by Liliana Hart
Glancing around, I wondered if Mac had come back, but I couldn’t find him.
“Looking for someone?” Wanda asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“Nope.”
“He’ll be back. He’s looking for the honey badgers to negotiate your bounty.”
“Oh my Goddess,” I gasped and jumped to my feet. “He can’t go after those bastards alone.”
“Yes, he can. And he’s not alone,” Chuck assured me. “He will kill them all if they come after you.”
“In case you guys forgot, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,” I snapped, freaked out that Mac the jackass could possibly die while I was eating a hamburger.
“Yes, but he’s a man,” Chuck said as if that was logical.
“And an alpha,” Wanda chimed in.
“And our king,” Kurt added respectfully.
I’d boffed the king? That was kind of hot, and at the same time crazy.
“Did Hildy have to deal with all this shit?” I wondered out loud.
They were quiet as they exchanged loaded glances.
“Spit it out,” I said. “Tell me what I need to know. Please.”
“Her magic kept the order in line. Without her magic the structure has been disrupted and all hell has broken loose,” Kurt said solemnly.
“So many are dying,” Wanda said.
“Wait. Can I just do some voodoo and get it back in line and then go back to my…you know, um…”
“Liiiiife?” Fabio supplied unhelpfully. I didn’t have much of a life, but it was better than this crap.
“Yes. My life and you’re supposed to be on my side, cat.”
“I aaaaaaam,” he said. “Alwaaaays.”
“The voodoo has to be maintained,” Chuck said sadly. “Hildy was amazing at that. I miss her.” His head drooped and he quickly wiped a tear from his eye.
“You loved her,” I said.
“Yes, I did. Excuse me,” Chuck said as he walked away into the woods.
“Will he be safe out there?” I asked.
“He can defend himself almost as well as Mac. He’ll be fine,” Kurt assured me. “Now enough of this sadness. This is a party.”
My mind was on Mac and Chuck, but I pasted on a smile, grabbed a beer and greeted my neighbors.
My brain was filled with more names than I’d ever be able to remember and my tummy was full. Everyone was gone and I was glad. I couldn’t take so much normal and so much happy. I’d ended up flying shifters around the yard with magic—children and adults. It was a huge hit. The image of Roger Rabbit shrieking like a girl and grunting ‘I’m the king of the world’ as I jettisoned him through the air would take weeks to remove from my brain. Whatever. It was the most fun I’d had in a very long time. I was used to being chastised for using my magic, but here I was revered. Of course I was using it for the benefit of others…
“You do realize the mating bite is very pleasurable,” Wanda said as she packed away the leftovers in my fridge.
“Why would you think I need that information?” I asked as I pilfered a cookie from the tray on the counter.
“Just in case it was fear of pain holding you back, I wanted you to know it’s amazing.” She blew out a long breath and gave me the thumbs up.
“How amazing?”
“Amazing, amazing,” she said as she fanned herself.
“Wanda, I don’t know Mac—at all. And he doesn’t know me. I can’t just mate with a wolf—or anyone for that matter. I didn’t exactly grow up with good examples of loving relationships and I’m going to be alive for hundreds of years…unless the honey badgers off my ass.”
“Zelda, shifters live for hundreds of years too, just like witches.”
That was something to chew on…but that didn’t change the fact I didn’t know the first thing about him. Did he have siblings? Did he leave the toilet seat up? Could he do it more than one time a night? Stop. I was not seriously considering this.
“Anyhoooo, from what I understand species can’t crossbreed.” The thought actually depressed me and I wondered why Mac hadn’t realized this. Maybe he had skipped school too.
“Yes.” Wanda nodded head in agreement. “But that’s with shifters mating with shifters. Witches are different. Any magical being can mate with a witch.”
I supposed that witches were the O negative of the voodoo world…”Wanda, I appreciate the heads up, but I’m not staying. I’m pretty sure finding my aunt’s killer is my mission and I’m kind of behind on that.”
“I think it was the honey badgers, or maybe the hyenas, or possibly other witches,” she volunteered.
“That certainly narrows it down.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed another cookie I didn’t need. “I need to find the badgers.”
“No, Zelda. That’s not safe and we won’t lose you too,” she stated firmly.
Did she actually care or was it because I could heal them? I suppose it didn’t really matter. I was leaving, but a tiny part of me wished it was just because she liked me.
“I’m going on a date with Mac tomorrow,” I told her quickly before I asked if she actually cared about me.
“Oooooohhhh,” she trilled as she grabbed her purse and made her way to the front door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Not really helpful,” I told her as I followed her. “What don’t you do?”
“With my mate? Nothing.” She laughed and hustled out.
These shifters were nuts.
Chapter Twelve
Speaking of nuts, Fabio was on my bed doing his business.
I’d spent the entire day on Fabio’s laptop studying honey badgers and hyenas. There were also secret sites that pertained to shifters and witches. Mortals thought these were jokes, but they weren’t. Hiding in plain sight was the way most magical beings lived. As to why Fabio had a top of the line computer, I had no clue and decided not to pursue any line of questioning.
The late afternoon sun poured through the window and I sighed with contentment. Fab and I had attacked the leftovers from yesterday’s picnic for both breakfast and lunch. I shut the computer and grinned at the thought of a date with Mac. What to wear? Hmmmmmm.
“Iiiiiii think I should accompaaany you on you’re oouuuting,” Fabio said as he took a break.
“And why would you think that?” I asked as I went through my outfit choices with materialistic glee.
“So youuuuuu don’t loooose your dignitttty with that hairy baaastard.”
“Been there. Done that,” I said. He moaned and slapped his little furry head with his paw. “I’m a grown up and you are my cat. My sex life is not your concern. I want to have some fun before I get turned into a mortal.”
“Baabaaa Yaaaaaga will not take your poweeeeers,” he said with confidence.
“Um, I have no clue who killed Hildy and I’m sure that’s what I’m supposed to do here.”
“Areeee you suuure that’s your task?” he asked as he pushed a pair of chocolate thigh high boots with stiletto heels at me.
“Oh my hell, those are awesome. Did you go back to Paris?”
“Miiilan.”
“Nice. And no, I’m not sure that’s my task, but solving the problems with the shifters means staying and I don’t stay. Anywhere. Ever.”
“That breeeaaaks my heart.”
“Well, get over it. You’re going to have to find another witch unless I figure this clusterfuck out.”
“You’re myyyyyy witch. I will go mortal with youuuuuu.”
“Is that possible?” I asked. What was wrong with him? Why would he do such a thing?
“I willllllll make it soooooo.”
I shook my head and grinned. The little bastard was growing on me. At night he cuddled up and purred as I fell asleep and I was almost used to waking up and seeing his nut sack cleansing ritual every morning. Almost.
“You are making it more difficult for me to mow you down with a car or put you in the pound.” I scratched his furry head and then finished dressing. �
�How do I look?” I was rocking a super short mini and an off the shoulder fitted top.
“Like my princessssssssss.” he said. “I juuust wish you were dating a waaarlock, not a wolf. Maaaaybe you should show a litttttle lesss cleavage.”
“Warlocks are losers. I wouldn’t date a magic dude ever. Too self-absorbed in the bedroom,” I told him as I touched up my makeup and lowed the neckline of my shirt a bit more just to piss him off.
“TMI,” Fabio grunted with disgust. “TMIIIIIIIII.”
“You started it.”
“Truuuuue.”
“Anyhoo, I guess I’ve got about a week till Halloween and I’m going to…”
“Ummmmm, Zeeelda,” Fabio cut me off.
“Yes?”
“Toooooooday is October thirty-first.”
“Right.” I laughed and slipped into my boots as I readjusted my shirt. Too much boob was not my style. I was going for sexy not hookery. “Good one, Fab.”
“It issssssssss,” he hissed.
I froze and felt the leftover cookies, hamburgers and coleslaw creep up my esophagus. This was not happening. “I was passed out for two weeks,” I yelled. “It can’t be the thirty-first. I have another week.”
“I guessssss we were kind of off on the timing. Weeeee were worried.”
“Holy shit Fabio, why didn’t you say anything?” I was two seconds away from a total freak out. The kind where lots of stuff got broken and I lost my voice for a week.
“I thought youuuuuu kneeeew.” He was getting as freaked as I was.
“Clearly I did not,” I shrieked. “I don’t want to be a mortal.”
“I willll come with youuuu. I promise.”
My freak stopped for a brief moment and I looked at my cat. “Can you really do that?”
“It’s never been done successfully, buuuuut I willlll try,” he promised.
“Wait. You could die?” Oh my Goddess, I did not deserve this stupid cat.
“Possssssibly.”
“Then no. Absolutely not. I will not allow that. Maybe I could get some kind of visitation rights or something.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stomped my foot so he would know I was serious.
“Youuuuu like meeeee.” He was positively ecstatic.
“No, I don’t.”
“Yessssss you dooooooo!”
He was such a pain in my ass.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “I like you. Are you happy now?”
“Dooooo you loooove me?” he asked quietly.
“Don’t push your luck, cat. All of this is totally unacceptable. All of you stupid people are making me feel things. I don’t feel things. It’s not good for me.”
“Assssssbuckle, West Viiirginia agrees with yuooooooo.”
“No, it does not,” I snapped. “I have to find the badgers. I think they killed Hildy.”
“I thiiiink you’re riiiight.”
“You do?”
“Yesssss, but you will not gooooo alone. I will come wiiith you. You willll need my magic toooooo.”
“I was supposed to ride on a motorcycle and have sex by the river.” I sat down on my bed and mourned the life I couldn’t have.
“Youuuuu will have sex tomorroooooww,” Fabio assured me.
“You approve of that?”
“Nooooo, but I want youuu to be happpppy.”
“As nice as that sounds, I’m not sure I’ll be around tomorrow to do anything.”
“Yessssss, Zelda. Youuuuuu willllll.”
Chapter Thirteen
“No. Not happening,” Mac spat angrily as he paced my kitchen. He looked good enough to eat in his jeans, faded t-shirt and shit kickers, and he was pissed.
“If you won’t help me, I’ll find them on my own,” I informed him in a brook no bullshit tone. It was a stand off and it wasn’t pretty. Fabio sat on the table and watched with fascination.
“You are not going after the honey badgers.” Mac was furious and the veins on his neck stood out. He was even hotter when he was angry and I considered asking for a quickie before I died later this evening. However, I didn’t think he would go for that right now.
“I don’t know which part of ‘I get turned into a mortal tomorrow’ you don’t understand, but I have to find Hildy’s killer. I’ve never seen the hyenas and I highly doubt another witch killed her so I’m starting with the fucking honey badgers.”
“Why don’t you think it was another witch?” he demanded.
“Because they wouldn’t have left a bloody mess,” I yelled as something unfamiliar clicked in my brain. Believe in myself. The thoughts formed and flew from my startled lips. “Hyenas would have left bones, but the honey badgers would have eaten her. That’s why there was no body.” Oh my Goddess. My stomach lurched and my magic ramped up to a level that made me feel high. I was right. I hadn’t bothered to put any pieces together until now. And now might be too late.
“I’m going with you,” he said tightly.
“Soooo am I,” Fabio added.
“Of course you are.” Mac laughed without humor and glared at Fabio.
“What is your problem with my cat?” I demanded. “That mangy bastard loves me.”
“Do you love him?” Mac asked. Fabio’s ears perked up and they both watched me carefully.
“Oh my hell,” I sputtered. “I don’t even know what love means. I don’t want anyone to ask me that question again today. I have some honey badgers to destroy.”
“Go change unless you can sprint in those boots,” Mac instructed as he eyed my four inch heels.
“Honey, I could run a marathon in these boots. Plus, the heel alone could put an eye out.”
He grinned despite himself and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “You are definitely my girl.”
“Whatever you say.” I used his own ambiguous phrase on him as I headed for the door. “Let’s go pop some badgers.”
Apparently the honey badgers met at their lair at eleven every night so we had a few hours to kill. Mac insisted we do something fun before we ruined my outfit and I agreed. Fabio was bizarrely quiet, but he rarely spoke when we weren’t alone. Two people and a cat on a motorcycle was a challenge, but we made it work. Mac drove fast and I squealed with joy as the crisp night air hit my face. Fabio, on the other hand, just dug his claws into Mac’s back and hissed the entire ride into town. Main Street was deserted, but Mac was hell bent on taking me somewhere fun.
“Mac, if this is your idea of fun we’re going to have some problems,” I said as I dismounted the Harley and slid Fabio into my purse.
“Hush,” he said as took my hand in his.
We entered the empty hardware store and made our way to the back. I was certain I heard music, but where in the hell was it coming from? No freakin’ way. There was a back room to the hardware store and it housed a huge bar—with a jukebox and a buttload of happy, dancing shifters.
“Zelda,” Simon yelled as he two-stepped up a storm with a pretty skunk girl. “So happy you’re here!”
I spotted Wanda, Kurt, Chuck, DeeDee, Bob and Roger and a bunch of other shifters whose names I couldn’t remember. Most sported costumes further convincing me it really was Halloween. Little Bo and several other small cuties were next to a metal tub filled with water and apples. They were bobbing and shrieking with laughter. Depression rolled through me at the thought of leaving, but first I had to live through the night.
“Dance with me,” Mac said as he pulled me out on the floor. The sea of shifters parted for us and DeeDee violently banged the jukebox with her head. The fast song was immediately replaced with a slow sexy beat. Very sneaky.
Mac nodded his approval to DeeDee, who bowed her head to him, as did the rest of the crowd.
“So I hear you’re the king,” I said as he pulled me into his arms and began to move to the music.
“I heard that too,” he answered as his lips grazed my ear. I shuddered and leaned in closer. What was it about him? Was the mating bullcrap true? “You wanna be my queen?” he whisp
ered in my ear as happy chills ran down my spine and straight to my girly bits. Time to get down to business.
“Which end do you squeeze the toothpaste from?” I asked as I copped a feel of his fine ass.
“Is this a trick question?” he inquired as he returned the favor to the delight of the crowd.
“No, I’m serious.”
“The bottom,” he said as he pressed his very happy camper into my stomach.
I bit my lip to keep from licking him. “You passed that one. Toilet seat. Up or down?”
“We’ll have two. Mine and yours.” I was sure our dance moves were getting slightly pornographic, but my brain was getting addled with lust and as far as I was concerned we were the only two people in the bar.
“Nice answer, wolf boy. Do you have brothers and sisters?”
“One brother. Jacob. You healed him the other day. And thank you, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” The sense of pride I felt was absurd, but I refused to process that nugget. “Mom and dad?”
“They passed years ago. They were wonderful.”
I had nothing to add to that one. My mother had no discernable maternal instincts and my pappy who apparently loved me to bits was still a no show.
“You’re lucky,” I murmured, a little less horny and a little more sad.
“Your Aunt Hildy was a wonderful person. She became like a mother to Jacob and me. I think you’re right about her death. We haven’t been able to avenge her because her magic is gone and it’s all we can do to survive at the moment.”
I didn’t want to hear that. It made me feel guilty and it made me angry that I never even knew I had an awesome aunt. I stopped dancing and stepped back. “Why on earth are we at a bar dancing if everyone’s life is on the line?”
Did they all have a death wish?
“Because, beautiful girl, if you don’t know if there will be a tomorrow—you have to live to the fullest today.”
That shut me the hell up. Did these people have it right and I’d always had it wrong? Goddess, becoming mature and rational was taking a huge toll on me. It sucked wads.
“Mac, I…”
The rest of my unformed thoughts were drowned out by terrified screaming and the sounds of flesh tearing. Mac’s body tensed and his shift started automatically. In fact, most of my friends and neighbors were going into their shift. We had company. I wasn’t going to have to find the honey badgers because they had found me…and they were led by Blondie. Son of a bitch, I should have killed her when I had the chance. Well, no time like the present.
