THE MATING CLAIM: Werewolves of Montana Book 14

by Vanak, Bonnie

  Lacey dropped the dog bowl. Lucky had turned back into the monstrosity once more. Only this time he had the head of a Chihuahua and the body of a German Shepherd. He barked, more of a yip.

  “Drust,” she whispered. “What happened?”

  The wizard grimly shook his head. “I shall have to call upon one with more wisdom than myself in dealing with this.

  He chanted something and she stepped back, her stomach lurching. For a tremendous power filled the air, as if a live electrical line suddenly sizzled and cracked in her midst.

  Droplets of gray mist descended into the room, only this mist was charged with crackling electrical energy. A wizard materialized before them, the silver light wreathing his body. A bruising hulk of a man stood in the room, and a shiver of fear skated down her spine.

  Dressed in black leather pants, the wizard wore long-sleeved armor made of boiled leather.

  Two leather straps crossed his muscled chest and were held together with a brass ring. Twin swords were sheathed in leather scabbards upon his back. His eyes seemed dark as pitch, flickering with gray shadows like mist. Long, dark blond streaked hair was tipped with silver strands, partly tied back to keep it off his face.

  “Caderyn, the Shadow Wizard,” Drust murmured. “Guardian and judge of Mages, witches and similar Others.”

  Caderyn regarded her with those dark eyes, now shaded silver. “And collector of dragons.”

  The wizard raked his gaze over her. “You will suffice. A nice addition to my collection.”

  “Back off. She’s mine.”

  The Shadow Wizard raised a dark brow. “Yours?”

  For a moment Drust blinked. “My charge. Do not touch her, Caderyn.”

  “As you wish,” the other wizard murmured, and there was the faintest smile ghosting his mouth.

  It vanished as he looked around the room.

  While she sometimes feared Drust, and for good reason, this wizard terrified her. He glowed with power and purpose and… the weight of an ancient. She had the sense of a man who had walked on earth for far too many centuries, perhaps even millennia. It hurt to even look at him, so she turned her head.

  To her surprise, Drust stepped closer to her, blocking her view of the Shadow Wizard, as if protecting her. “Caderyn is a softie,” Drust murmured. “He does not truly collect dragons, but rescues them and pays fines they’ve accrued and sets them free.”

  “Only the ones who do no harm.” The Shadow Wizard sidestepped Drust, and pointed at her. “You used a spell from the book. The doubling spell, which doubles the elements of objects. Including this dog.”

  Her mouth closed and opened. All she could manage was a slight nod. If she said more, and said the wrong thing, this wizard might vaporize her, despite Drust’s protection. Or leave poor Lucky in this sad state.

  “I restored his original state, but it changed back to… this.” Drust gestured to the cowering Lucky.

  “Something here is prohibiting your reversal of the spell. Eh, you’re a fine mess, pup.” The big wizard crouched down and stroked the dog’s head. “Fear not, I shall restore you.”

  Unsheathing one of his swords, he stood and lifted it. Lacey’s heart raced. He was going to kill Lucky.

  “No, please, don’t kill him.” She raced forward, but Drust grabbed her around the waist. The contact between them practically sizzled with heat.

  “Easy,” he murmured into her ear. “Caderyn will cure him. Watch.”

  The big wizard murmured words and suddenly flames raced along the sword. Marveling she watched the flames glow pure white. Her eyes watered from the brightness.

  Caderyn touched the tip of the sword to Lucky’s head and chanted more words she did not understand, yet she knew they were ancient and filled with power.

  A flash of light and a soft pop of air. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling Drust’s arm anchor her close to him. For the first time, Lacey felt glad of his presence.

  “You may look now, mortal.” Amusement filled the Shadow Wizard’s voice.

  Opening her eyes, she saw Lucky restored to his original dog self. Lacey dropped to her knees and hugged her pet.

  “Give him something to eat, for it requires much energy for his molecules to right themselves. And plenty of water,” Caderyn advised, sheathing his sword.

  Tears clogged her throat. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice muffled by the dog’s fur.

  The Shadow Wizard gestured to Drust. “Tara, the witch next door, has requested to see me afterward, but there is something I must discuss with you first.”

  Lacey lifted her head a little to see both wizards approach the back door, talking too quietly for her to hear. It didn’t matter. Lucky was fine.

  As they went outside, she found the food bowl and filled it with kibble, adding the leftover chicken she’d planned to have for lunch today. Lucky gulped down his food as she sat by him, stroking his head. His normal head.

  Magick always had consequences, Drust had warned. Too bad she’d learned the hard way.

  Maybe she should take the damn book and burn it. Better yet, have Drust burn it with coldfire. Surely he could turn it into ashes.

  A rustling noise in a far, dark corner made her skin crawl. Rats again. She’d locked up the dog food, but…

  Something slithered out of the darkness, hissing. Two red, beady eyes stared at her from the shadows. Lacey froze. “Lucky, get out of here,” she whispered. “Get Drust.”

  Whimpering the dog fled out the doggie dog, leaving Lacey alone to face it.

  Snake.

  And then the snake morphed into Willow. Red eyes, dressed in the childish, innocent shirt and jeans she’d worn in Tara’s coffee shop.

  “Hi Lacey. Still like snakes?” Willow giggled.

  Backing up, she retreated until her butt hit the counter. Not a child. Demon, one summoned from the book, albeit innocently.

  “Did you like how I redecorated your store?” another high-pitched giggle that scraped on Lacey’s nerves like shaved ice.

  Her mouth opened and closed, and she forgot her fear. “You trashed my shop!”

  “I enhanced it.” Willow advanced, all giggles gone now, her eyes glowing that eerie shade of red. “Where is the Book of Shadows, witch? Tell me! My master desires the spells within.”

  “I’m not a witch.” Her fingers scraped alongside the counter, searching for a weapon, anything to drive this creature away.

  As Willow took another step forward, three figures materialized before her, blocking her view of the demon. Xavier, Caderyn and Drust.

  Lacey drew in a relieved breath. The cavalry had arrived.

  All three wizards reacted immediately. Drust shot streams of coldfire at Willow, while Xavier and Caderyn threw energy balls.

  Blasts of power shattered the wall, for Willow was no longer there. A snake hissed at them from the ground.

  “Again,” Xavier roared.

  They tried once more, the energy dispelled smelling of cordite and electricity. But each time they directed power to destroy the demon, the demon zapped away.

  Willow was too quick.

  “I’ve never seen one move this fast,” Caderyn grumbled.

  Maybe the cavalry wasn’t so effective after all.

  “Contain it,” Drust directed. “X, use your net.”

  The Crystal Wizard conjured a sparkling net of crystals that shone with white light. As Willow materialized again, sitting on a stack of egg crates, he threw it.

  Willow vanished once more and the net landed on the egg crates, melting them.

  Trying to avoid the battleground, Lacey raced into the front room, only to see Willow sitting there on the counter.

  “Try to catch me,” Willow yelled.

  All three wizards materialized nearby, but soon as they did, Willow vanished again. She appeared and then vanished fast as lightning flashes.

  Drust cursed and threw a stream of coldfire that only smashed into the counter containing the cash register, obliterating it like a pene
trating laser.

  “We have to slow it down,” Xavier shouted, conjuring another silver net. When Willow appeared again near a display of candles, he threw it but she vanished again, the net sinking into the candles like acid.

  Something clicked inside Lacey. Slow it down.

  “You can’t catch me, you fucking wizards. You’re too slow,” Willow taunted and vanished again.

  And then it struck her like a hard slap. She knew.

  Lacey ran to the shelves and pulled out a jar containing Himalayan rock salt, one of the few jars that had not been smashed. Knowledge flowed through her, as clear as if she read from the pages of book. She ran into the back room and chanted words she remembered from long ago, words she did know contained power.

  Materializing before her, Willow’s smirk faded as she saw the rock salt. The demon backed away, but before she vanished, Lacey hurled the jar. It smashed into Willow’s forehead. Screaming, she clawed at her face.

  “Now Drust, use the coldfire!” Lacey screamed, pulling out of target range. “Go back to hell, bitch!”

  Bursts of cobalt energy shot from Drust’s hands, striking the now slow-moving demon. Willow released an unearthly scream and then her face dissolved, running down her body like melting water. A few more bursts of coldfire and Willow evaporated.

  She simply was no more.

  Panting, Lacey stared at the empty spot where Willow had stood. Only a patch of darkness remained on the floor to indicate the demon’s presence. Xavier approached it, crouched down and flicked his fingers at the dark stain. It glowed and then vanished.

  Standing, he dusted off his hands. “Just to be certain. You can never tell with demons.”

  “Lacey, how did you know the vanquishing spell?” Drust asked slowly.

  All three wizards lined up to face her. Not exactly menacing, but she shivered from the ominous power crackling from them. They were the Brehon, and could easily take down this entire city block.

  And yet she had helped to kill the demon with words and salt.

  “I read about it.” She spread her hands out, like a gunfighter showing lack of weapons. “In a book long ago. A book of spells. The words just… came to me. Like a long-lost memory. Anyone could who read it could do the same.”

  “But not anyone could, for only witches can put the power behind the words,” Gideon said, frowning. “And you are a dragon shifter.”

  “Fascinating,” Caderyn murmured. “Perhaps you are not fully dragon.”

  Before she could sputter her indignation at his assumption, the big wizard approached and laid a palm on her forehead.

  Warmth flooded her body, as if she were immersed in a delicious bath. The Shadow Wizard nodded.

  “As I suspected. There is much witch blood inside your DNA. That is how you conjured the spell at the correct time.” Dropping his palm, the Shadow Wizard glanced at Drust. “It is why the book came to her. Not through her father’s handing down a stolen artifact, but handing off a powerful book only witches can discern.”

  “My father was no witch!” But the words seemed feeble. How did she know exactly what her father was, when she had met him only briefly?

  “Warlock,” Xavier said absently. “The gender term is warlock.”

  “He wasn’t a warlock either, wizard, so leave me the hell alone and get the hell out of my shop.” She drew in a quivering breath, her hands shaking despite every attempt to appear cool and collected. “I need to take photos for the insurance company.”

  She pulled out her cell from a back pocket, and then released a shaky laugh. “How the hell do I explain this? Oh sure, Mr. Insurance Adjustor, it was only a demon from hell who trashed everything, that’s all. Why no, I didn’t do it for the insurance money.”

  The phone trembled in her hand. What was the point? She’d stopped paying the premiums two months ago.

  Everything seemed to crash around her. Fingers shaking, she dug into a nearby drawer for a match and lit a scented candle, filling the air with fragrance. Lacey breathed deeply.

  “Candles. Ah,” Xavier murmured. “Quite telling.”

  “Yes,” agreed Caderyn. “Witches adore lighting candles.”

  “I am not a witch!”

  “But you are a dragon, and dragons breathe fire,” Drust said slowly. “So why use a match?”

  It was all too much for one day. I’m losing my damn mind. Forget the damn candle. Lacey blew out the flame and collapsed into the brown chintz chair customers used for centering their chakras and attaining peace.

  Something squished beneath her. She jumped to her feet.

  “What fresh hell is this?” she cried out, turning to see the bottom of her jeans covered with a gross brown substance. “Aw shit!”

  “Not shit. Spit. Demon spit,” Xavier offered. “It is quite potent. And smells like… you know. Allow me.”

  The Crystal Wizard snapped his fingers and the disgusting stain vanished from her bottom and the chair.

  Caderyn glanced at Drust. “Your call.”

  The Coldfire Wizard glowed with power. He waved a hand and in an eye blink, the shop was restored to normal. No trace of damage.

  “No insurance necessary.” Drust blew on his finger as a gunfighter would blow on his revolver. “Now that Willow has been vanquished, your shop is clean.”

  “Except one thing.” The Shadow Wizard narrowed his eyes. “You still possess the Book of Shadows, young witch.”

  “I’m not a witch.” Her voice came out as a squeaky whisper.

  Caderyn and Xavier glanced at Drust in some silent, unspoken communication. “We will leave this to you, Drust,” the ancient Shadow Wizard said. “You know what to do.”

  His expression sympathetic, Xavier clapped a hand on Drust’s suddenly stiff shoulder. “Sorry, dude. Wish it could be otherwise.”

  When the two other wizards dematerialized, she relaxed. Perhaps a little. But Lacey had come to a decision.

  No magick book was worth the price of a child’s life. Or a dog’s life. Or any life.

  Certainly not worth summoning another demon, even if she had not intended it.

  “Drust, we need to talk. I’m ready to tell you where the book is now. So you can eliminate it.” Her sigh came from deep in her chest. “I don’t want to screw up like that again and risk hurting someone else I care about. Or just another innocent.”

  Drust rubbed the back of his neck. “I am afraid it is not quite that easy. I cannot destroy it. It must be hurled into the afterworld of the Shadow Lands from which it came.”

  Lacey’s jaw dropped. “But, you’re the Coldfire Wizard!”

  “Which means little. You used a powerful spell from the book, Lacey. You opened a window to allow a demon into this mortal plane. Caderyn confirmed it. Once a spell from the book is used, the mortal using it is bound permanently to the book. The only way to destroy the book is to return it to the Shadow Lands from whence it came.”

  His next words filled her with terror and dread. “Which typically means in order to destroy the book, the mortal must be destroyed as well.”

  Chapter 12

  He would not allow this to happen. Lacey must live. Why he felt so compelled to save her, Drust did not know. Perhaps it had to do with the dream he’d had of her, in which he saw himself with her in the past. Lacey who was not Lacey, her long ash brown hair cascading down her bare back as she twirled in a forest glen and laughed, enticing him into her arms.

  The dream had faded soon as he opened his eyes, leaving him only with a strong sense of her, her scent, the taste of her mouth as he’d kissed her…

  The exquisite feeling of her naked, soft body beneath his as they made love in his dream.

  But more than that, he suspected it had to do with Lacey herself and her stubborn, rebellious spirit and zest for life.

  She is your charge. Nothing more. Rules are rules.

  Tristan had warned him to stop seeing things in black and white and to consider the gray areas. But doing so with a dragon like Lacey, on
e he found desirable and engaged his male interest, was troublesome.

  If he violated his vow to never get involved with one of his dragon charges, he failed as a wizard. Failed his goddess, his fellow wizards and himself.

  Thoughts of the Shadow Lands always danced around the edge of his conscious mind. All the long, lonely centuries spent there had taken their toll.

  Drust felt like a condemned prisoner freed at last, now staring at the looming threat of another prison cell. If he made a colossal mistake, what if there was no fixing it and the goddess saw to return him to the Shadow Lands?

  His logical self scoffed at the idea.

  His emotional self shuddered.

  Now, as Lacey backed away from him, her green eyes wide with fear, her body quivering, he regretted telling the truth.

  “You’ll kill me,” she whispered. “I knew it. You really don’t care. You’re just here like some big wizard enforcer to make me obey all the rules, and then when I make mistakes, the consequences are …”

  Her voice trailed off.

  “No.” Drust wished he’d kept his mouth shut. “You must trust me in this, Lacey. To destroy the book means bringing it into the Shadow Lands, but it does not mean you must die.”

  “Well then, damnit, how the hell am I supposed to destroy it without dying? The Shadow Lands, that’s the afterworld. Purgatory for Others like me! You don’t exactly get a visitor’s pass so you can return to earth the next day by clicking your heels three times and saying ‘there’s no place like home!’”

  Frowning, he stroked his beard. “Is that a line from a movie? I recall hearing it…”

  Drust ducked as Lacey tossed a bottle of dried sage at him. The bottle sailed past his head, smashing into the wall.

  He made a tsking sound. “After I just cleaned, now you wish to damage your store again?”

  She glanced at the jars on the shelves. “My bad. I should have used the toadstools.”

  “You bad?” He frowned.

  “It’s an expression meaning my mistake.”

  “Ah yes, next time use something more noxious when you aim for my head. My head, the only head prevailing sense around here.”