by Renee George
"What about Romulus and Remus’s sons?"
"They became the first two Alphas, of course."
Oh. Well, that explained a lot. Leonard was grieving, I realized. He'd loved these two brothers, and one betrayed the other, and was killed in return. "You never meant for them to be two-natured," I said.
"No." He shook his head. "I thought I'd made them into real humans. It was only in Romulus's newfound hatred of the one person he loved most in the world did I discover my mistake. It's also when Heaven found out, and I was cast out for my pride. For thinking that I was above our Father's law."
"You miss it," I said. "You miss being an angel."
"I miss bathing in His light, child. That's why I've done all this. It's why you must let it happen. A child between Grady and Carol Ann will end lycanthropy and restore the balance to nature."
"How?"
He suddenly looked at me as if he hadn't realized I was sitting there. "Goodbye, Eliza. Go home. If things go well, I will not need you again."
I pulled into the farm feeling useless and defeated. Eliza ran out to the truck to meet me. "Well?" she asked. "When is Harry the hairy hunk coming down?"
"He's not," I said. "I can't blame him. He has an entire pack to think about."
"It doesn't mean you can't be unhappy about it," she said.
"Nope, it doesn't mean that." I was unhappy. What the hell had I expected? I didn't know Grady well, but what I did know told me he was a man of honor, and, of course, a man of honor would not run away. Leonard's hints at the endgame still had me curious and upset, though. And I still had three weeks before Grady and Carol Ann would mate. I needed to talk to an angel expert, and I only knew of one. "Where's David?"
"He's out piddling on his old Chevy with Charlotte. Jared had to go see his grandma, and Charlotte's been antsy alone."
I nodded and walked out to the barn. Charlotte wore one a pair of Olivia's stretchy pants and blousy shirt. It couldn't cover her swollen belly. She was almost eight months pregnant now, and it wouldn't be long before my little nephew was born. She hated to wear pants with the exception of when she was building things or taking things a part. I envied her and Elise. They both had passions in this world that had nothing to do with demons. I supposed I had a passion for helping people. If things were different, I might have become a therapist or something akin to one.
"Hi, y'all," I said. "Got that rust bucket running, yet?"
"Hey," David protested. "Ollie got me through a lot back in the day. She was a reliable beauty when I needed her."
He'd named the truck Ollie after my sister, Olivia. Which was sweet. "I'm sure she'll be humming again real soon." Charlotte was bent at the waist under the hood, her stomach dragging the engine. "Are you sure you should be doing that in your condition, Char?"
"Don't you start with me, too," she snapped without stopping her work.
David shrugged then said quietly, "Jared said something along the same lines before he left."
"Oh."
"I'm pregnant, not deaf," Charlotte said then shot up and banged her head on the roof of the hood. "Ow!"
David helped her sit down. I checked out her head. No bleeding, but there was a small lump forming. "Maybe you should let Elise take a look at that. Or get some ice."
Charlotte stood up slowly and waddled off toward the farmhouse.
"She's been in a mood."
"Well, carry an eight-pound bowling ball around on your bladder for a while and we'll see what kind of mood you end up in."
David laughed. "Fair point. Did you need something? Or did you just pop down to say hello?"
"I need something," I said giving him my brightest smile. "Do you think you can call your grandpappy for me?"
David scratched his head. "Do you mean Afriel?"
"Yes, that would be him."
"Why?"
"I want to ask him about some angel business involving Leonard."
"Hmm." David gave me a quick nod. "I can try, but it's not like he's got a cell phone. He might not answer me."
"I appreciate it. Do you need anything?"
"For what?"
"The ritual to call for him."
David laughed. "He's an angel. You can't summon them like you can summon demons."
"Well, fine. Just do whatever you do to get in touch with him."
David looked up and said, "Afriel, I need to speak to you." After, he looked at me and shrugged.
"Is that it?" I looked around the barn for any sign of angel activity. "How long does it usually take?"
"Well, hello, beautiful," a man said behind me. I turned around to see a teenage boy wearing jeans that were skinny at the bottom and baggy in the crotch, on oversized designer T-shirt, and sparkly kicks. Afriel was the angel of youth, and he liked to keep up with pop culture.
I smiled. "Hello, Afriel."
"Hello, Eliza." He looked over my head at David. "Did you want something or is this a social call?"
"Eliza wants to speak with you about Leonard," my brother-in-law said.
Afriel frowned at me. "I can't interfere in a demon's bargain. You know I can't help you. You made the deal with Leonard."
"I know that," I said, trying hard to keep my irritation out of my voice. "I don't want help from you. I want information from you."
"Information?' He grinned. "Lucky for you, I'm full of it. Isn't that right, David?"
My brother-in-law nodded. "Yep," he agreed. "Afriel is full of it."
Afriel cast him an annoyed look.
I giggled. "You opened yourself for that one," I said.
"Never mind," the angel said. "What would you like to know, Eliza? If it's in my power to tell you, I will."
"Is it true that Leonard was cast from Heaven for creating werewolves?"
"In a way," the angel said. "He broke our laws by creating a new species by altering a creature already in existence. But covering up Romulus's crimes is what got him the boot."
"You mean Romulus killing Remus?"
Afriel raised an eyebrow. "If it would have stopped there, he might have been forgiven, but Romulus was so bereft over Remus's death that he killed his wife, her family, and most of the villagers where he lived. Leonard went to great lengths to hide Romulus's deeds. When our Father found out, He had no choice but to exile him." He shook his head. "It's a shame, too. Romulus was out of control until Leonard finally ended him. I think losing both his favorites broke his heart beyond repair. However, even with their tragic origins, the two sons were placed with people who raised them to be decent men. Their kind has become a favorite in Heaven. If Leonard would have been honest from the start, he would have been given a second chance."
"What do you mean the werewolves have become a favorite?"
The angel sniffed. "I've heard tell that our Father often wishes he would have thought of them first. You see, even if he didn't create them, they are still Heaven's creations."
"So, God might get upset if say...someone undid the lycanthropes and made them into pure wolves again?"
"Undo them? You have got to be kidding me?" His gaze narrowed on me. "Eliza, what is my cousin up to?"
"Nothing good, I assure you." If Leonard wanted forgiveness from his father, the demon lord was apparently howling up the wrong tree.
Chapter 13
I spent the day and evening with my sisters and my brothers-in-law, along with Ray, Frank, and Ennis. They all pitched in with ideas to solve my Leonard-Werewolf problem, but in my heart, I knew there was only one chance for a resolution.
The next morning, I snuggled in bed next to Elise. We'd talked most the night like we used to do when we were teenagers.
I left the house with the understanding that until I could put things right with Leonard, she had to stay on the farm. She promised me she wouldn't leave unless I came home and gave the all clear, but I knew my sister well enough to know that if I didn't come back, she would walk across the property line and let Leonard end her life. Eliza would not be prisoner to a demon.
I had to do everything in my power to prevent that outcome.
I drove to the edge of farm and, heart in my throat, slowly drove past the demon blockers. I took several deep breaths, and said, "Leonard? Leonard, I need to speak with you."
"What do you want, Eliza?" He appeared instantly in the truck next to me.
"I want to try and talk you out of this path you're on."
"Why can't you be content with the knowledge that if I succeed, you will be free of me? You will get to live out your life with your sister. Won't that be nice?"
Actually, it sounded really nice. But at what cost? "Even if you get everything you want here, Grady mates with Carol Ann, and they have your perfect child, then what? There are still lycanthropes who will have more babies. You will have undone nothing."
"The lycan flu will eventually kill them off," he said. "And then my mistake will be erased."
"That's horrifying. Did you create the lycan disease to kill your own children?"
He flinched as if slapped. "No, I didn't create it, but it doesn't mean I won't use it to serve my purpose."
I shook my head. "Do you really think that genocide will ingratiate you once again with Heaven, that your Father will open those pearly gates and invite you back in?"
"There are no pearly gates, Eliza. That’s another human myth."
"So not the point," I said.
"I know what your point is, and I have to ask, why do you care?"
That's a question I'd been asked more times than I could name. "Because I do. I always have. Sometimes when someone is feeling something, I experience the emotion as if it were happening to me. And what I'm feeling from you is loss, and longing, and the need for forgiveness. But trying to undo what you did so your Poppa won't be mad at you anymore isn't the same thing as making amends. You can't make people forgive you. You can't force it and forcing this evolution on the lycanthropes is not going to get you what you want."
"And how would you know?"
"Look, if you can't see that what you're doing is the opposite of good then you will never be saved."
"I can't be saved regardless." He lowered his sunglasses to show me his eyes. "I am a demon lord for good or for ill." He sank down in the seat. "But I can’t allow the lycanthropes to continue.”
“Why? Grady is a good person. Carol Ann is a good person. Sure, werewolves have a few bad furballs, but that doesn’t mean you should wipe out their entire race.” I leaned forward. "I know this was your master plan, and you've worked on it for a very long time, but if you really want to do one thing right, you'll cancel your contract with Bobby Broderick and free Grady and Carol Ann to choose their own mates."
"You're asking for a lot, Eliza." He glared at me. "Are you sure this isn't some big ploy, so you can have Grady for yourself?"
"If you canceled the contract, I will vow to never see him again. I would even give you a few more years as a minion to save them from the misery they are facing together."
"Humans. Gah.” He rolled his eyes. “Do you know what kind of maneuvering I had to do to get these two families, one from the Romulus side and one from the Remus side to breed until they created two half-perfect children who could create the perfect child?"
"Nothing's perfect," I told him. "And besides, I think your creations are really great they way they are. They are not Romulus." I resisted the urge to reach out and comfort Leonard. He was, after all, demon lord, but I gave him something more to think about. "As my Poppa used to say, don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
"That's a stupid saying."
"I'll take that under consideration when next using it," I said. "But you get my meaning."
"I do."
"So, do we have a deal?"
"I won't be making a deal with you, Eliza."
"Are you going to force Grady and Carol Ann to marry?"
"No, I think you're right about the situation. I was short-sighted thinking I could somehow get redemption by undoing my mistake. I will cancel my contract with Bobby Broderick."
"And I promise to never see Grady Conrad again." I held my breath for a moment to prevent a sob. I'd known the man only a short while and my heart was breaking over him.
"What do I care what you do, Eliza?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're a pain in my butt, Eliza Madder, and you have too many feelings about everything. You're a terrible minion."
"What does this mean?" I was freaking out a little. "Are you cancelling my contract? What about Elise?"
"I'm not cancelling your contract, Eliza. Elise can live." He shook his head. "No, you're not cancelled, you're fired." A simple smile played briefly on his lips. "You have your life back. Don't waste it."
I threw my arms around Leonard to hug him, but instead I hugged empty air. Leonard was gone, and, I realized suddenly, for the last time.
I was free.
I could feel it all the way down to the marrow of my bones.
I grabbed the marriage contract from the visor. The entire surface, including the bloody baby footprints were nothing more than a charred black surface. He'd really done it. He cancelled the contract. Grady and Carol Ann were free. I bit my lower lip then I bawled. I cried so hard my eyelids swelled up and my nose was running like faucet. And when I finished, I used a wet wipe to clean up some, texted my sisters the news, and then I pulled out onto the highway headed for Hannibal.
The drive to Grady's seemed longer than five hours. I called him when I was twenty minutes out and asked him to get Carol Ann to his place. I told him I had news but didn't tell him what it was. This seemed like the sort of information you should give in person.
I parked behind his SUV and ran for the door. My excitement had been building with each step closer. Grady opened the door before I could knock. I wanted to fling my arms around his neck and kiss him stupid, or let him kiss me stupid, whatever came first, but Carol Ann stood right behind him. Besides, despite everything, he might not even feel that way about me, so I didn't want to get ahead of myself.
I had the contract folded in my hand. I thrust it forward and handed it to Grady. "Here." My smile was big enough that my cheeks hurt.
Grady unfolded the parchment. "What is this?"
"It's a clean slate," I said.
"I don't understand." He looked at it again. "It looks like someone took a lighter to some paper."
"That someone was Leonard," I said, "when he decided to cancel the marriage contract."
"What are you talking about?" Carol Ann asked. She snatched the paper from Grady. “How is this even possible?"
"What a demon maketh, a demon can taketh away." I might have been a little too giddy. "Leonard has freed you!"
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"He's probably given the bad news to your father. He is not going to be happy now that Leonard's taken away his only chance to rule the world, but yes, I'm very sure. You two have your lives back and you can live and love and marry or mate anyone you fancy."
“Why?” asked Grady. “Why did he cancel the contract?”
“Who cares,” yelled Carol Ann. She pushed past Grady.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To find Randy, of course! I have some celebratory nookie on the agenda."
Grady shook his head. "That was a little too much information, I think."
I smiled. "Well, you asked her."
"What about you?" Grady asked. "Wasn't it your job to seal the deal?"
"Leonard fired me. He said I was a terrible minion." I tried to look sad about it and failed.
"Do you want to come inside for some coffee or something?"
"Or something," I said. He held the door open for me as I walked past him.
"You smell really nice."
"Do I?" I'd given myself extra squirts of the raspberry body spray before I hit town. "I guess I don't even notice it."
Grady closed the door behind me, and he grabbed my hand. "Eliza."
I turned around and blink
ed up at him. "Yes, Grady."
"I would like to court you."
"You would?"
"Yes, that is the right word, right? Court?"
"It is." I smiled and gave him a slow blink. "I accept your proposal." When his eyes widened, I added, "Of courtship."
"Oh." He smiled, and damn, that man needed to smile all the time. It made his green eyes sparkle with light and magic. "I had another dream," he said.
"We were leaping off a mountain again?"
"No." He grinned. "This one involved us wearing very little clothing."
"My, oh, my," I said fanning myself.
"Can I kiss you?"
A wellspring of giddiness arose in me and spilled out in an unholy giggle.
"Are you okay? Are you choking?" Grady had moved in closer. He smoothed back my hair as he examined my face. "Do you need a glass of water?"
"I'm sorry. I've been dreaming of my first kiss since my adolescence, but I never expected my suitor to ask permission. I'm really glad you did though, because it's nice for it to be my choice."
"Your first?" He looked suddenly worried. "I don't want to take advantage. We can go as slow as you want."
"I've been waiting a very long time to experience some passion in my life. How about we take it as fast as I want." I put my arms up over his shoulders and crossed my hands behind his neck. "I may not be experienced, but I don't plan to stay that way, and I've already decided that whatever may pass between us, I will never regret a moment of it. So please, take advantage of me."
Grady dipped his head as I went up on my tip-toes. His lips brushed mine, gentle at first, then more eager. The power I'd felt when he'd been near me before washed over me again in a wave that made my whole body crave him. I moaned as his hands roamed my back and his tongue slid inside my mouth. He tasted of chocolate milk and glazed donuts. So yummy. He growled as he lifted me, my legs wrapping around his waist as I moved against him in the most natural and instinctual of motions. My womanly bits throbbed and ached for more as he hardened against me.
I threw my head back, hitting a wall as I gasped.
