by K. C. Hamby
“I don’t want to be tied down by a need to kill.”
I snort and roll my eyes before dodging a parentless, running child who screams for no goddamn reason. “We have needs for killin’ as Lupi, so try again.”
She groans loudly and rakes her fingers through her long hair. “I know, but it’s not the same. I don’t know...something in my gut is screaming at me that it’s a bad idea. I’m already a monster.”
My lips tilt down.
“I don’t want to make it worse.” She swallows hard before her strange, scarred gaze falls on me.
There is a slight dullness of fear in the depths of her leer. A shining for a need of understanding from someone.
“What do you mean ‘make it worse’?”
“The darkness...it’s like it gets heavier in my mind every day. Nina heals me at least five times a day now. And that’s on a good day and only when I absolutely can’t take it anymore.”
Her fingers are going to fall off if she pops them anymore. I grab her hands to make her quit, more for her but also because the cracking of her joints makes me want to kick in her throat.
She yanks them away and growls at me, hating that I’ve touched her. But at least it got her to stop.
I chuckle under my breath and shake my head. “I’ll give it to you straight, lass. I had a hard time fightin’ my inner monster when I Burned. It tried to take over, tellin’ me I should give in to the darkest parts of me. And I’ve a lot of darkness swirlin’ in my soul. That’s what’s worse than the pain.”
Her shoulders drop and despair floats around us heavy as fog over a lake in the early morning. “I already have that fight all the time. How the hell am I supposed to win?”
“Go in with a clear soul. Have Nina heal you before you Burn. The darkness willnae fight so hard if there is less of it to fight.” I flick my hair over my shoulder and rub the shaved side of my head and the slight indented line. Falen put a lovely scar in the skin the first time we sparred. “You are strong, Falen. Dinnae forget that. Hecate wouldnae have Chosen you if you couldnae handle it.”
“I question that fact sometimes, you know.”
We are walking again in a few seconds, her a brooding wench beside me. She’s being doaty. We may bump heads a lot and have had a questionable past…
I rub the scars on my neck from her wolf’s teeth.
But I know why she was Chosen and Predestined. And now Fated. She fights for everything she believes in and isn’t scared to get in someone’s face if they disagree. She’s loyal almost to a fault and would take a bullet for anyone she cares for, me included. She shouldn’t have to question her worth.
“I’ve questioned Hecate’s decisions regardin’ me more times than I can count. After all I’ve done, she still picked me and I dinnae understand at all. I’m no angel. I’ve been a terrible person more times in my life than I’ve been good. And yet, she wanted me.”
“I don’t feel worthy of it.”
“I’m gonnae slap the shite out of you if you say that again.” I squint at her small smirk.
When she decides not to comment and is back to watching out for children running in front of her, I place my hand on her shoulder and shove her into a fancy pancy suit store.
“What the fuck? You dickhead,” she growls when she recovers from her wee stumble. Her fingers are claws at her sides, ready to snatch off my face.
“Almost missed the store.” I shrug.
“You’re about to be missing som…”
“What can I do for you ladies?” says a smooth, male voice, interrupting Falen’s threat. “Here for your boyfriends? Husbands?”
Falen squints at the man and I press my lips together to hide a sympathetic smile. Poor lad.
“Do I look like I have a boyfriend? A husband?” Falen asks, voice deadly calm and blade sharp.
“Oh, I didn’t mean..” he stutters, taking a wee step back from her wrath.
“Maybe you should think twice about making assumptions,” she grunts and crosses her arms over her chest.
“I apologize, ma’am. How can I help you today?” The laddie is sweating now.
Falen gestures to me, at a loss. I cackle.
“The lass is here for a suit. To propose. To her Ma..girlfriend.” I cough, almost saying Mate instead.
Now that would be a conversation.
“I see. Let’s start with color…”
“Black,” Falen interrupts.
I slap her shoulder, and she growls under her breath while giving me her side eye.
“Dinnae take it personally, lad,” I tell the wide-eyed salesman after rolling my own eyes at the wench. “She’s an arse to everyone.”
“I am n..” she starts, but I raise a brow. “Okay, yeah. I am. Sorry.”
“It’s quite alright.” The lad is gracious and bows his head a bit, clearing the embarrassment from his cheeks. “If you will follow me, miss…?”
“Falen,” Falen answers, and her voice lacks the snootiness I’m expecting. The tremor in her words is nervous.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her shaken quite like this. It’s a bit amusing if I’m honest.
I give her a smile when she looks at me for reassurance.
“I’ll wait outside the dressin’ room. I get veto power, aye?” I ask as I make my way to the comfy looking couch facing the dressing mirrors.
“Yeah, fine,” Falen grumbles.
I chuckle to myself. This is going to be fun.
Chapter 7
Nina
“Ash! Wait up!” I yell as I power walk in his direction. Him and his stupid long legs.
“What’s up, Nins?” he asks when he turns around, giving me his classic grin and finger guns as his eyes shine in the bright sun.
“I need a favor,” I breathe, looking around a little nervous. Lupi and their eagle ears don’t need to hear this. Especially one particular Lupi…
“She’s not here. Her and Eddie went off to do something super-secret.” Ash wags his brows, but I can tell he’s peeved he didn’t get invited.
Hmm. They’re on a mission together? Weird.
“Oh. Good. This is something only you can help me with.”
His eyes brighten again. I’ve gotten his attention.
“Oh yeah? And what can The Great and Powerful Ash help you with today, m’lady?”
I blow a laugh out of my nose as I step up beside him. We continue walking toward the apartments at a slow pace, thankfully. My legs are like half the height of his. “Okay, so I know this is like…not normal.”
“I know you’re not,” he cackles, but clears his throat and waves me on when I sneer at him, my lips turning down with the pull of humorous distaste. “Continue.”
“Anyway. I know Lupi don’t typically do like…the marriage thing…”
Ash stops walking and stares down at me with wide eyes, excitement pulsing in his energy almost instantly. It heats my cheeks.
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but I haven’t voiced it out loud yet.
“But…It’s a human thing. Kind of. Or well, I guess I’m not really human anymore...but...well...”
“You wanna marry Fal Pal.”
I let out a breath, glad I don’t have to stumble through an explanation any longer. “Yes.”
Before I can say anything else, Ash lifts me up and spins me around really fast, squeezing my waist with unhindered happiness. It’s cute but also kind of feels like he’s going to break my ribs.
“Ash, I’m going to puke,” I push out of my breathless lungs.
“You’re gonna be my official sister-in-law instead of just sister-in-bond? Hell yeah!” He drops me back on my feet and I sway, my head spinning even though my body isn’t any longer.
I stumble a few steps, but Ash grabs my elbow and steadies me. The world is still spinning through my eyes, tilting this way and that, begging me to plant myself right on the grass. I try to ignore the nausea wanting to jump up my throat.
“I’m assuming this m
eans I have your blessing?”
I grin when he nods frantically.
“Duh. What do you need my help with? Planning a surprise? Officiating the wedding? Oh!” he yells and claps—causing me to jump—before I can say anything. “You need me to plan the bachelor…ette party!”
“Uh, Ash. I kind of have to get her to say yes first.”
“Oh. Right.” He deflates but scrunches his face, clearly confused. “You know she will say yes.”
“Yeah, but I need help picking out a ring for her. Something she will actually want to wear. I know her pretty well, but I’d wager you know her better in a different way. You know what’s practical and what’s not for what you guys do. Missions and whatnot. I don’t want the ring to annoy her.”
“I am pretty knowledgeable in the things that annoy Fal Pal, yes.” He nods, rubbing his chin with his fingers. “It’s a long list.”
“Right,” I sigh, pushing windblown hair out of my eyes. This is why I need him. “Will you help me?”
“No prob, sis.” He winks and bumps my side with his elbow. “When do you want to do this thing?”
I glance around at the odd emptiness of the island around us. “Well, when do you have time?”
“Hmm.” He looks at his watch, dramatically tapping his chin acting like he really must think about his answer. “I’ll have to check with my secretary…”
“Ash.”
“But right now should be good for me,” he finally relents with a big goofy grin.
I shake my head and smile up at him. “Okay, good. Let’s go.”
We change directions and walk toward the ferry. Ash shoves his hands in his short’s pockets, legs large, super tan, and muscular, and stares at the ground.
“So, do you have any more shows you recommend? I already binged the Games and Thrones one you talked about.”
My mouth falls open and I do quick math. “Ash. I told you about that ten days ago.”
He shrugs and looks away from me. “It was good. And Eddie wouldn’t let me stop it..”
“Yeah, okay. It’s Eddie’s fault, huh? I wonder what she would have to say about that.”
“Okay, fine. It was me. Goddess, why can’t you just let me have one thing?”
Chapter 8
Ash
I kinda want to skip down the alley.
Fal Pal is going to get married. And here I used to think she would never even figure out how to say please without growling. She managed to make Nina like her. Or love her.
Whatever.
And now I get to be a best man in a wedding. Or, okay, I don’t know that. I hope Fal would want me to be. Because I would totally say yes.
But not without giving her shit first.
“I should be the one hyper. Why are you so giddy?” Nina asks, laughing between her words when I do a little skip. Her finger taps on the small box in her pocket, the ring secure in its cage.
“You have to understand what it was like before Fal met you, I guess. I’m just glad she’s happy and you like her enough to marry her.”
“You could say I love her enough, you know.”
“Eh, whatever. The point I’m making is the same. And I get to plan a bachelorette party. One word…strip…”
“If the word ‘strippers’ is about to come out of your mouth, I’m going to zap you.”
The air around us pops to emphasize the curl of her eyebrow. The hair on my arms stands on end, reaching for the electricity pulsing in Nina’s energy.
“Uh, no. Nope. How dare you think so…so little of me.” I place my hand on my chest and scoff obnoxiously. “I would never subject Fal to the animalistic idea of paying women to dance for her enjoyment.”
“You are so full of shit, Ash. And you know Fal wouldn’t enjoy that.”
“She’d be mortified. Which kinda makes me want to do it more.”
Seeing Fal Pal so uncomfortable would be hilarious. If she stayed long enough. I could see her storming out, red-faced, and embarrassed, furiously planning to slowly tear off my skin.
She would kill me. I’m trying to decide if it would be worth my untimely demise.
I’m thinking yes.
“Come on,” Nina gripes, ignoring me. “In here.”
She breezes into a store abruptly without waiting for me. The cursive sign above the door says ‘Ekfrasi.’
Expression.
“Are you coming?” Nina drawls, turning to me with a challenge when I don’t immediately follow. That white, arched brow is mocking me, I know it.
With a super dramatic sigh, I step inside the cool store. “Why are we here?” I ask, sniffing obnoxiously. The chemical scents of mixing perfumes have my nose running like a faucet already. “This wasn’t part of our deal.”
“What were you planning on wearing to the band’s gig tomorrow?” Nina asks, picking through racks of clothes, brushing her fingers over the fabric, and shaking her head.
“I…” I crinkle my nose at her. “What I always wear, duh.” I point down at myself and Nina groans, making a few people look over to my flushed stare.
“No, you’re not. I’m seriously contemplating burning all your and Fal’s clothes so I can give your wardrobes a complete makeover. Come on. What size pants do you wear?”
She plunges through colorful clothes before I can object. I follow her around like a kid as she thumbs through different fabrics that all feel horrible against my skin. She throws piles of pants, none of them black, into my arms and I walk behind her as her pack donkey, feeling undeniably clueless and wanting this particular involuntary part of the trip to be over.
“Go try them on,” she demands, shoving me toward a dressing room when she has secured a rainbow mountain of clothing in my arms.
“But…” I try, but energy pops around her and statics in my hair. I sigh, louder than necessary, and lock myself in a tiny stall I can barely move in.
“And don’t try to get away with skipping any, Thana,” Nina yells from the other side of the door.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I grumble and hold up a pair of extremely vibrant, pink pants.
***
We step out of the alley and onto the busy street. The bag I now carry seems heavy in my hand. I don’t know how Nina expects me to wear…
“Shit,” I grumble when a kid nearly slams into my legs. He doesn’t even acknowledge me before he takes off full sprint, screaming like he is being chased by a fucking monster.
“Not a fan?” Nina asks, smiling and watching me from the corner of her eyes.
“I mean, I don’t hate children like Fal. I want to be a dad someday, I think. Eddie wants to be a mom. We just…don’t want to right now. If that makes sense?”
“Totally. There is no rush, you know. Enjoy being together. You’ll know when you’re ready. I don’t know that from personal experience, of course, but I think it’s kind of like knowing when you’ve found the person you want to be with forever.” Nina pushes hair out of her face and smiles up at me, freckled dimples and all.
Yeah, I could never see Fal as a mom. She’d either be completely horrible at it or become a helicopter parent. I’m glad Nina is on the same page.
“If the Prophetess says it, then so shall it be,” I say, deepening my voice and bowing.
She rolls her eyes and snorts, the usual staples for when I’m fucking around. But her smile drops suddenly.
Great. What fuckery is happening now?
“Wait,” Nina whispers and we stop walking. Her eyes glow almost more in the sunlight. They scan the area, not missing anything as her head tilts like she’s listening to something far away.
“What?” I look around at the people strolling down the street around us. I don’t see anything suspicious. But her intuition is a hell of a lot better than mine, so the thought of something being wrong has my hackles rising.
“Something is off,” Nina whispers and turns around.
I follow her gaze and there is a man in all black staring right at us. We’ve been followed this
whole time, I’m sure. I didn’t think they would be dumb enough…
“Let me fucking guess,” I groan. “A Poacher.”
Nina says nothing. She only nods her head, solidifying the annoyance creeping up my throat and icing down my spine.
“In the middle of the day? Damn, desperate.”
“What do we do?”
“Keep walking. Pretend we aren’t bothered and lead him to a less busy part of town. Get out of sight of humans and take him out.”
“Okay,” Nina whispers and starts walking across the street, toward the outskirts of town. “No strippers, Ash. Not even because I would be jealous. Just for Fal’s sanity.” She says it loud enough for the Poacher to hear, dropping back into our previous conversation before she forced me to buy these…clothes.
“Oh, come on. Then what am I supposed to do for her?”
“Plan like…I don’t know…something you two could do. She would like spending time with you, no matter what it is.”
“So strip…”
“No, Ash,” she groans. “That is not what I mean by ‘no matter what it is’.”
We turn down an alley and pick up our pace. The end opens to a little abandoned yard, complete with weeds snaking up the brick walls around us and Nina looks up at me with questions in her eyes. I glance around, noting but stillness in the air. No one has been down here at least in a few hours. This should be isolated enough.
Like a moth to a flame, the Poacher follows us down the alley.
“Fucking idiot,” I tell him as he prances closer with an unsettling smile on his mouth. “You should know by now when you are being led to your death.”
He laughs low and I swallow at the grating noise.
The air around us turns and I’m bombarded with several different scents. All of them human.
All of them bad.
“Uh, Ash,” Nina whispers, tugging on the sleeve of my shirt, and looks around frantically.
As I follow her gaze, more Poachers appear out of the shadows. Ten. No…fifteen of them.
Fuck.
“You should know by now when you are being played for the fool you are, you filthy abomination. Where’s Eddie? On your little island, Olympia?”
