He paused and looked over his shoulder. “No. Why?”
Thallan shrugged. “No reason.”
Tommy waited for some kind of explanation, but the elf just took another drag of his cigarette and stared at nothing. He decided to leave before he got asked anything else.
The question had unsettled him though. Amber never had explained how she got Thallan to agree to letting them live there, or to be her sponsor. Now the old creep thought there was a chance she might start acting weird. He wasn’t sure if that’s because he’d cursed her, or if there was some other reason.
When he made it back to the pack house he saw Amber’s truck was back in the driveway. He frowned thinking he should have been able to hear them arrive. Maybe the garden had some weird wards on it that had prevented it.
The back door opened as he approached it and Amber visibly slumped in relief. “Are you okay? You just felt really…disturbed for a moment.”
“Oh, yeah. I was just wandering around and Thallan startled me,” Tommy said with a shrug. He didn’t want to talk about it yet. He wanted to bring it up with Ceri first, and see if she knew anything. “Did the place Derek found work out?”
She groaned. “He seems to think so.”
“Just because there are a few rats and cobwebs doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect,” Derek shouted from inside the house.
She turned back to her brother and Tommy followed her inside. “I can help clean up,” he offered.
“That’d be great!” Derek said. “I was actually going to talk to you about your pay. I can give you fifty bucks a week for part-time work until the place opens, then I’ll see about a raise. Until then, I thought maybe we could work something else out. Maybe teaching you how to work on the trucks so you can help out as a mechanic eventually?”
Tommy hesitated, the gears in his head turning, then tugged his beanie down farther on his head. He had something else in mind, but he wanted to talk to Derek about it in private. “Sure, sounds good. I’ll just be glad to have something to do. I can only study so much.”
”Perfect,” Derek said, rubbing his hands together. “Studying is overrated anyhow.”
Amber rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t even start.”
Derek just punched her right back, starting an impromptu wrestling match. Tommy grinned. It was good to see someone giving his alpha crap. She looked more relaxed than she had since…well, since he’d met her.
Chapter 8
GENEVIEVE
The werewolf was younger than Genevieve had expected. He was a skinny, blond college kid, and he looked scared out of his mind.
“I was out for my twenty-first birthday with my human friends and this group of guys started picking on a girl. I was feeling cocky, because what can they do to me, you know? So, I stepped in. I didn’t think I was going to hurt him that bad. He threw the first punch and I didn’t lose control. I didn’t. I just hit him back and he crumpled,” Davie said, his hands shaking as he rubbed them over his watery eyes. “I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
“You should never have been arrested,” she said firmly, reaching across the table to squeeze his arm. Her wolf was furious, all her protective instincts were raging inside her. If she’d been in his situation she might have actually lost control and ripped the dude’s arms off. “My firm has agreed to take on the case, free of charge. We’re going to get these charges dismissed.”
“Really?” he asked, not looking like he believed her at all. “My alpha said it was a lost cause.”
“No offense to your alpha, but that’s bullshit,” she said, pausing to take a deep breath. “What pack are you with? I’ll need to talk with them.”
He sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve. “The Lockhart Pack.”
Her pen snapped in her hand, ink soaking into her fingers. She quickly dropped it on the table. This werewolf belonged to Donovan’s pack. There was no way she could just stroll up and talk to Donovan. He might kill her, or refuse to help just to spite her.
“You okay?” he asked, confused.
“Yeah, just fine,” she said, clearing her throat and curling her stained fingers into her palm. “I’ll be back to see you tomorrow, okay? Keep thinking about the details, and anyone that can vouch for your character. Especially any humans.”
“Okay.”
She got up and rapped on the door to let the guard know she was done. The guard opened the door to let her out, but she paused in the doorway. “Keep your chin up, okay Davie? It’s going to work out. I promise.”
Davie nodded, the tense line of his shoulders loosening just a little. “I’ll try to believe that.”
“Thanks,” she said with a nod to the guard as she slipped out of the room. Her fingers tightened on the handle of her briefcase. Being in the jail made her skin crawl. She’d come so close to being in this place herself. It hadn’t seemed real until she’d walked in here today, though.
She made it out of the building and to her car before before the tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. She wanted to strangle Donovan. He’d abandoned his pack member so easily. She couldn’t fathom doing that. Even now, she could feel the pack bond stretching between her, Tommy, Ceri, and Amber. It thrummed in her gut, a warm reassurance. How could an alpha turn their back on that?
She rested her forehead against the steering wheel and took a deep breath. Maybe, she could have one of the other associates talk to Donovan and convince him to give Davie the support he needed.
The only issue was if she could do it in less than a week. She’d spent the entire morning prepping to go to the jail and most of the afternoon interviewing Davie.
She checked her phone and saw an invitation from Steven to dinner, which she quickly replied to with a rejection. The last thing she had time for was a date. Her mother had also texted her now, which meant a phone call was imminent if she didn’t reply. She opened the message and saw that her parents wanted to have dinner and catch up. That meant they’d probably heard something about her getting bitten. She wondered who had ratted her out. It was probably her sister, the little snoop.
She didn’t hate her parents or anything. It was the opposite actually. They were frustratingly perfect. They never pried and always supported her. Her dad used to take off work to come to all her softball games. He’d cheer when she struck out and tell her better luck next time, princess. She knew he’d probably been embarrassed though.
Dropping her phone in her lap, she groaned in annoyance. Her mother would probably love Amber, want to adopt Tommy, and think Ceri walked on water. Logically, she knew it was a dumb thing to be frustrated by, but all she’d ever done was let them down. She’d graduated college only to avoid using the degree they’d paid for as long as she could. She was in her mid-twenties now and hadn’t had a serious boyfriend yet. Unless you counted Steven, but they didn’t know about him, and she still wasn’t sure she wanted that to be serious.
She needed, desperately, to be able to help Davie. She wanted to prove she could do something right, and do it well. That, and she couldn’t bear the idea of letting an injustice like this happen.
Angry, she threw the car into reverse and backed out of her parking spot. It was time to hunt down an alpha. She should probably let Amber know what she was doing first. And call Steven and see if there was any etiquette she needed to follow since she was also a werewolf.
“It just has to keep getting more complicated,” she muttered to herself.
Chapter 9
CERI
Ceri parked her car a few blocks from the store and climbed out. The wind whipped around her legs, scattering leaves across the sidewalk. She pulled her cardigan a little closer around her. It was time to start wearing leggings under her dresses again.
She hadn’t wanted to come into the city. Despite its size, the chance that she’d run into either a family member or someone from the Blackwood coven was high. Witches ran in small circles, and the things she needed to get today took her right into the midst of them
.
She was going to have to look into getting another job soon. Amber had told her not to stress about it, but there was no way she’d just mooch off the pack forever. Even if all she could do was contribute to the grocery bill, she would. There were things she could do to make the wards on the house stronger if she had the right supplies. With a little time and money, she thought she could actually improve the wards on the entire property. They just needed a little TLC.
A little bell tinkled overhead as she walked in. Pausing just inside, she scanned the sections for hyssop elixir and powdered pennyroyal. A sign in the back corner of the store pointed out what she needed. She wound through the aisles, refusing to look at the little jars that held pixie parts and other magical creatures. It had always bothered her, but now that she had Woggy, it made her nauseous to even think about it.
As she neared the back of the store, the scents of sage and other cleansing herbs made her nose tickle. She grabbed a few sticks of sage since she had a feeling she’d be using a lot of it in the coming weeks, then continued toward the back.
She paused in front of the shelf that had it and picked up two brands, comparing the strength of the ingredients versus the price. Despite preferring to use the more concentrated version, she was probably going to have to settle for the cheaper one and hope the strength of her magic could make up the difference.
“Ceridwen,” a deep voice said behind her. Her heart immediately kicked into overdrive as her gut twisted in worry. He shouldn’t be here.
She turned slowly to face her father. He was only slightly taller than she was and almost as slender. He had thin strawberry blond hair and a baby face that made many people underestimate him. Her mother was their coven leader, but he was her second. They’d married for no other reason than to combine the magical potential of their families. It had paid off with powerful and talented children.
“Father,” she said, meeting his eyes despite her unease. Don’t show fear. Don’t show weakness. Don’t ever turn your back on an enemy.
“Your mother is surprised you haven’t come back,” he said, rubbing his hand along the stubble on his jaw.
“But you’re not.”
He shook his head. “You’ve never been willing to commit to the coven. It was only a matter of time before you found a reason to leave permanently.”
There were many reasons she’d stayed for so long. Wanting her parent’s approval, fear of striking out on her own, and knowing that if she joined another coven they’d consider her an enemy. This meeting wasn’t a coincidence. Her father had come specifically to speak with her. Perhaps to threaten her.
“I don’t want to hurt other living things just to gain more power,” she said, repeating the beginning of an old argument.
He shook his head in exasperation. “You’ve made that very clear.”
“Why are you here then, if not to talk me into returning to the coven?” she asked.
He lifted his head and spoke formally, “You weakened the coven when you left. Normally this would justify retaliation.”
She stiffened, preparing for an attack. Her mind went to the pack, praying they were still alright. She hadn’t even considered that her family might move against them after her mother kicked her out, but she should have.
“However,” he continued, “your actions at the Alpha Trials, and on Halloween, severely weakened our enemy, the Blackwood Coven. Your mother has chosen, as a final act of mercy, to accept this as an offering that balances out your transgressions. You are persona non grata with the Gallagher Clan from this day forward. Under the rules of coven engagement, we will not act against you unless you first act against us.”
She had no idea how he knew about Halloween, or if he just suspected it had been her. Perhaps it had been a simple matter of deduction. Not many witches could get past the Blackwood wards.
“The Hale pack will not threaten or harm the Gallagher clan unless you first move against us,” she said, echoing his words as the formal declaration demanded.
Her father nodded, then turned and walked away. Her heart was racing and, now that he wasn’t looking, her hands shook slightly. That was it. She had no family anymore. Her mother had kicked her out before, but she had always come back. That wasn’t a choice this time.
Relief and sorrow warred inside her. Her parents were cruel, but she hadn’t seen that as a child. She didn’t want to see it now.
Shaking off the self-pity, she straightened her shoulders and steeled herself. Enough was enough. She’d made her choice and she didn’t regret it. Amber was her alpha now, and she was a good person. Tommy was like a little brother already, and Genevieve could be the sister she always wished she’d had. Her actual siblings were…like her parents. They’d never gotten along.
She grabbed the last thing she needed from the shelves and walked to the register, paying as quickly as she could. She knew her parents hadn’t done anything to the pack or her father wouldn’t have said what he did. Still, she’d feel better once she was back there and could confirm it in person.
“Thanks, have a good day,” the cashier said cheerfully.
“You too,” she replied, though her smile in return was wooden.
She grabbed the bag the cashier handed her and hurried out the door, almost running into someone trying to enter. With a muttered ‘sorry’, she sidestepped around them. She wished she’d parked closer now. Parking down the street had obviously done nothing to help avoid running into someone she knew. It took all her self-control, and the knowledge that her father or someone else might be watching, to walk and not run.
Finally, her car came into view, but…an owl sat on the roof. Her blood ran cold. Owls were ill omens. They portended death, misfortune, and illness. This was the last thing she needed right now. Running into her father had been enough of a bad sign. She didn’t want another.
Glaring at it, she walked up to her car and waved her hands at the unwelcome creature. “Shoo!”
The owl flapped its wings and hopped out of her reach but didn’t fly away. It hooted at her softly.
“Go away,” she hissed.
It hooted again and walked sideways, hopping down onto the side mirror. Its eerie, orange eyes fixed on her. She tried to shoo it away again and it nipped at her finger, drawing a little blood.
She hissed in pain and shook her finger. Seemingly pleased with itself, it took flight. Instead of going over her head, it almost collided with her. She ducked to avoid it, then turned to glare at the persistent bird. It was sitting under a tree looking quite smug.
She thought about throwing something at it when she saw what was growing next to its foot. It had barely sprouted out of the ground. If the owl hadn’t been practically standing on it, she never would have seen the slight, purple glow.
Crouching down, she cautiously reached for the little mushroom near its foot. The owl hooted happily and shuffled to the side. She brushed the dirt away and, sure enough, there was the beginning of a Fairy Ring. It was a super rare mushroom that had all but died out due to over-harvesting. It was useful in all manner of spells, as well as meditation. There were rumors it could help a powerful enough witch catch glimpses of the future, or at least its possibilities.
She brushed the dirt a little farther away and saw that there wasn’t just one. There was a circle of seven little, purple mushrooms. That was a lucky number, and meant that she could collect the whole bundle and use them to grow more.
She looked at the owl again, suspicious now. It cocked its head at her as though it were analyzing her right back. This wasn’t a normal animal.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
It hooted, then took off, flying over her head and into the sky. She was going to have to do a little research, perhaps they weren’t always ill omens.
Turning her attention back to the Fairy Ring, she quickly dug around it and pulled out a whole chunk of dirt. With nowhere else to put it, she opened her purse and set it carefully inside. It’d wash.
C
hapter 10
AMBER
Amber sat next to Ceri on the porch swing sipping coffee. She was tired, and the demon mark was throbbing like a headache. That couldn’t be a good sign.
Mentally, she prodded the wolf, asking what she’d done to the demon. Amber got back a strong impression of smugness, but nothing else. She sighed. She didn’t like being caught between the wolf and Angel.
Ceri shifted around, yawning. The witch had been in a weird mood since she got back yesterday, and she hadn’t been sleeping much since the Trials. It was starting to worry Amber, but she knew Ceri would just say she worried about everything.
“I saw an owl yesterday,” Ceri said, her tone suggesting that meant something important, and possibly bad.
“Are you allergic to them or something?” she asked.
Ceri snorted in amusement. “No, well, figuratively I guess we all are. They’re considered ill omens.”
“Great,” Amber muttered before chugging the rest of her coffee. “Just what I needed to hear right before this meeting.”
“Well, that’s the thing,” Ceri said thoughtfully. “It led me to something really good. Those mushrooms I told you about yesterday evening –– which I planted in the garden by the way. Anyhow, my gut is telling me it wasn’t an ill omen, that it’s something else instead. I just have to figure out what, exactly.”
“You’re probably turning into some kind of animal whisperer,” Amber suggested. “All the forest creatures are going to start flocking to you. Witches don’t ever join packs. It was bound to do something weird to you.”
Ceri laughed, then sat up straight, her eyes going wide. “Amber, you’re a genius.”
“What?” she asked, confused.
“An absolute genius,” Ceri said, jumping to her feet and running inside, slamming the door shut behind her.
“Well, okay then.” She’d have to corner Ceri later and get an explanation, but she’d take being called a genius for now. She glanced at her phone. Shane was two minutes late. The bastard.
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