He kissed her again—or perhaps she kissed him. Whoever did the kissing, they were both enjoying it. Melting into it. But when he felt the laughter of his brother before he spoke, he lifted his head from hers and rested his forehead on hers.
I hate to tell you this, but Mom knows that you’re pounding your mate. The pictures on the wall in here are shaking. He told Tyler to fuck off. She was pounding him. Oh well, I doubt that Mom will care what the difference is, but how about you two come and join us for a meal? I don’t know about you, but hearing you in there is not easy on me. I doubt that it’s easy on anyone within a hundred miles, actually.
We’ll be in soon. Addie laughed when he told her what was going on. The pup curled around his legs as Bug moved along her shoulder. “Do we have to feed them? I mean, what do sigils eat?”
“What you’re having. Asim will want more meat, as does Bug.” She moved from under him and toward the dining room, laughing. “Of course, you could just let her chew on your own flesh. I’m sure she’d like that too.”
He was still standing there when he saw his mom. She asked him if he was all right. After shaking his head, he told her that he wasn’t really sure if he was ever going to be all right again.
“As it should be when you have a mate. I’m thinking that she’s going to set you on your ear, and that household of yours. What does she think of Penny?” He told her that they’d not met as yet. “I’d take care of that first thing when you get to the dining room. I know it won’t matter much how she feels about—”
“It’ll matter to me.” She nodded and patted him on the cheek. “Mom, what if she and Penny hate each other? What if they never get along?”
Laughter came from the big dining room—a room, like most homes, he supposed, where families met and enjoyed each other. At least his did. When they were all able to get together, they did have fun. Mostly poking at each other, but he loved everyone at that table whether or not they were blood to him.
When he went into the room, he supposed the idea of introducing his daughter to his mate was a moot point. They seemed to be getting along just fine. Addie was showing Penny how to eat a steak. Not that it was difficult, but to cut the meat up for a kid might have been something that she’d not done. He knew that in the time Penny had been with him, they’d not had any kind of steaks, so he decided that he needed to broaden her tastes. Expand her menu.
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you guys.” Owen stood up and gently touched his spoon to the glass he was holding. “I found the little box that Michael told me to look for. It was under the floor of the pool house, along with a trunk the size of a car. And before you ask, yes, we did open it. I handed it over to the police. There were things in it, things that will solve a great many cases involving missing and murdered people. There was the last trunk too, one from Birdie. It was filled with the usual things, mostly art and a few cups and such. We’re going to put all of it, I think, up for auction. Clare and I have decided to—”
“Get on with it, Owen. They’ve been wanting something on this for days now. Just tell them what you found, or I will.” He grinned at Clare, who hit him in the arm. “He found diamonds. Three cups of them. And I don’t mean like those dinky little ones that you might serve a shot of coffee in, but full-sized, twenty-ounce suckers. And they don’t belong to anything that we can find.”
“Diamonds? What the hell?” Xander’s mom hit him in the back of the head as she handed him the potatoes. “Sorry, Mom. But that’s a lot of money. What are the plans for it?”
Penny giggled when Owen looked at her. When she stood up, showing off the pretty bracelet that she had on her wrist, Xander glanced at him.
“Every child born to this family will have something made for them that holds the diamonds, so long as the diamonds last. There are a dozen diamonds on the bracelet, which can be used for one thing and one thing only. Education.” Owen kissed the back of Clare’s hand as he continued. “The boys will also have their diamonds, but we’re still working out the details on what they will be made in to. So far, we’re talking to someone about having a male version of this made for them.”
Caleb said that he was open to ideas if anyone had them, but as far as he was concerned, this was the nicest gift that he could think of to give someone. And that he was upset that he’d not thought of it. “I never have any good ideas.” They all laughed. “Seriously. I’m really good at telling someone that was a good idea, but I never have any. I don’t think I ever did.”
“You used to before you became stodgy.” He asked his dad what that meant. “You know, uppity. You’re uppity, Caleb.”
“I most certainly am not. Why would you say such a thing?” They were all laughing when Dad said he was joking. “Well, it’s true. My ideas aren’t there for me. Just the kind that I can put to paper.”
When dinner was over, and the kitchen was cleaned up, Xander and his new family headed home. His car wasn’t at his parents’ house, but that didn’t bother him much. It wasn’t quite cold enough yet that they couldn’t walk. As they were going home, Penny asked about the puppy that was running alongside her.
“Asim’s part of what I’ve become.” She paused in throwing a stick, and Asim sat down to wait. “She’s mine to use when there is trouble. I’ll know more later, after Addie and I talk. But if you ever need her, I’m betting that she’ll be right there for you.”
“Will you be talking about me?” He shook his head, but was cut off from telling Penny the reason they wouldn’t when Addie left him to walk with Penny. “I don’t want to leave here. I love the house and you guys. My mom is going to come out tomorrow, and I won’t know what to do. She told me that she was moving on, but I know I’m going to miss her. Do you think it would be all right if Azim hangs out with me for a little while?”
“As she should. And yes. There is no reason for Asim to be on her master’s body. But you should remember not to detain her if she needs to go to Xander. It might get him hurt should you do that.” Penny told Addie that’s she’d never do that. “Good. Also, you know why your mother has to move on, don’t you, Penny? From what I’ve heard, it’s very taxing to be around as a ghost. And your mom, she has to worry about what’s going to happen to you, correct?”
“Yes. She said that she loves that Xander took me in and that he’s allowed me to be a little girl. I had to have her tell me what she meant. And she said that I didn’t have to steal food or hide in the cabinets when he’s around.” He told Addie that he’d explain that later. “She said that I was going to be happy, but with her there, I can’t be fully. I don’t want her to feel bad, so I don’t like to be happy with her stuck here.”
“You are a good daughter.” Penny hugged Addie and thanked her. “You run on ahead. I’m sure you have a lot to tell your mom. And make sure you tell her that I’m coming as well. So, she’s not disturbed.”
When she ran ahead, with the dog with her, Xander told her everything that he knew. From how her mom had been killed, and then to adopting her so that she could stay with her mom. But in that, he’d fallen in love with the little girl and thought of her as nothing but his child. As he finished the story, he noticed that the house lights were on and that Penny and Asim were in the yard, playing. And Sharon was on the porch.
“She’s moving on so that her daughter can have a better life. Penny doesn’t leave here much, does she?” He told her that she went to school and sometimes played with Harley and Conrad. “Yes, I can see her taking the time to be with them both. And the other boys, they have issues as well, don’t they?”
“Yes. Their parents abused them, mentally and physically, when they were alive and well after they were both dead. They would hurt them by coming to them in the middle of the night to beg them to kill themselves. Just so they could all be together.” She looked at him. “Yes, I know. It’s difficult to believe. But that’s what happened to them. They’re stunted in their growth for love and companionship. However, my dad is working on that with them. They
’ll be out of their shells by Christmas, he told me.”
“Your parents, they’re good people.” He nodded and told her that he thought so as well. “I have to tell you what we are. When I became, as well as why I’m here. Some of it you’ll find hard to believe, but you have to be ready. If what I’ve learned from your sister that can see ghosts is only half true, then you could be in as much trouble as I am.”
“With you, I will be as ready as I can be.” She didn’t look convinced. “Let’s talk. I’m sure that while I won’t understand all of it, I’m going to help you as best I can. I can promise you that.”
She didn’t look convinced. That was all right with him. Xander had had a lot thrown at him today and yesterday, and he was— Shit. He’d forgotten to tell them about his movie deal at dinner.
Chapter 3
Addie wasn’t sure where to start. She knew the beginning was a good place, but with this, she wasn’t sure that was a good idea. So, she decided to give Xander the highlights and hope she didn’t overwhelm him too much.
“I was created by a witch for a queen to help with her failing castle. Once I had secured the castle for her, as my reward, she gave me freedom.” He put up his hand. “If you ask questions, it’s going to take a lot longer.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. But you can’t just say you were created by someone and that you helped a queen with her castle issues, and not think I might want some more details.” She growled at him. “Honey, I can do that much better than you ever will.”
“What did you want to know now?” She’d thought to hurry through this and hope that he would be too overwhelmed to have much in the way of questions, questions that she wasn’t sure he’d want answers to. While she would answer them for him, she was positive that they were only going to make more questions, and that would take forever. “Xander, none of this is important to the story.”
“Of course it is. Now, who created you? I got that you were made for battles, but how much did you do? Lead, or did you train the men?” She told him she’d fought the war alone. “I see. And this war. How many men did you take down?”
“Twelve thousand.” He nodded, then looked at her hard. “Yes, I said twelve thousand. It wasn’t as hard as you’d think. I mean, I have a great deal of magic to help. And then there is Bug.”
“He’s the one that keeps you informed, he told me.” Addie sat down and nodded. “Okay, good. All right. Twelve thousand men?”
“Yes. But as I’ve said, I have magic. Once they saw me on the great white dragon, most of them started to retreat.” He nodded again, and she wanted to tell him to use his words. Perhaps she thought, this was his way of dealing with this. “The dragon was something that I could make with my magic. There were dragons at that time, smaller ones than I could have used, but this one had the right effect. They were all dead within moments of me being called upon. I don’t mess around with calling a meeting. I like to ask whatever I’m supposed to, and when I don’t get the proper answer, I kill. As simple as that. At least back in those days. Now it takes longer because people need answers before they can make a sound decision. Sometimes that takes too long.”
“You did this a lot? For this queen? And then she gave you your freedom. I’m assuming then you went on to help others like her.” She shook her head and said that she was dead. “But you helped her.”
“She had to forfeit her life because of the way that I was created. It was, at the time, good for her kingdom. And her daughter was as good as the queen was, so it worked out. But the men, other kings, the ones that governed the laws of the times, they didn’t care for her.” She watched his face when he asked her when this had taken place. “Xander, this isn’t a good idea. You’re not going to like my answer.”
“It’s before Christ, isn’t it?” She nodded. “A long time too, I’m betting. And you were...no, I don’t think I want to know anymore right now. Just...just don’t bring up how much older you are than me. So, with your age, is this where you gained magic? All of it?”
“Yes. And thank you.” He just nodded, but she could see his mind working out the dates. “You have it too. Magic that is mine. I don’t know if you have as much as I do, but you have it. We can both shift now, into any living animal or being. The blades that I have, Cate will know if you have any of them coming to you too. Perhaps she’s waiting until you’re stronger. Or maybe she thinks that you won’t need them. I don’t know, actually. There was never a mention of an actual mate, other than someone would complete me someday.”
“Like you can be a wolf?” She told him she could. He got up to pace. Addie had noticed that about all the Winchesters. They did that when they needed to work things out. She did as well, but with him it was more of a form of art. Or perhaps— “I could use a run. With you. I would really like to get out into the night and do that.”
He tore off his clothing. She started to tell him that he could leave them on and shift, but she thought he was right. Xander was on overload and needed things to be normal, whatever that meant, for a little while. She hoped that he’d be as accepting when she told him the rest. Or they’d be wolves a lot while he worked it out.
The run was just what she needed too. They didn’t do much, just ran together, chasing scents that meant nothing to either of them as pack animals. The deer seemed to ignore them for the most part, unless they startled them out of their way. When they were headed to a large structure, he told her that it was the barn at the very back end of Owen’s property. That was when they both smelled the man.
I know this scent. She asked him if it was someone that was friendly. Not really. He’s been trying to get my brother to admit that he’s killed off someone in order to be able to sell off all these cups and such. I have to let him know.
While you do that, I’m going to see if he’s still around. The scent smells very fresh. She could feel his hesitation, and waited for him to tell her he’d look for the man. But when all he said to her was to be extra careful, she wondered at how much that had cost him, to allow her to go ahead of him. Wolves were very protective of their mates, all females really. And Xander, all the Winchesters, had been raised by a couple who took pride in the rules that were theirs to use. Sara and Kelley were the best family she’d ever known, and their children, sons, in turn were as well.
The scent was stronger the closer she got to the ladder. When she was ready to climb it as herself, she felt the man rather than saw him. Turning slowly, making herself shrink down to nothing more than an ant, she waited for him to come down the ladder and turn to the opening. Whatever he was doing in here, he smelled of fresh hay, and strongly of garlic.
“I thought you were told to stay away from me and my property.” Owen didn’t look happy as he appeared in the doorway of the barn. Nor was he alone. Xander as his wolf was there beside him. Owen was not at all like the man she’d met only the night before. He was hard, his anger a part of him that she doubted many had seen. “I’ve called the police. If you leave, they’ll just follow you and bring you to justice.”
“I’m not doing anything that a good reporter wouldn’t do. And since you’ve had me fired from my job, I’ve had to resort to doing things that are less than natural to me. Like entering an empty barn. What is it you’re doing out here, Owen? Is his body around here? Have you buried him someplace that I’ll find? I will, you know. Whoever you’re robbing to make all this money, I’m going to figure it out. Today.” The man pulled out a gun, and she warned Xander to stay back, that he could and would get hurt. “Now, you’re going to tell me where you’re getting these things, or I’m going to write an article that will have you all in jail.”
“What the hell are you going to do with that? Who do you think they’re going to believe? Me? A man that works and lives in this town? Or an unemployed reporter that has been told to stay away from my family? I’m thinking that they’ll never believe you again, even if you smack them in the face with the truth. Why don’t you drop the gun? You don’t want to do this.”
He said that he really did. “No, you don’t. Put the gun away, or so help me, I’ll—”
Addie shifted as soon as she saw the finger tighten on the trigger of the handgun. When she took the man to the floor she knew that one shot had fired, but at what, she didn’t know. The man beneath her was dead; she simply broke his neck to check on Xander and Owen.
“He shot him.” She moved toward the fallen man and put her hand over the chest wound of Owen. “He fucking shot my brother.”
Xander was losing his shit, and she had to do something now. “Shut up.” Addie heard his teeth snap shut. “Now, you’re going to save his life. Just do what I tell you to do. All right?”
Xander calmed considerably when she spoke to him. She could almost see him thinking now, his mind working through what had just happened. But having something to focus on, someone to tell him what to do, was what he needed. Letting out a breath, he calmly spoke to her.
“Yes, all right. Can you do it?” She said that she couldn’t, not right now. “All right, what do I do?”
“Put both your hands on his chest and call to Asim. When you feel her, she’ll do most of the work, but she’s going to take from both of us. You’re the stronger of us right now, because I had to shift. Just let her do the work.”
She knew the moment that Asim was starting to help. Felt her own sigil move as well to add to their strength. Addie could have saved him without any issues. But Owen would be hers. And right now, with the way things were in a wolf family, it would be safer for her if he belonged to his brother and not another woman. Wolves were highly possessive.
The barn was filled with people. Family had shown up almost as if they’d been ready to be there. When Owen coughed up some blood, they feared the worst. Addie explained that he had to cough out the bullet or he would have it forever. Seconds later, the bullet, wrapped in a clot of blood, spilled out of his mouth.
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