In the End
When we pulled up at the house, there was already crowd, and that was never a good sign. Packs gathered in times of crisis. Sure, they gathered in celebration too, but crisis brought us together even tighter. Mikael and I left the helmets on the bike, he took my hand in his, and led me forward through the throngs of people waiting outside my parents’ house.
“Excuse us,” I called out, as some of them weren’t taking the hint about moving. I could feel Mikael’s tension, and he was about to start moving people bodily out of my way. When everyone saw who it was, they started parting so that we could get through. “What the hell?” I spoke softly to Mikael.
“I’m not sure, but this doesn’t look good, Jess.”
When we got up to the porch, I found Jack, eyes red-rimmed, and looking much worse for the wear. When he saw me, he came forward, reached out, and grabbed me up into a big hug. “Jess! Thank God! I was so freaking worried. We were all wondering if…” He cut himself off, seeming to notice the growing crowd around my family’s house. Then he was scrutinizing how close Mikael had gotten to me. “Let’s go inside, first.” He let me go, and turned to head inside without another word. One look at Mikael, told me he had been trying to keep himself in check when Jack threw his arms around me.
“He’s always been a hugger.” I whispered as I went to put my arm around Mikael.
“Yeah, I know, and still, I didn’t see him hugging me like that.”
“He’s still pissed that you turned his sister. The fact that he didn’t greet you with fists flying says you’re growing on him.”
“Okay, I see your point.” He wrapped his arm around my hip and guided us in the door, and straight back to the kitchen, which is where my parents were congregated with a few other people. All of them turned towards us as we made our way inside.
“What’s going on?” I took inventory around the room. Ashley, Asi, my parents, Jack, Andy, and a few strangers were in the room, making the usually large kitchen feel pretty damn small.
“Jess, why don’t you have a seat,” my dad offered, pulling a chair out for me.
Now, I was nervous. “I don’t need to have a seat. What’s going on, and where’s Tom?” Everyone in the room seemed to wince all at once. He had been the only one missing as I looked around. If Andy and Jack were back, Tom should have been standing here with them.
When no one else answered, a man with shoulder-length blond hair stepped forward. I immediately recognized him from my dreams. “Avery Daniels,” he said as he held his hand out to me. I took it, shook loosely, and dropped it all in the space of a breath. “I’ve come with terrible news for your pack, and for yourself.” His voice held a quality like driving down a dark tunnel at night. It was so resonant in the quiet spaces it filled, there was almost an echo to it. That was what power sounded like. This man knew how to use his command voice, but I doubt he ever thought to turn it off. “Your man, Thomas McCarran was lost to us two nights ago. I came to your father yesterday, in person, to let him know we were searching for him. I’m not sure what happened. There was talk that he caught a scent and went after it, before alerting the others, disobeying the protocol I set. At any rate, while I was here with your father, the search party located Tom’s body. He has been brought home for his sending off.”
I hadn’t known Tom well. He was a couple years older than me, and had never mated. He was one of our hunters and trackers. Beyond that, I hadn’t had cause to really get to know him, especially since my parents had me stay clear of most of the pack after my first shift proved I was a white wolf. Tom had been out there looking for Zach though. His death was now my responsibility. “We will see him off on his next journey. Thank you for returning him to us.” Those were the proper words, the ones everyone waited on me to speak, because when one of our kind died an honorable death that is what was done. They were sent off to their next life in a grand ceremony. Once it was out of my mouth I looked to my parents. “What of Zach? Was this his doing?”
“We believe so.” Avery Daniels was the one to speak again. Apparently this was his show tonight. “I was responsible for Tom, as he was under my watch when this happened. I asked that I be the one to brief you on the situation, if you don’t mind.” I nodded, and felt Mikael’s hand come to rest on my shoulder, an offer of comfort, without smothering me. I would have to thank him for that later. Daniels directed me to a chair, and this time I accepted the seat, with him taking the one beside me. He slid his chair so he was facing me. “We’ve been running ourselves raged, trying to figure out where this son of a bitch is going. He’s been moving, not lingering too long in one place. We’ve found evidence that he was held up in a cave on the outskirts of our land for a while, and it doesn’t appear as though he was alone while he was there. He’s definitely receiving help from someone. What we want you to be aware of, is that we think he’s been coming back here, and hiding out somewhere too. We picked up on his trace not far from here. It was a couple days old, but Zach has definitely been back to check on things here with your pack too.”
“Let me guess the caves, the ones with the hot springs?” Mikael spoke, concern and anger evident in his voice.
Avery nodded, but it was Jack that answered. “I figured we should check out there, since that seemed to be the kind of place he liked hiding out over by the Daniels Clan lands. We found a bag of stuff that seem to be yours Jess.” The things Mikael and I had left behind the other day, after our first time together in those caves. I suddenly felt itchy about the fact that Zach could have been there hiding. Mikael had been right. I had no business exploring there by myself. As if he knew what I was thinking he squeezed my shoulders with his hands in a quick gesture.
“Yeah, we left my bag out there yesterday afternoon,” I admitted.
“Well, I caught Zach’s trail over near there, but not inside the cave where we found your things. I think maybe we spooked him away, but you need to be very careful. He’s definitely up to something, and he’s staying mostly under the radar with some serious help.”
“I will. Don’t worry about me.”
“She’ll be looked after,” Mikael added, “now what’s the plan?”
“First things first, Tom’s sending off will be tonight.” My father spoke finally. “Tom had no family to speak for him, so…”
“Andy and I would like to speak for him, if that’s okay,” Jack offered. My father nodded, and clapped Jack on the back then. The pride in his face was obvious. Jack had become the son he’d never had. I stood up to go give Ashley a hug, because she looked like she was going to be sick. This had to be hard on her. She wasn’t used to the real inner workings of a pack. Not the messy stuff, anyway, and I could see it all over her face. That could have been Jack. We could have lost Jack. When I stood to walk over to Ash, Mikael came with me. He kept his distance, but he stayed within a few paces of me at all times. We were so not going to be able to keep our bonding secret. He was doing a really good job of trying to look nonchalant about it, but his pacing me was a dead giveaway. Asi was eyeing him suspiciously already.
I put my arms around Ashley, “Jack’s okay,” I whispered in her ear. “We’ll make sure he stays that way.” Ashley hugged me back, hard, and then grabbed my hand and started to pull me from the room.
“We need to talk,” She said as I followed her and shook my head when I saw Mikael trying to trail us. I also noticed Asi watching.
Ashley didn’t stop moving until we were upstairs in my bathroom. Before she spoke, she turned the water on in the shower and the sink, and then spoke in low tones. “What’s going on with you and Mikael?”
“What do you mean?” I wasn’t sure if I could outright lie to Ashley, but I could at least play coy. She didn’t appreciate it. She leaned back and took a hard look at me then.
“You’re going to seriously pretend I wouldn’t notice? He’s on your tail like Asi’s been on mine since we bonded. If we’re in the same room, he’s there, within a few paces, and I feel like I have to be near him too no matter where we are. You moved tonight, and Mikael moved with you.”
“You can’t say anything. Seriously, we do not want Antoine to know, which means none of the rest of the family can know. That means Evan can’t know, and well Asi and Evan have their thing.” I was mumbling along, because I felt bad for not telling her right away. “I wanted to tell you, but it all happened so fast.”
“At the cave yesterday?” Ashley questioned, but it sounded more like a statement of fact.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because my dumbass brother came back getting everyone in a panic after he went looking in the caves. They found your bag all right, but he also found a towel with blood on it. Your blood.” It was a good thing we were in private for this part of the conversation, because I don’t think my face could have turned any redder. “He thought you were wounded. I had my suspicions since your mom said you were fine, and off somewhere with Mikael.”
“Oh, God. That’s embarrassing. We couldn’t bring any of it back with us, and honestly, I hadn’t thought about there being blood. It was dark. I should have… aw man… Damn!” My face felt like super-heated lava was flowing underneath of it.
“Your mom didn’t seem surprised at all, but she had to have a chat with your dad in a separate room. He was beside himself worried that you got hurt somehow. When they came back out, he was a little pale. So, I take it your mom already knew?”
“Well, yeah. There was an unexpected complication to what happened yesterday. My mom noticed it.”
“What kind of complication?” Ashley hissed loudly, clearly worried. I heard footsteps and then knocking on my bedroom door across the hall.
“Later. I promise, I will fill you in on everything later.” I pointed to the door to let her know I’d heard something.
“All the details later, but first,” she grabbed my arm to spin me around, “how was it?”
The smile that lit up my face must have spoken volumes, because Ashley hit my arm and squealed loudly. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Okay, now, get it under control for a minute. It has to remain a secret. At least the bonding part. I think your brother probably already ruined the rest. Remind me to thank him for that later.” Ashley turned the water off in the shower, and then the sink as I opened the bathroom door. “Hello?” I said to a blond girl who was standing outside my bedroom.
“Hi, I’m Annalise Daniels. You were talking to my father downstairs.”
“Hi, Jessica St. Marks, and this is my friend, Ashley.”
“I hope you don’t mind, your mom said my sister and I could stay here, in your room for the night. I saw you come up and I wanted to check with you first. I know what it’s like to have a parent volunteer your room away when you’re not around, so...” She was rambling on and I decided to let her off the hook before she stopped breathing.
“It’s fine, Annalise. I won’t be here anyway.”
“Thank you. So, who was that guy that came in with you? Is that your mate?” Her eyes were sparkling.
“No.” I said a little too quickly.
“Oh, well he’s hot! You better snatch him up before someone else does. I saw my sister checking him out, and she never looks at guys. I haven’t… Well, I still have to go through one more transition, so it doesn’t matter for me yet, but she’s already 22. So, I guess she might be interested.”
“He’s mine.” I had to stop myself from growling out the words, and just barely was able to make them something that didn’t sound threatening.
“Oh, I thought you said you weren’t mated. Sorry.”
“We’re not, but we’re going to be.” I answered her, getting myself under control better with each breath.
“It’s complicated,” Ashley chimed in. “But they definitely belong to one another, bonded or not.”
“Well, I will make sure my sister is aware of that then.” Annalise smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I ramble on and put my foot in my mouth a lot when I’m nervous.”
“It’s okay.” I walked over to my bed, and showed her that there was a trundle hidden underneath. “Ashley practically lived here with me for years, so my parents got the trundle. This way, neither you nor your sister will have to sleep on the floor.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic, because I definitely would have been the one on the floor.” She laughed, and Ashley and I along with her.
“Are you guys going to be leaving tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. I think my dad may wait until we have some more of our hunters show up to get home. He was worried enough to bring us with him, but now that there’s evidence that your rogue wolf has been coming and going between our pack lands, I think he’s worried about traveling with us.”
“That’s understandable.” I agreed. “I will see what I can do about getting some more of our people to escort you back too.”
“We’ve heard rumors,” Annalise started to say when I got ready to leave the room.
“What kind of rumors?” Ashley asked her.
“Are you…” Annalise paused for a moment, trying to decide if she should ask after all, but then she just spit it out. “Are you really the white wolf?”
“I am.” It was the first time I had admitted it outside of our close-knit circle, but it was something I had been thinking about for a while now anyway. It was time that our people knew what was going on, and that their sigil of hope had returned. I wasn’t sure I was ready to be that sigil, but I was ready for change to come to my kind, to make things better. I couldn’t effect that change if I kept hiding who and what I was.
“Oh my God! I’m staying in the White Wolf’s room!” She squealed excitedly.
“Annalise,” I called back, “I’m just Jessica to you! If you need anything while you’re here, you let me know.”
Ashley and I left Annalise in my room, and I could have sworn I heard another squeal of delight as we descended the stairs. “Ms. Jessica, can I get your autograph?” Ashley teased as we walked into the living room.
“Shut it, Ash!” I laughed.
Ashley was about to say something else, and couldn’t get it out past her laughter. “Sorry,” she managed, and doubled over.
“You’re a jerk.”
“Is everything okay in here?” A blond woman, around my age, asked as she came from the kitchen into the living room.
“Yeah, everything’s good,” I tossed a pillow at Ashley, who was still laughing at me.
The woman eyed us both wearily, and then surveyed the room. “I thought Annalise went to find you. Where is she?”
“We met. She’s a sweet girl. I showed her around my room, and she stayed up there. I take it you’re her sister?”
“Tess,” she offered quickly. This girl was the polar opposite of her talkative sister. She seemed to be all business as she moved through the room, checking the windows as she passed by.
“I could take you up, and show you around too, if you like?”
“No need. I’m sure I can find my way to the bed.” Her eyes darted across the room, back toward the kitchen, where Mikael was now standing in the doorway.
He popped his head around further, to be able to see Ashley and me over by the couch. “Everything okay?” He called out. My heart did that pitter patter uptick in beats that happened when he was near.
“We’re all good. I was just offering to give Tess a tour upstairs, but she declined.” Tess was staring at Mikael, appreciatively, and I didn’t like it one bit. In fact I was about to get really angry if she didn’t take her eyeballs off of my man. I’m not sure if Mikael sensed what I was feeling, or if he would have done it anyway, but just when a growl was building in my throat, he passed a cursory glance towards Tess, and started walking with a purpose over to where I now stood by the couch. He didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate, just grabbed me and kissed me deeply.
When he broke away it was to whisper in my ear, “be a good girl if you want to keep our secrets, Jess.”
Ashley was laughing again. “Don’t ever say a damn word about Asi and me, Jess. Seriously, Ever.” She dropped her voice low enough that only Mikael and I would hear her, “and good luck keeping that secret.”
Mikael ignored Ashley, and leaned back in for a longer kiss. I enjoyed every bit of it, so I wasn’t about to complain. When he pulled away finally, he let me know that he had to run out to the house and grab some appropriate clothes for the sending off ceremony later. “This,” he pointed down at himself, “won’t do for a sending off, especially when I owe the man my deepest respects. He was out there tracking that little prick to keep you safe. I don’t want to disrespect him by wearing jeans and a t-shirt.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, Jess. If you do that, we won’t make it back in time. Stay here, and lend your mom a hand instead.” He gave me one more quick kiss, “but have a much bigger bag packed for later.” I smiled as he turned and left the house.
“Pack a bigger bag, huh?” Ashley waggled her eyebrows at me as she whispered it.
“You should really make it official with that one if you don’t want to lose him to another wolf.” Tessa had been watching Mikael go, since she had been standing by the front door. Something about her feeling free enough to say that to me rubbed me the wrong way. Where I had instantly liked her sister, I disliked her immensely right now.
“He is mine, and I have nothing to be worried about.”
Tessa simply nodded before she ducked out the front door and was gone. There was a part of me that wondered if she was going off to find Mikael, but I knew he’d already gone. If the sounds of his motorcycle taking off hadn’t clued me in, the feeling I got somewhere deep in my gut told me he was down by the end of the road that lead into the pack lands, nearly to the highway now. That must have been part of the bond, knowing where he was, because I would have put money on it.
Ashley and I walked back into the kitchen then to see what we could do to help. The men were off to the side talking in low tones, while my mom and Sierra, Jack’s mate, were preparing some food over by the sink. Avery Daniels looked up, and noticed us, but seemed more concerned about who hadn’t followed us inside.
“Annalise is upstairs exploring my room. She’s a very sweet girl.” I smiled at him, because I truly did like his younger daughter.
“And Tessa?” His tone was gruff, but it didn’t seem to be aimed at me. He seemed a little peeved with his eldest daughter.
“Stepped out on the porch, I think.” I didn’t add any compliments about her. Avery nodded in my direction, and then returned to focusing on a map the men had laid out on the kitchen table. “Mom,” I called out as I walked up behind her and threw my arms around my mom’s mid-section. “What can we do to help out?”
My mom stopped rinsing the berries she had in front of her. “Ashley can help us here, but you should be over there.” She indicated the table full of men with a nod of her head since her hands were full.
“Um…” I was speechless. Growing up, my father hadn’t been pack leader, but he had been council for the pack, which meant these sorts of meetings happened from time to time, but I had always been shooed away when they did. Now, I stood there feeling trapped between two worlds. My old life, as just the girl Jess who should be helping with preparations for the sending off ceremony tonight, and Jess the soon to be white wolf ruler. My dad, probably sensing my indecision, threw his arm out in invitation, and I wandered over to see what was going on. “I hate to ask for a recap, since you seem to have been busy while I was showing Annalise the room, and whatnot.”
“It’s okay, Jess.” Asi was the one to speak up. I had almost forgotten he was still here. “We were discussing the areas circled in red. Those are places where Zach was physically seen by someone.” Then he pointed to a few other places on the map. “These green spots are where traces of his scent have been found.”
“Where was Tom found?” I was going to jump in, all business. I wanted to know where exactly he’d been ambushed.
“He was here,” Jack pointed to the map, almost at a midpoint between our pack lands and those of Avery Daniel’s pack.
“What the hell was he doing so far out there, without backup of any kind? That doesn’t seem right.” They were all watching me, I realized, but I kept scrutinizing the map until I saw what it was that hadn’t been clicking for me. “Taking the roads, even the old dirt ones between our lands is a long ways, in a car, and more journey than most are willing to do as wolves, but…” I leaned over further, and followed the line of the mountains that bordered both the pack lands. There were thick forests and some dangerous ravines in between that made passing into each other’s lands impossible. It was why it was over a two hour journey by car, because the roads were all round-a-bout ways of getting there. “He’s leaving you false trails.” I looked up into each of their eyes, as they continued studying me. “He’s using the caves in the mountains. He’s found a pass hasn’t he?”
Everyone around the table seemed shocked, and started taking a closer look at the map, except for my father and Avery Daniels. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes, and no, Jess.” My dad said as he stood to give me his seat.
“What do you mean yes and no?”
“There used to be a pass, but I don’t believe there’s a soul alive today that knew all those tunnels, switchbacks, and the like that made the pass trouble from the start. Plus, bits and pieces of it caved in over the years. When your grandfather was killed, our side of the pass was closed off permanently, because we weren’t big fans of Marcus taking over instead of your father.” Avery was a blunt man, but something he said struck a chord with me.
“No man alive today…” The thought escaped through my lips, and Asi was the first to jump on it.
“What are you thinking, Jess?”
“No man alive today knew them, but you closed off your side of the pass, because you didn’t trust the one dead man who could have shown Zach how to get through it.”
“Son of a…” That was my father, and he cut himself off before he got started, but our side has been closed up for a long time too.”
“When I was there yesterday I found the other cave, where Jack saw my stuff.” My father blanched, Jack held back a smirk, and Asi had a serious ‘you’ll tell me later’ look on his face. “Anyway, there was another tunnel and cave branching off of the main one.”
“I found that one too, Jess. It was caved in.”
“I know it was caved in, but I felt something back there. Like a gut instinct, or…” I really wish I had a better handle on my white wolf instincts so I could articulate it better. “I just felt like there was something back there, so maybe there’s another way, something we’re missing, or it just looks like it’s caved in. I mean, I didn’t try to mess around with the few boulders that were scattered there, because I didn’t want to trigger a rock slide or something when no one knew I was out there, but none of them looked too big to lift out of the way for one of our kind.” Jack and Asi both stood up when I finished speaking.
“Jack and I can go check it out, and be back in time for Tom’s ceremony.” Asi offered. Ashley was by his side in a second.
“Asi?” She questioned softly.
“We’ll be fine, my love.” It was the first time I ever heard Asi use the endearment around others, and it was sweet, but I was going to torment the hell out of him for it later, just because I could. Now didn’t seem like a good time to unleash jokes though.
“Take Andy with you too. I don’t want anyone going anywhere in less than groups of three until this bastard is caught, and especially not until we find out who is helping him.” My father set the command in his voice, insuring those in his pack would be listening.
“I will go with you too. I want to see exactly how this side of the pass looks. We may not have had the kind of cave-in we thought on our side if this was set up to look like one too.” Avery stated, clearly open to all the possibilities now.
“Jess, where was the opening you saw? I wasn’t aware of it when I went before, because I picked up your scent and followed it to be sure you were okay.” There was a light behind Jack’s eyes that said he was holding some jokes of his own in right now too.
“Instead of following the cave wall to the left, like you did to get into the other cavern, follow it to the right. There’s a big boulder behind the geothermal pool that everyone just assumes goes all the way back to the rock face of the cave. It doesn’t. There’s a narrow tunnel there, and it will be a tight fit for some of you, but it widens out again, and then you’ll see the rock slide I was talking about. I sensed another cavern back there. The space beyond the cave-in seemed hollowed out like that. I heard water drip and echo.”
“Why didn’t Mikael tell us about that place?” Asi asked.
“He didn’t know. He got there after I found it, and I showed him the other side first, the one with the other geo-thermal pool. Jack really did snicker then. “Shut it, Jack.”
“Enough!” My dad cut in. “Get out there, before it starts getting too late. Take some flashlights with you too. I want to know if that’s a real collapse or set to look like one. If it’s a set-up, leave it as is, and we will go with a full party to explore it tomorrow morning. Avery, before you go, call ahead to your second, and let him know that way you can have men keeping watch for anyone coming out on your end. You can use my office for privacy.” My father turned and went to show Avery to his office.
Jack took the opportunity to come whisper in my ear, “Someone’s finally a real woman now!”
“Shut up, Jack!”
“You should have seen your face when Eileen had to explain to poor Jameson what their baby girl had been up to in those caves. It’s probably a good thing Mikael wasn’t here then.” We were almost to the living room, but I was pretty sure everyone could still hear Jack.
“Jack…”
“Seriously, it was epic! And bonus, because the entire room full of people figured out what had gone down all at once. When you decide to throw caution to the wind, you go big!”
“Damn it, Jack!” I stomped on his toes. “You’re an ass.”
“Ouch, Jessie, that hurt! But hey, what are big almost-brothers for?”
“If my big, almost-brother had half a brain he’d have figured things out before that whole scene played out.”
“Water under the bridge, my friend.” He threw his arm around my shoulder casually, “especially if I get as much as I think I will for virgin blood of the wolf on EBay.”
“Oh, gross, Jack! Virgin blood of the wolf? Seriously?” I smacked him, and he ran away, laughing out into the front yard.
“You’re right, I’m not sure it counts as virgin blood anymore, since you know, the deed was done. There’s a conundrum for you!”
Ashley stayed behind in the kitchen for some reason, but Asi was right there on my heels, catching my elbow in his hand to keep me walking to a quiet corner of the living room. “Jess, is it true?”
“Is what true, Asi?” My cheeks were on fire again, and I was really getting tired of having to blush my way through conversations. Most girls got to lose their virginity in private, a few had assholes brag about it in locker rooms afterwards, but my virginity was apparently topic of discussion amongst not one, or two, but three different werewolf clans. Epic indeed.
“Did you bond with Mikael already?”
“Oh, good lord, Asi! Seriously, my parents and Jack thought I was dead or wounded because I lost my virginity, which is a highly embarrassing topic of conversation to have with all those people named, but then you have to jump in on the action too? UGGHH!”
“Oh,” Asi was taken aback. “That’s not… I wasn’t asking about…” While it was nice to see Asriel finally stumble over his words, I was tired of the conversation already. Plus, I was a horrible liar, so if he asked me about the bonding again, I was going to end up telling him, and the cat would be out of the bag. I liked Asi a lot, and I respected how he treated my best friend, but I didn’t for a minute think this news wouldn’t make its way back to Evan.
“We had sex, Asi. I’m no longer a virgin, and everyone here found out because Jack found a beach towel we were laying on in the cave that apparently got some of my blood on it. Is that enough humiliation for one day, or what?” My voice had raised an octave, and I think I shocked Asi enough that he forgot what he was really trying to get at, but just in case he didn’t, as I was walking away, I threw the words back over my shoulder. “We’ll be bonding at the solstice still, nothing else has changed.” I took off up the stairs then, heading for my bedroom and some peace and quiet until Mikael came back. Unfortunately, when I got upstairs, I realized I wasn’t alone. Annalise was still there, reading a book on my bed.
“Hey,” Annalise said quickly when she took note of my face. “I can leave if you need me to.”
“No, it’s okay. I just need to pack a bag for later, and get changed into something suitable for the sending off.”
“I’m sorry about your friend.”
“Who?”
“Your friend, Tom.”
“Oh, thank you. He was a pack mate, but I didn’t know him that well.”
“He was nice to me. All of your pack mates were while they were staying with us.” It was a genuinely nice admission from her.
“Thank you, I’m glad they were well behaved.” I packed my bag as Annalise went back to reading her book, and then I sat down in the big Papasan Chair in the corner of my room. I curled up, with my large gym bag down by my feet to wait for all the guys to get back from the cave, and Mikael to get back from his house. I closed my eyes, and drifted off for a bit.
Someone was shaking me gently, “Jess,” my name was whispered into my ear by a familiar voice. “Hey, babe, you have to get up and get ready.” I opened my eyes to see Mikael right there in front of me. When I looked around I realized I was still in the Papasan Chair, Annalise was no longer in the room, and it was much darker.
“Tell me I didn’t just sleep the entire day away.”
“Well, not the entire day. You were awake this morning for a while.” He was smiling at me as he pulled me to my feet. “Lucky for you, I am here to help you get ready. Think of me as your own personal handmaiden, Princess.”
I was laughing now. “You are a very handsome handmaiden. I wonder how a princess is ever supposed to find her prince with your kind hanging about?” I teased.
Mikael growled at me, then snatched me up into the air tossing me over his shoulder, and smacking my ass once he got me settled there. “Well, I was going to be nice, but now I’m going to have to show you how princes behave.”
I bit into his shoulder blade since it was the only thing I could reach, and the growl that came from him then told me we might be a while getting ready. “Are you going to be showering with me too?” I asked when we entered the bathroom.
“As a matter of fact…” he put me down, shut the door, locked it, and then stalked me until my back was up against a wall. “I am. As your personal handmaiden, I would have simply helped if you needed it. Since it’s a prince you require, well, we do things differently. There’s a more hands on approach involved.”
My body flushed with heat. There was a dangerously delicious look in Mikael’s eyes right now, and it delighted me. I stood straighter, staring right back at him, and pulled my shirt up over my head, effortlessly. I dropped it on the floor, at his feet, eliciting another growl of desire from him. Then I stepped forward, removing any space that had been between us, and I wrapped my hand around his neck, pulling his face towards mine, so that I could kiss him. It was not the sweet kind of kiss I had grown used to. This one was full of heat, need, and desire. I wanted him, right here and now. I didn’t care who else was in the house, what they were there for, or if the world even existed outside of our bubble. Mikael did not waste any time in responding. Clothes hit the floor at an alarming rate, his, mine, and then there was nothing between us as he lifted me up, my legs wrapping naturally around his waist. In one smooth motion he was inside me, and the shock of the invasion, no matter how pleasurable, pulled a rather load raspy moan from my throat. Mikael leaned in to kiss me, as he pushed my back up against the wall for leverage. His kisses were an attempt to swallow the inadvertent moans that were coming from me with each of his thrusts. We both let the need for one another carry us away, forgetting ourselves in each other, until we both reached our climax, and started coming back down from the haze of pure lust we’d been caught up in.
That’s when reality crept back in. “Oh my God, I bet they heard everything downstairs,” I whispered as Mikael turned on the shower. His smiling face came back over to me, picked me up, and took me over to set me down gently beneath the warm running water. Then he climbed in behind me.
“I wish I could say I was sorry and mean it, but I can’t be sorry for that.” He nipped at my ear lobe. “You are just too damn…” words dissolved to that low base growl, and I pushed away before we ended up forgetting ourselves again.
“We need to clean up, dress, and get downstairs.” I reminded him as he chased me forward into the spray of water. “It will just be the two of us later, when we go home.”
Another possessive growl came from him, “I like that.”
“What? That we’ll be alone later?”
“Of course, but I was referring to the fact that you just called my place home.” I hadn’t even realized what I was saying, and before I could get embarrassed about my presumptive words, Mikael was kissing me again. Anywhere I could be alone with him was going to be home to me.
“Okay,” I said, pushing away again breathlessly. “This is not going to work. You go wait out there for a minute, while I finish up.” His bottom lip poked out in a pout, and when I shoved him further out of range, he stepped out of the shower, and stood there, arms crossed, looking none too happy. “Stop pouting. We need to get ready, and that’s not going to happen if you’re in here, naked, with me. I only have so much self-control, and you seem to have lost all of yours.”
“I get it.” He answered gruffly, and busied himself with brushing his teeth. I hadn’t seen that he had a bag of his own with him when he came in. He had been planning on getting ready with me. I quickly scrubbed myself down, washed my hair, and climbed out into the soft fluffy warmth of a towel that Mikael held out for me. “I’m going to hop in while you dry off and get dressed.”
As soon as we were both done getting ready, I opened the bathroom door to find Tessa standing there with an impatient expression on her face. “I hope there’s some hot water left in there.” She remarked while ogling Mikael like he was a prize she’d just won.
I just shrugged at her, and pushed past to get to my room and grab my bag. Annalise was sitting there on my bed looking like she was pouting. “What’s the matter Annalise?” I asked as I crossed the room to get to the bag I had packed earlier.
“She gets to get ready and go to the ceremony, but my father says I should stay here. I haven’t even transitioned yet, but he’s worried that with all the males around one will try to claim me.”
“Our pack aren’t a bunch of brutes,” I offered.
“I swear, he lets Tessa get away with everything, just because she’s so tough.” She looked at me conspiratorially and whispered. “Really, that’s why no one wants her.” I had to stifle a laugh, but Mikael didn’t bother. “Oh,” Annalise gave a surprised little yip. “I forgot we weren’t alone.”
“It’s okay,” I offered, “Mikael can keep our secrets.”
Annalise smiled at me then, and looked Mikael over once more. She didn’t do it in the way her sister did though, she was appraising him as a person, and not a piece of meat she’d like to consume. “Mikael?” Then something dawned in her expression. “Mikael De’ Lune?” He nodded at her, and she jumped up and squealed again. “Oh my God! Oh my God! You’re a prince. I didn’t know. I should have bowed or something when you came in.” Annalise was doing that cute rambling thing she seemed to do when she got nervous. Then she looked at me, and quietly asked, “should I bow?”
“Never to me, little one.” He smiled and then came over to stand beside me, with his arm around my waist. “I’m just a second son to the King, and even if I was the first, I would never require one as lovely as yourself to bow to me. It is I, who should bow to my lovely subjects!” He mock bowed before Annalise and I, which elicited giggles from her, and an overwhelming appreciation from me for the way Mikael had handled himself with her. “Now, I have it on good authority that Jessica has a treasure trove of movies in her room, and that you are going to be far more entertained here, than we will be out there.” He smiled and took my hand to lead me out. “We’ll sneak you up some snacks before we go.”
“Thank you,” she called out as we left the room.
When we came downstairs my father was shooting daggers at Mikael with his eyes. Asi and Jack were watching with extreme interest, and seemed to be bonding over my less than secret sex life. I found my mom in the crowd of people, and begged her with my eyes to intercede. She seemed rather amused, and even tossed me a thumbs up, before she grabbed my father’s arm, “I need some help in the kitchen,” she was pulling him in that direction before he could protest.
Avery Daniels decided to step in as surrogate father at that point. “It’s not my business what goes on here,” he said to Mikael, “but I’d watch your back around Jameson for a while.” He cleared his throat, clearly somewhat uncomfortable with what he was saying in front of me. “Werewolf hearing is both a blessing and curse sometimes.” That was his way of telling us everyone had heard. Jack and Asi backed it up by their sudden outburst of laughter. I was rolling my eyes at them when Ashley hit Asi in the stomach, and came over to grab me away from Mikael. “Walk with me outside a moment?” Avery asked Mikael, who obliged willingly.
Ashley pulled me over to a quiet corner and she was laughing before she could get out what she was trying to say. “I can’t imagine either of you thought that one through at all.”
“Clearly, not.” I sulked.
“Yeah, well, I was about to pull Asi out into the woods for a quickie. You guys were steaming this place up. I know my imagination was going wild. Was that the bathroom?” When I nodded, she fanned herself, “and we heard the wall getting hit, I assume that was your back?” I nodded again. “Soon! We are going to have drinks, and lots of girl chat!”
“Yes, soon. So, my dad’s pretty pissed, huh?”
“Well, if I were Mikael, I wouldn’t want to be around Jameson alone for a while.” She laughed at me again. “On the other hand, maybe your mom will calm him down. I saw that thumbs up!” We were both laughing then, and stopped only when Jack walked over to join us.
“I guess that was your not so subtle way of confirming the whole loss of virginity thing, huh, Jessie?”
“Jack, don’t make me add to the ways I’m going to hurt you.”
“Oh, you already hurt me enough. I had mental images from that performance you gave upstairs. I don’t think I will ever be able to wash them from my brain.” He mimed trying to wipe the view from his face. “I might be permanently traumatized.”
“Oh, you’re going to be permanently traumatized all right!” I launched myself at Jack, and nearly had him pinned to the floor when the door opened again. “Say you’re sorry!”
Jack was laughing hysterically, “not on your life, Jessie-poo!” He flipped me over and had control for a minute before I found a way to slip from underneath him. Once I was in control again I glared down at him, but lost it when his laughter became contagious. I joined in, then slapped him across the chest.
“You’re still an asshole, but I’m going to show mercy, this once.”
“All right, children,” Asi came over, and gave Jack a hand up as I moved off of him. “We have somewhere to be, now.” He pointed out the fact that the living room was once again full of spectators, who had been amused by our little impromptu wrestling match. Including Mikael, who was standing by the door, smiling at me. Our eyes locked, and I had to fight the impulse to go directly to him. Our bond was showing, and we were doing a really crappy job of trying to hide it. I forced myself to look away, and saw my dad glancing back and forth between Mikael and I. His demeanor changed from one of tension to something else, a settled reserve. He had figured it out. I was certain everyone else probably had to. So long as Antoine didn’t see us together, maybe we’d be okay.
Everyone was moving outside now, heading to the meeting area on the other side of our little pack township. I followed along, lost in thought, a million and one things were vying for my attention, and I had to keep shuffling them to the back burner as I focused on being part of the procession, there to send Tom off, into the great beyond. His soul would be reborn to our people one day, but only if we did our part and honored him as one worthy of coming home again.
We got to the meeting place, and listened as Jack and Andy both spoke of Tom. They had both known Tom a lot better than I had, and as I listened, I learned things about the man who ultimately sacrificed himself to the cause of freeing me of my enemy. I bowed my head, and took it all in, because this man deserved to be known by me, even if it was in his passing. Jack and Andy both did a lovely job eulogizing the man, offering him up to our remembrances, and sending him off into the great beyond. Tom had been honored with a lovely ceremony, and then everyone went to the great hall to gather, drink, and eat. There would be further talk of Tom, for those who knew him well. Most of the pack knew each other as friends and families. I was one of the few exceptions, having been kept separate for so long that when I looked around, I couldn’t see past all the strange faces. Sure, I knew everyone here in passing, but it occurred to me that I didn’t really know much about them. I swore a vow to myself then, that I would find out what was in the heart of our people, their hopes, dreams, and aspirations, so that when I took over as the white wolf ruler one day, I might be able to set a path to make those things happen.
“Jess,” Mikael found me standing off to myself, staring out over the crowd of my pack, but not belonging. “Do you want to get out of here, now?”
“An idea was just forming in my mind, for what I want to do, one day, when I take up my place as the white wolf ruler.”
“Yeah, and what’s that?”
“I want to know the minds of my people. I want to be able to have a council in every clan and pack that I meet with. I want them to tell me their hopes, dreams, and desires for the future of their people. I want the councils to change every year, and to include both men and women of varying ages. I want to be able to get a feel for what is lacking, and what is right with each group of people.”
Mikael leaned over and kissed the top of my head, “already you are a far better ruler than my father ever has been.”
“Take me home, please?” I wanted to be able to sit down and gather my thoughts, but I also wanted to just go curl up in Mikael’s arms and feel safe, cared for, and content for just a little while before the burdens of our world were placed on my shoulders.
“Anything for you. Let me do one thing right today, and go inform your parents that I am taking you home though.” He smiled, and kissed my hand before he walked away.
“He’s a brave man to approach Jameson today,” he cleared his throat, “after what went on earlier.” Avery Daniels had walked up as Mikael had gone off in search of my parents.
“He is, indeed.” I looked up into Avery’s deep brown eyes then, a deep contrast to the blond hair that framed his face. “You have my apologies for our lack of decorum earlier.”
“Oh no, my dear, that is not necessary. I remember what it was like to be young and in love. Were my mate still of this Earth, she would remind me that we too were once careless, but passionate.” The smile on his face was genuine, if tinged with pain. “Your father has confided in me about your condition, and what you will become for our people.” He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “I would be very interested in learning what you see for the future of our kind. I have concerns about certain trends I am seeing in the young.”
“I was just speaking to Mikael of forming councils within each clan to find out what their desires and concerns are.”
Avery nodded appreciatively. “Very good. Mikael, he is-is to be-your bonded mate?”
“Yes, he is. We will have the proper bonding ceremony during the solstice celebration, as his father required.”
“I see. Well, may I suggest that you keep distance between one another when Antoine is lurking about then?”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Without a doubt, my dear. It’s the only reason I was able to talk your father into a walk earlier instead of a very angry trip upstairs.”
I laughed then. “Thank you for that.” I noticed Mikael headed back towards us then. “Avery?”
“Yes?”
“What did you discover this afternoon at the caves?”
“It was as you thought, Jessica. A pretty disguise was set up to fool those who didn’t think they needed to look closer. Jack and Andy will be coming back with me. Your father is posting men on this end, and we will flush Zach out by tomorrow evening.”
“Please, be careful, and look out for them. I don’t know Andy that well, but Jack is my brother just as if he were blood.”
“I understand. They will be under my watch, Jessica. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Mikael was there then, and when he offered his hand, I took it and let him guide me out of the great hall, and into the night where my Jeep, instead of his motorcycle, awaited us.
“What’s this?”
“I thought you might want to bring some more of your things over than just a bag, and we couldn’t fit a lot of extras on the back of the bike with us.”
“So, I guess this means you plan on keeping me around for a while then, huh?”
He laughed at me, “we’ll see. You play your cards right, and maybe…” I smacked Mikael playfully on the arm.
“Hey, now!” He turned and grabbed me up in a tight hug, “I am yours until I take my last breath.” He placed a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose then. “Let’s go home.”