Chapter 13
KELLAN
With Emme safe, we left her and Slade to “clean up,” and headed back to the house. They’d follow soon enough, and I wanted to chat with my parents.
There was no reason to believe that this was anything more than one of mom’s impulsive decisions.
They didn’t happen a lot, but when she set her mind to something, there wasn’t a shifter alive who could change it.
Her strength of will had no doubt saved her when she’d been raising three wolf pups determined to destroy her house, plants, and sanity.
Hunter pulled into the garage and said, “I’m going into the office to take care of some shit. We need to fast-track the packages with armored vests and weapons so they’re in our allies’ hands before Jewels blows everything up.”
None of us knew what the next month would bring, or who’d be standing when it all ended, but we were preparing for every possible outcome.
Which meant outfitting as many shifters as we could with magical protection.
“Yeah, it would be good to get that all sorted this week,” Finley said. “So we can focus on tracking Jewels.”
That sparked Constantine’s interest, as he leaned forward. “We absolutely need to focus on finding her now you’ve bonded in a completed quintet.”
He’d been pleased when we’d filled him in on the changes within our pack, and the magic that flowed between all of our beasts. “You’ll be able to share in that energy,” he’d said, but none of us were willing to try that when it could hurt Emme.
No fucking thank you.
Talon’s huge shoulders bumped the witch-wolf, who flinched but didn’t protest the dragon squishing him. “I’ll check out the compound first, and if it’s safe for all of us to travel there, that can be our first place to investigate.”
Talon adjusted his shirt, clearly uncomfortable in the limited space, and Emme’s bite came into view. It was nice not to want to tear his head off at the sight. We were growing. Some of us rather slowly and at an odd angle, but there was growth.
Hunter’s dominance pressed into me, and in the new version of our quintet, where I could internally see our beasts, the black wolf stood above the pack.
“Yeah, I think we should start there too,” he said.
“So far none of our contacts have come close to discovering where the witch and her allies are hiding.”
“We might…” Constantine cleared his throat. “…be able to track her using magic. If we can find a connection to her essence or coven.”
Finley scoffed, his gaze dark as it narrowed on Constantine. He wasn’t very forgiving of deadshit parents. “Are you even any good at magic? You’re only half witch.”
There was a heavy moment of silence. “I’m the lone option you’ve got,” Constantine finally said.
“And as I told you, while my magic is weaker than a full-blooded witch, the wolf adds an element that they don’t have.
I can scent magic and track witches through their scent.
The individual magical notes are as identifying as a fingerprint. ”
I wouldn’t admit it out loud, not even under torture, but that was kind of impressive.
“I’m also the only one who can teach Emme how to properly access her magic,” he added, more bite in his tone. “Which is important when you have no other magical allies.”
Hunter grunted, and he didn’t sound pleased. “Emme won’t be put in any danger. I don’t fucking care about the outcome of not having magic on our side. She’s the one we all protect, end of story.”
My wolf howled at the very thought of our mate being hurt, and I pushed down those swirls of darkness that wanted to tear through the world until we destroyed every threat to Emme.
“And no more council meetings,” Hunter added. “Outside of the few entitled alphas I still trust, the rest are useless and most likely Fletcher’s spies. We need to approach this as if we can trust no one other than our immediate pack and families. Understood?”
“Yep,” I said, tempering down my rage. I might prefer not to dwell on the shittier side of life, but I could absolutely take the low road if necessary. Real fucking low. “Those assholes are all but dead to us.”
“Dead as their fucking dominance,” Hunter confirmed. “Okay, I need to get to the offices. You all hold down the fort here.”
When we hauled ass out of the car, I leaned down to speak to him through the open door. “Will we see you at the game?”
Hunter nodded in an impatient jerk of his head. “Yep, I’ll be there to keep our pack safe. Update me if anything happens in the meantime. And make sure you bring your parents tonight, annoying pup.”
I loved that bossy fuck, but there were days I could just… “You got it, Hurricane.”
Emme’s name for him was so fitting, and I’d have been mad not to come up with it, but it made sense that my perfect, precious Shortcake would be the nickname genius.
After Hunter left, Constantine muttered something about heading to the library for research. We apparently had a ton of history books in there. Who knew?
All I knew was our romance section was woefully underrepresented, though Emme was helping me amend that oversight.
I had no idea why Constantine was wasting his time; as far as I could tell no one ever learned from the past, since they kept repeating it. There was literally no fucking point in studying it.
Still, I might change my tune if old Connie did find anything useful.
When we entered the house, Finley clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Get your family over here and I’ll make the snacks. It’ll be good to catch up with everyone.”
Talon hesitated beside us, and I barely managed not to laugh at his expression.
Poor bastard looked like he’d rather be locked in the basement prison again than play happy families.
“You don’t need to hang out with us,” I said, waving him off.
“We’ll just find you before the game, since it appears we’re showing up there in full pack style. ”
His scar twisted as his lips pulled into a grimace. “Yeah, I’m not the alpha to introduce to your family. But I am looking forward to hockey since I’ve heard it’s violent.”
Finley met my gaze, looking as pleased as a bear with his face buried in the honeypot, AKA Emmeline Anders. “There are times when it’s gloriously violent,” he said, and his smile was positively feral. Crazy fucker. “You’ll love it.”
Talon’s interest was definitely piqued as he nodded, his eyes brighter. It was the first time I’d seen him show an interest in anything other than Emme. He took off upstairs soon after, and I pulled out my phone to text Julien.
Within minutes, there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to find Mom front and center, Dad right behind her.
Julien and Tyson followed them in as well, and when I spotted little Lochlan in my brother’s arms, my face split into a genuine smile.
Julien’s son was adorable, and I was shocked at how much bigger he’d gotten since the last time I saw him.
He’d recently turned one and had just started walking and getting into everything.
I’d always wanted to be a dad, and staring into eyes that were eerily similar to mine had my wolf howling. It would be even sweeter to stare into arctic blue eyes.
Fuck. We couldn’t let Jewels win. We had to destroy her so that all the babies got to grow up, and I got to breed my mate for the rest of eternity.
“Kel, my baby,” Mom crooned, distracting me from what was really not an appropriate train of thought around my parents.
Her firm hug always transported me right back to my childhood, and the million times she’d been my comfort. Dad cocooned us both, his strength unwavering, just as it always had been.
“I’ve missed you both so much,” I said, my voice all raspy as I tried not to cry like a pup. But after finding my pack and Emme, I was more than ever appreciating the love I had growing up. “Thank you for making the effort to get here, but you know we would have sent the jet.”
My parents and their quintet were well off, but had nothing on my pack. I enjoyed being able to provide for them, and often sent care packages home with the most outrageous shit in them.
Case in point…
Mom’s hold loosened as she shot me a glare. “Kellan Jackson. Don’t think I’ve forgotten the new car that showed up in my driveway last week. A two-hundred-thousand-dollar sportscar is not an appropriate birthday present.”
Dad chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “Now you’ve got her started.”
Mom’s little growl was adorable. “On top of that, you know we’re more than capable of booking commercial flights to visit you. Truth be told, if we waited for you, I doubt I’d see you for another twelve months.”
I couldn’t even argue that point, but in my defense, I’d been trying to protect them. “It hasn’t exactly been that safe around me lately,” I said, my amusement fading under our fucked-up reality. “I don’t want you all getting hurt in the crossfire.”
Mom’s glare deepened, and dad’s chest shook, reminding me that he was a highly trained enforcer who could probably take out everyone in this house. Even the dragons. “If our children are in danger, then we’re in danger,” he told me.
Julien pushed further into the room, since we’d left them half out in the cold.
“We updated them on the fight with Fletcher and the witches,” he said, closing the door behind him.
“You said there’s more going on, so we’re here to find out what that is.
Considering the bad guy is dead, we’re all confused about what else is waiting in the wings. ”
The need to keep my family out of this battle was an all-consuming desire inside me, but we all carried mom’s stubborn streak.
They wouldn’t leave until I told them everything.
Tyson was already heading for the living room, ruffling my hair as he passed.
I reached out to tickle Lachlan when Julien followed.
Mom linked her arm through mine to drag me along, giving me zero chance to escape.
Dad was at our backs, always the protector. Even though I stood two inches taller than him now.
I ended up on the long couch, squished between my parents.
I was the baby and had spent my formative years protected, loved, and spoiled. My brothers were right to beat the crap out of me whenever my parents weren’t looking; otherwise I’d be in-fucking-sufferable.
Well, more insufferable.
When Finley entered the room, Mom jumped to her feet and hurried toward him. She launched herself at the bear, and Dad saved us from wearing a tray of drinks and sandwiches by grabbing it out of Finley’s hands.
Mom wrapped her arms around him, and I smirked at the soft expression our Care Bear wore. “You look amazing, Fin,” Mom said as she pulled away. “There’re less shadows on your face, and I’m so pleased by that. I need to meet this lovely Emme who is caring so well for my boys.”
The pink in Finley’s cheeks had me itching to switch all his chat names to Bashful Bear, but now wasn’t the time. That was a later fun.
Dad placed the tray on the table and got to work handing out beverages for everyone. Mom had tea, Julien and Dad coffee, Tyson had his usual energy drink, and baby Lachlan got milk. Finley and I had our pre-game protein smoothies, or glasses of sadness as Emme would call them.
“Okay, spill everything that’s happening with your pack,” Mom commanded as she blew on her mint tea, made with only the freshest of herbs. The gardener in her would accept nothing less.
I took a long sip of the protein shake, enjoying the hint of honey. “Okay, two afternoons ago we were attacked right here in the street.”
It took me twenty minutes to go over what happened during the street-battle, what we knew about Jewels, and the fucking curse that was set to take down shifters by the next full moon.
The only part I left out was Emme’s magical side, since that was her secret to reveal when or if she was ever ready to. By the time I’d gotten them up to date, Mom looked horrified, and Dad was clutching his mug hard enough that small cracks had formed around his grip.
“Jewels has been playing the long game,” Finley said with a dark growl, “waiting for the blood moon and the power of Fletcher’s death to initiate her curse.
We have around four weeks to stop her, or all of us will lose control of our beasts and be under the direct influence of magic. Her magic to be specific.”
“Why did she target you?” Julien asked, letting Lochlan down to the rug, the little wolf wobbling around to test his limits.
“They needed someone from Fletcher’s line to destroy him,” Finley said. “And Fletcher wanted Emme’s power. She’s an omega, and as such, can share her power with bonded alphas.”
Jewels had tried to maneuver and manipulate every part of our lives, even to the point of tearing the dragon twins apart. All in a bid to control and destabilize us, which left us ripe for her fucking picking.