Wicked Good Witches- Complete Series Bundle

by Ruby Raine

  "How's my brother holding up?"

  "Riley is—riled. Like the rest of us," Mathew replied. "No major changes. He just senses it's coming soon. I think he could use a friend who's a little less anxious—erm—talkative—than I am," he admitted. "I'm the worst today." Mainly because being around Lucas made him feel so much more human. And needy. And Mathew always blathered on when anxious.

  Lucas laughed lightly and kissed Mathew again. "I'd much prefer to hear your voice than my own."

  "Ugh, don't encourage me. I'll never shut up and you'll rue the day you said that." He laughed nervously and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. And it wasn't just Lucas' closeness that was making him all twitchy.

  Michael came over to him.

  "Good to know even Guardians can't always keep it together. Maybe there's still hope for me yet."

  Mathew waved him off like Michael was crazy, because he was great at his job.

  "It's just, I've never been in a situation like this," explained Mathew. "Neither have my Elders—where we feel utterly useless. We have no knowledge to offer. None! I can't recall such a circumstance in all my years as a Guardian."

  "But you have you, to offer," reminded Lucas.

  "And that's a hell of a lot," Michael added.

  "Thanks. I will do my best not to disappoint. Anyway, I think Riley could use a little company." But instead of sending in Lucas, he aimed his gaze at Annie. "Would you mind hanging with him for a little while?"

  "Not at all. Can you show me where to go?"

  "Of course." He gave Lucas a too chaste kiss than what was on either of their minds, and escorted Annie to Riley.

  Courtney pushed out a deeply frustrated breath after Annie left.

  "Someone's happy the other vampire is gone," Michael noted with a smirk. "And no, my empathy didn't just start working on vampires." It wasn't needed, only the vexation on Courtney's face.

  "That's not—she's not—" she just grumbled and let her denial fall off. "She makes me—edgy." She finally pushed out in a huff.

  Lucas and Michael got a good chuckle out of that.

  "Because of the truth thing?" assumed Lucas.

  "Or because she's a lesbian vampire?" Michael shoved right out there.

  Courtney huffed again. "And that—that—that—what? Makes us some automatic match made in vampire freaking heaven?" she snarked. "I need that like I need another set of fangs," she mumbled grumpily.

  Hell, she'd just said goodbye to Bree! Who'd warned her something, not someone, was coming, but Courtney did not want to believe for a minute it was a vampire girlfriend. She was so not ready for that. Only tracking down Bree's murderer.

  "We're just giving you a hard time," Michael explained, almost sorry for the vampire. "It's a bit thick around here," he chimed, using Courtney's own words from when they first met.

  "Damn straight," she agreed. "Annie is—pretty. I'll give you that much." And a lot to live up to. Miss Freaking Perfect, never once messed up and drank any human blood. I mean, c'mon! No one is that freaking perfect!

  "Ah, so there's the crux," Michael said, his tone bemused. Lucas had to hold back a laugh.

  Courtney gasped and grumbled even more because those were supposed to have been silent words, in her head. But they dropped the subject to give Courtney a break, and hushed, listening to the sounds around them.

  Birds chirped, insects hummed—for now, all was right in the park. If deadly silence took over, well, a battle would soon follow they imagined.

  Their teasing revelry didn't last, because the mere idea of the inevitable battle had them all on edge again. So much so, that as the light of the cloudy day dimmed just a little more, Lucas and Michael grabbed the magical belts they'd slunked down nearby and began sliding them over their shoulders and around their waists, just in case. Better to be prepared, because darkness would only entice evil to attack even more.

  And for once, Lucas didn't have the constant battle waging in his own head either. It was a nice change. He wasn't worried about using magic, only that he'd be good enough when the time came. After hearing all about Riley's adventures in Sorcier, and explaining all that had happened here on the Isle—mainly, his new gift and saving the life of a young mother and her baby, something had clicked into place. Some of his fear of using magic had left him.

  No, he wasn't just perfectly okay with magic being such an integral part of his life, however, he was finally seeing some of what others had been telling him. It wasn't all good or all bad. It was more about the choices each of them made in how they used their gifts. And the good it provided him, and others, did outweigh the shitstorm.

  But part of that conclusion had also come when it seemed that their true purpose in coming to the Isle might be revealed. One thing Lucas had always believed in was his brother. And if Riley's gift needed him here for this moment—a huge ass potentially life-altering moment in history—well, how could Lucas deny his own part, at the very least, in protecting his brother.

  Mathew exited the Power Source again, having left Annie to keep Riley company.

  "No change," he advised before anyone could ask.

  "Same out here," Michael said.

  The question was, how long would that last?

  CHAPTER 2

  CHARLIE AND LIZZY WERE half way around the perimeter, and as expected, nothing was out of the ordinary and the alarm system was working perfectly. They'd specifically kept a few feet of space between them, almost in defiance of what everyone expected to happen—them getting it on in the woods.

  But as worked up and frisky as Lizzy and her new inner wolf were, the impending moon had her feeling completely out of sorts.

  "What was that?" Charlie asked her.

  She cleared her throat and pretended innocence.

  "I didn't say anything."

  "I know, not outwardly. But it was a thought and then it vanished."

  "It's nothing."

  "Lizzy? Talk to me. What's bothering you?"

  "Seriously, it's nothing. Let it go."

  He reached out and grasped her hand and pulled her in close so there was no escape.

  "Tell me."

  "Is that an order, Alpha."

  "I could order you to bend over that stump and—" she shushed him with a quick kiss.

  "Don't promise orders you won't follow through with."

  He grumbled at his own damn rules, but she was right. He wouldn't order any such thing until after tonight.

  "You are making me crazy," she mumbled.

  "That's the plan. After you shift tonight, it'll all be worth it. Just you, me, and my boat. Our boat," he corrected.

  Lizzy shoved mental images of every possible surface of that boat and what naughty things she expected to happen on each of them. And then it was Charlie grumbling about being driven insane.

  They broke apart and Charlie shook his head.

  "Nope. We're not moving yet. You didn't tell me what's bothering you."

  Lizzy sighed. It wasn't like she'd be able to keep the silly thought to herself forever anyway.

  "It's so—stupid."

  "No such thing."

  "I was wondering whether I'd need to go buy extra razors?"

  "Um—okay. Why?"

  She lifted an eyebrow, like, I really need to explain. It took a minute and then his features relaxed and he had to hold back an amused laugh.

  "I don't think it works like that," he returned with a giant grin.

  "Are you sure though? I didn't read anything about it in the notebooks your parents left."

  "Lizzy, you're going to wake up tomorrow looking exactly like you do now." He shrugged. "Except maybe more like a limp noodle after I'm done with you tonight."

  She smacked his muscled chest. "I'm trying to be serious. The wolfy hair look—so fucking hot—on you," she almost drooled. "Me, not so much."

  "Lizzy, I promise, that's not going to happen. And hell, if it did, wouldn't change a damn thing. I'd just help you shave if that's what you wanted." And he
was being genuinely serious in that it didn't matter to him. And yet something so silly only made her fall even deeper in love with the wolf, which she kept thinking was impossible. And yet it kept happening.

  And before either of them thought better of it their mouths collided and hands scrambled to reach skin and bodies staggered down to the cool forest floor which did nothing to subdue the fire burning in their veins.

  The world could have been coming to an end around them and they'd not have noticed. Which wasn't smart considering where they were and what was going on. And they both came to that irritating conclusion at the same annoying time and—damn it. Charlie's chest heaved but he lifted himself so he was balancing on his arms staring down at Lizzy's swelled lips that he wanted to taste for hours.

  "God, Lizzy. I want you so fucking bad." He wanted to disappear with her and get lost in a mating frenzy for days upon days. To taste every inch of her skin. To just stare into each other's eyes without a single restraint of time or interruption. To make long sweet love to her under the stars as the waves lulled them out to sea.

  But that was not going to happen until very, very late tonight. And definitely not in this potentially dangerous place when they expected an attack at any moment.

  And didn't that chill the mood.

  Lizzy grumbled out a long line of obscenities as they got up, smoothed out their clothes and dusted debris off themselves. But Charlie was right there with her riding the wave to frustration town. They'd survived this long though, what was a few more hours?

  Easier to say when they weren't dealing with the moon's pull, which was already settling into their bones and they couldn't even see it rising yet. The human hormones were sidetracking enough, but add in the wolves and it was like a constant stream of fuck me, right now, being shoved into their veins.

  Lizzy shuddered and ignored the pull of her bones that made it feel like they wanted to escape her skin. A hundred orgasms wasn't going to make this shift any different. But following the ache in her bones was the ever-present desire to claim her mate.

  "Holy hell, Charlie. If something happens and we don't make it to our boat tonight, well, I might as well say goodbye now, because I'm pretty damned sure I'm going to spontaneously combust."

  "Believe me, Lizzy Deane. Nothing is going to stop us from getting on that damn boat. Shit. I probably shouldn't have said that. I totally jinxed it now."

  Lizzy chuckled and leaned into Charlie and he wrapped himself around his mate.

  "I feel so weird." And then suddenly she was almost in tears. "Oh my God, for real?" she sniffled.

  "It’s okay. Your body is going through a massive change. It's not going to act like you want tonight. Just go where it takes you."

  "But crying is for other women. Not me."

  "I won't hold it against you."

  She pulled back and smacked his chest half-heartedly. She wiped her face and tried to shake it all off.

  "We'd better get back."

  Charlie nodded and held out his hand. She almost took it but instead, bit her lip and sighed. Another dose of get naughty hormones was about to hit. He dropped his hand, the jaw grinding starting up again. Yeah, a few feet of space was probably the better idea.

  CHARLIE AND LIZZY STRODE back into the gully to rejoin the group, but there was no fanfare or teasing upon their arrival. Tensions were thick as the light in the sky overhead dimmed even more.

  Courtney was the first to feel it. She pushed the air out of her lungs and stilled to attention. It hit Charlie and Mathew only seconds later. And then trickled down to Lizzy, Lucas, and Michael shortly after.

  "What the hell is that?" Michael whispered coarsely.

  "Power," Mathew answered in awe of it. "Pure magical power." It left a haunting haze surrounding them as they aimed their gazes in the direction of the Power Source.

  "Wow." Lizzy had no other word for the feeling.

  "Fucking-a-wow," Courtney agreed. It was like raw magic prickling across her skin.

  And the only sound was their awed breaths.

  The only sound.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  Charlie's jaw ground hard, his features flattening, focusing right, then left. He caught his brother doing the same. Charlie allowed his wolf hearing to reach outward, but the new vampire beat him to the punch.

  "I hear evil little whispers riding the leaves," Courtney snarled darkly. "We're not alone anymore."

  Charlie's silver stare reached upward over the darkening treetops and he found himself begging whoever might be listening to let this all end before the moon rose. Somehow, he got the feeling no one was listening or able to grant his wish.

  CHAPTER 3

  IT NEVER STOPPED SURPRISING Melinda Howard, just how such a short amount of time could change things. In this case, three days. But as she stepped through the magical portal from just outside of the Power Source, and straight into her backyard, she reveled in this one big change that had made their lives easier and far less stressful.

  Lizzy and Michael had managed to set up the magical portal just over a day ago. They now only needed to step to the backside of their yard behind the mansion, and step right to the entrance of the Source.

  A-freaking-mazing, Melinda thought as she sauntered into the mansion. No more thirty-minute drives across the island to get there. Just seconds to step back and forth. It made bathroom breaks that much easier too. No more hiking it into the woods or holding it until her bladder was sure to explode—and there had been a massive coffee intake happening.

  But the changes didn't stop at the magical portal. In the last three days, she'd broken up with Riley. The Source had gone into labor. William had returned home. And so had Emily, sort of, but not of her own volition. And tonight, Lizzy would become a real werewolf and Charlie would be a mated werewolf.

  Melinda wondered if they intended on getting married too, or just mated? They hadn't talked about it. Then again, there hadn't been much free time to do any such thing. And it wasn't like they had to get married. But knowing that Charlie had found his one true mate in Lizzy was—so many things. But mostly it just made Melinda happy for her brother, and hopeful that both she and Michael would find the same thing.

  But it wasn't going to happen this minute for either of them.

  Time and change.

  Just about the only damn thing that was guaranteed in this life.

  Oh, and death, of course. At least for humans, perhaps not vampires.

  The tension Melinda had expected with Riley hadn't happened. Mostly because he was spending every waking hour inside with the Power Source, and not with her standing guard outside. But the few times she'd seen him they'd been friendly encounters, without too much awkwardness.

  Mainly acceptance lined with a bit of sadness and a touch of regret and wondering just what the hell their relationship had been about, or for, or...it just didn't make sense as to why they'd fall for each other.

  But even Melinda had to admit that what Riley had given her, in some ways, gave her the strength to admit what she really wanted, even though that wasn't him. But what did Riley get out of it? Was his gift so sick that it would make him fall for a woman in order to teach her a lesson?

  Regardless, Riley was needed. For something incredible. Perhaps that's what it had all led to in the end. But it had been an insane road to get there.

  It also helped that William wasn't spending much time at the Source as he was deep in research mode. Seeking out anything from the old family journals and numerous books at his disposal, for some clue as to what might be happening.

  The one thing they all agreed was happening: change.

  Because everyone could feel it like it was riding the very air seeping into their lungs.

  Good change? Bad change? Who the heck knew?

  But something was coming, something big and life-altering. And they'd be as prepared as possible for whatever madness it brought with it. Although, after the summer they'd had, it couldn
't really get any crazier, could it?

  She laughed at that. Because of course it could. Crazy always found a way, just like time and change.

  Melinda was just stepping into the mansion when she paused for a moment, stalling. She had a choice to make and it suddenly settled in her heart as decided.

  She wasn't able to ignore the pull a minute longer. Didn't want to. Her own thoughts had given her the information she needed. And with everyone preoccupied, the Howard Mansion was magnificently quiet. And she didn't need any special hearing to know exactly where William was at that moment. Because he was exactly where he belonged, in his study. She supposed more than anything, the comfort this brought with it was a bit of old habit mixed with relief, in knowing he was there. This was something she never wanted to change.

  She was thankful to Mathew the wonder-potion maker, too. They were still speaking, in secret, about their mission to return William's humanity, and the Guardian had concocted a way to keep some of her thoughts to herself—and out of the mind of the vampire who had such easy access to her constant stream. Not that she'd even felt him try to enter her mind. Regardless, she wasn't ready to share her new venture just yet.

  It wasn't so much that she had some need to hide it from William, but they had barely spoken more than a few words to each other since he'd returned. And it wasn't something she could just blurt out, without the time to have a proper conversation. And with everything going on, that moment hadn't happened. But she'd learned her lesson about keeping secrets and didn't want this hanging over their heads like a weight threatening to drop. But even if tonight wasn't the right time, it was the right moment to break their silence and say something, other than general niceties and useless small talk.

  She could not fault his distance though. He'd returned home to find out about Courtney—something Melinda hadn't told him because it had just been too much on top of what they'd gone through already during his detox.

  And what did she say?

  What could he say?

  They loved each other.

  They were each other's deepest wish—one life together—but now what?