Wicked *itch: Magic and Mayhem Universe

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Wait! I’m not going anywhere with you.” Wicked tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but he was relentless in his hold.

  “You got your keys to lock up?” Thorne asked, ignoring her statement.

  “No, because I’m not going anywhere.” Wicked looked down at herself. “And I’m not dressed to go anywhere.”

  Thorne stopped and looked her over slowly. His eyes finally rose to meet hers. “Look fine to me, but if you need to, then wiggle that cute little nose and change, because you are going to dinner with me.”

  He called her nose cute. Her insides melted a little, but she mentally smacked herself. “You are way too bossy” was all she could think to say because her brain was still on the cute nose comment.

  “I’m alpha.” He smiled down at her, and once again she felt like prey. “But if you want to call me bossy, well then that works also. Just know I get what I want, and right now, I want you for dinner.”

  Wicked’s eyes widened. “I’m not on the menu.”

  He chuckled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “On mine you are.” He leaned close to her, his lips so close to her ear she felt his warm breath against her skin. “Now change or go like that. To me, it makes no difference.”

  Wicked stood staring at him as he pulled away. Why was she so stubborn? She wanted to spend more time with this man. In truth, she knew exactly why she was being unreasonable. It seemed the more time people spent with her, the less they came around. That was her real fear. Once he really got to know her, he would be like the others... gone.

  With a discreet wiggle of her nose, she was dressed in black jeans, a black sleeveless shirt, and you guessed it, black boots. She wore black, a lot. Bruce usually had something to say about her fashion sense, and that coming from a cat with an ear-piercing. Yes, Bruce had a gold ring piercing.

  “Nice.” Thorne glanced her over before pulling the door shut behind them, making sure it locked.

  Glancing down at herself, she then eyed him. Nice? This was as plain as she could get, yet he thought it was nice. She had to stop herself from wiggling her nose to show him exactly what she could do with her wardrobe if he thought this was nice.

  “Hope you like motorcycles.” His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts.

  She loved them but didn’t admit to it. He guided her on the bike by gently grasping her elbow. Once on, she scooted so far back she almost fell off. He chuckled, catching her.

  “I don’t bite.” His huge smile showed a perfect set of white teeth. “Most of the time,” he added, then got on the bike in front of her.

  Frowning at his added comment, she took a deep breath and immediately wished she wouldn’t have. His scent was thick and quickly surrounded her. It was such a pleasant smell that she sighed and took another breath.

  “Hold on.” His deep voice broke out over the sound of the bike and brought her out of her ridiculous smelling frenzy. She looked around for something to hold on to. There was nothing, except him, and there was no way in hell she was touching him. That could lead to more than smelling, and she was not going there.

  Instead, she grasped onto the seat as best as she could and held on, but he didn’t move. “I’m holding on!” she yelled over the rumble of the engine. Her eyes met his in his side mirror.

  He tipped the bike slightly to the left, and she almost fell off and was only saved by grabbing onto him. “Hey!”

  “Now you’re holding on,” he said, his voice stern. “Do not let go.”

  She didn’t respond, but she didn’t let go either. He took off slowly at first, probably making sure she wasn’t an idiot and continued holding on. The faster he went, the tighter she gripped him. She wasn’t afraid. In fact, she loved the freedom of flying down the road. Holding onto his hard body wasn’t too bad either. She would never admit it, not in a million years, but this felt so right, as if she belonged right here, with him, a Shifter. What the hell?

  All too soon they arrived. She had passed the place before and knew exactly what it was. It deliberately looked like no other diner she had ever seen. On the outside, it looked like a run-down old house. But from what she had heard and what Bruce had informed her, the inside was welcoming and charming. Okay, welcoming and charming weren’t Bruce’s words; they were hers. The people and the inside were kickass with some fucking amazing chow. Yeah, that had been Bruce’s description.

  Everything about this Shifter town was unappealing to mortals, because the Shifters wanted them to pass on through. Case in point, her business had to be outside of Assjacket. She still couldn’t get used to calling it by its name, but it did have a definite ring to it.

  Once he parked, rather than hopping off, she continued to look around, not fully realizing she kept holding onto him. Maybe Bruce was right; she needed to get out more often.

  “Wicked, I really would love to sit here all night, but the diner closes in an hour.” Thorne’s voice had her jumping off the bike so quickly she stumbled.

  “Hey!” He tried to catch her but wasn’t fast enough. “Be careful.”

  God, she was such a klutz. Another case in point as to why she didn’t get out and about more often. Clearing her throat, Wicked righted herself with a curse. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been into town, so I was just checking it out.”

  “Like I said, I don’t mind at all, but I want to get you some dinner.” He put his hand on the small of her back as he led her to the door.

  Her eyes closed at his touch. It felt so good to be.... No, it didn’t. It felt terrible, and she needed to remember this. She tried to shrug him off, but he wouldn’t have it. He reached around and opened the door, ushering her inside and she almost... almost wiggled her nose to beam herself back to her house. The place was packed and everyone, literally everyone was staring, but not at her. They were staring at Thorne.

  Chapter 5

  “I make them a little nervous.” He leaned down to whisper in Wicked’s ear.

  “Why?” she whispered back.

  “Because in Shift form, I am a predator and they are prey,” he answered honestly.

  “Oh.” Wicked’s eyes widened as his words sank in. “Oh! Well, you would never.... I mean, you haven’t....”

  Thorne threw his head back and laughed loudly. “Not even a nibble.”

  His laugh and lighthearted mood seemed to put everyone at ease, and the diner customers slowly went back to their dinner and conversation.

  “Come on, there’s a table over there.” As Thorne led her through the tables, she finally felt eyes on her as well as heard some whispering.

  Sitting across from him in a booth, she glanced around, and several eyes shifted away quickly. She couldn’t blame them. She was pretty much a stranger to most and a witch who wasn’t their Shifter Whisper.

  “Can I get a tattoo?” a soft voice said, bringing Wicked’s eyes down next to their table. The cutest little boy stood staring at her with wide, gorgeous eyes. “You are the witch who does them, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.” Wicked smiled at him, then tilted her head. “And what kind of tattoo do you want?”

  “My name’s Bo,” he whispered, then peered over his shoulder before he looked back up at her. “And I want a wolf that looks just like my King.”

  Wicked melted. This little boy was adorable. She wondered what kind of Shifter he was, but before she could answer him, someone else came to their table.

  “Bo, your momma would tan your little butt if she knew you were asking about a tattoo,” a man said. His nose twitched, reminding Wicked of a rabbit. “Now run along before your momma comes looking for you.”

  Giving the little boy a wink, she watched him grin, showing two missing front teeth before he dashed away. She looked back up at the man, feeling as if she had met him before. Then his nose twitched again as he stared at her. Oh, shit! She did remember him. He was a rabbit Shifter who had come into her shop when she first set up for business and wanted a tramp stamp. She did everything possible to keep her fa
ce expressionless, but she knew it was useless. The grin came, and she had to cover for it.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Roger,” she said. Her lips trembled as his name came out as a chuckle. Dammit. She shouldn’t have said his name. That’s what did it, and well, the tramp stamp he had wanted and then chickened out of at the last minute. He literally had hopped out of her shop as if his ass were on fire once she had started up her machine. His pants had fallen to his ankles before he could pull them up.

  His eyes narrowed as he remained silent.

  Shit! And this was why she didn’t go out in public. She just wasn’t fit for being neighborly.

  “How’s business, Roger?” Thorne broke the silence and saved her, thank the Goddess. But at the mention of his name, a giggle slipped, and she had to cover it with a cough.

  Finally, in what seemed like hours, Roger the rabbit Shifter looked away from Wicked to stare at Thorne. “Good, Thorne. Real good.” He then snapped his head back to her and twitched his nose. “Bruce give you my card?”

  “Excuse me?” Wicked was a little taken back by the question.

  “My business card?” When no recollection came to her face, he continued. “Bruce said you were having issues, and I’m the town therapist.”

  “Oh, he did, did he?” Angry magic buzzed at her fingertips. “Ah, no. He didn’t give me your card.”

  “Hmm, well here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to her. “Just call and make an appointment with my assistant, Susan.”

  Wicked couldn’t even reply because if she did, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. So instead, she nodded. When she saw Bruce, he was going to be so fucking sorry.

  “Well, enjoy your dinner.” Roger nodded to them both before he walked away, then stopped and turned. “I’m also an excellent sex therapist if you have a need.”

  Watching this man, who was a fucking rabbit Shifter, give her a grin as he turned and walked away made one spark shoot straight out of her middle finger. It hit Thorne’s silverware, but he was ready and caught the flipping fork before it could go sailing across the diner.

  “You okay?” Thorne asked, and she could tell he was trying not to smile.

  “Oh, I will be as soon as I skin a cat!” Wicked said with a hiss.

  “Cats have nine lives,” Thorne replied, as if reminding her of an important fact.

  “Don’t you worry.” Wicked gave an angry snort. “I have nine very grisly ways to collect on those lives.”

  “I bet you do.” He chuckled, then glanced toward the door and gave a nod.

  Turning to see who Thorne and everyone else was staring at, she sucked in her breath. Mac, King of the Shifters, was heading their way. He was a very handsome man, with gorgeous brown hair to die for.

  “Thorne,” Mac said as he stuck out his hand. Thorne had stood and was shaking his hand. “I got your message about the issue with Porky and saw your bike on my way home, so I thought I would stop.”

  “Thanks.” Thorne bowed his head slightly. “This is Wicked,” he introduced, but Mac smiled.

  “We’ve met.” Mac grinned down at her. “How’s business going, Wicked?”

  “Very good,” Wicked answered with a smile of her own.

  “We were sorry to see you leave town, but totally understand,” Mac said sincerely.

  “You were very fair with me, and thank you for letting me out of my lease early.” Wicked tried to ignore Thorne’s penetrating stare. Two gorgeous men looking at her was almost more than she could take. “Unfortunately, my business depends on mortals.”

  “Understood.” He nodded, then looked toward Thorne. “We’re looking for Porky, and as soon as I have an update, I will let you know.”

  “After dinner, I’ll also be looking.” Thorne’s voice turned from small talk to all business.

  Mac looked back at Wicked. “Were you hurt?”

  “Ah, no,” Wicked replied, surprised the search for Porky was because of what he did to her. “Really he was just being rude, and it was just a little shove. It’s not a big deal.”

  Both men’s eyes narrowed. “It’s definitely a big deal,” Mac replied, then nodded toward Wanda, who was walking up. “I’ll let you get back to your dinner. If you hear anything, let me know. Nice seeing you again, Wicked.”

  “You also,” Wicked replied, still surprised they were taking what happened with Porky so seriously.

  “Oh, and before I forget, Zelda wants to meet you soon,” he added to Wicked, then laughed. “But she’s been pretty busy.”

  “I would love that,” Wicked replied, and in truth meant it. She wasn’t a fan of meeting new people, but the way everyone talked about Zelda had Wicked intrigued.

  “How are the twins?” Thorne asked with a smile on his face.

  Wicked then focused on the king. He appeared proud, yet the tired look Mac gave them said it all. “Perfect, but a handful.” Mac laughed. He then walked toward the door and exited as he said bye to everyone.

  “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” A woman hurried up as soon as Mac left. “It’s been so busy. Doesn’t anyone cook anymore?”

  Wicked liked the woman instantly. She seemed so friendly and had a motherly vibe to her.

  “Not that I want everyone cooking, but goodness, every once in a while wouldn’t hurt them.” She laughed as she patted Thorne on the shoulder. “How you doing, Thorne? I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age.”

  Thorne laughed, and Wicked wanted to crawl across the table and hug him. That’s what his laughter did to her. It was a warm, homey sound that she wanted to hold on to. She had no clue what was so funny, but she chuckled with them.

  “Wanda is co-owner of the diner,” he explained, then chuckled again. “She’s a raccoon Shifter, and Bo, who asked for the tattoo, is her son.”

  “Bo asked for what?” Wanda’s already wide eyes rounded larger.

  “This is Wicked,” Thorne introduced. “She owns a tattoo shop just outside of town.”

  “Oh!” Wanda smiled. “You used to have a shop here, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Wicked nodded.

  “Not much business, huh?” Wanda tsked. “Well, I hope you do well and please, no tattoos for my little Bo. That little stinker.”

  Wicked agreed with a laugh. “Promise.”

  “Now, I’ll give you a free slice of pie if you tell me if Roger ever got that tattoo.” She leaned down and whispered, “Rumor has it, he got a tramp stamp.”

  Wicked’s eyes instantly met Roger’s, who gazed at her with a sad, forlorn look. Ah, man, she couldn’t do it. “That must have really been a rumor because Roger didn’t ask for a tattoo.” Seeing the disappointment on Wanda’s face, Wicked frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, pooh!” She waved her hand. “I shouldn’t be listening to gossip anyway. Now, let’s get you ordered so you can eat. You’re nothing but skin and bones.”

  After ordering, they sat in silence, but only for a moment.

  “What you did just now for Roger was nice.” Thorne watched her closely, his eyes penetrating to the point she became uncomfortable.

  “I have my moments.” Wicked shrugged. Yep, she was totally uncomfortable. “Plus, rumors hurt people.”

  “Do you know that firsthand?” He cocked his eyebrow.

  “Absolutely,” she answered honestly.

  “What are you afraid of, Wicked?” Thorne asked, his eyes never once leaving her.

  “Nothing.” She gave him a weird half laugh at his out of the blue question. “Why would you ask me that?”

  “Because Bruce said you’re afraid of something,” Thorne replied without hesitation. “And I want to know what it is.”

  She was going to kill her familiar. She didn’t know how, she didn’t know when, but he was dead meat. “My fear is mine to deal with,” she finally replied after thinking of ways to murder her cat. By the look on Thorne’s face, he wasn’t going to let it go. “And is of no concern of yours.”

  “Wicked,
you’ve never been more wrong in your life.” Thorne’s confidence confused her, freaked her the hell out, and in all honesty, turned her on. What in the hell was that even about?

  Chapter 6

  Wicked glanced over her shoulder to the door and wondered how rude it would be for her to just get up and leave. Very, she knew. She also knew she wouldn’t do it. So instead, she decided to turn the tables on him.

  “Why did you tell Mac about Porky?”

  “Because he is king.” He cocked his eyebrow. “See how easy it is to answer a question.”

  Rolling her eyes, she took a drink of ice water. “That really wasn’t a direct answer.”

  “Pretty direct in my book.” Thorne sat back, looking way too comfortable. She, however, was sitting on the edge of her seat, tense and ready to flee at a moment’s notice. “Maybe you need to ask a more direct question.”

  “Really?” She snorted, but he remained quiet. His large hand rested on the table, and she couldn’t stop looking at it. How big, strong, and dark it looked on the crisp, white tablecloth. She knew his hands could not only bring pain but pleasure and.... What in the fuck was she doing? Her eyes shot to his, and he was grinning, the ass. “So why was it important to tell the king about Porky. Direct enough for you?”

  His laugh flowed over her like a warm blanket, comforting her. She didn’t know exactly how, but she needed to keep him laughing. She wasn’t funny. At least that’s what Bruce told her on a daily basis, but she wanted to keep him laughing.

  “Because he’s the one who lays down the law among the Shifters.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?” Wicked asked, really wanting to know the answer.

  “No, it doesn’t.” He looked at her confused. “Why would it?”

  “Ah, because you’re a panther Shifter and he’s only a wolf Shifter,” she replied, then noticed a few surrounding them were listening to their conversation. “I would think that you could, I don’t know, kick his ass. Eat him.”

  Thorne’s eyes narrowed, making him look like the predator he really was. “I respect my king and would never challenge him. I would lose in more ways than one,” he replied. Then there it was. A hint of a grin. “And I don’t eat Shifters.”