by Jen Talty
Summer’s Gone
A Paranormal Dating Agency Story
Copyright 2018 Jen Talty
Published by MT Worlds Press, Inc.
Winter Springs, FL 32708
http://mtworldspress.com
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
http://mtworldspress.com
Contents
Summer’s Gone
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Also by Jen Talty
About the Author
Paranormal Dating Agency World
Blurb for Winter Wedding
Summer’s Gone
Paranormal Dating Agency
A TWILIGHT CROSSINGS NOVELLA, book 3
By
Jen Talty
To Leslie Savage Roecklein. Thanks for all the memories. I hope our paths cross again soon!
Prologue
The day before the Royal Fairies went into hiding…
“We have no choice,” King Lear said, staring at his adoring wife, Queen Aria. His three daughters had already been cast into human form and their Royal Powers trapped, along with their memories. They would live out their days as mere humans, safe from the world of witches who wished to wipe out their entire existence.
Or at least Lear hoped that his plan would protect not only his family, but the rest of the fairies, royal and otherwise.
Aria rubbed her swollen belly. “Can’t we wait until he is born? Protect him another way?”
Lear shook his head. “You know all our children are special. Different because you, my love, are part wolf and part fairy. There have been only a few of your kind, and we have to make sure we protect the future of the species.”
“Wolfairies,” Aria whispered. “But we have no active wolf side.”
“You do outside these walls.” Lear raised his hands. “But imagine what the witches would do if they knew of such a werewolf who has all the magic of the Royal Fairies? You and our children would never stand a chance. The visionary said the future can create a place where Wolfairies will be able to live in the world everyone else does. He says this is the only way. We cannot wait any longer. It is too dangerous.”
“But I haven’t even had the chance to meet our son.”
Lear hated bringing tears to his lovely wife’s eyes. All he’d ever wanted was to make her happy. “If our son, or any of our children, die, then this will be all for nothing. In the far future, his sisters will find their wolf mates, unlocking our powers in a new land. They will bring both the sides of his spirit back together, uniting all four wolf siblings with our children, ensuring the Wolfairies existence forever.”
“Splitting his fairy side from his wolf side could destroy him.”
Lear nodded, but he did so with a reassuring smile. “Only if the Legend of the Princess and the Wolf is destroyed.”
“It’s not a legend, it’s a story we made up,” she said, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
Gently, he brushed it away with his thumb. “My darling, you know that is not true. The visionary saw it first.” He rested his hand on his wife’s belly, feeling his only son kick. Lear’s heart thumped in his throat. He had prayed this day would never come, but the witches had killed so many Royals, he couldn’t take any more chances. Someday, way into the future, the world would be ready for the kind of loving magic the Wolfairies could give the world. “The wolf pack destined to mate with our children is stronger than any other in any world. In the future, their oldest son—”
“What is his name again? The one that will be the first wolf fairy king?”
“Chaz. That is what has been set in motion with the visionary’s magic. Chaz will meet our oldest Bree’s spirit. Her name will be Daphne. Together, they bring out our daughter’s powerful, but protective magic. It will start with that union. That will begin the unlocking of our magic and the union of the next wolf son, Nico, with our strongest daughter, Izzy.”
“You mean the one who thinks she should be a warrior, even though fairies do not have them.” Aria smiled with pride.
Lear laughed. Izzy had to be the most stubborn and strong-willed fairy ever created. Her spirit will demand the same in each human her spirit will reside in.
“Isadore will be the name our Izzy takes in the future,” Lear said. He had helped write the magic with the most powerful visionary in all the land, who had seen this future as clear as day. Their wolf protectors would make sure the Legend would be passed down from generation to generation, ensuring in believers and protectors.
Ensuring the wolves would imprint on their destined mates.
However, they had to protect the Legend, by leaving out information, hiding clues, and downright lying. It was a game of chance that could still destroy them all.
“I do not like what will become of our son. He won’t even know he exists,” Aria said, her hand gliding over his as he rubbed her womb which had protected their son for eight months. “Will he even have a name?”
“Yes. His name will be Dayton. His fairy self will be locked inside our daughter Kerri.”
“Sweet little Kerri. She’s so kind and loving. Will she be able to protect this part of our son in her future self?”
There were two things Lear would not tell his wife, even though he had vowed never to lie on the day they married.
The first thing was that Kerri, or Coral, in the future, would not understand the being living inside her body once the second union began. But the hardest part will be the fact that the visionary’s magic, in the future, will tell Coral, and her mate, conflicting concepts on why they had to cast out the spirit, and how. If they don’t find all the clues, they might make the wrong choice, killing every Wolfairy both past and future.
“She will do what is necessary; her sisters, her mate, and his family will make sure Norse finds his other half,” Lear said. Norse had not been his choice for a name, but it meant the God of summer, sunlight, life, and rain, so he caved to his wife’s wishes.
As he always did.
Lear did worry that the wolf side of his son would have a harder time surviving. Being cast into a werewolf, living thousands of years, who cannot shift nor communicate with his own kind, much less belong with a pack, will make it nearly impossible for the final act of this legend to come true.
“Once his spirit is brought together, he will find his fated female mate, Cheryl. Together, these four couples will be able to populate the world with Wolfairies that can live outside the Royal castle. They will be strong, and they will be able to protect themselves against witches who still find our kind distasteful.”
“Many wolves find fairies disgusting, and many will find the combination of the two even worse.”
“And many wolves protect us,” Lear said, smoothing his hand once again over his wife’s belly. The second thing he could not bring himself to share with Aria was that they would not survive. He would be murdered shortly after he cast their
son’s spirit into two beings, and she would not survive the magic required to protect their son. He knew she’d gladly lay down her life for their children, but he just couldn’t bring himself to choke out the words.
Aria let out a long breath. “I love you, Lear, and I know you will protect our legacy. We do what we must.”
He kissed his wife tenderly. Lovingly. He let it last as long as he could, knowing this would be the last time he ever got to hold her in his arms.
They would not be around in the future to see the Legend become a reality.
Chapter 1
“That’s what Gerri said?”
Drew Ferguson held his nephew, Finn, one of the first Wolfairies to ever exist, in his arms while Finn’s father, Chaz, paced in their parents’ living room with his daughter, Ivy, in his hands.
“Three days? That’s all we have to figure out how to banish this spirit from Coral or my children will die? And Nico’s won’t even be born?” Chaz asked a little more calmly than Drew would have expected.
“When I called her back, she said not only do we have to separate this being from Coral, we have to make sure we bottle it, so it can find its soul. The place it belongs. She said that is as important as separating them.” Drew patted Finn’s back, smelling his rich fairy scent, which was a combination of a field of wild flowers and the salty ocean air. The wolf that said fairies smelled like horse manure must have had serious snout issues, because this little baby was the sweetest thing ever.
“A spirit is possessing Coral. That is just plain weird,” Chaz said.
“And the rest of this last year hasn’t been off-the-charts whacko?”
Chaz let out a slight chuckle, but his face quickly turned serious as he kissed is daughter’s chubby little cheek. “We have to believe that what Gerri say’s is fact, but I have my reservations.”
“As do I,” Drew said, glancing at Daphne, who stood near her husband. He felt horrible that this latest drama took away from what should be the happiest day of their lives.
“I’m going to take her upstairs,” Daphne said, taking the little girl from her husband’s arms. “You boys need some time. I’ll be down shortly for Finn.”
Chaz kissed his daughter again, closing his eyes for a moment before kissing his wife and then turning his attention back to Drew.
“I’m sorry to bring this on you.”
“It goes with being Alpha of our pack.” Chaz waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Cheryl is working with Brenda. They have found more information on the Royal family, specifically King Lear, who was the ruler when the Royal Fairies went into hiding, but they haven’t come across anything about a Royal having a demon or something inside them.” Chaz scratched the back of his head.
“Ralph, Coral and Isadore’s biological father, is of Royal descent, so is he King Lear?” Drew asked, though he knew the answer, but perhaps Ralph, the happy medical fairy doctor, was lying. Or maybe he didn’t know, just like Daphne and Isadore hadn’t known. Still really didn’t.
“He says he is not. He also says that everyone in that vase had something to do with protecting King Lear’s bloodline. That they were left behind, trying to survive, but wolves and witches started hunting them,” Chaz said.
“There is too much we don’t know,” Drew whispered. “Everyone in that vase is from a different time, and we still don’t who put them there,” Drew said, hugging Finn closer, as if to protect him from the madness of the world he’d been brought into. “Only that they believed they were being held captive, but instead put in there for protection.”
“We don’t even know if that is true, but I’m not sure the witch responsible isn’t as important as the spirit living inside Coral.”
“Can I ask you something slightly off track?” Drew asked as Finn blinked. Fairy dust floated in the air, coating Drew’s face. The baby smiled.
“Sorry about that. We’re working on teaching them to control certain things,” Chaz said.
“They’re newborns, you can’t teach them anything,” Drew mumbled. Finn shouldn’t even be smiling, much less this alert.
“You’d be surprised, and all that dust you’re wiping off your face means he likes you. Trusts you.”
“How do you know?” Drew asked. It had only been hours since the twins had been born, yet they seemed like the smartest little babies ever.
“He talks to us, as does his twin, Ivy,” Daphne said sweetly as she re-entered the family room. “I’m going to see if I can get him to sleep. Of course as soon as I do, his sister will be wide awake.”
“If she does wake up, bring her to me. You need your rest,” Chaz said in a firm, but loving tone. He’d managed to take on his role as King of the Fairies and as Alpha of the largest pack in North America in stride. A lot to manage while also becoming the father of a new being.
“I promise to lay down for a bit, but really, I’m feeling wonderful. It’s nice to have the healing powers of my sister,” Daphne said with a wide smile. “Isadore is one special woman.”
Daphne held the baby in her arms while kissing her husband before stepping out of the room.
“You two are perfect together,” Drew said. He wanted that seamless kind of love both his brothers had, but he worried he’d never find it.
Especially with his so-called fated mate. “Why don’t I feel this intense pull toward Coral like you did with Daphne or Nico with Isadore?”
“Might have to do with whatever spirit is inside her,” Chaz said, letting out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. “But that’s just a guess. With me and Daphne, it was her taking a stance at my side that started the process, kind of like Dad and Mom. With Nico, it was when Isadore put herself in danger to protect him. You and Coral haven’t had much time together.”
“I think she’s beautiful, and I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be with her, but I don’t feel protective of her like I do for your babies. I sort of feel detached, and everyone says Gerri is never wrong.”
“She’s not, so I have no doubt Coral is your fated mate, which is why we need you and her together, alone, while the rest of us continue our research on how to cast out this spirit. Hell, you might be the only one who can do that, but we won’t know until we lock the two of you up in a room alone,” Chaz said with his hands firmly planted on his hips.
“Oh. No. Coral and me totally alone is not a good idea. I swear she’s the moodiest chick I’ve ever met and we both know my experience with women in general is limited to a couple of girlfriends that didn’t last as long as the Super Bowl.”
“It’s a perfect idea.” Nico stepped into the family room, his new bride one stride behind. This was supposed to be his wedding night. The last thing he needed was to be bombarded by even more of the bizarre, but Drew honestly didn’t know what to do, and Coral’s father, Ralph, wasn’t much help.
Maybe Isadore, Coral’s sister, could help.
Talk about a badass female. While Daphne and her super fairy powers could do some real damage, Isadore was just one hell of a warrior, besides a wicked-ass fairy with some wild aptitudes of her own. Nico’s perfect match.
“It’s the only way to make sure this process continues.” Nico sat on the sofa, pulling his wife close.
“What process? Me and Coral mating, or casting out the spirit, because I’m not sure about either,” Drew said with a dollop of sarcasm.
“Both,” Isadore said. “You’re her fated, probably only you can reach deep down inside her soul and find her again, because the girl in the kitchen with Ralph isn’t the sister I grew up with, though I’m sort of starting to like her more than the insanely innocent little girl that wasn’t bothered by anything, especially things that should have.”
“How is she?” Drew sat on the chair across from the sofa, staring at Isadore. The last time he’d seen Coral had been while they waited for the twins to be born. She’d paced like a nervous dad in the waiting room. She jumped up and down for joy when Chaz brought the twins o
ut, skipping around the house like a nine-year-old playing hopscotch. Then, out of nowhere, she freaked out, went to her room, and slammed the door.
“Right now, she’s happily agitated,” Isadore said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Drew asked.
“She’s excited about what’s happening, but she’s confused, and her moods are like nothing I’ve ever seen with her,” Isadore said, letting out a long breath, her hand rolling over her growing, and fairy-dust producing, belly. “It all clicked with me pretty quickly, and when I first laid eyes on Daphne, we knew we were sisters. Maybe not traditional sisters, like me and Coral, but there is a deep connection, and Coral doesn’t seem to fit, yet we know she does.”
“Especially now that we know she’s Drew fated,” Chaz said.
“Did you feel like there was some kind of barrier between the two of you growing up?” Drew had to remind himself that Coral was only eighteen and while he was a mere twenty-three, she was young and hadn’t seen much of the world.
Though she’d seen some real ugliness when it came to her father.
Drew shuddered. That man should be castrated for what he’d done to Isadore and what he would have done to Coral had she not…not…played along…or had she really been that sweet and innocent?
Drew pinched the bridge of his nose. Whatever it was, something wasn’t quite right with Coral, and he was duty bound to do whatever his two older brothers deemed necessary.
Isadore shrugged. “We did have a shitty childhood, but I did my best to keep her shielded from as much of it as I could.” Nico practically yanked his wife in his lap as he kissed her cheek. Isadore had been abused by her father and willingly took more to make sure he never laid a hand on Coral.