by Juniper Hart
“Mothers,” she mumbled, and he snorted.
“I happen to have one myself,” he replied, eyeing her with interest. “Welcome to the Council, Ms. Aldwin. I’m Voot. You’ll need to leave everything here with me before going in.”
“Everything?” Lane choked. “I’m not stripping down, I don’t care what the rules are!”
She hadn’t been warned about that by her mother. Then again, Julia had no firsthand knowledge of what occurred inside an initiation ceremony.
Voot snickered and quickly tried to regain his composure.
“No, Ms. Aldwin. Your purse and cell phone,” he chuckled. “You can keep your clothes on.”
Humiliated, Lane muttered, “Oh.” She dropped her handbag onto the counter and nodded as Voot gestured toward a set of double doors.
“Right through there. The Council waits for you.”
Lane froze and looked at him. For the first time, she realized she’d be faced with the Council all alone and at once.
“What are they like?” she whispered, and Voot also paused, his fur-laden hands on the bronze handles.
“They are just beings, Ms. Aldwin, the most powerful our kind has to offer. And now, you are one of them.”
That wasn’t what Lane meant. She wanted to know what they were like in personality, in disposition. Even her all-knowing mother couldn’t provide that information for her, and when Lane had asked her grandmother, Miriam had only smiled mysteriously.
“That is not something I can teach you, child,” she had explained her granddaughter. “You will gauge each of them on their own merits. I won’t have my personal opinions taint yours.”
“You really should get in there, Ms. Aldwin. Leaving the Council waiting is never a good idea—even if you are an Aldwin.” He smiled a hideous grin which Lane knew was meant to be reassuring, but it did nothing to ease the tension in her neck.
Maybe I’ll crack into a million pieces and they’ll have no choice but to find someone else to take my place.
Of course, fate could never be so kind and allow that sort of thing to happen.
“Thanks,” she muttered and inhaled a deep, swooping breath. She closed her eyes as the doors opened and prepared herself for what waited ahead. No matter how much you like or hate them, they are going to be destroyed. I better not get too attached one way or another.
But when she opened her eyes again, Lane suddenly realized that the insurmountable task she had been dealt was going to be a lot harder than she had ever imagined.
“Welcome to the Council of Seven, Lane Aldwin,” someone boomed, and her blood ran cold with the memory of Landon’s voice. “You may enter.”
Lane couldn’t move, her legs paralyzed as she stared at the Lycan in disbelief. In her mind’s eye, she was five years old, and his long finger pointed at her, calling for her to die.
He was the one who wanted me dead. I remember him. He was angry when they refused to kill me.
“Are you just going to stand there all day?” Laurel, the fairy queen, demanded in exasperation. “Hurry up and enter.”
Yet no matter how she tried to will herself forward, Lane’s legs wouldn’t co-operate, and she remained stalk still. How was she expected to walk toward a man who wanted her dead? Did he still feel the same way? He was a werewolf, and she was merely a witch. If he wanted to kill her, he only needed to pounce on her with those teeth and claws and—
She shuddered, suddenly unable to breathe.
“What the hell is this?” someone else barked. “Is she entranced? High?”
“Drag her in here if you must!” Landon howled in annoyance, rising from his massive chair at the center of the high podium.
Suddenly, Lane’s amygdala kicked in, and her fight or flight reaction overtook all else. All her training, all the preparations Julia had given her for two decades had gone out the window. She was flying from the altar room, her heart in her throat as her feet barely touched the ground.
It didn’t matter what the rules were or what her mother said. There was no way she was stepping foot back in that room with those imposing beasts who had once wanted her dead.
No way at all.
3
An awkward silence fell upon the Council, and Henry looked from member to member, trying to reconcile what had just happened. He glanced at Raven, who seemed equally stunned. Never in the history of the Council had anything like that happened.
“Um… okay?” Landon said, finally breaking the silence. “I guess I’ll go after her.”
“No!” Henry barked. “You’re the jackass who scared her off in the first place. I’ll go.”
“How did I scare her off? I just told her to come in!” Landon protested, genuine confusion in his voice, but Henry waved at him dismissively.
He rose and moved toward the door, though not before Laurel spoke.
“Do I really need to say this?” she demanded. “A girl who runs off during her initiation ceremony is hardly someone we need on the Council.”
“Whatever. She’s what we get,” Henry snapped and hurried out after Lane Aldwin. He didn’t know why he was being so defensive. Logically speaking, no one should bother chasing after the girl, but she wasn’t just anyone; she was an Aldwin.
Inexplicably, he felt drawn to her, the urge to find her and bring her back almost tangible, although he couldn’t say why. He’d barely gotten a glimpse of her, standing frozen in the doorway like a statue.
Henry burst through the front doors of the Masonic temple and looked about, his eyes resting on Julia Aldwin.
“Where is your daughter?” he demanded. Julia’s face twisted into a look of surprise.
“What?” she choked. “What do you mean?”
“You heard me. Where did Lane go?”
Disbelief crossed Julia’s face, and she shook her head, but Henry had already vanished back inside the hall. If Julia was still there waiting, there was a good chance that she didn’t know where her daughter was.
Henry found Voot doing a walk through. “Where did she go?” he demanded of the sentry guard.
“Downstairs.” The Lycan looked sheepish, but Henry didn’t blame him for not going after Lane. It wasn’t like this was something that had happened before, and truthfully, Henry wasn’t sure what they were going to do about her once he found her. Laurel was right—it didn’t show strong character that she had just up and left like that. What was Lane going to be like when there were major decisions on the table?
That’s a matter for another time, Henry told himself. First, find the girl.
He scaled the stairs and found Lane cowering in a corner, her vivid eyes darting about like a caged rat looking to escape a science experiment. For a moment, Henry was taken aback by the scene before him, the vulnerability spilling from the girl in the corner.
She’s not a girl. She’s a woman.
“I-I’m not…” Lane inhaled deeply and looked at him with wide eyes. “I’m not ready for this.”
Unexpectedly, Henry felt a pang of sympathy for her, despite the fact that she was prolonging what was already promising to be a long night, no matter what Lane decided to do.
“May I ask why not?” he asked conversationally. He had stopped a decent distance away, sensing her consternation. If he was going to bring her back to the Council, he wasn’t going to do it by force.
There was a slight glimmer of recognition in him as he studied her face, a vague memory of the bright-eyed, confused girl who had stood before the Council after trying to melt a school friend with a silent spell. But as quickly as it had come, the image disappeared from his mind. Lane Aldwin was not a child; not anymore.
“I’m not the right person for the job,” Lane muttered, raising her head to stare at him cautiously. “There are others who can take my place on the Council.”
Henry dismissed that idea for the moment and offered her a wry smile, falling back against the wall casually. He shot her a half-smile. “How do you know you’re not the right being for the job if you h
aven’t even given it a chance?”
Her emerald eyes narrowed, and she seemed to consider his question very seriously.
“I don’t know anything about how things work,” she breathed nervously. “I’ll screw up or…” She bit on her lower lip and turned her head slightly, presumably so that Henry wouldn’t catch the blush on her face. It was hard to miss.
“Well,” Henry chuckled. “I can’t really say I remember what it was like to join the Council, but I think it’s normal to be a little tense on the first day of any job, don’t you?”
Lane eyed him through her peripheral vision and exhaled a long sigh. “Who are you?”
Henry grinned at her, flashing his long, even teeth.
“Henry Brandis, Vampire Regent.” He extended a perfectly manicured hand toward her, and she cautiously accepted it, her eyes huge. To Henry’s complete shock, he felt a flow of electricity between them, and he jerked slightly.
Oh… now I understand.
Lane’s face registered the same surprise that he felt, and neither released their hands from the other.
“I’m Lane,” she mumbled. “Lane Aldwin.” Her face turned crimson. “Of course you already knew that,” she added. “I imagine everyone knows the name of the woman who ran out of the most important council on earth.”
“I think you’re playing this up too much,” Henry told her gently. “It’s not that big a deal. All of us have had a bad case of nerves before. They don’t always manifest at the best times.”
“You think?”
“Still,” he replied easily, winking. “It’s nice to be formally introduced. We get so little in the way of etiquette these days. Maybe you can open with that when we go back upstairs.”
“I’m sorry,” Lane breathed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I mean, I knew this day was coming, but…”
“It’s always different when it’s on you,” Henry told her gently. “I’m a lawyer, and I’ll tell you, opening statements always get me.” He was distinctly aware of how the pulsating energy between them didn’t cease.
“Will they accept me back now?” Lane asked quietly. “Or will they just tell me to leave?”
“Of course they’ll accept you back. We’ve all been looking forward to meeting you.” He didn’t add that everyone was looking forward to getting the ceremony over and done with more than anything. I wonder what she’s doing after the ceremony.
“Thank you, Mr. Brandis.”
Henry laughed and slowly removed his palm from hers. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done in his life, but even after they had separated, the heat that radiated remained on his hand.
“You can call me Henry.”
“Henry.”
Their gazes locked, and he watched her pupils dilate.
“Are you ready to try again?”
Lane nodded slowly, but Henry could read the uncertainty in her.
“I’ll come with you,” he said. “I’ll hang out as long as I can, but they’ll expect me back in my seat eventually.”
Lane blinked and smiled lopsidedly. “Why are you being so nice to me? I know that the rest of the Council can’t be happy right now.”
“This may come as a surprise to you, Lane, but we don’t all share a brain, no matter what all the other Enchanted might think.”
“I have no idea what the other Enchanted think,” Lane sighed. “I don’t know anything about anything.” She looked at him guiltily. “You must think I’m a whiny brat,” she muttered. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t think you’re whiny or a brat,” Henry told her. “I think you’re overwhelmed with what’s about to happen in there, and I’m okay with that. Just take it one minute at a time.”
He remembered that he had called her a brat not an hour earlier with Raven.
I take that all back. She is not a brat at all. She’s a vulnerable but powerful soul who needs to be shown the ways of the world. And I’m going to be the one to show her.
Henry had no idea what was going to happen when they got back inside the room. He’d never heard of an Aldwin rejecting the honor of sitting on the Council of Seven, and while he was fairly certain that the law forbade her from giving up her seat, Henry almost wanted her to walk away.
She’s far too soft for our job. She’s probably right—she can’t handle what’s coming.
Henry held out his arm and offered her another smile. “Milady?”
Lane laughed shakily and accepted it.
“Thank you, Henry,” she breathed.
Don’t thank me yet, he thought firmly. I can only do so much.
“Do you want to talk about what happened there?” Landon barked at her when they returned to the meeting. Henry glowered instantly and answered before Lane could fumble out a response.
“You really don’t learn from your mistakes, do you?” he retorted, unhooking his arm from hers. “Maybe you should take a different tactic than playing bad cop.”
“If she wants sugar-coated words, she can go back into hiding with her mother,” Landon snapped. “This is not the place for that.”
Henry opened his mouth to bite back, but Lane interjected.
“You’re right,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry. I-I just got overwhelmed by the power in the room.”
There was a slight pause, and Henry had to smile to himself at her ingenuity. Her flattery might have worked to slightly disarm the irate Council. Landon was susceptible to compliments, it seemed.
“Are we ready to proceed?” Raven asked crisply.
“Yes,” Lane answered and cast Henry a grateful look.
“Are you going to resume your seat, Henry, or are you going to hold her hand through the entire ceremony?” Laurel asked coldly.
“She has warm hands,” Henry protested, and the fairy glared at him.
“Get your ass back in your seat, Henry!” she barked, and he grinned at her. He turned to the witch and met her eyes with his.
“Are you okay?” Henry whispered. Lane nodded in response.
“I’m okay now… thanks to you.”
“Hello?” Laurel snapped. “We’re already behind schedule. This is unacceptable.”
Reluctantly, Henry reclaimed his seat and stared down at Lane, who suddenly seemed very small from where he sat atop the platform. That was the point, of course. Anyone standing before them was made to feel inferior, tiny. Lane Aldwin, however, was anything but, even if she wasn’t aware of her own power yet, which was both fascinating and terrifying.
Where did Julia keep her? How can she be so insecure when she is a descendant of the most powerful being ever known?
Henry had never put much stock into the spell Miriam had cast upon the Council so that he, Landon, Alec, and Theo might find their respective mates as Laurel, Raven, and Miriam already had. While he believed in the concept of a mate, he did not have any expectations that Miriam’s meddling would have much effect on any of them.
Henry had far too much to occupy his mind with. He was a partner in one of the biggest law firms in New York, after all. Between work and the Council of Seven, he didn’t have time to entertain the idea of romance. In fact, it had been years since he’d been in anything that resembled a relationship.
But he also knew that Lane Aldwin was not just anyone who had flittered into his life by chance. She had been sent there not only to replace Miriam’s seat but to fulfill Miriam’s prophecy.
She’s my mate, I’m sure of it. It’s the only explanation for why I’m so drawn to her.
Henry was ancient, just as were the other beings who surrounded him. He might not look a day past twenty-seven, but he had been around the world thousands of times in thousands of years. He had met women in all walks of life, in every recorded era of history. And not once had he been as intrigued by anyone as he had the seemingly meek witch who stood before them, waiting to be accepted as member of the Council.
Even then, he still felt the linger of her palm in his, the connection between them binding.
&
nbsp; “Who nominates this descendant of Alaric Aldwin to replace Miriam Aldwin in the Council of Seven?” Alec demanded, raising his gavel. The dragon was a beast of few words, but when he did speak, his voice reverberated through the ears of everyone around them.
Henry saw Lane flinch, but to her credit, she remained in place.
“I do,” Henry said, standing when no one else volunteered. Although he’d been hoping to second the motion, now he needed to get the ball rolling.
“Finally,” Raven muttered. “Let’s get this show on the road. I want my drinks. I can’t wait to gossip about this session.”
“Who seconds this motion?” Alec continued.
“I guess I will,” Laurel grunted. “It’s the least I can do for Miriam.”
The fairy and late witch had been close, but Henry could see Laurel wasn’t impressed with the successor Miriam had chosen to fill her seat.
“The motion will be carried forth,” Alec said, slamming the gavel onto the surface. “Let us commence the purifying ritual.”
The panic in Lane’s eyes was evident, but Henry willed her to look toward him. She did, as though she could feel him summoning her silently. When their eyes met, he nodded almost imperceivably and watched her face relax slightly.
Don’t worry, Lane. You’ve got this, he told her.
I know, she replied, and they gaped at one another in shock.
If there was any doubt before, it evaporated in that moment. If Lane could read his thoughts, she was undoubtedly his mate and vice versa.
She offered him a tentative grin, and Henry’s smile widened.
Well, he thought as the females descended their spots to start the ritual on Lane. There’s my mate. I suppose we’ll have our happily ever after, just like Raven and Drake or Laurel and Jasmine.
But Henry should have known that life was not a fairy tale. He was a lawyer, after all. He should have seen it coming.
4
“Tell me everything that happened!” Julia demanded as her daughter collapsed into the passenger side of the car. “Don’t leave out one detail.”
