No one was here. I looked back and forth. Had someone left a lantern on the ground here?
Riblet ran straight for the blue light and stopped in the center of it.
I followed slowly, staying alert to whatever or whoever else could be out there in the dark forest.
When I reached Riblet, I realized it wasn’t a lantern, and the grass wasn’t blue. There was a ring, maybe five feet across, where the grass had died. Where the ground was bare, a faint blue glow seemed to emanate from the dirt itself. Riblet snuffled all around the ring, squealing and wiggling her tail.
It wasn’t Chase or the monster that she was leading me to, it was this. I wondered how long the circle had been here and what the hell it was. I bent down for a closer look. I had seen smaller rings of dead grass like this sometimes in the yard, but they had never glowed. Mom used to call them something, something that had charmed me when I was little. What was it? Circles of some sort...then it hit me.
I jumped up and ran from the woods, back toward the farmhouse with Riblet on my heels. I had to find Chase before he did something stupid. The markings on the ground—my mother had called them fairy circles.
Chapter Twelve
Chase
“This is crazy,” Ethan mumbled. “We should have brought the whole pack—”
My father silenced him with a look.
After what had happened last time, I knew my cousin was right, at least in part. Taking this creature on was crazy, but it had to be done. If it was still out there somewhere, Harper would never truly be safe. And with as dangerous and quick as the baobhan sith was, more help could turn into more targets.
“There’s no reason to fear.” My father turned his attention to Ethan, but kept his eyes forward as he pushed farther ahead into the forest. “It’s only a single fairy.”
“But…” Ethan swallowed hard and looked down at the book he’d brought along from the library. “The book says the sith will come when it senses a man’s desire—to eat him. It’s not just a fairy. Seems more like a vampire from what it says here. We should treat it like we would a vampire.”
“Are you defying your alpha?” My father stopped in his tracks, and Ethan and I were forced to stop as well.
“Of course not,” Ethan said. “I’m only trying to help by offering—”
“We’ve all three read the passage. Close the book and remain alert.”
Ethan hung his head and did as he was told.
“This is your mission, Chase.” My father looked to me before continuing his press forward. “Take charge.”
It was the first time he’d deferred to me. He’d trained me to take charge, sure. But he’d never given up the reins. This was a shift in our dynamic. I couldn’t let him down.
I nodded. “We don’t know where the baobhan sith lives. But we do know how to lure it. We’ll choose our battleground, shift, and then wish for a woman.”
“Imagine fucking her something fierce.” My father clasped Ethan’s shoulder and my cousin’s eyes went wide as he looked to me as if I could help.
My father laughed.
“This creature is no joke. It nearly killed me, but not before I got in a few good bites. Together, we can bring it down.”
Both men nodded.
And with that, we took to choosing where we would summon the creature, where we would make our stand.
“Here.” I stopped at a small clearing. “This isn’t far from where Mitch was attacked.”
“All right, let’s do this.” My father’s eyes glittered with excitement, as they always did before a fight.
Ethan appeared hesitant but determined. We could do this. We had to.
We stripped down and stored our clothes under a nearby bush.
Ethan dropped to all fours, hair sprouting from his back. My father did the same. I let go of what it was to be human and let my inner wolf take over. My face grew long as my limbs shortened. Bones cracked and reshaped until all that remained was the wolf.
I turned to my father and my cousin, both gray wolves like me, and I spoke in the shifter tongue. “It’s time. Think about a woman. Someone you wish was here with you right now.” I liked to think my father would imagine my mother, but I didn’t really want to know either way. Ethan was into a she-wolf from the pack, but really, it didn’t matter who we thought of. The book made it clear that all that was required was sexual thought.
For me, there was only one choice—Harper. I imagined the way her blond hair framed her face, the soft curve of her breasts, the flare of her wide hips.
“It’s working,” I said. “Look.”
A shadowy shape was moving amongst the trees, drawing closer. The air turned still and frigid, while the forest grew silent.
“This is it.” My father took back command. “Ethan, move left. Chase, go right. I’ll lure it to me and then you boys flank it.”
I did as he said and moved outward, keeping my eyes on the approaching creature. Just as he’d planned, the baobhan sith was heading straight for him. I looked to see if Ethan was in position. He was, but there was something else, another shadow moving in the trees behind him.
“Ethan, look out,” I barked.
But it was too late.
A second baobhan sith burst from the woods and sank its razor claws into Ethan’s back. He howled and fell to the ground. My father turned, his concern clear. But the first monster was already upon him. He dodged as it slashed its claws at him. He sank his teeth into the woman’s pale arm. The creature shrieked.
I tried to run to help Ethan, but I felt long cold fingers wrap around my hind legs. I snarled and snapped behind me, pain shooting up into my hips.
A third baobhan sith—one for each of us. One for each wish.
My teeth found cold flesh and I tore myself free of her grasp. It was only a momentary victory, as my legs were limp. I couldn’t walk, let alone fight three monsters.
I tried to drag myself away from the creature, but my front paws couldn’t find any purchase in the dirt.
Searching desperately for Ethan and my father, I only saw the backs of the monsters as they bent over unmoving mounds of fur.
The air was tinged with blood beneath the stink of unearthliness.
One last idea, one last hope—I let go of my wolf and shifted. My human hands clawed at the dirt, and I pulled myself toward the bushes where we had left our clothing. The monster’s presence loomed over me, her dagger-like nails clawing at my legs, but I didn’t stop and I didn’t dare turn around.
Just a little farther.
I grasped the leg of my jeans and yanked them close. I dug into the pocket and found it—the old pocket knife Dad had given to me when we’d first gone camping.
I hoped Harper’s hunch was right.
My only chance—hoping like hell the blade had enough iron to scare the monster. I flipped to my back and thrust the knife outward. For one horrible moment I saw the baobhan sith’s face. It’s long, needle teeth inches from my nose.
In a puff of black mist, the creature disappeared.
Fatigue mixed with relief, but there wasn’t time for that.
How the hell was I supposed to get to Ethan and my dad in time? I pushed myself up with my arms so I could see across the clearing.
The outlines of my father and Ethan were there in the grass, forced back to human form. The monsters—all three were gone. Brandishing steel was all it took? Enough to scare not just the one above me, but to frighten all three away? It seemed too good to be true.
The monsters were gone, but that alone was no victory. We hadn’t defeated the sith, and Ethan and my father weren’t moving. They were hurt because of me, because I’d led them out here.
My mission, my failure.
“Ethan?” I called. “Dad?”
I looked for signs of life, listening closely for confirmation that Ethan and my father were okay. There—faint heartbeats.
They were alive—that was something. My arms gave to my weight and I collapsed to the ground.
Chapter Thirteen
Harper
It sure as hell was a good thing I’d been paying attention and had picked up the number combination Chase had pushed last time. It took somewhere between three and five tries, but I figured that was still pretty good given my shaky fingers and the fact that I hadn’t been trying to memorize the damned thing.
I punched in the code on the front gate and ran up the driveway of Lennox manor to the ridiculously large mansion.
My legs burned from the run, and my feet were numb. When I reached the porch, my chest was still heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I lifted a fist to bang on the door, but before I could, it opened.
Chase.
I threw my arms around him. “Thank goodness, you haven’t gone out yet.”
He squeezed me back, but only for a second before taking a step back.
His eyes were cast toward the floor and he looked like shit, like he’d been through hell and back. His white t-shirt was filthy and dark red stains were pooling underneath. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and he looked pale.
“Shit, Chase. What happened? Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Harper, I was wrong.”
“You guys went out there and...is your dad okay?”
“He and my cousin were hurt. Everyone’s okay. Thanks to you.” He reached for my hand. The contact was nice, just a gentle touch. I wanted to go back to the night before, when we were tearing each other’s clothes off and everything between us was excitement. Now it was different, there was an uneasiness between us, a rift, and it didn’t sit right with me.
“Thanks to…” I repeated his words, just registering what he’d said.
“You were right. You were right about the iron in the guns—I had a knife. It’s what saved us. The only thing that saved us.”
He looked into my eyes, and I could see his vulnerability. And I could see something else, something I hadn’t realized until I thought I could have lost him. I didn’t just like Chase. Our connection was deeper than that. Not just attraction, not just hot sex. I loved him.
“I shouldn’t have listened to my father,” he said. “It was stupid. I was stupid. I never should have tried to keep you from helping me. I’m sorry.”
The admission surprised me, as much as the one I’d just made to myself.
“I know you thought you were doing the right thing.” I smiled and pulled the neck of his shirt down to look in at his wounds. There weren’t any—good.
“I won’t make the same mistake a second time,” he said.
“Damn right. I won’t let you.”
“And in promising that, I need to tell you. It’s not just one monster out there in the forest.”
“What?” One was more than enough. “Are there...two?”
“At least three. Thinking about women attracts them. We found it in the book, after you left.” His green eyes were full of apology. “Since the three of us each wished for a woman, we each got a sith. I don’t know what to do. Both Ethan and my father are resting now, working on healing from their injuries. There’s no point in calling in the cavalry, the pack’s numbers will work against us.”
I searched Chase’s face. Maybe it was better if just the two of us went out there. Hard to say for sure. What if it was a whole pack of monsters that swarmed us the next time? We’d have to be ready, and we had to end this before even more showed up in the woods. This was our home, Chase’s and mine. I wouldn’t give it up without a fight, and I knew he felt the same.
“I might have an idea,” I said. “I came to tell you, I found something.”
Chase perked up, interest sparkling in his green eyes.
“Riblet led me into the woods earlier this evening. She took me to a fairy circle.”
“A fairy circle?” He furrowed his brows. Clearly he had no idea what I was talking about. Maybe there were some things that weren’t in his library after all.
“That’s what my mom used to call them. You ever see those rings of dead grass?”
“Sure, I’ve seen them around in the yard and in the woods. I think they’re caused by fungus.”
I smiled. “Have you ever seen one glow?”
“Glow?” Chase pushed his shoulders back, and his eyebrows went up.
“Yeah, blue.” I knew I was on to something. I’d thought so before, but building off of Chase’s reaction—I was getting excited.
“That could be where they’re crossing over.” Chase’s eyes darted back and forth, like he was lost in thought, putting together pieces I may not have thought of yet. I was tempted to ask where exactly he thought the monsters were crossing from, but there was no good answer to that. Wherever the hell they were from, we needed to send their asses back—for good.
“If we can seal the circle, we can end this.” Chase beamed with hope, and it filled me with confidence. We could end this. Together.
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “I have a few more thoughts, and I came with supplies.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Hell, yes. I’ve got iron chains in the truck.”
Chapter Fourteen
Chase
Silence ruled the darkened forest. Each step forward was colder than the last, the scent less and less like it was meant to be. There was no question—we were headed into the monsters’ den.
The confidence I’d boasted last go round was gone, replaced by cautious apprehension. This time we wouldn’t lure the creatures. This time we’d stop them at the source from entering our realm to begin with. It was impossible to say how many of them were out there. Destroy one, and another could appear. Our best hope was sealing the circle.
The iron chains would work—they had to.
Eyes trained on Harper, I listened for sound, any sound. I watched the forest ahead of us as I followed her. There was no movement. Still, I knew the baobhan siths could be anywhere. They could be everywhere. A shiver crept over my shoulders. I couldn’t shake it—the feeling of being watched, of a wrongness that surrounded us from every direction. We were close.
After everything we’d been through, it felt right to see this to an end together, just the two of us. But that didn’t help the feeling in my gut. No matter what happened out here, I would protect her. The crazy part—I knew she’d do the same for me.
The forest broke into a clearing, glowing unnaturally in the night.
“It’s just up here,” Harper whispered.
At some point the baobhan siths were likely to notice that we were trying to fuck with their gateway. With any luck we’d already be done, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
At the center of the clearing was a ring of dirt as Harper had said, but much larger than any I had seen before. Not only did it dwarf the others in size, there was a cerulean glow that seemed to pierce the ground beneath without actually cracking the soil.
Harper uncoiled the chains from around her chest. I helped her spread them out beside the gateway.
“Let’s tie these to the oaks on either side, then cross them over the circle,” she whispered.
I nodded my agreement.
No sooner had I taken my first step toward one of the oaks that I heard rustling in the woods.
“What’s wrong?” Harper touched my arm and peered out into the forest. From the look on her face, I assumed she hadn’t heard it.
“They’re coming.”
And they were coming fast.
Shadows glided through the trees, more than I could count with a glance.
It seemed they were no longer afraid of the mere presence of metal, or maybe they just understood the stakes.
The first of the creatures cleared the treeline, and another, and another. Torn, I wrapped the end of the chain around my wrist and raced toward the circle. I had to trust that Harper would be okay. We couldn’t do this if I didn’t do my part. She needed me not as the wolf, but as a man wielding chains.
Harper raised her shotgun and fired, and the first monster disappeared in a screaming cloud of black mist
. My ears rang from the shotgun blast, but it worked. The creature was gone before it reached Harper.
Two more glided toward her.
Focus. The chain draped down over the circle as I dragged the end toward the first oak. Maybe the chain would be enough to stop more from coming.
In coordinated motion, both siths turned from Harper and raced toward me. Good.
Gunfire continued as Harper took aim and shot into the woods, keeping the creatures at bay. How many were out there? I didn’t want to know.
These two would have to be mine alone. I dove for the second chain and pulled the length of it to my feet. Simply brandishing the iron could be enough to scare them away—I hoped. The creatures hissed but continued their approach.
I wrapped the chain around my wrist and swung the other end above my head.
The siths flexed their claws and bared their needle-like teeth.
Like a whip, I threw out the chain toward one of the baobhan siths.
She reached out and caught the chain with a hiss. Her hands began to crumble, smoldering black ash falling to the ground before trailing to smoke in the night air.
Even as her flesh seared, the sith did not let go.
With both hands and using my weight, I tried to yank my weapon back, but the sith held tight. The second sith closed in, and I needed the chain to defend myself. I pulled, and the first sith let go, but I wasn’t fast enough.
Claws stabbed through my shoulder, piercing pain forcing me to lose my grip. The chain dropped to the ground and I spun to face the creature behind me. I was certain they’d have flanked us, as they had when I’d come out here with my father and Ethan. There were more this time, and only two of us. But they weren’t there.
Instead, they seemed to have shifted their focus to Harper. Was it her weapon that made her more of a threat?
Midnight Wish: A Werewolf Shifter Romance (The Protectors Quick Bites Book 1) Page 7
