Kass glanced up at the crystal blue sky. “No.” But he would, if that’s the way it had to be. “But we can come up here more often, and she can come and see us in the city.”
“I don’t think she’s seen the city in a very long time.”
“Yeah…be careful.” He gave Bailey a last kiss then stepped back to repack the bags into something easier to carry. He waited until the popping of bones was done, then glanced up. Bailey swished his tail, then bounded off into the bush.
As always, the lingering fear that someone would see a leopard and shoot was there. But he didn’t let it trouble him—Bailey was damn good at deflecting objects by borrowing Kass’s magic—instead he let Bailey’s enjoyment tumble through him as he slogged his way to the cabin.
He’d get a fire going and make it cozy, ready for when the shifters came back hungry and in need of warming up. By the time he reached the cabin, he was sweating under the layers. A ‘B’ had been marked in the snow. Bailey had already been here. Kass let him know that he’d gotten the message and that he was at the cabin. It looked no more stable than it had when he’d found it three months ago, but it was better than waiting outside.
He went in cautiously and checked for traps, but the single room was clear. A small fireplace and a wide bench that could be used as a seat or a bed was all that was inside. He dropped the bags, lit the fire, poured himself a drink of thermos coffee and sat to read and wait.
When Bailey came back, shouldering through the door in leopard form, the cabin was suddenly crowded and smelled like damp fur. Bailey put his paws on Kass’s shoulders and licked his face before ducking back out to shift and shake off the snow.
“Where’s your mum?”
“She’s coming. She’s scared of people and witches.” He pulled on clothes but left his feet bare. His cheeks were ruddy with cold, but his eyes were bright.
“And you’re okay?”
Bailey nodded. “At least I know what happened. And I get the chance to know her.” He stepped in close. “But I’m glad I met you before I followed her path.”
“Me too.” He kissed Bailey’s cold nose, thankful Bailey had stopped him from making a huge mistake by giving up the bond and magic. Their timing may not have been the best for the first couple of years, and there might have been some dangerous moments, but it had been worth it. Without Bailey, his heart would’ve forgotten how to beat.
“What are you thinking?”
He shook his head. “Just how lucky I am to have lost my wallet and my heart.”
For more Familiar Mates stories visit http://tjnichols-author.com/uf/familiar/
Also by TJ Nichols
Studies in Demonology trilogy
Warlock in Training
Rogue in the Making
Blood for the Spilling
Mytho series
Lust and other Drugs
Greed and other Dangers
Familiar Mates
The Witch’s Familiar
The Vampire’s Familiar
The Rock Star’s Familiar
The Soldier’s Familiar
The Vet’s Christmas Familiar
The Detective’s Familiar
The Siren’s Familiar
Holiday novellas
Elf on the Beach
The Vampire’s Dinner
Poison Marked
The Legend of Gentleman John
Silver and Solstice
Liminality
A Summer of Smoke and Sin
A Wolf’s Resistance
Hood and the Highwaymen
Writing as Toby J Nichols
Ice Cave
The Lost Sea
About the Author
“Urban fantasy where the hero always gets his man
TJ Nichols is an avid runner and martial arts enthusiast who first started writing as child. Many years later while working as a civil designer, TJ decided to pick up a pen and start writing again. Having grown up reading thrillers and fantasy novels, it’s no surprise that mixing danger and magic comes so easily. Writing urban fantasy allows TJ to bring magic to the every day. TJ is the author of the Studies in Demonology trilogy and the Mytho urban fantasy series.
TJ has gone from designing roads to building worlds and wouldn’t have it any other way. After traveling all over the world TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.
TJ also writes action/horror as Toby J Nichols.
You can connect with TJ at:
Newsletter | Patreon
Salvation
by Cassie Laelyn
About Salvation
Forced to return to Woodland Falls, a childhood reunion turns deadly when Mia stumbles into the town’s sexy bartender and discovers his secret. Now she’s fighting between her heart and an ancient curse that threatens the whole shifter community.
For those who believe in second chances.
Prologue
Mia
Age Fourteen
Day One in Woodland Falls.
I tossed my jacket on the bed. The one with a paisley pink bedspread to match an equally pale pink room that made me want to hurl. A room fit for a girly-girl, who surprise, surprise, wasn’t me.
A summer’s worth of belongings sat in an unopened suitcase at the foot of said vomit bed. I stared at it for longer than I should, but I couldn’t bring myself to unpack. Unpacking meant accepting that my mother dumped me here.
Why? A question I asked myself a million times during the drive. Every time, the answer was the same. Mom had better things to do for the summer. Even now, she and the grandmother I had only just met, argued about something downstairs. Probably her ditching me or how I was such a disappointment to her.
Apparently, my grandmother’s name was Joan. Also apparently, it slipped my mom’s mind to introduce us earlier. Like, anytime during the last fourteen years.
Life sucked. Correction, my life sucked.
A door slammed downstairs, startling me. Shortly after, a car engine started then drove away.
I guess Mom left.
I just stood there. Empty. So many thoughts collided together that the hurricane of emotion opened a gaping hole inside my heart.
Outside the room, the floorboards creaked as someone ascended the stairs. Part of me hoped the footsteps belonged to Mom, even though I knew better. This wasn’t the first time she’d dumped me.
When Joan appeared in the doorway, my throat went all scratchy, but I refused to cry. I wouldn’t give Mom any satisfaction, even if she wasn’t here to see it. Instead, I jutted out my chin.
I always asked Mom if I looked like my dad, who I’d also never met because my mother forgot to introduce us as well. Mom and I had the same dark brown hair, but the resemblance ended there. Now I knew why. All my looks came from Joan. We had the same hazel eyes, same round face, same fat bottom lip, though I didn’t have a set of wrinkles at the corner of my eyes like her. I guess I would someday. If Joan’s hair wasn’t salt and pepper and cut in a short bob, I bet it’d look the same as mine.
“It’ll be okay, Mia,” Joan said from the doorway.
I wasn’t convinced. What kind of mother left their kid with someone they only just met? Instead of saying that, I opted for silence.
“Why don’t you get settled? I’ll go make us some supper.”
Without waiting for a reply, Joan returned downstairs. She seemed nice. But then, when I was younger, so did my mother.
For the next ten weeks, I’d officially live in the middle of nowhere. A town so tiny the population didn’t even match the number of people living in a single suburb in Seattle.
With a dramatic sigh, I trudged to the suitcase. If I left it closed, I’d never change my clothes. Forever living in sweats and a T-shirt I could handle, but never sketching again? That was a big fat no.
I clicked the combination and unzipped the case, grabbing my sketch pad.
Movement outside the window caught my eye. Abandoning the sketch pad, I moved to the bay window to peer outside. Late aft
ernoon shadows drifted over the brown-green lawn. Procrastination was by far my best superpower. Luckily, I didn’t need to focus too much for good grades. Maybe I got that from Joan as well? If so, I was glad for it because summer school would suck worse than being here. Marginally.
Out the window, a tire swing hung from a branch on the nearest pine tree. I imagined sitting there all day sketching. Even Joan’s freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies wouldn’t entice me to socialize. I knew she’d make them. Didn’t all grandmothers?
Nothing seemed any different from when I peered out the window half an hour ago. As I turned away, a flicker between two trees stopped me. I leaned closer to the glass, squinting.
Wispy fog rolled between the branches, spilling onto the lawn. Did this place even get summer?
I scanned the yard, past the dead, overgrown vegetable patch, to the shed. As soon as I walked into the house, Joan told me her one and only rule: stay out of the garden shed. Weird, but whatever. I wasn’t into gardening anyway. Clearly, she wasn’t concerned about me exploring the forest though, given her unfenced property extended right to the tree line.
I followed the tree line back to the spot right outside my window. My breath caught. A large animal stalked between the trees, heading toward the house.
From my spot looking out the second story window, it resembled a dog only much bigger. As though it sensed me watching, its head jerked in my direction. My heart leaped into my throat and I jumped back.
Great. Wild dogs lived in the forest behind Joan’s house. Now I couldn’t even use the tire swing.
Once my heart stopped pounding, I inched closer to the window and took another peek. With its gaze locked in my direction, the animal stepped closer to the yard. Slowly, more of its body became visible. A long, narrow nose. I gravitated closer to the glass, kneeling on the window seat to get a better look. Dark, almost black fur. It must be a wolf. I’d never seen one in the wild and I never expected they’d be so…breathtaking.
The wolf stalked closer, now only a few feet from the grass. Wolves were predators, hunters, but Joan’s yard only offered dead plants. What did it want?
I considered calling out to Joan, but a strange sensation stirring in my middle made me remain silent. The wolf inched further forward, hesitant to step on the grass but evidently compelled to do just that.
My hand itched to sketch the magnificent creature, my fingers twitching to rake through its glossy fur. A fierce black wolf here in Woodland Falls.
It didn’t act like a predator. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.
“Mia?” Joan beckoned from downstairs.
Mesmerized by the wolf and a yearning to see its whole body, a reply stalled in my throat. I couldn't take my eyes off it, let alone turn away.
I held my breath as the wolf breached the tree line. With my palm flattened on the window, I leaned forward until my breath fogged the glass. I sent a silent plea for the wolf to come closer. To rescue me. Then I wouldn’t spend an entire summer vacation alone in a dreary, country town.
When the wolf lowered its front paws on the grass, it stilled. Waited. Like one of those cowboy standoffs. The wolf met me halfway and my turn was next. A weird thrill I only ever got during art class made me ache to run downstairs, burst out the back door, and into the forest. I could forget why my mother dumped me here. I could run away and live in the woods.
Just me and the wolf forever.
“Mia?”
I squealed and spun to find Joan standing in the doorway. That woman was stealthy.
She smiled. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
Yes. “Sorry, I was looking at…”
“At what?” She frowned and stepped inside my room.
That stirring in my gut intensified, telling me to keep my new friend a secret for now. At least until I knew Joan wouldn’t call someone to take the wolf away or worse, shoot it with the shotgun hanging on the wall by the back door. If that happened, I’d never see it again and my forest escape plan would fail before it even began.
“Nothing. It was nothing.”
She waited a few seconds before nodding. “All right. Supper’s ready. Come down before it gets cold.”
“Sure.”
As her footsteps trailed back down the stairs, I peered out the window to where the wolf halted a few seconds ago. Only now, it was gone.
Chapter 1
Mia
Fifteen years later
I pulled into the gravel parking lot of Cole’s Bar and Grill. I hadn’t been back to Woodland Falls in what felt like forever. After that one summer, my poor excuse for a mother left me home alone. I guess I should’ve thanked her for at least coming back for me. Though, countless times, I wished she had left me with Joan. The second I could move away to college, I did, thanking all the gods above for my art scholarship. Without it, I wouldn’t have an education. Or a life.
I killed the engine. Heavy rain pelted the car with no end in sight. I considered waiting in the car until it slowed but the sooner I met with the lawyer dude, the quicker this trip ended. I eyed the entrance to the bar. If I ran, I might make it inside semi-dry.
I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat and draped my jacket over my head before opening the car door and bolting to the entrance.
This town had two seasons: freezing cold or stormy.
I halted just inside, shook the rain from my jacket and brushed my fingers through my hair. Once I thought I looked semi-respectable, I surveyed the bar. The lawyer said he’d wear a navy sweater, which narrowed it down to about six patrons. I tucked my purse under my arm and scanned the faces, not that I knew what the guy looked like. I’d only spoken to him twice on the phone.
On the far left, I spotted a long bar with empty stools. Rather than waiting by the door, I’d sit there, and the lawyer could find me. After a full day road trip, I was in serious need of a drink.
I weaved between a few tables with the bar in sight until a guy called out from my right.
“Miss Jones?”
Clearly, an out-of-towner was easier to spot than a lawyer wearing a navy sweater. I swung around and found a guy waving from a booth along the outer edge.
Navy sweater: check.
I diverted to his table. “Ashton?”
“Sure am,” he said, holding his hand out. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“Likewise.” I shook his hand. “Sorry I’m late. The drive was longer than I expected.”
“Don’t worry about it. This isn’t the worst place to wait.”
He gestured for me to sit, and I slid into the booth, stowing my soaked jacket and purse in the empty space beside me. “The rain’s pretty wild out there.”
“Welcome to Montana summers.” He chuckled. “This shouldn’t take long, then I’ll give you the keys and you can get dry.”
“That’d be great.”
I glanced toward the bar, unsure why. Liquor bottles lined the wooden shelves resembling any other bar. But a weird feeling tugged at me. A sense I’d been here before, which I knew wasn’t the case. I doubt the bar was here when I stayed with Joan that one summer.
Shrugging it off as fatigue, annoyance, frustration, and every emotion I could think of, I turned back to the lawyer. “What do I need to sign?”
From an old-fashioned leather briefcase, Ashton pulled out a large envelope and handed it to me.
“There are two copies. One for you to sign and return to me, the other is yours.”
My heart thudded. People died all the time, but it had never happened to someone I knew. Though, it shouldn’t surprise me. Tragic was obviously my family’s middle name.
I stared at the envelope in my hands.
“Did you know her well?”
I shook my head. “I hardly knew her at all.”
I wasn’t the most gracious teenager. Could anyone blame me? From the age of ten, I practically raised myself. Why did that poor old woman have to die? Why couldn’t Mom…
I halted that t
hought. Sure, my mother continually treated me like an outcast, but I wouldn’t let my shitty childhood define me any longer. I was an adult who made my own choices. Including the choice to disown my sorry excuse for a parent the second I walked out the door for college.
With a deep breath, I slid the paperwork from the envelope and lay it face-up on the table.
“She left you her entire estate. The property, house and its contents.”
I peered at the document with my name on the front page. I didn’t want the house or anything inside it. I just wanted to sell everything so I could set myself up properly. Pay off my billion dollars of debt. Okay, a slight exaggeration, but the way those bills hung over my head made it feel like billions.
For me, this was my fresh start. A chance to stand on my own two feet and stop living paycheck to paycheck.
“Where do I sign?” I rummaged through my purse for a pen.
“I tabbed the pages. Take it with you and drop it back to me tomorrow once you’re happy with everything.”
No time like the present. Before Ashton went all lawyer on me, I flipped to the final page and signed and dated where indicated.
The poor guy almost fainted. “Wait! You haven’t read the conditions.”
I shrugged. “Would it make you feel better if I agreed to read them tonight?”
“No, because you already signed it.”
“I’m not going to contest anything. As soon as I put the place up for sale, I’ll be out of here.”
I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
His cell rang, and I’d never been so grateful for the interruption.
He shifted to grab the cell from his pocket, then held it to his ear. “Ashton Cole.”
Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology Page 80