United (The Ushers) (20 page)

“I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Dad?” Dev’s voice was small, confused.

“Yeah, son. It’s me.”

“I’m so sorry, Dad.” Dev burst into tears, and Fionn moved to the bed to hold his son.

“Shhhh. Dev, it’s okay. It’s okay son,” he murmured, rocking his son.

“I don’t understand,” Devon said. “I just wanted you and Mom to be together. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody.”

Fionn’s blood ran cold. As a wolf, violence and death were a part of the fabric of his society. But Devon was not a wolf. He wouldn’t accept violence the way a wolf would.

“Did you, son? Hurt anybody?” he asked, watching the tears filling his son’s eyes.

“I showed them the photos. I sent them after your people.”

“Oh, Devon, you didn’t do that. Gordon Kirk did. He was manipulating all of you. Using you.”

“But I did it, Dad. I wanted to do it.” Dev shook his head. “Even if he was using me, I did it willingly.”

“Is that what you want now?” Fionn asked softly. “Do you still think I’m a freak? Do you still want Monica to die?”

Devon shook his head again, more vehemently. “I don’t want to hurt anybody. I only wanted…”

“Me to be with your mom?” Fionn frowned. “Dev, you know that’s never going to happen, right?”

“She still loves you.”

“No, son.” Fionn shook his head. “Your mom and I, we were never in love. I know that hurts to hear. Your mom and I are friends, and we care about each other, and she is one hell of a good woman. But Nikki and I are just friends, never anything more than that.”

“Then why is she still single?” Dev asked.

“Maybe because she thinks raising you is more important than dating?”

“I wouldn’t mind if she dated.” Devon shrugged, wincing at the pain that the motion caused.

Fionn handed him one of the pain pills Graham had left with him and stood to get him a glass of water. As he returned from the bathroom and handed his son the glass, he was struck by how small and child-like his body looked, while his eyes had become those of a man.

“You need to trust your mom to make the decision to date when she wants to, son. No matchmaking.” Fionn grinned. “Especially not with me, ’cause I’m already married.”

“To Monica?”

“Yeah. And guess what?”

“What?”

“We’re having a baby.”

“For real?” Dev’s face lit with surprise and fear.

“You’re gonna be a big brother again. What do you think about that?”

“Is the baby a wolf?”

“Yes. Well, he or she will be. We don’t shift for the first time until we’re in our twenties.”

“That’s so weird.” Dev’s eyelids drooped. “Dad? Can I be what you are? Can you change me with a bite?”

“I’m sorry, son. It doesn’t work that way.”

“What are you going to tell Mom?”

“I’m going to tell her you had a hunting accident. And that I don’t approve of you owning a gun.”

“You own a gun.”

“I wish I didn’t have to, son.”

Chapter Twenty-One

T
HE
G
ATES
T
O
T
HE
C
OMPOUND
looked unfamiliar to Monica from the outside. She’d expected a sense of rightness, a sense of homecoming now that the wolves were united and she and Fionn were leading them into a new era. They would gradually make themselves known to humans, and the compound would be ground zero for Were politics. The packs had met and agreed to mimic the human representative government; they would be choosing and sending a representative to live at the compound. It was funny to think that such a dictatorial society was embracing the model of a republic. Here at the gates, Monica had expected to feel like she was coming home, but the world was changing, and she wondered what home truly felt like after all.

Jack had driven ahead as soon as they had learned about Kathy’s role in Gordon’s power play, So it was just Monica and Fionn, Annie, and Graham in the car as they approached the gate. Fionn reached out and stroked a hand across her cheekbone.

“It’s all going to work out, love.”
His voice in her mind was gentle.

“I know.”

“We’ve done it.”

“And now?”

“Now, we take care of our wolves.”

“And that’s all?”

“That’s everything.”

Upon seeing the former Alpha’s car approaching, the sentry opened the gate and waved them through, bowing her head as they entered. Fionn dropped Graham and Annie off in front of the dormitory building before parking the car. He turned and took Monica’s face between his hands, pressing a heart-stopping sweet kiss to her lips. “Whatever happens, mate, I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “I’m so sad for Kathy.” She felt the sob tumbling out, and though she wanted to blame it on hormones, the fact remained that one of her closest friends, one of her most trusted advisors, had betrayed them all. She had talked to Bianca, had spoken on Kathy’s behalf as she’d promised, but that was as far as she could intervene. Fionn murmured to her as he dropped kiss after kiss across her face, wiping away her tears with thumbs and lips. As quickly as it came, the storm of emotion passed, and she was ready to face Kathy. First, she reached out to Bianca.

“Bee.”

“Mon? When did you get back?”

“Just now. Are you ready to handle the Kathy situation?”

“Ready? No. But I guess I have to be. I’ll meet you there.”

Together with her mate, Monica walked toward the building they used as a prison. Ellen was at the gate, and she waved them inside. Monica tugged her into a hug, rubbing her cheek along Ellen’s.

“You okay, boss?” Ellen asked quietly.

Monica nodded.

“She’s in there.” She gestured down the hallway to where Gerard stood outside a door.

As Monica walked down the hallway toward the Guide, Fionn put a hand on Ellen’s shoulder in thanks, then followed. Bianca and Jack arrived a moment later. Gerard opened the door, and the five of them entered.

Kathy sat on the bed, watching them warily. An air of resigned pain had settled across her features.

“You were my sister,” Bianca hissed, and Kathy winced. “My friend.”

“Bianca…”

“No. I don’t want to hear an excuse. Or an apology. You were going to kill me. And my baby.”

“I didn’t want to, Bianca. I was hoping I could wait it out, and I did.”

“That’s the only reason I haven’t killed you already.” Bianca sighed.

“Are you going to kill me?” Kathy asked, her voice as small as Monica had ever heard it.

“Why did you never tell us that Tavis Kirk was your father?” Monica asked.

“I couldn’t talk about my family. He made it hurt. It almost killed me to tell you about the baby.” Kathy sighed. “I wasn’t as strong as Gordon. I couldn’t protect my head against him; I was too weak. Bianca, you should kill me. I failed you.” She raised her head and met the Albina’s clear lavender-gray eyes with her own watery blue ones.

Bianca had always been a ruthless fighter. Monica knew her friend could shift and kill faster than most, so she wasn’t surprised at the crackle of energy and the flash of white fur before her. A horrifying howl rent the air, and Monica closed her eyes against the noise. When she opened them, Bianca once again stood in her human form, staring down at Kathy, who clutched a bloody hand to her chest. Beyond simply blooding her, Bianca had duplicated Annie’s injuries, severing the outermost fingers from Kathy’s left hand.

“Kathy Kirk, you are stripped of rank and severed from Amazon Pack. You are now considered a rogue wolf,” Bianca intoned formally. Then she knelt in front of Kathy and looked in her eyes. “If I ever see you again, I will let Sarita’s Guide tear you to pieces.” She stood and walked from the room, with Jack right behind her.

Kathy stood and faced Monica and Fionn.

“I’m still wolf,” she said. “And I am loyal to you.” She bared her neck, offering both obeisance and apology at once.

Monica could accept one, but not the other. She and Fionn both stroked a hand down the side of Kathy’s face, but neither took her throat in their teeth.

“I’m sorry, Kathy,” Monica whispered. “It’s time for you to go.”

Fionn took Monica’s hand and guided her out of the room. She turned to Gerard. “Escort her from the compound.”

When they reached the place where Ellen sat guard at the door, Monica paused again. “Is anyone else being held right now?”

Ellen shook her head.

“Call someone to clean the cell and dispose of the fingers. Then, I believe you should go spend some time with Graham.” Monica patted her friend’s shoulder, noting the blush that crept up her face.

“How did you know?” Ellen whispered.

“He didn’t stop thinking about you the entire drive back. It was kind of hard to miss.” Monica smiled. “Go. Go claim your mate. He has some fun stuff planned for you.”

“Nicely played,” Fionn murmured as they walked toward the library, hand in hand.

“Thank you.” She acknowledged the praise with a nod. “Do you want to run?”

“Mmm… Run with my mate under the stars the night before the full moon? Yeah, I can handle that.” Fionn started stripping off his clothes.

With a laugh of delight, Monica followed, and together, they ran fast and hard toward the woods. Monica felt the speed of their run all the way into her bones, and she howled. She needed to feel her limits tonight, needed to test her endurance. When finally, she collapsed by a tree in a small clearing, panting, her mate lay beside her and caressed her muzzle with his own.

“I thought you might come here.” Angelo stepped into the moonlight. He sat down beside them, and they shifted.

“What are you doing here?” Monica asked.

“It’s time for me to go,” he said. “I’ve rented office space in New York. I’m starting a consulting company. I’m going to help the other packs set up their own business interests.”

“You’re going to live as an outlier?” Monica asked.

Angelo shook his head. “No,
Querida
. I severed from Amazon earlier this evening. Bianca is going to ask Graham to take over my role. I…I don’t want to come back here every time the moon calls me.” A pained expression on his face, he met her eyes. “I’m sorry. I am truly happy for you both, but seeing you together, starting your family, it’s too much for me right now.”

“Angelo.” She felt a sharp pain in her chest. “I need you. You’re my best friend. What will I do without you?”

“You’ll be fine. And you’ll be able to find me when it’s time for me to come home.” He smiled, dropping a kiss on her cheek. He reached out and shook Fionn’s hand before turning and walking into the woods.

“Don’t shift back yet,”
they felt Annie purr into their minds just before she walked into the clearing.

“Please don’t tell us you’re leaving, too?” Monica’s eyes grew huge.

Annie laughed. “No, I’m not.” She sat down, facing her Usher and his mate. “You guys did well. We still have a lot of work to do before we start revealing ourselves to the humans. Angelo is going to help with that. Mon, you’ll miss him, but he’s got his own work to do, helping the other packs protect their financial interests. I don’t think the Mother’s plans for him are done yet.”

Monica reached out to hug the other woman.

“Thanks, Annie. Will you stay and help us?” Monica asked, holding her breath.

“Yes. I can’t see the future anymore, which is kind of refreshing, actually, especially because I wasn’t all that good at it. You guys and Bear are the only family I’ve got, and you’re all here, so here is where I’ll stay.”

“Good.” Monica smiled. “Now get lost so I can seduce my mate.” She waggled a brow at Annie, who took the hint and disappeared into the woods.

Turning to face Fionn, she leaned in for a kiss. His lips were firm and sweet, and his hands buried in her hair as she smiled against his mouth, tugging him with her to the forest floor.

“We made it,” she whispered as he covered her body with his own.

He smiled in a response so sweet, she thought she would die of it.

“You saved me. Over and over, you saved me,” he told her as he began to move inside her.

She shivered and pulled him close. “That’s always the task of the Usher’s mate. We learn how in ‘Putting up with your Usher 101,’” she teased.

“Good class.” He winked before claiming her mouth in a kiss that left her breathless and reaching for the stars, for the moon, for the world, and for her mate to share it all.

About the Author

Vanessa North was born in New England, but moved to the South as a teenager. She reads voraciously, writes obsessively, and takes thousands of photos of the people she loves.