Before she could fully grasp what it meant she heard Evan’s voice break across the clearing, he let loose a loud snarling growl. He and the hunter struggled for the hunter’s gun. Evan brought his knee up hard into the hunter’s stomach and pushed the butt end of the gun solidly into the man’s jaw. The hunter went down but took Evan with him. Evan rolled them both and landed astride the man’s chest. Tossing away the weapon, Evan hit the hunter’s face again and again. She’d never felt such pure, raw force from her mate as she did now. This was not Evan the gentle mage at work, this was Evan the wolf. She became aware of others starting to move into the clearing.
Evan lifted his arm to strike the hunter again when Kira saw the man pull out a smaller weapon. Evan grabbed for the gun and they struggled for it. The instant the gun went off Kira knew who had been hit.
Circle of Wolves
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Alpha Wolf
Kira ran to her mate. He sat on the stomach of the hunter below him, both of their hands still wrapped around the weapon between them. “Evan?” Kira put her hand on his shoulder. “Evan?”
Evan let go of the gun. His hands were shaking as he pushed himself to a standing position and stepped away from the body on the ground. Kira moved closer and wrapped her arms around him and Evan buried his face in her hair. “You had no choice,” she whispered softly against his neck. “They were trying to kill us all. You had no choice.”
“I know,” Evan replied, holding her tight. “I’m okay, Kira. I’m fine.” He pushed her away a little and lifted her chin with his hand. His face was stern and weary but there was no guilt or shame in his eyes or in the bond between them. “You’re right, I had no choice and Kira…” he paused and drew in a deep breath, “I’m not sorry I killed him. “These final four mages were sacrificial lions—not lambs,” he said as he gestured over his shoulder, “But we don’t have time for this, they need us.”
He turned her and stepped from her side to crouch beside the body of one of the curse wolves. He felt for a pulse then closed the young man’s eyes. Kira watched him stand up and look around. His hand rubbed his neck roughly and he called out to the men nearby. “I need two groups over here. One to find the wounded and get them into the school. We’ll need a second group to help families start finding anyone who didn’t…anyone who died.” He turned to one of the older curse wolves. “Antonio, can we use your house as a temporary morgue? It’s the largest one here.” The man nodded and Kira watched as those who remained on their feet split into two groups at his command.
Katerina stood over her grandfather’s body, her father now holding her tightly as William handed Johannes off to his mother. Kira joined her mate as he walked to stand with them. Alexi looked up at his sister. His dirty face was tear-streaked. “Nico,” he shook his head. “He was trying to get the last of the young maids out of the rubble when a beam fell on him. It killed him almost instantly. Mother refused to leave his body. Pavel said she ran back for him as soon as she had Johannes safe. The ceiling collapsed on her.” Alexi tightened his hold on his daughter and drew comfort for his loses in her embrace.
“Kira,” Sonya clung to the small soot-faced boy, “that means…”
“Evan,” one of the men from the group called out. “A couple of the wounded are pretty bad. We need a doctor.”
Evan turned to Kira. She read his thoughts instantly and nodded. “William, go fetch the doctor. If he balks, tell him if he’s not out here in two tail shakes, I’ll come in after him and I’ll come as a Wolf.”
“And she won’t be alone. There will be a bunch of pissed-off pup-eaters right behind her if he doesn’t get his ass out here,” Evan scowled.
The blond man smiled sadly and turned back toward the gate at a run.
“He’ll come. He has no choice now,” Sonya said softly. “It will be as you and Kira command it.”
Kira stiffened and waited for Evan’s reaction. He moved on as if he didn’t hear Sonya. He moved away from them and approached two men trying to lift a wounded woman. “Use this.” He twisted his hand and two limbs fell from the nearby tree. A dark green vine started to wrap around them forming a lattice of sturdy plant matter that would hold the woman’s weight.
The men approached it gingerly as if it would bite. “Nothing I do or make will hurt any wolf,” Evan assured them before he moved on. Stopping he turned back. “Kira, the children. We’ll have to find a place for the children to be moved.” He scanned the area and his face seemed tired. “A safe place.”
“The school,” Kira answered, she shook herself and walked briskly to his side. “I’ll go help some of Elena’s people move them inside the gate to our school.”
“And the blood Wolves?” Evan frowned.
“It is as Sonya said. It is now as we command it, Evan. You and I.” She watched his face. “I know you did not want this. I did not want it either but Evan…”
“I know.” He put his arms around her. “I made my choice, Kira and the strange thing is I don’t regret it. When it came down to it, the family who stood beside me was my wolf family. Those people who attacked tonight. I knew them Kira, each and every one of them. The hunters too. I knew Terrance Reilley. I knew the man whose life I ended. I knew his daughter, Samantha.
“The dragon who attacked the house tonight, it was Marcus’. He was here fighting with Carsten. A man I thought was my brother, not just as all mages are brothers but deeper. We grew up together. He shouldn’t have been able to manifest the dragon. That means someone taught him how. The dragon was spelled to help prevent injury from water, a water mage had to have done that. It means the two men I counted as my brothers kept this from me. My master kept that he had taught them this from me. I can think of only one reason, Kira. They were taught it because of me. Because they thought me a danger. There is no other reason it would have been hidden from me.”
Kira felt Evan’s pain dull and throbbing in her chest. She laid her hand on his arm. He took her small measure of comfort and then turned away to help the others.
It took them less time than Evan had imagined settling the wounded and the children. There were only five dead by the end of it. Five dead and seven more wounded. And Evan could trace each of the five dead to the gun of the man he’d killed. He’d been the only one firing the hated silver nitrate bullets. They had recently been banned for use against werewolves and were supposed to be reserved for feral Weres. None of the hunters should have been armed with them for a raid on “diseased humans”.
Evan sat on the steps of the porch of the school. Around him on the ground were dozens of curse wolves and several blood Wolves. Alexi sat on the bottom step below him holding tight to a sleeping Johannes. He’d almost lost his son tonight and such a thing could have destroyed the powerful man.
“Evan,” a shaky voice called to him from the trees. Evan turned his head and saw the figure of a woman standing there. Sasha.
In all the excitement and the horror of cleanup he’d forgotten about her. “Sasha, are you all right?” Evan hopped up and hurried to her. She stepped back hesitantly. Closer he could see her face was tired and that it was streaked with what looked like ash. Then he remembered. Nitu. He looked into Sasha’s eyes and thought he saw her fear. “Sasha, are you hurt? Are you all right?” He reached for her and tugged her to him, hugging the older woman gently to his chest. She relaxed against him and her body shook with soft sobs. He turned his head and caught Alexi’s eye. He jerked his chin in the direction of the school and Alexi rose up, still hugging his son and headed inside. Kira made little sound as she rushed out a second later.
“Is she hurt?” Her voice was strained as she tried to hide her fear.
“No.” Evan stroked Sasha’s head. “Just a bit overwhelmed.”
The woman in his arms shook her head. “No, that’s not it.” She pulled back from her niece’s mate and looked into their faces. “Happy,” she gulped, “I shouldn’t be, I’ve no right to be happy but I am.” Her tears fell again and Kira moved to her, wra
pping her in her arms. “How terrible am I?”
Kira shh’ed her. “You are not terrible,” she assured her aunt though she could see nothing for any of them to be happy about.
A soft glow appeared next to them in the woods. Nitu smiled at Evan and again he remembered the dragon who had chased off Marcus’. “You’ve bonded?” Evan asked the question out of politeness, though he already knew the answer.
“We have.” The undine’s smile grew larger as she continued, “When the fire dragon attacked there was only one answer. The young one is not strong enough yet. There is no rapport between Mizu and your mate, though he did say she was quite interesting. Only this one was strong enough to do what had to be done. She will be quite a force when we are done with her, Evan. But for now she is afraid her family will not understand. She is afraid they will think she is happy at the death and destruction. But we are happy, she and I. I’d not bonded since Cassandra because I couldn’t bear to watch another young one fall too soon. But I’ve found another spirit like mine. Older and comfortable. We can do good things together. Besides, I have missed Aegia’s endearing ways and I’m certain with her bonding to the girl we will have much time together.” The wicked silvery blue eyes searched Evan’s face. “You will stay and teach them, won’t you?”
“Yes, Evan Forester,” a crackling voice behind him repeated the question. “You will stay, won’t you?” Evan turned and looked into Elena’s eyes. The curse wolves and blood Wolves who had been resting on the grass and most of those who had been helping the wounded now stood a respectful distance away, waiting for him to answer.
Evan nodded. “Yes, I will stay. My place is here with my mate. And her place is here as your Alpha.”
Elena lifted the hand that held her walking stick high in the air. Her voice rang out stronger than Evan expected. “For our new Alpha pair,” she called and was answered immediately by the bending of every knee that Evan could see. A low howl started in the back of the group and rumbled forward. It grew louder and Evan was stunned when the howls spread to the buildings inside the gate. The Wolves behind the wall must have been waiting for this. Every wolf, curse and blood, raised its voice to acknowledge the new Alphas. The cry lasted longer than a human breath could sustain. When it died out, Elena cried out for a second time. “For Sasha Gregoravitch, who saved our children.”
This time Evan tipped back his own head and joined the howling. Life was going to be very different. For everyone.
* * * * *
Seven days later…
Evan frowned as he picked his way past the trees. Kira’s note had him moving away from the main village, across the river and into a thick grove. There was barely a path, almost as if someone deliberately didn’t want there to be one. Evan drew in a breath and continued to follow Kira’s scent as he hurried his step. The trees opened abruptly on a clearing. In the center of it sat a small wooden cabin. He doubted it was more than a single room. Outside the door stood the tall man with golden blond hair. Zev. The blood Wolf’s scent was all around the place. So this was where the enigmatic Zev lived. No, lived wasn’t right. Slept. Somehow Evan doubted Zev did more than eat and sleep inside this place.
He opened his mouth to speak but Zev cut him off. “Go on in. Wouldn’t do this for anyone but Miss Kira. I don’t like it and I’ll probably never get the damned smell out but what the hell.” The Wolf walked off into the woods toward the village. Evan took a deep breath. Kira was inside but another scent was so strong it was almost overpowering. The scent of burning sage.
Cautiously Evan drew closer and pushed open the door. He stood in the doorway, his jaw hanging open at the sight that met him. The large open room seemed to have been cleared of furniture. Though as Evan had never seen Zev’s cabin it was admittedly possible the Wolf didn’t have any furniture except the rolled-up rugs that lay against one wall. But it was what had replaced whatever the regular contents were that had him stunned. A protective circle had been drawn on the floor. He could smell the mingled scents for each of the four elements burning softly in the bowls that stood to mark the places for each of the four directions.
“Are you coming in or are you going to stand there all day gaping?” a snide voice inquired. Leaning leisurely against the wall that held the cook stove was Julien Amiens. No robes now, the fire mage was dressed in black from his shined boots to his black silk shirt.
“Evan,” Kira’s voice came from the shadows of the room. She stepped forward. “He’s come to help, if you want him to.”
“Help with what?” he managed. He felt the tug at his hand as he heard Julien huff impatiently. Keita stood beside him.
“It is a rule of the earth. We use all things in all forms. All living things give back to the earth in birth, in life and in death.” She held out her small hand and in the palm was a tiny vial of red liquid. “It is an abomination to the earth to refuse to take that which is good from that which is painful but inevitable. You had no choice but to kill the hunter. Now we turn his death into a blessing for us all. You become like Mistress Kira. And don’t worry, Master, we will all stay with you. We could not leave you.” Keita took his hand and folded his fingers around the vial. “Master Julien has seen the spell. He understands the blood magics better than we. He will help you.”
Evan looked at the fire mage. “Why would you help me?”
Julien looked at him for a long moment before he answered and the words he spoke were not the words Evan heard. Julien said, “Because I had nothing better to do than drag my ass out here to the wilds of nowhere, mud-rat.”
Evan heard the truth behind them. It had to do with Cassie. She’d loved this dark and twisted man. Even now, Evan couldn’t understand why. But it was for her and because of her love for Evan that Julien helped him now. There was no question that because of Cassie, Julien was offering him everything the fire mage had lost with her death. He heard Cassie’s last words in his head. Take care of each other. They never had lived up to that promise.
Julien held his gaze and then nodded. “So we do this then? Because if I’ve come all this way for no damned reason it’s going to seriously piss me off.”
Evan turned to look at Kira. Her blue eyes held his. “It is your choice. I will love you no matter what you decide. I mated to a curse wolf and I will die at his side whether that is in sixty years or six hundred.”
Evan smiled. “I’d rather have as much time with you as I can get, my love.” He turned back to the fire mage. “All right, let’s do this.”
About the Author
Jacquéline Roth is by passion and profession a teacher of writing, reading and literature to middle school students. A writer since childhood, she has had essays appear in niche publications and spent time as a freelance writer doing book reviews and author interviews. Fantasy is a weakness she embraces and she confesses to a fascination with Were-creatures, Arthurian legend, Greek/Roman/Celtic mythos, and Gothic literature. Roth currently resides in Atlanta, GA, where she finds the human component of her family seriously outnumbered by canine and avian members.
Jacquéline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.cerridwenpress.com.
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