Lion's Claw: Spirit Sorceress: Book 2

by D. L. Harrison

  He smirked at me, “There you go…”

  I didn’t want to touch it. I opened the drawer I’d seen the tweezers in, and grabbed a small garbage bag liner from under the sink, and used the tweezers to pick up the gross wet hair and fingernail clump and drop it in the bag. Then I tied it closed.

  Bob had an amused look on his face. Definitely like an older and annoying brother would. Still, I was glad he was here, I wouldn’t have thought of checking the pipes like that. But then, I wasn’t a construction contractor either.

  The neighborhood seemed quiet and dead as we left, and I headed towards Tina’s candle shop.

  I looked over at Bob, “Can I ask… what happened to Reah’s mother?”

  Bob frowned, “How do you know anything happened?”

  I coughed, “Right,” I said it fast like pulling off a band aid, “Well, I kind of sort of may have spied on Jared just a little bit this morning. Right before I came up with my plan in fact.”

  Bob snorted in disbelief, “Right, go on.”

  I shrugged, “I know Reah’s a mystic that isn’t trained. That implies her mother, Jared’s sister, isn’t around to do it. And… I know Ted has a lot of hate towards vampires…”

  Bob nodded, “And you spied because?”

  He seemed more amused than angry, shouldn’t I be having this conversation with Jared?

  I sighed, “Because I want to help, because I care, and because it was the only way I could, with Jared locking me out of it all.”

  Bob laughed.

  “What?” I asked suspiciously.

  Bob muttered in an amused tone, “My Alpha’s in for a hell of a ride.”

  I giggled, did that mean he approved? We were both lost in our own thoughts for the rest of the drive. Though I was pretty sure I’d seen him texting, which meant Jared might be on his way as well.

  Chapter 13

  We pulled up in front of the candle shop, and I wanted to scream in frustration. I didn’t feel Tina in there, hopefully Katy will know where she is. We got out and headed for the store.

  Bob cleared his throat, “You sure about this? Tina doesn’t really get along with us.”

  I nodded, “She owes me a favor, it shouldn’t be a problem. If she was here.”

  He frowned, but I didn’t clarify that and opened the door to slip inside.

  Bob followed.

  “Hi Katy,” I said softly to get her attention, she was doing something on her phone again.

  She looked up, “Miku, my mother’s not here. What do you need?”

  I held up the bag, “We need someone found, I have… hair in here. He’s an exposure risk, a murderer of humans, and kidnapped a member of the werewolf pack.”

  She sighed as if put upon, “I guess we owe you one, let me see it. My mom is in California for a couple of days, I’m guessing you don’t want to wait. Tracking spells are pretty basic, I did my first when I was six.”

  I nodded, “Thanks Katy, it’s a little… wet. We had to get it from a drain in his house,” I held out the bag.

  She looked disgustedly at it, and took it gingerly between thumb and forefinger. I’d have laughed at her distress, but I pretty much felt the same way.

  She said confidently, “Give me ten minutes, and do me a favor, watch the store and don’t let anyone steal anything.”

  I supposed I could, but only because she asked.

  “No problem.”

  She disappeared through the back.

  I asked offhandedly, “So, when is Jared getting here.”

  Bob replied, “Five minutes.”

  “And… how mad is he?”

  Bob said again in a deadpan voice, “Five minutes.”

  Crap, I was afraid of that. This should be fun. I took the time to type out an update and send it to Lisa, so the coven knew what I was doing. Plus, they’d be able to find my body easier that way…

  Jared showed up a short time later, I felt him as soon as he was within a half a mile, but he waited outside. Apparently he didn’t want to come into the witch’s store and make a ruckus, which honestly sounded like good thinking.

  I got a text from Lisa, “Mom’s leaving town, party?”

  I smiled, shook my head, and replied, “That can’t end well.”

  She sent back a frowny face right as Katy came out, she had a crystal in her hand, another one of those yellow ones. She handed it to me, and I felt it tug mostly east and a little to the south.

  Katy said all business, “We’re even now. But you’re always welcome here.”

  I smiled, apparently I’d been upgraded, “Thanks Katy,” and we headed for the door.

  Jared was outside, leaning on my car. He looked way too good doing it, even with the dark scowl on his face.

  As soon as I was close enough he said, “Give me the stone Miku. I don’t want you involved in this anymore, I’ll take care of it.”

  I closed the distance between us, ignored everything he said, and kissed him.

  He froze for a moment, and then started to kiss me back, and I found out how wrong I was. His touch in real life was so much better than the dream had been. The kiss deepened, and I wondered what the rest of the stuff we’d done together would feel like. I could have done kissed him all day, but of course we couldn’t.

  I stepped back, and he looked a little confused. I supposed after I let him have both barrels and I ran out of his dream last night, that was understandable.

  I said softly, “Just so it’s clear where I stand Jared. We need to talk about it, but obviously not now. But whatever this is here, between us, I want to see where it goes. You drive me absolutely crazy, but I want you. There are other things I need to tell you as well, but it’s… complicated.”

  It was true, somehow it was more than just a soulmate thing now, which was still something I had to tell him. But beyond that, I cared about him, mostly when he wasn’t driving me up a wall that is, and honestly sometimes even then. I wasn’t worried that he didn’t want me anymore, but I was worried if the pack objected to my presence at all, he wouldn’t pursue it. Honestly, I didn’t want to be the person to split his pack either.

  I might not set off their aggressive instincts, but I was still a vampire.

  He cleared his throat, and I wondered if I’d came on too strong. I’d just been tired of all the tiptoeing around.

  He nodded, “You drive me to distraction Miku, and yes we need to talk. Right now though,” he reached out and snatched the stone from my hand, “You need to go back to Legends, and stay out of it. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”

  Then the arrogant bastard didn’t even wait for a response, he turned and went toward his car, and Bob followed him. The confident authority he’d exuded, and his belief I would obey, both turned me on, and pissed me off. As usual, the man was driving me crazy. I’d just given up a favor from a witch to save one of his pack, and he didn’t even thank me for it. Asshole. I felt like an idiot too, I hadn’t been expecting him to snatch the stone like that.

  I got in my car, waited for him to get about a tenth of a mile away, and then followed.

  With my spirit power, there was no way he’d be able to lose me. Stay behind? Not a chance.

  I second guessed myself after about forty-five minutes into the drive. We were headed east on interstate ninety. So far the lion shifter thing had been a lot of looking around and investigation. Here at the end I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d be able to do. I knew neither Bob or Jared would ask me for help, which meant I was doomed to watch whatever happened.

  Still, I couldn’t stay behind.

  Eventually they pulled off, and I waited a few moments, and then followed. It was an unmarked road and twisty, and led into a state park on the east side of the forest. I sensed they’d stopped, so I pulled over onto the grass, and got out. Then I shifted forms and kept back as I followed them into the forest.

  That’s when I felt Needleman and another werewolf, no doubt Tim. I closed the distance with them, as they closed the distance to o
ur target. I was sure Jared would be angry, but I really didn’t care. If me being me pissed him off, then he needed to either get over it, or give up on the idea of us. I wasn’t about to change for anyone, not even my soulmate.

  There was a cabin, I figured it must be a ranger station of some kind, this was state land and there shouldn’t be any private cabins. Jared and Bob stopped, and started to strip, and then they changed to wolves. Then they growled and broke in the cabin.

  I moved forward, and a large lion shifter jumped out of the window. He looked wrong though, he wasn’t completely a lion. The ring that bonded the shifter’s soul, and joined it to the bearer’s soul so the human could shift was obviously flawed. He had powerful front and back claws, and the head was elongated, and he had sharp teeth, but he wasn’t a real lion.

  He stood on two feet for one, but hunched over, like a monkey or gorilla. He was also wickedly fast. It was disturbing to see, and unnatural.

  Bob jumped out the window behind him, while Jared shot out the broken door and circled, which put the lion shifter between them.

  When Patrick squared off with Jared, Bob lunged from behind and snapped at the back of Patrick’s legs in an attempt to hamstring him. But Bob misjudged Patrick’s speed. Patrick’s right claw swiped down so quickly it whistled as it cut the wind, as Patrick twisted his body just as fast, the paw slammed into Bob’s head, and the claws cut into his face as Bob went flying away.

  I whined when he didn’t get up, and both Patrick and Jared looked at me for a brief moment, and then attacked each other fiercely.

  Jared was fast, deadly, and strong. He lunged in and nipped at Patrick and then jumped back out. He was being a bit more cautious than Bob, but Patrick was even faster. They were both accumulating wounds quickly. Patrick was faster, and stronger, but Jared offset that by being the better fighter. Jared was also stronger than a normal werewolf as alpha he could draw magic from the pack, and enhance himself.

  Still, neither of them looked very good at the moment, as they slowly tore each other apart wound by wound.

  I was so frustrated, I wanted to help, but Jared never asked. A whine slipped through my jaws and then both bounced away from each other and looked at me.

  Patrick’s deformed face smiled gruesomely, and said in a gravelly voice that sounded eerily inhuman, “Patience, I’ll get to you next bitch.”

  I read it then, his intention to kill me.

  It was all I really needed, self-defense was allowable under the tenets.

  Lightning shot from my five tails and took him right in the chest. His soul flew out of his body, and I saw Jared lunge forward and take him down by the neck, which snapped loudly a second later.

  I decided not to tell him it hadn’t been necessary, he must have thought I’d just stunned Patrick, to be fair spirit lightning doesn’t leave a mark.

  Jared looked at me and growled rather menacingly.

  I ignored that. Although I was pretty sure it was me now, and that werewolves didn’t really growl that much most of the time.

  I shifted to human form, and walked over to the corpse. Jared nudged my leg toward Bob. Well, at least he could ask for help after the danger passed. I reached out to all three shifters, Bob’s, Jared’s, and Tim’s soul, with cords of elemental spirit power, and encouraged them to heal faster, and fed their souls power.

  “I helped them both Jared, now I need to destroy this,” I didn’t bother telling him I’d helped with his injuries as well. Though I’d be surprised if he hadn’t felt it.

  I knelt down and slipped the ring off of Patrick’s finger, a shifter soul bound to a lion claw in spirit magic. It was definitely dark witch magic, I could feel the death and wrongness of it. I wondered what would make one of us ever do such a thing, assist a witch like that. I closed my fist, and my hand crackled with spirit lightning. It took a few seconds, but I felt the spell snap, and the soul was released from captivity.

  I fed it some spirit power, and unblocked the dead shifter’s memories. When I read the soul, I wanted to be sick. I now knew who had bound the spirit, and who’s soul it was that had been bound. He was free now, and he crossed over to the spirit world. Once again able to live another lifetime on the wheel.

  As for the spirit sorcerer, it had been my uncle, over fifty years ago he had done this for a witch to get her to do something for him. I closed my eyes and sighed. My uncle had told me that he’d never destroyed another soul, but this had been almost as bad, and done merely for a favor. Not that I could do anything about it yet. I was still too weak.

  Although, I think I got stronger in this fight, my reach seemed longer. It was hard to judge out in the forest by how much.

  Not nearly as long as fifty miles, what I needed to safely use more advanced abilities, but I could reach at least a mile out now, perhaps a little more. So double my old range, which meant I could use my current abilities with a lot more power behind them now.

  I’m not sure how much more powerful though, but I was pretty sure James would have felt more than a tickle from my lightning now, if he’d still been alive that is.

  I felt Jared’s arms go around me from behind, he kissed the top of my head so gently, that I wanted to melt back against him.

  He said in a soft frustrated voice, “Why don’t you listen?”

  I smiled and answered with the truth, “Because I want to be with you, not subservient to you. I love that you want to protect me, just do it while were together, I won’t be left behind.”

  He sniffed my hair, and then bent down and kissed the side of my neck. I sighed softly and put my hand up and back to run my fingers through his hair. I was painfully aware he had no clothes on, but he probably hadn’t considered, werewolves were very casual that way. Then again, given what was poking my lower back, he was probably very aware.

  He asked, “So that was you, in the field on the grass, under the sun?”

  I nodded, “Yes, it was me. My kind call it dream walking.”

  I explained I didn’t understand how it was possible, it was a skill I shouldn’t have yet. Then I pretty much explained it all, soulmate parts included, and he patiently waited through all of it. It took about ten minutes to get it all out.

  He replied, “I’ve been attracted to you since day one, the first time I saw you behind B and B I thought I was going crazy. You were a vampire, and my wolf wanted to claim you as my mate.”

  I giggled a bit naughtily, “Think of all those lost opportunities.”

  He snorted, “Yes. But how can this work? You live at the coven, I live with the pack.”

  I shrugged, “The only thing I’m worried about is how your pack with react, I don’t want to cause a split or anything, I know Ted won’t like it.”

  He kissed my head, “You don’t understand us as well as you think. No wolf would begrudge his pack mate their life mate, much less the alpha his mate. I’m not saying Ted will ever like you, but he won’t mutiny either, or stir up dissent. That’s not how it works.”

  I sighed, he was kissing my neck again. I wondered if there was anything in that moment I would say no to.

  “Umm, to answer your original question, why don’t we try dating, and I’m not exactly forced to live at the condo you know. So, if or when the time comes to actually talk about and take that step,” I trailed off, and then added firmly, “But I’m not quitting my jobs, I am part of the coven.”

  He asked, “Dating?”

  I laughed, “Yes, you know, like dinner the other day, but without a bodyguard or niece in tow.”

  He cleared his throat and laughed, “That only happened because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to resist taking you home with me. Reah didn’t have to push me very hard to get herself invited along. But yes, we can try that. But I have to warn you, wolves mate for life, I’ve never wanted anyone like I’ve wanted you. Will you visit my dreams again?” he asked in a strained voice.

  My whole body was tingling with desire from the way he touched me, and I moaned when he kissed the
back of my neck. I felt the same as he did, and I was getting dizzy with the need of him.

  I smiled and said in a teasingly sultry tone, “I suppose so, but it will be a couple of hours before Bob or Tim wake up. Why wait for a dream?”

  He groaned in my ear, picked me up, and carried me into the cabin, where I gave myself to him once again, this time in the flesh.

  Chapter 14

  Jared and I hadn’t really wanted to part, but neither Bob nor Tim were in any shape to drive, so I was following Jared once again, this time with Tim in my passenger seat. It was getting on in the day, and was around two in the afternoon as we neared Seattle.

  I’d never felt so fulfilled, or relaxed, as I did right now. Bob and Tim had been unconscious for hours, and we hadn’t wasted a moment of it. I knew this was going to be complicated, but for the first time I was confident we would figure it out. I knew one thing for sure, chemistry was something we didn’t lack at all.

  Jared still hadn’t agreed that I could be allowed to be in danger, but I figured it would take time.

  Tim kept giving me strange looks, finally I turned to him, “What is it?”

  He cleared his throat, “You’re a vampire.”

  I smiled, “Yes, and?”

  He swallowed, “But my wolf doesn’t want to attack you, and… You smell like the alpha.”

  I smiled rather smugly, “Yes, I do. I know it’s weird, but I’m only half vampire, that’s why you aren’t feeling under threat.”

  He was quiet after that, and it didn’t take much longer to get back to Legends, where I’m sure Cheryl would kill me. If not, I was sure half the coven would know I’d slept with Jared shortly after that, there was no way to disguise the scent. I’d even shifted, to be clean and fresh, and didn’t stink of sweat or blood, but I still smelled of Jared. I wondered if even a shower would be able to remove it.

  Not that I wanted too, I was just curious.

  Either way, things should be interesting tonight at the coven. There were only a few more hours left in the workday as we went back inside. Jared and I went in together, while Bob and Tim waited for him to send someone out to give them a ride back to the pack house.