by Lia Davis
Hunted by Them
Witches of Rose Lake, Book Three
Lia Davis
Contents
Introduction
1. Cassia
2. Cassia
3. Reese
4. Gunner
5. Cassia
6. Eli
7. Lewis
8. Cassia
9. Cassia
10. Cassia
11. Dare
12. Cassia
13. Cassia
14. Cassia
Witches of Rose Lake
About the Author
Also by Lia Davis
Dark Scales Division
Hunted by Them
* * *
Run, Cassia!
I’ve dreaded my sister’s telepathic warning since the day she left me in the care of the Carter Moon Pack.
They’re coming for you.
Now, I’m an animal to be hunted down. All because the Council fears the power that runs in my veins.
Because I’m a hybrid witch and wolf. It doesn’t matter that father is a councilman.
The council’s hunters are closing in, and I’m running out of options. When I stand my ground and face them, I’m no match for the four alpha males that flood my senses with desires too strong to ignore.
I have a choice to make.
Stay and fight, or keep running.
1
Cassia
Sneaking off Pack land was tricky. At least for me, the hybrid witch/wolf currently under the protection of the Carter Moon Pack. It took calm nerves of steel and an excuse no one would question in case I was seen leaving and asked where I was going.
My alibi was Raven’s Nest—a bar and grill owned by a vampire/leopard hybrid in Carson City—that was also a cover for my real job. My Alpha, Beta, and personal Sentry all believed I worked at the bar. It wasn’t technically a lie. Just not the whole truth. I could sneak off without having to answer questions and not add to the lie.
As I reached for the door handle of my Silverado, the scent of cedar and spice fragranced the air around me. Then the power of the Pack Alpha touched my awareness. So much for getting out of the den without being noticed. Forcing a sweet smile that I hoped was innocent enough, I faced my Alpha. “Good afternoon, David.”
“Afternoon, Cassia. I thought you had today off.” His wolf watched me through green eyes.
“They called me in.” I always kept my answers a little vague so I didn’t have to lie outright. David couldn’t just smell the lie, he could sense it through the Pack bond we all shared with him. Still I wondered if he already knew what I did at Raven Claw.
He touched the back of my hand and out of instinct I turned mine over and held his. My wolf sighed at the contact. David’s power washed over me, surrounding me with the support and love of the Pack. There was also tension and worry mixed in. After a moment he frowned. “You don’t have to work outside the den.”
We’d had this conversation before. Many, many times. Sometimes I think he searched me out to remind me of the dangers of being exposed in the outside world. I was a hybrid and on the kill list put out by Harrison, the leader of the paranormal council. At the same I knew David trusted me to be able to protect myself. “I know. But I like working at Raven’s Nest. Plus there are a mix of paras and humans there. The council…no, Harrison wouldn’t dare expose his evilness to the humans. Besides, I put wards around the building to hide my magical signature from anyone he sends to track me.”
David shook his head and let go of my hand. “Zane says Harrison is getting desperate. I feel something coming.”
Zane was David’s son and mated to a witch/demon hybrid, Reese. They lived in the Rose Lake Coven with Reese’s four other mates. The group had recently taken down a demon who stole the Sleeping Stone—one of four relics Harrison was searching for to use in some spell he believed would make him immortal. The evil bastard was insane. The demon was Reese’s father and had wanted her dead as much as Harrison did.
“The council is divided. My father is trying to keep a war from breaking out.” Or worse. I kept that thought to myself. I didn’t have much contact with my dad. He’d told Brooke and I it was safer if we didn’t talk regularly. Most of our communication was through a messenger or secret letters written in code.
A breeze blew around us, blowing a few strands of hair in my face. David glanced to my right and scented the air. The Alpha was always on alert, as he should be. Finally his gaze settled on something or someone over my shoulder. Eli. I had sensed him moments ago.
“All the more reason you shouldn’t work outside the Pack.” When I went to argue, David held up his hand. “I know. You’re not a prisoner. You’re Pack. Just be safe.”
He had never demanded I stay within the Pack’s territory even though I knew he wanted to. After all, he was responsible for everyone’s safety. If Harrison and whoever else backed him located me, the Pack would be at risk. Harrison would send his hunters in to search for more hybrids. Then David would be forced to wage war against the council as a whole because Harrison was the leader of the council and represented the ruling body.
I leaned in and kissed David on the cheek. “I’ll be careful. I only work in the office anyway and I have little contact with the public. Lucian knows the risks.”
Bringing up Lucian’s name seemed to please David every time I mentioned the owner of Raven Claw. David nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced. To my relief he didn’t order me to stay home. “I know. I still worry.”
Without another word he left.
I released a sigh and turned to the truck. From the corner of my eye I spotted Eli—my personal Sentry stalker—leaning against a nearby tree, watching me. A ball of need burst to life from deep within my core at the sight of him. His usually short brown hair had grown out to cover his ears, adding a ruggedness to him. I raked my gaze over him, drinking in his muscular form.
Damn it. Now was not the time to ogle him.
Tearing my gaze from him, I climbed into my truck and started it, then backed out of my driveway. Eli would follow me. He always did. Fortunately, he just hung out in the bar area waiting for me to leave. Which was fine by me. The owner and my boss, Lucian, would keep Eli out of the hybrid zone—where Sunshine Lives worked with the half-breeds to give them new identities and help relocate some to keep them off Harrison’s radar. It was risky for me to work for Sunshine Lives, but I’d take the risk a million times over to help protect the innocents.
My life wasn’t the only one on the line. All the staff and those we helped were in jeopardy of being victims of Harrison’s wrath. If he found out where the safe places and offices were, I’m almost certain Harrison would attack, killing everyone in the building.
Gripping the steering wheel tight enough my knuckles turned white, I pushed back my wolf. She hated Harrison. He had sent out a kill order for all hybrids. It didn’t matter if they were natural half-breeds from loving families or the lab-created ones from the Hybrid Project. Harrison wanted us all dead.
The feeling was mutual.
Dad made it safe for me to leave the den so I could work. He ran interference with Harrison and kept him distracted enough he couldn’t get a lock on where I was. Still, I was careful and didn’t trust strangers. After all, I was one of four on his kill list.
The fact that my place of employment was a short fifteen-minute drive from the Carter Moon Pack didn’t keep David from assigning Eli to be my shadow. Since the kill order went out and the attacks on Covens and Packs who were known to hide hybrids, David was more protective of his Pack. I was part of that Pack.
I pulled into the par
king lot of the Raven’s Nest and drove around back. The building used to be a bank with offices on the second and third floors. Lucian had the top floor turned into small studio apartments for those who needed a place to stay. The second floor was our offices and central base for the Nevada area.
A light breeze blew through the trees. With it came the aromas of jasmine and magnolias and a hint of autumn. I inhaled deeply, allowing the scents of the changing season fill me. Fall was my favorite. Winter was a close second.
A snap of a twig made my heart jump into my throat and I whirled around while calling to the magick deep within my soul. The power surfaced and tingled my hands and fingers, letting me know it was ready to obey my commands. My gaze met the blue stare of a coppery chocolate-colored wolf.
Eli.
He stalked closer to me and I stood my ground, glaring at him. When he was inches from me he shifted to his human form. My heart pounded as desire filled me at the sight of his hard, naked body. Damn. I hated that I responded to him like a horny teen.
Eli opened the back door of my truck and pulled clothes from a duffle bag he kept in there for times like the present. He didn’t speak as he dressed. I had to tear my eyes from him. I could admire his sculptured body for a life time. It didn’t help that my wolf wanted to claim him as her mate.
Not happening. At least not in the immediate future.
“You could have just ridden with me.” I didn’t bother hiding the annoyance in my tone.
A lazy smile tugged at his lips and he leaned into me. His thyme scent teased my senses and I wanted to pull him to me. “I like to run.”
I stepped back and shook my head. I needed to get away from him before I said fuck it and dragged him off into the woods to have raw, primal sex with him. Just then the back door to the Raven’s Nest flew open. Lucian filled the doorway and eyed Eli and me. His eyes were wild with emotions. Fear washed through me like cold water, putting out the flame Eli had sparked in me.
When Lucian locked gazes with me, I saw the urgency in his dark blue depths. My intuition told me something was wrong. “What happened?”
Eli moved closer to me, protectively. The heat from his body caressed my back but I ignored the urge to lean into him so my back touched his front.
Lucian jerked his gaze to Eli then back to me. “I need your help.”
I nodded and moved forward. Eli stopped me by grabbing my upper arm. His grip was firm but not painful. With a raised brow, I looked from his hand to meet his glare. “What?”
“I don’t like this. Something is off.”
I jerked my arm from his grasp and followed Lucian inside. I didn’t have time for Eli’s alpha male behavior. Falling into step with Lucian, I asked, “What is it?”
“A mother and child came in a few minutes ago. It’s not good.”
My heart sank to my feet and my insides twisted with sorrow and rage. Picking up the pace, I rushed through the kitchen area of the restaurant to the stairwell that led to the second-floor. Eli was on my heels. In that moment I didn’t care. Sure, I’d catch hell for lying to him and David. But I was doing the right thing. Helping others like myself.
I took the steps two at a time and was inside the medical room in record timing. The room was actually three converted into one to provide the space I needed to work. It had four cots lined up on the right side while the left had my workstation with equipment and computers I needed.
On the first bed sat a petite woman cradling a small child to her. I sensed right away she was part wolf. I sensed vampire in the mix of her aura but wasn’t certain. She could be suppressing that half of herself and her son. That made sense if she’d been hiding from the Hunters. The woman’s clothes were caked with dirt and her long brown hair matted in places. The child’s clothes weren’t in any better shape. It hurt my heart to see them like that. Most hybrids lived on the run with no jobs or money.
I approached slowly and sat on my knees in front them. “Hello.”
The woman lifted her head and met my gaze. Anger filled me but I contained it so I wouldn’t scare either of them. Her face was swollen on the right side. She had a black eye and a bloody lip that had begun to heal on its own.
I pressed my lips together before speaking again. “My name is Cassia. What’s yours?”
She shook her head and darted her gaze to the doorway. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Eli with his arms crossed. Turning back to the female, I said, “He’s a protector and will keep us safe.”
That seemed to relax the female, but only a little. “I’m Sofia. My son is hurt.”
She uncurled her arms from around the child and a growl escaped me. “Who did this?”
The boy was a baby. He couldn’t have been more than four years old. His breathing was labored, and he had bruises on his arms and his left cheek. Meeting the female’s gaze, I held out my hands. “I’m a Healer. Can I?”
I always like to ask for permission when I worked with children with their parents present. Shifters were possessive and protective. Especially when it came to their young.
She nodded and I took the boy from her then laid him on the cot next to hers. “What’s his name?”
“Charley.”
“A beautiful name for a handsome boy.” I smiled at him and touched his cheek while letting my healing magick surface. Charley’s eyes widened and he cried out to his mama.
Sofia reached out. “It’s okay, baby. She’s not going to hurt you.”
I knew he was sensing my magick and not just the healing power that flowed in my veins. After my sixteenth birthday the powers from my witch half intensified, making my wolf side and my healing abilities triple what a normal wolf Healer would possess. The power within me was what Harrison feared. And the reason why he wanted me dead.
I conjured a small stuffed wolf and held in his line of sight. When he saw it, he reached out and wiggled his fingers. My heart swelled and I let him take the wolf. “Charley, can you look at me? I want to see those beautiful brown eyes of yours.”
He locked gazes with me and relief shuttered through me to see his eyes were clear and pupils were normal. Well, normal for a hybrid child. Although he seemed to heal a little faster than most. It made me wonder even more what his and Sofia’s other halves were.
Carefully, I touched his cheek again. That time he didn’t jerk away. His attention returned to the stuffed wolf. I took the opportunity to move my fingers up his cheekbone, feeling for broken bones. When I reached the cut above his eye, I healed it shut.
Then I went to work on searching for more injuries and healing them as I went. Other than a few bruises and the cut above his eyes that looked a lot worse than it was, he was in perfect health. “Lucian, can you take Charley to meet the other kids?”
Sofia watched as Lucian entered the room and asked Charley in hushed tones if he wanted to go play. I knew Lucian was hanging close. He usually did. Eli, on the other hand, had moved to stand inside the room by the door.
After Lucian and Charley left, I scooted the cot I sat on closer to Sofia’s. She stared at the door. “Where is he taking my son?”
Panic rolled from her. I cover her hands with mine, drawing her attention to me. “The third floor has apartments where other families stay until we find safe places to relocate them. There is a play area where the other kids play. It’s safe.”
“I feel the wards around the building. And I’ve heard good things about Sunshine Lives.” Sofia relaxed and watched me closely. It didn’t bother me. They all watched me as I checked them for health problems and injuries. Although it’d been a long time since someone came to us with signs of being beaten. I released her hands and moved mine up her arms, barely touching her. It was my way of doing the internal scan using my healing magick. Luckily Sofia didn’t have any internal injuries.
“Who did this to you?” I covered her swollen, blackened eye with my hand, then pushed my healing power into the wound. Sofia gripped my arm and sucked in a breath. Normally with adults, I’d let bruise
s heal on their own. However, Sofia had a small fracture in her cheekbone I had to seal, which hurt. She probably wasn’t expecting the pain. “Breathe.”
She inhaled slowly and exhaled. “Hunters.”
“How many?”
She glanced at Eli then back at me. Uneasiness flowed from her. “Two.”
The single word was a whisper but the growl mixed in her tone told me the hunters got the worst end of the fight. “Are they still alive?”
“Who is he?” She glanced to Eli again. “You said a protector.”
I understood why she asked. Eli was intimidating when he wasn’t trying to be. Right then he was being scary. And a jerk. Why hadn’t he waited outside the room? I felt his anger even though he was trying to appear calm. “That’s Eli. He’s here to watch my back. Although he usually waits downstairs in the restaurant. He won’t hurt you. Besides anything you tell us stays between us and Sunshine Lives.”
She nodded and averted her gaze. Shame and guilt drifted from her. Whispers of my intuition said she killed the hunters, but I wanted to hear it from her. After a moment she said, “I killed them.”
“Both of them?”
“I’m half vampire.”
I cupped her face and made her look at me. “You protected your son and yourself. Don’t feel guilty for doing what those bastards deserved.”
Being half wolf, half vampire was why neither Sofia’s or Charley’s injuries were more severe than what they were. Both mother and son were able to self-heal faster.
Sofia held my gaze for a few moments longer. Her eyes teared up, and I sensed her relief flow from her. I smiled at her. “Promise me something.”