Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

My back hits the back of the booth as I fall away from the table. “Were you not just sitting here with me when you dropped that bombshell on me?” My mouth falls open. “You fell for him, didn’t you?”

  Her eyes widen. “No. He’s the bad guy. Why on earth would I fall for him?”

  I shrug and raise an eyebrow. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  The ball is in her court. But I’ve known her since birth and she’s lying to me. She’s never lied to me before, and that worries me more than anything else we’ve discussed.

  Tabby sets her drink on the table. “Can I get you ladies anything else?”

  We both shake our head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  We take a few more sips of our drinks, the lull in conversation tense and silent.

  How could she fall for Xavier? She was just supposed to distract him. I never thought it would go that far with her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been okay with our plan.

  “Grams sends her love. She’s ready for you to come home. We all are.” She breaks the silence, changing the subject.

  I try to hide my sigh. “I’m ready to get back, too. Just not for the situation waiting for me. But this is my responsibility and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Grams’ stern voice echoes those same words in my head.

  Opening her purse, she pulls out a white envelope and slides it across the table. “She also sent this. Thought you might be getting low on funds.”

  I pick it up and stuff it into my bag. “Yes. Thanks for bringing this. You probably need to be getting back before they get suspicious.”

  She wipes her mouth with a napkin. “Yeah. You do, too.”

  I take a drink. “I’ll be there in two days.” That should give me enough time to withdraw from classes and pack all of my things up. I don’t want anyone to think that I just up and disappeared.

  Willow grabs her purse from the booth. “Be careful.”

  We stand and hug before she leaves. “You too.”

  I settle our tab and hand Tabby a twenty for a tip.

  She grins the first real smile I’ve gotten from her. Money usually does that to people. “Thanks, hon.”

  I nod, walking out of the door.

  * * *

  The wind whips my hair in my face as I drive down the road with the windows open and the radio off. Nothing but the sounds of nature and wind soothes my soul a little. My mind spins a thousand miles a minute with different scenarios and outcomes of how things will play out when I arrive back home. None of them are great options.

  That’s life, isn’t it? Am I doomed to disappoint my Grams and coven?

  Over the last few weeks, that’s what it seems like.

  My phone slides off the seat to the floorboard. There are no other vehicles around and nothing but woods on this stretch of highway.

  I reach down, trying to keep my head up. After picking it up, I sit upright.

  In the middle of the road stands a deer with her baby fawn trailing behind.

  Oh, shit.

  I jerk the steering wheel to the right and inhale a sharp breath as panic floods my chest and my heart pounds. The car veers off of the road, airborne.

  Will this be how my life ends? On the side of some empty highway from a deer?

  The car hits the ground with the front bumper, nose down, and flips over. Screaming echoes around me before I realize the sound is coming from me.

  Blackness takes over my vision.

  Time has lost all meaning. I don’t know how long ago it was that I succumbed to the darkness.

  A deep, familiar voice breathes into my ear. “You’re going to be fine.”

  My eyelids flutter and squeeze closed at the loud sounds around us.

  Movement jostles my body and I groan aloud from the pain. My head throbs and pressure gathers behind my eyes.

  “You have to be okay.” There is almost a plea in his voice. “Come on, Sage.”

  The plea breaks my heart before blackness engulfs me again.

  Opening my eyes, I try to sit up and fall backwards. My entire being protests at any movement. I lay still and take in the unfamiliar king-sized bed with a dark gray and navy comforter.

  The room has gray walls, dark cherry furniture, and very little decor, but is tidy.

  I take a deep breath and assess myself. My head throbs. I place a hand on the side of my face and touch a tender bump.

  “Hsss.” I use my arms to push myself upright and stop when I swing my legs over the side of the bed.

  Where am I? How long have I been here? What do they want with me?

  There are no personal belongings or touches around the room. No way to decipher whose room I’m in. The energy feels different here.

  Okay. You can do this. I press my feet onto the floor, preparing my sore, aching body to get out of the bed.

  Muffled voices come through the door and I stand. My knees wobble and my head spins. Placing a hand on the bedspread, I steady myself and call a protective spell as well as an invisibility cloak.

  The door opens and Ezra’s voice is tense. “I’m fine. I’ll meet up with the pack elders later. I have something I need to do.”

  Footsteps move across the house and his woodsy smell hits my nose.

  Within seconds, his muscular body is leaning against the frame of the room’s entrance. He crosses his arms and shakes his head. “Sage, I know you’re here. I can smell your vanilla scent everywhere.”

  He’s right. This is ridiculous. He must have brought me here from the wreck.

  But why did he bring me here? How did find me in the first place?

  He hasn’t spoken to me or given me the time of day since I walked out of his first class.

  I release the spells and he smirks.

  “Are you okay?” Concern flashes in his eyes as he approaches and sits beside me on the bed. He reaches out and touches a spot right above my ear.

  Why does he care now? What has changed?

  I flinch back and pain courses through me. “Holy shit, that hurts.”

  He jerks his hand back. “I’m sure it does. You hit your head against the driver side window when you wrecked.” He blows out a breath and stands. After a moment, he paces and glares at me. “What the hell were you doing? You were supposed to be in class.”

  Wait. Is he trying to fight with me right now? He’s the jackass that ignores me. “I’m not sure how you even noticed. You make sure not to pay any attention to me when I’m there. What am I doing here anyways?”

  “Ha.” He runs both hands through his hair and pulls at the roots. “You were in a bad car accident. The vehicle is totaled. It flipped several times. You’re lucky to be alive.” He takes a deep breath and exhales. “How the hell can I not know you’re there? You make sure that you answer every question asked.”

  I’m up on my feet without a second thought, but the room begins to spin. “I’m taking classes and I’m there to learn.” I open my mouth to say more but the room swirls more, and I begin to fall.

  My vision wavers with dizziness. Right before I hit the ground, arms wrap around me, and I’m wrapped against a warm, large chest. I place my hand on the side of my head. That’s going to be a nasty headache.

  When I use magic to attempt to alleviate some pain, my body seems to come alive and they sync together in harmony. I thought that was the most pleasant feeling in the world until this… until him. Every cell of my body is on fire. My breathing turns ragged and every rational thought leaves my mind, even the pain of the headache.

  His blue eyes become hazed and narrow on my lips. He nods and whispers, “Just one kiss won’t hurt.”

  My heart hammers in my chest and I lick my lips. I’ve never been kissed before and I’m sure that once this happens, this will change everything. However, I’m too weak to stop it.

  Within seconds, his lips are on mine and the taste of mint overloads my senses. His arms wrap tighter around me, and my hands wind up in his hair. His tongue demands entrance and I open my mouth willingly. Too soo
n, he pulls away and groans.

  He carries me to the bed and lays us both down beside one another. Before I know it, his lips are on mine again and his hands are under my shirt. He pulls away and I moan in protest.

  His eyes glow and a low growl emanates from the back of his throat. “Is this what you want?”

  It’s the craziest thing. For some reason, I know this question is a lot more loaded than just what it seems on the surface. “Yes, it is.”

  “Sage,” he raises his hands, “this is more than a one-night stand. I know I have a reputation, but with you, it’s different. You’re a witch and I’m a wolf…”

  Such a vast difference, but at this moment, I couldn’t care less. To hell with these stupid laws.

  I slam my mouth on his, shutting him up, and whisper against his lips, “Yes, I’m sure.”

  A louder growl is his reply. He brushes my face with his fingertips. “Then, we’ll deal with it all together. You’re mine.” His lips land on mine again, then he moves over and we surrender ourselves over to each other.

  * * *

  I get dressed in the pair of stretchy gym shorts and t-shirt Ezra left on the counter for me, pulling the drawstring on the shorts as tight as it will let me and tying the bottom of the t-shirt to one side into a knot.

  Ezra is at the stove when I walk into the kitchen, taking a pan off the burner and piling some scrambled eggs and toast on two plates. He turns and smiles at me as he puts the food on the table.

  Okay, this is way more awkward than I thought it was going to be. He’s a ladies’ man after all. What the hell do I do? I mean, I’ve never even had sex before. I feel like it was more and, at the moment, I thought he did, too, but what if I was wrong?

  He pulls out my seat. “Hey, you okay? I made us some breakfast. I hope you like eggs and toast.”

  I suck in a deep breath. “Yeah, thanks. I’m just still a little out of it.”

  “That’s why,” he bops me on the nose, “you need to eat.”

  Is this the same guy from yesterday? I laugh and sit. I pick up my fork and force myself to eat a bite.

  As he sits across from me, I can feel his stare like he’s caressing my body. “You’re still acting weird.”

  For once, he’s going to be the one that won’t let it drop. “I guess… um… I’m not sure how to act now.”

  He puts his elbows on the table and folds his hands in front of him. “What do you mean?”

  Oh, dear goddess. He’s going to make me spell it out. “Well, now that we’ve had sex.” If I could just die right now, I think it might be a blessing. “I know about your reputation, and… it’s okay. I get that it’s nothing serious.”

  His hand slams down on the table. “I told you this is different.”

  Yep, someone kill me now. “Well, I just figured that’s what you always say to…”

  He stands from the table and walks over to me, cutting me off. “You are my mate. You’re my everything. After what happened, I don’t remember anyone before you because you’re all that matters now.”

  My heart seems lighter and, for once, his words make sense. “Wait… did you say mate?”

  “Yes.” He raises an eyebrow and his forehead creases. “My wolf has claimed you and there is no turning back now. Why?”

  Talk about a game changer. “Well, my coven is all women, and priestesses aren’t allowed to marry.”

  He’s silent and stares out the window.

  Shit, I’m messing this up. “Look, the original witch had a mate. Mates are the exceptions to the rules, but it’s been hundreds of years.” I reach out and touch his hand, unable to fight the feelings I feel for this man. There’s no longer a pull drawing me somewhere else. It leads straight to the man in front of me. “I’ve given myself to you as well.”

  A smile lights up his face and he bends down to give me a kiss, cupping my face in his hands. Warmth blossoms in my chest and my insides quiver as I recall last night. All too soon, my cell phone rings.

  We separate and I grab the phone out of my pocket. My stomach clenches at the name on the caller ID. “This can’t be good. They’ve never called like this before.”

  I hit the green accept button and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

  The connection is staticky, but Willow’s voice finally breaks through. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, are you?” Something is wrong. I can hear it in the tone of her voice.

  “Well.” She pauses. “Did you mate with a wolf?”

  How the hell could she know this? “Why are you asking me that?”

  She huffs. “Just answer the question.”

  Ezra is shaking his head no at me, but Willow is my best friend and I won’t lie. “I did.”

  There’s silence and Willow’s voice shakes. “Oh, goddess. He knows. The mate bond must have broken the protection spell.”

  My heart drops. “What do you mean?”

  “The ground trembled, and the coven’s power suddenly increased about thirty minutes ago. At the same time, a pack of wolves came out of the forest and surrounded the village.” She takes a ragged breath. “Xavier said you had mated with a wolf and he was able to locate you now.”

  What the hell? How is this possible? “How did he know?”

  Shouts echo in the background, and her voice sounds even farther away. “I don’t know, but he’s left. He’s declaring war on everything that gets in his way until you are back with him.”

  The phone cuts out and the silence is deafening.

  Ezra walks over to me and his nostrils flare. “What the hell was that about?”

  6

  This is not going to go over well. Why do the fates have to be so cruel?

  I push the plate of food away, my stomach in knots. Bile rises in the back of my throat, the few bites I was able to force down threatening to make a reappearance.

  My gaze travels up to the window above the sink. The sun rising on the horizon casts a red tint to sky. Is that an omen to come?

  “He’s coming for me.” My voice comes out monotone.

  Hands grab my shoulders and I turn my head to meet blazing blue eyes. “Who’s coming? What does he want?”

  My gaze wanders over his shoulder. The joy from last night is foreshadowed by the impending arrival of my arranged marriage. “Xavier. He wants me.”

  Ezra lifts me from my chair, stands me in front of him, and leans down so we’re face to face. “He can’t have you. He’ll have to go through me.”

  Pain tightens my chest. “No. I can’t bear that. Please, you have to let me go.” Can’t he see that this… us… would never work?

  Our rules are law. There’s no way for us to be together, regardless of the fact that he claims I’m his mate. That’s unheard of. A priestess and a wolf.

  A deep growl leaves his throat as he stares into my eyes. “Never. I will never let you go.”

  My heart flutters in my chest before it tightens and my breath hitches. “We can’t be together. Why fight the inevitable? My coven is depending on this marriage. I’ve been groomed to put the needs of my coven above my own.” I tilt my head down, a single tear falling down my cheek.

  He kneels in front of me, his gaze fierce and determined. “Because you were made for me and I for you. We will weather this storm together. I thought I could fight this between us, but I can’t. Not now.”

  I step away from him to get some space. “Xavier and his men are too strong. You won’t be able to defeat them.”

  He smirks. “You have much to learn about me, love.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him. “Whose fault it that?”

  The smirk falls from his face. “I know. We have time to learn about each other. But I won’t lose you after last night. Hell.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Let’s be real. Since the first moment I laid eyes on you in the admissions office.”

  Butterflies flutter in my gut. Then, the look of disgust that had flashed across his face rushes through my mind, making my stomach d
rop. I’m not sure I can ever forget that moment and how much it hurt me. At least now it makes sense, the feelings he inflicted when no one else would have phased me. “That doesn’t excuse your behavior these past few weeks.”

  He sighs deeply. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to handle the feelings you brought to the surface, and our races don’t mix. I didn’t know what to do but keep my distance, but I will make it up to you. Now, tell me about this Xavier and why you don’t think I can protect you.”

  I take a seat again and hold a hand out to the one next to me. “This might take a while.”

  He sits in the chair beside me so that we are facing each other and places a hand on my thigh. “I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”

  Tucking strands of hair behind my ear, I grin. How can I not with such sweet words?

  “Xavier’s a powerful sorcerer, one that even our current priestess is afraid of. She doesn’t think our coven can defeat him on its own. When he showed up a couple of weeks ago, telling us that he and I were going to be wed, we didn’t really have much of a choice but to agree.”

  The hand on my thigh flexes and his eyes glow. “That’s the day you came to the college.”

  I shrug. “It was the next day, actually. Grams and my best friend, Willow, created a distraction in our village, and I slipped away during the chaos. Just until we could come up with a solid plan to not go through with the marriage, then I would be going back.”

  His face loses all expression. “You were leaving? Without a word.”

  How dare he act like it’s appalling that I would have the audacity to leave. “Seriously? You hadn’t said more than a few words to me, ever. But, no, I was on my way back from a meeting with Willow. However, I had plans to go home tomorrow.”

  He leans forward. Gentle lips connect with mine, stopping any further conversation. “Now, you are home.”

  Warmth spreads through me.

  I pull back from him. “I can’t leave my coven. I’m the next priestess. They need me. A neighboring coven will band with us to defeat Xavier.”

  He stands and paces back and forth. “We’ll go to my pack. We will fight with you as well and, together, we will get rid of this sorcerer. He will learn that you belong to me.”