Midlife Magic Dragon (Midlife Shifters Book 7)

by J. L. Wilder

  Maddie said nothing as she drove on. Moments passed, and she realized that she hadn’t really asked herself what she wanted.

  “I want...I want my freedom. I want to be in charge of my own life. I don’t want to run. I want to be a mother, and I don’t want to live in fear.”

  “Is that all?”

  “No. I want...I want Scorn. I want him to be the father in his child’s life, and I don’t want to run off to some city I’ve never been to before because I’m scared.”

  Katie smiled, clearly pleased with her answer.

  “And why do you want Scorn?”

  The words to come next were crystal clear in her mind.

  “Because I love him.”

  “There it is,” said Maddie. “You love him, and I’d bet you anything he loves you right back. Imagine how you’d feel if you ran off and found out something happened to him before you had a chance to tell one another your feelings.”

  “That’d be hell.”

  “Right. So you need to do what’s right.”

  Maddie was in complete agreement.

  “I need to go back to Seattle,” she said. “Solve this mess. But how the hell do I do that?”

  “They’re about to fight a war over you,” said Katie. “But if you can find some way to give them what they want, then you can put it off.”

  “Or,” said Maddie, an idea occurring to her, “if I can make them think I’m giving them what they want.”

  “There you go,” said Katie, her mouth flashing with a smile. “Right now, Frannie and the rest of the Goodwins are wondering what the hell happened to you and me. If we go back now...”

  Maddie nodded, understanding completely what she was saying.

  “Let’s do it.”

  She pulled into the nearest turn-off, then back on the road heading north. And as she drove, drawing closer and closer to Seattle, Maddie was filled with a determination she’d never known before.

  Maddie was tired of running. And moreover, she’d known Katie had been right when she’d said that Maddie had never been one to run, that she’d always been the type of woman to take what she wanted.

  It was well into the evening when they finally reached the city. They drove the rest of the way in silence, Maddie’s stomach tight with anticipation and her muscles sore from the trip.

  But when she pulled up in front of the coven house, that stately historical society, Maddie was ready.

  “Let me do the talking at first,” said Katie. “It’s going to be a hard sell, but they might still think I’m on their side.”

  Maddie nodded.

  “Thanks,” said Maddie. “Thanks for everything.”

  “Best friends stick together, right?” asked Katie with a smile.

  The two left the car and headed up the stone steps of the building. As they stood in front of the doors, Katie took a deep breath and knocked.

  Moments later, they opened. A slim, youngish witch with bright blue eyes and silver hair opened.

  “Oh Gods,” she said when she realized who it was. “You’ve...you’ve returned!”

  “I’m back,” said Katie. “And I need to speak with Mother Frannie—now.”

  The silver-haired witch nodded silently, leading them through the vast interior of the historical society. Maddie was ready, but she was nervous, worried things might not go as they’d planned.

  The witch led them to the top floor, all the way to Frannie’s office. Then the witch hurried inside, eager to tell her coven leader of the news.

  Moments later, the doors opened, Frannie Goodwin herself greeting them. She looked Maddie up and down as if appraising her.

  “The prodigal daughter returns,” she said, her voice prim and elegant as before. “Come in, both of you.”

  Frannie thanked the silver-haired witch, who left with a nod. Maddie and Katie entered the enormous office, the doors shutting on their own with a magic-charged sweep of her hand. After letting silence hang in the air, Frannie spoke.

  “We feared the worst,” she said.

  “What?” asked Maddie. “That I was dead?”

  “No,” said Frannie, not a trace of panic to the word. “That you’d done something silly like run off. I had to admit, I was impressed by the way you broke through my spells and escaped. But once that wore off, I was mad. And believe me, no one likes it when I’m mad.”

  Maddie kept her mouth shut, wanting to know where Frannie was going.

  “Now, while I’m glad you saw the error of your ways and returned, it would go a long way to satisfy my curiosity if you told me why you came back.”

  “Because—” said Katie.

  But Frannie swiped her hand through the air, Katie’s mouth vanishing from her face. Katie’s eyes went wide, and her hands clamped onto the now-blank spot on her face.

  “What the hell did you just do?” shouted Maddie, standing up.

  “Katie’s job was to watch you, and she failed. She’ll be brought back into the fold, but for now, she’s on my, how the humans say, shit list.”

  Muffled sounds came from Katie’s former mouth as she struggled to make it reappear.

  “The faster you let Maddie explain, the faster you get your mouth back.”

  “Or, she gets it back now,” said Maddie.

  Maddie closed her eyes and focused, picturing Katie’s mouth in her mind.

  “Yes!” shouted Katie. Maddie opened her eyes to see her mouth had returned. She threw her arms around Maddie. “You’re the best!”

  But Frannie didn’t appear amused by this in the slightest.

  “You just undid another one of my spells,” said Frannie.

  “I did,” said Maddie. “But if you want to know why I’m here, it’s because this is my place. I was out in the world on my own for only a few weeks and had no idea what I was doing. But here, I can get guidance, learn how to use my powers.”

  Frannie nodded, pleased with Maddie’s answer. Maddie was relieved—she didn’t want to get on the coven mother’s bad side just yet.

  “Guidance you’ll get, most definitely. But for now, I’ve got big plans for you before we figure out where your place in the coven will be.”

  “What kind of big plans?” asked Katie.

  “You’ll do well to keep your mouth shut, girl. Or the next spell I cast on you will be far less reversible.”

  Katie gulped and silenced.

  “We’re going to take over this city, Maddie. And you’re going to have a key role in what’s to come. But for now, you’re going to step into the next phase of the prophecy, the one that states you will be giving birth to a dragon-witch hybrid of incredible power.”

  Maddie said nothing, terrified that Frannie knew about her secret child.

  “We’re taking you to the woods,” she said. “Because you’re going to be wed.”

  “Wed?” she and Katie said the word at the same time.

  “That’s right—to Red, the alpha of the Blackshroud clan. And once that’s taken care of, we start our war.”

  She leaned in close to Maddie.

  “I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you, dear. You and your child.”

  CHAPTER 22

  SCORN

  When the scout returned with the news of the wedding, Scorn’s rage rose to a level he’d never known before.

  You don’t need to wait. Go there now, teach them a fucking lesson. Kill everyone in sight, then go to Seattle and kill the rest of them.

  He closed his eyes, letting the anger run through him.

  It faded.

  “Scorn?” asked the scout. “Are you...?”

  “Fine,” he said, rising from his seat. “The plan continues as we discussed. Make sure everyone is ready.”

  Once the scout was gone, Scorn stepped over the window of the cabin and gazed out over the property. The once-ruined land where his former cabin had been bustled with activity. Chapman had given Scorn access to whatever funds he’d needed, and Scorn had put them to use. He’d spent hundreds of
thousands on pre-built cabins to be moved into the area, along with food and other supplies.

  Where only a burned-down ranger station had been before, now a thriving shifter town had arisen. Scorn knew that with any luck, it would be the first expansion of the Blackshroud clan under his leadership.

  But that was the furthest thing from his mind.

  “This is fucked,” said Cam, who’d been there during the report. “They’re going to make Maddie and Red get married?”

  “I’m sure Red’s more than fine with it,” said Scorn. “And it makes sense—they marry a witch to the alpha and solidify their alliance. And once that’s taken care of, they can begin their war on the rest of the state.”

  “And the wedding’s today,” said Cam, nodding. “We can’t let that happen.”

  “Right,” said Scorn. “We have to attack today, and we have to attack soon. One hour.”

  “One hour?” asked Cam, surprise in his voice. “Do you really think that—”

  “We don’t have any other choice,” said Scorn. “If they make this alliance and start their war, it’ll be impossible to stop them once they get going. And who knows how many innocents would die in the process?”

  Cam narrowed his eyes and smiled.

  “Now you’re thinking like an alpha.”

  “Get the clan ready—we’re moving in an hour. Children stay here, along with a handful of adults to keep an eye on them. The rest...they’d better get ready for the fight of their lives.

  “Got it,” said Cam. “I’ll spread the word.”

  Cam hurried out of the room and Scorn watched as he appeared in the crowd, zipping here and there and letting everyone know of the plan to come.

  War in an hour, he thought. It sounds so simple, but if we don’t win, that means we’ll be the first casualties of Red’s conquest through the state.

  His rage was right there to offer his opinion.

  You don’t need these people, it said. Just go and fight on your own, take what’s yours. Kill whoever stands in your way.

  He closed his eyes again and thought of Maddie. Just the image of her in his mind was enough to fill him with a sense of calm, a sense of...

  “Love.”

  Over and over, the word had appeared in his mind, a word that managed to calm him, to make his mind clear and steady, to totally banish the rage from his thinking.

  But like before, whenever Scorn would imagine the word, regret would soon follow. He hated that he hadn’t told Maddie how he’d felt when he’d had the chance, and knowing that he might not get another was enough to make the rage return.

  Keep your shit in check. You let the rage come back and we’re fucked.

  He took a deep breath, watching the crowd of his people gather in front of his cabin.

  It’s time. No more putting it off.

  Scorn left the bedroom and then the cabin. As soon as he was outside, every pair of eyes there fell on him.

  He was the alpha again. And he was ready to take his place.

  “I know we thought we’d have time,” he said, his voice booming and carrying over the crowd. “I know we thought we’d have the chance to assemble the perfect plan and pull it off. But we don’t. Today’s the day we strike—today’s the day we take back our clan.”

  Scorn went on.

  “I know I let you all down before. And know you’ve got no reason to trust me with you and your family’s lives. But since I’ve been in exile, I’ve come to understand that being your alpha isn’t about me. It’s about you. It’s about my duty to you all, and it’s about the bonds we share as a clan. Red wants to exploit those bonds to lead you into a war for his own glory, for his own power.”

  “I’m not fighting for myself—I’m fighting for you! I’m fighting for the love we share for one another, for our families. And when we win today, if I earn my place as your alpha, I’ll devote my life to making sure that our clan grows stronger. But today, we fight!”

  Cheers exploded from the crowd, and Scorn looked upon his people with grim determination.

  It was time to move.

  Scorn raised his hand, then pointed forward as he stepped through the crowd.

  “Nice speech,” said Cam as he moved to Scorn’s side.

  “That was the easy part,” said Scorn as they walked. “The hard part is making sure we all get through the next two hours.”

  “We’ll make it,” said Cam. “With you in charge, I’ve got no doubts.”

  Scorn gave him a slight smile before turning his attention forward. When he reached the clearing, he closed his eyes and shifted into his dragon form. Then he turned back to his people, all of them following suit and shifting along with him.

  When he had their attention, Scorn let out a powerful roar, one that seemed to shake the forest around them.

  His rage was in control, and love was in his heart.

  Scorn flapped his wings and rose into the air, dozens of dragons following behind him.

  He was ready.

  CHAPTER 23

  MADDIE

  Maddie had been dead set against getting married again. And if she’d ever thought there’d be another ring on her finger, no way in hell she’d imagined it’d be like this.

  “There’s my blushing bride,” said Red as he stepped into the small office in the town hall that’d been set aside as a dressing room.

  “You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, asshole,” said Katie, who was seated on the edge of the desk in the room.

  Red raised his finger to Katie, pure rage appearing on his face. “You’d have a good mind to keep your fucking mouth shut, girl. You’re damn lucky you’re not in a cell right now after how badly you fucked up.”

  “And you’re lucky you’ve got witches to do all the dirty work of your dumb little invasion,” said Katie. “Because we all know you wouldn’t have been able to pull this off on your own.”

  With a word, Red stormed over to Katie and raised his palm, ready to strike.

  But before he could connect with Katie’s face, Maddie shot her hand up, freezing him in place.

  “You want to say that again?” she asked. “Or you having a little trouble?”

  Red struggled against the magic, but it didn’t do him a damn bit of good. He was stuck.

  When Maddie decided the lesson had been learned, she let him go. Katie chuckled.

  “Enjoy that shit while you can,” he said. “Because once we’re married and I’ve got a baby in you, you’ll find what little freedom you have is going to be seriously fucking limited.”

  He stepped past her, and as he did, he placed his hand on her ass and gave it a squeeze.

  But it didn’t stay there long. Maddie’s hand whipped across his face, leaving a red imprint. But when he turned his head back to her, he seemed more amused than anything else.

  “Have your fun now, gorgeous. Because I’m most definitely going to have it later.”

  He smirked, leaving the room. Maddie used all the restraint she had not to rip him apart, piece by piece, on the spot.

  “What a fucking creep,” said Katie. “I can’t believe Frannie wants you to—”

  “Don’t even say it,” Maddie said. “You say it, and it gets closer to being real.”

  “We’ll do something,” said Katie. “Scorn’s still out there, and he’s going to try to get you back—I know it.”

  “Why would he do that?” asked Maddie. “As far as I know, he thinks I left him for good.”

  “I can’t say for certain,” said Katie. “But I have a feeling he’s not going to give up on you so easily.”

  Maddie had nothing to say to that, only hope that Katie might be right. She glanced down at the sheer wedding dress, wishing she were anywhere else but where she was.

  A knock sounded at the door, and it opened without either of them giving permission to enter.

  “Frannie wants to see you, Maddie,” spoke one of the lower-ranking witches. “Alone.”

  Then she left and shut
the door. Maddie sighed.

  “Might as well get this over with,” she said.

  Katie stepped over and gave her friend a tight hug.

  “We’re going to get through this, Maddie. There’s still the Willowood coven in Seattle. If we could find some way to escape and link up with them, they’d help us take back the city.”

  “Not with Frannie and the rest of the coven against them.”

  “We’ll think of something. But damned if I’m going to stand aside and watch my friend get married to a total shithead for the second time.”

  One more hug, and they parted. Maddie made her way to the top floor, stopping before the massive doors that led to the old mayor’s office, the room that Frannie had been using as hers since arriving in New Haven.

  Before Maddie could knock, the doors swung open. Frannie stood behind the massive, old desk, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked out over the town.

  “God, please hit me upside the head if I ever suggest coming out to the sticks again.”

  Frannie flicked her hand in the air and the doors shut with a boom behind Maddie. Then she turned and took in the sight of Maddie in her dress.

  “God, you look amazing—I have to say. When you’re a coven mother, you don’t really have time for things like romance.”

  “You think what’s happening here is romance?” asked Maddie.

  Frannie slowly stepped around the desk, her eyes fixed on Maddie’s.

  “That doesn’t matter, of course. You’re marrying Red because it gives us the power we need to accomplish what I have in mind. But I’ve got a little secret for you, Maddie—you won’t need to be married to him for long.”

  “What?”

  “Red’s a moron. We need one thing from him and one thing only—the baby he’s going to give you. He’s the alpha, and you’re the chosen witch. That’s what the prophecy says will result in the child we need to consolidate our power.”

  Maddie tensed.

  “Once we have the child, we’ll have no need for Red. If you’re a good, obedient girl, I might even let you decide what to do with him once we’ve gotten what we need. But that’s going to require a serious attitude adjustment on your part.”