Heart's Desire

Chapter 30 - Kit

"You okay, Kit?" Monty asks, setting a gentle hand on my back.

I look around, drinking in the scene that surrounds us, but it is not fear that makes me shiver. It is wonder.

We are gathered in a small clearing at the edge of the woods, beneath the spreading boughs of a solitary tree. With the moon in hiding, only the shimmer of summer stars softens the blackness of the sky, and many lanterns and candles keep the dark at bay. The lanterns are little globes of colored paper, and hang from the branches of the tree.

Alpha Dane's Mate has worked some Fae magic, too, and tiny firefly sparkles light the air, while the songs of crickets in the meadows and frogs in a nearby streams lend a quiet, wild music to the night.

Beneath the tree, four long tables are arranged in a square, laden with a feast that awaits the alphas' return. Hot dishes rest in heated pans, while ice keeps chilled things cold and fresh. Everyone contributed something — even Monty and me; we'd made a peach cobbler that Monty said his grandmama taught him to make.

Besides that, there's Sasha's crispy fried chicken (and tofu for Monty) and buttermilk biscuits from Monty's mom; corn on the cob, and fresh fruit salad from Martin's family; spicy gumbo from Freya, and something called 'beignets,' which were like square doughnuts topped with powdered sugar, from the mysterious Mr. L'Amour. There was grilled salmon and rice from Noah and his dragon, and a watercress salad that Julian made ('at least it's not waffles,' he said).

Even Cousin Ophie is here, with baby Kitka and Ed the human man. They'd brought a coleslaw and kebabs with fresh garden vegetables and aromatic sausages.

In all, the combined scents make my stomach ache with hunger, while the peaceful gathering itself has me in awe.

"Yes, I am well," I say, answering Monty's question at last. "It is only that I have never seen an Ascendance ceremony before."

"How do the Mortaines transfer power, then?" he asks.

Cousin Ophie, who shares a blanket with us on the sweet dry grass, laughs at that. "They don't. Obadiah Challenged his own uncle as soon as he came of age. Kit and I weren't born yet, but people still talk about it."

I nod. "They say the battle lasted all night, and only ended when my uncle tore out his uncle's throat and drank his blood, just as the sun rose, all red in the eastern sky. He's ruled unchallenged ever since."

Monty shudders.

"Lords. I still can't believe mom and dad wanted to join the Packs. If Dane hadn't met Julian when he did..."

"We didn't know," Astrid says, making Monty jump as she appears at his back, apparently having overheard. She settles on the blanket, sitting cross-legged, and smiles at us. "The Mortaines keep their secrets well, and the face they show the world isn't the face they show at home. At least, that was the case until recently. When we matched Dane with Selene, we knew the Mortaines were fierce and proud, but we did not suspect that they were also vicious and cruel. If we had, we would not have agreed to the arrangement — peace or no peace."

Ophelia snorts. "No wonder you got trouble now. Selene's a spiteful bitch; if there's something she wants that she can't have, she makes sure nobody else can have it, either."

Astrid nods. "Have you thought about staying? No one would blame you if you pulled up stakes and took your family as far from here as you could. Joseph's got family in Georgia, and Dane's got his territory out West. I'm sure you'd be welcomed, either way."

"That's kind of you," Ophie says, "but Ed and I have talked it over, and we agree that running isn't the answer, this time. We could be Outcasts all our lives, running from place to place, always lookin' over our shoulders for Mortaines. For Kitka's sake, we'd rather put our trust in your strength, and take our chances on a better life, here."