by Jessica Snow
“Well, I’m certainly not Aklark,” Magnus said after a moment, clearing his throat. He’d never met a woman who had such an immediate effect on him, not even . . . her. His immediate reaction was to yearn for her, and his cock twitched in his pants as he noticed just how large, how voluptuous her ass and breasts were.
It was more than her body, though. Her gaze was nearly disturbing in its intensity. He blinked, wondering how he hadn’t noticed her. He had good senses like any Lycan, and he’d been paying attention. She was just . . . silent. “Who are you?”
“Kristina Darksky,” the woman replied, offering her hand. They shook, and Magnus wasn’t sure, but he thought he felt a spark jump between them as their fingers touched. Her eyes glinted momentarily, and he wondered . . . was she interested in him too? “What brings you to the greenhouses?”
“Edward wanted to see what’s been going on up here,” Magnus said, trusting his instincts. “He received some disturbing news.”
“And what have you seen so far?” Kristina asked, turning and walking away. Magnus hurried to keep up, jogging a few steps as the tall Aklark strode next to the greenhouses, her hands behind her back and her eyes inscrutable. “Anything to justify the disturbing news?”
“On the surface? No,” Magnus admitted, catching up to Kristina and walking next to her. It was hard to keep his attention on the path in front of him. He kept wanting to steal glances at her face as they walked. His eyes kept wanting to double-check that she was real. “But there are lots of little things wrong in town.”
“Such as the greenhouses needing repairs,” Kristina said, gesturing to another rip in the plastic. “For the first few months that the tea operation was going, you could have used these greenhouses as models. They were in perfect condition. A single tear in the plastic would be fixed within hours, if not minutes. Ben Stormstout was often out here himself, making sure that the new project was running smoothly.”
“Not anymore,” Magnus noted as he saw another rip in the plastic. “That rip looks old.”
“Been there for three weeks,” Kristina said, her voice level. “I tried to keep up with the repairs as best I could, but I’m only one person, and I’m running out of supplies.”
“And the sickness,” Magnus noted, broaching the subject. “Peter Alces looked like hell, and Ben didn’t look much better.”
Kristina nodded. “I’ll tell you something else, something that I’m not sure Ben or any of the others have noticed. They’re not the only two. There have been others . . . and almost all of them are men.”
“Almost?” Magnus asked, and Kristina nodded.
“Edward’s mother has been struggling too, but I can’t think of a single Kenai female who’s sick, and most of the Aklark women aren’t either,” Kristina said. She showed Magnus the rest of the greenhouse operation, Magnus getting more and more concerned as he saw the damage.
“There’s no way some of these plants will be recoverable,” Magnus noted. “I know more about being a ranger than a botanist, but I know a bit.”
“They won’t,” Kristina said softly, shaking her head. She led him inside, showing him the remains of the mostly dead house. “It’s not good, that’s for sure.”
“What is going on, Kristina?” Magnus said, squatting down to look at one of the damaged plants. “Everything people have told me about Ben Stormstout says he’s as much an accountant as he is a leader. This is money being pissed in the dirt.”
“I don’t know,” Kristina said, shaking her head. “I’m not really part of container village, to let you know. I live outside the village, closer to town in my own place that’s sort of isolated, so I’m not as close as some of the others. I work out here because . . . well, because I like the tea.”
Magnus chuckled at the sudden flash of personal insight into the mysterious and, he had to admit, beautiful woman, and he smiled. “Well, it’s a good reason to take the job. Can I ask you a favor?”
“You can ask,” Kristina said as Magnus stood up. “What can I do for one of the high-ranking members of Clan Lockwood?”
“Oh, I’m hardly high-ranking,” Magnus said, suddenly self-conscious. “But . . . well, Edward has a friend who tipped him off.”
“Jason, most likely. He’s Kenai, but he’s around here quite a bit. He’s looking a bit tired recently too. I won’t blab.”
“Thank you, but I was thinking . . . I could use another viewpoint,” Magnus said. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out his wallet and taking a business card. “Here, it has my work cell on it . . . Kristina, Edward’s worried. And since he’s part of Clan Lockwood and I swore my loyalty to the Waldwycks, that makes me worried.”
“I understand,” Kristina said, taking the card. Again, Magnus felt something like a spark jump between their fingers when they touched, and he swore that her lightly bronzed skin flushed a little. He certainly felt warm. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Thank you. Um, well, I was also thinking . . .” he said in a rush, tripping over his tongue and feeling like a fool, “would it be okay if I asked you to dinner tonight? Like, at the diner or something?”
Magnus could feel the heat creep up his neck. He didn’t know why. He’d asked women out before. While his work with the Waldwycks kept him busy, it wasn’t like he never had dates. Sure, he thought that Kristina was striking, with a beautiful face and a body that was certainly just as eye-catching, but that didn’t mean that . . .
“I like the idea . . . but I can’t.”
Magnus felt defeated, but he nodded. They only had one night up in the Aklark lands. He wasn’t going to have another chance. “I understand.”
Kristina chuckled, shaking her head. “No, I don’t think you do. What I mean is that I’m not allowed in the diner at all, as per Ben Stormstout’s orders. I’ll let Edward tell you about it on the way back to America if you could hold your questions until then. But if I could . . . I think I’d enjoy dinner with you very much.”
Magnus felt the heat rise in his cheeks again, and he nodded. “Okay. Well, I think I need to poke around more. Thank you, Kristina. Tell me, do you have any suspicions as to what’s causing all of this?”
Kristina’s smile faded, and this time when she shook her head, it was more serious. “No. But if I learn anything, I’ll tell you.”
Chapter 6
“Kristina Darksky?” Edward said over Magnus’s headphones as he piloted the Blackhawk south toward the Lockwood Towers. “Yeah, I know Kristina.”
“You make that sound like it’s not a good thing,” Magnus said as he checked his approach vector. He held up a hand, switching channels. “Control, this is Lockwood 2557, checking flight path.”
“Lockwood 2557, you are clear for approach to Lockwood Towers. Maintain elevation of five thousand until final approach.”
“Thanks, Control,” Magnus said before flipping back to Edward and the inter-chopper channel. “So how do you know her?”
“The Aklark haven’t always been a peaceful group,” Edward said, shifting around. “Before the Stormstout, the Darksky were the leaders of the Aklark. We’re a Native tribe, after all, and within any tribe, there are families that bicker with each other. The Darksky were good leaders back when we called them chiefs, but then they hit a bad patch, and my family took over.”
“So you’ve got personal beef with Kristina?” Magnus asked, hoping that it wasn’t the case. He couldn’t get her out of his head and had even dreamed of her the night before, waking up with a hard-on that he’d been slightly embarrassed of.
Edward laughed, slightly sad. “I’ve never had a problem with her family’s past, or with her, but Kristina’s always been a bit on the outs with my father. He probably saw giving her that crap job out at the tea gardens as a way to dig at her. She didn’t take that job by choice, most likely. He’s kept her held down for most of her life. Not a princess but a tea farmer.”
“You don’t like your father all that much,” Magnus noted as the Lockwood Tower ca
me into view. “How was the rest of your visit?”
“Give it ten minutes. I need to think over how I want to approach this with Kim,” Edward said. “By the way, Magnus? Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Magnus shut up, focusing instead on bringing the Blackhawk to a safe landing on top of the Lockwood Towers. As soon as the rotors were stopped, he and Edward got out, double-checking the chopper before grabbing their bags and heading inside. Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle as Edward was nearly tackled at the door by his mate, Kimberly barely restraining herself from covering him in kisses. “First time apart?”
“Other than the mission to end the war, yes,” Edward admitted as he set his mate down. “I guess you missed me?”
“Of course I did,” Kim said, blushing slightly as Magnus said nothing, shouldering the bags. “Thanks, Magnus.”
“Not a problem. I’m jealous, really,” Magnus said, carrying his and Edward’s bags inside. “If I could, may I use your restroom before we sit down and talk?”
“Go ahead,” Edward said. Magnus nodded gratefully as he carried the bags. He set Edward’s bag outside his bedroom before using the guest bathroom, washing his face and taking his time as he listened carefully. He didn’t think that his Alpha and her mate would get right down to it, but he’d served the Waldwycks for almost two decades. He knew that things happened. Other than a few whispered promises of future pleasures, though, he didn’t hear anything, and he left the bathroom, making sure to cough and clear his throat as he came into the living room. It was far different from when it had been Valeria Waldwyck’s, the couple having redecorated closer to the wood tones and natural aura of Keith’s quarters one floor above, although it certainly had more high-tech touches visible.
“Have a seat, Magnus,” Kimberly said as he came out, carrying three large glasses of fruit juice, one for each of them. “I’ve heard a lot from Edward over his link, but there seems to be stuff to add from you.”
“Mostly what Kristina Darksky told me,” Magnus said, giving them a summary of what he saw at the tea operation as well as her concerns. “What is it that could be affecting Aklark and Lycan alike, but seems not to be noticed by the regular humans in town? I poked around some more, talking with the doctor in town, and he said that his human patients don’t seem to be any healthier or sicker than normal.”
Kimberly chewed at her lip, sighing. “I don’t know. Edward?”
Edward shook his head. “I don’t know, but Kristina was right. When I met with Jason, he looked sick too. Not too bad, but he admitted that he wasn’t a hundred percent. Magnus, how bad were the greenhouses?”
Magnus snorted. “I’ve seen better maintenance and repairs by casual hobbyists. Forget all the growth light bullshit and other things. Half the crop’s going to be dead by the time winter really hits.”
Edward growled, looking at Kim. “I need to talk with my father over this. Not as son to father, but as businessman to businessman.”
“Then speak as my mate,” Kimberly said, passing Edward the tablet that controlled much of the electronics in the room. Magnus stayed quiet as Edward punched in the number, leaning back as Edward got to his feet in front of the big display at the front of the room.
There was no video feed, but after a few rings, Magnus heard the line get picked up and the hearty, blustery voice of Ben Stormstout answered. “Hello, Edward?”
“Yeah, Dad, it’s me,” Edward said.
“Did you forget something up here?” Ben asked in an amused voice, chuckling under his breath. “Don’t tell me, you left your stove on.”
“Funny, Dad, but no. I called to talk about the tea operations,” Edward said, his voice grave. “I just got the report from the man I brought up with me. I’ll be honest, Dad. It gives me a lot of concerns. The Waldwycks sank a lot of their personal money and reputations into that operation, Dad. And I hear that you’re looking at losing half the crop.”
“Your man doesn’t know half of what he thinks he knows,” Ben rumbled over the line. “Why didn’t you bring this up when you were up here?”
“I was too busy gathering information,” Edward replied, his voice tight. “I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, Dad. You know, like you taught me?”
“I also thought I taught you to respect your elders and betters,” Ben replied. “Tell your mate that her investment is in good hands. If you can’t trust me with that much, then perhaps we need to re-evaluate the business connections between your new family and your real family.”
“Kimberly is my mate and the mother of my children,” Edward growled back, his shoulders tensing, and Magnus wondered if he would change if pushed too far before idly wondering if Edward could even fit in the apartment that way. “They are my real family.”
“Then perhaps you should worry about them and not about some damn tea,” Ben yelled. “In fact, next time you want to ask, make sure you get proper damn permission, outsider!”
The line cut off, and Magnus watched as Edward stared at the blank screen, his jaw clenched so hard that he could possibly crack diamonds between his teeth. Instead of yelling, however, Edward turned, his eyes blazing, looking at Kimberly, then Magnus. “I guess that means we don’t have to worry about a naming ceremony up north.”
“What does he mean, outsider?” Magnus asked, not nervous but concerned. “Regardless of his temper, Edward, those are your people, your family up there.”
“If he makes it permanent, not anymore,” Edward said, shrugging off his jacket. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I need to work off a little anger. I’ll head over to the gym.”
Edward left without another word, and Magnus looked at Kimberly, whose face was grave but set. They said nothing until Edward left, Kimberly speaking first. “We’re still speaking over the link, Magnus. Now, tell me what else you saw. This is just you and me.”
“Things are wrong up there, Kimberly. I don’t know what it is. We need more information. But I could tell from what Edward told me on the flight back that he got a snow job from everyone up there. They never brought him anywhere near the tea operations, and when I poked around the diner, the logging ops, all of it . . . things are just being run slipshod. I couldn’t get as close with the others, obviously. I was just a visitor, but . . .”
“But it’s still not good,” Kimberly said, sighing. “Great. You said you met someone, though, this Kristina Darksky?”
“Yeah, Kristina,” Magnus said, his lips twitching, and Kimberly raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing . . . go ahead and tell me your impressions of her.”
Magnus thought, trying to sort his words before speaking. “If what Edward told me is correct, she’s maybe not Darksky but dark matter.”
Kimberly chuckled. “I thought I was the one who studied high-tech in college. What do you know about dark matter?”
“It’s present, almost never observed by others, but influences a lot,” Magnus replied, shrugging. “I mean, when I spoke with others, they just glossed over Kristina. We were up there two days, and the only person who gave me any backstory on Kristina was your mate. Now, I don’t know about you, but if a visitor came to our territory and started asking about, say . . .”
“Morrigan Thornblood?” Kimberly asked, raising an eyebrow. It wasn’t that clan leadership didn’t change hands in Lycan life, but the Lockwoods had been led by the same family since they’d landed on American shores in the seventeen hundreds. So using an internal name wasn’t really applicable.
“A good enough parallel,” Magnus agreed. “If someone comes to our lands talking about Morrigan, I’m going to at least tell them a little of the shit she pulled.”
Kimberly laughed, leaning back. “You know, Magnus, we’ve known each other for nearly two decades—you realize that?”
“Of course. Even before I became a member of the Lockwoods, I remember meeting you when I was a ranger.”
“What I mean is, I appreciate your straightforward style,” Kimberly said. “You keep t
he formal talk to a minimum when it’s just us, or even with Keith. Other than my sister, few Lycans speak with me like this.”
“I know you want me around for advice, not for speeches,” Magnus replied. “But what are you thinking, Kimberly?”
“I think I want to meet this Kristina Darksky,” Kimberly said. “I’ll speak with Edward when he gets back, but I suspect she has a lot more to say than what she might have been comfortable with around the greenhouses. And it’s not like she’s going to be needed if the herb crops are as bad as you say.”
“Lady Lockwood, while I understand that you wish to mend fences between my son and me, I don’t think it needs your personal involvement,” Ben Stormstout said as Kimberly sat in her office. She’d insisted on a video call in her office this time, and while Magnus was sure that Edward was being clued in via his link with his mate, Magnus had been invited to sit and watch silently on the other side of the room, out of camera view.
“Ben, I didn’t call to try and mend any fences between you and your son,” Kimberly said, giving her most charming smile. She was dressed in a business suit, and Magnus had to admit, she was every inch the Alpha female. She looked like a powerful executive and had a charm that was only magnified by her physical beauty. “I called to talk with you.”
“Well, I’m flattered then,” Ben replied, his voice warming almost immediately, but Magnus could still hear it—he was tentative. “What can I do for you?”
“Edward was . . . well, obviously, he was upset, and I’d like to help both of our peoples. Now, I remember when you were down here for my mating ceremony, you talked about the forestry programs the Aklark have, and in speaking with Edward, I’d like to see if we can do something to further the bonds between our peoples. Because, Ben, while you and Edward can be as upset with each other as you like, my children should know both of their heritages.”
