Wolves and Roses

by Christina Bauer

  “My birthday is in three days.”

  Growly Guy steps into the light. He stands only a few feet to my left and—oh damn—this is the man from my dreams. Literally. He’s over six feet tall with black hair, ice-blue eyes, and scars along his brow and chin. He’s wearing low-hanging jeans, a fitted black T-shirt, and a long leather jacket. And yes, there’s that raw magnetic something that seems to vibrate around him. I want to throw my arms around his neck and rub myself all over him. It’s really disturbing, actually.

  I was pretty calm before, but now? I’m starting to lose it. I drop my mace back into my bag and swap it out for my inhaler. Sure, I don’t feel an episode coming on, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

  “What…what’s your name?” I ask.

  “Knox.” He steps closer. His scent wraps around me. It’s a mix of sandalwood and musk. Delicious. Dangerous. In fact, I should leave.

  This is me, going for the door.

  Any second now.

  Nope, my damn body won’t do anything but stand around and inhale more of his yummy scent. Dumb limbs.

  “Knox. Like the gelatin?” Leave it to me to make a bad joke at this point.

  “Like the fort.”

  “Oh.”

  Eloquent, Bry.

  He takes in a long breath, and I swear he’s sniffing me as well. Which brings me back to the question: why does this guy smell so good? That just shouldn’t happen.

  “What’s your name?” Knox asks.

  “Bryar Rose.”

  “You’re not safe here, Bryar Rose.” Knox’s voice goes growly once more.

  Did I mention that I hate it when people tell me I’m helpless? Well, I do. “I can handle myself.”

  “No, you need to leave.” Knox points to door. “Don’t ever come back. You got me?”

  That settles it. I turn to Alec. “You wanted to talk?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Does this guy ever stop smiling? “Well, I’m listening.”

  “When you were on the phone just now, you said something about tutors. Are you one of the Magicorum that can’t go to a regular school?”

  Well, that little question has me interested. “Why do you ask?”

  “I attend a school called West Lake Prep. Heard of it?”

  “Maybe.” I’m obsessed with it.

  “I’m a student there. Going into my senior year, as a matter of fact.”

  “And?” It’s an effort not to start salivating. This is everything I’ve wanted.

  “My parents are on the school’s board. You want in? You’re definitely accepted, so long as you join the summer internship program at LeCharme.”

  Knox rounds on Alec. “You don’t have a summer internship program.”

  “Quiet, Knox.” Alec maintains his perma-smile. “I just made it up. But I assure you, my parents will do this for me. They’re dying for me to take an interest in the business. They’ll be thrilled if I organize some interns.”

  “But what if someone says I’m not qualified for West Lake?” Like Madame.

  “We have ways around that. We’re a private institution and not subject to all the government rules and regulations. Plus, if you were awarded a scholarship…” He allows the logic to hang out there. And I must admit, I like where it’s hanging.

  Knox’s face darkens. “You don’t have a scholarship program, either.”

  “I said, quiet.” Alex focuses on me again. “So, what do you think?”

  “If I take your internship, are there more papyri I can read?”

  “Sure, I’ll even give you everything we have on the code.”

  I want to cheer, but I keep my face calm. “How will you do that? You ship all the papyri away.”

  “They’re shipped, but to another floor. All the original samples of my papyri are stored right here in this building.”

  Huh. “I thought you sent them somewhere else.” I’m having a hard time processing this for some reason. Mostly because I thought the sources I hacked on this were pretty solid.

  “You thought wrong. In fact, I hereby declare that your internship job will be to research all the papyri in our archives and work on breaking the code.”

  “What’s the code about?”

  “That’s a good question, isn’t it? Once you break the code, you can tell us.” Alec’s grin becomes strained. He’s totally lying. This guy knows damned well what that code is about.

  That should make me want to run for the door, but it only increases my interest in what he has to say. “What do I get in exchange for all this?”

  “LeCharme will pay you a wildly inappropriate salary, whether or not you crack one word of the hidden code. We even have furnished apartments here in the building. You could work round the clock, if you wanted to. That’s what interests you, doesn’t it? The papyri in our collection and being independent?”

  “Possibly.” Totally. Some small part of me wonders how he knows that I’m obsessed with papyri, but I’m way too excited about uncovering the hidden code to focus on that. Plus, having a place in the city where I can crash without mooching off Elle all the time? Even better.

  “So, consider it.”

  Knox steps between Alec and me. He spies the edge of Madame’s brochure and plucks it out of my bag. “You really think you’re in the Magicorum, yeah?”

  “I know that I am.” I snatch the brochure back. “Don’t touch my stuff.”

  Knox rubs the scruff on his chin. “If you’re in the Magicorum, then what’s your fairy-tale template?”

  “I’m not answering that.”

  But Knox keeps staring at me with his big ice-blue eyes, and my mouth moves on its own. “My template is Sleeping Beauty.” I think.

  Knox steps even closer. Now I have to notice how good he smells yet again. Plus, I can’t help but catch how he has one of those “broad shoulders to small waist” deals that look especially good in leather. It’s so attractive it’s annoying.

  “Then why are you after all these papyri?” asks Knox. “Shouldn’t you be out in the woods looking for your Prince?”

  “I have other interests.” It’s an effort, but I stop looking at Knox and address Alec once more. “I’d like to find out more about your internship.”

  “No,” says Knox. “She wouldn’t.”

  “Yes.” I counter. “She would. Don’t order me around.” For emphasis, I poke him in the chest. Bad decision. The guy is ripped, and that’s super-distracting. I take a big step away. Maybe it will help me focus.

  Nope. Doesn’t help.

  I flick my hair in what I hope is a casual move. “Like I said, Alec. I’ll be in touch.”

  Alec moves into another one of those men’s catalog poses, this time by leaning against his deck. “Stop by my office anytime… Only preferably during working hours. I’m here every day during the summer and bored to tears. All they do is pay me to dress up and surf the web. I’d love some good company.”

  “Hey, I’m here with you,” growls Knox.

  Alec winks. “Like I said. I’d love some good company.”

  “I’ll stop by.” I shoot one last glare in Knox’s direction before I hustle myself out the door. I can’t believe my luck. An opportunity for papyri, independence, and West Lake Prep…what could be more perfect?

  There’s no point in sneaking around anymore, so I leave the LeCharme Building via the front foyer. The guards wave me through and add, “Mister Alec said to wish you a good evening, Bryar Rose.”

  He’s something else, that Alec.

  By the time I step outside, I’m feeling downright giddy. My Land Rover is stored in a garage not far from here. I look forward to the short walk to reach it. It’s a warm night, and the darkening streets look magical. As I step along, I start to second-guess my commitment to Alec. This whole situation is pretty insane. I mean, who breaks into someone’s office and ends up with a pretend internship? How does that happen?

  The whole thing has got “bad idea” written all over it. And I’m a faile
d Sleeping Beauty template with an inhaler and three crazy aunties.

  I nod once to myself, the decision made. I’ll just have to pass on the fake internship with Alec. Instead, I’ll drive to Elle’s secret cabin, look through photos of my ill-gotten papyri, and forget any of this ever happened. In the long run, that’s more than enough weirdness for my already strange life.

  Chapter Four

  Knox

  I can only stare at the closed office door. My chest feels so tight, I can hardly breathe. Bryar Rose just walked away. Her silky voice still wraps around my thoughts.

  “Don’t order me around.”

  Damn. I want to do more than order her around. I want to build my life around this girl. Know her thoughts. Touch her skin. Bring her into my world and never let go.

  How can one woman upend your entire existence so quickly?

  I scrub my hands over my face. There’s no way Bryar Rose should be able to get under my skin. I’m a werewolf. She’s human. Which means she’s just sexy and tempting, that’s all. And I haven’t hooked up with anyone in too long. Too much of my time is spent hunting Denarii on the sly.

  “An internship.” Alec leans back on his desk. “Tell me that wasn’t brilliant.”

  “You cannot hire her.”

  “Why not? I like her. And if she can get something new of out those papyri, we need to try.”

  “We’ll figure it out on our own.” Inside my soul, my inner wolf is pacing with frustration. The moment he scented Bryar Rose, he wanted me to shift into wolf form so she could pet him. Talk about crazy.

  Alec folds his arms over his chest. “If there’s some secret in there to taking the Denarii down, our people haven’t found it in the last—what is it again?—oh yeah, that’s right. Two thousand years. I don’t see the harm in giving Bryar Rose a chance. Besides, she’ll just keep trying to copy them illegally otherwise.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Then what about our little issue?”

  There’s no question what “issue” Alec is talking about here—he and I are both wardens of magic. At any point in time, there can only be three wardens in total, one for each category of Magicorum. Alec is the warden for witches and wizards. I’m the warden for shifters. We have no idea who’s the fairy warden, but we’re not too broken up about that fact. The fae are crazy. Our jobs are to police and protect our people, which is why we’re super-powerful for our kind. That’s the nice side of this gig. The awful part is that we’re supposed to guard the fountain of all magic. The trouble is, no one knows where the damned fountain is hidden. So until that thing is found, our powers prevent us from getting married or having a family. Consider it extra motivation to get our asses in gear.

  Not that it’s worked, though. No one’s found the damned fountain for the last two thousand years.

  “I mean it,” says Alec. “We can’t get married or have a family until we find the fountain. That’s an issue for me.”

  I shoot him a sly look. “Don’t pretend you want a wife. You’re seventeen and like sleeping around.”

  “That is not true for either of us, and you know it.”

  I grit my teeth. Alec’s right. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and yeah, we both want families. Maybe it’s because everyone always told us it was impossible because of the warden thing. But for whatever reason, having a wife and kids is important to us both. Still, I see right through Alec’s plans here. He just wants to pull Bryar Rose deeper into our crazy world, and I won’t let that happen.

  When I speak again, I let a little growl into my voice. “Leave Bryar Rose alone.”

  “What is it with you and this girl?” I don’t like the over-curious look on Alec’s face. “Is it because she’s so different from your regular werewolf ladies?” Alec isn’t a werewolf, but he tilts his head to bare his neck, which is the shifter sign of submission. After that, he lets out a high-pitched whine. “Bite me, big boy.”

  “Shut it.”

  “You’re a warden, and that means your wolf is a megabeast. Everyone rolls over and submits to your awesomeness.”

  “Really? You don’t.”

  “I’m a wizard. We don’t let the furry little creatures get to us.” As a point of fact, Alec is a senior wizard. Usually, wizards and werewolves can’t stand each other. But since we make up two out of the three wardens, we’ve been friends for ages. Long story.

  Alec bobs on the balls of his feet. “I’m right, aren’t I? You’ve never had to hustle for a girl before, have you?”

  “Screw you.”

  “Hey, I’m not that kind of dude.”

  “I mean this. The internship is a crap idea. Let Bryar Rose go.”

  Not that I can. My inner wolf is aching to break free and track her.

  “We’ll drop the subject…for now.”

  I grunt. Dropping the subject isn’t agreeing to back off Bryar Rose, but it’s the best I’ll get out of Alec at this point. I’ve been friends with the guy since we were kids. I know how to get what I want out of him. Eventually.

  “In the meantime,” says Alec. “I’ve another area of interest.” He rocks on his heels, a smug grin still stuck on his stupid face. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a handful of rubies, and stares at the gems on his palm. “Cinderella, Cinderella.”

  “You gonna cast a spell on her?”

  “I was toying with the idea.”

  “Toying? Those gemstones contain more magic than I’ve seen you handle in months. Why are you pulling out the big guns?”

  Alec eyes the gems. “Guns?”

  “You know what I mean. Have you been trying to cast spells on her before?”

  “If I had, it’s none of your business.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Alec.”

  “Fine. I’ve been casting spells on her. None of them have worked. This girl has a null zone around her when it comes to magic.”

  “Is she a witch?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Fae?”

  “Maybe. She said she has a fairy godmother.”

  “That’s bad news, Alec. Fairies are crazy.”

  “I’m a tough wizard. I can handle crazy. But if I want to find out more about her, it means I have to call in extra power.” He raises his fist high. The gemstones gleam until red light shines from between his fingertips. The temperature dips a few degrees, too. That means Alec’s starting to cast a spell. No way.

  A protective instinct stiffens my spine. “Stop it right now. Elle is Bryar Rose’s friend.”

  “So? I’m not going to lure her here to have my wicked ways with her. I just want to talk to her soul without her knowing anything about it.”

  “Liar. You’ve nailed every Cinderella template girl in the state. You’re all about wickedness when it comes to any girl like her. Leave Elle and Bryar Rose alone.”

  Alec taps his cheek. “Now, you have me curious.” The red light inside his closed palm grows brighter. The room gets downright chilly.

  My hands ball into fists. “You have some serious listening issues, you know that?”

  “What?”

  “You’re casting a spell on Elle.”

  “False.”

  I know how Alec thinks. If he’s not casting on Elle, that only leaves one option. “Don’t you dare cast a spell on Bryar Rose.”

  “It’s only a soul speak.” That spell pulls out part of someone’s soul so you can talk to them while their body stays somewhere else. It requires tons of power to pull off.

  “Stop it. You’ll hurt her.”

  “False again.”

  “Hey, I haven’t forgotten the frog incident from third grade.” After school one time, I dared Alec to pull the soul out of a frog. The thing exploded all over the driveway.

  “That only happened because I pulled out the soul from the frog while it was right in front of me. If I’d picked one farther away, it would have been fine.” He bobs his eyebrows playfully
. I want to tear them both off his head. “Bryar Rose is far enough away, dummy. From a distance, she’s in no danger. I’m not a murderer.”

  “Find some other way to get your answers.”

  “I’m merely curious. Besides, you won’t let me find out more about Elle. This is the next best thing.”

  “Damn you, Alec.”

  “Too late, my fellow warden.” The light glows brighter inside his palm. This is a rare sight. Alec keeps his magic on the down-low, as a rule. Neither of us advertises that we’re part of the Magicorum. There’s no point in attracting attention—you just end up another casualty to the Denarii.

  Alec opens his hand, and his spell takes shape. The glowing red gems fall to the floor, where they multiply until they look somewhat human. Within a few seconds, the glittering form settles into the shape of Bryar Rose. The sight makes my chest ache.

  When Alec speaks again, his voice resonates with magic. “Bryar Rose.”

  The gemstone version of Bryar Rose turns to Alec. “Yes?” The way this spell works, the real Bryar Rose has no idea what we’re doing. Alec has summoned an echo of her soul to get some answers. I’d complain, but it won’t hurt her. Besides, I’d like a few answers myself. My wolf is still going nutso inside me. I’ve never seen him this bad, but I’ve witnessed this kind of thing in other weres. You don’t grow up in a pack and not know the signs of a werewolf finding his mate. The thing is, your inner animal doesn’t care how old you are or what else is happening in your life. When it wants a mate and cubs, that’s it.

  Me. Having a mate. How could that work?

  Werewolves only mate with their own kind. And the werewolf warden, like me? I don’t mate with anyone. Sure, I can sleep around. But this bone-crushing desire to center my life on one person? It’s just not right.

  “What template are you?” asks Alec.

  “Sleeping Beauty.”

  “You don’t have any werewolf blood in your family?” I ask.

  “I wouldn’t know. My aunties adopted me when I was a baby. But they’ve tested me a million times. I always come back human.”

  “Do you have any magic?” Alec asks this one, which makes sense. The occasional human can gather magic into them. It’s rare, but it happens.