Wolf love, p.75
Wolf Love, page 75
“Because I don’t wish to. We’ve had this conversation many times, Shawn McMannus.”
He opened his mouth, but Emma grabbed his wrist and dug her nails in. “Please. Don’t.”
“You’d do well to listen to her advice, wolf fighter.” Flidae walked in a circle around Torrin whose blank stare worried Emma. “No need to fret. I’m just tidying things up in here.” She thrust her fingers into Torrin’s hair from behind him, massaging his scalp until his eyes closed.
As Flidae touched Torrin, Emma couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to Brandy’s son and mother and Nika, all of whom were humans with knowledge of werewolf existence. Why hadn’t their minds been erased?
Flidae released Torrin and let his body crumple to the ground. Emma tried again to go to him, but found her legs unresponsive. She blinked and Flidae was standing directly in front of her.
“The lad in Reardon McAlator’s care has an important duty to fulfill. His Fate is tied to his knowledge of werewolves. Jaemus’s mate will be turned in time and Meredith Wendon is an old soul. Your secret is more than safe with them. This lad, though,” she pointed to Torrin on the ground, “doesn’t need to know that werewolves exist. His Destiny had nothing to do with my wild things.” She ran a fingertip along Emma’s jaw, making Emma tremble. So much power rested in that one touch. “Not that I should have to explain myself to you, she-wolf.”
“That’s why I didn’t ask the question out loud,” Emma said.
“How polite.” Flidae looked at Shawn then Kole. “Are you two done battling each other or is there more fun to watch?”
Kole shook his head as his grip on Emma’s shoulders tightened. “I’m done fighting.”
“Why stick around for a battle you can’t win, aye?” Shawn folded his arms across his chest, all signs of the vulnerability Emma had sensed long gone now.
“There shouldn’t be a battle between us, Shawn. Not between you and me. Blood binds us. That should rise above everything else.” Kole’s shoulders sagged as if that short speech had taxed him, and Emma moved closer, sensing he wanted her to. He took her hand and pressed it to his chest. “I have this amazing woman who loves me, despite turning her without her consent.”
“And breaking my favorite fiddle,” Emma added.
Kole squeezed her hand harder against him. “And breaking her favorite fiddle. The only thing that is missing now, Shawn, is you, my brother. If I have the two of you, I have everything I need.”
Emma peeked at Flidae. The goddess’s eyes were strangely soft, as if the emotions Kole had so honestly shared had... affected her. Emma remembered Flidae saying she could experience some degree of emotions through her wild things.
Aye, this is one of those times, she-wolf.
Compassion welled up in Emma as she felt the goddess’s loneliness, ten times stronger than what she’d felt from Shawn earlier.
I’ve had centuries upon centuries to feel this, Flidae said with a sigh. Its strength grows. And the one human emotion I really want to enjoy is not allowed for me.
Emma searched for something comforting to say, but she was suddenly cut off from Flidae, an unscalable wall around the goddess now. Flidae tilted her head up, looking regal and immune to petty human feelings.
“I have other matters to attend to.” Flidae smiled at Kole. “You’ve done something worthy, Kole McMannus. Nearly more than one something actually.” She held up a hand when Kole opened his mouth to question her. “You’ll see. And I can sense that like your cousins, Reardon and Jaemus, you no longer wish to return to Ireland of your time. Is this true?”
Kole took Emma’s hands in his. “What do you say, Beauty? I want to be wherever you are.”
“Ireland of this time is my home,” Emma said, “but something feels so right about staying here in Vermont, doesn’t it?”
“Aye.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, making her want so much more. “We’ll stay.”
Flidae’s eyes looked misty when she nodded then turned her attention to Torrin still slumped over on the ground. “This human is taken care of. See that no one else learns your secrets, wolves.”
With that warning, the white mist spiraled up from the dirt and surrounded Flidae. When the wind blew away the mist, the goddess was gone.
Emma, Kole, and Shawn stood in silence for several moments. When Torrin moaned from his position on the ground, Emma went to him and helped him sit up.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“As if I drank too many pints.” He rubbed his head.
“That’ll teach you to go out drinking with these two.” Emma arrowed a thumb over her shoulder toward Shawn and Kole.
Brilliant, Kole thought.
Emma smiled, but stayed next to Torrin. “Do you think you can stand?”
“Aye.” Leaning heavily on Emma, Torrin got to his feet and looked at Shawn and Kole. “Jesus, how drunk did I get? I don’t even know that other guy.”
With a glance to Kole, Shawn stepped forward, his hand stretched out to Torrin. “I’m Shawn.” He paused, saying so much with a simple nod to Kole. “I’m Kole’s brother.”
Emma closed her eyes, reveling in the true brotherly connection between Kole and Shawn. She stood and let Torrin and Shawn shake hands as she hugged Kole.
“Where the hell are we?” Torrin turned around in a wobbly circle, looking the part of a musician who had imbibed a bit too heavily.
Emma imagined the effects of Flidae’s mind cleansing were similar to that of alcoholic overindulgence. “We went for a drive after going out to drink. We didn’t want Gran to see us like this.”
“It’s too early in the day to be sloshed.” Shawn squinted up to the sky where the springtime sun beamed brightly.
Torrin pulled up his jacket sleeve and checked his watch. “Holy shit. I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk at noon.” Then he gave Emma a smile. “But we were celebrating, aye? Our radio opportunity?”
“Aye. We should be hearing Hendrake on the radio tomorrow.”
Torrin pumped his fist in the air then did a crazy dance only a man who thought he might be drunk could do. He hooked his arm with Emma’s and spun her around. “We’re going to be famous, Emma. Famous!” He released her with a twirl that made her dizzy then stopped dancing abruptly and pointed at Shawn. “Have you heard our stuff, Kole’s brother?”
Shawn’s lips twitched as if he were trying not to laugh at Torrin being such a clown. “No, I haven’t.”
“Well, that won’t do.” He rustled around in his bag and pulled out two things.
Hendrake’s demo CD.
And a book.
Chapter Nineteen
Kole snatched the book out of Torrin’s hand. Why hadn’t Flidae made The Way of the Werewolf disappear as she’d made Torrin’s memory of werewolves?
I can’t do everything for you, wolf soldier. Flidae’s laugh echoed between his ears.
“Thanks for holding this.” Emma took the book from Kole. “After seeing Brandy’s wolves, I had this crazy song idea.” She wiggled the book. “Glad you were able to get this for me, Torrin.” She hugged it to her chest and started for the car. “C’mon, lads. It’s time we got back to the inn. Torrin and I need to work on more new material with Blaithin and Flynn.” She pointed at Kole and Shawn. “And you two need to do whatever it is that brothers do in their free time together.”
Kole watched her, in awe of her quick thinking yet again. Torrin crinkled his brow for a moment, but then appeared to accept Emma’s explanation. Gods be damned, she was a treasure and thankfully, all his.
Your second something worthy, Flidae said. Gaining the love of your soul mate.
Aye. He intended to keep that love. Forever.
As Emma and Torrin climbed into the back seat of the car and closed the door, Kole turned to face his brother. “Are you coming? We could go see Brandy’s wolves at the sanctuary. You didn’t get a chance to meet them all. Being around them is good for people like us. Do you get headaches if in human form too long?”
Shawn shook his head. “No headaches. Even if I did get them, I’d still prefer human form.” He clapped a hand to his left thigh. “Being in wolf form means I’m minus a leg.”
Kole gestured to the disturbed dirt on the ground where they had wrestled. “You did fine on three legs.”
“It’s crazy what you learn to do when you have to.” He shrugged and walked toward the car. “I suppose I could meet some wolves.” He pointed back at the steel building. “I do need to be back here for tonight though.”
“You’re still going to fight?” Kole had hoped that was over.
“I still have a leg to pay for.”
The name Jessica flashed in both their minds and Shawn gave him a sideways glare.
“Don’t ask. We can be family again, but I’m not ready to share all my secrets yet.”
“Understood.” Kole motioned to the car. “After you.”
Emma babbled on about the meeting with the radio DJ on the ride back to the inn and Kole was grateful. He knew if anyone could make Shawn feel more comfortable among them, his Emma could. His brother had even laughed a few times as Emma and Torrin told stories about their time in high school band together.
“Did you always want to play the fiddle?” Shawn asked Emma.
“Aye. My grandfather played and he got me started. I fell in love with it from the first pluck.”
“She’s good too. Very good.” Kole looked at her in the rearview mirror, loving how her cheeks colored at the compliment.
“Let’s hope the 104PYK listening area feels the same.” Torrin nudged Emma’s arm.
“They will,” Kole said. “This is it for you guys.”
Emma rested her hand on his shoulder as he pulled into the inn’s parking lot. Gods, he loved her so much. He wanted all her dreams to come true.
You’ve made some of them come true already, Beast. She leaned between the seats and pressed a kiss to his cheek then smiled at Shawn. “It was nice to meet you, even if you got Torrin toasted.”
Shawn gave her a slow grin. “If he’s going to play with the big boys...”
Torrin groaned. “If I’m going to play with the big boys, I’m ordering water next time.” He opened his car door. “Thanks for the celebrating, though I don’t remember much of it.” He shook Kole’s and Shawn’s hands. “I’ll round up Blaithin and Flynn. Meet you on the porch, Emma?”
“Aye. Give me a few.”
Nodding, Torrin climbed out of the car and headed up the front steps of Deer Creek Inn. He was a little wobbly on his legs and paused midway. When he finally reached the door and went inside, Emma blew out a breath and leaned her forehead on the seat in front of her.
“Not the morning you were expecting?” Shawn asked.
She shook her head. “Not at all. I thought Flidae was going to kill him.”
“And it would have been my fault.” Kole rubbed the back of his neck. “I know better than to shift in view of anyone.”
“It was late and dark.” Emma gave him a reassuring look. “You couldn’t have known Torrin was on that porch.”
“It all worked out,” Shawn said. “Flidae’s magic and booze have the same effects.”
“Aye.” Kole couldn’t believe his brother was sitting beside him in the car. It had all worked out indeed. Maybe in time he could get the Jessica story out of him and see what could be worked out there.
“Okay.” Emma wiggled the werewolf book she still held. “Guess I have a werewolf song to write about now.”
“Make it about finding soul mates,” Kole suggested.
Emma grinned. “Maybe I will.”
With another kiss to his cheek and a squeeze to Shawn’s arm, she exited the car and jogged into the inn.
“Well, she’s fucking adorable. Officially,” Shawn said.
“Aye. And she loves me. That’s the crazy part.” Kole stared at the inn’s front door. A big part of him wanted to run after her and show her how much he loved her, but there’d be time for that. Hopefully tonight.
All night.
“How do you...” Shawn paused then asked, “How do you know if someone is your soul mate?”
“Well, for me, I knew because I bit her and she turned. She wouldn’t have turned if she wasn’t my soul mate. Made werewolves like us can only turn our soul mates.” Kole started the car again and headed for the sanctuary. “I think I knew she was something special though when I first met her. She immediately interested me. And she smelled downright delicious. As if I had to get a taste.”
“And she doesn’t hate your guts for turning her?”
“She was pretty upset at first, but think about it. After Reardon turned us, we still followed him into battle. We still considered him our leader.”
“Aye, I only hated him after we got dumped here.” Shawn massaged his left thigh and Kole couldn’t imagine what it was like to live with the memory of having one’s leg ripped off by a train. Almost being chewed apart by real wolves had been scary enough, and he’d emerged unscathed. He’d even made a family out of those wolves.
“Werewolves have a unique bond,” Kole said. “I spent some time with Reardon and Jaemus and couldn’t hold on to the anger. They’re different in this time too.”
“I noticed that in the short time I spent with them. It’s like meeting their soul mates mellowed them out some.”
“They’re also not on the battlefield. No need to be bloodthirsty. When you’re not constantly fighting, you have time to be mellow.” He turned onto the road leading to Silver Moon. “You also have time for love.”
“Well, I’m still fighting, brother. It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
“That’s what I thought at first too. You might change your mind.”
As they pulled up to the sanctuary’s entrance gate, Dylan jogged over and opened it, giving Kole an enthusiastic wave. Kole was reminded of Flidae’s words about the lad being important to werewolves somehow. What role could a human boy possibly play?
Before he could think about that too much, Kylie came running over, a smile full of sunshine on her face. Kole was out of Emma’s car almost before he parked it.
Kylie launched herself onto Kole and he stumbled back a bit as he caught her around the shoulders. Her hold was tight, as if they’d known each other for centuries, not days.
“Hey, pixie. I didn’t expect to see you here today.” But gods, he was happy to be hugging her.
She peered up at him, those big, brown eyes undoing him. “After Emma called the home and said she couldn’t make it over there, Meredith picked me up and said, ‘It’s too nice outside for you to be inside, kid,’ so here I am.”
“Emma wanted to come, but we had a... situation come up.” Kole glanced over his shoulder at Shawn.
“That’s okay. I know she wanted to visit me.” Kylie studied her sneakers for a moment.
Kole tipped up her head with a finger under her chin. “She definitely did, Kylie. Don’t doubt that for a second.”
Nodding, she pointed at Dylan who was busy closing up the entrance gate. “I don’t think he wanted to see me today though.”
“Why not? I thought you kids were friends.”
“We are, but he’s been acting weird since last night.” She shrugged and loosened her grip around Kole’s waist.
He tugged on her hair. “I’ll bet it’s because he thought you were pretty last night in that dress Emma gave you.”
Kylie frowned as she released Kole and took a few steps back, her hands going to her hips. “If he thought I looked pretty, why is he ignoring me today?”
“He’s a lad. Lads aren’t always sure what to do when they think a lass is pretty. It gets them all knotted up inside.”
“Do you get all knotted up inside when you see Emma?”
“Definitely, but it’s a good all knotted up.” He motioned at Dylan as the boy jogged over to them. “Give him some time, Kylie. He’ll figure it all out.”
“Boys are so s-l-o-w.” She rolled her eyes then pointed at Shawn who had been petting Lug. “Who’s he?”
“C’mon. I want you to meet him.” Kole led Kylie over to Shawn as Dylan caught up. “Kylie, Dylan, this is my brother, Shawn.”
“You look like his brother,” Kylie said.
“Do I now?” Shawn squinted at her.
Kylie nodded, then she sniffed at the same time Shawn did. Shawn’s gaze snapped to Kole’s. “Why does she...” He bit back his words when he looked at Dylan.
“Why does she smell like a werewolf?” Dylan asked. “Because she is one.”
“A pup?” Shawn angled his head one way then the other at Kylie as if he couldn’t believe she existed. The fascination on his face softened his features and made him look more like the brother Kole remembered.
“A natural one even. She turned for the first time the other day. Reardon thinks it’s because she was surrounded by so many werewolves at one time and it sparked the change.”
“You’re one too.” Kylie sniffed again at Shawn. “What color are you?”
“Brown.” Shawn patted Lug still beside him. “Not as dark as this fellow though. You?”
“White.”
Kole put his hand on her shoulder. “A beautiful white, like fresh snow.”
“I’m kinda looking forward to winter,” Kylie said. “Wolves love snow, right?”
“Aye. That they do. We’ll have ourselves some good fun in the snow.” Kole gave her another squeeze then turned to Dylan. “Is Reardon here?”
“He’s working on fixing the doors on the barn. Uncle Jaemus is helping him. Lug will take you, won’t you, boy?” Dylan gave the brown wolf a scratch between the ears then nudged him toward the barn. “We have to get back to Gram, Kylie.”
“She sent us out to find rocks for an art project she’s going to do with our class at school,” Kylie explained.
“Sounds like fun,” Kole said.
“Yeah, Meredith is like a dream grandma.”
“You’re lucky Dylan is willing to share her with you.”
“It’s no big deal.” A pink-cheeked Dylan shrugged, but he slid a few awkward peeks at Kylie.
