Wolves, Witches and Bears...Oh My!

by Nicky Charles

  “I didn’t do that, did I?”

  Stone rubbed his hand over her back. “I can’t say for sure. Maybe you did or maybe there really was an earthquake. All that I care about is that you’re okay and Mendoza is dead.”

  She nodded against his chest. Yeah, that’s all that really mattered. Swallowing down the sick feeling that had been rising in her throat, she looked up at Stone. “And what about you? Are you okay?”

  He gave a crooked smile. “Just another day’s work for a Guardian. I’m fine.”

  She reached up and cupped his face. Small scratches covered him, little rivers of dried blood mixed with dirt and sweat marred his cheeks. She stroked her thumb over the lines of strain that bracketed his mouth. Her man of stone might not admit it, but she could see the evidence of what he’d been through. “I’m glad.” She rose to her knees and kissed him. For a moment, he hesitated and then kissed her back, gently, tenderly, his fingers combing her hair back as he angled her head.

  A dry cough sounded near them. “I would tell you to take it inside but there are pressing matters to deal with.”

  Stone pulled back and looked up to see Esteban watching, a look of bored disapproval on his autocratic face. The supercilious cat was right, damn him.

  He kissed Christina one more time and then rose to his feet to walk towards where Dee’s body lay. Blood soaked her clothing and the ground around her. His little sister. At least he hadn’t been the one to kill her. If it had come to that, he would have done his duty but it was easier this way.

  “Did you know her?” Christina joined him, her hand resting on his arm.

  Memories of Dee as a little girl flitted through his mind, momentary regret for the loss of the person he’d used to know. But that had been long ago, in a different life. The woman she’d become had been a stranger to him, her sins outweighing childhood memories. “No,” he sighed heavily. “I didn’t know her.” Later, he’d tell Christina the whole story but not now.

  The drug lord lay nearby, a look of horror etched on his dead face. It served him right. Stone only hoped the bastard’s last minutes were as terrifying as those of his victims. He thought of the Duffys and was pleased their deaths had been avenged.

  His wolf rumbled its approval. It’s what he deserved. The gods can deal with him now.

  Stone had to agree with the beast.

  “Mendoza is dead. Good work, little witch.” Esteban nodded at Christina and she shrugged in response.

  “I’ve no idea how I did that,” she admitted.

  Estaban cocked one brow. “Then it is something you need to explore. You would seem to have a wealth of untapped potential.” He turned to Stone. “We should help Sister Bernita dispose of the bodies.”

  Stone agreed and the two men set to work. Soon other staff from the orphanage joined in while Christina and Sister gathered the children inside the dining hall.

  Eventually Christina and Sister Bernita reappeared. The sister insisted on conducting a short prayer service. “After all,” she said, “we don’t know but that at the moment of death they might have repented.”

  Stone had serious doubts about that but didn’t argue. He wanted to get things cleaned up as soon as possible and take Christina back home before another disaster befell them. Unfortunately, his wish wasn’t going to be granted. Before the burials were complete, a convoy of jeeps rattled down the road and pulled into the compound.

  A man stepped out. Tall, lean, dark-haired. His gaze swept over the group and then he approached Sister Bernita.

  “Sister.”

  “Señor Reyes, you are back.”

  “I am reclaiming my territory.”

  She inclined her head neither welcoming nor condemning his statement.

  “I see a number of vehicles outside. Has Mendoza taken to hiding among children?”

  “Not hiding, but he is here.” She gestured towards where his body lay, one of the few that weren’t yet buried.

  Reyes went to inspect the body before giving a nod of approval. “Who killed him?”

  “An unfortunate accident during the earthquake,” Sister explained.

  “Earthquake?” Reyes looked puzzled.

  “A small localized one it seems,” Esteban stepped forward. “What does your return mean?” There was no deference in his voice, no sign he feared the drug lord.

  Sister shot Esteban a warning look. “What he means is, can we expect you will leave us in peace like you did in the past?”

  “I have no quarrel with you or your children, Sister.” Reyes shifted his focus to the nun. “I will not interfere with your business if you do not interfere with mine.”

  “Agreed.” She gave a tight smile. “A deal with the devil is sometimes necessary.”

  Reyes laughed, apparently appreciating her show of spirit. He then turned his focus to Stone and Christina.

  “And you are?”

  “Tourists passing through.” Stone drew Christina protectively to his side.

  “With an assault rifle?” Reyes murmured pointedly looking at the weapon Stone sported.

  “Even tourists need to be cautious during these troubled times.” Stone looked the man in the eye.

  Reyes glanced at Mendoza’s body, the gaping wound in his chest and the row of fresh graves, before turning back to Stone again. “I believe you have done me a favour, whether you know it or not. I will give you one in return so there is no debt between us. A twenty-four-hour window to leave the country?”

  “Understood.” Stone nodded.

  “I’ll be on my way. There are still pockets of Mendoza’s men to be routed out.” Reyes climbed back in his jeep. “Pray for my soul, Sister?”

  “Of course, señor.”

  “And you,” Reyes pinned a look on Stone and Christina. “I trust we won’t meet again.”

  Before they could reply he was gone.

  “Will you be all right?” Stone asked Sister Bernita.

  “Yes. This is nothing new. The drug lords come and go, they battle for the land and the people rebuild their lives over and over. One is usually no better or worse than the others.” Her voice sounded weary. “Reyes might leave the orphanages alone but he will persecute some other group. The devil by any other name is still the devil.”

  “I will watch over her.” Esteban shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Stone didn’t voice the scathing comment he wanted to make. From his perspective the feline only helped when his hand was forced but arguing the point wasn’t worth it. “We’d better get going then.” He took Christina’s hand but she pulled away. “What’s wrong?”

  “We need to get your backpack.”

  “My backpack? There’s nothing that important in—” He paused, a thought coming to mind. “Did you look inside it?”

  Christina grinned. “We can’t forget Clarice. I’ll be right back.” She ran to get his backpack.

  “Clarice?” Esteban arched a brow.

  Sister frowned. “There is no one here by that name.”

  “A private joke.” Stone folded his arms across his chest and glowered.

  When Christina returned, she was still smiling. “We’re all set now.” She stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “Thanks for taking care of her. It means a lot to me.”

  The look on her face had his bad mood melting away and he stroked his finger down her cheek and huskily replied. “She reminded me of you.”

  He hitched the backpack over his shoulders and took her hand once again. “If we use one of Mendoza’s jeeps, we can make it to the coast by nightfall. What do you think of a moonlit boat ride?”

  “If it eventually leads back to Chicago, I’m all for it.” She smiled up at him, anticipation lighting her eyes.

  “May God bless you and grant you a safe journey.” Sister bid them farewell as they climbed into a jeep. “And Mr. Stone, if you hear of a good family who could help our children...?” She left the question hanging.

  “I’ll keep you in mind.” With a wave, he steered the je
ep out of the compound onto the path that would lead them home.

  Chapter 23

  Club Mystique had the usual crowd. The tall fellow always ordered a beer, his girlfriend was a daiquiri. Two Mystique specials for the blond couple at the end. Tina turned her attention away from the bar. She wasn’t serving tonight but old habits die hard. Gwyn had been uncharacteristically sympathetic when she’d returned and had given her an extra week off to recuperate from her adventure. Tina wasn’t sure that she really needed a vacation but it meant she had more time to spend with Stone so she hadn’t complained.

  Right now, she and Stone were bringing Reno up to speed on what had happened in Cantala. Stone had declined to fill in an official report.

  His exact words had been ‘I don’t fucking work for them so there’s no way Lycan Link can make me complete their damned paperwork.’

  “Yeah, well I do work for them and they get pissy if the paperwork isn’t filed.” Reno had growled back before he finally managed this compromise. He’d write, all Stone had to do was talk.

  “With Deirdre dead, one link in the organ trafficking chain has been severed.” Reno scanned the notes before him. “And Saul is singing like a bird so that will hopefully eliminate a few more.”

  “And once he’s done ‘singing’ what will happen to him?” Tina asked.

  “He’ll likely go on trial,” Reno speculated. “And he’ll probably argue he was trying to save lives; that the wealthy and powerful have more to offer the world than a lowly peasant.”

  Stone growled. “The idea that some people count less than others makes my blood boil.”

  Tina nudged him with her elbow. “I agree but don’t go all rabid, wolf boy. If Gwyneth gets wind of it, she’ll toss you out on your ear.”

  “Wolf boy?” Reno choked on the beer he’d been drinking and it took a moment before he could speak again. “Anyway, as I was saying, Saul will likely put up some defence but I doubt a judge will buy it.”

  “The evilest of men might very well believe their actions were morally right.” She pointed out. “But at some point, there has to be a boundary.” She frowned wondering where that idea had come from. It was true but not something she’d ever thought of before.

  Stone shot her a surprised look. “You took the words out of my mouth.”

  “He’ll probably get life in prison.” Reno took another swig of his drink. “And after the way you crushed his wrist, he’ll never be able to operate again.”

  “Good.” Stone leaned back in his seat. “And what about Dante? Any idea where he is?”

  Reno shrugged. “The man appears and then seems to vanish into thin air. Most likely he’s following another trail. Human trafficking is still a problem so who knows when, or where, he’ll turn up again.”

  “Yeah. We get rid of one group of bastards and another appears to take their place.” Stone moved to take a drink of his water, realized it was empty and set it back down again.

  “I’ll get you another,” Tina volunteered. The conversation was winding down and they didn’t need her input anymore.

  “And the water stays in the glass. No throwing it at me,” Stone warned.

  She stuck her tongue out at him and walked to the bar.

  “A glass of water for Stone, please, Gwyneth.”

  Gwyn set the glass in front of her but didn’t remove her hand from it. “You’ve been avoiding me, witchling.” She whispered the words. “Why?”

  “You gave me the week off. I’ve been busy. And I don’t like being called a ‘witchling’.” She tried to take the glass but Gwyneth held on.

  “Stone told me what happened. The earthquake, your nosebleed.”

  “He had no right!” She shot an accusing look over her shoulder towards where Stone was seated. Maybe this glass of water would end up on him after all.

  “He cares about you. He was concerned, as he should be.” The older witch fixed her with a hard stare. “Come to my office. We can’t talk freely here.”

  Tina reluctantly followed Gwyn out back. When she’d been a simple visionary witch she’d been happy enough. Now, knowing she had more magic in her, she felt uncomfortable and wished it would all go away. Life was simpler when you didn’t have to worry about magic spilling out at inconvenient times.

  Gwyneth’s office was depressingly drab and crowded. It consisted of a desk with a computer, a couple of chairs, two filing cabinets, shelves filled with books, and a window. The window had dusty olive green curtains and the glass beyond was filthy so you really couldn’t see outside. Of course, since it only looked out onto the alley, that really wasn’t an issue but it always bothered Tina nonetheless. Why not make the room more cheery? Exchange the beige walls for a cheery yellow, maybe some bright orange curtains, lime green cushions on the chair…

  “Sit down.” Gwyneth pointed to the chair and then took up a spot on the edge of her desk, her eyes narrowed. “You’ve always been a puzzle to me.”

  “Really?” Tina shifted her focus from the décor and sat down as instructed, crossing her arms in front of her. She did not want to be lectured.

  “Yes. I could sense there was magic in you, knew you had potential but I didn’t imagine the full extent of it.”

  Tina shrugged, struggling to keep from pouting out her bottom lip. “I never sensed any potential.”

  “You’re young,” Gwyn snorted. “Youth never know what they are truly capable of until circumstances force them to act.” She stood up and began pacing the room which was quite a feat given how small the space was. “You realize what this means, don’t you? We need to harness your power, refine it. Now that we know it’s there, we can focus our instruction and—”

  “Wait.” She sat forward in her chair, frowning. “You’re assuming I want to refine it. Can’t I just pretend it isn’t there?”

  Gwyn looked at her as if she were insane. “No, you can’t. You have a duty to use your abilities, to learn to control them, if not for yourself, for the safety of others. Look what happened this time. A person was killed.”

  “He was one of the bad guys.”

  “I know, but you’re lucky there was no collateral damage.”

  Tina didn’t reply. Gwyn was right. Mendoza was dead and she didn’t feel the least bit guilty about that, but what if someone else had been injured? Sister Bernita or one of the children?

  She gave a sigh. If only studying magic wasn’t so boring.

  In her heart, she knew she was behaving like a spoiled brat. Gwyneth was willing to help her, the least she could do was be gracious about it. “All right.” The words reluctantly left her lips. “When do we begin?”

  “We’ll fit your lessons in between your work with Stone.”

  “My work with Stone?”

  “Have you turned into a parrot? I thought it was a Lycan and a jaguar who gave you blood not some tropical bird.”

  “No. I mean yes. I mean…” Tina paused and took a deep breath. Gwyneth loved to rattle people with her acerbic comments. She tried again. “No parrot. Yes they gave me blood. And what work are you talking about?”

  “I assume you and Stone will become a team. He’s a Shomer Virtus, you’re now linked—”

  “Linked?”

  “You’ve developed a connection to him beyond just simple affection. You sense his emotions, feel a pull towards him, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but—”

  Gwyn closed her eyes and shook her head as if praying for patience. When she opened her eyes, she sat back down on the edge of the desk and spoke slowly and distinctly as if Tina weren’t the fullest bottle in the wine rack. “The power of three. Three infusions of blood from three different shifters. That’s what the ancient ones decreed, what was needed to ensure the whole community would agree to accept a witch.”

  “You mean since Stone and Esteban both gave me blood, I’m two-thirds of the way to becoming a shifter?”

  “Technically yes, but it has to be within the limited time frame of three days. The window of opportunity
has passed.”

  “Oh.” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a shifter or not. The idea that the possibility even existed boggled her mind. And having a link to Stone made sense given some of the thoughts and feelings she’d been having lately. “So I’m sensing Stone but not Esteban because...?”

  “The first shifter is the dominant force, the one who initiated the process. You’ll have a connection to him for the rest of your life which is why it makes sense that you’ll work together. His sense of justice will be transferred to you.”

  She thought of what she’d said to Reno a few minutes before, how Stone had said she’d taken the words out of his mouth. “Does Stone know this?”

  “He does now.” Gwyn rolled her eyes. “Exchanging blood without having any idea of the repercussions. I feel like I’ve had to explain the birds and the bees to the both of you.”

  Tina scowled at the snide comment but Gwyneth paid no attention and continued talking.

  “I should have known something like this was going to happen. In retrospect, that damned vision I had just before you left was as clear as glass. The blood red colour, the witch vanishing, leaving just a wolf. It was definitely foretelling your fate. If only visions…”

  Tina tuned out Gwyneth’s rant about the vagaries of visions and instead tried to decide why Stone hadn’t mentioned the link to her. She’d definitely be asking him about it once they were alone.

  “Is that understood?”

  With a start, Tina realized Gwyneth had asked her a question. “I beg your pardon?”

  The look on the older witch’s face had her cringing.

  “I said, your lessons will commence next week and continue at least two days a week unless you have a job to do with Stone. Is that understood, witchling?”

  Tina agreed, not mentioning once again that she disliked the term witchling. It was best not to cross Gwyneth when she used that autocratic tone.