Shifters Gone Alpha (25 page)

I definitely need to find out more about the Blue Thunder leader. There’s a story there, I just know it. 

Kyra joined the circle and lit the herbs in the copper pot sitting in the center with her magic. Liam recognized the scent of Angelica Root, Hyacinth, and Oak, as well as other herbs used for protection, luck, and strength. The tiny witch looked around the Sacred Circle, stopping for a just second to smile and nod at each person. He could feel the reassurance and power she let flow from her soul to theirs. It was her gift she freely gave to each in attendance to assure success with the ritual.

When she locked eyes with Royce, the last in the circle and the one closest to her right side, Kyra began to chant,

I pray to the Universe all around us, the Mother Goddess that protects us, and to Fate that divines our futures for protection, strength, and complete safety from the enemy, take this demon out of the body of our sister. Send it to the fiery depths of Hell, where it can be grounded in jail, never to return topside.

Guide us even through the darkness, take all evil from in our Hannah and around us, cleanse her body and soul through your ever divine healing, and free her from all evil and wickedness. Aid us in removing this demon from her body, and help us banish this being to the place it belongs, the depths of Hell.

Blessed be. Blessed be.

Now,
sa’oire d’uinn
!

With the utterance of her last command to
leave them,
a gust of wind burst through the basement, blowing out all the candles and causing the flame in the cauldron to leap to the ceiling, followed by a thick pillar of smoke that filled the room before immediately dissipating. Through the entire rite, Liam’s eyes stayed glued to his mate as she lay on the cot in the center of the circle mere feet from the copper pot of herbs. He worked hard to stay in place when every one of his instincts
and
his dragon pushed him to go to his mate, to protect her from forces seen an unseen that wanted to take her from him.

From one breath to the next, Hannah went from unconscious to wailing and thrashing about. Kyra had warned him this would happen, had told him to stay still and
not
to enter the inner Circle until the demon had presented itself, but still he took a step forward. The longer his mate cried out, the more she threw herself from side to side on the cot the witches had strapped her to, the weaker his resolve became and he took another step. It seemed to go on forever when in actuality it was less than a minute…a gut-wrenchingly painful minute for both the young Guardsman and his mate. One where he was sure he would lose his mind and vowed to lock his mate far away from the world so that she would never get hurt or suffer again.

Liam was just about to say the hell with it when Hannah stopped screaming and flailing and lay completely still, back bowed off the cot, eyes open wide, mouth stretched in a silent scream. It should have been better but it was so much worse. Unable to take one more second of her torment, Liam took another step forward, but stopped in his tracks as a deep black pillar of smoke rose out of Hannah’s open mouth. It continued until the ceiling was covered and she had collapsed in a boneless heap.

Kyra and the other witches loudly chanted with a conviction he could feel to his core in both English and the language of the Ancient Dragons…

S’aoire d’uimm. Dul as ais I gea’a tu’ bhaineann
. Leave us. Go back where you belong.
Riamh ar ais
. Never return.

Sarah Beth threw a large burlap sachet into the cauldron and yelled,
“Srutha’n!”

Fire shot to the ceiling, igniting the black smoke that had been swirling above their heads. A screech reminiscent of the sound he’d heard as he and Hannah were being rescued from the
Dorcha
echoed off the stone walls, filling every inch with an almost unbearable pain and torment. A flash of light like hundreds of fireworks exploding in the night sky and then once again, total darkness and complete silence.

“E’adrom.”
The witches all spoke in unison and every candle lit, filling the eerie space with a bright clean light. Liam rushed to Hannah, grabbed her in his arms, and raced up the stairs. He’d had enough of demons and rituals and darkness for one night. All he wanted was to hear his mate’s voice and to look into her loving eyes.

Making his way to the couch, he carefully sat in the corner, positioning Hannah with her head on his chest and legs stretched across the cushions. He stroked her hair, rubbed tiny circles of comfort up and down her spine, and whispered promises of a boring demon-free life together as one by one each of the others came upstairs. It wasn’t long before the rest of Rory’s Force showed up and everyone was in the kitchen preparing what he could only imagine was a feast. Every few minutes either Sarah Beth or one of Hannah’s sisters came out to check on them and reassure him that she would soon wake up.

They ate, talked, and laughed until the wee hours of the morning and still Hannah slept. Not willing to let her go, Liam remained on the couch with his mate in his lap, finally falling asleep as the Grandfather clock chimed four in the morning.

He dreamt of Hannah as she’d been when he first saw her and remembered their first kiss. The memory so powerful Liam was helpless to do anything but give himself over to the miraculous sensation of the moment. The dream continued, growing more realistic, more passionate. His dragon purred in his head, reveling in the fact that their mate was wrapped in his arms, showing him the same love he felt for her.

His dream took on a life of its own, going far beyond the chaste kiss they’d shared that first day under the Cherry blossoms. He could feel her passion rising through their mating bond, which until that moment had remained dormant. Fighting to regain consciousness but fearing if he did the connection he’d reestablished with his mate would be lost, Liam finally opened his eyes to find Hannah very much alive and kissing him like she never wanted it to end.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hannah had been awake and out from under the influence of the demon and the
Grand Draoi
for almost forty-eight hours. All she wanted to do was make her mating with Liam official. He’d already asked. She’d said yes. Her mother, all six of her sisters, Royce, Rian, Rory, the Spiritual Elder of the Blue Thunder Clan, Royce’s Uncle Stefan, and even the Commander of Liam’s Force back at the Golden Fire Clan, Rayne MacLendon, had given their blessing to the union. All that remained was for Liam to set the date, something her contrary mate had been teasing her with all day.

Not willing to wait any longer, Hannah snuck out of the house and made her way to Jace and Melanie’s.

WOW! That was easier than it’s ever been.

She knew Liam had been staying with them since her exorcism and was sure the only way she was going to get what she wanted was to blindside the goofy dragon. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make their mating official, she knew that for sure from the incredible feelings he let flow unchecked through their mating bond. It was that he was up to something and she wanted to know what it was.

She made it as far as Melanie’s front porch when the door burst open and she was greeted by not only her best friend but also three of her sisters and her mother.

“So, that’s how I got out of the house so easily. Y’all weren’t even there.”

The entire room erupted in laughter as Melanie took her hand and pulled her across the threshold. “Get in here. What the hell took you so long? When we were kids you could sneak out faster than all of us put together.” Her best friend pretended to be put out with her, but Hannah could see the twinkle in Melanie’s eyes and the grin she was trying to hide. Her next statement explained it all.

“We have exactly three hours to get you ready for your mating ceremony or there will be one very pissed off purple dragon. Not something you want to deal with, trust me.”

“Dragons in general or just the purples?” Hannah snickered.

“Smart ass.”

They all laughed as Hannah was escorted down the hall and plopped in front of Melanie’s three way mirror. Two hours into the process, her hair had been piled on top of her head in a beautiful style of loose curls and braids adorned with tiny flowers from the heather plants that grew in the meadow. Her makeup had been applied with such perfection she barely recognized herself and even her fingernails and toenails had been painted.

Sarah Beth made lunch and they sat around chatting when a knock at the front door silenced the group. With a knowing look, Melanie ran from the room only to return moments later with a huge white box tied with a deep purple satin ribbon. She laid the box in the middle of the bed, turned, and grinned. “Get over and open it. I’m dying to see what’s inside.”

Standing, Hannah tried to feign annoyance and teased her friend by saying, “I bet you already know.”

Melanie batted her eyes and giggled like a little girl. “Maybe I do.”

Unable to hold out any longer, Hannah burst out laughing, careful not to smudge her makeup or mess up her hair, she made her way to the bed. Like a child at Christmas time, she tore the ribbon from the box, threw the lid to the side, and pushed aside the tissue paper. Lying atop what she guessed to be her mating gown was a small white note with her name beautifully written on the front.

Carefully lifting the envelope from the box and removing the card, she sighed at what she saw. The words expertly penned on the linen stationary brought tears to her eyes.
You are my soul, Hannah McKennon. My reason for being. My everything. Today you become truly mine for all time. All my love, Liam.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted
the most gorgeous gown she’d ever seen from the box. Made of a deep amethyst gossamer that glistened as the fabric unfolded before her, Hannah held it against her chest and gazed into the mirror, marveling at the way the tiny crystals which had been expertly woven into the fabric looked like stars in the night sky. When she slipped the dress over her head, she was amazed at the perfect fit. One shoulder was covered with the silken material while the other remained bare. It had obviously been handmade by an expert seamstress. The bodice was fitted to perfection, making her more than ample bosom the focal point, a feature she was sure her mate would appreciate. She wondered when Liam had found the time to order it and then remembered all the times he’d disappeared without explanation since her recovery.

Melanie appeared behind her with a wide satin ribbon the color of antique silver and tied it around her waist. She grimaced at the way it accentuated the roundness of her hips, but quickly remembered Liam’s words when she’d said something about losing a few pounds before their mating.
“Never change,
mo chroi’
. I love you just the way you are. Every erotic curve and sensual dip is a feast for my hands and eyes. You are perfection, both inside and out.”

Her grimace was replaced with a smile just as her sister, Alicia, appeared behind her with a pair of satin ballet slippers the exact color of her dress. Turning, she slid her feet into the shoes where they had been placed before her and then spun for everyone in the room to get a look at the amazing dress her mate had given her.

On the verge of tears, Sarah Beth stepped up to her, kissed her gently on both cheeks and whispered, “You’re a vision. I’m so happy and proud of you I could burst. Be happy, Hannah Marie, just be happy.”

“Oh, momma, I will.”

Unwilling to cry and risk ruining her makeup, she turned to her sisters and joked, “Do I clean up nice or what?”

Everyone laughed and agreed, each taking a turn wishing her well. Melanie had just gotten through giving her last minute pointers on the mating ceremony when there was another knock at the front door. This time her best friend turned to her and said, “This one’s for you, kiddo. Fate awaits. Be happy. Love you.”

“I love you, too,
Meli Rose
.”

Chuckling at the use of Melanie’s childhood nickname, the girls linked arms and headed to the door. Melanie reached for the knob, pulling it open to reveal two of the Guardsmen in training from Liam’s home clan, Tomas and Cole. Hannah knew they were much younger than Liam but had the warrior spirit within them.

They resembled knights from King Arthur’s time, just as the attendants at Melanie and Jace’s mating ceremony had. She smiled as she realized their uniforms actually made sense since they truly had come from that era in one way or another. Both wore surcoats of the same rich amethyst color as her gown and were trimmed with braided silver rope. On each, an expertly stitched dragon in the throes of battle was so realistically rendered she could imagine it jumping off their chests. Their long-sleeved undershirt and pants were black, just like their knee high boots that were polished to a high shine.

Tomas and Cole moved to either side of the door, facing one another as Melanie made a sweeping gesture for Hannah to exit. The Guardsmen bent their arms at the elbow and waited until Hannah had placed her hands on their arms for support. They took the three steps off the front porch and then followed round patio stones to the gate at the corner of Melanie and Jace’s yard, which led to a small wooded area.

They walked about twenty paces into the woods when Cole stopped their forward progress beside a large stump covered with silk, holding the largest bouquet of deep purple roses Hannah had ever seen. She started to count but gave up at three and a half dozen. Leaning forward, she buried her nose in them, inhaling their heavenly fragrance. Releasing her hand from his arm, Cole picked up the bouquet and gently placed it in her arms. It was then she saw the card attached, inscribed with a simple but poignant message,
‘You are my soul, my love, my everything. Forever yours, Liam’
. She took one from the bunch as Cole graciously offered to carry them.