Page 24 of Wolf Trap

Oh, she didn’t know everything then. No one had told her Lycaon had killed him.

“Why did you never warn me about my dad?” Now my muscles bound tightly. She wasn’t angry that he tried to kill me? What hold did they have over her?

“I hadn’t heard from him in decades. I know he rose through the ranks. Adara is the biggest occult sect in the world. And I am livid that you think he tried to harm you. He was, as Isaid, always erratic. I’m sure he was just trying to make a point about the seriousness of all this. It’s you and that… thing, being together upsets the balance in magic, as I said. For everyone. Including you and this bloody Lycaon, who...” she got up, waving her finger. “He will know this. Lycaon will know that by associating with you, the whole world of magic will fall and all immortals will fall with it. He’s such an old shifter. It makes me sick. Tell him to come face me, if he dares. I might not be powerful, but I have a mean right hook. So yes, Adara will stop you. For all our sakes. See Austin.”

I stifled a laugh. God, she really meant it. Magic, balance? Really? Hakon had said that was nonsense. Were they all brainwashed? I swallowed hard.

Or was it me who was being misled?

8

MAGE OF HEARTS

Driving back to Austin’s home, my heart felt numb and my stomach felt sick. I sighed with relief when he answered the door, and I could sense he was alone.

I just blurted it out.

“We’re to be married, you and me. My mum said so. We’re to have lots of children and you can pay to send them to The Academy of Necromantia. Ok?”

He stood with his mouth open, then a cheeky grin appeared on his face.

“A life I’d never considered possible. You and me, lots of children. She’s right, of course. We could start now?” He spluttered a laugh.

Rolling his eyes, he continued, “Hakon would be pissed. I bet he’d love that life if he was able to sire kids… Still, what makes your mum think I want kids, or that I’d send them to that stuck-up school? I am far better at magic than most, if not all, mages there. I should be teaching them! Come on. I sent wolfboy back to Marrock for now and your phone’s through there.”

He pointed to my phone, which he was charging on the sideboard.

I followed him out to the kitchen.

“So…”

“What? You know I love it, Elsa. You are kind, hot, and that’s a life that I could get behind. But I’m not a conformist, but it’s fun to daydream. We’d be a blonde version of the Addams family. Rich, weird, and paying others to raise our many, many kids! Though I don’t smoke cigars!”

“No, you’ve smoked weed. That will have to stop! What will the other parents say?”

“Screw them.” He finished filling up the kettle, then turned to me. “Your mum really had this all figured out? I’m touched, if I’m honest, that she thinks so highly of me. Of course, if she knew me better, she wouldn’t say any of that.”

I frowned. “Yes. You’d have to stop working for the vampires and rise through the ranks of Adara.”

“Ah, but that’s how I make all my cash! It does make you wonder though, how come this secret society has remained hidden until now, so why have they revealed themselvesnow?I’d never heard of them before. Anthony had heard the name, but knew nothing.”

“Well, I guess it’s all just out in the open now. She said that me and Lycaon being together, that it would upset the balance of magic.”

“Hum? Well… Lucius and Emma? A demon and a wolf-mage?”

As I rested against the kitchen sink, my arms hugged my chest.

“You know, if I stay with him, I’ll have to leave. We’ll both have to. It won’t be safe for you, Luna, for anyone. And my mum is right. If in the future you have kids, their lives would be at risk.”

“Look, I thought our plan would be to take them down? What if I want to marry, say… I don’t know, a demon? So I’ll be hunted next?”

“You’d marry a succubus!”

“Ah. That’s too bad then. I don’t think our kids would get into the Academy. We’d create our own academy. The academy for magical misfits… or something like that. No, Elsa, we need to fight these bigots. Go to the core. I’m with you, love. You’re not alone. Plus, if I was that way inclined, I’d shack up with Lycaon myself.” He laughed. “But you know just to be sure… what your mum said about magic. Hum… A witch and a werewolf. No, um…” he scratched his head.

Startled, I added, “Now you’re doubting?”

“Here, take a cup of chocolate. I put most of my grimoires into databases. Let’s see if there’s any writing on it. Plus, I’ll text Lucius.”