by Bryce Evans
“His face, moved almost like his wolf was trying to come out, but not exactly like that. I don’t know how to explain it, but it scared the shit out of me. I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. I was already against the wall and I had to go through him if I ran out of the front door. I tried to calm myself so he wouldn’t do anything, and I told him that Ryder would be calling in a few and I would tell him that he stopped by and wanted to see him. Then his face just went back to normal. He blinked a lot and I don’t know how else to describe it but to say he looked possessed. After that he seemed to accept it, and he walked out the door. I’ve never seen anything like that except on a scary movie and I love scary movies but this shit was real and this man was scary,” Will said.
Ryder smiled at how theatrical Will was when he spoke. His assistant was a riot when he was calm, but when he felt passionate about something his hands started moving like he was speaking sign language.
“Thank you, Will. If we have any more questions, I will call you back in. Can you see if Meryl is here?” Ryder asked.
“Yes sir.” Will answered before exiting the room.
“Ryder? What do you think is going on?” Kayden Lynn the Alpha of the Panthers asked.
“I don’t know, but I think he’s up to something and now Meryl is telling me that the Coven feels dark magic being used here in Alpha City but they can’t find where it’s originating from. Jamie tells me that Jim is mated to a witch and that she’s bad news.” Meryl and the Coven walked into the room along with London’s grandmother. Lenny returned the smiles of the Alpha’s.
“Meryl is here to report what they have found out.”
The Coven stood in front of the Council of Alphas then bowed to them. Then they all sat down but they looked to Meryl their leader to inform them of what they found.
“Alpha’s, two weeks ago the Coven felt a power surge of magic moving in the city. The wards were going off everywhere. At first, we thought it was a glitch and something was wrong with them, but when we checked it was a very powerful magic that had activated them. Then the magic would slowly move around different areas in the county just outside the city limits. The wards are strong enough to reach into the county to let us have a heads up that something or someone is coming. It feels like someone is playing with them deliberately. Trying to test them to see how close they can get to the city before the alarms go off.”
“How many times has this happened, Meryl?” Nolan Banks asked concerned.
“Twenty times at least two times a day. They are checking to see how the wards act when the sun goes down and rises. It has been known to cause them to weaken during that time. I don’t like it. With everything that is going on with the Sanders Pack Alpha mating with Metilda Blackwood, it doesn’t feel right. Her Coven has been known to use dark magic and now with Sanders wanting to have a seat on the Council well it doesn’t take a genius to figure out something is brewing. They are planning something.” Meryl shook his head before looking over at Me-Len who smiled back at him.
“Me-Len, thank you for coming so quickly. Meryl has told me that you have some experience with witches using dark magic. Can you add anything?” Ryder asked as he smiled softly at her. Me-Len glanced at Meryl first, and waited for his nod to begin. Ryder liked that she waited for Meryl before she answered.
“The testing of the wards is a way to see how weak your Coven is. They are testing it so they can break through without you knowing they’re coming. Wards have special magic, and like most magic, it has loopholes. Back in the day, wards were used more than today and wars were fought between Covens to see who would be in control. Nothing good came out of it just a lot of dead witches. This is why the Council of Covens was formed. It eliminated one person in charge. The Blackwood’s are notorious for stirring up trouble. Not one of them has turned out to be good. They’re evil and not only do they dabble in dark magic but they freely accept the dark arts and even teach their kids to use it.”
“You need to start preparing yourself for battle, Alphas. I don’t know who or what it is but with the way they’re testing your wards and the way magic is moving in and out of your city I think they plan to take over. I know this place is special, but there has to be more to it. Another reason they want this city, not just because of the Council.” Me-Len finished talking then looked at the Alpha’s who sat motionless in their seats.
Ryder cleared his throat. This problem was worse than he thought. “Thank you, Me-Len. We will meet back with you in a few Meryl. Please don’t leave. I feel this is going to be a long night.” Ryder suggested.
* * * *
London just about swallowed her tongue when she stepped onto the private jet. It was enormous and beautiful on the inside. With all the cherry wood, it looked like a five star hotel room instead of an airplane. The seats felt as comfortable as they looked. They were made of suede leather and reclined back in case one wanted to go to sleep. She had flown on some commercial airplanes but nothing this luxurious. Donnie was right behind London with his mouth open as he took in the amazing jet plane. It looked like he tried to say something but nothing came out of his mouth. Zoey looked over at London and they both started laughing at his expressions.
“Freaking unbelievable,” stuttered out of Donnie’s mouth. “Can I just live here on the plane? It’s as big as my apartment was. No…I think it is bigger.” Donnie declared as he opened up the door to a bedroom. “Yep, it’s bigger.”
London laughed as she watched Donnie look in every drawer and door in the plane. He gave a play-by-play description of what was behind them.
As London and Zoey sat down, a flight attendant came in with a tray of cheese, crackers, and drinks. “Ms. Malone if everyone will take their seats the plane will be leaving in a few minutes.”
Zoey thanked the lady as she returned to the front of the plane. Donnie sat down and whistled then glared at Zoey.
Pointing his finger at Zoey, Donnie asked, “So sweet cheeks, how much money does, dear brother, have?”
Zoey sat scratching her head. “Enough I guess. I’ve never asked.” Zoey spoke nonchalantly about money. London figured if you never had to worry about it then it wasn’t anything to think about. She wasn’t jealous of Zoey and the money she had. She was proud of her. She knew what a hard worker Zoey was. She worked with her brother at some of his businesses and she was good at it too.
The flight took over two hours to get to the private airfield in Alpha City, and they had to wait a few minutes so Donnie could take pictures of the inside of the plane before they could get off. As they made their way off the plane, London noticed a group of men spread out around it. She could see guns under their jackets as they walked around, and four dark SUV’s waited at the end of the stairs. She understood the importance of being an Alpha but Zoey was just his sister. The protection must spread to his family as well. She knew they weren’t here for her and Donnie.
A man waited at the end of the stairs smiling up at them. He was built like a brick house with short brown hair. Even though he smiled, he had a dangerous look about him. He happened to be good-looking too. “How was your flight?” he asked Zoey.
“Great. It’s good to be home,” Zoey answered. “Jamie, I want you to meet my friends. This is London Grey and Donnie Morgan.” London watched the wolf look her up and down. She figured it was normal protocol since the others did it at the dinner. They all seemed to look a woman up and down like they wanted to devour you. Jamie was no different. She could see the hint of lust in his eyes then it quickly faded.
Jamie held out his hand to her when she got to the bottom step. “Hello London. I’ve heard a lot about you.” London hesitantly took his hand and shook it.
“I hope it was all good,” she responded.
“Yes ma’am-mostly-they said you were beautiful, but they lied. You’re gorgeous.” Jamie had a smirk on his face that said he got many women with those lines.
London blew out her breath then lightly hit Jamie on the arm. “Gorgeous, huh? Yo
u know, I bet you get a lot of women with that line, but a girl still likes to hear it.”
Jamie, Zoey, and Donnie all laughed, and Jamie held his hand out to Donnie. Before he could open his mouth, Donnie placed his finger over Jamie’s lips.
“Yeah sweet cheeks, I know I’m gorgeous too.”
Jamie busted out laughing as Donnie fluffed his short hair like a girl would.
“I heard you were a character.” Jamie said, before he grabbed Zoey and hugged her nuzzling her face. London smiled knowing that was a wolf’s way to welcome one home, but Donnie had one raised eyebrow as he watched them.
London couldn’t help but giggle. Thank God, Zoey explained everything to her. If she didn’t know the facts, it would look like they interrupted an intimate moment between lovers.
Donnie moved closer to London as the two wolves greeted each other. “Now I wouldn’t mind being on the end of that. If this is how it’s done in Alpha City then count me in. I love this place already.”
When they were finished, Jamie opened the door to the SUV and helped them in. London couldn’t help but giggle at Donnie’s reaction. She couldn’t wait until they told him about shifters. His expression would be priceless.
Before she moved to get in the vehicle, London felt the pendent on her necklace. For the first time it felt hot as it touched her skin. She reached in her shirt and brought it out looking at how it glowed. She didn’t want Zoey or Jamie to see the necklace glowing. They would ask too many questions. She placed it back in her shirt then looked around at the airfield. Jamie caught her uneasiness as she looked around.
“What’s wrong London?” Jamie asked.
London didn’t see anything and she sure didn’t want Jamie to think she was a freak so she lied. “Nothing, I was just looking around at this airport. Never saw one like this before.”
Jamie seemed to accept her response so he let it go and didn’t ask any more questions. He looked around at the airport as she got in the vehicle, and after shutting her door; he climbed into the passenger seat.
Chapter 19
Jim Sanders watched from the cliff, as Zoey and two others exited the plane. Shifting back into his human form, Jim nodded for his Enforcers to shift too.
“Find out who the other two are and where they’re going?” he demanded of one of his men. The man shifted and trotted off through the woods. As they sat looking over the ridge, Jim could feel his mate getting closer.
The wolves parted for Metilda Blackwood as she came out of the woods, they tried to keep their distance from her normally, as they didn’t want to feel her anger when she lashed out at them. She looked down at the plane. “Who is the witch with the Malone girl?”
Jim Sanders looked up at his mate in surprise. “Witch? I don’t know. I didn’t know she was a witch. How can you tell?” he asked.
Metilda turned toward her mate running her hands up and down his naked chest. “I can see her energy and she is very powerful.”
Metilda ran her tongue up his chest then grabbed Jim’s hair pulling him to her to kiss him. “I want her dead too. We don’t need any problems when we take over. You understand my love?” Metilda looked deep into Jim’s eyes and started chanting.
A rush of power came out of her flowing inside of Jim as she finished her chant. He jerked his head up and howled at the sky then shuddered from the pain the magic delivered to his body. The wolves watching stepped back. They could sense the evil in the magic as it swirled around and then attacked their Alpha’s body. The pack wasn’t expecting Metilda Blackwood to be so strong. Her magic was too strong for the wolves after she got her hooks into their Alpha. She knew exactly how to control the pack and fear was the name.
Before they could react, she threw out her hands as the magic lunged toward the other wolves. The magic immediately attacked their bodies rendering them under her control. She watched as they flopped over onto their sides in pain, giggling at their moans as the dark magic entwined into their system making them tremble.
Grabbing her phone out of her pocket, Metilda dialed the number she had memorized. “Mother? We may have a problem. The Malone girl showed up with a witch, and I’ve never seen energy like hers before. I may need for you to co—”
She paused, listening.
“Yes mother. I understand. No mother, I can handle it.” Metilda felt fury rise in her body from her mother’s abusive comments. Her mother was mean. She was never good enough or given credit for her plans. Claudia Blackwood would never love or show any type of loving emotion toward her. Her mother would send someone else if she didn’t get the job done and who knew what she would do to her if she failed.
* * * *
London moved closer to the car windows when Jamie stopped at the guarded fence. The fence looked like the one that was guarding the White house. Guards stood at the entrance and looked in when the vehicle stopped. They eyed Donnie and her but smiled when they observed Zoey sitting in the seat. Acres and acres of trees passed by as the vehicle traveled down the road. It was beautiful how the trees cascaded over the road.
She leaned forward and caught sight of a small cabin sitting next to a lake. “Beautiful.” London whispered as Donnie followed her gaze. The cabin was simply breathtaking as Donnie and she held their mouth open at how charming it was.
“London this will be your home. I hope you like it. Ryder did say that he had some stuff he needed to finish before you moved in. I think you will like the changes.” Zoey explained as the SUV came to a stop in front of the cabin.
Jamie got out and opened the door. He held out his hand for London to take. Graciously she took his hand and gazed at the place she would be calling home. London looked around at the beautiful scenery. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful vibrant flowers sprouting up in the flowerpots sitting on the porch.
The cabin sat on the edge of a lake with the most spectacular views of the mountains. London loved the cozy atmosphere of sitting on the front porch in the rocking chairs. This new home was something out of a fairy tale. She couldn’t wait to get unpacked so she could curl up on her front porch and read her books.
“You okay London?” Jamie asked as London continued to stare at the cabin. She glanced over at him when she noticed that she was still holding his hand.
“Uh sorry, Jamie.” Her face turned crimson red with embarrassment, as she shyly released his hand.
“It’s great here. I think you will like it,” Jamie added.
“It is simply beautiful. I think I will love it too Jamie,” London whispered. She couldn’t wait to get inside to see how it was decorated, if it was anything like the outside, she knew she would love it. Zoey got out of the vehicle and grabbed London’s hand pulling her toward the front door.
Zoey opened the door allowing London and Donnie to go in first. Donnie couldn’t contain his excitement when he stared at the new leather furniture and seventy-inch TV. “Holy shit!” He looked back at London with the biggest smile on his face. “I hope my cabin looks like this!”
Jamie laughed as he walked through the door. “It does. I escorted the delivery of your furniture yesterday. We got it finished in time so whenever you are ready I can take you and Zoey to your own cabins.”
“Love ya London, but I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m out of here.” Donnie jumped up and down then ran out the door to the SUV.
“I guess he’s ready,” Jamie chuckled. “London, the phone in the kitchen has all the numbers you should need to get in touch with any of us. The kitchen was stocked yesterday, but if you need anything, just give me a call. I put your luggage in the master bedroom. I’m glad you’re here. I know Zoey is excited and Ryder too.” Jamie winked at London as he walked out the door.
“Thank you Jamie. I’m excited about being here too.” London tried to act indifferent when he mentioned Ryder. However, Zoey continued to watch her carefully. She wondered if her best friend realized that something had happened between her and Ryder. She hoped she didn’t since she wasn’t having anything
else to do with him. The day they kissed and made out for a few minutes was a mistake.
The master bedroom was something of a masterpiece. Whoever decorated the place didn’t leave anything out, and they must have cost a fortune. Some of the pieces in her room she had seen in some decorating magazines. She didn’t want to sit on anything and mess it up, but this was her home now and she needed to get her clothes unpacked. London put her suitcase on the bed and began to unload it. She had just closed her suitcase when she got the feeling she was being watched. She looked up at the door and screamed. Ryder was standing at the door watching her.
Ryder jumped when she screamed, but London reacted before she knew it was him. He looked surprised when she picked up a vase and hummed it at his head. She had forgotten to lock the door before she started unpacking, and her heart was beating so fast she thought she was going to pass out.
“Oh my god, Ryder, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you standing there. You scared the shit out of me. I’m sorry about the vase. I will buy a new one. I…I…I’m sorry.” She couldn’t stop apologizing.
“It’s okay. Really. I thought you knew I was standing here or heard me come in the door. I’m sorry I scared you,” Ryder responded quickly as he came to stand in front of the bed. London didn’t like the look in his eyes as he looked down at her bed. She walked by him quickly so she could find a broom and sweep up the broken vase.
Ryder’s eyes arched up as she practically ran past him. She knew she couldn’t be in the bedroom alone with him. Finding a broom, she rushed back to the door where the vase had broken.
“Here let me do that. It was my fault that this happened,” Ryder offered.
“No really it is my fault. You just scared me. I should have reacted differently. I know better than that. Did you need something?” London asked.
She faltered for a minute as he stepped closer to her. She couldn’t let him get any closer. She needed to keep her distance from the man. He was sex on wheels and he knew the effect he had on her. She made a promise to herself and she planned to keep it. Before she could say something, a knock sounded at the door. London quickly walked away from Ryder and opened it to a smiling Nolan Banks.
