I could hear Seth’s voice through the darkness.
“She needs to rest. The tea keeps her body still, so she heals. Or did you forget that she nearly died?” Hattie let out a frustrated sigh. “You may sit at her bedside, but don’t you dare wake her!” The bead curtain swished open and closed.
I waited another moment before opening my eyes. “Seth?”
Seth was sitting across the room. His eyes widened and he sprinted to the side of the bed. “Luna?” He whispered. “You’re awake! How long?”
“Just now,” I said. My lips were dry and cracked. “I need water,” I said.
Seth helped me sit up and poured me a glass of water from the table.
I drank greedily while he talked.
“You’ve been sleeping for five days,” He said. “I was so worried that you died in here. The pack has been waiting for you. It’s been horrible.”
“I did die, remember?” I said. The words came out more casually than I intended.
Seth grimaced. “I won’t ever forget.” There was a moment of silence. “I owe that woman the world,” He said.
“Who is she?” I asked.
“An earth healer,” Seth said. “An old friend of Maddox’s pack. Thankfully, she lives in the forests near the house we bought.” He looked at me. “And yeah, before you ask, yes we did that on purpose. Just didn’t expect to have to cash in a favor so soon.”
“What about the faerie hunter?” I asked, feeling goosebumps spread on my arms just thinking of the pale faerie.
Seth sighed and shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”
“The queen will send more,” I said.
“No.” Seth cut me off. “No. The contract on your head is broken. You died. The faerie hunter killed you and fulfilled the queen’s promise. You’re free.”
“The faerie queen is annoyed. My orders are to kill you. Only in death will you be free of her hunters.”
The hunter’s words drifted through my memories and sent a chill down my spine. “Only in death,” I said. “So, that’s it?”
Seth nodded.
“Oh my gods!” I squeaked, sitting upright, and pulling myself to the edge of the bed. This time, there was no pain. I glanced down at my bandages.
“Everything ok?” Seth asked.
“Yes,” I said, gingerly touching my side where I had been run through. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Seth smiled. “That healer is incredible. I’d heard stories of her skills, but this was my first time seeing it with my own eyes.”
The bead curtain opened, and the woman returned. “I told you not to wake her!”
“I was already awake,” I said quickly so Seth could avoid the wrath of the mage.
Hattie put her hands on her hips and tipped her head with a sigh. “You’re looking better, young lady.” She put on her glasses and motioned for Seth to move aside so she could inspect me. The woman peeled off the bandages, which were infused with herbs and magic, to reveal what was beneath. The wound was gone, leaving nothing but pink skin in its place.
“Not even a scar,” She said proudly.
“Amazing,” Seth said with a nod. “And to think less than a week ago you were bleeding out in the back of Jasper’s SUV.”
I shuddered. I couldn’t remember a thing that happened after being stabbed, which was probably a good thing. “Thank you, Hattie.” My stomach growled and I pulled the robe down, blushing. “Wow, sorry about that.”
Hattie laughed. “Not at all. Let’s get you a bath and some food.”
Once I was cleaned up and put on a fresh robe, Hattie brought me to the main room of her cabin. The single room contained the kitchen, dining area and a variety of mismatched recliners. The pack turned as one as I walked in.
“Luna!” Maddox cried.
Jasper and Chase jumped from their seats.
Hattie held up her hand. “Don’t all go pouncing on her at once, this girl needs some food.” She brought me to the table and set down a bowl of chicken soup. “Take it slow,” She said.
The pack joined me around the table, mostly just staring at me as if I were a miracle, which I guess I sort of was. It still felt weird.
I stopped, the spoon midway to my mouth. “What’s up guys?
Chase let out a happy sigh. “Just happy you’re alive.”
“Me too,” I said, more as a joke. “Plus, Seth said my brief death broke the queen’s promise. Now we can all be together without worrying.”
Maddox glanced at Seth.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I couldn’t protect you,” Maddox growled. “I’ll never forgive myself. You could have been lost.”
“But I wasn’t,” I said. “Plus, I’m free now. This was the best possible outcome.”
Maddox growled and stood up, leaving the table, and slamming the door behind him. A cool wind slipped in from outside, adding to the chill his reaction gave me.
“Let him be,” Seth said gently. “He’s just scared and angry. He’ll come around. You know how he is.”
I looked down at my soup, suddenly losing my appetite. I pushed back from the table and followed Maddox outside, ignoring the rest of the pack’s protests.
“Maddox,” I said as I opened the door.
The wolf shifter was pacing outside the cabin, which was nestled in a grove of trees. I had lost all concept of time while I was asleep, and I guessed it was probably early morning, judging by the dew on the grass.
Maddox stopped mid-step and faced me. “Luna! You shouldn’t be outside.”
I ignored his protests and held his hands in mine. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m safe.” I kissed him gently.
The tension in his body relaxed as we touched. He gently pulled me towards him. “I was so scared, Luna. I don’t want to ever feel that way again. I couldn’t protect you. You might have died. You wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for the healer.”
“You did save me,” I insisted, breathing in the smoky scent that clung to his clothes after spending so much time in the cabin. “You knew the healer. You saved me.”
Maddox clenched his teeth and buried his face in my hair. “I need you, Luna. We need you. The pack is so much better with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “Now that the queen has lost, we can finally be together without worrying.”
Maddox chuckled. “I wish. You know, I think we’ll still find plenty of adventure without the faerie hunters tracking you.”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “But we’ll have each other.”
“As long as we have that, I’ll be fine,” Maddox said. His eyes were brighter now. His smile was sincere.
The sound of the door opening caught our attention. Seth was there with a relaxed smile on his face. “Better?” He asked with a chuckle.
Maddox looked away. “Yeah,” He sighed.
“You can be such a drama queen sometimes,” Seth said, nudging the wolf with his shoulder. “Luna scared all of us, but now we’re together again.”
I kissed Maddox and Seth. There was so much love in this pack that I thought my heart might burst. “I’ll do my best not to die again.”
“You’d better!” Maddox’s chuckle was cut off by the sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel path that extended from the cabin into the thick woodlands.
Three huge men were standing beside Jasper’s SUV. They all had wild red hair and muscular builds. The biggest man took a step forward. “I thought I smelled a traitor.”
TWENTY-THREE
————————————
LUNA
“Maddox.” The largest of the men said in a low voice.
Maddox and Seth snapped into action, growling, and pushing me behind them for safety.
“What? What’s going on? Who is that?”
“My uncle. An alpha,” Maddox replied under his breath.
The trio of red-haired men kept a reasonable distance, not breaking eye contact. “What are you doing
here?” The leader asked gruffly.
“I was going to ask you the same question,” Maddox challenged.
The man scoffed. “This is red wolf territory.”
“We only sought the healer,” Maddox said.
The alpha was unmoved. “I’d suggest you take your little rag-tag pack and get the hell out of here before I do it myself.”
Seth snarled, the alpha in him being challenged.
Jasper and Chase emerged from the cabin, sensing trouble.
“You’re outnumbered,” Seth hissed. He took a step forward, his shifter eyes shining. If this didn’t stop soon, there would be an all-out brawl.
“Maddox, do something,” I whispered. “Please. No more fighting. I don’t want anyone to get hurt again. Let’s just go.”
Maddox shot him a warning glance. “Seth, we might be better to stand down. This is their territory.”
The red alpha smirked. “Good boy, Maddox. I’d suggest that you and your friends get the hell out of here before I change my mind. You’re lucky your dad is my half-brother, or you’d be dead meat.”
“Please, no more fighting,” I whispered.
Seth flinched. “Fine,” He said. I could tell how much it hurt for him to surrender. The decision was not one that could be easily made, but he had to protect his pack. We were in no position to start a feud with a shifter pack that was undoubtedly bigger and stronger than us.
Maddox reached back and held my hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.
The alpha narrowed his eyes, as if waiting for one of us to attack. “Get out. If I ever catch you around here again, you’ll be treated like the dirty strays you are.”
***
I knew I shouldn’t have been relieved when we finally left the healer’s home. She wasn’t happy about us getting kicked out, but there was little she could do when she was on red wolf territory. We packed up and left under the angry glare of the red alpha, with barely any time to even thank the healer. It was awful, but nothing was as bad as watching my pack get into an unnecessary fight.
I sat in the back of the SUV, tightly nestled in between Chase and Maddox. Maddox kept an arm around me, rubbing my shoulder with his thumb.
Everyone was awkwardly quiet. Seth was taking it the worst, being our leader, he sat in the front with a permanent scowl.
The SUV turned a corner and hit the gravel road. We’d be back home any minute now. Home. The thought was bizarre, but I was getting used to it now. What was killing me, however, was the never-ending silence.
After the SUV pulled into the driveway, I spoke up. “Now that we’re home can we all cheer up?”
The pack looked at me with surprise. Even Seth raised his eyebrows.
I didn’t hold back. “You guys are acting like you failed me somehow, you didn’t. You all saved my life. And,” I stressed. “You risked your asses going on another pack’s turf.” I sighed. “I know maybe the day didn’t turn out how you expected, and I know being rejected hurts like that but…” I swallowed, trying to find my words. “We don’t need them. We don’t need anyone. Now that I’m safe and with you, nothing else matters.” A hot tear rolled down my cheek and I wiped it away.
The four guys circled around me in a group hug. It was tight and warm, lasting longer than any other embrace I had ever experienced in my life.
“You’re right, Luna,” Seth said after a minute. “I let my ego get to my head. I put us all in danger by letting that alpha piss me off.” He kissed my cheek. “Luna, I don’t think you realize how good you are for us.”
I took a breath as we let go of each other. I missed their touch the moment it left me.
The countryside was so quiet and peaceful now. Even as the sun was setting it didn’t feel ominous like it did last time. The ramshackle house wasn’t so There was no evidence of the faerie hunter’s attack in the yard, except for the iron spikes and wards littered in the grass.
One by one, everyone went inside, finding the house exactly as we had left it. Half finished cups of coffee sat stale on the counter. The musty smell of old furniture didn’t bother me this time.
“So, what now?” Chase said after a while. He was the most anxious of us all.
Everyone looked to Seth. He was seated with his chin resting on his hands, his fingers knitted together, and his brow furrowed in thought. Slowly, a light of realization glimmered in his eyes.
“What is it?” Maddox asked, noticing the light before anyone else.
“I have an idea,” Seth said. This was practically his catch phrase at this point.
“What?” Everyone asked together.
“What if we just started our own pack?” Seth asked.
Maddox wrinkled his nose. “Uh, dude, we did?”
“No, no.” The alpha shook his head. “I mean, what if we keep doing what we were doing? Woodlock’s may be a lost cause but that doesn’t mean we need to stop helping people. Like that puma shifter.”
I tensed, remembering how much she had cried when the MCS took her away. Her shouts and begging haunted me.
“We don’t need Woodlock’s to make a difference,” Seth continued.
A sudden warmth bloomed in my chest. “You’re right,” I said to break the stunned silence. “You saved me. All of you did. If it weren’t for you… I’d either be picking pockets or enslaved in the faerie realm. What you guys do is good work. The world needs you.”
Maddox chuckled. “I guess when you put in that way.”
Chase nodded eagerly. “She’s right, we are pretty awesome.”
“As no one else bleeds out in my SUV,” Jasper added. He was teasing, mostly.
I looked at each of my wonderful men in turn. My heart felt as if it might burst. Here I was with my pack. I had finally found a home. I had finally found true love, more love than I thought I’d be able to handle. And I had found my purpose, to save other delinquents like me.
EPILOGUE
————————————
LUNA
3 months later ….
Our ramshackle house was finally becoming a home.
I was the first to wake between my four men. We had reworked the master bedroom to fit two king sized beds together, so we could all sleep in the same room.
I took a moment to appreciate the warm blankets and the sun breaking through the gauzy curtains before wriggling out of the bed and scooting down to the bottom.
I padded down the hall, checking in on the guest bedrooms. They were all empty, but we had finished remodeling. Soon, they would be full of wayward shifters who needed a place to stay.
The renovations downstairs were complete as well, a full kitchen and two sitting rooms offered more than enough space for our pack. My men had turned out to be rather good with tools, much to my surprise, and now I had a house of my dreams.
I turned on the coffee maker and flipped on the small television that was mounted in the kitchen. Mundane human news was always interesting, and today was no exception. We were still working on getting a decent internet signal out here in the countryside, so we’d be able to keep up with magical news as well.
“I thought I smelled coffee,” Maddox said as he reached the base of the stairs. He was almost always up next. The only one of the pack that worked out before the sun rose. He moved around the counter and rested his hand on my back. “I’m so proud of you,” He said.
“Why?” I laughed.
“Becoming a morning person like me,” He grinned.
I handed him his coffee, black with a spoonful of sugar. “I’ve been saved from being a lazy-ass no-good changeling, haven’t I?”
“Your words, not mine.” Maddox said. “Join me on the porch?”
As much as I loved all four of my men, there was something special about alone time. Time spent just one-on-one, and not even in a sexual way. All four of them were so different and yet together they met my every need. Never in a million years did I ever think my life would have turned out this way. I hadn’t planned on any true loves, let alon
e four.
“Sure,” I said with a nod.
We spent the next little while watching the sun rise and the mist roll across the grass. Fall was here and the air was getting chillier and the nights were growing longer. That meant more evenings spent by the fireplace planning out our pack’s future and our future was looking bright.
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WAYWARD WITCH
“I’m the most powerful witch of my generation. I’ll die before I let these bullies have their way.”
Most people in Woodlock’s Home for Magical Delinquents swear they don’t belong here - well, I do. If someone asked me if I was a good witch or a bad witch, I’d tell them I was the worst witch they could ever imagine. My parents are wanted fugitives and now I’ve been abandoned in the magical world’s equivalent of juvenile hall.
At Woodlock’s, we’re supposed to be rehabilitated into model magical citizens, but the teachers are weak and the bullies run the show. Three dangerously hot sorcerers - Blake, Knox, and Zane - have me in their sights, but I’ll show them that this bad witch doesn’t kneel to anyone - especially the Sons of Hell.
-
Wayward Witch is a stand-alone reverse harem bullies-to-lovers romance. A full length supernatural reform school academy romance. Contains depictions of sexuality, profanity, violence, and situations that may be triggering for some readers.
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READ RYLAND’S STORY…
Before Ryland Williams came to the Federal Psychic Training Academy - North Campus, he was the star pupil of the West Campus. Then it all changed because of a simple mission gone wrong. Now, he only has one chance to redeem himself and he’ll be damned if he lets anyone stand in his way.
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