by A Lonergan
Rafe shook his head. “We have a lot of clean-up to do but I want both of you safe. Don’t do anything stupid and stay with Granny and my mother.” Tracey’s face pinched. She didn’t like that idea at all. Rafe turned to look at her over his shoulder. “You are one of my best fighters, I trust my mate and family with you. When we get to the Pack Lands, Lucas will escort both of you to the safe house where the children are being kept. They’ve been moved.”
Tracey’s eyes met my own and color drained from her face. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else we can do?”
Rafe fixed her with a serious stare. “The most important thing you can do for me is to protect my mate.”
Chapter 21
Rafe
Was I ever going to get it right as an Alpha? It seemed like every single move I made was the wrong one and finally, when I felt like I was making a good decision… it backfired on me. Tracey watched over her shoulder while she escorted Jade into my home. Ford was already there. He had been brought in by Axel when the shit had hit the fan.
As I drove around the Pack Lands my stomach knotted even further. It became harder to breathe as I passed by each property. It looked like a tornado had come through here. Houses had been picked up and crushed a few feet away from their pads. People’s entire lives destroyed right in front of them. Insurance wouldn’t be hard to get out to take care of it all but it would be a very massive headache. All we had to do was report a tornado. I wondered what the security footage on the property had picked up. Knox and Gabriel flanked my sides as we walked through the devastation.
“What do we do now? We can’t let him continue to attack like this.” Knox growled.
I tore my hands through my hair. “I don’t know what to do this time, Knox. I don’t have the answers all the time and especially not now.”
Gabriel patted my shoulder. “We will figure it out.”
Knox shook his head. “No, we can’t let him continue to do this!” A tired sound escaped my lips. “What do you suggest?”
Knox folded his arms over his chest and a blood-thirsty look crossed over his face. “I say we attack. No more of this back and forth.”
“You think we should retaliate?” Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“And why not?” Knox reared his head back like he had been slapped.
“Because they are wanting that. They’re trying to drag us out of our protective bubble. Good thing they didn’t know we had left.” Gabriel shook his head. “I am all about getting some good revenge. But this will only make things worse for us. We don’t have an army like they do. We have a shit ton of witches at our disposal. We need to figure out how to use them to our advantage.”
I scratched my chin. “We need a barrier or maybe,” I stopped. “We need to fake them out.”
Knox’s jaw ticks as he unclenched it. “War room?”
I nodded. That was the only place we could talk about this safely.
The only two people that weren’t sitting at the round table in the war room when we got there were Jade and Tracey. Axel watched me from across the table. His face was grim. “What can we do?”
“We have to get them to come to us,” I looked into the faces of my men and felt strength radiate from them. “They are trying to draw us out and make us angry but we need to play the long game. This isn’t something that is going to go away anytime soon. We need to be patient. The Pack Lands are our home, we grew up running through these trees. We know the land like no other. We will fight on this land.”
Axel stroked his chin thoughtfully. “How are we going to do that?”
I smiled. “The witches are going to help. We will need a lot of magic.”
Knox shook his head. “I don’t like getting the witches involved.”
Axel sneered like he was offended. “They are powerful, they will help us win. Even if they are children. Most of those children are wiser than any of you. They have seen far more death and destruction. You know killing, it’s not the same.”
Knox scratched his eyebrow. “No, that’s not what I mean. I know they are powerful. I am not being racist or whatever. What I’m being is careful. Those children don’t know war. They don’t know strategy. The last thing I want to do is put kids on the front line.”
Lucas took a step forward from the corner. He had asked to join but wanted to remain hidden. He had used his magic to cloak him and his scent from the rest of us. “The children aren’t the only witches around here.”
Pride took over Axel’s face. It took me back to when we were kids and he had been hard on his son. He didn’t know how to love Lucas and it was obvious, especially when Lucas returned with Jade. But seeing him proud of his son made my heart swell.
“I am a witch and a wolf, so is my sister. Granny is a powerful witch as well. Even if Tracey hasn’t mastered her magic, we are a powerful force that will lead the children.”
Knox shook his head. “Tracey can’t be used on the frontline of witches. She has never trained as one. It’s different for you. You were a witch before a wolf. She was a wolf before a witch.” His eyebrows pinched together. “This is too dangerous.”
Lucas stalked toward my Guardian. Lightning lit up in his eyes. “You do not get to control what Tracey does. You are nothing to her.”
The hurt in Knox’s eyes was there and gone within a flash. Anyone else would have missed it except me and Axel. Axel’s brow dipped as he looked at me. I shook my head. Now wasn’t the time. We could talk about those things at a later date, especially once Tracey’s family found out about the vampire bite.
“I don’t want to control her, I want to lo-” He snarled. “It doesn’t matter what I want. I don’t think it’s a good idea. She hasn’t known her magic long enough. She needs to stay with Jade.”
Lucas looked conflicted over that statement. “You’re right, I would love to have her with Jade. She can protect her well but her emotions will get in the way. We can’t have her in another situation like before.” Everyone looked at each other. Lucas rolled his eyes. “You have a bunch of stay-at-home moms around here that sit around and gossip while their kids are in school or playing on the playground. Don’t act like everything is a big secret.”
I sucked air through my teeth. He wasn’t wrong but he probably shouldn’t have said it like that. He shrugged. He absolutely had zero regrets over his words.
“Tracey is already emotionally attached to this situation. She can’t protect Jade and be unbiased.”
“Can any of us say that we are?” Knox folded his arms over his chest.
“You were all trained to leave it all behind on the battlefield. Your wolves were crafted for violence and obedience. I would worry a lot less with one of you watching over her. I know that one of you will do what needs to be done in a pinch, no matter what that is.”
Axel nodded his head as he leaned his elbows on the table. “He’s not wrong. I love my daughter and I know all of her strengths but her heart can and will be a weakness. She doesn’t need to be close to Jade while all of this goes down.”
Chaos erupted. My thoughts seemed to fizzle out as everyone spoke at once. I watched my men argue and I shook my head. What was to be done? I stood up and leaned forward against the table. “Hush.” My voice was soft but all of the commotion came to a halt. My command practically buzzed through the air. “Tracey will be on the front lines with her brother and Granny. Archer will watch over Jade and my brother.”
Mav frowned but didn’t say anything. He was just as emotionally attached to Jade as Tracey was. Archer was probably the only one that didn’t care to go around her. He seemed cautious of her, which was fine, they would get a lot of time to bond throughout all of this.
I cracked my knuckles. “Here’s how everything is going to go…”
Chapter 22
Jade
Tracey hissed through her teeth as Granny poked the vampire bites on the side of her neck. Then she hissed even harder when Granny smacked her head
. “You stupid girl.”
I frowned. “She was attacked.”
Granny’s eyes turned toward the ceiling as Carden came in with a new set of bandages. It was weird to me that all he did now was spend his time with the witches. He couldn’t remember his life before the witches went into his head and he couldn’t remember anything from the time his brain was taken over. He was in the weirdest position and there was absolutely nothing that could be done about it. Maybe he had been a witch before and that was why he felt so drawn to Granny and the kids. Either way, I still didn’t trust him.
“She smelled that he was a vampire even before she saw him. She could have avoided this. She allowed him to get close enough to her to use his strength on her.” She clicked her tongue. “Vampires are naturally stronger and faster than werewolves but that’s after years of training. Rafe told me he was newly changed. He shouldn’t have gotten the best of you.”
“Sounds to me like you’re victim shaming,” I muttered. Tracey shot me a dark look and twitched her head to cut it out. I shrugged. I respected my elders. I adored Granny. But I wasn’t going to let anyone get away with being ugly to my friend. It explained why Tracey had been so worried before. Her father and mother would possibly feel the same way.
Granny took my hand in hers. There were calluses deep in her palms and I wondered what kind of work did that. There was a worn mortar and pestle on the kitchen table. Her shelves were filled with dried herbs and spices. Maybe that’s what did it. “I love Tracey dearly and I would never victim blame, but she can’t be coddled her entire life. Neither can you. You were a stupid girl with all of your partying. You grew and evolved like you are supposed to.” She lowered her voice. “I have a feeling this all had something to do with Knox anyway.”
Granny the all-knowing. Nalia snickered in my head.
Truly. I thought back.
The truth was imprinted in my brain but there was no way I was going to give that information up. I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
She grinned and pulled her hands away from mine. “I can taste lies too, child.”
Tracey groaned across the room. “Stop talking about me.” She looked at Carden that was dressing the side of her neck with some ointment. “Is all of this really necessary?”
Granny clicked her tongue. “Yes, I don’t waste my good herbs for no damn reason. You can go to a doctor if that’s what you want.” She smirked. “Not that they could help you, but you’re welcome to try it.” Granny pointed to the hall. “There’s the door.”
“You get sassier as you age,” Tracey winced and yanked her head away from Carden. His expression was apologetic but he still leaned back into her to continue applying the medicine.
Granny winked at the both of us. “Of course I do because the longer I live, the more I get tired of other people and their nonsense.”
“Makes sense,” I agreed with her. I couldn’t imagine the life span that had been bestowed upon me. I would probably end up just like her.
Tracey hissed. “You have to try something else.”
Granny leaned against her counter. “Nope, this means it’s working.”
“I think you get enjoyment out of torturing me,” Tracey whined as Carden brushed his fingers over her neck again.
A laugh escaped Granny’s lips and it was a contagious thing. “Do you know the hell you put me through when you were a child? Of course I get joy out of these things now. You were a pain in the ass.”
Carden coughed slightly to cover up his laugh. I tried to hide my smile behind my hand and Tracey shot us all murderous looks.
A whistle started up down the hall before Valentina, Bee’s daughter, came around the corner. She had a flower crown braided into her blonde hair and a thick leather book between her hands. Her dress looked like it was homemade. The stitching was slightly crooked but it was a cute little jumper with enormous buttons on each shoulder. She eyed Tracey curiously as she sat down at the table. She opened the book in front of her and a pressed flower slipped out. It drifted in the air like a feather but before it could connect with the wood floor, it rose up and landed right back in the book.
Valentina didn’t look up from the page while the flower came to a rest right between the pages. She hadn’t moved her hands or her lips but the flower had done her bidding perfectly. Soul magic wasn’t her only affinity. Admiration shone in Granny’s eyes.
“Valentina is a star pupil. She will make a fine witch someday.”
Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched as Tracey rolled hers. Her lip twitched up in disgust. Valentina wouldn’t acknowledge Tracey’s presence either. She grinned at me for a moment before she went back to her reading. She ignored Carden as well. That explained all the issues they were having. Valentina and Tracey were jealous of each other.
When Carden pressed the bandage to Tracey’s neck, she cursed and shoved him away. “All of you people just love to cause unnecessary pain.”
Valentina’s eyebrow quirked up before she turned to my best friend. “Maybe if you weren’t such a baby, then you could handle it. He didn’t have to heal you.”
“You what?” Tracey ripped the bandage off of her neck and rushed to the bathroom on the other side of the cottage. Granny’s nostrils flared. Carden’s face turned pink under all the scrutiny.
“Valentina,” Granny’s voice held a warning. “You know better than revealing other’s secrets. It wasn’t yours to share.”
Valentina eyed Granny. “You knew?”
Both of Granny’s brows hiked up her forehead. “Of course I knew. Nothing goes on in this Pack that I don’t know about.” Her eyes flashed white. “My familiars are in the trees and in the water. Everything that does on does so under my authority.”
Tracey growled from the other room. “And Rafe’s!”
I snickered but opted to keep my mouth closed.
Granny waved her hand around. “Yes, that too but with so many witches here, it’s like another coven. Which is a territory that Rafe doesn’t know about at all. These are his lands and I am thankful for the right to live on them but I have just as much power here.”
Carden’s eyes watched something on the floor. He wouldn’t say anything. Granny continued on but this time she spoke to him. “I see you escape into the woods to experiment with your magic. I know that it scares you. You don’t have to hide the scars from me.”
He rolled his sleeves up and there was the damage. He had been cutting himself and healing the wounds. It wasn’t practical but at least he had learned something. At least he had started to figure it out. “I wanted to learn for myself. I didn’t want to have to ask questions or have to go to class.”
Granny rubbed his back with her hand. “Healing magic is a bit different. It operates differently than any other kind. It’s very similar to Soul magic.”
Valentina watched Carden curiously before she turned back to her book. Her voice was loud when she spoke. “Most witches only have one affinity. Earth magic, blood or body magic, Soul magic, elemental magic.”
“What do you have?” I sat down beside her at the table while Carden told Granny something under his breath. Tracey was taking an awfully long time in the bathroom.
Valentina’s grin was full of malice. “All of them.”
Tracey’s eyes were wet with tears when we finally left Granny’s cottage. She had locked herself in the bathroom and it took me leaving for her to come out. She had followed me with her head bowed. Carden had healed the wounds but the aftermath of it wasn’t pretty. Right in the center of her neck were two teardrop shaped, crimson scars. They stood out against her bronzed skin.
I rolled the sleeves up on my sweater. The chill was still strong in the air even though the snow had melted but it didn’t matter. I was going to own my scars just like Tracey had to. She could wear a scarf every day or even a choker but neither of those things were her style. She eyed me curiously.
“What are you doing?”
“I feel a little stuffy is all. I hate wearing swea
ters.” It was true but not all of the truth. She could smell it in the air but she didn’t comment on it.
“Thank you for caring about me.”
I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly. “Thank you for caring about me.”
Chapter 23
Rafe
Insurance was a headache just like I knew it would be. But the homes were getting reassessed and the builders in town that were wolves would have everything fixed up soon. I didn’t give them an estimated date to have it finished by. I didn’t give them much to work with besides some promises of money and that I would call them. There was too much happening for me to worry about rebuilding at the moment.
Jade’s voice met my ears and my wolf immediately perked up. Tonight was the full moon and he was gonna put all the moves on Nalia, Jade’s wolf. We had worked hard on keeping them separated but Nalia knew better. She would keep my wolf in check. Jade and Tracey both walked out of the woods with their arms looped together.
Tracey’s neck wasn’t a bleeding mess anymore. But curiously enough, there were two red scars there. The venom should have prevented the puncture wounds from healing for, probably, weeks. They were coming from the direction of Granny’s. Did one of the kids possess healing abilities? This would change the tides of everything. Healing magic was one of the more rare forms. Having one on our side would make me feel more confident. I slipped through the trees to her cottage.
Valentina opened the door. “You just missed them.”
“I’m looking for Granny,” She didn’t move out of the doorway.
“What do you need from Granny?”
A growl rumbled through my chest as my wolf grew antsy with this little girl challenging me. “That is none of your business.”
She cocked a brow and folded her arms. “You can let me know what you need then I’ll let you in.”
