Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten

by C. C. Wood

  “Dear Goddess,” Beatrice whispered.

  “Surely you can’t think that one of the elders would do such a thing?” Sharon asked, her voice a great deal more subdued than it had been a few moments ago.

  I studied her, unable to determine if I was seeing guilt or shock in her expression. “Until I find the traitor, I’m not taking any chances.”

  Finn shifted beside me, turning slightly away, but I remained focused on the two witches in front of me.

  “An elder would never do such a thing,” Sharon insisted. “Right, Beatrice?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  Something in Beatrice’s tone caught my attention, but, before I could decipher what it was, she sighed and spoke. “Let’s go check on Janice and Constance in the kitchen. I’m sure they’re making the coffee too strong.”

  They skirted around Finn and me. I listened until the sound of their footsteps faded away, then asked Finn, “Did you notice anything strange?” I asked him.

  He moved me further into the room, glancing over his shoulder to ensure we were alone. “I’m not sure if it was both of them or only one, but the amulet turned orange when they were speaking to you.”

  A chill ran up my spine. It was very possible that I’d been standing a few feet away from the women responsible for Belinda’s death. The icy dread was engulfed by a surge of rage and power. I wanted to lash out and destroy the witches that I’m sure were huddled in the kitchen discussing ways to get rid of me. A part of me wanted to luxuriate in that dark impulse, to imagine all the ways I could hurt them and make them pay for what they had done to Belinda and to me. The realization filled me with fear. Was this what my father felt before he fell to the temptation of black magic?

  Finn’s hand came up to rest on my shoulder. “Kerry, you need to try to calm down. You’re eyes are glowing.”

  I closed them and focused on slowing my breathing. I had to maintain control. This wasn’t the time or place to unleash hell on the traitor. I needed to be patient, bait the trap, and let the witch who betrayed us fall into it.

  When I had a firm grip on my emotions and my powers, I opened my eyes. “Let’s get this done.”

  While I got my things set up on the table at the front of the room, Finn called Conner and they discussed the best areas to place the vampire and werewolf security. With Lachlan out of commission, Calder should have been here, but he was still drained from all the energy that healing Ricki was taking out of his body. Chloe stepped in to represent the pack until Calder was back on his feet. I assumed the male wolves would give her trouble, but they seemed positively cowed by her presence. I sensed there was a story there, but I would have to wait until things were calmer to get it.

  Conner, Lex, Finn, and Gabriel would all be in attendance at the meeting. I had purposefully left out the fact that the entire vampire Council would be here when talking to Sharon and the other elders earlier. Just as I had neglected to tell them that some of the werewolves were coming as well. I wanted to get a reaction, a strong one. If they were angry or off balance in another way, then the traitor was more likely to make a mistake and reveal their perfidy.

  Fifteen minutes before the meeting was scheduled to begin, men and women began to trickle in. Though attendance wasn’t required, it was considered bad manners to miss the first meeting with a new High Priestess after her ascension.

  Last night, I assumed a great deal of the coven members would refuse to come to the meeting. Over the years, many of them had fallen on a spectrum in regards to their treatment of me. Some pretended I didn’t exist or demonstrated polite tolerance. Others were outright nasty.

  However, I was surprised at the turn out. By my count, at the 10 a.m. start time, all but five witches in the coven were there, almost ninety of them. As everyone shuffled to their seats, chatting quietly or even crying almost silent tears, I noticed three more women arrive.

  Though Belinda often started the meetings promptly at their scheduled time, I decided to wait five minutes for people to settle and compose themselves. Finn moved to the back of the room where I could clearly see him from my position in front of the members.

  I lifted the bell used for rituals and meetings and rang it three times, signaling to the coven that it was time to begin the meeting.

  Before I spoke, I muttered a spell to help my voice carry throughout the room so I wouldn’t have to raise my volume.

  “Thank you all for coming. I am here with a heavy heart, as I know you are as well, at the loss of our fallen High Priestess. Because of the circumstances of her death, I’m afraid we cannot allow ourselves to grieve today as we usually would. There is something we must discuss as a coven and it was Belinda’s wish for our future. I’m sure you all know that she was working to achieve a peaceful relationship with both the vampires and werewolves in this area. Unfortunately, she could not bring this to Coven House before her death. As her successor, she shared with me how beneficial she felt this would be for our people and I agreed with her.” I paused to take a breath and allow this to sink in.

  Someone near the front of the room muttered, “Only because you’re going to bed with one of those bloodsuckers.”

  I felt my brows lift. “Excuse me?”

  It didn’t surprise me in the least when Janice March rose to her feet from her place with the elders. “You are blatantly violating coven edicts. Just because you are the High Priestess doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”

  I reminded myself to breathe rather than imagining her bursting into flames where she stood. In my current emotional state, it was a dangerous image to consider. It was also tempting.

  “I agree that, as High Priestess, I should not expect to break coven law with impunity. However, I know many of the witches here agree that several of our laws and rules are outdated and need to be changed. If we establish a relationship with the vampires and werewolves, I don’t see how my choice in mates would matter.”

  The room fell completely silent. I couldn’t even hear anyone breathe. Then I realized what I said and felt my heart start pounding. My eyes flew to where Finn was standing at the back of the room. He was leaning back against the rear wall, a small, satisfied smile on his face. Well, at least he didn’t look like he wanted to run away.

  Murmurs began at the back of the room, moving forward, bringing my attention away from Finn. Conner, Gabriel, and Lex were entering the room with Chloe.

  “You dare bring them into our sanctuary!” Sharon screeched.

  I lifted my hands and the room began to calm except for Sharon, Beatrice, and Janice. Though I expected Constance to be outraged, she looked confused rather than angry.

  “Please quiet down for a moment,” I requested. “I think you’ll find the terms that Conner and the MacIntire pack have offered to be fair and unobtrusive.”

  Finally, even the elders stopped yammering as the vampires and werewolf made their way up the center aisle to the table where I stood.

  “This is Conner Savage, one of the Council members. All I ask is that you listen to what he has to say and carefully consider his words. Most of you know how Belinda felt about healing the rifts between our communities, but I’m sharing with you my feelings as well. It is time to put aside all the anger and frustration of the past centuries and work together. Even though Belinda and I had the support and protection of the vampires and wolves yesterday, our High Priestess was lost. If we, as a coven, remain separate, I fear we won’t be able to protect ourselves from whatever plans the Faction has for us.”

  For a moment, I thought I had gotten through to them. Most of the younger coven members were nodding in agreement as I spoke, but, as soon as I shut my mouth, the elders and several of the older witches began shouting objections as one.

  I stared at them and wondered if I could generate enough power to cast a spell that would make them all shut up for a few minutes. Or maybe even for a month or two.

  I sighed and met Finn’s eyes. He looked as exasperated as I felt, but also amused.
Unfortunately, because so many people were speaking at once, there was no way for him to use the truth amulet I’d given him. In regards to finding the traitor, this meeting was a waste. Maybe, at the very least, I could get a majority vote from the coven agreeing to an alliance with the vampires and shape shifters.

  I pushed up my mental sleeves and waded in.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I’m so glad I’m a werewolf,” Chloe stated as she drank from her beer. “None of that, let’s take a vote shit. As beta or alpha, I tell them what’s going to happen and, if I’m feeling generous, I might listen to their politely worded concerns. If some pup threw a tantrum the way that Sharon woman did today, he would have needed a trip to the infirmary and a few days to recover.”

  I snorted, staring into my own glass of wine. “Goddess, if only it were that easy. I can imagine the response if I tried to implement that kind of leadership. It would turn into a bloodbath.”

  After my introduction of Conner, the meeting had gone downhill quickly. Finally, it had been Sally Abrams who forced the vote over the elders’ strident disagreement.

  “My sister died at the hands of the Faction, or have the elders forgotten that?” she asked, her eyes glittering with anger and unshed tears. “You stand there and argue about coven laws that are five hundred years old rather than listen to someone who could help us. Our fallen High Priestess is dead and you carry on these petty, small-minded arguments because you don’t like her choice of successor. What’s more important to you? The rules or the members of this coven?” She paused, her chest heaving with each breath. “If your answer lies with laws and tradition, perhaps you should consider stepping down from your position. Elders are supposed to be advocates for the other members of the coven.”

  It was then that the elders fell silent. They had to. If they continued to argue, they looked exactly like the catty women they were. Conner spoke for ten minutes and answered questions for another thirty. Chloe chimed in with what she could, explaining that the alpha of the MacIntire pack had been severely injured while protecting Belinda. That alone probably earned enough votes from the coven for a majority agreement to an alliance with the vampires and werewolves.

  Finally, forty-five minutes after the uproar, it was put to a vote. Of the ninety-three remaining members of the coven, only fifteen voted against the proposed changes. Unexpectedly, several elders voted for the changes rather than against.

  After the vote, plans for Belinda’s funeral rites were made. The coven had a private cemetery on my mother’s land in Farmersville and we would have to bury her tomorrow as Wiccan rites usually didn’t include embalming or any type of preservation. During the ritual, her body would be wrapped in fabric, buried, and returned to the earth as soon as nature allowed.

  Two hours after it began, the meeting adjourned. Though I was upset that I hadn’t been able to seek out the witch who’d turned against us, I was relieved that I would no longer have to fight the coven over a relationship with vampires and werewolves. The younger witches seemed very open-minded. Though the older witches disliked the idea, I figured I’d only have to listen to their bitching for ten, twenty years max, before they croaked.

  “Kerry, are you okay?” Chloe asked, breaking me out of my memories of the meeting that morning.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I mumbled before draining my wineglass. “It’s late and I think I’m going to head up to bed.”

  She nodded, sipping her beer. When I was almost to the door, her words stopped me. “You did well today. Belinda would have been extremely proud.”

  I felt my eyes burn. “Thank you,” I whispered. Then I left the room before I cried. I’d done enough crying the last few weeks to last a lifetime.

  Conner insisted that Finn and I stay at the house he shared with Donna. Strength in numbers, he said. Considering how often he had guests, I was beginning to wonder if he just used any excuse to have company. I went up the sweeping staircase in the front of the house and walked down the hall to the room where Ricki was resting.

  Late that afternoon, Calder awoke, hungry and thirsty. Ricki came to not long after that, still disoriented and weak, but surprisingly well. I expected her to begin the transition in the next day or so. Calder must have agreed with me because he asked Conner if they could move down to the basement later that night. Calder was downstairs right now, preparing the apartment.

  I knocked and stuck my head into Ricki’s room. She was sitting in bed, leaning back on a stack of pillows, her hair damp from the bath she’d insisted on taking. Though I’m sure it was painful and difficult, I couldn’t blame her. Dried blood was not exactly comfortable on the skin.

  “Hey.”

  Her head came up at my greeting. “Oh thank God, a real, live person that isn’t going to treat me like a complete invalid.”

  I grinned. “Calder driving you nuts?”

  “Yes! And Donna. And Chloe.” She paused, running her finger over the embroidery on the duvet cover. “Donna told me what you did for me. I don’t remember much except you asking me if I wanted Calder or Conner to change me.”

  I walked over to the bed and sat down, my hip next to her. “Can I ask you why you chose Calder?”

  She didn’t answer at first and I felt my stomach start to sink, worried that she was regretting her choice. “I’m not sure what you said to Calder that day at Finn’s house, but he was…different after that. He stopped being so bossy. Then he started doing all these nice things for me. He brought me my favorite ice cream and talked about how beautiful he thought I was. It was wonderful. Then, the night before the attack, he told me that I was the only woman he would ever be able to love, that I was his mate. I lost my mind. I mean, you know how many times my father said the same thing to my mom. Then she would take him back and everything would be great until a few months later when he cheated again. I told him he was full of shit and to leave me alone.” She swallowed and a tear trickled down her face. “I was so horrible to him, Kerry, but he gave me a couple of hours to cool down and found me. He, he explained about wolves and how they mate for life, unless their other half dies. He also told me that not every wolf gets a second chance.”

  She blinked rapidly and I could tell she was trying to keep from breaking down. I took one of her hands and laced our fingers together.

  “He actually dropped to his knees and begged me to give him a chance, just a chance, to prove that what he said was true.”

  I felt my eyes widen. Werewolves didn’t beg unless they were weak, and, as the beta of the MacIntire pack, Calder was anything but weak.

  “Right?” Ricki asked. “I told him to give me a day to think about it. We were outside in the back yard and he left me there. Chloe must have been listening because she sat down next to me and told me that I would be a fool to turn him away again. Then she told me more about how the pack works. She said that she’s never seen a male wolf beg a female the way Calder begged me. I planned to tell him that I would try the night we were attacked.”

  I stroked Ricki’s hair as she wiped away a couple of stray tears. “So you don’t regret it?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

  I squeezed her hand. “Good. Now, has Calder explained to you what happens next?” I asked.

  She nodded. “He said it might be painful at first, but he would help me every step of the way.”

  “That’s great. I think Finn has some books on medicinal herbs for werewolves, I’m sure there is something in there about how to ease a new wolf’s first change. I’ll help Calder make it as comfortable for you as possible.”

  “Thank you,” Ricki sighed, her head falling back as exhaustion overtook her. She blinked and lifted her head, which swayed. “I’m sorry. I’m just so tired.”

  “It’s the changes happening in your body and all the healing,” I answered. “You sleep. We’ll talk in a few days when you’re feeling better.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  I watched her ey
es drift shut and released her hand. Satisfied that she would be okay, I left her room and walked down the hall to the room Finn and I would be sharing. It was empty.

  Unsure if I was relieved or frustrated by Finn’s absence, I walked into the bathroom and turned on the taps to the huge tub. I poured in some bath salts and lavender oil. Last night and today had taken their toll on me and a long, hot bath sounded perfect.

  After I stripped out of my clothes and pulled my hair into a messy knot on top of my head, I slid into the hot water, hissing at the temperature. Then I collapsed against the back of the tub, let the heat soak away the tension in my sore muscles, and tried not to think about the fact that this was just the first in many hard days to come.

  A whisper of sound caught my attention, then I smelled him. I opened my eyes to find Finn sitting on the edge of the tub, fully dressed.

  “Is it helping?” he asked quietly.

  “It sure as hell doesn’t hurt,” I responded.

  He flicked a little water at me and I grunted.

  “Yes, it is helping a little.” I smiled at him. “Care to join me? That might help a lot more.”

  Finn reached out and ran his fingers along my cheekbone. “Whatever you need.”

  When he cupped my cheek, I put my hand over the back of his and leaned into the touch.

  “I need you.” And I did. I needed him to hold me, to touch me, and to help me forget the loss and fear that dogged my steps today.

  Finn stood and removed his clothes quickly. I sat up in the water so he could slide in behind me. Once he settled into the water, I leaned back and let my back rest against his chest, my head on his shoulder. He twined our fingers together and wrapped his arms around me, bringing mine with them. I sighed and let the undemanding embrace soothe my frayed nerves.

  After several long minutes, Finn released my hands and reached for the wash cloth I’d left on the edge of the tub. He lathered it up with soap and began to wash my body. As the cloth brushed over my nipples, I felt the first stirrings of desire. His other hand followed, smoothing the soap over my skin, the slick sensation contrasting deliciously with the texture of the cloth.