His Wolf (Wolf of My Heart)

by Linda Palmer

  “Okay.” We waited for him to speak again.

  But Crane took the floor, clearing his throat rather nervously before he spoke. “Tehya and Rhyan enjoyed meeting you two yesterday. As we were leaving, they mentioned that Erik is a shifter, too, which was a big surprise to me. Obviously I can’t sniff out stuff like that, and I had no idea.”

  “I am, yeah,” Erik said.

  “How’d that happen?” asked DeLuca.

  I answered. “I bit him.”

  “Accidentally? By that I mean before you became, er, friends? Did he startle you? Were you two fighting���?” DeLuca let his voice trail off.

  “Not at all. It was on purpose to turn him.” I tried to explain. “Those gang members were breaking into the cabin Wednesday morning. We needed to get away, so he��� I mean I thought it would be best if we were wolves.” I don’t know why I lied about whose idea the bite was. Maybe because the weird vibes I’d picked up seemed to be getting weirder.

  DeLuca sighed as he and Crane exchanged troubled looks.

  “Why?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “You broke a preternatural law that goes back for centuries, Bronte,” said Crane. “It’s the very law that has put most of The Arm behind bars.”

  Erik sat up straight. “How was she supposed to know that?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “It’s not like I was given a manual or anything.” Though I probably should’ve been scared at that point, I really wasn’t. I’d bitten Erik in innocence. How could they possibly hold me accountable for breaking a law I’d never even heard of? And shouldn’t the character of the bitten count for something, not to mention my motives for doing it?

  Crane seemed to be very uncomfortable. “That’ll be taken into account, of course, when you face the Corteggio judges.”

  I sucked in a startled breath. “The what?”

  “The Corteggio judges. They call themselves ‘Counselors.’ There are five. You’re going to have to explain your actions to them.”

  “You mean you’re arresting her?” Erik sounded shocked and way pissed off.

  “That won’t be necessary.” Ben DeLuca squirmed a little. “I think we can trust you to answer your summons.”

  “What summons?” I asked.

  “This one.” Crane pulled a piece of folded parchment paper out of his jacket pocket.

  I stared at it in disbelief and jumped to my feet to glare at them. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

  “Bronte.” Erik stood again and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, as if to keep me from attacking.

  That rankled. Shouldn’t I be holding him back? He’d said he would protect me, after all. I brushed his hand off my shoulder. “I can’t believe this. Haven’t I gone through enough paranormal torture? Don’t I have any rights at all?”

  “Of course you do,” said Crane. “And that’s actually why I tagged along today. I work for a lawyer named Lucas Norris, who is well-known in the Were community and has quite a reputation for defending werewolf rights. Traditionally Weres are the underdogs, no pun intended, and don’t fare well in legal battles. I’ve already talked to Norris, and he said he’d be glad to take your case.”

  I huffed my exasperation. “Oh yeah? And who’s going to pay for this?” I could hardly ask Dad for a loan, though he’d probably have given me one. Hey, Dad. May I borrow some money to pay for a lawyer to defend me in werewolf court���?

  “He doesn’t charge for his services.” Once again, he offered me the summons.

  I hesitated and then took it. Erik looked over my shoulder as I broke the wax seal and scanned the document, which had been written by hand in a very fancy script. It was pretty clear. I was required to face Corteggio Counselors tomorrow night at 7:00 via videoconference at the Countryside Inn in Branson. I couldn’t believe my ears. Was this really happening?

  “Please get there early. As for Erik,” said DeLuca. “He’ll have to take the cure, of course.”

  “What!”

  Now I was holding my boyfriend back.

  He yanked his arm free of my grasp and got right in DeLuca’s face. “Not no, but hell no.”

  DeLuca never blinked. “I’m afraid you have no choice, son.”

  “I’m not your son.”

  “Why can’t he stay a wolf?” I asked, slipping between the two of them. “He can sign that contract of yours just like I did.”

  “It doesn’t work that way.” DeLuca stood. “You should never have been bitten for the sole purpose of turning you.”

  “What if I’d been bitten accidentally? Say, in the heat of a fight?”

  “That would be a different story altogether. But we all heard Bronte admit she did it on purpose, so that really doesn’t apply here. She’s subject to the same punishment as every member of le bras du loup that broke the bite rule and deliberately turned kidnapped teens.”

  “But it’s not the same thing!” I exclaimed.

  DeLuca wouldn’t back down. “The end result is, and that’s all those Counselors will care about.”

  “Okay. All right.” Erik motioned for us all to calm down. “Let’s be cool about this. What would it take for you two to forget what she said? I don’t have any money, but this cabin and the hundred acres it sits on are all mine. What if I give—”

  I slapped my hand over his mouth. “Are you insane? You are not sacrificing your inheritance.”

  He peeled my fingers aside. “I am if it will keep you out of a dungeon.”

  DeLuca cut us off. “What I’m going to forget is that you just tried to bribe us. As for Bronte’s confession—” He pulled a small digital recorder from an inside jacket pocket. We saw that it was turned on.

  “You taped me?” I as good as screeched.

  He nodded. “Standard procedure. So it’s all here, and the court will be hearing it.”

  “I’ll call Lucas,” said Crane to Erik, who was visibly fuming. “I’m sure he’ll represent you, too.”

  Erik shook his head. “This is wrong, and you know it.”

  Crane seemed to agree. “The Corteggio is a dinosaur, man. We all know that. But they’ve been around for eons, which means two young Weres in Missouri aren’t going to be able to buck the system. We’re lucky they’ve finally agreed to let Norris represent your kind. That was an uphill battle from the get-go and only happened because the Interplanetary Species Committee intervened.”

  Interplanetary Species Committee? My temples began to throb.

  “I’ll be with her tomorrow night,” Erik said.

  “I’d expect nothing less, and since you will, we’ll get a decision on your wolf dilemma then, too.”

  “It’s only a dilemma for you.”

  With a solemn nod, DeLuca stuck the recorder back in his pocket, got up, and walked to the door. “Until then.” He exited the cabin.

  Crane didn’t follow immediately. “Hang in there, you two. Norris knows his stuff and has a great success record. He’ll give ‘em hell.”

  I couldn’t even answer.

  When the door closed behind Crane, I burst into tears. Erik tugged me close and wrapped his arms around me. Though I hugged him back, the comfort he offered did little to lift my spirits. Our situation was unbelievable, the kind of contrived circumstance found in really bad fiction. I was so not going to rot in a dungeon no human knew existed. This was reality. Stuff like that didn’t happen.

  But it had happened; Yarbrough was proof of that.

  My stomach knotted with anxiety, and for a few seconds I actually thought I might hurl my breakfast. “What are we going to do?” My words sounded muffled against Erik’s shirt.

  “The only thing we can do. Trust this Norris guy.”

  I tipped my head back so I could see Erik’s face. “We could shift and run away.”

  “I have a feeling they’d find us.”

  So did I, though I didn’t admit it.

  “And when they did, they’d just have something else to charge us with.” He shook his head. “No. We’ve go
t to stay and fight this. They’re a bunch of asshole bullies who need to be taught a lesson.”

  “As if we could teach them one. I’m pretty sure smarter Weres than us have gone down.”

  Erik didn’t answer. Instead, he led me back to the couch, where he sat and pulled me onto his lap. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but there’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot.”

  “Okay.”

  “I think I love you. No, I’m sure I do. That part I know. What I’m confused about is what it means in our situation. The whole dual nature, mating-for-life thing complicates what should really be simple, you know? I haven’t exactly tapped into my wolf emotions.”

  “I know.”

  “I mean, what if I’m not the wolf you’re predestined to love for life. Will me loving you derail what’s really supposed to happen? I’d like to think I’m your life mate, but if I can’t wrap my brain around forever, how can I possibly be?”

  I groaned. “You’re making my headache worse.”

  “I’m sorry. But I had to tell you, okay? Just in case.”

  With a sigh, I framed his face with my hands. “I love you, too. Have forever; will forever. So if you’re worried about me possibly taking a wrong turn, forget it. I already have.”

  Now he groaned.

  “Sorry, but what else can I tell you at this point but the truth? I refuse to consider that fate—something you don’t believe in it, but I do—brought us together just to tear us apart.”

  “When you look at things your way, it doesn’t make sense, does it?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Maybe you should call on that goddess of yours for help.”

  “I’ve actually read instructions for praying to Danu. There was even a picture of the altar you have to make. But what will I say?”

  “How about: ‘Yo, Danu, it’s Bronte. I’m in deep shit here. Will you please get me out of it’?”

  That made me laugh. “You’re exactly right, as usual.”

  One of Erik’s eyebrows shot up, probably because I’d admitted such a thing.

  “I’m going to need a blue cloth, some river rocks, a glass bowl full of water, and four white candles.”

  He left me, quickly returning with a blue towel. “Sorry. That’s the only blue cloth I have.”

  “No problem.” While I spread the towel, he fetched the fish bowl. I gathered up the candles I’d bought the day before because they smelled so nice. For some reason, I checked the label. The scent was amber. Just Danu’s personal aroma. No wonder I believed in fate.

  Without telling Erik how wrong he was about destiny, I smiled to myself and drew one of the fireplace matches from the wooden box that held them. I struck it, lighting the four wicks. They sputtered as new wicks will and then took. The flame stretched upward. He set down the fish bowl and stuck his hand in it to get a few of the rocks. Gilda flipped her tail in annoyance. I arranged everything as I remembered it should be and then knelt before the improv altar.

  “Okay, here goes.” I closed my eyes. “Hi, Goddess Danu. It’s Bronte, here. Um, Bronte Hannigan. One of your great-times-a-zillion granddaughters. Well, not in the strictest sense���or maybe I am.”

  Geez. Could I sound more stupid? And why had a picture of my dead mother suddenly popped into my head?

  “Sorry for bothering you, but I’m in a bit of a bind, and I need your help. Assuming you do help. I honestly have no idea. Maybe you don’t do things like that. But if you do, could you please give me some insight on how to handle what’s going on here? The Corteggio—you’ve heard of them, right? They want to put me in prison for something I didn’t do. Actually, that’s not right. I did do it. But I didn’t know it was against their rules. I mean, who would?”

  Feeling a little foolish, I glanced back at Erik. He nodded encouragement, a smile tugging at his lips. I closed my eyes again so I wouldn’t see it. Laughing would so not be a good thing.

  “Anyway, I turned my boyfriend into a wolf, but only to save us. I’d never have done it otherwise. At least I don’t think I would’ve. Maybe he’d have talked me into it eventually. Who really knows? The bottom line is this: if there’s anything you can do to help us, I’d really, really appreciate it. Thanks, and um, over and out.” With a wave to no one, I opened my eyes and blew out the candles.

  I looked over my shoulder at Erik. He gave me a thumbs-up. We both burst out laughing. Of all the days that had passed since I was kidnapped over a year ago, this one was probably the most bizarre.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Saturday morning went by way too fast. Erik and I acted like an old married couple going through the normal routine of lives that were nowhere near that. I did some laundry. He took out the trash. I baked some cookies. He trimmed his own hair with electric clippers. I picked out what we should wear to court. He ironed my selections. I cleaned up our boots. He located the Countryside Inn on the internet.

  Yeah, a couple of wild and wooly wolves. The Corteggio sure had a lot to fear from us.

  We stayed indoors all afternoon, making out on the couch like there was no tomorrow. And maybe there wasn’t. I honestly didn’t know. In a world where werewolves went to video court, anything could happen.

  We dressed around 5:00. I wore the nicest thing I owned at the moment—dark blue skinny jeans with some bling on the back pockets, a red peasant top, and matching wedges, all of which I’d been wearing when I was kidnapped. Thinking back to the days when I’d dressed up to go to the Laundromat, I had to smile. Had my life changed, or what?

  Erik wore khakis and a chocolate sweater that really made his eyes pop. Though I’d cleaned up his boots, he wore shoes, instead. We inspected each other before we walked out to the car. I giggled when he staggered back as if my look had knocked him dead, a nervous sound I couldn’t believe came from my mouth. Some badass wolf I made. We kissed and hugged.

  “Don’t worry,” he whispered into my hair, which I’d pulled back on one side to show off my gold loop earrings. “I have a good feeling about this.”

  “Really and truly?”

  “Yeah.”

  He sounded as if he meant it, and I couldn’t help but feel better as we walked out the back door. Though I started to step into the snow, Erik nixed that and carried me to the car. That saved my toes, which would’ve gotten cold and wet since the shoes were actually meant for summer.

  The road out of the woods was as tricky as usual. Erik slowed when we finally got to the pavement, pulling over so I could check his mailbox for him, something he said he hadn’t done in days. It was the kind found on every rural road, and I remembered seeing it the other times we’d come out. I just hadn’t known it was his.

  There were a lot of catalogs in there plus some other junk mail and a electric bill. I also pulled a bubble wrap envelope from the box. It was addressed to me. Surprised, I opened it and found an iPhone in a box and a note from Dad telling me to stay in touch. When I realized the background photo was one of me and my mom, I actually hugged the thing. I’d been without one since my kidnapping, which was too dang long. Erik just laughed at me.

  Of course I played with my new toy all the way to Branson, which kept me distracted. But the moment we pulled into the parking lot at 6:15, all the anxiety I’d been ignoring slammed into me. My stomach instantly knotted. I actually felt a little dizzy.

  Deep breath, Bronte.

  I smiled at the mental encouragement.

  “How are you holding up?” Erik asked.

  “I’m fine.” I lied because I had to be strong for me and for him. I couldn’t let the Corteggio intimidate us. After all, I was not my mother’s daughter for nothing. She’d fought her cancer like an Irish warrior woman, and I could do no less with the Corteggio, which might not be a disease with no cure, but was just as deadly.

  A helpful hostess at the welcome desk told us the number of the conference room. We walked down a carpeted hallway as if we were headed to a business meeting or
a job interview instead of a hearing to mete out punishment for preternatural mistakes. When we got to the room, we paused at the door for another quick kiss before knocking and entering.

  As the door clicked shut behind us, my gaze landed on a conference table where three men were seated. I recognized DeLuca and Crane. I guessed the other person was our lawyer.

  At the end of the room a big screen television had been set up as well as a camera that was focused on the conference table. The whole idea of a videoconference with a bunch of Corteggio judges on the other side of the planet or maybe someplace above it was so wild I almost lost it. But this was no joke, and I knew it.

  The man I didn’t recognize stood and introduced himself the moment we got to the table. “Lucas Norris.” He offered us each a handshake.

  “Bronte Hannigan. This is Erik Thorne.”

  He nodded. “Have a seat, please.”

  We sat next to each other across from the three of them.

  “Levi has briefed me on both cases. I’ll be glad to handle Erik’s, too, if you like.”

  We nodded. At that point, what else could we do?

  “I think we’re in a fairly good position,” he next said, addressing his comments to me. “But with these guys you just never know. They’ve been around a very long time, which is good and bad. On the good side, they know the law. On the bad side, they’re resistant to change and have a lot of outdated prejudices. I will say that they have an appeal process, so if things don’t go our way tonight, we do have other avenues and can drag this thing out for years, if necessary. Hopefully they won’t want to keep you incarcerated during that time.”

  Were those words supposed to make me feel better? Not working, dude. I swear I felt the color draining from my cheeks.

  As if rethinking his honest comments, Norris gave me a smile to lighten things up. “My daughter Cassidy is dating a former Were. Brody Anderson. Do you know him?”

  I shook my head.

  “He took the cure. I understand that’s not an option for you.”

  I nodded.

  “I have a few questions I need to ask before the videoconference starts.” He waited for my nod. “When did you bite Erik?”