Caught in Forbidden

by Keira Blackwood

  Caught in Forbidden

  Alphas & Alchemy: Fierce Mates Book Four

  Keira Blackwood

  Liza Street

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  A Taste of Mated in Forbidden

  Also by Keira Blackwood and Liza Street

  About the Authors

  Copyright © 2020 Keira Blackwood & Liza Street

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual persons, places, or events is coincidental. All characters in this story are at least 18 years of age or older.

  The cover utilizes stock images licensed by the author. The model(s) depicted have no connection to this work or any other work by the author.

  Introduction

  Forbidden, Kentucky—where mates meet, and monsters make mayhem.

  Alphas & Alchemy: Fierce Mates combines the worlds of Keira’s Alphas & Alchemy and Liza’s Fierce Mates.

  Chapter 1

  Cordelia

  Shirts. Pants. Underwear. I tossed items into the old hiking backpack my ex had left in the bottom of my closet. It reeked like a musty, wet animal, which was an apt description for that guy.

  Shifters. Smelly beasts, all of them. If I wanted someone slobbering all over me and calling it affection, I’d get a fucking dog.

  A noise came from the field behind my house. Were they here already? I ran to the back door and looked out, but the field was empty. I was hearing things.

  I banged into the bathroom doorway and grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste. Then I hurried back to my bedroom and tossed them into the pack, then a couple extra pairs of socks. There was no method to my packing. I threw things in the bag as I thought of them. What else would I need? I had no idea. I hadn’t expected to take off in a rush, but if I was honest with myself, this departure was a long-time coming.

  I’d never been welcome here, and I never would be. Redemption was a town of shifters and they didn’t take kindly to me. How many times had I heard kids whispering, “Witch bitch,” when I was in school?

  My bag was stuffed. No time to pack food. I’d have to get some on the way.

  Reaching down to zip up the pack, I heard a noise again. A low growl.

  I wasn’t imagining that, no way.

  The growl came from the front of the house. The field behind had been empty, so I’d go out the back. My pick-up was parked off to the side of the house, so hopefully I could circle around to it.

  One thing I’d learned from a young age: you can’t outrun shifters when on foot.

  The growl came from the front again, followed by the clicking sound of claws on wood.

  “Cordelia! Open up!” a loud voice called. It was Kelson, the Redemption pack’s alpha. His tone carried power and command.

  Guess what, motherfucker? I’m not in your pack. You can’t boss me. But I didn’t say the words aloud. Even I wasn’t that stupid.

  Instead, I grabbed my bag and tiptoed to the back door. I lifted the handle as I pulled it open, not wanting the bottom of the door to scrape on the threshold and squeak like it usually did.

  “Hey, Cordie.”

  Axel stood in front of me—Kelson’s second. His grin was anything but friendly. He reached for me.

  Dodging his grasp, I spun around and ran to the front door. It banged open before I got there, and I faced Kelson, plus two other guys. They were in their wolf forms.

  “You’re leaving?” Kelson asked, seeing the unzipped pack I still held in my hands. “But your mischief isn’t done here, is it, witch?”

  “I haven’t done shit,” I said.

  “Two wolves, only in their thirties, are suddenly wrinkled and hobbling around like they’re nearing a hundred years old,” Kelson said with a frown. “If that’s not some kind of curse, I don’t know what is.”

  “I didn’t do it,” I said.

  “There’s no love lost between us.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Jasper, Win—take her out.”

  I wasn’t sure what they wanted—to kill me? To make me undo a spell I hadn’t done?

  “No!” I cried, throwing my pack at one of the wolves.

  He snarled, distracted.

  I turned around. Better to face Axel than two wolves who’d already shifted.

  But Axel had back-up. Three more wolves stood behind him, hackles raised, fangs bared.

  This was the part where, if I had any witchy powers, I’d be using them to burn us all to the ground. My mother could’ve done it. My heritage was also the reason they didn’t believe anything I told them, even though shifters were supposed to be natural lie detectors.

  I threw out a hand, and something happened. A stench filled the air, like dead things in a sewer. I gagged, and a pair of pants whipped past me in a sudden gust of wind.

  “What are you doing, witch?” Axel yelled.

  Shaking my head, I took a step back. They’d cornered me in the house—wolves at the front, wolves at the rear. Fucking Redemption—I should’ve left years ago.

  More clothes swirled around my head. It was a tornado of the things I’d packed to take with me. This was magic, Kelson was right about that. But I didn’t control it.

  It controlled me.

  The terrible smell in the air got worse. I coughed and held a hand over my nose and mouth. I had nowhere to go. Some of my mother’s old spell books lifted from the shelf beside the couch. They joined the tornado of clothing for a moment before flying out. One caught Axel in the side of the head. I spun in place to see the bookcase lift up and smash into one of the wolves beside Kelson. The wolf yelped before getting unsteadily to his feet.

  Even with the indoor tornado going on, I could still smell that unholy stench. My tattoo ached, a rhythmic heartbeat of pain.

  Kelson let out a shriek. He grabbed his face in his hands. Horrified, I watched as his dark gray hair lightened to white. His muscles shrank so that he no longer filled the doorway. His skin wrinkled and he hunched over slightly.

  The wolves beside him also changed, their muzzles turning white and their forms shrinking. One of them peered at me with fear in his eyes and let out a low howl of terror.

  I couldn’t be doing that. I’d never seen a spell like it. The stuff flying around, sure. That happened when I was scared. But causing someone to age?

  “Sorry,” I shouted, shoving aside Kelson.

  The wolves didn’t try to stop me. I made it past the front porch and looked left and right. Woods on one side, town on the other.

  Axel let out a bellow of rage and I heard his footsteps come after me.

  Kelson said, “Help me.”

  Axel’s footsteps halted. I risked a glance back to see him supporting Kelson, who couldn’t hold himself up any longer.

  Pity twisted my heart, but I hadn’t caused that problem and I sure as hell wasn’t going to take the blame for it.

  My keys were in the house, probably swirling around with all of my other belongings. I couldn’t risk going back in for them. Going into town would only put me in the path
s of more shifters. In the woods, at least, I’d have a chance to wade through a stream or two and hide my trail.

  Decision made, I ran for the trees.

  “You can’t outrun shifters.” That’s something my mother used to say. Somehow, though, I’d managed to escape Redemption.

  Miraculously, there were no signs or sounds of pursuit.

  Two weeks had passed. I’d been eating wild berries and I’d even stolen a loaf of bread from an empty, unlocked farmhouse. Feeling guilty, I’d also washed all their dishes and swept the kitchen floor. I had no money to pay for anything. I had no clean clothes. I washed what I could in creeks.

  Using the sun’s path to tell my general direction, I headed east. The only thing I could think to do was find my mother’s old friend, Victoria. She was a witch like Mom, and she’d be able to help me figure out what was going on with my powers.

  As far as what was happening to those wolves in Redemption? I had no clue. It wasn’t my fault—I knew that much. And if I was far enough away, it wouldn’t matter whose fault it was. They could figure it out, or not. Victoria would help me sort out my own powers, and then...what? I’d finally find a place to belong?

  It was too much to hope for, and yet, when I saw the road sign for Forbidden, I couldn’t help the tiny spark of hope that warmed my chest.

  First, I’d find the hot springs and wash myself off. Then I’d go into town and hunt down Victoria.

  I hoped she would remember me, or at least remember my mom. I hoped she could help.

  Chapter 2

  Matt

  After a hell of a day at work, I was more than ready to tip back a beer or five. The image of Mr. Wilson’s bare ass was seared into the inside of my eyelids, so that every time I blinked I saw the ninety-year-old running down Main Street in nothing but his knee-high socks.

  It was my turn to chase him down and return him to his daughter. Given the guy was a shifter, he was spry as hell.

  The first time it happened, we wrote off the indiscretion as an accident. A few too many drinks, and a shifter could end up nude in the wrong place at the wrong time, no harm no foul. After the fifth time he’d done it while completely sober, it was hard to look the other way.

  I called Declan about the issue, giving the alpha the chance to talk to the guy before I had to report him. Toeing the line of shifter and human law was tricky on a good day.

  After that, there was a domestic disturbance. Mr. Frederickson called about his wife throwing knives at him. Again.

  And that was only what happened before nine.

  Now that it was six, I was ready to meet my buddy Finn at the bar and drink the day away in a pleasant buzz of cheap beer.

  Night fell early this time of year, and came on quick. The sky darkened in a filter of reds and oranges that matched the leaves on the ground.

  I turned my cruiser down the bumpy drive that led to the old asylum-turned-B&B and parked next to James’s truck. All the O’Malleys spent their days here more often than not, helping the new owner fix the place up.

  Sitting in the middle of the lawn was a middle-aged man wearing overalls. He was focused on something on the ground in front of him.

  “Vroom, vroom,” he said.

  Then he threw something across the grass. Mid-air, the sunlight glimmered against the blue paint, and the metal turned, giving me a better view. It was a little toy truck. The truck landed at the base of a tree.

  The man rose to his feet and flapped his arms in the air, then threw another toy car, this time into the branches of the tree. The leaves rustled, and a monster of a bird broke through the branches and took flight.

  Making a hell of a lot of noise, the man ran after the bird, arms flailing.

  Weirder shit had happened. This was Forbidden.

  As I climbed out of my cruiser, I saw the front door open, and Finn stepped out onto the porch. From his boots to his hair, he was covered in white powder like he’d been on the losing end of a cocaine fight. Or was that the winning end?

  I’d broken up one of those around noon, during my second call to the Frederickson house. She said it was flour, but his pupils were the size of saucers, and it wasn’t the first time.

  “What the hell happened to you?” I slammed the car door shut and headed up toward the porch.

  “Don’t ask.” Finn shook his head, and a cloud of dust slowly fell to the porch boards.

  “Sounds like you need a drink as much as I do.”

  He frowned and gave me the apologetic look he fancied when he chose to spend the night in with his new mate. I knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

  “Look, I know it’s been a while, but—”

  I walked up to the steps and sighed. “It’s fine,” I said. “Really.”

  “It’s work this time. I’m in the middle of tearing out the drywall upstairs. If I don’t finish tonight, Moira’ll kick my ass.”

  “Really,” I said, “it’s fine.”

  “I should have called,” he said.

  “You should have called,” I agreed.

  “Tell you what, next time I’m paying.” Finn rubbed his hand back through his hair.

  A chunk of drywall fell down his face, and he squinted and spat.

  I laughed. “I’m holding you to it. Good luck with the drywall.” I turned to go.

  “Wait.”

  I turned back. “Yeah?”

  “Can you do me a favor?” He gave me his best grin, the crooked one that made me want to punch his shoulder and tell him to save the charm for his lady.

  I shrugged. “What is it?”

  “Can you look at—”

  “Is that him?” Daphne popped her head out from around Finn. “Matt! I’m so glad you’re here.”

  She came down the steps and grabbed my wrist. I followed, wondering what exactly Finn had gotten me into.

  He gave me an apologetic look as Daphne led me into the building.

  “Finn tells me you’re a whizz with electrical,” she said with a quick glance over her shoulder. She had on a blue and white checkered dress that reminded me of a fifties Barbie doll and a picnic blanket at the same time, and bright red lipstick around a well-practiced smile.

  “I’m all right,” I said. “It’s just a hobby.”

  She stopped pulling me once we reached the kitchen, and offered a plate of cookies.

  I knew this trick. It was the same one Gram used to use before guilting us into doing some kind of heavy lifting. Take a cookie and you’re stuck.

  It wasn’t like I had plans anymore.

  I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie the size of my face and looked her dead in the eye. “Do you have any beer?”

  She snorted. “This is an O’Malley home. Of course we have beer.”

  I opened the fridge and grabbed a cold one. With a pop of the top, I took a long chug, and chased it with a huge bite of fresh-baked goodness.

  When the cookie was gone, and so was the beer, I looked to Daphne. “Okay, show me what you’ve got.”

  She looked pleased as pineapple, and opened the door to the basement.

  Shit. The basement of this place had given me the creeps ever since I was a kid. Even after the renovations, I didn’t want to go down there.

  The basement was a two beer job minimum. I snagged a second from the fridge and followed Daphne down the old wooden stairs.

  It wasn’t as bad as I remembered, but also somehow it was worse.

  The area at the bottom of the steps was clean, but with the wall knocked down, there was all kinds of space ahead that hadn’t been worked on yet.

  The overhead light buzzed and flickered.

  Daphne pointed up at the exposed bulb dangling between the beams. “This is what I need help with.”

  “Did you try switching out the bulb?”

  She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me. “Of course I tried switching the bulb. All kinds of weird things have been happening with the electric down here. I found the right outlets for
a washer and dryer in the old morgue, but they keep getting reset when the power goes out.”

  “It’s the whole basement?” I asked.

  “Yep, all the lights, all the outlets.”

  “Sounds like a wiring issue. Do you know where the box is?”

  “Right this way.” Daphne grabbed a flashlight from one of the steps and waved for me to follow.

  Down past two closed doors in a small alcove was a rusty metal box. Daphne shined her flashlight on it. The hair on my arms stood on end, and I shivered. It wasn’t a great sign.

  I pulled open the flap and sparks shot out.

  I took a step back, putting myself between Daphne and the box.

  A strange sound came from the wires, a rattling, clicking noise.

  “Stay back.” I leaned forward, keeping my face back as far as possible.

  Weird sounds were never a good sign. And weird sounds combined with sparks is a recipe for disaster.

  I snapped the breakers off before stepping in for a closer look. This was some very old wiring. It was the kind of electrical work that belonged in a museum, not in a building.

  “Do me a favor,” I said. “Check and see if the lights are still on upstairs.”

  She hurried back down the hall toward the steps and looked up. “Yep, we’re good.”

  Perfect.

  “Good,” I said, and headed back toward the exit. “There must be two boxes. Keep everyone out of the basement until we get this dealt with. I don’t have the tools with me, so we’ll have to schedule for a different day.”

  “No huge rush as long as we have power upstairs. Sophie lets me do the sheets at her place, but I don’t want that to be a forever thing.”