by Jodi Vaughn
He sat up in bed and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “Shit.”
“Relax, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of time.” She tugged on her shoes and glanced over at him.
“I’ve got to be in Mississippi tonight.” He grabbed his phone and pulled up his map and confirmed how long the trip would take on a Harley.
He relaxed when he saw he had plenty of time to make it.
“Where in Mississippi?” She grabbed the brush off her night stand and ran it through her blond hair. The silky blond strands glistened like gold in the morning sun. He itched to reach out and run his fingers through her hair. The way it had felt against this chest as she slept was one of the most intimate moments he’d ever shared with a woman.
“Yazoo City.” He put his feet on the floor and tugged her toward him.
She froze. “Please tell me you’re not going there to see her.” Her pupils dilated and her lips parted.
“Who?”
“The witch.”
“How did you know who I was going to see?” An uneasy feeling crept up his spine.
“Because there’s no reason for any werewolf to go to Yazoo City unless you’re looking for trouble. She is nothing but trouble.” She shook her head.
“Do you know her?”
“Unfortunately.” Her beautiful eyes narrowed into hardened slits and she pressed her lips into a thin white line.
“If I asked you not to go, would you listen to me?” She shot him a glare.
“No.” He couldn’t help but grin. “Sorry, baby, but I’m on a job here.”
She frowned. “Am I part of the job?”
“The job is the reason I came looking for you. But what’s going on between us is not part of the job.” He swallowed and pulled her into his arms. Guilt stung his gut like bees. He hadn’t been totally honest with her. He hadn’t told her what he was.
He hated lying to her when she’d bared herself to him in so many ways.
“So how do you know her?” He pulled into his lap.
“Keeping her hands to herself when it comes to someone else’s boyfriend is not a skill she possesses.”
Jealousy spiraled down in his stomach. “Boyfriend? How long ago was this?”
She snorted. “It’s been a few years. So you can stop looking at me like that.”
“What happened?”
“I saw her in a bar one night when I was out with my boyfriend. We were dancing and she kept trying to cut in. He kept turning her down. It didn’t matter to her. He went to grab us some beers. When he didn’t come back, I went looking for him. I found him banging her in the alley out back. He had this weird unfocused look in his eyes, like he was seeing right through me. I didn’t realize at the time, but she had cast a seduction spell on him.”
“I’m sorry.” He really wasn’t. He was glad she wasn’t still dating the douchebag.
“I think a guy who is weak enough to cheat doesn’t need a spell. He probably would have done it eventually. Better that I found out when I did so I didn’t waste any more time with him.” She shrugged. “Needless to say, the witch and I are not going to be BFFs anytime soon.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And it’s also why I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t trust me?” He arched his eyebrow. His chest filled with warmth. It felt good to have someone feel protective over him. Even if it was for the moment.
“I don’t trust her.” She stood and pulled out of his reach. She shoved her thumb in the direction of the bathroom. “Now hurry up and shower. We’re going to need to stop by my place so I can change into jeans and my biker boots.”
***
It had been a while since Catty had been on the back of a Harley. With the wind in her hair and her arms around Lucien’s waist, she couldn’t stop smiling as they sped down the highway. It was an escape from reality she desperately craved.
“Doing okay?” Lucien yelled over the wind and the roar of the engine.
“Never better.” She smiled as she laid her head on his warm leather-clad shoulder and tightened her grip. She’d tried to convince him to take the heavy jacket off, but he insisted on wearing it.
They rode for hours, only stopping a couple of times to get gas. He tried to get her to eat something, but the heat sapped her appetite. She was too eager to get back on the Harley and get to their destination.
Would Lucien be drawn to the witch? Would she seduce him like she’d done so many men in the past? Or would Lucien be able to stand strong and resist her under his own power?
She inhaled deeply and pushed away her negative thoughts. Lucien was different.
He had to be. He’d been nothing but honest with her, and she’d seen how hard it had been for him.
Whatever reason he was looking into the dirty dealings in New Orleans made her think he had been hired from within the Arkansas Pack. Maybe he was running intel for the Pack. Maybe it was personal. She wasn’t sure.
She was sure he wasn’t a Guardian. The Guardians always had their back tatted up with their insignia. Guardians were lethal and were the peacekeepers among the civilian werewolf population. She couldn’t imagine Zane being a Guardian. They were the muscle for the Pack Master, and her brother was always more of the brains kind of guy.
But people change. She knew better than anyone. She wanted to change for the better.
At least Lucien wasn’t a Guardian.
If anyone at the club caught wind she was hanging with a Guardian then it would mean her life. She knew Lucien would never put her in danger.
***
Lucien slowed his speed once he hit the city limits of Yazoo City, Mississippi.
It was well after dark and the streets were illuminated by streetlights and headlights of traffic. He made a turn and continued down the steep hill that led into the heart of the city. Keeping his speed well under the limit, he continued his trek through the historic little town.
Streets were lined with oak trees, Victorian homes, and sidewalks. For an outsider passing through, it looked enough like a normal small town. But he wasn’t fooled. His senses went on high alert and he could feel some odd paranormal energy flowing through the town that seemed to get stronger the closer he got to his destination. It felt like a curse hanging over the small town.
When he reached the entrance to the Glenwood Cemetery, he parked and killed the engine.
Setting the kickstand, he slid off the bike and then lifted Catty off.
“I can do it myself.”
“I know. I just like touching you.” He held her close and gave her a quick kiss before taking a quick glance around.
“The gate is locked.” He frowned.
“Yeah, I figured it would be. The witch’s grave has been vandalized so many times that they started locking it at night.”
“How did you know?”
“I Googled it.” She shrugged.
“Climb on my back and I’ll scale the fence.”
“I can climb, Lucien.”
“I don’t care. If you slip and fall on the fence, it will impale you. I’m not taking the chance.” He pointed to his back. “Get on.”
She sighed heavily and climbed on his back.
His body immediately warmed when she pressed her lips against his neck. “Just so you know, don’t look her in the eyes.”
“Why? Is she Medusa?”
“The only thing she’s interested in turning into stone is your dick. Just make sure it doesn’t happen.” The icy tone in her voice and the glare she shot him made him realize how much she hated the witch.
He smiled. “I like your jealousy. It’s turning me on.”
“As long it’s not her turning you on.” She climbed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He jumped, scaled the fence, and landed on the other side. She slid off his back.
Lucien took the opportunity to assess his surroundings. The cemetery was empty and he could see there was no one else around. But the distinctive sound of seventies music drifted aroun
d them.
“What the hell is that godawful sound?” He flinched and looked around, trying to determine where the sound was coming from.
“Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. Our witch prefers listening to ABBA.” Catty cocked her head and stilled. “Sounds like she’s listening to ‘Dancing Queen.’”
“Fuck me. This is going to be torture.” He hated any music that wasn’t rock. He especially hated seventies music.
He took Catty’s hand in his and led her farther into the rows and rows of graves and headstones.
Some of the graves were illuminated by solar lights loved ones had placed near the headstones. Others had flowers, both artificial and real, sitting around the graves. Few security lights were within the cemetery, making some areas well-lit and others surrounded by darkness.
Catty looked up from her cell phone. “According to my map, her grave is over there, not far from the fountain and near the funny-looking headstone.”
They found the identifying markers, and the closer they got the louder the music was.
There was headstone broken and lying on the ground with large chains around it. Some of the links in the chains were missing.
“I’m guessing the chains are supposed to keep her here,” he said.
“Which is why they are broken.” A sultry feminine voice came from a nearby tree.
A woman dressed in a white sundress stepped out from the shadows.
The nearby security light illuminated her flaming red hair which flowed in waves across her slender shoulders. Her eyes, a startling shade of electric green, held a hint of amusement as she studied them both with interest.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and she was a far cry from the image of an old hag Lucien had imagined.
“I was expecting you to be alone.” She smiled as her gaze roamed down the length of his body and settled on his crotch. He shifted under the scrutiny of her vulgar stare.
“Hello, Ella,” Catty said.
“I’m sorry. Do we know each other?” The witch turned her attention to Catty and glared.
“Yeah. You fucked my boyfriend in the alley in New Orleans.” Catty’s dry tone held a deadly edge.
“That doesn’t narrow it down at all, honey.” Ella smiled sweetly.
“I’m not surprised.” Catty snarled.
Ella lunged for her. Catty let out a feral growl, ready for a fight. Lucien stepped in between the two women.
“I was told you have some information for me. About some of the missing Guardians.” He glared at the witch.
The smile dropped off her face “I think you heard wrong.” The tone in her voice was too sure, too forced, too ready to change the subject. She snapped her fingers, and the music changed to a different song by ABBA.
Lucien closed the distance between him and the witch.
“Listen, don’t waste my time. I’m here because I was told you could help me.”
She arched her perfectly plucked brow and gave a chuckle. “I don’t give information away for free. That’s not how I play.” She sat on a nearby headstone and spread her legs suggestively. “I’m going to need something in return for the information you want.”
Catty growled.
“Really?” Lucien reached inside the jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. Inside was ten thousand dollars Barrett had sent along with the direction.
He held it out to Ella.
“Money is something I don’t need since I’m stuck inside this cemetery.” She snorted and stepped up to him. “Now if there is something else you want to bargain with, then I’ll talk.” She ran her finger down the front of his chest.
He grabbed her hand and frowned. “How are you in human form if you’re supposed to be dead?”
“Part of this damn curse. My body won’t die and my soul is bound to my body. I’m cursed, stuck inside this cemetery. What good is money to me here?”
“According to legend, you escaped. And burned the city.” Lucien didn’t trust this bitch as far as he could throw her.
“Well it was kind of a fluke, actually.” She shrugged. “I knew I had to make a blood exchange. I had to sacrifice someone so I could escape. The innocent blood lowers the curse, therefore making it possible for me to escape. The first time, I escaped and set the town of Yazoo on fire for killing me. The second time, the time no one found out about, I made it all the way to New Orleans before being sucked back in this place.”
“You have to kill a human?” Catty glared.
“I prefer someone with supernatural blood. Human blood is weak and it only lets me out for a little while before the curse brings me back here.”
Catty propped her hands on her hips. “Who did you kill to be able to make it to New Orleans?”
Ella’s smile grew predatory. “A werewolf. Like you.”
Lucien’s body tightened and a wave of protectiveness buzzed through his body. He stepped in front of Catty, blocking the witch’s view. “But it doesn’t release you forever.”
“No. Nothing does. I know when the blood exchange begins to lose its power. I get dizzy and faint.” Her smile slipped off her face. “When I open my eyes, I’m back in this shithole.” She glared at her surroundings, her green eyes sparking with hatred.
Catty’s cell phone rang. The ringtone, set to a Miranda Lambert song, broke the silence of the graveyard. She dug it out of her jeans pocket, looked at the screen, and then shoved it back in her pocket.
“What was that?” Ella craned her neck around Lucien, her eyes wide.
“It’s a cell phone.” Catty snorted.
“I know it’s a cell phone, dummy. I meant the music.” Her eyes glazed over.
“Country music. Haven’t you ever heard her before?” He wasn’t a fan, but it would be an improvement from the heinous seventies stuff she was making them listen to.
“I tell you what, I want that music.” Her eyes lit up. “I’ll take it in exchange for information you want.”
He relented. “Fine. I’ll buy you a CD.”
“No. I want it now.” She held out her hand to Catty. “Hand me your phone.”
Catty frowned and met Lucien’s gaze. He nodded.
Reluctantly Catty handed her phone over. Ella held the phone in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes. She spoke a few words in a language he didn’t recognize and the phone began to levitate. Music drifted from the phone like wisps of pink smoke. Ella opened her mouth, letting the pink swirls and music into her mouth. When the last note left the phone, she closed her mouth and swallowed.
The phone drifted down into her palm.
She held out the phone to Catty, who stared at it like it was a coiled snake.
“Whatever music you downloaded to your phone is gone.” Ella’s sing-song tone grated on Lucien’s nerves. If it grated his nerves, it had to be cutting Catty’s last one.
Catty snatched her phone and tucked it in her pocket.
“It’s your turn. Tell me who is taking the Guardians. Which other states have missing Guardians?” Lucien clenched his fists. He was done playing games with this witch and demanded answers.
Gone was the flirty curve of her mouth and the twinkle in her stare. Her gaze was empty and soulless, like a dead man’s. She had funeral eyes.
Her eyes glazed over as she stared straight ahead, focusing on some unseen picture.
“Lucien, the only Guardians missing are the ones from Arkansas. If the other states know what’s going on, they won’t dare get their hands dirty by saying anything. The Pack Master of Mississippi took a chance by even sending you to me. He knows nothing of the plan.”
“What plan?” He stepped forward. His gut twisted as impending doom pressed down on the back of his neck.
“The plan to wipe out all the Guardians. Arkansas is the beginning. With no Guardians in place, all hell will be loosened upon this earth.”
“Who is behind this?” He grabbed her arm and tightened his hold.
She blinked her eyes back into focus. She frowned and snatched
her arms out of his hold. “I can’t see. All I know is you have to stop it. If any more Guardians get tortured and killed, then the other states won’t have your back. They want Arkansas out of the way. They know to break Arkansas, they need to break the Guardians.”
“What do you mean?” His heart thudded in his chest. This went further than he ever imagined.
“To break Arkansas, they know they have to eliminate your Pack Master, Barrett Middleton.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Who is behind this?” Lucien grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake.
“If you don’t stop grabbing me, I’m going to cast a spell to make your dick fall off.” She snarled and snatched herself out of his hold.
“I can’t see who’s behind this. Whoever is doing this has blocked my ability. It’s a veiling spell.” She narrowed her eyes. “And the only bitch stronger than me is a witch in New Orleans. Emmalise.” Hatred spilled from her eyes and settled into the hard press of her lips. She no longer looked like a twentysomething-year-old with a magic spell. She looked like the lethal, apocalyptic legend she was known for.
“She’s the one who stuck me in here. She’s the one who had me hunted, killed, and cursed inside this cemetery.”
“Were you screwing her boyfriend too?” Catty arched her brow.
“It was her husband.”
“Is there any way you can break the spell?” Lucien turned the conversation. He didn’t give a shit who was screwing who. That wasn’t why he was here.
“I’ll need the right ingredients, but yes, I can break the spell.” She looked up at him. “It won’t be easy, though.”
“Easy has never been my style. What do you need?” The quicker he got his info, the quicker he could report back to Barrett with hard evidence. Lucien dug in his leather jacket pocket and pulled out a pen and piece of paper.
She looked down as she scribbled on the paper. “You can only find the ingredients in the French Quarter. Once I break the spell, I’ll be able to tell you everything you want to know.”
“I don’t trust her, Lucien.” Catty slid close to his side.
“She’s all we have.” He didn’t either.
Ella grinned and cut her eyes at Catty. She handed the paper and pen back to Lucien. He stuffed it in his pocket. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m not going to take your lover. I’ve got my eye on another werewolf. Barrett Middleton.”