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  Winter Wedding

  Paranormal Dating Agency: A Twilight Crossing Novella

  Jen Talty

  M.T. Worlds

  Copyright © 2019 by Jen Talty

  Published by M.T. Worlds

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Winter Wedding

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Also by Jen Talty

  About Jen Talty

  Winter Wedding

  Paranormal Dating Agency: A Twilight Crossing Novella

  By

  Jen Talty

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  To Chelle Olsen. Your words of wisdom over a cocktail made this book happen. Thank you!

  1

  Cheryl Ferguson reached out with a shaky finger and tentatively touched the vase. Green, hot fairy dust circled her arm, squeezing so tight it turned her skin white. She yanked her hand back, shaking her arm. The dust clung to her like static cling. It nipped at her skin, and as it eased into her body, it sent an unfamiliar warmth through her veins. Her heartbeat came in unsteady pulses as it pumped the dust through her system.

  “I can’t open it,” she said, taking a step back. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at her three brothers.

  Younger brothers. Not that their ages matter, only Cheryl wasn’t sure where she fit into the new line of Royal Fairies, her own pack, or really, the world at this point.

  Chaz and his wife had just given birth to the first set of twin Wolfairies. Chaz had stepped up and filled his role as Alpha of their pack and leader of the fairies. His wife, Daphne, stepped into being the Queen with the ease of a real Royal.

  Nico and his wife were expecting their own set of twins in about five months. Both Nico and Isadore had stepped in as protectors of the farm, which served as a safe castle for all the Royal Fairies, allowing them to use their magic. However, the second they stepped off the farm, their magic disappeared. The Legend specifically stated that once the wolves were mated with their Royal Fairy counterparts, all Wolfairies would retain their special gifts no matter where they roamed.

  Drew, the baby, was happily shacking up with his future bride. Cheryl half expected them to announce their bundles of joy would be coming soon as well. After all, it was all part of the Legend.

  But nothing that she could find regarding the Legend of King Lear said anything about a female wolf finding and mating with a Royal Fairy. In all the information she’d managed to dig up, there was not a single hint of the older wolf sister. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

  Not that she was all that bitter. She wanted her brothers to have everything they’ve ever wanted. She had always hoped they would find love and happiness. However, she desired companionship as well. The need to be with the one person in this world that was your other half in every sense of soulmates had gripped her heart and wouldn’t let go.

  “Ralph thinks the longer Norse stays in there, the more likely he is to die,” Chaz said.

  “What the hell does a fairy that had been locked in the bottle for eighteen years know?” she asked as she let out a puff of air. Isadore and Coral’s father, Ralph, as it turned out knew a hell of a lot. He’d become a walking encyclopedia of all things fairy. He didn’t know he knew so much. It just came to him in dreams or visions. He’d even known where to find the details about Norse, the unborn child of King Lear. “Besides, Norse may have served his purpose fulfilling the Legend and has nothing to do with me.”

  “What about the vision in Drew and Coral’s cabin?” Chaz asked.

  “I doubt my destiny has anything to do with cracking open a bottle with a fairy spirit inside.”

  Only, that didn’t give them any clue as to what she needed to do to ensure the safety of the Wolfairies. And it didn’t answer what to do with Norse. He had no human spirit, and even he didn’t know what form his other half had been cast into. For all they knew, it could have been one of the owls making a fuss every night. The only thing that Ralph’s pool of knowledge had on the subject was that Norse’s known purpose had been to bring Apep to his knees.

  Purpose served.

  “What do you suggest we do with the vase and Norse?” Chaz asked with a frown. Her older brother had a lot on his plate, and the crinkle in his forehead and the bags under his eyes didn’t hide the stress he’d been under.

  “Toss it in the trash,” she said under her breath.

  The vase shook as dust spewed from the sides, circling like a tornado.

  “Jesus Christ. Apologize to the damned thing.” Nico stepped in front of her, shoving her to the side as the angry colors hovered over her head.

  “I bet Norse knows what Cheryl’s destiny is. Now if I could only figure out why I can’t communicate with Norse anymore.” Drew raised his arms, bringing the dust into the space between his hands, creating a ball. Since he mated with Coral, he’d developed some new skills. One of them had been the ability to gather fairy dust and ease the uncontrolled emotions that the Wolfairies constantly spout off simply because they couldn’t control themselves yet.

  Especially the unborn ones.

  “Ralph doesn’t seem to have an answer for that one.” Cheryl eased onto the sofa in her parents’ living room. She swore when she moved to New York City that she would never live in the middle of nowhere Vermont again. She loved being surrounded by art and cultur
e. Giving up her job at the museum had been the hardest decision she’d ever made. She had no regrets.

  Family first.

  But she hadn’t expected to feel as though she was an outsider in her family’s destiny.

  “I think it goes back to the fact Norse’s role is over,” she said.

  The vase vibrated on the coffee table.

  “You’ve got to stop making him angry,” Drew said, flapping his arms, tossing some of the dust out the open window. The cool, crisp fall air filled the room. The sound of children playing in the meadow tickled her ears, reminding her she was the oldest of the Ferguson family.

  The front door swung open, and Isadore and Coral stepped into the room.

  “I saw that wolf again,” Isadore said as she stepped into Nico’s arms. Her hands rubbed her baby bump.

  “Where?” Chaz asked with a fierce and protective tone. While the farm had been wrapped with a protective layer, keeping all creatures out, it didn’t stop any of those living on the farm from leaving, and not a single Royal Fairy held any powers off the property, leaving them vulnerable to those who want to completely wipe them out.

  “North end of the property, behind Drew and Coral’s cabin.” Isadore leaned into her husband. “Aron is on guard there now.”

  Cheryl did her best not to choke on all the love filling the room, but she did gag on the strong scent of Wolfairies. “You and Coral are pregnant? You didn’t wait too long.”

  Drew opened his mouth, his jaw hanging wide open.

  “I haven’t had the chance to tell him, so thanks for letting the cat out of the bag.” Coral glared. Her lips tightened, and her forehead scrunched.

  Cheryl had never seen the young lady with a frown on her face. Ever. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. But I’m not sure how anyone can miss the sweet smell of Wolfairies.” Growing up, the scent of fairies disgusted her. It was like kitty litter that didn’t work and had been sitting in the sun for weeks.

  “I told you I smelled babies.” Drew pulled Coral into his arms, dabbing kisses on her cheek. “I guess we need to get married sooner than planned. I’ll talk to Mom and Dad. Maybe we can do it this weekend.”

  “Whatever you want, my dear,” Coral said.

  Cheryl coughed. There were bigger things to deal with, such as why couldn’t the Royals use their powers outside the farm and how to deal with a giant wolf who no one could communicate with.

  “Congratulations,” Chaz and Nico said in unison before taking their brother in a manly wolf hug. Each kissed Coral on the cheek.

  “I’m so happy for both of you.” Cheryl pulled both her baby brother and Coral into a warm embrace, making sure she showed how happy she was for the sweet, young couple. The conception of more Wolfairies was a joyous occasion, and Cheryl did her best to keep her own emotions about her life, and her role, to herself. “I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we need to discuss what to do with this wolf hanging around. If it is a real wolf and not some fake creature left over from Apep’s attack.”

  “He smells real,” Drew said with a beaming smile. “I got a good whiff of him yesterday, and he really needs a bath.”

  “Let’s not forget that this wolf looks an awful lot like the one in the image Cheryl found in the archives of the ancient history of King Lear and that I can see Cheryl in her wolf form in the painting.” Coral sat down next to Cheryl with her hands covering her stomach, a big old blissful smile plastered on her face.

  God, Cheryl was turning into an old maid and a bitch all at the same time. “No one else can see it.”

  “I can,” Drew said. “The image for me isn’t as clear as it is for Coral, but I do see your wolf image.”

  “The question is what does that mean?” Chaz let his hands hover over the vase. It rattled on the tabletop. Dust filled the air, but it didn’t seem to take hold of Chaz as tightly as it did Cheryl. “If he wasn’t so creepy, I’d think maybe he’s Cheryl’s mate.”

  Cheryl’s stomach churned. A few weeks ago, she’d gone to see Gerri Wilder, the matchmaker who has never been wrong, which meant Cheryl was doomed to a life of being alone. “According to Gerri, either my soulmate hasn’t been born yet or is dead.” If she couldn’t be honest with her brothers, who could she be honest with.

  “How can that be?” Coral rested a gentle hand on Cheryl’s leg. The love in Coral’s heart filled Cheryl like an overflowing waterfall.

  True visionaries, which were more like oracles, were a strange breed. Their essence was almost always filled with robust kindness. It didn’t matter what they saw, they spread their delighted souls to all.

  “It stumped Gerri too. She said she’d call me if something changed.” Cheryl waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad it wasn’t Aron. That would have sucked.”

  “He’s not that bad,” Chaz said.

  Cheryl rolled her eyes. Aron had been hot on her heels for years. She thought he’d given up when she left for New York City, but the second she set foot on the farm, Aron was all paws. “He’s not that great, but that’s not the point. Our focus needs to be on the current threat.” Reaching across the coffee table, she snagged a red folder and held it in the air. “I did find something on a mythical creature during King Lear’s time.”

  “What kind of creature?” Nico leaned against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his broad chest.

  Drew had joined them on the sofa while Chaz still fiddled with a vase that seemed to constantly rattle. She loved her brothers and trusted them with her life. She’d do anything for them and anyone else in her pack. Or even the fairies. It’s why she moved back home. But she had expected that after they defeated Apep, she’d be able to return to her job and move back to New York City.

  She let out a long breath. Her leaving the farm wouldn’t happen until the Wolfairies could use their power off her family’s land, and at this rate, she suspected it wouldn’t be until after Coral gave birth and that wouldn’t be for at least seven months.

  “A wolf with no soul.” She opened the folder, setting a couple of images on the coffee table. The creature stood at least six feet on all fours. Its fur was black and its eyes as dark as night. “The Royals referred to him as Odon, which could be translated to death. It was believed that the wolf’s soul had been banished by a visionary, and it roamed the earth seeking revenge and going mad at the same time.”

  “Was the creature destroyed? Or does it supposedly still wander around?” Nico had been charged with being protector and second-in-command to Chaz. No one could say Nico wasn’t the right wolf for the job. He had a deadly combination of brawn and brains.

  As did his mate.

  “I’ve found two written stories about Odon. One depicts him as a misunderstood creature. That he didn’t seek to harm people but instead wanted answers. The second story is that he led the march into the Royals’ castle and that it was Odon who killed King Lear’s wife and unborn son.” Cheryl had to admit that the wolf in the woods around the farm had the same lifeless eyes as this creature, but something about the wolf called to her in a way she thought she should understand.

  But she didn’t.

  “Those are two very different ideas,” Chaz said. “What are we to believe?”

  “I have only seen the wolf in two visions,” Coral said. “The first one is him being injured, but I have no idea how. The second is of him walking with Cheryl’s wolf form on the farm.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Drew said with wide eyes. “I don’t want that thing on this land.”

  “I have to agree,” Chaz said.

  Cheryl didn’t care what they thought. She knew what she needed to do, and no one was going to stop her. Actually, she was going to get them to help her, even if it meant tricking them.

  “The visions don’t indicate danger,” Coral said. “But we all know the other vision that Drew and I both had.”

  Cheryl shivered. Ralph had explained that often visionaries had premonitions and that they were only possible outcomes. The rese
arch into King Lear and his visionary indicated the same, only the visionary of centuries ago had been fully developed. Coral was still growing and learning. Carrying twin Wolfairies had to mess that up since they were powerful creatures on their own. Daphne couldn’t control her twins when she’d been pregnant, and Finn and Ivy continued to be free spirits. Isadore had learned from Daphne, and so far, her pregnancy had been easier. Of course, Drew had an uncanny ability to diffuse hyperactivity, but it still wasn’t enough, and Chaz ultimately worried that the Wolfairies would somehow manage to permeate the protective layer, exposing themselves to the cruelties of the outside world with no powers at all.

  “Your visions remind me of the books by Stephanie Meyer,” Cheryl said.

  “You mean Twilight?” Coral asked.

  Cheryl nodded. “Specifically the last one where one of the vampires shows a chosen future, and the other vampires decided the opposite is the better choice.” She took the images of the king-sized wolf and tucked them neatly back in the folder, making sure she didn’t glance into the beast’s eyes.

  Every time she did that, her heart beat a little faster, and her body yearned for the kind of connections her brothers had found. It made no sense, other than she’d never seen a wolf the size of the one in the woods, which matched the one in the pictures. And if she was being honest, the wolf’s size really had nothing to do with it. It was what she saw when she dared look past the emptiness in his eyes.