THE MATING CLAIM: Werewolves of Montana Book 14

by Vanak, Bonnie

“Will you listen to me, wizard?! This is my life we’re talking about. My life!” Suddenly she backed against the door and sagged, sliding downward to sit.

  Lacey crumbled before his eyes, all the fight and spunk drained out of her. “My screwed up life. Maybe it hasn’t been so terrific, but it’s the only one I have. I’m not ready to surrender it just yet.”

  Drust sank down beside her. “And you will not, not if I can find a way around it. I will.”

  As promises went, it was damn feeble. But he had to coax her back to trying, because this bothered him more than all her past misdeeds. Lacey was a vital life force. Seeing her defeated like this made his chest ache and his heart hurt.

  As if I have witnessed such actions previously, when I was mortal. Did we share a life together?

  Questions he would discover answers for later. His prime concern was this Lacey, here and now.

  She glanced up, her green gaze dull. “How?”

  Time for diplomatic answers. The truth was far too complex for mortals. Even he wondered about Caderyn’s line of reasoning. Drust helped her to her feet.

  “First, we need an entrance to the Shadow Lands. I know of one.”

  “And then? What happens? You hurl me inside?”

  “I do not hurl.”

  “I might,” she muttered. “My stomach is terribly upset enough to hurl right now.”

  Uncertain if she joked, and unwilling to upset her further, he pressed on. “The timing is of utmost importance, and cannot be judged by mortal standards.”

  He held up a hand to tick off his fingers. “That is one reason why I must accompany you with the book. Two: The entrance to the Shadow Lands is unseen by the mortal eye unless a wizard unveils it. Three: There will be unknown dangers along the way. Four: You need protection. Five: Because you performed a spell from the book, you have now opened a window that should have remained closed.”

  Drust squeezed his hand into a fist. “And that is the most unpredictable and unknown element of all, for none of the Brehon can say what would happen with a mortal who recited a spell from the book. The consequences may be mild, or they could be… horrific for you.”

  Lacey’s gaze darted around the shop. “Worse than what happened to Lucky?”

  “Perhaps. Any time you perform magick, Lacey, you know there is a price to pay. And with these delicate spells, there is always… backfire.”

  She put a palm to her face. “Backfire. Great. So I’m going to increase in size or suddenly sprout dragon wings on my human body?”

  “You could use an increase in size.” He’d hoped his words would reassure her, but she scowled.

  “You want me to get fat?!”

  “You do not have enough meat on those delicate bones of yours.” Drust gave a wry smile. “You have not fed properly. Female dragons should be plump. It prepares you better for bearing young.”

  This time she did not throw a bottle at his head. She threw an entire jar. He ducked, frowning.

  “What?”

  “Wizard you are a chauvinist! I’m not getting fat so I can breed little dragons!”

  Irritated, he folded his arms. “I did not say that was your sole purpose, mortal. I was merely stating a fact.”

  “Well, state this. I don’t need to gain weight.”

  “Prove it. Prove to me you can easily shift into your dragon form, which you will need to do for this journey, arduous as it will be. You have not consumed enough rare meat to feed your dragon self and make the transition easier. The last time I saw you in dragon form, your scales were dull and I daresay they are not as strong as they should be to withstand an attack.”

  “Fine.” She stretched out her arms and iridescent sparks shimmered around her.

  Nothing happened. He watched her try again.

  Nothing.

  “You cannot shift into your dragon form.” He knew this, knew how she’d been drained, but had hoped he was wrong.

  It had something to do with that damn book. How had it affected her?

  He needed answers from his fellow wizards.

  “Lacey, you cannot defend yourself now if you cannot shift. You must trust me to guide you to destroying the book.”

  Lacey’s gaze sharpened. “You wish me to trust you? After you killed my father? Trust you that you’ll help me and not destroy me along with the book? Why should I do that, Drust, when you threatened to turn me into toad food before?”

  He saw her point. “There is no other way, Lacey. You saw the consequences of what happened to your dog…and your supplies. The book must be destroyed. Who else can you trust?”

  “I can try to destroy the book myself. I don’t need help from any wizard. You guys aren’t exactly helpful or have been in the past.”

  Patience had never been his strong suit, but he grit his teeth and summoned it now. “And how will you do that? It cannot be burned, even with coldfire. Bury it and the book will find its way to the surface.”

  Lacey folded her arms and stared at the opposite wall. Waves of fear, resentment and anger rolled off her. Drust knew he was running out of time. He wanted to shake sense into her.

  Protect her.

  Hold her close and never let go, because his deepest fears somehow were entwined with this lovely, stubborn shifter. No time to analyze it. Not when she’d already unleashed a demon through chanting a spell in the book.

  “The quicker we leave, the less time demons have to follow the trail Willow took. Your store may be filled with good, light magick, but you are still in grave danger, along with anyone else who comes here.”

  Finally she looked at him with those woebegone green eyes. Mentioning her beloved dog had finally gotten through to her. “Even Lucky?”

  “I advise you to bring him to your home. Do not leave him here. He will be safer in your home after I ward the property.”

  “I’ll need time to gather my stuff. Where are we going?”

  “You will see. I first must make arrangements with my fellow wizards.”

  She shrugged. “Fine. How much time do I have?”

  “Ninety minutes.” He pointed to the clock. “No longer. Find the book, keep it shut, and talk to no one.”

  “An entire ninety minutes. You’re so generous.” She traced a line on the counter. “All right. I’ll do as you ask.”

  Drust went to her, gently squeezing her shoulders. “You are a dragon and my charge, Lacey. I will do everything in my power to see this through without you suffering any harm.” He stated this with quiet assurance.

  He hoped she would believe him.

  But a nagging voice deep inside warned she would not.

  She had opened the door to hell, and there would be hell to pay – with her life.

  Even though Drust tried to assure her that was not the case.

  How did one trust a figure of ultimate authority with the power to terminate her life?

  You didn’t.

  You trusted your gut, which screamed flight. Right now. The real kind of flight a dragon could make. Except she couldn’t shift.

  But she had two strong legs and a car that worked.

  Too many in the past had let her down – those in authority who made similar assurances she wouldn’t be hurt. Her foster mother. Tristan, the Silver Wizard. Friends.

  After Drust vanished, Lacey wasted no time. She needed time to think things over, figure out a plan. Here, she felt too pressured and pursued.

  She didn’t know how she’d remembered the vanquishing spell, only that it came to her as if from a long-buried memory. Maybe even a memory she’d buried on purpose.

  Because her foster mother hated witches…

  Inside a cabinet was a leash she kept for emergencies. Clipping it onto Lucky’s collar, she led him down to Tara’s shop.

  The silver bell over the door tinkled. At this hour, only a few customers lingered at the tables or lounged on the overstuffed couches, talking. Tara wasn’t in sight. However, her daughter, Danica, read a book behind the counter.

 
A gentle, peaceful energy radiated throughout the shop, one she knew Tara deliberately cultivated. She was a skilled white light witch. A fragrant scent of freshly ground coffee, along with lavender, eased the tight tension in Lacey’s shoulders. This was a good place, and they would treat Lucky like family.

  With me gone, you won’t turn into demon fodder, buddy. Emotion tightened her throat. Knew it was a bad idea to have you with me. I’m nothing but bad luck.

  Danica glanced up, her pretty face brightening. “Oh hi Lacey. Mom told me what happened. You okay? You look like someone whacked you across the knees with a 2x4.”

  “I feel like someone did the same,” she admitted.

  For a moment she envied Danica with her gentle blue eyes, red hair curled at the edges, her soft skin and soothing manner. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen to her. She worked as a hairdresser and never seemed unhappy.

  And then she remembered…the pretty hair was an expensive wig, and Danica had lived a hard life on the streets before changing her life.

  Everyone has challenges.

  Setting down the book, Danica came to the counter and peered over. “Oh, hi there Lucky! What are you doing here….oh.”

  Sympathy filled her gentle eyes. “We’ll take good care of him, honey. Really good care. You’re in a lot of trouble, huh?”

  She could only manage a slight nod. Good thing Danica was also an intuitive witch because suddenly Lacey could not form words. Her throat tightened further. It wasn’t easy admitting you were a total screw-up.

  “Lacey, is there anything we can do? You don’t have to leave.”

  She shook her head again.

  When Danica came from behind the counter, Lacey thrust the leash at her. Finally managed to find her voice.

  “Food’s in the back room cabinet of my shop, bowls, everything.” She fumbled in her pocket and placed a key on the counter. “Help yourself to whatever you need in the shop.”

  Then she crouched down as Lucky’s tail beat the air. Lacey wrapped her arms around her dog. “I’m so sorry, buddy. I wish it could have been better. You’ll be okay here. They’re good people. Love you.”

  I’m going to miss you so much. Tears blurred her vision. Better make this quick, or she’d change her mind. Take the dog and run, and Lucky didn’t stand a chance on the road.

  Standing, she sniffed and took the tissue Danica handed her. Lacey wiped her eyes and made the mistake of looking down, seeing Lucky’s pleading look. Don’t leave me.

  More tears poured from her eyes. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes again. “Gotta go.”

  “Wait.” Danica gestured to the tea rack. “Let me fix you a cup of herbal tea first, honey. Fill you with good energy.”

  “Where I’m going, they don’t drink tea.”

  She did not look back as she closed the door behind her. But Lacey’s frantic, confused barking as he pleaded with her not to go, followed her all the way down the street.

  Chapter 13

  The emergency meeting with his fellow wizards and the goddess Danu had delivered grim news. Danu informed them that the reason they could not vanquish the demon because that demon had gained power from the residual magick Lacey had unleashed.

  Worse, before Willow had died, she’d probably set out evil totems around the area to attract other demons.

  He angled on the wind, his dragon wings riding the air currents as he soared high above Lacey’s shop, looking for the traces of dark magick as Danu advised. Riding on his back, Tristan pointed below.

  Drop down to 500 feet, Tristan spoke in his mind.

  When he did, it became like a neon sign flashing at them. In the alley behind Lacey’s store pulsed with red and black colors. The stench of death and raw sewage hit him like a hammer, and he coughed, trying not to gag.

  “Smells worse than X’s socks,” Tristan shouted.

  Drust grunted in agreement.

  “I’ll ward the perimeter to keep Skins away. We don’t need humans becoming innocent victims.”

  Beams of silver light shot down on a two-block stretch below, sinking into the ground and then shooting upward in an invisible wall. Skins hurried from the shops within that wall and either climbed into their vehicles or scurried away.

  They would not return. A strange compulsion would fill them to avoid any contact with the area.

  “Land on the street.”

  Drust did, stretching out his enormous wings. Tristan climbed off his back. His friend dusted off his hands. “I’ll have Gideon and Alia ward this area with magick to protect the shops and the Others within. We can’t risk any more demons attempting to enter into the mortal realm through Lacey’s shop.”

  The Crimson Wizard, Gideon, and his mate had the most powerful magick among them. If anyone could prohibit demon attacks, it was the Fae couple.

  Sympathy shone in Tristan’s eyes as Drust resumed his human form. “I wish we had better news for you, my friend.”

  He refused to believe the only answer was the one the goddess had delivered. To destroy the book, he must lose Lacey. “There are always alternatives. I will not kill her.”

  “Caderyn created the Book of Shadows, and the companion book, so yes, there may be a way to avoid her death.”

  Blinking he stared at his friend. “You know about the book’s creator?”

  Tristan sighed. “We all found out recently, but we have kept that knowledge from Caderyn. He is filled with pride and knowing we know this would be detrimental to his spirit.”

  Not a wise idea, especially when they needed the Shadow Wizard the most right now. “I will never say a word. However, I do advise that Caderyn work with the witches in the coffee shop. They can aid us in protecting this area, and forecasting any future attacks.”

  “Good call.” Tristan’s dark eyes glinted. “Be vigilant, my friend. Do not see everything in only black and white. The gray areas are often where your heart resides.”

  Waving a hand, the Silver Wizard vanished. No time to ponder Tristan’s cryptic warning, for he needed to assess the full situation. He knew where Lacey was, but did not know her emotional frame of mind.

  As expected, the shop was closed. Drust shifted back into a dragon about the size of a small pony. Prowling down the street, he sniffed out her scent trail. Threaded through Lacey’s delicate fragrance of vanilla, lilies and wood smoke, he smelled fear and utter grief.

  Woven with that potent mixture was a canine’s grief and bewilderment at abandonment.

  Emotions were dangerous. Drust had learned to lock his away when he needed practicality and calmness. But these emotional trails Lacey and her dog had left behind were so potent they made his scales tremble. The grief kicked him in the gut, as if he were the one leaving behind a beloved pet.

  Such a novelty, for he had never experienced such raw sorrow.

  No, that is wrong. I have felt this, even worse. A sadness so wrenching, I wanted to die so I could never feel again, never taste the bitter pain.

  Halting, he sniffed the air. Odd how memories returned to him at times, glimpses as a curtain jerked back and a memory surfaced. Never enough to form a full remembrance, more like a puzzle piece. But for that dream the other night…

  Drust roared in frustration, blowing out a stream of coldfire from his mouth and melting a street lamp, along with part of the sidewalk and pavement. Damn. He waved a claw and everything restored to what it had been. Clever trick. Silently he thanked Tristan, who was adept at doing it in wolf form.

  Seeing no threats, he arrived at the coffee shop, nudged the open door with his nose and wandered inside. Only five Others were present, two on the sofa, sipping from paper cups (herbal tea, it smelled delicious), three seated at a table. The three at the table were dragons, and they stared at him, jaws dropping.

  For once he wished one of his people would greet him with a smile and a cheery wave instead of this abject fear. Respect was necessary, but fear saddened him.

  Still, fear was preferable to arrogance and disobedience. Those
led down a darker path, sometimes to a dragon’s detriment.

  “Get out,” Drust ordered his three charges. “Go home. You may return tomorrow after we have warded the area and deemed it safe.”

  Surprised by either the fact he could talk in dragon form, or not wanting to question his order, the trio abandoned their lattes and ran for the door. The couple on the sofa blinked and tilted their heads at him.

  Fae. Slightly pointed ears, but the unmistakable glimmer of magic surrounding them. Drust shifted into his human form and firmly closed the door.

  “Where is Tara?”

  The Fae couple glanced at each other. The male shrugged. “Who cares? I just came for the herbal tea. Search for yourself, scale face.”

  Bristling at the insult, he pointed to the door. “Get out. Your time here is finished.”

  “Make me,” the Fae jeered.

  Growling, Drust lobbed a small energy ball at the arrogant Fae male. It smashed into him, and bounced off his chest, sailing through the air to strike a shelf, shattering Tara’s antique teacup collection.

  For a moment, he recoiled, and then realization hit him.

  “Gideon,” he said, satisfied. For only another wizard or his mate could repel his coldfire and not be harmed. None of the five wizards could hurt each other. The same protection had been accorded to their mates.

  The Crimson Wizard and his mate, Alia, transformed back into their true selves. Dressed in a red tunic, trousers and boots, Gideon looked smug, his long blond hair pushed back to show his pointed Elven ears.

  Clad in a flowing blue gown, Alia was gorgeous, her skin glowing with heath, her expression mischievous.

  “Scale face?” he asked pointedly.

  Gideon shrugged. “You are a dragon.”

  True enough. “Anyone else here besides Tara?”

  “Tara is in the back room with her daughter, laying down salt to keep demons out and protect the dog. We arrived soon as Tristan sent word for us to ward the area,” Gideon explained. “It was best to remain in disguise until we could determine if demons were present.”

  “Excellent glamour.” Drust grinned, relieved and glad to see them both. “You fooled even me.”