“You’re such a jerk.”
“I’ll make you dinner and draw you a bath.”
Maybe not such a jerk, or he was just good at bribery. “If you’re lucky, I might stop by.”
“I always get lucky.”
And with that modest statement, he was away.
“AS YOU KIDS KNOW, OUR little town is home to a rather large Werewolf pack, and we are lucky enough to have a couple of the pack come and talk to us today. I’d like to introduce you to our local pack Alpha, Mr Murray Nicholls. He is here to tell us a little about what it means to be a Werewolf,” Sandra explained.
Murray stepped up onto the stage, towering over the kids who were gathered in the hall, sitting cross-legged on the floor. After a brief hesitation, he lowered himself to sit on the stage, putting himself closer to their level.
Fingers laced with mine and I glanced at Vincent, who was standing at the back of the hall with me. “Come with me,” he whispered.
“Murray’s giving his speech, I want to be supportive.”
“You already know all about the wolves, and he’s an Alpha, he can survive a few minutes without a cheerleader. Also, if you don’t come with me, I will whisper dirty things in your ear until you do.”
I quirked a brow at him. “That’s blackmail.”
He just smirked at me. “Yes, yes it is.” He tugged on my hand and I reluctantly let him lead me out through the open doors, into the hallway. We turned a corner and he pulled me closer, sliding a hand around my waist.
Here, the walls were all decorated with kids artwork as well as some educational posters.
“I thought you were helping out, aren’t you supposed to be giving a speech all about how you’re a... Fey?” I narrowed my eyes at him curiously.
“Good guess, but no. And I did help, by helping set things up and fact-checking the information they have here on various other supernaturals. I’ve done my part, so I’m free to play hooky.”
He ducked into one of the classrooms, dragging me with him.
“Vince, I actually wanted to listen to the assembly,” I said sternly.
He turned to me and paused. “I’ve missed you.”
My resolve crumbled and a dumb grin broke out across my face. We’d been back for three days now and we’d only seen each other at the cafe. “I saw you yesterday.”
“Mm, but you were busy working, I barely even got to kiss you.”
“You could kiss me now.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He lifted me up against him, then he backed up until he was sitting on the teacher's desk, with me straddling his hips. I gasped softly and he began to kiss a trail down my neck. “So pretty,” he murmured, breath hot against my skin.
“Mmh, Vince.” I reached up to run my fingers through his hair. “Is this part of some school girl fantasy you have?” I asked wryly.
“Nope, just the fantasy where I sneak off with the girl I’m crazy about and kiss her until she falls deep under my spell.”
“Are you a Mage? ‘Cause that would explain why you know so much about supernaturals.” From what I could tell Mages were very academic.
He nipped at my ear and then sucked at my neck. “I’ll never tell, now kiss me,” he growled softly.
I sighed but melted into his embrace and captured his lips. He pulled me closer, his hands shaping my curves. “Why won't you tell me?” I asked softly, pulling away, just enough to speak.
He rested his forehead against mine and sighed. “You have no idea how good it feels to, for once, not be judged by what I am or who my family is.”
“You think I’d judge you?” I reached up to run my fingers through his hair.
“No, not you, but I don’t want to put you in the position where you might have to.”
I studied his expression intently. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means... if you ask me again, I’ll tell you, but I’d really rather you didn’t.” He said, and his expression was so serious.
I kissed the corner of his jaw. “Fine, I won’t push, but I’ll figure it out one day,” I promised.
He smiled. “I hope you do, now, back to the reason I brought you here... let’s make out.”
Laughing softly, I let him guide my lips to his.
He brushed back my hair and nipped at my bottom lip. Then he slid one of my dress straps down my shoulder and began to kiss a trail down my neck to the swell of my breast.
“Vince,” I gasped. “Stop that,” I purred.
He slid his hands up the back of my thighs, to cup my ass. If he kept this up, I really would end up sleeping with him. “Do you want to go back yet?” he murmured.
I shook my head and he chuckled smugly.
He sucked at my breast, making me moan in pleasure. I pressed closer, rubbing myself against him. I cupped his face and lifted it to mine, kissing him hungrily, letting my tongue bush against his.
“I figured I’d find you two off macking somewhere.”
I gasped softly and pulled back, glaring over at Courtney, who stood in the doorway. She was one of the Werewolves helping out. Vince pulled his hands out from beneath my skirt, his expression sheepish.
He cleared his throat. “She just pounced on me, she couldn’t control herself.” He raised his hands as if to profess his innocence.
I bit my lip and slid down from his lap, tugging my clothes back into place. “He’s a filthy liar.”
“Come on, before one of the kids wanders off and gets an unwanted lesson about the birds and bees.” She held open the door, smirking as her eyes glittered with amusement.
Feeling appropriately embarrassed, I quickly hurried back out to the hall. Vince chuckled. “You’ve done nothing wrong, love, relax.”
“You, behave, Mr,” I said sternly.
He grinned. “I can’t help it, you drive me crazy.”
I nudged him lightly with my shoulder. “Way to blame the victim.”
“Ah, so you’re a victim of my affections?”
“Absolutely,” I confirmed.
We were able to catch the end of Murray’s speech which, I learned, was not just about Werewolves. As far as I could tell, he covered most types of shapeshifters, some that even I had never heard of.
After his talk, Sandra announced that it was time for a snack break and the Alpha made his way back to us. “I think I lost them about five minutes in,” he joked.
“Kids have very short attention spans, don’t worry about it,” Vince told him.
“I thought you were great,” I assured him.
He reached up to pinch my cheek. “Don’t think I missed you sneaking out.”
I blushed. “I caught the end and it really was great,” I promised.
Chuckling, he squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won't hold it against you. The talk about spellcasters is just after lunch.” He kissed my cheek, then headed over to speak to Courtney.
He knew me too well.
By the time lunch was over I was practically buzzing with eagerness. “Relax, love.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side.
A familiar looking guy stepped in with Sandra. She glanced our way then gestured us over. “How do I know him?” I mused.
“Ethel’s nephew, he lives in the city but you’ll have seen him around,” Vince told me.
I glanced up at him. “Is he...”
“A Mage, they wield magic but they’re not on the same level as Wiccans,” he explained, frowning slightly as we approached them.
“Hi,” I said, smiling brightly.
“Hi yourself, you must me Elsa, my aunt’s told me a lot about you.”
I blinked, a little surprised. Ethel and I weren’t particularly close, but I guess an amnesiac who lived with wolves made for good conversation. “Yup, and you’re a Mage?” I asked curiously.
“Yup, names Charles.” He offered me a hand.
I shook it.
“Would you two help Charles set up a few things? Sandra asked.
&
nbsp; “Sure.” I glanced curiously down at the satchel he carried on his hip.
“I thought the best way to teach the kids about magic would be to give a bit of a show. Nothing too flashy, but I hope they will find it interesting.” He gestured for us to follow him to a table at the front of the room.
“This is going to be the focal point of the spell,” he said, placing a glass in the middle of the table. “Could you draw these symbols around it?” He offered me a piece of chalk and a sheet of paper.
“Okay.” Biting my lip, I did my best to replicate the symbols on the surface of the table.
He set out some crystals on his side of the table. “Nice work, that should do it. I think you’ll like this,” he told me.
Lacing his fingers with mine, Vince led me off to the side. “What do you think he’ll do?” I asked softly, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.
“A Mage’s power isn’t all that impressive, they tend to favour style over substance,” Vince told me.
“But it’s magic,” I said, as if that explained everything.
He laughed softly and kissed my cheek. “Just don’t get your expectations up too high.”
“You are such a downer,” I declared.
He smirked but remained quiet as Sandra introduced Charles to the kids.
“So, first of all, I want to show you kids one of the first spells that a Mage like me learns. What I’m going to do, is fill this glass with water,” he explained.
I glanced at Vince and, while he didn't actually say ‘I told you so’, his smug expression still made me want to elbow him in the ribs. Filling a glass with water? Any two bit magician could pull that off.
“Now, with magic it helps if the objects you use have some connection to the earth. For example, to draw runes we often use chalk, and this glass was made from sand and then handhewn by another Mage,” Charles went on and, despite my disappointment, he had my undivided attention.
“Now, all magic has its limitation, you can’t make something out of nothing. So, what’s happening here is,” he’d begun to wave his hands around, as if creating patterns in the air and, slowly, the glass began to fill, “water droplets are being drawn from the air and the environment around us and they are coming together inside the glass.”
I stared, transfixed, as I felt the magic spread out through the air, seeking water. It really was magic.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Trip, honey, it’s time to go home,” I said, unable to keep the exacerbation from my voice. The day after the full moon, Trip had met me on the edge of town as I was heading home from work. So, we’d decided to take the scenic route through the forest but he’d gone rogue and I was in danger of getting lost again.
The chances of me coming across another friendly bear willing to shelter me seemed pretty slim, so I wanted to err on the side of caution. However, the dragon had other ideas.
Trip growled softly and I felt a sense of urgency through our bond. He wasn’t going to be convinced to turn back.
“Okay, can we just-” I panted softly, “take a break.” I paused, pressing a hand to my side. Trip turned and bounded back to me. I reached out and he nuzzled my hand. “Sorry, pal, you're just so big now that I can hardly keep up with you.”
I dropped down to sit on the grass and he curled his body around mine, glancing around as if looking for something, or keeping an eye out.
“I’ll be up again in a few minutes,” I promised.
He stilled, and I noticed him staring at a mini cliff face across the clearing, one that was no taller than I was. I eyed it but saw nothing unusual about it. I nudged him, letting him feel my curiosity.
He glanced at me, then bent down until he rested his forehead against mine. His scales felt cool against my skin, which was heated from our little exertion. I closed my eyes, feeling his mind reach out to mine and I responded in kind, smiling at the elation that always filled me when I was in such close proximity to my dragon.
Flashes of images surfaced in my mind, confusing flashes at first but then they came together.
A little awkward dragon stumbled through the forest, confused and alone. He found himself on top of the cliff, which seemed huge to the tiny creature. He stretched out his wings and determination filled his little bones.
The dragon galloped to the edge of the cliff and leapt, with all the bravery of a Werewolf high on the full moon's power. But fate was working against him, as a sharp breeze caught him unaware and the dragon fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
He hurt all over, his first experience with pain, but nothing was more bruised that his little heart.
I laughed softly. “This is where you learned to fly.”
He nudged me. I opened my eyes and realised tears streaked my face.
“Oh, God, that’s silly.” I reached up to wipe my face, sniffing. “I’m so proud of you,” I said, blinking back fresh tears as my throat thickened with emotions.
“I know what it’s like to be confused and alone,” I said softly. “But then you found me, it was close to here, wasn’t it?”
I remembered waking up alone in the forest, with no memory of my past. I couldn’t have been there for twenty minutes when the tiny dragon had stumbled into the clearing.
He nodded his large, scaled head.
“Is that where we’re going?”
He shook his head.
I smiled and didn’t question him further, content to find out once we got there. I ran my hand over his head. “Okay, let’s get moving.”
This time, he moved with less of a sense of urgency, acting like we were just out for a stroll. Though he did start moving erratically after about ten more minutes of walking. He pranced about excitedly and urged me forward.
It took me another moment but then I realised what had him so excited. Just up ahead there was a hole in the rock. “You can’t serious.”
He darted ahead and stuck his head inside, then came back out and glanced expectantly at me.
“Trip, I am not climbing into a dirty hole in the ground.” But I did move closer, wondering just why he had brought me here. Crouching down but the hole, I rested a hand on Trip’s head.
“Can’t you just tell me what’s in there?”
In response, he flared out a wing, hitting my back and dropped his head, making me fall forward, half into the hole.
“Son of a Witch!” I cursed.
He hissed out a laugh and rested a foot on my ass.
“You’re a freaking comedian,” I growled. “I can’t even see anything in here, you jerk.” I reached out a hand and touched something smooth and sharp. I felt around until I had a pretty good idea of the shape of the thing. “Wait... is this-”
He took his foot off of me and I shuffled back out, though I did hook my fingers around the object tucked away inside.
Shaking off the dirt, I sat, cradling the object on my lap. “This is your shell!” I glanced around. “You were born here, well... hatched.”
He sniffed at the shell, most of the thing was still intact, all but a hole in the side. The inside was smooth and a metalic blue, whereas the outside was rough and brown, probably from how long it had been stuck in that cave.
I reached up to pat his head. “How long were you in there? How many centuries before you hatched?” He didn’t really answer but I got the sense it was a long long time. “And why now, why did you choose now to join the world?”
He nuzzled my side and I heard the word you as clearly as if he’d said it aloud.
“You sure know how to make a girl feel special.” I placed a kiss on his muzzle. “Right, now I think you’ve dragged me across the forest and knocked my ass into the mud, let's go home.”
Holding the egg carefully against my abdomen, I pushed myself to my feet.
“But what am I going to do with this? I don’t really want to leave it here, it seems too important.” I glanced at Trip but he offered no opinion on the matter. He probably didn’t much care either way. Maybe to him,
it was akin to saving his baby teeth.
“Maybe I could find a hatbox to put it in, or does that just seem silly? Maybe I could make a potion with it, isn’t that something Witches do?”
He shot me a flat look.
Patting his head, I began the trek back to the house. “Yeah, probably not. You know what would be helpful? A Beginners Guide to Witchcraft or Witchcraft for Dummies.” Leaves crunched underfoot as he took the lead. “Maybe I just need to do what you did, fall a few times before I learn to fly. However, I’ve a feeling it’s not quite as simple as jumping off a ledge.”
The sound of his annoyed growl drifted back to me and I’m smiled.
“Okay, so, maybe flying isn’t that simple. At least it comes with a nifty sense of direction, considering I am completely lost... again.”
He huffed, apparently unimpressed by my lack of navigation skills.
“DID YOU SAY SIX OR seven steaks?” I asked.
“When in doubt always go with the larger quantity of meat,” Beth told me. I chuckled and tossed the seventh steak into my trolly.
“Okay, I think that’s everything you mentioned this morning, is there anything else we need?”
“Nope, I think we’re good.”
“Great, I-” I paused as I caught sight of a familiar face. I gave a small wave before turning back to my conversation. “I’ve got to go but I’ll be back soon,” I said into the phone.
“Planning a BBQ?” Adam asked, glancing at the pile meat I’d acquired.
“Oh no, this is just to feed the wolves. You would not believe how much meat those guys get through.” Not to mention the fact that Trip had acquired a taste for steak. Beth really was spoiling him.
Adam began to walk beside me. “We hadn’t gotten a chance to speak since I saw you in the woods. Have you thought anymore about my offer to teach you some things?”
I reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “You know, I was just thinking about that and I really could use some pointers. But I’ve got a lot on my plate this week, next week, maybe?”
“Next week would be great, just tell me when you want me and I’ll make it work. See you around.” With a small wave, he walked on past me.
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