Brandi would be a great mom when they finally had a pup, he mused. She’d become the next thing to a walking, talking, baby book over the past year. Chuckling to himself he headed upstairs, following her scent.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a soft sound and tensed. It was Brandi and she was crying. He quickened his step. She wasn’t in the baby room as he suspected but in the washroom next door. He tapped on the door.
“You okay, Babe?”
There was a pause and then she replied. “I’m fine. I’ll just be a minute.”
She didn’t sound fine. Her voice was wobbly. He tried the handle, found it unlocked and peeked inside. Her back was turned to him, her shoulders hunched.
“Babe?” He stepped inside.
“I said I was fine.” Her tone was sharp.
“You don’t sound fine.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?” Her nose was pink, tear stains on her cheeks, a tissue crumpled in her hands. “Are you feeling sick?”
“No. I…” She took a deep breath. “I was looking at the baby’s room. It’s so cute.” Her chin started to quiver.
“I don’t understand. A baby room is supposed to be cute, isn’t it?”
“I…I’m not pregnant.” She began to sob, pressing her face against his chest.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He drew her close.
“I thought I was this time. I was late and…”
“I know.”
“But just now…” Her hands clenched on his shirt and she cried even harder. “I came in here and I’m not.”
He hugged her tighter, closing his eyes. The knowledge she wasn’t pregnant was a blow. They’d both pinned their hopes on this time. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I wanted this baby so much.”
“Me, too.” His eyes stung and he blinked burying the hurt. He needed to be strong for his mate.
“I’m sorry, Reno. I…I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“Yes, there is. Sam’s pregnant and she wasn’t even trying.”
He fumbled for what to say. Ever since they’d decided to start a family, he’d envisioned Brandi growing big with his pup, had seen himself cradling a baby to his shoulder, imagined them with their arms joined staring down at the sleeping child they’d created together. “Every couple is different.”
“But we’ve been trying for ages. I know you want a pup and I keep failing you.”
“You are not failing me!”
“Yes, I am. I’m the one not conceiving.”
He pushed her away and cupped her tear-stained cheeks. “You listen here, Brandi Johannson-Smith. You are not failing me. We don’t know why we’re not getting pregnant. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s not the right time. Lots of things could be going on.”
She stared up at him, her lashes spikey, tears dripping down her face. “I feel so awful, so empty… I know how much you want a baby.”
That was the hard part about a blood-bond. The joy of the good times was magnified through shared emotions but the sorrow was also intensified.
He kissed her gently, his thumbs wiping the tears away. “And I know how much you want one.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’ll talk to the doctors at Lycan Link—“
“Fertility treatments don’t usually work on Lycans.” Her chin quivered again.
“Maybe we’ll be the exception. And there are other options. We can adopt.”
“There aren’t many orphan Lycan pups out there. Other families in the pack take them in; you know that.”
“But we can check. And we’ll keep trying. That won’t be a hardship, will it?” He gave her a crooked grin and she rewarded his efforts with a watery smile.
“No. It won’t be a hardship.” She took a deep breath and then gave a shaky laugh. “Look at me, I’m a mess and I’ve cried all over your shirt.” She wiped at the wrinkled material.
“I’ll say I spilled something on myself if anyone notices. And you could never look a mess.” He stroked her curls away from her face. “You’re my beautiful, amazing mate and I love you more than anything.”
Dante stared at the caterer. “Roxi, what are you doing here?”
“I’m working.”
“I hired a caterer, not a cleaning service.”
“This is my new part-time job. The witch who runs the cleaning service is a cousin of the guy who runs this catering place. He hired me to help with the serving.” She grinned. “It’s a great way to pick up bits of information and gossip, too.”
“You’d better not pick up any information here if you know what’s good for you.”
“Sure thing, Dante. I can keep my mouth shut but…” Her voice trailed off and she looked at him expectantly.
He folded his arms. “Let me guess, you need the money.”
“Got it in one.”
He stared at her for a moment, lips compressed then took some money out of his pocket. “Here. But not a single word about this ceremony better reach the streets.”
“If it does it won’t have come from me. My lips are sealed.” She counted the money, then peeled a few bills off and handed them back to him. “Here. This is your wedding present.”
Thanks.” He stuffed the bills back in his pocket. “Can I ask what you’re doing with all this money you’re collecting?”
“Food, bills; you’ve heard of those, right? Plus, my roommate, Lulu, is thinking of heading back home to Canada. I might go with her and travelling’s not cheap. Or if I don’t, I’ll need to cover the rent myself until I find a new roomie.” Roxi narrowed her eyes and then pointed across the room. “Who’s that?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “That’s Matt. He’s a bouncer at Club Mystique.”
“Yum. Do you know if he’s attached?”
“Er…I don’t think so.” Dante gave Roxi a considering look. “Remember, you’re here to work not find your next roommate.”
“Nothing wrong with multi-tasking, is there?” She grinned and cracked her gum.
Gwyn stood beside Dante. Their wrists were now tied with the leather rope that signified their life-long bond and now all that remained was to drink the ceremonial wine Camille had provided.
With a nod to the Magissa, she took a sip from the crystal goblet and then passed it to Dante, who did the same.
“Inferior vintage,” he whispered to her as he set the vessel down.
Camille scowled and Gwyneth gave him a nudge.
“Behave or we’ll be turned into toads,” she hissed at him.
“As long as I’m a toad with you, I’ll be happy.”
She snorted which earned them another scowl from Camille who had been reciting an ancient blessing.
Gwyn took a deep breath and tried to focus. The ceremony was almost over. For some reason she felt giddy, an emotion she was entirely unfamiliar with. Colours seemed brighter, she had the absurd need to smile at everyone and was fighting the desire to skip down the aisle as they stood to leave. She wondered if Dante felt the same way. Perhaps Camille had laced the ceremonial wine with some obscure spell.
She slid a glance at Dante. He wore a crooked grin and his eyes were twinkling just as they always were. Okay, maybe it was just her.
They stood and exchanged a chaste kiss and then everyone was clapping as they walked down the short aisle. The sun was shining illuminating the path they walked along and she had a sudden flashback to a vision she’d had just after meeting Dante. There’d been a bright path through a forest and she’d been afraid to follow it. Now she was eager to step into the light and see where it led.
Apparently, this particular path led to the laundry room near the back door for that was where Dante took her, their bound wrists giving her no option but to follow.
He closed the door and leaned against it, pulling her close for a kiss.
“What is this all about?” She pulled back and looked him in
the eye.
He grinned at her. “Once a Lycan couple is bound together, they usually leave the ceremony to mate and don’t return until the next day. I thought this could be a compromise.”
She glanced about the small room, noting the appliances, a shelf with various bottles of cleaning detergent, a hamper of dirty clothes and an ironing board. “We are not having sex on the washing machine.”
“No? I’ve heard if it’s running, it can add a certain something to the experience. And I’m sure Sam won’t mind as long as we throw a load of laundry in at the same time.”
His comment didn’t deserve a response so she gave him a pointed look instead.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist teasing.” He laughed. “The compromise is a chaste kiss and then we’ll cut the leather tie before returning to the celebration.”
“Cut the tie?”
He nodded. “It shows that only death can ever separate us now. Untying it is considered bad lack, indicating the bond isn’t strong enough.”
“Oh. Okay. Except,” she looked up at him through her lashes. “A chaste kiss sounds a bit boring.”
“So not a chaste kiss but no washing machine sex. Hmm. I’m sure we can find a middle ground.”
Sometime later, their wrists unbound and feeling thoroughly kissed, she allowed Dante to lead her back to the party. The guests milled around them, offering congratulations and spontaneous toasts. She accepted hugs and kisses and comments on her dress feeling she was caught in a whirlwind of activity.
“You look lovely, Gwyn.” Matt smiled down at her.
“Thank you, Matt. I’m glad you came.”
His smile faded and he studied her carefully, his hands holding hers. When he spoke, his voice had that too-serious tone she’d often chided him about. “Are you happy?”
For some reason his words made her throat feel tight and her eyes prick with tears. He really was a dear friend. “Yes, I’m happy, Matt.”
“Good. I worried about you.”
“I know.”
He reached up and brushed a curl from her cheek. “If you ever need anything, you give me a call.”
“Thanks. I’ll be fine, though.”
He nodded and she gave him a hug. Over his shoulder, she saw Dante watching, eyes narrowed. A few minutes later, Dante was introducing Matt to one of the caterers. There was a devious look in his eye and she made a mental note to inquire about the incident.
Camille appeared beside her and gave her a sweeping glance. “You look presentable enough, Gwyneth.”
“Thank you.” She held back the urge to make a rude comment.
“When you return from your honeymoon I’ll have several assignments for you. I fear we’ll be working closely together for some time.”
“Closely together?”
“Yes, I’m reorganizing the Coven and will need your input. Given recent events I’ve come to the conclusion that many of the members are much too content to rest on their laurels. If everyone had been more diligent, recent unfortunate events might very well have been avoided.”
Before she could formulate a response, Camille walked away.
Oh great, working closely with Camille. How exciting a prospect was that? Maybe she’d be able to convince Dante to extend their honeymoon indefinitely.
Someone announced dinner was served and she allowed Dante to lead her to her seat. Several toasts were made and each time she sipped the wine Dante had selected with enjoyment. He’d been correct; the wine Camille had used was an inferior vintage.
Eventually, it was time for her and Dante to leave. They were taking a vacation, heading back to the UK to explore their shared history. As they gathered outside the pack house by the car Dante had rented, she bid goodbye to Sam, thanking her for presiding over the ceremony. Dante, she noticed, was talking to Damien. Damien’s face was stiff but at least he nodded at whatever Dante was saying and extended his hand for a shake. At the last minute, Dante pulled him in for a quick hug and then quickly turned away, his face a study of mixed emotions.
However, by the time he was at her side, helping her into the car, he was smiling again. “Ready to leave?”
“Yes, I can’t wait to get out of this dress.”
He tucked her skirt into the car. “You’ll have to wait a bit,” he whispered in her ear. “I intend to remove it very, very slowly.” He shut the car door and hurried around to the driver’s side.
“I thought you said you couldn’t wait to see me naked, wearing only the opal.”
“Hmm…” He frowned. “I suppose I’ll have to be patient then.”
“But I am not a patient person.”
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“You’d better.” She smiled and then winked. “It never pays to deceive a witch.”
~ FIN ~
VEIL OF LIES
Nicky Charles
PUBLISHED BY:
Nicky Charles on Smashwords
Veil of Lies
Copyright ©2020, 2018 by Nicky Charles
Smashwords Revised Edition
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced or used in any form whatsoever without permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author. Your support and respect are appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The mention of characters that originally appeared in Jan Gordon’s “Life in The Shadows” are used with permission and are copyrighted to her.
Please note Canadian grammar is used, hence you might notice some punctuation and spelling variations.
Edited by Jan Gordon
Proofread by Moody Edits
Cover Design by Jazer Designs
Cover images used under licence from Shutterstock.com
Paw print and wolf logo Copyright © Doron Goldstein, Designer
ISBN: 9780463042670
Dedication
To my beloved C and J: When you came into my life, I didn’t want you, didn’t know how much I needed you. But you persisted and worked your way into my heart, bringing joy and laughter and warmth. I’ve come to believe that you were sent for a purpose, enriching my life and making me a better person. You showed me light when life was dark, listened without judgement, forgave without malice and loved unconditionally. Our time together might be drawing to a close but you will live on in my heart forever.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to give a special shout-out to Elizabeth Orfanidis for her help with regards to the use of Québecois French within this book. It was through discussions with her that I gained a better understanding of the differences between the French spoken in France and Québec, especially with regards to cursing! I greatly appreciate the time she took to read the draft of the story and to provide suggestions on ways to make Armand’s character more authentic.
Also, I can’t neglect to mention my lovely Beta readers: Norma, Carmen, Suzi, Lorna, Kalia, Nydia, Melonie, Leila and Susan. They gave the story a ‘test drive’ to alleviate my doubts as to whether or not the story worked, and showed me a few plot points that needed tightening! Their input was invaluable.
Thank you, ladies!
Foreword
Many years ago, when I wrote The Keeping, Armand, the owner of the Broken Antler, appeared in my imagination. He was a simple secondary character, meant to round out the population of Stump River and perhaps provide a bit of humour. I had no plans to use him in another story and the fact he looked like a bear was not intended to mean he was a bear-shifter, or at least it wasn’t until the end of the book when Ryne revealed Armand’s true identity to me!
It was an interesting turn of events, but I tucked it away in the back of my mind, stil
l not intending to include him in future stories. Oh, how naïve I was!
Readers, to my surprise, had become attached to him and upset with me (rather than the villain, Aldrich) for ruining his happy ending. The emails began to arrive, private messages were sent, comments were left on Facebook… I began to realize I had underestimated the impact of the character.
Still, I couldn’t write about him if I didn’t have a story in mind. I mulled over various ideas, but none seemed right and those that had potential required certain other events to occur first. Plus, there were characters who were very demanding about getting their stories told and jumped to the front of the figurative line. Armand, thankfully, was very patient and let me attend to the others, but he never quite stopped hinting he’d like his turn.
Well, finally his time has come, and Armand is getting his HEA. I hope you like it because it was a ‘bearish’ story to write, if you’ll pardon the pun! (It might be a while before Jan forgives me for all the rewrites that were required!)
P.S. This story takes place in a timeline parallel to For the Good of All and Deceit can be Deadly. Keep this in mind while reading!
A word of caution…
Or perhaps a plea?
There’s a certain character that you will meet in this story who might surprise you. I will call him/her ‘the character who must NOT be mentioned’. As a courtesy to other readers, please don’t spoil the surprise by using the name in reviews or posts on social media. Try to use general terms such as ‘he/she’ or ‘a certain person’.
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