The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate (14 page)

vampire had provided. Rather, he had not expected the shifter-

vampire alliance to be so efficient in finding out Tyrell’s plan. It was

a pleasant surprise, and it spoke well of the future cooperation

between their species.

Naturally, Sterling had already known about it for weeks, ever

since Tyrell had decided on it in the first place. He looked toward the

female figure hovering in the center of his office, wondering if he

would ever get used to seeing her there.

“Tell me what you see, Great One,” he said to the Oracle. “Tell

me we’ll be all right.”

She tsked, reminding him so much of the Jayna he had known and

loved. “You know better than to doubt yourself, King Sterling. You

must remain calm. For the moment, we still have time. Tyrell is

attempting to sneak through the wards.” An image appeared in the

center of the room, that of a small child surrounded by streaks of

black-and-white energy. “I must admit he is good at what he does.

Once we deal with this, we must reinforce the wards and make sure

no intruders can bypass them.”

Sterling assented with a nod. He’d been very disturbed by the idea

that, with enough work, the wards could be cracked just enough to

allow a few people inside without warning him. According to the

Oracle, they would have noticed quite quickly, but Sterling had

suspected that without her omniscience, Tyrell might have actually

succeeded in his plan. Just the thought that he couldn’t protect the

nephew he loved so much tore Sterling apart. In a way, it soothed him

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that Kaname had found out in time to warn him. While he trusted the

Oracle beyond any shadow of a doubt, the fact that he had outside

allies who could have told him of the warlock’s plans reassured him.

Even so, Sterling still wished he could just go ahead and trap

Tyrell without bothering with all the subterfuge. The Oracle seemed

to guess his thoughts. “You must be patient. There is someone else

waiting, someone Tyrell wronged even more severely. He deserves a

new chance, and we will give it to him.”

Sterling sighed. “I know. I apologize, Great One. I simply won’t

find peace until he is caught and defeated.”

“You have many friends, King Sterling, friends who will help you

defeat this foe, and who have to face fears of their own. They are

heading this way now, and they will build new lives, new bonds,

based on what will soon happen here. You must be there for them and

build the best future.” The Oracle’s eyes flashed from silver to green,

and blood red colored her previously translucent hair. She smiled

brightly, making Sterling’s breath catch. “Now go. Go see my son. He

needs you.”

Sterling wished he could touch Jayna. He wished he could see his

brother, too. But he considered himself lucky for still having her

support, even if her mortal form was gone. “Thank you again. You

can count on me.”

“I know,” Jayna replied. “You wouldn’t have been given this role

had you not been able to shoulder it.”

With an enigmatic smile, Jayna’s figured disappeared. Sterling

shook himself and left the office. His nephew was waiting.

Guards saluted him and servants bowed as he passed. Sterling

briefly greeted them, but didn’t stop. Sometimes, the size of the Sidhe

palace irritated him. He had assigned a private wing for Winter and

Corbin’s use, and it took him far too long to get there.

At last, he reached Winter’s quarters, clinging to Jayna’s

encouragements as he readied himself for what would undoubtedly be

a difficult conversation. He knocked at the door, and almost instantly,

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his nephew’s mate, Corbin, answered. His face bore a half scowl

Sterling recognized as a sign of concern. Lately, it was appearing

more and more.

“How is he?” he whispered as Corbin gestured him inside.

“Agitated,” Corbin murmured back. “Any news?”

Before Sterling could answer, Winter appeared from the bedroom.

His hand rested protectively over his swollen belly as he gazed at

Sterling with anxious eyes. “Uncle? What’s wrong?”

For perhaps the millionth time, Sterling wished he could have kept

Tyrell’s plan from reaching Winter’s ears. However, Corbin needed to

know so that he could adequately protect Winter, and the lynx-shifter

couldn’t keep anything from Winter.

“Nothing is wrong,” he replied. “Calm down, nephew. You should

be in bed now and taking it easy.”

“I’m trying,” Winter said, sounding frustrated. The lynx went to

his side, and seemingly on instinct, Winter leaned against Corbin.

“It’s just…The very thought of what he intended…”

“I know. You’ve been very brave in handling this. Elder Kaname

Yamamoto just called to tell me about Tyrell’s plans. Apparently,

they just found out now.”

“That’s good news,” Corbin replied. “I didn’t actually expect

them to find his trace.”

“It seems the vampires had help from Aria Marrow’s son,”

Sterling replied. “At any rate, I told Yamamoto-sama to send in some

of your friends. You might appreciate the company. We are keeping

everything discreet, though, since Tyrell will probably be attempting

to go through with his plan any day now.”

Winter couldn’t suppress a shudder, and once again, Sterling

wished he could have spared his nephew the fear. But he knew Winter

well, and he understood that Winter was too strong to allow this to

defeat him. Not only that, but he also had his bond with Corbin. There

was power in that connection, one that would keep Winter’s baby

safe.

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Even knowing this, Sterling couldn’t keep himself from inquiring

into the child’s welfare. “On a more positive note, how is Lamont?”

he asked.

Winter grinned a little, caressing his belly. “Fine. He’s barely

given me any trouble at all. I think he feels it when I’m nervous, so

I’m doing my best to remain calm, insofar as it’s possible at least.”

Sterling reached out for Winter, gently patting his nephew’s

stomach. Lamont Tomacelli-Mckenna, half Sidhe, half lynx. The heir

of the Sidhe kingdom would be a half-breed. In Sterling’s opinion, it

seemed fitting, as the paranormal world seemed to be struggling to

achieve unity, or at least, cooperation. Many people were still trying

to fight it, and not only maniacs like Tyrell. Some of the Sidhe

remained purists and hadn’t taken kindly to the idea that, one day,

they might be led by a king with shifter blood. But Sterling already

loved Lamont, just like he had loved the brother whose name the

unborn baby carried. He would not allow anyone to harm the young

family.

“That’s good,” he told Winter. “Have you checked in with the

priests? Do they know when a birth can be expected?”

“They’re not sure,” Corbin answered. “My genes complicate the

issue. They think it’s going to be soon, though.”

Normally, Sterling wasn’t very effusive with Winter, but since

nearly losing his nephew, he’d decided to drop the façade. He kissed

Winter’s forehead and whispered, “That’s good. I’m very eager to

meet the new member of our family.” He broke away from his

nephew and smiled. “I expect to have visitors soon, but don’t worry

too much. I won’t allow them to bother you if you don’t want to talk

to them.”

“Who is visiting?” Corbin inquired.

Sterling hadn’t actually asked, but the information came to him

regardless. Sometimes, the Oracle provided him with information

directly, although it was only for small things like these. “Derek and

Jace Wade, and Jace’s mate, Paris. Anson Wright and his mate, Reed.

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Noah Hall and Rhys Whitaker. I believe Preston and Layton wanted

to come, but your father dissuaded them.”

Corbin seemed relieved. “I can’t wait to see everyone again, but I

don’t want my brother to be at risk,” he replied. “I haven’t met Paris,

though. You said he’s Aria Marrow’s son?”

“Yes, and he’s been struggling to surpass that. He’s a good boy.

Coming here will make him face his fears, but I also think you’ll like

him.”

Winter and Corbin didn’t ask Sterling how he’d found out all that.

They’d gotten used to Sterling knowing things he shouldn’t know and

stopped demanding explanations. “Thank you, Uncle,” Winter said

instead. “I appreciate your concern and all your help.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Winter,” Sterling answered gently.

“All you have to do is be safe, eat well, and rest.”

“I’ll make sure he does all that,” Corbin promised.

“Excellent.” Deciding he’d prolonged the conversation too much,

he added, “I’m going to leave now and let you get some sleep. I’ll see

you both at dinner.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Winter answered. “Thank you again.”

Corbin led Sterling to the door, and Sterling gave the lynx a

serious look, silently telling the other to keep a close eye on Winter.

Corbin squeezed his shoulder and nodded. Sterling trusted the shifter

and knew that Corbin would give his life to protect Winter if it was

necessary. But it wouldn’t come to that, not now, and not even in the

future.

As he left his nephew’s quarters, Sterling went in search of his

high priest. He had some final arrangements to make. He wouldn’t

take any chances with Lamont’s and Winter’s lives. Tyrell would

soon realize that he’d made a serious mistake in going against the

people Sterling loved.

* * * *

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The first moment he stepped on the ground of the Sidhe island,

Paris felt overwhelmed. He couldn’t believe that he was here, as a

guest of honor of Sidhe king Sterling Tomacelli. A few months back,

he’d never have expected his life to lead him into this direction. At

the same time, though, Paris knew very little of Sidhe, mostly what

he’d learned from Jace during their trip here. He hoped he wouldn’t

make a mistake and insult the king with his ignorance.

They had been brought here by ship, a small boat that now seemed

somewhat unusual given the majestic nature of the island itself. Oh,

the boat in itself held an elegance and a beauty Paris had never seen in

anything created by humans or shifters, so in that sense, it fit the

overwhelming beauty now surrounding him. Even so, it hadn’t

prepared him for his current surroundings. The view from the small

harbor they’d stopped in left Paris breathless. Everywhere he looked,

he found greenery, healthy vegetation that begged the wolf inside him

to come out and play. The ocean’s water lapped lazily over the shore,

as if caressing the golden sands. In the distance, a beacon of light

seemed to shine. Paris squinted, but couldn’t identify the source of the

rays.

Under normal circumstances, Paris would have loved to enjoy all

this beauty, but he remained aware of the quiet and hasty motions of

the guards with them. The Sidhe sent as an escort had explained King

Sterling had ordered absolute caution. Their visit had to remain

private, kept from prying eyes at all costs.

He looked around, taking in the sight of the small harbor. All

these precautions made him wonder if the Sidhe leader knew

something they didn’t.

“I wonder what the king is planning,”
Paris told Jace as they left

the boat behind and followed after their guides.
“It doesn’t seem like

they want to stop Tyrell from attacking.”

“I’ve only seen King Sterling a couple of times, but I’ve heard he

has an uncanny knack of knowing exactly what to do, and at what

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time,”
Jace replied.
“We have to trust he’ll take all the necessary

steps to protect Winter and Corbin.”

The words made Paris very curious as to who the Sidhe truly

were. His contact with magical creatures had been limited so far. He

was eager to know more and eager to meet Jace’s friends who now

lived here.

The soldiers led them from the harbor onto a winding path that cut

through a thick, lush forest. Paris walked hand in hand with Jace

while their five companions followed behind them. The trees blocked

Paris’s sight of the horizon, and because of that, he was taken by