by Mina Carter
“No,” she snarled viciously. “I’m just an itch to be scratched. Remember?”
His face paled and panic showed in his eyes.
“You’re not, I promise you’re not,” he got closer to the window, his expression pleading. “I was just... I’m a fucking idiot, okay? I didn’t mean it like that.”
She wasn’t in any mood to listen to him.
“Then exactly how did you mean it? No, wait,” she frowned. “I actually don’t fucking care.”
“Lilly, open this godsdamned door.” He yanked on the handle. She was so the wrong person for him to be pulling that growling shit on, and if he pulled her door handle off, then she was going to be pissed. The last thing she needed on top of all this was a damn repair bill.
“I’ll blow the motherfucking thing open,” he threatened.
She went cold, looking at him with murder in her eyes.
“Do it,” she invited in a silky-smooth voice. “And you’ll find out what a truly pissed off she-bear looks like.”
As she spoke, her nails lengthened into claws, razor sharp, and twice as deadly. Morgan’s eyes widened at the display. Part-shifting was a purely alpha trait. It was what separated them from the rest of the clan. To do it so easily…
“Leave it, bro.”
Dean’s arm snaked around Morgan’s chest as he lifted hands wreathed in blue fire, obviously about to carry out his threat and blow her car door off. With a surprising amount of effort, the big bear prime dragged the warlock back a few steps.
“Let her calm down first.”
Yeah. Like that was ever happening. Lilly didn’t spare the warlock another glance as she put the car in drive and spun the hell out of there in a shower of grit and gravel.
She was done with men in general, warlocks in particular, and hell would freeze over before the name Morgan Jones would ever cross her lips again.
He’d fucked up, he’d well and truly fucked up, and now Lilly had left him. Just like he’d always known she would.
Morgan closed his eyes and downed what was left in the bottle in his hand. He dropped it on the bar to join a horde of its brothers and motioned to Ash to keep them coming.
“You okay, bud?” Ash asked as he put another cold one down in front of Morgan. While they hadn’t been in the same unit at the same time, they’d both served, so like all veterans, they looked out for each other. At the moment, though, Morgan didn’t want or even deserve anyone looking out for him.
“Yeah… No. Just keep ‘em coming,” he growled, downing half the new beer in one long swallow. Perhaps if he got drunk enough, he could forget the look of pain and betrayal in Lilly’s eyes.
It was for the best. She might have been falling in love with him, and that wouldn’t do. He couldn’t fall in love with her, so it was best they just walk away now, before hearts got involved and someone got hurt.
Lilly already had gotten hurt, a small voice in the back of his head whispered, darkening his mood even further. The memory of the look in her eyes—the pain and betrayal behind the anger she’d directed at him—made him wince and drop his head. The tears she’d dashed away desperately so he didn’t see them damned him.
He didn’t deserve her—he never had. With a growl of self-loathing, he downed the rest of the beer in one go and reached for the next. And the next. Anything to burn the memory of the look on her face out of his brain.
Within an hour he was falling-down drunk.
“Hey bud, you okay?” Ash appeared in front of him and Morgan blinked, trying to work out which of the three versions of the werepanther was the real one. They stubbornly refused to reveal which one, so he focused on the Ash on the right. One thing he’d learned from years of faking sobriety was that the more you concentrated on walking in a straight line, the more you staggered, and it was never the one in the middle.
“Yup. All good. Keep ‘em coming,” he ordered with a thumbs up. Then he slid sideways off the barstool. He was only saved from face-planting on the ground by grabbing the edge of the bar.
The three Ashs snapped into one. The one on the left. Sonofabitch. Ash looked at him levelly, a knowing expression on his face.
“Yeah, right. Do I need to call Dean to come get you?” He didn’t want a drunk warlock in his bar. Hell, no one wanted a drunk warlock in their bar. He'd once known a warlock who'd leveled a couple of city blocks on a bender after his fiancée had left him.
Of course, it hadn't helped that she'd left him for another warlock. The jilted lover had thrown the bar they were drinking in at his rival. Literally. The fight that had broken out raged through the night and well into the next morning. It had taken nearly a dozen warlocks to deal with the damage and wipe the memories of all the local 'normals' so that their world didn't come to the attention of the human authorities. All three responsible had been persona non-grata for a long time after.
"No." Morgan said quickly. "I'm good. No need to call him."
Given that Lilly was one of Dean's bears, the last thing he needed was his friend getting on his case about it. Especially as he'd been a complete asshole and they all knew it.
It was more than that. He knew about bears, he'd been around them long enough, both in town and before, to know he shouldn't have even considered getting involved with Lilly. Bears didn’t do casual.
Like ever. he'd been thinking with his dick, and look where it had gotten him... He'd hurt the only woman he'd ever truly cared about. He didn't love her. Not yet. But he could have and that was what scared him.
He'd leave Beauty.
It was the least he could do. She had a job to do in town, with the clan. It wouldn't be fair if she had to deal with him—see him—every day. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was running again, but he quelled the thought with the same ruthlessness and determination he put into learning new spells.
"Hey bro. How you doing?" Dean's deep voice behind him made Morgan groan, and he looked at Ash accusingly.
The werepanther held his hands up, palms out. "Nothing to do with me,” he murmured before moving off to serve another customer.
Morgan turned in his seat to face the music. The hard look on Dean's face didn't bode well. For the first time ever, Morgan wondered if this could be the deal breaker for their friendship. It was a sobering thought. He'd always assumed that they would stick together through thick and thin. But Dean was also prime, the leader of his clan, and he had a responsibility to those in his care. Like Lilly.
Dean opened his mouth, but before he could say anything a shrill ring emanated from his pocket. Morgan didn't allow the relief that rolled through him to show on his face. Saved by the bell. It was cliché, but he'd take any reprieve offered.
"Yeah, this is Sterling...What?" The big bear almost roared into the cell, his voice so far from human a couple of the shifters in the bar turned around in concern. While Beauty was primarily a bear town, there were a few other types of shifter. Right now, the two rabbit types at the end of the bar looked ready to disappear up their own asses.
“Yeah, we're on our way."
Dean clicked the call off with a clipped movement and went to slide it away in a front pocket his T-shirt didn't have. With a hiss of frustration, he shoved the cell into a back pocket instead. Something about the movement was odd, but the next words out of Dean's mouth scattered Morgan's ability to concentrate.
“Sober up," he ordered. "And make it quick. Bennett has Lilly."
Morgan's world ground to a halt. His heart stalled, and he felt sick. For a moment, he couldn't do or say anything—he was utterly frozen into place. Then fury roared up from the center of his soul. In an instant, he went from three sheets to the wind to stone cold sober.
"When?" He slid from his stool to follow Dean, everything else forgotten in his need to find her. To make sure she was safe. "How long has he had her?"
"Aren't you going to settle up?" Dean nodded toward Ash and the empty beer bottles on the bar. "We all have to follow the rules, you know? Even hotshot warlock
s."
“Huh?"
Dean was talking about his bar tab. Sliding his buddy a sideways look, he said, "I run a tab, settle up at the end of the month. You know that..."
"Yes, yes. Of course," Dean passed a hand over his face, rubbing at his eyes. "Sorry. Just tired. You ready?'
Morgan's expression was grim as he indicated the door.
"After you."
Chapter 9
Lilly gasped, going from the blackness that surrounded her to wide awake in a heartbeat. She hadn't been asleep, it was too abrupt for that. It only took half a second for her memory to catch up, her heart slamming against the inside of her ribcage.
She'd still been crying when she got home, her eyes full of tears as she fled for the sanctuary of her home... her lair. It was perhaps because of that she and her bear completely missed the dark shadow in the darkness by her door. Belatedly, she'd caught the edge of a male bear's scent and the sharp stink of magic. Before she could do anything, something had hit the back of her head hard, and then she'd known no more.
Her bear snarled, ready to do battle, and Lilly sat up abruptly, spreading her fingers ready to drop claw. But her body wouldn't obey her. She sat up alright, and her hands moved, but her claws remained where they were, hidden beneath her human skin.
"What the fuck?" she hissed, but at the same moment she clocked the presence of others in the room and scrambled backward.
Her ass hit the wall behind her as her sense of smell kicked on. There were two other bears here and—her nose wrinkled— a magic user.
"Glad you could join us, princess," Harrison smirked from the other side or the room, where he leaned against the wall by the door. Lilly let her snarl break free and lunged forward, only to slam into what felt like a brick wall.
A high, tinkling laugh filled the air, one filled with an air of superiority and derision which set Lilly's teeth on edge. A woman stepped up beside Harrison, looking Lilly up and down with contempt curling her immaculately-lined red lips.
"Dumb fucking animal," she said. "I really don't know what he sees in you."
Lilly blinked, and sneezed again as the woman's scent reached her. Thick perfume irritated her sensitive sense of smell.
The magic-user.
Lilly studied the other woman. In head-to-toe black, with a large silver pentagram around her neck, she had to be a coven witch. There was no way she was an oathbreaker, she was entirely too polished for that, and… soft.
Lilly had met a few female warlocks, and they were nothing like this woman. They were like steel made flesh and carried themselves like warriors instead of sashaying around like this witch did. She couldn’t help feeling that they would be just as happy to get up close and personal with fists as with magic in any fight.
She couldn't imagine any female warlock in those sweeping black skirts and… yes, she spotted the distinctive red sole of some very expensive pumps as the woman turned.
She ignored the subtle jibe. While she wasn't vain... how could she be when she turned into a couple of hundred pounds of bear at least once a month… she didn't need a bag over her head before a guy would sleep with her either. She sneezed again, sniffling as she asked, "What who sees in me?"
Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to see Bennett, half hidden by the shadows at the back of the room. His eyes were dark with his bear and fixed on her.
"Oh... " She breathed in realization. "He can't help it. Matestrike just happens."
She didn't know why Bennett had suddenly fixated on her as he had but it wasn't like she was a hag.
The woman laughed again, the high-pitched sound filled with arrogance. "And what makes you think that?"
She took a few steps forward to look contemptuously at Lilly. Deep inside, Lilly’s bear snarled in warning. The creature didn't like the woman, not one little bit, and Lilly had to agree with her.
“Think what?" She watched carefully where the female magic user stepped. If she could work out the limits of the spell, then she could do something about it. What, she had no idea, but it was the only plan she had, so she was going with it.
"That matestrike happens?" Lilly shrugged. " It just does..." Her words trailed off when Harrison sniggered and witch-bitch rolled her eyes.
"What am I missing?"
Now, someone sensible would have ignored the question and left her in the dark about their plans. After all, she was in no position to do anything about it. Whatever spell had been used, it had very effectively caught her in an invisible cell. More than that... it had locked her bear deep within the cage of her human body so she couldn't call on it. But, in the tradition of bad guys the world over, neither Harrison nor his witchy companion could resist boasting about how awesome they thought they were.
"I'll use small words, so even you can grasp the concepts involved," witch-bitch said, her tone like she was speaking to a child. Lily's bear snarled, a promise that Miss Witch would be meeting them in a dark alley someday and it wouldn't be a meeting she'd enjoy. Not at all.
"I wasn't talking about the dumb mutt back there, but by all means, let's start with him. Matestrike can occur naturally, or..." She studied her red talon-like nails. It was interesting that, despite her obvious dislike of bears, she'd chosen to emulate one of their main features. "Or it can be helped, if you get what I mean?"
Lilly favored her with a look that would give a gorgon a headache. Sudden sympathy filled her for Bennett. They had him under some kind of spell, which made him just as much of a victim as she was. She had to get them both out of here. Somehow.
Everything made sense now. Why Bennett had gone off the deep end, and a minor frisson of attraction and flirtation had evolved into something very dangerous.
"She got 'im good!" Harrison crowed, unable to hide his delight any longer. "I didn't think it would work, but the boss’s plan came good, and you're all fucked. Things about here are gonna change! And it's about time."
Ice rolled down Lilly's spine. "What do you mean?"
Witch-bitch laughed. "You really think this was all about one dumb mutt's love life? Gods... "She shook her head. "Mr. Ri—. My boss has a vested interest in this town. A clan of stupid bears aren't in those plans."
"You're trying to destroy the clan?" Lilly frowned. "It doesn't make sense. Or rather him helping you doesn't make sense." She nodded toward Harrison. "Which means you're not going to destroy the clan but change its leadership."
Grudging admiration filled the witch’s eyes. "Maybe you're not as dumb as I took you for. Not that it's going to help you."
Lilly began to chuckle, then she outright laughed.
"So forcing a matestrike on Bennett and kidnapping me was supposed to do what exactly? Bring Dean running to save me?" She wiped the tears or laughter from the corner of her eyes. "Oh lady, your info is so far out of date it’s not even a joke. There might have been a time when everyone expected me to mate the prime because we're both Alphas but that boat sailed a long time ago. He has a fated mate. He isn't coming to save me. No one is."
With a sinking heart she realized that was true.
After blowing up at Morgan in the Lodge parking lot, she was on her own. No one would even realize she was missing. Morgan wouldn't come looking for her, he wouldn't even know. Not even if she died tonight, and it was likely she would. There was no way she would submit to Bennett, and with how deep he was into matestrike... she wouldn't make it to sunrise.
Agony laced through her. She was on her own, and despite everything he'd said... all she wanted was to see Morgan one last time. He was a jerk, but he was her jerk and... She sucked in a hard breath.
And… She loved him.
She loved Morgan Jones.
More than that. Hot on the heels of her feelings came another realization. He was her fated mate. She caught a hint of amusement from her suppressed bear that she’d finally worked it out.
The woman’s small, cold smile froze Lilly’s amusement. There was something she was missing. There had to be.
“Oh honey,” Witch-Bitch laughed softly. “I’m sorry, but you’re just not that important. This whole thing here?” She motioned between Bennett still growling softly in the corner and Lilly. “This is just a side-gig. He turned me down for you. Me! I wanted to see what you had that I didn’t, and then take that all away.”
Lilly looked at Bennett in confusion, but the witch clucked her teeth in frustration. “Not him, you dolt. Arra... I mean Jones. The Oathbreaker.”
Lilly felt her eyes go wide at the revelation. “You did all this because you were jealous?”
The witch’s tight smile said it all. “More or less. But witches don’t get revenge. We get even. On an epic scale. Don’t worry, Loverboy won’t be far behind you at death’s door. Once we’ve stripped him of his power, he’ll be easy pickings, and your precious prime will be all alone without his pet warlock.”
She snapped her fingers in front of Lilly’s face, just her side of the spell-line that separated them. “And that’s what happens when you piss off a coven princess. There’s no way you can win, little teddy bear, so enjoy your last few minutes.”
She turned to go, then looked over her shoulder. “Just so you know, if Jones doesn’t play ball, it’ll be your face I wear as I plunge the blade into his heart. Toodles!”
The bitch.
Anger exploded though Lilly with the force of a supernova and she hurled herself at the magical barrier as though she could break through it through sheer force of will alone.
She couldn't. It didn't budge an inch. Instead, she just felt like she'd run into a brick wall. Repeatedly.
"Hey asshole! You come back here and fight me, you fucking coward!" she roared, her voice still distressingly human.
She could feel her bear, right there under the skin, so close she could almost feel the fur poking through her pores. But she couldn't reach her, no matter how hard she tried.
But the witch didn't come back. Instead, her mocking laughter floated back through the door. Lilly looked at its pitted surface. She hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings when Harrison and the witch had been in here, other than to note that they were in a basement of some type.