Bryce was momentarily dazzled by the smooth, firm, creamy skin.
“Are you crazy?” Zora yelled out after she covered her body once again.
He had his answer and gave her a dry look mingled with anger. “Apparently not. Why won’t you let me touch you?”
She rose, standing a few paces away from him. “I…I don’t like to be touched.”
“You’re lying.”
A loud crash came from his bedroom and she gasped. “Oh, my God! What was that?”
Bryce’s gaze narrowed toward the hallway leading to his room. As unbelieving as they seemed, things started falling into place for him. “My guess is that would be the last remaining mirror in your home,” he said dryly. He returned his gaze to her startled face. “Someone or something doesn’t want you to know your appearance is changing.” He ignored her quick intake of breath. “And my guess is, you didn’t look at yourself before you went to bed, otherwise you would have noticed these changes.”
Zora placed the book down on the table and ran her hands over her face, pausing stiffly at her bulging nose and then grabbing a long lock of her hair and bringing to forward so she could look at it. Her expression darkened. “Morganna,” she whispered.
“Precisely. Now, who the hell is Morganna? And…” Bryce paused deliberately… “am I to believe I am your true love?”
Chapter Seven
Zora froze. He knew. “How did you find out?”
“I read the love curse in your book of spells. There was also the matter of your appearance changing, how you didn’t want me to touch you, your mirrors conveniently breaking.” He frowned. “I suppose the wolves befriending you have something to do with the bond you and your ancestors have to Lycans?”
“You must leave.”
“And you didn’t answer my question. Am I to believe we’re soul mates?”
She inhaled slowly, searching for the right words. “A Lycan has never set foot on my land. You’re the first and I’m not taking any chances.”
“What if I am not your soul mate?”
“I…I’m not willing to risk your life on what ifs.”
“So if we touch, I will die.”
“Yes,” Zora whispered.
His face turned grim. “And Morganna started all this?”
“Yes.” Bryce deserved to know the truth. “Seven hundred years ago,” she began quietly, “Morganna fell in love with a Lycan called Darmus. They had an affair and then he met and fell in love with Morganna’s sister, Larissa.”
She paused, watching his face for any reaction. He offered her none and she continued. “Larissa returned Darmus’s love and once Morganna found out, she flew into a blind rage and cast the love curse. Apparently, Morganna dabbled in the dark arts.”
“Morganna is an immortal, is she not?”
“She is. After she cast the touch of death spell on her sister, Darmus tried to push Larissa out of the way and touched her skin. He died instantly. Larissa was overcome with grief and didn’t see Morganna raise her hand for another spell.” She paused, swallowing. “Morganna killed her sister. A witch becomes immortal when she kills another witch.”
“Nice family,” Bryce said dryly.
She frowned, irked by his cavalier attitude. “You don’t believe me.”
“Actually, I do. I’ve seen many things in my existence and this pales by comparison.”
She grew alarmed. “You must take this seriously! If you are my true love, one touch of my skin will kill you.”
His gaze darkened. “I am not afraid of death.”
“And I will not live with the guilt!”
“So you’re protecting me,” he murmured, his expression hooded. “And you chose to live here alone for the rest of your life to avoid meeting any Lycans.”
“Yes.”
His expression lit with realisation. “That’s why all your ancestors married without love, because they couldn’t marry the one they wanted.”
“Yes.” She watched his mouth tense. “Two years after my father died, my mother met her true love. He was a Lycan passing through the village. Their attraction to each other was instant and their first kiss killed him.” She paused. “Before that, it was my grandmother. She met her true love when she was young, only fifteen. They were inseparable. All he did was take her hand to help her cross a creek and he died. And before that,” she added, her voice rising, “My great aunt took every precaution to protect her Lycan mate—standing a few paces away from him, covering herself, loving him from afar. One day, the village was raided by bandits and he shoved her out of the way of an arrow, saving her life, but ultimately dying because he touched her arm.” She stopped abruptly, taking in a deep breath. “As soon as the curse was cast by Morganna, word travelled to all the cousins and distant female relatives to beware of touching a Lycan lover. The ones who didn’t heed the warning lost their lover with one touch and word spread about the curse.” She paused. “So you see, it’s hopeless. Every single one of my ancestors and their Lycan loves met with the same fate. You must leave, Bryce, and never return.”
“No. Morganna is trying to kill me and I don’t take lightly to threats.”
“You’re mad! She’s powerful, Bryce. She’ll stop at nothing to destroy our lo—” She froze, embarrassed by what she was going to say.
“Our love,” he finished quietly, a curious muscle worked along his jaw. Zora’s gaze wavered under his intent look. “You believe I am your one. How?” Bryce asked, his tone dangerously soft.
She wasn’t sure if he believed her or if he was humouring her. She braced herself before she spoke. “All my ancestors have met one Lycan in their lives. Only one. We think Morganna uses her magic to send our soul mates to us.”
His face turned a dark shade of red. Was he angry? “And how many of these Lycans have survived the curse?”
“None,” she whispered. “They all died. My ancestors all tried to break the curse with spells, but when they touched their true love, the Lycans died.”
“Only the purest of love can break the curse,” he murmured.
“You read that from my spell book.”
“Yes.” He drew in a deep breath. “There’s one thing left to do. Do you know where this Morganna is?”
“Legend says she’s hiding beneath the mountains in a hidden cavern. Darmus is buried there and she never ventured far from his grave.”
“I will travel to Darmus’s grave and search the area. If Morganna is hiding there, I will find her and kill her.”
Her eyes widened. “You believe me.”
He ran his gaze over her and his mouth thinned. “I do.”
* * * *
Bryce did believe Zora. Since meeting her, his wolf was fighting its almost violent need to claim her.
Zora was his one and he could never touch her.
He stifled the curse on his lips as he stared at her. She looked tired, scared, helpless. Dammit, he felt useless. Bryce just wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, protect her, take care of her. He rubbed the back of his neck with an agitated hand.
“Go back to bed, Zora. You need to sleep. In the morning, we’ll figure this out,” he said quietly.
She nodded, her eyes glistening.
Long after she left, he stared unseeingly before him, wondering with a staggering realisation when had he fallen in love with her.
Bryce rose at the crack of dawn with Zora on his mind. Morganna was trying to kill him and witchcraft or not, he wasn’t going to take this lying down. He was a Lycan and he’d fought more menacing foes than jilted witches.
He dressed quickly.
He then went into the living room and didn’t see her anywhere. He frowned. His gaze caught the opened spell book on the table. Curiously, he went over to it and looked at the page. The back of his nape tingled as he flipped a few pages forward and a few pages back.
Zora had left the book opened for him in the W section and there were no entries on Werewolves. She’d done that to prove to him she wasn�
�t lying. There was no spell in existence to remove his werewolf curse.
He didn’t know how to feel about it. Disturbed or moved? Disturbed because he’d have to live this hellish existence for an eternity until silver impaled him, or moved by her sympathy. She obviously didn’t want him to hold onto to lost hope.
He grimaced and left the house in search of her. He didn’t find her in the front or the back. He walked into the woods, listening for any sounds with his Lycan ears and inhaled deeply for her sweet scent. Nothing. Fear gripped him as he stomped deeper into the woods.
* * * *
Zora closed the shed behind her and walked to the front of the house, dragging the step ladder behind her. She knew she could always cast a spell on Luna to make her fearful of the roof top so she’d never venture up there again, but she refrained. She only wanted to use her spells for dire emergencies.
An image of a naked Bryce flashed through her mind when she’d mended his clothes, and her heart skipped.
“That was a dire emergency,” she murmured dryly under her breath.
She heard Luna’s mewls and looked up at the roof top. “Serves you right for going back up there again,” she said firmly, watching her cat’s cute little black and white face peek over the ledge. Luna mewled again and Zora’s mood softened.
“Okay, give me a second,” she murmured placing the ladder up against the house. The ladder wasn’t firm on the ground and she shoved it deeper into the earth. That should hold, she thought, glancing up at Luna.
Damn, the roof was high. She’d already been up there three other times, and each time hadn’t gotten any easier. She’d just have to take it nice and slow. As long as Luna didn’t claw her in a panic like she’d done all those other times.
Zora inhaled slowly and stepped onto the first rung on the ladder, holding on for dear life.
* * * *
Bryce was almost at the house when his Lycan sense of smell caught her alluring scent and he picked up his pace. A flash of anger rose in his chest at her for disappearing.
He froze as soon as he saw her. She was on a ladder, near the top of the house, her cat mewling bloody murder from the roof. The ladder swayed and his stomach clenched with fear. Damnation! Couldn’t she use her magic to save her damn cat?
He envisioned her body smashing on the ground, and his heart thudded. At the thought of her body, he frowned deeply. From this distance, he could see a remarkable change. Her waist was tiny, her backside outlined by her summer frock, firm and enticing, her hair longer as it fell in a golden wave to her buttocks.
* * * *
The ladder shook as she reached for her cat. Luna’s paw snaked out and Zora shrieked, jerking back. The ladder jostled from side to side.
Without another thought, he shifted into his Lycan form and sprang through the air, his nine-foot frame almost a blur. He caught her before she hit the ground. Zora stiffened in his arms, her eyes squeezed shut.
She opened her eyes slowly and choked back a sob. “You’re alive.”
Bryce blinked, unable to fathom the complete and staggering change in her appearance. He stared at her dainty nose, her creamy soft complexion, and her pearly white teeth. Her new face blinded him with its beauty. She stared up at him with relief, not the least bit frightened or repelled by his ferocious appearance.
“You’ve covered every inch of your skin. The only thing missing is a mask,” he commented in his eerie Lycan voice.
She frowned. “Quick. Put me down.”
Carefully, he placed her down and shifted back to his human form. Zora gasped as he transformed and he smiled with arrogance.
“Does my being naked disturb you?”
Her gaze wavered. “I’m…I’m getting used to it.”
He smiled, his gaze travelling over her face. “If my nudity is bothering you, imagine what I feel watching you in your true, lovely splendour.”
She gasped and looked down at herself. “No,” she whispered.
“Yes,” Bryce murmured. “And I find it very difficult stopping myself from kissing you right now.”
Chapter Eight
She watched her spell mend his clothes and then handed them to him. Her gaze flicked over his muscular chest and she turned around. Luna meowed as she darted beneath the table.
“I didn’t thank you for saving my cat,” Zora said as she kept her back to him, pretending to arrange the centerpiece of flowers on the table.
“You can turn around now. I’m dressed,” he said.
She detected a thread of humour in his voice and slowly turned around. He was regarding her with a glint of amusement on his face. “Thank you for Luna,” she repeated.
“You’re welcome.”
His gaze travelled very slowly over her and she felt not unlike a bug under a glass. She thought about what he’d said outside and tensed. Had he meant it when he’d said he wanted to kiss her?
She tore her gaze from his and turned away. “I have some things to do. Breakfast will be ready in an hour.”
“Wait!”
She froze at his commanding tone. Slowly, she turned around and faced him. Bryce was glaring with frustration at her.
“Don’t you think we need to talk?”
Zora inhaled slowly. “There’s nothing left to say. I agreed to let you stay here for a couple of days. You must leave tonight.”
His mouth was firm and in three strides, Bryce was in front of her. He reached out to grab her and she shrieked, jumping back. “No!”
He dropped his hands, clenching them at his sides and grimaced. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath, his gaze resting on her mouth.
Zora felt the tension between them. Bryce wanted to kiss her. “I’m…I’m sorry. I thought I could help the situation by turning myself into a hideous hag, but Morganna seems to have taken care of that.” She frowned. “She’s watching us. I can feel her.”
His mouth curled sardonically, his eyes still reflecting his anger. “Even when you had a thicker waist and grey hair, my wolf was drawn to you,” he remarked dryly. He paused. “I wondered about something last night after you went to bed. Why would she place a spell that transformed you slowly? Why not reveal your true self instantly?”
Zora thought about what he said. “I don’t know. When did you see my appearance first change?”
His expression was pensive. “The first time was in your vegetable garden. I asked you for the werewolf cure and you refused.”
She remembered that moment. “I didn’t refuse,” she said stiffly. “I told you I didn’t have it.”
“I know that now,” Bryce said quietly. “It was then when I saw your mouth soften and your hair hinting its gold.”
“And the next time my appearance changed?”
His face turned grim. “When you fed the wolves. I’d never seen anything like it, and I’ve seen a lot of things in my life.”
She was starting to understand Morganna’s cunning. “Did you feel anything other than shock?”
“Awe, respect, admiration, and anger for putting me through hell. I thought those beasts were going to rip you to shreds.” He froze, and she wondered if he was beginning to think what she was thinking. “The final change to your appearance came when you fell from the ladder. I’d gone looking for you and couldn’t find you anywhere. I was…I was concerned for your safety…” he said, his voice trailing as realisation fell over his face. “Damnation,” he said hoarsely.
“It appears every time your feelings…er…deepened for me and part of my true self was revealed.” Could she believe what was staring at her in the face?
He held her gaze, taking a step toward her. Her breath caught as she watched his hand reach out. Slowly, he took her gloved hand and raised it to his lips. He kissed it and withdrew. “I will not leave you here alone.”
“We can never touch,” Zora whispered. “Lycans are passionate beasts who mate with their one for life. How can you stay here with me and never be able to touch my hand or hold me?”
“
So, you will choose another for a mate, and have his children.”
She shook her head sadly. “No. I won’t do what my mother did, or my grandmother, or any of my ancestors. The curse ends with me. I am the last of our line, and if I don’t have any children, Morganna’s curse will die out.”
Bryce frowned. “You will live here alone, die alone, with no one,” he said quietly.
“Yes.”
* * * *
“Stupid girl!” Morganna spat angrily as she stared at her crystal ball. “How dare you think you can outsmart me?”
Furiously, she swung her hand in the air and the image of Bryce and Zora swirling in the ball disappeared. “I have watched every single one of my descendants kill their Lycan mate and you will be no different!”
The rage and hate welling in her chest almost choked her. Her sister’s and her Lycan lover’s betrayal still enraged her after all these centuries.
The only thing that made her want to draw breath every day was watching everyone else’s heart break as hers had broken.
She raised both of her hands and cast another spell, her voice quaking with rage.
“A power beneath, a force behind him, the Lycan falls upon her.”
* * * *
Bryce growled as he watched Zora’s eyes widen with alarm.
The living room floor was tilting!
Morganna! She was doing this. Blasted witch!
The floor rumbled and creaked, splitting and snapping as it swayed up behind him. He saw Zora struggling to maintain her balance. The floor jerked up sharply, and his body was flung towards her. He knew he shouldn’t shift because his Lycan form was huge and he might touch her. He roared as he watched her tumble on the floor, her eyes wide with terror as he fell on top of her.
The Lycan and His Witch Page 4