Moonlight: The Big Bad Wolf (Black Swan 4) (37 page)

Grey walked toward her. When he was within a few feet, she turned and gave him a smile of welcome. He knew she was a relative of Litha's because of her features. She looked very much the same except that she was fair-skinned and had red hair. Same lips. Same green eyes. Same air and expression.

"Stalkson Grey."

"Yes."

"My name is Lapis." She smiled. "I'm Litha's grandmother."

She waved her hand across the landscape. "I spent my childhood here on the moors. It was the best time of my life. So when I died I made a point of recreating it from memory so that I could come here from time to time." She looked him over. "There used to be wolves here, but like the forests, they were all gone by the time I was born." She laughed. "The stories lingered though. Nothing works so well to keep children in line as stories about being gotten by wolves."

She stopped, as if she was waiting for him to say something.

"It's... beautiful. In a way. I'm very partial to trees."

"Yes. Well, it seems you've wandered off your path."

"Have I?"

"Why else would you be here?"

"I don't know. For information?"

Lapis smiled like she knew something he didn't. "Alright. What kind of information would you like?"

"I want to know if it's possible for me to reach Luna."

"By that, do you mean to go to her physically?"

"Yes. Forgive me, but that's the best way."

She laughed. "Debatable, but I can see why you'd think so. What you ask is easy, Stalkson Grey. My granddaughter can help you. If that is what you wish, I will visit her in her dreams and request that she do so as a favor to me."

"Thank you." The words were simple, but filled with relief and emotion. It was a heartfelt utterance of gratitude and she knew that his appreciation was sincere.

"I said, 'if that is what you wish'."

He frowned. "It is."

She laughed. "Rash. I suspect that's how you got into your bit of trouble in the first place." He frowned. "Before you were born into the lifetime you are now experiencing, you agreed that you would take on a challenge - one that would require a great sacrifice from you physically and emotionally. The circumstances are now in place for you to fulfill that self-determined destiny. But there is an optional exit. You can decline."

"I don't understand."

"You can return to Elk Mountain and live out your life as king of your people who remained behind. You will keep the wealth, power, and authority you have earned. Those who serve you will respect you and some will even admire or honor you. These are the things you have always believed to be worth pursuing. And they are yours already.

"If you choose a different way, your future will not be so certain. The only thing that is sure is that the alternate way, wherever it leads, will not be easy. Are you willing to gamble everything you have for an unknown?"

He started to respond, but she held up her hand. "Do you not want to think it over?"

"I don't need to think it over. Yes. I am willing to gamble everything I have for an unknown."

"Very well, then. I have already spoken to Litha in her dream and asked her to help you. When you speak to her, tell her that her grandmother, Lapis, loves her and is often with her and that her daughter will be the most gifted witch ever born to our line.

"There's just one more thing you need to do."

"What is it?"

Lapis waved her hand and a wall of fire appeared behind her. Grey took a step back. The human part of his personality had great respect for fire. The fear of fire in his wolf was soul deep.

"Are you willing to run into the fire for her?"

He stared at the fire, horrified by the idea. The roar was louder even than the wind. The pops sounded like gunfire. He could feel the heat and knew that the fire was real and not illusion.

Desire must be powerfully consuming to override survival instinct. For whatever reason, his desire for the human woman, Luna, was more powerful than aversion to pain, more powerful even than his wish to continue living in a body. So he summoned his courage and made a commitment in his heart to meet the witch's challenge, even if it resulted in death or disfigurement.

All of his muscles tensed and he ran headlong into the fire wall.

Just as the flames touched his skin, Grey sat up with a shout that was followed by a gasp that looked painful. The river stones fell into his lap. He felt groggy, disoriented, and looked worse. His body was heavy, cumbersome.

BlueClaw handed him a liter of bottled water which was gulped down without stopping. The ShuShu then opened the flap of the lodge to let the steam escape.

When cool air came in contact with sweaty bodies, the elders put their shirts back on and contemplated shifting so that fur could insulate and warm old bones.

Looking at Grey, BluClaw said, "Did you find your answer, Alpha?"

Stalkson looked at him with steely blue eyes that looked brighter than usual because his spirit had just returned from a place of greater clarity than the physical world. "I did. You've done me a service."

BlueClaw smiled. "So tell me. Was it
nice
?"

Stalkson sneered. "I would have thought you above I-told-you-so moments. Yes. I get it. It would be better to have a woman who spits and claws at your eyes than to have one who gives you a
nice
life."

BlueClaw laughed softly. "You're not as dumb as you look, wolf."

"The fire wall was way over the top though."

"Fire wall?"

BlueClaw looked confused. Maybe he only pretended to know everything.

As they neared the edge of the tribe settlement, Grey thanked the elders and hurried home. When he stepped inside his personal sanctuary and closed the door, he realized that he was ravenous. He ate almost enough food to make up for his three-day fast without regard to table manners then retrieved his cell phone from the cabinet where he kept it plugged into a charge.

He called Simon Tvelgar for Litha's phone number, not thinking about the fact that it was the middle of the night in Edinburgh.

Simon sometimes felt that nights when he wasn't awakened by someone who had forgotten about the time difference were more the exception than the rule. He wanted to ask why the Elk Mountain king requested Litha's number, but decided to forego curiosity in the interest of courtesy.

The wave of a little victory settled over Grey when he procured Litha's number and another followed that when she answered.

"This is Stalkson Grey. We met at Jefferson Unit."

"Of course I remember you."

"I don't know any way to approach this other than to just say outright that I need a favor."

"I see. Would you rather talk in person?"

"Ah. Yes. If it's soon."

"If you're decent then, I'll pop in."

"I am dressed." Humans were so strange about clothing.

"Okay. Keep the phone connection open so I can track you."

Two minutes later she was standing in his living room. He invited her to sit and offered mulled wine.

"I can't. No alcohol right now." She pointed to her tummy as she said it.

He nodded and offered water or coffee which she also declined. "Thank you for coming so soon."

"Not at all. What can I do for you?"

"Let me start at the beginning."

He told her the entire story, omitting only the most intimate parts, from how he'd courted Luna on the days when Deliverance was scheduled to be there until the moment when Deliverance had reclaimed her.

At that point he stopped to refresh his drink and asked again if Litha would like water or coffee.

"I had a strange dream in which you appeared at Luna's Temple complex on Throenark. I believed it was a message from the spirit world so I journeyed there to learn what it meant.

"While I was out of my body, I met your grandmother, Lapis. She said you would help me, that she would ask you in a dream to do it as a favor, and to tell you that your daughter will be the most talented witch ever to be born to your line."

Litha blinked several times. "Can you describe the way she looked?"

"She actually looks very much like you, but her coloring is different. She has fair skin and red hair."

Litha looked a little misty-eyed and a laugh gushed out of her. "My grandmother! What did she say her name was?"

"Lapis. Oh, one other thing I left out. She said to say that she loves you and is often with you."

Litha nodded, looking more teary-eyed, but she didn't cry.

"I did see her in a dream, but I wouldn't have known she was my grandmother if you hadn't told me. So it seems I owe you a favor. How do you see me helping in this situation?"

"I want to go to Throenark. Do you know how to get there?"

"I don't know how to get there, but I could find out. If I have a great-aunt there, my other grandmother is sure to know. But if I bring her back here for you, won't Dad just come for her again?"

"Yes. I suspect he would, which is why that wouldn't be a good plan. Besides I'm not ever going to force her to do anything against her will again."

"A wise choice if you want the lady to love you."

He nodded thoughtfully as he glanced at the fire. "I plan to go there."

"You mean for a visit?"

"No. I mean permanently."

"I thought you said it's urban. High rises surrounding the park where the temple is."

"Yes. It is."

"Look, I'm no expert on werewolves, but that doesn't sound like a viable change in lifestyle."

"Yeah. It's not ideal. But it's not as bad as being where I know for a fact I will
never
see her again."

Litha's features softened in sympathy. "You
really
love her.

"Okay. What's your plan?"

"If you can find your way to Throenark, I need you to help me figure out what I need to live there. Can I trade gold for their money? How much would I need? Will I need ID? What kind of clothes do they wear? What do I need to know about their customs? Stuff like that. Try to help me anticipate what could go wrong, because I know I only get one shot at this relocation."

"You think you're going to make an adjustment to city life."

"I'll be as adaptable as I need to be."

"Please think about this. You won't know anybody and everything will be alien to you. Wolves are pack animals, right? Really social? How are you going to adapt to being alone?"

He took a deep breath. He didn't want to sound like he was pleading. "I'm alone now."

She studied him for a minute, then stood up. "I'll call you when I have more info."

"Thank you."

And she was gone.

He kept his phone close by where he would know if she called.

Three days worth of pacing later, Litha's name appeared on the Caller ID.

"Are you decent?"

"All clear."

She arrived carrying a stack of paper products.

"I brought stuff."

"I see that. What is it?"

"A to Z. This has got to be what the witness protection program is like.

"Found Throenark, but that was just the beginning. The country you're interested in is Greenland only, unlike here, it's actually green. The region is Grand Lakes. The city is New Bay. They call it an island because it's practically surrounded by water, but it's actually a peninsula.

"Brought you maps and magazines to give you some insight into culture. There's a
Xenophile's Guide to Greenland
and a
Xenophobe's Guide to Greenland
. If you study both you should be able to pass as a visiting foreigner. As you've already figured out, they speak Anglish.

"I got an angel to help me with some of the details 'cause he's a sucker for love. Don't tell my father. He's not crazy about angels.

"Anyway, he got you an apartment and the ID you need and he's done the calculations on how much gold you should bring to trade for currency. There's also info in there on where to put your assets to keep them safe.

"I hope you don't feel like this is too personal, but I need measurements so my friend can get you some starter clothes."

Stalkson was overwhelmed with the amount of work to do to prepare for blending in with an alien human culture and with gratitude for everything Litha had done for him.

"I don't know where to start with thanks."

"Start with the
Xenophile's Guide
. When you think you're ready for the next step, call me. I should have your clothes by then."