Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

I sensed he spoke from experience, but I refrained from asking. Death wasn’t exactly the happiest breakfast subject.

  After a moment of silence, Noah left the main bar area and walked into what I presumed was a kitchen.

  “What’s your plan for the Whitcome place?” he asked through the open door.

  I stood by the bar, tracing my fingernail along a grove in the timber. “I’m going to sell it once the summer is over.” When he didn’t respond, I filled the silence. “Joan included a condition in her will that states I need to live in the house for a summer before I sell it. It needs a little work and a big declutter, but I think it should sell. It’s a beautiful home.” The smell of salty bacon lured me through the door into the kitchen. “Anything I can do?”

  He pointed to an egg carton. “Could you pass me those?”

  I did, and Noah cracked a few into a bowl and whisked them with a dash of cream.

  “A man that can cook and bartend, where have you been all my life?”

  He gave me that dimpled smirk over his shoulder. “Waiting.”

  My heart stilled. Those words, the intensity in his eyes. How could someone I’d only just met have that effect on me?

  Focusing back on the hotplate, he poured the egg mixture into the pan. “What repairs does the house need?”

  I laughed, mainly to ease the pressure building in my chest. “Don’t tell me you’re handy at DIY, too?”

  He shrugged. “I do all right. My brothers and I took over the family ranch when our parents died.”

  That pressure returned tenfold. His parents died. I disowned my mother and never knew my father. With all these things we had in common, no wonder it seemed like we’d already met.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. They lived a long and happy life.”

  I leaned against the counter, content with watching Noah. He transferred the mouthwatering fry-up onto plates and lured me back out to the bar.

  Seriously, where had this guy been my whole life?

  Noah set two places for us, and I sat on the stool beside him. “Thanks for this.”

  “Anytime.” He grabbed a fork and dug in. “You know, Woodland Falls may have shit weather ninety percent of the time, but there’s lots of hidden gems only the locals know about.” He paused, chewing a piece of bacon. “If you’re here for the summer, I’d be happy to show them to you.”

  Warmth bloomed along my cheeks. This guy made me smile more in the last twelve hours than I had in…forever.

  Would it be so bad to spend time with him while I completed my mandatory will-cation? No. Quite the opposite. I suspected spending time with Noah would make the summer much more enjoyable. And maybe, just maybe, it’d ease some of my guilt for never contacting Joan when I had the chance.

  I glanced at him and smiled. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter 6

  Noah

  Ivy settled on a stool, eyes tracking Liam as he rounded the bar to stand in front of her. “Soda?”

  Ivy nodded. “Can you put a piece of lime in it?”

  “Anything for my two favorite girls.”

  I stilled, dishtowel in my hand, gaze darting between Ivy and my brother. “Wait? You know what you’re having?”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “No. But your brother is convinced it’s a girl.”

  Liam shrugged. “I know it.”

  I flipped the towel over my shoulder and zoned out as the two of them bantered back and forth at the odds of having a girl. As far as I knew, the odds for shifters were the same as humans. Fifty-fifty. Given Ivy was human, until the little one hit adolescence, no one knew if they would shift. I suspected Ivy hoped for a shifter, but I doubted Liam gave a shit. He just wanted to have a family with his mate.

  Liam moved to stand beside me as I filled the coffee filter. “Have you found out if she knows yet?”

  “I’m working on it.”

  Over the last week, Mia dropped into the bar every day for a chat or coffee, other times for meals. I loved how our relationship effortlessly bloomed into friendship. Easy, relaxed, no pressure. So far, the plan to earn her forgiveness had worked. But she never spoke of her family and I’d seen no sign she knew about the shifter world. I think a big part of me avoided the topic because I didn’t want to know the answer. What if she knew?

  But I couldn’t avoid it forever. Which was why yesterday, I finally grew the balls to suggest I take her to one of the town’s hidden gems.

  Liam nodded, but the hard set of his jaw told me all this waiting and not knowing stressed him out. He not only worried for Ivy, but also for his unborn child. We all did.

  “You better get going or you’ll be late.”

  I checked the time on my cell. “Shit. You’re still good to stay?”

  “We’re fine.” Ivy cooed. “Go and woo your mate.”

  “She’s not officially my mate.”

  Yet. Hold up. When did I start making forever plans with Mia? Fifteen years ago, dumbass.

  Ivy waved her hand, dismissing my words. “She will be. Now go.”

  I turned to Liam. “She has more bite than you.”

  “I heard that!” Ivy growled.

  The corner of Liam’s mouth twitched, his eyes darkened, a sign he and his wolf were in sync. Not just about Ivy having more bite than him, but that Ivy was his perfect mate. The other half to his soul, the one person in the universe destined only for him.

  I’d given up hope of ever having that. Instead, over the past few months I’d come to terms with being the cool uncle. I stopped allowing myself to wish for something more.

  But now, everything had changed. Mia came back into my life causing all that hope to drift to the surface. I just needed to get through these obstacles, pay my penance, figure out what she knew, and then we could have our forever.

  I snatched my keys off the counter and walked out from behind the bar. Halfway to the door, my phone rang. I dug it from my pocket and Ash’s face flashed on the screen.

  I lifted the cell to my ear. “Yeah?”

  “Baker just came to see me.”

  Not a second later, the door to the bar opened and Baker strode in, removing his baseball cap as he walked toward me. The bulky shifter was from the wolf pack in Timber Falls. They made shifters the size of trucks over there—wide, strong and impossible to move.

  “He just walked in. What the hell’s going on?”

  Shifters from other packs visited every now and then, but the tight expression on Baker’s face told me this wasn’t social.

  “Baker will explain. I’m heading to Timber Falls to meet with Rhett. I’ll call you after.”

  Ash ended the call, and I shoved my phone back in my pocket. Shit must be real if Rhett, the Alpha of Timber Falls, sent his second in command to speak to us. My chest tightened. The last time that happened was the night we lost our parents.

  Since Dad died, Ash became Alpha of our pack. Not that our pack was huge but being the eldest meant that responsibility fell on his shoulders. Plus, Ash was better at dealing with shifter politics.

  Baker acknowledged Ivy with a chin tip, then turned to Liam and me. “You boys got a minute?”

  The guy was lucky Ivy didn’t punch him in the face for excluding her. Being a human didn’t stop us from including her in shifter matters. Though, today she seemed content to stay seated with her fizzy drink.

  “Sure, come out back,” I said, pocketing my keys.

  Ominous clouds swirled in the pit of my gut as I led us passed the kitchen to a small office.

  Liam followed and closed the door behind him. No one bothered sitting.

  “What’s up?”

  Baker got straight to the point. “He escaped.”

  My stomach slammed against the floor.

  “Fuck.” Liam glanced at the door, no doubt concerned for Ivy and their baby’s safety.

  I clenched and unclenched my fists. “When?”

  “Last night.”

  “How the hell did he escape? I thought your pack had
him locked up?”

  “I’m investigating it. Listen, I doubt he’ll show his ugly face around here for a long time, but don’t let the wolves out for a bit just in case. At least until we know it’s safe.”

  Easier said than done. I could control the shift, push my wolf back inside his cage if I needed, but when it came to protecting my family or someone I loved, my wolf didn’t always obey.

  “Joan’s granddaughter claimed her estate.” I needed to say it, get it out in the open so we were all on the same page.

  Baker’s expression softened. Pity was an understatement. I hated that look. I’d seen it for the past fifteen fucking years.

  “Ash filled me in. I’m sorry, man.”

  Great, now that another pack knew, news would trickle across to the neighboring towns until the entire shifter community sent me sympathy cards for the holidays.

  “I gotta get back.” Baker slipped on his cap. “Let me know if that asshole shows up. Next time, we won’t be so forgiving.”

  Baker gave me a curt nod and Liam a friendly slap on the back before leaving.

  I glared at Liam, rage bubbling beneath my skin. “I should’ve killed that bastard.”

  By the time I pulled up in front of Joan’s place—now Mia’s place—Mia sat on the front porch in a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt, waiting. My chest squeezed with a mixture of excitement, anticipation. Concern and worry. Fucking dread.

  I had less than seven weeks left to make this work with Mia. Creating opportunities for her to get to know me and to trust me was the first step. That way, when I told her the truth, she’d believe it and hopefully choose us.

  Now that psycho had escaped, and no doubt sought revenge.

  I couldn’t think about that right now. Mia was my mate, and I needed to focus on that connection for this plan to work. Ivy suggested I woo her, which was easier said than done. This shifter was out of practice in the wooing department. To be honest, I doubt I was ever in it.

  As Mia walked to the truck, I pushed my fears aside and focused on the present. I opened the passenger door for her. “Excited?”

  She dropped her bag in the truck. “I’m a little nervous. Why the hell do I need a swimsuit?”

  “To go swimming.”

  She hopped in. “It’s only seventy degrees.”

  “That’s a heatwave here.” I laughed, closing the door, and settled into the driver’s side. “We don’t get many, so we seize the moment whenever we can.”

  I backed down Mia’s drive and out onto the main road, heading to the other side of town. My heart wouldn’t let up. Having her in my truck again, with her sweet night jasmine scent filling the space, made my pulse crazy. My hand itched to reach over and hold hers, the urge so powerful it overtook every other thought. But for now, I held back.

  “I feel like you’re my personal chauffeur.”

  “You’re new in town. Driving is easier than directing from the passenger seat.”

  Plus, driving helped her. Pay my penance, seek forgiveness. Added to the list: keep her safe.

  When I turned onto the Cole driveway, Mia’s gaze darted to me. “Hang on. Isn’t this Ashton’s place?”

  “Actually, it’s the Cole family ranch.”

  “You live here, too?”

  “Nah, only Ash lives in the house now. I live upstairs at the bar, and my younger brother lives with his mate…ah, wife, in their own house on the far side of the property.”

  She relaxed back in the seat, nodding to herself. “That’s why you looked so comfortable on the porch the other night.”

  Memories of my mother rose in my mind. “I have a thing for porches. There’s nothing better than sitting there watching the world go by.” I drove past the house then diverted off to the right, following a dirt track. “Growing up, I used to sit out there with my mom every morning. We’d just chat about whatever. It became our thing.”

  “You’re lucky your mom actually cared.”

  I almost asked about her family, to find out how much she knew, but before I could, she changed the subject.

  “So, you know this secret place because it’s on your family’s land?”

  “Yep. You’re the first non-Cole to go there.”

  Besides Ivy, but ever since Liam met her when they were kids, we considered her family.

  My grip tightened on the steering wheel as we entered the forest using a well-worn track. My body switched to high alert, searching for threats. Sensing the change in adrenaline, my wolf paced back and forth, waiting to shift. I prayed it wouldn’t come to that. I planned to show Mia what I was, but not today.

  “Is that because normal townsfolk refuse to swim when it’s freezing?”

  I snorted. Weather had nothing to do with it. Having all the kids in town playing on Cole land wasn’t safe, especially when, at any moment, a wolf might unexpectedly join the party. But I couldn’t tell her that, yet.

  We drove through the forest until the road ended in a small turnaround where I parked the truck. “We have to walk from here.”

  The second I got out peace washed through my blood. It happened every time I immersed myself in the forest. Regardless of the possible threat lurking in the woods, this place always soothed my soul. Pine needles, crisp air, earthy scents. Wolves were drawn to nature, probably why packs lived in small towns rather than big, populated concrete cities.

  That fucker wouldn’t take that away from me. He’d already taken enough.

  I led Mia deeper into the forest, following a dirt track. She remained silent for most of the walk, commenting every now and then on a patch of wildflowers, or the height of a towering tree. I relied on my heightened hearing and smell, constantly sifting the air for danger, pretending everything was fine.

  When the gushing water grew louder, a burst of energy swirled in my gut. We were almost there.

  I needed Mia to feel the connection between us for my plan to work. If I told her straight up who I was, and she didn’t know about our world, I risked her leaving for good. Then I’d lose her again. If by chance she already knew, showing her my wolf form could result in fatal consequences.

  I wanted her to stay. I wanted this to work. I couldn’t wait another fifteen years, especially after seeing her again.

  Mia trailed close behind me around the rock formation, pausing as we came to a hidden clearing.

  “Surprise.” My voice a little gruffer than usual.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered.

  Crystal clear water gushed down a mossy rock formation, into a deep pool. Standing beside Mia, I inhaled a full breath filled with fresh, pure water, earth, and her. Her scent wrapped around me like a warm summer night, attaching itself to every inch of my skin. My wolf stirred, torn between curling up like a sleepy kitten and protecting her from possible threats.

  This time when my hand reached for hers, I didn’t hold back. I slipped my pinkie around hers, shooting a wild thrill through my blood. She took it a step further and curled her whole hand in mine. My breath bottled up deep in my chest, a familiar warmth expanding through my middle. The same feeling I experienced every time I thought of her.

  Hope.

  Hand in hand, I led her to the bank and dumped our bags near the narrow stream. “It’s spectacular after all the rain we’ve had this week.”

  We stood there for a moment, admiring the view before I slipped her hand from mine and flipped off my shoes. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it.

  “What are you doing?”

  I paused, shirt half off. “Swimming?”

  “Oh, right. Obviously.” She peered at the waterfall, biting her bottom lip. “It looks cold.”

  I stripped off my shirt and tossed it by my shoes. “A little fresh maybe.”

  “Don’t lie. That’s code for freezing.”

  My laugh ended abruptly when I sensed Mia’s gaze, burning a path over my body. I didn’t dare look. Not yet. I couldn’t let her know how much she affected me. Having her so close after so long, a second
chance, an opportunity to right my wrongs. A chance to finally be happy.

  She grounded me like only a mate could, giving me more peace than the forest. I needed that every day for the rest of my life. But I hated not telling her what I was or worse, what I’d done. The more I avoided it, the harder it would be.

  I pushed those thoughts aside and walked down to the water. The second my toes hit the freezing abyss, my balls shriveled up and died. Jesus, I hadn’t swum here since I was a teenager. Clearly, the entire time I was drunk or just plain stupid.

  Regardless, I couldn’t back out now. I’d committed to swimming, and I never backed down on a commitment. No matter the cost.

  The first few steps were always the hardest. In life and in this damn pool. Teeth clenched, I inched further into the water until it reached my knees.

  To hell with it.

  I dove in. An invigorating rush burst over my body, stealing air from my lungs. When I resurfaced, I wiped the water from my eyes and spun to face the bank. Mia stood there, her arms hugged across her middle, in a goddamn scrap of fabric.

  Chapter 7

  Mia

  “C’mon, it’s not that cold.” Noah waved me over from the middle of the water.

  I held back. “I call bullshit.”

  He laughed and dove under again, flipping on his back to float. I could stand on the bank and watch that all day long.

  My hesitation wasn’t just the freezing water. The strange feeling swirling through my body was now front and center, and I could no longer ignore it. This guy was a freaking god, with or without clothes. Not that I saw beneath his shorts, but I didn’t need to. His upper torso was enough to turn a girl’s legs to jelly. Perfectly formed biceps, hard toned abs, and tanned skin dipped in glorious tattoos. Noah might just be the most gorgeous guy I’d ever laid eyes on.

  He stood, rising out of the water and strode toward me looking like he belonged in a secret agent movie. “It’s fine once you’re in.”

  I still called bullshit. But my new life was about seizing the moment. Not letting opportunities pass me by. I’d regret not getting into the water. More than that, I didn’t want to see his disappointment if I said no.