Shifter Overdrive

by Scarlett Grove

“You’re prepared to stay in Portland?”

  “Yes. I am. It solves a lot of problems for me, actually.”

  “Very well, I need your first report by the end of the week. We also know that your sister, the psychic portal catalyst, went through to the other side.”

  “I had nothing to do with that. I couldn’t stop her.”

  “It might prove useful. There are stirrings in the other realm. It would be useful to have someone on the other side report back.”

  “I have no idea when or if Twyla will ever make it back.”

  “She’s a portal catalyst. No one on the other side will harm her if they know that. The Dark Fae are always trying to get to this side. They love nothing more than to feed on human energy.”

  “Great,” I muttered. Could she make me worry about my sister any more?

  “I want that report in a week and any information about your sister.”

  “Sure thing, boss,” I said, giving her a mock solute. She pursed her lips and waved a hand in front her body, dematerializing.

  I sighed, tapping the toe of my boot on the wood floor. Well, I had good news for Raven at least. And it was good news for me too. I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t lose him. Not if I wanted to ever feel anything again.

  Time to face Mom.

  I groaned and opened my bedroom door, trotting down the stairs toward the smell of coffee. Mother was in her bathrobe, looking worried and drawn. Lenore sat in a booster seat at the table, looking just as worried.

  “Mother, I need to talk to you,” I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee to take on the upcoming guilt trip.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “In private,” I glanced at Lenore who looked like she’d been crying.

  I followed Mother down the hall and into her craft room, sipping my coffee. The place looked even more cluttered than ever.

  “Where is Twyla?” she wailed under her voice.

  “Twyla made a choice last night. I tried to stop her.” Damn. Raven was supposed to help me with this. “Raven was there. He saw it.” Great, blame Raven. Good job. “The good news is, I killed the vampire. But he opened a portal to the other side. When Twyla saw it she…just kind of…walked through it.”

  “She what?!”

  “I tried to stop her!”

  “Oh my God, poor Lenore. Where did she go? Why did she do it?”

  “She’s looking for him, Mother. She wants to put a stop to whatever is happening on the other side. Vincent had a reason to open that portal. Something wants to come across. It’s the same thing that’s been brewing for the last five years.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Edana just told me.”

  “Edana from the Council was here?” Mother started fixing her hair.

  “She’s gone. But she came to tell me I’ve been assigned to Portland to clean up the mess the portal left behind.”

  “You’re staying?”

  “For the time being, I guess.”

  “You aren’t staying here are you?”

  I scoffed. “No. I guess not.”

  “Good.”

  “Look, Mom. I need to go talk to Raven. Then we’ll see about dealing with what happened to Twyla. As far as I know, she’s the only catalyst in this generation. She’s the only one who can save her.”

  “I’ll call the coven.”

  “Great. I’ll be back later for my stuff.”

  I walked out of the room and down the front hall. That had gone better than I’d expected.

  Chapter 31

  I got in my car and drove across town to Raven’s house, but found he wasn’t there when I got there. Crap.

  I shot him a text over the witch network and then drove through a drive-through coffee stand. The barista handed me my latte and Raven’s text popped on my cellphone screen over the witch network.

  At a crime scene. You need to see this.

  He texted me the address, and I drove out to meet him. When I arrived, there was a mess of police cars parked outside an alley. Great. This didn’t look promising.

  I got out of the car and searched for Raven in the crowd of cops, holding my hot coffee in my hand. Finally I saw his jet-black hair standing tall above the others. I strode toward him, ignoring the police tape.

  “Ma’am. You can’t be here,” a cop said. I ignored him and strode toward Raven when the cop tried to stop me.

  “She’s with me,” Raven said, shooing the other man away. “Did you get me a coffee?” he asked, looking down at my drink.

  “You didn’t ask for one.”

  “You didn’t say you were going for coffee.”

  I sighed and then pursed my lips. “What do you have to show me?”

  He pulled me aside and spoke in a low voice. “This isn’t a normal murder. The body is missing its skin.”

  “Now I regret getting the coffee. Here,” I said, handing it to him.

  “I don’t want your backwash.”

  “You don’t seem to mind when your tongue is in my mouth.”

  “Just come look at the body, Olivia.”

  He led me to the crime scene as forensic analysts were snapping photographs of the mutilated corpse of a man, lying in the back of a dirty alley. Gross. My stomach grumbled. I’d seen a lot of dead bodies in my day, but skinned? That was a new one.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked him.

  “Skinwalker, maybe?”

  “Yeah. Got an ID on this guy yet?”

  “Not yet, but we’re running dental records.”

  “I’ve got something to tell you, and I don’t want to do it while looking at a corpse.”

  Raven stiffened. “Okay, let’s take a walk.”

  We walked away from the crowd of cops and strode down the sidewalk in the middle of a pedestrian friendly, quiet commercial distract.

  Raven grabbed my coffee and took a swig before handing it back to me.

  “Hey,” I scolded. “You said you didn’t want it.”

  “What do you have to say, Olivia?” he asked, stopping. He turned to me, annoyance playing across his expression.

  “Edana came to see me this morning about the cleanup and the portal.”

  “Yeah? Got another assignment already?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. They want me to stay in Portland.”

  “They want you to stay? How long?”

  “Indefinitely.”

  “What does that mean for us?”

  “What do you want it to mean for us, Raven?” I asked, turning away to continue walking.

  “Olivia, stop.” He grabbed my arm and turned me back to him. His hand continued to grip my arm. He cupped my cheek and tilted my face up to look him in the eye. “I love you so much, Olivia. I want you. Only you. Don’t you get that?”

  “I do, Raven. I feel the same way. I’m just. You know. I’m messed up. I kill people for a living. I’m bad news. I hurt everyone I know.”

  “Stop running Olivia, and you won’t hurt people anymore.”

  I sighed and moved toward him, resting my face on his chest. A tear wanted to squeeze from my eye. God, I loved Raven. I wanted him so bad. I didn’t know how to tell him how important he was to me, how much I longed to be his everything.

  “Want another sip of coffee?” I said, lifting up the cup to offer it to him.

  He laughed and took the cup, draining the contents, then tossed it in the garbage. “Come here,” he said, pulling me close as he leaned back against a wall.

  “You’re going to be my girl, Olivia Fanning. Don’t give me any of your wishy-washy bullshit either.”

  “Okay. This is great timing because Mom kicked me out of the house. I totally need a place to stay.”

  He leaned his head back to rest on the wall, looking at the sky. He laughed and I could feel it vibrate through his taut chest.

  “You can stay with me, babe, but you’re going to have to do something for me in return.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t leave
.”

  “Deal,” I said, vowing to myself that I would keep my word this time.

  Chapter 32

  When I arrived at Mom’s house later that evening, the entire coven was milling around the house and into the backyard. I was confronted by a wall of chattering noise. Aster came to give me a hug when I entered the front door.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We’re casting a protective spell on Twyla to keep her safe on the other side,” Aster said. “Then potluck dinner.”

  “Oh, great.”

  She led me through the kitchen to the back porch where the coven was gathering. My cellphone pinged and I looked at it. Raven.

  “Raven is on his way,” I told Aster. Bear walked up to us, holding Puma.

  “Raven told me you’re moving in with him,” Bear said before taking a swig of beer.

  “Is that true?” Aster asked, suspicion in her voice.

  “Yes. It is. The Council assigned me here and Mom kicked me out.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Aster asked me skeptically. Remembering her lecture, I knew she was more concerned about Raven than about me.

  “It’ll save me a lot of money in rent, so yeah.”

  “Okay, Olivia,” she said, taking Puma who had started to fuss. “Just remember what I told you.”

  “Aster. It’s going to be fine. Raven and I belong together. Okay? We’re just picking up where we left off five years ago.”

  “If you say so.”

  I did say so.

  I wished they’d get off my back, but I was beginning to get used to my family again. I’d grown a thicker skin. I’d dealt with the past. Raven had helped me do that.

  A hand slid around my waist, and Raven pulled me into his hip.

  “Hi babe,” I said, putting my arm around his waist.

  “Did I miss anything?” he asked.

  “Just this pregnant woman threatening my life if I hurt you.” I shot my thumb at Aster and she stuck her tongue out at me.

  “Don’t worry, Aster, if she takes off again, I’ll kill her myself.”

  “Good. Someone has to keep her in line,” Aster said.

  “Hey,” I whined, slapping Raven on the chest.

  They both laughed at me, and I laughed too.

  The coven gathered around the circle, lighting the center fire. Mother, Fox, and Felix led the ritual.

  Everyone clasped hands around the three at the center, who held hands with each other around the fire. Our chanting built up the energy, focusing it on the leaders.

  Mother began to spin a protection spell and Fox and Felix added details as they flicked their ember-tipped sticks in the air.

  The rest of us continued to chant, the rhythm growing faster and harder as the magic grew. Fox and Felix sealed my mother’s protective wards and the coven pumped it full of power with our collective strength.

  We slowly pulled the chant back as the coven leaders closed the magic at the center of the circle. We then pulled back even further and closed the outer circle before putting out the fire and closing off the magic we’d drawn from the earth.

  “I felt it connect,” Mother said. “She’s under our protection.”

  The sound of approval filled the backyard. “Now, we eat,” Mother said, waving everyone after her toward the kitchen.

  Half an hour later, the entire coven was seated at a long table in the backyard filled with flowers and candles. The orange glow of the sun shimmered behind the swaying willow branches. Little plumes of white fluffy seed pods floated on the air.

  Bottles of chilled white wine were opened and poured. Delicious food cooked by my mom, Aster, and several others from the coven covered our china plates.

  Even with Twyla missing, the joy and harmony of the coven could be felt pulsing under the surface. For the first time, I really felt like I was finally home.

  “I’d like to propose a toast,” Margery said, standing with her wine glass. I gulped, wondering what horrible thing she might say about me.

  “To my sister, Olivia.” I braced myself for snark. “Who finally came home again. For her bravery and strength. She’s taken every threat against us head-on. You’re a real hero. To Olivia.”

  She raised her glass and everyone around the table said, “To Olivia.” I just about shit my pants hearing that. Instead, I broke out in a cold sweat, not sure if I even deserved this.

  “Thanks,” I said. “After Dad died, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I didn’t know how to make up for my mistake. So I just made it worse by running away. I’m not running anymore. I’m home for good.”

  “No one blames you for Dad’s death, Olivia,” Margery said.

  “Not even you?”

  “It wasn’t your fault. I was messed up for a long time after losing him. I still am, really, but I know it wasn’t your fault any more than it was Twyla’s. I see that now.”

  “Thanks Margery. That means a lot.” It did mean a lot. Her words sent a chain reaction of emotions through me. The defenses I’d built up over the last five years came crumbling down and I was flooded with the warm glow of the love coming from my family and my coven.

  Raven threaded his fingers through mine and kissed me on the forehead. The coven continued chatting and more toasts were given. They liked to praise each other when someone was in danger. It was kind of their thing.

  I leaned over to Raven and whispered in his ear. “I’m so happy.”

  “I’m glad, babe. I’m happy too.”

  He wrapped his arm around me and held me close. The heat of his body filled me with warmth. And I sighed.

  “For the first time, I finally feel like I’m home.”

  Spirit Moon

  Jane is a recent college grad with a strange gift- she sees things in her dreams. After she wakes up from a dream of her boyfriend cheating, she realizes she's in need of a change.

  Nathanial Ellis is the enigmatic and distant father of the child Jane is hired to tutor in rural Montana. The little girl, Morgan, is haunted by the death of her mother. Jane and Morgan soon realize they have much in common. If Jane can rationalize her strange dreams and help Morgan deal with the death of her mother, she might be able keep her new job in Montana. That is, of course, if the wolves don't get her first.

  Chapter 1

  I plunged the espresso machine steam-wand into a stainless steel pitcher of cold milk and listened to the steam gurgle until the pitch lowered, and heat pricked my hand. Nutty scented espresso dripped into two glass cups. I poured the shots into the bottom of a paper cup and slowly added steamed milk, a shot of vanilla syrup, and stirred. I topped the drink off with a dollop of foam.

  It was an excellent drink to give to such a prick. He stood, waiting to be acknowledged. I placed the drink on the counter and didn’t acknowledge him.

  “Jane, enough with the silent treatment. I told you it was a one-time deal.”

  I glared at him. His five o’clock shadow contrasted his smooth complexion and set off his bright blue eyes. He wore a floppy, hand-crocheted barrette, a cardigan, and skinny jeans. His slender frame stood silhouetted by the bright window behind him. I wiped the counter with a rag and didn’t respond.

  “She doesn’t mean anything to me.”

  “Do you think that makes it better?” I shouted under my breath. My manager Megan glanced over at me from behind the cash register. A long line of customers wound toward the door. I pushed a stray lock of red hair behind my ear and took an exasperated breath.

  “You need to leave,” I said. I pressed the button on the grinder, filling the cafe with the whirling, crunching noise of grinding espresso beans. He didn’t leave. I pulled the espresso filter from the machine and smacked it against the grounds bin, emptying the used grounds into a dark, brown pile. I wiped the filter with a towel that hung from my apron and placed it under the grinder. I flicked the grinder lever twice, filling the filter with fresh grounds. I tamped the grounds, put the filter back in the machine, and hit the switch.
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  Golden-brown liquid burbled into the glass cups, crema bubbling to the top. I loved the dance of making espresso and the smell of the milk and beans and syrups and chocolate. I loved everything about being a barista. It just sucked I was still doing it with a master’s degree.

  “I’ll leave now, but this isn’t over,” he said, looking at me over the counter.

  My ex-boyfriend Collin picked up his skateboard and coffee drink and left the cafe. It wasn’t the first time he’d cheated on me. Every time he did it, it was with some skinny blond with more boobs than brains. I wasn’t lacking in the boobs department; I was definitely endowed in that area. I just happened to be endowed in every other area as well.

  I finished an Americana and set it on the counter. The man who’d ordered it swept it up and left his copy of Discover Montana Magazine in its place. I twisted the filter out of the espresso machine and turned to dump out the grounds.

  When I turned back, I noticed the magazine still sitting on the counter. I shouted after the man, but he couldn’t hear me over the noise of the cafe as he barreled out the door. I took the magazine and put it behind the counter. Maybe he’d come back for it later.

  I worked my way through the lunch rush, dancing to the beat of the orders that came in. I filled my lungs with the scent of fresh coffee and pastries, until my shift was over. My replacement Lilly arrived at two in the afternoon.

  When she came to stand behind the machine, I counted out my tips, replaced the change with bills from the register, and left half for Megan, my manager. I went into the storage room, pulled off my apron, and took my purse out of my locker.

  On the way out of the cafe, I reached behind the counter and grabbed the magazine. I’d always been interested in wild places like that, where actual cowboys still did actual cowboy things.

  “What’s that,” said Lilly.

  “Just a magazine a customer left. Here, if he comes back, give him this,” I said, pulling out three dollars. It as the list price on the back of the magazine.

  “Forget about it,” said Lilly, “Finders, keepers.”