Elemental

by Serena Pettus

  “Oh, let us look in here,” Anna exclaimed as she tugged Mandy into a tiny shop.

  A seamstress looked up from her work—an assortment of straight-pins held between her lips—and gave a friendly wave along with a small smile. Her shop had many dresses inside and it wasn’t long before both girls were led to the back room to try a few on.

  “I like both of these, but I think I’d like to check out the other shops too before I decide,” Mandy whispered to Anna.

  “Of course! You never know what you may find. Besides, we can always come back and get them later.” Anna turned and thanked the elderly woman as they walked out before turning back to Mandy. “You will need two dresses regardless, since you and Nicolas will be attending our binding ceremony also.”

  “That’s true. Let’s grab a coffee before we continue on,” she suggested as they passed the tavern they’d stopped in on their previous village outing. “I think I may be in need of some serious caffeine to fuel this shopping spree.”

  Anna laughed and the melodic sound drew eyes from all around them. “This is wonderful isn’t it? I was never allowed this much freedom while at my home. My father feared humans discovering what we are. The exposure could have meant any number of things from kidnappings, to the destruction of our fairy mounds. Our magic comes from the earth, so if our home is destroyed, then so is our magic,” she explained.

  “Why would anyone want to destroy fairies?” Mandy simply couldn’t wrap her mind around the possibility of humans wiping out the existence of such peaceful beings.

  “People fear the unknown, Mandy. You, of all people should know that.”

  She did. Mandy remembered the first time her foster mother had come into her room, unannounced, and caught her practicing her control by folding clothes using her telekinesis. To say it didn’t go over well would be the understatement of the century. The woman was convinced Mandy was some sort of demon or witch, demanding that a priest come and “cleanse” the house of evil. Not that there was anything to cleanse, but it did serve to make Mandy very careful of when and how she used her ability.

  “Yeah, I understand how you would all fear that.”

  “Enough about that, let us get back to shopping!”

  Mandy laughed at Anna’s child-like excitement. “Fuel first. I’m only human so I require a little something extra to keep me from lagging.” She led the way into the establishment and quickly crossed the nearly empty room to the bar. “Can I get a coffee to-go please? Two sugars and light cream?”

  “Sure. Anything for you?” the burly bartender asked Anna.

  “No, thank you, I am fine.”

  “I’ll have your coffee ready in a few minutes.” He turned and walked through a door that obviously led to a kitchen, if the sound of dishes clanging was any indication.

  “Do you want to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy your coffee?” Anna asked.

  “Sure, we can relax for a minute or two and then I’ll be good to go.” Mandy turned, intending to find a table to sit at, when she ran right into a very warm wall. Okay, maybe not a wall, but a freakishly large chest just the same.

  She looked up into the face of a rather intimidating man. He had dark brown hair, a scar running down one cheek, and strange silver eyes that zeroed in on her face before roaming over her body. Those same eyes softened with appreciation and Mandy felt herself blush.

  “Excuse me,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean to run into you.”

  “Entirely my fault, Miss. Not that I minded. You can feel free to run into me any time you like,” his deep voice rumbled in response.

  Before his words could register, Anna shoved Mandy’s coffee into her hands. “Let us head out now. We have lots of wedding dresses to try on.”

  Those soft silver eyes turned to ice and narrowed on her friend, leaving Mandy suddenly nervous. “I’ve got to go. Again, I’m sorry about that,” she practically shouted as Anna finally yanked her out the door. “That was rude, Anna. I ran smack into that guy and was apologizing for it…”

  “That was the hunter. The one from the woods, the one that was here the last time we came.” Anna’s panicked whispers urged her to heed her warning.

  Trying to ease Anna’s panic, Mandy tried to come up with a logical reason for them running into him again. The answer proved quite simple. “You know, this is a small village, so you’re bound to run into the same people repeatedly. He’s probably just a regular at the tavern.”

  Anna’s pace slowed. “You are probably right,” she conceded. “I guess this whole werewolf thing has me a little paranoid.”

  “Look, let’s just forget it happened and get back to shopping. I see some gorgeous dresses through that window.”

  This shop was a little larger than the last and was more like a boutique as it not only had dresses, but shoes, stockings, hair accessories, make-up, and even a small jewelry case. A pretty middle-aged woman was cleaning the case with a rag when they came in.

  Off to the side, Mandy spotted a stunning silk dress close to the same emerald color as her sweater. She rushed over, a constant chant sounding in her head.

  Please be my size. Please be my size. Please be my size…

  Plucking the silken masterpiece from the hanger, Mandy squealed with delight when it was only one size too big. “This is it!” she proclaimed, holding the dress in front of her and twirling.

  “Oh, Mandy, it is exquisite!” Anna agreed.

  “Come, come,” urged the pretty shopkeeper. “You try it on and I will alter it for you.”

  Mandy was being led to the back and looked back at Anna, but she waved her on. “You go. I want to look at these other dresses.”

  “Okay, I’ll only be a minute,” she promised.

  A few minutes later, stepping out into the main shop, Mandy couldn’t help but beam. The dress was just like she’d envisioned. The waist was cinched, laced down the back like a corset so that she was able to tighten the slack from the size difference. A handy thing since it was strapless.

  The length would be just right with a pair of heels, and it even had a small train. It was just too perfect to pass up.

  “Anna, this is the one! I can’t imagine I’ll find anything better.” The look on Anna’s face pretty much screamed her agreement.

  “Nicolas is going to be on his knees when he sees you,” she giggled. “Mandy, you look like royalty in that gown. You have to wear your hair down for the ceremony. With all of your beautiful red curls against that dress you will look bewitching.”

  “Thank you. Did you find a dress for yourself?” Mandy asked, eyeing the lavender fabric draped over Anna’s arm.

  “I sure did. I will try it on after you are done and see if it needs any work done to it.” Anna held the satiny gown up to her and Mandy was speechless. The lavender color against her pale skin and raven hair really made her eyes stand out. It was an empire waist gown, beaded below the breasts, with sheer peasant sleeves, the delicate fabric the same color as the dress.

  “That is going to look so good on you. Let me get changed back so you can try it on.”

  Once Mandy emerged from the back of the store, the shopkeeper took the gown from her and hung it behind the counter before showing Anna to the dressing room.

  “I have the perfect shoes to go with these dresses! Give me your sizes and I’ll see if I can find them,” she twittered, bustling Anna along as she went.

  Both girls provided their sizes and the shopkeeper and Anna disappeared into the back, leaving Mandy to explore the hair accessories on her own. There were several jeweled hair pieces, some with sapphire colored stones, others with rubies, and one small halo made of thin silver vines woven together with emerald accents. Mandy lifted the dainty little halo to the light and smiled. She’d managed to find her entire wedding outfit in one shop.

  A shadow fell over her shoulder, and Mandy replaced the halo on the counter, worried that the shopkeeper might get upset with her for touching her more valuable items she had displayed.

/>   Just when she was about to turn, a thick arm snaked around her middle, pinning her arms at her sides as a cloth covered hand clamped over her nose and mouth. Terrified, Mandy took a deep breath, ready to scream down the walls, but the sweet smell of the cloth seemed to have a strange effect on her.

  She felt overwhelmingly tired, her limbs heavy and no longer obeying her commands. The last thing she heard before the darkness took her was, “You’re mine now. I’ll take good care of you. Everything will be fine.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Anna and Garrett came bursting into the castle at a dead run, the commotion bringing the brothers running from the study, and with one look at their faces, Nicolas knew it was bad.

  “What’s wrong? Where’s Mandy?” Nicolas demanded, a sick dread knotting in the pit of his stomach. He feared he already knew the answer.

  “We do not know,” Anna sobbed, and Jonathan quickly moved to her side for comfort.

  Garrett stepped forward to explain, “She was shopping with Anna, but disappeared while Anna was trying on a dress. Anna said that she’d seen the hunter from the woods, the same one she had seen before the werewolf attacked her, and I believe it was him because I scented werewolf in the store. He must have grabbed her while she was alone,” Garrett reported. “I tried to follow the scent, but it disappeared, so the bastard must have had a vehicle nearby.” It was clear to see that Garrett was shouldering a massive amount of guilt over the situation, but Nicolas simply didn’t have it in him to offer anyone any comfort at the moment. “We came straight back here, so she’s only been missing for about 30 minutes now, tops.”

  Nicolas paced away. It was either that or he’d punch a hole in the wall, neither of which would help. “We need to come up with a plan. Mandy is out there with an obviously unstable werewolf and we need to get her back before he hurts her.” God help the bastard if he hurt her, because Nicolas would fry his ass on the spot.

  “Let’s get moving then. We’ll need to split up to cover more ground,” Jonathan put in. “Anna, I’ll need you to come too, just in case she is hurt when we find her.” He turned back to address Nicolas, obviously sensing his distress. “We will find her, Nic.”

  “I know. I just hope that it’s not too late.” Please, please don’t let it be too late. Nicolas couldn’t bear it if she was hurt. Mandy was so fragile, so easily hurt as a human, that the werewolf could seriously injure her without even trying. No, he couldn’t think about that, it would surely drive him crazy, and he needed his wits about him if he was going to be of any use at all.

  “It won’t be,” Garrett vowed. “I’ll head out to his markings and see if any of them have been refreshed. With any luck I may be able to track him, or at least get a general idea of which direction he came in from.”

  “Good. We’ll get the satellite phones from the study. I want us all to be in touch. If you find anything at all you report in.” Nicolas’ order was met with three nods of agreement before they all headed out for the garage out back.

  They all needed to head out as soon as possible if they had any hope of finding her safe. Garrett headed out for the markings, and Jonathan and Anna went in the opposite direction, and Nicolas took the middle path.

  He could not believe that the wolf had the balls to snatch her in broad daylight! Unfortunately, Nicolas took this as a bad sign. Either the werewolf was sure Mandy was his mate, or he was completely insane now. He could only hope that the former was the case. At least then, the werewolf wouldn’t intentionally harm her. He might even treat her well as a way to woo her, but Nicolas wasn’t counting on that to be the case. He was determined to find her as quickly as possible and when he did, he would never leave her side again.

  Mandy might end up feeling smothered, but until his sanity returned, he was going to be stuck to her like glue. Unfortunately, his sanity was so far out of his reach at the moment that Mandy may very well be stuck with him as her shadow for a very long time to come.

  “Hang on Mandy, I’m coming for you.” God, how he wished he could offer her some form of comfort, could reassure her that help was on the way. Instead, he was forced to search blindly through the mountains and hope against hope that he found her in time.

  Regardless of the outcome, the werewolf would die. The only question remaining was whether or not his death would be swift, or a prolonged and agonizing as he could manage to make it.

  Yes, as soon as the mangy bastard laid his hands on Mandy, he’d signed his own death warrant, and now Nicolas was determined to see it carried through.

  * * * *

  Mandy awoke to the soft mumblings of a strange man next to her. At first her head was so fuzzy that she couldn’t make out the rambling, but when her hearing finally cleared, she was surprised.

  “Please be okay. I’m so sorry that he got to you first, but I’m here now and I’ll keep you safe, I promise. Please wake up…” Whoever he was, his voice was a nice deep rumble that sounded vaguely familiar.

  Deciding that she’d better open her eyes and see what exactly was going on, Mandy cautiously cracked her lids and found herself looking into the concerned silver gaze of the hunter from the tavern.

  “Easy now, you’re going to be alright. I got you away from him, but we need to lay low for a bit before we make our move,” he explained. “How’s your head? Would you like some water, something to eat maybe?”

  He’d saved her? Mandy remained silent as she replayed what she could remember of her day. She had been at the shop, looking at a halo for the wedding, when someone grabbed her and apparently drugged her.

  Judging from the way this hunter guy was going on, he’d obviously saved her from her would-be kidnapper, but where were they now?

  “Where am I?” she croaked, her throat as dry as the Sahara.

  “We’re in my cabin, about three miles from the village. We’ll be safe here for a few days, and then we’ll head out and get you to safety. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” What was this guy’s deal? Offering protection to a woman that you don’t even know? Who did that?

  “Who’s after me?” she asked, because obviously that was the main issue.

  “There’s two of them, they’re local, but one travels a lot. I’m not sure what they have planned for you, but it can’t be good.” He fluffed a pillow behind her head and offered her a sip of water. “How’s that?”

  “Better, thank you.”

  “There’s no need to thank me. I’ll always take care of you. Your needs will forever come before my own.”

  Wow! Someone had bought a ticket for the crazy train. What was this guy talking about?

  Suddenly, all of the discussions about a werewolf losing his sanity in the absence of its mate came rushing back into her head, and Mandy had the sinking feeling that this was their wolf. And wasn’t she the lucky gal? He obviously thought she was his destined mate.

  Right, so what was the first thing the cops always did with the crazy hostage people on the shows? Oh, yeah, they always kept them talking, basically leading them to believe that they were friends.

  “So, what’s your name? I’m Mandy.”

  “My name is Liam.” He moved over and added another log to the fire, affording Mandy her first look past him to the room beyond.

  They appeared to be in a very small cabin. She was on a couch directly in front of a crackling fireplace, with a wooden chair sitting next to her. The walls looked like real logs, so she guessed they were in a log cabin. There were two doors off to the side, one a bathroom from what she could see through the doorway and the other was probably a bedroom.

  Mandy shivered as a feeling of dread washed over her, and immediately, Liam was at her side. “Are you cold? Let me get you some coffee. It will warm you up and help to clear your head at the same time.” Without waiting for a response, he was up and heading to the small kitchen located on the other side of the main room.

  Mandy sat up slowly and took inventory of herself. Aside from feeling a little fuzzy still, she was none the wor
se for wear. She still had on all of her clothes right down to her snow boots, so they hadn’t been here long. Now she only needed to figure out a way to escape without getting herself killed.

  She had no doubt that Nicolas and Jonathan were looking for her, but they had no way of knowing where the werewolf had taken her. Hell, if they’d known where he lived then she wouldn’t be in this mess right now. They would have taken care of the problem days ago.

  So, she concluded that she was alone with an insane werewolf, she had no clue how long she’d actually been missing, and no way of getting to help. Well, didn’t that just make her want to break down into a hysterical fit?

  “The coffee will be ready in a few minutes,” Liam announced as he came to sit next to her. “Do you have a headache? I know that some people report waking up with a headache after having passed out from chloroform.”

  “Is that what it was?” No wonder she’d felt so crappy when she first opened her eyes. “I do have a slight headache, but the coffee might help.”

  “I have aspirin,” he offered. He looked nothing like she had believed a psychopathic werewolf would look like. He was polite, concerned, well groomed, considerate, doting…a real gentleman. She had been expecting someone who had forgone bathing, held a feral look in his eyes, and snarled more than spoke, but then again that Bundy guy was said to be the sweetest guy you’d ever meet…until he killed you, anyway.

  It seemed like psychos came in many shapes and personalities. Mandy just hoped this one was as stable as he appeared to be.

  The thought crossed her mind to just use her ability and toss him through one of the large windows, but she remembered how quickly he had recovered in front of the castle. There was no way she could possibly hope to win in a fight against a werewolf, so she was going to have to play nice and play along until help arrived, or until she was able to escape safely.

  As luck would have it, her chance at escape came about two hours after the coffee.