Chapter 57


    Chapter Fifty-Seven


    JACE


    The doorbell rings.


    What. The. Fuck.


    I nce sharply at Morgan. “Did you contact anyone?”


    She’s naked and half asleep in the bed beside me. “Who? When?” She throws a pillow at me. “Yeah, I


    grabbed up thendline while we were switching positions.”


    I snort.


    “Stupid question, wolf.”


    She’s right. Neither of us have left each other’s sight for hours.


    “It’s probably the guys,” she says. “Doordash or Uber Eats or something.”


    “Yeah, probably.”


    But I don’t think so.


    A few secondster, there’s a knock at the door. “Hey Jace…you’re going to want toe out for this.”


    I push from the bed slowly and draw on my jeans.


    “Stay here,” I tell Morgan.


    But she’s already standing and getting dressed too. That’s probably for the best. She isn’t a wolf, she


    can’t shift the way we can to protect our bodies.


    “Rx, puppy–”


    “Oh no you didn’t…”


    Sheughs.


    With a twirl of her hand, the bed and everything in this room is set to rights. As she follows me out of


    the room, she’s chanting something.


    It feels like a physical wall of energy that pulses through the room and moves into Morgan. She’s


    gathering her power and it is intense.


    “I take it this isn’t a food delivery,” I say to my men.


    They shake their heads.


    Okay then. We have a potential threat on the other side of that door.


    “Remember,” she says quietly, “no one who wishes harm can pass.”


    Michail acts like he’s stomping a staff into the ground. He raises his arms. “You shall not pass!” He


    gives his best Gandalf imitation.


    We chuckle at that.


    “Seriously though,” Morgan says. “We are safe here. Stay inside. We’re only vulnerable if we step


    outside these walls.”


    “On three,” I tell them.


    “One, two…”


    Jacob opens the door.


    Before I can catch her–Morgan runs outside.


    “Damn it, woman!” I yell and lunge after her. This witch is quick and I stop short when I see her hugging


    someone.


    “What are you doing here?” she gushes, and there is such joy in her voice.


    I stop short. That ‘someone’ is roughly five-foot-three and maybe a buck twenty. She has short spiky


    blonde hair, no, not blond, white. Her skin is smooth but there are crinkles at the corners of her eyes


    and around her mouth. She gives me a once-over then winks.


    When Morgan finally releases her, she steps back and swipes at tears. “Come in,e in, Nonna.”


    Grandma???


    I step back and so do the other guys. We fan out in the living room and Nonna walks in. Morgan holds


    her grandma’s hand and the gesture is almost childlike in its innocence, she is so happy to see this


    woman.


    “My, oh my,” Nonna exims. She stares at each of my men in turn. When her gazends on me and


    rather shamelessly appraises my bare chest, I actually feel myself blushing. I don’t think I’ve ever


    blushed before.


    She pat’s Morgan’s hand. “Oh darling, I do love me some wolves.” Her dark eyes swing to Morgan. “If


    I’d known you were entertaining, I would’ve worn my 70s self mour.”


    Morganughs. “Nonna! Behave.”


    The older woman snorts.


    I like her instantly.


    Morgan makes introductions before guiding us all into the kitchen where we sit or stand around the


    central ind.


    Michail resumes eating a slice of pizza.


    Jacob watches the interys intently, cataloging details and assessing the situation. Den offers


    Nonna something to drink. She smiles fondly at him.


    “There isn’t much time,” she tells us.


    Morgan and I nce at each other. “You know why we’re here?” she asks.


    Nonna arches a brow. “I can guess. You always were way too attached to that she-wolf. I me your


    mother. She was so paranoid and power-hungry she never allowed you to make friends.”


    I step closer to Morgan and sp her hand. Something about picturing her as a lonely little girl makes


    me angry and sad. Thane butts at my head. He wants me to hug her or kiss her, but I’m not sure she


    would want that kind of public disy of affection, so I keep it to holding her hand.


    “Mia is like a sister to me,” Morgan says.


    “Yes.” Nonna sighs. “I know that, dearest. That’s why I’m here.” Her dark eyes cut to me. “Rtionships


    with other species can be challenging. There is always fear.”


    I nod slowly. The message is clear.


    We won’t have an easy go of it.


    I pretty much figured that out when my father ordered me to kill her during the trial.


    “Okay, let’s get to it then.” She nces at my packmates before her gaze settles on Den. “Oh. Yes.


    You.”


    He opens his mouth but abruptly closes it. “Uh, yes, ma’am.”


    Sheughs and the sound is decidedly amused. “Oh, my boy, don’t say ma’am. Even when we’re old


    enough to be one, we still enjoy the pretense.” So saying her eyes flutter to white and in the next


    instant, she’s maybe twenty-five. Same hair, same eyes, just young again.


    “Holy shit,” this from Michail. He tilts his head. “You witches ever hit any wolf bars? I swear I’ve gone to


    bed with one version of a woman, and woken up with another.”


    I choke on augh.


    Nonna shakes her head bemusedly.


    We’re all thinking the same thing. Michail being shitfaced and magic having nothing to do with it.


    “It’s possible,” Nonna allows with a wink.


    Den just blinks like a deer in the headlights. “Come here,” she tells him. “Stand behind me.”


    He does.


    In the next second, she retracts her mour. And though she’s old again, the beauty is still there. It has


    me looking at Morgan in another light. Wanting to see how she’ll grow and change over the course of


    our lifetimes. I look forward to growing old with her.


    If we survive the next few hours, that is.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    “Jace, be a dear, stand behind Morgan.”


    Huh? Okay. I move to stand a foot away from her back.


    “Put your hands on her shoulders.”


    I do.


    In the next second, she ps her hand against Morgan’s forehead and uses her other hand to hold the


    back of Morgan’s head, in what looks to be a crushing grip.


    “Hey now–” I start.


    “Nonna no!”


    “Silence!”


    Nonna’smand renders the whole room motionless. I try to take a step and can’t.


    “Don’t resist it,” she tells Morgan. “Don’t you dare waste the gift that is being given to you.”


    Goosebumps run down my arms.


    Tears stream down Morgan’s face. “Please, please don’t do this, Nonna. I need you.”


    “Yes, which is why I’m helping you right now.”


    “I can’t lose you,” Morgan whispers brokenly.


    The pressure Nonna’s exerting has Morgan fighting to stand upright. I want to hug her, but I can only


    push to keep her standing.


    Morgan screams.


    Nonna’s eyes sh to full white and are fluttering so fast it looks like they’re going to roll backwards


    My men are fanned out. Michail slides his hand to grab the knife beside the pizza box. Jacob is braced


    to fight or flee, and Den stands perfectly still, waiting.


    Sweat beads on Nonna’s brow and veins pop on her arms and neck and face. They raise in an ugly


    purplish spiderweb and they seem to ripple.


    Morgan shakes, her whole body starts to convulse.


    In the next instant, both women are tossed backwards.


    I catch Morgan and take the brunt of the blow, my back mming into the stove. I hold her in my arms.


    A lock of her hair has turned stark white and she’s shaking.


    Den ms into the opposite wall with Nonna.


    The woman looks slighter, even thinner.


    The vibrant energy she projected is dimmed dramatically.


    She copses and Den catches her. He sweeps her up like a child and cradles the old woman


    against his chest.


    “Is she?” I’m afraid to ask.


    “Still breathing,” Den says quietly.


    Michail’s head snaps from one side of the kitchen to the other. “What the fuck just happened!?”