by G. K. DeRosa
Hunter extended his hand and wrapped it around Draven’s frail one. “We appreciate your help. If there’s anything I can ever do for you, please let me know.”
“Thank you, young wolf. I only hope you are successful in your efforts.” He turned his kind eyes to me. “It will take a strong pairing to bring the Mystic wolves back.”
My jaw dropped. How did he know? We’d never mentioned I was a Mystic, and no one was supposed to know about the sparkly unicorn packs outside of Moon Valley.
If Hunter was surprised, he didn’t show it. A thankful smile remained plastered across his face as he shook the sorcerer’s hand.
Needer reappeared and motioned us toward the foyer. As we followed the little man through the doorway, Draven called out, “Please stay in touch.”
Chapter Thirteen
“How long have you known about your dad being responsible for the near extinction of the Mystics?” I blurted the question the moment we were back on the cobblestone sidewalk.
Hunter stopped at the end of the walkway and spun toward me. His expression darkened as his eyes met mine. “I’m sorry. I know I should’ve told you a long time ago, but I wanted to confirm my suspicions first. Vander has been working on it for a while now, and when you showed up, I knew it was too much of a coincidence.” He paused and cracked his knuckles, the snap reverberating in the silence between us. “How long have you known?”
Touché.
“My mom told me when she came clean about my dad.” My heart wrenched, his name on my lips opening the festering wound I’d been avoiding. It was easier to banish the pain to the far recesses than mourn a father I never knew. “She thinks your father killed mine.”
Hunter’s eyes widened to the size of two golden full moons, his jaw going slack. “I thought your father was killed by wolves in the human world.”
“Wolves your father likely sent.”
He ground his teeth together and snarled a curse. “I’ll do what I can to find out the truth, Sierra. I wish I could deny it, but I don’t know what my father is capable of anymore.”
I knew I should’ve been mad at him for keeping the truth from me, but hadn’t I done the same? And after hearing his heartbreaking confession to Draven, the only thing I felt for my mate was pity. And love.
“We have to track down the Lune Sacré,” I finally said after a few beats of silence.
“In two days?” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “We’re due back at the trials the day after tomorrow. If they’re as secretive as Draven says, we’re going to be hard-pressed to find them that quickly.”
“But we have something that he doesn’t.”
He cocked a dark brow. “What’s that?”
“A Lune Sacré witch.” I winked and grabbed his hand, tugging him to the portal station.
Cass was already standing at the door of my apartment when we arrived. She hugged her tote bag to her chest as she watched us approach. “Okay so what was the big emergency? I’ve got an infirmary full of Royal wolves to deal with and I don’t have much time before the scary Royal alpha or his creepy wife, Sonia, notice I’m missing.”
“Sorry, Cass. You know I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important.”
My best friend eyed Hunter and grunted. She wasn’t exactly #TeamHunterra yet, but I didn’t think she hated him quite as much anymore. “Okay so what do you need?” She barreled in front of me and dropped her bag on the couch.
I offered her my wrist and suppressed the urge to wince. “I need you to scry for my coven, the Lune Sacré, with my blood. That should work, right?”
“Yeah, sure, as long as they’re not magically cloaked or something.”
“Fingers crossed.”
She turned her bag over and all the contents spilled out on the couch, including a shiny dagger. At this rate, I should just keep a gallon-sized jug of my blood in the fridge for all these spells.
She held up the sharp blade, and Hunter squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you for doing this.” His warm breath grazed my ear, and goose bumps exploded down my arm. No, thank you. He grinned, and the megawatt smile numbed the prick of the dagger as Cass brought it across my palm. She held the dribbling blood over the container as I kept my gaze fixed on Hunter’s. This was going to work. It had to. I’d find a way to make my mate whole whatever the cost.
The sharp squeal of my phone tore me from my inner musings. I reached for it behind my back with my free hand but couldn’t quite reach. Hunter slid his fingers into my back pocket, and a shudder raced up my spine. Oh gods, I was strung tight. We needed to figure this curse out before the sexual tension between us erupted like Mount Vesuvius, taking all the villagers along with it.
He held the phone to my ear, and I muttered a raspy hello.
“Sierra, it’s your mother.” Gram’s panicked voice surged through the receiver.
“What, what happened?” My heart lurched up my throat as terror sucked the air from my lungs.
“She’s gone. Someone took her, I know it. She was out in the backyard painting and the next minute she’d vanished.”
“Maybe she just went for a walk?” I needed another explanation because the truth was too terrifying.
“It can’t be. I’ve had her in hiding here since she left Moon Valley. She would never just leave. I’ve scried for her over and over again and keep coming up with nothing.”
“Okay, I’m coming, Grams. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I choked back the sob building in my throat. Now was not the time to break down.
“Hurry and don’t forget the key.”
“I will.” I shoved the phone back in my pocket as Cass and Hunter’s eyes searched mine. With my mate’s enhanced wolfish hearing, I was sure he’d heard the whole conversation. Fear seeped through the bond, inciting my panic. “Cass, my mom’s been taken. I have to go right now.”
She gasped, her pale skin blanching. “I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll take her,” said Hunter. “As supreme alpha, my father has special portal access to the human world.”
“Your father?” Cass shrieked and jumped in front of me. “Sierra shouldn’t be anywhere near that monster. He’s probably the a-hole behind this.”
Hunter’s jaw ground together, the tendon fluttering like mad beneath the surface. “He’s not home today. He’s making his rounds in Marlwoods visiting the other shifter alphas.” He dipped his head and fixed his eyes on Cass. Golden flames streaked across his irises. “I’m not stupid. I know my father is no saint, and I’d never let him anywhere near her.”
A chill skirted up my spine. Sometimes I forgot how scary my mate could be.
“Now get out of my way, Cass. The longer we wait, the more her mom’s scent will fade. I need to track it if we have any hopes of finding her.”
I gulped as a storm of anxiety pummeled my insides. We had to find her. “I’ll be okay, Cass, I promise. Hunter will keep me safe; I trust him.”
She pulled me into a quick hug before stepping to the side. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Keep an eye on Lucien,” Hunter barked. “If my father is up to something, he’d be the first to find out about it.”
“Okay, I’ll go back to the lair now.”
I squeezed my best friend’s hand. “Thank you and you be careful too.” Once I released her, I darted into my bedroom and rifled through my nightstand. Grabbing the old skeleton key, I stuffed it into my pocket and ran out to the living room.
“You ready?” he asked.
My head bounced up and down, but no words came out.
Hunter grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the apartment. My body was numb, my feet working on autopilot. My mom had been taken and only gods knew where. Somehow, I knew this was my fault. I should’ve run with her when she asked me to. If anything happens to her…
“Nothing’s going to happen to her,” Hunter growled as we raced through the tunnel. “And if my father was responsible for her disappearance, I swear I’ll make him
pay, Sierra.”
I choked down the knot of emotion in my throat and shoved away the mounting fear. Everything was going to be okay. It just had to be.
The warm rays of the setting sun grazed my shoulder blades as we tumbled out of the portal. The shadow of the Smoky Mountains cast the valley in an array of deep oranges and pinks. I inhaled a breath of sweet North Carolina air as my legs straightened, and my head stopped spinning. Portaling within realms in Azar was one thing but crossing over to the human world always did funny things to me. I couldn’t even enjoy the momentary bliss of finally being home as the dark reason for our trip surged to the surface, smacking me in the face.
“Where to?” Hunter asked as he scanned the terrain. Nothing but open fields stretched all around us.
It had been years since I’d come to Gram’s house, but its memory was etched into my mind as clearly as if I’d spent every day of my life here. About ten yards away, a sprawling white oak with full green leaves sat in the center of the vacant field.
“This way.” I jogged across the soft grass, my boots sinking into the fertile soil. When I reached the tree, I dug the key from my pocket. Placing it in the center of my palm, I held it out to the sinking sun. A golden ray streamed over it, and the battered antique key sparkled. The rusty old thing glimmered like the sun, and a gilded coating bathed it from stem to teeth.
“Whoa, that’s pretty cool,” Hunter breathed.
Once the transformation was complete, I held the shiny new key to the trunk. “Apertum,” I whispered, and a keyhole appeared within the rough white bark. I slid the key into the opening, and the air shimmered around us.
Hunter’s mouth formed a capital O as the illusion fell away, and a quaint red farmhouse appeared a few yards behind the white oak. “That’s incredible,” he muttered.
“Yup.” It was a good thing Grams had reminded me of this neat little trick after Mom had visited me in Moon Valley. After not seeing her for years, I’d forgotten all about the mystical cloak that hid her home. The more I learned about my grandma the more I was certain she was keeping secrets from me.
I raced across the gravel driveway, and Hunter trailed right behind. The door whipped open before I reached the old wooden steps, and my grandma filled the doorway. Her jet-black hair was pulled into a tight bun, the strip of silver that streaked across the top ablaze beneath the golden light. An energy ball danced in the palm of her hand, her eyes hurling daggers at my mate.
“How could you bring him here?” she shouted.
“He’s the reason I got here so quickly, Grams.” I grabbed Hunter’s hand and pulled him into my side. He tensed beside me, a low growl vibrating his chest. “We don’t have time for old grudges. We need to work together to find Mom.”
Hunter’s eyes cast down to the gravel floor. “I know there’s nothing I can say to make you believe me, but I truly am here to help. I’d do anything to protect Sierra.”
She snorted on a laugh. “Even kill your own father?” she spat.
My eyes widened as they darted to hers. “Grams!”
“He’s the bastard that took Montana. I’m sure of it.”
“If he is, I promise I’ll find her and bring her back.”
“Your promises mean nothing to me, dog.”
“Grams!” I shrieked again. “Please, just show us where you last saw her. Maybe we can catch her scent.”
She squeezed her palm shut, and the energy ball dissipated into the ether. I released a breath and took a step toward her. I hadn’t seen my grandma in over ten years. “Don’t I at least get a hug?” Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back. A quick embrace and back to business.
“Oh, Sierra…” She tugged me into her chest, and I was enveloped by her full bosom. She smelled just like I remembered, an odd mix of sweet cinnamon and pungent incense. “At least you’re okay,” she murmured in my ear.
I released her before the tears spilled free and steeled my nerves. Plastering on a reassuring smile I didn’t feel, I said, “We’ll find Mom. I know we will.”
Grams eyed Hunter over my shoulder. He still stood at the bottom of the steps with an insecure look I’d never seen before carved into his typically confident features. She let out a dramatic sigh and pointed out back. “She was in the corn fields last I saw her. I went inside to get dinner started and that nosy cousin of mine, Hilda, called. She kept me on the phone for nearly half an hour.” Grams trudged around the house as she continued detailing the finer points of their conversation. At least it had kept her mind off Hunter. He followed a few steps behind us, wisely keeping his distance.
She pointed to the rows of pale green stalks, and her shoulders sagged. At the edge of the field, a large basket sat, half-filled with corn husks. “Montana was sitting right there, gathering corn to eat with the roast.”
My throat tightened as fear lanced through my chest. I shoved back the panic and tried to move past it. If I dwelled on what could’ve happened, I’d never be able to function.
“How long ago did she disappear?” Hunter asked, creeping toward the basket of corn.
Grams dismissed his question and turned to me. “It’s been at least a half hour since I saw her. That blasted Hilda.” She muttered a curse.
“Did you try scrying for her again?”
She slapped her hands on her hips and glared down at me. “Of course, I did, Sierra. She’s not here or if she is, she’s been hidden by powerful magic.”
“So maybe it’s not the wolves?” I offered.
Her hand closed around mine, and she jerked me forward. I nearly tripped before righting myself as she dragged me past the basket into the corn field. “It was most certainly wolves.” We moved deeper into the maze of towering corn before Grams finally halted. She bent down and pointed at a faint marking in the dirt. “She must have met them out here, far away from the house. With the cloaking spell in place, they never caught wind of it.”
“Why would she leave the safety of the cloak?” My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as fear’s claws dug into my lungs. I let out a whimper and crouched down on the ground. It was faint, but there was no doubt what it was. A huge, wolf paw print.
“I don’t know,” she muttered.
My wolf rose to the surface, and a deep growl vibrated my throat. My wolf may have been without a real pack, but family was the strongest pack she knew.
Hunter stooped down beside me and pinched some dirt between his fingers. He rolled it between his thumb and forefinger before bringing it to his nose. I held my breath as his nostrils flared, and he inhaled deeply.
A scowl twisted his lips, and a wave of anger rolled through the bond.
“What?” I blurted.
“It’s the same wolf that came after you. I’d recognize his scent anywhere.”
“A wolf came after you?” Grams cried.
Shift. “It was nothing.”
“Nothing? Sierra, if I’d known you were in trouble, I would’ve been on high alert.”
“Higher alert than this?” I motioned to the sprawling fields under the cloaking spell. You’ve had Mom in hiding for weeks. What more could you have done?”
“I would’ve done something more, I would’ve done anything to protect her, like I did with you—” She cut herself off, wrapping her arms across her round middle.
“What did you do, Grams?”
She shook her head, and her lips pressed into a hard line. She shot Hunter a withering glare and spun back to the house.
I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers with Hunter here, and we needed all the information we could get if we wanted to find Mom. “Give me a second to talk to her.”
I could feel the objection poised on his tongue, but he gritted his teeth and nodded. “I’ll see what I can find out here.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed his hand and whirled around after Grams.
The squeaky floorboards as I walked into the living room triggered memories from my youth. The smoky, charred scent of what I now understood was magic fill
ed the air. I trailed my finger over the flowery upholstered recliner as images of me jumping on the old thing trickled through my mind. I remembered coming here every weekend as a child. The pack of Tarot cards sat on the coffee table prompting more memories. Grams was the high priestess. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to be.
“Grams?” I called out.
“In here, Sierra,” she finally answered after a long pause. The sharp whistle of the tea kettle froze me mid-step, my heart leaping up my throat. Relax, Sierra.
I turned the corner into the kitchen, and the scent of orange blossoms and chamomile filled the space. The chestnut cabinets and flowery wallpaper were exactly as I remembered it. Grams spun around at my approach and placed the kettle on the cooling rack.
“Are you in love with him?” She pierced me with dark brown eyes, mirror images of my mom’s.
My jaw dropped.
“Let me rephrase that. Do you think you love him? That gods forsaken mate bond will twist you up inside until you don’t know what’s up and what’s down.”
“Grams…” I held my tongue because I knew she was acting this way out of fear, but I was scared too. “I think we need to focus on Mom now, not me.”
“Don’t you see it’s all the same, Sierra? You’re repeating your mother’s mistakes! I warned her not to fall for your father, but she was so stubborn.”
“She was in love,” I countered.
“She was stupid and naïve. And now she could be dead because of it.”
All the air siphoned from my lungs, and I sucked in a ragged breath. “Don’t say that.”
Grams closed the space between us and placed her hands on my shoulders, squeezing hard. “You must fight whatever you feel for that boy. He is no good for you, and he never will be. He is the future alpha, and his pack will always come first. Do yourself a favor and be rid of him now. You are the last Mystic and as such you will always have a target on your back. The pairing of a Mystic with a Dragos alpha will strike fear in the hearts of all the packs. Your offspring would be too strong, and people fear power and that which they can’t control.”