Gina pulled the T-shirt and sweats off, watching Mark. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her body.
“Everything happened so fast. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“I told you, it’s fine. I couldn’t have called if I had wanted to. I woke up, and she was already crowning. Next time, you’ll be here, with me. Okay?”
“Has to be.” He closed the distance and settled his hands on her hips. “Are you ready for me?”
She laughed. “Mmhmm. I probably shouldn’t be, but this wasn’t the normal process. Besides, werewolves heal fast.”
Laughing, he nodded. He certainly knew that to be the truth. “Tell me you need me half as much as I need you.”
Grinning, she pulled him closer and climbed onto the bed. He stripped down in record time to follow her.
She pulled him on top of her and took his mouth in a kiss as she caressed down his body.
He groaned low in his throat. She always knew just how to touch him. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Gina.” He rolled his hips, sliding his dick against her wet sex.
“Make love to me. That’s all I need right now. You, me, together as one.”
He shifted his weight and pulled her leg around his hip before sliding home. She felt so damned good he thought he might come before he got her off.
She threaded her fingers into his hair as he pumped in and out of her. Their connection grew stronger in that moment. She could feel his magic rolling through him, into her, seeking hers.
And neither of them seemed to have a leash on the power that seemed to expand on its own. And her instinct understood what was happening. Instead of an awakening with a Fae, their magic bond served as an awakening for both. He was part Fae, part witch, but definitely a werewolf, and like Badb said, the separate parts of him were now fusing together, just like hers.
Mark sucked the spot below her ear and pleasure erupted, wiping out all thought as they both fell into bliss.
She clung to him as he rolled to her side. She kissed his neck.
“I don’t understand,” he murmured, touching her stomach. “I felt it.”
“The baby?” she asked, a smile on her lips. “She told us soon. I felt a lot more than that, though. I felt your magic lock onto mine and become something more.”
Shaking his head, he rolled back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not ready to think about that. I’ve lived without magic for so long I don’t even know what I would do with it now.”
She propped her head up with one hand and traced circles over his heart with the other. “Mark, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want, but that magic may help us stop the doppelgangers, and I think you can see that I’m perfectly fine now.”
“I do, I feel it. And it wasn’t that I thought you were incapable, but I can imagine how much energy it takes to grow a person that fast and give birth.”
“Mmm, which is why I want to sleep now, but I want you to wake me if anyone contacts us.”
“I will, but I think we have time. Robert and Preston are organizing a way to get the witches to leave Brightwater Bay for the time being. And after that, they have to try to figure out a way to find the doppelgangers. They went through a wormhole or something through the abyss.”
“Hmm, we can worry about that later.” She yawned.
He pulled her closer.
Chapter 31
Robert stood in Christian’s living room, contemplating how to ask him to do what he needed done. They hadn’t involved the Council, so he wanted to keep them out of the mess. Especially since the doppelgangers’ next target was his home, and when they dealt with the case before, those beyond Draecyn didn’t believe the doppelgangers were a real threat.
Christian came back to the living room with a sheepish smile. He’d opened the door in a pair of shorts. That was it. “I should have expected you,” he admitted.
Robert lifted a shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve been busy with Delilah, and showing her that you were perfectly all right.”
Christian chuckled. “Mmm, and she believes me. And for once, I’m not totally sure why you’re here.”
“We need help without alerting the council about the creatures who want to take over Edenton. I know they may want to study them, or something ridiculous. We just need them dead. The doppelgangers go to an area, become someone in the community, and when they start fading back into their form, they destroy everything around them.”
“Oh, okay…” Christian shook his head. “So what do you need me to do?”
“Dress up like a natural gas company employee, go door to door, and convince the witches they need to go to Oregon. I know that sounds crazy, but I’ve already arranged a place for them to stay just outside of Portland, that may well serve as their new home.”
“Sure. But can Delilah come with me?”
“Yeah, but the witches fear werewolves. You won’t ping as anything Other, but she will. So maybe have her stay in the car.”
She groaned as she entered the room. “As long as he’s in sight, that’s fine.”
Robert nodded. “They’re in Brightwater Bay. It’s on the coast. While you two prepare, I’ll get you both uniforms and a truck ready. It has to be believable. I probably have a script somewhere I can alter for the purpose of these witches. And as soon as you have them moving along, call me. We’re running out of time to save them all.”
“You got it,” Christian answered.
Delilah nodded.
Robert planned to send more details by phone since they had a several hours drive.
* * * *
Being in the dark about Kindra was pissing Gerard off. Normally, he could tap into her very thoughts, no matter the distance. It was why he hadn’t truly worried when she had gone missing a few weeks before. And why he became excited when she figured out Anders was still alive.
But now everything seemed to be falling apart. Just like it nearly had back when he ran into one of the Morrigans. He’d lost his mate and most of his clan to Badb’s wrath. He took her husband’s place, believing him to be the stronger of the two, and he had been convinced his mate would have no problem taking her place.
How wrong he’d been.
She not only blocked her from draining her, she also killed the woman he’d loved, then nearly killed him in the process. But that didn’t make sense. He ran a blade through her heart more than a thousand years ago.
Gerard had already taken Emrette’s form. He’d died a full month before Badb came home from war. She already knew her husband was gone. They had a telepathic link. He learned that from Emrette as he drained him.
Most of the army had come home within a week of their king’s death. Those whose loves had been replaced had settled in and found new love, or died with a blade slid between their ribs.
He stood at the balcony, still forming a plan, when Badb and her royal guard rode back into the fortress. Minosa was excited to take her first new form. The stories of Badb’s power and Emrette’s memories guaranteed Minosa would be powerful.
Though fear had started to trickle in. Had he chosen the wrong face? He felt the power from the army below. He’d never encountered such. And now he was starting to see why she was more feared than her husband, why she was the general, marching into battle with the entire army,
“We’ll knock her out and you will feast, and you’ll have to feast faster than anyone before,” Gerard explained. For two reasons, though he wouldn’t share.
One, to prevent Minosa from becoming more powerful than him. And two, to kill her fast enough Badb couldn’t fight back.
He started for the door as Badb entered the castle, but the bedroom door burst open and in stormed Badb, a maelstrom of elements swirling around her.
“You’re the one trying to usurp my kingdom?” she snarled.
“Whatever are you talking about?” Gerard demanded, walking toward her with the same practiced gait her beloved had in life. He’d fooled
everyone. At least until Badb.
Her eyes blazed in Minosa’s direction. She had faded into thin air, and yet, Badb sent a wave of fire in her direction.
He threw up a wall of shield and marched forward, phasing out of physical form, and reformed before her to press his hands to her head, and down she went.
Minosa dove on her, pulling at her energy with all her might.
Only Badb flipped over and planted one dagger into Minosa’s throat, while driving a sword through her heart.
Minosa’s body danced as if struck by lightning, then burst into flames as her body turned to silver dust that floated through the window.
He dove at Badb, snatching up the blade, and drove it through Badb’s chest.
She spat at him. “You may have taken my Emrette’s place, but you will not have mine. Your next love will be your undoing. Once she’s broken from your hold, I’ll show you true death when I’m reborn.”
A bitter laugh escaped as Genova and Gallus burst into the room and watched Badb die.
“I told you to be careful,” Genova hissed. “You aimed too high this time.”
“What is done is done,” he answered.
“And how do you explain her death to her people?” Gallus asked.
“She was an imposter. Anyone who argues, dies.” And they had to kill a dozen people.
Half the people of the kingdom left with her death, but they didn’t oppose his rule. And in the centuries since, he’d risen to power many times.
But something felt like those dark times. Was that how Kindra broke his hold? Had she cursed him? Had she spoken prophecy?
No, damn it, they were going to make this work.
Lester had been gone for an hour. The coven seemed no wiser. Melanie was gone, but she wouldn’t matter in the scheme of things. By the time Gerard took Anders’ life, Valen would be dead and gone. Kindra would either become another woman or die.
With the way she blocked him, letting her fade away seemed the right choice. Unless it was a ploy. Could it be a ploy?
Genova moved in front of him. “I’m going back to the cabin and taking a car to the store. I’ll bring food back.”
“Good, because the nearby town won’t be so accepting if they realize what we are,” Gallus added.
“We’re myths by now,” Gerard answered.
She snorted. “You know as well as I do that those people can live forever. I recognize enough of their faces to know we can’t go back there in our present or original forms.
Gerard hissed. “Not our original forms. We were beautiful on our own, once. Or don’t you remember?”
She sighed. “Oh, I remember. You fail to realize your greed led us here. It’s a miracle any of us follow you now, but Gallus is sure you’ll somehow find our redemption.”
Gerard smiled but didn’t answer. There was no redemption for murdering a village because they were stronger than they were. He claimed the neighboring clan would encroach on their territory and destroy them. They wanted nothing to do with them or taking more territory, and grew the forest to become a physical barrier to keep them out. Gerard had his people march on them, killed most, but a few escaped, and those few cursed his people before expelling them from the Sylvan Forest.
Over time, his people grew smaller, their skin wrinkling, as their flesh and hair lost all color. They became what they were known for. They were at death’s door when a group of hunters sought refuge from the Sylvan Forest.
Gerard allowed them into the inn, but he was drawn to their leader. He drank deep of his essence and grew stronger while the hunter king grew weak. He told his trusted advisors and their spouses. That’s how they learned they could gain more power as the hunters withered and died.
As the rest of the town died, their village lost color, and eventually turned to a wasteland. Gerard took a group of twelve away from their lands and started their cycle.
They hadn’t been back until they were forced to flee the human world when Anders had brought the Council in. They wound up smack dab in the middle of the old village. The nearest one was a group of Fae who had mingled with the Sylvan, becoming something altogether different, and yet, enough remained who remembered the battle from long ago, and what happened to the people of the once great kingdom.
Genova only wanted to ensure her husband’s safety, so she never told Gallus the whole story. Though she had been with Gerard the day he met with the Sylvan king.
At least she would keep them all alive. That was her role, the maternal one, the one to ensure they moved and ate, and were well. But she was often right about those he became close to. She warned him away from many women, but something about Kindra had drawn him in.
And now he feared Kindra would be his undoing.
Chapter 32
The script was memorized by an hour into the drive. And with Christian’s empathetic abilities, he was sure he could convince the entire coven to move, temporarily. Though, he had a feeling some of those witches would choose Edenton and Seattle, instead of Oregon, to get away from a coven so full of lies and betrayal.
“What do you think about what happened to Gina?” Delilah asked.
Christian glanced over. “Which part?”
She shook her head. “Well, she has a being inside her, right?”
He shook his head. “Mom sent a text last night. Gina gave birth to the woman. Now she’s more than what she had been before her father pissed off the wrong Fae.”
“Huh?”
“Um, so I’m going by a dream. But I think she was something called a Sylvan Fae. She could have shifted if she went through an awakening. Her animal happened to be a wolf. However, when she was young, her father was an exiled Fae, and Henroyld had what made him Fae severed from his body.”
“Okay,” she answered slowly. “So, what happened to her magic?”
“They took it when they took his. She didn’t die because she was too young to use her magic. Remember how I said she had a hole in her soul?”
She nodded.
“Well, that happened when they ripped her magic out. That’s how Badb got in. And she somehow helped Gina become pregnant, and hijacked the embryo, and in the process, healed all the shit they did to her. She has her magic back, I think. But the strange thing is, I think Mark either has his too, or will.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Uh, because they sort of awakened each other. I’m not sure if he was something more than a witch before he became a wolf, or if it was just a gift to him from Badb.”
“Okay,” she answered slowly.
“I know, I’m confused too. But I know Mark and Gina are going to have at least two kids, not just Badb, who should be at least mostly grown by now…” he trailed off.
“Huh?”
“That’s what Mom said. She gave birth already, to a fully formed miniature woman. And that woman was growing at an insane rate.” He shrugged. “Look, maybe with what we found out about Amelia and your family, just maybe, you can get your magic back.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I’m good without that, thanks. Look, unless it’s going to help a lot of people, like Amelia did, I don’t want anything to do with it. I like being a wolf. And I know Mark. He isn’t real thrilled about magic. He avoids the witches.”
“He was a witch, Delilah. He may have shut that side down when a creature tried to steal his persona and nearly killed him.”
“Maybe. Think he can get used to magic again?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. I just know they have kids.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I suppose, if it meant we could have kids down the line, I could consider my magic.”
He took her hand and pulled it to his mouth. “Honest, sweetheart, I’m happy just having you. Considering my fucked up family, I’m not sure passing on my genes would be a good move.”
“You’re a good man, Christian. And I think you would make a wonderful father.”
“Time will tell, I suppose
.” Though he had never seen anything about him having children with Delilah, just that he had her by his side always.
* * * *
Valen took a seat on the chair. He wasn’t sure if he should be mad at his mother or not. He saw the kind of guilt she wore all over her face. Even dozing on the couch, she looked distressed.
Cora nodded up the stairs, and he followed.
She brought him into a room and shut the door. “I don’t know if she can stick with her decision.”
Valen shook his head. “I’m sticking to mine. As much as I don’t want to lose her, there’s too much wrong with Gerard and his people. I don’t want to be like them, and to think my mother fell under his sway and tried to kill the man she supposedly loved…I don’t know that I can understand. I sure as hell don’t right now.”
“She loves you more than either of them. There’s something to be said for that. Hopefully, that’s enough motivation for her to stay by your side and fight against Gerard, because they do need to be stopped. They will kill the entire coven if we don’t stop them.”
He nodded. “Cora, I saw what she did to my father. Everything he remembered, and I know there has to be more. And I get it, it wasn’t all her choice, but that doesn’t make it easy to forget the facts. I really do hope I’m more like him than her after seeing the memories.”
“You are more like Mark than Kindra. You always were. Even now, with his new intensity, you have that. And maybe he always did, but I never witnessed it.”
He smiled slightly. “Think Melanie will like him?”
“Yeah, I do. And maybe you should call her and let her know you’re okay, and that you’ll be able to go to her soon.”
“I talked to her already, but I’m not willing to tell her everything over the phone. I know how crazy it all sounds. I would rather wait and talk to her face-to-face.”
“I wish you could bring her out here.”
He lifted a shoulder. “She may like that. Neither of us like coven life. I always wondered what the appeal was. I mean, they’re so shut off from the rest of the world, and I always wanted to explore, to see new things, and to be part of something bigger. It seems like that’s a possibility in Edenton. I can learn more about all the things my mother was too afraid to bring up.”
Woven Fates Page 24
