Love's a Witch (20 page)

Craig’s parents shared just a glance before they lept into a shift, and for the second time in less than twenty-four hours my drawing came to life.

Like Amber said back at the house, I liked the first one a whole lot better.

With her bare hands and in a matter of seconds, Shelly became our own personal grim reaper. She sank her nails into one wolf’s back, but instead of throwing him to the ground she lifted him into the air. Her hands encompassed his neck and squeezed. The spine snapped like celery. The second the body went limp, Shelly’s nails razored through the Alpha’s neck.

Shelly stood holding the head. I was glad I hadn’t eaten recently. She waited until the body turned human before she took her eyes off it. Shelly carried the bloody trophy towards the remaining Alakin. It changed back to a man’s head beneath Shelly’s bloody grip. Craig’s father’s mouth opened in a soundless roar. I felt the wet thud it made.

“You silly little vampire. You know nothing.” The woman had balls saying that. But at least she wasn’t stupid enough to fight.

“Ah, yes. Insult the ancient being who just decapitated your mangy mate.” Shelly grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her up. “I know this makes it more difficult to talk but it makes me feel better.”

Mr. Paulson reached out to touch Shelly, but pulled back at the last moment. “There has been enough blood spilled. Right now we need information. She is all there is left.”

“My Pack will come for me…” But her face fell. Her aura started to pulse in muted purples and intense grey. So much sadness.

“Her Pack left her, didn’t they?” I asked Mr. Paulson, but Doc Trevor answered me.

“We were a bit behind Shelly because we stopped off at the Alakin Pack campsite. They were very welcoming.”

Mr. Paulson snorted. “They were welcoming after Shelly walked in and kicked a few asses. The Pack had no idea how to deal with a vampire they couldn’t bribe with blood. With the leaders gone to harvest, the fact that we offered them a chance to live somewhere with real walls was pretty tempting.”

“And the fact that a strong Alpha told them they were being idiots didn’t hurt either. I don’t think they’d even seen a turned werewolf before.” Doc nudged me. “It’s a bit hard to call this Alpha inferior. He kicked a couple of asses too, but no blood.”

“You didn’t even grab the tails.” Shelly straightened her clothes. She checked the three prizes she had at her waist. When she caught me staring, she explained. “The tails aren’t a part of the human form, so they don’t change at death or dismemberment. Neither do the ears, but they aren’t as pretty.”

Gross
.

Doc shook his head and spoke to Craig’s mother who was just watching the back and forth with a snarl. “There were some who fought to hold onto the witches, but the rest of the Pack quickly turned on them. Most wanted to learn how to get back into the real world again. They pledged to the Paulson Pack. We’re going to need another apartment building.”

“You have taken my Pack, my witches and my mate. Finish me, I am of no use.” The words came in a croak from under Shelly’s fingers.

Shelly lowered the shewolf. “You take all the fun out of torture when you give up. What were you saying that I didn’t know? None of your Pack knew how you acquired the dazzled witch. None of them knew who you were supplying. You have nothing to lose. Spill it.”

“You would think, as his Protector, he would share this business with you. Your Matheo leads the harvest.” A sickening smile slid across the woman’s face as Shelly stood stock-still. “He’s our best customer, and we are not the only ones he does business with. The witch you seek, our most recent acquisition, was given to him last night. She was the only one he took. She must be very special. He usually takes five or six.”

Shelly released her, and the woman scampered away towards Craig. She wasn’t done talking. I really wished she would shut up. Everything she said was raising the anger in everyone around us. Their auras were like a forest fire of black reaching towards the trees, blocking even the sun.

“Craig. My son. Come with me. I saw you fighting. Your strength has doubled. You and I can start over. The Pack your father and I planned to build could begin. I shouldn’t have meddled in affairs outside my own kind. That is where I lead my Pack wrong. I won’t do it again. With your power, and my leadership we can have a Pack of true wolves again.”

Craig turned his back on his mother and looked at me. “Mother, I doubt you’ll approve of me, after the next few seconds. What I am about to do will piss you off to no end.” Craig’s eyes flashed.

“Let the past be the past. We will start fresh.” His mother was still talking, but her voice faded to the background.

His eyes were on mine. My body got warm. The skin on my neck, right where he had licked me last night, began to itch. Craig gripped my shoulders, and then his hands threaded through my hair. “My future is here. With her.” I shivered as the air brushed across my bare neck.

“A human? No!”

But she wasn’t the only one with a scream on her tongue. Craig leaned over and bit the throbbing on my neck. The pain as his canines pierced my skin was incredible. Then he mumbled against my skin. “I claim you.” It was quiet and reverent, and suddenly the pain became pleasure. The fire flowed through his teeth and raced through every inch of my body. I convulsed with the most intense orgasm I have ever experienced, and I had some doozies in the past few hours.

His arms lifted my quivering legs out from under me and held me close. After he released my neck and licked the wound, I cuddled into his chest. My strength was gone. I had used most of my energy with the head hopping and now, after that orgasm, my body was shutting down.

“Mary, say you are mine.” He whispered through ten layers of cotton that had grown over my ears.

“Yours. All yours.” At least I think that’s what came out of my mouth before I passed out. The last thing I remember feeling was his rapid heartbeat against my cheek.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Craig

She was asleep in my arms. My little witch was exhausted. The smile on my face couldn’t be helped. I didn’t care about my mother’s wishes. I had my prize.

“You are no son of mine.” My mother’s final good-bye to me as she ran into the woods. She left her mate’s body. She left my father in two pieces and didn’t even care to say goodbye. There was connection there, but they were together out of duty and mutual desire for power. The love had always been absent from their union. I vowed in that instant to never let it become that way with me and Mary.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. “We will help with the burials.” Alpha Paulson. The man had been more of a father to me than the man he was offering to help me bury.

“I’ll run back to the Alakin camp and grab the necessary supplies.” Doc jogged off.

“Do I need to go after her?” Shelly asked. After her glee at ripping apart the other wolves, I was a bit shocked that she would even bother to ask for a green light from me.

I ran a hand through my hair, but stopped that really fast when I felt a few bits of Mary’s carnage. “You don’t need to go after her. No more Pack means no more followers to harvest witches. She could work her way up in a Pack from the bottom, but if you knew my mother, you’d understand how unlikely that is.” And I hoped I never saw her again. What I had in my arms was worth everything I’d given up.

“Or she could go mad and start killing innocent people.” I looked at my old Alpha. I had forgotten his roots for a moment.

“She wouldn’t bother with the humans, sir.” Submission bowed my head. “I know you lost your wife and daughter to an attack, but my mother left with no honor. She doesn’t have a Pack or witches to use magic and keep her concealed. To kill would bring too much attention.”

“If you’re sure…” Paulson waited for my nod before he continued. “Then we will help you to honor your fallen.”

I hugged Mary’s sleeping body to me. “I don’t want to put her down.”

“Hand her to me. I’ll stay.” Shelly held out her arms. “I’m a bitch, but I’m strong. I’ll hold her while you do what you need to.”

“Didn’t have to go back to the camp.” Doc jogged back into the clearing with a few different shovels. “Forgot the Bed and Breakfast was so close. There was a shed with everything we need.”

He held out one to me. Shelly waved her arms until I handed over my mate. I put a kiss on Mary’s head and started to dig.

This wasn’t my first grave dig, and it wouldn’t be the last. Human law couldn’t handle our disputes, and forced us to handle things ourselves at times. I carried my father’s corpse into the hole and laid him down. Doc handed me his head.

I closed his eyes and made him as whole as I could as I returned him to the earth. I buried him. It wasn’t out of respect or love, but proving that I would not stoop to his level. A hand from my former Alpha helped me out of the grave.

“Why don’t you take your mate back to the house?” Doc picked up a shovel. “I can finish this up. You honored your father.”

I grabbed the tails from Shelly’s belt and tossed them in the grave. “You don’t get to mock death that way.”

Her irises wavered like she was going to dazzle me to get what she wanted, but Mary made a soft noise in her arms and snuggled up to her. Shelly frowned, but she let Mary hug her. Something told me Shelly didn’t get a lot of hugs.

“Whatever. I only take tails when wolves underestimate me. Unlike you, I don’t give respect to those who don’t earn it.” She handed me Mary and wiped off her hands. “Your mate is sticky.”

The narrow trails in the woods forced us into a single file. I led the way back to Kari’s Bed and Breakfast with Mary in my arms. She stirred a couple of times, but it was obvious that she was beat. I needed to feed her, but there was nothing I could give her until we got home, so I let her snore. Shelly was behind me and Alpha Paulson brought up the rear. After my father’s grave was finished, Doc stayed behind to make use of the fire and play cleanup crew.

“What about your mother going all David Koresh and recruiting more crazies?” Shelly’s attitude was trying to break through. What my mother told her earlier had shaken her. The vampire grabbed a water bottle out of her waistband, and drank deep.

I could at least put one worry to rest. “My mother hates turned wolves. She would never have a Pack of them. Right now we are doing nothing but heading back to Kari’s home. It’s still a bit trashed, but we need sleep more than amenities at the moment.”

“Is that the witch we didn’t arrive in time to save?” Shelly clipped her water bottle to her belt loop.

I nodded. “And why are you here exactly? How did you even find us?”

Alpha Paulson pushed ahead of Shelly. “Weren’t looking for you, sport. We came to see Amber and Jake. I miss my kid, and I was going to yell at you for charging that hotel repair to my Pack while I was here.” He wasn’t mad. I knew getting the bill would tell him about our location enough that he would know we were safe. “We were ready for an easy chat, and maybe some hunting, but then I smelled the blood. We all did.”

I was about to ask how they smelled the blood before any was spilled, but then I smelled it. Human. A lot of it.

One of the witches had killed herself. She realized what was going to happen when Annabelle’s compulsion broke. She refused to believe help was on the way, and sliced her own neck. Shelly, Doc and Alpha Paulson smelled the blood before they made it to Jake and Amber.

Turned out the Pack was getting tired of living like refugees. Even the ones who enjoyed the woodsy life couldn’t deny easy access to packaged bacon would be nice. Doc and Shelly moved the group. The leaders of the Alakin Pack had already left on their mission to destroy Mary.

Shelly whispered in my ear to keep Mary from waking up. “We would have come to warn you they were on their way, but you were busy knocking boots. Loudly.”

“We didn’t think it would hurt to wait to come get you. Turns out we waited a bit longer than we should have.” Alpha kept talking as I walked up to the house shaking my head. “That girl is like a daughter to me. Don’t screw with her heart.”

By the looks of the crowd pouring out of and loitering around Kari’s home, many of the Alakin Pack were already starting a new life. A witch with long brown hair hanging loose around her waist was working a grill with two of the Alakin Pack males, explaining the fine art of BBQ. I was pretty sure they just liked watching the way she wiggled when she used the spatula.

We missed breakfast, but it looked like lunch was waiting for us. The woman’s eyes were bright and aware and her smile was bright when she noticed us.

“They’re here!” the woman called into the house.

Jake and Amber burst through the doors, Amber in the lead. Amber didn’t notice my torn and bloody clothing. She zeroed in on Mary. Guess I knew where I stood. “If she is hurt I will kill you.” The queen was so loyal to her subjects.

Jake, unlike his mate, greeted the rest of our company. “Sister.” He and Shelly hugged briefly, but Amber was still oblivious to everything but the fact that her best friend was unconscious.

“I’ll take her upstairs.” She grabbed for my mate without a second thought.

I couldn’t contain the growl.

She prickled. “I’m her friend and her Clan leader. I’m the one who will take care of her.”