Forbidden Alliance: A Werewolf's Tale (Forbidden Alliance Trilogy)

by Ayusso, Danae

  I huffed and nuzzled my face against the side of his neck. “You lie nearly as bad as I do,” I grumbled under my breath and continued to preoccupy myself with his ring. “When you’re ready to tell me, will you?”

  He kissed my head. “Of course, Duckie.”

  For some reason, I didn’t believe him.

  The soft knock at the door was followed by a gray mist that crept from under it. The mist swirled along the floor and halfway across the room before Mum solidified.

  “How is she, my precious one?” she whispered, her eyes moving over the face of the girl using my lap as a pillow as she softly purred in her sleep.

  I shook my head, not entirely sure what to say, and continued caressing Jay Dee’s hair.

  “Her parents requested that she stay the night,” Mum continued, taking a seat in the chair across from the couch where Jay Dee fell asleep.

  I nodded.

  “My precious one, please, talk to me,” Mum pleaded.

  “They were going to kill her,” I whispered, choking on the words.

  “Yes, they were. However, they did not,” she reminded me.

  I looked up at her. “Only because she told them to stop.”

  She cocked an eyebrow.

  “Mum, something is…can mythical creatures be thralled?” I asked pointblank.

  The response I was hoping for, surprise, wasn’t the one I got.

  She forced a smile and merely shrugged.

  I nodded. “Very well, who are these people?” I asked, handing her the photo I had taken from Jay Dee’s house the night of her birthday.

  Mum reluctantly took the photo from me and her forced smile instantly fell and tears flooded her eyes when she looked at it. “Where did you get this?” she whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

  “It was hidden at Miss Jay Dee’s house, behind a picture of a young woman with a striking resemblance to Elderess Lightfoot. I recognize four of the six in the picture, yet the other two have haunted me mind since first seeing the photo. Mum, who are they?”

  “They...” she stammered, her dark cheeks stained with tears. “The man is Olaf and the woman is Aesa.”

  Those names were vaguely familiar.

  “They are Miss Jay Dee’s parents, are they not?” I asked pointblank. “She has Olaf’s strong jaw, chin and brows, and Aesa’s cheekbones, eyes, lips and long neck.”

  Mum shook her head and shrugged. “I can neither confirm nor deny, because I honestly do not know. However, I will attest that the necklace Miss Jay Dee wears is the same as the one in the picture around Aesa’s neck,” she pointed out, though I couldn’t see the necklace in the picture so obviously Mum knew more than she was letting on.

  “Those werewolves were going to kill her but they stopped because she told them to stop,” I whispered, trying to believe the simplicity of the words myself as I said them aloud, but they were anything simplistic. “That is not possible…is it?”

  “You are obviously asking because you have seen it firsthand.”

  “I believe I have.”

  “It is her genetic makeup, my precious one. Her mother was able to use compulsion on werewolves, yet she vary rarely did because Aesa was a firm believer in freewill.”

  My eyes widened. “So you do know who her biological mother is?” I choked.

  “Was,” she instantly corrected and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  “Bloody hell,” I choked, looking back to the young woman purring in her sleep on my lap, and my mind started doing the math. “That unimaginable depression that took you…” my words trailed off.

  Mum nodded. “Coincides with her birth. My sister in heart, the Queen of the Shadow Wolves, died on the night that young woman took her first breath. I swear to you, I did not know, not until I saw her necklace that night. I had suspected when I first saw her, the resemblance was striking...I will admit that I thought my mind had finally snapped because of the approaching anniversary of my sister’s death...however, Miss Jay Dee did not have the mark of the crown. It warms my heart with joy to know that Aesa and Olaf’s daughter, my niece, is alive and well, however, I am flooded with anger and rage because your father kept it from me. There is nothing I would not give to have been there to see her...to raise my niece, however, I cannot disagree with your father’s decision in the Lightfoots; they are wonderful wolves with more love and compassion than those three times their age.”

  Toran was going to get his head ripped off if Mum got a hold of him.

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “After meeting with the Lightfoots on her birthday, he left without uttering a single word to me. I am sure he was afraid that I would stab him, again. I will admit, the idea is getting more and more acceptable by the moment.”

  I was in complete agreement with her.

  “Why were they trying to kill her?” I asked the obvious. “Never had I sensed such hatred coming from a creature…it was more than the actions of her brother, was it not?”

  Mum shook her head. “Honestly, Son? I do not know. Your father is the king of keeping secrets, obviously, so I cannot even begin to speculate as to why they were after your young companion. However, my gut tells me that they are the same bastards who killed her mother and father.”

  I knew I was going to regret asking, but I needed to know.

  “What happened?”

  Mum sighed and looked at Jay Dee. “From what I was able to find out, a sect of werewolf purists called the Aslak had been targeting the Varulv and other species of werewolves whom possess unique abilities. However, the Varulv were targeted for a different reason, one that I am not privy to, but I promise you, I will find out. Until then, I suggest that you keep this between you and I, and act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. It would not be helpful if the young girl was worrying for no reason. Without having all of the details, it could prove to cause more of a hindrance than anything else.”

  I nodded my agreement.

  At that moment, I was regretting not having stood by Toran’s side for all those years while he dealt with werewolf issues. If I had, I would have been properly prepared for them in order to protect the woman I had waited my entire life to love.

  “That is an agreeable suggestion. Thank you, Mum.”

  She smiled and looked up at me. “It is the least I could do, you are, after all, my favorite.”

  “With good reason to be,” I agreed.

  She chuckled. “I have never seen you happier, my precious one. There truly is nothing that I would not do to see you happy. It warms my heart to see you smiling…not at the moment, but since welcoming that beautiful young woman into your heart, you have been the man that I always knew you could be but was too scared to share with the world. You have my most heartfelt blessing,” she whispered before disappearing in a wisping of smoke.

  Not entirely sure what that meant at the moment, I closed my eyes and struggled to organize my thoughts. I needed a clear head in order to process everything that’s happened and why, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I needed more details.

  After two hours, I had nothing figured out and more questions than answered, so I fished my mobile from my pant pocket and dialed.

  “Young Master Ashton, this is a surprise,” Rayland greeted after two rings.

  “Master Rayland,” I said. “I need your guidance.”

  “What has transpired?” he whispered, in the background I could hear the opening and closing of doors as he hurried through the estate to his quarterage in the basement so he could have privacy.

  “Werewolf issue,” I admitted and looked at Jay Dee.

  “I beg your pardon?” he asked with a snort. “Young Master Ashton has never cared for werewolf issues before, despite his coven sharing an allegiance with them for centuries, and now you call at such a late hour to ask of werewolves?”

  I sighed. “My apologies, Rayland. An exchanging of pleasantries would have been appropriate, however, I have not the time to exchange such-”

  “
Stop,” he interrupted. “I am assuming you are asking me because Master Toran is unavailable.”

  “To say the least,” I mumbled. “Rayland, you know nearly as much about werewolves as Toran since you were married to one. But at the moment, Toran is keeping things from me, from Mum, which could hurt the only person I have ever truly loved.”

  “Love?” he whispered. “Oh my, did you fall for a werewolf?” he asked in disbelief.

  I sighed. “Yes, I have been marked.”

  He gasped.

  “You must tell me everything,” he whispered with the unmistakable sound of a smile in his voice.

  I chuckled. “That was what I was going to request of you,” I admitted.

  Rayland was like an uncle and advisor to me. He was one of the few in our coven who could completely understand Toran and his dedication to werewolves, because he, himself, was married to a werewolf centuries before the treaty was signed. It cost his bride her life at the hands of the vampires, and he was next to be executed, but Toran was quicker and broke him out of the bastille before he was basked in sunlight.

  “Have you heard of the Aslak and Varulv?” I reluctantly asked.

  There was silence on the other line; that was never a good sign.

  “Tanis,” Rayland whispered—it had been centuries since he simply called me Tanis—“did you fall in love with the last Shadow Wolf, the crowned queen of the Varulv, and now you have a sect of werewolf purist after you because they are in fear of the two of you creating a new species of immortal?”

  My eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?” I stammered.

  “Tact has never been my strong point,” he admitted.

  “You do not say,” I whispered, struggling to find my voice and to swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Tanis, there was a foretelling by a Seer that spoke of a Shadow Wolf marking a vampire who was more human than most, and through their union, a new species of immortal would enter the world. The Aslak, as you may or may not know, are a purist sect of werewolves who have spent countless centuries trying to purge the werewolf world of those with unique abilities, much like the Varulv. When the foretelling was whispered upon the wind, the Aslak went to arms in order to prevent a blending of the species, something which was well overdue.”

  I shook my head. “That…me Duckie is not the queen of the Varulv, she is simply an eighteen year old girl with exceptional taste in older men.”

  Rayland chuckled. “Modest,” he commented and I made a face. “Look on the inside of her left wrist.”

  Carefully, so not to disturb her, I pulled Jay Dee’s hand from under her chin and rolled it over into the light.

  “There is nothing there,” I said with a sigh of relief.

  “When did she turn eighteen?” Rayland asked. “Correction, when did you consummate your union?”

  That was not a conversation I wanted to have with him, but I knew that it was important otherwise he wouldn’t have asked.

  “On her eighteenth birthday,” I mumbled. “A few weeks ago.”

  “Ah, yes. Give it time,” he said.

  “Give what time?” I reluctantly asked.

  “For the crown to present itself,” he said as if it was obvious. “I am assuming you were attacked by the Aslak and that is why Toran is suddenly missing.”

  Bloody Hell. Talking to Rayland is as hard and confusing as talking to Jarvis when he’s all to pot. The broken Ouija board Duckie compared her infantile brother to fits Rayland as well.

  “I do not know,” I admitted. “Though it would coincide with the attack on her birthday to Toran’s disappearance. She has been having vivid dreams as well,” I said, still reeling over what Jay Dee had told me as she dozed in and out of consciousness.

  “Dreams or memories?” he countered.

  I sighed. “Memories,” I admitted; it was only a working hypothesis without proof, but it was all I had at that point. “Toran was in them, though Miss Jay Dee doesn’t realize that they are memories and not simply vivid dreams.”

  Rayland hissed out a breath. “Tanis, it will not end well when she realizes that they memories. Keeping the truth from her will only invoke her wrath.”

  I had already been on the end of such wrath and I never wanted to be there again, but at the same time, I was terrified of what would happen if I told her everything we were assuming without having proof to support it. If we were wrong, and the situation wasn’t what I had told her it was, and needlessly terrified her, that could cause many problems. But if we were right and she didn’t fully realize how bad the situation truly was, and she was hurt or worst, killed, I could never live with myself.

  “What do I do?” I asked, ignoring the stinging in my eyes.

  “Allow me to look into this more and see if there is something we can perhaps do in order to protect her. I am assuming Sabirella is in the know.”

  “Of course.”

  “I suppose she is grateful that it was you and not the other one. One is more than enough of that mouthy pikey, another would be one too many in the world.”

  “Huh? What does Declan have to do with this?” I asked.

  “It is not of concern, obviously. I will be in touch,” Rayland said. “Keep her close because you, Nephew, hold the last hope for her people within your heart.”

  I swallowed hard when the line went dead. “No pressure,” I mumbled, tossing the phone on the table.

  “You know this isn’t due for an oil change for another five-thousand miles, right? Did you miss me?” Jay Dee teased and closed the hood of my car.

  “I like to watch me woman work,” I offered with a shrug, but we both knew I was lying.

  “Damn liar,” she mumbled as she washed up in the sink. “You hate the fact that I work, and that I refuse your money, and that I’m a dirty girl...in the literal sense, not the sexual sense. Doesn’t life get boring when all you do is throw money at problems and hope they go away?” she asked, looking genuinely curious.

  Sadly, all the money in the world wouldn’t save her from what was coming.

  After talking to Rayland, I debated for days over telling Jay Dee the truth or not. Every time I got lost in my head while I struggled to weigh the pros and cons, she would ask what was troubling me, and I nearly told her every time. But the love and concern in her large, onyx eyes prompted me to lie. I couldn’t fathom seeing those eyes flooded with fear and possible needless concern. Jay Dee wasn’t daft by any means, and she knew that something was going on, especially since her parents requested that she stay with the vampires for a few days until they could resolve the issue regarding the missing Spottedhorses.

  A war between the packs was just on the horizon, that was what Jay Dee was worried about at the moment, and it was upsetting her greatly.

  “After centuries of working for me brass, I would immensely enjoy simply throwing it at all of the problems you find on your doorstep so we may enjoy life to its fullest without having to worry of…it does not matter, Duckie. Truth be told, I rather enjoy the exceptional view when you duck under the hood. Can you fault a man for that?” I asked with a smirk.

  She blushed and looked away from me. “You are ridiculous, old man.”

  “Sometimes,” I agreed. “Will you do me the honor of escorting you to dinner this evening?”

  “Sure,” she mumbled.

  Buggers. She said yes, however, the look on her face hints that an argument is fast approaching.

  “Is something troubling you, Duckie?” I reluctantly asked.

  Jay Dee pulled her hair tie out and ran her hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “They’re having another council meeting. The packs from the entire state are gathering...even Grandpa threatened to bring his pack up here if it went to war. This has gotten ridiculous, and the potential bloodshed... They act like it’s the end of the world. Some assholes got killed, big deal. They totally started it! Attacking Jarvis was completely inexcusable considering who are parents are. I’m more of a gray area since I’m not biolog
ically related but that isn’t stopping my parents from arguing the point.”

  I offered her my arm and escorted her around to the passenger side. “My apologies, Duckie. I should have spoken up in regards to the potential aftermath of such rash decisions. Though it was yours to make,” I quickly added when she opened her mouth to argue with me, “however, as your partner, one whom is much older and more experienced in the mythical world, I should have offered you advice instead of pouting and arguing with you. My apologies, it shall not happen again.”

  Jay Dee cocked an eyebrow. “I’m getting that vibe which says you deserve an ass beating for some reason. What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded.

  I closed her door and reluctantly joined her in the driver’s seat. “Nothing of proven consequence,” I assured her and pulled out of the garage.

  Jay Dee waved to Joe and he smiled and nodded, then started closing up shop for the day.

  I looked to the tree across the street and Abigail and Steffen both nodded their understanding: they would head home once we were out of sight.

  Since the altercation at the county fair, those who accompanied us to Lummi have been taking turns keeping an eye on Jay Dee when she’s in public. Mum keeps watch at night as I struggle to get some rest while the woman I love softly purrs in my arms. Reign and Sky, along with most of their pack, accompany Jay Dee hunting; she acted as if she hadn’t noticed that they were maintaining a perimeter, but I was confident she was well aware of it.

  “I’m about to ask you something. But I don’t want you to freak out or drive off of the road, or get all crazy and read into it more than what it is, okay?” Jay Dee said softly once Lummi was behind us.

  I looked over at her from the corner of my eye; she was wringing her hands in her lap, nervously chewed on her bottom lip, and both knees bounced wildly.

  Bollocks! She knows.

  “What is it, Duckie?” I asked; my voice cracked and was thick with emotion.

  “Well,” she started and closed her eyes tight, then her words spilled from her lips so fast that I don’t think that I heard her correctly, “this isn’t the nicest outfit for dinner, and I know that you aren’t going to take us to a fast food place, so can we stop someplace so I can get a new outfit, something nicer, maybe a dress or something?”