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“To protect you all, of course,” he responds.
“Leave me out of your spell. I trust him, and I don’t want a mark that will prevent him from feeding on me if he needs to.” Her words echo between us, and I understand her irritation.
“I agree. Protect the packs, but I don’t need it. James won’t hurt us. We’re his family,” I say, knowing it may not be the smartest decision I’ve ever made. If we were in a situation where I was not able to agree to him feeding from me, and the result would be him being harmed, I don’t want that.
“You’d risk your lives just to keep from hurting his feelings?” Orym asks. I’m not sure I can explain my reasoning in a way he can understand.
Luckily, I don’t have to. Ryland holds up a hand. “I don’t want the mark either. If we get into a situation where James needs to feed and we somehow can’t give consent, I want him to be able to take what he needs. I agree with Red and Luca; he won’t hurt us.” He turns to Orym. “It’s your decision, but you know if the roles were reversed, he’d agree with us.”
“It’s not like he has some sort of wolf protection. I get it. He trusts us with his life, we should do the same. I don’t want the mark either. But the rest of the packs need it,” Orym insists.
“Of course,” Trevan agrees.
RYLAND
With the protection tattoo spell in the works, I call Dec. James needs to be here, because he needs to be part of what’s going on.
“What’s wrong?” he asks the second he answers my call.
“Can you bring James back now? We have deliveries on the way that will take care of his needs, and my people are protected. He needs to be here for this. We’ve learned things and are preparing for Amber.” I don’t waste time explaining everything on the phone. If he wants to know, he’s welcome to stay while we discuss it with James.
“Eli is finishing up the implant now. We’ll have to test it, but as long as it’s positioned correctly, I should be able to have him there in an hour. Is there any reason for me to bring back up? You said your people are protected; does that mean from him, or from Amber? You know new vamps don’t have the best control,” Dec explains.
“Red’s father is Fae. He’s casting a spell that will keep James from feeding on the packs without consent. He won’t be able to hurt anyone here.” I purposefully leave out the part that his pack won’t be getting the mark, because it’s not Dec’s business. We’ll tell James when he gets here, and if he shares with his brother, that’s his decision.
“That’s fantastic. He’s been worried about hurting someone because he can’t control his thirst. I’ll bring some bags with us, even if you have deliveries set up. I’m sure Eli will put a rush on those when he finds out that we’re headed back out there. I’ll text when we’re on our way.” He hangs up the call without another word.
“James should be back within a couple of hours. We need to make sure the packs are protected as soon as possible. I trust him, but Dec said he’s struggling with control. I don’t want him worried about hurting one of the littles,” I bark at Trevan.
I need to run. Red, please stay here. I’ll take Luca or Orym with me, but I need to know that you’re safe. She nods and threads her fingers through Luca’s. I understand her silent signal. I need Orym’s reassurance right now, and I should make sure he’s good with his decision to not have the protective mark. Especially since he was against James being turned in the first place.
I lock eyes with Orym and jerk my head toward the forest. We take off running, waiting until we’re into the trees to shift. I welcome the pain of my body rearranging itself to set my wolf free. Once we’re shifted, my senses are heightened. Smells are more intense, colors are brighter, and I can run faster.
Are you sure you don’t want the protection tattoo? I ask along the bond, glad that we don’t have to shift back to have this conversation.
I’m sure. It took me a bit to understand, but I do now.
GARNET
The forest is quiet now, too quiet. I don’t trust the peace that seems to be surrounding us. When Ry said he needed to run, I bristled. I know he saw, because he immediately offered to take Luca or Orym with him. If they’re not here when James gets back, I’d rather have Luca here than Orym.
I need Luca to prove to James that he supports this. We all need to show James that we love him and trust him. Honestly, I was shocked when Luca agreed with me and said he didn’t need the mark. This situation isn’t easy, but we’ll get through it together. I just have to trust my mates and they have to trust me.
“I need to meditate for a bit. Would you like to join me, or just stand guard like a growly alpha?” I ask Luca with a smirk. I already know his answer, but it’s way more fun to tease him about it.
“Growly alpha, of course. I mean, I do it so well,” he quips back at me. I love that we can be ourselves again. We’ve been through so much lately, that I started to worry I’d lose this.
I fist my hand in his shirt and pull him to me for a hard kiss. His arms wrap around my waist and he drags me against him. I don’t even care this time that my father and Grammy are watching. Luca is my mate, and this is perfectly natural. Life is too short to worry about what other people think.
“Keep telling yourself that you’re not a cuddly teddy bear,” I tease, pulling away from him. I walk over by our picnic table where there’s a small patch of grass under the shade of a tree. I settle in to meditate, and as I close my eyes, I sense Luca standing guard. I know that even if Amber attacks right now, I’ll be safe. Luca won’t let anything happen to me. I have no problem putting my life in his hands.
I focus on my breathing. In, out. Slow and steady. I feel my magic pulse inside of me and wonder if this is something new. Don’t fight your magic, daughter. Let it ebb and flow. It will guide your meditation and protect you from harm while you’re in there.
I should feel annoyed that Trevan invades my meditation, but instead, I’m relieved for the instruction. I let myself relax, doing exactly as he suggests. My magic flows around me inside my mind, a rainbow of colors and textures, swirling and dancing. It’s hypnotizing, and relaxing is easier than I’d anticipated.
For this meditation, I want to commune with the Moon Goddess for guidance. I need to know that I’m following her desires. If I’m somehow meant to be her champion, I must know what she expects. With my magic surrounding me, I reach out to her, asking for anything she can give me. A sign, a conversation, clear instructions of some sort.
The only change I notice is my magic moving faster. There’s no response from the goddess I’m trying to reach. I start to feel disappointed, but I realize that she can’t be everywhere. This must not be the right time to talk to her. Time is the one thing I don’t have, though.
