Hexed Hearts

by Becca Vincenza

  He let out an annoyed sigh.

  “I thought we were done with this. I will not stop coming for you, Colette. You can run all you want, but I will always find you.”

  I was sure that he could, and that he would. I didn’t know the extent of what Jackson had told Hunter. I didn’t know that Hunter would still want me after knowing everything. Even I was still trying to take it all in. During my time on the run, I was still running from my past, my parents, accepting the death I helped bring about.

  “Hunter,” I was looking down I couldn’t look him in the eye. He pushed my head up and searched my eyes. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he waited as I gathered my courage. “I am not just part wolf. I wasn’t held hostage by the witches to be used for some sort of spell, but the head of their Coven intended to use me as part of a dark ritual, and she was my mother.

  “I am part witch.”

  I thought I could make it. I thought I could look him in the eyes as I watched the hatred fill them, but I couldn’t so I looked away. Hunter leaned down turning my head back, pressing a kiss to my lips. It was soft, so different from what we shared last night. I looked up at him confused.

  “I know. Griffin told me what you were when you went missing.”

  “And you still came after me?”

  He had been chasing after me for all that time.

  “I’ll always come for you. I don’t know how else to explain this to you Colette. I’m in love with you. I have been since I first met you. I love all of you.”

  I cried for about an hour afterwards. Hunter held me the whole time and never said a word. Between sobs, I told him the story, what my mother had told me, what she had been planning. I wasn’t sure if he had heard all this already, but I had to tell him myself. I had to let it out.

  He listened silently. I sat with my back to his chest. Whispers of kisses reminded me the entire time I was loved by him. I told him about the diaries and the Grimore. I also told him I had decided to burn them, but I hadn’t brought myself to do it just yet. I was scared that once I did, I would lose any hope of finding the mother I truly wanted.

  Hunter stayed quiet during that, too. He let me talk about everything. He was there for me. I needed that more than I needed anything. Once I finally managed pulled myself together, I turned to him. I steered the conversation back to him. What had happened in the meantime, and if Griff and him had been looking for me all this time, and what had kept them.

  “The night you were taken, I was ready to track you down, and the witches that took you. When I arrived home, Jude told me what Damien had planned on doing, he had thought that Damien went through with the plan and that a rouge had taken you. I lost all control after that. I challenged Damien for Alpha and won. I was planning on leaving the twins in charge so I could keep searching for you. And then Griffin showed up looking for you explaining the phone call you gave him awhile back. Griffin and I set out to find you after that. Eventually we found you. Then you disappeared again. I wasn’t going to let you go though”

  “Hunter…I…I never wanted that for you. I knew you didn’t want to position, I tried so hard to-”

  “I would do anything to protect you, Colette. Damien hasn’t been right the past few years. I’ve seen his lucidness slipping away for a while now. He only saw what he thought was right. In the end it was my decision.”

  Hunter pressed his lips against the side of my head. I didn’t know how to respond so I didn’t. We laid back down. We didn’t speak. He just took my hand in his and we slept.

  Chapter 32 — Homecoming

  Hunter and I remained in my apartment for another week. We caught up on what had happened, Hunter was more tight-lipped on his end, but I wasn’t surprised by that. He looked a little different, but I didn’t ask any questions. I didn’t press him too closely, because every time I looked in the mirror I was reminded that I, too, was someone different. I wasn’t the same person that had been forced away from him almost a half a year ago. I had learned how to survive without him. I could do that, survive, but I wasn’t living. In the end I wanted to go home.

  Hunter and I took a plane back to Alabama. When we arrived, the twins and Jen were waiting. I didn’t realize how much I missed my friends until I saw their faces. I ran towards them, the siblings embraced me tight. I was home. Hunter waited until we were finished, but he soon returned his hand to mine. These past few days, we were so happy to see each other, we barely let go. I didn’t want to ever let him out of my sight again.

  On the drive home everyone was pretty silent. I didn’t know how Hunter managed to get Billy to do that. I didn’t question it; I just had that contented sense of home. I missed them all, and being back here lifted my heart. I knew that the months and years ahead would have their share of struggles. Unbeknownst to me, I had started something of a revolution in the west, and I wanted to help in any way I could. I had to hope that the relations between witches and wolves would get better. Witches and warlocks not using blood magic would be fairly easiest to introduce to wolves, but packs like Hunter’s scared me. But if Hunter, even with his past, could sit next to me holding my hand tenderly and lovingly, maybe things could change.

  I leaned my head on his shoulder. He was home.

  I didn’t realize that I had drifted off until I was jarred awake by a bump in the road and saw familiar tree lines. We were back to pack lands. I sat up and looked around, the pack wasn’t nearby. This didn’t exactly surprise me, as I was close to some of them, but Hunter was always sort of recluse and I went with him, so that made me a recluse by association. As soon as the car stopped Hunter gave me a kiss and slipped out the door. I followed after only to have Jen start dragging me away.

  “What’s going on?” I asked lightly, a hint of fear slipped in. What would she think of me, now? She just laughed and pulled me towards her house. Inside her mother and a few other of the she-wolves were waiting.

  “Surprise!” Jen said clapping and moving around the house quickly. She came back with a beautiful short white dress. It was a silk material, the underneath thick with elaborate lace. It was stunning. I kept staring at it.

  “What? What is it?” I asked looking around the room.

  “Hunter planned a mating ceremony for you two. After all, tonight is a full moon and I don’t think he is willing to wait another month for this,” Jen answered. She told me that the women of the pack had chosen the dress, Hunter said he didn’t care what I wore as long as I was there.

  That’s when I felt the weightlessness of surprise. I was both excited and nervous at the same time. But mostly I felt confused. It was happening fast, as I knew it would, and I wanted it to happen, but it was so sudden.

  All the other women started to move forward, helping with what they could. I sat quietly, still wrapping my head around this. This was insane. In a good way, of course, but still shocking. I didn’t care though. Hunter was worth it. I bit my lip and I sat straighter in my seat, joining in on the chatter.

  Jen was messing with my hair when she suddenly stopped. I looked around at her. She was twisting her hands together, but I could tell she had already come to a decision. She dug into her purse that was sitting on the bed. She sucked in a breath before turning to me handing me a sleek, black phone. I looked up at her wondering what she wanted me to do with it.

  “Hunter thought maybe you’d like to call Griffin.”

  She put the phone into my hand. She turned and headed out of the room. I heard her footsteps fade away.

  I swallowed hard. I tapped the screen and the phone came to life. I looked at the background image, it was a program picture, and when I hit the contacts only two numbers were entered. I smiled thinking that Hunter must be repaying me for breaking my old phone. The only two numbers that existed was Hunter’s and Griffin’s. My finger floated over his name for a long time before I finally pressed it lightly.

  I pressed the phone to my ear. There was no way that he was going to answer. I was terrible to him; I had cut him out
of my life because it was the easiest thing to do. Hunter had told me that Griffin was with him when they were looking for me. So as I prepared myself for a good tongue lashing.

  To be honest, I was scared as hell.

  “Hello?” His voice was like balm to my soul.

  “Hey,” I whispered. Griffin went scary-quiet on the other side and I wondered if he had hung up on me. Soundless seconds passed. If he hadn’t, he was going to.

  I had to say something.

  “I know you might not want to talk to me, but I have to tell you I am so sorry. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I had to do.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it. The hardest thing you ever had to do was walk into that haunted, abandoned house.”

  I smiled at the memory and the humor in his voice. He let out a long sigh.

  “Lettie, there is something I wanted to tell you, and I need you let me say.”

  I waited more patiently for him to speak than I would have in the past. I was scared he was about to tell me that something that would break my heart. I had Hunter, he would always be there for me and I loved him. Not romantically. I knew that now. But Griffin held a very special place in my heart, he was my best friend, the one person I could count on when I wouldn’t be able to count on anyone else.

  “The moment you stopped coming to me I was angry. I was more pissed than I can say. I understand though. You’re my best friend and you will always be. I thought for sure that we were going to go through life together. I thought you were mine. I thought I loved you the most. It turns out I was wrong. He really loves you, and I am sorry I ever tried to keep you from him. I will find my mate one day, but you aren’t her.”

  Griffin laughed somewhat sheepishly. I imagined him rubbing the back of his neck.

  “I just hope she is half the woman you are. I love you, Lettie.”

  “I love you too, Griff.”

  We were both quiet for a beat. The silence between us never had felt like this before, sort of awkward. Everything would return to normal soon enough.

  “I’m about to go to my mating ceremony and all I can think is I wish you and Keith could be here. Even if it is completely selfish of me,” I whispered.

  “Hunter invited us down. I was going to come, but Lettie, I didn’t want to do that to myself. You always thought you were the selfish one, but I was. I wanted to keep you to myself for all those years. I’m still not sure I would want to give you up. And seeing you walk towards him – I don’t think I could do it. Keith told him that he didn’t want to taint your day… He thinks you still really hate him.”

  “I don’t. I couldn’t ever hate him. I was mad, and confused.”

  I looked down at my feet, even though Hunter couldn’t see the shame that burned in my cheeks, it was there. They reddened and I got frustrated with my own stubbornness.

  “He will come down to visit you soon, Lettie.”

  He and I grew silent once more.

  “You know what to expect from him tonight right?”

  I snorted closing my eyes trying not to start laughing out loud. I stifled a few more giggles until I felt the conversation change again.

  “I will miss you, Lettie.”

  “I’ll miss you too,” I answered. I am not sure which one of us hung up first. I pulled in a heavy breath. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was going to walk out of this room and bind myself to someone I loved with all my heart. He had given me one last gift and with that I was certain that he was the only one I wanted.

  When twilight came we moved outside.

  The pack stood on either side of the aisle way. Hunter stood at the front wearing his best jeans and one of his nicest black shirts. I wouldn’t want him any other way. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His beard was short enough now to be considered scruff, and his hair was cut shorter again. I would miss seeing it in a bun, but for today, he was perfect. His eyes shone with the same love I felt radiating out of me. This is what I wanted. He was all I ever wanted.

  I walked towards him, not even caring that I was walking fast. I wished I were running. He smiled as we stood across from each other. Normally it was the Alpha who would perform ceremonies like this, but since he was the Alpha, an elder came forward. Mostly the elder just stood and waited for us, he had a few lines to say at the end, but this was meant for us.

  We did most of the talking.

  “The day I met you was one of the most insane days of my life. I had never realized how lucky I was to have found my mate. I know I didn’t seem like I was too eager at first, but you showed me how easy it was to fall in love. I never wanted to leave you, but I was always willing to do anything to keep you safe.”

  My nose tingled, a telltale sign of tears for me, and my eyes got all itchy. I didn’t want to cry.

  “I love you, Colette. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. And I will never let you go without a fight.”

  It was simple, it was him, and I loved every word. He had confessed to me one night while we were in our own little paradise that I reminded him of the smell of sunflowers. My cheeks heated up as I looked away from his eyes for a second.

  “The Goddess saw fit that these two shall mate. They were brought together by the gift of the Goddess. So shall they shall finish their mating.”

  The elder stepped back. I looked up at Hunter. I thought for sure this part would scare me. Instead I was excited. Butterflies raced within my stomach. My nerves were wound tight, but I couldn’t help smile.

  Hunter stepped forward and placed a sweet kiss against my lips. As he pulled away I followed him up on my tippy-toes, not ready to let him go. He laughed a little against my lips, but moved so that his mouth was where my neck met shoulder. I waited.

  Hunter’s teeth pierced the skin. I wasn’t ready for the electric shock that went through me. My entire body burned. A good kind of burn. The kind that made you want to steal your man away and find a secluded spot for an hour or two. My breathing was shallow and my head nuzzled around to his neck. I bit, and I could feel his teeth sink a little deeper. His hands that were holding onto my waist pressed into my skin, as did his rising excitement. I blushed fiercely at that.

  Hunter pulled away and shifted. It was tradition for the newly mated couple to run through the night. I bit my lip I hadn’t tried to shift since that first time. I was scared that it was a fluke and if I tried again it wouldn’t work. But she was there. She was ready. I felt the shift come on faster and easier than before. I landed on my paws next to Hunter. His eyes widened slightly before he shook off his shock. The wolves in the audience gasped, but didn’t say anything.

  Hunter and I took off towards the woods. Our hearts were hammering out a rhythm of perfect unity as we ran through the forest. This was the one thing I didn’t think I would ever to be able to offer Hunter. And now I could. I looked over at him as we ran, his wolf was there, and mine answered.

  We ran through the entire night to arrive home, exhausted. The moment we started to fall in love it was like the entire world had clicked into place. This curse that was meant to destroy us had brought us together closer than ever.

  I was under his spell completely. I knew if I asked him he would say he was under mine. I loved Hunter with all my heart. He was it for me. And I was his.

  I whispered one last time that I loved him before we fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  The End

  HUNTER’S HEART PREVIEW

  Chapter 1 – Running

  Panting.

  Thumping.

  Wind streamed by.

  Jude said that I chose this job, chose to be an enforcer, because I liked to be on the run. He said it was in my blood, something that was unique to me. Most sane wolves loved to run. They loved the feel of the Earth beneath their paws, the dirt digging into their nails, and the steady thump of their heart with their feet. The surrounding sound of their pack with them in motion. Running. It was a group activity that was loved by almost every wolf I had ever met. I was
different though. I loved running, but I loved running alone.

  There was something I loved more than running. Something that scared me to my very core. I was scared of very few things in my life. In all honesty, I feared only this one thing. I didn’t have the luxury of being afraid. My job was simple: find, capture, destroy. I wasn’t dealing with wolves who needed a slap on the wrist. I was dealing with wolves that stepped out of line, witches and warlocks that crossed us. Rogue wolves.

  I loved the hunt.

  I was only a child when the pack came and killed my father. I knew he wasn’t a good man. I knew there was something off with him, but he had been my father and all that I had. When I was three years old, my mother had been killed by some pissed off witches, and when he had tried to save her, he almost died himself. So my father was mateless and uncontrollable. He was never a stable man, but losing my mother and his love was the final straw. He was done for. While I wasn’t born to a rogue, I was raised by one. My mindset was always a little off from the rest of the pack’s.

  I was fourteen when Damian the Alpha of the Lowe pack took me in as his own child. He had never found his mate. He was one of the only Alphas known not to have his mate. He told me many times he believed that his one mate had died at birth and he would never find her again. When I asked him why he thought that he said he felt an infinite sadness in his chest once, almost twenty years before. Since then, he gave up all hope. He took me in and groomed me for the Alpha position, so when I told him I was going to be an enforcer, things between us became strained. I was not budging on the issue though. It was my decision.