Hexed by Fire

by Nola Robertson

  #

  Aidan heard several doors slam and got up from his desk to see what was going on outside his office. He walked over to the wall length glass window in the reception area and watched Alex storm across the parking lot and get into her car.

  Chance came out of the research lab a few seconds later. “What was all that noise?”

  Aidan grinned and pointed out the window. “I believe it was Alex, and she looks pissed.”

  “Any idea what happened?” Chance moved next to him to get a better look outside.

  Aidan shrugged. “Not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say Mason happened.”

  It wasn’t long before the door to Drake’s office opened and Mason walked out. He snarled something incoherent under his breath as he passed them and rushed out the front door.

  Chance crossed his arms. “It appears Mason isn’t very happy either.”

  Aidan snorted. “If I know my sister, Mason’s about to get his ass kicked.”

  Chance shook his head. “Oh, I don’t know. I think the new guy can handle her just fine.”

  “Do I detect the inkling of a wager?” Aidan gave Chance a sidelong glance and grinned. “Twenty bucks says Mason won’t make it until the end of the week.”

  Chance scratched his chin and made a smacking noise. “Make it fifty and you’re on.”

  The noise of a throat being cleared caused Aidan to jump. He turned toward Drake’s office and found his uncle leaning against the door frame. “This is still a business, not high school. Don’t you two have work to do?”

  Most people who didn’t know Drake were intimidated by his serious hardcore demeanor, but Aidan knew underneath the intense persona was a generous and caring man. A man who’d rearranged his life and returned to Wicks Hollow to raise him and his sister.

  “Yes, sir,” Aidan and Chance said at the same time, though neither of them made a move to leave the reception area.

  “Chance, have you gotten the results back on those samples you took from the park?” Drake asked.

  The samples in question came from the claw marks and blood Mason had found on the trees.

  “Nothing yet. My friend at the lab said he might have something later today.”

  Drake handed Chance a plastic water bottle containing blue glass fragments. “I want you to do an analysis on these as well. Keep it in-house for the time being and see if you can determine the type of magic used.”

  “Anything specific I should be checking for?” Chance asked.

  “Possibly a black magic source. Something to do with conjuring or transformation. Alex collected them from the park. She said three creatures appeared after the lights exploded, so be careful when you handle them.”

  Chance jerked from staring at the bottle’s contents to Drake. “Creatures? Really? And she saw them?”

  Drake nodded. “She took off before she could get a good look. All she knew for sure was they were huge and their eyes glowed bright red.”

  Pressure squeezed Aidan’s chest. “Are you talking about the things that tore up the trees?” No one mentioned his sister’s life had been in danger, including Alex.

  Images of the brutal way Gwen had been attacked flashed through his mind. Guilt tugged at his emotions over the way he’d treated Alex earlier when he realized the same thing could have happened to her.

  Drake placed a reassuring hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Yes, but after speaking with her, it sounds like Mason showed up and scared them off.”

  Aidan might go out of his way to annoy Alex, but he loved her and was grateful nothing had happened to her. Though he still didn’t believed Mason would last a week after dealing with his strong-willed sister, he now held the man in high regard.

  “Why don’t you give Chance a hand? The sooner we discover the source of the magic, the sooner we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”

  “I can do that.” Aidan turned to follow Chance back to his lab.

  “Oh, and Aidan,” Drake called as he paused in the doorway to his office.

  “Yeah?”

  “Put me down for fifty on the new guy.”

  Chapter Six

  Alex stared out the car window at the campus parking lot and inhaled several deep and calming breaths. It was late in the morning, and so far, nothing today had gone the way she’d planned.

  And now, thanks to Mason’s interference, Drake knew she hadn’t taken the test and probably wouldn’t be getting her license. Not if Professor Reynard decided to make her take the entire private investigator’s course over again.

  To make matters worse, and what irritated her the most, was the fact that her uncle had guessed she planned to secretly help with the case and had used the information to manipulate her.

  Even though having Drake’s approval made things easier and gave her access to information she’d have to otherwise get through less than legal methods, it still didn’t make the situation any easier to accept.

  How could it? His agreement came with a price. Working with Mason didn’t mean having a partner, it translated into needing a babysitter, neither of which made her happy.

  She didn’t know anything about Mason, wasn’t sure if she could trust him, and definitely didn’t want his help. The only thing she knew for certain was that being around the handsome detective made her crazy and turned her traitorous body into a steaming puddle of lava.

  Alex got out of her car when she spotted Mason’s jeep pulling into the lot. Losing her temper wasn’t going to improve the situation, so she tamped back her irritation and refrained from slamming the car door. Again.

  After she’d explained her version of the previous night’s events, Drake had asked, more like ordered, them to return to the park and retrace her steps. She’d completely forgotten Mason was part wolf and could easily track her when she’d decided to arrive on campus first and avoid him.

  She didn’t need someone watching over her shoulder, and she certainly wasn’t going to make the investigation easy for him. She tugged her backpack onto her shoulder, then turned and started walking.

  Fast-paced footsteps sounded behind her. “Alex, wait.” Mason wrapped his fingers around her arm, forcing her to stop.

  Her first instinct was to jerk away; instead she stared at him until he released her. “Why?”

  “Because I’d like to apologize.”

  “For which part?” She clenched her hand against her thigh. “The part where my uncle now knows I didn’t make it to class, that I’d disobeyed him and taken a shortcut through the park? Or the part where he thinks I need a babysitter, and once this case is over will never trust me to work in the field?”

  “All of it.” Regret filled his eyes and hardened the soft lines around his mouth. “If I’d known who you were, I would have handled things differently with Drake.” Mason ran a hand along the base of his neck. “I’m not happy about this either, but you heard what he said. Either we do this together, or you’re off the case, and that wasn’t my intent when I…”

  Like she needed a reminder. “What are you suggesting?”

  He tucked his hands in his pockets and gave her a pleading grin. “I’m suggesting a truce…at least until this case is over. Then if you want to go back to being angry with me, I’ll totally understand.”

  Alex bit her lower lip trying not grin. How could she resist the man’s logic or those incredible cinnamon eyes? As much as she wanted to continue blaming Mason, she had to admit she was partially responsible. If she hadn’t broken into the dean’s office, she wouldn’t have been late in the first place and would have been in the park. “Fine, I’ll accept the terms of your truce, at least for now.”

  He smiled. “Good.” He motioned toward the main part of the campus. “Why don’t you show me where you first spotted the creatures?”

  #

  Frustration had accompanied Mason like a copilot during the entire drive to the campus. By the time he’d arrived, he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to deal with Alex.

  He didn
’t want a new partner, especially after the way he’d lost his last one in Miami. Having Alex help with the investigation would be like having a rookie tag along. A very stubborn and beautiful rookie.

  He knew she’d completed the investigator’s course but didn’t have her license. He didn’t even know if Alex knew how to investigate or protect herself in a difficult situation.

  He also knew if she was related to Drake, then her magic stemmed from one of the elements. If her dagger-throwing capabilities were any sign of how she controlled her powers, the first sign of danger and anyone around her could get seriously hurt. Including him.

  He wasn’t sure how Drake expected him to focus on the case and keep her safe at the same time. An impossible task unless he watched her twenty-four hours a day, which meant keeping her close. And being this close to her with his wolf in overprotective mode and pacing wasn’t helping.

  His human side wasn’t doing much better. The woman intrigued him, hot temper and all. Each whiff of her enticing aroma sent a new wave of heat rushing through him, which was causing an uncomfortable tightness in the front of his pants. It was a good thing she seemed too intent on reaching the park to notice.

  After ten minutes of shared silence, they’d walked to the opposite side of the campus and reached the commons area next to the park. Alex glanced over her shoulder. “The shortcut I took is this way.”

  The pathway was narrow, so he walked a short distance behind her, enjoying the opportunity to admire her finely shaped backside.

  The late-morning sun brightened the park’s courtyard, washing away the horrors from the night before, images he’d probably never be able to erase. He was glad the coven’s high council had wanted to prevent a campus-wide panic. Other than notifying Gwen’s family, they’d imposed a strict order preventing the release of any information on the incident.

  After Chance finished gathering samples, a cleanup crew had arrived and labored through the night. Mason was impressed by their efforts. There was no apparent evidence suggesting anything unusual had occurred. Even all the bulbs in the overhead lamps had been replaced.

  When we reached the large clearing, Alex stopped and turned around in the middle of the sidewalk. “I was standing right about here when the humming started, then all the lights exploded.”

  “Was that when you notices the creatures?” Sometimes creating a mental timeline helped Mason notice missed, potentially important, details.

  “No.” She stepped onto the grass. “I walked over here to pick up the fragments, then heard growling and saw the creatures.”

  Mason was sure he already knew the answer but asked anyway. “Approximately where did you see them?”

  She pointed toward the tall copse of birch trees. “I flashed the light from my phone right about there, and saw three of them.” Understanding flickered in her eyes. “That’s where you found Gwen’s body, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” He tried to keep the images of the young witch’s mutilated body from popping into his mind. Last night, the same graphic pictures had vied for space in his tormented nightmares with the images of another lifeless body.

  “Show me.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” The urge to protect her was strong and so was the growl that sounded more like his wolf’s. The coven’s crew had been thorough, but he still sniffed faint traces of blood. Alex had known Gwen, and he didn’t want her to see where she’d died or accidently find something on the crime scene the crew had overlooked.

  Her eyes flared a bright green, an emotional response caused by her magic. “Well, I do.” She sidestepped around him, then disappeared between the trees.

  Irritating, stubborn woman. Mason clamped his jaw, biting back an argument. He’d handcuff her to his wrist if he thought it would do any good. Instead, he shook his head and followed her.

  He was surprised to find her standing next to a tree, poised in a trancelike state. She ran her fingers along the grooves marring the bark. The blood had been removed. The gashes he’d found the day before were barely noticeable, yet somehow she’d managed to find them.

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Those creatures did this, didn’t they?”

  “We believe so, yes,” he said.

  “But no idea what they are, right?” She frowned. “Not even using your wolf to scent?”

  “I think magic was involved because the only thing I could smell was…”

  “Blood, and it’s okay to say it.” Alex moved closer and put her hand on my arm. “I know what the job entails, and just so you know, I’m not squeamish and don’t expect you to hold back.”

  Mason already admired her strong will and decided to add candor to the list. “Fair enough.”

  She smiled. “Since I missed out on most of your meeting with my uncle, what is he doing to track down the creatures?”

  “He’s got Chance working on it.” Today was the first time he’d met Drake’s team. Chance had no magical powers, but his expertise in the field had impressed him. Very few humans were ever ordained by the high council to operate within the secretive world of the supernatural. Mason hoped it wouldn’t take the man long to find the answers they needed.

  She glanced around the surrounding area. “Is this where you found Gwen’s body?”

  “No, it’s this way.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the trail leading to the isolated clearing. “I found her in here.” He pushed through the thick hedges, using his body to hold the branches wide enough for her to squeeze through.

  “Thanks.” She moved through the opening sideways, her back brushing against his chest. Heat skimmed along his skin, undercurrents of desire rising to a slow boil.

  Alex walked around the clearing, her eyes serious and focused as she examined the area. There wasn’t anything visual that she could see, but being a witch, she could detect any residual magic left behind. Sometimes if the residue was strong enough, the signature could be tracked back to the owner. Aidan and Drake had tried to find a tracing link the night before, without any luck. Whoever was behind Gwen’s death was very powerful and knew how to cover their trail.

  She made a full circle and raised her head; pain dulled the sparkle in her eyes. “If I hadn’t run, maybe I could have helped Gwen.” Her words came out in a rasp.

  Mason took two steps and placed a comforting hand on her arm. “There was nothing you could have done. If you hadn’t run, I would have found two bodies instead of one.” He shuddered at the thought of finding Alex in the same mutilated condition.

  That line of thinking wasn’t good for either of them and wasn’t helping their investigation. “Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand, glad she didn’t argue when he tugged her back toward the center of the park.

  #

  “Find anything?” Mason shouted to Alex, who was moving through the trees a short distance away.

  She had agreed to help him scout for any signs of the creatures in the same place they’d met. “Nothing yet,” she said, a little disappointed they’d been searching for over an hour and hadn’t found anything, not a broken branch, not a single print. “Maybe we should head back to the office, see if Chance and Aidan need any help.”

  He jumped out from behind a tree, startling her. “Or you could let me teach you how to use your power to throw a dagger.” He wiggled his brows, challenge glinting in his eyes.

  Sly shifter. Alex squeaked and smacked him in the chest. She hated that he’d used his stealthy wolf abilities to sneak up on her. “Not funny.”

  He laughed and captured her hand, holding it tight against his chest. “Sorry.” The mischievous twinkle in his gaze contradicted his apology.

  “And we’re taking valuable time away from our investigation to practice knife throwing, why?” He’d already witnessed the pathetic skills attached to her magic. A little more practice wasn’t going to change what she’d been trying to overcome for years.

  “I want to make sure you can protect yourself.” Serious intent underlined h
is playful humor. “Especially if we encounter the creatures again.”

  Irritation simmered below the surface of her skin. It was one thing for her to admit she lacked skills, but quite another to have it pointed out to her. “I am quite capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much.”

  He raised one eyebrow, amusement playing with the corners of his lips. It was hard to stay angry with the guy when her body’s rise in temperature had her cheeks flushing and she suddenly had the desire to find out what it would be like to kiss him.

  She pulled her hand free and took several steps backward. Now was not the time to analyze her growing attraction for Mason, or the fact that she was really starting to like him. Forcing herself to think rationally, she had to concede he might have a point. “What did you have in mind?”

  Mason smiled. “Your family derives its power from the elements, correct?” He removed his jacket, then held out his hand for her backpack before placing both items on the ground several feet way.

  Alex nodded, assuming he’d learned about the source of their magic from her uncle.

  “What’s your element?”

  “Fire…but you don’t understand. I can’t control my powers. You saw what happened with the dagger.”

  “Do you have your dagger with you?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Can I see it?”

  She’d learned in one of her weapon’s classes that silver in any form was lethal to all shifters. She’d assumed when he suggested practicing her throws that they’d be using an ordinary blade, not one that could potentially kill him. “Why?” she asked, wary of his answer.

  “Humor me.” He motioned for her to hand over the weapon.

  Alex withdrew the thin blade from its hiding place inside her tall leather boot.

  “Nice.”

  She glanced up and caught him quickly shifting his gaze from her backside to her boot. Alex handed him the blade, hilt first. She was pretty sure his comment had nothing to do with the weapon’s location.

  Mason examined the dagger carefully, taking special care not to touch the blade. “Expert craftsmanship.”