by Laken Cane
People looked away when they saw her face—well, sometimes. But the one time she’d ventured out with a mask, it seemed to upset people. They’d stared, gotten angry, and one of them, a middle-aged man with a perpetual frown, had even demanded she remove it.
The mask brought more attention to her than just hiding behind her hair.
At last, Eli continued driving on toward the village. “Keep your dog controlled, Abby. There could be a lot of threats in my pack Sadie won’t like. If she attacks, they will kill her.”
“Even if you tell them not to?”
“I will never tell them to accept an attack,” he replied, patiently.
She put her knuckles to her lips. “That’s worrisome.”
Finally, he relented. “I’ll tell them not to attack because of her posturing.”
“Posturing?”
“What she did with me. All show.”
She faced him, too angry to remember to hide her face. “That wasn’t a show!”
He lifted a corner of his lip. “It was.”
She fisted her hands, then slammed one of them against her leg. “You may be the wolves’ alpha, Eli Dean, but you are not hers. She belongs to me, and she will not kowtow to you!”
“I wasn’t trying to take her from you, Abby.”
His reasonable words and calm attitude made her seem slightly crazed, and she fought with herself to regain control—and at last she won, despite the fact that he was talking to her as though she were a slow child.
Her mind occupied with how she must seem to those who didn’t know her, Abby reached over and plucked a hair from his broad shoulder. She held it up and frowned at it, then pushed it into her pocket.
When she glanced at him, she found him staring at her, his eyebrows high.
“What?” she asked.
“You just put my hair into your pocket. Like it was found money.”
She felt her face heat. “Oh. Purely habit. You don’t want your hair getting into the wrong hands. Or your nails, either. You should always burn the clippings.”
He shook his head. “You’re an odd girl, Abby.”
She shrugged. “I’m a witch.”
She didn’t speak again until he pulled into what looked more like a compound than a village. There were wide gates at the entrance, and a discreet little sign with the words Featherclaw Village stamped upon it.
A woman in a tiny guardhouse opened the gates and waved cheerfully, her smile bright until she caught sight of Abby.
Abby ducked low and her hair slid over her face. She turned away, but not before she saw the look of utter astonishment on the girl’s face.
“You didn’t tell them you were bringing me here?” She cringed at the squeak of dismay in her voice. “You should have warned them.”
“Warned them? You’re a visitor, not a serial killer. They’ll treat you with the utmost respect—I promise you that.”
There was a dark warning in his voice, and she was nearly certain he wasn’t even aware of it.
“I’ve heard your pack is discouraged from mingling overly much with the humans in Waifwater,” she said as they drove away from the guardhouse. She was a little disturbed when she realized she’d begun to relax.
Not my alpha.
But he was an alpha, and she believed completely in his ability to protect her and Sadie.
Even if she didn’t want to.
“We work with humans. We have human friends. We just don’t live with them.”
“Why not?” She was genuinely curious. She knew, as did everyone else, that wolf packs tended to stay to themselves. But she wondered what his reasoning would be.
He shrugged. “Pack ways aren’t always understood by or acceptable to humans, for one reason. Because I don’t need my pack spread out so that I can’t—”
“Control them? Punish them? Keep tabs on them?”
“Protect them,” he said, gently.
She felt the heat in her cheeks and turned her face away. “I don’t know if bringing us to your village is a good idea.”
“This is where Brooke was last seen. I need Sadie to track her out of here.”
“Call me a pessimist,” she muttered, “but this is not going to end well.”
He sighed.
The village was surprisingly large, or so it appeared to her eyes. It looked like any other village. There were clusters of homes with small yards, a playground, and even, she saw, a small, brick schoolhouse.
The humans preferred that while the wolves were young, they attended their own schools. Young wolves could be volatile, and they were very strong.
That meant they were a danger to human children.
Once they reached a certain age and were old enough to maintain control—and understand the punishment should they lose that control and harm a human—they were permitted into the humans’ schools.
At last, Eli pulled into the driveway of a large, stately white house.
“The Governor’s mansion,” she quipped. “How nice.”
He shut off the engine, then climbed out of the car and jogged around to open her door.
She didn’t move.
He opened the back door. Sadie jumped out then went immediately to Abby.
“I’m feeling quite anxious.” Abby took a deep, deep breath, pursed her lips, and then blew it out with excruciating slowness.
He looked at her blankly.
“I believe the environment to be unsafe,” she murmured, and reached out a trembling hand to pet Sadie’s warm head. The dog pushed herself as far as she could into the car and put her head in Abby’s lap.
Abby couldn’t look at Eli, but she didn’t need to. No wonder everyone thought she was simpleminded.
“You’re a powerful witch,” he said, “and you’re afraid of the environment.”
She did glance at him then, to see him peering with exaggerated detail around the area.
“There are no monsters here, Abby.” He held out a hand and it changed into a wolf’s paw. He stretched his sharp claws and let a short, low growl float from his throat. “And if there were, I could handle them. Get out of the car.”
Only very, very powerful werewolves could change parts of themselves while retaining their human form.
But that didn’t reassure her at all. She pushed her palm against her chest and closed her eyes.
She concentrated on her heartbeat, visualized it slowing, calming. She took air deeply into her lungs and released it deliberately and carefully.
Finally, she opened her eyes. “I’m ready.”
And when Sadie moved out of her way, Abby climbed from the car.
She was still afraid, and anxiety still clouded her mind, but she got out of the car.
“You’re a bossy son of a bitch,” she told Eli.
“You’re out of the car.” He paused. “What happened to you?”
Her sharp, sudden laugh surprised both of them. “People happened to me.” Then she wanted to kick herself for the words. For the bitterness behind them.
He took her arm, his grip tightening when her immediate, visceral reaction was to pull away.
Her entire body stiffened and she slid a hand to the wand sheath, her chest easing when she grasped the hardness within.
She then lowered her hand to Sadie’s head, and comforted, she finally relaxed.
She stared at the ground, her hair covering most of her face, as people—wolves—began to come out of their homes to gawk and gossip.
She could feel the alpha frowning down at her. His fingers were almost hot through the fabric of her shirt, and she concentrated on that.
“Abby,” he said. “Meet my pack.”
And the powerful witch of Waifwater had to fight not to faint in front of them all.
Chapter Four
Their curiosity was thick enough to taste, as was their caution.
Of all the people who sought her charms and herbs and potions, the wolves were not among them.
Other than Brooke, Abby had onl
y ever had one other wolf as a client, and he had been a landless rogue in search of a kill spell.
She’d sent him packing, her wand and the dogs more than a match for his teeth, claws, and strength.
But he’d been a weak, starved, desperate wolf—not an alpha.
She fought not to flinch as Eli ushered her toward his home, his fingers still wrapped around her arm.
Before they reached the door it swung open, and a man walked out, smiling. “What have you brought us, Eli?” he asked.
Abby kept her stare on the ground.
“A guest,” Eli said.
“His Highness’s brother,” the man said, and stuck his hand out. “My name’s Mel.”
Sadie growled.
When Abby ignored his hand, Mel dropped it. “Well,” he said, “I’m his half-brother, anyway. I’m the handsome one of the family.”
Eli Dean was incredibly handsome. He was more than handsome—he was hot. All smooth, muscled flesh and longish, dark hair, light, amber colored wolf eyes…
So she couldn’t resist peeking up at Mel to see if his claims were true, because if they were, Eli’s brother would have been a veritable god.
If she was a little obsessed with looks, it was surely understandable.
And it didn’t matter that her unusual, unsightly visage caused people to stare, point, and ran away screaming. She was still a woman, and she wanted to see the beautiful man.
So she looked up.
Mel was handsome, but he was no Eli.
She saw some of the alpha in his face, but not enough. No, he was no Eli.
When Mel caught sight of her face, his eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back. “Holy shit,” he whispered.
She dropped her stare immediately and jerked her head so that her waterfall of hair cascaded over her face.
She was used to that reaction.
Eli wasn’t.
He let go of her arm and started toward Mel. “You dare?” he asked.
“What?”
Unable to resist, Abby peered through her hair at the two men.
“What?” Mel asked again, holding up his palms. “You need to calm down, Eli. If she belongs to you, that’s fine. But you’re crazy if you expect people not to admire her.”
Abby frowned. The brother’s boldness was exceeded by his sarcasm. He was an asshole.
The crowd had grown, but if she hadn’t seen them, she wouldn’t have believed another soul was present. They made absolutely no noise.
Eli’s lips tightened. “I’ll deal with you later. Disrespect her one more time, and I’ll beat you bloody before I run your ass out of Featherclaw.”
Abby was almost too shocked at Eli’s words to react when a woman stepped up beside her and grasped her arm.
She recognized her as the woman who’d been at his back when he’d shown up at her door that morning. Remy, his beta.
“She can’t help how she looks,” Remy said.
Mel frowned. He crossed his arms, glanced at her, then back to Eli, then shook his head. “What the fuck, brother, are you fools talking about?”
“She’s ugly,” Remy said. “She’s not a threat. Leave her alone, Mel.”
“Ugly?” Mel’s voice was so incredulous Abby couldn’t help shooting him another glance. “What kind of joke is this? You people don’t know me. I haven’t been here long enough to scare you, but listen carefully. I don’t do well when people screw with my mind.”
Every wolf there gaped at him, then turned to look at Abby. As though satisfied she was still ugly, they turned back to Mel.
“Can’t you see her?” Eli asked.
Mel narrowed his eyes at his half-brother. “Can’t you?”
And finally, Abby knew exactly what was happening. “It’s the curse.”
Eli frowned down at her. “What about it?”
Everyone knew she’d been cursed by the demon witch Acadia Desrochers. They didn’t know that some rare people could see through it.
Out of all the people she’d met, only two people had ever seen through the curse—Mel, and Becky Bates.
And as she explained that little known fact to the alpha, she walked to Mel, smiling.
“You see me.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m a lucky son of a bitch.” He leaned forward and put his lips close to her ear. “Hello, beautiful.”
She melted.
Eli frowned. “Why can you see her when the rest of us see the curse?”
“Because I’m not a fuckin’ idiot, I reckon.” And Mel couldn’t take his stare off her.
“That’s up for debate,” Remy said.
Eli took Abby’s arm. “Get out of my way, Mel.”
Mel flattened himself against the doorframe, his eye bright. “Very nice meeting you,” he told Abby.
She smiled.
Eli propelled her through the doorway and into his house. “We have work to do.”
He was angry, for some reason, but she didn’t care. She’d been seen that day. That made the trip worth it.
Remy walked behind them, and Abby heard Sadie’s nails clicking on the floor as she trotted beside the beta.
The curse…
The curse was brutal.
But she’d seen herself through one man’s eyes, and for a few moments, she’d been beautiful. The curse hadn’t mattered at all.
“What do you look like?” Remy asked. “I mean, underneath the curse?”
Abby shrugged. “Not like this.”
“If Mel’s reaction is any indication,” the beta said, “I’d guess you’re quite the stunner. That must make the curse even harder to bear.”
The wolf was right.
When Acadia had first cursed her, Abby had been a lovely twelve-year-old, full of pride and promise.
She’d gone a little mad for a while. Perhaps she was still mad. But with time, she’d learned to cope.
She’d had no choice.
“Your home is lovely,” she told Eli, as he led her through the foyer, then by a large room that appeared to be the living room, then down a very long hall with closed doors on either side.
Finally, he opened a door and they stepped out into bright sunlight. At the back of the house was a cluster of small cabins, in the center of which stood a small, white building. “If a wolf is too injured or ill to shift,” Eli said, “he or she will stay in one of these cabins with a nurse.” He pointed to one of the cabins to the left of the building. “That was where Brooke was last seen.”
“She was ill?” Abby asked.
“She’s a nurse.”
They walked toward the cabin he’d pointed out but hadn’t gone two steps before Sadie gave a quick, sharp bark and sprinted past them to the cabin.
“She’s picked up Brooke’s scent,” Abby said.
“Good. Remy, where’s Noah?”
“Still out, boss,” she said.
Eli nodded. “You met Noah,” he told Abby. “He and a group of scouts are combing the north woods.”
Sadie had stopped at a door and put her front paws on it, scratching frantically.
“Hang on, girl.” Eli couldn’t get the door open fast enough for the dog.
She jumped into the cabin as soon as the door was open, her nails clicking on the floor as she ran through the two rooms, her nose to the floor.
She raced around the kitchenette, Abby and Eli following her. Remy had waited outside.
Braying like a hellhound, Sadie sprinted back to the door, leapt from the cabin, and took off like a streak of light.
Without a word between them, Eli and Remy hurriedly shed their clothing, shifted, and took off after Sadie.
Abby rushed after them, but she was chasing two wolves and a dog. There was no way she could keep up.
And she did not want to be left behind.
Alone.
Sadie’s voice grew distant as she disappeared into the woods bordering the backyard, and then, there was nothing.
Only silence.
“Wait,�
� Abby cried, but there was no one to hear her.
They’d left her.
She stood at the border of the woods, unsure. Should she try to follow them, or go back to the house?
Not even the thought of Mel was enough to make her want to face all those strangers again.
She walked deeper into the woods, pulling her wand from its sheath as she walked.
She was far from helpless, but she was also far from safe.
She’d ventured out of her hollow, and people were almost always afraid of her—at least if she happened upon people who were alone. Especially if she was alone.
Everyone knew that scared people were dangerous people.
Abby would have to be in fear for her life before she’d hurt another person, but she’d rather things not get to that point.
Standing still, undecided, she heard a sound behind her and whirled, her wand raised.
“Hi,” Mel said. He leaned against a tree and crossed his arms, his smile wide and appreciative as he watched her. “I see you’ve been abandoned. My brother is a bigger idiot than I thought.”
Chapter Five
Abby took a sip of her tea. “It’s very good,” she told Mel. “Thank you.”
He sat down at the table across from her. “Tea is easy, princess.”
He’d brought her back to Eli’s house to wait for the alpha’s return, and seemed to think he was responsible for her happiness until Eli once again took over.
“I wasn’t aware the alpha had a brother,” she said. “My clients tell me things. Eli Dean is mentioned often—but Mel Dean, never.”
“Ouch.”
She sat her teacup down, gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
He winked and grinned. “Don’t worry. I have thicker skin than that. I’ve heard about the sainted alpha all my life. Only met him recently, though.”
“Really! Why?” God, how freeing it was to talk openly with someone and not worry about hiding her face.
He shrugged and looked at the table. “My father sent my mother and me away like the shameful secrets we were. We had no choice. It was either go, or…”
She leaned forward. “What?” she whispered.
His smile was cold, his gaze turned inward. “Well, I’m sure you can imagine.”
She knew about mistresses and unwanted children—accidental or otherwise. And she knew how they were affected when their parents decided to play selfish games. She took another sip of her tea.
