Demon's Grace Ch. 38-40

CHAPTER 38

I slept a lot longer than anticipated. This peace magic effected me as much as the pack. I felt safe and loved, as if I was being watched over by something bigger than what I could see with my eyes. It was evening when I finally made my way into the living room where sleeping bodies littered the couch and floor. Alan's formidable frame stood highlighted by the moonlight shining through the open back door. He stood a few steps from the door staring into the forest. Again, all he had on was a pair of jeans. Farther off I heard yips and growls. Without turning around he beckoned me with his hand to come to him.

"You influence the pack for one day, while sleeping I might add," he turned ironic eyes to me, "and the tension has left their shoulders. Even as far as their regular work day."

"Is that good?"

He swiveled his head to me again, "Good, for now. Not later. Peace is not the way of shape shifters. We must always be on our guard."

I asked why and regretted it as soon as he gave me an angry look.

"For problems like Taurin." He stared off into the night again.

"You work at the Affairs' Office?"

"Yes. From Oregon. I'm only called into Sacramento as needed. I can do most of my work through my home office."

"You're very forthcoming," I observed.

He glanced my way, "It's nothing that anybody can't learn."

I gave a head shake and looked out at the shining lawn.

"I was so happy when I helped push through a kill warrant on him. Then I went into a rage when I found out he bonded." His eyes sparkled hatefully when he looked over at me briefly, then he chuckled to himself, "I thought for sure that you were coerced. But, you weren't were you?"

"You're sure it's me he bonded to?" I asked ignoring the question without looking at him.

"Yes. You're not a servant and you permeate too much of him."

"How do you know I'm not a servant?"

We both continued to look over the lawn and not at each other. "Because I work for the Affairs' Office. I know a bit more than your average werewolf. You're the demon hunter who bonded to Taurin. You smell like his ice... and stone, that one I don't understand." He turned to look at me.

I ignored his thinly veiled question and said instead, "You sent your wolves to kill us."

"I sent mercenary wolves who were looking for a challenge."

"They found it," I said dryly.

"I guess they did because they never came back for their money."

I shook my head silently, "What do you know of the bullets they used?"

Alan gave me a fake smile, "Why, Dove, is this any conversation to be having as the Peacekeeper!?" He placed his hand on his heart in mock concern.

I snorted silently and looked at him, "You're playing with me."

His face and voice grew cold, "When I play with you, you'll know."

"So, what now?" I asked.

Alan turned to look into his house. "Enjoy my hospitality, enjoy the company. No one will dare step out of place."

"Not even your Lupa?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just keep spreading peace and you will keep her confused." He said with a wry smile.

"A match made in heaven?"

"Something like that."

I watched him walk out onto the lawn. When he disappeared into the woods I turned to the living room. A few eyes reflected back light to me, but I knew they weren't turned into their wolf self. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of carrots and an apple. As I walked back to my room eyes followed me and I was unnerved. The hush of silence was thick and I made no eye contact. Once secluded away and giving myself a measure of unrealistic safety with a closed door I breathed a sigh of relief.

I thought about everything while I chewed on the carrots. Then I realized something. First, I didn't have demons bothering me. Second, I really didn't have demons bothering me. I reveled in the feeling of not having them around. After all, that was the idea when I went to Seattle a few days ago. Yet, it was strange not to feel their connection to me. I crunched into the red apple and did a shallow search for them inside of me. Nothing. Something blocked my demon hunter abilities. I deduced that it was the pack magic, which was a revelation since, technically, this was the answer to my meeting with Zanzibar. Although, I wasn't going to have that magic in me after tomorrow night. This meant that I still needed an answer on how to control the demon magic inside of me.

I continued to rifle through my spirit and decided it was time to meditate. I took my mind down into the spiral of myself and listened to what I needed to hear underneath my conscious thoughts. A deep sense of knowing draped over me as I discovered that it wasn't pack magic that kept me from sensing them. Or rather, it was. I was the arrow that decided which magic was going to dominate. Yet, I instinctively knew that without another choice I was all demon hunter and there would be nothing to block it out. At least, not until I talked to Zanzibar.

With these revelations running through my mind I concentrated on Taurin and Ezra's sparks. They ignited in a burst with the merest thought. The smell of wolf faded from inside of me and I filled up with the scent of cloves and winter. 'There you are,' I said and Taurin answered.

'Dove. You've been silent.'

'Yesss,' came Ezra's whispered hiss.

I inhaled deeply through my nose, trying to breathe in scents that weren't outside of me. 'I'll see you both tomorrow night?' I asked hesitantly.

Taurin scoffed, 'Of course!'

Ezra's fire flared sluggishly through my spirit, like it was asleep or drugged. I frowned and projected my confusion somehow to them without words.

'Ezra put himself into a deep trance after we came back. Probably a tactic to stop himself from killing me,' he laughed.

'Oh. I'll make it out of here ok. I just need to stay focused on wolf magic. That's why you haven't heard from me.'

'Hmm,' was all Ezra said. His fire flared brighter, but still moved slowly.

'I haven't been able to send you a thought while you've been there.' Taurin said blandly, hiding his true feelings.

'I'm surrounded by the pack and I'm focused too much on falling into the spell of their magic. I didn't understand until now how it works with my own magic. It may be that way until I see you again. Just wait it out Taurin.'

This time the 'hmm' came from Taurin. I felt the air push itself into the room from under the door.

'I have to go,' I said anxiously.

I took my focus away from them just as the door slammed open into the wall. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes as Alan said my name in a warning tone. He shook with suppressed anger and violence. Behind him I saw the curious stares of wolves and their human counterparts. I grimaced because I hadn't let go of my own spark of Taurin. The air shimmered with lights of moisture, some even turning into snow flakes before they evaporated from the heat. I could guess that Alan was looking into eyes filled with the cold blue of glaciers.

Alan firmly shut the door and strode towards me. I could almost feel his pack pressed up against the entryway to the room.

"You DO NOT bring HIM to MY HOME," he yelled.

I closed my eyes and called the pack into me with. Turning my arrow to full bore on its magic. Only this time, I couldn't make the arrow go to full. Something walked four legged among those ancient wolves and they were wary. It had scales and burning eyes. I couldn't think about it anymore because the Alpha had my jaw in a bruising grip. My eyes opened and we stared into each other's eyes.

"I like your hazel eyes better."

The wolves pushed at me telling me the smart thing to do. I cleared my throat and didn't say anything, bowing to their authority on the subject. I even followed their advice to duck my head and refuse to meet his gaze.

"That's better. Do you know what he did to me, Dove?" He didn't wait for a response. "He tore apart my family while we were..." He paused and forced my gaze to meet his, "at peace. He killed, not only every one of them in front of me, but those of my pack who supported my nomination into the Affairs' Office. He killed, tortured, and raped. He was... talented." His jaw clenched as he looked me dead on, "I won't go into the details. The only reason I survived was because the Affairs' Office found out. They came in to save the day, only too late. As I'm learning they often do. But look, he gave me you. And I don't think that you are expendable to him. I think he'll be there tomorrow night. Tell me I'm wrong, Dove?" He smiled at me serenely.

"No, you're not wrong." I whispered. The wolves wanted me to lay down flat on my stomach, but I wouldn't. They soon scattered when a flashing, scaled, dark tail flailed into them.

He paused and I felt him staring at my bowed head. "That's good. Not for you, but for me. Soon it will be over," he whispered.

He eased his grip off of me and stood up. He paused with his hand on the door handle and looked at me. I glared defiantly up at him. His anger would win tomorrow night and I would pay for it. I had no doubts and, truthfully, I couldn't blame him for it. He grinned with all his teeth, almost a snarl, as he opened the door.

I curled myself on the bed and into the ancestral wolves, projecting their peace out of me at a steady pulse. Somewhere inside, a pair of gleaming red eyes watched me. Outside of my spirit I gazed up at the dark ceiling unable to quiet my tumultuous thoughts. The next day seemed unremarkable at first. Except enemies don't leave you alone when other enemies are scheduled for your day.

His Lupa came over and I could hear her anger from my room. There was a strong smell, potent and incense like, that wafted under the door. The dragon inside of me went into alert mode immediately. My heart raced from all the restless energy and I hesitantly opened the door. I heard Alan demand that she leave.

"You are too jealous and you'll nullify the challenge if you harm her before tonight."

I heard a crash of something fragile hit the floor. "You keep her here in OUR sanctuary knowing that she is with that... that... devil! And you want her! I can tell!"

"I want her blood, Luz!" He growled angrily.

She screamed, "I don't care what you want from her. Fuck her, kill her! It's all the same! She can't have any part of you and you can't have any part of her!"

I walked just to the threshold of the hallway and saw them in front of the glass patio door. I briefly looked at two frightened people curled up on the couch. Luz turned her killing glance at me. I had no delusions that they couldn't hear my own quick, frightened breath.

Alan looked over his shoulder at me and laughed sarcastically, "So much for your peaceful presence!"

Luz took his distraction to deck him left handed in the jaw. The very air seemed to still when Alan didn't move from the punch. Their pack members were flattened on the floor, barely breathing.

"Holy shit!" came out with my breath.

It took her a moment to process what she did, but then she flew past him and reached for me. I was hit first with the complex incense smell and the knowledge that Oldavai somehow got to her. I was positive it intensified her own possessiveness to the nth degree, because I'm sure she never would have actually punched her own Alpha and lover.

Her claws barely grazed my cheek before Alan tackled and slammed her into the floor. From there Luz was conflicted. Part of her fought with Alan, part of her was trying to kiss him, and another part was trying to get to me to rip me apart. Alan was shouting threats at her as my focus narrowed down to a pair of flickering eyes inside my head. Ezra had found a way to stay with me. I knew that the moment I saw him hanging out with the wolves inside of me last night.

"I'm sorry Alan," I whispered, knowing that he heard me.

I turned myself over to my own magic and filled myself with fire. Exactly what Alan didn't want, to let demons into his home. What he didn't know was that they completely bypassed his home and hit him at his heart. I knelt next to them. He struggled to subdue Luz without hurting her. She snapped at his throat.

He yelled at me, "LEAVE!" Such similar words I thought dispassionately as I placed a blazing hand between them. The wolf in both reacted instantly. Luz pushed herself into the floor and Alan made a startled movement backwards. Within a second they were in action again. But I used that second to place my palm just over Luz's forehead. Alan grabbed me around the waist to hurl me away from his mate.

"Don't." I said firmly, never looking at him. I hurriedly explained, "She is being manipulated by another demon to get to me. I'm not burning her, I'm trying to burn off the scent on her." Inside of me I asked the dragon to lend me his control. Ezra did without a thought.

Luz went quiet as she stared at me. I coaxed the wolves inside of me to look out of my eyes while I passed my hands over the air of her body. Sparks flared and little wisps of fire flickered as if catching on dried twigs and grass that no one could see. I moved my hand out of the way and hesitantly leaned into her. She didn't move as I inhaled deeply. My eyes crinkled as I looked at her again.

"Luz," I said softly, lowering my stare from hers, "I need you to turn over on your back." She waited and didn't move.

"Luz. The Speaker of Peace made a request. Now I am telling you. Turn over." Alan moved in close until he was barely a breath from her face. She put her hand gently around the fading bruise that she made on his jaw and then turned over.

I moved my hand over her long black hair. It flared more so than any other place. I shook out the fire and clenched it in my fist to make it disappear. I made a statement as I watched Luz turn around and sit up.

"He touched your hair."

"Who touched you Luz?" Alan asked with suppressed anger.

"No one." She said dismissively and looked away with a shrug.

"Luz!" Alan demanded.

She growled at me and then defiantly met his gaze, "Just another wolf. He said he was looking for another home. He complimented me." She shrugged and looked down again.

"No," I said and shook my head slowly. "He wooed you. Made you feel special, beautiful,... wanted, with just a few words and touches."

She snarled and got into my face.

Alan thrust his arm between us. "Luz, is this true?"

I interrupted him, "You were just a pawn in his game. He has a magic that is illusion. I bet he smelled and acted perfectly like a shape shifter. Perfectly. Do you feel any lingering effects from him?"

She looked at me hatefully, "No, I felt cleansed from your fire. But, I know the difference between us and one who is part demon, part wolf. He was one of us." She looked over at me smugly.

"He wasn't," I looked over at Alan. "It was a demon that I am under contract for. I'm sorry that this came to your door."

Alan's lip curled and he looked over to the two who stayed face down on the floor. "Leave." They moved faster than I could take in and were out the front door before I even heard it close. We stayed sitting on the floor in a circle of three.

"Tell me everything," he ordered.

"I will tell you this. He is my contract and his focus is on me. If he's interested in Luz it won't matter as long as I'm alive and away from your pack. " I added the last to give him incentive not to harm me.

"That's all you're going to say to me," he asked with narrowed eyes.

"If you want to know more you'll have to go through the channels of your job. You know mine and Taurin's name. We all have a protocol of secrecy. I know your kind does."

A snarl came out of his mouth, "I think that we all could use some lessons from demons."

"Sometimes prejudices work in your favor," I said dryly.

"You don't think we have any?!" Luz jumped in, furious.

Alan reached over and touched her hair. "No Luz. Not anywhere close to the persecution they have."

She gave him an angry look for not backing her up.

"So, I guess this means I have to scratch my plans of killing you." Alan said calmly as he looked at me.

My jaw dropped in astonishment that he admitted it out loud to me. "Were you really giving it consideration?!" Luz gave a high little laugh.

"I can't believe you're a demon hunter. You're actually surprised that I would consider killing you." He shook his head, "You have a demon trying to kill you and you are attached to a demon who slaughtered my family and probably countless others." Alan clicked his tongue in disgust at me. Luz trilled again and snuggled closer to Alan, practically crawling into his lap.

I looked up, "Well, there is that."

He leaned in close to me, "You'll probably only wish you were dead, Dove."

"Well, It won't be the first time I suppose." I pondered this thought as I looked down the hallway to my left.

"Your here now and I will not let Taurin leave unscathed. You can't imagine what it's like to have your family..." He trailed off, his eyes seeing more than just the living room. His hand absently twining in Luz's hair.

"Actually, Alan..." I waited till he gave me his attention, "I don't have to imagine."

He nodded his head slowly, "I see. So you understand me."

"As much as I can."

"It's nothing personal, Dove," he said absently.

I had nothing to say to that. Well, except maybe bullshit.

CHAPTER 39

I watched out the porch door as the colors changed from sunset to night. Alan called me. "We have to go."

"I know," I said. I didn't turn to him though.

"As soon as you are free of the wolves' magic my hate will be back in full force."

"I know. It never left."

We stayed in a companionable silence for a few minutes. I finally spoke up, "Anger destroys us all."

"We feel what we feel."

"Yes." I turned to him then, "But, when do you realize that you need to be stronger than the anger?"

Alan said nothing for a long time. We climbed into the truck and drove to pick up Luz. "It's not so simple. Five years and I've had no vengeance. A promise kept to the dead is important."

"It is," I agreed.

We watched Luz lock her front door. I looked over at Alan, "Which wolf will you feed though, Alan?"

He quickly looked over at me, understanding the reference to the Cherokee story where a boy once asked his grandfather which wolf would win inside of him. His grandfather told him, the one he fed.

I continued solemnly, "The wolf of hate," and I looked askance at him, "or the wolf of love," and looked over to Luz as she approached the truck.

He said nothing as she sat in the back. This had nothing to do with seniority and everything to do with predator. You don't have your enemy at your back where you can't see them. We got to the forest first and I warily watched the two of them. Alan swung a rope back and forth in his hand and Luz's held something thin, black and coiled. Alan grabbed my hands and tied one wrist. He pulled me over to the big oak and threw the rope over a thick low laying branch.

"I can't believe I'm just letting you do this to me. I can't believe this. This is crazy. I must be crazy..." I continued to mumble to myself as he completed tying me up. My bare toes barely touched the earth and I found myself gasping and stretching. I heard the other shape shifters make their way to the circle, but I could barely see them since I was staring at a huge tree trunk.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his luminous, golden eyes, "Dove, the wolf of hate is getting fed tonight."

"I see that," I whispered. Already he pulled away from the influence of his own pack magic. A hush settled on those assembled, as a cold wind rustled the tree in front of me.

"Taurin, how nice of you to show up," Alan said nonchalantly. I twisted my head to the right and got a brief glimpse of him.

"I accept your challenge," Alan announced icily.