Chapter 8
ELECTRICITY SIZZLED across Daphne’s skin as she walked into the main lodge, located at the entrance of the cabin grounds, on Chaz’s arm. Loose fitting jeans hung low on his hips and a black V-Neck shirt enfolded his upper body. But what made the outfit was his flip-flops. She’d chosen a light blue sundress with sleeves that fell off her shoulders and fabric that hugged her curves like a glove, accentuating her voluptuousness.
Chaz had liked it until his buddy Aron had made a snide comment about how sexy she looked, but she wasn’t going to let anyone dictate what she wore. She’d done that her entire life with her parents and hell, if she was some Princess, why not feel like one.
“All these people can’t be wolves, can they?” she asked Chaz as the room practically parted like the red sea, giving them direct access to the bar. There had to be a good forty people mingling about, drinking and laughing while engaged in conversation.
“Nope. Thus far the only wolves here are me and Cosmo and his crew, along with their mates.”
“That makes for sixteen and eighteen when your parents get here.”
“Your math skills are excellent,” Chaz said, smiling at her as he handed her a Dirty Martini.
“Thank you,” she said, at his observation and his drink. “I’m surprised that Cosmo is here considering he knows who you are.”
“He’s an arrogant prick and he knows we have nothing on him, or anyone he’s here with, so if he left, that would make it look like he had something to hide.”
“Make sense.”
“You like talking this way, don’t you?” He winked.
She let out a dry laugh, though it was cut short when Cosmo and Heidi approached the bar.
“Glad you could make it,” Heidi said as if there wasn’t any conflict to speak of. Her grey-blue eyes glimmered devilish mischief in the evening light.
“Are you?” Daphne hadn’t meant to be curt, but considering yesterday’s events.
“We wanted to apologize for the misunderstanding of last night.” Heidi placed her hand on Cosmo’s arm. “Didn’t we, babe?”
Cosmo grunted something that might have sounded like an agreement.
“I’d say you both owe my mate more than an apology,” Chaz said, looping his arm around her. “It doesn’t matter that you didn’t know who I was, your actions were rude, and actionable.”
Daphne leaned against Chaz for strength while she tried to keep her mind open to any possible projections that might occur between any of the wolves in the room, but thus far all she heard was silence.
“Marking my territory,” Cosmo said with a gruff. “And, if I might add, you started it by sniffing around my cabin. I took that as an act of aggression. Just protecting my own.”
“Fair enough,” Chaz said, raising his glass. “But you have to understand and respect my concern about your pack and your feelings towards humans, which includes my mother and my mate.”
Heidi patted her husband’s chest. “Now, now, boys. Let’s just have a good time.”
“Do you smell that?”
Cosmo’s voice rang out clear as a bell inside Daphne’s mind. She hoped she hadn’t made any facial expressions, giving anything away.
“There’s a Fairy in the room,” Heidi projected.
“It’s coming from Daphne.” Cosmo glanced at his wife. “Shall we go mingle?”
“You know me well, babe.” Heidi nodded, then took Cosmo’s hand. “She didn’t smell like a Fairy last night.”
“That means the legend is true,” Cosmo said, walking away.
“I hate Fairies more than humans. You can do whatever you want with the Chief and his son, but that bitch is mine and she’s going to die tonight.”
Daphne swallowed. Her hands visibly shook.
“What did you hear?” Chaz took her drink from her hand as the clear liquid sloshed onto her fingers.
She was going to have to work on her poker face. No, her poker body. “They said I smelled like a Fairy and that she wanted to kill me. Tonight.”
“Not on my watch.” Chaz pressed his lips against hers in a tender, but protective kiss. “Besides, your own magic is powerful and you’ll figure out how to channel it. I’ve felt it and seen the colorful fog that lifts off your body.”
“You did? I have no idea what it all means or how to use it.” They’d spent a few hours discussing various powers Fairies had, but thus far, the only thing she could do was hear a wolf’s projections.
“Here come my folks.”
Daphne looked across the room and gasped. His mother wore a short skirt, dark tank top, and sported a pair of cowboy boots. Her lean, tanned legs sparkled and her smile commanded the room. She held her husband’s arm, who strutted with pride, wearing a similar outfit as Chaz, except Titus opted for boat shoes.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and gawked.
“Your parents are breathtaking.”
“Not anywhere near as mind-blowing as you are.”
“Flattery might get you everywhere,” she said.
“God, I hope so.” He dropped his chin to her shoulder, pressing his lips against her neck, reminding her of the passionate, deep-seated connection she had with him.
She rested her hand over her stomach, but kept her thoughts to herself. She really didn’t want to be pregnant. The idea, though, made her tingle from her toes right through her belly in a way she didn’t understand. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying Chaz’s lips on her skin and his hands on her body.
“It has to be tonight,” Heidi projected. “She’ll come into her magic quickly. Even more so if she’s with child, which I suspect she is.”
“We need to stop mind communication,” Cosmo’s voice commanded.
“Don’t you look lovely,” Ellen said with a bright smile.
“I’d say she’s glowing.” Titus glanced over his shoulder, seemingly scanning the room.
“They are shutting me out,” Daphne said, deciding she needed to jump right into business, ignoring the glowing comment. “I don’t think I will hear anymore conversations this evening, unless they want me to.”
“So, they know,” Ellen said.
“If you were a wolf, you’d smell the Fairy scent and it’s getting stronger every minute,” Titus said.
“What the hell do I smell like?” Not that Daphne really wanted to know, but she was tired of everyone talking about it.
“Sourdough,” Chaz and his father said in unison.
“That so isn’t’ sexy,” she muttered.
“Oh, the hell it is,” Chaz said, wrapping his arms around her waist, standing behind her. “Better than having the scent of a Vampire. They smell like vinegar.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” She let out a long breath. Without a shadow of doubt, she knew her life had changed forever. She knew she’d never be going back to her teaching job, or her apartment. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be returning to Havern. “I have a really dumb question.”
“What’s that?” Chaz whispered in her ear.
God, she could get used to his devoted attention. “Will my mother just all of a sudden know she’s a Fairy?”
“No,” Titus said, waving to the bartender and ordering another round of drinks. “But strange things will start to happen, so I’ve sent some of my people to get her and the rest of your immediate family and bring them here once we’ve handled this situation.”
“This is so not going to go over well.” She swallowed.
“It will all work out,” Ellen said, resting her hand over Daphne’s stomach. “It’s a heavy burden, but you carry the future of all creatures right here.”
Chaz coughed, slobbering on her shoulder. “Mom, I think that’s a bit premature and totally embarrassing.”
“She’s with child,” Titus said matter-a-factly. “It’s a unique smell, mixture of wolf and Fairy, but the scent is strong, so I bet Cosmo and his gang have caught the aroma as well.”
“I’m so tired of everyone smelling me.” Daphne chose to ignore the pregnant comment, again. She didn’t want to believe it, even though she could feel the presence of another soul in her body, growing at an alarming rate.
“Me too,” Chaz teased, easing the tension building in her muscles.
Titus glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Half hour, then we scatter. I’ve got ten wolves from our pack scouting the perimeter for more rogue wolves.”
“We’re probably still outnumbered,” Chaz said.
She shivered. “So, what? We wait for them to attack?”
“Basically, yes,” Titus said, taking a long swig of his beer. “We need to isolate Heidi. She seems to call all the shots.”
Daphne blinked. The idea taking hold in her mind was probably crazy. “Then we need to separate them and I know just how to do it.
“You can’t be thinking of being alone with that bitch,” Chaz projected.
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking, especially if I can get inside her head.” Daphne didn’t like bringing Chaz’s parents in on the conversation without warning Chaz first, but it was the only way she could set the plan in motion. “I can draw her away, keep her occupied, while you take down the rest of the pack.”
“That’s dangerous,” Titus replied.
“But it has merit,” Ellen added.
“And I won’t allow it.” Chaz stared at her with fire shooting from his eyes. “Will you excuse us for a moment please.”
Both his parents nodded as they backed away and started a conversation with a random couple.
“Don’t you ever bring my parents into a private conversation again.”
“It wasn’t private and it’s a good plan.”
“I’m not using you as bait.” Chaz downed his beer before ordering another one.
“I’m already the bait whether we like it or not,” she said softly behind gritted teeth. “It’s better if we go on the offensive, then they won’t be prepared for it.”
He leaned against the bar, his gaze scanning the room. “If she turns into a wolf, you’re dead.”
“Your mother and I can corner her in this room, while you, your dad, and whoever else you’ve got out there, take care of the rest of them. She’s not going to turn into a wolf in a room full of humans.”
“If she feels threatened, she might,” Chaz said.
“Your dad has a gun. So does your brother and Aron, so arm your mother and I.”
He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s too dangerous not to do anything and you know it.” She poked him in the chest. “If all this Fairy stuff is true, I have some serious magic I can call upon.”
“Powers that you have no idea what they are yet.”
“Hate to break up the party,” Titus interrupted as he stepped up to the bar. “But this cocktail party is ending in less than an hour. We need to do this now.”
“I’m not putting mom and Daphne in danger,” Chaz said.
His mother laughed. “You’re not. Those assholes are.”
“Let’s do this,” Titus said. “We go outside, Cosmo is bound to follow us and you two lovelies cut Heidi off at the pass.”
“No. That’s is crazy,” Chaz protested.
“No crazier than me being a Fairy Princess, so can we just take care of these jerks so we can then deal with all this other crap and the shit storm that will be my family who might want to string you up by your balls.”
“Yes, dear,” Chaz said, giving her a sideways glance. “Stay in communication, got it.”
“Yes, dear.”