by Sarah Makela
“So, how’s things with Sandra?” I didn’t need to talk, but I wanted to catch up. Know what the people I cared about were doing these days.
“Sandra?” Nolan scratched his head. “Who? Oh, her. We broke up a few months ago. I’m with a new girl now. Jennifer.” The doorbell rang, and Nolan jumped up from the couch.
Seemed like his sister wasn’t the only one on the dating scene. Nolan had never been the type to settle down and commit, but I couldn’t help my surprise. Didn’t he want something solid? To have a family, now that he was out of college, instead of playing the bachelor.
Maybe he displayed his need for freedom in a different way than I did. Fair enough.
After you went away to the military, she became more withdrawn.
Those words buzzed around my head. Guess I hadn’t thought about others’ feelings when I’d made my choice. The idea of doing something for my father’s honor and getting an education had seemed the best way for me to go after my folks died. Having the Army distract me, so I wouldn’t have to face the hurt. Maybe I’d been selfish, but at least I’d had a good reason.
I set aside the empty beer can aside, then popped open a new one. Ever since the incident in the bathroom with Mia, I couldn’t control my feelings. They kept spinning through my head like a carousel.
The scent of spicy pepperonis broke me from my thoughts.
Nolan set the pizza on the coffee table, and I grinned. At least one thing hadn’t changed while I was gone: our shared tastes in pizza. I remembered again why we were best friends.
Chapter Eight
Mia
Loud knocking sounded at my door. I leapt from the couch, nearly knocking over a lamp on the side table. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds. Had I fallen asleep?
Chanting under my breath, I stared at the front door. Fear pumped adrenaline through my veins. Who could it be? Ethan never dropped by my place, but maybe...maybe he’d decided to visit? We hadn’t gotten the chance to talk last night. He was the only one that made sense...unless it was the werewolf.
I shoved those thoughts aside. No, not a werewolf. It was daylight outside. Plus, if it were, I’d feel something. While I wasn’t the most powerful, I had some ability to pick up magical energy, especially now that I knew what that felt like.
Going to the window near the door, I tried to catch a peek at whoever was on my doorstep, but they were just out of sight.
“Mia? I know you’re in there,” Jessa said, banging on the door again. “I need to talk to you.”
Relief sagged my shoulders, and I nearly collapsed from the suddenness of it. Thank goodness. I couldn’t recall any other time when I’d been this happy to hear from Jessa. I opened the door and threw my arms around her. “Hi, Jessa! I wasn’t expecting you.”
Jessa pushed me back at arm’s length to look me in the eyes. “We really should talk. There’s...a problem. But first, I sensed you need to talk. Let me in on what’s going on, okay?” Concern tightened her eyes, and Jessa ran her gaze over me. “Honey! What happened? Oh, no, this is worse than I thought.”
Stepping back to let my friend inside, I really didn’t want to talk about what was going on, but if I was going to open up with anyone, then Jessa was my only option. She was the only other witch I knew and trusted. Besides, my witchy skills were down the drain. If anyone could help, it would be her.
Jessa was the much better witch. She didn’t hide from what she was. She was out there. Had her own shop and lived what I thought was a much simpler life. Jessa didn’t agree, but if I had that kind of life, I’d be much happier. Hiding from everyone I knew and loved was hard. Trying to be the perfect daughter, sister, friend, when there was so much more going on underneath my skin, drove me crazy.
I shook my head. “I need to talk to you. There was a...an incident when I went to pick up Ethan from the airport. I don’t want to drag you—”
“Honey, no. You’re not dragging me into anything. Just tell me what’s going on. I want to help you. I hate seeing you cover in bruises like this.” Jessa pulled me over to the couch, then she waved a hand to the door. Within seconds, it had shut and locked itself.
I had no idea how Jessa did that kind of stuff, but I wished I possessed those abilities too. Then I’d have a chance. I wouldn’t be in the dust, trying to throw miniscule fireballs at werewolves, who could eat my face without effort.
“It’s werewolves.”
The color drained from Jessa’s face and she pulled away from me. “Are you sure, Mia? Absolutely sure?”
I nodded, suddenly uncomfortable. If she was reacting this way about my news, then what else did she have to say? “What’s going on? Please, just spit it out.”
“Remember the guy who came in asking for the potion?” She fiddled with her skirts and averted her gaze, sounding way too hesitant.
“Yes, I remember. Stop beating around the bush. That was the day before yesterday. I don’t have that bad a memory.” I clutched one of the pillows from the couch in my arms and balled my fists in the smooth cotton.
“He came by before closing yesterday, asking to talk to you. What exactly did you put in the salve?” She met my gaze, and her look froze me in place.
“Uh, I put the usual ingredients in. Peppermint, salt, some wolf’s bane—”
“Oh, no, don’t tell me you put that in it!” She hopped to her feet, running her hands through her hair. “He didn’t look pleased. I’m betting his friend was a werewolf, and if that’s the case, you might’ve poisoned him further—let alone what’s happened with his injury.”
“He probably came to the shop to avoid going to the hospital, because they wouldn’t want their kind found out.” The pain in my back and head pounded in time with the blood rushing through my veins. While I didn’t know if they would go after Jessa, since I was the person who had made the potion, I’d wager we were both screwed. “What else did he say to you?”
“After I told him that you weren’t around, he bolted.” She sat back on the couch, staring into my eyes. “I should’ve called as soon as he came by, but I was trying to process what was going on. The shop was surprisingly busy.” Shaking her head, she gripped my wrists. “That’s no excuse. I should’ve reached out to you. What have I done? What have I gotten you wrapped up in?”
Guilt etched itself deep into Jessa’s face. I hated seeing her like this. She was a good friend. Maybe she’d done the wrong thing here, but I couldn’t take it out on her. We had to work out what was going on together.
“We can’t think like that right now. What we should do is figure out how to get out of this situation.” I bit my lower lip, knowing she wouldn’t want to hear this. “He knows where your shop is and how to get to you. Do you think you should shut down for a few days?”
Her eyebrows shot toward her hairline. “Are you kidding? Mia, I’m not made of money. If I don’t keep the shop open, I won’t be able to pay the bills. Yes, I’ve thought about taking you up on the money potion, but those kinds of things feel like cheating. Just because we can make potions for our own gain, doesn’t mean we should. There are ramifications. It could hurt your karma.”
Blinking at her, I felt an instant wave of guilt crash into me. Not only had I made a love potion earlier, I’d given some to Ethan via the healing salve. My only thought had been helping him. If only I’d remembered the love potion spilling into it sooner. Besides, I’d been so sure Jessa would get behind me that I’d ignored the niggling voice in my head, warning me not to proceed. Now I faced the consequences of my actions.
“What did you do?” Jessa’s eyes widened. “Did you make the money potion? If you did, I lied. I’ll be the first to try it.”
“No, I....” The words failed me and a blush burned my cheeks. “Worse.”
“What’s worse than that? You didn’t perform black magick on someone, did you? No, that’s not you. I’d notice stains on your aura.” Jessa jumped to her feet with a swish of her skirts. “You made a love potion? You’re planning to give it
to someone, aren’t you?”
I looked up at her, unable to hide my guilt. “It was an accident. I spilt some into the second batch of healing salve I made.”
“And?”
“And Ethan got hurt protecting me from the werewolf. I applied the healing salve with the love potion to his wounds. Only when I started putting it on myself to take care of a few scrapes, did I remember.” Sagging my shoulders, I stared at the beige carpet. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Does he know?”
“No. I almost told him, but I was too afraid. As it was, he knew I was hiding something and started to storm off, but then Greg showed up. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least.” The memories of the incident were bad enough, but I knew Jessa would ask. “They nearly got into a fight. I’m not looking forward to dinner Saturday. They are probably going to tear each other apart.”
“Honey....” Jessa sat next to me on the couch. “It’s going to be okay. You didn’t mean to use the love potion. If not much got spilled, then I don’t think you’ll have a problem. Love potions are tricky and unreliable.” She rubbed her hand over my back. I remembered how much went into the salve, and it was enough to affect me. “The boys won’t make too much of a commotion in front of your parents. If they do, they’re jerks. Wait; you said Ethan was injured protecting you. How bad was his injury? Do you think...?”
“He was scratched. You know what the legends say, and usually when folklore points at something, it’s true. I’m hoping the healing salve will prevent anything...hairy, but I don’t know. I didn’t even think werewolves were real!” I walked into the kitchen, needing space. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jessa followed me. “You think I knew?” Her mouth dropped open, as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “Just because I’m a witch doesn’t mean I know anything and everything about the supernatural.”
“Sorry, I just figured since you’re my mentor and all.”
“If you’re trying to take this out on me because I introduced you to someone who needed a potion, then you’re different to how I thought you were. I was trying to help, since you always shut out everyone.” Jessa threw her hands into the air. “You never do anything with your powers. You sit back, thinking you can be a badass witch like your grandmother, while never putting in the work. Your abilities are like any other muscle; they can atrophy.”
Tears formed in my eyes. I hated how right she was. I’d wondered why my magic was useless against the werewolf, but I had only myself to blame.
“Look, I’m sorry, but I’m your friend. If you’re going to survive, you need a little tough love.” She closed the space between us and gave me a hug. “Even if that means the truth hurts, you know. If the werewolf comes back, I’ll tell him to get lost. Keep a low profile, and hopefully, they won’t find you.”
I couldn’t believe this. She had a point, but I was scared. The guy I cared about was injured, and werewolves were after me, for crying out loud. We walked to the front door.
“I’ll talk to you later. You know what you need to do. Release the fear.” The door shut behind Jessa, and I locked it, resting my forehead against the painted wood.
Jessa’s words resonated through me. Release the fear. That was all good and well, but when a werewolf charged at you, not being afraid was ridiculously hard. Ethan had kicked the beast in the face, courage and determination in his eyes. Then again, he was a soldier. They had to be tough.
No excuses. Excuses would only hamper my growth.
Thoughts of last night filtered through my resolve. Had Ethan made it home okay? I shouldn’t have allowed Greg push us apart when Ethan had been on my doorstep. I’d been too worried about what Greg would think to insist on taking Ethan home, especially after all the blood he’d lost. There was no way the salve could’ve totally healed his wounds.
Jessa started her car, and I glanced out the window to see her pulling away. One more relationship poised on the brink of ruin.
Chapter Nine
Ethan
This dinner with Mia and her parents tonight was making me nervous, especially after all we’d been through yesterday. I grimaced. Regardless of what had happened, that didn’t change our relationship, even if I knew I wanted more than what we were. I didn’t want the commitment and being with her still felt forbidden.
Besides, I still had no clue why she was in danger. There had to be something she hadn’t told me. If I didn’t talk with her soon, this whole thing might get swept under the rug, since I doubted we’d be discussing it at the dinner table.
Getting my jeans and shirt on, I decided to go for a walk. That would attract far less attention from Nolan than going for a drive. Besides, Mia didn’t live that far away.
When I knocked on her front door, no one answered. I frowned, glancing back at her car, which was parked in the driveway.
Somehow, I doubted she wasn’t home. I rang the doorbell a few times, then I knocked again.
“What is it now?” she grumbled behind the closed door. Her eyes widened when she opened it and saw me, and she took a couple steps back. “I, uh....” She wore a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top. Her hair was ruffled from sleep and she didn’t appear to be wearing a bra, from the way her nipples hardened as the cold air blew inside her house. “Ethan!”
“Mia.” I nodded, trying my best to keep my gaze at eye level. The hard peaks on her chest were tempting the hell out of me. The need to brush my fingers over them and hear her moan my name beneath me had my dick swelling. Damn it!
This was getting ridiculous. Either my hormones were going into overdrive again, or the secret ingredient in the healing salve had been a stupid love potion. Why would she have concocted a love potion, then added some to a healing salve that she’d used on herself? It didn’t add up.
“What are you doing here?” Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked around my shoulder as if expecting to find me with someone else.
I frowned. “After last night, I wanted to swing by to see if you were okay. Besides, we were both stressed, and we didn’t get a chance to really talk about what’s going on.”
Grimacing, she pulled away from the doorway. “I’m fine. Just a few bumps and bruises.”
A few of the bruises in question looked like handprints on her upper arms. That fucking asshole. From the way she’d reacted, I had a feeling....
Her gaze drifted down to where I was looking, and she gulped, retreating deeper into the house. I followed and shut the door behind me. “Those were.... He was just....” She grabbed a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders. “It was tense last night. He overreacted.” She looked indecisive for a moment. “I don’t know.”
I took a few steps toward her. My anger retreated at the look in her eyes. “You don’t have to defend him to me. What he did was wrong. Plain and simple. He shouldn’t have touched you that way.”
She sighed and looked up at me. “I know. If Nolan put you up to this, then tell him to buzz off. I already told him my reasons.”
“That’s not why I’m here. Like I said, I wanted to talk about last night. The...werewolf. Why is it after you?”
She chewed on her lower lip. “I can’t really talk right now. Dinner is at—”
“I know perfectly well when dinner is. We’ll make it in time. If you want my help like you implied last night, then talk.” While she’d covered herself with the blanket, I could still see the outline of her nipples. God, how was I supposed to pay attention with her looking like that? “If you want, you can get dressed while we talk.”
Mia gave me a dubious look, her lips curving in a frown. “Fine, we’ll talk. My friend asked me to make a potion for her shop. Apparently, the potion was for a werewolf who came in disguised as a man. I used an ingredient that’s supposed to be poisonous to werewolves, not knowing that was what his sick friend might be.” She leaned against the couch, as if she wasn’t expecting us to be here for long.
“Didn’t you sense that the man was a werewol
f? Why didn’t he tell you?” None of this made any sense. While I knew she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about being a witch, this werewolf was a member of the supernatural community, too. Surely the guy would have told her what he or his friend were, in order to get what they needed.
“No, I didn’t know werewolves existed.” I couldn’t suppress my laugh, and she shot me a dirty look. “I thought they were beasts of legend and folklore. There were vibes from the guy that caught me off guard, but without having ever met another werewolf, I didn’t know that’s what I was picking up.” Sighing, she sat on the couch, getting a little more comfortable. “I wished he’d told me. I hate to think that I unintentionally hurt someone.”
“Is there anything you can do to help?” I sat on the opposite side of the couch, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.
She threw her head back, laughing rather hysterically. “Well, he certainly asked for it so nicely, didn’t he?” The look she gave me was haunted. “Maybe he just wants to kill me. Werewolves are known for their violent tendencies.”
This whole werewolf thing was new to me. “Come on, Mia. Don’t be like this. We’re going to make sure you’re safe.” A fierce protectiveness flared within me. It slammed in my gut, nearly doubling me over. I gripped the arm of the couch to keep myself from falling.
When I caught a look at her, her eyes were wide with panic. “Oh, no.... No, no, no.... This can’t be happening.” She whispered the words, but I could hear them as if she were talking normally.
Realization flooded my senses. I lifted my shirt to see that the claw marks were gone. There were no scars, nothing to signify that I’d been attacked last night. “Mia, does this mean...?”
“Sorry. I’m so sorry.” She rubbed her arms, wincing when she hit the bruises. “I never should’ve gotten into this mess. Never should’ve let you get involved.”
My heart pounded in my chest and I slumped into the couch. Life had upended itself, and I’d been home for less than twenty-four hours. Part of me wished I was back in the desert. While it was dangerous, it didn’t rival the level of complexity I’d been hit with since coming back.