7. Timeline
seven
RYLAND
During the movie, Red seems distracted. I don”t say anything because I”m certain she”s not stressing over the conflict with Amber. I”m pretty sure she”s focused on James and his distant behavior.
When the movie ends, we all get ready and climb in bed, falling asleep easily. I”m the last to sleep and the first to wake before the sun rises.
I slip out of bed carefully, so I don”t wake anyone else. I need a few minutes of peace before we continue planning this war. There”s nothing else I can call it. This conflict with Amber has become a war.
I make coffee and sit on the front porch as the sun crests the horizon. I let my mind wander as I enjoy the little bit of solitude I know won’t last. Before I’m finished with my cup, the door opens and someone steps out onto the porch.
The moment the door closes, I know it’s Red. Her presence always feels different to me. “Did you get coffee?” I ask, not turning to look at her. I gesture to the seat next to me, and she settles in.
“I did. Thanks for making it,” she says, then takes a sip. “Are you okay? You were up and gone before I could say anything.”
“I’m good. Just looking for a little quiet before the storm. Since I took Gunnar’s place, I haven’t had much alone time. Things have been pretty much non-stop for a while now. Then you were gone, and we spent days searching for you. It’s nice to have a little breather.” I look at her now, just to be sure she doesn’t think I want her to leave because I said I was enjoying alone time.
Red smiles at me and threads her fingers through mine. “I’m so proud of you for taking this on to protect us. You’ve grown so much. I might even think you’ve mellowed out a bit.” She chuckles and I growl low. I won’t let her think I’ve gone soft. I’ll still rip a man in half if I need to.
I don’t argue with her, knowing that she’s mostly teasing me. I’ll prove myself in battle and take my frustration out on our enemy. Amber’s people won’t know what hit them. “I hate that you have to do this. If I could fight her myself, I would.”
We lock eyes, hers shining with unshed tears. “I know. And if I could keep the four of you out of this, I would. But we have to stick together. We can’t defeat her alone. It has to be all of us.” Her words confirm what Grammy told us while she was missing. Even if we’d tried to take Amber out, we would have failed without Red to finish it.
The door opens again and I sigh. My reprieve is over sooner than I’d hoped. “Am I interrupting?” Orym asks, closing the door quietly behind him and sitting down by Red.
ORYM
Ryland shakes his head at my question. I’m not sure I believe him. They were discussing the upcoming fight, I’m sure, but I don’t know what was being said. I won’t pry. Everyone deserves to have their privacy. I trust them not to keep secrets.
“We’ll finalize our plan today to move on Amber’s followers,” I say, taking a sip of coffee. I don’t know if our plan will work or not, especially with the limited trust I have for Trevan and his efforts to help. Just because he assisted with Garnet’s training, that doesn’t mean he’s on our side.
I’m doing my best to keep my doubts from Garnet. He’s her father and deserves a chance to prove me wrong. I hope he does, for her sake.
“As soon as Grammy and Trevan get here, we’ll get started. I wonder when they’re coming,” Garnet says, staring at the tree line near the cabin.
“Probably soon. I know that Grammy gets up with the sun. I feel like your father is probably the same way,” Ryland responds. I noticed some chemistry between our elder wolf and the Fae king last night, but I’m not mentioning that either. What they do in the privacy of Grammy’s cabin is their business. I shake that thought away, because who wants to imagine their father-in-law screwing the pack grandma? Not me.
“There’s no sense in us discussing things until they get here. I didn’t mean to stop your conversation,” I offer. Part of me hopes they’ll return to their topic, and I’ll learn what they were talking about.
“It was nothing, really. Just that neither of us wants the other to have to deal with Amber. You didn’t interrupt anything,” Garnet assures me.
Before I can respond, we hear footsteps coming up the path. “I’m glad to see Grammy was right about how early you all wake. I would have been terribly upset to walk all this way to find you still in bed.” Trevan’s voice is loud and I wonder if he’s using magic to project it to us.
They come through the trees and I notice how closely they’re walking. They may have even been holding hands. Interesting, but I’m still not mentioning it.
“We’ve been up for a while. I’m not sure if Luca and James are or not. But we’ll get everyone together and have our meeting. I’m sure you’re anxious to get on with all of this,” Ryland answers.
“Well, not too anxious. I can’t stay indefinitely, so I would appreciate moving things along. But I’m happy to be here as long as I’m needed,” Trevan says, glancing at Grammy, who blushes. I knew it. Those two have something going on.
“Let’s go inside and I’ll get the others,” Garnet replies as she stands up. I open the door for everyone and follow them inside.
Luca and James are finishing up setting breakfast on the table. “That smells amazing,” I say.
“We can eat, then discuss the plan,” Ryland says.
GARNET
It seems odd to me that Grammy and Trevan are acting so comfortable with each other. If I didn’t know better, I would think my grandmother-figure had taken a lover. That would be way too weird, though, so I’m pushing that thought away.
We’re supposed to be figuring out the details of capturing one of Amber’s followers, but instead, we’re chatting and having a family breakfast. I’m not upset about it; I would just prefer to get this over with. Just as we finish eating, there’s a loud noise like a tree falling outside.
“What the hell?” I ask, jumping up and racing to the door. My guys are right behind me, with Grammy and my father following fast. I throw the door open and my jaw drops at what I see.
My aunt, Amber, stands next to the rather large oak she knocked down to get our attention. “Oh, good, you’re home. We need to have a word, dear niece.”
I roll my eyes at her and step outside. Everyone follows, even though I motion for them to stay back. “What do you want, Amber? Did you come to surrender?” I know there’s no chance of that, but I can’t stop myself from asking.
She laughs, clutching her stomach and doubling over as if that’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. “Oh, no. I’m not giving up until I have your powers flowing through me. I came to see how you’re doing. I haven’t heard from you in a while and figured you were hiding while you tremble in fear.”
I shake my head at her. “I’m not scared of you. We’re ready to end this now.”
“It’s not quite time yet, dear girl. We need to wait a few days until the Wolf Moon. That is the exact moment when I’ll kill you and take your powers. Until then, everything will end in a stalemate, I’m afraid. I can’t let you harm any of my people, and your mangy wolves are doing a pretty good job of protecting themselves.” She scoffs as she speaks, clearly upset that she’s not getting more test subjects.
“Why don’t you just let your prisoners go and surrender now? We don’t actually have to fight to the death. There’s no reason why you can’t leave here and live your life.”
Amber’s expression turns from disgusted to shocked in a moment’s notice. When I follow her gaze, I realize that she’s just noticed Trevan standing behind me. “You—what are you doing here?”
He steps forward and blocks me from her. “I’m here to help my daughter defeat you. It’s about time you paid for the pain you’ve caused.”
She growls at him in response. “The pain I’ve caused? What about the pain you caused? Treating me like I was less important. Ruby didn’t hang the moon. She wasn’t even the best witch in our coven. That would be me. But you couldn’t recognize that, could you? No, you just had to throw yourself at her feet and become her slave.” She shudders in disgust.
“That’s not what happened, and you know it. You should try being honest with yourself, Amber. It’ll go a long way toward getting you the peace you deserve,” he spits back.
Amber takes a step forward and raises her hand in front of her face, palm up. There’s some sort of pink powder in her hand, and I realize a moment too late what she’s about to do. She exhales and the powder floats along the wind, heading straight for my father. I try to push him out of the way, but I’m not fast enough. He blinks and shakes his head, appearing to be in a trance.
“What did you do to him?” I demand, holding him still as he tries to walk toward her.
“You might as well let him go, dear. He’s mine now,” Amber insists. Fuck, that had to be some sort of love potion or mind control. We have to stay back so she can’t hit us with it too.
Ry and Luca step forward and take Trevan from me, then Orym and James are at my back. Grammy helps get Trevan into the cabin where they can keep him safe and try to break the spell.
“You won’t win this, Amber. I will fight you every step of the way. And I know I can defeat you. I’ve figured out my Fae powers, and I’m gaining better control of my witch powers every day. You will pay for what you’ve done to my family. It’s not a matter of if, but when. You wanna wait until the Wolf Moon, that’s fine by me. I’ll see you then.”
With my declaration, I turn and stroll back toward the cabin, with James and Orym in tow. I hate turning my back on her, because I know she fights dirty, but I’m not really scared of her anymore. I just need time to figure out how to counter her attacks. If I can come up with an antidote to the powder she just used on my father, I’ll be able to stop her.
I can’t let her take anyone from me. I won’t give up the people I love. I refuse to even hand over the father I’ve never known, no matter how easy it would be. I’m still so conflicted about my feelings for him, that I’m not sure I’d be too upset if he had gone with her. But he would make a powerful ally for her, and that would be disastrous.
So, I turn my back on my aunt, bracing for an attack that never comes. James, Orym, and I walk into the cabin to find Trevan fighting against Luca’s hold while Ry ties him to a chair. This will be fun.
“Trevan,” I say, trying to get his attention. He’s writhing as if he’s in pain. I wonder if it’s something in the powder that makes him need to be near her.
JAMES
“Trevan!” Garnet says her father’s name again, but he still doesn’t respond. Ryland and Luca finish tying him to the chair so he can’t escape. Grammy heads to the kitchen to start making some sort of brew that might break the spell. Her explanations are muttered more than voiced.
The anguish on my mate’s face breaks my heart. She falls to her knees in front of the bound man and looks up into his eyes. “Father, please. I need you. Don’t leave me.” The single tear that slides down her cheek seems to be the one thing that gets Trevan’s attention.
“Oh, child. I would never leave you. I had a sudden urge to help Amber. Damned love potion. It only works on people who aren’t already in love. So, it didn’t make me think that I love her. But it did make me sympathetic to her cause. We must make sure no one gets hit with that again.” He shudders as if it was a horrible experience.
“I’m so glad you’re back. Maybe Grammy can come up with something to keep that potion from working in the future,” Garnet offers.
At the mention of Grammy’s name, Trevan turns toward the kitchen. He’s trying to get a glimpse of her, and it’s pretty obvious that he’s concerned about her reaction to what just happened. “Is she okay?”
“Do you and Grammy have something going on?” Garnet whispers to her father. If I wasn’t standing so close, I wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.
Trevan’s cheeks redden, and he dips his head. “I didn’t want you to find out like this. She’s the first woman I’ve cared for since your mother. I hope that you are okay with it. She’s concerned that you won’t approve.”
Garnet throws her arms around her father’s shoulders and hugs him. “I definitely approve. But only if you treat her well. She’s the only reason I survived my childhood, and I will not have her mistreated. Do you understand me?” Her words are low, but they carry the force of her threat. I’m convinced, as is Trevan, that she means it.
He nods his head. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“That’s good to hear, because we’re all rather fond of her,” I say, taking a step closer so the others don’t hear me. His cheeks turn red again, and it’s clear that he didn’t realize I could hear their conversation. I am only human, after all.
“Well, we have more information than we did earlier. I don’t know how helpful it will be. Is she still out there?” Garnet turns to Ryland and points her question at him. He opens the curtain and shakes his head.
“Looks like she left. She didn’t even bother to put the tree back. Bitch,” he says, venom dripping from his words.
“I think I can help with that, if you would be so kind as to untie me,” Trevan offers with raised eyebrows.
LUCA
“You can put the tree back the way it was?” I’m shocked at his claim, and not sure I believe him. Ryland and I exchange a glance as Orym unties him.
“I am capable of a great many things, boy. As is your mate, if she chooses to use her magic that way,” he says.
“I don’t even know what magic I would use for that. But I’m interested to learn,” Red responds to him.
“Follow me. You can watch and learn,” Trevan offers. Red nods and follows him outside. I’m still on edge from Amber’s visit, so there’s no way I’m letting Red out of my sight.
Ryland, James, and Orym must all feel the same way, because they follow us outside too. We stand behind our mate as her father uses his magic to lift the downed tree and put it back in the ground as if nothing ever happened. I don’t believe it will stay. There’s no way he could use magic to fix all the roots that had been torn apart when Amber knocked that tree down.
“Good as new. Or old, I guess,” Trevan insists. He turns to me as if he can read my skepticism. “Climb it if you don’t believe me.”
I share a glance with the others, then stroll toward the tree. If it’s sturdy, I’ll owe him an apology. If the tree doesn’t hold me, I’ll kick his ass. Either way, I’m okay with it. I shake myself from head to toe as I approach the tree. I’m honestly a little nervous that it’s going to come down on top of me. With a deep breath, I reach for a branch and pull myself up. So far, so good.
I continue to climb the tree, anxiously waiting for it to topple over. It doesn’t. Instead, it feels solid. This Fae man has actually put the tree back as if Amber had never been here. To say I’m impressed is an understatement. “It feels solid,” I call down to the others from high in the tree.
“I can’t believe you doubted me, boy,” Trevan says back.
“My apologies, Trevan. I didn’t think you could repair the roots so easily,” I answer, dropping from the tree and rolling.
“That will be a handy skill to have, even after we deal with Amber,” Orym says. I nod in agreement. Ryland just stares at the tree, as if he’s inspecting it without going near it.
“That was definitely impressive, Trevan. Thank you for repairing the tree for me,” he finally says. I wonder what he’s thinking, but nothing is floating through the bond.
Red turns toward her father. “It seems pretty straightforward. You lift the tree back into place, then reconnect the roots to the system that’s still underground. I won’t be able to do it that fast, but I think I can do it.”
Her new found confidence makes me smile. I’m certain that anything her father can do, she can too.
GARNET
New skills are intimidating, but if Trevan can do it, so can I. Of course, I’m not knocking down trees to test that theory. I’ll figure it out if and when it becomes relevant. I have bigger things to worry over at the moment. Like the fact that I have less than a week before my aunt comes for me. I meant it when I told her I’m not scared of her anymore. I’m not. But the idea that she’s coming after me is intimidating. What if I’m not ready? What if I can’t defeat her?
These insecurities hound me until I’m ready to scream. But I can’t let my mates, my father, or Grammy know that I’m unsure. I have to project confidence. There is no other option. I must defeat Amber, or everyone I love will suffer.
It helps a little knowing that her love potion won’t do much to my guys. I’m still processing Trevan’s little bombshell about him and Grammy being an item. I’m not upset by the news, just a little surprised. I don’t know much about him, but the little bit I know about Fae tells me that he’s either way older than Grammy, or way younger. I guess it’s none of my business either way. I still have to keep them both safe.
I’ll do what I have to. I know that. I may have doubts about my ability to win, but I have no doubts about my ability to fight. Even if Amber defeats me, I’ll take her down with me. It has to be this way. I just wish I understood the Moon Goddess’ plan. There had to be a reason she gave me these mates.
“Red?” The way Ry says my name tells me that it’s not the first time he’s tried to get my attention.
“Sorry, I let my mind wander a bit. What is it?” I ask, playing my distraction off as nothing.
“Are you okay? That news Amber dropped was huge. We have less than a week to figure out how to defeat her,” he responds, pulling me into his arms. Orym sandwiches me to him, and I enjoy their warmth.
“I’m fine, really. I was trying to process everything. It’s a lot. And not just Amber’s news. I don’t know how I feel about my father suddenly being interested in the woman who raised me. I’m not mad about it, but it’s odd.” I decide that a partial truth is better than no truth.
“There’s more to it than that, but okay,” Orym whispers in my ear. “We trust you. You don’t have to tell us everything.”
“I hope you realize that we would follow you anywhere.” Luca comes up beside me, adding himself to our little group hug. He motions to James, but my human mate is hesitant. I wish it didn’t hurt my feelings for him to reject affection like this. “Give him time; he’s still healing.”
“I know. I’m worried about him, though,” I admit. I don’t want to worry, and I hate admitting that I am. “He’s not as sturdy as we are. I wish there was something we could do to protect him.”
My eyes follow James as he walks toward the tree that Trevan healed. A quick glance around tells me that Trevan must have gone back inside with Grammy. Let’s hope they’re not getting it on in the living room. Or anywhere else. I don’t want to think about that at all.
“He just needs time to process. And who knows? Maybe he’s struggling with that same thing. You should talk to him,” Orym suggests. I know he’s right, but I have no idea what to even say. I don’t want James to think that I view him as weak. I know he’s strong. He’s just not supernatural.
“You’re right, I should talk to him. If the three of you will excuse me,” I say, wiggling my way free of the three sets of arms holding me in place. I walk over to James and watch him for a minute.
“James?” I start, pausing when he doesn’t turn to meet my gaze. “Can we talk?”
He nods but doesn’t face me. “I know what you’re going to say. Don’t worry about it. I’ll head back to the city this afternoon.”
“What?” His words catch me off guard, and I don’t know how to respond. “Why would you leave?”
“I don’t belong here. I’m not like your other mates. This was a mistake.” He finally turns toward me, and I reach for him. He shakes his head and continues. “Garnet, you mean the world to me, but I’m not a wolf. I’m not a witch, or a vampire. I’m just a human. This is never going to work. I shouldn’t have let myself be fooled for this long. I’m sorry.”
He turns and walks toward the cabin. I spin around to watch him go. “James. Don’t do this. If I mean as much to you as you claim, you’ll come back here and talk to me.”
James pauses at the door of the cabin, then goes inside. What the fuck just happened here? Where did he get the idea that I don’t want him? Pain slices through my heart, and I drop to my knees. Tears stream down my face, and I sob into my hands.
I feel the strong arms lift me and hold me against a broad chest. I know from his scent that it’s Luca. Neither Ry nor Orym handle tears well. Luca holds me while I purge the pain, while my heart shatters. I wipe my eyes and look around, surprised that my other two wolf shifter mates are gone.
“Where’d they go?” I sniffle with the question.
Luca holds me tight and rubs his hand up and down my back. “It’s okay, Red. They went to talk to James. We felt your pain through the bond. None of us were going to interfere, but it was too much.”