The Enchanted: Council of Seven Shifter Romance Collection

by Juniper Hart

  “Excuse me, Your Honor?” The prosecutor, defense, and judge turned to look at someone hurrying into the courtroom. Elle’s waxen face was almost translucent when she saw who it was.

  “Sir, this is a closed courtroom, and I am in the middle of a hearing,” the justice snapped, but Joey continued to shuffle forward. He looked different to Elle, and it took her a few seconds to understand why. He was not wearing his glasses. He almost looked handsome without hiding half of his face.

  What the hell are you thinking about? Focus! Here comes the nail in the coffin. I wonder how much Vern is paying him for this.

  “Yes, Your Honor, and I am here in regard to that hearing.”

  Elle watched him stroll forward, and she realized he was speaking in a conversational tone, not with shy, mumbling affect. Where was the Joey she had always known?

  “Fine. Come forward and identify yourself,” the judge sighed, as if she’d given up on having any semblance of control over the proceedings. As he walked forward, his gait unexpectedly confident, Elle felt like she was going to slide through the floor.

  Please, Joey, don’t do this! she begged. I don’t care how much Vern paid you or what he promised you. I hope he didn’t threaten you. When I get out, I am going to murder that man with my bare hands. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I’m going to murder Vern Mills.

  “My name is Detective Aaron Deacon. I work vice in Boston. I’ve been undercover at World’s Worth for three years.”

  There was a huge gasp in the courtroom as his words sunk in. Elle turned to look at Avery, whose mouth had dropped to the pew. Clearly, he had no idea they had all been played for fools, either. Slowly, he began inching off the bench toward the aisle, about to make a break for the door.

  Unexpectedly, tears sprung into Elle’s eyes, her fate sealed with the words Joey had uttered. She would never lie in Dane’s arms again. She wished she had spent more time with him, tried to unfold the mystery of his missing memories.

  I was so selfish, so all about me. I’m so sorry, Dane. Please forgive me. She realized that she was deeply in love with the stranger who had entered her life in such a weird circumstance and had changed her world views so suddenly.

  “Step forward, detective,” the judge said, leaning forward with interest, but Elle could not bear to look. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vern trying inconspicuously to follow Avery’s lead, but Joey—Detective Deacon—stood firmly in his path. “What are you able to contribute to this situation?” the judge asked.

  “In the time I spent with the organization, I have seen a number of atrocities committed by this particular member of this group.”

  “In what capacity?” the judge wanted to know.

  “Objection, Your Honor! There is no foundation for the detective’s presence here. The prosecution can call him as a witness if there ends up being a trial,” Kincaid argued.

  “Oh, I don’t know, Mr. Kincaid. I would like to hear what the detective has to say. Go on. What kinds of actions have you witnessed?”

  “I would have to say the level of disrespect for authority and other people would border on sociopathic. There is a general disregard for the effect of impact the group causes.”

  “Would you recommend remand then, detective? Do you think she is a continuing danger to others?”

  Slowly, tears made their way down Elle’s pale cheeks, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t watch Joey’s face, not when he was sentencing her to the end singlehandedly.

  “Oh,” Joey laughed. “I’m not talking about Miss Jagger, Your Honor.”

  Elle’s eyes flew open, and she gaped at him. He continued to stare at the judge steadfastly.

  “Who are you talking about, Detective Deacon?” The exasperation in her voice was cutting.

  “I’m referring to Vern Mills, the creator of this group.”

  Again, the courtroom filled with a gasp.

  “Mr. Mills? How do you mean?”

  “He’s basically a cult leader, using his members as pawns to do his bidding. From my experience, he has collectively played into the good intentions of well-meaning individuals, having them commit acts they wouldn’t normally commit.”

  “That is not true! I never forced anyone—” Vern started to yell, his eyes blazing, but he was instantly cut off.

  “Sit down, Mr. Mills. You had your opportunity to speak.” The judge turned her attention back to Detective Deacon. “So, you believe that Miss Jagger acted out of some sort of cult mentality? That this attempted bombing was a result of something which Mr. Mills planted in her head?”

  Slowly, Joey turned to look at Elle, and she met his eyes imploringly.

  “No, I don’t think so,” he replied.

  “So, you think she acted alone? Detective Deacon, can you please just say what you’re trying to say so we can move along here?”

  “No, Your Honor, I don’t think she acted at all. I think that Mr. Mills did this himself. I was present when he discussed planting bombs at the Geoluad headquarters, and Miss Jagger was dead set against it. I have a recording of the meeting, in fact, if Your Honor would like to hear it.”

  Elle remembered the day the senior members had gathered in Vern’s office for the meeting about Geoluad. She recalled how Joey had asked a strange question, even though he had already known the answer.

  That son of a bitch was recording the entire time! What else does he have on recording? She silenced the voice in her head and continued to watch the undercover detective speak. As far as she could tell, Joey was on her side. If he had intentions to take her down, he wasn’t doing it that day. Aaron. Aaron Deacon, not Joey.

  “In fact, later that day, she informed me and another member that she was considering leaving the group due to the extremist views. It went against her gentle nature and everything she believed in. Elle has only ever wanted to better the world, not harm it. Mr. Mills, on the other hand, seems to have some agenda I can’t quite figure out. But I’d classify him as a narcissistic sociopath. I can attest to the fact that he was very jealous of Mr. Hawthorne and the relationship he had with Miss Jagger. I would surmise that he set this up to teach them both a lesson.”

  The judge sat back in her chair pensively.

  “That is bullshit!” Vern screamed, his face almost purple with rage. “I don’t care what that slut does!”

  “One more outburst, Mr. Mills, and I’ll have you charged with contempt.”

  Vern clamped his mouth shut, but when Elle peered at him, she saw the fire in his gaze.

  “Well, I thank you for your testimony, detective. In light of these new developments, I move to dismiss the charges against both Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Jagger. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you, Miss Jagger, and the court will release you immediately. The same order will stand for Mr. Hawthorne. Mr. Mills, I suggest you find yourself a good attorney. Court is recessed for lunch.”

  A roar erupted in the courtroom, and Elle stood, stunned. As if she was in slow motion, she felt herself move toward Joey, who was still standing in Vern’s path like he was expecting an altercation.

  “You two-faced son of a bitch! I will kill you! How dare you!” Vern was advancing on the detective, but Joey did not move. Elle was amazed to be staring at the complete opposite of the man she had grown to know and adore over the years. He seemed to be inviting a blow from the enraged leader. Vern faltered a moment when he realized that his long-time follower was not backing down.

  “You are under arrest, Vern Mills, for inciting violence and threatening an officer of the law. Bailiff?” Vern’s face turned ashen as a court officer stepped forward, restraining the man. As he was led away, he turned to glare hatefully at Elle.

  “This isn’t over, Elle. This is far from over. I shaped you! I own you!” Elle felt herself smirk.

  “You don’t own shit, Vern. You are a pathetic little man. I can’t believe I ever put any stock into your lies. I hope you end up someone’s bitch in prison.”

 
; “He will,” Joey assured her, turning her away from Vern. Elle looked up at him, her eyes alight with gratitude.

  “Why did you say that, Joey?” she asked him. “You didn’t have to come and speak on my behalf. I deserve some sort of punishment. You know what I did.”

  He glanced around to ensure they weren’t being overheard before turning back to grin at her lightly.

  “Are you complaining?” he teased, and she shook her head vehemently.

  “Not at all. I am so grateful to you, I could cry. I just don’t understand why you would save me. You know what I have done.”

  “I also know who you are, Elle. You’re a woman with a heart of gold, the only person in the group who went out of their way to make me feel welcome. There is something about you that doesn’t belong to this world. I saw that in you the first day I met you. But I have to tell you, if you had gone through with that bombing, I would have had a very different perception of you. I’m glad you didn’t set it off.” He lowered his voice and winked. “And us Enchanted beings need to stay together,” he added softly. Again, she found herself stunned at the revelation.

  “You’re…?”

  “I’m a demon,” he whispered. “And I know you’re a fox. We’re rare and elusive, which means we need to use our powers for good.”

  What powers? Elle thought, but she smiled anyway.

  “You have them,” Joey assured her, and she realized he was reading her mind. “Just make sure you stay on the righteous path, and you’ll be fine. But I suspect your new friend will help you with that.”

  A slow blush crept into Elle’s face as she remembered how close she had come to doing such a terrible thing, and she impulsively hugged her friend to hide her guilt. “What are you going to do with all of the other recordings you have? You know, the stuff where all us minions were confessing to various criminal acts?”

  “What you did and what he did are very different, Elle. You did it out of love. He did it to play marionette master. You may be called to testify against him once all the charges are laid. Do you think you can do that?”

  Elle nodded. “Do you really believe that Vern is a sociopathic cult leader?”

  “Yup. One hundred percent. In my sixty years on the force, I have never seen a more textbook example. I have wanted to punch that guy out more times than I can count. He needed to be taken out before anyone got seriously hurt or died.”

  “Yes. I have to admit I didn’t see it, either. It was Dane who started making me look at him.”

  “Ah, yes, Dane, the man with no past. Normally, I would tell you to be cautious, as he seems to have fallen out of the sky, but my sense tells me that this one was meant to fall out of the sky.”

  Elle looked at him in confusion.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, sensing that there was a hidden meaning to his words that she didn’t understand.

  “I’ve looked into Dane. He has no driver’s license, birth certificate, no history whatsoever. He’s Enchanted, too, I’m sure, but I can’t figure out what genus. I would guess he’s ancient, but there is no ancient Hawthorne family.”

  “You think he’s bad news?” Elle breathed, her heart thudding. The last thing she wanted was more bad news. Joey laughed and shook his head.

  “I see the way he looks at you, and you, him, and I think that what you two have is something you will probably never find again. I hope he makes you happy always.”

  Elle smiled broadly as she thought of Dane and then paled. “I have to go! Dane won’t know where to find me.”

  “Something tells me that Dane will be just fine. But go to him.”

  Elle turned to flee in search of her lover but stopped to flash her savior one last smile. “I will always be eternally grateful to you, Joey. And yes, I know that’s not your name, but you will always be my dear friend, Joey.”

  He nodded and returned her smile.

  “And I’ll always be around if you need me,” he promised.

  14

  They were hand in hand at the market, the same market where their whirlwind romance had started. This time, Elle had steered completely clear of the area where she had set off the tear gas, leading her lover into another, less conspicuous area. She didn’t want any bad associations to ruin their day, as they were having such a lovely afternoon, nor did she want to be recognized by anyone she knew.

  They had just eaten lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant, and Dane had discovered that he loved veggie kabobs. His palate for cuisine had improved dramatically now, as if he was growing impervious to the metals and toxins.

  I’m evolving in every way possible, he realized, and the idea filled him with some hope. If his body was getting stronger, so would his mind, wouldn’t it?

  They had visited the local library to read quietly for a while. Elle was talking about her new job at the animal shelter, but Dane’s mind was only half concentrating on her excited chatter, only catching the odd word here and there yet keeping with the general idea.

  She wanted to take home all the unwanted dogs and cats, and Dane had a feeling that their tiny home was about to be overrun with domestic animals. The idea was not unappealing. He had grown fond of their furry faces under Elle’s tutelage, but Dane was distracted by something other than house pets that afternoon.

  “You’re not listening to a word I’m saying,” Elle complained. Dane redirected his full attention to her, feeling apologetic. He relished the fact that he was able to feel freely without fear of reprisal or worse, death. It was still strange to be able to accept his emotions, but he was learning and growing every day with Elle’s help.

  “I am contrite,” Dane told her, gently squeezing her hand. She squeezed back and grinned.

  “I was asking you how you would feel about moving into a bigger place? I think we could use the space, and I would love to buy some new furniture. The only reason I built that stupid off grid place was because Vern suggested it so that we didn’t leave a carbon footprint. Meanwhile, that jerk was living in a suite in a five-star hotel room. What an ass. Anyway, I actually hate how small my house is. There’s so little light, and honestly, animals need a yard to roam free.”

  Dane nodded at the suggestion. “Yes.”

  “One of these days, I am going to teach you how to speak in full sentences,” Elle joked, pecking him on the cheek. “Dane,” she said quietly when they parted. “Do you think you’re ready to start exploring your memory problems?”

  He stared at her for a long moment, a combination of conflicting emotions overcoming him.

  “Yes and no,” he said enigmatically. “I’m not sure what I might learn.”

  “You won’t know unless you try,” she said gently, and Dane nodded.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start,” he confessed. Elle squeezed his hand softly.

  “That’s why I’m here,” she reminded him. “We’ll tackle this together. You could have a family out there looking for you.”

  Dane’s spine tensed inexplicably.

  “Yes,” he said distractedly.

  “No pressure,” she replied quickly. “It’s just a thought. We can’t really look forward without addressing our past, can we?”

  Abruptly, Dane froze in his tracks. Elle stopped with him, following his gaze. Slowly, Dane raised a hand and pointed at a booth directly in front of them. Elle felt her heart start to pound, anticipating the worst when her mind registered what he was gesturing. She burst out into lyrical laughter and pulled on his hand.

  “Please?” he begged like a small child in a candy store.

  “I’ve created a monster. Okay, let’s go get some organic coffee. But you have to pace yourself,” she told him. “You give yourself a caffeine crash every single time!”

  Eagerly, he followed her toward the kiosk, already licking his lips. Smiling, Elle pulled herself close to his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, completely oblivious to the narrowed green eyes watching them from the shadows.

  15

  “Oh, shit! He�
��s dead!” Josh’s waxy complexion went translucent as he made the announcement, looking about the room with wide, stoned eyes.

  The leader of the group pushed the skinny brunette off his lap roughly and rose to his feet. He glanced at the speaker and then at the floor, where Phil’s lifeless body lay.

  Don’t move too quickly. Act nonchalant. This is nothing you haven’t seen before. Don’t give yourself away, he told himself, drawing toward the form on the ground, but his heart was racing.

  He worried that the others would hear it and tried to steady his breath. No matter how many times he saw death, he could not brace himself for those in the arms of eternal sleep. He casually leaned forward and checked the man’s pulse. Exhaling, he realized that there was a weak heartbeat. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Call an ambulance.”

  The half dozen people in the room recoiled at his words, staring at him as if he had uttered satanic verses.

  “Are you nuts?” Josh screamed, pacing the room, biting his nails. “If we call an ambulance, the cops will come!”

  He realized his mistake as soon as the words had escaped his lips, and he thought quickly to cover his blunder. “Fine. Get him up. I’ll take him to the hospital.”

  Three of the six people stumbled toward the door, with intent to flee the scene. Josh looked around in a panic, his eyes betraying his intention to follow them. The leader sighed heavily and slapped him harshly across the face, hoping to ground him to reality.

  “Do it,” he hissed sinisterly, feeling the sting of the smack across his palm. The frail, twitching man gasped and touched his face. He considered his assailant’s ominous expression and immediately reached for the figure on the floor.

  “Damien, we… you… we have to get out of here!” The emaciated woman who had been seated on him a minute earlier was beside herself, hyperventilating as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She looked longingly after her peers who had run but stood with bated breath, awaiting instructions.