by Daye, Elissa
“And your good mother?”
“Died a few days after my birth, I’m afraid.” His questions were starting to make her uncomfortable.
“Pray indulge me. What was her name?”
“Andraya.” Malinda did not miss the flash of pain that entered his eyes when the name left her mouth. He stumbled a little before her and she caught his hand in hers. “I’m sorry my lord, are you all right?” The men helped him to a chair to his left and Malinda looked on in concern.
“Dear child, I thought I had seen a ghost when you walked in the room. You are the spitting image of your dear departed mother, yet your eyes are nothing like hers.”
Malinda looked down at the older man; his green eyes were wet with moisture that seemed so out of character for a man. She turned her head and looked closer at his face. She suddenly understood why the man had quite a shock. “Are you…did you…I mean to say, were you involved with my mother?”
“Yes. I do believe that you might, in fact, be the product of such involvement.”
Malinda’s face flushed hotly. She had always wondered what had happened to her father, but could not seem to formulate words for what she was feeling. Instead, she turned and walked swiftly from the room, before her emotions got the better of her. Malinda did not hear Grant’s footsteps behind her as she exited the manor. When Malinda left the building, she bolted as fast as her legs would carry her and made it to the apple orchard before falling to her knees. Tears of rage and remorse shook her to the core. When Grant’s hands pulled her into a calming embrace, she put her head on his shoulders and wept until no more tears would fall. Only shallow sobs remained to echo into the silence around them.
“Shhh. It’s okay.”
“I never knew who it was, Grant. She lost all the power to live the moment he left. If it weren’t for my grandparents she would have died long before I was born. Cursed blood of Lena; she should have been stronger, much stronger. Love makes you weak.”
“Love does have that effect on people.”
Malinda backed away from him, hoping above all else that he was not about to make some confession of love to her. She enjoyed being his wife, learning about the world around her, and exploring her sexuality with him, but she refused to fall into love’s trap. She would not. Not now, not ever.
“I had much the same problem with my first wife, Malinda. She made me fall in love so easily with her that I overlooked the darkness that festered within her. I have promised myself I will never love anyone like that again.”
While she should have been ecstatic at his words they seemed to clamp frozen chains to her heart, and her head swarmed in confusion. She warded away her thoughts and looked into his eyes. “We are on the same page then.”
They sat in silence for a few moments before Malinda spoke again. “Grant?”
“Yes, Malinda?”
“Why are you fighting against the Lair?”
Grant let out a deep breath of air at her question. “It’s a long story.”
“I need to know, Grant.”
“Yes, I suppose you do need to know. Do you know anything of the Lair?”
“Yes. Werewolves that rape, pillage, and plunder anything in their paths as long as it will further their power. My grandfather made sure I was well-informed of the dangers lurking out there. We were fortunate that they never reached the hills of Tinley Faire.”
“If you know these things, than understanding why we fight against them is not something you should question.”
Malinda knew he was trying to expertly dart the question, but she was not about to let that happen. “Tell me about Maria, Grant.” It could have been her imagination, but she swore that his face suddenly became paler.
“She was filled with melancholy right after the birth of Sophia. Maria snuck out of the manor to clear her head and walked much further than she should have. They attacked her in every vile way known to man and some unknown, but not enough to kill her. That would have been too easy.”
“What happened to her, Grant?”
“She made her way home as fast as her battered body would allow. She had lost a lot of blood, but she was still fighting to live. In a few weeks she was able to walk, to do the things she had before, but she was forever scarred from one werewolf’s bite. He had made damn sure that she remembered him for the rest of her life, this Seamus Finnigan. She fought against the darkness racing through her blood every month when the full moon rose in the sky, but even the best restraints could not keep her in line. After two years of torturing her with her bonds, I set her free. That was the last time I saw her alive. Her body was brought to me later.”
“Oh, Grant. I’m so sorry. I cannot even begin to imagine the hell you have lived through.”
“He has it out for me, Malinda. From when it started, I have no idea how, but he knew she was mine. He will destroy any light that touches my life. You must take great care with yourself and Sophia while I am away.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“How will I know you are safe? How is this army you ride with going to protect you from these beasts?”
“Because the army is one and the same. We have men who have the very same abilities that the Lair seeks, but we refuse to live our lives in their darkness.”
“We?”
Grant took a deep breath and looked deeply into her eyes. He wanted nothing else than to bare his soul to her and, while he knew he must, part of him was worried that she would turn from him in disgust. “Do you trust me?”
Malinda saw the soul-searching gaze that met hers. She knew what it was like to want others to understand who you were…how could she not trust what he was about to tell her? “Yes. I trust you.”
Grant stood up and moved a few feet away from her. The light around him sparkled like fireflies as his image changed shape before her. It happened in an instant, so fast that Malinda would barely have noticed. A small rabbit now lay where Grant once stood. Malinda almost chuckled at the sight, but captured the sound in a smile before it could leave her mouth. The light sparkled around him once more and Grant was standing there. “So, you are what? A shifter?” He was obviously more than a werewolf, for werewolves had only one distinct form to change into, their wolf counterparts. She had heard about shifters before, but she had never dreamed she would one day meet one, much less find out that she had married one.
“I can take the shape of any animal of my choosing.” Grant searched her face looking for the disgust that had flashed across Maria’s face when she had learned about his abilities. He stared long and hard into her green eyes, but they never faltered, never changed to the derision he had expected to see.
“I see.” She saw his eyes turn wary before her and decided perhaps it was time to let him off the hook. “Well, is that all, then?”
“Is that all? I just told you I am a shifter, and your response is to ask me is that all?” He shook his head in disbelief. She was an enigma to him at every turn, and certainly was nothing like any other woman he had known before.
Malinda giggled out loud. “Oh dear. I should explain, Grant. I’m not normal either.” She took a deep breath and conjured a ball of energy in her hands. She contained it in her left hand before casting it to the nearest tree. The tree shook from the exertion, its leaves trembling in the aftershock.
“What the….”
“See. My secret is better.” A mischievous smile slid across her face.
“What else can you do?” The corners of his mouth turned up into a slightly inquisitive smile as he shook his head in amazement.
“Well, while I cannot claim the art of shifting, as sad as that makes me, I have visions, manipulate the energy around me, and can speak to animals. The women of Lena are multifaceted like that.” She could not believe this conversation was so matter of fact. She had never envisioned a time or place that would have made it easy to bare her secret without feeling shame or recriminations. The words seemed to flow from he
r so easily, that Malinda had no intention of taking them back. This was how it was supposed to be when you met the mate you were destined to be with.
Grant’s laughter shook the air around them. “Oh, that’s just rich. I’m married to one of those.”
“One of what?” She chose her words carefully, for while she had felt so at ease in letting him in on her secret, she suddenly felt like warts had sprung up on the tip of her nose. She shivered as a cold wind chilled her. She turned away from him cautiously.
Grant stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. “You know.”
“No, I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” When her wariness attempted to beat her into submission, anger soon followed, creeping upon her so quickly that she was almost caught unawares. She had no idea what he was implying. How dare he cast judgment on her, make her feel like an oddball when he was a shifter, for crying out loud?
“Well, most people call them troublemakers who stir up the world around them.” Grant knew he was having entirely too much fun with torturing her, but he just could not help it.
“And what does a shifter call them?”
“I call her my wife.”
Malinda saw the small teasing grin that sat just above his beard. She sniffed in annoyance and started to stalk away. He had purposefully goaded her. The cretin! When Grant turned her around to face him, she refused to look him in the eye. “Stop.”
“Never.”
He picked her up in the air deftly and held her over his shoulders in a grip so tight that she looked like a flour sack dangling over his back. The air was filled with the sounds of Malinda’s shrieks, as her arms and legs flailed in protest. “Put me down!”
Malinda had not been paying attention to where he was carrying her, but when he put her down, she realized they were in the stables. He wrapped his hand in her long black hair and pulled her closer to him. When her body collided with his she felt the product of his desire through the many layers of clothing that separated them. In moments he had assisted her to the ground, set her on top of him, and his hands went underneath her skirts. Malinda tensed when she felt him enter her, for she had not expected him to come at her so quickly. He must have pulled his breeches down just low enough to penetrate her. Their lovemaking usually lasted much, much longer, but today he seemed rushed. She felt his energy move through her and soon she felt the fevered pitch that controlled him. Malinda let herself slide up and down, matching every thrust of his hips until the entire length of him quivered inside her. She did not have the same completion that she normally had, but she trembled from the impact when he spilled his seed deep within her. She lowered herself down into his arms and found comfort in his embrace for a few moments before they headed back to the manor.
Chapter 22
Grant left the next morning. Malinda had chosen to eat in her room that night for fear that she would run into Marshal Madigan again. She had not been ready to face the demons from her mother’s past. How was she supposed to react to him? He was the reason her mother had lost heart, wanting to die rather than live a life without his love. Why had he not come looking for Andraya? Would he have come to her mother had he known she was carrying his child? These were all questions that deserved an answer, but she had not felt courageous enough to ask them.
The days seemed to flow into each other the first week that Grant was gone with Madigan’s Army, and soon the weeks turned into months that seemed to be covered in lonely shadows. Malinda spent a few days with the people of Wickford. She made it a point to learn everything she could about their values and customs, for she knew this was an expectation for any lady. She still had trouble referring to herself as lady, but the people seemed to do so with an ease that was completely unexpected. With every minute of time she spent with them she learned more of the intricacies of how the whole community ran. The people adored their lord and they were happy to see Sophia out and about, and Malinda had made it a point to bring Sophia with her as much as possible when she traveled to visit with the people. These were Sophia’s people too, and since she would be the heir to Wickford it was only right that the child acquaint herself with the people she would serve.
Today they were making their way back to the manor with a small horse cart that was attached to a sorrel horse. While Malinda had talked the stable hands into getting the cart ready for her, she had lied about her driving skills. She had never driven a cart before and, although it may have seemed like a daunting task for someone so inexperienced, she had actually been able to use her Adrianic skills to communicate with the sorrel that was pulling them around. It had taken a few minutes to get her point across to the horse, but once they had come to an understanding it had gone pretty easily. All she had to do was promise to let the sorrel run free in the corral for the rest of the afternoon, and the horse happily acquiesced to her demands.
Malinda was teaching Sophia new words as the cart’s wheels skipped carelessly over the tiny pebbles that lined the small road. “Do you hear that, Sophia? That is the sound of a whippoorwill. It has the most beautiful voice, but you will have trouble finding him. He’s the best at hiding among the leaves in the trees, for his body blends in his surroundings.”
“Whiwill?”
“That’s really close, Sophia. Whippoorwill.”
“Whiwill! Whiwill!” Sophia clapped her hands and started to sing about the tiny bird with the pretty voice.
Malinda felt the air shift around her, heard the voices whispering on the wind, and knew that something bad was soon to come. She hugged Sophia closer to her, snapped the reins in her hands, and did her best to communicate urgency to the horse that was guiding them home. The horse nickered softly to her and started to pick up the pace, but Malinda knew that was not going to be enough. When they reached the fork in the road they were no longer alone. When Malinda turned around, two black wolves were following closely behind them. True wolves were wild and unruly perhaps, but also very wary of any kind of altercation with humans. No, these were not wolves, not at all; they were werewolves, men who changed shape into their wild counterparts. Considering there was no full moon they were a special breed with some magical powers that Malinda did not quite understand.
When Malinda turned around she found that not only were two wolves behind her, there were now three more grey wolves in front of her cart. The horse started to buck against its confinements as it desired nothing more than to escape the danger before it. Malinda summoned all the courage she could in order to face the werewolves that surrounded them. She stopped the horse and stared down the black wolf that sauntered closer to the wagon. Malinda gathered every inch of energy she could, borrowing a little from the earth around her, and created a small ball of energy. The energy ball grew swiftly, and by the time another wolf reached the cart it was completely covered in a bright golden light that protected them from the world around them.
The black wolf, with red streaks of fur around his ears, stepped closer to the wagon and his fur was singed the moment it touched the shield. A loud yelp sounded around them. While the shield remained intact Malinda sought whatever help she could from around them. Her eyes lit upon a large nest of bees that hung menacingly low in a tree to the left. She sent her request for help, informing the bees that while these wolves preyed upon the world around them their hive would never be safe. She could hear a low hum in her ear that let her know that the bees had heard her request. Malinda saw the small line start to swirl its way in the air, a hypnotic dance that carried across the space between them so quickly that the wolves did not know what hit them. Wave after wave of bees flew at the wolves surrounding the cart. The wolves bit at the air as sharp stings from the bees made their legs jump around in reflex. Had the situation not been dire Malinda would have burst out laughing at the comical dance in front of her.
Malinda could see that the bees were not going to be enough to keep the wolves from their attacks so she sent out a plea to any creatures that could help chase away these brutal enemies. Malinda had n
ever asked for help from the animals around her before, not like this. She had only used her gifts to help all creatures great and small, so when she saw the ravens from the forest take flight into the air she was amazed at how easily they had accepted her request for help. There were hundreds of birds flying overhead, so high that they looked much like the ashes of a fire floating high in the skies above them. Malinda saw them group up and watched as they dove like an arrow together. Darts of black feathered nightmares pitched toward the ground below them. Soon, the birds were taking turns pecking at the werewolves. In groups of ten to twenty, the birds attacked each of the culprits, making it difficult for the werewolves to dispatch them.
Malinda looked on in awe as the birds and bees worked together to assault the wolves around them. Malinda heard a cry from ahead of her and looked up to see Grant with a small contingency of men. Their horses were headed toward Malinda and Sophia. The werewolves must have seen them too, for their ears had perked up and their tails had lifted cautiously behind them. They looked to the wolf in front of the cart and, when he nodded his head into the air and took off, they followed him.
Malinda sat still in the cart, a small frisson of fear finally making its way up her back. She sent her gratitude to her helpers, thanking them for risking their lives to aid them, and sent a blessing for their continued health and safety into the air. She focused the rest of her energy into keeping the protective shield up around her. When Grant made it to the cart she let the shield collapse. She hugged Sophia tightly to her and gathered courage to face her husband. She knew that he was not going to be happy with her.
“Grant, I—”
“What were you thinking? You can’t just leave the manor like that! The Lair could be anywhere. Not only did you put yourself at risk, you put my child at risk.” Grant felt his heart still hammering dangerously in his chest. He did not know what he would have done if Malinda or Sophia had been harmed before he had a chance to rescue them.