“Partner.” As soon as she took his hand to shake on their deal, emotions flashed through her mind. Pain, sadness, and anger echoed through the corners of her brain, and rocked her senses with bright flashes of white light. She yanked her hand from his grasp. Blinking, she stared at him in apprehension as her vision returned to normal. “Who are you?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “What are you not telling me?” She itched to touch him a second time just to see if she’d experience the same sort of reaction.
Sadness clouded his eyes for a moment before he retreated behind the façade of calm indifference. “If I told you now, you would not believe me. I have held onto the secret for more than a century, one more night will not make a difference.”
She took a big gulp of now tepid tea, disheartened when her hand trembled. “Fine, I get it. It’s sort of a need-to-know basis, right? I’ll accept that. However, I have learned, over the years, to accept all sorts of things. Call me Alice if you want, but you’d be surprised what I would find normal.”
“Why would I call you Alice when that is not your name?” He shot her a pointed glance. “But I would caution you to remember normality is relative.”
*****
Hannah stared morosely at the thick expanse of woods before them. The car’s headlights illuminated the first leafy sentries, while moths and bugs flittered in the beams. “I’m not going in there, especially now. It’s midnight!” She gnawed on a thumbnail. “Do you know what lurks in the woods at night?” She shivered at the thought and frowned at the irony. A half-vamp had marched into her life, and she wasn’t afraid, but the thought of spiders made her quake in fear.
“You will accompany me inside. The Forest Witch lives in a cottage in the middle of the forest. There is no way to access her by vehicle. We must go on foot.”
“Excuse me?” She glared at him pointedly.
The tips of his ears turned pink in the faint interior light. “I meant to say please accompany me inside.”
A smug grin marched across her face as she unbuckled her seat belt. “That’s better, but we’ll definitely need to work on it.” She returned her gaze to the edge of the Indiana Dunes State Park forested area.
The park itself had closed two hours ago, but Edwin unlocked a service road barricade near the Nature Center and they slipped inside. Hannah frowned at her companion. The criminal element at work in Edwin was something that bore a closer look.
He had directed her to drive the car into some bushes and low hanging tree limbs for camouflage. She complied, and fervently hoped suspicious park rangers didn’t find the car. “Tell me again why this woman lives deep in the heart of a national forest? Isn’t that illegal?” If my car is gone when we get back, I’ll give the bounty hunter an earful.
Edwin’s eyes sparkled in the dim dome light. “Marilyn is an oddity. I believe the forest service is aware she is out here, but they have not been able to track her down. If they did, I am fairly certain she would appear to them much differently than she will appear to us.”
“A shape shifter lives in the middle of a national forest in northern Indiana. Perfect.” Hannah chewed again on her thumbnail until Edwin knocked the digit out of her mouth. “It would’ve been helpful if you told me about the possibility of hiking when you hijacked me yesterday. I don’t even have bug spray.”
“You do not appear to be the type of woman who constantly worries about little things,” he commented as he opened his door.
“You’d be surprised if I revealed all of my flaws to you.” She joined him as he gathered his duffle bag from the back seat.
“They are character traits, not flaws, Hannah.”
Tiny curls of pleasure tickled her gut at his words. “Thanks.” Just as quickly, the moment was thrust aside as the proposition of going into the forest loomed once more. “Are there bats in there? Or what about spiders?” Annoyed when the bounty hunter didn’t answer, she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans then followed Edwin’s tall form into the tree line.
At once, the oppressive night swallowed them. Weak moonlight filtered through the canopy of the trees. The humidity made the atmosphere inside the forest heavy and moist. The hoot of an owl freaked her out so much she stumbled over a tree root. Edwin darted a hand out to catch her arm. Her breath caught and her skin tingled.
“Careful, spatzi, watch your footing. The woods are only hostile to those who are afraid of it.”
I’m not afraid—much. Hannah’s mind whirled over remembered snatches from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, to recall the very unhappy and scary endings to those stories. Always an avid reader in her childhood, that trait hadn’t lessened as she progressed into adulthood. Oftentimes the old fairy tales were warnings or admonishments to keep children’s behavior in check. She shivered, glad her mother had read her the watered-down versions of those fairy tales—mostly.
She pulled her black blazer more tightly around her chest as another tremor claimed her. “How much farther will we have to trek through this terrible place?” Hannah tried to keep the whine out of her voice but failed miserably. She knew a moment of acute panic when she walked into a spider web then spent the better part of five minutes trying to remove the sticky mass from her face and hair. “Thanks for your help.”
“I did not help you.”
“It was sarcasm.” She sighed. “Never mind.” The darkness hid her annoyance. “How much longer?” She gritted her teeth in an attempt to keep anger at bay.
“Five or six miles perhaps. We will skirt the edge of the marsh so please mind where you put your feet.” Laughter filtered through his voice.
The hoot of another owl somewhere overhead made Hannah’s heart slam into her ribcage. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. “Is this Marilyn person expecting us tonight?” She sucked in her breath. Was that a bat? She ran her hands through her hair just to be sure. She inhaled deeply and hoped for calm.
“It is hard to tell with Marilyn. One never knows what she is thinking.” He stopped abruptly on the path. Hannah crashed into his backside with a muffled protest.
“What the hell?” She picked up her bag from the forest floor and ignored the part of her brain that sparked at the accidental contact. As she laid a hand on his back, Hannah thrilled at the heat that emanated through the thin fabric of his shirt. The hard muscles of his back rippled beneath her fingers. He might be a jerk but he’s a hot jerk.
“It was unavoidable.” He pointed into the gloom. “We must pay careful attention through this section. We dare not wake Horace the Black.”
Hannah peeked over his arm to see the sleeping form of a half-man half-goat. She wrinkled her nose at the sweaty smell that originated from the creature. “Yuck.” She stepped around the stinky, bearded goat man and shivered. “Why can’t a forest just be a forest?”
Living with her Gramma had taught her a couple of things about life and how things are sometimes not as they seem. “Does anyone from the government know about this goat man? I mean you just don’t hear about abnormalities such as a goat man in the woods on the evening news, do you?” She willed herself to calm down and gulped air into her lungs.
“There is no reason to panic.”
She looked into his eyes as he gripped her shoulders. “There’s every reason to panic! Being here doesn’t feel right. Something’s wrong, I can sense it.”
For five years, she’d closed her mind to the possibility of the magical world. Now, since she’d met Edwin, that portal forced itself open and thrust her rudely through it. Nothing good will come of treading this path. “I need to go back.” Trembles wracked her body as the pressure on her shoulders increased.
“You are stronger than you think. The inhabitants of the forest will not harm you as long as you do not fear them. Surely you can feel that as well.”
“They won’t harm me because they fear you more.” As she wriggled out of his grasp, his tightly reigned energy, his diluted power kept the creatures of the night at the periphery.
A low-pitched growl rumbled
deep in Edwin’s chest. “They fear the untapped potential of what I could become if I chose to ever relinquish control. That reality will never occur.”
Hannah grinned into the heavy darkness when he intertwined his fingers with hers. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips when the images in her mind remained neutral. “Why do I not experience the raw emotions I did this morning?”
“You saw what was in my mind this morning because I neglected to strengthen my guards.” He pulled her along the path, the pressure of his fingers constant and reassuring. “I am always weakest mentally after I rise from sleep or become physically drained. The fact you could tap into my thoughts at all should show you how powerful you are.”
She ignored his explanation and focused instead on the word he’d called her earlier. “What does spatzi mean?” Her hand warmed in his. He was a very unsettling man.
His chuckle was barely discernable over the sounds of the night-shrouded forest. “It is German for little sparrow. You remind me of the brown fowl.” He squeezed her fingers. “Sparrows may be small and plain but they are a scrappy, plucky species of bird that will not bullied. They refuse to give in or give up. They do not concede to fear.”
“I have one more question.”
“Proceed.”
“Why did you kiss me?” Hannah attempted to remove her hand from his, but he didn’t relinquish his hold.
“You would not listen to reason, and I have been told I am skillful at that particular pastime. It would seem to be true since when I initiated amorous contact, you practically dissolved into my arms.” He laughed softly. “Do not be embarrassed, spatzi. You could not fight your attraction to me.”
“You arrogant son of a bitch!” Hannah’s cheeks burned in the darkness. “I refuse to be treated like a common trollop.” She wrenched her hand from his grasp.
“Is there such a thing as an uncommon trollop?”
“What?” She stumbled to a stop and gawked at him.
“It is logical to assume that if there were such a creature as a common trollop, then there would also have to be an uncommon one.” He held out his hand. “Do you wish to add another comment, or shall we resume our trek?”
“I can’t argue with you and expect to win.” She sighed. “Let’s get this over with before I change my mind.” Hannah slipped her hand into his, grinning into the darkness at the heat the contact generated. “Carry on, bounty hunter.”
Chapter Four
Three hours later they arrived at the cottage of Marilyn McAvis. A ramshackle dwelling built from oak and birch logs, it conjured up images of Hansel and Gretel.
Edwin drew her hand through the crook of his arm. Goose bumps peppered her skin. Her nervousness sank into his mind. He wished he could send her a telepathic message of reassurance, but she had not yet opened her consciousness to that sort of activity since the first time he had attempted it without her authorization. So instead, he squeezed her hand.
Knowledge would come with time.
Ivy claimed the exterior walls, allowing the cottage to blend perfectly into the backdrop of the forest. Unless a person knew exactly what to look for, the dwelling would remain hidden. It was like one of those mystic eye pictures popular years ago. If he relaxed his eyes, he could see the house with no problem.
The air in the clearing was no less stifling but markedly cooler. Anticipation filled him as he quickly scanned the perimeter for security threats. Hannah’s labored breath beside him tempered his excitement. They were here primarily because of her.
“Is she at home? The house looks awfully dark if she’s expecting visitors.” Her voice held a note of barely suppressed panic.
“She has spies all over the forest, little one. You can be assured she knows we are here.”
She snorted. “I’m hardly little, and I would appreciate it if you would not cop the He-man attitude with me.”
“What attitude, and what is a He-man?” As always, his fascination with the woman was at the forefront of his mind. He did not understand why gender dynamics mattered. He would protect her. That was all she needed to know.
“You think you’re superior to me, and I’m only a helpless woman who needs a protector.”
“I am superior, and you do need protection. Why is this wrong?”
With a sound of exasperation, Hannah flashed him an aggravated look. “Never mind.”
Edwin pulled her forward until they stood on the small doorstep. “You are tired. I can feel your fatigue. You will require rest soon.” She was not physically fit.
“I’m out of shape, that’s all.” She wiped her sweaty forehead with a sleeve. “It’s not every day I’m forced to troop through the state park system to pay a visit to a woman who may or may not be seen by humans.” She rummaged in her bag and produced a bottle of water. She took a deep drink, and then offered the bottle to him.
“You come prepared.” He gratefully drank his fill then handed the bottle back. “First the toothbrush, now water? I have never seen a bag like that, and I have seen many unexplainable things in my life.”
“I never know what will happen on any given day. This bag is my lifeline.” She patted the black mock-croc bag. “It’s kinda like that famous carpetbag from Mary Poppins.” When he lifted an eyebrow in confusion, she sighed and continued. “You really need to watch a few DVDs and get up to speed in this century. Anyway, I got a good deal on it at a garage sale, but I had no idea it was enchanted until I used it for the first time. I tried to get it to give me a change of clothes, but all this stupid bag can come up with is a hideously ugly black witch’s gown. After a few tests, I’ve found it will give me the basics and even then it’s temperamental. One time I asked for a taco. It gave me a caterpillar. No wonder it was for sale.”
“You are a very unique individual. You speak of things that are both fantastical and intriguing.” He knocked on the gnarled wooden door, his lips turned down with a frown. “I only hope Marilyn finds you to be so.”
“What happens if she doesn’t? Should I be worried?” Her fear transmitted itself into his mind.
He glanced at her, troubled to see anxiety clouded her pretty round face. “Occasionally, she takes exception to guests in a rather distinctive fashion.”
Marilyn would eat her alive. His gut clenched with guilt.
Before either of them could speak again, the door opened to reveal a curious servant. Coarse gray hair sprouted from his face while wolfish ears pricked with interest. Edwin narrowed his eyes. The Forest Witch had changed staff since the last time he had been here. Dressed in an impeccably pressed black tuxedo complete with tails and starched white shirt, he looked down his rather large snout at them. Even in the paranormal world, butlers acted the same way.
Edwin narrowed his eyes. The man sported wolf teeth. He stifled a bout of laughter. He appeared to be more bodyguard than a butler.
“May I help you?” His voice was deep and booming, quite out of place for the quietness of the forest backdrop.
“We want to request an audience with Ms. McAvis,” Edwin explained with an encouraging nod. “It is a matter of some importance,” he added as the butler tarried in the doorway.
“I will see if she is at home.” The man showed them inside.
Hannah gasped when she caught sight of the furry, curling wolf tail waving jauntily out at her from the back of his trousers. “Is that—?”
He squeezed her fingers to quickly cut off her question. When she glanced at him, he shook his head and gave her a frown. Edwin knew Marilyn’s penchant for turning people she disliked into frogs. He hoped to head off disaster, especially since his companion did not possess the ability to think before she spoke. They followed the man through a long hall and into a sitting room, decorated in delicate French antiques.
At his side, Hannah glanced around the room with apparent wonder.
Edwin stifled a chuckle. He could well understand her awe. From the outside, the cottage appeared only large enough to hold one, maybe two, rooms. But the inside
of the home transformed into a veritable mansion that dripped with lavish and expensive ornaments. Marilyn could wield magic as well as anyone, and she had chosen to appoint her residence with the very best.
“Wow.”
“Power corrupts.”
She examined a powdered wig under a glass dome with her gaze. “Did that really once belong to Marie Antoinette?”
The wolf butler glared at her. “Wait here. I will see if the mistress wants to receive you.” Once he left, Hannah turned to Edwin, her eyes alight with awe and magic-envy.
“This is fantastic! Do you know how she made this mansion masquerade as a cottage? Can you do the same thing? Can I, or at least could you teach me? Imagine how much I could save on property taxes!” She glanced around the parlor, her gaze pausing on the floral-printed drapes and doily-covered occasional tables.
He remained silent. Delicate French chairs and sofas dotted the interior, while soft pastel artwork hung on the cream papered walls. Marilyn’s tastes did seem to run to excess.
“Do you think she’ll share her floor space secrets?”
“Hannah?”
“Yes?” She set down the bejeweled fan she examined to glance at Edwin.
“Why are you annoyed now?”
“I would caution you into silence.” With the slight incline of his head, he indicated the woman who had appeared out of thin air to pose prettily by a fireplace that flared instantly to life, the orange flames giving the room a romantic ambience.
“Dear Edwin, how nice to see you again.” Her voice was light, melodious, and tinkled like a crystal bell. “You naughty boy, you never come to visit me anymore.” Her rose-colored lips formed a tiny moue of displeasure. “Do I have to invent a quest to send you on in order to get your attention?”
He squelched a smile when Hannah grew more annoyed at his side. For the time being, he ignored her in favor of giving the witch his full attention. She was tall for a woman, at least as tall as his six-foot frame. Her hair was long and flowed down her back in honey-colored waves with ribbons and flowers woven into the mass. He remembered her fondness for feminine accoutrements since she had often commissioned him to pick up the things for her as he travelled. Her gown was of such a diaphanous moss green material, every enticing curve of her body as she stood in front of the fire was on display. His lips curved in genuine grin. He remembered her form well.
Courted by the Vampire Page 4
