Magical Attraction:

by Jaliza A. Burwell

  “I thought maybe we should get something to eat together, get to know each other better,” Abram said.

  “I’m not hungry,” Laila mumbled and then left Abram standing there gaping at her.

  Abram said something underneath his breath that made Venni stiffen, before he went back into one of the rooms.

  “What did he say?” I asked my partner.

  He didn’t respond, grabbing my arm in an attempt to lead me in the opposite direction.

  “Tell me.”

  “Nothing important, let’s go.”

  “No.” I yanked out of Venni’s grasp. Then I was standing in the doorway of the conference room, glaring at Abram as he laughed with his friends. His back was to me.

  “She’s a frigid bitch, but it’ll make it all the better when I finally get her plump lips around my cock.” He broke out laughing and the others probably would have too if they hadn’t seen me standing there.

  In my mind, I killed him a thousand times in a span of two seconds. It was time to make that fantasy a reality.

  Without a word, I stomped toward them. The other three scrambled away, seeing me on the warpath.

  “What?” Abram asked and began to turn, but it was too late. He was dead.

  I wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, the other on his shoulder. I shoved him forward until his face smashed against the conference table with a satisfying thud.

  “—he fuck?” he grunted out, spittle hitting the table. His brown eyes bulged as he turned his head and tried to look at me.

  I lifted his head and smashed it again. He screamed and fought back. I pinned his body down with my own and repeated the process, satisfied with the splatter of blood on the table.

  “Shut the fuck up, you wuss. You’re a fucking supe, you’ll be healed by tomorrow. But until then, I’m still going to rearrange your face. Teach you about something called respect.”

  I did it again. People were yelling, and I didn’t care. I just wanted Abram to suffer. He had no right to talk like that, not about women, and not about Laila.

  “Enough!” Venni grabbed at me and the only reason he could pull me off the bastard was because he had the extra strength. “Let him go,” he said when I strained against Venni, his arms wrapped around my chest to keep me in place.

  “He deserves a lesson.”

  “I know, but this isn’t how it’s done. You know that. You don’t go attacking other employees.”

  I ignored Venni and glared hard at Abram. Satisfaction flooded me at the blood covering his entire face. Too bad his skull didn’t collapse.

  “If you go near Laila again, I will kill you,” I said. He flinched away from me when I jerked toward him. “If I hear you talking like that again about anyone, I will kill you.”

  Venni began pulling us out of the room.

  My expression went blank with my last threat. “I will kill you, dismantle your body, and feed every single morsel of you to the fucking pigs if you ever approach Laila again.”

  Venni dragged me out of the room, and then the building. “Take a walk,” he said, shoving me further into the garden. “Clear your head. You aren’t to go near Abram unless you can control yourself.”

  “He can’t go around acting like that against women.”

  “And you can’t go around breaking people’s faces,” Venni snapped. “What happened in there? You’ve never reacted like that before.”

  “He can’t talk about women like that.”

  “He’s always talked about women like that. You’ve yelled at him, made him stop, but you never attacked him.”

  “Because I’ve had enough.”

  Venni shook his head, expression icy. “No. It was because he was talking about Laila. The moment he approached her, you were ready to hurt him.”

  “He’s a sleazebag, and we’re supposed to protect her.”

  “Yes, but not against sleazebags.”

  “Are you telling me you didn’t care? That his treatment of her, his disrespect toward her didn’t bother you?”

  He shoved me forward, and I began stomping around. With my anger and Venni’s glaring, anyone nearby made quick work to get away from us.

  “I hate that he acts like that, but he hasn’t really done anything wrong. He hasn’t hurt her. He introduced himself, that was it.”

  I snorted. “We know what he’s capable of doing.”

  “And we haven’t found any evidence that he’s done it. We’ve already condemned him before he’s done anything wrong. I admit I have too. But we can’t do anything until he does.”

  Waving my hands all around me, frustration building up, I turned to Venni and snapped out. “So we just wait until some poor girl is in his clutches. We have to wait until the damage is done? How is that right?”

  “Because he could also go through his life never acting on what he wants to do. He’s a bastard, I know that. Anyone capable of picking anything up from him can feel his intentions and it’s creepy, but we cannot kill him or ban him just because of his thoughts. That is not how we work.”

  “It should because we both know he isn’t kind to women.”

  “And no woman has ever spoken up. The moment he does step out of line, we’ll be there. Trust me, we will be there. But we can’t condemn him for something he hasn’t done yet.”

  “This is bullshit. Why does he even work here? Lombardi doesn’t tolerate men like him.”

  Venni sighed and shook his head, and for once, I realized he was just as frustrated with the situation. “Because there is no one like him. He has talents that no one else has. In a way, he is as needed as Dr. Porter is.”

  “Fucking ridiculous,” I snarled out.

  “You’re worried about that girl.”

  “She’s practically the same age as my sister,” I admitted. And that was the root of it all. Looking at Laila made me think of my sister. The urge to call Piper overwhelmed me. “Fuck.” I paced harder, hoping that with each stomp, the ground would absorb my anger and frustration.

  “She brushed him off,” Venni said.

  “Huh?”

  “She probably didn’t even realize what happened.” He chuckled. “Did you see the way she reacted to him? He didn’t even exist to her, only her work.”

  I stopped and stared at Venni. Slowly a smile spread across my face, and I nodded. “He was white noise to her,” I said.

  “Exactly. She didn’t care about him. She blew him off. If she can do it, then you can do it too.”

  “I’m sure she would have minded if she’d heard the shit he was saying.”

  “And I’m sure she would have used some magic so he’d learn a lesson.”

  I thought about that. I still didn’t know much about Laila but from what I’d seen, she didn’t do bullshit. She was strong. There was no telling what she could do with her magic if she were motivated.

  “Maybe I should suggest she make his dick fall off,” I said.

  Venni’s lip twitched. “I’d like to see you tell her that.”

  “Is that a challenge?” I asked.

  He just shook his head and walked away. He knew better. I took challenges very serious.

  I thought about Laila. Something about her told me she did too.

  I smiled and headed back inside, wondering what she was up to and if I could bother her.

  But first, Piper. I needed to call and check on my baby sister, Piper.

  Chapter Nine

  ~Venni Reynards Part I~

  It was like no one existed outside of Laila’s projects. The men in our company were quickly realizing they never had a chance with her. She just kept brushing them off. I would have thought she just didn’t care about those things if Ami didn’t mention dragging her out to a club and then her disappearing with a guy for a night.

  Normally, Ami wouldn’t have brought it up, but she had said it offhand as she laughed about one of the guards getting what was quickly becoming the Porter Brush Off. The doctor knew all about sex, she wasn’t innocent on the t
opic, but it was as if the idea of it didn’t exist at work. I respected her for it. It seemed that the majority of the women in our company found BMS to be their hunting grounds if they were single.

  But Dr. Porter? She seemed to be determined to keep her two lives separate and that stubbornness made it impossible for her to even notice when another employee was hitting on her. And so the brush offs began. She either didn’t hear them or misinterpreted what they said. I couldn’t stop watching it. It was a wreck every time, like watching a stampede of minotaurs chasing down the poor fool stupid enough to get in their way. The results weren’t pretty. They never were.

  “You’re smiling,” Rhett said, coming to stand next to me. We were in the lobby and Laila was over by the elevators with another fool trying to get her attention. Whatever was on her phone was a lot more interesting. She could barely contain her irritation.

  “Just watching the show,” I said, not looking at him. “Did you get my report?”

  “I’m looking into it, but we want you to follow him. Rodan has a couple of questionable contacts. How did Dr. Porter respond to his request?”

  “She said no.”

  “You know, she says no far more often than she says yes.”

  “A blessing,” I said and held in a chuckle when the man gave up and walked away. Laila got on the elevator and turned to face us. Our eyes met briefly as the doors closed. My back straightened at that moment. She was so beautiful, even when she kept her clothes casual. Today, she wore jeans and a dark gray tank top, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, causing her features to sharpen.

  An innocent glance and my wolf wanted to chase her down. At this point, her scent was ingrained in me, so I wouldn’t have any trouble finding her. And I’d enjoy the chase too. That thought shocked me, and I shook my head, hoping to shake it off. That was not me. I was not a beast who hunted down their prey and then took what they deemed as their prize. Some of the wolves in my pack were like that. I refused to be the same. I was more than my beast’s instincts.

  “I’m beginning to think she knows.”

  I turned to Rhett and frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I think she might know if the people who approach her don’t necessarily have the best intentions.”

  I mulled that over as I went to the elevator. Did she really know if someone dangerous approached her? I thought about the projects she did take on outside of the company. So far, there had only been two she’d said yes to and both clients had panned out. They were who they said they were and they really went to her for a good reason.

  But the rest. They all had something off about them, whether it was the people they were in league with or the fact that they were on the Enforcers Most Wanted list. Laila did seem to always know. She didn’t know it, but two dangerous beings who had been hiding for years had approached her. They were currently locked in cells under the enforcers’ watch. They weren’t going to go anywhere for a long time.

  Not even two months and the bastards were coming out in hopes of using her. She was making a bigger bang in this world than any of us had expected. Some days, I just wanted to grab her, and pull her out of it all. She shouldn’t have to see the darker side of it. She should be able to just enjoy her time in her lab, playing with her projects. But eventually, the wrong people were going to come for her and there was always the chance that they’d be too powerful. That she’d get hurt.

  Acid burned in my stomach at the thought. I didn’t even want to think about what they’d do to her to get what they wanted. And from all the projects she’d successfully completed so far, I was beginning to think that if Dr. Porter put her mind to it, then she’d be able to do anything she wanted.

  For now I’d do what I could to make sure the darkness of our world didn’t touch her. “Where is he?” I asked.

  Rhett smirked, understanding exactly what I was going to do. “The information has been sent to your phone. Elliot was able to get a tracker on his phone. Find out what he really wants. There are signs he has no intention of giving up.”

  I nodded as the elevator arrived. Rhett got on and hit a button. As the door closed, I stalked away, ready for a good hunt.

  It didn’t take long to find the man. The tracker sent me to the expensive part of Springer City, with tall glass buildings and cars more expensive than my own, not that that was hard to do. I didn’t put much care into my car brand. As long as it got me around, I was happy. Davies was the one who’d volunteered to make sure my car was better than it looked, and it was. It ran smoother since Davies got under the hood.

  I checked my phone again and noted the building he was in. Fifteen floors, all glass reflecting the cloudy sky. After doing some quick research, I learned the building belonged to a multimillionaire in pharmaceuticals. This was one of his administrative buildings. He also had research buildings on the outskirts of the city, closer to the wild.

  While we knew Rodan approached Dr. Porter, and she’d said no, we still didn’t know why. What did he want? Looking at where he hung out, there was a strong possibility he wanted something related to the pharmaceutical field. That didn’t sit well with me. She’d said no for a reason.

  My phone beeped, and I read the text from Davies. He was going off on a quick assignment to escort the delivery of something. I sent him a text to confirm I’d received the message and then got comfortable. I wasn’t going to get into the building. From where I sat, their security was in clear view through the glass wall, verifying that it wasn’t as simple to get inside.

  Only an hour passed before Rodan came strolling out. He turned right and walked away. Deciding on foot would be easier, I hopped out and trailed him. He weaved through the city, crossing and recrossing, looking over his shoulder. He acted like he knew he was being followed, but kept talking himself out of that while I did follow him. The hairs on my body stood tall as anger filled me. The idiot was making his way back to Dr. Porter’s apartment. She lived a short walk from BMS, on the other side of the park. The area was generally safe, with a lot of traffic.

  What was he expecting to do?

  I sent a text to Lombardi, letting him know of Rodan’s approach. He just sent a text back to keep following and only intercept if he tried to approach her again. She’d already said no, and I had a feeling intimidation didn’t work with her. He’d have to hurt her and my wolf wanted to tear his head off if he even tried to touch her.

  When we approached her apartment, my canines were pushing against my gums, ready to break through. I’d always had careful control over my wolf, but somehow, Dr. Porter had given strength to my wolf, and all my discipline became useless.

  I checked in with the others to learn that Dr. Porter was about to leave the office to walk back to her apartment. This man was going to intercept her here. Once she was inside, he wouldn’t be able to get to her. The apartment itself had the best security and from what we’d dug up on Rodan, he was not capable of breaking in.

  Rodan pulled out his phone and held it to his ear as he hung out between Dr. Porter’s building and another. I could tell exactly what he was going to do. Grab her, pull her out of sight, and do what he needed to do to get what he wanted. I was staring at an amateur. Others ignored him. To them, he was just someone on the phone. There wasn’t even anyone on the other side. I held in a chuckle. I was tempted to give him a call and see if it’d ring or if he was smart enough to at least have turned it off.

  Having enough, I approached him. The moment he spotted me, his face grew pale, but before he could move, I tackled him, using my wolf strength and speed to shove him into the alley and out of sight.

  “What the fuck?” he said the moment I moved my hand.

  I smashed him against the wall. “I should be asking you that,” I growled in his face, making sure he saw my wolf just below the surface. “What are you doing here?”

  “I don’t know what your problem is. I was just talking on the phone, man. I don’t have any money. Please, just leave me alone.” He babbled on, an
d his fear of me made his act believable.

  Snorting, I swiped his phone from his hand. When he had clear sight of his phone, I crumpled it in front of him, the phone turning into pieces. He swallowed, his throat working hard to keep in what I hoped was a scream. I needed to scare him enough to keep him away from Dr. Porter.

  “Now, should we try that again?” I asked, my voice low and deep, my chest rumbling with a growing growl. I knew my dark brown eyes grew darker as my wolf came forward. I flashed him my teeth, giving him a good look at the canines as they elongated. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  He shook his head. “I-I wasn’t doing anything.”

  I smashed him against the wall again, enjoying the sound of his head as it cracked against the brick. “Let me map something out for you. Tell me when I’m close. You approached Dr. Laila Porter with a project. She said no. You went to your real boss, and they threatened to kill you if you don’t get her to say yes. So here you are again, but this time, you plan on not being so nice when you ask her.”

  The man’s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth. His eyes hardened. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You should mind your own business.”

  “The doctor is my business,” I snarled as thick wolf hair sprouted down my arms. “Did you really think you could approach a BMS employee to get her to do your dirty work for you?” I asked and continued, not expecting nor wanting an answer from him. “If you approach her again, I will hunt you down, drag you into the woods and let Nature do the rest. I’m sure she will be more than happy to turn you into fertilizer. And when she’s done, I’ll let my wolf take a piss on your remains.”

  “If I don’t get what I want, they’ll kill me.”

  “And if you try to get what you want, you’re still dead. I think the question is would you like a nice long painful death from me or a quick death from them?”