Oath Sworn - K.N. Banet Page 0,40

on to life with all your fangs and claws, fighting against the tide that would see you wiped out. A shame, since wolves are smaller and weaker than you. They have one advantage, though. Pack magic.”

I bared my teeth. I knew what pack magic was. The ability for wolves to talk telepathically with each other, among other things. It made their hunting strategies the best in the world, and even though I could defeat a small group, the pack magic helped them to the bitter end. They were able to change plans and react while I fought alone and against the very tide he spoke of. It was the direct counterpart of a werecat’s territory magic, our ability to connect with our land and know damn near everything we needed to know about it, like if there were other predators entering it.

“You do know,” he said softly. “I should have expected that, really. Well, I gave you a boon that will even the playing fields, kitten. Now you can talk to anyone while in your werecat form. That means you can still communicate. Isn’t that nice?”

The puzzlement must have been clear even on my feline face because he laughed.

“Focus on me and think. Speak to me.”

I did as he asked, narrowing my eyes on him. “Like this?”

“Very good!” He clapped excitedly. “Perfect. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m done for the evening and—”

“Why? Why did you do this for me?” I needed answers. He’d just forced a fairy gift on me, god damn it. I had to know why.

“Because they broke the rules, the wolves. Their own and the Law. Don’t think I don’t follow the news and can’t put it all together. Keep Miss Carey safe, please. Just remember that I have human family. This sort of thing could encourage others to play badly. They must understand that there are consequences to it. If you fall to the wolves, there won’t be any repercussions for them. No one would dare try, including your own kind. But it would make your kind vulnerable to it happening again. This was a selfless, and yet selfish, gift. I ask nothing in return for it and cede the right to it. I would ask you to just remember. That’s all.”

Meddling. He was meddling in the affairs of werecats and werewolves for his own personal reasons. I had given him the opportunity and his reasons were, in a sense, sound. He had a point, a strong one. Werecats were only allowed to exist at this point because of the Duty. It was something I had been repeating to myself since Carey showed up. Failure wasn’t an option. Apparently, I wasn’t the only person who thought so, and his gift was a good one. A very good one.

“Thank you,” I said softly. His gift, freely given, deserved a thanks. He wiped the debt, but I gave it back to him. I would remember tonight. Forgetting it could prove deadly.

He waved once, then disappeared.

I felt edgy long after his disappearance. I jumped at small noises. Even my feline, finally letting go of control, didn’t know what to think about what had just happened.

Carey’s father, Heath, believed in fate. I was beginning to as well.

The night wore on and I trotted slowly back towards the motel, keeping my nose in the air, just in case the wind wanted to tell me anything about what might be nearby. I found nothing and went to the door of the motel room, thinking about Carey.

I lay down, waiting for dawn, protecting her door. I wasn’t worried about humans anymore. The cat and I were sated, and there was no one else at the motel. It was too dark and wooded to see the road. I was safe, and so was my human.

And I had a fairy gift, a permanent one. The world was a weird place.

9

Chapter Nine

I was still awake when the sun came up. Instead of waiting outside the door, I headed back into the woods, finding my clothing before the sun asked me to Change back into my human form. I collected everything and let my human form rush out, trying to mentally block out the pain.

What a strange night. I couldn’t really believe it, even though it had happened. Fae were meddlers, and if they could make something about themselves, they would. Brin was a fae. I really should have seen it coming. Hasan had spent years warning me to stay clear of them, but idiot me