by R L Medina
My wolf whimpered for him.
Hopefully, he hadn’t done anything reckless yet like make himself an enemy of the witch queen. Though I suspected it was too late to wish for that.
I sighed. Once again doubts filled me. What was I supposed to do about Diego and the witches? Was there nowhere safe for my pack anymore?
11
McKenzie
A warm breeze tickled my skin, and the moonlight cast shadows against the city statues and pebbled street. Fane watched me without blinking and all my senses were on high alert. His confession still rang through me. Watching me from inside the coven? How?
“Who was it?” I frowned at him. “Who let you in?”
“Jealous?” His lips pulled back, revealing his fangs.
I shuddered. “God, no.”
Amusement danced in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.
“Have you been following me?” I demanded.
“Maybe? What can I say, I’m a romantic.”
“That’s not romantic. That’s creepy. Stay the hell away from me.”
His smile widened. I fought the urge to blast him with my magic and wipe the smugness right off his face, but I had a feeling he would enjoy it more than I would. Sicko.
“Why are you doing this? Why now? What about our agreement?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Void, wouldn’t you say? Seeing as every single person who signed the original and annual reevaluations is dead.”
My lip curled at his coldness. “That doesn’t make it void. Under that oath, I have the right to punish you for breaking your word.”
His eyebrow rose. “Punish me? How… kinky.”
Annoyance spread through me. There was no talking to him. He was impossible. Utterly, completely impossible.
“Be serious, Fane. For one second of your life. Do you want a war right now? Is that what you and your brother want?”
He shook his head. “Hardly. A war is too easy. We’d wipe out your coven in one night.”
“I doubt that.”
“We just want to help. Break the barrier. Be free to leave Savannah.”
“Leave Savannah? All of you?”
“Try not to sound so excited at the prospect.”
“How do I know this isn’t just some trick you’re playing?”
He shot me a feigned wounded look. “Me? Play tricks on you? Never. We just want to help.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t believe that.”
His lip quirked, the smug smile back. “Believe it or not, but it’s true. We would benefit from this as well, and surely you can see this is in the best interest of… well, everybody.”
Breaking the barrier would mean I could find ingredients for spells I’d saved but couldn’t try. It would mean I could look for other witches outside of the city that could help. But I didn’t trust his motives were pure. What game was he playing?
Sighing, I met his gaze. “So, what do I have to do, Fane?”
“Meet with my brother. Join him for a tea or a coffee. Wine. Whatever you prefer.”
I growled in frustration. This was so not what I needed right now. Wasn’t dealing with the werewolves bad enough, but now I had to seek out the vampire prince?
“My Queen,” Kohl cut in.
I turned at his voice.
“The ward alarm is going off. We’re needed back at the coven.”
Cold dread filled my insides. “What is it? The wolf?”
Fane’s head cocked. “A werewolf? Aren’t you just full of surprises, cariad?”
Kohl scowled at him.
“Think about the offer. Not that you really have a choice. Every day my brother doesn’t get the response he requests, a witch will be drained.”
My magic stirred within me. “Is that a threat, Fane?”
He chuckled, eyes narrowing. “It’s Prince Fane. And no, that was a promise.”
Before I could get in the last word, he was gone. The air whooshed where he’d stood and blew my hair back. I scanned the area and growled in frustration.
“Let’s go.” I nodded for Kohl to start walking back to the coven.
We walked in silence, Fane’s words replaying in my mind. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but if what he said wasn’t a trick… it could mean everything. Finally, a breakthrough, a chance, a real chance to stop the curse.
Kohl disarmed the ward as I waited behind him on the giant porch. My body protested the idea of summoning more magic to deal with the wolf. Why couldn’t everyone just wait until morning before pissing me off?
“I can take care of the wolf, Kenzie. You should get some sleep.” Kohl’s words startled me out of my thoughts.
I shook my head in disagreement as he finished his work and took a step back. His eyes found mine and his lips twisted in concern.
“Let me cast. Save your energy,” he pleaded.
Before I could respond, the door burst open and a witch bowed. Behind him, voices chanted, and we pushed our way through.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“The sleeping spell wore off, and he tried to attack. He got Mario in the shoulder, but everyone else is okay.”
“And where is the wolf now?”
“They’re trying to find him. He can’t have gotten past the wards. He’s got to be somewhere inside the coven.”
I groaned and shared a look with Kohl. The last thing I wanted to do was play hide and seek with the werewolf.
“I’ll cast,” he offered.
Repressing a sigh, I nodded to him and held his hand as he summoned magic. Pain etched his features as he used the energy to locate the alpha. The fading mark on his hand filled back in and glowed. Everyone watched in silence.
I frowned at them. “Why couldn’t any of you cast a locating spell?”
Their eyes darted away from me.
“We tried,” one answered in indignation.
Kohl squeezed my hand, a reminder not to go off on them. I bit back the insults on my tongue. Mel wouldn’t have spoken harshly to the witches. But she was a natural leader and teacher. I didn’t know how she put up with their incompetence.
“He’s at the back door. In the kitchen.” Kohl opened his eyes.
“Alright. Let’s get him.” I waved him forward.
I turned to the others. “Reset the ward and make sure no one leaves, and no one gets in.”
My eyes swept their faces. With the dim candlelight, it was too hard to make out distinct features. Which one of them was the traitor?
I’d have to deal with that later. Pushing down my irritation, I followed Kohl to the back.
Two of my best witches stood in the massive kitchen, their backs to the door as we entered. They turned at our approach and gave me a quick bow.
Moonlight streamed in from the giant window above the sink, illuminating their silhouettes. I followed their outstretched hands to the cornered wolf. A pair of silver eyes narrowed on me.
He was in wolf form which meant he was in no mood to talk it out.
“We’ve strengthened the ward, but we need someone else to cast the sleeping spell.”
The wolf growled.
“I can do it,” Kohl answered.
My head snapped to him. “You just cast, Kohl. I can do a simple sleeping spell.”
He frowned at me.
I raised my hand to start the chant. Elijah shifted before I could cast it. He stood in the shadow, face, and body hidden in the darkness.
“You can’t keep me here forever.” His voice was deep.
“One more night then. Tomorrow, we’re letting you go. You have my word.”
Kohl turned to me sharply but didn’t argue.
“He bit Mario.” Deepa spoke up.
I turned to her. “How deep?”
She shook her head. “Not deep enough to turn him.”
“Good. Then it will heal.”
Elijah took a step toward us. The pale moonlight lit up his muscular body. Muscular and naked body.
My eyes flew
back to his face.
“I’m not going back to my pack until I find the witch responsible for—”
“Your sister’s death. Yes, we know,” Kohl cut him off.
“Don’t you have a duty to your wolves to protect them? Shouldn’t you be there with them instead of here pissing me off? And do you have a mate? Do they know you’re here?”
He stilled. “She’s better off without me.”
I stared at him, weariness filling my every limb. The last thing I needed was to get involved in the wolf’s relationship issues. First of all, there was literally no time for me to play therapist and second of all, I couldn’t care less about his girlfriend problems.
He moved closer to us and before he could say more, my magic shot out and engulfed him. Anger flashed across his face before sleep overtook him. He fell face first onto the ground with a loud ‘thud’.
“Ouch.” Blake flinched.
Kohl glanced at me. “My Queen, I wish you had let him get dressed before you did that.”
Blake snorted. “Does this mean I have to help carry his naked ass all the way upstairs?”
“We can lock him in that closet. Have someone bring down a blanket and pillow, I guess.”
“Are we really letting him leave, My Queen?” Kohl’s questions brought my head around.
I met his gaze. “I meant it. After we hex him of course.”
The witches nodded in agreement.
“Move him to the closet and bring him a blanket and pillow. We’ll lock him in and do the hex tomorrow.”
“We’re going to need extra witches to perform the hex,” Deepa said.
I sighed. “Yeah. We’ll figure out who tomorrow.”
They bowed as I turned on my heel. Kohl stayed behind to help move the wolf and see to my instructions. My head spun as I climbed the stairs to my room. Fane’s threat echoed in my ears and his face flashed in my vision. I shuddered at the thought of him having access to my coven—to me. I didn’t like where things were heading, and my gut told me this was just the beginning. Things were in motion now and I doubted we would be happy with the outcome.
Trying to dismiss the dark thoughts and the day’s events, I undressed and slipped into bed. My dreams were filled with happier memories and Fane’s cold, blue eyes. They were there watching me in the past and though somewhere in the back of my subconscious, I knew I was just dreaming, I couldn’t help but wonder… had he been there all along, and I’d never known it?
A disturbing thought, but not as disturbing as the fantasies my warped mind created. Fane and I together. His lips on mine and his fingers roaming, his touch scorching and—I woke with a start, heart racing. His smirking face vanished from my mind. I sat up and rubbed my face, cheeks still on fire from the dreams—no, nightmares.
“Never going to happen.” My voice bounced off the walls. I blushed, feeling silly for the outburst.
There was no way he could see me, I knew that, and yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Unable to sleep after that, I sat up and waited for daylight.
When the first early rays of sunlight appeared, I rubbed my tired eyes and dragged myself out of bed to pull on a pair of jeans and shirt. After a light breakfast and giant cup of tea, I met Kohl in the kitchen along with the other witches.
Silently, Blake and Deepa followed Kohl and I. Danny and Willow, the other two of my five best witches, were there, chosen by Kohl to help us with the hex.
A tremor ran through me as Blake opened the closet. Elijah looked up from the floor, He was dressed in the jeans they’d left him, but shirtless. His face was thunderous and already his brown eyes were shifting to silver.
Kohl frowned. “We gave you a shirt.”
Elijah drew himself to full height—an impressive one—and glared at him. “It’s too small.”
Willow let out a giggle. I whipped toward her and she shut up quickly. Deepa was shaking her head at her.
What the hell did she think this was? We were about to perform a hex and she was tittering like a stupid flirt.
I turned back to face the wolf. “It doesn’t matter. It’s time for you to go.”
His dark eyes narrowed on me and slid to the others. He didn’t budge. Of course, his inner wolf was probably warning him, and he wasn’t an idiot. There were six of us and he knew I wasn’t letting him loose out of the goodness of my heart.
“The sleeping spell.” I nodded to Deepa.
Her fingers flew as she chanted and threw her magic at the wolf. His head snapped back, colliding against the wall as the spell took over.
“Alright. Let’s move him out.”
Kohl didn’t waste any time. The others followed his lead. I watched as they carried him out and set him on the kitchen floor. Deepa kept the wolf asleep as we prepared the hex.
Blake lit the black candle carved with Elijah’s name and handed me the long black string. I bent to tie it around his hands.
“What about his wolf? Will the hex work on his wolf too?” Willow asked.
“It should. He and his wolf are one,” Kohl answered for me.
She flushed and looked away. Though she didn’t admit it, I assumed it was her first time performing a hex on anyone. Most of the witches in our coven were inexperienced. The elders left the majority of our education up to our parents and families and not everyone had gifted witches in their family tree.
Kohl took a knife and carved a large ‘S’, our coven symbol, into another black candle and lit it.
“Hold hands and repeat after me,” I instructed them.
We stood in a circle around the werewolf, hand in hand.
“With the power of the Coven, we bind you.” My voice rose.
They repeated the chant.
“Elijah, Alpha of the Shadow Wolves, enemy of witches. You will not hurt us, not as man and not as wolf. Should you raise your hand against us, you will fall. Death will find you. Be careful of what you do, or the magic will make this true.”
I waited for them to repeat my words before I started it over. After the third time, I gave Blake the nod to extinguish the candle at the same time as Kohl blew out the other.
Magic swirled in the air, whipping around us and through us. The werewolf twitched on the ground as the hex took effect. A black swirl appeared on each of his hands before disappearing.
“Put him back in the room to rest. Once he’s up and well, see him out,” I commanded the others.
Part of me felt guilty for marking the alpha, but he’d left me no choice. I couldn’t leave my witches unprotected which was another reason I decided to give in to Fane’s request. I would call my top witches together to tell them and come up with a plan.
I would have to face the prince of darkness, the heartless heir—Prince Ryn.
12
Valeria
The morning was gray and rainy. As if mother nature mourned our circumstances too. I’d been there along with the others to do the sweep inside the houses and felt the heavy pull of grief. All the resources had been stripped save for a couple of flashlights and some spare clothes.
If the humans had been scared off, where did all our stuff go? Anger stirred within me at the thought of Diego’s pack hoarding our things.
We’d slept the rest of the day and night in shifts just to make sure Diego didn’t return for Drew and Becca. I’d barely gotten more than a few hours.
I held my coffee tin in my hands and drank down the watery, grainy liquid. Instant coffee was better than nothing but paled in comparison to the real thing.
Sighing, I set the cup down and went outside on the covered porch to stretch my legs. Others milled about, some smoking and others nursing their own cups of powdery caffeine.
My head snapped up as Drew and Becca headed toward me.
They ignored the suspicious looks my pack shot them as they walked up.
I waited for them to speak first.
Drew flashed me a tentative smile. Becca just stared at me. She still gripped her gun as if it were a life
preserver. My wolf growled with warning.
“Hey. I wanted to say goodbye before we left. And thank you for… everything.”
I shook my head at Drew’s words. “You don’t have to thank me.”
He glanced at his sister who arched a brow at him. I looked from her to him. What was it now?
“There’s something else. Before you say no, just hear me out.”
“Drew—”
He held a hand up and his dark eyes pleaded with me. “Please. We need a safe place. Out here, we could make our own camp. Over there in the field. We wouldn’t have to be at the houses.”
I looked to where he pointed. The old soccer fields.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Look, I’m not blaming you for what happened, but humans are the reason we had to leave this place in the first place.”
His hopeful smile faded.
“I can’t ask my pack to share a home with people… people who—”
“We had nothing to do with whatever happened here.” Drew cut me off.
I sighed. “I know, but it’s just… it would be a bad idea. Human and werewolves together.”
“But we would stay on that side. Wouldn’t come near.”
Becca scoffed beside him, eyes rolling. “Give it up, Drew. I told you it’s a bad idea.”
His head whipped toward her. “So what? We just give up and let Diego sell us to the vampires?”
I gaped at him. “Vampires?”
He met my gaze. “As slaves. That’s why they were trying to attack Jen. Some of them even have slave collars.”
A chill crawled up my spine. Slave collars. The image it brought was horrific. Diego had confessed to using them too. How could the queen allow it? Wasn’t anyone willing to stand up to the wolf? For the most part, vampires and wolves went their separate ways. Not really enemies, but not really allies either and now Diego was working with them?
“I… I’m sorry.” I finally answered.
Becca snorted.
Drew frowned at her and turned back to me, face softening. “It’s bad. It’s really, really bad, Valeria.”
