Magic Awakened: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by K.N. Lee

  He was a few feet from me now and a snarl escaped my snout. Teach glanced over and his eyes flashed. Too bad we couldn’t talk or share speech, or something. I’d love to hear what he had to say for himself.

  Lifting my gaze toward the sky, twilight was upon us. Soon, the moon would be in full view. I growled out loud to my pack, not caring if they followed or not, then took off in a run.

  Kai protected Angelica at the bar, this much I saw. Maybe Kai would be waiting for me. Maybe he had some answers. Maybe something would happen. My legs began to burn as I ran, but it made me run that much harder. My lungs stung but I pushed through it.

  Just a few more miles, I thought, just a bit longer.

  As the sky grew darker, I felt the magic begin to shift. My body burned for a different reason. I was going to shift. Fuck yes, I was going to shift!

  I ran even harder. As I drew closer to Kai’s home, I roared as my panther as loud as I could. I heard it echo. Any other day I would be proud of that shit. Today, right now, fear coursed through me. I needed to get to him as quickly as I could before anything else occurred.

  And as I suspected, Kai heard me. He ran outside and I found him looking around the yard. Leaping over his fence, I landed on all fours.

  “Felix!” he yelled out. Relief flooded his features and he smiled. “Damn, buddy, it’s good to see you.”

  I snarled again and as I was about to approach, someone else stepped outside his home; Angelica.

  I wasn’t expecting this. Catching me off guard, I snarled and took on a fighting stance. Stalking closer to her, my snout pulled back, exposing my fangs.

  “Right, you fucking pussy. I’m your enemy here. Shut that shit up,” she ordered.

  Whoa, I paused and blinked. I laughed and it came out like a cough.

  “I think he actually laughed,” Kai announced.

  “I don’t care what he did. I’m here to help and he better back the fuck off,” she told both of us. “You hear that, you pussycat? I’m here to help.”

  I growled at her, ready to give back what she was putting out, but instead, pain shot through me. My stomach clenched and I fell to the ground.

  “Shit!” Kai yelled out, “he’s about to shift!”

  Suddenly, Angelica was right in front of me. Her hand ran over my face and took my ear. She gave it a gentle tug as she bent over me. “Listen to me, you sexy as fuck man. You come back to us, you understand? I want Felix and I want him here, right now. Give him back to me.”

  My gaze met hers and I felt myself nod. Then it began. Pain ripped through me as bones broke and skin tore.

  “Get back,” Kai ordered and pulled her off of me.

  There were times I wanted to be knocked out while shifting; the pain was almost too much. But coming out on the other side? Liberating as fuck. However, having a witch cast a spell on your ass to force you into this? Not. Worth. It.

  I’m not sure how much time passed, but eventually, I felt a blanket fall over my naked body. I heaved and vomited on the ground. Hands gripped my shoulders and shifted me to my side.

  “I got you, buddy. I got you.”

  It was Kai. I glanced up to him and met his gaze. He offered a nod, in which I returned. “I need a fucking shower,” I groaned.

  He chuckled. “Good to hear your voice, my friend.”

  “Felix?” Angelica’s voice sounded on the other side of me. Moving my head around, I found her. She ran a hand over my face and pushed my hair to the side. My gods, she was a beautiful woman.

  “Why are you here?” I asked her.

  She lifted her brows, then looked to Kai.

  “We’ll get into that later,” Kai said. “Shower now, talk later.”

  I nodded and he helped me to my feet. I allowed the blanket to fall to the ground, then heard Angelica clear her throat.

  “Don’t act as if you’ve never seen an ass as fine as mine,” I croaked out.

  She chuckled. “A nice ass it is.”

  Water ran down my body, over my face, and I watched the dirt from the last week run down the drain. I had never, in my life, felt this filthy. I scrubbed my body at least twice, and washed my hair three times. By the time I got out of the shower, my skin felt raw. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I swiped my hand across the mirror. The steam streaked down the glass as I stared at myself. I needed to shave, my beard had grown in.

  Picking up the clippers in the bathroom drawer, I placed a guard on them then clipped the hair close to my skin. I cleaned up my mess and decided to leave what was left; I liked it. Rather than taking a razor to my skin, why not leave this?

  Sighing to myself, I opened the door and stepped out dressed in my towel. My bedroom door was still closed and I appreciated the quiet. My ears rung from the silence. Sitting on my bed, my elbows rested on my knees and I closed my eyes.

  How long I missed air conditioning and the simplicity of a shower. A knock sounded on my door.

  “Come in,” I said and looked up.

  Kai opened the door and peeked in. “You good?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, for now. As soon as all this settles in though?”

  He nodded and leaned into the door jamb. “Yeah, we’re ready to go hunting when you are.”

  “We?”

  Kai pointed over his shoulder. “Angelica.”

  “Oh,” I whispered. “What is the deal with her?”

  Kai grinned. “She’s the one, man.”

  My brows lifted. He didn’t need to go into further detail. I knew exactly what he meant. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “Can you sense it?”

  I shook my head no. “Doesn’t mean I won’t, but right now, it’s the farthest thing from my mind.”

  “Ahh, understood,” he said and pushed off the door.” She wants to come talk to you. Is that okay?”

  I nodded. “Sure, let me get clothes on.”

  “Don’t get dressed on my account,” Angelica said as she pushed past Kai. “Go away you. I need a few minutes with him.”

  Kai chuckled. “As you wish,” and like that, he left us. Angelica shut the door behind her and leaned against it. She stared at me for a long moment.

  My brows lifted. “Yes?”

  She lowered her gaze and her smile faltered slightly. “I want this,” she whispered.

  “You want what, exactly?”

  She met my gaze. “This. Me. You. Kai. I want it all.”

  “Is that so?”

  She nodded. “But first, I want to catch that bitch and eat her alive.”

  I stood and made my way over to her, standing close enough our noses almost touched. “You sure about that?”

  She kept my gaze. The woman had balls. “Which part?”

  “All of it.”

  She placed her hands on my biceps and my body flinched slightly. “Felix, I won’t hurt you. You can trust me.”

  “I’ve been through a lot the last few days. Forgive me for being circumspect.”

  She slipped her hands up my biceps to my shoulders. “No need to ask for forgiveness. I would expect you to feel as such, and you have every right to. But please, trust in me, I am here to help.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “Allow me to prove it once all this settles down.”

  Looking into her eyes, I knew she spoke the truth. Angelica, the woman was worthy of only the best. She had been an ally of the club for years. Now she wanted to be our mate. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t fantasize about fucking her. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against hers. “Let’s hunt first, then we’ll talk.”

  She nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” Then she kissed me. I wasn’t expecting that and I pulled back immediately. She stared into my gaze and did not blink. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “No,” I growled, “but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. There is a lot of rage right now, Angelica. Rage I cannot expose you to. Please, understand.”

  She nodded and lowered her gaze. “Once we find her, channel your anger there. As fo
r me,” she glanced up, “trust me when I say I can handle you.” She stepped closer to me.

  I shook my head. “Not right now, please.”

  She smiled. “I’m not going to throw myself on you, Felix. I’m not a fucking hooker. Now, come here.” She held her arms open and I stared at her, mouth agape.

  “What do you want from me?”

  She motioned with her hands. “Come here, I said.”

  I stepped closer to her and Angelica wrapped her slender arms around me. She held me close and hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry this happened to you,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  Before I realized what was happening, I took her into my arms and hugged her back. My face buried into her neck and I felt myself sob. She held me even closer, if that were even possible. “I felt exposed…scared.”

  “Of course you did. We have you, Felix, we have you,” she whispered. “It’s okay now, it’s okay.”

  I nodded into her shoulder and held her against me. “What happens once the moon passes?”

  “One day at a time. Besides, the bitch will be dead by then.”

  I nodded once more and sniffed. “I’m…I’m okay.” Pulling away from her, I wiped at my eyes. “Thank you.” I did not know much about Angelica, but what I did know was pretty amazing. And this? This sent her sexy as fuck points sky high.

  She smiled with a nod. “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter 6

  KAI

  The evening began to settle in, twilight darkening the skies to a beautiful shade of orange. Pink hues danced in the horizon as the clouds thinned. My gaze dropped to the ground and I stared at the green grass. How long had it been since I’d had a somewhat normal day? What the hell was normal, anyway? I honestly wasn’t sure anymore.

  What I did know was we had a lead. We were going to head out for this witch and find her. If left to Felix, torture would ensue, and rightfully so. He deserved his vengeance. He did nothing to deserve this.

  Although with Teach…well, he’d have his ass handed to him at some point.

  The door opened and drew my attention. Felix stepped out, dressed in a button-down white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had on faded denim jeans with his black boots. Next to him, Angelica. She wore a red over-bust corset with a black skirt that hugged her thighs and boots that extended up over her knees. The woman was the definition of sex.

  As she stepped toward me, she stood in between Felix and myself. I caught him staring at her with a grin on his face. He was happy, considering the circumstances. I smiled and cleared my throat. He met my gaze. A silent agreement passed between us that spoke as loud as my own voice in my head—FUCK. YES.

  I nodded and lowered my gaze, my smile pulling that much more on my lips.

  “Did I miss something?” Angelica asked. I glanced up to her and shook my head.

  “Nothing you don’t already know,” I told her.

  “Right,” she said with a toss of her hair. “So, are we doing this or are we standing around eye fucking each other? I know I’m hot, and you two, damn, I mean, you’re both succulent to look at.”

  Felix chuckled. “Nicely said. Yeah,” he motioned to the SUV. The Chevy Equinox parked next to the bikes flashed as Felix pressed the keyless entry remote. “Let’s get in. Kai, you’re driving.”

  “On it,” I said and held my hand in the air as Felix tossed me the keys. “You got the address?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here and go on a witch hunt.”

  We pulled up to the location and no one was parked outside. The warehouse was empty, save for the trash that laid around. Paper bags wadded up, plastic bags blew around, and food wrappers littered the area.

  I shut off the SUV and sat in the vehicle for a moment. “How do we know if she’s here?” I asked, glancing to Angelica as she sat in the back, Felix next to me in the passenger seat.

  “I can feel if another pack member is nearby,” Felix said and glanced over. “It was tough not to tell the others what we were doing. You know they’ll have my hide for taking her out without their knowledge.”

  “But it would be worth it, right?” Angelica asked.

  Felix grinned. “Fuck yes.”

  “Let me scope out the area first,” I offered as I opened my door. “I’ll signal you to join.”

  “What, don’t want us to help?” Angelica asked.

  “Oh no, I do, I just want you two safe. She can’t hurt me,” I grinned. “I’ll kill her before she blinks.”

  They nodded and I stepped out. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d kill her. If my Oni were to emerge, the woman, as well as the warehouse, would no longer exist. Hearing the doors on the Equinox lock, I took a few steps toward one of the windows. Closing my eyes, I listened for something, anything, a heartbeat, breathing, the stench of another demon.

  “I’m here, come on inside”, came a voice from the other side of the wall. “Adam told me you wanted to meet.”

  Fuck, I cussed to myself. Leave it to the fucking blood demon to set me up.

  “Fine,” I announced. “I’m coming inside with a banshee and one of the were-panthers. I warn you now, I’m an Oni.”

  “Don’t worry, my fight is not with you,” she announced.

  I sighed and knew I had to give her some level of trust. “Meet us in the yard. I don’t want to bring them inside if there’s a trap.”

  “No problem,” she said and the air shimmered. As it began to solidify, a figure began to produce. In a matter of moments, the woman from the bar appeared. Her hair was jet black as I remembered, even the black eyeliner was on her face.

  “Tabby?” I asked.

  She cringed. “No one calls me that anymore, but yes, that’s me.”

  I nodded. “Right.” Waving to the car, Felix got out first, then behind him, Angelica. I pointed toward them. “They are my friends. Do not hurt them.”

  “I told you already, my fight is not with you.”

  “Then why did you cast my entire pack?” Felix asked.

  “Call it a fit of rage,” she said with a smirk. Tabby crossed her arms over her chest and it gave me an opportunity to take in her size and what she was wearing. The woman was slender, but something was off. Her body shimmered ever so slightly. Was it a mask? Most likely. Her clothes looked worn, as if she hadn’t changed since the night at the bar.

  “Will you call off the spell?” Angelica asked.

  The woman lifted a brow. “Well? It’s not that easy.”

  Felix growled. “Yes, it is! Call it the fuck off!”

  She hissed. “Back off before I hex you again!”

  “You have a lot of nerve,” Angelica started. “Felix did nothing to you, nor did the others!”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, honey,” Tabby started.

  Angelica interrupted her. “Do not call me honey. I’m not your friend. Do not pretend any of us here care a fuck about you.”

  “Right,” Tabby sighed. “Look, I want to help, but no one here seems to care about me, so why should I care about you?”

  “You whore!” Angelica lunged toward her and mid-air, my arms wrapped around her waist.

  “Calm yourself or go wait in the car,” I ordered. Staring in her eyes, I could see the anger, the rage in Angelica. I understood it and every bit of me wanted to release her. Then if she didn’t finish off the job, I would…with my Oni.

  She slowly nodded. “I’m good, I’m good.”

  Releasing her, I turned to Tabby. “Talk. Now. Before I end you.”

  She tsked her tongue. “So feisty.” Tabby shrugged. “Fine. Have Tiger come apologize to me and profess his love. Make me his old lady.”

  “What?” Felix barked. “It doesn’t work that way. Now reverse this shit!”

  She rolled her eyes and started to turn away. Grasping her arm, I yanked her back. Shaking my head, I lifted a brow. “Reverse it. Now.”

  “No,” she said flatly.

  Surprised, my grip tightened on her arm. “Excuse me?”


  “I said no. He fucked me over and everyone laughed in my face. Why should I care what happens to you?”

  Before I could stop him, Felix lunged and swiped at her body. He knocked her back and Tabby screamed. He was then on top of her and gripped her throat, hard. He squeezed hard and as she choked, a part of me wanted to watch him, the other to stop the insanity. He did not need the murder of this woman on his hands.

  Grasping him under his shoulders, I gave him a firm yank.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he yelled. As I sat him to the side, I shook my head.

  “No. Now it’s my turn.” I grinned and turned to face Tabby. She had gotten herself to her feet and massaged her neck.

  “What are you going to do? Kill me? Good luck with that. I die, the spell dies with me.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” I told her. My voice took on a deeper, more aggressive tone than I normally spoke. My inner demon began to emerge and he wanted blood. He wanted a soul. He wanted Tabby.

  “You don’t understand. If I die, they will forever be in their form!”

  “I don’t believe you,” I told her as my body began to shift. The magic pulsed through my body and if I could bottle the euphoric state I felt, I would overdose on it every fucking day of my life.

  “No, please!” Tabby back stepped and stumbled, but caught her balance.

  Lifting my right hand, the fingers grew twice their size in length, and black nails like daggers emerged from my tips. “Die, witch!” With a single swipe to her body, she was gone.

  “Did you get her?” Angelica yelled.

  I shook my head and closed my eyes. “No,” I groaned as I began to pull the demon inward once more. But he fought me. Imagine for a moment if you could, you’re on a volcano and it’s erupting. Pressing your hands down on the lava to push it back in does nothing but melt your skin away. That was exactly how it felt right then.

  “Where the fuck did she go?” Felix asked. I glanced to him over my shoulder.