by Diane Darcy
Lena gasped. She shouldn’t be surprised, but she was. She met her grandmother’s gaze. “The charm suppresses it? And what is it, exactly, witchcraft?“
“It’s Gypsy magic.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything about this?”
Olivia was gaping at her grandmother’s glowing hand. “What is that? What are you doing?”
Her grandmother ignored her, and focused on Lena. “You’ve never shown any talent. We figured it skipped you girls, or was maybe fading out.”
“What can you do?”
Grandma shrugged. “Tell the future, find missing objects.”
“Unlock doors?”
“Yes, sometimes. Your mother can do the same. She’s really good with tea leaves.”
Olivia was looking at them all like they were crazy.
Lena lifted her own hand and held it out, the green flaring soft and cloud like upon her palm.
Olivia sounded like she was choking. “What is going on?”
Lena walked toward the front door of the shop, tugged on it to prove it was locked, and then lifted her hand and commanded, “Open.”
There was an audible snick, and then she pushed against the door and it swung open easily. She turned back to her family. “Apparently, I’m a witch.”
Olivia looked angry. “What was that thing in your hand, and how did you open the door?
“Gypsy magic,” her grandmother breathed out the words.
“What?” Her sister, looking at each of them in turn, seemed on the verge of having a freak out.
“There are witches at The Hemlock Hotel. William says they’re mercenaries.”
Her mother chuckled. “As to that, we are too, right? Money in exchange for magic?”
“There’s more …” she hesitated, unsure if she should tell them.
Her sister could apparently read her mind, because she abruptly said, “What? What more is there? Don’t even think about not telling us. Spill!”
She might as well get it all out in the open, right? “William is a werewolf.”
All three of them simply stared at her.
“And there are also vampires at the hotel.”
She told them everything. About getting kidnapped off the caravan, trapped in a cage by a madman who wanted to turn himself into a werewolf, about the girl who turned into a werewolf in front of her, and about the fact that William showed up, and easily controlled them both.
By the time she was done, they were all gaping at her.
Finally, Olivia reached out to press the back of her hand to Lena’s forehead. “Do you think she could’ve been drugged?” She didn’t even address Lena, but tossed the words over her shoulder.
Lena couldn’t even blame them for their concern. “There’s more. Not only can I open locks, but I’ve had visions of things that are going to happen. Found missing objects.”
Olivia was feeling her scalp. “Did you hit your head?”
Her mother stood up. “I’m going to make her some tea.”
Olivia turned to their grandmother. “What about Dr. Paulson over in Charleston?”
Grandma nodded. “One of my clients told me he’s really good.”
Lena stood. “I’m tired, and I’m going to bed. We’ll talk again tonight. If I wake up in time.”
She could feel them watching her as she went up the stairs, could hear their whispering as she reached the top.
She was dead tired, all the adrenaline in her body spent. Maybe she’d wake up and find the entire thing had been a dream.
A girl could hope, right?
Chapter 31
The further away he got from Lena, the more savage he started to feel.
But he was worried that the spell he purchased from the witches would not hold.
He could feel his primitive wolf trying to take over, desperate to return to his mate.
Wolf and man were in agreement. He wanted to turn around to go back to her, as well.
She’d agreed to see him on the morrow, but had seemed distant, reluctant.
He’d have done anything to stay with her, but with a wolf in his car, and another one possibly turning for the first time, he’d not had any choice but to leave.
He quickly made it back to The Hemlock Hotel, drove directly into the underground parking, and signaled to a wide-eyed vampire to open the garage door that went lower still.
Once he’d parked in the basement, he opened the back door, threw Vince over his shoulder, and instructed Addison to follow.
He needn’t have bothered, the female wolf was whimpering and whining and obviously worried about Vince.
Instinct. She couldn’t help it. It was possible that Vince would be her pup, which he knew would have horrified Addison yesterday, but now, the man had her full motherly concern.
If Vince died, Addison would grieve. But, in the end it might be the best for all concerned.
He took Vince and Addison down to the lower levels, to the tunnels, and directly to where her parents and siblings were locked up. He opened the cage and shoved Addison inside and shut the door quickly.
Her family surrounded her, growling, excited, as they smelled and circled her before finally lying down together and curling up as a family.
Vince was shaking and sweating, and William glanced around, unsure about what to do with him.
If he lived it would be a miracle. It had been decades since a human had been able to take a wolf. Most that tried, died.
Should he put him in his own cage? Lock him up alone? William, feeling on edge, and worried that the spell wouldn’t hold him much longer, knew he needed to decide.
He moved away and Addison was suddenly at the bars, growling.
He stopped and moved closer to her.
The young girl wanted Vince with her.
After a brief hesitation, he opened the door again and placed Vince inside.
When Addison’s mother and father growled, she took a protective stance and growled louder, barking and snapping as they came closer.
They backed off.
Addison whimpered to Vince, licked him a few times, and then curled around him.
He left them to it. If Vince died, he died. He’d deal with it tomorrow.
William, worried about turning, went into his own cage and Sophia, waiting against the wall, came forward and locked him in. “How did it go?”
William’s main worry was for Lena, but that was none of her concern. “Good.” His voice was raspy, rough. “I found the girl, but it was a little too late. She bit her captor. We’ll see if he turns into a wolf.”
Sophia looked very interested as she glanced over at Vince, visible from where she stood. “Will he live?”
Both races had a difficult time turning humans. But for vampires it was the only way they could procreate.
“Time will tell.”
Sophia walked away, and he let his wolf go. The animal immediately started to howl for his mate.
Chapter 32
Lena woke up to the sound of purring.
She opened her eyes to see the gray cat lying next to her on her bed. She glanced at her closed bedroom door, then turned onto her back so she could see her window, but with the curtains closed, she couldn’t tell if it was open. She didn’t know why it would be.
She reached out a hand to pet the creature. “How did you get in here, huh?”
It blinked, continued to purr, and she shook her head. “Are you like my shadow or something?”
After a moment, she swung off the bed, opened the door and the cat darted out.
Lena was starving.
She sighed and she stared at the clock on her bedside table. It was just after two in the afternoon. She hadn’t slept this late since she was a teenager.
She put on her slippers and robe, and ran her fingers through her wild hair.
She went out into the living room to find her sister and niece coloring at the kitchen table.
“Good morning,” Lena said. “What are you doing here?”
“Good afternoon. Waiting for you to wake up. How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Lena opened the refrigerator, looked inside, and grabbed a carton of milk. She found a box of cereal, bowl, spoon, and sat down at the kitchen table.
When Lena started eating, Olivia leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms. “No ill effects from last night?”
Lena swallowed. “Nope. Feeling good. I just needed a good night’s sleep, or mornings, or whatever. How does the schedule look today?”
“Grandma did your morning appointments, and canceled your afternoon ones.” Dr. Poulsen’s coming by later.”
Lena closed her eyes and groaned. “Seriously? I’m good.”
“Are you? Because I’m thinking that maybe you were drugged last night, or something.”
That was the one charge she could clear Vince of. The man had caged her, but he hadn’t drugged her.
“Lena … about some of the things you said last night … maybe I should just wait for Dr. Poulsen, but I’m really worried about you, you know?”
Lena ate another spoonful of cereal so she wouldn’t have to answer immediately. She could lie to her sister, take it all back, and things could go back to normal. It was very, very tempting.
But Olivia was her sister, they were close, and for Lena, there was no taking it back. That meant her sister was just going to have to deal.
“Everything I said last night was true. I understand you’re reluctant to believe any of it, as was I, but facts are facts. My boyfriend is a werewolf and I’m afraid you’re just going to have to come to terms with it.”
“Lena … .”
“I think I’m gonna head out and see William.”
Olivia let out a breath. “He’s downstairs, clutching a handful of wilting flowers, and has been for the last two hours. It’s sad.”
Lena laughed at the image. “Okay, I’ll just get dressed.”
“Lena!”
“What?”
“What about the doctor? Should I cancel?”
“Better not. Somehow, I think you might be in need of his services.”
She grinned at her sister and headed to her bedroom to get dressed.
Chapter 33
William was pacing again. With his exceptional hearing, he knew Lena was awake and talking to her sister upstairs.
Olivia came down first with her daughter, said goodbye to her mother, gave William a dirty look, and they left.
The fifteen minutes it took her to come downstairs felt like an eternity.
He was getting looks from her mother, but there was nothing he could do about that. The woman apparently liked to dust as, between appointments, she’d been at it the entire time he was here.
And then Lena was finally there.
He watched her walk down the stairs, clad in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, her hair pulled up in a knot on top of her head. She looked stunning as usual.
He could tell she’d put on a little makeup, and that only gave him hope.
Was she trying to look nice for him?
Or was he deluding himself?
She stopped a few feet away, her arm coming to rest on the glass countertop. “Hi.”
“Hello.” He swallowed, continued to study her, taking in the curve of her cheek, the length of her neck, the plumpness of her mouth.
“Are those for me?”
He followed her gaze to the flowers he had clutched in one hand. They’d looked fresh when he’d purchased them from the flower shop at The Hemlock Hotel several hours ago. But now, the red roses were starting to wilt in his hand. “Oh! Aye,” he thrust them at her. “These are for ye. I know ye like red.”
She took them gingerly. “Thank you.”
She glanced over to her mother. “Do you want to come upstairs?”
“I do.”
He followed her up the stairs, and glanced around at the spacious living quarters up top. Vibrantly decorated, with comfortable-looking furniture scattered about, a large flat screen TV, and a kitchen and dining room. A long hallway, no doubt leading to bedrooms, was off to one side. “This is nice.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I like the view.”
As she busied herself putting the flowers in a vase, his gaze wandered to the large picture window that overlooked the street below. He could see The Stratosphere in the distance, much closer than the view from his office, but he liked that it was something they shared. “It’s nice.”
“Do you want to have a seat?”
“Thank ye.” He was nervous, his mind racing, as he wondered exactly what Lena would do, what she would decide. Would she think him unable to watch out for her after what happened?
“How’s Addison?”
“She’s fine. It will take her a few days to settle down, but she’s doing okay.”
“And Vince?”
“Surprisingly, still alive.”
She nodded. “Will he face charges?”
“Do ye want him to? For what he did to ye?”
She looked thoughtful, then shook her head. “I will say he did scare the pants off me, but, he didn’t hurt me. Whatever you decide to do is fine.”
He let out a breath. “Addison’s family has accepted responsibility for him. He’s tae say locked up for now, but they’ll take him when they go. Vince will be dependent upon Addison for a while, but she doesnae wish tae be separated from him, either.”
Lena’s mouth parted in surprise.
“Her parents are shocked, o’ course, but delighted she had the power tae turn a human. It doesnae happen often, and tis quite a triumph for their family. Especially as she’s so young.”
“Oh.” Lena’s eyes were wide. “Well, then. I guess it all worked out.”
William nodded. He could feel himself sweating. Would she be as lenient with him? He decided he couldn’t stand the suspense, and blurted out, “Will ye give me another chance, lass?”
Her head tilted slightly to study him.
He moved forward, to take her hands in his. “I swear to ye, I’ll keep ye safe. After what happened, well, I can see how ye might not trust me any longer, but if ye’ll give me another chance, I swear to ye, I will keep ye safe, protected, ye’ll no’ be in such a situation ever again.”
She drew in a breath, and sighed. “To tell you the truth, I’m more worried at this point that my family thinks I’m crazy.”
His brows pulled together. “How so?”
“I told them everything. About The Hemlock Hotel, the werewolves, witches, vampires, you.”
He didn’t take her meaning. “And?”
“And, what? My mother and grandmother believe in Gypsy Magic, but not witches. My sister doesn’t believe at all. What am I supposed to do with that?”
“But … I doonae understand … ye are a witch.”
“So I’ve recently been told.”
It took him a moment to wrap his mind around that. “Ye didnae know ye were a witch?” He struggled to understand. “But ye’re a psychic.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I am. I don’t know. All I know is that until last night, I believed that my family swindled people out of money for a living. In the nicest way possible, of course,” she added.
William’s mouth dropped open. “But … .”
“William, I’m a gypsy, fortune-telling con artist.”
“I doonae understand.”
Her lips curved into a smile, and then she chuckled. “You can’t believe I’m not a witch, and my sister can’t believe I am one. What am I supposed to do?”
He took her hands in his. “Lena, as to what is, or isn’t, none of that matters tae me. I’ll take ye however I can get ye. Ye might not know what ye are, but I do. Ye’re mine.”
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she glanced down at their clasped hands. She pulled back only to hold his right hand with both of hers. She turned it around and gently ran her fingers across the lines of his hand. “Do you see that?”
Brows drawing together again, he glanced at his pal
m. “See what?”
“The green cloud surrounding your hand?”
He didn’t know whether she was being serious or not, but slowly shook his head.
She sighed once more before running one finger along one specific line. “This is your love line. It says here you’ll only have one true love.” She met is gaze. “What do you think of that?”
“I know it, already. Tis ye.”
She laughed,. “I guess time will tell.”
He was quick to agree. “It will.”
She let go of his hand only to wander over to the big window. She looked out and he could tell she was trying to come to some sort of decision, and his mind frantically tried to think of ways to bribe her. Tickets to the best show in town? Different flowers? Chocolates? He should have come better prepared.
What he really should have brought was another mystery to solve.
He moved to stand behind her. “Lass, I know ye’ve much to learn, tae understand, and that ye’ve been sheltered from many a reality. You’re entering a new world, and I’ll do all in my power tae make it as easy as possible.”
“Mm, hmm.”
“Tis my belief that if we spend time together, your questions will work themselves out, as I’ll be happy tae answer anything at all.”
In the glass of the window, he could see her smile just before she leaned back against him. “You will?”
The tension suddenly left his body, and he was quick to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer. “Aye.” He bent his head to study her profile. So beautiful. “Believe it. Anything ye need. Any help ye need, I’ll be with ye all the way.”
She turned in his arms, placed her hands on his chest, and looked up, her green eyes expectant. “William?”
His heart stuttered in his chest. “Lass?”
“I think it’s time we went on a date.”
His breath left in a rush, and he smiled. “Aye, lass, that works, too, ” he was quick to agree.
Taking her hand, he led her away before she could change her mind. Their future together was starting anew, and this time, he was going to get it right.
Up next!