by E Hall
Avril shrugs. “Just saying. What if he comes back?”
“I’ve been asking the same thing,” Kenna mumbles.
“I imagine he’s off in a cave licking his wounds,” Clove says with a wicked laugh.
“But that doesn’t mean he won’t retaliate.”
“We have a dragon on our side. No way would he come up against us again. We showed him what we’re made of. That we’re not to be messed with. He had his time. It’s over,” I say.
“And what happened to the rest of the dragons, Corbin?” Kenna asks.
I clap my hands, eager to move on. “We were just talking about the helicopter. I didn’t authorize it so what happened after Kenna jumped ship, leaving me to fend for myself among the ghost pirates?”
“You’ve proven that you’re capable of fending for yourself,” Kenna says. “But I’m sorry for not filling you in on my plans.”
“The helicopter came into play because Baker stalks you, Corbin. It would only be creepy if he hadn’t also saved your life,” Avril says deadpan.
My beta slaps me genially on the back. “I have to keep tabs on my Alpha. You never know if you’ll find him out to sea on a ghost pirate ship.”
Everyone laughs.
“And a good thing you did.” The truth is, we may have been sunk had he not summoned the wolves.
“So back to the chopper,” Kenna says. “Pepper, Clove, and I were about to lay siege to the woods and go after the fae when these guys appeared with my mom.”
Jackie nods. “During the initial attack back in the fall when Melchior came riding in on his bullfrog chariot right outside here, I was hidden under the cloak. I regret to say that I think my presence called upon Kenna’s vamp.” She winces.
“I remember my girl attacking Melchior with her fangs bared,” I say in awe and clawing my hands to demonstrate.
A few of the wolf pack chuckle.
Kenna gazes at the floor and looks slightly ill. I shouldn’t tease. She probably wouldn’t have taken well to vamp life. Lucky for me.
Kenna’s mom continues. “Anyway, for a moment during the battle, I ended up with the real scepter. I was going to conceal it under the cloak. But in the craziness, things got mixed up.”
“What scepter did I have?” Clove asks.
“They were swapped. You had the real one. I meant to hide it and let everyone think the fake was the real one. I had the replica Melchior made. My plan backfired,” Jackie says. “But I figured it might come in handy. Sure enough, Clove made that stupid move to trade it to the sea fae.”
Clove shifts uncomfortably and opens his mouth in defense, but Jackie continues. “When I found out, I finished things up back in the States and took the first flight here, intending to switch them back. When I turned up, my daughter wasn’t at the wolf Headquarters.”
“I’d just returned here, to Lonsdale.” Kenna rubs her hands on her pants as if the recount of the last day makes her nervous.
“We intercepted Kenna, Clove, and Pepper,” Baker says.
“Everything happened quickly. They explained the scepters. We explained what we were going to do,” Kenna says.
“Which was?” I ask.
“That’s where things got tricky,” Jackie says. “We needed the real scepter.”
“And to rescue you.” Kenna’s eyebrows pinch together.
“But I was on my way to get the fae queens so they could help us break the curse and depose Melchior,” I say.
“Dispose of him like yesterday’s garbage would’ve been a better idea,” Avril mutters.
“We combined forces,” Baker says. “Because you were at sea, conveniently close to the sea fae, we put out word that the ghost pirates had a hostage that was valuable to the king aka Kenna. They turned up, weren’t too pleased because the ghost pirates are their greatest enemy.”
“And opted to use me as bait,” I grumble. But I shouldn’t be peeved because I did the same to Kenna, and I’m not proud of it.
Jackie adds, “Meanwhile, Kenna bravely went to the fae king, telling him she’d be his consort.”
Right now, she doesn’t look brave. Her eyes crimp with apology.
“Sure enough, he was thrilled by her change of heart,” Baker continues. “But to prove her sincerity, she had to take a life. Bingo. You.” Baker points to me. “This conveniently brought the sea fae, Melchior, and all of us together.”
“You know the rest. We broke the curse,” Pepper says.
“But the sea fae still have the real scepter.”
“Problematic for sure.” Baker twiddles his fingers like he’s trying to work out how to fix this.
“They wanted to trade it to Melchior for freedom from the ghost pirates,” I say.
“And rightly so,” Kenna says. “But we saw so many of them dissolved in the water. Are they gone?”
Greyson shakes his head. “No. So long as the captain lives, the ship remains. By sunrise tomorrow, Crowbeard will have claimed more souls, repopulating his crew.”
“So let me get this straight. You managed to break the curse, but with the scepter outstanding, real peace isn’t possible.” Claude’s leg jitters.
“That means we have to get the real one back from the sea fae,” Jackie says.
“Good luck. But we have the fake, right?” Inga asks.
Jackie nods.
“Simple. We switch it out. It can be done.”
“More like, it must be done,” Kenna says.
Everyone falls quiet because the big question is how.
We had the chance. We blew it.
Chapter 9
Kenna
My mom nudges me. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. In the meantime, be young. Have fun. You’re in love. I’d do anything to have those days back,” she says knowingly.
I level her timeless, flawless, gorgeous complexion with a sharp lift of my eyebrow. “Mom, you are young.”
“No, I look young. I’m older than dirt.” She laughs.
My dad chuckles. “But as beautiful as ever.”
He smooths the knuckles of his ghostly hand over her cheek.
I’m so happy to see my parents reunited, but gag. I don’t want to see my parents being affectionate with each other. They’re my parents!
Corbin and Baker are in deep conversation. My ears prick, but the discussion between Clove and the male fae draws my attention.
I haven’t come across many fae, but that aspect of my being is alive and well inside. Since breaking the curse, I don’t feel any different. The song is still there, whispering in the back of my mind. I wonder if Clove still feels less weighed down by his unseelie shadow side.
They’re discussing how to reintegrate into fae life after so long in exile. I have a feeling once they figure out how to do that, the fae world as I’ve experienced it is going to change significantly and be more like what Olive and Octavius described.
Yet, I can’t ignore the creeping, crawling, nearly all-consuming thought that Melchior will come back, angrier and more vengeful than ever despite what Corbin said.
My mom pokes me. “You may have proved your grit and courage today, but I’m still your mother. After everything that just happened, go on, relax. Be with your fiancé.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I just said that. I’ve spent most of your life warning you away from men.”
My father’s eyes glint.
She pats him on the arm. “I thought you were well and gone from this realm. But I’ll explain and beg for your forgiveness. Just know, and I mean this, none of them meant a thing to me. It was like I was always searching for you, Greyson.”
“And that’s my cue to leave. See you later, parents.”
My mom calls after me, “Make sure you shower, have something else to eat, and then rest.”
I plop down next to Corbin.
“What was that all about?” he asks.
“She’s being a mom.” I laugh a little because it is endearing. “I’m sorry. I forgot that you hardly had one of those. I hope I wasn’
t being insensitive.”
His lips twitch toward a smile. “Yes, we’re engaged to marry, but we have a lot to learn about each other. Fortunately, we have more than a lifetime to learn.”
This lifts a smile on my lips. Corbin’s presence soothes my wolf, drawing her out more strongly than the fae. “All the more reason to put a new ring on my finger,” I say.
“And all the more reason to find that scepter. But it is almost Christmas and New Year’s is right after that. I say we enjoy this time together. Forget about everything else. We’ve earned it.”
My Alpha wiggles uncomfortably as the fae song hums softly in the background of my mind. I’m not sure I can push our need to create long-lasting peace with the use of the scepter out of my head, but for Corbin, I’ll try.
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Twelve days until Christmas. A week after that until we get married. Is that enough time to plan?”
I glance at my mom who’s chatting with my father. “I think she’ll be thrilled to relive her youth through me and help with all that.”
When Clove nabs my dad’s attention, I tell my mom about the engagement in Las Vegas, the ring, which is actually the Wolf Jewel, and our wedding. “We’re planning on New Year’s Eve so long as Corbin replaces this ring.”
She grips my hand, admiring it. “Gorgeous. Too bad it belongs to the scepter.”
“Before I had it, it belonged to Isa.”
“Think of it more like she was taking care of it. You too.”
Every time I think about how the scepter is missing and Melchior is still out there, my insides twist and churn. Maybe it was the proximity, the way I fake-told him I’d be his queen, or his imposing presence, but I can’t seem to shake that experience. I wasn’t truly betraying Corbin. More like using myself as a lure to trick the former king. My mate had used me in that way twice, so it’s not guilt that’s eating me up. It’s something else.
Because it’s short notice, I ask my mom to help plan the wedding.
She claps her hands together. “A winter wedding? On New Year’s Eve? It’s perfect. I love it. I’ll do anything to help. Everything. Whatever you want, sweetie.”
“Thank you, Mom.” I surprise myself by falling into her arms with a hug. For a moment, I sink back in time to when things were what I called normal—before I knew about magic.
She tips my chin up so I’m looking into her eyes. She never lets them go dark and veined with red like some of the other vamps I’ve seen. Must be a perk of working at the hospital and having access to an ample supply of blood. Instead, her eyes are the darkest of brown, soft, and kind.
“Sweetie, I didn’t want the dangerous part of this life for you, but I see how in love you and Corbin are. I’m so happy for you both. Granted, you never really had a boyfriend, a fiancé, or husband so there are some things we’re going to need to talk about—”
I pump my hands for her to stop. “Trust me, I was paying attention in health class.”
“Yes, but, well,” she fumbles. “It’s my responsibility to make sure you’re informed. In the meantime, do you have a wedding theme in mind?”
We talk for a little longer. My eyes are heavy and pinch with exhaustion. Spending time with my family calls, but so does bed. After I follow my mother’s orders, helping myself to some of the leftover sweetcakes from the fae, I’d love nothing more than a private moment with Corbin, but with a full stomach, I doze off.
I slip in and out of sleep as Baker and the other betas, Pepper, Clove, the male fae, my parents, and Corbin remain in front of the fire.
Like Olive and Octavius, my mom and dad weave a yarn, an outrageous tale about sea fae—what I always thought of as mermaids—a pirate ship, a story written in the sand, and of a great and powerful queen of the sea.
“The ocean is dangerous but generous,” my father says, concluding the story. “But we’re going to celebrate our successes before we venture onto the next adventure.”
I nestle beside Corbin.
“How’d you get so smart?” he asks. “Everything you did from jumping off the ship and beyond was clever and brave. But when you were singing, and we kissed, how’d you know love would win?”
“Instinct? But to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know, not really. I took the risk. You’d have done the same. If not for me, for the pack.” My voice is slow, sleepy.
Corbin remains still beside me for a little while. “I’m proud to call you my mate and my Alpha. Thank you for trusting yourself.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
He squeezes me tight, spreads a blanket over me, and I fall into a deep sleep.
After another day at Lonsdale and dreaming in fae song while swimming through an endless ocean, we have a casual breakfast—turns out my father is a splendid cook. This is a good thing because it’s not one of my mother’s strong suits. They’ll do great together.
“Do you mind if we stay here?” my mom asks.
I tilt my head in question.
“It’s technically your house. Remember? The deed got you started on this crazy adventure,” she reminds me.
“And almost killed me a few times.” I glance at Corbin.
He slings his arms around me. “Now that we disbanded the Council, the curse is broken, and the fae king is no longer tricking everyone into killing, will you ever forgive me?”
I shrug. “I guess I have my parents to blame for making me Magical’s Most Wanted.”
Corbin’s lips quirk. “Definitely most wanted. For better, for worse, richer or poorer, wolf or—”
“All right, all right. I get it.” He hasn’t stopped talking about our wedding or Christmas or New Year’s. In fact, without the weight of saving the world on his mind, my mate has been a lot more cheerful.
Clove too. Everyone is in good spirits...except Avril. Though, that goes with the territory. Corbin told me she had a hard time before she joined Pack Hjalmor.
As for me, I’m slightly obsessed with figuring out how to get the scepter back, but no one will listen to me. They’re assured that Melchior is out of the picture.
“I got you something,” Corbin whispers. “Gift number ten on our twelve days until Christmas countdown.”
Pepper smirks, having overheard with her exceptional hearing. “It seems like the absence of the curse has made Corbin a total romantic.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” he mutters.
Everyone turns to listen in on this conversation.
“What did he get you on day twelve? Right, a lifetime supply of doughnuts. My grandmother is very pleased about that. I think you’ve single-handedly funded her retirement.”
“Does that mean you’ll be taking over at the bakery?” I ask.
Clove sidles over and nods. “We’ll run it together.”
“Between my dragon duties. Who knew my boyfriend would turn out to be fae and have the biggest sweet tooth ever?”
“I kind of had a feeling—after he was done double-crossing us.” I gently slug him in the arm. “But bro, that title of world’s biggest sweet tooth is mine.”
“You want to compete?” Clove asks.
“It’s on.”
We all laugh.
“What was the gift on day eleven?” Clove asks as though curious for holiday gift-giving ideas.
“A new tube of cherry Chapstick,” I say. “He knows me so well. I must’ve lost it from my pocket when I dove off the pirate ship.”
I nuzzle my mate and watch a shade of red the exact color of my Chapstick creep along his neck. I take it he’s not used to being the romantic type.
“Good thing you didn’t lose the ring,” Pepper says.
“That’s going in the vault at HQ with the other jewels,” he says.
“And the gift for today?” Pepper asks.
“I’ll find out soon.”
“As soon as we get back to the wolf pack Headquarters.”
The betas head out in the helicopter. I’m itching to get into my wolf skin and feel like running with m
y mate.
As we say goodbye to everyone I pop back inside and scurry to the secret room. The scent of dragon and fae and wolf hangs faintly in the air along with the crisp and comforting scent of old books.
I expect to look upon the magical items with fresh eyes, now understanding my father’s purpose, relaying all he’d learned about the fae, wolf shifters, Melchior’s curse, and the dragon guardian. Instead, I see the dusty imprints of Corbin, Pepper, Clove, and me, working days and nights to understand as our desperation to save magicals and humans burned like a fuse.
The wooden base that once held the liquid-filled globe sits empty. I run my hand along its curves. The water was enchanted and worked its magic when it splashed Pepper, allowing her to access her dragon. She wasn’t choking, she was transforming.
I sit down in my father’s leather chair. The cracked mirror is on the table next to it. My reflection isn’t as young as it once was, but I’m not older either. Like my mom, I’m frozen in time. I’ll look like this forever.
However, my hair is slightly unruly. My eyes bear a hidden sadness, for which the scepter is the only cure. I have a sinking feeling that Melchior will be back.
I lean close to the mirror. I want to have one last look into possibility. I breathe onto the glass. When the fog clears, instead of showing me the past, a handsome figure with ripped muscles and copper eyes sits astride a sea foam blue surfboard. That’s not what I was thinking I’d see, but my lips curve into a smile.
Maybe I was wrong. Perhaps Melchior won’t be coming back for revenge. Could we go live our best lives free now from his curse?
The room chills. I turn to see my father in front of the wall. I forgot that he can walk through them.
“I’ve spent a lot of time here over the years.” He picks up a book and sets it on the shelf.
I wince. “Sorry. I’ll clean up.”
“No need. Among other things, it’ll give me something to do for eternity. Under Jana’s spell, I came in and out of lucidness. I did my best. I’m sorry I didn’t do more.”
“You did a lot, Dad.”
His smile is faint. “The others are waiting to say goodbye. Clove is going to stick around for a bit. It’ll be nice to get to know him. Some luck that it turned out Pepper was a dragon.”
