Chapter 1
Prologue
“Your Highness, Vampires have breached the city walls. We must get you and the princess to safety. The Bastion is lost.” The werewolf stood before her in full armor. His words came without moving his mouth, through a mind link the queen shared with all her pack mates.
She stood from her desk, her long white robe falling behind her like a frozen waterfall. “Save as many as you can.” Her voice was regal and full of Alpha power, yet behind it the sadness was obvious. “If the vampires are here, it means only one thing. They have aligned themselves with The Central Coven. Aurore is on her way and there is no safety for us now. I will wait for my husband.” Her last sentence was stern and final.
“But your majesty” He wanted to protest, but it was no use, she was his Alpha and her word was law.
“The vampires will leave before dawn. They are a diversion. Keep our people safe until then. Only engage them if you must defend yourselves.”
As she spoke, the doors to the office flew open and a robed man strode in flanked by two werewolves. The two werewolves bowed to the queen and the armored werewolf as the robed man took the queen in a tight embrace. “Beloved,” he said, pushing his forehead against hers.
“Majesty, her highness refuses safety,” the armored said through the mind link.
“Leave us,” the king said. His voice quivering, but full of power. “You have your command.”
Chapter 1
Dubravka moved the broom across the wooden boards of the shop. The monthly ritual repeated itself in her head like a computer program. Sweep from the back door to the front door sending all the old dirt out the door and allowing the new dirt to enter. Her thoughts were sarcastic this morning as she repeated her mother’s words in her mind. She thought it was silly when she was ten, she still thought it was silly fifteen years later. Her mother was old though, too old to come to work anymore, and as she was often reminded, she was lucky to be adopted. The least she could do was sweep the right way once a month.
She finished her opening duties and sat down behind the cash register. Next Level Herbs and Remedies was her home more than home. The place belonged to her mother, but for the last few years, she was the only one running the daily business. Checking the clock over the front door, she still had a little time before it was time to unlock the door. It was just long enough for her to indulge in her own first-of-the-month tradition.
Her favorite coffee shop was only a short walk away in the little town center where her store was located. “Dubravka, can we get you your usual?” the girl behind the counter said, greeting her with a friendly smile.
“Alice, please dirty chai latte extra dirty.”
“Coming up. Did you get the ashwagandha?” The barista made short work of the machines behind the counter while she spoke.
“We did. It will be ready for you to pick up anytime today.”
“Oh, that’s great news. My husband has been driving me nuts.” Alice put a lid on the cup and pushed it across the counter. “On the house. I’ll see you after work.”
Dubravka pursed her mouth to protest but gave up, knowing it would do no good. “Thank you.” She took the cup, smiling graciously, before exiting the coffee shop.
“You know ashwagandha is part of the nightshade family.” A voice behind her started her, causing her to jerk around and drop her coffee.
“OH dammit,” Dubravka said, her voice louder and shriller than she expected.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Did you burn yourself? Are you okay?”
“No, No, I’m fine. Just down a pair of shoes and a drink I really wanted. What the hell were you doing, sneaking up on me like that?” The man stand in front of her was tall, causing her to crane her neck to stare up at him. His reddish-brown hair reflected the morning sun in its loose curls. The emerald color in his eyes caught her attention for a moment, she thought she knew him from somewhere else.
“I wasn’t sneaking. I heard you talking to the barista. I thought I’d warn you about the ashwagandha. I was trying to help.”
“Ashwagandha is perfectly safe for anxiety if used in low doses and over short periods. Next time before you interject yourself into a conversation you have no part in, try saying hello first.”
The man stepped back, a look of genuine shock on his face. “You’re right. Let me make it up to you. Chai Latte extra dirty, right? Where do I bring it?”
Dubravka looked at him with apprehension. She never met this man, but at the same time the was something familiar about him she couldn’t place. She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and produced a dark-colored business card.
“Next Level Needs and Remedies Manager: Dubravka Petrovich,” he said, reading from the front of the card. He bowed in front of her, suddenly. “At your service. I am Nolan and I will return soon to make up for my folly.” He leapt away from her in the most exaggerated way he could muster, leaving her standing alone with a look of bemusement on her face.
Dubravka tried to stifle a chuckle but failed. She shook her head and returned to her store once he disappeared into the coffee shop. She would probably never see him again, but it was an amusing distraction to the monotony of everyday. At the least, she had new gossip with her best friend Lucien later that night.
*
“That was the worst first impression you’ve ever had there, Casanova,” Nolan said to himself. He trotted towards the coffee shop. At least, he heard her chuckle from behind him there was that. He could work with that.
When she came into the coffee shop, it was her scent that caught his attention first. He thought it was perfume. The fragrance was unmistakable, Moon Lillies. That was impossible, though. Moon Lillies only grew wild in the magickal lands, and he could detect nothing magickal about her. He could smell no trace of wolf on her, but she was drenched with the aroma of summer Moon Lillies. He wanted to say hello to her immediately, but he stayed in his seat and watched her interaction with the barista. He thought the herb was his in. He wanted to present himself as studious and helpful, instead, he came across as a pretentious know it all.
Now, this was his one chance to make up for it. He ordered her drink and asked the young woman behind the counter to add a pastry to accompany it. She chose a butterscotch blondie, remarking how it is a favorite of Dubravka’s, and he thanked her with a generous tip before leaving.
Next Level Needs and Remedies was a High-End Hippie store. Maybe that explained her scent. It was not impossible that an expensive store got product from the other side of the veil. It was possible she was wearing the scent unaware of its origins. The answer satisfied Nolan enough for now as he strolled through the isles taking in the exotic wares and array of goods the shop offered.
“Your order, Milady,” he said once he reached the counter in the back.
Dubravka looked up from a magazine, visibly stunned to see him. “I didn’t think you’d come back.”
He placed the coffee and the small bag in front of her. “I always keep my promises, and I brought you a peace offering. The lady at the counter said it was one of your favorites.”
His smile was purposely sheepish and did a poor job of hiding his obvious confidence. Dubravka found her normal standoffish exterior cracking in his presence and let herself smile.
“Thank you, it smells wonderful.” She took a sip from the cup, savoring the bitter taste of the espresso mixed with the warming spices of the chai.
“It was my pleasure. I really do want to make up for my earlier faux pas also. I’m not such a know it all. Let me take you to dinner tonight, nothing fancy, and I promise I won’t share knowledge on any subject unless you ask,” he said, this time his smile beaming from ear to ear.
It wasn’t the first time she was asked out at work. On other occasions she would politely refuse or make up some excuse, but this time she faltered. All her well-rehearsed lines left her mind, and she stood there, mouth agape and nodding before she registered her head was moving.
“Great. What time do you leave work?”
“I close at 9 tonight.”
“Wow, 9. That’s late to go out. Okay I’ll whip something up at home, swing by, and you can come to my place. I’ll see you at 9.”
Before she could answer, he was skipping away again, just as he did before. She was left there puzzled about what happened. Had she just agreed to go to a strange man’s home after work for dinner? Was she out of her mind? This was completely out of character for her. She wasn’t a saint by any means, but she wasn’t the type of girl to agree to go home with a man on the first date either. She picked up the phone and dialed one of the only numbers she still knew by heart.
“Hello,” a sleepy voice said.
“Lucien, I might have done something incredibly dumb. Can you come to the shop?”
“Sure hunny. Let me get dressed. I’ll be right down.”
Dubravka hung up the phone. There was something exhilarating about the exchange she had with the handsome man. Her heart still fluttered in her chest. It was an emotion; she wasn’t used to. Dating for her was more something she did to keep the people around her from judging her, than something she did because she wanted it. She wanted to want it, but the idea of pairing off with someone never appealed to her. This man seemed unusual though. He intrigued her and for the first time made her anticipate what might come next.
*
“So, this guy out of nowhere just came up to you. Are you sure he wasn’t stalking you? It seems odd,” Lucien said. He sat on a stool behind the counter, sipping on a strawberry banana smoothie. Lucien was tall and slender. His motto was ‘he can never be too thin or too rich’. His skinny jeans looked as if they were tailer fit for him and his tank top and open button up shirt showed off his perfectly toned abs and chest. His red hair was styled into a faux hawk and teased high on his head. To her, it looked like he was there to go out with the handsome stranger and not her.
“I’ve never seen him before. He didn’t seem like a stalker. Will you just stay here until close and meet him. If something feels off to you, I won’t go or at least you’ll know who I’ll be with.”
“Of course, Dubravka. You don’t think I’d miss seeing the man that made you go dumb enough to agree to dinner with him at home. This must be some good-looking man.”
Her throat was dry, causing her to clear it. The sound was much louder than she wanted, which made Lucien grin at her. “I’ve got work to do,” she said, before turning and walking to the back room to busy herself.
“Uh-huh, I bet you do” Lucien picked up a magazine to pass the time. This was going to be interesting.
Hours later, the clock struck nine. Nolan entered carrying a bouquet of purple and white spring flowers. The air around him was light and jovial until he reached the back counter and locked eyes with Lucien, where his face fell.
Lucien, whose anticipation at this point was bordering on astronomically charged, looked up and almost fell off his seat. The look on his face was a mix between shock and horror and the sound that came from his throat was so high pitched, Dubravka ran out of the back room startled.
“Lucien! Are you okay?” she said, coming in on the scene. “Nolan, you’re here.” She looked between the two men. “You two know each other?”
Lucien stood from his stool and spoke first. “We should, we shared a womb for nine months.” He held his hand out across the counter. “How have you been, brother?”
Nolan looked at his brother’s outstretched hand before taking it in a hearty shake. “Not bad, brother, yourself?”
“Never better.” They released their handshake, but the air was still heavy with the tension between them.
“Lucien, I’ve known you for years. You never told me you were a twin.”
“Triplet actually,” Nolan said. “Little brother here doesn’t like to talk much about his family. There’s me, him, and our sister Fiona. I’m surprised he doesn’t at least talk about her.”
“Dubravka knows all about Fiona.” Lucien’s tone was impatient. This was not a situation he was comfortable with.
“Everything except her birthday, I guess.” Nolan shook his head slightly. It was an almost imperceptible move that Dubravka picked up on. There seemed to be sadness behind the motion that she sensed, but when he turned to her it was gone. “Are you ready to leave? I have dinner ready for you.” He held out his hand and smiled. The way it reached his eyes was warm and genuine.
Her heart fluttered inside of her chest seeing the green sparkle in his irises. She glanced at Lucien and his look was stern. She felt like a child, suddenly, and the headmaster was about the scold her for sneaking into the teacher’s lounge. She dropped her head, looking at the tile floor. This was familiar.
“Dubravka?” Nolan’s thumb and forefinger lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Do you trust me?” His smile became devilish then and she laughed despite herself.
“Absolutely not,” she said, taking his hand and stepping around the counter. “Lucien, lock up for me, and don’t wait up.” She didn’t turn back to see his expression before following Nolan out the door and to his car.
Her phone was already vibrating in her pocket by the time they were stopped at the first red light. “So how is it, my best friend of the past five years is your triplet, and I’ve never heard of you?”
“We aren’t what you’d call a close family.” He ran his hand through his hair and Dubravka started noticing the similarities in their looks. They both sported the same reddish colored hair with loopy curls. They both shared the same square jawline and dazzling smile. Nolan was noticeably more muscular than his brother. The thin cardigan did nothing to hide the bulging pectorals and well-defined biceps as he smoothly navigated the curves and turns in the road. It was the eyes that struck her finally. That was why he was so familiar when she first met him. They shared the same deep emerald pools. Even though Lucien was gay, it never stopped her from admiring how perfectly green his eyes were. Now looking closely at Nolan, it was obvious his eyes were identical.
She cleared her throat and turned away, more from her discomfort than his. “I understand. I’m not close to my family either. We’ll change the subject. What’s for dinner?” She turned back, hoping there was no blush evident from her flushed state.
“Pesto Shrimp,” he said, the look of relief evident on his face.
“Thought you said nothing fancy.”
“Maybe, I’m trying to impress you a little bit.”
“Well so far, so good, but I will warn you, I’m not your average girl.”
“That I have no doubt of.” They pulled into the parking garage of a luxurious apartment complex. Inside the elevator, Nolan inserted a key and pressed the button for the penthouse.
“Penthouse? What do you do for a living exactly?”
“Family Business.”
“I know you’re not in the Mob. Lucien couldn’t keep that big of a family secret from me. What kind of family business?”
“Corporate holdings mostly, it goes back to the Mayflower, I think. Do you really want to talk about it?” His expression looked almost exasperated, and all the fight drained out of her.
“It’s not a conversation you can get out of, but I’ll drop it.”
“Thank you.” The elevator door opened, revealing an immaculate apartment decorated with every modern amenity. Black leather furniture stood out against stark wooden floors. Glass tables gleamed, all with the absence of fingerprints and the evidence of living.
Dubravka stepped in, looked around, but pivoted on her heel. “Seriously, where do you live?” Her posture stiffened and her grip tightened on her purse. “This penthouse doesn’t have a resident, and I can tell you didn’t cook in that kitchen.” Her heightened awareness of the situation was prevalent in her thoughts, but Nolan didn’t seem to notice. He strolled to the white marble kitchen counter and produced and food container from out of view.
“I promise I didn’t bring you here for nefarious purposes. My brother saw you leaving with me. We don’t speak that often, but he does know how to find me when he needs to.” He produced a black phone from his pocket and waved it at her before setting it on the counter. “The apartment belongs to a colleague. He lets me use it when I’m in the city. As you can see, he rarely uses it himself.”
“Does this colleague have a name?” She was felling more relaxed by his answers and his calm demeanor but not entirely trusting.
“Maurice Redgrave. Should I call him on the phone and let you speak to him or do you want to call Lucien. He is our uncle also.” As he spoke, he dished out the pasta onto two plates and set them out on the glass table.
“Your colleague is your uncle?”
“Family business,” he said, with a smile that for him confidently wrapped up the conversation in a neat circle. “Does that satisfy your nerves enough to sit down and eat with me? I thought afterwards if you were still interested in getting to know each other, we might play a game.”
“What kind of game?” Her curiosity was peaked even more than her fight or flight reflexes. Everything in her brain told her it was safer to get in the elevator and call Lucien to give her a ride home. Everything in the rest of her body vibrated with anticipation. This man compelled her to explore further this rabbit hole. She sat down across from him at the table where he poured a glass of wine to accompany dinner and she began to eat.
“My grandmother is a fortune teller. I’d like to read your fortune.”
“You want to tell me my future.” Her eyebrow arched upward as she struggled to swallow a mouthful of pasta.
“Yes, why not?” He laughed at her reaction. How could someone that worked in such a New Age store scoff at the idea of divination. He was sure now the Moon Lillies he still scented as her primary fragrance was a fluke. This scent must be a perfume she acquired from the supernatural world without knowing its origin. Lucien was a possible source though an unlikely one.
“I don’t believe that Hocus Pocus nonsense.”
“You work at a New Age Shop. All you do all day is Hocus Pocus Nonsense.”
“Excuse me. I sell Holistic Medicine. Herbal remedies have been used for centuries. I don’t cast spells or recite incantations.” This was an old argument. She quoted the sentences to him as she did every customer that accused her and condemned her over the years.
“I’m sorry, Dubravka. I didn’t mean to put my foot in my mouth again.”
“No, it’s not you. I’m sensitive about my job sometimes and you’ve been nothing but nice to me. You’re right. Why, not? Tell my fortune, Nolan.”
“That’s better. You don’t have to believe to have fun.” Dinner passes at an easy pace. Neither feel the need to fill the comfortable silence in the room with needless chit-chat. Instead, they simply enjoyed the presence of each other’s company. Once they finished, Nolan cleared the dishes and beckoned her to follow him to the couch. Once she sat beside him, he brought out a small wooden box and set it on the coffee table. “This was my grandmother’s crystal ball. I want you to hold it in both your hands while your mind probes its depths. At the same time, I will hold your hands and help you focus your thoughts on your future. Together maybe we can see what destiny has in store for you.”
“You make it sound so serious.” She chuckled, but the uneasy feeling was creeping back. It fought the butterflies wrestling in her stomach, being next to him with his warm hands on-top of hers.
“Concentrate, Dubravka. What is in our future?” His voice lowered as he spoke. and she met him in the eye. The tone entered her ears like velvet, flowing across her skin like a warm blanket, and triggering something deep inside her. Electricity sparked through her fingers, shocking Nolan as the crystal ball lit up with the unmistakable opaque white light of the full moon. They dropped the ball, which landed with a thud and rolled under the couch, and for a moment Nolan saw Dubravka’s eyes turn. They flashed icy blue when the electricity shot through them, he was sure of it. “Are you okay?”
“Nice parlor trick, but I think your ball short circuited. Come one, Fortunato. Take me home and made you can try telling my future again next time.” She stood up from the couch, holding her hand out to him.
He drove her back to the shopping center but stopped her before she exited his car. “Does this mean I get a second chance?”
“Bring me another latte sometime. You know where to find me,” In a bold move, she leaned across and peaked him on the cheek. It was a chaste kiss, but the single move was enough to set his cheek alight with fire. “Goodnight, Nolan,” she said before rushing to her car, getting behind the wheel, and peeling out of the parking lot.
Nolan pulled out his phone and dialed a number. There was something going on with this new girl. He rubbed his cheek where her lips touched. The heat left behind still lingered and he looked at his fingertips almost expecting to see some residue of her kiss. He needed information and his little brother was just the person to give it to him. “I’ll be home soon,” he said once the receiver notified him it was connected. He pressed the red button ending the call without a response. There was no need, Lucien heard him, and he would be there.
