Winter Wedding

by Jen Talty

  The pages in the book stopped moving, so she took it in her hands.

  “Not if they are consuming the blood of the creatures they are becoming. Did you ever think that maybe someone posing as a werewolf killed Ralph to pose as me?” Dayton finally found the sandwich-making material and slathered massive amounts of peanut butter and grape jelly on the bread.

  Her stomach growled.

  “I’m thinking that maybe then you are a Marrok-shifter.”

  Dayton set a couple of sandwiches on a plate in the center of the table. He shoved one of them in his mouth. Whole. He chewed and swallowed and chewed and swallowed some more. Shoving a finger into his mouth, he licked it clean.

  “Yep. You are a Marrok-shifter because they have no manners whatsoever.”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” With a little too much gusto, Dayton spun one of the chairs, straddling it. He reached under hers and yanked her closer. “It makes perfect sense, if they know I’m about to be born.”

  “But no one knows about you because there is nothing written about you.”

  He tapped her temple. “You’re a smart woman. I don’t think you need me to tell you that perhaps you just haven’t found what has been written about me. The visionary lied about a few things, as did my father, and I’m sure there were more lies and deception all in the name of protecting the future.”

  She tried to swallow the gasp that flicked against the back of her throat. Gerri Wilder’s words bounced about inside her head.

  “Child. I don’t know how to tell you this, but either your mate is dead, or he hasn’t been born yet.”

  “You weren’t born. You just became. Of course, you could have eaten Norse to take on his essence, and now you’re just waiting until Coral’s magic fades and you can go kill my family.”

  “You really have to stop this nonsense.” He tapped the book. “Read the passage it just showed you.”

  “Have you read it?” she asked, pursing her lips.

  He cocked his head with a smirkish grin. “Have you seen my dust snag the wisdom from the pages and fill my mind with it?”

  “Smartass,” she mumbled. “The Wolfairy Queen. The truth behind the myth,” Cheryl read the words out loud. “I found a few paintings that we’ve decided are visions of the future when Chaz’s son, Finn, takes over as Alpha and his fated becomes the queen. It appears as though his fated is a Royal Fairy, but we don’t know that for sure.”

  “You could be looking at drawings from the past, and not the future.”

  He had a point, but she wasn’t about to let him know that, so she decided to keep reading. “I spent the majority of my childhood with witches, but not the good kind. They call themselves the Circle of the Sacred.” Cheryl lifted her gaze from the pages. “The Circle of the Sacred is not a coven that is recognized by Twilight Crossing.”

  “Why not?” Dayton stared at her with questioning eyes. It concerned her how much he knew, which made her wonder what his real intentions were.

  “They practice black magic.” She tore her gaze from his and focused back on the words on the page. “These witches have been honing their demon magic. Waiting. Watching. They have been searching for the souls of the Royal Fairies and have every intention of killing them off. They don’t want the unions between the Royal Princesses and the Wolf protectors. They especially don’t want any Wolfairies to be born.

  But the Wolfairies aren’t who they fear the most because they won’t have magical abilities outside of the castle unless the one true King has found his one true mate. All of the witches I’ve known in this small, but powerful movement, believe that somehow the son of King Lear will be born. There are a variety of theories on how that will happen. Some believe that the spirit of Norse was never split, and his mother was kept alive long enough to make sure he was born. It was then, the visionary cast his spirit into a human form. When the pairings between his sisters and their wolf mates begin, that’s when he’ll come into his fairy powers, making him the true King, without a chosen Queen.

  It is the queen they fear.”

  “Wolfairy women are quite powerful,” Dayton said.

  “And how do you know that?” This should be an interesting answer, considering there is only one female Wolfairy in existence, and Ivy was only an infant.

  He tapped her shoulder. “I’ve experienced your wrath. That’s how I know.”

  “Right.” She shook her head and sucked in a deep breath. “The leader of the Circle of the Sacred, Sabrine Marth, a powerful visionary, said she saw the coming of the Queen. A creature that is part fairy, party Royal Fairy, and part wolf. When the one true King finds her, their fated mating will occur instantly, according to Sabrine. However, their fate will not be sealed until the ritual of their wedding. It is only then that they can they take their rightful place in the universe. Sabrine will do whatever it takes to make sure that never happens. Since no one knows who this queen is, or where she came from, the focus is on destroying all the Royal Fairies.

  During my time with the witches, Sabrine had developed a potion that would show the fairy spirit hidden inside a human. Thus far, to my knowledge, she has killed one hundred people. I have no idea if they actually had a fairy spirit, but Sabrine is determined to find and kill every Royal, including the king and queen.”

  “So, basically, she was hoping to accidently find one of us and put an end to us before the Legend of the Princess and the Wolf ever became a thing.” Dayton took the book from her hands. A steady stream of red dust flowed from his fingertips to the book, wrapping around the pages before circling her head.

  She blinked, and her mind was bombarded with one nugget of information after the next. The room spun like a twister as more knowledge smacked her brain. Nausea built from deep in her gut and worked its way toward her throat. Her lungs burned, and she couldn’t swallow.

  Dayton held her steady with his strong hands. “You’ll get used to the sudden rush.”

  She didn’t think she’d ever get used to being able to read an entire book in five seconds. And if that wasn’t hard enough, she now had to pull out the pieces that had meaning. Not to mention, Dayton could be feeding her all sorts of foolishness.

  Slumping in the chair, she tried to reconcile the fact that maybe there was nothing written about her because she was the final piece of the puzzle. She laughed at the thought and mentally scolded herself for being so desperate to have a bigger role in the coming of the Wolfairies that she’d actually let herself believe she could be some mythical queen.

  Talk about pathetic.

  “This makes no sense.” She tossed her hands in the air. “Everything points toward my brother being King.”

  “You know that’s not true. He’s the one true Alpha of your pack. Our pack. He’s been charged as keeper of the Royals until we have a Winter Wedding.” He clapped his hands ten times. White flashes of lights that looked like tiny snowflakes filled the cabin. A few glided in front of her face. One bumped her nose. She smiled at the coolness of the small particle.

  “And you think that’s going to happen right now?”

  “Not without our families present.” He took her chin in his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head.

  She wanted to believe Dayton was a horrible monster, out to destroy her family. But wolves didn’t just mate with anyone. Not that quickly, no matter the reason. She should reject him. Push him away. Send him out in the cold to face her father, brothers, and the rest of the Twilight Crossing Council. But if she did that, and he was indeed the son of King Lear, he was the rightful heir.

  And that made her the queen.

  Fuck.

  She wanted a bigger role, just not that big.

  6

  Dayton stood at the front door of the cabin. A cotton candy type wrap held the outside world from entering the house. His sister had thought it would hold him in.

  Wrong.

  But until he understood the threat, he wasn’t about to let his queen leave the protection
he, his sisters, and even her brothers could provide.

  Cheryl had a hot head, and no way would she be the kind of queen that cowered to her king. No. She would be a force to be reckoned with, and he wouldn’t want it any other way. Having a mate that was his equal would make for a fierce partnership that would rule together like no other couple ever has. Together, they would help secure the Wolfairies’ future.

  He used his own brand of magic to look out onto the farm. Two wolves stood guard on the porch. Out in the distance, he could see four men standing at the property line not far from where Cheryl had lured him into this trap. Thank God she had. Even better that Norse, now totally merged with his wolf self, had managed to stay close to her, making sure they were able to bring his soul back together before they both went mad.

  He inhaled sharply, sucking in the outside world’s aromas. Roses and lilies mixed with freshly cut grass and pine needles. The familiar smell of wolf and fairy made his heart swell with everything he’d ever longed for. He’d been searching for this place for what seemed like an eternity.

  This was home.

  His home.

  Taking in a second deep breath, he gagged and coughed on something rotten. He’d sniffed something similar while roaming the woods on the outskirts of the farm. He couldn’t place the scent, but whatever creature created it, they smelled worse than a skunk.

  One of the men bent over and lifted a blanket, uncovering a body.

  Okay, perhaps he smelled death, but even so, this stench had a different flavor. It was as if someone sprayed perfume in order to cover up a bad smell, only it masked it instead of getting rid of it.

  One of those men out there wasn’t a werewolf. Dayton concentrated on communication with the Alpha, Chaz. He wasn’t hard to miss by the way two of the men bowed to his decisions, but the third man definitely didn’t respect his Alpha, and that man wasn’t who he appeared to be. A strange glow emitted from his skin. Dayton didn’t think everyone could see it, or they would know this creature posed a threat.

  “This is the second Royal Fairy that’s been murdered,” Chaz said. “Aron, is this where you found him?”

  Aron nodded.

  Aron seemed to be the source of the nasty wet-dog smell. “I haven’t moved him,” Aron said behind a clenched jaw. “I found him on my rounds and immediately got you.”

  “We tightened the security,” one of the other men said. “There are only a dozen people who can come and go as they please.”

  “Whoever killed Ralph and this fairy has to be on the farm,” Chaz said.

  “Where’s Cheryl?” Aron asked. “I stopped by the house to see her, and your father said she was running errands. I’m concerned for her safety.”

  “My sister can handle herself,” Chaz said.

  “So she keeps telling me,” Aron said with a sharp tone. “She needs a strong wolf. I don’t understand why she keeps rejecting me. I know we’re—”

  “Not the time or place,” Nico said, pointing to the body. “Bite marks are identical to Ralph’s. It’s got to be the same beast.”

  “Yeah. That ugly-ass creature in the woods,” Aron said, folding his arms as he turned his body. “Something’s not right with that animal, and we should put him down. He’s probably out there, waiting for his feast. The only question is how does he keep crossing the property line.”

  “That is the conundrum, isn’t it,” Nick said.

  Interesting that the three brothers hadn’t filled in the other wolf about capturing him and locking him in the cabin.

  “Chaz, can you hear me?” The barrier around the cabin was stronger than Dayton anticipated. He punched his mind through the thickness. “Chaz?”

  “Who the fuck is that?” Chaz knelt in front of the body, lifting his head. He locked his focus on the cabin in the distance.

  “The name is Dayton, but you know me as Norse.”

  “I’m not in the mood for games. Show yourself.” Chaz growled. It was a warning, not a threat.

  Dayton had to make a choice. He could either lie to Chaz and face his wrath later or tell him the truth.

  Dayton glanced over his shoulder. Cheryl was immersed in red dust and ten books. He smiled, enjoying how she came into one of her many new magical powers. He swirled his finger, creating an opening in the dust covering the cabin that hopefully only he and Chaz would see, though he suspected she would be able to as well if she knew what she was looking for.

  “Find the blue dot on the outside of the cabin. Once you see it, let your mind’s eye create a hole and you’ll see me and your sister.”

  “I’m going to kill you if you laid a finger…” Chaz stood, smoothing down the front of his jeans. “You’re the wolf.”

  “I’m the wolf and Norse, but I don’t really have time to explain it all right now.” There was that, and the fact that as Chaz came into his fairy powers, he’d figure some of this out on his own. “I think there is a traitor standing next to you.”

  “These are my brothers.” Chaz growled again.

  Dayton understood his loyalty. “Only two are your brothers. I’m guessing the one with the longer hair and the one who looks like he’s a boy are your brothers. The other one, he’s hostile.”

  “So am I. Especially when someone is killing fairies on my property.”

  “That someone isn’t me, and you have to know that now.”

  “I don’t know how long this person has been dead,” Chaz said. “You could have killed him—”

  “Take a good whiff. You know damn well that’s a very fresh kill. Send everyone away and let me show you something. It will prove I’m on your side.” Dayton had enough pussy-footing around.

  Chaz patted the man with longer hair on the back and pointed toward the house. “Go get Coral. Time to take the wrap off.”

  “We promised Cheryl we’d give her the full length of the fairy dust magic,” the man said.

  “Nico. Just do it,” Chaz said. “Drew, you go with him, and Aron, I need you to go get my father.”

  A long silence filled the air as the three men took off in different directions.

  “All right, Dayton. Show me.” Chaz’s voice boomed with authority.

  “I have one question first.” Talk about not the time or place. “Cheryl doesn’t find Aron attractive, does she? They were never a couple, were they?”

  Chaz cocked his head and snarled. “Keep your hands off my sister.”

  Dayton bit back a laugh. “That’s for your sister to decide.” Dayton flicked a small section of the red knowledge. “This is just some of what Cheryl has uncovered while we’ve been getting to know each other in here.” Sending fairy dust across the open field wasn’t the smartest thing Dayton had ever done, but since Chaz sent everyone away, it was worth the risk.

  Long moments ticked by as Chaz absorbed the knowledge.

  Dayton wished he’d taken the time to handpick the information to feed to Chaz. There was something to be said for taking things in at a slower rate.

  “How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Chaz asked.

  “You know I’m showing you truths,” Dayton said. “Or you wouldn’t have kept the fact you’ve trapped me and Cheryl inside this cabin from Aron. I take it you and your brothers are the only ones that know?”

  “My father and mother know as well.”

  “Then you know we’re safer inside until we know exactly who the threat is, and I think Cheryl will be able to find more answers if we’re given more time.”

  “I can give you a little more time, but not much.”

  “That’s all I ask. There is one more thing you should know.”

  “What’s that?” Chaz asked.

  “I’m telling you this in good faith, so you know you can trust me. I’m not trapped inside. Coral, my sister’s, magic is strong, but not enough to keep me in. So if you need me, or Cheryl, we don’t have to wait.”

  “Which means you could have killed this fairy.”

  “Only if I left Cheryl and no way in hell wo
uld she let me do that.” He took a step back, rubbing his chest, letting Chaz get a better look at his sister. “Your sister is freakishly strong, and she’d snap my neck in half if she knew we could get out.”

  “You, the big, bad wolf, is afraid of my sister?”

  Dayton swirled his finger until he found the particles from the book that talked about the Wolfairy Queen. He rolled them in a ball and shot that directly at Chaz’s head.

  Chaz jerked as the dust smacked his forehead. It seeped into his pores, disappearing with a snap.

  Dayton waited a few minutes as the knowledge of the true King and Queen settled between Chaz’s eyes.

  “No fucking way. Does Cheryl know?”

  “She does, but she’s not overly accepting of it, yet.”

  “Well, I am. Being Alpha and King at the same time is way too much for one man,” Chaz said. “But if you’re not who you say you are, then I will kill you.”

  “You’ll have to wait in line after your sister. And she might kill me anyway.”

  Chaz nodded. “Stay in touch.”

  “You will be able to project to me at any time.” Dayton closed the visual but kept the lines of communication open with Chaz.

  “What are you doing?” Cheryl called from the dining room. She was the smartest creature he’d ever come across, and it wouldn’t be long before she realized he was lying to her. Deception wasn’t the best way to start a relationship.

  “Just checking out the protection magic. Impressive.” That wasn’t a lie. His sister’s powers had developed nicely. No creature would penetrate these walls, except him.

  Or the queen, once she knew her true abilities.

  “Can you tell if its weakening?”

  He raised his hand, letting it hover about five inches from the sticky dust. Tiny lightning bolts zapped at his hand. “Still holding steady.” He closed the door and leaned against the wood. He scratched the back of his head. “What did your brothers think you were going to do with a wild beast locked up in here alone?”