“Everyone processes things differently,” he said, trying to set her mind at ease about her friend. It was clear she cared for Dana greatly.
She nodded, appearing far off in thought for a moment. “In college, her mother passed away. She never cried—at least not that we saw—but our place was so clean you could have eaten off the floor. Then, her grandmother insisted on moving out of the apartment that she, her mother, and her grandmother used to share, so Dana threw herself into the task. Organizing everything. Cleaning the old apartment and scrubbing the new one.”
“Her grandmother has come up in conversation more than once in the last couple of days. They’re close then?” he asked, hanging on Poppy’s every word about Dana.
“They are. Wilma—or Nonna, as Dana calls her—is something else. She’s a firecracker,” confessed Poppy. “She gives Dana a hard time about never settling down and getting married. Dana thinks it’s because of her grandmother’s age and how things were done back in Wilma’s day.”
Jeffrey put his hands on his knees as he nodded once more. “She mentioned the woman is ninety. That makes sense.”
“It does but I don’t think that’s the reason Wilma does it,” added Poppy. “I think Wilma’s afraid of Dana being alone when she’s gone. She’s the only family Dana has left because her father died when she was little. Wilma wants to see Dana have someone special. Someone to love and who loves her.”
Jeffrey tried to play it cool, not wanting to tip off Poppy on just how interested in Dana he was. “So, she’s not like dating anyone or anything? There isn’t some guy she left back in New York or something?”
She scoffed. “Uh, no. Dana doesn’t date. She just sort of sees a guy she likes, takes him home for a night and then never speaks to him again. It’s why we said it’s a good thing she didn’t tell you yes right away. And the fact she didn’t tell you to pound salt means there is a lot of hope.”
“You think?” he asked, wishing that were true.
Poppy leaned back in her rocker more. “You’re very different from the men I’ve seen her gravitate toward.”
The wind went out of his sails. “Because I didn’t go to a fancy college? The military wasn’t glamorous but I’m proud of my time serving. I learned a lot during it all.”
“I don’t mean it that way. I mean you’re not shallow like those men,” said Poppy. “You try to hide it, but you have a heart of gold and would do anything for a friend or a loved one. And I know how you are with the ladies, Jeffrey. Women fall all over you.”
“You never did,” he said with a smile. “Then again, you’re not my mate, and let the record state I’m damn happy you didn’t notice me like that. Brett would have killed me.”
She laughed.
He hadn’t been joking. Brett would have given him a run for his money.
“So, she dates shallow guys who aren’t good with the ladies?” he asked, wanting to know more about Dana.
“Oh, I’m sure they’re great with the ladies. But you’re different,” she said. “I’m not sure how to explain.”
“If you figure it out, can you tell me? Because I’ve asked her out more than once, but she keeps telling me no,” added Jeffrey. “Not really used to that.”
“I suspect you’re not,” said Poppy.
Another thought occurred to him. “Is she telling me no because of what I am? Because I’m a shifter?”
Poppy shook her head. “She won’t come right out and say she’s having trouble processing the fact supernaturals are a thing. It’s not her style. But she’ll be power washing the house before we know it. If you have a closet or anything you need organized, now would be the time to mention it to her.”
He sighed. “Do you think she’s scared of me? Of Brett?”
“No,” said Poppy sincerely.
Jeffrey lowered his gaze, shame filling him. “I lost control around her this morning. My eyes shifted colors. I think it startled her. I told her she never had to fear me. Ever. But I’m not sure she believes me. If my eyes changing freaked her out, seeing me change all the way would do her in.”
“Brett offered to shift for the three of us so we could see what it looked like, but I wasn’t sure it was a great idea just yet.”
“Because you’re worried about Dana or because you’re not sure you can handle seeing it?” he asked. They’d been friends since they were teens, and he didn’t feel the need to tiptoe around the point with her.
“Both,” she said softly, her hand going to her abdomen.
“Poppy, you do understand you’re giving birth to babies, not a litter of puppies, right?” he asked, only partially joking.
Relief shone on her face. “Ohmygod, thank you. I didn’t want to flat-out ask Brett how that worked, but it was freaking me out.”
Unable to help himself, Jeffrey laughed. “You should feel free to ask him this stuff. He won’t take offense. If you’re worried about something and don’t want to ask him, you can always ask his mom or my mom. You know they both adore you. His mother is over the moon about being a grandmother. She’d answer any questions you have.”
“Will the babies be able to shift right away?” she asked, paling slightly.
Jeffrey had to fight to keep from laughing at her again. It was clear she’d been obsessing over it all for two days but had been keeping the concern to herself. “No. That won’t happen until puberty. Since you’re having a girl and a boy, you should be aware that sometimes the females of our species can’t fully shift. It’s not unheard of. My mom is like that. Her eyes shift colors when she’s worked up but beyond that, she doesn’t shift forms. Brett’s mom does. Stella, who works at my bar, she can do some partial shifts but not a full one. But the boys can shift fully. Then again, I’m not aware of any shifters who are half witch and half shifter. So take that as you may.”
She nodded and exhaled slowly. “So I’m not giving birth to wolf pups and I won’t walk into the nursery to find puppies in place of my babies?”
“Correct,” said Jeffrey, grinning from ear to ear. “You do realize I’m honor-bound to tell Brett about this conversation.”
“You are not. You only want to tell him to mock me,” said Poppy with a snort.
“Okay, that one, but still,” added Jeffrey.
She chuckled more.
Jeffrey checked his watch. “Dana has been gone for a while now. How long does she normally run?”
Marcy answered. “This is longer than normal.”
“You don’t think she got lost, do you?” asked Poppy, alarm in her voice. “She’s a city girl. I’m not sure she’s actually ever been in woods before. She’s probably wandering around, incredibly angry with nature and the world right now.”
“I’m not sure how that is different from any other day,” said Marcy as she reached up, took the squirrel from her shoulder, brought it to her lips, and kissed its head. “She’s surly daily.”
Jeffrey shared his body with an animal, and seeing her kissing a squirrel was still too much for him. He’d have commented but concern for Dana pulled his focus back to Poppy. “I’ll go look for her. I’m sure she’s fine but to be sure, I can find her. Won’t take me long. I can follow her scent.”
“See, you will be joining her on her run after all,” said Marcy, walking past Poppy on her way to the front door.
A bluebird landed on the railing of the porch and chirped loudly, interrupting the conversation in a rather blatant manner. It proceeded to walk back and forth on the rail, moving its head more like a chicken than anything else. For a split second, Jeffrey could have sworn it sounded like it was whistling the same song Marcy had been humming moments prior. The entire scene was surreal, and Jeffrey found himself glancing at Poppy to see if she thought it was weird as well.
“Is it me or is it trying to tell us something?” asked Poppy, laughing slightly. “And is it doing it to the melody of…no way.”
“Oh, he is trying to tell us something,” said Marcy, lifting a hand to shush Poppy. She then
concentrated on the bird. “I’m listening. Go ahead.”
Jeffrey would have laughed at the idea Marcy could communicate with birds but at this point, he’d believe anything.
Marcy sucked in a big breath, hurrying to Jeffrey as she did. She grabbed for his hand, clutching it tightly. “I didn’t know. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let her go out on a run this morning without you from the start.”
“What didn’t you know?” asked Poppy, her voice barely there. Worry radiated from her, so much so that Jeffrey didn’t even need his shifter senses to pick up on it.
Marcy kept hold of Jeffrey’s hand, her blue eyes growing moist as the bird continued to chirp and then whistle. “The dead farm animals?”
Jeffrey instantly thought of Stratton entering Brett’s office to tell him about dead farm animals drained of their blood out at the Pickenses’ farm.
“I’m not following,” said Poppy.
Marcy stared straight at Jeffrey. “It’s out there in the woods.”
“What is?” asked Poppy, stealing Jeffrey’s question.
“Something dark and deadly,” whispered Marcy. “It’s not alone. It brought backup. It’s been surviving off farm animals, trying to go unnoticed, but they can’t sustain the thing…or what it’s brought with it.”
Jeffrey’s inner wolf felt as if it might burst free of him and become its own entity. It wanted out and to track down Dana that badly.
Marcy frowned. “Rogelio says Dana went way off the path. That she’s deep in this thing’s hunting grounds. I can’t sense what he’s trying to convey any more than that because it’s too frantic. Something about the smell of death and destruction.”
“Rogelio?” asked Poppy.
Marcy nodded to the bluebird. “That’s him. I’m getting impressions of darkness, danger, death. And weirdly, impressions of rotten eggs. I don’t know what it all means. I just know it’s not good.”
“Call Brett,” he said to Poppy. “Tell him everything. Let him know I’m tracking Dana. Have him alert the pack to trouble.”
Marcy teared up. “She should be okay. Probably. Right?”
Jeffrey didn’t wait to hear any more. If she was crazy, there was nothing to worry about. He’d find Dana to be sure she wasn’t lost. If Marcy wasn’t crazy and could talk to animals, then Dana was in danger.
Jeffrey took off running but not from the steps. No. He ran right at the side railing, leaped over it, landed with ease in the side yard, and took off for the path into the woods.
He knew Dana’s scent, having committed it to memory two days ago when he’d walked into the Proctor House with Brett to find a tall, raven-haired beauty standing next to Poppy—her back to him. He’d been captivated by her from the word go, visually tracing his way over her backside, imagining what it would be like to hold her hips while he drove into her again and again.
Her scent, which was a cross between mint and citrus, had sent his body into a weird reactionary state that left him torn between grabbing her and kissing her and being frozen in place.
He’d gone with frozen in place.
Then she’d hit him right in the face, breaking his stupor.
From that point forward, she’d consumed his every thought. He’d tried to play it cool around her, helping her to move things from the storage pods to the home. But when he’d learned of the attack on the house, on the women there, he’d shut off.
Like now, his sole concern had been her.
Getting to her.
Protecting her.
The thought didn’t freak him out. No. It felt right, and it drove him onward as he ran, tapping into the wolf within, letting it up enough to increase his speed even more. He raced through the woods, tracking her scent, veering off the path as he did.
Eleven
Dana
I held my phone in my hand, staring around the darkness, using the flashlight mode in an attempt to see. It was useless: the dark wasn’t normal and didn’t seem to give two figs about my pathetic phone light.
I gulped, my free hand going to the cross necklace I wore. “Uh, big evil blackhole thingie, knock it off before I…” I struggled for a good threat. “…um, I have the power of Christ compel you away?”
Nothing happened.
I groaned and looked upward. “Way to have my back there, Big Guy.”
Growling came from my right, and it sounded like the black wolf. I rushed in the direction because I was already fully committed to the stupid plan. Seemed noble to try to save the wolf if I could.
That or die with him.
At first, I stumbled over branches and ran into a tree because I couldn’t see a thing. An expletive so over the top that anyone from my old neighborhood might have blushed hearing it, flew out of my mouth.
I righted myself and took a moment to try to get my bearings. Whatever was out there with the wolf and me had other things in mind. Not only did the darkness totally cut off my ability to even see my phone, which was still in my hand, it felt oppressive, like the longer I was in it, the less likely I was to get out.
Something brushed against my leg, and I nearly lashed out. My gut said not to, and I listened. I did, however, reach down, coming into contact with fur. Relief spread through me. “Wolf dude?”
It nudged me hard enough to make me back up. The wolf then planted itself before me, growling at something I couldn’t see or hear.
I patted its hind end and coughed a bit. “Good boy, but no dying on my account. How about we just leave the darkness to itself and get the hell out of here?”
The wolf whipped around and leapt at something behind us. There was snarling and hissing coming from my left, but I saw nothing through the blackness.
A rancid smell filled the area, and I coughed on it before waving my hand in front of my face. “Someone smells like rotten eggs and needs a bath.”
Everything in me screamed “duck.”
I listened just as something swiped past my head. I came up fast, as if something else was controlling my actions. The same thing had happened the night of the succu-bitch attack. It had saved my life then, so I wasn’t about to look the gift horse in the mouth.
I just went with it, going with whatever felt right.
Spinning, I threw out an elbow and struck something solid. It snarled, and I lifted my other arm fast, blocking a blow from it. Unfortunately, I dropped my phone in the process.
Something grabbed me from behind with such a force that it knocked the wind out of me. It yanked me backward so fast, it was as if I were hooked to a pulley system. My sneakers dragged through the leaves beneath my feet as I struggled for traction.
The snarls and growls grew louder and louder. They were accompanied by a flapping noise that sounded like a hundred birds flying directly at me. I’d never thought to ask Tuck about shadow monsters and bird gangs when grilling him on the supernatural.
If I lived, I’d have to remember to add it to my list.
“You dare to come at her?”
I couldn’t place the deep male voice with hints of an accent, but it was familiar. I knew I’d heard it before. I just didn’t know when or where. For some reason, the sound of the man’s voice was reassuring—like backup had arrived.
I didn’t have much time to think more on it all as I found myself being yanked backward in the darkness even faster than before. Images of being taken to some den of darkness to be the thing’s lunch filled my head.
“I’m not going out like that, buttmunch,” I said through gritted teeth.
Instincts continued to lead, and I lifted my legs, causing the distribution of my weight to change. Whatever had ahold of me let go long enough for me to turn fast and throw a punch. I struck flesh, and it felt a lot like a jaw to me. A slimy one but a jaw all the same.
Something sharp raked over my upper arm, where my armband was, tearing it away and, from the hot, burning sensation in my arm, tearing my flesh as well. A hiss came from me, but I didn’t back down. There was no way in hell I was going out by wa
y of a shadow monster.
“Dana!” yelled the man, clearly knowing me. “You’re bleeding. How hurt are you?”
How in the world had the maybe-stranger known I was bleeding? I couldn’t see a thing. How could he?
“Run!” he yelled.
The thing in front of me swiped out again, catching the same arm but lower.
Now I was good and pissed. I went hard at whatever the hell was attacking me. It managed to get in a nice hit on the side of my face, which caused my head to snap back, but I didn’t let that deter me. I punched it twice in rapid succession, knocking it back enough to deliver a wicked kick. It went down, and I grabbed out in the darkness, and came in direct contact with its head.
With one fast snap, I ended the attack, backing up fast, my adrenaline still high.
“Elis, handle the ones in the back!” the man yelled. “Brian, take the other side!”
“I can’t see anything,” said another man.
“Me either,” added yet another.
“Where are they all coming from?” asked a third man. This time, I knew the voice’s owner. I’d met him two nights back.
Austin Van Helsing.
“The caves,” said the man with the slight accent. “Austin, protect Dana.”
“Okay, but where is she?” asked Austin.
“Where is my wolf?” demanded Accent Man. “He’s injured. Find him. Get him to safety.”
Something tackled me from the side, and I hit the ground with a thud that shuddered through me. It hurt, but it also ticked me off. I rammed my elbow into it again and again. When it loosened its hold on me, I flipped it onto its back and began whaling on it. The smell of it nearly drove me to stop and get away, but I wasn’t about to quit until I knew it wasn’t a threat anymore.
“I can’t find her,” said Austin, a second before I heard a grunt then something hit the leaves hard.
Hexing with a Chance of Tornadoes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Romance Novel (Grimm Cove Book 2) Page 10
