by Bryce Evans
“That’s right. It was your name that got her that job, but she won’t join. I know Sydney will succeed in getting the shifter to cheat on her. All you need is for Emerson to see them together one time. That should do the trick.”
Sitting down on the side of the bed, Kingston kicked his shoes off and leaned back. “I pray you’re right, Franklin. Just give me a call and let me know when she’s here. The spell needs to be good enough to work its magic. I’ve got a feeling that Nash Wilder is going to be hard to manage. I just hope she’s as good as you say she is.”
“Don’t worry about Sydney. She can do spells like nobody else. I’ve used her in a lot of my projects. I’ll talk to you soon, Kingston; keep your head up. You’re a Prescott.”
Kingston could only hope his friend was correct. He needed the spell to work on Nash. Then he could take Emerson away and get her married to someone he approved of. There were a lot of families he socialized with who had single sons. Then the bloodlines would be pure, just like they were supposed to be. All he needed was for Sydney to put the spell on Nash and he could show Emerson what the wolf was really about. He knew the shifter didn’t want her; he was only interested in her connections. It was plain as day for Kingston to see, but his sweet daughter was too naïve. She just didn’t get it. It was probably his fault for sheltering her so much.
Chapter Nine
Nash stood off to the side and watched Emerson and Jessie make something with glass. At the moment he had no clue what they were making, but Emerson was having fun, and he didn’t care what it looked like as long as he could keep that smile on her face.
He smiled as Jessie instructed Emerson to blow harder into the blowpipe. They both laughed as the glass made an odd shape.
“I don’t think I very good at this,” Emerson said between breaths.
“You’re doing great, especially for your first time. Once we add another layer of glass with a different color it will look extraordinary.” Jessie blew into the pipe, twirling the blue glass around the shape Emerson was making. And she was right; it looked extraordinary with both of the colors.
“I can’t believe how different it looks, Jessie. You made it beautiful,” Emerson said, smiling.
“It was already beautiful, Emerson. We just put a little color to it. Right now we’re giving it a touch-up. Just remember that life isn’t perfect. Sometimes it gets ugly, but the rule is to learn from it and let it make you stronger.”
Emerson glanced over at Jessie and sighed. “Thanks, Jessie. Right now, I’m having a hard time believing that it will all be good again. But this has helped keep my mind off what happened, and what could’ve happened. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I’m hoping you’ll continue to come up here and visit me. I’ll make a glassmaker out of you yet.”
“I don’t know if I have the talent like you, but it sure was fun.” They both stood over the piece of glass and just stared at it.
“Well it didn’t turn out like I wanted,” Emerson laughed. “I wanted to make a glass bowl like that, but this won’t even sit up.”
“I can put a hole in it and you can hang it in front of a window. It will be a beautiful piece of artwork when the light hits it. See that one?” Jessie pointed at a piece of glass hanging down in front of the window. “Around midday the sun will hit that side of the barn and the colors look like pieces of the rainbow running around the room. It’s very beautiful to see.”
“It’s very pretty.”
“That was the first piece of blown glass I ever made. See all the different notches in it? Just like yours it wouldn’t sit up right, but it sure puts on one hell of a light show. Might not be perfect but it still can make this room look special.”
Nash walked over and smiled. “I think it’s pretty.”
“You’re biased,” Emerson argued.
Nash shrugged. “Yes I am, but I still think it’s pretty.”
All three of them laughed.
“How about some lunch?” Jessie asked.
“Did you make that casserole?” Nash asked.
“Of course. When you called and said you two were coming, I made one, knowing you would bug me to death if I hadn’t. And I sure didn’t want to see a grown man cry.”
“I would have, too.” Nash looked over at Emerson. “I can’t wait for you to taste this. The woman is a chef and she comes up with the strangest concoctions. But it’s simply wonderful.” Nash kissed his fingers and threw them in the air.
Emerson and Jessie both laughed, which was exactly what he wanted. He wanted his mate to feel relaxed and happy.
The question that continued to plague his mind was whether or not her father would pull some kind of stunt that would make her feel worse and go home. He knew he loved her, but what steps would Kingston Prescott take to get her to leave with him?
“I had a great time, Nash. It was a blast to get to know Jessie and to learn how to blow glass, but most of all, it took my mind off everything. Thank you,” Emerson said, smiling.
“Good, I have another surprise tomorrow. The fun has only begun. Emerson…” Nash shook his head. She could tell that he wanted to say more but stopped himself.
Emerson sat beside Nash as he guided the sleigh back down the mountain. She wanted to hear what he had to say even if it was bad. “Go ahead, Nash. I want to know what you were going to say.”
He held the harness in his hand with ease, but gave her his full attention as the sleigh eased down the mountain. The jingling of the bells made her smile. This had been a magical day for her. She would remember this for the rest of her life.
“Each day you’ll get better and better. There will be some bad days that get you to thinking about it, but don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough to be part of the Unit.”
“You heard what my father said,” Emerson said, shocked.
“I was getting ready to come in and see you and heard you two arguing. I’m sorry for listening, but the more he said the madder I got. Because what happened to you was tragic, but it wasn’t your fault. I don’t know why a father would say such terrible things to his own daughter, make her feel like shit and make her second-guess herself. It’s…well, it’s just wrong.”
Emerson bowed her head. Nash was right of course, but the thought continued to nag at her. Maybe her father was right and it was just her family’s name that mattered; but then maybe Nash was right, and her father just wanted to control her like he always had. Maybe he was just afraid to be alone.
“I know what you’re saying is right, Nash, but I think my father doesn’t want to be alone.”
“Now you’re making excuses for him, Emmy. No father should say such cruel words to a person he’s supposed to love. A father should be your greatest defender. The one person who helps you up when you’ve been knocked down. I know you love him, and in his own way he loves you too, but don’t make excuses for him. You…you are a wonderful woman, and you can do great things with your magic, things that nobody else can do. Don’t let what he says stop you from following your dream.”
Nobody had ever spoken to her like that. What he said was true—she might not have wanted to hear it, but the way he said it meant the world to her. Plus, he’d used her nickname.
“You really think I can do that job? I’m not like the others. I’m not a shifter; I don’t have the strength they have and I can’t fight. My father always sheltered me, and would never teach me how to fight and take care of myself. He would always say, ‘Baby girl, you’ll always have me to fight for you. No need for you to fight and get hurt. You have me for that.’ Frowning, Emerson looked off toward the trees. “But I always wanted to learn.”
“Then we can teach you. Everyone on the Unit has a certain skill set. You need to learn from each one. I guarantee you’ll be shocked at how much you pick up, and this will build your confidence back. Even Max can teach you some of his self-defense tricks. Max has a special talent for some techniques I’ve never seen before. He helped me and I know he can
help you. He has a lot of patience, and I like that about him. Let me text him.” Nash pulled out his phone and fired off a text to Max, then put his phone up and glanced over at her. “I can help you with that, too…but only if you want me to.”
Hope fluttered inside her as the thought of learning how to take care of herself. “Really? I would love that. I don’t want to feel helpless again. I had no way of moving, Nash. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom. My freedom was taken away and I couldn’t do anything about it. I never want to feel like that again. I want to always go out fighting. I didn’t know if I was going to make it. I was so scared and I couldn’t use my magic. The one true gift I had was useless to me.”
“So…are you going to give up?” Nash asked.
“No!” Emerson shook her head. “I want to learn how to fight and get out of being tied down. I want to learn how to fight through the pain to save myself.”
“That’s my girl.” Nash bent over and rubbed his jaw against her hair. She had never been nuzzled before, and it shocked her how much she really liked it.
“Why do you do that?” Emerson asked.
Nash cocked his head in confusion. “Do what?”
“You nuzzled my face and hair. I guess that’s what you call it. Don’t get me wrong, it feels good, but I just wondered why you do it?”
Smiling at her, he said, “Because I really like you and it’s a way that shifters show how they feel about someone. Plus I’m rubbing my scent on you. I like you smelling of me.” She couldn’t stop the smile on her face. Nash Wilder had to be the nicest and most caring man she’d ever known. Not even her father could compare to him. Trust was very important to her, and in a short amount of time, she already felt like she could trust Nash with anything.
“I really like you too.”
Sydney Beauregard sat at the table against the wall. She’d requested this particular table so she could watch when Nash came through the front lobby. When he did she would cast the love spell, but she had to be careful. This spell wasn’t specific to one person. That meant if someone else walked in the direction of the spell before it hit her intended target, she would have a lovesick puppy on her hands, and she already had another job to get to. So she was stuck sitting here ordering appetizers and drinks, waiting.
She only had one more day to get this job done before she was expected on the other side of the country. She had to fly out to meet her next client, so Nash needed to hurry up.
Sydney picked up her prepaid phone and dialed the lobby again. “Hello, may I speak to Nash Wilder please?”
“I’m sorry but Nash is out, may I take a message?” Sydney listened to the same girl give her the same spiel for the hundredth time. Either she didn’t have a clue where he was at or she was covering for him. Didn’t matter to her which one, because this wasn’t going to take long. If she played her cards right, Nash Wilder would be wild for her in a few minutes. The spell would last for a couple of hours before it would start to wear off. Like every spell, there was nothing permanent she could do.
She only hoped that the couple in question hadn’t mated yet, because once that happened, nothing would stop that love affair from happening. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to try and do anything that would get her mauled by a wolf shifter. That was a good way of getting yourself killed.
She’d seen it happen before, when witches thought that a person was under a spell when they weren’t. This spell wouldn’t work on someone who was fully mated. Thankfully, it only had to work long enough for the woman to see her and Nash kissing, and then that was it.
It sounded simple, but unfortunately nothing was ever simple like that. This was dangerous. Her boss, Mr. Devour paid her a lot of money for spells like this one. She never wanted much information about the people she was plotting against. Apparently, this particular wolf was bad news and was using the witch. In fact, her boss said that this wolf only wanted her for her family name. They weren’t actual mates, but the wolf was trying to make her believe they were.
Right now, Sydney only wanted to find this Nash Wilder so she could move on. That’s what she did. She’d never had a real home and she sure as hell didn’t want her family to know where to find her. That would be very dangerous.
Chapter Ten
Nash helped Emerson down from the sleigh, then told her to go ahead and go inside while he made sure that Betsy was taken care of.
“I’ll wait for you inside by the fire.”
“Okay, it won’t be but a few minutes. Matt’s on his way.”
The smile on her face was going to be a permanent fixture around this man. He was just too good to be true. The lodge smelled yummy as she stepped inside. The scent of cinnamon buns was everywhere. Not just like the scent from a candle, it smelled like someone was cooking cinnamon buns. When she walked into the common area, she knew why. Big, fat, gooey cinnamon buns were sitting under a glass container on the side bar. In fact, sweets of all kinds were sitting there as well. The fireplace was blazing as families sat around playing checkers, cards, or just talking to each other. Some had wine glasses in their hands. For some reason it felt like home to her here.
She was warming her hands when the good cheer she was feeling was yanked out from under her. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I thought something had happened. You can’t just wander off like that, Emerson. You made a mistake before; don’t be stupid and make another one. You don’t know these people, and you sure as hell don’t know how to take care of yourself, so let’s go.” Her father grabbed her hand and was pulling on her to follow, but all she could here was his voice telling her anyone could have gotten to her and she couldn’t take care of herself. “These people are not like—”
Nash interrupted, walking up behind her cutting Kingston Prescott’s tirade off. “You mean us.” Nash shook his head in disgust listening to this man talk about his kind like they were nothing. “I think you’ve filled her head with enough nonsense. There is nothing wrong with my kind, except whatever nasty thoughts lurk in your head. You have a wonderful daughter who is kind, strong, and beautiful. Don’t take that away from her. She’s just getting back on her feet, and telling her she can’t take care of herself is…well, it’s stupid and hurtful.”
“Nash, what’s going on?” Max walked into the room on alert.
“Listen here, you…” Kingston pointed his finger at Nash.
“What? ‘You animal’? Your words can’t hurt me, Mr. Prescott. I’m not something bad that will hurt your daughter. I want her to learn how to fight and take care of herself. All you want to do is to teach her to fear everyone and keep her in a bubble so she’s right under your thumb and you can control her—”
Kingston went to grab ahold of Nash when Max stepped in between them, pushing them away from each other. Emerson couldn’t take this anymore. She’d had enough.
“Stop it!” Emerson put her hands over her ears.
“Emerson, it’s okay.” Nash put his hand on her arm, but she didn’t want to hear anymore.
“Emerson, it’s time to go home now. I’ve been disrespected enough.”
“No, just stop it.” Emerson needed to get away, where she could think. This was too much. Just too much. “I just need some time to think.” Emerson felt panicked as she turned around and found everyone in the room watching them. She just needed to get away from all the bickering. It was too much too soon.
Rather than staying and listening to how pathetic she was, Emerson rushed out of the room before anyone could stop her. She needed to think. Who did she believe? She shook her head. Now she was second-guessing everything, including her own worth. And she hated the feeling.
“Emerson?” Her father and Nash were calling for her, but she needed to be by herself. Before the elevator closed, Emerson jumped on. It took her a full minute to realize that she hadn’t pushed a button, but the elevator was moving anyway. When she glanced up, she saw a man was standing there, staring at her. She was trapped on the elevator with him.
She watched him put in a key then turn it. Oh God, what have I done.
“You must be Emerson. I’m Larken Wilder. I’m taking that since you jumped on, you were trying to get away from your father and Nash?” She didn’t know what to do.
“Emerson, you have nothing to fear from me. Your hand.” The man pointed down at her hand. When she glanced down, she saw blood dripping from it onto the floor.
“Here, wrap this around it.” Her fingernails were cutting deep into her hand. She was so scared that she was hurting herself. She hesitated, but reached out and took the handkerchief and wrapped it around her hand. The elevator stopped and the door opened. “If you’ll come with me, I have a first-aid kit down here and we can put a bandage on that.”
She watched the man walk out. What did he say his name was? She peeked out as the door started to close and jumped out. How stupid could she be? This was how it all started. She’d just stopped to help someone out, and now she just ran and got on an elevator with a complete stranger. But everyone is a stranger, you big dummy.
“Coming?” The man peeked out from a room, holding a first-aid kit. She glanced down at her hand again; the handkerchief was covered in blood. Shit. Was this going to be another one of those judgment calls that was going to cost her? Emerson didn’t think so, but then again, she hadn’t thought anything bad was going to happen to her when she left her father’s house.
Taking a deep breath, she took the first step toward the door. Framed pictures lined the hallway, of people she recognized. Lilly and her mate Sindrid Abner were in one of them, smiling and laughing at whoever was behind the camera. They looked happy. She leaned in closer when she noticed Nash in the picture with the man from the elevator, along with Lilly and others.
“That’s me and my family.”
“Shit.” Emerson jumped back into a defensive stance. “Don’t touch me,” she yelped.
