by Jaimi Wilson
"Uh, I'm sorry?"
He shrugs, seeming unconcerned as he leads me through the parking lot towards a dark-green jeep tucked away in the back. "Meh, I wouldn't worry about it. I just figured you may need a bit of warning before you get to the pack. That chick pushed a lot of our buttons, but none more so than the Alpha’s. He's already met his mate, and is just waiting for her to accept him. Bitchy McWitch Face wouldn’t respect that and tried to trick him into bed with her using magic. To put it mildly, he was not happy when he realized she had used her magic on him to try to make him fall in love with her."
My eyes widen in shock. What the fuck?! “What’s her name? You give me her name right now!"
My magic escapes with my burst of anger, pushing the guy into his car. His eyes widen, and he raises his hands in surrender. "Whoa there, little witch. Calm down."
I close my eyes and take deep breaths, trying to calm the raging storm inside me. It's hard, though. Witches are forbidden to cast love spells. They are dangerous and can mess with the fates’ plans. If your soulmate is out there, but you’ve been spelled to love someone else, or have spelled someone to love you, it can cause catastrophic damage. There are books upon books on the subject in the witches’ library in New York. I haven't been in a long time, but I still remember my teachings. My mentor showed me books about women and men who had cast love spells on people they were never meant to be with. The fates rebelled by way of electric storms, plagues, and even death in some cases.
Every book containing a love spell is only accessible to the Order. They're all kept hidden away with some of our more dangerous spells, so I don't know how this witch managed to get her hands on one, but I am determined to find out. The magic she's messing with is dangerous and could affect us all on a catastrophic scale.
After a few moments with my thoughts, I hear my escort’s feet drop to the ground. I open my eyes, feeling foolish for my slip in power.
"I'm so sorry. I just hate witches who abuse their power. My power was already on the fritz when I got off the plane, and it just boiled over. It won't happen again," I offer in the way of an apology, feeling horrible for my actions. Here I am angry at an abuse of power, and yet, I just used mine on an innocent bystander.
As much as I wish I could have controlled it, I honestly doubt I would have been able to. No matter how hard I try, my magic remains unpredictable at best. It’s always been that way.
My escort opens up the back of the car and begins piling my bags into the back, before closing it. He stays silent as he walks around to open my door for me. I climb in, feeling shittier by the minute.
He starts the car and turns to me before putting it into drive. "Look, there's no hard feelings for what just happened, I was just surprised. You sounded genuinely upset by what she had done to our Alpha. In my experience, it’s rare for a witch to actually care, so it just stunned me. It’s also my fault for dropping so much on you at once. I tend to ramble a lot. So, how about we start over?"
I smile at him gratefully, and he holds out a hand. "Hi! I'm Josh, and I'll be your werewolf escort today."
I smile and clasp his hand. "Hi Josh, I'm Jasmine. I'm a witch who has very little control over her magic. It’s nice to meet you." I chuckle, amused by his easy and refreshing attitude.
"So, I take it you've had a lot of witches come through here then?" I ask curiously. It would be nice to know whether other witches have been coming through and using their magic to manipulate the wolves. The damage a love spell could do to a wolf who still has a mate out there somewhere could be catastrophic.
He nods as he backs out of the airport parking space and merges onto the freeway, on our way to the state forest where the pack is located.
I know most of the pack lives out in the woods, just like the wolves in Maine, but I've never had the privilege to see the way they live up close and personal.
"Yeah, man, we've had over fifty witches come through here already, but so far, no matings. To be honest, I think the Order is stupid for assuming that one of you will actually bond with a wolf. Like seriously, it doesn't make sense. Why would a wolf feel a connection to a witch? Idiots, the three of them, I swear."
I clap a hand over my mouth at such heresy. We're not allowed to disobey the Order, much less blatantly call them out on their practices, even in private. But what's worse, is I find myself mentally agreeing with him.
We all follow the Order without question, because of the threat that the humans will crack down and kill us all if we don’t follow their rule.
I sit in silence, while Josh rambles the whole drive to the pack. He talks about the pack and how there have been three new births this year alone. The way he talks about children makes me feel a little nostalgic. I miss Ivy and Harry so much already.
As a twenty-five-year old woman in this society, I am considered a social outcast for not having children. I would give anything to be barefoot and pregnant in a relationship with a man I loved wholeheartedly, but things just hadn’t worked out that way for me.
A tear slips down my cheek, and I hastily wipe it away before Josh notices. The last thing I need right now is to meet new people with tear-stained cheeks.
We drive deep into the forest, the road becoming more of a dirt track as we get further into the middle of the forest until we finally reach a clearing. The trees have been cut down, leaving stumps as chairs for people to sit and chat. Others are gathered, going about doing their daily chores, and you can see small children watching on in awe as a man hacks away at a tree on the edge of the clearing. This whole area must have been cleared by the wolves because there is no way they could get heavy machinery up here.
Log cabins line each side of the clearing leading up to one massive house. Josh speaks up, gesturing to the buildings as we pass. “We have these main cabins along here, and that one up there is the pack house. We use it mostly for meetings and for guests. Not to mention through the trees, we have smaller cabins built for the wolves who prefer a little more privacy, or our guests who are not used to our ways.”
I nod, still in awe of my surroundings, as Josh parks the Jeep. He climbs out before going around to grab my bags out. He begins carrying them towards the pack house, refusing to hand them over.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking your bags up to the pack house. You just stay close to me, so you don't get bombarded by the pack. I'm pretty sure all the males are eager to just sniff you out and get it over with already. We're all getting tired of the influx of females who don't seem to give a damn about the pack. Even the Alpha is getting testier with each arrival that comes through."
Okay, great. Just what I need to hear. The Alpha isn't happy that I'm here. I'm already off to a great start, and I haven’t even met the man yet. And now knowing what the last witch did, I doubt our meeting will go well.
As we approach the pack house, men stop what they're doing to stare at me, some of them inhaling deeply as I pass. Surprisingly, it doesn't bother me, but I jerk to a stop when a pair of eyes stand out from the rest, captivating me. Bright violet and alluring.
I study the man, my heart racing. I don't know why I'm having such a weird reaction to him, but I can feel it in my bones. This compulsion, this need to get to know him. Black hair and a strong upper body draw me in.
I turn to ask Josh who he is, but when I look around, Josh has moved a few feet ahead. I turn back around to find the violet-eyed stranger gone. I let out a sigh of annoyance and disappointment. Maybe that's what finding your mate is supposed to feel like? I’ve heard it’s a powerful and overwhelming feeling.
Damn. Maybe I'll see him around another time. I just feel like I have to know him. Like if I don’t, I am missing out on something important.
I jog to catch up to Josh, who's talking to a man on the front steps of the pack house, his back turned to me. His broad shoulders and muscled arms capture my gaze as I climb the steps onto the porch landing.
The man’s voice rises and I am beyond shocked that I recognize it, a gasp
slipping between my lips. It can’t be!
He turns at the sound of my gasp and my face pales at the sight before me.
Son of a mother fucking bitch!
I don't think, I just react. My feet stomp up the last three steps until I am face to face with him, and meet his surprised blue eyes.
"Jasmine? What are you–?"
Slap! The sound of my hand hitting his face reverberates through the woods, and I swear everything goes silent.
I look up into his eyes and feel a hatred I never knew possible. "You are fucking lucky I am here to find a potential mate, or I would rip your heart out and feed it to your pack!" I spit, venom coating my words.
His face furrows, and I want to punch him for acting confused. How dare he pretend not to remember?
He holds his hands up in a show of surrender and tries to approach me, but I summon my magic to my hands, ready to zap him if he even thinks of touching me.
He senses the charge over my skin and stays just out of reach. "Jasmine, what's going on? Why are you acting this way?"
"Why am I acting this way?! Benji, you left me! I was in love with you, and you fucking left! Do you know what my mother did to me after you left us?" His mouth opens, but I don't give him a chance to respond. "She bound my fucking powers! For a whole year, I couldn't access that part of me! Do you have any idea what that's like? To have such a vital part of yourself just ripped away?! Unable to do anything? It almost fucking killed me, you son of a bitch!"
I'm breathing hard, and I take a few steps away from him, turn tail and run away as fast as I can. Not because of him, but of what I’m afraid my magic will do.
Four
Jasmine
I run until my magic tells me to stop and end up near an old abandoned hut. Pain blossoms in my knees when I collapse to the hard earth, my heart feeling like it’s just been broken all over again.
I can't believe he's a fucking wolf! And an Alpha no less. I could tell he was just by watching him at the top of those stairs. His demeanour held power, and the wolves all watched him with rapt attention. My knees cramp on the hard gravel, so I crawl over to a small outcrop of lush grass that grows along the outside of the hut.
As I sit there, with my arms wrapped around my knees while I try to keep it together, I can feel someone watching me. I close my eyes and send out my magic, feeling the distinct signature of a wolf I haven’t met before off to my right. I let my magic guide me over to where the person is. Then, I open my eyes and see the same alluring violet eyes that I saw on the captivating stranger from earlier, watching me.
The shrubs rustle as the wolf comes forward, and I'm met with the sight of a beautiful majestic black wolf.
I try to calm my racing heart, knowing he's one of the shifters, but holy damn, he's huge. I get to my feet slowly as he approaches, and notice he comes up to just past my chest.
Even if he is a shifter, he's a lot bigger than I thought they were supposed to be. All the witches I've talked to said their wolf counterparts were the same size as a natural wolf in order to help them blend into nature. Now I think I've been lied to.
"Can I touch you?" I ask, holding a hand out and keeping it just out of reach in case he gets snippy. I know some of them don't like being treated like pets, but I can't help the urge to run my hands through his thick fur coat.
The wolf tips his head forward, pushing it into my waiting palm. I smile, feeling calmer than ever. I run my hand over his head down behind his ears, laughing when he leans into my touch with a small growl of approval.
As I explore his soft, silky coat, I begin to talk.
"I'm sorry for acting like a brat out there, it’s just Alpha and I have a little history between us. I never believed I'd see him again, and now here I am, stuck in a pack of wolves who are looking for their mates, and the first man I ever loved is just standing right there, as if not a day has gone by. I swear I'm not usually like this. It just took me by surprise," I explain as the wolf moves closer and rubs his head against my hip.
I giggle and sit down on the ground, crossing my legs to get comfortable. He lays down, curling around my body protectively, and rests his head on his paws, as if keeping watch around me.
I smile peacefully and continue to talk as I aimlessly rub my hands through the soft fur on his neck.
"I have no idea what to do. Do I go back and be the bigger person and pretend I didn't just slap your Alpha? Or do I wait for him to come find me? Ugh!” I throw my hands up, frustrated. "Why did he have to be here of all places? Why couldn’t I have stumbled upon him years ago? It just feels like the fates are playing some twisted joke on me. I bet they’re up there in their fancy ass thrones looking down on me right now and laughing as my head spins. 'Oh look, the girl found the love of her life again. Let’s make him a werewolf that already has a mate.' Stupid fucking archaic mate system."
That's where most of my anger lies. Josh said their Alpha already had a mate when the witch tried to trick him into a love spell, so that can only mean he's already met his mate, which breaks my fucking heart.
Maybe that’s why he left in the first place? He met her and knew nothing could happen between us, so rather than explaining, he just took off. Still a fucking shitty way to end it, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it.
Mates are eternally linked. Once the mating is acknowledged, nothing can be done to break them apart but death itself.
My new friend and I remain sitting for a while, the peace of it helping to somewhat calm my magic. When I feel a little more in control, I sigh, knowing what needs to be done.
"Thank you for staying with me, wolf. Your company soothed my magic and for that, I am grateful. But it's time for me to pull on my big girl panties and apologize. If I want to survive this trip, I don't want to be known as the woman who goes around slapping people without cause, even though I think I was completely justified in my actions." I grin when the wolf growls in agreement. Don't ask me how I know he approves, I just do somehow.
I climb to my feet and stretch out my limbs with a yawn. The wolf watches my every move, and I can't help but feel pleased about that. I don't know who he is, but I intend to find out. He has done so much for me already, even if he doesn't realize it.
My magic, while unpredictable at the best of times, becomes a whole mess of confusion when emotions are added. No matter how much I’ve tried to control it, whenever I get upset or hurt, it would lash out for me.
Even now when I do my breathing exercises, I have to find that safe place within myself to keep centered, or it explodes from within like a monster of pure rage.
I look down at the violet-eyed wolf as he sits obediently like a well-trained dog and smirk. "Do you think you could 'accidentally' run and dive right into your Alpha's balls? Maybe bite just a little? Or, you could even go full on mauler and deliver his balls back to me?" I suggest as the rage-filled side of me slips through the cracks.
His violet eyes sparkle, and I know he's laughing at me.
"That seems a little extreme, don't you think?"
I whip around at the sound of the familiar voice and fight the urge to slap him again. Those pretty blue eyes draw me in, and I swear there’s hurt in them. Well, too fucking bad! He hurt me, he deserves a little pain and humiliation after all the suffering I went through.
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him in defiance. "What do you want, Benji?"
He sighs and gestures to the patch of grass where I was just sitting. "Can we talk? I think things between us have been a little muddled up, and I at least think I deserve the chance to explain."
I bite my tongue and nod briskly, sitting back down with my legs crossed. He keeps his distance as he sits in the same position opposite me. I have to fight not to lose myself in those blue eyes. They are so mesmerizing that I feel like a fly about to be caught in a honey trap.
The wolf nudges me, and I smile, stroking his fur for a moment before he takes off, leaving me and Benji alone.
"Jazzy, why ar
e you here?"
The familiar name makes me suck in a breath. It hurts so much to hear him call me that as if no time has passed between us.
"I'm the next witch the Order sent to find a mate among your pack. Why are you asking me this? You should already know!"
My anger starts to boil, and he holds his hands out in a calming manner, trying to get me to back down. I guess he must know exactly what I'm capable of when angered. All that line of thought does is make me question whether he knew that I was a witch when we first met?
It’s one of the hardest kept secrets, because while some humans could know about our existence, we aren't allowed to freely offer up that information. And as far as I was aware when we met, that’s all he was, human.
"No, Jazzy, I understand you're a witch. I've known that since the moment we first met. I smelt the power rolling off you in waves. What I mean is why haven't you already told the Order you have a mate? They wouldn't have sent you here if you had been up front with them about it."
I cock my head, a mix of confusion and annoyance. He’s starting to give me a goddamn headache. "What are you on about? I don't have a mate. That's the whole reason I'm here. To see if one of your wolves is my mate."
What the hell has Benji been smoking? As if I'd have a fucking mate already! Seriously, sometimes men can be so thick!
He growls, and his eyes darken with anger. "You will not go near any of my wolves, Jasmine. You are mine! I will not allow it!"
I choke back a laugh as he glowers at me. "I'm not yours! You made that abundantly clear when you left me. No note, not even a fucking goodbye I might add!"
He sighs, exasperated. "Jazzy! I didn't leave you, I swear! I have no idea what lies your mother told you, but I left because my pack needed me." He pauses to take in a breath before continuing with his explanation. "I knew who you were to me, but you weren't yet an adult. You were sixteen, Jasmine! You weren't even legal yet. How on earth could I start something, knowing I would be betraying human laws? I didn't want to rip you from your life when you could still live it without me. I left you behind to grow up and become a woman. I only hoped you would come to me when you were ready to accept me."
