Moonlight: The Big Bad Wolf (Black Swan 4) (38 page)

"Thank you and thank your, um, angel friend."

"Kellareal."

"Yes. Can I offer you...?"

"No. No. I'm on my way somewhere. But, listen, you can change your mind at any time and, if you're having second thoughts at all, I think you should. You've spent forty-eight hours with this woman. Forty-eight hours isn't much of a test of getting to know each other."

He smiled. "So I take it you don't believe in love at first sight?"

Litha's hands flew to her distended tummy of their own accord. Then she laughed quietly. "As a matter of fact, I
do
believe in love at first sight. But I know somebody who works at Headquarters. She's a past life therapist. She says it's not really first sight, but the soul part of our natures recognizing each other from another time of being together. Or not being together."

***

CHAPTER_19

Grey undertook preparation for his move to a new world by studying everything Litha had brought. She continually admonished him to rethink his plan and was so insistent about it, that he found himself searching his own feelings. Daily.

He did a checklist of the worst anticipated hardships. He would be a wolf alone. A wolf alone in a high rise apartment. A wolf alone in a high rise apartment with no way to shift or run again. Ever.

Every day he went through the list and every day he came to the same conclusion, that, even if she never spoke to him again, even if he never touched her again, if there was a chance he might see her again - even from a distance, he had to take that chance. Even though he knew it could be a death sentence to his sanity, because werewolves have been known to go mad if they couldn't release their wolves from time to time.

So he studied everything from maps to architecture to fashion to tipping. It was a lot to take in. The saving grace was that so much was similar to his own world. All he had to do was find the differences and concentrate on those.

Luna was an instant celebrity among her sisters. What she wanted was to crawl into her bed, pull the covers up, and be left alone to cry and sort out her feelings until such time as that was no longer the only thing she wanted to do. Unfortunately, the other girls were titillated by the phenomenon of being taken and wanted to hear every detail.

Who was he?

What did he look like?

Did he force himself on her?

Did he try and win her?

What was it like where he took her?

What was she expected to do?

The questions were endless and she didn't want to answer any of them. Her time with Stalkson Grey was something that she wanted to keep private, locked away in her heart forever like a treasure.

Grannie had called her in and asked if she would like to see the abductor punished. She had said no, that everything that occurred was consensual. Grannie found that answer troubling, but let it pass.

Luna went back to work, but she wasn't the same. Whereas she'd been happy with her life and her work beforehand, she found her thoughts were always on Elk Mountain instead of Temple Park. The worst part was going to bed at night. It had only taken two nights to learn to love sleeping with someone else, whether that someone was wearing a luxurious fur coat or skin over tantalizingly sexy muscle.

She had seen the look on Grey's face when Deliverance took her away and knew in that instant that he had spoken hastily and regretted what he'd said. If they had been left alone, they would have worked it out. She knew it. Perhaps he would have said he didn't mean it. Perhaps he would have said he was sorry for comparing her to another female, especially one who had been his mate.

A couple of tears accidentally slipped from her eyes and slid to her pillow. She knew there was no point in asking Deliverance to take her back. But she wondered what Grey was doing. She wondered if he was thinking about her as she was thinking about him.

She even went so far as to lie awake and ask herself if, knowing everything she knew now, would she have gone with him willingly? Would she have chosen that if he had asked her? And the answer was yes. She wanted to be his.

***

CHAPTER_20

Litha's friend, Kellareal, calculated how much gold Stalkson would need to bring to Throenark based on the rate of inflation in the value of gold for the past two hundred years, the cost of the lifestyle he had outlined with cost of living increases, and factored in that he could, conceivably, live for another hundred years. They then determined that it would take all three of them carrying to transport that much gold through the passes.

When moving day came, he packed the few sentimental mementos he wanted to keep with him along with the maps and cultural guides Litha had supplied. He sorted gold into three containers, looked around the lodge that had been his home for a very long time, and sighed.

Grey walked to Win's lodge and knocked. His son answered the door.

"Dad. It's good to see you looking so much better."

Grey nodded. "Come go for a run with me. Can I leave my clothes inside?"

Win stood back and opened the door wider then told Cloud he was going out for a run. The two shifted to wolf form. Grey took the lead. They alternately trotted and jogged to the king's favorite lookout from where he could see so much of his beloved valley. Now and then he playfully nipped at Win's ears or at his heels. Win would respond with a fake growl and take off so that Grey had to give chase. For some reason, and he didn't know why, it was easier to show Windwalker affection in wolf form.

The outing served two purposes. He would be able to see his valley one more time and burn the picture into his memory and he would be sure that he didn't leave without letting Win know he was loved. When they reached the outcropping where Grey had spent so much time surveying his dominion, he shifted into human form. Win did the same.

"I've come here often when there was something on my mind that needed to be sorted out. You're going to find that you need such a place where there is enough silence and peace to hear your own thoughts and keep your own counsel."

"Dad." Win sounded a little confused and a little concerned. "What do you...?"

Grey held up his hand. "This is the day, the morning, when you're named alpha. When we go back down, you will be king."

"No. Well, first, I'm not ready and, second, you're king."

"Only for a few minutes more. I'm going away to one of the other worlds and it's permanent."

"That's impossible. The tribe needs leadership more than ever. With the fed bypassing the Jefferson liaison and issuing a permit for gas drilling? So close to the reservation? They may even do that thing where they drill sideways under our land and take our resources without asking or paying! This is no time for you to leave and it's certainly not a good time for a change in alpha."

Grey put his hand on top of his boy's trapezius letting his thumb curl lovingly around the curve of his neck. "See, Win, the very fact that you're concerned about these things, coupled with the fact that you're reluctant, tells me that you
are
ready. You're going to be a great king. Much better than I have been."

Win was shaking his head no. "Cloud is whelping in the spring. You're going to miss being a grandfather."

The king smiled, but did look saddened by that. "I will miss not seeing the young ones, but the tribe will make sure there is enough love and guidance to make up for my absence."

Win narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about that human woman, is it?"

"I don't expect you to understand. There's no way you could. But I don't want to live without her."

Windwalker's eyes widened and he hissed in a breath. "You mated with her!"

Grey hadn't thought about that. He looked downward toward the ground so that he could contemplate that without the distraction of Win and the scenery. But his eyes found his penis on the way and it made him chuckle, remembering how Luna had regarded it as her personal prize.

"What in Fenrir's name could possibly be funny?" Win thought his father wasn't taking the subject at hand seriously enough, and was getting agitated.

Looking him straight in the eye so that he would know the decision had been made and was no longer up for discussion, Grey said, "This is our last run together. The elders will help you as they've helped me. And BlueClaw is a conduit to the spirit world if you lose your way altogether. He's been a good friend to me. He'll be a good friend to you.

"I have left a short list of phone numbers in my lodge. If you decide you want to follow those who have migrated, The Order of the Black Swan will help you. If you need their help, call Glendennon Catch. He's the future of The Order, a quarter werewolf, very dominant like you, but my advice is that you cease feeling superior to human hybrids
before
you ask him for help.

"If, at some point, you are challenged for position as alpha, your response is easy. Decide how badly you want it. The job always goes to the werewolf who wants it most. If you don't want it at all, there's no shame in that. And please hear me when I say that those are not just words."

Stalkson grinned. "Sometimes the Fates have surprises in store. We may see each other again and, if we do, you may be my alpha."

Win sighed deeply and looked out over the valley. Grey could see that the heavy shroud of kingship was settling around his son like an aura. It was evident in the change in his posture and expression. It made Grey proud that his progeny was up to the task. It made him sad that Win would experience no more carefree moments until someone else took the mantel of responsibility from him.

At the appointed hour, Litha arrived with Kellareal. He was ridiculously tall, perhaps six six, and ridiculously well built, with eyes almost as black as Deliverance or Storm, and short spiky hair so pale it was almost white. The look was so exotic that it assured he would never be able to appear in that form anywhere in the human world. Unless he was masquerading as a professional wrestler.

Even with his intimidating physical presence, there was no sense of threat or danger. He exuded amiability and his smiles were infectious.

Litha just had to ask one more time. "I just have to ask one more time. Are. You. Sure? As in really, really, really, really sure? If it doesn't work out, you won't be able to reach me by cell phone."

"Look, Litha. I owe you debts I'm never going to be able to repay. I want you to know that I'm grateful. I appreciate every single thing that you've done for me. You and your friend." He nodded at Kellareal and Kellareal returned his nod in kind. "More than I can express.

"So please don't take this the wrong way, but, if you're that worried about what will become of me and about me being stranded, then maybe you could check in on me. Stop by and say hello once a month or so."

Litha looked stunned. "Wow. How stupid do I feel?"

She looked at the angel who shrugged and smiled as if to say, "I don't know. How stupid are you?"

"Of course I can do that. Why not? I can make it every few days in the beginning. If all is well, taper off to once a week, then once a month, and so on. What do you think?"

Grey grinned and his eyes twinkled. "Takes all the risk right out of the gamble."

"Yeah." She frowned. "Of course it also takes all the romance out of giving up everything for love."

Kellareal spoke up. "What's important is that he was
willing
to give up everything for love."

"I still say it's not as tragically romantic, but it does take a load off my mind."

Grey had put on a Greenland outfit that Litha had supplied. It was a sleeveless, belted tunic over pants that looked like linen or hemp.

"That looks good on you, werewolf." Litha noticed that he seemed self-conscious.

Stalkson Grey rolled his eyes. "It feels silly."

"Why? Because you look like an extra from a Robin Hood movie?" asked the angel.

Litha gave the angel a warning look, which made him shrug and chuckle, "Truth telling. Just can't help it. Not always popular, but it's always real."

Litha ignored that and turned back to Grey. "That's just because you aren't used to it. When you're surrounded by people wearing similar clothes you'll be glad."

"If you say so."

"Is this the gold?"

Kellareal was pointing to the three containers that were designed to be used as tool kits, but Grey thought they'd work for his purpose because they were sturdy enough to carry heavy tools and they had handles.