by Haley Weir
Through the underbrush, a crimson gaze stared back at her. A wolf—so white that it blended in with the blanket of snow that covered the ground—crept out of the shadows.
***
A large wendigo stood over Mary Ann. It screeched and snapped its jaws, hovering like a beast guarding its prey. Sam inched his way into the light and snarled. The creature cocked its head and scaled the tree in the blink of an eye. Sam had never seen anything move so quickly. The wendigo were getting stronger the more they fed. It hung upside down from a branch and twisted its head like an owl, staring off into the distance with blind eyes.
Sam howled.
The wendigo let out a piercing scream before charging after Sam. He held his position until the very last second. Mary Ann rolled into the underbrush, catching the wendigo's attention. Sam used the distraction. He leaped into the air and shifted. His hands forced themselves into the creature's mouth and he tore its jaw loose. The wendigo thrashed and tossed Sam to the ground. He transformed back into the wolf and struck with his sharp teeth. The taste was vile. Thick, congealed blood and gray, rubbery flesh. Sam clamped his teeth tighter, but the wendigo freed itself.
It ran into the trees, leaving behind a macabre trail. Sam searched for Mary Ann and found her curled into a ball on her side. She glanced up at him, and the worry in her eyes made his heart sink. Sam returned to his true form and lifted her into his arms. "You should not have followed me, Mary," he whispered. Her sleepy form snuggled into his body heat with a content sigh.
"I was concerned."
"You're freezin' and that thing could have killed you," he argued. "I just needed to clear my mind so I didn't hurt you. If anythin' ever happened to you, Mary Ann, I'm...I don't know what I would do. Hell, I'm not even sure if I would survive it." Sam glanced down at her as she toyed with the talisman that dangled from his neck.
"But I would never leave you like that, Samuel. I care for you. That means when I see you hurtin', I hurt too."
He nuzzled into her hair and carried Mary Ann back to her home. The cold had entered the house from the broken door, and he winced at his carelessness. Sam bounded up the stairs two at a time and laid her in the bed before starting a fire in the hearth. Mary Ann huddled beneath her blankets. Sam cleaned himself up and dug through the bag of clothing he kept in Leroy's old room for those nights when he failed to make it home after a day of heavy drinking.
The last thing he wanted was for Mary Ann to fear him.
Sam changed into some fresh clothes before he returned to her side. “I need to repair that door or else you’ll be too cold, Mary.” He kissed her cheek and turned to walk away, but she pulled him onto the bed. Sam chuckled, feeling her arms wrap around his neck to keep him close. "I need you to let me go, sweetheart."
She blinked her beautiful eyes up at him, and he could no longer resist kissing her completely. Mary Ann melted against him. It would have been all too easy to lay there with her and forget about the door, but Sam cared about her safety. He forced himself to step away, and he headed down the stairs. The back door wasn't broken too badly. Sam was able to get it upright before using some of the wood from her empty crates to patch up the few holes that were left. A handful of nails and a hammer made quick work of securing Mary's house.
"Samuel."
He spun around quickly and saw her standing in the open doorway of the sitting room. She had removed her wet clothing and donned one of his shirts. Sam could not breathe. The sight of her wearing something that belonged to him, that smelled like him, was too much. It made him think of the pale mark on Mary Ann's body that marked her as his mate. Sam felt himself losing control again, so he took a step back and maintained some distance between them. “Mary, I think I came back too soon. I...I ain’t myself at the moment.”
“If you came back here to tell me that Charlotte is back but we still can’t be together, then I don’t want to hear it,” she scoffed. Mary Ann took one brave step after another until Sam’s back hit the newly repaired door. Her slight limp did nothing to diminish the sensual air about her in that moment. Sam found it ridiculously endearing that the meek woman he had marked long before either of them knew what it meant had suddenly become the seducer. “I want you to show me what it feels like to be loved by you. Even if it’s just for one night.”
“I could never have just one night with you, Mary Ann. The second I give in to this temptation will be the beginnin’ and the end of my life. But until I know what’s goin’ on with these evil spirits, I won’t let you get attached to me.”
She shook her head in disappointment. “If you don’t claim me soon, we’ll both die.”
“No, that ain’t true—”
“Itsá said if you don’t claim me, then the spirit of the wolf will abandon you and enter me. I’ll have to watch as you die and then run for the rest of my life from those who would fear me. With you gone, there ain’t no ranch where I can seek sanctuary,” Mary Ann hissed. “If there ain’t you, then there ain’t no me. It’s as simple as that.”
“And if you get pregnant? What then?”
“There’s no guarantee that will happen. And if it does, then we deal with it.”
“I ain’t too sure that I’m willin’ to take that chance,” Sam admitted. “I lost one wife and daughter already. I don’t need to lose anyone else.”
Chapter Six
Silver Fox Ranch
The cattle grazed peacefully in the pastures the following night. Brilliant beams of silvery moonlight shined down upon the dewy grassed and the serene lake. Sam clicked his tongue and steered his horse behind the cattle to keep them wrangled together. "Charlotte seems to be healin' quickly thanks to that new magic of hers. A witch...can you believe it?" he asked his brother Boone.
"Charlotte escaped that crypt beneath the hovel, walked for miles until Wesley and Beth found her wanderin' around, and I'm supposed to believe she just got lucky?"
"I must admit that I thought it was strange as well," Boone confessed. "If not for the condition she arrived in, I would have assumed the worst of Charlotte."
Sam watched snow drift slowly to the ground. Though the snow had come and gone more regularly, it failed to stick in the grazing pastures. "I need you to know that Mary Ann was nearly attacked by a wendigo. I was upset and went for a run. She chased after me and that thing...it was like it had been lyin' in wait."
"You know Mary Ann cares for you. Why did you think it—?"
"Look, I ain't tellin' you this to get a big speech," Sam insisted. "I managed to fight that thing off, but I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to protect Mary Ann on my own. She and I are friends, Boone. Whether you like it or not, we’ll be friends for a long time.
“I just question what your motives are where Mary Ann is concerned. I ain’t got no issue with the two of you bein’ friends, but I can take one look at you when she walks into a room and tell that it’s more than that. If you tell me that she’s your mate, then I’ll just have to deal with it.” Boone clicked his tongue, and his horse trotted backward before turning in a circle until he faced the cattle that attempted to wander off. “I just wish you would either admit to your feelings for her so we can work through this or let her go."
"I don't see how you and I can ever work through our problems. You hate me for somethin' I had no control over."
Boone shook his head with a scoff, and Sam felt like he was a kid again. "You chose to walk out on this family. You chose to fight on the wrong side of the law. You chose to rob trains and loot wagons. That was your choice!" The fury in his brother's eyes caused Sam to flinch.
"I already paid my dues."
"Did you?" Boone questioned. "I remember it differently, then. Because I was cleanin' up your mess and payin' off your bounties so they would not hang you! I was the one takin' care of this ranch after our father died and I took care of your mother while you were too busy drownin' in a bottle to see that she was dyin'."
A ball of roiling black energy flew past Sam’s face. The hors
es spooked. Boone was bucked from the saddle, but the alpha wolf landed on his feet. Cattle scattered, running along the hills to avoid danger. Hooded figures appeared in the grazing pastures. Sam rode towards his brother, but he toppled over the side of his horse when he took a spell to the shoulder. Pain rippled across his skin as Boone yanked him to his feet. “You all right?”
“I’m all right. We have to get back to the ranch to protect the women.”
“I don’t know about yours, but mine can handle herself.” Boone sprinted towards the lights in the distance and Sam followed close behind. The witches disappeared. Sam shouted for his brother, but an explosion in the distance drowned out the sound of his voice. Boone was flung several feet into the air before he dropped with a loud thud. Sam helped his brother up and caught sight of one of the witches making her way towards the servant’s quarters.
Beth flung her knife and it stabbed a second witch between the eyes. Sam shoved Beth out of the way as the witch she attacked shook off the blade and hurled a spell right at her. “Thanks,” she gasped before jumping back into the action. Sam didn’t understand her willingness to put herself in danger, but he respected her fighting skills.
“Sam! Help the servants!”
He clenched his jaw and launched himself through one of the windows. Sam kicked the witch, knocking her back before she could set the place ablaze. Maids screamed, and he ordered them to climb through the opening he created. Sam hunted the witch down when the building was cleared. He smelled the scent of mossy forest floor and the iron tang of blood as he wandered through the narrow corridors. Sam peered into each room as he passed, his red eyes casting a glow upon the wall.
A shrill cackle broke the silence, and the scent of blood grew stronger.
Sam came upon the witch as she bathed herself in gore. He attacked, sinking his teeth into her throat and pinning her to the wall. The witch flailed, hitting him with her fists until she sent a burst of power against his chest. Sam crashed through a wall and tripped over a cot. He felt his ribs crack as he climbed to his feet once more. Sam used his claws to shred open his shirt as he shifted. The witch screamed and rushed towards him with bloodlust in her gaze.
They collided mid-air. Jaws snapped, and brute strength fought against magic in a maelstrom of energies that caused Sam’s head to ache. One of the witch’s smells forced his wolf into submission as he smashed into a mirror. Sam grabbed a shard of the reflective glass just as the witch fell over him. He buried the jagged edge into her hip, and she stumbled back.
Sam had finally drawn blood from his enemy, and it was a bittersweet moment.
***
Mary Ann saw the barn explode through the window. She ran from the house and searched for Sam. Boone ran over to his wife and the two of them shared a loving embrace, but the second-born Cassady brother was nowhere to be seen. Mary Ann covered her face to hide from the smoke as flashes of what horror she might stumble upon ran through her mind. She didn't want to find Sam gasping for breath. She didn't want to think of a life without him.
"Boone! Where's Sam?"
"He chased down one of the witches and I haven't seen him since."
Wesley James ran past her and shouted for Beth to go inside. The injured woman limped over to the house and disappeared through the door. Mary Ann went through the list of ranch hands, cowboys, maids, and stable boys over and over. She spotted the housekeeper and the cook...Mary Ann had counted everyone except for Sam. She ran around the ranch without a care for herself as she called out to him.
Before the Wendigo Spirit had influenced outlaws to create tainted weapons capable of killing other shifters, Mary Ann hadn't had to worry about losing Sam. He seemed so immortal, so untouchable that she never considered having to lose him like she had lost everyone else in her life. But, above the shouts of alarm, Mary Ann heard Sam's startled groan. She ran in the direction of the noise, pushing through all of the servants that were running from the witches.
A flash of white flew past one of the windows, and Mary Ann crawled through a small opening. She crept through the hall, keeping her steps light and soundless. Glass shattered, and she heard a low, guttural growl emitting from one of the rooms. Mary Ann rounded the corner and picked up a fire poker from beside the fireplace. She moved up behind the witch, lifting the poker to aim...and then the witch collapsed with an ear-piercing scream before bolting through a broken window. Sam was on the ground as he stared down at the shard of mirror in his hand with a frown. Mary Ann fell to her knees beside him.
"I...I thought I lost you,” she whimpered.
“I’m not easy to kill, Mary.” Sam reached up and touched a sore place on her cheek, causing her to wince. Mary Ann didn’t remember getting injured, nor did she care. Sam was alive, and that was all that mattered. She helped him to his feet. Sam dipped his head and kissed her deeply. It was only then that Mary Ann realized that she was trembling. Her eyes stung as tears began to pour down her cheeks. The fear inside stole her breath away. It was just as potent as Sam’s kiss, and that worried Mary Ann.
He pulled away from the kiss and helped her crawl through the opening of the broken window. The smoke cleared from the sky. Itsá stood at the center of the ranch with his eyes trained on the treeline where the witches had disappeared. Sam walked over to the apache male and shared a few words before returning to her. Mary Ann was ushered into a wagon before she could protest. “Where are we goin’, Samuel?” she asked softly, leaning against his shoulder.
“I’m takin’ you home.”
Mary Ann curled up on the bench seat and tried to banish the memories of her brother dying in the accident that nearly claimed the lives of her and her friends. She clutched Sam closer and breathed deeply, wrestling down the nausea that burned her throat. Each bounce and rattle of the wagon made her rip him tighter. “What did you say to Itsá?”
“I asked him to tell Boone where I was, and he said he’d keep an eye on things until I returned. We’re supposed to sit down and discuss what the attack will mean for us in the future. I ain’t in the mood for talkin’ at the moment. My only concern is gettin’ you home.” He kissed the top of her head and rubbed soothing circles against her spine. Mary Ann allowed herself to get swept up in the affection he showed her. It helped calm the aching worry in her heart.
“Charlotte bein’ a witch might invite more attacks,” she supposed. “Boone can try to defend the ranch with hired guns patrollin’ the grounds all he likes, but eventually, we will have to find a way to fight back. How did you injure that witch that tried to kill you?”
"The mirror."
"Do mirrors mean anythin' to shifters?" she wondered out loud. Mary Ann realized that, although she had known shifters for most of her life, she knew very little about them. "Is there anythin' magical about them, I mean?"
"Nothin' I've ever noticed before. Hell, just a few months ago, I thought bein' the way I am was a curse. In many ways, it still is—even if not in the literal sense." Sam peeked beneath the wagon cover before returning to his task of rubbing her back. He straightened in his seat. "We're here, Mary."
The wagon stopped outside of the general store, and Mary Ann hopped out of the back with Sam's help. They walked slowly towards her house, pausing just outside the door. "Are you comin' in?" she asked. The fear and exhaustion made Mary Ann feel as if she were standing at the edge of a cliff, waiting for someone to come along and help her over the edge.
Sam looked around nervously. He was still covered in blood, shirtless as he stood on her front porch. "Do you want me to?"
Mary Ann stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a kiss that caused tingles to spread from her lips and through her entire body. "I do. But I'm goin' to head in first. If you follow me inside, then there will be no more runnin' from this, Samuel. Either we're in this together, or you take the opportunity to turn back around without havin' to live with the guilt of makin' me watch you walk away. I'll already be inside." She kissed him softly once more and d
isappeared through the front door. This was a choice. Mary Ann wanted to be with Sam, but she would not force him to stay.
Chapter Seven
Wolf Valley,
Colorado
Sam stood outside Mary Ann’s door, slack jawed as he struggled to come to terms with her offer. He swallowed past the lump of emotion in his throat and took a step forward. Hand hovering on the handle, Sam felt as though he were trapped in time. Boone and Mary Ann had drawn their lines, lines that he straddled with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sam closed his eyes and turned the handle, pushing his way inside.
His sensitive ears picked up the sound of sloshing water and breathless hums. The heat from the hearth warmed its way across his skin until it sank into his bones. Sam crept up the stairs, wondering what he might find if he opened her bedchamber door. His steps were silent. He could still turn back. But the fragrant aroma of jasmine and honey filled his nostrils, luring him deeper into the house until he could hear her heartbeat.
Sam lifted his hand to the door and opened it without a sound. Mary Ann faced away from him, and he licked his lips at the sight of nude back. He followed ridges of her spine to the flare of her supple hips and rounded flesh of her bottom. Mary Ann’s legs were strong and elegant, though shorter than most. Scars speckled her skin here and there, but the signs of age had yet to touch her youthful complexion. For the first time in his life, Sam wondered if he was desirable. He knew women found him handsome enough for a quick romp, but he was much older than Mary Ann.
Streaks of silver threaded through his hair, lines framed his mouth and creased his brow. And, though his body was still firm despite his age, there were enough insecurities to make him feel unsettled. Mary Ann had seen him naked once or twice. None of those occasions had been laced with intimacy. Just then, Mary Ann turned her head and eyed him up and down. Sam fidgeted in the doorway and cursed the scarlet blush that blossomed on his cheeks.