Chapter 4
4
W hen Jackson first moved back to New York, he wanted a place to come and be alone—his own personal sanctuary, away from the city and the media. A place where he could escape being the son of a murderer. A place where he could be free of the stares and scrutiny that came with being Reed Ledger’s son. His siblings believed things wouldn't have been so hard if he’d chosen a different career.
And perhaps they were right.
But it wasn’t like he’d set out to be an actor. He’d been all of eighteen when his first role landed in his lap. He’d been working as a janitor because no one else would hire him. He didn’t care. It was a job. It was money and food on the table. Anything to help out his mom and help give his siblings a better shot at a normal life.
He’d been working at the studio lot, finishing up his shift. It was close to six in the morning, and he was itching to get a run in before the sun came out when an up-and-coming director strolled down the hallway.
He stopped, looked him over from head to toe, and asked if he wanted to read for a role in his movie. Jackson laughed. He thought it was a joke. But then the director dragged his ass into a room where Jackson did exactly what the man told him to do. Next thing Jackson knew, he had a secondary role in one of the biggest box office films of the year.
And the roles kept coming after that.
So did the money.
Something he was insanely grateful for.
“This place is beautiful. A little out of the way, but spectacular,” Amanda said. “The view of the lake is gorgeous. And is that your boat?”
“It is.” He nodded. “I bought her and this place when I took the role that won me the Oscar. I had no idea the film was going to be that big, but that movie came with a hefty paycheck up front.”
“It was also your first big role as a leading man,” she said.
“Sadly, my career has faltered ever since.” He studied Amanda as she strolled around the vehicle. She was a stunning woman who carried herself with grace and style. He assumed that came more from her years as a royal than from being an actress, but the ability to command a room served her well in the industry.
It was a shame that she struggled to gain the respect of her peers, something he understood all too well. His life was under a microscope because of his father. Her life was constantly being picked apart simply because she was born into royalty. Neither one had ever been given a chance to show the world who they were on their own merits.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but some of that has nothing to do with the roles you’ve chosen since that film.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Your actions in public have done you no favors.”
He couldn’t deny either of those facts. He shrugged. “It’s hard to follow up a role of a lifetime, and as far as the things that have happened to me since then, some were not of my making, but this film is a game changer. We both know it or we wouldn’t have agreed to deal with the controversy of what us working together means.”
She nodded.
He reached into his pocket and took out the keys. The only people he allowed in this cabin were his immediate family.
Amanda would be the first woman ever to set foot inside. He wanted to keep this place a drama-free zone, and women always brought histrionics.
He pulled back the garage door. “It’s not much, but it has all the comforts of home.” He waved her inside. “And if you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements, it has two bedrooms, and the guest room has its own private bathroom.” He raised his hands. “I promise you that I will keep my paws to myself.”
“I still might force you to drive me home tonight.” She waved her hand and audibly groaned as fairy dust trickled from her pores. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
He chuckled.
“It’s not funny,” she muttered, tossing her purse on the kitchen table. “You don’t understand.”
“There must be fairies somewhere in your bloodline.”
“No shit.” She rolled her eyes. “I need a drink.”
“I’ve got hard liquor, wine, and beer in the fridge. Pick your poison.” He leaned against the counter.
He held her gaze. It was as if she could see right into his heart. Feel it pulsating through his body. There was an undeniable connection, but there was also a barrier between them. He couldn’t sense where it came from, but it wasn’t a simple wall built to protect someone from being hurt. This was something entirely different. It was cold. Unnerving. Unnatural, even. And that frightened him in ways he didn’t understand.
Perhaps it was the protection spell. Only, he had no desire to harm Lady Amanda Windsor.
“Wine. Please. Don’t care if it’s red or white,” she said.
“Okay.” He made his way to the small wine cooler and pulled out his favorite bottle of red. It wasn’t an expensive brand, but it was tasty. He took down two glasses and wrestled with the corkscrew, wondering if he should mention this strange feeling he had. Or perhaps he was responding to the fact he didn’t want to be attracted to Lady Amanda. He’d sworn off all women for the duration of filming this movie. He had to make sure his head was completely in the game. Too much was at stake to fuck it up. “How long have you known about being part fairy?” He handed her a glass. This added a bigger wrinkle in his life. One he wasn’t sure how to handle. “And for the record, because I’m an alpha in the Crescent Moon Pack, I’m sworn to protect fairies. It’s a role I take seriously, so you are safe with me.”
“Perhaps, but are you willing to keep my secrets?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This can’t get out. Ever.” She pointed to the family room.
He took her hand and led her to the small room, easing onto the sofa. “I told you I wouldn’t say anything about the fairy dust and I meant it. I want to understand why you’re being secretive about it, though.”
“This goes beyond me just not wanting anyone to know what’s happening to me or how the media will have a field day with it.”
“It’s in my best interest to keep my lips sealed. We don’t want the focus of this movie to be about anything other than the film. That includes our past. Or the dust.” He nodded. “I don’t care what anyone says. Creating drama won’t help this film. We need to be dedicated, and we need the outside world to leave us alone.”
She let out a slow breath. “My father’s going to kill me for telling you this.”
“So, your dad knew about the dust, which is why he didn’t say anything when it happened today.”
“No,” she said softly. “And I don’t know if he saw the dust or not.”
“Enough dancing around the topic. Just tell me, and then we’ll decide how to handle it.”
“Shortly after the wolfairies were conceived, my mother blinked out fairy dust. Not a lot, but it was unmistakable.”
Jackson arched a brow. “She’s a human. Is she of royal fairy descent? That would be a big deal.” His heart hammered in his chest. A million thoughts and questions flowed through his brain. He was a mere wolf. He might be an alpha, but that was in spirit only. Sure, he had a seat at the table. He attended Crescent Moon Pack meetings. He was encouraged to participate. To give his opinions about local pack business. He tended to agree with the leaders so as not to stir up trouble. Rarely did he ever express anything too loudly. He was too damn grateful to be allowed to be part of such a prestigious pack. He wasn’t about to do anything that would ruin it or taint it for his siblings.
But the idea that there could be a royal witch fairy would be something the leaders of the Crescent Moon Pack would want to know. It affected them.
It affected the paranormal world.
Hell, Chaz would want to know. And so would Trask.
“She is not. My father quietly checked into that. But because of our position and the fact that my sisters and I never came into being fairies, my dad felt it best if we kept my mother being part fairy to ourselves. Besides, she can barely conjure up any fairy dust and has no powers. She literally can’t do anything with it. The only magic it has is to make you feel good.”
“Can she control it?”
“Yes and no,” Amanda said. “She can’t force it, but she’s learned to contain it. If that makes any sense.”
“It does and that’s something we need you to learn to do.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’ve been spewing the dust ever since you walked into Paul’s office.”
“You don’t need to tell me something I already know.” She tucked her feet under her butt. “That’s one of the reasons I panicked. I was terrified it was going to happen during the press conference. Especially when the reporters brought up your father, which triggered a visceral response in my body. That was the first time I could feel the fairy dust itch to get outside. I thought for sure it was going to flow from me like lava rolling off a volcano. I held my emotions so close to my chest. When I spoke, my insides shook and it was all I could do not to scream.”
“That’s interesting, but whatever you did, it worked. Because not a single speck of dust rolled off you during that interview and believe me, I was looking for it.”
“I just wish I could control it all the time.”
“I know a few fairies that might be able to help you with that.” He lifted his glass and swirled his wine. “But that would require telling them about it.” He sipped.
“No. You can’t. It would be a terrible idea.”
“These are not people who would go telling it to the world. I’m talking about Daphne, Isadore, Coral, Cheryl, Hollie, or even Trask.”
“Doing that would mean my father would have to get involved. It would be a whole thing. I’m not ready to do that yet,” she said.
“I don’t think we have a choice. If not your father, then Trask. We need help.”
“If we tell anyone, it would be my dad,” she said. “Trask would be required to report it. He’s a wizard fairy. Technically, he’s one of a kind.”
“He has a child now, so not really.”
She shook her head. “No. His child is a wolfairy witch fairy. Something a little different. But now we’re splitting hairs and not the point.” She stared into her wineglass. “I can’t be a witch fairy. The ramifications of that are too great.” She shook her head and laughed. It was a soft, sweet sound that rolled across his ears like the ocean kissing the sand. “When we realized my mom had some fairy in her, my sisters and I wanted to be part fairy. We thought it would be cool. Just the idea of it. But knowing what it means, well, no. We don’t want that. Not really anyway.”
“I’ll be honest with you. When I first saw the dust, I wondered if it wasn’t some witchcraft thing to toss me off my game.”
She turned and lowered her chin. “I’m sure if you know all those fairies, then you know the real dust isn’t something that can be replicated in witchcraft. While maybe you couldn’t tell the difference, the dust would act very differently. And from what we have been told, witchcraft fairy dust turns evil.” She raised her hand. “And even if I could, that’s not an easy spell to create. It wouldn’t be one that I could put in my Book of Spells and all spells have to be documented. It would have to be placed in a Book of Shadows, and I do not and will not ever have one of those.” She glared.
“And do you follow all the rules and laws of witches?”
“I do, unless my father tells me not to, which has only been twice in my life,” she said, holding up her hand. “Both times had to do with my mother and the fairy dust.”
“I want to know why keeping this a secret is so important.”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
He shook his head. While he had his own reasons for being concerned, he wanted to hear hers.
“The idea of a pure witch fairy, outside of Trask, is unheard of, and it terrifies my kind. When my mother first started with a few specks of fairy dust, my father was gravely concerned for me and my sisters. It could have brought about a witch hunt of a different kind. Witches turning on each other out of fear that their kin might be one. Or new spells being created to produce fairy dust or even to banish witch fairies. Once we learned my mom wasn’t a royal fairy and it hadn’t been passed on to me and my sisters, we went on like normal but decided to keep her being a fairy a secret. No need to ruffle any feathers and cause a panic.”
“Especially your Aunt Alley.”
“She would be horrified by the concept, for sure. But there’s more to it,” she said. “Some witches believe that mixing witch and fairy magic is not only unholy, but it will bring about something as evil as the Princess Tara Moonglimmer.”
“She’s been destroyed. Trask and his mate made sure of it.”
“That doesn’t mean there aren’t more like her,” Amanda said.
“She was Trask’s mother. Not his human host. But his fairy mom. And she was only half of her whole self.” Jackson rubbed his temple as he tried to pull the story from the recesses of his mind. It was a complicated one, and it had hurt his brain the first time Trask and Hollie had told it in its entirety, mostly because parts of it didn’t make sense. “I don’t pretend to understand it, but Dayton tried to explain it once in the same way he was separated into two parts. His wolf form and his fairy form. Only, Tara’s other half was a witch who had practiced black magic and had been stripped of their powers, making it impossible for her to be reunited. It turned her fairy side evil and her only hope of survival was to steal her child’s powers.”
“Many witches don’t believe that story. They believe that Tara was an evil fairy out to destroy everything and everyone. But it’s the fear of the unknown. It’s all those centuries of witches clashing with fairies. That’s why my father doesn’t take a hard line, demanding witches accept wolfairies. He only demands they respect their right to exist. It would be like wolves and vampires becoming friends and reproducing.”
Jackson tossed his head back and laughed. “Vampires refuse to take part in the Twilight Crossing Council. They barely play nice in the sandbox with the rest of the paranormal world. Also, it’s physically impossible for any other creature to reproduce with them. The only way to become a vampire is to be turned. And the only way to do that is to agree to have your blood drained.” He waggled his finger. “It’s the agreeing part that’s important. It’s why they are an endangered species. Most humans won’t agree to it.”
“I honestly don’t know why the council protects them. They are vile.” She shivered. “I’m sorry, that was a bad analogy.”
“But I get your point.” Now, he had an interesting dilemma. He wasn’t sure if he should even bring it up because he didn’t believe in it for two reasons.
First, it meant imprinting would be involved, which hadn’t happened. He would have known it the second she walked into the room.
It didn’t matter that he felt a strong pull toward her. Stronger than any other woman or creature he’d ever been attracted to. Imprinting, no matter when it happened, was a connection that a wolf felt to his or her core. It was rare that a wolf did it before coming of age. But it did happen. It wasn’t anything that the wolf had any control over. It was written in the stars. It could be rejected if the imprinting was done with a different species.
But it was still something that was meant to be. Something that was part of a bigger picture and that bond would be nearly impossible to break.
He’d been in the same space as Amanda twice.
He’d been an adult the first time on that airplane, and he would have felt it. His heart would have connected to hers. It would have been earth-shattering. It would have stopped him dead in his tracks and from that day forward, his sole purpose in life would have been to love and protect her.
While he thought a lot about her after that emergency landing, he’d been able to go on with his life.
Imprinting certainly hadn’t happened today. However, his hunger to be with her grew. He couldn’t stop thinking about taking her to bed, and he did have an overwhelming need to protect her, but that could be because of the fairy dust and the fact he was indeed an alpha.
Not to mention the dust was getting bolder and stronger.
“Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Fated Moons?” He decided asking the question didn’t mean anything. Besides, he was curious if she’d ever heard it before and put any stock in the myth.
“No. Why and what is it?”
“It’s something that all wolves are taught. I believe now that the wolfairies are here, fairies are also told of the legend.” He shouldn’t be surprised that witches weren’t being schooled in the legend, even though it affected them. He wondered what her father knew of it.
She shifted, taking another slow slip. “I’m intrigued.”
“You might not be after I tell you about it.” He chuckled. “Supposedly, once the last set of wolfairies are born, and Trask continues on with his line, a double moon will appear. When that happens, a new pairing will be formed between a wolf and royal witch fairy, creating wizard and witch wolfairies.”
She poked his biceps. “Now you’re just messing with me.”
He gulped his wine. “It’s crazy, right? But I first heard the story when I was just a pup. I figured it was merely a myth. Kind of like the Legend of the Princess and the Wolf, but that one turned out to be true. As did the Legend of Toldar.” He arched a brow. “I honestly don’t know what I believe.” He took her hand as more dust slowly lifted from her fingers. “But what am I supposed to make of this when you’re a royal witch and also a fairy?”
“Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’re the wolf in this scenario.” She jerked her hand back.
“That would be insane, and no. That’s not what I’m implying. If anything, my role would be to protect you. But something triggered your dust in Paul’s office, and I was the only wolf in the room.”
“That was the first time I noticed it. Maybe it’s happened other times. I mean, with my mom, it’s often so tiny most don’t even see it.”
“That’s possible.” He wanted to believe he had nothing to do with bringing out the dust. But he couldn’t shake everything he’d seen in Trask’s little green ball. Or the deep emotions that had settled in his soul. “I know you don’t want anyone to know. But we need help containing this, or shooting this movie will be a problem.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Same thing as earlier. Either your father or Trask.”
“You’d trust my dad?”
Jackson nodded. “He’s never given me a reason not to.”
“Enough to let him help me cast a protection spell over you? Because someone did use black magic on us and that’s something else we need to deal with.”
“All right. I’ll let you do that, but we need to tell someone about the fairy dust.”
“I’ll call my father.” She waggled her finger. “But I might keep legends and myths out of it.”
He chuckled. “I can live with that.
Amanda stood in the kitchen and watched through the window as Jackson wrestled with the logs in the firepit. His biceps flexed as he tossed the wood over the cracking flames. She had no idea what to make of his tale regarding Fated Moons. So many things had changed for paranormal creatures since the pairing of Chaz and his fated mate, Daphne. While the wolfairies were thriving, and they could use their powers outside of the farm in Vermont, they were still hunted by those who didn’t understand them. Or believed they were evil.
Mostly that came in the form of witches and a few rogue wolves.
And of course, vampires.
But no one understood what vampires wanted with wolfairies, or even fairies for that matter. They weren’t human. They couldn’t turn them into vampires. Wolf blood could kill a vampire, but fairy blood made vampires stronger, unless they drank too much, then they got drunk. The kind of drunk that made them do dangerous things. Even vampires who sought fairy blood were incredibly careful about how much they took out of fear of being reckless. But still, it gave them increased strength and speed, something they didn’t need. Rumor had it that enough fairy blood gave them the ability to daywalk, but even vampires were too afraid to test those waters. The fear was that when they drank too much fairy dust, it impaired their judgment and whispered delusions in their mind.
She tapped her father’s contact information. It rang twice before he picked it up.
“Hello, darling. How did your chat with Jackson go?” her dad asked. “I hope it was productive.”
“I’m still with him,” she admitted. “And it’s been different, that’s for sure.”
“How so?”
She poured herself another glass of wine and took a big gulp. “Did you notice anything strange about me earlier today?”
“I’m not sure this is the time to have that conversation. Not while you’re with Jackson. Why don’t you come over and we can talk.”
“I’m in Lake George and it appears I’ll be staying the night.” She swallowed. Hard. Her father had noticed and chosen not to say anything. Not even in text. That spoke volumes. Only she wasn’t exactly sure what that meant.
“Seriously? With Jackson? Should I be concerned about what his intentions are with you?”
“It’s not like that, Daddy. But he does have a cabin up here and he wanted to get away from all the cameras. I wouldn’t have agreed, except we experienced black magic on the way up. We could have been killed. I need your help with a protection spell for him.”
“How did you combat the black magic?” her father asked.
“Interesting you should ask that question, but I think you know the answer.” She meandered back into the family room and eased onto the sofa. She set her wineglass on the end table and glanced around the room, admiring his décor and dedication to family.
Pictures of his siblings and mom were displayed on the mantel.
She had noticed more hanging on the walls.
“Humor me with the details,” her father said.
“I used a basic reactionary reversal spell. It wasn’t a very good one, but without my Book of Spells, and having to think on my feet, it’s all I could conjure.” She lifted the glass, taking a quick gulp while staring at Jackson as he poked at the fire. Sparks floated toward the sky. There was something about Jackson that made her insides turn to mush. She’d been courted by some of the most eligible bachelors in all the witch covens. Many were strikingly handsome.
But none of them made her heart pound so fast it fluttered right into her throat. “My magic wasn’t strong enough. I felt a thick barrier between me and Jackson. It was cold. And hard. Like concrete. But something strange happened. Fairy dust appeared, and it worked with my magic to jerk the car away from danger.”
“That had to have freaked out your co-star.”
“Him? What about me?”
“I’m aware it’s unsettling. I’ve spent the last few hours researching your mother’s ancestry,” her dad said. “I also called Trask.”
“Daddy. We can’t tell anyone about this. It will cause widespread panic.”
“Trask isn’t anyone, and you, my darling daughter, need to learn to contain the dust, or it's going to fly from your eyes when you blink or come off your fingertips when you wave your hand in front of the whole world,” her dad said. “What does Jackson believe or understand about the fairy dust? I hope you said it was all part of your spell.”
“I couldn’t do that,” she admitted.
“And why not?”
“Because he saw it for what it was and then asked me if I knew anything about the Legend of the Fated Moons.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Please tell me you lied to him about possibly being part fairy.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t. He already knew and I didn’t see the point,” she said. “I need to know if you’ve heard of this legend or not.”
“Why?”
“Just answer the question, please.” She let out a long breath.
“There is only one witch coven that speaks of that legend openly. For our kind, it’s a fictional story. It used to be told much like we tell the tale of the Trolls of Bridgewater, demonizing the wolf fairy that dared to impregnate an innocent witch.”
“That’s not how Jackson describes it, and I think it’s a wolf and a witch fairy. I believe that’s an important distinction.”
“Witches couldn’t ever accept that version. It meant that a witch fairy already existed.”
“Trask exists,” she stated the obvious.
“We didn’t know that at the time and many witches are still fearful of Trask. They don’t care that he destroyed Tara,” her father said. “I’d like to come out there tomorrow. I also want to ask Trask to come as well. Can you ask Jackson if that would be okay? We need to figure out how to contain this dust. And I need to make sure Jackson isn’t going to tell anyone.”
“He’s an alpha. Sworn to protect fairies. He won’t. In the meantime, I need you to get my Book of Spells and take a picture of my protection spell and send it to me.”
“Do you have a connection spell?”
“No. Why?”
“If you mix the two, you’ll be able to tell if anything is about to happen to him if you’re not near. And the same will happen in reverse. It’s one way we might be able to see who the black magic is targeting,” her father said. “It’s not a difficult spell. I can tell you how to add it to yours. You shouldn’t need to tweak or practice it.”
“Thanks, Dad. This entire thing has been a lot to take.”
“The timing of it all is not ideal,” her father said. “I’ll see you by lunch tomorrow.” The line went dead.
She rose and made her way to the fireplace. She lifted a picture of Jackson and his mother. Fairy dust circled the frame. It danced around it as if it were happy. It felt warm and soft against her skin. It was the most foreign thing to ever happen to her, yet it felt so natural, so a part of her essence.
And it seemed to love all things Jackson.