Children of the Moon: Book Six Page 9
Driven by a need she didn’t quite understand she stood to take her place between them and raised her hands and sent waves of energy toward the screaming wolf. Visible again, the three she-wolves came closer to him and formed a wall at his back, preventing his escape even if he could have repelled the tremendous force of the witches' energy.
Summer could feel her power growing by the second and she lifted her right hand in the air as everything her mother taught her came back with a vengeance. As images filled her mind and she released all that she had suppressed she felt her mother’s touch and could almost sense her presence. The power at her fingertips became an extension of her body and she watched without a scrap of emotion as Danvers feet came off the ground and she dangled him in the air like a puppet on a string.
He screamed insults until his face was purple but he no longer had the power to hurt her. In her peripheral vision, she saw some of the other wolves surround them, with only Connor in his human form. Danvers wouldn’t escape this time, there were too many people here who wanted him dead. She did too, but she didn’t have the burning thirst to be the one to carry out the sentence, she had never had the stomach for it.
She lifted him high in the air and slammed him into the ground with so much force it knocked him unconscious. She felt nothing as she looked at the wolf lying prone on the grass, she was finished with him for good.
Connor caught her as her knees gave way and swept her up into his arms. She knew she should protest but it felt so good to be held by him that she was going to indulge in the luxury of his protection for just a few minutes. His scent was so comforting she pressed her cheek against him and breathed deeply. There was nothing she wanted more than to go home, light the fire and curl up on the rug with him for the next few days.
But Danvers still needed to be dealt with and she couldn’t just pass that responsibility onto others. That wasn’t her way at all.
The strength returned quickly to her limbs and she asked Connor to let her stand on her own two feet once more. She needed to see this thing through to the very end if she was to ever have peace in her life and closure from the pain he had inflicted. She wanted the last few years of constantly looking over her shoulder to be nothing more than a memory.
The wolves had shifted back and Daria had brought the women’s clothes to them from the bed of the truck. Jay and one of the security teams arrived and he had shorts in his arms for the men. They would make do with whatever he had brought them, they were used to it. Lukas hugged her tightly and let her go again to join the others as they formed a wide circle around Danvers who was slowly coming around.
She walked forward and slipped into an empty spot between Imogen and Raven and waited silently with the others until he was fully conscious and stood up. Danvers was going to die here today, but as yet she didn’t know how or by whose hand. It didn’t really matter.
“What are you going to do, lock me up again.” he grinned as Seann approached him.
Seann closed his fist and punched him in the face so hard that Danvers went flying back to land on the grass in a heap, blood gushed from his nose and he yelped in pain.
“That was for my daughter.”
Lukas took his place and grabbed Danvers, pulling him to his feet. Finn took his other arm and held him there as Daria approached.
“You have practiced blood magic with evil intent, kidnapped an innocent child and three witches, possibly more, to carry out your heinous crimes and you have murdered dozens of wolves and humans in your quest for power. In the coven, these crimes would mean you forfeit your life and as high priestess I would sentence you to death.”
“We’re not in the coven though, are we?” he laughed.
“The pack would also sentence you to death for any single one of these crimes you have committed.” Liam came forward.
“I’m not part of your pack either.” He was laughing uncontrollably now.
‘He needs to die now.’ Summer heard the voice in her head and recognized it as Imogen’s.
‘I agree, he is far too dangerous to let him live and he will kill again and again.’ Summer replied, amazed that Imogen could hear her.
Imogen stepped forward and Summer stood with her. She held out her hand and Imogen slipped it inside hers. They were joined by Daria, Raven and India who all linked hands and looked to the last woman standing with them. Kandis stepped forward and held out her hands to form a circle.
“I don’t have witch’s blood running in my veins like the rest of you do but we are a sisterhood. Hope and Bree would be right here with us if they could be. We will do this together.”
Summer began to chant softly. Raven and her aunt joined in and they all circled Danvers.
He stopped laughing and Summer saw fear in his eyes for the first time as he realized he wasn’t going to wiggle out of this one, it was way too late for Rob Danvers. He had wreaked havoc on this world for far too long and for some, there was just no going back.
“Finn! Liam! are you going to stand by and watch them slaughter your brother?”
“You are no brother of mine, you tried to kill our mother and sister.” Finn shook his head and Liam ignored him.
He tried to run but Summer held him in place effortlessly with just a wave of her hand as the full strength of her power returned and she felt the heat flow through her veins as a long-forgotten energy grew inside her.
“Can you imagine how powerful we would all be if we worked together,” he screamed, trying a new tack. “A king and his beautiful court, we would rule the world!”
“We are powerful without you,” Summer said.
She nodded to Daria who took a blade for her belt and sliced it quickly across Rob Danvers’ neck, severing his carotid artery. Blood poured from the wound unchecked as the witch’s power prevented his wolf from healing him. It only took fifteen seconds and he lay still on the grass, a threat to the world no more.
Summer dropped her hands and turned and walked quickly away from the others. She was furious at herself for the hot tears that spilled unchecked down her cheeks. She hated Danvers with a passion but she still grieved the loss of his life, no matter how necessary it was.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Connor
He wanted to run after her but knew she needed a little time to compose herself. Summer wasn’t a killer and watching a wolf die was not something she would ever get used to, regardless of how wicked that wolf was. Her sweet, gentle nature was one of the things he loved about her in this often harsh world.
He did love her, with every thread of his existence. He had from the moment she turned her dimpled smile his way but he had been too stubborn to recognize it.
“She is a gentle soul, like her mother,” Daria said, coming to stand beside him. “I regret very much that I didn’t see her grow up, a talent like Serena’s is rare. She is a much more powerful witch than she even knows, it’s why he wanted her in the first place. It would be a shame to see it all go to waste if she was to lose it.
The accusation wasn’t lost on Connor.
“Summer will be whoever she chooses to be, witch or wolf, with no interference from me or anyone else. It’s entirely her choice.”
She straightened up and began to walk toward him and he met her halfway. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying but there was also a steely determination there and Connor knew she would be okay. She fit in his open arms like a glove and he held her tightly and gave thanks for the hundredth time that she was unharmed.
Finn, Liam and Kandis were going to stay back and close up the house properly and Lexi was going to drive out and join them. Jay already had a team on their way to clean up the mess and Connor just wanted to go home. He was reluctant to let her go, even for a moment and was content to sit in the back seat with his arms around Summer and let someone else drive for a change.
He couldn’t get the picture of her out of his mind as she held Danvers in the air with a sweep of her hand. Her hair blowing wildly in the non-existent wind and her eyes were glowin
g brightly as she chanted softly and her magic filled the air. He had wondered briefly if she would embrace her lycan genes and become like him, but he felt like a selfish ass for even thinking about it now. Witches lived much longer than humans but not as long as shifters did, but it was too huge a sacrifice for her to risk her powers because he wanted her to live longer. Hell, any one of them could have died today if Danvers had shot them. He would take what he could get of her, for however long he could get it.
Daria and Raven were going back to their coven but they had promised to come to the mountain in a couple of weeks and spend some time with Summer. They were her mother’s family and she deserved to get to know them better. He couldn’t imagine his life without his mom, brothers and sister, even Cillian who was a spoiled brat.
Summer lifted her head as she remembered something.
“Imogen is a telepath. When we were surrounding Danvers out there I heard her voice in my head and replied and she could hear me too. Maybe it’s because she has her mother’s witch genes, meaning there is a chance that India may be telepathic too.”
“If you believe the stories among the packs, they say that the white wolf is gifted. She has visions, although they are sporadic, she is strong and the fastest wolf in the pack, barring Seann and now she is a telepath. That’s certainly a lot of gifts.” Connor said.
“Jay says India is the best tracker he has ever seen and she can sniff out a liar from a mile away,” Lukas added from the front. “Again, it could be their mother’s witch genes in the mix but there is a lot of talent in the Donovan pack that I haven’t encountered anywhere else.”
“What else?” Connor asked intrigued.
“Have you ever seen a she-wolf who can fight like Kandis, she would put most of the men on their asses. Hope is a powerful empath and Bree is an awesome tracker, almost as good as India and both of them can shift in the blink of an eye. In other packs, I have encountered maybe one wolf with an extraordinary talent, never half a dozen or more. I think it may just be the tip of the iceberg,” Lukas added.
“I know that in my father’s pack no wolf would have shown himself to be different for fear of ridicule. He hated anyone who was better or stronger than himself and a telepath would have freaked him out and been banished. It makes me wonder how many other gifted wolves are out there and afraid to come forward,” Connor said sadly.
“Surely not in this pack, Seann seems very open-minded and his mate is probably the most gifted of all,” Summer joined in.
Lukas shook his head.
“He would be open-minded and is a terrific leader but not everyone in the pack knows him as we do and there are generations of suspicion and mistrust to wade through. Even in Seann’s father’s day, I think wolves would have hidden anything out of the ordinary from the rest of the pack, sometimes even from their families for fear of persecution and rejection.”
“I agree. My father encouraged pack members to turn in family members who spoke out against him. It’s the reason I left years ago, that and the way he treated my brother Garrett. Even as a child he was hateful to him and none of us understood it. Garrett was everything he could have wanted in a son but he still despised him. Of course, we found out not too long ago that Garrett is actually Owen Donovan’s son and Seann, Hope and Bree’s half-brother,” Connor said. “I thought at first it was because my mother betrayed him with Owen that he hated Garrett, but I think the truth is that Garrett was everything he was not and he was insanely jealous of him.”
“Maybe we should do something about it. It would be awful if there are young wolves in the pack who are afraid to show their special gifts for fear of persecution. The Donovan’s wouldn’t want that,” Summer said her voice laced with concern. “It reminds me of the witch hunts that went on for centuries and the innocent women who perished because they had a talent for herbs or nursing. All borne out of fear and ignorance.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. Connor thought she had fallen asleep and closed his eyes too, just enjoying the feel of her warmth against him.
“Almost home,” Lukas said a short time later as they left Bear Falls behind them and headed toward their new mountain refuge.
“Imogen agrees with me. We should make sure that everyone in the pack knows that it is okay, encouraged even, to come forward with any unusual gifts or talents a wolf may have.”
She opened her eyes again as she relayed her conversation and Connor thought she looked like a kid with a new toy now that she had another person she could converse with telepathically.
“I have been trying to project out to everyone in the pack, but so far I think only Imogen and Eleanor have the ability,” she added as the truck drove through the small town and Lukas turned onto the mountain road.
Summer’s cabin was one of the first, nestled in among the trees at the bottom of the mountain and Connor was glad to be here again. There was something comforting and familiar now about the mountain and he knew he had finally found a place he could call home, even if Summer’s cabin was a little small for them.
“Seann would like us all at The Den for breakfast tomorrow morning,” Lukas said.
Connor nodded and waved as they went inside and Lukas turned the truck around and went in search of his mate. It was always painful to be apart from them for too long.
“I need to take a quick shower,” Summer said. “Then we can think about some food, you must be starving.”
“You go ahead, let me worry about dinner.” he kissed the top of her head and reluctantly let her go. He was starving, it had been hours since he had eaten anything and his wolf grumbled in perfect synchrony with his empty stomach.
He lit the fire in the grate, closed the blinds and clicked on the two lamps on either side of the room before heading to the fridge to see what he could cook for dinner. It had been a very long day and a full stomach followed by an early night would be heavenly right now.
He put a little oil in a deep-frying pan and turned on the heat to warm it. He added some sliced chicken to the pan to cook while he chopped peppers and onions to make fajitas. He added them too and turned the heat down a little and put some grated cheese, chopped tomato, warmed beans and flour tortillas on the table.
Summer came back into the room, her face pink and flushed from her shower and Connor’s mouth was suddenly dry as he watched her move around the kitchen in nothing but her knee-length robe that showed every perfect curve and her long shapely legs beneath.
She added a dish of salsa, some sour cream and guacamole to the table as he turned off the stove and added the meat and vegetables to a warmed dish and put it on the center of the table.
“Eat this while everything is hot,” he said and she took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator and handed one to him.
He popped the top and took a drink before filling a warm tortilla and biting into it.
“I’m no chef but I think anything would taste amazing right now.” he grinned.
Summer smiled and took a bite of her own.
“This is actually amazing, Connor.” She closed her eyes and licked her lips, causing Connor’s blood pressure to skyrocket and his jeans to grow uncomfortably tight.
He wanted to push the food off the end of the damn table and lay her down on it, taste every delicious inch of her before burying himself deep inside her and feeling her full lips and skilled tongue explore him as they lost themselves in each other and came together in a shattering climax.
He forced his eyes to his plate and filled another two tortillas and scarfed them down until the ache in his stomach subsided and he sat back in his chair replete for the moment. Summer was much slower and he poured some coffee as he waited for her to finish and cut a large slice of chocolate cake to curb his sweet tooth.
“I don’t think I could eat another bite,” she said with a smile as she added some creamer to her coffee and carried her cup to sit in front of the now roaring fire.
Connor joined her and she leaned against him as he star
ed into the flames. His life was as close to perfect as he was ever likely to get and his heart swelled with joy as he tightened his hold on her.
Summer slipped out of his hold to put her empty cup on the hearth and kneeled in front of him. She held his gaze with her beautiful violet eyes as she untied her robe and let it slip from her shoulders. She was completely naked beneath and her pale blonde hair hung around her like a sheet of spun silk. She was ethereal and Connor knew he would never get enough of this gorgeous creature if he lived to be a thousand years old.
She leaned forward and kissed him and his heart took off like a train as her hands caressed him through the thin fabric of his shirt as she unbuttoned it and discarded it on the floor.
He got onto his knees too and she unsnapped his jeans and pulled them down his hips and released him from the confines and wrapped her small hand around him causing him to gasp. Just the lightest touch from her hand could have him spiraling into oblivion but he couldn’t let that happen, not yet.
He impatiently struggled out of his jeans and threw them to the side and reached for her again. She sat astride him and he recognized her need to be in control as he let her take the lead, holding back with everything he had as his wolf urged him to claim his prize.
She rocked on top of him as her lips and teeth teased him and when he thought he might explode from need she raised her hips and seated him deep inside the warmth of her body. Connor thrust deeply as he held her hips in place and knew he wouldn't last very long as she guided his hands to cup her breasts and she threw back her head in wild abandon as she ground into him.
He willed himself to hold on with every thrust, to wait for her. When she finally cried out his name and her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, he let go and pulsed inside her, soaring higher and higher. He closed his mouth over her mark and bit down and she convulsed and tightened around him again and he held her tightly as he bucked and writhed beneath her.
When the strength left her body and she collapsed on top of him, he pulled her against his side and they lay in front of the fire basking in the afterglow of their joining. They were made for each other and Connor knew they would make love again tonight before they finally slept. He was permanently aroused and Summer didn’t seem to mind at all. He twitched again and she chuckled as she felt him harden against her and turned in his arms to face him.