Burned: Wild Magic Book 2

by Danielle Grenier

  “Please leave,” Angel told her, determined not to get pulled into an argument. Right now, there was nothing her mother could say to make things better. In time, she might be able to see things her way, but not now; everything was just too raw.

  Elizabeth opened her mouth, paused, and closed it slowly. She nodded, then turned on her heel and left the room.

  Caleb could hear well enough to know there was an argument going on in Angel’s hospital room, but that was pretty much expected. He knew what her mother thought of werewolves, and considering Angel had lied to her about what she was doing and who she was doing it with, Elizabeth probably had a good reason to be upset.

  “Whoa,” Jesse remarked. “Is Angel’s mom always that intense?”

  “I can’t really say,” Caleb replied, “I haven’t met her before, mostly just overheard phone conversations. When it comes to wolves, though, she’s not particularly fond of our species as a whole.”

  “That sucks, man,” Jesse told him. “I mean, what with you and Angel being together. I can’t imagine her mother is going to make that easy.”

  Caleb shrugged. “While I’d prefer it if her mother was at least accepting of us being together, it’s what Angel thinks of me that counts.”

  “Good point.”

  The shouting died down a little, and after a few minutes Jonathan left the room. He looked mad, which wasn’t really a surprise; Elizabeth didn’t save her manners for wolves.

  “I probably should have warned you about Angel’s mother,” Caleb said. “I never really thought it would be an issue. Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Jonathan told him. “I–”

  “You! Where do you think you’re going?” Ms. Myers strode purposefully down the hall, pinning Jonathan with her gaze. “You knowingly put my daughter in harm’s way, in the way of zombies and vampires! Did you really think I was just going to let that go?”

  Jonathan took a deep breath before answering. “Angel is a grown woman,” he explained, “and as far I can tell, she is perfectly capable of making these decisions for herself. I informed her of the risks - all of them - and she decided to take the job.”

  Jesse scurried off, mumbling something about fresh air, and Caleb decided it might be in his best interest to escape before Elizabeth went after him as well. He snuck past the witch and down the hall to Angel’s room, managing to slip inside without her mother noticing.

  “Well, that could have gone better,” he said, realizing as the words left his mouth that he was in an empty room. Assuming she was in the bathroom, he went and knocked on the door. “Angel? Are you in there?”

  When she didn’t respond, he pressed his ear to the door and heard nothing. He pulled open the door, finding the bathroom empty as well. He checked the room again, in case he’d missed something, but didn’t find any sign of her. He was about to leave and check with the nurse’s station when his newly replaced phone rang. Jesse’s name flashed across the screen.

  “Hello?” Caleb answered, a little confused as to why Jesse was calling.

  “Do you know why Angel is outside in the parking lot?”

  “Probably trying to escape her mother,” Caleb replied, a little relieved. “Tell her I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Uh, I would,” Jesse said, “but she’s leaving.”

  “What do you mean, leaving?”

  “I mean, she’s walking out of the parking lot and down the street,” Jesse explained. “I waved to her and called her name, but she just looked over at me and kept walking.”

  “Follow her.”

  “I am, I am,” Jesse said, and Caleb heard heavy footfalls through the phone. “Oh, shit.”

  “What?”

  “She’s gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Yeah, she just transported, or teleported, or whatever it is she does. She’s gone. I don’t see her anywhere.”

  “Keep looking,” Caleb told him, ending the call and jamming his phone into his pocket. He left the room, only to see Jonathan and Elizabeth still fighting in the hallway. “Angel’s gone,” he shouted, silencing them both instantly.

  “What do you mean, gone?” Elizabeth asked.

  “I mean, she left her room, walked through the parking lot, and teleported somewhere,” Caleb explained.

  “You’re sure?” Jonathan asked.

  “Her room is empty, and Jesse saw her leaving the parking lot,” Caleb replied.

  “This is just some kind of trick!” Ms. Myers insisted, walking quickly down the hallway and going back into the hospital room. She exited a moment later, marching down the hallway. “This is all your fault,” she spat at Jonathan as she passed him and continued towards the lobby and out the front doors. Jesse strode in a moment later, jogging up to them, his phone still in his hand.

  “Anything?” Caleb asked hopefully.

  “Nothing,” Jesse replied. “She’s gone.”

  Chapter 46

  Jonathan sighed deeply, shoved away the box of cold pizza, leaned back in his chair, and propped his feet up on the desk. It had been a long week, capped off by a very long day. First he finds out Angel is his daughter, and then she goes and disappears. He couldn’t really blame her; finding out your mother has lied to you all your life isn’t exactly easy to deal with. Heck, finding out you have an adult daughter isn’t exactly easy to deal with either.

  Jonathan had always wanted a daughter. He and Melanie had three wonderful sons, and he wouldn’t trade them for anything, but he’d always like the idea of having a little girl he could spoil and protect. But Angel wasn’t a little girl anymore; he’d missed out on most of her life, and he couldn’t help wondering if she would want anything to do with him now. Elizabeth might have doubted how her daughter would be treated, but if Angel would have them, she’d be welcomed into his family quite happily.

  After she’d disappeared from the hospital, Caleb had been worried for her health and insisted on searching for her. Jonathan could have explained the reason for her disappearance, but he hadn’t wanted to betray Angel’s confidence. So, they’d spent the rest of the morning searching the area surrounding the hospital. When it became clear she wasn’t there, they’d expanded their search, checking hotels, restaurants, and every witch-related store they could find in town. Still, they’d found no sign of her. Given she could teleport at will, Jonathan had a distinct feeling Angel wouldn’t be found unless and until she wanted to be found. So they’d admitted defeat, grabbed some pizza, and headed back to the hotel, and now Jonathan was debating whether he should get some sleep or stay up and deal with the mountain of paperwork he had to deal with after the attack on the conference. Deciding he probably wouldn’t get much sleep anyway, he pulled his feet off the desk, righted his chair, and started working through the first stack of papers. After a few minutes, a strange tingling sensation made him pause. Setting down his pen, he looked up, searching the room for the source of his discomfort.

  “Angel?” he called out uncertainly. A moment later, she stepped around the corner.

  “Hi,” she replied.

  “Are you okay?” Jonathan asked.

  She took a few steps into the room and shrugged.

  “No idea,” she said. “I’m sorry about my mother.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for her, Angel,” Jonathan said, “none of this is your fault.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not like you’re gonna get an apology from her,” she replied. “You think crazy is genetic?”

  “Your mother isn’t crazy,” he assured her, “just a little intense.”

  Angel laughed.

  “Up until he got engaged, my mother thought I should try and get back together with a witch I knocked unconscious.”

  “Caleb told me about that,” Jonathan replied, laughing as well. “From what he told me, you saved him from a well-deserved maiming.”

  Angel clasped her hands in front of her and shifted nervously. “There’s something else you should know about me.”


  “What is it?”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, then stepped forward, pulling a small silver ring off her pinky finger. She set it on the desk. Jonathan picked it up and felt the telltale tingle of magic.

  “What is this?”

  “A spell to hide my scent.”

  Jonathan had a very good idea of what she wanted him to know, but he needed to be certain. He stood and came around the desk, stopping just a foot away from her. He inhaled deeply, and her scent immediately confirmed his suspicions.

  “You’re a hybrid.”

  She nodded, a little fear in her eyes.

  He hesitated only a moment before reaching out and enveloping her in a hug. She tensed up at first but relaxed quickly, wrapping her arms around his back.

  “Well, that’s certainly going to make things interesting.”

  “I don’t want to put you or your family at risk,” she began, but he shushed her and stepped back.

  “Our family,” he corrected. “And that’s not something you need to worry about. Whatever you want to do - keep your true nature a secret or let it out - we’ll support you.”

  “But–”

  “No buts. That’s what family is for.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Jonathan could tell his words affected her deeply; she’d obviously been afraid he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. Tears glistened in her eyes for a moment, then she pulled herself together.

  “Thank you,” she told him, “that really means a lot. I’d like to meet your - our - family, but not yet. I still need some time to work stuff out.”

  “Of course, I understand. What about Caleb?”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s your Mate,” Jonathan stated.

  “Yeah,” Angel replied sadly, “but he doesn’t know. The spell that hides my real scent also keeps him from realizing I’m his Mate.”

  “He loves you,” Jonathan told her. “He may be a little confused about your scent, but he can’t hide the way he feels.”

  “I know,” she said, “but what will he think when he finds out the truth? When he finds out I lied to him? I could put him and his pack in danger, just for being what I am.”

  “Caleb will understand why you didn’t tell him, and from what I’ve heard, his family already likes you, and his pack owes you their lives. I won’t lie and say things will be easy if the world finds out you’re a hybrid, but I truly believe you, and the people who care about you, will be more than strong enough to handle it.”

  Angel gave him a soft smile. “Thank you,” she said. “I think a part of me knows that, but it’s still scary. My whole life will change. I’d definitely lose my job, which doesn’t really seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I like what I do, I like helping people. I don’t know what I’d do without that.”

  “You could always work for me as an Enforcer,” Jonathan offered.

  “You don’t think the other Alphas would have a problem with a hybrid enforcer?”

  “I’m sure you’d be able to handle any issues that come up,” Jonathan told her, grinning. “And if they really have a problem, they can bring it up with me.”

  Angel smiled at him.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “No problem. Are you going to see Caleb? He’s worried about you.”

  “I know he is, but I need some space right now.”

  “Then at least call him, so he doesn’t worry so much.”

  “I will,” Angel told him. “I should probably get going.” She grabbed the ring from the desk and slid it back on. Even from where he stood, Jonathan noticed the way her scent changed. She half-turned to leave, then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She pulled a small vial of red liquid from her pocket and set it on the desk. “This is for Matt.”

  “What is it?”

  “I uh, swiped a healing potion from the hospital,” she explained, “and modified it a little. It will grow his hand back.”

  “Thank you,” he told her, “I’m sure Matt will appreciate the gesture.”

  “Probably not right away,” Angel said, “apparently regrowing a limb hurts like hell.”

  “He’ll manage,” Jonathan assured her. “Where are you going to go?”

  “No idea.”

  “Here,” Jonathan said, scribbling his number down on a loose piece of paper, “this is my home number, and my personal cell number. If you need anything, anything at all, just call and I will do my best.”

  He handed her the piece of paper. Angel took it and stuffed it in her pocket.

  “I will,” she said. “And thanks, for everything. It was nice to be able to talk to someone about this stuff.”

  “Anytime,” he told her.

  Chapter 47

  Caleb didn’t get back to his new hotel room until late that evening. They’d searched for Angel near the hospital, and anywhere else in the city they could think of, but they hadn’t found her, which really didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was how calm he felt about the whole situation. He wasn’t actually worried she was gone; he was more worried about why she’d left in the first place. This past week, he’d learned while she was incredibly strong when it came to magic and fighting, she was emotionally fragile. Considering she’d been perfectly fine before her mother showed up, Caleb had to assume Elizabeth was to blame. He’d tried calling her using the number he got from Scott, but as soon as he’d identified himself, she’d hung up and blocked his subsequent calls. So now he was lying in bed, with no idea where Angel was, no idea what was wrong, and no idea how to fix it all. He was contemplating a hot shower to help himself get to sleep when his phone started to ring. He dashed out of bed and started rifling through his discarded clothes, pulling the device from his pocket. No name or number showed up on Caller ID, but he answered it anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi,” came Angel’s voice from the other end of the line.

  “Angel, are you okay?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She paused, sighing heavily. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything.”

  “It’s alright, I understand,” he told her. “Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

  “I…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Oh?”

  “It’s not you! I swear. There’s just some things I need to figure out, and I need some time alone to do that.”

  “Alright. Take as much time as you need.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “Do you love me?”

  “Yes,” she replied without hesitation.

  “And I love you. And I’m not mad. I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through right now, but if you say you need time to figure things out, then you should take as much as you need. And I know you’ll talk to me about it when you’re ready.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will. I should probably go now.”

  “Wait,” he said, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  Caleb took a deep breath and said the words he’d been agonizing over for months, realizing now nothing had ever felt so right.

  “You’re my Mate.”

  Chapter 48

  She was furious. She stormed around the small house she’d been using as a nest, throwing whatever she could get her hands on. Picture frames and dinner plates hit the wall and smashed into little pieces that littered the floor. The few vampires she allowed inside scattered quickly, not wanting to become the next thing she got her hands on. She cursed, loudly and colorfully, in each of the half-dozen languages she’d learned over her long life. The Master Alpha lived. Not only that, casualties at the conference had been minimal. Decades of planning, years of preparation, and the attack had failed miserably.

  She let out one last wordless scream and fell silent. She stopped, taking a few deep breaths, even though she didn�
��t actually need to breathe. For some reason, the action was still soothing. She crossed the room and snatched her cell phone off the kitchen counter, dialing a number she knew by heart. It rang twice, then he picked up.

  “Hello.”

  “Have you seen the news?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t say anything else for a solid minute, and she started to feel her rage building again.

  “And!?” she prompted.

  “What do you want me to say? The Master Alpha is still alive.”

  “It wasn’t my fault. They had a witch working for them. A very powerful witch. How the hell was I supposed to plan for that? I had dozens of vampires, over a hundred zombies. That should have been more than enough.”

  “But it wasn’t.”

  “Why the hell are you so calm? We failed. We didn’t kill the Master Alpha, and now he knows someone is after him. We’ll never get another chance at him like this again.”

  “Of course we will. The Master Alpha is not one to stay safe while others are in danger. If his packs are threatened, he will fight to keep them safe.”

  “And what if he keeps that witch around, huh?”

  “I’ll deal with her.”

  “But–”

  “I said, I will deal with the witch. You take whoever you have left and move north. I’ll contact you with further instructions.”