15. Chapter Fifteen
Snow fell outside the windows, the sky growing darker gray by the second. Winter, Ewan, Birch, and I stood in the living room of my new home. Walter and the others had yet to return, but he’d sent Winter the coordinates for her to open a portal to the Snake Mountains.
“Are you sure about going alone?” Birch asked for the third time.
I finished the bottle of blood in my hand and set it on the coffee table. “Drake gave very specific instructions. We’ll be fine.”
Birch didn’t look convinced. “The Ophiuchus aren’t just any pack.”
I adjusted my leather jacket, one of my favorite new items of clothing. “Drake isn’t just any alpha. She promised we’d be safe. I trust her word.”
“So do I,” Ewan added, surprising me only because I felt his uncertainty.
The Ophiuchus were strong potential allies, which he appreciated and was the reason he agreed to the meeting. Still, we could have very well been walking into a trap, and there was always the chance I would drink one of Drake’s wolves dry for dessert. So, yeah, I supposed Ewan had cause to worry.
“You’re in charge,” Ewan told Birch. He turned to Winter. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She waved her hands, opening a portal directly in front of the fireplace with no effort. “Call when you’re ready to come back.”
Ewan slipped his hand in my mine as we entered the bands of swirling magic and stepped out into the snowy clearing. A man in jeans and a flannel leaned against a pickup truck. His face was familiar, something I recognized in the recess of my memory.
“Stavros.” The man inclined his head and then turned his penetrating blue gaze on me. “Hello, Zosia.”
“Lucien,” Ewan said in greeting.
“You can call me Penn.” He jerked a thumb toward the truck. “Hop in. Drake’s at the house.”
Most people would’ve at least hesitated before putting themselves in a confined space with two members of the undead. Penn, however, had no qualms. He also didn’t have much to say as he navigated the icy mountain roads like a pro.
At this altitude, the stars seemed so much closer, so much brighter. Even the pull of the moon felt stronger. The snowcapped peaks stretched high all around us. A sense of peace that I didn’t quite understand settled over me as we drove.
We reached a small town. The streets were silent, all the shops having closed hours ago. Lamp posts lit the way as we climbed higher. In the distance, a large house came into view, with lights on in several of the windows.
“The alpha’s mansion,” Penn said when he noticed me looking.
Ten minutes later, according to the clock on the dashboard, Penn parked the truck in front of the mansion and turned off the engine. The front door opened, and a slim figure came to stand on the porch, her long blonde ponytail appearing almost silver in the moonlight. A slow smile spread across her face as Ewan and I emerged from the truck.
Her gaze remained on me as we approached. The glitches started, filling my head with disjointed memories of Diana and me through the centuries. Ewan reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. His power washed over me as I fought to remain in the present.
“I can’t believe you guys are here,” Drake breathed.
“Thank you for meeting with us,” Ewan replied, sounding very formal.
“Of course.” Drake beamed at me. “It’s the least I can do for–Zara, right?”
My mind quieted, though I remained slightly off-kilter. “Um, yeah,” I stammered.
Penn wrapped an arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her temple. “No sightings,” he muttered.
I lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Strays.” Drake shook her head, disgust curling her top lip back. “They’ve been an issue lately. Come on inside.” She opened the door and gestured us inside. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Her eyes went wide, realizing a beat too late that offering vampires a drink was dicey. Nervous laughter escaped her lips.
“We’re good,” Ewan assured her.
Drake led us through the house to a large living room decorated entirely in green and gold, with the Ophiuchus serpent visible on throw blankets and tapestries. Three women climbed to their feet as we entered.
The two redheads, a woman in her twenties and one in her forties, must have been related. They had the same flaming hair and perky nose, even their smiles matched. The other woman was much older, with keen eyes that made my insides squirm.
“You guys have met Penn, my mate.” Drake smiled up at him, features softening. “And my beta.”
My face displayed the surprise my brain registered. Penn was one of six original alphas, dominance was literally in his DNA, yet he had no issue taking a step back and letting Drake reign over their pack. It was both baffling and fascinating.
“This is Evera.” Drake pointed to the younger redhead.
The woman nodded first to Ewan and then to me. Unlike Drake and Penn, our crimson eyes made her extremely nervous.
“Grace.” Drake gestured to the woman beside Evera. Then, she indicated the older shifter. “Frann. They’re my advisors.”
With the introductions out of the way, Drake invited us to sit on the leather couch. The others filled the surrounding chairs, only Penn remaining on his feet behind Drake’s seat.
Frann cleared her throat. “Walter was somewhat vague when he requested this meeting.” She settled against the seat cushions. “It must be important for the Taurus alpha and his mate to travel all this way.”
“It is,” Ewan assured her. His gaze scanned the room, landing on Drake. “How much do you know about what we are?”
She started to chew her lip before seeming to remember the nervous habit wasn’t befitting an alpha. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she launched into a recap of her memories of previous lives. Just a hunch, but I got the feeling she offered us an abbreviated version of events and left out some of the juicier details.
Maybe that was just me projecting.
For Drake, the dreams had started the night of the twin comets, when Winter had opened the portal. She’d witnessed memories from her first life–our time in the games, her bonding ceremony with Lucien, crossing paths with an alluring eternal in the woods. There were also dreams from her other lives, though she only went into detail about the day the Zodiac Council of Wolves stripped the Ophiuchus of membership.
Penn put his hand on her shoulder while she talked as if lending her strength to get through some of the harder topics. Drake didn’t acknowledge his touch, but she sat up straighter and spoke with more authority.
“What about Mat, have you dreamt of him?” Ewan asked, keeping his voice neutral.
Drake’s gaze flicked to Penn. He nodded and left the room, returning quickly with a thick envelope that he handed to Ewan. I scooted closer to read over his shoulder as he removed a card and scanned the interior. In scrawling cursive type, it wished “many blessings on your union”. Underneath, in neat little handwritten letters, it said: “Congratulations on your new position, Diana. May the Ophiuchus prosper under your leadership. Be seeing you soon–Mat.”
“It arrived a few days ago,” Penn said. “To a mailbox we keep in the closest human town.”
“Aside from Walter, few outside my pack have any knowledge of my position or that we have bonded.” She indicated Penn unnecessarily. Her jaw hardened. “I can only assume we have a traitor. Sadly, not everyone is happy to have a lady alpha, so this doesn’t surprise me.”
Ewan gave her a wry smile. “Not everyone is happy to have a fanged alpha either, so I understand.” He rubbed his hands together. “Mat has spies everywhere. The guy’s been alive forever, and he’s created a vast network over the years. He’s also extremely adept with his magic, and the person feeding him information may not even know it.”
He spoke so matter of fact, like he had firsthand knowledge of Mat and his vampy enterprises. We hadn’t talked about his time at the eternal king’s mercy, and I wondered if maybe that was a mistake. Clearly Ewan had overheard information worth sharing.
Drake sighed. “Well, that’s too bad. Rooting out someone who hates me for my lack of a penis is much easier than uncovering a spy who doesn’t even know they’ve double-crossed me.”
“Is Mat the reason you’ve come?” Penn asked, steering the conversation back on track.
“Not entirely,” Ewan admitted, and then gave them the same rundown Essie had given us. He made sure to look at everyone in the room as he spoke, making each woman and Penn feel included.
Taking a cue from Penn, I rested my hand on Ewan’s leg. He didn’t need my strength, but he was about to ask Drake for a humongous favor, and I wanted to support him while he did. Plus, if he and I put on a united front, the Ophiuchus might consider the request more kindly. After all, they weren’t like the other packs. The coming war wouldn’t affect them, since they weren’t part of the Zodiac Order any longer. They could choose to remain on the sidelines, safe in the idyllic Snake Mountains.
“Obviously, the Taurus wolves and fae plan to defy the surrender order.” Ewan placed a hand over mine and squeezed. “It will be a declaration of war against the Zodiac Councils.”
“And in any war, you need allies,” Frann interjected. Her eyes glowed yellow, the thought of a good fight bringing her wolf to the surface. “That’s why you’ve come, yes?”
Ewan didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Drake cocked her head to the side, expression unreadable. “I haven’t even been alpha for a full moon cycle, and you want me to order my pack to fight? Even if the Zodiac Council sends hunters, these mountains are a natural fortress. They won’t get past our defenses.”
“It’s a big ask,” I said. “And I’m sure you are safe up here, hidden away from the world. The rest of us could go into hiding, too.” Ewan squeezed my hand encouragingly. “Hell, we could go live in a different realm and enjoy the rest of our undead lives.”
Drake’s perfectly shaped brows drew together as if the idea of other worlds was as foreign to her as it once was for me. I kept talking and hoped she’d forget to ask by the time I was done.
“The shit thing about reincarnation is that we keep repeating these lives and our mistakes.” My gaze went to Ewan. “This life can be different. I can’t recall another cycle where so many of us were born. That must be significant.”
“Gaia didn’t put you all here on this earth now so you could fight with the Zodiac Council,” Frann scoffed.
“No,” I agreed. “But this war is inevitable. If it wages on too long, no one will get away unscathed.”
“Have any other packs agreed to fight with you?” Drake asked.
“The Gemini fae have. That’s all so far,” Ewan replied.
She folded her hands in her lap and nodded slowly, careful to keep her face impassive. “We’ll need to discuss this in private. I will send word to Walter once we’ve reached a decision.”
It wasn’t a no, so I counted the trip a success. Ewan kept his expression just as carefully guarded as Drake.
“Of course.” He stood. “Thank you again for meeting with us.”
“Um, actually, may I have a word alone with Zara?” The question had barely passed her lips when the other women stood and began filing out of the room.
Penn gestured Ewan toward the door. “There’s an issue at the northeast outpost. Want to ride with me? I’m sure it’s just a stray.”
Normally, had a rival alpha asked for time alone with his mate, Ewan wouldn’t have considered it. But he kissed my cheek, told me to behave, and followed Penn from the living room.
“So,” a slow smile spread across her face, “I’m dying to know, how did you finally win your prince?”
I laughed. “Only if you promise to tell me how you became alpha.”
Sadly, neither of our stories was particularly pleasant. Both involved death, though technically Ewan and I had bonded before Angelica attacked me. Drake’s father had died in a coup, when his own beta killed him on the night of the Twin Comets. She challenged the beta and won, dethroning the usurper and claiming the crown for herself.
“Power looks good on you,” I told her.
“Ewan looks good on you,” she teased, then her eyes narrowed. “Are you happy?”
I didn’t have to think about the answer. “Yes.” I laughed. “That probably seems absurd. I mean, I could do without the fangs. But I finally feel… complete. That’s ridiculous. Forget I said it.”
Understanding brightened her gaze. “Oh, I see.”
The front door burst open. Blood mingled with snow in the cold air that seemed to fill the mansion. Ewan and Penn marched into the room, both shirtless and shoeless and covered in something blue. They wore identical grim expressions, though I felt Ewan’s adrenaline still thrumming in his veins from the recent hunt.
“You found another one?” Drake demanded.
“Bat wings, blue blood, and bad attitude.” Penn jerked his thumb toward the open front door. “It’s outside if you want to see it.”
My gaze found Ewan’s, searching his for answers. “Do I even want to know?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Probably not.”
“The scouts spotted the first one a few days ago. It took a dozen wolves to kill it.” Drake glanced at Penn. “One died and three more are still recovering.”
“Apparently you just need a vampire wolf.” Penn gestured to Ewan. “It just took the two of us to get this one.”
“We have no idea what they are or where they came from,” Drake told me.
I didn’t know either of those answers, but I did know how the creatures had traveled to this world. Winter and I had created quite the fucking mess.
“My guys spotted one two nights ago,” Ewan admitted, which was definitely news to me. He turned to Drake. “Is it weird if I ask to take the one outside home with us? I have a few fae who can take a look. They might even know what it is.”
“You want to do a magical autopsy on a giant bat?” I asked, interjecting myself into the conversation.
Drake shrugged, both of them ignoring me. “If you take Frann with you.”
I found this to be a particularly odd request, but Ewan didn’t even blink.
“Deal,” he said.
An hour later, since Frann needed to go home to pack a bag before we could leave, Ewan called Winter and gave her coordinates to open a portal directly to Drake’s house so we didn’t have to lug the dead creature through the mountains to our landing spot. He let her know we’d be returning with an otherworldly beast and an octogenarian, which stunned Winter into an appropriately long silence before she spoke again.
Drake hugged me goodbye, making her the first person not bonded to me who’d dared touch me since my turning. It felt good. A little too good after a moment, and I had to pry myself away before the vein in her slender throat started calling my name.
“I’ll be in touch soon,” she promised Ewan as he hung up with Winter and shimmers appeared in the night air.
Ewan hefted the dead bat-like creature, now wrapped in a tarp, over his shoulder. “I’ll let you know if we find out what this is.”
“Oh, how lovely,” Frann declared, taking my arm for support she didn’t really need. “I haven’t traveled by portal since I was a girl.”
“The fangs don’t bother you?” I glanced pointedly at her fingers curled around my jacket.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, child. You haven’t lived until you’ve felt a pair of pointies skimming your nether regions.” She winked. “Second best night of my life.”
I so wanted to ask what topped her list of unforgettable sexual interludes. Then I did ask and sort of hated myself because it wasn’t an image I wanted burned into my brain.
“Walter Stolly, of course. Now there’s a man who remembers there’s more than one way to make a kitty purr if you know what I mean.”