by Niki Trento
“I don't think she is planning on leaving, at least not any time soon.” As much as I want to tell him that she is going to accept him and stay forever, I couldn't. Celeste is not the easiest to read.
“Maybe it's better if she did.” Barin’s voice comes out on a sigh, defeated and broken.
“Did, what? Leave? Why?”
“For starters, I have elven blood. That not only potentially puts her in danger, but if we have pups…” Leaving that thought unfinished, he resumes his pacing with renewed fervor.
“True, I won't deny that. What about her feelings, though? If she has decided to be with you, you can't turn her away. You know as well as I do that true mates shouldn't be separated, the results can be devastating.”
“Only if she accepts my claim. If she doesn't, then she will be fine.” He doesn't sound very sure of himself.
“That isn't how it works, Barin. Her wolf has already claimed you, we've seen that when she saw you touching Kathleen.” He makes an exasperated grunt and plops down on the couch. Drops his head into his hands and works things out silently on his own.
“Well. Let's hope this shit with the elves ends quickly and without casualties.” Barin states with a sadness in his voice.
There is a soft knock on the door. I cross the room slowly, allowing Barin the time to compose himself. He wouldn't want anyone seeing him in disarray, especially not the object of his unease waiting on the other side of the door. I look over at him before letting Celeste in. At his nod, I open the door and greet her with a smile.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you, Donovan. May I come in?” I usher her in with a bow, making her giggle at my antics. “Donovan, I would like for you to stay for this if you don't mind.”
I go sit on Barin's desk.
“I am thrilled that you weren't hurt, Celeste.” Barin takes her hands in his and kisses her cheek. He leads her to the couch and sits down with her, still holding her hand.
“I feel foolish, honestly. I mean, what kind of shifter faints?” she chuckles nervously, obviously trying to make light of the situation.
“It's been known to happen.” I shrug. I'm sure it's happened before, just not to me.
“I suppose I should start at the beginning. I went out to think about your claim, how I felt about it, and to clear my head a bit. When I am taking pictures, I am more relaxed and can work through things a lot easier.”
Celeste stops talking for a moment, as if she is choosing her words as she goes. I can tell Barin is restraining himself from asking what she has decided. She takes a deep breath and dives in.
“I was taking pictures of this little field mouse when I barely whispered for her to hold still and she did. But she didn't just stop moving, she looked right at me. I kept thinking it was pure coincidence. That all the deep thinking I'd been doing was just warping my reality. Walking back here I came to that clearing and the cutest baby deer I had ever seen. I thought to myself for the fawn to look at me, and it did. I was getting freaked out at this point. But when I, again silently, told it to walk towards me and it obeyed...I thought for sure I was going crazy. I put it to the test a little more by telling it to leave. When it fled, I fainted.
“The next thing I knew, Axel was talking to me, pulling me out of the dark. You were all in the clearing staring at me. I hope you and your father know I meant no disrespect, but after everything that's been going on, I just wanted to get home.”
“Of course. I understand, as does he.” Barin pets her hand reassuringly. “I take it you have never spoken to animals before today?”
“No! Well, shifters, of course. But no, not like this.” She starts chewing on her bottom lip. I feel so bad for her, she is terrified and looking for confirmation that she isn't insane.
“Do you have a shifter gift? You don't have to go into specifics if you don't want to share.”
“I shift fast and my hearing seems better than most. Why? Do you think this is a shifter gift that's lain dormant?”
“It's possible, though I have never heard of it.” I look at Barin for his input.
“I'm not going to rule that out, but I think another call to your father could help clear things up. We should also bring Kathleen into this, maybe even Axel.”
“I get Kathleen, she has been devouring those tomes for days. But Axel? Not to question your judgment, but what can he tell us?”
The glory of Axel's personality; no one would know what he can do, or even suspect it.
Barin winks conspiratorially at Celeste. I‘m sure Axel would be able to tell if this was a shifter gift. I try not to think about how his gift works too hard, it gives me a headache.
My gift can't help Celeste. The best I can do, if I focus, is to tell what kind of shifter someone is. Compared to most of the pack, my gift is pretty damn lame.
“Are you ok with me bringing them in?” Barin asks.
“I trust them both with my life. Besides, if they can shed some light on this, I am more than happy to ask.”
Now that I have her permission, I text Kathleen.
-K- grab Axel and come to the office. Your brain and his skills are needed.
-I always knew you only wanted me for my brain. ;)
Carrying her journal and one of the tomes, Kathleen comes in like a cool breeze. I can't help but smile when she winks at me. Behind her, Axel has a box of cookies and a six-pack of soda, raising them up like he just brought in beer to a lame high school party.
“Which of my many skills are needed? Do you boys need to know how to please the ladies?” His loud laugh fills the room, banishing the darkness from Celeste's face. Even if only for a moment. She laughs so much that she has tears streaming down her cheeks. I am in awe at how he can enter a room and completely change the atmosphere.
“Nah, I think I will take my chances on my own, Ax.” Barin is watching Celeste laugh. “We need to get your input on what caused Celeste to faint,” Barin explains the situation. Celeste adds in some details here and there. “Axel, with Celeste's permission, I would like you to see if you can dig deeper into it.”
“If Celeste is comfortable with me poking around, I can see what I can do.”
“Poking around? Hypnosis again?”
“No. My gift allows me to look into your memories without hypnosis. I know that I am looking for this new gift of yours, I'll be able to see if you've always had it or not. And I'll be able to do it without seeing everything else.”
Celeste looks at the ground. She is chewing on her bottom lip.
I look at Barin and he is watching her. His eyes seemed fixated on her mouth and his lips part slightly with an intake of breath. I may not be a mind reader like Axel, but I can read Barin like a book. I know he’s fighting the wolf back. Both sides of my alpha want to claim her in every way they can. I hope she doesn't keep him waiting too long.
Celeste nods. “If you think it could help, then yes. What do you need me to do?”
“Just relax as much as you can. I won't go peeking.” Axel’s wink makes her smile.
“What about you, Kathleen? Do you remember reading anything about this kind of gift?”
Kathleen is chewing on her pen. I am fascinated by her mouth. Soft lips pull slightly back from her near perfect teeth, the barely crooked left canine tooth taunting me. I wonder if anyone else has ever noticed that tooth. At the thought of someone looking long enough at Kathleen to notice it has me suppressing a growl.
What was with these gals and drawing all this attention without even realizing it? If Kathleen has any inkling how badly I want her, I would have thought she is doing it on purpose. I have hidden my desire well over the years, I don't think even Barin has picked up on it. At least he has never made a comment about it.
“I remember skimming over something similar. Not in this book though, let me go get the other.” Closing her journal, she goes back to the library. I watch every step she makes.
“I'm not sure if I should be thinking of anything in particular,
I don't want to make this harder for you, Axel.” Celeste admits.
“I'm good, doll. It's like being in warp speed. I focus on the fact linked to the memories I am looking for and they kind of ...light up. I watched what happened in the woods, now I'm going back to see if anything similar has ever happened.”
“Interesting. I think it would give me a headache.”
“That's part of the reason I learned to control it. When I was younger, I couldn't look at another person without being bulldozed with memories.”
“And why we try not to ask him to do it unless it's necessary,” Barin adds. “Also, it's a huge secret. It isn't a gift people are generally comfortable being around for obvious reasons. We pass it off as empathy.”
“Of course! I won't say a word.” Celeste mimics zipping her mouth closed and tossing the key.
Kathleen comes rushing back into the room with a huge smile on her face and beaming with excitement. She has the tome open and plops down in a chair.
“Hand me my journal, D?”
“What did you find, detective?”
She snatches her journal from my hand and immediately starts scribbling. “First, Axel? Did you find anything?”
“I think so...hold on.”
“Okay, well, I'll go first then. This tome has a record of every known shifter gift. There are two sections, one predating the elves and one after. It's absolutely fascinating! There are shifters that have premonitions! Can you believe that? Ugh! Wish I-”
“Kathleen.” I know she is excited; she goes off track easily when she's excited about new information.
“Oh, right. Yeah, okay. So, it says here that there have been shifters that could communicate with other species. But...where it gets interesting is that before the elves, shifters could only communicate out loud with other species. It wasn't documented until after the elves about mental communication. However, it is unclear if that is because of the elven blood or the gift evolved.”
“So, there is a chance that I have elven blood, too?” Celeste looks worried.
Barin takes her hand in his to offer silent comfort.
“A chance...yes. These books are the history of Barin’s pack, we don't know yet if the elves mated with shifters in other places, too. We would have to talk to your parents to know for sure.” I can tell by the look on Kathleen's face that she wants to call Celeste's dad herself and find out.
Axel still has his head back and eyes closed. His breathing is even and relaxed. Had I not known better I would think he's fallen asleep. Eyes twitching beneath his lids. His hands are on his knees, flexing.
Kathleen goes back to scribbling in her journal. I expect to see scribblings and short hand, maybe even doodles or chickenscratch on the edges. Surprised to see her handwriting is crisp and legible, unlike the notes she leaves on the fridge. Every so often she pauses, looks at Axel, then Celeste, and then to Barin. Seems to me like she is studying their facial expressions before returning to her journal.
Barin is still holding Celeste's hand and she is looking a bit paler than normal. Her knuckles look a bit white with the amount of pressure she must be putting on Barin’s hand. She is breathing deeply while Barin watches her. I try distracting her with a soda.
“When Axel is done, I'll call my father.” Celeste puts her head on Barin's shoulder, a tear dripping off her nose.
Axel takes a deep breath. Digging into someone's memories is taxing on his own mind. He has to meditate for at least a few minutes before he will be able to tell us anything.
Noticing his change in breathing pattern, Celeste lifts her head and looks at Axel.
A short time later, Axel opens his eyes and begins to speak. “You have had this gift for your whole life, doll. When you were little, you used to talk to the smaller animals in the woods in your backyard. You've suppressed it because your parents told you it was just your overactive imagination. From what I've been able to see, you thought you were being foolish and wanted your parents’ approval so you quit nurturing your gift.”
“Wow!” Celeste’s mouth opens and closes like a fish for a moment. I watch as her face goes from shock to what looks like deep thought, her brows dipping, mouth pinching to the side. Her eyes look up and to the side as if she is chasing a thought in her mind.
“Can you tell if it is elven related or not, Ax?” Kathleen doesn't look up from her journal as she asks. She keeps scribbling.
“No, I'm sorry. Celeste has no memory, hidden or otherwise, of ever knowing about elven blood. Her dad might know, though.” Axel runs his hand down his face.
“Why do you think it has—resurfaced?” Celeste inquires. Her legs bounce up and down in tandem.
I wonder if this is the thought she was chasing, or if there is something else on her mind. It is quite interesting to watch her as she seems to process this information.
“I’m not sure. Sorry.” Axel’s voice as he apologizes matches the expression on his face. He looks genuinely apologetic that he doesn’t have more answers for Celeste.
“I'm going to call my father, see if he has anything to add.” Celeste stands abruptly, her cheeks a little red and her eyes like violet storms. She moves quickly across the room to the phone, punching in numbers as everyone leaves.
As I step through the doorway, I hear Celeste take a deep breath. The exhale sounding a little wobbly. The poor gal has been through so much, and now a gift she didn’t know she had comes crashing down on her. Throwing her world a little more off kilter.
Barin lingers in the hall just outside the door. His eyes are slightly glossed over indicating to me he is watching her with his mindsight. Slowly, his hand drops from the doorknob.
“She will be okay, Barin. She is processing.” I nod away from the door he is so reluctant to leave.
He gives himself a little shake before following me to join the others.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Celeste
I know I have to call my father again, but part of me doesn't want to. Yes, I want to know if there are elves in my family history. If there are, what would that mean for my life, for my future? It is a possibility that the elves are after Barin because he is an elven Alpha. I'm an alpha, too, and if I have elven blood, will they be after both of us? What if I accept his claim and we have pups? Will they be in danger, too?
Twenty minutes later I am still staring at the phone, working up the courage to call my father and find out the truth. Some alpha I am—afraid to call my daddy and ask a possibly life-changing question. I'm going to do it. I have to do it. If not for my peace of mind, then for Barin’s. He trusted me with his family history and what that means for him. It's only fair that I do the same for him. I punch in my father’s number for the fifteenth time, this time I press call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Daddy. How are things?”
“CeCe! It always does my heart good to hear from you! Aside from missing you, everyone is doing fine. How are you doing there?”
“Well…in all honesty I am freaking out.” I tell him what happened in the woods and that through research, we think there could be elven blood at play. I don't tell him about Barin's history, it isn't my story to tell. When I am done, I’m greeted with silence. “Daddy?”
“Sweetheart, there were some elves in our pack’s history. None, however, in our branches. I promise you that. I feel terrible that we didn't believe in your gift, it was not one we had heard of before and just assumed it was your imagination. You were a very imaginative child. We failed you by not nurturing it. If it would make you feel better, I can bring our family tree to you.”
“That's a relief and a weight off my mind, Daddy. I understand why you and Mom reacted to my gift the way you did. Don't beat yourself up about it. As for bringing the family tree out, I would have to talk to Barin about that. I'm sure he wouldn't mind, he has plenty of room here. If you do come out, though, there are some other things I'd like you to bring if you don't mind.”
“That's not a problem. What do you
need?”
“For starters, my extra bank card and some clothes. There might be more that I need but that all depends on how things turn out.”
“Turn out?”
“Daddy, Barin wants to talk about the mate claim with me.” I rush out in one breath, unsure how he will take the news. I hear his glass hit the tops of his desk a little too hard.
After a moment, I am about to ask if he is still there when he clears his throat. “How do you feel about that?”
“A little unsure, to be honest, my wolf has already decided that she wants him. He is kind, fair, and makes me smile. I know I left you to explore the world and myself, but I think I found where I need to be.”
“I will bring some of your things. Just enough that you don't have to depend on anyone for anything, but not enough to show you are moving in. I want to meet him if he is wanting to claim my only child. To determine, of course, if he is worthy of you.”
“Once things settle down and you are sure that your wolf isn't just in lust. That you undoubtedly want to complete the ritual and honor the goddess, I will bring the rest of your things to you.” His voice sounds rough, but controlled.
“That makes sense, Daddy. Let me grab Barin to make sure he is okay with your visit. Hold on.” I place the receiver on the desk and go down to the kitchen.
Barin is having a conversation with his father and mother. I knock on the door jamb to announce my presence. He and his father stand. Barin's mouth stretches wide with a smile. His dad has a twinkle in his eye.
“Celeste, how did the talk go with your dad?”
I wonder how much Barin told his parents.
“Great, he is actually still on the line. I was wondering if it would be okay if he came here. He is going to bring me the family tree and some of my things. If you don't mind of course.”
“I don't mind at all. I would like to meet him.” His smile makes my heart race.
“Thank you. My apologies for the interruption. I will let him know.”
