“I was thinking of burning bay and mugwort for protection, maybe throw verbena in there for good measure. I’ll burn the herbs with the intention of attracting the attackers to protect the town. Ask that no harm come and none be done. I think that’s pretty safe. But that means that the wolves can’t use any more force than is necessary because I don’t want it coming back on me.”
“Are you willing to assume that risk? I don’t know that I would be.”
Heath stood. “Neil will go with Grace. Cain and I will catch the attackers. The rest of the pack will stay at The Brew.”
“I’m going to walk with them too.” Eileen wouldn’t send Grace into a dangerous situation alone; she’d never forgive herself if something happened.
Cain squeezed her leg. “No. It’s not safe.”
She raised an eyebrow, hoping he would reconsider his word choice.
“Please, don’t do it. It was hard enough feeling helpless last night, and I don’t want to watch that again.”
“Then run fast, because I’m not letting Grace go alone,” Eileen said.
“Hello?” Neil said, waving his hand. “I’ll be there.”
“Yes, but Eileen makes a good point. Three against two gives us an advantage while we wait on Heath and Cain,” Grace added.
“All right.” Cain stood from the couch. “Let’s part ways for now and meet at The Brew in a few hours.”
Eileen started to leave, but he held her back with a hand across her stomach. “Please wait,” he whispered. “I know you’re concerned about your sister, but I wish you wouldn’t do this. You need to think about your safety, and I can’t promise that I’ll be able to control myself if you’re injured.”
“Cain, I can’t send my sister into a dangerous situation that I’m not willing to go into myself. And you’d better stay in control. Grace and I won’t help if you cannot promise that you won’t harm the attackers. Remember the Three-Fold Law? Your actions will come back on Grace because it’s her magic that’s drawing them to danger.”
Cain snarled. “I can’t make a promise about how I’ll behave. When you were injured, my instincts took over, and my only thought was to protect you.”
“What if it was my spell and your brutality came back on to me?”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“Then don’t hurt Grace. You’re more than your instincts, wolf or not. If you could control yourself enough to protect me, you can do the same for my sister. You wouldn’t value one member of your pack over another.”
“I’d put my mate before the rest of the pack.”
Mate? She did have an immediate, undeniable attraction to Cain. But did it go beyond the physical? She wasn’t ready to be a mate. Mates were bound for life. Eileen took the cowardly route and decided to pretend that she didn’t know the gravity of that title. “Don’t let any harm come to Grace. I couldn’t choose between my mate and my family. I’d choose both. Alphas earn respect by putting the whole pack ahead of the individual.”
Cain reached forward, burying his hand in her hair, and pulled her mouth to his. She melted, taking comfort in the intimate sensuality of the kiss. There was no urgency. She felt cared for and loved. The wordless caress told her that Cain’s affections went beyond sex.
He released her lips whispered, “I will protect your sisters as if they were my pack.”
Eileen leaned into him, returning his soft and gentle touch. Their kisses deepened, and her hands drifted inside his shirt. She needed to be closer to him. Her fingers danced up his back, following his spine, pulling their bodies closer together.
Cain nudged her knees apart, placing his thigh between her legs. She opened to him, heat building inside of her as she started to grind against his leg. He wrapped her braid around his forearm and pulled her head back, forcing her to look at him. “I want you. Be mine.”
“Right now, I am,” she panted.
“No, be my mate,” he growled, grabbing her ass and guiding her hips slowly against his hard thigh.
“Cain, I can’t make that commitment yet.” She couldn’t think. She could hardly stand.
“I want to claim you. No one else can have you. You’re mine,” he tightened his grip on her ass.
“Then fucking claim me.” She didn’t recognize her voice, it was low and animalistic.
Cain dropped her hair and spun her around, pushing her toward his bed. He put a hand between her shoulder blades, bending her until her hands were on the footboard. Eileen gasped as he almost knocked the wind out of her. She pressed her cheek against the mattress as her pussy hummed with excitement. He kept one hand on her back as he grabbed her hip and pulled her back toward him, pressing his erection against her ass.
His deep voice growled behind her, “You’re mine.” as he pulled at her skirt, shoving it up to her waist. Cain undid his pants.
She looked at him over her shoulder. “Prove it.”
Cain’s eyes darkened at her challenge, sending shivers through her body. She reached down to her cunt. She was so wet, her fingers slipped over her clit easily. She moaned as she teased herself, working small circles around her clit.
Cain pressed his cock against her, pausing only for a second before her pulled her backward and drove his cock inside of her. Eileen cried out in surprise and pain.
“Again?” Cain asked, barely audible.
“Yes, please.” Maybe one day she would be his mate, but today she just wanted to be his. She wanted to be pinned under his weight. She wanted to be marked as his.
Cain claimed her as she pulled orgasm after orgasm from her clit. Her legs shook and her hips slammed against his footboard. She would be sore tomorrow, and it was fucking fantastic.
CHAPTER TEN
CAIN
Cain prepared for dozens of different scenarios in his head, trying to make sure that he was as prepared as possible for the evening’s trap. He knew their actions could destroy Grace, but he needed to defend his territory and put an end to these attacks. If Malcolm was actually behind them, there would be hell to pay.
Cain counted down the minutes to midnight, desperately wanting the evening to be over. At five to twelve, he and Heath left the bar, each heading to a strategically located hiding spot. Cain stayed closer to the LeFay’s house while Heath hid in the shadows just off of Main.
Neil, Grace, and Eileen were supposed to leave the bar after midnight. Cain obsessively checked his watch, listening for screams or the boom of a car door. A few blocks over, dogs started barking. The noise made it almost impossible for him to separate more subtle sounds in the neighborhood.
As the minutes passed, he became anxious. Would he recognize screams through the barking? Shouldn’t they be here by now? When he couldn’t handle feeling helpless any longer, Cain marched toward Main Street. The cacophony of barks and yips slowly turned into chaotic yells and screams. He broke out into a sprint and ran toward the noise.
He tried to stay focused: keep Eileen safe, keep Grace safe, catch the men, do not harm them. He repeated that mantra over and over as he neared the corner of Main. Cain could see Heath and Neil, but they were doubled over on the ground. There were five, no six, other people on the street. Four attackers? What the fuck was going on? The two wolves were clawing at their eyes and trying to stand up. Eileen and Grace were each holding their own against their assailants—that must have been a hell of a protection spell. A fifth assailant came out of nowhere with a baseball bat and headed toward Neil.
Suddenly, there was a loud, guttural roar and a blast of blinding light. Cain stopped and instinctively covered his face with his arms. Silence fell over the street. He raised his head, blinking rapidly, trying to force his eyes to readjust to the dark as he staggered forward.
The scene came into focus slowly. Grace was sobbing, bent over with her hands resting on her thighs. Neil sat at her feet, his face buried in her side. Heath had a man pinned to the ground by the throat. And Eileen was running toward him. She was the best goddamn thing he’d seen in his entir
e life.
He caught her, gathering her into his arms, so grateful that she was unharmed. She fit perfectly against him, and she fit perfectly in his life. She drew the compassionate alpha out of him, a new perspective at leadership. He wanted to care for her, protect her, take away the exhaustion of her life. Eileen was so strong for so many people, and he wanted to give her a place to be vulnerable. He held on to her until she pulled away, took his hand, and led him down the road.
“What the hell was that?” he asked as he and they toward the others.
“They kept coming,” Eileen answered, “At first, there were only two men, but then they just kept fucking coming.”
“I meant the goddamn bomb that when off.”
“That was me,” Grace said quietly. “They hit Heath and Neil with pepper spray or something, and then I saw someone coming toward Neil with a bat, and I just snapped.”
“That was one hell of a protection spell,” Eileen said.
Cain abruptly changed gears. “Heath, what are we going to do with him?”
“Call the cops, grill him until they get here.”
Cain squatted down next to their hostage. “What are you and your friends up to?” The man stared back at him defiantly and said nothing. Cain picked up the man’s pinky and bent it backward slowly.
“Cain, stop!” Eileen screamed.
He looked at her and shook his head. He knew he couldn’t hurt the attacker, but his victim didn’t know that. Cain just wanted to play a game of chicken.
“Hmm? I don’t mind breaking a few fingers before the cops get here. Do you work for Malcolm?” The man furrowed his brows in confusion, said nothing, and spat in Cain’s face.
It took every ounce of self-control not to break every goddamn bone in his victim’s hand.
The sound of screeching tires filled the street. Cain stood up. A navy van sat feet away from him idling on Main Street. The passenger window rolled down to reveal a man in a black ski mask. He pointed a gloved finger at Grace as the wail of sirens in the distance grew closer. “LeFay, you’re fucking done.” The threat was barely out of his mouth before the van sped away.
“Neil!” Heath shouted. “Take the witch back to camp!” Heath turned to look at Grace. “Our pack will protect you.”
AN UNTOUCHED WITCH
SOMETHING WICKED
BOOK TWO
Liza Mitchell
Published by Feather & Bleed Press, 2019.
CHAPTER ONE
GRACE
Grace leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the car window, watching pine trees and underbrush flash by. It was the middle of the night, and Neil had driven them deep into the forest. He slowed and downshifted as he veered right, then sped up as the road straightened out. He rested his hand on her thigh and squeezed reassuringly. “You'll be okay Grace."
She turned and painted on a smiled she hoped was convincing. “I'm fine. It's just a lot. Are we almost there?"
"Yeah, just a few more minutes."
Neil's touch was comforting, even though he was barely more than a stranger to her. His dark eyes focused on the road as drove. She wanted to curl into his chest, but the gear shift made that impossible. It had been a long and terrifying night, and Grace was desperate for safety and comfort.
Grace, her sisters, and Neil's pack had tried to catch a group of men that had been wreaking havoc on their small town. After Grace's sister was assaulted while walking home with her wolf, the witches and the shifters decided to put a stop to the attacks. Grace and Neil had helped set a trap to catch the muggers, but they'd been quickly outnumbered. Just as Grace was sure they were going to lose, her protection spell created an explosion. The attackers were scared off, but Heath had managed to capture one. As the dust settled, their assailants reappeared, only to threaten Grace's life and disappear again. The wolves had offered her protection, which was how she ended up tumbling through the forest with Neil.
Neil's fingers tapped the steering wheel. Maybe he was more nervous than he let on? She was certainly good at hiding what she truly felt, especially when it meant avoiding confrontation. But that did get exhausting. Maybe her fake smiles had cracks—just like Neil’s stoic face and his tapping fingers.
He didn't look like the other wolves in his pack. He kept his curly brunette hair short and his beard neatly trimmed. Neil was strong and muscular, but the other shifters were larger than him and embraced the rugged lumberjack while he tended to wear simple sweaters and jeans.
"How can you tell where you're going?"
"Muscle memory." Neil grinned and then added soberly, “They won't be able to find you with us."
He was taking her to his pack's camp buried deep in the state forest. They had been in the car for over twenty minutes, and Grace had felt lost only five minutes outside of town. It was disconcerting to feel so isolated just miles from the streets she had grown up on. But he deftly navigated the twisting dirt roads and trails made up of only two tire tracks.
He took his hand off her leg to guide the truck into a clearing. The headlights swept across an old hunting camp of a dozen small wood cabins and a large common building.
"I'll get you set up in one of the empty cabins, but let's check in with everyone else first."
Right on cue, men started pouring out of the lodge. Grace recognized all of them from games of pool at The Brew and smiled as they tumbled out of the screen door.
Ben was next to her in two giant strides. “Gracie, I was so worried." He folded his arms around her, drawing her to his chest. She breathed in deeply. He smelled like detergent and aftershave.
"Ben, I'm fine. I can hold my own. I could kick all of your asses with the right spell," she said, trying to minimize the seriousness of the evening. He held her at arm’s length and examined her face. Probably looking for cracks.
Benjamin wore his thick black hair in a messy bun, and his eyes were a startling green against his olive skin. He was a kind soul; always bringing her a new beer or coffee before her previous one was empty and always willing to sit out a pool game so someone else could play. As the resident chef of the pack, he took pride in caring for his brothers.
"Well, I know it's late, but I figured you all would be hungry after fighting off a small army, so I whipped up something to eat. Where's Heath?"
"He's back in Wildwood. He caught an attacker, and he was going to stay until the police came."
"He captured one?" Sampson pushed forward. “What did he find out? Is he human? Who started this shit?"
“I don’t know. I just got here," Grace snapped
"That was the whole point of this dumbass stunt! Get some answers for Cain and Eileen—a wolf and a witch who are none of this pack’s concern."
"Stop!" Neil barked, stepping between Grace and Sampson. “Back the fuck off. We decided together that they were our concern. Pack member or not, Cain is one of us. And so are Grace, Eileen, and the other sisters. Some fuckers are trying to attack wolves and witches. The witches helped us, we're in their debt."
Sampson stared at Neil, and Grace got the sense he was just weighing his options, trying to decide if a fight with Neil was worth it. Sampson had been a jackass since they’d first met. She’d used magic to cheat during a few friendly games of pool, and he never let her forget it. He was constantly making bitter remarks about her magic, but she couldn't decide if he didn't like witches in general, or if he just didn't like her.
Sampson ran his hands through his auburn hair. "Fuck it," he snapped and walked past Grace toward one of the small hunting cabins.
Ben gently pushed Grace towards the lodge. “Come on, Gracie, get inside."
The lodge consisted of an enormous common room with vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows that looked out to the thick, dark forest surrounding the camp. The main room had a massive raw wood table and matching chairs, a seating area, and a kitchen clearly designed to feed the masses. Ben guided her toward the kitchen and sat her down on a stool at the counter before dishing out pasta and a
red meat sauce that he set down in front of her. He took a roll from the oven behind him and bounced it between his fingers as he walked back to her and tossed it lightly on the counter. “Might be hot." He grinned.
"Goodness Ben, you did not have to do this." Grace lived off of bread and cheese and fruit at home. She never bothered preparing meals for herself and usually ate food that she could throw onto a plate and pick at while she read.
"Of course I didn't. But we thought you would need it."
Grace had become fast friend with the pack at The Brew—except for Sampson, but you can't win them all. The wolves were gregarious and outgoing, and Grace loved bouncing between the men and buzzing in and out of their conversations. They seemed to enjoy her company too and weren't jealous when she left a discussion to join another.
She felt comfortable and safe in their kitchen, like she was always meant to be there. Under different circumstances, maybe she might have paused before running deep into the woods with a dozen men she didn’t really know. But she’d fought next to them. She trusted them. She didn’t have any other choice but to follow her instincts and her gut… And her gut was telling her stay fucking close to Ben because she hadn’t had a meal like this in months.
Some of the wolves moved through the kitchen getting meals of their own and settled along the counter around her. Neil sat next to her and settled his left hand on her thigh.
"Hanging in there?" she asked.
"Yeah, my eyes are still burning from whatever the fuck they sprayed at us. There were a few times on the way here I was sure I wouldn't be able to keep them open anymore."
"Oh Neil, you need to take a shower and rinse them in some cold water."
"I'll get to it. I'm waiting for Heath to come back; I haven't heard a word from him."
SOMETHING WICKED Page 6
