Elemental Goddess
by: Wizardtho
Chapter 73: Tests and Gifts
BPOV
As Peter and Char fed with me settled against Jake, I asked Jasper to open the door and have everyone to congregate. They immediately did, so when they were sitting, I said, “I'm only going to tell everyone this once. This meeting is going to piss everyone off before we get any information from the shaman. There's going to be a shifter of some sort near the clearing. It's a test for Jake and me. If any of you move to harm the shifter without me giving Jake the word... or in the case of the vampires in attendance, me giving the word... we're screwed. This is serious, people. If Jake can't keep the wolves from attacking, the shaman is going to try to put the other shifter in Jake's spot as my protector. Jake deserves to be at my side more than anyone the shaman could try to put there, and you all know it.”
I heard a rumbling agreement from everyone in attendance, then continued, “The shifter will not advance on you. My inner goddess told me he wouldn't attack... but he will make a rotation around the field before the shaman makes him shift. You all will be interspersed around the edge of the clearing at an even distance, with a vampire between each wolf. From the feeling I got, the clearing is quite small, so there shouldn't be much room open between everyone. Do not let the shifter pass you until I give Jake the signal, then you hear me give the okay and Jake's bark. Any of you can growl, hiss, or snarl... but do not step one foot out of place until he tries to enter the field. Only then can you block him... but nothing more than blocking. Jake, myself and Major will be the only ones in the center of the clearing with the shaman until the point where I give the okay to let the shifter in. Once that happens, I'll call for everyone to fall in. This needs to be a choreographed dance, guys.”
With a nod from everyone, I said seriously, “Again, no one takes orders from Peter or Char during this meeting. Any of you may be tested on this today, so I need to make this clear. Only Jake, me, or Major can give an order in that clearing. If the shaman asks you to do something, look to me. If the test puts me out, look to Major. He will send Jake my feelings on what needs to be done. Jake, if he sends you a no-go feeling, none of the wolves are to comply. I mean it. No matter what the shaman says, you are never to leave my side in the clearing, Jake.”
Jake nodded, then Edward said, “He understands, and said he will give the order as soon as he's out of the SUV. He doesn't want to disturb you while they're feeding.”
Alice ran back to the other Suburban as soon as Peter and Char were finished, then came back with a wrapped package and an awesome pair of Valentino studded leather rope wedges in green. I smiled, then she asked all of the male species to 'please back the hell up, so that the goddess can dress.' Everyone chuckled, effectively easing the tension that had begun to build.
I had Char twist my hair into the hairstyle from the vision, then Alice and Char helped me dress in the butterfly sleeved backless jumpsuit. It clung perfectly to my growing baby bump. They both touched my tummy gently before helping me with my shoes. Jasper and Peter were right there with Jake, wanting to touch me, so I nodded once I felt it was safe for them to come to me. They all jumped at the chance, surrounding me with Char as Jake licked my palm several times. I giggled, “I love you guys, too.”
Once the hugs were out of the way, I looked to the pack, who was still in human form. “All of you go phase, bring your clothes back here to the SUV, then fall in for Jake's orders.”
As they dashed toward different trees to shield their clothing removal, I said, “When we reach the clearing I want Char on the western point, Peter on the southern point. Alice you take the eastern, and Edward take the northern. Jake, when the wolves get phased and you give the no-attack order, pair a wolf to each vampire. If one has a better connection with a certain vamp, pair them up. I don't know why, but this matters. The vampire will be paired to the wolf on their left, so make sure they know where to stand.”
The wolves were dropping their clothing through the open doorway to the Suburban one by one, then I heard Jake's double timbre bark as he sat on his hind legs next to me. It was a signal to everyone, which instantly caused a change in the atmosphere. I looked to Major as I felt my eyes change, “Time to Major up, My Love. Let's show this shaman who's boss.”
I saw the smirk appear as on his lips as I felt the change in his persona, the gold/orange of his eyes turning to a deep obsidian. I moaned at the sight, but Major smirked, “Soon, My Goddess. I promise we'll have time soon.”
I nodded, then looked to Jake. He bowed his head, then looked back at me, “Jake, as soon as we get into the clearing, I'll call for everyone to spread out. Make a slight growl, then have the wolves go to their positions. Remember, nobody moves without my okay.”
Jake nodded, so I said to everyone, “Jake, Major and I are lead. Peter and Char are behind us, with their partner wolves to the outside, then Alice and Edward with their partner wolves. Basically an inverted V with the vampires in the middle.”
I got a round of head nods, then I said, “Good. Everyone in position. Now.”
Once we were in position, I took a deep breath as I settled one hand against the fur in Jake's front leg, the other in Major's hand. It seemed like the whole forest fell silent after a few minutes, then I whispered, “It's time.”
Major and Jake both stayed right with me, my hands touching both of them as we walked through the woods to the clearing. I instinctively knew where to go, and that I couldn't let anything intimidate me, or the others would feel it. They were depending on me. I was determined to come through for them. I thought back to what my inner goddess said, and knew she was right. I needed to believe in myself, as well as my group. Were were tightly bound; we could do this.
I didn't even slow down when I hit the treeline to the clearing. I walked into the open space confidently, immediately calling, “Spread out.”
Jake rumbled a growl right as my last word rang out, then all of my group took up positions around the clearing. My eyes connected with the shaman's, who was sitting indian-style in the direct center of the small clearing. My eyes automatically seemed to swirl with power. I heard his breath hitch slightly, then felt the energy of an unknown.
This unknown's signature was nowhere near as strong as my Jake's. I almost wanted to laugh at this man's audacity to test me and my protector. My eyes never left the shaman's as my voice took on the ethereal tone of my Goddess, “I will give you one warning, Wise One. If your shifter makes one more step towards my people or pack, I will give the order to have his head removed and laid at my feet.”
I saw the slight shudder that went through him at my voice, but he made no move to make the shifter back off. I heard each and every one of my group growl in response. I sent Major the feeling of staying put, then felt his hand twitch against mine in acknowledgment of the command to everyone. I sensed as the shifter slowly made his way around the clearing at a 20 foot distance from my group, but other than the growls deepening as the shifter passed each of my group, no one made a single step.
When the shifter reached his starting point, the shaman immediately called out in a deceptively clear voice, “Kendrick. Shift and join us. We have much to go over.”
His eyes never left mine, yet my eyes swirled with more power as I felt the slight disturbance in the air with Kendrick changing forms. He chose to try and come into the clearing between Char and Leah. Both of them instantly blocked his way with menacing growls. I sent them the stay feeling again. With a twitch of Major's hand in mine, I knew they received it. My eyes still had not left the shaman's. I instinctively knew he needed to be the one to break contact.
It was several long minutes before the shaman finally broke eye contact with me. When he did, he bowed his head. I immediately called out, “Your shifter may join in the discussion only after he has successfully passed through my shield in both his animal and human forms. I will not tell him the process, as all who mean me no harm have instinctively known what to do. If he does not pass through my shield successfully, Wise One, know this as truth. He will not live to leave this clearing.”
The shaman softly responded with his head still bowed, “Of course, Goddess. Kendrick knows of the consequences already, but not of the tests you will put him through.”
After another minute of looking at the shaman, I finally let my gaze fall to the new shifter. “Char, Leah... escort Kendrick to me. The rest of you... fall in.”
Jake made a half-bark/growl as me, Major, and Jake all turned to Kendrick, my shield automatically popping up around the three of us. Kendrick immediately dropped to his knees, making Char and Leah halt in their steps. As the rest of my group stopped near the outside of my shield at various points, my ethereal voice made itself known again, “You may stand, shifter. Tell me, do you still think yourself more fit to be The Protector than my Jake?”
I ran my fingers through Jake's fur as Kendrick slowly stood to look between me and Jake. When he was at his full height, he bowed his head again as he shook it, “No, My Goddess. Your protector is very connected to you. We only meant to see. I never wanted to take his place.”
My sarcastic laugh rang through the small clearing as I pointed at the shaman, “Yet he would have tried put you in the place of my protector, should any one of my people or pack had moved on you.”
I turned to the shaman, “What type of protector would a shifter that does not want the job be to me? My Jake has been filling the roll even before he knew what he was doing. He has been my brother and best friend since the day he was born, trying to protect me from even myself since the day he could make a mud pie with me. He knows every detail of my life, every single one of my looks and actions. There is none better fit for my protector than Jake.”
The shaman bowed his head, “Of course, My Goddess... but we had to see that for ourselves before we could continue.”
Major growled at him a bit, but my gentle squeeze of his hand helped him calm. “Kendrick, you will step forward. When you reach my shield, you will instinctively know what to do if you mean us no harm. If you can pass through my shield in your human form, I will ask you to phase and repeat the
process in your shifted form. Know that if you should fail in either form, you will not live to leave this clearing.”
Kendrick bowed in acceptance, then came forward slowly when I called. He stopped just a foot away from my shield, then placed his hands gently against it, tracing the swirling rainbows of color for a second. He closed his eyes with a soft smile, then dropped his hands to the side and came forward into my shield. I nodded, then said, “You may shift and repeat the process.”
He didn't start running until he was a few feet away from my shield, but when he did, he was quick to reach the trees.
I felt the shift in the air as Kendrick phased again. When he stepped through the trees, he was a glorious looking gigantic bear. When he got a few feet from my shield this time, he dropped to the ground, then belly crawled until his nose touched my shield. After a second, he placed his forehead against it, letting his breath synch with the flow of the swirling colors. When he was in synch with it, he slowly belly crawled into my shield before touching his nose to my ankle. My shield dissipated, then my whole group let out a breath in relief.
“You have passed, Kendrick, and I know you mean us no harm. By your energy signature, I would say you are the leader of your tribe's protectors?”
He nodded as Edward came to Major's side, “He is, but there's a sadness to his voice. The recent death of his leader made him step up. He is trying to honor his former alpha by being a good one himself.”
I nodded, “What happened to your alpha, Kendrick?”
Kendrick shook his head, growling softly as he turned his head away from me to the east. Edward said, “A vampire... red-eyed... shit! It was Demetri, Jane, and Felix, Sweetheart. They slaughtered him.”
My growl filled the whole clearing. I got to my knees in front of Kendrick as I touched his cheek, “They will pay for the death of your alpha, Kendrick. I will see to it. They are three from the evil Italian coven that means to hunt down and take my mates from me, so that their leader can have me as a plaything.”
Now Kendrick's growl reverberated through the clearing, so Edward translated, “He swears on his ancestors that he will allow no one to do such a thing. He pledges his and his tribe's allegiance to the Goddess and her will.”
I nodded, “Thank you, Kendrick. Now, we have much to discuss with the shaman, but we will revisit the topic of your fallen former alpha soon.”
I looked to the shaman, “Do you still wish him to remain in his animal form, or would you like him to phase?”
The shaman smiled softly, “Kendrick will remain in his animal form for the time being. We do have much to discuss, Young Goddess. First and foremost is the mind link your protector has with his pack.”
I nodded, then turned to my group, “Make a half circle around the front of the shaman, sit your asses, and listen up, everyone. I want you to pay attention to what's going on, because I'm in no mood to repeat myself today.”
I watched as Ali and Char took places in between Edward and Peter's legs, and the partner wolves sat on either side of them. I nodded, then took the same position in front of Major, with Jake at my left. Kendrick fell in on my right.
Hmmm. Interesting. I figured he would have taken up position facing us, next to the shaman.
The shaman spoke in that deceptively clear voice again, “Your pack is not the only one with the mind link, Young Goddess. All shifters possess it with their packs. The problem you will come into, is that your protector is not linked to the other alphas, as you call them. You needed Messenger to relay information from someone other than your protector. If your protector were linked to the other alphas, he would be able to better control and lead your shifter army, My Goddess.”
I nodded, knowing I had already discussed this with Billy. The shaman continued, “I would like to gift you with this. I have been waiting for you for many lifetimes, My Goddess, and only wish to help you on your path.”
I closed my eyes. I felt that this truly needed to be done, but that there were questions that needed to be answered first. “Explain the process of linking to me, and why Kendrick on my right instead of next to you.”
The shaman chuckled, “Very intuitive, Young Goddess. Kendrick is taking the place of your protector's second in command for the duration of this meeting. You, Major Whitlock, will be upon the second's back during the first battle -if you have not chosen a protector by that time- as will all of you be with your partner wolves. Since the protector's second will not be joining you when you travel to your next location, Kendrick will store the second part of the gift within himself to give to the second when you return to Washington, then hold again until a partner is chosen for Major.”
I shook my head, not understanding. “Second part of the gift?”
The shaman nodded, “Yes, Young Goddess. It is similar to how your Jake senses your needs, but not as detailed. If there is trouble with one of you, the partner wolf would sense it, and would instinctively rush to aide their vampire. The same works in reverse. Your place in any battle will be upon the protector's back, never on the ground next to him for longer than a brief few minutes at a time. Major's fighting style will leave him open to either be on the back of his partner or beside him on the ground. The same with any of the others. Kendrick's fighting style would make him a good match to the Major in any of the other battles, but if both you and Major choose to give someone else that position, Kendrick will pass the gift to them.”
I thought for a second, then looked at Kendrick as I touched his cheek, “This is a trial basis, you know. You will need to be tested in mock fights to see if you are a true fit for My Major. I can not allow anyone to be at his side that will put him at risk. You must understand this.”
Kendrick nodded seriously, then I heard Edward say softly, “He says he hopes to earn the respect of you and your Major, that he knows the position of partner is an earned and honored position. He would never assume to be your Major's partner without proving himself.”
I nodded to Kendrick, then looked back to the shaman, “So Kendrick will pass the gift of partner to Quil before the battle. When the battle with Seattle is over, it will automatically be passed back to Kendrick, if a partner hasn’t been chosen for Major by then. The linking will stay no matter what, though, correct?”
The shaman nodded, “Yes, Young Goddess. The prayer, songs, and magics we will be working today will always be in effect, but never need to be renewed. They will only initially need you to draw the elements, then the elements will take care of the rest, with no danger to you. They will not take energy from you to complete, nor will they send off an alarm for you.”
He chuckled slightly, “That's the next thing on the agenda, Young Goddess. Your protection field alarms are drawing from you, putting you in an immense amount of pain. We will right that today. When you leave here, all the parameters you have set will still be in effect, but you will no longer feel immense pain when an alarm is set off, nor will you need to draw constant energy throughout the duration of one.”
My mates all let out a breath in relief, so I said to Major, “The vision of the nasty man with the funny words... Ali saw it with me. When the alarm went off, I was working through it like nothing was different, but since the spell hadn't been woven yet, my physical self connected to you still felt the pain. That's why you had to tell me to work through it.”
Major nodded, then I looked to the shaman, “What about the battle gear... and the vampire proof holding cells? I know you are supposed to guide us on what needs to be done.”
The shaman smiled widely, “Yes. Your protector's gear will be different from the other gear the partners wear, but I will guide you on what needs to be done. I have all the materials needed to make not only your protector's battle gear, but all of theirs, as well as one for whoever Major decides to choose as his partner. It has already been blessed on my end, but you may want to add extra blessings to the finished works. The battle gear must not be completed until after you make it to your next destination. As for the holding cells, I will impart my knowledge of the building process to Messenger before you depart.”
I nodded. I knew part of this from talking with my inner goddess.
Something came to me just then, so I said to the shaman, “Kendrick was also chosen for this because he is a bear, not wolf. You needed a different species of shifter for the spell to link minds... an alpha at that, for it to work.”
The shaman nodded with a small smile, “Yes. I needed a leader to be the one to link minds with your protector. It needed to be of another tribe unrelated to a wolf in any way. The coyote and red fox tribes would not have been a good choice, since their thought processes are too close to your wolf tribe. Since I am originally a member of the bear tribe, I chose Kendrick.”
I patted Kendrick's head in acceptance as the shaman said, “The two of them will need to be facing each other, with you in the middle as we do the weaving of the gift. You may need to meditate before we proceed, as I'm sure your inner self will have certain things for you to do to make it as successful as possible. You may begin as soon as you are ready, Young Goddess.”
I knew my inner goddess was calling to me, so I stood up. I looked around as I thought, then it came to me. I looked directly into the shaman's eyes as I felt my power swirl, “You'll need to move for the time being. I need to be in the direct center of the clearing when I do this.”
He nodded, so I turned to Major, “Major, you'll need to take his place, but strip down. The connection is needed. Kendrick, you're going to need to lay with your ribs against Major's back. Jake you'll need to mirror Kendrick at my back. Faces one way, butts the other way.”
I looked at the rest of our group, saying clearly, “Peter and Char, you two are around us in the south and west points as usual, with your partner wolf facing you from the outside. Your backs will be toward Major and I. Alice and Edward, same thing from your points. Edward, you're north, and Alice, you're east. Do not look away from your partner wolf at all during the process. Jake, you and Kendrick need to keep eye contact, too. Do not break contact. Edward, lullaby. There's immense magic bubbling up that I’ll need to tap into. Start as soon as the connection with Major is made, and don't stop until my shield dissipates.”
I looked to the shaman as my features softened, “This will look quite intimate, since Major and I will be connected and essentially making love. You will be seeing more than you ever wished for. I need you to understand that you must not disrupt the process, no matter what you see.”
I suddenly knew I needed to show him and Kendrick both, so I said aloud, “Mates, come to me.”
They all stood in a line before me in a split second. I said to them, “We need to check on our bonds. I need for Kendrick and the shaman to see, or they won't fully understand.”
They all nodded, so I looked deep in Major's eyes as we held each others hips. The soul piece was more glorious than it ever had been. After stroking it mentally, I smiled and kissed his lips lightly. He smiled brightly, then I felt my eyes change. I felt the shift from Major to Jasper, then cupped his cheek, “Hello, My Love. Are you ready?”
He hummed, leaning into my hand, “Yes, Darlin'. Whenever you're ready.”
I nodded, then looked deep into my Jasper's eyes. I smiled again as I saw my soul piece, stroked it gently, then backed out. Jasper kissed me lightly, “I love you, Darlin'.”
I grinned, “I love you, too, Jasper.”
Jasper released me with another peck to my lips, then I went to stand in front of Peter. He took my hips as I took his. I kissed him lightly, “Hello, my passionate mate. Are you ready?”
He nodded with a soft smile, so I looked deeply into his eyes. After stroking the soul piece gently, I backed out to see the most blindingly beautiful smile on his face. I kissed him lightly before he released me to Char.
I cupped both of her cheeks as I brought myself flush to her. As her arms wound around me waist tenderly, I whispered, “My Island Oasis... how I love you.”
I kissed her softly, then looked deep in her eyes. As with the rest of the soul pieces, the one she held was more brilliant than ever. I stroked it in recognition before I backed out. She had venom tears in her eyes and a beautiful smile on her face, so I knew she was happy with what she found.
With another kiss to her lips, she released me, then I said, “Everyone get into your positions except for the shaman and Kendrick.”
They all immediately went to do as I said, so I turned back to the shaman and Kendrick. I closed my eyes, centered myself, then looked internally to the bonds. I gasped before smiling widely at what I found.
The soul pieces for Jasper, Peter and Char were now thrumming with an immense amount of power, each having an element swirling on the surface. All were still the same color as before, but instead of pulsing with my heartbeat, they now pulsed with power. Jasper's green piece seemed to have leaves floating on an invisible breeze. Peter's red one seemed to flicker with passionate flames. Char's blue one seemed to have ripples of water on the surface. I automatically felt my eyes change as I looked for Major's, then felt his change from Jasper to Major just as Major's piece came into view.
My Goddess, that's beautiful.
Major's piece was now swirling with all of the colors, and had what looked like tiny tornadoes on the surface. After a second of looking at it, I backed out to meet Major's eyes. He nodded, “Yes, Isabella. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I could never’a wished for a better mate than ya are to me.”
I nodded, then looked to Kendrick and the shaman with venom-filled eyes and a small smile, “This is why everything must happen as I say during the meditation.”
My hands came out in front of me to cradle the four pieces of my soul that my mates hold, “These are the soul pieces my mates hold of me. Jasper's is green, Peter's is red, Char's is blue, and Major's is multi-colored.”
The shaman bowed his head, while Kendrick dropped to his belly with a rumble. I heard all of my wolves drop and rumble, too, as well as the gasps from Alice and Edward.
My hands closed, then reopened with the four pieces of my mates' souls that I held within me. “These are the soul pieces of my mates that reside in me. Again, the colors are the same.”
When my hands closed again, I said, “This is why you must not interrupt the meditation in any way. If anything were to happen, those beautiful pieces you just saw could be severely damaged. I have already had to go inside and heal Char's piece of my soul, as well as my piece of Peter's soul. Neither was easy to do, and the pain to both involved was immense. Shaman, I know you understand what will happen if one in a mate bond were to die. All four of us are bound as mates. All four of us hold a piece of each other. It is not just them to me or me to them. They hold a piece of each other, too.”
The shaman nodded seriously, then looked at Kendrick, “You must do exactly as the Goddess wishes you to. If one should fall, all of them will. Protect them with everything in you, Kendrick.”
Kendrick nodded, then belly crawled to his place behind Major.
I looked intently at the shaman as I felt my eyes swirl with power, “You will need to be outside of my shield. Place your hands on it gently, then start weaving your song and gift as soon as you feel the shield pulse with greater energy. Not one millisecond before. The materials for the battle gear must be in the shield with us, however. If you need to make any adjustments for that to happen, now is the time to do it.”
He shook his head, “All is well, My Goddess. No adjustments are needed.”
I nodded, then turned to everyone as I started stripping out of my outfit, “Let's get started.”
As soon as I finished stripping, I straddled Major's lap in a hero pose, then felt Jake snuggle up against my back. I wrapped my fingers into Major's hair, tugging hard on the golden strands as I smirked at him. He growled sexily as he nipped at my shoulder and grabbed my ass, then chuckled, “Time to play, Isabella?”
I moaned as my head fell back, then he nipped his way down to my love bites at my nipples, “Oh, God, I wish, Major.”
He let out another sexy chuckle, then said, “Soon, Isabella.”
He traced his fingers through my already wet folds, making my arousal skyrocket even more, then positioned himself at my entrance while licking my wetness from his fingers. I moaned at the sight, but Major gathered both of my hands behind my back in one of his as he grasped my hip with the other.
As he thrust in, he pulled down on my clasped hands, growling against my shoulder, “Soon I'll have ya bound for me again, Isabella. I'll have ya on my cross, hearin’ your cries beggin' me for more of my flogger.”
I whimpered at the thought, then swirled my hips slightly as Major settled fully inside me. He moaned, so I panted, “Right there. Stay deep and go slow. It's time.”
Major nodded to me as he swirled my hips again. Within a split second, my shield snapped into place around the group. I felt the energy signature of the shaman as he slowly slid his hands up the outside of my shield, knowing that he wasn't a threat. My eyes snapped to Major's as Edward began my lullaby, but not everything was right. Something was missing.
“Jake, Kendrick. You both need to sing in your ancestral language, now. Start now. Anything that comes to you that's positive in nature.”
As soon as both Jake and Kendrick started singing in their heads, I felt the power surge I was looking for, then the shaman started singing. He began walking clockwise around my shield, never letting his hands leave the surface or his voice waver.
When he got back to the starting point, I automatically heard myself say in the ethereal goddess tone, “Come ye as the ritual is sung; Spirit of Earth, Spirit of Air, Spirit of Fire and Spirit of Water. Lend your power unto the ritual, and work your magic through nature's rite! By all the power of land and sea, by the might of inferno and whirlwind, I call the Earth to bind this ritual, and Air to speed it well. Bright as Fire shall it glow, and deep as tide of Water flow. Count the elements fourfold; In the fifth the ritual shall hold.”
My shield flared wildly with all of the colors. As I called, “Earth!” my shield glowed green. The whole clearing rumbled as the ground shook, trees and flowers growing before our eyes.
My shield glowed silver as I called, “Air!” A constant whirlwind of air was added to the rumbling clearing.
Again, my shield changed to glow red as I called “Fire!” Large bright flames danced all around the still rumbling and windy clearing, not touching anyone, but making a barrier wall of fire around the outside of the clearing.
My shield glowed blue as I called, “Water!” Water flooded up from the rumbling earth to form large pools throughout the space.
When the water stabilized, my shield flared with all of the colors. Swirling lights shot out from me in each direction, forming a multi-colored bond between each vampire and their partner. I saw the bonds all shoot back toward me, but instead they gathered and settled on the materials for the battle gear.
The elements grew stronger still, then several minutes later, there was a large explosion sound. Everything went dead quiet, except for Major and I, who had reached our climaxes at the same time right then. Major and I both cried out our release to the heavens, then collapsed against each other as our orgasms and my shield dissipated.
Nothing moved in the whole clearing as Major and I calmed our breathing. When I looked up, my ethereal voice called, “It is done.. fall in.”
Jake rumbled a half growl from his place against my back, then everyone began to slowly fall in. The shaman slowly sat near the heads of both Kendrick and Jake, placing a hand of each of their noses. He closed his eyes, said something in an ancient language, then smiled up at me, “Most impressive, Young Goddess. The ritual went perfectly. All that we set out to accomplish with it is done. I will give you and your Major time to collect yourselves, then we will remedy the pain you receive with the protection alarms.”
I nodded, letting my head fall to Major's shoulder, then breathed, “I love you, My Mate.”
He purred softly as I scratched my nails down his spine, “As I love you, Isabella.”
Jake licked my palm as soon as I felt stable enough to turn and reach out to him. I patted Kendrick on the head. They both rumbled softly as Major scratched both of them on the ear. With another soft rumble, Major and I stood and dressed, but not before he kissed my growing baby bump twice.
Char and Peter came to us as soon as we were dressed, kissing us both lightly, then took seats with their partner wolves. We all ended up sitting in our former positions. The shaman now sat in the direct center of the clearing again with a small smile. “You are quite powerful, Goddess. It was an honor to witness you immersed in the elements and your mate. It was well worth waiting all these long years for your arrival. You are well? The future ones are stable?”
I nodded as Major cradled my tummy tenderly, “We are extremely well. The boys are stable and growing stronger by the minute. I am doted on quite thoroughly by all around me, so please do not fear for them.”
The shaman smiled, then asked, “Are you ready for the next ritual? You need not do anything but sit with your knees touching mine, our hands touching in front of us.”
I smiled as I patted Major's leg and Jake's head.
Jake licked my hand as Major kissed my neck and released me, then I walked the few feet to sit Indian-style in front of the shaman. Jake, of course, came with me, pressing himself right against my side. The shaman smiled at that, nodded to him, then held his hands up between us with his palms facing me. I mirrored his position while closing my eyes.
As the shaman closed the distance and touched his hands to mine, I felt the force of his energy signature. I chuckled wryly, “You have been holding out, Shaman. Your energy signature is much stronger through touch than it is without. You have been shielding, it seems.”
The shaman chuckled, “Very intuitive, My Goddess. Yes, I am shielding, but it was not to deceive you. The spell I wove to call allies to you... it works by drawing them to the strength and element of your energy signature. If mine were not shielded, they may confuse mine for yours, though it is much weaker. It was a precaution, because I too am earth-bound in element, and my energy signature is much higher than average in strength.”
I nodded, so he said, “Let us begin.”
The shaman sang and chanted for about 15 minutes. The whole time I could feel his energy brushing against mine, righting little quirks that I'd never noticed before now. Righting the quirks took a bit of energy from me, but when he was finished, I felt a strong burst of energy rush into me from him.
It made me gasp, which instantly had everyone on alert. I rushed to say, “Back down, he just surprised me is all. He gifted me energy, because of the amount I was losing from him fixing the wrongs. I wasn't expecting it. That's all. Jake, I mean it. Sit your furry ass down. Now!”
Jake rumbled at the shaman as he slowly laid back down, so I returned my focus to the shaman. He smiled softly, saying, “It was expected, Young Goddess. I did not warn you, and your reaction put them on edge. I would have been worried if he did not react in the way he did. No harm done, I assure you.”
When I nodded, he said, “It is done. You should have no more pain with the protection alarms. If you should ever come up against something that goes wrong again, search through your energy signature to find the kinks. Study them, unwind them carefully, then refill your energy. Have your protector and the other alphas sing in their native languages while you work. Never start with less than full energy stores.”
I smiled, “Thank you. I never noticed the little quirks before. At least now I know what to look for and how to fix them. Thank you for all you've done to help us, Shaman. Will you be joining us on our journey?”
The shaman shook his head sadly, then said, “I will not as of yet, but there may come a time when I will, Young Goddess. My place is here for now, guiding the allies that seek to join you. If the time should come for me to join you, I will know where and how to find you. As for the enchanted jewelry, make sure they are safe, and do not fall into the wrong hands. I can not unbind them from their purposes until you have the whole collection.”
I stood, then held my hand out to the shaman after he stood. He kissed my hand before saying, “Blessed be, Young Goddess.”
I smiled and replied in kind, “Beatus exsisto, Sapiens Simultas.”
After he bowed his head in respect, he turned to capture Edward's attention. Both of them closed their eyes briefly. Everything stopped while I had my attention on Edward.
When he reopened his eyes, both he and the shaman nodded to me. Everyone started moving again, so I turned to place a hand in Jake's fur, asking, “Kendrick, you are coming with us, correct?”
He nodded, then I noticed the clothing tied to his ankle. I smiled, “Do you need to take anything other than what is tied to you?”
His head shook, so I called out, “Everyone mount up. I want to be back at the vehicles soon, on our way home to our families.”
I saw everyone mounting their partner wolf. Major lifted the materials for the battle gear onto Kendrick's back before mounting up himself. I nodded, then flipped myself onto Jake's back. He rumbled a chuckle, so I said, “Not too fast, Jake. We have a newbie with us. You're faster than the others as is. I want to see what they can do with their partners, since I already know what we can do.”
Jake rumbled a bit, then Edward chuckled as he came up to me on Seth's back, “He's pouting, because he wanted to show off. He understands you wanting to see how we work together, though. We're all excited about finding out.”
I chuckled while looking at Major, “You ready?”
He smirked with a nod, so I called, “Well, lets find out then. I want you all to feel out your partners. Major and I will be behind you watching. Kendrick will be tested once we are safely back home.”
I watched Peter chuckle something to Embry, Char pat Leah's neck, Edward scratch Seth's ear, and Alice ruffle Paul's scruff. It was like an automatic signal to each wolf, as they shot off into the trees. I giggled at Jake, “Let's ride, Jake,” so he shot off behind the other wolves, making sure Major and Kendrick stayed right beside us.
A few times I heard Jake or Kendrick rumble about the antics of the others, but Major laughed, “I think they're all matched well to their partners, My Mate.”
I beamed at him, then asked, “You ready to go home to our family?”
He nodded with a gleam in his eye, but said nothing. I chuckled, then leaned up to Jake's ear to let him know what I was going to do.
With Jake's barking laugh, I knew he would prepare Kendrick. I was right when I saw a sparkle in his eye as he looked our way. I giggled loudly as I did a sudden half turn and flip, so I landed on Kendrick's back, sitting right in front of Major facing him. He growled playfully, nipping my neck, “Feisty, Isabella. Ya really wanna play, don't ya, My Goddess?”
I moaned as he tugged my nipple lightly, “Fuck, yes. I miss your cross. Please tell me we'll make time to play soon. I don't care who has to wait. I need you.”
He gently bit my neck, then said seriously, “I promise I'll work somethin' out for us to play as soon as possible, My Mate. I can feel your need for me. I won't make ya wait longer than necessary.”
He pulled me in for a sinful kiss right as we reached the clearing the vehicles were in, then I moaned as he chuckled and broke the kiss with a spank to my ass.
Kendrick came to a smooth halt right near Peter and Char, then got down on his belly slowly. Peter held his arms out to me as Major dismounted.
As I hopped down into Peter's arms, I watched Major go around to the front of Kendrick. He held his cheeks while looking into his eyes. I just knew he was thanking him for being careful with me on his back. Kendrick made a sort of rumbled whine, so Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind while saying to Major, “He says that he may not be bound to you as your partner shifter, but he hopes to earn that honor. He would never do anything to jeopardize that or the goddess in any way.”
Major nodded, “We'll see about testin' ya out before ya hand over the partner gift to Quil for this battle. Just understand that I may wanna test some of the other shifter alphas as well, if they work well alongside Jake. Now there's much to discuss on the way back to Washington, and Isabella will need to nurse soon. Please inform your pack not to approach Cullen protected land until after our return. Have them come only close enough to let the wolves knows they've arrived. Jake will make sure our pack knows not to move on them. Have them keep low, and inform ya if there's anythin’ incomin' toward Cullen land.”
Kendrick nodded seriously, then a minute or two later, both Jake and Kendrick nodded to him. “Alright, Jake ‘ll be stayin' in his wolf form, but we can't fit both of ya in the SUV with us while you're phased, so I need ya to shift back to human. We can go over what you'll need to understand on the way while Isabella relaxes and lets someone feed.”
Kendrick nodded, then dashed off to the closest tree cover to shift.
Once we were all settled, Peter and Char decided to sit up front, with Jasper behind me and Kendrick at Jake's front paws. I chose to have Edward and Alice feed this time. As soon as we were moving, I dropped the top half of my jumpsuit as I settled back against Major. He placed his hands tenderly on my growing tummy, then Alice and Edward both took quickly to feeding.
I think they missed the intimacy of it, so I concentrated most of my attention on them while Major explained the dynamics of what Kendrick's pack was getting into. I stroked their necks, kissing the tops of their heads as they fed deeply, while they both traced the swells of my breasts and tummy lovingly.
After Major got done explaining the extremely short version, Kendrick let out a long breath, “Wow. To think you went through so much in such a short time... and you were just turned before you left for the meeting?”
I nodded with a soft smile as I turned my head to look at him, “Yes. You got the extremely abridged version, but you get the gist of what we are up against. Italy wants me as a plaything to use, Texas will not hesitate to kill my mates to have me, but would love to have all of us, and Seattle thinks she's making an army of newborns for a mate-for-mate vendetta. I'm a danger magnet, Kendrick. It just latches onto me out of nowhere, so we all have to keep on our toes. I won't kill needlessly, but there will undoubtedly be many more deaths on my hands before this is over. I've already had to kill two people, which was done with my powers alone before I was even trained. They meant my mates and I harm... I was not going to let them live to try again. One of them was from a sister coven. She betrayed them to bring me harm.”
Kendrick shook his head, “Your life seems very complicated, Goddess. Do you ever wish you weren't born to be the Elemental Goddess?”
I shook my head, “If I were not the Goddess, I would not have three mates, Kendrick. I may wish that things would slow down sometimes, but never that the goddess was not within me. Even on my worst days, I could never wish that I weren't born to be the goddess, because I couldn't fathom giving even one of them back, let alone two or all three. Yes, Jasper and Major are my first priority, as I was always meant for them... but Peter and Char are my mates, too. I love them so completely, that can't even think back to a time without them.”
Kendrick smiled widely at me, then said, “As it should be, My Goddess... as it should be.”
As Peter and Char fed with me settled against Jake, I asked Jasper to open the door and have everyone to congregate. They immediately did, so when they were sitting, I said, “I'm only going to tell everyone this once. This meeting is going to piss everyone off before we get any information from the shaman. There's going to be a shifter of some sort near the clearing. It's a test for Jake and me. If any of you move to harm the shifter without me giving Jake the word... or in the case of the vampires in attendance, me giving the word... we're screwed. This is serious, people. If Jake can't keep the wolves from attacking, the shaman is going to try to put the other shifter in Jake's spot as my protector. Jake deserves to be at my side more than anyone the shaman could try to put there, and you all know it.”
I heard a rumbling agreement from everyone in attendance, then continued, “The shifter will not advance on you. My inner goddess told me he wouldn't attack... but he will make a rotation around the field before the shaman makes him shift. You all will be interspersed around the edge of the clearing at an even distance, with a vampire between each wolf. From the feeling I got, the clearing is quite small, so there shouldn't be much room open between everyone. Do not let the shifter pass you until I give Jake the signal, then you hear me give the okay and Jake's bark. Any of you can growl, hiss, or snarl... but do not step one foot out of place until he tries to enter the field. Only then can you block him... but nothing more than blocking. Jake, myself and Major will be the only ones in the center of the clearing with the shaman until the point where I give the okay to let the shifter in. Once that happens, I'll call for everyone to fall in. This needs to be a choreographed dance, guys.”
With a nod from everyone, I said seriously, “Again, no one takes orders from Peter or Char during this meeting. Any of you may be tested on this today, so I need to make this clear. Only Jake, me, or Major can give an order in that clearing. If the shaman asks you to do something, look to me. If the test puts me out, look to Major. He will send Jake my feelings on what needs to be done. Jake, if he sends you a no-go feeling, none of the wolves are to comply. I mean it. No matter what the shaman says, you are never to leave my side in the clearing, Jake.”
Jake nodded, then Edward said, “He understands, and said he will give the order as soon as he's out of the SUV. He doesn't want to disturb you while they're feeding.”
Alice ran back to the other Suburban as soon as Peter and Char were finished, then came back with a wrapped package and an awesome pair of Valentino studded leather rope wedges in green. I smiled, then she asked all of the male species to 'please back the hell up, so that the goddess can dress.' Everyone chuckled, effectively easing the tension that had begun to build.
I had Char twist my hair into the hairstyle from the vision, then Alice and Char helped me dress in the butterfly sleeved backless jumpsuit. It clung perfectly to my growing baby bump. They both touched my tummy gently before helping me with my shoes. Jasper and Peter were right there with Jake, wanting to touch me, so I nodded once I felt it was safe for them to come to me. They all jumped at the chance, surrounding me with Char as Jake licked my palm several times. I giggled, “I love you guys, too.”
Once the hugs were out of the way, I looked to the pack, who was still in human form. “All of you go phase, bring your clothes back here to the SUV, then fall in for Jake's orders.”
As they dashed toward different trees to shield their clothing removal, I said, “When we reach the clearing I want Char on the western point, Peter on the southern point. Alice you take the eastern, and Edward take the northern. Jake, when the wolves get phased and you give the no-attack order, pair a wolf to each vampire. If one has a better connection with a certain vamp, pair them up. I don't know why, but this matters. The vampire will be paired to the wolf on their left, so make sure they know where to stand.”
The wolves were dropping their clothing through the open doorway to the Suburban one by one, then I heard Jake's double timbre bark as he sat on his hind legs next to me. It was a signal to everyone, which instantly caused a change in the atmosphere. I looked to Major as I felt my eyes change, “Time to Major up, My Love. Let's show this shaman who's boss.”
I saw the smirk appear as on his lips as I felt the change in his persona, the gold/orange of his eyes turning to a deep obsidian. I moaned at the sight, but Major smirked, “Soon, My Goddess. I promise we'll have time soon.”
I nodded, then looked to Jake. He bowed his head, then looked back at me, “Jake, as soon as we get into the clearing, I'll call for everyone to spread out. Make a slight growl, then have the wolves go to their positions. Remember, nobody moves without my okay.”
Jake nodded, so I said to everyone, “Jake, Major and I are lead. Peter and Char are behind us, with their partner wolves to the outside, then Alice and Edward with their partner wolves. Basically an inverted V with the vampires in the middle.”
I got a round of head nods, then I said, “Good. Everyone in position. Now.”
Once we were in position, I took a deep breath as I settled one hand against the fur in Jake's front leg, the other in Major's hand. It seemed like the whole forest fell silent after a few minutes, then I whispered, “It's time.”
Major and Jake both stayed right with me, my hands touching both of them as we walked through the woods to the clearing. I instinctively knew where to go, and that I couldn't let anything intimidate me, or the others would feel it. They were depending on me. I was determined to come through for them. I thought back to what my inner goddess said, and knew she was right. I needed to believe in myself, as well as my group. Were were tightly bound; we could do this.
I didn't even slow down when I hit the treeline to the clearing. I walked into the open space confidently, immediately calling, “Spread out.”
Jake rumbled a growl right as my last word rang out, then all of my group took up positions around the clearing. My eyes connected with the shaman's, who was sitting indian-style in the direct center of the small clearing. My eyes automatically seemed to swirl with power. I heard his breath hitch slightly, then felt the energy of an unknown.
This unknown's signature was nowhere near as strong as my Jake's. I almost wanted to laugh at this man's audacity to test me and my protector. My eyes never left the shaman's as my voice took on the ethereal tone of my Goddess, “I will give you one warning, Wise One. If your shifter makes one more step towards my people or pack, I will give the order to have his head removed and laid at my feet.”
I saw the slight shudder that went through him at my voice, but he made no move to make the shifter back off. I heard each and every one of my group growl in response. I sent Major the feeling of staying put, then felt his hand twitch against mine in acknowledgment of the command to everyone. I sensed as the shifter slowly made his way around the clearing at a 20 foot distance from my group, but other than the growls deepening as the shifter passed each of my group, no one made a single step.
When the shifter reached his starting point, the shaman immediately called out in a deceptively clear voice, “Kendrick. Shift and join us. We have much to go over.”
His eyes never left mine, yet my eyes swirled with more power as I felt the slight disturbance in the air with Kendrick changing forms. He chose to try and come into the clearing between Char and Leah. Both of them instantly blocked his way with menacing growls. I sent them the stay feeling again. With a twitch of Major's hand in mine, I knew they received it. My eyes still had not left the shaman's. I instinctively knew he needed to be the one to break contact.
It was several long minutes before the shaman finally broke eye contact with me. When he did, he bowed his head. I immediately called out, “Your shifter may join in the discussion only after he has successfully passed through my shield in both his animal and human forms. I will not tell him the process, as all who mean me no harm have instinctively known what to do. If he does not pass through my shield successfully, Wise One, know this as truth. He will not live to leave this clearing.”
The shaman softly responded with his head still bowed, “Of course, Goddess. Kendrick knows of the consequences already, but not of the tests you will put him through.”
After another minute of looking at the shaman, I finally let my gaze fall to the new shifter. “Char, Leah... escort Kendrick to me. The rest of you... fall in.”
Jake made a half-bark/growl as me, Major, and Jake all turned to Kendrick, my shield automatically popping up around the three of us. Kendrick immediately dropped to his knees, making Char and Leah halt in their steps. As the rest of my group stopped near the outside of my shield at various points, my ethereal voice made itself known again, “You may stand, shifter. Tell me, do you still think yourself more fit to be The Protector than my Jake?”
I ran my fingers through Jake's fur as Kendrick slowly stood to look between me and Jake. When he was at his full height, he bowed his head again as he shook it, “No, My Goddess. Your protector is very connected to you. We only meant to see. I never wanted to take his place.”
My sarcastic laugh rang through the small clearing as I pointed at the shaman, “Yet he would have tried put you in the place of my protector, should any one of my people or pack had moved on you.”
I turned to the shaman, “What type of protector would a shifter that does not want the job be to me? My Jake has been filling the roll even before he knew what he was doing. He has been my brother and best friend since the day he was born, trying to protect me from even myself since the day he could make a mud pie with me. He knows every detail of my life, every single one of my looks and actions. There is none better fit for my protector than Jake.”
The shaman bowed his head, “Of course, My Goddess... but we had to see that for ourselves before we could continue.”
Major growled at him a bit, but my gentle squeeze of his hand helped him calm. “Kendrick, you will step forward. When you reach my shield, you will instinctively know what to do if you mean us no harm. If you can pass through my shield in your human form, I will ask you to phase and repeat the
process in your shifted form. Know that if you should fail in either form, you will not live to leave this clearing.”
Kendrick bowed in acceptance, then came forward slowly when I called. He stopped just a foot away from my shield, then placed his hands gently against it, tracing the swirling rainbows of color for a second. He closed his eyes with a soft smile, then dropped his hands to the side and came forward into my shield. I nodded, then said, “You may shift and repeat the process.”
He didn't start running until he was a few feet away from my shield, but when he did, he was quick to reach the trees.
I felt the shift in the air as Kendrick phased again. When he stepped through the trees, he was a glorious looking gigantic bear. When he got a few feet from my shield this time, he dropped to the ground, then belly crawled until his nose touched my shield. After a second, he placed his forehead against it, letting his breath synch with the flow of the swirling colors. When he was in synch with it, he slowly belly crawled into my shield before touching his nose to my ankle. My shield dissipated, then my whole group let out a breath in relief.
“You have passed, Kendrick, and I know you mean us no harm. By your energy signature, I would say you are the leader of your tribe's protectors?”
He nodded as Edward came to Major's side, “He is, but there's a sadness to his voice. The recent death of his leader made him step up. He is trying to honor his former alpha by being a good one himself.”
I nodded, “What happened to your alpha, Kendrick?”
Kendrick shook his head, growling softly as he turned his head away from me to the east. Edward said, “A vampire... red-eyed... shit! It was Demetri, Jane, and Felix, Sweetheart. They slaughtered him.”
My growl filled the whole clearing. I got to my knees in front of Kendrick as I touched his cheek, “They will pay for the death of your alpha, Kendrick. I will see to it. They are three from the evil Italian coven that means to hunt down and take my mates from me, so that their leader can have me as a plaything.”
Now Kendrick's growl reverberated through the clearing, so Edward translated, “He swears on his ancestors that he will allow no one to do such a thing. He pledges his and his tribe's allegiance to the Goddess and her will.”
I nodded, “Thank you, Kendrick. Now, we have much to discuss with the shaman, but we will revisit the topic of your fallen former alpha soon.”
I looked to the shaman, “Do you still wish him to remain in his animal form, or would you like him to phase?”
The shaman smiled softly, “Kendrick will remain in his animal form for the time being. We do have much to discuss, Young Goddess. First and foremost is the mind link your protector has with his pack.”
I nodded, then turned to my group, “Make a half circle around the front of the shaman, sit your asses, and listen up, everyone. I want you to pay attention to what's going on, because I'm in no mood to repeat myself today.”
I watched as Ali and Char took places in between Edward and Peter's legs, and the partner wolves sat on either side of them. I nodded, then took the same position in front of Major, with Jake at my left. Kendrick fell in on my right.
Hmmm. Interesting. I figured he would have taken up position facing us, next to the shaman.
The shaman spoke in that deceptively clear voice again, “Your pack is not the only one with the mind link, Young Goddess. All shifters possess it with their packs. The problem you will come into, is that your protector is not linked to the other alphas, as you call them. You needed Messenger to relay information from someone other than your protector. If your protector were linked to the other alphas, he would be able to better control and lead your shifter army, My Goddess.”
I nodded, knowing I had already discussed this with Billy. The shaman continued, “I would like to gift you with this. I have been waiting for you for many lifetimes, My Goddess, and only wish to help you on your path.”
I closed my eyes. I felt that this truly needed to be done, but that there were questions that needed to be answered first. “Explain the process of linking to me, and why Kendrick on my right instead of next to you.”
The shaman chuckled, “Very intuitive, Young Goddess. Kendrick is taking the place of your protector's second in command for the duration of this meeting. You, Major Whitlock, will be upon the second's back during the first battle -if you have not chosen a protector by that time- as will all of you be with your partner wolves. Since the protector's second will not be joining you when you travel to your next location, Kendrick will store the second part of the gift within himself to give to the second when you return to Washington, then hold again until a partner is chosen for Major.”
I shook my head, not understanding. “Second part of the gift?”
The shaman nodded, “Yes, Young Goddess. It is similar to how your Jake senses your needs, but not as detailed. If there is trouble with one of you, the partner wolf would sense it, and would instinctively rush to aide their vampire. The same works in reverse. Your place in any battle will be upon the protector's back, never on the ground next to him for longer than a brief few minutes at a time. Major's fighting style will leave him open to either be on the back of his partner or beside him on the ground. The same with any of the others. Kendrick's fighting style would make him a good match to the Major in any of the other battles, but if both you and Major choose to give someone else that position, Kendrick will pass the gift to them.”
I thought for a second, then looked at Kendrick as I touched his cheek, “This is a trial basis, you know. You will need to be tested in mock fights to see if you are a true fit for My Major. I can not allow anyone to be at his side that will put him at risk. You must understand this.”
Kendrick nodded seriously, then I heard Edward say softly, “He says he hopes to earn the respect of you and your Major, that he knows the position of partner is an earned and honored position. He would never assume to be your Major's partner without proving himself.”
I nodded to Kendrick, then looked back to the shaman, “So Kendrick will pass the gift of partner to Quil before the battle. When the battle with Seattle is over, it will automatically be passed back to Kendrick, if a partner hasn’t been chosen for Major by then. The linking will stay no matter what, though, correct?”
The shaman nodded, “Yes, Young Goddess. The prayer, songs, and magics we will be working today will always be in effect, but never need to be renewed. They will only initially need you to draw the elements, then the elements will take care of the rest, with no danger to you. They will not take energy from you to complete, nor will they send off an alarm for you.”
He chuckled slightly, “That's the next thing on the agenda, Young Goddess. Your protection field alarms are drawing from you, putting you in an immense amount of pain. We will right that today. When you leave here, all the parameters you have set will still be in effect, but you will no longer feel immense pain when an alarm is set off, nor will you need to draw constant energy throughout the duration of one.”
My mates all let out a breath in relief, so I said to Major, “The vision of the nasty man with the funny words... Ali saw it with me. When the alarm went off, I was working through it like nothing was different, but since the spell hadn't been woven yet, my physical self connected to you still felt the pain. That's why you had to tell me to work through it.”
Major nodded, then I looked to the shaman, “What about the battle gear... and the vampire proof holding cells? I know you are supposed to guide us on what needs to be done.”
The shaman smiled widely, “Yes. Your protector's gear will be different from the other gear the partners wear, but I will guide you on what needs to be done. I have all the materials needed to make not only your protector's battle gear, but all of theirs, as well as one for whoever Major decides to choose as his partner. It has already been blessed on my end, but you may want to add extra blessings to the finished works. The battle gear must not be completed until after you make it to your next destination. As for the holding cells, I will impart my knowledge of the building process to Messenger before you depart.”
I nodded. I knew part of this from talking with my inner goddess.
Something came to me just then, so I said to the shaman, “Kendrick was also chosen for this because he is a bear, not wolf. You needed a different species of shifter for the spell to link minds... an alpha at that, for it to work.”
The shaman nodded with a small smile, “Yes. I needed a leader to be the one to link minds with your protector. It needed to be of another tribe unrelated to a wolf in any way. The coyote and red fox tribes would not have been a good choice, since their thought processes are too close to your wolf tribe. Since I am originally a member of the bear tribe, I chose Kendrick.”
I patted Kendrick's head in acceptance as the shaman said, “The two of them will need to be facing each other, with you in the middle as we do the weaving of the gift. You may need to meditate before we proceed, as I'm sure your inner self will have certain things for you to do to make it as successful as possible. You may begin as soon as you are ready, Young Goddess.”
I knew my inner goddess was calling to me, so I stood up. I looked around as I thought, then it came to me. I looked directly into the shaman's eyes as I felt my power swirl, “You'll need to move for the time being. I need to be in the direct center of the clearing when I do this.”
He nodded, so I turned to Major, “Major, you'll need to take his place, but strip down. The connection is needed. Kendrick, you're going to need to lay with your ribs against Major's back. Jake you'll need to mirror Kendrick at my back. Faces one way, butts the other way.”
I looked at the rest of our group, saying clearly, “Peter and Char, you two are around us in the south and west points as usual, with your partner wolf facing you from the outside. Your backs will be toward Major and I. Alice and Edward, same thing from your points. Edward, you're north, and Alice, you're east. Do not look away from your partner wolf at all during the process. Jake, you and Kendrick need to keep eye contact, too. Do not break contact. Edward, lullaby. There's immense magic bubbling up that I’ll need to tap into. Start as soon as the connection with Major is made, and don't stop until my shield dissipates.”
I looked to the shaman as my features softened, “This will look quite intimate, since Major and I will be connected and essentially making love. You will be seeing more than you ever wished for. I need you to understand that you must not disrupt the process, no matter what you see.”
I suddenly knew I needed to show him and Kendrick both, so I said aloud, “Mates, come to me.”
They all stood in a line before me in a split second. I said to them, “We need to check on our bonds. I need for Kendrick and the shaman to see, or they won't fully understand.”
They all nodded, so I looked deep in Major's eyes as we held each others hips. The soul piece was more glorious than it ever had been. After stroking it mentally, I smiled and kissed his lips lightly. He smiled brightly, then I felt my eyes change. I felt the shift from Major to Jasper, then cupped his cheek, “Hello, My Love. Are you ready?”
He hummed, leaning into my hand, “Yes, Darlin'. Whenever you're ready.”
I nodded, then looked deep into my Jasper's eyes. I smiled again as I saw my soul piece, stroked it gently, then backed out. Jasper kissed me lightly, “I love you, Darlin'.”
I grinned, “I love you, too, Jasper.”
Jasper released me with another peck to my lips, then I went to stand in front of Peter. He took my hips as I took his. I kissed him lightly, “Hello, my passionate mate. Are you ready?”
He nodded with a soft smile, so I looked deeply into his eyes. After stroking the soul piece gently, I backed out to see the most blindingly beautiful smile on his face. I kissed him lightly before he released me to Char.
I cupped both of her cheeks as I brought myself flush to her. As her arms wound around me waist tenderly, I whispered, “My Island Oasis... how I love you.”
I kissed her softly, then looked deep in her eyes. As with the rest of the soul pieces, the one she held was more brilliant than ever. I stroked it in recognition before I backed out. She had venom tears in her eyes and a beautiful smile on her face, so I knew she was happy with what she found.
With another kiss to her lips, she released me, then I said, “Everyone get into your positions except for the shaman and Kendrick.”
They all immediately went to do as I said, so I turned back to the shaman and Kendrick. I closed my eyes, centered myself, then looked internally to the bonds. I gasped before smiling widely at what I found.
The soul pieces for Jasper, Peter and Char were now thrumming with an immense amount of power, each having an element swirling on the surface. All were still the same color as before, but instead of pulsing with my heartbeat, they now pulsed with power. Jasper's green piece seemed to have leaves floating on an invisible breeze. Peter's red one seemed to flicker with passionate flames. Char's blue one seemed to have ripples of water on the surface. I automatically felt my eyes change as I looked for Major's, then felt his change from Jasper to Major just as Major's piece came into view.
My Goddess, that's beautiful.
Major's piece was now swirling with all of the colors, and had what looked like tiny tornadoes on the surface. After a second of looking at it, I backed out to meet Major's eyes. He nodded, “Yes, Isabella. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I could never’a wished for a better mate than ya are to me.”
I nodded, then looked to Kendrick and the shaman with venom-filled eyes and a small smile, “This is why everything must happen as I say during the meditation.”
My hands came out in front of me to cradle the four pieces of my soul that my mates hold, “These are the soul pieces my mates hold of me. Jasper's is green, Peter's is red, Char's is blue, and Major's is multi-colored.”
The shaman bowed his head, while Kendrick dropped to his belly with a rumble. I heard all of my wolves drop and rumble, too, as well as the gasps from Alice and Edward.
My hands closed, then reopened with the four pieces of my mates' souls that I held within me. “These are the soul pieces of my mates that reside in me. Again, the colors are the same.”
When my hands closed again, I said, “This is why you must not interrupt the meditation in any way. If anything were to happen, those beautiful pieces you just saw could be severely damaged. I have already had to go inside and heal Char's piece of my soul, as well as my piece of Peter's soul. Neither was easy to do, and the pain to both involved was immense. Shaman, I know you understand what will happen if one in a mate bond were to die. All four of us are bound as mates. All four of us hold a piece of each other. It is not just them to me or me to them. They hold a piece of each other, too.”
The shaman nodded seriously, then looked at Kendrick, “You must do exactly as the Goddess wishes you to. If one should fall, all of them will. Protect them with everything in you, Kendrick.”
Kendrick nodded, then belly crawled to his place behind Major.
I looked intently at the shaman as I felt my eyes swirl with power, “You will need to be outside of my shield. Place your hands on it gently, then start weaving your song and gift as soon as you feel the shield pulse with greater energy. Not one millisecond before. The materials for the battle gear must be in the shield with us, however. If you need to make any adjustments for that to happen, now is the time to do it.”
He shook his head, “All is well, My Goddess. No adjustments are needed.”
I nodded, then turned to everyone as I started stripping out of my outfit, “Let's get started.”
As soon as I finished stripping, I straddled Major's lap in a hero pose, then felt Jake snuggle up against my back. I wrapped my fingers into Major's hair, tugging hard on the golden strands as I smirked at him. He growled sexily as he nipped at my shoulder and grabbed my ass, then chuckled, “Time to play, Isabella?”
I moaned as my head fell back, then he nipped his way down to my love bites at my nipples, “Oh, God, I wish, Major.”
He let out another sexy chuckle, then said, “Soon, Isabella.”
He traced his fingers through my already wet folds, making my arousal skyrocket even more, then positioned himself at my entrance while licking my wetness from his fingers. I moaned at the sight, but Major gathered both of my hands behind my back in one of his as he grasped my hip with the other.
As he thrust in, he pulled down on my clasped hands, growling against my shoulder, “Soon I'll have ya bound for me again, Isabella. I'll have ya on my cross, hearin’ your cries beggin' me for more of my flogger.”
I whimpered at the thought, then swirled my hips slightly as Major settled fully inside me. He moaned, so I panted, “Right there. Stay deep and go slow. It's time.”
Major nodded to me as he swirled my hips again. Within a split second, my shield snapped into place around the group. I felt the energy signature of the shaman as he slowly slid his hands up the outside of my shield, knowing that he wasn't a threat. My eyes snapped to Major's as Edward began my lullaby, but not everything was right. Something was missing.
“Jake, Kendrick. You both need to sing in your ancestral language, now. Start now. Anything that comes to you that's positive in nature.”
As soon as both Jake and Kendrick started singing in their heads, I felt the power surge I was looking for, then the shaman started singing. He began walking clockwise around my shield, never letting his hands leave the surface or his voice waver.
When he got back to the starting point, I automatically heard myself say in the ethereal goddess tone, “Come ye as the ritual is sung; Spirit of Earth, Spirit of Air, Spirit of Fire and Spirit of Water. Lend your power unto the ritual, and work your magic through nature's rite! By all the power of land and sea, by the might of inferno and whirlwind, I call the Earth to bind this ritual, and Air to speed it well. Bright as Fire shall it glow, and deep as tide of Water flow. Count the elements fourfold; In the fifth the ritual shall hold.”
My shield flared wildly with all of the colors. As I called, “Earth!” my shield glowed green. The whole clearing rumbled as the ground shook, trees and flowers growing before our eyes.
My shield glowed silver as I called, “Air!” A constant whirlwind of air was added to the rumbling clearing.
Again, my shield changed to glow red as I called “Fire!” Large bright flames danced all around the still rumbling and windy clearing, not touching anyone, but making a barrier wall of fire around the outside of the clearing.
My shield glowed blue as I called, “Water!” Water flooded up from the rumbling earth to form large pools throughout the space.
When the water stabilized, my shield flared with all of the colors. Swirling lights shot out from me in each direction, forming a multi-colored bond between each vampire and their partner. I saw the bonds all shoot back toward me, but instead they gathered and settled on the materials for the battle gear.
The elements grew stronger still, then several minutes later, there was a large explosion sound. Everything went dead quiet, except for Major and I, who had reached our climaxes at the same time right then. Major and I both cried out our release to the heavens, then collapsed against each other as our orgasms and my shield dissipated.
Nothing moved in the whole clearing as Major and I calmed our breathing. When I looked up, my ethereal voice called, “It is done.. fall in.”
Jake rumbled a half growl from his place against my back, then everyone began to slowly fall in. The shaman slowly sat near the heads of both Kendrick and Jake, placing a hand of each of their noses. He closed his eyes, said something in an ancient language, then smiled up at me, “Most impressive, Young Goddess. The ritual went perfectly. All that we set out to accomplish with it is done. I will give you and your Major time to collect yourselves, then we will remedy the pain you receive with the protection alarms.”
I nodded, letting my head fall to Major's shoulder, then breathed, “I love you, My Mate.”
He purred softly as I scratched my nails down his spine, “As I love you, Isabella.”
Jake licked my palm as soon as I felt stable enough to turn and reach out to him. I patted Kendrick on the head. They both rumbled softly as Major scratched both of them on the ear. With another soft rumble, Major and I stood and dressed, but not before he kissed my growing baby bump twice.
Char and Peter came to us as soon as we were dressed, kissing us both lightly, then took seats with their partner wolves. We all ended up sitting in our former positions. The shaman now sat in the direct center of the clearing again with a small smile. “You are quite powerful, Goddess. It was an honor to witness you immersed in the elements and your mate. It was well worth waiting all these long years for your arrival. You are well? The future ones are stable?”
I nodded as Major cradled my tummy tenderly, “We are extremely well. The boys are stable and growing stronger by the minute. I am doted on quite thoroughly by all around me, so please do not fear for them.”
The shaman smiled, then asked, “Are you ready for the next ritual? You need not do anything but sit with your knees touching mine, our hands touching in front of us.”
I smiled as I patted Major's leg and Jake's head.
Jake licked my hand as Major kissed my neck and released me, then I walked the few feet to sit Indian-style in front of the shaman. Jake, of course, came with me, pressing himself right against my side. The shaman smiled at that, nodded to him, then held his hands up between us with his palms facing me. I mirrored his position while closing my eyes.
As the shaman closed the distance and touched his hands to mine, I felt the force of his energy signature. I chuckled wryly, “You have been holding out, Shaman. Your energy signature is much stronger through touch than it is without. You have been shielding, it seems.”
The shaman chuckled, “Very intuitive, My Goddess. Yes, I am shielding, but it was not to deceive you. The spell I wove to call allies to you... it works by drawing them to the strength and element of your energy signature. If mine were not shielded, they may confuse mine for yours, though it is much weaker. It was a precaution, because I too am earth-bound in element, and my energy signature is much higher than average in strength.”
I nodded, so he said, “Let us begin.”
The shaman sang and chanted for about 15 minutes. The whole time I could feel his energy brushing against mine, righting little quirks that I'd never noticed before now. Righting the quirks took a bit of energy from me, but when he was finished, I felt a strong burst of energy rush into me from him.
It made me gasp, which instantly had everyone on alert. I rushed to say, “Back down, he just surprised me is all. He gifted me energy, because of the amount I was losing from him fixing the wrongs. I wasn't expecting it. That's all. Jake, I mean it. Sit your furry ass down. Now!”
Jake rumbled at the shaman as he slowly laid back down, so I returned my focus to the shaman. He smiled softly, saying, “It was expected, Young Goddess. I did not warn you, and your reaction put them on edge. I would have been worried if he did not react in the way he did. No harm done, I assure you.”
When I nodded, he said, “It is done. You should have no more pain with the protection alarms. If you should ever come up against something that goes wrong again, search through your energy signature to find the kinks. Study them, unwind them carefully, then refill your energy. Have your protector and the other alphas sing in their native languages while you work. Never start with less than full energy stores.”
I smiled, “Thank you. I never noticed the little quirks before. At least now I know what to look for and how to fix them. Thank you for all you've done to help us, Shaman. Will you be joining us on our journey?”
The shaman shook his head sadly, then said, “I will not as of yet, but there may come a time when I will, Young Goddess. My place is here for now, guiding the allies that seek to join you. If the time should come for me to join you, I will know where and how to find you. As for the enchanted jewelry, make sure they are safe, and do not fall into the wrong hands. I can not unbind them from their purposes until you have the whole collection.”
I stood, then held my hand out to the shaman after he stood. He kissed my hand before saying, “Blessed be, Young Goddess.”
I smiled and replied in kind, “Beatus exsisto, Sapiens Simultas.”
After he bowed his head in respect, he turned to capture Edward's attention. Both of them closed their eyes briefly. Everything stopped while I had my attention on Edward.
When he reopened his eyes, both he and the shaman nodded to me. Everyone started moving again, so I turned to place a hand in Jake's fur, asking, “Kendrick, you are coming with us, correct?”
He nodded, then I noticed the clothing tied to his ankle. I smiled, “Do you need to take anything other than what is tied to you?”
His head shook, so I called out, “Everyone mount up. I want to be back at the vehicles soon, on our way home to our families.”
I saw everyone mounting their partner wolf. Major lifted the materials for the battle gear onto Kendrick's back before mounting up himself. I nodded, then flipped myself onto Jake's back. He rumbled a chuckle, so I said, “Not too fast, Jake. We have a newbie with us. You're faster than the others as is. I want to see what they can do with their partners, since I already know what we can do.”
Jake rumbled a bit, then Edward chuckled as he came up to me on Seth's back, “He's pouting, because he wanted to show off. He understands you wanting to see how we work together, though. We're all excited about finding out.”
I chuckled while looking at Major, “You ready?”
He smirked with a nod, so I called, “Well, lets find out then. I want you all to feel out your partners. Major and I will be behind you watching. Kendrick will be tested once we are safely back home.”
I watched Peter chuckle something to Embry, Char pat Leah's neck, Edward scratch Seth's ear, and Alice ruffle Paul's scruff. It was like an automatic signal to each wolf, as they shot off into the trees. I giggled at Jake, “Let's ride, Jake,” so he shot off behind the other wolves, making sure Major and Kendrick stayed right beside us.
A few times I heard Jake or Kendrick rumble about the antics of the others, but Major laughed, “I think they're all matched well to their partners, My Mate.”
I beamed at him, then asked, “You ready to go home to our family?”
He nodded with a gleam in his eye, but said nothing. I chuckled, then leaned up to Jake's ear to let him know what I was going to do.
With Jake's barking laugh, I knew he would prepare Kendrick. I was right when I saw a sparkle in his eye as he looked our way. I giggled loudly as I did a sudden half turn and flip, so I landed on Kendrick's back, sitting right in front of Major facing him. He growled playfully, nipping my neck, “Feisty, Isabella. Ya really wanna play, don't ya, My Goddess?”
I moaned as he tugged my nipple lightly, “Fuck, yes. I miss your cross. Please tell me we'll make time to play soon. I don't care who has to wait. I need you.”
He gently bit my neck, then said seriously, “I promise I'll work somethin' out for us to play as soon as possible, My Mate. I can feel your need for me. I won't make ya wait longer than necessary.”
He pulled me in for a sinful kiss right as we reached the clearing the vehicles were in, then I moaned as he chuckled and broke the kiss with a spank to my ass.
Kendrick came to a smooth halt right near Peter and Char, then got down on his belly slowly. Peter held his arms out to me as Major dismounted.
As I hopped down into Peter's arms, I watched Major go around to the front of Kendrick. He held his cheeks while looking into his eyes. I just knew he was thanking him for being careful with me on his back. Kendrick made a sort of rumbled whine, so Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind while saying to Major, “He says that he may not be bound to you as your partner shifter, but he hopes to earn that honor. He would never do anything to jeopardize that or the goddess in any way.”
Major nodded, “We'll see about testin' ya out before ya hand over the partner gift to Quil for this battle. Just understand that I may wanna test some of the other shifter alphas as well, if they work well alongside Jake. Now there's much to discuss on the way back to Washington, and Isabella will need to nurse soon. Please inform your pack not to approach Cullen protected land until after our return. Have them come only close enough to let the wolves knows they've arrived. Jake will make sure our pack knows not to move on them. Have them keep low, and inform ya if there's anythin’ incomin' toward Cullen land.”
Kendrick nodded seriously, then a minute or two later, both Jake and Kendrick nodded to him. “Alright, Jake ‘ll be stayin' in his wolf form, but we can't fit both of ya in the SUV with us while you're phased, so I need ya to shift back to human. We can go over what you'll need to understand on the way while Isabella relaxes and lets someone feed.”
Kendrick nodded, then dashed off to the closest tree cover to shift.
Once we were all settled, Peter and Char decided to sit up front, with Jasper behind me and Kendrick at Jake's front paws. I chose to have Edward and Alice feed this time. As soon as we were moving, I dropped the top half of my jumpsuit as I settled back against Major. He placed his hands tenderly on my growing tummy, then Alice and Edward both took quickly to feeding.
I think they missed the intimacy of it, so I concentrated most of my attention on them while Major explained the dynamics of what Kendrick's pack was getting into. I stroked their necks, kissing the tops of their heads as they fed deeply, while they both traced the swells of my breasts and tummy lovingly.
After Major got done explaining the extremely short version, Kendrick let out a long breath, “Wow. To think you went through so much in such a short time... and you were just turned before you left for the meeting?”
I nodded with a soft smile as I turned my head to look at him, “Yes. You got the extremely abridged version, but you get the gist of what we are up against. Italy wants me as a plaything to use, Texas will not hesitate to kill my mates to have me, but would love to have all of us, and Seattle thinks she's making an army of newborns for a mate-for-mate vendetta. I'm a danger magnet, Kendrick. It just latches onto me out of nowhere, so we all have to keep on our toes. I won't kill needlessly, but there will undoubtedly be many more deaths on my hands before this is over. I've already had to kill two people, which was done with my powers alone before I was even trained. They meant my mates and I harm... I was not going to let them live to try again. One of them was from a sister coven. She betrayed them to bring me harm.”
Kendrick shook his head, “Your life seems very complicated, Goddess. Do you ever wish you weren't born to be the Elemental Goddess?”
I shook my head, “If I were not the Goddess, I would not have three mates, Kendrick. I may wish that things would slow down sometimes, but never that the goddess was not within me. Even on my worst days, I could never wish that I weren't born to be the goddess, because I couldn't fathom giving even one of them back, let alone two or all three. Yes, Jasper and Major are my first priority, as I was always meant for them... but Peter and Char are my mates, too. I love them so completely, that can't even think back to a time without them.”
Kendrick smiled widely at me, then said, “As it should be, My Goddess... as it should be.”