Asanni (30 page)

“I know, Tristan.”

“Astrid, let me in, or I’ll break the damn
door!” Jack yelled. A series of hard slams confirmed he meant
business.

I opened the door and pulled him in. “Put
that on,” he said, pushing my white bra into my hands. “When you’re
done, I mean.”

I sat back on the table to let Tristan finish
the exam.

“Alec and Drew probably heard you, Jack. How
are you going to explain it to them?” I said, amused.

“I’ve told them.”

“You have?!” Tristan and I said
simultaneously.

“They have to stay with us for the next
couple of days, and I’m not going to pretend I’m your cousin, too,
for their sake. I want to be with you as much as I can before we go
to Red Cliffs.” He let out a sharp breath. “Once you’re there,
every damn male will try to court you. And I won’t even be there
most of the time.”

“Jack, it’s going to be fine,” I said and
reached for his hand. “We’re bond-mates, nothing can change
that.”

“We know that, but
they
don’t.”

“James won’t be happy you’ve told Alec and
Drew about us,” I said.

“Leave James to me, baby. Besides, Alec is
your cousin, so he’s out of the game anyway. It’s irrelevant
whether he knows or not.” He turned to Tristan. “Have you finished?
Everything okay? Can she get dressed now?”

“Everything’s perfect,” Tristan said. “There
won’t even be a scar. The wound healed right in front of our
eyes.”

Jack’s fingers ran along my leg. The scar was
almost invisible. “A paltry knife wound is no match for your
wizard-werewolf blood, honey,” he said.

“What runs through her veins is a powerful
healing serum,” Tristan said and patted my leg. “Get up, Astrid,
we’re done.”

I picked up my clothes and started
dressing.

“When do we go to Seattle? Do we go to
Seattle at all, after this?” Tristan asked over his shoulder as he
packed his instruments back into his black doctor bag. He was
turned away from us to give me some privacy.

Jack helped me first with the bra clasp and
then with the buttons of my shirt. When I bent to tie my sneakers,
he kneeled down and did it for me. I lowered my head and kissed the
crown of his head, closing my arms around his neck. I took a deep
breath, inhaling his scent.

“I wanted to go to see Ella and Arnaldur, but
I won’t insist on it and jeopardize my safety. Or anybody else’s,”
I said.

“James will probably insist on bypassing
Seattle, but we’ll go nonetheless. I promised Astrid.” Jack stood
up and wrapped his arms protectively around my shoulders. His head
bent down to kiss my temple, but at that precise moment I moved and
his lips brushed the sensitive skin behind my ear. I was instantly
aroused, my heart raced, my cheeks flushed. My wolf, still close,
made a soft growl.

“Oops! I’m sorry,” Jack said and took a step
back, breaking the physical connection. I looked at Tristan, with a
shrug and an apologetic smile.

Clearing his throat, Tristan said, “Astrid,
don’t forget about the farewell party at the hospital tomorrow. I
need to see Liv now. See you in a bit.” He turned on his heels and
walked toward the bedroom door.

“My wolf’s still awake. Be careful,” I said
when Jack and I were alone.

“Mine, too. You saw him in action a few
minutes ago.” Jack took my hands between his and his warm
honey-golden eyes found mine. “Your wolf, she never gives up, huh?
Astrid, do you remember anything?”

I made a quick mental inventory. “I clearly
remember the fight. I remember lying here on the bed. The colors of
my fur, reddish, like my hair. My human part was up, that’s why I
remember. When I was a wolf, however... I’m sorry, Jack.” I
shrugged and shook my head.

“That’s okay, baby. Just try.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated. At the
beginning there was only emptiness, as if I had dived into a dark,
bottomless well. And then, suddenly, a flashback. I saw a pond and
my reflection on its surface. It was so brief I wasn’t sure if it
was a memory or a trick of my mind.

“A pond... We were outside. The night... I
looked at the moon. Your fur, golden-brown, thick and warm. You’re
a big wolf. Jack, I do remember! At least something,” I said,
excited.

“Try again.”

I took a breath. Another tiny recollection.
“I told you I was in love with you. Yes, I was on the couch in the
sitting room, and I told you about that scandalous dress.”

“You told me to ask you a test question.”

“I did, indeed, John William Canagan!” I
laughed happily.

Jack lifted me up and swirled me around. “You
do remember! That’s awesome!”

I continue searching through my memory but
with no results. “I’m sorry, Jack, that was it.”

“It’s amazing that you have some memories
this time. The rest will come back, sooner or later, you’ll
see.”

“Jack, tell me, did I behave? I wasn’t
naughty, was I?”

Jack laughed and kissed the tip of my nose.
“I believe you used the word kinky. We had an interesting
conversation.”

Knowing a little bit about my wolf, I could
easily imagine
that
conversation.

Oh, dear. “I was
kinky
?”

“Very. Don’t worry, that treasure isn’t lost
forever. Your wolf generously promised to transfer all her
knowledge and expertise to you when the time comes.”

“I’d never turn down a chance to broaden my
horizons. Jack, tell me about her, aside from that kinky
stuff.”

“She’s smart, brave and strong. And she’s
sexy, in a pure, innocent way. She protects you. She can cope
better with the change and pain, so she takes over. I was surprised
that she was young, younger than you.”

“Is that because she emerged so late?”

“That’s possible. It’s also possible that she
is your inner, well, not child; she’s too old for that. Rather your
inner adolescent, that mischievous part that always stays young.
She’s spontaneous, natural and funny and she balances your rational
side well. We laughed a lot. She’s a charming little beast.”

“I’m big, am I not? Liv and Tristan always
say that.”

“You are the biggest and the most magnificent
female wolf I’ve ever seen, Astrid. And you’re a natural
Alpha.”

“I am?”

“Yep.”

“I’m glad.”

I’d never thought I would be, but I was now.
“We must be quite a sight, then, you and me?” I said.

Jack pulled me close and I rested my head
against his chest. “We are, baby! Oh, yes, we are!” His tender lips
cautiously brushed mine. “Astrid, I want you so much that it hurts.
But we have to wait, you understand that.”

I ran my hands across his powerful arms,
moving slowly down to his waist and thighs. “This constant
tension’s just killing me. I’m sometimes afraid to touch you
because I’m not sure if I’ll be able to control my desire.” Another
image flashed through my mind. “I saw you naked, and I liked what I
saw, Jack.”

He tilted up my chin and glanced at my eyes.
“Uh-oh, we’re going toward amber.” He stood up. “Let’s go the
living room. We can talk about your wolf later. She’s still too
close.”

“It’s still a full moon.”

“I know. Come.” Jack took my hand and towed
me toward the door.

My nose detected a wonderful aroma of smoke
and meat, and my stomach rumbled. “Mmm, smells good. I bet
Tristan’s at the grill.”

“Liv and Tristan are hunting,” Jack said.
“There are lots of deer here.”

Occasionally Tristan and Liv would give in to
their predatory nature by going to hunt, Jack explained further. It
wasn’t so much about feeding. They needed the thrill of hunting:
the speed, the adrenaline, the smell of animals, the night and its
sounds and shadows. In fact, werewolves did it from time to time,
and for similar reasons.

From a medical point of view, I thought it
was an excellent idea. “Liv’s still quite upset. Hunting will
soothe her anger,” I concluded.

ALEC AND Drew jumped to their feet as soon as
we stepped into the living room.

“That’s awesome, Astrid!” Drew hugged me
again. “You are Jack’s mate! That’s fantastic!”

“I’m so happy for you!” Alec said, patting my
shoulder in a well-done gesture.

I smiled and felt the blood rush toward my
cheeks. “Nobody else can know,” I stuttered, taken aback by their
enthusiastic response. “I’m supposed to choose a mate after a
while, not to arrive with him.”

“We won’t tell anybody, don’t worry, although
I don’t see why you should wait,” Alec said. “You’re bond-mates.
Nothing can change that. ”

“James has his reasons, Alec,” Jack said.
“Astrid is not just my mate, she’s our Ellida as well. There is a
protocol that has to be respected, and James is absolutely right to
insist on it. That’s it.”

I smiled. What a nice display of the loyalty
and trust that existed between the two most powerful men of Red
Cliffs, in spite of all their differences.

Drew had made a simple but delicious
dinner—cob salad, grilled sausages and baked potatoes—and we sat at
the table waiting for the Blakes to return from their hunting
trip.

They joined us much later than we’d expected,
and something in their glowing eyes told me that they hadn’t spent
all the time hunting. After all, making love was one of the best
ways to deal with accumulated stress, I though with envy.

If only Jack and I could de-stress in the
same manner.

LATER THAT night the whole party drove back
to Rosenthal.

Once at home, Astrid continued packing up her
little household. She prepared only a small suitcase to take to
Seattle.

She had liked this little house, and a part
of her was going to miss it. The same part that was also unsettled
about her imminent future: her new life in Red Cliffs, meeting her
relatives, her duties as the clan’s Ellida.

On the positive side, she didn’t feel
terrified of Seth Withali anymore. She knew he’d try something
again, sooner or later, but she was determined to fight him. She
smiled, remembering the words she’d heard from her grandfather long
ago: “Conquer your fear and you’ll conquer your enemy.” After the
Sunday morning attack, those wise yet romantic words suddenly
sounded real and true.

It was close to dawn when she finally fell
asleep on the couch. Jack lay on the bed in his room, awake. Drew
and Alec were sleeping in her bedroom.

JAMES WAS out of his mind with worry when he
heard about the attack and wanted them to come to Red Cliffs
without any further delay, but Jack didn’t budge. “Astrid wants to
go to Seattle. She hasn’t seen Ella and Arnaldur for a long time.
She’ll be fine. Seth wouldn’t risk an open attack,” Jack had said
in a non-negotiable voice. James had reluctantly agreed, and then
immediately adjusted the initial plan: he and Betty would meet them
in Seattle.

“We’ll fly home in James’s private plane,”
Jack said.

Astrid raised her eyebrow. “He has his own
plane?”

“Uh-huh. A five-seat Baron 55.”

“Cool.”

MARK AND Sid Brandon, the Blues Brothers,
arrived on Tuesday morning.

Mark was tall, blond, blue-eyed, and
athletic. Sid was one inch taller, with brown eyes, dark hair,
light brown-skin, and also athletic. They were half-brothers; they
had the same mother but different fathers, Sid explained. “I’m
younger, smarter and more handsome, as you can see,” he said with a
wide, toothy smile.

They hugged Astrid like she was an old friend
they hadn’t seen for a long time. Sid placed his hands on her
shoulders, looking approvingly at her face. “Sweet Nancy, aren’t
you pretty! Now, you don’t have a husband or a boyfriend, do
you?”

“Um, do you want some coffee?” Astrid asked
and walked to the kitchen. She knew she would eventually get used
to the werewolf way of exposing emotions, but she wasn’t sure how
Jack would deal with all the attention she was about to
receive.

He stood with his back pressed against the
wall and arms firmly crossed. He looked calm, but Astrid knew he
was tense.

“Have a coffee, guys, and start loading the
truck,” Jack said casually, yet with an unmistakable command in his
voice. “Drew, darling, will you please help Astrid finish packing?
We’ll leave around noon.”

ASTRID WAS fighting tears as the small convoy
left the sleepy town. When they passed the hospital, she had a
nice, cathartic meltdown.

On the back seat of the car lay a
sumi-e
ink painting, the farewell present from the hospital
staff. Dr. Ahmed Demmir had come to Tristan’s office last week,
Tristan had explained, asking him to suggest a present for Astrid.
Tristan had mentioned the ink paintings that she’d had in her
house. The next day Ahmed and Liv had gone to a gallery in
Vancouver and come back with a beautiful
sumi-e
of a bamboo
grove at night.

“I’ll miss Ahmed more than anyone else,”
Astrid said through the sobs. “We’re not particularly close, but I
liked working with him more than with anyone else except
Tristan.”

“You haven’t figured out he’s one of us, have
you?” Jack said.

Jack’s last remark efficiently stopped her
crying. “What? A werewolf?”

“Yes, a loner. Came here twelve years ago
from the East Coast. He’s originally from Turkey, from a town
called— ”

“Konya, in Central Anatolia, he told me that.
The city of Mevlana Jaleleddin Rumi and Whirling Dervishes. And,
according to Ahmed, the best baklava in the world,” Astrid said,
brushing away the last tears. “I baked it once for his birthday,
and he said it was as good as if it was from Konya. How come I
didn’t know? Did Tristan know?”

“He did. Demmir wasn’t a threat to you; on
the contrary. By the way, I told him he was welcome to come to Red
Cliffs, so you might see him again soon.”