Chapter 10
Jaxon
It was hard to stay mad at Tisiphone, especially when she did a happy little dance as she munched on the food I’d brought her. But my blood was still pounding after that scare of not being able to find her until my wolf had picked up the scent.
Being near her was the only thing calming my beast now. I hated that she didn’t feel the same.
“We need to stick together,” I told her. My voice was harsher than I intended and she frowned, so I quickly added, “Not just us. The whole coven.”
I motioned to the table Gentry and the twins had gotten for us near the bonfire.
“You sound like my mom,” she muttered under her breath, as if I couldn’t hear her. Gods, this female was going to be the death of me.
“Besides,” she continued, “I’m not your coven.”
That did it. I stopped dead in my tracks, growling. “Every witch needs a coven.”
“Please.” Trish rolled her eyes, not at all affected by the dominance my wolf was pushing out in waves that would’ve made most wolves cower. “Gram didn’t need one, and we all weren’t a traditional coven anyway.”
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe Lisa brought us all together to be your coven, knowing she was going to pass away?” I snapped.
By the look on her face, she hadn’t realized that. But Trish was angry. “Even if she did, I didn’t choose this.”
She doesn’t mean that.
Her tongue was sharp as a whip and cut like a lash. My wolf growled again, urging her to submit and stop torturing us this way.
“Sometimes fate decides for us,” I said.
It was as true for her as it was for me.
And days like today, I cursed it.
You don’t mean that either.
“Do you plan to force me into this coven?” She cocked her hip to the side and planted her hand on it.
“No.” I didn’t know what had gotten into her, but I wasn’t backing down. “But you’ll stick with us if you know what’s good for you.”
“Is that a threat, Alpha?” She stepped closer, into my space.
It was hard to breathe with her intoxicating scent surrounding me and harder to think with my wolf urging me to throw her over my shoulder, to carry her back to the tent and end this madness between us.
“I don’t make threats,” I said, voice deadly calm. “I make promises.”
“You both sound like you need to eat,” Calla broke the standoff between Tisiphone and me.
Trish’s face twisted with horror as she looked over, realizing we had an audience. Our coven was seated around the picnic table and serving themselves from the shepherd’s pie Calla had placed between them.
“Don’t stop on our account.” Gentry chuckled. “I’m all for dinner and a show.”
“And if she doesn’t want to join us, more for me.” Calla shrugged.
An angry little growl sounded in Trish’s chest, but she smothered it with a cough. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
The twins eyed her warily. Whatever Ahmad was about to say was silenced with a look from me.
“Then sit down and eat,” I said, taking an open spot at the table and leaving it up to Tisiphone as to whether she joined us or not.
I clamped down on the howl of my beast when Trish mumbled her gratitude and took a seat beside me.
The pie Calla had managed to get for our table was good, but I didn’t take much, so the rest of them would have enough.
All the other tables around us had witches and warlocks from different covens with slight variations in clothing and dialect.
It grew louder and more animated as they settled in for the promised bonfire tonight.
I didn’t scent many wolf shifters—a few mixed in here and there—but none as many as us gathered in one place.
“You still do that,” Gentry said, pulling my gaze back to our group.
“Do what?” Tisiphone stopped her happy little food dance to look at him.
Gentry shimmied a bit. “You know? This thing you do when you like the food.”
Trish’s cheeks reddened and I smiled. Gentry was a good wolf-shifter, and he was mated, so my beast didn’t mind his gentle teasing of Tisiphone.
“I can’t help it.” Her shoulders bounced as she licked mashed potatoes off the spoon. “I like food.”
That got a few chuckles from around the table, but silence descended again. Unlike the rest of the groups, we didn’t laugh or share inside jokes. It was as if we were strangers.
I hate this.
Me too.
But this might be good for us. A way to mend old, broken bridges and create something new. Once I’d taken over Cadejo pack and things had settled down, I’d thought to see if we could get together again. Now was as good as opportunity as ever.
“Do you still practice magic? Or have you decided to play it safe?” Calla broke the awkward silence with her question. Because I knew her, I knew Calla was trying to be diplomatic. And because I knew Tisiphone, I knew that Calla sounded callous and cold.
Trish set down her spoon, barely able to hide the wolf glowing behind her eyes. “My magic is none of your business.”
“Really?” Calla smirked as she used a knife to peel an apple while her wolves lounged at her feet. “Because in a real coven, our magic is everyone’s business.”
“If you don’t want me here, just say so.” Tisiphone put her hands on the table, moving to stand. My beast started growling. All the males in our group looked toward me, avoiding direct eye contact.
Calla kept peeling her apple. “On the contrary. I like the idea of keeping the most chaotic witch here tied to our coven instead of used against us.”
Trish turned her burning glare to me. “Is that why you’re making me stay with you?”
“No one is making anyone stay,” I spoke through clenched teeth as I looked over our table, ignoring the few curious glances we were attracting. “But if we’re here together, then we stick together. Or I’ll walk away too.”
The nods of affirmation were instant. Everyone bowed their neck slightly, showing their respect. Except Tisiphone. Never her.
But she didn’t leave.
I was counting that as a win.
There wasn’t any time to enjoy the victory, though. A hush ran through the crowd as Sarah carried a torch toward the bonfire, flanked by two other female witches I hadn’t yet met that both smelled of Ossory pack.
“Witches and warlocks, humans and beasts, magic wielders from all corners of the country, we welcome you to Ossory pack today,” Sarah’s bright voice amplified with magic rang out through the gathered crowd.
Tisiphone clapped along with the rest of us. It took everything in me not to scoot closer and ask if she was okay.
“Halley’s Comet isn’t just another celestial event,” Sarah continued, looking up to where the comet cut its path across the sky. “It’s a time of great power, drawing our kind together throughout history for a time of celebration and… fun.”
She winked and a chorus of whistles sounded.
Trish squirmed in her seat beside me, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, wondering what that was about.
“For the next two weeks, prepare to be dazzled, distracted, and dizzy with joy by the wondrous displays of magic surrounding you. Shop local, enjoy our specially curated group meals three times a day or pick up something from our food vendors, learn a thing or two, and be sure to thank your hosts for providing the opportunity to strengthen the magical community.”
Sarah beamed at the loud cheers when the crowd called their appreciation. I joined Tisiphone in clapping as the three Ossory witches turned to light the fire. The flames danced high, lit by fuel and magic as they twisted in various colors.
Over the cheers came a deep male voice that caused a hush to fall among the crowd. “And what of this Vincent character?”
All those at my table were tense, and I looked around, noting the few others who sat on the edges of their seats, waiting to hear this news.
“Oh, Vincent.” Sarah’s eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together. “Our esteemed guest will be arriving sometime tonight.”
A northerly wind whistled through the fairgrounds, causing the fire to dance unnaturally and sending chills down my spine.
Instinctually, I moved closer to Tisiphone as a cloud passed over the moon.
She sucked in a sharp breath, as did Calla and many other females around us, when a figure moved to stand beside Sarah in front of the bonfire.
That’s him. My wolf began to growl.
The Ossory witch appeared flustered, stumbling back as the warlock smiled at her before turning to address the crowd.