Forever Changed (The Mystic Wolves)

by Belinda Boring

  “Yes,” I gulped, following him into the store. The room had so much character—drawings and funny signs were hung all over the wall. My favorite part, however, was the back end of a pink Cadillac that served as a couch for people to sit and wait. Daniel was already inspecting the different tattoo designs while Devlin and Christina were quietly laughing over the sign that requested extra money for complaining. I had a good feeling about this place. It was clean and organized, Chunk obviously knowing his business.

  Chunk guided me over to a padded bench, patting the surface for me to take a seat. “Do you know what design you want and where you want me to put it?”

  Mason and Helena stood beside me. The coven leader pulled out a piece of paper with a sketch drawn on it. “We need the quaternary.” She handed over a vial filled with dark liquid. “And this is the ink you must use.”

  Chunk lifted it up to the light, studying it carefully. “So the four-cornered Celtic knot with blessed ink.” He let out a loud whistle. “You don’t mess around with your magic, Mom.”

  “No, son. It’s important Darcy’s protected.”

  “Then let’s get to work.” Placing the drawing and ink down on his workbench, he smiled. “So, where would you like it? Arm, leg, back, shoulder?” With each word, Chunk placed his hand on his own body. “I don’t think it matters where or how big. But, if you’re wanting it on your main torso, you’re going to have to . . . you know . . . take your . . .” He pointed at my shirt.

  “Can I get it on my wrist?” I blurted out, before Mason’s head exploded. He knew it was necessary, but no newly mated wolf liked the idea of someone else touching his wife’s body.

  Thank you, Mason sighed with relief.

  You’re welcome. Breathe, okay? You’re making me nervous.

  I didn’t think this would bother me, he admitted through our connection.

  Do you need to go somewhere else?

  I’ll be fine. Thanks for making it easier.

  “Wrist will work. What I’ll do is make a transfer and we’ll position it where you want. I’ll stain the pattern on your skin, and then I’ll start using the ink. It should take about forty-five minutes at the most.”

  “Sounds good.” The slight tremor in my voice betrayed my fake confidence.

  Chunk moved about the room getting everything he needed, explaining that all his equipment was sterilized and the needles were brand new. As he explained each step and what to expect, I started to relax, caught up in his friendly banter. He also engaged Mason into our conversation, something I was grateful for; and before long, they were both talking about sports.

  Glancing around, the others had given up their exploration and were now quietly sitting on the couch, talking amongst themselves—no doubt plotting our next move. It didn’t escape my notice the way Devlin and Christina sat close, and it made me wonder just how lonely Devlin really was. He wasn’t someone who talked openly about his relationships, never traipsing his latest conquest in front of everyone. It had me believing that he kept to himself a lot, putting his job as an Enforcer first in his life. It was good to see him with Christina and, even though I didn’t know all the details, I secretly hoped there would be some “alone time” for them. The look of adoration she tried to hide from her eyes told me the female Enforcer wished for the same.

  Are you matchmaking again, sweetheart?

  No. Maybe. Fine, yes. Don’t you think Devlin needs . . . I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. Knowing he was my Uncle now had added a new level of weirdness when it came to thinking of him in a sexual way.

  Mason’s chuckle filtered through our mental link. He obviously felt my discomfort and found it amusing.

  “Okay, it’s time,” Chunk interrupted. “I need you to lay your hand here and keep it steady. I can’t stress that enough. You can’t move or flinch.”

  I did as I was told, watching as he printed the pattern on my left wrist. I couldn’t help but jump at the buzzing noise that filled the air when he switched on the tattoo gun. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I braced myself for the unknown.

  “I’m right here,” Mason soothed. “If it gets too much, I’ll help keep you distracted.”

  All I could do was nod, last minute fear threatening to shatter my resolve and leave me fleeing the parlor.

  “You’ll be fine, Darcy. I promise. It’ll feel weird at first—a sting, but you’ll adjust to it and then it’ll just feel like a bad sun burn.” Chunk lowered the magnifying goggles and gripped my wrist gently. Hovering the gun over my skin, he tightened his hold momentarily and began.

  “Breathe, sweetheart,” Mason reminded. I hadn’t known I’d stopped.

  “You doing okay?” Chunk asked again, not stopping as he began tracing over the pattern.

  “Yeah, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s not the best feeling in the world, but I’ve handled worse.”

  “I hear that a lot. The mind’s a powerful thing. It can have you imagining all kinds of stuff. Because people usually don’t have anything to compare it to, they start thinking they’ll pass out from pain.” Chunk laughed. “Trust me, if it was that bad, I wouldn’t have gotten half the art I have.”

  He was wearing a black tank with jeans and I studied the full sleeves he had down both arms. “Wow, how long did they take to do?” There was so many images mixed together—stars, cross, skulls, and Celtic bands.

  “It took a while. I had each piece added in over time. I also have stuff on my back, as well.”

  “Wow.” I was amazed.

  “What can I say? I’m addicted. Most people are. Don’t be surprised if you decide to get a second tattoo. Once you start, it’s easy to get hooked.”

  I laughed out loud. “How about we see how this one goes?” What I didn’t add was I was already wondering about getting Mason’s name somewhere on my body, somewhere just for him to see.

  Somewhere I can kiss . . . lick. I glanced up and met his gaze, my skin flushing hotter than the ink gun from the desire I saw in his eyes.

  “Is there anything special we need to do to care of it, once you’re done?” Mason asked, enjoying himself now he had me hot and bothered.

  “There is. I’ll give you some lubrication and instructions before you leave.” Chunk didn’t look up, his hand steady as he wiped away blood droplets before pressing the gun’s needle against my skin again. “So what do you know about this symbol?”

  I shrugged. “Not much, other than I like the design. I’m assuming that it holds special meaning. I know most Celtic things do.” Chunk peeked up at me quickly. “I know, I know. I should know a lot more than that. In my defense, I only just found I needed one.”

  “Well, the quaternary, or four-sided Celtic knot, is mostly used for protection and, because some say it resembles the four leaf clover, for good luck. I’m pretty sure that’s why my mom chose this symbol. It also invokes the four elements, as well, for an added boost.”

  “You seem to know a lot. Are you a witch, too?” The muscle in his jaw clenched, revealing I’d struck a nerve. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  “You’re not. It’s an easy assumption to make considering who my mom is. I learned a lot of this stuff growing up and even though I have powers, I choose not to use them for personal reasons. It drives my mom insane; but hey, I am who I am.” Chunk paused to dip the needle into the blessed ink, studying what he’d done so far. “This is going to look wicked when it’s done. I like the placement, too.”

  We talked back and forth; Mason joining in occasionally, until finally the tattoo was completed. Everyone came over to inspect it, commenting on how well it turned out.

  “Now all we need to do is activate it and you should become hidden,” Helena said, nodding her head with approval. “Christina, if you would join me, it shouldn’t take but a few moments.” Grabbing my wrist carefully, Christina placed her hand underneath Helena’s. I wanted to thank Chunk, but he’d already removed his used instruments and disappeared into the back room
.

  Chanting a few words under their breath over and over, the tattoo began to tingle, and then burn, as a soft glow overwhelmed the black ink. I wanted to touch the spot, scratch it or something, to alleviate the discomfort. It continued to flare brighter and brighter until Helena and Christina grew silent—the tattoo and the spell officially completed.

  “So, that’s it? Darcy’s powers are bound again? Julian can’t hone in on her magic?” Devlin asked, leaning forward to study my glowing tattoo. “This is what your mark did when you were born.”

  “But this time, it won’t take a few days to subside.”

  “How long?” Mason asked before I could.

  “About five minutes. The magic just needs to resettle. But, you’re safe. Everything went according to plan and the tattoo looks good. I didn’t feel any disturbance sealing the ink to your skin. Congratulations, Darcy.”

  A huge sigh of relief coursed through me and I broke out into a goofy grin. Finally, we were heading in the right direction; and I felt better knowing I wasn’t some blaring neon sign telling Julian, “Here I am, come get me.” The odds had just increased in our favor.

  “Thank you.” I smiled, sliding off the bench to hug her. “Thank you for helping me —you, your coven, and your son.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Chunk answered, coming from the back room. Handing me my aftercare package, he gave my wrist one last look. “Let me know if it needs touching up, okay? I don’t mind coming out to you if you’re not still in the area.”

  “Will do.” It was time to leave and head home to Woodside Hollow. “You’re welcome to visit us any . . .”

  Pain drove me to my knees, robbing me of breath, and my arm felt like it was submerged in acid. Screaming in agony, I flailed onto the floor, unable to control my body as everything went black.

  Something was wrong, very wrong.

  I just couldn’t stay conscious long enough to stop it.

  Chapter 14

  Mason’s blurry face swam in my vision as I slowly opened my eyes. There was a momentary flash of panic as the room cleared. I wasn’t where I last remembered—at The Ink Bomb with everyone. Judging from the now familiar surroundings, we were back at Helena’s home, in the guest room she’d given us for our visit. That could only mean one thing.

  The spell hadn’t worked. My powers had rejected the magic again.

  Lifting my wrist, there was no denying it. The skin that once held the freshly inked Celtic knot was now bare.

  “Damn,” I cursed under my breath, rubbing my finger over my unmarred skin. It was as if the marking had never existed, all of Chunk’s hard work gone. “Something tells me there’s no binding my powers.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Strike three and all that.” Mason leaned down beside me, resting his arm over my waist. Kissing my temple gently, I knew he was just as disappointed as I was. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but this trip to Salem had felt like our last hope in keeping Julian away. The more I thought about it, the more there was only two options—run or fight.

  “So, what do we do?” I whispered, snuggling into him to enjoy his warmth. He let out a heavy sigh, which wasn’t a good sign. When Mason acted like that, it meant the only thing he was sure of was that the answer wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Let’s go meet up with everyone and discuss our next step. There has to be something else we can do.”

  Neither of us moved. “How bad was the spell rejection?”

  “Scary. You kind of convulsed on the floor, moaning. For a second I thought you were going to shift but the ink in your wrist started pushing out through your skin. No one could approach you to try and comfort you. Once the tattoo was gone, you instantly calmed, falling into a healing sleep. When you didn’t wake up, we brought you back here so you would be comfortable.”

  “How long have I been out?” I couldn’t imagine it being longer than a few hours.

  “You’ve been dead to the world for about thirteen hours. I was starting to worry that something was wrong, but you finally stirred.” That would explain the fuzzy concerned look on his face when I opened my eyes, earlier.

  I slowly sat up, Mason’s arm falling to the side. “We can’t waste any more time. Every minute we do, Julian is one step closer to finding me. We need to be prepared. I need to be more prepared. We can’t rely on silencing my magic, anymore. We need a new plan.”

  “I agree. Now you’re up, let’s gather Devlin and Daniel and talk strategy.” Helping me stand, Mason wrapped his arms around me, again, brushing his lips over mine. “We’ll get through this. This was just one option. Try not to panic, okay?”

  His comment made me laugh. “Reading my mind?”

  “I don’t need to. I know you, sweetheart. You’re a worrier.”

  “I love that it’s like that between us . . . that we know each other so well. It makes things so much easier.” Leaning my ear against his chest, I could hear his heart’s steady beating. “Thank you for loving me.”

  “Always and forever, Darcy.”

  There was a slight flutter within me, a stirring that reminded me my magic was still untethered. Not wanting another random flare, I focused on my breathing and squeezed Mason tighter before releasing him. “Time to get going.”

  Grabbing his hand, we left the room, heading down to meet the others.

  When one door closes, another one opens. I thought, hoping whatever we next decided would reveal the answer.

  The neighboring room’s door swung open as we passed, stopping me dead in my tracks.

  This was definitely not what was I was expecting.

  ****

  Using the front room as a makeshift office, I looked everywhere but at Devlin and Christina. Although I knew they had a close friendship and, at one time, there had been something between them, it hadn’t prepared me to actually see it with my own eyes. Passing by the room at the same time they were leaving together wasn’t what threw me.

  It was seeing my best friend and uncle locked in a passionate embrace with someone—their kiss enough to turn me a million shades of red. Mason coughed, letting them know they had company. I’d wanted to hide. While I was excited to see that he wasn’t completely celibate, it was the first time I’d witnessed him acting on his desires.

  Just the thought of how his hand was cupping Christina’s behind and his other hand fisting her hair heated my face again. Vampires were sexual creatures—it shouldn’t come as any shock—but for some reason, I still couldn’t look him in the eye.

  Mason thought it was hilarious, teasing me through our connection. Christina stood awkwardly by the door, while Devlin didn’t even bother to hide the small smirk on his face. Only Daniel had no idea what had transpired, so it was his comment that broke the silence.

  “Okay, ‘fess up. What’s the joke?” Glancing at everyone, he folded his arms across his chest, waiting. “Obviously I’ve missed out on something, so what happened?”

  I knew I was being silly, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I sunk deeper into the plush couch, wishing it could swallow me whole.

  “Darcy?”

  “Nothing,” I squeaked.

  “Mason?”

  “We, ah, saw something that kind of . . .” He started laughing again, and I was tempted to throw the yellow brocaded pillow at his head.

  Daniel frowned, clearly more confused than ever. “You saw what?”

  Devlin let out an exasperated sigh. “She saw me kissing Christina.”

  “And?”

  “What do you mean ‘and’? Isn’t that enough?” I retorted.

  “So, what? I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “Neither do I.” Devlin chuckled. “And, if it bothered you, you didn’t have to stop and watch.” He winked, mortifying me further.

  “It didn’t bother me!” I said defensively. “And I sure as hell didn’t stop and watch.”

  “Sweetheart, you sort of did,” Mason interrupted.

  “Out of shock!”

  “What’
s so shocking about a little kissing?” Daniel teased. “Was he bad at it? I always thought Devlin might slobber.” Even though Christina had wisely stayed out of the conversation, she muffled her amusement behind her hand.

  “I’ve received no complaints, thank you very much.”

  “Maybe because you drown your dates in spit!” Daniel threw back.

  “Enough!” I yelled. “Can we please change the subject before I throw up?”

  “I’m just saying, Darcy. I don’t see what the issue is.” Daniel wasn’t going to let this go.

  “Because he’s my uncle, that’s why. It’s just weird.”

  “No weirder than me watching my niece constantly making out.”

  “I do not!” I fired back.

  “Uh, honey. We do,” Mason confessed.

  “You’re not helping.”

  “None of this is helping.” Christina finally spoke up, crossing the room to stand beside me.

  “Thank you.” It was good to have someone else try and redirect the conversation.

  “You’re welcome. And, by the way, Devlin is one hell of a kisser . . . as well as other things.” She winked at Devlin who burst into laughter.

  If there was any justice in the world, I prayed the floor would open up and help me disappear. “You guys are killing me.” That simple phrase was enough to sober everyone. All joking aside, it was a painful reminder that there were bigger problems than my squirminess over Devlin’s bedroom activities.

  “Okay, now we’ve thoroughly embarrassed Darcy, we need to decide what our next step is.” Taking a seat on one of the couches, I sat beside Mason, resting my hand on his leg. The others followed suit, getting comfortable on their own leather chairs. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

  “I talked with Helena and she’s baffled over why the tattoo didn’t work. She believed it was foolproof. Combining the ingredients, the coven’s magic, and the Celtic knot should’ve taken care of the problem,” Devlin answered.

  “Does she have any other spells we can try?”

  Devlin shook his head. “Nothing of that strength and caliber. She thinks the binding is impossible because Darcy’s magic is too strong. It was easier when she was younger, but now she’s an adult and it can’t be suppressed.”