Turns out, Mike had a secret, one he had help suppressing until recently. That meant his magic was ripe for the picking, and he wouldn’t even have to destroy the man to get it. At least, not completely.
Besides, the Council looked down on killing innocents, no matter how worthless, or how much could be gained.
He sat back in his chair and considered his options. Amanda was resisting him, and he was reluctant to take his power over her too far. She was already weak, and he was good at breaking errant toys, remolding them into puppets.
However, if he destroyed Amanda’s will she would be useless in collecting Mike and keeping him in check. He hoped he wasn’t too late.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise when Mike walked out after he brought up Amanda. Five years was a long time to pine for someone. He came begging once, and it took him a year to do that. Would Amanda’s constant presence be enough to sway Mike? He was beginning to doubt.
Cole walked to the armoire and opened the door. Josephine was perfectly preserved in a stasis spell. Technically dead, but frozen in time until he had a way to bring her back. If she hadn’t insisted on going after the artifact she would still be there with him.
“Darling, you know why I need the enchanted dagger. It’s the one way to safely pull magic from someone and keep it for myself.”
Cole sank into the chair before her. “But, love, the Silver Council still believe us dead. Going into the magister’s home will draw their attention.”
Her eyes glowed as she stared back. “It’s the only way to not become like one of their pathetic dark mages. Think about this. If I have that dagger, I can take their power one by one before we storm headquarters and rip the Council apart from the inside.”
She couldn’t squelch his worry. Josephine had already procured alibies for the two of them. She also found a way to get to South Carolina, and back, without being detected.
Yet, Cole knew something would go wrong.
He caressed her pristine cheek with a sigh. “My love, one day, you’ll come back to me in full health.”
Her death still impacted him. He’d been accused of being obsessed with Josephine. Admittedly, he knew it, but she was his everything.
They had made it all the way to Magister Draecyn’s vault, hidden deep in his basement. Actually, an underground fortress was a more appropriate description.
Josephine couldn’t contain her excitement as she walked past the final ward and rushed to the case holding the dagger. She threw the lid open and wrapped her hand around the engraved hilt. Josie fell, life leaving her body in an instant.
Cole caught her, weaving a stasis spell to preserve her body until he could find a way to bring her back. He’d been researching the spell for decades, and was close, but for Josephine he needed to perfect it.
The dagger was wrapped in her scarf, and protected in a spell to shield it from anyone’s touch. He couldn’t find any answers as to what it was supposed to do or why it had killed Josephine, but he knew she needed it so he kept it close to her.
His phone chimed, and he picked it up to find the message, Mike’s not in Seattle. Can’t find him.
Another day wouldn’t hurt, but he was losing patience. He typed back, Keep looking. He’s bound to turn up.
Chapter 14
Mike climbed out of Trevor’s Land Cruiser and looked around. “While we wait on Shane, want to tell me how this will work?”
Trevor pushed his fingers through his dark hair, and looked at his phone. “He’ll be here in a few and then we’ll hike into the woods. Joey and I will shift with you. Shane will instruct you.”
Joey patted Mike on the back. “Don’t worry. Shouldn’t be too bad. We’ll make sure not to rip into you. And don’t worry about us. We heal fast.”
“Shit,” Mike muttered. “I don’t want to rip into anyone.”
“Well, there will be times you need to. And you may want to try other forms.”
“Yeah, but doubt you can help with those. I’m comfortable as a tiger. Not sure I need another big clawed beast. And what are you going to do if I turn into a bird?”
“Told you we should have dragged Roxy and Fiona out.”
“No, no, that’s okay. My sister doesn’t need to laugh at me while I make a fool out of myself. Neither of them.”
“They wouldn’t,” Trevor told him. “Your sister wants you to be happy. And Fiona wants to get to know you.”
“Soon. Now that my magic is out of the box, I have no reason to hide.”
Joey grinned. “Sure don’t. We’ll accept you however you are.”
“The problem is, I need to accept myself.” Mike drew in a breath and let it out as Shane pulled up.
Trevor’s brow arched. “So, if you weren’t ready to dive into this, why are you?”
“No time like the present.”
Shane climbed out with a peculiar expression on his face. Siobhan caught up with Sorcha and whispered something to her. They headed in the other direction.
“Come on, guys. The girls will catch up later.” Shane started down the trail, and Mike followed with Trevor beside him and Joey bringing up the rear.
* * * *
Roxy stepped into A Good Book in Edenton and Tremaine lifted his hand in a wave. There was a hint of guilt in his expression as she met his eyes.
“You were the one who locked down my magic when I was a baby?” Roxy asked bluntly.
Shrugging, he nodded. “I was doing your brother a favor by not telling. Hoped he’d come to me on his own and he finally did. Though, he was still reluctant.”
“He’s coming along,” Gwen pointed out.
Roxy nodded. “Seems to be. Let’s see how he’s holding up after his time with the guys.”
Tremaine chuckled. “Can’t believe you talked him into sparring with a couple wolves.”
Roxy grinned. “It was his idea. He hoped Trevor would worry less about why I was hanging with Gwen.” She sighed. “Plus, I want to believe I can keep this baby before I tell him. After everything he’s been through, I don’t want to tear him apart if I can avoid it.”
“Even if you don’t, he’ll figure it out, Roxy. He may already know. Remember, hormones change your smell. I wouldn’t doubt he suspects, but is too afraid to talk about it.”
“Shit, don’t tell me that,” Roxy complained.
Gwen touched her shoulder. “Calm down. Let’s talk first, then you can decide what and when to tell Trevor.”
Tremaine gave her a comforting smile. “You aren’t the first druid-werewolf to go through this. The chances for this little one’s survival are pretty good. You need to learn to shift with magic. In fact, Fallon’s coming over soon too. She wants to help.”
Roxy took a deep breath and let the possibility that she was actually keeping this little bean sink in. Hope floated through her.
Gwen squeezed her arm. “That’s right, Roxy. You can do this. And you can thank your brother for figuring it out.”
Turning to Tremaine, Roxy’s brow arched. “Thank you as well. Is there anything else I should know about my brother? Or anything I should know about my mother? Or anything else?”
He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Can’t blame Mike for this. I was protecting him.”
Roxy squared her shoulders. “From what?”
“Promise first.”
She sighed. “Fine. I promise.”
“I’m your uncle. You can blame your mother for wanting to keep that secret. She didn’t want you to know about your magic until there was no choice.”
Her eyes widened. “My mother kept my uncle from me?”
Tremaine drew a slow breath and leaned against the counter. “In part to protect me. She was my half-sister. Only my mother, father and Evelyn knew my secret. She was trying to keep it that way.”
“Why?”
A bitter laugh escaped. “Most mages tend to be elitist, prejudiced bastards. Hell, neither Liz nor Robert know, which is something I should change, but it’s not something
I talk about after a couple hundred years of keeping the secret.”
“Shit, Tremaine. How old are you?”
“Two hundred and twenty.”
Roxy blinked slowly.
“No surprise or shock from you?” he asked Gwen with an arched brow.
She shook her head. “Makes a lot of sense actually. Your magic is wilder. You gravitate toward druids in a way mages your age never do. I always wondered, but never asked.”
He laughed. “You were always figuring shit like that out.”
“Mike knows?” Roxy asked.
“Your brother remembers every fucking thing. We tried to keep it from him, but he remembered the first time I saw him. Your mother called me brother, something she did when no one else was around. He remembered, and asked about it a few years later.”
“He never said anything.”
“Give the kid a break. He’s dealing with enough shit.”
Gwen looked away, trying to hide a smile.
“He didn’t keep it in his pants, did he?” Tremaine asked.
“I’m not discussing it,” Gwen responded.
Roxy laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Okay. I get it. A mage in the Silver Council being half anything would have been really bad.”
“Bingo.”
“Having druid family would throw a wrench into your career.”
“Pretty much. Plus, there are people who would attempt to use my wilder, unrefined magic for nefarious purposes. Considering my old profession, everyone knowing would be a bad thing. There are others in the same predicament.”
“You’re off the hook.” She rubbed a hand over her belly and smiled softly. “You’re helping me keep the munchkin.”
Tremaine chuckled. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you keep her.”
Her breath stalled as her eyes blinked wide. “Her?”
Gwen laughed. “He’s always right when it comes to guessing the gender. Trust me. It’s downright eerie.”
“It’s a gift.” He grinned.
“He’s a big sap when it comes to little ones,” Gwen jabbed.
Shrugging, he added, “They’re the hope of the future. Why shouldn’t I adore a cute innocent babe?”
“No reason. I still have a hard time seeing you as a father. The snarky uncle, sure.”
Tremaine’s expression darkened and he shook his head slightly. “Well, that’s not the topic we’re on. We’re here to convince Roxy there’s hope.”
Fallon slipped through the door. “More than hope. We got you.”
Roxy turned toward Fallon and gave her a hug. Out of everyone in the room, she felt the most comfortable with the fiery redhead. She trusted the other two, but Fallon was in a similar situation.
“You’re going to shift with me for every full moon?”
“Yup. Figure it’s the easiest way. In fact, I thought we might practice beforehand. Make it second nature, at least until you have the baby.”
Roxy looked down to find Fallon’s previously flat abdomen slightly rounded. “And how are your little ones?”
She grinned. “Good. You should see Brody light up every time he touches my belly.”
“That I can imagine.” One more breath and she turned to Tremaine. “I’m still worried how Trevor is going to take the news. Or Fiona, for that matter.”
Fallon said, “They might both be shocked at first. Once you explain it all, they’ll come around. Trevor, I imagine, quite quickly. Fiona, unfortunately, won’t have the same opportunity you do.” She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “She’ll be able to spoil your baby rotten though.”
“Thank you.” Roxy blinked back tears. “All of you.”
* * * *
Joey grinned at Mike. They were finally in the clearing. Mike wasn’t a small guy, but felt scrawny watching Joey pull his shirt off. Guy was a giant with layers of stacked muscle.
Nodding to Mike, Joey gestured, “Well, go ahead and shift.”
Trevor turned away and started stripping.
“Fuck, this is weirder than I expected.”
Shane chuckled. “Unlike you, if they shift without undressing, they’ll be riding back naked.”
“Good point,” Mike muttered and focused on his tiger shape. He thought about going with another form, but this was his comfort zone.
He sucked in a breath and took a step back as he closed his eyes. Then he was on all fours.
“Bloody hell, that spitfire didn’t mention Mike was huge for a cat.” Joey slapped his hand on his massive thigh then dropped to all fours as he shifted.
Mike couldn’t look away as fur flowed down his body while his shape shifted to a ginormous wolf. At least, they stood eye-to-eye, and he no longer felt small.
Trevor came toward them, a dark wolf and close to their size. All Mike could think was, Well, shit.
“Remember, Mike,” Shane said, “if you scratch them, they’ll heal fast. Don’t worry about it. They’ll be careful not to do the same to you since you won’t heal like us, and Roxy might kill all of us if we infect you.”
Yeah, that’s comforting. Not!
Joey started toward him and reached out to bat at him. Mike pounced, rolling Joey to his back and snarling in his face.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Trevor closing in, and whipped around to stand on his hind legs. He caught Trevor’s paws with a roar.
“Great instincts, Mike,” Shane praised. “I have a feeling you’ll catch on fast.”
Trevor stumbled back and Mike gracefully dropped to all four feet. He circled around Trevor as Joey got up. Feeling more confident, he looked to Shane for direction.
* * * *
Roxy being weepy left Gwen slightly uncomfortable. She was relieved when Preston slipped through the door and nodded outside. Almost.
“You going to be okay for a bit without me?” Gwen asked.
Her head tipped to the side as she considered Preston. “Who’s he?” Uber-protective little sis was back.
She rolled her eyes. “My superior. Don’t worry, he’s got nothing on Mike, but he wants to fill me in on a case.”
Laughing, he held out his hand for Roxy. “I’m Preston. Like she said, I’m here to fill her in on a problem. Don’t worry, I won’t keep her.”
“This is Roxana Nights,” Gwen offered, hoping he caught on.
“Oh, now the growly thing makes sense.” His gaze shifted back to Gwen. “I didn’t realize you were falling that hard for Mike.”
Gwen crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t give me shit. You’re either mushy-dovey with Dacia or full on sexy-mode, and I’ll admit to being slightly weirded out by that. So keep the snark to yourself, mister.”
Roxy visibly relaxed. “All righty. I’m fine. Do whatever you need.”
Dipping her head, she followed Preston outside and down the street.
Preston looked over with a raised brow. “You didn’t mention Mike’s sister was a wolf-druid hybrid.”
“Shit, figured you already knew. Nothing gets past you, and she’s been in town several times.”
“No reason to keep tabs on her. I know Shane from Trevor’s clan. They’re good people.”
“So far, I’ve met Roxy and Trevor. I’m sure that will be changing shortly.”
He snorted, then sucked in a breath. “You ready for some bad news?”
She nodded, knowing the direction he was taking.
“A year after Coltrain left you, he married a self-proclaimed psion. They crafted some grand scheme to destroy the Council and our ‘bigoted’ ways.” Preston sighed. “We were changing and he sent us backwards on our progression.”
“Josephine Monvoisin?” Gwen asked with a snort. “Figures. I suspected he was fucking her behind my back.”
“Then why were you so torn up over him leaving?”
“Never had proof he was cheating. Wishful thinking. And I thought I loved him. Do you remember what you were like the first time you fell for someone?”
“Didn’t happen all that long ago,” Pr
eston admitted with his usual cocky grin.
“Dacia was the first time you thought you were in love?”
His eyes narrowed. “I’ll make you a deal. You don’t hate on my lack of experience with love, and I won’t give you shit for falling for that asswipe.”
“Fine.” She opened her mouth to ask something else, but snapped it shut. Better if I don’t know.
He laughed out loud. “You really stopped yourself from asking?”
“I’d rather not hear another lecture on my poor choice in men. It hasn’t been all bad, though ill-fated at times.” She nodded at Preston.
“Fair enough.”
“What about Josephine?”
“She’s dead. Rumor is, Coltrain is trying to find a way to bring her back. And for some fucking reason, it seems all these death magic bastards need druid magic. Liches need them, and necromancers to bring someone fully back. All I can figure is that it takes life magic to fully wrap the dead in life.”
Gwen frowned. “Why Mike? Cole couldn’t have known he was a druid. His magic was locked up tight enough I only knew what was happening because I’ve been around someone in the same position.”
“Tremaine told me the whole story. Apparently Coltrain’s little sister knew about the magic. Not necessarily what he was, but if Amanda finally told him the details from that night, it’s easy to guess Mike’s nature.”
“Fuck. Let me guess, he’s going to attempt to use his sister to lure Mike? This puts me in a shitty position.”
“Yup, and you know to call us if you need help.”
“Yes, dad,” she sneered.
* * * *
After years of suppressing the tiger, this form still felt natural. Pure instinct guided his every movement, but he was capable of thought and reason.
In fact, he was wondering when they would decide he’d trained enough for the day. He wasn’t tired, but Mike wanted to know how Roxy was doing, and what was being discussed.
Accepting Fate Page 12
