“My son and his friends in the other car,” Elaine continued, still stammering. “Justice—I mean Kaja … and we’re … uh…”
What in the mage was going on?
“Going to the mortal realm?” the other woman asked.
Again, something of her voice nagged at a memory, but I couldn’t place it.
“Mmm-hmm. The mortal realm,” Elaine said.
“Do you have your papers?” the mage asked. “Signed documents so I can open it for you?”
I pushed a hole through the mound of clothes and looked up until I saw who was guarding the portal.
“It’s you!” I shouted, bursting out of the clothes with a grin. She could be trusted, 103.4% sure of it.
The high mage woman I’d crossed paths with in the library—the one who’d given me the yearbooks—stood just outside Rage’s door. She jumped upon seeing me and then burst into laughter. “Mother Mage,” she said, giggling. “You’re just like your mother.”
My mother … she knew her?
Elaine’s mouth popped open. “You lookjustlike her…”
What the what? I couldn’t handle any more family drama. “Who are you?” My voice shook as I looked at the silvery-blue haired woman.
She leaned into the car, peering down at me. “There’s no time, but I’m your aunt. My father, Geoff, sent me to get you to Montana.”
She clapped her hands loudly, and the portal appeared ahead of us. Reaching into the car, she squeezed my hand quickly before letting go. “I'll see you soon.”
My eyes widened as the shock settled into me.
My aunt.
I have an aunt.
What if I had an uncle and cousins and …holy crap. I had an entire side of the family I knew nothing about. Before I could think more on it, Noble gunned the gas.
‘Hold on,’ Ragesaid, a little too late.
My back slammed against the footwell, and then everything spun. The kaleidoscope of colors I’d remembered from last time exploded within the cab, and my insides twirled like a freaking carnival ride. And then we shot through the portal and back into Montana. I burst from the dirty clothes pile a second time and stared at Rage’s mom. Noble parked on the side of the road, and Rage climbed out of the back, distracting me for a second with his shirtless yum.
“You know my aunt?” I asked. Elaine had totally fumbled when she’d seen my mom’s sister—like she looked familiar.
Justice drove out into the wooded forest behind us and screeched his vehicle to a halt. Rage took the driver’s seat, but Elaine indicated that Noble should take shotgun.
“Head for Crescent Pack, Courage,” Elaine said and then crawled into the back seat next to me.
My heart thumped against my ribs. The alpha queen had just crawled over the center console for this. No way would it be good.
She grabbed my hands and tucked them into her own, offering me a sad smile. “It makes so much sensenow.”
Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back. “Now?”
Elaine swallowed. “Your father will have to fill in the gaps, but I’ll tell you what I know.”
I nodded, my hands slick with sweat. “I saw them, you know, in the Realm of the Dead. My mother and my … uncle? They were together…”
Somehow I couldn’t finish the sentence. To tell her they were holding hands, like … lovers.
Elaine nodded. “Honey … I don’t think your uncle is your uncle … but that’s for your father to confirm.”
