Last Chance Diner

by Rowan Thalia

  "I'm going to claim pack law and ask for the bond between Faith and me to be recognized. If Thane declines, I will fight for my right to be Faith's mate," Ranger's declaration hits me like a sledgehammer.

  "That's not what we talked about," I stutter.

  "No, but it makes the most sense ... and carries the least casualties with it. Thane would be stupid to deny me because we are True-mates," he folds his arms and leans against the headboard.

  "That would only solve a portion of my issues with my former pack," I snarl. "The men who were involved in my attack should pay!"

  "I'm not arguing about that, Petite Louve. But just hear me out. You still have family in that pack. Don't you want to keep in good standing with them? Once I've won the fight, we will bring up the issue of the other wolves. The Alpha will be obliged to cull them - or allow me to do so," Ranger raises his palms in the air.

  He has a point, well more than one. The thought of my mother and siblings makes my throat burn, I want to see them so bad! I grit my teeth, sip on my coffee, and began pacing the room. Conflicting emotions swirl around inside of me. It's so much, I almost screamed.

  'He is right. Let us end this peacefully,' Snow awakens.

  'I want them to pay!'

  'And they will, soon. The prophecy will come into play. Thane will lose what he holds most dear,' Snow snorts.

  'I'm still salty that you've kept all of this from me our whole life.'

  'I had no choice, I was magically bound to my promise,' she states without emotion.

  'Fine. But please stop speaking in riddles like an old bitch! What does the prophecy say? You keep referring to the prophecy and holding the secret. I don't like this at all. We are one, you need to share your knowledge with me now!'

  'There will come a Moon Born

  Birthed on the seventh hour of the seventh month

  Father witch - mother wolf

  Blood and powers combined.

  After a great betrayal,

  Powers will be given by three who are called.

  A great leader will fall,

  His loss will be her gain.

  And so shall the Moon Born rise,

  And a new coven will proliferate.'

  'Wow. Okay. Thank you, Snow. And … I'm sorry I never gave you a name,' my heart aches.

  'It is not the way of our old pack, which is why they will falter,' she states evenly. 'I do not blame you. We are one. I did not know I needed one until the night of magic.' I'm sorry I could not stop Jared. I know you are hurting; I feel it.'

  'I don't blame you for that either. And let's agree never to speak his name until we ask for him to be culled.'

  'Agreed, sister-self. I love you.'

  'I like that. I love you too.'

  "Okay, Snow and I agree with your plan, Ranger. What now?" I look over at him.

  Ranger's face lights up with a smile. "Let's all freshen up and get on the road then. We can rent a van and drive through the night. Since it's a long-ass trip, we will plan the details as we drive," he claps his hands together.

  "You got it, boss," Lewis and Brandon move faster than I would've thought, bumping shoulders as they squeeze into the bathroom together. The squeak of the faucet is followed by the sound of a slap and a yowl. I chuckle. They must both be in the shower. Human males would be weird about being naked together, but not wolves in the same pack - certainly not ours.

  The Alpha in Ranger kicks into high gear. He's a blur of motion and barking orders. For once, I fall in line like everyone else. It feels right, our pack working together effortlessly, even the witches take to his leadership without question. I wouldn't be able to leave the room if it weren't for my new sisters. They brought clothing for all of us. The girls fit right into our group, and it makes me happier than I can say to have female companionship. A needed smile pulls at the corners of my lips as I run to the lobby to scout out food for the pack.

  "Good Morning," the receptionist smiles as I walk through the doors.

  I tilt my head and flash my teeth as I head toward the breakfast bar. Lucky for me, they've already got to go plates out. I grab two. In the first one, I pile as many eggs and sausage as the thing will hold. The second one I fill with pastries and some fruit. The skin on my neck prickles. I almost drop the plates. Taking a deep breath, I call to the pack through the bond and scan the room.

  "How silly of you to leave the safety of your own," a female voice sneers.

  "Oh, she didn't leave anyone," Millie's voice echoes from behind me. "You think the Sisters of the Moon would leave her so easily, Vera? We knew you'd come back."

  I'm trembling and unsure of what to do next. It seems I keep doing this - not thinking and putting myself in danger. When will I learn? Biting my lip, I look back at Millie. The room seems hazy. I can feel magic pulsing in the air.

  "Faith, we've got you. I have been with you - but invisible so that you could have some space."

  "Vera? You're Thane's witch? Why does he want me so badly?" I refuse to look her way; instead, my eyes lock with Millie's. She mouths, "Alyssa is beside you. Take a step back."

  Not letting go of the food, cause I'm still thinking about my men - I do as she asks. 'Babe, we're here, in the hall waiting for Millie to let us know how to help,' Ranger's voice is like a balm. I mouth the message to Millie, and she blinks twice. I don't know her fucking eye Morse code, but I assume she's got a plan.

  "Oh, don't be coy, wolf," the witch steps into my sight. "I can smell the magic on you. My mother could too, which is the only reason your Sire rose to second in Thane's command - to keep you close," she sneers.

  That's it, the straw that breaks me. I simply can't handle another secret being thrown at me. Something in me snaps. Before I know it, the food crashes to the floor, and I throw my hands out. A ball of light flies from my palms and plunges into Vera's chest. The whole thing happens as if in slow motion. The look of surprise on her face is the last thing I see of her before she blinks out of sight.

  "Faith? Are you alright?" Alyssa materializes and takes my hands in hers, turning my palms face up. I tremble when I notice the skin is black. "You're okay. An untrained witch, but a strong one - which is to be expected of the Moon Born. Your skin will look anew in a few hours."

  "Did I kill her?" I croak, pulling my hands to my chest. Ranger sneaks up behind me, wrapping his arms around my chest. Ty and Brandon flank him until I'm surrounded by their warmth. I sigh and sink into his hold. I'm starting to get used to them knowing exactly what I need.

  "I'm afraid so, dear," Millie steps forward. "All is fair in love and war, Faith. Don't even think twice about her being gone. She turned to dark magic years ago, I could smell it on her."

  "I … I'm not upset, I just didn't know that I could do that. It's kinda scary," I stare at the empty space before me. "Won't people …" I look around and sigh with relief when the room is empty.

  "It can be. Being a witch brings with it a responsibility to learn your magic. We will help you. The fact that you have a natural ability for self-defense is good, though. We can work with that," Tyffani appears behind Alyssa.

  "Exactly. Being Sisters of the Moon is a lifelong bond. We won't let you down!" Millie throws her hands in the air.

  "I knew there was something special about you. A pack and a coven, you're an amazing woman, Faith," Ty blushes beside me. We exchange a look that makes my throat tighten. I love him so much.

  Brandon nods, "Let's grab the food and get moving before any more of Thane's people get the jump on us. Lewis should be back with a van soon."

  "Good idea!" Ty grabs two new containers and begins filling them. Alyssa and Tyffani step to his side to help. Ranger's arms tighten. He sways from side to side as if we're slow dancing. My heart is banging around in my chest, and I'm panting. My body still thinks we're in danger. For my sanity, I need to calm the fuck down.

  "Are we ... cloaked? I can't believe no one sounded an alarm," I look from side to side, trembling.

  "Yeah. I took care of
that as soon as I saw Vera appear. I can teach you on the drive," Millie's face is pale, but she winks.

  As quickly as we can, we gather food and drinks, then head back to the room. My nerves have finally settled. I'm starving! The smell of the boxed-up food is torturing me as we scramble to gather what little we have to take with us.

  "I wish we were closer to home so we could grab a few things," I grumble. "But delaying just gives more time for Thane to blindside us again."

  The door swings open. Lewis walks in casually, twirling a set of keys on his finger. He sniffs the room, and his eyes widen. "What'd I miss?"

  Ranger just laughs, claps him on the shoulder, and takes the keys. "We'll catch you up on the drive. Load up!"

  Four days later …

  The van is quiet. We're parked at a hotel one town away from my old pack's territory, Ranger's gone inside to rent two rooms. The rest of us are just sitting here waiting. I can't believe we're finally close enough to end this once and for all.

  My guts are about to make their way outside of my body, I'm so nervous. The Moon Sisters have been teaching me to control my inherent magic along the way, so I have that going for me, but there's still a lot that could go wrong. Very wrong. Like one of us gets killed wrong … and if I lost any of these people, I'd wither and die myself.

  Ranger appears next to the van, opens the door and peeks inside. "Got the rooms. I'm gonna just go check them out and have a look around first. Can one of your magical sisters come with me?"

  "I'll come! My ass hurts from sitting for so long," Millie volunteers. My skin prickles with the thought of them being alone, but I push the emotion down. I trust them both.

  "How are you feeling, Faith?" Alyssa pokes her head between the seats.

  "Nervous. Scared. Mad as hell and ready to fight," I count off on my fingers.

  She tilts her head and squeezes my shoulder. Her mouth opens, but whatever she was about to say gets cut off when Ranger opens my door and scoops me into his arms. My stomach drops when he twirls me in a circle before setting back down with a kiss on my cheek.

  "What's gotten into you?" I giggle.

  "What? I can't be excited to stay in the honeymoon suite with my girl?" His smile is so broad, it creates two dimples on either side of his face.

  "You are ridiculous. Let's get inside," I caress his jaw. Every time. These men pick up on every shift of my emotions and counter the dark with whatever they can. I will never be able to repay them.

  'You repay us every day with the love you brought into our lives. Not only your love but allowing us to open up and fully bond with each other,' Ty's voice ripples in my mind.

  If I allowed myself, I'd break into tears right now. Instead, I bite my lip and look back at Ty. Our eyes meet, and the bond overflows with love. Lewis nudges Ty out of my view and blows a kiss. Not wanting to be left out, Brandon jumps out of the van. He lands next to me with a huge grin, pulls my chin up and bites it. A giddy feeling flows through me bringing on a smile. I need Thane to be out of my life so that we can really start ours. More determined than ever, I grip Ranger's hand and follow him to the room. The rumbles of steps and doors slamming behind me is a sure sign everyone else is following.

  As we enter the doors, a collective gasp runs through the group. Leave it to Ranger to pick an upscale hotel. This place is stunning! My eyes bulge as we walk into the lobby, which has a damn waterfall flowing down the wall near the stairs. The whole area is very chic, and I love it. I was expecting something more low-key and can't wait to see the actual room!

  "You surprise me," I chuckle.

  "Good surprise, I hope," he nudges me with his shoulder.

  "Yeah. I hope this is easier than my gut is telling me it will be …"

  "Shh. We've got this, babe. Let's settle in and go over the plan."

  He's right. The best thing I can do is be calm and stick to the plan. It's more important than ever to control my emotions, I can't have my magic blasting about. I've learned a few tricks on the drive, but not nearly enough. Since I'm a late bloomer, I'm missing all the training that my sisters had as they grew up. I hate it.

  We stop at the elevator. Ranger pushes the up button. We all stand quietly, waiting. Millie's lavender hair glows in the light, and I reach out to stroke it. She inclines her head and pats my shoulder. It's weird how close I feel to my sisters in such a small amount of time. I went my entire first twenty-six years without ever really forming a bond with anyone other than my mom, and now I have a whole coven-pack.

  As Moon Born, my powers are stronger at night. Lewis and Ty did some scouting, turns out there's a pack gathering tonight. We've decided to attend and make our case known. Catching Thane off guard when he's in the spotlight is critical. The plan is for my sisters to cloak themselves and tail us. Ty, Lewis, and Brandon will stand with us and provide back up if needed.

  Honestly, I have my doubts about whether Thane will even hear us out. I've dyed my hair black and will wear a mask covering my face until we step forward. The plan won't work unless we call him out in front of everyone, forcing him to stick to pack law. Millie's helped me center myself a bit, but I'm nervous as all hell.

  "Go time!" Ranger puts the van in park and leans over to brush my hair out of my face. "Just breathe, Petite Louve."

  I smile weakly and open my door. The fresh night air sweeps in, chilling me and taking my breath. The familiar scenery of the Alpha's farmland is gut-wrenching. I have so many good memories here, but tonight is guaranteed to overshadow them.

  'Please, Goddess, let us win without a fight.'

  'Pack law. We will win,' Snow decides to wake up. She's been silent a lot lately. I was starting to worry.

  Ranger and I lock hands. The other three men form a tight group behind us. We walk around the big farmhouse and enter the backfield where a bonfire is already roaring. My former pack all sat in a semi-circle around the fire. Thane and his Luna sit on a platform above them, waiting for any pack member that needs to step up to the mic to be heard. My palms sweat, and my skin itches as we file past the seated wolves and approach the center of the group.

  "Alpha Thane. I wish to be heard," Ranger leans into the microphone.

  Thane leans forward, squinting. "Who are you? I don't recognize you as one of my pack."

  "That's because I'm not. My name is Ranger Cavalier. I'm here to claim Faith Babin as my True-mate according to pack law," he wraps his arm around my waist.

  A murmur rolls through the crowd at my name. Thane's enforcers step forward. The Alpha stands and motions them back. "You're claiming my second's daughter?" He laughs. "She's been betrothed, or didn't she tell you?"

  "Yes, I'm aware. Pack law supersedes a betrothal, sir," Ranger speaks through his teeth. "If you won't honor pack law and accept our bond, I ask you to allow me to fight for her."

  "Faith?" Thane eyeballs me. "What have you to say about this?" He turns his head and snaps. There's a shuffle of bodies. One of his enforcers drags my mother to the stage. Her hair is mussed, and she looks pale.

  Forcing my spine straight, I lean forward. "Ranger is my True-mate. I beg to leave my betrothal by way of pack law. I'm also going to ask that you let go of my mama," I snarl.

  Thane's lip curls as he takes my mama's hand. "You're lucky you showed up when you did, or she might not have been here to greet you."

  Clenching my fists, I pick up my foot to move. Lewis and Brandon step up to my sides, grasp my arms firmly to hold me back. Ty's Omega waves punch at me through my back as his fingers trace a heart over my shirt.

  "Calm, sister. Pull in your power before he calls a witch to his side," Millie whispers.

  "Will you honor our bond?" Ranger booms into the microphone.

  "I will not. She's cost me too much to let her waltz out of here free and clear," Thane points at me. "But, I'm an honest leader," he flashes his teeth, sending a chill down my spine. "I'll allow you to fight ... to the death of course, as pack law states. The entertainment will be worth whichever outcome hap
pens. If you win, you can have the bitch, and her mother. If you lose, they both go to The Gulf Pack leader to seal my alliance as promised."

  "I would assume that a great leader like you would keep the fight fair?" Ranger says with an edge to his voice.

  Thane nods, snaps at the enforcer to his left, then folds his arms. "Since my lead enforcer is missing," he raises an eyebrow at me. "You will fight Shade."

  The hairs rise on the back of my neck. Thane's up to something, I just don't know what. By all accounts, the fight between Ranger and Shade is a fair match, but my wolf and I bristled.

  'The air. Magic. Be careful, Ranger,' Snow growls.

  'I trust you both have my back, as well as your sisters. I can't back down now, or he can cull me,' Ranger replies.

  "Then, the fight is set. I will have my pack arrange a fighting ring tomorrow. You will arrive here tomorrow at sundown. To ensure you come, your True-mate will be a guest in my home for the night," Thane proclaims. "Now, let the evening's festivities begin!" He throws up his hands, dismissing us.

  "I don't like this," Alyssa says from beside me. "I can feel his witches nearby. Why would he have his hidden not knowing we're coming?"

  "They've always remained out of sight, I've heard about them all my life, but I'd never seen one of them while I was here. Thane likes the air of mystery to hang over the pack, I think," I whisper.

  "Like it or not, this fight is the only way to get what we want without having the whole pack turn on us," Lewis growls. "But I agree, we can't let our guard down. If we'd have been thinking, Ty and I should have melted into the crowd to do some more recon. Now we're out, so no one will talk freely around us."

  "The best thing we can do is …" I'm cut off when Shade marches over to us.

  "Come with me," he grunts, pointing at the farmhouse.

  "Where she goes, we go," Ranger replies.

  "That wasn't the deal. The bitch comes, or her mother dies."

  "I'll go," I step out of the circle they've created around me. 'Get out of here, and don't let them follow you,' I plead through the bond.