A large black wolf with glowing yellow eyes came out from behind the trees and glanced left and right along the spell barrier.
“Kaleb?” His name caught in my throat as I fought back the tears. It had to be him. Who else would come after me? “Stop. You heard Calandra. If you cross the spell barrier, you’ll die.”
The black wolf lowered his head and began shifting back into a human. One by one, his bones cracked into place.
Unable to watch, I looked away, praying it was Kaleb. But even when the cracking stopped, I still couldn’t bear to turn around. What if it was Asher or even another wolf?
“Sienna,” Kaleb whispered in his familiar, gentle voice.
I clutched my chest, sobbing with relief as I turned to look at Kaleb. To my surprise, he was completely naked. The moonlight revealed a body covered in dirt, and bite marks on his arms and chest. As his body healed itself, blood oozed from the wounds.
As my gaze naturally lowered, I bit my lip, hoping he hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. When I spoke, my voice shook. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” Cupping his private parts with both hands, he chuckled. “Here we are, surrounded by vampires and wolves, and you’re trying to sneak a peek?”
“I didn’t realize you’d be naked.” Blushing, I forced myself to focus on his face.
Although Kaleb looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, his naked body was still sexy. I’d seen his bare chest plenty of times, but I hadn’t realized he’d be so big and solid all over. Those legs of his, that V-shaped torso, and his…
My cheeks heated when I realized I’d been staring again. “I didn’t see anything.”
“Sure, I bet this was your plan all along.” His lips curled into a smile that soon faded. Somewhere deep in the woods, a wolf howled. “We don’t have much time. Promise me you’ll leave town with the witches. They can protect you.”
A tear trickled down my cheek. “Did Markus tell you the truth? Do you know—”
“Yes. I know everything.”
“Everything? Did he…?” I couldn’t finish. I couldn’t ask if Kaleb knew I healed him with my witch blood. What if someone was listening? Another tear rolled down my cheek. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know. You did it because you love me.”
“Are you mad? Because Markus said—”
“I’m not mad.” He stepped closer to the barrier and lowered his voice. “I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Please, go with the witches. Do whatever you have to, but be careful. Trust no one. I’ll come for you once things have settled down. I promise.”
Kaleb still loved me!
I flung myself into Kaleb’s arms, pushing him away from the spell barrier as I whispered in his ear, “I thought you hated me. I thought…”
“I couldn’t risk telling you that Markus and I had talked. If the pack had realized what I was doing, they would’ve killed us both.” He kissed my forehead. “Listen. I made a deal with Calandra. She promised to help if I gave her my blood. You need to go with her before the rest of the pack shows up.”
I shook my head. “I can’t leave you. What if the pack figures out what you’ve done? I can’t lose you. I can’t—”
“You won’t lose me. Trust me. Nothing will keep us from being together. I promise.”
I hugged Kaleb one last time, feeling a little awkward at his nakedness. I should never have doubted his love. He was the reason the witches turned up. The reason they knew where to find me. And the reason I hadn’t burned at the stake.
I kissed his cheek, touching the back of his buzz-cut head as I whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He lowered his lips to mine, giving me a brief, gentle kiss. “Someone’s coming. Remember what I said. You can’t trust anyone. Not even Calandra.”
I hurried across the barrier and ran in the direction I’d seen Garrett take earlier. Smiling, I glanced over my shoulder at Kaleb. He’d already shifted back into a wolf and stood behind the spell barrier, staring after me. When our eyes met, he lifted his head and howled.
As I turned my head around, I ran straight into Garrett. “Hey, where’s the van?”
“What van?”
A shiver ran down my spine. That wasn’t Garrett’s voice. I’d bumped into a vampire—the vampire who’d wanted to bite me. “Shouldn’t you be fighting the wolves?”
“I’m not much of a fighter.” He lowered his gaze to my neck. “Tell me. What’s so special about you? The High Council rarely calls upon us, and when they do, it’s never to save another witch. It’s usually to kill one.”
“There’s nothing special about me.” I tried to move around him.
“I’m having a hard time believing that.” He reached out and grabbed hold of me, opening his mouth as razor-sharp fangs extended from his gumline.
I screamed and kicked, hoping the van wasn’t too far away. Garrett must have noticed I wasn’t behind him. Surely he’d come back for me.
“Stay still,” the vampire said in a soothing voice. He tightened his grip on me. “One bite won’t hurt. You won’t—”
I flew backward and landed hard on the ground. As I clambered to my feet in a daze, I prayed the scene before me was only a bad dream. Rolling around on the ground, biting and clawing at each other, was the vampire and a large black wolf. A wolf that could only be Kaleb.
What had Calandra said earlier? If a wolf broke the spell barrier, he’d die an agonizing death.
“No!” I screamed, falling to my knees. A strong blast of wind knocked me forward onto my stomach and lifted Kaleb and the vampire high into the air, where they dangled momentarily before plummeting to the ground.
“Sienna, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the van.” Calandra pulled me to my feet and looked at my distraught face. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Kaleb. He…” I couldn’t get the words out as I turned and pointed. The vampire had disappeared, but Kaleb, in wolf form, lay lifeless on the ground.
Calandra rushed to his side and kneeled beside him. She touched his head. “What happened?”
“There was a vampire. He tried to bite me.” I kneeled on the other side of Kaleb and stroked his soft fur. “Kaleb broke the spell barrier. He saved me.”
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath as she placed a hand on Kaleb’s chest, above his heart. “He knew what would happen if—”
“That doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “You have to heal him.”
“I can’t.” She lifted her hand from his chest.
“You can’t, or you won’t? Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. I don’t care about the High Council or its rules. I have to do something. I can’t lose him. I won’t…” Tears streamed down my face.
“There’s nothing we can do, child. I’m sorry.” Calandra placed her hand over mine. “I had to use dark magic. It was the only way to save you. I told Kaleb about the spell. He knew what he was doing when he broke the barrier to attack the vampire.”
I pushed her hand away, angered by her refusal to help. Kaleb was right. I couldn’t trust any of them. “There must be a way to save him.”
“What’s done is done.” She stood as several wolves howled in the distance. “We need to leave. The wolves are coming.”
“I’m not leaving him.” I grabbed Kaleb’s hind legs and pulled, but his body only moved an inch. Refusing to let that discourage me, I continued to pull with all my strength. Maybe Calandra had a strength potion or could cast a spell to lift Kaleb’s body.
“Sienna, there you are.” Garrett appeared next to me. His eyes widened when he saw Kaleb on the ground. “I thought we agreed not to kill the wolves. What happened?”
“A vampire attacked me, and Kaleb broke the barrier to save me.” I choked on a sob, relieved to see Garrett. He’d help me move Kaleb’s body even if Calandra wouldn’t. I glared at her. “Kaleb said you made a deal with him. You need to—”
“Sleep, child.” She touched her palm to my forehea
d.
I collapsed into Garrett’s arms, seeing only darkness but able to hear every sound. Like the wolves’ howls, sounding much closer this time.
“Get her out of here,” Calandra urged. “I’ll meet you at the van.”
Garrett picked me up, cradling my body against his chest. “What did she mean you made a deal with him? Did you send a vampire after Sienna?”
“Of course not,” snapped Calandra. “She’s delirious.”
I tried to speak, wanting to tell Garrett what Kaleb had said.
Kaleb.
I fought to open my eyes. Kaleb couldn’t be dead. It’d only been a few minutes since he broke through the barrier. I needed to convince Garrett to get the other warlock to help.
“Don’t worry.” Garrett held me close. “You’re safe now.”
The sound of a motor was the last thing I heard before passing out, before dreaming of Kaleb. And of the life we could have had on Norwood Isle. Together. Married. As I fell into the darkness, my heart finally shattered into a million pieces as I clung to the images of a life I’d never thought possible when I came to Woodlake. One I now knew would only ever be a dream.
Thank you for reading! If you like this book, please leave a review. Short or long, reviews help readers find books they’ll enjoy and I appreciate the honest feedback.
I’m working on the next book, Romani Magic, and will get it published as soon as possible – my target date is Fall 2019. To get notifications, sign up to my newsletter: http://www.francestrilone.com/subscribe.
Acknowledgments
This book would not be possible without the support and encouragement from many people, especially my wonderful, loving family. Thank you for getting me away from the computer and reminding me to take care of myself.
Thank you to my awesome alpha readers – Jennifer Preiss and Richard Dane Scott. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you guys. Your feedback pushed me to make this book the best ever.
A big hug to my brilliant editor, Liz Dempsey from Error Eliminator. You are amazing!
More big hugs to my talented graphic designer, Ravenborn, for the beautiful book cover and my fantastic proofreader, Katie Harder-Schauer from Proofreading by Katie.
To the readers who patiently waited for Romani Witch – THANK YOU! I hope you enjoyed the continuation of Sienna and Kaleb’s story.
As always, I thank Jesus and Buddha for their teachings and daily reminders to always choose kindness.
About the Author
Frances Trilone was born in New Jersey, went to high school in Japan, and graduated from college in New York City. She now lives in Texas with her husband, three cats, and a spoiled shepherd/husky dog named Loki.
When she’s not writing, she loves to read, hike, watch movies, and spend time with family and friends. Some of her favorite things are: coffee, Thai food, animals, and Supernatural. One day she hopes to travel the world as a digital nomad.
To get special offers and updates from Frances, visit http://www.francestrilone.com/subscribe and sign up to her newsletter.
Romani Witch (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 2) Page 24