Their Shifter Princess

by May Dawson

  Callum started to say something—he’d planned to carry him, I’d bet—but stopped. He nodded his thanks, then yanked off his shirt. “I’ll turn, it’ll make it easier to scent them. When I stop, drop him.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  When Callum transformed, I looked away. It seemed rude to watch; it was such a bloody, intimate, painful thing. He picked up the backpack with his teeth, and the big wolf streaked off ahead of me.

  We dumped Eli where his friends would find him—so close we could hear their voices as they stumbled drunkenly through the woods—and then ran back to the house.

  Time to free Piper. From all of us, if that was what she chose.

  Chapter 21

  Piper

  “I can’t sleep,” I told Kai as I sat up. “Shouldn’t they be back yet? What if they got caught?”

  “They’re fine,” Kai said.

  There was faint noise in the hall, and my head swiveled toward it as my heart leapt. Josh?

  Kai stared at me, as if he weren’t at all worried about Callum and Josh. “Did you hear that?”

  “Is that them?” I asked.

  He snapped his fingers. “Focus, Piper. Did you hear that?”

  I stared back at him. “Yes…”

  The door opened, and Josh burst in. Callum followed, a backpack thrown over one shoulder.

  “You’re okay,” Josh said, his eyes meeting mine, relief written across his face.

  “You sound surprised when I’ve done nothing but sleep, and you’ve been out there running around attacking…wizards.” It still felt ridiculous to use that word.

  “Kai, do you have everything I asked you to gather?” Callum asked, but Kai was already bringing a bowl from the table in the corner. Callum shoved the coffee table out of the way, and Josh rolled up the carpet to reveal a square of plain, dark hardwood.

  Kai knelt with the bowl. Callum quickly ran through its contents, checking that everything was there. Then he struck a match and touched it to the contents. The fire caught quickly. The herbs in the bowl turned black and wilted, and little white flames licked upward. A strange, sharp herbal scent filled the air.

  “You use magic too,” I said. “What makes you different than the wizards?”

  “We don’t say wizards,” Josh said. “Because being a wizard sounds fun. Magic isn’t fun. It’s always bound in blood. Yours or someone else’s.”

  Callum unscrewed a syringe of blood and poured it onto the flames, dousing them, as he muttered in Latin.

  “We only use defensive magic,” Josh explained. “Or we’ll undo a spell. No one needs to have that kind of power in this world.”

  Callum finished his spell and, as he reached his hand into sift through the ash, he explained, “Magic itself isn’t bad. But the people who seek out that kind of power, who are willing to bleed themselves at first—well, they tend to end up wanting to bleed other people, sooner or later. Power is corrupting.”

  “But the magic of being a werewolf is different?” I was so curious to understand their world, even if I wasn’t supposed to be a part of it.

  “It’s not magic,” Callum said impatiently. “It’s who we are. Lie down.”

  I wriggled onto the pillow on the couch, and he leaned over me. He broke the ashes apart in his fist, sprinkling them down on my throat as he incanted some words in Latin. My eyes drifted shut, listening to him, waiting for magic to take me over. His voice was all warm honey, sexy and masculine, when his words weren’t so sharp. It was nice to listen to.

  His fingers touched the necklace, drawing it away from my skin. Pain lanced through my throat, so intense it stole my breath. I grabbed his hand to keep him from touching it again as I scrambled up. I took deep frantic breaths, feeling as if I couldn’t fill my lungs again.

  “It didn’t work,” Kai said. “Do you have more blood?”

  “It’s not the spell that went wrong,” Callum said. “I know I did that right, I’ve done it before.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Kai demanded.

  Callum flashed him a warning look. “It’s got to be the blood. Someone else put that curse together for Eli.”

  Josh strode across the room, raking a hand through his hair. “Who the hell would support his obsession with Piper? Who would go that far?”

  “His dad is pretty fond of him,” I said. The words came out raspy, but at least I could talk. “If they’re both witches. Or maybe they paid someone. Oh…is that how they came to be so powerful in this town?”

  Callum rubbed my thigh comfortingly. I didn’t give away that I noticed, because I didn’t think he even realized—he’d moved to take care of me when agony raced through my throat, and his hand had still been on my thigh when the pain eased.

  “I’d imagine,” Callum said. He seemed to realize what he was doing, and he suddenly stood from the couch, tucking his hands inside his pockets. He flashed me a quick, tight smile. “Well, don’t worry, Piper. We’ll just have to do some detective work.”

  I nodded, but I had to wonder how far he would go to help me. Just then, my purse vibrated from the chair next to the fire. I stood, then swayed on my feet, my vision fading black around the edges. When the humming in my ears dimmed and my head cleared, the guys were crowded around me.

  They were hovering. There was no other word for it.

  “My purse,” I said, gesturing to Kai, who was closest to it, since I was framed in by their protective bodies. “I’m fine, guys.”

  Kai picked up my purse, scooping it up with two hands and holding it from the bottom as if it was some kind of sacred relic. He offered it to me, and I grabbed the strap as I sat heavily again on the couch. I really didn’t feel quite right, even now.

  “What exactly does this necklace to do me?” I asked. “Since apparently I’m going to spend a little longer with it?”

  My voice came out much calmer than I felt. Having this chain around my neck made me feel frantic, like I had to escape it.

  I unzipped my purse and rooted through it for my cell phone, even though I’d already missed the call while I tried not to pass out.

  “It will make it difficult for you to disobey the blood that marked the necklace,” Callum said. “You will feel compelled to do whatever the magician says.”

  The thought of Eli controlling me made me feel sick to my stomach, as if the world were an even darker, dirtier place than I ever realized. I could imagine the two of us in school, his arm over my shoulders. I want to own you. A shiver ran up my spine, and Josh’s eyes sharpened. He brushed the back of my fingers with his hand, and I twined my fingers in his, taking strength from his touch.

  Josh suggested, “Maybe it was Eli’s father or some other blood relative, because then there’s a possibility the necklace’s powers would extend to him…”

  “True,” Callum said. “We’ll definitely look at his family first.”

  “Maybe there’s someone else who wanted to enchant Piper,” Kai said. “Eli’s a creep, sure. But we have to look at all the options.”

  “You’re right. Do you have any other enemies, Piper?” Callum asked.

  The only enemy I could think of was my father. But it seemed so ridiculous to imagine him as a witch. “How many witches do you think there are in this town?”

  “Quite a few,” Callum said. “But whoever is behind the enchantment, we can keep you safe until we figure it out.”

  His protectiveness, no matter how he felt about me, still warmed my chest.

  “So you want Piper to stay?” Josh asked casually.

  “I want Piper safe,” Callum said, choosing his words carefully. “If that means she stays… for now… then she stays.”

  The missed call was from Maddie. I started to replay her message and lifted the phone to my ear.

  “Something’s been bothering me,” Kai said. “I know all evidence points to Misty.”

  “That’s right,” Callum said.

  “But I’m not convinced Piper is—”

  As much as I
wanted to know what Kai thought I was—and wasn’t—their voices were lost the second I heard Maddie draw a strangled breath.

  There was a long pause, and then she said, in a tear-filled voice, “Piper. Are you coming home? Where are you?”

  My chest tightened. Oh my god. My little sister, who always worried she was going to be abandoned. I hadn’t come home last night. She must feel so frightened and alone.

  “I hope you’re coming home soon,” she whispered, and then there was a long pause before she said, “Goodbye.” Then she hung up.

  “I’ve got to get home,” I said, throwing my purse into my bag. “Thank you, guys, so much for everything, but I have to go.”

  “You can’t leave,” Callum said firmly.

  “My sister is scared and alone,” I said. “I have to go home. In the long run, I always had to go home eventually.”

  “Not with that collar,” Callum said. “That chain around your neck isn’t just for show. Someone will want to use it.”

  “I won’t leave the house,” I couldn’t help absently running my fingertips over the damned necklace, even though just touching it sent warning tingles of pain seeping into my skin, like fresh bruises. “Believe me, I’m not excited about it either.”

  “It’s not safe,” Josh said. Unlike Callum’s commanding tone, his was gentle, but laced with urgency. “Piper, please. If you need to see your sister, we can go get her.”

  They meant well, but I shook my head. “And you kidnap her? She’d be terrified. I’m trying to make things better, not worse. But I’ll stay in touch with you guys. I won’t leave the house without you.”

  Kai gazed at me like I was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. He was silent, and I wondered why.

  With his arms crossed, Callum drummed his fingers against his bicep. He was weighing the options, and I found myself waiting for his decision, just like Josh and Kai.

  Of course, if he said no, I was going anyway. I hated to imagine what might happen if I tried to leave the house against his wishes, so hopefully he was swayed by my argument.

  I wasn’t leaving my father’s control just to follow another man’s orders.

  Callum nodded, a quick, curt jerk of his head. “I don’t like it. But if that’s what you believe you must do.”

  “It is.”

  “Then I’ll drive you home,” Josh said. His mouth tightened, as if he hated being separated from me in this situation.

  “No,” Callum said sharply. “You shouldn’t be out there right now. There may be people looking for you.”

  “What do you mean, people looking for him?” I eyed Callum, then Josh. “Are you in danger? Because you tried to help me?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Callum said. “This will all blow over soon. We just can’t be sure that Eli and his friends, or his father’s lackeys—whether they’re witches or the local police—won’t want revenge for Josh kicking Eli’s ass.”

  I knit my arms over my chest. Great. Another weight to carry. I’d ruined Blissford for Josh.

  “They won’t be in power long,” Callum promised, as if he could read me. “Once we’ve formed our full pack, we’ll be strong enough to knock any evil out of Blissford. For now, we’ll lie low. Kai and Nick can take you home.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” Unless I wanted to walk ten miles home, I had no choice but to accept their help, in this and in so much more. It was a strange feeling for me. I’d gotten used to depending only on myself.

  “I’ll get Nick,” Kai said, disappearing from the room on near-silent feet. They all moved so quietly.

  “Let me walk you to the car.” Josh slung my purse over his shoulder and held his hand out to me to steady me as I stood.

  I rested my hand in his and let him help me up, although I couldn’t help the smile that came to my lips at the sight of big, rough-hewn, athletic Josh with a dainty purse slung over his shoulder. It was just like him to be completely unselfconscious. As funny as I found the scene, I admired his steadfast, quiet self-confidence.

  He watched over me carefully as we headed toward the door to the study. Then he seemed to relax, once he was sure I’d found my feet.

  “Goodbye for now, Piper,” Callum said. “You can always call. We’ll be here when you need us.”

  When, not if.

  “Wouldn’t it be easier for you if I just disappeared?” I asked over my shoulder. I’d meant the words to come out teasing, light-hearted.

  They didn’t.

  Callum’s gaze met mine, his face cool and dispassionate as ever, his eyes unreadable. “No.”

  Well, that was… succinct. Certainly made a girl feel better about her life.

  Josh pushed open the door, and the two of us stepped into the two-story foyer. Dawn had just broken, gold streaking the sky just above the pines but not yet shattering the blue-black night above. Had Maddie been up all night, waiting for me? My heart twisted at the thought. If I called her back, and my dad overheard, I’d be in so much trouble. Best to see if I could slip inside before he woke up. I’d climb into bed with Maddie, if she wasn’t still awake staring at the ceiling, and tuck her head under my chin.

  He walked with me across the yard, and my muscles tensed as cold seeped in. When he opened the car door for me, I paused. This close, my eyes were level with his collar bones, and I breathed in the menthol scent of his aftershave. He was so much taller than me, and yet he never seemed intimidating. I looked up and found him gazing down at me, a frown crinkling his forehead above his ocean blue eyes.

  There didn’t seem to be anything left to say. They’d tried so hard to help me, and I could tell it hurt Josh to see me leave. I wanted to tell him I’d be fine, but I couldn’t make the words form on my lips. I wasn’t sure that was true. And when he gazed at me, his kissable lips pursed about his hard-edged jaw, it seemed impossible to lie to him.

  I caught his shoulders with my hands and stretched on my tip-toes to kiss him goodbye. Since words failed me, a kiss seemed like the best way to leave things.

  He caught me around the waist, his hand in the small of my back, and his lips pressed against mine, sweet and sure. As our kisses turned more intense, his arm around me tightened. My lips tingled forth, and then those pleasant tingles seemed to sweep through my body, inflaming my desire for him. His fingers tangled in my hair, tugging on my scalp, and the pleasant tingles turned to waves of hot, desperate desire.

  He broke away, breathing hard. I touched my aching lips. What the hell was that? He was a gorgeous, kind, funny guy—it made sense I would have a crush on him. But no matter how wonderful he was, the depth of my feelings after we’d only known each other a few days seemed like madness.

  “Don’t give up,” he said, his hands going to my hips, holding me there. “We’ll figure everything out. Together.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant I shouldn’t give up on—destroying the necklace, or my future, or our affection for each other? “I don’t give up. That’s not who I am.”

  I wanted to believe I could force a happy ending for every bit of it, no matter how dark the skies still were overhead.

  He brushed his lips quickly, sweetly, over my cheek, then pulled the door open fully, ushering me in. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Nick and Kai, crossing the yard toward us, and I wondered if they’d been waiting, giving us time to say goodbye.

  I slipped into the seat, and Josh closed the door firmly behind me. As he stepped back, he looked at me through the window. The strangest feeling coursed through me. I’m seeing him for the last time.

  It was a ridiculous thought, but maybe Josh saw its shadow cross my face, because he looked at me as if he wanted to pull me back out of the car and wrap me in his arms. But I had to go home, so I did my best to smile and raised my hand in a wave. He lifted his hand as well, and then the doors were opening, and Kai slid into the driver’s seat and Nick got in in behind me.

  “Morning,” Nick said, and I twisted in my seat to greet him. When I glanced back out the window, Josh wa
s climbing the stairs to the front porch. The breeze ruffled his dark blond hair, and his flannel shirt hugged his leanly muscled frame.

  Kai started the car, then puffed into his hands before he turned the wheel, and I turned to watch the tree branches interwoven above the long driveway. Going home made me restless and anxious, and I wanted to stay here so badly, but I had to take care of my little sister.

  It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, I’d driven Kai home with…Nick the wolf in the backseat. “I can’t wait to critique your driving.”

  “I’ll do my best not to cry,” he deadpanned.

  “You are such a jerk,” I said, shaking my head, but I didn’t really mind. Kai was Kai. He was all hard edges, but at his core, he was full of sweet kisses and gentle nicknames.

  We made small talk as they drove me home, but I didn’t have my heart in the conversation, and it didn’t seem like they did either. With every mile the car sped down the road, more dread filled my stomach. I tucked my hair behind my ears, full of nervous energy. My father usually slept late on the weekends. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice I’d been gone all night.

  Nick and Kai fell quiet as we neared home.

  “Just stop on the street.” I didn’t want them to pull in the driveway, since that would make it more likely my father would hear.

  “Do you want us to wait and make sure you get in okay?” Nick asked.

  “If you wait, I won’t be okay,” I said lightly, imagining how my father would react to me coming home with a few boys—er, men?—I didn’t know.

  My light tone didn’t go over, because Kai’s lips tightened. “All right.” He threw a meaningful look over his shoulder at Nick, which I didn’t miss.

  “Go home,” I said firmly.

  “Of course,” Nick said easily. He rested his big hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.

  Getting out of the car and leaving them behind me, to walk up that long driveway to the big, foreboding house, felt like leaving the sunshine behind to walk into a blizzard.