by Kym Grosso
“I don’t recall this room being here. Is this new?” she asked.
“The coven home has undergone renovation. We must cleanse the property. Begin anew. This room was recently completed. Isn’t it beautiful? Samantha attends to every detail.” Holly retrieved her cup and padded toward Kai, sitting across from her on a pale yellow, velvet winged chair. Although dressed like a teenager, she sat as if she were a princess, properly crossing her legs and quietly sipping her tea. “I do miss the old room, but alas, change comes in like the tide. So do tell me, are you planning to stay long in New Orleans?”
“I really just need to see Ilsbeth.” Kai glanced to the tea but didn’t reach for it. Footsteps in the hallway alerted her to another presence. Instinctively she stood, her heart pounding in her chest, hoping to see Ilsbeth. Her face dropped in disappointment as a diminutive redhead stepped into the room.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“Sorry for what?” Kai asked.
“You’re disappointed not to see Ilsbeth. I’m Samantha,” she said, extending her hand.
Kai reached for it, giving it a gentle shake. The firm steady energy flowed into her skin, and she sensed the benevolent strength behind the witch. “It’s I who should be sorry. It’s just that I’m in need of her assistance. My name is Kai Beckett.”
“Please. Let’s sit. Holly,” Samantha turned to the young witch, “please give us privacy.”
“But of course.” Holly gave Kai an odd smile that she wasn’t sure how to interpret as she left; an uneasy shiver ran through her.
As the wall closed behind the young witch, Samantha began to speak. “I’m going to be perfectly honest. Your arrival was not unexpected in that I had a dream about you. You seek a spell. Tell me what you are looking for.”
“Several years ago…” Kai paused and took a deep breath, nervous about disclosing her secrets. She hadn’t told anyone what she was since the conversation she’d held with Ilsbeth. Running out of options, she chose to trust her instinct and Samantha. “Over a hundred years ago, I sought Ilsbeth’s assistance. My kind. I am not bred. My abilities are not inherited.”
“They are gifted from the Goddess herself,” Samantha told her.
“Yes. I have not met anyone like me. My sister, Shilan, she possesses magick, but she’s not of my kind.”
“You weren’t born here?” Samantha asked, but her tone implied she was merely stating a fact.
“I was born in China. My parents…soon after I was born, the vampires, they knew about me. My parents were tortured, killed trying to protect me. They wouldn’t reveal where they’d sent me.”
“And your adoptive parents?”
“They were killed as well. It happened here. The vampires in San Francisco…well, I’m sure you are aware of their reputation.”
One moonless night on Angel Island, the demonic vampire had torn through the buildings, searching for her. Hidden under the floorboards, Kai had huddled with her sister as screams cut into the silence. The blood of her family swept down upon them, and it was the first time her creature had stirred in her mind, exposing its existence. With no control over her own power, her illumination had blinded the vampires, driving the bloodsuckers back to their lair.
“So this spell…” Samantha said, interrupting Kai’s silent reflection.
“Sorry,” she replied and continued. “My instinct is telling me I can trust you, and frankly, I have little choice at this point. Ilsbeth is the only one to ever know the truth about me. In exchange for my blood, she cast a spell cloaking me from all supernaturals. I have lived my life in virtual isolation, deliberately hiding. I had no interest in testing the spell. And until recently, it worked. But you see,” Kai sighed, her chest tightening at the thought of Shilan dying, “my sister. She’d been alone for such a long time. She’s gone missing. Her magick had never been concealed but if you’d met her, you’d suspect she was a witch, which she very well might be. But she’s lacked training. I am the one they want, not her.”
“Have her abductors contacted you? No request for an exchange?” Samantha inquired.
“No. She’d gone to California to meet friends but never reached them. She may have been captured by wolves.”
“I see,” Samantha said, then let silence fill the air whilst she looked to the garden and then back to Kai. “And Jake?”
“Jake…” Kai lost her words, a rainbow of emotions running through her at the sound of his name. “The current Alpha of Anzober Wolves won’t talk to me. Jake…he has a reputation. He can be trusted. When I was in California looking for my sister, I got myself in a situation and ended up transporting here. He was all I could think of. But,” Kai sighed and shook her head, recalling the experience of being bitten by the vampire, “I messed up. Do you know of Kasdeya?”
Samantha simply nodded but offered no further information.
“Our meeting didn’t go as planned. I escaped before I died. My arrival at Jake’s wasn’t planned. It was the first time I’d materialized. And well, you must understand, I was….” Bitten. Another exchange. “So you see, this is why I’m here in New Orleans. I needed Ilsbeth to fix the spell. I can’t have other supernaturals finding me while I look for my sister.”
“Yes, we shall discuss that.”
“Please. I want you to know that even though the spell does nothing to thwart or deter my power, I do not use it. I don’t want to attract attention. You don’t have to fear me.”
“I take it you have not morphed?”
“No, and I don’t want to. It’s not as if my powers come with a manual. All I have is a notebook that was given to me by my parents as a child. My mother, she’d made notes to me. There were no specific words about my ability. I shouldn’t have taken it with me to California, but when Shilan went missing…it was the only thing I had from my family. I don’t have it anymore…somewhere during my trip to California… I can’t believe it’s lost.” Desperation churned in her gut, with the disappointment that she’d screwed up, losing her mother’s notebook.
“Kasdeya has it?”
“I don’t know. That night I went to her, I’d left it at the hotel. It’s a blur. It doesn’t matter. I need to hide. I don’t want to change into anything. I need the spell revived. Please. Where’s Ilsbeth?”
“And Jake? What are your intentions?” Samantha pinned her with a somber stare.
“Jake? Why do you ask about him?”
“Answer carefully. What are your intentions?” Samantha glanced to her fingernails and refocused her gaze on Kai. “Do not lie.”
“I…I…” Kai considered her answer, reflecting on the truth that lay in her heart. “Jake. There’s something about him. I came here for his help. He’s an Alpha. Whether he realizes it or not, Anzober Wolves…they recognize him as theirs.”
“And you?” Samantha asked.
“Well, I don’t know. He’s…” Kai recalled their intimacy. “He’s connected to me. I’m not sure how. It’s just,” she paused, aware she was disclosing her inner thoughts to a virtual stranger. Yet there was something calming about the witch. “The Alpha. I had to leave him today. I didn’t want to. But I need protection from Ilsbeth. He doesn’t understand this. She’s the only one who can help me. The strange thing is that when I’m with Jake, he doesn’t affect me like the others.”
“How’s that?”
“He’s the only supernatural who’s ever touched me. I don’t absorb his energy…I don’t know how. He’s different. Special.” Kai’s voice went quiet as she struggled to explain. She’d come undone under his command. There had been no one she’d ever considered submitting to, yet in his presence, she’d been willing to do anything. “I’m sorry. I really can’t describe it. But you must know I wish him no harm.”
“A pixiu,” Samantha stated plainly, her expression flat.
Kai sucked a breath, hearing the ancient word on the witch’s lips. Magick swirled around her and she responded.
“It’s what my mother always called me.
My existence is only a myth. I’ve tried for years to deny my powers. Others, they’ve searched for me. And now they have my sister. What am I to do? I need to see Ilsbeth. I need to be hidden once again.”
“I understand your dilemma, Kai,” Samantha said. “But there are a few things I need to share with you.”
“Ilsbeth…she’s the only one who knew.”
“Come, give me your hands.” Samantha reached for her.
Kai hesitated at the request, aware of the power the witch emanated. Samantha knows what I am. Just do it. Her eyes went to the witch’s, and she took a deep breath. Samantha nodded, encouraging her to do as she was told. As Kai laid her palms onto hers, the jolt of energy took her by surprise. She attempted to yank her hands away, but Samantha held tight.
“Stay still. Close your eyes,” the witch instructed, her voice firm.
Kai did as she asked. In her mind’s eye, the beast roared, its spectacular wings extended as it stepped forward from the shadows, revealing itself for the first time. Oh Goddess, I can’t control it. Fear gripped her chest. It shook its golden mane furiously, its massive paws lifting off the ground. As it leapt toward her, Kai’s mind became one with the beast. With a massive bellow, it retracted its wings, and settled onto the ground. As her mind went silent, she heard the distinctive howl of a wolf in the distance. What the hell? Her eyes flashed open to Samantha’s, and she tore her hands away, protectively wrapping them around her midsection.
“It’s okay, Kai,” Samantha told her.
“No, no…what was that? What did you do?” Her voice rose in panic.
“Is this the first time?”
“That’s me? No, that thing, it can’t be me.”
“You are Pixiu, and you’re very, very special.”
“I’m dangerous, that’s what I am. They took my sister because of me.” Kai jumped up from the sofa and began to pace. “I haven’t ever shifted…”
“But you have the power to drain others?”
“Yes. No. I don’t really know how it works. It’s like this.” Kai nervously twisted a strand of her silky hair with a finger. “Good fortune. The magick of a supernatural. I absorb it. It goes into me and most of the time, I can’t stop it. Maybe if I had more experience I could control it but right now, I can’t.”
“And so you harbor it?”
“Yeah, I guess. But the other day, after Kasdeya bit me. I did something to Jake. I froze him. I think it was the poison. I don’t know if I could do it again.”
“But were you truly threatened?”
“I was afraid, angry, but no…he didn’t attack me. I suppose if he had…”
“You do realize that what you did to Jake, that’s impossible? Impossible for most creatures. Now imagine if you could do that to a whole pack at once, to control them.”
“No, only an Alpha can wield that kind of power.” Kai closed her eyes, her heart racing.
“You attract the supernaturals, Kai, because they want your power. Kasdeya. She’s tasted you, knows what you are. Imagine if they could gain even a tenth of your power over the wolves by draining you. And the wolves, they will sense you but won’t know what you are.”
“I can’t control the magick when I’m around others. It seeps into me. Their good forture. I steal it.”
“That is the nature of Pixiu. But you don’t steal anything. It’s true you absorb good luck. Your master, he alone will control how it is used. For good. For evil. He will guide your beast. You are powerful.”
“Master?” Kai’s eyes flashed to Samantha’s. “No one can control me. I will hide forever. I’ll go to Siberia if I have to.”
Samantha stood and crossed the room, her tone gentle. “In this life, we all have a soul who is meant to be ours. Fate shall bring you together. You have lived a very long life, Kai, isolated from everyone. Your beast, she has a match.”
“No, I don’t breed. I cannot have children.”
“Magick.” Samantha raised her hands up to the ceiling and smiled as a rainbow of sparks danced in the air. “You cannot wish it away. I once tried.”
“But you’re a witch.”
“Not always. I was once very much human. And Luca? He’s vampire. They do not breed either. We were not supposed to be able to have a child, but we did. So you see, magick, it is capable of beautiful things.”
“I don’t want a master. I’ve never even…” Made love with a supernatural. “I can only be with humans.”
“What else did you see just now?” Samantha blew a kiss and the sparkles dissipated.
“Nothing…I saw her. Me. I have wings. But I’ve never shifted and then at the end I heard something.” A wolf. “It makes no sense.”
“Let me tell you what I saw.” Samantha went to the wall, running her palm along its seam. “I saw a magnificent creature. A strong one that has grown over the years. It’s fierce. Protective of its master and those it loves. It’s been around supernaturals the past couple of days, has flexed its wings. You will shift soon. You need guidance when it happens.”
“No, that cannot happen. I don’t have a master and I definitely cannot shift. I cannot allow that to happen.” Kai bit her lip, shaking her head. “No, no, no.”
“There’s no stopping this. I suggest you stay close to those who’ve stepped up to protect you. They’ve been brought into your life for a reason.”
“I have no one. Shilan. She was the only person I had and now she’s gone.”
“There are others. I know them. And so do you,” Samantha continued as she depressed a lever along the wainscoting. “Keep them close and they will help you find your sister.”
As the wall slid open, Kai’s heart caught at the sight of the powerful Alpha. She’d known it was just a matter of time before he found her. Aware she’d escaped without saying a word, guilt rushed through her. As her eyes locked on his, she took a step backwards, the back of her thighs brushing against the windows. Tendrils of his energy wrapped around her, and she shivered. Anger. Attraction. Dominance. Her beast roared and Kai’s eyes widened as he stalked toward her.
“Jake.” His name danced on her tongue ever so softly.
“Forget to say goodbye?” he asked, a cool smile on his face.
“I think you two should have a word. I have something to attend to and will return shortly.” Samantha nodded to them as she exited the room.
“I had to see Ils…” Kai began, her hands falling to her sides.
“Oh, I know what ya came here for. But where I grew up, it’s not very polite to go running out on your host.” Jake cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at her.
Kai felt the air escape from her lungs. Anger rolled off the Alpha, his eyes reaching into her soul. Her beast cowered in response. What kind of a powerful beast hides? she asked herself.
“No, that kind of behavior would earn a spankin’ ‘round here. Is that what you need, Kai? Because I’m startin’ to think so.”
A spanking? Kai’s face flushed at his tempting suggestion. Jesus, stop thinking of sex already.
“Oh no, sweetheart, not that kind of spanking.” He gave a small laugh.
Kai’s pulse raced. She’d forgotten how easily supernaturals sensed both fear and arousal.
“That’s right, I’m talking about a bit of a punishment, because you’ve got one coming. And it’s going to be a little more painful than what I did this morning. Now I won’t lie. It was difficult to walk away, but you seem to have a problem with tellin’ the truth.”
“You won’t lay a hand on me,” Kai spat back.
“I imagine I’ll enjoy turning your pretty ass pink.”
“Stop it. I’m not one of your wolves. You don’t command me.”
“Oh but you will submit, sweetheart. Because what you did leavin’ the house like that, I’m not having it.”
Is he fucking serious? Fresh anger tore through Kai, confused at her body’s reaction, desiring the Neanderthal who’d deliberately left her aching in bed that morning. She closed her eyes, focusing her
energy like she’d done at the cabin.
“No, no, no, ya don’t with that magick again,” he warned.
Kai’s eyes flew open as he rushed toward her. Caging her with his arms, he flattened his palms against the glass. His legs straddled hers, and Kai’s taut tips brushed against his hard chest.
“Whatever you did to me…funny how just now it didn’t work. You see, sweetheart. I reckon that only happens once. And Kai?” Jake brushed his lips to her cheek. “That spanking is absolutely happening now.”
Kai pressed her palms to his chest; his masculine scent stirred around her. Heat from his body emanated onto hers, and she struggled to remain focused as he continued to speak.
“Something about you. You came to me…sought me out, and now things are going to be done my way. But you know…” Jake pressed his lips to her ear, sucking its fleshy lobe between his teeth. Biting gently, he held her in place. “…I think you like this. Being at my will. Against the wall. This is what you want.”
“I’m sorry for leaving…you wouldn’t listen. I had to come see her.” Kai’s head rested against the warm, sun-drenched panes. As Jake moved his lips to her neck, heat blossomed between her legs.
“You will learn to trust me,” he murmured against her creamy flesh.
“I…I have been on my own a long time,” she stated.
“No longer,” he said.
His beard lightly grazed her cheek, and Kai opened her eyes. His gaze held hers as his lips brushed over hers.
“You will submit, Kai. There can be no other way,” he growled.
As Jake’s mouth crushed onto hers, Kai melted underneath his strength. Alpha. She kissed him back, gently tasting him. Running her hands down his chest, they settled on his hips and he pressed his body onto hers. Dear Goddess, what is it about this man?
“Do not fight me on this, woman, because this,” Jake rocked his erection up against her, “you and I. We have something to explore. But it won’t be done on a bed of lies.”
