by Niki Trento
Barin!
Celeste? Where are you?
Up, Barin! Up? How is she up? I look to the roof of the cave but see nothing.
I can't see you, Celeste, it's too damn dark!
BARIN!! Wake. Up!
My eyes pop open. I’m on the ground again, but this time there is grass below me, a hammock above me and Celeste's wolf in front of me. I am in the yard, the smell of burgers faint, they must have all been cooked a while ago. I look back to Celeste, my confusion as apparent as her concern.
Standing with her head tilted and barely any weight on her back leg.
“Why are you out of bed and why am I on the ground?”
Rock said you'd been asleep for an hour or so when you started whining. Said it sounded like your wolf was hurt.
“Then why didn't she wake me?” I glance at Rock.
“I tried, Barin. So did Viv and Cole. It was like you couldn’t hear us.”
My wolf sensed your panic and I rushed down here. As soon as I started calling your name your wolf settled. What happened to you?
“I’m not sure. I grabbed a beer and went to relax on the hammock. The next thing I knew I was in a small, dark space. There were no openings at all. It was too dark to see but I could smell.”
Then you were there. I whisper along the bond, only to Celeste.
“What did you smell?” Axel asks around a mouthful of burger. The man would be eating at his own funeral.
“Sickeningly sweet water.” At that, he stops chewing and stares at me.
I know what he is doing.
After a moment he returns to chewing his food but continues to stare at me. Axel nods fractionally. That nod meant it was the same thing that Celeste had gone through when she had her nightmare. This wasn’t just a dream, this was an experience that my subconscious had.
“All right...my stomach is growling and Celeste needs to get back to bed. Cole, once we get her back up there, will you check her leg?” Cole nods, I look at Celeste with my head tilted. “You aren’t going to like this, but I am carrying you back to bed.”
Celeste playfully growls at me as I pick her up, lucky for me she’s smaller than the average shifter.
CHAPTER NINE
Axel
After Celeste settles down again and is cleared by Cole, she and Pandora resume their movie marathon.
Vivian and Rock are cleaning the kitchen while Cole washes dishes.
Barin and I are in the office discussing the experience he had, waiting for Donovan and Kathleen to get home from work.
“The way I see it, your wolf knew you were in trouble which explains the whimpering; he couldn't help you and was distressed.”
“I couldn't shift. It was the oddest thing. I couldn't even break out my claws. Whatever did this is waiting for me.”
“Why, though? Whatever it is obviously doesn't want Celeste involved. Yet only the two of you are having these experiences.”
“Donovan and Kathleen are home. I want to bring them in and talk more about when Celeste was hurt. I've already texted Donovan and told him about what happened tonight.”
“Okay, boss. When they come up, I'll put you under.” I set up the recorder while we wait. A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door before it opens.
“Hey. What's the plan?” Kathleen elbows Donovan in his ribs.
“What he meant to say was--‘How are you, Barin?’ ”
“I'm fine, physically.”
“Hi, Axel. How's it hangin’?”
“A bit to the left, sugar, thanks for askin’.”
Kathleen laughs, shaking her head.
“Okay, now that we know Barin is okay, Axel’s wang is hanging to the left and Kathleen doesn't blush easily...what's our next order of business?” Donovan expressed his concerns regarding the cave and its unknown inhabitants through text.
Like everyone else, he wants to see this over and resolved but his patience doesn't leave room for jokes. I bet he didn't even eat before coming up to the office.
“Axel is going to try hypnosis first. Afterward, I want to go back to the cave. Spencer hasn't caught anything on video and none of the pack has seen anything.”
“Do you think going there again is a good idea? After all, last time you busted my lip when I tried to make you leave.”
“That's part of the reason for the hypnosis. I don't remember why I hit you. Hell, I barely remember it at all." Barin looks frustrated.
“I get it. Depending on what we learn, we discuss an actual plan before running back into that cave. Deal?” Donovan holds out his hand which Barin shakes firmly.
Donovan sits at Barin’s desk with the recorder while Barin stretches out on the couch and I sit on the corner of the coffee table.
Kathleen pulls a chair closer to the door and curls her legs under her.
I begin to count slowly. “Five...four...three...two...one. Barin, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“I'm in the cave walking in deeper with Celeste, she is shaking violently. I can feel her pressed against my leg. Something is calling for me...I don't hear it but I feel it. I need to go...they are waiting for me. But Celeste...she is trying to go back...she’s scared. I hear Kathleen yell at Donovan and then he starts to grab at me. But they want me to join them. I need to go to them. They command it. They tell me to ignore Donovan...that getting to them is all that matters.”
I look at Donovan. I know that he doesn't hold it against Barin, I think part of him knew something was messing with his head.
“Barin, who is telling you to ignore Donovan?”
“I'm not sure. I punched Donovan and then I heard Celeste yelp. I have to get to her, the voices try to call me but I ignore them. She is all that matters.”
“Okay, Barin, let's fast forward to the next time you were in the cave, when you were on the hammock.”
Barin’s body relaxes as he mentally removes himself from one situation to the next. Because of my gift, I am able to see everything that Barin sees. He is in a small room with no doors. Something is following him as he runs his hands along the walls.
“I tried to shift, but I can't. I can't see anything so I start feeling my way around...only...I'm in what seems to be a closed up round room. I can smell that sweet water...I try to follow it but get nowhere. They are waiting but I can't find them.”
“Who's waiting? Can you tell me what they look like?” I can see whatever it is starting to take form in Barin's mind. White hair, silvery eyes that shine in the darkness, slender but strong build, and skin so smooth that they look ageless, too beautiful for words.
Then, Barin exhales.
“The elves.”
CHAPTER TEN
Axel
The following hours are spent with Barin sleeping and Donovan researching elves. Luckily for us, Barin’s uncle had a pair of Gamma wolf shifters that have kept an insanely detailed history of shifters. When Barin and Donovan started off on their own to build their own pack, they were given a copy of the history books.
Donovan hopes to find where the elves played into the shifter history. Of course, as boys, they were taught the history, but they were young shifter boys and didn’t pay much attention to the lessons. Something I am sure Donovan is regretting now as he scours through tome after tome.
The others each pick up a tome and jump into the research. The spacious living room is a mess of bodies, books, and notepads. Working together as the family we are to reach a common goal. I love these idiots.
Pandora comes down to help, too, saying Celeste is curled up at the foot of Barin’s bed keeping vigil.
Celeste’s wolf has already claimed Barin as her own and isn’t going to leave him alone with all of this crap going on. The loyalty she has for my Alpha after only knowing him for a few short and insane days makes me proud to be a part of his pack.
“I think I found something.” Donovan brings the book he’d been pouring over to the center table.
&nbs
p; “What does it say, D?” Pandora rubs her eyes and stretches like a cat.
“It’s just the first mention I have come across of elves, but it seems that centuries ago elves and shifters were at war when some of the elves started to mate with shifters. Both sides felt that it tainted the bloodlines.”
“How would that work, exactly? I mean...I know how ‘it’ works, but with elven and shifter powers?” Kathleen lays her book aside and scribbles in her notebook. She records in journals about our pack and keeps them in a fireproof safe.
“I’m not sure yet. It has to be in here somewhere about the offspring if there was any. Who has the next volume?”
Everyone checks the dates on their tomes but no one has the one Donovan’s looking for. While Donovan continues to read, the rest of us gather all of the books and put them in chronological order but that one volume is missing.
“I am going to check the library, maybe they were put in the wrong spot or something.” Books are far from my thing, but I’m determined to find the missing pieces to the set. This isn’t going to be easy; Barin’s library is well stocked with books from several genres. He’s an avid reader and encourages his pack to read.
Kathleen spends more time there than I ever have and probably better suited for this task but I know she’d rather be there to take notes for her own journals.
The shelves aren’t quite ceiling to floor, but close to it. The northern wall of the room is dedicated solely to the historical tomes of our past.
Donovan and Kathleen had brought the first shelf of tomes, the oldest of the collection, into the living room already. Armed with the approximate dates of the missing volume, I search the second shelf, fixing any that are out of order. As organized as Kathleen is, I’m surprised to find these mixed up. I don’t remember anyone ever reading these before. The second shelf isn’t harboring the missing volume, or as I call it in my mind, ‘Volume X’.
It takes at least an hour to get through all seven shelves, even with Pandora’s help. Searching and organizing books is too tedious for me but I know the importance of it, so I trudge through.
Once they have all been organized, the only conclusion I have to offer is that two tomes are missing. We move our search to the other shelves. The plus side to that is the volumes are bound in leather with unique tooling on their spines. Easier to spot among the others. I go to the east wall while Pandora goes to the west.
The sky is getting light as we finish searching the library. We check under chairs and in drawers and still don’t find ‘Volume X’ or ‘Volume Y’.
I jot down the possible dates that could be on the second missing tome so we can request new copies from Barin’s uncle.
Pandora and I join the others in defeat. Hopefully they have found something and it won’t matter.
Barin sits in the living room with a mug of coffee, looking just as worn out as the rest of us.
Celeste lies on the couch next to him, still in her wolf form, her head in his lap.
Kathleen scribbles away, not looking up when I talk.
“The next volume is missing but it’s not the only one. I wasn’t sure at first because the other one that is MIA is the most recent volume.”
“We can check the attic, it’s possible they are still packed in a box somewhere.”
Barin and Donovan had built the library and shelves specifically because of the historical journals. Tempered glass casings to limit the chance of damage even though they aren't the original copies. They are still cherished and handled with the same amount of care.
I follow Barin to the attic to search for the missing books.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Celeste
“Everything looks great, Celeste. You healed faster than I've ever seen a shifter heal from a break like that. Feel free to shift when you are ready but let me know if there is any discomfort.”
I shift before Cole finishes his sentence. I've been in wolf form for too long and beyond ready to take a shower. My shift is over in moments and it leaves me a little lightheaded. Not a normal feeling, but I assume it’s because I’ve been on all fours for too long. There’s no hiding it from Cole who’s watching me closely.
“Just a little lightheaded, no pain.” I smile and Cole visibly relaxes a little.
“Good. Get showered and dressed and I'll get you some food.”
Heading for the bathroom feeling better than I have in weeks. The shower is quick to heat and the pressure positively divine. I could stay here for hours but the growling in my stomach begs me to cut it short. The soaps smell of apples and pomegranate, making a mental note to thank Kathleen for knowing how to stock a bathroom. Men tend to get the most basic and generic toiletries; if they even think to get them at all.
As soon as I open the shower door I can smell bacon, sausage, and coffee. My stomach growls again. It hasn't been that long since I’ve eaten, but being a healing wolf burns more calories than normal. Dressing quickly, keeping my hair wrapped in a towel I jog down the stairs to the kitchen.
Kathleen is filling mugs with coffee while Cole flips pancakes. “Hey, stranger! How ya feelin’?”
“Normal, finally,” I sigh. Stretching my arms above my head and twisting my upper body first one way then the next.
Kathleen hands me a mug with a crown painted on the side and pushes the sugar and creamer towards me. A mischievous smile on her face. Did she spike my coffee?
Axel walks straight to the coffee pot. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. “Mornin’.” Axel chugs his coffee and rubs at his face, surveying the room. He looks at Kathleen with a little confusion at her smiling face. At least I'm not the only one who finds her behavior a little odd.
“What the hell are you smiling about this early? Get some?”
I can't help but laugh at his blunt questioning.
“Har-har. Not that it's any of your business, but no. I'm just in a good mood today. Celeste is healed and we have a mystery to solve. It isn't hot outside, it's a great day.”
“Not buyin’ that horse shit, but I've lost interest now.” Shaking his head at Kathleen, he turns back towards the table with his plate in hand. He looks again at Kathleen, the goofy grin still on her face as she watches me. I admit I’m beginning to feel a little uncomfortable.
“You are never cheerful in the morning, Kat. Spill.”
“Eat your food and don't call me Kat.” Still, that smile plays on her lips.
“Good morning. Celeste, how are you feeling?” Barin walks in freshly showered and his facial hair trimmed. His damp black hair hanging loosely past his shoulders. It’s the first time I have seen him without it all pulled back. It, paired with his well-groomed scruff, makes him look more rustic. His green eyes sparkle from the sunlight coming through the kitchen windows. A strong jaw and a slightly imperfect nose that must have been broken and not set right at some point in his life. As I study his face for the first time, I watch as his soft lips split into a smile showing his perfect teeth. Oh, yeah, he asked me a question.
“Fine. Great. Thank you.” My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I quickly lift my mug to my lips and let my hair fall into my face.
“Nice mug.”
“Um, thanks?” The mug is one of his, why is he complimenting me on it?
Kathleen barks a short laugh, causing me to snap my head up to look at her.
More confused now and a little concerned, I look to Axel for some possible insight, but he looks just as confused as me.
He looks at me, then at my mug, and his face breaks with realization before he smiles like a lunatic. They are laughing at me, but I can't figure out what I have done to deserve it.
I’m about to stand up when Barin spoke. “Kathleen? Really?”
Facing Barin with tears in her eyes and failing to hide her too-big smile, she tries to play the innocent act. “What? The girl needed coffee! Was I supposed to pour it in her hands?”
“About three dozen mugs and that is the one you grab?”
“Is there so
mething wrong with this mug?” I’m getting nervous on top of my confusion.
“No, Celeste, there's nothing wrong with it. Actually, it's the mate to my mug. Notice the design? It's a queen's crown. It actually has been wrapped up and on the top of the cabinet for years. Kathleen bought them for me for a birthday.”
The implication of what he is saying isn’t lost on me. It seems that Kathleen thinks I am Barin’s other half as the mug was to his. I know my wolf has already laid claim on him, but I have only known him for a few days. Can it really be possible that the alpha is my mate?
That’s a scary thought, to be honest. I’ve always known the way of shifters. Once they find their mate, they know. Their wolves know. Afraid to give in to my wolf, I shake the thoughts aside, not ready to be controlled by another alpha.
“Oh.” How articulate of me. That is the response you give? I berate myself, one of my many flaws. I shake my head at myself and change the subject quickly. “Any luck on those books?”
“Shit, we went through every box in the Attic, found clothes, a Christmas tree and decorations. Not a single book of any kind.” Axel’s accent is thicker when irritated I notice.
“Is there storage anywhere else they could be, Barin?” I ask, trying to be helpful.
Drinking his coffee out of the mug that matched mine, he says, “No. I'm going to have to call my uncle's pack. Speaking of phone calls, have you called your family yet?”
“With everything going on, I haven't even thought about it. My father must be worried sick! May I use the phone? Mine was among the things that were...stolen.”
Barin hands me his cell phone, I smile in thanks and go back to my room.
