by Riley Storm
“Why do you hate each other so much though?” she asked, looking at him.
He bit back his surprise. The vacant stare wasn’t quite as empty anymore. Jess was coming back to him. Klaue eagerly continued with the history lesson. Maybe it was giving her something to ground her recent experience in, he didn’t know, but if it was helping, he would tell his mate everything he was allowed to.
“For that, you have to go back to the beginning. To before shifters existed.”
“Before?”
He smiled. “Yes. It was the early 5th Century. Rome was teetering on the edge. Although the history books will tell you that Rome was ruled by an Emperor at this time, and no longer the Senate, they are all lies.”
“I…my Roman history is pretty weak,” Jessica admitted. “But you’re telling me everything I was taught is wrong?”
“Only about who truly commanded. You see, the Roman Senate was composed entirely of vampires.”
Jessica’s jaw dropped open, the last of the glassy look vanishing completely. “I’m sorry, what now? Vampires? Like glittering-skin, day-walker Twilight, or old creepy dude in a coffin, sucking blood, that can be killed by a cross or holy water?”
Klaue howled with laughter at her description. “Neither. It doesn’t really matter, because they’re all dead now. Extinct.”
“They are?”
He nodded. “Yes. We killed them. Shifters burst onto the scene in the early 400s, 5th Century, whatever you wish to call it. We were the barbarians that sacked Rome. We killed the vampires who had ruled the paranormal world through the might of the great Roman Empire for over a thousand years. We think they were in control of the Greek empire before them, but we just don’t know.”
“So how do the dead vampires factor into the shifter mage war?” Jessica was leaning forward, elbows on her knees as she curled up into the corner of the couch, fascinated by what he was telling her.
Klaue didn’t stop. It was a weird way to bring her out of shock, but it was working.
“Well, the paranormal world was in chaos. The shifters were the new kids, and for various reasons, we weren’t welcome. At all. The mages wanted power, and being the two strongest sides, it was only natural we fought each other for supremacy. That’s essentially what the Dark Ages was all about.”
“How did none of this make it into the history books? I find that hard to believe.”
He smiled. “Until the inventing of the printing press, it was extremely easy to suppress data. Especially when both sides wanted to keep it quiet. How do you think legends were born though?”
Jessica nodded. “So what happened? Why aren’t you at war now?”
“A hair over a century ago, there was a huge battle between shifter and mage forces in Alaska. The mages tried to bring the entire volcano Novarupta down on us. They made it erupt, but they missed us, and we wiped out a massive portion of their forces. They were too weak to continue the fight, and so they gave in to concessions in order to be able to live. Now, they are forbidden from practicing any blue magic and most green magic as well. If they do, they are declared rogue, and the Assassins of any of the Houses will hunt them down.” Klaue tapped his fingers on the couch. “At least, they’re supposed to. It seems Canis isn’t doing their job though.”
“The mage who attacked today,” Jessica said, filling in the blank. “He’s practicing banned magic, and is working with them.”
“Something stinks.”
“If the Magi of House Ursa is supposed to be an all-powerful magic user, how was it he lost to this rogue?”
Klaue shrugged. “No idea. Surprise, maybe? It’s probably why Korred is so mad at you. This mage comes waltzing onto the property without setting off any alarms, and then nearly takes us out and manages to take on the ‘great and mighty Korred’, and lives to tell about it.”
“I’m scared, Klaue. This is way more than I can handle. I thought maybe I could slip away, move across the country. Even if they did catch me, I didn’t want to put you in danger, but now it’s too late. They’re attacking here. What do we do? What do I do?”
Klaue couldn’t meet her gaze. Looking down, he bit his lip. He too was lost, unsure of their next steps. “I don’t know,” he said heavily after a long period of silence. “I don’t know everything going on, and I don’t want to give you bad advice.”
“I know.” Jessica shifted uneasily at the reminder that she was still holding out information from him. “Thank you for not prying, even now,” she said softly.
Klaue nodded. Truthfully, he’d been hoping that she would perhaps open up now that members of his House had put their lives on the line for her, but clearly whatever it was she was hiding was powerful enough to keep her quiet still.
“I guess,” he said, feeling the need to speak, “that I want you to stick around. And if prying is going to send you running, then I’ll have to find a way to be patient until you figure it out, or feel comfortable enough to share the burden with me.”
Jessica reached out and gently patted his knee. Her hand lingered there for a moment as they shared a look. Klaue remembered kissing her forehead in battle, and the way she’d clung to him for safety. It had felt good, having her near him like that. Klaue realized he wanted more of that. More contact. He started to reach out for her hand just as Jessica looked down and pulled it back.
Klaue coughed, using that to cover the moment of his hand, acting like he’d been intending to do it all along. It was an awkward motion, but it worked. Maybe. He wasn’t sure. Jessica’s attention was on the table next to them though.
“What’s this?” she asked, picking up a rectangular piece of paper.
“It’s my invitation to a wedding,” he said, trying to contain his smile.
“A wedding?”
“Yes. It’s tomorrow, actually. My good friend and boss is getting hitched to his mate, human style.”
Jessica giggled at the term human style. Most shifter-only matings didn’t involve weddings. It wasn’t a big deal to them. But given how few in number female shifters were, it meant that more often than not, male shifters found themselves mated to human females, and the tradition there was a wedding.
Klaue paused, waiting for Jessica to say something, but when she didn’t, he plunged ahead with his crazy idea.
“Would you like to come with me?”
Jessica looked up, her brown eyes wide.
17
Jessica didn’t know how to respond and just stared for a good long time.
“With…you?” she squeaked, dying of embarrassment at the awkward phrasing and high-pitched voice she’d finally managed to get out.
Klaue’s normally cool eyes danced with delight, further heating her cheeks. He was laughing at her, there was no point in pretending otherwise.
“Yes,” he said finally.
“But…it’s tomorrow. Haven’t you already RSVP’d? They won’t be able to fit me in. I would be such a burden.”
Klaue continued to chuckle, leaning forward and tapping an area on the card. “See there, it says I and my plus one are reminded of tomorrow’s festivities. I made reservations for myself and another as soon as I got the invitation.”
She frowned, reading the text that confirmed what he was saying. “So, whose spot am I taking?” she asked, more than a little curious.
“Nobody’s,” he stated, meeting her gaze without flinching. “It’s customary to reserve a spot in a shifter wedding. You never know when a date is going to crash her car in your lap.”
Jessica sputtered with laughter at the unexpected saying.
“So will you come with me?” he pressed after she’d recovered.
“I don’t know, Klaue. Where is it?”
“Here. In the grand ballroom.”
She shook her head. Of course there was a grand ballroom in a place like this. She thought about it, then paused as she clued in to the fact she was thinking about it. About going to the wedding. With Klaue. As his date. Her mind raced back to those harrowing
moments in the forest, when he’d carried her to safety, then when she’d clung to him, trying to get him to stay, and he’d kissed her.
It was on the forehead, true, but he’d still kissed her. In that moment, their…whatever it was, had taken a step. They’d not only broken the touch barrier, but she was fairly sure they’d both enjoyed it when she was pressed against him. Against his naked body, at that.
Jessica drew in a deep breath as she scrambled for objections. “I don’t have a dress.”
Klaue nodded. “That can be fixed easily. Come on.”
“Uhh, what?” She was dragged to her feet and toward the door, Klaue’s hand clamped over her own. “Where are we going?”
“To get you a dress,” he stated, like it was obvious.
But I never said yes…
She thought about saying the words out loud, but realized it was probably pointless by then. What else was she going to do? Leaving Ursidae Manor seemed like a dumb idea given what had just happened to her, so she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. What was the worst that would happen if she went with him?
“But where are we going to get a dress this soon before the wedding?” she asked, caving to the inevitable.
“From someone about your size who doesn’t need it anymore,” he chuckled, showing her into the hallway.
They started walking through the maze of hallways. Jessica was promptly lost as they went down one, up another and turned left, then right, and then a left.
“This place is huge.”
“It takes a bit of getting used to,” Klaue admitted. “Don’t worry though, I won’t lose you.” He squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Her hand. Jessica looked down as she realized they were holding hands…still. He hadn’t let go from when he’d grabbed it to drag her up from the couch.
Jessica’s heart leapt into her throat, stealing her voice as she became consciously aware of it all. What the hell was going on? That excited her? She could feel the heavier beating as blood raced through her body at breakneck speed. All in reaction to someone holding her hand. No, not just someone. Klaue.
Her protector. Her champion.
No. He’s not “yours”. Not in any sense of the word. He’s just doing a job. This is House Ursa you’re talking about. You’ve heard all the stories about them. Keep yourself together. They may not be the enemy anymore, but they certainly aren’t your friend.
Slipping her hand free, Jessica stared straight ahead, hoping the thundering roar in her breast wasn’t audible. Nerves and emotions were bubbling to the surface of her mind, thoughts that she hadn’t even known were dwelling within her. What the hell was the matter with her?
It was the mention of a wedding. It had to be. Ever since Zoe had been married, weddings had taken on a new meaning for Jessica, especially when year after year none of them was hers.
“Hey, Speedy, come back here,” Klaue called out from behind her.
Behind her? Jessica turned to see that at some point along the way, Klaue had stopped in front of a door and she’d kept walking.
“Oh,” she croaked out awkwardly, putting on a false smile and returning to stand next to him. Not next-to-him next to him, but near him. With space between them. Not much, but enough.
Enough for whom? The only one who is going to notice an extra three inches is you. Stop acting like a clown.
The door opened shortly after Klaue’s knock. “Hey Nat, can we come in?” he said conversationally.
“Sure,” Nat said, noticing Jessica standing there as well. Smiling, the amber-eyed woman extended a hand toward her. “Hi, I’m Natalia.”
“Jessica,” she said, frowning. “Natalia? Like, the same Natalia getting married?”
“Guilty as charged,” Nat said, her face blushing slightly at the reminder. She stepped back, dark chocolate brown hair falling over her shoulder as she twisted with a small flourish to welcome them inside. “Now, what can I do for you?”
Klaue was speaking before Jessica could open her mouth. “Jessica is here at the manor unexpectedly, as you may have heard.”
Nat nodded. Word spread fast, but at least she wasn’t eyeing Jessica the way many had.
“She’s also going to be accompanying me to the wedding, but she doesn’t have any clothes. You two are sort of the same size,” he said. “And I figured you didn’t need any of your normal dresses tomorrow, sooo…”
Natalia’s amber eyes flicked between Klaue and Jessica several times, then a grin lit her face. “Of course!” She reached out and for the second time in five minutes, someone grabbed Jessica’s hand and dragged her along after them.
“Where are we going, Natalia?” she asked, stumbling at first to catch up.
“To the best closet you’ve ever seen. And please, call me Nat. Everyone else does.”
“Uh, okay Nat.”
Her next words were stolen away as they walked through a set of doors into a dressing room of some sort, and then took a left into a—
“Holy shit,” she gasped as the closet yawned open in front of them.
“Right?” Nat giggled slightly.
“This is…wow.”
The closet was a long rectangle. Two rows of hanging racks went down the left, while the right had a single hanger rack for longer items, across the back of the room.
“The shoes,” Jessica continued. “Look at them all.”
From ceiling to floor, the far wall of the closet was dedicated entirely to shelving for shoes, tilted at the proper angle to display the many pairs. It wasn’t filled, not by a long shot, but the space! In the center of the room were two chairs, a bench, and a three-sided, full-length mirror.
“Okay, so dresses,” Nat said, starting to paw through everything on the side. “Nothing tight. You’ve got way bigger boobs, so unless you’re looking to keep more than just Klaue’s eyes on you all night, let’s see if we can’t find something a bit more concealing.”
Jessica looked down at her boobs instinctively, then frowned as the rest of Nat’s words sank in. “Wait, what do you mean?”
Nat paused her search, glancing over her shoulder. “Oh please, don’t tell me you’re oblivious to the way he looks at you?”
“It’s not like that,” she protested. “He’s just my, um, guide, while I’m here at the manor.”
Natalia smirked. “I could tell you a similar story.”
Looking away, Jessica ran a finger along the hangers, admiring the clothing, and also the space. “Nothing’s happened.”
“Yet. Tomorrow is a wedding.”
“So?”
Natalia laughed. “Things happen at weddings, and if nothing crazy happens at mine, I’m going to be disappointed!”
Shifting uncomfortably, Jessica forced a laugh as well. Something crazy? With her and Klaue? There was nothing there. Right?
She remembered the way her body reacted to them holding hands. Nat had just grabbed her hand minutes ago, and nothing had happened. Not compared to when Klaue touched her.
“Here, try this on,” Nat said, changing the subject.
Grateful for the reprieve, Jess launched into the project of finding the right dress. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long, and soon they were onto picking out shoes. They were half a size different, but Nat pulled out a pair she said were a bit loose on her, and to both their delight, they fit Jessica adequately enough for an evening.
“Okay, well, you look stunning,” Nat said, eyeing her up and down. “Klaue isn’t going to be able to take his eyes off you.”
“It’s not like that,” she protested feebly, knowing it was useless trying to convince the other woman, and yet somehow finding herself liking Nat more because of it.
“Right. Anyway, take it off.”
“Pardon?”
“You can’t let him see you in it yet,” Nat said with a laugh, then waved her arms. “Change back into those comfy sweats that do nothing to catch a man’s eye. Which is exactly what you want until he sees you in that.”
Jessica chan
ged and Nat grabbed the items from her and set them aside, then gestured for her to leave the closet.
“But I thought I…” she said, confused. Why was she leaving the garments there? She needed them for the next day…
“Come back in the morning,” Nat said. “You can meet my friends, and we’ll get the makeup artists to do you as well, get your hair done. The works. We’ll have some champagne and you can just relax. They’re cool, they won’t judge you, I promise.”
Jessica was stunned. “Nat, you don’t have to do that. I couldn’t possibly interrupt. This is your wedding, and—”
Amber eyes flashed. “Exactly. It’s my wedding, and if I want to change it up and have you join us, then that’s what I want. I’m not afraid to push to get my way either. Klaue is a good friend of Kirell’s. They work together and have saved each other’s lives. Whether you two are or aren’t, you’re coming with him, and so I’m going to take care of you. Care to argue any more?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“No, Ma’am,” Jessica said, subdued. “I’ll come back.”
“Good. Now shoo, let’s go.”
They exited the closet and moved back into the sitting area where Klaue was lounging on a chair, eyes closed. They popped open the second Jessica emerged.
“No luck?” he asked, standing up.
“She’s all set,” Nat said, jumping in before Jessica could say otherwise. “But I told her she’s coming back in the morning to get her hair and makeup done with the rest of my bridesmaids. So make sure she’s here, showered and presentable by ten, okay?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Klaue said, sketching out a salute. “I’m on it.”
“Good. Now go, I have to start freaking out about the fact I’m getting married tomorrow.”
Klaue snorted. “I highly doubt that.”
Nat stuck out her tongue.
Jessica remained quiet, still awed by the woman’s generosity. It was so unlike anything she’d experienced at House Ursa so far. Or even with the other women of House Canis either, all of whom had been very inwardly-oriented in their priorities. This was unexpected, and she still wasn’t sure what to make of it.
