He pulled out a phone from his pocket. “I
should talk to James. This evacuation plan is his and Jack’s idea,
so we better not complain.” He winked at me.
Alec briefly updated my uncle about their
travel and the plan for the next few days. My hearing was still not
good enough as to hear what James was saying, so I was completely
unprepared when Alec said, “Here she is,” and pushed the phone into
my hand.
My voice was a bit shaky and my heart pounded
fast when I said hello to my uncle.
“Hello, sweetheart.” I heard his deep
baritone. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. How are you,
Uncle?”
“Happy now that I know you’re coming. God, I
can’t wait to see you, child.”
I swallowed a big lump that tightened my
throat. “I’m looking forward to seeing you, too. How is, er, Aunt
Betty?”
I wasn’t sure how to address his wife, and
Jack’s mother, since I’d never spoken to her.
“Good. She’s looking forward to meeting you.
Eamon’s coming with us to Denver, and Maggie will be here next
week. Is that son of mine treating you well?” my uncle said
lightly.
“Well, I have a couple of complaints.” I
chuckled. “I’ve been chased out of my kitchen, and he can be quite
bossy from time to time.”
“
Otherwise, he’s been a perfect gentleman,
thanks to you
.” I heard an inside, mocking voice.
“
Be quiet!”
I said my wolf.
Thank God, my uncle was unaware of my inner
dialogue. I heard him laughing. “Take care, Astrid. I’ll see you on
Wednesday, then. Say hello to Ella and Arnaldur. And put Jack on
the line, will you?”
“Here he is. See you soon. Say hello to
everybody.”
I passed the phone to Jack and went to my
room to get ready for the upcoming ordeal.
WE TOOK off around ten o’clock on Thursday
morning, leaving Drew and Alec to finish packing. Mark and Sid
Brandon, the Blues Brothers, would come on Tuesday morning.
I’d rented a truck the day before, stuffed it
with food, water, our clothes and extra blankets. All the way to
the cabin Astrid was quietly dozing, head pressed against the
window pane. She was obviously in discomfort—she wouldn’t admit
pain—and her body temperature was high. Tristan and Liv had warned
me about her symptoms, so I tried not to panic.
There was another reason why I wanted her out
of the house as soon as possible: more male werewolves were coming.
With her transformation approaching, her body released more and
more of her natural scent, saturated with hormones. Ignoring her
conscious mind, her body sent signals all around that she was ready
to mate. “You are in heat, my love, and even though it isn’t the
real estrus because you can’t get pregnant during it, it’s a
hormonal-driven craziness hard to control.” I wanted to explain to
her, but then it crossed my mind that even her famous receptiveness
must have its limits.
To Astrid, a brainy, rational wizard, the
transformation into a werewolf was an unwanted, inevitable and
painful monthly hassle, complicated enough without its sexual
connotations. Her cool, logical mind would certainly have some
difficulty accepting such a carnal explanation. I remembered how
shocked and disgusted she was when I’d told her that everybody
would be able to smell my scent on her if we slept together.
After the initial transformation, our scent
was rarely so strong. Compared to other female werewolves, and due
to her drastic transformation, Astrid, with her alluring scent, was
like an open perfume bottle. Not that anybody would ever think
about taking advantage of James’ niece, but her wonderful natural
aroma was distracting enough to make us nervous.
We met Liv and Tristan halfway to the cabin.
They’d checked the area and hadn’t found anything suspicious.
“Are you sure you don’t want us with you?”
Liv asked for the tenth time.
“Liv, please, stop fussing!” Astrid said,
frustrated. “You know I don’t like an audience.” She sighed and
closed her eyes. “I’m tired. Can we go now, Jack? You two, relax.
Take a day off. I’ll be fine.”
Livia tried one more time. “Jack, I still
think we should go with you.”
Astrid moaned softly. “Jack, please! Let’s
go.”
I knew how fiercely Astrid guarded her
privacy during the change, and that was the major reason why I gave
in. Of course, everything would be fine. Livia had just been
overprotective and Astrid was edgy and tense and in pain, I told
myself, ignoring my own unsettled thoughts and the knot in my
stomach.
ASTRID TOOK a quick shower in the improvised
bathroom, changed into her robe and took a position in the corner
of a big couch across from the window. She was noticeably tired.
Every once in a while I would find she’d drifted off, curled up
under a blanket. Her skin was burning, her breathing was raspy and
shallow and her eyes dark. She ate a lot, however, and would feel
better immediately after feeding.
She was pretty much the same until Sunday
morning. I was close to her all the time, yet there was nothing I
could do to make her feel better. I held her hot hand, I let her
lean on me and kept her gently pressed against my chest. She was
quiet and would only occasionally ask for a glass of water or more
food.
I thought my heart would break looking at her
so hurt and vulnerable. I could feel her pain every time she shut
her eyes and clenched her teeth. Still, she didn’t complain. When
the acute pain passed, she would give me a little smile and squeeze
my hand.
I understood why she didn’t want witnesses to
her weakness.
As she was getting closer to the
transformation, the pain seemed to ease and Astrid became more
alert. On Sunday afternoon she brought herself up into a sitting
position. She was still as hot as an oven, but her breathing was
easier, her heartbeats strong, and her eyes—light amber—sharp and
focused.
“Now I feel much better,” she said in a
throaty voice, deep and sensual.
Astrid under new management!
I’d seen quick glimpses of her wolf spirit
before, but always in the background. Now Astrid was still in her
human form, but her wolf was in charge.
“Sit here, Jack,” she said and patted the
spot beside her. “I promise I’ll behave.”
I did. She immediately nestled herself beside
me and took my hand. She lifted her clear amber eyes to mine. “I’ll
have occasional spells of sharp pain, but don’t worry. It will
intensify toward the end. It’s not unbearable.”
“Astrid, where is… the other Astrid?”
“She’s resting now. This is too much for her,
but you know what, that’s her fault. She’s been fighting the change
so fiercely and for such a long time that she’s made it worse than
it should be. She drives me crazy sometimes.”
Fascinated, I listened to Astrid the Wolf
talking about her other self. She looked different, and not only
because her eyes had changed color. Her movements were more brisk,
her voice deeper, her hair fiery red.
I quickly seized the opportunity to learn
more about both of her parts. “Is she going to remember anything
this time? Why doesn’t she have memories?”
“She pushes them back, that’s why. She’s
never been happy with me.” She sounded hurt, but then added, more
cheerfully, “Until you came. Now she’s okay with it.”
“Really?”
“Really. She’s in love with you, but
sometimes she’s too much a chicken to show it. She always looks for
reasons and logic.” Astrid rolled her amber eyes, the same way she
had rolled her blue sapphires so many times before. “She’s
oh-so-boring sometimes. But she is a good girl, and a terrific
doctor, I’ll give her that.”
I didn’t think Astrid was a chicken, but
didn’t want to argue with her wolf. “It’s good you’re not so
shy.”
“Thank heavens I’m not,” she said.
Astrid closed her hands around my neck and
buried her nose in the hollow of its base. God, she felt so
good!
“Whoa, whoa, baby! Take it easy. You’ve
promised to be a good girl.” I unlocked her hands. “Tell me
something else.” I quickly tried to change the subject, but Astrid
hadn’t finished yet.
“That red dress, that was my idea. Well, now,
Liv actually suggested it, and I liked it very much, so I made
Astrid buy it. But it was your queen of reason and logic, your
little Ms. Spock—suits her fine, by the way, that nickname—who
kissed you in the parking lot. It wasn’t always me misbehaving...
Oh!”
She suddenly stiffened in my lap and pain ran
across her face. I could hear her heart picking up. I held her
tight and rocked gently until she relaxed.
“I’m okay now,” she said quietly. “You know,
I’m in love with you, too. And I have no problem with that. Never
had.”
Astrid the Wolf was not only more open in
expressing her feelings and needs, but also seemed younger and less
mature. Late teens, I would say. “You eventually must let her take
over, you know that, love.”
“I know. But I’ll still be a part of her.”
She lifted her head and gave me an accusing look. “When you finally
decide to make love with us, you are going to deal with me, you
know that? You’ll need to bring me up so that I can link with
her.”
“Thanks for the hint, Astrid. How do you know
that?”
She shrugged. “I’m a wizard, and a werewolf,
and an Ellida.”
“Will you help Astrid remember what we’re
talking about now?”
“I told you that her whole attitude’s changed
since you came. She’ll do anything for you. She loves you, as much
as I do. She should remember at least some things. Okay, I have an
idea. You know those security questions when you are choosing a
password for something? Your first school, your mother’s maiden
name, and such? What’s your full name?”
“John William Canagan.”
“She doesn’t know that. Ask her when this is
over.”
“So you know everything about her, and she
just senses you?”
“Yeah, something like that. But once we’re
linked, she’ll know everything I know.” She lifted her head,
zeroing her amber gaze on me. “Including all my little dirty
thoughts. Kinky stuff, you know? You’ll like it, too.”
I smiled.
Kinky stuff!? You little sexy
beast!
She fixed her gaze on me, waiting for my
verbal response, but I didn’t bite.
Astrid the Wolf and I continued chatting
about Astrid the Wizard, as if it was the most natural thing in the
world. It crossed my mind how crazy it would sound if I tried to
explain it to anybody outside our world, yet there was nothing
strange about it. The Astrid I talked to was still my beloved
Astrid, an integral part of that wonderful young woman that I loved
with all my heart. Astrid the Wizard was there too, I could feel
her and sense her, she was just quiet because she was tired and in
pain.
“Would I be able to talk to the other Astrid
now?” I asked.
“Of course, but if it’s not necessary, don’t
bring her up. She’s in lots of pain.”
“And you’re not?”
“I am, too. But I’m tougher. And much better
equipped to deal with it.”
I wanted the answer to another puzzle. “I
see. Why do you feel weak in wolf form?”
“Ah, that. How do I explain this? In our
human form, between two full moons, Astrid the girl, wizard,
doctor, Astrid Vandermeer, call her whatever you like, is in
ascent. I’m still there in the background. Now the whole situation
is shifting: although we are still in human form, I become stronger
and stronger, and she is descending, until we change form. But she
stays with me all the time. It’s a cycle that follows the lunar
phases. We’ll continue to be defined by it until we link. Anyway,
when we later change into wolf form, I’ll be the boss. Our human
part will be there too—again because we are not connected—and that
causes all the discomfort and weakness. Unless we connect, we can’t
develop our full potential either in human or in wolf form.”
There was something else I wanted to clarify.
“Where would you place Astrid on a wizard scale?”
“Oh, at the very top. She has a bit of a
self-esteem issue, you know. She needs some training, true, but
she’s way more powerful than she thinks. It’s good that Ellida
Morgaine is coming to teach her, but she can’t help Astrid with
metal. Find somebody to train her to use swords and knives and
daggers. That would be her use of metal.” She smirked. “She is so
non-aggressive. She should learn how to fight.”
“She’s good with some knives, though.”
“Yes, with her scalpels, I’ll give you that
much. With those knives, she’s the best.”
THAT DAY I learned a lot about Astrid. Her
wolf wasn’t very demure, but young and immature as she was, she was
easy-going, smart and wise.
She seemed focused on our conversation, and I
relaxed. I was concerned about her sensual side and the challenge
it could bring up, but at the moment the wolf seemed in perfect
command of herself.
Well, almost perfect. Without any warning,
Astrid changed the subject. “Did you have a girlfriend in Red
Cliffs before you came here?” she asked.
“You mean a steady relationship?”
“You know what I mean. Is there anybody there
who would give me grief?”
I tried Astrid’s own tactic—answer the
question with another question. “Do you know how old I am?”
“I know.”
“Then you can imagine I’ve had a relationship
or two.”
“Anybody I should be aware of?”
So, my plan didn’t work. “Whatever it was, it
had been over long before I met you. No hard feelings, no grudges.
Happy?”
“Hmm… Kiss me, Jack.”
“No kissing,” I said firmly and tried to push
her back to the pillow, but she got rigid again as pain ripped
through her. Fine beads of sweat broke on her hairline. I gently
wiped them off.