by Anita Cox
“Enjoy the wedding!” Carissa called over her shoulder as she hurried out of the bathroom.
She continued to stare at herself in disbelief. Makeup is amazing.
“Not that you need it.” Colin’s voice came from behind her. When she turned she saw his face slightly red.
“I might need to wear an extra pair of underwear tonight. Damn you look sexy.”
Heat radiated around her neck and licked at her cheeks. “Thank you.” She wagged her finger for him to step from behind the door, which he was using to conceal himself.
When he stepped out, she saw his tuxedo. “Wow, you clean up nice!” Teasing with a wink, she smacked his behind as she passed him. “I just have to slip on my shoes.”
“Wait!” The smile on his face was wide before he darted into his closet. She sat on the bed, curious as to what he could be up to.
He returned with a shoe box. “I had these especially made for you.”
When he opened the box, back heels stared back at her. “I don’t understand.”
“Well,” he said taking a knee by her feet, “my little warrior Alpha has been so worried about defending herself, I had them reinforce this section with steel.” He pointed to the photo inside the lid. “This is what they can transform into—a steel toed shoe so you can kick someone’s ass if you need to.”
Moisture in her eyes threatened to ruin Carissa’s handiwork. “This is oddly the sweetest thing you could have done.”
When she slid her feet into them, she could feel the stiffness from the steel. It made her feel near giddy. “So when I shift, I can shift the shoes into those?”
His head bobbed as his smile widened. “Yep.”
“Fantastic!” She quickly stood from the bed, walked a few paces and held out her hand. “Let’s go party.”
Once in the car, Nala did the best she could to quiet her mind and think of anything but the upcoming challenge against Jackson Kincade.
“Can I ask a silly question?”
Colin’s grip on the wheel tightened as he glanced at her. “I doubt it’s silly, but you can ask me anything.”
“When you said you did what you could to quiet your mind so I wouldn’t be inundated with your thoughts, how’d you do it?” She balled her hands in her lap, embarrassed she didn’t know the answer already.
“Ah yes, my mother taught me that little trick. See, my father was Alpha. Mom was a worrier. She’d have to occupy her mind so as not to distract him with her worrying. What she told me was to visualize something that makes you feel calm and relaxed. For me, that’s sitting by the water, sun warming my body, frogs in the background. What makes you feel calm and relaxed?”
She looked down at her hands and clamed up.
“Nala?”
She cleared the lump out of her throat. “When I was little I had a hard time sleeping. I was sort of wired all of the time. My mother used to lay in bed behind me and stroke my hair.” A soft laugh escaped. “I swear her fingers were like magic. I’d start off feeling like I wanted to go run and play. Before I knew it, my eyes would start to feel heavy. My muscles would relax and I would just pass out.” She took a deep cleansing breath, ridding herself of the loss she was feeling all over again. “It was the safest place in the world, lying in front of her.”
“Then think of that when you feel overwhelmed and trust me when I tell you that the more you think of it, the less you’ll feel like crying. I promise.”
She closed her eyes and let the memories of her mother flood her mind. She’d been so quiet…so passive. Her mother silently raised a strong, independent, Lycan woman. No one would have thought her mother to be the sort that filled her head with thoughts of Alpha-ship someday.
“Wow!” Colin’s voice caused her eyes to pop open. The long drive had been lit by torches that led to numerous large tents which were lit with small lanterns.
“So this is their tradition, huh? Nice.”
“Actually, no. But according to Wendy, they wanted to have it during the evening so Gustav and a few other vampires could attend. I think the Gnomes are probably the most attuned to integration. They really do try to get along with everyone.”
Nala couldn’t agree more. They even gave gifts to their enemy.
After they parked the car, they made their way to the tented area, which was swarming with supernaturals of all kinds. The atmosphere was charged with elation, a welcomed feeling for Nala, and from what she could feel coming from him, Colin.
“I’m so glad you came!” Mary shuffled over in her dress. Wendy had hand sewn the little gown, attaching countless tiny pearls. Her curly brown hair was wound into a braided crown. Adorable and excited, the little woman bounced up and down.
“You look lovely.” Nala sat in the nearest chair and leaned down. “Congratulations on your wedding day.”
With her hands clutched to the skirt of her wedding gown, the little woman twirled. “Isn’t it lovely? Wendy made it for me. She’s such a good friend!” A squeal came from her as her smile widened. “Oh look, it’s almost time. Grab your seats over there. We’re doing this here, where the reception is.”
Before Nala could reply, Mary ran off toward a group of Gnomes standing at the front of the tent. Nala took Colin’s hand and walked to their seats.
“Xander! It’s good to see you,” Colin said as he threw his arms around him.
“Thank you. It’s good to see you as well. Nala.” He nodded at her. “I think we’re about to start.”
Grace, Roman, Wendy, and Zoltar joined them at the special table reserved just for them.
An elder Gnome hobbled to a tiny podium and called attention. “Since the beginning of our recorded history, a Gnome wedding was no more than the parents declaring their offspring as a couple. This assumed, of course, that the parents were still alive and happy with the union. As we supernatural beings have moved to a more civilized way of life, our people have discussed the forming of unions in a more formal manner. Mary and Bart have asked us to manage their wedding in a certain way, but you’re all free to have whatever ceremony you wish.”
All of the little heads in the enormous tent bobbed. The Elder continued.
“Life is delicate, this much we all know. Some of us live much longer than others, but in the grand picture, our time here is but a blink of an eye. In that tiny fraction of a moment in time, we have a limited amount of days, hours, minutes, and even seconds to make each moment count; to make every life matter, every friendship, and every courtship must matter to the fullest extent allowable. In the last year, Mary has blossomed among our kind. She was the first to step up and speak for us, the first to run with the Lycans, the first to befriend with another species. Our Mary has risked her life for her friends, has spilled blood to protect those she has cherished, and while taking a life is no small matter, she has done so with honorable intention. She’s fierce, charitable, and loyal to her fullest. Her closest friend is a Lycan, Wendy Baker. With Wendy’s help, Mary established the first Gnome settlement among the Lycan’s of Nala Baker’s clan.”
Applause erupted through the tent.
“Together with the Centaur King, Zoltar, Mary worked though she was exhausted and drained, to establish a feasible mode of transportation for our kind.” He nodded to Zoltar, who smiled and bobbed his head in return.
“So when Mary looked to a mate, she looked toward Bart, who proudly holds a seat at FOSE headquarters. Bart also was chosen by the Fae as a member of the Special Opps unit tasked with tracking down those who mean to do us harm. This special member of our society worked tirelessly on the erection of this very school, working to uniting us all. Mary looked for a special mate among our people and found Bart to be her match. Together, they represent all that we are and all that we will be as we move forward.”
Another round of applause filled the air as Mary and Bart joined hands.
“Mary,” the elder started as he rapped ivy around her wrist, “you are now joined to Bart, bound until death. Do you wish it so?”
“I wish it very much.” She sniffed.
He continued binding their wrists together with the ivy. “Bart, you are now joined to Mary, bound until death. Do you wish it so?”
“It’s my honor.”
“Then the Great Mother binds you until death. You may kiss.”
As their lips joined, everyone stood from their chairs, clapping, whistling, and congratulating the couple. Nala’s heart swelled to bursting as Colin’s emotions blended with her own. When she felt his hand around her wrist, she turned to face him. Before she could react, his lips met hers in a swift kiss.
“I couldn’t help myself,” he said with a grin.
Her lips tightened as she fought to hide a smile. “I don’t blame you. What a beautiful speech.”
“Yes, you are beautiful.” Twisting her words, he wagged his brows at her.
Champagne was poured and Wendy toasted the couple. “Now, two dozen of our students have volunteered to serve us tonight. Please be gracious and watch the language.” She turned to Zoltar. “Because some of us get a little wicked when tipsy.”
The students came in carrying plates full of food, delivering them to the guests. A blonde dropped Nala’s plate hard on the table in front of her. “Enjoy,” she huffed.
“Geeze, don’t volunteer unless you want to be nice,” she grumbled under her breath. The moment the words escaped her lips, she felt a twinge between her shoulder blades. The tiny hairs stood up on the back of her neck.
“Colin…”
Movement in the tent halted as everyone’s senses were on edge. Something had happened, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Call all of your men,” Beauregard said to Zoltar. “Everyone on Guard!”
The thundering of hooves could be heard as the Centaur herd approached. Nala quickly stood from the table. She back away as the air around her shimmered and she shifted into wolf.
Screams could be heard in the distance. They were female. Two Centaurs ran in the direction of the screams.
Kaboom! The sky lit as some sort of bomb hit an invisible shield. Nala couldn’t quite understand what she was seeing. Crack! Kaboom! More explosions erupted high in the sky. Was this part of the celebration?
“No, it’s not!” Wendy shuffled around to the other side of Nala.
The two dozen servants came running back toward the tent, many of them wielding swords taken from armor displays in the castle. Nala was thankful they came to join in the defense. They might be young, but numbers mattered in battle.
Her feelings changed in a split second as one of the blades came down, cutting the Elder Gnome in two. A Fae shot a ball of light from his hands, hitting the boy in the chest. The sword flew out of his hands and was caught by a Dwarf who charged the students.
“It’s mayhem! Fuck!” Zoltar shifted and took off toward the crowd.
Nala froze for a moment, unable to tell who was friend and who was foe.
“Focus on who is attacking whom. Use your best judgement.” Colin’s voice came through as he ran toward the fight.
Nala crouched down and sprang over the table, stopping next to Mary. No one should die on their wedding day. She climbed on Nala’s back. “Get them! Kill them all!” She screamed.
She tore off toward the fighting, grabbing a Werepanther who was clawing at a Pixie who was doing her best to fend off the attacker. Once she had her teeth in the panther’s neck, she pulled hard, rolling it away from the Pixie. Quick to its feet, the Panther swiped at her, cutting her snout. As the heat of the gash seared through her snout, she circled the animal. A new opponent would be good for her training.
The cat leaped at her, Nala shifted right before the cat made contact and kicked it hard with her steel toe shoe. She felt the ribs crack under her foot. She rolled again, grabbing a serving knife she spotted and plunging it into the cat’s side.
It let out a blood curdling howl.
The thundering of paws came from her left. She looked in time to see a young Lycan charging her and shifted to wolf, taking a chunk of panther throat with her as she turned to her new opponent. She sniffed the Lycan as she dodged his charge. They immediately shifted. “Xander, it’s me!” She screamed.
He stopped, his muzzle dropping open.
“Don’t worry about it. Go!”
She looked around for Mary, wondering what happened to her during the fight. High pitched growling came from behind her, so she spun around. Mary was mounted on a bear’s head, clawing at its eyes. She was vibrating, her eyes wide and blood red.
Nala shifted back to wolf. She’d never taken on a bear, but it was blind now. She ran to it, grabbing a mouthful of its leg and bit down, ripping a chunk off the animal. It roared in response.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Grace’s voice screamed in her head. She could see the enormous wolf approaching. “Together, on three. One…two…three!”
Grace grabbed the left wrist and Nala followed suit grabbing the right. They both pulled with everything they had, but Grace’s size gave her a lot more strength.
Another Lycan snout appeared next to Nala’s. She turned her eyes to see Xander pulling with her. Relieved he was okay and fighting with her, she pulled with everything she could, clamping her canines down on the wrist of the bear. Warm metallic blood flowed into her mouth.
When the bear’s left arm became detached, he howled out in pain, bent forward, and locked his jaws on Xander’s head. She could hear the crunching and grinding of bone and saw Xander’s eyes roll. Grace mounted the bear’s back and bit down on his neck. Warm red covered Nala’s face. She blinked to clear her vision, and finally shifted back to human form.
“Xander! No!” She knelt down next to him. “It’s going to be okay. Shift. Can you hear me? Shift now!”
He flopped on the ground. Gurgling sounds came from his mouth.
“Grace!” she cried.
Grace laid her hands on him and forced him to shift, which did little to heal his wounds. His head was split open and blood was leaking out. Around them people were still fighting and whatever blasts that started, continued but now grew closer.
“Grace!” Nala laid her hands on Xander. “Oh the gods, no!”
A tall man dropped to his knees on the other side of Xander. His hands hovered over his head. “Go!” He looked at Nala and Grace. “Go! I will take care of him.”
She looked at Grace, her stomach in knots. “The one who served me…I think she’s from my old pack. She smelled familiar.”
Nala shifted back to wolf, rage boiling in her veins. Jagger had come back to haunt her. He wasn’t going to win. Not again. Her eyes scanned the area and she found two humans with large tubes on their shoulders. One of the tubes erupted sending a ball of fire toward them. Her eyes narrowed and she launched herself straight at them. Fiery tubes or not, she was going to end them.
The sound of galloping followed her. She didn’t turn to see who it was. Instead, she dug in, running harder and faster than she ever had. A tingle of electricity raced through her.
“That’s the protective spell we passed,” Theron, Zoltar’s second in command said as he approached her flank. “We’re unprotected out here. Watch your back.” He drew back his arrow and released it, hitting one of the humans in the knee.
She wanted to ask why humans were now attacking them. What had they ever done to the humans except stay out of their way?
As she came to the top of the hill, she saw thirty or more humans behind the ones with the fiery tubes. Shit! Colin, Grace, Zoltar…whomever, we’ve got trouble!”
Gustav appeared out of thin air next to one of the tube holders and bit his neck, bit his own finger and crammed it in the guy’s mouth. He did the same with every man holding the large metal tubes. Almost immediately, they fell to the ground.
“Stop!” He shouted to the humans. “Why are you attacking this school? I demand to know!”
The humans started screaming and holding up crosses. Some were made of wood and some of metal.
/> Nala scanned the crowd, taking mental note of each face. She sniffed the air and all she could smell was fear and sulfur. She shifted to human.
“He asked you a question. I can smell your fear, but you’re here attacking us. Not the other way around.”
Before anyone could say or do anything, the vampire grabbed one of the men he’d bitten and looked into his eyes. Something must have given him the power to read their minds.
“Fools!” He shot up like a rod. “You’re here trying to kill peaceful beings that have existed since the beginning of time. We’ve stayed hidden. We’ve stayed out of your way while you whore out the land, pollute everything you touch and breed like fucking rabbits and you’re afraid of us?” He spat blood on the ground.
A woman stepped up, clutching a black leather book to her chest. “Demons!”
Gustav’s laughter was eerie. “I could summon some if you’d like.”
Nala shivered, but thought his approach didn’t seem to work. Theron stood next to him with his bow pulled back ready to shoot anyone that stepped out of line.
“We saw you, on the internet, raping women…eating babies!” Her voice was shrill, terror licking at every word.
Zoltar, Roman, Wendy, and Grace approached. The humans eyes shifted and many of them took a step back.
Grace, they’re terrified. They’ve seen the faked videos and they think we’re monsters.
Wendy spoke first. “Those videos are faked. They are designed to scare you. We don’t rape humans or eat babies. We eat the same things you do.”
Grace walked forward until she was toe-to-toe with the woman clutching the book. “I grew up human and I can assure you, we are not evil. Nothing in that book covers what goes on here at this school. Your bible will neither guide nor protect you from any of it.”
“Blasphemy!” she screeched.
“I didn’t say God doesn’t exist. What I’m saying is the Catholic Church edited th e book at its inception to ensure supernaturals didn’t taint your blood or your beliefs. That is all.” She cleared her throat and stepped back, giving the woman a little breathing room.