
by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #9
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Rating:




Mercy Thompson has been hailed as βa heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.β* Now sheβs back, and sheβll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, itβs the children who suffer... Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae. Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs is the ninth book in the Mercy Thompson series. I love slipping into these tales and have become attached to the characters within. Fire Touched was a delightful installment and reminded me of earlier books in the series. Plot driven, intense and captivating I devoured every word.
From the moment I began Fire Touched, I could feel a contentment in Mercy that was missing in Night Broken. I enjoyed the playfulness of their home life and the banter between Adam and Mercy. However, we all know that peace never lasts; at least not when your name is Mercy. A call for help comes in and Mercy, Adam and some of the pack find themselves facing down an angry troll. The battle is brutal and set the plot into motion as tension between the Fae, humans and wolves heat up.
Mercy does something on the bridge, that was awesome but it has far-reaching implications. A friend is returned to her, but she also offers protection to a human child who was trapped in Underhill long ago. The storyline was tight, and we see movement in the overall arc despite the multiple threads. Adam finally does something he should have done long ago. Go Adam! In addition, Bran does something that at first pissed me off, but as I looked at it through his eyes, I understood. I am curious to see the impact if any regarding his actions. Gods above and below Christy showed up!!!! I just wanted to smack her. Development within the pack and character growth particularly regardingΒ Mercy pleased me. Despite all the threats, action-scenes and drama Briggs weaved in humor and shared elements of pack living I adored.
Secondary characters provided interest and I loved all the different creatures that have weaved their way into Mercyβs circle. The human child, dealings with the Fae and decisions within the pack all made this tale addictive. Adam is back in my good graces and as swoony as ever. The Walking Stick both fascinates and annoys me and was heavily involved in Fire Touched. The Fae have always freaked me out, and dealing with them only proved me right.Briggs really brings out their creepiness with her descriptive writing. Thankfully, Mercy and Adam are clever and have those who come to their aid.
Mercy continues to be a kick-ass, fearless coyote whom I adore. I crave learning more about her full potential asΒ she continues to surprise and impress me.
Fire Touched was a riveting edition of the Mercy Thompson series and once again has left me counting down the days until the next installment.
Fire Touched Chapter One
I sat up in bed, a feeling of urgency gripping my stomach in iron claws. Body stiff with tension, I listened for whatever had awakened me, but the early-summer night was free of unusual noises.
A warm arm wrapped itself around my hips.
βMercy?β Adamβs voice was rough with sleep. Whatever had awakened me hadnβt bothered my husband. If there were something wrong, his voice would have been crisp and his muscles stiff.
βI heard something,β I told Adam, though I wasnβt certain it was true. It felt like Iβd heard something, but Iβd been asleep, and now I couldnβt remember what had startled me.
He let me go and rolled off the bed and onto his feet. Like me, he listened to the night. I felt him stretch his awareness through the pack, though I couldnβt follow what he learned. My link to the Columbia Basin werewolves was through simple membership: but Adam was the Alpha.
βNo one else in the house is disturbed,β he told me, turning his head to look at me. βI didnβt sense anything. What did you hear?β
I shook my head. βI donβt know. Something bad.β I closed my fist on the walking stick that lay against me. The action drew Adamβs eyes to my hands. He frowned, then crouched beside the bed and gently pulled the walking stick away.
βDid you bring this into bed last night?β he asked.
I flexed my fingers, frowning with annoyance at the walking stick. Until heβd drawn my attention to it, I hadnβt even realized that it had, once again, shown up where it shouldnβt be. It was a fae artifactβa minor fae artifact, Iβd been told.
The stick was pretty but not ornate, simple wood shod in etched silver. The wood was gray with age, varnish, or both. When it had followed me home like a stray puppy the first time, it had seemed harmless. But fae things are rarely what they seem. And even very minor artifacts, given enough time, can gain in power.
It was very old magic and stubborn. It would not stay with the fae when I tried to give it back to them. Then I killed with it βor it had used me to kill something. Someone. That had changed it. I didnβt know what to do with it, so Iβd given it to Coyote.
My life so far has been a learning experience. One thing I have learned is: donβt give magical things to Coyote. He returned it, and it was . . . different.
I opened and closed my hands several times; the fierce knowledge that something was wrong had faded. Experimentally, I reached out and touched the walking stick again, but my fear didnβt return.
βMaybe I just had a nightmare,β I told him. Maybe it hadnβt been the walking stickβs fault.
Adam nodded and set the walking stick on the top of my chest of drawers, which had become its usual resting place. Shutting it up in a closet had seemed rude.
He came back to the bed and kissed me, a quick, possessive kiss. He pulled back and looked at me, to make sure I was okay.
βLet me just take a look-see around the place to make sure.β He waited for my nod before he left me alone.
I waited for him in the dark. Maybe it had been a nightmare, or maybe something was wrong. I thought about the things that could be triggering my instinctsβor things I was worried about.
Maybe something was wrong with Tad and Zeeβthat would explain the walking stickβs presence in my bed. The walking stick could be concerned about themβthey were fae. At least Zee was fae.
When one of the Gray Lords who ruled the fae had declared independence from the human government, the fae had retreated to their reservations. Zee, my old friend and mentor in all things mechanical, had been forced to go to the Walla Walla reservation, which was about an hour away.
The fae barricaded themselves inside the walls the government had built for them. For a month or so, theyβd let the humans figure out that the walls werenβt the only things that protected the reservations. The Walla Walla reservation had all but disappeared, hidden by illusion and magic. The road that used to lead to it no longer did. Rumor had it that when people tried to find it by airplane, the pilots forgot where they were going. Satellite photos were a gray blur for an area far larger than the reservation had occupied.
Then they released some of their monsters upon the human population. Fae that had been held in check by their rulers were let free. People died. The government was trying to keep a lid on it, to avoid panic, but the media were starting to notice.
I closed my hands again on the gray wood of the walking stick lying across my lap, the one that Adam had just set on the top of the chest of drawers. The walking stick moved on its own, though Iβd never managed to catch it in the process.
I hadnβt worried about Zee a whole lot at firstβhe can take care of himself. Tad and I had been able to contact him now and then.
Tad was Zeeβs son. Half-fae, product of a mostly failed experiment by the Gray Lords to see if fae could reproduce with humans and still be fae, Tad hadnβt been required (or asked) to retreat to the reservations. The fae had no use for their half-bloods, at least not until Tad had demonstrated that his magic was powerful and rare. Then theyβd wanted him.
Seven weeks heβd been gone. Without Tad, I hadnβt been able to activate the mirror weβd been using to contact Zee. Seven weeks and no word at all.
βIs it Tad?β I asked the walking stick. But it sat inert in my hands. When I heard Adam on the stairs, I got up and put it back on the chest.
Sitting at the kitchen table the next morning, I paged through yet another catalogue of mechanicβs supplies and made crabbed notes on the notebook beside me with page numbers and prices.
I hadnβt forgotten last night, but I could hardly sit and do nothing, waiting for something dire to happen. I had no way to contact Zee or Tad. I also had no way to tell if the walking stick had caused my panic over something real, or if Iβd had a nightmare, and that had called the walking stick.
If something dire was going to happen, in my experience, it would happen whatever I was doingβand waiting around was singularly useless. So I worked.
The wind rustled the pages gently. It was early summer yet, cool enough to leave windows open. A few more weeks, and the heat would hit in full force, but for now we only had the occasional windstorm to complain about. I flattened the page and compared the specs of their cheapest lift to the next cheapest.
Weβd managed to scavenge some tools out of my shop when a volcano god toasted it, but a lot of things got warped from the heatβand other things got demolished when the rest of the building collapsed. It would be months before the shop was up and running, but some items were going to take a few months to order in, too.
Meanwhile, I sent a lot of my customers to the VW dealership. A few of my oldest customersβand a few of my brokest customersβI had bring their cars out to the big pole building at my old place. It wasnβt really tooled up, but I could take care of most simple issues.
Music wafted down from upstairs out of Jesseβs headphones. Her door must have been open or I wouldnβt have heard them. The headphones were an old compromise that predated me. Jesse had told me once, before her father and I got married, that she suspected that if she were playing Big Band music or Elvis or something, her dad wouldnβt have minded her playing it on a stereo. He liked music. Just not the music she liked.
She also told me that if she hadnβt told him that her mother let her play whatever she wanted (trueβyou donβt lie to a werewolf, they can tell), he probably wouldnβt have been willing to compromise on the headphones. Werewolves can hear music played over headphones, but itβs not nearly as annoying as music over speakers.
I like Jesseβs music, and I hummed along as I sorted through what I didnβt want, what I wanted and didnβt need, and what I needed. When I finished, Iβd compare the final list with my budget. After that, I expected that Iβd be sorting through what I needed and what I absolutely needed.
Above Jesseβs music, I could hear male voices discussing the pack budget and plans for the next six months. Today was, apparently, a day for budgets. Our pack had money for investments and to help support the wolves who needed help. Our pack because though I wasnβt a werewolf, I was still a member of the packβ which was unusual but not altogether unique.
Not all packs had the resources that we did. Money was a good thing to have in a werewolf pack. Werewolves had to work to control their wolves, and too much stress made it worse. Lack of money was stressful.
It was a fine balancing act between helping the people who needed help without encouraging slackers. Adam and his second, Darryl, and Zack, our lone submissive wolf because he was the one most likely to hear if someone in the pack was in trouble (in all senses of that word), were upstairs in the pack meeting room β Adamβs office being too small to accommodate two dominant wolves.
I couldnβt hear Lucia, the sole human in the room. She was there because she had taken over most of the accounting for the pack from Adamβs businessβs accountant. She was quiet because she wasnβt yet comfortable enough with the werewolves to argue with them. Zack was pretty good at catching what she didnβt say and relaying it to the others, though, so it worked out.
Luciaβs husband, Joel (pronounced Hoe-el in the Spanish tradition), sighed heavily and rolled over until all four paws were in the air and his side rested against the bottom of the kitchen cabinets a few feet away from where I sat at the table. Joel was the other nonwerewolf who belonged to our pack.
He was black, but in the strong sunlight, I could see a brindle pattern. Like me, he wasnβt a werewolf. His induction into the pack was my fault, though it had saved my life and probably his. Instead of turning into a werewolfβor a coyote like meβhe sometimes regained his human form and sometimes took on the form of a tibicena, a giant, very scary beast that smelled like brimstone and had eyes that glowed in the dark. Mostly, though, he looked like a large Pressa Canario, a dog only slightly less intimidating to most people than a werewolf, especially if the people werenβt familiar with werewolves. We were hoping that someday heβd get control of his change and be able to be mostly human instead of mostly dog. We were all grateful that he wasnβt stuck in the form of the tibicena.
Curled up next to him, and nearly as big as Joel, Cookie, a German-shepherd mix, gave me a wary look. She was a lot better than she had been the first time I met her, as a victim of severe abuse whoβd been rescued by Joel and his wife. Still, she avoided strangers and tended to view any abrupt movement as a cause for concern.
The sound of an unfamiliar car in front of the house pulled my attention away from the merits of a four-post lift over a two-post lift. Joel rolled over and took notice. Upstairs, the menβs voices stopped. There was no doubt the car was for us because our house was the last one on a dead-end, very rural street.
It wasnβt the mail carrier or the UPS ladyβI knew those cars, just as I knew the cars the pack usually drove.
βIβll check it out,β I told Joel, knowing Adam would hear me, too. I was halfway to the front door, Cookie at my heels, when someone knocked.
I opened the door to see Izzy, one of Jesseβs friends, and her mom, who was carrying a large, teal, canvas bag. Izzy usually drove herself over, I wondered if there was something wrong with her carβand if I should offer to teach her how to fix it.
βHey, Ms. H,β said Izzy, not meeting my eyes. βJesseβs expecting me.β
As soon as she spoke, Adam and his budget brigade (as Darryl called them) went back to workβthey knew Izzy, too. Izzy slid around me andββ escapedβ was the only word that fit-up the stairs. Cookie bolted after herβIzzy was one of her favorite people.
βMercy,β said Izzyβs mom. I couldnβt for the life of me remember her name. While I was fighting with my memory, she continued speaking. βI wonder if you have a few minutes. Iβd like to talk to you.β
It sounded ominousβbut Izzy had just run upstairs, so it couldnβt be one of those βIβm sorry but I just donβt feel safe with my daughter coming over here knowing there are werewolves in the houseβ talks. Those usually happened over the phone, anyway.
βSure,β I said, taking a step back to invite her in.
βWeβll need a table,β she said.
I led her back to the kitchen, where Joel had stretched out, big and scary-looking, across the floor, until the only way to the kitchen table was over him. I opened my mouth to ask him to move, but Izzyβs mom stepped over him as if heβd been a Lab or a golden retriever.
Joel looked at me, a little affronted at her disregard of his scariness. I shrugged, gave him a small apologetic smile, then stepped over him, too. Izzyβs mom sat down at the kitchen table, so I sat down beside her.
She pushed my catalogues away to clear a space, then pulled out a slick, teal-colored spiral-bound book the size of a regular notebook with βIntrasity Livingβ scrawled in gold across the front.
She placed it gently, as if it were a treasure, on the table, and said, in an earnest voice, βLife is short. And weβre not getting any younger. What would you give if you could look ten years younger and increase your energy at the same time? Thatβs what our vitamins can do for you.β
Holy Avon, Batman, I thought, as worry relaxed into annoyance-tinged humor, Iβve been attacked by a multilevel marketer.
Sounds from the upstairs quieted again, for just a moment, then Darryl rumbled something that was nicely calculated to be just barely too quiet for me to pick out. Adam laughed, and they went back to talking about interest rates. They had abandoned me to face my doom alone. The rats.
βI donβt take vitamins,β I told her.
βYou havenβt tried our vitamins,β she continued, blithely unconcerned. βTheyβve been clinically proved toββ
βThey make my hair fall out,β I lied, but she wasnβt listening to me.
As she chirruped on enthusiastically, I could hear Izzyβs voice drifting down from Jesseβs room. βMercy is going to hate me forever. Momβs gone through all of her friends, all of her acquaintances, all of the people at her gym, and now sheβs going after my friendsβ parents.β
βDonβt worry about Mercy,β said Jesse soothingly. βShe can take care of herself.β Jesseβs door closed. I knew that with the door shut, the kids were too human to hear anything that went on in the kitchen short of screams and gunfire. And I wasnβt quite desperate enough yet for either of those sounds to be an issue.
βI know there are other vitamins out there,β Izzyβs mother continued, βbut of the twelve most common brands, only ours is certified by two independent laboratories as toxin-and allergen- free.β
If she hadnβt been Jesseβs best friendβs mom, Iβd have gently but firmly (or at least firmly) sent her on her way. But Jesse didnβt have that many friendsβthe werewolf thing drove away some people, and the ones it didnβt werenβt always the kind of people she wanted as friends.
So I sat and listened and made βmmmβ sounds occasionally as seemed appropriate. Eventually, we moved from vitamins to makeup. Despite rumors to the contrary, I do wear makeup. Mostly when my husbandβs ex-wife is going to be around.
βWe also have a product that is very useful at covering up scars,β she told me, looking pointedly at the white scar that slid across my cheek.
I almost said, βWhat scar? Who has a scar?β But I restrained myself. She probably wouldnβt get the Young Frankenstein reference anyway.
βI donβt usually wear makeup,β I told her instead. I had an almost-irresistible need to add βmy husband doesnβt want me attracting other menβ or βmy husband says makeup is the work of the devilβ but decided that any woman whose name I couldnβt remember probably didnβt know me well enough to tell when I was kidding.
βBut honey,β she said. βWith your coloring, you would be stunning with the right makeup.β And, with that backhanded compliment, she was off and running, again.
Izzyβs mom used βnaturalβ and βherbalβ to mean good. βToxinβ was bad. There was never any particular toxin named, but my house, my food, and, apparently, my makeup were full of toxins.
The world wasnβt so clean-cut, I mused as she talked. There were a lot of natural and herbal things that were deadly. Uranium occurred naturally, for instance. White snake root was so toxic that it had killed people who drank the milk from cows who had eaten it. See? My history degree was useful, if only as a source of material to entertain myself while listening to someone deliver a marketing speech.
Izzyβs mother was earnest and believed everything she said, so I didnβt argue with her. Why should I upset her view of the world and tell her that sodium and chloride were toxic but very useful when combined into salt? I was pretty sure sheβd only point out how harmful salt was, anyway.
She turned another page while I was occupied with coming up with more toxins that were useful-and I was distracted from my train of thought by the picture on the page. A mint leaf lay on an improbably black and shiny rock in the middle of a clear, running stream with lots of water drops in artistic places. It made me a little thirstyβand thirsty reminded me of drinking. And though I donβt drink because of an incident in college, I sure could have used something alcoholic right then.
Come to think of it, alcohol was a toxinβand useful for all sorts of things.
βOh, this is my favorite part,β she said, caressing the dramatic photo, βessential oils.β The last two words were said in the same tone a dragon might use to say βSpanish Doubloon.β
She reached into her bag and pulled out a teal box about the size of a loaf of bread. In metallic embossed letters, βIntrasityβ and βLiving Essentialsβ chased each other around the box in lovely calligraphic script.
She opened the box and released the ghosts of a thousand odors. I sneezed, Joel sneezed. Izzyβs mother said, βGod bless you.β
I smiled. βYes, He does. Thank you.β
βI donβt know what I would do without my essential oils,β she told me. βI used to have terrible migraines. Now I just rub a little of our Gaiaβs Blessing on my wrists and temples and βpoof,β no more pain.β She slid out an elegant, clear bottle that held some amber liquid and opened it, holding it toward my nose.
It wasnβt that bad. I admit my eyes watered a little from the peppermint oil. Joel sneezed again and went back to sleep. But from upstairs came a gagging noise and loud coughing. Ben wasnβt here, and I didnβt think Zack was the type. Iβd have thought Adam and Darryl would both have been more mature. If I had any doubt that they were teasing me, it would have been dispelled by the way they were careful to be just quiet enough that Izzyβs mother couldnβt hear them.
Joel looked at me and let his tongue loll in an amused expression. He stretched, got up, and trotted up the stairs, doubtless so that he could join in the next round of fun. Deserter. Cookie gave me a mournful look and then bolted after Joel.
βGaiaβs Blessing contains peppermint oil,β Izzyβs mother said unnecessarily because that was the one making my eyes water, βlavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus, all natural oils, blended together.β She capped it. βWe have remedies for a variety of ailments. My husband was an athlete in college, and for twenty years, heβs battled with jock itch.β
I blinked.
I tried to keep my face expressionless, despite the laughter from upstairs, as Izzyβs mother continued, apparently unaware of the meaning of TMI. βWe tried everything to control it.β She dug around and pulled out a few bottles before coming up with the one she wanted. βHere it is. A little dab of this every night for three days, and his jock itch was gone. It works for ringworm, psoriasis, and acne, too.β
I looked at the bottle as if that would keep inappropriate images from lingering. It helped that I had never met Izzyβs father, but now I hoped I never did.
The bottle label read: βHealing Touch.β I wondered if Izzyβs motherβs husband knew that his jock itch was something that his wife brought up in her sales pitch with near strangers. Maybe he wouldnβt care.
She opened that bottle, too. It wasnβt as bad as the first one.
βVitamin E,β she said. βTea tree oil.β
βLavender,β I said, and her smile wattage went up.
I bet she made a mint on her multilevel marketing. She was cute, perky, and very sincere.
She pulled out another bottle. βMost of our essential oils are just one oil-lavender, jasmine, lemon, orange. But I think that the combination oils are more useful. You can combine them on your own, of course, but our blends are carefully measured for the best effect. I use this one first thing, every morning. It just makes you feel better; the smell releases endorphins and wipes the blues right away.β
βGood Vibrations,β I commented neutrally. I hadnβt been pulled back to the sixties or anything; that was what the label on the bottle read.
She nodded. βThey donβt advertise this, mind you, but my manager says that she thinks it does more than just elevate your mood. She told me she believes it actually makes your life go a little smoother. Helps good things to happen.β She smiled again, though I couldnβt remember her not smiling. βShe was wearing it when she won a thousand dollars on a lottery ticket.β
She set the bottle down and leaned forward earnestly. βIβve heard-but it hasnβt been confirmed-that the woman who started Intrasityββ she pronounced it βIn-TRAY-sityβββ Tracy LaBella, is a witch. A white witch, of course, who is using her powers for good. Our good.β She giggled, which should have been odd in a woman of her age but instead was charming.
Her comment, though, disturbed me and made me pick up the bottle of Good Vibrations. I opened it and took a careful smell: rose, lavender, lemon, and mint. I didnβt sense any magic, and mostly if magic is around, I can tell.
LaBella wasnβt one of the witch family names, as far as I knew, but if βTracy the Beautifulβ was her real name, Iβd have been surprised.
βNow this little gemββ Izzyβs mother pulled out yet another bottleββthis is one of my favorites, guaranteed to improve your love life or your money back. Does your husband ever have trouble keeping up?β She held up a finger, then curled it limply downward as her eyebrows arched up.
The silence from upstairs was suddenly deafening.
βUhm. No,β I said. I tried to resist, I really did. If Darryl hadnβt said, βWay to go, manβfor a moment I was worried about you,β I think I could have held out. But he did. And Adam laughed, which clinched it.
I sighed and picked an imaginary string off my pant leg. βNot that way. My husband is a werewolf, you know. So really not, if you know what I mean.β
She blinked avidly. βNo. What do you mean?β
βWell,β I said, looking away from her as if I were embarrassed, and I half mumbled, βYou know what they say about werewolves.β
She leaned closer. βNo,β she whispered. βTell me.β
I had heard the meeting-room door open, so I knew that the werewolves could hear every word we whispered.
I let out a huff of air and turned back to her. βYou know, every night is just fine. Iβm good with every morning, too. Three, four times a night? Well . . .β I let fall a husky laugh. βYouβve seen my husband, right?β Adam was gorgeous. βBut some nights . . . Iβm not on the right side of thirty anymore, you know? Sometimes Iβm tired. I just get to sleep, and heβs nudging me again.β I gave her what I hoped would come out as a shy, hopeful smile. βDo you have anything that might help with that?β
I donβt know what I expected her to do. But it wasnβt what happened.
She nodded decisively and pulled out an oversized vial with βRest Wellβ written on the label. βMy managerβs father, God rest his soul, discovered the βlittle blue pillβ last year. Her mother just about divorced him after forty years of marriage before she tried this.β
βGod rest his soulβ meant dead, right? I took the vial warily. Like the others, it didnβt feel magical. I opened it and sniffed. Lavender again, but it was more complex than that. Orange, I thought, and something else. βWhatβs in it?β I asked.
βSt. Johnβs wort, lavender, orange,β she said briskly. βThis isnβt quite chemical castration, but it will bring your life into balance,β she said, and she was off on her sales pitch as if the phrase βchemical castrationβ was a common conceptβand something one might consider doing to oneβs husband.
And she looked like such a nice, normal person.
I sniffed the vial again. St Johnβs wort I knew mostly from a book Iβd once borrowed about the fae. The herb could be used to protect yourself and your home against some kinds of fae when placed around windows, doors, and chimneys. If it protected against the fae, maybe I should see if we could get it somewhere and stockpile. Maybe we could grow it. Lucia had our flowerbeds looking better than they had in years, and she was talking about putting in an herb garden somewhere. St. Johnβs wort was an herb.
Eventually, Izzyβs mother finished her sales presentation and began the hard sell.
I have a strong will. I didnβt join up to sell Intrasity products to all my friends. She could say it βwasnβt a pyramid schemeβ all she wanted, but thatβs what it was. When she offered a 10 percent discount for names and phone numbers of friends, I thought about giving her Elizavetaβs name. But I wasnβt all that keen on sending a perfectly nice woman to the scary witch. I also wasnβt sure that the witch really counted as a friend.
I would let Elizaveta know that Tracy LaBella was styling herself a witch to sell her products and let the old Russian deal with it herself.
So I paid full price for one normal-sized and one oversized bottle of Rest Well, which was Izzyβs motherβs entire stock. I mostly bought it because it was funny, but also because I intended to see what kind of an effect the St. Johnβs wort would have on a fae.
With Zee and Tad stuck on the reservation, I might need something to use against the fae.
I also bought a small vial of Good Vibrations. I hadnβt intended to, but Izzyβs mother gave me five percent off because sheβd used it as a demo. I could give it to Elizaveta to make sure it wasnβt really magical. It wouldnβt hurt anything if I tried a little of it myself first.
It was when I bought some orange oil that I acknowledged that Izzyβs mother had beaten me. But the orange oil smelled really good. Izzyβs mother told me it was supposed to promote calmnessβand it worked in cookies. Iβd used orange extract in brownies before, but Izzyβs mother said the oil worked better.
I saw her out and put my back against the door once I closed it. Adam cleared his throat. I looked up to see him halfway down the stairs. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded as he did his best to appear disgruntled. But there was a crinkle of a smile at the edge of his eyes.
βSo,β he said, shaking his head. βIβm too much for you. You should have said something. We might be married, Mercy, but no still means no.β
I widened my eyes at him. βI just havenβt wanted to hurt your feelings.β
βWhen I give you that little nudge, hmm?β His voice took on a considering air. βCome to think of it, Iβm feeling a little nudge coming on right now.β
βNow?β I whispered in horrified tones. I looked up toward Jesseβs room. βThink of the children.β
He tilted his head as if to listen, then shook it. βThey wonβt hear anything from there.β He started slowly down the stairs.
βThink of Darryl, Zack, Lucia, and Joel,β I said earnestly. βTheyβll be scarred for life.β
βYou know what they say about werewolves,β he told me gravely, stepping down to the ground.
I broke and ranβand he was right on my tail. Figuratively speaking, of course. I donβt have a tail unless Iβm in my coyote shape.
I dodged around the big dining table, but he put one hand on top and vaulted it, right over the top of Medea, who was taking a nap on top of the forbidden territory. She hissed at him, but he ignored her and kept coming after me. I dove under the table and out the other side, sprinted through the kitchen, and bolted down the stairs, laughing so hard I almost couldnβt breathe.
He caught me in the big rec room, tripped me, and pinned me against the floor. He kissed my chin, my neck, my cheek, and the bridge of my nose before he touched my lips. He put our game right out of my mind (along with any ability to form a coherent thought), so when he said, βNudge,β it took me a second or two to figure out what he was talking about.
I dragged my thoughts from my enervated and trembling body and thought about how many people would know what we were doing down here. βNo?β I said hesitantly.
βWhat happened to not hurting my feelings?β he asked. Even though his body was evidently as excited as mine, and his breathing harder than our little chase merited, there was amusement in his eyes.
βIzzy, Jesse, Darryl, Zack, Lucia, and Joel happened,β I said. If my voice was husky, well, I think anyone in my situation would have had trouble keeping her voice steady.
He rolled off me but grabbed my hand as he did, so we lay side by side on our backs with our hands clasped. He started laughing first.
βAt least,β he said finally, βbeing a werewolf means I never have to worry about jock itch.β
βEvery cloud has a silver lining,β I agreed. βEven being a werewolf has its upside.β
I expected him to laugh again. But instead his hand tightened on mine and he sat up and looked at me. He pulled my hand to his lips, and said, βYes.β
Of course, I had to kiss him again.
We went upstairs after that kiss, so i didnβt end up embarrassing myself. Sure, there were sly grins from the peanut gallery, but since nothing happened, I was able to keep from blushing as Darryl and Zack got ready to leave. Adam and the others had apparently concluded their business while I was finishing up with Izzyβs mother.
Darryl kissed my hand formally, and said, βYou are endlessly entertaining.β
I raised my eyebrow and gave him a βwho me?β expression. Of course, that only made him laugh, his teeth flashing whitely in amusement. Darryl was a happy blend of his African father and Chinese mother, taking the best features of two races and combining them. A big man, he could do scary better than anyone in the pack, but with a grin on his face, he could charm kittens out of trees.
Zack gave me a hug good-bye. Our only submissive wolf, he had been really . . . skittish and worn when he first joined the pack a few months ago. But as heβd gotten used to us, he touched us all a lot. Some of the guys had been taken aback when heβd started, though his touch had nothing to do with sex. But no one wanted him sad: a happy submissive wolf balanced the dominants and lowered tempers. So theyβd learned to accept Zackβs ways.
I returned Zackβs hug, and he slipped something into my pocket that felt like one of the vials Iβd just bought. He stepped back, looked me earnestly in the eye, and said, βTo protect you from the nudge.β
Darryl high-fived him as he stepped out on the porch. It made Adam laugh.
After I shut the door on the miscreants who didnβt live here, I turned around to see Lucia, Joel at her side, standing in the doorway to the kitchen with her arms crossed and a big grin on her face. I frowned at her.
βDonβt worry,β she said earnestly. βI didnβt hear the whole thing, but Zack courteously kept me apprised as it was happening, so I wouldnβt feel left out. Why didnβt you tell her to go away before she got started?β
βBecause sheβs Izzyβs motherβand that sort of thing can have repercussions for Jesse,β I told her.
βAnd because you didnβt want to hurt her feelings,β said Adam. βWhich is why multilevel marketing works. And you bought the oil because you want to see if thereβs real magic involved because youβre worried about her,β said Adam.
I met his eyes solemnly. βNo.β I patted my pocket. βI bought the orange oil for brownies, and I bought that other as a shield for the nudge attack.β
He raised an eyebrow. βSo, do you wear it, or do I?β he asked.
I frowned at him. βI couldnβt actually tell from her story, but Iβm afraid it might be fatal for you.β Her managerβs father had gotten a βrest in peaceβ after his name when she was talking about him, after all. βI figure the way it works is that I put it on me. Then Iβll smell so strongly that youβll stay away until you are really desperate.β
He threw his head back and laughed. Adam . . . Adam tried to downplay it with a military haircut and clothes that were subtly the wrong colorβIβd just figured that one outβbut he was beautiful. Like magazine-model beautiful. I didnβt always see it anymore, the inside being more interesting than the outer package, but with his eyes sparkling and his dimple flashing . . .
I cleared my throat. βNudge?β I said.
Lucia laughed and turned back toward the kitchen. βGet a room,β she said over her shoulder.
Adam? He took a predatory step toward me, and his phone rang.
So did mine.
I checked the number on my phone, intending to let the voice mail catch it, but when I saw who was calling, I answered it instead.
βTony?β I asked, walking away from Adam so my conversation wouldnβt get mixed up in his. Adam was talking to Darryl, whose voice sounded urgent.
βI donβt know if you and Adam can help us,β Tony said rapidly. In the background, sirens were doing their best to drown out his voice. βBut we have a situation here. There is something, a freaking-big something on the Cable Bridge, and it is eating cars.β
βYou and Adamβ was short for βplease bring a pack of werewolves out to take care of the car-eating monster.β If they were asking for the pack, they must be desperate.
βMercy,β said Adam, who, unlike me, apparently had no trouble keeping track of two conversations at the same time, βtell him weβre on our way. Darryl and Zack are almost on-site.β
I repeated Adamβs words, then said, βWeβll be right there.β
I hung up and started out the door. The Cable Bridge, which had another name no one remembered, was about a ten-minute drive from our house.
βMercy,β said Adam tightly. The last time weβd faced down a monster, Iβd almost died. It had taken me six weeks to stand on my own two feet, and it hadnβt been the first time Iβd been hurt. The werewolves were two-hundred-plus pounds of fang and claw who mostly healed nearly as quickly as they could be hurt. I was as vulnerable as any human. My superpower consisted of changing into a thirty-five- pound coyote.
He still had nightmares.
I looked at him. βYouβre going to be a werewolf. Darryl is going to be a werewolf, and Iβm assuming Joel is going to be a monstrous tibicena, spitting lava and looking scary. I think you need someone on the ground with the ability to shout things like βStop shooting, those are the good guys.β.β I took a deep breath. βI wonβt promise not to get hurt. I wonβt lie to you. But I do promise not to be stupid.β
His cheeks whitened as he clenched his jaw. His eyes shadowed, he nodded slowly. That was the deal that we had, the thing that allowed me to give up my independence and trust him. He had to let me be who I wasβand not some princess wrapped in cotton wool and kept on a shelf.
βOkay,β he said. βOkay.β Unself-consciously, he stripped out of his clothes because it would be easier to do that here than in the car. βJoel? Are you coming?β
The big black dog, who already looked a little bigger, padded out of the kitchen. I wasnβt certain how much control Joel had about what shape he wore except that it wasnβt much. We needed to get to the bridge before he started melting things in the carβthe tibicena was a creature born in the heart of a volcano.
I opened the door, stopped, and ran up the stairs. I opened Jesseβs door without knocking.
βMonster on the Cable Bridge,β I said. βPolice are requesting assistance. Stay home. Stay safe. We love you.β
I didnβt give her time to say anything, just bolted back down the stairs to Adamβs black SUV, where the others waited.
We were going to fight monsters.
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Erin
I love this series,but haven’t read this one yet! I am glad to hear that it was so good – sometimes a series will lose its magic as it grows but it sounds like this one still has it!
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy Erin π
Lorna
I have the first one in my tbr pile. Someday, I actually intend to read it. Glad you are still enjoying this after so many books π
kimbacaffeinate
I understand that perfectly. I am on book two of the Psy-Changeling series and book two of the BDB lol
Kristin
I’m like Jennifer and I’m one book behind, too. I still need to read Night Broken (and Dead Heat!). It’s ALMOST a good thing she’s one of those authors who is a bit slow on the writing process (for shame I said that out loud!!!!). I’m just so nervous about Night Broken and all that happens (stupid exes!!).
Great review and comparison!!
kimbacaffeinate
LOL, just do it, Fire Touched will be your reward π
Bookworm Brandee
No, peace certainly doesn’t last if your name is Mercy! *haha* I’m glad this was a worthy addition to the series, Kimberly. It’s wonderful that at 9 books in, Mercy is *still* growing, and I’m happy that Briggs added in humor to balance out the action and tension. I can’t wait to get caught up with Mercy and Adam!!
kimbacaffeinate
Have fun catching up Brandee π
Jennifer (Bad Bird Reads)
Ugh, I am a few books behind so I have to wait to read this one. Everyone is going crazy for it. Happy your loved it too.
kimbacaffeinate
Catch up. I really want more of the Alpha & Omega series π
The Bibliophile Babe
Glad you enjoyed it! I’m starting it as soon as I finish Outlander. π
kimbacaffeinate
Ooo Outlander π le sigh Jamie π enjoy
miki
i’m glad because this is one of my favourite series and always release new my birthday .
I particulary looking forward discovering more about Zee, this series stays of teh same level of quality and i love that!
thank you for this wonderful review
kimbacaffeinate
Happy Birthday! you couldn’t ask for a better pressie!
miki
you are a little in advance it’s only next week and yes i do see better gift ( books in general are^^) but then i will have to see if that wish come trues ( and now anne bishop release alse near that time of teh year , at least it’s a way so i don’t forget them^^)
blodeuedd
I so want to read this one
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy! Then you will be stuck waiting like me for more!
Angela Adams
“Mercy continues to be a kick-ass, fearless coyote” — Wow! Plus, this is the third review I’ve seen today for this book, and they’ve all been positive. A big “high five” to the author!”
kimbacaffeinate
That makes me happy!!
Sophia Rose
Agreed, agreed, agreed. You summed this latest up perfectly. I like what you mentioned about Mercy feeling more settled. And yes, Adam’s showdown and ultimatum made me whoop out a cheer. And yes, wasn’t that decision of Bran’s an interesting twist and has me hoping it comes up in the next Alpha & Omega installment from his perspective.
kimbacaffeinate
I am hoping the same for the Alpha & Omega series. So glad you loved this one Sophia!
Angela
I skimmed the review. I am a fan of Mercy, so I’ve been avoiding reviews for this book since I pre-ordered it and now that it’s out I’ll get to enjoy all the surprises. Yep, their are a few authors and books I try not to spoil ^_^. Thank’s for sharing!
kimbacaffeinate
I am that way to Angela, enjoy!
Candace
I’m glad you’re still enjoying this series!
kimbacaffeinate
Thanks Candace I enjoy Briggs π
Rita
I’m up to Frost Burned, a book or two before this one, so I just skimmed your review, but it sounds good! Glad the series is remaining a worthwhile read!
kimbacaffeinate
Keep going ,as this one is refreshing π
Heidi
This one is all over today. I think we all agree it was a terrific installment aside from Christy. ARGH!
kimbacaffeinate
Bwahaha…right. π
Rosa
I’ve been wanting to start reading this series, but haven’t had the time yet. I definitively have to make time for more reading π
kimbacaffeinate
I hope you get to start them soon.
Whitney
The first few sentences from chapter one had me hooked, Fire Touched sounds like a gripping novel and Mercy a strong female lead, I’ll have to keep this series in mind.
On a side note, I was looking through your review archive and received a “fatal error” message under the author tab. It could very well just be my computer but I thought I would mention it.
kimbacaffeinate
Glad I could share it with you Whitney
sherry fundin
I am seeing this book everywhere and now I WANT it. π I have read some Briggs and love her work.
kimbacaffeinate
Yay, enjoy Sherry π
AngelErin
I love that cover! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this one. Good to know that Mercy continues to kick butt in the 9th book!
kimbacaffeinate
I like it too and yes she does π
Tanya
I love that we have Mercy and Adam as a team to lead the pack and deal with the Fae. They are so comfortable together it is great that we focus on the story instead of any angst between the couple.
kimbacaffeinate
I agree, which is one of the things I loved about Fire Touched
Jonetta (Ejaygirl)
Glad to see this series is still holding up! I’m a couple of books behind. Thanks for the review.
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy catching up π
kindlemom1
I love that even though I’m only on book four of this series, that I can count on all the others being fantastic as well!
Great review Kim!
kimbacaffeinate
Agreed. Have you started her Alpha & omega series? I love that one
Debbie Haupt
I’ve seen this around looks like I’ll have to delve into another series π
kimbacaffeinate
Oh yes you must read Briggs Debbie π
Anna
I love the cover and the beginning suck me right in. π
Anna from elements of emaginette
kimbacaffeinate
I really have enjoyed the cover progression
Jenny
I love Adam something fierce, but I’ve definitely been a little irritated with him over the past few books as he’s left Mercy out to dry with both the pack and Christy, so it was really nice to see him finally put his foot down in this book! It was also nice to understand his reasoning for not saying something all along. Made sense:) I can never have too much of this series, bring on the next book!!!!
kimbacaffeinate
Totally agree Jenny, but I am glad it happened.
Tyler H. Jolley
Thanks for the excerpt, that always helps me decide. Happy reading, Kimba!
kimbacaffeinate
Anytime π
Brandi Breathes Books
This is a popular one to review today, and glad to hear that you too were riveted
Lekeisha
This series looks so kick-butt, and I can’t wait to read it. Great review!
kimbacaffeinate
Enjoy Lekeisha!
Wattle
It’s great that the series is still enjoyable when its almost in double digits book wise! π I enjoyed the excerpt too, think I might have to give the first book a look. Thank you for sharing!
kimbacaffeinate
Yesssss! I hope you try them:)
Melanie Simmons
Adam really drops mic in this one and I love him for it, even if he is a little late. π I so loved this book. Might be one of my favorites in the series. Great review as always.
kimbacaffeinate
It was about time, so glad you loved this one too π
Greg
Hmm nice that a ninth installment is so good and a series can still go strong like this. I like the sound of a pack vs a troll- sounds pretty epic! It looks like it has nice humor too judging from the excerpt. And I’m curious about the fae. Nice review Kimba!
kimbacaffeinate
Each book has a case/mystery and there is an overall ARC Greg. This is a fun UF series.
Silvia
I still have to put my hands on this series, but I have a feeling you and Melliane really want me to start right away . . . Seriously, you girls got me really curious with your reviews!!
kimbacaffeinate
Why yes, yes we do *winks*
Mary Kirkland
Oh dang that sounds like a really good one. Thanks for the excerpt.
kimbacaffeinate
Any time, I hope you try the series π
Melliane
yes it was a fun one again! the faes were interesting and I loved to discover more about them as well as this boy. curious to see more!
kimbacaffeinate
Fae are so creepy and yet I love reading about them π