Luna's Sokjan (Book one) (12 page)

Would I need any of the
old resources?

I ran my hand lovingly
over the covers and felt the lick of magic. I had spent years
collecting the volumes. I had used spells to restore and maintain
the older hand written volumes, it had taken years. I had also
placed protection spells on the whole bookcase. So if, anyone,
other than me tried to remove the books, well let’s just say I
would have a new, interesting mark on my floor.

Pulling out my cell, I
called Adam, no answer. So, I left a message.

When I walked back into
the kitchen, Gabriel, and the dark man stopped talking and stared
at me.

“McKenna, this is Sam.
He’s my beta or second in command.” He told me.

Sam was an inch taller
than me with short black hair, black skin, black eyes and built
like most werewolves all muscle.

“Sam, it’s good to meet
you,” I said as I placed my laptop case on the table.

He nodded to me in
greeting. I didn‘t attempt to shake hands with him, I knew he
wouldn‘t touch me. Well, not if he didn‘t need to and certainly not
with my mate standing in the same room. One rule was universal when
dealing with mates. Never touch another’s mate, the most
significant rule and the only one I remembered. I always forgot the
rest.

“Are you hungry? I am,
it’s been a busy afternoon,” I said with a smile only for
Gabriel.

Chuckling he lifted my
left hand and placed a kiss on it, before slipping a platinum ring
on my third finger. It was large and covered the finger from joint
to joint. I frowned up at him.

“What the hell is this?” I
demanded.

I didn’t know much about
mates, but I was pretty sure they didn’t wear rings.

“I spoke with some of your
neighbors while you were playing in the backyard. I told them that
we had gotten married on impulse the other night.” He told
me.

Then lifted his hand
showing his own platinum ring, it matched mine.

“Like I care what they
think. I can’t wear this thing. It won’t make it through the first
change.” I said and tried to pull it off, it didn’t
budge.

Hmmm, that was odd,
“Couldn’t you just ask me if I want to participate in something
you’re planning?” I asked him.

He laughed, “No,” he said
as he kissed the end of my nose.

I cocked my head to one
side and I studied the ring for a long moment. Then shifted my hand
into a paw, the ring didn't fall to the floor. I shifted my
appendage back to normal and stared at the ring that was still on
my finger.

“Where did you get this
ring?” I asked, seriously studying it.

There was an ancient
Celtic design carved in it. I moved my hand closer to get a better
look at it. It was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

Where had I seen this
pattern before?

“Angus gave them to me.
You can shift an individual body part at will?” He asked me
thoughtfully.

This Angus was sounded
more and more like my ghost. I arched my eyebrow, trying to
remember where I had seen the design. Maybe the design was in one
of my books.

“Are we going to see this
Angus soon?” I inquired.

The ring didn’t weigh as
much as it should have, and it tingled weirdly since I had changed.
Great, like I needed more magic stuff on my body.

“McKenna, you can shift
body parts at will.” Gabriel grabbed hold of my hand, making me
drag my gaze up to his.

“Yup, just like changing
clothes,” I shrugged.

My father told me, when he
first taught me how to shift individual body parts. That it would
require massive amounts of willpower and restraint. The ability was
tremendously helpful and had gotten me out of a few scrapes in the
past.

“Can we eat now or do you
have a studded dog collar with leash, you want me to wear? Luna,
help anyone that doesn’t know that I am your mate,” I said
sarcastically.

How was I gonna to live
through this? Just wait until I had to do a job in someone else’s
territory. My life had now gone to hell in a hand
basket.

“That is still up for
consideration.” He told me with a straight face.

I growled at
him.

He laughed, drawing me up
against him for a quick kiss. I sighed and leaned in closer, this
part I could get extremely use to.

“Down, kitten, we have
company.” He reminded me.

Sam was gazing out the
window, a small smile played around his full lips, when I glanced
at him. I seriously couldn’t take much more of this. I had
completely forgotten he was here, again.

“Don’t call me, kitten
again, wolf,” I warned him.

To my utter dismay,
Gabriel insisted on leaving three wolves at my house, promising me
that they would touch nothing. Seriously did he think I was an
idiot? If I were left alone in someone else’s, house I would have
touched everything.

We followed behind Sam’s
fire engine red sports car. As we headed for the Castilian Spring’s
den, I folded my hands in my lap and stared out the window. Gabriel
slipped his brawny hand in between mine and entwined our fingers
together. I gazed at him, a strong face, thick neck, and wicked
amber eyes. I could stare at him forever. Catching me staring at
him, he gave me a wink and a grin.

“Most of the pack lives
together at the village. I keep a house here in the city for social
functions between the Alphas, and my human, business partners.
Angus has been staying there as our guest.” He said watching the
road as he drove.

“What kind of business?” I
asked him.

My money was still on
security.

Most werewolves, if
trained properly, made excellent bodyguards. They loved to fight
and are overbearing, a perfect match.

“Security, we hire out
bodyguards, monitor home and business alarm systems. It’s been a
good living.” He answered me.

During the hour, long
drive to the village. While we drove we talked about books, music,
and movies that we liked or didn’t like. The turn off for the
village’s long driveway was almost entirely hidden by the thick
forest. The driveway opened up into a large clearing about ten
acres wide and was surrounded by seven large buildings. The
buildings created a u-shape around the courtyard and people were
everywhere sitting on blankets, walking around, or sitting around
tables talking. All of them turned and watched us drive up. Great,
just fucking brilliant, this was a big old ‘Welcome home’ party for
Gabriel and his new mate.

“You didn’t say that every
member of the pack would be here,” I commented, observing all the
people watching us as Gabriel parked the SUV at the main
house.

“It’s okay, Tigress, I am
here to protect you.” He chuckled tightening his grip on my cold
hand.

I jerked my head back to
look at him. He was laughing at me, the big son of a bitch. He
moved exceptionally fast and captured my mouth with his for a quick
kiss.

“I am not worried about
them, maybe for them, but definitely not of them,” I informed
him.

Waiting for Gabriel to
open my door gave me a chance to catch my breath. As I stepped out
of the SUV, the full force of the pack’s gaze hit me square in the
chest.

“It’ll be okay,” Gabriel
said softly, taking my hand to lead me towards the multitude of
werewolves.

“Sure it will,” I
murmured.

Gabriel greeted his pack,
“Brothers and sisters, welcome McKenna, my mate and the newest
member to our pack to our home.” They stared at me and as one knelt
with their right hands placed over their hearts.

I looked in horror at the
people on their knees before us. I am not sure what I was expecting
but not this. As a child, when my parents had been accepted into a
new pack, they had done the same thing. I knew they're pledging to
service and were accepting the new Alpha’s word as law. After
giving the pledge, there was always a momentous party, a moot, the
werewolves called it, and they loved to have moots, and any excuse
would do. I glanced up at Gabriel. He was looking out over his
people searching for someone. I stood still, waiting for something
to happen, anything to happen. Gabriel smiled down at me immensely
pleased about something.

Hmmm, wonder what that’s
all about?

“Rise, my family, and let
the moot begin.”

The pack parted like a
waves of water before us as we walked through them. I kept my eyes
straight ahead and looked at no one. My heart almost stopped when I
saw Angus, he was alive. The bloody bastard was alive.

Anger flared up, but I
controlled my face and body language. Nothing wrong here, I am not
mad. The one person I loved as much as my parents was alive. When
for the past ten years, I had believed him dead. He looked the
same, good to know that Angus hadn’t changed. He was a tall man
with a medium size build, but I knew the real strength on that
frame. His shoulder length hair was white. He had smiling green
eyes, sharp features, and a scar that zagged down the left side of
his neck to his collar bone. His smile widened at the sight of
me.

That’s right, smile you
bastard. I missed you too.

He started forward, and I
pulled away from Gabriel to run to him. When we were almost eye to
eye, Angus opened his arms to embrace me.

I hit him in the face with
a right hook. He flew backwards a couple of feet, and I charged
after him. I was next to him in seconds and gave a feral smile at
the sound of his ribs breaking, when I kicked him in the side.
Reaching down, I grabbed a hand full of his shirt and pulled him to
his knees and hit him in the face again.

“You bloody bastard! I
thought you were dead,” I raged at him. “For ten bloody years, I
thought you were dead, you bastard.”

Before I could connect
another blow, Gabriel wrapped both of his arms around me and yanked
me back. Worked for me kicking out I caught Angus in the chin as he
was getting to his feet. To my pleasure he went back down, but this
time he lay flat on his back and didn’t move.

“Have you lost your damn
mind woman?” Gabriel roared at me.

I snarled at him and
fought for freedom.

“You left me in that damn
pit alone Angus. I thought that damn thing had killed you. I didn’t
know what to think when I couldn’t find your body.” I spat at him.
“I was half dead when I finally managed to climb out of that
fucking hole. Want to see what I got for my troubles?”

I jerked my skirt aside to
show him my left leg. A faint scar ran down the length of it, from
mid-thigh to ankle just under the tat, it had taken weeks to heal.
“And after I crawled out of the damn pit, do you know what I did? I
PRAYED. I asked Luna to find your soul and keep it safe, you foul
smelling black, hearted son of a bitch, until we met again.” I
yelled at him.

Unleashing my power in
rage and despair, and hit him square in the chest knocking him off
his feet. I knew I couldn’t kill Angus. I loved the man more than
anyone on earth, but in this very moment. I so wanted
to.

“Enough! You’re going to
kill him!” Gabriel roared at me.

Gabriel moved further
backwards putting more distance between Angus and me. Distance was
good. I could throw daggers at him until he was a pin cushion. I
flipped both of my wrists and felt the cold steel of my daggers
slide into my hands. I stopped fighting Gabriel’s hold on me. I
didn’t want to miss and hit one of the gawker’s on the side lines.
From this distance, I could hit him twice before Gabriel realized
what I had done.

“Let me go,” I growled to
Gabriel, watching Angus, waiting for my chance. “He’s goanna wish
he were dead when I get done with him,” I said through gritted
teeth.

I watched Angus slowly get
to his feet through narrowed eyes. Now that was different, Angus
didn’t do slow. Angus didn’t do pain either, now that I thought
about it. Sensing something was terribly wrong. I pulled my power
back and hid my daggers.

“McKenna,” Angus
said.

His voice held a hint of
Scotland in it.

“I got summoned, lass.
When I finally made it back to camp you had already left.” He spit
blood on the ground.

He bent at the waist,
holding his side. Angus’ didn’t bleed. What the fuck, was going on
here?

“I guess your prayer was
answered, lass because here I am safe and sound.” He straightened
with noted pain.

I just stared at
him.

“What the hell is wrong
with you?” I asked Angus, noting the way he moved.

He favored the side with
the broken ribs.

“He’s old, woman.” Gabriel
growled in my ear. “In the pack, we don’t attack old men,
McKenna.”

He spoke to me as if I
were a child. He tightened his grip on me as if he were excepting
me to break away from him.

“Angus’ doesn’t do old,” I
growled right back at him.

Angus spit more blood on
the ground, and I finally saw it in his earthy green eyes. When he
looked at me, I saw a shadow turn in his eyes like his soul had
pulled away from his body or something. He was dying.