Bewitching the Beast

by Tamara Hughes

  As if through a tunnel, Ethan watched Tess drop to her knees. “Mom, speak to me.”

  He stumbled away from them and opened the door.

  Holly peered up at him. “Everything all right in there?”

  “Call an ambulance.” He pushed by her with his mind a jumbled mess, his soul dark and empty.

  Chapter 15

  This couldn’t be happening. Tess leaned forward in her chair and dropped her head into her hands. Mom has to be all right. Except the whole ride to the hospital she’d been unconscious and pale.

  Footsteps approached, then Holly sank onto a waiting room chair. “What the hell is going on?” Holly clasped Tess’s shaking hands.

  Tess squeezed back, tempted to spill her guts. But where would she begin? She smothered a hysterical laugh with one hand. Witches, beasts, banishing rituals gone wrong . . . her mother crumpled on the floor barely breathing . . . Tess rubbed her eyes to dispel the memory. “You don’t want to know.”

  “Your mother is in the emergency room because of some guy you just met.” Holly gave her an incredulous look. “Hell yes, I want to know.”

  The weight in Tess’s chest grew heavier. She couldn’t risk telling Holly anything. “I don’t want you involved.” Bad enough her mother had been caught in this mess.

  Pain flashed across Holly’s face before she turned away, her red hair brushing over her shoulders. “Just stay away from Ethan, all right.”

  “He won’t hurt me.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Because the dragon spirit inside him considered her his mate? Another half-baked laugh threatened. “I just know. You need to trust me.”

  A doctor stepped through the doorway. His expression was grim. Tess sat up straight, her nerves taut. His eyes skimmed over the few occupants sitting quietly as the early morning hours ticked by. When he turned to a small group in the far corner, she blew out a breath, not sure if she should be relieved or more worried. Why hadn’t she heard any news yet?

  Holly ran a hand down Tess’s arm. “I do trust you, Tess. It’s Ethan I don’t trust.”

  Tess watched the doctor speak, his voice low and serious. The woman in front of him began to wail, covering her face and rocking forward in her chair. Tess’s heart constricted. “I can’t talk about this right now, Holly.” Lord, please let Mom be okay. She tore her gaze from the discussion in the corner.

  Holly cleared her throat. “I tried to call you today. No one picked up.”

  Sitting back in her chair, Tess tried to relax her shoulders. “I forgot to check my messages.”

  “Where’s your cell phone?”

  “You know how bad I am with that thing.” She rifled through her purse, finding it in the pool of random toiletries at the bottom. She tapped the button and got a black screen. “The battery’s dead.” Wait. Holly had tried to call? Tess took in Holly’s puffy eyes and reddish nose. “Is something wrong?”

  “It’s nothing.” Holly waved her off. “Wade and I had an argument.”

  “That’s not nothing.” She took Holly’s hand. “What did you argue about?”

  “It’s nothing compared to what you’re going through. I’m fine.”

  She was about to insist Holly talk when another white coat entered the room—a woman with short dark hair and sensible doctor shoes. “Ms. Edwards,” she called out.

  Tess raised her hand, dread choking the breath out of her.

  The woman stopped before them. “Hello, I’m Dr. Whitcomb.”

  “Is my mother going to be all right?”

  “She has a concussion and a T11 compression fracture.”

  Holly wrapped an arm around Tess’s shoulders. “What’s a T11 . . .”

  Dr. Whitcomb pointed to a spot toward the middle of Holly’s back. “It’s the eleventh vertebrae.”

  “She fractured her spine?” Tess’s stomach twisted inside out.

  The doctor nodded. “She’ll need to wear a brace for a few months, but she should recover completely.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Tess stood and let out a breath. “Can I see her?”

  “For a little while, then she needs her rest. Follow me.” Dr. Whitcomb moved toward the door. Her shoes knocked softly against the floor tiles.

  Tess grabbed her purse and trailed the doctor, with Holly at her side. They left the waiting room and strode down the hall as nurses and doctors rushed to their next crisis. The smell of antiseptic permeated the air.

  “Your mother will need to stay in the hospital for a day or two.” The doctor kept a steady clip down a long corridor and turned toward a door on the right. Her pager chirped, and she unclipped it from her belt. Glancing at the display, she waved them inside the room. “I’ll be back later.”

  Tess stepped forward.

  “Hi there.” A wan smile on her face, her mother tried to adjust her position. She’d never appeared as fragile as she did at that moment, propped up in bed, with a plastic brace surrounding her torso.

  “Mom, how are you feeling?” Damn, this was all her fault. If she hadn’t broken the circle.

  “I’ll be all right.” Despite her assurance, her mother sounded tired.

  Holly leaned in and gave Tess’s mom a cautious hug. “Looking good, Janelle. Have you been tanning?”

  Leave it to Holly—always the ray of sunshine during the storm.

  Her mother laughed softly. “You should have your eyes checked.”

  Holly drew away and glanced between Tess and her mother. Unspoken words hung heavy in the room. “Well, I should get going. I’ve got work tomorrow.” She smiled at the patient and headed toward the door. “You take care of yourself, Janelle. I’m so glad to hear you’re going to be okay.”

  Tess followed her. “Holly, could you tell your dad I need to take some time off?”

  “No problem. I’ll take care of it.” Holly held out her arms. “One more hug before I go?”

  Tess walked into Holly’s embrace, her familiar floral scent soothing Tess’s raw nerves.

  Holly’s arms tightened around her. “You take care of yourself too, and charge your phone. You know how worried I get.”

  “I will.”

  Holly pulled back. “Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”

  “Thanks.” Tess watched Holly leave, wishing she could call her back. Or better yet rewind time. Life had become one crazy surprise after another since New Year’s Eve. Oh, to go back before all this began.

  Tess turned to her mother. She didn’t know what to say. What a mess. She’d royally screwed up the banishing, and now her mother lay here . . . and who knew where Ethan was? Had they pushed things too far? Right now, The Beast could be controlling his every move, picking a new victim to suck dry.

  They stared at one another in silence, a moment of peace from talk of beasts and spells.

  Tess inhaled a big breath. “We should have waited for your coven. Maybe we could have traveled to Wisconsin or had them come here.”

  Her mother frowned. “They wanted no part of this.”

  “What?”

  “They’re just regular people who practice witchcraft. Even to them, this is pretty fantastical.”

  “I don’t blame them. This is farfetched for me too.” She sighed, and her shoulders drooped. “Mom, I’m so sorry. When I left the circle I wasn’t thinking—”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Her mother smoothed a wrinkle in the sheet. “We found out what we needed.”

  “We did?”

  “The ritual was working. You saw how Ethan held his hands over his ears and stumbled around the room. The Beast was affected. Next time we’ll use more light and sound.”

  “Next time? Mom, no. I’ve called Dad. He’s on his way.” This was crazy talk. “You broke your back.”


  “It’s a hairline fracture. I’ll be up and walking in a few days.”

  Tess shook her head. “Nope, you are officially done. Off duty.”

  “But The Beast—”

  “You said it yourself. Now we know what needs to be done. I can do it.”

  “We’re stronger together.”

  “There’s no reason this can’t be a one-person job.” Inside, Tess cringed. How the hell would she do this by herself? She thrust the thought aside. Her mother was no longer a part of this. “You did all the work today. I wasn’t much help. All I did was gawk at Ethan and burst the circle wide open. It’s time I stepped up to the plate.” She just hoped the plate didn’t bite her in the ass.

  Her mother’s expression softened. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. This is all new to you.”

  “Exactly. Next time I’ll know what to expect. I’ll stay focused until The Beast is gone.”

  Lowering her gaze, her mother picked a piece of lint off the stiff yellow blanket at her waist. “Your grandmother was right. I should have trained you while I had the chance.”

  The regret on her mother’s face tore at Tess’s heart. “It’s behind us now.”

  “Oh, Tess,” her mother groaned. “I’ve made so many mistakes over the years.”

  Careful not to rock the mattress, Tess sank onto the edge of the bed, and for the first time saw her mother as she was—human. No doubt Mom tried to be the best mother possible. Under the same circumstances, would she have done much better? “You’ve been a good mother. You did what you thought best because you cared, and that’s what matters.”

  Her mother dropped her forehead into a shaky hand.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Just tired. The pain medication they gave me must be kicking in.”

  “I should go.” Tess started to rise, but her mother caught her hand.

  “I don’t want to lose you, Tess.” Her chin quivered, and her eyes glistened. “Faith left because of me, because of my decision not to train you.”

  “You said that was only part of it. Gram—”

  “Your grandmother only stayed because I’d left you vulnerable. If I’d trained you, she might have left and saved herself.”

  Hold on. “Saved herself?” Tess’s pulse kicked up a notch. “You don’t believe she died of a stroke?”

  “Yes.” Confusion flashed across her mother’s face. “No. I don’t know what to believe.” She closed her eyes, exhaustion seeping from her every pore.

  Tess patted her hand. “I think the pain medication is going to your head. Everything that’s gone wrong in our family was not your fault.” A tear slid down her mother’s face, and Tess wiped it away. “You’re not going to lose me. I promise.” She covered her mother’s hand with her own. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you too, honey.” Another tear escaped down her mother’s pale cheek. “We never say it enough, do we?”

  “I’ll try to say it more.”

  “Me too,” her mother vowed, even as her eyelids drooped.

  “Get some sleep.” Tess rose and headed for the door. As she walked, she studied the frail woman in the bed. In that moment, the person lying there wasn’t her mother, the person she’d rebelled against for half her life. This woman had faults and weaknesses like everyone else. Someone who needed comfort and love, to feel she’d done what was right . . . Uh. Tess collided with a leather-clad chest and stumbled back.

  Ethan reached out to steady her. “Sorry.”

  She gave him a quick once-over. Blue eyes stared at her, no green in sight. Relief washed through her. “Let’s step outside,” she whispered, glancing at the bed where her mother slept.

  Outside the door, Ethan stopped. “Tess, I’m sorry.”

  “I know. You just said . . . that.” In the hallway light, his face looked pale and sickly.

  “No, I’m sorry about your mom. What I did to her.”

  “Shh. Do you want to get arrested?” Tess scanned up and down the hall. A nurse was entering a door on the far end. “It wasn’t your fault.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, and her hand itched to touch that spot and soothe the tension away. She cursed herself for the thought. Now was not the time. “You know you look like hell, right?”

  His eyes darkened. “Is your mother going to be okay?”

  “Yup. The doctor says she’s going to make a full recovery.”

  “That’s good,” he mumbled, turning away, his breaths shallow.

  “You came back.” She couldn’t keep the relief from her voice. “I was worried.”

  Ethan’s eyes locked onto hers. “The Beast won’t let me stay away.”

  A shiver streaked down her spine. “You didn’t do anything while you were out, did you?”

  “Steal someone’s aura? I wouldn’t look like this if I had.” He shook his head. “The Beast can’t go much longer without feeding.”

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Tess pivoted toward the sound in time to see her mother’s doctor approach at a quick clip. “We were just leaving,” Tess told her.

  “Any questions for me?” the doctor asked.

  Tess pasted a weak smile onto her face. “Not right now. Thanks.”

  The doctor took a gander at Ethan and opened her mouth.

  Grabbing his hand, Tess ushered him past.

  “Are you feeling all right?” the doctor asked him.

  Ethan waved a hand and quickened his pace. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Tess had to jog to keep up. They traveled through several hallways and down a flight of stairs before they were outside the hospital. The city was quiet, well, as quiet as New York ever gets. A siren wailed in the distance.

  While Tess made a beeline for a short row of taxis, Ethan strode in the other direction. “I need to walk,” he rasped.

  She followed him to the curb. “It’s freezing out here. Do you know how many blocks we are from my apartment? And yours is even farther.”

  “Let’s take the subway. Whatever.”

  “Sure, the subway late at night. What a good idea.” Then again, The Beast wouldn’t let anything happen to them. Would he?

  She raced after him, never fully catching up until he reached the top of the subway stairs. “Wait.” She gulped icy air into her lungs. “Let me catch my breath.”

  Ethan waited, shifting from one foot to the other, flexing his gloved hand.

  “What’s up with you?” she wheezed. “You’re dancing around like you drank a gallon of water, and there isn’t a bathroom for miles.”

  “It’s The Beast. He’s crawling under my skin. He needs to feed.”

  “Then we need to try again,” she puffed out.

  “Try what?” Ethan crossed his arms, then let them drop and gripped the stairway railing.

  “The banishing. Let’s try again, with a few modifications.” She’d just have to pray she was strong enough to do it alone.

  “No. Let’s go.” He headed down the stairwell to the cement-enclosed hallway below. “We don’t need a repeat of what happened at your apartment.” Ethan tugged his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out his MetroCard as he approached the gate.

  Tess trailed him, digging her card out of her purse. “The Beast. He was affected. I could tell.”

  “Not enough.” Ethan swiped his card through the reader. Nothing happened. The turnstile screen didn’t acknowledge his payment.

  “With more lights, more noise . . .” Tess argued.

  “It’s not going to be enough.” He tried the card again. Nothing.

  “Aren’t you Mr. Positive-thinker.” Tess moved beside him. “Here, let me.” She slid her card through the reader, and the screen read “Go.” Ethan stepped through the turnstile, and Tess used her card again to follow behind.


  He stopped on the platform, and hope eased the tension in his face. “You used the power in your fingertips to stop The Beast from killing your mother. Can you do it now? Stop me from hurting someone else.”

  “I can try.” Tess grabbed for his hand. “I don’t know how I did it, but . . .” She closed her eyes and concentrated on funneling power to her fingers. Come on. “Anything?”

  Ethan swore under his breath. “No.”

  The next train made a high-pitched whine as it sped into the tunnel and came to a stop before them. Its doors opened, and Ethan strode forward. “We need to find the gem. It’s the only way.”

  “You don’t know that.” Tess followed him inside. “Besides, even if we had the gem, we don’t know how to use it.”

  “We’ll figure it out. We have to.” Ethan reached up for the handrail and braced his feet apart.

  Despite the empty seats all around them, she stood and grasped the cold railing. “I disagree, we need to—” Oh, shit.

  Before Tess could warn him, a slender teen in a green army jacket barreled from his seat and slammed into Ethan’s back.

  “What the hell?” Ethan fell forward, his hold on the rail the only thing that kept him from landing on top of her. His steely grip around her waist prevented her from tumbling to the floor. He straightened, bringing her up with him, and something feminine deep inside her fluttered. His blue eyes latched onto hers for a second before he released her and felt his pocket. “Son of a bitch.” Ethan spun around, too late to catch the kid who raced through the door as it closed.

  The train lurched forward as the pickpocket ran across the platform, pulling up his pants as they sagged at his hips.

  Ethan slammed his palm against the window. “Dammit.”

  Tess smoothed her hand over his back, her nerves still twitchy from his touch. “Let’s calm down. In the whole scheme of things, this is pretty minor. Do you know the phone numbers of your credit card companies?”