by Vella Day
She slammed the glass on the table and leaned closer. “My Changeling genes? It’s more than that. Why don’t you come out and say it. You hate that the goddess has paired you with me—someone who is evil and deceitful.” She held up both hands and glanced to the side. “Sorry. That was rude. I’m on edge.”
“I get it. It’s okay.” The sad part was, that he did think that. It didn’t matter that Ainsley had never exhibited any of that bad behavior. The way she sincerely grieved over Shamus’s death implied she was a good person. “It’s not important what I think or what is happening between us. We need to find Shamus’s killer. We can discuss our mating issues once justice is served.”
She leaned back in her seat, the dark circles emphasizing her beautiful forest green eyes. “I agree, but we can’t ignore what is happening between us.”
“Trust me, I’m not.”
“Do you think you could put in a good word for me with James? I want to be cleansed.”
So she knew about him. He sipped the smooth whiskey. “I was at the last cleansing ceremony, but I can’t say I’m on a first name basis with James. However, Rye and Kalan might put a good word in for us.”
“Us?” A bit of color flooded her cheeks.
“Fuck. I know I’ve been an ass, but cut me some slack here. It’s hard as hell even being in your presence; my words get so jumbled.”
Her lip curled. “I disgust you that much?”
“What? Hell, no. My body craves you, but you and I both know I can’t even touch you.”
The briefest of smiles crossed her face, acting as if she enjoyed seeing him squirm, though given his actions, he couldn’t blame her. “Fair enough.”
“What does that mean?”
“My wolf is antsy for some action too, but I won’t let her out for that very reason. Trust me when I say, I do understand what you’re going through.”
“Good.” Though he doubted she understood his level of desire, but at least he didn’t have to deal with a woman clamoring to be with him. As long as she could control her wolf, he’d be good. He tossed back the rest of his drink. “Oh. I almost forgot.” He fished the envelope out of his pocket. “Shamus gave this to my dad to give to you in case he wasn’t around to protect you.”
Ainsley stared at the envelope. Her name was written in beautifully scrolled penmanship. With trembling hands, she opened the envelope and a necklace fell out. What the heck? Small red onyx stones were evenly spaced on the top portion of the gold chain. Attached was a larger sardonyx stone. “It’s beautiful, but why give it me?” she asked. She peeked inside the envelope and withdrew a letter. Silently she read it.
“What does it say?”
“I’ll read it. My dearest Ainsley. If ye are reading this letter, then something has happened to me during one of my many battles. Please don’t grieve for me. Your friendship has brought me comfort on my darkest nights, and now it is time for me to be with me mum.” She stopped reading. “Excuse me.”
Ainsley rushed over to the kitchen, grabbed the tissue box, and when she returned, she blew her nose.
“I’m sorry. Shamus must have really loved you.”
She nodded and picked up the letter. “This necklace belonged to me grandmother. Did I ever tell ye she was a wizard?” Ainsley glanced up at Jackson, but he had no idea and just shrugged. “She wore it until she died, and it was passed down to me mother. It is a protection necklace that has a very strong spell on it. Wear it always because I am no longer there to help ye. I will always be watching over ye from above. Your loving friend, Shamus.” She sniffled. “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but shouldn’t it go to your mom?”
He was impressed that she would be willing to give up something so valuable. Didn’t she think she deserved it? “No, it was meant for you.”
She clasped it around her neck then fingered the gems. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is.” But he wasn’t looking at the necklace. Ainsley glanced away as if lost in thought. The emotion in the room was high—too high, and he needed to talk about something that would flip the switch from sad to angry. “This makes me want to find who killed Shamus even more. How do you want to do this?” he asked. Her eyes widened. “What’s that look for?”
“You’re acting like we’re a team here. I’m surprised you’re even asking my opinion,” she said with a strong grasp on the large dangling stone.
He stabbed a hand over his short hair. “In my line of work, I, along with the help of the good men I work with, decide how we’re going to proceed, but there are two extenuating factors that made me ask what you want.”
One brow arched, showing off just how stunning Ainsley Chancellor really was. “Factors? You’ve really analyzed this, haven’t you?”
He wished he understood what she wanted from him. He was doing the best he could, given how his traitorous body was warring with all of his past prejudices. “This is important to me. I don’t want to mess anything up.”
“Mess up this mate stuff, or mess up finding out who killed Shamus?”
Ainsley didn’t give up. Ever. “Both.”
Her shoulders lowered. She pushed back her chair, rose, and strode over to the kitchen. Seconds later, she returned with a nearly full bottle in hand. “What do you suggest? I’ve an appointment tomorrow with Mr. Ernst’s father to give him a treatment. I can try and ask questions to see what he knows, but I doubt an old man who can’t even get around inside the house, would be aware that there’d been a murder.”
He shook his head. “Coming right out and asking wouldn’t be wise. Given the fact that Mr. Ernst is a Changeling, he could have been one of the attackers. I think you need to take your time and develop a trust with them. Maybe find other jobs—one of which might pan out as far as providing information.”
She refreshed their drinks. “I could, though it might help if I could give something in return. Help prime the pump so to speak.”
“They might wonder where you got your information, and we can’t have them think you’re in bed with the Clan—figuratively speaking, of course.” He leaned forward. “Can the Changelings tell you’re part Wendayan?”
“Not that I know of. As for the Changelings thinking I’m a spy, don’t worry. People like to brag. I’ll just say I overheard a few things and wanted to know what they meant.”
He downed more of his drink. “Makes sense. All we know so far is that Shamus’s rental was found near Ridge Road. Two of Kalan’s men located his clothing about one-hundred feet down the path behind a tree. I doubt any Changeling would know that, however.”
“So he was going for a run, like he said.” She sipped her drink slowly, but from the way her eyes were roaming around, her mind was spinning.
“Yes. After that, we know nothing.”
“Hmm.” She lowered her glass and tapped the side with a delicate blue painted nail. “We should take the same trail to see if we can find any clues.”
That would be too dangerous, but if he voiced his concern, Ainsley would balk. Instead, he decided to redirect her focus. For effect, he snapped his fingers. “I think we should speak with James about what to do next.”
She lifted her drink to her lips, but he could still detect the smile she seemed determined to hide. “How can he help?”
Jackson filled her in on as much of the background information he had about Olivia and Nathan, the two Changelings who were sending information to James. “I’m thinking he knows who’s important and who to question for answers.”
“I say let’s go and ask him.”
Her fearless attitude was unlike anything he’d seen before. “Let me call Rye and see what he suggests. One doesn’t just barge in on an immortal.”
“If James is as powerful as you claim, he’ll know why we’re there.”
Okay, she had him there. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
She polished off her glass and stood. “How about I follow you?”
He wasn’t sure that was a good idea. “When
you came to dinner at my parents’ house, did you feel any effects from being near the large amount of pink quartz at the bottom of Silver Lake?” The last thing he needed was for her to become dizzy and drive off the road. “It affects Changelings negatively.”
“I might have been dizzy, but I think it was being around you that caused it. Besides, I have this.” She lifted up her shirt, and he nearly roared. She wore a red onyx belly button ring. “This will help, but it’s not very large.” She fingered the necklace Shamus had given her. “This will help too, but Elana warned me that if I shifted, I might not be able to remain in my animal form for long.”
“True. Your belly button stays on during the shift?” The image of her shifting and then returning to her naked human form forced him to look away.
“Yes. Same for my earrings.”
“Okay then. How about you follow me to my house, and I’ll drive the last mile to James’s place. There aren’t any street lights, and it wouldn’t be good if you got lost.”
Jackson wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to torture himself by having her sit next to him when he drove, but he still didn’t quite trust her.
“That’s fine.”
From the way she pursed her lips, it was anything but fine, but she seemed to be hanging on by a thread and probably didn’t want to get into an argument.
Chapter Nine
‡
Ainsley was excited and fearful at the same time to be visiting the immortal. What if James told her that his wife, Naliana, wouldn’t even consider cleansing her? Sure Ainsley still wanted to find Shamus’s murderers, but even if she did, her life after that would be rather bleak if she had to live her life as a Changeling.
As a young girl, she dreamed of having the perfect mate, handpicked by the goddesses just for her. Because she’d never wanted to be mated with a Changeling, she’d set her heart on a human, knowing her genes wouldn’t taint his if they were careful.
Not that she was disappointed with having Jackson as her mate—far from it. He was strong, handsome, and protective, but he lacked one thing: he didn’t like her. If she couldn’t be cleansed, she’d have no hope of finding love.
Jackson’s house was a mile deeper into the shifter cove than his parents’ place, which might be why she was feeling a bit lightheaded. That, or the day’s events were finally catching up to her. The farther she drove into the forested area, the faster her heart beat and the quicker her strength weakened. With one hand on the wheel, she fingered her sardonyx pendant, but perhaps it wasn’t enough to block the effects of the area, or else her wolf was trying to sabotage her for some reason.
Less than five minutes later, Jackson pulled down a long driveway. The nearly full moon helped to illuminate the hard packed ground, but she still slowed to make sure she didn’t hit a pothole and break an axle. The front porch light shone on the area around the house, allowing her to get a good glimpse of his place.
She just stared. It was perfect. The one-story log cabin wasn’t large, but the chairs on the front porch made the place cozy. Nestled in the trees, his home looked secure and peaceful.
Jackson parked his truck, and she pulled up next to him, not wanting to block his exit.
Before Ainsley had the chance to slip out, Jackson was by her door to help. When he touched her shoulder, streaks of heat shot straight through her. “I’m good. Thanks.”
He let go. “Thought you could use a hand. You were driving a bit erratically.”
Was that true? Maybe. “I don’t like driving at night.” Okay, that was totally lame, especially with her excellent night vision.
“Come on then.”
Drawing on her inner strength, she managed to slip into the passenger’s side, though she didn’t know why it had to be so damn high. Jackson jumped in, put the truck in reverse, and headed out the way he came.
“You know where this man lives?” she asked.
“More or less. His house is on the north end of the lake, away from everyone. Apparently, he owns hundreds of acres, purchased back in the eighteen hundreds, or maybe it was the seventeen hundreds. I’m not sure.”
She hadn’t realized he was that old. “Can he even walk?”
Jackson chuckled, and the rich sound seeped into her skin, helping to ease the pressure on her chest.
“Very well in fact. I believe he was granted immortality when he was about sixty.”
“Why was he granted that?” She’d never heard of immortals even existing on earth.
“Lore has it that Naliana was about eighteen when the gods and goddesses of the realm decided that the earth needed someone to make sure the shifters and Wendayans didn’t mess up the order of things.”
“You mean to make sure they didn’t scare the humans to death.”
He glanced over at her. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it. Anyway, Naliana came to earth to live among the humans, wolves, bears, and other shifters. She was supposed to learn about the culture in order to help decide which shifters would be best suited for each other. Then she’d get them together and move on.”
“I take it something went wrong?”
“You could say that. She met a human by the name of James, and they fell in love. What was supposed to be a two-year stint on earth lasted forty.”
She sucked in a breath. “That’s so romantic. I think Elana told me that Naliana only comes down to earth but once a month, on the white moon. Why’s that?” Ainsley couldn’t believe she was actually having a normal conversation with the man and really enjoying it.
Jackson turned onto the main road that rimmed the lake. “Supposedly, James became ill with a fever that not even the Wendayans could cure. Naliana pleaded with the other gods for help. They told her that because she’d refused to return to the heavens when they’d ordered her to, she would have to sacrifice if she wanted him saved.”
Pain and sorrow sliced through her. “What did she have to do?”
“The gods promised to save James and make him immortal if Naliana returned to the heavens, guiding shifters and witches around the world from above. She was only allowed to take a physical form once a month on the white moon.”
“Ah, so that’s why she stays away for so long.” Ainsley would love to meet her. “I’m not even sure the Changelings have any type of goddesses looking over them. If they do, I don’t think they’re very attentive.”
Jackson chuckled. He then pulled down a long drive and came to a stop. “That is a shame. Ready?”
“Yes.” She was more than ready, though she would have enjoyed hearing more about Naliana and how the Clan lived.
Once more, Jackson helped her out. Even as she neared James’s house, she couldn’t make out much of its shape, other than it was built out of stone, which she suspected was as old as James himself.
After the first knock, James answered. It was almost as if he knew who was there and what they wanted. “Come in.”
Ainsley stood to her full height of five-foot six, but she felt tiny next to Jackson and even James. As much as she didn’t want to get sidetracked by looking around, she couldn’t help it. A fire blazed in the stone hearth, casting a warm, yellow glow over the room. The furniture was sparse but functional.
“Can I get you some of my homemade ale?”
“Yes please,” they said in unison.
James smiled then disappeared down the hallway.
Jackson looked over at her. “Kalan tried to describe this place to me, but he didn’t do it justice. I feel like I’ve been transported back in time about a hundred years.”
She had to agree. “It’s old, but there’s a lot of love radiating off these old walls.” He looked at her kind of funny. “I’m a witch, remember?”
“Ah.”
James returned with a tray carrying three tall glasses. “Please sit.”
Without paying attention to which seat Jackson would choose, she dropped down on the hard sofa seat. He sat next to her, and instantly, pinpricks of lust stabbed at her.
Naliana, if you can hear me, please help.
She’d never asked any god or goddess for aid or guidance, but now seemed as good a time as any to ask. After hearing her love story, Ainsley felt as though she knew her quite well.
“What brings you here?” James asked, as he offered Ainsley her choice of drink.
Not wanting Jackson to misrepresent the issue, she went first. “I want to help find my friend’s murderers.” She didn’t think it would be necessary to give the details. James probably already knew despite his question that implied he didn’t.
“A real tragedy. I’m sorry for both of your losses.”
“Do you know who killed Shamus?” Jackson asked.
James shook his head. “No, but I suggest you start by finding out where your cousin was killed. That might give you a clue.”
Aha. James knew more than he was letting on. Ainsley nudged Jackson. It was what she’d wanted to do. “We can take a run tonight and look for where the fight occurred,” she said.
Jackson shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
She was tired of him telling her how dangerous something was. “Trust me when I say I can handle myself in a fight.”
He twisted toward her. “You’re merely a wolf who—”
“She’s right, Jackson. Don’t underestimate her Wendayan capabilities.”
They both froze, and their gazes locked. She wasn’t ready to tell Jackson what she could do, and certainly not in front of James, though he seemed to know about her magic. That knowledge was kind of creepy. What else did he know? The future?
“What can you do?” Jackson asked her.
“I can sneak up on people without them knowing.”
Jackson shot a glance at James who merely held up his hands. “Listen to your mate. She’s telling the truth. In fact, you need to cut her some slack and trust her more.”
Go, James. Coming here had been so worth it. Other than Shamus and Blair, Ainsley didn’t have many supporters.
