by Linda Wisdom
“No!” Stasi perched on the chair arm and hugged her tightly. “You’re the best friend a witch could have.”
“I just don’t understand it.” Blair absently reached down to scratch her ankle. “Ow!” she yelped, jerking back her hand, then snarled at Puff. “You bit me, you little shit!” Puff growled back.
Stasi soothed Blair’s wound with a healing spell. “Behave yourselves,” she chided the slippers-turned-tattoo. She turned back to her friend, clearly choosing her words carefully. “I know the attraction between the two of you is there,” she said slowly. “But maybe that’s not enough. What if now it has something to do with Roan moving up here? Maybe Jake has a good reason for keeping you at arm’s length.” She paused. “When he’s not kissing you senseless, that is.”
“I think he only did it to shut me up. I was asking him if he knew why Roan came up here and bought the resort.” Blair pulled her pillow out from behind her back and hugged it against her middle. “And why he’s no longer with his Pack.”
“So he kissed you. The male sex was designed to make us nuts.”
“Trev doesn’t make you nuts.”
“He irritated me plenty when I first met him, especially when I had to look at those red hearts all the time after Cupid cursed us with them to show we were soul mates. Thank the Fates Cupid finally took the hearts away, or I’d be more than just irritated with them.” Stasi looked around. “Wow, you did a great job cleaning around here. Temper tantrums seem to have their positive side.”
“It was that or look up the worst oozing rash spell I could conjure up,” Blair said testily. “I’m beginning to reconsider my choice.”
“So let’s backtrack here. Fluff and Puff jumped to your ankle because they didn’t want to go river rafting with Jazz and Nick. Irma now has a boyfriend and is staying here, and you had a fight with Jake. Then Jake kissed you, which made you even more angry with him, which turned you into mega-cleaning witch. Is that everything or have I missed something?”
“Isn’t that enough?” Blair tossed her pillow to the floor and stood up. She started to rub one ankle against the other until she remembered Fluff and Puff wouldn’t appreciate it and knew how to retaliate.
“The Fae haven’t returned, have they?” Phinneas spoke up. “Could that be upsetting your young man?”
“They’re well and truly gone,” Blair assured him.
“Good. Nasty creatures, them. They wanted us gone, you know. They knew once we were all banished, the townspeople would feel our loss. As time went on, with no sense of connection to the past, their descendants would gradually desert the town. I don’t think you realize how much the living still feel the presence of the dearly departed and how much solace they draw from that. Without it, the need to relocate can be strong. In their quest to have the land to themselves, those Fae tried to make sure all of that would happen.”
“The Fae never admitted that,” Blair said, surprised by his revelation.
“One of the ladies of my realm overheard them talking. It seemed the bakery they had made their headquarters used to be a mercantile in her lifetime. She liked returning there to relive old memories. Lovely girl. Of course, she’s nothing like you, dear.” He smiled and patted Irma’s hand. She literally glowed under his attention.
“I may be sick,” Blair muttered. She got up and headed for the kitchen, where she pulled two cans of Diet Coke out of the refrigerator.
“Eurydice needs to know this about what the Fae had planned,” Stasi said, following her. She took the second can and pulled a couple of glasses out of the cabinet. “For all we know, they could try it elsewhere.”
“I’ll leave that less-than-pleasant task to you. She likes you better.” Blair would never admit it, but the head of the Witches’ Council and headmistress of the Witches’ Academy scared the ever-living crap out of her. Conversely, the head witch generally looked upon Stasi with favor. Stasi had been her star pupil—before their whole class got expelled into the mortal realm, of course.
“I’ll contact her later tonight, then.” Stasi sipped her drink. “As for the Were, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“I don’t know, Brain, do wolves really pretend to be sheep?” Blair quipped, falling back on their habit of quoting from the animated series Pinky and the Brain.
“Goof. From what Roan said that night at the meeting, he’s discovered we own a lot of the land around here.”
“Meaning he has good lawyers who will dig for that info. It’s not like we hide the fact.” She paused. “Well, okay, in a sense we do, since Ebenezer Sneed handles all that,” she amended. Mr. Sneed was the wizard financial manager who oversaw their portfolio. “And he’s very protective of his clients, so he wouldn’t willingly reveal any details.”
“The resort’s main land holdings are devoted to the ski runs, and no matter what, I can’t see them leveling the runs. Would they really want to move up here to a tourist area, even if it is remote? Packs need plenty of land for their hunts…”
“He seems to think he can make us an offer we can’t refuse,” Blair said wryly.
“True.”
Blair nodded. “So why hasn’t he approached us directly?”
“Maybe he’s waiting for the right time. He couldn’t exactly start discussing business that night. Plus, he’ll be around a lot because of the carnival. He’ll look for our weak points, then he’ll move in for the kill.” Stasi winced as she realized the significance of the last word. “Sorry about that.”
“We don’t really have any weak points.” Blair mentally leafed through her favorite revenge spell book. She always liked to be prepared.
Stasi was equally deep in thought. “Maybe he has a mate. If so, she might stop in the shop and turn out to be talkative.”
Blair jumped up and went over to the phone, quickly punching in numbers. She smiled. “Agnes, hi, it’s Blair. When do you think the committee will want to get together and look over the lake to figure out where to place the booths? Well, what about noon tomorrow? And you’ll call Roan? Terrific!” She paused, her smile slipping a bit. “You did what? When did you call them? Uh, Agnes, it’s never a good idea for a human to deal with the preternatural community unless they know what they’re doing. No, of course, I don’t doubt your people skills, but we’re not exactly talking people here. Who did you call?” She looked at Stasi with a panicked expression while keeping her voice calm. “All right. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up and stared at Stasi in mute horror.
“Fine, a meeting at noon tomorrow, but what was the rest of that about?” Stasi asked.
“Agnes contacted Mickey Boggs to hire elves for the carnival.”
“Not him!”
Blair nodded.
“We have to stop her. He’s the worst you can deal with.”
“She already signed a contract, and his contracts are always ironclad, even for mortals.”
Stasi closed her eyes. “Oh no! If he can’t find elves for her, he could send anything up here.”
“Well, if nothing else, what Agnes did has gotten my mind off Jake.” Blair was lying and Stasi knew it, but it still made her feel better.
***
Blair spent the evening on the Internet researching Jake’s Pack, and what she read didn’t make her feel any better.
“This is a large Pack,” she told Stasi after viewing the information on the website accessible to the supernatural community only. “That’s probably why they’re looking for new territory. I wonder how they’d feel about relocating to the Rockies or Sierra Nevada?”
“Who’s that?” Stasi was standing behind her and reached over her shoulder to point at a formal photograph of a striking silver-haired woman who looked to be in her sixties and the gray-haired man next to her. They could feel immense power emanating from the screen.
Blair felt her jaw drop. “It says her name is Vera and she’s the Pack Alpha female. She’s the woman who came in asking for a revenge spell against her son!” There was something about
the woman’s eyes that niggled at the back of her mind. “And that’s Baxter, the Alpha. I do not get these family relationships.”
“She looks like a true bitch.” Stasi giggled at her pun.
“She could be more than that,” Blair said thoughtfully. “Too bad we weren’t able to purchase the resort property years ago.”
“But we own enough property that if Roan thinks he can expand their hunting grounds, he’ll soon find out it won’t be possible,” Stasi reminded her.
“No kidding.” Blair shut down the computer and closed the top.
“Perhaps Phinneas and I could go up to the resort and see what’s happening,” Irma suggested, materializing in their midst with her arm looped through the Professor’s. Her cheeks were bright pink and Blair really didn’t want to speculate on why.
“I explained to dear Irma that it would be very easy to pop up there,” the former charlatan medicine man explained. “I’ve actually done it a few times. Why, have I ever told you the story about the time when I—”
“Go for it,” Blair told them and a second later they winked out of sight. “Maybe we can keep them busy and out of our hair.”
“I’d rather hope they’ll discover something,” Stasi said.
Blair cocked her head to one side as a faint sound came from outside. She went to the kitchen door and opened it, stepping out onto the landing.
The Border Collie sat at the bottom of the stairs with ears cocked up.
“What? After acting like such an idiot, you think I’ll invite you up?” Blair exclaimed.
The dog yipped once and lifted a paw in entreaty.
“Please, pathetic is so not your look.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. She wasn’t about to make it easy for him.
He bobbed the paw up and down and cocked his head to one side.
“I’m mad at you!” Blair declared fiercely, trying desperately not to smile.
“If anyone overhears you they’ll wonder why you’re talking to the dog as if he understands you,” Stasi murmured from behind her. “Come on up, puppy.”
He looked toward Blair, obviously waiting for her to issue the invitation.
“Great, you’re willing to come in when you’re a dog,” she muttered. “Just don’t expect me to brush you.”
As he loped up the stairs, he flashed her a doggy grin and moved into the kitchen.
“And stay off my bed!” She followed him in.
“Did you ever stop to think maybe we can find a way to get him to talk about Roan and Vera?” Stasi whispered. A canine growl from the kitchen gave her her answer. “Or not.”
***
“Damn dog slept on the bed anyway,” Blair muttered as she and Stasi held on to their travel mugs of coffee while they took the path to the lake. “It took a whole lint roller to get the fur off the bedspread. I know he’s just getting back at me for zapping him.”
“It seems he deals with you better when he’s a dog than when he’s in human form,” Stasi commented. “Do you think there’s therapy for that? Hmm, would you see a psychologist for humans or for pets?”
“Ha ha, so funny. Not.” As they approached the lake, they could see the small group of people walking around part of the lake’s perimeter.
Blair sensed Roan’s power the minute she and Stasi entered the clearing. And she was in no doubt the Were was using it to his advantage to charm Agnes and her tittering friends who flocked around him.
“It’s like leading lambs to the slaughter,” she muttered, lifting her mug for a sip of coffee and purposely turning away. She didn’t need to look to know the moment Roan approached her because his power rolled in front of him like a strong wave.
“Good morning, Blair, Stasi.” His smile was too wide and white for Blair’s taste. She didn’t miss that he was casually dressed today, even if his jeans bore a designer label. His charcoal wool sweater flattered his broad shoulders and she was positive that dirt wouldn’t dare mar the polished surface of his black leather boots. Ordinarily, seeing a man like that would have had her drooling big time, but nowadays she realized that a guy who got down and dirty was more her style.
And there’s Mr. loves-to-relax-by-picking-a-fight-with-a-coyote now.
Her gaze drifted right beyond Roan to Jake, who had joined Agnes’s group.
Jake looked her way, then briefly glanced at Roan. His eyes darkened and seemed to bore right through him. For a second he raised his head, his nostrils flexed as he scented the air. He reluctantly turned his attention back to Agnes when she laid her hand on his arm.
“What’s going on between you and Jake?” Roan’s words were more a demand than a question.
None of your damn business. “Why don’t you ask Jake?” He can tell you he’s slept in my bed more than once and one day chewed my favorite slippers. She smothered her smile at the muffled dangerous rumbling sounds from Fluff and Puff inside her high-heeled boots. It appeared they weren’t any fonder of the Were than she was.
The Were didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t pursue the subject, either. He looked down at the ground.
“You might want to tell your little fuzzy friends that they’d make a tasty snack.”
Blair almost fell on her ass when her right leg started to lift upward with intent to do damage to the Were. It took all of her willpower to keep it planted firmly on the ground.
“They don’t respond well to threats.”
“Who said it was a threat?” Abruptly, he changed the subject. “Whoever handles your financial affairs is very skillful at hiding your ownership of the surrounding land,” he commented, turning to gaze at the lake and the trees beyond. “Is there any reason why?”
“Probably because we like to keep our private business just that… private,” Blair replied. “And if you found out even a little, it means you have people performing illegal activities. I don’t like people digging into my life.”
His smile wasn’t the least bit pleasant. “There’s nothing wrong with asking if particular parcels of land are for sale. Even if your people say the land isn’t for sale at any price.”
Now Blair’s suspicions were running high. “That’s right.”
Roan turned back to her and speared her with his dark eyes. A wave of something feral washed over her as his eyes flashed a hint of yellow. “There are those who would pay handsomely for land like this.”
“If they have that kind of money, they can find their land elsewhere.” Blair momentarily bared her teeth. She might not have fangs, but she could push back, too, and she was more than willing. Stasi walked up behind her and offered up enough serenity that Blair could keep her power under control, although she noticed that Stasi’s hold was tenuous.
Roan’s power started to press at her, and she instinctively drove back hard enough that he almost lost his balance. She wanted to smile when she saw the banked fury in his eyes. Good. Let the wolf know the witch wouldn’t bow to his will. Her blue-green eyes glowed with determination and she was prepared to stare him down, even as she reminded herself that could be a fatal mistake with a predator.
“Stop it, both of you.” Jake’s command barely broke through their silent battle. When they ignored him, he stepped between them and broke the energy that crackled in the air. Roan’s glare sliced through Jake and his growl demanded Jake give in to his power. But Jake held his ground, returning his gaze with equal darkness.
Roan’s lips tipped briefly upward. “Well, well, well, the whelp has developed some balls.”
“This isn’t your territory, Roan,” Jake said softly but with equal menace. “You are on Blair and Stasi’s turf, and you will treat it as such.”
“Not for long, whelp. Don’t mess with me. Things have changed since you ran off. We’re not all in agreement where you’re concerned.” Roan turned and returned to Agnes and her group.
Blair exhaled a deep breath that she didn’t even know she’d been holding.
“I really don’t like him,” she muttered.
“What
part of don’t mess with a powerful Were don’t you understand?” Jake looked ready to take a bite out of her himself. “I’m sure they taught that at the Witches’ Academy, or did you miss that class? Don’t you realize how dangerous your actions were? He has enough power in one paw to snap you like a twig!”
“I’d like to see him try.” Blair sounded more confident than she felt. The first thing she had done was take stock of Roan’s power, but she also knew she could conjure up a hell of a mange spell once she got back to her workroom. Her mind was already busily sorting through what ingredients she would need to make Roan’s condition as miserable as possible. She always believed in conjuring her revenge spells for maximum effect.
Jake stuck his face in hers. “Didn’t you hear me? Don’t even think what you were mentally spelling,” he ground out.
“I was not!”
“You were so. Magick was sparking all over you.”
Blair looked at Stasi, who nodded. “You were starting to turn into a magickal fireworks display.”
“I wasn’t thinking of a harmful spell, just one that would turn him all ugly and miserable. And he’d have to be shaved and use a nasty smelling medicinal shampoo.”
“And he’d report you to the Witches’ Council so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you.” Jake kept his voice low, even though they all knew Roan could easily hear them. “I may be out of the Pack, but I am still aware of what goes on there. Roan is one of the most powerful Weres on this continent, which is why he’s heir to the Alpha. He could tear you apart with a single thought.”
“No one pushes us around,” Stasi told him with the same ferocity. “And if anyone knows that, you do.”
“Yes, I know what you’re capable of, and I’m sure Roan is, too. He has the resources to find out anything he wants, and right now he’s focusing on you. And Roan is aware of everything I do.” Jake’s dark eyes flared with a fire that instantly warmed her, then just as quickly cooled. “Don’t toy with him, Blair. You’ll only get hurt.”
She met his eyes, refusing to look away. “I’m already hurt.” Her words were nothing more than a breath in the air.