by Zoe Perdita
In short, not someone to mess with.
The car pulled up a long drive lined with towering fir trees on either side and surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. The house was a massive sprawling thing with too many columns to be Victorian and too many balconies to be colonial. It was made from red and brown brick, and looked like it could be a castle if it had a turret or two.
The Montgomery family had owned it, though now it was in the hands of the attorney since they had no living relatives any longer. That’s what the old families got for being so damn picky about who they allowed their offspring to marry. Not that anyone would have wanted to marry Bradley Montgomery anyway. He’d been in his prime, but from what Ari had heard, he was a terrible bastard who deserved to have a sudden heart attack in Forest Park on a night that just happened to be a full moon. Normal humans didn’t understand that significance, and the shadow folk police on the force weren’t going to attempt to prosecute the shifter responsible for a variety of reasons. One being that shifter in question had been wrongfully held captive and abused for nearly twenty years.
Still, it had taken long enough for the lawyer to get everything put on the market considering Bradley had died well over a month before.
Ari considered that as he stepped out of the car and across the drive.
There were a few other cars present, but it looked like Ari was the only one who’d been offered a ride. Unless, of course, they had a whole garage full of Aston Martins on their way. With the old families you could never tell.
Being a human magic user meant Ari couldn't smell magic the way shifters could, but he felt the shimmer on his skin as he stepped into the house, and he saw the pale glow of wards that covered the place, though some of them had been broken already. The underlying power pulled with a revolting sensation that made him wish he’d never finished that muffin. Wasn’t Bradley a light mage and not a necromancer? It felt like the latter more than the former, but that sort of dark magic was never associated with the old families.
That didn’t mean their magic was all light and goodness—far from it.
Mrs. Barnes, the attorney running the sale, approached as Ari glanced around the empty entryway. He hoped they gathered all the interesting artifacts into a few rooms or this trip wouldn’t have been worth it.
“Good. You're here. Now we can start,” she said and led the way into what would’ve been a formal living room, Ari guessed.
His loafers echoed hollowly on the smooth wooden floors.
The lot in question was smaller than he thought it’d be, and Ari felt that twinge of annoyance raking up his spine. Of course they wouldn’t keep the good stuff for him. They probably sold it as soon as Montgomery keeled over to pay their bill.
Typical.
And what was left didn’t hold any particular interest to him in the first place. He specialized in curios. Meaning rare items. Not things a normal antique shop carried. He might have some furniture, but it was all carefully selected and, to the discerning eye, unique. Not typical cherry wood side tables with inlaid rosewood.
He almost turned to go, but the mood in the room, and the two over-sized men who loomed in the corner watching him, changed his mind. The lawyer stood at the front of the room and gave her spiel about the history of the estate (she was wrong about most of it, from Ari’s research) and what was for sale (everything).
“We’re selling things by the room only. We have them organized that way and found it might be easiest for the buyers as well. No cherry picking. Take all of it or none of it,” she said and shot a look at Ari.
He rolled his eyes. He’d never dealt with Mrs. Barnes before, but her firm handled a lot of wealthy estates. Maybe he was earning a reputation in Haven for his shrewdness. Good. Couldn’t hurt.
Ari glanced at the other buyers. One was Margaret Benson, a normal human who owned another antique shop in town. She had frizzy brown and gray hair in a braid down her back and wore a long floral dress. He’d seen her plenty and would often recommend her shop if his customers wanted something a little more mainstream. She smiled at him, fire in her eyes, and he knew he’d have to move quickly if he wanted the impressive stuff.
It was clear from Mrs. Barnes speech they’d moved it out of sight for whatever reason. Hopefully, the things that remained in the room were just rejects and not a hint of what the Montgomery family had.
There were a few other buyers there that he didn’t recognize. Probably from outside of Haven somewhere. One pair was a man and a woman in slick black leather jackets. Not the weather for those, but maybe they came on motorcycles. The oppressive nature of the house and whatever wards were worked into the walls kept him from sensing if they had magic as well.
He wondered if Cage could’ve done a better job and scowled at himself for even daring to consider that.
Finally, Mrs. Barnes pointed at the doors with the guards, and everyone stood up and shuffled through them.
Ari was small and quick, so he made it through first.
That room was all furniture and a few lamps. Nothing that caught his interest, so he passed to the next one.
More furniture.
Some family portraits.
No one would buy those.
He moved on.
And on.
Past more antique furniture that every old family seemed to own. Sure, it would catch a good price, but it didn’t interest him. And Ari’s shop didn’t specialize in that.
He was ready to call it a day when he arrived at the final room.
This is what he came here for.
It bristled against his skin as he stepped inside, a distinct buzzing that told him several of the objects were imbued with magic. A faint glimmer of power covered nearly everything. Ari smiled and closed the door behind him, doing a quick mental sweep of the room and what it held. A golden hourglass with lapis lazuli colored sand. The stuffed head of a badger—gruesome, but he knew a collector who’d be more than interested. A lantern with a dim blue flame flickering inside (definitely strange). And a jewelry box full of amulets that nearly made his hand numb when he touched them.
The set that caught his eye sparkled with rubies, inlaid in an intricate golden necklace with a pair of matching earrings. That would fetch a pretty penny once he figured out why they were so charged with power they put his hand to sleep.
Tucked in the back of the lot was a dull dagger, holes in the hilt that must’ve held jewels at some point. They were missing now. It looked like nothing more than junk, but touching it sent a cold jolt up Ari’s arm. He’d have to keep an eye on that one.
He smiled and sent a text to Mrs. Barnes with his bid for the room. He didn’t bother going low, offering what he actually thought the wholesale value was. He’d double his money, no problem, but paying the fee would put him in a tight spot for a few months.
Still, it was worth it.
Sure, there was some junk in there too, but he’d find other shops to unload it on. The prime stuff he’d keep for his own.
He got an immediate response.
Accepted. Want it sent to your shop or your home?
Home. Ari replied.
He did all his sorting there since it had more room than the shop.
Perhaps even after his meeting with Cage this morning today wouldn’t be so bad after all. Or he might even rope the alpha into helping him after dinner. Though, ugh.
No.
No, he wouldn’t.
Because there wouldn’t be dinner. It was just another one of Cage’s empty threats he never followed through on. Like all the times he said he’d take Ari out for a drink.
That was his brain betraying him again.
It really needed to stop doing that.
Ari bought from too many estate sales to trust them to pack it up for him, so he assisted the large guards (he was pretty sure they were bears) in packing the lot into crates. Once it was all put into the truck, Ari climbed next to the driver and nodded.
“You’re not going in the car?”
the man asked, his voice a deep rumble.
“I’d rather make sure my assets are secure, if you don’t mind. I’m near Burnside and thirtieth.”
The driver shrugged and pulled away.
Ari glanced outside and swore a few of his fellow buyers glared at him. Most notably, the man in leather.
He ignored it and focused on the time. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late opening shop. Which meant he had to put off sorting until tonight.
That brought Cage back into Ari’s mind and he scowled at the way his gut clenched.
Maybe the alpha could be useful for something after all.
2
Felan managed to get several hours of sleep in his cramped apartment before the old nightmare woke him. The one in which Kian’s bloody face smiled, half of it a skull and the other half flesh.
“I think I’ll take Ari with me,” Kian said and shifted into his wolf form, just as dead as the human one, and leapt for Felan, fangs bared.
He jolted awake, a sheen of sweat coated his brow, and his chest heaved. The drapes were pulled shut and behind them a hint of sunlight peeked through.
Still daylight then.
Good.
He swept a hand over his face and through his hair before he fiddled around on the nightstand for his glasses. He still had time before Ari closed the shop, and though he didn’t have to put in any hours at the office after the night he pulled, it was better than sitting here and waiting.
Not teaching during the summer might’ve been a bad idea after all.
After a shower, and avoiding Kian’s smiling face in a faded picture on the wall (the same picture with Felan and Ari standing next to him—all three of them together on that trip to the coast the summer before Kian died), he made a sandwich and set off for his office at the university.
He was almost there when his phone chimed.
Amy’s picture showed up on the screen, Felan’s omega, and he let himself smile before he answered it. “Hey pops! Thought you’d want to know the flight went okay and I didn’t get robbed on my way to the hostel,” she said.
“Always good to know, but I’m sure you could’ve handled it.”
He’d driven her and her girlfriend, Lisa, to the airport the day before so they could catch their flight to Paris. It was part of her graduation gift from the pack. She was the youngest—her parents had died when she was just a pup—and she was more like his daughter.
Amy laughed, and he pictured her dark face lighting up with a grin. “I know. Unless they were hunters. But don’t worry. We’ll keep a low profile, and we’re going to be back before the full moon. Just—I didn’t want you to think I died or something.”
“Or maybe you miss me,” Felan said and his chest ached. If she missed him that should be enough, but that same old twist in his gut told him it wasn’t. Not when his mate was right there and stubborn as all hell about ever returning to him.
At least she’d never have to suffer like this. Her mate was a fellow wolf, not some healer who didn’t want to have anything to do with her.
Not that Felan didn’t deserve it, but after all these years . . . .
“Maybe,” Amy said and let out a sigh. “We’re going sightseeing tomorrow. Today we just wandered around. Jet lag is a bitch. Uh, any luck with uncle Ari?”
Felan imagined the look on Ari’s face if the healer knew that’s how Felan’s pack referred to him. The alpha bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “I bought him coffee this morning, and he didn’t throw it in my face. That’s progress.”
“If you want to call it that. Shit. Lisa is starving and insists we have to eat now. I’ll email you later. And check out my Instagram. So many new pics. Love ya!”
“I love you too,” Felan said and hung up.
She was way too young to be worrying about him, but she did. All the wolves in his pack did. A few of them asked if Ari was worth it. Asked if he was certain Ari was his mate to begin with. Perhaps he could find another alpha to settle down with and not worry about mercurial healers. Amy never had been one of them though, and Felan never realized how grateful he was for that until now.
Not that he really wanted to talk about his personal life with a lively twenty-two year old, but she brought it up more often than not. She also gave him a boost to his failing resolve. He’d thought, many times over the years, that giving up on Ari was the best choice for both of them. He’d tried it too. Buried himself in the library, his work, and caring for his pack. Attending regular NA meetings and trying to piece his life back together. It took years of hard work to get to the point he thought he could properly make penance for what he’d done and, not get forgiveness perhaps, but understanding.
That isn’t what happened.
Ari’s bright green eyes still burned with as much fury as they had after Kian died in his arms. And the way he looked at Felan was forever altered for the worse. No more love or gentleness in that gaze.
Not for him.
One terribly careless act swept their future away, and either Felan had to strike out on his own and leave Ari alone, or fight this battle a little longer.
A little harder.
In truth, he was close to giving in. Waving a white flag and leaving Ari to himself, like he always claimed he wanted. Though, when he thought about it, Tyler was the one who pushed him into pursuing Ari again. He’d all but given up before.
But he’d told himself this was the last time. If his efforts bore no fruit, he might as well let Ari go. The alpha that paced inside him didn’t agree with that sentiment.
That evening when he picked up several boxes of Thai food (Ari was always hungriest at night), and headed over to the Victorian.
He’d given Ari plenty of time that afternoon to deal with any medical emergency that might arise, but knowing the healer he’d have a line out his door because he was way too lenient about demanding payment right off.
Thankfully, there was no line. However, Ari didn’t answer right away.
Typical.
That morning he’d been right inside while Felan waited. He even muttered to himself, but Felan hadn’t paid much attention to what Ari said. It hadn’t been meant for his ears, and his mate deserved his privacy at times like that.
“I have a patient,” Ari grumbled when he finally threw open the door, which was painted a deep burgundy. Ari’s eyes shot to the bag of Thai food, and he scowled. “Dinner. You weren’t lying this time.”
“I never lie, but I do get busy from time to time. Especially at the end of a semester,” Felan said and slipped past him before Ari could grab the food and slam the door. That had happened once, and he didn’t want it to happen again. Not when his stomach growled. He sniffed the air and caught the odor of another shifter along with the smell of furniture polish, Ari’s unforgettable scent and the faint hint of dust. “A fox?”
“I’m not impressed with you and your nose. Go set it up in the kitchen. I’m almost done,” Ari said and stalked back into the rooms he used for his healer’s practice.
Felan listened, but the fox didn’t say anything. Though there was the faint cry of a baby,who also smelled like a fox. After the front door shut it wasn’t long before Ari came in, drying his hands on a cloth, and sunk into one of those high-backed kitchen chairs.
“Wine or beer?” Felan asked and opened the fridge. He’d already set out the food and plates.
“What makes you think I want to drop my guard around you?” Ari asked and dished up a healthy pile of red curry and rice.
“Water then?”
Ari frowned. “Wine, and you have to help me with some crates after dinner.”
Felan snorted as he pulled out a couple bottles of white and red, then set down the glasses. “Is that how you ask for favors?”
“I never ask you for favors. I don’t have to since I know you’ll just show up half the time, completely uninvited,” Ari said and sounded as sure of himself as he was about what herbs were the most magical.
And he was right.
<
br /> “If my pack knew what I do for you . . . .” Felan said.
Ari shrugged. “I don’t care if you tell them. Do you think they’d drop your rank or disrespect you?”
“No, that’s not possible. Once an alpha, always an alpha. You know Amy asked about you today. She’s in Paris right now with Lisa.”
“Your little girl is all grown up and off to France. Is that why you came over twice today?” Ari asked, and Felan couldn’t even say he was wrong because he probably wasn’t. At all. “I’m your distraction?”
Still, Amy leaving for Europe wasn’t the only reason he was here. “You're much more than a distraction. You know what you are,” Felan said quietly and dug into his own food.
Ari’s mouth hardened, and he took a long sip of his wine. Then he cleaned his plate without saying another word.
What else did Felan expect? If they got anywhere near that subject Ari clammed up. Pretended like their entire past never happened—the things he’d said to Felan in the dead of night were just some wonderful fever dream that only Felan remembered.
Yet here he was. An alpha brought to his knees by a healer.
But he knew Ari better than he knew himself at times. And if Ari allowed him to be here that meant there was still a chance.
Felan couldn’t give up if that were true.
So he ate and watched Ari finish off the red wine while Felan himself settled on the white. The food was nearly gone when they were done, and Ari finally looked at him again. His hair was longer than it’d been when they shared a bed—a home—all those years ago. It fell over his ears now, and he tucked it behind them to keep it from falling into his eyes. It was the same deep brown at the soil in Forest Park, and his eyes were as green as the moss. Everything about him was cool and easy, like a summer day that asked for nothing but that you enjoyed it.
And, damn, did Felan enjoy Ari with every ounce of his being. The way they used to stay up late into the night, naked and wrapped in each other's arms. He remembered the very specific sounds Ari made when he was aroused. They filled Felan’s memories just as much as the cries of Kian dying.