by Barb Shuler
I was pulled from my worries when I heard growling. I brought my head up to see Natalia seconds away from losing herself to her animal. What the? I moved from my father to her. She was on the ground beside Joshua’s wolf. Ramport leaned over him. He too was bloody. I moved to kneel beside her.
“What happened?” I asked softly.
“We were not fast enough.”
The voice came from above me. I looked to see the old Fae woman, Kelanie, standing there, her hand on Demetrius’s arm. He too looked like crap. I shook my head and rested a hand on Joshua’s head.
“What can we do?” I asked.
“You can help heal him.” Jasmine moved to kneel across from me. She gave Natalia a side glance. “I will not harm your mate, please, trust me.”
“Help him, please.”
Natalia’s words were soft and pain filled. She moved to lay her hand over his paw. He whined, his body jerking.
“Love, you best hurry. That’s Reaper blood moving through him.”
“I’m aware of that, Tiberius,” Jasmine glowered at him. He nodded and stepped back.
“How do I help?” I asked her.
“Rest your other hand on him. You need to take in a calming breath and push it out. Listen to the hum of your magic. It will begin to call to you. Push the healing powers towards him.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. I did as she instructed and listened to the magic inside me. I felt a warmth grow inside me and I knew what to do. It was as if an on switch had been flipped. My palms tingle where they met Joshua’s body.
When he took in a shaky breath and shifted back to his human self I pulled my hands away slowly. Jasmine did the same. She slowly stood and took a step back from him.
“Get off of me, woman, I am fine.”
Heads turned towards Marissa who was tugging at Demetrius’s shirt. He was trying to grab her hands before she could get it open. When he lost the battle he stood there his shirt open revealing four large, gnarly looking gashes along his side.
“They’ll heal,” he groused.
“Did reapers cause those?” It was Micha who spoke this time.
“Aye. Nasty fuckers,” Demetrius said, nodding.
“Then you will need a healer as well. They will not heal themselves. Reaper blood is toxic to all. Each species is affected differently. If they are are not healed, you will die.” The man’s gaze locked on Demetrius.
“Fine,” he growled.
“I can do it,” Jasmine said as she moved to go to him.
“Wait, Jazzy. I assume you all have cuts from the Reapers?” Micha asked, his hand pointing from man to man.
Their faces said it all.
“I do not, but I am covered in the assholes blood.”
I looked at my daddy and sighed. Well, there was that.
“You will need help, daughter mine. They will all need healing.”
“I can call to Mama?” Jasmine asked, uncertainty lacing her voice.
“No, she is looking after Haven. Leave her be.”
“Pyper can help,” I said, softly. I wasn’t sure how anyone would react to me offering up the little one to help.
Talia scowled but after a moment of thought, nodded.
“Are you sure?” someone asked. I waved my hand in a way that brushed off their concern but Marissa answered before I could say anything.
“She healed Talia and I after a reaper - monster - attack and saved our babies so… I’d say she can help.”
“Taya!” I heard the little bear calling for Natalia before I saw her being carried over by the same woman that had taken her before. Her little arms were out and waving.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Natalia said, her voice shaking as she stood from Joshua’s side to take her into her arms. The little bear was crying and wrapped herself around Natalia. “It’s okay, baby girl.”
“Can you help us fix some boo boos?” Marissa asked her as she too moved to kiss the little girls head.
“I can heps!” She sat up and wiped at her reddened, tear streamed face on her sleeve. “Jossy hurds?” she asked pointing down at Joshua.
“He’s getting better. Can you help Dem Dem, your grandpa, uncle Bart and Uncle Alex?” Natalia asked her. She shook her head ‘yes’.
“You,” Kelanie said pointing at me, “your gift will amplify anyones you touch to a degree. Hold the little one and together you can heal them all without draining yourselves.”
With a nod I took Pyper and kissed her cheek. I moved over to the men. Daddy gave me a smile while he held Uncle Alexander up. He and Uncle Trenton were starting to wobble on their feet. In what felt like seconds the men were standing tall, wounds closed and Pyper was wiggling to get down. I sat her on her feet and watched her run back to where Joshua lay. Talia was once again at his side. Pyper sat in her lap and reached a hand out to touch his arm.
Marissa and I moved closer to her, kneeling down to watch Pyper’s hand start to glow. I laid my hand on her back and smiled as Joshua took in a deep breath.
“Finally!” Sheri muttered. Her attention then went to the others. “Not that I am not elated to see you all, but why is it you are back now? We thought you were across the veil?”
“We were. There was an ambush across the veil. The Reapers and a few others were waiting on us. We fought them as best as we could. We did get some help from others on that side and, thanks to the Fae, we got out relatively in one piece,” Uncle Trenton said with a hiss.
“Yeah, I’ll add that to your tab,” Kelanie huffed out her words and looked to Jasmine and then Micha. “This isn’t over. We need to find out how they knew you were going to be there. I dislike all of this. The Fates are asking a lot if you ask me.”
“We know…” I said, standing.
All eyes turned to me. Marissa and Talia reached for a hand and I squeezed their hands in mine.
“It was a trap. The man called Raynon did it.”
“WHAT?” Kelanie’s voice boomed across the clearing. A few of the wolves in their beast forms whined as her power washed over us all.
“The fucker said as much. He set the trap. They were to kill you all while that sniveling asswipe came for us. You were being slaughtered and yet he is the one that died,” Marissa growled out each word.
Voices rang out around us. Our father’s were losing their minds right now. Not to mention the reaction Demetrius had. Joshua was still sort of out of it but he was growling. The louder they got the more my head started to pound. I shook my head. I took a step back from everyone and right into Sebastian. His hands rested on my shoulders and I instantly felt the warmth of his love and concern run through me. I let out a shaky breath.
“This is ridiculous! YOU!” Kelanie said pointing a boney finger at the man standing to the side, away from the snarling wolves. “Speak. Do not lie to me or I will send you to Raphael in an envelope.”
The man called Luchien stepped towards her, his sword pointing to the ground. He glanced at the ashes, the only remains of Raynon and shook his head.
“I had no idea. No one did. Raphael would have set him to fire himself if he had known. I pledge to you, Kelanie, High Fae that I, Luchien, warrior to the Archangel, am loyal to the side of good and would never betray that.”
Kelanie moved to him and rested a hand on his head. He had bowed forward and with a nod she stepped back.
“He speaks the truth.”
“What are we to do now?” It was Micha who spoke this time.
“We need to find out why an angel is working on the side of a corrupt vampire.”
“We also need to know why the vampire wants three guardians. There has to be a reason, as with anything else in this world. It’s all for gain of some kind.”
Jasmine’s words had us all looking her way.
“Guardians?” I asked. My head tilted to the side.
With that being said the men around us all went on edge. I could feel it from Sebastian as his hands were now holding my shoulders tighter. I looked between everyone and sto
pped when my gaze landed on my father. Neither of us spoke a word, but it was then that I saw his irises change to his bears.
Bartholomew
“I was afraid of this happening,” I growled out. Why now? Why, after everything else, did this have to happen now? I felt my bear pushing forward as my anger grew. We needed to protect our cub.
“What In the hell does that mean, brother?” Alexander growled, turning towards me. I scrubbed a hand along my jaw and started to pace.
“Bart!” Trenton called out. I ignored him as I let the thoughts run through my mind. What was it that Roslyn had told me? I tried to remember that day. The day she left us.
“One day, they’ll be faced with a great challenge. Our three daughters, they’re the beginning of something new. The Fates have put their hands in the water and now, these precious girls are going to be thrust into a world of chaos. The problem is, I can’t see where or how it starts. Bart, my love, you have to keep our precious baby safe.”
“Roslyn, please relax. Each night that you dream you wake up and say the same thing. We will be here to protect our sweet girl. We’ve hidden ourselves well. Do not fret.”
I’d moved to her and placed a kiss to her lips. My hands gripping her hips. I could see the pain and worry in her beautiful golden irises.
“Bart, the time is drawing near. Please. I beg of you, listen to me. They’ll be challenged. You and your brothers- you’ll all be in danger. You hide away from the ones that could do you harm now, but that will not last. They’ll come for their blood and power.”
“We will not let them get our girls, Roslyn. The night we left that life, we all made a promise. We would do whatever it took to protect our daughters. It will be done. I promise my love, they will not harm our cub.”
“I shall hold you to that promise.”
Her last words to me rattled around as I continued to pace. She was still with us, in a way, though no one knew the secrets that held her to me. My sweet Roslyn. I was slowly losing control of my bear. I could feel him clawing his way through me. Angels were trying to kill us. This had gone too far.
Pain ripped through me as my bear took control. I shifted from a man to my beast. The ground shook as I landed on all four paws. My head fell back and a roar left me.
It was time to end this and save my daughter from a fate worse than her mother’s.
7
Sonny
My eyes widened when Daddy went from two legs to four. I took a step forward only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder. There was no need to look back, I knew it was Sebastian. I reached up and patted his hand.
“It’s fine. I’m the last person he would ever hurt.”
I moved slowly across the open area towards my father. I ran my hand along his right shoulder, only stopping when he turned his big head towards me. I could feel his pain. I closed my eyes and opened myself up to him. My mother's sweet face filled his mind, and mine.
He moved closer and nuzzled me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him to me.
“I miss her, too,” I whispered as tears started to slowly fall down my cheeks. I buried my face further into his fur. The warmth grew inside me, pushing its way into my father. He relaxed more and more with each passing minute.
I felt him nudge me back and I moved to look him over. He shook out his fur, and within the blink of an eye he was back on two legs. He pulled me in and placed a kiss to my forehead.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said softly.
“Bart, what are you not telling us?” Uncle Alexander growled.
“This was prophesied.”
“We are aware of that, brother. That is not what we were asking about. What are you not telling us?” Uncle Trenton’s eyes were shimmering between their normal hue and the black of his vampire.
I let out a shaky breath.
“The meeting of the three, the trouble that their births caused, that was just the tip of the iceberg. I should have seen it all earlier. The trap, we barely managed to escape it. If we had not, the girls would be lost. It’s about us as much as it is them.” Father started to pace again. His voice boomed out across the land before us.
“Daddy?” I questioned.
“It’s alright, my child.” He stopped his pacing, his head coming up to look behind me. “Sebastian.”
“Yes, Alpha?” He said, his head dropping slightly, his gaze not able to meet my father’s.
“Gather the others, we are going hunting.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Bart! Dammit! If you don’t start talking, I am going to skin your furry ass!” Uncle Alexander snarled.
“I know of someone who can give us the answers you seek. Just trust me, brother mine. Let me do this. Sonny, you are to stay with your uncles and cousins. The pack will keep you safe.” Father looked to Ramport, who was standing beside my uncles.
Ramport gave a slight nod of his head. “On my life, I swear to you, she will be safe.”
Father’s gaze swung back to me. “We will not be gone long. Please, do not fret.”
“Unless he thinks you are not real and kills you on the spot.”
We all turned to see both Kelanie and the other Fae standing, arms crossed, grave looks on their faces.
“He will not kill me, he is my father.”
“That may be true, but he is not of the same mind as when you last saw him. The curse has woven itself through him. He is but a shell of the man he once was.”
“We are going - unless you would like to offer some assistance?”
“If he kills you I will get a bear skinned rug out of it so, I guess I can help.”
Kelanie stepped back slightly and brought a hand up. With the snap of her fingers a ripple appeared in the space before her.
“Hurry, we will be detected quickly as it is.”
Without a word she and my father moved to enter the ripple. Sebastian and the warriors we had brought with us, save the two assigned to my protection, went after them. I sighed as I ran a hand along the side of my belly. An arm went around me and I leaned into Marissa. Natalia and Pyper moved to join us and we stood there, watching the space where my father and his warriors disappeared.
“Come on, enough moping. They will return. You four need something to eat,” Sheri said, trying to usher us to the fire pit.
“I’m not hungry,” Marissa said, softly.
“Well, come sit anyway.”
An hour later my belly was full, and I seriously felt like I was going to burst open. I should have stopped a long time ago but, good god, that was freaking fantastic stew. A small groan escapes me when I shift in my spot. The wave of nausea hit me again but I was not going to let my stomach win. I needed that food, and it was staying put.
“You look like you’re going to hurl,” one of the wolves said.
I waved him off and chuckled in order to cover up the icky feeling that was taking over. It was not the best time for this.
“I might be. But it’s worth it. I don’t think I’ve ever had rabbit stew, or anything else for that matter, that delicious before,” I said this as I leaned in closer to the group beside us. “Don’t tell Daddy I said that though. Matter of fact, don’t tell Sebastian, either. He is better than Daddy, though… Dang, poor Daddy, it would break his heart if he knew this.”
“Well, your secret’s safe with me,” Sheri said handing me a cup with what looked like water in it. She pointed down at the cup. “Drink, it will settle your tummy.”
“Daddy tries to cook,” Marissa said, loudly, making sure uncle Alex heard her. “However, he tries new things sometimes that even the dog won’t eat.” She made a disgusted face which sent a few of us into a fit of laughter.
“You never complained before,” Uncle Alex called out.
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I hate seeing a grown man cry,” Marissa shot back.
I snorted.
“Ouch,” someone said.
This caused us all to laugh more.
“I hav
e one for you,” Natalia said, her gaze flicking to Joshua. “Someone once tried to make a carrot cake. Mind you, he does not share his mother’s cooking skills. It looked like tree bark. But, it tasted good… and I guess it was good for you, if you didn’t mind almost breaking your teeth trying to eat it that is.”
A growl rumbled from him. She gave him a playful wink.
“Don’t feel bad, pup, Dem almost burned the kitchen down trying to make eggs once…”
“Aye, that was your fault! Or do I need to remind you of that day?”
“It’s not my fault you have stalker issues. No one told you to come out and bother me in the yard while the stove was on.”
“I was checking on you. When you’re quiet… bad things happen.”
“You’re crazy, man. I was fine. I was out there minding my own business-”
“Which means she was up to no good,” Uncle Alex chimed in.
“You people are just neurotic,” Marissa grouched.
“Like the time she got tangled up in the hammock that she put in the woods.”
“I needed some quiet time. You were making me nuts.”
“Right!” his gaze went out across the group before Uncle Alex continued, “It took me five minutes of popping strings and cutting through braided rope to get her free. She had decided to stand in the thing. She was so wrapped up, she looked like a burrito.” Uncle Alexander laughed, his head falling back slightly. With everything happening, it’s what we all needed.
Mother used to say a laugh a day kept the darkness away. I get that now. I see it in all of us.
“Yuck it up, old man,” Marissa huffed. I leaned over and hugged her to me, grinning.
“We all have stories. It’s life.”
“Aye, ya do, but this lass has some that’ll make your teeth rattle. I’m surprised she’s not in a body cast most of the time. For a vampire, she’s clumsy as a newborn babe. She trips over air.”
Marissa punched Demetrius in the arm, garnering a groan and curse from him. She sat there smugly, glaring daggers at him.