Clutching the comforter against my body, I picked my clothes out from the pile, feeling slightly embarrassed when I grabbed my bra and panties. “Did you say they smelled like chlorine?”
“Yes. From the pool last night. One of the guys dared you to jump in, and you did.” He laughed. “I thought you’d lost your mind.”
“I’m never drinking again.” I groaned, grateful I hadn’t stripped off my clothes before jumping in the pool. What had I been thinking?
“At last, something we agree on!” He grabbed his clean clothes from the bed and shoved them into one of the dresser drawers. “At least you finally told me what was wrong.”
I swallowed hard. “What did I say?”
“You saw Kaleb kiss some girl last night.” He shook his head. “You had to know this would happen. He’s supposed to be with one of his own kind. You can’t wave a magic wand and expect him to follow your every command. It doesn’t work that way.”
“I didn’t wave a magic wand,” I said, wondering if witches even had magic wands. I’d never seen Calandra or Garrett with one, but then they weren’t supposed to use magic in town. “He said he loves me. He’s not supposed to hook up with someone else.”
“You’re a witch. You can’t—”
I jumped to my feet, holding the comforter around my body. Looking out the window, I searched Main Street for any sign of the Norwood wolves. “No one knows I’m a witch. What if someone hears you?”
“Relax. It’s like I told you last night, there’s a blocking spell on my room. Everything we say in here is private, and the wolves can’t find you. I also cast a spell on the hotel to mask your scent. It’ll wear off in a few hours, but you’re safe here for now.”
Sighing, I sat on the bed. At least we could speak freely even if I didn’t fully trust Garrett. “Won’t you get in trouble for casting spells on sacred ground?”
“Not unless you tell someone. But if you did, you’d have to admit to being alone with me in my room, and that would not impress your uncle.” He closed the blinds. “At least this nonsense with Kaleb is over.”
“What do you mean?”
“You called him last night and ended things. It’s for the best. He never would’ve—”
“What?” My voice cracked. How could I have called Kaleb when he didn’t have a cell phone? That didn’t make any sense. “Where’s my phone?”
“You didn’t call him on your phone. You used one of the girl’s phones.” Garrett opened the top dresser drawer and pulled out a clear quart-sized plastic bag filled with white rice. “Here’s your phone. You had it in your pocket when you jumped in the pool. It should be okay by tomorrow.”
I groaned as he handed me the plastic bag. Who the hell had I called and what had I said? I needed to get out of here, get home before anyone realized I hadn’t slept in my bed last night. But first, I had to know the truth about Garrett and me. “Did you and I…did we…?”
“Are you asking if we had sex?” He folded his arms, a huge smile spread across his face. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head. “Most of last night is a blur.”
“That’s what happens when you don’t listen to me.” He tilted his head, studying me. “You can stop worrying. We didn’t have sex. I’m not the type of guy who takes advantage of a drunk girl, but I did bring you up to my room after one of the guys tried to kiss you.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, grateful he’d brought me to his room, especially when one of the girls had been interested in spending the night with him. That was one of the few things I did remember from last night. “How did I end up naked?”
“You insisted on taking off your clothes when we got up here.” He chuckled. “And no, I didn’t see you naked. You took off your clothes in the bathroom and came out in a towel.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank God. No sex. No nakedness in front of anyone. Only bad decisions to jump into a pool in my clothes and call some phone to break up with Kaleb. Hopefully, a non-working number or someone who didn’t know me.
I glanced at Garrett again, grateful he’d been the one to find me last night after I saw Kaleb and Tessa. Even though everyone tried to convince me that the witches were bad and I couldn’t trust them, Garrett seemed like a good guy. “Thanks for taking care of me last night. You didn’t have to.”
“You needed a friend.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the dresser. “Honestly, I felt sorry for you. Finding out Calandra’s your mother couldn’t have been easy. She’s not particularly well-liked in the coven.”
“Does she know I’m in your room?” I asked. I’d forgotten what Garrett had said about Calandra being my biological mom. Something about her baby dying and her lying to everyone about it. Why would she do that?
“No. She’s not at the hotel. I’m not sure where she’s staying. She’s very secretive.”
Well, that was interesting. Where would a witch stay in Woodlake? She must have an old friend in town, someone who kept her updated on what was going on with the Norwood wolves. Someone who ate at the café and knew about Kaleb and me.
“Is she married?” I couldn’t recall seeing a wedding band on her hand, but then I hadn’t paid much attention.
“No.”
“Do you know who my father is?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. I can ask my mother. She and Calandra used to be best friends. She might know who your father is.”
“That’d be great.” I thought about everything Garrett had told me last night and today; at least, what I could remember. I had so many questions, but putting on my clothes was more important right now. “I should probably get home.”
“That’s not a good idea. Not until it gets dark. Unless you want to be seen leaving the hotel,” he replied. “The Norwood wolves were downstairs in the hotel this morning when I went to get coffee. They’re looking for you. I guess they’ve heard you didn’t leave town.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I opened the plastic bag and pulled out my cell phone. When I pushed the home button, nothing happened. “Victor and Drina must be worried about me. I need to call them.”
“Take it easy.”
“Take it easy?” I frantically glanced around the room, looking for a phone. How could a hotel room not have a phone? “My cousin’s pregnant. She doesn’t need any more stress right now. Where’s your cell phone?”
“You don’t need to call anyone. I asked one of the girls to call your house. She left a message inviting you to an early hike and lunch with the girls. When your cousin goes to your house, she’ll hear the message and know you’re safe.”
I touched my phone’s screen again, hoping it would spring to life. “She’ll text me and worry when I don’t respond.”
“It’s already two o’clock. What’s a few more hours?” He grabbed my phone out of my hand and tucked it back into the plastic bag. “How about you take a shower, and I’ll get us some food from the café? I’m sure you’re hungry. Trust me. It’ll be fine.”
My stomach growled. With my headache now gone, I was starving, and I could use a hot shower, especially when my hair smelled like chlorine. “Okay.”
Garrett grabbed his wallet from the dresser and left the room.
I stood and headed into the bathroom, realizing I’d placed my trust in a warlock. That had to be a bad idea. The witches were the wolves’ sworn enemy, but Garrett didn’t seem so bad. He had kept an eye on me last night. Why shouldn’t I be friends with a warlock?
Chapter 16
When Garrett finally returned over an hour later, he told me everyone at the café thought I was out hiking with the girls. I figured his plan had worked, and I’d head home after we’d eaten, but Garrett insisted on driving me.
“I’m not taking no for an answer.” He finished his cheeseburger and tossed the wrapper into the trashcan. “I’m driving you home.”
“What if someone sees us together?” I took another bite of my burger. I didn’t remember the cook’s cheese
burgers being so juicy and yummy.
“I don’t care.” He threw my wrapper into the trashcan. “We’d better go.”
I grabbed the plastic bag with my cell phone, knowing I had one last chance to convince Garrett I could walk to the café and call Victor to pick me up. I’d rather have Victor yell at me than show up in the Romani community with a warlock. “There’s one problem you haven’t thought of.”
“What’s that?” He picked up his car keys from the dresser and tucked a baseball cap into the back pocket of his jeans.
“The wolves will catch my scent as soon as we walk out of the hotel.”
“Not if you put this in your pocket.” He handed me a small white lace bag.
“What is it?” I held up the bag, examining the broken twigs and green leafy stuff through the lace. An earthy-floral scent tickled my nose, causing me to sneeze.
“It’s called a putsi bag.” He opened the door and glanced out into the hallway. “I put a spell on it. Put it in your pocket, and no one will pick up your scent.”
I tucked it into my jeans pocket. “But they’ll hear me when I talk.”
“Then don’t talk.” Garrett walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door to the stairwell.
I lowered my head and followed him down the stairs. When he opened the door on the first floor, we were across from the door to the indoor pool. We entered the pool area, and I was surprised to see that no one was swimming or hanging out. Luck seemed to be on my side today.
He opened the glass door that led outside. After looking around, he pushed his baseball cap onto my head and slipped his arm around me. He led me to a car parked near large bushes at the back of the hotel, away from any streetlights.
As we got into the car, I wanted to speak. It felt weird just sitting there in silence, but Garrett must have read my mind because he held a finger to his lips. He started the car and searched the radio stations until he found one playing a hip-hop song. Something about a thrift shop and popping tags.
Garrett moved his shoulders and neck, swaying along to the song. When he nudged me to join in, I made a face. He shrugged and carried on as he drove out of the hotel’s parking lot. I covered my mouth, stifling a laugh at his moves. Garrett was not what I’d expected for a warlock. Were they all like this?
When he stopped at a red traffic light on the outskirts of town, I noticed several tourists talking to a police officer outside the bar across the street. No sign of the Norwood staff anywhere, and everything seemed quiet. The song ended, and Garrett turned down the volume as another song started.
I pointed to the side of the road up ahead and whispered, “Drop me off there. I can walk the rest of the way.”
“No.” Garrett looked at me, his eyebrow raised. “We agreed. I’m driving you home.”
“That’s not a good idea. I can’t show up with—”
“You’re not supposed to be talking.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “I’m not leaving you on the side of the road. It’s too dangerous, and I don’t care what anyone thinks. We’re friends.”
I pulled the baseball cap off my head and tossed it onto the backseat, tempted to turn up the radio volume. Instead, I leaned toward him and whispered, “They’re not fond of the witches.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? I know who our friends are, and our enemies. It’s something you seem to have forgotten.” He slammed on the brakes, swerving to the side of the road.
We both flew forward as the car came to a sudden stop. The seatbelts yanked us back against our seats, and the car’s engine sputtered then cut out.
“Damn,” I said, putting my hand to my head as it spun.
A look of panic on his face, Garrett turned to face me. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” I unbuckled my seatbelt and slowly rotated my neck. My chest ached from where the seatbelt had slammed into me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a bruise tomorrow. “Why’d you stop?”
“You didn’t see it? There was something in the road.”
“Are you sure?” I squinted, trying to see what had caused Garrett to swerve like that. “I can’t see anything.”
“I know what I saw.” He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’d hate it if—”
A large wolf landed on the hood and slapped the windshield with its left paw. It growled, exposing sharp canine teeth.
I gasped when the wolf’s eyes glowed red. “It’s not friendly, Garrett. Use your magic or cast a spell. Do something.”
“I can’t use magic on it.” He opened the glove compartment, pushed aside a stack of papers, and pulled out a small handgun.
“Are you kidding me? I hope you have magic bullets because a gun’s useless.”
“The gun’s just a precaution.” He pulled a small box of bullets from the car’s console and quickly loaded the gun. “If it attacks, I’ll shoot to slow it down. That’ll give me time to cast a spell.”
The wolf snarled and pulled its head back to let out a spine-chilling howl. Then it pressed its entire body against the windshield, causing the car to shake.
“What if I distract it?” I asked as something cracked loudly. I found myself wishing I did have powers or knew how to cast a spell. At least I had my hunting knife hidden in my boot, but getting close to a wolf again wasn’t something I wanted to do.
“No. Get in the backseat and stay down.” Garrett got out of the car and closed the door.
No way was I staying in the car. Did he think I was helpless?
The wolf jumped onto the road, landing twenty feet in front of Garrett. Another wolf, its eyes glowing yellow, appeared five feet behind it.
I got out of the car and hurried to Garrett’s side. “That other wolf’s from Norwood Isle.”
“Damn it. I told you to stay in the car,” Garrett shouted as he raised the gun and pointed it at the two wolves, who were now growling at each other in the middle of the road.
“No,” I yelled, knocking his hand, so the gun pointed into the air when the shot went off.
Garrett staggered backward, holding the gun. “Are you crazy?”
“You said you’d use the gun if they attacked first,” I replied. A third wolf joined the other two, and I hurried toward them. Stopping ten feet from the wolves, I tried to get a good look at their fur color and their eyes. It was too dark to see the wolves clearly, and their eyes no longer glowed. I couldn’t tell if either of them was Markus or Kaleb.
“Get out of the way.” Garrett lifted the gun again.
“Don’t shoot.” I faced Garrett, waving my hands. Trying to shoot them made no sense as the wolves hadn’t attacked us. They weren’t even a threat right now. “Put away the gun.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Garrett shouted as he moved the gun around, trying to get a better shot as I blocked his view.
As I waved my hands and jumped again, a loud shot rang in my ears. Something slammed into me, throwing us onto the side of the road. Strong arms held me tight as I landed on top of a warm body, not the hard ground.
I looked around at my rescuer, expecting to see Kaleb. But Markus stared back at me. He released his hold and helped me to my feet.
“Are you okay?” Markus asked.
“Yes.” I let out a loud sigh of relief as one of wolves ran off into the woods, and the other two followed. None of them seemed to have suffered a bullet wound. At least Garrett hadn’t shot anyone.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Markus looked me over.
I nodded. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Garrett and was shocked to see him and Kaleb talking in the middle of the road. At least, it looked like Kaleb. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re here to rescue you.” Markus folded his arms and stared at me. “More importantly, what are you—”
“Kaleb,” I yelled when he grabbed Garrett and threw him into the air.
“Sienna.” Markus touched my arm. “Did you hear me? We need to get you home. Kaleb will take care of hi
m. You don’t need to—”
“No.” I ran toward Kaleb. It was clear he wanted to hurt Garrett. Maybe even kill him. What had Markus said? They were here to rescue me. They thought Garrett was the threat.
Garrett slammed against the side of the car and slid to the ground, dropping his gun. Clutching his stomach, he staggered to his feet, but Kaleb was quicker. He seized Garrett by the throat and lifted him into the air. As Garrett’s legs flailed two feet above the ground, he choked for air, his hands grappling with Kaleb’s arm.
“Kaleb, stop!” I stood in front of Kaleb and shoved him, but he barely budged. I yanked at the arm holding Garrett in the air. “Don’t do this. Please.”
Kaleb glanced down at me, releasing his hold on Garrett.
Garrett dropped to his knees, clutching his throat and coughing. “What…?”
“Are you okay?” I kneeled next to Garrett, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t look okay.
Garrett lifted his head, attempting to speak through the coughing, but he couldn’t. Instead, he touched my face, managing a half-smile.
“Get your hand off her,” Kaleb demanded.
Garrett’s face hardened as he slowly got to his feet, mumbling under his breath. He held out his left hand, palm side up, and swirled the fingers of his right hand over his open palm. A small white glowing ball started to form.
“No.” I jumped to my feet and grabbed his hand. “We’re still on sacred ground.”
Garrett looked at me, hesitating, and then lowered his hands. He rubbed his throat and remained silent.
“You didn’t have to hurt him,” I snapped at Kaleb. “What are you doing here?”
“We thought you were in trouble,” Kaleb replied.
“I wasn’t,” I said.
Kaleb placed his hands on his hips and looked from me to Garrett. “What are you doing with him?”
“He was driving me home.” I crossed my arms, pissed Kaleb felt I owed him an explanation. What did it matter if I was with Garrett? I wasn’t the one kissing other people. “I can hang out with whoever I want. It’s not like I need your permission. You’re the one who’s—”
Romani Witch (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 2) Page 11
