“Hopefully nothing more than an elixir for my witch and protein for my wolf.”
“And where is this elixir located?”
“I have some at my apartment, and some at the clinic.”
“How powerful can your majik truly be if you need to infuse it with this elixir, as you say?”
“My majik is very powerful, but it can be drained, just as your wolf can be drained. Today, I saved a wolf and her baby. I gave up my majik to save them.”
“You’d willingly give your life…your majik for the very wolves who shun you? They expect this of you?”
Erin laughed at the horrified look on Christoph’s face. “It’s not like that. Up until today, there were only a select few who knew the extent of my majik and what I really was. Nor did they have any idea of the physical toll it took on me or my mom.”
“Your mother is a witch, too?”
“Of course she is. Where do you think I got my powers from? You know, if the elixir fails we’re going to have to rely on her to recharge my majik before it’s too late.”
“You’re awfully calm about all of this.”
Erin tried to shrug her shoulders, instantly regretting it when a fresh wave of pain shot through her body. “Probably because I’d already made up my mind to leave Black Paw. The only thing that really pisses me off right now is the silver. Do you mind?”
“I’ll remove it, but if you dare to make so much as one wrong move, I’ll put a silver bullet in your heart. Witch or wolf, it will kill you. Understood?”
“Perfectly.” Erin wiggled her fingers as if to say ‘let’s hurry this up.’ She would play along with his twisted little game for as long as she needed to. Her main goal was getting her strength and majik back; she’d figure out the rest later.
Once Christoph had all the silver off her, she carefully scooted to the side of the bed. “Please tell me you have some sort of food or protein here.”
Christoph nodded and tossed her a backpack. She didn’t miss the way he kept his eyes trained on her, his palm resting on the gun holstered at his hip.
Erin dug through the pack, pulling out protein bars, beef jerky, bottles of water, and Twinkies. “Definitely a bachelor survival pack.”
Christoph shrugged. “Better than nothing.”
“Absolutely.” Erin chugged half a bottle of water before digging into the protein bars and beef jerky. “I can pay you back for this stuff when we go to my apartment to get the elixir.”
“You’re making this far too easy.”
“Yeah, well maybe I’m tired of fighting and pretending to be someone I’m not. It’s easier when the person you’re around accepts you for who you really are.” Even though Erin had her own agenda, she found it wasn’t difficult to talk to Christoph. It helped that so much of what she said was wrapped around a sort of truth.
“We’ll see how long this calm of yours truly lasts. There’s one final thing we have to take care of before we leave Black Paw.”
“What’s that?” Erin asked curiously.
“We have to kill your mate.”
Chapter Thirty
Erin had to work harder than ever to keep the I-don’t-give-a-fuck mask plastered to her face. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” The words burned as they left her mouth. She couldn’t fathom the thought of living in a world where Lucas didn’t. He had always been a part of her life, from the first moment she had seen him when she was just a girl. Her wolf had always known he was her mate, but Erin had fought it tooth and nail until the very day she’d claimed him as her mate.
Every other girl in the pack seemed to get her HEA, so why couldn’t Erin? Was it too much to ask of the Fates? Or the gods? No matter what had happened in the past with Lucas, she wouldn’t allow Christoph to hurt him.
Her wolf whined in the back of her mind. “Finally. We’re in one hell of a mess.”
She choked down two more of the most disgusting sticks of jerky she’d ever eaten, hoping it would give her wolf enough energy to shift if she needed to.
“Where the fuck is Ivar? He should’ve been back by now.” Erin watched as Christoph grabbed his phone and dialed a number.
“Erin, can you hear me?”
Lucas’ voice suddenly popped into her head.
“Yes!” She tried to keep the tears from forming in her eyes. The last person she expected to hear from was Lucas.
“We’re coming to get you, baby. Are you okay?”
The tears threatened once again. “Yes. Is my mom with you?”
“Sitting right beside me. She said she has what you need.”
“Good. I can’t get my witch to respond at all.”
“How is your wolf? Can you break free?”
“There’s no need. Christoph removed the silver and fed me. My wolf is sluggish but otherwise okay.”
“Why did he free you?” Lucas asked.
“I’ll explain later. He’s distracted trying to get a hold of his brother, so I don’t have long. I don’t want him to realize I’ve made contact with you. When you come in, toss the elixir to me on the bed. You have to hurry before his brother gets here.”
“His brother won’t be coming. I’ve already taken care of that problem.”
“Lucas, be careful—he has a gun loaded with silver bullets on his left hip.”
“I’ll be fine. Get ready. We’re almost there.”
“I sense your wolf is awake and well now.” Christoph turned his attention back to Erin.
Not wanting to be distracted, Erin cut off her communication with Lucas. “Yes, she’s much better now. Thank you for the food.” She wanted to keep him distracted until the rescue party arrived. As much as she wished it otherwise, the majik in her wolf wasn’t up to par yet. Trying to go toe-to-toe with Christoph would be a fatal mistake.
“You’re welcome. Ivar isn’t responding, so I left a message telling him where to meet us.” Christoph picked up various articles of clothing that had been strewn haphazardly around the room, and chucked them into duffle bags as he mumbled to himself.
Though Lucas had warned her he was coming to get her, a large part of her mind hadn’t believed him. After all the pain and hurt he had caused her, she automatically expected the worst.
Erin nearly flew off of the bed when Lucas kicked the door to the hotel room wide open. Without looking in her direction, he tossed a small vial of purple liquid to her before heading straight for Christoph.
Erin downed the elixir. The effects of her homemade potion were powerful, reviving her witch instantly. She breathed a sigh of relief as the majik of her witch surged through every nerve in her body. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.”
The feeling of euphoria didn’t last long. Panic rushed over her when she turned her attention back to Christoph, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw him reaching for the gun at his side. Her first thought was to command her wolf to take charge, but before she could even utter the command her witch had taken full control of her mind and body, forcefully throwing her to the background.
The ferociousness of her witch’s actions to help their mate surprised the hell out of her. Erin had learned at a very early age that no matter what the situation, her witch always acted as a sentient being—happily living in the background, ready to offer support when needed, always playing a passive role in Erin’s life. It was understood that her witch summoned the powers they needed at any given time, but allowed Erin to use them—unlike her wolf, who rushed to the forefront, demanding control at the drop of a dime.
This time her witch acted much differently than she had in the past. It was almost as if Erin were on the outside, seeing what the powerful creature was capable of for the very first time.
With a wave of her hand, the witch halted the motions of everyone who had piled into the threadbare room. She padded over to Lucas, kissing him softly on the lips, freeing him from the frozen trance she’d placed him in, before waving her hand and releasing Rafe, Gus, Calder, Tanner,
and her mother from her majik.
Their mouths agape, she smiled playfully and winked at the group before making her way over to the still-entranced Christoph. With the flick of her wrist, his gun fell to the floor.
Erin waved her hand once more to wake Christoph from his frozen state.
“What have you done?” Christoph yelled before lunging for Erin.
“Erin!” Lucas shouted.
“Oh no you don’t.” Erin looked at Christoph and smiled. Her signature cerulean flames sparked from her fingertips. With a sudden turn of her fingers the flames surrounded Christoph, lifting him a few inches off of the ground.
“Even with everything you’d been accused of, I was willing to let you walk away from this encounter. I had no plans to kill you, and no wish to see any harm come your way—until you nonchalantly threatened to kill my mate. I just can’t have that.”
Erin stepped closer to Christoph. “You seem to think that if I went with you willingly, you’d somehow be able to control me and therefore my powers. That you could somehow make me do your bidding.” Erin laughed at the thought.
“Let me clue you in on something. You aren’t powerful enough to control me. Oh, and one other thing…your wolf is begging me to free him from your corrupt and twisted mind.”
Erin leveled a final stare at Christoph. “Enjoy Helheim.” Twisting her fingers in the direction of his chest, she yanked Christoph’s heart from his body without a single touch.
The shocked look on Christoph’s face lasted for a mere moment before the cerulean flames of her majik engulfed the still-beating organ, turning it to dust.
Erin released Christoph’s wide-eyed, lifeless body from her spell, then watched in awe as the spirit of his wolf ascended from its human form, pausing to thank her for releasing him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lucas couldn’t believe his eyes. His mate was badass. Scary as hell, but bad-fucking-ass to the core. A few days ago he might have cringed at how efficiently she destroyed Christoph, but not today. Never again.
After the showdown, she turned to Lucas, looking scared and unsure, expecting him to condemn her for her actions, as he’d done in the past. He remembered the sweet little kiss she planted on his mouth to unfreeze him. Dear Odin, how he missed her taste.
Without giving it another thought, he pulled her into his arms, chuckling at the openmouthed look of amazement that covered her beautiful face. His lips crashed over hers. With a moan, his mate welcomed the heat and passion his kiss offered. Lucas groaned deep into her mouth when her fingers tunneled through his hair before working their way down to his shoulders, digging into his skin.
“If we were alone, I’d strip you naked and fuck you until you screamed my name,” Lucas warned.
“And I’d let you.”
“Okay, you two, let’s focus for a minute and wrap this up so we can get the hell out of here.” Rafe motioned for Calder to help him pick up the bags that had belonged to Christoph and Ivar before heading out of the room.
“Baby girl, are you okay?” Brenna wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. “I was so worried about you. I should have never let you go off on your own like that.”
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay. Actually, I’m better than okay.” Erin pulled back from Brenna with a smile plastered from ear to ear. “Did you see what my witch did? Have you ever seen anything like that before?”
Brenna smoothed her fingers over Erin’s hair. The smile she wore after being reunited with her daughter suddenly turned serious. “I’ve only witnessed that same power in one other witch—my mom. Your aunt, Mariska killed her, hoping to absorb her powers, but the spell failed. We thought her powers were lost, but they weren’t. They were reborn in you.”
Lucas sucked in a deep breath, trying to wrap his mind around what Brenna’s story meant.
“What does that mean for me, Mom?” Erin’s voice was shaky and filled with fear.
“It means that if Mariska finds out you have our mother’s majik, she will do everything in her power to take it from you.”
“Why would the Fates have given the majik to me, a halfling?”
“Oh my Goddess. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Think of what, Mom? You’ve lost me.” Erin glanced at Lucas with an I-have-no-fucking-idea-what-she’s-talking-about look on her face.
“The prophecy.” Brenna stared off into space as she answered Erin.
“Mom, what prophecy? What are you talking about?”
“Fuck me. Not another prophecy. What is it about the Fates and their damn prophecies?” Tanner shook his head, looking less than amused.
Brenna’s eyes glazed over, her voice grave as she began to speak.
“Neither a witch nor a woman can ascend the throne. The queen will be more. Only she can unite enemies of old.”
“No.” Erin shook her head in denial. “You can’t be talking about me.”
“It all makes sense now.” Brenna placed a comforting hand on her daughter’s cheek. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. You’re not a woman or a witch. You’re more. Your mating will fully unite the witches and wolves. It’s why Mariska went out of her way to try to kill me when your father claimed me as his mate. It’s why she attacked Black Paw. She understood the prophecy.”
Gus joined the group, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure the Council needs to know any of this information right now.”
“I think you’re right,” Rafe agreed. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get out of here and talk about this later. I don’t think the witches, or the Council, are coming for us today.”
Lucas turned to Erin. “No matter what happens, we’ll face it together.”
***
Erin sighed as the hot water poured over her back. The conversation with her mother replayed in her mind, kicking her anxiety level up another notch. Her witch and wolf were uncharacteristically quiet on the subject. Normally, they were opinionated as fuck.
“You need to relax. There’s nothing we can do about the prophecy right now. Like everything else with the Fates, it’s a waiting game.” Lucas pushed her hair to the side, softly kissing the back of her neck. He lathered his hands with her fruit-infused shampoo.
Just when Erin thought he would wash her hair, or massage her scalp or something, Lucas sniffed the pile of shampoo in his hands. “Why doesn’t my shampoo smell like this?”
“Because you’re a big sexy beastly man, and men’s shampoos smell like pine trees and chainsaw dust. You know, manly things.”
“Did you just say pine trees and chainsaw dust?” Lucas laughed.
“Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but not much. Besides, can you just imagine how much shit everyone in the pack would give you if your fur smelled all fruity and sweet? The teasing would be never-ending.” Erin giggled.
“I don’t care. This…” Lucas sniffed the shampoo once more. “…smells fucking amazing.”
“Are you going to wash my hair or just sniff my shampoo?” Erin teased.
Lucas smoothed his hands over her hair, gently distributing the shampoo. “I’ve never done this before, you know. Am I doing it right?”
“Not exactly.” Erin placed her hands on Lucas’, showing him how to work the shampoo into her long, thick hair. “See, just like that.”
With each sweep of his hands over her head and neck, the anxiety lessened. Erin closed her eyes and lived in the moment, swearing to worry about everything else another day. For now she just wanted to enjoy each new memory she made with her mate.
“What made you change your mind about me being part witch?” Erin had to know the reason behind his sudden change of heart. Sure she could pop into his mind and dig around for the answer, but she didn’t. She respected his privacy. Not only that, she wanted to hear what he had to say.
Lucas finished rinsing the conditioner out of her hair before he spoke. “Thinking I’d lost you made me realize I can’t live without you in my life.”
E
rin turned to face Lucas, needing to see his face. “Even my witch?”
“Especially your witch. Seeing you in action today was hot.”
Erin laughed. “Really?”
“Mmmmhmmmm. The way you handled yourself with Christoph, putting him in his place and giving the bastard what he deserved, was incredible. I’ve never seen such a powerful display of majik. I’m proud to call you my mate.”
Those were the words Erin had waited her whole life to hear. More than anything else, she had always dreamed that one day she would be accepted by her mate for who she really was. Opening up their mating connection allowed her to see that her mate had spoken the truth he held in his heart.
“Thank you.” Erin wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him down to her level, wanting to kiss him.
The steamy cascade from the shower continued to fall all around them as his lips met hers. Desire rushed through her body straight to her core. She pulled back for an instant to whisper, “Make love to me.”
Erin watched as Lucas’ emerald eyes began to glow brighter than she’d ever seen. His canines began lengthening as soon as the words left her mouth.
He moved in to kiss her once more, and this time his kiss was edgy, filled with hunger and lust. He pulled one of her legs up around his hips, followed by the other. Erin moaned into his kiss as she felt the blunt head of his hard cock pressing against her entrance.
Lucas moved her hips slowly back and forth, working himself deep inside of her. Erin tossed her head back in pleasure as he slowly slid his cock all the way out to tease her for a moment before he slammed it right back in.
She shouted his name in ecstasy. Nerve after nerve lit with pleasure as he pumped in and out of her at a furious pace.
His mouth came down over her breasts one by one and, taking turns, he sucked each of her nipples into his mouth, driving her wild as his teeth scraped over the sensitive buds.
Great Goddess above, she needed this. Feeling her mate deep inside her while the rush of his emotions swept through her, thanks to the mating connection, was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.
Fur Ever Witched (Black Paw Pack Book 2) Page 14
