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Eight pm rolled around. Dinner was finished; homework too. The family were all deeply entrenched in their nightly routines, having been grounded from the moonlight run thanks to Giselle’s earlier escape. She sat in her room, debating what to do, when her cellphone bleated.
Damien: Tonight’s a no go. Family won’t come. Abort! Abort.
That was a bit melodramatic, she thought. But for some reason, seeing that message tipped her over the edge. If things that were meant to just naturally fell into place, nothing would ever happen. No. It took people willing to go the distance to make thing work that effected real change. And she should take a chance, even if no one showed. Even if it was just her out there, forcing her pack to find the truth, things could be different. All she needed to do was show Martina where her sister was. And the old loner – he could provide the truth about what happened. She didn’t need Asher or Damien at all. She could make things happen herself.
She texted Damien back.
Elle: Nope. Not taking no for an answer. Be there.
He responded in seconds.
Damien: No. Seriously. No.
This had to happen tonight, regardless of other people’s agendas.
Elle: Going by myself then... to the lone wolf. See ya.
She sent the same message to Asher as well, and then left her phone on the bed. It was up to them if they wanted to come and help clear the air, but she was going to, at the very least, show Martina that her sister was alive... sort of.
Remembering Gavin’s warning, she texted one last message to Taylor, who was in the shower.
Elle: Come to the cave, bring the pack. I’m going alone.
That would buy her at least five minutes’ head start so no one could stop her, and hopefully ensure someone was close behind, in case Jeffrey was not too happy to see her.
She hopped out the window and scurried through the back gate, shifting as she hit the alleyway, and headed straight for the desert.
Not sure of the reception she would get, or if the lone wolf would give her a chance to explain what she was there for, she ran cautiously toward the creek. In the distance, she heard wolves baying under the moonlight. Her family, possibly, trying to call her back – but she couldn’t stop, not when she knew this was right. The statue was Christina. And at the very least, Martina needed to know the truth.
On she pushed herself, through nerves threatening to lock her joints and stop her from going deeper into the desert. She remembered the pain of the lone wolf’s teeth in her neck and how that had been his last warning to her to leave. What if he didn’t let her explain? No...She couldn’t consider those odds at the moment. The need to reveal the truth was all that mattered.
Another wolf cry carried on the wind, but she didn’t stop. Giselle pressed onward as the small trickling creek came into view. But she hadn’t caught wind of the lone wolf. He had to be around; it was full moon. All wolves would feel the pull and do all they could to change. So, where was he?
The wind shifted, and she caught a strange scent. It might have been the old loner, Jeffery, or it might have just been a dust devil kicking up the musky dirt from the creek. Either way, she needed to press on to the cave. No point in standing still; her fate was sealed.
She picked up her pace again, heading down the creek to where it met the rocky face of the mountain. Ahead she saw the small cave; only this time, there was light coming from within.
That piqued her interest and she quickened her steps. She was almost to the mouth of the cave when she was struck down. Tumbling down into the dirt, she tried to use the momentum and roll back to her paws, but her attacker was on her quicker than she could maneuver. Teeth found flesh beneath her thick fur and sliced like sharpened knives. Pain amplified by the speeding of her heart and fear of death made her cry louder than ever. She squirmed, trying to find her footing and avoid another bite.
It was Jeffrey, that was for sure, but she had no voice to call off his attack. In wolf form, all she could manage was a few yips and barks, mostly in panic. She needed a moment of peace to send the wolf back and transform. Only then would words be of any use. Surely once he knew her purpose he’d relax. In his human form he’d been a grump, but a more reasonable one than the wolf. But finding a way to shift now seemed impossible. Jeffrey attacked with the ferocity of rabid dog, snarling and swiping with his paws, gnashing his teeth when he couldn’t find more of her flesh to bite into. Try as she might, she couldn’t maneuver quickly enough. At every twist and turn he was there. Every dodge, every duck, each time she narrowly avoided his teeth, he was there again with impossible speed. Jaws snapping and a bite like a bear trap, he was deadly. And he meant business.
He caught her by the neck, and jerking his head side to side, tore out a chunk of fur and some skin as the force of his fury and her own jerky motions sent her off balance, crashing into the creek.
Muddy water was the worst thing she could have landed in. Bleeding from fresh open wounds, every inch of her battered and bruised, the added sting of slime and algae was just the icing on her misery cake. She’d have retched if she weren’t sloshing around in the slippery water to find her footing. Jeffrey was already making his move. The moment she got a foothold in the water he pounced on her again, this time hunting for the soft underside of her neck to deliver a killing bite.
Her heart raced. This was not how things were supposed to happen. She didn’t even have a moment to howl for her pack – he was too fast and his teeth were too sharp.
He had her pinned on her back, only her snout above water, ready to make the killing blow. Eyes cold as the night, he looked down on her. His mouth opened and Giselle winced, knowing she’d found her end.
But just before he struck, Martina’s voice boomed loud as thunder above them. “Let. Her. Go!”
Giselle was too afraid to open her eyes, still expecting to be struck down and have her throat ripped out. But after a few moments of silence, rather than deliver her end, the wolf above her stepped back.
The pressure lifted and she took in a deep breath as the relief washed over her. Tentatively, still wondering how safe she was, Giselle rolled from her back to her paws. A little unsteady from blood loss and adrenaline running through her body, she eased upwards.
Martina was at her side in a moment, wrapping a blanket around her soaking wet fur. “It’s okay. Don’t move. Just breathe and relax while I take care of this.”
She expected a little anger, after taking off like she did and putting herself into danger, but Martina’s words were calm and understanding, with a slight undertone to warn that danger was still present.
Martina turned on the old wolf, stood her ground, and stared him down radiating all the power of an Alpha. “How dare you attack one of my own, on my land? Shift and show yourself to me.”
There was no hesitation, no tremble of worry in her voice. She was all Alpha. No. Questions. Asked. And to Giselle’s surprise, the old wolf shifted immediately, and lowered his head in submission.
“Jeffrey?” Martina gasped. Her proud stance softened a bit, but she made no move towards him.
“Surprised you recognized me after all these years.” The old wolf, now a man, let out a heavy breath and wiped the blood from his mouth.
“How could I forget? Christina...” Martina’s voice failed her for a moment. “But that’s beside the point. How could you attack a pup?”
“I warned her to stay away. Stupid pup.”
She snarled at his condescension.
“Well, she was warned. Twice now.”
Martina cast a sidelong glance at Giselle, and Giselle nodded, confirming the truth. A smarter wolf probably would have listened to the warnings. Giselle understood that now more than ever as her wounds stung like fire. But she’d had to come.
“We’ll discuss that later.” The warning of future punishment was there in Martina’s voice, and Giselle would take her lumps later; for now she was so grateful that her life had been spared. Martina turned back on Jeffrey. “What are you doing here?”
The old wolf turned his head away, glancing over at the cave. “I’ve always been here. This is my home.”
“No one lives here. This is open desert.”
“I’ve lived here since everything went down.”
Martina’s jaw nearly dropped. “Why?” The shock on her face was horrifying.
“Because I said I’d never leave her no matter what.” The old wolf sighed. “And I meant it.”
Tears formed in the corner of Martina’s eyes, but she made no effort to wipe them as they spilled over and ran free down her cheeks. The love she had for her sister, even now, after all the years, made Giselle’s heart ache too.
Even crying, Martina still had a stoic look about her face. There was more there under the surface, but the Alpha was holding back as she faced Jeffrey and heard his truth.
In the distance a caravan of headlights came rumbling towards them. Too little too late, Giselle thought. If not for Martina’s quick response, Giselle would have been a corpse. She assumed it was Damien’s family, the witches, as wolves would have arrived on all fours. And then, a moment later, a chorus of howls confirmed her suspicion. That had to be the Thrace pack. She smiled inwardly, proud to have forced both sides to show up. Even if they were late. Her text message had worked better than she’d hoped.
That left only her own small group missing in action. Where were they, and why so late to the party? Questions better left asked later when the air had been cleared. Giselle refocused on Martina and Jeffrey. Martina still stood her ground while the old wolf looked very much the feeble old man, shivering in the cold without his fur coat. He seemed far less intimidating now.
“Sounds like the cavalry is here,” the old wolf said. “Mind if I dress for company?”
“Please do,” Martina said, and allowed the old wolf to retreat into his cave. She relaxed her defensive stance and picked up a pile of clothes she must have brought with her in haste to get here.
Giselle found the strength to shift back to her human form, and for the first time ever, it hurt. Her skin pulled tight against her bones, and wounds that should have knitted together during the shift seemed to re-open and trickle fresh blood. Giselle whimpered silently as she attempted and failed to stand.
Martina kneeled down and pulled her into a hug, wrapping the blanket even tighter around Giselle’s shivering body. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I couldn’t,” was all Giselle could manage to say at the moment. A mix of pain and the inability to explain weeks of confusion, planning, and uncertainty kept the words stuck in the back of her throat.
“These wounds will need herbs to heal, but we’ll get you taken care of.” She put a hand under Giselle’s chin, tipping her head up so their eyes could meet. Where there should have been anger, Martina’s eyes were filled with pain and worry. The guilt that swam in Giselle’s stomach at that moment made the pain she was feeling all that much worse. Martina’s words too, spoken in the calmest of voices, only added to it. “If you’d just come to me with this... Oh, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you are safe. Pack or not, I am here for you. You have to trust me. Okay? ”
“I just wanted to help...” It was work for Giselle to get even those simple words out. And she knew Martina couldn’t possibly understand her true meaning yet.
“You can’t help, pup.” Jeffrey emerged from his den, wearing what must have passed for clothes for him – holey sweat pants that were well past their prime and hardly covered a thing, topped by a shirt so stained it was impossible to tell what the original color must have been. He looked everything like what she expected a hobo to be. “Not your business at all what happened to Christina.”
Despite all attempts to remain stoic, at the mention of her sister’s name more tears streamed down Martina’s cheek. “Please stop saying her name.”
“I’ll not pretend she’s gone, because she ain’t!” Jeffrey’s voce carried more conviction than it had before.
“What do you mean, she’s not?” Martina asked.
“She’s here. Just inside. But you won’t like what you see. Tell her, Giselle.”
Martina looked up, shocked at Jeffrey. “Tell her what?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. Your father and that old bastard Thrace...”
“My father did all he could to protect us from—”
Anger gave power to Jeffrey’s voice, something reminiscent of the former glory that wolf might have had. He snarled at Martina, “Your father sacrificed your sister to save face.”
If Martina’s eyes grew any wider they’d have burst from their sockets. “My father...” Her voice trailed off as if she were struck silent with a realization she didn’t want to admit.
“Yes.” Jeffrey sounded more the Alpha now that Martina. He stared her down, anger and pain filling his eyes. “I watched the whole thing.”
The cars that had been slowly rumbling towards them pulled to a stop, and Damien hopped out first. “Giselle,” he shouted, head darting around as he searched with weak human eyes in the dark to find her.
“I’m here,” Giselle called back to him, attempting to conceal the pain in her voice.
He was at her side in an instant, her knight in flannel armor. “What the hell were you thinking? When I got that text... Thank the Goddess! I’m so happy to see you.” His eyes darted all over, visually inspecting her, and stopping every so often as if seeing something a little more interesting.
“Eyes up top, mister.” Downplaying her injuries, she attempted to laugh, but that only made her hurt worse.
“Sorry. Just making sure you’re all right.” He blushed, and thanks to her wolfy night vision, she caught the flush on his cheeks. If she’d been in a better mood, it would have melted her heart.
“That’s the question of the night,” she huffed, too much in pain to force out a laugh. “Yes. I’m fine. I haven’t gone mental or anything, and my wounds will heal soon. Don’t worry.”
Martina looked confused, casting furtive glances at Damien, but still trying to maintain her focus on Jeffrey. “Did you call the witch here?” The question had been clearly directed at Giselle, but another woman answered before she could.
“The witch has a name,” the woman, stepping out of a van answered sharply. “My son tells me we are needed here. It’s a matter of life or death?”
Martina turned to address the woman. “Jasmine? It’s been far too long.”
“So, is everyone old friends here?” Giselle asked. “Because this is going to get pretty confusing if not.”
“All people of supernatural heritage are supposed to announce themselves. Common courtesy. So, yes, we are acquainted. But I’m still confused as to why we’re all here.” Jasmine stepped forward and offered her hand to Martina. “It has been too long.”
Behind her, a group of people – witches, Giselle assumed – stood close to their vehicles. Probably waiting for their leader to give an order. The sheer number of them made Giselle a bit nervous. Things could go really well, or terribly, utterly wrong. She hoped for the former.
Jasmine and Martina grasped hands in a very business like manner, neither of them looking as if they were too happy to be doing so, but there was no outward animosity between them. More like annoyance for having the meeting forced on them.
Giselle could see where Damien got his puppy-dog eyes. Jasmine had the kind of look that would probably make any man melt, and a body to match. Tall and slender, she floated rather than walked as she came to meet Giselle. She knelt down, eye level, and offered her hand again. “I’ve heard nice things about you, lone wolf. Let’s make sure they all stay nice.”
Was that a warning? She looked to Damien, who simply shrugged and smiled.
“I should kill you all for trespassing on my land.” Jeffrey called attention back to himself, trying again to regain his dominance. “None of you are welcome here.”
The witches didn’t take to kindly to Jeffrey’s posturing. They began to come forward, as a pack, toward their leader Jasmine. She held out her hand and stopped them in their tracks. “Answers first, please. Why are we here?”
“No need for hostility, Jeffrey.” Martina found her Alpha voice again. “Giselle has a purpose for bringing us here tonight and we’re going to let it play out.” Martina nodded to Giselle.
She needed to find the strength and get up to say her piece. More than that, she needed to get Jeffrey to bring out Christina. That, more than her words, would reveal the truth.
But before she could find that strength and stand, the wolves that had been howling in the distance began to arrive, coming from both sides. The Thrace family was large – ten wolves had come. Giselle wasn’t sure which one was Asher, as they were all dark in color, but she was sure he was in the pack. On the other side were Gavin, the white wolf, and the two girls running at full speed to Martina’s side.
“Well, the gang’s all here.” The power and pride in Jeffrey had faded at the sight of so many more wolves. He huffed and frustrated kicked the dirt. “Let’s get whatever this is on the road...”
Giselle mustered the strength to stand. Damien stood with her to provide additional support. “Bring her out, Jeffrey. Show everyone what became of Christina, and see if we can’t end this stupidity.”
Martina turned on Giselle. “He really does have Christina?”
Giselle nodded, but before she could answer, Mr. Thrace shifted. “There had better be a damn good reason I was called out here.” One of his pack members dropped a sack of clothes, and he began to pull on a pair of slacks.
Giselle would have laughed if it didn’t hurt so much to move. The thought of an Alpha like him wearing business slacks in the desert was a bit absurd. But she waited patiently for him to dress before she continued.
“Some years ago, your fathers arranged a marriage. One that, for obvious reasons, failed.”
“I’ve heard enough,” Mr. Thrace said, and turned an angry eye on one of his wolves. “This is what I had to see? Some kid spouting off about things she couldn’t possibly understand.”
“You will let her speak, Nathaniel!” Martina’s hands were already balling at her sides. She stared down Mr. Thrace like a bull seeing red.
“I don’t have to listen to any of this, and I will hold you and your pack responsible for—“ Nathaniel Thrace had not even gotten the word out before Gavin stepped up, growling at Martina’s side. She too looked ready to shift and fight; Giselle could see hair already sprouting on the back of her neck and shoulders.
“You want a fight, Thrace? Just say the word and we’ll settle things like wolves.” Martina was positively scary when she went full Alpha.
A wolf shifted into Asher.
“Father, for once in your life, father, listen to someone else talk.”
“How dare you speak out against me?” Nathaniel Thrace’s hand cocked back for a smack that never landed. Jeffrey, moving at a speed Giselle never thought possible, grabbed it before Mr. Thrace could swing.
“Why don’t you let the pups explain? Seems to me they’re a bit more in the know than you think.” He nodded to Giselle.
“And I should listen to you, why?” Mr. Thrace snarled and tried to pull his arm free, but Jeffrey held tight.
“Because I’ll break this arm if I see it fly again without cause.”
“Strong words, Lone Wolf. You can’t back them up without a pack.”
“Care to try me?” Jeffrey growled under his breath. He didn’t need to say it, but he had the power of Martina and her pack on his side.
Tension ran thick. Even the witches stepped back in apprehension of a full-on wolf fight. Giselle had intended to bring an end to all the blind rage and fighting between these packs, but the way things were going, they’d all annihilate themselves before the night was over. Everyone looked one hair’s breadth from tearing each other into pieces.
“Stop fighting!” Giselle yelled loud enough for her words to echo off the mountain walls. She winced in pain, not realizing how much it took out of her to do that. But she had the attention of everyone at that moment, and the sudden weight of all eyes fell on her. She hesitated, not quite knowing what to say now that they were listening. The murderous glare Mr. Thrace was giving her made her want to shrink back down into the creek where she’d been lying a few moments before. Asher left his father’s side and came to join Giselle. He put an arm around her, and that small gesture gave her more strength than she could have hoped for. With a deep breath, she found her voice again. “Look. I’m not going to mince words. All parties here tonight are part of what happened. Part of what started this war, or whatever you want to call it.”
The witches mumbled and whispered amongst themselves. Jasmine looked sharply at her son.
Damien spoke up. “Yes, our family too. Listen up. All we want is to make things right.” He turned back towards Giselle. “Keep going, you’ve got their attention.”
The show of support from both Damien and Asher worked wonders on her nerves, and even though she was still struggling to keep the pain from her voice, she held her head high and continued. “You’ve both been at war for years thinking the other side had wronged you, when in fact, both of your parents are the cause. The alliance and marriage were all just for show. None of it was necessary for peace. Just be at peace. How hard is that? The fact is, your parents couldn’t see past their own pride, and when the marriage idea failed, they started a war instead. All the lives lost since them are a testament to the stupidity of fighting. I brought you all here, with the help of your children, who are not blinded by pride, to see if we can’t change the course of the future of our families. We all live here. We all have to find a way to be at peace.”
“Eloquent word for someone like you,” Mr. Thrace said, but the spite in his voice was still there.
She wasn’t surprised by the backhanded compliment and returned the favor in kind. “Prejudice is your problem, sir. You seem to think everyone is beneath you. Try being less of a bigot.”
He looked like he wanted to pounce on her and finish the job Jeffrey had started, but held his ground.
“Make your point, pup, before my patience has run its course.”
“I wasn’t aware you had any patience.” Giselle knew she shouldn’t have said it the moment the words left her lips, but couldn’t have stopped herself even if she’d thought about it ahead of time.
Nathaniel Thrace lunged forward, but before he could get anywhere near Giselle, Martina shifted and pounced on him. Asher threw himself in front of Giselle, and Damien grabbed hold of her and held her back.
When the dust had settled, Asher had regained his wolf form and was standing guard while Martina held a paw on Mr. Thrace’s chest.
Gavin stood at Thrace’s head, growling, teeth ready to snap should Martina give a signal. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing near straight, and he looked just as rabid as Jeffrey had earlier when Giselle had been in that same vulnerable position.
“I brought you here for peace... Stop fighting. Stop being assholes. Just... stop!” Giselle’s pain sharpened her voice. Damien held her tightly still, and though she was sure he didn’t mean to cause her more pain, he was pressing down on her wounds.
He let go as if he knew and took a step back.
Giselle looked at Jeffrey. “Can you please... just bring Christina out?”
Jeffrey shrugged and walked toward the mouth of the cave. “Little help,” he grunted, but didn’t turn back to see if anyone was coming.
Gavin took the hint and trotted behind Jeffrey, and Asher followed too. The three men, working together, slowly pushed the wolf statue out.
That was it. The missing piece to the puzzle, and the moment it came into view, aggression melted away into awe. Martina stepped off Nathaniel and shifted back to her human form. She retrieved what remained of her clothes that had been shredded by her quick shift moments before and tossed them on. Cautiously, as if afraid, she walked over to the statue, mouth hanging open in disbelief. “She looks... so real.”
Words failed Mr. Thrace as well. He stood slowly, dusting off his trousers and shirt, and then walked around the statue twice before finally speaking. “And you are certain this is Christina?”
“There is only one way we’ll be sure.” Giselle nodded to Damien.
He took the hint and left Giselle’s side to return to his family.
“Only someone who cast this kind of spell could reverse it,” Giselle began. “We have no way of knowing who did that, but we hope that as our three families are tied to this, that someone may come forward to assist.”
She waited as the witches conversed with each other. Gavin shifted and pulled Martina into his arms. She’d held back her emotions for so long, but now the dam burst and the Alpha was sobbing loudly into her husband’s chest.
Jeffrey walked over to Giselle. “No matter what happens... you did a good thing, pup.”
“So, you won’t try to kill me again?” she asked.
He looked her over. Blood had soaked through the blanket she was wearing, and the old wolf’s face slacked. “I’m sorry. I truly am. Will you forgive me?”
She should hate him for what he’d done. If he’d been a normal human being, an act like this would have been child abuse. He’d be sent to prison. But the supernatural world worked differently. She could be mad, but she had also been given ample warning. She nodded at the old wolf. “I understand why you did it. Defending your territory is your right. Just remember that we’re human too. Try using words before teeth.”
“Spoken like a true Alpha. I think you’ll make a good one someday.”
Giselle wasn’t so sure about that, but she was well past arguing anymore. She desperately wanted this whole thing to be done with. Blood loss was making her weak and dizzy. What she needed most was rest. But the witches had not yet come to any decisions.
Asher’s father still looked positively murderous. Asher had walked over to talk to him, but the old wolf said nothing in return. She met the Alpha’s eyes briefly and felt his anger, but there was no point in pointing out to him that it was all his doing. He could be a good leader without being a tyrannical prick. And for the first time she admitted to herself that if she had to choose a pack, she was glad she had been placed with Martina.
Finally, when Giselle was beginning to lose all hope, the witches came forward. Jasmine spoke for them. “Rather than reveal the person responsible, we will all join together as one voice to lift the spell.”
That was music to her ears. Giselle smiled at Damien, and he in turn winked back at her. No doubt he’d put every ounce of his charm into helping his coven make the right decision. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked that boy. And though she’d tried to ignore it, his affection for her had been genuine right from the start. She looked over at Asher, the hot wolfboy, standing au naturel as many wolves seemed to be comfortable with, and despite his good looks, couldn’t find the same affection for him as she’d developed for the witch. Sure he was hot; there was no denying that. But he’d been so aloof. So distant. Even when he’d kissed her, the moment was gone before she could enjoy it.
He must have felt her eyes on him. Asher looked back at her but remained stoic, standing next to his father.
Too bad.
The witches surrounded the wolf statue and began a slow chant, something in another language. She couldn’t understand the words, but there was poetry there in the way they spoke. A natural rise and fall, almost like music. As they joined hands, their chants became synchronized as if only one person was speaking with many voices.
Eager to see a real spell in progress, Giselle kept her eyes locked on the statue. She hoped to see flashes of light or sparks or fairy dust... something extraordinary, but nothing even close to what happened.
As if waking from a dream, the statue lost its marble sheen, and the rock faded dully into fur. Slowly, with the sound of popping bone, the wolf began to move. First the head, then a paw, and finally, the poor thing collapsed on the ground.
“Give her a moment,” Jasmine said. “She’s been frozen for some time. She’ll take a bit to warm up.”
No one moved at first, whether in fear or from shock, but Jeffrey was not taking the warning to heart. He knelt down next to the wolf lying sleepily on the ground. “My darling, wake up.”
Giselle held her breath, waiting with anticipation. The wolf did not move for several minutes. What if the spell had failed? Giselle’s heart seized up at the thought of it. She’d never considered that as a possibility and held her breath, praying that wasn’t the case.
Jeffrey stroked her fur lovingly, tears of joy spilling unchecked down his cheek, and whispered softly in her ears. “Thank you. Thank you. Oh... thank you.”
Then she shifted. The fur faded, and a woman, young, with long dark hair, took shape. She moaned groggily and stretched her arms before sitting up.
“Christina?” Martina whispered cautiously, as if the woman in front of her might disappear if she spoke too loudly.
The young woman turned to face her sister. She was an exact copy of Martina, only younger. “Sister?” Christina said.
Martina joined Jeffrey at her side and pulled her sister in to a hug. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“What happened?” Christina asked, eyes near bulging as she took in the sight of wolves and witches all around her. “Who are all these people?”
“We have a lot to catch up on. But that’s for later.” Martina pulled back, placing a hand on either side of Christina’s face. “I can’t believe it. My sister. After all this time.” She looked as if she’d never let her go.
Giselle looked over to Mr. Thrace. She expected to see more of his seething anger, but found instead soft eyes staring down at the young Christina. Against her wolf’s warning to stay away, she pulled her blanket tight around her and walked over to him. “You loved her, didn’t you?” Giselle asked.
Mr. Thrace’s jaw tightened as he looked to acknowledge Giselle. “I did, but she was loved by another.”
“Did you know what your father had done?”
“No. Not this. I knew he had ordered a curse. I thought that was why Martina had never had children. But never this. I would not have allowed him to do this to Christina.” Heartfelt, his words spoke volumes, and gave Giselle a tiny sliver of sympathy for the jilted lover.
Mr. Thrace left Giselle without another word and joined Martina and Christina. He held a hand out to Martina. “For what it is worth, I am sorry for what my father had done.”
Martina hesitated before accepting his hand. “Mine too. I believe our children have it right, though. We should call a truce and cast aside the anger.”
“I think it in our best interest.” Mr. Thrace squeezed her hand once and then released it. “We’ll discuss terms after the full moon. I will take my leave now.”
“You know where to find me,” Martina said, but her attention had already returned to her sister. “We have so much to catch up on.”
Christina’s confused look faltered as she met the loving eyes of her sister and husband. “I look forward to that. But first, can we run? The moon is calling.”
The wolf always has its way. Giselle breathed a sigh of relief. Mission accomplished, and seeing the sisters run off into the hills together was better than she could have hoped for.
Asher surprised Giselle, strolling up with a wry smile that looked so good on him. “You’re one resourceful little wolf. And a pretty one, too.”
“Are you flirting with me... now?” Still in pain, Giselle fought to hide it from her voice.
“Now that I’m free to do so, yes. I guess I am.”
She shook her head. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Damien in the distance. He was talking with his mother, but his eyes kept darting back in her direction.
“I’m flattered, really...” She bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
“But?” Asher’s self-assured look faded.
“But Damien flirted with me before he was allowed to...”
“He’s a smarter guy than me.” Asher’s jaw tightened. “But I learn from my mistakes.”
“We’ll see.” Giselle smiled. “Your pack is leaving. You’d better go catch up.”
“See you in school tomorrow.” There was a hopeful tone in his voice, and she wouldn’t deny him hope, but her decision had been made. Damien had not only put in the effort, but had not allowed anything to stop him. That spoke volumes about his intentions.
“See you tomorrow. Bright eyed and bushy tailed.” Giselle tried for sarcasm, but failed miserably.
He shifted before trotting off to meet his pack. Mr. Thrace made no further good byes; he shifted and took off without another word.
Giselle felt as if she were ready to collapse on the spot. And as she swooned from exhaustion and blood loss, Damien caught her. “Do I get bonus points for showing up first?”
She giggled. Blood loss had made her more than a little giddy. “I think we’ll give you the win tonight. But if you want more points, drive me home. I’m spent.”
“Your chariot awaits...” He scooped her up into his arms, shocking her with how easily he carried her. She would have expected something like that from Asher, but not Damien.
“Thank you,” she said softly, and snuggled against his chest.
“You deserve all the credit. I didn’t think it was possible, but you managed a truce. That’s more than anyone has done for this family in years.”
“All in a day’s work.” Giselle allowed him to carry her all the way to a truck. He set her down lightly in the back bed and shouted back to his mother he was taking her home.
“No magical funny business,” she managed to say, before finally succumbing to the exhaustion that had taken over.