about the darker side of the mystical world, especially following my demon conversation with Aric. And without his presence by my side, the creatures that bumped in the night bumped harder. My tigress, conversely, sat up, whipped out her iPad, and began taking copious notes. She wanted to hunt. And she wanted to know what prey we hunted.
Misha lowered his voice. “I only tell you this to warn you against joining the weres . Something seeks to align those unworthy and forgotten. If it succeeds, it may become unstoppable.”
“It?” Taran asked. “Not he. Not she. But It ?”
Misha nodded.
Taran gave up on her fondue and tossed her napkin on the table. “Oh. This shit can’t be good.”
I clenched my fists, my inner beast kick-starting my courage. “Isn’t that more of a reason to help the weres ?”
Misha’s cold gray eyes drove into me like ice picks. “Not if it comes at the expense of your life.” He faced Shayna then. “Or that of your family’s. Something is taking shape, Celia,” he said, meeting me head-on once more. “When it reaches its full supremacy, it will seek the strongest to destroy. To allow it a chance to view the full gamut of your power is to taunt death itself.”
Shayna’s slacked jaw and Taran’s string of swearwords pretty much summed up how I felt. Emme’s grip to my arm tightened, although I barely felt it.
Misha watched me, expecting I imagined a sign that I’d heed his warning and back down. And yet as much as his warning frightened me, running away screaming meant abandoning the weres to face whatever was coming alone. I wouldn’t abandon the wolves. I wouldn’t abandon Aric. I’d promised to help him. And I’d promised to help us . My face hardened. I shoved the trembling fear deep within me where it couldn’t paralyze me, and once more urged forth my strength and will to survive. I said nothing to Misha. But I did respond in a way he didn’t like. I transformed my human eyes to that of my tigress, illustrating that I’d choose fight instead of flight.
Misha let out a huff. “Enough of this, my darling. We’ve come to feast, not quarrel.” He motioned the servants over with a gesture of his hand so subtle I almost missed it. My plate disappeared and was replaced with greens topped with diced pears and slices of roasted lamb. Because nothing said “something wicked this way comes” like a yummy salad.
C HAPTER 4
“Where are we going exactly?”
Aric kept his hand over my knee while he maneuvered the Escalade through a small town just above Truckee. “An old werepossum lives in the area. He called the Den last night swearing he caught the scent of sulfur and anise in the air. He wanted to investigate, but his mate’s reaching her hundredth birthday in two weeks and he doesn’t want to leave her side.”
I squeezed my hand over Aric’s. “Oh no. Her time’s coming to an end.”
Aric nodded, a hint of grief finding its way into his voice. “It sounds like her birthday falls the day after the full moon. It will give them another few weeks together, but yes, she’ll pass when the full moon arrives next month. As his mate, he’ll join her by the rise of the following moon.” He glanced at me. “It’s a shame. He’s fifteen years younger and they’d only just found each other a few years ago. But when I spoke to him, he sounded ready to follow her into heaven.”
“Have you known them long?”
“I actually tracked them with my dad on their honeymoon.” He laughed when he caught my slacked jaw. “They disappeared while camping in Mount Whitney. Her family called us when they couldn’t find her. She was strong; she could handle the rough terrain. Being human, her mate didn’t fare well. He fell while hiking and crushed his skull. She saved his life by turning him.”
I cringed. Weres pierced human hearts in order to transfer their essence and turn a human were . It was the only time a were could protrude his or her fangs without changing
Misha lowered his voice. “I only tell you this to warn you against joining the weres . Something seeks to align those unworthy and forgotten. If it succeeds, it may become unstoppable.”
“It?” Taran asked. “Not he. Not she. But It ?”
Misha nodded.
Taran gave up on her fondue and tossed her napkin on the table. “Oh. This shit can’t be good.”
I clenched my fists, my inner beast kick-starting my courage. “Isn’t that more of a reason to help the weres ?”
Misha’s cold gray eyes drove into me like ice picks. “Not if it comes at the expense of your life.” He faced Shayna then. “Or that of your family’s. Something is taking shape, Celia,” he said, meeting me head-on once more. “When it reaches its full supremacy, it will seek the strongest to destroy. To allow it a chance to view the full gamut of your power is to taunt death itself.”
Shayna’s slacked jaw and Taran’s string of swearwords pretty much summed up how I felt. Emme’s grip to my arm tightened, although I barely felt it.
Misha watched me, expecting I imagined a sign that I’d heed his warning and back down. And yet as much as his warning frightened me, running away screaming meant abandoning the weres to face whatever was coming alone. I wouldn’t abandon the wolves. I wouldn’t abandon Aric. I’d promised to help him. And I’d promised to help us . My face hardened. I shoved the trembling fear deep within me where it couldn’t paralyze me, and once more urged forth my strength and will to survive. I said nothing to Misha. But I did respond in a way he didn’t like. I transformed my human eyes to that of my tigress, illustrating that I’d choose fight instead of flight.
Misha let out a huff. “Enough of this, my darling. We’ve come to feast, not quarrel.” He motioned the servants over with a gesture of his hand so subtle I almost missed it. My plate disappeared and was replaced with greens topped with diced pears and slices of roasted lamb. Because nothing said “something wicked this way comes” like a yummy salad.
C HAPTER 4
“Where are we going exactly?”
Aric kept his hand over my knee while he maneuvered the Escalade through a small town just above Truckee. “An old werepossum lives in the area. He called the Den last night swearing he caught the scent of sulfur and anise in the air. He wanted to investigate, but his mate’s reaching her hundredth birthday in two weeks and he doesn’t want to leave her side.”
I squeezed my hand over Aric’s. “Oh no. Her time’s coming to an end.”
Aric nodded, a hint of grief finding its way into his voice. “It sounds like her birthday falls the day after the full moon. It will give them another few weeks together, but yes, she’ll pass when the full moon arrives next month. As his mate, he’ll join her by the rise of the following moon.” He glanced at me. “It’s a shame. He’s fifteen years younger and they’d only just found each other a few years ago. But when I spoke to him, he sounded ready to follow her into heaven.”
“Have you known them long?”
“I actually tracked them with my dad on their honeymoon.” He laughed when he caught my slacked jaw. “They disappeared while camping in Mount Whitney. Her family called us when they couldn’t find her. She was strong; she could handle the rough terrain. Being human, her mate didn’t fare well. He fell while hiking and crushed his skull. She saved his life by turning him.”
I cringed. Weres pierced human hearts in order to transfer their essence and turn a human were . It was the only time a were could protrude his or her fangs without changing
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