by Vera Sparks
“Of course,” she shot me an amused look as I continued slowly eating mine.
“Sometimes I wonder how you keep that body when you eat like this,” I said through a mouthful of hot, delicious waffle.
“Naturally fit and agile, us ‘wolves,” he grinned as he played with his napkin impatiently.
“Right.”
It didn’t take long for his second meal to arrive, and I finished mine before he’d annihilated his second serving.
My phone went off just as I finished up my milkshake and I answered curtly.
“Ivy, the map has slowed. I have a feeling Monica is trying to ward herself to the tracking spell. It’s still working, but I doubt we’ll have anything until later on today. Thought I’d let you know before you came rushing back here. I’ve offered to take Maria back to her house to set up some warding. She wants to go home and have everything sorted. We’ll see the officer too, Johnson I think his name was. Inform him what’s going on, let him know we’re handling it privately, if we fail, then we can get the Council involved. You should spend the day practicing your spells, your shields to be exact. You may need them. I took Axle out like you asked, and I met your neighbor, Maurice. She offered to take him while we sorted things out today,” my father filled me in.
“Right, got it. Maurice loves Axle, she can look after him,” I answered.
“Take care, if anything happens or you need help, just call. I’ll take Axle over to her,” my father said.
“Will do, and thanks,” I ended the phone call. Once upon a time I would’ve said ‘I love you’ before ending the call, but things were still strange around all this. Around his return. Sometimes it felt like nothing had changed, and other times, he felt like a stranger.
“Everything good?” Percy asked as he swallowed another mouthful.
“Yep, our tracking spell has slowed, so I’ll focus on some training today. Maria is going to the tiger shifter cop who alerted Alex about the body in her house. He wanted to speak to her, they’re going to fill him in and let him know it’s being handled privately before getting the Council involved if needed.”
The Council. All supes did their best to handle matters themselves before getting the authority involved. They were hard-assed shoot first, questions later people from what I’d heard. And once you got on their radar, well, let’s just say it was best to stay off of it.
“Yeah, best avoid the Council if you can,” Percy agreed.
“How’s Gene and Heather going anyway?” I changed the subject. It’d been some time since I’d seen the two Alpha werewolves of his pack. The sweet old man had helped me out as much as he could with getting a meeting with the Fae organized. They’d been useless in helping me learn what I was, what my ghost abilities meant.
“They’re going great, did you know that they actually have two kids? Kate and Nathan. They were traveling for the past year, they’ve just come home to the pack. Eventually one of them will become the new Alpha when Gene and Heather get too old or pass away. We’re all hopeful that by then they would’ve settled down with their own partners. Every pack likes to have two Alphas,” Percy said.
“Wow, I didn’t know they had kids.” Then again, I’d never asked. I really owed the couple a visit, they’d been good to me when I’d rescued Percy and helped shut down the ‘wolf kidnapping issue over a month ago.
“How’s your Mom too?” I added.
“She’s good, still teaching. She’s seeing a new man now. Won’t tell me who, but I know. I followed her. She’s been helping out Old Man Barry, and he’s got the sweets for her,” Percy laughed.
I giggled at this piece of information. Gwen, his mother, was nowhere near as old as Barry, the war veteran of the Pack. But I could picture the sweet little lady fussing over Barry, tending to his needs and helping him manage the wrecker's yard he owned.
“Well, if they’re happy,” I grinned.
“Yeah, he’s a good man, he’d take care of her for his last years, that’s for sure. Although I’d prefer if she met someone closer to her own age. Someone she could spend more of her life with. She’s fifty-six this year. Barry is… god, seventy I think, maybe older,” Percy chuckled.
“Well, I should head off, I’ve got training to do,” I said after a few moments of silence. I was enjoying the time with him, but I didn’t want him to think we were still something. I needed to sort out things, see where I was going with Alex.
“Well, I’m in no rush to drive back home, could I help at all? Just as friends,” he threw up his hands in mock defense as I went to open my mouth. “I get it, you need to sort all this out before you can even think of relationships again. But let me help you with your training, I’m sure there’s something I can do.”
“Fine,” I gave in, his pleasant, helpful smile breaking me.
“Awesome, I’ll drive. Where are we going?” he asked as he stood up from the booth.
“I know a place, quiet and tucked away,” I smiled. A place my mother used to take me.
“So this is where she took you?” Percy stared around the clearing contentedly.
“Yeah, she’d bring me here after school some days while my father was working, read to me, have picnics, braid my hair. It was always my favorite time of the day, we tried to do it every few days,” I smiled as the memories danced in my mind. Her sweet blue eyes and long blonde hair, the way she’d hum as she combed her fingers through my hair and we’d eat afternoon tea. Some memories were foggy, and I wondered if there were parts that had been wiped. Maybe she’d taught me some magic out here. I couldn’t wait to have my memories back. I longed to remember everything, my mother, our family.
“So, you just want me to throw these at you?” Percy asked as he held up the packet of tennis balls we’d bought on the way over.
“Yep, I need to learn to shield myself,” I nodded as I started forward, putting some distance between us. This small clearing in the woods was tucked away, and it was a decent hike to get here too. And thankfully Percy would sense anyone coming and alert me so I could cease all magic.
“I feel kinda weird just pegging balls at you,” he said sheepishly as he set the packet of tennis balls on the ground and slipped out of his leather jacket. The mid morning sun had proven to be too much for him now, and I caught myself staring at the way his triceps bulged through his short-sleeved shirt. I wanted to wander over and trace them, feel along his shoulders to his rock hard biceps, trail down his clean shaven chest- I shook myself from the dirty thoughts sneaking into my head.
Choose Ivy, God. Alex or Percy?
I’d settled on Alex, and yet here I was undressing Percy with my eyes. We’d certainly had plenty of fun over the past month before our fight. Things were normal with him, almost human. But the feelings were different, more lustful, animalistic and playful with Percy. Alex on the other hand, it was all tender, loving, passionate, mature. Percy was like the fun high school boyfriend and Alex was the mature partner in life that you met later on. But which did I want?
“Start throwing,” I called across the clearing, intent to squash all my annoying thoughts.
Percy bit his lip as he tore the packet open and eyed the bright yellow tennis ball. He shook his head before throwing it my way, and I imagined the shield slamming up around me, swirling and protecting me from the incoming object.
I flinched as it bounced off my arm. It’d barely hurt, and I was grateful he was holding back on the power shots.
“Again,” I sighed. This was going to be a long day.
“You’re getting there,” Percy shouted out as I panted, my chest heaving and my legs wobbling from jumping around the clearing and trying to shield myself. If I could sweat, I’d imagine I’d be dripping with it right now.
So far I’d slowed down a handful of incoming tennis balls to the point where they only brushed me as they fell to the ground. And I successfully blocked one, which had rebounded off my shield and hurled back towards Percy with a vengeance to my amusement.
�
��Break time,” I signaled the time out as Percy was readying himself for another throw. I needed a breather, we’d been at this for a while now.
Percy nodded, and I trudged to the nearest bit of shade and plopped down, my tired body begging for the rest. My mind was exhausted too, the mental drain it took to focus my magic and power was beyond belief.
“I have to admit, seeing this magic in person is pretty cool,” Percy grinned as he joined me on the green grass, laden with pine nettles. The towering pines that shaded us rustled in the midday breeze as the sun scorched down on us. If only I could feel the touch of the warmth on my skin or the coolness of the breeze coming up from the water.
I leaned back against the rough trunk of a pine as I caught my breath. Percy shuffled closer, and I could see the beads of sweat adorning his brow, the wet patches across his dark shirt. I took the moment to enjoy his slightly scruffy, ’wolfish beauty, his triangle jaw that was hidden beneath his neatly trimmed beard, the messy dark hair, his mesmerizing chocolate eyes and gorgeous olive skin. The way his body moved with animalistic grace as he stretched and lay back in the grass, his shirt riding up to reveal his toned stomach as he clasped his hands behind his head.
“It’s hard work, very tiring for the mind,” I said as I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to check him out more.
The soft sounds of the woods around us was relaxing, and if I could sleep, I’d imagine I’d be able to drift off blissfully. The birds chirped and fluttered through the overhead branches, and the odd sounds of insects floated through the air.
“It’s nice out here,” Percy sighed, and I peeked a look at him to find he’d closed his eyes to enjoy the moment as well.
We rested in silence, the only sound was the surrounding nature, and for a moment, I could pretend I was a child once more, sitting across from my mother.
We practiced for another hour or so until I couldn’t cope any longer, my mind exhausted and my body failing. I’d successfully blocked a handful more tennis balls and decided I’d achieved enough for the day. Besides, Percy was complaining he was hungry again despite his monstrous sized breakfast. I was content to pass on the food, not craving anything and not actually needing to eat.
He took us to a burger joint he’d discovered while staying with me over the past few weeks, and I sat across from him at a quaint table in the small building as he demolished a double patty burger with ease before moving onto his second one. The amount of food ‘wolves ate, and the quite literal way of ‘wolfing it down’ that they did, still surprised me.
My father hadn’t called with an update, and I tapped my finger on the screen as I contemplated checking in with him.
“So, what next?” Percy asked cheerfully as he bit into his burger.
“I think I’ll go home and rest. We’ve been out almost all day. Thank you for helping me,” I said.
“No problem, glad I could help out,” he said around a mouthful of food. “Besides, seeing you create a shield is pretty wicked.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
I eyed my phone, about ready to call my father when it began sounding off, causing me to jump.
“Hey Dad,” I answered it after reading the caller I.D.
“Hey Ivy, we finished up at the police station a while ago, Maria is at her place for now while we wait. The map has given us a location, can you swing by and pick her up? Although, you may need your car for that,” he clucked his tongue.
“I’m with Percy,” I said, and I heard the curious intake of breath on the other end. “He’s driving, it’s a four-door truck, we can pick her up.”
I could sense him wanting to ask who Percy was, but he let it slide.
I checked the time. 4.30pm.
“It’ll take us about half an hour or more to get to her place, depending on traffic,” I informed him.
“Got it, see you later,” he said as he hung up.
“What’s up?” Percy asked.
“The tracking spell has given us something. We need to pick up Maria on the way back to mine. I guess we’ll be going after Monica, and we’ll try to stop her.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll drive, and we can do this together,” he said as he finished up his burger.
I bit my tongue from saying he didn’t have to help. He’d already helped me so much today and he was the one driving. As much as I wanted him to stay out of this, I doubted there was any stopping him.
“We better head off, although I’m pretty sure we’re going to get caught in peak hour traffic,” I groaned as I stood up.
“That’s a definite,” he laughed as he pushed up from his seat. “Where are we going?”
“I’ll give you directions to Maria’s place.”
I was way off when I said it’d take half an hour to get there. We arrived at Maria’s just over an hour after leaving the burger place.
Maria was already out on the porch waiting impatiently, dressed in shabby jeans and a tight purple top with a sky blue cardigan. Her wild dark curls had been tied back, she hadn’t bothered to style them or tame them today.
“Well, Grey says he’s got a location on my Mom, looks like this is it,” Maria said as she climbed into the backseat of Percy’s truck. “You must be Percy,” she smiled as she stuck her hand through the gap between the seats.
“That’s me, and you’re Maria,” Percy smiled as he shook her hand.
“Yep, I’ve heard a bit about you from Ivy, after she helped you with that kidnapping fight thing,” Maria said as she did up her seatbelt and Percy pulled away from the curb.
“Good things I hope,” he smirked as he shot me a devilish look.
I glanced back at Maria, praying she didn’t ask about us. Last she knew, we were just starting to date.
“Of course,” Maria smiled slyly but faltered when she caught my hasty gaze.
She caught the hint and changed the subject to asking about his life, saying that she didn’t know many werewolves and was curious about how the Pack worked.
It made for an interesting car ride.
7
By the time we got to my apartment, the sun had settled beyond the horizon and the moon was casting its eerie glow down on Portland. Too bad all the vibrant city lights quelled the moon’s soft light.
I led the way into my building, nodding at the receptionist tucked behind her counter. She cast a curious glance at my two companions, both of whom she’d seen a number of times before.
“This place is so luxurious, you’d think they could afford to get some elevator music,” Maria sighed as the elevator doors closed and the room buzzed to life as it rose.
“I always wondered about that too,” Percy murmured.
I stood quietly as I watched the numbers of the levels roll over on the small screen above the door.
“Any idea what the plan is?” Percy asked out loud, hoping one of us would have an answer.
I glanced at Maria and gave a shrug. I’d assumed we’d figure that out once we were all together.
“I have no idea,” Maria said nervously as she chewed her lip. Her bangles jingled as she played with her hands, a nervous habit she did every so often.
We rode the rest of the way up in silence, and upon arrival to my apartment door, it swung open as if on cue.
Alex stared out at us, and I glimpsed an array of emotions race across his face at the sight of Percy hot on my heels. Anger, confusion, jealously, doubt.
He settled on a tight smile as he nodded at the three of us and stepped aside to let us in. The whole time his eyes burned into me questioningly. Great. Now I had to deal with his jealously and doubt.
“Great, we’re all here,” my father stood from his perch on the couch with the map in hand. He had on some black pants and a grey button-up shirt with a brown coat on.
I vaguely wondered where he kept his clothes or if he just summoned them to him.
We really needed to have a proper chat about normal things, eventually. Like where he lived, what job he had, if any.
; Otis remained on the couch, sitting to attention as he nodded to acknowledge us. He actually nodded. Damn, he really was smart.
My father’s brow furrowed as his gaze settled on Percy, whom he was yet to meet.
“You must be Graham, Ivy’s father,” Percy offered his hand. “I’m Percy.”
“Right, Percy the werewolf,” my father nodded as he shook the outstretched hand and flicked his eyes to Alex quickly. So now my lover and father were good friends and spoke about my life? Great, just wonderful.
“Ivy told me about your return, of the fact she is actually a Sorceress. Quite a turn of events it seems. I helped her practice her shield work,” Percy grinned as he stood up straight, ignoring the dark look from Alex.
Good one, Percy. Now I’d have to deal with Alex later. I could already feel the tension thick in the air. Maria stood awkwardly, seeming to be the only one feeling the ramifications of this little gathering. Her distressed look she shot me, distressed for me it seemed, was met with an eye roll from me. I would deal with this, eventually.
“Great, she needs all the practice she can get,” my father brightened despite Alex glowering off to the side. “And call me Grey.”
“Right,” Percy nodded, and finally cast a curious, yet mocking, look at Alex. I crossed my arms as Alex’s lip pulled back into a slight snarl, one fang glinting in the light. Percy all but scoffed as he folded his arms and focused back on my father.
“Well, we know where she is, and we need to handle this before the Council does. One, because getting the Council involved means we’ll be on their radar forever, and two, they’ll kill her immediately and possibly even Shaun, and we don’t want that,” he said.
“So, what’s the plan?” Percy asked.
“Who said you were part of it?” Alex suddenly spoke up, the venom in his voice making me shift uncomfortably.
“I offered to help, since I was in the area. Besides, you could use all the help you can get I’d imagine, going against something like her,” Percy stated.