by Melissa Haag
Raiden turned his attention to me.
“I know that you struggle with feeding, and I’m truly sorry for that. But you need to find someone else before you ruin Fenris for his true mate.”
Mom made an angry noise at the same time Fenris did. I couldn’t do much about Mom, but I reached out to take Fenris’s hand and stole his anger, knowing that it wouldn’t help the situation if he lashed out at his father now.
“You are the most thick-headed creature I’ve known,” Mom said. “Use your nose. I can feel what they feel for each other.”
“I scented her affection for him and his interest in her the day Fenris brought her home. But we both know that affection and interest don’t make a mate. I’d be proud to call her daughter-in-law if I held any other position in the pack. She’s not strong enough to hold a position of power.”
“Even after that demonstration just now?”
I flushed, remembering the way I’d pounced on Fenris, and knew that Raiden wouldn’t consider my complete lack of control a demonstration of power.
“It was a fluke, and you know it.”
Mom’s gaze flicked to me, and from the corner of my eye, I caught Fenris shaking his head. Mom sighed.
“Stubbornness seems to be genetic,” she said. “Suit yourselves. But when Eliana finally realizes her true potential, you’ll—”
“Mom, please stop.” I loved that she was defending me, but no one was going to believe her line about how I was somehow the most powerful of our kind. It only served to make me look more pathetic in everyone’s eyes.
Fenris’s hand turned, threading his fingers through mine. I smiled at him then turned the topic to something more important.
“How is the Council ensuring the safety of the humans while Aubrey is back? Kelsey and Zoe were thinking of attending school again until they heard she was there.”
Raiden gave me a startled look, and I knew he hadn’t even considered the humans when dragging Aubrey back to Uttira.
“She’s been warned,” he said.
“That’s not good enough. If her aggression toward Willow, Laurel, and Jenna is any indication, Aubrey is the same power-hungry person she was when she left. To speak plainly, she’s still dangerous. For the safety of the humans and the other creatures attending the Academy, she shouldn’t be there. It’s a gross misjudgment on the part of the Council that I intend to bring to Megan’s attention.”
Mom coughed into her napkin several times, but I didn’t look at her. I could feel her glee and knew she was silently applauding my backbone. Really, what else could I do but speak up, though? Someone had to stand up for the humans.
“Is it truly a fear for the humans, Eliana, or a ploy to remove the one female who might free Fenris from your thrall?”
Mom’s head whipped toward Raiden, anger overtaking her humor.
“I know it’s hard to believe that any creature might put someone else’s needs before their own or that of their kind, but that’s truly what this is about. Humans keep dying in Uttira, Raiden. While no one else cares, I do. Megan does, too,” I answered with as much control as I could.
“And so do I,” Fenris said. “Aubrey is young, yet she’s already eaten human flesh. It’s not the old ways of mating young that help us keep our humanity; it’s integrating with the humans. Our confinement to these strongholds is only building resentment against the humans.”
Raiden gave Fenris a hard look.
“You’re not pack leader yet, son. When it’s your time, you can fight with the elders to change the rules. Until then, they’re set, and you will abide by them.”
I glanced at Fenris, trying to figure out how the conversation had turned.
“And is that power?” Mom asked. “Forcing your will on those under your care?”
Raiden narrowed his eyes at Mom.
“I came here to make amends for refusing your daughter’s claim on my son, not to be questioned about the ways of the pack.” He turned to Fenris. “I won’t risk you going down the same path as Aubrey. She’s a strong female who can save you both if you mate this Saturday.”
Fenris’s hand twitched in mine, and I continued to steal his anger.
“The wolves are forcing pairings now?” I asked. “I thought it was based on scent and the mating urge.”
“It is. Once Fenris spends more time with Aubrey, it should be enough to snap him out of…well, you know how it goes after a succubus feeds. He’ll scent her and be fine.”
Mom made a scoffing noise and threw down her napkin.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t he claim her before I started feeding on him?” I asked. “They drove to school together, had classes together. There were numerous pack runs too, I suspect. Why do you believe so strongly that Aubrey is Fenris’s destined mate?”
“I don’t. It’s only a hope. Like I said, she’s strong. And mating with Fenris would save them both. But if Fenris claims someone else this Saturday, someone worthy to be a future pack leader’s mate, I’d be fine with that, too.”
“Is it true that your kind believes that the gods created a perfect mate for each of you?” Mom asked, seething beneath her composure.
“We do,” Raiden acknowledged.
“So then, your concept of who is and is not worthy is a moot point. It’s up to the gods to decide who is worthy, and it is up to you to accept it. You seem to be having a problem with that last part. Put those doubts to rest by inviting Eliana to your little pack run.”
“Her presence would only interfere.”
“Make up your mind,” Mom snapped. “Is it destiny that determines the mate or coincidence? Because if Fenris is predestined to meet his mate this Saturday, it will happen whether Eliana is there or not. However, if Eliana is his mate, no one there will interest him in the slightest.”
I could feel Raiden’s annoyance.
“Or we might not have invited the right one.”
“Then invite them all,” Fenris said. “After this Saturday, I’m done. And if you command my compliance again, start looking for a new future leader because I will leave the pack.”
Raiden went still and slowly turned his head to look at his son.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. Banshees are singing, the earth is quaking, and a god is awake. Yet, one of the Council members is more worried about his son’s sex life than the safety of everyone, everywhere, even though I haven’t once shown any signs of being a threat to humans. Your obsession isn’t about protecting me, it’s about control, and that’s not a mantle I want to pick up.”
The tense silence in the room grew until finally, Raiden looked at me.
“Be there before dark. We’ll start the hunt at dusk.” He stood and turned toward Fenris. “You have three minutes to say goodbye.”
Fenris squeezed my hand as his father left the house.
“Will you be at the Academy tomorrow?” he asked.
“Considering how hungry I got today, I don’t think I have a choice in the matter.”
He stood and led me to the door before pulling me into his arms.
“Will you feed again? Please?”
I pulled in as much as I could in the time we had. When I finished, I eased back from the hug and looked up at him. The urge to rise onto my toes and brush my lips to his clawed at me. But we weren’t alone. So, I gave him a small smile and whispered goodbye.
“Only until tomorrow,” he said, darting in to lick my nose.
And then he was gone.
“Well, that was interesting,” Dad said, breaking the silence as I closed the door. “It’s fortunate that Fenris turned out to be a level-headed young man.”
I smiled at Dad’s polite way of saying that he’d found Raiden unpleasant. Talk turned to more peaceful things, and I stayed until Dad finished eating then helped him clean up. When I left, I had two helpings of his chocolate ganache with me and an open invitation to come by again the next day.
Before backing out of the driveway, I called Meg
an and put her on speaker.
“How’s Kraken hunting going?” I asked.
“Since I’m not the one in the water? So slow and boring. We’re in Guam now, arranging for a fishing boat for tomorrow. The mermaids know where he is and will take us out there.”
“She’s not going in the water,” Oanen said in the background.
Megan made an impatient sound. “I’m stuck in the boat while the mermaids play translator. They can swim fast, but do you know how deep they have to go? And they can’t just swim straight to the surface. There’s going to be a game of mermaid telephone going on so their fishy lungs don’t explode. Some of them are already swimming out there now to get into place.”
“That sounds unpleasant,” I said.
“Waiting is always unpleasant. It’s better for everyone when I’m active.”
“I meant the lung explosions.”
She snorted. “How’s everything back home?”
I wrinkled my nose as I drove, not looking forward to Megan’s reaction.
“You left and everything turned into a poo show.”
“So vulgar. Please continue.”
“Raiden doesn’t believe that Fenris is my mate and brought Aubrey back for the pack run on Saturday. To ensure that Fenris gets a sufficient nose full, Aubrey’s attending the Academy again.” The line crackled briefly. “She’s in every class he has, which is every class I have. The private room Adira made so I’d feed on Fenris is gone. If I want to eat, it’s public feedings or nothing.
“Obviously, I voted for the nothing option and spent the morning with Kelsey and Zoe. They were thinking about attending until I mentioned Aubrey. Otherwise, the sisters are doing okay.” There was another crackle that quickly went away. “They have some of Ashlyn’s books and are learning about our kind.
“After that, I went to Mom’s. She wasn’t happy about the changes and invited Raiden over for dinner. I pretty much attacked Fenris when he walked in the door, which Raiden didn’t like. He thinks I’m not strong enough to be with Fenris. But Mom convinced him to let me attend the run on Saturday. Like that’s going to change his mind.”
I snorted before realizing that Megan had been too quiet.
“Are you still there?” I asked.
“Yep.” That single word was clipped and filled with anger.
“Is everything all right?”
“Nope. I’m looking for Adira so I can strangle her, but she’s not in her room or by the ocean. Don’t worry. I’ll find her and end all of our suffering. Then, I’ll deal with Aubrey for good and go bitch-slap Raiden for having stupid ideas about who’s a better mate for Fenris.”
“Uh…where’s Oanen?”
“I left him in the hotel room after you said Aubrey was back.”
“Do you love me?” I asked her.
“You know I do.”
“Then I want you to hell gate yourself back to Oanen right now.”
“I’m not—”
“Now, Megan. I called my best friend, not Uttira’s resident avenging fury because she’s busy doing some world saving right now and can’t be distracted.”
Megan swore under her breath. “Fine. I’ll go back. But you know he’s going to take my phone away to prevent me from meddling in your life.”
“Tell him I said you need it and that I love him for his concern. Have you heard anything from Zayn yet?”
“I did! With the Kraken drama, I completely forgot. I filled him in on everything. The whole woke god thing and our missing Ashlyn. He has our druids’ numbers and is going to reach out to them to start on that part. And he promised to be fully available for any help I might need with the world saving stuff, too.”
“Good. Keep me updated.”
“Same.”
Chapter Seventeen
I startled Mrs. Quill and Adira when I walked into the kitchen. That was the only possible explanation I had for the way Adira disappeared so quickly.
“I hope she’s not going back to Guam,” I said. “Megan is not happy with her for letting Aubrey back in school.”
“You told Megan?” Mrs. Quill asked.
“Of course I did. Eugene was at the Academy with her all day, and Kelsey and Zoe, who were thinking about returning, changed their minds once they heard Aubrey was there.”
“It’s only temporary. After Saturday, Aubrey will either return to the remote stronghold for further reconditioning or won’t need to attend. There was no need to involve Megan.”
“Right. You can keep things from her if you want, but I’m not going to do that anymore. It’s not the way to stay on her good side.”
Mrs. Quill had the sense to look guilty.
“Lander and I weren’t happy about it, but we agreed in order to keep Fenris in school with you until Saturday.”
“For what purpose? I won’t feed from him in public. You should know me better than that by now.”
Mrs. Quill’s troubled gaze swept over my face.
“You can’t refuse to eat, Eliana. It’s not healthy for a girl your age.”
I snorted. “You should have thought of that before trying to force me to do something I’m very clearly against doing. I thought we all understood how I felt about being forced.”
She paled slightly.
“Are you all right?” I asked. “You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing. Will you attend school tomorrow?” she asked.
“I’m not sure yet. I guess we’ll see what kind of mood I’m in come morning.”
She wished me good night and didn’t comment about the desserts I was taking up to my room. Even though it was early, I got ready for bed. Then, I went to the media room and settled in to watch some horror flicks. My phone buzzed.
Fenris: You know you don’t have to go Saturday, right? It won’t change anything.
Me: I know. I wish he wasn’t so against me.
I stared at the message and smiled in realization as I sent it. Having Raiden dislike me as a choice for his son wasn’t as upsetting as it had been. Somewhere along the way, how people perceived me stopped mattering so much. I wasn’t sure why. I still cared what Megan and Oanen thought of me. I definitely cared what Mom and Dad thought of me, but I guessed that too many other people had let me down in some way for me to keep caring so much.
Fenris: I’d rather be against you. Preferably while you’re eating.
My eyes went dark, and I wrinkled my nose.
Me: No flirting while you’re in a time out. If I went on Saturday, what could I expect other than a lot of nudity? Would I get to see you at all?
Fenris: You’d see a whole lot of me. *winking emoji*
Me: You’re in a pretty good mood. I pictured you confined to your room, doing your bored prisoner impression.
Fenris: I’ve been picturing you in your room, too.
Me: You’re about to lose your two minutes of scratching.
Fenris: Don’t tease. My heart will break.
I rolled my eyes.
Me: Go to sleep, Fenris. I’ll see you in the morning.
The phone stayed quiet, and I started my movie. One led to another until I could barely keep my eyes open.
Yawning, I shuffled back to my room and climbed into bed a few minutes before midnight. I was just about to turn off the light when movement by my window caught my eye.
I blinked at the sight of Merri holding up Piepen. His wings were barely fluttering, and his head drooped.
“Why me?” I muttered as I got out of bed to let them in.
“Thank you so much,” Merri panted. “I didn’t know where else to go or I would have kept my promise not to return.” She flew straight to my bed and helped Piepen collapse onto my pillow.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked when he lay there unmoving with his eyes closed.
“I don’t know. We were staying at Madeline and Marshal’s, caring for little Piewhistle while they were gone. Before the sun went down, he said he wasn’t feeling good. He started to sweat and
then just collapsed. No one knows what’s wrong with him.”
I gently rested the back of my forefinger against Piepen’s head.
“He feels warm.” I considered him for a moment, really hoping I wasn’t going to regret helping him. “Get him undressed. We’ll give him a cool bath in the sink and see if that brings him around enough to ask him some questions.”
She undressed Piepen while I ran some water. When I returned, he was still out cold, pale, and covered in sweat.
“I really don’t want to touch him when he’s like that,” I said.
Merri gave me a troubled look. “Do you think it’s contagious? He was holding Piewhistle earlier.”
“No, that’s not it. The last time I touched him, he…sparkled.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Piepen took a vow of obstinance with me.” She looked down at him, her adoration clear in her eyes.
“Do you mean abstinence? Where you don’t have sex?”
She blushed. “Yes. That. I’ve been reading a book about how not having sex can enrich your life. I told him about it, and my dream to travel. To support me, he said he would abstain too. It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Look at his acorns. You can tell he hasn’t milked them in days. Have you ever seen acorns that big?”
I looked.
Why did I look?
I wasn’t interested in any aspect of his acorns. But she was right about how swollen they seemed. A little red, too. I couldn’t remember if they’d ever looked like that before. Honestly, I’d tried not to note this level of personal detail about Piepen, ever.
“Let’s get him in the bath,” I said, gently scooping him up.
He groaned and moved listlessly.
“No, I can’t,” he mumbled. “I promised.”
Understanding what he meant, I hurried to the sink and lowered him into the water. It wasn’t cold, but it was cool enough that his eyes opened in shock. When he saw me, his gaze softened.
“Princess, I thought I was dreaming. Why are you touching me?”
“Because you’re sick. Merri flew you here.”
