A Witch in Time

by Alicia Montgomery

  As she and Lara walked into the Jonasson apartment, Elise felt a wave of nostalgia. Growing up, she would visit New York often with the rest of her siblings, and she had lots of fond memories in this place. Playing dolls with Deedee and Astrid on the living room carpet. Going to the rooftop garden with Cross and Gunnar. Sleeping over at the Creed apartment and eating junk food and playing video games all night with Bastian and Wyatt. Or the big, family-style dinners they would have—and they were big since Lycans ate a lot.

  And today was no different. It was Chinese takeout day, based on the white boxes heaped on the kitchen table. Two women hovered over the mountain of food as the kitchen TV blasted in the background.

  “And now, for news abroad,” boomed the nasal voice of the famous gossip TV news anchor. “It’s been a few weeks since the death of his father, King Nassir Assam Salamuddin, but Prince Karim Idris Salamuddin still hasn’t taken the throne. Is the playboy prince going to be crowned soon? Palace insiders say he doesn’t want to give up his freedom, though official statements say that the coronation will happen after an appropriate mourning period.”

  “And when is that?” the flamboyant co-host interjected. “I’m dying to see His Highness wearing that crown.”

  “Who knows?” the host replied. “Zhobghadi is a such a mysterious country, and it’s only recently they’ve even been on anyone’s radar. As you know, the late king set the tongues wagging when he married an English—”

  Jade Creed grabbed the remote control and pointed it at the TV, silencing it. “Ugh, I don’t know why you listen to this trash.”

  “Hey!” Meredith Jonasson protested. “I can’t watch the real news anymore, it’s too depressing. I’d rather learn about which celebrity is screwing who.” When she saw Lara and Elise walking into the kitchen, she turned to them. “Did you guys get any good stuff?”

  “A couple of things.” Lara raised the shopping bags in her hand in the air.

  Jade’s light green eyes sparkled with mirth. “That’s more than a couple of things.” She walked over from where she was sitting on one of the stools and hugged her friend before turning to Elise. “Hey, Elise, did you survive shopping with your mom?”

  “Mostly,” she joked.

  “Did you have Daric head to Shanghai for all of this?” Lara gestured to the food on the table. While most people would think that sounded crazy, it was a normal occurrence in the Jonasson household since Daric was a warlock who could travel great distances in the blink of an eye.

  “Nah, he’s too busy,” Meredith said. “I got takeout from Emerald Dragon.” She pointed to the empty stools. “C’mon, eat up.”

  Elise took the seat next to Aunt Jade, who handed her a plate of rice and a pair of chopsticks. She thanked her and began to dig into the vast amount of dishes piled on the table.

  “How’s Astrid doing?” Lara asked Meredith. “And the baby?”

  “She’s doing amazing, of course,” Meredith answered through a mouthful of General Tso’s chicken. “The job’s stressing her out a bit, but I know she’ll do well there too.”

  “I can’t believe Lucas chose her to be Beta.” Jade reached for an egg roll and plopped it on her plate. “I mean, I know she’ll be great, and hello—a female Beta? It’s about time. But it was still a surprise.”

  “To me too,” Meredith admitted. “But I’m so fucking proud of her.”

  “And you let her know by arguing with her, right?” Lara snickered. “You guys are so much alike.”

  “Hey, she’s the one who thinks she knows everything, while I’ve only been working as second-in-command for the Lycan Security Team for almost three decades.” Meredith swallowed and turned to Jade. “Speaking of daughters, how’s Dee? Is she enjoying the field work?”

  Perhaps it was because of her sensitive, nurturing nature that Elise noticed the fleeting, pained expression in Jade’s eyes. But the other woman quickly composed herself and took a sip of water. “She’s doing great. Calls every few days, though I wish it was more often. But it’s not like they have cell reception in the middle of nowhere.” Deedee Creed was a professor of Archeology at New York University. Elise had heard from her mother that she had left New York a couple of weeks ago after receiving a grant to do some field work.

  “What is she doing again?” Lara asked. “And where is she?”

  Jade pursed her lips. “Her focus is on the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, so she’s going all over the Middle East. When she last called me, she was in Lahore. She’ll be there for a couple of months before she makes her way to Afghanistan.”

  “Sounds exciting,” Meredith said.

  “And dangerous,” Lara added. “I’m surprised Sebastian let her go.”

  “Well, she’s a grown woman, and she loves her job.” Jade looked around as if worried someone was listening in, then lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anyone, but of course Sebastian has people looking out for her. He found out who was doing the security for Deedee’s team and underbid them and got the contract instead. He’s got eyes on her at all times.”

  “And Deedee doesn’t know?” Lara asked.

  Jade shook her head. “She’ll be furious if she found out. You know how daughters are. They can be so hardheaded.”

  “Yeah, we only want what’s best for them,” Meredith said. “Why can’t they just listen to us? And do what we tell them?” She shook her head. “Oh Lara, you’re so lucky Elise is a good girl. She listens to you, right? And she’s got a good, stable job that doesn’t require her to go into dangerous situations?”

  Elise nearly choked on the piece of broccoli that she was chewing, but stifled the urge to spit it out until her eyes watered.

  Lara laughed. “Elise has always been a dream.” She smiled warmly at her. “You were never a fussy baby. Always slept through the night, rarely cried, ate anything we put in front of you. Plus, you were a straight A student and never got into trouble.”

  Yes, that’s who she was all right. The good girl.

  “And you work with animals,” Meredith said.

  “She loves her work, and she’ll probably be made director of the shelter soon.”

  “Mom.” Elise slapped a hand over her forehead. “It’s not sure yet. My boss just talked to me about retiring the other day.” Shelly, the current director of the animal shelter, had called her into her office and told her she was thinking of taking early retirement so she could move to Arizona to be with her daughter and grandkids. She wanted to see if Elise would be interested in the position. While she was flattered, Elise wasn’t so sure she wanted to become director. It would mean spending more time behind a desk and less with the animals.

  Meredith waggled her brows. “So, are you seeing anyone?”

  “Meredith!” Jade sent her a warning look. “Elise doesn’t have to answer that! She’s got her career. A woman is more than the man she’s with.”

  Meredith held her hands up. “I’m just curious. I mean, Elise is a gorgeous girl.”

  “And smart,” Jade said.

  “Yeah. But I heard how dating is so hard these days.” Meredith’s whiskey brown eyes lit up. “Hey, there are, like, tons of single Lycan guys here in New York. Maybe you’ll find someone here.”

  “No thanks,” Elise suddenly said. “No offense, but most of the single guys from the New York clan are like family to me. It would be like dating my brother. Gross.”

  “Hmmm, yeah, I guess that would be weird,” Meredith said. “I mean, my brother’s kids are all single, but you used to hang out with them a lot too.” She paused. “Hey, aren’t Alynna Westbrook’s sons single? What’s the name of the older one? The one who looks like his dad?”

  “Nathan,” Lara said.

  “Yeah, he’s only, what, a year younger than you, Elise?”

  Elise wanted the earth to swallow her up. “Uh—”

  “You know, Alynna and Liam went out on a couple of dates,” Lara offered. “Wouldn’t it be funny if—”

  “Eww! Mom, that’s even grosse
r,” Elise cried. “And Donovan says he hangs out with Bastian a lot—no offense, Aunt Jade.” Bastian Creed was a notorious womanizer, after all.

  Jade rubbed her temple with her fingers. “No worries, I know my son well.”

  “Really?” Lara said. “I always thought he was such a quiet boy.”

  Meredith waved a finger at no one in particular. “Wooo, it’s those quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

  Taking pity on her daughter, Lara changed the subject. “So, what time do we have to be at The Enclave for the ceremony?”

  Elise sighed in relief, glad that her dating life was not under scrutiny anymore. Not that I have one. And really, she was fine being by herself. Because being alone meant she couldn’t hurt anyone.

  Pushing herself off the stool, she got to her feet. “I think I’ll go lie down,” she announced.

  “Are you feeling okay, darling?” Lara asked.

  “Yeah. Jet lag,” she lied. “I’m going to go take a nap. I’ll set my alarm and make sure I’m ready by the time we have to leave.”

  “All right, darling, have a good nap.”

  She left the three women, who seemed happy enough to chat and catch up by themselves, and headed to the guest bedroom where she was staying. As soon as she got inside, she strode toward the bed. Maybe I will lie down for a bit. Curling herself around a pillow, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

  Elise immediately woke up from her dreamless nap. “Oh crap!” Sitting up, she glanced around her, her eyes focusing on the clock by the bedside. Her body relaxed and she sank back into the covers. Thank goodness, it was only three o’clock, but still, she had slept longer than she wanted to.

  Uncurling her legs, she swung them over the side of the bed and got up, stretching her arms over her head. She walked over to her open suitcase to grab her toiletry case when she realized she had given her shampoo to her mom last night. Better go grab it.

  Her mom was in the room just across from hers, so it wasn’t a big deal. However, as she stepped out of the room, the sound of voices drifted down the hallway, and she stiffened when she heard her name. Was someone talking about her? Curious, she turned and tiptoed toward the living room.

  The volume of Jade’s voice strengthened as she got closer. “… and nothing’s improved?”

  “You’ve seen it for yourself. She’s still wearing gloves. When I tried to take them off, from the way she reacted, it was like I was trying to peel her skin off.”

  Elise swallowed, hard. They were definitely talking about her.

  “There has to be something we can do,” Meredith added. “Maybe she just needs help? What does your mother say?”

  “We’ve spoken about it at length,” Lara replied, her voice despondent. “And we’ve run out of ideas. I just … I wish I could have done more.”

  “No!” Jade exclaimed. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  It was like an invisible hand clamped around her chest, making it hard to breathe. The walls were closing in on her, making her feel like she was being crushed. She didn’t want to stay there, but she couldn’t move either.

  Of course, Lara wasn’t disappointed in her, she was disappointed in herself. That somehow, she was the one lacking in trying to raise Elise as a blessed witch with magical powers. And that made her feel worse about the whole thing. But Elise knew the truth: Lara didn’t lack anything. I’m the problem, Mom.

  Biting her hand to keep from making a sound, she found the strength to move, slowly backing away to make her way toward her room. However, before she could reach it, she bumped into something.

  “Oomph,” She spun around. “I—Uncle Daric!”

  Even though she was all grown up, the sight of the Viking-like warlock never ceased to intimidate her. Of course, she knew Daric was as gentle as a lamb, but the power emanating from him sometimes hit her like a sack of bricks. Blue-green eyes the color of the ocean stared down at her. “Elise? Are you all right?”

  “I—” Tears were threatening to spill, and she turned away from him. “I’m fine!” she cried as she raced back to her room. She rushed inside and closed the door quietly behind her.

  Goddammit! She stared down at her gloved hands. Some days, she really did want to take them off. But she couldn’t.

  A knock on the door made her startle. “Y-y-yes?” she stammered.

  “Elise,” came Lara’s voice through the door. “Are you awake?”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “Hurry up and get dressed then. Aunt Meredith’s been called to The Enclave to help with security, and Aunt Jade and I thought it would be nice to get there early and see Frankie.”

  “I … I …” She didn’t want to go. She didn’t even want to be here right now. I wish I was back in California. Back in her home in Napa Valley where she could shift into her wolf and be at peace. “Mom, I can’t be ready in that time.”

  “I’m so sorry, darling. I know it’s last minute, but maybe you can move a little quicker?”

  “Yeah, I’m not really ready.” For any of this. But if her mother knew anything was wrong, she would be like a rabid dog. “You know, I’ve been to The Enclave dozens of times. I can get there by myself. I’ll grab a cab.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  There was a resigned sigh. “All right, we’re leaving in an hour if you can manage to get ready by then, then you can just drive over with us.”

  “Sure.”

  Elise flopped down on her bed. The hour passed in an excruciatingly slow manner, and when Lara knocked again to check if she was ready, she told her that she wasn’t and to go ahead without her. She listened carefully to the sounds outside—the three women rushing about and gathering their things, and the door closing behind them. Finally, she was alone. Maybe I can—

  A knock on her door made her bolt up in bed. Who could that be?

  “Lara, it’s me.”

  Uncle Daric? Confused, she got up and walked to the door. “I thought you’d left with them.”

  Daric smiled at her weakly. “You heard them talking.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Yes.”

  His expression became doleful. “She did what she could.”

  “She did,” she shrugged. They all did. Him. Grandma. Even the powerful warlock, Lucien Merlin, couldn’t do anything. “It’s me. I’m the one who can’t control my powers.” Her gaze dropped down to her gloved hands. They had been a crutch, they said. It was all in her mind. She had the strength to control her powers, but she wasn’t trying hard enough. Well, there was no way she was going to risk anyone’s life again, which is why she resigned herself to wearing the gloves forever.

  “I’m sorry there wasn’t more I could do for you.”

  “I—” She stopped short, an idea forming in her head. Why didn’t she think of that before? “Uncle Daric, when we were young, you bound our powers, right? All the hybrids?”

  “It was a necessary precaution.” The warlock’s golden brows drew together. “Cross caused an accident when he was an infant, so we decided that all hybrids would have their magic bound until they were older.”

  “So … could you do it again? This time … permanently?” She reached out for that small bit of hope dangling in front of her. Without her powers, she could live a normal life. Maybe even touch another human without the damned gloves.

  Daric shook his head. “I cannot, Elise.”

  “But why?” came her bitter reply. “The mages that you sent to the Lycan Siberian prison … you bound their powers, right?”

  “Yes, but that’s different. They were pure magical beings. You, on the other hand, are a hybrid. Your powers are intricately bound to your wolf. I do not know what a permanent binding would do to your wolf in the long term or your ability to shift.”

  She could lose her wolf? So, her choice was to lose a part of her or to live like this forever. Living half a life, her powers within her reach but being unable to use them. “There has to be a
way. Maybe if …” The lump in her throat made it difficult to breathe.

  “Elise, this is not the answer.” He lifted up her gloved hands. “I know you can control your power. It’s you who won’t believe it. What happened was tragic—”

  She yanked her hands away. “Please! I-I don’t want to talk about that now.”

  The warlock nodded. “As you wish.” A heavy silence hung between them. “I shall head to The Enclave. If you would like—”

  “I’ll find my own way, thanks.” She yanked on the doorknob and shut it. It was rude to do that to her host, but she was too angry and disappointed to care.

  She waited a few more minutes, using her razor-sharp hearing to observe the sounds in the apartment. When she could no longer sense Daric’s presence, she sighed in relief.

  What do I do? She didn’t really know how she could stand being around people right now, or face her mother after what she’d overheard. But it wasn’t like she could just not show up to the ceremony. It was tempting but disrespectful to the Andersons, one of their closest allies. There was going to be a lot of people there. Perhaps she could just blend in and find a couple of acquaintances. She knew Lucas’s sisters casually, plus Aunt Cady and her family would be there too. You’re the daughter of an Alpha, she told herself. And she had a duty to her clan to represent them.

  She took her time getting ready, showering and putting on her makeup, then the plain, long black dress she had chosen. As she reached for the matching gloves, she paused. Did she dare …

  “No.” She couldn’t risk it, and put the gloves on. Grabbing her purse, she exited the loft and took the elevator to the street level to find a taxi.

  Fifteen minutes passed and there was still no taxi. Elise grumbled. At this point, I’ll be really late. Turning on her heel, she decided to walk a block up to try and catch a taxi before other people hailed them first.

  “Excuse me.”

  She pivoted and found herself nearly nose-to-nose with a stranger. Where did he come from? “Yes?” she said, taking a step back.