Fated Magic (The Wolf Pack) (18 page)

Trevlon Wolf couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more helpless.  Even though he’d moved the instant he saw the blood drain from Kit’s beautiful face, he
had still failed to prevent her from being injured.  Cursing the repeat of his earlier failure, he stood by and tried to tamp down the urge to drive his fist through the nearest wall.  For now all he could do was stand by and watch as Angie assessed the damage and try to focus on anything but drowning in the feelings of guilt that were crashing over him. 
God damn it to hell.  This is the second time I’ve failed to protect her.  How can she ever trust me again?
  Trev hadn’t intentionally broadcast his thoughts to his brother, but he hadn’t tried to hide them either so it wasn’t a surprise when Jameson leveled him with a look before responding. 

‘
We are both responsible…equally culpable.  I knew the news was going to shock her.  I should have been closer as well.  How we continually manage to fuck up with the most important person in the world I can’t imagine.  It is times like these that I miss our dads the most.’ 
Jameson’s feelings of loneliness bled over to Trev and he felt as swamped by the emotion as his brother. 

Angie huffed out an exasperated breath and turned to them.  “Would you t
wo overbearing whiny asses mind taking it outside so you can speak aloud and stop bothering your mate?  Your incessant chatter may not be out loud, but it’s still a pain in the ass.”  Jameson blinked at her in surprise and Angie just shook her head as if she couldn’t imagine how he could possibly be so dim.  “No, I can’t hear you…I’m just getting static, but I know Kit can by the changes in her heart rate.”  Waving toward the door, she added, “I’ll be out in a minute to speak with you.  And find Ruby, please.”  Jameson was actually somewhat stunned when his cousin turned her back on him as if he’d been dismissed.  Blinking back his surprise, he stalked from the room.

Angie wanted to giggle at the look on Jameson’s face.  He’d obviously become comfortable in his role as the Wolf Pack’s Alpha
and wasn’t accustomed to being sent from the room.  When Kit’s cold fingers clenched her hand Angie’s attention snapped back to her patient’s ashen colored face in time to see her mouth “Thanks.” 

“My pleasure.  Boy, sometimes men just don’t get it.  I assume they were playing the World Cup of
the Blame game?”  Kit didn’t open her eyes, but her smile said it all.  When Angie had arrived the first thing she’d done was make sure all the lights were dimmed because the huge lump on Kit’s forehead told her the woman was going to likely wake up with a blinding headache and light was going to be excruciating.  When Angie had checked her pupils Kit had groaned and tried to turn away from the light.  “Sorry for that, sweet sister, but I need to make sure you are alright.  That is a nasty bump you’ve got on forehead.”  Angie had made sure she’d spoken softly and watched closely as Kit relax back into her pillow.  “Your granny should be able to help since I don’t think you have any real neurological problems.  I’ll send her in after I fill her in.  We’ll talk out in the hall because I know your head must be pounding like a bitch.”  Kit’s smile let Angie know she’d been right. 

Kit leaned back against the cool cotton pillowcase and knew immediately it was Trev’s.  From the beginning she’d been able to tell the men apart not only by scent, but their energies were vastly different as well.  She wondered briefly if her life would ever be simple again.  Before she’d mated
, she hadn’t struggled with any of the problems she was facing now and it was often just as overwhelming as she’d feared it would be.  She had avoided large gatherings of witches or shifters for years because she’d feared finding her mate.  Then she walked into a mid-town dance club and was slammed full force into the very situation she’d sworn she’d never let herself get caught up in. 

She was grateful Angie had dimmed the lights and was keeping everyone out of the room for a bit to give her a chance to rest.  Obviously she’d spoken to Jameson and Trev about their mind link communication as well, because everything had been blissfully quiet for over an hour.  The fact Marcus was
Damian’s brother was almost too much to take in.  She remembered Jameson saying something about him being
light
to Damian’s
dark
, but she wasn’t entirely convinced Marcus was exactly pure as the driven snow. 

It was obvious her granny wasn’t overly fond of the man
, and that alone was cause for concern.  She’d never known her grandmother to misjudge anyone, so Kit wasn’t planning to let her guard down anytime soon.  Reagan had mentioned something about
his story to tell
so evidently she knew at least part of Marcus’s story.  She was sure her mates would have mentioned Damian to Marcus.  They’d no doubt shared what had happened with Damian right after she’d first met the Wolf brothers, so why hadn’t he told them then the demon threatening her was his brother?  Or had he and they’d failed to tell her? 

Thinking that they’d withheld a secret that earth shattering from her was inconceivable. 
‘
It had damned well be, kitten.’ 
Jameson’s voice slid through her mind like a warm touch and she couldn’t help but feel comforted knowing he’d been listening silently.  He and Trev had told her in the beginning that she’d eventually come to rely on the connection and find strength in knowing they were only a thought away.  She’d doubted them, but in a flash of insight, she understood exactly what they’d meant. 

She thought she’d heard the door but when sh
e blinked open her eyes, she looked up into the kind eyes of her grandfather.  “Gramps?  How?”  Losing her grandfather had been one of the most difficult times in Kit’s life.  They’d been so close and she still felt his absence each and every day.  He smiled at her and just studied her as he’d done so often as she’d been growing up. 

“The love that surrounds you shines through your eyes, princess.”  Kit had so many questions…so many things she wanted to tell him, but she was afraid to speak again for fear her delusion might be scattered back into her mind if she did anything more than breathe.
“You can talk to me, it’s alright.  I promise to stay for a bit.  Your granny knows I’m here so she’ll keep the others at bay for a little while.”  The fact he still spoke to his wife was oddly comforting even as it was hard to wrap her mind around.  “We do talk…often, but it isn’t the same as being able to hold each other.  Don’t ever underestimate the power of touch, princess.” 

For just a moment
, Kit was overcome with the enormity of her emotions.  The sweet feeling of familiarity was so powerful she was glad she was already lying down.  “I’ve missed you so much.  You just can’t possibly know how much.  So often I’ve held Ryan and Adana wishing I could introduce you to them.”  She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks but didn’t even try to hold them back. 

“Those were the moments I was standing right beside you, princess.  I’m never far from you
.  I am so proud of you.  You’re growing in to the amazing wife and mother I always knew you’d be.”  He seemed to be lost in thought for several seconds before his focus returned to her.  Again she was wrapped in the comfort of something familiar, because watching him focusing on his thoughts in the midst of a conversation was something he’d done so often when he’d still been on this side of death’s veil. 

“Can you tell me what it’s like…what it’s like on the other side?” 

He smiled at her and she saw the dimples she’d always loved so much.  “I could, but you wouldn’t believe me.”  She heard his chuckle and her heart clenched when she realized how much she’d missed hearing his laughter.  “Princess, I don’t want you to be sad, that isn’t why I’m here.”  Kit nodded and tried to pull back the flood of tears that was so close to falling.  “I’m here to help prepare you because the battles you’ll face in the future will require everything in you.  They aren’t immediate, but you have so very much to learn and it’s coming sooner than you think.  You are right about Marcus.  He isn’t perfect, and believe me when I tell you that I know because we were friends for many, many years.  But then…princess, no one is
all
good just as no one is
all
bad.  There are shades of gray in each and every person you meet.  Your job is to recognize both the yin and yang, and learn how to channel the power of both sides to your benefit.”  Kit considered his words and couldn’t hold back her grin because it was so typical of the advice he’d given her so often as she was growing up.