Disclaimer: All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.
A/N: I apologize for the lapse in updating this and my other fics. Life sometimes gets in the way of writing and this is one of those times. I am still working on them a little at a time. Hopefully my muse will go into overdrive again soon and I'll have more initiative to write so things keep flowing. Rest assured, I will not leave any of my stories unfinished, it just may take time to actually update them!
Also, keep in mind that I am taking things a little AU from the way Patty has written her series, but I'm still trying to keep as much of the events in Fire Touched as close to my stories as I possibly can. While there is a little crossover taking place, this is still centered in Montana so it is staying in the normal Alpha and Omega section instead of being moved to the crossover section of FF.
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Bran knocked before he entered the room. "I know you need to rest but I need some answers," he said as he approached Eirlys.
Eirlys had expected him. Why? Call it a hunch. "I expected as much," she said and for the moment she kept her eyes closed and her head tilted enough that her hair covered her left eye, shielding the damage from his view.
"What did you kill for that spell? What life was lost so you could break the fae's defenses so it could be killed?" Bran asked her.
"None," she replied. She brushed her hair back from her face and opened her eyes to look at him. "I didn't expect to survive but it would have been worth it if it kept everyone safe."
Bran reached out and touched her left cheek just below her eye. "You risked your own life for my wolves. Why?"
"Not just them; everyone here in Aspen Creek. If the fae got past the wolves who went to fight it no one in Aspen Creek would have been safe, but I couldn't take the life of another. That kind of magic, it's evil, and it leaves a darkness on the soul."
"So you paid the price yourself," Bran said quietly. "I have been very wrong about you, Eirlys. When you feel ready, we'll help you to bring the rest of your belongings here from Wales. This is your home now," he told her. "I'll send Samuel up," he added and left.
********************A&O********************
Samuel set up an I.V. to replenish the fluids she'd lost and gave her something to help her sleep and ease the pain she was in.
"How is he?" Eirlys asked. "Tag, how is he?" she added. "Please tell me he didn't die."
"He didn't die. It'll be a few days before he's fully healed, but he'll be fine. Rest now," Samuel replied.
Eirlys nodded and let sleep drag her under. By morning she no longer felt like death warmed over. She was still sore but it was a dull ache and that she could deal with. The hardest part was having to adjust to no longer being able to see out of her left eye. There was still discomfort behind the eye, she knew it would hurt for a while because of the damage the spell did, but at least she was alive. A soft sigh escaped her and she moved to get up.
"Wait, don't try to get up yet. Samuel needs to come remove the I.V. first."
Lys turned her head to see the person who spoke. She was a pretty, petite brunette that was most definitely a werewolf. "Who are you?" she asked and her voice croaked out.
"I'm Aria Cornick. Bran is my husband. Easy. Let's get you propped up and I'll get you some water before I go get Samuel," Aria replied. She helped Lys sit up, propped pillows behind her to make it more comfortable, then poured her a glass of water. "What you did out there was very brave," she said softly.
"Some might say it was stupid," Lys replied after a moment. "But I'd do it again if I had to," she added. "Is Tag all right?" she asked.
"He's healing," Aria replied. "He's one of the most dominant wolves in the pack, the only ones more dominant than him are Bran, Charles, Samuel, and Asil, so he has that advantage; it's helping him to heal faster than a lesser dominant wolf would and Bran is helping to speed the healing process. It's one of the advantages to being the Alpha. That thing... it almost cut him in half."
"I know. I saw. It would have killed all of them and then come here and slaughtered the whole town. I couldn't let that happen."
"We're grateful to you for that, Eirlys. I'll go and get Samuel," Aria said and left.
********************A&O********************
Anna was sitting at Tag's bedside when his eyes slowly opened. "It's good to see you awake," she said softly.
Tag blinked several times. Sometime in the night he'd shifted back to human and Samuel had re-bandaged his wounds. "Lys? Is she...?"
"She's alive. Sore but alive," Anna told him. When he started trying to get out of bed she put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, don't try to get up. That thing almost cut you in half. It'll be a few days before you're fully healed even with Bran's help."
"Need to see her, need to see for myself," Tag growled.
"Don't make me zap you, Tag," Anna said and knew he would know exactly what she meant. "I'll go see if she's awake but only if you stop trying to get up."
Tag sighed, closed his eyes, and nodded. "Alright, Anna. I just need to know she's okay, really okay."
Anna reached down and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "If she's awake, I'll bring her in to see you," she promised and left to go see if the witch was awake yet. Tag was certainly taken with the woman.
********************A&O********************
Samuel was just finishing up removing the I.V. when Anna knocked and entered. "Hey, Samuel. Is the patient well enough to get out of bed?" she asked.
"If she feels up to it, yes," Samuel replied. "Why? What's wrong?" he added.
"Oh, nothing. We just have a very stubborn wolf downstairs who refuses to stay put unless he sees for himself that she's okay," Anna replied.
"Oh, is that all?" Samuel asked and shook his head. Then he turned to his patient. "If you feel up to getting out of bed, the only restriction I have is that you take it easy."
"I'll try, Samuel," Lys replied. "Could I get a pair of sunglasses?" she asked. "I don't want to startle him with this until I have the chance to tell him how it happened," she added with a wave to her left eye.
"I'll go see if Aria has a pair you can borrow," Anna told her. She wasn't unsettled by the sight because she'd seen worse before, with Moira Keller, the witch and mate of Tom Franklin, the Emerald City Pack's second, but she understood why Lys might be reluctant for others to see it. She wasn't gone long but when she returned it was with a pair of sunglasses in hand. "Success," she said.
By that point Lys was out of bed and dressed. Aria had loaned her something to wear since all of her clothes were at Maryanne's and they were very close in size. "Thank you, Anna. May I ask, why aren't you bothered by my eye?"
"I've seen something like it before, only worse. The witch I saw, her right eye was gone, the left was damaged by a spell that left he completely blind. She's the mate of the Emerald City Pack's second and, until now, she's the only witch Bran or Charles would trust because she's proven herself to be worthy of it."
"Emerald City?" Lys asked curiously.
"Seattle, Washington. That is one of the nicknames for the city and the pack adopted it for their name."
"Ah. Interesting." She moved a little slowly at first, because she didn't want to overdo it, but by the time they were on the first floor and headed for the basement she was walking at almost her normal speed.
"Let me go in first," Anna said once they reached the room. "I can get you a chair to sit in and I can make sure he is calm before you go in," she added.
Lys nodded. "Alright. I know injured werewolves can be testy."
"You know quite a bit more about werewolves than I would expect from someone who has never really been around them."
"I had a professor who was a werewolf. Once he realized I wasn't going to say anything we talked a bit. He gave me insight on wolves and I gave him insight on witches."
"You're quite unique, aren't you?" Anna asked. "That's a good thing. Being just like everyone else would be boring."
Eirlys laughed quietly. "True, it would."
Anna nodded at her and slipped into Tag's room. She sent soothing energy to him and moved the chair closer to the bed.
"Where is she?" Tag growled.
"She's outside. I wanted to make sure it was safe before she came in," Anna replied.
"I wouldn't hurt her." At the look she gave him he cocked a brow. "I'm not some newly changed wolf, Anna," he pointed out.
"Okay, okay," Anna said and went to open the door.
Lys stepped past her and moved carefully to the chair. She ached from the walk but it was a general soreness that let her know her muscles were sore but it wasn't anything permanent. She sat and turned her attention to him.
"Lys?" Tag frowned at the glasses on her face. "What's with the sunglasses?"
Eirlys was quiet for a moment. "I didn't want to upset you," she said softly.
"Upset me? What's wrong?" he asked and if Anna hadn't been there keeping him calm he'd have growled.
Eirlys looked away from him while she removed the glasses. Then she closed her eyes and turned back to him so he could see the damage around her left eye. She took a deep breath and finally opened her eyes to look at him.
Tag stared a moment then his hand lifted to touch her left cheek. "What... how did this happen?" he asked and this time he did growl.
"Any powerful spell requires that a price be paid," she said after a moment. "I refused to take the life of another living thing to fuel my spell so I paid the price myself."
"You could have died," he growled. "Why would you do something so foolish?"
"Because if I didn't you, Charles, Asil, and Cyrus would have died in that clearing and the fae would have continued into Aspen Creek to kill everyone here. I couldn't let that happen."
"She saved all of us, Tag," Anna said from the door. She was staying back to give them a semblance of privacy.
"I feared you were dead, Lissie," Tag said after a moment. "You hit that damn thing with something that made it bleed and I saw you collapse. I tried to get to you."
Lys smiled at the pet name then blinked. "You had a severed spine, Tag."
"I know. I still tried to crawl to you," he replied.
She was stunned to realize she meant that much to him. Before she could say anything else the door opened and Bran entered.
Tag was unaware Bran knew exactly what happened and tried to get up to stand in front of Lys, to protect her from him.
Bran looked at him. "Rest easy, I'm just here to talk."
"She didn't hurt anyone but herself," Tag said with a slight growl as his control began to slip.
"I am fully aware of what transpired in the clearing," Bran replied. "Calm yourself," he added then turned his attention to Eirlys. "I am here to request your presence at a meeting with one of the Grey Lords."
"Esgusoda fi? I mean, excuse me?" she asked. The request had startled her so much that she'd spoken in Welsh and corrected it for Tag's and Anna's benefit. She was betting Bran could carry a conversation with her in her native tongue.
"You seem to have a way of sensing when they're performing magic, it's a talent my brother had as well. I would like you there."
"I'd be honored," Lys said and meant it. If he was asking for her assistance it meant he trusted her and that was humbling.
"We leave in an hour. That should give you time to eat and change your clothes. Do you have hiking boots?"
"Yes, but I need a ride back to Maryanne's. My bike is still where I left it when I took them to the area where I first sensed the magic," she replied.
"I will have my mate drive you." As he reached the door he stopped and turned to look at her. "Thank you for keeping my son alive," he said and left.
"You shouldn't be doing this, you need your rest," Tag said once Bran was gone.
"I have to, Tag. If there's a chance this is a trap, I need to do what I can to help."
Tag gripped her hand "Be careful. And come back," he growled.
"I'll do my best," Lys said before she leaned over and brushed her lips across his. "Rest and heal," she added before she too left the room.
Aria met her at the door. "Charles will pick you up when it's time to go," she said.
"Alright. Thank you for the ride," Lys replied.
Aria studied her. "You are family, Eirlys, and you risked your own life for everyone here. You don't need to thank me."
"I just did what was right," Lys said softly. She was quiet as Aria drove her to Maryanne's. Once there she slipped the glasses on and got out. She wasn't looking forward to the questions Maryanne was going to have for her.
********************A&O********************
Maryanne saw the car pull up and met Eirlys at the door. "Tell me what's happened. I know Tag has been hurt but that's all I was told."
Eirlys sighed softly. "There was.. an attack, a fae that was sent here by a Grey Lord. It was relatively immune to damage and when it tried to kill Cyrus Tag got between them. He's going to heal, Maryanne, it's just going to take a few days for him to be completely healed."
"How did they kill it and why are you wearing sunglasses inside?" Maryanne asked.
Lys hesitated a moment before she explained what happened. "They were able to kill it after a spell I did that pulled iron from the ground. Most fae can be injured by cold iron. I flung it at the fae and it couldn't heal the injuries. It allowed Charles and Asil to finally kill it." She took a deep breath and continued. "With powerful spells there is always a price that needs to be paid. A black witch would use the life force of another to fuel the spell, I chose to pay the price myself," she said and removed the glasses so Maryanne could see the damage.
Maryanne stared at her. "You did this to yourself to protect my son?"
"And everyone else in Aspen Creek," Lys admitted. "If that fae had killed the wolves that went after it, it would have come here and killed everyone. I couldn't let that happen."
"I have no words to compare to what you've willingly sacrificed," Maryanne said softly. "Thank you just isn't enough," she added.
"You don't need to say anything," Lys replied. Then she sighed. "Bran asked me to accompany him to a meeting with one of the Grey Lords. Charles will be here soon to pick me up but I have enough time to change clothes and eat something."
"You go change then and I'll fix you something to eat," Maryanne told her. "Unless you need help with something?" she added. She didn't know if the vision in Eirlys' right eye was damaged or not.
"No, it's okay. My vision is a little blurry in my right eye, but I don't think it's damaged, just strain and adjusting to not being able to see out of my left eye anymore," Lys replied.
"Alright then, dear, I'll let you get dressed," Maryanne said and left, closing the door behind her.
Lys stood there a moment before she went to the closet and pulled out a pair of dark green cargo pants. She paired them with a long-sleeved shirt in a dark gold color, put her hair in a braid to keep it out of her face, then tugged on socks and her hiking boots. She didn't know what to expect, and she wasn't sure how much help she would be, but she would do her best. She grabbed several charms, each baring the same sigil, said a small incantation over them, then slipped them in a pouch. She would place them around the building the meeting was to take place in. They would help her to detect any subtle magics that may be cast during the talk. That done she went into the kitchen and sat at the small table that Maryanne usually ate breakfast at.
"Here we are," Maryanne said and set a plate in front of her. She added a glass of juice and then sat with her own lunch.
"Chicken salad sandwich, this is really good," Lys said after the first bite. "I taste basil, thyme, and tarragon, I don't think I've ever had a chicken salad sandwich with herbs in it," she added.
"It also has parsley," Maryanne told her. "And it's Tag's favorite. I'd made it before I found out he was hurt."
"You should take him some, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you and that way you'll know he really is okay," Eirlys told her.
"Are you sure? I can wait for Charles to come get you before I go," Maryanne offered.
"No, I'm fine, I give you my word. Go see your son, Maryanne," Lys urged.
"Alright then, dear. You be careful. It would hurt more than one member of the Taggart clan if something happened to you," Maryanne said and left to head over to Bran's to see her son.
Half an hour later Charles arrived. Eirlys slid into the truck, buckled herself in, and sat quietly as he drove them away from town.
Charles could admit, at least to himself, that he admired her strength and determination. He was also grateful to her for what she'd done, not for himself but more for his family. The thought of what that thing would have done if it had gotten to Anna or Juliana chilled him to the bone. They all owed her a great deal. It was the one thought that played through his mind as he drove them to the rendezvous point with his da.
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Eirlys tried to take in every detail as they moved through the trees towards the cabin where the meeting was to take place. She'd started out walking on her own but due to her depth perception being shot all to hell she ended up having to let Bran take her arm and help her. It irritated her but she wasn't so proud that she would risk getting hurt just to save face. Charles had wanted to be the one to guide her but Bran needed him to be on guard so he'd relented. It was his instinct to protect his da and although he knew Eirlys wasn't a threat, she'd proven that, old habits died hard.
As soon as they reached the cabin Bran released Eirlys' arm and stepped back to give her room. He didn't want to interfere with her ability to sense magic.
Lys let her senses stretch out. They tasted Bran and Charles then eased past them because they were known to her, not a threat. Out and out she sent her gift, out to it's furthest reach. "Nothing. There is no trap laid," she murmured.
"I want you to remain on guard," Bran said and headed towards the cabin.
"Give me but a moment and I will have the cabin secured," she told him and moved around to place the charms. They were silent, for the moment, they needed one more step to work. As she stepped inside she drew a sigil of protection on the frame of the door and pricked a finger to add a bit of her blood to power it. As she did so the charms flared but only one gifted in magic would sense it.
"What was that?" Charles growled.
"Protection sigil, powered with my blood. The sigil is also on the charms I placed around the cabin. If anyone tries to use subtle magic from outside, I'll know it. It's not as powerful as fae magic, if they really push it they'll break the power in the sigil, but I'll know that's what they're doing so we'll have fair warning."
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Alistair Beauclaire arrived at the cabin and strode to the door. He was unaware that while he was there, in Montana, those who were working against him to gain that which Underhill desired most were sending a troll into the Columbia Basin Pack's territory. Nor did he know that the attack in Montana was set up to get him out of the way, even if only for a little while.
Charles let the fae in and stepped to his da's side. If the fae attacked he would take the brunt of it.
"Beauclaire." Bran's voice was calm, neutral, as he nodded at the man.
"Bran Cornick. I am here to discuss the attack on your lands. I am aware the fae sent was killed. Not an easy feat." His gaze went to the woman who stood a little off to the side. "I was under the impression that you neither liked nor trusted witches," he added.
Bran gave a slight shrug. "We are here to discuss the breach of agreement from the fae," he said, refusing to explain Erilys' presence.
Beauclaire inclined his head. He was extremely powerful but he knew the man across from him had his own strength and since so few of the fae were immune to cold iron, if it came to war there would be deaths, many deaths, on both sides. He hoped to avoid the bloodshed if he could. "There are not so many fae that I would desire war between us and the wolves. We have power, but you know our greatest weakness. Regardless of who may win, too many lives would be lost."
"What do you suggest?" Bran asked, watching him.
"We renew the truce between fae and wolves. There will be no retaliation for the death of one of our kin, he attacked and you defended your people. The one who sent it here will be found. But make no mistake, I will not look the other way should it happen again."
"Fair enough," Bran replied. The truce was renewed and Beauclaire left. Bran watched him go.
"What do you think, da?" Charles asked.
"We will have to wait and see what happens," Bran replied.
"I'll drive you back to Maryanne's," Charles told Eirlys.
"No, I'd prefer to go check on Tag, if that's alright with you, Bran," Eirlys said.
"I'll take her. Go home, son," Bran said and once she retrieved the charms and cleared the sigil from the cabin he escorted her to where he'd parked his Humvee. There was silence between them as he headed back to his home but it wasn't uncomfortable.
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Several hours later all hell broke loose. There was an attack in the tri-cities, in the territory of the Columbia Basin Pack. Bran found himself faced with a difficult decision thanks to Mercy basically challenging the fae. If he hoped to save the werewolves from being decimated he had to make the tough calls.
"You understand what this means" He'd already argued with Charles over his decision but he was the Marrok, his word was law. He watched as Adam nodded and then he said the words that severed the ties between the Columbia Basin Pack and himself. "Prepare yourselves, there will be challenges." With that it was done.
"You're wrong for doing this, da," Charles growled and left. He knew as soon as his mate found out she was going to flip out over it and Samuel, he was going to be livid. Mercy was family and Bran had just made her a target for every werewolf in the country.
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Bran sat at his desk and watched the clock. He knew it was only a matter of time before... ah, there he was now.
"How could you do that, da?" Samuel asked. He'd heard from his brother that his da had cut the Columbia Basin Pack off from his protection.
"It had to be done," Bran replied.
"The hell it did. You just signed Mercy's death certificate. It's not just Adam they'll go after, or just the wolves, they'll go after her. She's pack and Adam's mate and you just painted a target on her back!"
"Enough. This is not open for discussion. I did what I had to to protect the wolves, even if it was a difficult decision to make."
"I'm sure that will be a huge consolation when she's dead," Samuel said and stormed out. He needed to discuss with his mate what they could do to help keep Mercy alive, if anything. Mercy was like a sister to him, he'd be damned if he was going to turn his back on her like his da had.
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Tag felt a hand in his and opened his eyes slowly to find Eirlys there. "You're back," he growled.
"I am. And yes, I'm unhurt," she said before he could ask.
"How did you...?"
"Woman's intuition," Lys said with a smile. "I knew you'd be worried but I swear I'm fine." She bit her lip a moment. "I can't shake the feeling that this problem with the fae isn't over, though."
"Gift of foretelling?" Tag teased.
"No. At least, I've never had anything like that before. I just have a bad feeling and I can't explain it."
Tag squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sure it'll be fine. My ma came by earlier. She was mighty proud of you for what you did."
"I just... did what was right," she said but she was humbled by the words.
Before Tag could say anything else he heard the front door open with a bang despite the fact they were in the basement. He knew Lys couldn't hear it but he sure did. What the hell was going on to make someone fling the door open that hard?
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When Charles arrived home in a foul mood Anna had to convince him to talk to her, to tell her what happened. "That bastard," she growled. "How can he do that?" she added.
"Anna," Charles said in an attempt to calm his mate.
"No. Don't you dare try to tell me to calm down. This time he's gone too far, Charles," she growled and stormed out of their house. She almost squealed her tires in her anger to get to her father-in-law's home to give him a piece of her mind.
Anna didn't bother knocking, she just stormed into the house, allowing the front door to slam against the wall, then did the same to Bran's office door. "How could you do this, Bran? How could you throw an entire pack away just to suck up to the fae?"
Bran sat at his desk watching his daughter-in-law. "I did what I had to do. There are three thousand wolves under my protection, many of whom are unhappy with the changes Adam has allowed in his pack. This newest development required a decision that will reduce the amount of risk and cost the least number of lives."
Anna narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you remember Adam's and Mercy's wedding? Do you remember what you told him? Because I sure do. 'I give you that which is most precious to me'. I guess she's not so precious after all. Or is it because she's not really related? Is that it? You sentenced her and Luna both to die! You can make up all the excuses you want to ease your conscience but that is what you did. I can see now how much worth me, Chloe, Jules, even Lexi have in your eyes. Absolutely none. You'd throw us away, sentence us to die just as easily, in order to save face with the fae. I used to admire you, I used to respect you, now all I do is loathe you!" With that she stormed out.
Bran almost roared at his daughter-in-law. The entire time she'd been talking he'd tried to shut her up with a glare. That was the problem with Omegas, they couldn't be controlled.
Downstairs, Tag only caught bits and pieces of the conversation but it was enough to rile his wolf. "I need to get up," he said with a growl.
Eirlys put her hand on his shoulder. "Tag, what are you doing? You're still hurt," she said because she could feel the tension in him.
"I need to find out what happened," he insisted. "I need to talk to Bran, or Anna... someone."
"Okay. Just lie back and I'll give you my phone so you can call Anna," she said softly.
********************A&O********************
Anna frowned when her phone rang. If it was Bran she was going to ignore him. The number wasn't familiar though so she reigned in her temper and answered. "Hello?"
"Anna, what's happened? I heard you and Bran arguing but I couldn't make out what, exactly, is going on," Tag said when she answered. He'd put the phone on speaker so that Eirlys would hear what Anna said as well.
"Oh god, Tag," Anna said when she heard his voice. He needed to know, this affected him too. "There was another fae attack, this time in Washington. The Columbia Basin Pack beat it and Mercy basically challenged the fae, told them that they would defend their territory and everyone in it. Bran, the bastard, cut them out of his protection. He made them rogues."
Tag saw red. "What?" he growled. "I need... I need to go. I need to get to Washington, I need to protect Luna." Again he moved to get out of bed but this time Lys didn't try to stop him.
"You get to the airstrip, we'll get you to her," Anna promised. "Even if I have to fly you there myself," she added. Charles had been teaching her how to fly the plane, she wasn't as good as he was but she could do it if she had to.
"I'll be there," he gritted out. He had to stop once he was sitting up to catch his breath.
"Let me call your mother, she'll help us get to the airstrip," Lys offered.
"Okay, beautiful," Tag growled. "I'm going to shift while we're waiting. I won't hurt you, I swear it, but it sounds horrible. Just... let me come to you when I'm done."
Lys touched his cheek a moment. "Okay," she said and while he started the painful process of shifting to wolf she called Maryanne's number.
When her phone rang Maryanne knew who was calling because she'd put Eirlys' number in her phone. "Eirlys? Is everything okay?" she asked, voice tinged with worry.
"I'm not sure. Tag and I need you to come get us. He needs to go to Washington state. He said something about needing to protect someone named Luna."
"I'll be right there and I'll explain who Luna is once you're in the car. I can hear him shifting in the background," Maryanne told her before she hung up and headed back over to Bran's.
Lys winced at all the pained noises coming from him. When he finally put his head on her lap she ran her fingers through his fur. "Your fur is so soft," she murmured. His tongue licked her hand and she laughed a little. "Let's go, your mother should be here any minute," she told him and went to the door to open it for him.
They were quiet as they headed upstairs and down the hall towards the front door. They were almost to it when Bran stepped out of his study. "Where are you going?" he asked, one brow cocked at Tag.
"Tag doesn't want to stay in that room anymore," Eirlys said. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth either. For just a moment she thought Bran was going to order Tag back to the room.
"Don't push yourself, and don't put your family at risk," Bran told him after a moment and let them go.
Maryanne was waiting when they got outside. She watched as Eirlys opened the back door so Tag could get into the backseat before she slid into the passenger seat next to Maryanne. "Where am I taking you?" Maryanne asked. "And why does my granddaughter need to be protected? Has something happened to her pack?"
"His daughter is a werewolf too?" Lys asked. "His insistence to go to her makes sense," she said before she continued. "There was a fae attack in the territory of the Columbia Basin Pack. The pack defeated it and the Alpha's mate issued a challenge to the fae, told them that they would protect their territory and everyone in it. Bran declared the entire pack rogues. Tag called Anna and put the phone on speaker so I heard everything. Anna is meeting us at an airstrip to fly us to Washington."
"Oh god," Maryanne whispered. "You keep her safe, Colin Taggart, or else," she told her son.
Tag growled in agreement. He would keep his daughter safe no matter what.
Once they reached the airstrip Maryanne handed Eirlys her credit card. "Your bag is at the house and Tag doesn't have a wallet right now either, you'll need this, dear. Be careful and let me know when you get there, please, or I'll worry myself sick."
"I will, Maryanne," Lys promised.
Tag was hurting, a lot, by the time they got on the plane. He laid near Eirlys once the door was closed and tried to relax. He didn't think he would be able to but Anna's soothing abilities made it easier and soon he drifted off to sleep.
Anna waited until she was sure Tag was out to speak. "Did he tell you about Luna?" she asked Eirlys.
"No Maryanne was going to but she got distracted when I told her why we needed to go to Washington. She called Luna her granddaughter so I assume Tag is her father?"
"He is. He only found out a few months ago. She's from New Orleans. Tag went down there just before he was changed and had a month long fling with Luna's mother. When he came back to Aspen Creek he had no idea he was leaving a child behind. Luna actually became part of our pack for several years because of some... awful things that happened to her in her old pack. Anyway, Luna decided she wanted to get back out in the world and joined the Columbia Basin Pack where she met her mate. They came for a visit, Cyrus joked about how her and Tag looked a lot alike so they thought it would be cool if they were distant cousins or something. It turned out that he's her dad," she explained. "See, here's the thing. Luna is a submissive wolf, so even though she'll fight if she has to, it's not in her nature. Tag took what happened to her in her old pack really hard because he felt like he failed her by not being there to protect her. I knew, when I told him about what Bran did, he'd be determined to go to the tri-cities to help keep her safe."
Lys ran her fingers through his fur while Anna talked. "He shouldn't blame himself for something he had no control over."
"He's a dominant wolf and she's his daughter, he can't help it."
"He's a good man," Lys said softly.
"Yeah, he is," Anna agreed. "Why don't you rest. I'll wake you before we land."
Eirlys nodded and settled back in her seat to try to do that.
Anna left them alone and went to the cockpit. "We should call and let someone know we're coming, so there's someone waiting for us when we land," she told her mate.
Charles silently handed her his phone. They'd dropped Jules off with Samuel and Chloe so they didn't have to explain to her what was going on just yet. Jules had gotten pretty close to her 'Aunt Mercy' ever since Mercy came for her birthday party and neither Charles nor Anna wanted to tell their daughter about what Bran had done. They weren't sure she'd understand it.
Anna would have preferred to call Luna but Adam was still Alpha even if Bran had cut them loose. "Here goes nothing," she said and dialed his number.
********************A&O********************
Adam frowned at the number on his phone. "Good evening, Charles. Has something else happened that the Marrok's enforcer felt I should know about despite the fact I, and my pack, are now rogues?" Mercy had put the number in his call list at some point in the past.
"Hi, Adam, it's Anna, not Charles. I'm using his phone," Anna said. "Um, sort of. I'm calling to let you know that in a couple of hours we'll be landing at the private airstrip outside of Finley to drop off two passengers; Colin Taggart, Luna's father, and his companion, Eirlys Blackwood. I think you guys know her since she got the directions to Aspen Creek from Mercy."
"Tag I'm not surprised by because, as you said, he is Luna's father, but why is the witch with him?"
"They're taken with each other. Oh, and Tag is going to be really hungry when we land. He was hurt badly in the attack we had here. He's healing, and shifting to wolf again is helping him to heal even faster, but that means he'll be ravenous when he wakes up again."
"We'll come prepared," Adam assured her. "Is this visit sanctioned by Bran?" he asked.
Anna hesitated a moment before she answered. "I doubt it. He'll be pissed when he finds out but I know Tag, if Bran tries to force him to go back he'll ask to leave the pack and join yours. He's not going to let his daughter be hurt just because Bran is being a bastard."
"That might complicate things but I won't turn him away. Family is important," Adam said and hung up after saying good-bye. So Colin Taggart was interested in a witch. Adam could only imagine Bran's opinion of that. He had to admit, though, that if it came down to a battle with the fae or another pack, he would welcome Tag's strength and fighting skills.