Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

  “Thanks.” She should have figured it out sooner. Of course an Alpha would be in a position of authority. They wouldn’t be able to help themselves. “I’ll head down there this afternoon. Better get the munchkin first, though.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Reggie said with a little wave. “Maybe then you can put me out of my misery and tell me what you are.”

  Tabitha laughed. “Maybe.” She picked up her box and trotted off to collect her daughter.

  Then she smelled the smoke.

  Tabitha dropped the box and bolted outside, intuition already telling her it was the gym. A thick column of black rose above the building, flames already licking at the windows. The door was open, alarm wailing, and children swarmed around out the front.

  Frantically she searched the crowd for the blonde curls of her little girl, but she was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Cole.

  “Have you seen Cole Fleet? Or the little girl with him?” she asked the nearest kid, who shook her head. Turned out the girl was another wolf, wild-eyed and panicking. The kid’s skin seemed to roll in waves, on the cusp of a shift. Tabitha’s stomach almost revolted. Taking a breath, she pulled the girl closer to her. “Don’t change,” she whispered. “Close your eyes, take deep breaths and count to one thousand. Get it under control.”

  “Miss Bright!”

  It was another boy from her class, but she couldn’t remember his name.

  “They haven’t come out.”

  Tabitha’s heart froze in her chest. All she could see was flames.

  “Cole and your girl haven’t come out.”

  “Where were they?” She was already kicking her heels off and moving towards the building. There wasn’t time to wait for the firemen to show up.

  “In the office near the toilets. She hurt herself and Cole was getting her fixed up.”

  Of course she did. Her girl was as accident prone as her father. Tabitha ran into the gym, despite people trying to grab her and keep her out of harm’s way.

  She wasn’t in danger. But those two kids certainly were.

  As soon as she slipped inside, out of sight of the crowd, she summoned a wall of wind and water around herself, channelling the moisture from the air outside. She could put the fire out entirely, but that would bring too much attention. Attention she couldn’t afford.

  With air she formed a tunnel towards the back office, curling the smoke out of her path, desperate to reach her daughter. “Luna? Cole?” she yelled.

  No response.

  The fire cracked and snapped at the wood, her water barrier hissing and steaming.

  “Luna!” she screamed again, and a bark answered.

  She rushed towards the office to find it wreathed in flames, but another bark came from the locker room opposite. The flames hadn’t made it in there, and Luna cowered in a shower stall, Cole in his wolf form hovering protectively over her.

  “Mummy?” she whimpered, tears dribbling down her face. “There’s a fire, and I can’t walk, and Cole turned into a dog after he brought me in here.”

  Smart boy. But now wasn’t the time to get into that. Tabitha dropped the water to gather Luna into her arms, using air to take most of her weight.

  “Come on, Cole.”

  The wolf whined, probably worried about his blown secret.

  “I don’t have time for foolishness now, hun. Get your butt closer to me so I can protect us on the way out.”

  He slunk closer and pressed up against Tabitha’s legs, trembling.

  “Let’s go.” She brought the shield of water back up again.

  They stepped from the locker room into a nightmare. Flames were devouring the stands and carpeting the wooden floor. They covered both doors, the rear door frame having already collapsed, making escape that way impossible.

  And Tabitha was getting tired.

  It was easier to do one big action than weave several smaller magics at once. Her arms were like lead, and she almost stumbled over her feet, but she had to get the children to safety. Had to keep that shield up. Had to carry Luna.

  Maybe she should have doused the fire, rather than trying to protect her secret. Too late now. The secret would be blown the moment they walked through the door, even if she dropped the water the instant they were through. No one could walk through fire and remain unscathed.

  With a heavy sigh, Tabitha tightened her hold on the magic and Luna grabbed Cole by the scruff of the neck. Then they hurtled through the door, Tabitha dropping the water once they cleared the flames.

  Not quick enough.

  Click-click. Click-click.

  “Jesus mate, did you see that?”

  “Not sure what I saw, but I think I got it on video.”

  Fuck!

  Chapter 2

  A fire. A fucking fire at the primary school.

  Jarrad let the sirens wail as he hurtled down Main Street, pedal to the metal. He needed to be there, both as Police Superintendent and Alpha. Those were his people.

  The black smoke from the building swallowed the skyline. He didn’t need to be told the gym wouldn’t survive this. He just hoped the children would.

  Although school hours were over, the local kids often played in the gym before going home. Most of them were seriously athletic, their werewolf genes pushing them to run, even if they couldn’t change in public. Echo may have a ninety percent werewolf population, but that didn’t mean they publicised it. People still hunted shifters. Their only safety was with the pack.

  As he pulled into the school zone he slowed, but not by much. The Firies got there first and had already laid out hoses and gone to work. The ambulance arrived a second behind Jarrad. Even if there weren’t any serious injuries, some may need to be treated for smoke inhalation.

  Please, let there be nothing worse.

  The principal, an old wolf named Gordon Cooper, loped up to him. “Two kids are inside, and the new teacher went in after them. One of the kids was hers.”

  Jarrad sucked in a sharp breath. “Did you tell Kyle?” Kyle was the Superintendent of the local fire service, and Beta to Jarrad’s Alpha.

  “Yep, but they can’t get in until they get the door under control. He said—”

  Jarrad’s jaw dropped.

  A whirlwind of water blasted through the flaming gym doors, depositing a woman with a young girl in her arms and a dripping wolf pup on the grass in front of them. She was stunning, a voluptuous blonde goddess in a black pencil skirt and conservative beige blouse, now dripping wet. Cameras launched into their staccato song, and the woman wavered on her bare feet.

  “Fuck,” she said, then dropped to the ground, unconscious.

  Launching into action, Jarrad bundled the pup into the back of the ambulance, followed quickly by the girl. The woman was another matter.

  When he got closer, her scent wafted around him, the most intoxicating thing he’d ever smelled. The ocean, sun-drenched lakes and southerly storms. Warmth and wildness. And her body… The woman was made for him, soft curves and long limbs. It was all he could do to stop himself from claiming her that instant. His fingers traced the curve of her cheek, an impulse he couldn’t control. His cock was as hard as a rock, and he didn’t even know her name.

  But Jarrad knew she was his.

  His mate.

  The cameras clicked again, bringing him back to himself. He pushed up and stormed towards the crowd.

  “Clear off you lot. If you aren’t emergency services, go home. And delete any footage or photos you have of what happened here,” Jarrad growled, shooing the hoverers away. His eyes lingered on two men, obviously tourists judging by their overly shiny hiking boots and the factory-fresh scent wafting from their Kathmandu clothing. He put on his best don’t-fuck-with-me glower but wasn’t sure it would be enough. They still had their phones in hand as they walked to their car. And it didn’t look like they’d deleted anything.

  “Kyle.” He grabbed his Beta, the man having the misfortune to walk past him on his way to the hydration station. “Get on
e of the enforcers on those two. I’ve got a feeling we’re about to be blown apart by this incident, and sure as shit they’ll have something to do with it.”

  Was it unethical to sneak into their room and destroy those phones? Probably. He sighed. It was too late anyway.

  Jarrad turned back to his mate, but his vision turned red when he saw one of the male paramedics place a hand on her neck. His growl rumbled, low and vicious. The man startled, looking directly at him. Geoffrey. Jarrad sighed. There was definitely nothing in the gay man’s touch other than professional concern, yet Jarrad’s wolf still demanded he challenge the man for touching what was his.

  If she’d even have him.

  He’d never thought much about taking a mate, beyond the initial coming of age fuck-fest where he’d explored just about every female he came across. He’d pretended to search for a mate even though they would have known their mate by scent alone. Matehood was one of those ‘maybe one day’ scenarios he’d pushed to the back of his head. But there she sat. And definitely not a wolf.

  He strolled as casually as he could over to Geoffrey and his mate, who was now awake and talking quietly to the paramedic. Would she feel the pull as strongly as he did? As a wolf would? And dear God, what was her name? Jarrad almost reached them when a plaintive wail came from the back of the ambulance.

  “Muuuuummmyyyy!”

  The woman leaped up, but the movement was too fast for her, and she wobbled. Jarrad was there in an instant, sliding an arm under her before she fell.

  “Thanks,” she muttered, before taking a few more careful steps towards the ambulance. She frowned at him when he didn’t let go, looking pointedly at the arm still wrapped around her waist.

  He gave a sheepish smile. “You look like you could use the support.” Not to mention he didn’t think he’d be able to let her go. His wolf rumbled contentedly inside his chest. It could have been sickening, if her honeysuckle scent wasn’t weaving its spell on him too.

  She stared silently at him for a moment, then leaned a little more heavily on him. Jarrad’s heart just about burst.

  They made it to the back of the ambulance in time to see Sheree, the paramedic seeing to the children, growl at the pup who hovered so protectively over the little girl. She couldn’t get past him to do an examination. The three were oblivious to their presence.

  “Enough, Cole.” She grabbed the gangly pup by the scruff and looked him in the eyes. “You know I’m not going to hurt her. Get yourself under control and switch back or you can sit outside like a good guard dog.” Sheree may not be a wolf herself, but she was part of the pack and knew how to handle them well.

  Cole’s form stretched and shimmered, expanding before their eyes into a boy on the cusp of adolescence. It was a smooth transition that Jarrad reluctantly admired. He would make a good alpha when his time came, but he wouldn’t get there if he didn’t start thinking before acting. At least the boy had the grace to look sheepish while he covered his junk in front of his teacher.

  “Sorry, Sheree. Jarrad. Miss Bright.” The boy snuck a look at his teacher out of the corner of his eye, no doubt trying to gauge her reaction to his wolf form. Jarrad was interested in that too. So far, the woman had been cool as a cucumber, even faced with a wolf who turned into a nude student.

  And he still didn’t know her name.

  “There are too many people in the back of this bus. Jarrad, out. Mum can stay so I can check her out. Take the pup with you.”

  She threw an oversized t-shirt from an emergency stash at the front of the van at the naked boy, who put it on gratefully. Jarrad would never question Sheree’s authority. That woman could whip the devil into line. He grabbed Cole by the arm and hauled him outside, leaving his mate alone with her daughter.

  But he couldn’t let her leave the ambulance before he’d talked to her. Found out her name. Her number. Whether she was married, ‘cause hadn’t that been a kick in the gut when he realised his mate had a child with another man. What would he do if someone already claimed her?

  “Okay, kid.” Jarrad fixed Cole with a steely glare. “Start talking. How is it you pups somehow managed to burn down the gym and blow your secret in front of our newest members of town?”

  “Um… I don’t think I was the only one to blow a secret, Alpha,” the pup said, his tone a little on the belligerent side. The kid continued to steal glances at the ambulance next to them, a move Jarrad assumed reflected his own. Damn. If he read the signs right, the kid had found his mate too. Only, he was too young to realise it.

  He’d have to have a word with their mothers.

  “Quit stalling and give me the whole story,” Jarrad growled, his alpha dominance pushing the boy to reply. Luckily, the kid didn’t want to fight. Jarrad suspected Cole’s dominance wouldn’t let him settle into something he didn’t want to do without being soundly trounced beforehand. And he didn’t want to humiliate the kid.

  Cole darted a furtive look around, checking that no one was within earshot. A plus in the boy’s favour.

  “Luna and I were playing basketball when she tripped over her own feet.” The boy looked a little horrified. “I’ve never seen anyone that clumsy. Someone’s going to have to watch her all the time and make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.”

  Jarrad raised a hand to his mouth to smother a smile. He could just guess who’d appointed himself Luna’s permanent protector.

  “Anyway,” the boy continued. “I thought I saw something move around her hands, maybe in her eyes, but whatever it was she got it under control pretty easy. So, I helped her out the back to the office to see if I could find some ice in the fridge and maybe something to wrap her ankle with. When I set her down, she must have put her weight on it, ‘coz she let out this god-almighty shriek and then there were flames everywhere. I picked her up and moved her to the locker room showers, but my wolf got the best of me.” He looked a little ashamed.

  “No worries there, mate,” he said, clapping the boy on the shoulder. “You did a good job. You got her as safe as you could before your wolf took over. Not many grown wolves could have done the same.”

  The boy’s chest puffed up with pride, and Jarrad knew he’d said the right thing.

  “Do you think it was Luna?” the kid asked, hesitant again. “It’s just, what with her mum and all, maybe she—”

  “I think it was probably an electrical fault. Pure accident.” He fixed a knowing eye on the pup, until the kid nodded, picking up the subtext quickly. Thank God.

  “Yeah, Jarrad. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I saw the power point near the fridge spark when I opened the fridge door.”

  Yep, the boy understood. Jarrad gave him a nod of approval.

  “You should run and tell the fire chief what you just told me. Tell him I sent you.”

  The boy sprinted off, none-the-worse for his ordeal. Kyle would record it as an electrical fault, and the insurance investigator was one of theirs too. He’d sign off on it and the school could rebuild with the insurance money.

  The only worry concerning him now was keeping those two idiot tourists from doing something stupid with that footage.

  A movement from the van caught Jarrad’s attention. His mate lifted her sleeping daughter out, but he could see the tremble in her arms and legs. No doubt she was exhausted. He swept in and took the child from her arms, taking care not to jostle the white-wrapped ankle, all while her mother stared, gob-smacked. Sheree followed them out, eyebrow lifting in surprise when she saw him.

  Sheree turned to Jarrad’s mate. “I’ve given her a couple of pills that should keep her under until morning. Between the pain and the panic, the kid worked herself up too much to relax.”

  The paramedic glared at the Alpha like it was all his fault. Jarrad stopped himself from looking down and shuffling his feet. He hadn’t started the fire.

  “She’ll need to stay off her ankle for the next few days, and it may help if you alternate between painkillers with ibuprofen and paracetamol, so she re
mains pain free as long as possible. Other than that, RICE it. It’s not broken, so we can avoid taking a trip in the bus.”

  The woman nodded, obviously familiar with the first aid terminology. She’d have to be as a teacher.

  With another glare in his direction, Sheree closed the back doors of the ambulance before stalking to the front for the drive home. He turned back to his mate.

  “Ms Bright?” Jarrad asked. “Have you got a first name to go with that surname?”

  “Depends if you have a name to go with that badge,” she replied, a tired but cheeky smile on her face. Her fingers hovered over her daughter, as though debating snatching her back off him.

  He turned away quickly, speaking over his shoulder. “I’m Jarrad Forrester, Superintendent in command of this area. And I’m sure you’ve guessed my other role.” He strode with long, easy strides to the police car. She followed, heaving a resigned sigh.

  “I’m Tabitha, and that’s Luna, my daughter.”

  Tabitha. The name rang bells in his soul. Finally, his mate had a name.

  “Um…” She gestured to her left, the opposite direction from where he was going. “My car’s that way, mate.”

  “I’ll take you home,” he said. “You’re in no condition to drive, and I’m sure you’d just like to hold your daughter in the back for a while. You’ve both been through a lot today.” Her expressive face moved to annoyed and back to resigned again. With his final words, her eyes softened.

  “Much as I hate it when guys act the alpha arsehole and make decisions for me, you have a point.”

  So, his mate wasn’t a fan of being told what to do. Good to know. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

  He opened the door with one hand, then slid the child inside. She followed, taking care not to brush against him on her way in.

  “Besides, I think you’re the person I need to speak to anyway. At least, that’s what Reggie told me.”

  As she closed the door, a frown crossed her face again. He’d give anything to have the right to smooth it with his lips.