No Quarter (17 page)

“Please,” Trina started to say, but squeaked when Richard squeezed her arm.

Grace took two large steps and was nose to nose with Richard. “Take your hand off her arm before I eat it.”

He released her and stepped back.

“Trina, do you wish to return to Belfast?” Grace asked, keeping her eyes and jaw set on Richard.

“Please, please let me go home,” she wailed.

“Get in the car,” Nala spoke softly. “We’ll take you home.”

“If you leave,” Richard warned, “I will abjure you.”

Trina collapsed on the forest floor. Her mate had cut her deep with his words.

“You what?” The electricity in Grace’s voice reverberated through the air. “To your mate, you would do that?”

“I’m not living with Gnomes. I’m not living with anything but Lycans, as it should be.”

Nala looked at the devastated woman on her knees, wounded so horribly, she didn’t look like she’d ever recover. She’d been through God knows what and her mate threatened to sever their bond. She’d lived like that…a slave to the will of another. A bond was to be something beautiful, something cherished, and he was using it as a weapon.

Grace backed away. “Have it your way.” She walked over and knelt by Trina. Her eyes shone bright but her words were soft, sweet. “Trina, I hereby release the magical bond between you and Richard. You are free.”

Trina stood from the ground and smiled through her tears.

Richard, however, crumbled to the ground as the bond severed.

“I don’t understand.” Trina looked to him, then to Grace.

“I am your queen. With that responsibility comes certain powers. He used your bond against you. I released you from the pull of that bond, freed you from your prison. He wanted the pain, not you. So he can live with it.”

Nala would have jumped in the air and screamed in triumph if not for the weight of her baby holding her feet to the ground. “Let’s go home.”

Thomas looked as if he wanted to protest, but thought better of it.

Theron groaned at the realization that there would be no fight.

They loaded into the car and left for Belfast.

Nala opened her window for fresh air, since Trina’s uncleanliness was more than her pregnant self could handle. After a few deep breaths, she turned to face Trina in the back seat. “I knew something wasn’t right there. I’d hoped you would have come back on your own. Now I can see you didn’t have a say in the matter. But am I to understand that you will accept the Gnomes in our pack? That you will protect them as you would any other pack mate?”

“Yes, yes I will. I will be happy to. They were so nice, it’s just that Richard—he”

Nala held up her hand. “You don’t have to speak his name again. We’ll figure out accommodations for you tonight, and then tomorrow, we’ll work on getting you back into your home. Okay?” She realized the woman left with nothing more than the torn clothes on her back. That would not do. She had her own cottage before she left.

Trina began to cry again.

“No!” Nala scorned. “Belfast women are strong. Lycan women are strong. No more tears. You aren’t homeless. True, the house you used to have has been purchased, but Wendy’s old cabin is empty. I’m sure we can make arrangements. Just…stay in the main house tonight. We’ll get you a bath, some clothes, and something to eat. Get a solid night’s sleep and tomorrow is a new day. Okay?”

She wiped her eyes, smearing dirt on her face. Theron shifted uncomfortably next to her.

“You should ask Trina for advice,” Grace said, glancing in the rearview.

“What?” he asked.

Grace’s lips tightened into a thin line as she tried to hide her smile. “I believe she’s good at dating advice. She could help you with your speech problem.”

Apparently Grace knew something Nala didn’t because Trina and Theron carried on all the way home. It had been the perfect distraction. By the time they pulled into the drive, Trina’s spirits were lifted and Theron had a new sense of purpose about him.

Tracy and Colin ran out to greet them. When Colin saw Tracy, the state she was in, his pace slowed. He looked at Nala, anger in his face quickly vanishing as understanding set in. “You, my dear mate, are smarter than I.”

“I know.” She grabbed his hand. Turning to Tracy she smiled. “Tracy, can you please have someone set Trina up inside with a room, a shower and some clothes? Then meet me in the conference room. No, wait, have Jake call a meeting.” She really wanted to put her feet up, but didn’t want to waste any time making her announcement.

Her fingers pulled red hair behind her ear as she shook off her confusion. “Yes, I will, uh, do those things. Are you okay?” She looked at Trina.

She bobbed her head. “I am now. Thank you.”

A small commotion behind them caused Nala to turn around. A group of five Gnomes gathered, spotting Trina’s return. She slowly walked over to them and fell to her knees. “Please forgive my past actions toward you.”

Ninny, a Gnome elder hobbled forward and placed her hand on Trina’s forehead. “Calm yourself child. We can begin again. I’m Ninny. Why don’t you allow my daughters, Heffa and Layla, come to your room to work these knots out of your hair? They’re so good you won’t feel a thing.” She slid her tiny palm to Trina’s cheek.

She nodded and rose to her feet, following Tracy into the pack house.

“Richard?” Colin asked.

“Grace separated their bond. He decided to stay behind.”

Theron had moved to the front seat and waved goodbye as he closed the door behind him. As they drove off, Nala saw the pack beginning to gather by the fire pit. “Time to make an announcement.”

Nala took a seat on a bench and put her feet up as she waited for everyone to gather. Once all were accounted for she stood, with Colin’s help. Jake stood next to her with a stone faced expression. He wasn’t about to give anything away.

“Thank you all for gathering on such short notice. I promise to make it quick. Jake has been given a position with FOSE that will include an upgrade to Alpha. Let’s give him a round of applause.” She began clapping, and everyone followed suit. When the noise deadened, she continued. “This, clearly, leaves the position of Beta open. It was my intention, prior to merging with the Belfast pack, to make Tracy my Beta. I’d very much like to offer her the position now. Are there any objections?”

Tracy’s mouth fell slack. She stared at Nala, disbelief painted on her face.

When there were no objections, Nala smiled. “Tracy, please stand next to me.” As soon as her new Beta was at her side Nala opened her arms toward the sky. “May the gods bless you as my Beta, guide you, and give you the strength and wisdom to protect and serve your pack.”

Cheers erupted.

“Fine choice,” Jake said as he shook Tracy’s hand. A great show of faith for the rest of the pack that warmed Nala’s heart. He leaned in toward her ear. “That means you get my room when I move in a few days. Nicer digs!”

She pulled her shoulders back, standing a bit higher. Despite the subterfuge with the threatening notes, Tracy had been her closest friend and confidant. She was a fierce warrior at heart and Nala felt comfortable having Tracy at the helm while she was moving to the birthing phase of her pregnancy. New pups could really drain a mother and Nala could use all of the help she could get.

Exhausted, she retreated with Colin to their room. He propped her swollen ankles up on a pillow and began lightly massaging her feet.

“We’ve gone through more changes in just over a year than ever in my lifetime.” He smiled. “And the biggest change will be here any day.”

She rubbed her tight belly. “Yes, I think contractions have started. It’s so hard to tell, my belly is rock hard all of the time.”

“How far apart are they?” he asked.

“Long enough for you to rub the other foot.” She wagged her toes in his face.

“Nala!”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. I think that was the first one. Well, maybe the second. I’m so tired, it’s hard to tell.”

He leaped off the bed and started pacing around the room. “But, wait. There’s something we have to do.”

“Colin, there’s nothing we have to do except get to Dr. Maryann by the time they are five minutes apart. It’s my first child. This could take an entire day. Just calm down.” She rolled to her side and watched him continue to pace.

“No, you don’t understand. I’ve been keeping something from you. I have a big secret. I want to show you but you just put your feet up and now the baby is coming and…”

“Keeping what from me? Colin, you need to breathe.”

“Think, think, think,” he slapped his forehead with each word.

She heard his voice scream out in her head.
“Grace, I need you, immediately!”

“Colin, what is going on?”

“No, oh no.” He rushed to the edge of the bed and knelt down next to it, scooping her hand in his. “It’s not bad. Rather it is a surprise. Just…trust me.”

He helped her off the bed, down the stairs to the drive. They made it at the same time Grace was pulling back in the drive. When she jumped out of the car with concern in her eyes, Colin apologized. Before he could finish, she was grinning.

“Don’t sweat it, I read your thoughts. You’re doing an excellent job keeping Nala out of your head right now.” She shifted into her wolf and crouched down.

“Your ride,” Colin snickered as she pulled her hand toward Grace.

Mounted atop her queen for the second time, Colin shifted to wolf and led Grace down a path at the back of the property. The path came to an opening which contained a two story log cabin. A ribbon was tied to a beam on the porch.

“Colin?”

Once in human form, he was at Nala’s side helping her off of Grace’s back. “I had this built, while you’ve been preoccupied. It has four bedrooms, in case we decide to have more children.”

Tears stung her eyes. She tried to blink them away. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful.” She grabbed her stomach and bent over as a contraction took hold. When it was over, she stood up and blew out a breath.

Colin and Grace exchanged excited smiles.

“Okay, you have to let me see it now.” Grace elbowed Colin in the ribs.

Colin led them inside the front door. There was a stone fireplace in the living room, a dining room, a nice sized kitchen with a huge center island, a master suite, a nursery for the baby and two spare bedrooms, one of which had been made into an office.

Nala rubbed her belly and leaned against the door jamb of the nursery. “Shit, that hurts.”

Grace’s eyes began to glow their royal glow.

“Something wrong?” Nala asked, looking at her clearly feeling some sort of emotion.

“I’m ready to have pups too. We are just waiting for the next heat.” With a soft smile, she blinked a few times until her eyes went back to normal. “Anyway, that was the second contraction in six minutes. Why don’t you let me give you a lift to Dr. MaryAnn?”

With her new baby boy in her arms, Nala sobbed tears of gratitude. “He’s so beautiful.”

“Do we have a name?” Dr. MaryAnn asked.

Colin kissed her forehead. “Chase, because that’s all we’re going to do for the next few years is chase him around.”

She’d already picked Benjamin as a name. Perhaps it would wait for her next child. “Chase, I like that name.” She stroked the sleeping infant’s cheek. She could not believe her eyes. Once fearful she’d get pregnant with a baby against her will, her desire to never create life had been usurped by a strong desire to start a family with Colin. She’d been blessed with a new life and knew how completely rare that was.

“Care for a visitor?” Jake poked his head in the room.

“Come on in!” Colin threw his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “Meet your nephew, Chase.”

Jake had a stuffed wolf for the baby and a box of candy for Nala. “There are tons of gifts in your cabin. Gustav and Michelle are there now, baby-proofing the place.

Weird, the thought of a vampire baby-proofing anything. But Michelle had brought about a new sense of humanity in him. The undead man seemed alive around her, and she at peace when she was with him.

“Well, Gustav is doing his teleporting thing, bringing gifts from everyone at the college while Michelle baby-proofs. Whatever, they’re working on it.” Jake sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m so happy for the two of you.”

“Would you like to hold him?” Nala offered.

He froze for a moment before slowly nodding. “How do I do it without hurting him? He’s so tiny.”

Nala instructed him on supporting the baby’s head and eased Chase into his uncle’s arms.

“Wow, he’s no bigger than my boot!” Jake rocked slightly while holding Chase in his arms. “This really gives me the motivation to excel at my new job. We have to make a better, safer world for him.” He looked to Colin. “I trust you can handle things without me here?”

“How will I ever manage without your constant harassment?” He crossed his arms over his chest, a permanent smile frozen to his face.

“Right? I’m going to have to delegate those duties.”

Tracy came into the room with the scanner to grab Chase’s foot print. “Oh he’s so precious!” She squealed. She scanned his foot, and then placed the scanner on the bed, scooping the baby out of Jake’s arms.

“Guess I’m done with the kid…for now.” He looked at Colin and wagged his brow. “Until he’s old enough to corrupt.”

“When I’m done holding the baby, the doc said they can go home.” Tracy kissed his forehead. “But I’m not done yet.”

Home. Home sounded good. She wanted to put the baby to bed and take a nice hot shower.

“Oh my goodness Nala, look what you did! He’s just amazing.” She cooed at the baby who continued to sleep.

Colin playfully threw his hands on his hips. “Hey, I had something to do with it too.”

“Okay. Mom’s ready to go home. Put the baby in the bassinet and let the doctor know I’m ready.” Nala was done with visits. She was more than ready to be in her new home, with her mate and new baby alone.

Before she could clear the room Roman and Grace entered, ushering everyone else out and together, they blessed Chase. As they held hands and said the blessing, Nala could swear she felt the room buzzing. Whatever juice they had was real enough.

* * * *

Finally in her new home, she put the baby to bed and took a nice, hot shower. Colin made a tray of snacks for her and had it waiting in the living room by the fire. She eased herself onto the blankets he’d placed by the fireplace and grabbed up a hunk of cheese.

They sat quietly watching the flames dance. She could feel waves of emotion coming from him, feelings of love, elation, and pure awe at their son.

“He’s so spectacular, Nala. Thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For giving me a son, a family, for giving me love again. I never thought…I just…”

“Never thought you’d recuperate from losing your mate and your child?” She spoke for him, words clearly evading him, or was it fear of dampening the mood?

“Yes. That.”

“It’s okay, Colin. I’m in disbelief too. I’m so thankful because I never thought I’d have any of this. You, Chase, this home, this pack. It just seems so unreal, especially when I think about where I was two years ago.” She took a deep breath and let it go. “We can’t hide from the past. We may not have to relive it constantly, but it’s made us who we are today. I can’t speak for you, but the horror of my past is exactly what makes me appreciate what I have today.”

Stretching out his fingers, he brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “You are absolutely right.”

“But the truth is, you’ll never forget your first mate. I will never forget Jagger, especially with his spawn out there wreaking havoc. FOSE still hasn’t tracked down the Separatists. We might be safer, but we still have to be vigilant. The hauntings of our past only make us stronger in that regard. We know how to be on guard.”

Her words reverberated through them both. Chase was their primary concern now. Nala still had to head the pack, but the safety and security of their child was their foremost concern…and they had Jake out there making them safer.

He kissed her cheek and pushed off the floor getting to his feet. “I’ll be back.”

Confused why he was headed outside she asked where he was going.

“I have to pee and Michelle put some kind of crazy locks on the toilet!”

She laughed. Yes, they certainly had new concerns.

THE END