Page 4

Chapter 4

Ward

T he band of shifters that filtered out of the temple and into the too-bright sunlight kept nudging each other out of the way so they could reach Evie. Many had grown up on the stories of the Goddess Veretis but, with the Godds dead, proof of her power had long been missing from the world. Excitement filled the air. I didn’t let any of them actually touch her. She clung to me as tightly as she could as we walked around the lake again. I couldn’t say the fight relieved her of her fears over shifters in general. While I appreciated the clinging, now that the danger passed, a crowd wasn’t the most conducive scenario to convince her mates were real and we very much needed to be together.

“Will you become a shrine maiden?” a fox asked, breaking through the pack and traveling down the rocky bank of the lake.

“A what?” Evie looked at me with gigantic eyes and I wanted to scoop her up against me. We were past the kidnapping, right? I heard when you did activities together, your bond grew stronger. A quest was an activity.

“The rule of Kings would have something to say about that. There haven’t been shrine maidens for five hundred years with the Godds dead. Let’s not start again,” I said. “Give her some space.”

These shifters better not tell Evie shrine maidens ended up regularly sacrificed to their Godds. At least the Kings and Queens of the Harrowlands had mostly done away with that grisly ritual.

The smart vixen pulled back at my snarl. Evie’s look of relief was almost comical. The quicker we made it to my keep, the better.

“Will you bless my kitten?” a panther shifter asked as he ran up beside us.

This was getting out of hand. I shot a pointed glare at the panther. Veretis’ call must have ranged into the next town of Clarus.

“Queen Margory can bless your kitten.”

The stubborn panther only turned back to Evie with expectations.

“A Queen can't compare to a Goddess’ chosen,” the panther said.

Evie walked faster, but wouldn’t outrun people used to running on four legs.

“Really? I bet she'll do a great job. Sorry. I have to get back and… wash my hair?”

I don't have any magic! Evie’s panicked static filled the weak bond.

I glared at the panther, who finally sensed my bear under the surface, ready to claw and maim. I pulled Evie a little closer, and some color came back into her face until another shifter bounded forward.

“Can I have a piece of your hair?” No one needed to collect pieces of my mate like a relic. Veretis' relics got us into this in the first place. The stag shifter reached for her and that was about enough.

My bear took over my voice without my permission and my roar echoed over the glacial lake. Everyone stepped back. I didn’t like the fear in their eyes, but my bear didn’t care. They deserve to fear us when they crowded our mate. I looked over at her to see if she was horrified by the aggression that proved her fears right about all of us and found her choking back a laugh. A chunk of my heart loosened.

“Sorry everyone, his blood sugar must be a little low.” She giggled.

The joint activity really worked. I would gladly let her make me the bad guy when her skin wasn’t so pale. I wrestled with my bear, trying to make him give up the partial shift. He was a danger to every shifter here if he came out again. They were too close, too curious, too easy about touching our mate. He roared at the assembled shifters one last time, daring anyone else to bother her, before he retreated to the back of my mind. As long as Evie stayed with us, he would let me have control.

Don’t make me regret it.

I stumbled. My bear remained mostly silent for years. Luckily, Evie didn’t ask about me staggering around like a cub. Why did he have to pick this moment to make an appearance?

Everyone kept a respectful distance after that as we ambled down the mountain. The walk back gave me plenty of time to think about how I was going to get my bear to leave his mate. Something was wrong in the Harrowlands. As Evie consumed the relic, a flood of magic rushed through the bond, cresting in an intense wave that overcharged me. The Goddess strengthened me beyond anything I'd ever been. That's when it shivered through me.

Evie kept pace, but we spoke little on the way back. I had a hard enough time wrestling my bear into accepting the bad news of us leaving her. He threw himself against my mind with anger. No talk of the greater good soothed him. He only understood we would be without our mate. The one trying to climb our body to safety with the thick thighs he hadn’t even tasted yet.

The shifters of Harrowood broke off from our impromptu party to go back home and nurse their various wounds. I would have our Healer check on those returning to my territory.

The long shadows engulfed us as we reached my keep. As keeps went, I was proud of it. Red sandstone gave the last rays of sunset a warm place to land. Tall crenellations touched the sky. The hues of sunset glistened over the stones, making it like walking into a cozy fireplace.

Three women and Dane, the Keeper of the Gate and owner of the bar I destroyed, met us in the courtyard. Dane slung his arm around his mate, Ruby, and the other two women embraced Evie. That quickly turned to bickering and suddenly my mate was a snake again. Watching Evie scare her friends in her giant snake form was more amusing than it should have been when all I wanted to do was get her alone. The woman, who had to be her sister, scared her right back, grabbing her tail, trying to fling my mate around without success.

Evie changed back. “Hey! Lay off, Maggie!”

I cast a permanent spell over her to have her kaftan appear when she shifted. It was the least I could do. It was the least my bear would allow.

“That kaftan is more terrifying than the snake, Evie,” the quiet one said. That started a round of chase that had Evie smothering her friend in the dirt in ten seconds.

“What do you know, Fallon?” Evie snarled. Thank Godds she had some fight after our adventure. It would carry her through.

I let them fight it out like siblings did, turning to Dane. I dreaded the disappointment on my friend’s face, but he was surprisingly impassive. Of course, he had Ruby glued to his side. Like a reasonable adult, I would make it up to him. “I think I owe you a new bar, my friend.”

He waved that away like that was the least of his concerns. “You owe an apology to Ruby.” Dane peered over his glasses.

Ruby scoffed, buffing her nails on her tunic, always looking slightly bored until you got to know her expressions better. “He doesn’t, Dane. I had ahold his mate. I would bust up the bar for you, too.”

“Sorry for that too, Ruby. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I should have done better as your King.” I turned back to Dane. “I took your mate problems too lightly, my friend. You weren’t wrong that they are a handful,” I said.

Dane nodded, accepting my apology. He wasn’t much of a talker unless it came to bickering with his mate. “More importantly, the Grove and I fielded questions while you were gone.”

I immediately felt bad. Dane already had his hands full, guarding the gate to the human world. He didn't need to look outward to all the Harrowlands, too.

“Questions from whom?” I asked Dane.

Dane scoffed as he cleaned his glasses. “Nosy old bat, Margory dropped by like it was a social call. Guess some shifters she kept tabs on disappeared from the edge of her territory.”

My lips compressed into a thin line. “They should be back home now so that living straw can go back to her blood orgies and leave my territory alone.”

“I think she's still mad you tried to ship Ruby's father to her court,” Dane said.

“I’m not,” Ruby interjected.

I crossed my arms, my ire growing. “None of them have ever liked a shifter guarding the Gate to the human world, but they've had to stuff it.”

Every ruler near my territory had acknowledged my magical ability with a grumble. Shifters were a big part of their labor force when their animal magic mainly manifested for their shift and mates. A mage who was also a shifter was a powerful oddity. I would never admit my bear gave me more endurance to complete complex spells. It took me years to accomplish the memorization and physical stamina necessary for other types of magic.

“Graciousness isn’t a top trait of the rulers of the Harrowlands,” Dane said.

That was the issue. If they knew about the call and the Goddess, chaos would ensue. The struggle for power in the Harrowlands always turned ugly and bloody. Not even Godds survived it.

“We're about to have bigger problems than our nosy neighbors. I’ll need your thoughts on what to do next.”

Evie skipped over and broke into the conversation, brushing dirt out of her hair. “You can girl-chat with each other later. Fallon cooked dinner, and I will not miss that.” She hauled me away. Everyone forcibly followed.

I built the keep in my youth when I still had something to prove to the Harrowlands and myself. I always hoped it would attract my fated mate. But really, I was just glad to have a place where I didn’t have to duck my head into every room or hit the lintel. Each hallway was constructed wide, with nooks and crannies and secret passages for playing games. Stuffing it with treasure wasn’t my style. I left room for my mate to fill it with her life, too.

The awe and interest on Evie’s face as we walked through the keep should have thrummed the bond between us. Instead, it was so weak. I barely sensed her emotions through it. That leaked out any joy in watching her take in the magic-built halls and carefully crafted chambers.

My obligations to the Harrowlands and my territory had always been a light burden, but we could not ignore what we learned in the temple. Still, my bear protested with a rabid tenacity. He felt the world could burn as long as we had our mate. He needed to see reason. I hadn’t lived so long, taken the keep, or built this town by being weak and letting my animal instincts get in the way. I had learned mathematical magic casting for just this reason. The human skill gave me control over some of my bear’s more brutal instincts.

She may have looked at me with lust in the Goddess’ temple, but as tempting as it was, I wanted to do more than just slake our hunger. Mates put each other first, even if that led to tough choices. Even if my bear thoroughly disagreed and was ready to take care of her in any and every way possible with no further discussion involving leaving her to save the realm.

How was I supposed to abandon her here to finish our quest when the mate bond still formed? I took a deep breath to ease the tightness in my chest. I couldn't balance a reluctant mate, figure out why she had spontaneously become a shifter, and take care of the Harrowlands all at the same time.

The antechamber off my office warmed by a cheery fire, cottoned by the thick hangings on the wall. I never thought about it until now, but the tapestries didn’t depict any shifters. Not that Evie took any notice. The feast laid out before us was truly fit for a King. All the women gasped at the spread of steaming breads, juicy meats, glistening fruits and every kind of toothsome dish the Harrowlands was capable of.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Fallon! How did you get this all ready so quickly?” Evie asked, as she clapped her hands in glee. Her radiant smile was my new favorite thing.

Fallon looked over the spread with awe. “I had a lot of time to skulk in the kitchen and I told the cook my perfect feast. He said we would make it when you returned. This magic stuff is wild.”

Maggie grabbed Evie’s arm, and I grabbed it right back, not willing to let her go quite yet. It felt like she was leaving. Or the guilt that I had to do the same brought out my possessiveness. That brought a blush to her cheeks, but my bear felt edgy and it was almost worse than the Goddess’ call. I wanted her on my lap to eat, but her hesitation said ‘no’.

I dragged Evie to the head of the table and she pointed to the other seat next to her. “No need to fight. You can sit here, Maggie.” I couldn’t tell if she was pleased or mortified by my attention.

Fallon eyed Evie with speculation. “Don’t be shy about telling us what happened, E,” Fallon said.

As we all took something for our plates, Evie said, “It was fun, kinda, except for the almost dying part.”

I kept slipping the best cuts, most succulent fruit and softest cheeses onto her plate as she recounted the adventure. The way she described her kidnapping was generous on her part—maybe even romantic. Dane kept catching my eye over the rapt focus of all the ladies. She downplayed the shifters nearly tearing us apart as a light skirmish. That really turned Dane’s head in a sharp motion of disbelief.

“That’s all the gossip there is, ladies. Let’s eat!” Evie pronounced.

I turned to the table and half the food disappeared, but I underestimated my mate and her companions. When they turned their eye to food, a bloodbath ensued.

Ruby produced wine—a rich summer vintage that filled the soul. Hands started flying, cutlery abandoned. Fallon portioned out the meat pie. Its warm juices and hearty flavor silenced us all until the last mouthful. That was until Maggie recounted the story of the first time Fallon tried to make that pie and the near bakery-ruining fire it produced. Evie tried to make the point that she helped and got shot down. I squeezed her leg in reassurance. She gave me a grateful look. More wine appeared. I watched my mate’s face flush, wishing I was the cause rather than the wine. How would I do this without her?

The women generated their own momentum like an avalanche. Once the wine bottles emptied, Fallon led them from the decimated table in search of more. Dane and I ended up quickly forgotten. The table looked like a battlefield of crumbs, bones and rinds. I didn’t know humans could eat so much.

“Did we just survive a massacre?” Dane asked.

“Do you still have all your limbs?” I said.

He patted himself down. “I think so, but I almost lost a finger when Ruby went for that disgusting glop Fallon called mac-and-cheese. I don’t want to hold her when she throws up later.”

I smiled. Dane would be happy to be holding Ruby, whether or not she was throwing up. His face grew serious.

“Evie recounted quite a tale. I’ve heard Ruby talk that way about how we got together. How bad was it, really? I’ve never seen you so much as scratched up before.”

The words died in my throat. When Evie let go of me to climb up to the relic, my bear didn’t just take over. He turned murderous—everything the monsters of the Harrowlands feared shifters would become if not ruled by their human side. The very thing I ruthlessly tucked away when my bear cost people their lives. I couldn’t have her see me lose control again. She would come to see me in the same way the people of my youth did.

“That bad?” Dane asked, as he put a hand on my shoulder.

“Worse than the bar.” I avoided his perceptive gaze, my bear equally chastised. Dane was one of the only beings in all of Harrowood whose opinion mattered to me. How embarrassing—my lack of control. I ruined the one thing my friend held dear.

Dane sighed. “You know, Ruby has been begging to remodel the bar for months now.”

I blinked at him. “You’re in for months of battles, then.” Was he really going to be that gracious?

“And months of make-up sex.” Dane’s wink was so lascivious I barked out a laugh. He was going to be that open-hearted. “I will give you to her so she can take it out on your ridiculous muscles. Ordering you around for a few months should make us even,” Dane said.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m going to have to help you when I come back. And I’m going to ask you to take care of my mate. That she’s safe with you is probably the only thing my bear and I agree on.”

Dane squinted hard at me. “Leaving before the honeymoon? I see you've been doing a lot of wooing.” His sarcasm was hard to miss. “Females love it when you lock them in castles while you ride off into the sunset alone. The Grove will certainly watch your mate if you can stand to be apart from her. So, how long do I have to pack?”

I appreciated Dane's offer to come with me more than I would ever say. I didn't know if I deserved such a good friend.

“This is a shifter thing. I won’t put you at risk if you can’t help. Ruby would skin me for a rug. Veretis’ power didn’t diminish when Evie ate the relic. In fact, her eating it allowed me to hear the other relics buzzing their war call in the back of my mind.”

Dane just stared at me. “Ate it?”

He had to latch on to that part when I told him the shifter world was ending. “My mate is a great problem solver.”

Dane gave me a skeptical look but didn’t argue. “Aren’t the other relics lost to time? Veretis has always seemed more like a myth than a real Goddess. Maybe the buzzing came from all the blood loss.”

“I will have to figure it out when I find them. I don’t need Evie?—”

“Don’t need Evie what?” The woman herself broke in as she stumbled across the room.

I was up, gathering her in my arms before she tripped over herself.

“Are you drunk?” I asked. I saw all my plans to convince her we were mates draining away. Dane was right about the wooing, but I didn’t have time. Veretis’ other relics were still out there, causing havoc.

“I’m celebrated! -ing. Celebrating! That we’re not dead. But not too much, because we’re still figuring out this snake thing.”

I shared a look with Dane, and he shook his head.

“But!” Evie yelled and startled us all. “But… oh, you’re really comfy. Nice and warm.” She wiggled in my lap and I couldn’t help all the blood leaving my brain. “Very warm,” she added, still talking to herself.

“I’ll see myself out,” Dane smirked.

“No, you don’t!” I yelled at him. The only place I was taking a drunk Evie was to a safe, cozy bed that was not mine. I didn’t ravage inebriated women and Evie in any state was too tempting.

“I remember.” She patted my chest and got lost, her hands wandering in feather light brushes against any skin she could find. I dredged up every ounce of self control I had and trapped her hands in one of mine.

“What did you remember, Evie?” Dane asked, taking pity on me.

Evie hiccuped, and I tried not to find it adorable. Soft, warm and happy, I wanted to keep her this way always—only drunk on me. She attempted to focus on one of my eyes, then the other. “What happens when someone scares me? I can’t suddenly pop up as a snake. Fix it, magic man. You’re the most powerful thing in this town, right?”

She was right. If I was going to leave, I should try to help her solve her shifting problem. At least to where she could hold either form correctly. I didn’t believe she was ever fully human. My bear didn’t see her as anything other than a shifter.

Dane stepped back into the room. “Well, technically, the Grove is the most powerful entity in Harrowood.”

I watched my mate hide a smile. “That’s what Ruby said, too. She said of course you would help.”

Dane’s eyes rounded behind his glasses. “Of all the high handed?—”

“Ruby!” Evie screeched, loud enough to make my ears bleed.

The rest of the women piled into the room, summoned like a murder of Devil’s Bells.

“Are you being stuffy about the rules again?” Ruby said, surprisingly sober. She took Dane’s arm and smiled at him softly. That baring of teeth had Dane attempting to back up a step, but she gripped him by the arm.

“Ruby, please. That’s not what the Grove is for,” Dane whined. I don’t think I ever heard that tone from my best friend.

“You’re saving up your wizard stuff for something other than helping people?” Ruby’s manicured nails dug into his linen shirt. Dane stared at me like I could help him. I looked anywhere but at the unfolding law laying.

“Well, no?—”

The women weren’t wrong. If the Grove combined with my magic couldn’t get Evie stable, then only the Goddess could. It was a surprisingly good plan for the drunk gaggle.

“It’s settled then,” Ruby smiled back at Evie. “I told you it would be easy.”

“Easy peasy,” my mate echoed, the alcohol giving her a sleepy sway in my arms.

My bear covered his head with his paws. When would women ever learn those were the scariest words they could say?