“About your magic?”
She nodded. “About where we find the energy to power our magic. It’s such a simple thing, really. It’s all about love. Love and the sexual energy we produce. Years ago, when my father and Stefan were in the very early days of building the pack, they discovered that sexual energy could give my dad almost unlimited magical power. One of our pack was kidnapped, and with the combined energy from the pack members gathered here in Montana, Dad was able to possess a raven on the east coast and use the bird to find the missing packmate.”
He tried to imagine that kind of power, but it was totally beyond him. “That’s really hard to believe.” He looked into her sparkling eyes and believed. “You’ve learned to share energy?”
She nodded. “We’re all telepathic, and it’s a simple thing to create the energy, either through fantasy or actual sex, and then share it. Dad takes it into himself and then works it.”
“It’s that simple?”
“Yeah, though not without risk. Years ago, when I was just a toddler, there was a plot against the president . . .”
“Of the United States?”
She laughed. “That’s the one, and the entire pack was supposed to share energy at precisely the same time so that Dad would have the power to create a blackout in San Francisco where the president was scheduled to speak. At the time, the packs were scattered all around the country, but they all worked really hard at building up as much as they could.” She laughed. “We’re really good at producing vast amounts of sexual energy.”
“And it worked?”
“Oh, yeah. Much too well. Dad blew out power over the entire Bay Area, but the energy surge left his brain fried for weeks. He couldn’t connect telepathically with anyone, couldn’t concentrate or carry on a conversation. It was really horrible. The president was saved, but we were sure we’d lost my father. Personally, I thought it was a crappy trade-off.”
“What happened next?” He ran his fingers through her hair. It was so beautiful, gleaming the color of dark copper beneath the low porch light, soft as silk falling in long waves and curls.
“I don’t remember the details, but I somehow knew that part of my dad’s consciousness had essentially gone into hiding to escape the blast of power. I found it and put it back.”
“You what?” He really couldn’t stop laughing. “How?”
She actually looked embarrassed. “I recognized part of Dad was in my uncle AJ. I was about nineteen months old, barely talking, and I guess I kept jabbering about ‘Dada’s smile.’ ”
“His smile?”
Shrugging, she picked up his hand again and played with his fingers. “That’s what I called it, the part of him I loved so much. It was hiding out in AJ’s brain. I somehow knew how to take it from AJ and return it to my father.”
“Wow. Precocious doesn’t even come close, does it?”
Shaking her head, she gazed across the dark meadow. “I’ve been blessed by our goddess in so many ways.” She sighed, and then as she so often did, changed the subject. “Did you know that Adam’s mate, Liana, the one who helped Alex tonight, was once our goddess? I mean, she’s thousands of years old, but she screwed up and got kicked off the astral, and Eve, who was Adam’s first bonded mate, took over Liana’s job. What’s cool is they’re both happy with the way things turned out. Personally, if I’d been Eve I would have been pissed, ending up dead before my time because of Liana’s screwup, but she’s much nicer than I am. Definitely goddess material.”
He knew he was looking at her like she had two heads, but that was just a little over the top. “I think that’s a bit too much for tonight. It makes my head hurt.” He laughed and hugged her close. “I do like the idea of using love and sexual energy to power magic, though.” He affected a smarmy voice and said, “Blood sacrifices are just so messy.”
Lily snorted. Then she clasped both his hands and tugged until he looked into her beautiful eyes. He saw his reflection in their amber depths, and suddenly, it was as if his life opened up. Things he’d never thought of before because they’d brought him nothing but pain, but now, looking into Lily’s eyes, he knew exactly how terribly lost he’d been. He just hadn’t understood how lost. Not until Lily found him.
She cupped his cheek in her palm, and her look was so direct, so honest, it felt as if she sliced him open with her gaze, as if she spread his life out in front of her for observation.
“Sebastian, something my father said to me a long time ago finally makes perfect sense. The power of blood magic, power that comes from the sacrifice of a living thing, is finite. Once the life is gone and the power is used up, it’s gone forever. Along with an innocent life.
“Not so with magic powered by love. Love endures. It grows stronger with time, and its power is never ending. Once you learn to work magic with love behind it, you’ll discover there’s no limit to what you can do. Love is infinite. You don’t need to control it. You merely accept its strength, use it for good, and it will never fail you.”
Caught in her words, her honesty, and her gentle touch, he slowly became aware of Alex moving around inside, knew he had to get up, had to move away from Lily before he did something stupid. Why did her words make him want to weep? Why did it feel as if he’d just heard an epiphany he’d needed his entire life?
He stood and tugged. Lily rose gracefully before him, and he knew he couldn’t let the moment pass. Cupping her face in his hands, he lightly kissed her lips. “I promise you, I will never fail you, Lily Cheval. I love you, and that is my vow. I will not fail you.”
She blinked, but tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. Her lips parted, and he waited to see what she would say. She didn’t speak the words. No, they were much more intimate. Inside his head, winding around his heart.
I love you, Sebastian Xenakis. I don’t know how it happened so fast, but it’s real and I can’t walk away. I don’t want to walk away. I’d rather jump right into the middle of it.
“Works for me,” he said. Then he took her hand and led her back inside the cabin. Back to Alex and the night awaiting them.
Alex was sitting at the kitchen table with a cold beer and a roasted deli chicken in front of him. He looked up. “I missed dinner,” he said. Then he took another bite.
“So did I.” Sebastian sat across from him and pulled a leg off the bird. “Lily?”
Laughing, she shook her head and wandered over to the cupboard. “Cognac or cold beer?”
“That’s quite a selection. What are you having?”
“A glass of white wine, but Alex tells me that’s not manly.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Manly enough for me.” He raised an eyebrow at Alex. “I don’t doubt my masculinity, but you never know about some guys.”
Lily patted Alex on the head. He rolled his eyes and continued eating. Sebastian noticed a red slash across his bare shoulders. “Wow . . . that’s what Liana healed?”
Alex nodded. “Yeah. It’s still sore, but it feels more like bruising. That wolf was a big sucker, and way too strong.” He glanced toward Lily, who was setting a glass of white wine in front of Sebastian. “Any idea who the hell those bastards were? I’ve never seen wolves that big, or that ferocious. Even Tinker’s smaller than the one that went after Annie.”
Lily sat next to Sebastian. “You want to tell him what we think is going on?”
“Yeah.” He took a swallow of the wine first. “Lily said you’re aware of the experiments the military did, trying to find Chanku among the troops to train as super warriors? She said no one knows how many were found or whatever became of them because the program got canceled shortly after it started.”
“We think we know where at least six of them are,” Lily added. She gazed at Sebastian. “They’re bodyguards for Sebastian’s father. Sebastian recognized two of them as the ones that attacked us the other night. The same wolves whose scent I recognized from the site of that murder in Golden Gate Park.”
“Holy shit.” Alex’s gaze flashed from Lily to Sebastian and back to Lily. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “Have there been any more murders since this morning?”
“Not that I know of, but I’ve been with Annie since this afternoon. But why? What purpose would Aldo Xenakis have for harboring killers?”
Sebastian glanced at Lily. “Maybe because my father is a powerful wizard, one who pursues dark magic. Blood magic. I think he’s using the life force of the young women to give him power for whatever magic he’s doing.”
Frowning, Alex stared for a long moment at Sebastian, before letting out a pent-up breath. “That’s sick. Really sick. But to what end? What kind of spell would require the deaths of so many young women? And rape? How do the rapes fit in? What is he hoping to gain by all of this?”
“I don’t know.” Sebastian squeezed Lily’s hand. “He wanted me to get to know Lily, though I’m not sure why. When I told him I’d lost it when she and I were running on Mount Tam and had almost raped her, he seemed disappointed, as if my not hurting her went against his plans.”
Lily stared at him. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“I know. I told your father about it, and I’m sorry but I didn’t know how to say anything to you. It’s just so damned wrong. At first I wanted to think I was misinterpreting what he said. He’s my father.” He shrugged and looked away. “It was really hard to admit he’s a murderer, but I’m convinced he’s got some kind of plan that includes you and me. I just don’t know what it is. The man’s dangerous. He’s got to be stopped.”
“Where is he? Here or in San Francisco?” Alex pushed the half-eaten plate of chicken aside.
“He was in San Francisco when I left, but if his wolves are here, he could have followed me. Unless he’s got more of them up here that I don’t know about.”
“Does he know you came to Montana?”
Alex’s questions reminded him of a cop show, only he was the suspect being questioned. “I don’t know. I didn’t hide my trail, if that’s what you mean, but I didn’t leave him a note, either. It was a spur of the moment decision. I took a cab to the airport and caught the first plane up here that had a vacant seat.”
“If he had you followed, he could know you’re here, which means that attack on Annie and me could have been aimed at you and Lily.”
Sebastian frowned. “Why would you think that?”
“Look at us, you and me. We’re like my dad and Anton. People always think they’re brothers, even though they’re not related. You and I are both tall and lean, both have dark hair. Even similar features. Someone doesn’t know either of us, they could get us confused. Hell, we look enough alike we could be related. Same with the girls. Lily and Annie are dark skinned, obviously mixed race. Annie’s smaller and she’s got short hair, but if they were looking for a tall, dark-haired guy and a mixed-race woman, she and I could be you and Lily.”
“But why would my father want to kill us? He could have done that at any time. Hell, I live with the man, here and in San Francisco. He’s had plenty of opportunities.”
“I don’t think he wants to kill you. I imagine he wants to capture you. Probably wants both of you to power some spell he’s got planned. Those wolves that attacked us today could easily have killed Annie and me without any help at all, but they didn’t go for the kill, and they weren’t alone. I’m positive there were more in the woods, waiting. I heard Anton say he recognized human scent. So maybe they hadn’t shifted. Maybe they were ready with restraints, but help showed up too quickly and they bailed.”
“That’s putting a whole new spin on things.”
Lily yawned. “It is, and like you said earlier, Sebastian, it’s making my head hurt.” She stood and planted both hands on the table. “Gentlemen. I am exhausted. It has been a very long, emotionally trying day, and I am going to bed. You may join me, or you can stay here and gorge yourselves on whatever Mom left in the fridge and talk rings around each other until morning.”
She kissed Alex and then planted a long, lazy one on Sebastian. He glanced at Alex, who merely shrugged.
“Your loss, boys.” Lily headed for the bedroom.
Alex grinned at Sebastian and then batted his eyelashes. “Actually, before we go in and fuck, I’d really prefer to get to know you better.”
Laughing, Sebastian grabbed the wine bottle and refilled his glass. “I agree. I’m not that kind of guy. Besides, I want to hear more about Lily.” He glanced toward the doorway. “She’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never felt like this about any woman before, and I have a feeling that’s not going to change.”
Alex smiled at him and laughed softly. “It’s not. And believe it or not, I know how you feel about her. Part of me is jealous as hell that the two of you fit so well because I always wanted that with Lily, but I didn’t really understand what she and I lacked until Annie came back into my life.”
“Lily truly loves you.”
Alex cocked an eyebrow. “And that doesn’t bother you?”
Sebastian laughed. “Hell no, because as much as she loves you, half the time she’s thinking about killing you.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right.” Alex got up and grabbed another beer. “Let’s go outside. The cottage is small, and I don’t want to keep her awake. She’s had a damned long day.”
“Me too.” Sebastian grabbed the wine bottle and his glass. “But I’m too keyed up to sleep.”
“Who’s talking about sleep?” Alex grinned as he opened the door. The two of them walked out on the deck, but Alex continued on down the steps, into the darkness.
The night didn’t seem as dark as it usually was. Could Anton’s pills already be working? No way. Not this soon. Sebastian followed Alex along a stone path that led to a small pond in the meadow. Alex took a seat on a stone bench and patted the spot beside him. Sebastian sat.
“So Anton’s given you the first of the nutrients. Notice anything yet?”
Sebastian glanced about, but dark was dark. “What’s to notice ? It’s only been a few hours. Did you ever take them?”
“Didn’t have to.” Alex took a swallow of his beer. “I was born to Chanku parents, and since my mother took them during her pregnancy, I was fully Chanku at birth. I’ve never needed them, though on occasion my body will crave the grasses and I find myself nibbling on them. Keisha, Lily’s mom, is a landscape architect, which explains the gorgeous gardens here, but she’s got the Tibetan grasses scattered all over the property.”