Strange Lake Falls Witch

by KD Jones

  Granny stood up and smiled. “Thank you for your gracious offer, Adrian.”

  What exactly was he offering? She must have spoken out loud because Adrian moved forward.

  “If I give you some of my blood, it will heal your injuries immediately.”

  She was a little shocked. “No offense, but I don’t want to be a vampire.” Just the thought of having to drink blood made her feel queasy.

  Adrian chuckled. “I wouldn’t change you, just give you some of my blood.”

  Jay stepped between them. “No.”

  *****

  “Jay?” Cat looked at him questioningly.

  The thought of his mate drinking anyone else's blood, having any part of another male inside her made him enraged. He didn’t even notice that his canines had elongated and his claws had come out some from his fingers.

  Laws stepped between the two men. “Easy, Jay. Adrian is only trying to help.”

  “He will not give her his blood. I will give her mine.”

  Laws frowned. “Wolf blood does not usually heal a human.”

  “It can if I cast a healing spell,” Granny offered.

  Laws nodded his head. “You may give her enough to heal her but there’s not a full moon so you can’t change her yet. You will also need to discuss this with our alpha to get his approval.”

  “I understand.” Jay turned back to Cat who looked up at him in total confusion.

  She shook her head. “I can’t drink blood.”

  Granny was there holding her hand. “It will be fine, dear.” Granny chanted the words to heal using the blood of the wolf.

  Her face turned pale and she looked like she was about to pass out. How could he force her to do this? Even if it was to help heal her.

  Adrian moved forward. “Let me help. Catherine, look into my eyes.”

  He was hypnotizing Cat. Jay’s wolf growled, wanting to attack the vampire that was too close to their mate. He needed to reassure his inner beast. Easy, he’s only trying to keep her calm so she will take our blood.

  He bit into his wrist and placed it in front of Cat’s mouth.

  Adrian spoke a command. “Drink, Catherine.”

  Her tongue came out and licked his blood before she put her lips over the cut and sucked. He hadn’t been prepared for the first pull from her. It was like having her mouth on his cock.

  Laws must have understood as he took over. “Everyone out now.”

  Granny and the others left. Adrian was the last to leave, waiting only long enough to make sure that Cat continued to drink from him. The moment the door closed, leaving them alone, he moaned in pleasure. “Cat.”

  Her eyes looked up at him glazed over in need. He had no idea this would be so erotic. He looked down at her ankle in amazement as he watched the swelling and bruising fade away.

  Cat’s wrists must have been healed too because now she was running her hands up his shirt trying to pull it off. He moved his wrist away from her mouth despite her protest.

  “You’re done honey. All healed.”

  “I still hurt,” she mumbled pulling him closer so that she could kiss his neck.

  “Where...where do you hurt?”

  She took his hand and placed it over her jean-covered pussy. “Here, I ache here.”

  He growled with desire. Jay shook his head, trying to get rid of his need to take her. The others were in the next room.

  “Please…” Cat begged.

  How could he leave her in pain? “Our mate needs us. We will take care of her,” his wolf demanded.

  Chapter 15

  Jay unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down enough to allow his hand to slide beneath her panties. He teased her pussy lips and groaned when he felt how wet she was for him. He slipped a finger inside her tight channel and nearly exploded in his own jeans due to the constriction of his swollen cock.

  He opened the button and undid the zipper to give his cock some room. Cat took advantage and reached for him. She began stroking him. That wasn’t what he had in mind. He was just planning to relieve her.

  “I want you inside me, Jay.” She wiggled her jeans all the way off.

  “Honey, I don’t think…”

  Cat was done talking. She pulled him down to her and wrapped her legs around his waist bringing his cock at her entrance.

  What was a man to do when his mate demanded satisfaction? His wolf howled inside with pleasure as they slammed into her warmth. It wasn’t going to take long for him to reach his release and from the moans she made, it wouldn’t take Cat long either.

  He pumped in and out, whispering promises of a slower loving later. He bit her neck but not hard enough to draw blood as his seed poured inside of her.

  He kissed her, swallowing her screams of pleasure. He pulled back and looked down at his Cat. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t wait to officially claim her. ‘Do it now,’ his wolf whispered. No, not yet — soon though.

  Realization dawned in her eyes. “Oh my God. We didn’t just do it with my Granny awake in the next room along with half your wolf pack, did we?”

  He smiled down, “Yes, we did. So you know what that means?”

  “That I can never show my face again?”

  Chuckling, he shook his head. “Not, it means that I will have to make an honest woman out of you.”

  “What?”

  He leaned down and kissed her lips before getting up and readjusting his jeans. “We’ll discuss it later. Right now, we have people waiting on us.” He held out his hand to help her up.

  She stood up tentatively surprised that there was no pain in her ankle or her wrists. “Amazing.”

  Jay knelt to help her step into her pants, loving the feel of her skin. Later, he would take his time and kiss every inch of her. Standing up he looked down into her flushed face and couldn’t help but be proud that he gave her that look.

  “Come, let’s get this over with.”

  *****

  Cat felt everyone’s eyes on her as she entered the main living space. What must they think?

  She didn’t know what had come over her. Most of her memories were fuzzy, except for the sex. That had been loud and clear and so fucking hot.

  She cleared her throat. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

  Jay maneuvered her to the couch. He sat on one side and her grandmother sat on her other side. Ric was there with the new alpha of the pack, Lucas, and the beta of the pack, Laws Carrington, as well as more of his pack. Adrian stood there with another vampire she had never seen before. He must be older if he could be up during the day. Which reminded her of the vampire she had faced.

  “I felt a magical pull toward what I thought was a simple unusual flower. When I reached to dig it up, the vampire rose from the earth and grabbed hold of me.”

  “Why did none of the pack sense a vampire near?” the stranger asked.

  Jay narrowed his eyes at the man. “Exactly who are you?”

  Adrian put his hand on the large vampire’s shoulder to calm him. “As soon as I found out a vampire was involved, I called on Sentinel Kincaide. He is from my lineage and is visiting.”

  Cat took Jay’s hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. “I saw a medallion around the vampire’s neck. I believe it was controlling him in some way. He weakened when he was in direct sunlight. He kept mumbling that he didn’t know what he was doing but that he had to.”

  Granny slapped her knee, surprising everyone. “Of course! A vampire! Geraldine, that evil bitch! She bewitched a vampire and is using him to do her evil deeds.”

  “Granny James! Language!” Cat teased her, trying to ease the tension.

  Jay nodded his head. “It makes sense. A vampire would have the strength to throw the piano over the rooftop.”

  “The driver of the semi was nearly drained so this vampire probably made him a puppet, directing him to drive into you,” Kincaide added.

  Cat was horrified. She had no idea vampires could make people into puppets. Geraldine had made this vampire i
nto her own puppet and she felt partly responsible for it. “We have to stop Geraldine and this vampire. What has Rod found out?”

  Ric stepped forward. “He has witnesses that claim Geraldine never left town.”

  “It won’t matter if she put a spell on the vampire. Though she will need to remain in constant contact somehow, by phone perhaps, to keep her spell active.”

  Adrian looked pissed off. “How could a vampire be ensnared in a witch’s spell?”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out,” Kincaide commented.

  The tone in the man’s voice sent shivers down Cat’s back. She would hate to be on that man’s bad side. Jay wrapped his arm around her and she felt safe and protected. They could handle this as long as they were together.

  Chapter 16

  “You didn’t have to come into work today,” Sam told her.

  Cat looked up from the desk set up in a smaller office next door to Sam’s. “I needed something to do and it’s my first day on a new job. I don’t want to be fired before I even start. That would be a new low for me.”

  “You’ve got a crazy vampire and witch out to get you. No one would hold it against you to take a few days off. I’m sure it’s a pain to suddenly have ten paranormal bodyguards watching your every move.”

  She bit her bottom lip. She hadn’t thought about the consequences of coming to work and trying to have a normal life. Cat was putting others in harm’s way.

  “I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t think that my coming here would put anyone else at risk. I can head back to the cabin…”

  Sam came over and placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from standing up. “None of this is your fault and you haven’t put us in trouble. There’s enough security that the President would be safe to come here without the Secret Service. I can understand you wanting a break from all of it, though.”

  “You had a stalker. That must have been awful. How did you not let it get to you that there was always someone out there possibly watching you?”

  Sam walked over to the door and looked back. “I was scared every day of my life and worried every time I came home to visit my family that Carter would strike at me or worse, at one of my family members. It was my mother’s advice that really helped me. She told me that I can either let my fear keep me from living a full life, or I can take fear and kick it in the balls.”

  Cat snorted. From the few times she had met Sam’s mother, Jackie, she knew that sounded just like her.

  “I know it’s crude but mom was saying that if I want a full life I have to go for it, despite the fear.”

  “Wise woman.”

  Sam laughed. “Crazy but wise and I love her tremendously. Tomorrow is Saturday, and you won’t have to come back in until Monday. Do you have plans?”

  “My Granny wants us to interview a few people for our new coven so we’re using one of the study rooms at the local library. I’ve been wondering if we should cancel it.”

  “Remember what my mom’s advice is.”

  “Right, kick fear in the balls. Got it.” Cat laughed as she waved goodbye to Sam. She envied Sam’s closeness with her mother. All she knew about her own mother was what her grandparents told her. She had been a willful teenager full of life but often made bad decisions. She asked her grandmother once if she had been one of her mother’s mistakes. She smiled as she recalled Granny’s response.

  “No, honey, you were a blessing to your mother and to us.”

  Her childhood may not have been typical or perfect, but it had been filled with magic and love. Her grandparents showed her what a loving marriage could be like and made her feel she was wanted. There were a lot of children in the world who never had that. Now, she had a sexy werewolf mate she was falling in love with each day. She was the one who was blessed.

  *****

  Jay growled at the bartender who had flirted with Cat previously. “She’s my mate, keep your distance.”

  “Hey, I don’t see your mating mark anywhere.”

  Alpha Lucas stepped up beside Jay at the bar. “Jay, leave the bartender alone. He’s not the problem.”

  He looked at his new alpha. He was strong and fair but it was still hard for Jay to accept him as his alpha after having Ric as alpha for so long.

  “I don’t like her being so exposed here. The last time she was at the club a piano was thrown on her.”

  “We have people on the room and wolves out in the surrounding woods. We won’t let her out of our sight. Even Sam is keeping a watch on her upstairs.”

  “I know and I’m sorry for being overprotective.”

  “I don’t blame you. If it was my Diana, I would feel just as strongly.”

  “We can’t even sense the vampire by scent or by power. It makes him extremely dangerous and unpredictable.”

  “I agree. It would be better if we could draw this vampire out of the shadows somehow.”

  Jay’s wolf was at complete attention. “What were you thinking?”

  “The vampire is somehow watching our every move. What if we make him think that he has another chance to grab her?”

  “I won’t put her in danger.”

  “I would never suggest she be placed in danger, only that we make the vampire think she is an easy target. She would be protected at all times.”

  “I will be by her side. Otherwise, I won’t agree to it.”

  “You would be her best protector, of course. I will work on a plan with Ric and Adrian.”

  “Thank you, Alpha Lucas.”

  Lucas half-smiled. “I know it’s been a difficult transition, but I am committed to the pack and every pack member.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Go on and check on your mate, I have a few phone calls to make.”

  Chapter 17

  Later that evening

  Cat sat in the back seat of the SUV that Jay had rented while his truck had some work done on it. The SUV was large enough that two other members of the pack could ride with them. Rod was driving while a younger man sat in the front passenger’s seat and Jay sat with her in the second row seating.

  Jay hadn’t bothered to introduce her to the young man, who was in his teens, so she decided to make the first move. “Hi, I’m Catherine James. You can call me Cat.”

  The young man with curly brown hair and the biggest blue eyes she had ever seen turned to look at her with a smile. “I’m Robbie Parker.”

  Jay growled. “Don’t talk to her, pup.”

  Cat glared at Jay. “What is wrong with you?”

  “He was supposed to guard you but he left you alone and the vampire attacked.”

  Oh, Robbie was the young wolf she had sent back to the cabin. “That wasn’t his fault. I convinced him to go back to the cabin. Also, I promised him I would stay in the same spot, but I moved away from where he left me.”

  Jay wouldn’t ease up. “He never should have left you alone, knowing you were in danger. That’s why he has to be assigned to an older werewolf who will undertake training him.”

  “Who’s his trainer?”

  Rod growled, “I am.”

  The SUV grew silent. She couldn’t hold back her laughter. Rod was probably at the same maturity level as Robbie. She had watched him flirt with girl after girl, and he had even flirted with her not long after she had arrived in Strange Lake Falls. He never acted his age. She just couldn’t picture him acting as a teacher to anyone.

  Rod glared at her through the rear view mirror. “I resent that.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I could see you thinking it. I’m an enforcer for our pack and I didn’t get that position doing nothing.”

  Cat held up her hands in surrender. “Hey, I believe you.”

  Jay leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Rod’s a bit sensitive about being called an ‘older’ werewolf.”

  “I am not!” Rod disagreed.

  Jay nodded his head and clearly mouthed, “Yes, he is.”

  Cat laughed at their antics.
“Your poor mother must have pulled her hair out trying to keep track of the two of you.” They were awkwardly silent. What did she say that was wrong?

  Rod was the one to answer her. “Our parents were killed by human werewolf hunters when we were five. Our grandfather raised us until we were ten then decided he was tired of raising kids. He told us he was going to go hunting, shifted to his wolf form and ran off into the woods. He never came back. We tried to track him down but lost his scent by the river.”

  “What? But you were only ten!”

  “It’s okay. Ric found us not long after that and took us into his pack.”

  She reached over to clasp Jay’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could have met your grandfather.”

  Both Rod and Jay looked at her like she had grown two heads. “Why would you want to meet him?”

  “So I could kick his balls back up into his body. No one who abandons a child can call himself a true man. That’s what my grandpa used to say about my deadbeat dad who ran off after knocking up my mom.”

  The tension in the SUV eased as Jay squeezed her hand back. “Thank you for the sentiment but it’s not necessary. With Ric and the wolf pack’s help we finally tracked him down to a small town in Dayton, Ohio. He had been involved in a theft ring and got into a shootout with the human police. The werewolf council got involved and sent a sentinel to deal with him.”

  “A sentinel?”

  “It’s like a werewolf enforcer but for the council, almost like the FBI and CIA and Homeland Security combined with an executioner.”

  “The sentinel killed him?”

  “Yes,” Jay said with an emotionless voice.

  It nearly broke her heart. She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over to sit in his lap.

  “What are you doing, Cat? You need to have your seatbelt on,” Jay reprimanded her but still moved her up on his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “You won’t let anything happen to me, I trust you.”

  Jay shook his head in frustration. “What am I going to do with you?”