by Dannika Dark
The older man behind the counter laughed. “You must be hungry today! Watch your step; I’ve been meaning to clear out some of the snow that fell in front of the doors this morning.” He bustled around, bagging some items for her. “Your order’s almost ready, just waiting on the fries. That’s thirty beef franks and ten spicy sausages. Do you want the buns in a warming bag?”
She grimaced and leaned against the counter. “What do you suggest?”
“Well, how far is your drive?”
“The way I drive? Fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll separate them, just so nothing gets soggy,” he offered. “The fries should stay crisp, but if not, you can put them under the broiler and that’ll perk them right up.”
She pulled out her phone and made a call. “Can you turn on the broiler? … No, but just in case the fries get cold. I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes, so tell everyone to have the plates ready. Whose bright idea was it to have hot dogs for lunch anyhow? … Yeah, well, tell Levi next time he can be the runner and get them himself. Is Lakota still sleeping?”
My breath caught. It felt like my heart stopped in my chest, as if time froze and I was drifting in the winds of fate.
“It can’t be,” I whispered.
The woman unzipped her black bomber jacket and leaned against the counter, facing me. “I love you too. Bye.” She slipped the phone in her purse and shivered.
Thunder whined, but I dismissed his frantic pacing.
The woman held out her hand, palm up, and smiled at him. “Is this your mate?” she asked. “He’s magnificent.”
Then her eyes rose to mine, brimming with concern. She stepped forward and tilted her head. “Hey, are you okay?”
I covered my mouth and she turned to the man behind the counter. “Charlie, can you get me a glass of water?”
Charlie was a middle-aged man who looked like a schoolteacher. When he returned, she reached over the counter and took the glass.
She handed me the glass and I drank, my hand shaking so much that she had to steady my arm by holding my wrist.
“Should I call a Relic?”
I quickly shook my head and set down the glass next to my empty one.
Could this be? I’d come all this way, but during my walk, I’d begun to have doubts that I’d made the right decision in coming to Cognito. I’d considered going home, and of all places, I walk into the same shop that Lakota’s mother is in? My own mother believed in fate—what humans liked to call coincidence. She believed greater powers were at work.
My voice cracked as I assembled my thoughts. “No Relic. It’s just… I know you.”
“I don’t recognize you. Have we met?” She stood up straight and studied me closely with her bright green eyes. “Do you mind if I sit here? I have to wait on my order.”
I shook my head and steadied my hands, moving some of my dirty wrappers and napkins out of the way. “We’ve never met. I came all the way from Texas to find you, but it seems you have found me. I don’t even know how to begin this conversation. I’m just so afraid of what you might say—what you might do.”
Her eyes lowered to Thunder, who sat beside her, blockading her in. Then she examined me closely. She was studying my hair, my eyes, my mouth, and then all the tension vanished as the muscles in her face relaxed and her eyes widened.
She knew. She had to have known. I knew it when I first saw a picture of Lakota. We shared the same features, skin coloring, and hair. It seemed the only thing he took from Fox was his beautiful blue eyes.
She hugged her body and leaned back, her lower lip trembling. “I guess I don’t need to introduce myself then. Are you here to take him away?”
I tipped my head to the side and touched my braid. “You kept his name.”
She nodded. “My mate spoke with the Relic and she said that’s the name his mother had given him. I wanted to keep the name because… she was forced to give him up. At least, that’s what the Relic told us. Is that true?”
I nodded. “I was young.”
She leaned in close and bit her lip. “My mate said the only reason a Shifter woman would give up her child is if—well, is if someone hurt her. He said that’s why we needed to love him a little bit more, because he was a special gift.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I always knew if she loved him that one day she’d come for him. Who names a child they don’t want?”
Tears slipped down my cheeks and I grimaced, turning my eyes away. I covered them, overcome with emotion. “I gave him up because my father forced me to, not because I had no love for him. I’ve always loved Lakota, and I always will.”
When I looked up, she was crying.
“Please don’t take my baby away.” She reached across the table to grab my hand. “I know it looks awful that we bought him, but his name came up on the black-market list and if we’d ignored it, he could have wound up in the wrong hands. It was personal to me because my brother was once kept as a slave. That made the guilt of buying him go away. Then I held Lakota in my arms and it was magic. We can’t have children and he was our miracle. It would devastate us if you took him away.”
I couldn’t sit across from her anymore. I stood up and set my cane on the table, dragging my chair around to sit beside her. We held hands and a moment passed between us—two mothers with a different claim on the same child. She sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for breath.
Finally I found the strength to talk openly. “I want to be honest with you. I don’t know how I feel about any of this. My life suddenly took an unexpected turn, and the next thing I knew, I was looking at a picture of my son. I saw the happiness in your eyes, and I know you love him. Thank you for giving him that kind of love and the life he’s always deserved. Something compelled me to drive up here to see him, and I won’t be able to move on with my life until I do that. I don’t know what you’ve told him about me—”
She laughed and grabbed a napkin, blotting her eyes and then blowing her nose. “I hate crying. Here.” She handed me a dry napkin. “Lakota knows he’s adopted. I’m a Mage and his father is a Chitah, so we didn’t want him to grow up confused, although he’s a little young to understand what it really means. There’s no sense in lying to him since we’re obviously not the same Breed. We kept the Relic’s contact information in case Lakota ever wanted to track you down, but we’ve always been guarded about it. She wouldn’t tell us who the parents were, if it was an abusive home, and so all we have is the address and a few names. As much as I love him, I don’t know if I could give him clues to his past if it meant someone hurting him.”
I played with the wadded-up napkin, bunching it between my fingers. “That’s an unusual family you have.”
She smiled wide. “You have no idea. We live in a large house with family, including my Ghuardian.”
“Ghuardian? I’ve heard the term, but I’m completely ignorant of your culture.”
She arched her brow. “Um, well, it’s sort of like a stepfather. It’s what they call an experienced Mage who takes on a fledgling.”
“But don’t you have a Creator who acts as your caretaker?”
She twisted her mouth to the side. “That’s a long story, but sometimes a Mage is rejected by his Creator. The Mageri—our form of government—requires that all new Learners have either a Creator or Ghuardian to oversee their education and development. I’m his Learner, so he helps me navigate in the Breed world and teaches me everything I need to know about my power. We have another Shifter in the building, so he’s going to be someone who can help Lakota when he goes through the change and shifts for the first time. I guess you could look at our family as a pack, but I know there’s a lot he’ll miss out on.”
I clung to each word, astonished by the life they lived. This Mage had mated with not only her mortal enemy, but together they couldn’t have children because I knew a Mage was infertile. What a sacrifice it must have been for him.
“Will you let me see Lakota?”
She tensed and sat back, her knuckles tu
rning white as she squeezed the napkin. I could only imagine the terror and dread she was feeling, but I also needed to see how he was with his parents, because it was the only way to find out if he was truly happy.
Or if I wanted to take him home.
***
Thunder sat in the back of the Mage’s car and I in the front. She had put the hot dogs and fries in the trunk, skeptical of whether or not the wolf could control his appetite. We didn’t speak the entire way because I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to ask questions, but I was afraid she might change her mind and drop me off at the nearest corner.
I was also afraid of liking her.
We arrived at an enormous building several stories high.
She unlocked the doors with the automatic switch. “You can get out here and I’ll park the car. They’ll buzz you in. Can you get your friend to shift back? It’ll be easier that way—we have children in the house and very protective men.”
“Of course.” I got out of the car and headed up the steps, kicking dirty snow off my boots as I pressed a buzzer.
“Lorenzo, you need to wake up in there and shift back,” I said, pinching his soft ear.
He groaned and looked around.
When the door swung open, a tall man with blond hair and golden eyes stood before me. Thunder growled and wedged himself between us, using his strong body as a shield.
The man’s jaw tightened and he bowed. “We’ve been expecting you, but I thought it would be years from now. Come in, female. It’s too cold for you to linger on the steps.”
Once inside, he led me to another set of doors where he pressed his thumb on an electronic pad and the door opened. “I have a change of clothes for your friend, but I wasn’t made aware of his size. I assumed average for a Shifter and borrowed a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt. He can shift in there,” the Chitah said, pointing toward a door to my right. “You can wait in there with him. Don’t let anyone in through the front doors. There are drinks inside, so make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back shortly.”
He strolled to a set of elevators and disappeared. Ahead was another door I presumed led to someone’s personal residence. The front of the building felt more like a lobby, and I guessed the rest of the floors were not easily accessible. Someone had converted this large building into not just a home, but a fortress.
When I opened the door, I entered a lovely lounge with a wood floor and leather furniture. There were no windows, but someone with taste had decorated it. There was a bar on the right, a few fake plants, paintings, and a door halfway open that led to a bathroom. I approached a chair on my left and lifted the small pile of clothes.
“You can shift in here.”
The wolf sat down and tilted his head. I touched his snout and stared deep into his brown eyes while stroking his muzzle with my thumb. “Lorenzo, wake up. Shift back. If you don’t shift back, you’ll have to go outside. Please stay by my side. I don’t know if I can do this alone.” A chill ran up my spine.
In a fluid movement, the wolf changed into a man. Lorenzo stepped forward and cupped my cheek. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s meant to be,” I said softly. “Whatever that means. I’m so scared.”
He bent down and locked eyes with mine. “Stay close. It might not be safe. We don’t know these people, and they might do anything to keep you from taking your child.”
Lorenzo quickly yanked on the black pants and dark sweatshirt, flipping his hair from beneath the collar. He stood barefoot, and when the door opened, the tension in the room snapped like electricity.
The tall Chitah entered the room and gave Lorenzo a critical stare with his golden eyes. He approached him and bowed. “This is the Cross home. And you are?”
“Lorenzo Church.”
When Lakota’s adoptive father glanced my way, I blinked, unable to hold his predatory gaze.
“Keep your eyes low,” Lorenzo said. “Don’t intimidate my woman with your stare.”
A blush rose to my cheek. His woman? I knew he was taking that position to protect me, but for a brief moment, the idea of him being mine warmed my heart.
The black-haired Mage appeared in the doorway and hesitated. Then I looked around and realized how frightening this would look to a little boy.
“Lorenzo, can you sit down?” I asked.
He glared at me with purposeful eyes. “Ivy…”
“Please,” I whispered.
After a deep and audible breath, Lorenzo strolled to the sofa on our left and took a seat, facing the door. I glanced back at him and nodded my thanks.
“This is an impressive home,” I said.
Mr. Cross languidly tilted his head to the side. “We have state-of-the-art security systems in place. No expense spared to protect our family.”
The Mage still hovered in the doorway. “Honey, can you sit down with our guests?”
Her mate reluctantly ambled toward the seating area and sat on the sofa facing Lorenzo. His posture was clearly dominant, his legs apart and chin held high. The two men simply stared at each other in silence.
“Nothing awkward about this at all,” she mumbled to herself before turning around and whispering in the hallway.
Butterflies tickled my stomach. I had to take a deep breath to keep from fainting. Was this happening? Was I dreaming? I was about to meet my son for the second time, and my right hand gripped my cane so tightly that the metal bit into my skin.
“Lakota, stop pushing the elevator buttons! I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”
She vanished from the doorway and Mr. Cross chuckled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “He’s a cunning little man who knows what he wants. We had to adjust the locks on our floor so he couldn’t get out into the hall. He used to visit one of his uncles and knock on his door.”
I smiled as the mischief played in my head like a short movie. “Why?”
He folded his hands on his lap. “Because my brother lets him snack on cheese puffs in front of the television. I’d rather he not become dependent on such trivial things as human entertainment when it’s not a way of life for us.” His eyes lowered and emotions played on his face, but he remained silent.
Little feet stamped in the hallway and I heard a short giggle.
When the young woman finally returned, she was holding the hand of a little boy. He had a mischievous grin on his face, his blue eyes sparkling with humor. His skin coloring was a little lighter than mine, but his long hair and dark eyebrows made up for that. His mother knelt down and straightened his shirt—black with green sleeves that went to his wrists.
She glanced at the end of his short pants and quickly stood up. “He grows like a beanstalk. I don’t normally dress him in clothes that are too small.”
“Don’t apologize for Lakota’s attire,” her mate said in a low voice.
Lakota looked up at her and she patted his head. “Mommy, why are we in here? I want to watch cartoons.”
“There’s someone I want you to meet.”
She searched my eyes, so I redirected my attention on Lakota.
“Would you like to see something really neat?” I asked him in a soft voice.
He shrugged.
I held my cane in front of me and twisted it around. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked over and looked at the silver wolf’s head.
“Neato. Can I touch it?”
I laughed. “Careful, he bites when he’s hungry.”
Lakota stroked the top of the wolf’s head and then poked at the teeth. “He doesn’t bite me because I’m not scared of him. What’s it for?”
“It’s my walking stick. I need it because I hurt my leg.”
“Why can’t you heal?”
“Honey,” his mother began.
I sat down in the chair to my right and watched Lakota with tenderness in my heart. Lakota held my cane and stood before me, still curious to hear my answer. I could see it in his inquisitive eyes. “I’m a Shifter. Do you know what that is?”
“That’s right. But sometimes if you don’t shift right away, it’s harder to heal.”
“I know someone who can heal you. He’s good at fixing people.”
I smiled warmly. “It’s too late now. But that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with being different.”
“I know,” he said matter-of-factly, his eyes still fixated on the wolf’s face. “I’m not like everyone else too. Someday I’m going to be a wolf like this.” He spun the wolf’s head toward me and made a growling sound. “Rawr!”
“What’s your name?”
“Lakota.”
“My name’s Ivy. I came a long way to meet a special little boy I heard about all the way in Texas.”
“I know where that is. It’s big, but it’s not as big as Alaska.”
I reached out and swiftly brushed his hair away from his eyes. “That’s right, little one. You’re a bright young man. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“My daddy. All the time. He says I’m the smartest kid in the whole wide world. Are you a wolf too? Is that why you have one on your stick?”
“That’s right.” I sucked in a sharp breath and leaned forward, a ripple of excitement in my voice. “Would you like to meet her?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cross said, standing up.
Lorenzo rose with him and stood between us. “You don’t trust her wolf with that child?”
“She doesn’t know him.”
“I know him,” I said. “We met once before in another lifetime. Would you like to meet her, Lakota?”
“I’m good with wolves,” he said proudly. “Someday I’m going to be a warrior and take out all the bad guys.”
I stood up and slowly walked toward his mother, clasping her hand. “Thank you,” I whispered privately. “I can see the love in your eyes—in his eyes. I don’t want to take that love away. But before I leave, I have a gift for Lakota. Would it be all right for me to give it to you?”