Moonlight: The Big Bad Wolf (Black Swan 4)

by Danann, Victoria

  "As you go to your respective homes tonight, consider this. The future of the wolf people has weighed heavy on my heart for many seasons. It is only a matter of time until humans become jealous of our land. Their numbers increase like cancer. They have no respect for the land or for other species.

  "When the wind blows from the east we hear their voices and machinery at the edge of Elk Mountain reservation. They rape the land beneath our feet by horizontal drilling. When that is gone, they will find a way to break the Jefferson treaties. We do not want a war with the humans. We want to live in peace, to run, to hunt, to nuzzle our mates and keep our children safe.

  "There is one more thing. Human technology makes it more and more difficult to keep our privacy and our secrets safe. They now carry cameras on their phones and many videos of wolf people shifting. They have been made public and can be seen on computers that are owned by many humans.

  "Right now people assume that the pictures are the result of technical magic, cleverly manipulated. The photographers are called liars and are laughed at. But the day will come when they begin to suspect that it is not a trick.

  "We could stay and try to hide our ways and adapt by integrating into human society and keeping our natures secret."

  The tribe reacted angrily to that idea, shaking heads, collectively saying, "No."

  "Understand, then. We are living the twilight of this way of life in this world. We cannot be children or cowards and refuse to face the inevitable because it is unpleasant. The way I see this, we can either make a choice about our future or the future will make a choice for us that is far less agreeable."

  One of the elders rose and said in a voice that seemed too loud and clear for his old body, "Spirits be with our alpha. Guide him on his path. Keep him safe and strong."

  ***

  CHAPTER_10

  Deliverance left Glen outside Sol's office as requested. Litha was only a microsecond behind with Rammel. In two minutes she had returned with Storm. He gave her a peck on the cheek and told her he would just be a couple of minutes if she wouldn't mind waiting.

  "I'll see if Elora and the baby are free. Call me when you're ready." Litha walked a few steps down the hall and speed dialed Elora. Storm knocked on Sol's office door. When he looked back, Litha was gone. She could have taken the elevator like everybody else, but she had gotten very comfortable with saving time by getting where she wanted to go virtually instantly.

  Sol swiveled around to greet Glen and his team and ask how it went. After a couple of seconds, Glen realized the question was being directed at him. That was going to take some getting used to.

  "As well as could be expected, sir. The king was receptive to the idea of migration. He wants to leave it up to his people whether they want to go or stay. We told him he could go with Deliverance to scout possible situations."

  "And he's okay with the fact that Deliverance is a demon?" Sol asked.

  "Well, um, we... or, I should say, I didn't mention ethnicity."

  "Ethnicity?" The question was dripping derision. "You didn't tell him."

  "No, sir."

  Sol steepled his fingers as he stared, or glared, at Glen depending on interpretation. When Glen started to feel the tingle of self-consciousness under the Sovereign's intense inspection, he distributed his weight evenly so that he wouldn't embarrass himself by shifting back and forth, which according to the training would imply nerves or anxiety.

  "Anything else to report?"

  "He, the, uh, king, will advise when he knows how many of his people would like to be considered for possible migration."

  Ram and Storm waited quietly at ease while Sol continued the uncomfortable, silent scrutiny that the two of them had been subject to so many times. The familiarity of shared experience made Ram look over at Storm to see if he was thinking the same thing. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Storm responded with the tiniest nod and hint of a smile.

  Finally Sol lowered his hands. "You're dismissed, Catch."

  "Thank you, sir." When Glen turned around, he allowed himself a microsecond's glance at Storm and Ram and thought he saw a hint of amusement on their faces.

  When he closed the door behind him, Storm and Ram both sank into chairs without asking for permission. Given their long history with Sol and the cob-in-the-ass way he'd treated them when they were active duty knights, it was kind of fun to just plop down and dare him to say anything about it. They grinned at each other like they had just shared a victory.

  "Would you gentlemen care to report your evaluation of Catch's performance in the field?"

  "Flawless," said Storm.

  "Impeccable," said Ram.

  Sol stared at them like it was their turn only they were no longer available for the silent treatment tactic. Storm saw no reason to prolong the pretense so he broke the silence barrier.

  "Are we done? My wife is waiting to give me a ride home."

  Ram looked at him thoughtfully. "You know 'tis way cool, right?"

  Storm gave him a big smile. "I do know that." He looked back at Sol. "So? Anything else?"

  "As a matter of fact, I have the paperwork prepared to put Z Team's transfer in motion." Ram sat up straighter and looked between Sol and Storm. "I didn't want to make it official before seeing that he was up to this somewhat minor task."

  Ram had to ask. "You did no' want to make what official?"

  Storm sighed. "Sol's getting married." Ram laughed with complete conviction that it was a joke. "No, really, he is. To Farnsworth."

  Ram's gaze jerked to Sol. "Oh, em, congratulations. And I can no' wait to hear what that has to do with Z Team."

  "He has promised her he'll retire in two years so that's how long he has to groom a replacement." Ram nodded. "He asked me. I said I'm not the right guy for the job." Ram nodded vigorously. "So I recommended Catch."

  Ram looked like he was once again waiting for the punch line. When the other two continued to look perfectly serious, he gaped. "'Tis utter insanity! The boy is no' yet twenty. No' even declared. He's my dog walker for Paddy's sake!"

  "It is unorthodox."

  "Unorthodox," Ram repeated. "'Tis the understatement of the millennium. And..." Ram's expression went dark as his brows drew together. "And... what has this to do with Z Team?"

  "Well, Sol wants to test him."

  By the time Storm was halfway through that sentence Ram was on his feet. "You used to accuse me of bein' reckless. But I never came close to doin' anythin' as irresponsible as turnin' those miscreants loose on a nice kid like Glen."

  Sol sounded so calm Ram wanted to punch him. "If he's Sovereign material, he'll be able to handle it. If he's not..."

  Ram turned red in the face and loomed over Sol's desk. "He's. A. Kid."

  Not one to shrink or cower, Sol rose slowly so that he was eye level with Ram and lowered his voice. "He's a kid who's been put up for my job."

  Ram wheeled on Storm with accusation all over his face. "What are you no' tellin' me?"

  Sol chuckled. "Given how much fondness you have for the boy, he's probably not telling you that we've made a wager on the outcome."

  Ram looked at Storm like he'd been betrayed. Storm looked at Sol like he could kill him.

  "Come now," Sol began, "it's all in fun."

  "Does Glen know what you have in mind for him?" Storm looked away and shook his head. "I have no' put my fist in your face since we were younger than he is now. But if anythin' happens to that boy, we're revisitin' a proper beatin', you and I."

  Ram stormed out of the office causing the door to slam against the wall on his way out.

  After a couple of seconds Sol said, "Not showing any signs of mellowing, I see."

  "Actually, it does take a lot to get Ram going these days. His reputation as a hothead has pretty much been lived down, which is why that outburst is making me think this is probably a mistake. If Ram is the clear choice for grown-up in the room, it means we're on the wrong side of a thing."

  Sol's ey
ebrows lifted in an expression that was downright triumphant. "In that case, I suggest you keep a close eye on that situation and make sure nothing irrevocable happens."

  As soon as Storm saw that look he knew he'd been manipulated and outmaneuvered. "Shit."

  "Don't slam the door on the way out. It would just enlarge the hole in the wall that Sir Hawking made and Farnsworth would be forced to invoice both of you for repair." Sol chuckled and seemed to be enjoying himself way too much.

  "Shit."

  "An education money couldn't buy and that's the extent of your vocabulary?"

  Storm pinned Sol with a piercing look he never would have dared before he retired. "I know other words. Would you like to hear some of them?"

  Storm stepped into the hall and called Litha. When she answered he could hear Elora in the background, probably talking to Helm. "Is this yellow cab?"

  "Close enough. When would you like to be picked up?" She waved goodbye to Elora.

  "Now."

  He jumped when she appeared right next to him, and she sniggered. A couple of minutes later, when they were alone in their own kitchen with the lights turned on and the temperature regulated, he cornered her between the sink and the island. He reached down to run his hand over the tummy that was shockingly full and rounded as he searched her eyes.

  "The word that keeps coming to mind is alarming."

  She smiled. "If we were fully human, I think we should be alarmed. But I feel good and I think the baby is fine."

  "How do you know?"

  "I think so."

  Storm narrowed his eyes. "When was the last time you saw the doc?"

  If looking away wasn't a big enough clue that she was hiding something, the fact that she also looked sheepish would have raised the suspicions of even the least observant husband.

  "Three weeks ago."

  "Three weeks ago? Litha. Three weeks ago you were barely showing. Now you look like you're ready to pop."

  "Pop? Great image. Very smooth."

  "Don't deflect. This is weirder than a virgin birth."

  She laughed. "It is not weirder than a virgin birth. That's impossible, whereas this is not. Obviously."

  He pulled her as close as he could get which meant he had to angle toward her side. "Baby. We've got to find out what's going on. Seriously. I don't know if we need to finish the nursery or schedule an SAT prep course. Let's go see Doc Lange. I'm going with you."

  "You gonna hold my hand?"

  "Damn right."

  She looked at her watch. "It's 0315 in Edinburgh."

  "Okay. We'll have a little dinner. Get a little restless sleep then go. Together."

  "Are you insisting?"

  "Damn right."

  "I'm not sure I like it when you're demanding."

  "Yeah. You're sure. You like everything about me."

  He treated her to the boyish grin that was such an effective tool for manipulating Litha, and forced that smile in place, but on the inside his stomach was clenching with worry. In purely human terms, she would still be in her first trimester.

  Storm was a thinker and a planner. As soon as he found out he was going to be somebody's dad, he researched pregnancy thoroughly. He knew that a first baby might not show until four months had passed. Litha was looking more like the last stages and not even three months had passed.

  Of course he had no regrets. He knew the witchy demon's daughter wasn't the girl next door. Well, actually in his case, she was pretty close to the girl next door, since they grew up just a few miles away from each other. He knew when he chose her that life was probably going to present some out-of-the-ordinary issues and events.

  He had no regrets, but that didn't keep him from sometimes stressing about what was on the next page.

  "I don't like doctors."

  "Nobody does."

  "Yes. But other people are more used to them."

  He cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

  "Before I got pregnant I'd never been to the doctor."

  Storm just stared like he was trying to process that. "How is that even possible?"

  "Well, I was home schooled so I didn't have to prove I'd had shots. I never got sick. And, since Cufay strongly suspected I was different somehow, I think he was afraid that exposing me to the medical community would be the first step toward a captivating career as a carnival exhibit."

  "He was smart to be concerned about that. You know you were lucky to end up where you did. You landed on your feet."

  "Yep."

  "Never had a broken bone?" She shook her head. "No bike accidents requiring stitches?"

  "No broken bones. I got cuts and scrapes sometimes, but Brother Mossbind was like an old kitchen witch. He had a cellar full of dried plants and was adept with potions and concoctions. There was always something to make me heal quickly and not scar." Storm seemed deep in thought. "What?"

  "I was just thinking that, since this is virgin territory for everybody, you might want to have your Bro Mossbind take a look. It couldn't hurt. If you went from infancy to adulthood without ever seeing a doctor, I'd say that goes in the plus column of his resume."

  Litha's eyes sparkled. "I can't believe you managed to talk about this pregnancy..." She ran her hand over the basketball shape under her tunic, "...and virgin territory in the same sentence. Between that and the virgin birth reference, it seems like you have virginity on your mind."

  He lowered his dark head and pressed a kiss into her neck with a smile. "What I have on my mind is you, just you, always you."

  They set the alarm for 0200 so that they'd be sure to catch the good doctor at his best when they arrived in Edinburgh. They weren't on his schedule, but on the other hand, what could he possibly have to do that would be more important than looking after the first human-demon-witch-demon hybrid pregnancy?

  As anticipated, Doc Lange complained about "walk-ins". Storm pointed out that they didn't walk in. Litha laughed and the doctor grumbled some more.

  He performed a fresh ultrasound while Storm held Litha's hand, as promised, and got misty-eyed looking at the baby.

  "It's a girl, isn't it?" Storm asked, sounding like he was awestruck.

  Doc just nodded. Litha couldn't be mad because she'd forgotten to remind the doc that she didn't want to know for sure. But truthfully, the confirmation was pure formality. She had known it was a girl as soon as her intuition told her she was expecting. The confirmation caused emotion to bubble up. To keep from crying she squeezed Storm's hand and clutched her black diamond pendulum tight with the other hand.

  A naked demon appeared in the room looking a little curious and completely unabashed.

  Doc Lance jumped and clutched his chest like he was having a heart attack.

  Storm didn't know whether to be more put out about the fact that his father-in-law had interrupted a private, family moment or about the fact that he was wearing nothing but the pendulum that matched Litha's. He quickly settled on the penis exhibition.

  "For craps' sake. Would you cover it up? This is your daughter!"

  Deliverance ignored the doctor and Storm. "What's going on?"

  "What are you doing here?" Litha asked.

  He seemed confused by the question. "You called me."

  It was only then that she realized she had a vise grip on the pendulum he had given her. She had a fleeting thought that, maybe subconsciously, she had wanted him to share in the moment.

  "Oh, sorry. Since you're here though, you might as well enjoy the human magic. Look at your granddaughter."

  Since he was looking at the screen, Deliverance didn't see the folded, thin cotton hospital blanket that Storm threw at him until it hit him in the face. "Cover up before you look at my daughter."

  "It's a dick, dude! Not a bomb." Deliverance unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around his waist like a sarong. "You need to think about getting therapy for your issues with prudity."

  "I've told you before, don't call me 'dude'. And prudity is not a word."

/>   The demon turned to Litha. "Seriously, how's your sex life?"

  Storm made a strangled sound and tried to grab his father-in-law across the bed, since the doctor and the machinery was blocking the way around the end. Litha put her arm out and tried to restrain Storm from leaping the rest of the way across the bed to try and strangle he-who-could-not-be-strangled.

  "Stop. Storm! It's none of his business."

  Litha kept her hand on his chest until he seemed to calm. When he straightened and took a small step back, she dropped her hand and turned to her father. "Our sex life is fabulous in every possible way. Thank you for asking."

  Storm simply gaped at her. He wasn't a visionary, but he did know for certain that life was never going to be boring. When he looked from Litha to his incubus-in-law, he found the demon staring at the screen, mesmerized by the baby's image. "Beautiful," he whispered.

  Deliverance was exasperating in countless ways and was fast coming to feel like the price the Universe exacted from Storm for the gift of Litha. But if he was going to compliment and appreciate their daughter, he would be tolerated, within reasonable limits.

  ***

  CHAPTER_11

  About half of the Elk Mountain tribe put their names on the list. Undoubtedly each soul of an age to make their own decision had their own reasons for signing up. Conspicuously missing from the list was Stalkson Grey's only child, Windwalker.

  Win was grown, of course. He was fortunate enough - and strong enough - to have won one of the few young females and was happily mated. They were expecting in late summer. Twins. He suspected that might have something to do with a decision to do the safe thing.

  It could just be a simple matter of timing. Pregnant with two pups wasn't an optimum time to pull up stakes and start a new life.

  Late that night Grey walked the settlement in human form thinking about the utter strangeness of life. Just a week before he had never given thought to whether or not there were other dimensions, much less the existence of other realities similar to his own. Realities where werewolves like himself congregated and lived.