Over the past year, I’d led many cases with the guidance of my mentor…and I’d won every one of them. Now I was being groomed to lead one of the few law firms in the country that served the shifter population in both domestic and international affairs. Those that knew me were already aware that the number of cases I’d won was just as great as the rumors going around about the number of hearts I’d broken. I didn’t spend a lot of time countering those rumors. In that respect, my energy was better spent winning court cases.
When I was seventeen years old, my brother Damon had been pushed off a mountain and left for dead. Someone had murdered him before he could claim the Alpha title. It was a designation he never wanted. He had never been the outspoken type and preferred solitude instead of Pack company. When he was alive, many of our people had called him naive. He was kind and trusted almost everyone. That’s what made him happy. But if there was one thing that I learned from Damon and his untimely passing, it was that I should always guard my heart. I’d lost a lot of friends because I was too skeptical, and I’d ended a lot of relationships for fear of losing my heart, but I’d seen too many of our kind slain at the hands of people they once loved.
I was yanked from my thoughts by a noise Dr. Markham made on his desk.
“I’m glad you’re giving it some thought before you jump into anything,” he said.
I nodded, knowing full well that my mind had drifted off to other things. “We’ll talk more about it later.” I excused myself and rose from the chair.
On the way out, a painting resting on a stand near the console table caught my eye. Would I now be drawn to every painting I passed, wondering whom the mysterious woman was who had shown up at my party?
I paused in front of the abstract painting of a barren tree on a blue background with an image of a fading sun in the top right corner. I leaned in closer to inspect it and thought I saw a signature, but the thick frame blocked the letters.
“Dr. Markham?” I called out.
“Uh-hum…”
I could tell he had pulled out some work already.
“Where’d you get this painting?”
There was a long pause. “It belonged to Shea.”
Shea had been his human wife. Dr. Markham was now a widower. I hated to press for more information given the circumstances, but the coincidences were too alarming.
“Do you know where she got it?”
“After she…left, I found it in a closet in her home office and brought it here. She had many of them hanging on the walls in our home. Most of them are from flea markets, but I do believe she purchased this one for a couple hundred dollars from an artist north of town.”
I spun around. “An artist? Do you mean a painter?”
“Yeah, same difference, right?”
“Do you have the name of the painter?”
Dr. Markham smiled. “I didn’t take you as the type to be interested in the arts, Dawson.”
“Well, this one looks the same as the one I have back at the old Caedmon mansion and I just wanted to be sure.”
“There’s a shop in the downtown district. She went frequently, so maybe it’s still there. I don’t know who owns it. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t have a name. As you know, it’s been a while since my wife left.”
“It’s okay, Dr. Markham. I can figure it all out from here.”
Dr. Markham smiled. “Of course, you can. That’s what I like about you.”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I’ll email you some documents a little later this evening on the Montague case.”
“Sure thing.”
I sailed out of the office and through the corridors, flew past the grinning, flirting receptionist, and took three flights of stairs down to the parking lot. It took me less than sixty seconds to jump on my motorcycle, rev it up, and head to my destination: the downtown district.
Chapter Four
Alessia
Thirty minutes before closing, the UPS guy rolled into my studio with three big boxes of supplies. I was more than relieved since I’d been waiting for these things since last Thursday when my supplier had called to tell me the shipment would be delayed. I had two orders for commissioned oil paintings that needed to be done in less than three weeks and I couldn’t risk any more delays.
“Sign here.” Lawrence thrust a clipboard and pen at me. “I’ll roll these in the back for you. Any special place?”
“Right near my workbench.” I parted some black curtains and pointed to my workspace in the back of the store.
He wheeled the boxes where I directed him and piled them on a table. “Glad I caught you in time.” Lawrence had been delivering my packages for over a year. From the moment I’d first met him, I’d sensed a genuine spirit within him.
Sometimes my condition felt like a curse, and other times—like these—I appreciated learning who people truly were before I invested my time in them. I suppose that’s why I had very few friends. I never let any imposters in my life.
I scribbled my initials on the pad and handed it back.
“You’ve been closing up shop early over the past few days,” he said.
“That’s because it gets dark earlier and I like to be home before that happens.”
Lawrence smiled. “Oh, well, I better let you go so you can head out. Sundown is in thirty minutes.”
“Now that I have my stuff, I might stay a bit to get a head start on things. I’m way behind.” I walked him toward the door.
“Be careful. There are some strange things going on near the countryside. Night-time patrols are tight around this area since the residents demand it, but I wouldn’t be too trusting of anyone.”
I smiled. “I’m locking up now and closing the curtains. I’ll be fine.”
“Good.” Lawrence nodded. “I guess I’ll see you next time.”
Right after he’d left, I got straight to work. I despised clutter and disorder, so I put all the new supplies up in their designated places in the backroom before breaking down the boxes. By the time I was finished, almost an hour had passed.
I bundled up in my coat, grabbed the keys, and locked up the shop. As I made a beeline for my car, the night called to me and the moon beckoned. The pull was particularly strong tonight, so strong that I held my breath and kept my eyes down, focused on the pavement. I had this urge to unleash every emotion within me. I fought the impulse because I knew what would happen if I didn’t. My abilities had a tendency to manifest without much effort, taking me over at inappropriate times. I never revealed any of my unordinary abilities in public—only at home in secrecy and in my private spaces. Outside of my home, I painted, keeping my hands and attention on my work. My routine was rather mundane. The monotony surrounding my life had worked for many years, but something was happening to me. My abilities as an empath were getting stronger, sometimes too strong for me to subdue. Sometimes it felt like something or someone was after me…or maybe my gifts were taking on a life of their own.
The roar of a motorcycle intercepted my thoughts. I thought nothing of it at first. I didn’t find it odd that there would still be a few souls in the downtown district at this hour. The entire block consisted of shops and eateries mainly for tourists, but most of the shops closed around five o’clock. The policeman that patrolled the area didn’t tolerate after-hours loitering.
One motorist rode an approaching red motorcycle. Whoever it was still wore a helmet. Given the fact that they kept circling my car and me, I figured they weren’t there to shop.
My breath came out of me in a panic, fogging the chilly air in front of me. I quickened my pace, hoping that the person was a customer and would realize that all of the shops on this block had closed for the day.
Suddenly, the rider stopped right next to my white sports car, parked the bike, and tore off his helmet. I paused in my perusal when I realized that I was staring at the same blond-haired, blue-eyed man that had called me out at his party and, apparently, his home.
My mind screamed danger,
but my intuition tried to pull me closer. My pulse quickened and my skin electrified. I could no longer control the source of my emotions. Fear mixed with apprehension and panic.
He was less than ten yards away from me, but that didn’t stop me from reading him. And just as his spirit had revealed itself to me the night before, it revealed itself once again.
He was a wolf disguised as a man, but what scared me was that I couldn’t read his intentions. The aura of his wolf carried on the breeze toward me, and in that instant, I realized how conflicted he was. One part of him yelled peace, and another part screamed for revenge, as if he had two spirits residing inside of him. Still, there was something else about his scent, which I also picked up on the breeze. In the past, I had detected other wolf shifters without them realizing it. This wolf carried a strong, dominant scent. I didn’t know what that meant. I’d never had a wolf or man affect me the way this stranger did.
He must have mistaken my hesitation for acceptance because he placed his helmet on the seat of the bike and came toward me.
I didn’t know why this wolf had come for me, and I wasn’t certain I wanted to find out. This animal disguised as a man had done the exact same thing I had done to him—he’d profiled me. But he’d labeled me a witch. I knew I was different. But I was no witch. Was I?
My abilities were special and not to be shared with anyone, according to my dad. He’d said that people that weren’t like me would label me incorrectly, persecute me, and call me crazy.
I had been homeschooled for that reason. I’d never fit in with normal kids at any age, especially since other kids in my area came from two-parent households while I only had a dad. For the couple of years I did attend school, a lot of counselors had asked questions. Questions to which Dad didn’t have answers, and questions to which Dad didn’t want to provide an answer. It was easier to live a sheltered life. I didn’t want anyone to ask me questions either, but I wanted answers.
I couldn’t read the man who now approached me like prey. I didn’t trust people I couldn’t read.
I took several steps back and shook my head no, trying to ward the wolf off, but he came anyway.
“Don’t go. I only want to talk,” he said.
His voice was calm. His eyes were an arctic blue, staring directly at me. He had enchanted me before, but now he seemed to hold me here under his command. And if there was one thing that irritated me more than disorder, it was being cornered.
One quick glance behind me confirmed that I was only a few feet away from the stone walls in the right corner of the parking lot, with my car no longer situated in close proximity to me. I was at a disadvantage—between a wolf and a hard place.
As the stranger loomed and moved closer to me, I did what anyone with my abilities would do to prevent being kidnapped, or worse, killed. I used them. It took very little effort since all of my energy waited eagerly at the tips of my fingers. I gathered as much air as I could between the palms of my hands and then hurled a nearly invisible ball of force at him. He never saw it coming, of course, and it knocked him back more than a few feet. He stumbled clumsily to keep his balance, but never fell, which told me that he was much stronger than I was. Now that he knew what I could do, I knew that I had to escape before he took wolf form. If he were animal as I’d predicted, he’d be stronger as a wolf. I’d never seen any wolf shifter take his or her true form, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted tonight to be my first time.
When he looked at me again, his eyes glowed in the dark and took the shape of the wolf. His forehead creased in determination as he pushed forward once more, still in human form. I acted quickly, calling both wind and debris matter from the ground into my palms. I had used my abilities before, alone in my own backyard, but never against a person.
“Stay!” I ordered. “Or I’ll throw another one.”
He stopped and shook his head. “What are you?”
“What? You don’t remember? You called me a witch the other night. Have you changed your mind?” I asked. A dizzy spell crept up inside of me, alerting me that I was using too much energy all at once.
“But witches need spells to do what you are doing, no?” His lips turned downward.
I swallowed.
He nailed me again with his gaze. “Or did you recite something in your head?”
I didn’t know anything about spells. I didn’t know what the heck he was talking about.
“You have no idea, do you?” he asked.
How would I know all that? It was what I was trying to figure out. Should I tell him that I had no idea what the hell I was doing or why this condition had been a part of me all my life?
“What does it matter?” I replied. “If you take another step closer, I’ll use it.”
I brought my hands up to show him the ball of energy. This one was more visible than the last since it contained bits of rocks, pebbles, and other shards of debris. If thrown with the right amount of force, the ball could cause severe damage to a man. I had already seen what it could do to the trees and target boards I practiced on.
“Why would you want to do that? I won’t hurt you,” he said.
“That’s what you say now, but I know what you are. How can I be sure that you have complete control over that animal inside of you?” My throat tightened as I focused on my target.
“You don’t actually see an animal anywhere, do you? I have two arms, two legs…just like you. Maybe you’re not a real witch at all and are just pretending to be.” His tone grew in harshness as he laid down each accusation. “Did someone send you after me? To strip me of my wolf spirit? Is that what this is about? Is someone holding a grudge?”
“You have the spirit of a wolf, so yes, I do see it. I don’t know why or how.” I could see the spirit surrounding him, more now that he was closer. “About your other claims, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What’s your name?”
His question came out more like a command. He looked at me as if he was sure I would give him what he wanted. Even though I had never been in any relationship long enough to understand what really motivated men like him, I was wary of his type. From the moment I’d seen him, I’d estimated that his ego was probably bigger than his brains. Yet, I couldn’t be certain.
Never trust anyone. I had and would always heed Dad’s warnings.
“I don’t know how you found me here. I was headed out when you rode up, so unless you can handle what I’ve got, I suggest you move so I can leave.”
He grinned and his eyes seemed to light up even more. “Just in case you forgot, you came to me first and used whatever magic you possess or were given in my house. And dismantled a frame.”
“I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come there,” I said. “I was looking for something, okay?”
His eyebrows arched. “For what?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but I shut it again quickly. My arms were growing weak as the energy ball drained me in an attempt to grow stronger. My ability to hold onto it waned. I was going to have to make a choice: use the force on my intended target or absorb it.
If I absorbed it all, I wasn’t sure I had enough strength left in me to create another. Without immediate access to my abilities, I knew I was already at a disadvantage compared to the strength of the man standing in front of me. The man with the wolf spirit could transform at any moment. If my dreams rang true, he could shift into animal form and be twice as big as some of the black bears sighted by adventurers roaming the Virginia mountains.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” he urged again, inching closer.
“I wasn’t looking for a wolf,” I said. I felt as though my feet had left the ground, but then I realized that the blinding pressure building inside of me had caused my light-headedness.
Why did I have these abilities if I couldn’t use them correctly? If I wanted to, I could’ve killed this man on the spot. All I had to do was hurl the force at his head or his heart. The thought of me planning his demise si
ckened me. I didn’t want to be that person—the type of person who excelled by destroying others.
“Then what are you after?” he asked. “I might be able to help you.”
I laughed nervously. “No one can help me. I see mostly darkness now where there used to be light. I don’t even know why I’m like this.”
He eyed me curiously. He almost looked worried.
“There’s a reason why,” he said, his gaze roaming over me slowly. “People don’t just end up the way you are by mistake. If your powers are legit…”
“Obviously. You’re still questioning the realness of all of this? Does it look like I would make this shit up?” A harsh wind pushed forward and I used it to strengthen my energy ball.
I thought I saw a tinge of fear reflected in his gaze. He even stepped back a couple of feet.
I hadn’t known until recently how much my abilities could really affect a man. My fingers shook and my energy level continued to fall. “Do you think someone intentionally made me this way?”
The bridge of his nose wrinkled and he shook his head slowly. “No. Not with that type of magic. But I still can’t be sure. There’s something off about you…”
His words drifted off and I couldn’t fight the sudden bout of nausea that flooded me. When I fainted, I didn’t hit the pavement. Instead, I fell against soft skin and muscle mass. The scent of cedar and citrus calmed me. The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes was the color change in his. The icy blue was now clouded over by a mist of red. It was then that I sensed the other side of his spirit—the side hell-bent on revenge.
Chapter Five
Dawson
Just moments after I had lain the witch down in one of the lounge chairs inside of her art gallery, she came to, rubbed at her eyes, and sat up. Strands of her hair were stuck to her face, which was damp from a light sheen of perspiration. She must have overexerted herself quite a bit. It wasn’t the first time I had seen a witch in action, but this was the first time I had ever gotten so close to one.
Wolf's Temptation (Caedmon Wolves Book 7) Page 3