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  ONE HOUR later I checked on my patient and, satisfied with her condition, decided to go home. I was pleasantly tired and light-headed. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Jack protectively put his arm around my shoulder as we walked out, and his solid, firm presence sent waves of happiness throughout my body.

  “Do you mind if I sleep in the living room?” I asked when we arrived home. Suddenly I couldn’t bear to be alone in my room. I still had Jack’s jacket there, but then, I realized, I could have Jack himself even closer. “You could bring your laptop and work here, if you like. I don’t mind. I’m a quiet sleeper, I don’t snore and I don’t talk in my sleep.”

  “I believe you, and I don’t want to know who told you that,” Jack said, tucking the blanket around me. “Do you want me to close the blinds?”

  “Are you going to have enough light to work?”

  “Honey, I can see in the dark,” Jack said and kissed my forehead.

  Oh, God! Are you planning to move downward?

  “Eventually. Don’t be impatient.”

  “Eventually what?” I asked before I closed my eyes.

  “Oh, I love that little wolf of yours.” I heard his soft laugh.

  Or I thought I’d heard it, before I dove into a warm sub-reality that smelled of rain, wind and sun, and felt as good as a lover’s touch.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ALL OUTSIDE noise seemed magically cut off. The only sound that filled the room was Astrid’s deep, regular breathing and the steady rhythm of her heart. Jack smiled: he’d been quite enjoying listening to her heart. Her logical mind may have questioned everything that had happened in the last few days, but her heart couldn’t lie. It would pick up speed every time they touched, every time they were close enough to sense each other, every time Astrid thought about him.

  He wished she could hear his heart and its frantic pounding that hadn’t stopped since the first time he’d seen her. Musical as she was, her hearing needed improvement, and that would likely happen when Astrid the Wolf finally joined her human self.

  He placed his laptop on the table and occupied the armchair across from the couch. He opened his e-mail and instantly a chat message popped up from James:

  Hello, son. How’s it going?

  Fine. How’s everything there?

  Good. How is my niece?

  She’s fine. Sleeping. Worked the night shift.

  When are you bringing her here?

  After her next change. I need to see it. T & L say she’s in a lot of pain.

  I know. Arnaldur told me.

  Why didn’t you tell me, then?

  Jack, her spirits are not linked.

  That’s what I think.

  She hasn’t completed the process.

  I know, James.

  Does she have a boyfriend, anybody who would give us grief?

  I certainly won’t make it difficult.

  Jack, hold on. What’s going on between you two?

  James, I’m gonna phone you. Now.

  JACK SLAMMED his laptop and rushed to his room. James answered after the first ring.

  “James, we are bond mates,” Jack said, keeping his voice barely audible. “She’s mine. I’m not letting anybody else near her.”

  There was a long pause. “I see. That’s good. That complicates things a bit, but then it simplifies them a great deal at the same time. How did that happen?”

  “How did what happen, James? Are you asking me how the bond happened?”

  “Jack, take it easy. I’m happy. That’s actually a perfect solution, son.”

  “I’m taking her home as my mate, whether you like it or not.”

  “I hear you, Jack. Is Astrid all right with that?”

  “She will be. She is incredibly open about moving and everything that waits for her.”

  “You told her?”

  “I did. She had a right to know.”

  “Jack, listen. If she’s yours and if she thinks you are hers, that’s fine. But you have to wait a bit. You have to bring her as Hal’s daughter and our Ellida. Only the Ellida herself should decide if she is going to stay, and if she is going to mate or not. She can’t mate with you before that. Jack, let them see who she is before you take her. For some people here, she’s also Rowena’s daughter. I don’t want to risk a small civil war over her... Jack, are you still there?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Wait just for two months. Until she announces her decision. Let Red Cliffs get to know her. We must not leave any room for any potential problems. Jack, son, you would’ve done the same had you been in my shoes. And I hope you will be soon. It’s time, and you’ve found your mate... Jack?”

  “I’m here. I know. I can wait as long as it takes, but she’s mine. Ellida or not, she is mine. We’ll be there in about two weeks. She’s far from being out of danger, James.”

  “She’ll be safe here with us. She’s pretty, isn’t she? She’s Hal’s spitting image. Tell me about her?”

  “She’s the most fascinating person I’ve ever met. Smart, beaufiful, funny, caring and down to earth.”

  “Logical, huh?”

  “And emotional. And a hell of a doctor.”

  “Jack, call me after she changes. Let me know what it looks like.”

  “Her wolf is trying to come out. Her eye color shifts sometimes, from blue to amber, and she has memory lapses.”

  “That will disappear, don’t worry... Oh, God, what news! You’ve made my day, son. Take care. Here is your mother; she wants to hear your voice. Talk to you soon.”

  AFTER A lengthy conversation with his mother and then his sister, who wanted to know everything about Astrid, Jack came back to the living room. He carefully lifted Astrid’s legs so that he could sit on the other end of the sofa. He placed her feet on his lap and covered them with the blanket. Astrid stirred, and let out a deep, sensual sigh, but didn’t wake up.

  Jack closed his eyes, and let the warm current claim him.

  HUNDREDS OF miles away, in Red Cliffs, Jack’s stepfather looked at his wife with a broad smile spreading all over his face.

  “Can you believe that, Betty? They are bond mates! I don’t remember to whom I prayed, but He decided to give me even more than I asked for. Jack and Astrid! A reluctant Einhamir and our Ellida!”

  Betty smiled, not completely at ease. “My son and Hal’s daughter... So you hope—”

  “Well, if he wants his queen, he has to take the kingdom as well. They come as a package. As much as I like this job, I’m ready to retire, and Jack’s ready to take it over.”

  “Jack’s never wanted it before.”

  “He wasn’t ready, Betty. And he didn’t have Astrid. He’ll want it now. He is going to be a good leader. Those reluctant ones are always the best. You’ll see.”

  “James, Seth’s not going to stop. He’ll try again.”

  James wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her close. “Yeah, he will, my love. And we will be ready. We will fight him to end this mess forever.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  ASTRID’S PHONE made a soft ring, and then, increasing in volume, chimed one more time: d-e-c-C-G, the five tones of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Astrid’s hand immediately emerged from under the covers and grabbed it.

  “Duplant.”

  A stern woman’s voice informed Dr. Duplant about her patient’s progress.“Dr. Blake was here when she woke up. He checked her and told me to phone you later.”

  “Is she in a lot of pain?”

  “No. Dr. Blake adjusted the Duramorf, it’s working fine. He thinks we can switch to Tylenol 3 and Motrin 400 mg alternately every four hours starting tomorrow. She’s sleeping now.”

  “How is the rest of the family?” Astrid said.

  “They’re fine. Dr. Blake checked them as well. Their relatives are on their way here. They’ll take the girls with them as soon as they’re ready to go.”

  “Good. I’ll pop in later. Thank you for phoning, Molly.”

  “You�
��re welcome, Dr. Duplant. Sorry for waking you up. See you later, then.”

  “Molly, if anything changes, please call me or Dr. Blake.”

  “Of course, Doctor.”

  “WHAT TIME is it?” Astrid said, yawning, suddenly aware of her feet on Jack’s lap.

  “Almost six. How are you feeling, Miss Spock?”

  Astrid stretched and wiggled her toes. “Regenerated, like your Seven-of-Nine,” she said. Her voice was still raspy from sleep.

  Jack stroked her feet, soft and warm. “Didn’t I tell you? I broke up with her. You are my girl now.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, and then continued pounding double-time. “Oh, I like that… What did you do while I was sleeping?”

  “Talked to your uncle. Slept a bit. Held your legs on my lap. That was nice.”

  She tilted her head. “And talking to James wasn’t? What happened?”

  “Some practical problems, so to speak. Nothing to worry about,” Jack said. “I told him about the bond.”

  “Oh! What did he say?”

  “He was delighted, actually.”

  Astrid could feel hesitation in Jack’s voice. “What’s the problem, then? You’re not telling me everything, I can tell.”

  “Everything’s fine. They’re expecting us in about two weeks. They’re looking forward to seeing you.”

  Astrid pulled herself into a sitting position. “You’re going to be there, right?” she asked, feeling suddenly uneasy. “You’re not going to drop me off and disappear?”

  Jack stretched his arm and pulled her against his chest. “I’m not going to leave you, Astrid. Ever. I’ve just found you.”

  “Ever could be for quite a long time, you know.” She buried her nose into his neck and surrendered to Jack’s scent, the sound of his heart, the smoothness of his skin. Tristan was right, she thought, this was a gift. And she wouldn’t waste it.

  Jack kissed her hair. “You must be hungry. Will you help me make something? Or I can take you out for dinner, if you like.”

  She didn’t want to go anywhere and disrupt this perfect afternoon. Not yet. She would need to go to the hospital later, but for now, she was absolutely happy in her small house with Jack in close proximity.

  “I can prepare something. It’s not fair that you cook all the time.”

  “I can do your laundry instead.”

  “You cannot! I’m not ready for that level of intimacy.”

  “I’m just teasing you. Let me make us something to eat, then.” Jack stood up pulling Astrid with him. “Have you talked to Ella and Arnaldur since I came?” he asked.

  “I haven’t. You know what, Jack Canagan? You’ve totally distracted me.” She giggled and grabbed her phone. “Do not eavesdrop, please. I know you can tune me out if you want.”

  “I know you can soundproof your room, if you want.”

  “Yes, but that takes a bit of time,” she said and walked toward her bedroom.

  HER GRANDMOTHER answered the phone.

  “Hi, Ella.”

  “Hello, darling. How are you? How’s Jack?”

  Tristan! That telltale! “Fine, fine... Jack came a few days ago, as Tristan apparently told you.” Or was it a few years? “Ella, I think I’m going with him.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  “Listen, Grandma, something else happened with Jack...”

  “Astrid?”

  Astrid covered the phone with her palm. “Jack, I smell something burning,” she said in a low voice, trying to figure out if Jack could hear her or not.

  There was no response from the kitchen.

  “Astrid?”

  “I’m here, Ella. Jack and I are sort of a predestined couple. Have you ever heard of that?”

  “You mean bond mates? That’s fantastic, Astrid! Oh, wait until your Grandpa hears it!”

  “Do wizards have bond?”

  “Of course. All humanoids have bonds, one way or another.”

  “How do we recognize it?”

  Astrid’s grandmother laughed. “We give each other an algorithm and fall in love, working toward the solution.”

  Astrid was sure she could hear a soft chuckle from the kitchen.

  “You just know,” Ella continued. “Something clicks between two people and you know that you cannot live without him.”

  “Did it ‘click’ between you and Grandpa?”

  “It did.”

  “Can it happen to me with a wizard, too?”

  “It cannot!”

  That was Jack’s voice, humorous and dead-serious at the same time.

  So much for the privacy of her telephone conversation! “Jack, stop eavesdropping!”

  “Don’t be greedy,” Ella said. “You can bond either within or outside your kind, but Jack’s right, you’re normally bonded to only one person at a time, and that person is a good man, Astrid.”

  “Thanks, Ella.” Jack said, making sure this time Astrid’s grandmother could hear him.

  “You’re welcome, Jack.”

  “Jack, stop listening! I know, Ella; I’m not complaining... You know that I’m an Ellida, don’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Astrid’s grandmother sighed. “I’m sorry, Astrid. We thought it’d be better for you not to know before you were ready. It was a mistake. I wish we’d told you.”

  “It’s all right, Granny. I’m just thinking that I’m old enough not to be treated like a child.”

  “I know, darling. Grandpa and I have always tried to protect you, even when it wasn’t necessary, and we’ve become overprotective.”

  “It’s all right now. Don’t worry. Is Arnaldur there? May I talk to him?”

  “He’s in New York. I’m going tomorrow.”

  “How long are you going to stay?”

  “We’ll be back in a week. Call us there.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “Astrid, could you and Jack come to Seattle before you go to Red Cliffs? Or maybe we can visit you before you leave?”

  “Jack!?” Astrid said.

  “Sure, why not? We’ll stop to see them.”

  “Did you hear him, Ella?”

  “Yes. I’m looking forward to seeing you both, then.”

  “Love you, Granny.”

  “I love you too, Astrid. Jack, take care of my granddaughter.”

  “I will, Ella. Say hello to Arnaldur,” Jack said.

  “Thanks. Call us, Astrid.”

  “I will, but Tristan will keep you posted anyway.” Astrid laughed and ended the call.

  She joined Jack in the kitchen. “I asked you not to listen,” she said, arms folded across her chest.

  “It’s not easy for me to ignore anything about you. I tried, it didn’t work. You’ll soon learn to talk in a low voice so that nobody around can hear you, except the person you’re talking to. Including me. ”

  “But it works between werewolves only, right?”

  Jack scratched his head. “Well, yes; that’s right. You folks are multilingual, you know more languages than you need. You can always talk in, for example, Sanskrit. No werewolf would understand you. Come, dinner’s ready.”

  LATER WHEN they returned from the hospital, they took their usual places on the couch, facing each other.

  “Astrid, tell me about your wizard powers.”

  Astrid thought for a moment. “Well, it’s natural for me, like changing forms or seeing in the dark for you. It’s something that’s already built-in. Of course, we all have to learn how to use it, learn how to control it, but it’s there, a part of us. It’s in our blood, literally, as you know. It’s the same as with your kind—we don’t think about it, it’s simply there.”

  She moved closer so that the whole length of her arm and leg leaned against Jack’s side.

  “All Langaer have powers,” she continued. “How we apply them make us different. Wizards have the ability to manipulate space and time through the four elements—fire, air, water and metal—using energy that’s both inside us and around us. T
hat’s our power. Thanks to the same energy, werewolves are able to change forms, they are physically strong and have exceptionally sharp senses. Tel-Urughs have superb physical strength and outstanding mental and intellectual capabilities, and so on, and so on, you already know all about that.”

  He knew, of course, but he liked listening to her.

  “There’s nothing there, though, that defies natural, physical laws,” Astrid carried on. “To a limited extent, humans also use it, but because of their great numbers, it’s given to individuals, not to the entire species.”

  “Hence all those magicians, shamans, healers—”

  “Charismatic people, top scientists, first-class athletes, artists, doctors if you like. You can find them in every segment of human society. Sometimes is hard to tell if they are them or us. Humans can be exceptionally gifted.”

  “And we’re exceptionally good at hiding in plain sight,” Jack said. “We use our powers selectively as we try to blend with humans. That’s essential for our existence. We share this world, and its history, art, science, often even religions, but they still believe they are the only intelligent race that exists.”

  “Not all of them.”

  “Of course not, but in spite of overwhelming evidence, this is still the official notion. A bit arrogant, don’t you think?”

  “Well, they aren’t ready for us; not yet. Or maybe we’re not ready for them. In any case, I’m glad I can use a part of my energy to help my patients heal faster, fight infections better, ease the pain. Other than that, I rarely use my powers. And not only in order to hide from humans.”

  “Not to draw Seth’s attention.” Jack nodded. Living a low profile life was even more crucial for Astrid than for other wizards. “Other wizards don’t have Seth and his mad plans to worry about.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Let’s not talk about him now,” Jack said, playing gently with her fingers. “Can you morph? I know some wizards can, some can’t.”

  Astrid smiled. “Oh, I wish I could change into a wolf so easily. When we adopt another form, usually of an animal, we do not physically change. What you see is an illusion, a trick of the eyes. Your mind thinks you see a unicorn, a snake, a bear. I can also freeze my body image and leave it behind, as I did the day you came here. You saw me sitting in the kitchen whereas I was already in the backyard,” Astrid said with a chuckle.