Luke's Dream
Page 23
Apparently I’d been the only one with an age issue. But I couldn’t deny I felt better knowing we were Mated, and I’d be able to find her anywhere now. My girl seemed overly fond of trouble and running away.
Thomas and Charlene were talking to Winifred, Mary, and Gregory. Before arriving at this hotel, Grey had mentioned running wild in the woods before Thomas met Charlene. My thoughts about our females and the Urbat hadn’t left my mind. I wasn’t ready to talk to the Elders yet. Not because I didn’t trust them, but because I wasn’t sure if I trusted my theory. I wanted more information. Who better to ask than the man who’d run wild?
Before Bethi moved off to talk to Gabby and Michelle, I turned her and kissed her cheek.
“Don’t go too far,” I said.
She grinned. “I can’t get away from you now.”
“No. You can’t. Behave, though.”
She laughed and joined the other women. I caught Thomas’ eye and nodded to the side.
“Can we step outside for a moment?” I asked. “I wanted to ask you a few things.”
“Sure.”
Thomas led the way out the doors. We didn’t go far. I wanted to be able to watch Bethi through the glass.
“Congratulations,” Thomas said as soon as the doors were closed.
I nodded, eyeing up the man. Over the past few days, my opinion of him had changed slightly. I wasn’t ready to join his pack or anything like that. But, I now knew I’d been wrong to think Thomas and the Elders were trying to keep unmated women away from the Forlorn.
“Something on your mind?” he asked, watching me.
“Yeah. A few things actually. Grey mentioned you and Gregory roamed quite a bit in your youth. In all your time in the woods, did you come across many families?”
“Not many,” he said. “Men who had females kept to themselves. Hidden, if they could manage it. There were a few families we knew who welcomed us, but most did not.”
I nodded, having expected that answer. “And how many males did you come across grieving the loss of a daughter or a wife?”
Thomas frowned. “A few. Life was hard in the woods. That’s why Charlene’s made such an impact in so many ways. What this about?”
“A suspicion. My parents were killed when I was still a cub, and something about that is bothering me with everything that’s going on now.”
“Like what?”
“I found them after school. Da was on the floor, his throat ripped out. Ma was in the corner, not far from him. The police blamed it on a break in. But nothing had been taken. Just their lives. Da’s throat told me it was one of our own. Humans typically don’t kill like that.” I inhaled slowly, making sure to stay calm so Bethi wouldn’t feel anything over our link. “I’d always thought that Ma had tried to stop a fight for territory. We had a good thing there, blending with the humans. But, Bethi says these Urbat have been searching for them. What if…while the Urbat were searching for them”—I nodded toward the women inside—“they’ve been attacking families and any Mated pairs, reducing our numbers just in case they couldn’t find what they were looking for? It easier to take power when there’s no opposition.”
Thomas frowned as he considered my words.
“There’s something else that’s really bothering me.”
“More than that?”
I nodded. “You found Charlene a long time ago. Joshua is proof that there have been traitors among you for a while. So, why now? Why not attack when they first discovered Charlene?”
Thomas tilted his head as he considered me.
“Maybe,” he said slowly, “they did.”
“Tell me,” I said.
“It’s not a quick story.”
“That’s fine. If Bethi’s taught me anything, it’s to take the time to listen. So, go ahead. I’m listening.”
Through the glass, Bethi’s gaze met mine. I hoped whatever Thomas experienced with Charlene would give us a clue as to what was happening now. We had so few answers and so many lives to try to save. Our Wisdom was exhausted, and we needed Strength to pull us through.
Author’s Note
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Melissa
Appendix
The Judgements:
Hope— Gabby, Mate to Clay [Book 1: Hope(less)]
Prosperity — Michelle, Mate to Emmitt, son of Charlene [Book 2: (Mis)fortune]
Wisdom — Bethi, Mate to Luke [Book 3: (Un)wise]
Strength — Charlene, Emmitt’s mother, Mate to the werewolf leader Thomas [Book 4: (Un)bidden]
Peace — Isabelle [Book 5, (Dis)content]
Courage — Olivia [Book 6, anticipated release 2017]
The lights Gabby sees:
Werewolf — Blue center with a green halo
Urbat — Blue center with a grey halo
Human — Yellow center with a green halo
The Judgements:
Charlene — Yellow with a red halo
Gabby — Yellow with an orange halo
Michelle — Yellow with a blue halo
Bethi — Yellow with a purple halo
(Peace) — Yellow with a white halo
(Courage) — Yellow with a brown halo
Touch
By Melissa Haag
Tessa longs for freedom...
A touch. That's all it takes for Tessa to know her future with a boy. Her mom tells her she needs to choose her best option before she turns seventeen. Problem is, she sees all her “options” dying before they turn thirty. That may have worked for the last fourteen generations of women in her family tree, but Tessa can't choose and condemn someone to an early grave.
An unfortunate incident at Tessa's school starts a chain of events that reveals Morik, a centuries old chaos demon.
Morik won't stop looking for her...
Hidden from the world, he has waited for his chance. Desperate for a purpose, he struck a deal. The time has come to collect.
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