Honi smiled, “Well, our wolves are almost like a separate being that exists in the same space that we do, but only one can be present at a time. When we shift, it’s simply shifting from one form to the other. It’s so natural that once you’ve done it, you’ll wonder how you kept from doing it before.”
Jaisey nodded. It was reassuring to hear a female perspective.
“Are you still completely you? I mean, when you’re in your wolf form?” she asked.
“Completely,” Honi replied. “It’s just kind of hard to explain. We are one in the same – wolf and human – but each form has the advantages and abilities of the other to a certain extent. In wolf form, we have a stronger animal instinct, but we still have our normal thoughts and feelings. Does that make sense?”
Jaisey nodded, “It does. Thanks, Honi, I’m not sure what I’d do without you. This has all just been a lot to take in.”
Honi gave her a quick hug, “No worries. I’m always here if you need me.”
She took off to catch up with Caleb, leaving Jaisey to her own thoughts.
“Did you get your answers?” Quinn asked quietly as he reached out to grab her hand.
She placed her hand in his and nodded, “Yeah, I think so.”
He gave her hand a squeeze and they walked in silence, listening to the conversations around them the remainder of the way to the village.
“So, let me make you a quick dinner,” she said to Quinn when they returned. She didn’t want to separate from him but knew the day was getting away from them.
He laughed, “I’d let you, but dinner was already made for us. We only have to heat it up and trust me, that’s a good thing. There’s nothing to eat at my place.”
Quinn was right. A full meal, including dessert, was waiting when they returned. She heated up the casserole and all the fixings. When they’d finished their meal, she served them each a slice of delicious apple pie.
“I think I’m going to like having someone around that can cook,” Quinn said, pushing his plate back with a grin.
“I didn’t cook any of this,” she reminded him.
“I know, but you are a great cook,” he said smiling.
“Well, I think I’m going to enjoy cooking for someone who enjoys doing dishes,” she replied with a wink.
He choked on his laughter, “I see. You cook… I clean. I can accept that.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close for a kiss.
“Now, go find Honi and I’ll meet you by the fire,” he said, releasing her reluctantly. The sun was getting low enough in the sky that they would need to hustle to get ready.
She nodded. She left Jack at Quinn’s place and went to find the girl.
Honi was waiting for her next to the hearth. They had about an hour to get Jaisey ready, and the flurry in which the women worked on her left her breathless. Honi worked on her hair while Leloo did her makeup and nails. She worried the girls might get too carried away, but when they turned her to the mirror, she gasped.
Her hair was loosely piled in curls on her head. Only two clips held her hair in place and they would be easy to remove. She had to look closely to see her makeup. Leloo had a real gift. She had managed, without it being obvious, to highlight every feature. She’d used natural colors and it almost didn’t look like she was even wearing makeup at all. She smiled at her reflection, hoping Quinn would think she looked nice.
“You are so beautiful Jaisey,” Honi said smiling.
“Thank you, girls… so much,” she said, tearing up a bit.
“Now, now, none of that. The makeup isn’t waterproof, and you don’t want smudges,” Leloo scolded her with a smile.
She hugged the girls and then Mahigan called them. It was time to put the dress on. Jaisey held her breath as they helped her into it.
She noticed a hidden zipper that ran up the left seam all the way to the base of the left sleeve. When Jaisey had raised her eyebrow at that, Honi explained that there needed to be a way to get out of the dress while bound by the wrist. The fit of giggles from the girls had Jaisey blushing at the implications, and then it was explained that Quinn’s clothing would have similar fastenings on his right side.
When they had Jaisey all adjusted to their satisfaction, she turned to the mirror again. The dress fit perfectly. It wasn’t tight but managed to softly accent each curve of her body. For a moment she worried she’d picked the wrong dress, but the look on Mahigan’s face when she turned set her at ease.
“You truly are beautiful. I almost hate to send you out in this dress. I don’t think Quinn will be able to keep it in one piece once he gets you home,” she said with a wicked glint in her eyes.
Jaisey blushed again, taking in her appearance in the full-length mirror. The dress truly looked amazing on her. Another woman came into the room behind them and looked Jaisey over. She didn’t seem familiar to Jaisey, so she turned to introduce herself, but the woman spoke first.
“How did my son get so lucky to find such a beauty?” she asked with a genuine smile.
Jaisey’s response caught in her throat. Quinn’s mother?
“Don’t you fret a bit Jaisey, Quinn told us all about you, and I have to say, I didn’t quite believe him in his description of you until this moment. I thought perhaps it was the voice of love tainting his details, but that clearly wasn’t the case. You are stunning.”
Jaisey flushed again but managed to respond. “I’m so happy to meet you,” she replied.
“And you Jaisey. I’m Maiyun and Faelan is outside with Quinn. You’ll meet him soon enough. And we’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another. But for now, I believe your father is outside ready to deliver you to Quinn’s side. I guess we shouldn’t keep either of them waiting,” she said. “Just give me a few moments to get situated so that I can see the look on my son’s face when you appear.”
Jaisey nodded again, unsure her voice would work. The butterflies were trying to break free and her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she was sure they could all hear it.
A few more moments passed, then Honi gave her a quick hug and left to go take her own place. Jaisey stood in the darkness of the front room waiting for Mahigan to give her the cue, which came a few moments later. A quick nod from the woman and she stepped out to the porch, to her father who was waiting with his arm extended. She smiled at him, grateful for the support.
“Jaisey, you are so beautiful…” his voice broke a bit. “You look so much like your mother.”
The tears threatened again. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. So much had happened in such a short time. It was hard to keep up with the whirlwind of changes.
Kenyon led her down to the hearth and to the edge of the fire. The flames were high enough that she couldn’t see Quinn walking on the other side, but she knew from the eyes surrounding them that he was there. She tried to ignore the gasps as people turned their eyes to her. She just needed to get to Quinn’s side.
When Honi came into view she knew she was close. Her heart was aching to see Quinn. Had they really been together only an hour before? It seemed an eternity had passed since that moment.
She rounded the end of the fire pit and met his grey eyes. All the tension and butterflies disappeared at that moment. She saw only him and the look in his eyes as they roamed over her. She returned the action, taking in all of him. He wore dark pants and a deep blue shirt that pulled a light blue from his normally gray eyes. Quinn’s eyes heated as he took her in, which started the butterflies again.
Her father placed her hands in Quinn’s and said something, but Jaisey didn’t hear, she was too focused on Quinn.
The Speaker began the ceremony and she saw in her peripheral vision that Honi and Seff had stepped aside to make room for them. Quinn gently pulled her to face the man. It took everything she had to pull her eyes from him and look at the Speaker.
She tried to listen as he said things about love and honor and commitment; she tried to keep her eyes on him as he spoke the words tha
t were tying her life to Quinn’s, but her eyes kept moving of their own will to the man she loved standing next to her. He seemed to be fighting the same battle.
The Speaker finally asked for their hands and he tied them together with a leather cord and then said something about their union and the words she’d been truly listening for… “kiss your avowed.” The sun was nearly set, and the fire reflecting on them further set the romantic mood.
Quinn swept her to him so fast it took her breath away. His lips taking hers in total possession. A quietly cleared throat had Quinn pulling away from her reluctantly. He moved his lips to her throat and up the side of her neck, sending shivers through her.
“You are a vision,” he whispered in her ear, “and now Jaisey, you are mine.”
He released her reluctantly as people began pressing around wanting to give them their congratulations, but his eyes were locked on her – possessively, burning with the promise of things to come.
Seff and Honi took turns hugging them, and then they were forced to break their trance as Quinn’s parents came forward. She was introduced to his father and learned how fast they had traveled to make it back. Then the Healer and Speaker also gave their congratulations. The fire was roaring, and the voices were joyful. Honi had been right. This was the best day ever.
The first gasp she heard, she ignored. But then she heard another and another. Quinn snapped his head to the Healer. Jaisey followed his lead, taking in the old man. He was shaking his head and then he mouthed the word no. His eyes had a faraway look and he was clenching his fists. Something was wrong, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what.
Behind the Healer, she noticed the Speaker and her father both had the same faraway look. And then the shouting began. Chaos erupted all around them.
Jaisey was pulled along as Quinn rushed to Aatu’s side.
“What?!” he demanded.
“They’re coming. All of them. From the south,” the Healer said.
“All of them?” Quinn repeated in disbelief.
“Get the women and children inside. We must go out to meet them. I want the young men here to protect them,” the Speaker ordered.
“Jaisey, you have to stay here,” Quinn said. His voice was shaking with rage. One moment their wrists were bound; the next her hand was falling away from him, the leather cord landing unceremoniously in the dirt at their feet. He pulled her quickly to his porch.
“Listen to me,” he demanded. “You stay here, and you stay in the house. You are not to come out for any reason. Do you hear me?” His voice commanded and she found herself nodding in response.
People were running to fight the threat that was heading their way. She watched as Tala deposited Adalia into Ylva’s arms, and then she headed to the south of the village, following nearly everyone. They were all going – even many of the women. Seff and the boys were hovering nearby waiting for Quinn’s orders.
He turned to them. “If any of them get past us, you know what to do!”
He turned back for one brief moment, regret shimmering in his eyes and said simply, “I’m so sorry Jaisey. I love you.”
And then, in his place was the massive grey wolf, bounding away to the south, overtaking the others. Jaisey stood there stunned, and then Seff walked over to her and guided her into the house.
When the door was shut, reality hit her again, along with the shock. She tried to shake off the fear. Now was not the time to let it get the better of her.
Jack whined from his dog bed, clearly picking up on the stress of the situation.
“It’ll be okay boy,” she said, but she wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince.
She looked down at the gown she wore and suddenly felt the urge to tear it from her body. She didn’t want the reminder of what had just been ruined. She hurried to the room she and Quinn were to share and found a change of clothes. It took a few moments of struggle, but she managed to get the dress off, and then she hung it reverently on a hanger. She didn’t know what they would do about their ceremony now. She just prayed that Quinn and the others would all come back unharmed.
She looked down at her wrist, feeling bereft and empty with the cord gone. A single tear escaped. She wiped it away in irritation. She needed to be strong.
She hurried to dress and went back to the front room. Jack was by the front door, whining, wanting out. She quickly realized he might be able to help the boys, so she let him out.
With the door opened, she could hear howls and roars penetrating the night. She remembered Quinn’s command and she closed the door again and went back to the window.
She could see the boys near the hearth, pacing restlessly. More noises cut through the air, stilling the boys, and she realized that some of the Ishaks were getting close.
Time started moving in strange disjointed moments. Her eyes kept trying to focus on the boys, but a strange blur kept intruding. She kept thinking tears were building, but when she would wipe at her eyes, there was no wetness.
She watched as the eight boys slowly shifted and her blurred vision caught flashes of gold as they did. She noted absently that they were all brown once shifted, except for Seff who was more reddish-brown. She also caught sight of Jack standing with the boys, ready to fight. They were all so small compared to Quinn, compared to the black wolf that had attacked Seff. Jack was the same size as the largest of them – Caleb or Rudi – she assumed. If any of the Ishaks were to get past, how could they fight them? She clenched her hands into fists to stop her hands from shaking, fear threatening to overcome her.
Jaisey watched in horror as a group of animals entered the circle of homes, heading directly for the boys. She had known that the Ishaks could shift to random animals but had still expected only wolves. The lions and panther looking cats were terrifying as they stalked toward her boys.
How had they gotten past Quinn and the others? The boys repositioned themselves to fight, to protect the homes behind them containing the women and children. Again, time seemed to slow as they moved closer to the boys. Her insides were screaming at her to do something, anything. But still, she stood frozen, watching in terror as the Ishaks closed the distance between them.
A choked sound escaped her lips as one of the Ishaks, a large dark colored panther, lunged toward the group of boys. The boys were quick though, moving almost in a blur and the cat lay dead at their feet a moment later. Jaisey let out the breath she’d been holding, feeling dizzy. The boys would be all right, they were fighters, she assured herself. Quinn had told her they were stronger and faster than the Ishaks.
Even as she thought it, more animals poured into the village and the fight began in earnest. The howling sounds were so loud; she knew the boys must be calling for help. But none was coming. They were outnumbered more than two to one and they were losing ground.
Her vision began clouding again, and streaks of gold and red began weaving around each other, mixing together. Her head was swimming and she realized with another wave of dizziness she wasn’t breathing once more.
She gasped, taking in a deep breath of air and the world righted itself for a moment. She watched in horror as three ganged up on the little reddish-brown wolf.
“NO, SEFF!” she screamed. She ran for the door but couldn’t get out quickly enough. Once she reached the porch, she looked around for something she could use to defend them with, but there was nothing. And then, after a quick glance, she saw that Seff was being taken, dragged back between the homes. She couldn’t tell exactly which way they were headed. The homes and forest blocked her view, but it seemed they were headed to the north, maybe west.
Feeling the panic that they might get away, she tried to run after the group taking Seff as they disappeared into the shadows behind the houses, but someone grabbed her and held her back.
She turned on the person, only to find Colin looking at her with a pleading stare. His eyes were full of fear.
“You can’t go,” he said.
She jerked her arm away a
nd turned. The remaining Ishaks had all run back the way they had come, retreating. And suddenly all the boys, except one, were standing behind her. Seff was gone.
“NO!” she screamed again, and she ran toward the forest. She didn’t get ten steps before bodies were blocking her way. Tate, Colin, Maicoh, and Jei were all there, stopping her. Hands grasped her arms from behind, Caleb and Rudi were holding her back. She twisted against them.
“Let me go,” she screamed at them, trying harder to twist free of the hands that bound her. “They have Seff!”
“We know Jaisey, but there’s nothing you can do. We aren’t strong enough to fight all of them and we can’t let you leave the village. Randon called the rest back, they’re coming,” Tate said fiercely.
She stopped fighting and collapsed to her knees in tears. Seconds later, Jack was there, licking the tears from her cheeks. He was covered in blood. Was he hurt? She ran her eyes over him, searching for injuries, but it didn’t appear the blood was his.
Caleb wrapped his arms around her, getting her back to her feet and steered her back to Quinn’s porch, gently pushing her into a chair. Jack followed and sat next to her, still clearly agitated, but no worse for wear.
“Good boy, Jack,” she mumbled, scratching behind his ears.
“They’re all retreating. It was a diversion in the south. They sent their fastest into the village, flying past the first group once they were fighting,” he explained.
Jaisey watched him with a numb expression.
“Stay here… I need to speak with the rest of the group. We’ll go after Seff, I promise,” he said firmly.
She nodded. Her mind could not process the grief and rage filling her. They had taken Seff. They had taken her family.
Jaisey.
She snapped her head up at the call. She looked around but saw nothing but the retreating back of Caleb. She started to respond, thinking it was Caleb who’d called out to her when she heard the voice again.
Jaisey, the voice repeated. More forceful, clearer.
Her heart began to pound. The voice was in her head. It was a man’s voice, soft and velvet sounding, yet full of malice.
Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 25
