by Jane Jamison
She slammed her hand against the dash. At least, this time, she could move better.
“Please, darlin’, be quiet. Once we get home, I swear I’ll turn you loose again. I can’t before then. Not if you’re going to try and get out.”
She was jerked backward when he put his foot to the accelerator. Crossing her arms, she planned her revenge.
Chapter Seven
As soon as Travis snapped his fingers in front of her face again, Lilli twisted sideway on the seat and kicked out. Her aim was true, earning a yowl of pain when her foot connected with his crotch. “You fuckhead!”
Although she wanted to kick him again, she didn’t take the chance. Instead, while he was bent over, his hands covering his crotch, she shoved the door open and jumped out. Hesitating only a moment, she darted away from the house. No way would she go inside. She had to believe Martin and Rogan were wizards, too.
“Lilli, hold up.”
She picked up her speed. He was right behind her and would catch her soon. When he did, she’d do her best to give him another hard blow to his lower ego. “Stay away from me!”
“Lilli, I’m sorry for what I did, but I didn’t know what else to do. You were making a scene in front of tourists.”
Anger overcame reason, and she whirled to confront him. He slammed to a stop, almost knocking into her. “I was causing a scene? You knocked a man off the pier then suspended him over the water. That’s causing a fucking scene.”
“No one saw it except you.”
She fisted her hands and gritted her teeth. “You used a spell on me. I couldn’t speak, and I could barely move.”
He held his hands up, palms out, and tried to placate her. “I’m sorry. Like I said, I reacted without thinking. I don’t usually do that, but you make it hard to think right.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant. Yet, even as she wanted to think it wasn’t a compliment, she kind of did. “You put a spell on me.” What more was there to say?
“I did. I’m a wizard, and I put a spell on you.”
“You did what?” Martin was almost on them when he’d spoken. Rogan wasn’t far behind and came to a stop beside Martin.
“I know what he is.” Damn it. Even angry, she couldn’t help but feel an attraction to them. Yet she had to fight it. Had to—how had Travis put it? “Think right”—although doing so was hard as hell.
Hell and damnation.
“You do?” Martin shook his head. “Shit. I’m lost. What happened to get you so riled up?”
Rogan, his face a mask of confusion and irritation, lifted his lip in a snarl. “And why is she here? I thought we were going to lay low.”
“Lay low?” She forgot about running. Instead, she was bound and determined to get answers, come hell or high water. “Look, you three. I want answers.”
The three of them glanced at each other. Did they need to coordinate their answers first?
“Maybe it’s time we gave them to her,” suggested Travis. “I fucked up and put a spell on her.”
“Yeah, man. That sounds like a major fuckup to me.” Martin didn’t seem too happy about it, either.
Travis pleaded with her again. “It was, and I’ll apologize for it for the next fifty years, but can we go inside to talk? I swear we’ll tell you everything.”
“Everything?” she asked. Could she believe him?
“No. We can’t. Not until things are better.” Martin’s worry creased his brow. “Not until Rogan is…” He didn’t go on.
“Healed?” she interjected. “Is there something physically wrong with him?” She focused on Rogan, who avoided her gaze. “Tell me. What’s going on?”
“Let’s do this in the house, okay?” Travis held out his hand. “Again, I’m sorry for what I did. I’ll never do it again.”
She ached to take his hand, yearned to touch Martin and run her palm along Rogan’s cheek. Instead, she pushed his hand away and stalked toward the house. “Fine. We’ll talk inside. But if any of you even think about putting a spell on me, I’ll grab your cocks and yank them off. You got that?”
“Yes, ma’am,” answered a subdued Travis.
“Got it,” said Martin.
Rogan’s answer, however, was a low groan.
Or was that a growl?
She shoved the ridiculous idea away. By the time they’d taken her inside and seated her on the couch, she’d grown more curious than angry. “Okay. Explain. And don’t you dare leave anything out.”
They stood in front of her like three schoolboys who’d been sent to the principal’s office for punishment. Travis was in the middle with Martin shoving his hands in his pockets and Rogan nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
She arched an imperious eyebrow. “Okay. Who’s going to start?”
“I will.” Travis took a deep breath. “Again, I’m sorry for what I did.”
She waved her hand. “I heard that already. Get on with the rest. Are you and Rogan wizards, too?”
Martin grimaced. “No. I’m not a wizard or anything. I’m human like you.”
Had she heard him correctly? Or was she reading more into it than she should? “What do you mean ‘anything’? Are you saying you could be something other than a wizard or a human?”
Martin held his hand up, stopping Travis. “Let me see if I can explain things. You’ve heard the stories about West End, right?”
“Sure. It’s one of the first things you hear when you get off the ferry.” Her breath hitched in her throat. Was he telling her what she thought he was telling her?
“Then you’ve heard that we have not only wizards but witches and other beings on the island, right?”
“Yes. Still, I never thought the stories were true.”
Travis knelt in front of her. “But you know now that they are. I am a wizard. I put a spell on the man at the pier and on you.”
“What man at the pier?” asked Rogan.
“I’ll tell you later.” Travis took her hand. “Lilli, I’m a wizard, and Martin is human. But Rogan is a…” He paused, suddenly appearing to be uncertain of continuing. “He’s a werewolf.”
She laughed, yet as soon as she’d started, she understood. He’d told her the truth. “You’re a werewolf. A man who can change into wolf.”
“Yeah. I am.” Rogan shrugged. “I was born a werewolf just like Travis was born a wizard and Martin, poor guy, was born human.”
Martin snorted. “I think I got lucky.”
She sat back, slumping down. “It’s really true? You’re a wizard, a werewolf, and just a man?”
“Ow. Now that hurt.”
“Sorry. You know what I meant.”
Martin smiled then took a seat on the armchair. “Are you really getting this? Finding out that the men who want you as their mate are a wizard and a werewolf isn’t the easiest thing to come to terms with.”
Her mouth parted as she realized what he’d said. “You want me as your mate?”
Martin dropped his gaze to the floor then back up. “I guess Travis isn’t the only one blowing it today.”
Excitement and fear mixed as one. They wanted her. To hear him say so thrilled her. But what did wanting her as their mate mean? Her head spun. “This is all too much. First I find out that Travis is a wizard when he puts a spell on me. Then Martin says you three want me as your mate. Whatever the hell that means.”
Travis squeezed her hand. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and we didn’t mean to tell you any of this until the time was right.”
“And when would that have been? When I was on the ferry back to the mainland?” She eased her hand out of his and put it to her forehead. “I’m not sure I can grasp all this.”
Rogan paced to the other side of the room. “We weren’t going to say anything to you at all. Not unless we can fix my problem first.”
She searched for an answer in all their faces. Judging by their grim expressions, Rogan’s “problem” was a big one. “What’s wrong with you?”
�
�First things first,” interjected Martin. “Do you care about us? I know we haven’t been together much, and it’s a hell of a rush into this, but we have to know. Do you have any feelings for us?”
“Yes.” Her answer came swiftly, but then again, it was the truth.
“Yeah?” asked an eager Travis. “You do?”
“I do. It’s really strange and all, but I’ve felt drawn to you guys from the first day. Every time I see you, the feeling grows stronger.”
Travis let out a relieved sigh. “Good. We feel the same way.”
“But with you being a wizard and Rogan being a werewolf…” She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.
“We’re still men, darlin’. Still the same, no matter what we may be.” Travis stood, his green eyes meeting hers.
“I want to see proof.” She’d seen him use two spells—three if she counted putting a spell on her twice—but she still wanted to see his power again. “I want you to do another spell, but not on me,” she warned. “And I want to see Rogan change into a wolf. If you can without causing you more problems.”
“It’s fine with me.” Travis looked to Rogan. “But the other’s up to Rogan.”
Rogan hesitated. “I can shift for you, but if I do, I’m not sure I can change back.”
“Why? Because it’s not a full moon out tonight?”
“The full moon thing is a myth. Werewolves and other shifters can change whenever they want.”
“Other shifters? There are more shifters on the island?”
Martin’s smile warmed her. “We have all kinds of shifters in West End. Plus witches, vampires, and even a few faeries.”
“Really? Vampires? Are we safe?”
“No one around here wants to hurt anyone.”
“Then I don’t understand, Rogan. Why are you worried about not being able to change back?”
Rogan’s growl sounded too much like a real wolf’s growl. “It’s the problem I’m having. I don’t know why, but my wolf’s started rising on its own. I can’t always control it, which means I sometimes change when I don’t want to. So far, I’ve always managed to change back on my own, but it’s getting harder.” The muscle in his jaw twitched. “One of these days I’ll shift and I won’t be able to change back into my human form. I’ll become a wolf for the rest of my life.”
The pain in his eyes, his hard expression said it all. He was in danger of losing his humanity. “Then, no, don’t change for me. I don’t want you to take the risk.”
“Which is why we’ve tried staying away from you,” admitted Martin. “Travis is working on finding a spell to help Rogan. If he loses control for good, Travis and I decided we wouldn’t take you as our mate. If one of us loses you, then all of us lose you.”
“You were hoping to find the spell before I left, weren’t you?”
Rogan’s voice was low, filled with heartache. “I didn’t want you to agree to be our mate and then have me change permanently into a wolf. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
“Didn’t you three think I should have a say in all this? If you believe I’m your mate, then shouldn’t I get to say if I want to risk loving three of you only to lose one? Did you ever think I might want to have a short time with Rogan than never having any time with him?”
“We were thinking of you. If we can’t find a spell to help him, then you would’ve never known we could have had a future together.”
“That’s a load of shit, Travis. If you guys really believed that, you should’ve accepted the package I brought you and then had nothing else to do with me. Instead, you led me on.”
“Shit.” Martin raked a hand through his hair. “I never thought of it as leading you on.”
“But she’s right.” Travis stuck his hands in his pocket. “And I tried, remember? I tried to get rid of you, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Look at today. I shouldn’t have gone into town. I told myself I was looking for Rogan, but I was hoping I’d see you again.”
“Same here.” Martin’s face grew hopeful. “What can we say? Once we saw you, we were doomed. You were the one who cast a spell on us. Staying away these past few days has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Same goes for Travis and me,” added Rogan. “In fact, I dared going into town as a wolf so I could watch you at your hotel.”
“You were the wolf I saw? The one with the white on the forehead? That was you?”
He nodded. “Like these two, I couldn’t resist seeing you again.”
She pushed off the couch, needing to put distance between them. How had she gone from liking three hot men to hearing how they wanted a lifetime with her? “Is being a mate like a wife? And doesn’t mate sound like something a wolf would have? Not a human?”
“I don’t care what you call yourself as long as you’re with us.” Martin’s brown eyes called to her. “Mate or wife. Does it really matter?”
“Yes. No.” She groaned. “I don’t know. I guess not. I can’t even believe we’re talking about this. All I was hoping for was to get you three in bed today.”
“You were?” asked a suddenly excited Travis. “We can make that happen if you’re still up for it.”
“Okay, wizard, just slow down. Seeing is believing, right? I want to see you do another spell. But, Rogan, no way are you changing just for me.”
“No, I’ll change. I want you to know exactly what you’re getting into.”
“No, Rogan, I don’t want you to. It’s asking too much. Besides, I’ve already seen you.”
“Lilli, I have to. I want you to see my wolf, to know what I look like in my wolf form. And not from a distance, either.”
“But it’s too much to ask. I don’t want you to put yourself in any danger because of me.”
Rogan had started to argue again when Travis spun to face the large man and waved his hands. The words Travis used didn’t make any sense to her, but it didn’t matter. Not when the air around Rogan had lit up with spinning cloud.
“Damn it, Travis, don’t you go putting a spell on me.” Amber flecks burst into Rogan’s eyes.
“Too late. Our mate wants to see a spell, so I’m giving her one.” His voice grew louder, and the storm cloud, much like a miniature tornado, spun around Rogan.
She tried to peer through the whirling wind but could barely see Rogan. “What’s happening?”
“Just a little levitation with a tornado thrown in for dramatics,” answered Travis.
A roar split the air as the whirlwind lifted Rogan off his feet. Spinning even faster, the storm lifted the man to the ceiling. Rogan growled and lashed out, his hands peeking through the whirlwind.
“Wow.” Amazed, she stared up at the sight. “It’s true. You’re a real wizard.”
“And Rogan’s a real werewolf.” Travis chuckled. “Probably one pissed-off werewolf right now.” He spoke another chant. Suddenly the storm cloud vanished, and Rogan dropped to the floor.
Rogan, his eyes blazing with the amber color, snarled. “Fuck you, man. Fuck you.”
Martin glared at Travis. “You’re pulling all kinds of stupid shit today. Why’d you get him pissed? You know what can happen when you get him mad.”
Realization dawned on Travis’s face. “Shit.” He tugged Lilli against him. “Darlin’, you’ve really messed up my head.”
“Hey, don’t go blaming me for your mistakes.” She would’ve said more, but her mind went blank as she gaped at Rogan. “What’s he doing?”
“Damn it,” cursed Martin. “He’s shifting.”
She stumbled back, fear hitting her as Rogan’s body began to blur. His face elongated, ears lengthening, as fur spread over his body. His clothes disappeared, taken over by the transformation as man became animal. With a growl, he dropped to the floor, claws clicking against the hardwood floor.
“Easy, Lilli.” Martin’s voice was calm, soothing. “He’s still Rogan. He won’t hurt you.”
Curiosity fought the battle against fear and won. Carefully, she inc
hed forward, going closer to Travis. Rogan’s black fur was shiny under the overhead lights, the white patch on his forehead brilliant against the dark. His amber eyes blazed with intelligence.
“He’s beautiful.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Martin. “Although I guess the white patch on his forehead makes him a little different than most werewolves.”
“So it really was him. At the hotel and out here.”
“Are you saying you’ve seen him more than once?” Travis wrapped his arm around her waist.
“I have. Out here at the ranch first and then on the hillside by my hotel.”
Rogan padded a few feet closer then stopped, obviously not wanting to approach her too soon.
She eased away from Travis and held out her hand. “Rogan, it’s okay. I’m not afraid.”
He padded closer until, at last, she could touch the top of his head. He was huge, larger than she imagined any wolf would be, and glorious.
“You’re amazing.” His fur was coarse to the touch. She slid her hand over his ear, gave it a little scratch, then ran her palm down his face. His tongue flicked out, skimming over her flesh. “I can’t believe I’m touching a real live werewolf.”
“Believe it,” said Travis. “We’d pet him, too, but he’d more than likely bite our fingers off. In fact, you’re the only one I’ve ever seen pet him.”
A low growl rumbled through Rogan and into her hand, yet it didn’t frighten her. Instead, it made her want to touch him more. Taking a seat on the couch again, she ran both her hands along his neck then laughed when he slicked his tongue along her cheek.
“I hate to break this up, but the sooner he gets back to his human form, the better.”
She looked at Travis and saw the worry. “You’re right.” Sitting back, she talked to Rogan. “Change back. You’ve already taken too big a risk.”
Rogan twisted around to give Martin a snarl. His fangs showed as he pulled his lips farther back.
“Hey, I’m only thinking of you,” added Martin. “And you know it.”