Burned: Wild Magic Book 2
Page 9
War with the vampires - even a small group - was certainly not something he wanted. While wolves typically won in small skirmishes between the two species, vampires were inherently stronger. It was also more difficult to tell just how many vampires there were in any given area. The Clan Leaders would likely have a good idea, but they weren’t sharing that information with anyone. So for all he knew, the vampires could outnumber the wolves, and that would be bad. Throw in some zombies, and they were in real trouble.
When nothing new jumped out at him, Jonathan replaced everything in the folder and set it aside. He paced the room, going over the schedule for the next day in his head. Eventually, his thoughts strayed to the witch Caleb had brought to help. He’d met many witches over his lifetime, and Angel was unlike most. She knew about wolves, enough to navigate social situations that usually left most people confused or even upset. She was strong-willed, and from what he’d heard from Caleb, a very powerful witch. Jesse had taken to her well, and Matt had at least remained mostly quiet with his objections. He was hoping there wouldn’t be any issues with having her around this week, but even still, he felt better knowing they had something of an ace up their sleeve if any uninvited guests did arrive. Eventually, there was nothing more that needed to be done, and Jonathan found himself puttering. Knowing he needed as much rest as possible for the coming days, he headed for bed.
Chapter 19
Alice huddled in the corner with the others, not because she was cold, but because it was better than being alone. She didn’t feel the cold anymore. She didn’t feel much of anything except hunger. The ones who kept them there brought them food every day, and despite how much her mind rebelled at the idea, she ate what they provided. But there wasn’t nearly enough for everyone to have their fill. The hunger always remained, just below the surface. It was like a living, breathing creature, just waiting to burst forth and consume everything in its path. Just yesterday, a fight had broken out among several of the new arrivals, each of them trying to get their hands on more than their fair share. Their keepers had not been pleased. They’d pulled apart the brawlers and dragged them away, kicking and screaming.
“No fighting,” ordered the tall, dark-haired male wearing a bloodstained blue polo.
No one had seen those newcomers since. She shivered in fear, not knowing if where they’d gone was better or worse than here.
Chapter 20
The alarm on Angel’s phone went off at 5am. Climbing out of bed, she rummaged through her purse to find the device, turning off the alarm. Tossing the phone on the dresser, she stood and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“I was going to complain about the rude awakening,” Caleb commented from the bed, “but I can’t say I mind the view.”
Angel turned quickly, realizing she was standing naked in the middle of the room and Caleb was watching her closely. She had a moment of panic and self-consciousness, both of which were quickly derailed when she noticed how damn sexy he looked in the morning. His hair was rumpled, his voice was a little gravelly, and Angel couldn’t help thinking of all the wonderful parts currently hidden by the blankets.
“Sorry,” she apologized, finding it very difficult to keep her eyes off his naked upper body.
Caleb stretched slowly - maybe a little too slowly - then sat up, leaning back against the headboard.
“Why are you up so early anyway?”
“I, uh, usually go for a run in the morning,” Angel replied, tearing her eyes away from him and looking around for her bag of clothes. She’d just remembered it was in the bathroom when Caleb grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back onto the bed.
“I’ll give you a workout,” he told her, pressing kisses along her shoulder and up her neck.
He nipped at her earlobe, and she gasped as her whole body came alive. Turning in his arms, Angel straddled him, leaning forward so her breasts pressed against his chest and her center pressed against his erection.
“Will you, now?” she asked, and he growled, low and deep, before flipping her onto her back. He parted her legs with his knee while he leaned forward to kiss her deeply. Angel had to admit, this was way better than a morning run.
After a quick romp in bed, Angel headed to the bathroom for a shower, grinning from ear to ear. She’d just started to wash her hair when Caleb joined her, picking her up, pressing her back against the shower wall, and slipping inside her. After leaving her breathless and a little weak in the knees, he washed quickly, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and left her to finish on her own. She stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, drying her hair with a towel, to see him already dressed.
“Where are you off to?”
“I’ve got a quick meeting this morning with a couple packs,” he explained, “all sorts of fun political crap. I’ll meet you at Jonathan’s room at eight for the security debrief.”
“Okay,” she replied, a little sad they wouldn’t get more time alone this morning.
He must have noticed something in her voice, because Caleb wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.
“Don’t worry,” he told her, “we’ll get lots of time together later.”
Angel grinned and blushed, surprised at how easily he read her mood.
“Okay,” she told him, and this time she meant it.
“Good,” he nodded, gave her another quick kiss, and left the room.
Deciding she didn’t want to give herself too much time to overanalyze the recent developments between her and Caleb, Angel decided she would head downstairs for breakfast. She dressed quickly, then pulled out her purchases from last night. The harness she’d picked for the short swords was perfect. She put her arms through the holes, and leather straps crisscrossed her back; the sheaths for each sword attached to the harness with simple but strong clips. The sheaths were attached upside-down, so the handles for each sword rested just at her waist, and well within reach. Magnets kept the blades from falling out. She pulled on the forearm guards, then her jacket, pleasantly surprised at how well the blades were concealed. Pulling out the small throwing knives she’d also picked up, she tucked two into her boots, two onto her belt, and two up her sleeves; those ones were held in place by a small spell. She grabbed a couple stunning spells, and a few healing spells, just in case, before deciding she was as ready as she’d ever be.
Leaving her room, she headed toward the stairs - she had no intention of getting herself trapped in the elevator with any strange wolves - following the smell of food to the restaurant inside the hotel. It was early, only 7:30, but the place was still pretty busy. Most of the tables were occupied by wolves, and more than one watched her as she approached the breakfast buffet. Trying to ignore their stares, Angel grabbed a plate and filled it with eggs, bacon, and several large pancakes. She poured herself a large cup of coffee and found an unoccupied table to sit at while she ate.
Surprisingly, Angel made it through her entire breakfast - two plates of the buffet and a couple muffins on the side - without any real issue. A lot of the wolves kept staring at her, and she heard several whispered conversations, but no one addressed her directly. Leaving the restaurant, she again took the stairs, stepping out on the fourth floor. As she approached the Master Alpha’s room, she saw Jesse standing outside. He smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back.
“Morning,” he greeted.
“Morning.”
“I see you managed to make it through breakfast alright,” he commented, “the way Caleb talked, I figured we’d have some kind of brawl before this thing even started.”
“I’m not that bad,” Angel complained.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jesse told her, clapping her on the shoulder. “Around here, it’s better to have a reputation. It makes people think twice before they mess with you.”
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but a strange look crossed his face. Before Angel realized what he was doing, he leaned down and inhaled deeply, scenting her.
A moment later, he pulled back, grinning at her.
“What?” she asked, a little confused.
“You smell like Caleb,” he told her.
Angel flushed crimson. “Oh, hell,” she cursed. Of course she smelled like Caleb, and of course Jesse - and any other wolf, for that matter - would be able to figure out why.
“Relax,” Jesse told her, “it’s probably not a bad thing. People will be less likely to mess with you, since they probably don’t want to mess with Caleb.”
“Yeah, but they’ll think the only reason I’m here is because Caleb and I are…”
“Having sex?” Jesse finished for her, laughing when she blushed again.
“You’re not helping,” she told him.
“No, but it’s not like there’s anything you can do about it,” Jesse said.
“I could whip up a spell to hide it,” Angel suggested.
“Oh, no,” Jesse held his hands up in warning. “That’s a bad idea. Male wolves don’t leave their scent on a female for no reason,” he explained. “They do it to warn off other males. If you hide his scent, Caleb might get upset.”
“So, basically, I might as well have ‘Property of Caleb’ stamped on my forehead,” Angel summarized, “and there’s nothing I can do about it?”
“Yep.”
“Great,” Angel sighed, “just great.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jesse assured her, “it’ll be fine. Now come on, we’re almost ready to get started.”
He pulled out a key card and opened the door, holding it open so Angel could enter first. She stepped into the room, and every eye turned to look at her. A lot more wolves were in there today - at least a dozen, if not more - and Angel tried really hard not to let her nerves show. Matt was there again, and he still looked unhappy to see her, which wasn’t really a surprise. Most of the rest of the wolves just seemed curious, though, which Angel hoped was a good sign. She scanned the room for Caleb but didn’t see him. She was planning on just hanging out in the back, but Jesse motioned for her to stand next to him, near the front. After a few minutes, Caleb arrived. He joined her near the front, standing on her other side.
“Look at that,” he said quietly, so only she and Jesse could hear, “on your own for nearly an hour, and nothing’s on fire yet.”
“Ass,” Angel whispered back, punching him in the arm.
Jesse laughed. Caleb looked like he was going to say something else, but Jonathan entered the room, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“Hello, everyone,” Jonathan greeted. “I trust everyone has received their assignments for the week?” Several people answered, “Yes,” but most just nodded. “Excellent,” he continued. “There are a few updates I wanted to pass along personally. Firstly, as some of you may have noticed, we have a witch joining us today.” Jonathan gestured to Angel, who smiled politely and gave a little wave. “Miss Myers is here to lend her expertise and help make sure we have a safe, productive conference. She is here at my request, and as such, I expect you all to treat her accordingly.”
He paused, letting his words sink in, and Angel was starting to understand why he was the Master Alpha. His power was subtle; he didn’t often give direct orders, but he still gave orders she suspected his wolves would have a hard time disobeying.
“Why, exactly, do we need a witch to help us with security?” The question came from a beefy wolf near the front.
“That is an excellent question,” Jonathan said, “and leads very well into my second update. There have been threats made against this conference by vampires. There is also a chance that we may encounter zombies as well. Having a witch working with us may limit the damage that either of these threats pose. If you have any additional questions, please speak with Jesse, Matt, or Caleb. Now, are there any more questions?” No one spoke up, and Jonathan nodded approvingly. “Very good. Now if everyone could please see to their assignments, the conference will be starting shortly.”
The room cleared out quickly, with only a few wolves hanging behind to give Angel a few curious looks. After a few minutes, only Angel, Jesse, Caleb, Matt, and Jonathan remained.
“Well,” Jesse said brightly, clapping Angel on the shoulder, “I think that went well.” Caleb gave the other male a pointed look, and Jessie dropped his hand. “Relax, Caleb,” he said, “I’m not interested in your witch. I’ve got a Mate, remember?”
“Right,” Caleb said, “I know.”
“Ugh,” Angel groaned, “please cut it out with the alpha male bullshit.”
“That’s what you get for getting involved with an alpha male,” Jesse told her, flopping down on the couch.
Angel crossed her arms and made a face at him.
“Children,” Jonathan scolded playfully. “Is this going to be a problem?”
He motioned at Angel and Caleb.
“No,” Angel replied quickly.
“Nope,” Caleb replied.
Jonathan considered them for a moment before nodding.
“Alright,” he said. “Angel, I believe you and Jesse are assigned to the perimeter today. You were going to set up some wards to detect any unwanted visitors, I believe?”
“That’s right,” Angel told him, “should be pretty straightforward.”
“Good, keep me updated,” Jonathan said, “I’ll be in talks most of the day, but I’ve got a break at lunchtime and right before supper.”
“And I’ll switch out with Jesse for a few hours this afternoon,” Caleb added.
“Anyone have any questions before we get things started?” Jonathan asked.
“Yeah,” Matt replied, gesturing to Angel. “Shouldn’t you have some sort of weapon or something?”
“I’m a witch,” Angel replied, “I am a weapon. But if that’s not convincing enough for you, I did pick up a few things last night.”
Stepping away from the wall, she reached behind her back and pulled her new swords free from their sheaths. They slid free quickly and quietly.
Jesse whistled appreciatively.
“Nice hardware.”
Matt scoffed. “Do you even know how to use those?” he asked condescendingly.
“Nope,” Angel replied, sick of his attitude, “I just thought I would flail them around a bunch and see what happens.”
Jesse and Caleb laughed, and she could have sworn Jonathan chuckled a little. Matt just gave her a nasty look.
“I’m going to do a final sweep of the conference rooms,” he said, turning and leaving the room.
“Well,” Angel said, pretending to check a watch, “less than twenty-four hours, and I’m already making friends.”
“Don’t mind Matt,” Jonathan told her, “he takes a while to warm up to people.”
“If you say so,” she replied, convinced it was either her gender or species Matt had a problem with, not the fact that she was a new face. Sliding the blades back into their sheaths, she turned to Jesse. “Should we get going?”
“Sure,” Jesse said, hopping up from the couch, “let’s go.”
Angel followed him, turning to Caleb when she reached the door and giving him a little wave.
“See you later,” she said.
“Don’t start any fights you can’t finish,” Caleb said, winking at her.
“You say that like it should be easy,” Angel joked, stepping into the hallway.
Chapter 21
They headed for the stairs, at Angel’s request, then Jesse led them out of the hotel and along the path they’d chosen to be their perimeter. Thankfully, there weren’t a lot of other buildings around the hotel. This area of the city was pretty sparse, with a forest to the north of the hotel, the highway to the south, and some warehouses a couple blocks down on either side. Jesse and Matt had already checked out the warehouses, and the forest to the north, and found nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was possible they’d missed something, so Angel was going to set up a magical ward around the hotel that would go off if something without a heartbeat got too close.
“What are those for?” Jesse asked.
“Focusing objects,” Angel explained, “they’ll make the ward stronger and easier to set up. I cast the spell over all of them, then set up an anchor point, and all I have to do after that is drop marbles along the perimeter. Then when we loop back around to the anchor point, I fuse the ends, and we’ve got a ward.”
“What if someone moves the marbles?”
“Once the ward is set up, the marbles won’t be visible,” Angel told him, “but if someone is able to see through the magic that hides them, and moves them, I’ll know.”
“So you’ll be the only one who knows if the ward is breached?”
“That’s generally how wards work, but I can use a couple of the leftover marbles to make beacons. That way, whoever has the beacons will also know when the ward is breached.”
“Cool,” Jesse exclaimed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just stand back, and try not to interrupt me,” Angel said. “I need to concentrate for a couple minutes.”
Angel stared at the marbles, quieting her thoughts and focusing on exactly what she needed the ward to do. After a few minutes, she was ready. Taking a deep breath, she wove the magic for a ward around the small stones, imbuing the magic with her intent. The magic surrounded the marbles instead of soaking into them; ward magic didn’t need to be that durable, and this way she would be able to re-use the marbles in the future. After a few minutes, the magic was in place, and the ward was ready to be set up. Angel picked out a single marble, placing it just in front of her and pushing a small amount of magic into it - activating the ward. It glowed brightly for a moment, then the light faded to a soft glow, just enough to see it in the long grass.