by Lila Kane
She was halfway asleep on the couch when she heard a noise. She shifted onto her elbow, frowning. Had she locked the door?
Just as her heart started to race, she saw a shadow in the doorway and a scream lodged in her throat.
“It’s me,” Ryan said.
Her chest deflated and she closed her eyes briefly. “You scared me.”
“You left the door unlocked,” he chided.
“I forgot. I figured nobody would be coming here anyway–they already have what they want.”
“I would have called but I didn’t have my phone.” He walked to the side of the couch, wearing a new pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt.
Myra started to move, to make space for him, but he just squeezed in next to her. “Don’t get up.”
“I could make something for you to eat,” she said, trying to wake up fully.
The sun was close to setting outside, but she could still see enough to spot his small smile. “You don’t have to cook for me, Myra. It’s enough that you’re here right now.”
Before she could say anything, he eased down next to her and pulled her close. His chin rested in the hollow of her neck. “I missed you.”
“Are you okay? What happened?”
“I followed Willow back to the hotel.” His voice was muffled against her neck. She tried to move to look at him, but he held her tight and wouldn’t let go. “I had to shift back fast and then find a phone to call Logan. It was painful. It–”
“What?” she asked when he didn’t continue.
“I don’t…”
Myra wrapped her arms around him. “You don’t want to talk about it. I understand.”
His lips closed over hers in a moment of urgency. His tongue brushed hers and he moved on top of her, his weight pushing her into the cushions.
“Ryan,” she whispered, concerned.
He kissed her again, even as she gripped his shirt and said his name once more. “Ryan. Are you okay?”
He nodded. “I’m fine.”
“I don’t think so.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry.” He shifted so he was sitting next to her again.
She moved to sit next to him. “Tell me.”
And to her surprise, he did. “My dad was a shapeshifter. He’d known it his whole life. He loved it. He’d try to make the shift happen all the time. First, smaller animals and then larger ones, but it wasn’t easy. Especially without all the descendents of the original four in town. He had to work hard at it because the spell was still in place.”
Myra settled her hand on his leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze as the sun sank lower in the sky and they sat in almost darkness.
“Anyway, my mom said he stopped for a bit after I was born, but then he started drinking and the shifting started to consume him. One day he’d had a few too many beers and managed to shift into a wolf.”
Myra straightened, picturing it in her mind.
“Yeah.” He scrubbed his hand over his eyes. “He came after me, but my mom tried to stop him. He bit her.”
Words stalled in her throat, as sadness for him and his mother swirled through her body.
“She was okay, but not her normal self after that. I was too young to know whether it was the bite or just her whole life that was screwed up. My dad always promised things would get better and told her not to leave because he loved her, but he still drank and shifted anyway. She died a few years later.”
“Ryan,” Myra choked out. She wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry.”
He rested his arms on top of hers. “I swore after that I wouldn’t shift, that I wouldn’t let it be a part of my life–especially when I found the person I was supposed to be with.”
His words jolted her. The person he was supposed to be with? Is that what he really meant or was it just a generalization? His motto to live by?
“I don’t want to risk hurting you,” Ryan said, turning to her.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to shift. I didn’t know–”
“You didn’t ask me, Cheyenne did. And it was necessary. It helped find Willow.”
“Still…”
He brushed his thumb on her cheek. “It scares me. That I might hurt you.”
“You won’t. I heal faster than most people.”
“It scares me,” he repeated.
Myra swallowed and nodded. “I understand.”
They sat for a long moment in silence before he said, “Maybe I will take you up on your offer for dinner.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
She started to get up, but he snagged her around the waist and pulled her back down onto his lap. “Not yet, though.”
“No?”
He shook his head and kissed her. She knew what he needed right now was a release of tension. And to be close to someone who understood what he was going through. She needed the same thing.
She straddled him and pressed her mouth to his, her tongue seeking entrance. He let out a low groan, leaning back onto the cushions.
“You just relax now,” she murmured, lips racing across his jaw and down to his neck.
His fingers slid into her hair, holding her tight against him when her mouth went for his again. She pulled off her shirt in a rush, remembering she had nothing on underneath. Ryan exhaled and his hands found her breasts.
She reached to undo his jeans. His hands caught hers and he held them to his chest for a long moment before he brushed a kiss on her knuckles.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“Listening to me. Understanding.”
Myra nodded in the darkness. “Of course.”
Something was linking them–she didn’t know what it was–but they understood each other. She never believed feelings like this could happen so quickly–but with Ryan, they had. And she felt more complete than she had in years.
The next morning, she walked in the garden. She used to love this place when she was a kid. Logan would chase her through the rose bushes and she would squeal in delight.
One time she fell into one of the bushes. The thorns scratched her arms and little dots of blood lined her arms and legs. Logan told her to sit on the bench while he went to get something to clean it up. But by the time he returned, the scratches had healed. That was the first time she knew she wasn’t the same as other kids.
That was the first time Logan told her about being a vampire.
“We had some good memories here, didn’t we sister?”
Myra’s breath caught in her throat when she spun around. There, in the sunshine, was Kane. He had his hands in his pockets, looking casual and in a good mood. He was rarely in a good mood, so she was instantly suspicious.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“This is my house, too. You used to be better at sharing.”
She swallowed and glanced around, taking note of the quickest way to get away–just in case.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Kane said. “At least, not as long as you cooperate.”
“Cooperate with what?” She inched her way toward the bench, edging to the house. She’d left Ryan inside sleeping. Part of her wanted him to stay inside, safe. The other part wanted him out here with her. She was strong now. Faster. But Kane still scared the shit out of her.
“Just stay out of the way,” Kane said. “Logan was at the hotel yesterday. Your shifter has been flying around, searching. I need you to keep out of it–and make sure your friends do, too.”
“Willow is our friend. She doesn’t want to be with you or to help you.”
He moved forward so fast, he was in her face before she could move. Shit, shit, shit. She needed to get better at this vampire thing. She needed to start working with her abilities instead of against them.
“She’s not your friend anymore,” Kane said with a smug smile.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing really. Just a little…maneuvering of her memories. She’s on our side now, and you’re on
ly going to confuse her if you butt in. So, do everyone a favor–including yourself–and stay away. Get on with your life. Soon, you’ll be a full vampire and you can do whatever you want.”
“I don’t want to be a full vampire,” Myra hissed. “Let Willow go, or else–”
“What?” He gripped her arms, fingers bruising her skin. “You’ll what? Because if you can’t stay away, I swear to God, it’ll be a full-on war. I can protect you but only if you cooperate. And I can’t guarantee anything for your friends or that shifter you seem to be getting so friendly with.”
“Let go!” Myra yanked from his grasp and took a swing at him, but he was too fast.
She spun around and he was behind her. He smiled. “Better get going. Just remember your place. You don’t want to get sick again, either, and that can be arranged.”
Chest heaving with sharp breaths, she gave him the finger before turning to the house. That last bit had scared her more than anything else. She knew it was a possibility regardless, but if she was going to get sick again, it’d be on her own terms–saving the town at the same time.
She stumbled and then picked up her pace, heading to the house. When she reached the door, she glanced back over her shoulder, but Kane was gone.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?”
Myra’s breath caught in her throat when Ryan appeared in the doorway. Then she threw herself in his arms.
“What? Myra?” Ryan ran a hand down her hair. “What’s going on?”
She tried a calming breath, but it shuddered out. Ryan tensed.
He held her at arms length. “What happened?”
“Nothing. It wasn’t–”
“Don’t lie to me,” Ryan said, but the snap of his words was tempered by the worry in them. His eyes went to the gardens behind her. “Tell me the truth. What happened?”
“Kane was here.”
He practically yanked her inside. “Are you okay?” He eased her behind him, eyes scanning the garden and the lawn. “What happened?”
“I went for a walk and he was there.” She squeezed his arm. “He’s gone now.”
Ryan didn’t take her word for it. Instead he said, “Stay there,” and stepped outside to check.
She sighed and twirled a lock of hair around her fingers. Okay, it was kind of sweet he was so worried about her. But he seemed to forget she was just as strong as him. Probably stronger. Which meant she should be keeping him safe.
She started to step outside when he turned to come back in. He locked the door behind him.
“I’m faster than you,” Myra said. “And stronger. You don’t need to protect me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“I want you safe. And sorry, but it doesn’t help with you telling me it’s not necessary. It is necessary, Myra.” He cupped her face between his hands, thumbs brushing her cheekbones. “I need to make sure you’re safe.”
She deflated, realizing she’d not just wounded his ego–she’d insulted him. It wasn’t fair to say she didn’t want him backing her up.
“Okay,” she acquiesced.
“Cheyenne or Willow might not have mentioned it to you before, but vampires can’t hurt shapeshifters.”
She leaned back. “What?”
“They can try to hurt us, but it hurts them, too. They can’t do any real damage.”
“How…?” Myra twirled her hair again. “Okay, that’s good to know. I guess that makes sense since we’re supposed to be enemies.”
Ryan’s jaw clenched, but he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “How about we take that off the table, say…forever? We’re not enemies, whether rules say we should be or not. We’re past that, right?”
She blew out a breath. “Yes, we’re past that. I–”
“What?” he asked when she didn’t continue.
Myra eased back, needing space for a minute. “I got defensive because I was scared.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I was scared for you.”
Ryan looked amused. “Why don’t any of the women around here have any sense of self preservation?”
Myra smiled. “Okay, I was kind of scared for me, too,” she admitted. “Kane wasn’t…the best big brother. He was mean to me when I was kid.”
She shuddered at the memories. He’d tear up her dolls and jump out from behind things to scare her. And sometimes, a lot of times, it got much worse than that.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Ryan said, glancing to the door again. When he looked back at her, he angled his head, thinking. “Maybe…I think you should come stay with me.”
She straightened.
“It’s safer,” he pointed out.
Myra laughed. “Safer than being here?”
“Kane can’t get in my house. I’ll be there. Safer.”
Myra narrowed her eyes at him. “That might not go over too well with Logan.” When he frowned at her, she folded her arms. “What?”
“Listen, I have to get to work soon. Let’s deal with Kane first.”
She wanted to argue, but they both had things to do. “You’re right. Besides, I have to get to work, too.”
“What?”
She smiled at him. “You heard me. I signed the lease yesterday.”
“You did? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “You were…it wasn’t a good time. And this morning–” She gestured to the gardens. “You have to get to work.”
He cursed and turned, looking around for his keys. “Yeah.” Then he turned back. “Okay, listen, we need to talk. There’s something I need to tell you and I want to talk about your store. I need–we need more time.”
Myra nodded. She felt the same way. “I know. But right now we should probably tell Cheyenne and Logan about Kane and then get to work.”
Chapter 9
Work had been extra busy for the last few days and everyone had been tense. Ryan wanted to spend more time with Myra, but he didn’t have any time to spare. And even though he wished she’d still consider coming to stay with him, everything had been quiet and it had eased his worry some.
But not Logan’s worry, because they hadn’t heard from or seen Willow for days.
When Ryan walked into the library that weekend, Cheyenne was sitting on the edge of her desk like usual instead of in her chair.
“I have it,” she said, holding up a bag of green herbs. “Vervain.”
Myra and Logan walked in just after him and she showed them the bag as well.
“So, she just takes this and she can fight Kane’s influence?” Myra asked.
Cheyenne nodded. “But she can’t let him know she has it and if he tries to influence her while she’s taking it, she has to pretend to be influenced.”
Logan frowned. “Once she takes it, she’ll remember, right? Then she won’t have to fight his influence, she’ll just come back to us, right?”
“It’s not that simple,” Myra said. “Kane influenced her completely, to forget all of us. She might be able to fight his influence, but she might not remember anything. And even if she does, we have to get this to her first and convince her to take it.”
“How do you know he convinced her to forget everything?” Logan asked.
Ryan glanced at her. He figured she’d already told them. They needed to know about Kane and what he was up to–that he was threatening Myra. But they’d all been so busy, he hadn’t had time to make sure.
“Kane came to the house,” Myra said. “And told me to stay out of things.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Logan burst out. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, he was an ass like usual and acted like he rules the town. Blah, blah, blah.”
Cheyenne smirked but Logan wasn’t amused. “You need to stay somewhere else. Cheyenne–”
“She can stay with me,” Cheyenne said easily.
Ryan gave Myra an I-told-you-so look. She needed to be safe somewhere
else. But he’d rather it was with him.
“It’s probably safer for all of us to be together, actually, or in pairs,” Cheyenne said. She got off the desk. “But in the meantime, let’s figure out how to get this to Willow.”
“Why haven’t we seen or heard from her?” Logan asked.
“I think if Kane’s making her forget and influencing her to remember other things, she probably has no idea how much time has passed or what’s really going on.” Myra paced to the door and back. “I bet he’s making her think he’s the good guy and he’s got her convinced to break the spell binding all the paranormal powers.”
Logan swallowed and turned to face the window.
“You’re right,” Ryan said. “If we haven’t seen her, it’s because she has no idea what’s going on. She would have projected here or something–and we haven’t seen anything.”
“Then let’s get the vervain to her,” Myra said with a nod.
“It’s dangerous,” Cheyenne told her. “After Kane already came to you and threatened you.”
“I don’t care. We have to do something. Once she understands who Kane really is, it’ll help. We’ll have her back on our side and we’ll do what it takes to put the spell back in place.”
Ryan gritted his teeth. “Even if it means making you sick again?”
“We have bigger things to worry about than me getting sick. We have to get to Willow.” Myra faced him, appealing to him. “Can you shift again? Keep looking out for her. Once we see her, maybe we can get her alone and give this to her.”
“And if we don’t?” Logan asked, turning around again.
“Then we’ll figure something else out,” Cheyenne said. “One thing at a time.”
They caught Willow in the house she was renting from Ryan two days later. He hated getting physical with her but that was the only way they’d been able to get her to listen to them. Now, all they could do was hope she’d take the vervain and she wouldn’t get caught.
Once Ryan finished with work the following day, he did a sweep of the area in his hawk form, looking for Willow. Also looking for anyone he didn’t recognize. Cheyenne kept saying she felt more paranormals in the area. He didn’t know if it was the group Kane had already assembled or additional people he’d had come in.