Wolf Quest (27 page)

“It could be the grizzly influence. A lot of them are shamans. But I’m going to bet on the dryad side this time.” He grinned as they mounted the steps to the front door.

He opened the door and then surprised her by scooping her up into his arms. He carried her across the threshold, then paused to kiss her breathless just inside the house. When he finally let her up for air, her head was spinning. He always seemed to have that sort of effect on her.

“Welcome home, Maria. My mate. My love.” His voice was deep and heartfelt, zinging through her with emotion so strong, it brought a tear to her eye.

“Isn’t he handsome?” a familiar voice sounded from outside at the bottom of the steps.

Jesse set Maria on her feet and sprung into a ready state while she took in the fact that her aunt was already here, standing beside her grandmother, backed by a very amused-looking man in fatigue pants and a black T-shirt. She thought she remembered him from her kitchen and thought his name was Arlo. He tipped his imaginary cap in her direction as he smiled.

“I brought your visitors, Alpha,” Arlo said unnecessarily. I honked the horn, but I think you and your lady were otherwise engaged. He seemed to chuckle, but wisely didn’t allow his mirth to be heard aloud.

Jesse shook his head and stepped back while Maria rushed down the stairs to welcome her family. They enveloped her in herb-scented hugs that were so familiar and so cherished that the tear that had threatened really did fall this time. All three women were smiling and crying after a round of fierce hugs.

When Maria looked around after the crying and hugging had come to a natural end, Jesse and the man were both gone. The front door remained open, so Maria mounted the steps, helping Nona to a seat on the wide front porch. There were wicker chairs and a small, glass-topped mosaic table that looked inviting. Maria answered her family’s questions for a good twenty minutes before Jesse reappeared with a giant tea tray filled with sandwiches and beverages.

Introductions were made as Jesse joined them. He took her aunt’s teasing well, but her nona seemed harder to impress. Finally, she spoke, surprising Maria with her words.

“I’m a human mage, young man. I have no shifter blood. No dryad blood,” Nona said with great dignity. Maria had explained about the family tree in as much detail as she could to her very interested audience. “I was drawn to my husband by his magic, and it’s good to know it was a pure magic, though he never really acknowledged it. He worked hard all his life and was killed in a freak accident that I have long considered suspicious.” Maria hadn’t known that, but questions had to wait until Nona was finished with whatever it was she wanted to say. “I taught my children and grandchildren what I knew, but I always sensed it wasn’t quite enough for them. Their magic is quite different from mine, though we serve the same Mistress. I want you to know that I serve Mother Earth and will not tolerate anything different for my granddaughter. I want to know where you stand on the matter, young wolf, and what your intentions are.”

Jesse nodded gravely, treating her eccentric granny with all the respect of an elder statesman. His gesture touched Maria more than she could say.

“Ma’am. I stand on the side of the Light. I serve the Lady in all Her forms, as do all here in my territory, in my Pack. Unlike most, I am sworn to fight Her enemies wherever I find them. I will not lie. It is dangerous work, but it is my calling and I have trained all my life to be the best I can at it. I do not go unprepared into this fight and I can protect my mate, myself, my men and my Pack. It is my sacred duty, bound by the goddess Herself.”

Wow. Maria noticed the way he put her first. So did her grandmother, judging by the smile just starting to lift the corners of her mouth.

“We have an accord then. I give her into your care with a happy heart, though I could wish you were an accountant rather than a soldier. Still, Mother Earth knows what She is doing. Our Maria was always more adventurous than the rest of her generation. She will make you a good partner on your journey through life.”

Maria felt the magic of her nona’s benediction, and judging by the sparkle in his eyes when he met her gaze, Jesse felt it too. This was it then. They had the blessings of both families, the woods, the Pack Alphas and a whole lot of other shifters she’d met over the course of the past few days. Life wouldn’t always be perfect—there was the
Venifucus
to consider, of course—but her new life with Jesse was well underway, and she couldn’t wait to see where their journey together might lead.

Epilogue

That night, after introducing her relatives to Jason, Sally and Rocky, and spending a very interesting meal discussing family histories and blood lines, Jesse and Maria spent their first night together in their new home. It was everything Maria had ever hoped for and more. There was something special about being in the place they would spend a good portion of their lives. A house they would make a home. Together.

The next day, Sally came to get Maria early. She already had Nona and her aunt in the vehicle and the four women went together to a place called Yellowtail Ridge on foot. Sally interpreted what the trees told her in their song that only she could hear. Maria felt the welcome that came up to her from the very earth and the roots of the great trees and saplings all around.

Her aunt stayed silent about what she might be feeling, probably in deference to Nona, who was her mother, after all. Nona hung back when they approached a willow tree that was glowing to Maria’s vision, though none of the others said they saw anything different about it.

“This is where Leonora is resting from her injuries,” Sally told them. The night before she’d described the battle that had ended in the dryad being poisoned and near death in detail. Sally had used the power of the forest to encase Leonora in the trunk of this willow tree and it had promised to keep her safe until they could gather enough of the dryad’s descendants to work a great undertaking of magic to free her and heal her of her grievous wounds.

Maria felt the tug on her heart when she thought about the dryad imprisoned in the tree. If she looked very hard, she could almost see the outline of a female body held within the bosom of the willow.

“Leonora feels your presence but says you are unable to hear her,” Sally reported, seeming to be listening to something only she could hear.

“You can speak to her?” Nona asked sharply.

“A little. It’s hard for her with her energy so low, but from time to time she does speak to me still,” Sally answered. “She’s glad you’re here. You too, Margarita.”

Nona gasped. “How does she know my name?”

“Leonora is far older than the oldest tree in this forest,” Sally replied with a gentle smile. “She was able to track some of her progeny and watch who they married. She says she was happy when Antonio joined her line to yours. Your blood is of proud lineage and your ancestors fought alongside those who opposed the great evil
in days of old.”

“So my grandfather always claimed,” Nona answered with a tear in her eye. “Much of my family history was lost when he passed. I’ve done the best I could with what little he was able to teach me before he left for the next realm.”

“And Leonora says you’ve done very well. You’ve made Guiseppe proud.”

Nona’s tear fell then, running down her face in a happy little river at the message from beyond.

“We must gather all the women of our line that we can reach.” Sally grew serious once more. “It will take a great deal of magic of all different flavors to free Leonora safely. And she says it’s time to reunite the daughters of the dryad. Our forest magic will be needed in the times to come, as will yours, Margarita. All magic that is used for good will be welcomed into the circle.”

Nona smiled like a young girl and Maria was touched by Leonora’s words spoken through Sally’s lips.

“Thank her for me, Sally, please. It would be my honor to help in whatever small way I can.”

“Good.” Sally beamed. “You can start by calling all your grandchildren and inviting them to a family reunion.”

“Done.” Nona laughed and the rest of the women followed suit.

“One thing’s for sure,” Maria said with a giggle. “This is going to be one hell of a party.”

“Magical boot camp is more like it,” Sally added, sobering a bit. “If Leonora has her way. She wants us to train up our magic so the forest won’t suffer while she’s indisposed. And so we’ll be ready when and if the time comes to fight the
Venifucus
.”

“I’ve already seen some of what they can do. I think it’s a really good idea to prepare. I got lucky this time,” Maria replied. “Next time I want to be prepared as well as lucky.”

Later that night, after making love to her mate, Maria told Jesse all about the hen party in the woods. He agreed with her desire to train her magic and added another facet to her plans.

“I haven’t been able to give you the full tour yet, but there’s a fully operational dojo a short walk from here where all my men train. I think the women should make use of it as well. You know as well as I do that when and if the
Venifucus
come, they won’t care if you’re male, female or even a child. We can add some aikido classes for fun and hopefully train up a lot of the wives and kids while we prepare them for the worst-case scenario.”

“I’d love to be part of that,” Maria enthused. “But at some point we have to go back to Iowa so I can clean up, pack the rest of my stuff and turn over the sanctuary to someone else.”

“You could also set up a vet practice here. Even a sanctuary of sorts, if you really want it. We often try to help some of the wild ones who live in our territory if they get into trouble. You could be a big help with that.”

She sat up and leaned on his bare chest, feeling excited for the possibilities of her new life. She’d thought she wouldn’t be able to continue her veterinary practice, but she should have realized that Jesse would find a way for her to fulfill all her potentials.

“Can I? Really?” She stroked his chest, eager to hear his answer. “It wouldn’t be as big as what I had in Iowa, but a small practice would be really wonderful.”

“While I’m at it, is there anything else I can do to repair the damage I did to your peaceful life?” He laughed. “I’ve got the dojo so you can continue with your aikido. I’ll build you an animal hospital with my own hands if I have to. I’ve given you my house, my forest, my Pack, and most of all…my heart.”

“If I have your heart—” she leaned in to kiss him, “—I really don’t need anything else at all.”

About the Author

Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Facebook, her Yahoo group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BiancaDArc/join
, or through the various links on her website,
www.biancadarc.com
.

Look for these titles by Bianca D’Arc

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Brotherhood of Blood

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Forever Valentine

Wolf Hills

Tales of the Were

Lords of the Were

Inferno

Dragon Knights

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Prince of Spies

Wings of Change

FireDrake

Dragon Storm

Keeper of the Flame

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Resonance Mates

Hara’s Legacy

Davin’s Quest

Jaci’s Experiment

Grady’s Awakening

Gifts of the Ancients

Warrior’s Heart

String of Fate

Cat’s Cradle

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Print Anthologies

Ladies of the Lair

I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1

Brotherhood of Blood

Caught by Cupid

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Resonance Mates

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Danger prowls on two legs…

Wolf Hills

© 2012 Bianca D’Arc

Brotherhood of Blood, Book 5

Detective Sally Decker’s Wyoming trip to visit her newlywed friend, Carly, turns into a dangerous adventure into the unknown when she learns Carly’s husband is a master vampire, and there’s a pack of werewolves living just up the road. As if that wasn’t alarming enough, the sexy Alpha wolf has taken a shine to her.