Page 4 of Twilight Echoes (A New Dawn #7)

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A very took the hand that Darrell offered and eased from the driver’s side of her vehicle.

“I have to ask, but only because I noticed that guy at rehearsal. Do you always have a bodyguard?”

She rolled her eyes. “That started when Amanda and Jackson got together. Everyone’s just worried someone might try to take out me or one of my sisters. But yeah, being part of the royal family means sometimes I’m followed by that big guy.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Ollie. He doesn’t talk much. More like grunts at me.” She pulled open the door. “You can wait in here.” She escorted Darrell into the living room near her father’s home office. The second she’d heard his voice at rehearsal, her insides turned to a warm marshmallow roasting over an open flame. Her heart lurched to her throat when her eyes finally focused on the man walking toward the stage. She’d mooned over Darrell for years, making sure she had a ticket to see his performance every time he'd come to town. A few times, she’d even managed a backstage pass, but he’d always been surrounded by an entourage, and women fell to his feet, begging for his attention.

She never wanted to be that girl.

Shortly before she’d been cast as the understudy for the New York City Ballet, Darrell had retired and began a career as a choreographer. She’d always hoped he’d land back in the Big Apple.

“I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here,” Darrell said. His dark hair flowed over the collar of his shirt. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week, and his dark orbs speckled with almond freckles seemed to carry a burden so deep it touched his soul.

She’d learned so much about imprinting from her brother-in-law and sister. She understood that a wolf had absolutely no control over it. And that when it happened with a species other than a wolf, or even with a wolf, acceptance did play a role.

Amanda described it as consent, whereas Jackson said it was more like taking a stand. Choosing to fight, defend, and love.

Avery couldn’t deny the emotions that swirled around inside her belly. They’d been there for years. Darrell had been her first crush, and he’d always been in her dreams. She’d fantasized about being with him and not just sexually. It was always the fairy-tale ending. Part of her now wondered if it was because he’d imprinted.

Or because she really liked the damn wolf.

Either way, her mind and heart were at odds, and she could sense the tug-of-war raging within her body.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if my dad already knows about your father and what’s going on with your pack. He does attend the national meetings,” she said, pointing to the bar. “Care for a drink?”

“I’m good.” Darrell shook his head as he inched closer. A warmth rolled across her skin like the sun beating down on the sandy beach. Only, the closer he got, the colder her aching knee felt.

The one doctor she’d spoken to thought it could be arthritis.

The kiss of death for a dancer.

Yet her symptoms didn’t present as a typical painful joint.

“I didn’t think all this through. I should have known that you were part fairy. I knew about your sister and Jackson. I just never believed we could have been part of that legend.” He stood about five inches taller than her five-seven frame. His biceps filled out the fabric of his black T-shirt. He might be on the thin side, but he didn’t lack in the muscle department. “I should have reached out to your father on my own. Although, him being a prince and all doesn’t make it easy.”

“You would have had to get ahold of his secretary. Make an appointment. It would have been a whole thing, even though the two of you have met before. I’m happy to do this for you.” She patted Darrell’s chest. “I’ve always thought I owed you one.”

“For what?” He stood only inches away, his hand resting on her forearm, dust flying everywhere.

She had to swallow a moan, which made her cough. She cleared her throat. “Making a five-year-old look like a ballerina.”

“No need to be modest now. You were the most talented girl in that room, and you know it.”

Her cheeks heated. Knowing she was good was one thing. Bragging about it was something entirely different. “There were a lot of excellent dancers that day.”

He lifted her chin with his thumb. “But there was only one destined to be a principal dancer, and when we danced, it was like we’d been doing it forever.”

“I was five,” she managed to say as every inch of her skin sizzled with the anticipation of his lips exploring her body.

“That’s part of why it was so amazing. You danced like a seasoned professional. You made me look good.” His thumb traced her lower lip as his gaze followed the motion. “Watching you today made me want to leap onto the stage and perform with you.”

She gasped. Dancing with him had been a wild fantasy. One she stopped entertaining years ago.

“You’re captivating and staying away from you now is going to be impossible,” he whispered, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “When the curse is broken, and I know my pack is safe, you and I will dance again. It just won’t be onstage.”

“Um… oh… okay.” She blinked, trying to get rid of the image frolicking in her head of him naked under bedsheets, his hair all ruffled from a night filled with sex. “I should go get my father,” she managed to ground out.

Darrell took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll be back shortly. Make yourself at home.” She turned on her heel, and as gracefully as she could, she scurried out of the living room and down the hallway toward her father’s office. She tried to push the idea as far out of her mind as she could that Darrell was not only her soulmate—or in his wolf world, his fated mate.

But they were the second pairing of the Legend of the Fated Moons.

“Dad?” She knocked on the door. Her father, Prince Albert, was a powerful wizard and the head of the royal family and leader of the Coven of the Silver Flock. His duties went far and wide, and one of them was making sure every coven followed all coven laws.

More importantly, they followed the laws of humans and of paranormals.

Most did.

But a few didn’t.

Including her auntie Alley, who had cast a blocking and unlucky spell on Jackson, nearly destroying him and almost killing Amanda.

“Come in,” her father shouted. “I wasn’t expecting you this evening, though I’m quite happy to see you.”

Quietly, she closed the door behind her and greeted her father with a hug and kiss. He stood close to six foot four, and his personality was larger than his thick, muscular body. All her life, he’d been her personal hero, and all four of his girls had been the apple of his eye. Neither she nor her three sisters ever felt as though one was favored over the other, though being the baby meant Avery got away with so much more than her sisters.

“An old friend of mine needs help.”

“Old? Sweetheart, you don’t get old friends until you’re at least in your fifties,” he said with a laugh. “Let me guess, it’s?—”

“Darrell Hughes.” As a small child, interrupting her father would have resulted in the loss of her cell phone privileges. As an adult, it brought a scowl.

But today, it brought an arched brow and the faintest of smiles. “Is this the dancer whose pictures covered your bedroom walls when you were a teenager? The one you said you were going to marry. The one?—”

“Dad, please.” She folded her arms, giving him her best ‘I’m a grown-up’ look. But it did nothing except make her father laugh harder.

“I’m sorry, but for years all you could talk about was that young wolf and you made me take you to every performance he was in when he came to town.” Her father ran his palm over his mouth. At least he tried to wipe the grin off his face. “How is it that he’s an old friend?”

She cocked her head. “Come on, Dad. We trained at the same studio.”

“When you were a baby.”

“Not the point and someone cast a locked black magic spell on his pack,” she rambled off as quickly as she could, diverting her father’s attention.

His grin quickly turned into a grimace. “He told you this?” her father asked. “What exactly did he say?”

“So you know what happened to his father? And what’s happening to every male in his pack?”

“This is Twilight Council Crossing business.” Her father rested his elbows on the large desk. “It’s under a hush order. He shouldn’t have said anything to you.”

“Daddy, he’s the pack leader and dying.” Tears stung her eyes. “It could have taken weeks for him to get an appointment with you.”

“That’s not the point. And this doesn’t concern you. He shouldn’t have brought you into it.”

“Actually, Daddy, it does concern me.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m emitting fairy dust whenever I’m around him.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Her dad slumped back in his chair. “I have accepted that all four of my daughters are part of this legend and part of me is damn honored. But you know how worried I have been about you girls.”

“Oh, we know. You wanted us all to move back in here, but Trask talked you out of it so that we could freely roam and our wolf counterparts could find us.”

“I agreed only because he put a tracking spell on you.”

She shivered. “I hate that. It’s worse than Find My Device, but I understand it’s for our safety. However, I do think having someone follow me as well is a little over the top. I mean, even Darrell thought it was weird that there was someone lurking in the shadows, watching.”

“You’ve had bodyguards your entire life. This is nothing new. It’s just a little more in your face.” Her father lowered his chin and arched a single brow. “So, Darrell imprinted on you. Do we know when this happened? Does he know?”

“Yeah. When I was five.”

“And have you accepted? Has the mating process begun?” He leaned back and folded his arms.

“You were so happy when it happened to Amanda. Why is it so different with me?”

“Oh, my sweet child. It’s not that at all. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. To all of you. I had hoped you’d be the last one. You’re my baby and you’re only twenty-four.” He leaned forward and pointed toward the door. “But that wolf out there has the weight of his pack on his shoulders. His father died a couple of weeks ago. And more men have passed. He’s slowly dying and we don’t know how to stop this. If that weren’t happening, I’d be tickled pink by this pairing. But you must consider the obvious.”

“And what’s that?”

“The Legend of the Fated Moons could possibly go on without Darrell if you wind up pregnant.”

“Daddy. I can’t believe you just said that. First off, I have no plans on having a family for years.” She gasped as the gravity of her father’s words settled into her heart. “Oh God. What you’re saying is the birth of those babies is more important than the lives of their parents.”

Her father nodded.

“That means that no matter what, I have to accept him and our fate, or none of my sisters and their children stand a chance.”

“Unfortunately, that is correct.” Her father pushed back his chair, running a hand through his graying hair. “Let’s go get him.”

She gasped, gripping the doorknob. “He told me to fight and not accept him. Can I really do that?”

Her father rested a hand on her shoulder and gave a little squeeze. “To a certain extent, yes. But you four girls and your wolf mates are unique. Special. What you are going to bring into this universe will change the world. Fighting it isn’t going to help him or the future. So don’t bother.”

“But I’m torn.” She rubbed the sensitive skin under her eyes, hoping to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. “We’re talking about a future I planned versus a future that, while I do someday want, I’m not ready for.”

“I know, sweetheart. But we can’t change fate. This one is written in the stars. It’s what you were meant for and just like Amanda, it will come naturally to you,” he said. “I’m going to call Gabe and have him schedule an emergency meeting of the elder and coven council for tomorrow. Bring Darrell back here. I’ll leave the door open.”

Darrell stood in front of the sofa, staring at the family portrait, focusing on Avery’s father. He sat on a bench, his arm around his elegant wife. His children sat in front of the happy couple, all with bright, smiling faces. While out in public, the royal family always behaved as one would imagine. They dressed to perfection with designer clothes and appeared as though they were a bit on the snobbish side. However, whenever he’d seen them in private, like at the studio, they were down-to-earth, regular people.

Even Prince Albert shied away from his title, preferring to be called Mr. Windsor or just plain Albert.

Darrell rubbed his thigh. The last time he had seen his father alive, he’d looked so old and frail. Whatever illness he’d contracted had aged him at an accelerated pace. But Darrell had still been shocked when he’d gotten the call that his beloved father had died of heart failure.

The ache in Darrell’s joints reminded him that what happened to his dad was happening to him.

He inhaled the fresh scent of lilies.

Avery.

He smelled her minutes before she practically danced into the room with all the style and grace that made her the sweetest creature he’d ever laid eyes on.

A trail of fairy dust gathered behind her, rolling into a ball. Both it and she crash-landed into his body.

“Whoa,” he said as she wrapped her arms around him. “What’s this about?”

“Seeing my dad reminded me of what you lost,” she whispered into his neck. Her hot breath tickled his skin, exciting every cell. “And how fresh that is. You haven’t had a chance to grieve.”

He threaded his fingers through her long, silky hair. Since his father died, all he could focus on was finding a cure. His pack, his mother, and his siblings needed him to step into his father’s shoes and lead The Red River Pack during this time of uncertainty. Fear gripped the hearts of all members, and they looked at him, wondering if he was half the man his father had been.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. His father had been his hero. His greatest supporter. And as an adult, his best friend.

“I can’t afford to grieve. My pack needs me to find the answers to survive,” he said.

Her gentle touch and warm fairy dust helped ease some of the ache in his heart, but it also reminded him that even if they found the source of the spell, he could be dead within the year.

Needing to put some space between them, he took a step back.

Her thick eyelashes blinked over her watery sea-blue spheres as her fairy dust took flight.

It would be impossible to resist her, but he’d have to, at least for now.

She palmed his cheek, sucking him right back in. “It’s okay to feel and it would be good for you. Certain aspects of our auras are attached to our emotions. That’s partly why readings can be tricky. Feelings affect the outcome. But allowing yourself to feel the pain of your father’s death, even in small doses, could help with whatever is going on with your aura layers.”

Inching closer, resting his hands on her hips, he dropped his forehead to hers. “I feel it. Every morning, I wake up hoping it’s all a bad dream, and then I move. My joints feel like I need a good shot of oil. My muscles feel weak, and it all reminds me of what my father went through. What others in my pack are suffering. I’m their leader. I have to serve them before I serve myself. I will grieve when this is over.” He leaned in, but instead of taking her mouth in a kiss that would end all kisses, he brushed his lips across her cheek. “Can your father see me?”

“Oh, yes. He’s waiting for us.” She took his hand and led him through a long hallway. “I told him about the fairy dust.”

“Wonderful.” He should pull away. Right now, he had nothing to offer but a broken heart. Instead of taking the new job so he could be near her, he should have gone through the proper channels to get the help he needed from her father and the council. But it was too late to turn back now. “He would have seen this stuff anyway. I gather it’s more than safe to assume he knows what all that means and now has a loaded shotgun behind his desk and he’s poised to use it.”

She laughed. “While he’s not overly thrilled at the timing because I’m so young and your situation, he’s taking it better than I am.”

“You seem to be handling it quite well, even though you haven’t accepted me.” He squeezed her hand. “Which is a good thing.”

“My father says otherwise.” She turned and glared. “And we’re not getting into all the reasons why he believes that right now.”

“Whatever you say.”

“My dad is trying to schedule an emergency meeting with the elders and the witch coven. That means Trask will be involved and that’s a very good thing. He’s more powerful than my dad.”

“I have to admit, the idea of meeting Trask is about as utterly terrifying as going into that office right now.” He pointed down the hallway.

“My dad’s a big softy and Trask is a sweetheart.” She smiled. “And really hot too.”

Darrell growled. “You should know. I’m a jealous man.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She stopped at an open door. Her father sat behind a large desk, his cell pressed to his ear, waving them in.

Darrell tugged his hand free as he stepped across the threshold. He’d met the prince before, but he’d been a small boy and Avery had introduced him as her daddy . But seeing the impressive man in his light-blue button-down shirt, sitting behind his desk, made Darrell want to shift and run like a scared little pup. The title alone intimidated him, but seeing the tall, muscular man in person terrified him. He puffed out his chest. He never really thought he’d be the alpha of his pack, at least not this soon, but it was time he started acting like one.

“Thanks,” her father said as he set down the phone, stretching out his hand. “Darrell, it’s nice to see you again after all these years, but I’m sorry for the circumstances.”

“Sir,” Darrell said, not knowing the proper protocol. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, but Avery said you wouldn’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. Please call me Albert,” her father said, pointing to a seat in front of the desk. “Avery, please go get us some coffee and your mother’s muffins.”

“Dad, I?—”

“I need a moment alone with your friend.”

Darrell glanced over his shoulder as he took a seat. Avery crinkled her nose, obviously not thrilled about being dismissed. But she nodded and disappeared into the other room, leaving him alone with her father.

“Why have you lied to my daughter?” her father asked. “And your fated mate.”

Darrell snapped his head, catching her father’s gaze dead-on. “Excuse me?”

Prince Albert stared at him with an arched brow and a deep scowl. “I might not be a wolf, but one of my daughters is married to one. Not to mention my role as liaison between the covens and the Twilight Crossing Council.” He held up his hand when Darrell opened his mouth. “I understand that acceptance is necessary in a normal imprinting mating situation. But why are you telling Avery that she can hold this off? Or choose, because that’s not how this works, son. And you know it. The only reason it took so long with Amanda and Jackson was because of the blocking spell. There is no such thing with you.”

“No offense, sir, but we don’t understand what spell or what kind of magic was used. We don’t even know who the so-called carrier of this magic is that is slowly killing off every male in my pack.” Darrell sat up taller. Alpha or not, her father deserved respect, and he’d give it in spades. “The only thing we know for sure is that I have almost no aura left. My body is weakening. Everything inside me hurts. Though, to be totally transparent, it’s eased since I’ve been coated in that fairy dust. I was going on a hunch that my ability to mate would be lessened as well, and I might be right about that.”

“Maybe so, but I have four daughters. I love each one with every fiber of my being. It’s my job to protect them from harm. Defend them from those who hate. And support them no matter what,” her father said, clasping his hands and resting them on the desk. “I didn’t ask to be born a royal or to be leader of my coven. But I am. My daughters didn’t ask to be the four fairy witches who will change the world. But they are.” He tapped his finger on the table. “Here’s the real shitty part about this. If you and Avery don’t mate and fulfill the Legend of the Fated Moons? What is to become of Amanda’s children? Or of my future grandchild? Or—bigger picture—whatever the universe has planned for us.” He arched a brow. “I get you’re trying to protect her heart from breaking if, God forbid, we can’t stop this. But you’d be causing a bigger ripple effect, and we have no idea what the outcome would be. For all we know, it could destroy us.”

Darrell slumped in his chair. He knew Albert spoke the truth. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What does my aura tell you?”

“Not much,” Albert said. “An aura has many layers. Some we can see, and some only a high priest such as myself or Trask could peel back more layers and see beyond. But what is exposed is a culmination of your emotions and your past mixed with the present. With some, there are traces of the future. Take my Avery. Because she’s a healer, she also can feel other’s emotions. She’s not a true empath like her sister Arianna, but her aura gets tangled up in others, for lack of a different way to explain it.”

“I’m sorry, but I honestly don’t follow.”

“It’s simple. Avery’s aura is generally unicorns and rainbows. She’s always been this bright and bubbly child. Full of life, pure energy, and hope. She’s always been the kind of kid who sees everything as an opportunity. She can make lemonade out of lemons. But she’s also hard on herself. Insanely driven. And that comes out in sharp contrast to the rest of her layers. When you mix that with her ability to heal, which means she picks up the emotional and physical pain of others, it sometimes makes her aura look like a hot mess. Amanda used to hate it when I made her read Avery’s aura. It’s the most difficult kind to read. One has to be able to pick out the particles that don’t belong there. When she raced out of here a few moments ago, she had thin grayness surrounding hers. I believe she got that from you.”

Darrell wished he could see what her aura looked like, but he did feel what her father described. It was as if he’d been wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket. It both humbled him and angered him. It would be pure torture to destroy that kind of sensation if he were to succumb to this curse. “I don’t like that she could possibly be feeling anything that is happening inside of me.” He rubbed his knee. “We don’t know when this spell was cast on my pack. Do you think because I imprinted on her nineteen years ago, the problems she’s having with her knee and ankle now could be because of me? That she’s somehow channeling my pain?”

“Anything is possible.” Albert opened a drawer and pulled out a beat-up old book. “This is the royal family’s Book of Shadows. It contains a lot of black magic and spells, but nothing like what the doctor describes regarding what is happening to your pack. Not to mention, I’ve honestly never seen an aura like yours before.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. My knowledge of witchcraft is limited.” Darrell had known many witches over the years, but he’d never grown close to any of them, nor did he comprehend their craft.

“Every coven has a legacy of black magic from centuries ago. We’ve tried to document all the spells and curses from each one that has been banned. However, a few covens have locked their black magic, thinking it will prevent witches from using it, only it has devastating effects. Not to mention, locking it doesn’t actually stop anyone from doing it. Only makes that witch suffer.”

“What kind of effects?” Darrell shifted to the edge of his seat.

“Let’s say a witch casts a bad luck spell that has been locked, they will suffer tenfold the strength of the spell.”

“So, whoever did this to my pack, the same thing is happening to them?”

“That’s very possible, depending on how the Book of Shadows was locked and how the spell was cast,” Prince Albert said as he let out a long puff of air. “I need to find out more about the spell, and the only way I can do that is by tapping into the inner aura both past and present of the source.”

“But we don’t know the source. What if it was my father?” Darrell didn’t need to be a witch to understand the implications of what that might mean to his future.

“With your permission, I’d like to start with you.”

“By all means. There are only a few alphas left in my pack and they will be willing to do anything. We’re only forty-five minutes from here, so I can gather them quickly.”

Prince Albert held up his hand. “There is a lot I can find by looking through your old inner aura rings and if you’re not the source, I could potentially find it.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do this old inner aura ring thing.”

The sound of ceramic shattering on the floor echoed in the room.

“No, Dad. You can’t do that,” Avery said, standing in a pile of broken mugs and a coffee pot spilling its hot liquid onto the floor.

Worried she might cut herself, Darrell jumped from the chair, careful not to step on anything sharp, and lifted her into his arms. It felt as though he’d come home. She was meant to be his, and he would do whatever it took to make sure they had their chance at love.

“Put me down,” she said sharply, glaring at him.

He let out a low growl but set her butt gently on the seat next to his.

“I have to do it,” her father said, folding his arms. “It’s the only way.”

“Going that deep in a damaged aura like his could kill you both.” She ran her hand over her knee, massaging gently. “There has to be another way.”

“What’s the likelihood that we will die?” He forced his gaze away from Avery, whose eyes turned a dark cobalt, like the angry waves of the ocean.

“About a ten percent chance for me, maybe twenty for you.”

“I’m going to die if we don’t do something, so for me, it’s a no-brainer, but I’d understand if you didn’t want to take the risk.”

Prince Albert shook his head. “I’ve looked at past rings before, where no one else on the Royal Council has, and I have a stake in the outcome. But we could call Trask. He can do it too. He’s done it many times. He’s more of a wizard than I am.” He arched his brow, glancing at his daughter. “Do you have a preference in who does it?”

“I’d rather no one did it,” Avery said. “But Trask should be involved no matter what.”

Albert nodded. “Avery, call Jackson. I think having a wolf here will be beneficial. Especially one that is connected to the Legend of the Fated Moons.”

“If you insist on doing this, I’m calling Dr. Kilby as well,” Avery said, still rubbing her knee.

Darrell had no idea why he focused on that movement or why he wondered if her favoring one leg over the other had anything to do with what was going on with his pack.

But something told him it did.