course I am.” When Jonas’ expression only darkened, Mary-Lou sighed and squeezed his hand.
“I trust Rowfer,” she said, “And it is not like we have another choice.”
“That is no reason to put you in harm’s way,” Jonas snapped back. His anger streamed out of helplessness, of concern – he did not know what to do, and did not like it one bit.
“It is worth a try,” Mary-Lou sighed. Defeated, Jonas nodded back, anger seeping out of him like so much air.
They stood in silence for a few short, calm moments – Mary-Lou on her back upon the bed, Jonas kneeling beside her. Sleep was pulling at Mary-Lou’s senses, body heavy with exhaustion and more than eager to rest, now that pain did not startle it awake with every breath. Indeed, the human woman was almost asleep when Cara’s hushed, worried voice echoed in the room:
“He’s here again.”
Jonas stood up, steps heavy as he made his way toward the window. A moment later, the Lion Shifter let out a deep growl, nails scratching against the windowsill.
“Wiley,” he snarled.
“What is he doing here?” Mary-Lou asked Cara. The Fox shrugged, the motion stiff with anger and displeasure. An unpleasant thought shook Mary-Lou fully awake. “Where is Sasha?” she demanded.
“Here,” Sasha answered. Mary-Lou sighed in relief. “I am not that stupid,” Sasha grumbled, then added in a bit more whimsical tone, “Although it would be nice to sink my teeth into that overly-confident son of a bitch.”
“No,” Jonas snarled, echoing Mary-Lou’s own fervent denial. Sasha’s eyes narrowed, poison glistening at the tips of his bared teeth.
“You forget,” the Snake Shifter hissed, “What I am. What I was . I can take the mangy Wolf on, and five more like him!”
“You can,” Jonas agreed, voice even. Mary-Lou was impressed by his control, by the quickness with which he had taken to his role in their pack. “But you won’t. He Challenged me. Do not interfere.”
Sasha nodded, backing down from the argument. Cara moved to lean against him, offering comfort and understanding for his ire.
“And if he tries to come in here?” Sasha whispered.
“Then you can chew on him all you want,” Jonas agreed.
Sasha’s mouth split in a smile too-wide for a human face.
CHAPTER FIVE
Mary-Lou spent the time left before the ritual sleeping.
It was not how Mary-Lou wanted to spend the day, but her body left her little choice: Between her own insomnia and all of the morning’s excitement, she had to allow herself some rest. The fact that sleeping allowed her to miss more of Jonas’ frustrated pacing and worried hovering was an added bonus.
Jonas woke her up at about ten. The bedroom had been dark and Mary-Lou – disorientated. It took her a good five minutes to remember what had happened, what was about to happen. After that, she took an hour to ready herself: To take a shower, eat – to calm her mind and ready her body for yet another supernatural event.
Five minutes before midnight, Mary-Lou and her entire pack made their way up the staircase that led to the building’s flat roof. It had been decided that performing the ceremony in the house was simply too risky: What if the moon moved during the ritual and moonlight no longer touched Mary-Lou? What if the spirit was malevolent and they had to escape? The empty roof bathed in transparent, silver light was much better of a spot than any one room.
“Lucky it’s the full moon,” Cara whispered – they were to be quiet, less they wake their neighbors and expose the whole thing. y would think we are nuts , Mary-Lou thought with a sigh. Who in their right mind went to moonlit roofs to summon spirits, after all?
“No clouds out tonight, either,” Sasha offered. Mary-Lou glanced up, green eyes glinting silver as the moon reflected in their depths. “Yes,” she murmured, “Lucky indeed.”
Mary-Lou took a seat in the middle of the roof, surrounded by her pack
“I trust Rowfer,” she said, “And it is not like we have another choice.”
“That is no reason to put you in harm’s way,” Jonas snapped back. His anger streamed out of helplessness, of concern – he did not know what to do, and did not like it one bit.
“It is worth a try,” Mary-Lou sighed. Defeated, Jonas nodded back, anger seeping out of him like so much air.
They stood in silence for a few short, calm moments – Mary-Lou on her back upon the bed, Jonas kneeling beside her. Sleep was pulling at Mary-Lou’s senses, body heavy with exhaustion and more than eager to rest, now that pain did not startle it awake with every breath. Indeed, the human woman was almost asleep when Cara’s hushed, worried voice echoed in the room:
“He’s here again.”
Jonas stood up, steps heavy as he made his way toward the window. A moment later, the Lion Shifter let out a deep growl, nails scratching against the windowsill.
“Wiley,” he snarled.
“What is he doing here?” Mary-Lou asked Cara. The Fox shrugged, the motion stiff with anger and displeasure. An unpleasant thought shook Mary-Lou fully awake. “Where is Sasha?” she demanded.
“Here,” Sasha answered. Mary-Lou sighed in relief. “I am not that stupid,” Sasha grumbled, then added in a bit more whimsical tone, “Although it would be nice to sink my teeth into that overly-confident son of a bitch.”
“No,” Jonas snarled, echoing Mary-Lou’s own fervent denial. Sasha’s eyes narrowed, poison glistening at the tips of his bared teeth.
“You forget,” the Snake Shifter hissed, “What I am. What I was . I can take the mangy Wolf on, and five more like him!”
“You can,” Jonas agreed, voice even. Mary-Lou was impressed by his control, by the quickness with which he had taken to his role in their pack. “But you won’t. He Challenged me. Do not interfere.”
Sasha nodded, backing down from the argument. Cara moved to lean against him, offering comfort and understanding for his ire.
“And if he tries to come in here?” Sasha whispered.
“Then you can chew on him all you want,” Jonas agreed.
Sasha’s mouth split in a smile too-wide for a human face.
CHAPTER FIVE
Mary-Lou spent the time left before the ritual sleeping.
It was not how Mary-Lou wanted to spend the day, but her body left her little choice: Between her own insomnia and all of the morning’s excitement, she had to allow herself some rest. The fact that sleeping allowed her to miss more of Jonas’ frustrated pacing and worried hovering was an added bonus.
Jonas woke her up at about ten. The bedroom had been dark and Mary-Lou – disorientated. It took her a good five minutes to remember what had happened, what was about to happen. After that, she took an hour to ready herself: To take a shower, eat – to calm her mind and ready her body for yet another supernatural event.
Five minutes before midnight, Mary-Lou and her entire pack made their way up the staircase that led to the building’s flat roof. It had been decided that performing the ceremony in the house was simply too risky: What if the moon moved during the ritual and moonlight no longer touched Mary-Lou? What if the spirit was malevolent and they had to escape? The empty roof bathed in transparent, silver light was much better of a spot than any one room.
“Lucky it’s the full moon,” Cara whispered – they were to be quiet, less they wake their neighbors and expose the whole thing. y would think we are nuts , Mary-Lou thought with a sigh. Who in their right mind went to moonlit roofs to summon spirits, after all?
“No clouds out tonight, either,” Sasha offered. Mary-Lou glanced up, green eyes glinting silver as the moon reflected in their depths. “Yes,” she murmured, “Lucky indeed.”
Mary-Lou took a seat in the middle of the roof, surrounded by her pack
Similar Books
