Merrily Ever After

by P. Jameson

  Layna looked to Ryan. “What do you think?”

  He frowned down at Dandi, watching her red-rimmed eyes sag. “She’s awfully sleepy,” he murmured and then nodded. “It’s safe, you say?”

  Mirena smiled. “Absolutely.”

  He looked at Layna. “Okay. Let’s try it.”

  “I never try.” Mirena clapped her hands together, excited. “I only do. Now, why don’t you bring her over here and sit next to Layna. Let’s get the baby comfortable before I do the spell.”

  Ryan lowered himself to the sofa, angling Dandi between him and Layna so she could watch everything. She ran her fingers over the baby’s puff of hair. It was soft as a feather, and thick. She would have an amazing coat some day.

  “All right, yes. Much better,” Mirena said, assessing the scene. “Let’s all take some deep breaths.”

  “Is that really necessary for the spell?” Layna asked.

  “For the spell? No. But the energy in here is very tense. It will help us all if we take a minute to center ourselves.”

  Ryan wrapped his free arm around Layna’s shoulders and pulled her closer.

  “Close your eyes,” Mirena instructed. “Breathe in for ten, hold for two, out for five. And go.”

  Layna followed the Sorcera’s lead, and she felt Ryan do the same. After several breaths Mirena’s voice broke through with a chant.

  “Multum est somnum. Pax, pax. Sleep, my little one. Peace be. Multum est somnum. Pax, pax.”

  Layna felt herself growing heavy with each murmured word, each deep breath. And she couldn’t help thinking of the Christmas carol Silent Night.

  As if Mirena had read her mind, she began to sing softly in the language of her spells. “Sancta nox, placida nox. Nusquam est, ulla vox.”

  Layna rested her head on her mate’s shoulder and continued sweeping her hand over Dandi’s soft head until she fell asleep. And somehow, she knew, even if she couldn’t say why… that everything was going to be all right.

  Maybe not tomorrow or the day after. Maybe not even in the next year. But eventually. Everything was going to be all right.

  Either that, or Mirena had cast a broader spell to include more than just the baby.

  Chapter Ten

  Ryan awoke to an unfamiliar movement against his chest. In his sleepy stupor, he could feel the warmth of his mate at his side, like he did every morning. But whatever wiggled in his arms wasn’t Layna.

  In a rush, the events of the day before rushed back to him. Mason’s cryptic foretelling. Reconnecting with Layna. The baby abandoned at the chapel.

  The baby. Shit.

  Dragging his lids open, he came eye to little green eye with Dandi. She lay on his chest, anchored there by his hand, kicking her feet slightly as if to stir him. He couldn’t help but chuckle even if it came out croaky from not getting enough sleep.

  Layna jolted awake beside him, sitting up too fast. “What? What is it? Is she okay? Are we… um…” She blinked hard. “What the hell happened?”

  “Well, it looks like we were spelled.”

  Layna let off a small growl. “Mirena.” Dandi cooed, drawing her attention, and Ryan watched his mate melt once again. “Good morning, little lady.” Layna lovingly brushed the back of her fingers over the baby’s cheek. “She sure is bright and bushy this morning.”

  Dandi hiccupped and kicked her feet again, her gaze focused on Layna.

  “Wanna hold her?”

  Layna straightened. “I don’t know if I should. My animal…”

  In a very uncoordinated move, Dandi slapped her arm toward Layna as if reaching for her.

  “She wants you.” The arm move was probably an accident but the way Layna’s face lit up… yeah, he wanted to see more of that.

  Lifting Dandi, Layna cradled her in her arms. “You sure gave me a scare last night,” she whispered. “I don’t understand baby cries yet, but give me time. I’ll figure it out.”

  Dandi gurgled and Layna laughed. God, he’d missed that sound. The sound of real laughter coming from his woman.

  “You know what will help you understand baby cries? Coffee, that’s what.” Ryan stood from the couch, stretching to get the kinks out. Shit, sleeping on the couch in a sitting position wasn’t something he wanted to do again, but holding his family while he did it made it seem worthwhile.

  He froze. His family?

  He couldn’t think of Dandi as his. It was going to be hard enough on Layna when they had to return her to her family. The way she reacted to Mirena told him she was bonding with the baby just like he was.

  Layna stood to face him. “You’re afraid too. I can feel it in the bond.”

  He pulled her near, curving his palm around her cheek. “Mason told me something was coming. Something that would change our lives and the clan as a whole. I can’t help wondering if…”

  Layna frowned. “Mason hasn’t had a prophecy in…”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  “This is what you were hiding from Magic.”

  “If Mason doesn’t want to be found, it’s for a reason. Who am I to fuck with that?”

  Dandi squirmed and smacked her lips. Ryan couldn’t help brushing his thumb over her tiny cheek too.

  “Do you think…” Layna didn’t finish her thought, but he knew she wondered the same thing he’d been wondering. Was this baby abandoned here for a reason? And was that reason going to be the answer to all their hopes?

  He kissed her forehead and pushed away. “Coffee. Coffee first, then contemplation.”

  Strolling to the kitchen, he found a recently brewed pot and beside it, a handwritten note.

  The coffee’s fresh. Fresher than you anyway. Enjoy.

  P.S. No need to thank me.

  “Looks like someone already made a pot for us,” he called out.

  “Mirena?” Layna came up behind him, bouncing Dandi in one arm like a natural. “That sneaky, loveable bitch.”

  Ryan poured two steaming mugs and held one out to his mate. He lifted his to tap it against Layna’s. “Here’s to sneaky witches and sleepless nights.”

  Layna nodded, not to be left out, Dandi babbled her wordless agreement, causing them to laugh.

  The morning brought lots of excitement. Josie and Beth arrived with two crates of baby clothes for Dandi. Bailey came later, bearing extra bottles, blankets, and toys. One of the bear brothers, Thames, even brought a small wooden crib.

  “Mason told me to craft one in my spare time,” he explained. “Since I knew it wasn’t for my own young…” Thames’s mate couldn’t have any more children due to the changes her body experienced fighting to protect Ouachita in the past. They were blessed with one and learned the hard way that pregnancy was too dangerous for Nastia with the demands of her altered body. “… I figured, it must be meant for this one.”

  “Thank you, Thames.” Layna’s voice fluttered with emotion. “This is very kind.”

  Thames nodded once. “It’s sturdy. Made of pine. It’ll be a good bed for her.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  By the time afternoon rolled around, the extra bedroom was set up as a makeshift nursery and they had enough supplies to care for Dandi for at least until spring. But there was still no word as to who had abandoned her at the chapel. No indication how long she would get to stay. And Ryan knew as long as that was unsettled, he and Layna couldn’t move past what had nearly broken them.

  ***

  Ryan leaned against the counter that separated the kitchen from the living area. He was better off there since his living room was full of clan members. The cabin was small, and he’d always liked it that way. But now, with the entire Ouachita crew huddled inside, minus the young who were watching a movie at the lodge, it felt crowded and suffocating.

  Magic had called a clan meeting. No hint of why, but Ryan wasn’t daft enough to assume it didn’t have something to do with Dandi.

  Layna sat in the rocking chair with the snoozing baby pressed to her chest. The worried expression on her face cou
ld be felt throughout the room as if it was the brush of a physical touch. She couldn’t have hid her concern even if she’d tried.

  And she wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

  Ryan stared past several of the Ouachita members to where Gash stood near the front door. Bailey was at his side, their hands linked. She looked troubled and Gash wouldn’t meet Ryan’s gaze.

  What have you found, cat?

  The bears also seemed uncomfortable. Thames stared at his hands, which never stopped rubbing together. His palms could spark a fire soon if he wasn’t careful. And Theo rocked back and forth on his feet, looking like he wanted to shift.

  Ryan turned his gaze to the three Sorcera. The females always carried an air of properness. A consequence of their upbringing under the tutors who raised them. Today however, Nastia sat next to Thames, looking surprised. As if she knew a secret that she never expected to come clean with. Mirena paced the small space beside Theo, muttering something to herself. Maybe a spell that would keep them all calm. Who could know.

  But Sunshine… Sunshine was acting the strangest of them all.

  She sat perfectly still, seated on the hearth of the fireplace, her long skirt flowing out around her feet. Her mouth was set in a grim line that at times, looked like she was trying to suppress a smile. Most curious of all was the fact that Mason was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where is your mate?” Magic asked her, as if he’d heard Ryan’s thoughts.

  “He will be arriving soon.”

  “How soon? And where did he go?”

  Sunshine gave Magic a sympathetic smile. “Mason will be here soon.”

  Renner shook his head, nervously rubbing Bethany’s shoulder. Ryan met his sister’s hopeful gaze. Beth knew how much this meant to him and Layna. Knew what it was like to feel unworthy and be given the perfect chance.

  “I remember a day when Mason hated this vague Elder shit,” Renner muttered. “Now look at him.”

  “He still hates it.” Sunshine nodded earnestly. “He just likes to bother you guys as much as he is bothered. I don’t understand it really. I assumed it was a shifter thing.”

  Josie nodded as she squeezed Magic’s hand. “Oh, yes. It’s definitely a shifter thing.”

  Magic grumbled something that didn’t make it to Ryan’s ears, and Gash cleared his throat.

  “Perhaps we should start without him.”

  “Yes,” Sunshine agreed. “Go ahead, Magic.”

  Ryan’s attention darted to Layna. She pressed her lips together and he wished he could maneuver his way over to stand by her. But as twitchy as he was, it was best not to brush elbows with the others right now. Their animals could pick up his mounting hostility and buck up for a brawl. It wouldn’t mean anything other than letting off steam, and it happened a lot around Lake Haven. But if it could be avoided inside his home…

  “Is this about the baby?” Layna croaked. “Have you found her family? Is it time for her to leave?” The last part was growled, revealing to everyone just what she thought about never seeing Dandi again.

  “Yes. And no.” Magic stumbled over his answer. “It’s complicated. Maybe it’s best if I let Gash explain.”

  All eyes turned to the big brooding jag-lion shifter with the curved scar on his cheek. His dark eyes went to Layna and stayed there for untold minutes.

  “Last night we lost the scent trail, but I had a feeling whoever left the baby in the chapel was spending the night on the far reaches of our property. Hiding out until morning.”

  “What made you think so,” Renner asked.

  “The scent trail circled back around to the lodge several times so it seemed like they’d been skulking about for a while. More than just a day trip. Also something was used to disguise the scent. That’s why none of us smelled it until we knew what to look for.”

  Theo frowned. “We need to bridge that gap in our security.”

  “Agreed,” Magic growled.

  “I’ll get on it,” Theo promised.

  Gash continued. “So we decided to wait until dawn and try to track the scent fresh when they came out of hiding. We set out early this morning and picked her up at the edge of the mountain—”

  “Her,” Layna snapped. “A female.”

  Gash nodded gravely. “As we followed the scent past our boundaries, we picked up another.”

  “This one, male,” Theo added.

  The room was quiet as everyone absorbed this information. They all knew what most big cat shifters did to their females. Breed and leave. Mate and hate. They were violent and wild and harsh. And whatever young were produced, was property of the male unless…

  Ryan’s heart dropped as he realized why Dandi was left behind.

  “She brought the baby here to protect it from the male,” Layna whispered.

  “Yes,” Magic confirmed.

  Ryan couldn’t miss how tightly the man held onto his mate’s hand. If Magic hadn’t had a vision to create a safe haven for the females in his life, no one in this room would have had the chance at a happily ever after. But the male werecats of Ouachita had proven that the old ways that poisoned clans over the years didn’t have to continue.

  Gash sighed heavily. “We found her twenty miles out from our boundaries. She was clawed to shreds and there was no hint of her male except for a faint scent trail leading in the opposite direction of Lake Haven.”

  “Poor thing,” Beth sniffed, leaning her head on Renner’s shoulder.

  Ryan’s heart pounded at the injustice. How many female werecats were out there fighting for their lives or the lives of their young even now? How many of them knew about Lake Haven and tried to make it to safety before it was too late? How many were lost before they even had a chance? He stared at the little female in his mate’s arms. That would never happen to Dandi. He would see to it.

  “There’s more,” Magic said. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out an envelope and leveled his gaze on Ryan. “I want you to read this.”

  Ryan straightened as the letter was passed from person to person until it landed in his hands. The envelope was wrinkled and worn, like the message it contained was written quite a while ago. On the front was the mailing address for Lake Haven, but there was no stamp or postage marks.

  “It was found on the body of the female. We think she planned to send it when she was far enough away,” Thames explained.

  Ryan ripped the end open and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper. His hands shook as he unfolded it, and he hoped no one noticed.

  “What does it say?” Layna asked.

  He cleared his throat and began reading out loud.

  “For my daughter, when she’s ready…” He looked at Layna. “Well, shit.” Her worried brow creased with sadness and he wanted to go to her, smooth it out, and then wrap her and Dandi in his arms and promise them nothing bad would happen.

  “Read it,” she whispered.

  He swallowed hard and tried again.

  “Your story begins a very long time ago in Memphis, with your grandfather. He was a mean man. The leader of a shadow clan of dangerous werecats whose hearts were black with power and status. Your grandmother, my mother, as his mate, bore him cubs in the ways of our people. Three of them. Two males before me.

  When I was born, she was overcome with worry that I would grow to be used by the clan the same way she had. Because of her, and because of what I’m about to do, you will never know those brutal ways. She escaped with me, leaving my brothers to be raised by the clan. It was both her biggest regret and her finest hour. Because she saved me. For a little while. Until I was hunted by my own mate, and claimed violently. But don’t you worry about that. It gave me you. And despite the fact that you won’t know me, I loved you dearly. The way a mother does. The way I hope you are loved after me.

  Your grandmother didn’t live long enough to meet you. Not even close. I don’t know what became of your uncles. But in my imagination, I pretend they grew to be better men than our father. I pretend they are l
ike the men of the clan I am giving you to. The Ouachita Clan. Men who would never harm their females.

  I am told Ouachita is a haven for werecats. A place where you will grow up cherished and protected. That’s what I want for you, daughter. To be cherished. So we are leaving for Arkansas tomorrow. I’ll see for myself these infamous cats who can love strangers like family. And if they are what people say… you will be theirs.

  Your father will follow us. We just have to make it to the mountains first. If he catches me, he will kill me. But I’m ready. I learned from my mother how to protect a female young. I hope when your time comes, you live in a world where you don’t need to die to keep yours safe. And I think you will. Because of Ouachita.

  So I’ll leave you with the same words my mother left me with. Hold them close. They are all you’ll ever have of her or me:

  Don’t live the life you are given, live the one you fight for.”

  Ryan’s voice was barely a rasp and his pulse thundered so loudly in his ears that he could hardly hear himself at all. Somehow, he found Gash through the stricken faces that filled his living room. Did this letter mean what he thought it meant?

  “Tell me there is another clan in Memphis that this letter could be about.”

  Gash gave a grim shake of his head.

  “W-wait,” Layna rushed out. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  Gash looked at Bailey as if she could give him the strength to say his next words, and when he turned back to the others, it was with solemn resolution. “The baby is descended from the Alley Cats. And her mother… well, if the letter is true, then her mother was my sister.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Ryan swallowed hard as the letter fell from his hands to land on the counter with a soft flick that could be heard better than thunder throughout the silent cabin.

  The baby—his baby—was an Alley Cat by birth.

  Which meant…

  “What does this mean?” He directed his question at the three Sorcera.

  They exchanged glances before Nastia answered. “Well, it means the curse we inflicted on the Alley Cats when they tried to attack Ouachita might have had some effect on her upbringing.”