More witches! This should be interesting.
After getting ready and stopping to get Avery, I go by my office to get the two guards that I intend to take with me today. Instead, I run into Cayd and Tate. “What are you two doing here?” I ask. “I wanted to see if you needed anything?” Cayd says. “Actually, I do. From both of you,” I say, looking at Tate. He has bonded with Cayd, but I want us to be close too. “What kind of help?” he asks. “Well, apparently the nasty witch Levana is hunting witches that didn’t fight against the Guardians and I’m going to find them, bring them here and give them a safe place to live. I’d love it if you would come too. I could use another witch,” I say. “What do you mean, ‘another witch’?” he asks. “Tate, Cayd, meet Avery. She was part of Levana’s coven.” Avery waves at them, but Tate doesn’t move. “How do we know that we can trust you?” Tate asks. And this is one of the reasons I want him with me today. He’s not a typical thirteen-year-old. He’s been through a lot and he’s cautious. “Maeve
After Xander called to tell me he wouldn’t be able to come join me for lunch, I was disappointed, but I focused on work. People are still flocking to my shop and after yesterday, I’m on alert for any real witches that may come in to seek the assistance of the Guardians. It’s later in the afternoon when I begin to feel antsy, uncomfortable, like something is wrong. “Maeve? What is it?” Jesse asks. I look at him. “I’m not sure. I feel off.” He frowns, looking at me more closely. “You feel off, of something feels off?” he asks, getting clarification. “Well,” I think for a moment, “something feels off. I feel fine, I think. It’s weird.” Jesse pulls out his phone, hitting speed dial. When no one answers, he disconnects and tries again. Nothing. He looks at me before dialing again. “Alpha, have you heard anything from Alpha Xander or Alpha Cayd?” He watches me as he talks to my father-in-law. “Maeve is feeling off and I’ve tried both of them. They aren’t answering their phones.” “T
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask, moving toward Maeve as Cayd catches her. I feel slow, sluggish. I should have reached her before he did. I stand up, wobbly and unsteady on my feet. It’s an uncomfortable feeling for someone who is used to being very strong. “Let me take a look at her,” my mother says, striding into the room. “Move that blanket,” she directs. “NO!” Avery and Amir say at the same time. “Only Maeve can remove it. And to answer your question, Alpha, you don’t battle death without it taking a toll on you,” Amir says. “I’ve got you,” I hear Jesse say and I turn just in time to see him catch Meadow. “Dad!” I say, just as Tate begins wobbling on his feet. “Take them upstairs,” I say and my mother comes to wrap her arm around my waist, helping me to stand. “Let’s get them back to the penthouse, they’ll be more comfortable there and this group needs to get settled," my mom says, taking charge. “I can walk Mom, get the pups,” I say, seeing Lynn’s kids huddled in a corner
Before Xander and his team went back out, I made them a protection spell. This time, Tate stayed behind, and Amir and Avery went with them. It took two weeks, but they finally collected the rest of the witches and warlocks that Levana was hunting. Most of them were thankful and agreed to working for Xander’s company. It took some time for them to be okay with the wolves, but once they realized that everything they’ve been told about wolves from Levana was a lie, that were happy to have a way to start a new life and still use their magic. I had to burn the blanket with the death spell inside of it. As the others said, only I could do it, but Meadow and Tate helped me. Once again, it was something I had never done, something that takes a significant amount of magic, but I was able to do it fairly easily. Because so many more witches are in the area now and are working with Holstin Enterprises, the requests for me and my little shop have grown and very quickly we have outgrown the spac
Maeve’s shop is close enough to the office that I can keep a low-level connection between us during the day. She may not be able to feel it, but it helps Einar and I stay calm knowing we can always feel her, even if we can’t always hear her. That will change once she’s moved in to the new shop downstairs. Then, I’ll be able to hear her thoughts and feel her emotions easily. I was working with my father when I felt the first bit of unease. I had waited and when it didn’t go away, I had tugged on the bond. When I felt her relax, I was about ready to return to work and then, her anxiety went through the roof. I was terrified that something had happened to her and I raced to find her. Once I realized that my mate thinks she’s pregnant with our pup, and after confirming that she isn’t feeling anxious because she’s not ready for a pup, my anxiety went through the roof. My mate is human, she’s showing signs of a werewolf pregnancy, a pregnancy that lasts 5 months, not 9 months. Human bodies
I was released from the hospital the next day but Dr. Teresa wants to see me every week and if anything happens or I feel off, I’m to come back right away. We stay the weekend in the pack, and I get to see my sprite friends again. Apparently, the news that ‘Sir Alpha Xander and Lady Maeve’ are having a baby has spread. It’s also the weekend that Emlyn has decided to have Cayd’s going away party. I know Tate is sad to see his friend go, but it will be good for Cayd. Like Xander, he needs to get the education that will help him to take over as CFO of the family’s company. As I walk through my ‘witchy garden’ at the back of the packhouse, several sprites come rushing up to me, including Daphne. “Lady Maeve! Lady Maeve!” “Is it true?” “Are you pregnant?” “With Sir Alpha Xander’s baby?” “Hello ladies,” I say. “Yes, we saw the doctor yesterday and it’s true. Xander and I are going to have a baby,” I tell them. “Ohhhh!” “Is it a boy?” “Or is it a girl?” “Is it a witch?” “Or a wolf
Over the next month, we get into a routine. Lynn and Avery watch the shop on the weekends, and Friday evening after work, Maeve and I head to the pack lands, have Maeve checked by Dr. Teresa and then spend the weekend with the pack and our family. So far, Maeve’s pregnancy has been easy. She gets stomach cramps sometimes, since her stomach is stretching faster than it would with a human pregnancy, but Lynn has been helping her with some witchy salve that she rubs on her stomach every morning and every night to help her skin stretch more easily. I don’t like the stuff. For at least an hour after she puts it on, it overpowers her strawberry scent, even now that it’s stronger with our daughter. But, it makes her more comfortable, so I suffer with the scent. As Dr. Teresa predicted, as soon as the machines were turned off and Einar tuned in, we could hear our pup’s heartbeat. Now, four weeks later, I’m able to hear my little girl’s heartbeat all the time. It’s not enough that I can hear
The next afternoon, Meadow and I are in the shop with Jesse, who is now a permanent fixture in my life. I hear the bell on the door ring and Reagan walks in holding up a credit card. “Look what I got from Xander! Time to shop for our trip, Meadow!” she sings as she walks in the door. A moment later, Penny walks in behind her, frowning. I hear Jesse snarl and faster than I can see, he’s got Penny pinned against the wall. “JESSE!” I yell and I see Meadow’s hands light up with magic. Reagan turns to see what is happening, and she puts her hand up to us, telling us to wait. “Mate,” Penny says, looking at Jesse the way Xander looks at me, her eyes full of love. “Mine!” Jesse snarls, before his mouth latches onto Penny’s. Reagan quickly looks around, making sure the shop is empty of humans. For once, it is. “Oi! Jesse, take her to your place!” Reagan says, and I feel the pressure of her Guardian aura coming out. Jesse steps back, shaking his head as if coming out of a dream. “Oh, I