The Alpha's Mother-In-Law's Forbidden Love (The Cresta Chronicles)

Anneliese POV

Lilia nearly wore out the floor of her crystal workshop with her pacing while they waited for the wood elves to join them. "They're late!"

Anneliese Chalice Cresta quipped, "You look like your pups or your mate or both."

With an exasperated look, Lilia muttered, "They know that they can travel away from their grove longer than three weeks now! They don't have to constantly sightsee every minute for fear of missing something."

"I think you've been spending too much time with Patch," Anneliese laughed. "You're usually more mellow than this, especially with guests."

But as a best friend, she knew Lilia could be impatient, whether it was with some fussy rich wife in the Bloodstone who couldn't make up her mind or an envoy who liked to puff up his or her own importance.

However, Lilia had seemed accepting of the wood elves, who, thanks to the revolutionary potion created by Calyx Phoenixcasuarina and Thessalia, could finally travel on long voyages away from their trees without fear of getting sick and withering away. Lilia herself had yearned for adventure away from Wildefell ... and she'd gotten it, then brought Ravyn and Anneliese to the shifter lands to share in the excitement and joy.

Lilia growled at her, "I just like to start my lessons on time. You know that."

She did know. She also knew that Ravyn traveling to Silverpaw territory with Jude was a twist Lilia never imagined ... even Anneliese couldn't wrap her head around it. Ravyn journeying alone in the company of a gorgeous, intelligent, powerful Alpha? Even if he swore up and down he didn't desire love and a fated mate, Anneliese knew how quests could spark romance–she'd ended up mated during hers with Patch.

Ravyn's and Jude's possible romance clashed with the images from her childhood of Ravyn as a second mother. If she had trouble with the concept, no wonder Lilia acted grumpy. And Lilia's father reappearing didn't help anyone's mood! Anneliese would dearly love to send that man far, far away ...

She turned to Azandra, who, as the Beta's mate and the healer, had volunteered to show the wood elves the power of crystal work. "What do you think? Any more insights for Lilia other than that cryptic one about the seed of the present being found in the past?"

Azandra's lips trembled, a strong tell. "It's too early to say."

"Well, my parents insisted on going back to Wildefell and will help Ravyn find her answers," Anneliese said with a smile of reassurance for Lilia.

They'd only been friends, and family, for a few years, but Anneliese wasn't going to let Azandra get away with such a hazy answer. And if she couldn't get at the truth, she trusted her parents to look after Jude and Ravyn–and maybe to find out what Lilia's father was up to.

* * * * *

Jude POV

No sign of Daxius Houdini, which was both a relief and more aggravation for Ravyn. She'd gone to the Wildefell Witch Circle Meeting Hall to find out what they knew.

As for Jude, he had his own mission.

He'd never been in a human city for more than a few hours, and he was astonished to find Wildefell cloaked in fog that the humans and other races seemed blind to. They didn't stop to notice the beauty of the lacy silvery fog draping their city and the fresh smell of it. Instead, they rushed here and there, buying and selling, working and idling, chasing what was right in front of them. Baffling. At least the humans passed right by him without once suspecting he was a shifter. Dwarves, elves, faeries, gnomes, orcs, goblins, and others gave him brief knowing glances but left him alone. He blended in.

His brown wool suit with gold buttons, tailored to make him look like his traveling identity as a wealthy human merchant, was perfect for the chill and the dampness. It also made him feel more confident when he approached Wildefell's best inn, the Wild Lyre Inn "where magical folk stay and play," within walking distance from the Bloodstone. Ravyn had checked on the shop before escorting him here.

"You'll be fine," she had said outside the gabled front of the inn, with a faraway look in her eyes. She'd seemed distant ever since talking to Wise Woman Eirika before their departure from Silverpaw lands several days ago.

He had no idea what she and Eirika spoke about In Eirika's cottage, or whether it had anything to do with how preoccupied she seemed. Last night, while she cooked dinner in the tiny upstairs apartment that smelled of generations of witches who'd run the shop, she was calm, warm, and hospitable, but with no hint of the passion they'd shared.

He shouldn't chase it, no matter how much his wolf nagged. He shouldn't let her polite, friendly attitude bother him. They both agreed to be friends, and they kept that promise after they left for Wildefell. But when he saw her sitting and eating in her witch's robe in the parlor that looked like a blue sky, all he could see was her sitting next to him at his table and holding him in his bedroom at home.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the heavy wooden door of the inn with frosted glass set in the upper half. He stepped inside the warmly lit reception area where a tiny gnome woman sorted guests' keys at the front desk. Standing beside her, a portly human male took care of the guests. He joined the line for the front desk, waiting patiently and breathing in the overpowering smell of humans.

Two goblins, who must be exceptionally civilized to even get close to a place like this, chattered to each other. "This place stinks of humans," one said.

The other grunted, brushing back his oily hair. "Better than shifters."

The first goblin knocked him on the head. "You mush-brain! You don't say THAT out loud."

The second goblin glared over his shoulder at Jude with ghoulish yellow eyes. "I'll say whatever I want ..."

Jude pushed past them and both goblins exclaimed in their guttural language. Hoping he sounded like a snobby rich human, he said to the staff at the front desk, "I'm meeting a guest here and my time is valuable. I have a huge sale to make today and I must see one of your guests–a faerie of wealth and position."

The portly human glared over his shoulder at the goblins. "We welcome business from such a successful man. There's only one faerie guest here at present–well, she does have her servants with her."

Spymasters Patch and Jiro had coached him on acting the part of an important human. Patch loved to masquerade as the Duke of New Moon.

He requested to speak to the lady in question or to one of her servants, and got hustled off to a comfortable chair in the common room, where he waited, reading a book.

"Mr. Faolan?"

He glanced up to see a female faerie lady-in-waiting with silvery hair dressed in gold and purple, her gown studded with gems that looked like glowing embers. "Yes?"

"I am Sorrell Butterpearl. My lady is most eager to meet you," the faerie lady-in-waiting said. "Unfortunately, she has engagements today, but she invites you to dine with her tomorrow night in a private room in this inn."

He smiled, feeling strangely relieved that he had more time before meeting Queen Ylavi. He must be more nervous than he thought. "It would be my honor to dine with your lady–I shall count the hours until tomorrow evening."

* * * * *

Ravyn POV

Hyacinth Paine and Edna Chalice were in a meeting behind closed doors, so Ravyn resolved to wait for them. But the headache that refused to go away made her feel unsteady when she walked, and so she went to the Healing Ward to see the healers.

The headache probably started several days ago, when she went to see Eirika Argad ... she couldn't even think about what the woman told her.

In the present, Melisande Bracknell was holding court as she usually did. She looked healthier than normal, or at least not as pinched. She glanced at Ravyn and said, "Have a seat."

Daxius had had a talent for healing once. Did he still possess that gift?

After several minutes, Ravyn looked up to see Melisande looming over her, offering her a headache remedy. Obediently, Ravyn took the medicine as directed while Melisande had one of her assistants play a crystal singing bowl to soothe Ravyn's headache musically. The mellow notes did chase away the pain in her forehead.

"Why are you getting headaches?" Melisande asked abruptly. "You never get them."

Ravyn lowered her voice. "You may have heard that my former husband showed up in Evenhide territory looking for me. I have reason to believe he's in Wildefell and–"

"Then I suggest you forget about him. Your headache comes from dwelling too much on the past. It's created an imbalance."

The cold, blunt advice left Ravyn bewildered.

Melisande wasn't finished. "Perhaps you need to be more involved in Witch Circle business, since you clearly don't have enough to keep you busy among the shifters. We're organizing our regular healing outreach for the shut-ins and people who can't come to us. I want you to lead it this year."

"Isn't that your job?"

The defiant tone in her voice surprised her.

"I have an important spell to prepare for," Melisande said mysteriously. "Now, tomorrow the healers will be spending the day visiting the shut-ins. I'll round up the volunteers and you can organize them."

"Senior Healer, you can't be serious! What does that have to do with wanting answers about Daxius and why he left me and my young daughter?"

Melisande's eyes hardened. "That was a long time ago and Luna Lilia must be far too busy to even give the past a second thought."

Ravyn just stared at the woman in disbelief. Melisande's voice turned thick as cream. "Of course, if you're too busy to tend to those who are sick and need someone to lift their spirits, I'll understand."

Her headache threatened to come back with a vengeance. She couldn't very well turn away from people who needed her. She couldn't accuse Melisande of trying to keep her from finding Daxius.

Ravyn's gut screamed that the woman intended to do exactly that! But why?

"Do these orders come from the council too?" she asked.

Melisande said a little too quickly, "Of course."

Anneliese's and Lilia's friend Galen, one of the healers, piped up. "I'll volunteer! That way you won't burn yourself out going to places like that one deserted house where no one seems to answer the door. Machpelah Street is always dodgy."

"Well, you don't need to go there, I've already checked on the family that lives there," Melisande replied.

Machpelah Street.

That was where Daxius' family had lived once. Would he really be so obvious? Either way, she saw her opening.

"It would be a pity if we couldn't give care to someone who needs it," she said. "I volunteer to lead the group."

She could do her duty as a healer and still ferret out Daxius!

When she met up with Jude hours later, he declared. "I'm having dinner with Queen Ylavi tomorrow night and it's all thanks to you!"

Then why had the Silverpaw Wise Woman Eirika Argad looked her right in the eye and said, "YOU are Jude's fated mate"?

She'd stared at the woman and said, "Then why don't you tell him that?"

"Because both of you are blind to what's in front of you, but you're less blind. You're a smart woman, Ravyn. You'll convince him."