by May Gordon
“I lost my mommy; she was in the alley,” he tells me, tears falling from his eyes.
“How long ago?”
“Just now,” he informs me with a sniffle.
“Well, she can’t be that far then. Let’s go search her,” I offer as I take his hand and lead him back the way he came. I don’t see anyone, so we walk a little further. Turning to ask where she might’ve gone, I gasp in shock as he morphs into a grown man right in front of me. “You’re a shifter!” Surprise doesn’t begin to cover the realization as I stare at one of the rarest magic users in the world.
“You, my dear, are a hard person to track down. It was smart to have a pure-blood witch as cover,” he says in a sinister voice that terrifies me.
“Who are you?” I ask as I slowly try to move away from him, my attempt thwarted when his hand shoots out and painfully wraps around my neck.
“I serve Charles Kent, and he wants his most valuable auction piece returned.” I struggle to break free, but he squeezes harder, cutting off my screams. I use what little I have left of my magic, knowing it’s not enough to do anything with the lack of nature nearby. My eyes begin to close, unable to stay open any longer, the darkness beckoning me as it pulls me under.
Chapter 7
Edgar
I try to listen to Alaric, knowing what he’s saying is important, but my mind keeps focusing on Willow. I hope she fell asleep and is taking a long nap, but something doesn’t feel right. “I need to check on Willow,” I tell him as rise to my feet as he shakes his head at my impatience. “I can’t help it,” I state, already heading toward my office, but before I reach it, I notice the back door is open when it shouldn’t be. “Willow?” I call out, peeking in and I seeing her untouched plate and drink on my desk. Deciding to investigate the alley, I step outside and somehow feel the loss of her presence.
Alaric comes rushing toward me when I roar his name, worry on his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone took her,” I explain, panic coursing through me as he uses his abilities to confirm what we already suspect.
“Whoever it was, they have magic.”
“We need to find her,” I almost plead. When he says he has an idea, I immediately jump on it not expecting him to mention Hades. “What can he do?”
“His powers are very unique; he can track her.” Wondering once again what he is, Alaric shrugs when I ask and admits, “I have no idea.”
“Get him. We can’t waste more time than we already have.” The wait is unbearable and I’m ready to lose my mind, jumping in my haste to talk to Hades and plead for his help when Alaric returns with him. Hades moved here a few years ago and I haven’t seen him much as he prefers to keep to himself, but I swear he’s bigger with each sighting. With a beard covering the majority of his face paired with his size, he reminds you of a bear.
As always, he avoids eye contact, asking in a deep voice, “What was taken?”
“My mate, Willow. She’s a Vetter.” Nodding at the information, he puts his hands on the ground and starts chanting in a language I’m unfamiliar with.
“A shifter was here,” he says.
“Thought they all died out long ago,” Alaric muses.
“I heard rumors a small group exists,” I add.
“They came from Florida,” Hades informs us and when I ask how he knows that, he mysteriously states, “I see things,” with a shrug.
“How?” Same response. When I open my mouth to ask another question, Alaric stops me, silently telling me to drop the subject.
“My best guess,” Hades continues as if I wasn’t just interrogating him, “is that’s where whoever took her is heading.” When I ask if he’s sure, he repeats himself.
“Okay, then that’s where we’re going, too.”
“I’m leaving,” Hades chimes in, walking away without another word.
“If a black-market is there, my contact will know.”
“Let’s go.”
“Should we tell Elvira?”
“No. She’d demand to go with us and the last thing I need is a family feud with Bram." With a nod in agreement at my thinking, he says he’ll meet me at the airport in forty minutes. Packing my own bags after he’s gone, my mind is on Willow the whole time. I don’t know what pisses me off more, the fact someone took her, and from my own bar no less, or that I let it happen. I promised to protect her and I failed. I refuse to do so again. Whoever took her will endure a painful death, and once she’s back in my arms where she belongs, I’ll never let her go.
Chapter 8
Willow- Florida…
I look around, seeing the others stuffed in cages, then at the little girl in my arms. She can’t be more than five and is so terrified it’s rendered her speechless. I begged for them to let her stay with me, worried what might happen if she wasn’t. Men are coming and going, checking on the “merchandise,” all of them magic users which makes it worse. Who captures and sells their own kind? Is money really worth turning your back on your own people?
Watching them as I am while they add various items to the tables in the warehouse with us, a thrill races up my spine when I notice my amulet is one of them. Having the source of my power so close is like a sign. I have to take this chance, not only for myself but for everyone else, too. Setting my companion down, hating how limited my movements are from my own cage, I whisper. “I’m going to help us, just hold on a little longer.” Her eyes widen, so I assume she understands what I’m telling her, but she still doesn’t speak. Turning, I try to activate my powers except it’s not close enough and I'm weak from being away from nature for too long. That doesn’t stop me from attempting it a second, then a third time, each result ending the same. “Come on!” I groan, knowing I have to do this, otherwise, each woman, and child in here will suffer, myself included, and I’ll never see Edgar again. Summoning everything inside me, I stick my hands through the bars and call on my magic, feeling the spark that ignites, giving me just enough to unlock my prison. Grabbing the girl, I walk us out of the cage as quietly as possible, stopping to put on my pendant, my power instantly running through me like a long-lost friend. When there’s a tug on my arm, I look down only to find her pointing at the rest. “Let’s get them out,” I suggest to which she smiles and we both begin doing just that. They're weak, but the possibility of freedom, the hope it brings, is giving them strength. When one of the women mentions running, I tell her not yet. “We have no idea how to escape,” and then I hear footsteps getting closer, causing panic to flare throughout the crowd. “Hide, quickly,” I urge them, handing the child over. “Take her and don’t come out no matter what.”
Once they’re all hidden, I stand there, just waiting to see who it’ll be. A tall man in a sharp suit, evil seeming to ooze from him, enters and it doesn’t take long to realize he’s a witch. When he sees the empty cages, his eyes fixate on me as his power crackles around him. “I see that my Vetter lives up to her reputation. First escaping, now freeing the others. You're costing me money, bitch,” he snarls.
“You can’t do this!”
“I don’t care how I get paid, but I do about how much I’ve lost because of you,” he responds, casting a paralyzing spell afterward which I deflect. Flinging my power back at him, he’s surprised by the blast that knocks him off his feet, but my victory is short-lived as three men, also witches, storm in. Even with the others only feet away, I know I’m outnumbered because they don’t have the energy. It’s up to me to fight them as long as possible. They’re so close to getting out of here and I refuse to be the reason they don’t make it. No matter the cost.
Chapter 9
Edgar
Alaric and I burst through the doors, my magic boiling and flying around me as my sanity continues to fade the longer Willow is missing. I stop cold the second I see my mate, weak and battered, fighting with the man I’ve discovered is Charles Kent is Willow. But she’s not giving up, nor is she taking him on alone. Five other women, witches like me, are at her side and my pow
er erupts as uncontrollable as a volcano. “You’re a dead man,” I tell him like a man possessed. Those responsible for hurting her must suffer.
“What the hell are you?” Charles demands, terrified. I’m not sure how to answer that as I felt as if I was but a shadow of my usual self, something else taking over my actions. Whatever it is, he’s not done and continues to kill the rest, leaving Charles as the only one remaining. My hand wraps around his neck, squeezing the life out of him without remorse, the feel of Willow grabbing my arm the only thing that stops me.
With my focus now on her, I feel like a curse has been lifted as my magic falls silent within me. Charles falls to the floor, gasping for air, as my eyes take in how frightened the women are…of me. “What happened?”
“Your magic took over,” Alaric explains, walking toward Kent and placing magic handcuffs around his wrists.
“Are you okay?” Willow wants to know, caressing my face.
“I should be asking you that,” I say, hugging her. “I thought I lost you,” I whisper.
“Never,” she corrects me. “We’re mates, which means I’m always with you.” I kiss her, unable to resist feeling her lips against mine, reluctantly letting her go when she pulls back to glance at the others. “I can’t thank you all enough,” she tells them.
“You saved us,” one of them states. “It’s us who should be thanking you.”
“Where’s the little one?” Willows wants to know, uncomfortable with the praise.
“They took a child, too?” I don’t know why I’m so surprised considering what I already know they’re capable of.
“She won't come out from behind the boxes,” another woman answers. Willow immediately heads in that direction and begins trying to coax her out. Not wanting to interfere, I seek out Alaric to offer my assistance.
He’s securing the men as I approach and glances at me, asking, “Would you cast a sleep spell? I want to make sure they don’t cause any trouble before the police get here.” With a nod, I quickly do so just as Willow reappears with a young girl in her arms. The moment she sees Alaric, she scrambles to get down and runs to him, wrapping herself around his legs. “Whoa,” he sputters, stunned and unsure what to do.
“She hasn’t said a word since they brought her in.”
Alaric kneels and picks her up, instantly becoming mush as he soothes her. “Don’t worry, little one. You’re safe now,” he vows.
Over the next few hours, we meet with the local authorities and magic community. The women are being returned to their homes and a task force was created to track down those already sold. Charles Kent and his underlings are in prison where they will be for a very long time. Unfortunately, we have no idea who the child’s parents are, and seeing as how she’s attached herself to Alaric, he decides to take her with him while continuing to search for her family. As we finally leave the police station, I gather Willow in my arms, her pendant catching my eye. “I’m happy you found your heirloom.”
She smiles, then kisses me and confesses, “I’m so tired. Can we go home now?”
Chapter 10
Willow- Two weeks later…
Elvira and I are sharing a booth, both of us flipping through baby magazines, Edgar and I having recently discovering we’re expecting. We were over the moon at the news and his sister was just as happy. Everything seemed to fall into place once we got back from Florida. Belle, as Alaric has named her, is thriving under his attention, though she still hasn’t said a word to anyone. She does, however, constantly smile when she’s near him. It seems as if she might become a permanent fixture in our lives as he’s had no luck in the search for her family.
“How about this crib?” Elvira wants to know, passing me the magazine she was looking at.
It’s a beautiful black oak and exactly my style. “It’s perfect!”
“We’ll add it to the growing list of items Edgar needs to buy,” she says with a giggle. Speaking of, my eyes seek him out and find him talking to some of his employees. “How are you feeling?” Elvira asks, breaking into my thoughts.
“Great, actually. I don’t even feel pregnant.”
“Lucky you. This baby is already a troublemaker like her dad,” she teases, patting her very round tummy. I smile at her with sympathy, Edgar standing beside me before more can be said.
“You ready?” He asks. I warn him we’ve got quite a bit of shopping to do. It doesn’t even faze him, he just turns to his sister without missing a beat and wants to know if Bram is on his way.
“Should be here soon. Jack had soccer practice.”
“We’ll be at the game Saturday, so we’ll see you then,” he says, taking my hand and gently helping me to my feet.
“You want us to wait until they get here?” I ask, feeling bad for leaving her alone.
“Oh god, not you, too,” she groans. “I’m fine. Go have fun.” Then she winks, adding, Call me later.” That was kind of weird seeing how we talk pretty regularly. I wave over my shoulder as Edgar leads me outside and we begin walking toward the shopping district, talking the long way and cutting through the park. The leaves are falling and Christmas will be here before we know it. Thanksgiving was a few days ago and we had a family dinner at Elvira and Bram's house. It was such a great way to celebrate how thankful I am for how my life has changed.
“What are you thinking?” Edgar wants to know, wrapping an arm around me.
“How much I love everything about fall and living in this town,” I admit with a sigh of happiness.
“I know exactly how to make your last week even better.”
“How?” I ask with a suspicious smile as he stops us in the middle of the park. When he gets down on one knee, I can’t contain my gasp.
“We’re mates, so marriage is just a formality, but I wanted to bind us together in all ways,” he tells me, pulling a ring out of his pocket and slipping it on my finger. I can’t even get his name out, my emotions and the baby hormones making it too hard to speak. Giving me a passionate kiss, he breaks apart and informs me, “You don’t need to say anything, I already know you want to marry me.”
I laugh and kiss his cheek, letting him know, “I want a Halloween wedding like Elvira had.”
“Then that’s what you’ll have.”
With my heart full of what I feel for this man, I whisper, “I love you, Edgar.”
“I love you too, Willow,” he responds, our magic mixing simultaneously with his mouth crashing onto mine. The trees, plants, and flowers grow as we pour everything we are into the kiss. As horrible as it was to be kidnapped and taken from my homeland, it brought me to my mate.
Epilogue 1
Edgar- Halloween a year later….
“Are you guys ready? Everything else is,” Elvira rambles despite the fact she and Willow have been planning for almost a year. She’s acting like a wedding planner on crack.
“Babe, we have been ever since you yelled at us two hours ago for not being so,” Bram reminds her. She simply scolds him, saying it’s an important day and she wants it to be perfect for us.
“Jack is with the wagon to pull Autumn and Harry down the aisle after they’re buckled in,” she explains for the fifth time. “I’ll go check on Willow,” she adds. “She looks like a princess,” she gushes, turning to flaunt the fact she’s seen her and I haven’t been allowed to.
“We’re heading to the altar,” I tell her, starting to feel nervous.
“You all right?” Bram wants to know.
“Just anxious to get married.”
“Alaric is getting Belle settled now.” They’re both my best men. I feel like the wait for the music to start is taking forever. Jack is adorable and focused on pulling his sister, Autumn, and my son, Harry, with Elvira following close behind. My breath leaves me completely when Willow appears in a lace cream-colored dress with sleeves down to her wrists, her hair flowing freely around her. I know we said our vows, yet the rest is such a blur I don’t even remember moving toward the reception.
“
Was it everything you wanted?” I ask as we slow dance.
“Elvira did an amazing job.”
“And tonight we’ll go trick or treating with the kids.”
“The perfect end to a wonderful day,” she states, kissing me before resting her head against my chest. All the years of loneliness are behind me and she was worth the wait.
Epilogue 2
Willow- Five years after that…
“Oh my god, don’t you look cute?” Elvira gushes behind me at six-year-old Harry dressed as a werewolf and Rune, who is three, is a bumblebee.
“Auntie, I’m scary,” Harry corrects her.
“I apologize, you are super scary.”
“Look at me!” Jack yells from the living room, proud of his zombie outfit. I make the appropriate oohs and aahs, doing the same when Autumn shows off her ladybug
“We just need the guys,” Elvira states with a glance at her watch.
“They were finishing up the community event and said they’d be here soon. Alaric and his family will meet up with us, Hades, too.”
“I guess we can take some pictures,” she suggests and we quickly shuffle them outside and position them around the pumpkins. Laughter ensues until our husbands pull into the driveway and the kids go running to show off.
“Finally,” Elvira tells them with a grin. “They’ve been chomping at the bit for candy.”
