Disclaimer: All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned.
A/N: As I have not read the newest book, and the events within my fics are a little AU, nothing from the newest book will be within my stories. I am continuing where I left off with the attack on the Columbia Basin Pack's territory and my version of the repercussions of Bran's decision to cut them off.
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Luna was curled up next to Ben discussing wedding plans when her phone rang. She was trying to keep her mind off the fact her father was injured back in Aspen Creek, and the fact that their entire pack now had targets on them for any pack who thought they might be able to take them out and take over their territory. She glanced at the number and looked puzzled. Why was Adam calling her? "Hello, Adam. What's up?" she asked when she answered.
"Luna, I need you and Ben to meet Mercy and I at the private airstrip in two hours. I just received a call from Anna informing me that Colin Taggart and his companion are on their way here. Charles and Anna are flying them in."
Luna stared at the phone. "Really? Okay, we'll be there," she said and hung up. She shared a look with her mate. "I can't believe Bran would let him leave, not after he declared us rogues," she said softly.
"I doubt your father would let anything like that stop him from coming here," Ben replied. "You're too important to him for him to let a little thing like a lack of permission stop him from coming here to look after you, luv," he added.
Luna smiled a little. "Good point. I need to get the guest rooms ready... and we need to make sure we have lots of raw meat for him because I doubt he's fully healed from his injuries."
"I'll take care of the meat, you take care of the rooms," Ben assured her. He watched her head down the hall to the bedrooms before he went to the garage where the deep freezer was and pulled out meat to thaw for their guest. An injured wolf was a hungry wolf and they would be ready for Tag's appetite.
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Luna leaned against her mate as the plane slowed on it's approach to the hangar. She was worried about the condition her father would be in. He was seriously injured only a day ago, there was no way he was healed enough to have made the trip without any issues.
"He'll be all right, luv," Ben murmured. "Your father's strong, you know that. He'll be healed up in no time, you'll see," he added.
She gave him a weak smile as the plane stopped and the door opened. Anna was the first one off the plane and Luna went to greet her. "Hey, how was the flight?" she asked.
"It was smooth, though Bran now knows we took off in the plane. He's been yelling at us both," Anna replied. She chose to ignore Bran but she knew Charles was having a harder time with it.
"Ouch. I wouldn't want to be you two when you get back to Aspen Creek," Luna said with a shake of her head.
"He'll get over it. I'm pissed at him right now so I don't really care what he thinks," Anna told her. She turned as Eirlys came down the steps followed by Tag who was still in wolf form.
Luna studied the petite brunette as she approached them. She could see from the way her father hovered close to the woman that there was a deep connection between the two. "Hello, you must be the companion we were told was traveling with my father," she said and offered her hand. "I'm Luna."
"Aye, I am," Eirlys replied. "I'm Eirlys, but you can call me Lys," she added and shook hands with her.
Luna let out a soft sound as she knelt in front of her father. She could see the pain in his eyes, could see the injuries that were slowly healing, and it made her want to cry.
Tag nuzzled his daughter briefly and licked her cheek to console her before he growled softly. She didn't need to be so worried about him, he was fine.
"We've got to head back, keep me up to date on things here, okay? You're still family, Luna, even if Bran is being a bastard right now," Anna told her. They hugged before she joined Charles on the plane to go back to Aspen Creek.
Adam had stayed back while Luna greeted her father but once Anna headed back onto the plane he stepped forward. "Welcome to Columbia Basin Pack territory, Tag. We've got food for you, to help speed up the healing process. Your strength will be an asset should there be any further trouble," he said. He motioned to the side of the hangar where he'd had the food placed. Raw meat, with him in wolf form, was best for him and there was a sizable amount waiting for him to consume it.
Tag huffed at Adam and slowly made his way to the food. He felt like he was starving and he was grateful to the Columbia Basin Pack's Alpha for thinking about food.
"Come on, we can go wait at the truck until Tag is done eating," Luna said to Lys. "How do you know my father?" she asked as she led the other woman outside with Ben hovering close by.
"I met Tag when I first arrived in Aspen Creek. Well, the day after, really. I met with Bran and Charles the first day I arrived and Bran told the pack to stay away because I was a witch. He didn't make it an order though and a few of them weren't as leery of witches as Bran is. Tag is one of them. He and a couple other pack members decided to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn't there for nefarious reasons." She laughed when she remembered their conversation. "He actually came right out and said those exact words to me. That he and a few others in the pack were going to keep an eye on me to be sure I wasn't up to anything nefarious. He kept calling me 'witch' and after the stress I'd been under the last several months, I snapped at him. I told him I understood the mistrust, given the long history witches have of doing evil, and then I pointed out that werewolves are just as vicious, just as evil, when they want to be. He laughed, said I had the Cornick grit and wicked tongue, then left. We ran into each other a couple more times, which I'm sure you know isn't that difficult given how small the town is. Then, one evening, Maryanne stopped by the motel where I was staying, invited me to dinner, and Tag and I talked things out. We've become very close in the short time we've known each other," Lys admitted. She looked at the young woman next to her. They were close in age which should have made her feel awkward since Tag was Luna's father but it didn't. "I care a great deal for your father. I've never known anyone like him."
"Tag is definitely one of a kind," Luna said. She kept glancing at Lys out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to ask about the injury she sustained, how it happened, but she didn't want to be rude. It was obvious the injury was fresh, the scarring around her eye was still raw and red.
Lys saw the way Luna kept glancing at her since she was on her right side and knew Luna was wondering about the injury. "How much do you know about the attack in Aspen Creek? Or about witches?" she asked.
Luna blinked at the question. "Anna said that a fae attacked and you did a spell to help Tag and the others to kill it," she replied. "To be honest, I know very little about witches," she admitted.
Lys nodded as if she'd expected that answer. "Aye, I did indeed cast a spell. It was a powerful spell, it had to be because the fae that attacked was powerful in it's own right. The thing about witchcraft is, for every spell you cast, there is a price. The smaller the spell, the smaller the price. A burning of incense, an offering of something precious such as a stone, things of that nature can be used to pay the price of casting. However, with great magic comes a greater price. The spell I cast... it required much more than a small offering. Had I been a black witch I would have used the life force of another, an animal, to cast it. I am not a black witch. A price needed to be paid and I paid it myself." She motioned to her face. "It was worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat if I had to. Of course Tag was a wee bit disgruntled when he realized I could have killed myself with the spell I cast, but the alternative was everyone in Aspen Creek being slaughtered. I wasn't going to let that happen."
Luna stared in awe of the young woman who'd risked her own life for that of others. "You have no idea how grateful I am to you for what you did," she said softly. "I've only known that Tag was my father for a few months but I've known him for years. Thank you for what you did."
Lys was humbled by her words. "You don't need to thank me, Luna. He's a good man," she said and glanced at the open hangar door where she knew he was eating.
"I'm curious about something," Ben said from where he stood next to the truck. Luna and Lys were sitting on the tailgate while they waited for Tag to come out. "How, exactly, are you related to Bran, Samuel, and Charles? Anna said something about Bran having a brother but no one has ever heard of him before."
"Aye, he was my several greats-grandfather," Lys replied. "It is a long story, but since we have time I will share it with ye," she added. "My gran told me the story as it was told to her. There were two brothers, Bran and Myrrdin, born to a witch with a heart black as night. She was evil to the core. She had a pet werewolf and she decided, one day, to turn that werewolf upon her own flesh and blood. By this time Bran and Myrrdin were grown men, Bran had a son who was mostly grown as well, but as far as anyone knew Myrrdin had neither a woman nor a child. They were wrong. He had both but he had to keep their existence secret. He knew, should his mother learn of his babe's existence, she would use it against him. The very day he was taken from this world, he'd given his woman a ring. Perhaps he knew he would never see her again. He told her the ring would prove he was their daughter's father, should she ever need to do such a thing. He knew their child had magic, he felt it in her, and he wanted his woman to find someone to help her learn how to control it. He believed the ring would help. That was the last she saw of him. He did not survive the attack and he went to his grave knowing his daughter was safe from his mother's evil. My gran told me of Myrrdin, and Bran, on her death bed. She was the only family I had in this world, as far as I knew, and she was dying. She didn't want me to go through life believing I was alone, and she explained the reason she never said anything was because Bran and Samuel were werewolves and wolves and witches don't always get along so well. She knew enough about Bran to know he didn't trust witches, which is understandable given his past, but she didn't know where to find him. I tracked Samuel from Texas to Washington and then finally to Montana. And now here we are." As she finished her tale Tag came out of the hangar. He'd shifted back to human form and was dressed in a pair of sweats that Adam had provided for him.
Luna saw her father and hopped down off the truck to go to him. She hugged him gently and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I'm so glad you're here and okay, dad," she said softly.
Tag blinked. "Dad? That's the first time you've called me that," he said. He was still hurting but that didn't stop the huge smile that spread across his face.
"Yeah, well, having you almost die, it really hit me that it would have crushed me if I'd lost you."
Tag hugged her tight and chuckled. "It's still nice to hear. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit wiped," he said and let her go.
"I've already got the guest rooms made up," Luna told him. "If you don't want to sleep in separate rooms, the beds are big enough for two," she added cheekily.
Tag laughed at that. "You are definitely my daughter," he said and went to Lys. He pulled her into an embrace and nuzzled her hair. "I'll let you decide where you want to sleep, no pressure," he murmured in her ear before he helped her into the backseat of the truck and slid in next to her.
Luna slid into the front seat next to Ben and turned to look back at Tag. "We've made a few changes to the house since Christmas. We're adding on to it, adding two more bedrooms and a bathroom, and I was thinking of having a guest house built as well. We've got enough acreage for it."
"Why are you adding two bedrooms and a bathroom?" Tag asked with a raised brow.
Luna blushed a little. "Ben and I were thinking about adopting, once we've said our vows. OH! Lys, since you're clearly part of the family now, you are hereby officially invited to mine and Ben's wedding. It's a couple months away."
"I'm honored to be invited," Lys said with a friendly smile. She liked Tag's daughter. She was a sweet girl and she could tell by looking at her that she was submissive. She had a feeling that was the very thing Luna's mate had needed; a submissive wolf he could devote his attention to.
Tag groaned playfully. "I'm too young to be a grandpa," he teased.
Luna laughed. "No you're not, you just look like it. You'd be an awesome grandfather and you know it."
"I don't know about that, but you, Luna girl, will be a great mother. Any child you adopt will be very lucky."
Luna blushed. "Thanks. It's still a ways off but... I know it'll happen."
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They pulled up to the house and Lys found herself feeling a bit... awkward. Coming from such simple means, a small cottage that was half the size of the house Luna and Ben lived in, she couldn't help feeling a little out of place. Even Maryanne's home back in Aspen Creek was bigger than she was used to. "You have a lovely home," she said as they climbed out of the truck.
"Thank you. Ben surprised me with it as a Christmas gift," Luna said and smiled warmly at her mate. "You know, I just realized neither of you has anything with you, I take it you didn't have time to pack a bag before you left?" she added.
"No, we didn't. We went straight to the airstrip, but Maryanne gave me her credit card to pick Tag and I both up some clothes and other necessities while we're here," Lys replied.
"Okay. We'll take you shopping later. You both look like you could use a rest," Luna said as Ben opened the front door and ushered them all inside.
Lys nodded. "I admit I'm still worn from the attack," she confessed.
Luna showed them to the guest rooms. "Bathroom is right across the hall and you saw where the kitchen is. Help yourself to whatever you want, you're family," she told Lys before she left them alone.
Lys didn't even hesitate. When Tag opened one of the guest room doors to go in and lay down she joined him.
Tag cocked a brow then grinned. "Damn, woman, you do like surprising me," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you're here with me," he added.
"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Colin Taggart," she teased. "So am I," she admitted. "Let's get some rest. You've still got a lot of healing to do, wolf," she added.
Tag led her to the bed and once they were curled up together he let sleep claim him. He was exhausted and he knew he'd be hungry again in just a few hours.
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Ben sat on the sofa with his arms wrapped around his mate. "What do you think of Tag's mate?" he asked and nuzzled her.
Luna blinked at him. "Mate? You think she's his mate?"
"Luv, the way he looked at her, he's over the moon for her, so yes, I think she's his mate, even if he hasn't asked her to be yet. He will soon enough."
Luna thought about what he said. "He does seem very protective of her. Did you see how he hovered when they first got off the plane? I like her. It's not just because she risked her own life to save him, she's... sweet. She can definitely handled my father, that's for sure." It no longer felt strange thinking of Tag in that way. He was her father and it didn't slip her notice the way he grinned at her calling him 'dad'.
Ben chuckled. "He's definitely met his match with her. She'll be good for him, keep him on his toes, so to speak."
Luna smiled at that. "Yeah. As long as she makes him happy, I'm okay with that. He's been alone a long time, he's not had anyone in his life since he met my mom all those years ago. He deserves a chance at happiness, you know?" She thought about her mother. After all this time she was finally ready to let go of her old resentment over being pushed aside after her attack. She would never forgive her stepfather for his part in what happened to her, both before she was attacked and after, when she was with her old pack, but her mother was as much a victim in all of it as she had been and she needed to forgive her. "Ben? I want to invite mom and Mandy to come for a visit. I don't know if mom will come without Roger, and I don't know how to tell her why I don't want him here, but I've come to the realization I need to let go of the resentment and the hurt over her pushing me away. Mom is just as much a victim in all this as me,.Roger deceived her in order to cover up for his worthless scum of a brother, and I need to stop being angry with her. I need to forgive her." She bit her lip. "And maybe I need to tell her everything, so she knows why I'm forgiving her."
Ben studied her. "Even if telling her means ruining her marriage?" he asked gently. When she'd confronted her stepfather she'd originally said she wouldn't tell her mother but if she felt she needed to now Ben would support her decision.
"He's deceived her for years, he convinced her it was in my best interest when he knew he was only doing it to cover up what his brother did to me... Mom deserves to know the truth about him and if I don't tell her what he did then I'm no better than him."
Ben wrapped his arms around his mate and held her close. "Alright, luv. Whenever you want to make the call, I've got your back."
"Thanks, baby. I'll talk with dad first. I need to warn him in advance that I'm inviting her for a visit... and I'll have to explain that to her too, before they see each other." She realized, suddenly, that things might go badly if she put her mother and father in the same room together, because she didn't know if her mother still harbored feelings for the man who'd gotten her pregnant or not. There was only one way to find out though. Here was hoping when the dust settled things wouldn't be completely screwed up.