Page 39 of Sapphire Flame
Neil left his spot by the fireplace and drew close. His gaze narrowed again. “Your eyes are gold. You’ll be an alpha soon. No, that’s not true. You’re already an alpha, you just don’t have your pack yet. But I think I get what’s happening. Natalie, though she’s fae, could be your alpha-mate because of her level of power, isn’t that right?”
Grant hadn’t considered it before. “I don’t know, but I have no interest in bonding with a fae.”
“You sure?”
Grant didn’t answer the question. Instead, Neil’s observation of her alpha-mate potential disturbed him. He took a moment to search through all his reactions to her. The truth was, if she didn’t have alpha-mate capacity, she was damn close. But what did it matter? She was still fae.
~ ~ ~
“Is this a good time?” Natalie stood in the doorway of the chapel at Agnes’s compound and saw Talya seated in the front pew, down several rows of seats.
Talya turned around to greet her then waved her forward. She smiled. “Of course. I was waiting for you.”
Talya was a very red-haired fae, with light blue eyes and creamy, alabaster skin. She was lean with pronounced cheekbones. Her red brows were high and arched. She wore her long hair in a ponytail and a small amount of make-up, just a little mascara and lip gloss.
Talya continued, “I thought it would be nice to be in the chapel while we talked. Agnes agreed. She seemed to have the sense you and I should meet here. It’s very pleasant.”
Natalie looked around and had to agree. The room was entirely enclosed and hung with tapestries on the side walls. An altar of curved wood, on a raised space at the front, held three tall, glass enclosed candles. Each was lit and gave a warm glow to the space. Overhead were a dozen can-lights.
Natalie crossed the back row of seats then moved down the left sloped aisle. She hadn’t seen Talya since their time together in the refuge ER. She could still hear the flatline when Talya had gone looking for Grant in the afterlife. Then Grant’s touch had brought her back.
As she rounded the front pew, she said, “You look well.” Natalie suppressed the memories of the deep gouges the woman had born because of the Graveyard mauling.
Talya chuckled. “At least the flame-sign is gone, and you don’t have to be kind. I know I still look like death. I’m fair-skinned as it is, but right now I’m blue around the edges.” She pressed a hand to her cheek. “The only good thing to come of the attack is that for the moment my freckles have faded.” She patted the seat beside her.
Natalie sat down, but suddenly felt very uncertain. “I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I mean, of course I wanted to see how you were doing—” She broke off not wanting to say the rest.
Talya turned toward her more fully and took her hand. “Your fingers are warm.” She smiled. “But maybe I can help a little. I have visions. I had one of you.”
“Of the future?”
“Not exactly. It’s more like a portrait frozen in a moment of time. Agnes says I’m unusual, but then given your portrait, I’d say you’re even more unique.”
“What did you see?”
“You, as a spectral wolf, glowing with iridescent violet and green, some blue, some pink. It was beautiful. Your wolf face looked flushed as though you’d been racing around.”
Natalie shook her head. “You’ve described the colors just right. Talya, I don’t know what’s going on here. I mean, Grant can build dreamglides. It happened during the day’s sleep following your rescue. And now I have this wolf, a kind of spectral wolf as you’ve said, as part of my being. All this happened since we were together in Kiara’s refuge.”
“You sound like you’re in shock.”
“I am. The whole thing seems so impossible and now this?” She lifted her hand expecting to see her iridescent wolf, but nothing was there, just her normal skin color.
“Is that where you first saw the sign? On your hands?”
“Yes, but it’s not there.”
“What’s troubling you most?”
She chuckled. “You talk like a counselor.”
“I’m reflecting who you are, that’s all. It’s part of the portrait gift. I asked about you at the refuge. They say you’re one of the benefactors there and I applaud you for that. I was so glad when you called. I wanted to thank you again.”
“Well, actually, you have a ghost to thank for getting me out to the Graveyard.” She told her about Renee ending with her recent insistence that Natalie talk to Talya about her wolf-sign.
Talya frowned at that. “I’m not sure how I can help.”
“Can you get rid of it for me?”
