I put my arms around his neck just in time.
When the hotel came into sight, both packs were outside in a stand-off, apparently summing each other up. Colby’s pack wasn’t half as large as Holden’s, but being outnumbered didn’t make them any less eager to fight.
“Relax,” Colby ordered.
Holden sauntered into the thick of it. “Everything’s good with the exception of our bellies. Did ya save us anything?” Grinning, he held open the door for Hunting Wolf to carry me inside. Fists were released, and hands went into pockets as the men backed down.
At the table, I took a roll and tore a bite off with my fingers. I gave it my attention rather than my husbands. Hunting Wolf tugged my chair over closer to his own. He whispered in my ear, “I can’t wait to get you up to our room. I want to look into those beautiful crimson eyes while I make love to you.”
A hot blush heated my cheeks.
“She is beautiful. Isn’t she?” Holden quietly asked.
Clearing his throat, Colby asked, “Aside from the obvious, what did you two do while we were gone? Before the crazy witches showed up that is.”
My face lit up with happiness instead of embarrassment. “Oh, we had so much fun! He found two copies of Cyrano, and we read it together. It was the best time I’ve had in… a while….” Losing its excited tone, my voice faded. Worrying I had hurt their feelings, I said, “It’s not that we don’t have fun together or anything. We’ve been so busy fighting monsters, bugs, birds, dolls, and things. It was nice to do something I enjoy.” I shoved the roll in my mouth. Trying to make it better was making it worse.
Hunting Wolf stroked my hair. “I’m glad you managed to find some happiness. You have been very brave, and you have discovered your true self. It has not been easy for us of late.”
The waitress started putting food in front of us which put an end to conversation for a few minutes. I watched the four men from beneath my lashes, took bites of my food when they were looking, and searched for signs of their true feelings. If they were upset with me, they didn’t show it.
“What happened with all of you? What happened with the body switching, hostage taking, do my bidding, evil hag?” I asked.
Sam, Colby, and Hunting Wolf exchanged worried looks. “Tell her. She needs to know,” Hunting Wolf said.
Sam said, “We drove the girl out to where she told us. As you know, our intent was to help Cecil rid the girl’s aunt of Sophia’s possession.” He shook his head and continued in a grim tone. “There was no one alive when we got there.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“We found sacrificed remains. There were six females. Their throats had been cut, and they had been left inside of a pentagram. Black candles had burned down to stubs around it. Cecil suggested they had been trying to summon power and got more than they’d bargained for. Whatever they called took form and came after you all last night. Hey, don’t be scared. It’s over. We brought the kid back with us. Someone will take her in.”
Holden became increasingly agitated. I assumed he was distraught over Sophia. However, I soon found out he was over her when he brought up the topic I dreaded. “I’m truly glad you aren’t mad at Rosie, but where does it all leave me?” He looked from me to each of them. “I know she doesn’t love me, but she’s forgiven me. Hell, she’s my mate. It doesn’t matter what anyone has to say about it. It’s the God’s honest truth.” Turning to face me, he asked, “Are you gonna spend time with me…ever, or will I be lucky if I catch glimpses of you in town? I know you wish it was otherwise, but you are my mate, sweetheart.”
Shame lashed at me once more. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to make things right. I’m so confused.” Last night, he had proven his love when he’d used his body to shield me. He’d proved he was one of my mates when he’d helped me heal my warring forms.
Hunting Wolf said, “I’ll tell you what will happen. If you resist, you and I will have words while your genitals regenerate. You’re pledging yourself to her before we leave.”
“Like hell, he is,” Sam growled.
“He was in her blood after the first scrape of a tooth. There’s no sense denying it. It’s confusing to her.” Hunting Wolf crossed his arms over his chest.
“She’s gonna feel guilty until it’s legal, and you know it,” Colby said to Sam. “It is kind of sick, though.”
His statement silenced all of us, and my eyes filled once more as my guts twisted.
Lost in his own thoughts, Colby said, “He bit me and changed me, making me along with anyone else he’s ever bitten his sons of a sort, abused ones because we all know he’s a dick. He bit and changed you at the same time Hunting Wolf did, so with both of them it’s kind of like supernatural incest if you think about it. If you marry Holden, does that make him my daddy co-husband or my daddy brother?” From across the room, someone threw a roll at his head, but with his abilities, he sensed it, snatched it from the air, and took a bite out of it. Only then did he glance around at us with curious blue eyes. “What? What’d I say? Why are you all looking at me funny?”
Turning back to Holden, Hunting Wolf said, “Decide. It’s your choice. You either give Rozene the respect she deserves and take your vows like the rest of us, or you gather up your family and leave Silver Springs and our woman behind.”
It was ballsy of him to assume I would marry Holden in the first place, but having been adulterous, I kept my mouth shut on that particular point. Questioning my feelings, I acknowledged the involuntary ache in my chest the thought of never being near the asshole alpha again caused me to feel, and I reached for the incorporeal bond I shared with him for comfort. The fear and confusion in my eyes had to be clear to him when he looked into my eyes. Not knowing what to say, I dropped his gaze and looked at my lap. A warm, safe sensation touched my heart and had me turning my head toward Colby. He winked at me. I touched the spot over my heart. I had been more broken than I had realized, but now I was finally whole and felt so much more than I had realized existed. It was like being a crow and seeing a world full of colors I’d never known were there, even though they were right in front of me for my entire life.
“Oh, God. What would your parents think?”
Colby said, “I’d be more worried about what Gene will be thinking if I were you,” Colby said. The three of them laughed.
“Gene? Who is he?” Anger filled Holden’s voice which amused them even more.
Colby said, “She’s one of Rosie’s friends. You’ve met her. You know, flower patterns and stretchy pants?”
Cord called out from his seat, “The cute little busybody with the pamphlets.”
“Oh, yeah. When are you gonna tap that?” Holden asked him.
I choked on my water. It went down the wrong pipe and prevented me from breathing. Hunting Wolf patted my back. When I could speak, I rasped out, “My friend from the library?”
Cord gave a grunt of approval. “Can you introduce me to her?”
Flabbergasted, I said, “I guess. Come to the library one day.”
We spent the day helping people pack. When the sun fell below the horizon, we all decided to get some sleep.
Chapter Twelve
Cracked dirt was beneath my bare feet. The rough, scorching texture scraped against my soles. A long white gown swirled around my ankles in the hot breeze. The dry chasms, leached of all moisture, branched out across the barren landscape like cracks in a shattered windshield. I turned in a slow circle where I stood. The dying land stretched away into infinity. Above was a dirty orange sky which had no intentions of relieving the drought, but it didn’t matter. The unquenched landscape was too devastated to cry out to it for mercy.
Noticing a small dark shape in the distance, I walked toward it and then slowed when I realized what it was. No longer a glossy black, the crow’s wings had been muted by the dusty ground. It opened its beak in a silent scream, but it wasn’t wrathful. It was desperate. Flapping its wings as if to fly away from the wretched was
teland in search of water, its wings twisted at odd angles, and it shrieked in pain. I rushed forward to help the poor creature but suddenly found myself farther away. I was too far from it and could only watch helplessly as an invisible force made it crush in upon itself like an empty can. Its blood seeped into the hungry earth and evaporated into black steam.
Then, mere inches from my face, dark eyes stared coldly into mine. My chest froze before quickly speeding up in fear. Her hair, once a glossy black, was dull with dust, and cracks lined her skin. She opened her mouth, and as a black mist began to lift into the air from around her blackened teeth, anger filled me. I knew her. She was the enemy of all living things, earth and animal.
Embracing my Wendigo, I drew back my fist and slammed it into her mouth. She turned to dust. She became like an ant pile at my feet and quickly seeped into the cracks and crevices beneath me. I ran, searching for a way home but finding nothing. A frantic need to escape rose up within me, and I tried to suppress the fear, knowing the evil would feed from it. Then, softly, I heard the faint sound of a drum. Following the rhythmic beating, a deep male chant became discernable, and relief and gratitude filled me when I recognized Cecil’s voice.
A beatific smile was upon his face which was lifted toward the sky. His eyes were closed, but somehow, I knew he sensed me near. The ground was softer and cooler around him, and like me, what life remained in the barren place sought him out, forming an oasis of weeds and dandelions around him. Hope and joy entered my heart with each beat of his drum. Smiling, I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the sky.
“Rozene, Rozene, wake up. It was just a bad dream.”
Opening my eyes and blinking sleepily, through the dim starlight seeping into our room between the curtains, I saw where we were and smelled the clean cool air. I wasn’t so sure it had been a dream. Sophia had summoned me to the dreamscape, sacrificed yet another life for her own ends, and Cecil had known. The evil hag was still managing to get to me, but how? Hunting Wolf kissed my temple and rubbed my back until I fell asleep.
Hours later, we were sitting together at a table drinking coffee. The strong brew wasn’t doing much to combat my tiredness which the troubling dream had caused. I nibbled at the toast on my plate. Holden and his men were nowhere to be seen. I didn’t know how I felt about his disappearance. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I hurt? Was I angry? Was I relieved? Was it so easy for him to walk away? Would I truly never see him again? Was the intimacy we had shared been all he had wanted? Had he only wanted to stick it to Sam, an old rival, by proving he could stick it in me? And, now that he’d gotten what he’d wanted, he was finished with me?
“Are you alright?” Sam studied me.
“Yeah. I’m just not hungry. I think I’ll go back up to our room.” Standing too quickly, I banged my knee against the table leg. In my haste to leave before I could embarrass myself with yet another emotional display, I quickly turned without paying attention and almost faceplanted into a man’s chest. Stopping not a moment too soon, I merely stepped on his boot. Fighting tears, I looked up at Dunstan. Taking me into account, he knew exactly what I was running from the restaurant to do. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d all left.” My voice sounded heavy to my ears.
“Oh, no, ma’am. We’re all busy with preparations. Since it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, Holden asked me to deliver these to you.” Behind his back, he had hidden a bouquet of flowers tied with ribbon. “Little lady, did you think he’d leave you? He won’t ever leave you.” The huge biker gave me the flowers and then strode from the room.
“Sit down, Rosie. Is that it? You thought he’d taken Hunting Wolf’s words to heart and gone?”
Returning to my seat, I shrugged and sniffed at the small wild roses.
“Now, will you eat something?”
I had taken a few more bites, even though I didn’t feel like it, when a deep, loud howl from somewhere outside pierced the quiet morning. A loud clatter came from the kitchen as dishes fell to the floor and broke.
Sam crossed his arms over his chest.
Colby snorted. “Someone wants to make it clear that he didn’t turn tail and run.”
“That was Holden?” I asked. For some reason, now I was more nervous because he hadn’t left. “How is this going to work?”
“Well, we’ve discussed it amongst ourselves. After he marries you, we’ll give him our blessing to court you. It’s not like it was love at first bite between the two of you,” Colby said.
I looked between them. They were serious and had left me speechless.
“I’m surprised the two of you made it a few days without killing each other.” Hunting Wolf raised his cup to me.
“When you finally acknowledged the bond, it put the old bastard in a better mood.” Colby grinned at me in the way he did. It made me want to throw my panties at him, and he knew it.
My thoughts turned to bear shifters. “What effect is this going to have on Four Bears?”
Sam looked at me but didn’t immediately answer. “Let’s not worry about it today.”
Saving Sam from answering my questions, Hunting Wolf said, “We have surmounted many difficulties since our arrival. Your natures are healed, and your heart is soon to be mended. We should rejoice.”
Tim and Moses entered the room and swaggered over to our table. “Holden wants to know when you’ll be ready to attend the ceremony,” Tim said.
Dumbfounded, I stared at him. Maybe, I was still dreaming.
“Rosie, let’s go pick out a dress for you to wear.” Colby stood and helped me from my chair.
Sam said, “She’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
Moses said, “We’ll be waiting in the parking lot.” He winked at me.
I scrunched my face up at him in confusion and allowed Colby to lead me away. In our room, I changed into a pink dress and added a cream sweater duster for warmth. Colby had bought me so many things. I hoped this outfit didn’t get ruined. The curse throwing girl was on the loose somewhere, so I wasn’t too hopeful. Colby had left me to get ready. I was brushing my hair when he returned.
“You’re gonna want to see what’s outside. Here.” He handed me my bouquet of wild roses.
Sam and Hunting Wolf were waiting in the hall. They led me down to the front entrance and opened the doors. Huge grins were on their faces. Curious, I followed them and stopped short when I saw what awaited me.
With a flourish of his hand, Tim bowed. “Ma’am, your carriage awaits. We had to get creative. This is your horsepower-drawn carriage.”
A motorcycle sidecar had been attached with garland covered ropes to two motorcycles. The make-do horse and carriage had been festooned with wild roses tied with white twine. Colby was tickled by the whole thing and helped me climb into the seat.
“What is all of this? What a sweet thing to do.” I was torn between laughing and serious appreciation of the trouble to which they had obviously gone.
With smug smiles, they mounted their bikes and drove slowly enough to our destination that Sam, Colby, and Hunting Wolf had no trouble keeping up. They stopped in front of an actual church. It had a steeple and steps leading up to the doors. Lined up to either side of the sidewalk was the pack. They were dressed in their customary leather and jeans but had made efforts to be neat and had their shirts tucked in. It made me feel like I mattered but also made me feel overwhelmed. Hunting Wolf took my arm, and together with Sam and Colby, we entered the church.
The power was out in the town, but candles flickered, and gentle light shone through the stained-glass windows, some of which were broken. The pews were adorned with little bunches of roses tied with twine making me wonder how many abandoned yards they’d had to raid. I held my fingers to my lips, trying to hold my emotions together. The last thing I wanted to do was cry, but I’d never expected Holden’s pack to do anything so sweet. The scent of roses combined with the cold air in the church. Nothing was perfect but those very imperfections made it magical. Quietly, the pack filed
in behind us and filled the pews. One of the men from town stood near the pulpit with an open Bible in his hands. Holden watched me hungrily, the biggest of the bad wolves was waiting to gobble me up. I heard strikes from a piano’s keys. An older lady was seated before it and started playing “Here Comes the Bride.”
We walked toward Holden, and when I found myself suddenly before him, I was trembling. “How did you do all of this?”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it. It’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” His eyes sparkled at me. He’d never before looked at me in quite that way. The preacher began, and everything became a blur, but soon Holden was pushing a thin gold band onto my already ringed finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.” Whatever else the preacher had to say was drowned out by howls and stomping boots. Holden’s lips found mine, and he lifted my feet from the floor. Then, he swept me up into his arms, left the church, and ran with me back to the hotel. The deafening celebratory sounds faded.
He didn’t put me down until it was on his bed in his hotel room. His hands were everywhere. My dress and bouquet laid forgotten on the table, and then Holden was inside of me. He pulled and pushed on the bond between us drawing my soul closer to his, binding us tighter, while our bodies did the same. I cried out and arched my back as I came. His hips and thighs moved between my legs as he worked to find his release. Pushing deeper, he pumped me full of his seed.
Softly, he asked, “What do you want, sweetheart? Name it, and it’s yours. I’ll give you anything you desire.”
Hastily, I said, “I want to go back home. I want our lives to be peaceful and normal.”
After a passionate kiss, he pulled his body from within mine. “We leave within the hour. I’ll have you home, safe and sound, in no time. I promise. This time, nothing is going to get in the way or prevent it.”
Thinking back to the freezing cold like where I’d been trapped in Sam’s truck, I felt a moment of dread. “Can we camp somewhere else tonight? I don’t want to go back there.”
Wendigo Conjuring Page 17