“Thanks. It was a gift from Drake.” She’d been proud the day her uncle had presented her and Aidan with the matching set.
Her brother was an exceptional witch and had mastered wielding his dagger with his magic within weeks. Here she was, six years later, and the only way she could defend herself was by swiping at someone if they got close enough.
Mason handed her the dagger and moved behind her. He placed his left hand on her waist and pressed his chest against her back. A shiver skittered across her skin, and her body tensed.
“You can relax. I won’t bite.” His words glided over her skin like melted chocolate.
She rolled her shoulders, turning her head side to side. “Uh-huh.”
He chuckled. “Okay, maybe a little.” He fit his right arm alongside the outside of hers.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Helping you focus your powers. As soon as he skimmed his warm fingertips across the back of her hand, an energy-charged current flowed along her skin, and she gasped. “What just happened?”
“All supernatural beings have magic in some form or another. Witches who can command the elements are easier to align with.” He placed his other hand on her hip. “Now concentrate and visualize your power flowing from your body, into your arm, and out through your fingertips into a straight line.” He wrapped his hand around hers, making her clutch the dagger tighter. “See that group of three trees clustered together on the other side of the clearing?”
“Yes.” She steadied her breathing and concentrated on her goal, trying not to let his nearness or the warmth radiating from his body distract her.
“I want you to aim for the one with the thicker trunk in the middle. Pull back, throw forward, and release.” He kept his arm aligned with hers as he demonstrated the motion.
Even though he’d made it look easy, and Alex still had her doubts, she followed his instructions. When she released the dagger, the blade appeared to move in a straight path toward the target. Her rush of satisfaction only lasted until the blade curved upward, made a circular arc, and dropped directly over their heads.
Mason grabbed her around the waist and yanked her backward. Seconds later, the dagger landed in the dirt, buried to the hilt, in the same spot they’d been standing.
She turned in his arms, ready with an apology. Like the night before, he stood there, relaxed, the hint of a grin on his handsome face. Didn’t anything bother him?
“Not bad for your first attempt.”
“Not bad. Are you crazy? I almost killed us.” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice.
“No harm done. Let’s try it again.”
As soon as he leaned forward and pulled the dagger out of the ground, she noticed a soft red glow of residual magic along the blade. “No!” she yelled, too late to keep the energy, in the form of orange and yellow flames, from erupting along the handle and burning Mason’s hand.
“What the hell?” He howled and dropped the dagger. “Was that from your magic?”
A pang of guilt formed in her chest. “Sorry, but I did try to warn you.” Not her fault if the obstinate man wanted to ignore the part about her having problems with her magic.
This wasn’t the first time she’d encountered lingering effects from her magic, and she never went anywhere without being prepared. She grabbed her backpack and dug through a side pouch for the special tube of burn cream Paige’s mother had prepared for her. “Let me see.” She tugged on his sleeve.
“It’s fine,” he argued, but held out his hand anyway.
Gently, she turned his wrist so she could inspect his hand. The blisters covering his palm and fingers were slowly fading. She’d learned about the accelerated healing powers of a shifter from one of her required courses, but she’d never seen it firsthand.
Fascinated, she dabbed some cream on her fingertip, then ran it across his palm.
Mason’s hand trembled, and his breathing hitched. He moved closer, ran his thumb along her jaw to lift her chin. When their gazes locked, she noticed a soft amber glow in his dark eyes, a reminder of his wolf’s presence.
“Nothing to be sorry about.” He caressed her cheek, the warmth from his touch calling to her elemental powers, igniting her internal flame as if he’d added kindling to a fire.
He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
He captured her mouth with his lips, making it difficult to concentrate or remember why kissing him was such a bad idea.
He swiped his tongue along her lower lip, teasing and taunting until she sighed and parted her lips. A growl rumbled in his throat as he plunged deeper, taking possessive control of her mouth.
All thoughts of taking care of his burn were forgotten. She pressed against his chest, sliding her arms over his broad shoulders, then sinking her fingers into the silky dark blond strands at the base of his neck.
Several minutes passed before Mason released her, leaving them both panting from the most intense kiss she’d ever experienced.
The moment quickly faded when tension hummed along Mason’s arms and his body stiffened. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the surrounding trees with the alertness of a predator.
Dread rippled through her system. “What is it?” she whispered, afraid the creatures might have returned.
“Thought I heard something.” His voice was deeper, the tone more guttural with an animalistic quality.
She froze, straining to listen even though she knew his hearing was enhanced and far better than hers. A few seconds later, twigs snapped to their right, and Trevor stumbled out from behind a tree. He righted himself and ran his hands along the front of his shirt.
Alex experienced the same unsettling feeling she’d had that morning when he’d asked her about missing class. She didn’t think his arrival had been an accident and wondered if he’d been following her, possibly spying on them.
“Trevor, what are you doing here?” she asked, more suspicious than curious to know what he was doing in the park.
Mason turned to face Trevor, keeping Alex close and leaving one tense hand pressed against her back.
“Alex, I, um…” He clenched his fists, an angry flush spreading across his cheeks, and pinned Mason with an accusatory glare.
Wariness rippled along her spine. “This is Mason.” The last thing she wanted was for Trevor to start asking a lot of questions and blow Mason’s cover. Not to mention hurting the investigation if he decided to publish anything he learned in the Nexus. “He’s a new student.”
“Is he also one of your errands?” Trevor asked, crossing him arms.
It didn’t take her long to realize his behavior was based on jealousy, that he was upset because she’d turned down his lunch invitation.
“As a matter of fact, he is.” Good at coming up with an excuse, she reached down and retrieved the dagger off the ground. “My self-defense skills needed some work, and he was helping me practice.” She wiggled the blade for emphasis, hoping it would keep Trevor from asking any more questions.
“Oh,” Trevor said, still sounding a little skeptical. “It’s nice to meet you, Mason.”
“You as well, Trevor.” Mason inclined his head.
“Sorry for the interruption.” Trevor returned his disappointed gaze back to Alex. “I guess I’d better going and let you two get back to practicing, then.” His shoulders slumped, then he turned and headed back the way he came.
As soon as Trevor disappeared from view, Mason asked, “Friend of yours?”
“Acquaintance. Why?”
Mason shrugged. “No reason, just curious.”
Alex was certain he was more than curious.
“Are you ready to try again?” He motioned at the tree they’d been using as a target.
She glanced at his hand. “Are you sure you want to risk it after what happened the last time?”
“I’m up for the challenge, but only if you promise to nurse me back to health if I get injured again.”
Alex chuckled. “As I
recall, I didn’t do much nursing. You, we…” She couldn’t believe she was thinking about the kiss they’d shared, or that she was actually blushing.
“Exactly.”
Chapter Seven
The campus parking lot was almost empty. A mass of gray clouds blocked the late-afternoon sun, and a cool breeze chilled the air, giving it an ominous feel.
Mason was still annoyed at Drake for insisting Alex be his partner, but by the time they’d finished investigating the park and returned to their vehicles, he was relaxed and feeling more like himself than he had in months. Even if his role as mentor was temporary, the burden he’d been carrying seemed a little less heavy.
After Trevor’s untimely visit, Mason had practiced with Alex for another hour. Although she never hit the tree with the dagger, she’d shown a lot of improvement by the time they’d finished, and he didn’t have to dodge the blade after every throw.
“Thanks for the lesson.” She shifted her backpack and pulled a set of keys out of her pants pocket.
“No problem. Maybe we can get together later this week and spend more time practicing, if you want.” Mason’s rational side knew he shouldn’t get involved with the boss’s niece, shouldn’t be offering to spend more time with her outside of work. But after the kiss they’d shared and his wolf’s relentless urgings, staying away from her was becoming more and more difficult.
“I’m not sure your poor hands can take it,” Alex said.
He laughed. “I’ll risk it.” The woman was definitely getting under his skin if he was willing to sustain bodily injury to spend time with her.
She grinned, taking a few steps backward as she spoke. “So I guess I’ll meet you back at the office.”
His wolf howled with disappointment, not happy they were parting ways, even if it was for a short period of time. “Sounds like a good idea. We need to check in with Drake, let him know we didn’t find anything.” He also wanted to know if the team had made any headway with their research.
As far as the investigation went, the day had been disappointing. Mason had hoped to find at least one thing that would help them. Even scenting the trail Alex had taken when she’d run hadn’t provided any clues about what kind of creatures they were tracking.
“Okay, then.” She spun, walked over to her car, then stopped with the hand holding the car key hovering next to the lock. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she grumbled.
A couple of quick strides and he was standing by her side. “What’s wrong?”
She pointed at the ground, her brow furrowed in disbelief. “Someone slashed my tire.”
He knelt to examine the damage. The tire had long gashes through the rubber in several places, the damage so bad that the metal rim rested on the concrete. He’d known Alex for only a brief time, and she didn’t seem like the type of person to make enemies.
Mason stood and glanced at the other vehicles, including his own. None of the other tires had been messed with, making him think this was done by vandals. It was more likely a deliberate act either fueled by rage or meant to keep her from leaving.
Worried that it might be the latter, he asked, “Can you think of anyone you might have upset lately?” He wasn’t sure why, but Trevor immediately came to mind. Something about the man set off his wolf earlier, to the point where Mason had struggled to prevent a shift.
At the time, he’d thought it was strange that Trevor just happened to show up in the secluded area where they were practicing. It was also apparent that the guy was infatuated with Alex and hadn’t been happy to find them together.
Maybe he was overreacting and it was nothing. Either way, he planned to do some research on the guy when he got back to the office.
She offered him a strained smile. “You mean other than you and Drake?”
He rubbed the sides of her arms. “I’m serious.”
“I know.” She sighed. “And the answer is no, no one I can think of.”
She glanced behind him, her eyes widening, her muscles stiffening. “Mason, we have a problem.”
Now what? The hairs bristled along his neck, and he turned to see what had drawn her attention. Alex’s description of the creatures hadn’t prepared him for the two monstrosities edging their way toward them from the opposite end of the lot. Huge was an understatement. They resembled the two-legged werewolves from an old black-and-white horror movie, only with a heavy dose of steroids and dark red orbs for eyes.
The acrid smell of sulfur—the pungent odor from the previous night—burned a path through his nostrils. His wolf’s ears were back, the animal pacing and snarling, urging him to shift, to protect Alex. Mason quickly pushed her behind him, the nagging feeling that they were after her making his gut clench.
Shifting wasn’t an option, Alex couldn’t use her magic, and he’d only be able to fight one creature at a time, leaving her unprotected.
Keeping his focus on the creatures, he spoke over his shoulder loud enough for only her to hear. “When I tell you, I want you to run like hell for my jeep.”
She clutched the sleeve of his jacket. “I’m not going without you.”
Later, he’d be impressed by the stubborn woman’s courage. Right now he needed to keep her safe. “I’ll be right behind you. I promise.” Slowly, he slid his hand in his pocket, then pulled out the keys to the jeep.
“You better be, or else…” she muttered defiantly, then let go of his shirt.
“Go,” Mason pressed the button on his keys, disengaging the locks. He waved his arms and shouted, “Hey, uglies, over here!” He had no idea if they understood what he’d said or if the movement caused them to react. One of them reared back its head and roared, low and guttural. The other creature jerked its head to the side, mimicking the first one’s growl as if they were communicating with each other. Simultaneously, the animals hunched forward into a predatory stance, then slowly started moving toward them.
As soon as Alex slid into the passenger seat, he turned and ran. She had the driver’s side door open by the time he got to the vehicle. Once inside, he shoved the key into the ignition and fired up the jeep. Luckily, there were no other cars sitting next to his, and he hadn’t parked near a curb, making getting out of the lot much easier. Hopefully, he’d be able to draw the creatures away from the campus before anyone could get hurt.
“What are they doing?” Alex sat sideways in her seat, looking out the back window.
He glanced in the sideview mirror. The creatures had stopped advancing and were moving toward the only two places leading in or out of the parking lot.
“Blocking the exits,” Mason said, maneuvering his vehicle so he was facing them.
“Which demonstrates a level of intelligence,” Alex muttered.
“Or the ability to follow orders.” With the type of magic he’d seen so far, Mason was convinced they were dealing with something extremely powerful. He had a hard time believing either of these creatures was the source of the disappearances.
His first thought was to run them down, but their massive size would probably cause more damage to his vehicle than the creatures. He’d have to find another way around them.
“Buckle up, this could get rough,” he said, jamming the gear into Drive, then stomping on the accelerator.
Alex barely got her belt snapped before the vehicle lurched forward and threw her back in her seat. He twisted the steering wheel hard to the left. The vehicle swerved, almost clipping one of the animals.
The beast moved faster than Mason anticipated. It latched on to the frame with its talons, then launched itself up to the roof. A loud whump pounded against the metal and echoed through the interior. A massive furry arm appeared outside Alex’s window and slammed its fist against the glass.
It only took one punch for the thing to break through the window, sending pieces of glass sailing across both seats. Alex screamed and tried to dodge the taloned hand reaching for her.
“Hang on,” Mason yelled, cranking the steering wheel hard to the left, trying
to dislodge the unwelcome intruder. Tires squealed, and he righted the vehicle, sailing through the parking lot exit and onto the single lane road leading off campus.
The creature grabbed for Alex again. Its sharp claws missed and latched on to the belt above her shoulder, pinning her tight against the seat.
She yelped and frantically yanked on the belt, trying to loosen the animal’s grip. Mason whipped the steering wheel hard in one direction, then another, but the beast refused to let go. Keeping Alex safe was his main concern, but he worried what would happen when he reached the main road and the traffic from the city. There were non-magical people living in Wicks Hollow, people unequipped to protect themselves from things like the creature attacking them.
“Alex, try reaching for your dagger,” he said as he steadied the vehicle.
“I’ll try.” She groaned and pulled her knee up to her chest. Bracing her foot against the dashboard, she fumbled with the hilt, but finally managed to slide the dagger out of her boot. She tipped her head to the left and, with one quick backward swipe, sliced across the creature’s forearm.
The creature bellowed and yanked its arm out the window, leaving behind the smell of burning flesh and some of its blood dripping along the inside of the door and sprinkled across the sleeve of Alex’s jacket.
Mason hit the brakes, sending the animal bouncing across the hood and rolling into the street in a flurry of fur. The thing wasn’t moving, and he wasn’t about to get out and see if it was dead. He tromped on the gas, swerved to the right, and kept driving.
Still clutching the bloodied dagger, Alex swiveled in her seat and looked out the back. “Where did it go?”
He glanced in the rearview mirror at the empty road behind them. There was no sign of either creature. Anywhere.
They had to be dealing with some type of dark magic. Magic they weren’t equipped to handle. “No idea, but I’m not sticking around to find out.” Once he reached the main road and pulled into the busy traffic, he relaxed his grip on the steering wheel and searched for a place to stop. A couple of blocks later, he spotted a shopping center and pulled into its lot, then parked in an isolated area, away from any curious shoppers.
Hexed by Fire Page 6
