Page 33 of Death and Divination
This was all so complicated, but ultimately it needed to be Tink’s decision. Cassie was working on changing things in the werewolf packs, but changing laws was far easier than changing centuries of culture. Hopefully one day there would be several pack options for werewolves and a simple process to change packs without fear of being cut off from friends and family. Hopefully one day there would be a thriving group of lone wolves who could come together for hunts or companionship and not suffer the stigma of exile or the feelings of alienation. One day.
But until then, Tink would need to make a choice. All we witches could do was support her if she chose to go against pack culture.
“She was supposed to come visit me last night,” Shelby said. “I didn’t say anything when you came, because it wasn’t my secret and I wanted to keep her trust and her confidence. But she didn’t show, and I haven’t heard anything from her in the past two days and I’m worried. Maybe she decided to accept the wolf Ruby wants her to mate with and felt it better to not risk seeing me again. That’s okay. If that’s what happened, then I understand. But I’m worried. I just want to make sure she’s okay, and not hurt or locked up somewhere or being forced into something.”
“And you obviously can’t go up to the compound and check on her.”
Shelby shook her head. “I can’t even ask about her because none of the werewolves will talk to me. It’s not like they’re going to talk to an outsider, either—well, an outsider besides a witch. They’ve got to talk to a Perkins. They’ve got to answer to you and your sisters.”
Now this was all making sense.
She twisted her hands together. “Dallas threatened to put me to death or lock me in the compound and mate me off to whoever he chose because I was fooling around with a troll, but I don’t think he’d force Tink to mate against her wishes. It’s Ruby I’m worried about.”
“So, you want me to go talk to Ruby and ask for Tink? Make sure she’s okay and that whatever is happening is her choice?” I asked.
“No, I want you to talk to Dallas. Nobody mates without his approval. He has to do the ceremony. It’s binding. It’s pack law. It’s a union in front of the entire pack. He’d know. And he’d have the power to make Ruby bring Tink to you so she can tell you it’s her choice.”
“If she’s being pressured, then she’ll just lie,” I reminded the werewolf.
“But you’re a witch. You can tell if she’s lying, right? You’ve got spells and wands for that sort of thing, right?”
I didn’t have spells and wands for that. Cassie would. Bronwyn might. Not me, though. “Shelby, I’m thinking this might be something Cassie should do rather than me.”
“No! I know Cassie is the head witch, but she and Dallas are like two alphas fighting during the full moon. He’s not going to be willing to do anything she asks right now, and she’d be liable to get mad and set him on fire or something. Then things will be even worse for Tink. Dallas will know she was talking to me against his mandate. And he’d probably be more liable to mate her off out of spite.”
“So what excuse am I going to give Dallas for asking about Tink? How do I explain that I know about this proposed mating?”
Shelby shrugged. “You’re an oracle. Tell him you divined it and you’re concerned. Tell him you didn’t want to go to Cassie, that this might be nothing and you don’t want any more bad blood between the witches and the pack. Smooth it over like you always do. Just make sure Tink’s okay and doing what she wants.”
I sighed, knowing there was no way I could get out of this. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Today?” Shelby pleaded. “I don’t know how fast Ruby might push this mating, and once it’s done, it’s done. Tink’s not the sort of wolf to go back on a blood vow. Once the ceremony is done, it’ll be too late to stop it.”
Shelby’s words made me think of something I hadn’t considered. “So, what do I do if this Ruby is forcing Tink to mate and she slips me the secret sign or something that she wants out? I can’t exactly grab her and take off. What do you expect me to do if she’s unwilling and being forced?”
“Tell Dallas he needs to intervene.”
“And if Dallas tells me to go get bent?”
Shelby lifted her chin. “Then you go get your sister and have her haul up the mountain with her demon and force them to let Tink go.”
Hopefully I wouldn’t get killed before I could do that. Maybe it wasmyblood on the oleander that I was seeing in my visions. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
I didn’t think this had anything to do with my disturbing visions, but I couldn’t refuse to help Shelby. And I couldn’t refuse to help a young werewolf who might be locked away in some cell, beaten or starved until she agreed to mate with whoever her mother wanted.
I headed back inside to see that Nash had not only polished off the eggs and bacon but had already started in on the French toast. We were going to probably have to have a serious talk about portion control sometime. And sharing.
“Hey. Save some of that for me,” I teased as I sat and grabbed a fork. The diner dipped their bread in a milk and egg mixture, then coated it in cornflakes before frying it in butter. The result was something so good it was almost a crime to put syrup on it.
Almost.
“Is there a problem with the werewolf?” Nash asked, spearing another piece of buttery goodness.
I glanced around the diner, realizing that I’d need to be circumspect. None of the patrons were werewolves at the moment, but there were three banshees over in the corner and they were incredible gossips with darned good hearing.
“She just wanted a weather divination for Alberta’s tomato seedlings. Common practice is to put them in the ground the weekend of Mother’s Day, but we’ve had some late frost in the past few years. No one wants to lose their seedlings to a cold snap.”
Nash shot me an odd look. “It’s June. She’s getting a weather divination for next year?”
