by Bella Devine
A soothing familiarity washed over me like a caress. I turned around and stumbled over the broken cement steps toward Nadia's door.
***
Liam
I sipped my sweet tea as we headed for the quiet town of Fitzgerald. Connor shoved the last French fry into his mouth, while using his other hand to navigate the curvy roads.
"Liam, it's nearly eight o'clock. We've been to Parkway and Hagerstown. Why don't we call it a night? We can camp out at your parents' cabin on the outskirts of town and then hit Fitzgerald's hot spots tomorrow." He rolled down his window and looked about. "Although, there doesn't appear to be much here."
The lover's mark, as I now called the crescent moon, heated. "We're close. I can feel it." My heart warmed with the knowledge that my mate was near.
"And how the hell do you know that?"
"Man, toss me some more fries," Drew interrupted from the backseat.
I gave up on limiting the young pup's calories and handed him the rest of the bag.
"Because." I turned over my hand, revealing the slight glow of the imprint.
"I haven't decided if that's extremely cool or extremely weird." Drew sucked the remaining salt from his fingers. "Are you all hiding any more food up there?"
"You finished off the last two remaining orders." Connor scrunched up the empty bag and tossed it at him. The Hummer swerved and then righted as he returned his gaze to the road.
"Slow down." I peered through a large, storefront window. An older white male hopped from one foot to another inside one of Fitzgerald's small businesses. "Let's check out that bakery."
"Oh, thank goodness!" Drew tossed the empty bag into the back. "I'm starved."
I laughed. Drew was the youngest shifter in our clan, but even his growing appetite was no match for Connor's. The waxing moon created an increased appetite amongst the clan for food and other leisure activities.
What I needed couldn't be bought or consumed. I traced the outline of my lover's mark... or perhaps I should say, soon-to-be lover's mark. No, I craved something more potent.
Connor slammed the black Hummer into the curb. I stepped from the vehicle and approached the bakery door with Drew and Connor in pursuit.
The lights of the bakery still illuminated the store front. I jerked on the door, but it didn't budge. I knew at least one gentleman was inside. Finding a bright pink buzzer to the left of the door, I pushed it. The shrill filled the quiet night air.
Two seconds later, a nervous gentleman, carrying a pink box, shuffled his overly large feet toward the counter. His body quivered. His gaze darted from the counter, to the door, and back to the counter. His head hung low.
I didn't want to scare the townsfolk. I needed their cooperation to find my mate — a complicated task, since I didn't know her name or what she looked like— but deep down in my soul I knew she was connected to this bakery.
"I just need to pick up a few things," I shouted through the door. "My friends and I are going camping and would like to purchase some food."
The older gentleman flung some cash onto the counter. "K... Keep the ch... ch... change, Mitch." He scampered to the door, stopping briefly to let himself out. He sniffed. His nose twitched. His arms flung forward as a bout of sneezing shook his body. The pink box tumbled from one hand to the other before settling back into his grip.
I blocked the door from closing and stepped into the bakery. A lovely vanilla scent wafted through the air. My nose flared. The shop was filled with doughnuts of more flavors than any high-end doughnut specialty store, and Drew immediately began to pick out what he wanted.
"Hey, we're fucking closed," Mitch grumbled.
"Do you mind? Mitch, is it? We'll definitely make this little shopping spree worth your time." My inner wolf pranced as I approached the counter. Discipline prevented me from releasing a warning growl.
Connor approached from the left. "Hey, man, we will pay you triple the asking price on anything we buy. Okay?"
I watched as Mitch internally debated his course of action. His golden eyes glared at me with hate and possibly a little fear when his gaze lingered a little too long on my lover's mark. This was not a man I trusted.
"Exactly." I forced a smile, but was afraid that I actually sneered. Good thing my canines weren't elongated. I thought of snarling at Mitch with fangs. He'd probably piss his pants. My smile widened to a grin.
"You have three minutes to get your stuff and leave before I call the police." Mitch must not have been too convinced of my sincerity.
"Thank you. I was in here once before and there was the sweetest little baker who made the most delicious doughnuts." I was grasping at straws.
"And?" Mitch replied.
"Does she still work here?" I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't call my bluff.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss an employee's status with you. I suggest you pay for your shit and get out."
I tossed a hundred-dollar bill on the counter and left, pleased that I was one step closer to connecting with my mate. Mitch didn't realize that he answered my question with his immediate shut down. My mate worked there. I was sure of it.
***
Mitch waited patiently for the assholes to leave. The three bodybuilders thought they could intimidate his ass. Well, they had another thing coming to them. He wasn't about to bow down to any dogs! He knew for a fact they were after Bryn. She had the same mark as the asshole that sneered at him.
He picked up the phone, and let it ring twice then hung up.
Approximately sixty seconds later, he picked up the phone on the first ring. "Boss, you won't believe what's going down here..."
Chapter Four
Bryn
Nadia flung open the door, waving her hands in greeting. Her bracelets clattered with the effort. Her billowy, pink sundress flapped against the wind. "Come in, darling. You look well rested."
My heart racing, I hurried through the door. "I don't know what you gave me, but I feel like I slept for days."
I shut the door and peeked through the curtain. Gone. The smell of the freaky redhead's burning skin still taunted my nose. Thank goodness she had disappeared. My body shivered from the level of weirdness. Spooky.
I tried to make casual conversation, but at the same time I itched to run.
Far.
Very far.
I hesitated, wanting to see if the redhead had returned, but the simmering imprint brought back another deep-set fear. Eyes wide, I looked at Nadia. How had she known I was here without my knocking? What if she can't help me? Her parting words in the bakery – Oh my, it has begun – echoed in my mind. What if I'm alone? Again.
I needed answers and soon! Ever since the dream and the spell, power swarmed through my body like an infection. A disease that latched onto my soul, begging to be released. I wanted to extinguish evil. Destroy it. And find my soul mate. The possibility of having a happily ever after. I placed a clenched fist over my queasy stomach and followed Nadia into the living room. My breath hitched as I thought of the weird lady on the street, my newly released power, and my so-called soul mate.
I took deep slow breaths and reminded myself I was strong. I was worth something.
Could I have that? Power and love. Deep inhale. My power had never defined me, but it could help me. I counted to three and exhaled. My hands relaxed. As the adrenaline in my body faded, my heart rate slowed. The muscles on my face formed a grin. I could have that happily ever after. Especially if it meant finding him.
I turned my wrist to watch the imprint's glow, but Nadia grabbed my hand. I tried to yank back my arm."Don't touch that!"
I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to hurt anyone.
She chuckled, held on tighter, and ran a cold finger over the crescent moon. "It's a thing of beauty."
Her sigh sounded wistful. Not filled with pain. And no burn or red mark marred her wrinkled finger. Why had the imprint burned the redhead and shocked Mitch, but done nothing to Nadia when she touched me?
&n
bsp; "Oh, honey, the mark doesn't affect me."She sat on the couch and crossed her legs. "We don't have much time, my dear."
"I don't understand." I paced the plaid decorated room. Colorful strands of hippie beads, hanging from the open windows, danced in the whispering breeze.
I could relate to the wind. My body sang with a stirring of power and need. I wanted to stomp it down, but couldn't.
Instead, I flitted about the room until I came to Nadia's curio cabinet. A small, silver figurine caught my attention and, turning it, I admired the beautiful craftsmanship of the fur that glimmered when the porcelain reflected the light. I must have been in Nadia's house a thousand times over the years and every time a different piece caught my eye. Today it was the wolf.
"You'll be fine, my child." Without saying another word Nadia pulled up the pink sleeve of her dress, turning her hand to reveal a faded, yet prominent, full moon.
I raised my eyebrows. Her mark was so different. Where my own shined in its brilliance, Nadia's was faded, but I sensed it still held power. "What the hell? Did you do this to me?"
"No, dear. Unfortunately, this force is more powerful than I am."She glanced at the clock on the wall. Her eyes shimmered. "We really don't have much time. I promised your mother long ago that I would act as your advisor when the time came."
"You knew my mother?" I dropped the wolf figurine. The pieces shattered like my realization of the life I thought I had. This was my friend, my savior. One who didn't judge me or hate me. But she had known the truth this whole time.
"Damn it, Nadia, you're not making any sense." I bit my tongue, trying not to yell. "What promise could you possibly owe to her?" I hastily wiped away a tear, ignoring the porcelain littering the floor. "You were part of the clan? The one that exiled me?"
I quivered with the anger that always accompanied the mention of the coven. Although my mother had loved me, all I remembered was her paranoia and the ridicule I endured from being shunned.
Nadia waved her hand and the wolf's pieces fell back into place. Her calmness had me wanting to throw the wolf against the wall and watch it shatter again. As if sensing my thoughts, she picked it off the floor and stroked it lovingly.
"Your mother was braver than any person or being I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Nadia practically sang. Her face lit with joy. "I was the Augur of the coven when I met your very pregnant, very scared mother. She glowed with her love for you."
I knew my mother loved me. She fought her entire life to keep me safe. The feeling of her love had surrounded me like a blanket that extinguished the fire of anger in my soul. But Nadia?
"You've lied to me all these years? For what? A favor?" I ran shaky fingers through my hair. "Now what? I'm suddenly like you and imprinted!" I looked back down at Nadia's mark. Nothing made sense. "I can't be like her. A witch always on the run."
"Oh, honey, your mother wasn't just a witch. She was the White Witch. Unlike other witches, she didn't have just one specialty. She could conjure, heal, see, and cast spells like a wizard." Nadia rested her hands on her knee. "She was also imprinted with a crescent moon, much like your own. You see, she fell in love with a prominent alpha male, who swept her off her feet, and when she finally weakened to his seduction, she became imprinted and pregnant. That night she had a vision of pure evil radiating from the man lying next to her. She feared that if he learned of her pregnancy, he would drain you of your power."
"I'm not powerful." I hadn't stopped the transport. I hadn't broken free from the dungeon. I hadn't even seen the man who saved me! Prior to tonight, I had never given much thought to power, but feeling the allure of the crescent moon made my heart flutter. The power swarming in my blood tempted me. "I can only do the basics, Nadia. I'm not anything special."
"I have seen you, my dear, and I have a strong feeling you will be more powerful than your mother and father combined." Her eyes clouded. A white haze blanketed the black pupils. "The prophecy presented years ago deemed you to be the one. You will restore our magical power to its fullest potential once you complete the bonding." The color fled from her face and her uplifting tone darkened. "Or die trying."
She turned her hand to show her faded moon. "When the rebels took over the shifters, I was forced to leave after witnessing the death of my husband. It was the hardest time of my life. The coven made it bearable. They were family." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "My powers faded with the loss of my husband, but I feel it stirring again because of your imprint."
I shook my head at the hopeful look in her eyes. No way could I be the answer to a revolution years in the making.
Why me? To get revenge on the rebels that Nadia spoke of? What would that resolve? I was just someone who didn't fit in with magical individuals or normal ones. I was a loner.
A gray cat hopped onto Nadia's lap. With bony, calloused hands she caressed it. Its purring interrupting my thoughts.
"I'm sorry for the loss of your husband. I know how hard it was when I lost my mother and although it's a different type of love, the loss still cuts deep. But if the imprint brings me love and power, how can it also bring me death? And what about my mother? Did the rebels kill her to get to me or to extinguish her power?"
I stumbled through more questions for the only woman who could answer them.
"You said that she was imprinted when she consummated her relationship with my father. How was I imprinted? I've never met my soul mate, true love, better half, or whatever in the hell else you want to call him, much less had sex with him!" My voice rose in anger.
Nadia laughed. "You don't have your mother's etiquette, but you have her heart! Power, honey. The rebels will kill anyone who might overthrow them.
"As for the bond, historically, an imprint forms when one consummates with their true mate." She leaned forward, grabbing my hand to study. "But yours is different, which coincides with the revolution mentioned in the prophecy. You see, the power that flows through us has weakened over time, but in the prophecy a crescent imprint of soulbonds would be formed through magic. And your love and bond are stronger than most, just not complete. I can't wait to see how powerful you will be once that happens."
Great! All of this was too much to take in, but there was one question she left unanswered.
"And my mother?" I whispered, not sure if I really wanted to know the answer.
The lights flickered. Thunder clapped overhead. The house shook from the force. Wind whipped through the window, flinging the strands of bright, hippie beads across the room like undulating snakes. I tried to push down the window, but it wouldn't budge. Pictures fell and a funnel of wind formed in the center of the room.
"What the heck is going on?"What I really wanted to scream was: What the fuck now?
Wind swirled above me like a maelstrom. I ducked. Furniture thumped. My heart pounded in rhythm. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't want my life to end like this.
Nadia stepped back. "They're here. Go now. We will continue our discussion later." She began to chant under her breath.
"What — " I tried to yell, but the floor collapsed and I fell. The world spun for a nanosecond before solid ground greeted my feet. I stumbled, trying to find my balance as though I had just stepped off a tilt-o-whirl.
Deep, dense forest surrounded me. The smells of pine and moss overwhelmed me. This was not how the city smelled. This was nature. Isolated nature. Bright moonlight flickered through the branches. Night moisture soaked my skin.
How did I get here? Where am I? This was almost as bad as the dungeon. At least there I knew what to expect. But here?
Carefully, I took a step forward, praying my eyes would adjust soon.
A caterwaul erupted. Leaves and twigs crackled. A blur of fur and bright yellow eyes charged toward me. My heart rate spiked. Tingles raced down to my toes. Fight or flight?
The angry growl echoed through the forest.
I ran.
***
Master caressed the light pink tissue wh
ere the crescent moon had resided on the inside of his wrist. The damn imprint had taken nearly three days to carve from his skin two decades ago, leaving a scar the size of a dollar piece, but it was better to look at it than the reminder of how deceitful love could be.
Fate had taken one look at him, laughed in his face, and spit on his shoes. Oh, but he had gotten revenge. After the shifters' downfall, he began to reestablish his power. The only aftereffect of wiping out their bonds was that his power also suffered. No amount of control, money, sex, or drugs calmed him like the tranquility of her power. And even that was tainted with the need for more.