“How so?” King’s eyes narrowed. If there were going to be problems, he wanted to know about it.

  “I believe the wolf you saved is Marilee’s kin. Possibly her mother.”

  King was floored. Of course, he’d had a strange feeling about it when he’d seen the white wolf in the box, but he had dismissed it as just too much of a coincidence. But, if the Goddess was truly involved in all this—and he had to believe She was, based on the light show around the altar—then the highly improbable coincidence made a lot more sense.

  “You will have to be strong for her,” Gus went on quietly. “Your mate is a strong woman, but her Light has been hidden for a very long time. You will have to help her find it and embrace it, as she is doing, now. She’s following her instincts—perhaps for the first time in her life. I have never seen a more powerful spirit who has been more repressed. Your task will be to allow her to blossom and not crush her further, but I have faith that, if the Mother of All put you together, then you are just the bear for the job.” Gus turned to level a hard look at King. “Don’t let me down.”

  And with that, the other man walked away without giving King a chance to respond. King just shook his head. He wasn’t sure what he would have said in response to such blatant interference, but he supposed the shaman meant well.

  It was usually quite difficult to gauge the age of a shifter who had reached maturity, but something about Gus seemed older. Wiser. Maybe that was just the shaman vibe, but King suspected it was something more.

  Shifters could live for hundreds of years. King and his brothers were closer to the century mark than not. A lot of the Grizzly Cove core group were older than that. Gus had been one of those former military unit members, but he had a whole different feel about him than those other guys. Gus felt…not exactly ancient…but as if he had seen more than the average bear in his lifetime.

  King wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Gus had a lot more years behind him than anyone suspected. Maybe that’s why he’d chosen the shaman’s path. King didn’t really know how people were chosen—or chose for themselves—a career path of a holy man, but however it had come about, there had to be some deciding factor. Some incident that made them go one way instead of another.

  The light around the altar flared, getting King’s attention. Something was happening.

  The light began to fade to more bearable levels, and he could see the shapes of the two white wolves amid the brilliant white light. It pulsed with their heartbeats, which seemed to be beating as one, and with each pulse, it faded a little more until, finally, it was gone.

  Marilee stirred, raising her head to look at the other wolf. Then, after a long pause, the eyes of the injured wolf opened. Marilee whined, and the wolf answered. Smiles broke out all around the circle. The white wolf was awake.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Of all those gathered around, it was Babushka who came forward to stand before the two wolves on the altar. Her lined face and calm presence seemed to generate reassurance, which was desperately needed, now.

  “You are among friends,” Babushka assured the trembling wolf. “This young wolf and that handsome bear rescued you from people who were following them, intending them harm. You are in Grizzly Cove, behind a magical ward that evil cannot penetrate. You are safe.” The injured wolf seemed to breathe a little easier, but she was still trembling. “Look around you, my new friend. You must recognize a sacred circle when you see it. I’m sure bad things have happened to you for too many years, but I hope you will see that the horror is over. We mean you no harm.”

  Marilee caught sight of King, standing off to the side behind Babushka, and she wanted to go to him. It was instinct, and her wolf form followed it. She jumped off the altar and went to his side, gratified when King crouched down to accept her wolfish kisses. She was so happy to see him. She didn’t know why he’d come, but both halves of her being rejoiced in his presence.

  The white wolf let out a feeble bark, and Marilee paused to look over at her.

  “Do you want to talk to her?” King asked gently. Marilee nodded, but she still had hang-ups about being naked in front of everyone. King seemed to understand because he unbuttoned his shirt and held it out to her. “You can put this on, honey.”

  She wanted to kiss him again, but there were more pressing matters. She went behind him and shifted quickly, putting on his giant shirt, which fit her like a dress. Okay. It was a short dress, but it still covered the essentials. She felt better able to face the others with a layer of fabric covering her, and King’s scent clinging to the thin cotton was both delicious and reassuring. She walked out from behind King and went over to the wolf.

  “Hi,” she began in a gentle tone. “I’m Marilee.”

  At the sound of her name, the wolf on the altar whined again, and light shimmered as she shifted into her human form. She was shivering even worse in her skin than she had been as a wolf, and Gus came right over with a thick Indian-design blanket that he put over her. But everyone had seen the terrible bruises all over her skin and the crusted cuts and sores. She needed medical help. That much was clear.

  “I think maybe we should take you to the clinic in town,” Urse said, stepping forward. “Our doctor is both an M.D. and a polar bear shifter. I think you’ll like him, since he has white fur, too.” She smiled kindly toward the frightened woman.

  The woman reached out one hand from under the blanket. She was reaching for Marilee. When their hands touched, sparks of white danced joyfully upward from their hands for a brief moment.

  “Will you stay with me?” the woman rasped out, her voice ragged from disuse.

  “Of course,” Marilee said automatically. There was no question in her mind. She wanted to be near the white-wolf woman. She wanted to know who she was. “You’re the only other white wolf I’ve ever seen,” Marilee said softly. “You’re like me.”

  “I’m your mama,” the woman said, gasping a little as emotion overcame her. Tears rolled down her gaunt face, but they were happy tears. Just like the answering tears that came from Marilee’s eyes.

  When the woman tugged on her hand weakly, Marilee answered by moving forward and putting her arms around the woman’s shaking shoulders. They stayed there for a while—Marilee didn’t know how long—before King’s gentle voice came to her.

  “If you’ll allow me to carry you…” he said, speaking so gently, it touched Marilee’s heart. He was such a good man. “We can drive you into town in Marilee’s SUV, so you can get the medical care you need.”

  Marilee drew back and looked into the eyes that were so like her own. Blue, and filled with happy sparks, though she was otherwise physically weak. Her spirit shone strong.

  “This is King. He rescued you. And me,” Marilee added. “He got us here, to safety.”

  “I’m Laura,” the injured woman said. “Laura Stanhope.”

  *

  King carried Laura into the small clinic. The doctor had been alerted by phone that they would be coming to see him, and he and his staff were standing ready to help. He directed King to a private room with a large bed in it. He set Laura down on the mattress and stepped back to let the medical people take over.

  The doctor, a large man with blond hair, shooed everyone out, but Marilee insisted on staying and holding Laura’s hand. She’d done so the whole trip here, sitting in the back seat with the injured woman, holding her upright with Gus on the other side, helping, while King drove as quickly and gently as possible back into town.

  King let the doctor push him out…just so far. He hovered in the doorway, keeping an eye on Marilee. She would need his support, and he would be there to lend it because that’s just what mates did. He would help her through this, and he’d help her mama too. They’d make sure Marilee’s mother had everything she needed in the coming days, weeks, months, even years, if that’s what it took for her to get back on her feet physically, emotionally and magically.

  King felt a presence beside him and wasn’t surprised to find the Alpha bear had come to see what was going on in his town. John had a concerned look on his face, and King followed him a few feet away from the door so they could talk without disturbing the patient and medical people inside the room.

  “How is she?” John wanted to know.

  “I assume Urse told you what happened at the circle,” King began, receiving a quick nod in reply. “We just got here a few minutes ago, and the doctor shooed everyone out, but Laura asked Marilee to stay, so I’m staying close, as well. So far, the doc hasn’t said anything, but he’s been muttering to himself a bit. I don’t think he’s happy, but he seems to be taking care of the worst of the injuries, first. Marilee and Laura have been talking quietly. I can’t hear all of it, but it sounds like Laura was running from a mage with her baby, years ago, when she happened across Tobias’s territory. She begged the Alpha to take her daughter and keep her safe, and in those days, Tobias was a strong enough Alpha with a big enough Pack that nobody would dare intrude on his territory.”

  “That’s awful,” John said quietly. “She left her daughter with a strange Pack and drew the evil away, I’m assuming.” John looked toward the open door to Laura’s room. “Brave woman.”

  “I guess she intended to go back to get Marilee once she lost the pursuit, but it didn’t work out that way. She’s been held prisoner all these years, her magic siphoned off a little at a time until she escaped somewhat by putting herself into a kind of magical sleep. They could still use some of her power, but not all. You’ll have to ask Urse to get the specifics, but it sounded like some complicated magic to me. It kept her alive, but she’s in very bad condition, physically and emotionally. I suppose she has a lot of scars.”

  “Urse has been in consultation with the grannies. Babushka believes that Laura is only part shifter. She’s far too magical for a werewolf, and the white fur Marilee displayed—her coat healthy, when compared to Laura’s—has the old lady convinced they have mage blood. Or maybe even fey blood.”

  King was shocked, but it all sort of made sense. Marilee’s wolf was able to withstand more magic than any wolf he’d ever seen. And her coloration wasn’t just white. It was pure white. So bright, she almost glowed. And she definitely had glowed in the stone circle. If that wasn’t magic, he didn’t know what was.

  “If that’s the case, then that’s probably why Laura is still alive. Fey are not of this realm, right? Maybe that’s where she went when she sent her consciousness away,” King mused.

  The doctor’s blond head peered out of the open doorway at them. He was glowering. “Laura says you’re very astute for a bear, and that it’s a little rude to be talking about her when she can hear you perfectly well. I’ll add, either come in and talk with her while I work or get yourselves gone. I don’t have time to play telephone with you all.”

  “Grouchy,” King mused, smiling. “But he’s right.”

  John approached the now-empty doorway and looked as contrite as a giant Alpha bear could…which wasn’t much. “Sorry, ma’am. I forgot about wolf hearing, which, I’m reluctant to admit, is a little sharper than our own. We meant no disrespect. I’m John Marshall, Alpha of this town.”

  “Laura Stanhope,” she replied. She looked so pale among the white sheets, her pale hair a lighter shade than Marilee’s strawberry blonde. The doctor was working on her back and leg, and she was propped up on one elbow, surrounded by supporting pillows, facing the door. “Thank you for giving me sanctuary, Alpha. I’ll try not to be too much trouble.”

  John chuckled. “Ma’am, perhaps you need to know more about our town before you go making promises like that. Although it was not my intention, we seem to be trouble magnets just lately. Your presence is the least of my worries.”

  The woman frowned. “Is it safe?” Her frightened eyes shifted to Marilee.

  “It’s safer here than anywhere else, right now,” John was quick to assure her. “My mate and the other folks who were in the stone circle with you are making sure of that, but full disclosure—we do have a little sea monster problem that we’re working on. And we have been repelling Venifucus agents, on and off, for the past couple of months. They can’t get through the new permanent ward around the town, but they keep trying. Stupid, really, since so many of them die in the attempt, but then, that’s less bad guys for us to fight later.” John shrugged as if the lives of a few evil folks didn’t matter.

  “You have permanent wards?” Laura asked, seeming to calm a bit.

  John nodded, pride coming into his expression. “That is a special gift of my mate’s,” he told her. “Until Urse cast the ward, the leviathan and its little friends were right in the cove, reaching out to attack people on land. Urse stopped that, and her sister pushed them further out to sea, but they’re still out there, menacing us. We’ve got help coming that will hopefully be able to send the leviathan back where it came from, once and for all. Until they get here, though, we have to bide our time.” He paused to let that settle in their minds before going on. “You’re more than welcome to stay. Anybody who serves the Light and has links to our community is welcome.”

  “But I have no links.” Laura looked puzzled.

  “Sure you do,” John replied, looking at King.

  “My brother just mated and moved here. His mate is Marilee’s best friend. That’s why she was on her way here. Through Marilee, you have ties to this town,” King told her.

  He wouldn’t talk about being mated to her daughter. Not yet. First, he had to get Marilee to agree, and then, he’d break it to this poor woman as gently as he could. She’d only just gotten her daughter back after who knew how many years of torture and imprisonment. He didn’t want to tell her, right this minute, that her daughter was newly mated and would be living with him, if he had anything to say about it. Perhaps they could build a mother-in-law guest house on their property…

  But he was getting way ahead of himself. They had to finish Ace’s house, first. Then, he had to talk to John and the town council about the possibility of settling in the cove and buying the property next to Ace’s, so he could build a house of his own for himself and Marilee. He had to get her on board with that whole plan, as well.

  They didn’t have to live next to Ace and Sabrina, but he thought Marilee might like to be near her friend, and he couldn’t really imagine not being near his brothers. He’d already thought about building a guest house for Jack, but if Laura was going to stay, she would have first dibs. Ace could always put a place for Jack on his land.

  Then, there was the whole question of work. Did the town really have enough work for two—and possibly three—mechanics? All of these questions would have to be ironed out before he could rest easy, but they had time. The bears of Grizzly Cove weren’t going to throw them out just yet. Marilee and her mother had been granted sanctuary, and they had time to figure out the rest.

  “King’s right,” John backed him up. “And we’re not in the habit of kicking people out of town that need a little help. Quite the opposite, in fact. Now, tell me. Are you part-fey?”

  Laura’s gaze went from John to Marilee, and she squeezed her daughter’s hand. “My line carries the fey blood. One of my ancestors fell in love with a fey warrior. More often than not, the women of my line turn out like me and Marilee. Whiter than the normal arctic wolf and a lot more magical. My own Pack didn’t mind, and I was safe as long as I stayed with them, but my mate was not a shifter, and where we lived was too much for him. Too rugged. Too cold. He wanted to study with a mage to the south, so we all packed up and headed down country.”

  “My father was a mage?” Marilee asked on a whisper.

  “Yes, sweetheart. He was a wizard as pure and gentle as the first fallen snow. He already had great skills when we met, but he wanted to learn more, so he set up to study with another mage, and we all went there. It turned out to be a nightmare. The other mage had a thing against shifters and basically threw us out on our ear,” Laura disclosed. “Then, we were hunted.” She shook her head and scowled. “Roger—that’s your papa’s name—tried to lead them away from us, but something happened. I felt our bond tear to pieces, and I believe he was killed by our enemies. Then, they came after us. You were so little. So vulnerable. I fled into the mountains, eventually coming to Tobias and his Pack. They were willing to hide you.” Laura’s cheeks were wet with tears. “I left you in his care, intending to lead the enemy away and come back for you if I possibly could. But I was captured not long after, and I’ve been a prisoner ever since.”

  Both mother and daughter were weeping, and Marilee moved closer, resting her forehead against her mother’s in a silent benediction. “It wasn’t so bad with Tobias’s Pack,” Marilee said softly, and King knew she was lying to protect her mother’s feelings. Brave girl. He wanted to hug her, but she hadn’t given him the right to such casual closeness.

  She would, he promised himself. He would wear her down with kindness. Make her give in with joy and laughter. No more tears for his lady love. Not ever again. He’d be there for her. No matter what.

  “All right, everybody. I think Laura would like some privacy for the next part. Everybody wait outside for a few minutes while we take care of some things and make our guest more comfortable, okay?” the doctor said in a loud, but friendly, voice. He had a woman assisting him who was probably a nurse but smelled of the sea. Marilee guessed she was a mermaid, and she’d been incredibly gentle with Laura so far, so Marilee felt okay about leaving for a few moments while they got her more comfortable.

  “Will you be all right if I wait outside?” Marilee asked her mother. Laura had seemed to get stronger the longer she was awake, and she wasn’t clutching at Marilee’s hand as tightly, anymore.

  “I’ll be fine. Go sit for a moment, but don’t go far. I have so much to say to you.” Laura’s voice broke on that last bit, and emotion rode close to the surface.