No Quarter

by Anita Cox

  At a loss for words, she bravely stepped in and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel his warm arms wrapping around her ribs, then shoulders, pulling her into him. When at last she finally released him, she saw that familiar smirk in his eyes.

  “I expected the kiss to happen after the jewelry.” He chuckled and tucked his hands in the pockets of his slacks, his eyes pointed at the floor.

  “Seems we’re both full of surprises.” She placed the box on the bureau near her and put the jewelry on. When she was finished, she turned to look in the mirror. The pink garnet looked nice against her dark skin. “Thank you very much.”

  * * * *

  The ride to the school had, indeed, been more relaxed than the ride home from shopping. They chatted about small things, getting to know each other’s taste in everything from music to adult beverages. It felt nice to her, having someone become familiar. Colin had scooped her hand in his and held it during the ride. His warmth oozed into her, relaxing her tension.

  As they drove down the long lane toward the school Nala felt her eyes bulge. The center of the building looked like a large castle. The East and West wings were large and rectangular in shape, continuing the same stone work as the castle.

  “Wow, that’s huge! I had no idea the school was so grand.” Her eyes darted around, trying to take in every little detail.

  He squeezed her hand. “From what I’ve heard the inside is even more spectacular.” After parking in the rear of the school they were approached my two Centaurs.

  “Hello, you must be Colin and Nala Baker,” one of them said.

  “Yes, and you are?” Nala extended her hand.

  He leaned over and shook her hand. “My name is Prometheus. This is Theron. We are to escort you to Wendy’s door since it’s easy to get lost in the school your first time.” Led by two Centaurs thru the building, they walked into a great hall. Her gaze danced from side hall to stairs, to little Gnomes zipping around in their cars. Each hall had been marked at the entrance with carved numbers and letters.

  “Glad I chose flats,” she whispered.

  Theron looked over his shoulder. “This is the West wing. We will be there in a moment.”

  They turned left down another corridor.

  “This is your sister’s door. We’ll leave you now.” The Centaurs turned and left them standing.

  After a nervous glance at her, Colin knocked.

  “Grace?” The color had drained form Colin’s face as the door opened. “Where’s Wendy?”

  Grace smiled and pulled him in through the door. “Oh, I’m fine. How are you, Colin? It’s good to see you.” She rolled her eyes. “Hello, Nala. How are you?”

  “I’m good, Grace. It’s nice to see you again.” She gave a brief respectful nod to her Queen.

  Roman sat on the sofa, looking as if he were avoiding eye contact with Colin. She picked up on it right away, but thought a distraction would serve them well. “Look at the beautiful jewelry Colin just gave me. Isn’t it nice?”

  Grace admired the jewelry, stepping between Colin and his view of his former Beta, playfully winking at her. The glint in her eye spoke of good news, though Nala couldn’t understand the subterfuge.

  “Wendy will be out in a minute. Dinner is nearly ready. If you’d like to move to the dining room.” A man stood with golden hair and bronzed skin atop bulging muscles which were barely contained in his white shirt. Nala recognized him as Zoltar, the Centaur King.

  “How often do you get a Centaur King cooking for you?” Nala joked, elbowing Colin in the ribs. She had a feeling she knew what was about to take place. Colin’s mood might change for the worse.

  “Scotch?” Grace asked, wagging a decanter in her hand.

  Colin only bobbed his head as he looked back and forth between Zoltar and Roman.

  “Zoltar has some wine if you’d prefer that over scotch, Nala.” Grace smiled at her. “He really has a knack for picking wine too.”

  A compliment to the Centaur King…as if he needed one. Why would she do that? What need would the Lycan Queen have to butter up the Centaur King?

  Her heart began to race when she saw Colin and Roman lock gazes on one another. “That would be lovely. Thank you, Grace.”

  “Roman,” Colin nodded toward him.

  “Colin. Good to see you. I’m glad dinner is ready. I’m starving.” He leaped from the couch and hurried to the dining table, claiming a seat and striking up a conversation with Zoltar immediately.

  “Colin!” Wendy rushed into the room and threw her arms around her brother. Nala could feel the tension leave her mate, or at least she thought she could. Without a bond it was hard to tell if she were reading him right. “I’ve missed you. You look fantastic!”

  He kissed her cheek. “I’ve missed you too. You look great yourself. Doing something different?”

  She laughed and waved him off as she tucked her loose fitting purple dress under her legs and took a seat. “How are things in Belfast? Are the Gnomes situated? Thank you for taking them in. Both of you.” She patted Nala’s arm.

  Colin looked to Nala and for once she knew exactly what he needed. “Oh, they’re doing very well,” she said. “Their homes are all built. Several of them are doing HVAC work, you know, running and repairing ventilation since it’s easier with their size. Some are farm hands, picking fruit and nuts from trees, pulling weeds, that sort of thing. We have a few jewelers.” She flashed her bracelet. “They do fantastic work. See.”

  “Wow, that’s beautiful!” She ran her finger over the garnets on Nala’s bracelet. “So perfect.”

  “Yes, it was a present from your brother.” She smiled and nodded her head toward Colin.

  “Well done little brother!” She smacked him on the shoulder.

  Nala continued with her distraction. “Honestly, they fit in just like anyone else. They’re finding their way and they use very little resources. They’ve become quite the asset—a brilliant idea on your part.”

  Zoltar carried in two enormous serving trays, one in each hand and placed them on the table. “Dinner is served.” He took the last remaining seat.

  Nala kept a watchful eye on the table as everyone dished out their plates. She noticed Zoltar stiffen and Wendy’s brow furrow. Yep. They’ve bonded. She looked at Grace who seemed to have heard her thoughts. Grace only gave a gentle smile and nod. This time her thoughts were directed at Grace. He’s not going to take this well, is he?

  “Truth is, none of us know, but we’re all worried.” Grace’s voice came through loud and clear in her head which startled her. She stiffened in her chair.

  “You okay?’ Colin asked.

  “Just a muscle spasm. I think I need to ease up on my workouts.” She hated lying to him but wasn’t about to disclose what had just happened.

  “Wow, this chicken is delicious.” Nala complimented Zoltar.

  He lifted his glass of wine toward her. “Thank you.”

  Wendy put her fork down and grabbed Colin by the wrist. “Colin, I do have some news for you.”

  Oh shit! Here it comes.

  Her face turned a few shades darker. “I love you. You know that?”

  “Wendy please tell me what’s going on before I scream.”

  She looked at her brother’s pleading eyes. “Zoltar and I are mated.” It came out as a blurt and then the table fell silent as they all stared at him.

  Nala braced herself to restrain her husband if necessary. When his eyes flashed golden, she let go of her fork. “Colin.”

  He closed his eyes tight and looked back at his sister. “Are you happy?”

  A tear spilled down her cheek. “The happiest I’ve ever been.”

  He took a deep breath, held it for a moment before turning to Zoltar. “I’m sorry, my friend, old prejudices. You know?”

  Zoltar held up his hands. “I completely understand. But I would never, ever hurt Wendy. We’ve bonded.”

  Colin’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

&n
bsp; “That’s not all,” Wendy dabbed her eyes with her napkin. “We’re expecting.”

  “What?” For the second time, the color drained from Colin’s face.

  “We’re pregnant. Please, please say you’re happy for me.” She bit her bottom lip and held her breath as she stared at her brother.

  Colin shot up from his chair and threw his arms around his sister. “Of course. Of course, I am. Don’t cry. I just…please come see Doctor Maryann. Let her check you out. We have no experience with cross breeding. I only want to be certain you’re healthy. That’s all.”

  She nodded as he held onto her. “I was so worried you’d be upset with me.”

  Colin’s husky laughter broke the tension around the table. “Since when has that ever been a concern of yours?”

  A few soft chuckles went around the room.

  “Thank God that’s over!” Roman blurted. “Do you have any idea how worried I was that you’d read it on my face? We’ve known each other forever.”

  Nala breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left the room.

  Colin extended his hand to Zoltar. “Welcome to the family, Brother.”

  The tears in the Centaur King’s eyes shocked Nala. A King…showing vulnerability?

  “Thank you. Now, after dinner, we have one more magical surprise. So eat up.” Zoltar looked at Colin with hope in his eyes. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing to worry about with the last surprise.”

  Not having had much in the way of lunch, Nala was famished and had completely cleaned her plate before anyone else. She sipped her wine and followed the conversation, curious as to what the big after-dinner-surprise would be. Unsure of what other bombs Wendy could drop on her brother tonight, she settled on enjoying the company of others.

  Grace was the reason she defeated Jagger and she’d never forget that. She was also the catalyst for her new status as Alpha over the Belfast pack. They’d joined forces in abolishing the High Council and Grace’s most endearing quality, as far as Nala was concerned, was her desire to empower the women of the supernatural world. She fought for Nala’s right to remain Alpha and orchestrated the merging of the packs. She really did owe her queen her life.

  A year ago she was locked in a cage, a sex-slave to an abusive Alpha. Had anyone told her then that a year later, she would be Alpha, sitting at a table among royalty with her new husband and sister-in-law she would have rolled her eyes. But this was her new life and she couldn’t have asked for more.

  As soon as everyone had finished eating, they took their drinks onto the back patio area. Beyond the patio a small fire was lit in a fire ring. Colin had grabbed her free arm and looped it in his. “A lot to take in,” he whispered. “Thank you for running interference.”

  “Ready for the big surprise?” she asked him in a low voice.

  He shrugged. “Who knows? It can’t be any bigger than their announcement.”

  She looked at him, noticing his eyes crinkling at the sides as he smiled. Seeing her mate happy lifted her heart.

  As they made their way toward the fire, she noticed Wendy breaking off from the rest of them.

  “Okay, ready?” Wendy had her hands on her hips.

  “Enough already! Just tell me!” Colin gave a teasing growl.

  The air around her shimmered for a brief moment before her head lifted higher in the air. When the air cleared, she was, from the waist down, a horse. Horse hair covered her from just above the breast down. Wendy was now a Centaur.

  “Fuck me!” Colin gasped and fell back on the wooden bench.

  “Don’t worry, brother.” Roman slugged him in the shoulder. “She can still shift to wolf.”

  Roman, Grace, Zoltar and Wendy had smiles on their face, but only for a brief second when they all stiffened and frowned.

  “Party is over. Wendy, go inside.” Zoltar barked. “Colin, come with us.”

  Colin looked just as shocked and confused as Nala felt.

  “What’s going on?” Nala asked.

  Wendy shifted on the run, grabbing Nala by the arm, pulling her toward the patio doors. “We’ve been holding a Separatists prisoner in the basement. Barb went to take him his dinner and he was gone. He could be anywhere.”

  “Come on,” Roman said to Colin. “Let’s go find the bastard.”

  Nala could see the stress on Colin’s face. He didn’t want to leave his sister and mate alone.

  She rushed over to him. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect her. Go.”

  Quite suddenly, his hands were on both sides of her face. He pulled her in and planted a kiss on her lips. If she weren’t panicked and on guard, she may have melted, but this was not the time.

  He shifted to wolf and followed the others while Nala locked the door behind her.

  “Do you think he’d really come after you?” she asked Wendy who was holding a trash bin and looking very green.

  “Zoltar and I haven’t kept our courtship secret. I’m the one who captured him, so it’s likely he’s out for blood.” She heaved into the can. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. The nausea comes and goes.”

  She didn’t have the heart to tell her that after all she’d seen in her life, a little vomiting wasn’t going to turn her stomach. “It’s fine. Why don’t you sit on the couch and put your feet up. Try not to worry. You have three royals and a former Alpha out there. They’ll find him.”

  Wendy plopped on the couch and tilted her head back. “I hate to ask favors here, but there are cans of Ginger Ale in the fridge. Would you please grab one for me? I might lose it if I move.”

  She hurried into the kitchen, grabbed the ale from the fridge and rushed back to Wendy’s side, handing her the can. Dread filled her every cell. She hoped they’d all come back unscathed. She couldn’t stand the thought of any of them getting hurt.

  The lower part of the front door opened, causing her to jump. A female Gnome rushed in and ran straight to Wendy.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes, Mary. Thank you.”

  The little Gnome ran to the bathroom and came back with a damp cloth, placing it gently on Wendy’s forehead.

  “Nala, this is Mary, my closest friend. Mary, this is Nala, Alpha of my former pack and my sister-in-law.” She closed her eyes and looked like she concentrated on her breathing.

  Relieved to have someone there to care for Wendy’s needs, Nala shook the little woman’s hand. “Very nice to meet you. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Three loud noises came quickly. The room shook.

  “No! Not again!” Wendy bellowed before vomiting once again.

  “What was that?” Nala held on to the wall, her heart racing, and her ears pounding.

  “We’re under attack—again!” Wendy cried and heaved into her pail once more.

  “Separatists?” Anger bubbled up and heat circled Nala’s neck. Why bomb a school full of children?

  Mary hopped up on the arm of the couch next to Wendy and pulled her hair back, securing it with a pencil she had snatched off of the table. “Yes. The last time it was really just smoke and a tiny bit of fire damage. But I don’t know if the walls will hold again.”

  Crack! The patio door cracked as something hit it. The second strike had it shattering into a thousand flying glass shards. A male wolf stood seething at the new opening.

  “Get her to the bathroom. Lock the door.” Nala ordered before shifting to wolf.

  The second strike had it shattering into a thousand flying glass shards. A male wolf stood seething at the new opening.

  She took a few slow steps so she was blocking the path to Wendy.

  The wolf leaped toward her. When it collided with her, she bit a chunk out of its shoulder and whipped her neck, throwing the beast against the wall. Not waiting for him to recover, she jumped toward him again, this time, sinking her teeth into his throat, ripping it out of his body. Blood sprayed into her mouth, leaving a salty metallic taste. She dropped the disembodied throat on the floor and stared a
t the beast bleeding out in front of her.

  Hearing glass scraping between the floor and paws she spun around to find yet another wolf. She sprang to action, charging at him. When she collided, he snapped at her face. She pulled her muzzle out of the way then snapped back as they rolled on the floor. She scrambled back to her paws. The wolf was bigger and stronger, but she’d had training now. No matter what, she couldn’t allow him to pass. Wendy’s life, and that of Colin’s unborn niece or nephew were depending on it. Her mate needed her to be stronger than she’d ever been.

  She dove, grabbing at his front leg with her teeth and yanking it with her, forcing him to fall onto his side. She took a chunk of fur out of him and bit again. A limping wolf was a less worthy opponent. The wolf shifted to human as she was biting his arm. Searing pain cut through her shoulder, burning as something sliced through her flesh. He’d stabbed her with a blade.

  But she could fight as human too. She shifted, which significantly healed her wound almost immediately. Dropping her weight to her right foot, she spun, landing a hard kick to the breadbasket. When he doubled over she drove her knee into his face. He staggered, long black tendrils swaying in front of his face before he swung, landing a punch to her right ribs.

  Blinding pain accompanied the cracking sound of her ribs. She couldn’t let him get to Wendy. She had to push. Taking two fast but painful steps toward him, she threw her legs up, locking them around his neck and flipping him onto the ground as she pulled with every pound she had behind her. When they met the floor she rolled toward her back, nailing him hard in the nose with her elbow. He was out cold, but her ribs were broken.

  When she noticed the third Lycan bolt into the room, she nearly panicked seeing the tiny Gnome standing in the hall between him and the door to the bathroom. The little thing was vibrating so hard she looked blurry. Nala had no idea if the little ones could defend themselves.

  Bent in half from the pain in her ribs, she moved quickly as she could toward the wolf.

  Mary bounced off the floor onto the wolf’s head and began clawing fast and furious at the eyes. The wolf howled and screamed, shaking its head to get Mary off, but the little Gnome held on, growling furiously. She pulled something from her hair and stabbed the wolf repeatedly in the face. Its paws scrambled below it.