Tiger Tail: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  He smiled a slow smile, which opened up his face and accentuated his good looks. “That's the point of being protected--no one is supposed to sense me.”

  “Whom exactly are you protecting yourself against?” Savannah asked as she fell into step beside Abel.

  “The wolves, of course,” Abel replied. “If they could sense us then it would be easier to track us down in order to destroy us.”

  Savannah felt discomfort flood through her. “I don’t think Xander would want to harm anyone…not even someone he considered his enemy.”

  “Then you don’t know your future husband very well,” Abel said without humor. “The wolves hate us, and if we were to set one foot on their territory, they would rip us to shreds.”

  “Does that mean there are lands within Grey Mountain that you can’t enter?” Savannah asked.

  “The town is neutral ground,” Abel replied, “but the mountains have been cordoned off. The witches get the tiniest portion of it, while the wolves get the lion’s share.”

  Savannah hesitated a moment. “Are there many other witches in Grey Mountain?”

  Abel glanced at her with his burning gold eyes. “My grandmother and I are the last ones,” he said. Savannah detected an edge of sadness in his tone.

  She reached out and placed her hand on Abel’s arm drawing him to a stop. He looked at her in surprise, and she read the question in his eyes. “Abel,” Savannah started, removing her hand from his arm rather quickly, “I can speak to Xander. I can make sure you and your grandmother need never fear the wolves.”

  Abel looked at her and smiled. “That’s kind of you.”

  “It’s the least I can do,” Savannah said adamantly. “You didn’t have to agree to help me. In fact, you have absolutely no reason to.”

  “The reason I had was in your eyes,” Abel said softly. “I saw the fear there. I saw the worry. How could I turn you away when you were desperate? When desperate people do desperate things, chaos is sure to ensue.”

  Savannah nodded. They kept walking toward the cabin. She was more grateful than she could say to have Abel by her side, giving her the hope she needed.

  “You have something to tell me?” Abel said.

  Savannah glanced up at him in shock. “How did you know?"

  “I sense these things,” Abel said with a small smile. “And I am a witch, and there's magic all around us.”

  “Have you been to the clearing?” Savannah asked abruptly, remembering the magic she'd thought she'd felt yesterday, when she and Xander had been in the lake.

  “We can't go there,” Abel said. Savannah detected an edge to his voice. “That's the wolves' territory.”

  “I'll take you there, one day,” Savannah said. “When all this is over and things are peaceful again.”

  Abel laughed, but it was without humor. “You are very naïve.”

  “I’m not. I just choose to believe in the best possible outcome.”

  “That's a nice way of saying you're naïve,” Abel said as they approached the cabin. “Now, tell me what you came here to say.”

  “I had a vision yesterday,” Savannah admitted. “It was the clearest vision I've ever had.”

  “Which leads you to believe what, exactly?”

  “I’m not sure,” Savannah said. “I think it means the threat is real and imminent.”

  Abel nodded and then opened the door of the cabin to let Savannah pass through. The moment she entered she was hit with several different scents, each of them were pleasant in their own way, but Savannah’s senses spun with the onslaught of olfactory signals she was receiving.

  “Hello, Savannah,” Elena said from her chair by the covered window. “You have come to see us again.”

  “Yes,” Savannah replied as she moved closer. “I know what’s going to happen, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen.”

  “Is that so?” Elena said. Her filmy, silver eyes turned to her grandson. “Sit down, both of you, and we shall talk.”

  Savannah and Abel sat down in front of her and beside one another, and Savannah told them about the vision she'd had just after swimming in the lake.

  “You are sure it is this girl?” Elena asked. “Her name is…Marissa?”

  “It is,” Savannah nodded. “I'm a hundred percent sure she was the one who tried to kill me, or at least, she's the one who will try to kill me.”

  “Did you tell your mate what you saw?” Elena asked pointedly.

  “Yes,” Savannah said trying to keep the hurt from her voice. “He didn’t believe me.”

  Elena’s eyebrows rose. “He didn’t believe you?”

  “Or maybe he did and he just thought I was mistaken,” Savannah said trying to justify Xander’s reaction. “He’s blinded by…oyalty.”

  Elena nodded and stretched out her hands, palms up, towards Savannah. “Place your hands over mine,” she instructed. “Close your eyes and think of the vision again.”

  “I can’t bring it back,” Savannah said. “I can’t control my visions.”

  “You don’t have to,” Elena said easily. “You just need to give me a helping hand so I can bring back the vision.”

  “Can you really do that?” Savannah asked in amazement.

  “I am a witch,” was all Elena said.

  Savannah extended her hands and placed them over Elena’s palms, wishing for a short, irrational moment that they were Abel’s, instead. The older woman’s hands were soft as silk, though Savannah could feel the clawing of age wrapped around them. She closed her eyes and thought about that moment in the clearing, when the vision had taken over, and the world had faded away around her.

  Suddenly, Savannah felt a grasping pull from deep inside her. She was vaguely aware of Elena’s presence on the periphery and then a flash of light overcame her as the vision came forward. This time Savannah realized she was not watching the future alone. Elena was standing next to her, watching silently as well. Both watched intently as Marissa ran toward future Savannah, her arm raised in the air just before she plunged the knife into future Savannah’s chest.

  When the vision faded into blackness and Savannah blinked her eyes open she knew that Elena had all the information she needed.

  “That vision was very clear,” Elena said softly.

  “Do you think it will happen?” Savannah asked.

  “The future is unpredictable and ever-changing,” Elena replied. “What you see today could change tomorrow, based on the choices and actions of yourself and others. You cannot hope to predict or alter the future because you might end up bringing about the very future you fear.”

  “So you’re saying there is nothing I can do about it?” Savannah asked.

  “I did not say that,” Elena said. “What this vision has told you is that Marissa is a threat to you and to the pack that you have aligned yourself with. She wishes to destroy you so that she and her mate can take over. Your vision has given you a clear warning, and now you have the means to protect yourself against it.”

  “How can I protect myself?” Savannah asked.

  “You can’t,” Elena turned to Abel, “but we can.”

  Chapter Ten

  .

  “Will you help me?” Savannah asked

  “I gave you my word, and I will stick to it,” Elena replied. “Abel wants to help you and I have decided to support him in this choice, but you must follow our instructions to the letter.”

  “I will.” Savannah nodded. “Of course, I will. What could you tell from the vision?”

  Elena’s silver eyes seemed to cloud over with a layer of film. When they focused again, they were gazing straight at Savannah. “The future event you saw will take place three days from now, in the clearing that is forbidden to us, which means we cannot be there to help you physically.”

  Savannah felt her body tense, but then Abel’s hand fell on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “We can help you in other ways.”

  “How?”

  “By doing what wit
ches do best.”

  Savannah raised her eyebrows and thought about all the things that witches could do. “By casting spells?”

  “Precisely.” Abel nodded. “We cast spells and make potions. Those are the gifts granted to us, and we shall use them today to protect you.”

  Abel turned to his grandmother, who turned to look at a table of strange objects and even stranger ingredients. “We will brew together a potion that you must drink in seven sips. It is a protection potion.”

  “Will it protect my child?” Savannah asked. “Will it prevent Marissa from hurting me?”

  “It will do both,” Elena said as she rose from her seat and walked to the long, narrow table at the center of the cabin.

  Savannah eyes zigzagged across the table as she tried to distinguish between all of the ingredients was seeing. There were jars filled with small moving beetles, jars of liquids in a range of colors, a rope that seemed to glow gold, and daggers with adorned hilts. There were also books in strange handwriting, and boxes filled with the entrails of dead animals.

  Savannah pushed back her nausea and glanced at Abel. “This is quite a collection,” she said, trying to appear as if this wasn’t all new to her.

  Abel smiled. “We need ingredients for potions and spells,” he said, “some of which are easy to come by, while others are not.” He picked up a little tin can, overflowing with green herbs. “We call these mountain herbs. They're very common, growing all over the forest, but these,” Abel pointed to a bottle with what looked like round bluish dead eyes inside, “are the eyes of a very rare fish. They're harder to come by.”

  “You need fish eyes for potions and spells?” Savannah asked.

  “It depends on the kind of potion or spell,” Abel explained, “but yes, sometimes we do.”

  Savannah walked the length of the table, wondering if she were allowed to touch the strange collection of objects that sat before her. At the end of the table was a dagger with a clear blade and a beautifully ornate hilt. The hilt seemed to be encased in stone that glittered and shone even under the muted light of the cabin.

  “This is beautiful,” Savannah said gesturing toward it.

  “You can touch it if you want,” Abel said. “Do you notice the difference in the blade?”

  Savannah nodded. “It seems to be colorless, but then--”

  “It changes color,” Abel said. “It’s an imbibing blade.”

  “A what?”

  “An imbibing blade,” Abel repeated. “The blade has been enchanted so that it can be infused.”

  “With what?” Savannah asked.

  “With whatever you choose,” Abel replied. “Witches have carried imbibing blades as protection for years.”

  “How are they used?” Savannah asked.

  “If I were to take a vial of poison and drench the blade in it, the blade would be imbibed with that poison,” Abel explained. “If someone were to attack me and I used the blade on him, he would not be cut--he would be poisoned.”

  Savannah stared down at the dagger in amazement. “I could use one of those daggers, then.”

  Abel smiled. “Maybe one day you'll have one of your own.”

  Savannah looked at Abel in surprise. “Don’t you have to be a witch to own one?” she asked.

  Abel gave her a small, secretive smile that seemed to say a lot, but Savannah could not for the life of her figure out what it meant. She appreciated the fact that he was taking the time to teach her, though, as it made her feel like she wasn’t such an outsider.

  “Things are not always what they seem,” Abel said. He went to the other side of the table, putting an end to the conversation.

  “Abel,” Elena called. “Bring me my cauldron. It is time we started brewing.”

  Abel went to the back of the cabin and through the hidden door at the side of the room. He re-appeared moments later carrying a small black cauldron that looked as if it were made from black lead, and he set it down in front of his grandmother.

  “What else do you need?”

  “Hollyhocks from the garden, snake tongues, and red nightshades,” Elena replied. “And you, Savannah, bring me some water.”

  Savannah rushed to do as she was told. When she returned with the water the pot was already bubbling with smoke, even though nothing seemed to be inside.

  Elena’s eyes were closed and she seemed to be muttering something under her breath.

  “Elena?” Savannah said softly, unsure if it was okay to interrupt.

  “Put the water in and stand back,” Elena said without opening her eyes.

  Savannah did as she was told. A plume of hot resembling clouds danced upwards from the little black cauldron. Savannah had to cover her eyes from the smoky haze, but she desperately wanted to see every detail of the potion making.

  A few moments later, Abel returned with the ingredients that Elena had asked for. One by one he put them into the cauldron and they disappeared into the smoke wafting out of it. After a while, Savannah realized that the smoke had changed color, turning from a silvery-white to a greyish-blue.

  Once the smoke had settled somewhat, Elena opened her eyes and looked from Savannah to Abel.

  “Is it done?” Savannah asked.

  Elena shook her head. “Not yet. It will take an hour to brew, and then it needs to sit overnight.”

  “Overnight?” Savannah said. “I want to drink the potion as soon as I can.”

  Elena’s voice was low and clear. “The young are impatient, but anything of quality requires time to work. You will have the potion tomorrow, and once you drink it you will be protected.”

  “I don’t know if I can come here tomorrow,” Savannah told her.

  “It does not matter,” Elena replied. “Meet Abel in the town tomorrow and he will give it to you.”

  Savannah nodded. After a pause she said, “I have another favor to ask.”

  Elena’s eyes turned cloudy again and she fixed Savannah with a penetrating stare. “What is it?” she asked in a voice that was anything but friendly.

  “I want Xander to be protected, too,” Savannah managed. “I want him to drink the potion, too.”

  “You ask us to help our enemies?” Elena asked in a cold voice.

  Abel turned to Savannah. “It was one thing to help you as you are not directly involved in the enmity we share with the wolves, but to help a wolf directly? They would do no such thing for us.”

  “Xander would,” Savannah said. “Xander would if I explained everything to him. He'd understand why I went to you, and he'd appreciate that you helped me despite everything.”

  Elena glanced at Abel. “The girl is naïve.”

  “She is young,” Abel said as though he were years older.

  “Please,” Savannah said, ignoring both of them. “I love him. He's the father of my child, and the future of his pack.”

  “His future spells death for both of us,” Abel said, mimicking his grandmother’s tone.

  “What if I can get him to grant you immunity from the wolves and freedom to roam the forests?” Savannah asked desperately. “Would you help him then?”

  “We will never trust the wolves,” Elena said.

  “Then don’t trust them,” Savannah said. “Trust me.”

  Abel and Elena exchanged a glance and Savannah thought they might be were considering it, but then Abel turned his eyes on her, and Savannah had her answer before he could speak the words. “No,” Abel said firmly. “We will not help your mate. The potion is for you alone to drink, and no one else.”

  Savannah was disappointed, and she nodded in defeat.

  “You have asked much of us Savannah,” Elena said. “Now go home and rest. I shall send Abel to town tomorrow with your protection potion.”

  Savannah nodded and left the cabin with Abel’s eyes on her back. As long as her child was inside her she could protect it. Protecting Xander, however, was a completely different task, especially because he didn’t think he needed to be protected at all. Savannah rememb
ered how they'd left things yesterday, and it left a hollow darkness in the pit of her stomach.

  She hated that she kept comparing Xander to Abel as it was unfair to both of them. The truth was that she missed Xander and she knew he missed her, but she also knew that it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough for him to miss her and love her. He needed to trust her as well. He needed to believe her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Savannah drove into town early the next day. She had three missed calls from Xander on her phone but she ignored them. All she wanted to do was drink the potion and once she had she would face the storm she knew was on its way.

  She found Abel standing outside the bakery, leaning against a lamppost in an absurdly casual way. Savannah was struck by how handsome he looked, framed against the backdrop of the quaint little town, even though it was extremely obvious that he did not belong there. She approached him and he nodded to her and started walking down the lane toward the forests.

  “Where are we going?” Savannah asked.

  “Somewhere private,” Abel replied. “The potion has an aftertaste and its best people don’t see you gagging in public.”

  They found an alcove by the trees, far from watchful eyes, and Abel took out a small, clear vial filled with purple liquid that shone brightly in the noon-day sun. He unstoppered it and passed it to her.

  “Drink it in seven sips,” he told her. “Whatever you do, don’t stop until you’ve finished the seventh sip.”

  Savannah took the little vial and stared at it curiously for a moment. There was an aroma wafting from the top of the vial, but she couldn’t figure out what it reminded her of. “How bad is the taste?” she asked.

  “Tolerable,” Abel replied. “If you don’t think about it too much.”

  “That’s not comforting at all.” She prepared herself to drink it.

  “Quickly, now,” Abel urged.

  Savannah took a deep breath, and with a silent prayer of hope, took the first sip. The liquid burned her throat as she swallowed, and she had to fight desperately not to throw it up. Tears formed in her eyes as the burning in her throat became almost unbearable, but she kept going, knowing what was at stake.