Chapter Ten
A Week Later…
Najha stayed with Thorn and Jayden through the first week after Chase was born to make sure momma and baby were doing fine. It was time for her to face Lucien and confess the truth to him. It was without a doubt now, she was carrying a child.
After seeing Layla and Taraji, she knew she was pregnant and that she and Lucien needed to figure out what they were going to do about it.
She decided to call him and talk to him. She dialed his number that she’d gotten from her father. Lucien answered on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s me, Najha.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m sorry.” Najha didn’t know what else to say to him.
“About? The fact that you’re lycan or that you did some spell to hide the fact from me?”
“Honestly, it was to protect my people. My father asked me to pretend I was human to protect myself from the others in town. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you the fact even after we… umm…”
“We what, fucked?”
“You don’t have to be so crude about it.” Najha was hurt.
“Well it’s the fact, isn’t it? We’re also mates and now we’re damned.” Lucien sounded sad, not angry.
“What if we can figure this all out?”
“How, those laws were set in stone to end a war. It won’t be taken lightly.” Lucien was absolutely right.
“We need to see each other?” Najha wanted to be with him. She needed to know he forgave her for what she’d done.
“You can see inside my mind anytime you wish.” Lucien opened his mind to her, and she let him in. To see all of her memories and childhood.
“Let’s hang up these damn phones. I can talk with you through our minds.” Lucien hung up then connected with her. ‘See, much better.’
‘You can see all my memories and childhood as I grew into a woman.’
“As you can mine.’ Lucien’s world was so much bigger than hers. He’d been around for over four hundred years, and his memories were deep. The wars he fought and the loss of his people and loved ones was great.
Opening her mind, she let him in to see her every thought. ‘I’m pregnant.’
‘I can see that. What are we going to do about it?’
“I need to speak with my father. Can you two try to figure out how this will all work?’
“It will no matter what. I will not abandon you nor my child.’
‘But, what if there is no way around the laws?’ Najha worried about the others finding out she was with child.
‘I will leave my people and take you somewhere else.’ That thought hurt her dearly, but she believed in him and prayed he was telling her the truth.
‘I will speak with Thorn and we’ll figure this out. I’m still hurt and upset that you hid you were lycan from me.’
‘Can you forgive me?’
‘Yes, I’ve already forgiven you.’ The fact that Lucien forgave her helped her trust him to tell her the truth.
After she let him fade away, Najha had a lot to think about. Mates didn’t lie to each other, ever. Lucien had been so confused. He thought she was his mate, but the spell had thrown him off. It was just enough he thought he was going crazy at times. She felt bad, but it hadn’t been her choice. Najha hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. Especially to Lucien. He’d always been good to her and their people.
She decided to call her brother, Dante.
He answered her first ring, “Hey, Najha. How the hell are you?”
“I need a favor?”
“Shoot.” Her brother’s slang sometimes drove her nuts.
“Can you help me go through the scrolls and find out why a vampire and lycan can’t mate?”
“I’ve looked already. As soon as I found out who your mate was. Najha, there is nothing in there. A long time ago there was a war. In the scrolls I found blocks of time missing. It was a Rodamere Brutka who forced war among the groups of vampires, lycan, and dragons. I haven’t met any of the dragon people. Have you?”
“No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard of them.”
“So what created the laws that the vampires and lycan couldn’t mate?”
“It just says because they wanted to keep the peace and if a vampire and lycan could mate it would again start another war. Or something like that. There’s mention of a woman having a child, but she doesn’t have a mate. There was no mention of a father to this child. We need to figure out who this man was and what happened around that time the wars broke out.”
“Who would we go to for that?”
“Father and Lucien?”
“That’s an idea. We could go to Father and see if he’d be willing to talk to Lucien and figure out the why. If you’re Lucien’s mate, wouldn’t he want it figured out too?”
“I suppose.”
“There’s no mention of any vampire and lycan mating in the scrolls. What are you going to do next?” Dante’s voice lowered slightly. “Najha, I would say go to Lucien. Let him deal with it?”
“I’ve apologized to him. He understands. But, there is no way I can let him walk away from his people, and that’s the choice right now that we have.”
“Well dammit, girl.”
Dante’s words astounded her. “Seriously, Dante?”
“What about if I went to Father and asked him to go to Lucien and work it all out. He’s the one that forced me to lie?”
“Dad told me to leave it alone and stop searching for now. He said he’d go to Lucien but not right now.”
“Ugh. Okay, thanks, Dante. I love you.” Najha looked out over the lake she’d parked next to. How could her heart be torn from her body over and over again? Each time, she thought she might find the solution, it always turned back to her father, the Alpha of her pack.
“I love you too.” Dante disconnected.
She sat down on a large rock and enjoyed the sun on her face. Without this alone time, she’d probably go crazy. The sun was everything to a lycan with its soothing healing properties. She sat straight up, then stood. Kicking a rock into the water, she watched the water pool around it. She raised her hands toward the sky. “That’s it! It’s you, isn’t it?” she shouted to the bright sunlight.
A vampire couldn’t walk in the sun. She would need the sun and Lucien wasn’t allowed to walk among it. That was the problem, right? It had to be.
Leaving the lake, she headed back to her house on her motorcycle. She needed to let herself unwind and think about something else besides her mate. Najha decided to take matters into her own hands. Lucien would have to come up with a way for them to be together. Instead of going home, she headed north to Washington and Lucien’s home.
The lycan and vampires were natural enemies for as long as Najha could remember. Her being a young adult lycan only made things worse for her. She’d already gone through a heat cycle and was due to have another soon. This would be a problem; she didn’t want all the lycan males to come sniffing around her. What would it do to her mate? She had to face Lucien sooner than later. But she didn’t even know what to say to him. He looked angry when she last saw him. Well, he hid that from his face, but she knew deep beneath, his rage was there.
Suddenly, she felt her courage dry up. Najah quickly changed directions and decided to go home and hunt. It could wait, it’d been two months, so what would another few days hurt? Besides, he hadn’t come to her yet either and probably didn’t want her now anyway.
The wind blew through her hair as she chased down the miles toward her house in the country. Najha loved the outdoors and the trees. It made her wonder how she and Lucien could possibly be together. He couldn’t go out during the day, and she usually slept at night. A simple bite from a lycan could convert a human. What would happen if Lucien took her powerful blood? Those were the questions beating at her brain.
She parked the bike in front of her small cabin. She turned the key and shut down the motor, swung her leg over and stepped onto the ground. Walking toward the door, she sensed something off. Something wasn’t quite right, she didn’t know what, but something or someone was in her house.
Wanting to be able to shift quickly, she pulled her leather jacket off draping it over her railing on the porch. In a light t-shirt and jeans, she could easily destroy them by shifting into the larger wolf. But not needing to do that quite yet, she used her senses in human form. They worked the same as if she was a wolf.
Masking her lycan and human scent was something she’d learned to do as a young child. If she didn’t, it was far too dangerous for her to even think about approaching the danger, not knowing what or who it was.
Effortlessly, she snuck around the cabin toward the back door. As she slowly approached the backside, she sensed before she actually saw the wolf.
One of her pure-bred brethren was standing near the edge of the forest. He sat down and howled.
“Red, you scared me, you meathead.” She chuckled as she walked over to the lone wolf.
The animal was the Alpha to his own pack that lived near her in the forest. These timber wolves guarded her. The rest of the pack now showed themselves.
“Avalon, Isis, Athena, and Clio. I count five of you, where’s Rony?” Najha looked around, the five wolves were sitting in front of her, Rony, one of the young pups born to Athena and Red, was missing. ‘Red, what happened?’ Najha chose to communicate with her wolf pack this way. ‘Was someone in my house, and where’s Rony?’
‘No one was in the house. All morning, we felt the undead near here. Rony is missing. Athena hopes he just got distracted and is okay.’
‘Did something happen in Shades Run yesterday?’ Najha asked. Red had promised to keep an eye for danger in town for her. She didn’t want to show her face quite yet. She was nervous and just didn’t want to see him yet.
‘Yes, a Bolnav was near town. The men executed him.’
Nobody would let her hunt with the lycan since the night of Chase’s birth. ‘Okay, is the danger over then?’
‘No, two of them escaped the men. They tracked them into the vampires’ territory. Kaden promised the lycan they’d remove the threat from their land. I wanted to help track, but the vampire told us to come to you and keep you safe for their king?’
Red knew everything that happened in these mountains. For this, she was thankful. Wait, did he say, ‘Keep her safe for their King?’ She shook her head, as she felt truly confused. She must have misunderstood this part. Najha looked down into the eyes of the Alpha in her pack. “Red, Kaden was right, you need to stay away from the Bolnav. Thank you for coming to me, I appreciate the help. Go find Rony, he’s your young and shouldn’t be out there alone.”
The wolf gazed up at her, his intelligent brown eyes knowing way too much. With a nod, he turned to his pack. Giving them a yelp, they were off to find Rony.
Still unable to shake the feeling of doom from her shoulders, the chills and hair-raising shivers caused her body to gather sweat. She felt exhausted and hungry from her long days of worry and needed to hunt.
She pushed open the back door into her kitchen. The aroma of baked cookies met her. No one had made it into the house, the wolves must have deterred them away from her home. Najha loved this cabin and didn’t want to think about giving it up for her mate. She wouldn’t be able to rest comfortably if she was forced to live in town. This side of Shades Run was for lycan only. Nobody usually ventured this far out. The vampires weren’t allowed on this side of the Cascade Range.
Looking in the mirror, dark circles and sunken eyes stared back at her. Najha hadn’t hunted in a while, and she definitely needed to. To gain back her strength and the looks of a strong lycan, she needed fresh game and a lot of it. Why she’d starved herself, she didn’t know and didn’t have time to sit here and figure it out. She decided to follow the pack. They had a pup missing. Stripping off her clothes, she ran out the front door Then shifting at the same time, she leaped off the porch. She swiftly caught up to them and sent a mental message to Red that she would join them.
The straining of powerful muscles of the wolf felt amazing. Much larger than her timber wolves that now ran beside her. They would help with the hunt then share the meal but only after finding Rony. Najha loved these animals as if they were her own children. She’d raised them from pups. Their parents had been killed by poachers on the other side of the mountain.
She also realized that it was far past the time to go back over there and find out what had killed them. The wolf parents and so many of her own people had disappeared over the past years. All they knew was it happened on the other side of the Cascades near the Bend. The urban legend around the campfires of the gypsy people was about the boogeyman who lived inside those mountains. It had been told around the small town that an evil so dark and dangerous could pull in its victims by whispering in the wind, and the victim went into a trance never to return or be seen again.
Najha again focused her thoughts on where she was headed. Her young legs needed a good run and stretch. The power she’d gained near adulthood felt good. Her wolf only protected her with its strength and stamina. The agility, courage, and bravery were an added bonus.
Her legs ate away at the miles leaving her home ground and heading toward the mountain range. The altitude strained her lungs because it’d been awhile since she’d been up here. Stopping, her sides heaved as she let her tongue hang out and pant to cool down. She glanced around checking on the few families who lived this far up. Everyone seemed to be well from here. Nothing unusual stood out. The freedom of the wolf made the human crave to stay in animal form forever. Only she knew she couldn’t let her mind drift away and be replaced by the animal senses or she would lose what little common ground she had in her brain to decipher good from evil. She refused to let herself go rogue, and before that happened, she would kill herself—the only choice they had left once the darkness took over. It may happen to her now since she couldn’t be with her true mate.
Lowering her hind end to the ground, the wolf sat down on her haunches. Lifting her muzzle to the air, she sucked in air and let her howl rip through the wind.
Sitting there for a few more minutes, the human let herself drift deeper into the animal. Freedom reined from her, she stretched her legs while zigzagging trees, brush and jumping over fallen deadwood. Up ahead, she could smell a deer. She tracked the fresh hoof prints, the scent becoming stronger.
Her wolves beside her seemed to fall back, letting her guide them through the hunt. She’d been tracking with her nose, the scent so strong she knew it was close. The poor thing was so afraid that its entire scent had changed. Not wanting the animal to suffer as it was now trying to save its life, Najha ran harder and faster than before. Leaping over a fallen tree, she saw the animal and within seconds had taken it down with the help of her pack. They’d snapped his neck.
It’s suffering over, Najha first ate her fill. She then let the rest of her wolves feed. Each having enough to fill their stomachs. Now they had enough strength to continue their search of Rony, their stray.
Najha padded her way to the Rogue River to take her fill of water. Before she finished drinking, she heard a yip and a whine. Turning around, she saw that Rony had mysteriously joined the group.
Athena pushed the pup to the ground scolding him.
Najha tore off a large chunk of meat and walked over to the pup. ‘Where you been, little one?’ She dropped the meat at his feet.
The omega pup bowed his head in shame. ‘Sorry, Miss Najha, I chased a rabbit who ran into a hole, when I turned around, everyone was gone.’ He looked up at her his ears standing up as he panted. ‘But I used my tracking skills you taught me and followed my pack here. Are you proud of me?’
Happy just to have them all together again, she couldn’t let the poor pup worry too long with his mom and dad already punishing him. ‘Yes! I’m proud of your mad skills, pup. Now, eat.’
After sharing the meal, Najha decided to lay down and sleep for a bit. She was really tired. Lying her muzzle on her front legs, she closed her eyes. Rony had finished eating and curled his small body beside hers, lying against her abdomen. She pushed him in further, loving the feel of his small body’s heat. They both instantly fell asleep.
*****
Hours later, the wolves had rotated through the night, taking turns watching over their little pack. It felt as if Najha had just fallen asleep after her watch when she was jolted awake, by something. Opening her eyes, she waited and watched.
The rest of the pack were already on their feet. Patiently waiting, she knew it would only be a matter of time before it would show itself—whoever or whatever it might be.
After a bit, nothing came out, Najha stretched then stood. She yipped once and led the group back toward her house. Whatever had been there, it had left. The day had been a success after all.
They hadn’t run across the trail of a Bolnav, so she prayed the wolves had been correct, and the things went north back to Washington. If that happened, it was Lucien’s territory, and she wasn’t allowed there anyway.
After getting home, she shifted back to human. She stretched then decided to take a shower in the outside stall her father had built for her.
The warm water rushed down her long black hair, as she closed her eyes, enjoying it. What a good meal, a nap, and a run did for a soul. Najha’s body finally released the pent-up aggression it had been storing lately.
After rubbing soap on her body with her luffa, she rinsed. Stepping out of her shower, she reached for her towel where she usually hung it, and it wasn’t there. Snapping her eyes open, she prepared to go into battle. Letting out the breath she’d been holding, she relaxed her shoulders. “Mom, don’t do ever that.”
“Najha, how many times have I told you to always be aware of your surroundings, safety first, luxury last? I walked up on the deck and you didn’t sense me. What if I were a vampire or a lycan?” Myra scolded her gently.
“How are you, Mom?” Najha wrapped the towel around her body.
“It is not me I worry about, it’s you. Have you spoken to your father yet? I can see and feel the darkness banging on your soul.”
“Momma, please not today.”
“Najha, I don’t want to cause you any more stress than you’re already under.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him. But that’s not the reason you’re here. It’s Cade huh?” Najha could see the strain and worry in her mom’s eyes.
“Yes, I need your help. He had a call last night after he got home. A bus transporting several prisoners to the prison had been hijacked, crashed with the guards dead and the prisoners all missing. Nobody can tell how many and what happened.”
Najha hated the thought of Cade out there fighting and protecting the people of this town from humans who were sometimes more vicious than a lycan or a vampire. “Mom, he’s lycan, remember that. Have a little faith in your husband.”
“I do, but the fact that his phone is dead and he’s not home yet has me worried.” Her mom worried a little too much over the entire lycan community. But she usually didn’t get this worked up over anyone, including her child and her husband.
“Did anyone else go with Cade?”
“That, I don’t know. Usually, with a call like that, he always took a backup, but if it were Bolnav or a rogue lycan, he wouldn’t. Thorn told me to call him when we knew more.”
“You haven’t heard from Cade since last night?” Najha rubbed her long hair with her towel while walking back into the house through the sliding glass door.
“No, that’s why I came here first. I need to do some tracking from here.” Her mother was shaken, but she was a trained lycan warrior, first and foremost…a strong woman and could protect herself.
“Why from here?” Najha asked.
“Because something came here and I believe they are all connected,” Myra spoke as they went into Najha’s bedroom where she had her warrior hunting clothes and weapons.
Najha believed they should certainly find out what they could first, before calling in Thorn and his men. “I think I’ll go take a drive, back to the accident. See if I can track from there? I know you have a plan, Mom, tell me while I get my gear on.” She started putting on her clothes.
“I have a bad feeling about this one. I need him to be alive and well.” Her hands shook when she handed Najha her pants.
“Damn, Mom, you need to calm down. Why don’t you shift and head in from here, we’ll meet somewhere in the middle?”
Myra nodded. “Two Bolnav were spotted up here this morning. If they have anything to do with it, I’ll know by the time I track from here back to the area of the accident. If you drive there, I’m going to run and use my lycan. If they or any of the escapees headed south, I’m going to find them.”
“That’s a good idea. Take my pack with you. Or, do you maybe want to go to the accident and I track from here?”
“No, you look exhausted. I want to do this from here, gives me something to do anyway, instead of worrying.”
“Okay, if you’re sure?” She grabbed her leather jacket and threw it on. Then they both went out to her motorcycle, and she swung her leg over mounting it. “Mom, are you sure about this?”
Myra turned and asked her, “Do you think the Bolnav were involved?”
“Anything is possible. I’ll get ahold of Thorn as soon as I know something.” Najha was one of the lycan’s best trackers. She could find anyone or anything even in rough weather conditions. She would find Cade, it was just a matter if she was going to be on time and not find his corpse.
Her mother stripped and shifted. She held up her paw signaling she was heading north.
Driving slowly down the gravel driveway, Najha watched her mother disappear.
Using her two fingers and whistling, Najha called her pack.
Red was the first to appear.
“Go, follow my mother, and keep her safe.” She pointed toward the path of the retreating she-wolf.
Red and the pack took off with their noses in the air. Her pack was air-scenting, and she had faith they would catch up to her in no time.
Twisting the throttle giving the bike gas, she shot off bringing the bike to top speed racing toward the last known location of her stepfather.
After several minutes and no sign of anything or anybody, Najha pulled up near the old Anderson farm, what she found was crazy. There was law enforcement everywhere. Not only that, she found news stations and people milling about everywhere. Not a good scene for a lycan warrior and a woman. What the hell? She had to help find Cade. She pulled in and parked the bike near a sheriff’s car.
Walking over to one of Cade’s men, Lyle, his deputy, she asked, “Anything on my dad, yet?”
“No, can’t find anything other than his vehicle.” Lyle pointed to the SUV with lights and a decal on the door, Shades Run Sheriff.
*****
Lucien’s heart started to pound, and his breathing increased. What the hell had woken me and so violently? Snapping his eyes open, he realized he still felt the paralysis of the daytime hours affecting his body.
What had woken him this early in the day? Someone was in danger, but who?
‘Najha! Where are you?’ Lucien sent out to the mind path he found himself being called to.
‘Lucien?’ Najha must not have realized she’d searched out and woken him. He had to smile a little. His beautiful, sexy, and very lycan mate was connected with him by far more than their hearts. That day weeks ago in Bainbridge, they’d joined souls. ‘Najha? Are you in trouble?’
Her tinkling laughter amused him as she asked, ‘Why? Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?’
Just like a difficult woman, she always answered with a question. Why was this woman so stubborn? ‘You called out to me, and I woke to your summons.’ Lucien had worried until their talk earlier today over their fates. Now that she was pregnant and with his child, he wouldn’t let her go. His ancestors had created the laws for a reason. Thorn’s father lived in the Ukraine, and that was his last option. But he’d be damned if he would reach out to a lycan for anything.
He’d been there her entire life, he now realized. She’d been a strong little pup and grown up to be a powerful lycan warrior, and he was proud of her. When he finally figured out what she was, it had pissed him off. Now though, he just wanted to be with her. It saddened him. No lycan and vampire could be together, even if they were mated.
His situation was entirely different, and he knew he would give anything, including being a vampire, to be able to have Najha as his wife and mate. He needed her. Right now, this crazy ass woman was in trouble and needed him.
Shaking the thoughts of all else from his mind, he called out, ‘Najha!’
‘Stop yelling in my head!’
‘Sorry. I was worried about you.’ He couldn’t help the laughter that erupted. He could hear her groan and grunt at him. ‘You know you’re beautiful when you do that?’
‘Do what?’ She seemed preoccupied.
‘Never mind, what’s going on that you’re so worried, love?’
‘I’m searching for my father, he’s in trouble and missing.’
‘Thorn?’
‘No, Cade.’
Cade Mills, the man who right under Lucien’s watch had been converted from human to lycan when he’d mated with Myra, Najha’s mother. Lucien had asked Aiden, Thorn’s second best, why they’d kept her a secret from everyone.
Aiden had told him because apparently, Thorn had given him permission to answer all his questions. Lucien understood the why. It still hurt, but he’d tried hard to forgive Thorn. He was more concerned that he couldn’t figure out a way for them to be together forever.
Lucien didn’t feel concerned yet for Cade. ‘Najha, don’t worry unless there’s a reason. Cade is lycan after all.’
‘I’m a woman, so of course, I’m worried. I’m in the middle of dealing with a whole lot of humans who think they are searching for a missing sheriff.’
‘Let me stay with you while you make your journey tracking. I think I can help from here. Once the sunset arrives, I’ll be able to actually come to you and help.’ Lucien needed to stay with her. Their bonding was too strong for him to fall back asleep when she was in this much pain, worry, and need of him.
‘I didn’t know I reached out to you, Lucien, I’m truly sorry. I don’t need you with me. But thank you for trying.’
How could he allow her to be out there without anyone to help her? Lucien didn’t have enough willpower to push her away at her time of need. She was in distress, and he needed to help. ‘I’m choosing to stay with you. Najha, you’re my mate and I, of all people, know we can’t be together. But don’t push me away, I want to help you.’
‘Suit yourself.’ Najha sounded agitated. Her voice breathless and harsh.
‘Do you want me to send Eric?’ He thought of his trusted human upstairs, now keeping him safe from danger.
‘No, I’m fine. I’m just going to check out where the scene of the accident occurred. Thank you though.’ She was busy, and he kept disturbing her.
‘Keep me with you then?’
‘No! You’re too distracting. Sorry I bothered you.’
The mind path was suddenly cut away from them, and Lucien felt at a loss. He wished she would stay connected to him. There was nothing he could do for her anyway. He decided to call out to Thorn. He would send him to her. He worried this was far more dangerous than she was letting on.
‘Thorn? Do you hear me?’ Lucien waited a few minutes before trying again.
‘Thorn?’
‘Lucien, what the hell are you doing awake now?’
‘I need you to go and see if Najha needs help.’ He heard the intake of Thorn’s breath and his fast beating heart with worry over his daughter.
‘What the hell is she doing now?’ Thorn seemed on edge. His words short and loud.
Lucien wasn’t sure why his friend was acting so angry. ‘Look, can you just go to her and help. Cade’s missing. Apparently, there’s been an accident.’
‘What the hell. Lucien, we need to talk. I can’t take all this worry. For now, though, I’ll go to Najha and help but we need to figure out this mate situation between her and you.’
‘Agreed! Go, please? Keep her safe.’ Lucien knew the man would, he was her father. But to tell him made their being mates more solid.
Lucien couldn’t dare hope for a miracle but to know Thorn would keep her safe was good enough for him to relax and wait for the damn sun to go down. Then nothing would stop him from going Najha.