by Kenya Wright
I shook my head. “It was an illusion spell. She sounds like a strong witch.”
Zerab nodded. “Confused, I picked one of these witches and followed her off into an alley. When I walked in after her, she turned to me, laughed, and disappeared into smoke. Apparently, I picked the wrong illusion.”
Blaze rolled his eyes. “She was probably still in the dress shop.”
“Probably.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I would’ve figured that out,” Blaze added.
I glared at him. “Would you now?”
Blaze continued, “I should’ve been on witch duty, not Zerab.”
“But you weren’t, and now we need to find that witch.” I stalked off to get the rest of my wolves. “We need to find her tonight. If she figured out that Zerab was following her, then she’s on to us. We need to know what she’s up to.”
Fuck. We can’t leave until we make sure Imani will be safe.
Thirty minutes later, the whole pack shifted and searched for the witch. The witch’s scent was easy to catch. It was an earthy fragrance, reminding me of blossoming flowers on the first day of spring.
I led the pack running through the dark woods. Leaves crackled underneath my paws. We talked to each other in short yelps and growled whenever we had to, but most of our discussion was instinctive in wolf form.
The moon and stars guided our path. Animals scurried away, fearing for their lives. Crickets made no sound. Owls didn’t hoot. All went quiet when we entered the area. Still, we couldn’t find the witch.
Hours passed. The perfume of pine trees mingled within the coolness of the night air. Our hearts hammered in our chests. My pack spent all night tracking her scent, until finally catching that flowery fragrance closer to the mountains.
“Close,” Conri said, loving a good hunt.
The pack charged through the trees toward the clearing. Over our heads, the rays of the rising sun threatened to appear. We would have to hurry with the mission and then turn around. The more we traveled, the more I caught my wolf’s scent of urine.
No.
We raced right in the direction of where Imani lived. In fact, we were only a few minutes from her back yard.
This isn’t good. Why is the witch close to Imani’s property? That can’t be a coincidence.
Had I not maintained control of Conri, I might’ve left my pack and went to Imani’s house to check on her. Worry coursed through my blood. An ache swelled in my heart.
We must find the witch.
Mingling with Conri’s urine, the witch’s earthy fragrance grew stronger and stronger.
Here. She’s right here somewhere.
The pack approached. A strange magical presence poured over me like cold water. I checked my pack. The hair on their massive backs had been raised. Many of them bared their fangs in response, ready to tear away the witch’s throat.
I slowed as the witch’s scent strengthened. We were close, so damn close. And then another aroma hit the wolves’ noses too.
Blood.
Blaze’s wolf growled and got on my right. He was the only all-white wolf in the pack. Not one dot of color touched his fur. And his eyes went silver instead of gold. As my Beta, Blaze would help me keep the pack safe. And if I died, Blaze would take over.
“Bad magic,” Conri growled.
I know. Keep your senses open. Be ready to attack, if necessary.
But once they got to the witch, I calmed my beast.
It had been the scene of a fight using powerful magic. But it looked like all danger had gone. Pentagrams and other symbols were carved in the trees around them. Dark blood puddled on the ground. Large trees fell on their sides and split in two.
Two dead bodies were strewn across the clearing. There were holes in each chest, revealing their missing hearts.
More witches?
These had white hair and dark red eyes. Their arms had been folded back in the wrong way. Their legs twisted into corkscrews.
In front of them, the witch, Raven, lay on the ground—bruised and battered.
Is she dead?
I sniffed the air.
“Alive,” Conri replied.
I snapped my jaws, signaling to the pack to get back. Even though she was injured, it could be an illusion. I moved closer, circled, and studied the witch.
Someone had stabbed Raven with a crystal dagger. The weapon remained stuck in her stomach. Crimson blood sparkled in the lessening moonlight. More blood pooled around her. Raven’s body shook. Still, her chest rose and fell as she coughed. Her grey eyes peered at me with terror.
“If you’re going to eat me. . .fucking. . .kill. . .me first.” Blood spilled from her lips as she spoke. “Just kill me, you furry monsters.”
I flinched at the sound, not expecting her to be able to talk. However, witches were just as resilient as wolves in their own way. From the dagger, she appeared close to death.
“Do it.” She coughed again. More blood spilled onto her brown skin.
Sherwin got on my right. His bright blue fur bristled. He was the only wolf I knew to have that color. Even he didn’t know why.
Damian moved to my left. His red wolf’s muscles tensed as his body crouched, ready to attack if necessary. The rest of the pack surrounded her, knowing their battle positions and working together without needing to communicate.
I looked back at the witch.
Tears spilled from her eyes. “The tea leaves were right. Every damn time the leaves were right.” She coughed blood onto the ground. “They said that I would die young and. . .it would be death by wolf.”
Damian whined, for some reason, walked her way, and sniffed at her.
Probably not happy that Sherwin was too close to the witch, Damian’s tail bristled. He bared his teeth, signaling for Sherwin to get away from her.
There’s been a battle, but who did what? Was it just her against these two witches, or were there more that got away? Were the dead witches her friends or enemies?
Either way, a coven had come to Crystal Lake, and they’d battled barely fifteen minutes away from Imani’s house.
Too damn close to her.
I pushed past Sherwin and sniffed over the witch’s wound around the enchanted dagger. Deep and dark. She’d been sliced open the entire way across her stomach. Her intestines were exposed. Red blood leaked and stained her skin.
Fear rippled off the witch. “Just kill me. . .before the others come back.”
That caught my attention. Either there were two covens in town, or this one named Raven had been a lone witch of some sort. Regardless, the pack needed to know everything she knew. So many questions circled through my head. Was the coven following us, or was their presence a coincidence?
We won’t be killing you today, witch.
I breathed in and shifted back to fatal form, so I could talk to her. She widened her eyes as I shifted in front of her. My fur dissolved faster this time. My bones cracked and snapped. I would be starving and exhausted by the time we returned to camp. Shifting more than twice in a day drained me of energy.
“Where did the other witches go?” I asked. “What direction?”
Her eyelids drooped as she breathed sharply in, wincing in pain. “North, I think, but they’ll be back.”
“Why?”
“Because they need me.” Her body shook.
Damian whined next to me.
I lowered to the ground and studied her. “Can you heal from this?”
“I don’t know.” She grabbed my wrist. Her fingers were slippery with blood. Fear laced her voice. “Just kill me.”
Damian growled.
What is up with you, Delta?
Sighing, I picked her up. “We’ll have to get you back to the cabins.”
She closed her eyes and lay in my arms. “Are you taking me back to eat me?”
“Sorry, but witches have never been tasty to me.” I carried her forward as my wolves followed. “If you keep your magic to yourself and not attack anyone in m
y pack, then we’ll help you. However, if you attack, I will shred you to pieces and be slow, very fucking slow, as I kill you.”
“Then, do it. You can't help me.” She trembled against me. “And you won’t be able to save your pack or that waitress of yours either.”
I froze and looked down at her. “What did you say?”
“The. . .” She coughed. Blood spurted out. “I saw the prophecy. It’s. . .all there. . .”
And then she passed out in my arms.
“And you won’t be able to save your pack or that waitress of yours either.”
I clutched Raven tightly to my chest. “We’ll head back to the cabins and see if Sherwin can help her.”
I hope he can save her. We need answers. What prophecy is she talking about? And what does this have to do with Imani?
My pack had to remain at a slow pace due to my carrying her back into the mountains. Damian stayed on my side, looking up at the witch every few seconds. Blaze guided the wolves for me, keeping his senses alert for oncoming witches.
Damn it. We can’t leave tomorrow. We’ll have to stay and figure this out.
“Mate!”
Calm down, Conri. We’ll just be here to keep her safe.
Damian’s wolf sniffed at Raven.
I looked down at the red wolf. “Delta, you will watch over the witch while Sherwin heals her. Don’t let her leave your sight. We still have no idea if she’s friend or foe.”
The wolf nodded his huge head in agreement as we continued our trek home.
And the whole time, worry weighed heavy on my mind. In any other situation, I would’ve ordered the pack to get ready to go. There would’ve been no reason to remain in a town like Crystal Lake. It was small, hidden, and off the beaten path like similar tiny places. However, witches had arrived, and they’d attacked one of their own. And now the injured witch had hinted about my pack, Imani, and some prophecy.
Not good at all.
We had to stay and figure out the problem. The last thing I needed was the witches catching my pack off guard or hurting Imani in some way.
No way.
The mere thought of her being harmed destroyed something inside of me. For the first time in many years, I was scared. The thought of someone wounding my beautiful Imani made me want to howl and prepare for war.
“No!” Conri growled.
Don’t worry. None of this will ever touch her. We just have to figure out a way to make sure she’s not scared of us, so I can be around to protect her.
Chapter 6
Imani
That night, I talked to my sister Harper about what happened. She agreed with Mama Joe and thought I worked too much this week. What else would anyone think? To believe me would be to consider the fact that some people had golden glowing eyes.
It was a ridiculous thing to ponder.
An hour later, I dragged myself to bed. It took no time to pass out. Mama Joe and my sister were right. The double shifts triggered exhaustion and confusion.
From now on, I’m going to take better care of me.
Unfortunately, when I fell asleep, I dreamed about Aiden.
We stood on a crystal staircase. He wore a designer tuxedo that hugged his huge form. A red ballgown wrapped around my body. My hair fell to my shoulders.
And Aiden was so close. Only a few inches rested between us. His muscular arms hung by his side. I breathed him in.
“Imani.” The volume of his voice was barely above a whisper. Yet it held so much power, luring me forward, sending a rush of sensation over my skin, and making my body tingle with need. “I want you, Imani.”
His eyes shifted to gold, glowing in front of me. This time I didn’t scream. I remained leaning against the railing and seduced by his gaze.
“Do you understand?” He gently held my hands and pulled me closer to him.
I relished in the warm feel of his hard body. With him so close, I couldn’t think straight. My head fogged with so many contradictions. “But what are you?”
“What am I?” Lowering a little, he bent his head down to me, not kissing my lips, but murmuring against my mouth. “I am whatever you need me to be.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It actually does.” He pressed his lips against mine. The seductive kiss snatched my breath away. His tongue circled mine. Desire coursed through my veins.
“Oh, Imani. Your scent is intoxicating.” He inhaled me in such a seductive way. I squeezed my thighs, trying to keep away my mounting desire. “I have a deep desire to taste every inch of you.” A dark growl left his lips. “When will you let me taste you?”
My longing beat all logic away. I whispered, “My body is yours.”
“Is that right?” He brought his hand to my neck, and tenderly closed his fingers around my throat. I gasped at the possessive grasp. He moved his lips close to my ear. “I wish this wasn’t a dream.”
I widened my eyes. “Wait. This is a dream.”
“You look the same. You even smell the same.” His warm breath brushed against my skin. “Now I’m dying to find out if you feel the same too.”
“But—”
“I crave you.” He landed kisses across my shoulder blades, delivering shivers of pleasure through my body. “I need you.”
“Aiden.”
“I don’t care if this is a dream. I yearn for you.” He slipped his hands along the fullness of my breasts. I moaned in anticipation, needing him to pull down the front of my gown and lick my nipples with that skilled tongue. I blazed with desire, ready to explode. Ribbons of pleasure spun out of control all through my body.
Satisfaction decorated his face. “I want to lick your body. Every inch.”
A low moan escaped my parted lips. “Please.”
He teased the tip of my earlobe with his tongue. An erotic buzzing rushed through every cell in my body. Although the gown was beautiful, it suddenly felt constricting. Confining and limiting. I wanted it off and his hands all over me. A tingling ache spread over my breasts. My nipples stiffened and begged for his touch.
As if he heard my thoughts, he directed his attention to my cleavage.
Licking his lips, he pushed down the front of my gown, freeing my full breasts and letting my nipples bounce out to greet him. He groaned deep within his throat. “Can I have you?”
“Please,” I whimpered, overcome in pleasure and unwilling to protest.
Taunting me even more, he gently squeezed my nipples, cupped my breasts, and then massaged the fullness of them. His breath quickened.
“Finally,” he whispered. “I don’t ever want to wake up.”
“Me either.” I savored the passionate sensation waving through my body.
“Captivating. Why are you so fucking captivating?” He breathed against the swell of one breast. Warm air tingled my flesh. And then he ran his tongue along the curve, tracing the areola of my nipple, triggering the throbbing point to harden some more.
I arched toward him.
“Gorgeous. So damn gorgeous.” He ran his tongue over my other nipple. “I have to take my time.”
And then he ripped the whole gown away. It happened so fast. I could barely catch my breath. Torn fabric fell down the steps. And all I had left on my body was crimson panties, a black lace garter belt, and silky thigh-high stockings.
He lowered himself, inch by inch, slipping his hands along the outline of my body. Usually, I would have felt so insecure about being exposed. My belly and thickness were all there for him to see. I almost hugged myself, but for some reason, I didn’t. With him, I felt sexier than ever before. He lowered to his knees as if ready to worship me. “Spread your thighs for me.”
Moaning, I opened them.
His face was right in front of my pussy. He breathed in and licked his lips. “You smell so good. Every inch of you is perfection.”
He unsnapped my garter belt.
He slowly took the stockings off, unclipped, and rolled them down my legs. With each inch of revealed
skin, he left a soft kiss. I stirred under his lips. He inhaled me and continued to go excruciatingly slow. I felt so beautiful under his attention.
And then he took even more time, slipping off my crimson panties. The fabric smoothed against my skin as it left my legs. Cool air hit my sex, and I shuddered in desire.
“Where do you want me to lick?”
I couldn’t help myself. As soon as he lowered, all I could think about was his mouth on my pussy. So overcome, I didn’t respond and just lowered my fingers to my sex, parting those throbbing lips and exposing myself to him.
Fire and lust blazed in those golden eyes. That reaction turned me on even more.
“So damn gorgeous.”
I spread my pussy wider. My middle and index fingers formed an erotic V. My moist flesh glistened and greeted his heated gaze.
His deep voice vibrated through me. “What do you want?”
My voice lowered with desire. “Lick me all night long.”
He leaned forward and lapped at the soft and welcoming bud, circling the sensitive nerves. Unable to help myself, I rocked into the rhythm of his tongue. I drowned in the moment. His tongue licked and lapped. His mouth sucked and blew warm breaths onto my sex. And I moaned so loud, it echoed in the empty space.
He whispered. “Do you love it?”
“Yes,” I moaned. “More. Please.”
I raised one of my legs over his shoulder. And he tongue-fucked me, flickering it along my throbbing bud and diving into my pussy.
I leaned against the stairwell, breathless, and so close to coming. “Oh, Aiden.”
“Yes.” He ran his tongue along my wet slit from top to bottom, and he licked from side to side. “So gorgeous.”
I moaned and rocked my hips some more.
“Cum for me.” He licked my clit one more time. Waves of ecstasy throbbed through me.
I screamed, “Aiden!”
An intense orgasm crashed through me.
I came.
My arousal dripped down my thighs.
He lapped it up. “I’m so addicted to you.”
I moaned so loud my throat went hoarse.
