Wolfsbane, A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy (The Maurin Kincaide Series) (3 page)

"Not a happy home coming I take it." He said nudging the coffee closer in the hopes that I would actually drink it.

"I didn't expect it to be. I'm just having a pity party, which you are crashing. So what's so important that you had to track me down instead of just harassing me when I got home per usual?" I slurred.

"I told you the challenge for Alpha is tonight." He said, as if that explained why he was sitting across from me.

"It's about time. But I don't see what pack business has to do with me. This is between you and Roul." I finally took a sip of the coffee, also known as battery acid. It was cold, strong and burnt.

"And you have to be there." He explained.

"Sorry, no can do. I've got another fun filled family evening ahead of me, the rehearsal dinner. Followed by the wedding tomorrow. So as you can see my dance card is full for the weekend." I told him, while wishing I could cancel my plans.

"So you'd rather hang out with the family that hates you? You a glutton for punishment or something?" Cash asked genuinely confused.

"I never said I'd rather be there but I already told my sister I would be." I tried to explain but I could tell he didn't get it. Packs didn't work like that. You were either a part of the pack or you weren't.

"Well you're just going to have to tell he
r you can't go." He caught me eyeing the bottle again and moved the vodka out of my reach. "You're in no condition to go anywhere in my opinion but you can't shirk your responsibilities to the Council."

I stuck my tongue out at him. We both knew I would be fine after an hour or so. "What responsibility?"

He sighed. "Doesn't anyone tell you anything?"

"That
's what I keep saying!" I pounded my fist on the table, sloshing coffee over the rim of the cup. Mike's head popped up from under the bar where he had been switching out a keg at the sound of my fist connecting with the old wood table. He was watching us now, looking for signs of trouble. 'No trouble here', I thought and quickly grabbed a napkin out of the metal holder to clean up my mess.

Cash continued as I finished the rest of the cold coffee. "You're the liaison. That means you witness the challenge."

"I don't think that's what it means. In fact I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I'm the first liaison, they made up this damn position for me. Challenges have been going on for as longs as there have been werewolves, long before I came into the picture. Who witnessed them before?" I had a sneaking suspicion I wouldn't like his answer.

"She's tied up at the moment. Literally." He said.

I grimaced. "Mahalia."

"Since you're the reason she's spending time spindling spells for the
fae, the task falls to you." He explained.

"She's the reason she's there, not me. She's in their prison for trying to kill me, remember? " I said indignantly.

"Like I said, you're the reason. Seriously Maurin, you know where you'd rather be. Why are we even having this conversation?" Cash knew I didn't want to go to any more of my family functions.

"You haven't met my mother." I said flatly.

"Neither have you." He said and I winced. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No, you're right. I don't owe her anything. I wasn't g
oing for her. Why do I let that woman do this to me? I don't belong there anyway." I mumbled that last part.

"Not your world, kid. You fit in just fine with us. Look if your sister is half as concerned with your feelings as you are with hers she'll understand." Cash was trying to be symp
athetic but I could tell his patience was growing thin.

"How come you're here? Why didn't they send somebody else?" I asked suddenly realizing he didn't have time for this crap. He was supposed to be getting ready for the challenge.

"That's what I said." It was his turn to slam a fist on the table. "Olwyn insisted I was the only one you'd listen to with the bloodsucker gone."

Mike was watching us again. We were going to get tossed out if we kept smashing his table. I waived him off and looked at Cash. He'd saved my ass getting me off Winter Island. And
Matthison's. I owed him.

"She was right." I muttered, digging in my purse for my phone. Cash signaled for Mike to bring us the check as I scrolled through my contacts for Frankie's number.

She picked up on the third ring. "Maurin, where'd you run off to? Never mind it doesn't matter. If you hurry up and get back home you can ride with us to the rehearsal."

Sometimes I wonder if we grew up in the same house. "Uh Frankie, about the rehearsal," I hesitated.

"You're not coming are you?" She asked over my mother's confirmations in the background. I could hear her I told you so's through the phone.

"I got called into work. I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you. Promise." I sighed,
remembering all the times I told her that growing up whenever I bailed on some family obligation she was stuck going to because she really was their family.

"You can try, at the wedding tomorrow." She said, the
windchimes were back in her voice as she said goodbye and hung up.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"Are you serious? Sorry Frankie, I can't make it tonight because I have to go watch two werewolves try to kill each other over leadership of the Salem pack- because that would have gone over well. Besides, I didn't lie. Technically I am working."

"Whatever. Can we go now?" Cash left a stack of money on the table, more than enough to cover my tab, and slid out of the booth.

I slipped my shoes on and took his hand, letting him pull me across the seat and help me up. "Do I have time to go home and change?"

"I had hoped to talk you out of your clothes
someday not help pick them out." He laughed.

I just rolled my eyes, grabbed his hand again and popped us back to my apartment.

***

We landed in my living room. I was getting better at moving through the between. The landing was a little bumpy probably because of the vodka but I didn
't have to exert as much energy when I brought someone with me. Aidan made me practice over and over again, much to Arawn's delight. But I knew Aidan hadn't insisted on the training sessions to win favor with my father. He would never admit it but I knew he was terrified I would get stuck in the between where he couldn't reach me. He wanted me to be able to move through the between as easily as I breathed.

Cash's knees threatened to give out the second his feet hit the worn out carpet. "Don't ever do that again." He growled.

"Aww, what's the matter? Big bad wolf can't take a little jump through the between?" I mocked.

He just glowered at me, leaning on my couch for su
pport. "Five minutes." I said, heading to my room.

For the second time today I wondered what to wear. My closet was divided into two categories. Things I wear to work -as in my old job- and everything else. SPTF had a dress code for detectives, which applied to me as well. The clothes I wore there were nice but not really me. At least I hadn't had to buy something to wear today- too bad I picked the one outfit that made me look like
the help
, I laughed in spite of myself. Seeing my mother's face while I was holding that tray had been worth it.

Deciding on jeans and a Bad Religion t-shirt layered over top of a snug long sleeve grey shirt, I put on a pair of wool socks and laced up my combat boots. I ran my fingers through my hair and caught my reflection in the mirror hanging over my dresser. I felt a little more like myself again. Cash was right. I fit in with them just fine. I pulled my hair up high in a messy bun and called out that I was ready.

Cash was waiting impatiently in the hallway. I practically knocked him over as I came out of my room.

"About damn time." He grumbled. I slid past him, ope
ning the hall closet to get my leather jacket.

I felt his fingers graze my neck and I flinched. Aidan's jealousy, his comment about not doubting Cash dreamed about me flashed in my mind. Suddenly Cash's teasing di
dn't seem so innocent any more. "What the hell Cash?"

"When did you get that?" He asked.

"What?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"That." He said,
poking my neck. Relief swam through me when I realized his touch hadn't been anything more than curiosity.

I ran into the bathroom, positioning the medicine cab
inet just right so I could see the back of my neck in the mirror. What the?

"Cool ink, I don't remember seeing it on Winter Island. Who's your artist?" Cash asked.

I didn't answer. I was too busy pulling at the collar of my shirts to see how far it went down my spine. I was wearing a tank top and boy shorts last night and he hadn't noticed. Although knowing Cash he was paying more attention to my ass than my back, plus my hair was down. The Celtic knots wove their way down three vertebrae at least. I staggered out of the bathroom and yanked my layered shirts over my head, clinging them to my chest. "How far down does it go?"

Cash's eyes widened. "Does your vampire know about this deep dark desire you have to take your clothes off in front of me?" He dragged his palm down his face, tugging a little on his goatee. A small growl rumbled in his chest. "I can't believe I'm saying this, that reality trip thing you do must have done something to my brain. Put your clothes back on Maurin." He was laughing.

I stomped my foot, pissed. "How far Cash?" I was tired of his joking around. I had been marked again and this time I had no idea how it happened.

"Like half way down your back but it kind of fades out as it goes. Pretty cool effect." He said, his eyes raking over my exposed upper body.

"It's not an effect. It's not even supposed to be there." I pushed past the anger and tried to think. "Damn it, Arawn!" I shouted, even though I didn't think he could hear me cursing his name. I pulled my shirts back over my head and forced my arms through the sleeves, not caring if he caught a glimpse of my bra.

Cash didn't know it yet but we were taking a little d
etour on our way to the challenge. I grabbed his hand before he realized what I was doing and could pull away. My one bedroom apartment slipped from my sight, quickly replaced with the familiar grounds outside of the vampire keep.

Gallows Hill park. Arawn had told me that if I came through the between here he would know. I was counting on it. I stood my ground, waiting to ask my father why I su
ddenly had a tattoo running down my spine.

"I thought I told you not to do that anymore!" Cash roared.

"Oh quit complaining. It's not that bad. Aidan does it all the time. Are you saying there's something he can do that you can't?" I don't know why I was rattling his cage.

"It pulls my wolf closer to the surface. I almost shifted this time." His voice was rough.

"Sorry, I didn't know." I admitted.

"Well now you do, so don't do it again." He stiffened at my expression. "What?"

"We'll have to travel in the between one more time tonight if you want to make it to the challenge." I mumbled.

"If I lose because of you I will come back and haunt the shit out of you. I will make your bedroom my permanent ghostly residence." He may have been making a joke but the seriousness of the situation suddenly hit me.

The challenge was to the death. Even if he yielded, not that Cash ever would, Roul was within his rights to kill him. It was a good possibility Cash would be dead by the end of the night. I struggled for a moment with the feelings that seemed to stir up. I was about to erase the awkwardness I felt with a joke about how Aidan would probably have som
ething to say about him spending his afterlife in my apartment.

Before I could reply my father appeared. "Maurin. I di
dn't expect to see you tonight."

"Arawn." He tilted his head, looking at me sideways. "Father." I ground out.

"You wish to speak with me?" He asked, his eyes flitting around taking everything in. "I see you brought one dog with you, but not the one I assigned. Where is Conry?"

I didn't say anything. I forgot to bring him with me. Again. I couldn't take him to the luncheon, even Arawn would give me that, but here I was heading off on another Council task and had left my guardian at home. A growl formed at the back of Cash's throat over the dog comment. I shook my head.

"I was a little distracted by the Celtic knots running down my spine." I told him.

"You will have to do better than that daughter. Life is full of distractions. That is why I gave him to you. So that there was always someone at your back." With a wave of his hand reality parted and Conry slipped through the between. I could almost see my apartment behind him.

Conry came to stand beside me and my nerves instantly calmed.
I gave him a couple scratches behind his ears and a pat on his massive side. "Good boy." I whispered and brought my attention back to my father.

"May I see the marks?" He asked as if it was no big deal. I turned around, tugging at the collar again. "The between is accepting you. This is wonderful."