Chapter 8
Dakota Claymore
Imore than understood where Tore was coming from.
Being inside Effie and marking her was one of the greatest moments of my life…followed by the overbearing need to lock her away from the rest of the world. Of course, it wasn’t helped by the fact that we’d been in transit to Kyoto—a direct contrast to the idea of shielding and protecting her.
Now we were once again going to be in a dangerous situation—going to talk to Ryder’s grandfather.
I didn’t like the bastard, and I liked him even less around Effie.
If I even had a moment of doubt when it came to her safety, I was grabbing her and getting the fuck out of there, plan be damned.
I knew the others would agree, even Ryder.
We would try it his way first, though.
As we slipped from the room and jogged up the stairs, I kept Effie tucked to my side.
With the exception of hers, our clothes were singed, but luckily we’d shrugged off our jackets upon arrival, so by slipping those back on we were able to hide the evidence of what we’d done.
Then again, singed clothes wouldn’t necessarily be a dead giveaway of interaction with the Homura Stone.
I don’t think anyone would’ve expected how it had reacted to Effie.
While I hadn’t seen her reaction, I’d felt it through our bond.
I’d felt her pain, her surprise, her agony…
and now her exhaustion. I wanted to lift her into my arms, but I could tell by the slight tip of her chin that she was trying to be strong.
Trying to not show weakness in front of Ryder’s grandfather.
Didn’t she know we were her strength? She didn’t need to be strong; we could bear that weight.
“Before we go in, I need a second,” she said as we reached the top of the stairs.
Ryder’s mom looked back at her with understanding, pointing towards a door to the far left. “I’ll keep him occupied with the others for a few moments. Take your time, Effie.”
“I’m going with you,” I murmured. Her only response was her hand tightening in mine as we reached the bathroom.
Both of us slipped inside and almost immediately I locked the door and lifted her up onto the sink, allowing her to rest her back against the mirror and deflate.
Exhaustion filled her face as she locked her legs around me and melted into my frame, her nose buried against my throat.
I ran my fingers over her trembling form as I inhaled her natural scent.
Something had changed about it. There was a note that could only be described as magic.
There was also the physical change she had undergone. I couldn’t even pinpoint what that was exactly, but it was like she was shimmering, as if she were some type of illusion, not truly here.
I tightened my hold on her, suddenly fearful that was the case. I couldn’t lose Effie. I drew my hand up her delicate shoulder and wrapped my hand around her neck, my fingers brushing over my bite mark.
Mine. So fucking mine.
“Dakota,” she whimpered, pulling back and pressing her lips to mine in a hot kiss.
I groaned, her sweetness exploding on my tongue as I tried to coax her to relax, demanding that she give into the soothing energy I was trying to wrap her in.
My wolf was hovering as we delved deeper into her subconscious, and I felt relieved when her hold on me loosened just slightly and she let out a trembling breath.
“Let’s get out of here,” I demanded softly. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. We just need to talk to this bastard real quick and then we can go wherever you want. Okay?”
“I don’t even mind being here,” she murmured, looking almost dazed. “I just feel really off, like everything is crooked. I’m not in pain anymore…I just feel so incredibly off.”
I could tell. She was mumbling and repeating herself—it was like she was drunk. Fuck, maybe she was. Maybe she was drunk on magic.
“I promise, the minute we’re out of here we’ll figure it out. You know what—let’s not even talk to him, let’s just leave.” Her eyes flashed with subtle hope, making me know that was exactly what she wanted.
“We have to,” she murmured, shaking herself. The move seemed to work, making her slightly more alert. “I just need to make sure this stays hidden,” she said, pulling the sleeve of her sweater down over the mark on her wrist.
“Want my jacket?” I went to take it off, but she shook her head, probably thinking of the singed state of my clothes.
“I think my sweater will work. Let’s just do this.”
Effie pulled me towards the door, and while I didn’t want to go, I also knew the faster we handled this, the faster we could get the fuck out of here.
We stepped out, joining the others near a set of doors further down the hall.
A moment later, an attendant opened the doors and we walked into what could only be described as a throne room.
I knew technically it wasn’t, it was more of a ballroom, but the way they had furniture positioned at the front of it where Ryder’s grandfather and uncle stood made it feel that way.
“Ah, here they are.” His grandfather spoke far louder and more confidently than he had at the event. “When I invited you back here, Ryder, I didn’t mean for you to take our jet and strand us in that shithole town.”
I didn’t even like Kirkwall, but a defensive rumble threatened to escape at his description of my temporary home. Julian shook his head from Effie’s other side, and I could see that he was just as annoyed with having to entertain this bastard.
“We have something to do in the area and figured we’d stop by to see Mom and Dad since Effie’s already been introduced to everyone else,” Ryder lied easily.
Effie leaned into me, his grandfather tracking the movement.
I purposefully ran my fingers through her hair, hoping it was soothing, because I knew it was more than a bit possessive.
“Unfortunately, I find that hard to believe. In fact, I think you came here with a specific purpose in mind.” His grandfather looked almost bored. “Something to do with the Homura Stone, possibly?”
I tightened my hold on her but didn’t otherwise react. Ryder shrugged. “I showed it to them, if that’s what you mean.”
“And do you have an interest in the stone? Or does Effie? I suppose she would since she’s a daughter of a goddess.
” The flippant way he said it made me narrow my eyes.
I couldn’t tell if he believed Mona or if he was trying to poke fun at the situation—poke fun at the possibility of her being from the divine realm.
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
“We don’t know for sure that she’s my mom,” Effie said, her voice a bit shaky. “I’m not positive I believe her.”
The grandfather’s eyes lit up. “Well that would be smart of you. Although I do see the resemblance, and of course that would mean you would be lykos, wouldn’t you? Especially being a direct descendant.”
“I’m a bitten wolf,” Effie argued, her expression reflecting a slight uncertainty. “I shift into an Arctic wolf species and everything.”
Disappointment filled the old man’s expression before he fixed her with a clinical look and walked closer, putting me on edge. I was a second away from ripping this bastard’s throat out. Ryder let loose a feral noise as my gaze stayed on the potential threat, the others tensing equally as much.
“Let me see your arm, girl.”
Effie froze up as a feral noise left my throat. “Do not touch her.”
“Why?” Victory flashed in his gaze. “Why can’t I see her arm? How else would I be able to tell she’s your mate?”
“It’s less about that and more about getting the fuck away from our mate,” Tore snarled, aggression radiating off of him.
Ryder spoke patiently. “She’s not lykos, I recognized her as my mate the same way Dad recognized Mom. It’s that simple. As for her arm, she’s newly mated to both of them, so I wouldn’t move closer. I’m not going to step between you if they feel like she’s being threatened.”
I didn’t bother toning down my aggression, knowing it was essential that Emiko, if I was remembering what Mona had called him correctly, didn’t see her arm.
Instead I let my magic out more, and I saw him hesitate before he stepped back and fixed his grandson with a narrowed look.
I knew he would be suspicious, so we just needed to get out of here without him seeing it.
He could suspect whatever he wanted once Effie was out of reach.
“You let two other men mate with her before yourself?”
“I didn’t let her do anything,” Ryder drew out, a bite to his tone. “She’s chosen the five of us as her mates, and I’m not rushing anything.”
“Because you know what it would mean,” his grandfather snapped. “You’re trying to stop the family line from growing—”
“Stop.” Caedmon’s voice was sharp and cold, Ryder’s grandfather immediately going quiet. He looked at the lycan with caution before shaking his head. At least the bastard was somewhat smart, understanding the delicate position he was in.
Which is why he needed to stop talking about Effie and mating in any capacity.
“I’m not wrong, though.” He turned his back, stepping towards his throne.
He wasn’t. I knew that was why Ryder had been hesitant initially…but now I don’t think any of us were being hesitant. I know I sure as hell wasn’t.
After all, Effie had made it damn clear that she knew what could happen without protection, and she was perfectly okay with it. I wouldn’t refuse a blessing like that—if the woman was okay with us knocking her up, I would take it without hesitation.
It was just one more step to building the future Effie deserved.
Even though I’d never seen a family in my future, the idea of her waltzing around our house, surrounded by a loving family, was something I craved to see. I wanted happiness to extinguish the dark shadows that her time with the Whitepaw pack had left on her.