Damaged Pack Shifters: The Complete Paranormal Collection

by Leela Ash

  “You’re right Nabradia. I wasn’t thinking,” Nana said instead.

  But Nabradia was already staring at her with avid interest, trying to read her thoughts, suspecting that she was hiding something. Nana met her gaze headlong, holding back a cackle of glee. She had wanted an opportunity to teach this headstrong queen of the Salem witches a lesson and now, Nabradia had played right into her hands.

  Nana held Nabradia’s gaze, allowing the other woman strain to try to read her thoughts. Energy arced through the room as an invisible force, clashed and held. In less than two seconds, Nabradia’s nose started to bleed from the effort and she jerked her gaze away in unspoken defeat.

  The entire Council of Seven were aware of what she had tried to do and they looked down at her with a marked lack of sympathy.

  Nabradia wiped her nose on her sleeve but it kept running, the blood coursing in increasing rivulets as all seven council members stared her down.

  “Beg their forgiveness,” Xanthe mouthed urgently, sweat standing on her forehead.

  The very idea chafed. “A queen does not beg.”

  “But a queen can die. They’re killing you this very instant with that nosebleed. It’s the Curse of the Elders and only they can reverse it,” Xanthe said more insistently, clutching Nabradia’s arm openly and giving up any pretense that all was well.

  The Council of Seven watched in aloof silence.

  Nabradia was so angry she could cheerfully have murdered every member of the Council. But she swallowed her anger and clasped both arms in front of her in the classic sign of apology.

  “I apologize, Great Ones. The mistake was mine. I shouldn’t have dared to try to read your thoughts. It won’t happen again.”

  Nana let the silence stand, furthering Nabradia’s humiliation. Then with a dismissive nod, she said, “See that it doesn’t.”

  Nabradia thought Luferia stifled a giggle. She wasn’t sure but she would break every last one of the witch’s fingers tonight, just to teach her a lesson.

  “Corn silk,” Nana Lourdes murmured the sound, so low Nabradia almost missed it.

  She looked at the other woman, her eyes wide with desperate hope. “For Alcacia?”

  “Boil it with mandrake roots and toss it boiling hot on your daughter.”

  Nabradia’s bosom heaved with alarm. How could she be expected to throw boiling hot liquid on Alcacia’s skin? Wouldn’t it harm her? She started to ask, noted the speculative look on Nana Lourdes’ face, and wisely contented herself with a mere nod.

  As Nabradia made to leave, one of the Seven broached the real reason they were here, “By the way, what’s this we hear about you going after some Tiara?”

  “And what’s your plan with the strays?” Nana threw in.

  Nabradia started to toss back a rude comment, then she thought better of it, “Tissues of lies, Great Ones, spread by malicious enemies. I have nothing to do with the increase in strays. It’s probably just the peaceful nature of Weirna attracting them.”

  The ensuing silence spoke volumes of what the Council thought of that. Then just when Nabradia started to think they weren’t going to say anything, Nana Lourdes spoke up, “It is in the nature of witches to be two things, no matter the century: beautiful and, liars.”

  Nabradia’s cheeks darkened with anger as she let the pointed insult pass. At this rate, she thought with smoldering fury, she was hard put to decide whom she hated more, the Damaged Pack shifters or Nana Lourdes!

  17.

  “Your mother doesn’t like me much,” Bo opined as he drove off from Jeanine’s home for the third morning in a row. Ever since their confrontation in Megan’s office, they had indeed been working together every morning but try as he might, he couldn’t get Jeanine to relax with him or tease him or argue with him as she had in the past. Sometimes, he almost got the feeling she was keeping an eye on him. And the worst part was he couldn’t read her mind anymore. He didn’t know what had happened to her, but somehow she had made her mind impenetrable to him!

  “Smart woman,” Jeanine returned, in response to his observation about Dolly’s coolness towards him. He hadn’t met Nana, she’d been staying out of sight, crafty old woman.

  Jeanine was dressed in an open chambray shirt worn over a sweatshirt, the ensemble was completed by a pair of jeans. She’d also shoved a small tennis cap onto her auburn curls lending her a tomboyish air which was only emphasized by her rough looking boots.

  She was happier at work these days, she mused. A fragile truce had sprung up between Megan and herself after that day in Megan’s office and she was starting to think the other woman wasn’t so bad. She wouldn’t admit to herself though that she had been vastly relieved to learn that Bo and Megan hadn’t been an item.

  “Why smart?” Bo demanded.

  “She gets that you’re an ass, that’s why,” she purred in a saccharine sweet tone.

  Bo swore. “Why exactly are you mad at me? Because I didn’t tell you I was a shifter? Looking at your reaction now, can you blame me? Don’t you think I was right to not tell you?”

  Jeanine threw him a disgusted glance, “You’re such a typical male.”

  Bo shifted. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  The topic was getting personal enough it was time for a change, she decided. “We’ll use the dog biscuits to attract the strays in the Elm Woods.”

  His eyebrow rose but he said nothing else all the way to Elm Woods.

  After what seemed like several hours, but had in fact been just about eighty minutes, Jeanine leaned weakly against the side of the truck, her chest rising and falling as she inhaled much-needed breaths of air.

  Her gaze cut to Bo. He was still working tirelessly, packing different cages and crates into the huge truck nearby to carry them away to the neighboring towns and counties. His workers, whom he had commandeered into helping both of them, were all wilted and weak, only Bo remained tireless.

  As she watched him, Jeanine cursed herself silently. The signs had all been there all along, why hadn’t she noticed before that he was superhuman? Why hadn’t she noticed it that time she had elbowed him and almost broken her elbow? What about the times he had made love to her with such passionate and tireless intensity that she had almost died of pleasure? What about the times he had lifted her as easily as though she weighed no more than a paperweight?

  He shoved the last cage into the truck bed and slapped the taillights, “Move!”

  The truck pulled away at once, leaving only the two of them behind.

  Bo’s gaze sharpened on her face, “I’ll take you home to get some rest.”

  She scanned his face with thoughtful eyes. He had worked himself into the ground and yet he was only concerned about her getting some rest. Whatever else he might be, Bo had one thing going for him: he was selfless. She was willing to bet he was strong enough to keep yanking strays out of their hiding places and shoving them into cages till dawn, but he had noticed that she was tired, he had noticed that his men were tired. He paced himself, she realized. With his nature, he had supernatural abilities and yet he always paced himself, keeping in mind human weakness.

  Was that a good thing or bad? She wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to examine it too closely because she didn’t want anything that would make her soften towards him. He had lied to her and hadn’t thought twice about it. He had used her and hadn’t balked at that either. She didn’t want to forget that and if she started analyzing too much she was afraid she would cave in like a fool again, to the emotions clawing through her every time he came near.

  Jeanine got into the truck. As soon as Bo sank into the driver’s side of the car, Jeanine started to turn to him to say something and then she froze when she realized how close his face was to hers. His black eyes darkened emphasizing the golden flecks in their bottomless depths and a zing of very real electricity zapped from him to her.

  Just like that, the past few days fell away and Jeanine found herself unable to break his gaze, everything seemed mo
re intense all of a sudden. The chirping of the birds was higher, the trees swayed more in the wind, and she could even feel her heart thumping in her chest.

  Bo lifted one hand and rubbed the knuckle against her cheek in a feather-light caress. Sensation spiraled through her and her breath caught in her throat as she lost herself in his smoldering gaze.

  He leaned forward and as though in a trance, Jeanine saw herself lean closer too until their faces were a mere inch apart. His eyes dropped to her lips and she felt her pulse quicken in anticipation.

  He was going to kiss her! And she wasn’t going to stop him. Heaven help her, she couldn’t stop him even if she wanted to— and she didn’t want to.

  He closed the distance between them and their lips melded. Jeanine sighed as her secret yearnings found satisfaction. His tongue slipped into her mouth and stroked her tongue. She moaned and started to wrap her arms around his neck when his phone rang. The sound was so sudden and jarring that they jerked apart.

  Jeanine’s eyes bounced around the interior of the car looking for the source of the noise, her heart racing. Bo grabbed the phone from the dashboard and threw her an apologetic look.

  “Derek?” he said into the phone. He listened for a second, then his entire expression changed, hardening into a forbidding mask.

  He was already turning the key in the ignition as he hung up. “We have to go home, now!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Derek thinks he’s found the location of the Tiara Nabradia wants.”

  “How come?” she demanded, feeling his excitement.

  “I’m not sure,” he replied pressing harder on the accelerator and sending the powerful truck surging forward. “But if they really know the place, then it’s a good thing, because it means if we get the Tiara first, we can force Nabradia to stop her plans on Alabad.”

  Jeanine soon discovered that Bo’s excitement was nothing compared to the rest of the family. Drake was so excited he was pacing in the front yard as though he had enough restless energy that he could not be contained within the four walls of any home.

  As soon as they drove up, his head snapped up, his eyes kindling with raw fire as he grabbed his brother’s arm, “Good thing you’re here. We’ve been waiting.”

  “I came as soon as I could,” Bo answered.

  “We’re leaving right away,” Jack announced striding out of the house. He was carrying sniper rifles in both hands and when she saw it, Jeanine felt fear thud in her heart.

  This was real. This was dangerous. Someone could get hurt or killed, or worse. They had sniper rifles, for Godsake.

  Something of her fear must have communicated itself to Bo because he grabbed both her hands in his, her hands were ice-cold.

  “Jeanine? Go on inside. Kelly will give you some iced tea, okay?”

  Jeanine lifted confused, terrified eyes to his. Why was she feeling so frightened? Why was she feeling as if she was about to lose something very precious? She wanted to grab him and run very far away to hide. Why was she feeling this way?

  Was he in danger? And even if he was, why should she care? He was the most arrogant, supercilious bastard alive and—

  Okay that wasn’t true, she admitted. She loved him. Somehow, some way, in between fighting and arguing and lovemaking, she had slid helplessly all the way in love with him when she wasn’t looking.

  Bo was looking at her in confusion as her eyes filled with tears. “Jeanine?”

  She blinked them back hastily. She couldn’t let him know how she felt, he didn’t love her so that would just make her seem pathetic and sad. Besides he was not really human so there couldn’t be much of a future for them could there? And it didn’t help that she had accused him of using her, if she jumped into avowals of love right now it would just seem like the height of manipulation, like she was trying to make him feel guilty or something.

  Jeanine forced herself to draw some strength from within. She had never been in love before, so this was all new. She needed to think and put it all in perspective.

  Bo grabbed her shoulders, his gaze searching hers as he tried in vain to read her thoughts. “Are you alright?”

  She could almost hear him wondering why he seemed to have been suddenly shut out of her mind. Nana had hexed her to make her mind impenetrable to shifters with their compulsion or mind-reading abilities.

  “I’m fine. Just… well, just be careful okay?”

  His eyes searched hers, surprised. Then he nodded and released her.

  Jeanine felt a cry of anguish in her throat but she held it in.

  “Hey, tell Derek to shake a leg,” Drake grunted as he headed off a little ways, spread his arms wide as though he wanted to fly and suddenly a huge black and green dragon was standing where he had been.

  Jeanine was shaken as she stared at the apparition. The dragon turned to look down at her, its great big eyes snapping as though daring her to make so much as a squeak. When he felt she was suitably awed, the dragon turned his head and blew a small breath of fire, consuming a shrub of roses in an instant.

  “Show off,” Jack called.

  Bo shook his head, “A real ladies man, that. Pity this one’s taken,” he added, grinning at Jeanine.

  Was she? She stared at him, trying to read him for a change. What did he mean? Was he in love with her?

  Kelly hurried out of the house beside Derek her hands smoothing down the lapel of his jacket in that universal wifely gesture.

  “This changes nothing, Kelly. You should have told me,” he growled, jerking away from her.

  Jeanine looked at them in surprise. Were they having a spat?

  Joshua trailed after them. He looked a bit frail, she noted as though he had only just recovered from some major illness. She’d noticed that the first time she had seen him but at least he seemed stronger now.

  “Derek, they’re my bills. I don’t see why you’re so upset about how I choose to pay them off.”

  Derek’s gaze hardened, “And that is precisely why I’m pissed off. Because you don’t see what’s wrong!”

  “Oh, for Godsakes, I took up painting, not terrorism. Sheesh!” Kelly spat. She headed back indoors, slamming the door behind her for good measure.

  Derek stared at the closed screen door, a muscle working in his jaw. Then, with what seemed to Jeanine like supreme effort, he turned away and flicked that hard gaze at his brothers, “Let’s go.”

  “Luke?” Bo inquired.

  “He’s gonna stay back and keep an eye on Joshua and Kelly,” Derek stated. He flicked that hard gaze towards Jeanine and his expression softened imperceptibly as he added, “And Jeanine.”

  Jeanine felt her heart warm as though she had just been given the seal of approval, which was foolish, she told herself. Derek’s approval shouldn’t mean anything, none of their opinions should mean anything. They had all made a fool of her.

  And yet, her heart turned over at that look he had given her that included her in the loved ones he wanted Luke to watch over.

  Luke. He wouldn’t be too happy about the task. His dislike of her had been evident from the first day he clapped eyes on her.

  Bo turned to her, “Hey … So, play nice with the other kids.”

  His grin was the type parents reserved for the troublemaker in the family. Jeanine wrinkled her nose at him and kicked him in the shin. He howled with pretend-pain and strode chuckling to join his brothers on Drake’s back.

  “Beaufort,” she called, unable to help herself.

  All brothers snapped their faces towards her, even the dragon.

  She felt self-conscious all of a sudden. Well, she was Jeanine Lourdes and she didn’t cow easily, thank you very much, she thought, putting her chin up.

  “Be careful,” she whispered.

  Her voice was low, but it carried. She saw something pass in his eyes, something warm and then it heated to something downright explosive. He looked as though he wanted to cross the space between them and yank her into his arms, kiss her silly, and bury
his nose in her hair— or at least she hoped that was what he wanted to do because that was what she wanted him to do.

  But Bo did none of those things. He sketched her a mocking salute and turned away, his eyes full of promises.

  “How come she gets to call you Beaufort and I don’t?” Jack demanded in a loud, carrying voice.

  “Shut it!” Bo snapped.

  Jeanine chuckled as Bo’s impatient answer drifted back to her. She was still smiling as she watched Drake flap his wings, spring off the ground and then start to rise riding nothing but air, with his brothers on his back.

  Her smile remained until she looked around and found Luke watching her— the coldness of his gaze was enough to freeze hell itself.

  18.

  If Dolly Lourdes didn’t like Bo, that was nothing compared to how Luke Carlton felt about her, Jeanine decided hours later, as she helped herself to the coleslaw Kelly had served.

  They were all seated in the living room as though they didn’t know what to do with themselves, even though it was just over two hours since the men left.

  Joshua looked pale, Kelly still looked angry and of course a little worried, her son Tom looked bored as he played with his toy cars, and Luke looked even more bored as he slouched in the armchair by the television.

  “How long would it take them to get to the Isle of the Cursed?” Kelly wanted to know.

  Joshua looked up. The Isle of the Cursed was one of the most fearful places on earth. He liked to think of it as earth’s answer to Alabad, which was saying a lot. But he couldn’t very well tell Kelly that. The worry would eat her alive.

  “Um, hard to say. They would have to pass several territories to get there.”

  “But Drake’s flying,” Kelly protested.