by Tara Shuler
“Did it tell you how to break the hold?” Alexi asked.
I shook my head and said, “I don’t think it knew. But it did say that if Dmitri were weakened enough, it could be enough for them to regain control and break free.”
“How did it even get here if it’s under Dmitri’s control?” Liam asked.
“The crystal,” I answered. “I’m certain the crystal broke the hold temporarily so that I could meet with it. I think the crystal is our key to defeating Dmitri.”
“How so?” Alexi asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, yet,” I admitted. “But it’s something I feel. I can’t explain it, but I feel it. I can feel the crystal’s power in me constantly, like I’m absorbing it.”
“Are you certain this is a good thing?” Alexi asked, and I could tell his voice was full of anxiety.
“Yes, I’m certain,” I told him. “Ever since I connected with the crystal, it’s like I’ve felt the darkness draining away from me. Like the darkness is being replaced by the energy from this crystal.”
Alexi didn’t look too convinced. His eyes tried to capture mine, darting back and forth, trying to search for something.
“I’m fine, Alexi,” I said, placing my hand on his cheek.
He closed his eyes against my touch and nodded. “It is time I start believing in you,” he told me.
A shiver ran through me, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was the first time I’d truly felt like his equal – or at least like he saw me as such. It was a truly wonderful feeling, and it surged through me all the way down to my toes.
It’s strange how a kind word from someone you love and respect can change your perspective not only of the world around you, but also of yourself. Alexi’s admission that he should start believing in me gave me confidence beyond anything I’d ever experienced. I blossomed within my own skin, ripe with the knowledge that I could do far more than anyone ever realized – especially myself.
“I will be spending more time with the crystal,” I said confidently. I half expected Alexi to object, but I was pleasantly surprised when he nodded.
“Whatever you feel is right,” Alexi said.
“And I’m going to be talking walks outdoors every day,” I added. “But I will take an escort. I’d like for it to be you when you have time.”
“If you wish,” Alexi agreed, absently fingering a tendril of my hair.
“And right now I’m starving, so I’d like to find Jamie and see if she objects to making me breakfast,” I said, rubbing my growling belly.
Alexi smiled broadly, clearly pleased that I’d decided to eat of my own volition. He said, “We will go together.”
“Hey, me, too!” Liam said. “I’m famished!”
Chapter Six
Jamie and Will were already having breakfast when we entered the dining hall. Her face brightened when she saw us, and she immediately jumped to her feet.
“Are you hungry?” she asked hopefully.
“Starving!” I told her. “Seriously, I’m about to faint.” I was only joking, but I was rather weak.
Her smile widened and she asked, “What can I get you? Anything you want.”
“I’d love eggs benedict,” I told her. “And hash browns. And orange juice. Oh, and something green!”
Jamie burst into laughter and said, “My, you are hungry!” Then she looked at Liam and Alexi and asked, “And for you two?”
“I will have the same as Alice,” Alexi answered.
“Why not,” Liam said. “I’ve never had eggs benedict. But… leave off the green stuff. Yuck.” He shivered in mock horror.
“You got it,” Jamie chuckled.
She picked up her own plate, which was empty, and tried to take Will’s, but he pretended to stab at her with a fork, indicating he wasn’t yet finished with his food. Then she disappeared into the kitchen. I slid into the seat beside Will.
“What’s up, sis?” he asked me, his mouth full of whatever delicious concoction Jamie had made for him.
“Your blood pressure if you keep eating like that,” I joked.
I glanced down at his plate, which was partly full of scrambled eggs with cheese, hash browns, bacon, a buttermilk biscuit and what appeared to be a mixture of butter and something else.
He shrugged and said, “You only live once, right?”
“Yes, but when you live as long as we do, you have to watch your waistline,” I picked at him, patting his tummy, which had expanded a little since I’d last seen him.
He stuck his tongue out at me and kept eating, and I turned to Alexi, who had taken the seat on the other side of me.
“After breakfast I’d like to talk a walk,” I said to Alexi. “Will you come with me?”
“Whatever you wish, darling,” he agreed.
“I’ll come!” Liam chimed in, waving his hand in front of me.
“The more the merrier,” I said.
I heard a giggle echoing, but muted. The dining hall door opened and Max walked in with Denise hanging off his shoulder giggling like a schoolgirl. Her smile faded when she saw me, and she flushed. She seeped behind Max as if she wanted to become lost behind him.
“It’s good to see you two,” I greeted them warmly. “Please, come join us!”
Max took Denise’s hand and pulled her toward the table. She still peeked from behind his shoulder as if she were afraid of me. When he sat down across from me, she reluctantly took the chair across from my brother.
“How are things going?” I asked Max.
“The hunters are making preparations to join us,” he said. “Within a few days they will have an army amassed and at the ready to follow us wherever they are needed.”
“That’s wonderful news!” I said. “I think we need all the help we can get.”
“My father will be joining us, too,” Max said.
“So how are things between you two?” I asked.
“They’re great,” Max said. “Never better.”
“So he’s not upset with you about helping us?” I asked him.
“No, of course not,” Max said. “I didn’t realize back then that the hunters and the council work together, and hunters only go after vampires that have done something that violates vampire law. If I had known, you would never have been in any danger at all. But hunters aren’t supposed to talk to to the untrained about hunter life, so he couldn’t really tell me any of that.”
“Wow, maybe that’s a rule that should be changed,” I commented.
“I agree, but who am I to try to change anything?” Max shrugged.
Before I knew it, Jamie was setting a plate of steaming food in front of me. She’d made eggs benedict with asparagus (the “something green” I had requested) along with handmade hash browns, freshly squeezed orange juice and even a wedge of orange on my plate. The hollandaise sauce the covered the eggs benedict and the asparagus was the most perfect I’d seen in all my life, and my mouth began to water immediately.
“Jamie, you are a genius!” I squealed.
“Well, don’t say that until you try it!” she laughed. Then she said to Alexi and Liam, “Your’s is coming right up. Max, do you and Denise want anything?”
“That looks freaking awesome,” Max said, jabbing his finger at my plate.
I caged my plate between my arms as if he were about to take it, and he chuckled.
“What about you, Denise?” Jamie asked.
Peeking carefully from behind Max, Denise quietly said, “Anything is fine.”
“Alright, two more plates coming up,” Jamie said.
Jamie brought Alexi and Liam their plates, and then she disappeared into the kitchen to cook for Max and Denise. I cut into my eggs benedict and the yolk of the poached egg ran across my plate, just like I like it. I took a bite and shivered with delight.
“Jamie is an absolute wonder in the kitchen,” I muttered with my mouth full.
“She’s a wonder at everything,” Will said. “I’m very lucky.”
I smiled.
Jamie was a blessed girl, too. And I wasn’t just thinking that because Will was my brother. In the last year, Jamie had blossomed into a bright, outgoing girl, having once been painfully quiet, shy and withdrawn.
Alexi and Liam had begun to dig into their food, and I could tell they were enjoying it considerably. I knew Jamie would be so pleased to know how much everyone loved her food.
“I need some fresh air,” I said suddenly.
Chapter Seven
Alexi held his elbow extended toward me, and I took it with my hand. He pushed the door open and escorted me into the back yard of the compound. A blast of fresh air brushed across my face, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of nature.
We began to walk toward the edge of the woods, Alexi taking my lead as I walked toward the shaded area along the perimeter of the yard. I couldn’t get enough of the outside air, and I continued to breathe deeply. The crisp air was starting to smell like autumn, and the leaves were just beginning to chance.
As we reached the edge of the forest, I could smell the deep woodsy scent of dark, damp soil and years of decomposing leaves. There was something so comforting about that scent. I began to wish it would rain. We strolled arm-in-arm along the perimeter of the woods, and I found myself wishing we could take a hike through it.
From somewhere within the forest we heard a sound that caused us both to jump, startled. It was a deep, guttural growl that erupted from within a hollow barrel of a chest. From the shadows stepped a wolf that was nearly as tall as I. The wolf’s fur was dark, nearly black, and rippled like a field of grain in the slight breeze.
“Logan!” Alexi called fondly.
The wolf approached Alexi and dipped his huge head respectfully downward, and Alexi returned the bow. The wolf nodded his head toward the forest as if motioning for Alexi to follow him.
“I beg your pardon, Logan, but I cannot leave my wife unattended,” Alexi apologized. “Oh, you have not yet met my wife! Alice, this is my good friend Logan. Logan, this is my wife, Alice.”
Logan dipped his head toward me, and I bowed back, my mind awash with confusion. “It’s nice to meet you, Logan,” I said.
“Darling, would you mind turning your back for a moment?” Alexi asked.
I glanced at him for answers, but he said nothing, so I reluctantly turned away from the giant wolf. I felt a breeze as Alexi removed his cloak, and I heard an odd popping and crunching sound behind me. Alexi tossed his cloak in the direction of the wolf.
“You may turn around now,” Alexi told me.
I couldn’t help but gasp aloud. The wolf was gone, and before me stood a man who had wrapped himself in Alexi’s cloak. He was young and handsome, with hair that edged black just as his wolf form’s fur had been. It was styled into an effortless pompadour similar to that of Elvis, but much more disheveled.
“Logan Thornton at your service,” said Logan, bowing quite formally in my direction.
“You… you just… you’re a…” I stammered, speechless.
“I take it you’ve never before encountered a wolf shifter?” Logan asked.
I shook my head, still unable to form cohesive words.
“Well, then it is quite the honor for me to be the first encounter of Alexi’s stunningly beautiful wife,” he said charmingly. Then he turned to Alexi and asked, “Is this the one?”
“Indeed she is,” Alexi said. “She is even more beautiful now than in the visions so long ago.”
I felt my cheeks warm, and I dipped shyly behind my hair.
“So why is it that you are here?” Alexi asked Logan.
“I’m afraid I have some rather disturbing news,” Logan said, his mood quickly morphing from mirthful to somber. “Our pack is facing territorial encroachment by another pack.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Alexi said. “Do you require our assistance?”
“It’s not that, my friend,” Logan said. “It’s which pack it is that is your concern.”
“It cannot be,” Alexi murmured.
Logan nodded and said, “I’m afraid it is. I hoped at first they were only passing through, but it is clear they have other intentions.”
“Have you made contact?” Alexi asked.
“Not yet,” Logan said. “But they’ve already begun marking the perimeter of The Thicket, and they would not likely do that unless they intended to try taking it by force.”
“So they have chosen to break your treaty,” Alexi muttered. “I cannot say that I am entirely surprised, but I did not expect it to be so soon.”
“Nor did I,” Logan said. “I thought I should come inform you since our territory borders your compound and there is likely to be some spillover, especially considering your history with him.”
“With whom?” I asked Alexi.
“I am sorry,” Alexi said. “Let me explain. Logan is the Alpha, the leader, of the pack that controls a territory called The Thicket. It borders the land on which our compound sits. A rival pack, led by an Alpha named Carson, is apparently after their territory. This would be a serious problem for us, as Carson and I have a… history.”
“What kind of history?” I asked.
“It is a very long story, but let us just say that he and I have never seen eye-to-eye,” Alexi said.
“No wonder!” Logan added. “When Hillary…”
Alexi shot Logan a warning glance, and Logan immediately closed his mouth and cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“Hillary what?” I demanded.
Alexi sighed and looked directly up at the sky for a long moment before saying, “Before Hillary became so obsessed with me, she was betrothed to Carson. She fell for me, and no matter how many times I told both her and Carson that I wasn’t interested in Hillary, he always continued to think that I took her from him.”
“Vampires can marry… um… wolf shifters?” I asked incredulously.
“Of course they can,” Logan said. “We are mostly human, after all.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any offense,” I apologized quickly.
“Oh, none taken,” Logan said. “I understand that you’ve only just learned about shifters. This must be quite a shock for you.”
“It is a bit,” I admitted.
“We’re just like you and humans in most ways,” Logan said. “Except we can shift into wolf form. Some shifters can even take other forms. But physiologically we are quite similar to you.”
“I can’t believe I never knew you existed!” I exclaimed.
“We prefer to stay hidden from society,” Logan said. “I guess you can imagine why. Humans already have their bedtime horror stories about us, and aggression against us would radically increase if they finally had confirmation that we really exist.”
“That is why the Council exists,” Alexi said. “Because vampires must also blend in unnoticed.”
“That’s true,” I said. “I didn’t think about that.”
“Those of you who do know of our existence we trust to keep our secret,” Logan said. “And those we cannot trust…”
Logan stopped speaking, but I understood his meaning. “If you can’t trust someone, you make sure they can’t tell anyone, right?”
Logan nodded sorrowfully and said, “It’s a necessary evil. We cannot risk being outed.”
“Don’t worry, I understand,” I said. “The Council and the hunters also have to make difficult decisions sometimes.”
“Speaking of that,” Alexi interjected. “Alice is our new Chancellor.”
“You don’t say?” Logan said, grinning warmly. “Congratulations! How did that happen?”
“My father is deceased,” Alexi said bluntly.
Logan’s smile faded and he said, “You have my condolences. Your father was a good man.”
“He was indeed,” Alexi agreed. “He left specific instructions that in the event of his death, Alice would become Chancellor. And thus, she is.”
“Are you prepared for that?” Logan asked.
“Not by a long shot,” I to
ld him. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“Well, you must be the right candidate for the job or Barnabas wouldn’t have left it to you,” Logan said.
“I suppose,” I shrugged. “Right now I’m just depending on Alexi to guide me.”
“Is there anything we can do to help against Carson?” Alexi interrupted.
“Oh, right,” Logan said. “Got sidetracked. Well, we could use some help, to be honest. We are sorely outnumbered. Carson’s pack has grown significantly in the past few years.”
“We will do what we can,” Alexi promised him. “But we are mired in some trouble of our own.”
“Oh? What kind of trouble?” Logan asked.
“Do you remember Dmitri?” Alexi asked.
“Vaguely,” Logan said.
“Well, he has taken an extremely powerful talisman from us and we believe he is planning to use it in a resurrection,” Alexi explained. “And to do that, he must have a sacrifice who has the Grace ability.”
“It’ll take him forever to find someone like that, won’t it?” Logan asked. “Grace is an incredibly rare ability from what I’ve heard.”
“It is,” Alexi agreed. “Except that my wife carries the ability.”
Logan’s face blanched, and he looked at me as though I were already dead. I swallowed hard under his gaze and he looked back to Alexi.
“My friend, you have any help you need from our pack,” Logan said.
“Thank you, friend,” Alexi returned. “And we will do anything we can to help defend The Thicket.”
“I appreciate any help you can offer,” Logan said, bowing. “I hate to cut our reunion short, but I must get back to my pack. It’s almost hunting time.”
“I understand,” Alexi said. “Please stay in contact and keep us apprised. I will do the same.”
I turned around, understanding this time the need to preserve Logan’s privacy. Or perhaps it was more for my benefit, as I supposed Logan and his people were used to wearing no clothing. Alexi caught his cloak, and I heard the cracking and popping of the man shifting into wolf.
