He ran his fingers through his still-damp hair and grabbed his keys off the hook by the door. After punching the security code into the panel, he stepped outside locking the door and sprinted off the porch, without taking the steps, and jogged alongside the house to his truck.
An owl hooted in the distance and small animals scampered in the underbrush as he climbed in and the engine roared to life. The owl swooped about three yards in front of his truck as he drove along the gravel drive. Hunting as it should be, as he should be for that damned sikkqui.
He and his father had put their lives on hold to hunt the monster that had murdered the other half of his family. His only reason for living was to catch the monster, and find out why it had spared him. He would definitely try to get the answer to that question before he tore the fucking thing apart.
Hunter slowed at a yellow blinking light and turned right onto Barters Road which would take him into Centertown, aptly named because it was centered in a large rural and forested area and the only source of food and other supplies. The next major city wasn’t for thirty miles. He liked it here in the Rockies. No one bothered anyone, most likely because the only time you really saw anyone was when you went into town. All the better for a lone wolf.
He slowed his speed as he approached Main Street, making another right turn into Nadyia’s tiny parking lot. He shut the engine off and considered once more what he needed to pick up. Only a couple of stops this trip; like everyone around here he’d already stocked for winter. He got out of the truck and crossed the few feet to the store front. A small bell tinkled as he pushed the door open. The little shop resembled the old-time shops, the kind you saw in old movies depicting the 1800s. Herbs stacked in brown and clear jars lined the shelves, live plants thrived in the interior window boxes, candles, oils, incense, and other wares lined open hutches in several places throughout the shop. A curved oak counter ran along the back of the store. Bookshelves filled with Craft and other medicinal journals and manuals filled the wall behind the counter. He panned back to the store front where the live herbs were displayed. A petite blonde perused the selection. She had a few in a basket that hung from her arm. So intent on her shopping, she seemed not to notice any change in her surroundings.
He, on the other hand, felt drawn to the woman. He felt the same nervous energy in his belly he’d felt when he’d come upon the young witch in the clearing the other day. Those blasted butterflies going wild in his stomach and the sense that his beast was somehow connected to this woman.
Hunter moved closer to the herb display and picked through them. He watched her beneath hooded lids as he pretended to study the plants. Her pretty face scrunched in concentration as she perused the plants and checked a list she carried in her other hand. Her eyes matched the hue of the azure sky; her brows curved a perfect frame just a shade darker than her blonde, sun-streaked hair. His eyes drifted to admire perfect breasts—not too big and definitely not small—hugged beneath a light cotton sweater of soft pink and low-cut jeans with just a slice of flat abdomen showing. She turned and bent to study a hearty rosemary plant, and Hunter spotted a very tasteful tattoo on her lower back of a morning glory vine with a butterfly perched on one of its blooms. He sucked in a breath at the burst of lust that hit him.
“Hunter!”
He turned and grinned at the tiny woman tottering around the counter toward him, arms wide.
“Hello, Nadyia. How are you, my wee one?” The petite shop owner was ageless—that is no one truly knew how old she was. And petite wasn’t the correct description for her at all. She barely stood four feet tall. Hunter practically had to bend in half to give her a hug. She kissed his cheek and patted his face.
“How is my magnificent Celt?” she sang in her cheery timbre like an aged wood nymph.
“I’m fine, Nad. I came for wolf’s bane and to see how my favorite chemist is doing,” he teased.
“I am the only chemist you know, Hunter, and I am fine.” She smacked him playfully. “Are you still having the nightmares?” She met his eyes, concern clearly etched in hers.
“Yes. It seems the sikkqui is back yet again. That reminds me, I need a large bag of rock salt.” Nadyia was the only person he had ever confided in. She had adopted him somehow, and he cherished her as the grandmother he’d never had.
“Come. I have plenty for you in the back supply room. I wanted to talk to you anyway.” Nadyia turned to the woman studying the herbs and said, “Breanna, if you need me, call out or ring the bell on the counter. I will be in the back for a few minutes.”
“Okay—” Hunter met her gaze. His brain function stopped, and his heart lurched. “I’ll just finish up with gathering the herbs, then pick up some candles and stuff, so I’ll be a while yet.” She finished, turning her gaze back to Nadyia and smiled.
“Very good.” Nadyia smiled and turned back to Hunter. “Come. We will fetch the items you need. Shouldn’t take too long.”
Hunter followed her but fought the impulse to turn back to Breanna. Breanna… He tasted the name silently.
“Hunter?” A finger snapped very close to his nose. “Are you with me?”
He looked at Nadyia and shook his head. “Who is that?” he asked, pushing a thumb over his shoulder as they entered the supply room.
A huge smile spread across the shop owner’s wrinkled little face. “You are smitten with our Breanna, my mighty wolf.”
Hunter felt heat scorch his cheeks and turned to shoulder a large bag of salt from the stockroom floor, effectively ignoring Nadyia’s comment. She had the good sense to leave well enough alone and instead answered his question.
“Breanna McShae is somewhat new here. She bought the old Talbott cottage this past summer.” Nadyia gave him a large bag of dried wolf’s bane. “She is a green witch—a strong one.”
Ha! She was the witch casting in the clearing, then. And that is why he’d experienced the same sensations when he saw her again. But why does she affect me this way? No woman had ever made even a small impression on him, other than to feed his lust. The only women he’d spent any time with had always been for release. He’d never had a serious relationship with a woman nor had he ever considered one, and he didn’t have the time anyway. Why this woman? “The Talbott place has a very strong ley line running through it, doesn’t it?”
“Yep. And it is now all Breanna’s.” The old woman smiled. “Could not have a better person owning that property. Never will anyone practice the dark arts there again. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She looked pointedly at Hunter and turned toward a small table in the corner of the storeroom. “Please, sit with me a moment.”
Hunter put the bag of salt on the floor and dropped the wolf’s bane atop it. He sat across from Nadyia and folded his hands on the tabletop. “What’s up?”
“The Talbott property… I remembered some strange goings on up there and did some research on it. I found old man Talbott practiced dangerous magick there. I remember him coming in here looking to buy wares for spells I don’t condone. Told him I didn’t sell dark supplies. He stomped out of here, and I never saw him again. Not long after, they found the entire family dead. No apparent illness, no other explanation. The coroner’s office over in Brayton locked the files and never opened them again.” She took a deep breath and settled back in her chair.
“So what has that to do with me or the pretty blonde out front?” Hunter asked. “Is she in danger?”
“No, Hunter. I believe Talbott called the sikkqui you seek. He had a bone to grind with the man who led his daughter astray some twenty-odd years ago. Got her pregnant and left her disgraced, along with the family. Talbott called the soul sucker up for revenge. Dark days back then. Not only did the sikkqui destroy the man who deflowered Talbott’s daughter, but I believe it came back and took the souls of Talbott’s entire family, thus the reason no one ever found the cause of death. In fact, after the murders, the thing seemed to disappear, at least from these parts.”
“Yeah, it w
as busy eating my families’ souls a few years later. What I don’t get is why it left me.” Hunter stood up and paced the small room. “Why didn’t it kill me?”
The bell tinkled from the front of the shop, and Hunter turned toward the door. “You better get back out there. Thank you for everything, Nad.” He tossed three twenties on the table for the old woman, then bent as she stood shaking her head. “Yes, you will take the money, woman.” He kissed her cheek and gave her a hug. “I will see you soon. Take care.”
“You too, my wolf. Hunt well, but always look behind you and let instinct drive you forward. Blessings, my son.” With that she left the storeroom.
Hunter re-shouldered the sack of salt, grabbed the wolf’s bane and took his leave. As he passed through the store, however, he chanced one more glance at Breanna. She was deep in conversation with Nadyia. They never noticed him pass. However, his beast recognized the strong draw of lustful attraction to this beautiful little witch. He left with her pretty, almond-shaped, twinkling blue eyes and sexy full-lipped mouth engraved upon his mind and knew without doubt he would press for a formal meeting very soon.
****
Breanna ticked the plants off her list as she placed each herb in her basket. Her excitement about starting an herb garden was undaunted by the strangeness of her recent encounters. She looked forward to the planting, and she had the perfect spot for it, right beside her front porch. The plants would enjoy at least six hours of eastern sunshine a day, and they would be right in her face so she would never forget to water and care for them. She had to smile. She knew herself well. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. This wasn’t her first go around with an herb garden, but this one was going to be a successful one. Goddess willing!
So engrossed in her task, she did not pay too much attention to the man who approached the cluster of herbs and leisurely picked through them merely a couple of feet from her, until Nadyia called out to her. When Breanna looked up to respond to the shop owner, her gaze caught that of the sexiest face she’d ever seen. A quick once-over proved the rest of this man matched the bedroom stare of his tawny, smiling orbs—a package only the Goddess could have sent her way. Momentarily stunned, she stood speechless for several seconds but somehow gathered herself and turned her gaze to respond to Nadyia.
“Thanks, Nad. I’ll just shop around for a bit more. No worries. I think I’ll empty the basket onto the counter if you don’t mind, though. Need more room.” She inclined her head toward the crowded basket which hung on her arm.
“Sure! Do you want some help?”
“Nah.” She nestled the plant she held into the basket with the rest and crossed the store to the checkout desk. After placing the herbs on the counter, Breanna wandered to one of the candle displays. She perused a yellow beeswax pillar candle while she glanced discreetly back at the stranger, now in deep conversation with Nadyia. The back view was almost as good as the front. Whoa! Nice ass and shoulders the width of forever, too. She sighed. Not much on the relationship thing, Breanna kept men at an arm’s distance. She’d had a few comfortable relationships in her past but nothing to warrant moving forward to life-long commitment. Her last “boyfriend” turned out to be a snake—a womanizing bastard. Breanna wasn’t too upset when he meandered off with one of her former workmates, but it does affect a woman’s pride to have your “man” take up with another right under your nose even if she’d always been less intent on permanent. She liked her independence. Moving to another display case, she placed the candle in her basket. Still, this hottie, Hunter, hmm…I wouldn’t mind trapping him for a bit. Better get back to shopping, she thought, mentally kicking her libido down a notch.
Just as she completed her shopping, Breanna noticed Nadyia back at the register area organizing her herb plants into a carrier.
“Hey, Nad. How are you?” Breanna called as she approached the counter and emptied the rest of her wares from the basket.
“All is well, my dear.” Nadyia began the checkout process. “And you? How do you like it out in Willow? Are you settling down a bit now?”
“Oh, I love it. The cottage and the clearing are awesome! It makes the perfect place for ritual.”
Nadyia placed another candle in a bag and gave her a smile and a nod. “So good to hear we have a nice green witch amongst us, practicing and planting the earth.” She patted Breanna’s hand. “This town needs more positive energy.”
“Sooo…” Brea looked everywhere but at Nadyia. She played with a small besom display on the counter. “Who was the guy? I haven’t seen him around before, though you seem to know him well enough, so I figure he must live around here somewhere.” She gave Nadyia a shy half smile.
Nadyia returned the smile. “That, my dear, is Hunter Colhen. He lives off Dante’s Ridge, north of your place. He’s got a cabin out there—one of those modern rustic places.” She completed packaging Brea’s purchases and totaled the transaction. “That’s $56.96 today, dearie.” She accepted the cash and grinned a devilish little smile. “If I weren’t so ancient… But, of course, I tease. I think of him as a grandson and somehow think he reciprocates the sentiment. He is a solitary sort, keeps mostly to himself.”
Brea bent closer and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “Well, the dude is totally hot. So you, my friend, have very good taste in adopted grandchildren.” She gathered up her packages. “I’ll just take these out to the truck and be back for the herbs.”
Nadyia lifted the tray of plants and said, “Nonsense. I will help you out.”
The women headed outside to the small parking lot and loaded the purchases into the SUV.
“Thanks, Nad. I can manage from here. I’ll see you soon.”
“You are very welcome, dearie.” She gave Brea a hug and took her leave. As she reached the shop door, she turned and waved.
Brea waved back and then slipped out of the parking lot into traffic for the trip home. As she drove out of Centertown, Brea considered the hot stranger, namely, Hunter Colhen. She giggled, recalling the strange electrical buzz through her system. A warm, comfortable buzz. Probably why she’d been momentarily stunned speechless. Not her usual reaction, in fact, never had she reacted in such a way to anyone. So, what was it about this guy, and did he feel it as well? Nadyia had, in effect, drawn her attention away before she could evaluate what was happening, then it was over. Something otherworldly teased her witch senses. He oozed strength, and frustration seemed tightly wound in his psyche. And…she sensed two faces.
She made a turn off the state road onto Briar, which took her into the forest and home.
Two people? She puzzled, two personalities? Breanna couldn’t put a finger on it. She also sensed high aggression. Hmmm…
As she pulled onto the long drive to her cottage, she noticed movement in the periphery, a gray blur. She snapped her head around for a closer look. A wolf?
Nothing.
Whatever it had been was gone.
She pulled to the front of the cottage to unpack her purchases.
“Two trips max,” she said aloud as she stepped around to the back of the SUV. The rustle of underbrush and the sharp snap of twigs turned her toward the forest. She saw the most beautiful and largest gray wolf she’d ever seen. It stood peeking through the underbrush only its front paws, chest and head visible. Golden eyes stared back at her. It assumed a playful stance, then lay down with a huge doggy grin on its face.
“You mean me no harm by your body language,” Breanna said softly and resumed unloading the things onto the porch. She kept a watchful eye on the gray, but it had not moved from its sphinx-like position, observing her. Palpable calm emanated from the animal. Breanna sensed the animal was merely curious.
She closed the back gate of the SUV and moved to the porch.
The wolf watched.
She unlocked and opened the door.
The wolf stood.
Gathering her bags, she placed them inside, then grabbed the tray of herbs and placed them on a nearby table to catch some sunlight.
The wolf stretched.
“Thank you for keeping me company, my beautiful creature. I am blessed with your quiet interest.” At her soft words, the wolf tilted its head. Her intuition jump started. A soft tinkling voice spoke within her. Familiar.
The wolf inclined its massive head, turned and sauntered back into the dense forest.
“Omigoddess!” She stepped into the house, closing the heavy door and leaned her back against it. “Familiar. The wolf… is my familiar.” If what just happened wasn’t a Goddess-given sign, she didn’t know what was.
As Breanna put the candles and other items away, she planned a ritual to thank the Goddess and the God. If the wolf joined her, then the deities would have spoken, her familiar will be set. In two weeks, it would be the new moon. Perfect! New moon, new beginnings.
Brea lit her kitchen candle and whispered thanks to the Goddess. The flame danced upon the white pillar candle in a merry shiver. She added a sprinkle of rosemary to expel any negativity and for protection, as well as purification. And, of course, its spicy scent.
She would perform the ritual in the clearing under the stars. All the better for her wolf to join her. We shall see, but her intuitive powers told her it would be so.
For now, first thing in the morning I’ve an herb garden to create. She went about gathering her tools and then sat to plan her herb garden setup.
****
High above, the sikkqui stared through black avian eyes at the scene which played out below. It stretched its ebony wings and refolded them as it watched the witch step into the cottage and shut the door. It tilted its head, called out a screeching cry and lit off its perch. It glided higher and higher, circled once, then moved away.
Hauntings in the Garden, Volume One Page 20