Belonging To The Luna

Message From The Ancestors

“Danger?” I pressed. “So, I shouldn’t return to Deep Fang.”

My certainty began to waver as my grandmother studied me, choosing her words carefully before she spoke.

“Child, no matter what direction you choose, dark and dangerous times are ahead of you..”

“Sookie, nothing you’re saying makes any sense. All I wanted to know was whether I should give my old pack and my mate a chance, and you’re telling me I’m in danger no matter what I do!” I huffed.

A flash of movement behind her caught my eye. For the briefest moment, I could have sworn my father was standing behind her, his hand splayed across her shoulder. My father had been dead for over twenty years, though. I blinked my eyes rapidly to force them to focus better. Sookie’s hand shot across the table, grabbing my wrist with an extraordinary strength for a seventy-eight-year-old woman. I felt my bones grind together as she jerked me toward her. I looked at her face in near panic to find that her eyes were clouded in white.

“Jazzy bear, danger coming from the other side. Something dark has crossed through the veil under Papa Legba’s nose. You gone need all your magic, girl, not just the magic of our ancestors. Without the magic of mate and pack, you not gone make it out alive. He knew you special baby; that’s why he chose you to set things right.”

“What does that mean?” I shrieked as Sookie’s hold on my wrist relaxed. “What the hell does that mean?”

“This is no good, girl.” Sookie frowned. “The ancestors have spoken. There’s only one way out of this. No mojo bag or gris-gris can help you now.”

“Sookie, I don’t understand!” I screeched, panic creeping into my voice.

“I don’t either, honey.” She grimaced, patting my hand. “But your daddy was clear. Papa Legba hasn’t granted me the chance to commune with him since he died, so this is some serious business going on. You have to make the choice for yourself, but the safest path is with your mate and pack.”

There was an underlying fear that mingled with the certainty in Sookie’s voice. It shook me to my core. My grandmother had never led me astray. Every bit of guidance she had given me had led to my prosperity. Her conviction that I needed to return to my old pack to rekindle that bond was enough to have me speeding down the highway toward the city. I barely slowed my car as I entered city limits. Sloan had told me he was staying at the Pierre.

I tossed my keys to the valet as I pulled up to the entrance, not bothering to get my ticket. Any doubts I had about accepting my mate and returning to Deep Fang territory had been erased by the incident at Sookie’s. I waved off the irritated receptionist, heading to the elevator. I knew the woman was doing her job, but I wasn’t in the mood to have anything keep me from my task.

“Jaz?” Sloan answered my frenzied knocking in confusion. “Is everything alright?”

“No.” I replied as he stepped back to let me into the room.

“Hey, what’s the matter? Is it the paperwork? You can talk to me.” He pulled me into his arms and began to rub my back, sensing my underlying panic through our growing bond.

“The paperwork is fine.” I answered, pulling back slightly. “My associate should have the necessary character references in order by tomorrow, and, as long as you’ve signed the stuff I left with my secretary, we can get it over to my connection on the council right away.”

“That’s good news, then. I’m confused about what has you so agitated, though.”

“I went to see my grandmother.” I started. “Something bad is coming, Sloan. I have to go back to Deep Fang with you.”

“Jaz, I want to understand, really I do, but you’re talking in riddles.” Sloan sighed. “Help me out here, start from the beginning.”

“What do you know about witches?” I asked as we settled onto the couch in his suite.

“I feel like this is a trick question.” He chuckled. “As far as I know, there’s no such thing as a real witch. There’s plenty of people who play at it, but as far as controlling the elements and the real deal spell work, they don’t exist.”

“I grew up thinking the same thing, but my grandmother. She’s the real deal.” I waved my hand at him as he moved to voice his disbelief. “I’m not saying she can conjure things with her hands or move things with her mind. Sookie is a hoodoo priestess. She has guided every step I’ve taken as a rogue. She’s never been wrong. When I was still having trouble in Deep Fang, she made me a mojo bag, and the trouble stopped.”

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, Jaz, but couldn’t all of that be self-fulfilling prophecy instead of actual witchcraft?”

“I don’t really know how else to make you understand it, Sloan, but my family is the real deal. Whether you believe that or not is irrelevant. Something bad is coming, and the only way we get through it is together.”

“You know, if you wanted to accept our bond and return to the pack with me, you didn’t need to make up some elaborate story, right?” Sloan grinned.

“Come with me tomorrow and meet Sookie for yourself.” I sighed. “Let her show you what we are.”

After leaving instructions with my staff the following day to send over the documents Sloan had signed, along with the witness statements once they arrived, to my council contact, we made our way to the farm. Even knowing that magic fueled our abilities as werewolves, my mate was having difficulty wrapping his mind around the existence of real witches. I was hoping my grandmother could show him the truth of our family magic.

“I see you’ve decided to accept your mates.” Sookie grinned as we climbed from the car.

“Sloan, this is my grandmother, Sookie Harlow.” I said, ignoring her words. “I thought she could show you what we really are.”

Sloan extended his hand to my grandmother only to have it pushed away in favor of a hug. My heart fluttered a little at the sight of my grandmother’s immediate acceptance of the man. It made me question why I had been so willing to reject him just to avoid dealing with my past in the pack.

I stood back a little as Sookie considered my mate. I could tell from the mischievous twinkle in her eye that she was plotting something especially devious to make him a believer. She circled him slowly, making up her mind about how to proceed. Her hand shot out as she stepped back to his front, pulling a few strands of shortly cropped hair from his head. Sloan winced and looked at her in confusion.

“Follow me.” She ordered, walking toward the house. “I understand your kind can shift at will. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” Sloan answered.

“We’ll have to see about that.” Sookie winked.

She flitted around her small workspace, grabbing various herbs and tossing them into a small bag. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought my grandmother was a wolf due to the quickness of her movements. The last thing she took from her shelves was a bundled of blue sage. She handed me the sage before motioning for us to follow her back outside. She grinned as she placed the few strands of hair she had plucked from his head into the bag and pulled the strings closed.

“Now, try to shift.” She giggled.

He looked between the two of us before shrugging and indicating for us to turn around. My grandmother was barely containing her laughter as we complied. A few moments later, grunts of frustration sounded behind us. I fought the urge to turn to my mate as his annoyance flowed through the mate bond.

“Having trouble?” Sookie snickered.

“I – I can’t shift.” He replied, defeated. “It’s like my wolf just doesn’t exist. What did you do to me?”

“Nothing I can’t undo. If you get dressed, I can turn around and fix your performance issues.” She cackled, howling with laughter at her own joke.

As soon as he indicated that he was presentable again, Sookie whirled on her heel, snatching the blue sage from my hands. Pulling a lighter from her pocket, she lit the bundle and began waving it over and around my mate as she muttered a prayer under her breath. Sloan’s face relaxed as his wolf reemerged. The momentary absence had shaken him to his core.

“I don’t think your man will question the truth of your power again.” She grinned. “It might be just what you needed to connect fully to your magic.”