“Stop it,” I muttered coldly, grabbing the top hem and tugging it up so that my cleavage wouldn’t be quite as visible. “We need to talk.”
“So talk.”
“Did you sell your home?”
Beck’s brows furrowed together. “Of course not. It was Cheri’s family home. It’s for the kids one day.”
I smiled. I was on the right track. I must have been completely exhausted to have missed it last night. “It’s not just her family’s home. It is her family. And it's Jilly’s, too. She has to get back there.”
“I’m not following you, Lynlee. What are you trying to tell me? Jilly’s afraid of that place. I can’t put her through that again.”
“No, Jilly’s not afraid of the place. She’s a nymph, Beck. She’s connected to nature.” I shook my head, brow furrowing. “No, that’s wrong, Not nature in general. She has a very specific home, and it feeds her life-force. She’s sick because she’s been absent from it for an extended period of time, and if you don’t get her back there, then she’ll never recover.”
“But the terrors...”
I shook my head, trying to be patient, but I was brimming over with the need to talk out my idea. For a minute, I thought of calling Rhia, but Beck took a step closer to urge me on. Patience wasn’t one of my strong suits, and with Beck, it was always difficult and almost impossible under certain circumstances.
“You said the terrors began when her mother died. Her mother was connected to that place, too, and when she died, something else must have moved in there. That’s what has Jilly scared. She was too young, not strong enough to defend her home, but she has to get back there, Beck. Believe me, we have to get her there, and we need to do go there tonight.”
“Tonight?” Beck rubbed his hands over his face, and his eyes then ran his fingers through his hair, “I’d have to get the kids up right this minute if we’re going to get there tonight. And even then, we’d have to...”
“That doesn’t matter. We can just orb there in my...”
As soon as the words left my mouth his face went pale, then a green tint washed over his complexion. Magic. Just because he now knew that his daughter was a magical creature didn’t mean he was quite ready to dive wholesale into magic. I could tell instantly that a trip in my grotto would be entirely too much for him to handle.
My lips drawn into a line, I studied him a minute, then sighed heavily. “Okay, we’ll drive. But we have to get there tonight.”
“You want to go now?”
I did. Today was the day after Halloween, All Saints Day. But tomorrow, tomorrow would be All Souls Day. The souls of the dead tended to revisit the earth on All Souls’ Day when the veil between the afterlife and the now weakened temporarily. MAUCs were generally afraid of ghosts. MAUCs had little ability to harm the spirits, and that made them feel vulnerable. Whatever inhabited Jilly’s home would assuredly not expect to find resistance to his claim on All Souls’ Day.
“Yes, today. We need to get there by midnight. Trust me.” I’d kept my tone even and without excess inflection. I turned to grab the coffee carafe and was shocked when I felt Beck’s hands at my waist. His fingers splayed out against my stomach, tightening just a bit. I sighed through my teeth. “Beck, what are you doing?”
He didn’t speak, but I felt his breath rustling my hair against my ear, tickling me and sending goosebumps along my arms. For a moment, I felt angry that he would dare to put his hands on me, to make me want him. He was the only man who could ever have this effect on me, the only one who could chip away at my personal walls to find the emotion below the surface. I at once loved and hated my reaction to him.
“Beck, I can’t think when you touch me.”
“I love that about us. I love that I can get through to you, to the Lynlee inside. I love to touch her and to make her hum to life... just for me...”
He had me humming all right. I gripped the edge of the countertop and leaned forward until my forehead touched the cabinet door in front of me. My sleepwear was so thin there might as well not have been anything between his skin and mine.
“Beck, please,” I whispered, pleading.
He must have misunderstood the intention of my plea because he pulled me back against him and began to touch me with both hands simultaneously. “I need you, Lynlee. No matter what else has happened, I’ve never stopped wanting you.”
“Please.” It sounded like a whimper to me, but I was too desperate to break his hold on me to care about the sound of my own weakness. “Please don’t do this to me again, Beck. Don’t you understand what you did when you left?”
I might have splashed cold water on him. His movements froze, and his body tensed. Before I could speak again, he pulled away and moved towards the opposite side of the room. I didn’t trust myself to step away from the kitchen counter. I needed its support while I found my bearings.
“I’ll, um, let the kids sleep a bit longer. We’ll plan to leave by 7:00, if that’s okay with you.”
I nodded instead of speaking and waved my hand in the air as a symbol that he should go. Beck apparently understood my silence and had left the room by the time I turned around.
About an hour later, my phone buzzed as I was stepping out of the shower. A glance at the screen showed a text from Rhia.
Sorry I went AWOL. Won’t believe the night I’m having. Will call tomorrow.
Quickly, I responded with a simple:
Me too. Still busy. Check u later.
I certainly wasn’t ready to talk to my BFF about the strange turn of events in my life. I’d never told her about Beck and knew the story would take longer than I had to tell. Plus, I wasn’t sure my emotions were controlled enough yet to get through it after the way Becks’ touches had sparked up my old feelings.
No, I certainly wasn’t ready for a “girl chat,” as Rhia would call it. With a heavy sigh, I grabbed my keys and headed down the stairs.
Chapter 8
RHIANNON FACES THE pack
The growl outside the cabin door was a menacing warning. Rhiannon flicked her gaze over her shoulder to Sandy, but he was still peering out into nothing, lost in thought. She splayed the fingers of her hands out wide, then fisted them at her side.
“They’re here, Sandy. You wouldn’t by chance know how to fight, would you?”
He cocked his head to the side, offense showing clearly in the expression on his face. “I’m descended from the gods. Of course, I can fight.”
She wasn’t sure Greek deity equaled warrior in the case of all of the gods, specifically Morpheus. But now wasn’t the time to question his lineage or his manhood.
“Let me go out there first. Don’t get into the fray unless it’s clear I need help. And for goodness sakes, Sandy, do not let them get close enough to bite you.”
He put his hand to his forehead and offered her a salute, then focused all his attention on the darkness outside the cabin door. She could see the reds of the werewolves’ eyes glowing as they approached.
By now, it seemed silly to remind Sandy not to look while she undressed, so she just quickly tossed her clothes aside and shifted once again. Her bones popped and cracked in protest. She was going to need an entire day to recover... assuming she survived in the first place.
As she approached the door, Sandy stepped aside, once again staring at her with marvel in his eyes. If he liked her wolf this much, maybe she would just stay this way forever. Being the sexy man’s lapdog couldn’t be all bad.
But on to more serious things.
As expected, the center wolf was the largest, his teeth bared and his back bowed in a looming hackle. He stepped close to her, snarling. The alpha of this pack was quite the beast.
You’re wasting your time. The child isn’t one of you, she told him telepathically.
He sniffed the air, black snout raised up. His lips slid into a doggish smile, then without warning, he leaped, landing with a thud in front of her. He was so close that the heat of his panting breath rustled the whiskers
around her muzzle. But she didn’t flinch and didn’t move. This would be a test of wills, and if she backed down, he might get the upper hand.
Where is your pack? he asked.
She could feel her wolf reacting to the strength of the Alpha. His power was like a drug, intoxicating her senses. She sought out the vampire part of herself and focused on it, urging it to keep the animal part in check. The vamp side of her was unemotional, cold and stiff.
Her wolf didn’t much like that side of her, and she was much stronger.
I’m my own pack. Give this up. The child won’t be changed. I found a chupacabra.
The Alpha took several steps, walking around her and still sniffing, checking her out. She didn’t move a muscle.
Fine. I’ve lost the child. It doesn’t mean I’ll give up.
Power-hungry Alphas never did.
I have no mate. You have no pack. Can you imagine the alliance we might make, werevamp?
She cringed internally. It didn’t surprise her that he would detect her secret. Most lower-level weres would never even get close to guessing. But an Alpha had stronger senses, and it was just about impossible to subdue the signs.
I’m flattered, but I don’t think so. Not interested.
He moved in close, then hooked his head over her neck and rumbled a growl into her ear. I can be persuasive.
Rhiannon didn’t have any trouble believing that. Her wolf was whimpering inside, filled with both desire and the urge to cower to him. Somehow, she managed to remain stoic, but it wouldn’t be long until she would begin to falter.
Thankfully, the rosy hew of the sun began to show on the horizon. It wasn’t that the sun was harmful to weres, but it was harder to maintain the shift during the daytime. The pack would want to get home as quickly as possible.
The Alpha moved back, entering the circle with his wolves. I’ll find you. You know that, don’t you?
She raised one of her lips in a snarl. It won’t change anything. I won’t be your mate.
He turned in one graceful leap and headed into the woods. As he disappeared, she thought certain she heard laughter, but that didn’t really matter. He was gone, and hopefully Felipe was safe.
Without even doing much to make it happen, her body shifted back into that of a woman again. Getting up off her knees, she brushed the dirt and leaves from her hands and legs then turned towards the cabin.
Sandy’s arm was hanging out of the door, her clothes in his outstretched hand. She smiled and took them with a little chuckle. She dressed, then stepped inside, finding that he had one palm over his eyes. Feeling somewhat emboldened, she reached up and took his hand, slipping it down so that he would look at her.
“Did you see anything?”
“Not a thing.”
“Hmmm.” She considered that with a raise of one eyebrow. “I’m kind of offended, Sandy. There’s lots of guys who wouldn’t have missed the chance to look at this sexy body of mine.”
His eyes studied hers, sinking deep inside her. In the same way her wolf had reacted to the Alpha a few moments ago, her human side was all twitchy under Sandy’s intense scrutiny.
“In the right situation, I won’t miss the chance. I promise.”
“Sandy!” Maria called out from the bedroom, and he immediately reacted and started moving in her direction.
Rhia wasn’t sure what had almost just happened with the two of them, but she knew she liked it. Maybe despite all of the danger, this would turn out to be the best Halloween ever for her. Now if only Felipe would be able to fight off the werewolf change.
When she entered the boy’s room, she found him sitting up in bed again, but this time, the glowing eyes were back to a more normal brown, and he had a wide smile on his face. As soon as they saw her, Emilio rushed forward and clasped her hand.
“Thank you, Miss Rhiannon. You have saved him!”
Chapter 9
LYNLEE IMPROVISES
A troll. An honest to goodness troll. I’d only encountered one in all my life, but I would never forget the horrendous smell of their species. There was definitely a troll inhabiting this place. It was like a putrid combination of body odor, rotten eggs and decaying meat. I curled my lip in disgust.
The home showed evidence of being abandoned for a long time. Leaves were piled up on the little porch and cobwebs covered the corners and blocked the screen door. It was an old little cottage-type house. Very charming and almost like something from a fairy tale. It was lodged deep in the woods and was surrounded by a lovely assortment of trees. I could hear the sound of running water and cocked my head to my left and listened. Tiny cold fingers gripped mine, and I looked down at Beck’s beautiful red-haired daughter.
Jilly smiled, and I smiled back. Her expression was almost glowing, her skin radiant with a fetching blush to her cheeks. The little nymph's green eyes ebbed with energy, and I could tell she was absorbing the power of her home. As a nymph, Jillian was connected to this place: to the earth, the trees and every aspect of this property.
“Is there a spring nearby?” I asked.
Beck answered from behind me. “Actually, there’s a little waterfall about a mile away. That’s probably what you’re hearing. There’s a bridge crossing over there that will take you to it.”
I hadn’t looked up at him while he spoke, keeping my eyes firmly locked with little Jilly’s. She smiled wider.
“He’s at the bridge?” I asked, but the girl shook her head.
“You’re kidding,” Beck muttered behind me, a mixture of astonishment and aversion in his words. “Are you seriously telling me there’s a goddamned troll hiding under our bridge?” I could hear that tone in Beck’s voice again.
Justin’s mouth popped open, but there was a glitter of amusement in the little boy’s eyes. “Daddy, you said a bad word.”
He ignored his son and fixed me with a challenging stare.
Ice entered my expression in an instant. “You did want my help, right?”
I watched his jaw tighten, and it pleased me to be able to aggravate him.
While Beck and I stared each other down, I caught sight of Justin casually kicking the dirt as he moved away from us. “She told me he’s in the cave,” he said, and I looked up to find him slapping a stick against the side of the house.
“Justin Wayne Hale. Are you telling me your sister has told you about this, and you didn’t tell me?”
I smiled again. Beck was really unnerved, and I couldn’t help but find it comical.
Justin shrugged and began poking at some critter on the ground in front of him. “She made me promise.”
“Where’s the cave, Jilly?” I asked the little girl and then looked off in the distance when she pointed.
I released her hand and began moving in the direction of the cave. I shook my left hand to conjure my wand.
“Wait!” Beck called, and I turned to look at him. “You’re going in there alone? I should come with you.”
I almost made a smart comment, but he seemed genuinely concerned and now wasn’t the time to banter. “Who’ll stay with the kids? It would be better if you wait here. I can handle a stupid troll.”
He nodded as he glanced at his kids, and I watched as he approached Jilly and put his hands protectively on her shoulders. The prettiest little girl I’d ever seen simply smiled at me even broader, complete faith in her eyes.
Was that faith misplaced? I wasn’t willing to consider that at the moment. The jury was still out until I formally met the horrible creature.
So, as for trolls, yes, they were very, very stupid. The biggest difficulty with these ogre-like creatures was that they were fast. For all their hulking bulk and chubby bodies, they could move with more speed than a gazelle. It wasn’t easy to catch one, but I had to catch him tonight. It was nearly midnight, and he’d be in hiding for All Souls’ Day. With any luck, I might be able to corner him. Now how to get him to leave this place was another question.
The stench got stronger and was almost unbearable th
e further I moved away from the house. That was the thing about trolls; they could turn a lovely place into a cesspool. They had a habit of gathering dead carcasses and storing them in bodies of water to rot. Trolls caused all kinds of problems, from damming up creeks with debris to infecting lakes and forests with alien plant life that would kill off the natural habitats. Most non-MAUCs had no idea that trolls were responsible for such devastation to nature.
“Gawwwk!” I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the croaking sound and looked up just in time to see a huge raven sail down from a nearby tree. The bird perched in a scraggly bush ahead of me and eyed me with a knowing gaze. I knew the stories about ravens carrying messages from the spirits, but I’d never actually experienced such things for myself.
I had no intention of falling for the idea of prophecies now, and I was frustrated with the bird for riling up my nerves. I pointed my wand toward the bush. My magic blew a forceful blast of air in that direction so the ominous bird was knocked off-kilter.
“Gaaawk,” it replied, and as it flew away I stuck my tongue out at it.
With a few deep breaths, I insisted my heart calm its beats before heading for the cave again. Just as I was about ready to get to the task at hand, my cell phone rang. Hurriedly I fished it from my back pocket and hit the answer button, hoping the sound wouldn’t give the troll warning of my approach.
“What?” I whispered in a harsh tone.
“Whoa, girlfriend, why so grumbly? Haven’t things settled down some?” Rhiannon asked.
I rolled my eyes and blew air between my lips before responding. “No, not by half. I’ll have to call you back.”
“Aw, man, I’ve been waiting all day for you to call,” she whined. “I was hoping you’d come take me out for beer and burgers or something. Thought maybe you’d want to swap stories about our day.”
Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Page 5
