Romancing the Paranormal

by Stephanie Rowe

  I like her touching me.

  She smiles and I realize I must have a very stupid grin on my face. “We must eat, woman, or I will have no strength to teach you the ways of mating.”

  Her blush deepens. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done is release her. I’m thrown off—completely out of my element. I can feel the love swelling inside me. It’s similar to my protectiveness of Patreous. Then again, it’s completely different. I’m shaken up internally. I move out of her arms and charge to the kitchen.

  I go through the pantry and toss items onto the counter. A woman should cook the meals, but I don’t say this. I like sex is what I keep repeating in my head. I have cheese, large rolls, and a slab of venison. I slice into the nearly raw meat and the delicious smell has my stomach rumbling. I glance at Veda out of the corner of my eye. Her face is no longer red, it’s green.

  I stop mid-cut. “What’s wrong?” I watch her eyes grow larger.

  “I… I don’t eat meat,” she huffs out before running toward my room. I put the knife down and follow. She’s in the bathroom and I hear her heaving.

  I walk in and see her leaning over the toilet. “Bloody, Goddess, what have you done?” I mutter as I look skyward.

  She wipes away a string of spit and glares at me. “Do not curse the Goddess. Witches do not eat meat. Animals are sacred to us.”

  I scrape my fingers across my head and feel the itchy stubble of my too-short hair. “And I’m supposed to know this, how?” I’m doing my best to keep my frustration in check. All beastkind eat meat.

  She hears my silent shout. “No, they do not. Witch shifters do not eat dead animals. We do not kill animals. If I’m to live here, there will be no dead animals in this house!”

  I count silently in my head and make it to three. My voice pounds off the cabin walls. “There is no way in hell the Goddess would mate me to a woman who does not eat meat! And no way will I give up meat for any woman!”

  Veda stands and places her hands on her hips. “Your use of ‘woman’ just pissed me off again. I have no home to go to. I left my job, but I’m sure I can get it back.” She glares so fiercely I’m surprised I don’t go up in smoke. Unfortunately, something does rise up. My witch is so damn sexy when she’s angry. I like it and take a step toward her.

  Her eyes slowly travel to my erection. “If you think for one minute I’m mating with you after spilling my guts or after the things you just said, you need a lobotomy.” She lifts her head higher and glowers. “Or castration because with you it’s the same thing.”

  A minute later, I storm to Honey and Mandy’s cabin. Throwing their front door open, I walk in and see Honey and Patreous sitting at the table eating a large meal. Mandy is curled up on a rug beside the table. Demetria is stretched out on top of her and fast asleep. Without a word, I grab a plate, pull out a chair and fill my plate with as much food as it will hold. This includes a huge helping of meat. I realize Honey and Patreous have stopped eating.

  “I do not like sex,” I say into the silent room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Veda

  Stupid hare-brained bear, I mutter as I look the other way, pick up the slab of nearly raw meat, and toss it out of the cabin. Serving cooked meat was the hardest thing to do while I worked at the diner. The only blessing was that Becky didn’t prepare the blood-dripping horror I just got rid of. I look through the kitchen and there are no vegetables. I settle on bread and cheese, though I’m no longer hungry. I just know I need to eat.

  “You stay here or when I find you I’ll lock you up,” were the last words Tyboll yelled before he left.

  I thought about challenging his dictate, but right now I am too tired. I finish my meal and walk outside in the opposite direction from the barely cooked meat. My hope is that a wild animal will take it away in the night. This is what I did with all the meat given to me over the years by the bear clan as payment. My mother accepted their offering and then gave it to the wildlife, so I did the same. Maybe I should have said something, but politeness was ingrained. We took whatever someone was able to give and thanked the Goddess for the gift. I haven’t done that recently and that’s why I’m heading into the forest.

  I find a spot and slowly remove my clothing. I fold them neatly and lay them at the base of a large tree. With a broken tree branch, I form my circle. It’s large enough that I can stretch out on the ground in the middle if I need to. As soon as the ends of the circle join, I feel the call of the Goddess. I stand in the center and lift my face to the sky. Slowly, I raise my arms with my palms up.

  “Goddess of light. Goddess of darkness. Goddess of death. Goddess of life. Goddess of land and Goddess of sea. Thank you for the gifts you bestow upon me.”

  Light swells as the Goddess accepts my thanks. It radiates from my body and shines outward past the circle. The beauty of the forest lights up as I absorb the energy the Goddess gives me. I slowly spin around, feeling as one with nature. Tyboll has not taken all my power. Right now, I cannot feel that he has any of it. I’m exhilarated and realize I am not meant to live with humans. I must have the forest.

  When the light from the Goddess finally dims, I shift to my bear form. Using my powerful legs, I leap over the plants that have sprung up within the circle. Using my nose, I break the circle and head to a tall tree. I climb as high as the limbs will hold me and settle in. I’ve spent plenty of nights high in a tree. It feels right after I’ve connected with the Goddess. Within a few weeks the plants that sprout will provide food. Until then, I will forage.

  “Did you poison my father again?”

  I peer down and there is a young boy standing at the base of the tree. Strangely enough I didn’t hear him approach. “You must be Patreous, son of Tyboll, sister to Mandy,” I say telepathically, enjoying the fact that I can speak this way with someone other than Tyboll.

  He crosses his arms in a very adult manner. “I am all those things and you are my new mother, a witch, and the poisoner of my father.”

  Mother. I like the sound of that. “No, I did not poison your father again. What ails him other than stubbornness, stupidity, and an ego that fills an entire forest?”

  Much like his father, he rolls his eyes. “He is ill and says you have poisoned him again.”

  I shouldn’t be worried, but a niggling of alarm rolls through me. “He is wrong. What are his symptoms?”

  “He ate Mandy’s dinner and began vomiting immediately afterward. Honey picked him up and carried him outside because he made a mess of the cabin. Mandy is not happy. She told me to find you. His meal-hurling has woken up the devil child and none of us will sleep for many hours yet.”

  His serious tone and the look on his face have me fighting a smile. This child is precious. Tyboll hurling—not so much. I was actually looking forward to spending the night in a tree. “I’m coming down and we will go and check on your father.”

  “You are his mate and that is as it should be. I’ve never heard him groan so loudly.”

  My mate is a wimp, but I like his son. I follow Patreous. I hear Tyboll much sooner than I actually see him.

  “The witch has poisoned me all because I like sex. This is your fault. I should never have gone after her. She is…” He stops talking as his stomach rebels.

  Honey, or at least the one I assume is Honey, is pacing when I finally see him. “What have you done, witch?” he demands.

  I don’t like his tone. “I haven’t poisoned him, but did you ask your mate? I hear she has a way with mushrooms, much as I do.” I walk over to Tyboll, who is now slumped to the ground only a few inches from his last hurl.

  “Do not touch me, witch,” he says when I place my hand down to check him.

  “I didn’t poison you. Something has made you ill and if I touch you, I may be able to feel the energy of the illness and do something to help.”

  He groans loudly before closing his eyes. “Do your worst,” he mutters.

  I lean down and touch his hand. Cool, almost cold. That in itself is
strange. “When did this begin?”

  “About thirty minutes ago,” Honey answers.

  “Are you in pain?” I ask Tyboll as I check his pulse.

  “No, I just can’t stop tossing up my guts.” He jerks away from my touch, goes to his hands and knees and dry heaves.

  I look at Honey. “Call your vampire.” Beastkind push everything through their system quickly. Honey and Patreous aren’t sick and this makes no sense. What worries me the most is my circle. Did I pull energy from Tyboll and cause this illness? The vampire can fix it if that is the case. I’m wading through the unknown at this point. My heart aches over the thought that I may not be able to generate a circle without harming my mate.

  Dmitri’s voice brings me from my thoughts. “What have you done to my bear now, witch?”

  Why does everyone think I’ve done something?

  “She is trying to help, my liege.” Patreous’s voice shakes as he speaks to the vampire. “She was not here when this happened and she says she did not poison him.”

  Dmitri’s eyebrows arch. He picks Tyboll up as if he weighs nothing. His eyes go amber as he slowly lowers his mouth to Tyboll’s throat. A second from feeding, his eyes snap to mine and then he looks down at the man he holds. “Tyboll, do you give blood freely?” he whispers, but with our acute hearing everyone knows that he asks.

  “Just end this infernal suffering,” Tyboll groans with his eyes closed.

  Dmitri watches me as he drinks. His amber eyes are hard and I know exactly why he isn’t happy.

  Tyboll is witch.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tyboll

  I wake from what feels like a winter hibernation. I’m starving and the rumble in my stomach only enhances my need for food. Something smells wonderful. I’m naked in my bed and vaguely recall my illness the night before. I remember Dmitri coming to the rescue. I also remember my thoughts that Veda poisoned me again. Unlikely, because I ate nothing before going to Mandy’s. She is a witch, though, and there’s no telling what they’re capable of.

  My nose leads me to the kitchen. Veda stirs a large pot on the stove. I peer over her shoulder to see what has such an amazing smell. Without looking at me she speaks, “Clothes or I will not feed you, bear.”

  “Humph.” I wrap my arms around her and run my nose down the side of her face and stop at her neck. “I could eat you, woman, and I’d start right here.” She stops stirring the pot. I can smell her arousal. I bite down gently on the skin holding my attention. “How did you know I’m not dressed?” I breathe against the mark I’ve just left.

  “My witchy ways. You need to eat and then we will talk.”

  I cup one of her breasts, enjoying the soft flesh beneath her shirt. “Talking gets us in trouble. Fucking keeps us amiable.”

  I feel her chest rumble with laughter before it spills from her lips. “You have such a way with words, bear. I’m surprised you’ve ever had a female before.”

  “Humph. They never complained.”

  “You will eat and then we shall talk. Those are my terms.”

  I smile against the skin of her throat. “You are a hard woman, but eating food is my second-favorite activity, so I’ll play your game.” I have no idea where this side of me is coming from but I like seeing her cooking in my kitchen. It improves my normally growly disposition. I glance at the food in the pot. It’s white with green chunks. “What the hell is that?”

  “Cauliflower soup with fresh herbs,” she says as she goes back to stirring.

  “I’ll eat your concoction, woman, but this bear needs meat. Preferably red, barely cooked, and dripping.” Now why did my stomach turn upside down at that delicious thought? I continue so she understands I am willing to compromise. “I will eat meat at Mandy’s table. I will give you your way on this one thing.” There. I do like sex and this should get it for me.

  “We’ll talk about it after you eat. Clothes first.”

  I leave her in the kitchen and go to my room to fetch a pair of sweats. There will come a time in the very near future when having clothes on will be at the bottom of her list. I need to remember she’s new to the ways of sex and mating. I can be patient for a day or two and show her that we will work well together. I forgo a shirt because I can. I’m a very clever bear.

  The table is set and I take a seat at the end. I have a large empty bowl in front of me with a tall glass of water. I roll my eyes because she cannot see me. The things men must do for sex are quite taxing.

  She leans over my shoulder and ladles a good helping of her soup into my bowl. I can’t complain because the smell is heavenly; my stomach lets out a long grumble. She ladles her own and I’m hard-pressed to wait for her to sit and begin eating.

  “Go ahead and eat. You need the sustenance to keep up your strength,” she says as she carries the pot back into the kitchen.

  I don’t await further instruction. The first large spoonful meets my lips and I’m enraptured with the taste. It’s the best food I’ve consumed in my entire life. I barely glance up as she sits down and begins eating hers. If I look away from my bowl, I might spill a drop.

  “There’s plenty, so please don’t hold back.” The smile in her words makes me grin between bites. When my bowl is clean, she takes it and refills it in the kitchen. I like sex, but I think I will also like having a woman in my cabin. I consume the next bowl as quickly as the first. She finishes her first bowl and looks up. “There’s more.”

  Now that my stomach is satisfied, I want sex. If we need to talk first, I’ll come back for more later. Hopefully much later. “No. We shall talk now.”

  “Help me clean this mess and then we can sit on the sofa,” she says as she picks up her bowl and then mine.

  I eagerly grab the remaining items on the table and, without a single grumble, help clean the kitchen. This proves how much I like sex.

  She sits on the sofa and pats the space beside her when we’re finished. I sit down and she turns toward me, bringing her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. She’s not only sexy but the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. And she’s mine. My sweats tent at the sight of her like this.

  “I need to explain a few things about what I am. The witch part.”

  I can see her apprehension. It doesn’t matter because I accept her as she is. I will put up with her witch side. “Go ahead,” I say eagerly, quite ready to get this over with.

  She looks me straight in the eyes and begins speaking. “We have kept ourselves separate from beastkind and humans for many reasons. We have powers that we do not use because to do so would disrupt the balance in the world. It is a sacred gift we carry and only one witch of my line carries it at a time. Our blood is also immune to a vampire. If they drink from us, it does nothing. A vampire must ask permission first or our blood will poison them and he will suffer a horrible death.” She stops talking and looks away.

  I’ve never heard this before and I’m not sure I believe it, but obviously she does. I reach out and tip her chin back in my direction. “Continue.” I move a bit to try to adjust the ache between my legs without her noticing.

  “The great texts say nothing about a witch mating. We choose a human,” she continues even though I growl, “and have one female child. We gift our child with our full power at the time of our death. This is as it has always been…” She takes a deep breath. “Until now.”

  I know what she is trying to say. “Have no worries, woman. We shall write the next text in your history.” We live forever and she will never pass her gift to a child. She will share my children and grandchildren. She is now one of my clan.

  “We already have,” she says quietly.

  I give her my sexiest smile. “Then let us undress and write more.”

  She doesn’t even smile. “You now have my powers, Tyboll. You are witch.”

  I’m not looking into her eyes because mine travel to the outline of her breasts beneath her shirt. I like them. Really like them and plan to spend much time learning their feel and taste
. Her words don’t register for a few seconds. “Whatever you say, mate.” My smile becomes a leer. “Let me teach you my magic in the bedroom… or against the wall. This couch will do just fine,” I say as I lean in close and palm her soft breasts.

  “Tyboll, you’re a witch. You can no longer eat meat and you do not need a vampire’s bite to live forever.” She says this against my shoulder and I almost let it pass.

  I realize she believes this and I pull slightly away. “Have no fear. I will only consume meat at Mandy’s home or on a hunt.”

  She shakes her head. “You can’t. Last night you became ill because of the meat.”

  Now I’m becoming frustrated. I like sex and I want sex. Now. “We shall end this foolishness, woman. I will eat meat so you know I am beastkind.” I rise and walk into the kitchen. I open the refrigerator and realize the slab of venison is gone. I open the lower drawer and pull out a large steak. I will eat it raw so she discontinues her delusions.

  She’s followed me and I feel bad eating the meat when I said I wouldn’t. She nods her head and I know she isn’t angry. I unwrap the steak and the first smell of uncooked meat hits me. All the food I consumed minutes before almost comes up. I look at the meat and it is the most revolting thing I have ever seen.

  “No,” I say gruffly and then louder, “No!”

  “It cannot be undone, or at least I don’t believe it can.”

  I stare at her in horror as what happened last night slowly filters into my brain. “Dmitri asked me if he could drink my blood. He knows what I’ve become.”

  “Yes, he does. He’s not happy.”

  I’m shouting now. “He’s not happy? I’m not happy. You cannot do this to me. I will not allow it. I am beastkind and not a witch. I eat meat,” I swallow and try to control my souring stomach at the thought.

  Her hand settles on my arm. “Tyboll, please sit down and let me explain what it means to be witch. It is a great gift that you will accept and embrace once you understand.”