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And so she whispered, “We are all part of the Earth and when we die, we return to it.” Nourishing the next generation.
The roots tightened, cutting through flesh, snapping bone until all that remained were bloody bits. The ground then swallowed them. By the time Daphne stood, all that remained of Circe was a damp spot in the dirt.
“Remind me to not piss you off,” Baptiste murmured in his deep beast voice as he clambered over the edge to join her.
“Then you’d better feed me. I’m starving after all that work.” Daphne whirled to smile at him just as something big swooped overhead. Before she could look up to see, a gunshot cracked and the giant bird came tumbling down. A glance below showed Nelly lowering her gun.
“About time I got to kill something,” Nelly complained. “Now, if we’re done fighting bad guys, I could use a beer, a pizza, and a shower, in that order.”
Daphne clapped her hands. “That sounds like an excellent plan.”
However, Baptiste grunted and through their bond, she sensed why. She put a hand on his hairy arm. “You should join your pack and make sure the forest is cleansed of threats. I’ll see you at dawn.”
A toothy grin and a pat on her butt were his thanks before he bounded off, practically leaping from the bluff to the ground. As he ran into the woods, his shape shifted from two-legged to four, and he howled, a cry answered by the other wolves in the forest.
Daphne joined Nelly and said, “Nice shot,” before she kicked at the feathered creature large enough to carry a person in flight. “What is it?”
“Rukh. Kind of rare, meaning we should probably get rid of it before someone notifies the Cryptid Preservation Society and gives me shit for taking it down. Think you can get your tree friends to mulch it like Circe?”
“Seems like a waste.” Daphne pursed her lips. “How’s it taste barbecued?”
Delicious as it turned out. Baptiste and his Pack found them on the back patio of the pack compound, using the massive firepit to cook the bird on a spit. Only part of what they’d done while they waited for the night to end. The injured had been taken care of and the dead readied for burial. Meanwhile, the children had slept through the entire affair.
Despite the events of the night, there was jubilance as the Pack and their new Alpha expanded the barbecued bird to include eggs, fruit, and pancakes. The children woke and joined them, adding laughter and exuberance to the mix. It was the biggest party Daphne had ever attended and intimidating as well, hence why she snuck off and climbed the nearest tree, a lilac that told her she should come back in the spring to smell her blooms.
Her disappearance didn’t go unnoticed. Baptiste tracked her movements and kept an eye out as the Pack approached and apologized for their actions. He tolerated it only for a little bit before he suddenly stood and declared, “I’m going to bed.” Which apparently meant she was supposed to go with him, seeing as how he headed for her tree. She slipped out of its welcoming branches only to gasp as he tossed her over his shoulder and began stomping for the main house.
“I can walk,” she remarked.
“Yeah, but the whole caveman act is a tradition among the newly mated.”
“About the mating thing…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t ask or warn you first. In my defense, I didn’t know that would happen without a bite.”
“Fair enough. What does it mean, though?”
“We’re basically married,” he stated.
Daphne stiffened in his arms. Married?
Chapter 21
Baptiste felt Daphne’s body tighten and he paused before he crossed the threshold into the Pack house.
“Are you mad?” He flipped her to a cradled position in his arms so he could see her face.
“Surprisingly enough, no. It would seem I’m kind of fond of you.” Her arms laced around his neck.
“Just fond? Guess I’ll have to work worker harder to ensure you love me.”
Her lips curved. “I don’t think it will take much convincing, but I will note that being mated doesn’t negate the fact I am still the Mother’s champion.”
“Good. Because I’d hate for you to change. I like you just the way you are,” he said as he bounded up some stairs. “Actually, that’s not entirely true.” He set her on her feet inside the bedroom he used when he stayed overnight at the compound.
She planted her hands on her hips. “Meaning what? What about me don’t you like?”
“The amount of clothes you’re still wearing,” he stated with a wink.
