Chapter 9
Her ominous tone had my back stiffening as my power jolted in tandem with my heart. Worse, I hated how her hand on my arm comforted me.
Tears burned my eyes as I fought back the surge of flaming anger that came with that realization. She hadn’t been a mother to me, so she shouldn’t draw any reaction from me except for distrust and disgust.
I blinked, holding back the liquid forming in my eyes, but didn’t budge my arm. I didn’t want to do something rash. If she thought I wasn’t buying her act, she might not share the information with me.
After all, that was how Slade had played me.
“Sorry.” She dropped her hands, her gaze heavy on my face. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
If only discomfort had been the sensation she’d shot through me. I faced forward, noticing a few raccoons had joined the foxes at the edge. All of the animals watched me. “It’s fine.” I was certain that whatever moment she’d wanted to share was over.
She cleared her throat. “An arcane-born was the first bearer of magic. No one really knows why or how, but the one thing we have gathered is that when she died at age twenty-one, the other supernatural species were created. It was as if her power was unleashed and changed her children—aside from one—upon her death. Her eldest son fathered the first wolf shifter, her eldest daughter bore a witch, her youngest son fathered a male vampire, and the baby of the family seemed to have human children. That was how the different supernatural species were created over two thousand years ago.”
A weight sank in my stomach, and I blew out a breath. I’d never imagined it all beginning like that. An arcane-born had created all the supernatural species—that meant every species started from the same family and was a grandchild of the original magic bearer. “Uh … why wasn’t I told this before?”
“Because the species became divided, and common interests and shared heritage go out the window when that happens.” She stared up at the cloudy sky. “When you want to separate, you focus on what divides you, not what you have in common.”
Being labeled a freak and teased my whole life had taught me that hard lesson. “What happened?”
“At first, they were raised as a family, the way supernaturals were always supposed to be. But a few generations later, egos got the best of everyone. The wolves thought they were the strongest, the witches believed they were the most powerful—and at the time, they were—and the vampires prided themselves on being the most cunning.”
That sounded right, but each species also had its shortcomings. The wolf shifters weren’t as strong magically as the coven members and couldn’t move as fast as vampires, but the witches tired out quicker, and the vampires died if they were clawed by a wolf or drank their blood. Each one had weaknesses, just as they had advantages.
“The coven members were the fastest to populate because the women were fertile, and a full-blooded witch could be born even if the other parent was human. Not only that, but most women birthed more girls than boys because, in that species, typically, women are the strongest. That’s how the witches became the first real leaders of the supernatural world, pushing their will and way upon the shifters and vampires.”
My stomach roiled. “What about the vampires and shifters?”
“They struggled, and several times, they almost died out. You see, when the wolf shifters and vampires obeyed and allowed their blood to be used in the witch’s spells and sacrifices, the covens would bless whatever human woman a supernatural mated with to make them strong enough to bear supernatural children. Each pregnancy required an exchange of magic between a coven member and the woman, usually in the form of a charm they had to wear the entire time. If someone upset the coven, they wouldn’t offer the woman this blessing, and usually, the woman and the child died during the pregnancy because a human body isn’t strong enough to carry a supernatural to term. The women of those species could marry human men and reproduce, but their children were only halflings, which caused more problems. If they were given a charm to wear, their child would genetically be fully that species.”
A shiver ran down my spine. The witches were upset about the shifters trying to take away access to the Books of Twilight, and I completely understood that, but their history of leadership was darker than anything wolf shifters had done. By choosing not to help the wolves and vampires, they’d doomed human women to their deaths and the children born to be neither human nor supernatural. And boy, that was one struggle I understood—having one foot in both worlds but not fitting into either. I shuddered, considering the challenges a part wolf or part vampire would have. Could they shift or drink blood?
“The coven members used their magic to control the other supernaturals, but over the centuries, the populations of vampires and wolf shifters grew large enough that they could marry within their own species without any problems, and that’s when things changed in the supernatural world. The witches began to lose their control over the other species, and their magic weakened because they also didn’t mate with other species.”
This painted witches and the covens in a different light. The supreme priestess had raised red flags with her lack of concern for Slade at times—she’d seemed almost nonmaternal—but when she’d taken me in as one of her members, I’d begun to trust her more. After all, the wolf shifters hadn’t wanted to associate with me, and the vampires wanted to drink my blood when my power went out of control. At least the witches had tried to help me.
Now I understood their motivation.
It had all been about control.
Acid burned my throat as I thought about how Slade had controlled me by withholding information. I’d believed that he’d discovered new information, but after what I’d learned from Dave, I realized Slade had known everything all along. I’d been so desperate for a friend and answers that I’d believed him.
“So what happened?” There had to be more to the story because the shifters were in control.
“Foster.” She ran her hand along the bar table. “He was born many centuries later.”
“Was he a descendent of the youngest of the original arcane-born?” I wasn’t sure how all this worked—for all I knew, a random arcane could be born another way.
She nodded. “He was—from the line the witches, shifters, and vampires cast out because they deemed their youngest sibling unworthy. Their mother seemed to not have passed on a piece of magic. Little did they realize that the youngest sibling had received the original magic—the strongest of all—but it was inactive. Now, the coven was correct about what activates the dormant power, so they didn’t alter all the information, but they didn’t learn that until Foster was born. The coven felt his power activate, and the earthquake had that same power signature.”
The world tilted, and my power increased to a fizz. “Wait. I’m only the third active one of our kind?” I understood that the rare galaxy event happened infrequently, but I was a little perturbed that the number of my kind who’d had to handle their magic could be counted on one hand.
“That’s why a lot of supernaturals don’t know about us and why the knowledge of how your power works is very limited.” She frowned and stilled her hand. “And why I freaked out when I felt your power activate. That was the horrible part of all this—knowing the history and the challenges you’d face. I … I didn’t want you to be targeted or for the supernaturals to discover who we were. Fear makes you do some truly stupid things … things that your father and I have regretted every day since.”
I blinked quickly to clear my blurry vision. “We’re getting off track.” My voice wasn’t as clear as I hoped it’d be, and I wasn’t ready for this conversation. With my power jolting, I could feel her emotions, and she was telling the truth.
“I know, but I need you to understand something.” She inhaled deeply and met my stare. “I understand why you’re keeping your distance. We abandoned you, and then I randomly showed up in your life and tried to leave again when everything came out. But your father and I think about you every day. Every holiday, and your birthday, the memory of you and of what we did haunts us. I’m sorry, and if I could go back in time—”
A traitorous tear trickled down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away, hoping like hell she hadn’t noticed. “Yeah, you did try to leave, so it’s hard to believe you regret anything.”
“Wolf shifters, vampires, and coven members haven’t been good to our kind. The last time someone with our active power was born, each side tried to manipulate or abuse him. When I learned you were not only mated to a wolf but had completed the bond with him—the prince of wolf shifters—I feared that was how they’d gotten you on their side. My perception changed when I saw how everyone in that house protected you and after the prince gave up his crown to remain at your side. No arcane-born has ever had that.”
I wanted to judge her and tell her how narrow-minded she was, but she’d been right about Slade and his mother. Her bias hadn’t served her completely wrong. “I’m assuming the coven betrayed Foster?” I needed to get back on topic. My emotions were all over the place with tears threatening to slide down my face. Part of me wanted to forgive her, but another part was angry at myself for even considering it. I had to sort through my emotions before I attempted to determine how I felt about any of this.
Exhaling, Octavia rolled her shoulders and stared straight ahead again. “The coven and the wolf shifters. Both hurt him, resulting in his death.”
I arched a brow, just as Raffe linked, I’ve been trying to leave you alone, but I keep feeling your emotions. Do you need me out there?
The truth was I did, but I suspected Octavia would not be as forthcoming if he joined us. Give us a few more minutes. I don’t want her to clam up, and she’s sharing a lot with me.
You do what you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.
My heart warmed, some of the pain ebbing. Raffe was one of the few people I believed when he said that. I love you.
Love you too.
I didn’t end our connection, wanting to keep it open a little longer. It wasn’t as nice as having him with me, but he was more accessible. “Can you be more specific?”
“Similar to what the coven did to you by trying to make you one of their members. They felt Foster’s power and found him on the brink of death. A woman was leaning over him, touching his face. When she sensed the witches, she ran off.”
I hadn’t heard that part. “A woman? Was she human?”
“She was the alpha wolf shifter’s daughter. She’d been coming back from the village and found him.” Octavia steepled her fingers. “She was his fated mate, and her touch calmed the power inside him, which was the only reason he didn’t die then. But he was bad off, so the coven took him back with them. He was out for days after causing a minor earthquake.”
Everything but the woman leaning over him matched what Slade had told me. “Are you sure the wolf shifter was his fated mate?” That story sounded way too similar to mine.
“Unfortunately, I am. Foster kept a journal where all of this was documented … until he imploded. His parents stayed with him and kept his things when the coven ran off. They filled in the pieces.”
The wind picked up, and I wrapped my arms around myself. At least, I assumed the cold was from the wind, but it could have come from within me. “What is his version of what happened?”
She sneered. “Similar to yours. The coven tried to help him, but they didn’t know how he could grasp his power. And each night, he snuck out to meet the alpha’s daughter. Her presence was the only thing stabilizing him.”
That I understood. Raffe eased my emotions when they were volatile, and if he hadn’t come to me that one night, I would have imploded, just like Foster. The power had ravaged me and drained my strength, taking on a life of its own. My skin prickled at the memory.
“One night, the supreme priestess of the coven followed him. She’d become suspicious of him. She told the alpha what his daughter was doing. Let’s just say the revelation didn’t go over well. In the alpha’s eyes, his daughter was spending time with a warlock … a coven member. After spending centuries under the coven’s control, the shifters and vampires despised the witches and anything that resembled coven power. He alpha-willed his daughter to never see Foster again.”
I thought of King Jovian trying to alpha-will Raffe to marry the Atlanta alpha’s daughter, and my heart ached. The only difference was that Raffe and I had partially completed our mate bond.
“Foster couldn’t stay away, and his power became more volatile on days he didn’t see her. Eventually, the shifters had enough and attacked the coven to eliminate the threat. Foster tried to protect everyone, both shifters and coven members. In the end, he caused his own death, and the wolf shifters took over after that.”
That was a horrible way to die, and knowing how he’d felt from my own beginning with Raffe … no one deserved to end like that. “That’s horrible.” My chest throbbed, and I rubbed the spot to appease the ache.
“It is, and that’s why we need to be careful. You’re twenty-two, the same age as Foster when he imploded.” Octavia placed a hand on the back of her neck. “We can’t let that happen to you. We need to figure out how you control your power.”
The sliding glass door opened again, but the tingles on my neck told me who it was—Raffe.
“It’s late. We should all get some sleep,” he rasped, his concern flowing into me.
I stood without a second thought. Though Octavia had shared a lot of information, I needed space. “He’s right. It’s been a long day.” And we had to determine our next plan. We didn’t have a large pack, we had no incoming money, and a secret society was on our trail. Not only that, but Octavia had told me that no activated arcane-born had lived past my current age. This was messy.
Octavia didn’t say a word, and the three of us headed back inside. Lucy and Adam were standing in the living room, the television off. It was close to ten, and we were all tired, especially Josie and Dave.
Lucy arched a brow, taking in my appearance. You need to talk? she linked.
I smirked. She was becoming more like a sister than a friend. I don’t have the energy to tell everyone individually. I’ll tell you everything in the morning after we get some sleep.
If you change your mind, I’m always here, she replied and hugged me. And when things settle, we gotta get back on our Criminal Minds kick. I’ll check on our favorite little monster before heading to bed, so don’t worry about anything.
Lucy nodded toward Octavia then the stairs that led below. “You’re rooming with me. Let’s get going.”
Octavia didn’t hesitate, and the two of them headed down.
Adam remained, his face tense. Something weird is going on between Josie and Dave. I think his feeding from her created some sort of connection. We need to watch them carefully. I’m afraid she’s in over her head.
When she and Raffe had been pretending to be a couple, she’d tried to hide Raffe’s jersey around Dave. And Dave had always asked about her. I was certain their connection went beyond him drinking her blood. But I doubted now was the time to mention it.
Raffe tilted his head back. Noted. I’ll keep a close eye on them tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re sleeping in there with her, right?
Yeah, I’ll watch out for her. He patted his chest. Speaking of which, she just told me she’s done changing, so I’m going down there.
We split off, and soon, Raffe was spooning me, his face nuzzled in my neck. Our connection buzzed, offering me solace as I told him everything Octavia had said.
As the story progressed, he held me tighter. Not that I was complaining.
When it was over, he sighed. Guilt blanketed him. Babe, I’m so sorry.
Not your fault. I pushed my love and warmth toward him. You aren’t responsible for a past you had nothing to do with.
He kissed my neck, and I shivered. I wasn’t alone anymore.
I’ll always be by your side. I love you, he vowed, his breath warming my neck.
I turned around and stared into his crystal-blue eyes. I love you too, and as long as we’re together, I’ll be okay.
He pulled me to his chest, and we fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The soundof a vehicle outside woke me. My eyes cracked open, and I glanced at the time.
Three in the morning.
That was odd.
Multiple car doors opened and shut, and my blood turned cold.
“They’re here,” a man whispered. “I’m glad she gave us the right address.”