Legend Has It Book I ~{COMPLETE}~

Chapter 14 Good Bye Earth

PHOENIX

We made small talk as we collected the weapons. I learned that Genevieve had also dabbled a little in metalworking, though she only suggested the design for the blades that contained liquids.

I was in complete awe!

She cleverly thought to have what I can only describe as a vein that ran the length of the blade with a reservoir in the handle.. There was a safety lever that controlled the vein and the sheath capped the vein, adding an extra layer of protection to prevent the liquid from leaking. This could reduce the number of accidents we had using wolfsbane.

I definitely wanted to show these little daggers to The Guard Unit. Now that my mate was finally joining her kind and we were bonded to other species, we still had no better idea what the future held and I reveled at the little weapons.

We collected the last satchel and it was now my turn to teach her something: how to transcend realms.

Portals were almost always in locations difficult for humans to access, like mountains or under a sea. Because the Death Moon Realm has several long term allies, we share portals that land us in a shared “lobby.” From the lobby, we would access the threshold to Death Moon. Home.

I’d only gotten to spend a couple short hours with my mate before I’d have to share her with my immediate pack, but I’d learned that she was homesick for a place that, until recently, hadn’t really existed for her. A home.

I wanted to make her feel as welcome as possible and instinctively knew that my bachelor suite was going to be forever changed. I was going to give her full reign to redecorate, though I imagined Kelli and my mother would already be setting up a welcome.

We were maybe a little more archaic than humans. For the most part, our realms were modeled after Earth. We had homes, vehicles, farms, grocery stores, retail stores, restaurants and more.

We lived within packs inside our realm. Each pack was like a town, or maybe a college campus, you might say. A major difference was that large families and our household employees usually lived in the same building that we simply called a packhouse.

The Alpha’s packhouse was usually the largest as we housed a larger number of the Guard and visitors. Our packhouse resembled a luxurious hotel boasting three large common rooms, an industrial kitchen, a dining room that could be divided for more intimate gatherings, a ballroom, library, infirmary, and personal suites. Lots of personal suites, set up like small apartments. Oh, and offices for me and my council.

Most of us had private retreats and I wanted desperately to take her to my—er, OUR private retreat, rather than the packhouse. An Alpha’s personal spaces were always soundproofed so eavesdroppers didn’t pick up on private matters the entire pack didn’t need to know, but I mostly wanted her to myself.

I’d been gone three days, though, and hadn’t made arrangements for anyone to be in charge. Even though Conrad went ahead of me, I’m sure the work had still piled up.

I was torn. I wanted Genevieve in my bed, but more importantly, I wanted to make her feel at home. I was willing to take it slow with her; that seemed imperative, but werewolf slow and human slow were two different things and, both politically and romantically speaking, I couldn’t wait too long. She needed to be marked.

At my retreat, there were limited options for where she could sleep, should she insist on sleeping separately at first. She could have her own suite upon request at the packhouse, unless of course, I refused. I prayed to the Goddess that Genevieve would not ask for this. I wasn’t sure I could grant that request.

My reasons weren’t all lust related; there was the protection thing, too. She possessed fighting skills, but she’d never fought anything trying to destroy her yet.

I reluctantly decided to take her to the packhouse and it was time to go.

{~>*•*<~}

GENEVIEVE

Phoenix probably thought I was a pain in the ass with my line of questions. I reminded myself of the younger children at Willow Tree when they asked a million questions. I was trying to envision my future home.

He answered all my questions but wasn’t the most descriptive male. I could tell he was also a bit distracted. I had read about the Mind Link Bond between an Alpha and his pack and knew Conrad and the others had gone ahead to begin catching up. Phoenix finally apologized and explained that Conrad was interrupting him with important business.

I briefly wondered if I would always have to fight for his attention before quickly resolving to never let it become a fight. I would learn everything I could to become an adequate partner and help shoulder the workload.

“We’re almost to the portal,” he announced. “Do you see that darker patch,” he pointed towards the cliff side that had come into view, “that resembles a door?”

I followed the direction he was pointing and yes, I saw it with my enhanced wolf vision. We were still a ways from the cliff though and even as werewolves, I didn’t see how we would get there without rock climbing gear.

I know my brows shot up a little, causing him to chuckle. “You don’t have to be physically at it, like most doors. You just have to see it—it’s a ‘use your imagination’ trick,” he continued, the flirtation back in his voice. “Think you can do that?” He teased.

I suddenly felt the ground shift beneath my feet and in one breath, I was standing outside on grass next to Phoenix and in the next one, in a decorated lobby, similar to some of hotels I’d stayed at with Josephine. Phoenix wasn’t— oh, there he was.

“Dammit, girl!” He looked impressed. “I didn’t explain how you were supposed to use that imagination!”

“I just assumed what you meant,” I shrugged my shoulders at him.

He laughed and held out a bent arm for me to take. “You’re smart! I like it!” I know I blushed at that. Would I ever stop blushing? “Come,” he said. “Home is waiting.”

He led me down a hall marked by a sign indicating that Death Moon was that way. I began to feel light headed. Was I nervous? Or adjusting to the different gravitational pull here?

A pair of double glass doors at the end of the hall automatically opened for us into a parking garage. I stumbled a little and gripped his arm tighter.

“Are you ok?” His voice was filled with concern. I remembered I’d drank my breakfast from a coffee cup after a three day slumber. I hadn’t actually eaten anything.

“I think I need food and a little time to adjust,” I told him. He turned to look at me.

“You’re like, really pale,” he said and without any warning, scooped me up into his arms, cradling me like a child. A wave of dizziness hit me and I rested my head on his wide shoulder, my ear, right above his heart. “That limo is for us. There will be refreshments inside,” he promised.

A man wearing the same uniform as the men Khane had brought opened the limo door for us and I don’t know how Phoenix managed to fold his tall frame inside while holding me, but he did. He could’ve put me on the seat first, but held me in his lap as the door was closed. I liked it, I noted as the smell of roast beef, bread and cheese hit my nostrils. My eyes followed the direction of the smell. I started to reach for the charcuterie tray placed on a table in the center when he placed his hand on my arm to stop me.

“I’m going to feed you,” he growled low, concern in his voice.

Piece by piece, he hand fed me and the dizziness subsided, but I had a headache that lingered.

“I guess our first visit will be to the infirmary,” he said gently. “I’d say you’ve had quite a bit of excitement and now altitude sickness.”

All I could do was nod and succumbed to sleep in his lap, my head pounding but my heart happy as his heart seemed to beat out a lullaby.

When I awoke, I was in a hospital bed, a machine beeping next to me, oxygen tubes in my nose. The room spun a little as the musky scent of a bonfire, toasted oranges and sandalwood mixed with the pure oxygen. Phoenix.

It hurt to turn my head but I knew he was there. I felt his hand in mine as I heard soft snores. I would’ve smiled if my head hadn’t been pounding. I didn’t have much strength, but I gave his hand a light squeeze. I knew he felt it and was instantly awake before he spoke.

“Sleeping beauty,” he murmured. I liked the way he referred to me as a Disney Princess, but the sound made my ears vibrate and pulsed in my aching head.

“Shhhh,” was all I could whisper. He seemed to understand and didn’t speak again. I felt him reach under my head and remove something. Something I knew had been placed there for relief even before he slipped a new one back in its place. It was soft and heated and I assumed it was probably a rice pack or something similar. He took my hand again and I felt his warm lips against the back of it, sending calming waves up to my pounding skull.