Rejected

by Amelia Rademaker

  Ezra and Ezekiel lifted their lips at Ben’s tone but Ms. Stevens squared her shoulders. “The spell is theoretical because its origins are five centuries old and it was created for spirit guides not things with physical bodies. I don’t know if the spell could be altered to work on real wolves. Or that it is even a working spell to begin with. The witches who wrote it could have been trying to create an immortality spell but never gotten the magic right. They didn’t keep great records. This could be a dud.”

  “What’s the probability that the spell won’t work?” Dave saw the apprehensive look on Ms. Stevens face. “If you have to guess what would you say?”

  She tapped a finger to her lips. She thought about it for a second before focusing on Dave. “Lower than I feel comfortable with.”

  Curses went up through the room.

  “Great,” Paul said cheerily. “We have who knows how many rogue Packs hidden in the surrounding area, a spell that could potentially make them invincible, and a new moon that is tomorrow night.”

  Ezra bared dangerously pointed teeth. “Ivy just put her life on the line to help us. What do you think the rogues are going to do when they find out she was the witch who helped us?” He took a step towards Paul. “Show her some fucking respect or I will challenge you.”

  “Enough!” Ben roared. Power reverberated through the room like a wild fire. Grace hit the floor on both knees, crushed under the magnitude. Some of the enforcers kept on their feet but all of them bared their throats.

  Ben was Alpha for a reason. He didn’t enjoy flaunting it but press him and he did not hesitate to remind a person why he was Alpha.

  “Paul, Ezra,” he pinned them with his voice; “you can either shut the hell up or spend the next two days with broken bones. The rest of us will be risking our lives while you two are flat on your backs.” Neither man said anything. “Now,” Ben said breathing heavily, “Ms. Stevens is there anything we can do to stop this?”

  Grace staggered to her feet, the power dissipating enough to stand.

  White as a sheet, Ms. Stevens stepped out from behind Ezekiel. “Well, we have the spell. I doubt they would have been as determined to get it if they had a copy. And,” she cleared her throat, “and I can destroy it.”

  Ben dropped his shoulders, relaxing his stance. “Let’s do it right now.”

  Grace felt her stomach cramp painfully tight. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Digging her nails into her palms she concentrated on not lunging for the spell and running for the woods.

  “I can’t do it right now,” Ms. Stevens hedged. Grace felt her muscles release. She hissed out a relieved breath. “I need a few supplies first. This thing has got to have some nasty booby traps worked into it. I need to prepare for those.”

  “How quick can you be ready to destroy it?” Ben was visibly anxious to be rid of the spell.

  Ms. Stevens turned to Ezekiel and lifted a shoulder, “A few hours if we can find everything at one place. If we run into a problem, it’ll be closer to sunset.”

  Ben pointed to the Tate brothers. “You two get her what she wants. If anyone gives you trouble, and I mean anyone, just take what you need. We can sort it out later.”

  The brothers turned to leave. Ms. Stevens still faced Ben. Ezekiel grabbed her arms and physically turned her around. “Oh,’ she exclaimed, “alright. It was nice meeting you all.”

  Ben pointed to Derek and Mark. “Call in everyone. The rogues’ clock is almost up. They are coming in full force to take the spell back. We need all the help we can get. Take care of it.” They both nodded and left.

  Paul and Jack stepped up to the desk, Grace trailing behind quietly. “We need to gather everyone into the high school gym. It’s easier to defend. I want you to get the word out to every wolf, human, witch, or whatever in our territory. This is a mandatory evacuation. Everyone not inside the gym by sunset is going to be fighting rogues.”

  Jack raised a palm. “I’ll start calling but first I’ve got to get Grace to the high school.”

  “Actually,” Ben yanked open a drawer pulling out a set of keys, “I had someone drive her car here.” He handed them to Grace.

  She made sure not to snatch them out of Ben’s hands. “Awesome. Thanks, Ben.”

  He reached out, putting his hand on her forearm. It took everything in her not to shrink back. “Grace,” Ben’s voice was deadly serious, “will you keep an eye on Anne for me?”

  Grace waved her hand, brushing off his request like it wasn’t necessary. It got Ben’s hand off of her. “You don’t need to ask.”

  He nodded; worry wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “I have things to do so if you’ll excuse me.”

  Paul, Jack, and Grace left his office. Outside, Paul stopped, “If you don’t mind, I need to take care of something real quick.” He pointed at Jack as he walked away. “I’ll meet you at the news station in half an hour.”

  Jack lifted his hand in acknowledgement. When he turned to Grace it seemed as if he had aged ten years. “You’ll stay at the gym with everyone else, right?”

  The itchy, nauseating feeling was back. Grace was so consumed by it that she could hardly focus. Something told her instinctively that if Jack found out about her plans he would ruin everything.

  “Of course,” she promised.

  Jack swallowed. “Grace, I know this is quick and crazy but,” he sucked in a breath, “I love you.”

  Grace knew she had to react appropriately or else. Cocking her head to the side, putting her hand over her heart, she hitched her breath, “R-really?” Jack nodded. “Oh, Jack, I love you too.”

  Instantly, he had her engulfed. His mouth met hers, ravishing it. The itch on her skin increased to a painful degree. Grace broke the kiss quickly. “We don’t have time now but later…” She let the suggestion hang in the air.

  Jack smiled a sweet, goofy smile. “Later.” He promised, pressing one last kiss to her lips before dashing towards his truck.

  Feeling eyes on her, Grace slowly walked to her car. In the rush that morning, she hadn’t noticed it parked near the Pack house entrance. Sliding into the driver’s seat she went to clip in her seatbelt when she saw her purse at her side.

  Impossibly, she had forgotten she had brought it. She hadn’t noticed it hanging by her side in Ben’s office or out front when Jack had kissed her. He must have bumped it when he wrapped his arms around her but Grace hadn’t felt a thing.

  Now, it was all she could focus on. Her vision tunneled to the partially zipped opening. Heart stopped, Grace opened the gaped fabric wider.

  Nestled between a wallet and masses of unimportant trash, was the spell. Grace smiled at it as everything became clear.

  Jack escorted one of the witches of the Black Bird Coven into the gym. Grace had not exaggerated about them hating shifters. The woman was nearly ninety and she had still put up a fight when Jack showed up at her house. He had tried to explain that her life was in danger but she’d screamed back, “And you think it won’t be in danger if you lock me in a gymnasium full of animals?”

  Between the emergency announcements over the radio, on the local news, phone calls, and a few house visits he and Paul had gathered everyone. It was packed in the high school’s gym but comfort was not the priority tonight.

  He saw Anne across the room. She craned her neck searching around him. Whatever she noticed had her running over. This close, Jack could smell the panic seeping through her pores.

  “Hey,” she panted, out of breath, “where’s Grace? When she didn’t show up earlier, I figured you were keeping her with you.”

  Fear shot through Jack, “What?” He shook his head. “I sent her here hours ago. What do you mean she didn’t show up?”

  Anne’s panic skyrocketed. “She never showed up, Jack. I’ve been here all day and I haven’t seen her.”

  Jack pulled out his phone, calling her. The call never went through. He stared down at the phone, his fear growing.

  “I’ve been trying her all day. It’s lik
e she’s blocked us.” Anne pulled at her hair. “Where could she be?”

  Jack swore. His hands clenched into fists, claws ripping his palms. “I knew something was wrong.” He threw his head back howling. Everything in the gym stopped as the entire town to stare. Jack didn’t give a shit. His mate was fucking missing.

  Anne shook him. “What do you mean something was wrong?”

  “I found Grace walking around the woods last night in a trance. Then this morning she was twitchy. I brushed it off as nerves.” He snapped at the air. “I should have listened to my wolf.”

  His wolf had been rabid since Grace’s cabin. When Jack had found Grace in the woods, his wolf nearly took control and bit her. His animal wanted nothing to do with Grace today, going mad anytime Jack touched her.

  He should have fucking learned his lesson and listened to his wolf. His other half knew something was wrong. Now, Grace was in danger.

  “Excuse me,” a tiny voice drew Jack out of his panic. Standing next to him was Tanya Johnson, Elliot Johnson’s granddaughter. “I heard you say Ms. Grace is missing?” He and Anne nodded desperate for information. “I saw her driving south this morning. I knew she moved to her cabin, my dad called her crazy for moving out of town,” Jack ignored that, “and figured she was going there.”

  “Thanks, Tanya that helps out a lot.” Jack watched the girl walk away

  “What is going on?” Anne whispered

  “I don’t know but I am not waiting around here. I’m finding Grace.”

  “I’m coming too,” Anne put her hands on her hips expecting a fight.

  “Whatever,” Jack didn’t have time to argue. He started running for his truck, Anne following.

  Peeling out of the high school’s parking lot, Jack rode hell for leather towards Grace’s cabin praying he made it to her before something happened.

  Jack’s phone rang. He didn’t bother seeing who it was. He picked it up and said, “We’ve got a problem.”

  “You’re goddamn right we have a fucking problem,” Derek screamed. “The fucking spell is missing.”

  Anne groaned, “No.”

  Things couldn’t possibly be this bad.

  “How in the hell is the spell missing?”

  “Ben assumed that witch took it when she left but she just showed up and she doesn’t have it. She never had it.”

  “Is she lying?” Anne asked.

  “Is that Anne?” Derek asked but didn’t bother waiting for an answer. “No, she got vetted by the Alpha. She’s clean.” Derek made a pained noise. “She thought the Alpha had stored it in a magic proof safe or something.”

  “Why the hell would she think that?” Jack knew his blood pressure was off the charts. This was a disaster but he couldn’t make it his top priority. The Pack be damned. He had to find Grace first.

  “Apparently, she neglected to tell us just how nasty those magical booby traps were. She performed a nullifying spell on that handkerchief so she wouldn’t have to touch the paper. The thing is a ticking time bomb. Anyone could trigger a magical reaction.”

  Jack closed his eyes, the world dropping out from under him. Grace. The shock. The strange behavior. And now, the missing spell.

  “Derek, get everyone to Grace’s cabin immediately. This is top priority.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Grace is the one who stole the spell. She’s taken it out to her cabin to meet the rogues, I think.” The words hurt to say.

  He glanced at Anne from the corner of his eye. She was staring openmouthed at him.

  “Grace?” Derek sounded astonished. “She would never-“

  “You’re right, she would never do that. She triggered a booby trap when she found that fucking thing yesterday. I don’t think she knows what she’s doing.” God, he hoped she didn’t know what she was doing.

  “How do you know any of this?”

  “Stop talking and listen to me. Anne and I are almost at the cabin. If we don’t have backup, we are going to be slaughter and the rogues are going to get that spell.”

  “Fuck,” Derek shouted. Jack heard voices coming from the other side of the phone.

  “Yeah,” Jack pressed the gas pedal until it touched the floor, “and tell the Tates to bring their witch. We’re burning that thing.”

  Jack threw the phone. His hands gripped the steering wheel until it groaned. He was terrified for Grace. Terrified that he was going to be too late.

  “What’s going on, Jack?” Anne sounded as scared as he felt.

  “I think Grace got cursed or hexed or something. All I know is that yesterday when we found the spell something shocked her. When I touched the same place, nothing happened.” He wiped sweat out of his eyes.

  “The Tates brought in a witch and she didn’t even want to touch the paper the spell was written on because she was scared she might trigger a magical backlash. But we all handled that thing and nothing happened.” He tensed as they took a corner going too fast. “The booby trap wasn’t on the spell. It was on the hiding spot. Now, we have a possessed Grace Copeland about to hand an immortality spell to an army of rogues.”

  “Fuck,” Anne breathed.

  “Exactly.”

  They slide into Grace’s front yard going ninety on the dirt road. Parked, with the front door open, was Grace’s car. Jack almost folded at the sight. He kept thinking that they weren’t going to find Grace there. That he had convinced himself she was at the cabin.

  Jack barely threw the truck into park before he was out of it. He sprinted to Grace’s open door. The keys were still in the ignition, the car making an annoying beeping noise. He searched the front seat and floor hoping to find a clue to where Grace was.

  “I can’t smell anyone.” Anne went around the car to check the trunk Jack had just popped.

  “You can’t smell these guys,” Jack said worried that he couldn’t pick up Grace’s scent. He didn’t see any torn clothing or scratches so Jack could safely say that Grace left the car peacefully and was still human.

  Closing his eyes, Jack willed his heart to slow down. He was too scared to be effective. He couldn’t focus on anything beyond Grace being gone. Grace needed him.

  Inhaling, Jack attempted to calm down. Breathing deeply, he smelled something foul. It was faint but there was something about it that he recognized. He couldn’t remember when he had smelled it but it was something he knew.

  The sound of a vehicle had Jack straightening. He put himself between the sound and Anne. An SUV tore into the clearing. It had the sheriff’s seal on the side. The Robbins boys and Grant Markman jumped out of it.

  “Ben rerouted everyone here. What’s going on?” Cal rushed.

  “Grace has the spell we found and I think she’s being forced to give it to the rogues.”

  “Forced?” Patrick jumped in. “How?”

  “Who the hell cares how?” Anne yelled. “And why the hell are we waiting around? Grace could be dead by the time we get our shit together.” Jack snarled, biting at Anne for suggesting that Grace was dead. “I’m sorry but it’s true.” She pointed to the forest. “The longer we wait, the higher the likelihood.”

  “We can’t just bum rush the woods,” Grant argued. “We don’t know how man rogues there are and we don’t know where Grace is meeting them.”

  Anne turned to Jack, stark desperation on her face. “You found her before, Jack. Do it again.” She begged.

  Jack tore his shirt off, kicking his shoes in opposite directions as he got his pants off. Giving his wolf the reins completely, he prayed that they would find Grace.

  On all fours Jack went back to the car. As a wolf, he could make out the foul smell much stronger. Whatever is was it was a complex scent. The putrid earth scent overpowered the more subtle smells. Putting his nose right into the most intense area of it, Jack opened his mouth trying to pinpoint what was niggling at his brain.

  Grace. Under the unnatural sourness, was the unmistakable scent of Grace.

  Jack whined. Whatever was making G
race act this way was overpowering every aspect of her being.

  Turning back to the group Jack saw that everyone but Grant had already shifted. Jack could hear multiple vehicles racing towards them.

  “I’ll tell them what’s going on. They’ll be right behind you,” Grant promised.

  Jack shot towards the woods. Now that he had isolated Grace’s scent, he couldn’t mistake it. The pungent flavor sank into everything around it creating a wide trail to follow.

  Jack ignored the odd corkscrews in the path and places where Grace circles back. He kept moving forward, towards Grace.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jack ran as fast as he could. He heard others join them but didn’t bother seeing who. He kept fixated on Grace’s scent. As the miles drew on, he knew they were closing in on Grace.

  A huge black wolf raced in front of Jack, forcing him to slow down. Once he stopped he saw that it was Ben. Furious that Ben had stopped him, Jack rumbled low in his throat.

  Dozens of wolves joined them in the clearing. Grant had kept his promise. They had a small army. Looking over the group gathered, a small voice in Jack’s mind asked if it was going to be enough.

  Ben ignored Jack’s growl, turning his head in the direction they had been running. His ears flicked back and forth. His body tensed. Jack saw the fur on his back raise.

  Without the wind rushing past him, Jack heard something. It was faint but he knew what it was. Grace was crying.

  Jack shot past Ben ignoring his barked command. He raced towards the sound only half attempting to be quiet. He came to the edge of a clearing and stopped.

  In a tangled patch of ferns, Grace was slumped against a tree. Her head was thrown back. Cautiously, Jack crept towards her keeping behind the foliage.

  She was making whining noises deep in her chest. They sounded strange coming from a human but Jack recognized them. Grace was in pain. Tears tracked down her face.

  Jack didn’t smell any blood on her. Parts of her clothing were torn. He couldn’t see anything that would cause the level of distress he was seeing.