Damaged Pack Shifters: The Complete Paranormal Collection

by Leela Ash

  So it hadn’t been her imagination then, about Drake and Desiree, Kathy thought. With her chin lifted, she yanked herself out of Drake’s arms and turned away.

  “Kathy wait—” he began.

  She pretended not to hear him and stepped towards Klyana.

  The old witch grabbed her hand once she was close, frowning as she demanded, “What happened to your powers? How was Drake able to kiss you without keeling over?”

  Kathy sighed as she looked from Klyana’s earnest face to where Drake was standing with all five of the dragons that had arrived on the scene earlier. He looked like a leader, standing there in their middle and towering at least a head above everyone else.

  Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes. She was so far out of her element here, she thought, letting her gaze caress Desiree’s red, clingy spandex before shifting her eyes to her own long, billowing skirts.

  She was outclassed and outnumbered, Kathy thought. There could never be anything between Drake and herself. It had been a fling, nothing more.

  And now there was nothing left for her to do except return to the Forest of Astare with Klyana and live out the rest of her days, thinking of what could never be.

  She needed to go home, she thought. The faster she was out of his presence, the faster she could forget him. She needed to go home right away.

  She turned to say just that to Klyana when she spotted the other woman watching her out of sad, tear-filled eyes and she recalled belatedly that Klyana could read thoughts.

  Embarrassment made her cheeks hot and Kathy blinked back tears of her own as she whispered, “Let’s go home, Klyana. Our work here is done.”

  Kathy couldn’t be sure, but it felt as though her own heart shattered at those words.

  13.

  Goodbyes were harder than she had bargained for and Kathy realized with dismay that in less than a week, she had come to care for Drake’s entire family almost as much as she cared for him.

  She walked up to where Joshua and his sons were still hugging each other and she cleared her throat to gain their attention. They turned to her and Klyana with bright welcoming smiles.

  Kathy’s smile was genuine but tinged with sadness. “Klyana and I must take our leave of you now.”

  “Nonsense. I will not allow it,” Joshua decreed. He stepped forward to take Klyana’s palms in his own. “Listen. Our world is in need of you and your sisters right now. You shouldn’t be sequestered in the Forest of Astare, you should be here, making a difference.”

  Kathy and Klyana exchanged helpless glances.

  “He’s absolutely right Kathy. You should consider taking over the Salem territory. There’s no one there,” Kelly agreed, her eyes sparkling with humor and warmth as she held Kathy’s hand.

  Kathy frowned, feeling a strange hum from Kelly and she looked down to see the electricity in her hands sparkling and crackling. She wrenched her hand away. “What’s happening?”

  Kelly chortled. “It’s my powers resisting yours.”

  “But I didn’t try to use my powers,” Kathy complained, staring at her own hand as though she had never seen it before.

  Kelly grinned, “But I used mine.”

  Kathy frowned, “You have powers? You’re human.”

  “Our Kelly is immune to all forms of magic,” Joshua offered with a proud glint in his eyes. “I’m sure her powers were seeking yours out, sensing, testing. She does that sometimes. Her powers have grown.”

  “Oh,” Kathy allowed, wondering where all this was going.

  Kelly drew her apart from everyone else and whispered to her, “I’ve never seen Drake look at another woman the way he looks at you. I mean we’ve written him off as the playboy black-sheep and yet, he’s never had a woman over for dinner, never mind kiss one right in front of Joshua.”

  Marissa appeared on the other side of Kathy, “Kelly’s right you know. I’ve known the boys since childhood and Drake’s never been one for PDA. He feels something for you alright,” she whispered.

  “Now I don’t know about you,” Kelly continued animatedly, “But I, for one, would dearly love to see where this is going.”

  Kathy shook her head, her eyes wide in her face. She couldn’t gamble anymore with her heart. It hurt too much. “There can never be anything between Drake and me. The ancient laws—”

  “Who makes these laws?” Marissa interrupted. “There was a time when shifters could never be with humans. But now, look at Kelly and Derek; the coolest couple you ever saw. Besides, Nabradia and her ilk aren’t here to enforce. If what Drake’s told us is anything to go by, you and Klyana practically rule the witches’ settlement. You’re like the last witches on earth apart from a handful in Brazil, so won’t the law be whatever you say it is?”

  That was indeed food for thought, Kathy agreed silently.

  “By the way,” Marissa continued, her eyes sparkling, “Luke and I are having our Grand Feast tomorrow night. I won’t take no for an answer. You absolutely have to be there.”

  “Grand Feast?” Kathy repeated frowning.

  “Some shifters use it to signal their mating for life instead of doing a wedding like humans. It’s really fun.”

  Kathy sighed, “I am happy for you Marissa, but—”

  “She’ll come,” Drake announced just then, walking up to them.

  Everything in Kathy reacted to the sound of his voice and she paused before looking at him, a question in her eyes, “I will?”

  “Absolutely,” he told her. “You cannot possibly refuse and hurt Luke’s feelings. Look how happy he is,” he continued, waving a hand towards where Luke, Jack and Bo were fooling around and laughing. “If you spurn his invitation, he’ll be beside himself. He’ll get worried and sigh over your absence and probably get a few grey hairs before the Grand Feast. Then poor Marissa would have to turn him down at the last minute because she’s a stickler for good looks. Their daughter Caily would be hurt and so would Luke and Marissa and it would all be your fault,” he finished outrageously.

  Kathy couldn’t help herself. She chuckled, the sound washing over him like fine wine. And then still grinning foolishly into his startling silver eyes, she gave him the answer he wanted. “Well, I didn’t realize my absence could cause such harrowing ripple effects. I’ll come.”

  Kelly, Drake and Marissa let out whoops of joy that drowned out the rest of what she had been about to say and Kathy grinned as she watched them. They were a fun-loving lot indeed. What was not to love about them?

  And if staying two extra nights gave her some more time to just be around Drake, she could hardly complain.

  She didn’t realize she was still smiling at him until he stopped laughing and fooling around and sort of paused mid-motion, as his eyes clung to hers and his smile vanished.

  Raw heat arched between them so intense it was almost palpable.

  Then, just as he started to say something to her, someone appeared at his side and slid a proprietary hand into the crook of his elbow.

  “So, what are you two gossiping about?” Desiree asked brightly. She was smiling as she asked, but her eyes were cool when she looked at Kathy and filled with silent warning.

  Kathy didn’t hear what response Drake murmured, but he seemed to have lost his good mood. As she turned away, Marissa snagged her arm, eyes brimming with mischief as she murmured at Kathy’s ear, so low even Kathy barely heard it.

  “And what’s a ball without a wicked step-mother? Now you absolutely have to come.”

  Her delighted chuckle almost lifted Kathy’s spirits. Almost.

  Few hours later, Kathy discovered, to her chagrin, that if there was one thing the women of Drake’s household did well, it was party.

  They had all decided on a shopping spree ahead of tomorrow’s feast and argue as she might that she didn’t need anything, they had overridden her arguments and grabbed her to go with them

  Kathy had never expected to feel self-conscious over her appearance but today for the first time, in the midst of all four wo
men, she felt woefully outclassed. Kelly had a casual, breezy charm about her, Jeanine was a classically beautiful tomboy, Megan had the effortless femme fatale charm going for her and Marissa was sleek sophistication down to the toes of her shoes. They couldn’t cut a prettier picture if the brothers had hand-picked them for looks alone.

  Next to them, she felt like the poor cousin from Pitowkalaski— if there was any such place. Naturally, her hair was a tangled black mess as per usual, her slim body was hidden beneath a huge, black robe much like Klyana’s and her fingers were rough and unpainted. Heck, she could safely say she’d never had a manicure in her life, unless the occasional biting of her nails counted.

  With a sigh, she climbed out of the backseat of Marissa’s car at the mall feeling like a fish out of water.

  “I don’t need any makeover,” she promised for the umpteenth time. “Klyana and I will be going home tomorrow.”

  The women kept talking right over her head, discussing best ideas to ‘get her hot enough to make Drake swallow his own fire.’

  “Listen to me!” she insisted, coming around in front of them and waving both her hands in the air.

  All four of them skid to an almost comical halt, with varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

  “I do not want or need a makeover. I like my hair just fine the way it is. Besides, I’ll soon be back to wrestling mandrakes into sacks and standing in the rain to cast a special spell,” she told them.

  Jeanine’s lip canted to the side in a grin of pure mischief, “Well, if the spell is to make Drake fall harder for you than he already has, I say go for it.”

  Kathy felt like tearing her hair out, “No, it’s not. That’s not what…”

  She trailed off when all four women burst into laughter.

  “Oh, please chill,” Megan chuckled. “Jeanine is just messing with you.”

  Kathy sighed, “I admire and like all four of you, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t— Well, I don’t—”

  “Just spit it out, before we take roots and start growing right here,” Megan directed.

  “Fine. I don’t want to be like you. I don’t need to be like you. I’m just… me,” Kathy finished spreading her hands plaintively.

  “Like us?” Jeanine questioned.

  Kathy gestured, “Well, I mean look at all four of you. You’re so beautiful, sophisticated… beautiful,” she said weakly.

  Jeanine grinned, “Thank you. But aren’t you as well? You’re seriously hot. I mean those green eyes spell trouble for any man who looks into them for more than five seconds. Look at that face, the skin and the glorious potential in that hair. I mean, come on Kathy, you look in the mirror don’t you? Why do you think Drake is hooked?”

  Was he? She wondered wildly, feeling pleased and struggling to hide it.

  Forcing a calm she wasn’t feeling, she said, “Be that as it may, I need to go back to my own home.”

  Kelly smiled and stepped forward to cover Kathy’s palms with her own. “You are entitled to not want to join our party, Kathy, and I don’t blame you. You’ve lived your life all these years dedicated to your craft and suddenly we want to put dancing shoes on your feet and force you into clothes you’ve probably never worn the like of. I would run in the other direction too, if I were you,” she said with understanding.

  Then just when Kathy started to nod in relief, Kelly, ever the diplomat, inserted her own opinion, “But when you consider Klyana… I mean it’s just sad. We’ll return you home now though.”

  All four women turned as though to return to the car.

  “Wait,” Kathy called.

  They all paused, fighting their grins.

  “Why is it sad? What about Klyana?” Kathy asked.

  They faced her again and Kelly spread her hands as she explained with sham innocence, “Well, it’s just that the poor woman has been sequestered in a jungle for centuries with no hopes of having any form of fun whatsoever. Tonight, for the first time, she has the chance to truly enjoy herself and put on nice clothes for a change and yet all you want to do is rush her back to the very same jungle. She won’t complain because she loves you, but for the rest of her days when you see that wistful look in her eyes, won’t you wonder?”

  “I think Kelly is right, Kathy,” Megan said. “I think Klyana deserves one night at least of fun and relaxation. Plus, it won’t hurt her to get a good gown or even just one new robe.”

  Kathy sighed. They were right. She hadn’t been thinking straight. She’d only been focused on herself and on getting as far away from Drake as possible.

  “Alright. For Klyana.”

  Their cheers were so infectious, she couldn’t hold back a grin. Three minutes later, the grin vanished when they presented her to their hairdresser. The woman was a large stout shifter with huge beak nose that looked as though it had been broken in several fights and a heaving bosom that threatened to spill out of the low-cut bodice of her dress.

  She held up first one corner of Kathy’s hair and then the other. “Well, what have we here,” she murmured.

  “I’m Kathy,” Kathy ventured brightly and was given all the attention of a doorpost.

  “I’m thinking some ligasan and chebe powder and ….” The woman continued to murmur.

  “Wait, ligasan? How do you know it?” Kathy demanded. It was a rare herb that only grew in the Forest of Astare; or so she had thought.

  The woman ignored her yet again. “Then chop off a few ends,” she continued musing.

  Kathy gasped, “I will not chop off so much as an inch of my hair.”

  Marissa chuckled, coming forward to clutch Kathy’s shoulders. “You’re wasting your time. Arianna is quite deaf when she has a potential ‘save’ seating in front of her. I don’t think she’s had hair as bad as yours in maybe forever; so she’s gonna want to do something she can brag about for years. So just trust her okay? She knows you’re a witch and she knows your hair length is very important to you.”

  With a sigh, Kathy sank back into her seat, watching with dread as a great big scissors was positioned at the tips of her hair. Thankfully she barely cut off an inch and then she began to drizzle some honey mixed with some weird black stuff into the hair. The combination eased the tangling and to Kathy’s shock, for the first time in seven years, a comb ran freely through her hair from bottom to tips.

  She stared in shock. The woman combed vigorously and brushed the hair what seemed like a thousand strokes until it shone like polished ebony. Then she busied herself doing some other complicated things to the hair before piling it high on Kathy’s head in a beautiful chignon complete with tiny tendrils escaping to fall against her smooth soft skin and the back of her neck.

  “Woah,” Kathy breathed, unable to believe that the black-haired beauty in the mirror was her.

  She looked chic and modern, she thought. The raised hair made her neck look long and graceful, it emphasized her cheekbones and made her lips look full and lush. She looked… very beautiful indeed, she thought with a surprised smile playing about her lips.

  “I’m glad you like my work,” the woman said, bowing stiffly. “I’ll be by tomorrow to do your up-do.”

  Then she hurriedly combed out Kathy’s hair again and put it into a long braid that hung down her back.

  The ladies moved her to get a manicure done next and Kathy couldn’t stop staring at her new toenails and fingernails. Of course, they weren’t new new, of course, but they sure seemed that way. She had never imagined that her nails could look so pretty.

  She was still staring at her red toenails with joy and childish wonder when Jeanine nudged her, “Well, girly girl. Come on. Now we hit the boutiques.”

  14.

  The next day, Kathy’s mouth opened in a soft ooh, as Arianna once more completed arranging her hair into an intricate pattern atop her head with the same tendrils hanging down her neck and face.

  Marissa had insisted on doing her makeup and her brows had been carefully tweezed, nude makeup carefully a
pplied, and now her hair was set.

  She rose to her feet, sparkling like champagne in a dark, flowing, long mermaid gown with rhinestones all over and twin slashes cut out in the waist and exposing slim patches of skin.

  She looked gorgeous, she thought. There was no other word for it.

  Kathy thanked a beaming Arianna for her help and headed towards the door. It opened just as she reached it and all four sisters-in-law stood before her door.

  Marissa sparkled in a gold and brown confection that set off her ash-blonde hair and languid grace. Jeanine wore a short red dress which as flowing and free-falling to help hide her seriously bulging pregnant stomach and its color emphasized the color of her auburn ringlets. She had to be almost nine months gone now, and yet she sparkled like fine wine; the exotic type. Kelly was wearing a pure white dress that clung to her curves and made her look sinfully delightful. Megan was dressed in a flowing chiffon yellow and ash dress to help hide her pregnancy too and her blonde hair was done up just like Kathy’s.

  They were simply a dazzling group of women and she forgot all about herself as she gaped at them. After a few minutes of shocked silence, she realized that they were gaping at her as well.

  All five women dissolved in laughter.

  “Oh my gosh Kathy, you clean up nice,” Megan laughed.

  “She sure does,” Jeanine agreed. “Every man in the room won’t be able to keep his eyes off her.”

  “I daresay she wants the attention of just one man,” Megan opined, watching Kathy’s rising blush with knowing eyes.

  “I cannot wait to see Drake’s expression when he sees you,” Kelly declared.

  “He’ll swallow his own fire,” Marissa predicted.

  And they once more burst into great gales of laughter.

  “I don’t want Drake’s attention,” Kathy lied weakly.

  “Sure, you don’t. You just light up like a Christmas tree every time he walks into the room,” Jeanine teased.

  “Trees do not light up!” Kathy protested confusedly.