Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

  “Okay.” I lowered my arms, stepped to the water’s edge, and dipped in a toe. “Holy freaking cow. It’s ice.”

  Noah barked a laugh. Before I knew it, he stood in front of me. How did he move so fast? Despite the water’s temperature, heat radiated from his body, all that firm skin covered in tiny water droplets. My eyes tracked a single drop as it slid all the way from his chest to the hem of his shorts. I should stop drooling over his abs. My hand twitched. I wanted to trace the drop’s path, tuck my fingers beneath the hem of his shorts and yank them down.

  Oh, no way. The last thing I needed was to fall for this guy. Clearly, my body didn’t get that memo.

  I dragged my gaze back to his. His light blue eyes darkened until they resembled the deepest depths of the pool behind him. Dark and mysterious. It must be the light because I’d never seen eye color change like that.

  My breath quickened. As though in slow motion, he lifted his hand and swept it along my jaw. Even though we’d only just met, his touch felt familiar, awakening something deep inside me.

  He leaned closer. My heart galloped. He was going to kiss me. I wanted him to, but should I? I’d only known him for nine days. Not that I counted.

  He drew closer still until his warm breath whispered along my lips. I closed my eyes, anticipating his mouth touching mine.

  In one swift movement, he scooped me off my feet and flipped me over his shoulder fireman style. I squealed, kicking my legs, but that only encouraged him further. He dashed back in the pool, carrying me until the water lapped at my feet.

  Pressed against him with all that body heat swirling over me, didn’t distract me enough. The water was still cold.

  “Ready?” His tone was deeper, raspier than a moment ago.

  I swallowed, so I could at least respond. “No?”

  Without waiting a second longer, he dropped to his knees and dunked us both beneath the water. Air punched from my lungs in one whoosh. My fingers tingled. Goosebumps burst along my arms and legs. I kicked, trying to get free but Noah tightened his hold.

  Less than a second in the water, he stood again. I sucked in a breath.

  He slid me down his front, still holding me tight. “See? It’s not that cold.”

  Not now, not against his chest. Of course, I didn’t say that aloud. Too lost in his eyes, I didn’t care what happened outside our little bubble. My whole body wanted to curl up next to him and bask in his warmth forever.

  As though he only just now sensed the intimacy of our position, Noah lowered my legs for me to stand. I retreated a few steps, stumbling over uneven rocks until the water reached my shoulders, but he followed, never more than an arm’s length away from me. His gaze locked on mine.

  “You’re right.” I spun to face the waterfall, pretending to admire it instead of thinking about how much I wanted his hands all over me. “It’s warmer once you’re in.”

  He moved behind me. Goosebumps transformed into tingles, sweeping through my body, centering in one place.

  He pressed flush against my back and lowered his mouth to my ear. “Wanna see behind it?”

  I seriously needed to compose myself. “Behind the waterfall?”

  “Yeah.”

  Beneath the water, he took my hand and led me toward the falls, following a path around the outer edge.

  “I could carry you.”

  Carrying me wasn’t a good idea given how my body reacted last time. I needed to put space between us before I burst into flames. “How ’bout I race you instead?”

  His wicked dimpled grin curled on his mouth a second before he dropped my hand and dove to the waterfall. Damn cheat! But the joke was on him. From where I stood, I’d already won. Watching him, the way those muscles in his arms and back flexed with each stroke, made a girl drool. Especially this girl.

  I took my time, following the same path as Noah to one side of the falls where I treaded water, admiring the fresh, misty spray hiding Noah behind the falls. He held out his hand, guiding me behind them.

  On the other side, he boosted me onto a ledge made by a natural groove in the rocks. The view from behind the waterfall was nothing short of magical. Sun sparkled and glistened in the water. Toasty warmth from the rock spread along my skin, making me want to hide here all day.

  Oh, wait. That heat came from Noah.

  He settled in beside me, hands curled over the ledge, feet swinging back and forth in the falls. Water sprayed in every direction.

  I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. This place was the coolest, I could hide out here forever.

  “Okay, the water’s cold, but totally worth it for this view.”

  “Great rewards come from great sacrifice.”

  He said some strange things. “Pity we didn’t bring snacks.”

  He glanced at me and something expanded in my chest.

  “I have some in the bag. You want me to get them?”

  I shook my head, torn between feeding my stomach and not wanting this moment to ever end. The more time I spent with Noah, the more I imagined a different life. One where everything was simple, easy. That I had a normal upbringing like him. A life where I stayed with Joan instead of going back to Seattle with my mother. Maybe then, Noah and I would’ve met earlier. Maybe then, this would have worked.

  I wiggled my toes, splashing water over my legs. Noah’s body radiated so much heat that before long, my goosebumps disappeared.

  I easily imagined a life here. An alternate life with someone like him.

  Without a shirt on, his tattoos were on full display. The forest art continued up his arm, past his elbow to his shoulder. A large wolf’s head spread along his shoulder, with a smaller one covering the spot over his heart.

  “Tell me the story behind your ink.”

  A hint of sorrow swept his face before he shrugged one shoulder. “I love wolves.”

  “You have a lot of them. Are they like your spirit animal?”

  He shifted, hands clenching and unclenching on the rock. I guess the tattoos meant something to him. Maybe they were symbolic, representing someone he lost or loved. Maybe he adored wolves like me.

  “Wolves are pack animals. They value and protect family above everything else.”

  Now I got it. Family was important to him. If I had one, I imagined it would be important to me, too. “Just like you?”

  “Something like that.”

  “But this one is alone, like it’s lost in the woods.” I traced my finger over the smaller black wolf near his wrist. My heart pounded. Him touching me seemed natural, comfortable, as though he’d done it hundreds of times. But when I touched him? That zapped little pulses of heat straight through my middle.

  His gaze lowered to my finger then back to me. “That’s a lone wolf. One without a mate.”

  “Without a mate?”

  He peered at the waterfall. “Wolves mate for life. Once they find the one for them, they don’t let go. But every now and then, a wolf doesn’t find their other half.” He paused a moment, glancing at his toes dipped in the water. “That tattoo represents the wolf who never found its mate and instead, wanders the earth alone.”

  Morbid much? “That’s kinda sad.”

  The pain behind his eyes made my heart ache. I sensed there was more to the story, more to the lone wolf, but all thought disappeared when his gaze lowered to my lips. My heart sped to that delicious point right after I finished sketching a picture, where I stood back to admire my handiwork. The moment where my chest swelled beyond belief realizing I’d created something magical and beautiful.

  I hadn’t felt that for so long.

  I wanted it again. I wanted to feel again.

  I met Noah’s gaze, full of heat, desire, and something stronger, more powerful. Not just lust, but something resembling…awe.

  No one had ever looked at me like that. Like I was a magical and beautiful creation.

  I didn’t just want him to kiss me, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to taste his lips, feel his mouth on mine. I want
ed to explore our connection as far as it would take us.

  His hand slid around my jaw, cradling it, coaxing me closer. My eyes closed, and I leaned in.

  Ever so slowly, his warm, smooth lips pressed against mine in the gentlest, softest kiss I’d ever had. My body melted into a puddle of bliss. Tiny bolts of lightning zapped through my middle, sparking along my limbs, creating a wild, maddening burst of pleasure.

  Wow. If he could do this with the press of his lips, I bet this guy was amazing in bed.

  When he hesitated, I moved closer, silently giving him the okay to continue.

  His tongue teased along my bottom lip and I barely held back my moan. I parted my lips for him, letting go of any restraint. Not that I had much to begin with.

  His free hand cradled the other side of my jaw, tightening his hold, angling my head slightly to deepen the kiss. My shoulders sagged into his embrace, giving in to all the sensations swirling through my body.

  For years, I’d lost myself. Lost who I was, what I wanted in life. I lived in the shadow of my mother’s poor choices, spending each waking moment gasping for breath.

  This kiss breathed life back into my soul. Right here and now, Noah found me.

  His grip on my jaw hardened a fraction, not painfully but enough to flip alarm bells. Noah tensed, his lips still touching mine. I opened my eyes. His were bright, alert, side-eyeing the waterfall.

  In an instant, he jerked back and slapped a hand over my mouth, pinning my back against the rock.

  What the hell? I grabbed his wrist to pull his hand away, but he applied more pressure. With his free hand, he held his index finger against his lips.

  My heart sped for an entirely different reason. Was this some kind of joke?

  Noah cocked his ear toward the waterfall as though listening for something I could neither hear nor see. His legs no longer playfully kicking back and forth. Now, his ridged body was alert as though sensing a hidden danger.

  He looked back at me. Desire and heat no longer consumed his gaze, instead replaced with cold ice blue, the color so clear his eyes almost glowed in the filtered light.

  “Don’t make a sound,” he whispered.

  When I nodded, he lowered his hand. I couldn’t move, so frozen with fear of the unknown. What the hell was out there?

  As though on cue, through the lens of the waterfall, a shadow stalked along the bank toward our belongings. Tall. Like the size of a bulky male or very well-built female. Maybe the same height as Noah.

  Noah said this was his family’s land. Why was he hiding from family?

  “Who is it?” I whispered.

  I doubted someone he didn’t know would wander this far onto his property. Unless they meant harm. If that were the case, we were safe, hidden behind the falls. I hoped.

  The look in Noah’s glare said otherwise. “Shhh.”

  I glanced back at the shadow. The person paused, then crouched where we left our belongings. Were they looking for something? Shit. My phone was inside my bag. If the guy stole it, I was screwed.

  The person stood again. Adrenaline coursed through my body making my stomach twist and swirl until I thought I’d vomit.

  Noah squeezed my hand. Some of my tension trickled from me as though a magical link connected us. I wiggled closer.

  The weirdo stalked around the bank of the pool. Obviously, searching for the owner of the clothes. I sucked in a sharp breath when they reached the edge of the pool and couldn’t go any further without getting into the water.

  Did they know we were here? Would they dive in and find us?

  Noah’s hand tightened around mine. For reassurance or security, I couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t work.

  Then, as quickly as they arrived, the person turned and darted into the forest.

  Noah remained still. Waiting to see if the person would reappear? Waiting to know if we were safe?

  After an agonizing moment that felt like hours, he pivoted to face me.

  “Are you okay?”

  Was I okay? How the hell did I answer that? “Who was that?”

  Muscles flexed in his jaw. He stared at the waterfall. “A hunter.”

  Chapter 8

  Noah

  “What the heck?” Mia squawked, her eyes wide. “A hunter? Hunting what?”

  She either knew nothing about our world or was a damn good liar. I put all my faith in the former.

  I should’ve left it there, but I couldn’t stop the words from spilling out of my mouth. If she didn’t know about this world, she needed to. I couldn’t lie or hide the truth from her. Not any longer.

  I leveled my voice, searching her eyes for a hint she knew, that she was just playing me. I came up empty. “I’ll explain everything, but right now we need to get out of here.”

  She held my stare for a moment before the crease deepened in her forehead. “Is this a joke? ’Cause it’s not funny.”

  “No. It’s not a joke. It’s real.”

  “Hunters here in Woodland Falls?”

  If we weren’t in danger of the hunter returning, I would’ve breathed a sigh of relief. Based on her reaction, she clearly didn’t know.

  “Yes. And I need to get you out of here before he comes back.”

  I didn’t give a shit if the hunter came back for me. I counted down the days to that reunion. But I wouldn’t put Mia in more danger. I slid off the rock into the water and grabbed her by the hips. “Do you want me to carry you or can you swim back?”

  She didn’t answer, just kept staring at me. Instead of waiting, I turned around, slid her butt off the ledge and lifted her onto my back. She held on tight as I kept to the shallower edge of the pool, piggybacking her to the bank. When we reached our bags, I unlocked her legs and let them slide for her to stand.

  One look at our clothes and my heart sank. The hunter took Mia’s shirt. Of course, he did, it had her scent all over it. Fresh meat in Woodland Falls. Only a matter of time before the hunter figured out her connection with Joan, and then with me.

  Mia remained silent as I wrapped a towel around her shoulders and helped her put on her shoes. No time to dress, I shoved her shorts in her bag and slung it over my shoulder before picking up my things.

  I took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re gonna move quickly, ’kay?”

  She nodded.

  As fast as I could, without revealing my bonus wolf speed, we hurried back to my truck. In an instant, we were driving through the forest toward home.

  Bouncing around in the truck, Mia reached for her bag and slipped on her shorts. “I think we left my shirt back there.” She searched near her feet and inside her bag again. “I can’t find it.”

  “I’ll check later.” I wasn’t about to tell her a hunter stole it.

  Once out of the forest and back in cell reception, I texted Liam to warn him. Yeah, I knew better than texting while driving, but there were times for breaking the rules. This was one of them. I couldn’t exactly speak with Mia in earshot.

  Instead of texting back, the dumbass called.

  I groaned and answered. “Couldn’t text?”

  “Are you fucking with me?”

  “Nope.” I accelerated around the bend, dirt and dust filling the rearview mirror.

  “Ivy’s still here with me. I’ll call Ash.” Liam paused. “Is Mia with you?”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you think she knows?”

  I glanced at Mia in the passenger seat, clutching the seatbelt in one hand. This wasn’t how I wanted to tell her. “I hope not.”

  After ending the call, I tossed the cell on the dash and focused on getting inside the house before the hunter tracked us down. I slammed my foot on the brake, skidding to a halt in front of the porch.

  “Why are you stopping here?”

  I inhaled a deep breath before pivoting to face Mia. “I want you to stay here tonight with me.”

  Joan ensured the hunter couldn’t sense me at the waterfall, but the psycho took Mia’s shirt. By now he coul
d’ve tracked her scent to the Whitcome property. Then, he’d know who she was.

  I doubt he was stupid enough to draw attention in broad daylight. Not after last time. But I wouldn’t take the risk.

  Mia’s brows rose. “That’s a bit presumptuous of you, isn’t it?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. Sure, I wouldn’t say no, but that’s not why I want you to stay here.” Why the hell couldn’t I speak properly? I ran my fingers through my hair. “What I mean is, you’re safer here.”

  “From a hunter? Hunting for animals?”

  Shifter hunter. But I didn’t correct her. I wanted to avoid telling her about the shifter world a little while longer. Discovering shifters existed was one thing. But finding out we both shared that world was a whole other complication.

  Mia exhaled a deep sigh. “Noah, I’ve known you for less than two weeks. I appreciate you feeling the need to protect me, it’s sweet, but I feel totally safe at my house. There’s no need to worry about a guy hunting some animal busting down my door.”

  I needed to approach this from a different angle, rather than the creepy guy who wanted in her pants. Which I wouldn’t mind, but again, that wasn’t the point.

  “It’s just a shame to have our afternoon cut short like that.”

  Damn it. That sounded creepier aloud than it did in my head.

  Her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t stupid. Of course, she wasn’t, she’s my mate. Will be. At some point. Ugh.

  She straightened in her seat. “Actually, I have a few things I need to do this afternoon.”

  I wouldn’t pressure her into staying and I sure as hell wouldn’t force her. If she wanted to go home, then I’d take her. Instead of protecting her at my house, I’d change tactics and shift, so I could watch over her from the forest.

  The hunter was after me, not her. But if that psycho joined the dots and linked Mia to Joan, she could end up hurt. Or worse.

  Just like Joan.

  I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. Why was the universe so fucking twisted? I needed to keep her close to ensure her safety, yet, I needed to keep my distance to make sure the hunter didn’t figure out she was mine.