The Faye's Secret: A Keepers of Light novel

by Sarah Beth

  “Tori…”

  She rolled her eyes and then pointed to Abby’s plate, “Relax, Abby. It’s really not a big deal. Alex knows you can pay him back if you want to. Now get over here and finish your food or I’m going to eat it too. Shopping is hard work.”

  With one last glare at the bags on the couch, Abby sat back down at the island and stuffed a chunk of pancakes into her mouth. With a satisfied smile, Tori tucked back into her own plate.

  By the time the boys returned from their run, Abby and Tori had cleared the kitchen of any remaining pancakes and had moved the bags of clothes upstairs. Except for the new boots and red coat Tori insisted were gifts and put them by the front door with the rest of the outerwear.

  The minute Alex walked through the front door though, Abby put her hands on her hips. He started laughing before he had even gotten close to where she stood in the living room. “What is that look for? I hope you don’t plan to smite me.”

  “Very funny, I doubt I could smite you. What the hell is with all of the clothes?” She only glared harder when he smiled widely, sitting down in his big chair by the fire.

  “You needed them, whether you admit it or not. And I was happy to help. So was Tori. Now stop glaring at me, witchling,” he was laughing again, “You can pay me back if it’s so important to you. We weren’t sure when you’d get back to your apartment in the city, and you needed to be prepared for the weather.”

  She gave him one last glare before she looked around the main floor, her arms falling to her sides. “Wait. What day is it?” Abby looked from Tori to Alex, waiting for someone to answer her.

  Tori came towards her from the kitchen, looking slightly concerned. “It’s Monday...are you okay? Should you go back to bed?”

  Abby groaned, running a hand down her face, “No, no, I’m fine.” She sighed and let her hand fall back to her side, “I forgot to email school. I’ll tell them I’m sick...I’ll be out for the week…”

  Alex leaned forward on his knees, his brows pulling together. “I have a doctor friend in the city, I can ask him to send an official note to the school for you, if you’d like.”

  Of course he would have a doctor friend.

  “I’ll email my professors first. If they need a note, I’ll let you know. Thank you.” Abby shrugged, hoping a few quick emails would be enough. She also really needed to call her boss at work. Hopefully, she would be understanding.

  Alex nodded, easing back into his seat and knitting his hands behind his head.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced around, realizing someone was missing. “Where’s Wesley?”

  Alex smiled, inclining his head towards the front door. “He’s out front.”

  She looked from Tori in the kitchen, who was busy making something for the boys to eat, and back to Alex, who was still smiling at her. With a shrug, she went over to the door, stopping at the last moment to pull her new red coat over her shoulders. Opening the door, the cool breeze hitting her, she thought she could hear Alex laughing from inside. Ignoring him, she shut the door to the warm house and went to find Wesley.

  She didn’t see him in the front yard, so she made her way around the garage to the back. She hadn’t realized before that Alex’s house also had a basement. A wall made of windows encased the back of the house. A door leading out to a cement patio on the face of the hill. Through the large glass windows, she could see at least one bedroom and a small lounge area. Stopping on the cement patio and looking around, she was once again awed by the scenery of the mountains. The hill slope was more gentle than she had thought, as it led down to the valley below. Pine trees towered over her from every direction. She could imagine how gorgeous they all must look covered in snow. A twig snapped to her right and when she turned, she couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping her lips.

  Bigger, much bigger than any wolf she had ever seen, he stood a good twenty feet from her. She suspected he was giving her space to get away if she wanted to, but that was the last thing that crossed her mind. She guessed his head would be at her shoulder, if he stood beside her. He was gorgeous, whether he would appreciate that sentiment or not. It was the only word that fit and yet wasn’t even remotely adequate. His fur shown in the sunlight, the different hues of gray and black changing as he began to slowly walk towards her. One of his ears had a snow white tip. But it was his eyes, those beautiful crystal blue pools, that sparkled when she took the few remaining steps between them and buried her hands in his fur. God, it was so soft. Softer than anything she had ever touched.

  He made a noise in his throat. It sounded so close to a purr she laughed. And suddenly the emotional morning and the events of the last couple of days didn’t matter. All that mattered was this giant beast before her, and the warmth her hands were feeling buried against his shoulder. His nose bumped her thigh. It was meant to be gentle, she could tell, but she still stumbled closer to him with a laugh. Without thinking, she put her arms around his neck and leaned her head on him. The softness of his fur even more noticeable on her cheek. He made that purring sound again and she found herself holding him tighter.

  She wasn’t sure how long they stood there for, but he gently pulled himself out of her arms and looked at her. She had been right; he was eye-level with her as he stood there. “Are all werewolves as big as you?” She hadn’t meant to ask the question out loud but when she did, she found she didn’t really care that she spoke her mind.

  Wesley shook his giant head, his fur dancing.

  “No, huh. Well, aren’t you just special then?” He opened his mouth and gave her a toothy grin, his tail wagging behind him, making her laugh again.

  Her life sure had gotten strange over the last couple of days. Here she was standing in a forest with a giant werewolf by her side and she wasn’t in a state of shock. Her conversation with Alex that morning had helped calm her thoughts, and as the seconds ticked by, made her realize that she felt more at home here than anywhere. Maybe she should be afraid. Maybe she should be questioning everything. But she already knew questioning things didn’t always make them better. And something told her, something deep down inside, that as long as she had this wolf by her side, she could handle anything.

  “Come on, you big oaf. Tori was making you food.” She put her hand back into the fur at his neck and started walking, pleased when he walked beside her. Her hand remained in his fur all the way to the front porch.

  * * *

  ❖

  Wesley

  He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt more nervous. He had seen her the moment she came around the side of the house, but had been too afraid to let her see him. He was certain she would run, or at least scream. He hadn’t given her enough credit. He’d been so nervous about her reaction to his wolf form, he hadn’t thought about how strong of a person she was. But still, the moment he revealed himself to her and she didn’t run or back away, his heart sang. And the feeling of her hands in his fur made him want to roll over on his back and let her rub his belly. He had never, except to Alex, shown anyone his belly. But she was Mate, his wolf had already decided. She was different.

  When they got to the front porch she went up the stairs and opened the door for him, running her hand down his back as he trotted past her. Wolf nose touching her hand gently before he trotted down the stairs to his bedroom. She may have accepted his wolf form, but the change wasn’t pretty — Bones breaking and reforming; hair disappearing into the pores it sprouted from; skin ripping and healing. He didn’t want to subject her to that just yet.

  Ten minutes later, once he was fully human again, and his breathing and heart rate had returned too normal, he pulled on his clothes and went upstairs to join the others. His skin still felt feverish from the change and his stomach felt like it was eating itself - he needed food, and a lot of it. Changing forms used up a lot of energy and if he didn’t replace it soon, his body would start to crash. Much like druggie’s body going through withdrawals. It only happened to him once and he never want
ed to repeat the experience.

  She was sitting by the fire, in the same chair she occupied since her arrival. He found himself wondering if she liked fires. She certainly didn’t have a fireplace in her apartment in the city, maybe one of her foster homes had?

  “Ah, there he is. Was wondering if I needed to send Abby to come and find you.” Wesley glanced over at Alex in the kitchen, a smirk on his face.

  Tori chuckled beside him, dishing out whatever she had cooked. It smelt like Italian. “Very funny, old man.” He walked into the living area, sitting on the couch opposite Abby.He was trying to not stare at her. But she kept looking at him until he finally gave in and looked at her.

  She was smiling at him, her eyes still dancing like they had been outside. He had half expected her to shut down again, after seeing a wolf almost as tall as her. But her body was relaxed, a slight flush on her cheeks. Which Wesley wasn’t sure came from the fireplace or something else.

  “Alright, now that you can talk again — How big do werewolves usually get? You said you’re on the bigger side?”

  Her voice made him smile and her question had him chuckling. He tossed his head from side to side, “Alex is about the same size, Warren about a head shorter. Tori and Kyle are about half the size. It depends on the person but no one really knows what makes some wolf forms larger than others.”

  Making a noise in the back of her throat, her brows pulled together in concern, “Does it hurt? To shift.”

  No one had ever asked him that question. Perhaps because most of the people he knew in his life knew of werewolves and knew how a change worked. But this was the first time a human — not human, he reminded himself, Faye — had asked. He gave a slight shrug, “It isn’t pleasant, if that’s what you mean. But you get used to it after a while.”

  She nodded her head slowly and he was certain she was going to ask another question, before Tori came over and handed him a big bowl of pasta and sausage. He nodded his thanks at her before taking a bite, barely holding in the moan of pleasure as the flavors hit his tongue. He watched as Tori went around the coffee table and sat on the same couch as Abby. The girls exchanged a smile and it settled any sort of unease Wesley or his wolf had when Tori sat so close. It startled him that he kept feeling anxious anytime anyone went near Abby. These people were his family, his pack. But the more time Abby spent in the house, around the others, the anxiety began to lessen. Abby seemed to like Tori and he knew the lone female wolf of the pack was enjoying having another girl around.

  “Have you told her?” He looked up at Alex as his friend came over and sat down, his own bowl of food in his hand.

  He saw Abby look over at him, her eyebrow raised, “Told me what?”

  Offering a glare over his bowl at Alex, he swallowed and set his bowl down in front of him. Abby had gotten that cute annoyed look on her face, her eyebrows drawn together and her mouth set in a stubborn line. He knew she grew tired of being out of the loop.

  “We heard back from the Faye we know. He’s agreed to meet us, but that doesn’t mean he agrees to train you.” Wesley glanced at Alex and then back to her green eyes, “But the fact that he responded so quickly is promising. He usually ignores our messages for weeks.”

  When her head tilted to the side a bit, not unlike his wolf form would do, he chuckled. “Time is different to the Faye. When you have eternity, a few days or even weeks seems like nothing.” Abby nodded. Her hands in her lap started to play with the end of her shirt. She was nervous and trying to hide it.

  Tori noticed too because she placed a hand on Abby’s shoulder and smiled, “You won’t be there all alone and although the things you’ve heard about the Faye probably aren’t that great, this is one of the good ones.”

  “She’s right,” said Wesley, he waited until Abby had turned her head to look at him before he continued. “Elazar may be Faye, he may be thousands of years old and a slight prick,” — he chose to ignore Alex’s reprimand at the insult — “but he is one of the good ones.” He smiled at her unsure expression. “And I will be there with you the whole time.”

  “Alright, when do we leave to meet this Faye then?”

  Alex stood, taking his already empty bowl back to the kitchen, “At noon. You and Wesley will head to see Lord Elazar. Kyle and Warren are heading into the city to speak with a contact who worked on the Portland murder.”

  He could tell she was trying to not be overwhelmed. Had probably thought that maybe she’d actually have a chance to relax and think. But they had to keep moving, they had a life on the line. More than one if Abby couldn’t find someone to train her.

  Her chest rose as she took a deep breath, looking up at him as she released it. “Okay.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  ❖

  Abby

  To say that Abby had been nervous to the leave the safety of the house was an understatement. She wasn’t exactly keen to have another blackout spell. But she needed to go meet this Faye. And if the only way to do that was to leave the house and drive further north into the mountains, then so be it. She was glad she changed into one of the knit sweaters Tori had brought over for her. It was a lot cooler outside than it had been the day before. Her thin button up shirt would not have been sufficient. She was glad when Wesley turned the heat on in the truck, offering her a small smile.

  Something had changed between them since the last time they had been stuck in his truck together, but she wasn’t sure what it was. It wasn’t that she had ever felt uncomfortable in his presence — now it just felt more relaxed and right. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and she was sure he was feeling the difference too. He was much more relaxed today, one hand resting on the windowsill and the other lightly grasping the wheel. Smiling softly, she turned and looked out her window. They hadn’t been driving long, but the scenery had changed a lot. They had descended into a large valley sitting in the middle of giant mountains on all sides. The blue sky the perfect backdrop to the gray peaks. The sun shone bright that day. It was hard to tell from where they were, but Abby was certain there was some snow on a few of the highest peaks. Guess Alex had been right — snow was due any day.

  They drove in silence for a few more miles before Abby turned in her seat to face Wesley, “Alright, so fill me in on this Faye. Before I walk into this situation knowing nothing.”

  Wesley glanced at her face, then to how she was sitting, and smiled, “Tired of feeling like you know nothing?”

  She snorted, looking back out the front window. “You could say that.”

  Wesley sighed and switched his hands on the wheel. “You’ve heard legends of fairies and the Faye. They’re tricky creatures who will do anything to get their way. They like to spin things you say, so that you end up falling into whatever trap they had set for you in the first place. And they’re powerful,” he glanced at her, as if to punctuate the point, “very powerful. Some more than others.”

  “And this is one of them?” She got the feeling that this Faye was only interested in speaking to them because her situation was so different. If he was a thousand years old, she suspected not many things surprised him anymore.

  Nodding his head, his lips hardened into a thin line, “Very. He’s an Elder, a high level Faye. He says he left the Faye Council a hundred years ago because he was bored of their politics.” The look Wesley cast in Abby’s direction told her that he didn’t believe a word of that. “Whatever the reason, he’s still a member of the Council of Elders. But he left the realm of the Faye a few decades ago and he’s been living in his little glade all alone since then. Alex sought out his aid a couple decades ago to help solve a problem. He’s been cordial to the pack since then.”

  Abby chuckled, turning back around in her seat and crossing her arms, “Yeah, until he meets me, you mean.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  He looked at her and back at the road multiple times. With a sigh, she said, “I’m just saying. Let’s assume that whoever my father is is the one who put
that spell on me and sent me away. Let’s assume that I was born illegally, according to the law of the Faye Council. Let’s assume…”

  Wesley held a hand up but his smile made it obvious that he wasn’t annoyed, “Alright, alright. I get the picture.” He slowed the truck down abruptly and pulled off the dirt road onto what could have at one point been a trail, but the grass had long since grown over the tire tracks.

  Abby couldn’t help but lean forward in her seat when they rounded a hill and came upon a pond, with a cabin floating in the middle of it.

  The car came to a stop, the silence deafening as the engine shut off.

  Abby said she felt at home in nature — which she did. But this place had an eerie calm about it. It was like that feeling she would get when watching a horror movie, knowing that the character was walking to their death and yet being captivated by the scene playing before her. The pond, surrounded by trees in the middle of gigantic mountains, felt like that. She had her hand on the door, ready to get out and yet frozen in her seat.

  “Abby, do you want to leave?” Wesley’s voice broke her trance and she looked over at him, concern written all over his face. He must have smelt her apprehension.

  She didn’t answer right away, content to just look at his face. It calmed her nerves more than she was willing to admit.

  “Abby…”

  Shaking her head, she looked back out the window. “Sorry, no. I don’t want to leave. This place is just…”

  His voice was both sarcastic and yet very serious all at once, “Creepy.”

  A dry chuckle escaped her lips, “That would be the understatement of the weekend.”

  His hand gently touched her arm. She looked down at his tan fingers before up at his face. His eyes had softened from concerned to comforting, and maybe something else that Abby wasn’t ready to read into, “We’re just going to talk to him, we leave whenever you want to.”