The Tribe Boxed Set: A Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance

by Terra Wolf

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. But it’s intense isn’t it?”

  I smiled. “Very intense.”

  I did have questions. I wanted to know how he lived in a shifter world and a magix world at the same time. I wondered if his jaguar made him more powerful. I wondered if he would ever let me see his jaguar.

  He tilted my chin toward him. “You really are ok with this?”

  I nodded.

  Finn’s mouth pressed against my lips and I kissed him with new fever in my blood. I didn’t know how or why it happened, but my body knew it belonged to him.

  I didn’t care that Finn was a Guardian and a shifter. I didn’t care that we had only met a few hours ago. All I knew was that after tonight, my life and heart would never be the same.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sullen’s Grove, Present Day

  Finn propped his shoulder on the hardy oak. Half his body was cloaked by the shadows. He shoved his hands in his pockets. It only took me a second to find him. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t ignore the magnetic pull he had over me. I reminded myself to stay strong and to stay focused. He was the ex.

  “Emergency, huh? What’s going on, Ivy?” he teased.

  Clearly, he didn’t remember that I never threw around the word “emergency.” I wasn’t here to play games or get wrapped up in him again. I knew how dangerous it was.

  I chewed on my bottom lip, sorting through how I should approach my request. Before the words passed my lips, he left the tree and snaked his arms around my waist. All I could hear was my heart racing. I tried to steady the beats so Finn wouldn’t hear it too.

  “Finn—” I pushed against his chest, trying to create some distance. He was too close, and in the space that affected my inner good girl. “You can’t do that.”

  “Aw, babe.” He brushed the side of my cheek.

  I shook my head and took another step back. It was better if there was more air between us. My body was always my weakness around Finn.

  “Thanks for meeting me so fast. I realize it’s the middle of the night.” I paused.

  His lack of response suggested maybe I had interrupted his plans, but I rambled on and tried to ignore the jealous surges worming their way into my imagination. He wasn’t mine anymore. He hadn’t been for two years.

  “I do need your help. I need a guardian spell.” My voice was strong and urgent.

  He needed to understand how critical the request was. I didn’t want Finn to start charming me with his charismatic smile, crystal eyes, and fiery hands. This was serious.

  “Hmm… Who needs protecting? I need a little something to go on.” His hands were back in his pockets, and he leaned into the sturdy trunk.

  I didn’t have the kind of time Finn was going to soak up. “It’s a ridiculously long story, but can you fly to Atlanta tonight and take care of this girl for me?” I shoved the crumpled piece of paper with Emily’s address on it into his palm. “It would mean a lot to me. Can you help her?”

  He opened the note and his eyes shot to mine. “Sure. Of course, babe, but first I want to know what it’s about.” He folded the paper in half and shoved it in his pocket. “I haven’t heard from you in months. I read about your premiere in New York. Ian’s keeping his distance from me at work. Now, in the middle of the night you need my help. You realize it’s a spell that happens to be my gift.”

  He was irritated, but it felt more like he was trying to see how far he could push me and if I’d push back to get the protection spell. Finn always tested my limits.

  Maybe this was too much. It was unfair to ask him to do it, considering everything he said was true. The only reason I texted was because my magical life was unraveling in front of me, and he was the one person who might be able to weave it back together.

  I reread the awful letter in my mind, recounting each scratchy, evil word before responding. The letter dissuaded us from involving the authorities, but didn’t say anything about adding allies. If I ever needed an ally, it was now. Like it or not, Finn was the only Guardian I knew.

  I sighed. “I need your help, for more than just the spell, but we don’t have enough time to get into the details now.” I smiled, trying to convince him to relent. “Can you please go help this girl, and then meet me back at my house? I’ll fill you in on everything there, I promise.”

  I could tell from his eyes that I had won. “We’re going to talk, Ivy. But, yeah, I can take care of this for you. It’s nice to know you still need me.”

  Without warning, he fisted his hands through the back of my hair, tilting my chin upward, and crushed his mouth onto mine. My lips parted as he tongue twined against mine. I couldn’t breathe. I felt the rush of electricity pulse through my limbs and my knees wobbled as his lips broke free.

  He stepped back. “Miss me.”

  He pulled his arms across his chest, shot up over Oak Park, and was gone. Damn it. I specifically vowed not to get tangled up with him. I ran my fingers along my bottom lip, still feeling the heat from the kiss. How could he be so hot and so infuriating?

  The danger of letting Finn back into my life didn’t outweigh the more dangerous option of ending up dead, or letting these evil people hurt my family. He had no discretion about his magic and was ready to use it at any time—to have a good time, to hurt someone, whatever he needed.

  Finn was unpredictable, but right now, I couldn’t let myself get sucked in trying to anticipate his next move. He would help Jack’s sister tonight.

  I looked at the sky and wondered how long it would take him to fly to Atlanta and finish the spell.

  My body shook with the realizations crashing over me. I needed Finn. I needed him to help me fight. There was darkness swirling ahead. I couldn’t worry about our past or our future.

  Chapter Seventeen

  My magical instincts started firing as I raced up the stone stairs to my front porch. Cooper was waiting in his usual post by the front door, but something didn’t feel right. I dropped to the floor to check on him; he was wagging his tail and whimpering.

  “Reveal!” I shouted. I felt frantic and nervous.

  At once the glittery particles formed an orange trail that circled the hall and into my bedroom. Shit! Someone was in the house. My chest tightened.

  Not knowing if someone was still in the house, I grabbed the fire poker from the living room hearth and cautiously inched down the hall. I gripped the metal rod and held it over my shoulder like a baseball bat.

  My milk glass lamp was broken. My Vegas Star premiere shoes along with some others were strewn around the floor, and boxes and bags were pulled from the closet and littered everywhere. The orange glitter stopped and began to disintegrate.

  I lowered the poker and assessed the damage. It was hard to feel relieved when I knew someone had ransacked my house, but I was glad he or she was gone. The drawers on my dresser were open, and my jewelry had been picked through. Everything looked like it was still here, just not in any kind of order.

  Cooper barked. I felt the guilt settle in. He had been here alone. He could have been hurt. I stooped to wrap my arms around his ninety-pound frame.

  “I’m sorry.” I scratched behind his ears. “I shouldn’t have left you here this long.”

  I led Cooper to the door where I attached his leash and took him outside. I was hesitant to leave even for a few minutes, but the little guy couldn’t wait.

  I tried to grasp what had happened. Someone had been in my house, and he or she was looking for something specific. I twisted my grandmother’s ring around my finger while Cooper sniffed out a spot in the grass. A cat howled in the distance, probably the same one Cooper had been chasing yesterday. Whoever had broken in had to be tied to the letter Jack received. There was no way this was a coincidence.

  I watched as Cooper’s nose twitched in the air. My shoulders felt heavy and I never remembered my eyes burning so badly. I didn’t have time to sleep. I needed to figure out who was after us. I couldn’t fly to Vegas blindly. It could put us
in more danger.

  Someone knew I was a magix. Someone knew I could time spell. Someone knew about my ring. I closed my eyes.

  Then it hit me. I took a breath and opened my eyes. I had an idea of what might be after us. It was an awful, evil theory, but it suddenly seemed the only choice.

  I glanced at the sky, wanting Finn to come barreling down with that killer grin and no-fear attitude. I needed him more than I ever had. He would know. He would be able to tell me if my instincts were right.

  Cooper followed me into our bungalow and headed straight for his food bowl. I filled it to the brim, topped off his water, and headed to my room. It felt normal to worry about things like dog food when I was in the midst of a magical crisis.

  I twirled the ring on my finger, grateful I never took it off anymore. I learned that lesson the hard way. I spelled my room together.

  “Erase.”

  Like a scene in Mary Poppins, the soft, white duvet neatly folded into place, all the drawers closed, my shoes found their stations in my closet, and the bags and boxes stored themselves under my bed. It made it much easier to pack for my flight tomorrow. I went to the hall closet and pulled out my suitcase, the same one I had used on my last flight to Las Vegas.

  Cooper whimpered again when he saw me unzip the layered flaps of the suitcase and lay it flat on top of my bed. “I know, boy, but this will be a quick trip. I’ll have someone come watch you.”

  I made a mental note to call Holly in the morning and have her keep an eye on Coop for a few days. My cousin only lived a few minutes away.

  I patted him on the head and started laying out enough outfits to get me through the trip. Usually, I packed with a fashion-centered purpose, but this time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What does a girl need to wear to evade evil, diamond-hungry forces?

  My front door slammed and Finn strolled through the house. “Do you ever lock your doors? I just walked right in here.”

  “Is it done? Emily? Is she safe?” I folded a pair of jeans and threw my running shoes in my bag.

  “Yeah, she’s good. No problem.” He eyed the suitcase. “Wait, you’re already leaving? I thought you were going to explain what’s happening.”

  Finn sat on the bed, examining each article I stuffed into the bag. I couldn’t help but remember all of the nights we had spent in this room. It seemed I never did much sleeping with Finn. Shaking the thoughts of skin and heat from my mind, I grabbed my shampoo and conditioner from the corner of my shower.

  “Good, good. Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me, that you did that and she’s ok,” I called over my shoulder as I hustled back to the bathroom to collect my razor and shaving cream from the same spot.

  “You’re welcome. What’s the deal with the suitcase?”

  “I’m leaving for Vegas in a few hours.”

  “Vegas? Wait. I think I deserve a few answers. I flew to Atlanta in the middle of the night to protect some girl I’ve never heard of. Info, please.” His fingers motioned, beckoning me to talk.

  I tried to think of the best way to explain the night’s details. I paused too long.

  “You know I’m a detective, right? I actually piece clues together for a living. That’s my job. Am I going to have to start interrogating you, or are you going to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.

  I bustled back and forth to the bathroom, loading up with lotions, makeup, and my toothbrush.

  “You’re starting to freak me out a little.” He grabbed my wrist as I laid my last cosmetic bag on top of the suitcase. “Baby, talk to me. It’s me. Tell me,” he pleaded. “What is going on?”

  He would try to dissuade me no matter what version I gave him. He would freak out, maybe even panic, but there was no sugarcoating what I had pieced together. I sat on the bed, the suitcase between us.

  “What do you know about Proxies?” I asked.

  His eyes narrowed. “Why? Is that what this is about?”

  “Maybe.” I risked looking in his eyes. They always stole my breath. Something about the shades of blue pulled me in every time.

  “Shit. What have you gotten into? Proxies are dangerous.”

  “I know they are.” I shifted my eyes to my ring. “I think it’s the only thing that makes sense. I thought maybe you would be able to help me put it together.”

  He looked alarmed. “If there is a Proxy involved, I’ll help you with whatever you need. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  “It’s only a hunch. I don’t know for sure.”

  “Babe, talk to me.” He shoved the suitcase to the other side of the bed.

  Finn knew things in the shifter world I hadn’t experienced. As a Guardian he had insight to dark magic. As a were shifter he knew about things in the shifter world I had never experienced. I needed his knowledge now, but I didn’t want him to try to stop me.

  “Someone knows who I am. They also know I can time spell. Whoever it is knows I traveled to 1968.”

  “How do you know?” He moved closer so that his leg was touching mine.

  “My editor received a letter today. Whoever it is threatened to kill my family and his sister if we didn’t meet his or her demands. Everything in the letter was tied to my book, Vegas Star.”

  “That’s why I flew to Atlanta tonight, to protect your editor’s sister?” he asked.

  “Yes. She’s helpless. She needed you,” I explained. “My family has a better chance of protecting themselves.”

  “Tell me what the demands are.” I could tell he was going into detective mode. His voice was smooth.

  This is the part I was dreading. “They want the remaining diamond collection and to make sure there aren’t any more Vegas Star sequels.” I chewed on my lip.

  “And? There’s more. I’ve never known a Proxy only interested in money. Tell me.”

  I couldn’t look at him. “They want my ring. And me.”

  He jumped off the bed. “No. This is not happening.”

  “Finn, I can handle it. Calm down.” I didn’t know if any of my words were true.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You can’t hand yourself over. You won’t survive.” He spun, his hands landing on my face. He kneeled in front of me. “No, babe. You’re not going.”

  I pried his palms from my cheeks. “Yes, I am. You lost the right to tell me what to do two years ago.”

  He stepped back. I knew I had hurt him. His eyes drifted to the floor, before I could see the pain well under his lashes.

  “I’m sorry—” I didn’t know what to do.

  “No, you’re right.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, moving to the opposite side of my room. He leaned against the closet. “It doesn’t mean I’m not worried about you.”

  “I know,” I whispered.

  His crystal eyes were icy with concern. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to comprehend everything I told him. There was so much still unspoken between us since the breakup. Every word he uttered reminded me we had spent months apart.

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning? The very beginning. Did something happen in 1968?”

  “Ok here’s the quick version.” I didn’t know if Finn had bothered to read my novel or see the movie, but he was going to get the highlight reel. “There is a slight chance someone saw me when I traveled.”

  “I thought you always traveled with a fade spell so you stayed invisible,” Finn questioned.

  “I do. I always do.” I thought back to Helen’s drifting eyes and sudden posture changes when she locked on my position. “But when I was there, one of the women seemed to notice me. I shook it off, but it happened again. It was like she could sense me. Can Proxies see through a fade spell?”

  “I doubt she could see you, but she definitely could sense you. They know when magic is nearby.” He crossed his arms. “You think she’s the Proxy?”

  “No, no, it can’t be her—she died in a plane crash the same day I returned—but I’m wondering if she told someone th
at day or night before she died. If she was a Proxy, she could have passed along the information to another Proxy. It’s not much, but it’s all I have to go on.”

  “You’re right. It’s not much.”

  “No, but it makes sense doesn’t it?” I asked.

  “What was she like? What did she do? Describe her to me.”

  I thought about Helen. The way she arched her back. The way she curled up on the couch. Her catty eye makeup.

  “She was very graceful. Very poised. Beautiful.”

  “Mmmhmm. What else? The biggest giveaway is the eyes. Did she have green eyes?”

  “Yes, but anyone can have green eyes,” I argued.

  “Someone so closely tied to cat shifters will only have green.”

  “But she’s not a shifter.” I knew this was his territory, not mine, but I knew a little something about Proxies.

  “No, she can’t shift. Yet.” He eyed me. “That’s her goal. She wants magic, Ivy. She wants to be her true form. The place to get that magic is from a magix. If you get anywhere near her, she will suck you dry.”

  I shuddered. “Helen is dead. And I don’t know if the person that is threatening us is a Proxy. It’s still only a theory.” I tried to smile. I didn’t know if Helen had been a Proxy. I didn’t know if she knew other Proxies. This was all a big guessing game.

  “It sounds like your hunch is right. It’s a pretty good one.”

  I looked at the clock. I still had to get ready to leave for the airport. “Hold on, I have to change.” I rushed to the bathroom with a tank top and jeans in hand. I still had on the same outfit I had pieced together for meeting at Jack’s house.

  I emerged from behind the door in a black tank top and fitted jeans. Finn eyed my breasts while I reached for a sweater. No matter how serious the situation, he never missed a chance to flirt. It reminded me how close we once were.

  I felt my skin flush under his stare.

  I cleared my throat. “I don’t know why it didn’t hit me until now, but it has to be a Proxy. I came home from the park, and my house had been broken into.”