Her spell had been effective, she had experienced the power of it for herself. She had planned on entertaining Kiran for the next three or four weeks until she could do a pregnancy test, not that she minded a repeat of the previous night.When she saw that it was eight pm she sat down on the floor and drew a circle in the air around her. She took the crystal from the windowsill and clenched it in her hand tightly as she murmured to herself.“I call on you Urdr to show me what once was. I call on you Verdandi to show me what will be. I call on you Skuld to show what shall be. I call on the Norns to show me the past, the future and the present.”Dezrael’s eyes opened with a shocked gasp coming from her throat. Her spell on Kiran had been broken and she was blinded to see how or why it had happened. Kiran Sinclair would not be coming back to her cabin.She closed her eyes again and said a desperate prayer to Freya and called on the magic of the elves in Alfheim; she needed the fertility
Adrian drove into Sterling and found the address JJ had given him easily enough. He sat in his car and waited, looking around at the dodgy neighborhood. He didn’t have to wait long; forty minutes after he’d parked his car she came walking around the corner, smoking a cigarette. She looked older than he remembered.The apartment building she entered had seen better days, like her appearance. Adrian got out of his car and walked in behind her. She walked up the stairs oblivious to Adrian following close behind her.She stopped on the second floor and was unlocking number two-zero-two when Adrian stopped right behind her. He pressed the gun into her back and her whole body stiffened as she felt the muzzle press into her. She didn’t move as she realized she was about to get robbed or worse.“Keep quiet and I won’t shoot you.” There was something in Adrian’s voice that made her comply.The woman nodded and unlocked the door. Adrian opened the door and pushed her inside. She stumbled a bit
“Tomorrow we’ll get you some better clothes and then we’ll head back to Seward, off the grid, nobody can know that I’m back in town until I’ve completed what I’ve set out to do.” Adrian made himself comfortable on the chair as Juniper’s eyes snapped up to his.“Seward?” she asked hesitantly. She was banished from Seward.“What’s for dinner?” Adrian’s question threw her off.There was definitely something wrong with him. How could he think of food when he’d just told her he was planning on massacring an Alpha family. Was he insane? Did he think he’d be able to kill them all? She’d seen how calm Malachi Sinclair was under pressure. He was going to get her killed.“There’s no food here, I buy as I earn.”“Slow night huh?” It made sense to Adrian now, the cheap clothes, the scuffed shoes, the worn out look on her face.“I’m not a prostitute you asshole! I eat at the bar after my shift.” Juniper said furiously.She jumped up from the couch, her anger pushing forward, but he aimed the gun a
Adara was sad to leave Ireland but also excited to go back home. We stayed for the rest of that week and then flew home. I couldn’t wait to get back to Seward, to our home and our pack. Promises of visiting again soon were made and Malachi invited Peter and Claire to come visit us as well.Christian had gone back to being the angry, sullen little boy that first moved in with us with his anger outbursts and tantrums. Unruly was putting it mildly. I didn’t know why he was acting out again but I would find out.“Talk to me, little man.” He was sitting on his bed after I’d sent him to his room for yelling at Adara.His bottom lip trembled a little bit and he looked up at me. “Now that she’s here you won’t have time for me anymore.”I almost smiled at his words, he was jealous. “I will always have time for you. You’re my little man, nothing’s going to change that.”“I don’t think she likes me.” His voice was full of sadness and I realized that this wasn’t just a fleeting moment of jealousy
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and emptied it. I didn’t like where this conversation was going, but I also knew that Christian wouldn’t be leaving this house. He belonged with us and I’d always look out for him. I didn’t think that Adara was aware of just how much I loved him.“Where are you going?”“To bed. How long are you still going to be?”“I’ll be up in a little while.” I kissed her cheek as she smiled at me and I headed upstairs.Christian was sleeping with his one hand under his cheek and I smiled as I looked at him. I could never let him go and in that moment I made a decision. I was going to adopt Christian. Malachi had been right, again.I closed Christian’s door and took my clothes off as I headed to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. I stood under the heat of the blasting water with my head bowed and I smiled as the shower door opened.Adara’s hands snaked down my stomach and she pressed herself against my back. “You are so bad.”Her laugh was a light
“Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Malachi repeated Karani’s warning.I looked at Malachi with a frown. “You think Juniper is that wolf?”“Who else?” Malachi said and I thought about it.“She gave Adara a Rune necklace that apparently belonged to her mother.”“Perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps Juniper is trying to make amends. She was quite shocked at the truths she heard at the tribunal.” I wasn’t convinced enough not to be mad anymore.“She still should have told me when Juniper phoned her. Why go meet her behind my back?” I said finally and got up again. I held my hand out to Malachi and pulled him up.“That you will have to ask her.” Malachi landed three shots to my rib cage before I could blink. I grunted and held my hands up.“Enough for today. You’ll break me!” I said to him and he laughed. Our time was up anyway and I went to find Christian.“See you at home?” I asked him.“Ten minutes.” Malachi said to me and I left the gym.I found Christian sitting in the foyer eating ice-crea
Everyday Christian had a new fascination, along with his love for dinosaurs and today it was penguins. “Did you know there’s a group of penguins called Macaroni Penguins?”“I didn’t know that. Are you sure it’s Macaroni?” I couldn’t hide the smile on my face as he frowned slightly.“Yeah, it’s Macaroni because of men’s tassels.”“Right…what else can you tell me about penguins?”“Penguins don’t really swim, they fly underwater! And in the water they’re called a raft of penguins. Why do they call penguins a raft? Did you know penguins can walk really far and the boy penguins give girl penguins rocks instead of flowers. Oh and penguins poop every twenty minutes.” He burst out laughing after that and I laughed with him.“Where did you learn all this?” I was curious because Christian was four, his brain was like a sponge, but someone had to have told him about penguins.“Miss Celine, my teacher. She’s the smartest person in the world!” His exclamation had me smiling again.“Don’t tell Adar
Juniper’s heart started beating erratically the moment they drove into Seward and for as long as she lived, it never quite stopped its erratic behavior. Adrian had booked a cabin high up in the woods with two bedrooms.Just before entering Seward, Adrian had stopped and given her a look that said he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. They bought food and other necessities and Juniper complied like the weakling she really was.Adrian left her in the cabin to unpack their groceries while he stepped outside to have a chat with his friend. Juniper knew his name was JJ, she had excellent hearing but she feigned ignorance every time Adrian thought he was making a private call.“It’s me.” Adrian’s voice was low, just above a whisper.“Three went to Ireland and four came back. Marriage registered in Castlewellan, Ireland.” JJ almost sounded bored and half asleep and it irritated Adrian to the depths of his soul.“Who got married?”“Kiran and Adara Sinclair, seems like a shotgun wedding.”“Thanks.