Page 25 of Triumph of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic #6)

On the floor of the cave, I lay with Duncan, his arms pillowing me and protecting me from the cold chill of the rock as he dozed.

My eyes were wide open as I stared into the darkness.

Their mission complete, the medallions had stopped glowing, and little light remained.

Only a couple of the paintings on the wall continued to emanate faint silver illumination.

I stared at the closest paw print and touched it, disappointed that the cave had offered up only what it wanted, not what I’d wanted. If finding that cliff and planting the mushroom artifact could help the pack, I would do it, but what of Jasmine and Izzy? I…

A tingle spread into my finger from the cool wall, and a second vision came to me.

This time, I stood in the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle, the same table where I’d dined with Duncan, and looked out upon the city at night.

The view, however, wasn’t familiar, at least not all of it.

There was Puget Sound and Lake Union, but in a clearing amid the streets and buildings, a great garden sprawled, with paths meandering between exotic trees and raised beds and planters.

Here and there, fountains rose between patches of blue-, purple-, and pink-flowered foliage.

Beyond the borders of the garden, the city of Seattle remained, but I was confused, certain so much verdant space didn’t exist in that location in the real world.

And those flowers weren’t like anything I’d seen before, certainly nothing native to the region.

The vision swept me down one of the garden paths, showing me a hazy darkness with Izzy and Jasmine in the center, tied inside cages in their wolf forms. A wispy-haired figure in medical scrubs stood in the shadows. Abrams.

The wolves tilted their snouts upward to howl mournfully. Abrams advanced upon them with a dagger.

I lurched into a sitting position, the vision shattering like a nightmare. My heart pounded with the certainty that I’d experienced reality, not a dream. Maybe because Jasmine was part of the pack, the magic of the cave had deigned to show me her location.

Beside me, Duncan stirred.

“Wonderful,” he murmured.

I pushed hair out of my eyes. It was damp from the exertion of our lovemaking.

No, we’d made love before, on the mossy forest floor without the medallions manipulating us.

This had been… savage, wild sex with nothing tender about it.

I couldn’t say I hadn’t enjoyed it, but the next time I got horizontal with Duncan, I intended to do it without manipulative magical hardware around our necks.

Thoughts probably still muzzy with sleep, Duncan patted my leg and issued another, “Wonderful.”

Maybe he hadn’t minded the manipulation.

“I have an idea about where Jasmine and Izzy might be,” I said, the vision haunting me. What if those events were happening right now? While Duncan and I lay in this cave, dozens of miles from Seattle?

“Oh? Did the cave tell you?” He lifted his head but then frowned toward the entrance.

Had he heard something? Sensed someone?

Other than the faint gurgle from the stream, I didn’t see or hear anything out there in the dark, but Duncan rolled away from me and patted around for his clothes.

“We’ve got company,” he said.

“Vile enemies hellbent on our destruction?” I thought of the real estate developers. Or what if Chad had come back?

“Your mother.”

“Oh.” I slumped.

I would rather have dealt with enemies.

“And the wise wolf. They seem to travel together.”

“Rosaria did say she would keep an eye on my mother.”

Duncan and I dressed and stepped outside. Now, I could also sense Mom and Rosaria. They stood on the rise across the gully, mostly hidden by the trees, but a partial moon shone through a gap in the branches, and I could make out Mom, standing on a log or boulder to gaze down toward us.

Thanks to the privacy of the cave, I knew they hadn’t watched us, but my cheeks heated as I remembered how noisy we’d been. If they’d arrived in time, they would have heard us. Hell, they might have heard us from the cabin.

Over the ferns and the distance, our eyes met. Mom looked… pleased. Her gaze shifted toward my stomach—no, my womb . Then she nodded at me and mouthed something.

Goodbye?

I opened my own mouth, debating on yelling that I didn’t appreciate her interference, but she turned, letting Rosaria help her down. They disappeared into the woods and soon faded from my senses.

Aware of Duncan beside me, thinking who knew what, I said, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to… Well, I knew she wanted this, but I wouldn’t have gone along with it of my own accord. I tried not to.”

“It’s all right. It’s not your fault she wanted you to enjoy the pure delight of having such a fine wolf as myself mate with you.”

“Yeah, it was my delight that she was concerned about.” I lay a hand on my abdomen, wondering if… Had the magic ensured I would become pregnant tonight? Did it have that power? “She manipulated us. And so did those medallions.”

Could I trust them or the vision from the cave when it came to Jasmine and Izzy’s location? Since the magic was determined to protect the pack, it should want Jasmine saved. I hoped it had known and given me their accurate location so we could find them.

“It’s all right,” Duncan repeated. “We had sex before the manipulation started too. I’m hardly disappointed. I’ve been trying to lure you into my bed for weeks.”

“The sex isn’t the part I thought you’d object to.” I patted my abdomen, though I would wait until I could take a pregnancy test before assuming anything had happened there tonight.

Duncan stepped close and wrapped his arms around me. “You’ll be an amazing mother.”

He already knew what I suspected. Maybe his medallion had been giving him visions too.

“I already know you are,” he added.

“Are you ready to be… an amazing father?”

Any kind of father. He’d been musing about it, but that wasn’t the same as deciding to become a parent.

“I’m working on my skills in that area,” Duncan said. “If I can keep my clone from killing me, we’ll know I’m getting there.”

“Winning over an eight-year-old can be a challenge.”

Duncan kissed my cheek and stroked my side. “Would you be willing to explore the idea of travel with me? With a child? Your life could be full of adventure.”

Full of throwing magnets into water and hauling up rusty junk, maybe. If I was with Duncan, might I enjoy that? For a time?

“I guess if I’m going to need to get a new job anyway,” I said, “I can try to find something that allows travel. I’m not sure how I’ll fix toilets remotely though.”

“Maybe it’s time for you to aspire to something grander.”

“But I like the toilets,” I said.

“You’re an odd woman.”

“Which is not keeping you from holding my boob.”

“No, it’s quite magnificent and draws me, despite its odd owner.”

“Hilarious.”

“You’ll laugh every day you’re with me.”

“I’ll be even more inclined to laugh if we rescue my niece and deal with Abrams.”

Duncan sighed, released me, and stepped back. “You said the cave gave you insight into that?”

“Surprisingly, yes.” I filled him in on both visions.

“Are you familiar enough with the area to locate those gardens?”

“Well. I’m familiar enough with the area to know those gardens aren’t there .”

Duncan scratched his jaw.

“We’ll have to drive around and hope to find… I’m not sure what.” I shrugged. “Maybe the gardens in the vision were symbolic of something.”

“Abrams could have a base downtown near the Space Needle.”

“Yeah. Maybe if we go up to the restaurant again, we’ll be able to see something. If there’s magic involved, the medallions might help us find it.”

“I’ll take you to look,” Duncan said. “I’m always amenable to driving you around.”

“Remind me to stop at an ATM and get more gas money.”

He smirked but didn’t try to tell me I didn’t need to pay. By now, he knew I would regardless of what he said.

We headed back to Mom’s cabin. A part of me was tempted to bypass it, hop in the van, and depart before she could make any comments about Duncan and me getting randy in the cave, but I felt I should say goodbye.

Though I hated to think about it, every time I left now, it was possible it would be the last time I saw her.

When we reached the cabin, the parking area was empty, save for Duncan’s van. I didn’t sense Mom or Rosaria in the cabin but climbed the steps to look inside anyway.

“Do you think they went to Sylvan Serenity to join the pack there?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but the property you manage is going to be overrun by werewolves.”

“Almost as bad as werewolf kidnappers.”

Inside, the lights were off, save for a small desk lamp. A sheet of paper lay under it, a few lines of handwriting scrawled across it.

A letter from Mom?

We’d just seen her. I was surprised she’d had time to write something, but my gut told me that the note was for me.

My feet led me to the desk. Maybe she’d started it while Duncan and I had been… busy.

I stopped in front of the desk, spotting my name at the top of the letter. A sense of dread rolled ponderously into my gut. I lifted the page and tilted it toward the light to read.

Luna,

I’m relieved you’ve finally given in to your destiny and joined with the old-world wolf to produce powerful werewolf offspring.

It is all that I desired for you, and now I can die at peace, knowing my heritage will be carried on and suitable leaders will watch over the pack.

I trust that you and Duncan will be respected by most and can handle those naysayers who may object to your position as pack alphas. This is the way of the wolf.

I’ve asked Rosaria to help me walk once more in the wilderness and bathe in the moon’s magic. I do not wish to die in a bed in a cabin like a human. That is not how wolves are meant to go.

I paused, my throat constricted, to wipe my damp eyes. The realization crept over me that I wouldn’t likely see my mother again. I hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye, other than that head nod we’d shared. Maybe that had been enough of a farewell for her.

As I already told you, the Medallion of Memory and Power is yours, and, as I believe your Duncan will remain with the pack and bound to you, the male version should stay with him.

I do have one last request for you that I hope you’ll prioritize, especially given the trouble the world keeps bringing to the threshold of our caves and cabins.

Retrieve your niece, yes, but also do what the vision suggested to protect our people, and do it soon.

I’m not sure how much time we have. The pack must continue.

I would not be displeased, should you have a daughter, if you named her after me. From the stars and moon, I shall attempt to watch over her. And you. Be well, Luna.

~ Mom

I set the page down and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“Are you all right?” Duncan asked quietly.

He remained by the door.

“No.”

“Do you need anything?”

“To find that cliff and plant the mushroom, apparently.” I handed the letter to him, then looked around the cabin until I found a map of the area, one that showed topography.

If the vision had been accurate, that cliff wouldn’t be far.

The artifact had been doing its magic from the middle of our pack’s territory.

“I’m sorry, Luna.” Duncan lowered the letter after he finished reading. “I’ve not had any family over the years, but I’m sure it’s hard to lose a parent.”

“Yes.” I took the map to the desk, having located a likely spot, and drew the case out of my purse. “I need to go for a hike before we return to find Jasmine.” The wolf case zapped me. I set it down and scowled at it. “Are you really going to be integral in protecting our people?”

My medallion hummed against my chest. Was that supposed to be encouragement? Maybe Duncan’s medallion did the same thing because he glanced down and touched it.

“All right,” I muttered and grabbed an oven mitt from the kitchen.

With my hand thus insulated, I picked up the case again and headed for the door. “Off we go.”