by Celeste Raye
Chapter Five
Dennis got back to his own house and had taken off his shirt when he was interrupted by someone at the door. He knew that it was his brother Josh and he just hollered at him to come open the door.
“What’s up, brother?”
“Me? You’re the one taking off in the middle of a card game.”
“We had a visitor.”
“Yeah, so you said.”
“We did. It was a witch.”
That got the attention of his younger brother.
“What, a witch? How did I not feel it?”
Dennis shrugged. “I don’t know why, Josh. She is damn powerful. I could feel her as soon as she hit the road. You’re a bit rusty, and that’s not good. We can’t have witches walking up on us.”
Josh asked him where the witch was.
“With Cali.”
“Why?”
“It’s Jazz. You remember Jazz, don’t you? She was about your age, so I would imagine that you do.”
Josh looked off for a moment, and though recognition took a minute, Dennis was feeling disgruntled by the way that his brother was thinking about Jazz. He didn’t like the idea that his brother liked Jazz in that sort of way. Though, it wasn’t hard to understand. She was beautiful and had always had this glow about her. Always willing to help, kind, considerate, and so damn beautiful.
“Well, that is good news. How long is she going to be here for?”
He thought about the story she had given him, and he had to wonder if there was any way that they could help her. He certainly wanted to. That need that he felt to protect grew stronger.
“I don’t know. She didn’t say, and I left them to it. You know how women are, after being apart for so long. We will find out tomorrow. I think she is here for help. Cali will want to help her, so it won’t be long until we know exactly what we are dealing with.”
Josh sighed and then sat down at the kitchen table.
“Why are you talking about her like she is a problem? Does she not look as good as she used to?”
Dennis scoffed. She looked better, but he wasn’t going to tell Josh that. He didn’t want to see the lustful look on his face.
“She’s alright. I didn’t pay much attention to her back then.”
“I did. She had always been my favorite. At one point, I wanted to mate with her. If she would have given me the time of day, I would have made her my wife.”
Dennis’s heart clenched in his chest, and he didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t known his brother had felt that way and he didn’t want to know about it now.
“Well, that was a long time ago. You’re with Selena now.”
Josh’ face fell, and then he looked over at his brother in a conspiring way. “I would change that if I had a chance with Jazz. That damn witch has been in my dreams for a while.”
Dennis tried to change the subject, but it was clear that Josh wasn’t going to let it go. He was talking about going to visit Cali, and Dennis had to refuse him.
“There is no way that you’re going over there at this time of night to talk to her. Your intention will be very clear.”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. It’s late, but you know that Cali prefers the night. We know they are up. I am going over there.”
Dennis could have stopped him, used his Alpha status, but that wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wouldn’t let Josh go over there by himself, afraid that he would get into her head, but then the next best thing was for him to go with. He knew that she had problems that she needed help solving, so that was what he was going to try and focus on.
“I will go over there with you, Josh.”
“The hell you will. Your dark broodiness always catches the girls’ attention. There is no way that I am going to be able to compete with that.”
That made Dennis smile. “You’re not competing with me, brother. I am just going over there to see why she is here. If we’re going to help her, we need to at least know what we’re getting the pack into.”
Josh wasn’t listening. He was already getting up to leave, his mind somewhere else. Dennis’s mind was on the same thing, but worse, because he’d already seen her again. Once Josh did, Dennis knew that his younger brother was going to take all of his focused energy, and he was going to make it hard for Dennis to get what he wanted. Though Dennis didn’t really have a good idea of what that actually was.
They got over to Cali’s house, and she hollered for them to come in long before they were even at the door and ready to knock.
“How does she do that?”
Dennis just sort of shrugged in answer, because he had wondered that himself for quite some time. It was always easier to consider that she just knew things, but he’d never really gotten down to how she had so many extra powers that none of the other shifters had. Dennis had just assumed that it was because she was so much older, like she had picked them up on her journey of life.
Cali was pouring two cups of tea when they came through the door. She handed one to Dennis and one to Josh.
“It’s nice to have visitors at this time of night. I would be happier to see you if you were here to see me.”
Immediately, Dennis wanted to deny the allegations, but there was no point. The woman was right. He was there for something very specific, and it had nothing to do with her. It had to do with her guest.
“We’re here to talk to you both about why Jazz is here.”
“You mean the witch?”
Dennis looked away. His bad behavior had been noted.
“Yes, well, I didn’t know who she was. I didn’t even recognize her for a few moments.”
Cali smiled and the old woman sat back in her chair. Her hair was gray, and her face held wrinkles of age, but her eyes were quick and still caught everything.
“Ah yes, she has changed, Dennis, hasn’t she? Now she can be thought of seriously.”
Josh and Dennis didn’t know what she was saying. It wasn’t meant for Josh. He didn’t think so anyway. He thought that the message was clearly for him, or at least, that’s what he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that she knew what he knew. There was a connection between the two of them, and as long as she was around, he was going to feel like he needed to do more.
“Well, Cali, if your guest is busy, we can come back later.”
“Nonsense. She will be out in a few minutes, and I think she will like the company. I am sure that we all have a lot to talk about. Jazz needs our help, and she’s not a guest; she is one of the pack. We have to help her.”
Cali was so emphatic about it that neither one of the men said another word about going and coming back later. Dennis didn’t like the feeling that filled him. Something big was going to happen, soon.
“Of course, we will stay, Cali, and help in any way that we can.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Dennis. I knew that you were the right choice.”
Dennis just smiled, because he didn’t know what to say about it. How was he supposed to respond?
Chapter Six
The bath felt good and helped to relieve some of stress that had crept up on Jazz. She was replaying the day in her mind, but she was trying to decide how it was all supposed to work. Who was that woman that had come for her and put a spell so blatantly on one of the school’s staff? It had to be a powerful witch, and from what Jazz could feel, she wasn’t there to help her. Aunt indeed.
Jazz wrapped her dark hair up in a towel and then wrapped the robe around her. She felt relaxed for once, and that must be the reason that she didn’t know that two shifters were in the room, waiting for her when she got back out. She pulled the robe a little tighter around her.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize that anyone else was going to be here.”
“Go into my room. There are some clothes laid out on the bed from last time you were here; they should work well enough. We will get your things in the morning.”
Josh offered to get them for her, but Jazz said that it wasn’t necessary.
“Let me go grab that change of clothes.”
Jazz’s face was beet-red when she got into Cali’s room. She didn’t want to even wonder how the old woman had gotten everything laid out for her. She always just knew when things were going to happen. Jazz wondered why the two men were there. It was the same hot guy from before that was very rude and didn’t like witches. The guy that was seated next to him looked younger but had much of the same qualities. She decided they were brothers.
Once the dress was on, Jazz sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t usually so worried about how she looked, but all of a sudden, she was. That guy from before, Dennis, the Alpha, was messing with her head without saying a word.
The dress was a bit too tight, and she tried to make it longer, but then it was dipping dangerously low in the front. She decided that either way, she was showing something, so Jazz showed a little on both sides and went back out to the sitting room. She was trying to appear unbothered by it all, but she wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Jazz felt twitchy, and it didn’t help that all conversation stopped once she got out there.
“Well, that’s a bit snug, child, but it will be fine.”
The two men thought so; Jazz could see it on their faces, even though she was trying to ignore the attention. It was hard not to pick up the dark green eyes watching every move she made. Now there were two sets, but there was one in particular that she couldn’t avoid for long.
She sat down and tried to remain calm. She was there for help, after all; Jazz just hadn’t thought that she would be so consumed with fear and something else. It was hard for her to really concentrate with both men in the room.
“We were hoping that you would tell us how we can help. Cali says you’re one of the pack, so we must help.”
Jazz smiled, but she didn’t feel like there was much help coming from the Alpha. He didn’t like her; he’d made that clear. He wanted her, but to Jazz, it felt like the very idea that he did bothered him.
Jazz knew that it was a lot to ask. Especially considering how he felt about witches. “I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know where else to start.”
Cali told Jazz that it was no big deal. She did not want her to worry about it. “Dennis has his reasons for not liking witches, but that does not change the fact that you are part of this pack, and we will always help you. Isn't that right, Dennis?”
Cali's eyes were not wavering at all. She was looking at him like she practically dared him to say something negative.
He did not. Dennis knew better. He did not want to argue or fight with Cali. She was the oldest and most respected in the pack for a reason. He had to agree with her.
“Yes, of course. It has just been a rough road with witches lately. I don't know if Cali has told you anything about it.
Jazz said that she had not heard anything, and now she was wondering why the Alpha of the clan was so against witches. There was a general dislike for them, but it felt like something more. It felt like Dennis had a very specific reason for hating her kind.
“Well, we are not all bad. I know that we’ve got a reputation in some circles, but you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Some of us are good and only want to use our magic and talents to help people. It is hard to do some days, but I generally try never to use my powers to hurt anyone.”
“Well, child, you’ve been lucky on that front.”
Jazz smiled and agreed. She had been taken care of when she was there. They had made sure that she wasn’t put in a situation where she would have to use her power for bad. She was given many options, but it wasn’t like there was one that was better than the other. Now, she was debating if that was going to change.
“I know, Cali. But I also know that some witches will never do good. They will use their magic to their advantage every time. Those are the ones that seem to get a name, and those are the ones that are heard about most. It seems natural that people would think those things about us.”
“I am surprised to hear a witch say that about their own kind. They always try to pretend like they are perfect.”
Jazz looked over at Dennis. “There is no sense pretending that some of us aren’t in it for themselves. These personality traits are in all races from what I can see. We can’t judge everyone by the worst section of their kind.”
Dennis agreed, and Jazz wondered if he really did or if he was placating her. Either way, it didn’t matter. She was there for answers. If she wanted them, alienating herself from the Alpha of the pack seemed like the worst way to go about everything.
“Right, well, anyway, I came here to see if I could get any information that you guys might have about my family. I know that I was already adopted out before I came to you, but if you have anything, I would really appreciate it. It’s hard to know what to make of things that have been going on lately. I need to know what is going on with my family and why I have all of this new power.”
Cali looked shocked. “You didn’t tell me about new powers.”
“I hadn’t gotten there yet. I picked up at least double my powers in one go.”
She paused for a moment, trying to get her words out right.
“You know what that means, Jazz, don’t you?”
Jazz nodded solemnly. She knew as soon as it happened what it meant. “Yeah, it means that one of my blood relatives has died. I guess that’s why I am so interested in it now. I didn’t think that I had any family left, so how could I have gotten more powers?”
Cali patted her hand. Jazz needed encouragement, but the other two people in the room didn’t know what to say, so they said nothing.
Chapter Seven
Dennis was keeping up pretty well, but he didn’t need to know what was going on to know that Jazz was upset about something. The way Cali handled it helped to make it easier to deal with. He didn’t usually have much to say when a woman around him started crying. He was usually the one that walked away when it got too emotional. Dennis dealt with facts and reality, not feelings and what could be.
When they had worked it out amongst them, he asked Jazz how she knew she had more powers.
“Well, I can make bigger magic balls than before, move faster, heal faster, everything is bigger and better now. Not to mention, the moment it happened, I felt it come over me. It’s like a wave or something. It’s not something that a person forgets. It definitely happened, and I know what that means.”
Cali interjected and told Jazz that she didn’t know all that much about her parents. “What I do know, Jazz, is that you came from a long line of witches. Your bloodline was old I was told, but I never caught which line it was. You’ve always been powerful, and now you’re even more so. I guess we can determine that we need to start looking at some of the stronger families for our answers.”
Dennis could see that she had deflated some, and he did not like the looks of it at all. He wanted to help her, even though he told himself that he did not want to get involved with witches. They were nothing but trouble, and helping one out seemed to be a big no-no. All he could do is hear himself offering his help to her. It wasn't like he even meant to say it; it just came out.
Cali jumped on the chance, and she told Dennis that it was a perfect idea.
“That will be great, Dennis! You can keep her safe while she figures out about her family. We really should have done this a while ago.”
“I will help you too, Jazz.”
Josh finally piped up, and Dennis looked over at his younger brother.
“Don't worry about it, bro; I got it covered.”
Josh did not understand why his brother was trying to get him to stay in. Even if he would have realized it, Dennis wasn't sure if Josh would have believed it.
Josh insisted that he go, just to keep her extra safe. He knew several people that were good at getting information, and he promised to send them out for the cause.
“I don't know how quickly they will bring something back, but they're like bloodhounds, and they always
find the mark. We'll just have to give them a little bit of time.”
Dennis scoffed lightly and then told her that he would take a more direct approach.
“I think we need to go back and try to get the records from the hospital. Maybe then we wouldn't have to worry about information that isn't true. That way, we could just get the facts and nothing else.”
Cali agreed that maybe they should work on it altogether.
“Why don't you two each take a plan and run with it? You guys can cover more ground if you work that way, and Jazz will get her answers sooner. I think it is going to be important for all of us that this is figured out sooner than later.”
Jazz didn't care how it happened, just that she figured out who her family was. She had spent all of that time thinking that she was alone and that there was none of her family left. Now that one of them had died, even though it was bad news, it was good news as well. Now Jazz knew that at least she wasn't alone. She hoped whoever had died wasn't the last one.
It was rather late, and at some point, Cali told the two men that they were going to be going to bed. Jazz was thankful for that because she was worn out and done having to talk about any of it. It made her head hurt, and as much as she wanted to believe that she would be able to go to them and learn everything she needed to know, it was going to take more time and more energy. Those were two things that she did not have too much of.
Jazz also did not mention the witch that had come to see her at her school. She was still trying to act like it hadn't happened, like she wasn't in danger, but she knew eventually she was going to have to say something. There was no way that she was going to be able to let it go. It was one of the many things that she still needed answers to.
She got upstairs and did her best to calm herself. A couple of hours ago, she had been just a normal girl. It was before someone had come to the school and put her principal under a spell. Whoever it was had done it to get to her, and there was just no making sense of it all.
