From the Shadows (A Shadow Chronicles Novel) (25 page)

Eventually the gathering did break up, and my
packmates began leaving in twos and threes for home. Each person thanked Saphrona for inviting them; Danielle told her she was “actually kind of cool for a chick who’s part bloodsucker.” Saphrona had laughed and told her she would accept that as a compliment. Tom and Martha, the latter of whom had offered to give my mother a ride home, once again told Race that they thought he would be a fine Beast Master and assured him that if he ever had need of them, he had their support. Race replied with thanks and a hope that he would never have to ask.

Jake and Anna stayed behind after the others had left, insisting on helping with the clean up. Jake, Mark, and Race carried the tables and chair
s to the storage room in the barn while Saphrona, Anna and I took care of the food.

“I…I just want to tell you again how sorry I am,” the werewolf told us at one point. “My father’s just…he’s very protective of me
.”

“And a hardcore traditionalist,” I pointed out.

Anna nodded. “I know. He thinks most other werekind are beneath the wolves,” she said sadly, “and that we shouldn’t even associate with other Families. Not even the big cats, though believe it or not he has a lot more respect for them than he does any of the weredogs. That’s why he doesn’t want me to see Jake, because Jake’s supposedly not good enough for me and because we can’t breed together. In our pack, leadership is inherited by the eldest child of the Alpha pairs, making them cousins and not brother and sister. Even if Jake and I could have children, Dad thinks that being with a Malamute would lower my status and that I’d be forced to abdicate.”

“I read a study recently that said Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies were two of the seven most ancient breeds of domesticated dogs,” Saphrona said then. “That those seven were the most closely related to wolves, wh
ich really wasn’t hard to believe given how much they both resemble wolves in the wild. If the wild ones and domestics share common ancestors, certainly weredogs and werewolves do too, like Tom said.”

Anna sighed as she placed a pile of dishes in the sink. “I would like to think so too, but there’s very little chance of getting my father to accept that as even possibly being true.”

“How and when did you and Jake meet, anyway?” I asked.

She smiled tentatively as she turned to face Saphrona and I. “Of all the ways to meet someone, I got a flat tire. I was on my way home from Columbus about two months ago when it happened, and Jake was the nice guy who stopped to lend me a hand. Even though I assured him I knew perfectly well how to change a tire myself, he insisted on doing it for me. Wasn’t even the least bit
fazed by my being a werewolf. Didn’t flinch or wrinkle his nose—you know what I mean.”

I grinned wryly and nodded.
“Yeah. It’s kind of a typical reaction to the scent of a shifter from another Family—though I honestly try not to do it myself. My mom always said it was disrespectful to do that because we’re all werekind, no matter what Family we hailed from.”

“I really liked your mom,” Anna said.
“And Tom and Martha, and pretty much everyone. They were all so nice to me, especially after my dad showed up. God, I can’t believe he followed us here! I mean, honestly, does he think I’m stupid? Does he think I don’t know Jake and I won’t be able to have children together? That sucks, I won’t lie and say it doesn’t, but in spite of that, I love him. Jake is just…he’s wonderful. He’s so good to me, and sweet and… He’s perfect for me, even if the magic doesn’t think so.”

I gulped and looked out
from under hooded eyes at Saphrona. She only lifted her eyebrows at me, and so I sighed. “Anna… There’s a chance you and Jake are meant to be together.”

She scoffed.
“If only that were true. But you’re mated to the Beast Master, and neither of us has felt the pull of the imprinting bond. I’d know it if I had. Jake would have told me if he had.”

“Race and I haven’t completed the bond,” I confessed. “We know we’re meant to be together because we did feel the imprint happen, but…we’ve not done the ritual.”

“But you—” Anna began, then stopped herself. I suspected she’d been about to say “But you have to.” In truth I would not have blamed her. My mother had said it. No doubt if the pack had not presumed otherwise, they’d have said it as well, especially Tom and Martha.

“Are…are you going to?” she asked finally.

“I admit that I was afraid to at first, because there’s just so much responsibility that goes along with being mated to the Beast Master—not to mention the responsibility that will be placed on Race’s shoulders,” I said. “We’ve talked about it but we both admitted to not being sure we were ready for that huge a commitment.”

I took a breath and stepped closer to her, the strong muskiness of her wolf assaulting my nose. I ignored it, and looked into her eyes as I said, “But after today, seeing you and Jake together… I realized that I can’t let the fear of losing Race, of losing myself—of all it will mean to become a leader of our kind—stop me from doing what needs to be done. No doubt those who are mated love their human partners completely, but it would be purely selfis
h of me to deny those who are not the possibility of mating with one of our own just because I’m a little scared. I’m not blind to how much you and Jake care for each other, Anna. Maybe going through with the ritual won’t change anything between you, but he’s been my best friend for most of my life, and I owe it to him to make it possible.”

In the next instant
her arms were around me, crushing my ribs in a vice-grip of gratitude. I felt tears hit my shoulder as she whispered, “Thank you
so
much. It means the world to me that you would do this for us.”

Stepping back as she released me, Anna gave an
embarrassed chuckle and sniffled. “Well, of course I know it’s not just for us, but to be even part of the reason is… I just don’t think I’ll be able to thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome, Anna,” I said sincerely. “But as I said, it might not change anything.”

“I know,” she replied, taking the paper towel Saphrona handed her to wipe her face and blow her nose. “I know, and I will keep reminding myself of that so my hopes don’t get up too high. But there’s a chance, even if it’s a small one, and you’re giving it to us.”

“Yeah, now I just have to convince my mate,” I said wryly. “
Which means I can’t guarantee when we’ll do it. I’ll talk to him tonight, though.”

“Okay,” the werewolf said, taking a deep br
eath and exhaling slowly. “Thank you, Juliette.”

I sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of my decision and her
gratitude. Still, I thought as I took a breath, I could almost feel the joy radiating off of Anna in waves, and that made it worth it.

***

Shortly after Jake and Anna had left and the four of us remaining retired into Saphrona and Mark’s house for a drink, my cell phone rang. Slipping it out of my pocket I frowned to see a number I didn’t recognize, though I did recognize the Cincinnati area code.

“I don’t know anyone i
n Cincinnati,” I muttered, and was just ready to press the Ignore key when Race grabbed it out of my hand.

“Shit, it’s my mom,” he said grimly, taking another swig of his beer
as the phone rang a second time. “Guess your mom must’ve called her.”

“But why would my mom have given yours my cell phone number?” I asked.

“Lochlan crushed my cell yesterday, remember? She can’t get a hold of me on my own phone, so she must’ve called your mom back or something.”

I looked at him over the top of my Smirnoff Ice. “Aren’t you going to answer it?
She’s your mother.”

He looked
back at me. “I’m afraid to. You don’t know my mom anymore. She’s protective of me and my secret to the point of being paranoid.”

“You
gotta talk to her sometime, brother,” Mark pointed out as the fourth ring trilled.

“Yeah, I know,” Race grumbled, pushing the Talk button.
“Hey, Mom.”

“
Race, why am I calling someone else’s cell phone just to get a hold of you
?” Caroline Covington said sternly, causing her son to wince.

“Sorry, Mom, mine’s broken. Just happened yesterday and I haven’t been able to replace it yet.”

“
Well do that soon. Unless there’s an emergency, it’s rude to call one person looking for another. Anyway, the reason I’m calling is I just got one
hell
of a phone call from a woman I haven’t spoken to in nearly twenty years
,” Caroline admonished. Her voice was softer, however, when she continued with, “
God, how I wish I’d known, baby. Monica said…she said she’s something like you. That little Juliette is too, and her brother Buck and sister Sandy are, and so many others…and that Mark is some kind of immortal because his birth mother was attacked by a…a vampire…when she was pregnant. Oh, sweetheart, if only I’d known. You wouldn’t have been so alone all this time
.”

I felt like a heel for listening in on what should probably have been a private conversation between a mother and her son. Mark and Saphrona had already quietly risen to leave the table and I made to follow but was stopped mid-step when Race grabbed my hand. Looking back, I saw that his breathing had changed, and I knew that he was fighting back emotion at his mother’s anguish.

“It’s not your fault, Mom,” he told her as I sat back down, his hand still holding mine. “You can’t help what you didn’t know. And you were afraid for us. You were just trying to protect me, and I totally respect that. You did the best you could.”

“
I did. I did, son. And I was scared. I just didn’t want you to end up as part of some government science project that might hurt you or worse
,” Caroline said. “
But God, if I had known about Monica and Juliette and those others… You could have had friends that were like you, and you wouldn’t have had to learn everything all on your own
.”

I heard her sigh then. “
So… Not only are there people who turn into dogs and wolves and lions and other things, but there are actual vampires too. There really are real vampires. Are you being safe
?”

“Mom, I, uh… I’ve known about the vampires for a long time,” Race confessed.

“
What? For how long? And when the hell were you going to tell me, young man
?”

I had to stifle a laugh. Race released my hand and smacked my knee for it, but I couldn’t help finding it amusing to hear Caroline Singleton referring to him as “young man” in the same tone of voice she used to scold him with when we were kids.

“Mom, have you ever heard the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’?” he asked her slowly.

“
Don’t you dare patronize me, Horace
,” she retorted, causing him to wince again. Race had always hated his full name, especially when she used it like that.

“Mom, I’m not patronizing you, I swear,” he assured her. “I’m just saying that you not knowing about vampires all these years
means you didn’t have to be afraid of them. I was protecting you the same way you used to protect me.”

“
That’s very sweet of you, son, but given that I was already aware that you could turn into any animal you’d set eyes on, I think I could have handled the truth about vampires. I’m a big girl, Race
.”

“I know you are, Mom.”

There was a moment of silence after he spoke, then Caroline said, “
So Monica tells me you’re dating Juliette now. That’s kind of interesting, considering she had the hugest crush on you when she was a little girl
.”

Both of us laughed at that. “
Is that Juliette?
” his mother queried.

“Yes, Mom, that was Juliette
,” Race replied. “We’re over at Mark and Saprhona’s—that’s Mark’s girlfriend—”

“
The girl who’s part vampire, right
?”

“Yes, Mom,” he told her.

“
And he’s okay with that? Isn’t he afraid she’ll drink his blood
?” Caroline continued.

I couldn’t help myself—
I laughed loudly, doubling over with mirth as I recalled that Saphrona had done just that more than once.

“Mom, Saphrona doesn’t drink human blood,” Race explained. He was trying to keep a straight face himself, which
told me right away that had Mark confessed to having allowed Saphrona to drink from him when the two men were alone together earlier that day. “She drinks animal blood. And she eats regular food—she’s part human too.”

I heard Caroline sigh again. “
Well, alright. I suppose that’s a good thing—means she’s less likely to hurt him. I just hope he’s being careful. Mark was such a nice boy, and a good friend to you when you were kids. I think it would be nice if you two could be friends again
.”

“I think it would too,” Race told her, “especially since I’m dating his sister.”

We shared a smile then and I grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it. “
Listen, Race
,” his mother was saying. “
Monica’s asked me to come up for a visit. She says there’s a lot more for her to tell me about being a shapeshifter, the kind of stuff that is best explained in person. And quite frankly, though there’s probably stuff I’ll wish she hadn’t told me, I really think it’s time I know everything there is to know. So I’ll be up there soon, possibly even this week
.”