“That wasn’t very nice,” she finally said, after putting cream cheese on her bagel and bringing it over to the table.
He shrugged as she slid into the chair across from him and took a small bite of her breakfast. “They were annoying me.”
Miracle giggled, like he hoped she would. “They act like that every day.”
“They annoy me every day.”
As Miracle giggled again, Knox reached over and placed his hand gently on her arm. “Talk to me, sis,” he said quietly. “What’s wrong?”
Moisture filled her eyes, and she lowered her gaze to stare at her plate. “I’m scared, Knox. I hate to admit that. I’m a grown woman. I shouldn’t be this terrified just to leave the house on my own.”
“You don’t have to go anywhere,” Knox told her, moving from his chair to kneel down beside her. “We talked about this, Miracle. There is absolutely no reason that you have to do anything you don’t want to right now. You can stay home…”
“I can’t,” Miracle interrupted, shaking her head adamantly. “I refuse to hide behind you and the others, Knox. I won’t.”
Knox cupped her cheek, gently wiping away a tear with his thumb. “You are stronger than you think, Miracle. Even though I want you to stay home where I can protect you, I know that isn’t who you are. You may be scared, but you are going to face your fears, because you are a Channing now, and that is what we do.”
Miracle nodded, lowering her head until their foreheads touched. “I will never forget what you did for me, Knox,” she whispered. “What all of you did. What you gave up.”
“Nothing in this world is more important than family,” Knox said gruffly, rising and pulling her to her feet. “I regret nothing.”
“Neither do any of the rest of us, little sis.”
Knox turned to look at his brother, his eyes narrowing on the new button-down shirt and nice pair of jeans that Brayden wore. Arching an eyebrow, he asked, “Are you going job hunting this early?”
Brayden shrugged, his gaze going to Miracle. “I already have a job,” he confessed. “I have for a week or so. I’m the new history teacher at the school.”
Knox heard the breath hitch in Miracle’s throat, and he looked down at her, worried that she was upset with Brayden for getting a job where she was about to start teaching herself. Brayden had taught geography where they lived before, but Knox just assumed he would go into a different field when they moved, like he did.
A wide smile spread across Miracle’s face, and she crossed the room quickly to wrap her arms tightly around their brother. “Thank you,” she whispered, as she leaned back and tugged on one of the short, light brown curls in his hair. “Thank you so much, Brayden. You don’t know what this means to me.”
Brayden cleared his throat, a faint blush stealing over his cheeks. “Love you, sis,” he said, returning her hug quickly, and then stepping back. “We better get going. Don’t want to be late on our first day!”
Knox watched them leave, a slow smile turning up the corners of his mouth. Miracle was going to be fine. It would take a while, but once she realized that she was safe now, that no one was ever going to hurt her again, then she would come out of her shell.
“I’m glad Brayden is going to be there for her,” Nolan said quietly, buckling his belt as he made his way down the hall toward him. “She’s been through enough. She sure as hell doesn’t need to be alone right now.”
“She’s not alone,” Knox replied, walking back into the kitchen to clean up his mess. “She has us.”
“You’re damn right she does,” Nolan snarled, “and no one is going to touch a hair on her head again. Not if they want to live.”
Closing the dishwasher after placing his cup and Miracle’s plate inside, Knox walked over to Nolan and bumped fists with him. “We protect what’s ours, and Miracle is ours now.”
Nolan nodded, a low growl filling his chest. “Damn straight.”
Miracle may not be their sister by blood, but she was the sister of their hearts, and there wasn’t anything anyone in the Channing family wouldn’t do for her.
Three
She moaned softly when she felt something hit her cheek lightly, and reached up to swat it away. A sharp gasp escaped when she felt the pain and stiffness in her muscles. The soft touch came again, and she groaned, rubbing a hand over her face. Forcing her eyelids open, she stiffened when she met the bright green gaze of a black cat who was lying on her chest. The animal stared at her, cocking its head to the side as if wondering who she was.
“Hello,” she whispered, resting a hand on the cat’s back and petting it gently. A slow smile crept across her face when it meowed and shoved its head into her hand, demanding more attention.
“That’s Cinder,” a voice said from across the room. “She’s my familiar.”
Turning her head, she spotted a woman standing off to the other side of the room gazing out a window, with one hand resting on the clear glass. “Your what?” she croaked, as she lightly pushed the cat off her chest and struggled into a sitting position. Gritting her teeth, she fought back the wave of nausea that hit her. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this horrible. She was a shifter, which meant she normally healed quickly, but this time it seemed to be taking longer than normal.
The woman turned with a smile and crossed the room to her. “My familiar. She showed up after I came into my powers, and is always with me now.”
Her brow furrowed as she stared at the other woman, and then cleared when she realized who she was. “Aurora.”
“Yes,” Aurora said, sliding a chair over to the side of the bed and sitting down.
“You saved me,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
Aurora shook her head, her dark green eyes warm as she replied, “No, Emery, you saved yourself. All I did was help a little.”
“Emery. That’s the new name you gave me.” It was so hard to believe that she was starting a new life. One free of the hell she had gone through before…she hoped. What if they found her?
“Yes. It means powerful and brave, which you definitely are.”
“I don’t feel very brave right now,” Emery confessed, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. “I can’t stop thinking that I may have escaped them for now, but what if they manage to track me down?”
“Let’s not dwell on the what if scenarios,” Aurora said softly. “Let’s concentrate on what is.”
Emery took a deep breath and nodded, biting her lip. After a moment, she whispered, “I’m free. I’m not locked away where I can’t see the moon at night, or have the sun shine on my face during the day. I’m not getting beaten and starved. Not being pressured to mate with someone who will only hurt me more. I’m going to start a new life.”
“Yes, you are. That new life will only be what you make it, Emery Ericksen. So, make it a good one.” Emery swore she saw hesitancy in the other woman’s eyes before she went on, “There is only so much I can tell you, Emery. You have to make your own choices, your own decisions, to get to the path you will follow. Great things are destined for you, but there will come a time where you will have to make a choice. That will be fate’s defining moment.”
“When?” Emery whispered, giving in to the need to lie back down. She was too weak to stay upright, even though she hated to admit it.
“I can’t tell you that,” Aurora murmured, “but you will know.”
“I’m getting tired,” Emery said softly, her eyelids fluttering closed.
“Can you shift before you fall asleep?” Aurora asked, and Emery could hear the worry in her voice.
Fighting against the exhaustion that was taking over, Emery closed her eyes and tried to connect with her animal. There was no response. No sign at all that she was there. Letting out a frustrated moan, she shook her head. “No. I’m too weak.”
“Okay,” Aurora said, running a comforting hand down her arm. “Get some more rest. Everything will be better soon.”
“Wait,” Emery whispered, graspin
g Aurora’s hand tightly in hers. “I have so many questions.”
“I promise to answer them all,” Aurora murmured, squeezing her hand gently, “but you need to sleep first. We will talk some more when you wake up.”
Emery sighed, and letting go of Aurora’s hand, she let herself fall back into a deep, healing sleep.
Four
The next time Emery awoke, it was nightfall. It was dark, except for dying embers in the fireplace. The logs hissed and crackled when they shifted, and seemed to fall in on each other. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the small flames, her eyes misting over as she thought about how messed up her life was. She would now be running for the rest of her life after leaving her herd, and the alpha who wanted to claim her as his own, the way she did. She would never feel safe again, not that she had in a long time.
“How are you feeling?”
Emery stiffened when the soft voice drifted over to her. Tilting her head back slightly, she saw Aurora standing in the doorway, a look of concern on her face, along with something else. Determination. The woman was determined to protect her, no matter the cost, Emery realized. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had cared enough about her to want to keep her safe.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Aurora whispered, crossing the room to throw a couple more logs on the fire. “It gets chilly at night, and I wanted to make sure you were as warm as possible after everything you’ve been through.”
Emery struggled into a sitting position, and then slowly let her gaze wander around the dark room, lit only by the fire, before responding, “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Aurora was quiet for a moment, before she said, “Do you want to try to shift now?”
“I would rather talk, if that’s okay?” She was still exhausted, and just didn’t have the energy to coax her animal to the surface. Not just yet.
Aurora nodded, sitting in the chair that was still beside the bed Emery lay in, before saying, “What would you like to know?”
Emery asked the question that had been plaguing her since she found out that someone was coming to rescue her from the nightmare she was in. “Why? Why would you put your life on the line to help me? You don’t even know me.”
A gentle smile crossed Aurora’s lips, and Emery swore her eyes began to glow in the darkness. “Because no one deserves to live the way you were being forced to live, Emery. Without kindness and love. In pain, suffering from the hands of your own family. In constant fear of what the future holds.”
“You’ve done this before,” Emery said, watching the other woman closely. It wasn’t a question. There was no way this was Aurora’s first time saving someone’s life. It was in her eyes, those captivating green eyes that seemed to glow even brighter than before. The passion in them was unmistakable. What she did, helping others who could not defend themselves, meant everything to her.
“I was once where you are now,” Aurora admitted quietly. “Alone and afraid, with no one who cared enough to step forward and save me from the situation I was in. I refuse to sit back and watch it happen to others if I can do something about it.”
“How many women have you saved?”
Aurora shrugged, glancing over at the fire as she murmured, “The number doesn’t matter. The people do.”
“You’ve saved men, too,” Emery whispered in understanding.
Meeting her gaze, Aurora replied, “I help anyone who needs it, Emery. I do not discriminate.”
“I didn’t mean…”
“I know what you meant,” Aurora said, holding up a hand to quiet her. “My sisters and I have helped many over the years, and will continue to do so for as long as we live.”
“Sisters?”
Aurora’s eyes lit with love as she replied, “My coven.”
“Witches,” Emery breathed in awe. Before Aurora, she’d never met a witch before. She had thought they were myths, legends made up by people long ago.
“Yes.”
“How many of you are there?” Emery whispered, real hope beginning to fill her for the first time in a long time. From what she knew of the legends, witches were very powerful. Maybe, just maybe, she would be safe for a little while after all. At least until she could get back on her feet, and save up enough money to move on.
“There are nine in my coven,” Aurora told her. “I cannot give you much more information than that about my sisters. We prefer to keep to ourselves, and keep our identities secret, for obvious reasons.”
Emery nodded, her mind racing with questions. She wanted to respect the other woman’s privacy, but she couldn’t help but ask, “Is that how you were able to speak to me in my mind at the waterfalls? I remember your voice in my head telling me to fight. I…I wouldn’t have made it without you, Aurora.”
Aurora seemed to hesitate, before murmuring, “As a witch, I have certain gifts that have been bestowed upon me. Telepathy is one of them.”
When Aurora didn’t elaborate, Emery knew it was time to change the subject. The witch had her secrets, and she should be allowed to keep them. Especially, if sharing them would somehow compromise her safety or that of her coven. Deciding there were a few other questions she wanted answered, she asked, “How did Meadow know how to contact you?”
Meadow. The terrified young woman who had reached out to her in the cells where she was being held, putting her own life in jeopardy. If Alpha Ramsey ever found out that it was his own daughter who freed Emery from hell, there was no telling what he would do to the poor girl.
Aurora’s eyes lit with an emotion stronger than anything Emery had seen in her so far. Love. “I met sweet Meadow years ago when she was just a child,” Aurora said quietly. “No more than fourteen, but with a heart bigger than anything I had ever seen. She got my name from someone she met in school, someone I rescued and relocated to the town where Meadow lived. The moment I heard her voice, I knew she was destined for great things.”
“You had a vision,” Emery whispered, knowing it was true, even though Aurora didn’t elaborate. How many other gifts did the witch have?
“Meadow was looking for help.”
“I don’t blame her. Her father is an ass. She has to live a hard life.”
“She does,” Aurora agreed, “but the help wasn’t for her. It was for someone in a coyote pack two towns over that she met at a gathering she went to with her father. Alpha Ramsey was looking for allies in a war he wanted to start against a herd that moved in too close to his own. He wanted to kill the alpha of the herd, and then merge the two herds together, with himself as alpha over them all.”
“I remember,” Emery said softly. “I was just eighteen at the time. I remember, because it was just before I graduated from high school. He called my father and asked him to send some of our enforcers a couple of weeks before the war between the two herds actually started, but Dad told him no. It wasn’t his fight, and he wanted nothing to do with it.”
“Well, the coyotes didn’t say no,” Aurora told her. “In fact, they were the only reason Alpha Ramsey won.”
“What did they get out of it?”
“Money, land, and three of the women from Ramsey’s herd to do with as they pleased.”
“Oh, my God,” Emery gasped, her hand going to her throat. “He sold part of his own herd to coyotes?” It shouldn’t have surprised her, though. The man was a bastard, through and through.
“Yes,” Aurora whispered, “and they didn’t survive long.” Tears filled Emery’s eyes as Aurora went on, “The women were given to them the night of the gathering. Handed over as if they were nothing more than cattle. Meadow watched what the coyotes did to them from where she sat by her father, unable to do anything about it. She told me that was when she decided she was done being helpless. When she met the female coyote shifter later that evening, and became aware of what she was going through at the hands of her own pack, she took a stand.”
“And she has been doing it ever since then,” Emery guessed.
“Ye
s.”
“She was terrified when she came to me, Aurora.”
“She always is.”
“Then it needs to stop.”
Aurora sighed, running a hand through her thick hair. “I’ve tried to talk to her about it, Emery, but nothing I say changes her mind. She might be afraid, but she won’t stop.”
“Not afraid,” Emery snapped. “Terrified!”
“Emery, there is nothing I can do for Meadow if she won’t let me remove her from the situation.”
“I want to help her,” Emery whispered, “like she helped me.”
“You can only help someone who wants to be helped,” Aurora said quietly. “Meadow is not at a place where she is ready to focus on herself. Right now, she wants to save others.”
“Like me,” Emery whispered, one lone tear slipping free and sliding down her cheek.
“Yes, like you.”
“But, what happens if her father figures out what she is doing? You know he will kill her.”
Aurora looked down at her folded hands before raising her head again and meeting Emery’s gaze. “Yes, he will, but it is her choice to make. Not ours.”
“It’s bullshit!”
There was a long moment of silence, and then Aurora murmured, “She will reach out to me someday, Emery. And, when she does, I will not hesitate to help her.”
Emery swallowed hard, clenching the blanket that covered her tightly. “You’ve seen it?”
Aurora hesitated before nodding. “Yes. Not exactly in the way you are thinking, and I can’t tell you exactly what the future holds, but when she needs me, I will be there.”
Gritting her teeth, Emery looked over at the fire in the hearth where flames were now flying high. The room was once again warm, and the heat sank into her bones, finally pushing away the chill from the night before. She knew Aurora was right, but she didn’t want her to be. Thoughts of how she could get Meadow away from her father consumed her, but there was no way it was going to happen until the young woman was ready to leave. You could not save the unwilling.
Sassy Ever After_His Bunny Kicks Sass Page 2