by Terry Spear
She noticed some distance across the square that two more teams of wolves were competing in a tug-of-war contest.
One wolf howled, signaling the beginning of the contest.
The wolves began pulling, and she hoped no one lost any of their teeth over this. Though she’d seen dogs in tug-of-war contests with their pet owners or with each other, and they never did. She was surprised to see Gia climbing up to join her on top of the rock. Hopefully, she didn’t plan to try and push Letta off, though if she did, Gia would be a dead wolf.
“I’m sorry about what we did to you and to Simon,” Gia said.
Letta still didn’t believe she was sincere. More that she was hoping if she said so, Letta might return her brothers’ abilities to fae travel. Maybe, Gia thought if she and her brothers and Letta became friends, they would be out of the doghouse. But Gia had tried to kill her and her brothers had essentially tried the same thing with them, so Letta wasn’t forgiving them anytime soon.
Letta didn’t say anything, concentrating on watching her mate tug as hard as he could at the rope, to prove to the other packs that he and his pack had what it took to win.
“And I’m truly sorry about attacking you,” Gia said.
Again, Letta didn’t feel Gia was sincere about it. They wouldn’t have hatched the scheme to try again, if she’d felt in the least bit sorry for what she’d done after she’d attacked Letta the first time.
“Are you really?” Letta asked, glancing in Gia’s direction, not wanting to take her eyes off the competition, but the only way she could see Gia’s expression and know for sure was to listen to her heart beating and smell her anxious scent, and to see the way her brown eyes were darkened, to truly tell what she felt. Letta didn’t need a lie detector. Though the wolves and dragons could hear well, her scorpion fae could hear better than anyone. Which is why she could hear the faint beating of the two tiny babies that Ena was carrying or hear Gia’s heart beating fast despite all the yelling—wolves encouraging wolves to beat the other packs for both competitions that were going on.
Gia didn’t say anything, just waited to hear what Letta had to say about it, as if she knew she’d been found out and she had no way of proving otherwise.
“Suffice it to say, I have all kinds of abilities that no one knows about. Not even Simon or Myla. Just so you know.”
Gia’s jaw dropped, then she narrowed her eyes. She whipped around in a huff and headed down the rock as Letta saw Myla climbing up, looking worried. She cast Gia a dark look and passed her on the way up.
“Are you all right?” Myla asked. “I was worried when I saw her up here with you.”
“She was just apologizing for what she and her brothers pulled.”
“Do you believe her?”
“No. She just wants things to go back to the way they were before she and her brothers ended up in the doghouse.”
Myla frowned as she watched the competition down below. “Did you tell her you didn’t believe her?”
“Yes. No sense in trying to play nice with her after what she and her brothers pulled. It’s not fair to anyone else who has been welcoming to me and loyal to Simon.”
“True. I still think my brother was too lenient with their punishment, though I hadn’t expected our pack and others to ostracize them so. Even when Simon allowed them to participate in this game, many didn’t agree.”
“Except they want to win,” Letta guessed.
“Right.”
“Which proves a point. They can be useful to the pack. But we still don’t completely trust them. Still, if I die, they lose their fae ability to transport forever and I think that will keep them from trying that again.”
“They say that you were the one who told Ena she was having twins. Some have asked me how you knew that.”
“I have exceptional hearing.”
“So do we, and yet I couldn’t hear her babies’ heartbeats. Are you sure it isn’t something else?” Myla asked.
“No. I heard their heartbeats.”
“Well, then you have a new job, if you so choose to do it. I have to remember you’re a pack leader now too and you are in charge.”
Letta laughed. “You are always telling Simon what to do.”
“Yes, but he’s my brother.”
Letta smiled. “What is it that you’d like me to do?”
“A couple of our she-wolves hope they’re pregnant. If you could tell, they would be extremely grateful.”
Letta nodded. “Yes, I would be happy to do that job.”
“And help with the deliveries? If it is true that they are both pregnant, they will deliver about the same time. Our healer won’t be able to manage both.”
“I’m a healer too. So yes, you know I’ll help. I don’t plan to be a figurehead of some kind. I want to help the pack in whatever way that I can. I need to prove that Simon made the right choice in picking me for a mate, when that meant I am also a pack leader because of it.”
“Good. Everyone will be thrilled, our healer especially.”
Then Myla got quiet as they watched the wolves still pulling on the rope. One on the other team stumbled, and then another tripped over him as Simon and his team were able to finally pull the rope in their direction. Wolves on the other team were beginning to trip over wolves as the others didn’t move out of the way fast enough and the wolves that went down, lost their grip on the rope. It was a domino effect and soon after that, Simon and his team pulled the rope far enough onto their side to win the competition.
She and Myla cheered for their pack. She was glad they won, but she hoped they’d be good sports if they hadn’t. When the other packs finished their competition, she played soothing music to placate the losing wolves and it was amazing how well it worked. She’d been taught how to do this by her aunt, a talent that, had it been used in centuries past, might have saved their people from annihilation. From then on, every generation was to learn the gift of music that would soothe the soul. Someday, she would pass it along to her own children.
Simon joined his sister and Letta up on the rock. “I can’t believe how your kind could kill each other off, yet, you can use your music to smooth over things between losing teams.”
“It’s something that should have been used to stop the fighting, I agree, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t.”
Myla folded her arms as they watched the next packs compete in the tug-of-war competitions. “Gia was up here, trying to say she was sorry for what happened.”
Simon raised his brow at Letta. She wrapped her arm around his waist. “She will never convince me of it.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Then they saw a dark-haired man, about Simon’s age, head for the rock they were standing on.
“Do you know him?” Letta asked.
“No. He’s from one of the other packs. His pack won against the other in the tug-of-war competition.”
“He looks intent on some business with you,” Letta said.
“Do you want me to leave?” Myla asked.
Simon smiled at his sister. “No. You’re fine listening in on whatever the wolf has to say.”
19
When the man finally reached the top of the rock, he inclined his head with respect to Simon, Letta, and Myla. “I’m Barrow, and I understand Hannah was left in the human world, and just came into her abilities. I’m her brother.” The dark-haired man smiled.
Simon didn’t know the guy, except by sight at the games.
“You are not with the pack that claimed her already. Did you move to the new pack when you were older? The pack leader said nothing about her having a brother.”
“I didn’t know another pack had claimed her.”
Okay, so that meant one of two things, Simon thought. This guy was lying, or the pack leader was. Gut instinct told him the pack leader had been sincere.
“Oh, I see the difficulty. She is my half-sister, though I would refer to her only as my sister. Our father was one and the same, our mothers dif
ferent. Hannah’s mother took her to the human world. My father, suffice it to say, had found a new mate when he was on a trip. He was wrong in doing so and Hannah’s mother was ashamed and left her own pack.”
“And your dad can verify that he is Hannah’s father?”
“Of course. He’s not at the Gathering, but I’ll return and have him send word.”
“Since Hannah’s father abandoned her to be with your mother, Hannah belongs to her mother’s pack.” Though it would give Hannah a second option if she didn’t care for her mother’s pack and they didn’t like her either. Still, Simon thought it sounded odd that the wolf was laying claim to her so all of a sudden.
“You know she was a fae seer before this?” Letta asked.
Barrow turned his gaze on her. “I do. She couldn’t help what she was before she came into her powers. Not once she was abandoned by her mother.”
“She had human foster parents,” Letta said.
“Correct. She’s not responsible for her actions when she lived there.”
“It is good that you feel this way.” Simon was studying Letta, trying to determine what she was seeing in Barrow. She had her head tilted to the side a bit, her eyes narrowed, as if she didn’t believe the man. Likewise, Simon had reservations about him. But why claim Hannah for his own if she was nothing more than trouble.
“Have you had a lot of trouble with fae seers before? Have you lost pack members to them while visiting the human world?” Letta asked.
Barrow’s expression darkened. “Of course. I’m sure we all have. It’s a hazard of going to the human world and playing with fire.”
“True,” Simon said, but he suspected that Letta was getting at something else. Something darker.
“Why do you want to be her brother so bad? It seems to me that she’d feel some animosity for her father abandoning her and her own mother to want to have her live with your mother and you,” Letta said.
“To make it up to her, naturally. To show that what happened between her mother and my father had nothing to do with the way I would feel about her. She’s still my sister.”
Letta smiled, but the look was pure cynicism, as though she knew Barrow was lying. “All right, then how would your father feel about this? You have come here seeking to take her into your pack and your father doesn’t even know about it. Isn’t that so? Did he ever look back? Ever wonder what had become of his daughter? Ever search for her? If she’s happy with her mother’s pack, I don’t see why she would want to go to yours.”
“Because she would have living family there. Me, Dad.”
“And your mother?”
“She never had a daughter. She would welcome her.”
Myla was studying Barrow as much as Letta was. Simon didn’t think either Letta or his sister believed the wolf. “Unless Hannah says she wants to go home with you, she’s going with her mother’s pack leader. But we can discuss this with him and Hannah.” He glanced at Letta to see how she felt about it.
“I agree. Her mother’s pack has already stepped forward to take her in. And if we all talk and she decides she wants to go with you, we’ll want proof first that your father is indeed her father and is willing to take her in.”
“Why would I pretend some she-wolf I’ve never met is my own flesh-and-blood sister?” Barrow asked, sounding irritated.
That’s what Simon wanted to know. He suspected Letta believed the wolf intended to use Hannah for some purpose. In line with Letta’s questioning about fae seers, he thought she must think the wolf wanted Hannah to show him where her former fae seer friends were. And then what? Eliminate them? Maybe he thought she could show them how to get around to find more of the fae seers, but there was one problem with that. Even though they would have been her cohorts before, she was now one of the fae, showing off her fae aura, and they would know she wasn’t one of them. Simon was certain Barrow had no intention of trying to find the fae seers to make friends with them.
“Have you spoken to Hannah yet?” Simon asked.
“No. Since you have been caring for her, and now knowing the other pack leader claimed her, I needed to come to you first.”
“Good.” At least Barrow had done that right.
Another couple of packs won rounds on the tug-of-war contest and cheers went up all around.
“We have one more round of four packs facing off on this contest. After that, if you’re not participating in the next game, and Hannah’s leader isn’t, we’ll meet with her and Silas,” Simon said.
“Thank you.” Barrow inclined his head and climbed down from the rock.
They waited until he was out of earshot and Simon asked Letta, “You suspect he wants to use Hannah to search out her co-conspirator fae seers and terminate them.”
Letta nodded.
Myla frowned. “So he’s not related to her? He just lied?”
“It could be. I’d like to learn if Barrow’s father had another mate before Barrow can talk to him and convince him to say he’s Hannah’s father,” Simon said.
“Who would you send?” Myla asked.
“Gia.” Letta smiled. “She wants to prove she’s loyal and above reproach, she can go. She can still transport herself and she can question the father.”
“She’ll have to be coached as to what to ask,” Simon said.
Letta let out her breath. “I’ll need to go. I'll be able to tell if he’s lying or not. But I don’t know my way around the packs. Would Gia even?”
“One of our brothers can go with you,” Myla said. “I know Simon doesn’t want to let you out of his sight for a second, but if you go, Killington can protect you. Maybe Valoran too. Simon has to stay for the Gathering as host pack leader.”
“She’s my pack leader mate. She needs to stay here too,” Simon said.
“Well, if you really want to learn the truth, she needs to go,” Myla said. “And before Barrow can send someone back to set up the ruse. Even while we’re here arguing about it, he could be doing so.”
“Don’t your brothers need to be in the tug-of-war competition?” Letta asked.
Simon agreed with his mate. “Letta’s right.”
Myla folded her arms across her chest. “Someone else who isn’t in the competition then.”
“My strongest men are.” Simon knew his sister worried about Letta, but she didn't have to go right now.
“Not your strongest then. Maybe Myla and her friend Crystal,” Letta said.
Simon opened his mouth to object, but Letta kissed him, overriding his objection. “I have my magic too. Myla, do you want to go?”
“Yes. Crystal isn’t flying in the winged wolf competitions until much later. We can see if she’ll go with us. In the meantime, Simon can help us win the tug-of-war competition and set up a meeting with the pack leader, Silas, Barrow, and Hannah. We’ll return as quickly as we can.” Myla and Letta waited for Simon to agree.
He knew now that Myla wasn’t going to step down from telling him how to run his pack, though he didn’t mind. She often had great suggestions. He hugged Letta. “Go, but return as quickly as you can.”
“We will.”
Myla gave him a hug too and then she and Letta climbed down the rock. If it hadn’t contained iron ore, they could have just transported themselves from there.
They quickly searched for Crystal and found her giving a pep talk to some of her friends.
“We need your help,” Myla told Crystal, taking hold of her hand. “Now.”
“You and Letta?” Crystal said.
“Yes, to uncover a mystery.”
“I’m all for it. Let’s go.”
Letta really liked the winged wolf. She was full of adventure, no questions asked.
When the three of them transported and finally arrived at Barrow's wolf pack, they were met with wariness at first, but seeing they were three she-wolves with no male escort, some of the bachelor males appeared to be interested.
“We’re looking for Barrow’s father,” Letta said. “I’m Simon
’s pack mate. This is his sister, Myla.” Though she suspected they knew who she was since she knew how to find her way here. “And Crystal.”
“Myla, Crystal,” a man greeted them. “I’ve never heard of you before.”
“She’s new to the pack,” Myla said. “Is Barrow’s father around?”
“He just came back from a hunt. His cottage is on the other side of the village in that direction. What did you need to see him about? Nothing’s the matter with Barrow, is it? Durbin would be beside himself to hear it.”
“No, not at all. He’s doing well in the tug-of-war competition. I imagine he’ll be in competition against my mate later this afternoon,” Letta said.
The man’s face brightened. “Good to hear of it. I’ll spread the word.”
Letta smiled at him, and then she and the other ladies hurried off to find Barrow’s father.
“What’s this all about?” Crystal whispered.
“To learn if Durbin is truly Hannah’s father, or Barrow lied about it,” Letta whispered back.
Crystal frowned. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting a wolf like that in their pack. I heard another pack claimed her.”
Letta agreed wholeheartedly and she figured that once Hannah lived with anyone, they would learn the truth about her. Unless by some miracle she changed.
They saw a man out chopping wood and Letta was going to ask him if they could send them in the direction of Durbin’s cottage, but when he saw them coming and straightened, he looked so much like Barrow, she figured he had to be his father.
“Are you Durbin?” Letta asked.
“Yeah,” the man said, looking and sounding growly.
Letta smiled. “Hi! I understand that you had a daughter by a former wolf mate.” She realized she should have waited until he set the axe down. Then again, it looked as though he had no intention of doing so because he had a job to finish.
“Where did you hear that?”
The problem was if she said his son, the dad might realize he needed to back him up. Otherwise, he might not want to admit he was a wolf who had abandoned his wolf mate.