The Ancients Series

by Christine M. Butler

  Jack spoke to Evan once he righted himself again, “your friend, Asi, seems to be doing something to lessen her pain.”

  “It’s a talent of his. He can swallow another’s agony, but since he feels it for them, he doesn’t do it very often.” Evan considered something for a moment, and then added, “He enjoys your sister’s company though.”

  I didn’t say anything about that, but gave Evan a questioning look which he returned with a shrug and a smile. “I want to see her,” I said as I stepped closer to the porch.

  “Wait,” Jack said, looking past me at Evan. “You know she won’t be ready for anything like that right away!” The worry in his eyes made me wonder what he meant.

  “Asriel won’t push it. Your sister will be fine.”

  “Wait, won’t push what?” I asked looking back and forth between the two of them, willing either of them to answer the damn question.

  “He’s taking her pain from her because he likes Ashley. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he’s going to want next.” Jack said venomously.

  “Um, apparently it does, because I’m slightly clueless. Asi has been hanging out with Ash a lot because of Evan and I seeing each other. Of course he would help her.”

  “He’ll want to mate with her too, Jess.”

  “What? Seriously, she isn’t even a wolf yet! That’s ridiculous, Jack!”

  As we stood there debating it, a tandem scream ripped through the walls of my house and out into the night from Ashley and Asi. The sound filled me with terror. What if it was her rejecting the change? I started forward, trying to run to them, but the moment my foot hit the bottom step Evan’s arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back out of the way.

  A beautiful red wolf came barreling out of my house, followed by a black and silver wolf. Had Evan not pulled me off the porch when he did, the red wolf would have smacked right into me.

  “Holy shit! That was close. Was that Ashley?” I asked, and Evan nodded.

  “That was definitely Asriel following her,” he confirmed.

  “She’s gorgeous!” I watched as she and Asi ran off into the forest beside my house. “Maybe we should shift and go after them?”

  “No, you shouldn’t. They’re fine, and we have business here still.” Mikael was already up the porch steps and heading for the front door as we caught up to him. Evan walked around his brother, and held the door out for me first. A gesture that Mikael was huffing over, and secretly made me incredibly happy.

  We all went inside, and I called out for my parents to come join us in the living room. Mikael stood there, looking at me as though I’d lost my damn mind when my parents came into the room.

  “What?” I choked out.

  “Were you raised with any manners at all?” He asked.

  “Apparently not,” I said as I looked between Mikael and my parents.

  “I am Jameson St. Marks, this is my mate, Eileen.” My dad stated it clearly, and gave me a look that said I should have known better. Damn, I did hate embarrassing them in front of a jerk like Mikael.

  “Mom, dad, this is Mikael De’Lune. He’s one of Evan’s brothers.” I tossed out the introduction about as enthusiastically as I would the trash, and my mother’s mortified look told me I was going to be in trouble for that later. “What? He’s a jerk. He’s the one who hurt Ashley.”

  “You did what?” My dad’s chest puffed up as the words left his mouth. Ashley may not have been a blood relation, but she was family none the less.

  “I’m going to need for everyone to stop being shocked and pissed off already. The girl had a temper and came between a conversation I was having with your daughter. I was well within my right to punish her for the intrusion. I won’t apologize for it. Anyway, the girl survived the transition, and is off running the woods with a friend. All’s well that ends well. That being said, I am here on business.” Mikael walked over and helped himself to a seat on our couch, holding out his hand, indicating he expected all of us to come take our seats in the living room as well.

  “You’re still an ass.” I said as I followed Evan into the living room. He sat in a chair and pulled me down on his lap. It didn’t matter what else was going on around us, Evan never failed to have an effect on me physically. My heart picked up its pace as I sat with my legs draped over his. “Sorry for being a bitch to your brother,” I whispered into his ear.

  “Never apologize for that, sweetheart.” He said to me, pulling me closer to him. I took advantage of everyone getting settled in, and the waterfall curtain my hair created. I nipped at his earlobe, eliciting a response from him. “Mmm, if you continue to do that we will not be sitting through this meeting.” He warned me quietly.

  “I’m okay with that,” I said as I did it again.

  “If you two don’t stop, I will separate you!” My father said and then turned his attention back to Mikael. “Now, what business did you have that brought you to our home?”

  “My father is curious about the circumstances that led to you becoming pack leader.”

  “It’s really nothing to be curious over. I was the intended pack leader to begin with.”

  “Explain.” Mikael said, as he sat forward, feigning rapt attention.

  “When my own father passed on in an accident, I did not chose to step up and take over. I had a young family at the time, and felt I was needed at home instead. Marcus stepped up and offered to take over, no one challenged this, and that’s how he came to power.” My father took in a deep breath and sighed it back out. “Marcus had plans for my daughter to be bound with a young wolf from our pack.”

  “Did you agree with this match?” Mikael interrupted to ask.

  “Yes, at the time, I did. Zach was the strongest male of their generation. I thought he was the best match my daughter was going to be able to have.”

  “Until she met my brother,” he interrupted again.

  “Yes, she came home with his scent on her, and all hell broke loose.”

  Mikael looked at Evan. “Really? Do tell!”

  My parents explained the chain of events to Mikael, and I didn’t feel up to listening to them rehash it all, so I got up and asked Evan if he wanted something to drink.

  “I’ll help you,” he said as he followed me to the kitchen.

  “Sorry, I just didn’t feel like sitting through that little story again. I feel like I should be ashamed of myself for what happened, but I’m not.” He grabbed me and pulled me around to face him, backing me up to the kitchen counter. Evan leaned down and kissed me, lightly at first, and then a more powerful kiss. His arms had me caged in so I couldn’t go anywhere, but I certainly didn’t want to be anywhere else. I melted into his embrace, and let myself be swept away in the feel of him all over me. In his spicy scent that would linger on me long after he pulled away.

  He stepped back long enough to look down at me with those beautiful cobalt eyes of his. “I don’t want you to ever feel ashamed of being with me. I don’t want anyone else, Jess. I marked you because we had some kind of amazing connection that night. I’ve never in my life felt something like that, and I don’t want you to ever think this was something I took on lightly. I don’t just want you in my life, I need you with me. I have hope for the first time in a long while, and you gave it to me.”

  “Evan…” I whispered his name on my lips, but his mouth was back on mine before I could reassure him that I felt the same way. Since I couldn’t say it in words, I put everything into that kiss, into him. I let myself go, as we drowned in each other.

  “I’m rather parched in here,” Mikael’s annoying voice pierced through our little bubble of love from the other room. “I thought you went to fetch us drinks?”

  “Ugghh, seriously, how is he your brother?” Evan smiled down at me, placed one more quick kiss on my lips, and pulled a jug of ice tea out of the refrigerator.

  “We better go ahead and get this over with. He’ll just get more annoying the longer we stay in here.” Evan looked around the kitchen,
trying to decide which cabinet might hold the glasses. “Which one?”

  “Over here,” I said, moving away from him, completely frustrated. I wanted to dive right into Evan and not come up for air, but everyone around me seemed determined to get in the way of that. Well, not everyone, just a certain annoying brother of his. I pulled five glasses out of the cabinet, and set two more aside in case Asriel and Ashley came back.

  Evan carried the tea and a couple glasses while I took the rest. I was all ready to settle back into the same chair Evan and I had occupied before, but Jack was sitting in it now. I had forgotten about him when Ashley ran out of the house in wolf form.

  “Here,” I said handing him the glass I had brought out for myself. “I didn’t know if you had gone home or what earlier. Where were you?”

  “I was going to follow them, to be with Ashley, but Asriel growled at me.” Jack was pouting, and it looked adorable on him.

  “I’m sure the last thing she will need if she accidentally shifts back is for her brother to be there to see her naked.”

  “Uggh, not that I’d want to,” Jack complained. “But, Asi’s there, and I really don’t want him seeing her naked either.”

  “She’s a big girl, Jack.” I reminded him.

  “I know.” He took a huge gulp of the sweet tea after I filled his glass. “She’s my sister though,” he said finally.

  “We were having a private conversation here, you know.” Mikael tossed out snottily.

  “So, what’s your point?” I questioned him, as Evan sat down on the ground beside the chair, and pulled me to sit between his legs. I almost lost my train of thought.

  “He should leave.” Mikael tipped his head toward Jack.

  “Jack is family, and he’s not going anywhere unless he wants to.”

  “Brother, you need to get your bi…”

  “I warned you once, let that word come out of your mouth in reference to Jess just once, and see what happens.” There was absolutely nothing sexier than Evan when he was standing up for me. I leaned into him further, to show my appreciation. It was a hug from behind.

  “FINE! You need to get your girl under control. I don’t know who she thinks she is challenging every damn thing I say, but I am not you. She can’t just spread her legs, and have me melt to her whims.”

  “ENOUGH!” My dad was on his feet yelling, and he wasn’t alone. Evan was behind me one moment, and standing in front of his brother, holding him by the collar of his Navy Blue button down shirt.

  “You’re going to learn to hold your vulgar tongue when you speak of Jess. If you do not, Brother, we are going to hav a serious problem. It’s going to be one daddy can’t get you out of. Do you understand me?”

  Mikael looked up at Evan from where he continued to sit calmly, but the venom that spilled out with his words was hard to miss. “I’m not sure why you suddenly feel you can challenge me either, but we’re about to find out who the better brother is if you don’t calm down and get the fuck off of me!”

  “Boys, there will be no more displays of violence in my house.” My mom jumped in. My heart was screaming for her to shut up and sit down. She seriously had no clue who she was confronting, and I was starting to realize I was going to have to learn to shut my own damn mouth too. Just when I was about to jump up and grab my mother, a wave of calm energy washed over me, and made me too complacent to care. “We will have a peaceful talk while you are here. What you choose to do when you leave my home is entirely up to you.”

  “Oh, you are a fine specimen, aren’t you Eileen?” Mikael was smiling at my mother, and I’d be damned if he wasn’t a bit awed by her too. “I haven’t seen someone with your gift in a long time. I’m told my own mother was a calmer. Too bad it only worked on others and she couldn’t use it on herself.” Mikael stared off wistfully into his tea.

  Evan came back to sit behind me without another word. I knew what my mother’s talent was, but I had never seen her blatantly use it on others. I could always tell when she tried to use it on me, so she stopped even attempting it years ago. “Well, thank you for the appreciation. Now, if you could extend some courtesy to my daughter when you’re in my house as well, we will all get along just fine.”

  “My apologies, she antagonizes me, and I haven’t met many people who will do so openly.” Mikael actually looked somewhat embarrassed. My mom’s magic mojo must have been stronger than I ever imagined. Even my father was gaping at her open mouthed. Mikael took notice of our reactions. “You can’t tell me you two weren’t aware of her abilities, or the extent of them.”

  “Oh no, we were aware, but…”

  “My wife has little need to use them in our house. She only uses them in times of great strife, because she doesn’t feel the need to intrude on another’s emotions.” My father had purposely cut me off, and I wasn’t sure why. He didn’t want Mikael to know that my mother’s charm didn’t work on me anymore. I was beginning to think my parents were still keeping secrets from me about myself. I was done with secrets, but I would at least wait until Mikael left to address them.

  “I see.” Mikael stood and placed his now empty sweet tea glass on the coffee table. “Well, now that I know how Marcus came to fall from power, I think I have enough to report back to my father. Just to clarify though, you stated that Evan never stood beside you on the stage as you declared your leadership?”

  “Correct.” My father added.

  “I think I missed something in the story earlier, you mentioned him being there for something.”

  “I was there, brother. I was introduced to the pack as Jessica’s new match.”

  “And is this how non-pack matches are made known to the others?”

  “It is.” My father chimed in. “It is rare that we have a match outside of the pack, thanks to Marcus enforcing a pack only mating decree. There were several loopholes to that decree that Jess easily fit into to allow her to mate outside the pack. Marcus would have fought it though, since the match he had chosen for my daughter was with his nephew.”

  “Nepotism is alive and well in most packs, I’m afraid.” Mikael added.

  “Yes, well, it would have ended up destroying ours. I wish we had been thinking with a clearer head when it came to our daughter. There is no way that she could have made a viable match in our pack. There’s no one here to match her abilities.”

  “I see.” Again, with the short cryptic answers. I was beginning to worry that everyone was saying too much in front of Mikael.

  “Listen, Evan was introduced to the pack as my intended mate, and then he and I left the stage before further business was conducted. He was not up there. He wasn’t influencing anyone in any way. He was there with me.”

  “Yes, well, what you have to say on the matter doesn’t really count, now does it?”

  “And why not?”

  “Jess, no.” Evan grabbed a hold of me, pulling me nearer to him as he whispered in my ear. “Don’t let him goad you into another fight.”

  “You’re sleeping with my brother. That means you have every reason to lie for him.”

  “I’m not sleeping with anyone, jerk!” His eyebrows quirked up, and I suddenly wished I hadn’t said that out loud. I’d almost rather him think me the whore than deal with the virgin jokes I could see brewing beneath the surface.

  “What a rarity these days. Brother, wherever did you find this one?” He laughed, as he walked to the front door. As it is, I am tired, and I would like to get back to the city to get some sleep. Brother, if you please, I’ll be taking your car. I’m sure you and Asriel can find your own way back later.”

  Evan threw him the car keys. “There better not be a single scratch on it when I retrieve it tomorrow.”

  “I’m a wonderful driver, brother. No need to worry.” He took his hand off the door knob and turned back one last time. “Oh, I almost forgot, I assume there will be a bonding ceremony?”

  “Yes, at the next full moon celebration,” my father stated.

  “Ah, good. I
will inform the family. You might want to be prepared for guests.”

  “Son of a…” Evan started to say under his breath.

  “What’s the matter, Evan? Did you think you could get away with a bonding ceremony, and not have your family invited? I’m sure your mother would have been hurt to think you left her out.” He smiled, “to be sure you didn’t think they’d opt not to come.”

  “I had hoped for it.”

  “Hope’s a nasty little bitch, isn’t she?” I didn’t like the way Mikael eyed me as he said that.

  With that, Mikael left, and I helped my mom clean up the glasses that were laying around now. As we were leaving the kitchen my mom called back over her shoulder to Jack. “You’re more than welcome to stay and wait for her, Jack. I know you’re worried, but your sister will be fine.”

  “I know she’s strong. I just don’t know how she’ll cope with the transition, and all that comes with it, you know?”

  “She has Asi with her, she will be fine. He will get her through anything that overwhelms her, I promise. It is his gift, and he has chosen to help her. Rest assured that Asi is like me, and not my brother. He will not take advantage of the situation. Ashley is in good hands.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes at Evan. Nothing was going to convince him that Asi was a good guy when he was the only one out with his sister the day she turned into a werewolf. “I think I will stay here on the couch, if you don’t mind, Eileen.”

  “I’ll go and get you a pillow and some sheets.” My mom took off again, to the linen closet, leaving me with the rest of the tea-time cleanup. I rinsed all the glasses and put them in our dishwasher, and sat down for a minute at the kitchen table.

  “I know Asi’s with her, but I’m still worried about Ash. How long do you think they’ll be out there?”

  “Well, how long was your first run, after the changing?”

  “Um, like two minutes, if that. I didn’t even get to run. Remember, we told you about Jack almost shooting me, Ashley distracting him, and he missed and hit Sierra instead.”