Moon Spell (The Tale of Lunarmorte #1) (37 page)

“He said you
’
re angry?” Ella prodded.

Caia nodded her head in answer but refused to say anything. She almost smiled at the tendrils of frustration that whispered out of mother and daughter.

“He
’
s already called around the rest of the pack and explained the situation.”

Orange juice flew everywhere.

“He what?”

Irini shrugged. “He had to. You wouldn
’
t believe some of the grumblings. They don
’
t like being left out of the loop.”

“What?” Caia actually laughed at that as she jumped to her feet. “
They
don
’
t like being left out of the loop?” She shook her head at the audacity of it and strode out of the kitchen without another word. Hearing Irini
’
s chase she flicked her hand behind her shoulder, enjoying the sound of the kitchen door slamming closed and cutting off Irini
’
s trail.

“Ugh!” she heard Irini
’
s shriek. “Damn her magik!”

Caia did chuckle then, grabbing her book bag and dashing out of the house. As she drove to school she managed to tame an anger that fought to rise. There was no time for anger. This morning she had awoken with one purpose, and that was to concentrate her all into saving Jaeden. Lucien needed to be tucked to the back of her brain and this whole mating fiasco thrown out of the window. She may be able to trust Lucien when it came to pack politics and maybe even this business with war, but she didn
’
t think she could hand over her heart into his safekeeping. The truth was, after she had fallen asleep last night, she had returned into her connection with Ethan. She could feel the house he was in, Jaeden in the basement below him; she could feel his frustration and anxiety over something, and the more he paced towards the doorway of the home, the closer the fingers of her trace reached for his location. She was close to finding him, she knew it. And with that certainty came the realization that Marion was most probably right about her part in the war. Maybe not now but soon Caia was going to be a frontline soldier, and love just didn
’
t come into that equation.

No matter how good Lucien
’
s scent felt on her skin.

“Caia.” Sebastian was at her side as soon as she stepped out of the car. He inhaled and then paled, his eyes flashing their hurt. “It
’
s true.”

Damn, she had forgotten to expect this reaction. “No, it
’
s not.”

His eyes widened and he glanced behind him to Mal and the others crowded around the SUV. By the lecherous smirk on Mal
’
s face, and the fury on Alexa
’
s, her scent had already drifted up wind to them and they knew the truth of what their parents had told them this morning.

“But you smell like him,” Sebastian replied in confusion, his expression wounded.

“It was a mistake. And please don
’
t look at me like that.”

“But you did...” he trailed off.

Not wanting to go into the details of that with him, Caia shrugged past him, heading towards school. “Yes. I was upset OK, it just happened. I did not expect to find myself spiritually and fertilely bound to Lucien.”

She sensed Sebastian
’
s smugness before he said, “I told him you
’
d be mad.”

“Oh yeah, you already knew right. He warned you off.”

“Sounds like you
’
re mad about that, too.”

She winced at the hope in his voice. How could he still want her even after she had been with Lucien? She sighed. “I
’
m just mad he told you before me.” Caia stopped and glared. “No, let
’
s rephrase that. I
’
m mad he didn
’
t even tell me.”

“What does that mea-”

“Forget it.” She blushed, realizing that none of them knew that Lucien
had
to tell her because of the whole “sex=moon=glowing hands” thing. “I don
’
t want to talk about it. I
’
m trying to concentrate on getting Jaeden back.”

Sebastian grabbed at her arm bringing her to a standstill again. “You have news?” he asked eagerly.

She nodded, knowing her eyes emulated the eager hope in his. “I
’
m getting closer. I can feel it.”

“What are you planning?”

Caia didn
’
t hesitate. “When I find her I
’
m going after her. And you
’
re coming with me.”

Sebastian grinned. “How are we going to do that?”

She shrugged. “If I
’
m the one finding her I
’
m in a good position to make demands. Anyway Lucien owes me this.”

Before he could say anything the pack
’
s scents hit her. She turned to watch them heading towards her and braced herself. She was grateful for Sebastian who edged closer to her, offering her comfort and reinforcement. She just had to ignore the niggling possessiveness that still lingered in his emotions.

“Well.” Mal grinned as the group reached them, his eyes full of mischief and laughter. “Go, Caia. I guess I
’
ve got to be extra respectful to you now.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”

“Hey, I
’
m not saying anything. I
’
m impressed. You got yours.”

“I got mine?”

Sebastian growled, sensing her tone. “Back off, Mal.”

He just laughed and shook his head. “You need to watch yourself there, Sebby boy. There
’
s a difference between
protecting
the Alpha
’
s fêmea as we all should... and
coveting
her.”

“The threat of Lucien
’
s wrath doesn
’
t seem to bother him.” Dana whistled. “How hot, Sebastian.”

Caia blanched at the flush on Sebastian
’
s cheeks. “Leave him alone.”

“Well,” Alexa spoke for the first time, her eyes spitting fire, “I guess we better do as she says.”

The rest of the pack tittered and moved to pass them. “Whore,” the word whispered from Alexa
’
s spiteful mouth to find Caia
’
s ears. Sebastian bristled and she had to lay a hand on his chest to stop him going after the female.

They stood in silence for a moment and then the bell for first period rang. Caia turned back to Sebastian, her eyes sad now. “I don
’
t think I
’
m ever going to get used to the pack
’
s temperament. Only yesterday Mal defended me against
‘
them
’
and now...”

Sebastian snorted, “He may be obnoxious, but he
’
s not spiteful. He
’
s just having fun, enjoying us squirm a little. It
’
s Alexa and Dana I
’
d worry about.”

“I
’
m not worried,” she said softly. “I have no intention of taking up my position beside Lucien.”

“What?” Sebastian gasped. “Are you serious?”

“I told you it
’
s not even a discussion. All I care about is getting Jaeden back.”

His eyes brightened considerably, and he smiled, trying to look nonchalant. “And after that?”

She shrugged. “I need to speak to Marion about it. I guess more training. For the war.”

“Caia-”

“Please, Sebastian. I don
’
t want to talk about it. I need to concentrate on Jaeden.”

Sebastian sighed but nodded, and led her into the school. “Let me know when I should put my game face on.”

Caia grinned, feeling a rush of anticipation. For the first time ever she felt in control and certain that she was capable of bringing her friend home, even if it meant facing off with Ethan. For the first time since she was told about the prophecy, she believed she actually stood a chance.

Ah, the arrogance
of youth.

Ethan smirked at Lars as he railed on and on about how he would never have been so stupid as Xylena had to have walked into the hands of the Daylight Coven.
Lars
, who was twenty-five years old and could barely master a basic communication spell. Xylena had been a two hundred year old faerie who had worked her way up the ranks from peasantry to Ethan
’
s right hand. There was no comparison between the two.

“Caia didn
’
t detect your presence?” Ethan interrupted.

Lars shook his head quickly, sending sparkles of sweat flying from his hair. Ethan curled his lip in distaste.
“No, my lord. In fact I was extremely fast in getting the information you needed. Xylena is dead and the pack now know about their missing pup.”

Just what he needed. He grumbled and restrained himself from throwing something at the vainglorious idiot.
“Fine. Change of plans. We don
’
t want the pack finding us here-”

“But, my lord, I thought this was what you wanted? The pack weak and emotional over the loss of one of their own?”

“Don
’
t. Ever. Interrupt me again,” he hissed.

Lars blanched and backed up. “Forgive me.”

Ethan jumped to his feet and began pacing. “Jaeden was never meant to be that kind of pawn; she was just a bonus punching bag. Now the pack is looking for her and I don
’
t have any inside information on what
’
s happening with Caia and her Portuguese lover.” He stopped and made a clicking noise with his tongue as he thought.

After a tense few minutes he huffed and turned back to Lars. “We need to kill Caia.”

“Isn
’
t that a little hasty? We don
’
t know for certain how things have progressed with her and the pack.”

“Lucien
’
s her mate. It
’
s enough to send him crazy and obliterate order in the pack. We need Caia gone before they become aware of her trace magik. They
’
ll know for certain that Caia is the-” he choked off, hating to admit it. “Is the true Head of the Coven, and that the Midnights are incredibly vulnerable with her in Daylight hands. Once she
’
s dead we
’
ll attack. The pack will be too grief-stricken to keep up much of a defense.”

“I don
’
t mean to question you my Lord but won
’
t that draw the attention you specifically wished to avoid?”

“No,” Ethan sneered. “Why would it? It will just be you and me taking them down.”

Lars paled. “Two of us against an entire pack?”

“For Gaia
’
s sake man, they
’
re a tiny pack and we have everything we need to know about them from Xylena
’
s findings. We
’
ll sneak in after Caia
’
s death and take them out during their mourning. They
’
ll never see it coming.”

“But won
’
t they be expecting our attack if we kill Caia.”

Ethan smirked. “I didn
’
t say
we
were going to kill Caia.”

“You ready to
talk to me rationally yet?”

Caia groaned and twisted around on her bed to see Lucian leaning casually against her doorframe. “Let me see. It
’
s been less than twenty four hours since I found out that you lied and possibly tricked me into becoming your mate. What do you think?”

His face darkened and she took some satisfaction in his anger. “Tricked you?” he seethed quietly, prowling into the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

“Uh-uh.” Caia scrambled off the bed and onto her feet. She flicked her hand and the door whooshed back open.

“Getting pretty good at that,” he grumbled and threw himself into her computer chair.

“Lucien, get out.”

“No.”

“Fine. I will,” she huffed and headed towards the door. He cut her off in seconds, looming over her like a giant cliff face.