Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (21 page)

Wait.  What?  Presley became easily confused over the history of her town, but was Lorcan insinuating there was another god or goddess she didn’t know about?  There was Urseth, Yliana, and Tessa....who else?

“Ah.  I probably should have mentioned him sooner,” Lorcan admitted as he winced.  “I just never felt he was important enough to talk about.”

“Who?” Presley asked cautiously.

“Calic,” Lorcan’s serious gaze connected with hers.  “The god of wolves.”

———————————

T
he bitter night air was getting the best of her and Natalie knew she needed to go home soon.  The cold hadn’t bothered her much in bear form, but now she was naked and vulnerable to nature’s cruel temperatures.  Her shivering body couldn’t take much more and though she didn’t need to worry about becoming sick, she did need to worry about the possibility of danger hiding in the shadows of the woods.

“Help me figure out what to do,” she said between chattering teeth as she gazed at the scarred bark of the tree where her brother had died.  A hot tear slid down her cheek as she sniffled and hugged her arms as tightly around herself as possible.  “I don’t know what to do about anything.”

It had been a very long time since she’d visited this place.  She’d been to her brother’s grave a few times since her return to Kadenburg, but she just felt closer to him, here, for some reason.  Her numb fingertips touched the bark delicately as she bit back a soft sob.  Oh, how she missed him so much.  What she wouldn’t give to have him back.

“Presley’s so beautiful, Pierce.  I wish you could see her.  She looks so much like Caroline....”

Another stab of pain made itself known in her chest as she thought of her future sister-in-law.  It was so uncharacteristic of Caroline to abandon Presley.  She didn’t understand how that was possible at all.  The woman had been elated about becoming a mother.....why would she leave her cub behind?

“I have so many questions and no one can seem to answer them, Pierce.  I need to know why Urseth stole my memories from me.  I need to know why Presley can dream of Liam but I cannot dream of you...” The tears fell uncontrollably as she bowed her head and finally released the heartache and guilt she’d harbored for years.  Maybe this was what she needed.  “How could I so willingly go with Breslin and witness the horrible sights of his cruelty?  How did I allow him to kill so many of our kind and not intervene?  Why would I do that?”

She knew no answers would come.  She would not hear her brother’s warm voice or his words of encouragement that he so generously gave to her once upon a time.  Pierce was in the Great Beyond and she could only wait for the day they would see each other again. 

“I just want to be a good aunt,” she confessed quietly.  “I want to be there for your daughter and her cub.  I don’t care if I ever get to marry anyone or anything like that, Pierce....I just want to be relevant and needed by my own flesh and blood.  Am I asking for too much?”

“Not at all.”

The sudden response from a male voice nearly made Natalie topple over as her head lifted to gaze at the night sky.

“Pierce?” She whispered in disbelief.

“No, I am sorry to disappoint you.”

Natalie turned her head to see the man standing behind her and she immediately felt calm as she discovered his scent was one hundred percent ursithrope.  He wasn’t going to hurt her.

“Who are you?” She asked as she wiped at her eyes.  She glanced down at her naked body and suddenly felt more self-conscious than ever before.  She tried to hide her nude flesh from his view as she carefully crept towards the other side of the tree.

“I am here to help you,” he said reassuringly as he smiled.  “Would you like my coat?” He took off his jacket and approached the tree she was hiding behind.  He held it out for her to take as his eyes lifted to gaze at the deeply embedded burn marks from the fire that claimed her brother’s life.

“Thank you.”  Natalie grabbed his jacket and slipped her arms through the sleeves before buttoning it quickly.  It barely came to her thighs, but at least it hid her from his view.

“You are welcome, Natalie,” he nodded as his eyes became sad.  “This is where it happened, isn’t it?  I was just a small boy when he died, but I remember the flames.  The smell.....”

“Who are you?” Natalie repeated.

“I am Antonio Barcenas, but I think you will remember me better as Anthony Buchanan.  My father is Julian.” He responded as he tilted his head to the side.  Why did he keep looking at her like that?

“Oh,” was her simple reply as his name suddenly jarred an old memory loose.  It was a terrible memory too. 
That’s
why he was looking at her like that.  “Oh, Anthony....”

Breslin had killed off Julian’s clan some time ago in hopes of eliminating the elders of the ursithrope world.  It was no different than what had happened with Louisa’s family.  How awful she felt as guilt began to eat at her again. She was such a horrible person for allowing it to happen.  Anthony had barely turned seventeen when Breslin’s pack attacked his home in Peru.

“Do not do that.  Please,” Anthony requested as he touched her shoulder.  “You cannot control what has been written in the stars, Natalie Carroll.  I know that you did not want that to happen and that is what matters.”

What was he talking about?  How could the mass murder of their people be fate?  How could her involvement with those killings be fate?  This young man was obviously a little on the delusional side if he thought his words brought her any comfort.

“What do you suppose you could’ve done to prevent the death of my clan, Natalie?” Anthony asked curiously as he took a step away from her and focused his attention on the marred tree.  “Would you have stood and fought for their lives and put your own in danger?  I don’t think so,” he shook his head and then offered a tender smile.  “You were never intended to be put in harm’s way.  You know that, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure I follow.” She replied carefully.

“You are a lost little bird right now.  I can appreciate this,” he eased down onto a tree stump and laced his fingers together.  His elbows rested against his knees as he sighed.  “I was once lost too.”

He was definitely mental.  Was he just here to confuse her or could he really help?  She didn’t have much patience at the moment and her feet were freezing.  She needed to go home.

“Well...this was nice but I should go,” she said after a few beats of silence.  “I’ll return your jacket to you as soon as I can.”

“Do not go yet, Natalie,” Anthony chuckled.  “I promise I do have a point to make.  There is much we must discuss before the New Year comes.”

“It’s just another year.” Natalie mumbled.  Did she really believe that?  Was she ignoring that feeling of impending doom that had been looming over her for months?  The answer was yes.  She wasn’t sure how much more she could take and she didn’t want to think about Presley having to endure more of Breslin’s bullshit, but it was inevitable.

“It is another year,” Anthony agreed as he stroked the small line of stubble on his chin.  “But it will be the year that changes everything.  You know what is coming just as well as I do, Natalie.  I fear that many sources have been undermining us this entire time.  It is not just the humans he has hired to kill innocent humans....”

“What?” Natalie’s eyes widened.  What did he mean by that?

“Ah, you do not know,” Anthony speculated as his eyes dimmed once more.  “I hate to be the one who must tell you this.....”

And tell her he did.  He recalled what happened at the town meeting, which Natalie hadn’t received an invitation to, and how Davey Berdine had gone off his rocker.  He mentioned Louisa and her discovery of a young human girl that was meant to be a ‘message’ to the ursithropes courtesy of Breslin Connor, and he even told her about how Arnold Goult had bravely stood his ground and defended his niece.  Why did hearing that part make her heart feel so funny?

“I can’t believe Davey was trying to make her leave town,” Natalie whispered. “And Dimitri too?  He’s the only decent werewolf I’ve ever met aside from Rutley.  We owe them our gratitude for everything they’ve done.”  She went on to explain what had happened to bring on Rutley’s transformation, but Anthony already seemed to know everything she wanted to say.

“I do not believe all werewolves are bad,” Anthony stated thoughtfully as he glanced up towards the night sky.  It was easy to make out the stars above the treetops.  This had been Pierce’s favorite place, after all.  “I do not think Calic ever intended for his people to be the feared monsters they have become over the years.”

Natalie had heard a few stories about Calic before.  He was the wolf god and he’d been around for at least a century.  How did one truly know how old a god was?

“Breslin Connor is just like that one adage....how does it go?  One bad apple spoils the whole pie?”  He shook his head again and then smiled.  “If we can rid the world of that bitter fruit then I think we have real chance at living in harmony with the lycanthropes.  No one would ever have to live in fear again.  I know this is what you want for your niece, is it not?”

“More than anything,” Natalie agreed as she bit at her bottom lip and frowned.  “I don’t want that baby coming into the world as a target.  Breslin was so interested in Presley....and that was my fault.  I never should’ve told him anything about my family.  I was so stupid.”

“I believe he knew about her existence before you said anything, Natalie.  Breslin Connor is an incredibly resourceful lycanthrope, but we must stay a step ahead of him.  Do you understand that?”

“I don’t know what I understand anymore,” Natalie admitted as she buried her face into her hands.  “I just want the peace I remember as a child.”

“I wish I could recall such peace,” Anthony patted the spot behind him and scooted over a little to give her room.  “It makes me rather nervous with you just standing there.  Please sit down so we may speak.”

Natalie wasn’t used to such proper speaking, especially from a man, but should she have been surprised given which family he came from?  Anthony was a Buchanan after all. 

She eased herself down beside him and folded her arms across her chest before glancing at him again.  He was studying her it seemed.

“I remember you from my childhood,” he nodded.  “I thought you were beautiful.”

Oh, spare me.
  Natalie rolled her eyes and dropped her gaze to the snow beneath her bare feet.  She couldn’t feel anything from the knees down otherwise she would’ve been worried.  Oh well.  She couldn’t recall an ursithrope losing limbs or digits to frostbite in the past.  Maybe she was safe.

“I meant it as a compliment, nothing more,” he added.  “Time has been kind to Charlotte Bamey as well.  How is she, by the way?  I imagine losing her first born was dreadful.”

“She seems to be doing a little better these days,” Natalie shrugged.  “I wasn’t there when it first happened and I’d give anything to change that.  I should’ve been here for her.....”

“The past is the past, Natalie.  You cannot keep dwelling there.  What matters is that you are here now and you are making an effort to change the future into something better.  I know that is easier said than done, but try to take my word for it.” Anthony nudged her gently with his elbow before releasing a low breath.  “I have seen things that trouble me and I know not many others can understand.  Only another delegate would understand seeing as Presley is carrying precious cargo....”

“I am no longer a delegate,” Natalie frowned.  “Urseth does not speak to me anymore.  That night was the last time he ever appeared to me.”

“Once a delegate always a delegate.” Anthony stated matter-of-factly as he pushed himself up from the stump and wandered towards the marred tree once more.

“I was never worthy of that position,” Natalie argued as her skin tingled.  She wasn’t going to shift again, was she?  It had been so long since her last shift and she wasn’t sure her body could handle it happening so consistently.  “My brother was worthy.....not me.”

“You do not have much faith in yourself, do you?” Anthony turned to gaze at her from beneath his dark bangs.  “I understand that you have been through a lot in these past years, Natalie, you have seen a lot, but do not put yourself down.  He chose you for a reason.”

“He made a mistake!” She cried.  “I never should’ve been involved with what happened and neither should my brother.  He’d still be alive if we’d only said no to becoming delegates.”

“You say that as if he gives us a choice,” Anthony slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks as he slowly circled around the stump she was seated on.  She eyed him cautiously and scratched at her tingling skin.  Did he think it was smart to provoke her?  “We are chosen for a reason and Urseth does not make mistakes, Natalie.  You are special to him and your purpose has not been served yet.”

“Oh yes, it has,” she snorted.  “He let my brother die and sent me off to play whore for Breslin.  For so long I was completely content with bedding that man and I never understood why....and now I do.  I was a distraction and I am not okay with that.  Urseth should not have put me in that position.”

“But you agreed to it, didn’t you?” He crouched down in front of her and met her gaze.  She could tell from the expression on his face that Anthony wasn’t trying to make her angry.  He was simply trying to talk.  “You would’ve done anything to ensure Presley’s survival in this world.”

“Anything,” she whispered sadly as she blinked back fresh tears.  “But I never imagined it meant giving up so much time I could’ve spent with her.  I’ve missed out on so much of her life and so many people thought I betrayed our kind when I didn’t.  It’s almost like my mind was under some sort of illusion or something.  I never would’ve let Breslin Connor touch me like that.  I’ve only ever wanted one man in my lifetime and he didn’t want me.”

“Ah, yes,” Anthony reached out to take her hands into his own.  He was surprisingly warm as his thumbs traced over her knuckles.  “I know you have strong affections for Arnold Goult.  I have seen this in my dreams as I see many things.  Would it help at all if I told you I have dreamed of your brother?”