Chapter 21
Pacing didn’t soothe his rattled nerves. Maybe Jay should have let Bran go on his own. Now he roamed this gigantic museum of ancient texts and artifacts. Magic hummed off everything.
Jay was so out of his element, he wandered aimlessly, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. They hadn’t offered to take him back. No, the mages were still talking with Ceridwen and Draecyn about shit that went straight over his head.
Yeah, he knew it had to do with the Branches of Emrys, but he didn’t get why Robert didn’t just drop him off instead of keeping him trapped in this place that definitely wasn’t on Earth.
The air was too still, like time didn’t move at all. Except Jay walked through the rows of shelves full of books and artifacts. The shit he’d seen in the hours since his arrival blew his mind. Occasionally, Ceridwen would appear and tell him not to touch something he reached for.
Okay, he should know better than to examine strange things that hummed with power, seeming to call to him. Yet there he was, reaching for shit he shouldn’t mess with.
There was a large crystal stone. Smooth, clear, and he firmly decided not to touch it, but he couldn’t stop himself from walking forward, staring at the smooth surface.
Images formed, taking him out of his head.
A woman screamed as a half-man werewolf tore into the man she loved. She tried to rush forward, but another beast tore her off her feet and sank his claws into her side.
Jay rushed into the building, probably following her distressed cries as her man died, his heart ripped from his chest and shoved into the beast’s mouth.
Jay burst into motion, killing the one who held the redhead in his grasp by twisting his head so far a series of snap, crackle, and pops echoed. Then he shifted to the same half beast form and ripped his head clean from his body as the woman landed in a puddle of blood.
Jay crossed the distance and launched himself as the other beast lunged for him. He slaughtered the wolf-man much the same way and spun back to find the girl slipping away, trying to push herself back from the mess and from him as she screamed in terror.
The images faded and all he could think was, Mine!
A hand closed over his shoulder. He turned to find Draecyn, who rubbed at his goatee, his brown eyes searching Jay.
A wry smile lifted one corner of Draecyn’s mouth. “That stone doesn’t often talk. And when it does, it always shows you the thing most important in your entire life.”
“She’s to be mine,” Jay whispered. The woman’s blue eyes rimmed in black had stared at him, not sure if she should be frightened of him, or terribly turned on. He could smell her arousal, even though he hadn’t been there. He could hear her voice, though none of the others. And he knew she’d lose her love when he finally met her.
His head was a mess. What the fuck was he supposed to do with that?
Draecyn chuckled. “Yeah, it showed me the love of my life. And it’s always right. Take comfort in the fact that you have something to live for.”
Jay turned to him. “I have never laid eyes on her or her man.”
He lifted a shoulder. “It’s coming. Only a matter of time.”
Shaking his head, he looked toward where the mages were two hours before. “How long before we can go?”
“Up to you. Do you want to know how you can help Evangeline and Bran?”
“Definitely. Sorry, I should have gone back to Silvertail Ridge by now, but you insisted I stay.”
Draecyn chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry about that. We had things to decide on how to proceed. You’ll need to watch over Genevieve and Neil. Both are caught in the middle of an ancient war, and I believe they’re both on the right side, though others are trying to persuade them to the other path.”
“Evangeline won’t let that happen,” Jay offered. “Neither will Bran.”
“They may not be there to stop it. Which is where you come in. You’ll need to help the two find their place in Silvertail Ridge.”
“But I don’t feel at home there either. I don’t know how that works.”
“You can do it. Just because you don’t feel at home there anymore doesn’t mean you can’t show them they belong.”
“You got it. The girl seems lost. I’ll help her man find a way to ground her. After they’re settled, I’m leaving Silvertail Ridge. Knowing someone is out there for me has made me restless.”
“You’ll find yourself where you belong, but you need patience.”
“Heard that before.”
Robert walked his way with Tremaine and Preston on his heels. “You ready?”
“Yeah. I am.”
Robert touched his shoulder, and Tremaine and Preston grabbed his arms. They appeared in Jay’s home. Robert let go of Jay and said, “Get some rest. Things will get more interesting tomorrow.”
He nodded. “You all staying out here?”
“No, but we’ll be back after getting some rest.” The mages left, and he glanced at his clock. After Midnight. Apparently, it was time to get some sleep.
* * * *
Neil woke with a start. His phone buzzed on the end table. He swiped it up to look at the number. Ty.
They had an agreement. Under no circumstances was Ty to contact him if he left his cabin. He knew he wanted Genevieve, and that he would eventually take her from Olivier if he ever had the chance. And if he left, he was leaving for good.
So why call now?
Time to reassess his alliances. Ty had been acting strangely over the last year. Perhaps he shifted sides.
The shaman had freely offered help. He was associated with the rest of the werelynxes up on the mountain. That was the only reason he had hired Ty to weave the spells surrounding the property he bought.
He slipped from the bed, pulled his pants on, and wandered downstairs. Later he planned to take Genevieve shopping for clothes. He brought the money he stashed in case he got Genevieve away from New York. He didn’t want to create a paper trail for the bastard to follow. And until Olivier was no longer a problem, he didn’t want to involve his family.
Warmth flooded through Neil. He finally had the woman who had claimed his heart. Anything she wanted, anything she needed, he would provide.
His heart had always belonged to her. Not her sister who was certainly stronger. Maybe because Neil knew he had nothing to offer Evangeline, who was all about carving her own path. They’d been friends for ages, but Genevieve had been scared. Though sometime over the last ten years they had gotten closer. He’d been persistent.
He lay back on the couch and pulled up the Internet to research the local stores. Maybe find a real estate office, a car dealership. He needed to get them set up somewhere. And sure, Evangeline offered her home, but the only reason he didn’t feel bad that she left for the night was that her mate had his own home.
Nate had assured them the werewolf pack would welcome a pair of lynxes. He’d never known other shifters to accept another kind so close.
Whatever, that was over and done with. Neil had been a lynx for a decade, but Genevieve continued to meet him when she was well enough. Their attraction had only grown, even though, until she was healthy, he hadn’t wanted to make love to her. At least until she was a lynx, which he never expected she become.
One wouldn’t be happy. She had wanted to claim him, but he refused because his heart already belonged to Genevieve. The rest, he wasn’t sure.
But now they were considering moving to a town full of werewolves. The lynxes he associated with avoided all wolves.
Sighing, he found the stores downtown and decided that indeed they would go shopping in the morning. The map showed that they were only a few blocks from Main Street. And maybe, he’d take Genevieve to breakfast, if they didn’t hear from Evangeline right away.