Alpha Brothers - The Trickster (book 4)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11
Graham
Magic truly does exist. I have no idea how I got Bleu into the Jeep without it. Well that and I'm a master in persuasion.
Bleu and I were silent as the Scottish landscape passed us by. I sensed her amazement as she gazed upon those great bigs hills that were more like stone walls containing all my family secrets.
I could also sense her nerves. I wasn't an idiot. I knew she was scared to see Moira because she was worried that Moira would shun her or something like that. But Moira was a good friend of my mother's and spent a lot of time with her. And because my father already had three sons to fill his shoes, I often spent my time with her. I learnt a lot about witches, a lot more than what my siblings did. And I knew what their magic was to them. It was a part of them like my wolf was apart of me. If you tainted your magic, you became tainted as well.
Their bond to a coven wasn't as strong as what a wolf would be to a pack but they had strong ties with their ancestors. A few witches I had been around with had joked that they had seen their ancestors in their dreams. Of course I didn't believe any of it. But seeing Bleu twist and turn as a night terror ripped her apart, I could rethink my answer.
Looking at Bleu now, I asked, "what are you thinkin' about, Little Witch?"
She was silent for a moment before she answered, "I've never noticed how beautiful it is."
I frowned, "beautiful isn't a word I would use to describe it."
"Really?" She asked, turning her head to look at me, "what would you use."
I shrugged, "big."
A small little sound came from her lips before a smile spread on mine.
"Was that a giggle?" I teased, "Do you think I'm funny?"
Her little giggle became louder, fillling my chest with something I thought was long gone.
"What's so funny?" I asked her, now interested.
"Your accent," she giggled, "it's so funny."
I scoffed, offended.
Though it was nice to see that she was finally getting comfortable around me.
"Your accent isn't much better," I lied.
"Please," she scoffed, "accents français sont les meilleurs accents."
I bit my lip, trying to pretend that her native tongue wasn't such a turn on. I was failing, miserable.
"Okay," I said tapping the steering wheel, "yours is definitely sexy."
She giggled again making me chuckle.
"Come on, say something in Gaelic," she asked.
"How do you know that I even know Gaelic? It's an old, dead and buried language."
"But you wolves have a tie to history, right? I mean, you live in a castle."
"I live in a - yeah, okay I live in a castle," I finished.
She giggled again, "Do you know Gaelic?"
My silence gave her, her answer.
"Say something."
I sighed, "chan eil fhios an t-seann marbh cànain."
She fell into giggles, stirring in her seat.
"It's not that funny," I told her through my chuckles.
"But it is. The way you pronounce everything. It's so -."
"Manly, rich, fresh," I suggested.
"Butch."
I shrugged. Not the worst insult.
As we entered the town, everything changed. Our conversation died and everything became tense.
My little Witch was nervous. Keeping my eyes on the road, I reached over and took her hand. She jumped at my touch but soon relaxed.
"It's okay. Moira's a friend," I reassured.
She was silent and shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable.
"Can you feel her?" I asked her.
She nodded.
Before she knew it, I was parking out the front of the little shop.
The shop's two large windows were draped with purple curtains and even had a small pine tree in one of them. An OPEN sign hung in the front of the door telling me that we had come at the right time.
Warm memories flooded my head of my mother taking Allie and I here often. It was where Allie's skill for stealing things was born and where I leant all I knew about snatching stuff from watching her.
Just as I was about to get caught up in the memories that I had buried, my gaze turned to Bleu. She was one minute away from making a run for it.
Before she could, I took her hand.
"Don't even think about it, Little Witch," I warned her, "we're seein' her."
She didn't fight me. I didn't think she knew how to use her voice anymore, she was that nervous. As I went to touch the door, she pulled back.
"She knows we're here," Bleu stated, her gaze off to the distance.
"Aye," I shrugged, "because we are."
Before she had time to run away, I opened up the door, cringing at the sound of the little bell.
"I've always hated that thin'," I muttered, closing the door once Bleu was in.
"Well, well, well," Moira's familiar voice echoed from the back room as she came through the door, "First Malcolm, now you."
Instantly, Bleu skittered over to me, using my body as a shield.
As she saw something to fear, all I saw was the little lady, with white hair that fell over her shoulders. Her bright eyes shined, revealing her youth when her face showed a tired old lady. Her smile was still sharp and I knew if I missed behaved, she wouldn't think twice about hitting me over the head.
Knowing that she had jumped to the wrong conclusion, I started, "Moira, it's not what you think -."
"Oh of course not, you Bampot," she waved me off, waddling over me, "where's my hug?"
Instantly, I wrapped my arms around her body, hugging her tight. And just as I let go, pain shot through my head.
"Ow!" I yelled.
"You Patterson children are so ungrateful. I brought you into this world, you know I can take you out," she threatened.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I brushed her off, rubbing my head, "you've been sayin' that threat for thirty-three years."
"Aye, and you bloody haven't listened," she huffed, "now, you want my help."
"Aye we -."
"Not you," she spat, "she does, don't you honey?"
I turned around to the frozen little witch. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Moira like she was something from her nightmares.
"Oh Honey, why you lookin' so scared?" Moira asked, taking a couple of steps forward and taking her hands.
Bleu jumped at the sudden touch before her head dropped. They whispered a chant that I wasn't sure was even a language before they broke apart and lifted their heads.
"Aye, I thought it was you," Moira started, nodding her head, "your ancestors came to me in a dream a couple of nights ago."
"Your process that power?" Bleu asked, "you can communicate with the ancestors?"
Moira nodded, "Aye, Bleu Une Fleur. And with time so will you."
Instantly, Bleu dropped her head and swallowed as guilt consumed her face.
"No, I won't," she muttered, "I can't control it."
"Oh Honey, that's only because you've been missin' a big part of you," at Moira's words, Bleu's head lifted and she frowned, "but you've got him now."
"What?" Bleu asked.
I didn't even notice but I had dropped my gaze, realizing what Moira was saying. Aye, witches didn't have mates. But that doesn't mean that they didn't have people that were designed for them too.
"Take a seat and I'll explain," Moira waved us over to the table behind the purple curtains.
Moira sat on one side as Bleu and I sat on the other. She held out her hands, palm up.
"Take my hand Darlin'."
Bleu did as she was told placing one in hers.
"Graham," she snapped, clicking her finger.
"Oh," I said, shaking out of my fog and placed my hand in Moira's other one.
"Now take each other's hands."
Bleu and I shared looks and I was transported to high school when boys and girls couldn't hold hands. Shaking the thought out of my head, I took her hand watching as her mouth dropped in protest but nothing came out. I couldn't help but be smug with that.
"Bleu, channel his strength," Moira told her.
"But I -."
"Bleu, do as your told," Moira sighed, shifting in her seat to get comfortable.
Bleu gave an uneasy look but I nodded, telling her to do it. She looked so nervous. Like one wrong move and she would go off running.
"Fortitudo mea et fortitudo mea. fortitudo mea et fortitudo mea. fortitudo mea et fortitudo mea."
I didn't have time to wonder what she was saying. Already I could feel her magic flow through me, feeding on my insides. My wolf stirred trying to understand what was happening. My muscles tensed as I struggled to stay still, to stay me.
"What's happenin'?" I groaned, blinking away my golden eyes.
"She channelin' you strength," Moira told me, keeping her eyes shut, "she's usin' it to control her magic."
I groaned again, trying to get used to it. It wasn't like my wolf which I could physically feel move inside of me. It was hot and flowed like my blood in my veins.
The heat died and it wasn't until I saw Bleu's hand just above mine that I had realized what had happened. She had let go and stopped channelling.
"How did you feel?" Moira asked her.
"Strong. Controlled," Bleu answer, her voice monotone.
Moira nodded, knowing that would be her answer.
"How do you feel now?" She asked.
Bleu swallowed, bringing her palm in front of her, staring like it held all the answers.
"You'll continue to feel like until you're connected to him."
I bit my lip again, realizing what she meant. Bleu wouldn't be in control until I marked her. And as much as I wanted that I knew Bleu wouldn't feel the same.
Bleu frowned, "what do you -?"
"Bleu," I stopped her, taking her hand, "I have to mark you."
Bleu's mouth dropped and I could see the tears start to fill. I bit my lip to stop from saying, no one's ever cried at the idea of shaggin' me, knowing that it wouldn't help her.
Shaking away what ever thought was playing in her head, she asked, "Mamma never said that would help me. Does every witch have this problem?"
Moira shook her head.
"You're a very powerful witch Bleu Une Fleur, which I'm sure you know. I mean, that's why he took you."
I frowned not understanding what she meant till Bleu gasped.
"How do you know about him?" She asked.
Moira shrugged, "I know a lot more than you do but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."
Moira's gaze turned to me, trying to tell me that she knew something that I was supposed to know to but I didn't. I had no idea what was happening other than that Moira knew that Bleu had been taken.
"But seein' that you two are at the start of the relationship and by the look on your face you're not too keen on shaggin' that one quarter man the rest dog fur over there."
"Hey," I snapped, "I thought I was your favourite."
"My favourite would have called me after their parents died. Not this, I got my mate pregnant or my mate has magic issues crap."
"Alright, alright, I'll call next time," I promised.
"Too little too late, Darlin'. Now as I was sayin'. I gave some of my grimoires to your mother. It's a big magic book -."
"I know what a grimoire is," I groaned, rolling my eyes.
"Aye, I want you to find it. Bleu, Honey, it will help you okay."
Bleu nodded like a little girl, nodding to her parents once they told her the house rules the first time they left her alone.
"Can I trust you to find it?" Moira asked me with that judgie little look.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Everythin' is in the attic. I'm sure it's there."
I hope. But hey, I had a brother that lived in that same attic for years before he met his mate. Maybe he'll help.
She nodded, half believing it.
Turning to Bleu, she looked like a lost puppy. I could tell that she was uncomfortable and scared. She was always uncomfortable and scared. But she didn't have to be. Not anymore.