by Stormie Kent
“Better?”
She nodded. He closed her door before walking around the SUV to the driver’s side. He pulled his cell phone from the glove compartment and dialed.
“This is Detective Lobo. There has been an attack at 4902 Talen Lane.”
He was a detective. If he hadn’t been there, she would be dead now. Was it his role as a policeman allowing him to help her? Or was it something intrinsic about Nic? Was this wolf a better person than most witches she knew? He’d come back for her, gathered her up, and was helping her get help. He’d even allowed her to steal his magic without trying to kill her.
She stared at him as he made his call. His midnight hair was cut close on the sides and longer on the top. His golden skin stretched taut across his strong jaw as he rattled off information and orders over the phone. His hand dwarfed his cell phone.
Ending his call, he glanced at her. His deep brown eyes showed his concern.
“Thank you, Nic.”
“We’re a few miles away from the healer.” He slid his hand along her arm and then released her to grip the wheel.
So he wasn’t good with gratitude. He would have hers forever.
Chapter Three
Nic had almost lost Leila on the same night he’d found her. If he’d been one second later, the killer would have sapped the last of her life force right out of her. The realization had devastated him when she’d touched his spirit wolf. She’d been almost completely depleted. He’d gladly shared his strength with her. He couldn’t allow her to die. Her magical touch had confirmed something he’d only suspected earlier in the night.
She was his mate.
Fate could be cruel sometimes. His alpha hated nonshifters. There was no way his pack would accept his witch mate. He wouldn’t be able to claim her yet. He had to find the sorcerer who’d tried to kill her sooner rather than later. He couldn’t hunt him down if he was banished from the area. He would catch him.
He would have captured him tonight, except he’d heard Leila call his name. He’d been moments away from overtaking the sorcerer when her voice had floated to him. She’d sounded so weak. He couldn’t ignore her to pursue her attacker. He would always choose her.
Nic turned onto the dirt lane he knew led to Mama Tui’s rambler. The older witch stood on the porch of the old home. She was a short, fair-skinned African-American woman. He guessed her age at around sixty. She wore a long multicolored caftan and turban. He wasn’t surprised she knew they were coming. No one was sure what her powers were, only that she had great healing ability.
Nic parked and hurried around to the passenger side. Leila had fallen asleep again. He’d tried keeping her awake, but she’d been too exhausted to respond to any of his questions coherently. He was simply happy her breathing was steady, not disjointed as it had been immediately after her attack.
“Bring her in, wolf.”
He clutched Leila tighter. The healer made him nervous. Power swirled around the woman in invisible eddies. He only willingly walked into the witch’s home to save his mate. He followed her through a long hallway to a room off the kitchen. Painted symbols covered the walls; shelves of herbs, vials, and books surrounded them. There were wooden chairs pressed against the walls, with one long table in the center.
“Lay her on the table.”
He did as he was told. He stood near Leila’s head.
Mama Tui touched Leila’s forehead and chest. The older witch turned her head as if listening before nodding. “Wake up, little witch,” she whispered.
Leila blinked, then stared up into the healer’s face. “Nic?”
Satisfaction coursed through him. “I’m here.” She might not know it yet, but she was his.
Mama Tui patted Leila’s arm. “Your wolf is fine. He saved your life. It was good you reached out to the wolf and let him help. He belongs to you now.”
“What?” Leila asked.
Mama Tui laughed and walked to one of her shelves. “You traded bits of your soul. But the wolf already belonged to you. He’ll explain when he’s ready.”
When Leila turned to him with questions in her pretty brown eyes, he shook his head sharply. He wasn’t prepared to explain what she meant to him at that moment. She nodded, but the look she gave him was full of curiosity.
He had questions too. If they’d traded pieces of their souls, was she now a wolf? Was he now a…? He couldn’t even think the word.
Mama Tui began mixing herbs and liquid in a bowl. “You have the sorcerer’s scent, wolf?”
“Yes. My name is Nic. Nic Lobo.”
She turned and raised her eyebrow. “Lobo. Wolf.”
He couldn’t argue with facts. As long as she fixed Leila, he wouldn’t argue with much. Leila tried to raise her hand. It flopped lifelessly back to the table. He placed his hand in hers and squeezed lightly.
“The sorcerer drained my powers, Mama Tui. Will I get them back?” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
“We shall see.”
The healer took her bowl into the kitchen. Nic heard the whoosh of the burner and the rattle of pots and pans. He wiped the tears from his mate’s eyes. How would he feel if he’d lost his wolf?
He stroked her hair, and she visibly relaxed. They were both quiet as Mama Tui worked in the next room. He would do better at keeping her safe. While the madman was on the loose, he couldn’t afford to give her the freedom she was used to.
Mama Tui returned with a cup of steaming liquid. “Help her sit up?”
He did.
Leila’s expression was wary as she eyed the cup. “Since the sorcerer touched my magic, did I trade a piece of my soul with him?”
Fur burst through along his body, and he wrestled his wolf back down. The idea of his mate sharing a soul with a madman was unacceptable. He would kill the man, and the connection would be severed.
Mama Tui watched him until he was under control again. “No. The sorcerer only took. He made no exchange.”
The healer blew into the cup and then helped Leila drink. He didn’t know how his mate did it. The concoction had a hideous bitter scent to it. Judging by the grimace on her face, it tasted no better than it smelled. When she finished, she took several deep breaths and swallowed repeatedly. He prepared to grab a bowl for her.
“Lay her back down, wolf.”
He did, gently. The healer began to chant. Her hands glowed light green as her palms hovered over Leila’s body. The fringes of the healing magic brushed him. Calm descended over him.
Finally, Mama Tui lowered her hands. “It is done. She must rest for twenty-four hours.”
He looked down into Leila’s eyes. “Are you better?”
“I don’t feel as if I’m at death’s door, but I’m awfully tired.” She sounded exhausted and weak.
He picked her up. “What do we owe you, Mama Tui?”
“I’ll take a favor.”
He hugged Leila tighter. Sometime in the future he would owe the witch a boon of her choice. It was worth it to know he still had his mate.
He carried her from the house and got them both strapped into the SUV. He couldn’t take her back to his home. His alpha would be furious. “What is your address, Leila?”
She told him, and he drove to her building. She lived in a condominium in the heart of downtown. He pulled her keys from the pocket of her trench before lifting her from the car. He held her as they took the elevator to the third floor. He paused outside the door. The only heartbeats he could discern were their own. He didn’t smell another being either. He held her one-handed as he opened the door with the other.
After he locked the door, he placed her on the couch and went through each room to check for an intruder. He returned to the living room, picked her up, and walked to her open bedroom door. He laid her on the side of the bed farthest from the door and then turned on the side-table lamp. She was sound asleep again. The healer said she needed twenty-four hours of rest. She didn’t wake as he removed her shoes. He climbed in the bed between her and th
e door. He would protect her from anything and anyone who wanted to take her away from him. He covered them both.
Now all he had to do was resist his mate instinct so she’d be safe from his pack, watch over her all day, every day, and catch a deranged killer. Then he needed to convince her to leave her Council and join a pack that didn’t have a prejudice against nonshifters.
He squeezed her to his chest to comfort himself.
* * * *
“Leila.”
She struggled toward the deep timbre of his voice. “Nic?”
“Only me from now on.”
“What?” She forced her eyes open.
Nic, in all his bare-chested glory, leaned over her. She could get used to this.
She forced her gaze away from the sleek muscles of his chest and abdomen before concentrating on his face. “What happened?”
“Do you remember going to Mama Tui’s the night before last?”
“Yes, but I don’t remember getting home.” Or why he was still with her.
“You were asleep. You’ve slept for over twenty-four hours. I’m going back out to check the perimeter of the building. Stay inside.”
And here we go. Shifter arrogance.
“He could come back for you, Leila. There is no record of another woman being killed last night or the night of your attack.”
The information curbed her attitude. Three witches had been killed already. They hadn’t been from her Council, but simply in the city attending clubs or parties. He was a detective keeping her safe. The shirtless bodyguard work was a plus. The least she could do was follow reasonable directions.
“Okay.”
He stood and put his shirt on. She resisted the urge to growl, hold her hand up, and scratch at him as if she had a claw. The action would be tacky. She still wanted to do it.
He brushed her hair off her face before exiting the room. She heard the condo door close. Climbing out of bed, she headed for the bathroom. One look in the mirror and her worst suspicions were confirmed. She looked wild and unkempt. Her hair was everywhere, and her dramatic makeup from the night of the party had taken on a movie-zombie quality.
She wiped it off, brushed her teeth, and hopped in the shower. She didn’t know how long a perimeter check would take, but his fine ass was not coming back to her looking as though she should be stalking a cemetery somewhere. She soaped, rinsed, and dried off in record time. She lotioned her body and applied eyeliner and lip gloss.
Heat pooled in her belly, and a slow ache began in her spine. The hand she place on her midsection was a bit shaky. Was she coming down with something? Wasn’t it enough that she’d almost died? Now she was getting the flu? The doorbell rang, and she slipped on her cream-colored silk robe with the cherry-blossom pattern before hurrying to the door.
One look through the peephole had her wishing she hadn’t bothered. Hal stood there. He pressed her buzzer several more times, getting on her nerves because it was annoying and he wasn’t Nic.
She pulled the door open. “What do you want, Hal?”
His cologne overpowered her for a moment, and he was able to push past her into the apartment. She wondered if he’d always worn so much of the scent and she’d just been too silly to notice. She wanted to snarl at him. Her belly couldn’t handle the stench. The cramping was getting worse, and her limbs felt a little warm and tingly.
“I want us to stop playing games now, Leila. We belong together.”
He tried to touch her, and she moved away. They didn’t belong together. His stinky behind belonged outside.
“I really need you to go now.” Before she hurled. “I have company.”
The front door opened. She turned to find Nic standing in the doorway. His jaw was so tight she wondered how it didn’t shatter. Then she saw the claws. Panic assailed her. Would he harm Hal and leave a trail of blood on her carpet? Assault wouldn’t be awesome for his police career advancement.
Deep inside, where her intuition lay, she knew something dark was riding Nic. She’d seen the way he’d responded to Hal at the party. Having the other man in her home while Nic was in protective mode was going to bring his beast too close to the surface.
“Nic.” She kept her voice calm.
He never took his eyes from Hal. Hal stood frozen to the spot. She could see the fear in his eyes. One look at Nic told her why. His eyes were glowing slightly. This was very bad. She went to him and touched his arm, calling his name again. He didn’t respond, but he did take another step into the room. She could almost feel the menace in the air. Hal whimpered.
Instinct rode her as she stood on tiptoe, grabbed the back of Nic’s neck, and kissed him. There wasn’t any hesitation before he was kissing her back. Heat traveled throughout her body. Thoughts of saving Hal dropped from her mind. She used her free hand to clutch Nic’s shirt and tug herself in tighter to his body. His tongue danced with hers. Delight zinged along her spine. The feel of his lips against hers, the smell of his skin, the feel of his neck beneath her hand pooled desire in her belly and moisture along her folds.
Leila attempted to hold on to Nic as he drew from her grasp and stepped in front of her. He grabbed Hal by the back of his suit jacket, tossed him into the hall, then closed and locked the door. Despite her exasperation, she giggled. Nic turned his intense brown eyes to her, and she tried very hard to look serious.
“Why did you let him in?” he asked.
“I didn’t. I opened the door. He walked in while I was distracted by how much cologne he was wearing.” She shuddered.
Snagging her around the waist, Nic jerked her flush against him. She tried to remember why being with him was a bad idea. This is Coldwell. Shifters and witches didn’t mix. Her mother was going to turn into a dragon and breathe fire. By the time Zuria finished with her, Leila would surely wish a little shape changing and singed hair were all she’d have to deal with.
The dull ache in her back and belly intensified and spread all over her body. It sharpened to a piercing thrill wherever he touched her, equally as uncomfortable as the pain had been. She desperately fought the urge to slide against him. His smell was drowning her, taunting her. She knew instinctively a single lick along his skin would be among the greatest pleasures she’d experienced in a long time. This man made her feel crazy. She needed a big distraction, and she plundered her mind for a way to take her mind off jumping him.
“What did Mama Tui mean when she said your wolf belonged to me?”
He let her go so fast she stumbled. “This isn’t the time to discuss it. How do you feel?”
“I feel one hundred percent.” Except for the desire to strip him and drag him to the floor. “So…your wolf?”
Nic backed away from her. “You were attacked and almost died. You should rest.”
“Wolf?” She couldn’t help licking her lips even as a wave of heat coursed through her.
He sighed. “You should take a nap. We may need to move your location. I scented the sorcerer near the rear of the building and across the street.”
She felt sick. “Oh my.”
She moved toward the sofa and sat. She could almost feel the power leeching out of her. The helpless, empty feeling was one she never wanted to feel again.
Nic sat beside her. He put his arm around her waist.
“How did he find out where I live?”
“I don’t know, but I will keep you safe. He won’t have a chance to get to you again.” He kissed her temple, setting off the blissful little ache that had quieted for less than a minute under her fear.
She leaned into his embrace even though she knew it was stupid. They couldn’t be together, but she felt very close to Nic. You stole a piece of his soul, dummy. Yeah, there was that.
The guilt hit her, squeezing the air from her lungs. She’d performed forbidden magic on this man, and he’d still helped her. He hadn’t turned her in to her Council. He hadn’t shifted and ripped her throat out when he realized what she’d done. He’d saved her and taken her to the heale
r. If nothing else, she owed Nic. She owed him forever.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“You take it easy, Nic. I’ll fix you something. You saved me more than once the other night. I at least owe you a meal.”
His phone buzzed, forestalling any argument he might have given. Slowly, she walked into the kitchen, thankful she’d bought several steaks the day of the party. She’d intended to invite a few members of her Council over to begin planning for their next Council meeting. A Council meet and greet wouldn’t be a good idea now. The witches would never be able to get over the shifter in her living room.
The same shifter her body wanted her to stroke and taste. Something was wrong with her. She felt…weird. Her body didn’t feel as if it belonged to her. The kitchen lights were too bright, and the previously quiet refrigerator buzzed irritatingly. As she moved, her silk robe pulled against her skin.
Nic was just in the next room. Rubbing her body along his would feel really good. She dropped the packaged steaks in the sink and gripped the counter as a wave of lust hit her. She wanted to go in there, push him on the couch, and take full and utter advantage of him. Her nipples pebbled, her belly tightened, and a throbbing began deep in her pussy. She lowered her head and tried to breathe through it. She caught his scent as he entered the kitchen.
Her voice sounded strange, almost guttural. “Why can I smell you?”
“I don’t know, but I can smell you beckoning me with your pussy from the other room.” His voice caused her core to contract.
“It’s almost painful. What’s happening to me?”
“I think you took more than a piece of my soul. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were in heat.”
She didn’t care. She let go of the counter with one hand and reached for her pussy. She had to get some relief. She would go crazy without his touch. Why was he just standing there?
She rubbed her folds, but she couldn’t find a second of satisfaction. “Nic, help me.”
“Only fucking you will help while you’re in heat.”