“One bison ride tomorrow, no matter what, and one the day after if yer mama says ye’ve been good.”
Lily chanced at glance at her mother’s face and concluded that her mother was not going to say she’d been “good” for a long time. “One bison ride tomorrow, no matter what, and one the day after, no matter what?”
“Done.” Conn held his hand down low for Lily to slap, which she did, leaving a sticky feeling that he tried to ignore. “Now tell me everythin’.”
“Wait just a minute!” Lestriv interjected.
Conn’s wolfy grin resumed. “What’s worryin’ ye, woman? Are ye keepin’ secrets that interest me, then? There’s nothin’ in the world I want more than to hear what the child has to say.”
“Dagnabit!” said Lily. “I could have gotten more.”
“Why you little…” Lessie didn’t think she could have been more shocked than she had been when Lily first initiated the negotiation. Her daughter’s cunning seemed to far outdistance her years in savant style.
“Shhhh,” Conn said. “Let the lass speak.”
“Well,” Lily began dramatically by drawing out the word, “Luna said that you’re always pestering the alpha.”
Conn drew back, and looked a little horrified. His sudden discomfort made Lessie smile. “If you start a negotiation with a child, you can’t be sure where it will lead,” she said with satisfaction.
Lily continued. “Mama said her feelings are confusing.” Just as quickly as it had come, Conn’s discomfort was overtaken by a smug, knowing look. When his gaze pivoted toward Lessie, it was her turn to feel awkward.
“I was talking about Luna’s cabinets full of medicines,” Lessie offered weakly.
Lily went on, “Then Luna said the alpha is a grandpa and something about when it’s right, it’s right.”
Lessie looked like she might be feeling a little peaked.
“Thank ye, Lily. I will give ye bison rides this one time. But I also want ye to promise that ye will never again bargain with someone else’s secrets.”
Lily screwed up her face. “Why?”
“Because ‘tis no’ right.”
“Well,” she said, “then why was it okay this time?”
Lestriv crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked her head, waiting to see how Conn was going to extricate himself from a double bind argument.
Conn didn’t miss a beat. “’Twas a test to see if ye’d actually betray yer own mother.” He shook his head and tsked. “And I feel terrible about the bison rides because ye should no’ be rewarded for such thin’s. And ye can be sure that ye ne’er will be again.”
Lily’s face fell into a heartbreaking crumple. “Are you mad at me?”
Lestriv’s mouth fell open in shock again. She glowered at Lily. “And you’re not worried about whether or not I’m mad at you?”
Lily looked at Lestriv without concern and said, “No. You have to forgive me. You’re my mama.”
Lessie’s head fell to her chest in resignation before she looked up at Conn. “I guess that says it all.”
Without taking his eyes off Lessie, Conn said, “No, Lily, I’m no’ mad at ye. Would ye go inside now and wash the sticky stuff off yer fingers?”
“Okay,” she said.
Once she was inside, Conn closed the door and quickly pulled Lestriv into a kiss before she had a chance to think about it. Or say no.
Her resistance gave way to the warmth of the kiss before she made a conscious decision to allow it. Her body didn’t ask her brain for permission before going soft in his hands. When he pulled back, he heard her tiny moan and saw that her eyes were closed. That gave Conn encouragement enough to think he might venture teasing just a little.
“Ye’ll have to help me, Lessie. I’ve ne’er mounted a human. Does this enraptured look on yer bonny face mean ye like my kisses?”
When she opened her eyes he thought he saw a flash of irritation. “You’re the skillful lover, aren’t you? I’m sure all the females crave your kisses, Conn.”
When she started to pull away, he knew that he’d misjudged the timing of his playfulness. His big hands held her in place, while his voice, low and raspy, seemed to rumble in his chest. “Do no’ care what the other females crave.”
That pronouncement made Lessie feel curiously shy as well as flattered. She stepped back, reached up to tidy her hair, and said, “We’ll see you soon then?”
His chin dipped. “Soon.”
He watched as she stepped inside and closed the door before ambling toward the alpha’s lodge.
“Conn. I’m glad you’re here. Could you take a message to Liulf? My friend was just here.”
“The demon?”
“Yes. He’s taking our request for arms to Black Swan.”
Conn nodded slowly. “Aye. Anything else?”
“We should have an answer in a few days. He’s also going to tell Win what’s happened. It may impact the rest of the tribe’s decision about migrating here. Circumstances have changed greatly.”
“Aye. They have. I’ll be off at nightfall. Liulf will send the message on to First Colony. A few days, ye say. I expect that everythin’ will change then.”
Grey sat and directed his full attention to his nephew. After a moment he said, “Everything changed the day the dragon shifters came.”
“True enough.” Conn sighed deeply.
“What’s troubling you, Konochur? More trouble with the widow Clear Eyes?”
“I wish you would no’ call her that. She should not be defined by a wolf who’s no longer here.”
“Very well. I will call her Lestriv, if you prefer.” Changing the subject, he looked toward the kitchen. “The smell of Luna’s venison stew has been torturing me all afternoon. Have some with us before you go.”
Conn wasn’t unaffected by the heavenly aroma either. He smiled, eager to let his uncle know he regretted being abrupt. “Aye. I will. And I thank ye.”
Black Swan readily agreed to supply the weapons necessary for defense. They were already invested in their alliance with two of the three werewolf tribes on Lunark and would honor that relationship without question.
Some of the members of the Elk Mountain Tribe who had stayed behind in Loti Dimension had been balking at the prospect of migrating. But when they heard about the impending war with dragon shifters, their attitudes changed quickly. Every one to the last of them stepped forward to pledge their commitment to a new world, saying no tick-carrying dragon shifters would overcome their kinsmen while they were above ground to stop it. It seemed that even werewolves who had grown as complacent as hibernating bears could be stirred to action by the suggestion of a fight worth their attention.
In a coincidence that was fortunate for the wolf residents of Lunark, those two events dovetailed each other beautifully. Just as the New Scotia wolves had transported the necessities of a new life when they immigrated, so would the tail end of the Elk Mountain tribe serve as weapons mules. The Black Swan team assigned to train the wolves on the use of modern weaponry sorted out who would carry what and every Elk Mountainer, from youngest to oldest, carried something useful if they could stand upright and walk.
The demon, Deliverance, recruited his daughter, Litha, and her friend, Kellareal to help transport two hundred odd werewolves, with arms, through the passes. Some of the larger equipment had to be disassembled and carried in pieces along with tools to reassemble, maintain, and make repairs if necessary.
The Black Swan training team consisted of a force of nine volunteer knights with heavy weapons experience. On the one hand, they were skeptical about training absolute beginners with no weapons experience. On the other hand, they were sympathetic to the plight of the werewolf colonists as it had been explained to them, mostly because of their respect and admiration for one of the knights who was a quarter werewolf, Glendennon Catch.
He also asked for temporary leave from his team so that he could join the volunteers. Since he wasn’t heavy-weapons qualified, he had to ta
ke a crash course. But he was a quick study and passed his test after a forty-eight-hour session. Glen was excited by the prospect of encountering others who were human/werewolf hybrids. Even if they were all children.
There were sections of territory between the three tribes where paths were becoming visually evident because coordination required constant runners. The Council eventually voted to concede on the matter of communications as well as arms, temporarily. So the alphas and their two co-seconds were outfitted with walkie-talkie units and taught how to use them.
Ken was the first to recognize the danger posed by the paths. They were creating a map of travel habits that, when viewed from the air, might as well be an arrow saying “watch for tasty werewolves here”. Liulf immediately understood the implications and used his new walkie-talkie to contact the other two alphas and suggest that those traveling between tribes choose alternate routes, avoiding the paths, and never going the exact same way twice. It would be a long time before the bare ground would regrow and cover evidence of wear, but that could work in their favor if dragons tried to watch the paths on a full moon night.
While all semblance of normalcy had been left behind once the dragon shifters made a statement of intent with a graphic example of three dead werewolves, New Elk Mountain was thrown into near chaos by almost doubling its size overnight. The new arrivals were being sheltered by residents until new housing could be built. Within a day Grey was already hearing about temper flares caused by overcrowding. He was beginning to second guess his decision to allow the immigrants to come when everything was so uncertain and when expanding the settlement would be so difficult.
Adolescents were set as watchmen so that adults could work at building without needing to also watch the skies. When Konochur showed up, Grey explained that they had needed to temporarily give his room to a family of four. With a twinkle in his eye, he suggested that Conn seek housing elsewhere. Perhaps with a young widow who was not hosting Elk Mountainers. It seemed that none of the new arrivals wanted to shelter with a human and a half werewolf.
Konochur was infuriated. “She’s been openly ostracized?”
“No. No. I will not allow anyone to disrespect the humans in our tribe. The new wolves will get used to the fact that we’re a mixed culture or they’ll have me to deal with.” His mouth twitched at the corners. “I hear that even the alpha’s wife is human.”
That seemed to calm Conn a bit. “Goin’ to check on Lessie and Lily. If she’ll no’ have me for the night, save me a pallet by your hearth.”
Grey smiled and put a heavy hand on Conn’s shoulder. “We can use another strong back to help us get cabins up quickly. I’m glad you’re here.”
Conn nodded goodbye and began striding toward Lessie’s house.
When he stepped onto the porch, he heard a feminine voice a few yards away call to him. “Not there, Conn. She and the child are working the vegetable garden.”
“Thank ye kindly, BlueFire.”
Conn found his two girls working the neatly hoed rows, making sure that no unwanted plants claimed rainwater or crowded seedling carrots.
Lessie’s first warning of Konochur’s approach was a high pitched shriek.
“Conn!” Lily jumped up and ran to him. Lestriv turned to watch as Conn picked her up and spun her around laughing, holding her high, as if she weighed nothing. Lessie couldn’t have suppressed a smile if she’d wanted to and thought that no mother could resist the emotional pull of hearing her child squeal with joy. Especially when the child had lost her father.
He set Lily on her feet and turned toward Lessie, still squatting in the rows pulling weeds. When she looked up, his grin resolving to a smile. “Hello Lestriv.”
“Hello Konochur.”
For a few moments Conn said nothing. He simply continued to look at Lessie as if he was drinking her in.
“Can I help you with the weedin’?”
“We’re just done.” She rose to her feet and wiped her hands on her apron. “We haven’t seen you for a bit. Been busy with the weapons training?”
“Aye. I have. I hope there was no’ somethin’ pressin’ that ye needed doin’?”
“No,” she said as she gathered her tools and started toward home. She cut her eyes to the side. “We’re used to having you around is all.”
With a firm hand on her arm, he stopped her in her tracks and turned her to face him. “Is that yer way of sayin’ ye missed me?” He could tell by the way Lessie’s cheeks colored that he was on the mark. “‘Tis nothin’ to be embarrassed about if ‘tis true. I’m no’ too bashful to say that I’ve missed ye.” He glanced at Lily who was hopping in circles around them. “Both.”
She glanced up at him with a smile. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“Aye. And more.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There’s no vacancy at the alpha’s house. Seems your tribe’s population explosion has created an unhealthy demand for space. Grey said to seek shelter with you.”
Lessie’s eyes widened. “The alpha told you to stay with me?”
“Not exactly,” he said slowly. “He suggested that ye might be amenable to a guest. Under the circumstances.”
“I see.”
Conn didn’t like the fact that Lestriv looked troubled by the conversation. “I can always go to wolf and sleep on the floor.”
He noticed the tension left her face with that suggestion. “Well,” she began, “I’m sure something can be worked out.”
During dinner, Lily entertained them both with stories she’d made up. There was one about a dragon who fell in love with a butterfly and another about snakes that could wind around a wolf and smother them to death.
Lestriv didn’t know whether to be pleased with her little girl’s imagination or disturbed by the unusual turn of her thought process.
While Lessie cleaned up, she listened to the pleasant sound of Conn telling Lily a bedtime story that had been written centuries before. Lily had a lot of questions. What’s a cobbler? What’s a piper? Conn’s explanations made Lessie smile to herself, as did his patience with Lily. Lestriv wasn’t blind to the fact that he created a warmth and a hum of life in the household that was absent when he wasn’t around.
She knew what he wanted from her. He’d made that plain. She also knew she wasn’t ready to allow herself an attraction so soon after losing Jimmy. That and she didn’t think it would be healthy for Lily to get attached to adult males who were transient. Not that it wasn’t already too late for that.
Those were the thoughts that whirled round and round inside her head as she helped Lily get ready for bed. As if Lily could read her mother’s mind, she asked, “Will you still be here tomorrow, Conn?” The expression on her face was so innocently hopeful, it tore at the heartstrings of both adults.
He opened his mouth to respond, but Lessie answered. “Yes. He’ll be here tomorrow.”
Lessie closed the door to Lily’s tiny room and made her way to the table where they’d had dinner. “How is the training going?”
“The knights seem to be pleased enough. Sometimes I think they’re surprised that werewolves are clever. I can no’ figure out why they’d be expectin’ us to be stupid.”
Lessie chuckled. “I’m sure they don’t think that.”
Conn sighed. “The weapons they brought us…” His expression grew serious as he locked her gaze to his. “It will work, Lessie. There’s no question in my mind. It will work.”
“I hope so, Conn. We all hope so. I don’t want Lily to grow up always looking overhead in fear, not being able to venture more than a few feet away from a structure with a roof. Although,” Lessie looked toward Lily’s closed door then leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper, ”I’m not sure roofs would protect us if the dragons made up their minds on utter destruction.”
That was punctuated with a shiver that raised Conn’s protective instincts, but also made him painfully hard. He attempted to surreptitiously adjust himself in the chair. He
didn’t want to find out what Lestriv would think of the blooming big erection he’d sprouted just from watching one little shiver travel up her spine.
He swallowed to find voice because his mouth had gone dry. “’Twill all be over soon. We’re goin’ to rid this beautiful place of buggerin’ flyin’ reptiles. When ‘tis done, we’ll be pickin’ up little bits of dragon shifter for a long time to come.” Conn’s reassurance dropped to a soothing tone. Lestriv’s reaction began with a nod and ended with a yawn. “Too much diggin’ in the garden. Would ye like me to heat enough water for a bath?”
“That sounds like heaven, but,” she laughed softly, “I don’t think I could stay awake long enough. I’m keeping the offer though. Maybe I’ll ask tomorrow or…”
“When’er you wish.”
“So…” she began shyly, “you said you wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floor? As wolf?”
He was disappointed not to be invited into the warm bed with the curves that were only made more delectable by the swell of her belly, but hadn’t expected it.
He nodded as he walked toward the hearth. “I’ll just sit here in the chair and tend the fire until I’m ready.”
Lestriv’s cabin consisted of a main room and a small anteroom just big enough for Lily and her single cot. The double bed sat against the wall opposite the fireplace so that Lessie could see everything in the room when she was turned toward the hearth. She’d changed into a long linen nightgown in Lily’s room, said goodnight to Konochur, crawled into bed, and was asleep almost immediately.
Although there was nothing to fear in New Elk Mountain, at least there hadn’t been before the dragon shifters arrived, she recognized that she felt more relaxed and secure when Conn was there. That constant tension and unease of single parenthood abated as if on some level she felt the responsibility to keep Lily safe was shared.
Sometime later she heard a rustle and roused from her sleep. When she opened her eyes, Conn was removing his clothes. She watched in fascination as he stripped down to skin. Like many of the New Elk Mountain males, he’d taken to wearing buttery soft doeskin pants. When he turned to lay them over the chair, he glanced at Lessie and saw that she was awake and staring at his nakedness.
Romancing the Paranormal Page 25
