Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten Read online

  A fine tension left his muscles, so minute I almost didn’t see the release, but I definitely felt it. Despite his confident demeanor, Finn still hadn’t been sure of me.

  Looking into his beautiful amethyst eyes, I could no longer deny that the connection we shared was rare and precious. I’d never been the type of woman to scream or throw things when arguing with my lovers. When we were together, the emotions Finn evoked were sharper and clearer than any I’d ever experienced before. Everything I felt when I was with him, I felt it deeply, down to my very soul. If he wasn’t someone special, he wouldn’t induce such a strong response.

  Somewhere in my chest, I felt something click into place, as though a missing part of my heart had finally been returned. For the first time since Finn began his pursuit, I considered letting myself be caught, despite the numerous reasons I shouldn’t.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After our conversation over breakfast, I was surprised when Finn showed me into a sunroom attached to the back of his home. I gaped as I took in all the herbs and plants any skilled witch would need in their garden. It was eerily similar to my own.

  There was a table set up in the middle of the solarium and books were stacked on one side. I walked closer and realized that all the books on the table were mine. There was even a notebook and several pens and pencils. There was a potting bench against the back wall with a large hutch above it. It contained not only gardening tools, but glass jars for potions and dried herbs, empty amulets, a crock full of wooden utensils, and bundles of herbs tied together with twine that were hung to dry. Beneath the bench sat planting pots, copper cooking pots, and several different sizes of mortars and pestles. Next to the potting bench was a small gas stove. Though it was antique, the appliance was in pristine condition and sparkled.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “It’s my sunroom. While I usually do my reading and research in the library, I make potions, amulets, and cast spells out here. After I saw your study and solarium yesterday, I thought this would make you feel more at home.”

  His consideration surprised me, though it shouldn’t have. He cooked for me the last two days and taken care of me yesterday when I could barely function. Despite his tendency to take control and try to boss me around, he made my comfort and care his priority. I would be lying if I said I didn’t find that incredibly attractive.

  “Thank you. This is perfect,” I replied.

  He continued to surprise me. “I have some things to take care of, including getting you a burner phone. Donna threatened to come get you if she couldn’t at least call you on a daily basis.”

  That sounded like Donna. I smirked at him. “Are you scared of her? She’s just a little thing.”

  He grinned. “Of course. I can’t make her behave.”

  I laughed because the idea of Donna behaving was amusing.

  “I have some things to do in my office this morning. Are you going to be okay out here alone?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes. I’m a big girl, I can handle a few hours of solitude.”

  Finn cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “Okay. I’ll come get you when lunch is ready.”

  “Wow, you made me breakfast and you’re going to feed me lunch. I could get used to this.”

  He stepped back. “I’m counting on it.”

  The smile on my face faded as he left the room. With everything that had happened in the last few days, I hadn’t had time to dwell on the repercussions of my deepening connection to Finn. When it was all over, I would have a relationship with him, no matter what the coven rules were. The longer we were together, the clearer it became that he was special to me and my feelings for him were deeper than I’d been willing to admit just a few days ago.

  Now was not the time to worry about it. The coven and the entire supernatural community was under attack. I’d deal with the consequences if I survived.

  * * *

  Three and a half hours later, I was ready to tear my hair out. When I sat down at the make shift desk Finn set up for me, I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I started by rereading the prophecy.

  One will live

  Two will die

  Three will return the Fourth to life

  Together the Five will right the past,

  Create the future and hold it fast

  All hold keys to power untold

  And will find their Fate as evil grows bold

  Five may live

  Five may die

  Five may love

  Five may fall

  Should this come to pass

  Then ten will save Creation

  Or lose that which they have found at last

  Once I exhausted all the possible meanings and clues I could think of, I began to research the legend surrounding the prophecy of the Five.

  Despite the fact that it was only considered a myth by a majority of the witch population, there were still many over the years that researched and speculated about what it meant, what it foretold. The general belief was that the prophecy was somehow related to the end of the supernatural races.

  I read through page after page of research and citations, cross referencing text after text until my brain held so much information I thought it would overheat. I took notes and grouped books according to theory, dates, and other minutiae. I hadn’t done so much reading since college, and even then only when cramming the week before finals.

  Finally, at twelve-thirty, I threw down my pen. The pages were nothing but a blur of black and white and I had a crick in my neck from sitting with my head down for hours.

  “Fuck.” I stood up, rubbing the tense muscles of my neck and shoulders.

  “Problem?”

  I flinched, whirling around to see Finn leaning against the door jamb, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a GQ model, only a lot sexier and a little scarier.

  I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen up the cramp in my neck. “Yeah, I don’t know what in the hell I’m looking for. I don’t even know where to start. For most of my life, I believed this was only supposed to be a myth. Now, it’s a matter of life and death.”

  He straightened, walking over to me, his hands taking over the restless massage I’d been giving myself. I let my head fall forward against his chest as his fingers both relaxed my muscles and made me wince.

  “What do you need from me?”

  “I don’t know what I need,” I sighed. “I wish my mother was here. She always gave the best advice and she was the calmest in a crisis.”

  Finn’s warm hand cupped the back of my neck, squeezing rhythmically. “Would it help if you spoke to Belinda?”

  “Maybe. She’s always been more scholarly. My mother encouraged me to do more reading and research, but I never listened. Until it was too late.”

  He tilted my face back. “I have a feeling that having a vast amount of raw talent had a lot to do with that attitude.”

  Since he was right, I shrugged. Spell casting and the making of amulets, potions, and charms had always come easily for me. “Maybe. But raw talent won’t save the coven, or the vampires or the werewolves. We need a successful plan and we also need the knowledge in order to develop it.”

  He stepped back. “Well, then I guess it’s a good thing that I invited Belinda over for lunch. Lachlan and Calder are both here.” He paused. “And so is Ricki, though she doesn’t appear to be particularly happy about it.”

  Despite my concerns, I had to grin. It seemed Calder was putting an end to Ricki’s tendency to run away, whether she liked it or not. Though she would probably kick me for thinking this, I was glad she’d finally found a man that wouldn’t leave her. Now, he had the difficult job of convincing her that he was hers forever.

  “Okay. So, what are we eating?” I asked.

  Finn threw an arm around my neck and pulled me out of the solarium. “Beef stew and cornbread.”

  “Wow. What else do you cook?” I asked. “Anything gourmet? Because I’d like to place an order for dinne
r.”

  He squeezed me tighter for a moment. “Unfortunately, I’m at the end of my repertoire. You’ll have to cook dinner.”

  “Bummer. I hope you like all your food extra crispy.”

  He chuckled.

  We entered the kitchen where I was immediately accosted by Ricki. She moved quickly, grabbing my arm.

  “Kerry! Thank God. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  In my peripheral vision, I saw Finn bite back a smile. Obviously, something was going on that I wasn’t aware of. “Sure.”

  She pulled me away from Finn and out in the hallway. When Calder moved to follow us, she stopped and snapped, “No! Bad dog. Stay!”

  I had to cover my laugh with a cough at the expression on Calder’s face. It was an interesting mix of pained and annoyed. He growled under his breath at her and she flipped him off.

  Dragging me behind her, Ricki stomped down the hallway to Finn’s empty study. She yanked me inside and shut the door behind us before releasing her grip on my arm. Ricki paced around the room, looking at the shelves of books, the paintings on the walls, and even at the knick knacks on the mantle, yet she never once looked at me.

  “What’s wrong, Ricki?” I asked.

  She whirled around, throwing her arms up in the air. “Everything!” She stopped and took several deep breaths. I could tell she was trying to calm down. “Do you know what he did?” she asked. She didn’t wait for my answer. “He kidnapped me!!” Her voice was loud enough that I knew every supe in the house heard her.

  I crossed the room and grabbed both her biceps, stilling her restless movements. “Ricki, calm down. Now, why are you saying Calder kidnapped you?”

  “Because he fucking DID!”

  Okay, so Ricki wasn’t ready to calm down just yet. I wanted to find a flyswatter and smack the crap out of Calder’s behind. If he had just been clear in the beginning, this entire mess between them could have been avoided.

  “It will be all right, Ricki. Just calm down and tell me what happened.”

  “Okay, so when Shannon and I left your house yesterday, he rode with us, remember?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, when we got to my house, there were vampires and werewolves waiting for both of us. The vamps were Conner’s men, I think. Anyway, they went with Shannon to her house to help her get her stuff together and then Calder and his pack mates stayed with me. After I packed a couple of bags, I thought they would take me to Conner’s house. That’s what Donna said should happen. Instead, he brought me out to the compound where Lachlan and Belinda are staying and he wouldn’t let me leave! I tried to call Donna but he stole my phone and unhooked the fucking landline in his cabin. And she’s been there. Fuck, she came with us here today!”

  “Who?” I asked, confused.

  “The woman I saw him with at the party after we…after he…” She stopped speaking and cleared her throat. “She was in her underwear. I know you said he probably wouldn’t have sex with someone else after he marked me, but all I could think about was Craig and my dad and how they swore time after time that they weren’t screwing around….”

  Goddess, Calder was fucking this entire situation up. If it didn’t stop, it would be beyond his ability to repair and their relationship had to work. It was instrumental to fulfilling the prophecy. Clearly he’d forgotten the golden rule: if your mate is human, you better explain anything and everything explicitly so there would be no misunderstandings. What humans viewed as a deal breaker was considered normal behavior for wolves. Like keeping an endangered mate close, whether they liked it or not. Or expecting a female to understand your very serious intentions just because you bit her and marked her permanently.

  I hated to do it, but I was going to help Ricki get away from the compound and into the safe house with Donna and Conner or Lex and Ivie. Otherwise, she’d never be willing to give Calder another chance. If I thought for one minute the wolf honestly intended to hurt her, then prophecy be damned, I wouldn’t help him get her back.

  “We’ll fix it right now, Ricki. Just take a couple of deep breaths. We’ll get this mess straightened out and have some lunch, okay?”

  She nodded and did as I asked. I could see that there was more to her vehement insistence than just anger. She was hurt. I really, really wanted to smack that fucking werewolf. He should have reassured her about all this by now.

  We walked back into the kitchen together. Belinda and Finn looked amused but they were trying desperately to hide it. I noticed that Chloe was leaning against the wall and realized that Ricki had been referring to her. Now, I wanted to laugh because, even if Calder was interested, Chloe was more likely to kick his ass than kiss him. She was tough, strong, and just as dominant as Lach. Calder wouldn’t be alpha enough to mate her and they all knew it.

  When she saw my gaze on her, she rolled her eyes and winked, letting me know she understood exactly what was happening. I didn’t know her that well, but I was pretty sure she was enjoying watching Calder squirm.

  Lachlan looked annoyed and resigned and Calder appeared pissed.

  “Finn, could you please call Conner and find out if Ricki should come to his house or Lex’s? She’s very uncomfortable with her current situation.”

  “No fucking way,” Calder snarled. “She stays with me.”

  Ricki moved closer to me, though she stood up for herself. “No, I’m not.” I could tell that she was struggling to maintain her composure.

  “Yes.” Calder’s voice dropped an octave, so deep it sounded as though it were being dragged from the depths of his soul. His green eyes flashed, their shape shifting slightly.

  Oh shit. Was he losing his grip on his control?

  A long growl filled the room, loud and so low that it almost hurt to hear it. In a flash, Lachlan was in Calder’s face, snarling. To my surprise, Calder didn’t immediately cower at his alpha’s show of dominance, as most betas would do. He stood his ground.

  “She’s mine, Lach,” he growled.

  The MacIntire alpha made a sound I’d never heard before and it made every hair on my body stand straight up. Then there was a blur of motion and Calder was lying flat on his back, his face bleeding, and Lachlan towered over him.

  “I told you that you had twenty-four hours to straighten out any misunderstandings and that I wouldn’t allow you to keep a woman at the compound against her will. It makes her a liability,” Lach stated, the echo of his wolf in the rasping growl that escaped his throat as he spoke.

  Calder tried to rise but Lach put his foot on his chest, slamming him back against the ground. Ricki flinched behind me. Though she was angry with him, I could tell that it upset her to see Calder hurt. Maybe the situation would be salvageable after all. With a little help.

  Though I suspected I’d regret it, I spoke up. “Lachlan, may I speak to Calder privately for a moment?”

  Ricki’s body went rigid at my words. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  I glanced over my shoulder at her. “I’m going to explain some things to your werewolf.”

  She scowled at me. “He’s not my…” At my arch look, she trailed off and continued to give me a death glare, crossing her arms across her chest.

  I faced Lachlan to find him studying me with a surprised expression. I kept my back straight and met his gaze head on. If the coven was going to have a relationship with the pack, he needed to see me as a leader, an equal. Right now, Belinda was the High Priestess but she wouldn’t be forever. He needed to respect me as her successor, just as he expected his allies to respect Calder as his beta.

  “Very well,” he murmured, moving his foot off Calder’s chest.

  Calder rolled to his feet, his expression pained. I was certain his ribs were at the very least bruised.

  “Follow me,” I commanded before I left the kitchen and went back to Finn’s study. I guessed it was my day to fix everything.

  Once we were behind closed doors, I rounded on Calder. “What the fuck are you doing?” I asked.

&nb
sp; He blinked at me, obviously shocked by my tone. Then he frowned. “Listen, witch, I don’t need a lecture from you.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed. When his frown faded, I continued, “You need me to turn your ass into a toad.”

  He growled at me so I zapped him. Damn, why couldn’t I do this before now? There were quite a few ex-boyfriends in my past I would have enjoyed shocking when they were acting like jackholes.

  “Hey!” he yelped.

  I moved closer, getting into his face. In the wolf pack, that was a definite act of aggression. I knew it would get his complete attention. As a beta, he wouldn’t be able to back down from the challenge. “You listen to me, dumbass, and you listen well. Despite your behavior, I think you’re a good match for my friend, so, if you want to keep your mate, you’re going to listen to me right now and do…Every. Fucking. Thing. I. Say.”

  His eyebrows rose at my words. “I’m listening.”

  “Ricki is human, Calder. You can’t treat her the way you do the bitches in the wolf pack.”

  “I know that,” he snarled.

  “Do you?” I asked. “Because, from what I’ve seen, you aren’t treating her any differently.”

  “We’re at war.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter! If you don’t start talking to her and explaining what your mark means for you and for her, you will lose her. Do you want that?”

  He shook his head.

  “Good. Now, there are two things you must do if you want to convince her that you are her mate. First, you need to woo her. And I don’t mean the way wolves woo by jumping her ass every chance you get. I mean, you need to do things for her, say nice things to her, treat her as though she’s special to you.”

  “How in the hell do I do that?” he asked.

  “Do you think she’s pretty?”

  “She’s fucking gorgeous,” he snapped.

  “Tell her that.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing at his expression. Wolves were not the most verbose supes by nature, but compliments and sweet talk were words that were really not in their vocabulary. “If you notice that she likes certain things, be sure to bring them to her. Like her favorite foods or if she likes to read mysteries or romances or watch movies.” Though I knew her likes and dislikes, Calder needed to learn for himself. I knew he would pay attention if I told him it was important. Werewolf males were notorious for taking excellent care of their mates, catering to their needs without being asked. Unfortunately, they were controlling as hell and sometimes a little thick-headed, so werewolf females often fought courtship and mating every step of the way.