Wolf Ridge- Complete Series

by Jayne Hawke

  Skylar didn’t look at or acknowledge Amy.

  “How did it get there?” Skylar asked.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Only Morrigan witches have stepped foot in this house,” I said pointedly.

  Skylar chewed on her bottom lip and wrapped her hands around her cup of fresh coffee.

  “He must be using non-witches,” she said distractedly.

  That sounded as though things were getting even more complicated.

  “How would we know who he was using?” I asked.

  “They’d bear a mark,” Amy said.

  “Like a tattoo?” I asked.

  Amy rocked her hand back and forth.

  “Sort of.”

  “It’ll be small, likely a snake. It could be a piece of jewelry they never take off, though,” Skylar said.

  “You seem to know a lot about this,” Amy said.

  Skylar raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m the Morrigan’s warrior, hunting down those who break the laws is my calling.”

  “Now say it like you mean it,” Amy challenged.

  “Stay focused,” Cole growled.

  “They’ll have targeted Rosalyn because she’s a guardian. Guardians are dangerous and capable of getting in the way of nefarious plans.”

  “Did you seriously just say ‘nefarious’?” Amy asked with a laugh.

  Cole smirked but hid it by taking a sip of his coffee.

  Skylar sighed.

  “I believe the blood witches are working with the Apophis witch. I’m not sure why yet, but, if I’m right, then one or both will be targeting garou. Alpha Loxwood, specifically, is in great danger.”

  “I can look after myself,” Cole said.

  “Not against this kind of magic, you can’t,” Skylar said.

  Cole growled and Skylar held his gaze.

  The witch was growing on me.

  “I will speak to my goddess about putting some protections up on the house,” Amy said.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “So what do we do about all of this?” Cole demanded.

  “I believe I have an idea where the blood witches will perform their next sacrifice, but I was hoping that Rosalyn’s guardian instincts could confirm it for me.”

  I held back a groan. Those wonderful instincts that I hadn’t developed yet.

  “Her instincts were bound,” Amy said.

  Skylar looked down at the box.

  “Were. Now they’re not.”

  The pressure was mounting. I needed to dig those instincts out and step up into this guardian role. There were lives at stake, it was now or never.

  44

  WE HAD MOVED TO THE living room for a little comfort. Cole sat next to me, with Amy in front of me and Skylar watching from the comfort of an armchair.

  “Look deep inside of yourself. You are the guardian. It’s in there,” Amy said in a soothing tone that made me want to strangle her.

  I knew she was trying to help, but the calm hippie stuff was making everything worse. The guardian was in there like the wolf, but I was clueless about how to bring it out. We couldn’t afford to waste time meditating, we should have been out there kicking blood witch ass.

  After an hour of peaceful guided meditation, I was no further along than I had been at the beginning. I was just more uptight and in need of a good run in my wolf form.

  “Why don’t you and Alpha Loxwood-” Skylar started.

  “Call him Cole,” I said.

  Skylar smirked.

  “Why don’t you and Cole go for a run; Amy and I will try and pin down the location of the blood witches.”

  I hated the feeling of being sent away while the witches did the hard work, but it made sense. And I did really need to run.

  THINGS WERE WEIRD BETWEEN us as we ran in our wolf forms. Cole remained close and initiated play through small shoves and nips. I wanted to join in and relax into it, but I couldn’t get Natasha or the blood witches out of my head. We pushed ourselves to run faster until we were panting and needed to lay out on the cool earth. Cole lay behind me with his head on my shoulder. I could feel him waiting for me to say something, the almost physical pressure was squeezing my chest.

  “I need to know what’s going on with Natasha,” I said through our mind link.

  Cole sighed and gently nipped my ear.

  “There is an old tie there. I’m... obligated to help her. We are from very old bloodlines, and that makes us bound by politics and history.”

  “That doesn’t excuse her having her hands all over you,” I growled.

  He stood, leaving me feeling cold and alone.

  “It’s complicated, Rosalyn.”

  “Uncomplicate it.”

  “She can provide a real pack.”

  I felt as though he’d driven a pick through my heart. The air was driven from my lungs as the words rattled around my mind over and over. I should have known a turned wouldn’t be good enough for him.

  45

  WE SHIFTED BACK TO our human form at the edge of the back yard. Cole took my lower arm and pushed me back against the nearest tree. I bared my teeth, snarling at him. He’d made his feelings quite clear and I’d be moving out as soon as I could. Damn him and his prejudices.

  “Rosalyn,” he said in a cool calm tone.

  That only infuriated me further. He pinned my hands back behind me before I could hit him as I’d planned.

  “Listen to me,” he said softly.

  “I’ve heard enough,” I growled.

  “I care about you.”

  “But.”

  He sighed.

  “I grew up with a pack. Wolves of my bloodline. I was surrounded by my fellow garou. That was all snatched away from me by the blood witches. Natasha can give me that again.”

  “And I can’t,” I said struggling against him.

  Small creases formed around his eyes and a delicate frown tugged at his mouth.

  “I am torn between my head and my heart,” he whispered.

  I swallowed hard as I realised the implications of his words.

  “Rosalyn, we have something! Come on, we’ll see if taking these witches down will bring out your instincts,” Skylar called.

  Cole released me before he leaned in and brushed his lips over mine.

  “My behaviour with Natasha is a means to an end. I always choose my heart,” he whispered in my ear before he stepped back.

  An explosion of butterflies formed in my stomach and I walked away feeling everything at once. Irritated that he hadn’t made things clearer sooner, excited that he did care about me, upset that once again I developing feelings for a man that refused to just be straight-forward.

  “Skylar, I’m going with you,” Cole said.

  “No. The risk is too great. And I’m ‘Sky’.”

  Cole growled.

  She rolled her eyes at him.

  “Don’t pull the big bad alpha on me. You’re their main target. Be a good boy, sit, and stay,” Sky said.

  I covered my mouth to hold back the laughter. I didn’t need to see Cole’s face to see the fury there.

  SKY REFUSED TO STEP foot in my old Mustang. I was deeply offended by her distrust of my poor old car. That meant I had to squeeze into her little Japanese car. Sure it was reliable, and it cornered better than my Mustang could dream of, but it was small, and the engine didn’t even think about rumbling. I was not a convert.

  The music Sky chose could use some work too. I thought of myself as reasonably open-minded, but her playlist bounced between modern country, to old classic rock, back to top of the charts pop, and around some more. I had no idea what to expect next and really missed my nice familiar music.

  “The witches are right on the edge of your territory. They might have been scoping the place out, checking for Cole’s routine and weaknesses. Have you seen any sign of that?” Sky asked.

  I crossed my arms and shot an unamused look at her. The idea that I’d have missed some shady old Aztec scoping the place
out got my hackles up.

  “There haven’t been any new scents or tracks. I’m not entirely incompetent,” I growled.

  Sky shook her head.

  “So they’re likely doing it from a distance then. Do you know any witches capable of laying down wards? Amy is sweet and all, but, she’s not really the combat edition.”

  I glared at the witch. She had her moments of being cool, but as far as I was concerned Amy was pack, and I didn’t take kindly to someone being a dick about my pack.

  Sky sighed.

  “Look, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. That’s not something to be ashamed of. I won’t be as fast, strong, or able to catch scents the way you do. You’ll never handle weapons the way I do, and I’m sure Amy has some awesome skills too. So can we move past this growly wolf thing and get to the point?”

  I pushed my wolf side down and tried to focus.

  “No, I don’t know any other witches.”

  “That’s a pain, other witches don’t really deal with Morrigan witches. We’re enforcers; no one wants to be besties with a cop.”

  That made sense.

  “I’m confident this is their main base right now. We’ll go in hard and fast. Kill them before they can get a ritual or sacrifice in place and then figure out their ties to the Apophis witch.”

  I could feel myself being dragged into the Apophis witch mess.

  “How likely do you think it is that the Apophis witch will go after garou?”

  “Very.”

  I rolled my jaw and reminded myself this was what I’d signed up for. Sort of. This is what Valentin had signed me up for.

  “And they’re ridiculously dangerous?”

  Sky grinned at me.

  “The worst.”

  She was enjoying this hunt far too much.

  46

  THE NEAT LITTLE CABIN before us looked painfully innocent. The white walls were pristine with an elegant wraparound porch, and pale pink curtains framed the square windows. Soft blue flowers with large heads and silky soft petals sat in narrow flower beds, forming a corridor down towards the dark wooden door. It looked like something out of a perfect houses magazine. There wasn’t a single leaf out of place in the entire area.

  We’d parked half a mile away and hiked through the beautiful forest where the sun dappled the ground through the heavy canopy overhead. I swore even the trees were more beautiful with their golden-red bark and vibrant green leaves.

  Beneath that facade of beauty was a distinct feeling and scent of death. I had the sensation of walking over blood and bones despite the fact the ground looked clean and clear. I desperately wanted to sneeze and clear the dusty old skeleton scent from my nose. Pricking my ears, I heard movement inside, but I only caught one set of footsteps. We were sure there were three or four witches in this little coven.

  Sky had pulled a pair of swords from somewhere. One moment she’d been wearing jeans, shirt, no sheaths or blades on show. The next, she had a pair of swords in her hands and was staring intently at the cabin.

  “I’ll go in the back door, you the front. Don’t let her touch you. Not with a blade, and certainly not with her teeth.”

  “Wait, she’s going to bite!?”

  I knew it was a bit absurd to be horrified by that given my propensity to bite as a wolf, but the feeling of horror remained.

  “Potentially. Do not let her touch your blood in any way.”

  “Got it.”

  Keep the awful blood witch away from my blood. I could do that.

  Sky continued through the woods to the back door, leaving me to cross the wide open space to the front door. The only way I was getting there without the witch seeing me was pure dumb luck. Rolling my shoulders, I allowed my wolf side forward and made a run for it. My knives were in my hands by the time I reached the porch. A shout came from within the cabin and I kicked the front door open. It seemed like a badass move at the time.

  The interior of the cabin was sparse, verging on barren, which meant less furniture to try and manoeuvre around. The floors were smooth and splattered with dark red. The smell of rotting death filled the space making me want to gag. I pushed forward through the square living area into the back of the cabin where I heard soft whispers.

  The witch had formed a circle of entrails and old congealed blood around herself. The smell was overwhelming. I did my best to breathe through my mouth and try to get a look around the room for potential complications. Sky had burst through the door and was wearing what I could only describe as her war face. Her expression was one of pure cold viciousness. She paused and narrowed her eyes at the mess surrounding the witch. The whispering began to pick up pace, and I did what I had to do.

  Knives in hand, I jumped over the bloody mess on the floor and landed in front of the startled witch. Her leathery skin was surprisingly smooth given the age shining from her eyes. Pitch black hair had been left long, tumbling down her back in a thick cascade of darkness. Her clothing was old fashioned with small bones woven into the edges of the vest thing. Blood stained the cuffs of her loose shirt and coated her bare feet.

  Something prickled against my skin. My blood rose and pressed against the edges of my being. Instincts I didn’t know I had kicked in and something formed around me like a second skin. The witch let out a banshee wail of anger before she lunged at me with a savage knife almost as wide as her wrist with wicked serration down one side. I bent away from her swing and tried not to slip on the bloody floor.

  “Break the circle!” Sky shouted.

  I really didn’t want that mess on my favourite boots.

  The witch lunged at me again. Her knife sliced through something half an inch above my skin and I lost all track of the world around me. Everything went quiet as I understood what a risk she was to my people. My focus was absolute as time slowed just a fraction. Enough for me to see the small hand motion the witch made with her free hand and the soft bubbles in the blood filling the jar on the nearby countertop.

  Ducking beneath the witch’s arm, I marvelled at the calm serenity of the moment. There was nothing but the certainty that I could keep my fellow garou safe. My body moved with incredible precision and efficiency as I watched my knife slice the witch’s wrist open. Ducking down, I pushed my boot through the circle knowing that I needed Sky’s magic to help me break the spell the witch had been working. The blood would break through whatever was protecting me soon. I could feel the slender slices the magic was making in the protective layer.

  Sky was brutal. She moved around to put the witch between us. I was surprised at how well we worked together. Sky kept the witch trapped while I moved in low and cut her open, making carefully chosen cuts on her wrists, stomach, and lower legs. Something within me knew that I needed to make her blood run before we killed her. A knowledge that I couldn’t usually access was right there within my mind, if only I could pull back the black curtain.

  The witch lowered her shoulders and tried to tackle me to the ground. I spun away from her. My foot began to slip out from under me on the blood. Something shifted within me, an awareness of my balance I hadn’t had before. My body moved of its own accord, allowing me to remain upright and land the killing blow that broke the witch’s neck.

  “I knew you’d find that guardian magic within you,” Sky said with a grin.

  The calm distance faded away, leaving me feeling confused and a little lost. I’d been right there the entire time, but it was as though I’d been riding in my body watching from within myself.

  Sky ran her sword through the blood on the floor, forming clear lines within it so the circle was entirely broken.

  “I’ll call in a clean-up crew,” she said.

  I had no idea they existed. Leaning back against the counter, I shook my head trying to remove the feeling of not quite belonging in my own body. Wriggling my fingers, everything suddenly snapped into place and I could think clearly again.

  This guardian thing was not as advertised.

  47

 
WE SCOUTED OUT THE cabin for some sign of what the witches were planning and where. There were four bedrooms total, each in use, which told us there were three more witches out there. Cupboards were full of old congealed blood. The fridge was a mix of every cheese under the sun, and entrails.

  I felt as though I needed to every inch of myself to remove the vile magic and scent from my everything. We picked up a couple of small stones and a similar wooden box to the one that had been left under my bed. Once we were closer to the car, I breathed in the scent of the box and caught the same sandy scent that had been there on mine. Nothing of the witches though; it looked as though they’d taken a car and given us nothing to work with.

  “That box and this,” Sky held up the jar of golden sand with a dead snake in the middle, “shows they’re working with the Apophis witch.”

  “That’s... great?”

  She smiled.

  “It is. It means I was right and can continue helping you with the blood witches.”

  I had to admit, she had been helpful thus far. She tucked her stolen trinkets into the glove box of her car and turned on the eclectic mix of music before we headed back home.

  Closing my eyes, I searched within myself trying to track down the edges of the guardian state I’d entered into. It was such a bizarre feeling, I wanted to know how to control it.

  “I’d heard that guardians were immune to magic but it was really cool seeing it in action,” Sky said.

  “Hm?”

  “Didn’t you feel it? The way her magic bounced off you?”

  “I’m immune to all magic?”

  I opened my eyes to see Sky wrinkle her nose.

  “I think so? I think it’s on a time limit, though. You’re still a garou so you have a finite amount of magic, and that type of shield is really magic intensive.”

  “So am I supposed to have a timer in my head or...?”

  Sky laughed.

  “You tell me.”

  “I felt weird during the fight...”

  “Kind of separate from yourself? Like you were there but not?”