Page 6 of Fated To The Wolf Lord

I never thought a bowl of soup could be so satisfying, but sitting by the fire, my shoulder brushing Fenris’s, I couldn’t imagine anything better. My relief at being rescued seemed to be rivaled only by Fenris’s relief at finding me, and something about that was…touching. I may have been unable to respond to him when he’d talked to me in the cabin, but I’d understood his gentle tone. My wolf was still keenly aware, however, that the Lunar Lord could cause her great harm. Perhaps even more now than before, as an alpha shifter lording over a subject.

Am I even a regular shifter?

Fenris said once that shifters sometimes find mates outside their packs: other shifters, other paranormal creatures, even humans.I guess a witch or a warlock falls into that second category…

I had so many questions now that I had a little more space to think. My wolf, though present, wasn’t quite as forceful now that I was back in my human form. She allowed me to reflect on them without interruption.

Which one of my parents was a shifter? Did the other one know? Did either of them know? If I’ve gone without shifting for this long, why did I change now?

My magic certainly would’ve been more useful than a wolf’s speed or strength when I was held captive. If that fire-wielding stranger had turned on me instead of leaving the door open, I would’ve been powerless to stop them. At best, I could have rushed them, but I’d been so hungry, I doubted I could’ve made it in time, much less tackled them to the ground.

My stomach grumbled as if reminding me exactly how hungry I still was. I smiled and lifted the bowl back to my lips, the warm smell of chicken broth tickling my nose. I’d never really thought much about my sense of smell before, but now I knew it was more powerful than it’d ever been. I couldn’t just smell the familiar scent of poultry, but the faint aromatics of sage, thyme, and rosemary as well. The smell was so specific, I was fairly certain the first two were dried, but the latter was fresh.

Maybe the bear shifter grows plants?

I turned my head, trying to figure out if I could smell any potted herbs in the little cabin, when I was struck by the intensity of Fenris’s smell. He’d always had a very specific scent. I’d know it anywhere. Woodsmoke and cinnamon, like the most luxurious camp, but now I realized how intense it was. I sniffed again. It wasn’t just cinnamon. It was like Saigon cinnamon, those big bark rolls you’d only see in little specialty stores. You’d open the glass jar, and the most magical scent would envelop you…

That was what Fenris smelled like, that specific moment. I smiled, realizing belatedly that I probably looked a bit dreamy, but I was entirely unable to stop myself.

Fenris glanced over and smirked. “Are you scenting me, Celeste?”

I blushed, abruptly removed from my momentary wanderings. “Ah…yes?” He’d seen me do it. There was no use denying it.

He watched me a moment longer. “Are you having trouble controlling your wolf?”

I snorted. “She’s had most of the control recently,” I said in a sulk, thinking of all the hours we’d spent pacing the perimeter of my cell. I saw Fenris’s brows lift higher, and I reached over to squeeze his knee gently. “I’m alright,” I said. “We…we’re both alright, I guess.”

My wolf clearly still wanted to be in control, but she wasn’t throwing herself against my will like an animal caught in a trap. Instead, it was more like a steady, persistent lean. It got easier to ignore her over time, and she didn’t seem to fight that. She wasn’t thrashing or insisting I pay attention. Something about Fenris’s presence relaxed her, even if getting out of that facility had helped as well, and I wasn’t about to argue with the result. I needed the break as much as I needed the bowl of broth in my hand.

“Well, you stay here,” Fenris said. “I’ll get in touch with Walter and ask him to send Delila.”

I frowned, glancing over at him. “Delila?” I asked, certain I hadn’t heard that name before. “Is she a pilot?”

“No.” He shook his head. “The Ferry family has been in the Order of the Stars as long as Walter’s. Delila is a very…eccentric woman, to the point that she’ll refuse my calls sometimes. However, she has her grandmother’s gift and is able to use conjuring magic to transport herself or others.” He sniffed. “It took some work, but Piers and Gilbert managed to convince her to help search for you. So, I’m sure she’ll be eager to resume her life of solitude and will help us return home.” Fenris paused for a moment, giving me a sideways look. “Teleportation is a very difficult, dangerous technique, so don’t go getting any ideas. It took Delila decades to master—and trying to do it killed her mother.”

My eyes widened. “Killed her?” I’d failed at a few spells Val had taught me the first few times I’d tried them on my own, but at worst, they had just…fizzled out. Once, the ends of my hair were singed by a flame, but that was it as far as damage.

“Conjuring magic is unstable to begin with. Delila’s mother wasn’t able to hold the portal, or so I am told. I wasn’t there, but the event was catastrophic enough that even a few mortals noticed something odd going on in their neighborhood. The Order summoned me, and Piers and I contained it before word spread.”

“Oh, wow,” I said. In some respects, I wasn’t that surprised, but Val had never even mentioned it. The only reason I knew such magic existed was because I’d seen Sabine do it, and she did things others wouldn’t dream of.

The thought of her made my blood run cold. “Wait,” I said, grabbing Fenris’s shoulder as he moved to stand up. “I can’t go back to Isla Lobo yet.”

“Why not?” he asked, frowning.

“Because I need a safe place to practice spells similar to the ones I used on Abi and Cody, but modified. For me.” I frowned, pressing my lips together. “Sabine…she was in my brain, Fenris. Imagine the loudest static you can, but inside your mind. It waspainful.” I shook my head. “I can’t go back to Isla Lobo until I’m sure she’s gone and can’t get back in.”

Fenris’s eyes went wide, his nostrils flaring. “Is she there right now?” he hissed, grinding his molars. “Is she listening?”

I frowned. “I…I don’t think so. I can’t be certain, but it’s…it hurt. It was like a migraine; it made it impossible to think. It was loud, and I could certainly feel it. It was planted before that, but…it wasn’t active. I don’t want to say she’s gone, though. Not without being sure.”

Fenris studied me silently for a few moments before giving a decisive nod. “Very well,” he said, getting to his feet. “We will not return to Isla Lobo. I will get in touch with a member of the Order of the Stars, and we will stay at a secure location until you’ve expelled her.” He walked over to where Kal had left the phone and picked it up, looking thoughtful before dialing a number.

“Walter, it’s me,” he rumbled, starting to pace back and forth across the tiny kitchen. The old linoleum groaned beneath his boots. “This isn’t a secure line. I need you to get in touch with Keziah Palm. I need a safe location.” He paused while Walter spoke. “Duration is unknown. Once you hear back, contact me at this number. If Kal answers, you may relay a yes or no answer to him. Don’t offer him any other information until I say so.”

I frowned. Kal had put us up in his home, but I supposed we didn’t know anything else about him.

Fenris hung up and paced back over to me quickly, settling back into the nest of blankets and pulling me close. I was glad I’d already emptied my soup, or I might have sloshed it.

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