Bound by the Moon (The Ancients Series Book 4)

by Christine M. Butler

  “Then he’d be smart enough to run. If he knew you were family, I doubt he would attempt what he’s trying.”

  “What exactly is he attempting to do?”

  “He wants to open the portal. I can only assume he means to bring some dead friends back across into our realm. Even if he gets the portal open, it won’t be as easy as all that for him. The other side doesn’t just let go of its dead for nothing, and besides, that particular gateway is guarded by some ferocious beasts.”

  “What kind of ferocious beasts?”

  Serena eyed me for a few minutes, took another sip of her tea, and then sat back. “Jessica, he needs your blood to open the gateway.”

  “I figured that part out. Why my blood, and what ferocious beasts?”

  “He needs the blood of the portal’s guardians in order to gain entry to the other side.” After noting my blank stare, she smiled briefly, then continue. “Your blood and their blood are the same.”

  “How the hell can that be? I…” Then it hit me. Clearly, I should have had more coffee before we started this conversation. I was a bit slow on the uptake. “Wait,” I thought it through one more time, and then eyed Serena suspiciously. “You’re saying I’ve seen the portal.”

  She didn’t answer, only inclined her head slightly and then continued sipping her tea. I wanted to throw the tea cup across the room by that point.

  “Every time I’ve had a dream about the white wolves, I’ve actually been standing at the portal? The gateway to the dead? The one my blood is needed to open?”

  “Yes and no. You’ve been there in the dream realm, which is a close cousin to the realm of the dead where the white wolves reside. There’s only a thin veil separating the two which is why you, and all the other white wolves before you, have been able to do it. If you were to go in person though, I imagine it would look much the same as it does in your dreams.”

  “Well, that makes things a lot easier. How do you get there in your dreams, Jess?” My dad asked, finally speaking up in the midst of the madness.

  “Um, I float through some fog and poof I am there. It’s a dream dad! It’s not like I pop out my handy dandy GPS to find my way there every time.”

  “Sorry, I just thought…”

  “It’s fine, I know what you thought. I’m just cranky, and this is more craziness to cram into my head.”

  Serena leaned forward and rubbed her hand across my back gently. “I’m sorry to put more on your already over-filled plate.” Her sympathy for the situation threw me until I remembered one essential fact, this all boiled down to her. If she’d never slept with a werewolf, the white wolf line wouldn’t have been created, and while I may or may not have been here in some way, I certainly wouldn’t have all the craziness piling up around me.

  “It’s not your fault, Serena. It just is what it is.”

  She sighed her response, and my dad’s phone interrupted anything else she might have been about to say. He had to go check out a possible attempted abduction, and as he left I turned back to Serena with an idea in mind. “What if I tried to go see the wolves in my dream now? Maybe they can tell us how to stop what’s happening or how to keep the portal from being opened.”

  “You could try, although we already know how to keep the portal from being opened. We don’t get your blood, or Willow’s for that matter, anywhere near it.”

  “I know that, but I have a sinking feeling that they will keep taking women until they draw me out. They have to know we’ve figured out what they’re doing by now. Especially since Avery, Tessa, and Nicholi were able to capture a dark one.”

  “Is it easy for you to meet with them in a dream? I don’t know what you usually go through.”

  “Usually, I go to sleep, and they show up when I least expect it. Once in a while I go to sleep with the intent to talk to them, and I find them. I’m hoping option B works out for me this time.”

  Serena seemed skeptical, but smiled as she stood to leave anyway. “I have to go see to Layla’s travel arrangements and ensure she gets here as soon as possible. I’ll leave you to the dream world. If you need any help though, just text me. Maybe I can make you a tonic or something that will help.”

  “Thanks, I won’t use any magic potions though. Just the thought leaves a bad taste in my mouth after Sophia.” Serena looked saddened by the mention of her dead sister, but she didn’t say anything. “Besides, I could always call my mom in to help put me to sleep if this doesn’t work trying it on my own.”

  “Okay, I was going to see your mother, so I will let her know that you may require her assistance.”

  I went upstairs to let Ashley and Sierra know that I’d need help with Willow while I attempted to commune with the white wolves.

  “So, we’re supposed to babysit your brat while you get more beauty sleep?” Ashley looked thoughtful for a minute while Sierra was dumbstruck by Ashley’s comment. “Hmm, I need to start having some prophetic dreams so that I can put the nighttime baby stuff off on Asi or a nanny.” Sierra laughed and threw a pillow at her.

  “Yeah, well, this beauty sleep of mine is for a good cause!”

  “Uh-huh, so we don’t have to look at that cranky mug of yours any longer. Get thee gone to the land of pillow creases, Princess White Wolf.”

  Sierra and I both laughed at Ashley’s antics. “What the hell has gotten into you this morning, Ashley?” Sierra asked.

  “I don’t know. I just feel really good, more like my old self than I have in a couple months.”

  “Ahh, I see. Well, enjoy that while it lasts. It’ll change again when you start blowing up like there’s a watermelon growing in your belly. According to my mom, you don’t go back to normal again until that watermelon moves out.”

  “Wow!” Ashley pouted for a minute, “way to rain on my puppy and unicorn parade this morning. I hereby change your name to Princess Doom and Gloom. Now go to bed, and try not to give the other white wolves nightmares while you’re there.” Ashley and I both laughed at that, and Sierra just looked at us like we both had two heads.

  “I will never understand the relationship you guys have, and yet I’m oddly jealous of it.”

  “No need to be jealous, sis. You can be a part of the madness all day, every day. When my nephew gets older, we’re going to teach him to have a wicked sense of humor too!” Ashley was referencing baby Jack, which made Sierra glow with love instead of envy.

  I closed the door to my bedroom before I had to face Sierra she got weepy again. She always got misty-eyed when Ashley referred to her as a sister or baby Jack as her nephew. If only Jack could be here to see the two of them getting along so well. It would have made him the happiest man alive.

  I put all of that out of my mind as I hopped into bed, and closed my eyes. Drifting off to sleep was never a problem anymore since I was always so tired. I had been practicing on how to keep my focus while falling asleep though. It was important for those times when I sought someone out with remote viewing, which is what I did the night I saw Jack die, or when I needed to speak to the white wolves.

  I focused on the cave where I always saw the wolves, the dais they stood upon, and even the willow tree that had grown since I first conceived my daughter. I wondered if the tree actually stood in the cave, or if it was just a shadow in the realm of the dead. I drifted deeper into sleep as I continued my musings about the wolves and the cave itself, eventually I did find myself there, but it was oddly dark, and the normal scent of lavender was missing. The flickering candle light that usually imbued the place with a certain amount of ambiance was no longer present. “What’s going on here?”

  “Child, you should not be here.” The white wolves answered.

  “But I need answers from you in order to protect...”

  “No!” The white wolves hissed, but followed that up with a whisper, “He’s here, and he is of the living and the dead, he can hear our conversations.”

  The white wolves, who usually flickered through all the spirits of the past white wolve
s stilled themselves today before blurring around the edges. “There has to be a way.”

  “The only way is to be far from here, now go!” They pushed mentally, but before they managed to knock me out of the dreamscape, I caught an unfamiliar scent on the air. It was almost one of fresh turned earth, pine needles, and underneath it was an almost decay and copper smell. Then I heard the laughter that was definitely all male and nothing to do with finding something humorous. I shut everything else out as I listened trying to hear more. I was trying to hear something that would give me a location, or at least point me in the right direction. When that seemed futile, and only the laughter pervaded my thoughts, I allowed the push the wolves had given me to do its work and wake me up. I came back from the dream world covered in sweat and shaking with fear. I had felt Louis’ essence, and what was worse, he definitely knew exactly who he was looking for now.

  WHICH WILLOW

  “Jess, is everything ok in here?” My mom poked her head in my bedroom door, and smiled as she watched me push my sweaty hair out of my face.

  “Hey, mom. When did you get here?”

  “I’ve been having coffee with the girls and the babies downstairs for about twenty minutes or so.”

  “You do know coffee isn’t good for babies, right?”

  “Always the smartass, Jessica. Of course, I know that. The babies were with us while we had coffee.” She smiled in spite of herself. I came over after Serena filled me in on what you were attempting. I didn’t want to disturb you until I knew you were awake again.” She came over and sat beside me on my bed then. “I heard you gasp all the way from downstairs, what happened?”

  I explained to her what happened in my dream vision, and that I needed to try again, because I wasn’t sure if the white wolf guardians were in danger.

  “How can they be in danger? They’re already dead.”

  “I know, but something was off. I can’t put my finger on it, but they were panicked.”

  “Maybe because they knew that Louis would be able to see you and focus his search better?”

  “Well, he definitely knows where the portal is. I suppose all he needs now is my blood to open it. Either way, I need to make sure they are okay, and that the portal hasn’t somehow magically come open on its own yet.”

  “Are you certain you want to attempt this again? What if he has some magical way of latching on in the dreamscape?”

  “What else can I do, mom? We don’t know where he is, and last I heard, Serena was still trying to get Layla here, because her sister won’t talk about the location or anything else unless it’s done in person.”

  “Okay, but let me get a hold of your dad first. I want to make sure we have plenty of security before we start.”

  “Fine, just keep them outside.”

  “Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but Sierra needs some more diapers and stuff, so I am going to run to town for those and some other things. Is there anything you want to add to my list?”

  “Ashley, make sure you take security with you. Louis knows who I am now. It wouldn’t take a leap for them to figure out that they could get to me through you, or someone else I love. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you, because of me.”

  “I will, and when I get back you’re going to tell me exactly what the hell went on in that dream of yours.” Concern was written all over her face, and she hesitated before leaving. “You’re not going to try again are you?” I didn’t answer her, which was answer enough. “Please, be careful. You don’t look like it went too well the last time.” She continued to stand there until my mom nodded her assurance.

  “I’ve got her covered Ashley. Go get whatever is needed for the house. See Emory Davis at the Old Country Market, and tell her to put it on my tab, and I’ll be in to see her at the end of the week. Ask Sierra to please keep an eye on Willow until I get Jess knocked out, and back in dreamland again too, please.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Ashley was gone before the words were even out of her mouth.

  “Now, do what you need to in order to focus, honey. Let me know when you’re ready.” My mom never hesitated. She knew what was at stake and she wasn’t about to stand in my way of finding out how to make us all safer. I always admired my mom’s ability to be practical, even in the face of danger.

  “Thanks mom, I love you!”

  “I love you too, now be careful. Try to get the information quickly, and then get out. Do not, under any circumstances, interact with Louis if you see him again.”

  “I will do my best to get in and out as quickly as possible.” I went through the same process that I did earlier in the day. I got settled and focused on the white wolves. I pictured every aspect of the cave I could remember, and specifically the dais they always sat upon. I couldn’t fall asleep on my own again though. I was too worried about my previous encounter with Louis. That’s where my mom came in though. Her influence blanketed me with a calming effect that helped me relax and navigate into the dream realm easily. Everything became lighter, my concerns were still there, but only as a reminder, not a crippling worry. My mother’s trick work to get me back into that other-worldly place, but I had to fight my way back through the foggy dreamscape to try to get to the wolves.

  A presence hovered just beyond my reach, and pushed back at me through the fog. I could almost taste the panic on my tongue, it was so tangible in the air with each push. It wasn’t Louis. That much I knew, because what I attributed to his essence had actually been attempting to tug me forward to where I wanted to be. He was well aware that I was trying to communicate with my ancestors again.

  With each surge forward, I met a wall, and then received push back. It had clearly become a battle of wills and strength that I wasn’t going to win. I was one white wolf going up against ages of ancestors on their turf. With one final push, I was knocked back hard enough that I woke up with a severe headache, and not much else for my troubles.

  My room was dark when I awoke, which was troubling in itself. It had barely been midday when my mom put me under. The amount of voices I heard in my house was cause for even more alarm though. Especially since the vast majority of them were male. I had gone to sleep in a house full of women, aside from little baby Jack. It took me a minute to focus my energy, and move beyond my own mushed brain that was currently throbbing in tune with my heartbeat. A voice I didn’t recognized called out as I tried to sit up. “She’s awake.”

  “What the fu…” I started, but my mom ran in at that point rambling a bunch of nonsense. The only words I caught were kidnapped and baby. A sense of cold dread washed over me as I looked around to get my bearings. “Wait, what did you just say?”

  “We think they were looking for Willow, but they took Jack instead.”

  “Who took Jack? Mom, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Where’s Willow?”

  “Willow is fine. Your father is with her right now, but I need you to come talk to Sierra, she is beside herself right now.”

  “Come talk to Sierra?” I knew I was still a bit foggy from whatever happened to me while I was in the forced dream state, but I still wasn’t fully comprehending. “I don’t understand, Mom, stop.” She was pulling at my arm now, franticly trying to move me somewhere else. I literally had to pull on my white wolf abilities. I let calm wash over and through me, into my mother, so that she would lose the panicked edge, and I could get to the bottom of what was happening. I was basically pulling on her own abilities as she touched me, but reversing them back into her. As soon as I felt her still a bit, I tried to get to the bottom of what was going on.

  “Where is Willow?”

  “She’s downstairs, in your father’s arms, where I left her.”

  “Why didn’t anyone try to wake me?”

  “We tried. I tried. Nothing worked.”

  “Ashley?” I thought about the fact that she had gone into town earlier, and worried that maybe there was actually more than one victim in all of this.

  “She’s fin
e. They realized Jack was missing when Ashley came back with the diapers for him.”

  “How in the hell did someone get inside my house to take a baby?” I let a bit of the angry confusion in me slip out as I spoke this time.

  “Calm down.” My mother was pleading with me, and I could feel her influence trying to persuade me to do as she said. I brushed off the attempt easily since I was still connected her ability. Actually, her attempt to control my mood irritated me, considering what had happened.

  “Don’t try that again, mom!” I roared as I shot to my feet and surged toward the bedroom door. My mom beat me there, and blocked the way so I couldn’t get by.

  “Please, Jess, you need to listen to me first. Your dad stopped by, and when he found out I had you under a deep sleep he took advantage of the fact, and cleared a security team to sweep the house.” My mom continued talking, but I heard none of it as I pushed past her and into the hallway. I ran to Willow’s nursery, and saw Ashley there holding her, and my dad pacing in the corner now. I wondered why he wasn’t downstairs with the baby, as my mom had insisted he was, but then I heard how he shouted at someone on the other end of a phone call. He must have brought the baby to Ashley when he got the call.

  “Get out!” Ashley stood, pale-faced, and shocked. She moved like she was going to leave, so I clarified. “Jameson St. Marks, get the hell out of my house, right now!”

  Everything stopped. Everyone in the room froze, then collectively turned to stare at me. I’m not quite sure what they saw there, but what I noticed was that fear reflected back from the eyes of everyone standing near me. “Oh. My. God. Jess?” Ashley all but whispered.

  “You brought in a security team, against my wishes, while I was asleep? Now, a baby is missing! A baby that I happen to consider family. You are responsible for this.” I knew I needed to get a hold of myself, but that kind of self-control seemed beyond me at that point. “IT COULD HAVE BEEN WILLOW!” I shouted, feeling the flames of heat licking up my face. “GET OUT!” My finger shot out, pointing the way to the nursery door that crashed open with the motion of my hand. My dad flinched in place, and stood there another moment before he hung up the phone, and attempted to walk towards me instead of the door.