Bewitched Shifter (Alaska Alphas Book 3)

by Tamsin Ley

  Of course Finch already knew she wasn’t in pack custody, which was where Kepler should’ve taken her. “I took her to my house.” He swallowed thickly, feeling strange about the next words on his tongue. “She’s my mate, sir.”

  “Goddammit, Stone.” Finch’s eyes flashed with grizzly rage. “Anything else you want to tell me about this?”

  There was only one thing that might excuse his lack of protocol, one thing another shifter would understand. “This was the first time I’ve met her, sir. I think the mating hormones muddled my thinking.” The admission made him seem weak, but he’d do whatever it took to protect Ashlyn. “But I have it under control now.”

  A flicker of understanding crossed the grizzly shifter’s features. “Ah, I see.” He unclasped his hands and relaxed back into his desk chair. “What an unfortunate turn of events. You know I’m going to have to relieve you of duty on this investigation. The pack can take over from here.”

  Kepler’s muscles tensed. The pack didn’t know Ashlyn, or if they did, they knew her as the human owner of the bakery. How was he going to explain her sudden shifter ability? They were already riled about the rogues. They’d probably exterminate first, investigate later. “This isn’t something you can hand over to untrained personnel, sir. I’ve been chasing this rogue outbreak for years.”

  Shuffling through some papers on his desk, Finch scribbled on one and thrust it at Kepler. “Believe it or not, Stone, I know what I’m doing. I’ve worked with the pack on rogue cases before.”

  “This isn’t a normal rogue—”

  “Enough.” Finch held up a palm to stop Kepler’s argument. “I’m relieving you of duty for the next few days. Take the time and get to know your mate. Oh, and report to your Alpha. I’m sure he’ll have questions.”

  Gritting his teeth, Kepler resisted the urge to remind Finch that he hadn’t joined the local pack. And he had no intention on stopping his investigation or handing Ashlyn over for questioning. No matter what Director Finch ordered.

  Chapter Eight

  With Kepler gone, Ashlyn finished off the cupcakes and went to her bedroom to tidy up. Mr. Mew was hiding, and a pang of loneliness rolled through her. Would her cat ever like her again? The bedside clock said it was just after five in the morning. Normally, she’d be at the bakery already, pulling the first batch of scones from the oven. Luckily, today was Monday, the one day a week they were closed. If she didn’t get things resolved by tomorrow, she’d have to call her cousin and let her know they’d be closed an extra day. Not that Lana would care, since she’d be out on her fishing boat, anyway, but she was technically still a partial owner until Ashlyn paid her off.

  Ashlyn pulled Kepler’s tee shirt up to her nose and breathed deeply. His scent lingered in the fabric, and her wolf found it calming. Was it possible to miss someone you’d just met? She couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d touched her in the shower, so gentle, then so passionate. She hoped he wouldn’t take all day to return.

  He has responsibilities, Ashlyn, she reminded herself. A job, friends, maybe even a girlfriend…

  A growl slipped up her throat, and she swallowed it down. That thought hadn’t occurred to her, but a man as sexy as Kepler had to have women throwing themselves at him all the time. The fast-forming intimacy between them felt special to her, unique, but that didn’t mean he felt the same way. The rational part of her brain told her he wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble for her if he didn’t feel the same way. That he’d come back the moment he could. But the wolf inside her was demanding she go out and find him.

  And her wolf was strong.

  She’d found herself at the door twice before she even realized what she was doing, and now looked down to find she’d donned her coat. No, wolf, we need to stay inside. She peeled off her coat and purposefully put it back in the closet. Kepler had said her wolf was an Alpha and that she’d have trouble controlling it. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shrug off the prickly sensation she’d come to associate with the urge to shift. If only she could hear Kepler’s voice—but she’d left her phone at the bar with her purse. Not that they’d exchanged numbers. Her wolf paced restlessly inside her. What if he doesn’t come back?

  “Stop acting like a foolish teenager, Ashlyn,” she told herself and stomped to the kitchen. Perhaps more food would calm her and her restless wolf. She was staring into the refrigerator thinking about Kepler when the doorbell rang.

  Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. It’s him! She hurried toward the door.

  The bell rang again, and a female voice called, “Ashlyn? Are you in there?”

  Muffy? Ashlyn’s excitement plummeted into dread. She crept forward and peeked into the peephole. The bride-to-be still wore her party garb, although the tiara was missing, and she held Ashlyn’s purse in one hand.

  Kepler’d said not to go anywhere, presumably so she wouldn’t hurt someone again. Panic sent icy tendrils through Ashlyn’s veins, and she shoved down the memory from the alley. Pretend not to be home. But she needed her phone and keys.

  Outside, Muffy dug into the purse and retrieved Ashlyn’s keys. She extended them toward the lock.

  Oh, shit, she’s coming in! Ashlyn scrambled for the door handle, uncertain if she meant to let her friend in or try to keep her out. But it was too late. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.

  “Hello? Ashlyn?”

  The door stubbed painfully against Ashlyn’s bare toes. She backed out of the way on instinct. No hiding the fact she was home now. She couldn’t even go hide under the bed with Mr. Mew.

  Muffy’s blue eyes filled with relief, and she flung her arms around Ashlyn’s neck. “You’re okay!”

  Ashlyn tentatively patted Muffy’s back in return. No urge to rip out her friend’s throat, thank God, but she wrinkled her nose at the strange, almost ozone-like scent of Muffy’s perfume. She’d never noticed that before. Her wolf was extra sensitive, it seemed.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She pulled away, clearing the raspiness from her throat. “Sorry for ditching like that.”

  “You went into the alley and never came back.” Muffy held out Ashlyn’s purse and keys. “They said someone was murdered out there. Did you see what happened?”

  Nausea rolled through Ashlyn as she accepted her things. How was she supposed to answer? “I… I talked to a policeman,” she started, liking that she was technically speaking truth. “He said not to discuss it with anyone.”

  Muffy glanced over her shoulder before stepping inside and closing the door. She narrowed her eyes and whispered, “You saw it, didn’t you?”

  Ashlyn swallowed and crossed her arms over her chest. Why did the air suddenly feel so stuffy? “I can’t—”

  “It’s okay.” Muffy took another step forward, bringing the ozone smell with her. “I know it wasn’t a bear. It wasn’t a natural animal at all. You’re not going crazy.”

  Relief made Ashlyn feel weak in the knees. Even her wolf felt it, giving her a soft whine of curiosity. There was only one way Muffy could know. “Are you a shifter, too?”

  “Hell, no.” Muffy cringed, nose wrinkling as if she’d caught a whiff of garbage. Then her eyes widened, and she made a strange gesture with her fingertips. “Wait, you’re a shifter?”

  Now Ashlyn was really confused. How did Muffy know about shifters if she wasn’t one, too? “I really shouldn’t talk about this.”

  Muffy frowned. “But I vetted you before the party.”

  “Vetted me? For what?”

  “Witchcraft.”

  Ashlyn could barely take a full breath. Kepler’d said he thought there might be a witch involved in this. Was Muffy a witch? More importantly, was she responsible for what had happened? Ashlyn’s wolf was remarkably quiet, but alert, as if poised to pounce if Ashlyn called on her. “Are you saying you’re a witch? As in, cauldron-stirring, hocus pocus, abracadabra witch?”

  Muffy laughed. “I don’t know a single witch who says hocus pocus. Or abracadabra, for that matter. Yes,
I’m a witch. When I met you at the bakery, I saw a spark of magic in your aura. We were going to ask if you wanted to join our coven.”

  Ashlyn’s mouth fell open. Things were getting even more strange. “You thought I was a witch?”

  “No, just someone with potential. Some humans don’t realize it when they have the gift. We were going to offer to train you. But now this…” Muffy waived a hand to indicate Ashlyn’s body.

  “Do you know what happened to me?”

  Muffy frowned and her gaze slid past Ashlyn to scan the apartment. “Your mate didn’t explain things?”

  Ashlyn frowned. “My mate?”

  “The man who changed you.”

  The pain of the stranger’s bite, his clawed grip on her shoulders, blood filling her own mouth… Ashlyn blinked against the memories. The inside of her mouth seemed too full of teeth, and her skin prickled with the need to shift.

  Muffy’s eyes narrowed. “You poor thing. You have no idea, do you?”

  Ashlyn shook her head, every muscle in her body at war. She spoke between clenched teeth. “That man in the alley bit me, and now I seem to have become a werewolf.”

  Frowning, Muffy tilted her head. “Did you change right there in the alley, immediately after being bitten?”

  Ashlyn nodded.

  “That can’t be right.” Muffy took a step back, and Ashlyn’s wolf detected a whiff of fear. “Shifters aren’t supposed to have the ability to make new ones so easily. If they did, the entire planet would be overrun by the beasts.”

  Kepler’d said basically the same thing. Which meant this had to be a spell, like he thought. But she didn’t think Muffy’d had anything to do with it. Even Ashlyn’s wolf agreed. She took a breath, uncertain how Muffy might take her next question. “Is it possible a witch did this to me? A hex or curse or whatever?”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. I need to take you to the coven right away.” Muffy opened the door and stepped outside. “Come on.”

  A sliver of hope took hold in Ashlyn’s chest. “Can you make me normal again?”

  “Newly turned vampires can be cured within a short time frame, but I don’t know about shifters—or whatever it is you’ve become.” Muffy sighed. “We need to take this to my coven leader. The sooner, the better, before the magic becomes permanent.”

  Ashlyn stared down at the purse she was clutching. Shifters. Witches. Vampires. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take. All she wanted to do was go back to her busy days at the bakery and evenings snuggled up with Mr. Mew and a good book. What about Kepler? She couldn’t let her unexplained feelings for him cloud her judgement. She’d just met him. If they were a good match, he’d like her whether she was a shifter or not. And if there was a cure, Muffy might be her only chance to get it.

  “All right.” Ashlyn’s mouth twisted in a half-hearted smile. “Take me to your leader.”

  Kepler forced himself to obey the speed limit as he joined the morning traffic on his route back to Ashlyn’s apartment. He knew he couldn’t handle this investigation alone, but who could he trust? Cal. He wasn’t part of the pack, and although Kepler wanted to be angry with him, he knew Cal didn’t deserve it. The police officer had only been following protocol when he’d sent his report to Finch. Besides, Cal would be able to keep Kepler abreast of the investigation now that Finch had booted him off the case.

  He dialed Cal’s number, about to hang up when a sleepy voice answered, “Fuck, Stone, what is it? I’m off duty.”

  “Sorry, but I need your help.”

  “I handed my report over to the MCU already.”

  “I know. I just spoke to Finch.” Kepler took a steadying breath and explained the situation, including what his sister-in-law had told him about skin walker witchcraft.

  “So is she a shifter or not?”

  Kepler scowled. That was a decent question. “Fuck if I know.”

  A long pause filled the air before Cal asked, “Are you sure she’s your mate?”

  Kepler took a deep breath, trying not to be angry with his friend. “My wolf’s not lying.” Maybe it’d been a mistake to bring Cal into this. The other shifter wasn’t part of the pack, but he did have a duty to protect the shifter community. He might decide to take the skin walker theory to the pack, which would only send them on a witch-hunt—literally. Kepler said, “Listen, if you’re not willing to help, that’s okay, just keep quiet until I get things worked out. You know how the local pack is. If they believe she’s a danger, they’ll exterminate her and ask questions later.”

  “Have you claimed her already?”

  “Whether I’ve claimed her or not doesn’t matter. She needs to be protected until we can investigate,” Kepler ground out.

  “Calm down, man. I’m asking valid questions. Are you certain she’s not in on it with the witches or anything?”

  That was something he hadn’t considered, but the suggestion made him angry. “Jesus, Cal, she was shocked and terrified, not deceitful. Besides, I didn’t smell witchcraft.”

  “Sorry, but I had to ask. We don’t know enough about these rogues to rule anything out. For all we know, she’s the vector spreading the outbreak. She could be making shifters think she’s their mate.”

  Kepler’s blood turned to ice. No, that couldn’t be right. What he felt for Ashlyn was real. Gripping the steering wheel hard enough to make his knuckles turn white, he said, “My wolf would know the difference.”

  Obviously sensing he needed to tread lightly, Cal said softly, “Maybe I should meet her, too. See what my wolf thinks.”

  Much as Kepler hated to admit it, Cal made a good point. If the other shifter met Ashlyn and felt the same draw Kepler did, then perhaps the mate bond wasn’t real after all. The thought of introducing another male to Ashlyn made Kepler’s hackles rise, but he gave Cal her address. “Call me when you get here.”

  “Roger that.” Cal hung up.

  Kepler pulled up to the curb outside Ashlyn’s apartment, jumped out of the Jeep, and loped toward the building, every inch of him burning to see Ashlyn again. To lay claim on her before Cal arrived. That might be exactly what the witch wants, he reminded himself. Outside her door, another scent permeated the hallway, one every shifter knew well. Ozone. A witch had been here. Skin crawling, he knocked.

  No one answered. Shit. He tried the handle, but the door was locked. Glancing around for onlookers, he used his shoulder to force the door open with a loud crack.

  Inside, everything looked and smelled the same. No sign of a struggle. He checked the kitchen, noting the empty cupcake wrappers in the garbage, then strode to the bedroom. The bed was now made, and Ashlyn’s cat stared at him from where it was curled up on her pillow. Wherever she’d gone, it seemed to have been willingly.

  He followed Ashlyn and the witch’s scents outside to the street where the trail faded. They must’ve gotten in a car. To continue tracking, he’d need his wolf’s senses, but he risked being seen if he shifted here. Heart thudding against his ribs, Kepler glanced up and down the street.

  Headlights approached, and Cal pulled up in his police cruiser. “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s gone. And a witch was here.”

  Cal’s nostrils flared. “Shit.”

  “Fuck it,” Kepler muttered and shimmied out of his shoes and clothes. He was going after her, and he didn’t care who saw him.

  “I’m with you,” Cal said, unsnapping his uniform shirt.

  Within moments, Kepler’s wolf let out a satisfied howl, breaking the silence of the morning, and started running.

  Chapter Nine

  Ashlyn clutched her dead phone in her lap, wishing she’d thought to leave a note for Kepler. Or anyone, for that matter. Her cousin only checked on her every few days at the bakery. Muffy didn’t have a car charger, but offered to let Ashlyn use her phone. Unfortunately, Ashlyn hadn’t memorized her cousin’s number.

  Muffy pulled onto a narrow dirt road plastered with bright yellow leaves. Pale mist muted the red and orange
underbrush beneath the gray skeletal tree trunks. “Where are we going, anyway?” Ashlyn asked.

  “Our coven leader, Tessa, runs a school out here. The solitude means there’s less chance of mortals stumbling onto spell practice.” Muffy patted Ashlyn’s hand, palm cool against Ashlyn’s skin. “She’s a nature witch, a really good one. I’m sure she’ll know how to help.”

  After following the road for what seemed like forever, they reached a tall, wrought-iron fence. Muffy entered an access code that made the gate roll aside. It automatically slid closed behind them as they pulled up to a large gray house with white trim. A series of raised garden beds held a few late-season flowers, and the grass paths between them were perfectly mowed and clear of the leaves that carpeted the lane and driveway. Fancy beveled glass panels on the front door glowed with warm yellow light from inside the house. Yesterday, Ashlyn would’ve thought the place was charming. Today, all she could think about was the witch in Hansel and Gretel.

  Muffy cut the engine and got out, closing the car door with a solid thud. She hurried up the wide wooden steps toward the front door.

  Ashlyn took a few calming breaths. Her wolf was curious rather than hostile, at least for now. Kepler’d warned her it would be hard to control, and meeting another person—another witch—made her nervous.

  But she needed answers.

  She opened the car door, letting the cool autumn air wash over her.

  An older woman in jeans had opened the front door, her long silver hair in a braid over one shoulder. Wearing Xtra-Tuff boots, she reminded Ashlyn of her cousin if Lana was thirty years older. Only a lot less friendly. The woman scowled at Muffy and cut a look toward the car as Ashlyn climbed out. Ashlyn caught the tail end of her sentence as she approached. “…here was unwise.”

  Muffy looked over her shoulder at Ashlyn and signaled her to hurry and join them. “I couldn’t leave her there alone. If the shifters discover her, they’ll probably kill her on sight.”