Lunacy

by R. A. Sears

  Teigan nodded. "But it might not be easy to find them. I mean, if they can sneak in and mask your own memories from you, they're probably fairly good at hiding."

  "And they might not even be someone we can link to the family. They could have been hired specifically because of whatever they're blocking from you. Alain's family has more money than God. They could have just paid a trollmann to do the wall building and be on their merry way."

  "Troll man?" I asked. "What the hell is that?"

  He corrected my pronunciation. "It means sorcerer. Catch all term for a magick user. The feminine version of it is trollkvinne. Most of the jargon the ulven use comes from Norwegian or Old Norse, Kaysh." Teigan added.

  "It's common belief that all ulven and hunden, those who are born as wolves and can take the shape of humans rather than our reversal, are descended from Fenrir. He was the oldest son of Loki." Conner took a long swallow of his drink and I stared off into nothing as a buzzing cacophony built inside of my skull.

  Norse. Loki... That stabbing pain, again. Stronger this time. "Son of a bitch!" I groaned, clutching at my temples with my fists. I felt moisture on my upper lip and I touched my fingertip gingerly to it. Not surprised, my finger came back coated in viscous red blood.

  "Holy shit!" Everyone but Jynxx chimed in unison.

  I grabbed a napkin and pressed it to my nose, waiting a moment to let things clot. I sighed, my eyes taking them all in. "So now you know what sort of insane enchantments we're dealing with. If we could avoid talking about the rest of this until after the samling, I'd be grateful. Kinda tired of tasting copper over this tasty food, at the moment."

  The boys seemed to agree with me and we finished the meal in silence. I tried to ignore the way they all kept sneaking worried glances in my direction, but it finally got to me. "Look, guys. I'm going to be fine. I know I didn't get raped or anything, so whatever happened is probably just some supernatural tidbit that the Reece family doesn't want me to know about. It can't be that bad, and I'm really not bothered by it." I was lying through my teeth, but they seemed to buy it, lightening up a little bit.

  When the meal was finished, everyone stood and stretched. Jynxx looked at the clock on the kitchen wall with a heavy sigh. "Guess it's time to get ready, then."

  Dread settled in the pit of my stomach, coiled like a serpent waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I nodded to him and retrieved my bags. Glancing over my shoulder as I headed toward the stairs, I called back to them. "I know you guys don't have anything super fancy to put on, but there're three bathrooms down here. I'm gonna head to my room and change in mine." I looked down at the shiny material, what little there was of it, inside the bags in my hands with a quiet noise of displeasure. "I'll be back down in a few minutes!"

  I scurried upstairs without waiting for a response, not wanting to lose my nerve and decide to wear something a bit less revealing and a lot more conventional. Aya had been to these things before, so I felt like I should trust her judgment. Aside from that, I was seriously in love with those boots...

  Just like when I'd tried them on, the skirt and top fit me like a black leather glove. They were tight, clinging but not restrictive. I’d strapped one of the sheathes for the knives onto my left thigh, three of the six blades resting inside of it. I checked quickly to make sure they weren’t easy to spot through the leather. I had a pair of fishnet tights on beneath the skirt, sitting down to slip the supple red boots onto my feet. I put the other sheathe on my right forearm. I was right handed, but I felt safer having the blades on opposite sides of my body, just in case. If it came down to it and I had to, I could grab a handle and stab with my left hand.

  I stood before the mirror for a few seconds, checking that everything was in its proper place. With a small nod of satisfaction, I took another minute to put on my usual eye makeup: black eyeliner and mascara to match. A quick glide of cranberry gloss across my lips, the color almost perfectly matched to my gorgeous boots, and the ensemble was complete.

  Rather than embarrass the hell out of myself and freeze my ass off on the trip there, I grabbed a heavy velvet cloak from my closet. It was something left over from when Taylea and I went to the Renaissance Festival every summer, and it was heavy enough to keep out the late autumn chill. Wrapping it around myself, I breathed in heavily, getting a whiff of the sugary perfume I used to wear. It helped calm me, to think of the days when things were normal and I didn't know that the monsters in the closet were real.

  Chapter 22

  “Wow...” I murmured, looking around the vast clearing. I had never been to the place where the samling was held before, hidden far back in the woods and away from any prying eyes.

  It was like the valley we stood in was a natural stadium, worn into the loam and bedrock by millions of pairs of feet that had passed through over the ages. It looked like it could easily seat at least a thousand bodies. I found that I couldn’t move, forced into stillness by the very immensity of the majestic space laid out before me.

  “You okay, Kaysh?” Jynxx asked softly, his hand settling on my shoulder.

  I jumped, startled out of her awe by the sudden contact “I.. I’m fine.” I choked out, rubbing my hands up and down my arms through the cloth of my cloak, wishing the clothing I’d worn under it was a bit warmer.

  There was movement at the other side of the clearing and I watched my four guardians tense, apparently more prepared for shit to go sideways than I was. I reached inside the sleeve of my robe, clenching one of my knives tightly. A small light appeared, illuminating the face of Elomina. “Sorry to give you all a fright like that,” she said apologetically, a little smile curving the corners of her lips.

  More rustling and crashing noises came from a few feet to Elomina’s right. She crouched low and I could actually feel the trollkvinne raising power, ready to attack whatever came out of the shadows. A familiar cherry red head of curls appeared on the path, moving slow and carefully as he stepped out into the unsheltered open of the clearing.

  “Gavin! So nice of you to join us.” Elomina said loudly, her tone far from friendly.

  He waved a hand at her dismissively. He’d left his contacts out, and I saw for the first time that his eyes were really blue. They practically glowed in the semi-darkness. I shivered, able to feel the heat rising off of his body in waves, his energy writhing as if alive as he came closer. His stride was steady, determined, unhurried. His powerful torso was bared to the night, clearly not feeling the chill of the evening as I was. Gavin was every bit the predator, and I couldn’t fight the feeling that I was his prey.

  He came to a stop several feet away, bowing with mock respect to Jynxx. His heated gaze swept from me to Teigan and back to Jynxx. “She’ll no longer be yours when next the moon has undergone its cycle, Jynxxie.” He said it so simply, so matter-of-factly, that I winced like I’d been slapped.

  “You can’t challenge him if I defeat you here tonight, Gavin.” Teigan put in, his voice as frosty as the air around us.

  Gavin gave the taller wolf a small smile, his whole manner condescending. “You won’t,” he stated flatly, all humor fading from his features and voice.

  The five young men were silent as they went about setting up the fire, now and then stopping to mumble some sort of prayer in a guttural language that sounded as if it wasn’t meant to be uttered by a human tongue. I watched it all silently, waiting until the fire was started and roaring before I stripped off the robe, letting the boys and Elomina see my outfit for the first time. Rather than dwelling on the hungry gazes I felt settling on my backside, I stared into the flames, idly toying with one of my long curls and resisting the urge to put the cloak back on.

  Two inhumanly warm hands slid around my waist, pulling me back against a bare and well-muscled chest, gasping in shock at the sudden temperature change that drew me out of my trance. I recognized who it was, and I was not amused. “Gavin, get your hands the fuck off of me... Now.” I half growled the words, trying to cover my unease.

&n
bsp; He chuckled warmly in my ear, pressing a slow and teasing kiss to my throat just over the pulse. “Always be wary of wolves at your back, milady.” There was a hint of mockery in his tone that punched all my rage buttons in a bad kind of way.

  “You don’t own me, Gavin. And you’ll never have a chance to once Teigan kicks your ass tonight. Until you’re the one sitting on that throne, you’ll never have a chance. And even then, you know that I won’t really be yours.”

  His teeth grazed my skin and I cringed, tensing completely in his arms. I freed the knife in the sheath on her forearm, dragging the tip up Gavin’s thigh, resisting the urge to gag as his blood spilled over my hand. It was so hot it almost burned me, and steam rose from the wound into the night. He jumped slightly, but his grip and his resolve didn’t loosen. He turned me in his arms, holding my wrist and squeezing until I finally dropped the blade from the pressure.

  “Gavin. Let. Me. Go.” I said each word slowly as I stared up into his blue eyes, my fear overpowered by the rage rising inside of me.

  “Or you’ll what? Sick the others on me? Go ahead and scream, Highness... It won’t do you any good.”

  I didn’t bother gracing him with an answer, mainly because I was suddenly distracted and enticed by his scent. There was something… powerful that hovered around him. It wasn’t whatever enchantment had been cast on him, this energy was purely Gavin. Skadhi certainly seemed to like the way he smelled, and I found myself having to fight hard not to lean into his embrace.

  “What in the hell are you staring at?” he asked, shocking me from my stupor and bringing my eyes back to his. I shook my head, opening my lips to give him some scathing retort, and all words died on my tongue as he lifted my hand in his and drew my slick fingers between his lips. I watched in morbid, disgusted fascination as he slowly licked his own blood from my fingers, his eyes closed in ecstasy.

  I shivered and his eyes opened, their color that dark lupine amber that I’d come to recognize as a sign of bad things to come. “JYNXX!” I screamed, trying in vain free myself from the arms of the beta, knowing that there was no way in hell I could outmuscle him.

  I heard the click of a hammer on a gun being drawn back and stopped moving immediately. Looking towards the noise, I saw the muzzle of a pistol pressed to Gavin’s temple. “Let her go,” Elomina said slowly. “You know that I’ll do it, Gav.”

  The wolf slowly drew his arms away, holding them up to appear non-threatening. “Good dog.” Elomina practically purred, concealing the handgun somewhere on her person.

  I knelt down to retrieve my knife, my eyes never leaving Gavin as he took a few almost respectful steps backwards. I didn’t say another word to the red haired wolf, nodding thankfully to Elomina before going to Jynxx and hugging him tightly. He held me close, neither of us speaking for a moment as I forcefully calmed my panicked pulse.

  Kenshin approached us, glancing at his watch. “It’s about that time, you guys.” he said, sounding calmer than he must have felt.

  We nodded and everyone took their places. There was a large granite throne near the fire pit, worn smooth by many ages of use. Jynxx lounged casually on it, as if it had been hewn from a boulder for none other than him many ages ago. I sat beside him on the hard packed earth to the right of the throne, knees bent and legs to the side. I almost felt like a slave seated like this next to him, but I knew that the powers I possessed made us stronger.

  Conner mirrored me on the left side of the throne, seated on the ground much like I was. He drummed his fingers nervously on the dirt, his nails seeming freshly manicured. I smirked a little, although I understood. The guys didn’t have fancy clothes they were wearing, so they had done their best to make their bodies display both power and perfection.

  Kenshin stood directly behind Jynxx, his hands resting on the back of the throne, the ring in his nipple reflecting the firelight. His hair looked odd to me, his normally spiky blond locks down and purposely mussed. I noticed that his knuckles were white from the strain of gripping the stone so hard. I half expected it to crack under the pressure.

  Gavin and Teigan stood on opposite sides of Kenshin, Gav on the left and Teig on the right. Since I hadn’t been invited to any of their rehearsals, I wondered if that was their normal formation, or if they were that way because of the battle that was to occur later. Teigan looked much more intimidating shirtless than I expected. His mannerisms were normally rather submissive and almost feminine, but without anything to cover up the cut of his muscles, it was hard to deny his strength. He seemed calm and at ease, but I knew better. I feared for him, even though the brunette wolf had four inches and almost thirty pounds up on Gavin.

  And, as much as I hated to admit it, I was afraid for Gavin. They were both going to get seriously hurt, and all I could hope for was that they wouldn’t kill each other. I hated how helpless it made me feel, and I hated myself for not wishing any ill on Gavin. Before this night was over, I would find out who had his ear.

  There was no more time to think or try to be calm. Howls came from very nearby, making me jump slightly from the sudden noise. They sounded almost... Feminine? The four familiar faces that appeared in the valley brought a smile to my face in spite of my warring emotions. Aya, Sherry, Kerry, and Juri sauntered in, each bowing respectfully to our group of six at the throne before moving on.

  I noticed that all of the lycanthropes were wearing something casual and seemingly comfortable, as if to drastically offset the impeccable care they’d taken of their bodies for this night. More and more ulven flowed into the valley, and I recognized no one, although a few people seemed familiar. It took nearly forty-five minutes to get the seven or eight hundred wolves into the valley. There were so many new faces, my head was practically spinning. If I was expected to eventually remember all of their names, I didn’t think I could deal.

  Finally, when everyone had arrived and had taken their proper places, Jynxx stood and began the speech he’d been practicing for the last few days.

  “By Máni’s grace, we are assembled here on this beautifully clear night when He shines his light down upon us from the Heavens. Having recently awakened, I’m new to all of this, but by right of birth, I am the Kongen Ulven of our Clan.” His voice projected clearly throughout the valley, ringing with an authority and surety I never would have thought him capable of. “I shall do my best to lead us justly and without favoritism.” Jynxx’s visage visibly hardened as he went on. “Due to conflicts of interest, we have a battle for the rank of beta tonight between Gavin Cooper and Teigan Kroeger.” He gestured to each of them as he spoke their name.

  I fought the urge to sigh, wishing there was something I could do to keep the guys from fighting. Conner glanced over at me, flashing a comforting smile as if he could read my thoughts. Jynxx sank back down onto the throne, lounging as if he’d been sitting in it for years, and looking like the burden of being King was wearing on him already.

  Jynxx gave me a smile before returning his gaze to the attentive crowd. “Along with new leadership and a contest for rank, there is also another matter that needs to be addressed. I have chosen a mate.” Odd wording, but I could roll with that. Pockets of whispering broke out in spots near to us, the little bits I caught clearly not approving. Jynxx raised a hand for silence and the crowd complied. “Aside from sharing her body with the essence of Skadhi, she is wholly human.”

  Outraged and confused murmurs broke out, able to be heard over the rest of the chatter. I took that as my cue and slowly got to my feet, my movements unhurried. I waited for a moment, a chill running down my spine as all eyes in the valley fell onto me. I could feel them judging me, appraising my worth with their eyes, and I didn’t care. Sauntering around the throne, I passed each of the five wolves with a brushing caress of my fingertips. My eyes bored into the crowd as I completed my circle and sat possessively on Jynxx’s lap.

  “Any bitch who has quarrel with this, come forward now and attempt to stake your claim...” Acting on instinct, I raked my nails do
wn Jynxx’s bare chest, causing his breath to hitch and filling the air with the scent of his blood, instantly gaining everyone’s attention. “...to that which is rightfully mine.” Feeling the air abuzz with power, I painted my lips with the blood of my lover. His hot hands gripped my waist as he leaned up to kiss me deeply. I inwardly prided myself for not blushing at being this intimate for such a large audience.

  No one in the whole of the valley breathed, the other four ulven surrounding the throne totally thrown off by my violent display of ownership. When we finally came up for air, Jynxx looked pleasantly surprised and I was pretty sure I resembled a cat that had been in the cream.

  The night air was alive with lycanthropic heat and energy, and I was relieved that my little bloodletting display hadn’t driven them all into a frenzy. I hadn’t even been thinking about it, but I could have just accidentally driven nearly one thousand ulven to wolf out on me. I had to be more careful. All of this metaphysical power coursing through me was making me careless and distracting me from potential danger.

  One woman did step forward, her red hair cut short and gelled straight, shot through with black streaks here and there. Her eyes were two different colors, one an oceanic blue and the other emerald green. A natural redhead, her snowy skin was flawless and weirdly free of freckles. She was taller than me and built like she lived in a gym. She reminded me of Aya and her pack in a lot of ways. The woman came to a stop before the throne, the crowd seeming anxious and excited all of a sudden.

  “Do you come to try and take that which is mine?” I asked formally.

  The woman shook her head, stepping closer with a smile. “I’ve no quarrel with you, Skadhi.” She grinned. “In fact, I wanted to shake your hand. You’ve got balls, girlie. And someone like myself totally respects that.”

  I got to my feet as the woman extended her hand, letting out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. I gripped her hand tightly with a grin of my own. “Glad to see someone approves.”