by Bianca D’Arc
“That’s pretty cool,” Ace allowed. “Just follow those instincts, and you should be all right.”
“Even when they turn me into a mass murderer?” Lance asked bitterly, unable to hold back his feelings of guilt and shame.
“Son, what you did today wasn’t murder. It was justice,” Ace said fiercely, a hint of a growl in his voice.
“Who gave me the authority to pass out that kind of justice?” Lance wondered, feeling lost.
“Who gave you the gift of the phoenix inside you?” Ace shot back but didn’t wait for Lance to answer. “The Mother of All knows what She’s doing, my friend. You are what you are for a reason, and today, you were the tool the Goddess used to bring Her Light to the wicked. You are Her instrument. Trust that. Trust in Her.”
Those words set Lance back on his heels. He hadn’t considered the religious aspect of all this. He’d always thought he was human, with human ideas of right and wrong. The deity Ace was talking about seemed to take a much more active and ongoing role in people’s lives than any deity Lance had ever heard about in the human world.
Lance might have asked for more enlightenment, but the phone rang in the office, and Lexi rushed past him to head inside. A moment later, Tina was at his side, looking at him with a fond expression that touched his heart.
“You doing okay?” she asked.
Lance was peripherally aware of Ace moving away as Tina stepped closer, but all Lance cared about in that moment was the touch of his mate. Of Tina stepping into his open arms.
“I should be asking you that question,” he replied, hugging her close and tucking her head into his shoulder. She fit against him so perfectly there was no doubt left in his mind that they were meant to be together. Always.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, her hands running over his back in a comforting way.
“Tina, will you…?” he trailed off, unsure how to phrase what was in his heart. The phoenix inside him knew what it wanted, and it wanted Tina.
She drew back to look into his eyes. “Will I what?”
He plucked up his courage. “Will you marry me?” he rushed the words together, but at least he got them out. Then, he tried to do better. “I want you with me always. I want your life to merge with mine. The new part of me that was always there but silent before knows it needs you. You are my balance. My strength. My reason for coming back to Earth every time I turn into that fiery bird. I don’t know how to describe it, exactly. It’s more than love. More than devotion. It’s like you’re the other half of my soul. I know the other shifters are content to just call each other mates, but until now, I always thought I was just a regular human guy, and I want you to be my wife.”
Tina’s eyes filled with tears. Happy ones, he hoped, though he was holding his breath, waiting for her response.
“Yes,” she breathed through the tears. When she smiled, it about melted his heart. “I feel the same.” She jumped up, and he caught her, hugging her close. “I love you, Lance,” she whispered near his ear. “And now that I have you, I’m never letting you go.”
He kissed her, then, and it was some time before the cheering in the background registered. When he drew back, he realized the guys in the yard were clapping and hooting and hollering, all wearing big, goofy grins on their faces.
Lance wasn’t sure how it had happened, but he seemed to have gathered a large, noisy, fun and fierce family around him. Now, he had a mate and his wild side was out in the open and working with him, the future looked bright, indeed… And filled with love.
Epilogue
Across town, a young woman felt the stirring of flame beneath her skin. Something was calling to her. Something out in the desert. Something she didn’t understand and was afraid to acknowledge.
Diane had dabbled in Wicca as a teen, but the power that rose inside her now scared her. She was an adult and had put lucky charms and love potions behind her. So, why did she feel this strange calling to go out to the desert and…fly?
It just didn’t make sense, but something had changed in recent days. Some power had awoken and was causing a reaction in her own soul. It was as if she was finally waking up after a long sleep, though why she felt that way, she had no idea.
Diane needed answers, but she didn’t quite know how to go about getting them. She only knew that, somewhere out on the edge of town, she might find a clue. Now, the real question was, did she dare go after it?
Phoenix and the Wolf
by
Bianca D’Arc
Dedication
I’d like to dedicate this book to Oma, who I lost more than three decades ago. I would’ve liked to have had more time with her to get to know her as an adult and learn from her wisdom. I’m not one for lots of photos, but I keep a photo of her on my desk, right next to my computer screen, along with a series of snapshots of my mother and I, when I was little. I have a few of my dad as well, but that’s it. Oma was a big influence on my life, even though I only knew her for a short time.
I’d also like to send special thanks to my editor, Jess, who fit this edit in right before she went on vacation. Now that’s dedication! Thanks, Jess, for the quick turnaround, and I promise to do better on timing with the next one.
Phoenix and the Wolf Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Prologue
Diana felt the stirring of flame beneath her skin. Again. Something was calling to her. Something out in the desert. Something she didn’t understand and was afraid to acknowledge.
She had dabbled in Wicca as a teen, but the power that rose inside her now scared her. She was an adult and had put lucky charms and love potions behind her. So, why did she feel this strange calling to go out to the desert and…fly?
It just didn’t make sense, but something had changed in recent days. Some power had awoken and was causing a reaction down deep in her psyche—in her soul. It was as if she was finally waking up after a long sleep, though why she felt that way, she had no idea.
Diana needed answers, but she didn’t quite know how to go about getting them. She only knew that, somewhere out on the edge of town, she might find a clue. Now, the real question was, did she dare go after it?
Chapter One
Oma was having a good day, which meant Diana could go out and do some grocery shopping, leaving her grandmother on her own for a bit. She wasn’t completely alone, of course. Currently, Diana’s oma—the Dutch word meaning grandma—was having tea and cookies with her next-door neighbor. Oma had learned how to text recently and was sending images through of the petit fours and the pretty teapot her neighbor had chosen for the occasion.
Mrs. Peabody had emigrated from the United Kingdom about sixty years ago as a young bride, but she’d never left her British roots behind. Tea and cakes were served promptly at four each afternoon, and more often than not, Oma went over to join her friend for the occasion. Diana thought Oma was probably doing it so that Diana could leave and not worry about her grandmother being alone in the condo, but they never spoke of it.
Either way, if Diana had something that needed doing, she’d usually arrange it for the late afternoon. It was her “me” time. It was an hour or so, away from the needs of her sole remaining family member, the grandmother who meant the world to Diana, and who encouraged her to go out and meet people her own age whenever possible.
They both knew Diana’s social life had been harshly curtail
ed by the need to be with her oma. Again, that was something they seldom spoke of, though Diana was well aware that her grandmother worried Diana would never meet her mate stuck in a condo all day with an old woman. Diana didn’t see a solution. Not without something drastic happening… And she certainly didn’t want that.
Oma was all she had left in the world. The only link to her past. To her family And, since Diana’s mother and uncle—Oma’s only children—were both gone, Diana was the only family Oma had left, too.
Diana dreaded the day that Oma would leave her. Diana didn’t know what she’d do when that happened, but she’d have to move for a start. The condo community they lived in was for those aged fifty-five and over. When Oma died, Diana would have to move out, and she had no idea where to go.
Grim thoughts.
Diana shook them away and tried to concentrate on the here and now. She had errands to run, and they weren’t going to take care of themselves while she let anxiety run rampant through her brain.
Just as she had that thought, the engine of her old SUV sputtered. Sputtered…then died. Shit.
She reached into her purse for her cell phone, only to find the battery was dead. The old thing was holding a charge for shorter and shorter periods, but she hadn’t had time to get anything fixed. Her schedule was too full just trying to keep her grandmother going from day to day. Diana never had any time for herself lately. Not even enough time to go to the store and figure out if she needed a new battery or an entirely new phone. Darn it.
She looked around and realized she was on the outskirts of town, in an industrial area. She scanned the signs over the nearest businesses on the same side of the street. No help there unless she wanted a vacuum repaired or a new air conditioning unit. She turned to look at the other side of the street, and a chill went down her spine, despite the non-functional air system in her car. She was directly across the street from an auto repair shop.
At least, that’s what the sign that hung over the top of a metal gate said. She could see lots of cars inside the lot, and a few people in the distance. Though she’d never noticed this repair shop before, it looked like it was a big place that did a lot of business. She grabbed her purse and got out of her SUV, crossing the street and ducking into the yard.
She stopped short. First, the caliber of automobile in here was much higher than the domestic SUV she’d bought used a few years ago. Could she even afford to have this shop look at her car? She looked around again, recognizing the luxury names of sports cars she’d never even seen in person before.
Yeah. She probably couldn’t afford this place. But maybe she could use their phone, at least.
The other reason she’d stopped in the entrance to the yard was the weird vibe coming from the place. She couldn’t quite place what was different, but something definitely had her spidey senses tingling. Or, maybe, it was just the six-figure cars intimidating her as they sat silent, awaiting attention, all over the place. Judging her and her old beater of an SUV.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she counseled herself as she made her foot cross the threshold. “Cars don’t judge people.”
“You might be surprised.” The low, almost growly, amused voice came from her left, and Diana whipped around, one hand raised in fright.
She wasn’t sure what she planned to do with that raised hand. It was clear from one glance at the behemoth walking toward her from the left of the entrance that she would be no match for this guy. None at all. Not even after the five karate lessons her friend had given her as a twentieth birthday gift, hoping she might like it and stay in the class.
She’d felt clumsy and totally uncoordinated, so she hadn’t gone back after the gift sessions were up. Her friend had been a black belt, of course, and sort of glided in his uber-coordinated way. Not like a normal human being at all. Almost like this guy who was walking toward her. Or, rather, prowling toward her. There was no other word to describe the almost predatory slink of this man’s slim hips.
Hubba hubba.
“You okay, miss?” Yes, he was definitely laughing at her, now. She must look like a landed fish, her mouth gaping open while her brain seemed to wander onto all sorts of tangents.
“My car…” she managed, making a vague gesture toward the road. Good one, Diana. Let the guy think you’re a complete moron.
He looked out the wide entrance of the yard toward her old SUV parked across the street. His expression wasn’t judgmental, for which she was thankful. No, if anything, she’d say he looked intrigued.
“Want me to take a look?” His stunning brown eyes came back to rest on her, and she tried not to fidget. Had she ever talked to a more handsome specimen of manhood? Diana thought not.
“I’m not sure I can afford this place,” she said hesitantly, gesturing toward the expensive car he’d apparently just parked to the left of the entrance. It was shiny and new and looked like it probably cost more than she made in a year…or maybe a decade. “I thought maybe I could just use your phone…” She let her sentence trail off when he started shaking his head.
“Never let it be said I turned away a damsel in distress.” With that, he started walking across the street.
The man had a power about him. A vibe. Like coiled energy. He was intimidating, in a way, but it didn’t really bother her. Diana wasn’t a mouse. Not by a long shot. In fact, most people found her a bit too forceful. Make that, most men found her too forceful. The guys she’d dated had complained that she was too independent and she didn’t let them take care of her enough.
What a load of crap. Maybe she just needed to find a man who was more secure in his own masculinity than the saps she’d been dating, darn it. That’s what she preferred to believe, because there was no way she would become a simpering helpless female to suit anyone.
And, once again, she was woolgathering while the hunky guy in the ripped jeans jogged across the road and lifted the hood on her ancient clunker. He took a moment to check a few things then raised his head and let out a sharp, short whistle, his head turned in the direction of the open gate of the car lot. She hadn’t even made it across the road, yet. Too busy oogling the sexy mechanic.
She wondered how he thought anybody could hear his short whistle from all the way across the road. She’d barely heard it, and she’d been looking right at him. Curious, she turned her head to find at least a half-dozen men raise their heads from under car hoods or out of car doors all around the giant yard. They’d heard him?
Eyes wide with surprise, she turned back in time to see the guy by her car raise one hand with four fingers then make the universal come here gesture. He turned back to the engine, as if certain his hand signals would be not only seen, but obeyed.
Sure enough, a moment later, four of the guys who’d been secreted about the yard doing other work jogged past her. The last one in line paused by her side for a moment, holding out one hand.
“Keys?” he asked with a winning smile.
Diana found herself depositing her lucky keychain in the young man’s hand and shaking her head in wonder. These guys must have super hearing and eagle vision to have seen their boss’s gestures and heard that whistle from within the large lot. Either that or they were used to this kind of thing.
Diana stood aside as the four burly men muscled her old SUV through the wide gates of the car lot. They couldn’t get it started, so they just put it in gear and pushed it across the road, their boss following behind as the other men steered it to an empty spot between two Italian sports cars. Boy, did it look out of place.
No sooner had they put it in park than one of the guys popped the hood and seemed to get the vehicle ready for work while the other three went back to whatever they’d been doing. The youngest guy—the one who’d taken her keys—stayed a few moments longer, rolling over a tool tray and some other gear, then he, too, melted away, back to his own work. That left her with the original man, who had to be the leader of this efficient crew.
She turned to him and offered her hand
. “I’m Diana Pettigrew,” she said, being bold, as was her usual habit.
The boss mechanic looked at her and took her smaller hand in one big paw. “Name’s Stone.”
Was that a first name or a last name? She couldn’t be sure. Either way, it suited him. His sharp features looked to be carved from granite, and he was crisp and tidy in a way she hadn’t expected of a working mechanic in the middle of his workday.
“You own this place?” She followed him as he walked up to the open hood of her SUV.
He spared her a glance as he started removing parts from her engine. “Nah. I just run the mechanics. Owner’s name is Lance. He just got married, so he doesn’t come in as much as he used to.” A wide smile spread across Stone’s face that could be taken a number of ways.
Diana chose to interpret it as happiness for his boss, who sounded like a friend, as well. And maybe a bit of envy for the…uh…honeymoon activities the owner was no doubt enjoying. She didn’t know how to respond to that, so she let the topic drop while Stone began an in-depth examination of the inner workings of her vehicle.
Stone didn’t know what to make of the ball of dynamite standing next to him. The woman had grabbed his attention from the moment she’d entered the lot. Even before. He’d watched her walk across the street with purely masculine appreciation, but when she’d stepped over the new ward at the gate of the yard, his entire being had rung with her power.
Wow. Pretty lady packed a punch.
Thing was, he suspected she didn’t know her own power. She had that same slightly lost look that Lance had sported most of the time Stone had known him. It was only when Lance had met his new mate that he’d realized his power and finally understood what he was—a phoenix shifter.
