Fairy Tales (Queer Magick Book 2)

by L. C. Davis

  He laughed. “I do, so yeah. Not at the ceremony, but…”

  “Ceremony?”

  “Er, yeah. There’s kind of a process for officially taking a mate and last night I sort of jumped steps two through ten. We’re not supposed to mark a mate until they’ve been formally introduced to the pack and approved by the Alpha.”

  “Alpha as in your uncle?”

  “Mhm.”

  “Percentage-wise, what’s the chance he’s not going to kill me the next time I see him?”

  Nick snorted. “Zero. I hate to tell you this, but you’re uh, kind of my wife now.”

  “Wife?” I grimaced. “Werewolves don’t do ‘accidental life partners?’”

  “You can call it whatever you want, but you’re mine and under pack law, I have permission to kill anyone who touches you.”

  I blinked. “That’s kind of intense.”

  “Welcome to my world.” He leaned in to kiss me and my apprehension gave way to the same infatuation that had overwhelmed me the night before. In the time that had elapsed since then, I’d been sure Nick would pull away from me like he always did, maybe even further than usual. I sure as hell hadn’t expected this, but while I didn’t fully understand what was happening, I couldn’t bring myself to hate it. “Are you sure you’re not tired?” he asked, frowning as he looked me over again. “You don’t feel sick or anything?”

  “No. I’m a doctor, remember?”

  “An animal doctor.”

  I scowled. “You of all people don’t get to make that distinction.”

  He rolled his eyes. “In that case, get dressed.”

  “Why?” I asked, already gathering my clothes off the floor.

  “Right about now, Brent is telling everyone in my family what happened. I’d rather us go to them than have them show up here.”

  “Right.” I dressed quickly, pausing when I realized he was watching me. If there was any lingering doubt that the lust I’d seen in his gaze was real, it was gone when I saw the way he was staring at me. “Enjoying the show?” I taunted, pulling my shirt on over my head.

  Nick looked away and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. It was a change for him to be the flustered one, but I decided I could get used to it. “I’m ready,” I announced, opening the door. “Let’s go come out to your family.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he said dryly.

  We walked mostly in silence to the Whitaker estate and every now and then, someone would call a word of greeting from across the street. It was a nice day. Clear, cool. Usually, I spent the best part of the day under the fluorescent lighting of the clinic, and I told myself that was why I was in such a good mood, even if I knew the truth. I hated that my outlook on the world hinged so entirely on my love life, or lack thereof. That was something I’d have to work on now that I had reason to want to be less of a pathetic mess.

  When we made it to the house, Cam and Allen were outside. The omega stood up and grinned mischievously at us. I found myself hoping that being officially indoctrinated into the Whitaker clan didn’t mean I was going to be the new omega, but that sounded like a distinctly lupine role. When Cam started making kissing sounds, I could see why the omega got beaten up in actual wolf packs.

  Nick pushed him off the ledge and into the bushes. “He’s fine,” Allen said when I stopped to look back. Cam scrambled after us into the house, snickering.

  “Something funny?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow. Werewolf or not, I was still pretty damn sure I was stronger than him.

  Cam shrank away with a sheepish grin. “Nothing. Just, you know.”

  “What?”

  “You’re not exactly who any of us thought Nick would mark.” He hesitated. “Well, maybe Aunt Tiff...but she doesn’t know about that shit anyway.”

  Nick shot him a warning glare and Cam slinked off behind me for protection. “When I’m Alpha, you’re not allowed inside the house.”

  “Aw, that’s not fair,” Cam whined. “You’re joking, right?”

  Nick and Allen both ignored him, coming to a stop at the end of the upstairs hallway. Nick took a deep breath and opened the door, waiting for us to go inside first. Brent and Allen were already there with Lucas, which made me wonder who was keeping the mean streets of Stillwater clean. “Daniel,” Lucas said, nodding coolly to me. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  I hesitated. Sitting across from the mayor was uncomfortable enough without being the only other person in the room who wasn’t standing. “That’s okay.”

  “I insist.”

  I glanced Nick’s way and he nodded, his eyes pleading. I sighed, settling into the high-backed chair.

  “How are you feeling?” Lucas asked, his voice unusually warm. I wasn’t sure whether the cold shoulder he usually gave me at town events had thawed out because I was grudgingly keeping his secret or because werewolves were as weird about mates as they were about everything else.

  “I’m...fine.”

  The older wolf smiled knowingly. “This must be strange for you, but I assure you, it’s equally so for all of us. We’re not used to a human remembering the mark after it’s been placed.”

  “You’re not?” I frowned.

  “Normally, a wolf would only mark the mate he imprinted on,” he explained. “Since you and Nick don’t share a psychic link…”

  “Right.” The reminder was enough to sour my mood. “Don’t the others think it’s weird to have a scar they can’t explain?”

  Lucas cleared his throat. “Usually it’s not in such a...prominent location. Speaking of which, may I see it?”

  I hesitated a second before pulling my collar to show him the mark. He leaned forward, peering over his glasses. “Well, there’s no doubt about that, is there?”

  “It’s just a bite, isn’t it?” I asked warily.

  “It’s more than that,” Allen snorted. “It’s a bond, kind of like imprinting, only instead of it happening to you, it’s something you choose. For us, at least.”

  “It’s a good thing,” said Lucas. “Unconventional though these circumstances may be, if the bond that exists between you already was strong enough to forge a mark, I have high hopes. If you boys would excuse us, I’d like a moment to speak to Daniel alone.”

  “That’s it?” Nick asked.

  “You have my approval, if that’s what you mean,” Lucas said as the others filtered out of the room. “Not that you asked for it.”

  Nick sighed. “Like I said, it wasn’t planned.”

  “We can discuss it later. After I’ve had the chance to talk with Daniel on his own.”

  “Alone?”

  “I know you’ve just been flooded with mating hormones, but I assure you, he’ll be perfectly fine without you for five minutes,” the Alpha said dryly.

  Nick scowled. I could tell a fight was about to break out and as much as I liked the idea of being Nick’s mate, I wasn’t into being damseled. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

  He hesitated before finally going to the door. “I’ll be down the hall,” he said, shooting a warning look at Lucas before he pulled the door shut.

  “This is weird.”

  “You’d better get used to it, because it’s not going to change anytime soon,” Lucas said with a chuckle. “That’s life as a werewolf’s mate. Haven’t you ever heard that you should be careful what you wish for?”

  “Enough times for one lifetime,” I admitted. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I just wanted to express my gratitude for your discretion in the matter we last discussed,” he said diplomatically.

  “In other words, you want to make sure I’m still planning on keeping your dirty little secret now that Nick and I are friends with benefits.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short, Daniel. We take our mates far more seriously than that,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But yes, I’m hoping you still understand the delicacy of the situation.”

  “I underst
and,” I muttered. “And nothing has changed. I’m still not keeping your secret for you, I’m doing it for him. Because I know he wouldn’t want to know and because nothing good can come of it. Not for him.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Why don’t you seem half as freaked out by this marking shit as the others are?”

  “Truth be told, I was hoping it would happen.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “As Allen mentioned, imprinting and marking are two halves of the same coin. The bond is equally powerful on both ends, and while they’re usually linked to the same person, in this case, I’m hoping that having marked you will help Nick through losing the mate he imprinted on.”

  I frowned. “You think it could keep him from going feral?”

  “I do. I would have suggested it myself, but I thought it best to wait and see if nature took its course.”

  “You planned this?”

  He chuckled. “Hardly. I don’t have that much control over my pack, nor would I want to. However, the circumstances being what they are, the two of you being as close as you’ve become these last few months, there was a damn good chance it would happen on its own. I’m glad it did.”

  “So, you’re not mad that Nick marked me without your permission?”

  “Nick has always done things his own way. I never expected things to be any different with his mate.”

  “What now? What’s this ceremony he’s talking about?”

  Lucas smiled. “Not everything in our world is so different from yours.”

  I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. “You’re serious. Is it like... marriage?”

  “I suppose you could say that. Or you could simply call it marriage,” he said dryly. “If you haven’t noticed, the family is somewhat traditional.”

  “Yeah, but does Nick know about this?”

  “He’s a Whitaker. What do you think?”

  “Just making sure. You guys are good at keeping secrets.”

  “It’s not entirely mandatory. Not on your end, at least.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Wolves have our own social mores to keep up on. In order for Nick to remain in good standing with the pack and my next in line as Alpha, he needs to prove he’s capable of making a meaningful commitment to his mate. Otherwise, how can the pack trust him to lead them?”

  At least now I could understand why Nick hadn’t marked Holden right away. “This is a lot to take in.”

  “Of course. It’s something you should be discussing with Nick, anyway. I just wanted to welcome you to the family,” he said with a smile that was only half as menacing as usual. “Officially.”

  “Thanks,” I said stiffly, standing. “Is there uh, protocol for leaving now that I’m part of the pack? Do I need to salute you, or…?”

  Lucas chuckled. “You’re not a wolf, Daniel. Good afternoon will be perfectly sufficient.”

  “Right. Well, good afternoon, then,” I said, opening the door to find Nick on the other side of it. He was biting his nails, which was a habit I hadn’t seen him indulge since college. “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough.” I watched him and he searched my face worriedly. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Just making sure you weren’t about to drop down on one knee.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention that part. I was hoping to ease you into the idea, but…”

  “But Lucas,” I said, following him downstairs. I was all too eager to leave the Whitaker estate before the others could start hounding us. Literally. “I get it.”

  “Are you, um...opposed to the idea?”

  I stopped to look at him when we reached the front steps. “Opposed? Seriously?”

  “I don’t know how else to say it,” he groaned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Shit isn’t supposed to be this awkward.”

  “Sorry you’re stuck with me, but I’m not the one who bit me.”

  “Hey,” he said, grabbing my arm. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  “Do I? Fucking is one thing, but this? I never saw myself as the marrying type, but I at least thought if I ever did end up marrying someone, it would be because they wanted to, not because it was a useful distraction from the person they actually wanted.”

  Shock registered on his face and he stood frozen. “Daniel, I --”

  “Please don’t say it’s not true. I get it, or at least, I’m trying to. This wasn’t planned, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to turn out. I know it’s not your fault. I’m just trying to balance the knowledge that what you see as a mistake is something I…” I trailed off before I could further incriminate myself. “I know what this is, is what I’m trying to say, and I’m good with it. If there’s even a chance this whole mark thing could help you deal with what happened with Holden, I’m good with it, believe me.”

  “That’s not why I did it, Daniel. This wasn’t about using you to get over Holden. Please believe that, if nothing else.”

  “I do,” I said, and I meant it, if only because I knew the truth. There was no getting over Holden, not for him. Whatever Nick felt for me was manufactured by a curious blend of lust, desperation and werewolf instinct fueled by sex, but what he had with Holden? That shit was destiny and if there was one lesson that had gotten through my skull, it was that destiny trumped love any day. Especially when said love was one-sided.

  “I’m sorry I did this to you,” he said quietly. “I don’t know what else to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything, and you don’t need to apologize,” I said with a shrug. “I meant what I said. Even if you hadn’t marked me last night, if I thought it would help, I would have volunteered. We’ll get married and whatever else you need to do for the pack. Last night doesn’t have to change things.”

  “But it did,” he said, his voice laced with frustration. “The way I feel, it’s...changed.”

  “Would it have if you hadn’t marked me?” I challenged.

  He didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. At least he wasn’t lying to my face. That was more than I could say for myself. I cleared my throat and took a step back from him because close proximity to Nick messed with my head on a good day, and while today had started out as just that, Lucas had a way of changing things. “I should go open the clinic, I’ve probably got an angry mob waiting outside by now.”

  “Or we could go somewhere and talk,” he offered. “You can take a day off, right?”

  “I can, I just don’t want to,” I admitted. His face fell and guilt spurred me to add, “Maybe tomorrow. I just need some time to process all this.”

  Nick hesitated, like he was thinking of arguing, but he finally nodded. “Yeah, okay. Just text me if you need anything?”

  “I will.” Because what was one more lie? I turned and walked back to the clinic, letting out a breath when I could tell he wasn’t watching me anymore. I’d always envied Holden for being the center of Nick’s attention, but not like this. I was getting what I’d always wanted, which felt like one last fuck-you from a universe that was far more sentient than I’d ever given it credit for. If I’d known it was listening, I would have been a lot more careful with what I asked for.

  Twenty-Four

  HOLDEN

  I found myself sitting in a back room within the same bar I’d encountered Dennis at. My hands shook violently as they wrapped around a glass of some liquid Locke had put in front of me. It was steaming, so I could only assume it was tea rather than liquor, but the way it burned on the way down made me think it was both. I coughed, pushing the cup away. He was watching me with a look I knew all too well. It was the same way my mother always looked at me when the consequences of my rebellion came back to bite me in the ass.

  “Enjoying your taste of freedom?”

  “No,” I admitted. “Where is Michael? And how did you find me?”

  “I sensed that you were in Hell, but I didn’t know where until your so
ul shot off like a flare.”

  “Wait, how did you sense anything? I haven’t contracted with you yet.” I hesitated, looking him over. “Which Locke are you, anyway?”

  He rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he leaned back against his side of the booth. “There’s only one me, darling. Time means nothing to demons and angels, or haven’t you figured that out yet?”

  “So my soul still belongs to you?”

  “Yes and no. We’re pre-contract, but you and I go further back than a piece of paper. Further than the written word, as a matter of fact. As for where Michael is,” he continued before I could question him further on the contract. “My best guess is that blast sent him back to the Pearly Gates.”

  “How? And why do I have an angel’s soul?” I demanded. “He called me Adam.”

  Locke said nothing, his blue lips set into a hard line. I wasn’t sure whether he was wearing lipstick or if that was just part of his new look. “Why do you look so weird?” I asked suddenly, realizing he wasn’t going to answer my other questions.

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re one to talk. The River of Souls hasn’t done any favors for those mousy locks.”

  “You have to give me something,” I hissed.

  “I don’t have to give you anything. I trusted you and you not only ran off and turned yourself in to Michael but you went through my things.”

  “You keeping me on less than a need-to-know basis is why I felt like I had to snoop in the first place!” I cried.

  “You’ve given me plenty of reason to snoop and I’ve never invaded your privacy.”

  “Seriously? I got sent back in time by your crazy mother and almost got turned into space dust by the Archangel Michael and you’re picking a fight with me because I went into your room without asking?”

  “Don’t you dare talk about my mother,” he snapped. “You’ve always hated her.”

  “...What?”

  “Nothing,” he grumbled, looking away.

  “Dammit, Locke!” I cried, slamming my hands on the table. “Enough. Enough of the cryptic bullshit, the lying, the secrets. You don’t own my soul anymore and you don’t have any leverage to hold over my head, so if you want me to be on your side, you’d better start talking.”