Briony (Naughty Witches Book 2)

by Erin R Flynn

  It was heartless, but letting this draw out wouldn’t be better.

  “How do we know you’re telling the truth over our parents and Levi isn’t really under a spell?” a girl I assumed to be his younger sister demanded. “Or you won’t spell us?”

  “I will spell you with restraints so you can’t kill anyone,” I answered after a moment, but then shrugged. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say that could convince you, but if Levi thinks you’re worth saving, then I’ll give you the chance to learn the truth.” I moved closer, not worried now that the wolves showed themselves. “What did you feel when you killed the witches you did?”

  She opened her mouth but then closed it, scrubbing her hand over her head. “One was relief. She was—there were bodies in her house, and it felt the right thing to do. The other… I couldn’t do it. Mom grabbed my hand and stabbed the knife in her neck when she wouldn’t talk.”

  “So that’s the blood on your hands I’m seeing, as you were party to it, but not of your own complete volition,” I muttered. “I felt the same as you did when I killed BDE witches. Evil is evil, kid. But something in you didn’t want to hurt someone of the light who was just different than you.” I glanced between the kids, who were adults. “You understand we can’t let them live, right?”

  “Fuck them,” Carter seethed. “They were going blow up Theo.” He spit on his dad’s dead body and looked at his mom with hate. “You were going to let him blow up my baby brother because he fell for a witch who is nicer to him than you’ve been? Fuck you.”

  Rage filled her eyes, and she pulled a knife from somewhere I couldn’t see, but the wolves got to her first and she was dead before she hit the ground.

  “Fuck, she was just going to kill you,” Chaz whispered, glancing between Carter and his mom. “What the fuck?”

  Levi’s parents must have realized how deep they were in it, and one tried to grab Levi’s sister, probably thinking she was the best hostage option. But the wolves took care of them first.

  It was messy, and Levi’s siblings looked equal parts horrified and in shock, but I only felt relief it was over.

  I sighed, heading over to the new mess to clean up, getting several steps before Theo and Levi seemed to snap out of it. I focused on the wolf in charge and moved towards him as he shifted back to a man.

  “Thank you for your aid tonight, but I need to ask more of you.”

  “Of course,” he accepted, dipping his head to me. “I’m sorry we weren’t of aid when you were abducted. We were on the far side of the property, and it all happened fast.”

  “Yeah, it did, but at least we got the guy because he showed his face.”

  Theo wrapped his arm around me and pulled me a few steps back. “You don’t need to be so close to the naked man sporting wood.”

  The Alpha chuckled. “I am mated and loyal. I cannot help what the shift does to me.”

  “Focus,” I grumbled to Theo. Geez, what a time to get jealous. I looked to the elder brothers. “Do your parents go hunting?”

  “Yes, why?” Chaz asked, looking a bit shell-shocked.

  “We can’t exactly call the police or just have them missing forever,” Levi answered, catching on I was up to something. “Yes, they go hunting all the time and with us, even as they used it as training exercises.”

  “Good.” I focused on the Alpha. “I need two of you to act as the two men. Drive their vehicles further north, where they allow hunting wolves like assholes. Rent a cabin or—”

  “Cheap motel,” several of the kids said at once.

  “A cheap motel off the beaten path, the nastier the better,” Theo elaborated. “Anywhere that doesn’t pay much attention.”

  “Fine, then go out like you’re hunting, leave the SUVs, and dump the bodies somewhere the blood would get discovered. There’s a storm coming in late tomorrow, so be quick but let the storm cover what we want to hide. A third, take my truck and drive you back.”

  The Alpha nodded. “The story?”

  “The parents stopped by and met me, but to drop off the kids for a visit with their siblings they haven’t seen since they got out of the Army, and are staying a few weeks while the parents have a hunting trip alone.”

  “Got it.”

  “Are we really doing this?” Levi’s sister whispered.

  “Demi, they were trying to grab you to be their hostage to get out of here. Can you still really believe them?” Levi asked.

  She opened her mouth but then closed it, shaking her head. “It was easier just to go with it.” She walked away, her breath heavy as she walked past her parents’ dead bodies.

  I opened my mouth, but I wasn’t quick enough as she stepped onto my property and the spell knocked her unconscious. Luckily, one of the other wolves who had shifted back was close and fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

  “Thanks,” Levi muttered, taking his sister from the guy and giving me a curious look.

  I sighed. “It takes a bit for the spell to wear off, but I have to counter it to let them on the property. I wanted to ask them if they’re willing to be saved and learn the truth, jump through the hoops they need to. I’m not trying to save people who don’t want it, Levi. You may hate me for that, but I’m also trying to protect you from them.”

  “I’m not sure what I believe anymore, but clearly my parents were lying. I want the truth and to spend time with my brother,” Carter said after a few moments. “I won’t hurt anyone; confine me to wherever. If Theo trusts you, I will.”

  “I’m a bit shocked at the change in attitude,” Theo admitted.

  Carter gave Theo a pained look. “Things changed after I got back and you were gone. I started to see cracks, and when I saw how they got you out and were ready to intercept you like you were a criminal because you didn’t call them, I wondered what was really going on that I didn’t know.”

  “Me too,” Chaz added. “Things have been… They’ve been frantic and way more all over the place since you guys ran. Then they got a call about where you were from that Larson guy’s attorney, and they stopped making sense. It made me realize things were sounding crazier than I’d thought. I never believed in the religious part, but I’d seen the death and evil witches did. I just…” He shook his head.

  I could understand that. Things were confusing too often.

  I turned to Theo and Levi. “Why don’t you guys go show the wolves where the tarps are? Give Chaz your sister and handle that for me, because we’ve lucked out no one’s driven by, but they’re patrolling here more often after what happened.”

  Theo glanced between me and his brother. “Yeah, okay.”

  Levi agreed too and headed off with a few of the wolves, probably knowing I was up to something.

  “You want a shot, I will give you one, but if you so much as touch a hair on their heads, I will drop you without remorse,” I warned them. “The rules are simple. Hurt no one. Stay confined to the house, for a start. And do not blow our covers or start trouble. No one knows about witches and hunters. Play human. And you never saw a werewolf. Even among witches, that’s myth. I protect them, and their lives are on me.”

  “Yeah, that’s fair, as long as they’re not hurting anyone,” Carter said after a moment, Chaz nodding as well.

  “Only a few wolf poachers that were illegally on Briony’s land that shot a child of the pack,” the Alpha answered the unasked question. “We are not wolfmen of movies. We have our own hunters, as witches have theirs, but here we are safe and it’s peaceful.”

  And off the grid. Not all werewolves lived that way, but I stayed out of it. They followed my rules, they could live in the cabins tucked away hidden and do what they wanted.

  “The restraint will hurt, but I won’t make it lethal, just drop you like the spell here, so if you try to say something, it will look like you’re having a seizure. I promised to give you a chance, not just forgive you.”

  I didn’t wait for a reply, grabbing Carter’s arm and quickly putting t
he spell on him before Theo came back. He did a good job of keeping quiet, but the pain he was in was obvious.

  In my defense, I didn’t intentionally make it hurt, it was just a side effect of a restraint spell.

  “Quickly get everything out of the SUV that’s yours or weapons your parents shouldn’t have with them, and we’ll get it in the garage, but you have about five minutes before that tether kicks in and you drop from not being in my house.”

  I turned and did the same to Chaz and Demi as the guys returned, glad she wasn’t awake to scream and upset Levi.

  Well, not to assume the girl would scream, but more she was the youngest, if that made sense. Or Levi would be most upset if his baby sister screamed.

  Damn, it had been a long night.

  “Great date night,” I grumbled as I found what I needed for the Alpha and his two wolves. I quickly made two glamour charms that wouldn’t seep in their skin like normal charms, warning them to burn the charms when done. They wrapped up the bodies, then threw on their clothes and everything else to move things along.

  The last wolf borrowed clothes from my extras, and I gave him what would work to fool any police officer to see ID and let them go should they get pulled over. I also had Theo run and get my corporate card, and five minutes later, they were on the road, everyone else waiting for me at the garage.

  I focused on the gate and destroyed driveway, letting out the magic of the totems I’d absorbed into fixing it.

  Once it all looked like new, I turned to get my new guests settled, but the world slanted on me. I tried to steady myself, but my knees buckled, and I would have landed hard if not for strong arms catching me.

  “I got you, baby,” Levi whispered against my hair. “I got you.”

  “Thanks,” I sighed. “Sorry, we didn’t have dinner, and too much too fast. I just need some juice or a Gatorade before my bed.”

  “I’ll lock up,” Theo promised as Levi brought me into the garage.

  “I feel like I’m forgetting something,” I admitted.

  “We’ve got all the weapons and everything hidden in a back corner, and we’ll deal with it tomorrow,” Theo told me. “Let’s just get some rest and settle with what happened.”

  It sounded like the best option. Everyone was careful not to track in any blood or bad stuff of evidence, but I’d done pretty good cleaning the scene besides whatever splatter on them.

  I grabbed a drink and let them use the guest rooms Theo and Levi had. They thanked me, looking as ready to crash as we were.

  But sleep didn’t come easy for any of us. I knew they were awake too even as we snuggled together.

  Once I finally did fall asleep, I didn’t stay down long. I was up as the sun was just starting to rise, but the guys were still out, so I wiggled out from between them and pulled on a nightgown, giving up on sleep.

  I wasn’t the only one unable to sleep, as I found the three guests sitting at my kitchen island.

  “Sorry, we helped ourselves,” Carter said when he saw me.

  “That’s fine,” I forgave. “You left enough for me to have some while more brews. I bite if all the coffee’s gone.”

  “My brother explained what you did while I was out,” Demi said, sounding a bit miffed and disbelieving.

  “The situation was tumultuous and we had to move on it. The knockout protection spell on the property takes half an hour to recover from once moved; otherwise, people could just be dragged off and recover and be a threat again.”

  “Makes sense, I guess.”

  I fixed my coffee and pulled the grounds out of the freezer, resetting the maker and brewing more for the guys. When I was done, I leaned over the counter and stared out the back windows. “The rooms were okay?”

  “Yeah, thanks,” Chaz muttered. “How come you couldn’t sleep?”

  I wasn’t exactly sure. Yes, it had been a lot of crazy but I’d had a lot of experience with crazy in my years. I felt unsettled… Like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Not sure their reaction once they’ve sat with what happened, I guess.”

  “I’m still in shock,” Demi whispered, the other two nodding as well.

  “That will take time, but you’re safe here while you catch up,” I promised. I felt their questioning gazes, so I answered the unasked question since the guys already knew. “I was younger than you were when I had to run from my family. My mother wasn’t a BDE witch, like most of my LLL witch friends, but the power to make and bespell totems is rare, and my parents hit the jackpot with me.

  “I was brought up honing my skills and getting as much outside training and influences to push and push so I’d be the best fucking breeding mare possible. They would sell me for the highest price to the right bloodlines with the money and prestige that my nobody parents wanted. I totally bought it, my duty to my family who had given me so much. It was a woman’s place, and a good witch would continue bloodlines.

  “But then I messed up, and there was a crack in the story as my father slapped me for embarrassing him, for almost ruining his plans. And then my mother interceded not because I was her child, but because risking my face that was a selling point couldn’t be allowed. I remember standing there like I was smacked out of a dream and wondering, what the fuck had I been buying into?

  “I found more and more cracks, paying better attention to other girls my age and their lives, realizing everything wasn’t just different because I was a witch, but it was wrong. I managed to come up with a plan and then I ran, several parties giving chase because of my value.” I chuckled darkly. “You don’t get the depth and potential for harm if a witch who could make totems was a BDE witch, but I was worth a fortune.”

  “Can we start simple?” Demi asked quietly. “I think I need breadcrumbs.”

  I nodded and spent the next few minutes explaining how totems worked and the magic behind them, how I made mine differently. I chuckled when I saw their shocked and confused faces, telling them that their brothers had reacted just the same.

  I went and poured myself a full mug of coffee and fixed it up just as I heard heavy footsteps on the stairs.

  Moments later, a firm body pressed up against me, covering my hands on the counter as Theo nuzzled my neck. “I win. I reached her first so I get to spank her for sneaking out of bed.” He nipped my ear. “Quit doing that, baby. We snuggled up with each other again.”

  “It’s cute when you do that,” I teased him, but then gave him a worried look over my shoulder. “I couldn’t…”

  “What? What’s going on in your head, Briony?” he whispered, leaning in and trying to kiss me which I ducked. “Talk to me.”

  “Did we do something?” Levi asked from next to me. Theo turned us, and they sandwiched me between them so I couldn’t flee.

  Brats.

  “How are you guys doing?” I tried instead.

  Levi cupped my face and made me look at him, a sad smile on his lips. “We’re okay. We knew this was going to be the outcome if they came after us. I’m relieved it’s over and thrilled there’s a chance for my siblings to get the truth. I’m elated that someone admitted she loved me too, and I planned to show her that this morning, but she snuck out of bed so we’re taking you back there.”

  “Yeah?” I checked.

  “Yeah, baby,” Theo promised. “I feel the same.” He kissed my neck when I didn’t reply. “Did you think we’d be upset with you? They came to kill you, Briony.”

  “They were your parents.”

  “They were going to kill us too, so I think they lose the loyalty,” he reminded me. “It might take a bit to process, but I promise we won’t be upset with you for any of it.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, my breath coming out in a rush as the knot in my stomach started to uncurl a bit.

  “Before you carry off your witch to screw her, there are some things we need to discuss,” Carter said.

  “Watch it,” Theo snapped. “I get we’re all reeling, but you’re in her house as her guest, even though you’ve
killed good witches like her. So show some fucking respect.”

  “You’re right,” he accepted, holding up his hands in surrender. “It wasn’t a slight against her, but maybe not the time for sex. And for the record, it was one. She swore it was all animal blood from an organic farm she worked at, but…”

  “There was no cow, and you were raised to think all witches killed, and mostly people?” I finished, my chest tightening when he nodded. “Damn you. Damn you to hell.” I let out a shaky breath. “Tell me where.”

  My heart hurt when he did. I moved away from them and stormed over to Carter, slapping him across the face with all I had.

  “She was just a kid! She was a beautiful soul who—” I couldn’t keep the wail in.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Theo whispered as he hugged me to him. We sank to the floor and they hugged me tightly. “I’m sorry.”

  “I helped her get free of her family, but she wouldn’t come here because she didn’t want them to come after me. I told her it was okay, but then she just vanished. She was so excited to get that job, as they paid her under the table because they knew she had run from her family, and she could use the cows to make protection spells. I searched so hard for her, we all did. Damn you, Carter.”

  “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “Her mother had bodies in her house, and then when we found her with pints of blood in her fridge, it didn’t seem like a leap.”

  I lunged for him, but Theo held me back—not to protect his brother, but to comfort me, as hitting Carter wouldn’t help.

  It took me several minutes to calm down enough and then I headed to the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and coming back to the kitchen. I noted Levi was starting breakfast as I poured myself a glass.

  “Did your parents ever tell you how ‘hunters’ came to be?”

  Chaz answered after a few beats. “Not really. Some ramblings of their god blessing bloodlines to police abominations and set things right.”

  I chuckled darkly and took a deep drink. “Funny, as Christianity also preaches that their god doesn’t make mistakes, so that doesn’t add up.” I finished my drink before pouring another. “Whether this is the truth or not, I can’t say, but it shows there are two sides to everything.” I let out a shaky breath, unable to look at Carter. “Witches have always been part of the world, Gaia charging us with helping life flourish.