Jack turned to Astrid. “Tell me what you
remember from this morning.”
“
I remember everything, which doesn’t mean
I will remember a thing when I change back.”
“You brought up Astrid the Wizard to help
you.”
“
Only together could we fight. I needed
her for the Fire Spell.”
She laughed. “
You know, your Ms.
Spock is quite smart, but I have the muscles and the brain. It was
my idea to bring her up. Now she’ll know, or at least sense, I’m
her ally. I am her, and she is me.”
“JACK, ARE you going to phone James?” Tristan
asked later.
“In a bit. First, let’s see if those two know
anything. If I phone him now, he’ll be here tonight. You know
him.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to take over, Jack.
There are now two of you in charge, two kings on one throne. It’s
tough even for such close friends as James and you. You’re bound to
lock horns sooner or later. And then, Astrid’s here. You’ll act as
her husband, he’ll act as her father.”
“Well, I suppose my carefree years are over.
James is ready to step down, and I’m ready to take over, but we’ll
need to work together for a while. This is going to be a sort of
transitional period, but we can do that. With anybody else I’d say
it would be almost impossible, but James is, well, James. Larger
than life.”
“He’s been a great leader, yes, but you’ll
be, too. I know that. Jack, back to what happened this morning. Do
you think Seth knew where Astrid was or did he just randomly send
Frank after Alec and Drew?”
“If he knew where she was, he would know
about you and Liv.”
“That’s right.”
Astrid lifted her head. “
It could be a
coincidence, Jack. Or just an accident. Somebody said something,
somebody else heard it. It’s not a big secret in Red Cliffs that I
was in hiding, that my change is difficult, and especially that
Seth wants me in Copper Ridge. Besides, Alec and Drew were absent
for months, they came back and then were gone again. It wouldn’t be
hard to connect the dots.”
“You may be right, love. We’ll get to the
bottom of this,” Jack said.
“What did you say, Astrid?” Tristan
asked.
Jack told him. His hand rubbed Astrid’s head
resting in his lap.
“There are still some connections between
Copper Ridge and Red Cliffs. People talk. I can’t imagine anyone in
Red Cliffs who’d willingly harm Astrid,” Tristan said.
“Yesterday, I couldn’t either. Today, I’m not
taking any chances. I thought Astrid would be out of danger once I
took her home. Now I’m not sure. And I won’t be there all the
time.”
“Keep your eyes open,” Tristan said. “And you
know, Astrid’s right. If we need to fight them, we’ll fight them.
If they somehow—”
“There is no room for
somehow
,
Tristan. He must not get her, period.”
“Take it easy, Jack. Talk to Darius, let’s
see if he’s ready to deal with Seth.”
“
Is he still in Scotland?”
“Yes, my love. Which means I have to go
there.”
LIV CAME back with disappointing news: the
two Tel-Urughs could tell her almost nothing about Frank’s plans
that preceded the attack. Seth’s orders were to bring Astrid,
unharmed, to Copper Ridge. They knew Jack would be with Astrid.
Frank had planned to make Astrid surrender in return for Jack’s
freedom, but then kill him nonetheless. In front of her eyes.
“We should have protected you better, Astrid.
I’m sorry, darling.”
Astrid let out a frustrating growl and turned
her head to Jack. “
Oh, not again! Tell her to stop, please,
Jack.”
“It’s okay, baby. It’s nobody’s fault, but we
all feel responsible.”
“
Liv and Tristan wanted to come with us
but I refused. So it’s my fault, nobody else’s.”
Jack lowered his head until his lips touched
Astrid’s ear. “Well, baby, we’ll certainly discuss your
stubbornness and lack of obedience as soon as you feel better,” he
whispered, smiling.
Astrid’s body instantly relaxed. She looked
at Jack, and lifting her head, licked his face. “I like those
sparks in your eyes. You sure know how to distract me, Jack
Canagan.
Hmm... What sort of disciplinary measures do you have
in mind? I can certainly suggest a few.”
“What do you say, Astrid?” Liv asked. “It’s
funny to listen to Jack’s part of your conversation only.”
“She says don’t rile her up again with your
irrational sense of guilt,” Jack said. Astrid let out a series of
short gnarls that resembled laughter.
“What else did you figure out, Liv?” Tristan
asked and sat beside Astrid.
“They’ve been hiding a few hours from here.
Frank decided to attack in the morning. They came to the cabin
first, only to find it empty. Frank kept telling them he wanted to
smell Astrid’s fear. Bastard! I wish I killed him!”
“
It’s okay Liv. He can’t smell a thing
anymore. Tell me, the guy that I fried, did anybody treat his
wounds?”
Jack translated Astrid’s question.
Liv rolled her eyes at Astrid. “Of course I
did. If you can’t kill them, heal them. Anyway, they didn’t expect
Jack to be so strong. And the nastiest surprise was your pyromaniac
exhibition, darling. You scared the shit out of them.”
Liv was still enraged, in spite of her light
voice. She only used s- and f- words when very angry.
“What are you going to do with them, Liv?”
Tristan asked.
“Well, Frank and the other one that Jack
killed were the bad guys there. These two pathetic creatures,
they’re not totally rotten. They don’t hunt humans, at least. I
showed them what would happen if they ever cross me again. That
will suffice. And besides, Astrid would be upset with more drastic
measures.”
“
Jack, tell her I’m thankful. There was
enough violence for one day.”
“You are welcome, darling.” Liv sat down on
the other side of the bed and for a while silently stroked Astrid’s
long back.
ASTRID CHANGED back to her human form as soon
as the moon popped out on the horizon. This time she didn’t ask to
be left alone, and Jack witnessed the reverse process, equally fast
and as spectacular as the previous night’s transformation.
She’d asked him to take her clothes and
follow her outside. They walked slowly to the pond, where she once
again looked into her reflection. Then she lay down, moaning
softly. There was the same ripping sound as her big, strong body
shifted first into that inside-out bloody matter, dark in the
night, and the next moment Astrid’s white, naked body shivered on
the wet grass.
“Here, baby.” Jack wrapped a blanket around
her, pulling her into his lap. “It’s over.”
She was still breathing in short, shallow
gasps. “How are you?”
“Uh, okay, I suppose.” She pressed her head
against Jack’s chest. “You feel good, Jack. Hold me.”
They sat on the grass and let the night
embrace them. They didn’t talk. There would be time for that later.
For now, the soft grass beside the small pond, the bright night
with its gentle sounds, and the soft light of the full moon slicing
a silvery path across the water was all they wanted. And each
other: the touch of their skin, the echo of their heartbeats, the
scent of their bodies.
And just a few words.
“I love you, Astrid.”
“I love you, too, Jack.”
WE WALKED back to the cabin, hand-in-hand.
The night was cool and quiet, and smelled of pine and resin. My
body temperature was rapidly dropping down to normal. I was tired,
but the total exhaustion that had always been associated with
transformation was missing.
So many things had changed since Jack had
come into my life.
Through the trees, I could see the welcoming
lights of the cabin. It felt like coming home after a long trip. I
squeezed Jack’s fingers and my heart sped up.
“Are you tired?” Jack asked, picking up my
accelerated heartbeats.
“No. Just happy.”
Without any warning, Jack tossed me over his
shoulder and carried me to the door.
“Astrid, you have the sweetest little ass
I’ve ever seen,” he said and patted my bottom.
I laughed, my head dangling down his
shoulder. “From my viewpoint, Jack, I have no reason to complain
either.”
Still laughing, we pushed through the door
into the improvised hallway. Jack set me back on my feet, but held
me close. He lowered his head and found my lips, gently parting
them. He tasted sweet and cool, and I responded with my customary
enthusiasm.
Tristan’s voice reached us from the sitting
room. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to check Astrid, and
besides, your reinforcements are about to show up. Liv asked them
to come.”
“I’ve spoken to Drew and Alec,” Liv said when
Jack and I joined them. “I had to be sure they didn’t know anything
about the attack. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind. I do trust them
completely, though,” Jack said.
Livia smiled. “Now I do, too.”
Nobody would be able to trick Liv, no matter
how skilled. Not only were her powerful inner sensors like the most
precise lie detector, but she could also easily get inside other
people’s minds, if necessary.
I heard a car stopping and discretely sniffed
the air: my cousin and his girlfriend.
They burst in and rushed toward me shouting
questions. Alec closed his arms around my shoulders in a tight
embrace. “Astrid, you okay? Liv told us what happened. Jack, are
you okay?”
Drew hugged me too, and kissed my cheek. “Are
you all right? Come here, sit on the sofa. Do you want
anything?”
IN GENERAL, werewolves are extremely social
creatures, and consequently, their concept of personal space was
quite different from mine. Wizards are exactly at the opposite end
of the scale of social needs. Most of the time they prefer
solitude, or, at best, the company of another wizard. Being both, I
was, naturally, somewhere in between. I wouldn’t mind leaving hugs
and kisses and any other physical contact to Jack exclusively, but
right now I couldn’t help but appreciate Alec’s genuine concern and
Drew’s fussing attention. They were my family, I thought, and my
heart swelled with emotion.
“You’ll excuse us for a moment,” Tristan
said. “I need to examine Astrid.”
“Is something wrong with her?” Alec said,
worried.
“No. But I always do that when she changes.
And she’s been wounded today. Come on, Princess.” Tristan reached
out for my hand and walked me to the tiny bedroom.
“I’m afraid you and Jack are not going to
have a lot of privacy anymore,” he said as he closed the door
behind.
“I know,” I said and sighed.
Tristan made me sit on the bed. He checked my
blood pressure, temperature and pulse. His skilled fingers gently
probed my stomach.
“I’m going to miss you a lot,” I said
quietly, trying to swallow a cotton ball that had bobbed up in my
throat. “You and Liv are my little precious circle of friends.”
“We’ll stay close, Astrid. It’s not like you
won’t see us ever again,” Tristan said and stroked my cheek. “It’s
been a privilege being your friend, Princess. I’m not going to deny
myself that pleasure just because you are going to Red Cliffs.”
My eyes filled with tears, and for a moment
my friend looked blurred.
As he continued with the checkup, I studied
his calm face. While Liv’s physical beauty was classical, Tristan’s
was exotic. Predatory exotic, like the beauty of a tiger. Or a bird
of prey. Far from perfection, the combination of his warm, olive
skin tone, sleek black hair, prominent, slightly hooked nose and
wide-set hazel eyes was well balanced and masculine. If Jack had
the powerful, muscular body of a football player, Tristan’s more
delicate, elegant features evoked the image of a fencer, and not
surprisingly so—fencing was one of his greatest passions.
The son of a vampire French-Algerian mother
and her human English lover, Tristan was a relatively young
vampire. About a century ago, he’d met Liv, and from
once-upon-a-time to happily-ever-after, their love was one of the
most beautiful tales I’d ever heard.
I BROUGHT myself back. “Did anybody talk to
James?” I said.
“Jack will,” Tristan said. “Speak of the
devil...” He glanced toward the door a moment before Jack announced
his presence on the other side with two loud knocks. “We’re not
done yet, Jack! Wait!”
Tristan then turned back to me. “Take off
your top, Astrid, please. Leave your bra on.”
“She doesn’t have a bra to leave on. It’s
here, I brought it for her.” I heard Jack’s upset whispering
through the solid, one-inch thick oak door.
“It’s okay, Jack,” Tristan said. “I’m her
doctor.”
“Astrid, you have serious issues with your
undergarments. And why can’t Liv examine you?”
Tristan carried on with the checkup, ignoring
Jack’s rant. “Lift your arm, Astrid... That’s good. No abdominal
pain?”
“Astrid, let me in. I need to talk to
you.”
“We’re almost done, Jack,” Tristan said and
smiled at me. “You are occasionally going to have to live with this
craziness, you know that, Princess?”
“He’s capable of being civilized when he puts
some effort into it. Did Liv tell you what Jack did when Ingmar
showed up? He was fantastic.”
“
He
is here, and
he
can hear
you, and
he
doesn’t like when you talk about your
ex-boyfriends! Let me in, Astrid.”
“In a minute!”
“Astrid!!!”
“Just a moment, Jack. I’m half-naked.”
“Don’t get him too worked up, Astrid,”
Tristan said quietly. “It’s postponed fear. He got scared to death
today when he saw you lying on the ground. This is the aftershock.
Jack’s usually capable of controlling his instincts better than
this. And don’t forget, his wolf’s still close.”