by Iris Abbott
She pushed open the door and left it slightly ajar. Scarlet headed for her desk in the back of the cottage. The clicking of the door as it was shut warned her she wasn’t alone. She spun on her heels and came face to face with her worst nightmare, Travis Linden. She cautiously backed away from him without taking her eyes off the maniac. Thank goodness, she was in her home territory. She knew the layout of the cottage like the back of her hand.
He skulked toward her. Scarlet retreated backward a few steps. Her temper started to simmer. She hated the way the man made her feel, and she hated he had such negative control over her.
“You shouldn’t have stayed here, Travis. I’m not alone,” she insisted. “Any minute now my friends will barge through the front door to help me.”
Travis pulled a wicked looking knife from behind his back. “The more, the merrier.” He laughed, and the evil sound made Scarlet’s skin crawl.
She took a deep breath and focused on staying calm. She would need her wits about her to survive. If he didn’t have the knife, she would scream to alert her friends, but she didn’t want them walking into the crazy man’s clutches.
Scarlet was next to her desk. She slowed, allowing her stalker to close some of the space between them. She had a plan to get away from her stalker and draw him away from her friends at the same time. A tote bag filled with some new graphic art magazines she recently bought from the bookstore rested on the side of her desk.
She causally palmed the straps and tightened her fingers around them. As soon as Travis was close enough, she swung the bag with all her might. The makeshift weapon struck him in the shoulder of the arm that held the knife. The cold piece of metal clattered to the floor.
Scarlet ran for the back door and the shortcut through the woods that led to Mitch’s house. She was very grateful Mitch took the time to share it with her a few days before. She stumbled into the trees and chanced a glance behind her. Travis barreled out of the door in hot pursuit. She didn’t see the knife. She might have a chance now. She concentrated on navigating fallen branches and uneven earth as she dodged low limbs and briers.
She ran further into the woods, depending on instinct to guide her toward Mitch. She didn’t try to be quiet. She only wanted to put distance between Travis and herself while closing the gap between her and Mitch. She pumped her arms and ran faster.
Her foot landed in the middle of a rotted log covered by debris. Scarlet lurched forward, falling onto her hands and knees. She tried to get up, but something or someone grabbed her ankle. She looked over her shoulder into the glassy and evil looking eyes of her stalker.
A shuddering sob escaped past her tightly clenched teeth. Scarlet was scared, but she wasn’t helpless. She let him get a little bit closer. She used one of the moves Brittany taught her and gave him a vicious kick in the face with her free foot. She felt the grip on her other ankle loosen, and she scrambled forward heedless of the sharp debris biting into her tender skin.
She didn’t get very far before she was tackled from behind. The heavy weight knocked the breath out of her and pushed her into the damp earth. Scarlet wheezed and sputtered trying to get air in and out of her lungs. Her body was rolled over. She looked up with dread and met the crazed eyes of her stalker.
The fight hadn’t left her yet. She entwined her fingers to make one giant fist and swung toward the side of her captor’s head. Unfortunately, he turned, and she was rewarded for her effort by a glancing blow that only succeeded in making Travis angrier. A sharp slap followed, and Scarlet felt the stinging blow all the way to her toes. She let out an outraged scream and fought harder, but so did Travis.
Neither of them gained ground, but Scarlet could feel her tire. She knew she wouldn’t be able to fight him off much longer.
A fierce growl erupted from behind her. She and Travis both froze. Scarlet was the first to regain her senses. She shoved with all her might and was able to dislodge Travis.
She glanced behind her and sucked in a deep breath when she got a look at where the growl came from. Scarlet didn’t even have to think about it. She’d gladly take her chances with the giant, black wolf any day. It reminded her of the wolf that helped her when she was lost in the woods years ago. She trusted it not to hurt her. She inched away from Travis and closer to the wolf.
Her movement, though subtle, was enough to garner her stalker’s attention. As if oblivious to the wolf, he lunged at her again.
A low, bloodcurdling snarl was the wolf’s only warning. It used the tightly coiled muscles of its back legs to propel itself through the air and over a startled Scarlet. The wolf landed on Travis’s chest and bared his teeth. In less than five seconds the animal ripped out her stalker’s throat.
A terrifying scream broke the ensuing silence. It took Scarlet a few seconds to realize she was the source of the noise. She snapped her mouth shut and met the intelligent gaze of the wolf. The animal prowled closer to her. Something about his black eyes was familiar. Scarlet knew she should be afraid after all the wolf was a killer, but she couldn’t find the energy to flee.
The sound of running feet and snapping twigs caught the attention of both her and the wolf. A frantic Brittany soon came into view. She stopped when she saw the scene in front of her. “Oh thank goodness! I was worried we wouldn’t find you in time.”
“I’m not out of the woods yet,” Scarlet smiled at the irony. “Brittany, I don’t think the wolf will hurt you, but don’t make any sudden moves.”
Brittany couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. That wolf is going to be mighty angry with us four ladies, probably for a long time to come. I think your gig is up, and you better come clean right now, Mitch.”
Scarlet shook her head. Surely she didn't hear right? “Mitch?” she looked from the wolf back to Brittany. What in the world was her friend talking about? What connection could there be between Mitch and this wolf? Undoubtedly, if it were a pet, she would have seen it around the house sometime during the past five days.
Right before her eyes, the wolf began to elongate and change shape. In no time at all instead of a majestic black wolf with a blood-covered muzzle, she stared at a naked Mitch with crusted and splattered bits of dried blood on his face and chest. Scarlet felt the edges of her vision begin to blur and narrow until there was nothing but blackness.
****
Scarlet slowly regained consciousness. This time she recognized Mitch’s bedroom and knew where she was. She sensed another’s presence and turned her head to the side. Mitch watched her with a look that was hard for her to identify.
Suddenly the events from the woods flooded back to her. She sat up straight, edging away from Mitch as she did so. Part of her wanted to deny what happened. The other more whimsical part of her knew not only was it possible, but that everything happened just as she remembered it.
“It wasn’t a nightmare was it?” She looked straight into those black eyes and saw the look of resignation there.
Mitch sighed. “Everything you think you remember is probably true. I was going to tell you the truth as soon as your stalker was stopped. What I have to tell you is life-altering, and I didn’t want it to be clouded by anything else. That’s why I chose to wait. It wasn’t a matter of not trusting you with my true nature, or of me trying to keep it a secret permanently.”
“Are you the same wolf that helped me ten years ago when I was lost?”
Mitch took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. “At least you’re not afraid of me. Yes, I’m the one who found you. I was out on a run in my wolf form, and I picked up a strange scent. I tracked it to you. You looked so delicate and forlorn lying on the forest floor cuddled in a ball. I was compelled to stay with you, and now I know why. You were always meant to be my mate. You were so young that the connection between us was weak, but as soon as I saw you in town, I knew we were destined to be together.”
Scarlet listened and didn’t pull away from him. “How many are there like you? What about Justin?�
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He scratched his head. “I don’t have an exact number. Shifters are spread out all over the world. The Gannon family is the main branch of wolf shifters in the eastern United States. And yes, Justin is one too.” He shook his head. “There is so much to tell you. Enigma is a haven for paranormal beings.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened, and this time she inched away from Mitch. “Oh God,” she exclaimed. “What have I gotten myself into? This is why my grandmother banned me from Enigma isn’t it?”
“Probably,” Mitch agreed. “Most humans know nothing of our existence, but your grandmother was a wise old lady, and she lived here most of her long life. She probably suspected all wasn’t as it seemed. She might have thought you’d be in danger if you insisted on spreading word of the wolf you saw.”
“Tell me everything!” Scarlet wanted to know all there was to know about Mitch and her new home.
Mitch propped his back against the headboard and drew Scarlet into his lap. She went willingly, and she heard him release a small sigh of relief. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged tight. She relaxed and leaned against his muscular form.
“I’m going back to the beginning of the legend,” he said. “Way back in time almost at the beginning of civilization in Mesopotamia, there was a wealthy old man who’d gone through three wives and was still denied a much-wanted son. The man knew he was nearing the end of his time, and he desperately wanted an heir. So against his latest wife’s wishes, he bargained with one of the lesser gods. This god was generally thought of as evil, but the old man was desperate. The god who sometimes took the form of a combination of canine and bird of prey was hungry for power and wanted to rise among the gods.”
Scarlet was both appalled and wildly fascinated with what Mitch said. Mitch absently stroked her hair. She took comfort from the calming gesture. “Go on,” she encouraged. “What happened next?”
“The god wanted at least ten blood sacrifices made in his honor. One for each month of pregnancy and one after the child was born. The old man agreed. He made his first sacrifice the next day and another one exactly one month later. His wife began to show signs of pregnancy and the old man continued with the sacrifices.”
A chill snaked down Scarlet’s spine. “Something bad happened,” she guessed.
“The old man died with two months of pregnancy and three promised sacrifices left. The wife who never wanted her husband to bargain with the evil god in the first place refused to continue the sacrifices.”
Scarlet sucked in a deep breath of air as a dark cloud of foreboding swept through her.
“Two months later the widow gave birth to three small and sickly male children. The god who often took the shape of a winged canine visited her bedside and told her that she had given birth to three males that would always remind her of her folly in refusing to complete his blood sacrifices. Since he was denied the blood sacrifices, she gave birth to one child who would need to take the blood of others to survive, or he’d die a slow and painful death as disease ravaged his body.”
He briefly tightened his hold. Scarlet let out an involuntary squeak.
“The other two males were made in the evil god’s likeness. One had the ability to shift into a wolf at will, while the other could take the shape of the fiercest bird in that region, a falcon.” He paused, and Scarlet took the time to process the meaning of his words.
Scarlet’s startled gasp filled the bedroom. She turned and looked at Mitch in time to catch the twisted grimace that crossed his face. She caressed his cheek with a soft and loving hand, silently encouraging him to continue.
“The midwife already noticed the strange looking fur and feathers of the second and third born children. Fearing that a dark evil was at work and that the children would be a curse to every human in the vicinity she left them outside to the elements.” He shrugged.
“Legend has it that a goddess felt sorry for the two banished babies and enlisted a family of wolves and falcons respectively to care for them. The wolf shifter thrived with the free roaming pack of wolves. Eventually, he grew into a man and felt the need to strike out on his own to find a mate.”
Mitch briskly rubbed his hands up and down Scarlet’s arms. “Wolf shifters have powerful cells in their blood and saliva that rapidly grow and aid in the healing of wounds and the destruction of disease. As a result, we have prolonged lives much like vampires. Biting our chosen mate transfers some of these magical cells to them. Because humans can’t replicate the cells themselves, wolf shifters have to bite their mate at least once a month to inject more cells into her body.”
Scarlet touched the bite mark on her neck and gasped. “You bit me when we made love,” she reminded him.”
“You’re my mate, Scarlet. And though I didn’t dare risk telling you everything until your stalker was dealt with I needed to claim you and give you the added protection of my healing cells.”
Scarlet absorbed the incredible information and couldn’t help but feel warmed by it. She still had a lot of questions. “What happened to the other two babies? Do you know?”
“Obviously all three of the babies survived because raptor shifters and vampires still walk among us today as do us wolf shifters.”
Scarlet’s mouth dropped open. She really shouldn’t be surprised. If something similar to the werewolves of books and movies could exist then why not vampires? “Do you know any vampires?”
Mitch chuckled. I’m friends with one of the oldest. “His name is Alessandro Russo, and he lives here in Enigma.”
Scarlet frowned. Why did the name sound so familiar? She sucked in a gasp of air. “Wait! Isn’t that Julie’s husband?”
“Yes,” Mitch confirmed.
“Does that mean Julie’s a vampire too?”
“No, we think it was part of the evil god’s curse. All Vampires and shifters are male. Their mates can share their longevity, but are never changed or transformed themselves.”
Scarlet let out a quick breath of relief. “So Julie’s not a vampire. She’s human like me.”
“Well, not exactly,” Mitch told her. “Your new friends are all human, but they’re also witches. They are obviously not the wicked witches of folklore. Instead, they’re open to the powers of the magical universe, and they are able to cast spells. Brittany is descended from the most powerful family of magic to exist. She is the most powerful witch I’ve ever met, except for her grandmother Brianna who is still alive.”
Scarlet slumped a little. Nothing or no one was as it seemed in her new home. The man she loves kept an important secret from her, and so had her new best friends. This was a lot more to take in than she expected.
“I love you, Mitch.” She turned to face him and rained kisses on his face and neck. “I’d never be afraid of you. You’ve saved me twice. I am hurt, however, that you couldn’t share such an important part of yourself with me as soon as we became intimately involved.”
She disentangled herself from Mitch and stood next to the bed looking at him. “I need time alone to think about everything.” Mitch started to speak, and she raised a hand. “I’m not running, but I am going back to my cottage. Linden is no longer a threat, and I just want to be back amongst my own things. While I’m there, I’ll be able to process everything.” She looked at Mitch with imploring eyes. “I have to do this. Please give me the space I need.”
Five minutes after she fled from his bedroom, Mitch followed her to the guest bedroom. “I’ll be downstairs. Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll give you a ride back to the cottage.”
Scarlet started to protest but thought better of it. It would be a little scary going back there by herself after what happened on her last stopover. She gave him a halfhearted smile. “Thanks, Mitch. I appreciate it. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”
She continued to stuff things into her suitcase. Finally, she looked around one last time to make sure she didn’t leave anything behind. Who knew when she’d be back. Scarlet brushed away a few tears and hurried from
the room.
SIX
Valentine’s Day finally arrived! Scarlet chose the holiday to show Mitch exactly how much she loved him. Excitement flowed all around her, but nothing could outshine the glow that came from Scarlet. Almost two weeks passed since she moved back into her cottage. She’d done a lot of soul-searching. Scarlet was ready to let Mitch know that she wanted to be a part of his life.
She loved everything about him. Scarlet handed the thick, gold-embossed invitation that arrived by special courier to the attendant at the gate. Next, Scarlet gave her car over to the valet for parking.
Several members of Mitch’s pack roamed around. She knew they worked security for the masquerade ball. Scarlet now understood her friends’ obsessive need for the best protection and security.
She was thankful that Julie, Selena, and Brittany took it upon themselves to send her the invitation. She knew Mitch didn’t expect her to be at the party, and that was going to make her surprise and declaration much sweeter. She trembled from the anticipation of what was to come. She took a deep breath and entered the large and imposing stone structure.
She had never seen anything like the beautiful medieval castle that Julie and her vampire husband called home. She had no idea something this fantastic existed in Maine, but as she’d learned from Mitch, anything was possible in Enigma. She looked around the great hall. Everything was tastefully draped in red and pink. Hearts and roses were the choice decoration of the night, which was only fitting Scarlet decided.
She left her long hair loose around her face and shoulders. She wore a red silk bra and panty set trimmed in lace. A sheer silk scarlet wrap was draped delicately around her body. It barely covered the essentials, but she wasn’t going for modest. She was trying to make a statement of passion, love, and forever.
The bite mark on her neck that showed Mitch’s claim was clearly visible to anyone who might approach her. She was off limits to everyone but Mitch. She wanted to make sure the world knew it!
