Shifters of Grrr 2 (67 page)

She checked her personal calendar and saw that tonight she was going to have dinner with Danny and Dru. Since she'd come home early she had time for a nap so she changed to a tank top and a pair of men's boxers and she laid down going to sleep almost instantly which didn't preclude bad dreams. They did start off nice enough with her Viking god.

"My beautiful white wolf, why did you run from me?" he said his eyes sad and thoughtful.

"It was just a one night stand. The rules are not to outstay the welcome."

"It was more than that to me, I was called away but I hurried back and you were gone."

"This is so weird. You've never spoken to me in my dreams before."

"I had to try, there was nothing left. This was my last hope. What is your name?"

"I can't tell you. There's too much power in a name."

"Are you a witch?"

She laughed. "No, I'm fully human."

"Then what power can a name give me?"

"The power to find me."

"You don't want me?" She could see she'd hurt him.

"It's not that I don't want you. I don't like the way desire rules me when I'm with you."

"You'd send me away because you want me too much?" Yeah, that one shocked him.

"Someone's coming." She wasn't sure how she knew but someone else was about to invade her dreams.

The red haired witch suddenly appeared. "I knew you'd come along eventually," she said looking at the Viking god. What were they to each other? She might not be willing to accept him but she didn't want to know about him and another.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the witch.

"Same thing you are. I'm looking for your mate and I believe we've found her," the witch said.

He looked at the witch with anger in his eyes. "She's got nothing to do with you. I would think you'd turn your attention to Chief who sent you on what should have been a suicide mission."

"I can go after two targets at once. Don't you worry yourself about me," the witch that she'd decided to call Red until she knew her name, answered.

She tried to will herself to wake. This was getting out of hand and crazy. Would this start to happen every time she slept and was it true that if you died in your dreams you died in real life? Her Viking put himself in between her and the witch.

"Think I can't destroy you first and then go after your precious mate?" Red asked before laughing like a comic book villain.

"I know you can't defeat me. You've no idea what I am, what kind of magic I have, or the depths it extends to. I had no reason to destroy you before but you're giving me one now. Think long and hard on your next action," he said his voice low and dangerous.

She saw fear shadow over the Red's face. She was uncertain yet she sensed Red would try to take him out anyway. A bolt of energy shot toward her Viking but he calmly reached out and touched it. It looked like he just absorbed it. She tried to boomerang a bolt around him but he moved liked greased lightning and caught it too. Her eyes widened in surprise. What was he?

It was almost like a ping pong game now. They were zinging bolts and balls back and forth at each other. None of hers had hurt her Viking, but he had lit her up more than once. The witch was showing signs of weakening and it was only stubborn tenacity that kept her fighting a losing battle. She finally took a hit that nearly knocked her off her feet. She looked at him stunned.

"What are you?" she asked her voice barely a whisper.

"That's for me to know..." he answered giving her a hard look. It was clear he was angry at her for threatening them both. Would he kill the Red? What did she think of it if he did? She thought he'd be in the right because Red was trying to kill them.

She looked at him now her eyes drawn by a huge ball of blue energy on his hand that kept growing. The witch looked at it horrified for a moment before there was a flash and she was gone. The ball just blinked out and he looked at her.

"You're in danger if you're not where you can be protected," he stated.

She couldn't deny the truth of what she'd just seen and not matter how surreal it had seemed, she believed she could have died. "I won't be forced to make myself known to you," she said stubbornly.

"You'd rather die?" he asked stunned.

"You're not my only option. I'm not without resources."

"Marissa?" he asked.

She gasped in surprise. "You know of her?"

He smiled secretively. "You could say so."

"There are others."

"Cherry or Harry?"

"Perhaps." She was no longer surprised. It seemed he had some idea of her family just not her personally. He had after all called her white wolf.

"Any of them would protect you, but you must seek them out before you sleep again. The spell she used will probably draw her into your dreams the moment they start again."

This was so not the way she'd thought her visit to St. Louis would end. She knew there were witches around here too but she didn't know if she could trust them. In times like these it would be family she would seek.

"I think it's time you left so I can wake up," she said pointedly.

"If you're not waking up, Sweetheart, it's not anything I'm doing that's causing it unless it's the fact that you want me."

She snorted in a most unladylike way. "Conceited much?"

"Not really, that night we spent together convinced me of your interest," he said.

She turned a deep pink. "That was an odd night and it meant nothing."

"That was an amazing night and it meant everything," he countered.

She couldn't deny the warmth she felt in her chest when he claimed she mattered to him. She also couldn't deny that he was sex on a stick. He was easily the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen including models, actors, and other celebrities. He made her mouth water and her heart beat faster, but unfortunately he seemed to know it.

He was just too gorgeous not to be aware of his effect on women. Whether he knew it or not was beside the point now anyway. She needed to wake up and she just
knew
that wasn't happening until he was gone.

"What matters now is I need you to leave so I can wake up."

"If I must leave, I will, but only if you promise me to seek the services of one of those witches we discussed earlier."

"Which one?"

"Any of them should be able to help you."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously wondering if there was any way he could keep an eye on all of them and catch her when she approached them. She had no choice, Red was dangerous and not seeking help of the magical kind would be foolish.

"Alright, I'll seek help."

He looked relieved one moment and gone the next. She knew it was silly to be disappointed that he'd left her when she'd demanded that he go. She felt a sense of loss anyway. She could be contrary if she wanted to be. Now maybe she could wake up. She tried to concentrate on waking up and finally she was able to. It was much later than she expected and she called Danny to tell him she couldn't make it and she was going home to take care of some business that had arisen. He was as understanding as always and he told her Dru would be disappointed but he would distract her. She bet he would enjoy it too.

She packed a couple of bags which contained the personal possessions she had brought with her and then loaded all her work supplies and notes. She had no idea when she might be coming back. As she pulled out onto the road, a feeling of déjà vu hit her. It wasn't much different than when she'd left home to come here. She was in a hurry to get home to accomplish something though she wasn't sure what and she had no idea when she'd be coming back.

Had her life turned into one long journey? Would she now constantly be headed somewhere to outrun the consequences of where she was and hope to find a peace she use to know? She had more questions than answers and her night with her Viking god had put her in the middle of a situation she didn't understand. She'd been on the fringes of the supernatural world since the white wolves had been discovered when her cousin Ariel mated Blake, a pack alpha. She wasn't on the edge of the supernatural world any more, she was smack dab in the middle of it. She didn't like it either and all she wanted was out. There was no reason for the red haired witch to target her, she was no one's mate. Mating required a commitment and a bite and she'd had neither.

It was sad that she'd slept with him and had no idea who he was. She had no name, but he didn't either. He did know who her family was, that she was human, and that she'd left her home to put some distance between them. He'd called it
running away
. She called it an attempt to have some peace of mind by leaving behind the constant reminders of the night they'd spent in each other's arms.

The man was gorgeous and had magical powers but he wasn't just a witch. There were so many things he could be and she knew little about supernaturals except for witches, wolves, and vampires. She'd heard there were hundreds of kinds, but she couldn't even name more than a half dozen. Most of them, like fairies, sprites, and leprechauns, weren't even a possibility. Thinking about what he was gave her something to do, but about an hour down the road her stomach growled reminding her that she needed to eat.

She pulled in a truck stop that served breakfast all day and ordered bacon and eggs. Once she ate, she filled her SUV up with gas, and hit the road again. This was the first time she could remember heading home and being unsure of what awaited her. She wondered if her Viking god would manage to find her and if the wicked red headed witch would come after her too. What had he done to make the witch so unhappy with him? She had fought him even though someone untutored in the magical arts could see she was no match for him. He positively glowed with power and pulsed with magic that he held under tight control.

Red had shown only a portion of the magical strength he'd had and had he not held back, he could have pulverized the evil one. It had seemed to her, that the witch had counted on him not trying to harm her. Their relationship was odd and she couldn't understand the dynamics between them. Her Viking had told Red plainly that any attempt to harm her would loose his magic upon her and she'd have no chance to survive. His threat hadn't stopped the attack on him, but she'd not sent any magic her way. It was a sign of poor character to go after those an adversary cared about rather than the adversary himself. It also showed that the witch knew she would never win a direct attack. On that, they were all agreed.

She saw a sign that told her she was halfway home. Normally she was thrilled to be home. Her house was a haven in an uncertain world. She had made it a sanctuary where nothing could touch her but now her dreams were a weapon to be used against her. She knew she would be afraid to go to sleep and she would fight against it until she was so tired her eyes would close and the witch would come to visit.

She drove about an hour more before she took her final stop before she made it home. She topped off her gas, used the bathroom, and bought some junk food and drinks. She headed down the ramp and a feeling hit her that everything was going to change soon and her life would never be the same. She could only hope that change would be for the better.

She was so close to home now that only familiar sights surrounded her. Not that she could see much, it was dark. Just a few more miles and she'd be where she needed to be and hopefully Cherry would be there soon after. She'd decided that Cherry, who worked part time in her grandmother's magic shop, would have immediate access to whatever might be needed to help protect her from her dreams. The conversation hadn't been as difficult as she'd feared. She'd called her right after the last stop.

"Cherry."

"Hi, Cherry, this is Arabella. I need some help."

"Okay, I'll help you of I can. What kind of help will this be? Is it killing an ex-boyfriend and making his body disappear or getting drunk and forgetting him?"

"Why does this have to be about a man?"

"My naïve cousin, you're single and your business well established, that only leaves love or lust."

"It's not about a man, but I'll admit a man caused it."

"Uh oh. You're not, you know?"

"No, I'm not. I have a red headed witch after me and she's trying to kill me in my dreams because she thinks I'm this guy's mate and it will hurt him."

"That's very strong magic. Few witches can do that but there are a few ways to deal with it. Are you home?"

"No, but I will be in an hour. What do I have to do to stop this bitch? We won't have to dance naked around a fire, will we?" It was an old joke she'd told to her cousins who were witches before many times. It was the picture that popped into many people's minds when witches were mentioned. All it usually received was a few eye rolls.

"Very funny. I'll bring what we might need and we'll discuss your choices. Who's the man involved?"

"I don't know his name but he has strong magic but he's not a born witch. I'm not sure what he is."

"He didn't offer to help you?" Cherry sounded annoyed.

"He did but I don't want to be involved with him."

"Sounds like it's a little late to worry about that."