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“Where is she?” He glanced at the table and made a face like he’d been brought to the worst place on earth. “She should be coming into her power now.”
“That’s why you’re here, to take control of her power?” I shook my head. “She’s part of my pack.”
“She has a whole other side to learn about. This… wolf’s side is just one part,” he crossed his arms.
“Who the hell are you?” I waited for a name or something. I could tell by the power emanating from him that he was a warlock, but I needed a name.
He cocked his head and watched me, as if he was trying to decide what to tell me. “My name is Skyler,” he said simply.
I looked him up and down, and that name didn’t exactly fit the powerful man that was standing in front of me, but there was no point in saying anything about it. If he didn’t want to give me a real name, then it wouldn’t matter what I said. “Now, why are you looking for Ivy?”
He furrowed his brow. “She’s my daughter,” he said simply.
“Right. You knew she was yours and you didn’t bother coming to see her all these years?” I crossed my arms as I spoke.
“It’s complicated,” he said simply. “Her mother wouldn’t want me to talk to her. She made it clear magick was not in the cards for her.”
“I can understand that with the way the pack would use it,” I answered. “As of right now, I’m the only one that knows what she is besides her mother.”
“She doesn’t know I’m here, right?” He leaned against the far wall.
“No, but it won’t take long for her to find out, and the others in the pack are going to wonder who you were talking about. She won’t be able to hide Ivy anymore, thanks to you,” I said with a sigh. “I hope you understand what that means for her.”
“She is free to come with me if they don’t accept her,” he said with a slight smile. “She should be coming into her power soon.”
“And what kind of power is that?” She was my mate, and this asshole might think he’s someone who is going to come in and take her or, worse, use her for her power.
“Could be anything,” he said with a shrug. “She will be the one more able to tell us.”
“She hasn’t been able to connect to her power,” I said simply. She may not have it yet, but I know she’s been trying.”
“She’s told you?” He stated it more than asked. “That’s interesting.”
I took a breath. It would be so easy to just tell him to get the hell out of here and keep her to myself. I wanted what was best for her, but with all this vampire stuff going on and now her father standing in front of me, I wasn’t sure what the right move was. I nodded.
“You must mean something to her,” he said. “The wolves don’t typiclly get along with the magick users.”
“You mean warlocks,” I countered.
“I mean both warlocks and witches, but yes.” He waited a moment, keeping his eyes on me. “Where is she?”
“I’ll talk to her first and see if she wants to see you,” I said. “You know what this will mean for her in this pack.”
“I do,” he said.

Ivy

I had a feeling something was off. I couldn’t explain what it was or why, but something just wasn’t right. This one felt different from when I knew the vampires were coming. It was more like something was coming for me I wasn’t ready for.
I walked down to the living room area. There was a gorgeous woman with small braids in her hair sitting on the couch. She had her phone in front of her, but looked up at me when she realized she wasn’t alone.
“Who are you?” I asked carefully. I figured Erik dragged her here to babysit me. Although I didn’t know why he would pick a woman, this beautiful to babysit me. I eyed her tawny skin, which was well taken care of, and her near-perfect lashes. A pang of jealousy pushed into me.
“I’m Nakia. You must be Ivy,” she said with a smile. “Erik told me about you.”
“Oh? And how does Erik know you?” I was trying to keep my tone normal and failing at it.
She smiled bigger. “Oh, you have it bad, don’t you?”
“What?” I shook my head. “Erik and I have an arrangement.”
“One where you’re his mate?” She laughed slightly. “Don’t worry. I don’t see him that way.” She glanced back at her phone. “He knows my dad. We came here to help with your vampire problem.”
“Oh, that.” I took a seat beside her on the couch. “I wish that would go away.”
“It will once they figure out what they’re after isn’t here,” she said, glancing over at me.
“Do you know what they want?”
“No, but they were supposed to come up with a deal with the vampires, if they will even take it.” She raised her eyebrows as she spoke.
“You don’t think they will,” I said more than asked.
“They’re vampires. They won’t make a deal unless it puts them in charge,” she said. “I’ve dealt with them before.”
“Did they make a deal with your pack?” I honestly had no idea how pack politics worked, except for the main things. I never expected to be in a war with vampires at all. I mean we usually tried to stay out of their way, but lately, they were coming at us from all directions.
Before she could answer, the front door opened, and Erik stepped inside. I could tell by the way his brows furrowed, something was wrong.
“Ivy, can I talk to you in private?” He glanced at me and then at Nakia, who took the hint.
“I’ll go back to the meeting hall,” she said and stood.
“Your father is in front of there. Go talk to him,” he commanded, like he was already the reigning alpha.
I bit my lip. This was something important if he was being like that. “What is it?”
“We didn’t find vampires while we were waiting out there on the edge of town. We found someone else,” he said, letting a sigh escape his lips.
“Who?”
“Ivy, it’s your father.”

***

“What the hell do you mean, my father?” My mind was spinning with so many questions. Did my mom tell him about me? Did he know where I was the whole time and not do anything? “Erik, I don’t…”
“I know,” he said, pulling me to him.
Instead of fighting his hold on me like I might normally, I leaned into it, feeling the warm rise and fall of his breath through his chest. Then I got my senses back and pulled away. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I had to talk to you first,” he said simply. “I’m not going to ambush you with someone you’ve never met.”
I nodded. This was all so crazy. First, there was this idea that I might be mates with Erik and the pull in my stomach that ached every time he was away from me, and then there’s this man who claims to be my father. “I’ll see him.”
“Are you sure?” Erik took a step closer and let his hand wrap around my elbow. I didn’t pull away. To be honest, it was nice, and his touch was almost reassuring. I nodded, and he sighed. “He’s waiting in the meeting hall.”
“Will you go with me?”
“Of course,” he said without hesitation. “Just make sure you’re ready for whatever he might tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Warlocks are not good people. They have a lot of control over the magick community. Wolves don’t usually work with warlocks,” he said.
“Except my mom slept with one and made me,” I said with a shrug. “I owe him a meeting.”
“You don’t owe him anything,” he countered. “He owes you for not being here and not trying to find you sooner.”
“Maybe, but he’s here now,” I said. In many ways, he was right. My father wasn’t here for all these years. Even when the wolves shunned me because they knew I wasn’t a full one, my mother’s reputation kept us from being completely cast out. “I need to talk to my mother first. I need to know why she never told me about him.”
“I agree. There has to be more to this than a simple one-night hookup,” Erik said, crossing his arms. “I’ll go with you.”
“It might be better to do this part on my own,” I said.
He pressed his lips into a hard line, but nodded in agreement. This was a family conversation and the only way I’d get the truth was if it was just us.

***

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he was here,” my mother snapped. “He’s dangerous.”
She paced the living room behind the couch and stopped suddenly. “What if he wants to take you away?”
“I doubt it, mom. He just showed up. I didn’t know he was even here until about an hour ago,” I said, plopping onto the couch. “Tell me about him?”
She stopped and came around the couch, taking a seat next to me. “Like what?”
“What happened, honestly?” I searched my mom’s eyes for anything that could tell me what was going on with her and what she was thinking. This wasn’t something that just happened, at least as far as I could tell. My father wouldn’t just show up for anybody. This was something bigger.
“It’s hard to explain,” she said, shifting in her seat.
“Try,” I pushed.
She licked her lips and sighed. “I was outside of the pack, visiting a friend,” she said.
“A witch?” I asked without thinking. There was a known rift between witches and wolves, but it wasn’t as though some didn’t talk to each other.
“She was someone I met a long time ago. She was in a marriage she didn’t want and seeing a wolf from a nearby pack.” She looked at me. “We were friends instantly.”
“What happened?”
“She had a brother, and he was everything you’d want in a man. Strong and powerful,” she said, a smile forming on her face. “But he wasn’t a witch.”
“Males with magick are always warlocks,” I finished, and her eyes snapped to mine. “I’ve done a lot of research.”
“There are rare instances of male witches, but they don’t make it long normally,” she said. “I didn’t know any of this when I fell for him.”
“What changed?” I leaned back and watched her. For the first time in a long time, I was seeing who my mother really was. She wasn’t just a wolf who’d fought for her place her entire life; she was a woman who simply fell in love.
“Skyler hadn’t gone through the change yet. He still didn’t have the warlock powers. We thought we could get away, and he’d never have to, but,” she stopped and shook her head. “That wasn’t what happened.”
“So, you have to leave,” I finished for her, and I was already made,” I shook my head. “You should have told me.”
“You’re right, but I never expected him to come here. I never expected you’d have to deal with powers.” She leaned back and sighed. “I hoped the wolf would be stronger than the witch.”
“I think it’s connected to the wolf,” I said.
“There is no way you’re a moon witch,” she said. “That is extremely rare.”
“Maybe,” I said, wanting the conversation to be over. Now that I knew the truth, there was nothing left but to see this man who claimed to be my dad. Maybe he’d hold the answer to my magick and what I really am.
Or maybe he’d break my heart like he did my mothers.

Erik

I waited for her to come back to the house with Nakia pretty much staring at me the entire time. My eyes met hers and I shrugged, unsure what she was looking at me like that for.
“You haven’t gone through the mating yet, have you?” She had a smirk on her face.
“What does that have to do with you?” I said without thinking.
“Nothing, but if I were you, I’d get it done so you can take over already,” she said looking back at her phone. “My father respects you. He’d work with you over your father any day.”
“So, making someone that doesn’t want to mate do it is the answer?” I shook my head. “I’m not doing that to her.”
She laughed. “You really can’t tell, can you?”
I furrowed my brow. “Tell what?”
“That woman is in love with you. She might not admit it to herself or even to you, but if you took her in your room and kissed her, you’d be mated by sunrise,” she said with a laugh.
“You know her so well for someone who’s been here all of one night,” I snapped, and she put her hands up.
“You win. Maybe you should go pick another, but I doubt your wolf would be happy with that choice,” she said.
“I don’t answer to the wolf,” I said simply. There were times that maybe it would be better if I did, but right now, I wasn’t interested in what my wolf thought. Even if all it ever wanted was Ivy naked on my bed.
“Maybe you should let it take over for once. All that control is going to get you in trouble,” she said.
I watched through the window as Ivy walked up to the house. Finally, I wouldn’t have to listen to Nakia and all the crap she was saying, even if some of it was true.
“What did she say?” I said gently. If her mother told her something that was harsh or that didn’t make her want any time with this man who claimed to be her father, then I could shove his ass out of town and we could go back to figuring out what the vampires wanted. That would be the most productive. At least then I wouldn’t have to worry about how Ivy was doing with all this.
I knew what my father would say if he knew. He’d want her to be a weapon, to use the magick she had to take out the vampires, but I wasn’t even sure she knew how to use any magick, at least not at this point.
“She told me everything.” Her light green eyes stared into mine and for a moment, I didn’t want anything else but to look into them. So see her and know she was safe.
“I want to meet him,” she said simply.
And I felt my whole body tense. She wanted to know about this part of her with this man she didn’t know. She wanted to learn the magick she never knew. I knew what that meant for her.
The pack would have to know what she is. There was no turning back for her.

Ivy

I had never felt so much pressure in my life. Walking into that room where the man I’d thought about since I was a child was standing was surreal.
Erik stayed close as we walked through the door, my eyes settling on his form. He was taller than I was and formidable if you saw him in a dark alley. My skin prickled with the magick he was emanating. It was the first time I’d felt it from someone besides myself.
He turned, and his familiar green eyes met mine. “Hello, Ivy.” He smiled.
I matched his smile with one of my own, but my hands were still holding each other in front of me, trying to hold back the nerves.
“So, you’re Skyler,” I said, taking him in. His hair was dark, and he dressed as if he were going to a business meeting, not as if he were talking to a daughter he’d never met.
“I am.” He glanced at Erik still standing behind me, and then back to me. “Have you triggered your magick yet?”
I watched him, trying to find his motivation for asking me that before I answered. Nothing in his stance gave his intentions away.
“I haven’t. Is there a time it’s supposed to happen?” I kept my eyes on him and played stupid.
“I imagine it would happen when your wolf emerges,” he said with a smile. “Maybe at mating.”
“Wouldn’t a witch be a witch no matter what?” Erik said behind me.
“Maybe, but Ivy is far from just a witch. She’s a wolf, so it’s possible she develops the magick at the same time as her wolf,” he smiled as he spoke, but there was something in the look in his eyes that made the friendly look almost seem deadly. “I want to help you.”
“How?” I watched him, waiting for the answer.
“I believe we can find out what kind of magick you have. If you’re willing to work together,” he said.
I glanced at Erik, who looked like he could kill my father with one hand if he got angry enough. I noticed the way his jaw ticked when my father said anything about magick.
“That will make her a target,” Erik said simply. “If the pack knows what she is.”
“They probably already do,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Everyone in your hunting party saw me. They know what I am.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. I need to know how all this fits together. That way I can use it to help the pack.”
Erik snapped his eyes to mine, and I held his gaze. I wanted more than anything to help more than just the pack, but him as well. He was the only person who knew me. Knew what I was and still wanted to keep me safe. I owed him.
I turned to my father and nodded. “I want to learn.”
Erik sighed and I put my hand on his. “I need to do this.”
“I know,” was all he said in return.

Erik

I watched him put her through the wringer trying to trigger something to happen, but nothing did. The more they practiced, the more frustrated she got. He even seemed like he was confused with the amount of effort and nothing to show for it.
“I can feel the magick on you. It’s there, just doesn’t seem like it wants to come out,” Skyler said. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Why would it be there but not working for me?” Ivy crossed her arms and stared at the floor. “I can’t be a wolf, and I can’t seem to be a witch either.”
“It might not be ready,” her father glanced at me. “Or you need something else first.
Why was everyone trying to force me to mate with her?
“I’m not doing that just to see if it works. If she chooses it…” My voice trailed off. I didn’t mean to admit I’d mate her out loud. Even if I’d told her I wanted her.
Ivy watched me for a moment. She’d heard what I said, and I grumbled. “You know what I mean.”
“I…” she sighed. “I just want to concentrate on one problem at a time,” she said. “Let’s figure out my magick and the vampires and then we can figure out our feelings.”
“Agreed,” I said, even if all I wanted was to see her come undone underneath me. I adjusted in my seat and cleared my throat.
Skyler gave me a look, but I just didn’t look back at him.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” he said. “You need rest, Ivy.”
“I can keep going,” she said. And he shook his head.
“No, magick has a toll, and once you find out what it is you can do, then you will need all the strength you can get.”
“I agree, you need rest,” I said and stood. “We’ll try again tomorrow.” Without even waiting for Skyler to say anything else, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the meeting hall into the cold night air.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you home,” I said. “You need rest.”
“You realize I’m not a child, right?”
“No, you’re a headstrong woman who wants to burn out because you won’t rest so your magick can come forward,” I snapped without thinking. “I want you to stay alive, and that won’t happen if you push yourself to breaking.”
She stared at me for a moment and then crossed her arms. “Fine.”
“Good,” I said. “Let’s go.”
The walk back to my house was quiet. Neither of us wanted to admit what was happening. She’d shown the tiniest bit of feelings when she took my hand at the idea of working with her father, but when it came to actually listening to what I was saying, she fought back. It was annoying in so many ways.
I followed her into my home and up the stairs without a word. When we reached my door, she turned and looked at me like I was being an ass for wanting to sleep in my own room.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going into my room. The bed is big enough for both, and it’s not like we don’t know each other now,” I said.
She stared at me for a moment. Those fucking eyes.
“We need to have a conversation anyway,” I said, pushing open the door and stepping inside. She backed into the room in front of me. I closed the door and just watched her, waiting for anything.
“What are you really doing?” She kept her eyes on me.
My gaze fell to her lips and then back to her eyes. “I need to know.”
“Know what?”
I took a step towards her, and she backed into the bed, her legs buckling under her so she was sitting on the end. I leaned over her, causing her to lean back on her elbows.
“I need to know if you really don’t want this?” I leaned closer, my lips almost touching hers. “I don’t want to make you do anything, but I can’t…” My voice trailed off.
“You can’t stop thinking about it,” she finished for me.
And then my lips were on hers. My hands were all over her body.
She was going to ruin me or make me.

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