Victor

by Taylor Longford

  A short red dress clung to her round curves like it was painted on and glittered brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight. But there was something harsh about the color and the glitter. And as she clutched at the locket around her neck, all I could think about was marrying her.

  "What's that dress made of?" I asked, squinting against the bloody splash of sparkles.

  "Sequins," she giggled. "Do you like it?"

  "Aye," I lied. "It's lovely."

  "So have you thought any more about the trip to Las Vegas?" she asked.

  "Nay," I answered honestly. "I've…had other things on my mind."

  Like marriage, for instance.

  "Oh," she pouted and tugged on the locket. "Well you should think about it some more."

  "Of course," I answered mechanically, my words surprising me. "Of course we should go to Las Vegas and maybe we could visit some of those famous chapels the city's known for."

  Her eyes went all gooey like melted chewing gum on a hot sidewalk. "Oh Victor, that would be so romantic."

  "It would, wouldn't it?" I answered and forced a grin onto my features as I swept my arm toward the house and followed her up the low steps to the front door. Strangely, I didn't feel like touching her or guiding her with a hand on her back or her elbow.

  "Everyone's in the kitchen," I told her as we walked into the house. "Would you like to come and help out?"

  She looked around the spacious foyer with a possessive, greedy gaze then blinked up at me. "I really need to visit the little girls' room and touch up my makeup."

  So I showed her down the hall to the bathroom and pointed out the dining room on the way there.

  "This place is amazing," she squealed. "And it's all yours?"

  "Nay," I answered. "It belongs to my family."

  "But they won't all be living here…not forever, right?"

  I looked around the dining room with its lovely old bay windows set with small panes of glass. "Well, I'm not certain but I hope we'll be able to stick together."

  "Havoc and Defiance too?" she asked, her eyes darkening with a brief flash of hatred that I almost missed.

  "Havoc and Defiance too," I answered, a little puzzled by her questions. "Why do you ask?"

  "Well, you know I don't exactly get along with them," she pointed out, all smiles again.

  But I couldn't figure out why my cousins were an issue since she didn't live there. And as I gave her a blank look, I started thinking about marriage again. But if I was going to marry her, where did I think she would live?

  Not here, I decided as my mind recoiled at the very idea.

  "I'll just touch up my makeup and meet you back here in a few, okay?"

  "Sounds good," I answered and wandered off toward the kitchen in a daze, trying to figure out what the hell was going on inside my head. I wanted to marry Alexa but I didn't want to live with her. How crazy was that?

  In the kitchen, Havoc was clattering around and directing the help. Valor was slicing the meat while Dare pulled pans from the oven. Defiance stirred a sauce bubbling on the stovetop while Mac and Whitney piled steaming vegetables into serving bowls.

  Feeling off balance, I dropped into a chair and watched them. And when the dishes were on their way to the dining room I was alone with Havoc. He slanted an imperious look at me as he tilted a large roasting pan over a gravy boat. "Are you going to help or are you just going to sit there?"

  "I…don't know," I answered and dropped my head into my hands.

  The sauce streamed into the squat pitcher as he flicked a look across the room at me. "What's wrong with you?" he muttered.

  "I don't know," I repeated. "But I'm thinking about marrying Alexa."

  The pan flew across the room and crashed into the sink while Havoc threw up his arms like I was beyond help. "So now you're going to marry Alexa. That's a bit of a jump, isn't it?"

  "You guys told me you'd give her a chance," I pointed out mechanically. "That's what this dinner's supposed to be about."

  Ripping off his striped apron and balling it in his fist, he leaned back against the counter and nailed me with a sharp stare. "So, when are you going to mark her?"

  His question startled me. Just the idea of marking Alexa repulsed me. And even though I was making plans to marry her, I had absolutely no intention of ever giving her my rune. "Mark her? I hadn't thought about it."

  "Don't you think that's weird?" he snorted. "Don't you think it's strange that you're ready to marry her but you don't want to mark her?"

  I opened my mouth to disagree with him but couldn't think of one reasonable argument. If I wanted to marry Alexa, then why didn't I want to mark her? "It's…strange," I admitted and scraped my hands back through my hair.

  "Aye, it's strange. It's crazy strange! It's freakin' bizarre!" He stopped suddenly then continued slowly a few moments later. "But it makes sense when you think about it."

  I lifted my head and searched his eyes. "What do you mean?"

  His gaze narrowed on me as he slowly shook out his apron and hung it on a peg on the wall. "Alexa doesn't know anything about a gargoyle's courting habits. She doesn't know that a gargoyle marks the lass he loves with his rune. So she can't put the idea in your head."

  Part of me was rejecting what he was saying but most of me had to agree that he was making sense.

  "But she can make you call her your girlfriend and go to Las Vegas with her and even want to marry her."

  I scraped my hands back through my hair and dug my fingers into my scalp. "Havoc, what's going on?"

  "It's a spell," he growled. "Alexa's cast a spell on you."

  I sorted back through my knowledge of witches and their powers. "But wouldn't she need something of mine to cast the spell? Like a fingernail or…"

  "Or a lock of your hair?" Havoc grunted, lifting his eyebrow and giving me a pointed look.

  While I stared at him, he continued. "She probably got Ryan and his trolls to cut your hair. It was a perfect setup. She ended up with most of your hair and she got a chance to look like she was sticking up for you, acting like she didn't want them to hurt you, pretending to be a good person."

  "The locket," I muttered, realizing that Alexa probably carried a curl of my hair with her whenever we were together…or whenever she wanted to influence me.

  As I sat staring at Havoc, Dare stepped into the kitchen, his gaze traveling first to his brother then back to me. Obviously, he'd overhead our conversation from the other room and I had to assume the rest of my family was listening in as well. "So, we were right about Alexa?" he asked quietly.

  I didn't answer. I just said, "We need to get the locket she wears around her neck."

  Chapter Thirteen

  But on my way back to the dining room, the front door opened and Sam walked in with Walker. And every thought of Alexa disappeared from my head. It was almost as if my mind had spat her out like a bad taste. I couldn't take my eyes off Samantha. She was so beautiful. Her hair was pulled back in a sexy loose knot, and curling tendrils fell around her oval face. She wore a classy gray tailored dress that fit her perfectly. It made my mouth water just looking at her. But my mouth wasn't the only thing that was watering.

  "You're leaking," Havoc muttered, elbowing me as he passed by carrying the gravy boat.

  "Crap," I whispered. Twisting my wrists so the venom didn't splatter on the floor, I strode down the hall toward the bathroom and almost knocked Alexa over on my way there.

  By the time I got back to the dining room, everyone had filled their plates. So I sat down and got to work on mine. And for the next several moments there wasn't much talking. I think most of us felt a little uncomfortable with Alexa sitting at the table like a traitor in our midst.

  But it was Alexa who broke the awkward silence. "So, MacKenzie," she started. "How's your dog?"

  The room went as still as a graveyard as the entire pack stared at my date. Of course, we were all convinced she was responsible for the sponge that had to be removed from Hooligan's stomach.
>
  "What was his name?" Alexa asked. "Harlequin?"

  MacKenzie just sat there staring back at her schoolmate, unable to force a word past her lips.

  Alexa turned her head, probably looking for a friendly face, and locked her gaze on Samantha. Of course, Sam didn't know anything about the role Alexa had played in "helping" Hooligan, or about my family's suspicions. "I helped save the dog's life," she announced smugly.

  The dead silence was finally broken by the sharp clatter of a serving spoon. Havoc slammed the utensil down and shot a dark glare in Alexa's direction.

  "What's wrong?" she hissed in my ear, leaning toward me.

  "Why don't we change the subject," I suggested tactfully and did just that. "Have I never told you about my silver wristbands?"

  "No," she answered, and slapped some butter on her roll. "I don't think you have."

  "They're rather old," I explained and caught Samantha's eye. "Originally, they were worn by the…clan chieftain. And upon his bonding, one of them was shared with his mate."

  "Bonding?" Alexa questioned me. "Mate?"

  I rephrased in terms Alexa would understand. "Upon his marriage one of them was shared with his wife."

  "That's…pretty romantic," Alexa said.

  I kept my gaze locked on Samantha's eyes. "It's more than romantic, actually. Because certain responsibilities were transferred with the bonding band."

  "Responsibilities?" Alexa echoed with a frown. I don't think it was a word she generally liked. She'd probably spent most of her life avoiding anything remotely like responsibility.

  "What sort of responsibilities?" Samantha asked into the silence.

  I smiled at her and started explaining. "When the tribe was split on some decision, the woman who wore the band cast the deciding vote. And if the chieftain lost his life, she acknowledged the next leader by bestowing her band on him."

  "Bestowing?" Alexa blurted out, clearly unfamiliar with the old word. But this time I ignored her.

  "Didn't the leadership automatically pass to the next in line?" MacKenzie asked.

  "Normally," I agreed. "But not always. He couldn't lead the clan without the band."

  "Well, your bands are very nice," Alexa broke in, shattering the quiet mood of the conversation. "But they'll never replace a diamond solitaire."

  Again the room went very still. "Nay, I don't suppose they will," I answered and finally broke eye contact with Samantha. "But what about your jewelry?" I asked. "Is there a story behind the gold locket you wear?"

  Alexa clutched at the oval pendant. "No. Yes. I got it from my grandmother."

  "It doesn't look especially old," MacKenzie pointed out.

  "Nay, it doesn't." Havoc remarked and reached out his hand. "Can I take a closer look?"

  "No," Alexa snapped, her eyes widening before she pulled herself together again. "I'm sorry but it's a very personal item that's been in the family a long time."

  "What do you carry inside it?" I asked conversationally.

  "Nothing," she answered then changed her mind. "Nothing much. Just a memento of my cat. Who died."

  "Sorry for your loss," Havoc murmured. "Did someone feed him a sponge?"

  There was a strangled sound at my elbow and Elaina grabbed her water glass, only just managing to drown her laughter.

  Alexa shot Havoc an acid look and grasped the locket more tightly. "Someone should feed you a sponge," she said darkly.

  "What was your cat's name?" Mim asked in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation back in a safer direction.

  "Fluffy," Alexa answered then changed her mind again. "But I called him Goldie because his fur was different shades of gold."

  "So you carry one of Goldie's hairballs inside the locket?" Elaina asked innocently, tilting her water glass toward Alexa while she glared back and the rest of us had to choke back our laughter.

  "Sorry," Havoc coughed, trying to hide his grin. "I must have put too much pepper in the sauce."

  "Funny how everyone discovered that little fact at exactly the same moment," Alexa muttered and stuffed her buttered roll in her mouth.

  And during the rest of the dinner, Alexa tried to insert herself into the conversation, which ranged from the house renovation, to Elaina's art, to Defiance's motorcycle, and Colorado skate parks. The high school girls had one more week of school ahead of them—while Elaina and Samantha had a week of finals after that—so of course we had to cover that subject along with everyone's plans for the summer. But all of Alexa's comments fell a little flat in the room where she had no friends. Of course, it didn't help when she asked about Whitney's horse. She should have avoided that topic.

  And during the entire time, she was tugging on her locket and watching me from the corner of her eye. But all I could think about was Samantha. So any control her magic had over me appeared to be severely limited in the face of love.

  Havoc and the rest of the guys were clearing the table when Alexa decided she was ready to go, probably annoyed at the overall frosty reception she'd received. Unfortunately, she'd earned it. My pack had come to the dinner party with the best intentions; they'd planned to welcome Alexa into our home. But all deals were off when we realized she was spelling me.

  "Will you walk me out to my car?" she asked in a demanding tone.

  I didn't point out that dessert hadn't been served because I was ready for her to go. And I thought I might get a chance to separate her from that damn locket once we were outside. "Of course," I answered, dragging my eyes away from Samantha.

  Thankful that she was leaving, I ushered Alexa through the house toward the foyer. Outside in the brisk night air, I shoved my hands in my pockets and followed her to her SUV, thinking about Samantha and how much it sucked that she'd hooked up with Walker.

  "Don't you want to kiss me goodnight?" Alexa asked, startling me out of my dark thoughts.

  I looked down at her mouth, turned upward. The moonlight shone down on her face, making it look like a round white blob with a painted red target. "Nay," I answered.

  "You don't?" she asked, almost incredulously.

  "Nay," I answered. "Although I certainly feel compelled to kiss you, I don't want to kiss you. It's the last thing on earth I want to do."

  Her eyebrows pulled into a narrow frown. "But we're still going to Las Vegas together, right?"

  Again I felt compelled to answer yes. But when I turned my thoughts toward Samantha I was able to break free of the annoying urge. "I can't go to Las Vegas with you, Alexa."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I'm in love with someone else. Crazy in love."

  "Samantha," she spat. "I knew it."

  "Did you?"

  "Of course, I did. You were so obvious at dinner, watching her the whole time, practically drooling over her. I don't know what you see in her. She's such a fake, pretending she's so smart and nice."

  Of course she was wrong about Samantha. Sam was as lovely inside as she was on the outside. But I didn't tell Alexa that a person couldn't pretend to be nice around a gargoyle. Instead, I fixed my gaze on the locket lying against her chest. "That really is a lovely pendant," I murmured and reached for the golden disc.

  Her eyes widened and she backed swiftly away from me, holding tightly to the locket as her voice lifted into a shout. "Samantha doesn't even like you. She likes that loser redhead, MacKenzie's brother."

  "What do you really keep inside it?" I persisted, following her as she backed away. "Some of my hair?"

  Stubbornly, Alexa pressed her lips together and took another step away from me.

  "I thought it was my idea to meet you at that café in Pine Grove almost three weeks ago. But it was your idea, wasn't it?" She didn't say anything so I kept going. "And you made me take you to that concert at Red Rocks, didn't you?"

  She lifted her chin defiantly, a thin line of fury flashing in her green eyes.

  "And you dragged me down to the grocery store that Saturday afternoon, looking for a cereal I'd never even tasted before."


  "Yeah," she spat. "You know why? You know how? Because I have powers. Magical powers."

  "Did you use your magic to make Hooligan eat that sponge?" I asked in a silky rasp.

  "I didn't need magic," she sneered. "I left the sponge on a rock in the park, and the stupid dog gulped it down like it was prime beef."

  "You're a very wicked girl," I growled. "And a very nasty witch. But you can't make me love you."

  "Oh, you don't think so?" she stormed, her expression turning vicious as she spun away. The heels on her stilettos sank into the grass as she wobbled across the yard to the big spruce. When she reached the tree, she flattened one hand against the trunk and squeezed the locket in her other white-knuckled fist as she turned to face me.

  "I made my teacher give me an A on a test I failed," she hissed, reminding me of a snake. "I made Cory back his car into that light pole in the school parking lot. And with a strong enough power source, I can make you love me. I can make you kiss me, right here, right now."

  I leaned back against the door of her SUV and lifted a hand in her direction. "Go for it," I muttered.

  So she did. Her eyes closed and her face twisted into an ugly mask. And I felt her will tugging at me like an invasive force, compelling me to move toward her. Under the power of her spell, I was wrenched across the lawn in short jerky steps. And when I reached her, I slowly lowered my mouth toward hers.

  Aye, her magic was strong. But it was nothing compared to the way I felt about Samantha. And before I was close enough to touch her poisonous mouth with my lips, I told her, "There's no power on earth strong enough to make me love you, Alexa."

  Chapter Fourteen

  At that point, Alexa lost it. She started shrieking like a hideous banshee, calling me every ugly name she could think of. And when she was done with that, she screamed that her power was limitless and she'd make me sorry. Then she went too far and used her magic to push over the tree. She was aiming for me but I stepped out of the way as the majestic old spruce crashed down across the driveway, its thick gnarled roots tearing out of the ground and pointing at the sky, its top branches taking out one of the headlights on her SUV.