chapter 23
Brandee’s phone finally rang. “Please be Nick, please be Nick,” she chanted, running to the kitchen where she’d left it to recharge.
She grabbed it and didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway, shouting, “Hello,” a little louder than necessary.
“Brandee?”
“Oh, Nick, thank goodness! Are you all right?”
“I will be. I just had a little trouble down here and I thought you might be worried. I wasn’t able to call for a while.”
“Oh, my MIA. Of course I was worried. It’s been two days with no word at all.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It couldn’t be helped. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
“Nick, what did you mean when you said you will be all right? Does that mean you’re not okay right now?”
“Not exactly. I got shot in the ass. Fortunately my hide is pretty tough so the bullet was shallow. Digging it out was painful and the drugs they gave me didn’t work at first. So they gave me more and that knocked me out for quite a while. When I finally woke up, I had to give the police my statement, pick some dudes out of a lineup, and talk to a DA about getting the judge to set no bail. My perp was a flight risk—literally.”
“You were shot in the… Oh, my shit! Where are you now?”
“At a cell phone store. My brother paid for the new phone with his credit card, and he’s wiring me some money so I can get home on the train. I called you as soon as I could.”
“What happened to your phone? And your money?”
Nick’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I had to shift to get away.”
“Away from what? Or who? The dudes in the lineup?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I’ll tell you everything when I get back.”
“I had Sadie do a reading and she said you were in trouble. That was two days ago, and I’ve been going crazy ever since. I wanted to send Kurt and Tory after you, but no one had the faintest idea where to look. Sadie suggested I use the law of attraction to think you into a safe situation, so I borrowed a book to learn how, but it’s easier to read about it than actually do it. I could barely think straight.”
“I’m sorry you were so worried. I’ll make it up to you when I get back. There’s just one thing I need to take care of first, then I’ll come straight to your place. Are you working tonight?”
“Yes. Thank goodness you called. I was so preoccupied last night I kept dropping stuff and couldn’t remember an order to save my life. The night before, I tried to occupy my mind by working in my makeshift darkroom, but I lost track of time and overexposed everything.”
He sighed on the other end of the phone. “I’m afraid my job is going to put me in danger from time to time.”
“Then get a new job.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Nick?”
“I’m here.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask…why do you always call me sweetheart? Not honey or baby.”
“Because you have the sweetest heart I’ve ever seen. People show who they are in a million little ways. An ex-cop notices these things. You’re the one who’ll grab the map from behind the bar and show lost tourists how to get around the city. You always speak up when you talk to Phil because you know he’s hard of hearing. You’ve even taken money out of your tips to help a customer pay her bill when she came up short.”
“Oh. You saw that stuff?”
“Yeah. The fact that you didn’t know anyone was aware is even more telling. You obviously weren’t doing it for brownie points.”
She chuckled. “I’ll never think about ‘brownie points’ in the same way since meeting the cleaning crew.”
“Yeah, they’re worth their weight in Pine Sol. I should go, though. We can talk about everything later. Meanwhile, I told my brother I need some clothes and he wants me to call him as soon as I have something picked out.”
“What? Did you say you need clothes? What are you wearing now?”
“The hospital loaned me some scrubs.”
“Oh.” She chuckled. “I pictured you at the cell phone store stark naked with your hands over your…you know.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s how I walked into the hospital.”
She gasped. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Oh, my naked ape.”
“Hey. Are you calling me an ape?”
“Hell no. I just say the first thing that pops into my head. Sorry.” She lowered her voice. “Maybe I should have said, ‘Oh my naked wolf.’”
“Or, ‘Oh, my nude model.’”
***
Nick stood opposite his brother in Konrad’s Newton office. Mother Nature’s reaction to humans, especially those who knew about paranormals, had been bothering Nick for some time. He hoped Konrad could shed some light on the subject since his wife was completely human.
If Konrad had met Gaia before, he might know how to handle her. Konrad was always the brains and Nick the brawn.
“Bro, I’ve got to know how you cleared Roz with the Supernatural Council.”
“The what?” Nick’s brother leaned forward and clasped his hands on top of his desk.
“You’ve never heard of GAIA? The Gods and Immortals Association?”
Konrad’s brows knit. “No. Should I have?”
Nick stuck his hands in his pockets and paced. “Shit. I thought the society was just a rumor until I saw its members for myself. You’ve got to swear to keep what I’m about to tell you in the strictest confidence.”
“Of course.”
Nick went on to explain what happened the night Adolf Balog took him to the mysterious building that housed GAIA. He described its paranormal leader, Mother Nature, in detail, including her temperament. Then he shared her threat and ability to carry it out.
In typical Konrad fashion, he seemed to consider what Nick had told him seriously and thoughtfully. Then he nodded and muttered, “Mother Nature seems like a real a*shole.”
Nick laughed. That was just the kind of remark he needed. But even though it relieved the tension slightly, he was puzzled about his brother’s lack of knowledge.
“I thought you knew everything about the paranormal world,” Nick said. “Hell, I thought you knew everything about everything.”
“What gave you that idea?”
Nick scratched his head. “Oh, only because you’ve read every book you could get your hands on and seem to know it all.”
“Are you calling me a know-it-all?”
“Kind of.” Nick was quick to add, “In a good way.”
“Well, I knew nothing about this society. And fortunately, they seem to know nothing about me.”
“Lucky you. So you never had to fess up and tell them Roz knows about us.”
“No. Now I’m beginning to wonder why not.”
“Me too. Shit. I had hoped you could tell me how to get in touch with the Council and how you managed to get their approval to marry Roz.”
“Nope. Sorry, Nick.”
“Have you ever wondered why you and I wound up with human mates instead of other wolves?”
Konrad shrugged. “I imagine it’s because we were human in the first place. Had we been born pups of two werewolf parents, we might have had a pack mate.”
Nick nodded. Leave it to his brother to be logical.
“So, getting back to the Council. Where did you meet when Adolf took you to them?”
“Good question. There’s an office building on State Street where they supposedly hang out, but I’ll be damned if I can find the right floor. There was a glass bubble and sky overhead, so you’d think it would be easy to locate, but it’s impossible.”
“Why do you want to get in touch with Mother Nature? It seems to me you should avoid her.”
“I’d like to get her blessing as far as Brandee is concerned. I know for a fact my mate can be trusted with our secret. I need to make Gaia understand that before I propose. I don’t want Brandee to wind up a widow just because I was too chicken to clear it with a deity.”
Konrad rose and took over pacing for Nick. “I wonder if I’m off the hook or not. My only excuse is ignorance. I couldn’t have told Gaia about Roz since I didn’t know about the existence of the Council back then—thank God—or gods and goddesses, or whomever.” Konrad slapped his brother on the back. “You’re a braver man than I.”
“I was kind of hoping you’d come with me. If I can even find them again.”
Konrad’s jaw dropped. “You want me to face an angry goddess who you pissed off by doing exactly what I did, but somehow I got away with it?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
***
Nick sought out Adolf Balog before going to the bar to see Brandee. After all this, he wanted to give her some good news.
He walked into the small foyer that housed the buzzers for each apartment. Instead of pressing two for the second floor, he pressed three for where the Balogs lived.
“Yah,” a female voice said.
“Mrs. Balog. I’m looking for Adolf.”
“Adolf? Who are you and what do you want with my son?”
Nick heard Adolf’s voice in the background but couldn’t make out what he said.
“It’s Nick Wolfensen. I need to talk to him.”
Adolf’s voice said, “I’ll be down in one minute.”
Whew. He had the feeling Mrs. Balog wouldn’t let her precious son speak to a werewolf.
A few moments later, the young man opened the door, but instead of letting Nick in, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
“What can I do for you?”
“You can take me back to GAIA.”
Adolf reared back and started at him. Finally he asked, “Are you sure? I mean, she doesn’t exactly welcome visitors.”
“It’s not a social call.”
“Okaaaay. May I ask what it’s about?”
“It’s personal.” Nick thought he saw the kid’s eye twitch.
“Hmmm… When did you want to do this?” Adolf asked.
“As soon as possible.”
The kid shuffled his feet. “I need to go upstairs for a few minutes. Meet me back here in five.”
“How about if I meet you in the bar? I need to see my girlfriend, just to touch base and let her know I’m okay.”
Adolf’s eyes narrowed. “Is your girlfriend Ruxandra?”
Nick almost burst out laughing, but he managed to swallow it. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Because she’s the only paranormal in there at the moment.”
I wonder how he knows where she is. “I thought she was in jail.”
“They couldn’t make the charges stick.”
“How do you know all this?”
Adolf clammed up. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Do you want to see Mother Nature or not?”
“I didn’t mean to rattle you. I was just curious. Yes, I’d like to see Gaia as soon as possible.”
“Fine. I’ll meet you in the bar.”
Nick nodded and left the strange young man to his preparations—whatever they were. He couldn’t wait another minute to see Brandee anyway. He walked through the door to the bar and spotted her immediately.
She was waiting on a table full of locals, and as if she sensed him, she glanced over her shoulder. She squealed, set down her tray, and ran over to him.
Jumping into his arms, she yelled, “Nick, I’ve never been so glad to see you.”
He crushed her to his chest and then remembered not to squeeze too hard or he could squash her like a bug. That would be an awful way to say, “Hi, honey, I’m home.”
She leaned back enough to smile at him, then mashed her mouth to his. He had no idea how long they kissed. He felt slightly dizzy afterward, as if he hadn’t taken a breath for a while. Perhaps he hadn’t.
Ruxandra sauntered over to them. “At least someone in this dump is happy.”
“Nice to see you too, Ruxandra,” Nick said. He set Brandee on her feet. “Sweetheart, I just wanted you to know I’m back. I have one more thing to take care of. I hope it won’t take long, but if it does, I don’t want you to worry. I’m fine.”
She rubbed his biceps. “I missed you so much, Nick.”
“I missed you too.”
Ruxandra spun on her heel. “I’d better go before I vomit.”
As soon as they were alone again, Brandee lowered her voice. “Does it hurt?”
“The wound? Nah. I’m all healed and good as new. How are things around here?”
“About the same. As you can see, Ruxandra’s back, and Anthony is hiding in his office most of the time. Other than that, everything’s okay.”
“Good. I’ll be back as soon as I take care of this one important matter.”
She looked as if she was about to pout. “Is it dangerous?”
What could he say? If Mother Nature was in a bad mood, it might be. He didn’t want to lie to Brandee, but he couldn’t afford to tell her the whole truth either. Besides, he didn’t really know what the truth was at that point.
Nick brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should be safe enough.” And if I’m not, I’ll get the hell out of there before she drops me into an active volcano.
Brandee gave him a smile that looked as sad as it did happy. “Don’t be long.” Then she drew a fingernail down his chest and a sly smile replaced the sad one. “I have a special welcome home planned.”
Please be sex. Please be sex. Please be sex. “I won’t be a minute later than I have to be.”
Nick didn’t know if he’d even be allowed to see the deity, but if perchance an audience was granted, lingering was the last thing on his mind.
***
Adolf opened the door to the bar but just stood in the doorway.
That’s right. The kid isn’t old enough to drink. He’s probably never been in here. Again, Nick wondered how Adolf knew what went on inside the bar. Maybe he watched customers come and go from an upstairs window. Yeah, that’s probably it. But a niggling feeling told Nick that might not be the whole story.
He kissed Brandee good-bye, then strode to the door and out onto the sidewalk.
“Ready?” was all Adolf asked.
“As much as I’ll ever be.” Nick steeled himself for whatever the kid had to do to transport him to the Council.
Instead of magic dust, the kid just walked off toward the nearest side street and rounded the corner. Nick kept up with him easily. They walked uphill, and Nick guessed they were going to the mysterious office building on State Street.
When they finally got there, Adolf opened the outer door and, with a sweeping gesture, indicated that Nick was to enter first.
Instead of following him in, the kid just said, “Get in the elevator. Press the button for the top floor, and good luck.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
Adolf worried his lip. “I don’t think so.”
“Are they expecting me?”
Without answering, the kid let go of the door and rushed off.
“What the…”
Nick’s stomach suddenly felt as if he’d swallowed a flock of hummingbirds. He straightened his back, lifted his chin, and said, “I can do this.”
At that moment, the elevator door opened. Shit. Are they listening?
He concluded they probably were and moved slowly toward the elevator. The doors remained open, as if waiting for him.
Everything will be all right. This is for Katie and Brandee. Mother Nature will see that as altruistic, right?
Stepping into the elevator, he continued his mental pep talk. Before he could push the button, however, the doors slammed shut and he took off like a rocket.
“Holy…”
When the rapid ascent stopped, his feet felt like they’d left the floor for a second. The doors whooshed open, and he paused a moment to take in the scene before he stepped out.
The glass dome overhead, the white-robed gentlemen strolling and talking to each other, plus the forest in the far-off area indicated he’d found what he was looking for.
It’s go time.
He stepped off the elevator prepared to ask one of the gods where Gaia might be when the woman herself came out of her forest and strode over to him.
“Nick Wolfensen, brave soul. What on earth would bring you here again?”
“Gaia, I need your help in two different matters.”
“Two?” She shouted so loudly that some of the gods stopped talking and stared at them.
“The first is something you’ll want to know about right away.”
“Don’t presume to tell me what I want. Just state your business quickly so I can spit you back out onto the sidewalk as soon as possible.”
Like gum. His mouth went dry, but he had to press on.
“Gaia, there’s a dragon on Long Island who is in police custody at the moment, but they won’t be able to hold him forever. He’s dangerous. I discovered his plan when I was protecting a fire mage here in Boston. He hired some thugs to kidnap her so he could use her for her ability.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Lovely.”
That’s all she has to say? One sarcastic word?
“I’m well aware of this dragon. He set the Chicago fire. That’s when I took his power to breathe fire away. Now you’re telling me he hasn’t learned his lesson and wants to burn down Boston too?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She raised one eyebrow.
“I mean, Goddess. He must have wanted revenge on you, and he was ready to use an innocent to do it. The girl hadn’t even come into her power yet. She was just about to when he nabbed her.”
“I see.” She began to pace.
Nick wondered if she “saw” at all. Did she have to rely on mortals to be her eyes and ears on the street? Were her powers that limited? And if Mother Nature was his target, how did the dragon know she was based in Boston?
“Did he know the Council hangs out here?”
Her lips thinned. “Yes. I had him brought here for his punishment. I should have sent him back where he came from, but I was busy and angry, so I just spit him out on State Street and let him find his own way home.”
“I thought you could just poof anybody anywhere. You did it with me.”
She threw her hands in the air. “I have to be everywhere at once. Taking care of this, stopping that. Why can’t people just f*ckin’ behave themselves?”
She halted and slumped over as if discouraged. When she straightened, she took a deep breath. “Wolfensen, I’m glad you came to me with this. I don’t know what your other question is, and I don’t care. This takes priority over, well, everything. I just let a dam break for this, so in case you were wondering, no, I can’t do it all. But I can and will deal with what’s-his-name.”
“Martin Irwin.”
“Yes. I had forgotten. Well, Martin’s ass is grass. I’ll be back momentarily.”
She disappeared into thin air. Nick didn’t quite know what to do. Should he wait for her? Or should he just leave and forget the other matter?
One of the gods strolled over to him. It was the same one Mother Nature had called “Apollo” before.
“You did well, Nicholas. What was the other question you had for Gaia?”
“I’m glad you asked. I’m not sure if I should discuss it with her or not.”
The god nodded sagely. “Perhaps I can help you with that.”
Nick took a deep breath and hoped for the best. “My girlfriend, Brandee, knows about me and Anthony and the bar, but she’s cool with it. She promised never to tell a human soul and I believe her completely. I want to marry her, but I don’t want Mother Nature worried about Brandee spilling her guts. Bottom line is, I don’t want to worry about Gaia sending me or my girlfriend to Timbuktu. A wolf never deserts his mate—willingly.”
Apollo smiled and a warm glow seemed to radiate from him. “There’s a saying: ‘Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission now.’ Or something like that.”
“So, you’re saying I shouldn’t tell her? And if she finds out, I should apologize?”
“Pretty much.”
“I’d never apologize for making Brandee my wife. She’s already my marked mate. I’d just be giving her the legal benefits.”
Apollo shrugged. “It’s up to you, but you know how moody the goddesses can be—Gaia in particular.”
“Why is that? Do goddesses have a monthly…event?”
Apollo laughed. “No. That’s one of the downsides of being a human female.”
“Or a werewolf,” Nick added.
Apollo set a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Look, I shouldn’t tell you this, but Gaia has a reason for all her frustration.”
“Really? She hasn’t always been like that?”
“Oh, heavens, no.” Apollo spoke in a whisper. “Keep this to yourself. I’m not even supposed to know, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Gaia is the primordial goddess. She was born of Chaos and she’s only had four paramours. She fooled around with Ouranos in the sky, and all the heavenly gods and Titans were born. Then she fooled around with Pontus in the ocean and all the sea gods came from that union.
“She even tried a tryst in the hell-pit with Tartarus, and the giants were born. Finally, she gave Zeus a whirl on Mount Olympus and guess what?” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “That’s how the rest of us showed up. That’s when she called it quits. She swore off sex, not knowing what other immortal creatures she might accidentally create. That was a looong time ago.”
Nick scratched his head. “So, you’re saying she’s sexually frustrated?”
Apollo shrugged. “It would seem so. I mean, she’d have no trouble enticing a lover and she’s still fertile. It was the aftermath that did her in. Can you imagine giving birth to giants?”
Nick shuddered. “Ouch. Well, that has nothing to do with me, so I think I’ll risk it.”
“Good luck with that.” Apollo slapped him on the back, then wandered off to join a poker game.
A moment later Mother Nature reappeared, brushing off her hands. “There. The situation is all taken care of, thanks to me.”
“What happened?”
“Well, first I had to find the right jail, because someone forgot to tell me which one our dragon was in.”
Nick remained silent despite wanting to point out that she hadn’t given him a chance to tell her much of anything.
“Then I appeared in his cell and removed his immortality. He took one look at me and had a heart attack on the spot. I love situations like that.”
“Like what?”
“Incidents that take care of themselves. In other words, self-solvers.”
Nick had to be sure. “So he’s dead?”
“As a doornail.”
“What about his men? He had a lot of people in his employ.”
“And they’re all singing ‘Ding Dong, the Dragon’s Dead’ right now.”
She seemed satisfied with the outcome and Nick relaxed a bit. “That’s great. Thanks for your help. My client can rest easy now.”
She offered him a rare smile. “And I thank you for your help too. I rather like Boston.”
It’s now or never, I guess. “Goddess, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss with you.”
She sagged and rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot you had two questions for me. Well, what is it?”
“I want to marry Brandee—”
“And you’re asking my permission? How very old-fashioned of you.”
“No, not exactly. I realize that you’re concerned about humans knowing the ins and outs of the paranormal factions.”
“Yes, yes. We both know this. Get to the point.”
“I want you to know beyond the shadow of any doubt that Brandee can be trusted. She’ll never reveal what she knows to anyone. She promised Anthony and kept that promise, even when it would have been tempting to tell me what she knew. But she wants the truth. She’s my mate and I need to be honest with her.”
“What if you’re overheard when you’re opening up to her?”
“We won’t make that mistake again. Besides, if she moves into my place, the possibility of someone overhearing us becomes highly unlikely. I can’t let anything separate me from my mate.”
“Hmmm…” Mother Nature tapped her chin. “Your being overheard would be less likely if you two were living together.”
“Exactly. I had hoped you’d see it that way.”
“Fine. Marry the human as soon as possible.”
“I’m glad I have your blessing, but there’s one more little thing…”
“Oh, for the love of—All right. What is it?”
“As you know I have a very long life span. I was wondering if there’s anything you can do to extend Brandee’s life as well. The thought of her mortality shakes me to my core.”
Mother Nature reared back and stared at him as if she’d been slapped. “Haven’t you heard? You’re not supposed to mess with Mother Nature.”
He lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry. I just thought… Well, never mind. I appreciate what you did.”
“You’re welcome, but don’t push it. All right? It’s time for you to go. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope I never see you again.”
“Understood.” To tell the truth, Nick hoped he wouldn’t have to see her again either.