Page 19

It turned out Wrasa engagement parties weren’t like human ones after all. Faith had assumed they would spend a few hours with Tala’s family, but Tala had finally confessed that the twere, as she called the event, would last for three days.

Apparently, there wouldn’t be a big wedding ceremony—the couple would merely move in with each other and be considered married. Instead, everyone came together to celebrate the engagement for an entire weekend.

An entire weekend in a house full of Wrasa! Faith hadn’t been able to think of anything else since. With every mile Tala drove them westward along Interstate 66, heading into Virginia, Faith’s sense of dread increased.

At first, her father had been hesitant to let her go, torn between fearing for her safety and wanting to take this unique opportunity to spy on the Wrasa in their own den.

But once she had told him where Tala’s family lived, he had practically begged her to go and find out whatever she could.

He had sent her off with yet another bug to plant and a long list of advice meant to keep her safe—“lock the door at night, never head into the forest with them, and if you have to defend yourself, aim for the eyes.”

She didn’t think she had anything to fear from Tala’s family, but just in case, it was a soothing thought that they were all foxes. To her, they were the least intimidating among all Wrasa subspecies. Present company excluded because Tala could be plenty intimidating if she wanted to be.

Still, even an entire family of Talas would be better than a pack of wolves or other big predators. She shivered at the thought.

Granted, the only time Faith had personally encountered wolf-shifters had been at the Wrasa Pride parade. They had been wearing red velvet skirts and hooded capes in a parody of Little Red Riding Hood, clearly in an attempt to make themselves appear less threatening. But Faith had seen how they had snarled and growled at her father when HASS had tried to stop the parade.

Every time Faith thought about the way her mother had died, alone in the forest, she imagined glowing wolf eyes and flashing canines. It was probably her overactive imagination since there wasn’t any proof wolf-shifters—or any other Wrasa—had anything to do with her mom’s death, but she was still relieved she wouldn’t encounter them at the twere.

Tala glanced away from the road ahead and over to her. “You keep shivering. Want me to turn the heat on?”

“Um, no, thanks.” She was already bathed in sweat. “I was just thinking about the outfits I packed. I hope they’ll be warm enough for up in the mountains. I tried to guess the dress code since you didn’t tell me anything.”

Tala returned her gaze to the interstate. “Dress code?” Amusement colored her tone. “The dress code at a twere is ‘anything you can take off quickly.’”

Faith swiveled her head around to stare at her. “That mysterious ritual you hinted at… It’s not an orgy, is it?”

Tala snort-laughed. “Get your mind out of the gutter, human! It’s nothing like that.”

She didn’t elaborate.

Hmm. Why was she so secretive about that ritual? Faith would do her best to find out more about it.

“So,” she said when Tala remained silent, “who’s going to be there?”

“The entire pack,” Tala said.

Faith waved her hand in a go-on gesture. “Which is?”

“My parents, my grandmother, my four siblings, three uncles, four aunts, twenty-one cousins, two nephews, and one niece.”

Faith gripped the door handle and tried to do the math even though her head was spinning. “That’s…thirty-eight people!”

“More than that, actually. Some of their mates are also going to be there. Plus, of course, Rey’s mate and her pack. But Mirella’s family is much smaller than mine.”

“Wow,” was all Faith could say. “My parents are both only children. I can’t even imagine having four siblings and twenty-one cousins!”

“What can I say?” A smirk played on Tala’s face. “My family did their part to prevent our kind from going extinct.”

Tala had mentioned that several times now. “Is that really a concern?” Sometimes, she still couldn’t tell whether Tala was joking.

The grin on Tala’s lips disappeared. “Yes. My family is the exception. They own ten acres of land in a secluded area, right next to three thousand acres of government-protected land and just a few miles from a national park. We Wrasa need space to thrive and to teach our pups how to shift without running the risk of being discovered by humans. Unlike my pack, most Wrasa don’t have that luxury. Our territories have been shrinking for centuries. Plus we eat a lot, and food is expensive, so many of us don’t have any pups…or maybe one at most.”

“What about your brother?” Faith asked. “Will he and Mirella be able to have kids once they’re married?”

“Oh yeah. They could have enough to start their own choir if they wanted,” Tala said. “That’s why Rey is marrying Mirella.”

“Because she wants a lot of kids too?”

Tala shook her head. “Her pack and ours used to have border disputes over where our territory ended and theirs began. Our grandparents fought each other tooth and nail—sometimes literally. Their marriage will end those conflicts.”

For a few moments, everything went quiet in Tala’s Subaru Forester, with only the thrum of the engine and Faith’s loud gulp interrupting the sudden silence.

She gaped at Tala. “You mean…your packs killed each other over land?”

There it was—the proof that the Wrasa weren’t as civilized as they wanted humans to think. Was her father right after all?

Tala hurled a glare over at her. “Oh come on. Humans didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory in that regard either. How many wars and conflicts have you fought over land, all of them with weapons much more destructive than fangs and claws?”

Shame sliced through Faith. She ducked her head and stared at her knees, then peeked at Tala.

The light of the slowly setting sun streaming through the windshield caught Tala’s hair, making it glow like a beacon. Her jaw was set, and her gaze fixed on the road ahead with fierce intensity.

Faith swallowed against a burning throat. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Humans are no better.”

“They’re worse.” Tala growled. “You’re to blame for our natural habitats shrinking so we had to fight each other for the remaining land and resources.”

Faith struggled against the impulse to defend herself—or her entire species—because as painful as it was to admit it, she knew Tala was speaking the truth. “You’re right,” she repeated because she didn’t know what else to say.

Tala glanced over again. Something like surprise darted across her face, as if she hadn’t expected Faith to give in. Her features softened. “Try not to judge us at every point this weekend, okay? My standing with the pack already isn’t the easiest, and bringing home a judgmental human mate wouldn’t make it any easier.”

“I’ll try.” Faith turned as fully toward her as the seat belt allowed and studied her. “Why’s your standing not the easiest?”

“It’s complicated,” Tala mumbled and returned her full attention to the road ahead, as if trying to signal that the conversation was over.

“I don’t mean to stick my nose into your business, but shouldn’t I at least know a little about your family situation since they all believe I’m your future wife? They’ll be on to us within two seconds if I clearly don’t know a thing about you.”

A low grumble came from Tala, but finally, she relented. “I’m the oldest. More often than not, the natak’s oldest offspring takes over as the pack’s natak, provided they have the personality for it and aren’t a submissive.”

“Natak?” Faith repeated. “Is that like the alpha? The head of the family?”

“A natak is much more than that, especially for a big, powerful pack like mine. More like a mayor of a town or an entire region.”

Faith could easily see Tala in such a role of authority. “But if you’re next in line to become the natak, why do you say your standing with the pack isn’t the easiest?”

“Because not everyone agrees that I should have the right to claim that role. Some think it should be Rey’s—my brother included.”

“Because he’s a man?” Faith asked. “Sounds like Wrasa women struggle with the same misogynistic bullshit we do.”

“No. I mean, yes, we do, but that’s not why.” Tala hesitated. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Faith was really starting to dislike that conversation stopper, even though she had used it herself not too long ago. She gave Tala an expectant look and waited for more of an explanation.

“Rey and I…we were close when we were pups, but the older we got, the more he seemed to see me as a rival instead of a sibling. He’s constantly trying to outdo me. He couldn’t join the Saru like I did, so he’s getting married instead.”

“Saru?” Faith hoped she could remember all the new Wrasa terms she was learning.

Tala bit her lip as if she’d said too much. “Kind of like a mix between your police and your military.”

“So you’re like…a soldier?”

Tala nodded.

A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature in the mountains seeped into Faith’s bones. So Tala wasn’t simply a bodyguard, as her father had assumed. She was a Wrasa soldier.

That explained a lot. Tala had been clearly just as reluctant about faking a relationship as Faith was, yet she was going through with it, even taking her home to meet the family. She was probably acting on orders from Madsen or other superiors and didn’t have much of a choice.

“So this”—Faith waved her hand back and forth between them—“really is a military operation?” She had assumed they called it Operation Make-Believe Mate as a tongue-in-cheek joke.

Tala drew in an audible breath, then noisily released it. “Yes.”

The confirmation settled over Faith like the weight of an anchor, dragging her thoughts down into a dark abyss. All the things her father kept repeating about the manipulative nature of the Wrasa and their evil plans played through her mind.

“But that makes it sound so sinister,” Tala quickly added. “It’s not.”

Faith gave her a skeptical look.

“It’s not,” Tala repeated even more firmly. “Not every military operation is an act of aggression. This one is supposed to prevent an outright war. Believe me; no one appreciates peace more than a soldier because we know the cost of war better than anyone.”

That sounded almost as if she was speaking from experience. Had she fought in a war?

Even if she hadn’t, her words rang true. The weight dragging Faith down became lighter. For a while, she stared out the window and watched as the landscape flew by and occasional breaks in the tree line revealed rolling hills. “So…” She struggled to gather her thoughts and pick up the previous thread of conversation. “How is your brother getting married like becoming a soldier?”

“Having a Saru in the family comes with a certain prestige, so Rey apparently decided if he can’t become a Saru, he’s going to marry one.”

“Mirella is a Saru?”

Tala nodded. “Plus their marriage will create an alliance between our packs and stop the fights, contributing to the good of the pack. With Mirella at his side, he’s in a good position to take over as our father’s successor.”

“Sounds pretty pragmatic,” Faith commented. “Almost like an arranged marriage.”

“It is.” Tala made it sound as if it was no big deal at all.

Faith tried not to judge but had a feeling she was failing. It just sounded so outdated. “Is your brother okay with that?”

Tala’s brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t he be? He chose Mirella. No one is forcing him.”

“Yes, but…what about love?”

“He is marrying for love,” Tala said. “Love and loyalty toward our pack.”

Their pack…their families seemed to be the most important thing in the world for the Wrasa.

It actually wasn’t that different from the values her father and his conservative friends cherished. The Wrasa’s willingness to sacrifice personal happiness for the good of their families seemed even stronger.

Faith knew she certainly wouldn’t go as far as marrying someone for her family’s…her father’s sake.

Wouldn’t you? a little voice in the back of her mind whispered.

Truth be told, she had married a man who was the type of son-in-law her father had always dreamed of.

She shook off the thought. It wasn’t as if she had married Jon just to make her father happy. Besides, this was about Tala’s family and the Wrasa, not about her and her ex.

“What about you?” she asked. “Will you enter an arranged marriage too?”

Tala smirked. “I kind of already am.”

“It’s a fake relationship.” Faith used the stern voice she reserved for moments when she caught Chloe sneakily climbing on a chair to steal a cookie from the cabinet. “We’re not going to get married, no matter what your family might think.”

Tala held the steering wheel with relaxed confidence, entirely unimpressed by Faith’s mom tone.

“So what are you going to do when your beautiful, clever, entirely amazing human fiancée breaks up with you?” Faith asked.

Tala huffed. “If she were that clever, why would she break up with me?”

A chuckle escaped Faith. “Right. Let’s blame her faulty human genes.”

“Sounds plausible,” Tala said with a nod.

“So? After you heal from your heartbreak, will you consider an arranged marriage?”

Tala shrugged. “Why not? If an opportunity arises, it would make sense to consider it.”

At the thought of Tala entering an arranged marriage, an uncomfortable sensation Faith couldn’t name settled beneath her ribs. Probably just sadness for Tala. “But what about love?” she asked quietly. “Romantic love?”

“That’s a luxury not all Wrasa can afford,” Tala replied as she switched to the right lane and then took the next exit. “It can make you vulnerable instead of strengthening the pack the way an arranged marriage would.”

They weren’t exactly friends, yet Faith couldn’t help wanting more than a pragmatic alliance for Tala. “That sounds lonely.”

“Lonely?” Tala echoed. She made a left turn at a traffic light. “No one can live in a pack and be lonely.”

“But you don’t, do you? Live with them.”

Tala swiped her thumb up and down the steering wheel as if to brush off the question. “No. I don’t.”

“Why do you—?”

Abruptly, Tala raised her hand. “We’re getting close. Are you ready to meet the family?”

Not really. Faith pressed a hand to her fluttery stomach. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

~ ~ ~

Soon after, they passed a sign that said Welcome to Silver Falls , then a scattering of houses. Instead of continuing straight ahead to the downtown area, Tala took a left onto Peterson Ridge Drive.

“Wait a minute!” Faith turned her head to stare at the street sign as they drove past. “The street isn’t named for your family, is it?”

“It is. Back when the road was built, ours was the only house up there.” Tala skillfully navigated the SUV along the bumpy country road.

Soon, they left the last buildings behind and wound their way up a mountain and through lush forest. The road seemed to be getting steeper, more narrow and uneven by the mile. The woods closed in on either side, pressing closer until Faith could barely breathe. The dense foliage swallowed all sound, so an eerie silence stretched around them.

Faith ducked down as the trees formed a canopy overhead that blocked the light of the setting sun and bathed the road in an ominous twilight.

Her gaze darted from tree to tree. Was something moving in the shadows, lurking in the forest…watching her through glowing eyes?

Don’t be silly, she told herself. Probably just her mind playing tricks on her. The wolf eyes flashing through her mind weren’t real. But her thumping heartbeat refused to settle down.

Tala glanced over. “You okay?”

Faith pressed her lips together and nodded because she didn’t trust her voice.

“Are you sure? You don’t smell okay—and that’s saying something with all the perfume you put on. Here. Maybe some fresh air will help.” Tala tapped a button and rolled down the window on Faith’s side a couple of inches.

A cool, crisp breeze swept into the car, bringing with it the scent of damp earth and pine needles.

The smells made the experience of being trapped in the forest even more vivid.

Oh shit! Faith sucked in several rapid breaths, but none of the air seemed to reach her burning lungs.

Frowning, Tala closed the window and shut out the scents. “Are you—?”

“I’m fine,” Faith got out.

Just when it seemed the road would end in the middle of nowhere, they rounded a final bend.

The trees to their right parted, revealing a huge stately two-story house perched on a rise like a castle overlooking the valley below.

Faith’s rapid pulse slowed as the forest retreated or at least no longer seemed to close in. Air rushed back into her lungs.

What was that? It had felt like a panic attack! Since her mother’s death, she had never again felt comfortable in the forest, but it had never been anything like this .

Faith knew why, of course. She was about to spend the weekend with several dozen Wrasa she’d never met, only miles from where her mother had died.

To distract herself, she studied the Petersons’ home.

Two tall brick chimneys rose up into the sky.

A lawn, flowerbeds, and bushes stretched in front of the structure, and a magnolia tree in full bloom wound its branches up toward a large balcony on top of a glass-fronted sunroom. Forest surrounded the property on all sides. It was a mix of carefully maintained gardens and untamed nature.

Mom would have loved it.

The thought came out of nowhere and surprised her, but she knew it was true. Her mother’s two favorite places in the world had been her beloved garden and the forest.

Gravel crunched beneath the SUV’s tires as Tala steered the car past a second, smaller building that sat nearby—maybe a guest cottage or a workshop—and up a circular driveway, where several vehicles were already parked.

The road really did end here, Faith realized as they got out of the car. The house was nestled in the woods at the end of a cul-de-sac, but rather than being threatening, the forest seemed to protect the building’s inhabitants.

The setting sun made its red brick facade seem to glow. Someone had turned on several of the lights inside, making it appear even more inviting, like a sanctuary in the middle of the forest.

Sanctuary? Hardly. She reminded herself of who lived in this house. While she had found no proof of the Wrasa’s ill intentions, she also couldn’t be sure yet they were as harmless as they wanted her to believe.

As they walked up to the house, something about the front door caught her attention. A doggy door had been installed in it, unusually large for most pets. Was it for the Wrasa themselves so they could come and go in their animal forms?

The thought of them slipping into the house at night, paws silent as they snuck upstairs, sent a shiver through her.

The front door swung open before they reached it. “Tala’s home,” a young, exuberant voice hollered. “And she brought her mate!”

A multitude of steps sounded from inside—as if a stampede was charging toward them.

Faith’s heartbeat picked up.

A smile curved up Tala’s lips even as she groaned and mumbled something about “embarrassing siblings.” She rested her hand in the small of Faith’s back, and to Faith’s surprise, she found herself leaning into the soothing touch instead of feeling even more trapped.

“Come on,” Tala said. “Let’s meet my family.”