The Undead Pool

David was nodding, extending a hand to escort Megan out. “Good. Edden, if all you need are eyes on the street, I can help. If we find these SOBs, Rachel won’t have to talk to the demons at all.”

“Worth a shot,” Edden said. “Bring your people down to the arena and we’ll give them a grid. Rose can tell you where I am better than me.”

The phone was ringing, and Ivy’s eyebrows rose after glancing at the caller ID. I shook my head, and she let it ring. He wasn’t here. He got no say. We could handle this the way we did everything else. Together. But my heart was pounding and my knees felt wobbly as I told the mystics buzzing in my head to back off and let me think my singular thoughts.

David had his hand on Megan’s shoulder, the two of them starting for the door with a pile of clothes in their hands. Seeing their casual, comfortable contact, I realized I couldn’t procrastinate any longer. “David?” I called, waving my way through Jenks’s dust. “Hold up. Can I talk to you for a second?” They both came to a halt, and a flash of angst went through me. I wasn’t abandoning them. I was making things right.

“You sure you can handle the demons?” he asked, and I nodded.

“It’s nothing we haven’t done before.” Minus the deep-seated hatred. “We’ll be fine. David, I’ve been thinking.”

Immediately his face darkened, and I pulled him aside so Edden and Ivy could slip by us. She touched my shoulder in passing, the simple contact starting a buzz of controversy concerning “we” in a few mystics.

“Ah, I’ve been doing some thinking this week,” I said, raising my hand when he started to interrupt. “No, listen,” I said, but he wasn’t.

“Nothing has changed,” he said, and Megan flushed as Jenks left, joining the noise on the way to the front door. “I don’t want—”

“You don’t want,” I interrupted, searching his eyes until I found the focus in him, so deep and entrenched that I didn’t think it would ever leave him. I hoped it never would. “It’s too late for what you want,” I said, unhappy that this wasn’t working out. Seeing him and his pack rallying together under a common goal made it very clear this wasn’t working. “You need. You need an alpha who is there, focused on the same thing you are. Clearly I can’t do it.”

“Rachel.”

“I’m not a Were,” I said, interrupting him. “David, Megan needs the clout that goes with the job she’s doing.” My job, the one I neglected so badly that I hadn’t even met the woman doing it. “Maybe if you were just an ordinary alpha this could work, but you’re not. Not anymore.”

“Maybe if you were just an ordinary witch,” he said ruefully, and my shoulders eased as he began to understand. We were both being pulled in different directions. It was time to let go.

My throat closed up, and I braced myself against the questioning mystics. “Don’t think this is easy,” I said, and he nodded, taking my hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “What do we have to do?” Head high, Megan came closer, her breath held in hope.

David let go, his fingers finding hers, a new, eager look in his eyes. Yes, I was doing the right thing. “You’re not leaving our pack,” he said, and Megan nodded.

“No, but I can’t be alpha.” But I knew this was the first step out. I wasn’t a Were, and to pretend so would only lead to more grief. I never should have tried in the first place. But who knew it would lead to all this? I looked at Megan, who was almost glowing. “We don’t have to fight or anything, right? I’m really tired.”

David ducked his head in a chuckle. “A handshake will do it. The paperwork is only for the registry.”

A handshake. The mystics clustered close to my uppermost thoughts, trying to figure out why I was both upset and happy as I held out my hand. “Megan, all good things to you,” I said as our hands met.

“Go shake death until you win,” she said, and I sighed in regret. Coulda, shoulda.

“I’ll do that. Thank you.” I let go, and the mystics hummed their confusion.

I made her single voice count more, I thought at them.

A single voice can’t have more merit than many voices, they thought in unison.

It can if that single voice sees more than others, I thought back, then caught my breath as a flood of them left me, fueled by the concept. I hid my sudden unbalance by giving Megan a hug. It was the right thing to do, and David was beaming when I rocked back. Steps silent, they headed for the front door, their soft words twined and falling over each other. It was good. I’d finally done something good.

“That’s nice,” Jenks said as he came back in and landed on my shoulder. “So you think cookies are going to keep Al from busting you up?”