“Hey. Hey. Stop the fighting. What has gotten into you two?” I say exasperatedly as I pull Jade off Jasper. It has been nonstop fighting since they got home from school. They are driving me crazy.
“He was being mean to me mama, he called me a dork.”
Oh, goddess.
“Jasper, you know we don’t call names. Why are you picking on your sister?” I crouch down to their level. Looking into his eyes, I see tears well up and his nostrils flare. Oh, my emotional child.
He says nothing as he shrugs his shoulders.
“You don’t know? Did she do something first?”
“No, I didn’t,” Jade yells in my ear. I turn to look at her, “I am asking your brother right now. If I need your side of the story, I will ask you in a moment.” Turning back to Jasper, “talk to me bud, what’s going on? I know you don’t like when someone calls you a name, so why would you do that to someone else?”
Again a shoulder shrug. Okay, so this is how the night is ending. Great.
“Okay, well, I would like for you to apologize to your sister, and then you both need to get ready for bed. While Jasper is in brushing his teeth and cleaning up, Jade please get pajamas on and then switch. Okay?”
“Okay mama,” Jade says, while Jasper mumbles, “sorry Jade,” and walks away to the stairs with Jade trailing behind.
I sigh while I stand up and walk to the kitchen to finish putting their lunches together for school tomorrow.
After I they’re finished and ready for tomorrow and I clean the kitchen up and follow up the stairs.
While all three of our bedrooms are upstairs, the kids are at one end with an open playroom between them. With a small cozy couch, that’s where we like to sit for our bedtime stories. I take a seat on the couch and grab our book about dragons and a boy who finds a dragon egg and raises it. I call out to the kids, “are you guys ready for the story?” Settling back into the cushions, I wait for them to join me.
Jade skips out from her room, freshly changed, and smiles big at me. “Are my teeth clean?”
“They look great, love,” Jasper walks out quietly and cuddles into my side. Guess he’s still upset. After reading two chapters, I tuck them in and head downstairs.
Haylee should be here soon. I thank the goddess for her. I will be out on border patrol, so she will stay here. She has been a lifesaver, filling in when I need her with the kids. She’s a teacher at the elementary school, so she loves having the kids around.
“Honey, I’m home,” she calls when she walks through the door. My heart clenches at her words. Something Rafe would say when he came home. I hate I miss him so much when he’s the reason for this separation.
I give a small smile when Haylee comes into the living room.
“Hey hun, I’m sorry. I should know better.” She says plopping down next to me on the couch.
“It’s not your fault.” I look around my living room. The kids do a pretty good job of picking up their toys. Though a puzzle remains out on the large coffee table, they picked the rest up and put them in the small chest next to the tv stand. We have worn down couches that Rafe and I chose after we moved in together, but I refuse to replace them since the kids are so rough on them. It doesn’t matter how many times we yell at them to stop jumping or standing, they still do. Or I guess how many times I yell at them now.
Haylee puts her arm around my shoulder and pulls me into her side.
“I know you have to go, but just sit with me for a moment more, and know that I am here for you, no matter what, and in any way you need me.”
I let the lone tear slide down my cheek as I rest my head on her shoulder.
We sit in silence while I try to plan the words to thank her. I have none. “Thank you.” I simply say and she squeezes me. With a deep breath, I sit up and smile at her.
“I gotta go now, otherwise Billy will have a fit if I don’t relieve him on time.”
“Go on then, the kids are in excellent hands. I trust they’ll sleep all night anyway.”
“They should. Based on how emotional they both were before bed, I think they were extra tired.”
With that, I leave and go to the backyard to remove my clothes and place them in the chest. Then I shift and take off for the west border and Billy, where I’ll be patrolling tonight.
I find him deep in the woods, right on the border. He’s pacing one specific area, not moving far beyond it. As I come up to him, I think I smell what caught his attention. There’s an odd scent that lingers just on the other side of our territory line. Feeling my presence, Billy turns and shifts.
“When I ran past here an hour and a half ago, this scent was not here, when I came back a half-hour ago, it was here and strong, whoever or whatever it was, had to have left only moments before I approached.”
Since I prefer to talk in human form also I shift back. Nudity isn’t an issue. It’s part of being a wolf who shreds its clothes every shift, so it normally doesn’t bother us.
“And you didn’t see anyone?”
“No, no one.”
“Did you check beyond the border?” I ask and receive an are you crazy look. “Guess that’s also a no. Well, okay, do me a favor and go alert Garrison that I’m following this scent out of borders.” I don’t like what this could mean.
“Wait. You can’t go alone, Raven. You should wait for Garrison and the other warriors.”
“Billy, I am a warrior, and more than capable of taking care of myself. I promise to be safe and take it slow. Now please go inform Garrison.” I don’t wait for his reply. I shift instantly and take off after the intruder.
I didn’t mention it to Billy, but this scent is familiar, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out from where. I travel for about five minutes outside of pack lands when the scent intensifies. Knowing I’m not far behind, I slow down and start listening intently to my surroundings. Nothing appears to be out of the norm, so I slink forward and pause at the edge of a small clearing. There’s someone in the tree line across the clearing, and I lie low trying to see who it is.
A growl rips from my throat as they step into the open. Brave bastard.
“Raven, I know that’s you. Why don’t you come out so we can have a little chat,” he says casually, not needing to raise his voice since he knows I’ll hear him. I stay still and listen for any other movement in the area. There is no way he came alone. “As long as it takes, Raven, I will wait.”
After a few minutes of no movement or sounds around me, I rise to my crouch and step out into the clearing. A constant growl comes from my chest.
“Would you mind terribly?” He asks, but I make no move.
“Shift please Raven so we may talk,” he says.
Not liking this, but needing to know why he’s here. I shift, grabbing the long shirt I had secured to my ankle and throw that on. We’re far enough away from each other, I won’t bother with my bottoms in case I need to shift quickly.
“When did you grow balls, Duncan? Shocked, I am shocked to see you here alone. So why are you here?”
And where the hell is Rafe?
“I thought we could come to an arrangement, you and I, and stop this war altogether. You have something I want, and I have someone you want.”What is this fruitcake talking about?“You’re trying to tell me that this whole declaration of war could end with a simple exchange between us?” I scoff out a dry laugh. “Hell Duncan, we’re still not sure what this war is about.”“There is a lot you do not understand, Raven. Just know this, right now, the fate of this war is in your hands.” Pretentious jackass.Since I met him 8 years ago, I knew there was something wrong with him. My wolf took an instant dislike to him. I don’t believe I can see auroras, but what I can see coming off of him is not right. It’s
My mind is racing with so many thoughts and none of them are good. I don’t need to talk with the other council members to know what their answer will be, hell it would be mine too if only this were someone else. Right now, my battered and bruised heart is only calling out for its mate that it now knows didn’t leave us by choice. A giggle escapes as I let myself in my back door. The Rafe I know and love is still there. He didn’t leave me. I feel my cheeks push up into my eyes as I can’t hold in my happiness any longer.“Mama?” I stop, startled that Jade is awake, sitting on the bottom stair of our staircase.“Baby, why are you up so late? You should be sleeping.” I walk towards her after toeing off my shoes at the door and pick her up. She places her hands on my cheeks and forces me to look at her.Unease settles in my stomach at the furrow of her brow and the seriousness in her
I skip heading home as the sun is making its grand entrance on this day. After going round and round with no answers or ideas, we finally called it a night or morning, I guess. My thoughts wander to the Moonstone that I have locked away at home. To do with as I see fit. My mate would be worth it. But first I want to know more about the stone.I haul my tired legs up the large stone staircase to the library, pushing through the heavy wood doors. Once inside, the stale, still air assaults my nose as I glance around, trying to remember where everything is. This wasn’t my scene, whereas for Rafe, if he wasn’t at home, he was here, buried in books and learning everything he could. A sigh escapes as I give up and go look at the directory board. Of course, there is no section specific to our origins or creation, so I take a guess and go to the oldest section I know of.Stars dance across my eyes as I press the heels of my palms in
“I don’t know what I would do without you,” I say to Haylee as I walk down the stairs after putting the kids to bed.“Good thing you will never have to know. You are stuck with me,” she says as I hug her and I feel her shock while we embrace. I’m not a touchy person, but today I have hugged and kissed the kids more than ever before and feel the need to hug Haylee, too. I don’t know why, but I know things are changing and I feel the need to hold those I love close.“I have to say I’m surprised Phil is not sending an army to accompany me. The few warriors that will be in the treeline on the edge of our border will be enough. I want to get there and get back. I need to find another way to free Rafe from Duncan’s control. There has to be a way.” I murmur the last part more to myself as I think things through.“If there is, I know you will find it. Stay stron
I said nothing to the warriors as I passed by them as I crossed over into pack lands. My steps are slow as I mindlessly make my way back home. Relief rushes through me as my house comes into sight. I want to get inside, kiss my babies and climb into bed so tomorrow can finally come. I trudge up the steps and quietly open the door in case Haylee is sleeping.I’m not surprised to see her awake watching tv in the living room. She shuts it off and stands up as I close the door behind me.“How did it go?” Her eyes are wide as she stays rooted to her spot. I quickly cross over to her with tears now streaming down my face. Taking me into her arms, she hugs me and slowly lowers us down to the couch. “What happened, Raven?” concern coats her voice.“He-had-Rafe-with-him-” I hiccup out through my tears. “At first- it was like- he wasn’t even there Haylee,” I cry out, “h
After spending some time with Jade in the morning and asking if she recalled what she said the night before, she didn’t. I walk her to school and then head straight over to the library, saying thanks and giving fake smiles to those I pass who offer me their sympathies, not stopping on my mission.I walk straight to the back and strain on my tippy toes to reach the book that Finn had pulled the day before. After a few little hops, I manage to get a grip and pull it, opening the secret door.“Shit,” I spit out when the lantern is not where I saw Finn replace it yesterday. I plaster myself against the wall and use my sight the best I can in the pitch-black stairwell and slowly make my way down. A sigh of relief as I feel that I’m finally at the bottom and walking into the room. I’m pleasantly surprised to see Finn is here.“Finally you are here,” he says with no preamble. “I pulle
“The Moon goddess’ temples,” Finn shouts as he jumps up from his seat.The book drops from my hands, startled by his outburst.Leaning down on the table, he looks at me, “the Bloodstone is hidden in one of the Moon goddess’ temples.”My breath stutters, “are you sure? Any idea which one, cause there are five of them.” Excitement growing at the possibility of finding it.“Yes, I am sure. Which one, though, of that I am not.”“Finn?” I twist my hands together on the table in front of me. I’ve thought a lot about what finding this Bloodstone would mean, and the thoughts I have are darker than I’m used to, I don’t want to share them for fear of him stopping me, but I fear if I don’t share them, I won’t be stopped.He gazes at me knowingly.“If I find this Bloodstone, you know I w
“Arrogant assholes. Do they forget who you are?” Finn grumbles as we leave the Half Moon pack, upset with how they dismissed and treated us callously.“You mean who we are? We’re equal Finn.” I glance out the side of my eye at him.He scoffs, “we all know that’s a lie, Raven. As much as we preachthat everyone in our pack is equal, it’s not true at all.”I stumble at his words. Swinging around to face him, he comes to a stop.“Is that how you feel? You don’t feel you’re treated the same as everyone else, the same as me?”He weighs his words before saying, “the same as everyone? close. We may not have the hierarchy like this pack here,” his hand swings out, motioning behind us to where we just left, “but the groups or cliques make up for that in our pack. The council, though they say they are not above anyone, always act like they are a