Chapter 24 - Joshua
Joshua’s ribs back and ribs ached, but he insisted that Kira use the healing potions on the more injured members of the special ops team rather than him.
They all remained tense and alert as they attended to the severe injuries and waited for other teams to arrive and assist them in returning to town.
The demon’s bite on his back hurt like a motherfucker, but it wasn’t bleeding badly.
There were no further demon attacks. Rafael and Michael arrived with the rest of the special ops members, along with the most highly trained members of the pack.
They loaded the injured wolves onto stretchers to take them back to town first. Then they turned their attention to the dead and prepared to take them back.
In the end, there had been three deaths. All had been killed in the initial attack. Joshua’s shoulders slumped as they got to the road. He should have seen the ambush coming.
“Let me put this on you now,” Kira said, drawing him out of his thoughts. She waved a bottle of potion at him.
He had a lot of work ahead of himself still.
No use in wasting energy on an injury that would make it more difficult for him to take care of his responsibilities.
Kira applied the potion, and a relaxing warmth knitted into his muscles.
She was quiet as she worked, and when she was done, she applied the bandages over his wounds.
Then, with a trembling sigh, she rested her forehead against the back of his neck.
“We both have a lot of work left to do,” Kira murmured. “I need to get back to the potions. Make more healing ointments for the injured wolves.”
“And I need to inform the families of the dead,” Joshua said.
Kira winced. “Wouldn’t that be better left to Michael?”
Joshua turned and pulled her into his arms. “Michael is better with people, yes, but I am their leader. They are my responsibility, and so I must be the one to tell their loved ones.”
There were other things, too. Their life insurance payments. Making arrangements for their funerals. Not to mention all the work they’d still have to do to get the island back into a settled state—the portal being positioned where it was could potentially cause trouble with Bael.
Joshua kissed her lightly, taking strength from her closeness, then straightened himself and reached for his shirt. “I have to go. I need to inform the families before they find out by other means.”
Kira nodded. “I’ll keep my phone on me if you need to call.”
He touched her cheek, his mind drifting to that feeling on the beach, where her magic seemed to surround him, flowing through him.
It had been the brightest thing he’d ever felt.
But could what she said be true? Could she have broken the curse of his bloodlines?
And if she did, does that mean we can also break the curse that will be on our child?
The hope tugged at his heart, but it was a dull thing, quickly fading to the background.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur.
Most of the special ops weren’t from the island originally, so he had to make some difficult phone calls.
It was difficult, listening to the sobs, trying to answer questions honestly while also providing comfort.
He spent the rest of his time taking care of the paperwork, hating that it was so difficult to make sure that everything was taken care of, that there wasn’t some slip-up that would cost the families even more.
Michael stopped by his office in the mid-afternoon. “Let me take over the paperwork. Alpha Bael is here to see Rafael, and he wants you with him.”
Joshua’s shoulders slumped. He nodded once and quickly explained where he was at. Michael slid into his chair and took over efficiently.
“Thank you,” Joshua said.
“Hmm?” Michael looked up. “What are you thanking me for?”
Joshua rolled his eyes. “Well, if you don’t want me to thank you, I won’t. But I appreciate it anyway.”
Michael’s cheeks turned pink. “Don’t think too much into it. Chelsey’s going to be part of the meeting.”
The way he said her name made Joshua shake his head. He lingered at the desk a moment longer before he plunged ahead. “You know the Council is going to pair her up with someone next, right? They’ll want more possibilities for super-powered babies.”
“I know.”
“So maybe you should tell her how you really feel before that happens.”
Michael scowled at him. Joshua lifted his hands in surrender and left the office.
Alpha Bael was already in Rafael’s office, and the two Alphas were clearly attempting to remain neutral in the face of their mutual dislike.
Chelsey came rushing into the office just as Joshua bent his head to greet the Alphas.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly.
Her sleek black hair was wound into a messy bun at the back of her head.
As she spoke, her eyes slid over the gathered men, and Joshua could have sworn that there was disappointment in her eyes.
She bowed first to Rafael, then Bael. Then, hesitating, she saluted Joshua.
“So do I share my new potions now or wait?”
Bael narrowed his eyes at her, and Joshua stepped closer to his sister-in-law. “Go ahead and tell us about the potions.”
“Right. Well, when Kira told me about the snake-demon hiding its dark energy signature, I remembered reading about a revelation potion. It’s meant to enhance a person’s senses, but by combining it with another potion, I figure that it will allow the special ops to track the demon energy, even when the demons are cloaking themselves. ”
“That will be very useful,” Joshua said, picking up one of the mason jars Chelsey had brought with her. “How does it work?”
“Both potions are meant to be drunk, so we’ll have to do the same with these,” Chelsey said, her cheeks flushed. “But not yet. I want to run more tests to make sure that there aren’t any obvious adverse effects to the mixing of ingredients before it’s used.”
Bael frowned. “I don’t want any magic used in my territory.”
“You won’t be able to defeat the demons without magic,” Chelsey answered instantly. Her gaze flickered to Rafael, who frowned at her, and she bent her head. “Apologies.”
“She’s right, though,” Joshua said.
Bael’s frown deepened. “You agree with the use of magic?”
“Of course. We have to protect our packs, and magic is how it’s done.”
“Why would you think that?” Bael demanded.
“So far, we’ve killed off three demons. And all three of them have taken magic to kill.
The snakes were only defeated because we had access to potions, and the other two took direct witch’s magic to destroy them.
The portal that the demons escaped from is now barred because of magic.
” Joshua loosened his shoulders, meeting Bael’s eye.
Part of him wanted to shock the Alpha by explaining his own magical aptitude, as limited as it was, but that would have to wait for another time.
There were more important issues at the moment. “There’s more.”
“More of what?” Bael asked, irritated. “We are the descendants of witch hunters, you and I. We are not meant to… consort with them.”
“I’ve read through everything you’ve given me that belonged to my parents and compared it to the records from the witches we have in our town.
It’s all very clear. Even the witch hunters who settled in your town believed the witches were necessary for the protection of Nightfall.
They were never here to hurt the witches or take their power.
They were here to protect the witches from other witch hunters. ”
Bael’s eyes narrowed.
“Check them out yourself if you don’t believe me,” Joshua invited.
“I will. If what you say is true…” Bael’s expression fell into a troubled frown.
Joshua’s phone started to ring. It was Kira. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Kira answered, sounding nervous. “Jenny Carps and her posse just pulled up to the house.”
Joshua ground his teeth, fighting back a surge of anger. After everything Kira had been through, the last thing they needed was the likes of Jenny Carps whipping up a witch hunt against her!
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised.
“Thanks. I—” Kira said, but the phone cut out.
Panic washed through him. Without stopping to explain, he raced from the office into the elevator. Rafael and Chelsey called after him, and Bael yelled something that he didn’t catch.
Joshua’s wolf paced in his chest, agitated and growling.
He shed his clothes in the elevator and shifted to wolf form as soon as the doors opened.
He shot through the town hall, out the doors, and angled himself to his house.
If Jenny blamed Kira for what happened today, when she was the only reason there hadn’t been more deaths…
he wasn’t sure he’d be able to contain his temper.
His wolf was impatient, pushing him harder as he raced along the streets. He cut through several yards, and when his house came into sight, Jenny Carps was reaching out toward Kira.
A howl burst from his throat. In a few bounds, he skidded to a stop between Kira and Jenny, fur standing on edge as he snarled.
Jenny stumbled back, her head dropping, her shoulders hunched.
The other women who had come with her flinched and cowered.
Even before Kira started to speak, the smell of baked casseroles hit his nostrils, and he saw the baking pan in Jenny’s arms.
“Stop that!” Kira cried. “They’re here to drop off food.”
Joshua cut off his growls instantly. He adjusted his position so he could look up at Kira while keeping Jenny in his periphery.
Kira sighed as she embraced his head, pressing his forehead into her breasts. “Jenny came to apologize for how she used to treat me, Joshua, and to drop off some food since she knew we’d be busy for the next few days.”
Joshua’s tail swung back and forth as he absorbed the information. With a huff, he gently pulled away from Kira and turned back to Jenny, giving her a short nod.