Page 30 of Protection of the Pack

You do that. x

I pocketed my phone as Joyce slipped back into the room. ‘They’ll meet with you,’ she said.

‘When?’

‘Now.’

‘Sure. We’ll need to swing by a garden centre first.’

Chapter 13

Armedwithasilver-birchsapling, we were en route to meet with the dryads. Joyce had stayed in the car whilst I selected the young tree, and she’d looked pleased with my selection. The garden-centre assistant had assured me that silver birches symbolise renewal and purification in Celtic mythology, so it seemed like a good choice. Plus, silver birches are native to the UK and very hard to kill. All entries in the plus column.

Now I needed to do some grovelling and, believe me, I was totally fine with grovelling. Pissing on other people’s property, let alone their holy tree, was absolutely not A-okay. My mum would have had the reprobates scrubbing it clean. She’s a stickler for the rules, and respecting other people’s property is a big one that she drilled into me. And to have the dryads reach out to resolve the issue and Mark compound the insult… If he wasn’t already dead, I’d be kicking his ass. I’m a businesswoman, and this isnothow you handle a valid complaint. I don’t care how dog-eat-dog the Other Realm is, I have standards.

We parked in the main car park and got our ticket for the dashboard. I followed as Joyce led me confidently through the dense park. We soon veered off the wide gravelled and paved paths and into the dark forest. It was fairly mild for February, but I still regretted not wearing a jacket – and not just because I missed its warmth. Once again, I was out on serious business covered in flamingos. I kind of get why Emory is always dressed in black suits: he’s always perfectly dressed for any occasion. Whether it was the death of a pack mate or grovelling to another species, black is appropriate. In neither of those scenarios are flamingos apposite.

I tucked the sapling under my arm and did some quick Googling on my phone as I followed Joyce. I was careful not to walk into any trees; I didn’t need that indignity on top of everything else.

Eventually Joyce brought me to a huge clearing, in the centre of which stood the most enormous tree I had ever seen. Its trunk was thick and broad, and its branches stretched far higher than the surrounding trees. The clearing was quiet, as if even the birds didn’t dare intrude on its solitude.

It is ancient,Esme murmured, her tone respectful. Age is a big deal to wolves; if a wolf lives to old age, it will have learnt a fair few tips and tricks to pass down to the young pups. Pack elders are revered; it is this reverence that allows an elderly alpha werewolf to step down when the time comes.

I set down the young sapling and started forward to the ancient tree. The clearing was still empty; I guessed we had time before the other dryads made an appearance. I stepped up to the old tree and touched a hand to its rough bark.

‘I’m very sorry,’ I murmured, my tone heartfelt. I didn’t even feel the tiniest bit silly for apologising to a tree.

The ancient tree groaned and its leaves shook over my head in a movement that had nothing to do with the wind. Goosebumps pricked my skin. And then somethingoldreached out its consciousness to mine. I had time to shout a warning to Esme before my self-awareness was lost, swept into the vast awareness of the tree. No, not a tree singular, but all the trees,allthe trees in the forest.

Most of them were slowly awakening after a long cold winter, and they were lethargic and snuggly, like I felt after an accidental afternoon nap. Buds and leaves were forming; new life was growing. Birds were building nests in the heavy boughs, and the trees welcomed taking charge of new, precious life. They offered berries and protection and looked on them with warm affection.

All around the forest, the trees were humming with hope and renewal. I could sense where humans were strolling, where dogs were running and where the deer were bounding. Through it all, the trees greeted me in turn; they accepted my presence amongst them as if it were ordinary. But like everything Other, it wasn’t ordinary, it was magical. Their strength grounded me, their hope lifted me up, and I felt so young in the face of their collective years.

The ancient tree tugged me, gently corralling me back to the clearing. Its awareness took me to a spot of earth that had recently been dug up. I didn’t understand its significance because I knew too little about the dryads. I knew too little about everything.

I could see myself kneeling by the ancient tree, touching its rough-hewn bark. Dark had fallen. How long had I been floating with the trees? Another awareness reached out to me, frantic with worry. In turn, I reached out to her and she grounded us. Reluctantly I let the elder tree deposit me back to where I belonged.

LUCY!

I’m okay,I assured Esme. I blinked, disorientated. I could still feel the bark upon my hands and the trees in my heart. I took a shuddering breath. ‘Thank you,’ I said to the elder tree. Leaves fluttered around me, falling with a soft rustle and landing in a perfect circle.

You’ve been gone for hours,Esme whispered. She was trembling and I could feel her fear for me, and for herself, that I had been lost forever.

I’m okay,I reiterated.The tree just took me on a little journey.I sent her waves of love and reassurance.

A journey? To where?Her curiosity was helping to steady her, but I could see in my mind’s eye that she was still taking gulping breaths, trying to recover from her panic. It was something she had never felt before.

To the other trees, so I could better understand them, I think.I still couldn’t explain if the trees were sentient or something else, but I think my magic as a piper allowed me to communicate with them on a deeper level.

I gave Esme one last mental hug and stood up. Having been prone for hours, my muscles protested at the movement. I turned away from the ancient tree and found three ancient dryads facing me instead, two men and a woman, all green skinned and grey haired.

‘Hi,’ I greeted them a bit inanely.

‘You have communed with the elder tree,’ the male nearest me whispered.

I nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘You are blessed.’ The other male gestured to the perfect circle of leaves around me.

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