Why would I need to go there?
Would I be led into a trap? Put under another spell?
Was this how the three cousins went missing twenty-three years ago? Were they too called to the sacred place of the witches?
spite my misgivings and worries, I took off toward the church. Every instinct in my wolf body told me it was the way to go.
When I finally arrived, my paws sliding on the gravel car park, I noticed a single car but no-one around.
Not one I recognized, but the scent around the vehicle, they were very much known to me.
Billy. Darren. Ruby. And another.
I crept around the car and followed their scents. My heart pounded in my chest.
I wouldn’t step into a trap. I would not.
But then I saw them, out in the middle of the graveyard, surrounded by a large tree.
I pushed my legs to run fast, closing the distance between Billy and me before he even noticed my presence. As I skidded to a halt, I shifted back without thinking, wanting to be able to speak, communicate, find out what was going on.
I rose up out of my animal state, standing on my two legs once again, naked.
A shocked gasped came from my left. “Do you mind?”
I glanced down to see an Ruby’s mother glaring at me. She snapped her fingers and I was suddenly wearing jeans. Faded, ripped, old, comfortable jeans.
I couldn’t help smiling at her. “Thanks.”
A figure past her caught my attention. Ruby lay on the ground, eyes closed, red hair fanned out around her. She wasn’t moving.
“What the hell…” I dropped down to my knees in the dirt and grabbed Ruby’s hand. “What happened to her?”
The woman kneeling next to her, had to be Ruby’s mom. She had the same red hair and similar angry gaze. “She reversed the spell she cast last year, and it almost killed her. Happy now?”
The words shot through me like bullets. I reeled back, pain pounding through me.
“What do you mean?” I jumped to my feet and whirled around. “No. She can’t have. I still feel completely in love with her.”
Darren took a step towards me, his dark eyes blazing in the darkness. “Yeah. Funny about that, huh?”
I frowned at him. “So this is my fault?”
I knew it was. Of course. She would never have attempted to reverse the spell if I hadn’t questioned her motives.
The men around me didn’t respond, but I felt the need to say, “I didn’t know she was going to do anything about it, And I certainly didn’t realize that anything bad could happen to her if she tried.”
I couldn’t believe it. Had she really lifted the spell for me?
“Why’d she do it?” I managed to say.
Darren crossed his arms over his chest. “To give you the choice. To take the spell away to prove that it wasn’t the reason you wanted her. That we are actually meant to be.”
Heat prickled my eyes and my throat. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
She had neutralized the spell, but nothing had changed. I still wanted her. My wolf still considered her his mate.
Was that because we’d already mated? Perhaps that was the irreversible thing?
I shook myself. To hell with it. I didn’t care anymore. This woman had sacrificed her wellbeing just so I didn’t feel trapped.
You idiot…
I inhaled sharply against the pain, the feelings of betrayal that I’d caused.
But that had to wait.
“What can we do?” I asked the group.
“We don’t know…” Darren said.
I walked towards Ruby’s mother. “Can you use us?”
She stood up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” What did I mean? “I know nothing about magic, but it’s still Halloween, technically. Until the sun comes up, surely it still counts? This is a church. And you have three wolf shifters who love your daughter and are willing to die for her. Surely you can work some sort of spell to coax her back to us?”
Ruby’s mother looked from me to Darren to Billy, and back again. “You don’t mean…”
“We do,” I stated, as the other two men stood next to me, their silence a sign of their willingness to do what I said. “Take whatever you need from me, from us. Just bring her back.”
Ruby’s mom searched my eyes for whatever answer she was looking for, then finally nodded. “The three of you, surround her. I’ll see what I can find.”
She picked up a book from the ground and began flicking her hands around and speaking in a way I didn’t understand.
Lights surrounded us, giving us all the ability to see.
The book lit up, the pages scrolling by.
I turned away from the witch and stared down at my mate. She was as pale as milk, her lips as red as Snow White’s.
What had I done?
“Okay. I think I’ve got something,” her mother said. “I don’t know if it’s going to work, or if it will hurt you guys, but are you willing to try?”
Darren and Billy looked at me, their jaws set. They nodded as one.
“Yes,” I answered for us all. “Do whatever you can. We’re in this. No matter what.”
She began to chant and the wind picked up, whirling around us.
I couldn’t see anything there, nor changed in Ruby, but prickles of awareness moved up my spine.
Like ants marching up a hill.
Darren flinched and Billy arched his back. The same torture was happening to them also.
I closed my eyes against the pain that began to thread through my body. Like a needle piercing my flesh, weaving up the backs of my legs, until it reached my spine.
Darren cried out. He collapsed to the ground with a thud.
I refused to drop. I would not give in.
The pain moved around my waist. The witch’s voice quivered as she called out. Was she still working the magic? Was the spell over yet?
I didn’t want to open my eyes in case I broke something.
This whole thing was my fault. This stupid mess we now found ourselves in.
If only I’d kept my mouth shut.
If only I’d just accepted the fact that a witch would do something totally different.
If only I’d just thanked my lucky stars to have found a woman as beautiful as Ruby and been done with it.
The pain wriggled into my chest as though searching out my heart. My intentions. My love.
I groaned at the fire. The intensity of it all.
Then Billy fell. The thump of him landing next to me sounding.
I clenched my hands into fists and tightened my jaw, hearing my teeth crack. My heart pounded faster. I wanted to vomit. To give in. To open my eyes and see if I could stop. Sweat rolled down my forehead and I refused to let up. I opened my mouth to pant for breath.
The witch’s voice called out louder and louder. If it was in English, I didn’t understand the words.
Blood poured out of my nose, running over my lips. The metallic taste fell into my mouth and I shut my lips.
I swayed on my feet, then locked my knees to stop myself from fainting.
I wouldn’t give in… I wouldn’t…
And then it stopped, like someone switching off a tap.
I went from blood, and pain, and prickling hot needles through my organs, to… nothing.
I was fine.
My eyes sprung open.
Darren and Billy remained on the ground in heaps. Neither moved besides the slow breathing of their chest. They’d passed out by the looks of things.
Between them lay Ruby, blinking her eyes awake.
“Ruby. Oh, my god. You’re okay!” I went to move towards her and fell to my knees, my exhausted body finally giving out.
I crawled over to her, the grass and dirt cold beneath my palms.
“Jackson… what are you…?” Ruby was trying to sit up and I pulled her into my arms, unable to hold back.
I kissed her head and squeezed her tight, a l
ump forming in my throat. “I’m so sorry, Ruby. I should never… I don’t…”
I buried my head in her hair and inhaled the sweetness of her scent.
I couldn’t speak anymore.
Ruby’s hand came up to stroke my hair.
Around us, the others roused and padded over to us.
I didn’t let go.
I wasn’t sure if she would ever forgive me for what I’d said tonight, but I had to try.
Billy had been right. The council was bigoted and biased against the witches, and I had to carve my own path now.
With my new family, and the woman Fate had chosen to be my mate.
Ruby
I’d been dreaming about the weirdest things. Wolves, and a graveyard and flying. I think I’d been flying.
I woke up, blinking open my eyes and lifting a hand to rub the sleep from my face.
“She’s waking up!” I heard a male voice say and I gasped. Who was that?
I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t co-operate.
“What the…” I opened my eyes fully now, blinking rapidly as light poured in.
Where was I?
I glanced around, seeing all three of my mates and my mother, all standing together. All in my living room, if I was correct.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked, trying to sit up again, lifting my head and groaning with the strain.
“Here. Let me help you,” Darren said, lifting me up and sitting down so that I could lean against his chest.
I looked around at the anxious faces hovering over me.
Mom collapsed into the armchair and Billy and Jackson stood by, their faces lined with stress.
“What happened?” I asked, then looked straight at my mother. “Mom? You okay?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m okay,” she said, though her voice trembled.
I glanced over at Billy and Jackson. “When did you guys get here?”
They didn’t answer and I began to feel frustrated. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Mom jumped to her feet and frowned down at me. “What’s going on is… you almost died!”
“How?” I asked, glancing around for a clue. “I don’t remember anything.”
Jackson stared at me. “What do you remember about last night?”
I frowned, searching my memory. “I came to your house…” And we all made love… “Then you told me that you…”
I trailed off and swallowed hard.
Jackson had told me that he didn’t think I was his mate. That the magic I’d used to call him to me asking for my soul mate to find me, had tricked them.
Jackson fell to his knees in front of me and crawled over, grabbing one of my hands in his as he went up on one knee.
I stared at him. Why did he look like he was about to propose marriage, or something?
“What are you doing, Jackson?”
“I’m apologizing, profusely, for being such a jackass.”
I tried not to smile, but he seemed so earnest. “So, you don’t think I fooled you into mating with me?”
My mother gasped and then flinched, but I ignored her.
I would deal with all the ramifications of this later.
He shook his head. “No. And I can’t tell you how… stupid I feel. That you would put your life in danger to prove to us that you were the right one for us.”
I frowned. “I…”
The memories came flooding back. Of me wanting to reverse the spell. Of taking Darren to the church yard, of the power and the pain I’d felt…
My gaze shifted to my mother. “What happened?”
She smiled sadly. “You went into a magical coma. You took too much on yourself. You know that, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Yes. I knew the spell was too much for me, but I didn’t want to risk Bella or Tiffany.”
“But you risked yourself?” Jackson asked, his tone accusatory.
“I was trying to prove to you that I hadn’t tricked you. And now you know. I removed the spell, and you’re still here, so I’m assuming it wasn’t my spell that made you love me?” I glared at the big stupid alpha and he nodded.
Mom got up from her seat and yawned. “You seem yourself again, so I’m going to bed. The sun will be up in about an hour and I haven’t slept tonight. But you and I need to have a talk, Ruby.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes, Mom.”
Mom smiled to the three men and left the room.
The men gathered around me, stepping closer, more protective.
I glanced up at Darren, who was holding me, but not speaking. “So, I pushed it a bit far?”
He kissed my hair and shook his head. “Way too far. We almost lost you.”
“What brought me back?” I asked. “I’m starting to remember a little about going to the church, but nothing after that. How did I even get back here?”
“Well, we drove back here after the church. But what got you to wake up is a different story. Your mother cast a spell to bring you back. She said you were in some sort of coma.”
“What spell?” I didn’t know anything that was strong enough to return a person after they’d gone past the point of magic exhaustion.
Darren answered. “I don’t know. But she used us.”
“Used you?” I repeated. Did he mean as anchors to this world? Or did she tap into their own magic? Their love for me?
Darren nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry to admit that Billy and I passed out. But Jackson held out to the end. One advantage to having an Alpha, I suppose.”
He said the words with a teasing tone but I could hear the stress behind the words. Whatever they’d gone through last night had not been pleasant.
In fact, it sounded downright horrendous.
I glanced towards Jackson. “So, does that mean that you still want me?” My gaze flicked to Billy. “You all do?”
Billy grabbed my hand and nodded fiercely. “Yes, I do. We both do.”
Darren kissed my ear and whispered, “Billy came back first. Then Jackson.”
I swallowed hard, pain gripping my heart as I prepared myself to ask the next question. Their answer would determine so much about our future.
“After they found out what had happened to me? Or…”
Billy shook his head. “No, I could feel that something was wrong. Or maybe it was just my conscience, I don’t know. But I came back on my own.”
“And Jackson did too,” Darren added. “I didn’t have to tell either of them. They both came looking for you.”
Tears swam in my eyes, blurring my vision.
“You do really want me as your mate?” I asked, reaching out and gripping both Billy and Jackson, Darren’s arms still around me.
“Yes. We do. We all do,” Darren said, and began to kiss my face. My cheek… my lips… warmth swamping me.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be dragged into the heated vortex of love that Darren, Billy, and Jackson had created for me.
My Halloween miracle for a Halloween Witch.
Now it was Bella and Tiffany’s turn to find theirs.
THE END.
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About the Author
Amelia Shaw is a proud Aussie mum, (mom for all the Americans
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 205
