“Our pack aren’t a bunch of brutes,” I offered.
“I swear, he lets Tessa get away with everything, just because she’s so tough.” She looked at me conspiratorially and whispered. “Really, that’s why no one wants her.” I had to stifle a laugh, but Mikael didn’t bother. “Oh,” Annalise gave a surprised little yip. “I forgot we weren’t alone.”
“It’s okay,” I offered, “Mikael can keep our secrets.”
Annalise smiled at me then, and looked Mikael over once more. She didn’t do it in the way her sister did though, she was appraising him as a person, and not a piece of meat she’d like to consume. “Mikael?” Then something dawned in her expression. “Mikael De’ Lune?” He nodded at her, and she jumped up and squealed again. “Oh my God! Oh my God! You’re a prince. I didn’t know. I should have bowed or something when you came in.” Annalise was doing that cute rambling thing she seemed to do when she got nervous. Then she looked at me, and quietly asked, “should I bow?”
“Never to me, little one.” He smiled and then came over to stand beside me, with his arm around my waist. “I’m just a second son to the King, and even if I was the first, I would never require one as lovely as yourself to bow to me. It is I, who should bow to my lovely subjects!” He mock bowed before Annalise and I, which elicited giggles from her, and an overwhelming appreciation from me for the way Mikael had handled himself with her. “Now, I have it on good authority that Jessica has a treasure trove of movies in her room, and that you are going to be far more entertained here, than we will be out there.” He smiled and took my hand to lead me out. “We’ll sneak you up some snacks before we go.”
“Thank you,” she called out as we left the room.
When we came downstairs my father was shooting daggers at Mikael with his eyes. Asi and Jack were watching with extreme interest, and seemed to be bonding over my less than secret sex life. I found my mom in the crowd of people, and begged her with my eyes to intercede. She seemed rather amused, and even tossed me a thumbs up, before she grabbed my father’s arm, “I need some help in the kitchen,” she was pulling him in that direction before he could protest.
Avery Daniels decided to step in as surrogate father at that point. “It’s not my business what goes on here,” he said to Mikael, “but I’d watch your back around Jameson for a while.” He cleared his throat, clearly somewhat uncomfortable with what he was saying in front of me. “Werewolf hearing is both a blessing and curse sometimes.” That was his way of telling us everyone had heard. Jack and Asi backed it up by their sudden outburst of laughter. I was rolling my eyes at them when Ashley hit Asi in the stomach, and came over to grab me away from Mikael. “Walk with me outside a moment?” Avery asked Mikael, who obliged willingly.
Ashley pulled me over to a quiet corner and she was laughing before she could get out what she was trying to say. “I can’t imagine either of you thought that one through at all.”
“Clearly, not.” I sulked.
“Yeah, well, I was about to pull Asi out into the woods for a quickie. You guys were steaming this place up. I know my imagination was going wild. Was that the bathroom?” When I nodded, she fanned herself, “and we heard the wall getting hit, I assume that was your back?” I nodded again. “Soon! We are going to have drinks, and lots of girl chat!”
“Yes, soon. So, my dad’s pretty pissed, huh?”
“Well, if I were Mikael, I wouldn’t want to be around Jameson alone for a while.” She laughed at me again. “On the other hand, maybe your mom will calm him down. I saw that thumbs up!” We were both laughing then, and stopped only when Jack walked over to join us.
“I guess that was your not so subtle way of confirming the whole loss of virginity thing, huh, Jessie?”
“Jack, don’t make me add to the ways I’m going to hurt you.”
“Oh, you already hurt me enough. I had mental images from that performance you gave upstairs. I don’t think I will ever be able to wash them from my brain.” He mimed trying to wipe the view from his face. “I might be permanently traumatized.”
“Oh, you’re going to be permanently traumatized all right!” I launched myself at Jack, and nearly had him pinned to the floor when the door opened again. “Say you’re sorry!”
Jack was laughing hysterically, “not on your life, Jessie-poo!” He flipped me over and had control for a minute before I found a way to slip from underneath him. Once I was in control again I glared down at him, but lost it when his laughter became contagious. I joined in, then slapped him across the chest.
“You’re still an asshole, but I’m going to show mercy, this once.”
“All right, children,” Asi came over, and gave Jack a hand up as I moved off of him. “We have somewhere to be, now.” He pointed out the fact that the living room was once again full of spectators, who had been amused by our little impromptu wrestling match. Including Mikael, who was standing by the door, smiling at me. Our eyes locked, and I had to fight the impulse to go directly to him. Our bond was showing, and we were doing a really crappy job of trying to hide it. I forced myself to look away, and saw my dad glancing back and forth between Mikael and I. His demeanor changed from one of tension to something else, a settled reserve. He had figured it out. I was certain everyone else probably had to. So long as Antoine didn’t see us together, maybe we’d be okay.
Everyone was moving outside now, heading to the meeting area on the other side of our little pack township. I followed along, lost in thought, a million and one things were vying for my attention, and I had to keep shuffling them to the back burner as I focused on being part of the procession, there to send Tom off, into the great beyond. His soul would be reborn to our people one day, but only if we did our part and honored him as one worthy of coming home again.
We got to the meeting place, and listened as Jack and Andy both spoke of Tom. They had both known Tom a lot better than I had, and as I listened, I learned things about the man who ultimately sacrificed himself to the cause of freeing me of my enemy. I bowed my head, and took it all in, because this man deserved to be known by me, even if it was in his passing. Jack and Andy both did a lovely job eulogizing the man, offering him up to our remembrances, and sending him off into the great beyond. Tom had been honored with a lovely ceremony, and then everyone went to the great hall to gather, drink, and eat. There would be further talk of Tom, for those who knew him well. Most of the pack knew each other as friends and families. I was one of the few exceptions, having been kept separate for so long that when I looked around, I couldn’t see past all the strange faces. Sure, I knew everyone here in passing, but it occurred to me that I didn’t really know much about them. I swore a vow to myself then, that I would find out what was in the heart of our people, their hopes, dreams, and aspirations, so that when I took over as the white wolf ruler one day, I might be able to set a path to make those things happen.
“Jess,” Mikael found me standing off to myself, staring out over the crowd of my pack, but not belonging. “Do you want to get out of here, now?”
“An idea was just forming in my mind, for what I want to do, one day, when I take up my place as the white wolf ruler.”
“Yeah, and what’s that?”
“I want to know the minds of my people. I want to be able to have a council in every clan and pack that I meet with. I want them to tell me their hopes, dreams, and desires for the future of their people. I want the councils to change every year, and to include both men and women of varying ages. I want to be able to get a feel for what is lacking, and what is right with each group of people.”
Mikael leaned over and kissed the top of my head, “already you are a far better ruler than my father ever has been.”
“Take me home, please?” I wanted to be able to sit down and gather my thoughts, but I also wanted to just go curl up in Mikael’s arms and feel safe, cared for, and content for just a little while before the burdens of our world were placed on my shoulders.
“Anything for you. Let me do
one thing right today, and go inform your parents that I am taking you home though.” He smiled, and kissed my hand before he walked away.
“He’s a brave man to approach Jameson today,” he cleared his throat, “after what went on earlier.” Avery Daniels had walked up as Mikael had gone off in search of my parents.
“He is, indeed.” I looked up into Avery’s deep brown eyes then, a deep contrast to the blond hair that framed his face. “You have my apologies for our lack of decorum earlier.”
“Oh no, my dear, that is not necessary. I remember what it was like to be young and in love. Were my mate still of this Earth, she would remind me that we too were once careless, but passionate.” The smile on his face was genuine, if tinged with pain. “Your father has confided in me about your condition, and what you will become for our people.” He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “I would be very interested in learning what you see for the future of our kind. I have concerns about certain trends I am seeing in the young.”
“I was just speaking to Mikael of forming councils within each clan to find out what their desires and concerns are.”
Avery nodded appreciatively. “Very good. Mikael, he is-is to be-your bonded mate?”
“Yes, he is. We will have the proper bonding ceremony during the solstice celebration, as his father required.”
“I see. Well, may I suggest that you keep distance between one another when Antoine is lurking about then?”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Without a doubt, my dear. It’s the only reason I was able to talk your father into a walk earlier instead of a very angry trip upstairs.”
I laughed then. “Thank you for that.” I noticed Mikael headed back towards us then. “Avery?”
“Yes?”
“What did you discover this afternoon at the caves?”
“It was as you thought, Jessica. A pretty disguise was set up to fool those who didn’t think they needed to look closer. Jack and Andy will be coming back with me. Your father is posting men on this end, and we will flush Zach out by tomorrow evening.”
“Please, be careful, and look out for them. I don’t know Andy that well, but Jack is my brother just as if he were blood.”
“I understand. They will be under my watch, Jessica. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Mikael was there then, and when he offered his hand, I took it and let him guide me out of the great hall, and into the night where my Jeep, instead of his motorcycle, awaited us.
“What’s this?”
“I thought you might want to bring some more of your things over than just a bag, and we couldn’t fit a lot of extras on the back of the bike with us.”
“So, I guess this means you plan on keeping me around for a while then, huh?”
He laughed at me, “we’ll see. You play your cards right, and maybe…” I smacked Mikael playfully on the arm.
“Hey, now!” He turned and grabbed me up in a tight hug, “I am yours until I take my last breath.” He placed a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose then. “Let’s go home.”
Mikael and I spent a few hours just enjoying being together, alone, where there weren’t any interruptions, no one listening in, or finding evidence of our interactions. When I fell asleep that night, I was completely content with my life. I was still worried about the Zach situation, coming out to the wolf-world as the fated white wolf ruler, and dealing with Antoine. Those things were dancing at the periphery of my mind, but with Mikael’s arm wrapped around me, snuggled up, and breathing gently behind me, I was lulled to sleep despite everything that should have been keeping me awake.
“Congratulations on the true bond, Jessica St. Marks. It glows from within you, so that we may see.” The conglomeration of white wolves past was speaking in that eerie echoing voice they used.
“About that…” I stood before them in the cave with the dais at its center, as I always did in these dreams. “We bonded, but then something else happened afterward with so much white light, and we glowed…”
“Yes, this is the sign of a true bond. It is rarely seen anymore, and even when it happens, the light has faded for many people. We hoped you’d be the one to bring it back to our people. Now, all true bonds can experience it for themselves too.”
“So, this is something that has happened before?”
“Yes. When the white wolf finds a true bond, the ability renews itself in our people. Some of us were not as fortunate as you were, and it has been lost to our kind for some time now. This is why mates became chosen by packs instead of by hearts. This is what weakens our people. The true bond, it breeds stronger wolves, and should be cultivated. The true bonding is a soul-share. A piece of each goes into the other. It is what lights you up so brightly for one another. That is where the immense connection comes from. Do you understand, that you are two pieces made whole only when you are with your mate?”
I nodded at the white wolves. Everything they were describing made sense. It explained the intensity for what I felt when I was in Mikael’s presence, and the awareness I had of him when I wasn’t. What struck me was that I had already thought about what packs choosing mates for their people was doing to our kind. Being paired with Zach in the beginning had given me a clarity into the situation that I was thankful for. It would have been a disaster had I been forced into that union. Luckily, my father was already taking steps to dissolve chosen mates for those who weren’t already bonded. He was giving everyone a choice. I wanted to take it a step further and make sure all packs had the same choice, and that they got to intermingle, because I didn’t believe everyone’s perfect bond existed under their own roof so to speak. That certainly hadn’t been the case for me.
“Is there a way for us to hide the bond, until the solstice? I have this feeling,” my hand was clutched tight over my stomach, “deep inside that it is imperative, but we are doing a miserable job of it so far.”
The women who were cycling through the white wolf persona on the dais smiled down upon me. “Such a problem to have. Some of us wish we had been as lucky as you. When you approach Antoine, he will see what you want him to see. All you have to do is use your voice, and tell him.”
“You mean influence him with power?”
“Indeed. You are more powerful than he is, now. You can take your place when you see fit.”
“When Mikael is gone from me, I feel like I know where he is. That’s not just me imagining things is it?”
“No, that is part of the true bond. It allows you to locate one another in times of need. You will also be attuned to each other in ways most are not familiar with. These are things you will discover along the way though.”
“We have to deal with a rogue wolf who is causing trouble before we deal with Antoine or figure anything else out.”
“Yes, we see that too. He has help. We cannot get a clear picture though. There is a block on the one you seek.”
“It’s okay, I think I know where he can be found.”
“But you do not know who helps this rogue, yet?”
“We’ll find out soon enough, I think.”
“Be wary, young wolf, there are those who do not want to see another of our kind. There are more still who fight to keep us from a true bond.”
“I understand.” The world started to go fuzzy around the edges, as the dream began to slip away from underneath me.
“You are blessed, Jessica St. Marks De’ Lune. Go with the blessing of the white wolves, carry forth our legacy, give birth to our future, be the conduit for the prosperity of our kind. This is what you were born for, blessed with, we honor you, and our faith has been placed within.”
The dream faded out before I could respond to their blessing. I felt every word, there was a heat in it that began to course through my veins, and settle deep within my bones. It was also the first time I had been called by my mate’s name. That part thrilled me to no end. As the haze of the dream spilled away from me I found myself waking up, still in Mikael’s
arms. I shimmied my body a little closer, and his arm flexed tighter around me for a minute. I felt deliciously full in that moment. He was mine, I loved him, and every new thing I learned about him just intensified that feeling. This was absolutely where I was supposed to be, by his side.
I allowed myself a little time to revel in the feel of him pressed up against my back, arm holding me securely, his even breaths lulling me back into a quiet comfortable place. Before long I was back in the dream world. When I first became aware of what was happening, I was in the caves near the pack lands, the one where Mikael and I had bonded. As usual, with my dreams, I couldn’t hear anything. I could sense that I wasn’t alone though. When I turned around the witch was there.
“You are not safe,” she told me urgently.
“Of course I’m not. How did you know about this place? Are you the one secretly helping Zach?”
“I am not, but I know the one who is. She is a formidable opponent on her own, but she too is being aided in her endeavors.”
“You are not Estella Sophia Marquez!”
“No, I am not. I used my sister’s name, because it is known, and it would generate interest from those around you. My apologies for the deception. The fact remains that Sophia is a great threat to you and your line.”
“Great! I don’t suppose you know when your sister plans on killing me then?”
“You are mistaken. They don’t want you dead. They want you broken. You’re far more of a symbol to them broken than just gone. Gone, you become a martyr. Broken, they show that they can take down the strongest, and not bat an eye.” She looked closely at me then, “You’ve bonded though. I can feel the magic in this place. Worry not, they don’t know. Sophia can no longer feel the kind of magic that comes with a true bonding. She lost that ability when she got into the business of breaking bonds.”
“Wait, you’re telling me she has no way of knowing?”
“Indeed. Trouble is coming. You need to heed the dreams, and learn from them tonight.”
The Ancients Series Page 44
