Hex in High Heels

by Linda Wisdom

  “Are you thinking about all the rumors of a lake monster out there?” he teased.

  “You saw the lake monster?” Ashley walked up, hand in hand with Jordan. “Stasi said she’ll look after the shops this morning. If it gets too busy she’ll holler for help,” she told Blair. The ends of her chin-length, light-brown hair under a bright red knit cap swung in her face from the morning breeze and she pushed it back. “Do you like what we did?” she asked them. “The elves came up with the idea of the snowflakes and showed us how to paint them while they wrote the fancy script.”

  “Are they real elves or just really short people?” Jordan asked with a shy smile.

  “Very real. Don’t play poker with them. In fact, don’t play any type of game that involves money or bartering for anything you own,” Blair advised him. “I’ve never been sure if they’re just plain lucky or they cheat.”

  “Here we are!” Agnes trilled.

  They watched the mayor’s wife, the elves, and Grady haul sleds loaded down with portable fire pits that had covers on them to prevent sparks from flying out.

  “This will be wonderful,” she proclaimed, busy directing everyone to their tasks. “Where have you been, Jake?”

  “I drove down the mountain for supplies and decided to stay over,” he lied.

  Agnes stared at him quizzically. “There’s something different about you.” Then she looked at Blair and smiled. “Yes, well, we missed you.” She cast a sly look in Blair’s direction. “Of that, I’m sure.”

  “Definitely.” Blair cast Jake a look of her own that warmed him up a hell of a lot more than any heater would. “And now our Jake’s back to work his sweet ass off.” She began directing Ashley and Jordan to help unload the portable heaters and set them near benches that had been placed near enough the booths to take the chill off, but far enough away for safety reasons.

  “I checked the weather report and we’ll have clear weather all weekend,” Agnes went on, as she studied the checklist in her hand. “Alberic, has everyone tried on their costumes?”

  “Check.” The head elf said cheerfully. “I think Foster’s put on a little weight, so he won’t be bending over or those tights will split and you’ll see more than you ever want to see.”

  Agnes moved off while Alberic stayed with Blair. “I heard a rumor that it’s you and Stasi who own the lake,” he said.

  She nodded. “But it’s not common knowledge. We prefer it that way.” She shot him a look that suggested he remember that and not pass the information on.

  “Gotcha. So what’s with the Weres? They up here to make trouble? I had a beer with Horace and he said they’re from Baxter Thorpe’s Pack. Everyone knows they’re sons of bitches and Baxter’s just plain mean.”

  “We’re not sure what’s going on, so if you hear anything I’d appreciate knowing it,” she replied.

  “Can do.”

  “If you know Baxter’s borderline psycho—”

  “Nope, all psycho.”

  Blair winced. “Okay, 100 percent psycho, why are you guys sticking around?”

  Alberic started to scratch his crotch, saw Blair’s warning look and stopped in time. “I guess we’re still here because of all of you. We know how we were when we first showed up. You could have tossed us out on our asses and it wouldn’t have been the first time. Sure, we could have returned to make your lives miserable; it would have only created a hell of a lot of negative vibes. But you showed us we could clean up our act and even make something of ourselves. Aggie is the first human to treat us like productive beings. She makes us believe we can improve our lives.”

  “Wow, I don’t know what to say.” And she didn’t, because most of the elves she had known were cute, cheerful beings that worked in Santa’s workshop and slipped into places to do good deeds. The elves that had rolled into town were the exact opposite, and she had a pretty good idea it was because of Mickey Boggs. She made a mental note to check with Maggie to see if there were any magickal warrants out against him. She couldn’t imagine that Mickey could cheat anyone for too long without someone filing a complaint.

  “Then don’t say a thing. I hate anyone getting schmaltzy.” Blair jumped when she felt a pinch on her butt. He winked at her as he walked away. “Can’t give up all my bad habits, can I?”

  Blair’s laughter stilled when she saw more visitors arriving. Newcomers she’d rather see anywhere but here.

  “Outer Mongolia would be good,” she muttered.

  “For what?” Stasi said from behind her.

  Blair yelped and spun around. She held her hand against her chest to keep her heart from pounding its way out of her chest. “You startled me! What about the shops?”

  “We haven’t had a customer in the past hour and a half, so I felt safe in closing them up. Ginny stopped by and had a big grin on her face. She’ll be out here in a bit with baskets of food for the workers, so I thought I’d come out and get my share.” Stasi snugged her knit gloves against her fingers. She looked beyond Blair at the Weres that stood around talking to Agnes. “She needs to know what they are.”

  “I was thinking the very same thing.” Blair felt an energy sweep across the area around them and if she wasn’t mistaken it was caused by Roan and his mother. She smiled as she heard Alberic whistle the first bars from “Peter and the Wolf” and couldn’t resist whistling the opening notes for “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” back at him. He flashed her a grin and a salute.

  As if she heard her name called, Blair swept the area and zeroed in on Jennifer Santiago who stood a short distance away from Roan and the other Weres. She momentarily admired the Were’s dark purple parka then tamped down the envy.

  “Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do?” Stasi easily picked up on her intent.

  “You betcha.” With steel in her blue-green eyes, Blair headed for Jennifer. When she saw Jake’s look and his step forward as if to intercept her, she waved a hand to reassure him. “Jennifer, nice to see you here.” She bared her teeth at the Were. “And brave of you to come out.”

  The female Were backed up a step then moved forward as if refusing to give in to Blair’s aggression.

  Hm, she might have those oh-so-perfect bloodlines they seem to like for breeding purposes, but no way she can handle being an Alpha.

  “Let’s chat.” A less than subtle push left Jennifer no choice but to head into the trees.

  “What do you want?” She tossed her head in defiance. “You have Jake back in human form. You’ve angered Roan to the point where he’s ready to take off anyone’s head… literally. Isn’t that enough for you?”

  “Not really. I want to know what’s really going on. Why Roan felt the need to put that cursed collar on Jake that would have guaranteed his death and why you’re still considered Jake’s fiancée, since he broke the engagement when he left the Pack. This all makes no sense, so why don’t you clear it up for me?”

  Jennifer’s lavender eyes burned with a deep glow. “A bond can’t be broken that easily. If Jake was brought back into the Pack, the bond could be broken—the right way.”

  “So his saying it’s off wasn’t enough?”

  Jennifer shook her head. “There’s only one way of breaking it.”

  Blair mentally sifted through her brain for Were information, but that part eluded her.

  “And that is?”

  “None of your business.” A large hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her backward against a large body.

  Blair clawed vainly at the hand cutting off her air supply.

  “Roan! Let her go!” Jennifer cried out, grabbing his arm. “You’re choking her!”

  “She’s trouble and deserves all she gets,” he snapped, tightening his hold.

  By then Blair was seeing spots before her eyes and knew if she didn’t do something soon she’d be sleepy-bye, and not in a good way.

  “Fire hurts,” she croaked, slapping his hand.

  Roan howled in pain and released her as the burn cove
red the back of his hand.

  “She can help us,” Jennifer pointed out, grabbing his arm before he struck the back of his hand across Blair’s face.

  “Help you how?” She rubbed her aching throat.

  “Break the bond,” Jennifer said quickly before Roan could stop her.

  Blair backed away. She didn’t want to retreat, but it seemed prudent to get back among the crowd where she hoped Roan wouldn’t try anything else. She already knew he didn’t play well with others and his attack just proved it.

  “Jake doesn’t want you. Jake doesn’t want anything to do with the Pack, so why don’t the two of you get hitched, have perfect little furry cubs, and live happily ever after? But think about this, Jennifer. If that happens, then all Roan wants it for is your bloodline, not you. He’s like his bitch of a mother and only wants the power that Baxter’s giving him. Maybe you Weres look at commitments differently than many of us, but I’d still want a guy to want me for me and not for what I can offer him. Love isn’t so bad, you know.”

  Roan took a step forward with Jennifer still hanging on his arm. “Stay out of our affairs and I’ll let you live.”

  “Move off the mountain and I won’t give you parasites!”

  Blair took a deep breath and did something that was dangerous to her well-being, but she felt was necessary. She deliberately turned her back on the pair and walked out of the woods.

  Stasi saw her first then Jake spied her. Both walked over to her, faces etched with concern, and darkening anger on Jake’s as he stared at the rapidly darkening fingerprint-size bruises on her throat.

  “I’ll challenge him then tear him apart.” He started toward Roan but Blair gripped his arm as tightly as she could.

  “Take a look at his face,” she said under her breath. “That’s exactly what he wants you to do and maybe even why he grabbed me.’

  Jake followed her direction and stared at Roan who stared back. The Were’s eyes were dark and glittering with malice while his lips tipped upward in a cruel smile. Vera walked up and insinuated herself between Roan and Jennifer, linking her arms through theirs.

  “One big dysfunctional family,” Blair muttered. “They’d be a hit on Dr. Phil.”

  “Here.” Stasi pulled off her scarf and wound it gently around Blair’s throat, hiding the bruises.

  “How do you feel about being outed, so to speak?” Blair asked Jake.

  “No memory wiping if things get out of hand?”

  She shook her head. “The residents here are a hardy bunch. Agnes might even look at it as a publicity stunt, but if everyone knows what Roan and the Pack are up to, maybe his plans will be thwarted before he can try anything more.”

  “He’ll also use intimidation tactics that I’m sure he learned well from Baxter.”

  “And we’ll do what we can.” Blair mentally geared herself up. “But I want to do it.”

  “Because it affects our Pack?” Jake asked.

  She and Stasi bobbed their heads.

  “No one messes with our Pack,” they said in unison.

  “You’re not doing this alone,” Jake insisted, taking Blair’s hand.

  She smiled and turned around to face Roan.

  “Agnes,” she called out. “Everyone. We have some interesting news for you.” She ignored Roan’s narrowed gaze and the look of panic on Jennifer’s face. The look of calculation on Vera’s face made Blair falter for a second, but she knew if she didn’t do it now, she’d hold off until it might be too late.

  Blair waited until everyone stopped what they were doing.

  “It seems Roan has more than a few surprises set up for us,” she said. “But since he’s too shy to mention them, I guess I’ll let the wolf out of the bag. It appears Roan is to be the Alpha of a Were Pack that has plans to expand their territory to most of this mountain.”

  “Were? Do you mean wolves?” Agnes asked. “I’ve heard wolves howling some nights, and we all know wolves haven’t lived up here for years.” She looked at Roan with a combination of fear and curiosity.

  “My stepfather is our Pack’s Alpha and with our Pack growing so large, we thought we would split and I would rule the new Pack up here. There is nothing to worry about,” Roan said in a soothing tone, moving toward Agnes and Floyd, who stood next to her. His Honor looked a bit shaken but to his credit he didn’t back away, nor did his wife.

  “I admit I don’t know a lot about your species, but I do know you need a lot of land and most of it up here is already taken,” Floyd contributed.

  “And we are ready to pay fair market price for anyone who’s willing to sell their land. We’ll even help with relocation costs.” Roan cast Blair a dark look.

  “We’ve lived here all our lives,” Agnes argued.

  “There’s even more, Agnes,” Jake spoke up. “I’m also a Were. I’m Roan’s brother.”

  “More’s the pity,” Vera was heard to murmur.

  “I’d like to see her made into a fur coat.” Blair didn’t care that the female Were heard her.

  “Another wolf?” Agnes exclaimed. This did startle the group.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Just that friendly Border Collie you all like to leave treats for.”

  “Witches and Weres,” Agnes’s mind was already whirring away.

  “Witches who want to live here and Weres who want us out,” Blair pointed out. “And something about a bond between Jake and Jennifer that Jake broke years ago.”

  “It can’t be broken that easily,” Vera argued coldly, seeming to spout pure poison. “There’s only one way the bond can be broken to free the other. In order for Jennifer to become Roan’s mate, Jake has to die.”

  Blair froze at her words.

  “Okay, I so did not see that coming.”

  Chapter 17

  “You told me all I had to do was break the bond and I could leave the Pack,” Jake shouted at Vera, stalking toward her with his fists clenched. “I broke up with Jennifer and I left—what more do you want?”

  “Was I somehow unclear? Baxter wants you dead. Roan wants you dead. That way you can never try to return to the Pack,” she replied.

  “Hasn’t the last seventy years told you I have no desire to return?” He threw up his hands. “I was treated like shit the entire time I lived with you. Why would I want to return to that when I have a life here that I enjoy? A life without any of you,” he said it not to inflict pain but to state a cold hard fact. “Jennifer is yours, Roan. There will be no fight, because I’m done with that.”

  “And he has a new Pack,” Blair announced. “A much better one, I might say.” She grinned.

  “You will not ruin this!” Roan’s roar was barely a warning before he raced to her side and grasped her by the back of her neck, literally throwing her toward the middle of the lake.

  She immediately broke through the thin layer of ice and sank through the frigid water.

  I should have learned to swim when I had a chance! swept through Blair’s panicky mind as the icy water wrapped around her like a chilly shroud. Her lungs seized up from the cold and her body felt as if it was shutting down. What if this kills me? She paddled in the black water, but by then couldn’t tell which way led to the surface.

  A thunderous sound rushed through her ears as she realized there was no way for her to get oxygen.

  I’m sorry, Jake. No idea why the apology, but the words still echoed in her head as she sank toward the bottom.

  Just as suddenly, she felt something slide under her limp body. She forced her frozen fingers to grip what felt like a scaly fin and felt herself carried upward, then she was suddenly flung through the air toward the shore.

  Instead of landing on the hard ground as she expected, she fell into a pair of warm arms.

  “Blair!” Stasi’s panic was close to Blair’s own state of mind as she pulled off her jacket and wrapped it around her where she lay in Jake’s arms.

  “I brought a blanket!” Floyd brought up a heavy wool blanket and draped it around Blair
as Jake carefully laid her down.

  “Sssssssss-omething ssssaved mmmmmeeeee.” Blair’s teeth chattered so hard she feared they’d fly out of her mouth. She cried out when a burning pain hit her ankle and she looked down to see Fluff and Puff peel themselves off her ankle and fall over on their sides. Fluff coughed up what looked like a gallon of lake water while Puff hacked up water and a tiny fish. “Sssssoooo all I had to do was get ***tossed in ice water for you guys to get off?” she croaked, but she picked them up with her blanketed hands and held them against her so they could also warm up.

  “No more of this shit.” Jake momentarily pressed his lips against her temple. He straightened up and stalked toward Roan, whose smile was just as feral as Jake’s.

  Stasi knelt down and rubbed the feeling back into Blair’s hands until they turned from an unattractive blue to a healthy-looking pink. Blair whimpered as needles of sensation moved through her body.

  “No!” Blair cried at Jake, but it was too late.

  As he ran toward Roan, his body shimmered with power and the dog streaked into the air at the same time Roan shifted into the black wolf amid screams and cries from the humans, who ran off to a safe distance.

  Blair wanted to cover her eyes, scared to death that Jake would be killed, but afraid not to look. She gripped Stasi’s hands, while her friend stayed close to her. Then she shifted her gaze to Vera who looked a little too pleased by the battle. And she knew exactly why.

  “Vera.” She deliberately raised her voice so everyone would hear her. “No matter what happens today you will not win. I will do everything in my power to make sure of that.” She wasn’t surprised that Vera didn’t reply. The female still felt Roan would succeed, but Blair refused to believe it. Not when Jake had so much to fight for.

  The wolf was larger, but the dog was faster, dancing out of the way of the large canines and leaping over the wolf before he could spin around.

  “You can’t help him,” Stasi whispered in Blair’s ear when she heard whispered words tripping from Blair’s lips. “He wouldn’t want it that way.”