The Fairy Tales Collection (35 page)

“I’ll see you at six,” Rafe said quietly. 
“It was good to see you again, brother.”

Tagon shrugged.  “I’m only here because
father asked me to come.  Good bye, Rafe.”

He strode out the back door, slamming it
shut behind him and Rafe sank down into the kitchen chair.  His heart was
thudding and he felt sick to his stomach.  The prospect of seeing his father,
maybe even Artemis, filled him with excitement and dread.  He took a deep
breath and finished Rowan’s coffee in three large gulps.  He would have a quick
shower, work at the Farthen’s for a few hours and then call Rowan.

* * *

“Ella?”  Belle stared at the chubby blonde
in surprise.  “What are you doing here?”

“Rowan texted me and asked me to drop by
your place,” Ella said.  “I thought you knew.”

“She texted me and asked if she could come
by but that’s all she said,” Belle said.  She stepped back and ushered Ella
into the house. 

“I was just working in the library,” she
said as Ella followed her into the kitchen.  “Do you want some tea?”

“Yes.  I can make it,” Ella said.  She
grinned at Belle and tugged on her pony-tail.  “You’re covered in dust.”

Belle laughed.  “I was pulling books from
shelves that haven’t been dusted in like twenty years.  I’m surprised I’m not
covered in cobwebs.”

She sat down as Ella put the water on and
dropped tea bags into the mugs.  “What are you up to today?”

“I had a few massage appointments this
morning – business has been really picking up the last few weeks – and then I’m
going with Duncan to Newport later this afternoon.  He has a meeting with his
agent to go over the details of his show in London.”

The doorbell rang and Belle disappeared
down the hall.  She returned a few minutes later with Rowan trailing after her
and Ella smiled at the slender redhead.  “Hey, Ro.  You look tired.”

“Do I?  It’s been an absolute
bear
of a day,” Rowan said as she sat down.  “I bet you know what that’s like, huh,
Belle-baby?”

Belle blinked at her.  “Oh, um, my day’s
been good.  Just working in the library.”

“Is your man around?”  Rowan asked.

“He’s in the back yard,” Belle said.

“Picking berries?”

Belle glanced at Ella before giving Rowan a
curious look.  “Honey, are you okay?”

“Just fine, why?”

“You’re acting weird,” Ella said as she
poured hot water into the mugs.

“Am I?”  Rowan said innocently.  “Well,
Miss Ella, I’d be
lyin’
if I said the last twenty-four hours haven’t
been weird.  How’s Duncan, by the way?”

“He’s fine,” Ella said as she set the mugs
of tea on the table before sitting next to Belle.  “Painting this morning.  Why
have the last twenty-four hours been weird?”

“Maybe because I found out my boyfriend is
a wolf shifter and my two best friends are dating a bear shifter and a lion shifter?” 
Rowan said before sipping at her tea.

“Oh thank fucking God – you know,” Ella
said as Belle’s mouth dropped open.

“Rafe told you?”  Belle said.

“Not exactly,” Rowan replied.  “I went to
his cabin to surprise him last night and watched him shift to his wolf form.”

“Shit,” Belle said.  “Did you freak out?”

“A little at first.  He didn’t know I was
there and went for a run in the woods so that gave me some time to mull over
what I’d seen.  By the time he came back, I had mostly accepted that I wasn’t crazy
and that my boyfriend was a wolf.”

“What did you do?”  Belle asked.

“Fucked his brains out, of course,” Rowan
said.

Belle and Ella stared at each other in
silence before simultaneously bursting into laughter.  Rowan sipped at her tea
and waited patiently until their laughter had trailed off.

“So after you fucked his brains out, what
did you do then?”  Ella asked.

“We talked about him being a shifter.  I
asked him if Bennett was a bear shifter and he confirmed it and he told me Duncan
was a shifter too,” Rowan said.

“Are you mad at us for not telling you?” 
Belle asked hesitantly.

“I was a little at first but not now.  Rafe
told me how important it is that humans aren’t aware shifters exist.”

“We wanted to tell you, Ro, I swear we did,
but we really couldn’t,” Belle said.

“I know,” Rowan said. 

“So, you really are cool with the whole
shifter thing?”  Ella asked.  “It took me a few days to stop freaking out.”

Rowan grinned at her.  “I really am.  Rafe
is my mate and I love him.”

Ella and Belle stared at her in shock
before Ella said, “You love him?”

“Yes.  Is that so hard to believe?”

“You haven’t known him that long and there
is the age difference and the fact that you…”

Ella trailed off and Rowan laughed. 
“Fucked a bunch of guys without ever falling in love?”

Ella just shrugged and Rowan took a sip of
her tea.  “I love him and I don’t care about the age difference or that he’s a
wolf shifter.  We’re meant to be together.  It’s that simple.”

Belle leaned forward and squeezed her hand.
“I’m really happy for you, Rowan.”

“Thanks, Belle.  Now, I just need to
convince Rafe to bite me and we’ll live happily ever after,” Rowan replied.

“Bite you?”  Ella gave her a look of horror. 
“Why the hell would he bite you?”

“Wolf shifters bite their mates to claim
them.  Rafe thinks of me as his mate but refuses to bite me because his mother
was human and she eventually left his father because she grew tired of being
with a wolf shifter.  Rafe thinks the same thing will happen with me.”

“So, what happens when he bites you?”  Ella
asked.

“We’re mated for life.”

“Whoa.  Are you ready for that kind of
commitment?”  Ella said.

Rowan nodded.  “Yes.  I’ve spent what feels
like my entire life searching for something –
someone
– that would make
me feel complete.  I’ve found him and I’m not letting him go.  This is the
happiest and most content I’ve ever been.”

She smiled happily.  “I stopped at Nana’s
on the way home from Rafe’s house and told her we were officially dating.  She
was thrilled.  Not so sure that mom and dad will be but I’ll cross that bridge
when I come to it.”

“So, ‘Operation make Rafe bite you’, has
officially begun?”  Belle said with a small grin.

Rowan nodded.  “Damn straight it has.  I
spent the night with him and he’s coming by my place after work tonight.  His brother
– who he hasn’t seen in forever – came by the cabin this morning to tell him
that his father wants to meet with him.”

“I thought they were estranged,” Belle
said.  “Ben said something about Rafe leaving his pack years ago.”

“They are.  It’s a long story but Rafe left
with his mother.  When he returned, his father refused to allow him back into
the pack.  He’s been alone ever since.”

“That’s horrible,” Ella said with a scowl. 
“What kind of father would abandon his child like that?”

“Well, maybe he’s had a change of heart,”
Rowan said.  “There has to be a reason why he wants to meet with Rafe.  I’ll
let you know when I find out.”

She took another sip of tea as Belle smiled
at her.  “Ro, honey, you have no idea how happy we are that you know about shifters. 
It was killing us to keep it a secret from you.”

Rowan smiled at her.  “I’m happy too,
Belle.  Now, feed me before I collapse from hunger.  Sex with a wolf shifter
really works up the appetite.”

* * *

Rafe climbed out of his truck and stared
apprehensively at the cabins scattered throughout the trees.  No pack members
were outside and not a single curtain stirred.  He started toward the largest
cabin, stopping when he heard the noise behind him.

“Hello, brother.”

He turned and studied the shifter standing
behind him.  “Hello, Artemis.”

“You look good.”

“Tagon says I look older,” Rafe said.

A small smile crept across Artemis’ face. 
“His sharp tongue has not dulled with age.”

Rafe hesitated and then stepped toward his
brother, holding out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Artemis.”

Artemis stared at his hand and Rafe’s
stomach churned.  He hadn’t been surprised by Tagon’s reaction to him - even as
boys they had never been close and Tagon’s disposition had never been a sunny
one – but he and Artemis had been best friends.  Out of everyone, he had missed
Artemis the most and even now his rejection wounded him to the core. 

He grunted in surprise when Artemis ignored
his hand and put his arms around him.  He hugged him roughly and Rafe returned
his hug, feeling his throat burn as he inhaled the familiar scent of his
sibling.

“I’ve missed you, brother,” Artemis said in
a low voice.

“I’ve missed you too,” Rafe replied.  “More
than I can say, Artemis.”

He leaned back and studied his brother’s
face.  “You look tired.”

“There is much to discuss,” Artemis said
solemnly.  “Father is – “

“Father wishes to speak to our lost brother
himself.  You know that, Artemis.”

Rafe stepped away from Artemis and smiled
at Tagon.  “Hello, Tagon.”

“Father is waiting,” Tagon said. 

He walked toward the alpha’s cabin and Rafe
fell into step beside Artemis.  “It’s quiet.  Where are the other pack
members?”

“Father asked them to remain in their
cabins,” Artemis replied.  He glanced at Tagon before saying in a low voice,
“Rafe, do not be shocked by father’s appearance.  His healing powers have faded
and he is not doing well.”

“What is wrong with him?”

Artemis sighed.  “We do not know for
certain and father refuses to go to the shifter doctor in Newport.”

“Why?”

“Because he is tired of living,” Artemis
said bluntly.

They were at the cabin now and Rafe
followed Tagon inside his childhood home.  Very little had changed on the
interior and memories surged through him.  He pushed them down – now was not
the time for a trip down memory lane – and followed Tagon into the study. 
Artemis was behind him and when Rafe caught sight of his father for the first
time, his brother placed a hand on his shoulder at Rafe’s low whine.

“Steady, brother,” Artemis whispered.

“Hello, Rafe,” his father’s voice was low
and raspy and, after a moment’s hesitation, Rafe crossed the study and knelt at
his father’s feet.

“Hello, father.”

His father cupped his face as Rafe stared
silently at him.  The man he remembered was gone, replaced by a thin,
ashen-skinned shifter with bloodshot eyes and pain etched into every corner of
his face.

“You look good, son,” his father said.

“So do you.”

His father barked laughter that turned into
a harsh coughing jag.  Tagon hurried forward and held a cloth to his father’s
mouth as Rafe rubbed his father’s leg.  The cloth was stained with blood by the
time his coughing fit eased and Rafe gave Artemis a worried look as his younger
brother held a glass of water to his mouth.

“Drink, father,” Artemis said.

He drank a few swallows before pushing the
glass away.  “I wish to speak with you about something important, Rafe.”

Rafe nodded his thanks when Artemis set a
chair next to him.  He sat and when his father reached out his hand, Rafe took
it and squeezed it lightly. 

“I am dying,” the old man said bluntly.

“Father, perhaps if you allowed us to take
you to Newport and – “

His father shook his head.  “I hear enough
about Newport from your brothers.  Hold your tongue, Rafe.”

Rafe nodded as his father cleared his
throat roughly.  “I should never have turned you away when you returned to the
pack.”

Rafe stared at him in surprise.  It was the
closest to an apology he would ever get from his father and he squeezed his
hand again as his father stared at him.  “I am dying and our pack will be without
an alpha.  You are to return to the pack immediately and become alpha.”

“Father, I…” Rafe trailed off and glanced
at his brothers.  Tagon stared angrily at him but Artemis’ face held no
expression at all. 

“You may return this very evening, if you wish,”
his father said.

“I – it has been years since I’ve been in
the pack,” Rafe said.  “I am not fit to be the alpha.  Artemis should be.”

His father glanced at Artemis.  “Artemis is
a good boy, Rafe.  He is smart and strong and has many qualities of a leader
but he is not the eldest.  Tradition dictates that – “

“Fuck tradition,” Rafe said.  He released
his father’s hand and stood, ignoring Tagon’s warning growl.  “You refused to
let me into the pack for years and now that you’re dying you expect me to just
return and take up the alpha position as though nothing happened?  The pack
members would not follow me and you know it.  Why should they?  They know
nothing of me.  Make Artemis the alpha – he deserves it.”