by Mary Hughes
Aunt Linda was gazing at Noah’s hand with a beaming smile. She transferred her beam to Sophia. “Oh, that old thing? I found it at an estate sale. I couldn’t let it fall into the wrong hands. Besides, I was taking a woodcarving class at the Y and needed a project.”
Of course she did. “It’s not a malifier?”
“Not anymore. It’s a helping mirror.”
“Then why did you leave? Didn’t you know we needed you to unravel the hex?”
She tutted. “Dear Sophia. After I figured things out, my help was the last thing you needed.”
“But the hex—”
“Didn’t hurt Noah.” She put down her tea and dimpled at Sophia. “In fact, it helped him.”
“It turned him into a poofy dog!”
“Exactly.” Aunt Linda actually smirked.
“During the day, when the raven was searching for him.” Mr. Kibbles gave the first sane answer. “The animal form kept Noah’s familiar from finding him—and the evil wizard, too.”
“Also, it was the form most likely to bring him love,” Auntie said.
Jayden choked.
“Oh, come on.” Sophia snared another cookie. She had a feeling she was going to need the sugar. “You couldn’t have known all that.”
“But I did,” Aunt Linda said. “I met Prince Simon and his mate Hayley years ago. Noah has his hair and her nose. He was obviously their missing boy.”
“Of course we’d suspected when we first got to know Mason,” Mr. Kibbles said. “He’d left his original pack to find a mate, but ended up here to help his cousin Zoe. He told us what had happened to Noah’s mother and we put two and two together.”
Auntie nodded. “Which is why I sent Noah a note suggesting he come here. To find out for sure if Mason’s Blackwood cousin was the missing wizard prince.”
“You did send that note.” There was satisfaction in Noah’s tone. “But my parents weren’t mates. She worked for him.”
“Such a tragic story,” Mr. Kibbles said. “Simon fell in love with a shifter, and she with him. The Witches’ Council would have executed one or both of them, so the couple pretended she simply worked for him.”
“It’s so fucked up.” Jayden snorted. “Two adults can’t be together, just because a bunch of asswipes on the Council decided their offspring might be too powerful to be controlled? Idiots.”
Sophia felt her jaw go slack. Never mind the Council usually being revered—they were some of the most powerful witches on the planet. Jayden was talking about them like they were whiny kids. “What kind of wizard are you?” She searched his black eyes.
Something very old and very powerful looked back at her. She shivered.
Then he grinned. “Sorry. No spoilers.”
Her cheeks burned. To cover her confusion she said quickly, “You mean shifter/witch matings aren’t dangerous?”
“Of course they’re dangerous. Duals are powerful, and power can be used for evil—or good.” Jayden’s grin widened. “Or even just for fun.”
Mr. Kibbles shook his head. “The Council is very serious about the injunction. More so than if the problem were simply out-of-control duals.”
“More than a problem with mad demi-gods, huh,” Sophia said. “And the insanity thing?”
“Oh please,” Jayden said. “The Council probably just drove those duals nuts with their badgering. Duals aren’t statistically any more likely to go insane than any powerful magical being.”
“How do you know—?”
“Back to my story,” Aunt Linda said. “Improbably, Noah won the alpha fight against Scauth. Even sitting here blocks away, knitting, I felt him use his magic—which meant his familiar could feel it too, and find him.”
“I tried to use it again,” Noah said. “When fighting Ivan. I couldn’t access it.”
“Yes, dear,” Linda said. “That was the hex. That’s why we left the hex in place.”
“You knew Raven was tagged?” Noah asked. “That he was looking for me? How, when nobody but Burgot saw what happened that day?”
“Hayley told the gist to Mason’s mother before she passed,” Mr. Kibbles said. “She told Mason, and he told us.”
“You never told me,” Noah ripped out.
The big beta wolf held up one hand. “I don’t remember any of this.”
“Don’t blame him,” Mr. Kibbles said soothingly. “The combination of Linda and a cup of chamomile tea can be very persuasive.”
“I suppressed his memory of it before you even came, dear,” Linda said to Noah.
“You what?” Mason’s chocolate eyes narrowed and burned almost red.
“I couldn’t have you blurting out the truth within the hearing of the old alpha’s nasty lieutenants.” She smiled placidly at him.
His gaze stayed narrow a dangerous moment longer before he sat back and sipped tea. “Good call.”
They all digested that in silence a moment.
“So we knew Noah’s familiar was tagged,” Mr. Kibbles said. “Since the bird could lead the evil wizard Burgot straight to the dual he was seeking—”
“That’s Noah,” Jayden put in unnecessarily. Sophia glanced heavenward, a facial what you gonna do?
“The hex was perfect, forcing him into his animal during the day, exactly when the diurnal raven would be looking,” Mr. Kibbles finished.
“And then I realized, here was Prince Simon’s boy, all grown up.” Auntie clasped her hands in delight. “A prince, an alpha, and unmated to boot. And here was my little niece, a princess and unmarried and—”
Sophia cleared her throat, pointedly.
Auntie’s apple cheeks flushed, but her blue eyes twinkled. “I knew if I just got out of the way, all the mating details would work out.”
Sophia’s cheeks were on fire. Noah took her hand and smiled at her.
In his eyes, she felt beautiful. Her embarrassment faded. She smiled back, his power washing through her in a very tingly, pleasant way. “Why do you think we’re mates?”
Auntie gave a pointed glance at the mirror in the back of the store. “Nobody else look.” She waggled fingers at the mirror. “Reveal.”
Traces of lovemaking still resonated, twinkling pink and blue and gold like fairy dust. Sophia blushed.
Auntie was beaming bright as a spotlight. “See? You didn’t need me to break my hex.”
“But I didn’t break the hex.” Sophia frowned. The events in the field seemed a lifetime ago. “I removed the hide spell, and the hex just unraveled.”
“Yes, of course,” Auntie said. “It was a helping hex. It wouldn’t have been helpful to continue at that point, so it didn’t.”
Linda Logic. Why argue? Sophia took another cookie, biting into it thoughtfully. “Oh! I forgot in the rush of events, but what about the woman, the mundane who walked in on the hex taking affect? We need to do something about her before the Council finds out—”
“Your aunt already took care of her.” Jayden’s tone was solemn and the ancient look was back.
Sophia chilled. “Took care…? How?”
“I caught up with her and told her we were working on a magic trick for the charity talent show. Emphasized it was all mirrors.” Auntie smiled impishly. “Why, what did you think he meant?”
Sophia laughed, saluted Aunt Linda with the quarter-moon cookie then popped the rest in her mouth and enjoyed.
Noah said, “One point bothers me. If the hex was supposed to help, why did I shift back naked every night?”
Noah, naked. Sophia’s mouth dropped open at the image. She remembered she’d been chewing cookie and shut her jaw with a snap.
Auntie beamed. “Having you au naturel certainly sped things along sexually—”
“My wand,” Sophia blurted—before she realized that was just as bad. “I mean, I had a question about it. When I first came, my wands were out, crossed on top of the cabinet.”
“Crossed…in an X? Like a film rating?” If possible Auntie beamed brighter. “Maybe they also were trying to spe
ed things along.”
Sophia stared at Aunt Linda. How did she turn everything into that topic?
Mr. Kibbles said, “That was a portent, showing that your past and present would cross. Also it symbolized the unknown adversaries you’d face.”
“Speaking of adversaries,” Noah said. “Burgot was after me, but Rodolphe was after Sophia. How did they both end up here in Matinsfield?”
Sophia slapped a palm to her forehead. “That stupid magical census.”
Noah frowned at her.
“You used your magic to survive the alpha fight, right? If Burgot wanted to goose young potential alphas into fighting, he had to know where the packs were. He’d need a list of the wolf shifter packs, and Rodolphe had stolen exactly that list before he was exiled. Damn it, I wish I’d never been a Council page.”
Aunt Linda shook her head. “It’s not your fault evil people misused your work.”
Noah raised Sophia’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. She squeezed his hand in return. His eyes on her were molten gold, and his mouth curved in a smile so edible she leaned up. Noah leaned down.
The ka-shick of a camera shutter froze them. “Don’t mind me,” Jayden said, tucking away his phone.
Noah glowered at the pet groomer.
Mr. Kibbles shook his head. “All that tragedy because Burgot wanted to add the power of a royal dual to his.”
“Nobody should have control of that much power,” Noah ripped out. “It’s evil.”
Sophia nodded. “That’s why I stopped using mine.”
“You’re both idiots.” Jayden snorted. “Noah, you couldn’t be alpha if you didn’t have power and control over your pack, right? And aren’t they better with your leadership? That’s definitely not evil.”
“But what about me?” Sophia thought back to Rodolphe taking advantage of her naive arrogance. “Even though I meant it for good, my magic was used to do great harm.”
“Please.” Jayden made a rude noise. “You made a mistake. I think you went a little overboard with your mea culpa. A simple restitution to the transplant patient and a few hours of public service would have made you older, wiser, and still a potent force for good.”
“You’re only human, Sophia,” Mr. Kibbles said. “You can only do your best.”
“And anyway, it isn’t the power that’s bad,” Auntie said placidly. “That’s part of you, like your head and hands and heart. What’s bad or good is how you use them.”
Sophia startled at Linda’s choice of words. She drew a deep breath and opened her mouth to ask one of her two vital questions. Am I no longer a witch?
“Speaking of head, hands, and heart,” Jayden said with a pointed look at Noah. “Now might be a good time.”
“Good time for what?” Sophia said.
“Sophia, sweetheart.” Noah took her hands. “Wolf shifters do everything important, from challenges to joining rites, in front of the pack. And since these people are your pack…well.” He went down on one knee in front of her. “You’re the mate of my heart, the woman who complements me. Will you marry me?”
Her heart shouted yes! But she said, “Noah, I want to. But it started with the hex, and it’s only been a few days…”
“You’ve been avoiding it for years,” Auntie said in an undertone.
“Might as well say yes.” Jayden grinned. “Your aunt will wear you down until you do.”
Still Sophia hesitated. “But Noah is a wizard prince. I’m not…I may no longer be his match.” She held her breath.
No one said anything. The significant looks they gave each other made her want to cry.
It was Jayden who broke the silence. “You’re asking if you’re still a witch princess. Wrong question. If you were only a witch princess, you’d be dead right now. That was some stunt you pulled, overloading Burgot. Anyone less powerful couldn’t have done it at all. But somewhere along the way, you acquired a wolf, Sophia, and she saved you. Her own healing ability, and more, her tie to Noah’s healing, kept you alive.”
“But no more than that?” Her voice emerged in a broken whisper.
“You’ll always be our queen,” Mason said softly.
Her heart burst with contradictory feelings. Joy that she did truly have an inner wolf, at being Noah’s mate and still having a place in his life, at being so accepted by his—their—pack.
But she also felt immense sorrow at losing that which, at one time, was the best, the most cherished part of her.
A single tear threaded down her cheek.
“For shit’s sake,” Jayden said. “Let me give you the rest. Your wolf kept you from dying. She healed you this far. She’ll probably heal you the rest of the way.”
“The rest of the way…?” Hope geysered through Sophia’s veins. “You mean I’ll still be a witch?”
“It’ll take time,” he cautioned. “And you can’t go around doing crap like that every day. A loud noise makes you temporarily deaf, but sustained loud noise makes the hearing loss permanent. So take it easy with the spells. But I don’t see why you can’t make a full recovery.”
“Well, then. My answer is—” She thrust her cup at her aunt and reached for Noah, arms wrapping around him like she’d never let go. “Yes. Yes, yes, oh yes!”
Epilogue
Burgot and his ferret were tried in front of the Witches’ Council. Both were found guilty on multiple counts of magical murder. The ferret was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Burgot was also found guilty of high treason against witch kind, and thrown into magical solitary confinement, a place known as the Pit, from which there was no escape.
Sophia and Noah discovered Rodolphe was behind the murders in Killer’s trailer. Sophia had vowed to make whoever was responsible pay, and she felt as if she hadn’t done enough justice for those poor murder victims—until Noah reminded her that Rodolphe’s draining at the hands of his own weapon was true poetic justice.
Noah reluctantly left his wolf medallion with Sophia’s cousin Daniel Light for safekeeping. Burgot was imprisoned, but there were other mages just as hungry for power. If any others heard of the Key to Magic, they’d have to fight this battle all over again.
Then all that was left was figuring out how to keep their relationship secret from the Council—the biggest battle of all.
* * *
A few days later, Sophia snuggled with Noah on the couch in his bachelor apartment, ninety percent of the place taken up by an entertainment center in the living room, a beer fridge in the kitchen, and king-size bed in the bedroom.
“What are we going to do?” She sighed and nestled her head against his shoulder. “The Council won’t let us be together and I don’t think I can even pretend to cook and clean for you.”
“I could be your domestic.” He kissed her forehead lightly.
“Please. You, domestic?” She turned up her face for more kisses. “You’re the epitome of wild.”
“Mmm.” His mouth found hers and showed her just how wild he could be, a little bit of teeth, a little bit of tongue, and a whole lotta heat. After her lips were buzzing, he said, “Do we have to tell them anything? Maybe without your full powers they won’t care.”
“I still have the genes, even though they’re not expressing at the moment. Any children would still be powerful.”
“Mmm.” He continued nibbling down her neck, sending shivers of need through her.
“Although it has been five years since the last census. They won’t do another for five more.” She lifted her chin to give him better access. “But I think they’ll catch on then, when we’re both listed living at the same address along with one or two wolflets.”
He jerked straight. “You want kids?”
“Well…yes.” Her heart plunged into cold water. “Don’t you?”
“Yes. Oh, Sophia, yes.” He seized her mouth in a kiss that devoured her, so hot her hair felt ready to burst into flames. Relief coursed through her, followed by desire so strong and sweet she wanted to drag him into the b
edroom and get a start on making those wolflets immediately.
He pulled back. His nostrils flared and he growled. She shivered at the sound, pure beast. Her beast.
He lifted her in his powerful arms and carried her to the bedroom. Laying her down, he stripped her of her clothes.
Then he got rid of his. She got to watch. His belly appeared first as he stripped off his T-shirt, ridged abs quickly pummeling in and out with his excited breath. Then his chest, the heavy muscles lifting as the shirt went over his head then collapsing to a perfect W bracketed by powerful arms. His collarbones winged under a throat so strong she wanted to lick it like an ice cream cone.
Until he unbelted, unsnapped, and unzipped, and she wanted to do the same thing to what was revealed. A couple flips of his feet removed his shoes, a quick push sent everything to the floor, and she was confronted by his naked desire for her, cock jutting proudly from his hips.
Stars, he was gorgeous. Powerful body, gold eyes bright as newly minted coins, full of desire for her…she wanted all that, wanted him, but she wanted more.
She held out her arms. “Noah. I love you.”
“That’s not the hex talking, is it?” He came into her embrace and kissed her, hot and fierce.
“You know it isn’t.” She backed off, her eyes searching his. “But I know you might not feel the same—”
“Fuck, Sophia, I loved you the moment I saw your picture. Every second I spent with you, every facet of your personality that was revealed only made me love you more. I love you. And I want to show you how much.”
She knew by college that guys showed their love through sex. Sex like hers and Noah’s? She’d show him back.
The first time was hot and fast. They came together in an explosion of tongues, hands and pumping hips. When they lay sweaty and breathless, then…well, then the beast proved he could play.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said.
“I do too.” He held up a plastic ring, thickened with a fingertip-size barrel at the top. Intrigued, she waited.