The Wolves of London Book 2: The House of Striker

(Chapter song ‘It's All Been Done’ by Barenaked Ladies)

ZEN

“Ok. You’re not hungry… I've changed you three times… I sang… badly… We're walking around the mansion for the fifth time, and you’re still crying…” I blow a lock of hair out of my eyes as Gabby cries on my shoulder. “What’s wrong, baby?” I whine as I walk from the common room to the foyer.

“Problems?” Avery asks as he jogs down the stairs.

I stop and my exhausted face looks up at his. “The Queen of colic has some demands.” I mutter. “I just have no clue what they are. Help.”

He chuckles and holds out his hands. “Give her here.”

I hand Gabby to him and her crying fades to nothing. My lips shrink and my arms cross as I stare at him. “How'd you do that?”

He cradles her in her arms. “I don’t know. We just have a connection, I guess.” He grins.

I narrow my eyes. “I hate you.”

He laughs as he leans to my lips. “You love me and Gabby loves you. You just need to bond a bit more.”

My face turns to stone. “Don’t go.”

“Zennie. I have to.” He smiles and hands Gabby back to me.

“No. You can send Jolen. He can handle a witch.” I say to his back as he heads to the door.

“No, he can’t. The last time he handled a witch, he almost ended up as a flounder in another dimension. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” He grabs his pack and slings it over his shoulder.

As he grabs the door handle, Gabby starts to cry again and my brows stitch up. “It’s not you I’m worried about!”

He grabs my cheeks. “Baby. I have to work. Call your mother. She can help.” He kisses me and opens the door.

“Avery…” I whine as I follow him out.

We stop in surprise when we see Quaid at the bottom of our steps.

“Sorry to disturb…” He smiles as he climbs the stairs.

“Quaid? What are you doing here?” I ask as he stops in front of us.

He rubs Gabby's cheek and she stops crying. Her face falls neutral as her red eyes examine him.

“You pretty girl, you.” He grins as he leans to her.

“See! She hates me.” I shake my head and look to Avery.

“She doesn’t, baby. I promise.” He leans to Gabby. “Behave for your mother.” He kisses her forehead and she squeaks and grunts.

“I've come to announce that the High King requests your presence at the Council chamber for the announcement of the crown.” He informs.

“What? Now?” Avery furrows his brow.

“Yes, now.” Quaid waves his hand. “You’re portal awaits.”

A purple portal opens at the bottom of the stairs.

“I guess I’m not hunting witches after all.” Avery glances at me.

“I’ve saved you a ghastly experience. You’re welcome.” Quaid shutters.

“I’ll get the sitter.” I step to the door.

“Do be quick.” Quaid insists.

“I will. Harry loves Gabby.” I smile and walk into the house.

After dropping our baby off with my butler, we walk through the portal to the Council chamber. Everyone's here and the room is filled with a flurry of remarks and back talk as they all wait for Zander to announce the winner of this stupid contest. Honestly, at this point, nobody deserves it and I hope he chooses someone other than us. I don’t even want it anymore.

“You control your woman!” Giovanni yells.

“She's not mine!” Dorian hollers back. “At least, not yet…”

“The damage is coming from your hide!” The lycan king challenges.

“Gio… Come on! It’s not even that bad…” Dorian puts his hands up as we stop at Zander’s throne.

“What's going on?” I cross my arms and look over the group.

Cora mirrors my posture from the other side of the council circle. “Dorian’s house guest had returned.”

“She came back?” Avery smiles. “Didn’t we say it wasn’t over?”

“Yes.” He rubs his nape. “It’s great, sure. She, unfortunately, has taken on the mission of animal liberation and her target is Gio’s zoo.”

“And it’s his fault!” Giovanni glares.

“It is horrible you even have that, Giovanni.” I side eye him.

He points to my nose. “All legal. I don't need to answer to some blonde American. I'll feed her to the pups if YOU don’t keep her away!!”

“Ok!” Dorian holds up a hand. “Just calm down. I spoke to her and she apologized. She won’t try to release your animals again.”

“She better not. Bella or not, she won’t be spared.” He narrows his eyes.

“Yes, Dorian. We have enough wild animals running around.” I furrow my brow and eye him.

“I know. She’s just a little… hard headed. I have control. Don’t worry.” He reassures.

“Bollox.” Quaid mutters as he looks at an incoming message on his phone.

“What?” I try to see the message as he drops the phone from view and puts it in his pocket.

“I’ve been recruited.” He scowls.

“Recruited?” I arch a brow.

“Yes. It seems now that the trials are over, the father of the human girl that left me wants me to train her to be a sorcerer.” He says with not much enthusiasm.

“That’s great isn’t it? You wanted a second chance.” Dorian folds his arms.

“Yes and no. I wanted a second chance with her. Not her father. He’s expecting I produce a sorcerer. He wants miracles. The woman doesn’t have a magic gene and I can’t produce one out of thin air. It’s my neck now, and I’m not looking forward to it.” He places his hands on his hips and looks to the floor.

“So, tell him the truth. His daughter isn’t magical.” Giovanni shrugs.

“The man once turned a shop completely inside out… literally… for not being able to fit into a pair of trousers he liked. Instead of accepting he was a little thicker than he was at 18, he completely destroyed the shopping district. What do you think he’s going to do when I tell him his only daughter isn’t capable of magic.” Quaid frowns with concern.

“I'm sure he’ll be reasonable, Quaid.” I tilt my head to him.

“He’s the leader of the Northern faction. There isn’t a reasonable bone in his body and now the council has made me a target.” He scowls further.

“Well, maybe Zander will have some good news to cheer you up.” I smile.

“Yes. Who will be the next busy body in the chair.” He raises a brow and looks us over.

“There will be no busy bodies when I take the crown.” Giovanni growls.

“Ain’t that the truth.” Dorian snickers.

“You shut up.” He points to Dorian as the circle laughs.

“WHO'S READY FOR A CROWN?!”

Zayden throws open the doors and hollers across the room. Zander walks in behind him with his hands in his pockets, not looking too impressed. It sucks when you have to hand your only job you’ve ever known to someone else. I don’t think I could do it. This has to be killing someone like Zander. I kind of think if he does give it to me, I might give it back. Besides. Now, that I have Gabby, I don’t have time for the throne of all thrones.

Zander stands in front of us all and looks us over. The corner of his lip raises a little. “I’m glad you all made it.” He chews his cheek. “I just want to say… you all made some great impressions in terms of leadership and doing what’s good for the people. Some have made mistakes, but you corrected them as best as you could.” He glances at me and moves on.

He lifts his chin and floats his head around the circle. “I have come to a decision and I think is the best one for this chamber and the planet. Before I make the official statement…”

“I have something to say!”

We all turn and my brows come together as I stare at a teenage Nova in white pants, white tank top, and her brown hair in a ponytail. Her half white/half black wings settle on her back as she strolls across the floor.

“Nova.” Nathaniel breathes as he pushes his way through us to the angel.

Her face is stone as she puts up a hand to stop him. “That’s far enough.”

He looks at her with confusion. “Nova. It’s me. I’m a friend.”

“You are. It’s not you, Nathaniel. It’s them.” She tosses her chin to us.

“Us?” I step forward. “What the hell did we do?”

She gives us a weird look that says she feels sorry, judgmental and sympathetic at the same time. “You aren’t playing the game right. Nobody’s changing.”

Nathaniel tilts his head. “Nova? What do you mean nobody’s changing?”

“Nobody!” She tosses her hands out to the side. “Nobody anywhere and the blackness is going to win! I can’t let it, Nathaniel! I can’t!”

He holds a hand up. “Ok. Nova? What are you trying to do? What blackness?”

“I can’t explain it to you. You have to learn. You have to play.” She looks around the circle and stops at Demetri.

He glances at us and back at her. “Why… are you looking at me like that?”

She slowly walks up to him and places her hands behind her back.

She looks at Nathaniel. “Duck…”

She looks at me. “Duck…”

She looks at Krestin. “Duck…”

She slowly meets Demetri’s eyes. She raises a finger. “Goose…”

His eyes fixate on her and his mouth shrinks. “Goose? What’s that mean? Angel?” He turns his attention to Nathaniel. “Why did this child call me a goose?”

“I don’t know… Nova?” Nathaniel questions.

She steps back and raises her fingers in a snap. “We all must learn and we all must play. The blackness doesn’t play and I won’t let it. So… Let the game begin.”

“NO! NATHANIEL, STOP HER!” Cora runs to him.

“NOVA! DON'T!” He lunges for her just as she snaps her fingers.

“OH SHIT!!” The room turns sideways and we’re thrown to the far wall. Our thrones are lifted off the floor and we are buried by them as the room start spin on its corner. The wind feels like a tornadoes and I can’t see anything.

“AAVVVEERRYYYY!!” I try to reach out but the force is pinning me.

“HERE!!”

I feel him clumsily catch my hand, and I desperately grab onto him. We pull ourselves to each other and the room spins faster.

“Avery…” I whisper.

“I love you.” He holds me tighter as the space turns to a white tornado. Our ears are attacked by a high pitched whine and I have to squeeze my eyes shut. I cover my ears as my hair is whipped all round my head. I open them enough to see the rest of the chamber be swallowed by the light then for a split instant the world stopped dead.

I look into the light and see Nova raise her chin. I lock her with her eyes as the world seems to shrink then explode.

‘Your baby will be safe. She exists outside my game and you’ll see her again at the end. Just know I will protect her.’

‘Gabby…’

The voice in my head fades as I scream. I’m blasted through air and the world turns black as I’m swallowed by cool water. I blink as my body floats helplessly down and I watch a white light dancing on the surface shrink as I get farther away.

I panic and flail my arms and legs. Bubbles surround me as I turn to the light and fight my way to the surface. My lungs are on fire when I breach the surface and gasp for air. I go under and come back up with coughs and chokes. Waves rock all around me as I figure out what the fuck is happening.

Off in the distance, I hear screams and yells. I see fires and pieces of a boat everywhere.

“What the fuck?” I tread water and spin around. I see land and it’s on fire. My eyes widen. “No…”

“ZEN!”

I spin back around and see Avery clearing water off his face. “Ave!” I swim to him as fast as I can.

“Thank god…” He grabs me and pulls me into him. He kisses me and cleans the water off my face. “I thought I lost you.”

“What’s going on?” I choke as I hang off his neck and look around the black water.

“I-I don’t know. We need to get to shore.” He rubs his ring and his eyes glow. “Hang on.”

I swim to his back and hang onto his neck as he uses his wolf’s power to swim back to a shore that looks worse than the water.

We stumble up the rocks onto the shore and we're hit with the sight of the leveled city. “Oh my God.” I slowly approach the destruction dripping wet and thoroughly confused.

“I-I don’t know…”

“Ave… the boat wreck?” I ask as I think I’ve lost my mind.

“We died, didn’t we?” He glances out to the water and back at me. “The girl exploded.”

I shake my head. “No. This is something else.”

He locks with my eyes. “Gabby.” I could hear the worry in his voice.

I search my mind. “Before the explosion, she told me.” I raise my eyes to him.

“Who? Told you what?” He furrows his brow.

“Nova. She told me she was protecting Gabby outside of time. She wouldn’t be hurt and she still exists.” I say it like I can’t believe I’m saying it.

“Wait. Did she…throw us back in time?” He grabs my arms and stares into my eyes.

“I think so.” I answer.

He leans to me. “I can’t do this again, Zen! I can’t be away from Gabby! I need to get back!”

I grab his cheeks. “Ok. Don’t panic. I’m sure if we find her…”

“You can’t.”

We turn and watch Cora and Nathaniel walk up to us.

“Uh… You weren’t here when this happened.” I point to her

“No. We weren’t. And really. Neither are you.” Cora crosses her arms.

I mirror her posture. “What’s going on?”

She takes a deep breath. “I wasn’t sure when it happened to us, but I now believe that she’s segregating those who have learned lessons from those who haven’t.”

“Wait. She separated me from my daughter for a fucking game!!” Avery interrupts and growls.

“Ave. I told you. Gabby’s fine. She told me…” I start.

“She fucking crazy, Zen! You’re trusting our daughter with some psycho angel?!!”

“Nova isn’t psycho and she wouldn’t hurt your baby.” Nathaniel defends.

“You don’t know that.” He grits.

“I do. Nova is incapable of hurting an innocent. She won’t allow it. Your daughter is perfectly fine.” He looks around us all. “I’ve determined Nova has formed some form of time loop. Gabby exists outside of that. For her. Time is standing still. For us…”

I place a hand on my forehead. “It’s fucking groundhog year?”

“Precisely. “ He ticks his head and shoulders like there’s nothing we can do about this.

“It seems Nova wants us to remember. She also wants us to stay together. Which I think is why you two are still married and we are here. “ Cora explains.

I walk up to her and narrow my eyes. I stare at her and don’t say a word.

Cora’s face falls. “What?”

I glance at Nathaniel and back at her. “You mated the Angel. Didn’t you?”

She swallows. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell me?!” I throw my arms up. “Cora!”

“We couldn’t!” She yells. “If we had told, it might have messed up the timeline. Which now applies to you, too. You can’t breathe a word of your marriage. Your father. Gabby. None of it.” She explains. “You need the play the timeline as you’ve never lived it before.

“Which isn’t as hard as you think.” Nathaniel interrupts. “Nova changes things. What may seem like the same will be different.”

I point to him. “The weird stuff you guys were doing.”

Cora gives Nathaniel a look of disapproval. “This one makes a horrible observer.” She turns back to me.

“I’m sorry. I hate watching people struggle when I know the answers.” He shrugs.

“And that’s precisely why you need to stay quiet. Time is a tricky business. You don’t mess with it. One tiny, insignificant change can wipe out an entire planet.”

“Then how’s Nova getting away with it?” Avery asks.

“That, I don’t know.” Cora admits.

“It’s got to be Eternity’s power. There’s something that's protecting her and the timeline from imploding. Though, this blackness she kept talking about worries me. That’s the first she’s mentioned it.” Nathaniel cinches his brow.

“Maybe, she’s stumbled onto something out there that we don’t know about.” I offer.

“I don’t know. We’ll figure that out later. Right know, you need to hide.” Cora says.

I glance at Avery. “Ok. Why?”

Nathaniel smiles. “We figured out it takes at least a few days for Nova’s magic to catch up, so there’s another two of you running around right now.”

“And you can’t run into the them. Stay at the lake house. I think that’s safe from running into… well… you.” Cora instructs.

I rub my forehead. “My brain hurts.”

“Trust me. Running into your other self hurts even more.” Nathaniel nods.

I look to Cora who’s nodding. “Excruciating.”

“Ave… Let’s go to the lake house.” I swallow.

“Right behind you.” He breathes.

“We'll drop you off.” Cora says as she opens a shadow tunnel.

“I’m worried.” He says as we enter the shadow realm.

“Me, too.” I stuff my hands in my pockets.

“No. I mean I’m really scared, Zen.” He stops and faces me.

“I told you Gabby’s fine.”

“I understand that, but that's only part of it.” He takes my hand and shows me his ring. “What if what she changed… Zen… What if it doesn’t work this time?”

“I think the fact that nothing for us has changed, I don’t think it’s us we have to worry about.” I say.

“And that’s the other thing. What about Gabby. What if she’s the same, but were the one’s who are different.” He says with deep concern.

“Then we'll deal with it.” I hold his arms. “Don’t worry. I have a feeling this isn’t about us. We're more like pawns now than players.”

“You think so?” He looks at me curiously.

“Yeah. We just have to not spoil the game.” I smirk.

“If you say so, but if this game doesn’t end soon, I’m going to lose my shit.” He warns.

“Nova has a plan. I don’t know what that is, but it’s involves us and the planet.” I grab him and continue walking. “You know my intuition. Something tells me that this is bigger than we know. She needs our help, but I think we can’t help her the way she needs if we don’t learn something first “

“Learn what?” He asks.

“Whatever she needs us to. But as stupid as it sounds. I trust her and I feel like we need to follow her the way she needs. I never thought I’d actually say that.” I grin.

“You definitely learned a few things.” He leans to me and smirks.

“I did. And I have to thank her for it because if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have found the truth and the love of my life.” I wrap my arm around his and we walk faster to catch up.

He leans to my lips. “I won't argue about that.” He grins and kisses me as we walk.

We may be pawns in a child angel’s game, but I’m so glad I have Avery with me. This just proves that no matter what the universe throws at us. We will stand at each other’s side and fight together. Like we should have done in the first place.

Now, my eyes and ears are open and ready to listen whatever truth is out there. Nova dared me to improve and I did. For that, I’m prepared to help. I will fix whatever Nova needs me to fix. Not for just the planet, but for Gabby and Avery, too. They deserve the world. And I’m making it the best damn world in the universe.