is very ancient,” he began softly. “One of the first, in fact. They value Pack magic, and see it as something to cherish and uphold. From what I understand, the Packs used to be different from what they are now. Some blame technology for the changes, but whatever the reason, the Pack magic has slowly diminished.”
“Diminished how?”
“You know Vanessa was born a wolf, and her parents were a true mated pair. This used to be much more common. Many of the older wolves in this Pack were born wolves, but over time this has become less and less common. True mated pairs are all but fairytale now,” he added, looking at me pointedly.
“Except us,” I said softly.
“Hmm,” he replied. “What if we are just the beginning of a new era for the Packs? Magic is returning. Vampires have returned in full force. This world is changing.”
“So, you think the werewolves are returning to what they once were?”
He shrugged and said, “Or something more. I’ve been around long enough to be startled by the changes over the past year. A natural born werewolf was born to this Pack just a month ago.”
“Really?” I asked, my interest piqued.
He smiled and nodded. “A complete surprise to the couple, too. They had long since given up, and didn’t realize she was pregnant until she was about five months along.”
“But, how? I thought if she shifted she’d lose the baby?”
“No one knows. They’re calling him a miracle baby. He was born perfectly healthy,” he added, smiling widely now. “There’s more.”
“More?”
“I was speaking to one of the Canadian Packs earlier. They just celebrated the joining of a true mated pair. The first their Pack has seen in over eighty years.”
“Like us?”
Mark grinned and ran a hand through my hair. “They had been dating for several years and there had been no signs of anything other than a typical couple. The man went on a hunting trip and stepped on a bear trap. She was miles away from him, but when it happened she shifted and raced straight toward him. When she arrived, he was unconscious but being treated by other members of the Pack. He was in wolf form, but couldn’t shift and he wasn’t healing. She not only took his pain, but helped him heal. When they asked her later how she did it, she couldn’t explain it. She just knew she needed to help him, so she did.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” I murmured.
“It truly is. For whatever reason, magic seems to be returning to the Packs. Alpha Nosh is a great believer in Pack magic. He’s been around a long time, so he’s seen it all. When he heard about us, he insisted on officiating the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
Mark ran a hand through his hair and smiled nervously at me. “Uh, well, he’s confused why we haven’t completed the mating ceremony.”
“Mating ceremony?” I asked, feeling eyebrows raise further. “What does a werewolf mating ceremony entail?” I asked slowly. “Like, a wedding?”
“Usually it coincides with a traditional wedding, but not always. We can still have a regular wedding later, um, with your brother and a dress and, uh, you know,” he trailed off, looking down at his feet.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “But what happens at a mating ceremony?”
Mark looked up at me, then quickly back down at his feet and I could have sworn his face was red. What could possibly make Mark blush? “This Pack is really old, and they adhere to the old ways. I’m not saying they’re making us have the ceremony here, but it has been greatly implied that it would benefit us all to have the ceremony here. Um, they’re superstitious a bit, but there’s some historical proof of what they’re saying about mating bonds and the power of the ceremony.”