The Dire Bear’s Witch

by Jessica Ripley

  Taren crossed his arms. “Why are you saying that? Why wouldn’t you want to have her stay?”

  Slade threw up his hands. “I’m sick of explaining this to you. I don’t want to end up like Tad. Love destroyed him. He’s the living proof that the devil’s deal comes with a curse.”

  “You won’t—”

  “Stop.” This was a conversation they’d had too many times, and Slade wasn’t going to keep going over it. “You can’t offer me empty assurances. Just because Lucifer didn’t tell you that a love curse on your sons was the side effect of our immortality doesn’t mean it’s not true. I’m not going to fall for it, fall for a supposed mate, just for it to end in chaos and despair.”

  “You can at least try.” Taren spoke softly. Slade knew the man’s thoughts had gone to his late wife, Slade’s mother. Taren wanted each of his sons to have a love like he had, and he just wouldn’t accept that they could have a life without love—a life without heartbreak.

  “I don’t want to try,” Slade told him. “I want to forget all of this. I’ll give her the marriage license if she wants it, but I don’t want any more to do with any of this. I just want my life to get back to normal.”

  “Then why were you with her last night, out by the pool?”

  “So I let my guard down for a bit. It was a mistake.”

  “Sometimes, mistakes are just a way to open a new door.” Slade knew his jokester dad was about to turn sentimental and serious. “Give her a chance.”

  Slade glared at him. What did he know about what Slade was going through? Taren had been mated before he was immortal. “Is this just you trying to get rid of us all? Let us all fall apart like Tad, and then you’re finally alone to live out your days as a miserable lonely...” Slade couldn’t even finish his thought when he saw the anguish in his father’s face. Taren’s love for his sons was undeniable, and he hated what happened to Tad. He didn’t want any of them to live in that kind of misery.

  “You, my son, are a dire bear. Your mating call is stronger than it is in other shifters, and I promise you that even if you send her away today, you’ll never forget a tiny little detail about her. You can fight me on this—fight yourself on this—but there’s no turning back now. You may as well follow this path until you get to the end of it.”

  “No thanks to you and Gerri.” He might be right. Dixie would haunt Slade for the rest of his days. He would always feel the pull to her, like Tad did to his lost love, but in Slade’s case, would he be able to stand by his convictions and stay away from her for all eternity?

  He sighed, giving in a little. “How about we focus on one thing at a time and see if she’s even going to agree to the marriage at all? It’s the simplest way to deal with all this.”

  “It’s going to anger the local pack,” Taren pointed out.

  “Good, tell them to bring it.”

  Taren smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Sure. It’s been a while since we had a good fight.”

  “And if the current leadership is like this, maybe they need new leadership.”

  They looked at each other and laughed.

  They hadn’t lived for centuries just to enter politics. When it interfered with their lives, sure, they would do what they had to. Same if they heard about unfair things happening to others, but dealing with it in an official capacity, having to sit through endless bureaucratic sessions and other black holes of time were not something they would do. Immortal might be forever, but they wouldn’t waste it on pointless meetings where the same thing is said over and over, year after year… decade after decade.

  “No other woman turned your head this way before,” Taren said. “It’s nice to see you with your match.”

  Slade only grunted in response. On one hand, he wished his dad would have minded his own business and had Gerri stand down…

  But another part of him lit up when he looked at Dixie, as it did when she appeared in the doorway that moment. “Hey.”

  “I just spoke to Gerri, and she said I should ask you for some contact info for some, um, immortal witches?”

  “For a sponsor,” Taren replied.

  “Huh?” Slade asked, not clueing in on what he and Gerri had.

  “She needs to go to Sommerville House.”

  “Ah, the coven.” Understanding dawning on him. It was a second option he hadn’t thought of since he’d been so wrapped up in needing to offer Dixie his personal protection. “You sure? Did Gerri explain it all to you? You’ll have to prove yourself worthy to convince a witch to offer sponsorship.”

  “She didn’t really explain anything, but I’m up for the challenge.”

  “But why do you need to do that?” Taren asked. “We can set up the marriage right here, and you’re set.”

  She shook her head, reflecting a stubbornness that Slade could relate to. “I appreciate the kindness, and understand that the mate thing means a lot to your kind, but I’m very new to all this immortal stuff and in no way want to commit myself to someone based on their mating feeling. If I’m under a time crunch, I’d rather make it to the coven and make my own way. I’m sorry, I hope that doesn’t offend you.”

  Let his mate go off to some coven and hope they’d be able to provide her with protection? Over my dead body…

  But on the other hand, it would be getting her out of his hair while getting her the sponsorship the council required, making sure she was safe and allowing them to maintain a friendship so Slade could keep protecting her from afar, while not involving his heart. “It’s a brilliant idea.”

  “It is?” Taren asked.

  “Thank you,” Dixie said at the same time. “If I could just get you to point me in the right direction, I’ll be on my way.”

  “No. I’m going with you,” Slade clarified.

  “You don’t have to accompany me. I was just hoping for an introduction over the phone or something and then directions for where I need to go.”

  Slade shook his head. “That’s not what we’re going to do. I’m going to stick by your side until we secure your place in the coven. Until then, you’re my responsibility.”

  Dixie opened her mouth to protest, but Taren backed Slade up. “That seems reasonable.”

  “I’ll call the coven and let them know what’s going on,” Slade added. “But I’m not letting you out of my sight until I’m sure you’re all set up there.”

  “What about trouble from the council?” she asked. “Will they be expecting a wedding?”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle them,” Taren replied.

  “Are you sure about this?” Dixie asked. “Because if you have any doubts, just know I can do this on my own. It’s how I’ve always done things.”

  The idea of Dixie continuing to fight for herself alone irked Slade. She didn’t need to do that anymore. She had him. At least, until Lucifer’s curse hit.

  “I’m taking you there,” Slade said firmly. “That’s final.”

  7

  Dixie was a ball of nerves at the prospect of going to meet other immortal witches.

  It was more exciting than just a party of immortal shifters, but it was also a bit daunting. Witches weren’t always very welcoming to outsiders. Dixie didn’t know what kind of agenda they might have, and she couldn’t imagine why they would sponsor her. Certainly not just from the kindness of their hearts.

  She also had an unsettling feeling of regret toward leaving the Dire Bear estate. She’d enjoyed meeting Taren, and even more, she felt a connection to Slade, to the point where the idea of separating from him caused a pang of dread that she couldn’t ignore.

  So it was with mixed emotions that she followed Slade into his garage.

  Her jaw nearly hit the ground when he turned the lights on to reveal row upon row of fancy vehicles. “Your family has a thing for cars,” was all she could think to say.

  “When you live as long as us, you’re able to amass quite a collection.”

  Dixie’s own collection was the random treasures that
appeared meaningless to the rest of the world. Unlike this room, where everyone could see the value of these cars, only a few would recognize the power and worth of the items in Dixie’s hoard.

  “You really don’t have to come with me,” Dixie told Slade again, feeling guilty for all the trouble she’d caused. “I have plenty of means to make it on my own, as long as you let them know they’re expecting me.”

  “I know,” he said, just as gruffly as before. It was clear he was not bending on this issue. “But I’m going.”

  He hit the pad on his set of keys, and the lights blinked on a charcoal-colored Audi sports car. Following him to it, Dixie gasped at how pretty the car was.

  “What a beast.” She sucked in a breath, admiring the sleek shape of the car, even though she wasn’t any kind of expert or fan of automobiles.

  Slade smiled. “See, you can understand why I don’t pass up an opportunity for a road trip. They so seldom pop up in my life anymore.”

  “All right, I’ll accept that excuse,” Dixie told him, though she knew it was all about the mate thing. It was what had made him act so strangely the first time they met, and it was making him see her safely to the coven.

  They tossed their bags into the trunk, then loaded into the car. Dixie admired the way the machine rumbled to life beneath her and couldn’t help but think that Slade looked particularly sexy behind the wheel, especially when he started working the stick and steered them smoothly out of the garage.

  The moment they were on the road he hit the gas and let the car pick up an amazing amount of speed. Dixie’s heart raced with the car, letting excitement for the adventure bubble to the top.

  “Should we be concerned about speed limits?” she asked once she peeked over at the speedometer and saw exactly how fast they were going. “Should I be concerned that we’ll see cop-car lights popping up at some point?”

  “Nope,” he replied with confidence. “I know all the best roads to take. That means they’re scenic, and they also have high or nonexistent speed limits.”

  “Nonexistent speed limits?” Dixie asked in disbelief.

  “Yup.” He grinned again and gave the car a little more gas to make his point.

  He flicked on the radio, filling the car with slide guitar and deep female vocals, giving them some beautiful Delta Blues as the soundtrack for their road trip.

  And then Dixie’s habit of talking too much had to ruin it. “Isn’t it weird, you driving me and then just dumping me off at the coven?”

  “Huh?” Slade took his eyes off the road briefly and gave her a confused look.

  “Ugh, that wasn’t the way I meant it to sound. Sorry, I’m pretty awkward in social situations.”

  “You didn’t seem so last night.”

  “I had a few drinks in me, and I was faking it, for the most part.”

  “With me?”

  “No! I mean, just the whole ‘Dixie at a party’ thing in general. That’s not usually my scene. I’m more used to solitude. What I meant was, the mate thing, doesn’t that make shifters possessive? Why are you so ready to hand me over?”

  “Everyone’s different.” It was clear to Dixie that Slade wasn’t interested in opening up more on the topic.

  She decided that maybe she needed to open up first. “You know you’re the first immortal I’ve gotten a chance to talk to, and I can’t even think of where to start asking stuff.”

  “Didn’t you have anyone to talk to before you became immortal?” His voice lost some of its edge with the new subject.

  “Not anyone immortal, if that’s what you’re asking. It was just a family mission, and growing up, my grandmother and my mother talked to me about it, but they were both mortals. I don’t even know if they ever knew any immortals. They’d passed down the family legacy, the items, and the recipe, but no tips on what to do once the mission was complete.”

  “The recipe… so it was some kind of witch thing.”

  “Not really, I assembled an offering for Death. You wouldn’t have to be a witch to do it. We just happened to be witches.”

  “Ah, I’ve heard of some working that one before. It’s a hell of an accomplishment. Congratulations, by the way.”

  Dixie swelled a bit at that. It was the only congratulations she’d gotten for the feat. “Thank you.”

  “So you had no mentor, and I’m guessing by your use of them in the past tense, your family is gone too?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Dixie answered, turning back to look out the window, wanting to avoid the sore subject.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, another short statement that meant more to her than just a few words should.

  She jumped to a new topic. “Do a lot of new immortals pop up?”

  “No, immortality is more a myth than anything else these days. Not many people choose to chase it anymore. To sacrifice their entire mortal life going after something they might never attain.”

  “Then, all your friends and family die, and you end up with nothing but empty time.” Dixie murmured the sad words before she could hide her thoughts. Clearly, the topic hadn’t changed enough.

  “It’s certainly not for everyone.” Slade shrugged.

  “Do you know what the coven is going to demand before they decide if they’ll sponsor me?”

  “Nope. It’s all different for everyone. They might want a demonstration, a trial of sorts, or one of them might want a favor.”

  “Will I have much time to do it?” she asked. “Not just time they’ll give me, but the time before the council tracks me down again.”

  “The council will leave you alone as long as you’re in talks with the coven. If anyone in the coven decides to give you a chance, that is. And I have no idea how much time they’ll give you for your task.”

  “I’ve done the impossible; I cheated Death,” Dixie said, frustration building inside of her. “I’m not going to let some mortal council step in and extinguish what I’ve earned… my immortality.”

  He growled. “Neither am I.” His reply was delivered with emotion, and Dixie felt the support that was behind it, something she hadn’t had in her life before.

  Especially from a man like Slade. It made her feel hopeful, supportive. Safe.

  “The option for marriage is still open,” he said, almost as a sidebar.

  Dixie wanted to tell him how much she appreciated it, how much that meant to her, but she felt it was best to keep a distance between them. They touched on the fact that she’d lost so many, couldn’t he understand that her heart wasn’t in any condition to open up to people again? Instead, she said, “It’s a very generous offer, but I can’t rely on someone else for my life, my freedom.”

  He looked at Dixie out of the corner of his eye. “I would never revoke the marriage or put your life in peril.”

  It shook Dixie a little for him to say those words. “Oh.”

  “And even if you don’t marry me, if you stay at the coven, know that you can always come to me for anything.”

  “Okay.” She was at a loss for words.

  8

  They drove in silence, except for the music, for a while longer. Dixie was surprised at how quickly the time went by. Soon they were pulling into a truck stop for gas to refuel and shake off the road.

  “You want anything from inside?” she asked.

  “Nah. I’ll be behind you in a bit. I’ll pull the car over to the side when I’m done fueling up.”

  Once she used the restroom, she enjoyed the leg-stretching time by walking around through the shop, looking at all the kitschy items, the different snacks, and the walls of drinks. It was so neat, all the things they kept that would provide entertainment and essentials for all the travelers. Dixie thought maybe, after all this, she might look into getting a car, or maybe even a camper van, and try living on the road, going from town to town, absorbing all that she could from wherever she could drive.

  She purchased a drink, some road snacks, and an interesting-sounding audiobook CD, and was rounding the building to find
the car when she saw Slade surrounded by three angry-looking men.

  She quickened her stride, not sure what was going on, but wanting to be there in case Slade needed her.

  She was halfway to them when things escalated.

  One of the guys pulled out what looked like a pipe and took a swing.

  Slade didn’t let the impact hit him. He tackled the guy to the ground.

  As he did, the two other guys piled on, pulling out weapons and going to town on Slade.

  Before Dixie could do anything to help, Slade shifted into his dire bear form.

  She wasn’t prepared for the sight of the monstrous beast. He was huge, bigger than any bear should be, with huge claws and teeth and dark brown fur covering his body, but not hiding the extra pointed bones that protruded from his jaw and spine.

  Slade’s bear roared at the men, and they, too, shifted, turning into scrappy-looking wolves, who all dove at their foe.

  They were small wolves though, at least compared to Slade’s dire bear, but still, three on one wasn’t odds Dixie liked.

  But he wasn’t alone against these enemies, because she had tricks to play.

  She reached into her bag, paying little attention to which pouch she pulled out. Any item that ended up in her hand would help her cast something to help Slade.

  The one that came out was red, with a small fossilized limb inside. Dixie waved her hand over it and chanted the corresponding spell, causing the ground to rumble beneath the wolves just a moment later.

  They barely noticed, as they were so focused on attacking Slade, so when the tentacles sprouted up from the ground, they weren’t prepared.

  Neither was Slade, but the writhing tentacles were causing enough confusion that she knew he at least had a chance to gain the upper hand.

  But Dixie wasn’t prepared for the surge that came back and hit her like a ton of bricks, sending her to her knees.