Malcolm whistled.
“It is very important that I find the female who was wearing this,” Matt said impatiently. “Can you help me or not?”
Brandon considered him carefully. “Ah, it’s like that, is it?”
“Matt thinks she might be his mate,” Malcolm confirmed.
“She is my mate,” Matt growled.
“All right,” Brandon said, his eyes starting to glow again. “I’ll help you find your mate. But the witch? She’s mine.”
“What are we doing here?” Matt asked a short time later as they pulled up in front of the old cabin in the woods. He immediately recognized it as Old Mabel’s cabin, though the witch had since given it over to Tedi, Mythic’s newest preternatural citizen, who’d rented the cabin when she first came to town. As well as being the new bride of a master vamp, she was also a blood-descendent of Apollo and a bona fide Oracle.
“You want to find your female, right?
“Yes.”
“Then believe me, this is the quickest way to do it.”
Matt wasn’t sure he bought into all that psychic mumbo-jumbo crap, but he did harbor a secret fondness for the muddle-headed demi-goddess with the big heart.
“Aren’t you coming?” he asked Malcolm and Brandon when they made no move to exit the vehicle.
“No,” Malcolm shook his head. “Kristoff might tolerate one male around his new bride, but not three.”
“And he is still a little pissed off at me for that stunt we pulled at the after-party,” Brandon said, referring to the time he had left Tedi asleep and seemingly unguarded at a festive gathering among interested Extraordinaries.
So Matt found himself alone on the rustic porch, hand poised to knock. It seemed kind of an odd place for a goddess to want to hang out, but Malcolm had told him that she preferred it to the grand splendor of Masterson’s palatial estate (where she lived with her new husband) as a place to get away for a while; apparently all Oracles needed one. That was something Matt could understand at least. His ledge was like that for him.
The door opened before he could make contact. Of course it did.
“Hi,” Tedi said sweetly. The dark shadow of her vampire mate eyed him carefully over her shoulder.
“Kristoff,” Matt said in greeting.
“Matthew.”
“Kristoff was just leaving, weren’t you?” Tedi said, shooting her husband a warning look.
Kristoff made a noise in his throat, somewhere between a growl and a hiss. Matt understood it for what it was -—the protective posturing of a mated male.
“She is safe with me, Kristoff,” Matt assured him, straightening his shoulders. “Remember who it was who protected her until you got your head out of your ass.”
Kristoff flashed some impressive fang at the reminder, but he could not argue the point. There was a time when Kristoff was not wholly accepting of the concept of a fated mate, or that Tedi was his. It had been Matt who had ensured she was well-guarded (and off-limits) in those first weeks.
“That is the only reason I am permitting this,” Kristoff said. Tedi rolled her eyes, and Matt had to fight to withhold his grin. She was just as feisty as ever.
“Yeah, yeah. He gets it. I’ll be fine. Can you go get me some ice cream now? Chocolate marshmallow. Don’t forget.”
Kristoff took her in his arms and ravished her smart little mouth, reminding everyone present exactly to whom she belonged. Then he left -—reluctantly -—with one last warning glance at Matt.
“Whew!” Tedi said, fanning her face with her hand. “That man does it to me every time. Can I get you some tea or something?”
Matt stepped over the threshold and into the one-room cabin. Not much had changed since the last time he’d been there. It was still very rustic with sparse, but comfortable furnishings. One would never know that Tedi was probably worth more than his pack and Masterson’s coven combined.
“Only if you need it to do your thing.”
“No. Just trying to be polite. I didn’t really feel like making tea anyway.”
Matt grinned. Tedi had a habit of speaking what was on her mind without realizing it.
“Crap,” she muttered. “I said that out loud, didn’t I? Oh well, I guess you guys are used to it by now. Come on, have a seat, and tell me how I can help you.”
Matt sat down on the sofa, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He had hoped Malcolm or Brandon had filled Tedi in on things, but apparently, they hadn’t. Maybe it was just as well. “I’m not really sure where to start.”
“That’s okay,” Tedi said soothingly. “Are you asking for someone in particular, or about the pack as a whole?”
“Just me.”
“Okay, good. It’s so much easier when I have something specific to focus on. What is it that concerns you? Health? Wealth? Lifespan? Though if it’s the latter, I have to warn you -—I cannot pinpoint exactly how or when you are going to die. Well, I could, but I won’t. Too many things could change, and let’s just say that those kinds of prophecies are self-fulfilling.”
“No, nothing like that,” Matt assured her, though the thought of knowing when and how he was going to buy it left him a little shaken. “I was wondering if you could tell me anything about ... a possible mate.”
“Aaaahhh, I get it now. You want to know if I can see a Mrs. Right in your future.”
“Something like that. I think... I mean, I’m pretty sure I have already met her. I just don’t know how to find her.”
“It doesn’t exactly work like that. I can describe what I see to you, but it’s not like a GPS or anything.”
“I know. But you’re all I’ve got, Tedi.”
She nodded. “I’ll do my best. Brandon said you have something personal of hers?”
“I have this,” Matt said, pulling out the amulet. “She was wearing it when I last saw her. Brandon says it has a heavy-duty concealment charm on it.”
“It’s beautiful,” Tedi say approvingly. If Tedi thought there was anything weird about the situation, she didn’t say so. Then again, she probably saw a lot of weird stuff. “Moonstone, I’m guessing?”
Matt nodded.
“Your female has excellent taste. Moonstone is an extremely personal stone, absorbing the properties of the wearer. It is also used quite often in foretelling the future. With this, and the fact the full moon is only a couple of days away, I should be able to zero in on her pretty easily.”
Tedi pulled up her legs and crossed them in a traditional meditation pose, resting her hands facing upward on her knees. “I’m going to temporarily close myself off from this plane and search the others. Don’t freak out if I start to glow or hover, okay? Oh, and I’m kind of vulnerable in that state, so I’m counting on you to keep me safe. Are you okay with that?”
Matt blinked. He was stunned that she would admit that, even more so that Kristoff would allow it. His eyes flicked over to the window, where he saw the vampire glaring at him from the outside. Matt once again withheld his grin.
“Yes, you have my word as Alpha.”
“Awesome,” she said, her eyes already closed. She hummed very softly as the air in the room grew thicker, somewhat opaque. Within seconds, a golden glow began to radiate from her still form, and she actually did rise several inches above the chair while Matt watched, transfixed.
After about fifteen minutes or so, the radiance dimmed and she was once again flush with the seat of the chair. Tedi sat in silence for a few more minutes. She blinked quite a few times, her eyes somewhat glazed over and sleepy-looking.
“Golden-streaked sable hair and turquoise eyes, right?” Tedi finally spoke.
His heart leapt. “You’ve seen her?”
Tedi nodded. “I saw two women, actually. Both are beautiful, but I sensed that only one was a shifter. I’m guessing the other is the witch who bespelled the amulet.”
“Did you get any read on her location?”
“Well, it reminded me a lot of Mythic, actually. Lots of forested land, trees, mounta
ins. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s somewhere in the Shenandoah Valley, though.”
Matt was vaguely familiar with the area. There was a shifter pack there, run by a real badass by the name of Lucas. A couple of years ago, Matt had taken in a couple of packless Weres who had broken away from Lucas’ pack and set out on their own.
If Jessie was part of Lucas’ pack, things could get ugly very quickly.
“What exactly did you see?”
“In the first couple of images, the she-wolf looked like she was training for something. She was making her way through an obstacle course, kind of like the one your pack has, while her witch friend looked on.”
Training. What could Jessie be training for? Was she a warrior or an enforcer for her pack? She was certainly fit enough. Even in her human form he had felt the tight vise of her thighs wrapped around him. But given what he had heard about Lucas, that wasn’t likely. Lucas was the old-fashioned type, the kind who believed that sort of thing was left to the brutes.
Except when it involved a competition. And the only competition in which females participated was one that left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Tedi, you said that is what she was doing in the first couple of images. What was she doing in the later ones?”
Tedi blinked for a moment, her eyes filled with compassion. “She was getting married.”
Chapter 11 – Ready or Not, Here I Come
“Matt, are you really sure about this?”
Arms crossed over her chest, Dani chewed her bottom lip as she watched her brother throw a couple of things into his pack. The last of the Council members had just left the urgent and impromptu meeting Matt had called to explain the situation. Ally, Jace, and Sascha had been encouraging and supportive, but Caleb had barely said two words. That was understandable, since he’d been pushing his daughter Carly at Matt for as long as they could remember.
“I’m sure,” Matt confirmed. In fact, very few things in his life had been this clear. Jessie was his mate. His belief that she was human had muddied the waters there for a bit, but even with that powerful magic masking her true nature, his wolf had recognized her.
“Lucas isn’t going to just hand her over, you know. If he wants her for himself -—”
The deep, rumbling growl stopped Dani from continuing. It was not the warning of her big brother, but of the pack Alpha. Wisely, she shut her mouth.
For all of about three seconds.
“Have you spoken with Ana about it?”
“Why the hell would I do that?” he asked, though his cheeks reddened just slightly enough to display the truth. He, like so many of their pack, often visited Ana down at the Sanctuary. On the quiet side, her gentle nature made people -—especially the pups and young adults -—feel good in her presence. As a result Ana probably knew more pack secrets than the Council.
And, since nearly every upswing his pack was now enjoying began right about the time Ana had joined their preternatural community, he figured it couldn’t hurt. In her own quiet way, Ana had encouraged him to follow his heart, saying that she could sense how important it was to him, and therefore, to his pack. Strangely enough, by the end of his short visit, he’d felt confident things would work out in his favor.
Dani shrugged. Matt slung the pack over his shoulder and drew her into a quick hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
“Kick his ass,” Dani said, hugging him back. “And bring back our new Alpha female.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. Then he was out the door.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Matt said when he got out to his bike and saw Malcolm, Jace, and about a half dozen others straddling their rides, waiting for him.
“What do you think?” Malcolm grinned. “We’re coming with you.”
“No, you’re not. This is my battle. Alpha against Alpha.”
“Wrong,” Jace corrected. “It’s our fight, too. You say this female is your mate? That makes her our Alpha female.”
“Besides,” piped up Malcolm, his expression turning serious. “I’ve done a little research on this Lucas guy. He doesn’t like to lose, and if he doesn’t think he can win in a fair fight, he plays dirty.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the glint of knowledge in his spymaster’s eyes. “You know something.”
Malcolm nodded. “I did a little checking. Let’s just say that your mate isn’t marrying him because he’s the Alpha of her dreams. Things are going to get ugly, Matt. Trust me, you are going to need the extra claws when they do.”
Matt considered Malcolm carefully, then looked at each of the others in turn. They all wore the same look of determination on their faces. Including Brandon. Matt raised his eyebrow. “The mage is coming?”
“Yeah,” Malcolm said, “he’s got his own reasons. But having a little extra magic is never a bad thing.”
“Hey guys. Sorry I’m late.” Matt’s jaw nearly dropped when he saw the vamp spymaster, Jason, stalk into their midst and fist-bump Malcolm.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Matt grumbled. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Jason grinned at him, a smile filled with sharp, brilliant white teeth. “Ana and Tedi wanted you to have backup, so Vlane sent me.”
“Are all male vamps pussy-whipped?”
Jason’s grin widened. “When your master’s bride, a fallen angel, and a goddess join forces and start threatening to cut their males off, you bet your hairy shifter ass they do what their women want done.”
Matt rolled his eyes, but he was moved by such a show of loyalty from his pack and support from his allies. Given the concern he saw in Malcolm’s eyes, he just might need it. “All right. You can come. But no one touches the Alpha except me.”
They murmured their agreement to his terms, then mounted up. One by one, they kick-started their bikes, then fell into pairs lined up behind Matt as they drove south down the mountain toward Virginia.
* * *
“Are you ready?” Muriel asked quietly as she slid the last pin in place. Even if one of the other she-wolves managed to get close enough to rip off the skullcap Jessie would be sporting, she’d have a hard time get a good hold on her hair.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.” Jessie slathered oil over her baby-smooth bare legs and arms. It would give her another advantage. She called it her “slick pig” tactic, having gotten the idea after watching a travelling rodeo show once. With her speed and agility, it would make it even more difficult to get a hold on any other part of her.
Slipping on the super tight boy shorts and sports bra, she modelled for her friend. “Well? How do I look?”
Muriel looked her up and down. “Totally badass. Geez, I wish I had your tone.”
Jessie laughed. “You’re kidding right?”
“Not at all. Just once, I’d like to be the one kicking ass.”
Jessie’s eyes softened as she looked at her delicate, ethereal-looking best friend. “Don’t sell yourself short, Ree,” she said. “You might look like a good stiff breeze will blow you away, but I, for one, know what kind of magical heat you’re packing under all that alabaster skin. You scare me.”
Muriel blushed and laughed, then her smile faded. “We’ll still be okay after, right? I mean, I know how Lucas feels about witches -—”
“Stop right there,” Jessie said firmly, placing her hands on Muriel’s frail-looking shoulders. “I know Lucas thinks he is going to break me, turn me into some docile, simpering bitch, but that is not going to happen, do you hear me? I’ll do what I have to, but no way is he ever going to keep me from hanging with my bestie. We just might have to be a little smarter about it, you know?”
“What Lucas doesn’t know won’t hurt him?”
“Exactly. Now scoot, and don’t let anyone see you. Lucas has his goons keeping watch. Like I’m going to skip out now or something,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Oh, and Ree? I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything, Je
ss.”
“Don’t watch.”
* * *
“So Lucas threatened her family if she didn’t agree to mate with him.”
“That’s the story. He gave her an ultimatum, and one week to decide.”
Matt clenched his jaw. The fact that Jessie had been able to walk away from him rubbed his fur the wrong way, but it was something his wolf understood. If he ever had to choose between his true mate and Dani or his pack, he would be torn. Luckily, he was going to make sure that Jessie didn’t have to make that choice.
“Wait,” Brandon said, looking puzzled. “If she has already agreed to be his mate, then what is this big event taking place today?”
“It’s not enough that she agreed. He’s going to make her fight for it.”
“Fight?”
Malcolm nodded. “Females fight each other to prove they are strong enough to be Alpha female. It’s archaic; most packs don’t do that anymore, but Lucas isn’t as progressive as the rest of us.”
“I don’t know. Sounds kind of hot to me,” Jason grinned. “A bunch of females fighting over me?”
Malcolm rolled his eyes. Everyone knew the vamp did just fine when it came to the ladies.
“You’ve got eyes on the family?” Matt asked, ignoring their comments.
“Yep, they’re covered. Lucas has them under tight watch. If your woman tries any funny business, he’s got his guys ready to remind her what is at stake. Makes it easier for us, actually. They’re all in one place.”
Matt nodded. “Good. Then let’s get in place, shall we? I want to see my mate kick some ass.”
* * *
Jessie kept her expression neutral as she measured up the competition. There were more contenders than she had expected. Seven other she-wolves stretched and popped, glaring at each other and at her with the same purpose.
A couple looked like they’d rather be anywhere but here, doing anything but this. Jessie wondered how many of their families Lucas had threatened to put on this dog and pony show. For a brief moment, Jessie felt a wave of sympathy for them, but there was little she could do about it now. She would have to make it look realistic so they wouldn’t be punished, but try not to hurt them too badly in the process.
Wolf Out of Water: Mythic Series, Book 4 Page 9
