“Haseya was my daughter.” Crossing the space between us, Nahuel took Gavin in a big hug, surprising us all. “We are well met, grandson.” His words sent a shock through both Gavin and me, and then I felt it ... the reason he closed off the matebond. He was seething with rage and I bristled at the dark feelings coming off of him.
Gavin, who hadn’t spoken since we arrived, pulled back from Nahuel, his face drawn with malice. “Seriously? You think a hug can fix this!? Your daughter dropped me off at an orphanage twenty years ago and you didn’t bother to look for me! Didn’t bother to tell me I was a shaman. Instead, you let the fevers and pain take me. You let me think I was dying! I thought I was a freak! A monster!”
His anger made the fever blaze hotter inside of me, as more fur continued to ripple on his arms. Suddenly, thunder crackled overhead and dark clouds rolled in as if by magic. Jax and I shared a look.
Lina looked intrigued. “He still has his power but he’s losing it. Taking her wolf.”
Nahuel looked hurt by Gavin’s words but didn’t say anything, only nodded to Lina to agree with her comment.
Gavin stepped closer to Nahuel straightening to his full height. Muscles flexed, he looked like a UFC cage fighter ready to rip someone’s head off. Shit.
“You let me die! I’m dying!” He screamed and I swore I heard the undertones of a wolf growl in his voice. The clouds opened up and rain pelted down on us.
Lina stood strong and cut him down with her words. “No, young Light Keeper. You will not die, that was a farce. Anya will. Your True Mate takes your fever and you take her wolf. In the end, if you cannot right this wrong, she will burn alive and you will stand on four paws.”
Chills broke out all over my body as I stumbled backward into Jaxon’s outstretched arms. My hand went to my mouth as the rain tumbled down on all of us. All traces of anger fled as Gavin turned to me, looking vulnerable.
But just then, my mother’s words came floating into my mind as if by magic. “The future can change,” I said aloud and got a smile from Lina.
“Yes, it can. That’s why you’re here.” She looked fierce then and I decided that I liked and trusted her. The rain died off to a sprinkle and then the clouds thinned, letting the last of the day’s sunlight in. Gavin’s hand slipped into mine as he fully stepped into my space, meeting my eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he declared.
I mustered up a weak smile and nodded so he wouldn’t feel bad, but I knew now that this was what my mother saw. My death, not his.
Nahuel had shaken off whatever emotions had cemented him and now he was moving. “It’s time to tell stories.”
He walked to the group of tall warriors that had stood vigil off to the side of our little display.
Lina followed the shaman, leaving Jaxon, Gavin, and I to chat.
Jaxon closed in the space to my right so we were standing in a small circle.
“Lina’s hot. I’m just throwing that out there. Don’t tell Avery,” my brother joked and it actually got a smile out of me and Gavin. He was great in times like these, inappropriately funny. It was annoying, but it broke the tension.
“Are you okay?” I focused my attention on my mate.
He looked lost, eyes empty, hair tousled like a little boy. “Not really. I want more answers.”
Nodding, I understood and was grateful for his honest reply.
“What did she do when she grabbed your head?” Jaxon asked and I was grateful because I wanted to know, too.
Gavin looked completely spooked. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, then opened it again. “I can’t really explain it. She … looked into my soul.”
My eyes widened but before I could respond, the steady beating of drums behind me pulled at my attention. Turning, I saw that a circle had gathered. The warriors, Nahuel, and Lina stood around a raging fire as the sun began to set. The warriors beat on drums strapped to their waists.
“Let’s get our answers,” I told the boys and walked over to the gathering. The group parted to allow us entry and I could see Lina was fanning the circle with sage smoke as a magic mist formed a protective barrier. My eyebrow quirked up, curious as to why protection was needed. My wolf itched to break free. Two large fallen logs served as benches and we took a seat as Nahuel indicated we do so. Gavin sat on my left, Jaxon on my right. Scanning the faces of the warriors, I could see now that they were all over six feet tall, carved from stone with rock hard muscles, and had a fierceness in their gaze that told me they were the bad-ass muthas of the shaman world.
Lina grabbed a decorated stick, an eagle feather hanging from it, and stood facing us.
“I will honor you now with a story of the great Light Keeper.” She flicked her eyes for a second to Nahuel who bowed deeply. Light Keeper. They called Gavin that. Was Nahuel a Light Keeper, too?
“Since the creation of man, Great Sky Father and Great Earth Mother have blessed the earth with Light Keepers. Beings with such great power, they can stop time, control the elements, even bring back the dead.”
My eyes were wide as I stared at Nahuel, my heart hammering in my chest. Was she talking about him? I knew he was a badass and special, but holy shit. Did my mother know this?
“But … in keeping with the Great Balance, an opposite to the Light Keeper came into creation.”
The drumming stopped and Lina grimaced. “Skin Walkers.”
