Ellida (8 page)

“I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee. How about
you?” I said to Morgaine and gestured toward a coffee shop that
sported a big, neon-blue sign above the door: Café Insomnia.

My mentor instantly understood. “That’s a
good idea. Let them see you, Astrid. Let them talk to you. You are
a good natured, uncomplicated person. You’ll be a part of their
life in no time.”

Morgaine knew I was also a bit of a starchy
person, not comfortable in a crowd, but I was grateful she hadn’t
mentioned it.

“Too bad the Ellida job doesn’t come with a
manual,” I said and let out a nervous chuckle.

We found a small round table for two. The
guests came to introduce themselves or to say hello. Their
curiosity wasn’t aggressive, though, and the knot in my stomach
eased off.

WHEN PEYTON Kincaid walked in a little bit
later, I asked her if she wanted to join us. As we talked, I
attacked the green-eyed monster gnawing inside my stomach with
logic and reason. Peyton was in love with Jack, but it was hardly a
surprise. Not her fault. Who wouldn’t be? Two of us couldn’t have
the same man, though. I loved him, and he was my bond mate, so he
was mine.

I didn’t want Peyton to feel unhappy and sad.
I didn’t want her to hate me. I wanted her to become Jack’s friend.
And mine.

Hmm, it wouldn’t be easy, but damn it if I
wouldn’t try.

WHEN WE came back, Betty was in her office
on the second floor. Betty was Millennium Property’s financial
director.

Founded in the late 1930’s as an incorporated
company by four men—Brian, Hal, Jack and James—Millennium Property
now belonged to the latter two. Under Peyton’s supervision, the Red
Cliffs office with about twenty employees oversaw the network of
dozens of branches with hundreds of employees around the world.

“Eamon’s looking for you,” Betty said as I
came in. “Jack phoned. He and James are coming back tomorrow.”

My heart bounced. One more sleep.

I FOUND Eamon in his room.

“Come,” he grabbed my hand. “Close your
eyes.”

“My new car!” I shrieked, guessing the
reason. Jack had promised me a car that would suit my
personality.

Eamon dragged me to the garage. I heard the
light switch. I sniffed the air: it smelled of a new car,
indeed.

“Now turn and open your eyes,” Eamon
said.

A wide smile split my face. According to
Jack, my four-wheeler personality match was a Ferrari. Red.

I laughed happily as I walked around it,
touching its smooth, shiny body. My match was fast, powerful,
dashing and sexy. I opened the driver’s door and found an envelope
on the seat.

I thought it would go nicely with your red
dress. Love, Jack.

I flushed and glanced at Eamon, but his
attention was on the car, not on me.

“This is awesome! A Ferarri! They delivered
it this afternoon. Jack told me to keep you out of the house when
it came.”

“Let’s go for a ride!” I said.

We hopped in. The keys were in the ignition.
The powerful engine purred as I turned it over. Eamon was almost as
ecstatic as I was. “Oh my God! Do you realize what you got, Astrid?
My brother must be crazy in love with you! Man, this is epic!”

Having Eamon in the passenger seat, I didn’t
want to drive too fast, although the mighty engine begged for more,
and my foot ached to press the accelerator. I didn’t want to drive
through town, so I turned south until I hit the highway that gently
sloped down toward the south. It was dusk and there was almost no
traffic.

After twenty minutes I turned the car and we
drove back to the house.

I was already in love with my red beauty.

“DO YOU like your new car?” Jack asked,
wrapping his arms around Astrid. “Did you miss me?”

“Yes and yes,” Astrid said, reaching for his
lips and breathing in his delicious, familiar scent she’d learned
to love so quickly. “You know, a Ferrari would’ve never crossed my
mind, but the moment I saw it, I fell in love with it,” she said,
catching a breath.

“Your dress’s been inspirational on multiple
levels,” Jack said, laughing and kissing her again.

“Now tell me what’s going on between you and
James,” Astrid said later. Since James and Jack had come back, she
could feel a subtle tension between the two men.

Jack took her hands between his. “We met
Darius. As we suspected, there is a strong underground resistance
in Copper Ridge, but there’s been an interesting development.
Darius works from outside, providing all sorts of help and support,
but your mother is the key player.”

Astrid’s heart stopped. “My mother?! God,
what if Seth finds that out? He’s going to kill her!”

“She’ll be okay, she knows who she’s dealing
with. She’s careful, Seth doesn’t have a clue. Maybe it’s better if
I start from the beginning. Come, sit here with me.”

Astrid let Jack walk her to her bed and help
her sit down. Her body felt boneless.

“What’s going on, Jack?”

“According to Darius, your mother realized
what kind of man Seth was soon after they got married. She severed
all contact with you in order to protect you. Your grandparents
knew the reason, but she asked them not to tell you. She knows Red
Cliffs blames her for Hal and Brian’s deaths.”

When he realized that Rowena couldn’t give
him a child, Jack continued, Seth lost his interest in her as a
woman and wife, and his affection turned into hate. “Although Seth
and your mother separated, he didn’t let her leave him. Darius was
four years old when Rowena came to Copper Ridge, and since then
she’s been like a mother to him. You already know that.”

“A mother without her child and a motherless
boy,” Astrid said softly. “No wonder.”

“They love each other deeply, Astrid. You
should see how Darius talks about her. He calls her ‘mother’, he
adores her. Of course, James wasn’t ready to hear something like
that, and when he showed his doubts, Darius almost attacked
him.”

“She’s been living in a constant fear and
danger,” Astrid whispered.

Jack sighed. “She’s been living like that for
twenty-odd years. James didn’t want you to know any of this, not
for the time being, at least, because he thought you would be
upset.”

“Upset doesn’t cover it, Jack!” Astrid said.
“For my entire life I believed my mother abandoned me. What do
Arnaldur and Ella know? Why didn’t they tell me anything? How could
they hide that from me?”

“Your mother made them. To protect you. She
couldn’t do too much for herself, but she’s been shielding you the
whole time.”

“So you believe Darius?”

“I do. That’s why James and I argued. He also
wants to protect you. I think you have the right to know the
truth.”

Astrid buried her head in her hands. “Hold
me, Jack,” she whispered through tears.

Jack closed his arms around her. “Rowena
regained her wizard skills. Nobody except Darius and their allies
know about it. The resistance is stronger day by day. Seth’s
totally out of control and his people are tired of his madness. It
was your mother who tipped off Tristan when Seth sent his people to
look for you. And about the vampires who attacked us. That’s why
Liv and Tristan came so fast.”

“He’ll kill her if he figures out what she’s
doing.”

“She’s a werewolf, Astrid. We are not easy to
kill. And she’s a full-fledged wizard again. She’s survived all
those terrible years. She knows how to take care of herself. And I
bet she wants to be able to see you, so she’s very motivated to
stay alive.”

Astrid closed her eyes and rocked gently back
and forth. “Mother… Mother…” she chanted quietly. For the first
time in her life, the word had a meaning. It wrapped around her
heart and melted away a tiny, icy splinter that had been hurting
her all her life.

Jack kissed her forehead and brushed her
tears away. “It’s going to be okay, you’ll see, baby. Now you have
to promise me you won’t do anything reckless, like trying to
contact her. Do I have your word?”

Astrid nodded weakly.

JACK STAYED with her all night. Long after
he fell asleep, his head buried in her hair, Astrid lay awake,
staring into the darkness, thinking about her mother on the other
side of the Great Orme.

How many nights in the past twenty-five years
had Rowena lain awake like this, thinking about her daughter while
she’d been living an ordinary life, growing up sheltered and
protected, going to school, traveling? Did she think Astrid hated
her? Had anybody ever told her anything about Astrid? Did she dare
to ask? Did she dream about her little girl?

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes,
dripping on Jack’s shirt. She pressed her hot cheek on the cool,
damp patch. Jack stirred and tightened his grip around her.

“It’s okay, baby, everything’s going to be
fine. I promise,” he murmured into her hair. “Try to sleep a
bit.”

Jack wasn’t a man who’d make empty promises,
she thought and smiled weakly. She closed her eyes, and her
breathing gradually slowed down, adjusting to Jack’s rhythm.

Of course, everything would be okay. Any
other option was out of the question.

THE DINNER for the Captains, the heads of
the eleven Red Cliffs Houses, and their spouses took place a day
after Jack and James had returned from Scotland.

During dinner, Astrid had been seated to her
uncle’s right, and Jack to the left of his mother, the place
reserved for the male guest of honor.

“My friends, please join me in welcoming
Ellida Astrid, daughter of Hal and Rowena, to our Red Cliffs clan,”
James addressed them in a clear voice. “As our ancient tradition
requires, Astrid will announce her decisions about her future
status here and about choosing her mate after two full moons.”

James raised his glass, and the men and women
around the table followed him. “To Ellida Astrid!”

“To Ellida Astrid,” Jack repeated with a
wide, warm smile and raised his glass, too.

James rested his eyes on Jack and
beckoned.

Moving his gaze from Jack to his guests,
James said, “Twenty five years ago you asked me to be the clan’s
temporary Einhamir until Jack was ready to take the position
offered to him after his father’s death.” His eyes turned back to
Jack. “John William Canagan, are you ready now to accept the
position of Red Cliffs Einhamir?”

Jack’s head bowed slightly. “I am ready,
Einhamir.”

One more time James addressed his guests in
his strong voice. “Does any among you want to challenge John
William Canagan, son of Brian, for the position of Red Cliffs
Einhamir?”

Eleven pairs of eyes fixed on Jack in silent
acceptance.

James nodded. “Then I’m asking each of you to
swear your alliance to your new Einhamir.”

Jack stood up, and then James. With hand
fisted over his heart, he slightly bowed his head and said in a
firm voice, “I, James Edward Mohegan, your predecessor, swear my
alliance to you, Einhamir John William Canagan.”

One by one, three women and eight men did the
same.

WITH THE ceremonial part over, the
atmosphere loosened up. Astrid discreetly let out a deep sigh. So
that was it. The transition of power had gone smoothly. That night,
James had killed two birds with one stone: he’d introduced Astrid
as the clan’s future Ellida, and appointed Jack as its Einhamir.
After two months, the Ellida would announce that she’d mated with
their Einhamir. That would cement Jack’s status as the leader of
the clan.

DAYS TURNED into weeks, yet Astrid’s life at
Red Cliffs refused to slip into a routine. There was a constant
flow of people through the house. Astrid often accompanied Jack or
James to the ranches and farms scattered around the town to
introduce her to the owners and their families.

Jack kept coming and going. Sometimes he
would stay home for days, while on other occasions he only stopped
in long enough to take a shower and change his clothes.

The Blakes continued to phone her every
night. After a busy day full of previously unplanned activities and
unpredictable twists and turns, Astrid looked forward to talking to
her friends.

Her cousin Maggie had come home for spring
break from Austin, where she was studying petroleum engineering.
Tall, slender, with wavy light brown hair and amber eyes, she
resembled her mother and older brother. She was more reserved than
her merry, outgoing younger brother.

Like her mother, Maggie preferred to draw her
own conclusions about her cousin rather than to go with the flow.
Her assessing methods were less delicate than Betty’s. Astrid often
felt Maggie’s amber gaze on her—openly curious, penetrating and
thorough.

Maggie looked so much like her brother that
Astrid couldn’t help but like her right away. Fighting against her
own introvert personality, Astrid tried to initiate small talk with
her cousin, but only after Maggie had decided she’d gathered enough
information about Astrid to come up with her own opinion did she
loosen up.

Behind Maggie’s quiet, reserved appearance,
Astrid quickly discovered a brilliant scientific mind, not unlike
hers.

“Why did you choose to study oil
engineering?” Astrid asked her once.

“The oil industry’s one of the biggest
environmental polluters, but people won’t stop with hydrocarbon
exploration until they pump up the very last drop of oil. Look
what’s going on now: the less oil there is, the dirtier the
production is. And that’s the reason why I chose it—I’ll try to
make a difference. There is a whole new generation of oil engineers
who do care about the environment and the impact of the industry on
it. Why did you choose to be a trauma surgeon instead of fixing
noses and boobs?”