by Debra Dunbar
“You were spoiled,” she teased. “Fae adore children. Any young are a blessing, whether it is a fae, human, or an animal baby. We would have spoiled you, too.”
He laughed. “Yes, I was spoiled. Our pack was in a big city as part of the existence contract that the angels put in place. We needed permission to move, permission to hold our hunts, permission to pretty much do anything. We were forbidden from marrying or having children with humans, so we tended to keep to ourselves.”
A frown creased her forehead. “The angels did this? Because you are descended from Nephilim, and they hoped eventually you’d die out?”
Dustin winced. “I’m sure some thought that. Mostly the angels were undecided whether we were of Nephilim or not, and until they made a determination, we were held under these strict rules.”
“But you obviously have angel in you. I can see it clear as the stars in the nighttime sky. How could the angels have been so blind?”
“Back then most angels never left Aaru. And now I think the ones who were here were covering for us. Because if we were found to be descendants of Nephilim, we would have been slaughtered. Wiped out. Genocide. Living under draconian rules was better than that.”
Her eyes were huge. “What happened? You said this was the past?”
He nodded. “The very recent past. The secret got out among the general population of Aaru, and there was a push to exterminate us, but the Iblis, the Angel of Chaos who rules Hel and the Fallen, claimed us as hers. I’m told she stood naked on top of a conference table with her sword in hand at a Ruling Council meeting and proclaimed that the offspring of sinful angels were under her purview, and that the other angels couldn’t touch us without going through her first.”
Gwylla put her hands together, her face a study of rapt attention. “I would like to meet this Iblis angel. Go on, though.”
“There was a vote, and some fighting, but the Iblis has powerful friends, and she prevailed. There are still some angels who want us dead, who watch us carefully and report on any wrongdoings, but I’ve been told they have other priorities. And now we are free to move from pack to pack, congregate and hold hunts, and marry who we choose. The Alpha down in Juneau just mated with a human woman. As long as we don’t go around slaughtering humans, the angels seem pretty much content to leave us alone.”
“So you are newly arrived to this part of the world from Pennsylvania? Since these strict rules were lifted?”
He shot her a sly smile. “No, I’ve been here for the last seven years. My mother passed away ten years ago, and my father didn’t live long after her death. The Alaska packs have always enjoyed freedom from the rules and angelic interference that the others haven’t. We’re sort of under-the-radar. So I snuck up here, and I joined the Swift River Pack. I like the way Jake runs things. There’s a lot of structure, and a sense of community. We all live together in a compound, work for the good of the pack. I was an only child in a small Pittsburgh pack. This is like finally getting the big huge family I’d always wished I’d had.”
She rested her chin in her hand. “And you fly a plane for your pack. Are your customers primarily wolf-people?”
“Up until recently I mainly flew tourists. The pack owns three outdoor adventure companies. I pick the customers up wherever they’re staying, then fly them to wherever they’re beginning their hike, or climb, or fishing expedition, or paddling trip. They meet the guides there, or sometimes I’ll fly the guides, too. Then I go pick them up in a week or so when they’re done. I’ll have pontoons on the plane during the summer for lake landings, and in the winter I’ll equip it to land on the snow and ice.”
“But lately?”
He sighed, remembering the day his workload had doubled. “It’s not safe for shifters now, not with these hunters. I get them where they need to go quickly, and I can be trusted. A human charter…”
“Might be a trap,” she finished softly.
Dustin waved a hand. “But hopefully someday that won’t be a worry. How about you? What was your life like in Aerie?”
“One endless party.” She smiled at his laugh. “I’m not joking. Small feasts, large feasts. Dances. Celebrations. There’s a lot of inebriation, a lot of sex, and a whole lot of intrigue. The non-stop merrymaking actually covers up all the attempts to garner favor from the queens, their consorts, or other powerful fae and the ugly politics in our society. Then once a year we have The Hunt.”
Dustin’s blood quickened and he glanced once more at the doe. “We hunt as well. It’s a time when we get to really be wolves, to truly bond as a pack. Hunting together is one of my favorite activities.”
She shivered, a tremor running down her body. “We don’t discuss The Hunt with those who are not fae, but I’m sure your event is not the same as ours.”
Ah, a topic that was off limits. He had an idea of what their hunt might entail from her comment about political intrigue. And if he was right, then she was justified in not wanting an outsider to know the sordid details.
“And what about when you went to Hel? Was that an endless party as well?”
She scooted down in the moss, resting her head back to look up at the sky. “The elves certainly enjoy entertaining, but on a lesser scale. And with their high lords and fractured kingdoms, they have their political interplay as well. It was somewhat relaxing to be there. As an outsider, I wasn’t thrown into the middle of all the intrigue as I’d been in Aerie, although I was expected to attend every function that I was invited to.”
“I’ll bet you were invited to a lot of things.”
“I was. These elves are the descendants of those who first made the decision to cross into Hel, and they have never had a chance to experience what it’s like in Aerie, or know the power that the fae wield when together except through legend. I understand why they chose to live in Hel. It’s bad enough in Hel to live next to powerful demons, but to be in Aerie with the sidhe ruling over them, being equals with fairies, pixies, and brownies would have been a blow to their egos.”
It was the big-fish, little-pond thing again. Only where he was used to having bigger fish living under the thumb of the angels until recently, the elves weren’t. He’d been told they lived an autonomous existence in Hel, side-by-side with their powerful demon neighbors, but not subject to their rules and laws.
But there was one bit of information about Gwylla that she hadn’t mentioned—one that he really wanted to know.
“How did you meet Talligie?”
Her lips turned down and she shifted her head, deliberately not looking at him. “He is the son of a high lord in a Kingdom called Wythyn. He was next in line to rule. After his father died unexpectedly, he was briefly high lord. When the kingdoms were combined and then a united elven alliance was created, he was still highly placed and powerful.”
“Okay. Elven prince. Brilliant. Powerful. Quite the catch. How did you two end up…together?” The word stuck in his throat, and he wanted nothing more than to punch this elf in the face.
“We met at a spring equinox celebration while his father was still alive. He was very obvious in his admiration. After that he was at every function I attended, sending gifts to me and expressing great interest in my becoming his consort.”
Dustin frowned. “How would that have worked? I mean, I assume with your diplomatic assignment that you’d be called back to Aerie eventually. From what you’ve told me, he doesn’t seem the sort of guy who would abdicate the throne to go live with you in Aerie.”
She shifted on the grass. “I would have remained in Hel as his consort, the Lady of the kingdom of Wythyn. The queens would have allowed me to stay and not return to Aerie.”
There was something off about what she’d said. It wasn’t quite a lie, but he got the feeling it wasn’t the complete truth either. Did she love this elf so much she would have forsaken her homeland, all of her friends and family, possibly angering these queens and never being able to return to Aerie again? Dustin thought of his connections to the pack and
couldn’t imagine loving to the degree that he would turn his back on them forever. Although his pack would never have issued an ultimatum. No matter who he eventually chose as his mate, he was certain they would find some way to welcome her into the pack.
“So you were to be wed, but he betrayed you?”
She nodded. “There seemed nothing untoward about his affections. He seemed sincere. Our relationship was very public and open. There was a clear alliance between us, one that the other elves recognized and accepted.”
“Marriage?” He choked the word out, wondering if he’d need to kill this Talligie himself.
“Fae do not marry in the same way as humans do. We have consorts, which is generally a romantic and political alliance that lasts more than a few centuries. There are casual, short-lived entanglements. There are consort relationships that are public, extend beyond the bedroom, are longer lasting, and also result in social and political alliances. We also have…pets. I’m not sure that’s the right word. We sometimes have romantic relationships where there is an imbalance of power. These are loving and respectful relationships, but they can be a bit one-sided because of the inequality between the pair, like between a high lord and someone of the elven worker class. I know it sounds odd, but those are generally relationships that last until one partner dies.”
Pets. It was a horrible word for what seemed similar to what European royalty had done hundreds of years ago. A spouse of equal social level for political alliance and children, and a low-born lover that held your heart.
She might say she had loved this elf, but surely that love was enhanced by the advantages such an alignment would give the both of them. She was a diplomat from Aerie, which probably was fairly high in their social ranks. Through her ex-boyfriend, she would have been the equivalent of a queen, with a husband who ruled over an elven kingdom. In some people’s eyes, that might be worth giving up your homeland, and for all he knew she had no family or few friends there to miss.
Of course, this all meant the only position open to Dustin would be the second one. A pet. Or a casual fling, a one-night stand. Although that was definitely putting the cart before the horse given they’d kissed once. Slow it down, Dustin. Don’t let those fantasies get in the way of reality.
Still, a powerful sidhe and a werewolf of far lesser power. If there ever was more than a goodnight kiss between them, he knew where it wouldn’t be going. There would be no “consort” for him. There would only be casual sex, or a future as a “pet”.
Well, screw that. He’d just keep his dick in his pants. Or in his towel as the case may be.
“So, this ex-boyfriend of yours, I’m assuming he’s over near Anchorage or thereabouts? Do you think he could sense you if you left the sanctuary for a short period of time?”
She sighed and turned toward him, her expression sad. “He knows I have hidden myself to recover my strength, and he probably spent the first month searching for me, but from what you’ve said, I believe he’s turned his attention to these hunters and ways to bring death to you and the angels. He will be patient and wait for me to come out of hiding, but I doubt he will find me quickly. I feel fairly certain I could walk among you for a few weeks outside my sanctuary before he noticed my presence here once more.”
“Good.” Dustin nodded. “I want to leave tomorrow to try to get the satellite phone. I’d appreciate it if you escort me to the border of your sanctuary at the very least. If you feel comfortable, I’d welcome the back-up until I get the phone and can call my pack.”
“I will protect you and ensure you are not harmed while retrieving your phone,” she vowed.
He couldn’t help but flinch at her words. She’d protect him. Because as a werewolf, he needed protecting. A pet. He’d be no more than just a pet.
“The next thing I need to ask is about weaponry. Obviously you don’t have any guns. Bow and arrows? An axe? Knives?”
She held up her hands. “These are my weapons. If attacked, I use my magic.”
“I mean for me,” he told her.
“I don’t have metal. Perhaps you can sharpen a stick on a rock?”
Right. Because caveman weaponry would be sooo effective against men with rifles and bullets that killed werewolves. He was going to have to rely on the things he did have, which were claws and teeth, speed and strength. And for that, he’d need to shift into his wolf form. He wouldn’t be able to communicate with her like that, or have opposable thumbs to pick anything up, but at least he’d be able to defend himself, and possibly her, from attack. At least in his wolf form, he would be more than just a pet.
Chapter 10
The next day Dustin knew he was ready to leave. Outside of a few aches, he was fully recovered, although the lack of meat in his diet was driving him crazy, as was the caffeine withdrawal. He’d give anything for a big mug of coffee right now. Anything.
And it was becoming difficult to resist the urge to stay. This place was seductive. It wasn’t just Gwylla’s beauty and companionship, it was the sanctuary itself. The world pulled him in, swaddled him in soft blankets, promised the kind of peace and joy that was found by drinking of the river Lethe. As tempting as it was, the whole thing grated something in the back of his mind, made his wolf restless. He feared if he didn’t get out of here soon, he’d never be able to leave.
And then he would be a pet. Or solidly in the friend-zone. Neither option appealed to him in the least.
Of course, there were two problems with his plans to leave. One, he suspected that without Gwylla’s help, he’d spend the rest of his life wandering around in circles in a magical forest. And two, he had no clothes.
He wasn’t a tall wolf, but Gwylla was a good four inches shorter than he was. Worse, he couldn’t even force a pair of her pants over his hips, let alone manage to button them. And the one T-shirt he struggled into was so uncomfortably tight he felt he could hardly take a breath.
The sidhe found the whole thing hysterically funny. He would have found it funny too had he not been stir-crazy from an eight-day confinement and eager to let his pack know he was still alive.
“Can’t you make clothes?” He was being rather snappish, but she’d not seemed to notice. “Ahia can make clothes, although I’ve never seen her make them for someone else. Can’t you?”
“You mean magic clothing into existence?” She snapped her fingers. “Like that? No, I cannot do that. I cannot even manage to shape clothing with needle and thread, let alone through my magic. That is why all my human clothing came from that delightful place called Old Navy.”
“You could have just said no,” he grumbled. “I’m going to have to shift and go as a wolf.”
“You said you were going to do that anyway,” she pointed out. “Because you are faster on four legs and can evade the hunters if they try to shoot you.”
“Yes, but I’ll need to grab the satellite phone with my mouth and hope I don’t accidently crush it while dodging bullets.” And if he needed to get into his plane, he was hosed. Plus, there was the fact that eventually he’d need to shift back into his human form. He’d at least need to do so to operate and speak over the satellite phone. Which meant he’d be standing vulnerable and naked out where he’d been shot last time. There weren’t many other alternatives, though.
If he returned here, which he was hoping wasn’t necessary, he didn’t want to have to choose between nudity and a towel loincloth. If Jake sent a chopper to pick him up, he’d either need to shift back and wait in wolf form, or stand naked, flagging down a helicopter. And if Jake couldn’t send transport, he’d need to hike naked to the nearest town, then ask some human, who hopefully wouldn’t shoot him, to give a nude man without money a ride to the pack compound.
Yeah. No.
“I’m going with you. I’ll have hands to carry things, although if the phone is metal, I’ll need to wrap my hands to pick it up. And I’ll need a bag to carry it in.”
She was that sensitive to metal? For some reason he’d thought anything but pur
e iron would be okay. He looked over at her, realizing she was going to be potentially dodging bullets herself, and risking burns from what he’d always considered everyday objects.
“Actually, I’ve changed my mind. You stay inside your sanctuary. The plane can’t be far. I’ll be out and back in a few hours at the most. And if I need to, I’ll shift into my human form to get into the plane.”
No he wouldn’t. It took him twenty minutes to shift, and three shifts in as many hours would have him facedown in the snow with exhaustion, even if he wasn’t still recovering from the gunshot wounds. Dustin fingered the blanket wrapped around his hips and wondered if he could carry it and throw it on as a loincloth/toga thing that wouldn’t excessively hinder his mobility.
Gwylla folded her arms across her chest. “I’m going with you. Two of us will be more aware and alert to any possible attack by these hunters. And if you need to, I will help you open the airplane doors and carry anything.” She turned around and grabbed a strip of cloth, making a show of wrapping it around her fingers and palm, as if she were prepping to dress as a mummy for Halloween.
If there was one thing Dustin had learned in the last few days, it was how pointless it was to argue with her when she had that stubborn look on her face. “Okay,” he sighed. “I’m going to begin to shift into my wolf form. It’s not pretty. You might not want to watch this.”
She tilted her head, shooting him a quizzical glance before turning her back. “I do not have a queasy nature about such things, but if you are shy, or do not want me to watch, I will honor your wishes.”
Dustin began the painful process of changing into his wolf form. And as the muscle and bone twisted and contorted, he could have sworn he heard her grumble: “It’s not like I haven’t seen all your naked body parts already. There is no longer any need for modesty between us.”
Yes, there was. It was one thing for her to see him bleeding and close to death, for her to see him with an erection. This was something he’d always kept from anyone outside his pack. When he shifted, he was vulnerable, he was in pain, he was weak. He felt weak enough in her presence without having her witness him at his weakest.
