* * *
Kendall sighed contentedly as she sat in the massage chair with her feet in the hot bubbling water. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a pedicure and she was enjoying every moment of it. Chloe sat in the chair next to hers, a smile on her face while a woman worked on her feet.
“I’m glad you suggested this,” Kendall said.
“Me, too. Isn’t this great?”
“It’s too bad the others couldn’t join us. They could probably do with a bit of stress relief, too. I can only imagine what they must have been going through for the past... How long have you known about the war, exactly?”
“Well, we found out when Aislinn met Connor, and that was... Hmm. About seven or eight months ago now. Honestly, we were all surprised the demons hadn’t already attacked. But then when Colin found you Aislinn said the sorcerer had a vision that the demons were heading our way.”
Kendall cast a worried glance at the woman kneeling at Chloe’s feet. “Um...”
“Oh, don’t worry. Ivette is part of the pack.”
Kendal looked around. “And the others?”
“Human and oblivious to what goes on in this town. But don’t worry, they aren’t paying us a bit of attention. They never do. Truthfully, Ivette could do this at my house, but I like coming here and getting away for a little while. I love my son, and I love my job, but there are times I just need a moment for me, you know?”
Kendall nodded, she knew all too well. How many times had she gotten caught up in work, so lost in the pile of books to be edited that she forgot to stop and smell the roses, as her mother used to say. Now that she had someone special in her life, a mate, she would have to make sure that didn’t happen. Her new relationship deserved as much of her attention as she could spare. She wanted things to work between her and Colin, wanted a good, solid relationship, something that had been lacking from her life.
“How old is your son?” Kendall asked.
“Six months.”
Kendall couldn’t even comprehend taking a six-month-old child into a battle. What the hell was wrong with these people? Chloe seemed nice, someone she could be friends with, but was the woman daft? If it were her, if that were her child, she’d have it as far from the fight as possible. The last thing she’d want would be for her baby to be demon fodder, or for the baby to keep her from fighting. The woman was timid, quiet, but there had to be a backbone in there somewhere, she was married to a wolf, after all.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” she said with a smile, hoping her thoughts didn’t show on her face.
Chloe cast her a glance. “I know you think I’m weak, not wanting to fight, but I trust my mate and the pack to protect me and my son. If the alphas say we’ll be safe, then we will be.”
“The alphas have no way of knowing whether or not you’ll be safe, unless they have a crystal ball they’ve been consorting. I just think you should be more proactive in making sure you and your family are safe, that’s all.”
Chloe nodded. “I can understand that, but it’s just not in my nature to fight.”
Kendall let it rest, realizing she wasn’t going to win this battle. Chloe was adamant that she was going to let the pack take care of her and there was nothing Kendall could do about it. She decided to change the subject.
“You’ve lived with the pack for a while?” Kendall asked.
“For about a year.”
“Had you ever been around packs before?”
Chloe laughed. “Not to my knowledge. I didn’t even know werewolves existed until I was about six months pregnant. I was seeing Ramsey at the time and he left a wolf to guard me while he went out of town. Michael managed to switch places with the wolf. Something bad happened that afternoon and Gabriel and Kiera told me the truth, that the men were werewolves, including Michael. I was so furious with them, and then shock set in and I passed out.”
“But I thought the baby was Michael’s?” Kendall asked with some confusion.
“He is. It’s a long story.”
Kendall was more than a little curious, but wasn’t going to press Chloe for details. If she wanted to share her story, she would. Marin was human, like Chloe, was her story as interesting? She wanted to learn more about her new family, wanted to get to know them better. It had been so long since she’d had a family of her own.
“What about you?” Chloe asked. “How long have you known about werewolves?”
“I heard about them growing up, but I didn’t realize they truly existed until Colin proved it to me. I was a little shocked myself,” she said with a smile. “But I’m glad he found me, that he saved me when he did. I have no doubt that I would’ve died if I’d been left out on that highway.”
Chloe reached over and took her hand. “I’m glad he found you, too. Not only because he’s waited a long time to find his mate, but because I think we’re going to be great friends.”
Kendall squeezed Chloe’s fingers and smiled. She hadn’t had a female friend in a while and looked forward to it. With any luck, she’d become friends with the other women in Colin’s family, as well. He seemed to be close to everyone and she wanted to share in that.
Chapter Seven
Colin looked down at the boxes of weapons. Since several men had opted to fight as wolves, he knew they had more than enough blades to go around. All they were lacking was the angel Adriel’s blessing. He looked at his brother and cousins, wondering if they were ready. There were no words to describe how it felt to be in the presence of an angel.
He fingered the medallion around his neck. The thought of calling Adriel was both exciting and a little scary. To have that kind of power, well, it was more than one man should shoulder. The fact that Adriel had found him worthy was humbling. He’d wanted to keep the angel bit to himself and not worry Kendall, but in the end, he’d spilled his guts to her before bed. Colin had told himself that maybe she wouldn’t be as worried, as scared, if she knew there would be Divine intervention. Really, he just hadn’t wanted to hold it all in. He didn’t like keeping things from her, unless it was going to keep her safe. And not telling her about the angels wasn’t going to affect her safety one way or another.
At that very moment, Kendall was inside the house with Ramsey’s mate, Harper. Colin had no clue what she was doing, but he’d be willing to bed she was peeking through the blinds, hoping to catch a glimpse of the angel, or angels if Adriel brought friends. He couldn’t really blame her, it was an awe-inspiring sight. Maybe if the entire pack met the angels, it would invigorate them, give them hope. The pack had felt nothing but despair lately, it was time for some good news. But it wasn’t his job to give them that token, that possibility that everything would be okay, it was up the alphas.
Fingering his medallion once more, he pressed it between his thumb and forefinger and whispered the name Adriel. A warm breeze drifted over him. He looked around and realized the others had felt it, too. The air began to shimmer and brighten, a brilliant white light shone a few feet away, and after a flair and a pulse of heat, the angel Adriel stood before them. Colin smiled, knowing that the extra pomp was for the benefit of his brother, cousins and Ramsey. They looked to be completely in awe of the angel, and Colin couldn’t really blame them, he still felt that way himself.
“Everyone, this is Adriel.”
Adriel smiled. “I already know who each of you are, along with your mates. I’ll call Jophiel and Remiel to bless your weapons.”
They watched as Adriel tipped his head back, closed his eyes and held his hands out, palms toward heaven. He looked beautiful, peaceful, and... well, angelic. After a few moments, the angel opened his eyes and nodded.
“It’s done,” he said.
“You mean the others are coming?” Ramsey asked.
“No,” said a voice behind Colin. “He means we’re here.”
Colin turned and took in the sight of a swarthy angel with dark hair and dark eyes and another with blond hair and green eyes. He wasn’t sure which angel was which, a
nd he didn’t really care. All that mattered was that they were here to help. He watched as they approached the two trunks of weapons the wolves had amassed, each moving to stand before one.
The angels opened their hands, palms down, closed their eyes and began to speak in an ancient language that was either no longer spoken on earth, or perhaps never had been. Their hands began to glow, the soft yellow light engulfing the weapons. It only lasted a few minutes, and when the angels were finished, the weapons seemed to have their own light, as if they glowed from within.
“We’ll return when you need us once more,” the darker angel said.
“Remember to call on me should you need my help,” said Adriel. “I’m only a call, or a prayer, away.”
The alphas still seemed a bit shell-shocked at having angels in their midst, so Colin stepped forward.
“Thank you for your help here tonight. You’ve given us the will to keep fighting, a reason to believe we can win. For that, we can never thank you enough.”
Adriel smiled. “We’ll be seeing you shortly.”
As quickly as they’d arrived, the angels disappeared.
Gabriel blinked a few times and looked around, as if coming out of a trance. He approached the trunks of weapons and picked up one of the knives. It seemed sharper than it had been before and it still had that unearthly glow.
Michael moved in behind him and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I just realized something.”
“What’s that?” Gabriel asked.
“We’re going to win.”
Connor smiled. “Hell yeah we’re gonna win!”
Cole frowned. “Just because we’re going to win doesn’t mean there won’t be complications, lives lost. Yes, we have a fighting chance now, something we didn’t have before, but we don’t need to get ahead of ourselves. We still need to train, to prepare.”
“I agree with Cole,” Ramsey said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “This all seems too easy. There’s no way this fight is going to be easy. You don’t get something for nothing, which means we need to be ready to lose something, or someone, that means something to us.”
“Please, reconsider letting your women fight. If you insist on your mates bringing your children into battle, put the babies in a harness or something, leaving your mate’s hands free.” Colin looked at Gabriel and Michael. “Do you really want to take a chance on losing everything that’s important in this world?”
Michael looked a little uncomfortable. “You know, Gabriel, he has a point. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to arm Chloe and Kiera and show them how to use a knife. We can still have them protected and hope it doesn’t come to that, but I’d feel better knowing Chloe had extra protection.”
Gabriel looked at his family and at Ramsey. “You all seem to be in agreement on this.”
“We only want what’s best for the pack, what’s best for our family,” Cole said. “Why take a chance with Kiera’s life, with your daughter’s life, if you don’t have to?”
“Fine. The women will train.” Gabriel shook his head. “My wife armed with a knife. As if her wacky magick isn’t bad enough. She couldn’t probably spell someone’s arms away just by thinking it, if it’s something she really wanted.”
“Yes, but think of all the times it hasn’t worked,” Cole said. “Better safe than sorry, right?”
Gabriel nodded.
“If we’re done here, I think Harper has some sweets inside.” Ramsey smiled. “Trust me, if you don’t want to leave before eating that woman’s apple pie. It melts in your mouth.”
Colin grinned. “Lead the way.”
They locked up the weapons and followed Ramsey inside, where an anxious Harper and Kendall were waiting.
* * *
When Kendall saw the men moving toward the house, she stepped away from the window, making sure the blinds were back in place. She didn’t want to get caught spying, not with both alphas present, but she hadn’t been able to help herself, knowing angels were coming had just been too much of a temptation. She glanced at Harper, who’d also been peeking through the blinds.
“What do you think the angels said?” Kendal asked.
Harper shook her head. “I don’t know, but something tells me we aren’t going to find out. The men didn’t want us out there with them so I doubt they’re going to be very forthcoming with information about what happened tonight.”
“True. Although, Colin did tell me about the angel when he met Adriel. Maybe he’ll be willing to share again.”
Harper sighed. “You’re lucky. Ramsey keeps in the dark to protect me. He doesn’t realize that I can handle what’s going on, that knowing is better than not knowing. But ever since I was kidnapped, he’s treated me like I’m fragile or something. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the pregnancy.”
“Does everyone have an interesting story?”
“What do you mean?” Harper asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Well, Chloe mentioned being pregnant with Michael’s baby while she was with Ramsey, who is now mated to you. And you just said you were kidnapped. I was nearly killed by demons. Do Aislinn, Kiera and Marin have interesting stories, too?”
“You know, I never really thought about it before, but you’re right. Something happened to each of us. I guess being part of the paranormal just draws its fair share of trouble.”
The women made their way into the kitchen where they had platters of cookies and a warm apple pie waiting for the men. Harper had spent the afternoon baking, it seemed. Kendall hoped Colin didn’t expect Martha Stuart for a mate, because cooking and baking really wasn’t her thing. She could get by, but she wasn’t a gourmet by any stretch of the imagination. She was more the spaghetti sauce in a jar type of cook, not the let’s-make-the-sauce-from-scratch kind. And baking? Yeah, her pies started out frozen and merely slid into the oven for an hour or had to sit out on the counter for a while to defrost.
The men came through the side door and piled into the kitchen, Colin coming straight to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck. Leaning into his touch, she sighed in contentment. She could just imagine what their lives would be like if they didn’t have demons breathing down their necks, and she looked forward to that future. No matter how bleak the future might seem at times, she had to hold out hope that she and Colin would pull through the fight just fine, spending the rest of their lives together.
“Would you like some pie or a cookie?” she asked him.
“A slice of pie sounds good. I’ve been told I’ll be missing out if I don’t try it.”
Kendall moved out of his embrace and cut him a generous slice of the apple pie. Handing it over along with a fork, she leaned her hip against the island and studied the men gathered around the kitchen. Each of them was stuffing their face with a cookie or a slice of pie, and if she hadn’t seen their meeting with the angels with her own eyes, didn’t know that demons were coming for them, she’d think it was just a normal day and just your average gathering.
Colin placed his empty plate in the sink and then laced his fingers with hers.
“Are you ready to go home?”
She nodded.
“Thanks for what you did tonight,” Gabriel said. “I really think we have a fighting chance now.”
Colin grinned. “Yeah, I think we do, too. But we don’t need to get cocky. Just because we have a chance doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed a victory.”
Connor punched him in the shoulder. “Lighten up, brother. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in months. Let us enjoy it a little.”
“I think Colin’s right.” Ramsey wrapped an arm around Harper and pulled her close. “We don’t have time to celebrate before the battle has been won. We should definitely keep training.”
“I say we gather as many of the pack as we can tomorrow afternoon and practice then,” Cole said.
The alphas looked at one another and nodded their agreement.
It seemed th
at their preparation for the battle would begin in earnest. They had weapons, they had numbers, and they had a brighter outlook. Nothing could stop them now, or so Kendall hoped. Having never really fought before, she was a little nervous about going to practice, but if it was going to save her life, she was all for it.
They made their goodbyes and headed for home. Once they were in Colin’s car and away from prying eyes, Kendall leaned across the stick shift to kiss her mate. She could never get enough of him, no matter how many times they were intimate, it never seemed to be enough. But the best part was what happened afterward, when he held her in his arms and cuddled her close. It always made her feel safe and loved, even if she knew love wasn’t a part of it, it was way too soon for something like that. Yes, she had feelings for him, it was hard not to. Was some of that because he’d saved her? Possibly. Did it really matter, though?
As Colin put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway, Kendall leaned her head back and stared out of the window. She was still learning her way around Ashton Grove and tried to absorb every little detail whenever she left the house. If she had to run for her life, she wanted to know how to get home, or how to get to another wolf’s house. Colin seemed to sense what she was doing because he tried to leave her in peace whenever they were driving, and he never asked why she stared out of the window so intently.
It didn’t take long to reach Colin’s house. No, their house. It was going to take some time to get used to that, to adjust to being mated to someone. All right, so they hadn’t been through the ceremony yet, but that didn’t change the fact that she belonged with him, just as he belonged with her. They were two halves of a whole, one complimenting the other. She had to admit she’d been rather impressed with him so far. When she’d found out they were mates, she’d thought for sure he’d turn all possessive on her, but he kept in reigned in as much as possible. Yes, he was a tad possessive, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. In all honesty, she found it a little sweet and flattering.
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