Dangerous Magic
Page 2
“Thank you.”
“Of course!” She started to leave when he stopped her.
“Do you have a phone?”
The woman turned back and nodded. “I have a cell phone but I rarely get calls. You’re welcome to try, but sometimes the service is sketchy.” He nodded, his shoulders drooping. She gave him a soft smile before hurrying from the bedroom, then closing the door softly but firmly behind her.
Finn glanced back at the door, then let the blanket fall before stepping into the bathroom. It was small with just a shower and sink. Every free surface seemed to be covered with various shampoos, conditioners, and lotions. He picked up a bottle of shampoo and sniffed it. No, she didn’t smell like this one. Maybe the lavender and lemon was her own natural scent. Turning on the shower, he stepped under the hot water, closing the glass door behind him. Picking up the bar of soap, he sniffed it. Lemon. That solved one mystery.
In no time at all, he’d shampooed his hair and used the soap to wash. After rinsing off, he lingered under the hot stream and let the pounding water soothe his aching muscles.
His mind started racing as he wondered where he was. The last place he remembered being was in Durango, Colorado, traveling back to his pack. He’d been tracking the same poachers that had shot him and their trail had ended in Durango.
He’d spent days asking around and following them until he knew their routine. After an evening of drinking and playing pool at a local dive bar, the two had stumbled to their motel where he was waiting and he followed them inside.
He’d found out too late they weren’t as drunk as they appeared and they managed to get the jump on him instead. One minute he was trying to fight them off and the next, he was waking up in the bed of a truck with a cap on it. He was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, being bounced around and bruised by what he assumed were back roads they were driving along. Neither had been boy scouts because it hadn’t taken Finn very long to get himself untied. Once free, he moved closer to the front of the truck to see if he could hear what they were saying.
Hearing the words ‘pelt’ and ‘bounty’, he sprang into action, working on escaping before they reached wherever it was they were taking him. Finn kicked out the back window of the camper shell and jumped out, doing a tuck and roll as he landed on the country road, got to his feet, and started running. Unfortunately, the two had heard him. Stopping the truck, they started chasing him, firing at him when they could, but they had missed at first.
The trees and forest he was running through reminded him a lot of his pack land, so he figured they weren’t too far away from his home. It wasn’t overly thick, which should have made running easier, but there were stumps and rocks scattered throughout and he’d caught his foot, almost falling several times. His lungs burned and his head hurt from the exertion and whatever the men had used to knock him out. Whatever they had done to him had made him nauseous and dizzy, but he’d kept running.
When he’d burst through the meadow, his wolf had wanted to shift. Maybe he should have let him. He had more speed as a wolf but, he’d been too afraid they’d catch him. It hadn’t mattered, at least that’s what he thought then, when one shot finally hit its mark. Stumbling at first, the impact lifted him off his feet slightly and he’d fallen to the ground and shifted anyway.
Finn reluctantly stepped from the shower. His hostess had been right. She had a shower to die for with great pressure and a massage shower head. He dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist before stepping into her bedroom. Walking to the bed where his jeans and shirt were laying intact, he let the towel drop so he could get dressed. He went to the room’s full-length mirror and turned so he could see where the bullet hit him. He pulled off the bandage she’d put on and examined the wound. It was healing nicely, but he still needed to shift to his wolf and let his body heal the rest of the way. He was thankful that she had found him before those poachers. If she hadn’t? He would be dead.
Pulling on his jeans, he lifted the t-shirt he’d been wearing and admired the witch’s handiwork. He’d seen her repair the cup that had broken, but he couldn’t even tell that the shirt had been torn and he knew it had been when he shifted. He had to admit that she had taken good care of him last night.
The smell of bacon and fresh-brewed coffee wafted into the bedroom, and his stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday and he loved bacon. Bless her, he thought as he finished dressing, slipped on his boots, and headed back out to the kitchen.
Chapter 3
Claire
Claire leaned against the bedroom door and put her hand on her chest, hoping to stop her heart from beating so fast. Holy moly, the man was gorgeous and muscled...and gorgeous. Did she say gorgeous? Hearing the shower come on, she took a moment to wonder what he looked like without the blanket.
His chest had been broad, and his arms were well-muscled. Was the rest of him the same? She knew wolf shifters were very strong, so odds were he was. She let out a breath and pushed away from the door, fanning herself. If she didn’t stop her train of thought, she’d get nothing done and she’d promised breakfast and coffee.
She pulled eggs and bacon from the fridge before going to search for the coffee pot and praying she actually had some coffee. Staring at the coffee canister on the counter, she chewed her lip because she wasn’t quite sure how to make coffee. Her father had bought the coffeemaker and coffee when he’d helped her move here because he drank it. She only drank tea, and decaffeinated tea at that. Looking at the back of the can, she read the directions quickly before starting her first pot of coffee ever. Hopefully, it would not be too strong or weak for him.
By the time the shower turned off, the coffee was brewing and she was frying bacon. Now that she could do. She loved bacon and would eat it morning, noon, and night, and often did. At least if the coffee was terrible, the rest of breakfast would hopefully make up for it. As she turned the bacon, Maroon 5 started playing from some invisible speaker and she started dancing to Moves Like Jagger and singing off key along with Adam Levine. Claire knew she couldn’t sing, but she loved Adam Levine, and always tried to sing with him.
Using a fork, she scooped the bacon out of the pan and put it on a plate then grabbed two eggs, breaking the shells quick and neat on the edge of the pan. Grabbing the spatula, she turned to get some toast started and squealed. Finn stood there, his wet black hair slicked back, his eyes focused solely on her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she leaned against the counter.
“You have got to stop sneaking up on me.” Finn grinned and her heart flipped over. If she thought he was gorgeous before, he was sinfully sexy when he smiled. Taking several calming breaths, she tried to slow her Indy 500-like racing heart down.
She wasn’t used to having anyone in her cabin, let alone someone whose thoughts she couldn’t hear. Frown slightly, she had forgotten that she hadn’t been able to hear his thoughts in the meadow. It was disconcerting even though she had been searching for someone she wouldn’t have to shield from.
“I don’t mean to startle you. Are you usually this jumpy?”
Claire just looked at him a moment, her gaze drawn to how the t-shirt he was wearing stretched across his broad chest and the sleeves showed off the muscles in his arms. She had to remind herself to blink so she wouldn’t seem like she was staring, when, in answer to his question, no, she wasn’t normally this jumpy. That was because she could hear what others were thinking and knew they were approaching before they even walked into a room.
“No. Not usually, but I live alone. I’m not used to having someone here. Have a seat. The bacon is done and I think I’ve overcooked the eggs, but I’ll fix you more. There is coffee but I’m not vouching for how good it is.”
Claire went to the fridge and took out two more eggs, then snatched the coffee pot. Stepping to the table, she filled his coffee cup then looked at it.
“You might want some milk or cream. It looks strong.”
Finn picked up the cup and took a dr
ink, barely able to hide his grimace, before he set the cup back down. “Well, that’ll put hair on your chest.”
“You don’t need help with that.” Claire chuckled, turning back to fry the eggs. Looking at him over her shoulder, her cheeks turned pink as she gave him a timid smile. “Sorry. Wolf humor.”
Breaking the shells, she let the eggs slide into the pan before stepping over to the counter and putting two pieces of bread in the toaster. She could feel Finn’s eyes on her and she tried not to act like he made her nervous. Of course, he made her nervous, but he didn’t need to know that.
She had been in this cabin for six months and he was the only person, other than her father, who had been inside it. Glancing out the window, she noted how the snow was coming down in large, wet flakes and let out a slow breath. It looked like they would be stuck with each other for at least a day or so. When it stopped snowing, she would start clearing things off, but right now they would need to make the best of things.
“By the way, I’m Finn. Finn O’Reilly. Thought it would be good to know each other’s names, since by the looks of that storm, we might be stuck here together for a day or so.”
Claire brought the frying pan over to the table and slid the eggs onto Finn’s plate, followed by the bacon. She glanced out of the window once more, then back to Finn. “It’s nice to meet you, Finn, I’m Claire.”
Turning back to the counter, she grabbed the toast as it popped up, buttered it, then brought the slices back to the table. With a smile, she slid the over-cooked eggs onto her plate, then sat across from Finn.
“Thank you for helping me yesterday, Claire. You saved my life.”
Claire shifted in her chair uncomfortably. “Well, you almost bit me for my effort.” She glanced up to see his grin, and she smiled back. “Sorry I turned you into a Shih Tzu. You really were growling and snapping at me and I didn’t know how else to get you back to my cabin.”
Tilting her head slightly, she pinned him with a look. “Why were those men shooting at you?” She had heard the thoughts the men had about killing him for his pelt, but she didn’t tell him that. No one outside of family and a few close friends knew she was telepathic, and she wanted to keep it that way. Finn set his fork down and rubbed his eyes, a weariness seeming to settle onto his shoulders.
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m just trying to figure out if you are a danger to me or not.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “A little late for that, isn’t it? You’re already stuck with me.”
Claire gave him a sheepish smile. “True, but I’m confident I could turn you back into a Shih Tzu before you ever got close enough to be a threat to me.”
Finn threw his head back and laughed, nodding as he picked his fork back up. “I have no doubt about that.” Shoveling some eggs into his mouth, he took a sip of his coffee, trying to mask the grimace from its bitterness before he spoke again. “Why a Shih Tzu?”
Her smile widened as she shrugged. “I used to volunteer at a dog rescue when I was younger. One time the most adorable little Shih Tzu came in and I wanted to take him home so bad, but my parents wouldn’t let me. I’ve never forgotten him.”
“Well, do me a favor, please. Can you turn me into a German Shepherd or something next time? I do have a reputation to maintain.”
Claire laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, no promises.”
Finn chuckled, then finished his eggs. When they were both done, she stood and cleared the table, putting the dishes in the sink before turning around and catching him, once again, staring at her. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms in front of her.
“No, really. Why were those men chasing you?”
All humor left Finn as he looked at her, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms, seeming to study her until she felt heat slowly crawling up her body. Turning away from him, she started putting water and dish soap in the sink.
She really needed him to answer her question. Not being able to hear him in her head was really throwing her, making her fidgety and uncertain. It took all her willpower not to blurt out what she’d heard, but she had learned a long time ago that people didn’t like the fact she could read their minds or the minds of others. Still, she knew if she was going to trust him, he needed to come clean with her.
There was another reason she needed the answer to her question. Although her psychic abilities weren’t as advanced as her older sister, Beth’s, she sensed something was coming. Something life altering and, from the feel of it, dangerous.
Chapter 4
Finn
Finn watched Claire closely as she turned around and crossed her arms. The fierce determination in her eyes and the firm set of her full, kissable lips, had both man and wolf stirring. For the first time he really looked her over. He’d seen her from behind dancing, and the sway of her hips had him wishing for things he knew he couldn’t ask for. But now, all fired up and determined to get him to talk, she was positively stunning.
He looked down at the coffee he had stopped drinking, then back up to her. “The men were poachers. They work for a man named James Corbin. He pays them to hunt shifters, wounding them to get them to shift, then killing them in their animal form for their pelts. Bears, wolves, badgers...everything you could think of.”
Claire’s eyes widened to the size of UFOs as she moved to the table and sat down across from him. “Tell me more about this Corbin guy.”
His forehead knitted in a frown. Sitting back, he crossed his arms over his chest again, causing his muscles to bulge. “Have you heard of him?”
Claire took a deep breath and nodded. “We’ve had some trouble in my hometown where a friend of mine disappeared. Later it was discovered what happened to him and Corbin was mentioned. But that was months ago.”
The sadness in her eyes had Finn’s chest tightening. He had the sudden urge to go to her and take her in his arms to offer her comfort. It affected his wolf as well. He was whimpering, wanting to get to her and comfort her. What the hell was going on? He didn’t trust witches. But somehow, in a very short time...hours really...Claire was getting under his skin and was definitely stirring his wolf.
Finn could relate to her sadness. He’d seen Corbin’s cruelty firsthand...twice. He nodded. “I understand how you’re feeling. He’s taken two people from me.”
“Oh, Finn! I’m so sorry!” He watched as her sadness for him was replaced with sympathy and a flash of anger. She looked like she would take on Corbin right now if she had the chance.
He nodded and stood, walking over to one window, staring out into the swirling snow. If he could just get out of here and get to those two poachers, then maybe he could use one of them to get to Corbin. He’d already failed his cousin and his mother, but he could take Corbin out before any more of his poachers got their hands on one more shifter pelt.
His skin jumped when he felt her warm touch on his back and repeated herself. “I’m sorry, Finn.” He could feel the heat of her body as she nearly pressed up against him while trying to offer him consolation.
Turning, he looked down into her eyes and saw the tenderness that had the potential to be his undoing. She was a strong female, he could tell that, but right then, he felt her compassion and it was doing all kinds of things to him. As if it had a mind of its own, his hand raised and his finger traced the soft skin of her cheek. “You don’t even know me, Claire. Why are you sorry?”
Finn watched as she swallowed, then gave him a soft smile. “Because I know what it’s like to lose someone to tragedy like that. My loss was a friend and not family, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.”
Finn searched her eyes. They reminded him of the deep green leaves on the trees surrounding his pack land. Moving his hand to the back of her neck, he pulled her close and dipped his head to kiss her lightly on her lips. When he pulled back, he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip before reluctantly stepping away, turning his back on her, and walking to the fireplace where he stared into the flames.
The sound of dishes and water had him turning to see that Claire had gone back to the sink and was washing the breakfast dishes, her posture stiff. There was definitely no singing or dancing like he’d seen before. Sighing, he dropped his head for a moment. She was pissed or hurt or both. Walking into the kitchen, he stood behind her, his hands aching to reach out and pull her to him. Instead, he put them on her arms and rubbed them, trying to soothe her.
“I’m sorry, Claire. Look at everything you’ve done. Jesus, you saved my life, and I’m being a jerk. And...well….I’m sorry I let my desires override my sensibility in kissing you.”
Claire relaxed some, but didn’t turn around, just continued to do the dishes. “It’s okay, Finn. We don’t know each other. I shouldn’t have gotten so personal.” Finn growled lightly, dropping his hands. Claire looked up from her dishes to peer out into the storm. “I’m thinking this might last another day, then we can dig out and I can take you into town if you need me to.”
Finn frowned, not liking the sound of her voice or the way she wasn’t turning around to look at him. Letting out a slow breath, he went to the chair in front of the fire and sat down. Watching the flames, he thought about his next move. He’d lost the poachers’ trail, and he had no idea where to start except to go back to Durango. That was the last place he’d been before they got the jump on him.
Claire came over and took a seat across from Finn, pulling her legs under her as she gazed into the fire. He studied her for a moment until she looked up at him. “I’m telepathic.” He frowned at her declaration. “I can hear other people’s thoughts loud and clear. It’s why I’m here. The voices were getting so loud that I couldn’t take it anymore. My father helped me move up here from New Mexico so I could have some peace from the thoughts of others.”