章 15: Chapter 15: Not In My Home

Jude POV

All three of the Hemmings stood frozen in crystal, including their smarmy smiles and sneers.

Jude gazed at Ravyn in astonishment. Holding a golden rod topped with a powerful clear quartz crystal that he hadn't seen before, she faced Bram. The crystal pulsed with energy as she spoke. "Look at them, Bram. Look at their faces. Do they look sincere?"

Bram huffed. "You can't just go around–"

Jude found his voice. "Her witch powers are to her what shifting into a wolf to defend against a potential threat are to us."

Distracted, Bram said, "But that's different."

"Is it? They're both gifts from the Moon Goddess," Ravyn shot back, with an appreciative glance at Jude. "These people are not your friends, Bram. They may be related to you but they don't care about you, or they would be encouraging you to cherish your father."

"You and Mali yelled at him." Bram's shoulders slumped and he lost some of his swagger and self-righteousness.

"That's right, because my words were hurtful," Jude said gently. "I wouldn't trade my children for anything or anyone. Even on your worst day, you both are the best thing your mother and I ever did."

Bram trembled, his eyes on the three unattractive Hemming statues. "How long are they going to stay like that?"

"That depends on you," Jude told him.

There was probably something in a witch's rulebook about not using magic to punish anyone, but Ravyn wasn't hurting them, just allowing Bram a moment to come to his senses.

Would he, though? Jude held his breath.

The fight knocked out of him, Bram sighed. "Fine. I'll tell them to go. Just free them." He added in a little boy's voice, "Please."

With a motion like turning a key in a lock, Ravyn undid the spell and the crystal disappeared. The three Hemmings could move again–and the stink of fear radiated from them.

Jude glared at them, and in his best Alpha Voice, said, "If you start trouble with my family and try to take advantage of my son's grief, I have ways to deal with you that are even more unpleasant than what just happened."

Mali bared her teeth. "That goes double for me."

Bram muttered, to the three, "Just go. It's probably best that you don't come around here or around me anymore. At least for a while."

With fearful glances at Ravyn, they turned tail and ran out of the castle on their own. Their retreating footsteps were the sweetest sound he'd heard.

Bram blushed and Jude ruffled his shining red-gold hair. "You had a bath."

Prickly all over again, Bram snarled, "I'm not some stinking rogue. Pack Mother, very sorry to drag you into our family battles." His glower put the blame squarely on Jude "And sorry to all of you for my boorish behavior."

He stalked back down the entrance hall, full of passion and male pride–just like Jude.

"We're having a guest for dinner," Jude called out. "Five o'clock sharp."

Bram just grunted in reply as he walked off with dignity.

With a look of awe, Mali grabbed Ravyn's arm. "I don't know if magic can be learned–"

Ravyn snorted. "Magic can make things worse if you rely on it too much."

"I could use a little of it, nonetheless," Mali retorted.

Ravyn's lips quirked. "You stood up for your brother just fine–after telling him he'd gone way off course. He needs both."

Just then, Harland cleared his throat. Jude hadn't even detected his approach. "Alpha, you have urgent matters that have piled up while you were away."

Jude looked into Harland's serious chiseled face "Understood. Mali, will you get Pack Mother Ravyn settled?"

Mali chirped, "I can take her on a tour of the castle–I imagine you'll be busy for several hours."

D*mn. He wanted to spend some time with Ravyn first, but duty waited for no one.

Jude stared into Harland's eyes. "Will we?"

Reading his Alpha's mood, Harland coughed. "Now that those ruffians have been sent packing, maybe we can be done in two hours." His gaze was warm as he looked at Ravyn. "Very well done. And Alpha Jude doubted the value of crystals years ago …"

His Beta did have a mischievous streak that ambushed you when you least expected it.

Jude growled, amused. "Not since then."

So, Harland had been worried about the Hemmings. Ravyn had just helped take care of that thorny problem. He owed her for that.

"We love her for that," Arcturus countered.

Jude murmured to Ravyn, "I'll see you soon–I'll come and find you. For now, I leave you in Mali's hands."

* * * * *

Ravyn POV

She warmed her hands near a cheerful crackling fireplace, taking a few moments to relax after the tension between Bram and Jude. She could see Jude's frustration and love for his son, but also feel Bram's heartbreak.

What would it have been like if she'd needed a husband after it became clear Daxius wasn't coming back? What would Lilia have done? A child who still wanted her father to come home and finished her dinner and did all her chores and did everything she could to be good enough so her father wouldn't be mad at her?

Lilia would have been Bram.

A call of nature tore her away from the fireplace and she walked across the pink sandstone floor with soft area rugs in her favorite shade of blue. She hadn't been to Jude's castle in the three years she'd been a Cresta–an oversight. She never expected it to be pink, and it added a softer touch to the tough, commanding Jude. Mali had pointed out, with pride, that the sandstone walls had withstood time, weather, attacks, and everything the world threw at them.

After she washed her hands in the cream-colored sink, she surveyed the bathroom and a large cream-colored sunken tub invited her to sink into it after dinner. All of it looked brand new, and she remembered Emer talking about redoing several of the guest rooms and the royal family's quarters. The furnishings suited Ravyn. So did the parts of the castle Mali had shown her. She couldn't find any fault with Emer's taste. If she really were Jude's fated mate–

Suddenly, the bathroom felt far too warm, as if she'd just sunk into a hot bath in that beautiful tub. She splashed her face again and laughed at herself. She wasn't Jude's fated mate!

Someone else would decorate the house–she hoped they would respect Emer Faolan's good taste and not choose garish colors. Even Anneliese and Patch, who loved big, bold, and bright, had good taste. Did Queen Ylavi Crystalsprite have good taste?

Ravyn felt very tired all of a sudden and she returned to the bedroom to lay down. Stretching out on the soft bedspread covered with moons and stars, she closed her eyes …

And she felt the bed dip as someone joined her on it. Sitting upright, she saw a welcome sight: Jude Faolan at the end of the bed, smiling at her, the tension gone. "You always look so peaceful and lovely when you're asleep," he said in a husky voice.

She sat up, blushing because he'd watched her sleep. It wasn't even the first time–he'd kept watch over her on the journey here, and there was that night in the tent.

"Did you get everything sorted?" she asked.

"Thanks to you. Apparently, Harland was pulling his fur out dealing with the Hemmings–but Ransome did inform me before we left that they're cowards."

Her eyes flashed. "We've known that about them for years!"

Jude smirked. "And they were no match for my witch."

His witch.

Her own voice sounded breathless. "They had no problem taking advantage of a wounded young man, trying to create a puppet."

"Or getting some sort of revenge for preferring Ransome over them. It backfired." His eyes smoldered. "You're an unexpectedly scary woman, Ravyn Rolfe. Thank you for standing up for my son."

"I'm doing it for your future mate," she said, mentally kicking herself for how cold and businesslike that sounded. "Besides, it was my pleasure. Shame on them."

He reached out a hand. "I owe you a tour of my home. I know Mali probably showed you quite a bit of the place–"

Ravyn leapt up, smoothing her hair. "She did. It's beautiful."

"You have no idea. There's so much more to see. If you're ready, we can start now." What might have been a flirty smile played on his lips. "It'll help you understand me."

He didn't take her to his bedroom, or to his Great Hall–Mali had already shown her that. He didn't even take her to the vast library, or to the Healing Wing, which he called his Healarium. He took her outside again to the courtyard to meet the merchants and traders, who had just finished unloading the last of their goods to supply the Alpha's household. With a smile, they offered other things for sale. Ravyn smelled exotic spices, cooking and cleaning oils, and other wonderful scents.

"I'd like you to meet some of our businesspeople," Jude said simply.

Ravyn shook hands and exclaimed over the various wares. Many of the merchants smelled right away that she wasn't a shifter. On hearing that she was in business herself and a witch, they jockeyed to impress her, effusive about how soft their silks were and how her shop could use some other pretty things to attract customers. For example, a carved good luck charm in the shape of a gryphon, or a pretty bowl to mix potions in.

When they got too insistent, Jude went into Alpha mode. "Now, don't harass her!"

Ravyn swatted him gently. "I'm fine. I love this gryphon good luck charm, especially since I sense it really will bring luck. This bowl will be perfect for one of our customers, I'm sure."

As she waited for the joyful merchants to wrap up her purchases, Jude chatted with the sellers, asking them about business and hearing their concerns, their hopes and dreams, and their daily lives.

Finally, Jude had to tear Ravyn away from making deals with the merchants, promising them exclusive looks at some of her stock if they ever came to Wildefell.

"Time to take a tour of the city," he said with an affectionate smile, linking arms with her.

As they strolled through the open gates in the outer wall, Ravyn asked, "Why did you choose to take me there first, out of everything you could have shown me?"

"You seemed to enjoy yourself," he replied.

"Yes, and you didn't answer my question."

He stared out at bustling Graywolf City spread out in the shape of a diamond. "I'm aware that maybe Dane would have taken visitors to the Great Hall or the library or shown them the city square and the Council Building. The same for Jiro. But you see, we're more of a merchant-driven pack than either Evenhide or Crimsontail. Trade is the lifeblood of our pack besides hunting, war, and the Moondance Festival."

Something registered in her brain. "Your family were merchants originally, yes? That's how they made their fortune."

He grinned and let his hand glide through the refreshing spray of the fountain in the main square. "My ancestors may have conquered their rivals in combat as Alphas, but they also built a business empire that lasted centuries. Of course, somewhere along the way that changed–but I still inherited a fortune and a love for merchants and traders. Maybe for magic as well."

Looking at Jude's happy citizens, Ravyn felt a connection to the place she couldn't deny … and she stuck by Jude's side, finding it hard to tear herself away during the tour.