He led her down a long corridor and released her hand as he stopped before a door. Without saying a word, he unlocked the door and they walked inside Leo’s office. If Maddy wasn’t as stunned as she was because of the bullet incident, she would have taken the time to appreciate the immense, plush office, but as it was, she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened outside. More alarming, she couldn’t stop thinking someone was trying to kill Matt. Her breath caught.
“Sit down,” Matt said, motioning to one of the couches. He strode to the corner of the room and stopped before a bar. He filled a glass from a crystal decanter and brought it back to her.
“It’s whisky. Drink it.”
She took the glass. “I’m fine, but more importantly, you’re fine. That bullet was meant for you.”
“Yes. Thank you for saving my life, now drink,” he said in a firm tone.
Maddy raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip. She set it down on the coffee table and gave him a pointed look. “Matt, who’s trying to kill you?”
“Garos. Those were his men.” With a grave expression, he sat down next to her. “More importantly, what happened outside?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maddy, what were you thinking of when you saw that lycan pull out a gun?”
Maddy’s insides warmed at the look of deep concern on his handsome face. “Why?”
“Only a handful of lycans and vampires can catch a speeding bullet. You are neither.”
“WelI, I...I thought you were going to die and I wished I could save you.” The implications of her words made her discovery all the more alarming and unbelievable. “It all happened so fast. It was as though time stood still.”
“When you wished you could save me, did you think of anything else?”
Maddy frowned. “I was thinking the bullet had to stop.” Her face paled as she stared at him. “I wished I could catch it. That was it, a simple wish to catch the bullet.” She omitted to tell him the sheer panic she’d felt when she thought he was going to die. Maddy brought her hands up to her face and inhaled deeply. “What does this mean?” She mumbled into her palms. “It can’t be.”
Gently, he pried her hands from her face and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Can’t it? You said your grandmother, mother, and sister were powerful witches. Your niece reads minds. There is something in your bloodline that’s powerful, Maddy.”
“What are you saying?” She couldn’t voice the words out loud.
“As incredible as it sounds, you are a white witch. You created magic with mere thought. Your coven mistress couldn’t find a wand for you because you never needed one.”
“But...but I’m the normal one in the family. I have no powers.”
His mouth curled dryly. “It appears you have the most powers.”
Maddy parted her lips. She couldn’t believe it. “I’m twenty-seven. Why now?” She let out a strangled sob. “Why not five years ago? I could have saved my sister.”
Matt’s face was sombre. “I don’t know, Maddy. From what I’ve heard about white witches, their powers appear at any age.”
Her eyes pricked with tears as a sudden rush of anger filled her chest. “Effy would still have her mother. I may not have been able to save my mom or my dad because I wasn’t with them when they died, but I was with my sister. I knew she was hemorrhaging and I could have stopped it.” A sob escaped from her.
Matt’s mouth thinned as he drew her in his arms, running his hand gently up and down her back. A deep sense of security calmed her and she closed her eyes, reaching out to clasp him behind his waist. Matt gathered her closer in his arms and held her for a few minutes until she released a ragged sigh.
“Are you feeling better now?” He asked quietly over her head.
She nodded against his chest. “Yes. Thank you.”
He released her and she gave him a wobbly smile. “I feel ashamed at my outburst.”
“It was understandable. You loved your sister and wished you could have saved her.” Matt paused, his gaze shifting with a distant look. “Even with our powers, sometimes we cannot save the ones we love.” Maddy tensed. He was talking about the woman he thought was his one. “My case is worse, I’m afraid. In a way, I am responsible for her death.”
“What happened?” She asked, her heart swelling with compassion. She could tell by the look on his face, he battled an ongoing sense of guilt. In that moment, she pushed aside her thoughts of being a white witch and waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say. Melissa had not given Maddy the details surrounding his one’s death.
“She came from a wealthy and very religious family,” Matt began. “I was a simple blacksmith who could barely earn a living. I had recently turned into a lycan during a full moon and struggled with my new life. I wanted to live as a man, not as a beast. I met her one day when her father came to see me for silver traps he wanted me to forge. No one knew what I really was.” His expression hardened. “In any case, I met her that day, and we continued to see each other in secret. We planned to run away together.”
“Did she know you were a lycan?”
“I told her eventually and she accepted me. At first, she was frightened, but when she realised I wasn’t a monster, she agreed to marry me. The problem was her father. Somehow he found out what I was and sent her overseas to live with relatives in Europe. Meanwhile, her father set out to destroy me and I had to run and live in secrecy. It was around that time I met Leo and he took me under his wing. I eventually found out where my one was sent to and I booked a ticket on a boat to go in search of her. When I arrived in the village where she lived, I found out the week before she had jumped from a ravine to her death.” He paused. “If she’d never met me, she would have lived.”
Maddy was afraid to voice what was on her mind. What she already knew. She searched for the right words. “So she was still human when she died. That means you two never...you didn’t...” her voice trailed with embarrassment.
“We never mated. No.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Oh?’ She held her breath.
“You’re thinking how could I be certain she was my one if we never mated?”
“That did cross my mind,” she said quietly.
“I couldn’t mate with her. She was as religious as her family and she vowed to have sex only on her wedding night. I respected her decision and accepted it.”
A wave of sadness washed over her. It was worse than Maddy thought. Matt wasn’t just in love with a ghost. He’d loved this woman enough to believe she had been his one without needing her transformation as a seal of proof.
“You must have really loved her to wait,” she said.
“She was the first woman I cared for, but that part of my life happened a very long time ago. Maddy, I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. A lot of people I loved. Many died from old age while I stayed young.”
“You don’t like being immortal?”
“It has as many benefits as it does drawbacks. At first I couldn’t accept I would outlive everyone I knew. My village was raided by evil lycans on a full moon. Some villagers were turned, others were killed. Most of my family was killed and the ones who were turned eventually met their fate with silver. The few human relatives I had died two hundred years ago.”
“You have no family?”
“I have Leo and Sam. The family is close. We may not share the same blood or the same genes, but we look after each other.”
“I wish I could say the same about the coven. Since the mistress discovered I was human, she hasn’t exactly embraced me.”
Matt’s face creased with a dark frown. He rose abruptly and went to the bar. He returned with an empty cup and set it down on the coffee table in front of them. Maddy gave him a questioning look. “We need to test your powers. Move the cup without touching it.”
Maddy made a face. “I...I can’t. I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Think it. Wish it. Maddy, you need to see what you’re capable of doing.”
She nodded and took a deep breath as she directed her gaze to the cup. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on moving it.
“Relax,” Matt said gently beside her.
Maddy opened her eyes and stared at the cup. How did she do it outside? She focused on the cup and still, nothing happened. She gave him a helpless look.
“I can’t.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “I would not worry about it. Your powers need time to develop. It’s the same when you turn into a lycan or a vampire. It takes time to acquire all your powers.”
“Matt, are you certain I’m a white witch? It still seems so unbelievable to me.”
“Maddy, you caught a speeding bullet in mid-flight. You wanted to save me and you did, by mere thought.”
“I wonder what the mistress will think when she discovers this news.”
“I’m sure she will welcome you into the coven and there will be a celebration.”
“We could use a celebration,” she said, releasing a sigh. “There hasn’t been much joy in my family for as long as I can remember. Catherine’s curse has taken the happiness out of everything. Imagine growing up, knowing you couldn’t fall in love because your lover would die.”
Matt’s expression hardened. “Catherine is gone now. She will never be able to hurt anyone again.” He rose and strode to the desk. Maddy watched him open a drawer and take something out. She gasped when she saw the two, slim pieces of dark wood. Catherine’s wand. He strode back to the couch and handed the two pieces to her.
Maddy was almost afraid to touch them. She knew the wand still breathed. It still lived and the dark curse hung over her family, taunting them to risk everything by falling in love. Catherine had taken so many people away from Maddy. Her heart was heavy as she thought of her beloved sister. Maddy missed her so much. With a shaky hand, she placed the broken wand on the table. She couldn’t wait to see it burning until it was a pile of dust. She remembered how grief stricken she had been when she’d held Effy for the first time at the hospital after her sister had died. Effy would never know what a beautiful, wonderful person her mother had been. Maddy squeezed her eyes and envisioned tossing the wand into the fire. The image of the wand in her mind wasn’t snapped in two, but one whole piece. She inhaled deeply and slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze rested on the broken wand and her eyes widened as she watched a strange glow emanating from its broken ends. She heard Matt suck in a harsh breath as she stared at the two ends glide toward each other. Her heart nearly stopped as she watched the wand fuse into one piece. She snapped a frantic gaze to a tight lipped Matt.
“What did I do?”
“I don’t know. What were you thinking about?”
She glanced back at the wand and pursed her lips. “I was angry, thinking about all the pain and suffering my family has had to endure with Catherine’s curse. And then...and then I thought I couldn’t wait to see the wand burn.”
“Go on.”
She raised her face to his and parted her lips in surprise. “I pictured myself holding the wand. It was whole and I was tossing it into the fire.”
His expression was grim. “That’s it, Maddy. You were angry. And outside, you were frightened. You summon your powers when you’re in a strong, emotional state.” He tightened his mouth.
Matt’s expression worried Maddy. “You’re thinking the same thing I am, aren’t you? You’re thinking I need to control my thoughts until I can harness this power, otherwise I’ll have slow waitresses disappearing and people cutting me off in traffic going up in smoke.”
“Something like that,” he said, his tone serious.
“How can I do that? How can I control what I’m thinking when I’m angry or scared?” Panic rose in her breast.
Matt took her hand and held it. “Maddy, I don’t have all the answers. The only thing you can do is, once you start feeling an elevated emotional state, be aware of your thoughts. In time, you’ll master your power, as all of us have. When I first turned into a lycan I didn’t know my own strength. My grip broke everything I touched.”
“How long did it take you to get used to your strength?”
“Not long, and it won’t take you long, either.”
“Thanks, Matt,” she said. She tore her gaze from his and rose. “I have to go home and make arrangements to leave as soon as possible. I have to bring the wand to the mistress.”
Matt frowned as he rose from the couch. “I thought we were going to throw it in that metal trash bin and toss in a match.”
Maddy hid a smile. “I wish it was that simple. I have to take it to the mistress. She will perform the sacred rite of purge. It’s done with fire.”
“Fine. I will accompany you there. Where is your coven?”
“It’s hard to explain. A spell has the entrance to the facility camouflaged making it invisible to the naked eye.”
“Maddy, where is it?” He asked, his tone firm.
“Central Park. Actually, it’s about three miles below Central Park.”
“I see. Why am I not surprised? We leave first thing in the morning for this invisible fortress,” he said.
“Matt, you don’t have to do this. I’ll go alone with Effy.”
Matt gave her a hard look. “Maddy, there’s something you don’t realise. Garos has the crystal ball in his possession and he needs a witch to power it. His men have probably already told him you stopped a bullet with your bare hand. Lycans and vampires are the only two beings who can move that fast. My guess is his men sensed neither in you and told Garos you’re human.” His eyes darkened. “How long do you think it will take Garos to put two and two together and realise you’re a white witch?” Matt clenched his jaw. “Maddy, if Garos discovers you live with your niece, he may use her as bait to get to you.”
Dread made her legs weak. “No!”
“I’m afraid so. Garos will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and right now, he wants a witch to replace Catherine.”
What was she going to do? Maddy knew Effy would be safer if Matt travelled with them, but the more time Maddy spent with him, the closer she was to falling for him. Maddy worried her lower lip. The curse was precise. Once a female descendant of Catherine’s fell in love, the man would face an untimely death. The problem was, no one knew when the curse would strike, the only certainty was that it would.
“Damn,” she whispered.
“My sentiments, exactly,” he said dryly, misunderstanding her. “As of now, you and Effy will be under my twenty-four hour protection.”
Who would be protecting Matt from the curse? “That’s not necessary,” she said.
“You have no choice in this matter, Maddy. I don’t want anything happen to you two.”
“What about your P.I. office? You can’t just drop everything?”
“Why not? I own the place. I can stop operations until Leo returns from his honeymoon and we assign you permanent protection.”
Maddy’s face paled. This was happening too fast. “You’re starting to care for me,” she said brokenly.
Matt gave her a strange look. “Of course I care for you. I care for all innocents.”
“You can’t. Not for me,” she said.
His eyes narrowed and he gave her a long, searching look. “Why not? What is it you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing,” she said, giving him a guarded look. “I appreciate you wanting to help me, but I need to do this alone.”
She couldn’t spend any more time with him. She didn’t know which was worse, her concern that he still loved his ex, or the evident signs he actually started to care for her. Her choice was simple. Until the wand was destroyed, she couldn’t see him again.
She took the wand from the table and slipped it in her purse. “Please drive me home.”
He remained silent, staring at her, and she caught something flicker over his face. Maddy tensed. Had that been a
flash of suspicion she’d witnessed? Matt pulled out his keys from his pocket.
“I’ll drive you home, but don’t expect to get rid of me that easily. Like it or not, until I find out what Garos is up to, I am going to protect you,” he said.
“Matt, I—”
“You have no say in this matter. After I drop you at home, I’ll return to my place and collect a few things, unless you and Effy wouldn’t mind staying at my house?”
His expression was like granite and she knew she was going to lose this battle. My home,” she answered quietly. “How long do you think you’ll stay with us?”
“Until I know Garos has given up on going after you.”
Her brows rose. “That could take weeks.”
His lips curled arrogantly. “Give me a little more credit than that. Once Leo returns from his honeymoon, we’ll put together a task force and get that crystal ball from Garos. Without the ball, he won’t need you.” His smile did not reach his eyes and she grew cold. “You’re stuck with me for the duration.”
Stuck wasn’t the word she would have used. Being around him was stirring, moving, exciting, certainly not stuck. She was heavy with defeat. “We’d better get going then. I want to be home before Wendy returns with Effy from the park.”
****
Garos answered his phone on the first ring. “Is he dead?” He growled.
“No, boss, but I’ve got something better for you. We found your witch.”
Garos straightened in his seat. “What did you say?”
“We found your witch. Matt was with a woman and when I fired my gun on him, she caught the bullet.”
Garos narrowed his eyes. “She can’t be a vampire. The sun’s too bright this morning. Are you sure she isn’t a lycan?”
“She’s human and there’s more, boss. I didn’t see a wand.”
“No wand, you say?” Garos drew in a slow breath. “I’ll be damned. Do you know what this means? She’s more than we need. A white witch.”
“It won’t take Matt long to know we’ll go after her.”
“Yes. Yes. To hell with him!” Garos said with annoyance. Matt was nothing compared to this woman. “Call the other teams. I want you all to wait for Matt and my white witch and follow them. Find out where she lives and once he leaves her alone, get her.”
Tall Dark Handsome Lycan, Book 4 Page 5
