Luna's Angel Ch. 22-24

"How many houses are on the territory?"

"Just over fifty, ranging from two-bedroom cottages to large houses with six or more bedrooms. The Pack holds the mortgages on them, although they are sold for cost." She looked at the empty homes through the windows. "What will happen to the people who lived in them? My friend Francesca, she lost her mate when you attacked our Pack. She's left with their four children, she doesn't have a job. There's no way she can afford the mortgage now without his position."

Wendy moved forward and gave her a hug. "We'd never kick a widow out of her home, Angela."

"No, those that died will have their mortgages forgiven," I said. "They died under orders of their Alpha for their Pack, I can't hold that against them. If they choose to sell it to buy something smaller, they can do that too." I sighed as I thought about how much damage this Pack had taken. "It's going to take decades to recover, isn't it."

"It might, Alpha, but I think the recovery started this morning." Luke pulled his emotional mate into his arms.

"I hope so. What did you two do for the Pack before now?"

"I worked in the building maintenance group, and Angela was the Alpha's secretary." I raised my eyebrow, this was a good thing. The secretaries knew how things worked and knew everyone.

"Would you be willing to do the same for me, Angela? I can use your help getting the office up and running." She nodded, grinning widely. "And Luke, I will need a group to survey the empty houses and start prioritizing getting them ready. I don't know how many families are going to move here, but we could start seeing them by the end of the week. I'd like to have options for them when they arrive."

"I can do that, Alpha. About half of our maintenance group is still here, I will get them together immediately."

"Good. What I'm looking for is a list of available properties, approximate values, and any repairs needed to make them habitable with an estimate for the repairs. We'll use that to decide which houses to go after first." He nodded and we left the empty apartment, moving up the stairs at the end to the Alpha Wing.

The Alpha's quarters were at the end, on the back of the house, with his office and the adjoining Luna's office on the opposite side of the hallway along with a conference room. There were two guest suites and a small private kitchen and lounge area towards the center. "The Alpha's family was originally from Ireland, so he decorated the lounge after a Pub he visited in Dublin." I was impressed by his man-cave; darts, a long wooden bar, large screen plasma TV and some tables. Yeah, I could learn to enjoy this.

The vestibule area had Angela's desk, along with a comfortable waiting area and administrative offices for the lower level Betas. On the opposite side was the Beta's and Master-At-Arms offices, behind them were the Beta Quarters for the senior four pack leaders. "I want the portraits taken down," I told Angela as I pointed at the paintings in the vestibule. "We are now the Angel Pack, we will create a new history."

"Of course, Alpha." She led us to the front, and we took the elevator to the basement.

Storage rooms and maintenance areas were under the kitchen wing, while the Pack safe room was under the other wing. The doors were open, I inspected them; they were silver-clad steel doors four inches thick, set into steel and concrete-reinforced walls. "How many people and for how long," I asked as we walked into the open space. Dozens and dozens of bunks covered the walls, while tables were in the center and I could see medical and kitchen areas in the back.

"Design is two hundred people for two weeks," Luke replied. "All power and support systems are self-contained, we have our own well in the kitchen. The ceiling is two feet thick, reinforced concrete and insulated. We built it so the whole structure could burn around us and we'd be safe." The pride he had showed through, it was clear he was very familiar with the room.

"Did it work well?"

"Perfectly, Alpha. Before we came out after your attack, we did a critique. Other than needing to turn the food stores over more often and the kids wanting more and better video games, it performed its functions without issue."

"What about those who live or work outside the Pack house?"

"Every house has been built with a safe room, from a closet-sized for the small houses to a small room size for the larger ones. They are only designed for a few days, though. If we have warning, all the non-fighters come here." I liked the design, although I could already see that we needed to hold more people. I'd work on that later.

We had them take us around the common Pack areas, including the little stores and shops that gave this area a small-town vibe. "Does the Pack own these shops?"

"No, Alpha, but we do own the buildings and lease the shop space," Angela replied. There wasn't much, just enough to provide food, clothing options and other needs without having to drive fifty miles to the nearest town. "We also have a warehouse/office building at the edge of Pack grounds that functions as our post office, packages can be sent there and delivered by Pack members. We don't allow humans here."

By the time the tour was over, we could smell lunch and we joined the crowd heading for the dining area. The mood was much lighter at this meal, and the changes were starting to be accepted by the looks on their faces.

In the afternoon, Wendy and I went over the Pack finances with my father, grandfather, Angela and the Pack Accountant, Terry. I was pleased; we were on a much stronger financial foundation than I had dare hope. It helped that the Alpha and Beta had large private accounts which had reverted back to the Pack accounts on their deaths.

By dinnertime, I had a complete count of Pack members, and two thirds of them had already signed on as wanting to belong to Angel Pack. I was confident most of the rest would come around soon. Dinner was a lively affair, we spread out to spend time among them and learn their names. I told them that we would hold the Pack Acceptance Ceremony at moonrise the following night.

To add to the fun, Angela had already taken dozens of calls from werewolves or families that were inquiring about joining us. They were shocked to hear it was true, that the Alpha had already decided to accept any person who wanted to join. All she really needed, she said, was for us to have Pack Laws that they could review first.

I could tell Wendy was tired, and I took her hand to lead her back to our new room. Just as we reached the stairway, a young woman ran in. "ALPHA!" I could tell she was annoyed by the lack of Pack link yet. "The guard at the main gate said a woman is there for you. Her name is Stephanie Good."

"She's family, are the others with her?"

"No, Alpha, he just said her."

I didn't know what to think. "Have her escorted to my office, please." She ran off and I carried Wendy to the office. "Call my mother, see what is going on."

We couldn't reach my mother, our daughter or our guards. I looked up when a familiar scent approached the door. Stephanie opened it, a weird grin on her face. "Hello, Nathan. Hello, Wendy. I have something to show you."

She handed her phone to me, a Face-Time call was on the screen. My jaw dropped as I saw what it was.

Ch. 24

Grandma Elanor's POV

"Well, Jessi, what should we do while your parents are busy?"

She put her head on her chin, thinking. She was still a little upset at being left behind, and I was hoping to distract her so she wouldn't cry on the way home. She and I were in the back seat of the big SUV, with Stephanie in front of us. Phil was driving and Andrew was riding shotgun. "Can we make chocolate chip cookies? Momma always made them when I was sad."

I nodded. "We can try my grandmother's recipe, she taught me how to make them when I was just a little older than you." I held out my hand and she took it gently as we talked about what kind of cookies she liked. I felt a shift in my wolf, she was claiming this little one as family and I could feel the old girl's protectiveness. I smiled as she tried to pronounce "snickerdoodles."

Stephanie squealed in delight. "Hey, there's a Cold Stone Creamery shop. Let's stop and have a sundae." Phil looked at her like he just wanted to get home, but Stephanie pushed his shoulder. "It won't take long, and what is better than ice cream when you are a little sad?"

"NOTHING!" Jessi was all in favor of this.

We pulled into a spot and went in. The ice cream was sinfully rich, I ended up just splitting mine with Jessi because they didn't have a kid size and we both liked Cookies and Cream. By the time we finished talking and got her cleaned up, an hour had somehow passed. We all moved out to the big SUV again, and Phil got Jessi in the car seat while I settled in next to her. "Can I drive?" Stephanie was looking at Phil, who nodded and moved into the back. She started the car and I heard the locks click, then there was a soft POP noise and a canister rolled on the floor, a white fog coming out of it.

"What the... GAS!" Andrew tried to open the door but it didn't open. He turned back to Stephanie, she had pulled a mask from her purse and had it on her face as Andrew's strength failed and he slumped into his seat. I started to panic as Phil unbuckled and tried to get to her before he dropped to the floor.

I was trying to hold my breath but it wasn't working. I tried to reach over Jessi, who was slumped in her car seat but the black spots took over. The last thing I remembered was the car shutting off as I fell to the carpeted floor.

Nathan's POV

Wendy moved to my side, looking down at the phone in my hand as my heart nearly stopped.

Jessi was standing in a clear acrylic cylinder that was just higher than her. Heavy chains were wrapped around her legs, and her tiny hands were tied behind her back. A hose ran into the top of the cylinder, and the water was just above her ankles. Wendy's knees buckled, and my hand around her waist was the only thing that kept her from hitting the ground.

A furious growl rose from my throat as I stood to my full height, my fury and dominance unleashed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?'

"Don't do anything rash, you two. Your daughter's life will be spared IF, and only if, you do exactly what I say. Now sit down."

We sat on the couch, she pulled tight onto my arm. We watched the woman we loved, who we considered our mother, smirked in triumph as she stood in front of us. Wendy was crying as she looked up at her. "Why?"

"Oh, you foolish girl. You are much too young and trusting to have such power. You don't deserve it." She shook her head at me. "And now, you're going to give your power to me. In return, I'll have your daughter freed and you can go off and live with your mate. I'm helping you. Your new Pack will accept you once you are no longer a witch. Don't make the same mistakes your mother did."

She looked ashen. "What about my mother?"

"She was the greatest witch any of us had known, the leader of our coven. Together with me, we were unstoppable. Then she meets this dog and throws it all away." I growled at the implication. "It would have been a waste of her power and bloodline to mix with that, and his Pack would never accept her. I begged her to give up her powers to me, to become human again, but she refused. She thought she could have it all." She laughed. "She never figured out that I was the one who told her Pack's Alpha who she was and what your father was hiding from him. I thought she would do the smart thing, but the next day she was dead and you were missing. I thought her powers were gone, until I felt you release them."

"Why... why are my powers so important?" Wendy was full-on panicking as she watched the water, now over Jessi's knees.

"They belong to my coven, in the possession of a full-blooded witch. A half-breed such as you should not be trusted with them. Now, are you going to give them to me voluntarily or is your daughter going to die as you watch?" She laughed as she looked at the screen. "She's alone and scared, wondering if you love her enough to sacrifice for her. Well? Do you?"

"You're a fool, Stephanie." I stood up and looked down at her. "You threaten my family and think you will somehow get away with it? You know that I'm immortal, you know a werewolf will never rest if you harm his family. The last one who tried spent weeks in the muck of a latrine hole, his arms removed, until he finally died among the shit that he was. You'll suffer unimaginably for this."

She laughed at me. "No, I won't. With her powers, I'll be more powerful than you, and I'll be immortal as well. For the first time in history, the full powers of a White Witch will be unleashed and nothing will be able to stop me." She gave me a shove, and I sat back down next to Wendy while I thought this over. We both looked at the phone. "Tick tock, tick tock," she whispered.

Wendy shifted, straddling my legs as she took my face in her hands. "Love, I have no choice. I can't lose my daughter." Tears were streaming down her face, I pulled her so her forehead was touching mine. "Trust me, we'll get through this." She whispered some words, so soft my ears could barely make it out what she said. I closed my eyes, my head hurt suddenly and then she let me go.

I opened my eyes as she started to get up, then turned to her surrogate mother. "How do I know you're going to let Jessi and I go once you have my powers?"

"I said I would, and it's not like you have a choice, do you? Now let's go, she's running out of time." She followed Stephanie into the center of a room, where I watched as she set four white candles at the four cardinal points around her. Wendy knelt in the center, her head down.

"Are you all right, love?"

She nodded slightly. "I'm fine. When I tap my foot, I want you to push your hands towards her like you are tossing her in the air."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. I love you, Nathan."

"I love you too."

Stephanie had finished lighting the candles and stood above Wendy, her hand hovering above her head. She started to chant something, and a red light began to glow from her palm. I watched as Wendy went into a trance-like state, moving side to side, as tendrils moved from her head to Stephanie's hand.

Then she tapped her foot.

I jumped to my feet, pushing my hands forward and up towards her. Blue light flew from my palms, striking her in the chest and lifting her, tossing her across the room and into the stonework of the fireplace. I watched the shock on her face turn to nothing as her head struck the rock, before I closed my hands and the light stopped. She fell to the ground a moment later. "Wendy? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said as she got to her feet.

"What the hell was that?" I looked at my hands like they were foreign objects.

"Magic. I put mine inside you, all but one little part I needed so she could take it during the transfer. Come her, love." I moved to embrace her, and she put her hands on the side of my head and said some phrases I didn't recognize. The headache came and went as she took her power back. "Now come on, we need to take hers before she uses it against us."

I walked over and picked Stephanie up, carrying her to the center of the room. I set her down among the candles. As I walked past, I looked at the phone to see the water was now up to Jessi's waist. "We need to hurry," I said.

Wendy took her hands and held them just above Stephanie's. She chanted and a blue light appeared under her fingers; thirty seconds later and it had faded away. She collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as her body accepted the powers she had just taken. "We need to wake her up."

I went over to the sink and filled a glass with water, then dumped it on her face. She woke up, sputtering and looking around. She raised her hands, chanting something, then her face fell as she realized her powers were no longer hers. "What have you done," she said.

"I've taken your powers. Such power should not reside in someone so greedy and immature." Wendy smirked as she watched her squirm.

"You've just killed your daughter, that's what you've done. You can torture me, threaten me, but the only way she lives is if you give me ALL the power now." She stood up, a little shaky, and tried to act like she was in control.

Time to burst that bubble.

"You know, Stephanie, you think you know all about a witch's powers, but you are fatally ignorant of the power of an Angel." I walked over to her, and she started to back away. When her back hit the wall, she began to look around but my wolf growled low in my throat, almost BEGGING her to run. I reached a finger forward, touching the center of her head, and sent my mind into hers. Digging through her memories, I found what I needed. "Bind her," I said.

Wendy sent a flash of energy forward, surrounding Stephanie and lifting her off the ground as she flailed helplessly. I ignored her pleas as I grabbed her phone, using the code I sent a text message to Rebekah telling her, "Ding, dong the witch is dead."

We sat and watched the phone, where the water was now chest high. A woman in a mask came into view, pulling the hose from the cylinder. A plug was pulled at the bottom, allowing the water to run out. She then used a hoist to raise Jessi out, moving the now-empty cylinder aside before setting her down. She wrote an address on a piece of wood, then left the screen. I picked up my phone and called my father's Pack House. Speaking with his Beta, I passed along the address and he immediately sent men. We didn't relax until she was freed.

Wendy collapsed into my arms as we talked with the team that had just rescued her. They had also traced the SUV's GPS system and found the others, all unconscious but not injured. Everyone was being taken back to the Pack Clinic to be checked out.

"So..." I said to my woman as she snuggled her head under my chin. "You're immortal now."

"I guess," she said. "What do we do with her?"

I looked over at the woman I once considered family, disgusted by what she had done. "I can do it if you cannot. She cannot live."

"No." She got up and stood in front of me. "Witch stuff. I got this." Turning, she raised her hands and flames shot forward, engulfing her Aunt as she screamed in pain. Moments later, the flames stopped and the ashes fell to the ground.