Page 42 of Claws for Celebration
"Then it's a good thing I'll have you there to help me recognize manipulation when I hear it." Her hand covered his on the table, warm and steady despite the magnitude of what she was agreeing to face. "Lucien, I appreciate your protective instincts, but I can't let fear of making the wrong choice prevent me from making any choice at all."
"She's right," Callum said quietly. "Besides, Viktor isn't going to accept anything less than direct communication with her. If we refuse, he'll probably escalate to more aggressive tactics."
Lucien studied Moira's face, noting the determined set of her jaw and the way her magical aura had strengthened since that morning. She wasn't the confused, overwhelmed woman who'd arrived in Hollow Oak two weeks ago. She was becoming something far more formidable.
"All right," he said finally. "But we do this on our terms. Here in the bookstore, surrounded by your protective barriers, with the entire Council present as backup."
"Agreed," Moira said, though he could see the apprehension she was trying to hide behind scholarly curiosity. "When do we meet with him?"
"Now," Callum replied, checking his watch. "He's waiting at the town boundary with his usual dramatic flair."
As they prepared to face the vampire leader who viewed Moira as an asset to be acquired, Lucien found himself caught between contradictory emotions that reflected the impossible complexity of loving someone whose destiny involved supernatural forces beyond their control.
Pride in her courage, terror at the thought of losing her, frustration with his own protective limitations, along with the growing certainty that whatever Viktor offered, whatever threats he made, whatever manipulations he attempted, Moira had already chosen her path.
She'd chosen Hollow Oak. She'd chosen the responsibility of her magical heritage. And most importantly, she'd chosen him.
Now they just had to survive long enough to build the future that choice had made possible.
"Ready?" he asked, offering her his arm as they prepared to leave the safety of her magical barriers.
"As ready as anyone can be for negotiating with vampires who want to turn me into one of them," she replied with the dry humor that had become one of the many things he loved about her. "But yes, let's go find out what Viktor Dracul thinks is worth risking a diplomatic incident over."
As they stepped into the Hollow Oak night, Lucien's panther went on high alert, every sense attuned to potential threats while his human heart focused on the woman beside him who'd proven brave enough to face down impossible odds for the sake of a community that had become her home.
Whatever Viktor had planned, whatever pressure he intended to apply, whatever choice he demanded Moira make, Lucien would be there to ensure she had all the information and support necessary to choose her own destiny.
Even if that destiny involved risks that made his protective instincts scream with alarm.
24
MOIRA
The negotiation with Viktor had lasted exactly seventeen minutes before devolving into barely veiled threats. Moira could still hear his silky voice promising protection, power, and immortality if she would simply "see reason" and join his coven voluntarily. His pale eyes had grown cold when she'd declined, especially when Lucien's hand had found hers in a gesture of support that made their bond unmistakably clear.
"Your loyalty to these provincial protectors is admirable but misguided," Viktor had said, his cultured politeness unable to mask the hunger beneath. "When the ancient darkness rises, Miss Marsh, you'll discover that sentiment is a poor substitute for actual power."
Now, three hours after the vampires had departed with promises to "reconsider their generous offer," Moira found herself working alongside Elena, Cordelia, and two other local witches to reinforce the protective barriers that surrounded Hollow Oak. The work felt natural in a way that surprised her, as if her blood magic had been designed specifically for this purpose.
"Remarkable," Elena murmured as she watched Moira weave golden threads of energy into the existing ward structure. "Your magic isn't just compatible with our defensive grid. It's enhancing everything it touches."
"Like the wards were waiting for her," added Margaret Thornwell, a middle-aged witch whose family had been maintaining portions of Hollow Oak's magical defenses for generations. "I've never seen integration this seamless."
Moira felt the truth of their observations in her bones. Each protective spell she added to the town's barriers felt like coming home, like pieces of a cosmic puzzle clicking into place with satisfying precision. The inherited knowledge that had been surfacing since her arrival now flowed with increasing clarity, showing her exactly where to place ward anchors and how to channel her power for maximum defensive effect.
"It's because my ancestors designed these barriers," she said, understanding dawning as she watched her magic blend effortlessly with protective spells that had been cast over a century ago. "Seraphina and her sisters didn't just create the original wards. They built them to be completed by future generations of Shadowheart witches."
"A family legacy that spans centuries," Cordelia observed with approval. "No wonder your grandmother was able to maintain her connection to this place despite decades of exile. The magical bonds run too deep to ever truly break."
As the evening progressed and their group worked to strengthen key defensive points throughout Hollow Oak, Moira felt something she'd never experienced before: complete belonging. The easy camaraderie of working alongside other witches, the way her magic was welcomed and valued rather than feared, the growing confidence that came from finally understanding her place in the world.
"How are you feeling?" Lucien asked when their group paused for coffee and Twyla's restorative cookies at the café. He'd been a constant presence throughout the evening, coordinating with patrol teams while staying close enough to provide magical stability when her power fluctuated.
"Like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be," Moira replied honestly, leaning into his solid warmth as they shared a quiet moment away from the others. "For the first time in my adult life, I feel like I fit somewhere perfectly."
"Good," he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Because you do fit here. More than fit. You're becoming essential to this community's survival."
The praise made her chest warm with emotions. "Are you saying that as my mate or as a Council member?"
