by Kira Nyte
Rhy believed in many things. Instantaneous love was not one of those things. Although what else could explain the way Arrick made her heart jump and her breath flee and her body weaken and warm?
As if reading her mind, Dalila flung her hands up and giggled. “Oh, sweet darling. Do you really think you have control over what your heart feels? It’s written plain as leaf veins over your face. Whether or not you realize it, there’s love at work.” She leaned into Rhy. “What’s his name?”
“Arrick Luvell.”
“Oooh. Arrick. Luvell.” Dalila batted her eyelids. “Sexy name. I’ll have to meet him. Invite him over for dinner. We can double date. You and Arrick, me and my admirer, Torren. I can make those fruit-stuffed peppers you love with the walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. Oh, it will be wonderful!”
Rhy rolled her eyes and turned back to the rack, busying herself with the hangers and the shirts. “Lil, why don’t we wait and see what happens? He’s taking me out tomorrow night on our first date and—”
“Where? Oh, tell me he’s taking you to Café Claude. That place is peak perfection for a first date.”
“You know I don’t care for their menu selection.”
“Perhaps you should try to expand your culinary palate. There is nothing wrong with a good piece of fish or a breast of chicken on occasion.”
Rhy shook her head. She was Andallayne, a reclusive breed of woodland fae who valued the gift of all living creatures. Her diet revolved around nuts and berries and greens picked fresh from the forests after asking for blessings from the spirits. She preferred simple dishes, unlike Dalila. Her friend’s tastes for the eccentric and the expensive had grown since her time away from Andallayne.
“May I offer a bit of advice in the dating arena, Rhy?”
Rhy straightened out a shirt that had half fallen off a hanger. “You’re going to give me the advice whether I want it or not.”
“True. Men like a confident woman. One who isn’t afraid to bite into a burger or a steak on a date.”
Rhy stared at Dalila. “I cannot believe we’re discussing my eating habits. Habits, might I remind you, that you shared before leaving our home.”
“I was willing to expand my horizons.”
“I’m going to lose this argument.”
“Most likely.”
Rhy snorted and shook her head. “Then I’d better bow out now before I anger my boss.”
“Wuss.” Dalila giggled as she pranced toward the cashier counter as a customer came down the stairs from the second level with an armful of clothes. Rhy chuckled under her breath as her friend rang up the customer, leaving her to dream of Arrick as she went about her business.
* * *
Arrick jerked, the flash vision shaking him into an alternate reality smeared with blurred shadows. Pandora’s voice faded and the sound of leaves rustling in a breeze filled his ears. He turned his head toward the passenger-side window and squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the concerning shift in his mind. The witch wouldn’t call on the beast during the day. He made it a point to fill his head with images of Pandora, the tourists, the shops. If the witch sensed and saw he was in close proximity to anyone, she would not chance calling out the beast. Doing so would make her vulnerable. Her greatest advantage was the secret he kept out of shame and disgust.
He hated the wolf.
“Arrick? Are you okay?”
Arrick cleared his throat, willing the vision to fade. As the shadows dispersed, clearing a path to the sunlit afternoon, he watched the houses go by. Cute cottage-like homes with porches. Quaint.
He glanced over at Pandora with a reassuring smile. “Yeah. Fine.”
The dense forest lining the side of the road on Pandora’s side of the car caught his attention. He looked back at the houses, the forest, the houses again. The vision. The subtle hint of familiarity.
Oh, spirits, no.
“These are nice houses,” Arrick said, trying to shake the chill that threatened to climb up his spine and wrap its tentacle around his neck. He recognized this street. Or, rather, the beast did. He could not pinpoint a particular house, but he had a dreadful feeling that tomorrow, he’d learn exactly which house the beast stalked when he lost control over himself.
“Well, there are no houses up for sale at the moment, but I believe one owner is planning a move come late spring.” Pandora tucked a red curl behind her ear and pointed to a house on the corner of a bisecting street. “That will be the house. It’s a little smaller than the rest, but it’s adorable. Perfect for a single person looking to start anew here.”
Arrick had to smile, despite the sickening feeling gathering in his gut. “You’re good at that.”
A delicate crease formed over Pandora’s brows. “Good at what?”
“Making everything sound perfect for your buyers. You do it with such ease. It’s natural to you.”
The crease deepened. “Should I take that as a compliment?”
Arrick laughed. “Yes. It’s a compliment.” He sobered quickly, mental fatigue setting in. This ruse was wearing on him, especially since he didn’t want it to be a ruse. The more he hung out in Nocturne Falls, the more he wanted to stay. The longer he hung out with Pandora, the more he hated himself for stringing her along and wasting her time. She was nice, a potential friend. Spirits, why couldn’t he just be free? “Hey, I hate to ask this of you, but do you think we could continue this on Wednesday?”
“Um, sure. Of course.”
“Thanks. I need to figure a few things out before we move ahead.”
“Whatever you have to do, that’s fine. Let me know if I can help. If it’s about finances, I can set you up with a great broker. Anything you need.”
Pandora discussed a few other home options on the way back to the Gingerbread Inn. Arrick played along, his interest piquing when she got excited about a potential neighborhood for him.
By the time Pandora pulled up to the bed-and-breakfast, Arrick was about ready to give up the game. He sat in the passenger seat, gathering his nerve.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little pale.”
Arrick pressed his lips together. He hesitated, hand reaching for the door handle, and dropped his arm back into his lap. He twisted to face Pandora, keeping his body close to the door so as not to give her the wrong impression. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her.
“Can I ask you something?” Arrick asked, surprised by the uncertainty in his own voice. Pandora nodded, her gaze belying her curiosity. “I know we only met a couple days ago, but can I trust you to keep it between us?”
“Uh…”
Arrick held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have my sights on someone else, so you don’t have to worry about that. And I’m not a crazy criminal, either. You’re a witch.” Pandora’s silence spoke volumes. A spark flashed in her eyes. Arrick shrugged. “I can sense the magic. I’m not completely human. It’s why I came here. A paranormal town hiding behind the ruse of humans playing paranormals. I was wondering what your experience with curses might be.”
“I’m a real estate agent. I sell houses. Not curses.”
“Pandora.”
“If you’re asking me to curse—”
“No. Absolutely not. I would never wish a curse on a single soul.” Except for the one who cursed me. “I was wondering if you know how they’re created. Or how they’re broken.”
Her eyes narrowed. For a long moment, she scrutinized him until an unnerving hum ran beneath his skin. The sensation was strange and made him edgy. He wasn’t sure if the witch sensed Pandora’s magic or if his own mind was playing tricks on him.
Pandora was the first person in which he saw a possibility of escape. Even if she couldn’t help him, she should know a witch who could. Right?
Now, more than ever, he needed to break this curse. He wanted something with Rhyannon and couldn’t have that until he knew he would not harm her.
“Why are you in Nocturne Falls? You’re not house hunting
, are you.” Her accusation came as a statement, not a question. The kind, warm Pandora was gone. A woman on the defense had taken her place.
Arrick lowered his hands. “Yes. I’m house hunting.” A partial truth. He just had no plans to buy. “I’m also trying to find someone capable of reversing curses.”
“What kind of curse?”
“Possession, of sorts.”
Pandora let out a low breath and shook her head. “If you’re possessed, maybe you need a priest.”
“I don’t think that’ll work.”
“How are you possessed?”
“A friend. I’m asking for a friend.”
“Uh-huh. That’s lame. You’re asking for you.” Pandora rubbed at her temple for a moment. “What are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you weren’t all human. What are you?”
Arrick opened his mouth to answer, but an invisible force choked him, cutting off the words before they could escape. He coughed, trying to open his airway, but the force squeezed. Panicked, he threw open the door and stumbled into the waning afternoon sunlight, holding his throat as he ran to the front entrance of the bed-and-breakfast, leaving Pandora calling after him from the parking lot.
Barreling through the door, he ignored the startled looks from the guests and employees. He bolted up the stairs, his vision dimming as air deprivation set in. He stumbled into his room, kicked the door shut, and dropped to his knees.
The force released its hold on him.
Arrick sputtered and coughed, gasping for air, filling his aching lungs. He dropped to his side, his hands fisted against his chest.
Cold filled the room. An unseen wind rattled the hangers in the armoire and puffed out the curtains over the closed windows. He didn’t dare move, hatred and fear gripping his mind. He trembled as his body recovered from the magical strangulation that siphoned away his strength to brace himself against the threat that approached on quiet steps behind him.
The air grew heavy, dense, and icy along the nape of his neck. A lock of blond hair dropped over his face and her mouth came close to his ear.
“How foolish of a man can you be? You cannot be free of me until I allow it, and I will not allow it until I have the Princess and the Heart of Andallayne in my possession. Try that again, Huntsman, and you will suffer far more pain than a few heartbeats of lost breath.”
Splitting pain erupted along the scar over his forehead. He clenched his teeth to keep from yelping. His entire body stiffened, tensed, as he fought the agony that spread through his skull and down his body.
The last thing he remembered was the witch laughing before he was lost to darkness.
Chapter Six
“He’s coming around.”
Arrick groaned, the darkness that fogged his mind lightening to gray before his senses returned. A tangled web of scents assaulted him, all strange, alien…
Wolf.
He snapped his eyes open and scrambled out from under three scrutinizing gazes. The first person he recognized was Pandora, worry etched across her face. The second person was Cookie. She appeared more dismayed than concerned.
The third person was a man, the wolf. The hard expression and no-nonsense gleam in his eyes was all Arrick needed to see to realize who he stared at. The werewolf was all alpha, no law-enforcement badge necessary.
The man hung his arms loosely over his knees from the squat position he maintained beside Arrick. “How’re you feeling?”
Arrick winced and rubbed at the scar over his left brow. The pain ebbed, but a residual stitch remained. A potent reminder of how helpless he truly was. “Fine.”
“Do you suffer seizures? Have any heart conditions?”
“No.”
“Pandora was concerned enough to call the department.”
Arrick cut his gaze to the real estate agent. Her green eyes swelled with concern. “EMS doesn’t respond first in this town, huh?”
“I was in the neighborhood and heard the call. I swung by. Do you need EMS? I can call for transport to a hospital, if necessary.” The sheriff’s nostrils flared. “Might want to get checked out.”
Arrick squinted against another stitch of pain. “Who are you?”
“This is Hank Merrow. Sheriff of Nocturne Falls,” Cookie introduced. His heart sank at the confirmation. “You appeared to be choking when you burst through the door. Put quite a fright into those downstairs.”
Arrick rubbed the back of his neck and scooted further away from the trio. The bed was a great crutch to help him get to his feet. The others straightened up as he came to his full height.
“My apologies for frightening your guests. It wasn’t my intention,” Arrick said, rolling out his shoulders. He glanced at Cookie. “If you’re in agreement, I’d like to stay one more night and then I’ll find other lodging.”
Cookie waved a hand at his comment. “Nonsense. I’ve come to learn what to expect from you. No need putting another owner through the same worry and skepticism. You are a peculiar creature.”
Arrick quirked a brow. “Uh, thanks?”
“Don’t mention it.” She motioned to the door. “I have guests waiting. Will you be okay if I take my leave, Sheriff?”
Sheriff Merrow nodded once, hooking his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. Arrick was acutely aware that the alpha’s gaze never once left him. He spoke only when Cookie closed the door behind her.
“What pack are you from? Not a chip from Kincaid, but definitely not any I know.”
Arrick groaned inwardly. He had hoped to avoid this particular person for this very reason. He wouldn’t doubt Sheriff Merrow somehow sensed the witch’s evil magic ingrained in his genetic makeup.
“I have no pack.”
“Loner? That doesn’t bode well for a wolf.”
Arrick shrugged. The lie slipped easily from his lips. “Split from the pack years ago. Didn’t care for the political structure of things. Been fine ever since.”
The sheriff tilted his head, his eyes narrowed. “That’s it?”
“Pretty much.” The less he said, the less he’d offer to incriminate himself later. He knew how cops worked. Since his association with the witch, he quickly learned how to adjust to the murky side of a sleazy life. How many nights did he beg the spirits to let him return to his old life? Too many to count. “Nothing to write home about.”
A long moment passed. Silence rode the air. Pandora knotted her fingers over her stomach, gaze moving between Arrick and the sheriff.
At last, she stepped between them, her mouth turning up into an over-bright smile. “Hey, why don’t we give Arrick a few minutes to get himself together, hmm? He blacked out and you’re going all copper on him. He’s no one to be worried about.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
Arrick swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Pandora laughed off the comment. Sheriff Merrow folded his arms over his chest, his stance widening.
“Nonsense. Come on. Let’s give him a few. Arrick, will you be okay?”
Arrick nodded. “Yeah. ’Course.”
Pandora started toward the door. The sheriff stood his ground.
“Turn too many heads with a bad temper, you’re gonna get yourself in trouble here. Don’t think about stirring things up. You’ll have another thing coming.”
“Sheriff.”
Pandora grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, slamming the door closed behind her. Arrick shuffled back a step and dropped to the edge of the bed, a fierce wave of tremors wracking every muscle. The torturous pain the witch projected into him always left him weak and vulnerable, a state he did his best to hide from the sheriff. The fight to stand up to the sheriff drained him of the little energy and strength he had mustered following his master’s physical and mental attack.
His mind wanted to escape. Run as far away as possible. Hide in the deepest cave. Hope he could live out his days in peace and solitude.
There will never be an escape.
The disheartening reality of his situation sucked the last thin shred of strength from him. He dropped back on the bed, pulled his booted feet onto the mattress, and closed his eyes.
He’d find comfort in dreams.
* * *
Ivy Merrow, the sheriff’s wife, leaned a slender hip on the counter as she fingered through the cash in her wallet. Rhy folded each purchase with care before placing it the large paper bag.
“What does Hank think about it?” Dalila pressed.
Ivy had just told them her husband had learned of a lone wolf padding around Nocturne Falls. The news set Rhy on edge, her skin rising into tiny bumps along her arms. The news piqued her interest, and her worry. She decided to remain quiet and listen. Perhaps she would learn something of this lone wolf, and determine whether it was the same wolf she had seen outside Dalila’s house a couple nights ago. The wolf that had followed her through the veil between her world and this one.
Ivy shrugged. “He said there was something off about him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. The guy didn’t offer much information about where he came from. Hank wasn’t sure if he had a seizure and was suffering effects from it, or if he has another medical condition that caused him to pass out. Either way, he’s going to keep close tabs on him in case trouble comes traipsing into Nocturne Falls on his heels.”
“How was he able to determine the man was a wolf?” Rhy asked.
Ivy flashed her a friendly smile as she pulled a few bills from her wallet. “A wolf recognizes the scent of a another wolf. There was something about this one that doesn’t sit well with Hank.”
Rhy fought the urge to tell Dalila and Ivy about the black wolf. Instead, she continued to fold and pack.
“This town attracts tourists and trouble. That’s one thing I’ve learned since coming here,” Ivy said, her smile melting into a sad grin. “Guess it only makes sense, considering who and what the residents are. I certainly brought trouble with me, but thankfully that’s been put to rest.”
“Normal humans attract plenty of trouble themselves. Our trouble is simply…different,” Dalila said in her upbeat tone. She rang the last item up and clapped her hands together. “Total is two-hundred and eight-five dollars.”
