Forget Me Not (Phased Moonlight Series Book 2) (16 page)

              “We cannot selectively help this alpha when he has sent so many away,” Elessar said.

              “Thad,” Trisha said, her voice soft and broken, “Sera is his mate.”

              Master Thaddeus sat straighter, and his brown eyes glowed brighter. “Sera?”

              She nodded.

              His jaw tightened, and he nodded back. “Take them to my personal chambers. I will speak to my brethren alone.”

              Koda nodded when a small fairy appeared, motioning them toward the door. Before he stepped out, Koda turned back and said, “If it will help to persuade you, my mate is the Ghost Wolf. If you do not help us find her and she is kept from me, I will wreak havoc on the entire magical community.”

              Dario hissed, “Are you threatening us?”

              Koda’s eyes took on a bright glow as he looked into the master’s. “No. I’m promising you.”

* * *

              The small party sat in a large, rustic guest suite, each shaking with anxiety.

              “Care to explain why you are so buddy-buddy with Thaddeus?” Jackson asked Trisha with a growl. 

              Trisha stood from her seat on the couch and walked over to sit on his lap. “Thad is like an uncle to Sera and me. He checked on us often, to make sure we were healthy. When Sera turned thirteen, he just stopped coming, and I hadn’t seen him since.”

              “So the rumors are true then,” Nodin said.

              “What rumors?” Trisha asked, frowning. 

              “When the old master of the werewolves died and his soul was reincarnated into Thaddeus, many believe the elder soul made a poor choice. Thaddeus is known for slacking off. He would disappear for weeks at a time and no one had any clue why. His mate was here with him, so he didn’t have any reason to leave. Many thought he left to see his family, a family he was supposed to sever ties with. Now I know the rumors were true.”

              “It isn’t a crime to want to see your family,” Trisha snapped.

              “It is if it turns you into a lazy, self-absorbed asshole who does not live up to his responsibilities to the Council.”

              “Watch it,” Trisha said, growling lowly.

              “All right,” Faith said, pushing Nodin back. “That’s enough. Now is not the time for us to fight.”

              “Faith is right,” Koda said. “Thaddeus seems to be close to the girls. Hopefully, we can us that to our advantage.”

              “I wouldn’t count on it,” Nodin said.

              Faith frowned at him. “Room,” she said, pointing at a door.

              “What?”

              “Get in the room.”

              “I am not—”

              “I’ll give you to the count of five. One...two…”

              “Nodin, listen to her,” Trisha warned.

              With a roll of his eyes, he followed the steaming human into the room.

Faith held the door open for him but slammed it shut as soon as he passed through.  “What is your problem? The last thing any of us need is you talking shit.”

              “I was simply speaking the truth.”

              “I was simply speaking the truth,” she mocked as she began to pace. “I don’t give a damn. We are under enough stress right now, and we really don’t need you and Trisha killing each other.”

              “Koda wouldn’t have let the situation escalate.”

              “Wow. What a brilliant fallback plan, Nodin! Let’s depend on the most unstable wolf here to end a fight! Great thinking!”

              “I cannot think straight around you! Everything used to be simple, calm, and orderly. Then you came into my life, and everything spun out of control.”

              “So you blame me for this!”

              Nodin jammed the back of his hands in his eyes and rubbed them. “That’s not what I am saying. I’m saying that my desire for you is driving me nearly insane.”

              Faith’s jaw dropped as she looked at him with surprise. “Your... You
desire
me?”

              “Well, not in that way,” he said quickly. “I desire to keep you safe, for my alpha’s sake.”

              “Stop it then. I don’t need you to keep me safe, and I don’t deserve your protection.” 

              Nodin narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean? Why would you say such a thing?” 

              Faith closed her eyes and tried to regain her composure. “Just lay off, okay? They don’t need your attitude.” She then turned and walked back toward the door.

Nodin reached out and grabbed her arm. “Wait, Faith. What do you mean, you do not deserve protection?” 

              “Let me go, Nodin,” she said, keeping her eyes on the door and trying to squirm out of his grip.

              “Tell me,” he said, squeezing her arm slightly.

              She took a deep breath, feeling anger building up deep inside her. “Nodin, let me go…now!” 

              “No, not until you tell me.”

              Faith spun around, growling as she did. She didn’t know how she made that noise, but all she could focus on was the anger and shame in her heart. “Let me go!” she demanded. “And stay the hell away from me!” She then spun on the balls of her feet, slapping him in the face with her hair as she did so.

              When Faith stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her, Trisha walked over to her with worry  written all over her face. “Are you—”

              Faith held up her hand, stopping her. “Please don’t ask. I just need some air. I’ll be fine.”

              Trisha nodded and let her go.

Before she left, Koda stopped her. “Be careful,” he said.

              Faith nodded and exited the room.

* * *

When she closed the door, she felt her resolve break. As she walked, tears began cascading down her cheeks. She crossed her arms over her stomach, feeling her insides twist with anxiety. She kept her head down, letting her thick curls shelter her face from others.

              Faith gasped when she collided with someone, causing her to stumble. She looked up through her hair, gaping at the woman before her. “Mistress Shego! I’m so sorry.”

              The mistress smiled at her, holding out her hand.

Faith accepted it, wiping her tears.

              “Think nothing of it, child. Are you all right?”

              Faith nodded, trying to straighten her dirty clothes.

              “No need for that. Please come with me, and we will get you into something suitable.”

              Faith couldn’t even argue with her. The mistress wrapped her arm around Faith’s shoulder and led her deeper into the castle. “Wait. My friends...”

              “Don’t worry, my dear. They will be alerted that you are in my company.”

              “Thank you.”

              Mistress Shego smiled down at her, and Faith felt much more at ease. They walked into a large suite, a beautifully decorated room attached to a cavernous entrance.

              “This is beautiful,” Faith said, her mouth agape.

              Shego smiled and snapped her fingers. Balls of light began to float around the room, brightening it.

Faith watched the balls of light with awe.

              “Have you never seen lumus balls?”

              “No, Mistress.”

              “Well, I am glad I am the first to show you. Please follow me.”

              Faith followed the tall woman into the cave, gasping when it opened into a large underground alcove, with a large, steaming pond in the center. “Oh my!”

              “This is my personal bath. Unlike my fellow elders, I prefer to be close to nature and stray from modern things. Please disrobe.”

              Faith’s cream cheeks flushed. “What?” she asked, confused.

              “You must disrobe to become clean.”

              “Well, yeah, but, uh…I mean, you’re here.”

              “Are you bashful? Embarrassed of your nudity?”

              Faith nodded, rubbing her hips.

              Shego nodded in understanding. “I see. Well, I’ll undress first and enter the pool. I will turn my back so you may undress in private and enter without being seen.”

              “You mean I’m supposed to get in there with you?”

              Shego nodded, smiling as she went about untying the rope under her breasts. “How else am I to wash your hair?”

              “What!?”

              “Peace, child. There is an enchantment on the water. Once you enter, you will be entirely hidden. I will see nothing.”

              Faith nodded, feeling awkward as the gorgeous woman in front of her slipped the dress from her body. She quickly turned her head and blushed. She heard the water ripple as Mistress Shego entered.

              “All right. You may disrobe now.”

              Faith looked up and found that the mistress’s wolf guardian had followed them in and was looking at her. “Uh…can you call your wolf please?”

              “Broran,” she said, then cooed gently.

              The wolf huffed and walked over to his mistress.

              Faith quickly slipped out of her long-sleeved shirt and pants and undergarments. She quickly stepped into the pool, sighing as the warm water soaked into her skin.

              “Are you decent?”

              “Yes. Thank you.”

              Mistress Shego turned around and leaned back against the side of the pool. The wolf sat on the ground behind her, allowing her to lean on it like a pillow.

              “Your wolf is beautiful,” Faith commented.

              Shego smiled, though it was a sad grin. “He isn’t just a wolf.”

              “Oh? Is he a werewolf?”

              Shego opened her eyes and turned her smoky gaze on Faith. “He was.”

              “Oh, uh…”

              Shego sighed and placed a kiss on Broran’s head. “Come. I will wash you hair now.”

              Faith waded toward her and turned her back. When the mistress began running her fingers through her hair, she closed her eyes and sighed. 

              “You know, if you’d like, you can tell me your story. I promise I am never one to judge anyone.”

              Faith could hear the smile in Shego’s voice as she said, “You are quite the woman, Faith.”

              “How do you even know my name?”

              “Riddin told me. He is a dear friend, and Nodin told him.”

              Faith nodded.

              “When I was a young witch, I fell in love. It feels like it’s been forever ago. Those in my coven were forbidden from marrying anyone unless our elders arranged it. When I met Broran, they demanded that I separate from him entirely. They couldn’t even fathom tainting our pure bloodline with that of a wolf. When I refused to leave him, my mother, the coven leader, cursed him to remain a wolf.”

              Faith gasped and turned to face her. Forgetting her nudity, she gave Shego a hug. “I am so sorry. That’s so…tragic.”

              Shego smiled and turned her around again. “It’s all right. I believe I am close to breaking his curse.”

              “That’s good. I guess your mother must be extremely powerful to cast such a curse.”

              “She was. She is a hybrid.”

              “A mixture of things? If that’s true, why would she be so against you being with Broran?”

              “That is the question, isn’t it?”

              They sat in silence for a while as Shego continued to wash Faith’s hair.

              “All done.”

              “Thank you,” Faith said, stretching. “That felt amazing.”

              Shego nodded and waded back to the side of the pool to stroke Broran’s head. “Please tell me about your friend Sera.”

              Faith’s smile dropped, and she sighed. “She is my best friend. She was taken because she was trying to save me, so it’s my fault she’s gone. I need to find her.”

              Shego looked at her with sympathetic eyes. “I am sorry about your friend. Koda said she is  the Ghost Wolf. Is that true?”

              “I suppose. I don’t really know much about it. Hell, I just recently found out she’s a werewolf.”

              Shego’s eyes widened.

              “What is it?” Faith asked.

              “You didn’t know she was a werewolf?”

              Faith shook her head. “I didn’t even know any of this stuff really exists, let alone that my best friend is a werewolf. I always thought it was just a legend or something for books and movies. I really had no idea.”