by Ryan Michele
Marvin’s hands move around the bowl all weird as he looks into the still-sparkling fluid. “The good is that I can see some. The bad is I do not see it all.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, climbing out from behind Xavier and sitting on his lap.
“First, you have several spells on you. Some that occurred when you were an infant, or a pup as you call yourselves. Do you know of any witches or wizards?” Marvin asks.
“My Nana O is something. She’s never come out and said it, but I know she has powers, strong ones.”
He nods. “You have a protection spell on you. It is the longest in your blood. It is to ward off other supernaturals from harming you.” Other supernaturals? But my father…
“Except wolves,” Xavier answers my unspoken question.
“Except wolves. Whoever put this spell on you must have felt that wolves would never harm you.” Yeah fucking right. I needed protection from them most of all. I wiggle on Xavier’s lap, not in a sexual way. I’m just antsy to know what spells are on me.
“The next of your spells happened years later. In the last few years, actually.” My stomach drops. A lot of shit’s happened in the last two years. “One is to bind your powers, but it is very weak as if you have already broken through much of it.” I have? I quirk my brow but say nothing. “You have a couple of strange ones. One is a smell mask and the other is a smell stimulator. Those are very much present.”
“What do those do?” Xavier asks.
“The smell mask looks as if it applies to everyone except Zara’s true mate. The smell stimulator though gives off pulses that Zara is interested in other males. It is very unusual to have these together. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” Marvin says perplexed.
“It makes a shit-ton of a lot of sense. My pack can’t smell our mating bond, therefore making it difficult for Zara. Then today she attracted the wolves in my pack like they were entranced.”
“I see.”
“Can you reverse them or break them or something?” I mean seriously, there has to be a way.
“I can, but there is more.” My body trembles. I don’t want any more. “There is a tracker spell on you. Someone has the ability to track your every move, Zara.” Surprised, shocked, stunned stupid? Yeah, that’s me. I’m being tracked, which means that whoever put the spell on me probably knows that I’m here. Shit.
Xavier hugs me tight. “We are totally covered. Let’s find out what else he has to say.” I nod shakily. “You think her Nana put these on her?”
My inside quivers at the thought. Surely she didn’t do this to me.
“Possibly. They are fairly uncomplicated spells, so anyone could have done it.” Marvin’s hand halts on top of the bowl. “Zara, you have the power to read minds, but you also have another. One that you didn’t state earlier.” The only thing we didn’t talk about was the light and the wind. That has to be it.
“I don’t know what it is and I don’t really know how to describe it,” I reply.
“Sadly, I do not have the answers for this power either. It seems to be something new and different that we haven’t seen before. When did you get it?” Marvin asks.
“Just a few days ago after meeting Xavier.”
“Interesting. And it is not refined right now? You don’t know how to control it?”
“No. I have no idea.”
“And you got this once you met your mate?”
Duh, I want to say, but out of respect, I do not. “Correct.”
“I believe there is more at play here. I’m not sure what it is, but I can tell you what I see.” I hold on to Xavier’s hand like it’s my lifeline and the only thing grounding me. That’s because it is. “There is an upcoming battle. One both of you want no part of, but will fight because you have no choice.” He pauses. “It is imperative that you win this battle, but the future cannot be seen because it all weighs on your victory.”
“I’m assuming the battle is against Zara’s father, which is a given that we will fight to the death. We just don’t know what’s after that,” Xavier says.
Marvin places his hands on the table and finally makes eye contact with us. “That is all it shows. It won’t go any further. Whether you win or lose will determine the future. But even after, I can’t guarantee that I will see.”
“Well, this was a ball-full of fun,” I mumble.
Xavier huffs out a breath. “Bottom line. We gotta kill her father.”
Heavens, this isn’t good. I know we have to battle my father and that is scary enough, but why can’t he see any further? Are we all going to die and that’s why he can’t see?
“That about sums it up,” Marvin comments as if it’s all the same to him.
‘We may not make it past the battle,’ I think to Xavier.
‘We fucking will,’ he insists, oozing confidence. “Fuck!” Xavier scowls. “Can you at least reverse the spells on her so we can get out of here?”
‘Please!’ I yell.
“Please,” he growls and I smile.
THE REVERSAL OF the two smell spells took like two minutes, and once Max and Thor got a whiff, they said they knew instantly that we were mates. Thank the Heavens. The tracker spell was lifted as well. Now maybe all this added crap will end at the den. We have other shit to deal with.
“Clothes off,” Xavier orders once entering the bedroom after discussions with his top men. They all had grim looks on their faces, but the confidence that each one exuded was impressive. It sucks that I can’t change any of it. The difference in the pack was pretty immediate when we stepped through the threshold of the den. They could in fact smell us, and that part warmed my heart.
My wolf growls. She’s kept pretty quiet during the meeting with Marvin, but with this she’s wagging her tail in want. I shouldn’t be turning wet from his command. We have a shit-load to prepare for and this shouldn’t be on this list. But, my body betrays me.
“Xavier, maybe we should…” My words get cut off when he wraps his arm around my waist and flings me onto the bed, where I bounce twice. What is with him and tossing me around?
“Clothes off, now. Need to fuck you.” He rips my shirt from my body and his lips crash hard onto mine. I take what he gives, trying to catch up. He releases me briefly to tear off his shirt and pants, and I wiggle out of mine. My blood pumps hot and my need grows, wetness coats me, and my inner-wolf growls.
I pounce, taking Xavier off guard and shoving him onto the bed, and straddle him. My claws extend, digging into his shoulders, and he snaps his teeth at me. His hardness pulsates between us. I push myself up on my knees and he lifts his hips, impaling me. I scream out at the glorious intrusion. I move up and down, retracting my claws. With every glide, I climb higher and higher.
I close my eyes as I relish the feel and instantly find myself on my back, him blazing on top of me. He shows me no mercy, pounding into my hot flesh. I let out a piercing yell when my release hits and am instantly flipped onto my stomach with Xavier’s hard dick back inside of me, reaching deeper than before. His fingers squeeze my thighs painfully, but it only adds to my pleasure. His thrusts become insistent and the connection between us is unreal. I feel every beat of his heart and it twists its way into mine, binding us deeper and deeper.
“Come with me, babe,” he grunts out. I reach down and run my fingers over my clit, setting myself off the cliff. Xavier follows and I can feel his pleasure deep inside of me. I love every damn minute of it.
We lie next to each other, breathing heavily. When our breathing calms, he pulls me into his arms and rests my head on his chest. I can feel the thump of his heartbeat. His arm snakes around my body, holding me close and tight. My legs thread with his and I rub my hand over his coarse chest hair.
“Tell me about your family.” I don’t know much about him. This whole thing has been one big rollercoaster ride and it’s about time I found out about my mate. It’s common for wolves to know next to nothing about their significant other. It’s actually more uncommon to know about your ma
te’s history, because we can smell each other at very young ages. We already rule out our pack mates at the first smell.
His fingers wrap around a small piece of my hair and he begins to twirl it. “I grew up here in the Raber Pack. My grandfather was Alpha for a hundred-fifty-three years then died in battle. My father fought for the position and lost.” I gasp. “Yeah. He did, his first time. The second time, he won. So he was Alpha for the next ninety years. He met my mom before he became Alpha, but didn’t start having pups until he was Alpha. But the Heavens decided that I was the only pup he would have. I know my mother was devastated about it, but she had me and my father. She was a wonderful mother.” Was. So she’s gone. Damn, that sucks. “She was the, have a steak ready for you so you could eat right after you were out running, kind of mom. Tuck you in at night and read stories.” He looks down. “The whole mother thing.”
“It’s nice you had that,” I whisper, remembering a time when I had that too. It seems like forever a go.
“Yeah. My father was killed by a pack that no is longer in existence. The Lobo Pack. We still to this day do not know why they killed him or how it was actually done. We just know that he went out for a run and never came back. When the link to the wolves snapped closed, we all went searching for him. I was the unfortunate one to find him. Or it could be fortunate, depending on what way you look at it.”
“I’m so sorry.” I press my body closer to his.
“My mother didn’t take it well. She tried to live without him, but it was too much. Their bond was too strong and with him gone, she lost part of herself. She ended up challenging one of the females from another pack. I tried talking her out of it, but she was set and that is where she died.”
Holy hell. That blows. My heart breaks for him and all the pain he has suffered. I wish I could take some of that on for him. Wish I’d been around for him during that time. Fate had other ideas.
“How did you become Alpha?”
He chuckles, lightening the mood. “I had to fight for it. I was so pissed for my father dying and my mother having such a hard time that I lost it. Took out the guy in about a minute. He never stood a chance with that much anger rushing through me. I’ve been Alpha for seventy-five years now.”
“I can tell they all respect you. They were willing to stand up to you about me when they didn’t smell it. They’d do anything to protect you.” I kiss his pecs and lie back down.
“The Raber Pack are good wolves. Honest and loyal. Wolves that I risk my life for every time there is an issue. It is my job to protect them just as much as they protect me.”
“That sounds like a lot of pressure.”
“You have no idea, babe.” He gives me a squeeze, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
Damn. He already has so much on his plate and here I come complete with an impending battle that we have to win. I suck for bringing all of this to him. “I’m sorry,” I say, so quietly that even I know he could barely hear me.
“For what?”
I lift up and rest my chin on his chest. “For adding to your work. For bringing my father to your doorstep. That was never my intent.”
“Zara, you’re my mate. We were fated together at the time of conception. You are not responsible for his behaviors. Isn’t that what you told little Natalie?” I smile, remembering the little girl. So adorable.
“Yes. I’m still sorry.”
“No more of that. Hear me. You are mine. I am yours. We will win this.” I love the determination and strength in his voice. It may be the most reassuring thing I’ve ever heard.
“I never thought I’d find you. With my father, I thought all was lost at finding this. I’m so happy that I didn’t miss it in this lifetime. Thank you, Xavier.”
“You’re thanking me? Babe, this is no burden. I will do anything to protect you. I’m happy and proud I found you, too.” My heart swells to the point of bursting out of my chest. All this could have been lost. It only makes me hate my father more. I shake, needing to get my mind off of this.
“What movies do you like?” I switch up on him, but he doesn’t skip a beat.
“Action usually, but I haven’t watched a movie in forever.”
“Music?”
“Anything. I’m open. You?”
“Don’t listen too much. I love to read, but haven’t read anything in so long.” I muse. “I miss that.”
“We’ll get you to our library then.”
My head pops up. “You have a library?”
His smile is utterly infectious and I burn it into my brain. “Yes, with lots and lots of books.”
“Once all of this gets sorted.” I reach up, giving him a chaste kiss. Xavier threads his fingers through my hair and proceeds to show me what a real kiss is.
AFTER TELLING THE pack what the wizard told us, the only one who was still unaccepting of me as Xavier’s mate is Marissa. I blew her off. She is not worth my time and I have bigger fish to fry. We ate breakfast and I cleaned up, with some help from a very grumpy Marissa, who excused herself to work on the bathrooms. I do love doing the dishes though. It’s strange, but it’s fun and it takes my mind off of all the ugliness going on around me. It’s my little escape. I want to run, so badly, and my wolf is clawing at me to do the same, but it’s not safe.
Nothing is safe until we get past the fight, which will be in a couple of days. Every minute that ticks by is a minute closer to our possible end. I hate it. Dishes and sex are about all I can do to work out my frustrations, and Xavier is more than happy to help me out with the latter. That man has some serious stamina. Love it. And him. My heart squeezes. I can’t lose him. I won’t lose him. I will fight until my dying breath to keep him safe. He won’t allow that, but I will nonetheless.
I’m due in Xavier’s office to help with the strategies we will use during the impending battle. We are meeting my old pack on the sanctioned land of the Council. Almost all of the Council members will be there to keep everything unbiased. Even my father’s money can’t help when the most honest and trustworthy members of the Council will be in attendance. Hopefully, this will deter my father from any of his trickery. But I put nothing past him.
I have yet to explore my new home. There hasn’t been time and I’m okay with that, but when I hear the sobs of a child, I head in that direction. Natalie. She’s curled up in a small ball in the corner of what appears to be a game room. Video games are hooked up to TVs that line the walls, and there is even a skeeball machine and foosball tables.
I approach the little girl slowly and take a seat on the floor next to her. Not touching her, but facing her. Her sobs continue as she looks up and sees me, then casts her eyes back down. I so want to dig inside her little head and find out what’s wrong, but I’m hoping that she feels comfortable enough to tell me. If not, then I will go in.
Long minutes pass as she cries. I stay near, unmoving. Unspeaking.
“My daddy’s dead.” She weeps and my heart breaks for her. Screw it. I scoop her up, pull her into my lap, and wrap my arms around her tightly while she cries. “He’s been gone a long time. I miss him.”
“I bet you do, little one.” I press her head to my shoulder and rock her back and forth. “He’s up in the Heavens right now looking down on you, knowing how strong and brave you are, Natalie. He loves you so much.” Natalie sobs more and my heart takes a good pounding. This is not something I can fix for her. This is something that she will live with the rest of her life. There is nothing that can ever change that. “Do you think about him a lot because you know that’s the best way to keep him in your heart?”
She nods her little head. “And now Mommy has to fight. What if she dies, too?” she wails and I still. Holy shit. This little girl could lose her mom too. No. Not going to happen. I squeeze her harder.
‘Natalie’s mom will not fight in the battle. She will stay back with the children as will the rest of the mothers,’ I think to Xavier.
‘What’s going on? We need all the help we can get,’ he
fires back.
‘I know. But you aren’t holding a little girl in your arms, sobbing because she lost her daddy and now her mommy is going to fight. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to her mother because of my father.’ I couldn’t. It would eat at me and eat at me until there was nothing left.
‘I love your kind heart. Let’s talk to Natalie’s mom and let her make the decision.’ Xavier is so calm and in control, which is another huge freaking turn-on, but I don’t really like his answer.
‘I want to make the decision for her. I don’t want her to have to choose between her child and us. That is not right. Natalie needs her mother,’ I plead, looking down at the innocent little girl. She’s still curled up in a ball, and has no idea that I’m having a conversation that would hopefully take some of her pain away.
‘And I admire that. But Natalie’s mom is a proud woman. She was by her husband’s side when he was taken from us. She has fought in the few battles since. If we take that away from her, it may be hurting her more than helping.’ I hate it. Hate it, but he knows his pack better than I do and this sucks. This whole situation sucks.
‘Fine, but I hope to the Heavens she stays back with her little girl. I want to be there when you ask her.’
‘You can be, but you will not persuade her in any way. You will not be allowed to talk.’ Fuck that.
‘Whatever. Let me know when. I’ll be with Natalie for a while. Her mother went out with some of the other wolves to the store. It’s crazy the number of wolves that have to go to keep everyone safe.’
‘It’ll be over soon.’
One could only hope.
SKEEBALL HAS TO BE the funniest game ever. Natalie taught me how to roll the ball to the side and flick my wrist to get the ball to go up higher. Of course, she’s beaten me at every game, but I’m having a ton of fun. I shouldn’t be with everything in a tornado, but Natalie needs me and though I didn’t really realize it, I need her too.
“Natalie!” someone calls from the living room and Natalie stops and turns.
