Shadow wolves: A burning desire (Book 5) - Complete

Chapter 8 - A dark spirit!

Fiona

Megan takes me to a hair salon and I shiver when the lady touches my head to wash my hair, grabbing onto Megan’s hand.

“Are you okay sweetie?” Megan immediately looks concerned.

“I’m sorry, I… For a moment… I’m sorry.” I stutter and don’t know what to say without alarming anyone.

“Are you Fiona? Erik’s mom?” The girl asks with a beautiful smile shining in her eyes.

“Yes, what did he do?” I ask suspiciously. She laughs and winks at Megan, who slowly lays down again in the basin next to mine.

“Oh no, he is the sweetest boy ever. I ask because of your hair. His hair is just as wild, and I have my hands full when I have to cut it.” She laughs, making me picture it and I can’t help but giggle. Realizing that I missed his first haircut.

“Fiona, you missed nothing.” She says as if knowing what I’m thinking. “He was screaming bloody murder. Telling me that I was killing his hair. Meg had to call Alpha to come and calm him down. I thought he was going to tear the skin off my bones. He was like a little Tasmanian devil!” She explains and I burst out laughing. What she described wasn’t anything.

“You are basically describing me when they tried to cut my hair the first time.” I laugh.

“I guess, like mother, like son.” Megan laughs. “Christiaan was next… after seeing Erik perform, he was scared to death and watched Lilly carefully. As soon as she was about to cut, he stopped her very gentlemanly, asking if his hair was going to scream as Erik’s did.” Meg cries with laughter. The girl washing my hair’s name is Lilly, making me feel a bit more at ease. We were almost in stitches by now, laughing at what they were telling me about the boys.

“What about Leo and Giselle, how are the babies?” I smile, but Megan’s face turns sad again. “Did I say something wrong?” I feel uncomfortable.

“That is a long story, honey. Leo was killed in the war. The babies are amazing kids now. Explaining what happened to Giselle, who is now Esmeralda, by the way, is a loooong story meant for a girl’s night, chocolate pancakes, and wine.” Meg sighs.

“Leo? Dead?” I take it in… He was like a big brother to me. I guess a lot more was lost that day than I realized.

“But today is about happy things.” Megan pats my hand while they towel dry our hair in front of the mirrors. Lilly pulls the towel off my hair and there is a golden stripe right in the front of my hair.

“What? Did you put that in?” I ask bewildered.

“No, we haven’t touched your hair colour yet?” Lilly looks shocked and Megan is openly gaping.

“That wasn’t there when we walked in,” She says, confused.

“Would you like me to colour it out for you?” Lilly asks, and I look closer. The colour is there, all the way down to my roots. I guess it is meant to be there.

“No, it’s meant to be there, you can leave it. I just don’t understand where it came from.” I study the golden piece of hair. The conversation changing to hair colour and the funny things Lilly and her staff have seen in the salon puts me slightly at ease again. She cuts my hair straight at the back for me, making it shorter after it has grown so long. When we are done, we sit down to have our nails done, and again I almost jump at the feeling of a stranger touching me.

“Wow, you have beautiful nails, Fiona.” The girl says, looking at my hands. “If you like, we can just coat them for now and let them grow out naturally. They are strong enough. I think they just need some TLC for now.” She says-asks and I nod, slowly putting my hands down for her to start working. I bite my tongue not to pull my hands away when she starts filing away to form the tips of my nails. Why, oh, why did I agree with this?! When our nails are done, I open my eyes and look at my hands.

“Wow, it looks so pretty.” I sit there gaping at how beautiful my hands look. “Thank you so much.” I smile at her, giddy like a schoolgirl. I don’t notice the looks of happiness between Megan and Lilly. We get up and Meg pays, dragging me to the next shop where there are handbags and shoes.

She buys me no less than five new handbags, a new purse, and an entire wardrobe of shoes in every possible colour and shape, arranging that they are delivered home. The more I protest, the more she buys. I have to admit that I do like the things she buys. They are beautiful, not what I would buy for myself because of the price, but very beautiful. Next, we went for lunch at a small restaurant.

“I came here the first time I came back.” Meg tells me, sighing.

“I know,” I say, remembering the day. “You looked so happy. Happier than I had seen you in a while.”

“You were following me?” Megan looks surprised.

“Yup. I was once a shadow, remember.” I grin when I realize I can still surprise her.

“How did I miss you? With that red hair of yours?” She almost bursts out laughing.

“Hey! We were taught how to hide. Besides, you didn’t see me. You sat here with your tablet, looking a bit lost. When you left, you walked down to the beach and that’s when Ant sent me and Matt home. After he told us that he physically walked into you.” I laugh. “He wasn’t meant to do that, you know,” I tell her, still laughing. “He was supposed to have just introduced himself.” I couldn’t believe that I never told her this story.

“Well, that was not what happened.” She also burst out laughing at the memory when our lunch arrives. There is a plate in front of me with steamed vegetables and a sirloin steak covered in cheese sauce. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered ahead. We still have a few places to go before we are done.” She grins.

“This is a lot of food. But I don’t mind.” I take my knife and fork, not sure which goes where anymore, and I get stuck for a second until she whispers for me to look at her. How could I forget how a knife and fork work? We eat in silence and I have a glass of water with my food, feeling a bit queasy halfway through the meal.

“Dr. M. said you won’t be able to eat big portions in the beginning. It’s fine if you can’t finish it, sweetie.” She probably saw me turn slightly green.

“I’m sorry Meg. It is delicious. I just can’t anymore.” I try and smile. Done with lunch, she drags me off to a clothing store… With her, it’s all brand names. From pajamas to business suits. She thinks of everything I could need and even want. Not forgetting some accessories, making me feel a bit ashamed that I can’t do these things for myself. When we walk out of the store, having given them the delivery address, I thank her for everything. Not sure how you thank someone for this.

“Sweetie, there is no need to thank me. I’m doing it because I love you.” Meg’s voice is soft.

“It’s more than enough thanks, Meg. Definitely more than I earn.” I say wide-eyed, walking in the direction of the car.

“Where are you going?” She asks me and my heart starts racing. What more could there be? I’m not going to have any space in my cupboard for more clothes.

“To the car,” I answer hoping to convince her we are done.

“Nope, we still have to buy stuff for the house.” She says as if it is a given.

“But Meg! You have already given me so much today, surely you can’t.” I try to stop her.

“Fiona darling, I want to, please let me spoil you. I know you are a very proud person, and I am driving you insane buying you all this, but please, only this once. Let me spoil you.” She walks up to me, taking my hands in hers, feeling me shiver, she lets go softly. I give her a nod, knowing she is not going to give up. She will just buy it without me there, and then I will have to live with things that I might not like… Like the shower curtain.

Matt

After we ran Megan’s errand, I join the guys for a drink. Anthony thought it would do me some good to do a bit of catching up with them. The new faces greet me like an old friend saying that my old friends had talked so much about me. Not having been in a pack for so many years, it felt weird to have so many guys around knowing so much about me.

“Are you okay dude?” Anthony asked through the mind link.

“Holy crap! You scared me half to death! How about giving a guy a bit of a warning before just jumping into his head, next time?!” I took a deep breath. I hadn’t mind linked in such a long time, but thankfully it came naturally.

“I’m just checking that you kept to your word.” Anthony laughs at me. Being away for so long should have actually turned me and especially Fiona rogue. There are so many unanswered questions! How my link with Fiona was blocked, how her link with the pack was blocked, how we didn’t turn rogue… Anthony walks up to me, slapping me on the back.

“Hey, you are supposed to be getting to know the guys again, yet here you are sitting in a corner hiding.” Anthony frowns.

“I am thinking, not hiding. Besides, the guys are having fun. Let them be.” I sigh and Anthony looks over at his men and laughs. It’s not often that they get out or have the chance to drink on the boss’s orders.

“So, what are we thinking so intently about?” Anthony keeps his eyes on the others.

“Did the moon goddess tell you anything about the dark force that was hiding Fiona from us?” Anthony frowns.

“No… I haven’t seen her in a while, come to think of it. Why?” I explain what she told me about the darkness hiding Fiona from us all, even from our bond and that, that was the reason I didn’t feel that she was still alive.

“Are you sure about this?” Anthony’s frown deepens.

“Have you ever found the moon goddess to be wrong?” I shrug.

“I guess not. Has she found anything yet?” Anthony sighs.

“Not that I know of.” I sigh deeply as a woman in a baby blue dress suddenly appears next to us and orders a whiskey.

“Hi boys, I heard you talking about me.” Moon laughs at our expressions at her sudden appearance.

“Do you have to do that!” Anthony softly growls.

“What?” She feigns innocence. “Do you want to know what I’ve found out so far or not?” Swallowing the whiskey, she stands up, evening out her dress as if she is going somewhere.

“Of course, out with it…” I sound a little impatiently. I need to know why I didn’t know my mate was alive. Why I didn’t go and look for her or why she had to suffer so much for so long without any of us knowing?

“The dark force grows around bad people… Well, okay, so that’s a given. This Emile guy that took her or at least the one she was sold to is one of the real bad ones. He deals in drugs, guns, and, of course, people.” Moon explains.

“Well, then let’s go take care of him!” Anthony straightens out.

“I agree! What are we waiting for?” I jump up, growling.

“You two!” She points her long index finger at me and Anthony. “Are going to wait to find out who or what the dark force around him is… A dark force cannot just pop out of thin air, you know.”

“You mean like you do.” I roll my eyes at her.

“Don’t be snarky. I was created, and just like me, dark forces are created. Only they cling to some kind of talisman. The talisman always finds its way into the hands of someone like Emile who can set it free. Whether they do it knowingly or not.” Moon explains, and I don’t understand a thing she is talking about.

“Like with Es. She has Book, I think. Sometimes I wonder if it isn’t the other way around.” I laugh.

“Not exactly. A talisman is some kind of item that links you to the magic. It’s not like Es. that has Book. In this case, it would be the spirit living inside Book and giving him the abilities he has. The book then is the talisman for Book. If that makes any sense.” Moon frowns for a moment and then smiles.

“Not really… just tell me how we kill it. That’s all I want to know.” I frown.

“First you two go home and sober up. Besides, I need some time to find out more. I don’t want anyone unknowingly bringing this talisman into our homes.” Moon instructs.