Valor’s expression darkened grimly. “I said she was well, not okay.”
“Uh oh, what’s happened?” I asked, even though part of me didn’t want to know. Trouble seemed to be my constant shadow. We’d only been back a short time. I wasn’t at all ready to back into anything that resembled dangerous.
“After the transformation was completed, Dante and I brought her home. We have been unable to help her shift back since she is too distraught.”
Dante was Valor’s sexy beast of a son. Also very easy on the eyes. It came as a bit of a surprise that neither he nor Valor could help the woman transform. No woman, no matter who she is, wouldn’t feel comforted around these men. Their smooth-talking gorgeousness could not be missed. It meant she was in really bad shape. “Poor thing,” I exhaled.
Valor nodded, concern tightened his features. “It is very troublesome. I feel for the little wolf. She is very frightened and if we cannot get through to her.” He sighed deeply and met my gaze. “I am afraid I must destroy her. This is not something I want to do.”
“You have to kill her?” I snapped. “Why?”
“She is a liability,” Kyden interjected. “If she cannot control herself, she will end up facing our swords and taking a human life in the process.”
As if that answered my question. Kyden should have known better. This world, especially the wolf world was still very foreign to me. Having it spelled out what always a necessity. “It makes her a liability that she can’t shift?”
Valor’s nod was grim. “As wolves, we always need to be in control of our animal side. If we were to ever lose that control…the danger is too great. You have not witnessed a wolf such as this?” he asked.
I shook my head in silent response. The only wolves I witnessed were ones who were in complete control of themselves. Never had I seen a crazed wolf and knew with certainty that it wasn’t something I wanted to see either.
“It is not something to take lightly,” Valor continued. “When the animal inside us takes over, our need to kill, to taste blood and eat flesh consumes us.”
“And this will happen to her?” I asked.
“It will,” Valor confirmed. “If she cannot shift back to human form and learn to control the wolf within her, it will begin to take over. At such time, she would be lost forever.”
“Okay, I see the problem,” I replied, somberly. “Just seems so unfair. She didn’t ask for this, and now she could be killed for it.”
Valor inclined his head, acknowledged the depravity of this situation. “Exactly. You see my problem here. We need to get through to her, calm her enough to get her to shift, and then explain to her what has happened.”
“Can’t she hear you in her wolf form?” My interactions with wolves had taught me that much. “Why don’t you just explain it to her now?”
“We have explained it but nothing seems to be getting through to her.” Valor’s words came hastily and exasperated. “Time is running out.”
“So, what can I do to help?” I asked, a little lost as to what exactly he wanted me to do about it.
“I was hoping you would come with me, talk with her. Being that you grew up in the Earthworld, I thought you might be the best one to explain this new life to her. Help her accept what has happened.”
“Of course, I will try, Valor. But I don’t know anything about wolves.”
He waved away my apprehension. “That is not of any concern. Briggs is with her now. He has not left her side since returning to my home. If you can get her to shift, then he will explain everything to her in greater detail.”
Apparently, vacation time was over. My gaze connected with Kyden’s. “You’ll come too, right?”
He nodded as if I even needed to ask. “We will have to discuss this with the Council first.”
Valor stood. “Let’s go to them now. We cannot waste any more time.”
Within a blink of an eye, we were out the door and heading down the castle’s hall. My five-foot-five legs were nothing matched to the lengthy strides of the two men ahead of me. Every few steps I had to run a little to keep up with them.
After rounding the corner, we were in the Council’s foyer. A King’s Chamber was always a better description I thought, but who was I to put up a stink about a name. Within five steps from the men—and twenty of mine—we entered the Council’s Hall.
All four Council members sat in their throne chairs, which were in the center of a spectacular Gothic Cathedral. Large stained-glass windows, marvelous stone sculptures and heavily detailed pillars were only the beginning of the beauty held here.
The Council is the governing body of the Otherworld—the Leaders, Masters from each of the Supernatural races. Guardian, Witch, Vampire and Werewolf. Everything had to go through the Council first or heads would roll—literally. However, rules around here were few and far between. The only one that remained the most important…never take a human life.
Those guilty of that offence, died¯no questions asked.
Once we reached the chairs, Valor gave them the rendition of the story he’d told Kyden and I. He was more stressed about this situation than he was letting on. Tension rolled off him. I couldn’t help but wonder why. This wolf obviously held importance to him. He wouldn’t do this for just anyone. To go to such lengths to ensure her safety seemed a bit over the top. There had to be more to this than we were being told. When Valor finished, silence sat around us. Expressions of confusion ran across each of the Council members’ faces.
“What caused the wolf to attack her?” Zade, Master of Vampires, asked Valor. His dark eyes clearly questioning as his dark hair dangled on his face.
“It took time to find him. The Alpha spent a day searching and when he killed him, he said he was wildly out of control. We are unsure at this time what exactly took place, but we are looking into it. I have some of my pack out investigating and meeting with the Minnesota pack to find out the details.”
“It has been some time since we have heard of an incident with a wolf,” the Master of Weres, Brax said. His soft, sweet features of long dark hair and kind eyes were nothing but a front. He was scary as hell when he wanted to be.
He was right too. The last time we had a problem with the wolves it revolved around a cruel vampire, Lazarus. Just another memory I’ve chosen to block out, which since joining this world, were increasing dramatically. It didn’t thrill me to hear about wolf attacks. But knowing that the wolf attacked a human, some of my worry settled immediately.
This wasn’t someone else out for revenge or anyone with a Nexi target in mind. Living in my happy bubble of protection was exactly where I wanted to stay.
Valor continued, “The Alpha has confirmed that this is the first of any problems within his territories in some time. He knew nothing of the wolf in question and gathered his wolves to discuss the matter. We are not anticipating any further trouble in this regard.”
“Well, that’s good,” I noted. “I’ll help one wolf, but if this turns into a ‘Nexi therapy session’, I’m not volunteering.”
Laughter rippled through the Council’s Hall. This Gothic Cathedral always did have such an echo to the room. The emptiness of it—four throne chairs sitting in the middle of this huge architectural masterpiece—didn’t exactly make it homey.
“How long do you expect this to take?” Talon, the Master of Guardians, asked Valor.
He didn’t look pleased to be losing Kyden and I. He may be the top Guardian in the Otherworld, but he’s also Kyden’s father. Sure, he’s a sexy devil with a glorious muscular body and jaw-dropping face, brown hair and the same eyes Kyden had but when I looked at him, I saw a dad—plain and simple.
“I am unsure how long this will take,” Valor replied. “I can only hope that it works at all. The young wolf is terrified—lost.”
Brax stood, approached Valor, and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You have done much for us, Valor. We will help you in any way we can.”
“What’s going on?” Haven’s voice said from behind me.
I spun around as Haven and Finn entered the hall. She’s cute with big blue eyes, bouncy brown curls, and Finn belonged on the beach with a surfboard in hand. They looked good together. I loved them both beyond words.
“Why are you feeling so heartbroken?” Haven asked, examining me with suspicious eyes.
I laughed. “That is somewhat annoying you know.”
Our soul-sister bond had become a royal pain in my backside. Not that I didn’t love sharing such a deep bond with her that made emotions between us impossible to hide. It’s just, I couldn’t feel anything without having Haven knocking on my door to investigate.
“It is not,” she rebuked, looking royally pissed. “It’s special.”
I took her hand, squeezing it and focused on warm and happy feelings to share with her. “Sorry. You’re right. It is very special.” I recovered that moment quickly, and moved on, eager for her to forget it. “Anyways, Valor has a young wolf that needs some help, so he came to see if I’d mind helping out.”