“When the time comes, yes, she will be yours.”
Nick’s head fell forward, his chin nearly touching his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw at her declaration. He hadn’t wanted to hope, hadn’t wanted to give thought to the possibility of Kara being his mate, but now he had absolute confirmation.
“Why have I felt drawn to her if she isn’t of age? There aren’t supposed to be mating signs until the females are eighteen, right?” he asked as he raised his head to once again look at his creator.
“Circumstances often change necessities. It is necessary that the healers be protected. Who better to protect them than their true mates? I know your heart, child. I know you would never dishonor her. I trust you with one who has not yet come of age. She’s close, and in many ways, because of her experiences, she is more mature than many adults. I also know that Kara has been alone for a very long time, and it’s time for healing to begin ― not only in her but in all of my healers. Help her heal, Nickolas. Help her become the healer she is meant to be, and she in turn will help you become the wolf I intend you to be.” With that command, she was gone.
Her words absorbed into him and the mission the Great Luna set before him burrowed deep into his marrow and became his purpose. He would protect her, he would listen to her, laugh with her, bear her sorrow, and ― if it came down to it ― he would die for her: Kara, seventeen, orphan, gypsy healer, and his true mate.
Kale sat on the bed in the upstairs room that held the scent of the one who belonged to him. It was all he had of her, just her scent. But that small detail was imbedded in his mind, and he would be able to recognize her anywhere simply by her scent. But he wanted to know more. He wanted to know what color her hair was, her eyes, and her aura. Kale wanted to know what her laugh sounded like and what her skin felt like. He wanted to know everything about her. The growing ache inside of him was beginning to fester like a thorn buried deep in his paw. Their bond was strong already, though he still hadn’t been able to reach out to her mind. He had tried many times, but he knew that, more than likely, he would have to be within a mile of her to be able to connect with her through their thoughts. It was frustrating as hell to be able to feel her but be unable to touch her. Kale wondered how long he could hold out before he lost his sanity. He’d thought that it was bad wondering if he’d ever meet his true mate, but actually knowing she was out there but being unable to do a damn thing about it was much, much worse.
“Is this driving you as crazy as it’s driving me?” he asked, speaking into the empty room. She couldn’t hear him physically or mentally, but Kale couldn’t stop himself from imagining what it would be like to have a conversation with her. He wondered what her voice sounded like. Was it smoky and sexy or soft and peaceful? Did she have dimples or freckles? Was she tall or short, thin or curvy?
Kale rubbed his face and growled in frustration. He was going to drive himself crazy if he continued to pine after her. He stood and walked toward the door. Just before he stepped out, he looked back at the bed that had been hers. We need her, his wolf murmured in his mind. Kale agreed wholeheartedly. Soon, he told his wolf, soon we will be with her.
Ciro reveled in the wind blowing through his fur as he ran. He’d shed his human skin and taken his wolf form after Peri had paid them a visit. He could tell the other males that felt as though they had a mate in the pixie realm were growing as restless as he.
The disturbing information that Perizada had dropped in their laps regarding the reemergence of the vampires wasn’t helping his uneasiness. Now, not only was his mate out there away from his protection, there were vampires who had decided to crawl from the bowels of the earth. Ciro felt pulled in two different directions. His need to find his mate, but he also needed to destroy the blood sucking leeches. Though the vampires had kept a very low profile for a very long time, they were an evil race with nothing good in them. As long as they survived, they were a threat to anyone he cared about.
The rhythm of his paws hitting the ground was a comforting beat that helped him focus his chaotic thoughts and brought him a small measure of peace. Being surrounded by nature in his wolf skin was a high that was hard to explain to those who weren’t Canis lupis. There was just something amazing about being connected to the natural world. He looked forward to the day when he could share it with her. He would have to wait for that day. Ciro knew, though he wanted to meet her so very badly, it wasn’t time. For whatever reason, something deep inside of him knew that it wasn’t time to meet her. He didn’t know if it was because she needed more time, or if perhaps, he was supposed to deal with the current tribulations before they could be together. Whatever the reason, he’d learned to listen to his instincts. So until the day came for him to meet her and claim her, he would do whatever task the Great Luna had for him and trust the goddess to keep his mate safe.
Anna shivered as she followed behind the surprisingly quick pixie woman. Her feet seemed to be on autopilot because her brain certainly wasn’t telling them what to do. She was too focused on the fact that she could feel, literally feel, a man’s emotions. It was intimate ― too intimate. He was determined, worried, frustrated, and a whole slew of other emotions, which were scrambling her own.
Anna pushed branches out of her way as the pixie woman went deeper into the forest and veered off the path upon which they had been traveling. She guessed that it had been around twenty minutes since the woman had found Anna hunched over on the ground. Since she’d told Anna to follow and the gypsy had agreed, they’d been moving quickly. There was a small voice in the back of Anna’s head that kept asking her why she was running. Since the minute Peri and the others had entered her mother’s shop in New Orleans, she’d known that her life was about to change dramatically and she had been excited about it. And now, though she still didn’t want to return to her old life, she was terrified of what this new life would entail.
Anna’s attention was drawn from her thoughts at the sound of running water. She followed the pixie woman around a sharp bend and had to backtrack a few steps to keep from plowing into her. Anna’s mouth dropped open at the site before her. A crystal waterfall cascaded down in front of her, splashing into a sapphire blue lagoon. It wasn’t a huge waterfall, maybe only fifteen feet high, but the vibrant colors of the blue water and the green foliage was breathtaking.
“We have to go through that,” the pixie woman pointed at the water.
“Um, why?” Anna asked, hesitantly. She eyed the waterfall warily, staring at the slick moss-covered rocks and then at the deep basin of water. She searched for the bottom, but though the water was crystal clear, it was much too deep for her to see.
“Well, we could go around it, but then he’d be able to follow your scent. If we go through the water, your scent will end here.”
Anna’s mouthed formed an O as she nodded. “Um, is there anything in the water that I should be concerned about?” Though Anna was a competent swimmer, she hadn’t forgotten that this was the pixie realm, and she had no idea what kind of beings, other than pixies, lived here. Who knows what could be hiding in that water?
The pixie woman tapped her chin as her face scrunched up in thought. “Well, now that you mention it, there are some mer-people that inhabit this lagoon. If you don’t swim fast enough, then they might try and tag you. If they do that, then you’re it. That means you have to stay in the lagoon and play water tag with them for all eternity or until another human comes by and you tag him or her. But who knows when that will be?”
Anna’s eye’s widened as they shifted from the woman to the water and then back to the woman. Anna opened her mouth to say something. What, she wasn’t sure. Then the pixie burst out into a high-pitched laugh.
“You should see your face,” the little pixie said between wracks of laughter. “I’m only messing with you, Healer. There is nothing in the water that would harm you. I’m not saying there aren’t things that could harm you, but they wouldn’t. You are a Gypsy Healer, sacred among many sup
ernatural races, not just the wolves. You will be fine. Now, follow me.”
To Anna’s surprise, the pixie dove into the blue water and began swimming across lightly skimming across the surface of the water. She used her arms and legs, as well as her wings to propel herself along, frolicking in the water as she went. Anna stood frozen for several seconds, nibbling on her bottom lip, trying to argue with herself about why she should just turn back around and go back to her friends. The argument ended abruptly when she heard another howl, this time much closer.
Anna dove into the lagoon without a second thought. The cool water rushed over her as she broke through the surface and plunged deep into the cove. She opened her eyes to a plethora of life teaming in the lagoon. The scene looked like something that should have been in the deep ocean, not in a fresh water lagoon. But then again, she was in a pixie realm, who was she to say what should be in their bodies of water? There were fish of all different sizes and plants that swayed rhythmically in the currents. Anna decided that if a crab suddenly started singing Kiss the Girl, she wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. She was quickly running out of air. Giving one last look at the underwater flora and fauna, she kicked hard propelling herself back up to the surface. As soon as her face was above the water she saw that the pixie woman had made it all the way across and was now standing on the opposite bank. She was making some motions with her hands and her lips were moving quickly. When she saw that Anna was watching, she motioned for the girl to hurry. Anna kicked hard with her legs and pulled the water with her arms, quickly moving herself toward the opposite bank.
As soon as she reached the rocks upon which the Pixie was standing, Anna climbed out of the water. Her long, flowing skirt now clung to her legs making it difficult to move. She reached down and pulled up the material, gathering it in her hands and twisting it. She squeezed until all she could get out of the skirt were drops instead of gushes of water.
The pixie woman turned around to face her after several more moments of hand waving and near-silent muttering. “Ready?”
Anna shook her head. “First, I need to know three things.”
The woman folded her arms in front of her and gave Anna a look that said to hurry it up.
“What’s your name, what were you just doing, and why are you helping me?” she asked.
“Fine,” she huffed. “If you insist on doing this now, don’t come crying to me when that wolf comes barreling across that water. Dogs can swim fast you know? My name is Adira, that’s ah-deer-ah,” she pronounced it slowly as though Anna couldn’t have gotten it the first time. “I was working a little magic to alert me when your wolf gets close, and I’m helping you because I have a soft spot for women dealing with pushy men.” Adira glanced back at the direction they’d come from and then looked back at Anna. “Now, is that enough information to tide you over until we aren’t sitting ducks, waiting on the pack of Labradors to catch us?”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Crap. Yes, I’m good. We can have girl time later. Lead the way.”
Adira’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure? I’ll be happy to tell you a little more about myself. Let’s see, I was born in a little hovel in—”
Anna’s head spun around as she heard leaves rustling. “Nope!” she nearly hollered as she grabbed Adira’s hand. “Don’t care where you were born. Let’s just go!”
The little pixie woman laughed as she took off at a run with Anna in tow. The sounds of more howls and growls didn’t slow Anna down. She kept running without looking back, though there was a part of her that desperately wanted to see him. Let’s be honest. There was a small part of her that desperately wanted to turn and run straight back (hopefully) into his arms.
“Quierda, why are you running?” Anna nearly fell over when his rich voice caressed her mind.
“Are you okay?” Adira asked as she glanced back at her, though neither of them slowed their run.
“He spoke to me.”
Adira’s eyes were the ones to widen this time. “That’s not good. If he’s able to use your bond to speak to you, then that means he is close. Pick up those long tree trunks you call legs and move!”
Anna was breathing like a freight train when they finally came to a stop. She leaned over, placing her hands on her knees as she sucked in great gulps of air, trying desperately to fill her deprived lungs.
“What–are–we” ― Anna attempted to speak around her breaths ― “doing?”
Adira was waving her hands in front of her and muttering under her breath again. She paused and looked up at Anna. “I’m making my place a little more accommodating for you.”
Anna didn’t understand the statement but decided it wasn’t important. Air was what was important at the moment. She stood up and raised her arms over her head, attempting to suck up as much of the precious oxygen as she could. After several minutes, she was finally able to breathe normally again.
“That should do it,” Adira said as she clapped her hands together. “Welcome to my home.” She motioned to two large trees growing closely together. Anna was about to comment on the very lack of a home, but then she was struck dumb as the trees seemed to stand up and step away from each other.
“What the…” Anna mumbled as she leaned in closer, staring at the moving trees. She watched in amazement as the trees separated, pulling their leaves and branches with them, creating an opening, which could only be described as a doorway. The doorway was just large enough for Anna to fit through. She stepped forward at Adira’s encouraging. Once inside she heard the leaves rustling again, and she turned just in time to see the trees move back to their original places, again intertwining their branches, effectively closing them inside.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a small circular room, made of what looked like tree bark. A canopy of leaves rested overhead, blocking out the sunlight. Then a bright flame jumped up in the small hearth on the opposite side of the room, casting a soft glow across the pixie’s home and Anna’s eyes twinkled in delight. Adira’s small hut was something out of a fairytale, complete with bowing branches for a bed and tweeting birds for music. There was a circular rug in the middle of the room that looked to be made of vines and to the right of the rug was a small table and chairs. Little knickknacks carved from wood and stone adorned the shelves of two cabinets and books lined another. Anna felt as though she were looking at one of the small gnome houses that she often saw in the flower shops near her mother’s store.
“Did you do all of this?” Anna pointed around the room.
Adira smiled, “Home, sweet, home.” Then she waved her hand and said a word in a language that Anna didn’t understand, and suddenly a chair, big enough for Anna to sit in, appeared.
“Whoa,” she breathed as she looked from the chair to the pixie.
“You aren’t in Kansas anymore,” Adira said as her smile widened.
“You know the Wizard of Oz?”
The pixie laughed. “Things get boring here sometimes. I can’t help it if the human realm has better entertainment than ours.”
Anna took the offered seat and sank into the soft plushness. It wasn’t until she was completely enveloped in the arms of the chair that she realized just how tired she was.
“Why don’t you sleep, dear Anna?” Adira’s voice had taken on a musical quality, and though Anna wanted to ask her about it, she found that she couldn’t make her mouth work. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer hold them open. Adira’s voice was the last thing she heard as she drifted off.
“Rest now, child. Your questions will still be there when you wake.”
Adira watched as the healer slept. Even in sleep she was restless. The pixie female couldn’t believe how young she was, and yet the wolves expected her to take a mate. The child had barely even tasted life. How could they think it was okay to tie her down to someone? And not just to anyone. She was to be the mate of a dominant, possibly even an Alpha. Adira might not be a Canis lupus, but she’d been around long e
nough to see the dynamics of the true mates. The males were in no way disrespectful or cruel to their mates. They were actually the opposite. They cherished, loved, and completely adored their females. But it was those very emotions that often made the males act irrationally in their need to protect their mates. The Canis lupus may live in the human realm, but they were very different from humans. The dangers they faced on a regular basis were far greater than anything the humans faced. Regardless of this, to try and put their mates in a bubble in order to protect them from those dangers was foolhardy.
It took a very strong female to stand up to the dominant Canis lupus. Adira didn’t know the human in her home very well, but from what she’d seen so far, she didn’t know if this one was strong enough to keep her wolf from putting her in a gilded cage. She didn’t know if the fae, Perizada, had been straightforward about the world Anna and the other healers were entering into. And when she’d seen the fear on the girl’s face, Adira had decided that she would make sure she knew exactly what was expected of her. Most of all she wanted the human to understand that she had a choice. She needed to know it before she was standing before her mate with the power of the bond, and his charm and beauty muddying her mind. Anna needed to understand that once she accepted the wolf as hers and allowed him to claim her, there was no going back. The finality of the mated pairs was absolute.
Adira would be lying if she said she didn’t want devotion like that. Oh, she wanted to protect Anna because she was young, but Adira wasn’t young. After dealing with the pixie king’s brother and his inability to commit, she was envious of the Canis lupus and their commitment to one another.
Anna stirred in her sleep pulling Adira from her thoughts. She heard another howl and felt chills break out on her skin. Peri would be more than a little ticked off that she’d interfered, but then Adira was sure the high fae deserved the irritation. And even if she didn’t, the pixie was sure she would eventually.