He wheeled the cart around and hurried through the store, also making a quick stop in the electronics department, before he finally seemed satisfied that they had everything they needed. As they headed to the checkout line and Layla chewed her lip, nervously. She hoped the clerk couldn’t figure out what they were making and that the credit cards Martin had given them were still good. Prison in Alaska didn’t seem like a good idea.
Within minutes, they exited the store, card and purchases in hand and quickly drove into the dark night as Layla closed her eyes again to get the trail back. Almost immediately, the scent trail loomed in front of her, weaving in and out of the trees.
As before, she instructed Brett and the two moved along the snow slick road deeper into the forest. The stillness grew around them and Layla shivered at the touch of unease which ran through her.
Suddenly, the road ended. The road and the scent trail. There was nothing else. It was a dead end. Brett turned off the car and twisted in his seat to look all around him. Nothing but trees and the dark lonely road they had followed behind them.
Her face flamed as Brett looked back at her. She didn’t know what had happened. When she had pushed herself like Martin had taught her, she had been able to see—for one brief moment—the end of the trail. It was a village and it had been huge. All she had to do was simply follow the road.
She cleared her throat, uncertain how to explain her error. “Um…”
“Looks like we are going to have to do this the hard way.” He grinned at her as he grabbed the bags and opened them.
“We are going by foot.” He pushed the bags out of the way and moved to the back seat of the car, his long legs angling for room. “It’ll take me a couple of hours to get all this stuff together. Try to take a nap.”
He leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead. “I’ll wake you when I’m done and don’t worry, I’ll be careful not to mix anything just yet, don’t want us going up in flames.”
Layla nodded and leaned her head back on the seat as Brett moved the driver’s seat up to give him more leg room. She was feeling a bit tired. Even though she had napped on the plane, the stress of the evening had been weighing on her and even now, her eyes closed heavily. It seemed like she had only blinked when Brett was shaking her awake.
“Baby, we have to go.” He touched her shoulder again, his voice a whisper. “Someone is out here.”
Layla’s eyes popped open. She took a deep breath. Someone was out there. She couldn’t identify the scents, which meant they were masking or they were new to her; their scents unfamiliar. They were definitely Weres though and there were quite a few of them.
She moved slowly, not wanting to incite them even as she wished Martin was here to help. It was common sense that if her father had come this way and he was supposedly Mai-coh, there was a chance that there would be a fairly large werewolf population. She didn’t doubt that an area like Alaska with a large native population would have Weres.
Based on the scents, there were at least 20 Weres coming their way and she was sure they were probably only a scouting party. With Martin with them, they may have stood a chance; after all, they had taken on about that many at Suzette’s mansion only a month ago. Now, they were one man short and dealing with the unknown. She and Brett alone were not going to be able to handle this many.
Brett grabbed a few items, his moments quick and sure. She glanced at him, her eyes shadowed. He held a few of his creations in his hands. They were long and covered with black and gray duct tape. Wiring poked out in some areas and she guessed these were a few of the bombs he’d constructed while she was asleep.
He reached for her and she shook her head, her fingers to her lips. He nodded, understanding her request for silence. She took another deep breath to confirm what she already knew and looked at him.
“About 20 of them,” she mouthed, careful to not make a sound.
His eyes widened and his hand clenched around his contraptions.
She frowned at the crunch of boots on the snow. They certainly weren’t masking their approach now. Were they that confident that they would not be met with resistance? She waited for the familiar clenching in her stomach or the pounding in her head, her body’s way of alerting her to danger. When neither happened, she cautiously opened the car door, uncertain as to what was going to happen. She knew they were there, but none of her senses were warning her.
Brett grabbed her arm to pull her back as the first Were broke through the trees. She knew instantly this was the trail weaver. Colors flowed around her and it was all Layla could see for a moment. The older Were looked at her and smiled, her teeth brilliant in the light of her scent trails. Her hair glowed; a silky, silvery, shimmer that matched the moon above their heads.
Sniffing, she stiffened as a new scent assailed her. Brett’s arm tightened around the homemade bomb he held. She knew before he did that the bomb was going to leave his hand. Just like with Wattan, she felt the energy as it flowed through Brett towards his arm and moved to intercept his hand before it could release the bomb.
Her breath was harsh and hard as she held on, her head dizzy as she tried to stop Brett from making a huge mistake.
He stared at her, confused as he tried to wrestle the bomb away from her. “Layla, what the hell are you doing?”
Before she could open her mouth to explain, Martin stepped into the clearing. “She was trying to tell you I was here.” The older man gave a wry smile as he indicated to the silver haired woman.
“Layla, Brett. Meet Taini Moon, Layla’s sister.”
~*~
Chapter 8
“Hello, Layla.” The silver-haired woman walked up to Layla and Brett. “We finally meet.”
“My sister?” Layla asked Martin in bewilderment.
“Yes, your sister.” The woman stepped forward and lifted her hands in a gesture of peace. “Our father was known to this world as Micah Wolfe.”
Layla stared at the woman whose features were so much like her own. “I know you.”
“Yes, you know me.” The woman laughed, as her eyes twinkled in merriment. Her laugh echoed through Layla like a thousand bells, tinkling in the snow.
The woman extended a slender hand, her smile wide and bright. “It is so good to see you. Soon you will meet my—our—sister Pamuya.” Her smile dimmed for a moment, “she is attending to other…business.”
Eyes wide, she nodded. She understood if the other woman could not make it and she had plenty of time to catch up, now that she was actually here. There was no way she could continue to deny it. Mai-coh had to have been her father.
She looked at the woman again, noting the crinkles in the corner of her eyes and the smooth, wide forehead. The woman’s eyes were similar to hers as well; hazel orbs tinged with green. And her hair. Silver strands flew about her face in the night air.
“How old are you?” Layla closed her eyes with a grimace as the words came out of her mouth and dimly heard Brett’s groan.
Taini waved a hand dismissively. “I am well past the age of anyone here.” She glanced pointedly at Martin, “even your friend had a hard time understanding how I was able to overpower him.”
“You’re the weaver.”
“Yes, I am.” She grasped Layla’s hand and turned, pulling her away from the car and towards the woods. “But we must get going. It is no longer safe to be out so late.” She gestured to Brett to follow them and fell in line with Martin. The rest of the Weres remained unseen, although Layla sensed them and Brett tensed at the occasional crackle of a footstep on the rough path.
Taini strode swiftly, her movements lithe. “It is a powerful Were who can recognize my signature,” she said to Layla as they walked.
Layla smiled. “It had nothing to do with power. I could tell from the way you move and the way your aura surrounds you. It’s only Sensationism—,” she stopped, embarrassed. Of course Taini knew about Sensationism. She was older than Martin, for heaven’s sake. The woman probably had moves named afte
r her in the Were Hall of Fame.
“Sorry,” she said, contrite. “You know all this already.”
Taini nodded. “I do, but trust me when I tell you it has everything to do with power.” The Were lifted her hand and trailed it through the air. A myriad of colors followed the movement and Layla smiled. It was really beautiful. She turned to Martin.
“They can’t see it, dear,” Taini said with a smile.
Layla froze, but Taini kept her moving with a quick tug.
“Like I told you, it had everything to do with power.” Taini winked at her and Layla smiled at the friendliness in the other woman’s gaze.
The walk seemed to take forever. At times, it felt as if the group doubled back, the hidden Weres clearly following Taini’s lead. She could have sworn that they had already passed the tree over to her left.
Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air and lifted her head as Taini stopped.
“We are here.” Taini studied Layla. “Can you feel it?”
She nodded.
“Tell me what you feel,” Taini prodded, her eyes probing.
This was some sort of test. The sisters probably wanted to make sure she was really of their blood and not a gifted Were pretending. She decided to be truthful, although she wasn’t sure how she would be able to describe the feeling.
“It’s like a ripple in the air.” She held out her hand and her eyes caught Brett’s. He nodded; an encouraging but bewildered smile on his face.
“It’s like water; cool on my skin, but not enough to grasp, to hold onto.” She tried to grasp the air, as if she could hold onto the very essence that permeated the air. “It slips between the fingers, almost like a dream.”
The instant the words were out of her mouth, there was a crack, like a bolt of lightning, although much more muted. It was almost like a whisper and Layla felt the energy dissipating, moving away.
They stepped between two very old trees and the foliage gave way to reveal a village unlike anything Layla had ever seen.
“Wow.” Brett breathed. She agreed. The village was quaint, with little cabins that had chimneys, wooden porches and even had rocking chairs. It was a Norman Rockwell painting come to life and was utterly amazing. So different from the Florida towns and their awkward attempts at charm; this village simply oozed it.
Taini walked down the street and Layla followed. Soon, Weres poured out the forest behind them.
Brett’s mouth dropped open. “Damn, they were silent,” he whispered to Layla.
She nodded, understanding Brett’s awe. Martin walked behind them, a proud smile on his face and she realized a moment like this would mean a lot to a Were who still believed in the old ways. Simply seeing how the Weres lived as one without fear must be inspiring.
They moved through the village and Layla watched Taini’s interactions with the people they passed. Clearly, she was well loved and respected and Layla hoped her vision or dream or whatever was being abstract when it said sacrifice. Perhaps, it was a spiritual sacrifice. She didn’t know what she would do if she had to kill this woman to save the world.
They eventually made their way to a large cabin at the far end of the village. Taini walked up the steps and dusted off her boots. It bothered Layla a bit that she was so engrossed in the village and the Weres, she hadn’t even noticed simple things about the woman like what she wore on her feet. Not that it mattered, but she was trying to be more observant, so as to not be caught off guard again.
She was also surprised at the woman’s choice of footwear. Taini wore normal boots quite similar to hers. A twinge of guilt pricked at her conscience. Taini was just so…normal. She had secretly hoped the women here wore moccasins that they made from scratch, not the L.L. Bean classics she had on. Not that she was better than they were, she thought, grimacing at how elitist she sounded.
Layla walked up the steps behind Taini and brushed her boots off as well before moving into the home. Instantly, a sense of warmth enveloped her. Taini’s scent trail was all around the room, but there was another similar scent that was much more subtle and was right beneath Taini’s. Suddenly, she knew.
“Pamuya lives here as well?” she asked on a hunch.
Taini rewarded her with a smile. “Yes. Very good, Layla.” She removed her coat. “I was wondering how long it would take you to pick that up.”
Layla’s smile faded as she realized it was another test.
Taini reached over and patted her hand. “It is the last one.” She ushered Layla and the others into another room. “Both Pamuya’s and my family stay here.”
She pointed down one long hallway, “that wing is where Pamuya and her husband Dyami live,” then pointed to the opposite end of the house, “and that wing is where my husband Paytah and I live.”
“These lead to the upstairs loft and a couple of guest bedrooms.” She glanced at Layla coyly as she gestured to a set of stairs. “I am going to assume that Martin and Brett will not be sharing a room?”
Layla blushed, a wide grin spreading on her face. Brett ducked his head and groaned at Taini’s loud laugh.
“It’s okay. We are all adults here.” She moved quickly upstairs and towards the rooms to show them where they would sleep. Surprisingly, their bags, which they had left in the car, were already sitting on the wide bed when Taini opened the door to their room.
Taini winked. “We work pretty fast around here.” She walked back to Martin, who stood in the hall. “We have a lot to talk about in the morning. You should get some sleep.” She looked over at Layla. “You know you are among family and friends, rest well, no harm shall come to you tonight.”
Layla nodded. Her lack of Spidey-sense was telling her that Taini was telling the truth.
They were safe. For now.
The door closed softly as Taini and Martin moved on down the hall. Layla looked up as Brett walked over to her and enveloped her in his arms, brushing her hair back from her face. “Wow and to think I almost threw that bomb.” He smiled down at her. “Good thing someone got in the way and stopped me.”
Layla smiled back at him. “Yeah, good thing.”
His hands stroked down her back, the heat of his movements melting away her stress. She snuggled closer as he continued to make wide sweeping motions against her back. He lowered his lips to hers; the kiss soft and light with a touch of playfulness as he nipped at her lips, before he moved lower, capturing her full bottom lip and running his tongue lightly against it, then pulling it into his mouth.
Layla moaned, the sound swallowed by Brett as he slanted his mouth against her and took her lips into his own. Her hand brushed against the fly of his jeans and Brett groaned aloud. She moved her hand again and smiled as he bucked against her. His mouth moved more urgently against hers as she gripped his length through his jeans.
“Oh, you are going to pay for that,” he ground out as he broke the kiss, his face flushed and his breathing ragged as she laughed.
“But,” he leaned his forehead against hers, “not tonight. I am dead on my feet and I would rather not make love to you in a house full of werewolves.”
Layla smiled. “I agree. I was going to suggest the same thing.” She kissed him gently. “I can barely see straight. Besides, who knows what they might hear.” She moved towards the bed and frowned when she heard Martin chuckle and Taini let out a loud laugh.
“Damn werewolves,” she grumbled as she pulled the blankets back off the bed.
*
The moonlight streamed through the window and Layla sat up. Brett sat on the far side of the room watching a TV she hadn’t noticed the night before.
“Hey,” she said groggily. “What time is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “Six o’clock.”
Layla lay back in the bed with a groan. “God, how are you up already? We barely got any sleep!”
Brett smiled at her. “It’s six in the afternoon, babe.”
“No way.” She paused, climbed over the rumpled blankets and peeked out the curtain. “But
it’s night and the moon is up!”
“Yeah, Alaska is funny like that.” Brett chuckled.
She turned towards him with a glare.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Apparently, in November, Anchorage has like six or seven hour days. Sunrise was around nine, nine-thirty and sunset was around four.” He shrugged. “It was kinda weird.”
Layla flopped back into the bed, a sense of anticipation rippling through her. She had really found them. Her sisters. She was far from well-rested, but she could not sleep until she had spoken to them.
“So…” she trailed off, nervous about how to ask without sounding too eager.
“So?” Brett asked.
She stared at her bare feet. “Is everyone back yet, I mean, is everyone awake?” She wanted to ask about Pamuya and Taini, excited to see them and ask about their lives, but she didn’t want to appear too eager. The little sister who never knew her father and was craving any bit of information about him. About them.
Brett walked over to her and pulled her off the bed before giving her a quick kiss.
“Go get cleaned up, babe. Pamuya is downstairs. They’ve been waiting for you.”
Twenty minutes later, Layla stood next to Brett at the top of the stairs. Taini was talking in the family room beneath them. There were also the unmistakable sounds of two male voices and another female, her halting soprano much more muted than Taini’s.
“Where’s Martin?” She whispered to Brett, her hand clasped in his.
Brett pointed to Martin’s room and Layla could barely make out the sound of the older man’s voice within. “He’s on the phone talking to your aunt. She was panicked when she didn’t hear from you guys and since you were asleep, Martin has been trying to calm her.” He smiled. “They’ve been on the phone for almost 45 minutes. I think he likes it.”
She released a tense breath, she needed to focus. The others were waiting on her and she relished Brett’s strength at the moment.
He leaned down and quickly kissed her again. “Hey, it’s okay. Relax.”
Layla squared her shoulders. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. It was only family. Granted, it was family she hadn’t known existed, but it was still family. So why did it feel like she was walking to an execution?
Maikoda: Power of the Moon (Blue Moon Trilogy Book 2) Page 16
