ã€ŠCraved (Gwen Sparks #1)ã€‹


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    1

    I had been seriously slacking on cleaning my shop, so I decided tonight was as good as any time to start. I was in the process of straightening a row of colorful vials. I dusted in between all the potions and was now making sure they were astutely lined up like well-behaved soldiers.Advertisement

    I didn¡¯t need to look up to know that, Aiden Blake, the most infuriating vampire I¡¯d ever met, had just stepped into my shop. I could feel his presence, as if a big flashing arrow was pointing straight to him. I watched him through the glass shelves and shifted my eyes when his gaze met mine. A smile grew on his perfectly kissable lips.

    I couldn''t deny that he was gorgeous. He was around six foot two with jet-black hair framing his face, that he often worn a little long. His bright blue eyes seemed to watch me with too much interest and his presence oozed with sex appeal. He¡¯d been overly interested in me since I met him, two years ago. He wasn¡¯t easy to ignore.

    I straightened the last of the potions and looked in his direction again; he was sniffing the lavender oil and closing his eyes in pleasure. It just so happened I wore lavender oil, so the gesture didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Deciding I would put an end to his games, I stood up and walked around the display shelf.

    ¡°What do you want, Aiden?¡± I asked, nonchalantly. He put the stopper back in the lavender bottle and walked, with all the confidence in the world, to where I stood with my arms crossed. It wasn¡¯t easy pretending that seeing him again was no big deal.

    He had the body of a swimmer, thin but muscular. He was dressed in his usual business attire, although it didn¡¯t slip my notice that the top two buttons on his shirt were undone, as if to showcase his perfectly chiseled chest.

    ¡°I was in the neighborhood so I thought I¡¯d stop by,¡± he said, his sly smile giving him away. My shop catered to many folks, but Aiden wasn¡¯t my target customer. He hadn¡¯t come here to check out my potions or enchanted knick-knacks; he¡¯d come for me.

    ¡°I call bullshit. I¡¯m about to close shop; what do you want?¡± I asked again as I walked over to flip the closed sign on the front door. I could feel his eyes watching my backside but I decided not to tense up. I didn¡¯t want him the satisfaction of knowing he got to me.

    ¡°As clever as ever, Gwen,¡± he said, with humor in his voice. ¡°It would make me immensely happy if you would accompany me to the Founders Gala this weekend.¡± Although I rarely saw it, nervousness showed in his eyes. He had been pursuing me for the past couple of years and I always came up with an excuse as to why I couldn¡¯t date him, but his perseverance was astounding. Now it was my turn to grin, I knew he was uncomfortable at the thought of being turned down yet again, but I assumed that was why he kept coming around; he never met a female he couldn¡¯t seduce. If I were smart, I would say yes and we¡¯d enjoy the evening, flirting and dancing, and then he¡¯d leave me alone. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get involved with anyone at the moment, even if that someone was as mouth-watering as Aiden Blake.

    ¡°I appreciate your offer, really, but I don¡¯t think so,¡± I told him as politely as I could. The man had his pride, after all, and I wasn¡¯t going to be responsible for trampling all over it.

    ¡°Am I too late? Has someone else already asked you?¡± He inquired, revealing the tightness in his jaw. He was trying really hard not to be offended.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re the first,¡± I told him as I deposited the till from the register into a moneybag. I risked looking up at him and felt a warm blush color my cheeks. Boy was he beautiful. My relationship with Micah had left me with trust issues. I didn¡¯t want to get my heart broken again. He walked over to where I stood behind the counter and leaned on his forearms. His aura sizzled all around me, like tendrils of pure male energy poking and prodding my flesh.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± I protested. A soft chuckle escaped his lips but I refused to return it; the man got off by messing with me.

    ¡°A woman as beautiful as you should have an equally beautiful man to accompany her to the Gala,¡± he said. I had been totaling the store¡¯s intake and was on my third try of trying not to lose my count. I could feel his eyes on me so I temporarily abandoned the money and gave him all of my attention, hoping he¡¯d leave sooner.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll be sure to find one,¡± I said with a smile. He grabbed his chest as if a stake had gone straight through his heart and despite my annoyance, I laughed. I rolled my eyes at his pathetic charades and walked around the counter to grab his arm and escort him to the front door. I held the door open and waited for him to get the hint, but he hesitated to leave. My eyes roamed the store, as if I suddenly had the urge to inventory everything to my memory. I was trying desperately to conceal that being this close to him set every one of my nerve endings on fire.

    He leaned down slowly; his lips just hovering above my forehead, and softly pressed his lips against my skin. I momentarily closed my eyes at his touch but quickly regained my composure and pushed him out the door. ¡°Night, Aiden,¡± I called over my shoulder as the door slammed shut. I could hear his amused laughter as I walked back to the office.

    I lived only five miles from my shop, Broomsticks, with my best friend and roommate, Fiona. Our apartment wasn¡¯t the nicest but very affordable and that¡¯s all we cared about. I pushed through the front door, which had a tendency to jam, and almost fell over Aura, my cat and familiar.

    ¡°Sorry, girl,¡± I said as I leaned down to pet her. Aura wasn¡¯t actually a cat. She was a spirit that assumed the body of a beautiful black Persian in order to serve as my assistant, also known as a witch¡¯s familiar.

    She meowed and whipped her tail as if to tell me she didn¡¯t appreciate me almost toppling over her. Did I mention she¡¯s a grumpy spirit?

    Our apartment looked like every other crappy unit. I tried sprucing it up when I moved in several years earlier, but the new items didn¡¯t fool anyone. The kitchen was painted a grayish-blue and our kitchen table sat against a small window overlooking the street. White appliances gleamed in contrast against the blue walls and a small, globe light hung from the ceiling. Linoleum that was supposed to look like tile covered the floors. I could have used magic to make the apartment immaculate but I felt that was wrong. I wanted to earn my nice things, not create them out of thin air.

    I set my purse and a bag on the kitchen table and made my way into the living room. Fiona was reading a magazine while the vacuum and duster circled around her, cleaning the room.

    ¡°Working hard I see,¡± I remarked with a smile. Fiona definitely loved being a witch; she used magic for everything, even something as simple as vacuuming and dusting.

    ¡°I¡¯m not messing up my manicure to chase dust bunnies,¡± she replied. Fiona was the epitome of a diva. Her nails were always done; her closet stocked with high-priced fashions, and she would bite your head off if you touched her granola bars. I had learned that one the hard way. We¡¯d been friends since we were teens though, so I was used to her high maintenance attitude. She came from a wealthy family, although they were not close, aside from providing her with money.

    Our living room was painted in a sage green and our sofas were a dark tan and purchased from a neighbor woman who moved out. They weren¡¯t very old, but they weren¡¯t new either. A large coffee table dominated the middle of the floor, and on the far end of the room, a flat screen television hung on the wall. The carpet was an off-white Berber that had a few stains, probably unnoticed by most, but my eyes always seemed to find them. The two windows in this room bathed the small space with a decent amount of sunlight.

    Fiona smelled one of those perfume samples you find in magazines, when she looked over the top of it and smiled at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked curiously.

    ¡°You got a package today. Something you want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said in confusion. ¡°What¡¯d I get?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in your bedroom.¡±

    I turned to walk down the small hallway that led to my bedroom on one side and Fiona¡¯s on the other and gasped when I opened my door. My room was filled with flowers and a white garment box sat on my bed, as if silently waiting for me to open it.

    My bedroom barely contained my queen-sized bed but I had refused to downsize to a twin when I moved in. My bed took up one wall, while my closet with mirrored doors occupied the other wall. I painted the walls a warm tan and laid an area rug to cover a large stain on the carpet.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Tall black vases with long stem white and red roses decorated almost every square inch of my floor while small bowls of pink and red roses sat on my dresser and desk. I looked back at Fiona as if she were responsible for my room being turned into a rose garden.

    ¡°There¡¯s a card,¡± she happily remarked, pointing to the box. In a state of extreme confusion, I walked over to retrieve the card. I wasn¡¯t currently dating anyone and hadn¡¯t been for at least eight months. There was only one guy, one sexy vampire, who¡¯d been making advances on me. My suspicions were confirmed when I flipped open the card.

    Gwen,

    Thought you should know I was thinking about you and that I¡¯m very much looking forward to having the most beautiful woman on my arm at the Founders Gala this weekend. See you Saturday at 8 p.m.

    Love Aiden

    A blush rushed to my cheeks as I thought about Aiden¡¯s maddening methods. I was almost afraid to see what was in the box, although I had a pretty good idea. I untied the red satin bow and lifted the lid to reveal a royal blue, strapless dress. The bodice was intricately detailed with Swarovski crystals, and it looked like it would outline every inch of my curves.

    ¡°When did you start dating Aiden?¡± Fiona asked, after swiping the card out of my hand. She sounded hurt that I hadn¡¯t gushed about my new beau to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dating Aiden, this is just a ploy to get me to go to the Founders Gala with him,¡± I explained. Damn him, he knew how to tempt a girl. I was dangerously close to falling for his white knight tactics.

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you? I mean he¡¯s gorgeous and he¡¯s loaded, what¡¯s not to love?¡± Fiona said flippantly, while reading the label on the dress. I shook my head at how shallow she could sometimes be.

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    After deciding not to answer her question, because honestly, she wouldn¡¯t get why I wanted to avoid someone as charming and sexy as Aiden, I changed the subject. ¡°When did all this arrive?¡±Advertisement

    ¡°Fifteen minutes before you got home. Grace Parker stopped by to set it up.¡± Grace Parker owned Vines, a floral shop on Main Street. She¡¯s an elf, so must have used her nature magic to arrange all the roses so quickly. That meant that Aiden set this up even after I had told him no. Like I said, he¡¯s infuriating.

    ¡°Who are you going to the Founder¡¯s Gala with?¡± I asked. Flora was a small town, with a population of only a thousand, all strictly otherworldly residents. The humans had accepted us, but still demanded segregation. Flora sat in the countryside of Missouri where magic permitted anyone human from entering, except during the Founder¡¯s Gala, once a year. The humans thought of it as a tourist attraction.

    Most humans had come to terms with us, but some were still threatened by our differences. We opened our boundaries to humans who filled out applications prior to visiting. This year, we had a whopping two hundred human tourists planning to visit this special weekend.

    ¡°Liam,¡± Fiona said with a satisfied smile. I should have known, Liam Fawns, a bigwig warlock that works with the board of Flora trustees. He and four other people were the creators of our little sanctuary, and he¡¯d be one of the guests of honor this weekend.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were on that good of speaking terms with Liam,¡± I told her. She grabbed a hanger out of my closet and hung the dress Aiden had gotten me, as if she couldn¡¯t stand for it to sit for one more minute in that cramped box.

    ¡°Daddy set it up,¡± she said nonchalantly, but I knew the relationship with her parents bothered her. Hearing her mention her father was more surprising than hearing that she was taking one of the founders to the Gala.

    ¡°Oh, you talked to your dad?¡± I tried to sound indifferent but my eyes betrayed me.

    ¡°Yeah, he called yesterday. Gave me some crap about how I¡¯m too old to still be living with a roommate and that I should have a husband. You know how he is,¡± she said with a shake of her head.

    Boy did I ever! Old money and old-fashioned, that was Fiona¡¯s father. Fiona and I were both twenty-six, not exactly spinsters, but in his eyes, she should have been married and settled down already? What did that say about me? He had blown a gasket when he found out his daughter was living in my apartment, being that it was only nine hundred square feet and needed some repairs. But Fiona insisted and decided to move in with me anyway. Sure she was shallow sometimes, okay most of the time, but she was also a great friend and wouldn¡¯t take crap from anyone, including her overbearing parents.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t like¡­an arranged marriage is it?¡± I asked.

    Fiona turned to look at me as if I¡¯d lost the last of my marbles and instantly began laughing hysterically.

    ¡°Okay, okay, but it¡¯s not that far of a stretch, I mean we are talking about your father,¡± I said, defending my comment. Fiona was still laughing as she left my bedroom and returned to the living room.

    Now what was I going to do with a room buried in flowers?

    I decided that I¡¯d surprise Aiden, like he¡¯d done to me. I sent my magic to each one of the flowers and imagined Aiden¡¯s home. I imagined his posh two-story house that sat atop a hill ten minutes from mine and willed the roses to return to sender. One by one, the flowers popped out of my bedroom and hopefully showed up at Aiden¡¯s. I wasn¡¯t the best at transporting objects, but I assumed most would make the trip.

    I kept just one of the small bowls of roses and the dress, sending the rest back. Then I sent a text message that read, ¡°Thanx 4 respecting my decision to NOT go W/U 2 the Gala. It was generous of u 2 get me such a beautiful dress, I¡¯m sure my date will appreciate it.¡± He didn¡¯t need to know that I was going to the Gala solo; I¡¯d let him stew over my imaginary date.

    2

    WITCH FOUND DRAINED, the newspaper headline announced. I read the article three times, hoping my eyes were playing tricks on me. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t. Amy Harper¡¯s body was found yesterday night in a ditch, all of her blood drained. The FPD (Flora Police Department) was currently investigating and hadn¡¯t found any clues as to who was behind the grisly murder. They made a point to say that the citizens of Flora should not jump to conclusions, they hadn¡¯t determined if this was a single case or if they had a serial killer on their hands.

    I threw the paper on my desk, disgusted. Of course, the FPD¡¯s collective mind wouldn¡¯t be made up until another death occurred. Why was it that no one ever took precautions until the body count started piling up?

    I had been living in Flora since I was nineteen and had only known of eight murders. You would think with all of the otherworldly creatures living together, there would be more violence, but surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t. The murder of Amy Harper though, left my blood frozen in my veins. The other murders in the past seven years had been normal, if there was such a thing. They¡¯d occurred between scorned lovers or rivaling thugs. The death of Amy Harper seemed different. I didn¡¯t think this was a lover¡¯s quarrel or had anything to do with the crowd she hung around.

    I really hated what I was about to do, but knew I had to. I picked up the phone and hesitated, my fingers positioned over the numbers. Overcoming my unease, I dialed the FPD¡¯s phone number.

    ¡°FPD,¡± a woman¡¯s voice answered. I had a quick impulse to hang up but I knew that would be pointless; they would have logged my phone number as soon as the call went through.

    ¡°Hello?¡± the woman asked again, annoyed.

    ¡°Um, hi. My name is Gwen Sparks. I¡¯m calling for Micah Reynolds please,¡± I told the woman.

    ¡°Hold please.¡± She transferred the call and, I swore, my heart sped up with each ring that went unanswered. Micah and I had dated a year earlier, but he broke up with me because I wasn¡¯t the right species. His father, the alpha of the Flora weres, had been pressuring him to find a were woman, and advised him not to waste his time on someone who couldn¡¯t give him purebred were children. The last I heard, he was dating a beautiful were woman and there was talk of them getting married. I really hated having to talk to him again.

    ¡°Micah Reynolds,¡± his masculine voice answered.

    I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, ¡°Hi Micah, it¡¯s Gwen.¡± There was a moment of silence, finally breaking when he cleared his throat.

    ¡°What can I do for you, Gwen?¡± he asked, clearly uncomfortable.

    ¡°I saw the paper and I want to help,¡± I confessed. Back when Micah and I were dating, I worked on a couple cases as a consultant. I could use my magic to see glimpses of a victim¡¯s last thoughts, with the help of Aura, she¡¯s my link to the spirit world. I had

    helped Micah close two cases.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, Gwen,¡± Micah said tentatively.

    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m the only one who might be able to find out who and why Amy Harper was killed. Don¡¯t let our personal history get in the way of finding this asshole.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get it approved by Wyatt,¡± he said, seemingly giving in to my demands. A smile slowly formed on my lips, Wyatt was Micah¡¯s brother and always liked me.

    ¡°You know he¡¯ll agree to it; he loves me. What time should I meet you at the morgue?¡± I said smugly.

    Micah took a deep breath, ¡°An hour. Don¡¯t be late.¡± He hung up the phone and I did the same. I loved when things went my way.

    I was fifteen minutes early, but I didn¡¯t want to give Micah a reason to deny my help on the case. I had Aura in her pet carrier, a pink and black bag that was meant for a spoiled, ankle-biting dog, but it worked perfectly for my finicky cat.

    I hate morgues, talk about depressing. I walked down the long, sterile hallway that led to where they kept the bodies. My heels clicked against the white tile and echoed in the otherwise quiet hall.

    I was more nervous about seeing Micah than a dead body. We hadn¡¯t dated long, only eight months, but I loved him. When he told me that he had to prepare for the future of his pack and that nothing serious could ever exist between us, it created an unfixable crack through my otherwise protected heart. I almost wished he had cheated on me; that would have eradicated him from my mind, like he was just a cheating slime ball. But having Micah tell me that I couldn¡¯t give him what he needed was a huge blow to my self-esteem. Deep down, I knew it wasn¡¯t my fault. I hadn¡¯t chosen to be born a witch, but it didn¡¯t hurt any less.

    I paused outside the door to the morgue and pulled out a small mirror to check my reflection. My dark hair was down, coming to the middle of my back. I had full makeup on and magically switched my clothes to skinny jeans, black pumps, and a red eyelet lace blouse that fit like the proverbial glove. Call me crazy, but I wanted to rub how hot I looked into Micah¡¯s prejudiced face.

    When I pushed through the double doors, however, Micah wasn¡¯t there. Instead Wyatt was waiting for me. I rolled my eyes at the thought of Micah¡¯s cowardly absence and made my way to where Wyatt stood next to the sheet-covered body.

    ¡°Hi Wyatt. Thank you for allowing me to help the FPD,¡± I smiled. Wyatt was thirty-two, two years older than Micah, but they looked as if they were twins. They both had chocolate brown hair with hints of highlights from spending so much time in the sun. Their eyes were the same deep amber that I had come to love. The only real differences between the two brothers were that Wyatt wasn¡¯t as uptight as Micah and somewhat taller.

    ¡°No problem, Gwen, I was happy to hear you volunteered to help. I¡¯m sorry Micah couldn¡¯t meet with you; he¡¯s busy on another case,¡± Wyatt explained. A thin-lipped smile crept on my face since I knew Wyatt was lying. This was their biggest case, and they¡¯d have all their best detectives working it, including Micah.

    ¡°No worries, I¡¯m more interested in seeing Amy Harper than Micah,¡± I said, only half lying. My initial interest was to search Amy Harper¡¯s last memories. If Micah just happened to notice how hot I looked and what he¡¯d given up as well, no harm, no foul.

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    ¡°What¡¯s the estimated time of death?¡± I asked. I could only read the thoughts of the newly dead, so if Amy had been dead for longer than a day, I might have trouble seeing into her mind. From past experiences I learned that spirits usually linger awhile after the body dies. I don¡¯t know why, maybe they were deciding whether to walk into the light or stay earthbound. All I knew was, once the spirit departs, I¡¯m unable to read their memories.Advertisement

    My gift for being able to connect to the dead always made me feel unique. I haven¡¯t ever met another witch who can do what I can. The Goddess had bestowed me with a power I had yet to understand.

    ¡°A citizen found her around nine last night. Our forensics team has clocked her death at being on the same day, sometime within four hours from when her body was found,¡± Wyatt said in a solemn tone.

    I nodded. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have any problems reading her last thoughts.¡± I set Aura¡¯s pet carrier down and walked over to where Amy¡¯s body lay under the white sheet. My hand hesitated to make contact, since that was my least favorite part of the process. I pulled the sheet back to reveal her face and gasped at how young she looked, maybe eighteen. Her complexion was paler than any vampire¡¯s and her red hair looked like it hadn¡¯t been washed in a while.

    ¡°You okay, Gwen?¡± Wyatt asked from the corner of the room. I glanced up and gave him a sad smile, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so young. I really hope you catch the bastard who did this.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Wyatt said. I walked over to where Aura sat and bent down on one knee to peer into her carrier, ¡°You ready, girl?¡± She meowed her affirmation and I reached in to pet her head, ¡°Good girl.¡± I could feel Aura¡¯s power vibrating through her fur as she prepared to feed me her magic. We were invisibly connected as witch and familiar, my magic could mesh with hers without touching.

    Returning my attention to Amy, I stood at the head of the table and placed my hands on either side of her face, with my palms on her temples. I overcame the shiver that ran through my body at the feel of her cold, clammy skin. I stared straight ahead and drew energy from Aura which I absorbed.

    Wisps of fog twisted and curled before my eyes, slowly making the room disappear into a cloudy abyss. I concentrated on Amy¡¯s soul that lay just under the skin. I could see the outline of trees and what looked like buildings silhouetted against the night sky, but they weren¡¯t coming into focus yet. I pressed my palms tighter to Amy¡¯s temples and drew in the energy that Aura supplied. A scene appeared within my vision and I could make out that the part of town Amy was in was rundown and desolate. Storefronts with ¡°Out of Business¡± signs lined a deserted road and off in the distance, a dilapidated warehouse stood.

    The vision flickered and threatened to vanish, but I pushed forward with my magic until it was as if I were looking through Amy¡¯s eyes. I saw and felt what she saw and felt in her last moments. My heart rate became sporadic as though I were running. The surrounding scenery bobbed up and down with my heavy footfalls. I turned and looked over my shoulder but there wasn¡¯t anyone chasing me. I worriedly looked all over but still didn¡¯t see anyone. Something heavy weighted my hand and I looked down to see that Amy had produced a stake, but before she could fling it into her attacker¡¯s chest, he was on her.

    The rundown town disappeared and I was strapped to a musty cot. It looked like I was in a warehouse of some sort, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Amy¡¯s memories came through diluted and weak. I flung my body from side to side, trying to break the straps that held me down. A stinging pinch made me stop my attempts to escape. Looking down, I gasped at the needle that hung from my arm. I followed the plastic tube that carried my blood into one of those plastic bags that hospitals use to store blood. The sound of footsteps diverted my attention from the horror before me and to a man who was fast approaching. I couldn¡¯t make out his face. It flickered, like the connection was bad, or maybe Amy¡¯s soul didn¡¯t want to remember such a horrific person. He had light hair and was dressed in jeans and a zip-up hoodie. He looked to be around five-foot-nine and his body appeared lean and muscular under his clothes. Other than that, I couldn¡¯t make out his features. He knelt down and fixed the needle that was on its way out of Amy¡¯s arm. We cried out as the pain radiated up our forearm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, luv, it¡¯ll all be over soon,¡± the man said in a thick English accent.

    The vision disappeared bit by bit until my eyesight refocused on the cold storage wall in front of me. I blinked a few times to shake the residual energy from my eyes and shifted my gaze to Wyatt. He was still standing in the corner with his arms folded across his expansive chest, inspecting me.

    ¡°That never ceases to creep me out,¡± he said with a small laugh. ¡°Any luck?¡± I thought back to what I had witnessed, muddled memories really, but I discovered a location, a warehouse of some sort.

    ¡°Maybe, does the FPD have any leads or ideas as to who did this?¡± I asked, curious to see if my findings would coincide with theirs. Wyatt flipped open a manila folder that lay on the stainless steel table and scanned the files inside.

    ¡°We assume blood draining means a vampire did this, but there isn¡¯t any concrete evidence as of yet,¡± he answered. I nodded my head and went to uncover the arm where I had seen the needle inserted. Sure enough, a small red pinprick was evident on Amy Harper¡¯s forearm.

    ¡°This,¡± I began, pointing to Amy¡¯s arm, ¡°was made with a needle. Whoever kidnapped her didn¡¯t drain her with his fangs.¡± Wyatt came around the table to get a better look at the small hole.

    ¡°Huh? We assumed that was nothing.¡±

    In human crime labs, they didn¡¯t disregard a pinprick as nothing; but otherworldly beings were different, we didn¡¯t inject drugs like humans did.

    I went on to tell Wyatt everything I had seen as he held his tape recorder out in front of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize the area, which means she wasn¡¯t killed in Flora. What it did mean was that the person who killed her was an otherworldly, and most likely a vampire. A human can¡¯t cross our protective borders.¡± My initial conclusion that the perp was a vamp was founded not on the fact that her blood was drained, but that she had conjured a stake.

    ¡°This must have something to do with brew,¡± Wyatt said angrily.

    ¡°Brew?¡± I pursed my lips in confusion.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t leave this room, understand?¡± Wyatt threatened.

    I nodded my head. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Satisfied that I was trustworthy, Wyatt leaned against the wall and said, ¡°There was a case two years ago in Hemlock. Witches¡¯ bodies showing up drained just like Amy¡¯s. Word on the street is that young vampires can get high off witches¡¯ blood; they called it brew. It¡¯s sold in bags of blood that are slipped into regular blood shipments, making it almost impossible to trace back to its origin. It¡¯s also highly addictive.¡± Wyatt took a ragged breath, as if the world had just plopped onto his shoulders.

    ¡°If we¡¯re dealing with brew dealers, then this case just got a whole hell of a lot more complicated.¡±

    I was completely speechless. Witches¡¯ blood helped young vampires high? How I never heard of this was beyond me. I didn¡¯t keep in contact with the NAWC (North American Witches Council) so maybe that was why I was out of the loop, but still. I would have assumed if vampires could become addicted to our blood, they¡¯d at least send a newsletter warning us. Had there been a memo I didn¡¯t receive?

    Wyatt took a phone call before I could question him further. He covered the end of his phone with his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to run. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± I nodded my head because my mouth wasn¡¯t working at the moment, too overwhelmed with this new information.

    I drove back to my shop but I couldn¡¯t stop the flow of thoughts that infiltrated my mind, like, what was a girl like Amy Harper doing in a rundown part of town? And, was it true that a witches¡¯ blood could cause a vampire to get high? I didn¡¯t have any of the answers but I knew who might. As much as it chapped my ass, I was going to have to talk to Aiden.

    3

    I called Aiden once the sun was on its way down, and to say he was amused that I needed his help, was an understatement. In the two years since I¡¯d known him, I evaded contact with him as much as I possibly could. It wasn¡¯t that I held a weak disposition towards vampires, just a weak sense of self-control around a certain dark haired vamp.

    He lived in the Cula subdivision, named after the infamous vampire, Dracula. The architect responsible for building and naming the subdivision was also a vampire.

    I parked my red car against the sidewalk and with anxious hands, opened the door. Aiden¡¯s home was ostentatious, but then again, so were most vampires¡¯ homes. He lived in a six thousand square foot villa with burnt orange stucco and Spanish tile roofing. Wrought iron railings decorated the balconies, of which there were three.

    I took a calming deep breath to relax my nerves and finally, after debating whether it was a good idea to be visiting Aiden, I knocked. The door opened slowly, as if an apparition was welcoming me.

    ¡°Aiden?¡± I called into the expansive entryway.

    Nothing.

    I stepped just over the threshold and the flickering of light caught my peripheral vision. Aiden¡¯s entire living room twinkled with a hundred white candles, and standing by the front window, was a shirtless Aiden. My eyes shot wide and my jaw dropped to the floor. I thought he was delicious in clothes, but out of them, he was mouth-watering.

    Realizing I was staring, I averted my gaze. ¡°Did I interrupt something?¡± I asked nonchalantly, but a twinge of jealousy stuck in my stomach like food poisoning.

    ¡°Actually, the guest of honor just arrived,¡± he said, moving at warp speed to sit on the couch. ¡°Care to join me?¡± he asked, patting the cushion. A small smile tugged at my lips but I quickly straightened it and crossed my arms.

    ¡°I think you got the wrong idea, again.¡±

    Before I could blink, Aiden was standing in front of me, bare chest and all. I jumped slightly, which made him laugh, damn it.

 Page 4

    ¡°Did I?¡± he asked, his voice thick with seduction. He was a good five inches taller than my five-foot-seven height, so I was eye level with his sculpted body but I refused to let the drool leave my mouth.Advertisement

    ¡°Yes,¡± I murmured. He reached for my hand and brought it up to his chest. Then he slowly trailed my palm against the ridges and valleys that made up his spectacular physique. His flirtatious actions should have pissed me off, but I was enjoying myself too much to be mad. If my body had a switch, than Aiden had just turned it on. His lust set his blue eyes on fire, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, I could get lost in those aqua pools.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± I protested, as I snatched my hand away, ¡°I need to talk to you about something serious.

    ¡°How serious?¡± he asked, uninterested.

    ¡°Life and death serious.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is,¡± he said with a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders.

    Aiden suddenly disappeared along with the glow of candlelight. I squinted my eyes against the sudden glare of the overhead light, to see that he had used his vampire speed to extinguish all of the candles. He was in the middle of pulling a white t-shirt over his head and caught my admiring gaze. I quickly gained my wits and stared at a large painting that hung on the far wall, rather than give him the satisfaction of knowing that I found him attractive.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even get to see my use of the flowers you rudely returned,¡± he said with a pointed look. I smiled, happy that my ¡°return to sender¡± spell had worked.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, but I simply couldn¡¯t accept so many beautiful flowers from a man I turned down,¡± I said, sending him my own pointed look. A smirk bent the side of his mouth up.

    ¡°But you kept the dress.¡± I feigned interest in the eclectic doodads that adorned his bookshelf, all the while trying to figure out a good excuse for keeping the dress.

    ¡°I was afraid it¡¯d get ruined in the transport spell,¡± I said, deciding that sounded truthful.

    Aiden laughed and walked into the kitchen, with me on his heels. Like the rest of his house, the kitchen was top-notch, black and stainless steel appliances, dark brown marble countertops accented by cherry cabinets. Wrought iron light fixtures and burnt orange tile, reiterated the Spanish theme of the house.

    ¡°So, what have you gotten yourself into now, my Gwen?¡± he asked, as he set a teakettle on the stove and retrieved two coffee cups. Aiden had been saying ¡°my¡± Gwen ever since I had met him, and telling him not to call me that only made him enjoy it more. It had especially pissed off Micah when Aiden had claimed I was ¡°his¡± Gwen. A smiled played on my lips at the thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really supposed to discuss this with anyone, Wyatt swore me to secrecy, so do I have your word that this stays between us? Or am I gonna have to use a memory wipe spell?¡±

    Aiden scoffed at my warning, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you think so little of me.¡± Deep down I knew he wouldn¡¯t tell anyone what we discussed tonight but I had to throw the warning out there. If he had any desire to mention even the tiniest bit of information, he knew I¡®d take action. The kettle¡¯s scream echoed through our uncomfortable silence, shaking me back on track.

    ¡°This is serious and the FPD will rip me a new one if word gets out about what I¡¯m about to tell you. It¡¯s not personal but I need to make sure I can trust you,¡± I told him. Aiden filled both of our cups with the boiling water and plopped a teabag into each one.

    ¡°Got it, serious,¡± Aiden said, as he pretended to zip his lips shut and hand me the imaginary key. I shook my head at his juvenile gestures, but my lips turned up into a smile.

    ¡°Shoot, what¡¯s so top secret that you¡¯ll threaten me with a memory wipe spell?¡± Aiden asked as he took a sip of his tea. I wondered what it would be like to be a vampire. They could drink any liquid but had to give up solid foods. That would be some kind of hell in my mind, but Aiden seemed at home as a vampire. They weren¡¯t dead like a lot of the myths claim, just infected with a demonic virus.

    I had found a magic encyclopedia a few years ago. In the book, I discovered that a demonic virus was responsible for vampires. God had cast the devil out of heaven and into hell; the devil didn''t take it too well. Human books told why the devil was sent to the netherworld but none of the books told what the devil did because of it--too scary to advertise. He loathed God¡¯s children He believed they weren¡¯t worthy of receiving God¡¯s love, so he made children of his own, vampires. Perfect really, his children would feed off of God¡¯s children and infect them with a demonic virus.

    The first vampires to ever exist were nasty creatures, bat-like wings, with sharp clawed feet and hands, who haunted the skies waiting for lone humans to feast upon. The allergy to the sun came from the virus being of the netherworld--dark; whereas God¡¯s children came from the light. Over time, the horrendous genes that made up the first vampires became diluted. Seemed the humans, although infected with the devil¡¯s virus were able to conquer the evil in it with the free will God had given them, eventually evolving into the vampires we had today. Incredible story really, I had read it at least five times, never tiring of the complexity of what made Aiden who he was today.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± Aiden said, drawling me out of my thoughts, ¡°You have a vision?¡±

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t have visions without Aura,¡± I told him.

    ¡°So you were what, daydreaming about what would¡¯ve happened if you would have given into me earlier? I can put those thoughts to rest and show you; care to follow me upstairs?¡±

    Would I be a horrible person if I said I was thinking about taking him up on his offer? We were both single and adults, why not? The thought ran through my head as I watched Aiden over the rim of my teacup. Remembering that I had come here to discuss entirely different matters smacked the lusty thought from my head, much to my dismay.

    ¡°Have you heard anything about the effect witches¡¯ blood has over new vampires? Anything called brew?¡± I asked, steering the conversation back onto the track I intended traveling tonight. Aiden arched his brow as he thought about my question.

    ¡°I have not heard that. What have you gotten yourself into, my Gwen?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, I¡¯m not yours.¡±

    ¡°All in good time,¡± Aiden promised, shrugging his shoulders as if it were only a matter of time before I came to my senses and lived happily ever after with him. I shook my head as annoyance snaked its way through my already stressed nerves.

    ¡°Will you please stay on track? A young girl is dead because of this rumor, which is turning out to look more like a fact,¡± I said, aggravated.

    ¡°Which girl is dead?¡±

    ¡°Amy Harper, don¡¯t you read the newspaper?

    ¡°Not unless I¡¯m searching the want ads,¡± he smiled. Flora¡¯s newspaper had a small section that advertised willing blood donors from neighboring cities. Vampires could drink otherworldly blood but needed human blood to feed the virus and most vampires liked drinking live blood rather than bagged, which could have been sitting for who knows how long.

    ¡°You are so¡­infuriating,¡± I remarked. I told myself I was pissed that he wouldn¡¯t take this serious, but there was a hint of jealousy at the thought of his lips on another woman¡¯s body, as irrelevant as it was. Hadn¡¯t I just got through telling him I wasn¡¯t ¡°his¡± Gwen?

    ¡°My apologies¡­you obviously feel strongly about this and I wish I could help, but I haven¡¯t heard that a witch¡¯s blood could affect a baby vamp. If you like, I could ask around?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t ask around, I wasn¡¯t even supposed to mention it to you. I just thought since you¡¯re a vampire you might¡¯ve heard something.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s vampires doing this?¡± Aiden asked, as if it were as crazy as him stepping into the morning sun.

    ¡°Yes, I went to the morgue and read Amy Harper¡¯s last thoughts. It was a vampire and he drained her using a needle. She wasn¡¯t killed in Flora though, so I don¡¯t understand why the vampire would drop her body here,¡± I said, slowly drifting back into my thoughts as I tried to put together the pieces.

    ¡°Why are you getting involved in this? You¡¯re not a cop, Gwen. Please let the FPD handle it. If what you say is true, then I don¡¯t want you anywhere near these types of vampires. And, if you¡¯ve forgotten, you¡¯re a witch and a powerful one at that,¡± he said, his tone deathly serious.

    I ran a hand through my hair, ¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± I said as I hopped off the barstool and headed towards the door. Aiden was blocking my exit before I had taken three steps.

    ¡°Does this have to do with Micah?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course not. I didn¡¯t even see Micah. As I mentioned earlier, I talked with Wyatt, and even if I had talked to Micah, it wouldn¡¯t be any of your business,¡± I spat out as I tried to move past him, only to run into his rock hard arm.

    ¡°Then why are you willing to stick your nose into something that may potentially get you killed?¡±

    ¡°Because, when I saw her last moments as she saw them¡­¡± I stopped to take a breath, not sure how to portray what I had felt through Amy Harper¡¯s eyes. ¡°She was so young, Aiden, and scared to death. I watched the bastard drain her like she was nothing more than a product. If I can help track this asshole down, then that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do. And you jumping on your high horse and ordering me not to won¡¯t change my mind,¡± I finished, my voice slightly shaky with anger or nerves, I wasn¡¯t sure. Aiden lowered his arm from the doorway and I pushed passed him to leave.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± he said over his shoulder. I stopped but wouldn¡¯t turn around, my hand hesitating on the door handle.

    ¡°Is it so much of a stretch to think that I wasn¡¯t trying to order you around? But was simply so pissed at the thought that someone could hurt you? I know I joke around a lot, but I really do care about you, Gwen, and I swear that if anything happens to you because of this case, then Micah and Wyatt are going to wish they never met me,¡± he said, his tone unnerving.

 Page 5

    ¡°Like you said, I¡¯m one powerful witch. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told him, not feeling as confident as my words.Advertisement

    4

    My feet pounded against the worn concrete as I tried to outrun him. It was a pointless action though; he ran faster than the wind. I knew that he was playing with me; he knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. This town was desolate, no witnesses to the terror I was facing. I just had to keep running. I wasn¡¯t sure where he lurked, but he was close, I could feel the buzz of his energy dance on the night air. The empty buildings loomed over me like demons called from the netherworld, menacing and hollow.

    I ran through an alleyway to cut across to the next block, hoping that would throw my stalker off my trail. But the swoosh of air overhead as he jumped across the building¡¯s rooftop, was like death itself, laughing at my lame attempts to escape.

    I came around the corner and produced a stake. I had been practicing exactly for this reason. It felt bulky and ominous in my palm, but it was my last and only option, since the vampire wasn¡¯t going to let me live. Anthony had been right about them. Why hadn¡¯t I listened?

    I heard footsteps behind me but before I could turn my head, his arm wrapped around my throat, his familiar scent no longer welcoming.

    I awoke with a start, only realizing I¡¯d been dreaming after Aura meowed at me. She was sleeping on the other side of my bed, where she gave me a pointed look through half slit eyes.

    Amy Harper¡¯s memories haunted my dreams as if I had become her, feeling everything as she felt it. I shivered at the images and lay back down, running all of it through my mind. Everything was the same as it had been at the morgue but there was something else, some other information that I hadn¡¯t seen before. I tried to remember everything that happened in the dream, but it was muddled. I lay in bed for fifteen minutes before the answers popped into my head. In the dream, she had mentioned something about an Anthony and that the vampire¡¯s scent was familiar, someone she knew perhaps? But why would someone she knows want to kill her for such a horrific purpose?

    After I showered and dressed, I headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Fiona was tapping away on her laptop, while she magically made coffee. I ran into the floating coffee filter and was doused in coffee grounds. In our apartment I never knew what would be floating around when Fiona was home.

    She pried her gaze from the computer screen, only after having noticed there was a rift in her magical production line. I brushed the grounds off of my shirt and shot a displeased look towards her.

    ¡°You should really watch where you¡¯re going,¡± she teased.

    ¡°And you should really learn to do things without magic. It¡¯s too early in the morning to be on the lookout for flying objects in my own apartment,¡± I countered. Luckily the coffee had been dry, so clean up was easy, broom and dustpan easy. I didn¡¯t like to flaunt my magic like Fiona did. Maybe I didn¡¯t like taking the easy route all the time.

    ¡°Why so grumpy?¡± Fiona asked, as her eyes slid back to whatever was on her computer screen.

    ¡°Sorry, had a bad night,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting?¡± I walked over to where she sat and peered at the screen. She had a website pulled up that had a black and red motif. A black banner with a pair of electric blue eyes decorated the top of the screen, followed by the words: Experience the Rush.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°A new club that¡¯s opening in Hemlock. Wanna go this weekend?¡± she asked in an overzealous tone.

    ¡°The Founder¡¯s Gala is this weekend; I have to work at the shop.¡± With two hundred humans visiting this weekend, it was the biggest shopping day of the year in Flora.

    ¡°Founder¡¯s Day doesn¡¯t start until Saturday; we can go Friday night,¡± she said, hoping I¡¯d change my mind. Flora only had one nightclub, Vain, and it was owned by a certain vamp I desperately needed to avoid. My last conversation with Aiden hadn¡¯t been the best but then again, none of our conversations ever went as planned.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll check it out but I can¡¯t stay out all night,¡± I reluctantly told Fiona. I knew she¡¯d go with or without me and with Amy Harper¡¯s dead body etched into my brain; I didn¡¯t want Fiona going to a place like that alone.

    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± Fiona said in a dramatic tone. I stuck my tongue out at her and headed for the door. When it came to Fiona and me, I was the more mature one. Fiona lived her life one day at a time and never thought about consequences. Being an only child of one of the wealthiest warlocks in town, she never had to face consequences.

    Eleven cardboard boxes were waiting to be unpacked when I got to my shop. Penny, my part-time associate, was busy filing the invoices while I eyed the boxes with derision. There were special companies that produced products for my store but I hadn¡¯t anticipated getting eleven shipments in one day. They still needed to be priced, inventoried, and stocked. I could manipulate and form objects but I¡¯m not a spell caster, so potions and charmed objects weren¡¯t my forte and had to come from an outside source, if I wanted to stay in business.

    ¡°Good morning, Gwen,¡± Penny said. Today she had her chocolate brown hair pulled up into a ponytail and was outfitted in a black skirt, black V-neck blouse and red and black striped tights. Penny was only nineteen and still coming to terms with being a witch. It didn¡¯t matter whether our parents were witches; the magic had to choose you. Both of my parents were human, but my grandmother was a spell caster. Penny was currently going through a Goth stage, not yet knowing that being a witch didn¡¯t make her a freak, just unique.

    ¡°Morning, Penny,¡± I said, as I took a box cutter to my new inventory. I was greeted with a flurry of packing peanuts, as if a Styrofoam snowstorm had suddenly erupted in the middle of my shop. I watched as little white pieces swirled into the air and danced their way to the garbage can, where they fell. I checked the return address and smiled. In glittery purple ink was Ms. Ozland¡¯s name, one of the most talented spell casters in Flora. I had been buying her items for the shop since I opened, a year ago. In true Ozland fashion, she had enchanted the annoying Styrofoam peanuts to clean up after themselves.

    ¡°That was so cool,¡± Penny gushed, with amused eyes. I nodded my head in agreement; I hated dealing this those damned things.

    This month, Ms. Ozland sent enchanted compacts. When opened, the mirror spoke in a sexy male voice and complimented the person on their beauty, in specific detail. The one I was holding said, Beautiful Gwen, is it heaven I see before me? With eyes as blue as the sea and lips so kissable that dare to taunt my dreams. A cascade of ebony down thee back, there is nothing this heaven lacks.

    A laugh escaped my lips at the thought that a compact had just recited a poem in my honor. I caught Penny watching me, as if I had lost my mind to be swooned by an enchanted compact. I flipped it shut and said, ¡°These would be great as gag gifts or for a friend who just got dumped.¡± Penny didn¡¯t look like she was jumping onto the smooth talking, compact bandwagon.

    Penny and I were halfway finished with pricing our entire new inventory when Micah walked in. I was momentarily shocked. I hadn¡¯t seen him since our breakup and thought he¡¯d avoid me while I was working as a consultant with the FPD. His hair was darker than I remembered, almost black. His eyes were still the same amber hue that was associated with weres. He wasn¡¯t wearing his usual FPD attire, preferring jeans and a t-shirt instead.

    My feet stayed planted behind the counter, unable to approach him at first. I wasn¡¯t a shy girl, by any means, but Micah was the one guy that broke my heart. Seeing him again was like viewing a wrecking ball that was aimed for the brick wall I¡¯d built around my heart.

    ¡°Gwen,¡± His deep voice addressed me. I busied myself with clearing papers and riffraff from around the register.

    ¡°What can I do for you, Micah?¡± I asked with faux confidence.

    ¡°Wyatt would like to hire you as a full time consultant. He was very impressed with the work you did the other day,¡± he said, leaning closer to the counter so that no one else would hear him. ¡°We need all the help we can get on this Amy Harper case; you in?¡± I considered him for a moment. Despite his nonchalant attitude that tried to persuade me he was comfortable, I wasn¡¯t buying it.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Me working with the FPD?¡±

    ¡°I know how good you are, Gwen. You could offer some valuable help towards our cases, that¡¯s the only thing that matters,¡± he spoke matter-of-factly. Part of me was happy that I could continue to help the FPD, but the other half wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to work with Micah.

    Amy Harper¡¯s face suddenly flashed into my thoughts again and made my mind up for me. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll do it. I have new information that might help,¡± I told him, thinking of my dream the previous night.

    ¡°Want to grab a coffee?¡± He asked, surprising me again. ¡°So we can go over the case,¡± he quickly added, as if I thought he were asking me out purely to spend time with me.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said noncommittally.

    I told Penny to hold down the fort and that I¡¯d be back in a half an hour. There was a cute little coffee shop, Espresso Self, just up the street from Broomsticks that we headed toward. We were silent as we walked, but I could tell Micah was tense being next to me. Good! Served him right. I was gaining confidence with each step we took.

    Espresso Self only had a handful of customers but Micah and I took our coffees to a table that was isolated from any eavesdropping patrons. Micah was clearly uncomfortable and reluctant to start a conversation.

    ¡°I had a dream last night,¡± I started.

    ¡°I should apologize,¡± Micah said at the same moment I started to talk. I sealed my lips and waited for him to elaborate further. I knew it wasn¡¯t mature, but I was enjoyed his discomfort more than I should have. He exhaled a deep breath and began again.

    ¡°Gwen, I¡¯m sorry for how I ended things between us. I know I could have handled it better, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± I considered his words, which sounded sincere. He had a new girlfriend so there was no reason for him to be feeding me a line.

 Page 6

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, I was crushed when it ended, but I understand your decision and I¡¯m happy you found someone who can give you what you want,¡± I told him honestly. In retrospect I should have known that it wouldn¡¯t last with him, weres always ended up with each other. Sure they¡¯d date outside their race when they were young, but those women were only temporary, mere substitutes until they met a were woman to settle down with.Advertisement

    ¡°You heard about that, huh?¡± he asked. I nodded my head but quickly said, ¡°Fiona told me, she thought I¡¯d want to know, I guess,¡± I added so he wouldn¡¯t

    think I was stalking him.

    ¡°What about you? Seeing anyone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone on dates but nothing serious yet, not really looking for a relationship right now,¡± I said, keeping my expression blank. He didn¡¯t need to know that he was the reason for the issues I had with men. There was an awkward silence that settled between us and I wondered if we¡¯d ever get over our past and act normal around each other. We had ended on a bad note, but Micah wasn¡¯t a bad guy and if the FPD wanted to hire me as a consultant, we needed to learn how to function around each other.

    ¡°You said that you had a dream?¡± Micah finally asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had psychic dreams?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. This dream was a replay of what I¡¯d seen in Amy¡¯s memories at the morgue. Except, somehow I was able to get new information from it. She mentioned an Anthony and it seemed like she knew her attacker. I don¡¯t know if that will help but at least we¡¯ve got a name of someone who might know something,¡± I said.

    Micah looked quizzically at me, ¡°How do we even know there is an Anthony, maybe it was just a dream.¡±

    ¡°This is where your handy-dandy detective skills would come into play,¡± I said sarcastically, sending him a wry grin.

    ¡°Thanks smartass, I¡¯ll check into it when we visit Hemlock tomorrow,¡± he said with amusement. My phone beeped to tell me I had a text message so I flipped it open and saw that it was from Aiden.

    BE OVER IN AN HOUR, HAVE INFO

    I flipped the phone shut and noticed Micah watching me curiously.

    ¡°Well thanks for meeting with me today, I really appreciate it. I¡¯ve gotta get going, but please let me know how your visit to Hemlock goes,¡± I said, as I got up to leave.

    ¡°Bad news?¡± Micah asked, nodding towards the phone I held in my hand.

    ¡°No, Aiden is stopping by in an hour and I need to talk to him,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t tell him that Aiden might have information on the brew rumors; that¡¯d get me kicked off the case in a heartbeat.

    ¡°So Aiden finally wore you down, huh?¡± He asked with a less than enthusiastic tone. Micah and Aiden hadn¡¯t ever gotten along. It might have had something to do with Aiden trying to steal me away from Micah while we were together. Seeing how Micah and I didn¡¯t work out, maybe I should have let Aiden steal me away.

    ¡°No, but he¡¯s still trying,¡± I smiled at the thought. I turned to leave but Micah stopped me.

    ¡°When I said we¡¯re going to Hemlock tomorrow, I meant you and me, partner.¡± My eyebrows arched up in surprise. Wyatt had made us partners? He was going to hear an earful next time I saw him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I protested. ¡°Tomorrow night Fiona and I are going to that new club, Rush. It¡¯s in Hemlock so I¡¯ll just investigate myself.¡± Hemlock was almost an hour away. I didn¡¯t want to spend all day there with Micah, only to come home and head back down there with Fiona all night.

    ¡°That¡¯s the club I planned to investigate. I have a source that says they serve brew there. And Anthony most likely lives there. See you tomorrow night,¡± he said, winking as he left.

    5

    October meant nightfall arrived earlier. It was only half past five when I got back to my apartment to meet Aiden. Being as old as he was, Aiden actually woke up a couple hours before the sun set but he couldn¡¯t set foot outside until twilight.

    When I pulled my Jeep into my parking spot, he was already waiting for me on the front steps. His dark hair lay in a tousled mess, as the wind played with it. His welcoming smile sent the butterflies in my stomach spinning into a whirlwind of fluttering wings. When he smiled, I couldn¡¯t help but smile also. I was grinning from ear to ear by the time I stood in front of him. It didn¡¯t matter that he knew how to touch every last one of my nerves, to the point of being maddening.

    ¡°Good evening, Gwen,¡± he said, with his oh-so-sexy voice.

    ¡°Hello, Aiden,¡± I said back, not entirely sure why I was still smiling like an idiot. It couldn¡¯t have been my time with Micah, I was definitely over him. Our conversation though helped a lot. It¡¯s amazing what an apology can do for someone. That had to be why I was in such a good mood. Having Aiden visit wasn¡¯t a bummer either.

    I started up the concrete stairs that led to my second floor apartment, with Aiden following in my wake. I hoped that our place was halfway decent, since I hadn¡¯t been home long enough to really clean and Fiona only did the minimum, but I doubted Aiden would care.

    I fished my keys out of my sweater pocket but was frozen in place when Aiden¡¯s energy pushed against my back, sending rivulets of power cascading all around me. I shivered against the feel of it as he pushed my long dark hair to the side and touched his lips to the nape of my neck. It was amazing, that he could turn me on with barely a touch. How I had resisted him for two years was beyond me.

    Suddenly the warmth of his lusty power withdrew, leaving me shivering for a completely different reason. I looked over my shoulder just to make sure he was still there.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, afraid of what he might say. He was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed and looking at me with annoyance.

    ¡°I thought you said this case wasn¡¯t about Micah?¡± he said accusingly. In true Aiden fashion, he had turned me on, only to dump a bucket of ice-cold bullshit onto my head. Otherworldly men were incorrigible. Of course, he¡¯d be able to smell traces of Micah on me, even though we hadn¡¯t touched.

    ¡°Aiden, you can either stay and discuss the information you said you had, or you can leave. I don¡¯t have to explain myself to you,¡± I forced out, with the sudden urge to smack the stupid out of him. Without waiting for his answer, I turned the key in the lock and strode into my apartment. I tried to fling my sweater off, but during my little rant, it got tangled around my arms and I was stuck with what looked like a cashmere straightjacket.

    Aiden was in front of me, untangling my limbs by the time I had uttered my third cuss word. I looked up at him and tried to portray the anger I felt, but all I could do was laugh.

    ¡°Hold still,¡± Aiden chuckled as he unbuttoned the rest of my sweater. Finally free of my stupidity, I smacked him on the arm.

    ¡°What was that for?¡±

    ¡°You are the most complicated person I¡¯ve ever met! One minute you¡¯re trying to seduce me and the next, you¡¯re pushing every single one of my ¡®piss-me-off¡¯ buttons. How I¡¯ve dealt with you for the past two years is beyond me. If¡­¡±

    My words were suddenly cut off when Aiden smashed his lips on mine. I resisted at first, my anger still burning. I pushed against his chest but he only held me tighter, wrapping an arm around my waist while his other hand tangled in my hair. His tongue darted out, teasingly and my anger was extinguished.

    I opened my mouth and accepted what he offered, massaging my tongue with his. Tingles radiated up my thighs and settled between my legs as I felt his hardness press against me. Man could he kiss!

    I snuck my hand under his shirt to feel the sinews of muscle that waited underneath. I had wanted to get my hands on his sculpted chest ever since I first met him and I was surely taking the opportunity now that I had it. He answered with a moan that I mimicked and suddenly, there were too many clothes between us for my liking. I made his shirt disappear so that my hands wouldn¡¯t run into any obstacles as I explored his beautiful landscape. He pressed soft kisses all the way down my neck, rendering my body into a boneless mass.

    ¡°Um, hello?¡± Fiona called from the front door. I quickly untangled myself from Aiden to see Fiona wasn¡¯t alone. Her father stood next to her with his steely gaze aimed at me. My mouth hung open in humiliation at what Fiona and her father had just witnessed. Aiden didn¡¯t seem to mind, though, as he held out his hand to Mr. Bennett who looked at it as if it held a deadly virus. Unfazed by the rudeness that was Fiona¡¯s father, Aiden wrapped an arm around my waist. I nudged him with my elbow and stepped out of his embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to see that,¡± I grimaced. Fiona answered with an amused grin while her father remained silent. Luckily, I was still wearing my white tank top, but Aiden¡¯s shirt had been banished to God knows where.

    ¡°Daddy and I are just coming back from one of his banquets and he wanted to see our apartment,¡± Fiona explained. I¡¯d have to question her later about why her father suddenly wanted to be in her life. After what he saw tonight, he¡¯d probably demand that Fiona never speak to me again.

    I nodded my head, unable to speak without offending Mr. Bennett in some way.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just get out of your hair,¡± Aiden said, pulling me towards my bedroom. In normal circumstances, I would have stopped him but I really wanted to flee the judgment in the old man¡¯s eyes.

    I grumbled and fell back onto my bed, ashamed of getting caught. Not that I really had any reason to be ashamed, I was an adult, after all, but Fiona¡¯s father could made me feel as big as a Tic-Tac.

    Aiden lay on his side next to me and pushed a stray strand of hair out of my face, manifesting a sexy grin on his lips.

    ¡°It¡®s been entirely too long since I¡®ve gotten to feel your lips!¡± I smiled up at him, my bedroom instantly seeming perfect with a bare-chested Aiden in it. We had kissed a few months after Micah broke up with me but I was still in the process of licking my wounds. I couldn¡¯t offer Aiden what he wanted. I¡¯d been keeping my distance ever since that night but, like everything else, Aiden hadn¡¯t made avoiding him easy.

 Page 7

    ¡°If I knew what you were hiding under your shirt, I would¡¯ve caved a long time ago. My imagination failed you.¡± I said, eyeing his perfect chest.Advertisement

    ¡°I feel cheated, your shirt is still on. Come on, off with it, it¡¯s only fair,¡± he teased as he pulled at the bottom of my tank top. We were in a sort of tug-of-war, with my shirt acting as the rope.

    ¡°Stop,¡± I managed to get out between laughs, ¡°We should talk.¡± Aiden immediately stopped, a somber look taking over his happy one.

    ¡°If you tell me that this can¡¯t happen again and that we¡¯re better off friends, then stake me now; end my misery,¡± he said, with amused sarcasm.

    I sat up and straightened my hair that got messed up during our war over my shirt. ¡°I was going to say that we should take this slow, maybe go on a few dates to see if there¡¯s anything between us besides sexual lust. I¡¯m not looking to get my heart stomped on again or interested in just being a booty call,¡± I admitted honestly. Aiden started laughing silently so I slapped his arm lightly, ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m serious when I say, that I have wanted you for two years, body and soul,¡± He cupped my face in his hands and pressed a kiss on my forehead, ¡°But I have no problem wining and dining you. Prepare to be wooed, my Gwen,¡± a smile of accomplishment stretched across his lips to reveal perfectly white teeth. I smiled at him through a strand of my dark hair that acted as an ebony curtain. I eyed his chest and reluctantly, conjured a gray t-shirt to cover the masterpiece. Gray fabric crawled along his ribs and up towards his shoulders, stretching and connecting to form a shirt. He looked down in awe at his new garment,

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this information you just had to see me about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I called a friend of mine that lives in Chicago and I pretended to be interested in finding something I could serve in my club that would attract younger vamps¡­¡±

    ¡°Aiden! I told you not to mention anything,¡± I interrupted.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mention your name or anything to do with this case, I¡¯m not an idiot. Anyway, my friend told me about a new blood that I could sell that would keep a steady flow of young vamps coming. Guess what the blood was, Gwen?¡± he asked with sarcastic pleasure.

    ¡°Brew?¡± I answered knowingly.

    ¡°Bingo! He said that it had come through Chicago a couple months ago and the vampires up there love it.¡±

    ¡°Does he know what kind of blood it is?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say and I didn¡¯t ask. There have been a handful of bloods that have been altered to expand our palate, so I wanted him to think I assumed it was one of those so I wouldn¡¯t raise suspicion,¡± he said proudly.

    ¡°Good job, Nancy Drew,¡± I laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t share this information with the FPD though because you¡¯re not supposed to know,¡± I grinned at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I thought about that? He¡¯s shipping me a sample and then if I like it, he¡¯ll have the dealer contact me,¡± he said, giving me a smug grin, ¡°Nancy Drew has nothing on my detective skills.¡±

    Could it really be as easy as Aiden getting the culprit¡¯s information just handed to him? I had to stay optimistic about the possibilities.

    A knock sounded at my door and both Aiden and I turned our attention toward it.

    ¡°Come in,¡± I called. Fiona pushed the door open with her hand covering her eyes and said,

    ¡°Daddy¡¯s gone and I have pizza out here.¡±

    ¡°You can uncover your eyes, Fiona, we¡¯re just talking,¡± I told her. She dropped her hand and looked at us with humor.

    ¡°I thought you said you two weren¡¯t dating?¡± she teased.

    ¡°We¡¯re not, well we weren¡¯t. It just kind of happened tonight.¡±

    ¡°Not for a lack of trying,¡± Aiden chimed in, ¡°I must thank you and your father for interrupting what could have been the highlight of my year.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, he insisted on driving me home,¡± Fiona said.

    ¡°Um, excuse me, we were just making out. It wouldn¡¯t have gone any further so you didn¡¯t interrupt anything,¡± I told both of them. Fiona gave me a ¡°yeah, right¡± look while Aiden smiled knowingly. I shook my head in aggravation; even I couldn¡¯t convince myself.

    We all sat around the table, Fiona and I stuffing our faces with pizza topped with chicken while Aiden drank bottled water. I really wanted to play twenty questions with Fiona about her father but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d want Aiden to know her business, so I resolved to just ask later.

    ¡°So I take it you¡¯re going to the Founder¡¯s Gala together now?¡± Fiona asked between bites of pizza.

    ¡°Yep. Everyone will be envious of me with Gwen on my arm, no offense, Fiona,¡± Aiden bragged. I looked at him, remembering I had told him that I already had a date to the Gala, so I decided to have some fun with it.

    ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m so sorry but I already have a date, remember?¡± I said and pretended to wince at the thought of offending him. The look of shock on his face was priceless.

    ¡°I thought you said you were going alone?¡± Fiona said, blowing my joke out of the water.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying that,¡± I said innocently.

    ¡°What his name?¡± Aiden said with suspicion. Crap on a cracker, I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead yet. I took entirely too long to answer but finally said,

    ¡°Jason.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worse at lying than you are at resisting me,¡± Aiden laughed. I smiled at him, knowing the truth was now out.

    ¡°Hey, with all the crap you¡¯ve put me through the last couple years, you deserve a little crap back,¡± I said.

    All three of us were laughing and talking when my phone rang. I flipped it open and noticed it was Micah¡¯s number.

    ¡°Hi, Micah, what do you need?¡± I said into the receiver.

    ¡°Another body has been found; meet me at Hollow Creek Park.¡±

    6

    I pulled my car into the wood-chipped parking lot and went to the passenger¡¯s side to retrieve Aura, who wasn¡¯t too happy that I had woken her up. There were two black SUVs with red and blue lights flashing against the darkness of the park. Micah and Wyatt stood at the edge of the woods, looking down at a body. Gruesome things were not my strong point. I got faint at the sight of blood from a paper cut, but helping out the FPD was rewarding just to know I might help catch the lunatic behind these girls¡¯ deaths.

    I walked over to where they stood, with Aura¡¯s bag on my shoulder. Upon approaching, I noticed that the woman was older than Amy Harper. She looked to be in her later twenties or early thirties. She had short blonde hair and was just as pale as Amy had been. She was wearing jeans and a green sweater that was ripped in various places.

    ¡°Hey Gwen, thanks for coming,¡± Wyatt said. I gave him a sad smile, not really in the mood for pleasantries. It had only been a of couple days since Amy Harper¡¯s body was found and now another woman lay before us, having met the same fate. I had to wonder when and if this was going to stop.

    ¡°Who found her?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Jasper Binx. He was running through the park and smelled her,¡± Micah said. Jasper Binx was part of the Flora werewolves and could have easily smelled the woman¡¯s body in wolf form.

    I nodded my head. ¡°Do we know who she is?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Wyatt answered, ¡°Would you like to try and read her memories?¡±

    I nodded and set Aura¡¯s carrier on the dewy grass. I kissed the top of her head and knelt in front of the mystery woman. Her body looked like it had just been tossed, leaving her legs splayed, and one of her arms lay above her head while the other arm lay limply at her side. Anger bubbled within me like a volcano ready to erupt, but I quashed it. I needed to focus to find out what happened.

    I placed my palms against her temples and blanked out my mind. I concentrated on the steady hum of energy that flowed from Aura and channeled it into the woman¡¯s mind, acting as the conduit.

    Bright flashes danced within my view forcing me to squint my eyes. The darkness of the park gave way to a scene of a sunset-soaked park. Purple and orange smeared the sky and the woman pulled out a digital SLR camera to snap a picture of the beautiful landscape.

    A twig snapped in the near distance and she turned her head to investigate. There was a couple walking on the blacktop trail and a man playing fetch with his dog, but no one was her. She turned her attention back to the beauty before her and snapped a few more pictures before putting the camera back into its bag. I noticed the name, Bridget Downing, was written on the inside flap of her bag.

    The park disappeared and a flash of scenes rapidly played in my mind. I couldn¡¯t get a handle on any one thing but her fear overtook my senses and made me fall back on my butt, causing the connection to wane. I was breathing hard, to the point of hyperventilating. Wyatt knelt where I sat on the wet grass and offered me a bottled water. My breathing slowly regained normalcy, but my hands were shaking slightly.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wyatt asked with concern. I took a drink from the bottle and a couple of deep breaths before I could answer. Looking into the woman¡¯s memories had affected me a lot more than Amy Harper¡¯s had.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. This woman hasn¡¯t been dead long, her memories were strong,¡± I said with heavy breathing.

    ¡°Did you get a name or location?¡± Micah asked.

    ¡°I saw the name Bridget Downing on her camera bag but I¡¯m not entirely sure if that was her name. She was in a park at first, but then it changed, and all I saw were incoherent memory flashes.¡±

    Wyatt thought for a minute and then said, ¡°You said she hasn¡¯t been dead long?¡±

    I nodded my head with complete certainty.

    ¡°I think we should change and try to catch a scent. The murderer¡¯s scent will still be strong enough and if we¡¯re lucky, they could still be around somewhere,¡± Wyatt said to Micah. Micah nodded and began to take off his clothes, with Wyatt mimicking his actions. The change from human to werewolf always played hell on their clothes so they stripped to avoid having to replace the damaged ones.

 Page 8

    I regained my footing and picked up Aura¡¯s pet carrier. I petted her head and told her she was a good girl. She rewarded me with a head nudge and loud purring.Advertisement

    Micah and Wyatt were already stripped down to their boxers and I averted my gaze from their exposed skin. I didn¡¯t want Micah getting the wrong idea, should I enjoy the view too long. Both of their bodies were impressive. Broad shoulders that tapered to a thin muscled stomach and strong muscular legs.

    ¡°Am I done here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be awhile so you can head home. You okay to drive?¡± Wyatt asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, waving off his concerns.

    ¡°Okay, thank you, Gwen. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    I said my goodbyes and headed for my Jeep. Once I got in the driver¡¯s seat, Wyatt and Micah were already transformed into wolves. Wyatt, in wolf form, was a rich brown color with red hints to his fur, while Micah¡¯s wolf form was a caramel color with white decorating the tip of his tail. Seeing his wolf brought sad memories back to me that I quickly kicked to the curb, before starting my Jeep.

    Once back home, I hopped in the shower to ease the tension of my vision. I had only experienced it that strongly one other time, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it again.

    The images of her memories occupied my mind while the hot water pounded against my back. I tried to remember more details but they happened too quickly. Whoever had killed her hadn¡¯t wasted anytime, which wasn¡¯t good; it meant they needed more of their supply.

    Wyatt had said that brew was addictive. If that was the case, then this dealer had a strong following already. Nausea set in my stomach at the thought of their supply being the very blood that ran through my veins. I hadn¡¯t ever been bitten by a vampire and now I was dating one. My fear made me question whether I should break all ties with Aiden, but that was my anxiety running wild with my thoughts. Supposedly brew only affected young vampires and Aiden, at 315 years old, posed no threat to my blood or me and made the thought vanish from my cluttered mind.

    I sauntered out to the kitchen in my bright blue robe and almost got hit upside the head with a Pepsi can. Fiona cringed at the near miss. I blew out a breath and shook my head, opening the fridge to get my own Pepsi.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. I waved off her apologies and sat at the table with her. She was flipping through a bride catalog and I arched my eyebrows with worry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Liam popped the question already? Just because your father says you should be married doesn¡¯t mean you automatically have to. At least date the guy for six months before you say yes,¡± I said, worried my best friend was making a monumental mistake.

    ¡°Will you relax? I¡¯m looking for a dress for the Founder¡¯s Gala, geez, Gwen,¡± she said. I silently thanked God and sent her an embarrassed smile, ¡°Sorry. I know you¡¯re smarter than that.¡±

    ¡°Damn right,¡± she said with a head nod, ¡°So, you¡¯re working with the FBD again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said simply.

    ¡°How are you doing with seeing Micah again?¡±

    Fiona knew how upset I was when Micah dumped me and, like a true best friend, she helped me drown my sorrows with large amounts of alcohol. Never mind the hangover from hell the next morning, her intentions had been good.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. He actually apologized earlier today. I didn¡¯t realize how much resentment I held against him, but after the apology it was like a weight had been lifted,¡± I said.

    Fiona smiled. ¡°So since Micah said he was sorry for breaking your heart, you opened yourself up to Aiden, literally?¡±

    My jaw dropped and Fiona laughed harder. I had always been attracted to Aiden but stayed a safe distance from him. The closure Micah had given me had lowered my protective shields a little bit.

    ¡°The furthest I¡¯ve gone with Aiden is what you saw tonight, thank you very much!¡± I said, defending myself.

    ¡°Yeah,yeah, so does he kiss as good as he looks?¡± she wiggled her eyebrows and I snorted at her lack of boundaries.

    ¡°Better,¡± I said, smiling in remembrance, ¡°Anyway, how the heck are you going to get a dress out of a catalog by Saturday?¡±

    Realizing that I wouldn¡¯t elaborate any further on Aiden¡¯s talents, she held the catalog up to show me a long pastel green gown with a deep v-neck.

    ¡°I just need a picture of the gown I want so Andy can make it. It only takes him a day and he already knows my measurements from all the clothes I buy from him. What do you think?¡±

    Andy was a wiz when it came to creating something from nothing. Like most fairies, he had creative genius.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful and you¡¯ll look amazing in it,¡± I smiled at her. Aura jumped on my lap and I ran my hands through her thick, long fur. Petting her comforted me and after the day I had, I needed all the comfort I could get.

    I realized Fiona was asking me something but it sounded muffled and drowned out by white noise. The scenery of the kitchen slowly began to be sucked inward with darkness following it. My heartbeat thumped against my ribcage like a captive animal fighting to escape. My fingers clenched Aura¡¯s fur as if she were my anchor to reality but my kitchen kept disappearing until all that was left was darkness.

    A gray figure sluggishly stepped forward, standing out like a spotlight against the blackness. Its head was hung and its hand outstretched, as if inviting me to touch it, but my dread had frozen me in the chair I remained seated in. Strobe-like flashes disoriented me, changing the blackened abyss into an abandoned house. Tattered curtains blew against the yellowing walls and the smell was redolent of mold. Stacks of old magazines and newspapers occupied various spots.

    I caught movement out of my peripheral vision, and looked in the direction of the staircase. The gray figure was standing on the stairs, looking at me. When I didn¡¯t move toward it, it continued up the steps, as if floating. I swallowed the lump of dread that had lodged itself in my throat and cautiously followed. The stairs groaned with each step I took, threatening to collapse under my weight. When I came to the second floor landing, the figure wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. Unrelenting, I made my way down the hallway. The wallpaper was peeling in various places and a thick layer of dust blanketed everything.

    There were three bedrooms and a bathroom on this floor. I pushed the doors open to make sure no one was waiting at the ready to attack me, but only eerie silence greeted me. The last bedroom I went into was decorated in feminine tones; white wallpaper with small rosettes encased the walls, and a twin-sized canopy bed that jutted out from the far wall. I moved closer to the dresser and picked up a picture of a woman. She looked to be in her teens but I didn¡¯t recognize her.

    Something passed quickly by the door, making me swing around. I caught a glimpse of shadow so I hurried to the door and just as I peeked my head out, the figure disappeared into the second bedroom. I took a deep breath and slow steps, making my way to where the apparition had gone. It was standing in the corner, facing the wall. It looked to be five-foot-four but any other distinctive features were washed out in a cloud of dark gray.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said in a small voice, but only silence responded.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I tried again. It slowly looked over its shoulder at me and I had to tell myself that my heart couldn¡¯t literally bust through my ribcage, although it was trying its damnedest. Whatever the thing was, it scared the hell out of me.

    Before I could blink, it was standing a couple feet in front of me, with its hand outstretched like before. Deciding I should go along with whatever this thing wanted if I wanted answers, I reached out to touch it. Ice cold prickles erupted all through my body once I made contact, causing my hair to stand on end.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    The voice was in my head but I knew it had come from the ghostly outline that was currently grasping my hand. Panic and sadness washed through me, eroding any rational thoughts I had. My mind ran amok with paranoia that I couldn¡¯t understand. Someone has been watching me¡­they¡¯re going to kill me¡­

    Although the thoughts ran wild in my head, I didn¡¯t understand why I was thinking them. The figure let go of my hand and stood stock still in front of me, waiting for me to understand.

    ¡°Gwen,¡± a familiar female voice said. It sounded like someone was speaking down at me, so I looked up at the cracked ceiling, but nothing and no one was there.

    I brought my attention back to the shadow, but it was starting to waver in and out of solidity. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I told it, afraid it¡¯d disappear again.

    ¡°Gwen,¡± another voice said, only this time it was a male voice. I looked around but only the shadow and I occupied the room.

    The ghostly entity was almost a white gray now, fading, so that I could see the room through it. I tried to grab its hand again, but my fingers fell through it, leaving a cold breeze to caress my skin.

    ¡°Wait, who are you?¡± I tried asking again but it was already disappearing. I looked around for the owners of the other voices but they were nowhere to be found. When I looked back at the ghost, it was gone.

    ¡°Come back, Gwen, back to me,¡± a familiar male voice said. My eyes felt heavy and my body weak with exhaustion. I slid down the wall, unable to hold myself up any longer, and collapsed into oblivion.

    7

    ¡°I think she¡¯s coming around,¡± a male voice said. I was lying on something hard and I could tell that someone was next to me but my head was a mass of confusion and fog.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± a female said.

    I squinted against the bright light that was in sharp contrast to the dark place I had just been. The first thing I saw was the light on the ceiling in my kitchen. I had been meaning to clean it for months now.

    The back of someone¡¯s hand caressed my cheek, so I turned my head to see Aiden. His face depicted worry, which made me worry. I sat up too quickly and was greeted with extreme dizziness.

    ¡°Whoa, take it easy, Gwen.¡±

    I rubbed the dizziness from my head and looked up, noticing for the first time there were three other people were watching me. Micah was standing by the sink, Wyatt was next to the table, Fiona was sitting in a chair by my feet, and Aiden was standing right next to me. They all gave me looks of uncertainty, as if I were in danger of losing consciousness again.

 Page 9

    ¡°Gwen, are you okay?¡± Fiona asked with worry inflecting her tone.Advertisement

    ¡°What happened?¡± I murmured, closing my eyes against the lingering waves of nausea that wafted through my stomach.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. One minute we were talking, and the next your head lolled back and you passed out,¡± Fiona said, ¡°You scared the shit out of me.¡± A bottle of water was held out in front of me and when I looked up, I noticed it was Micah holding it. I grabbed it, thankful to be able to wash the dryness out of my throat.

    Aiden slipped a hand under my legs and another around my back, lifting me up. He carried me into the living room and placed me on the sofa. It was a lot more comfortable than the hardness of the kitchen table. He sat down with me, propping my legs onto his lap.

    Everyone filed into the living room, observing me like I was something strange to them. Self-consciously, I realized I was still in my blue bathrobe, and that my legs were mostly uncovered. I adjusted the robe, not wanting Micah or Wyatt to see any more of my exposed skin.

    ¡°Did you guys find anything out about the woman in the park?¡± I asked the brothers, assuming that was why they were here.

    ¡°I called them,¡± Fiona answered, ¡°I was really scared, I didn¡¯t know what was happening to you.¡±

    I nodded my head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened.¡±

    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Aiden asked as he rubbed my feet. I thought back and came up blank for an answer. I hadn¡¯t ever experienced anything like that before.

    ¡°There was a shadow, a ghost, I think. It was like the kitchen disappeared and I was standing in an abandoned house,¡± I said, not entirely sure how to describe what had happened. It was one of those instances where ¡°you had to be there¡± to really understand.

    ¡°Gwen, you don¡¯t have psychic abilities. You¡¯ve never been able to see ghosts before,¡± Micah said, with a questioning glance.

    ¡°I know what I saw, Micah,¡± I retorted, even though he was right.

    ¡°It was Aura,¡± Fiona said, drawing our attention to her, ¡°She jumped into your lap when it happened and she wouldn¡¯t let any of us get near you.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that. I draw energy from her, she doesn¡¯t project the spirit world at me,¡± I said, unable to make the connection.

    ¡°Perhaps she can, this was just the first time a spirit wanted to get in contact with you. When Aura finally got her off your lap, that¡¯s when you regained consciousness.¡±

    It made sense; Aura was my link to the spirit world. But I couldn¡¯t figure out who would want to contact me, or why? The spirit hadn¡¯t said anything other than the voices it projected into my mind. Aura must have made the connection when I started petting her, sneaky cat.

    ¡°Someone has been watching me, they¡¯re going to kill me,¡± I whispered, replaying the voice I¡¯d heard.

    ¡°What?¡± Aiden asked, ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill you?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not me, that¡¯s what the spirit said.¡±

    This whole situation put me out of my comfort zone. Sure, I was a witch, but I wasn¡¯t a spirit seer. Now that I¡¯d had a taste of what those witches went through, I held a new level of respect for them.

    It was late, almost midnight, and everyone was looking a little exhausted themselves. I felt horrible that I was the reason for their sleepiness, excluding Aiden who didn¡¯t sleep at night.

    ¡°Thank you guys for coming over, but I¡¯m fine. You should go home and get some sleep,¡± I told Wyatt and Micah. Relief showed on Micah¡¯s face, who most likely was feeling uncomfortable at being around me and Aiden, in the very same apartment he used to visit.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wyatt asked.

    I nodded my head and gave him a reassuring smile, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then Micah will pick you up tomorrow night around six. Good night, guys,¡± Wyatt said. Micah looked between Aiden and me and gave a short head nod, then followed his brother out the door.

    Fiona said she was tired and slipped off to her bedroom, but I expected she was giving me alone time with Aiden. I was actually tired and not interested in spending any quality time with Aiden at the moment. Whatever I had went through drained me.

    My legs were still resting in Aiden¡¯s lap but he sat rigid, as if touching me might turn him to ash. I pursed my lips and gave him a questioning glare, ¡°Something wrong?¡± He shifted to look at me and his eyes went black as coal. Vampires¡¯ eyes only went black for two reasons, anger or horny; I would bet my entire savings that it wasn¡¯t the latter.

    ¡°I waited patiently for you to come to your senses over that dog, and I even believed you when you said this case had nothing to do with him. But what I can¡¯t understand is why is he going to be picking you up tomorrow night when you¡¯re supposed to be going to Rush with Fiona?¡± Aiden asked, his tone as cold as the December snow.

    To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

    ¡°You might try asking nicely first before you go all black-eyed on me!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Gwen please tell me, why is Micah going to pick you up?¡± he asked in a sarcastic, but pleasant voice.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to Rush with us, on an investigation we need to do. There is nothing between him and me anymore and your insecurity isn¡¯t very attractive. For the record, you and I are not an item either. I agreed to go on a couple of dates with you to see if we could become more, so don¡¯t get your boxers in a twist,¡± I snapped, not at all in the mood to deal with a grumpy vampire.

    He pushed himself between my legs and paused just inches from my face. I could see my reflection in his onyx eyes, and my heart tapped harder with either anticipation or fear, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    He tilted his head a little to the side and spoke against my lips.

    ¡°Once I have claimed something, I don¡¯t let it go easily, and I¡¯ve claimed you.¡± His breath caressed my skin as his words did funny things to my center. I knew Aiden, and he wasn¡¯t malicious or controlling in any form of the word. Vampires tended to be really territorial, and this vampire had declared me as his. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how I felt about Aiden¡¯s words. On the one hand, his lust for me was hot as hell, but on the other hand, I hated that he made me feel like property. Before I could think of a snide comeback of my own, he kissed me. His lips were soft at first, like a breeze against my skin. But when I didn¡¯t kiss him back, his lips demanded cooperation. When he kissed me that way, I knew he meant what he had said, that I was his. This wasn¡¯t just lust overtaking his emotions, it was passion.

    My libido overthrew any anger I had. I kissed him back with as much passion as he gave. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him closer; afraid he¡¯d vanish if I didn¡¯t. He broke away from my swollen lips, showing his fangs had descended. He quickly pulled me up and onto him, his hardness yearning to break free underneath me.

    Untying my robe, he licked his lips as he appreciated my bare breasts.

    ¡°You are absolutely delicious, my Gwen,¡± he said. His hands cupped my ass while his tongue did circles around my excited nipples. I moaned through my desire and arched my back, sending my lower region to press harder against his erection. He growled deep in his throat and I felt the tips of his fangs scrape against my skin, sending fear to overthrow my lust.

    I tried to get off his lap but he pulled me back down and, placing his hands on my hips, moved me against himself. Fire rocketed from in between my legs and up throughout my body.

    What was it that I was afraid of again?

    With vampire speed, he picked me up and before I realized it, we were in my bedroom. Aiden set me on the bed and watched me with unadulterated need. He stood at the footboard and watched me so intently, I started to scoot towards the headboard. Before I could reach it though, he grabbed my leg and pulled me, so that I was lying flat on my back, with my robe wide open, clad in only a black pair of panties. Starting at my ankles, he ran his hands the entire length of my body, sending every nerve ending to sit up and pay attention.

    ¡°Aiden, I don¡¯t think this is the right time for this,¡± I reluctantly told him. He was in the process of pressing kisses up my leg and spoke against my skin. ¡°I¡¯ll need a good reason if you want me to stop,¡± he said, as he continued to kiss my inner thigh. He was dangerously close to the one spot that would make me lose all protest. I enjoyed him for a few more seconds but pushed through the fog of horniness.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like our first time should be right after I come back from being unconscious and with my roommate right next door.¡±

    He groaned and hesitated, as if it were pure torture to stop his seduction. ¡°I¡¯ll only stop on one condition, otherwise I¡¯ll have you so fast your head will spin,¡± he threatened.

    ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡± I asked with caution.

    ¡°Say you¡¯re mine and only mine. Tell me that I¡¯m the only man who can taste you.¡±

    His words only turned me on more, was that his plan?

    I took too long to answer so he stripped off all of his clothes in record time and I gasped at seeing him completely naked. His length was impressive and had me second guessing why I wanted to stop, Fiona wouldn¡¯t hear us if we continued, right?

    He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, causing our naked bodies to press against each other, so that his massive erection teased my stomach.

    ¡°Aiden,¡± I said in warning.

    He turned me around so that my back was pressed against his chest and reached a hand around to slip his fingers under my panties, as he played with the dark curls.

    ¡°Stop, Aiden,¡± I told him, but my tone lacked conviction.

    ¡°Say it, Gwen and I¡¯ll stop, or perhaps you don¡¯t want me to?¡±

    If I said it then he¡¯d win, he would get me to admit that we were actually a couple and I was his. Being very competitive, I had trouble with losing. But if he kept playing between my legs, I wasn¡¯t going to be able to stop this and I could hear Fiona in the bathroom, which meant she would be able to hear us. Call me crazy, but I don¡¯t like witnesses when I am intimate with a guy.

 Page 10

    ¡°Very well,¡± Aiden said as he ripped my panties in two. They fell to the floor as if they were leaves falling from an autumn branch. I gasped when I felt the tip of his hardness edge closer between my legs.Advertisement

    ¡°Okay, you¡®re right,¡± I shrieked, but he didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Say it, Gwen, say you¡¯re mine!¡± His lips were very close to my ear and I could feel the dominance in his tone as he pushed himself closer to my center. My head and my libido were at war with each other, as they contemplated what we really wanted. It would be so easy to let him take me right there and worry about the jabs Fiona would send my way later, but the humiliation wasn¡¯t really worth it, was it?

    ¡°I¡¯m yours, Aiden and no one else¡¯s,¡± I reluctantly admitted.

    ¡°And I¡¯m the only one who can taste you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The only one who will touch you?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± I shrieked in annoyance.

    Aiden laughed and stopped his interrogation, ¡°Okay, okay, you don¡¯t have to yell.¡±

    ¡°You are such an asshole,¡± I told him with a frustrated smile.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m your asshole,¡± he said, sending me a wink.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t really going to keep going if I didn¡¯t say it, were you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not a monster, Gwen,¡± he laughed in victory and pressed a kiss to my lips before retrieving my bathrobe and placing it over my shoulders. ¡°Such a shame to cover a canvas as beautiful as yours,¡± he said with a headshake.

    ¡°Right back at cha,¡± I said as I held his boxers out to him. I had literally just started seeing Aiden, but I felt really comfortable around him, even butt naked. We¡¯d been friends for two years sure, but I¡¯d never moved this fast with a guy before. He was vexatious, egotistical, and a smart ass; but for some unknown reason, it only made him more attractive in my eyes. Of course, his romantic side didn¡¯t hurt either.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. I have to check in with Vain,¡± he said.

    ¡°Has your friend sent you a sample of brew yet?¡± Just saying that word was like a punch in the gut. I knew vampires drank blood, but when they took it as far as killing, especially witches, then I took it personally. I wondered why Aiden even knew someone like that, but I was afraid to ask, afraid of what I¡¯d find out.

    ¡°Not yet, you¡¯ll be the first person to know as soon as the shipment comes.¡±

    I nodded my head, hoping the shipment never came. I¡¯d have to ask Micah and Wyatt if they knew of any witches being murdered in Chicago since the vampires up there were obviously brew addicts. If they weren¡¯t stopped soon, we¡¯d have a big problem on our hands. I didn¡¯t want to have to watch over my shoulder for potential witch poachers.

    ¡°Get some sleep, Gwen,¡± Aiden said, kissing me softly on the lips.

    Aura jumped onto the bed once Aiden left and I intertwined my fingers into her long, dark fur. Having her beside me put me at ease, as if she were the missing puzzle piece that I was lacking. The last thing I remember was the rumbling of her purring reverberating against my hand, and then I was out like a light.

    8

    My morning had been nothing but hectic since I set foot out of my apartment. Tourists were arriving so the streets were flooded with humans pointing cameras at everything and everyone.

    I hadn¡¯t spent a lot of time at Broomsticks since I¡¯d been helping the FPD, so some of my inventory was still unpacked and in cardboard boxes. I had at least fifteen people browsing my shop and Penny was running late.

    A girl accidentally broke a potion vial and was engulfed in dark purple clouds. Her mother screamed and tried to vigorously fan the clouds away, but they didn¡¯t budge. Coming around the counter quickly, I picked up the broken vial and the label read, Old Bitty. I breathed a sigh of relief, this spell was easily countered.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, everything is going to be fine. She isn¡¯t in danger,¡± I told the hysterical mother. When the eggplant colored clouds dispersed, the girl who was only twelve now looked to be seventy. Her long strawberry blonde hair had been replaced in a waterfall of gray. Her flawless young skin now had deep, wrinkled valleys and her blue eyes held wisdom she had yet to learn.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± The mother shrieked. Everyone in the store had formed a circle around the mother and daughter and gasped at the change in the young girl¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple age manipulation spell. Have your daughter drink this,¡± I handed her a bright yellow liquid that she took with uncertainty. ¡°It¡¯s the counter to that spell; she¡¯ll be as good as new within five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Take a picture first, Mom,¡± the young girl said. Her mother looked at her like she¡¯d lost her mind but pulled out a small digital camera and snapped a picture.

    The girl poured the yellow potion into her mouth. We watched as yellow smoke twirled around her small frame. Although I knew everything would be all right, I felt horrible for the mother. I could see she was afraid for her daughter¡¯s safety. I produced a tissue magically and handed it to the distraught woman.

    Within seconds, the smoke faded to reveal the young girl back to normal. Her mother enveloped her in a hug and the surrounding witnesses all clapped.

    ¡°Please feel free to pick something out, it¡¯s on the house,¡± I told her. Luckily after her daughter was safe, the woman was fine and held no animosity toward witches, or me in general. There are people who would have wanted to burn me at the stake over something like that.

    Penny showed up an hour later, allowing me to take a moment to actually breathe. I could see a significant difference to the shelves, a lot emptier than when I opened in the morning, and it was only noon.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was late, Gwen. I just found out a friend of mine died,¡± Penny said. I had been so busy that when I stopped to look at her, I noticed her eyes were red and puffy.

    ¡°Oh Penny, I¡¯m so sorry. Why didn¡¯t you just call in? I would have understood.¡±

    ¡°I need to stay busy and you need the help,¡± she said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t be at home right now. All everyone is talking about there is Bridget¡¯s murder.¡±

    My mouth dropped open and I stared wide-eyed at Penny. Bridget wasn¡¯t a common name. It had to have been the same Bridget that Wyatt and Micah found in the park.

    ¡°Bridget Downing?¡± I asked.

    Penny gave me a strange look and said, ¡°Yeah. How¡¯d you know? It¡¯s not in the newspapers yet.¡±

    How was I supposed to tell her that I had seen where her friend¡¯s body had been dumped and that I had seen her final memories? The FPD didn¡¯t want anyone to know about brew and if I told Penny that I was working with the police then she¡¯d want to know why, after all, I¡¯m just a shop owner. I don¡¯t advertise my rare gift.

    ¡°My ex-boyfriend works for the FPD; he mentioned it last night,¡± I said, not lying completely. ¡°He wanted to know if I knew who she was but I hadn¡¯t heard of her, was she from Flora?¡±

    Penny relaxed slightly. ¡°Yeah, she was my babysitter when I was younger and I always thought of her as a sister. I can¡¯t believe what happened to her.¡±

    My motivation to find the sicko responsible for the murders just skyrocketed. Of course, it was horrible that two witches had been drained, but finding out that one of them was close to someone I knew, really jumpstarted my anger.

    I wondered why this hadn¡¯t gotten out to the otherworldly public yet. Brew is addictive, according to the FPD, so why weren¡¯t hundreds of witches turning up dead? Hopefully we¡¯d find some answers tonight in Hemlock. Fiona still didn¡¯t know that Micah would be going with us. She planned on tonight being a girls¡¯ night out; how was I supposed to tell her that I had to investigate?

    Five hours later, and I was happily closing the shop for the night. I loved all of the business but was too anxious for tonight to really concentrate with the chatty humans that swarmed my store.

    Before stopping home, I swung by Andy¡¯s shop to pick up Fiona¡¯s dress, as her voicemail had so eagerly demanded that I do. I had to park a million miles away because the streets were lined with cars that wouldn¡¯t otherwise be there. Tourists still strolled the sidewalks, looking in shop windows and snapping pictures of Flora¡¯s residents. I shook my head in annoyance and pushed through the crowd.

    Andy¡¯s shop, Fairy Fabulous, was desolate compared to Broomsticks. I guess the tourists didn¡¯t need new digs as much as they needed frivolous potions and enchanted items.

    I¡¯d been in Andy¡¯s shop a handful of times but was always shocked at how beautiful it was. The floors were covered in rich hardwood, the walls painted a deep purple with copper damask stenciling. He had installed three crystal chandeliers that hung by chocolate brown velvet ropes.

    Forget the run-of-the-mill racks that you find in every other store, Andy displayed all of his gowns on mannequins. Somehow he had positioned a mannequin so that it looked like she was coming through a mural on the wall of an eighteenth century bedchamber. She wore a long, midnight blue gown, made of some sort of sateen fabric and her long blonde hair was intricately braided.

    The floor was set up as if a masquerade ball was occurring. Plastic dummies looped arms and because of their beauty, they almost looked real. The women wore breathtaking gowns, (that was Andy¡¯s niche), while the males wore tuxedoes.

    ¡°Ah, Gwen. So nice to see you,¡± Andy said, noticing me gawking in awe at the masterpiece that was his store. He was a good looking guy, blonde hair that looked like it was bleached by the sun, violet eyes, and cheekbones that would¡¯ve made even the Roman gods envious. He stood around my height, five foot nine, and was dressed to impress, as usual.

    ¡°Hey Andy. Your store amazes me every time I see it; it¡¯s absolutely beautiful.¡± Fairies were good at everything when it came to creativity, whether it was folding napkins, or creating clothes so beautiful, they made royalty jealous.

    Looking at him, most would assume he were gay. He¡¯s not, just metro sexual. He once said that the reason he was so good at what he did was because he appreciated the female body so much. It made me blush at the time, but maybe he had a point.

 Page 11

    ¡°The only beauty I see is before me,¡± Andy said. He could smooth talk practically anyone out of their panties. Except me.Advertisement

    We had gone on a date once and, although he¡¯s beautiful and charming, I could see right through his web of charisma. I¡¯m convinced that the phrase player was specifically named after him.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Fiona¡¯s dress,¡± I told him, ignoring his compliment.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said with a head nod. Andy went into the back of the store to retrieve Fiona¡¯s dress while I walked through the maze of lifelike mannequins, running my fingertips along the exquisite fabric.

    My phone rang, echoing Paramore¡¯s ¡°Heart¡± through the empty store.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pick up my dress,¡± Fiona¡¯s overly excited voice said.

    ¡°On it.¡±

    ¡°Awesome! Now maybe you can tell me why Micah is standing in our kitchen waiting for you?¡±

    I bit my lip at her displeased tone. ¡°There is someone in Hemlock we need to talk to who might have known Amy Harper.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°I told him I¡¯d contact the guy myself, but he insists on coming along. Plus we think Rush might serve¡­might hold some answers to our many questions.¡±

    I shook my head at the near miss of mentioning brew, but luckily Fiona hadn¡¯t caught it.

    ¡°How are we supposed to have fun with an uptight Micah acting as a third wheel?¡± Her voice was on the verge of being whiney.

    ¡°We¡¯ll investigate and then you and I will have some drinks and dance. Micah will just have to deal with it.¡± A thought occurred to me, what were we going to do with Fiona while we were investigating? We couldn¡¯t leave her alone in the club. I gritted my teeth because I knew of one way to keep her safe while Micah and I were questioning Anthony, but I doubted she would like it.

    ¡°Um, Fiona, I think Aiden should go with us too.¡±

    She released an irritated sigh and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t all of your love interests come, geez, Gwen.¡±

    ¡°Witches are being murdered, Fiona, I think that¡¯s more important than shaking our asses to Beyonce. Aiden needs to come so that you¡¯re not left alone while Micah and I question the guy,¡± I spat out; annoyed that she was being so difficult.

    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re buying my drinks all night to make it up to me,¡± she compromised and then I heard the click of the call ending. I flipped my phone shut with a little more pressure than I meant to. I hoped that Fiona¡¯s date with Liam would go really well tomorrow night, that girl needed a distraction.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± Andy said holding out a white garment bag.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I grabbed the bag. ¡°¡¯Night Andy.¡±

    I wanted to just throw her dress into the back of my Jeep but that would be immature, so I carefully laid it across the backseat and headed for home.

    I flipped my cell phone open and dialed Aiden; he would¡¯ve been awake for an hour now.

    ¡°Yes, my Gwen?

    I felt slightly embarrassed about what had happened between us the night before but not enough to let it bother me. He was gorgeous and I was single, so we hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    ¡°Are you busy tonight?¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you planning our first official date?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to Hemlock tonight with Fiona and Micah. I wanted to know if you¡¯d do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, how could I forget that you¡¯ll be with Micah tonight. What is this favor, my Gwen?¡± he asked, his voice only slightly annoyed.

    ¡°I need you to come with us so that Fiona won¡¯t be alone while we question someone.¡±

    ¡°So you want me to baby-sit while you go off with your ex?¡±

    I cringed, not because he sounded mad, but because what I was asking sounded really bad. I was one hundred percent sure I was over Micah and interested in Aiden, but I was doing a lousy job of showing it.

    ¡°Just for a short time and then we can spend the rest of the night dancing,¡± I told him, hoping that would be enough to entice him.

    ¡°Only if you promise me some really good dancing, maybe a lap dance?¡± I could hear the amusement in his voice. I cringed at the thought of grinding on top of Aiden in a room full of people.

    ¡°Possibly, I wouldn¡¯t risk not coming if I were you!¡± I could play games just as well as he could.

    ¡°Consider me intrigued,¡± he said, his voice low and sexy. A flashback to our intimacy the previous night invaded my mind and sent chills racing through my entire body. He had that effect over me.

    ¡°I¡¯m pulling into the apartment complex right now. We¡¯re leaving within the hour,¡± I told him and then I flipped my phone shut. Grinning like an adolescent girl. I grabbed Fiona¡¯s dress and headed up the concrete stairs.

    She had the stereo blaring, so when I opened the door, I was hit with the thumping bass line to some kind of techno song. I threw my purse and jacket on the kitchen table and made my way back to Fiona¡¯s bedroom. She was in the process of standing in front of her full-length mirror and trying on different outfits. One minute she was wearing a skimpy red dress and then it was instantly replaced with a sparkly white one. Magic was a sure way to save a girl time when it came to choosing an outfit.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the best friend in the whole world?¡± I said as I held out the heavy garment bag. She gave her reflection one last glance and then shifted it to me. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, grabbing the bag out of my hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re still pissed at me?¡±

    ¡°Why on earth would I be pissed at you? I mean, I planned for tonight to be a girls¡¯ night out and then I learn that not only is it not going to be just the girls, but you invited your ex-boyfriend as well as your new boyfriend.¡±

    I knew she was really pissed because she flung her custom made dress from Andy onto her bed. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken it out and admired it before carefully placing it back in the bag and hanging it up.

    Fiona and I used to go out all the time when we were younger and liked to party. But since breaking up with Micah and opening my shop I hadn¡¯t gone to a club in almost two years. She wasn¡¯t so upset that guys were going with us; it was the fact that she wouldn¡¯t have my attention all night. We wouldn¡¯t be able to dance together or hit on cute guys together, she¡¯d be the odd man out.

    ¡°Look I¡¯m really sorry. I told Micah that I couldn¡¯t go with him to Hemlock because I had plans with you tonight but he planned on going at night anyway, so he invited himself. The interview shouldn¡¯t take that long and then we¡¯ll have the whole night free to have fun, I promise. The only reason Aiden is going is because I want you to be safe. Amy Harper was from Hemlock, so whoever killed her could be from there too and we could be targeted,¡± I explained, hoping this would be the end of it. Fiona had a hard time seeing the big picture because she lived in the now. She wouldn¡¯t worry about being caught by the murderer, until she was caught.

    ¡°Yeah, okay. I¡¯m sorry; I don¡¯t mean to be so bitchy. I guess when my father told me that I was too old to still be single, it got to me. I wanted to have a fun night like we used to, so I still felt young,¡± she said, her words winding down to only a whisper.

    ¡°We¡¯re only twenty-six. If we¡¯re still single when we¡¯re forty, then you can worry. You should know not to let anything your father says bother you.¡± I threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. I could feel her tightened muscles instantly relax and she leaned her head on my shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯d go with the red dress,¡± I told her.

    Ten minutes later, after scarfing down a turkey sandwich, it was my turn to try on outfits. I couldn¡¯t really go all out club glam because I had to look semi-professional. I didn¡¯t want to show up in a mini and stilettos to our interview, that wouldn¡¯t be a good first impression. Deciding on a pair of black skinny jeans, red halter top, cropped black leather jacket, and a red pair of Manolo Blahniks I borrowed from Fiona. I left my long dark locks down so that they flowed down my back and magicked my makeup. I hated putting it on myself.

    Content with my appearance, I headed back to the kitchen. Micah and Aiden had both arrived, looking a little testy to be standing so closely to each other. It¡¯s a myth that vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies. I¡¯ve known a lot of vampires who dated weres. In terms of Micah and Aiden, it was simple; they just didn¡¯t like each other.

    Micah was dressed in dark washed jeans that looked brand new. His shirt clung tightly to his broad chest, naturally muscular from being a were with an incredible alpha line.

    Aiden was dressed completely opposite. He wore black pinstripe dress pants with a turquoise dress shirt that had the first two buttons undone, showcasing his smooth toned chest. His dark hair framed his face and contrasted beautifully against his blue eyes. ¡°Hey guys, looking good,¡± I told them as I went to get a bottled water from the fridge. Arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against the hardness of a chest. Even if it wasn¡¯t obvious, I would have known it was Aiden, even if I was blindfolded. His energy affected me like nothing else. The scent of spices and soap wafted all around my body and I inhaled the pleasure of his essence. Aiden always smelled amazing.

    He pulled my hair to one side to reveal my neck. A shiver danced up my spine. He pressed a kiss at the crook of my neck and I leaned against him, forgetting Micah was standing only five feet away.

    Fiona cleared her throat in an overly loud tone, her way of telling us to break it up. I turned to face her and blushed when I noticed Micah staring at me.

    ¡°You guys are worse than two horny teens,¡± Fiona said. Aiden chuckled and I wanted to die of embarrassment.

    ¡°I find it¡¯s hard to contain myself whenever my Gwen¡¯s in the room.¡± His hand trailed down to rest on my ass and I nudged him with my elbow. He was purposely trying to piss off Micah and although it wasn¡¯t prominent, Micah¡¯s jaw line had tightened the tiniest bit.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Gwen is a mouth-watering piece of ass; can we get a move on?¡± Fiona said with humor. If there was ever a person who did not crave the limelight, it was me. I grabbed my purse and gave Aura a head rub before heading for the door.

 Page 12

    9Advertisement

    Rush had a long line that wrapped almost around the block. It was only eight o¡¯clock, still early for the club scene to be as busy as it was. We parked a block away and set off toward the red neon sign that seemed to be beckoning us to approach. It sounded strange to get the heebie-jeebies from a sign, but everything about the club set me on high alert.

    After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, it was finally our turn for admittance. The bouncer, who I suspected had been a bodybuilder before being turned vampire, inspected me and Fiona¡¯s I.Ds. carefully. Micah and Aiden were ushered inside with a nod of his shaved head. In the few otherworldly communities that existed in the United States, it was law that our species be listed on our driver¡¯s licenses. Mr. big, bald, bouncer guy seemed overly excited that two witches were willingly walking into Rush. I figured there would only be one reason they¡¯d be excited about witches, and it had everything to do with brew.

    The meathead stamped both of our hands with an ink I couldn¡¯t see; maybe it showed up under a black light? With a sly grin, Fiona and I were also given the head nod to enter. The fact that the bouncer¡¯s fangs had peeked out ever so slightly, should have been a warning that this night wasn¡¯t going to go as smoothly as I had hoped.

    The inside of Rush was dark. Green and blue laser lights pulsated in sync with the loud techno music while the entire floor was alive with gyrating bodies. Only their shadows were visible, lending a sort of eerie feeling. I could tell there was a balcony that surrounded the entire floor, but I couldn¡¯t see who or what was up there.

    During the car ride, we agreed that Micah and I would pretend to be a couple, while Aiden and Fiona would do the same. Aiden had not been happy about it, but since they would be left at the club while Micah and I went to interview Anthony, it was the logical thing to do.

    Micah wrapped a protective arm around my waist and I felt the tiniest bit safer with it there. Aiden caught the motion and his fangs descended as he stared bullets at Micah. I gave him a look that said he¡¯d better knock it off. It wouldn¡¯t be helpful if our covers were blown within the first couple of minutes. Reluctantly, he pulled his attention away from Micah and wrapped his arm around Fiona.

    Pretending to be normal club goers, we went to the bar and ordered drinks. The bartender, a woman in her early twenties, seemed to be experimenting with her look. Her hair was jet black with hot pink streaks throughout and cut so asymmetrical, it looked like a child had taken scissors to it. I noticed she eyed my hand when I grabbed my mojito and cast a glance up toward the balcony. Weird, I thought.

    Once everyone had their drinks, we made our way to the dance floor. I could feel bodies pressing up against me while we pushed through the congested crowd. I noticed glowing blue eyes in my peripheral view, so I swiveled my head to get a better look but they were gone. The bar was so dark, I shouldn¡¯t have been able to see anyone¡¯s eyes, let alone eyes that electric blue.

    Finally finding a spot big enough for the four of us, we stopped and started to dance. It was really uncomfortable dancing with Micah, but I focused my mind on the task at hand, instead of the way his hands felt on my body. Within five minutes, the blue eyes appeared in the darkness again, six feet in front of me but I still couldn¡¯t make out who it was or why they were watching me so intently.

    I leaned into Micah, wrapping an arm around his neck so that I could press my lips close to his ear. The music was loud but weres have terrific hearing.

    ¡°Someone is watching me,¡± I told him in a whisper. I knew he¡¯d be able to hear me but if I spoke above a whisper, any vampires surrounding us would hear also, and I didn¡¯t want that.

    Pressing his cheek against mine, his lips hovered right next to my earlobe.

    ¡°Who is it? Interested guy or bad guy?¡± His voice was a little louder because witches don¡¯t have supersonic hearing like vamps and weres. I hoped his words hadn¡¯t triggered any one. I also caught Aiden eyeing us with disgust. His hands were fisted at his sides while he danced, but when he caught my gaze, he slipped an arm around Fiona¡¯s waist and pulled her so close to his body that you couldn¡¯t tell where he began and she ended. Trying to make me jealous?

    It took me a moment to answer Micah because I was too busy glaring at Aiden. His hips were slowly grinding into Fiona¡¯s while his hands roamed down her sides suggestively. Fiona wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as she should have been, considering she was practically dry humping my so-called boyfriend right in front of me. And because Aiden was a cocky shit, his eyes were on me the entire time with an arrogant smile on his lips.

    Deciding to ignore his show, I turned my attention back to Micah.

    ¡°I think bad guy. I don¡¯t have any proof except the inner voice in my head telling me something isn¡¯t right.¡± No one¡¯s eyes should be able to break through the darkness of the club. A nagging thought tugged at my memory and then recollection set in; I had seen those eyes before. When Fiona had the website pulled up, there had been a pair of electric blue eyes at the top of the website. I¡¯d never seen vampires¡¯ eyes turn that color. It left me confused as to what it meant.

    Micah spared a glance at his watch and then leaned closer to speak in my ear again. ¡°We¡¯ve got to meet Anthony.¡± I nodded and once we told Aiden and Fiona that we¡¯d only be about an hour, we headed for the door. I quickly drank the rest of my mojito and threw the cup away. I spared one more look toward my best friend and Aiden but was distracted when I saw multiple sets of blue eyes. They seemed to be in various spots all around the club and my heart jackhammered against my ribcage.

    Micah was holding my hand, pulling me towards the front door and I desperately hoped that whatever was going on in Rush, Aiden would be strong enough to resist it.

    Once we were outside, the bouncer dude gave me an incredulous look. I was guessing that the witches that went into Rush, didn¡¯t come out.

    Micah had called almost every Anthony he could find that lived in Hemlock. It wasn¡¯t until the tenth one that he found the Anthony from Amy Harper¡¯s thoughts. We were meeting him at a restaurant called Fannie¡¯s Flapjacks. Hemlock was mainly all otherworldly residents but some humans were allowed to call it home after undergoing a lengthy interview process. Mainly, they were families of witches or donors for vampires. It turned out that Anthony was human and also Amy Harper¡¯s brother.

    Micah turned down a side street and then took another couple of turns before we saw a big sign announcing Fannie¡¯s Flapjacks was just ahead. The parking lot had a few cars. That was good; we would have some privacy to speak with Anthony. Micah had been unusually quiet on the short drive and I didn¡¯t see any reason to start up a conversation. What could I say? It was awkward being around a guy who dumped me just as I was beginning to fall in love with him. Everything about him was a painful reminder to the time my heart was shattered. When Micah had broken up with me it had crushed me. There weren¡¯t any meds I could take for the pain I felt. Time was the only thing that eventually healed me.

    I heard the click of a door opening and noticed Micah was getting out of the car. Tucking my thoughts back into that dark corner of my mind, I followed suit. The air felt thick and opaque like someone was breathing down my neck. For a Friday night, this part of town wasn¡¯t very active. Only the sound of our feet on the worn parking lot broke the silence.

    Micah held the door open for me and I stepped inside Fannie¡¯s Flapjacks. It looked like any normal mom and pop restaurant. Horrid white paneling, fake wood laminate tables, red vinyl chairs, and black and white tile floor. It looked like whatever money Fannie made from her fabulous flapjacks wasn¡¯t being reinvested in upgrading her restaurant.

    A guy in his mid-twenties waved at us from across the room. Assuming he was Anthony, we walked over to his table. There were evident similarities between Amy and the guy, but nothing that would warrant the conclusion that they were as close as brother and sister.

    ¡°Anthony Sindle?¡± Micah asked. I looked at the man curiously, not expecting him to have a different last name. Micah saw my confusion and said, ¡°Different fathers.¡± I gave Anthony a small smile and nodded my head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anthony said with a nervous look, motioning for us to take the seats in front of him. His hair was strawberry blonde and neatly styled. His features were ordinary, as was his clothing.

    ¡°Mr. Sindle, I¡¯m Micah; we talked on the phone. This is Gwen Sparks or Hudson, she works as a consultant with the FPD.¡±

    Anthony gave both of us a head nod and then shifted his eyes around the room. There were only three other people in the restaurant, not enough to trigger anxiety, but he was nervous about something.

    ¡°What can you tell us about your sister¡¯s attacker?¡± Micah asked and Anthony brought his eyes back to the table. I could tell that the magic hadn¡¯t chosen him like it had his sister. He was one hundred percent human. He began to speak just as the waitress came over and told us about the specials. We politely declined and she sauntered over to the next table.

    Anthony gave her one last look before turning to us and speaking. ¡°I think it was Ben who killed her but I don¡¯t have any proof,¡± he said in a voice low enough that I had to strain to listen.

    ¡°What¡¯s the last name?¡± Micah asked.

    ¡°Crowly.¡±

    ¡°And what makes you think this Ben Crowly had something to do with Amy¡¯s death?¡±

    Anthony took a drink of his iced tea.

    ¡°He was her boyfriend and also a vampire. The police said her body had been¡­drained,¡± He took a moment to regain his composure. ¡°Ben¡¯s a roughneck that Amy met a couple months ago. He constantly drank too much from her and left her almost passed out. It had to have been him.¡±

    I could tell that Anthony was getting angry so I reached my hand across the table and put it on his. His eyes stared at it for a couple seconds before looking up at me.

    ¡°We know this isn¡¯t easy for you but whatever you tell us could lead to catching the person responsible for Amy¡¯s death,¡± I gave him a small smile and pulled my hand away. He released a heavy sigh and seemed to calm down.

 Page 13

    ¡°Was Ben English?¡± I asked, remembering that the guy who had stuck the needle into Amy¡¯s arm had a thick English accent.Advertisement

    Anthony shook his head, ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°I had a vision of an Englishman around Amy,¡± I said, not telling him that it had actually been Amy¡¯s memories that created my vision. I didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d handle that too well or if he¡¯d want to know every last detail of Amy in her final moments. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t be a good.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knew anyone from England,¡± he said. Well, darn, it would have been too easy if this Ben guy were the one with the accent.

    ¡°What can you tell us about Mr. Crowly? Micah asked.

    ¡°Besides him being a dirt bag? He¡¯s from Texas, as far as I know, and was turned vamp only two years ago. I didn¡¯t care for him so I never got to know much about him,¡± Anthony said.

    ¡°What does he look like?¡±

    ¡°Brown hair that he keeps buzzed close to this head. He has brown eyes and is around my height and build. He dresses in casual clothes, jeans, t-shirt, sneakers or black boots. He usually wears a gold hoop in his right ear and has a tattoo of a crow in between his shoulder blades.¡±

    What the hell was Amy Harper doing with a guy like that? She seemed like a nice girl, the type of girl that dated the Ivy League types, not ruffians.

    ¡°Thank you Mr. Sindle. We¡¯ll look into contacting Ben Crowly. If there is anything else you think of, please don¡¯t hesitate to call the FPD,¡± Micah said, standing up and offering his hand to Anthony.

    Once in the car, Micah and I looked at each other. Something wasn¡¯t quite right with that guy and we had both picked up on it.

    ¡°He¡¯s not telling us everything,¡± I said.

    ¡°I agree. He was nervous about something, maybe whoever killed his sister got to him, made some threats.¡± Micah said. I didn¡¯t understand. If it had been my sister, I wouldn¡¯t let any thugs scare me into not telling the truth. But Anthony was human and living in an otherworldly city. He didn¡¯t have magical defenses like I did.

    We made our way back to Rush within ten minutes. The line had shortened but not by much. When we went to go inside though, the bouncer stopped us.

    ¡°We already paid the cover,¡± I said, holding up my hand to show the stamp. I looked at Micah¡¯s hand but the bouncer hadn¡¯t stamped his.

    ¡°You can go in, he can¡¯t,¡± the bouncer said.

    ¡°Bullshit, I know you remember me,¡± Micah snarled. The bouncer gave a sly smile worthy of making me feel uncomfortable. ¡°Ladies only, get lost, dog.¡± Micah was having a hard time controlling his anger, his wolf simmered just below the surface, waiting to break free. I put my hand on his arm and made him look into my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and get Aiden and Fiona; we¡¯ll meet you out here in ten minutes.¡± I wasn¡¯t thrilled about going into a club known to serve brew, but I didn¡¯t have a choice. I needed to get Aiden and Fiona out of there.

    Micah pulled out his FPD badge and presented it to the bouncer.

    ¡°FPD, she doesn¡¯t go in without me.¡±

    ¡°Your badge isn¡¯t a VIP pass, bucko. Go chase some deer and let the pretty lady have some fun,¡± bouncer guy said as he slid an arm around my waist. My skin crawled when he wrapped his knobby fingers around my waist.

    Micah growled so deeply, that I could see his shirt vibrate against it. If I didn¡¯t do something, he¡¯d end up shifting and things would get uglier than they already were. I called upon my magic and zapped the guy¡¯s hand just enough to make him let go of me. He drew his hand away and shook it as if to put out a fire that didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°Whoo, we¡¯ve got a feisty one, fellas,¡± he said to two other vamps that had come out of the club to serve as his backup. They laughed and appraised me hungrily.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, jackass, touch me again and you¡¯ll lose that hand,¡± I told him and then turned to head into the club.

    ¡°Gwen, I don¡¯t want you going in there alone,¡± Micah protested.

    I turned to face him and said, ¡°They left their cell phones in the car. I have to go in. I can handle myself and we¡¯ll be back within minutes.¡± Ignoring Micah¡¯s qualms about my safety, I proceeded to head into Rush again. I hoped it would be as simple as I had told Micah it would be.

    The techno music had been replaced with alternative; The Kill was currently playing by 30 Seconds to Mars. The lights that flashed overhead had been replaced with a red pulsating light that lent a dangerous feeling to the packed club.

    Trying to find Aiden and Fiona in this heap of darkness was next to impossible, with only the silhouettes of bodies visible. Each person I passed looked at me hungrily. I watched them cautiously but kept moving forward. I felt like I was being stalked. The vampires were eyeing me like I was covered in blood.

    ¡°Aiden,¡± I called, hoping he¡¯d be able to hear me over the loud speakers. I waited ten minutes but he didn¡¯t show. I moved onto the dance floor and noticed the bodies that had been gyrating were now swaying slowly with their heads back and eyes closed. They all moved in sync with each other almost mechanically. I swiveled my body and absorbed the weirdness that I was standing in the middle of.

    What the hell was going on?

    Marilyn Manson¡¯s Sweet Dreams played and the crowd instantly shifted their movements to rocking, almost like a shallow head banging.

    ¡°Aiden!¡± I called a little bit louder, not caring if I drew attention to myself. I could defend myself with magic but not against this many vamps. Arms wrapped around my waist and I was instantly flown away from the dance floor and onto the balcony. I shrieked and struggled but a hand went around my mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Gwen,¡± Aiden¡¯s voice said into my ear. I released the breath that had caught in my throat and he lowered his hand. He pulled me into a curtained room and I saw that Fiona was passed out on the black velvet couch that sat against the wall. A lot of vampire clubs had privacy rooms for feeding and I didn¡¯t like that Aiden was in one with Fiona.

    I rushed to her side and checked her neck to see if there were any bite marks, but all I saw was clear flesh.

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± I asked. Aiden held a finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet and he peeked outside the curtain then walked over to where I sat by Fiona.

    ¡°I think her drink was drugged. I started noticing she was acting funny when we were dancing, but after she had a second drink she became dizzy and I brought her up here where she passed out,¡± Aiden looked at Fiona¡¯s hand and then at mine and I could tell he noticed something.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You and Fiona were marked,¡± he said. I looked at my hand and at Fiona¡¯s; they both had a stamp of an eye on them. Micah¡¯s hand had no stamp and neither did Aiden¡¯s.

    ¡°Marked for what?¡± I asked, although I had an idea.

    ¡°Because you guys are witches, I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re marking you for capture.¡± Chills broke out along my skin at the memory of the way the bouncer and every other vampire had watched me with more interest than necessary. Fiona and I had been marked like cattle and now we were in the belly of the slaughterhouse.

    I tapped Fiona¡¯s cheek, trying to wake her, but she didn¡¯t even stir. I checked her pulse and was relieved to feel the slow thump of her heartbeat. Aiden was peeking out of the curtain so I stood up and joined him. Women in short skirts and bras were carrying trays of what looked like shot glasses through the crowd. Each person took a glass and threw back the liquid. As soon as their glasses were empty, they dropped them to the floor and within seconds, their eyes turned the bright blue I had seen before.

    ¡°Is it brew?¡± I asked Aiden.

    ¡°Has to be, I don¡¯t know of any blood that would turn a vampires¡¯ eyes that color.¡±

    The situation just went to hell in a hand basket. I had no clue how the three of us were going to get out of a club full of vampires tripping on witches¡¯ blood. I could phone Micah and have him call for the cavalry, but I wasn¡¯t sure if even they would be able to handle all of these vampires. I had no clue how brew affect vampires. It seemed it turned them into salivating monsters.

    ¡°Can you make yourself and Fiona invisible? Aiden asked. I gave him an unbelievable look.

    ¡°Sorry, no I forgot my cloak of invisibility at home,¡± I told him sarcastically, ¡°What do I look like, Harry Potter?¡± I know he was trying to think of an easy exit, but my sarcasm boiled to the surface whenever I felt backed into a corner.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to hear any ideas you have,¡± he snapped back. I thought for a couple of minutes and realized I could use magic to remove us from the premises.

    ¡°I might not be able to make us invisible, but I can use glamour,¡± I told him. Now it was his turn to give me an unbelievable look.

    ¡°Glamour doesn¡¯t work on vampires, Gwen,¡± he said, as if I were a child he was explaining colors to.

    ¡°Not that kind of glamour, glamour as in appearance. I can change what we look like to them.¡±

    As far as ideas went, it was the best we had. I got to work, starting with Fiona. I channeled my magic and waved my hands over her body, envisioning her as a young man with skin the color of creamed coffee. Instantly, Fiona¡¯s skin started to darken and her feminine features turned masculine. It only took a couple of minutes before Fiona looked like a Frank.

    We heard footsteps coming closer, so I pushed Aiden onto the other couch and waved my hand over his eyes.

    ¡°What¡­?,¡± he exclaimed, but I shook my head to tell him to be quiet. I magicked his eyes to change to the electric blue, blending in with the tripped-out vamps, and then I changed my eyes to match. I straddled his lap and planted a kiss onto his surprised lips. He was hesitant at first, but that quickly faded and he began to kiss me back with a different kind of hunger.

    The curtain was pulled back and I turned to face our intruders. To them, we just looked like two vampires tripping on brew and taking advantage of our so-called high. Two women stumbled inside, their eyes bright blue. They giggled and smiled at what they saw, but didn¡¯t leave. They lazily walked over to the couch and plopped themselves down, next to Aiden and me.

 Page 14

    ¡°Care for more company?¡± The first girl asked. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties. Her hair was cut in a pixie style and bright purple. Her clothing looked like it had been pulled straight from a 80s movie: denim skirt, fishnet stockings that were ripped in various places, and a sweater that had the top cut to hang off her shoulders.Advertisement

    ¡°I don¡¯t share,¡± I told them with as much aggression as I could scrape up. 80s girl began to stroke Aiden¡¯s arm while the other girl, who had been quiet, began to rub my leg.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him what he wants?¡±

    Aiden looked at me and then helped me off his lap. He gave me one last kiss before turning his attention back to the trollop twins. They smiled at him and licked their lips while I stared, dumbfounded. I didn¡¯t know what Aiden was going to do, but if he so much as touched one of them, I¡¯d zap his ass.

    He moved so quickly that all I saw was a blur of motion and then the limp bodies of the two girls, their necks in an awkward position.

    ¡°You killed them?¡±

    ¡°I had to, Gwen; they saw what we looked like. If I let them live, it would put you at risk and I¡¯m not going to let that happen,¡± he said, his voice lacking regret.

    I stared at the two limp bodies in shock. I knew Aiden had probably killed before, since vampires were a predatory species, but to actually see him kill was a different story.

    ¡°I could have wiped their memories,¡± I told him.

    ¡°These are two women who drink witches¡¯ blood, who would kill you just to get a high. Are you telling me they didn¡¯t deserve to die?¡±

    I understood where he was coming from but it didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. He picked up Fiona and I quickly changed my appearance into a large muscular man. My head was shaved and my black t-shirt was stretched to its limits against my faux muscles. I expected Aiden to make some smart-ass comment but he was silent, maybe worried that I thought of him differently, now that I¡¯d seen him kill.

    I¡¯d worry about that later, Right now; we had to get out of there. We stepped out of the small room and made our way down the stairs. All of the vampires were in some sort of trance. The heavy metal music thumped through the speakers while the vamps rocked to the beat.

    I tried to portray the facial features a big muscular man might have. I drew my eyebrows together and scowled at everyone, hoping I looked more threatening than ridiculous. When we got to the last step, I noticed the barmaids were back with humans in tow. Some vampires were in the middle of having sex on the various couches that lined the wall. I gawked in surprise, but drew my attention back to the exit sign.

    A short black man thrust a human into me and I barely caught her before she collapsed.

    ¡°I¡¯m finished, now it¡¯s time to find a piece of ass,¡± he said as he made his way through the out of control crowd. The girl looked up at me with fear and interest. I didn¡¯t say anything to her; instead I grabbed her arm and continued to the exit. She looked like she¡¯d seen better days. The word ¡°junkie¡± came to mind when I observed her appearance. Her hair was messy and her clothes looked stained in various places. She was so skinny, her bones were clear against her pale skin.

    I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to see that Aiden was still following. The door was just ahead and it seemed I couldn¡¯t get there quick enough. I picked up my pace and burst through the doors.

    The night air was a blessed relief after being in the stuffy club. Micah was leaning against the building and instantly went on alert when he saw that Aiden had two men with him.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Gwen?¡± he snarled. I waved both of my hands over my body and felt my disguise slip away. The girl shrieked and Micah stared in surprise. I¡¯d have laughed if I hadn¡¯t been so drained from the tension of what I¡¯d just witnessed. If Fiona wanted to get me back to my partying frame of mind, she¡¯d just failed immensely.

    After calming the girl down and casting a forgetful spell, (so she¡¯d stay away from future vampires), we were finally in the car and on our way back to Flora. Fiona was still asleep in the backseat with Aiden. Everyone in the small car seemed to choke on their words. I knew Micah wanted to know what happened, but I was still in shock at everything I¡¯d seen and not in any state of mind to elaborate on the details.

    In my twenty-six years, I had met a lot of vampires but they had all seemed civilized and maybe the ones I knew actually were. The ones I saw tonight, however, the druggies such as they were, were a different story. I couldn¡¯t get over how their bodies swayed with an inhuman grace against the music and the icy blue of their eyes. The way they bit into the humans and the roughness of their sexual desires. In that state, there was nothing human about them; in that state they were beasts.

    The weight that Wyatt had felt drop onto him when he suspected the first murder had to do with brew, now felt like it was sitting comfortably on my shoulders. If brew was addictive, how long before every young vampire started drinking it? How long before witches became their main target? How long before the Witches Council took matters into their own hands and a war between our two species arose?

    There was a short scream from the backseat and I turned to see what had happened. Micah swerved but regained control and shot a look through the rearview mirror. Fiona had woken up and was looking at her arms with shock and confusion.

    ¡°Give me a mirror,¡± she said as she observed her hands. I fished through my purse and pulled out a small compact to hand to her. Once she opened it though, it began to recite a poem to her. After the enchanted mirror finished sweet-talking her, she closed it and everyone in the car looked at me.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re new at the store and I thought they were cool,¡± I said, defending a very embarrassing moment.

    ¡°Why do I look like, Taye Diggs?¡± Fiona asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a glamour spell; we had to have a disguise to get out of the club.¡± Fiona released a heavy sigh and waved her hands over her body, causing the disguise to slip away. She rubbed her head with the palm of her hand and groaned.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a hangover from hell in the morning,¡± she said and then paused to think. ¡°But I only had two drinks,¡± she added. I thought about the mojito I had had and didn¡¯t remember it tasting funny or feeling the slightest bit different. Maybe it took two drinks?

    ¡°I think your drink was drugged,¡± Aiden said to Fiona.

    ¡°Why would they drug her?¡± Micah chimed in.

    ¡°Gwen and Fiona were both marked. They stamped their hands. I think it¡¯s how they single out the witches and then they drug their drinks so that they can kidnap and bleed them,¡± Aiden said in a disgusted tone.

    Micah looked at me with a steely gaze and it took me a moment to understand why his anger was directed at me. I bit my lip when I realized that Aiden had just admitted that he knew about brew and that I was the blabbermouth that had told him.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Fiona asked, concern dripping from her voice. Micah let out a heavy sigh and I shrugged my shoulders at him.

    ¡°Aiden¡¯s a vampire; I thought he might have heard something. Plus Fiona should know what¡¯s going on because it is our blood that¡¯s being poached,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t think Micah really wanted to tell Fiona what was going on, but she already knew we were keeping something from her and that cat couldn¡¯t be put back in its bag; she¡¯d nag us until she got her way. I could understand why the FPD wanted to keep this hush-hush, because if the witch population got wind they were being murdered specifically for their blood, all hell would break loose. The FPD wanted to handle this as quickly and quietly as possible but if they didn¡¯t put a stop to it soon, the Witches Council would have no other choice than to intervene.

    ¡°If I tell her, what¡¯s to say that she won¡¯t run off and tell her father or some other witch who will then turn around and tell someone else? It¡¯s a snowball effect that I¡¯m worried about, since you yourself told someone,¡± Micah said, sounding aggravated.

    ¡°I only told one person and that¡¯s only because he¡¯s a vampire, someone who I thought could help. I haven¡¯t told any witches and if you¡¯re worried about Fiona telling anyone than I¡¯ll bewitch her gossip pertaining to this topic.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure that Fiona would like to have a spell cast upon her, but it was necessary so that word didn¡¯t get out and cause panic amongst the witches.

    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m right here, so quit talking like I¡¯m not,¡± Fiona snapped. I gave her an apologetic smile and waited for Micah to give me the go ahead. His head nod was reluctant but good enough for me.

    ¡°Fiona, as Micah has boldly stated, this isn¡¯t public knowledge,¡± I said with a serious look. She nodded her head and just to make sure the information I was about to spill would in fact stay in the car, I intertwined magic with my words so that Fiona wouldn¡¯t be able to repeat what she¡¯d heard. If she tried to say anything about brew, the words would catch in her throat, unable to form or be uttered by her lips. She had often used this spell on me whenever she wanted to keep a wild weekend that had gotten a little out of hand from leaving my own lips. It was harmless but effective when you wanted secrecy.

    I went on to tell her everything Micah and Wyatt had told me about brew. Her eyes grew wide with the news but she kept quiet so that I could explain everything. Although the FPD wasn¡¯t comfortable with me sharing this news with my best friend, it was for her benefit. Maybe with this news she¡¯d be more careful and consequently, not end up like the other witches, just a body in a ditch.

    ¡°This is not to be spread around,¡± Micah said, giving me a warning look.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Ask her what I just told her.¡± He gave me an unbelievable look but shot Fiona a glance through the rearview mirror.

    ¡°What did Gwen just tell you?¡±

    Fiona thought for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak but her lips just closed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you,¡± she said happily. Micah squinted an eye at her, not quite sold on the fact that I had magically booby-trapped my information. You¡¯d think after dating for eight months he¡¯d realize and understand magic, but Micah¡¯s a cop, and therefore has no faith in things he can¡¯t see.

 Page 15

    ¡°Hey, Micah,¡± I said to get his attention back on me. He turned his head to shoot me a look and I smiled. ¡°Did you know that that a duck¡¯s quack doesn¡¯t echo?¡± Everyone in the car became silent and looked at me like I¡¯d lost my mind. I smiled at Aiden and nodded at Fiona, she knew what I was up to.Advertisement

    ¡°Micah, what did Gwen just tell you?¡± Fiona asked. Micah thought for a moment and with certainty opened his mouth to repeat what I had told him, only to have his lips shut and remain quiet. I had laced the information with magic and for that reason, Micah couldn¡¯t repeat what I had told him. I smiled victoriously and Fiona laughed.

    ¡°Happy?¡±

    He gave me a lopsided grin and nodded. For the rest of the car ride home, we discussed brew and by the time Micah pulled in front of our apartment building, I was feeling depressed. It didn¡¯t help my mood when the happy tourists were still roaming the streets at midnight. Most sane humans wouldn¡¯t be out this late at night, but the vampire wannabes and the men and women looking for vampire romance, like the ones they¡¯d read in so many books, still trolled the streets.

    Fiona and I got out of the car and headed for our apartment but I noticed Aiden staring at a group of women walking across the park. He had to feed every other day so today must be feeding time. It wasn¡¯t illegal to feed on humans in Flora so long as the human was consenting and no vampire glamour was used. He noticed my glare and gave me a sly smile that I wasn¡¯t in the mood to return. Whether dealing with a werewolf or vampire, there would always be stipulations. Maybe a nice human boy would be the smarter choice for my heart. If I dated a human guy, then we could eat together, have children together, and be on the same sleeping schedule.

    I let out a heavy sigh and turned to walk up the concrete stairs with Fiona trailing. After showering and eating some leftover pizza, I headed for bed. Tomorrow was the beginning of Founders Day and I would need my sleep to deal with the bustling crowds. Fiona and I hadn¡¯t talked much since returning home. Maybe she was realizing the severity of the situation. I drifted off to sleep, those electric blue eyes haunting my dreams.

    10

    The old farmhouse looked as decrepit as I remembered. I was standing in what would be the living room, surrounded by a sea of stacked newspapers. I wasn¡¯t as scared this time, since I knew what was going on. I looked for the spirit I had seen before but I was alone at the moment.

    I scanned the dates on the papers that stood in stacks all over the musty worn carpet. The first paper was from 1980 and a picture of Bridget Downing stared back at me. She was young, probably only seven. The article went on to say that this little girl had used magic in her second grade class.

    The Otherworldly Revelation happened in 1983, so Bridget had been discovered three years prior to the world finding out about us non-humans. From the articles, it seemed the world was in an uproar over a seven-year-old magic user. Most didn¡¯t believe such a thing could be real and attacked the school and media for treating Bridget like a science project.

    I flipped through the other papers and discovered they were all about Bridget and the Otherworldly Revelation. I caught a dark shadow out of the corner of my eye and swiveled my head in the direction.

    ¡°Bridget?¡± I called to the emptiness. There was a doorway leading into the kitchen that I could see, the moonlight lending enough glow to illuminate the house. I stood up and walked toward where I had seen the silhouette. The kitchen was small and looked like it had been built in the seventies, orange countertop, cracked yellow linoleum, and dark wood cabinets. A small table sat against the wall and sitting in one of the worn chairs was Bridget¡¯s ghost.

    I froze momentarily and then remembered that she didn¡¯t want to harm me. I¡¯d always heard from witches with psychic abilities that ghosts just have unfinished business; maybe Bridget needed my help.

    ¡°Bridget?¡± I said again. She had been looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap, but looked up at the mention of her name. She was no longer just a figure of gray. I could make out the woman I had seen lying at the edge of the forest.

    ¡°Did you want to tell me what happened to you?¡± She watched me with confusion. Maybe she didn¡¯t remember what happened; maybe she didn¡¯t realize she was dead. I had no clue how to handle a ghost who seemed to pull me away from my reality and into the ghostly plain.

    ¡°He was watching me,¡± she said, her voice sounding garbled. Her eyes were wide with what looked like fear, so much that I actually turned around to see if someone was standing behind me. After realizing the empty living room was the only thing behind me, I turned my attention back to Bridget.

    ¡°Who was watching you?¡± I asked. I needed more information and I wasn¡¯t sure if her spirit was strong enough to give it to me. It had only been a day since her death so her spirit could still be confused. When she didn¡¯t answer, I walked a little closer to where she sat and knelt on a bended knee until I was at eye level with her.

    ¡°Bridget, who was watching you?¡±

    ¡°Vampire,¡± she responded.

    ¡°What¡¯s his name Bridget?¡±

    ¡°England.¡±

    I arched a brow in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± I tried again. She began to waver like a heat mirage and I knew that she¡¯d soon disappear. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d see her again and I needed to know who killed her.

    ¡°Who killed you?¡± I said louder. She held out a faltering hand and I grabbed it without hesitation this time. White noise filled my head and I tried to discern anything useful.

    A scene played within my memory, of a warehouse, just like the one I¡¯d seen with Amy Harper. A man in jeans and a dark, zip-up hoodie was standing at the end of a cot and I could just make out his voice when he spoke to someone behind him. His accent was English.

    My eyes shot open and I stared at my bedroom ceiling. Aura was lying on my chest staring at me as if she knew what I¡¯d just witnessed and, most likely, she did. The man I¡¯d seen from Amy Harper¡¯s memory was the same man Bridget had shown me. Whoever this vampire was, he had a strong English accent. You might think that would be an easy thing to track but most vampires were older than the United States so most have accents to begin with. Aiden was born in Florence, Italy but had been in the United States for so long that he¡¯d learned to speak without an accent, making him sound American. I had a feeling, though, that if I were around this specific vampire, I¡¯d be able to recognize him

    My alarm clock rang out loudly, making me jump. I slapped it so that it would shut off and reluctantly got out of bed. I was abnormally tired, as if I hadn¡¯t slept all night. I went through the motions of showering and dressing, but still couldn¡¯t wake up.

    At the shop, I lazily watched customers buzz around the glass shelves as they looked at all of the otherworldly goods. Penny had been talking to me about some new band and I caught myself saying a lot of ¡°uh-huhs¡± and ¡°yeahs¡±. I felt completely drained and even coffee from Espresso Self couldn¡¯t get me out of my funk. I rang and bagged sales in a fog, not thanking or smiling at my customers.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± I heard my name called. I turned to see that Penny was watching me with worried eyes. I sluggishly turned my head to see if the threat was behind me but saw nothing menacing there, just customers.

    ¡°Gwen, are you feeling okay?¡± Penny asked.

    ¡°Just tired.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Were you up late?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I got to bed around one in the morning but I still got seven hours of sleep,¡± I told her. My normal sleep pattern was six hours so I had actually gotten an extra hour in. I usually had a lot of energy, even with only four hours of sleep. I had no clue why I was so tired today.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take your lunch and go see Ms. Ozland; maybe she¡¯ll have a remedy for your sleepiness?¡±

    I looked around the store; we still had a lot of customers. Penny must have seen the wheels turning in my head because she said, ¡°I can handle the store.¡± I nodded my head and grabbed my purse that I stowed under the front counter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back within forty minutes.¡±

    I bumped into a few patrons on my way up the block to Ms. Ozland¡¯s house. She lived in a small cottage-style home with a weathered picket fence outlining her property. Worn wood shutters decorated her windows, and brightly colored flowers filled her front yard. She had a handful of pixies that lived in her garden that kept her flowers in bloom all year long.

    I pushed open the wooden gate and walked up the stone walkway. I knocked twice on her rounded door and waited for an answer. It had been rainy and cold all day so I wrapped my arms around myself to preserve any warmth I retained. The front door opened to reveal Ms. Ozland¡¯s petite frame. She was only five-foot-one with long salt and pepper hair. Her eyes were the bluest I¡¯d ever seen and her skin was almost too young for her age of sixty-eight years.

    ¡°Gwen, please come in,¡± she said in a melodic voice. I smiled at her and stepped inside her home. If you¡¯ve ever seen a fairytale cottage in movies, then you have a good idea what Ms. Ozland¡¯s home looked like. Worn wooden floors, exposed beams on the ceiling, very rustic and charming.

    ¡°Did you get the inventory I sent you?¡± she asked, motioning for me to sit while she poured tea.

    I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, thank you. I love the compacts and I have your payment.¡± I had written the check out the other day and forgot to drop it by, so I handed her the check and lifted my teacup. I didn¡¯t know much about Ms. Ozland, besides her talent for spell casting. As far as I knew, she didn¡¯t have any family in Flora and hardly ever came out of her house.

    ¡°What did you need, my dear?¡± she asked with knowing eyes; maybe she held a little psychic ability? I set the teacup back on the floral saucer and clasped my hands in my lap.

    ¡°I was hoping you might have something for exhaustion. I slept last night but I¡¯m still tired,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Did you have a visitor last night?¡± She looked at me through her eyelashes as if she already knew the answer. I thought for a moment, not quite getting what she was saying. I shook my head,

 Page 16

    ¡°No, I was alone last night.¡± It was odd that old Ms. Ozland was asking about my sex life. Sadly I hadn¡¯t had sex in almost two years, but I wouldn¡¯t tell her that.Advertisement

    ¡°Not of the solid body sense, girly. I¡¯m talking about the spiritual sense. Your aura is all over the place, purple swirled with dark gray. I¡¯ve only ever seen dark gray with spirit walkers and as far as I know, you¡¯re not one of those, are you?¡± She strummed her fingers against her knobby knee and waited for an answer. Spirit walkers were few and far between and I hadn¡¯t ever met one. I read about them in the Magic Encyclopedia. They were witches who could jump from our reality into the realm of death and walk amongst the spirits. Not like regular psychics, who could only see spirits, but were prohibited from going where they lurked.

    ¡°I...there is a spirit, Bridget, who¡¯s been visiting me. I had a dream about her last night and the other day it felt as if I were sucked into a dark void where she was. I don¡¯t purposely visit her though. My cat is my link to the spirit world and allows me to read the thoughts of the dead,¡± I told her.

    Witches all have special abilities and some are more powerful than others. You had your spell casters, like Ms. Ozland, who made potions and could enchant objects. There were psychics who could communicate with the dead and see glimpses of the future. Seers who could predict the future, and witches who could literally shoot magic from their fingertips. It seemed I had a mixture of abilities, from being able to manipulate and form objects, to producing magic in my hand; but the last, and maybe most rare, was my ability to see glimpses of the memories of the deceased, with the help of Aura. I¡¯d never thought about being the only witch I¡¯d ever known who could see into the memories of the dead. Maybe that was a tiny power of a spirit walker?

    ¡°Your cat can act as a conduit between yourself and the spirit world, but she can not project you into the realm of the death, which I suspect is where you were last night and why you¡¯re so tired today. It takes a lot of practice and energy to walk amongst the dead. It seems you have a little spirit walker in you, and with a little practice, I imagine you¡¯ll find that you can do more than you ever thought you could. Interesting¡­¡± Ms Ozland said with awe coloring her tone.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I wasn¡¯t in my bed last night, I was actually in what?¡­the ghostly plain?¡± The whole thing sounded ludicrous and had me wondering if Ms. Ozland had taken one too many potions that might be affecting her head. I instantly regretted coming to the old woman¡¯s cottage, because if she were right, then my whole world was about to change. I couldn¡¯t say that I was excited about the news. If I were, in fact, some kind of spirit walker, then I¡¯d be treated like a freak in a circus sideshow. Step right up and see one of the last spirit walkers.

    ¡°That gray swirling within your aura isn¡¯t a fluke my dear, that¡¯s death. The dream you speak of wasn¡¯t a dream, you were in the realm of the spirits,¡± Ms. Ozland said matter-of-factly. I noticed she was watching me with a sort of curiosity that made me feel like a specimen under a microscope. I rose to leave, still feeling lethargic, but Ms. Ozland held up a hand to stop me. Without saying a word, she went to her rustic kitchen and opened cabinets as she searched for something. I rolled my neck, hoping to ease the tension that had settled within its muscles

    As I waited for Ms. Ozland to find whatever she was looking for, I thought about spirit walkers and why there weren¡¯t many of them. It seemed odd that their gift was a limited commodity. Every being that held magic had gotten it from nature itself. Everything was connected with a web of energy that we could not see. This energy somehow flowed through our veins and allowed us to do amazing things that humans often feared. Maybe since spirit walkers could walk from our reality into a darker dimension, it wasn¡¯t nature¡¯s magic but something else, something more sinister. Gooseflesh broke out along my arms as I had the mental conversation with myself and when Ms. Ozland returned, she was holding what looked like a Zip-loc baggie full of teabags.

    ¡°Your gift isn¡¯t to be feared, Gwen, it¡¯s a rare and unique magic.¡±

    I rubbed my arms as if it would make the goose bumps disappear. Ms. Ozland was holding the baggie out to me and I accepted with an arched eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s an energetic potion you drink in the form of tea. Drink it only when you return from the ghostly plain and need to regain your energy.¡± I tucked the baggie inside my purse and pulled out my wallet, fully intending to pay Ms. Ozland for her help.

    ¡°How much do I owe you?¡± She waved a hand in the air as if to erase my question.

    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to help one of the few spirit walkers still alive today, free of charge.¡± I reluctantly tucked my wallet back in my purse and gave her a nervous smile, not completely convinced I was what she said I was.

    The drizzle had turned into a steady rainfall and I cursed myself for not taking my car the short distance. My hair was plastered to my face and my makeup was surely ruined. I picked up my pace as if I could outrun the rain that seemed hell-bent on drowning me. I stopped into Espresso Self, hoping a large mocha and muffin would lend me some energy until I could have a cup of Ms. Ozland¡¯s tea.

    Broomsticks was nearly empty when I returned. I set down the coffee I¡¯d gotten for Penny and gave her an apologetic smile. All of the shops were closing early tonight for the Founder¡¯s Day Gala and the weather had kept the curious tourists tucked in their hotel rooms. I had to wonder if a resident of Flora wasn¡¯t responsible for the downpour.

    Penny took a sip of her coffee and I wrapped both of my hands around my own cup to absorb all the warmth it offered. With a smile, Penny grabbed a handheld mirror we kept behind the counter and held it out so that my face was reflected in it.

    ¡°Drowned rat on aisle one,¡± she said with amusement. My mascara ran south and my dark hair clung against my head in a stringy mess. I groaned at my appearance, embarrassed I¡¯d gone into Espresso Self in such a condition. I quickly covered my face with both hands and concentrated on being free of any makeup. When I removed my hands, my face didn¡¯t hold a gram of the stuff. I ran my hands down my hair and willed the strands to be dry. I checked the mirror again and although I now looked like a plain-Jane, it was better than how I looked before.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just conjure an umbrella?¡± Penny asked, like it was the obvious answer.

    ¡°My mind¡¯s been in a fog, otherwise I would have, or taken my car like a smart person,¡± I told her. A man in his forties stepped up to the register and deposited his items on the counter. I let Penny ring him up and waited patiently while she finished the sale. Once he paid and was on his way out, I went to the door and locked it.

    ¡°We¡¯re closing extra early,¡± I told Penny. We normally closed at six and today stores were closing at three to allow enough time for everyone to primp for the enormous soiree that evening. I was only closing the shop two hours earlier than usual; I loved being the boss.

    I rushed home, hoping to get a couple hours of sleep, although I was afraid what might happen if I closed my eyes. Would Bridget be waiting to pull me back where she waited in that depressing farmhouse? I still wasn¡¯t convinced that I had anything to do with my visits from her. Wouldn¡¯t I have had some inkling if I were a spirit walker? Unless my ability to read death¡¯s memories was linked to a spirit walker. Once again, I had too many questions and no answers.

    I pulled into my normal parking spot and quickly ran up the stairs to my apartment. I had to push a little harder on the front door to get it to open, the moisture causing it to stick. Surprisingly, the apartment was empty, except for Aura who slept on the arm of the sofa. I shook off my leather jacket and hung it on the rack by the door. There was no telling where Fiona was, she didn¡¯t work. Most likely she was getting pampered at the salon for tonight. A pang of jealously stuck in my gut but I quashed it and went to my bedroom. The party didn¡¯t start until eight so I could get at least two hours of sleep before I had to primp myself.

    I forced my wet jeans down and stepped out of them and did the same with my shirt, so that I was only wearing my underwear and bra. I climbed into the warmth of my bed and thought I¡¯d literally died and gone to heaven. I couldn¡¯t remember ever being so exhausted. It wasn¡¯t long before my eyes sealed shut and the many questions that floated within my brain were dissolved into oblivion.

    Flashes of memories played through my mind, but not of the spiritual sense. Pictures of Aiden occupied my mind, like a slide show. The flashes stopped on the day we met, two years ago. I was sitting in a caf¨¦ with my laptop, going over the store¡¯s finances. I could feel someone watching me, that intuitive feeling everyone possesses. I looked up and a slight blush colored my cheeks upon noticing a man with impeccable cheekbones, bright blue eyes, and jet black hair watching me. I gave him a small smile and returned my attention to my computer screen. I couldn¡¯t concentrate on what I was doing though;, I looked up again and saw that he was still watching me. He was, by far, the most beautiful man I¡¯d ever seen. He smiled at me, revealing perfectly white teeth and in response I smiled back. It seemed he was infectious, I couldn¡¯t ignore him. I quickly remembered I already had a very handsome boyfriend, so I gathered my stuff and began to leave. Unless I wanted to walk all the way around the caf¨¦ to avoid this man¡¯s table, I had to walk right past him.

    Luckily, he didn¡¯t say anything to me when I walked by his table. I released a breath I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d been holding and pushed through the doors. I had taken maybe ten steps before I heard a man¡¯s voice say ¡°Hey¡±. I turned around to see if he was talking to me and it was the man from the caf¨¦. He walked to where I stood and silently laughed. I looked at him sheepishly and waited to find out what he wanted.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Aiden. When I saw you, I couldn¡¯t risk not introducing myself to such a beautiful woman,¡± he said, in a voice as smooth as velvet. I laughed nervously and said,

    ¡°I¡¯m Gwen.¡± I didn¡¯t comment on his compliment, not knowing how to respond. He held out his hand and I looked at it before deciding it was rude to ignore it. I clasped his hand and noticed the lukewarm temperature, he was a vampire. It didn¡¯t matter what he was, he was beautiful to look at.

 Page 17

    We held hands a little too long and I quickly pulled free of his grasp. ¡°It was nice to meet you, Aiden,¡± I told him and then turned to leave. Once my back was to him, a smile broke out along my lips that I couldn¡¯t restrain.Advertisement

    ¡°Would you join me for dinner tomorrow night?¡± he called from behind me. That made my smile widen, knowing that vampires didn¡¯t eat and that he was just trying to see me again. I half turned to face him and his eyes burned into me with a feeling that I couldn¡¯t fathom.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m dating someone,¡± I told him. He nodded his head as if he expected that much.

    ¡°Dinner among new friends then?¡± I laughed at his persistence but shook my head. I¡¯d only been dating Micah for four months and didn¡¯t want him to think I was cheating on him, especially if he saw how hot Aiden was.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said.

    ¡°I understand, but I will see you again,¡± Aiden said with certainty. I didn¡¯t question how he¡¯d see me again, since I didn¡¯t give him my phone number or address, but turned and headed for home.

    The memory faded away and was replaced with another. In this one, Micah and I were sitting in Smiths, a bar that set at the edge of town. Smiths was your average sports bar, pool tables toward the back and large flat screen TVs lining the walls, displaying almost every sporting event. Five other of Micah¡¯s pack members circled around the pool table as I concentrated on making my last shot. I sunk the eight ball in the desired pocket and jumped up and down in victory.

    ¡°I let her win,¡± Micah said with a sly smile. He got a lot of crap from his pack members for a girl beating him and, just as I was finishing rubbing in my victory, I noticed a pair of blue eyes twinkling at me. I shifted my head so that I could see the owner of such mesmerizing eyes and, once the waitress moved out of the way, I saw Aiden sitting on one of the barstools. He raised his glass toward me with an amused smirk.

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Micah grumbled. It had been two months since I met Aiden in the caf¨¦. I had seen him again, just as he promised, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was going away. It should have bothered me more that I was being followed by a sort of stalker but it didn¡¯t. Aiden wasn¡¯t creepy or scary and it secretly made me giddy to see him in a crowd with his eyes always on me.

    ¡°Probably having a drink, like we are,¡± I told Micah, but I knew he was here for a more personal reason. I bit my lip to stop a smile from showing on my face and I turned my attention toward the pack members.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± I called, holding out the pool cue.

    The scene faded away and like before, another replaced it. I instantly recognized this memory; it was when Micah broke up with me. Earlier that day, he told me the bad news and, after telling Fiona what happened, she suggested we have a girls¡¯ night in. A mountainous pile of snotty tissues was next to me while I held up a shot glass Fiona had poured for me. I watched it with blurry eyes, and as the tears continued to fall, I downed the whiskey. The taste didn¡¯t even affect me like it had the first couple of times. I was definitely shit-faced. My eyes were red and puffy and my hair was in a messy ponytail atop my head. The phone rang and Fiona stumbled to answer it. I had a sudden urge to get away from everything. I got up and told Fiona I was taking a walk. She shot me a strange look but was too preoccupied and drunk, to care.

    I stumbled down the stairs, luckily not breaking my neck, and headed down the street. It was midnight and most of the town was asleep, except for the vampires. I made my way to Willow Creek Park and collapsed on a park bench. Micah¡¯s pack had come here often to run and I had accompanied him many times. I was lying on my back with my knees bent up, when a face appeared over me. Even in my plastered state, I immediately recognized Aiden. I covered my face, not wanting him to see me looking like the mess that I was. I just wanted to be alone and cry, without any witness who felt sorry for me, or looked as gorgeous as Aiden.

    Aiden swooped me up into his arms. I felt safe in that moment; I lay my head against his chest and allowed him to carry me. I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes again; Aiden was pulling me out of his car and carrying me again. I vaguely remembered seeing a large home but the alcohol was making everything spin.

    The next thing I saw was me being laid onto a plush bed. Aiden brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face and I gave him a sad smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare shed another tear over a man who¡¯s stupid enough to let you slip through his fingertips.¡± As if my tear ducts had a rebellious personality of their own, tears began to fall. I dated a handful of guys but Micah was most definitely my first love. The pain was worse than any physical injury and I just wanted it to go away. Aiden¡¯s thumb caressed the salty tear away. My eyelids were heavy from crying and sleepiness. Tired of holding them open, I drifted off to sleep.

    The next memory quickly filed after the last one and Aiden and I were standing within inches of each other in his backyard. I stopped by for a reason I couldn¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he sternly ordered. I turned to look at him, not wanting to see the fire in his eyes that was directed at me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you what you want, Aiden,¡± I told him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t even try. You know we¡¯re perfect for each other, you felt it that first night in the caf¨¦. I want you, Gwen; I knew that at first sight. Don¡¯t let what Micah did ruin what we could have.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon and I will not go through the heartache again, I can¡¯t.¡± My voice had started off strong but at the thought of how it felt to have my heart shattered, my voice dwindled to nothing more than a whisper.

    ¡°It¡¯s been five months, Gwen,¡± Aiden said, his voice soft. Tears welled in my eyes and I willed them not to fall but the sons-of-bitches betrayed me and flowed freely down my cheeks. I stared into Aiden¡¯s eyes and wished it were as easy as he wanted it to be. I would love nothing more than to forget all about Micah and see what developed between Aiden and me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said again softly. Aiden stepped closer and placing a finger under my chin, tilted my face up. I couldn¡¯t look at him so I focused on his yard. The truth of it was that I did have feelings for him, and had since I met him. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that I was currently hurting over Micah. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to Aiden if I agreed to date him while I was still thinking about another man.

    ¡°Kiss me.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Kiss me and if you don¡¯t feel what I¡¯ve been feeling, then I will leave you alone, you¡¯ll never see me again.¡±

    At his words, I brought my eyes back to his and saw that he was serious. I knew I couldn¡¯t stand not seeing him but I also knew that wouldn¡¯t happen, I felt the same as he did. He leaned down and his lips hovered so close to mine that I could feel his breath caress my skin. I suppressed the shiver that crept along my spine and didn¡¯t move. He softly pressed his lips to mine, just a brush of lips to lips. I closed my eyes and felt his energy swirl around me like he had a million hands beckoning me to give in to him. He sucked on my bottom lip and goose bumps broke out along my arms. He deepened the kiss, his tongue darting into my mouth and I massaged it with my own. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into the hardness of his chest. We kissed for what seemed like hours but had only been minutes by the time I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away. His eyes had gone black with desire and I stood frozen in place as I replayed what had just happen. My breathing was labored so I took in a deep breath to calm my sporadic heartbeat.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± I told him and quickly left with Aiden watching my retreat.

    My eyes grudgingly opened and I stared at my bedroom wall. My dream had left me sad and confused. The remembrance of Micah wasn¡¯t welcomed and my relationship with Aiden was terrifying. Aiden was definitely close enough to break my heart if he chose to. My dream had made me realize that I¡¯d had feelings for him since day one and those feelings had only become stronger over the years. I had forgotten about most of those memories, I thought, but they¡¯d stayed safely filed away in the corners of my mind, waiting for me to realize what they meant.

    11

    The royal blue dress that Aiden had gotten for me clung to my body as though it were painted on. The bust area showed off a lot of my cleavage and the light captured the Swarovski crystals to make them sparkle like a million diamonds. My hair was pinned up, something I¡¯d seen in a bridal magazine and magically repeated.

    Fiona left twenty minutes earlier, while I sat at our kitchen table and waited for Aiden. I hadn¡¯t spoken to him since the previous night and a small voice inside my head wondered if he¡¯d done more with his dinner than just eat. I heard that a vampire¡¯s bite could drive an orgasm to skyrocket; something in their saliva acted as an aphrodisiac. I also knew that most vampires got turned on whenever they fed. I knew by the way he watched the tourists the night before that he was going to feed, but what else had he done?

    Two small knocks sounded at the door and made my jealous thoughts disappear. I carefully got up from the table, trying not to step on the small train that followed behind me.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± I said when I opened the door. I expected Aiden to be standing on the other side of the threshold but it wasn¡¯t him. A tall man with dark blonde hair and crystal blue eyes looked back at me. He was amazingly beautiful and I was momentarily speechless.

    ¡°Gwen Sparks?¡± he asked with a sexy smirk.

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said.

    ¡°My name is Ian. Aiden is running late and asked me to escort you to the Gala.¡±

    ¡°Running late?¡± I asked suspiciously.

    ¡°He apologizes, something to do with business. Shall we?¡± Ian said, holding out his arm. Aiden owned three businesses and it would make sense that something might have come up, but of all the nights for something to happen! I considered Ian and after debating on whether I should show up with him or by myself, he won. I waved a hand in the air to shut the lights off and then grabbed my small purse.

 Page 18

    We made small talk while Ian drove his black Mercedes to the party. When we arrived, Ian walked around the car and opened my door, with a hand outstretched to help me out. I gave him a small smile and stepped out. The party was in the middle of the forest that made up Willow Creek Park. That would seem strange to most but in a community full of magical creatures, it was the norm.Advertisement

    My heels made it hard to traverse the wood-chipped parking lot. Ian held onto me so that I didn¡¯t trip and we made our way to the path entrance. We stepped through a curtain of shimmering white lights to the worn path. It seemed every tree was aglow with twinkling orbs of lights, most likely pixie glitter. A stroll in such magical woods seemed a little too intimate to be sharing with a stranger. I silently grumbled that Aiden had stood me up but only allowed my bad mood to surface for seconds before I reined it in. Tonight was a celebration of Flora and otherworldly existence; and I was going to enjoy myself.

    ¡°You are very beautiful tonight,¡± Ian said. I looked up and noticed he was watching me. He was a couple inches taller than I, making him around six foot. His cheekbones were more defined when he smirked at me and his eyes seemed to sparkle as he thought about something I didn¡¯t care to question. A smile escaped my lips and I quickly looked away, unable to stare at him and walk at the same time.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him and then shot him another look. ¡°You look very nice also.¡± He was wearing a black pinstripe suit with a black dress shirt underneath and an icy blue tie.

    ¡°I take it you¡¯re one of Aiden¡¯s vampires?¡± In the 615 years Aiden had been a vampire, I knew he had changed a handful of willing people. I¡¯d met a couple of them over the years but there were a lot I hadn¡¯t. Ian chuckled and stared ahead as we neared the entrance of the party.

    ¡°I am over eight-hundred years old. Aiden and I are old friends.¡± He didn¡¯t comment further. An elf waited at the entrance to the party and upon our arrival, held out a short arm to stop us.

    ¡°Name?¡± he asked with a high-pitched voice.

    ¡°Gwen Sparks and Ian Despereaux,¡± Ian answered. The elf held out a small microphone and waved us through, announcing us as we walked through a screen of purple orbs. All heads turned toward us, making me feel uncomfortable at the attention. It was amazing to see the woods transformed into such a beautiful ballroom. Normally, there isn¡¯t a clearing in the forest but with magic, the trees had been replaced with wood floors. White linen covered tables sat on the right and left while the middle was open for dancing. An orchestra played itself on an upraised stage while aerialist silk dancers twirled and did impressive acrobatics from a ceiling that didn¡¯t exist. The ceiling was just a mirage of ivory and crystal chandeliers.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± I said to myself.

    ¡°Not compared to you,¡± Ian leaned down to say. Who the heck did this guy think he was? He was supposed to be Aiden¡¯s friend but he was hitting on me? I removed my arm from his and took off to find Fiona; I couldn¡¯t deal with Mr. Smooth Talker anymore. I politely pushed through the crowd and searched for my best friend. There were well over three hundred attendants and more coming. Pixies patrolled the perimeter, their wings aglow with pixie glitter.

    I spotted Fiona sitting at one of the tables, looking less than entertained. Her elbow supported her head, a cheek resting in her palm as she stared at the dancers. Liam was in the middle of a discussion with people who looked important.

    ¡°Boo!¡± I said from behind her. She jumped slightly and I laughed. She looked absolutely beautiful in her light green gown. Her blonde hair was pinned up with a few curly tendrils dangling gracefully against her neck.

    ¡°Excuse us, Liam, we¡¯re getting a drink,¡± Fiona told her date and then grabbed my hand. We practically flew through the crowd and as far away from her table as possible.

    ¡°Thank you for rescuing me,¡± Fiona said.

    ¡°Not going well?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so boring! If you hadn¡¯t come along I would¡¯ve fallen asleep.¡± I laughed and grabbed a drink from an elf that was carrying a silver tray full of champagne glasses. The tourists would have had a field day at our little party.

    Witches, vampires, and ogres, oh my!

    The Founder¡¯s Gala was specifically for otherworldly residents though. Fiona was checking her makeup in her compact so I scanned the crowd. I spotted Micah with a brunette woman on his arm. She was pretty enough, just average pretty, but they looked happy together. He caught my glance as I was observing him and his date and I quickly looked away.

    ¡°Will you get over him already? Besides, you have a yummy new vampire to play with,¡± Fiona said, following my gaze. ¡°Speaking of, where is Aiden?¡± I turned my back towards Micah and his new girlfriend and took a sip of my champagne. I knew I was completely over Micah, but I still wasn¡¯t comfortable seeing him or a new woman on his arm.

    ¡°Dealing with business supposedly, he sent a chaperone,¡± I said, pointing at where Ian stood by a tall pillar. His eyes were riveted on me and a slight blush colored my cheeks.

    ¡°Aiden must be really confident to send someone that looks like that to escort the woman he¡¯s been in love with for two years,¡± Fiona said.

    ¡°We¡¯re not in love,¡± I argued.

    ¡°You might not be, but Aiden¡¯s definitely head over heels in love with you,¡± Fiona said with a smirk. I shook my head, not ready to believe that Aiden felt that way. I knew I had strong feelings for him, and had since day one, but I couldn¡¯t let myself fall in love, not ever again, if I had anything to say about it. I¡¯d date Aiden and have fun with him but I¡¯d try my damnedest not to say that stupid four-letter word that could cause my heart to shatter again.

    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Fiona asked. I banished my thoughts and brought my attention back to our conversation. She was staring at Ian, her eyes swimming with lustful interest. A small smile broke against my lips; her father would have a heart attack if his daughter dated a vampire.

    ¡°Ian Despereaux.¡± I spared a look at the man in question and saw that he was making his way toward us. He was very good looking but I wasn¡¯t interested in listening to him use cheesy pick-up lines all night. I decided that I would save my anger for Aiden. He was the one who stood me up and left me with a tempting playboy.

    ¡°Ladies,¡± Ian¡¯s smooth voice said from behind me. I looked at Fiona first and saw that she was grinning like a young girl who was face to face with her crush. I rolled my eyes and turned to face Ian, who was smiling just as broadly. Ugh!

    ¡°Care to dance?¡± Ian asked.

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I said with a bit of attitude. It wasn¡¯t his fault that Aiden had stood me up but did he have to be so gorgeous and flirtatious?

    ¡°I was asking your lovely friend,¡± he said with a grin. An instant flush colored my cheeks from my embarrassment, but I noticed the interest in his eyes when he looked at me.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Fiona said and braided her arm through his. She pulled him toward the dance floor and I jealously watched. I pulled my cell phone out of my small purse and dialed Aiden but after three rings it went to voicemail. I flipped it shut and threw it back into my purse, emptying my champagne glass.

    A half hour later, Fiona was still gliding with Ian on the dance floor while I occupied a chair at an empty table. I was on my third glass of champagne when Micah interrupted my pity party.

    ¡°Having a good night?¡±

    I looked up from where my head rested on my hand and said, ¡°Having a blast, you?¡±

    He laughed at my sarcasm. ¡°These things aren¡¯t really my thing but I¡¯m expected to attend, being the alpha¡¯s son.¡± His tone sounded bored and a tad angry. I knew Micah loved his pack, but he hated the politics that came with it. Wyatt was the next in line to become alpha but if anything happened to him, Micah would become alpha, something he didn¡¯t want.

    ¡°Your father¡¯s here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, somewhere,¡± Micah said. An awkward silence settled between us, neither of us entirely sure how to be around each other yet. I felt better though, with Micah by my side.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to dance, would you?¡± he asked, shocking me.

    ¡°Won¡¯t your girlfriend be pissed if we do?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, unwilling to elaborate further.

    I shrugged my shoulders, unable to find a reason why we couldn¡¯t dance together. We had both moved on and had other people in our lives and I should have at least one dance before I went home and crawled into my bed.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, rising up.

    We stepped onto the dance floor, Micah offering his hand. I grasped it and he placed his other hand on the small of my back. The heat that radiated off him soaked into my skin and a shiver tickled my spine. For reasons unknown, weres always ran hotter than other species. Aiden¡¯s temperature was always lukewarm, not ice cold like a lot of the myths claimed. Vampires only turned ice cold when they were starving and it was dangerous to be around a starving vampire.

    We moved with the crowd, in a sort of waltz. I focused on the movements of my feet instead of the closeness of our bodies or the familiar woodsy scent that clung to Micah. I was very aware that my cleavage was propped up and on display, thanks to Aiden¡¯s choice of dress. I also noticed that Micah¡¯s eyes appreciated the view. I kept my eyes on my surroundings, unable to make eye contact with the man who had broken me.

    The feel of his hand on my lower back, though, kept interrupting my thoughts. I mentally shook the feelings and searched out Fiona and Ian. They had been dancing for a while now and I spotted them directly across from where we were. Fiona smiled up at him like he was the cat¡¯s meow, while he held onto her with his own devilish grin. It was strange that I hadn¡¯t met him before. If he lived in Flora, I should have met him at least once. I knew a lot of the vampires because of Aiden, but I¡¯d never seen Ian before or even heard Aiden mention his name.

    Micah pulled me closer, pressing my body into his. I looked up and noticed that the music had changed to a slow melody. His strong arms enveloped my body, leaving no space between us. Familiar feelings that I thought I had erased completely crept within me like a cold breeze against my skin. We danced for a few seconds before I realized that it wasn¡¯t right. Micah had no business holding me like he was and if I weren¡¯t smart, I¡¯d end up getting hurt all over again. I pushed away from him and without a word, walked off.

 Page 19

    Someone grabbed my wrist and I whirled around, ready to face Micah. Instead, I found Ian was my captor. He pulled me to him and slid an arm around my waist.Advertisement

    ¡°You owe me a dance,¡± he said quietly. Deciding that this was the perfect opportunity to question him, I began to move with him. I noticed Micah¡¯s confused and angry features watching me. He was still standing at the spot I¡¯d left him and once he saw me with Ian, he angrily walked off the dance floor. What the hell was wrong with him?

    I didn¡¯t appreciate the way Ian watched me like I was something to be devoured. Aiden was going to get an earful the next time I saw him. There was something about him that made me nervous. It could be chalked up to how gorgeous he was but I didn¡¯t think that was it. There was something in his eyes, like an inside joke I wasn¡¯t getting.

    ¡°How long have you known Aiden?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Almost a hundred years,¡± he smiled.

    ¡°What kept him tonight?¡±

    ¡°Something at Vain,¡± he said with indifference. I was hoping this question would have let something slip but he seemed confident in what he told me. I found it odd that Aiden hadn¡¯t called me himself to let me know that his friend would be escorting me to the Gala.

    Ian ran his hand up and down the length of my back, sending gooseflesh to break out on my skin. He leaned down so that his lips were close enough to my skin that I could feel his breath. My heart raced at the intimacy of our closeness but I didn¡¯t pull away, simply because I wanted to see if I could find out anything useful.

    ¡°Aiden is a fool to let you out of his sight,¡± Ian said, his voice thick with either hunger or lust, or both. His lips pressed against my neck and I closed my eyes at the rush of desire that ran wild through my body. He flicked his tongue against my flesh and I visibly shivered, unable to regain my wits. Before I could stop him, his lips were on mine. Common sense finally pushed through the fog of attraction and slapped me silly. I broke the kiss and slapped him across the face, hard. He didn¡¯t react the way I thought a vampire would; instead, he laughed and gave me his devilish glare.

    ¡°Aiden will know about this,¡± I said, warning him.

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    I caught Fiona¡¯s gaze as I made my way off the dance floor and her shock and hurt were apparent. She had fallen for Ian¡¯s smooth talking and had just seen him kiss me. She ran away when she saw that I was coming toward her. Well shit, could the night get any worse?

    I was so over the entire evening, I retrieved my purse and headed for the path that led out of the woods. If I thought I could leave without a problem, I was sorely mistaken. Micah stepped out of the woods and onto the path, blocking my way. He had acted strange on the dance floor and whatever he had to say, I did not want to hear.

    ¡°I thought you were with Aiden,¡± he said. I took a deep breath so that I could regain my composure because I didn¡¯t want to cause a scene.

    ¡°I am with Aiden,¡± I said, pausing. ¡°And you¡¯re with someone also.¡±

    ¡°What Jamie and I have is¡­¡± He stopped to think. ¡°It¡¯s more of an arrangement than love. It¡¯s not what we had, Gwen. If you¡¯re with Aiden, then why did you kiss the new guy?¡± He arched an eyebrow as if reprimanding a child, although I doubted whether or not he cared if I cheated on Aiden. I shook my head and crossed my arms. I so did not need this crap right now.

    ¡°That sucks¡­about you and Jamie I mean, and I didn¡¯t kiss the new guy, he kissed me. Your detective skills should have made you also notice that I slapped him,¡± I said, annoyed.

    ¡°I did see that.¡± Micah smiled; suddenly quiet for a few seconds, enough to annoy me even more.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Micah?¡± He looked up from the beaten path and hesitated to speak. I widened my eyes as a sign to ¡°get on with it.¡±

    ¡°I miss you, Gwen. I know it¡¯s my fault that we¡¯re not together but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t still love you,¡± he said nervously. Most girls would have loved to hear the man who broke their heart say that they regretted ever doing so, but at the moment, I was not in the mood to ride the emotional rollercoaster with Micah. I had wondered what I would do if Micah wanted me back. The only emotion I felt was anger. Aiden¡¯s face flashed through my mind and I knew that he was the one I should have been with, not Micah. Werewolves were not the committed type to any other species except other werewolves. It didn¡¯t matter that Micah thought he still loved me, it couldn¡¯t work and I wouldn¡¯t chase that fairytale again.

    ¡°Micah¡­¡± I began.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just know that I still love you, Gwen, and being with Jamie won¡¯t change that.¡± He gave me a small smile and disappeared into the woods, leaving me utterly speechless.

    12

    Fiona wasn¡¯t home when I arrived back at our apartment. I tried her cell but my call went unanswered. I tried Aiden again but he didn¡¯t pick up either. It seemed everyone I wanted to talk to was ignoring me and the people I didn¡¯t want to talk to were admitting stuff I didn¡¯t want to hear.

    I carefully hung my dress up and crawled into bed. It was only eleven o¡¯clock but my night hadn¡¯t been the magically romantic evening I had planned on. I let myself think about what Micah said for a couple minutes and then extinguished my intrigue. We both knew that our relationship was a losing battle; our feelings for each other wouldn¡¯t change that. If my life were a movie, Micah would have chosen me over his duties. Sadly, no one¡¯s life turned out like the movies. I felt sorry for Micah, being in a relationship that was more out of convenience than love all because his father expected him to produce purebred were children. The more I thought about what Micah was going through, the more I realized that my life and heartache hadn¡¯t been all that bad. Sure, it sucked that the first guy I really loved had to kick me to the curb for being the wrong species, but at least I didn¡¯t have to marry and have children with someone I didn¡¯t love.

    A fast moving shadow brought me out of my thoughts. I sat up quickly and looked where I had seen the movement in my peripheral. Nothing and no one was there. Easing myself out of my bed, I tiptoed toward my bedroom door. I hadn¡¯t heard the front door, but maybe Fiona had come home while I was lost in my thoughts.

    ¡°Fiona?¡± I called into the hallway. Her bedroom door was wide open and the light was shut off. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my bedroom and walked toward the kitchen. The only light came from over the stove and a lamp I¡¯d left on in the living room; both rooms were empty. Confused and a bit frightened, I made my way back to my room. As soon as I stepped into my room, a shadow passed behind me. I felt it more than saw it. I whirled around, backing up toward my bed as I watched my door.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said to the emptiness.

    No answer.

    I don¡¯t know if really wanted one but it seemed like every time someone was scared in a home they always called out ¡°hello¡± only to be terrified if they actually got a response. I knew I was home alone but I also knew that something else was with me. Aura meowed and nearly gave me a heart attack. When I turned to see what my cat wanted, I noticed she was pawing at the air with a cocked head.

    Chills broke out along my skin as I watched Aura interact with something I couldn¡¯t see. The ceiling light flickered lazily and then more urgently, eventually going completely out, leaving me in darkness. My head felt full and an instant headache ricocheted through my head, sending me to my knees. I grasped both sides of my head with my hands and tried to get a grip on what was happening, but the pain demanded my attention.

    Icy cold pin-pricks caressed my skin and I fell onto my side from the surprise. Dizziness overwhelmed my senses and I could tell I was close to passing out. I tried to conjure the telephone, but the agony wouldn¡¯t allow me to focus on my magic.

    When the pain dulled and the dizziness disappeared, I was lying on cold cement. I squinted my eyes at the new location, unsure if what I was seeing was real or not. I was in a large building with steel walls that were worn. Steel beams spanned the ceiling with large industrial lights hanging from them. Once I got my bearings, I realized I was in a warehouse. The warehouse I¡¯d seen from Amy Harper¡¯s memories.

    A few cots were set up in the middle of the floor while rusty piles of scrap metal and a few broken refrigerators sat in a far corner. Dirty windows lined the entire top of the twenty-foot walls and allowed a small amount of moonlight to penetrate the otherwise dark warehouse. I stood up and stumbled a few steps, still feeling the last waves of dizziness. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on standing still and shaking the waves of nausea that teased my stomach. When I opened my eyes again, the dizziness had vanished.

    ¡°Bridget?¡± I called, my voice echoing in the empty expanse. The ghostly realm or whatever it was, was quickly becoming annoying. One minute I was at home and the next I was waking up in creepy deserted places. At least I only had one spirit pulling me away and not more. That would be a sure fire way to drive me insane.

    Bridget didn¡¯t answer so I walked hesitantly toward an office-like room. The door gave way and I stepped into the small room. Clipboards with names and numbers sat on a worn desk. I picked one up and scanned the many names but wasn¡¯t sure exactly what I was looking at. When I got about half way down, I froze. In crisp black ink, was the name Aiden Blake. Was this a list of vampires buying brew? If so, what was Aiden¡¯s name doing on it?

    ¡°This is their headquarters,¡± a voice said from behind me. I dropped the clipboard and whirled around to face the potential threat. Hovering in the doorway was Bridget. She was more solid than I¡¯d seen her before, the gray giving way to a more colorful hue. I could see the blonde in her hair and the purple of her shirt. Her eyes were filled with sadness and despair, a look I desperately wanted to forget.

    ¡°Their headquarters?¡± I repeated, hoping she¡¯d give names. She nodded her head and turned back to look at the cots that sat in the middle of the floor.

    ¡°The vampires, the ones who are draining witches.¡± She disappeared before me and reappeared in front of the cots, as if she just teleported. She reached a hand out toward me, so I walked over to where she stood and without hesitation, grasped her hand. I didn¡¯t think too much about how it was possible to touch a spirit. I assumed the same rules didn¡¯t apply in the spirit realm as they did in the living reality.

 Page 20

    As soon as I made contact with Bridget, the warehouse awoke and was active. My eyes widened when I saw Bridget laying on one of the cots and a needle sticking out of her arm. Her skin was paler than a vampire¡¯s. She was lying in her bra and a pair of jeans and had bruises on her arms. I looked over to my spirit friend and noticed that her face wavered in and out but, as I watched, I noticed the sadness consume her face, she was crying. I gripped her hand tighter and drew my attention back to the other Bridget. She gave a shallow cough and then her arm fell limply at her side.Advertisement

    A man walked out of the office over to where she lay. He pressed his ear to her chest and listened for a few seconds before removing the needle and retrieving the bags full of Bridget¡¯s blood. I was so furious at what I was seeing, that I lunged for the man but fell straight through him and landed on my face on the other side of him.

    I picked myself up and followed him toward the back of the warehouse where I saw six other men sitting around a table full of bottles and funnels. It was a blood filling station. Nausea instantly overwhelmed my stomach as I watched the men filling brew orders. All of the men looked ordinary and unfamiliar, all except one. The man I¡¯d seen before in jeans and the zip-up hoodie stood next to the table with a clipboard and checked off names. When he looked up however, his face was blocked to me. Weird. Where his face should have been was a mass of black, like those identity blobs you see in front of peoples¡¯ faces on the news, the ones that don¡¯t want to be identified.

    I pointed a finger at the hidden man and turned to Bridget.

    ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Always hidden from us,¡± she said, her voice garbled as if she were speaking underwater. The only way he could hide who he was would be to cast a spell. Was the leader of the brew distribution a warlock? Not knowing was killing me! I had seen the man a few times now and still had no clue who or what he was.

    Movement behind me made me turn to see a man lift Bridget¡¯s dead body up and over his shoulder where he carried her to a door. I followed and saw that a van was waiting just outside the building where the man threw Bridget into the back. The van took off. I already knew where her body would end up, in Willow Creek Park. The whole place was absolutely horrible. These men were heartless cowards that deserved to be staked.

    My anger was bubbling when I began to feel dizzy again. The air felt like it was being sucked out of the room me along with it. It felt as if I were floating toward the door when oblivion struck and everything went black, again.

    13

    The next morning, I woke up on my bedroom floor, right where I had passed out the night before. I was groggy and lethargic but I managed to stand up and make my way to the kitchen where I sat before reaching for the telephone. I didn¡¯t know how, but I knew we had to find that warehouse, because it would lead us to the person behind the operation.

    I dialed Micah¡¯s number and waited for him to answer. After the third ring, a woman¡¯s voice greeted me.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said, pausing. ¡°I need to speak with Micah.¡±

    ¡°One moment,¡± the woman said with uncertainty.

    The woman was most likely Jamie, Micah¡¯s new flame. I thought about what Micah told me the night before and wondered if Jamie felt the same detachment towards Micah as he did towards her. I shook my head, it wasn¡¯t my business anymore and I shouldn¡¯t care what kind of relationship they had. Aiden, I need to focus on my relationship with Aiden.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Micah said into the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gwen. Are you busy today?¡± I said.

    ¡°The pack is having a cookout, but nothing important, why?¡±

    Werewolves loved to eat. I¡¯d been to many pack cookouts and remembered how fun they were. They would change into their wolf forms and play football. Big wolves that crashed into each other as they caught the football in their large mouths, it was amazing to watch. Being around weres was fun; most were laid back, good ol¡¯ boys, so much different from vampires.

    ¡°I saw the warehouse again last night and I thought we could drive around and try to find it¡­or if you¡¯re busy, maybe Wyatt can come with me?¡± I felt strange asking Micah to spend the day with me when his current girlfriend was probably standing within hearing distance, but I hadn¡¯t called him for romantic purposes. If it were nighttime, I would have called Aiden to go with me, even if I was still slightly ticked at him for standing me up at the Gala.

    ¡°Wyatt is busy. What do you mean you saw the warehouse again last night?¡± Micah asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Bridget Downey¡¯s ghost keeps pulling me into the realm of death and showing me things. Last night she showed me the warehouse I¡¯d seen in Amy Harper¡¯s memories and it was horrible. We have to find it, Micah.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think we¡¯ll be able to?¡± he countered. I shrugged my shoulders, suddenly realizing that he couldn¡¯t see me.

    ¡°It has to be close to Flora since the bodies are showing up here. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to drive too far away from their headquarters.¡± I didn¡¯t know this for sure but it made sense, time was money and they wouldn¡¯t want to spend a lot of time driving to dump bodies.

    Micah was too quiet for my liking and I suddenly felt stupid for calling him. ¡°Never mind, I can go by myself.¡± I¡¯d be safe during the day, since vampires weren¡¯t active until nightfall. If the man with the hidden face was a warlock, though, I could run into some trouble, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell Micah that.

    ¡°Can you meet me here in an hour?¡± Micah finally asked.

    ¡°Really Micah, I can go by myself. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your day. It¡¯s just¡­I need to put an end to this, I need to catch the bastard behind this.¡± I suddenly felt really tired, like I did the other day. Walking with the dead was exhausting.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I want to catch this asshole? Meet me in an hour at my house.¡± His voice said that it was a done deal and I heard the click of the phone. Well, looks like I would be visiting the Flora weres today.

    I had to be in top shape if I was going to track down a warehouse and possibly a warlock so I grabbed the baggie of teabags Ms. Ozland gave me and plopped one into a mug of hot water. It smelled of spices, cinnamon and possibly nutmeg. The smell however, did not match the taste; it was horrible. I bit back the bile that threatened to surge and quickly downed the cup of tea, rinsing my mouth with a glass of orange juice right after. I coughed and gagged but didn¡¯t vomit, thank the Goddess!

    Within seconds, I felt my energy returning, so much so, that I could feel the familiar hum of magic within me radiate against my skin. The tea might have been disgusting, but it worked fantastically.

    After hopping into the shower, I dressed in jeans and a white sweater and slipped on a pair of brown leather boots. October was normally decent in Missouri, but this year, it had been abnormally cold. I brushed my hair into a side ponytail and was ready to leave. I checked Fiona¡¯s room before I left, but it was empty. I jotted down a note for her to call me when she got in and taped it to her door. If she were mad at me from last night for supposedly hitting on the guy she was interested in, then she¡¯d most likely be over it by today. Or, at least once she talked to me, she would understand that I hadn¡¯t kissed Ian. I magically filled Aura¡¯s food and water bowls and then picked her up and snuggled her against my chest. She was too anxious to eat, so I set her down and left.

    To humans, Flora looked like a cornfield, owing to the enchantment spell that¡¯s cast over it. In truth, Flora was pretty big. The werewolves owned a small part on the outskirts of town where the forests were thick, allowing them plenty of running room. It took about fifteen minutes to reach the weres¡¯ territory and as soon as I hit their area, my nerves leapt like jumping beans and I had to take deep breaths to calm myself. The whole pack knew why Micah and I weren¡¯t together anymore. They knew that it wouldn¡¯t last when we first started dating, even when I didn¡¯t.

    There was only one were I did not want to see and that was Micah¡¯s father, the man who pressured his son into being with a were woman, instead of me. I knew the entire fault couldn¡¯t be laid on Micah¡¯s father¡¯s shoulders. Micah was a big boy, after all, and fully capable of making his own decisions, but I was more comfortable putting most of the blame on his father.

    Micah lived in a small ranch style house with a large tree filled yard. He had remodeled it since I had seen it. It now had wood siding, new windows, and a large porch on the front. I didn¡¯t know if Jamie was living with him yet, but I suspected the remodeling had been for her.

    I pulled my car into his driveway and got out before my nerves overcame me and made me turn right back around. I shouldn¡¯t have been so nervous around Micah anymore but his words from the night before had left me confused and piqued my anxiety. The front door was open, leaving the screen door as the only obstacle blocking my path. I knocked twice and waited uneasily and, just my luck, Jamie answered the door. Her brown hair had hints of auburn and was pulled half up in a barrette. Her eyes were the same amber color as Micah¡¯s and she was around five-foot-five. She was pretty, though and had the same edginess most weres had. She may look sweet but she could easily rip a head off.

    ¡°You must be the infamous Gwen,¡± she said with a smile. I looked away, unsure of how I was supposed to respond.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Gwen. Not sure I¡¯m infamous though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the witch who captured the wolf¡¯s heart. So much so, that he almost gave it all up for you?¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t snide or rude. I arched my eyebrows in shock. It was the first time I had heard anything of the sort and wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it, because in the end, he hadn¡¯t chosen me over his alpha father and politics.

    ¡°Oh¡­well¡­almost doesn¡¯t count,¡± I said with complete honesty. Micah almost giving everything up didn¡¯t matter to me; the thought didn¡¯t mean much when it wasn¡¯t followed by an action.

    ¡°I like you,¡± Jamie said with a grin. I smiled back and felt my anxiety slowly disappear.

 Page 21

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said with surprise.Advertisement

    ¡°Come on in, Micah¡¯s just getting out of the shower.¡± She opened the screen door wide enough for me to step inside and I followed her to the kitchen where I sat on one of the barstools. It was weird being in the house again. Micah had remodeled inside also, new floors and an entirely new kitchen. I noticed Jamie watching me with a question lingering in her eyes.

    ¡°You must think what Micah and I have is strange, considering what you two had had been real.¡± Jamie commented. I had no interest in having this conversation with her.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business,¡± I said, hoping she would drop it. In all honesty, it did hurt a little more after finding out that Micah had given me up to be with a woman he didn¡¯t even love. The wounds Micah had inflicted had healed, although the scars remained. I didn¡¯t want to open them up again.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s what we weres do. Some of us are lucky enough to find love within the pack, but for those of us who don¡¯t¡­¡± She shrugged as if what they were doing was a common thing and maybe it was. I didn¡¯t know much about were politics. I nodded my head, unwilling to comment on how I really felt.

    ¡°Are you dating someone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just recently started dating someone.¡±

    ¡°A warlock?¡± Her face was hopeful, like she wanted me to be happy with my own kind.

    ¡°Vampire,¡± I said with a smirk. She laughed and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms in front of her.

    ¡°You like the ones you shouldn¡¯t be with, huh?¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I was quickly becoming annoyed with Jamie¡¯s chatty personality. Who the hell did she think she was to question my personal life or me?

    ¡°I just mean, first a werewolf that is destined to marry his own kind and now a vampire that craves witches¡¯ blood.¡±

    Heat rushed to my cheeks as my anger rose to a boiling point. Micah had given me attitude for telling Aiden about brew. The hypocrite was he had told his girlfriend about the case also. Would it be immature to make the kitchen faucet explode? I noticed my magic amped up with my anger, side effects of the tea I drank, maybe?

    ¡°First of all, that¡¯s none of your business and second, not all vampires are drinking witches¡¯ blood,¡± I spat out, giving her a glare to match my feelings. Her pupils dilated a little and began to change to a yellowish color, her wolf must have felt threatened. Micah came into the kitchen to witness his ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend staring daggers at each other.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Jamie dipped her head and took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. I hopped off the barstool and headed for the door. Once outside, I took a couple of deep breaths myself. The conversation with Jamie had started off okay, but I didn¡¯t need her nose poking into my dating life. Aiden had never drunk from me nor showed an abnormal fascination in doing so. Maybe I was a little touchy when comparing Aiden to the monsters I¡¯d seen in the warehouse the previous night.

    Micah stepped out of the house and walked over to where I was leaning against the hood of my car. I hesitated to make eye contact but my pride forced me to look at him. He didn¡¯t look angry, which was good. I couldn¡¯t spend all day with him being in a bad mood.

    ¡°Sorry if I caused any trouble.¡± I said, not sure why I was apologizing. I didn¡¯t regret anything that I said but it felt like the right thing to say in this situation.

    ¡°Not your fault. Jamie is a little too inquisitive and stepped out of line.¡±

    ¡°You told her about the case?¡±

    ¡°She heard about it while I was on the phone with Wyatt.¡±

    Like vampires, weres had exceptional hearing and could easily hear a phone conversation from another room. I nodded my head but didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I hopped into the driver¡¯s seat of my car. Micah walked around to the driver¡¯s side and leaned on the door.

    ¡°Scooch over, I¡¯ll drive.¡±

    Deciding not to argue, I climbed over the middle console and plopped ungracefully into the passenger¡¯s seat. Micah was chucked and climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. I scrunched up my face in annoyance.

    Micah started the car and backed out toward the road while I messed with the radio so that the silence wouldn¡¯t cause any uncomfortable moments. We had been driving for about ten minutes before Micah turned the volume down and looked over at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That night Wyatt and I came to your apartment, when you passed out. How often does that happen?¡± He glanced between the road and me. I held up fingers as I counted how many times I remembered being in the realm of the death. Everything was happening so quickly, that I had a hard time remembering for sure.

    ¡°That night was the first night, but it¡¯s happened two other times since then. I think Bridget will be restless until we capture her murderer,¡± I said uneasily. Of course, I wanted the culprit caught but I didn¡¯t know how many more visits I could handle from Bridget, especially when I wasn¡¯t getting any helpful clues. We were as close to finding out who was responsible as we were the first day. Something in the back of my mind told me that if we found the warehouse, it, in itself, would tell us what we needed to know.

    ¡°So you think Bridget is responsible for your passing out? Like she¡¯s haunting you?¡± Micah asked, his voice less than convinced of that theory. I shrugged my shoulders because, in all honesty, I didn¡¯t know what the hell was happening with me.

    ¡°Ms. Ozland seems to think I may be part spirit walker but that¡¯s just crazy. I mean, no witch has had that power in over seventy years and the ones who do have it, are either insane or on every villain¡¯s hit list.¡± The perps didn¡¯t like getting ratted on by their victims. Only a handful of people in Flora knew that with the help of Aura, I could see the memories of the dead. Bridget was the first spirit I had actually interacted with and that was dangerous, for me. I trusted Micah, though, and didn¡¯t think he¡¯d announce that the dead woman they found by the woods had been talking to one of Flora¡¯s witches.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, Gwen. I¡¯ve never met a witch who could see memories of the dead. Is it so far of a stretch to think you could actually interact with them? You could very well be a spirit walker.¡±

    I cringed at the thought, but had to admit there was a possibility, even if I didn¡¯t want there to be. The first time I¡¯d ever seen into the mind of the dead was right after an elder had given Aura to me. Witches were gathered for the celestial celebration that was held every five years and Holly Humphrey, a member of the council, presented me with Aura. During the celebration, gifts were always exchanged, but I hadn¡¯t thought much of the adorable black kitten I received; witches and cats went together like peanut butter and jelly.

    I¡¯d been holding my new cat when someone screamed from within the large hedge maze that occupied the backyard of the Council building. We ran toward where the scream had come from and found a woman standing over the body of a warlock. He had a large hole burnt through his chest and his eyes were glassy. I almost vomited at seeing my first dead body, but even more so when Holly urged me to check for a pulse. Under normal circumstances, I would have told the person to go to hell, but Holly was a Council member and therefore demanded my respect. I crouched down and, with a shaky hand, reached for the dead warlock¡¯s wrist, while holding Aura with my other arm. A buzz of energy flowed all through me and then I was looking through the warlock¡¯s eyes. It had scared me so much that I instantly let go of the man¡¯s wrist and fell backwards.

    ¡°Something wrong, dear?¡± Holly asked me. I looked up at her in fear, not sure how to explain what happened. She gave me a knowing smile and later on told me that I was meant for great things. At the time, I thought her words were only for encouragement but thinking back to that night had me wondering if she knew all along what I was capable of.

    ¡°The sooner we end this case, the better,¡± I told Micah with disdain. He nodded his head.

    ¡°What did you see last night? You said it was horrible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was.¡± I paused, remembering the horrific scene I¡¯d witnessed as if I were there. ¡°Bridget was being drained on a cot, she died while I was there. A guy slung her over his shoulder and threw her into the back of a white van like she was trash.¡± I took a deep breath to calm my anger. ¡°There were eight men in the warehouse; six of them were filling orders. I saw the same man I saw in Amy Harper¡¯s mind, but his face was blocked.¡± The more I thought about that man, the more I wondered if he was a warlock, since vampires couldn¡¯t cast spells. I felt betrayed that one of my kind could be killing my sister witches.

    ¡°What do you mean, his face was blocked?¡± Micah asked.

    ¡°Whenever I looked at him all I saw was blackness covering his face, like a spell was protecting his identity. Bridget said she never saw his face either. It¡¯s starting to look like the ringleader might be a warlock.¡± Micah looked over at me in surprise and then was silently submerged in his thoughts.

    We had been driving for about thirty minutes when Micah pulled my car to the side of the road. I looked up from my cell phone and realized why he¡¯d stopped. A warehouse-type building sat in the near distance, surrounded by overgrown weeds.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± I told Micah.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Just a feeling, it doesn¡¯t look familiar.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re checking out every warehouse we encounter.¡±

    We both hopped out of the car and pushed our way through the tall grass and toward the warehouse. As soon as we got closer to the building, I knew with absolute certainty that it wasn¡¯t the one we were looking for. The walls weren¡¯t tall enough and neither was the overall size. The warehouse I¡¯d seen was a very large one; this one looked like it had been used for maybe storing farming equipment.

    Micah tried the door but it was chain locked. ¡°Unlock it,¡± he said.

    I shot him an unbelievable look and said, ¡°Kinda ironic that a detective is telling me to break into a locked building.¡± I laughed and focused my magic on the corroded padlock until the chain fell to the dirt.

 Page 22

    ¡°Detectives first,¡± I said, holding my arm out. He drew a gun I hadn¡¯t realized he had on him and stepped into the darkened warehouse with me right behind him. He looked to the left and then to the right, his eyes roaming over every inch of the building¡¯s interior. I stepped around him and repeated what I said earlier, ¡°This isn¡¯t it.¡±Advertisement

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d remember a big ass rusty tractor sitting in the corner.¡± Micah rolled his eyes and holstered his gun. After locking the doors, we headed for the car and were on the road again. The towns that surrounded Flora were all farming towns so there were a lot of back roads with expansive distances between them. It felt like we¡¯d been in the car for hours and I was beginning to go stir crazy when Micah slowed down and pointed to another building.

    ¡°What about that one?¡±

    The building in question was indeed a warehouse of sorts but not the right one. It didn¡¯t have any windows and the one I had seen had. I was starting to think the whole idea was dumb. We¡¯d already been driving for two hours and had only spotted two warehouses that weren¡¯t anything like what I¡¯d seen. I didn¡¯t even know what town we were in anymore.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said with aggravation.

    ¡°Alright, how¡¯s about we get some lunch and we¡¯ll pick this wild goose chase up after I have a full stomach.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders with indifference. I wasn¡¯t really hungry but werewolves ate all the time, so going two hours without eating was probably torture for Micah. We stopped at a small diner that looked like it should¡¯ve been shut down. The paint was peeling off the wood siding and the inside wasn¡¯t much better. It had a long counter with barstools lining the length of it while a few booths sat along the front wall, similar to a diner. Micah and I slid into a booth and waited for the waitress.

    I only ordered a glass of iced tea while Micah ordered almost everything on the menu. The waitress looked shocked but was nice enough not to comment on Micah¡¯s appetite; besides, it¡¯s not like Micah was fat. Werewolves have a high metabolism rate that helps burn off their high calorie diets, something I envied.

    While we were waiting for our food, I stared out the window but turned to face Micah when I felt his eyes watching me.

    ¡°Remember that little diner we stopped at in Illinois?¡± he asked. I released a heavy sigh and nodded, not wanting to comment further. Micah, Wyatt and I had gone up to Chicago to see a Cubs game. We¡¯d stopped at a small diner along the way where Micah and I had done the deed in the women¡¯s restroom. We had an ongoing game to see how many public places we could have sex in without getting caught. If I remembere correctly, we¡¯d made it up to ten. I didn¡¯t appreciate him bringing up that specific piece of history.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk about these sorts of things,¡± I said, giving him a glare. Maybe he didn¡¯t realize how hard our breakup had been on me but that was no excuse to talk about our intimate moments now that we were both with other people. If he thought this hole in the wall was going to be number eleven, then he was about to be disappointed.

    ¡°Have you thought about what I told you last night?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I lied. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t get you, Micah. You could have been with me for as long as you wanted but because daddy says you need to have were babies, you dump me and shack up with a woman you don¡¯t even love. Then, as if that¡¯s not bad enough, you tell me you still love me and bring up our sexual history.¡± My voice had risen along with my temper and right as I finished my rant, the waitress delivered Micah¡¯s food. She looked between the two of us nervously, like she¡¯d just interrupted a lover¡¯s quarrel.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told her when she set my iced tea in front of me. She gave me a tight-lipped smile and walked away. I spared a glance at Micah but quickly looked away. I didn¡¯t care for a man who didn¡¯t know what he wanted. Or one who knew what he wanted and didn¡¯t go after it. Aiden had always showed interest in me and hadn¡¯t given up on pursuing me until I was his, something Micah needed to learn.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand my world, Gwen,¡± Micah said through a mouthful of hamburger. I took a sip of my tea and hoped it¡¯d wash the bad taste out of my mouth.

    ¡°Maybe not, but you don¡¯t understand love. What exactly do you expect from me?¡± I was positive that once the case on brew distribution was done I wouldn¡¯t talk to Micah again. If the occasion arose again and the FPD wanted my help, I would only work with Wyatt. Micah didn¡¯t seem to know what he wanted and I didn¡¯t like the confusion it caused me. I instantly wanted to see Aiden; where the hell was he and why wasn¡¯t he answering my texts?

    I could see the wheels turning in Micah¡¯s head as he thought about my question, no doubt trying to come up with an answer that wouldn¡¯t set me off. At the moment, I wasn¡¯t sure anything he said wouldn¡¯t piss me off.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it¡¯d be this hard,¡± he began, pausing to think. ¡°I knew I¡¯d miss you but I thought I¡¯d done the right thing. Most were men mate with were women while they¡¯re still dating their other girlfriends. I didn¡¯t want to do that to you. Still I wonder if I should have, because at least then I wouldn¡¯t have to see you with Aiden.¡±

    I was quiet as I considered his words. If he had gotten a were woman pregnant while he was still with me, well, there was no doubt that that would have been the end of us. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay with him knowing he had a baby with another woman. The breakup had sucked, but it could have been worse, I realized. I shook my head in frustration because Micah wasn¡¯t getting the overall concept of our problem.

    ¡°Thank you for not doing that,¡± I said. ¡°but the problem isn¡¯t whether you could have cheated or not. The problem is that you chose breeding new weres over our relationship. That¡¯s not love, Micah. If you had truly loved me, you wouldn¡¯t have given me up so easily. As for Aiden, he¡¯s been there for me since I first met him. He¡¯s gone to the extreme to protect me from harm. What we had is history; let¡¯s just leave it at that and try to be civil for the sake of closing this case.¡±

    Aiden had killed two women at Rush to protect my identity, and, at the time, I had been sickened at how easily he killed. However, after seeing the lowlifes that filled orders for witches¡¯ blood, I wanted all of them turned to ash.

    Micah was quiet for the rest of his lunch and soon we were back in the car and driving again. He had taken a bunch of side roads and we ended up in a town that looked desolate. A few closed-down shops lined a cracked blacktop road, making it look like a ghost town. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but the place looked vaguely familiar. My eyes inspected the scenery and buildings as I tried to make the connection. The proverbial light bulb went off. Bridget hadn¡¯t been the one to show me this place; it had been Amy Harper¡¯s memories. It looked different during the daytime, but I was sure it was the city where Amy Harper had been kidnapped.

    ¡°This is the place,¡± I told Micah without a doubt. Micah pulled the Jeep to the side of the road and I hopped out and ran to the corner. There was an alley about ten feet up the sidewalk so I ran to it and, standing in the entrance, looked back at Micah to see if he was following. I stared down the long alley and closed my eyes as memories flashed through my mind. Amy Harper, scared and alone, had stood in this exact spot. She searched overhead but didn¡¯t see anything, then ran down the alley in hopes of losing her pursuer. I opened my eyes and followed the same path Amy had. When I reached the end of the alley, I was standing on what looked like the edge of town; cornfields and barbed wired fences lined one side of the street and, alongside the corn, was the warehouse.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Micah said from behind me.

    ¡°This is what Amy Harper showed me,¡± I told him. ¡°I think that¡¯s the warehouse.¡± I pointed to the building in question and started across the street. I was so anxious with the discovery of the warehouse that I stumbled over a stump. I would have fallen into the barbed wire had it not been for Micah¡¯s arms catching me. He wrapped a muscular limb around my waist and stopped my tumble. But, without thinking, my hand flew out to grab at anything and ended up on the wrong end of a barb. I pulled my palm away quickly and shook it as the stinging sensation shot through my palm. When I turned my hand over to see what the damage was, my palm was holding a pool of blood.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I said through gritted teeth. I was used to getting hurt, being born with two left feet and all, but it still hurt like hell. Micah pulled off his t-shirt and ripped it in two, using one half to soak up the blood and the other half to tie snugly around my wounded palm.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take you anywhere,¡± he said with a small smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of par for the course,¡± I agreed. My head was down as I watched Micah¡¯s white t-shirt turn red with my blood, but the realization that he was standing in front of me shirtless helped distract me. I looked up through my lashes and absorbed the broadness of his shoulders and the depth of the valleys that formed his impeccable muscular form. His brown hair brushed his shoulders as the wind played with it. His face had just enough stubble to be considered ruggedly sexy. He met my eyes with a longing I didn¡¯t want to see from those familiar eyes.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked in a soft tone, full of concern. I nodded my head because I was afraid my voice would crack. I quickly looked away and focused on the warehouse so that I wasn¡¯t staring into Micah¡¯s honey-colored eyes. I¡¯d been a fool to think that being around him wouldn¡¯t affect me. It had been almost a year since we¡¯d broken up, but being around him and hearing that he still loved me was hell on my heart, especially since I had a very sexy vampire who wanted to claim me as his. I still wasn¡¯t sure what Aiden and I were. In my terms, if I said I wouldn¡¯t date anyone else and only be with one guy, then we were dating. In vampire terms, claiming someone as theirs could mean I was his property, under his protection and forbidden to be touched by any other vampire. I had known Aiden for two years and that didn¡¯t fit with his personality. I knew he liked me as more than a piece of property, but the last couple of days he¡¯d been scarce.

 Page 23

    ¡°Gwen?¡± Micah said. I looked back at him and arched my eyebrows in a sort of ¡°Hmm?¡± response. My head was a cloudy, foggy mess, thanks to Micah and Aiden. Now was not the time to figure out my love life.Advertisement

    Micah leaned down slowly so that his lips were right in front of mine and I froze with surprise. When he pressed his lips to mine, I melted right where I stood. His tongue darted into my mouth and claimed my own as it swirled around and sent fire to erupt within me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his body, his warmth soaking all the way to my core.

    ¡°Stop¡­we have to stop,¡± I said, pulling away from him. The nausea that floated through my stomach was enough to make me want to vomit. I pushed away from him and walked a couple feet before bending over and sucking in deep gulps of fresh air. I was ashamed and pissed at myself for ever letting something like that happen. I cared about Aiden, possibly loved him and had just betrayed him with a man he hated.

    ¡°Gwen, I know you want to be with me. I can see it when you look at me. Are two people not supposed to be together because of the other people in their lives? I¡¯ve never stopped wanting you.¡± Micah spoke against my back but I couldn¡¯t turn around to look at him or speak to him. If he wanted me so much then why had it taken him a year to mention it, did his phone stop working within that time? Was seeing me again igniting old feelings that were causing him confusion also? Working with him again had been a mistake.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you, Micah,¡± I said quietly, like I was testing how the words tasted on my tongue. ¡°That was a mistake I won¡¯t ever repeat.¡± I turned to face him and searched within myself for the courage not to cry. The realization suddenly dawned on me that what had been between me and Micah had been false. Werewolves were primitive in their thinking and I had fallen for what I thought was love, when the only thing between us was attraction. I couldn¡¯t deny that the sexual tension between us went through the roof, but looking at him now, I knew it hadn¡¯t been full blown love. It wasn¡¯t what Aiden made me feel. With Aiden, I was smitten with the anticipation of his glance, or the sensation of his skin on mine whenever his fingertips brushed against my hand accidentally, the light in his eyes when he watched me or the sporadic beating of my heart whenever he was close. All of the little things that give you hints of internal emotions that can¡¯t be expressed through physical contact. Micah was comfortable to me, familiar, but he wasn¡¯t what my heart wanted. And, even if he didn¡¯t realize it yet, I wasn¡¯t what his heart was looking for either.

    ¡°You love the vampire.¡± He said matter-of-factly. I grinned at the blatancy of the statement and nodded my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told him.

    ¡°I do love you,¡± he said softly. ¡°I almost gave it all up.¡±

    ¡°If you did love me, you would have.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think Micah completely grasped the difference between ¡°almost¡± and ¡°doing¡±. It was a big step for him to even consider giving up expansion of the pack for me; no werewolf would do that. The bond that through a were pack is stronger than anything I¡¯d ever seen and, if he had given it up for me, he wouldn¡¯t have been happy.

    In the end, I could finally see that the hurt I had gone through had been the best thing for the both of us. Micah would go on to have little were babies with Jamie and possibly fall in love with her, while I would give myself wholeheartedly to the man I had loved for two years. And although Micah isn¡¯t a frog by any means, the kiss between us had made me realize who the real prince was. Aiden.

    After our nice little chat and my revelation, we finally made our way to the warehouse. I magically unlocked the door and waited just outside as Micah checked the inside. A lot of witches had learned to fight with their magic but I wasn¡¯t one of them. I could conjure a bat and hit someone upside the head, but I doubt I¡¯d be quick enough against a vampire. Seeing how the vampires had become our number one enemy, maybe the NAWC should require magical fighting techniques as part of our public education.

    ¡°All clear,¡± Micah said, peeking his head out the door. I stepped inside the warehouse, already knowing what it looked like. The broken down refrigerators I¡¯d seen the night before sat in the far corner. Two cots occupied the middle of the floor and off to the left was the office area. I walked toward the office, like I¡¯d been here a millions times and knew what I was doing. Micah followed and looked over my shoulder as I picked up the clipboard I¡¯d seen previously. I scanned the list of names and my breath caught as my eyes found Aiden¡¯s name. I had been hoping that I imagined that part of my night.

    ¡°Clients?¡± Micah asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I told him and magically made Aiden¡¯s name disappear from the list. I didn¡¯t need the FPD knowing my vampire beau was on a suspicious list of brew users. Out of curiosity, I searched for Ian Despereaux¡¯s name but it wasn¡¯t on the list. I handed the clipboard to Micah and searched the area for any other information. There was a computer sitting on the desk but it was password protected. Finding nothing else useful, I left the office and walked around the corner where I had seen the men sitting at the table. The table was right where I expected it to be but there weren¡¯t any supplies atop it. There were a few built-in cabinets along the wall but nothing of interest inside them.

    Micah pulled out his cell phone and rambled off the address to one of his co-workers. If the distribution team showed up, the FPD would catch them. I walked over to where I had seen Bridget¡¯s body and sat gently on the cot. I placed my hand on the pillow that had absorbed her tears and my own eyes welled up from the sadness. I¡¯d never had experience with junkies, but I had heard that they would do anything for their next fix, even kill innocent witches. It was an entirely different matter when the drug in question ran through my veins. Magic was a truly fantastic element that no one completely understood; but what separated us from the other supernatural species, could also get me killed.

    ¡°Ready to head back?¡± Micah asked.

    I nodded my head. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The ride back to Flora was quiet. Micah was either embarrassed or pissed at what occurred between us. I knew a small part of my heart would always be occupied by Micah but it was more of a fossil from my history, than a sore spot.

    Once back at Micah¡¯s house, I thanked him for going with me and got into the driver¡¯s seat to head back to my apartment, leaving what had happened between us in the rearview mirror.

    14

    Spending the day with Micah had left me exhausted, the effects of Ms. Ozland¡¯s tea having worn off. I was happy with the fact that I was able to lead Micah to the warehouse where Amy and Bridget had been drained. If the bastards stepped foot in there, they¡¯d be ambushed by the FPD. I smiled at I thought of the case finally coming to an end.

    I was curled up on the couch watching reruns of I Love Lucy when Fiona¡­and Ian, walked into our apartment. What the hell was she doing with him? I must have dozed off during Lucy because I hadn¡¯t even realized it was nightfall. Fiona messed around in the kitchen while Ian made his way into the living room. He was dressed in jeans, a navy thermal, and a black leather jacket. His blonde hair was perfectly gelled and his blue eyes sparkled against the faint glow of the lamplight.

    He sat on the arm of the couch and after observing what I was watching, smiled down at me.

    ¡°Good evening, Gwen,¡± he said, his tone light and a grin on his lips. I quashed the attraction I felt towards him and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked, sounding ruder than I¡¯d intended. He hadn¡¯t done anything to me, per se, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that everything wasn¡¯t all it seemed with Ian Despereaux.

    ¡°Do you fault me for wanting to see you again?¡± he asked in a low voice so that Fiona wouldn¡¯t hear. I wondered what exactly was going on between him and my best friend, especially since he was showing interest in me. I made a note to track down Aiden later on and ask him about his so-called friend, even if he had been ignoring my calls and texts.

    ¡°And why did you want to see me again?¡± I asked with indifference. There was a glint in his eyes that sent butterflies erupting into a whirlwind throughout my stomach. Whether I trusted him or not, he was hot! Vampires aren¡¯t gorgeous like some ridiculous books portray them to be. In reality, they look just like they did before vampirism. Aiden and Ian had been dealt a generous hand when it came to the looks department, although I preferred Aiden to Ian.

    ¡°How serious are things with Aiden?¡± Ian asked out of left field.

    ¡°How serious are things between you and Fiona?¡± I retorted, reminding him that he had come waltzing through the door with my best friend. It was obvious enough that Fiona liked Ian, too much for him not to notice. I didn¡¯t appreciate him leading her on if he didn¡¯t share her feelings. I mentally wondered what Ian had said to Fiona about our kiss. Thinking about the kiss left me feeling cheap. In the day I¡¯d been away from Aiden, I had kissed two different guys. I cringed internally at the thought of Aiden thinking I was a whore. The butterflies Ian had figuratively placed in my stomach disappeared into a cloud of nausea.

    ¡°Fiona is a wonderful woman but we¡¯re friends. I find myself enamored with her roommate.¡± He winked and I wanted to throw up. I was spared having to come up with a witty comment because Fiona walked into the living room and stood next to Ian as if she were struck with anxiety from being away from his side for even a few minutes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, looking between Ian and me. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded toward the television.

    ¡°Watching I Love Lucy,¡± I said. ¡°What are you two up to?¡± My voice held a curious edge that I hoped Fiona wouldn¡¯t decipher as jealousy. I wanted to know if Ian had led Fiona on into thinking that they were more than friends, and then, when her back was turned, planned to start making advances on me. I had enough to deal with, I didn¡¯t need a vampire playboy stomping all over my and Fiona¡¯s friendship.

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    ¡°Ian and I were on our way to Vain. I just needed to pick something up,¡± Fiona said, giving Ian a lingering glance that worried me. I felt like an old mother hen as I watched my best friend crush on the wrong guy. I wanted to forbid her from seeing him, but unless I wanted Fiona pissed at me for who knows how long, I couldn¡¯t exactly stop her from seeing Ian. What I could do, was act as a chaperone.Advertisement

    ¡°Oh, that sounds like fun! Care if I join you?¡± I asked with a wide smile. I could see the hesitation in Fiona¡¯s eyes, whereas Ian¡¯s held nothing but amusement.

    Fiona began to speak, but Ian interrupted her before she could politely tell me that she preferred to be alone with Ian tonight.

    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Ian said with a smile. I beamed at Fiona, not Ian, so that she would see that I had no interest in spending time with him. The only thing I wanted from Ian was information on who he really was and why he was so interested in fooling my best friend.

    I felt the familiar tingle of my magic as I switched out of my pajamas and into a black ruffled mini skirt, purple halter top and matching purple stilettos.

    ¡°All ready!¡±

    ¡°Can I speak to you for a minute?¡± Fiona all but forced out. I hopped off the couch and followed her back to her bedroom. I knew exactly what she was going to say but that wouldn¡¯t change my mind.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fiona whirled around to face me with ire in her eyes. My own eyes shot wide at her tone, not realizing my tagging along would make her so pissed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, feigning innocence.

    ¡°Why are you going after Ian when you know that I like him?¡± Whoa, I hadn¡¯t seen that one coming. My eyes roamed her small bedroom as I tried to think of a way to tell her that the only interest I had in Ian was keeping him away from her. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d swallow that pill easily.

    ¡°You have Aiden and obviously Micah stills loves you; are two men not enough?¡± she asked. ¡°Who do I have? Liam?¡± She let out a sarcastic laugh. Fiona had always been perceptive, able to read people easily. So why weren¡¯t her warning bells chiming when she was around Ian?

    I let out a sigh. ¡°Fiona, I have no romantic interest in Ian. I just¡­don¡¯t trust him,¡± I finally said, ready for her to blow up. When she was too quiet for my liking, I said, ¡°I also wanted to go to Vain because I haven¡¯t heard from Aiden.¡± She gave me a look that said she wasn¡¯t buying it and I resisted the urge to literally shake some sense into her. Why did she think that I was after Ian? The kiss! I had forgotten, thanks to my drama- filled day that Fiona had seen Ian kiss me. I still didn¡¯t know what he had told her, or if he had told her anything

    . ¡°Ian kissed me, I didn¡¯t want it, that¡¯s why I slapped him. The only vampire that¡¯ll be kissing me is Aiden.¡± At least, that¡¯s what I hoped. He might not want anything to do with me after finding out Ian and Micah had kissed me.

    A sharp stinging sensation erupted across my cheek, sending me whirling into dizziness for a few moments. I placed a hand on the side of my face and realized that Fiona had slapped me! My mouth hung open and my eyes shot wide as I looked at my best friend full of anger and hatred directed at me.

    ¡°What the hell, Fiona?¡± I asked, flabbergasted.

    ¡°My father warned me that you were trash and it seems he was right! Stay away from Ian and me. I¡¯ll get my things out of your crappy apartment tomorrow.¡±

    Tears instantly filled my eyes, causing my vision to go blurry. I was so confused by what was happening, all I could do was gape at Fiona, as if I¡¯d never met her before.

    ¡°Why?¡± I managed to get out. Fiona turned around and sneered with disgust, like I was clothing from the Goodwill.

    ¡°You kiss the guy I¡¯m dating and then ask me why I¡¯m pissed?¡± I shook my head with denial; hadn¡¯t I just told her Ian kissed me? Furthermore, she had seen the kiss, I knew with absolute certainty she had, so why was she acting like this was the first she¡¯d heard of it? I didn¡¯t get a chance to respond because Fiona stomped out of her bedroom and within seconds, I heard the door slamming. Tears cascaded down my cheeks like graceful waterfalls as reality slammed into my brain. Fiona hated me and wanted to move out.

    Anger slowly replaced my hurt as I thought about how things had been fine until Ian Despereaux showed up. If it were the last thing I did, I¡¯d expose the fa?ade he was parading all over town.

    I pulled into Aiden¡¯s driveway and marched up to his door, slamming my fist against the expensive timbered door. Aiden would know what to do where Ian was concerned and I was going to make him talk to me.

    The door opened to show Aiden half-dressed, his hair disheveled and a drop of blood along the side of his mouth. I swallowed the bile that threatened to escape my lips.

    ¡°Well, hello, my Gwen,¡± he said in a sultry voice. He stepped onto his porch and wrapped his arms around my waist while his nose roamed up and down the length of my neck. A shudder flowed through my entire body as his breath tickled my skin. I leaned into him, not realizing that I needed his comfort so much. Before I could blink my eyes, he had picked me up and carried me into his house, setting me on his sofa.

    ¡°What the hell has gotten into you?¡± I asked, half turned on and half scared. Aiden was always flirtatious but gentle in his actions; this was a side of him I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°I find myself craving you.¡± His eyes gobbled up my short mini skirt, halter top and stilettos which I formed when I thought I was spending the night at Vain. The reason

    I was not there slammed into the forefront of my mind and erased any ounce of lust I possessed.

    I stood up from the couch, but Aiden slid up behind me, his erection straining through his pants and pressing against my backside. He drew my hair to one side to expose my throat and began trailing kisses down the nape of my neck. My eyes closed with pleasure as he began to grind against the back of me. This certainly hadn¡¯t been the welcome I anticipated, but I wasn¡¯t complaining. His hand caressed the bare skin of my legs, disappearing underneath my skirt. When his fingers trailed between my legs and pushed on my center, a moan escaped my lips, which he echoed. He bent me over and ripped away my panties in one quick motion, his fingers sliding into my wetness. I grabbed the sofa as the friction from Aiden¡¯s fingers sent me over the edge.

    When he withdrew his fingers from me, I silently pouted. He turned me around and pushed me back onto the sofa, edging himself between my legs with a sexy glint in his eyes. His head disappeared under my skirt and I bucked up as his tongue discovered a different set of lips. With sheer desire, I arched my back against the sofa and moaned with delight; the boy could do wonders with his tongue!

    All of my euphoria was squashed as soon as I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned my head and froze with anger, seeing a woman as naked as the day she was born descend to the first floor. Her hair was auburn and hit just below her shoulders and her breasts were as fake as Aiden¡¯s feelings for me. She gave me a smile but I could see a hint of jealousy as she watched Aiden between my legs. My chest heaved with anger rather than pleasure and my breath seemed to fail me as I gasped for understanding.

    I formed a white orb of magic in my hand and sent it to the side of Aiden¡¯s face, throwing him six feet across the living room. He quickly regained his footing and snarled.

    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± I yelled, pointing to the woman in question. Aiden shot a look at the nude woman as if it were a perfectly normal to have naked women in his house. Had Aiden¡¯s claim on me meant something entirely different than what I had thought? It didn¡¯t fit; I knew Aiden loved me as sure as I knew that if he didn¡¯t explain the woman¡¯s presence, I¡¯d fire another shot of magic at him.

    ¡°Dinner,¡± Aiden said, his voice sounding confused as he looked between the woman and me.

    ¡°You are some kind of asshole, you know that? And to think, I was ashamed of kissing Micah when all the while you were playing me like a fiddle. Kudos, you really had me fooled.¡± I shook my head as if trying to dislodge the information I just learned from my memory but I wasn¡¯t that lucky. The thoughts that I¡¯d been betrayed by the man I just realized I loved, swirled around my brain like a hailstorm. His half-dressed appearance and the drop of blood on his lip all explained themselves to me now¡­What a night this had turned out to be.

    ¡°You kissed Micah?¡± he asked in a tone as cold and sharp as an icicle. I felt stupid and wanted to ball up in my sheets and cry until the whole mess worked itself out, but in my experience, disasters didn¡¯t clean up after themselves. Aiden¡¯s hand stopped me from walking through his door and just as I was about to throw another orb at him, he caught my hand. It was hard to catch a vampire off guard. The only reason I was able to earlier was because Aiden¡¯s focus was on more carnal needs. His eyes seemed to be at war with his thoughts as he looked at me, but those gorgeous blue pools wouldn¡¯t fool me again.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming back upstairs?¡± the naked woman whined. Aiden kept hold of my hand but turned to face the bimbo and said, ¡°Get out.¡± The woman¡¯s fear was evident as she scrambled upstairs only to rush back down with a pile of clothes in her hands. She pushed past me and I cringed when one of her fake boobs brushed against my arm, I wanted to vomit!

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I snarled and fought to break free but my attempts were about as effective as trying to tip the Statue of Liberty over. Aiden¡¯s grip didn¡¯t budge as I pulled away from him.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± he said.

    I laughed bitterly. ¡°Calm down? I just caught you with a naked woman!¡± I kicked my leg out, landing a blow between Aiden¡¯s legs, which rewarded me with a snarl and being pinned to the floor. He held my hands to the cold tile while his hips pinned my legs. Fear rushed through me when Aiden¡¯s fangs fell from his gums and his eyes turned as black as his heart. Tears I couldn¡¯t stop, fell from my eyes as I wondered if this would be the end of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m having a very hard time controlling myself, so unless you want to end up drained, you should calm down,¡± Aiden hissed. I stopped fighting against him and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to calm myself, per Aiden¡¯s instructions. When I opened my eyes, Aiden¡¯s head was hung as he himself took deep breaths.

 Page 25

    ¡°I can hear it calling to me,¡± he said.Advertisement

    ¡°Hear what?¡± I whispered, fearing the answer.

    ¡°Your magic. Your blood. Your body. I crave it like nothing else.¡±

    My heart didn¡¯t care that I was trying to remain calm; it began to speed up and thump rapidly against my chest as fear-induced adrenaline raced through my body. Aiden¡¯s name in black ink instantly flashed into my subconscious as I remembered the client list we found at the warehouse. Aiden wasn¡¯t acting like himself. He was acting like an addict.

    15

    Aiden had climbed off me and allowed me to get up but still held onto my arm so that I couldn¡¯t throw anymore magic or try to leave. A silence settled over the house as I tried to think of how to deal with a vampire Jonesing for what ran through my veins. I wanted nothing more than to flee from his house and never look back, but I¡¯d have to play willing captive if I had any hopes of escaping.

    ¡°How did this happen?¡± I asked, avoiding eye contact. If I looked at him, the tears would resurface and I needed a clear head.

    ¡°Remember my friend from Chicago that was sending the sample?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Well,¡± Aiden continued, ¡°he brought it down here himself and insisted I try it for myself. I don¡¯t know if he was suspicious or just excited to have me try something so fantastic, and it was, the most fantastic thing I¡¯ve ever tasted, Gwen.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes had gone distant as he thought about the brew he sampled.

    ¡°I thought only younger vamps could be affected by it.¡± Of course, that little tidbit of information was only hearsay; in truth, we didn¡¯t know what the hell the effects of witches¡¯ blood did to vampires.

    ¡°No, it can affect any vampire. For the younger ones, it causes a high much like speed and ecstasy mixed. For the older vampires, such as myself, the magic gets absorbed in the blood and¡­¡± Aiden stopped, unsure if he should tell me what our blood could do.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± I urged.

    He took a deep breath. ¡°If we drink enough of it, we can use the magic in the blood. Perform magic. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s the most incredible thing I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±

    I frowned at his excitement while my insides remained frozen in fear. Witches, like every other species, have authorities we have to answer to, should they use their magic for harm instead of good. If vampires could somehow absorb the magic in our blood, then they could use it for whatever they wanted without having to answer to the NAWC (North American Witches Council). Vampires had their own politics and answer to certain kings and queens; if the NAWC got wind that vampires were stealing our magic, all hell would break loose. Not only would the witches be fighting against the vampires, but our two governments would be in combat as well.

    Finding out that Aiden had been drinking brew was like a sucker punch to my gut. The man I had only recently decided I possibly loved, was involved in the case Micah and I were fighting to end.

    ¡°How much have you drunk?¡± My voice came out shaky, matching my trembling hands. The beautiful man that I¡¯d known for two years, who I¡¯d come to love, was quickly turning into one of the bad guys. A strand of his dark hair escaped and hung over one of his aqua-blue eyes. I yearned to brush it back and continue where we left off, before the bimbo made her appearance known. Aiden¡¯s head snapped up and he inhaled the air as if he smelled something, his eyes closing and a sigh escaping his perfectly kissable lips.

    He pulled me on top of him and claimed my mouth with a ferocity that only caused me fear. I pushed against him but he held onto my hips so that my panty-less center was perfectly atop his erection. His eyes were black when he looked up the length of me and his fangs had emerged again. My hands were pressed against his chest, to keep that fang-filled mouth as far away from me as possible. I knew if he wanted to bite me, my hands on his chest wouldn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°I can smell your desire for me, my Gwen.¡± Without warning, his fingers slipped inside me and moved back and forth, causing a conflict of emotions to erupt within me. I was fighting the lust that he ignited with every thrust of his long delicate fingers, and losing.

    ¡°Do you like that?¡± he asked, his voice thick with desire. I nodded my head because I wasn¡¯t able to speak; my mouth was too busy moaning. I heard a zip and then felt the warmth of skin against my leg. When I looked down, Aiden had freed his rock hard erection and it was sitting happily against my leg, like a dog waiting to be petted.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± I objected, falling backwards off his lap, in my attempt to get away from him. I had just learned a plethora of bad news and he was trying to get his rocks off! I ran toward the door, only to slam into the hardness of Aiden¡¯s chest. I bounced back and before I could slam into the ceramic tiled floor, Aiden caught me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run from me, Gwen. I couldn¡¯t handle it if you feared me.¡± He trailed a finger down the side of my face and I could smell my scent on his hands. I pushed against him but once again, but it was useless.

    ¡°What do you want from me, Aiden? Your next fix?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, I¡¯d never hurt you. I want you to understand what is happening to me and ¡­ help me.¡±

    I stopped my struggle as I heard that he wanted help in fighting this addiction that was consuming him. I nodded my head and his grip on me loosened. Although I feared this side of Aiden, I wouldn¡¯t let it turn him into a monster. I¡¯d help him in any way I could.

    ¡°First off, what the hell was the bimbo doing here? Why should I help you if all you are is a cheating bastard?¡± If my heart kept up at its rapid pace, I would have a heart attack but the whole situation was gut wrenching. I worked on calming myself but my whole body shook with anger, hurt, and fear. My eyes were puffy from crying and they weren¡¯t done yet, tears lazily fell against my cheeks as I waited for Aiden¡¯s answer.

    ¡°She was a gift, from Louis,¡± he said.

    ¡°Gift?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a low level witch that sells her blood to vampires.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why she was butt ass naked and you¡¯re shirtless. I thought¡­¡± I paused to catch my breath which seemed to be sucked from my lungs with each new piece of information Aiden gave me. ¡°¡­I thought you and I were an item. Obviously I was wrong.¡± I hugged my arms across my chest as if to hold my heart from literally bursting through my ribcage. Aiden watched me with remorse and longing, which did nothing but piss me off. It was too late to apologize for something as extreme as sleeping with another woman.

    ¡°Her other vampire clients use her for sex while feeding, it heightens the experience, so she thought I¡¯d want to also. When she arrived, I had just gotten out of the shower and hadn¡¯t put a shirt on yet. When I went upstairs to feed, she was naked on my bed. Nothing happened, except feeding, I promise, Gwen. I know this looks bad, but I would never hurt you purposely.¡±

    I pursed my lips as I considered his words. I wasn¡¯t gullible, by any means, so instead of taking his word for it, I cast a truth spell on him. I sent my magic out toward him and watched as wiry waves of light blue, invisible to him, swirled around his head.

    ¡°Are you telling me the truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have sex with the bimbo?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Did you touch her in any sexual way?

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°How much witches¡¯ blood have you drunk?¡±

    ¡°Twice.¡± His voice had a robotic tone as my magic worked on him. Deciding that I was happy with the information, I pulled my magic back to me and dissolved the spell. It was tempting to question him about his feelings toward me, but I decided that if he were to say he loved me, I¡¯d want to hear it without the influence of magic.

    He blinked and looked at me as if wondering what had just happened. I gave him a small smile, feigning indifference.

    ¡°So brew is a fast acting addiction?¡±

    Aiden nodded his head. ¡°It is. I¡¯ve only tasted low level witches, but your magic calls to me like a bar to a wino, it¡¯s stronger than I¡¯ve tasted.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes were fixated on my neck as he spoke.

    I snapped my fingers in front of his face and said, ¡°Pay attention.¡±

    His eyes met mine apologetically. ¡°You interrupted my feeding and I¡¯m finding it difficult just to be around you.¡± Well, that was just fucking dandy! Not only had Aiden not drank enough, but the magic in my blood was so strong that he couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything other than my jugular.

    ¡°You have any bagged blood?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t drink that stuff and even if I did, it doesn¡¯t taste right without the magic in it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay with you drinking witches¡¯ blood, Aiden.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just¡­so¡­hungry.¡± His eyes had turned black the more we talked about blood and his fangs were exposed. I knew it was dangerous to be around a starving vampire. I didn¡¯t know what to do, he wouldn¡¯t drink regular blood and I wouldn¡¯t put a fellow witch in the path of Aiden¡¯s fangs.

    ¡°Drink me.¡± The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. I knew it was the only way to satisfy his thirst, but I also knew that I was fueling the fire that was his addiction, either way I looked at it, it was bad news.

    Aiden looked at me like I¡¯d just sprouted two heads, but the hunger in his eyes told me that he wanted nothing more than to taste what I was offering. I had never been bitten by a vampire, let alone an addicted vampire. I knew that if Aiden wanted to drink me dry, he could, and I couldn¡¯t stop him. I knew the risks of letting him drink from me, that he could kill me. But knowing that another witch would be spared because I had taken care of Aiden¡¯s thirst was comforting, even if just barely.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Aiden said.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous if you don¡¯t. I trust you; you won¡¯t kill me.¡± I said matter-of-factly. Aiden was struggling with something that I didn¡¯t understand, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t take it too far. He licked his lips in anticipation while my stomach dropped with fear. Vampires¡¯ bites are said to be pleasurable, but those two sharp pointy teeth didn¡¯t look capable of inflicting anything other than pain.

 Page 26

    He grabbed my hand gently and said, ¡°Upstairs.¡± I reluctantly followed him up the wooden staircase to his bedroom. The bed linens were perfectly undisturbed which proved that no hanky-panky had gone on up here. He stepped behind me and untied the neck of my halter top, letting it fall away from my breasts like a theater curtain revealing the silver screen.Advertisement

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I want to make love to you while I feed, it¡¯ll help me not focus so much on the blood.¡± He admired my breasts for a moment. ¡°Your body is enough to shake anyone¡¯s focus.¡± He slipped his thumbs under the hem of my skirt and pushed it slowly to the floor where it pooled at my feet, pressing kisses along my legs. I began to step out of my stilettos but Aiden stopped me.

    ¡°Leave them on. There¡¯s something sexy about a naked woman in heels.¡± He winked at me and a grin teased my lips. It seemed sex was helping me not focus on feeding Aiden as well. I was more anxious to feel him inside of me rather than his fangs piercing my skin.

    ¡°You have to promise me one thing since I agreed to feed you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that, my Gwen?¡± he asked with a smile.

    ¡°When we¡¯re done, I don¡¯t want to feel my legs,¡± I said with a wink. I at least deserved some hot sex out of the horrid ordeal. Aiden answered me with a nod and a smirk of his own. I unbuttoned his pants and pushed them to the floor to reveal that he wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear and his unit was very much ready for action. I wrapped my hand around his shaft and enjoyed the moan that escaped his lips. I moved my hand up and down, enjoying the hardness beneath my palm.

    I looked into Aiden¡¯s black eyes as I handled his erection and licked my lips as the desire grew thick between us. When it seemed Aiden couldn¡¯t handle much more of my teasing, he picked me up and sat me on the bed where his head lingered between my legs. I watched him down the length of my body and shivered when his tongue tasted the wetness he had caused. He worked his tongue with a talent I hadn¡¯t experienced, and if I were to ever become addicted to anything, it¡¯d be Aiden¡¯s talents. I moaned as my orgasm shot euphoria throughout my entire body, causing my body to feel limp and relaxed.

    Aiden laughed at my pleased expression and climbed on the bed to lean against the headboard. He held out both of his hands and waggled his fingers in a ¡°come and get it¡± motion. I¡¯d never been one to back down from a challenge, so I turned over and crawled slowly towards the sexiest man I¡¯d ever laid eyes on. I crawled between his legs and hovered my face just over his hardness, looking up at him through my lashes. He watched me with such want and desire that my own skyrocketed. I ran my tongue from the bottom of his shaft to the tip, like licking a lollypop. Aiden growled with anticipation but I wasn¡¯t done teasing him yet. I licked his length a few more times before swirling my tongue around the tip.

    ¡°You¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± He complained and I chuckled. Deciding he¡¯d had enough, I placed my mouth over his impressive length and let the heat and friction of my lips please him. After a few moments, I continued my way up the length of his body where I kissed his lips and let out a gasp as Aiden thrust his member inside me. He placed both hands on either side of my hips and moved me against himself. I moaned when he caught my nipple in his mouth and sucked.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said, staring up at me. I opened my eyes and looked down into the eyes of the man I loved.

    ¡°You are so beautiful.¡± I gave a small smile but my heart was full of happiness. Our bodies felt like they were meant for each other and there was nothing more beautiful than what we were sharing at the moment. It wasn¡¯t just screwing; it was lovemaking, intimate and personal. I absorbed the feel of him as another orgasm waited to be released. Aiden must have been close to the edge as well because he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down so that I would be closer to his mouth. I felt a sharp pain on the side of my neck, causing me to shriek. The pain subsided and washed waves of ecstasy throughout my body, causing my orgasm to erupt five times stronger than the first one. I melted against Aiden¡¯s chest as I enjoyed the finishing waves of pleasure that wafted throughout my entire body. I didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but Aiden¡¯s bite had heightened my orgasm. The more he drank, the longer the orgasm lasted. I was delirious with satisfaction and too far gone to worry if he was taking too much, if his bite felt this good, he could drink me dry, at least I¡¯d die happy.

    Aiden snarled and pushed me away, causing confusion to replace my exhilaration. When I looked back at where Aiden sat, I noticed his eyes were closed and he was panting heavily. Another myth was that vampires didn¡¯t need to breathe. That was false, blood needs oxygen for it to be any good and vampires need to breathe to feed the oxygen to their blood like everyone else.

    ¡°Aiden?¡± I said cautiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. You¡¯re so strong, Gwen.¡± He opened his eyes and I gasped at the eerie change. For whatever reason, the magic in our blood turned a vamp¡¯s eyes a bright electric blue. I didn¡¯t like seeing Aiden like this.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, clearly noticing that I was afraid of him.

    ¡°Your¡­eyes.¡± He tilted his head to the side as if curious by what I meant and the action sent gooseflesh to pebble my skin. Aiden had always been beautifully dark but with his eyes that color, he was eerily beautiful. He hopped off the bed and walked into the master bathroom to inspect his eyes.

    I expected a gasp or some sort of curse when Aiden saw what I had seen, but only dead silence greeted the bedroom. I flung my heels off and wrapped a sheet around my still naked body to see what he was doing. When I entered the bathroom, Aiden was staring at his reflection.

    ¡°Aiden?¡± I softly asked, not wanting to startle him. My life had never been normal, being a witch and all, but this wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go after making love. We were supposed to lie in bed and enjoy the feel of our skin next to each other while we caught our breaths and replayed how amazing the sex had been. I had been so stupid when I decided to feed him, but even if it were a stupid decision, what other option did I have? I couldn¡¯t let him loose to find brew elsewhere, where he could possibly kill.

    ¡°I can feel your magic dancing through my body,¡± Aiden finally said, looking back at me. ¡°You¡¯re in here too.¡± I arched my eyebrows in confusion and fear, not sure what the hell that meant. I¡¯ve lived alongside vampires for almost ten years, but I hadn¡¯t made it my mission to figure out their abilities.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Aiden abandoned his post in front of the mirror and walked over to where I stood in the doorway of the bathroom. Grabbing both of my hands in his, he said, ¡°I can feel your emotions. You¡¯re afraid right now¡­of me. That¡¯s the worst part about being hooked on brew. I don¡¯t want you to fear me, Gwen and I apologize that you have to see me like this. I will never hurt you. If I have to say it a million times before you believe me I will.¡± I nodded my head, unable to speak. Deep down, I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me but that didn¡¯t mean that the situation didn¡¯t scare me. I didn¡¯t want a boyfriend addicted to the magic in witches¡¯ blood or have to worry that I could lose him forever to such an addiction.

    Aiden held a rose out in front of me and I gasped with shock. ¡°Did you just conjure that?¡± I asked with disbelief. Aiden¡¯s smile was all the confirmation I needed. He had only drunk witches¡¯ blood three times now and he could already conjure objects; that wasn¡¯t good. I didn¡¯t realize my magic was as strong as he claimed but it made sense; he¡¯d only been drinking low-level witches, which consisted of psychics, tarot card readers, and mediums. I, on the other hand, am a full fledge witch, capable of producing my own magic. I was a lot stronger than what he had tasted.

    ¡°Aiden you can¡¯t use magic! Do you realize that the FPD is currently searching for the vampires responsible for this entire mess, and that they intend to imprison them for a hundred years, or worse, stake them?¡± I suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe. I gasped and grabbed at my chest as if I could push the air back into my lungs. I was in the middle of a shit storm with no way to escape. My ex-boyfriend was hunting down the vampires responsible for the murders of witches, my current boyfriend was addicted to the blood of witches, and my best friend was obsessed with a possible lunatic. In my opinion it didn¡¯t get any worse than it already was, not that I wanted to test that theory.

    Aiden was rubbing my back and saying, ¡°Breathe, Gwen, just breathe.¡± I sucked in big gulps of air and closed my eyes as I listened to his soothing voice. The heaviness in my chest lessened and I could finally breathe. A thin dew of perspiration lined my forehead and my heartbeat was slowly returning to normal.

    ¡°Get dressed; we¡¯re breaking your addiction tonight!¡± I said, glaring at Aiden. I couldn¡¯t live with knowing that Aiden was able to produce magic because he had drunk the blood of a witch, my blood. If the information got out to the FPD or the NAWC, he¡¯d be ash by the end of the week. I didn¡¯t know exactly how we¡¯d break his addiction, but I knew one person who might have knowledge, Ms. Ozland.

    16

    Aiden wasn¡¯t too excited that his addiction could be broken tonight, but what addict got excited about quitting their beloved drug? I sat on Ms. Ozland¡¯s worn sofa, while Aiden paced her small living room, like a caged animal. I worried about telling her about Aiden¡¯s problem. This situation was personal for us witches. She could easily let it slip to the NAWC that Aiden was involved with drinking witches. Unfortunately, she was the only one I could think of that might be able to help with his problem.

    ¡°So,¡± Ms. Ozland began with her hands clasped in her lap. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± Ms.Ozland was dressed in a long flowery nightgown that looked too large for her small frame. Her salt and pepper hair was braided and reached the middle of her back. To most people, she looked like your average grandmother, but her magic could definitely pack a punch.

    I released a heavy sigh, debating whether I was doing the right thing or not but I finally resolved to worry about that later. ¡°You heard of the two dead women that the FPD found?¡± I asked and she nodded her head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s vampires killing witches¡­for their magic.¡± I let that statement sink in but Ms. Ozland didn¡¯t look as appalled or shocked as I had when I learned the news.

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    ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± I said, wondering how she could hear the news she just had without revealing an ounce of surprise. She smiled sweetly at me, as if I were a child who just learned Santa Claus didn¡¯t really exist. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how old Ms. Ozland was, since witches don¡¯t age the same way humans do. Once the magic chooses someone, your biological makeup also changes. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say she was close to one hundred and fifty years old, even though she only looked sixty. She had definitely seen and learned a lot more than I had in my twenty-six years.Advertisement

    ¡°There are many secrets to our world that we wish to keep to ourselves but every so often one gets out and, as you know, it¡¯s our duty to retrieve it,¡± she said, giving me a look I didn¡¯t fully understand. I nodded my head as if I understood, but mentally I was as confused as a person with Alzheimer¡¯s.

    ¡°Well¡­um, it seems witches¡¯ blood is addictive and causes the younger vamps to feel high while it allows the older vampires utilize its magic.¡± Ms. Ozland nodded her head and frustration grew deep within me. Was I the only one new to this information?

    ¡°And your vampire friend here is one of the addicts?¡± she asked as she stared at Aiden. I nodded my head. ¡°And you want to know how to help him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is there a way to break this?¡±

    ¡°There is, but it¡¯s going to be painful.¡±

    ¡°I can handle pain, I just want to stop this,¡± Aiden finally chimed in. I wondered if he was having second thoughts and would run out of the house. I really didn¡¯t want to see him in pain but if it would end his addiction, then I¡¯d suck it up and do whatever I had to.

    ¡°Not for you,¡± Ms. Ozland said to Aiden. ¡°It¡¯ll be very painful for you,¡± she said looking at me. My eyes widened as I wondered just how painful it¡¯d be and why it had anything to do with me, I wasn¡¯t the addict.

    ¡°Forget it, I can beat this on my own. I won¡¯t see Gwen suffer for my sins,¡± Aiden said.

    Ms. Ozland smiled sweetly at him and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid once our magic intertwines itself in your system; this is the only way to get rid of it.¡± Aiden looked at me like he was tortured at the thought of me being in pain. I tried to act like I wasn¡¯t scared and that this would be a walk in the park, but the truth was, I was terrified. There was no point in trying to hide it from Aiden. He could feel my emotions ever since feeding from me. I was a bit depressed that I wouldn¡¯t be able to experience his bite anymore. It had been one of the most amazing sexual experiences of my life. Aiden chuckled and I shot him a look, crimson coloring my cheeks. He may not have been able to tell what I was thinking exactly, but he must have known I was thinking about sex. He winked at me and I quickly looked away. I didn¡¯t like him knowing what I was feeling.

    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± I asked Ms. Ozland, getting my mind back on more important things.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Gwen,¡± Aiden said.

    ¡°You heard her, this is the only way. If it¡¯ll help you, I¡¯m doing it.¡± I said, my voice saying that this wasn¡¯t up for debate.

    The small coffee table that had been sitting in the middle of the floor, instantly levitated and slowly moved to the other side of the room.

    ¡°Both of you sit,¡± Ms. Ozland said, pointing to the empty space. I sat Indian-style on the floor and waited for Aiden to join me. I didn¡¯t know if he was being stubborn because he really didn¡¯t want to see me in pain or because he didn¡¯t want to give up how the magic made him feel; probably a little bit of both. Aiden reluctantly sat on the floor in front of me, a look of chagrin coloring his face. He sat with his knees propped up while his arms circled them, causing his shirt to press tightly against his bicep. I admired his body while a heat stirred in my southern region. Aiden¡¯s eyes found mine and a devilishly handsome grin made itself known on his kissable lips. It had been a year since I¡¯d slept with anyone, but Aiden had ignited a fire, I thought was doomed to go out, courtesy of my crappy love life. Like a real life Casanova, Aiden swooped in and rescued my forgotten libido.

    I realized we were staring hungrily into each other¡¯s eyes when Ms. Ozland¡¯s tiny hand snapped in front of me. The heat that had been building in my stomach quickly rushed to my cheeks and showed my embarrassment.

    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± she said to Aiden. He held his arm out, palm side up but his eyes were still fastened on me.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Aiden snarled, his fangs descending and his eyes black. We looked down at his hand. Ms. Ozland held a small dagger; with a red tip Aiden¡¯s pointer finger dripped a deep crimson where she had stuck him with it.

    ¡°Suck on his finger,¡± she said, thrusting Aiden¡¯s hand towards me. I looked at her like she¡¯d lost her marbles and hesitated too long. Aiden¡¯s finger healed as if he¡¯d never been stabbed. Ms. Ozland let out an annoyed sigh and held the dagger towards Aiden¡¯s finger again but he snatched his hand away.

    ¡°Has anyone ever told you it¡¯s very dangerous taking blood from a vampire without their permission,¡± Aiden said, his tone deadly calm. I shot Ms. Ozland a worried look, afraid Aiden might attack her. She seemed unfazed by Aiden¡¯s unspoken threat and grabbed his hand again.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to take a witches¡¯ blood as well,¡± she warned.

    ¡°Maybe you should explain what we¡¯re doing,¡± I said to her, hoping that would calm the tension that suddenly intruded into the small space.

    ¡°You will need to drink his blood in order to reconnect with the magic you gave away. When the blood hits your tongue, withdraw the magic from it and take it back into yourself.¡±

    I wrinkled my nose in disgust. ¡°Exactly how do I withdraw the magic?¡± I was a young grasshopper next to Ms. Ozland and I could see the smile in her eyes as she observed the ignorance of my magical knowledge.

    ¡°When the blood hits your tongue, your body will recognize the magic that¡¯s in it. Claim the magic as your own.¡± Ms. Ozland explained. She held the dagger towards Aiden¡¯s hand and, with the nod from Aiden, pierced the tip of his finger again. She didn¡¯t need to throw his hand at me this time because Aiden willingly held it to my lips. I reluctantly plunged his finger into my mouth and sucked the blood that spilled from his wound. It seemed a little too intimate to have witnesses and I¡¯m sure my cheeks were the color of the very blood I was drinking.

    ¡°Now, do you feel the hum of magic in his blood?¡± Ms. Ozland asked. I concentrated on the metallic, slightly salty taste and tried to pick out the magic that lay somewhere beneath the normal tang. It was subtle at best; Aiden definitely hadn¡¯t been drinking brew for very long. My tongue became tingly, almost numb as I connected with the familiar hum of my magic.

    Come back to me. I¡¯m willing you to return to my body. I thought over and over, feeling absolutely ridiculous. Luckily, Ms. Ozland and Aiden couldn¡¯t hear my lame attempts at reconnecting with my magic. When I thought all hope was lost and that this wasn¡¯t going to work, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through my entire body. I fell back onto the floor and withered under the intense pain that seemed to be coursing through every inch of my body. My body shook with convulsions as a war raged within it, like my magic was a virus my body was trying to fight off.

    ¡°Make¡­.it¡­stop,¡± I begged through clenched teeth. I was sure that if someone didn¡¯t save me, I¡¯d be dead within the next couple of minutes. It felt like my body was going to explode all over Ms. Ozland¡¯s quaint little living room.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening to her?¡± I heard Aiden ask harshly. If he decided to attack Ms. Ozland, I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing but watch her die. Tears streamed down face and my heart beat like a drum against my chest. My skin felt hot like my magic was sizzling me from the inside out and my muscles cramped as I fought against the pain.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine in a couple of seconds,¡± Ms. Ozland said.

    ¡°She better be,¡± Aiden warned.

    ¡°If not for you, she wouldn¡¯t be in this pain, vampire.¡±

    Aiden didn¡¯t comment on Ms. Ozland¡¯s words but knelt down beside me and brushed my hair out of my face. His eyes were terrified as he watched me.

    Suddenly I was levitated in the air four feet and a strong burst of energy blasted into my stomach. I let out a bloodcurdling scream that I was sure the whole town heard. I felt weightless and at peace as soon as the energy settled itself within me.

    Great, I¡¯m dead. I thought. I didn¡¯t feel any of the pain I¡¯d been subjected to just moments before and a strange calm washed through the entirety of my body. My hair flowed out from around my head like it was floating in an invisible pool of water I couldn¡¯t see. I stared up at the ceiling and wondered when the bright light would make itself known. I wasn¡¯t sure if supernatural creatures experienced the same death experiences as humans, but I had hope, and felt too curious not to see what lay behind the bright light.

    I started to turn so that I was now hovering vertically rather than horizontally and I wondered if I looked like Bridget did to me, all gray and ghostly. At least I was wearing a cute outfit for eternity and not my rubber ducky flannel pajamas. Aiden was kneeling on the floor with hands bracing him and Ms. Ozland was sitting in her favorite floral chair, watching me. I arched my eyebrows at the thought that Ms. Ozland could see me.

    When my feet hit the floor, I decided to try out my new ghostly advantages. I walked over to the nearest wall and started to go through it, only to run face first into it instead.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I yelled as I cupped my nose. Ms. Ozland¡¯s laughter made me turn my head and I saw that Aiden was now looking at me too.

    ¡°You guys can see me?¡± I asked with disbelief.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we be able to see you?¡± Aiden asked. I looked down to where I had been lying, and then back at my audience. ¡°I thought¡­¡± I started but had to suck in a deep breath as realization set in that I wasn¡¯t dead at all, somehow I¡¯d survived through the torment. ¡°I thought I was dead,¡± I told them, visibly relieved that I was wrong.

 Page 28

    ¡°You are very much alive my dear,¡± Ms. Ozland said. My hand went to my heart as relief washed all over me.Advertisement

    ¡°What happened?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I was so shocked, I mean I was warned that it would be painful, but I expected maybe a stomach ache or a headache. I hadn¡¯t expected it would feel like I was being burned from the inside out. The only evidence that I¡¯d just been tortured by magic was the thin layer of sweat that lined my forehead and the rats¡¯ nest that sat atop my head. I conjured a rubber band and ran my fingers through the knots; then drew it back into a ponytail.

    ¡°Your magic was in a foreign place, a dark place so to speak. Magic is from nature, the energy that makes up everything, you see. It¡¯s not natural for it to settle into something so dark, such as vampire. We all know that the vampire virus is the devil¡¯s work, whereas magic is Mother Nature¡¯s. The dark and light cannot coexist together harmoniously. When you accepted the magic back into you, it was angry and had to reconnect within yourself,¡± Ms. Ozland explained. In the grand scheme of things, it made sense, but to think of my magic as something capable of having feelings, such as being angry, was tough to swallow. It made it seem like I was possessed by my magic.

    ¡°Is he cured?¡± I asked, nodding towards Aiden. He had been unusually quiet since I came out of my torture. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and looking down at his feet with ire burning in his eyes.

    ¡°You took your magic away from him which I suspect was the strongest he¡¯s had?¡± She asked and I nodded my head. ¡°The rest of the magic is weak and will be out of his system by tomorrow night. He¡¯ll have to feed on regular blood tonight and tomorrow but should be fine afterwards.¡± I shot him a look to get his approval but he wouldn¡¯t look at me. I sent him a glare that went unnoticed and then glanced back at Ms. Ozland.

    ¡°Thank you for helping us and I¡¯m sorry we bothered you so late. I¡¯ll be happy to pay you for your time.¡± She waved off my attempts at paying her and ushered us to the door. Aiden pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table and then walked out the door. Ms. Ozland looked at the cash and then up at me. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled and then followed Aiden outside. Before Ms. Ozland could close the door, I turned around and said, ¡°The other vampires, the ones who are addicted to our blood, would the same process work on them?¡± It was painful, sure, but it¡¯d be worth it to clean up a horde of vampires to prevent them poaching on witches anymore.

    ¡°No,¡± she said sadly. ¡°Those witches aren¡¯t alive anymore to reclaim anything. I¡¯m sure the NAWC is working on solving this problem, we¡¯ll just have to leave it in their capable hands.¡±

    ¡°The NAWC knows about this?¡±

    ¡°Of course, dear. The NAWC knows everything where witches are concerned.¡± I bit my lip and nodded my head, wondering what the North American Witches Council had planned for cleaning up the mess. I was also hoping word about Aiden¡¯s small trip down brew alley didn¡¯t get out.

    ¡°Goodnight Ms. Ozland and thank you again.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Night, dear.¡±

    I walked down the small pathway and out through the gate to where Aiden waited for me. He didn¡¯t look at me when I reached him and when I grabbed for his hand he pulled away and walked over to his car after opening the passenger¡¯s side door for me. I hopped inside and he appeared in the driver¡¯s side almost instantly, starting the car and pulling away.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I thought he was feeling guilty about what I had endured, that maybe he needed time to forgive himself. I thought that maybe losing my magic had put him in a bad mood, like an addict getting all pissy when they¡¯re without their drug. What I didn¡¯t expect was him pulling the car off to the side of the road and hopping out, slamming the door behind him. I turned in my seat to see where he went and noticed he was leaning against the back of the car. I opened my door and climbed out of his sporty Cadillac coupe, walking toward the back.

    There was a full moon, high in the sky that cast a silver glow on our little town. In the distance, I could hear the werewolves howling as they hunted their dinner. They didn¡¯t need a full moon to change, but they couldn¡¯t fight the change during one. I kept far away from Micah during that time, it left him moody.

    ¡°Aiden?¡± I whispered. He looked up at me through a strand of his dark hair, his eyes showing that whatever he was about to say, was going to be bad. I lifted my hand to put on his shoulder but he pushed off the car and walked a couple feet away from me.

    ¡°Gwen,¡± he began. I crossed my arms across my chest, needing the security they offered as I waited for him to say whatever he needed to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to go through that tonight. I¡¯m sorry that I was the cause of it and most of all, I¡¯m sorry I let you down.¡± I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his slim waist, resting my head on his shoulder. I loved the way his arms seemed to comfort me, the way no others could. One of his hands played with the strands of my hair while the other one rubbed my back. I closed my eyes, pausing a second to absorb the moment.

    ¡°If you were a smart woman, you¡¯d run as far away from me as possible and never look back,¡± he said softly into my ear. I smiled and silently laughed, more to myself than for his benefit.

    ¡°I¡®d rather be dumb, if it means I get to be with you,¡± I said. ¡°What happened tonight was as much my fault as it was yours. If I hadn¡¯t fed you blood, then I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through the pain of getting it back.¡± I pulled away from him so that I could look into his eyes, a sudden thought demanding attention. ¡°Is Ian a brew addict also?¡± Even though Fiona hated me, I still wanted to make sure she was safe.

    ¡°Ian who?¡± Aiden asked casually.

    ¡°Ian Despereaux, your friend. The one you sent to pick me up for the Gala when you stood me up, which I haven¡¯t forgiven you for, by the way.¡± I was smiling because I knew that there wasn¡¯t much Aiden could do that I wouldn¡¯t forgive him for, but I quickly lost my humor when he looked at me with confusion.

    ¡°You know, Ian,¡± I said again, hoping the third time would knock some sense into Aiden¡¯s memory. When he didn¡¯t reveal that he knew the name, a sudden dread snaked its way through my body and settled into the pit of my stomach.

    17

    Aiden and I headed to Vain. That was the only place I could think of when it came to finding Fiona. I tried her cell but she wasn¡¯t answering my calls. If something happened to her, I¡¯d never forgive myself for allowing her to leave with Ian. I knew I should have trusted my gut feeling and now, because I didn¡¯t, something bad could happen to my best friend.

    We made our way through the back door and I rushed ahead of Aiden toward the front of the club to search for Fiona. Vain was really busy with visiting humans wanting to experience a real life vampire club. I heard moaning coming from a curtained room. Vain allowed feedings, and while vampires could glamour humans into doing almost anything, Vain had strict consent rules. The vampires that wanted to feed off any humans had to check in with a receptionist and only after confirming that the human was willing and not under the vampire¡¯s hypnosis, could they feed in a private room.

    I stood up on my tiptoes to see if I could see any blondes that resembled Fiona, but none of them looked familiar. Pushing through the club goers, I scanned everyone¡¯s face in hopes of finding either Ian or Fiona. A man with a large beer gut slapped my ass and before I could zap him, he screamed out in pain. I turned to see that Aiden had his hand twisted behind his back.

    ¡°Apologize to the lady,¡± he snarled. The man winced with watery eyes and looked like he might piss his pants.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­I didn¡¯t¡­mean to offend you,¡± The man stuttered. I nodded. I really didn¡¯t have time to deal with a human who had had too many drinks and was feeling frisky. Aiden released the man, who collapsed in a nearby chair with shaky hands.

    ¡°That was a little extreme,¡± I told Aiden.

    ¡°I happen to hold you in very high regard. Have you seen Fiona?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. What if we don¡¯t find her? If something happens¡­¡± Tears began to fill my eyes and threatened to spill as thoughts of the worst case scenario played through my mind. I had seen, through the memories of Bridget, exactly what the brew dealers were capable of. I couldn¡¯t deal with the idea of Fiona going through that.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find her,¡± Aiden said.

    ¡°How? How are we supposed to find her when she won¡¯t take my calls?¡± I knew he didn¡¯t have the answer but was just trying to make me feel better. Right now seemed like a good time to be optimistic. I had to believe that Fiona was okay and that Ian wasn¡¯t who I feared he was.

    I saw a head of blonde hair near the private rooms and dashed like a madwoman across the dance floor. I got a lot of curses and snide remarks from the partiers but I didn¡¯t care. I reached the private rooms and pulled back the curtain of the room I had seen the blonde enter. A tall black man was sitting on the couch while the blonde stood in front of him. When she turned around, she gave me a fang-filled smile.

    ¡°Sorry, I thought you were someone else.¡± I left the room feeling completely lost. I tried Fiona¡¯s cell phone one more time but my call went unanswered again. I never really knew what hopelessness and despair felt like until now; my optimism had clearly hauled ass out the window.

    My phone went off and I quickly tried to flip it open but my hands were too excited and it dropped to the floor and slid down the hallway. I ran in a bent over position to retrieve my ringing cell phone and swiped it up, opened it, and pressed it to my ear.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said, my voice breathless. ¡°Fiona?¡± I hadn¡¯t looked at the caller I.D. in my mad dash to answer my phone.

    ¡°Gwen, it¡¯s Micah,¡± his voice was somber at best.

    ¡°Micah?¡± My eyebrows pushed together with my confusion. I had been anticipating Fiona on the other end, so Micah¡¯s voice caught me off guard. I gripped the phone tighter. Micah only called when he needed me to read a dead body. I silently prayed he hadn¡¯t called about Fiona.

 Page 29

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he continued, hesitant to speak. ¡°Gwen, we need for you to meet us at the entrance of town, on the north side.¡± I could tell he was hiding something. His voice held the heaviness of sadness that turned my blood an icy cold.Advertisement

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Micah?¡± I whispered as I stared blankly at the wall in front of me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you get here.¡± I nodded my head without realizing that he couldn¡¯t see it and flipped my phone shut. An icy breeze gripped my neck, sending shivers to dance along my spine. We were inside, but I recognized that breeze. I¡¯d felt it whenever I saw Bridget. It was death.

    Aiden drove to the northern entrance of town and I stared blankly at the darkened landscape as it blurred past my window. When the car stopped, I noticed Micah and Wyatt standing by a large oak tree with their arms crossed and heads hung. I pushed the car door open and sluggishly stepped out. Aiden grabbed my hand but the gesture did nothing for me. I told him about the conversation with Micah and, although he didn¡¯t say it, I could tell he was worried. We walked through the tall grass and over to where Micah and Wyatt stood. There was a body, but unlike the others, this one had a sheet draped over it.

    When I made eye contact with Wyatt, I knew who was under the sheet. He gave me a sad confirmation with a nod of his head and I collapsed to my knees as tears blurred my vision. Aiden¡¯s arms went around me as I sobbed against his shoulder.

    ¡°I have to see her,¡± I said, looking up with desperation. Maybe they¡¯d gotten it wrong. Maybe it was just someone that looked like her. Micah looked at Wyatt and then down at me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea, Gwen. She doesn¡¯t look like the others.¡±

    My breath caught in my throat and my entire body began to shake. I placed my hands out in front of me and dug my fingers into the moist earth, needing to steady myself with something solid. I took deep gulps of air into my lungs but it didn¡¯t fill the void that settled in the pit of my stomach. I crawled over to where the body lay and with unsure hands, folded the sheet back.

    My hand instantly dropped away from the sheet when Fiona¡¯s face greeted me. It actually was her, my best friend. It hadn¡¯t been a case of mistaken identity like my subconscious prayed for. Her blonde hair gracefully lay flat while her face was turned away from me. She didn¡¯t look pale, like the other bodies. I turned her face toward me and red caught my peripheral. Her neck looked like an animal had taken a large chunk out of it. Dark blood colored her otherwise perfect skin, the contrast being unbearable.

    Aiden pulled me up off the ground and into his arms where I collapsed against him, unsure if my legs could hold me up. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt while I screamed into his chest.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let her see that! What the hell were you guys thinking?¡± Aiden yelled at the two detectives. It wasn¡¯t their fault; I¡¯d been the one who pulled the sheet away, the one who needed proof.

    I wiped the salty tears away from my eyes and cheeks and took a deep breath to calm myself. It was useless of course. Fiona¡¯s body hovered in my peripheral, making calming down nearly impossible.

    ¡°It was Ian Despereaux,¡± I said to no one in particular. Of course, I didn¡¯t have proof that Ian had killed Fiona, but I knew in my gut that he was responsible.

    ¡°Is that the man you were with at the Gala?¡± Micah asked. I nodded my head as I suddenly remembered Ian¡¯s lips being on mine. Nausea turned my stomach, threatening to make me vomit. It had been one big game to him, the story about Aiden working late, their friendship, and accompanying me to the Gala. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure why he was playing with me, but I vowed to myself that if it were the last thing I did, I¡¯d find out.

    Wyatt pulled out a small radio and sent a message to one of his staff to bring in Ian Despereaux. That was easier said than done, he wasn¡¯t from Flora and we had no idea how to find him or get a hold of him. I knew that Fiona¡¯s death was a message to me personally. Ian knew that I¡¯d see her. Every time I was around him I felt as if he were watching me with an interest I didn¡¯t appreciate.

    Wyatt¡¯s radio went off and he held the button to talk into it. When he was done, he clipped it to his belt and said, ¡°Ian¡¯s at the police station and he wants to talk to Gwen.¡± I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion and anger at the thought of even seeing the man responsible for Fiona¡¯s death.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk to him, Gwen,¡± Aiden said. I looked up at him and wondered how he expected me not to talk to him, to find out what he wanted; it was the least I could do for my dead best friend.

    ¡°Yes I do,¡± I told him sternly.

    Fiona¡¯s body had been moved to the morgue while Aiden and I accompanied Wyatt and Micah to the police station. It seemed like the night was endless. Not only had I dealt with Fiona hating me, but I also discovered my so-called-boyfriend was addicted to brew, went through torture to save him from himself, and found out that my best friend had been murdered. As I walked down the sterile hallway towards the holding cells, I knew this night was nowhere close to being over. I prayed for the sun to move on fast forward and give me an excuse why I couldn¡¯t see Ian, but we still had three hours until the sun rose.

    Micah pushed through the swinging doors that led to the cells with me right behind him and Aiden bringing up the rear. The main jail area held six cells that were currently vacant, but we kept walking to the door on the far end that led to the cells designated for vampires. My heart pounded and slammed against my chest like a sledgehammer and my deep breaths did nothing to calm it. I knew who I¡¯d see beyond that gray door and what he had done; the adrenaline inundated my body like a flashflood.

    Micah turned and said, ¡°Are you sure you wanna do this?¡± His eyes searched mine for any hints of hesitation, but I was sure he couldn¡¯t find an ounce of doubt.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Aiden grabbed my hand and squeezed it the tiniest bit and then we all three walked through the door to confront Ian Despereaux.

    18

    Ian was leaning against the interior brick wall with his arms crossed across his chest and his ankles crossed. His eyes followed me all the way down the small hallway until I was standing in front of his cell. I wasn¡¯t sure how I would react to seeing him again, but throwing a fit would have been understandable. Instead, I was calm. I eyed him with an anger I didn¡¯t even realize I could harbor. I was definitely calm before the storm; my insides churning like dark, cloudy skies, ready to explode.

    Micah and Aiden flanked me while I stood front and center, ready for Ian to discuss whatever he wanted with me. My hands fisted at my sides as I waited for him to speak first, I wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of seeing me throw a temper-tantrum. He didn¡¯t know that what he had done to Fiona was gnawing away at me and destined to leave me in a heaping mess of tears and loss. I would not give him the satisfaction of witnessing the distress he caused.

    Ian pushed off the wall and walked over to the bars that separated us. His hands wrapped around the thick bars and he quickly pulled them away as a thin wisp of smoke floated from his burnt hand. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth but I quickly straightened it out and remained emotionless. The FPD made sure that the vampire cells were encased with pure silver. For reasons unknown vampires can¡¯t tolerate silver.

    ¡°I take it you got my message?¡± Ian said. I bit down on the screams that wanted to leave my lips; I would not go off on him.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said softly. It tore me apart to know that he referred to Fiona as a message he was using to get to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, but it¡¯s you that we need and your attention was necessary.¡±

    ¡°How about just asking for what you want instead of murdering an innocent woman? Whatever game you¡¯re playing, your strategy sucks. There is nothing to hold over my head now,¡± I spat out with a bitter laugh. Ian smiled devilishly and pressed his face close enough to the bars to keep from touching them but still close enough to my face. I wanted nothing more than to take a step back and away from him but I wouldn¡¯t back down from his taunts.

    ¡°You know,¡± he began, running a finger over his bottom lip. ¡°after our kiss, it¡¯s all I think about.¡± His eyes turned black with desire as he stared intensely at me. Aiden¡¯s fist moved so fast, that all I saw was a blur as he punched Ian through the silver bars. When he pulled his arm away, his flesh was singed but otherwise okay.

    ¡°Lie again, asshole, and it¡¯ll be your head that¡¯s ripped off next,¡± Aiden warned with a deadly calm tone. Ian licked the blood that dripped from his lip and I watched in awe as it healed before my eyes.

    He laughed and made eye contact with me again. ¡°Ask her if I¡¯m lying?¡±

    I turned to Aiden and said, ¡°He kissed me, I didn¡¯t kiss him,¡± and then turned back to Ian and said, ¡°I slapped him for it.¡± Ian laughed like the slap had been a playful one and not one of anger.

    Then he shrugged. ¡°You can defend your actions all you want, but I know what you felt in that moment; you can¡¯t lie about that.¡± Aiden snarled, pacing up and down the small hallway as if trying to conceal his anger.

    ¡°Does your darling Aiden know that you shared a kiss with Detective Reynolds here?¡± Ian nodded towards Micah. I openly gaped at him, confused as to how he had known about that. I hadn¡¯t told Fiona. I knew exactly what Ian was doing, he was trying to cause an argument between the three of us and I hoped it wasn¡¯t working. I told Aiden about me and Micah kissing when I found him with the naked bimbo, but he hadn¡¯t mentioned it since. It seemed like a million nights ago.

    ¡°Yes, I know about that,¡± Aiden said as he stared holes into Micah. I thought I was going to have to witness Micah and Aiden fighting, but Aiden took a deep breath and said, ¡°Quit stalling. What¡¯d you want to talk to Gwen about?¡± I had no clue why I was even standing in the jail, giving Ian what he wanted. I wanted nothing more than to go home, crawl under my blankets and cry. The more I thought about that though, the more I didn¡¯t want to go home. Fiona wouldn¡¯t be there and I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the emptiness her death would cause.

 Page 30

    ¡°You are special, Gwen,¡± Ian said, interrupting my thoughts. I brought my eyes back to him and cocked my eyebrow, unimpressed.Advertisement

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me and if you don¡¯t get to your point, I¡¯m walking out those doors.¡± I was slowly losing what meager control I had over myself and was on the verge of frying him to a crisp.

    ¡°Oh I know more about you than you think. We¡¯ve been searching for someone like you for a while now.¡±

    ¡°We who?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m the only one who you¡¯ll deal with.¡±

    I released an annoyed sigh and ran a hand over my forehead. ¡°Whatever game you¡¯re playing, I¡¯m not interested.¡± I turned to leave, not wanting to look at Ian anymore. It seemed he liked playing with me like I was prey that he was just waiting to kill.

    ¡°Even if I could bring Fiona back?¡± Ian called from his cell. I stopped in my tracks and half turned to face him.

    ¡°He¡¯s lying, Gwen.¡± Aiden said. I ignored him and walked back to Ian¡¯s cell, my hand tingling with the magic that waited to be directed.

    ¡°You already took her away from me, now you¡¯re going to taunt me with her resurrection? You are stupid aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s taunting? I am one hundred percent serious. I can bring her back on one condition,¡± Ian said with a serious tone.

    ¡°Why would you?¡± I countered. Fiona meant nothing to him and I was sure that the only thing he wanted me for was my blood. He was currently stuck in jail and not getting out anytime soon. Not to mention, the dead couldn¡¯t be brought back. Their souls moved on to the hereafter and those who didn¡¯t, still couldn¡¯t connect with their bodies anymore.

    ¡°I have my reasons.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter? Wouldn¡¯t you do anything to save your best friend? Whatever the price to bring her back is worth it isn¡¯t it?¡± Ian asked with knowing eyes. It could have been my weariness or the loss I felt for Fiona, but I was actually thinking about his offer. He was right, it didn¡¯t matter what he wanted from me, if it meant Fiona would be okay.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gwen, you don¡¯t have to put up with this,¡± Aiden said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me towards the door. I dug my heels in as best I could and ran back to Ian.

    ¡°Prove it, prove that you can bring her back and I¡¯ll agree to help you.¡± A victory smile spread across Ian¡¯s lips while a shiver ran all through my body. I knew what I was saying was stupid but I couldn¡¯t risk not trying whatever Ian had up his sleeve.

    ¡°What? Absolutely not!¡± Aiden yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to see her body to bring her back,¡± Ian said, ignoring Aiden¡¯s protests. I looked expectantly at Micah but he didn¡¯t seem interested in what Ian was offering either.

    ¡°Please, Micah! What if it was Wyatt dead on that slab? What if there was a way to bring him back? Wouldn¡¯t you do it, or anything else to save him?¡± I was at the point of begging, but the seeds of hope had been planted in my mind and I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the possibilities. If Ian could prove to me that Fiona could be brought back, I wouldn¡¯t stop until it happened.

    ¡°Gwen, you don¡¯t even know if he can actually do it. This could be a ploy to escape. You should know better than anyone that the dead can¡¯t be brought back. If you agree to this, it¡¯ll be your body on that slab and I can¡¯t take that risk. I¡¯m sorry, Gwen,¡± Micah said with finality.

    ¡°I promise Gwen will not be killed. She¡®s too special,¡± Ian said. We all turned to look at him and Micah gave a gruff laugh.

    ¡°Excuse me for not believing a murderer.¡±

    Ian pursed his lips in mock thought. ¡°Do you have proof I¡¯m a murderer?¡± Micah began to speak but closed his mouth as he thought about what he could charge him for. Ian hadn¡¯t come right out and said he killed Fiona, or any other witch.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill her, then why did you turn yourself in?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I came to the police station because I knew you¡¯d be looking to blame me. I¡¯m not worried, though, because you¡¯ll find no evidence that ties her murder to me.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you know she was dead?¡± I asked in disbelief. His story sounded all well and good but he couldn¡¯t dodge the fact that he had come to the police station knowing Fiona was dead already.

    ¡°Because I saw who did it and what they want,¡± Ian said with a smile. I considered him for a few moments and crossed my arms across my chest. He reminded me of one of those animals I¡¯d seen on the Discovery channel. They tempt their prey into coming to them and then they strike. He knew the information would be too tempting for me to turn down. I could see myself getting closer and closer to the lions¡¯ den but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from exploring it.

    ¡°Who killed her and what do they want?¡± I asked. Aiden was leaning against the wall with a look that could kill and Micah stood just behind me waiting for Ian to answer my questions. I knew that Aiden was trying to keep me safe, but I couldn¡¯t risk ignoring Ian¡¯s tempting offer. I was powerful in my own right and could handle myself against Ian if I had to, or at least I hoped I could.

    ¡°I cannot tell you who they are but I can say that you, Gwen, are on everyone¡¯s wish list. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t been kidnapped yet, actually. And you are very lucky that it was me who found you and not the others.¡±

    I laughed bitterly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me, lucky.¡±

    ¡°Considering the other option, you are,¡± Ian said with a grave tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you guys heard, but I¡¯m not different from any other witch.¡± I released an aggravated sigh, annoyed that I was being targeted for the wrong reasons. Ian watched me with knowing eyes and I averted my gaze to the floor where I focused all of my attention on my stilettos.

    ¡°Shall we visit your friend then?¡± Ian asked. My head popped up and I looked back at Micah expectantly. ¡°You can keep him in silver while he tries to bring her back. If he can¡¯t do it, then you just throw him back in here.¡± I hoped my eyes conveyed my hopelessness and that Micah would fall under the weight of my stare.

    I was spared having to beg any further when Micah pulled out a pair of silver handcuffs and said, ¡°Turn around¡± to Ian. Ian happily complied and stuck his hands through the small window that allowed Micah to handcuff him. The handcuffs were made out of pure silver and Micah made sure that they touched Ian¡¯s wrist so wisps of seared flesh floated through the small holding area. I breathed through my mouth so I wouldn¡¯t inhale the smell of burning flesh; but it didn¡¯t help, I could still smell it. Micah unlocked the cell door and grabbed hold of Ian¡¯s arm, pulling him into the hallway and toward the door. I quickly followed behind them and shot Aiden a look that I instantly regretted. He looked pissed!

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re falling for this, you¡¯re smarter than that, Gwen,¡± he said, his tone filled with disdain.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that this is stupid, I know that!¡± I snapped back. ¡°But¡­what other choice do I have, Aiden? If there is a small chance that he can bring her back, even if it¡¯s only a one percent chance, then I¡¯ll try it.¡± I looked at him as my eyes blurred with unshed tears. The memories of what Fiona had looked like in the tall grass haunted my thoughts. I blamed myself for not watching after her like I should have. I knew that Ian was bad news and I still let her walk out of our apartment with him. If the FPD was looking for someone to charge with her murder, than I was as guilty as Ian. Okay, maybe not, but I felt like I was, I had seen her in the hands of the enemy and didn¡¯t rescue her.

    ¡°Please understand. Fiona is my best friend and she¡¯s been with me through so much. I can¡¯t accept that she¡¯s gone for good, not yet. Give me this one last piece of hope and then, if what Ian says is a lie, I¡¯ll deal with the loss of her, but not yet.¡± The tears that blurred my eyes fell slowly down my cheeks and I quickly brushed them away, not wanting to be weak in a moment that called for strength. I needed to have a level head at the moment.

    Aiden wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head as I tried to gain my composure. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get your hopes up. Have you even thought about how a vampire could be able to bring the dead back?¡± He spoke with a careful tone, as if I was on the verge of losing it, and maybe I was, I had been through a lot tonight.

    I lifted my head from his chest and wiped the tears away and sniffed, hoping that snot wasn¡¯t sliding out of my nose. ¡°How, as a vampire, were you able to conjure a rose?¡± I whispered so no one would hear. I had no clue what kind of tricks were up Ian¡¯s sleeve but I had hope that from his brew consumption, he could save Fiona. Aiden didn¡¯t say anything, knowing I proved my point.

    ¡°You guys coming?¡± Micah called from the opened doorway. I gave Aiden one last look and headed towards Micah and Ian. I didn¡¯t expect Aiden to understand what mindset I was currently in, but I wished he¡¯d keep his pessimism to himself, he¡¯d have plenty of time for ¡°I told ya sos¡± later.

    We all rode in Micah¡¯s SUV over to the morgue. My hands wouldn¡¯t quit shaking and I couldn¡¯t stop from bouncing my knee as I anticipated what would happen. We only had an hour before the sun rose and Ian and Aiden would be dead asleep until tomorrow night. I couldn¡¯t wait an entire day without knowing whether Fiona was alive or permanently dead. My mind reeled with the memory of first meeting Fiona, ten years ago¡­.

    The NAWC headquarters was in a special otherworldly town called Moon. A lot of humans thought that Moon was a werewolf town but witches also lived there. The phases of the moon play a very important part in our magic. I was sixteen then, when my powers chose me. I had gotten a summons to appear in front of the NAWC so that I could be initiated into the world of witches. My parents had happily shipped me off, since they were very religious and not comfortable with having a witch for a daughter. My mother had let it slip that her mother had also been a witch and that she hadn¡¯t spoken to her in almost twenty years. I guessed she was telling me that even though I was her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t speak to me either.

 Page 31

    Being kicked out at sixteen had been one of the hardest things I had to deal with at the time. I didn¡¯t understand why the magic had chosen me but because of it, I had lost my family. I hated the gift that was pushed upon me. My parents were nice enough to pay for a one-way bus ticket to Washington State so that I would be the NAWC¡¯s problem. I had grown up in the countryside of Illinois and hadn¡¯t ever been out of state. I cried a lot on the bus, in the privacy of the small bathroom. I didn¡¯t understand how a parent could throw their child out for something that wasn¡¯t their fault and I wanted nothing more than to run back to Illinois and be with them again.Advertisement

    The bus let me off at the entrance of Moon, which just looked like the edge of a forest. My duffel bag hung on my shoulder as I watched the bus fade into the distance. I turned back to stare at the trees in front of me and had an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. I was in a strange state, stranded alongside the highway with nothing but forest on both sides of me. I started to walk, certain the bus driver had mistaken my destination when I heard a soft whooshing sound and a blonde girl around my age, step out of the woods. She was dressed in black tights, a red and black plaid skirt, and a gray turtleneck. She didn¡¯t look like she belonged in a forest. I watched her for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

    ¡°Hi, are you on your way to the NAWC?¡± she asked excitedly. Who the heck was this girl that just popped out of the forest in the middle of nowhere dressed like she belonged in a private school? I thought. I nodded my head because my voice seemed to shy away from the bubbly girl.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the forest. I let her guide me through the forest; it beat walking down a deserted highway by myself.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Fiona Bennett. I arrived here last week although I¡¯ve always had magic; my father thought I should study in Moon this year. Daddy is a powerful warlock and expects a lot from me but I don¡¯t mind, I love magic and you¡¯ll love it too. What¡¯s your name?¡± Fiona said with a big smile. I arched my eyebrows, shocked that anyone could be this enthusiastic about being a witch.

    ¡°Gwen Sparks,¡± I said softly. We were standing at the edge of the woods and then Fiona pulled me over the edge and a warm breeze caressed my face and the forest disappeared into what looked like a town out of England, or at least the towns I¡¯d seen In English movies.

    ¡°You have like the perfect name for a witch you know that? Gwen Sparks,¡± she giggled and wiggled her fingers as if she were about to cast magic at me. I smiled at her charades and the tiniest bit of my loneliness disappeared.

    ¡°Gwen? We¡¯re here.¡±

    I looked up from my daydream and saw that Aiden was trying to get my attention. It had been a long time since I thought about my past.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, just thinking,¡± I told Aiden and climbed out of the SUV. Flora had a small hospital that was just a small square building with the morgue in the basement. The last time I had come here it was when I read Amy Harper¡¯s memories. With each step closer to the hospital I knew that it wasn¡¯t Amy Harper who waited for me in the basement.

    19

    The screeching of the metal tray echoed through the small room like nails on a chalkboard. I concentrated on my breathing instead of who lay on the tray. Two men that worked at the morgue lifted the body from the cold storage space and laid it on the table that sat in the middle of the room. The black body bag was like a nightmare come to life. I had to turn away from it so that I wouldn¡¯t start hyperventilating. I didn¡¯t claim to understand why certain things happened, and usually I agreed that everything happens for a reason, Fiona¡¯s death, I couldn¡¯t see the silver lining.

    ¡°You okay, Gwen?¡± Micah asked from my side. I had been staring intently at the brick wall and at the sound of his voice, my eyes slowly found his. I sucked in a chest full of air and nodded my head quickly. Micah didn¡¯t look like he believed me and he was right, I wasn¡¯t okay. All I saw when I thought of Fiona was how lifeless her body had been in the overgrown grass, the red that colored her throat, and the emptiness of her eyes.

    The two morgue men left the room, leaving the four of us to our privacy. I reluctantly turned around and ignored the heaviness in my chest. The bubble of hope that stuck in my gut was about to be busted and I needed to prepare myself for it. It goes against nature to be able to bring the dead back to life and I worried that if by some miracle Fiona was brought back, what would she be brought back as?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put yourself through this, Gwen.¡± Aiden tried to penetrate through my insanity again but I bit my tongue and kept my eyes focused on Ian. Aiden let out an annoyed sigh and leaned against the wall.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Bring her back,¡± Aiden snapped. Ian shook his wrist in a gesture that said he couldn¡¯t do anything with his hands bound.

    Micah walked over to him and said, ¡°If you try anything, you won¡¯t get any further than that door before you¡¯re dead, got it?¡± Ian smiled like Micah hadn¡¯t just threatened to kill him and nodded his head, his eyes watching me. Once Ian¡¯s hands were free, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and watched me with unspoken words dancing on his lips.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, my voice shrill.

    ¡°I need blood,¡± Ian said with a smirk. My eyes widened. ¡°Well we¡¯re in a hospital and they have blood.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand the delay. Why couldn¡¯t he just snap his fingers and make Fiona pop up and say ¡°Gotcha!¡± I could accept that it was a cruel joke if it meant Fiona was alive. Maybe she had planned this to get back at me for supposedly being interested in Ian.

    ¡°I need witches¡¯ blood,¡± Ian announced and was answered with Aiden¡¯s snarls and a low growl from Micah. If the situation wasn¡¯t so stressful, I would have felt honored to have two strong men be so protective over me. Unfortunately, the situation was dire and their amped up testosterone wasn¡¯t helping.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked suspiciously.

    ¡°So I can bring your friend back, of course,¡± Ian said sarcastically. I glared at him with all of my pent-up anger and he held his hands up in surrender. ¡°I have to use magic to bring her back; for that, I need the blood of a witch.¡±

    Aiden had pushed off the wall and was standing in front of me as my own personal vampire blockade. His body was rigid with his rock hard muscles ready to rip Ian¡¯s head off. His hands fisted at his sides and his feet were braced shoulder-width apart. I placed a hand on his shoulder and walked around his tense body. I shrugged out of my jacket and held my wrist out towards Ian. Aiden was in front of me so fast, I had to blink back my surprise. His eyes were black with anger and his fangs fully emerged.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± he snarled at me. Considering what Aiden and I had just gone through to get my magic back from him, it was a stupid action. I knew Aiden felt bad for the torture I went through to reclaim my magic, but I knew that¡¯s not what he was angry about. Vampires didn¡¯t like to share their property and to Aiden, that was exactly what I was, his property. What was fueling his anger was jealousy.

    ¡°I told you I was going to do whatever I could, if it meant bringing Fiona back,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice stiff. ¡°He won¡¯t take too much,¡± I said but I looked at Ian when I said it. I knew that I wasn¡¯t in any danger with Aiden and Micah there to protect me. I wasn¡¯t too thrilled to have Ian bite me, but I had to look at the big picture and that was Fiona.

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Aiden ordered and in return got a sarcastic laugh from Ian. Aiden was across the room and on top of Ian within milliseconds. Snarls and sickening cracks echoed through the room, leaving my stomach upset with nausea.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡± I yelled at Micah. He shrugged his shoulders as if the thought of ending the vampires¡¯ temper-tantrum was the very last thing on his to-do list. I grumbled my anger and walked over to the blur that was Ian and Aiden.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± I yelled at them. I might as well have been trying to tell a tiger to change its stripes, for all the good it did. I was way past my boiling point and didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with two vampires going at each other like rabid dogs. My hands tingled to the point of numbness and with all of my anger directed at the blur, I held my hands out and a bright blast of blue magic shot from my palms and hit my two targets, sending them to be blown apart from each other. The room was small so they had only landed a couple feet from each other. ¡°Enough!¡± I said strictly. Aiden and Ian groaned as they got to their feet and when it looked like they would go after each other again, I produced an apple sized orb of magic and held it at the ready as I eyed them both.

    ¡°We have less than an hour until the sun rises. We don¡¯t have time for games or jealousy.¡± I took a moment to give them both a dirty look and then held out my wrist again. ¡°Ian is going to drink from me and then he¡¯s going to bring Fiona back. If it doesn¡¯t work then I¡¯ll stake him myself. Aiden you don¡¯t have to be okay with this but you can not order me not to.¡± They were lucky I didn¡¯t turn them to ash right then and there, I was so pissed off.

    ¡°You¡¯re kind of a bad ass aren¡¯t you?¡± Ian said with one of his famous smirks. I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off myself and cut my losses, but I didn¡¯t. I arched a brow and gave a slight nod of my head, daring him to push me further. He bit his tongue and reached for my wrist. Aiden didn¡¯t say anything as he walked past me and out of the room, yelling a loud curse to echo in his wake. I knew that it had to be hard on him, but with the night I was having, I couldn¡¯t focus on my relationship woes.

    I heard a click of a gun and saw a red laser dot on Ian¡¯s chest. I turned my head to see that Micah was holding some sort of fancy handgun with its aim on Ian. ¡°You stop when I say, otherwise I¡¯ll pump you full of silver,¡± he said. I couldn¡¯t help myself, I laughed. Surely the stress was causing me to go insane because the situation I was in was no laughing matter.

 Page 32

    ¡°You¡­sound¡­like some¡­kind of¡­gangster from the twenties,¡± I said between hysterical chuckles. I kept picturing Micah in a pinstripe gangster suit with a thick New York accent. When it seemed no one was finding Ian¡¯s death threat as funny as I, I regained my composure and got back on track.Advertisement

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, holding back my laughter. Ian raised my arm toward his lips and all of a sudden, nothing was funny. I was in a real life dangerous situation, not to mention sexual. The memory of what Aiden¡¯s bite felt like made me question whether or not I should share something like that with Ian. We were in a hospital; I could have a nurse draw blood for Ian. As much as that sounded like an excellent plan, we were dangerously close to sunrise and if we didn¡¯t hurry, Ian would zonk out for the day.

    My heart beat strongly against my chest as I waited for Ian to sink his fangs into my wrist. He captured my eyes and hesitated to bite. He was enjoying my nervous anticipation and drawing it out for as long as he could, or so I thought. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest, leaning down so that only I would hear his words.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll do anything for your friend?¡± He whispered. I nodded my head, unsure what he meant. ¡°Once she is brought back, remember you said that and remember that I confirmed it.¡± He stepped back and lifted my arm, leaving me utterly confused as to what the hell he was talking about but before I could question him further his fangs sunk into my skin.

    I let out a yelp as waves of warmth washed through my entire body, leaving me yearning for more. His lips against my skin as he sucked blood from my body were a dark seduction I couldn¡¯t get enough of. Ian¡¯s bite was different than Aiden¡¯s, stronger. I moaned and worried that my knees would give out with the pure delight that overtook me. Ian pulled me closer to help hold onto me and I happily leaned into him. I rubbed my body against him with my lust in overdrive and my only thoughts were of how to get our clothes off as quickly as possible.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Micah ordered from beside us. Ian growled and reluctantly let go of my wrist. He held me for a few moments as the waves of sexual pleasure wafted through my body and finally allowed me to stand on my own. Once clear-headed, I pushed away from him and put the table between us. I was so embarrassed I couldn¡¯t look at either one of the men in the room and was very thankful Aiden hadn¡¯t witnessed what happened. If the shoe were on the other foot, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to watch Aiden have an orgasm with another woman.

    No one said anything about our blood exchange, luckily. Ian placed both of his hands on Fiona¡¯s temples and closed his eyes as his lips chanted an incantation that I couldn¡¯t understand. It was bizarre to see a vampire doing magic, unnatural.

    I thought I saw Fiona¡¯s hand twitch out of the corner of my eye and the breath in my lungs caught in my throat. I stared wide-eyed at my best friend¡¯s body, willing her to wake up with silent prayers. Ian continued to chant and my impatience was getting the best of me. I stepped up to the stainless steel table and said, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t she waking up?¡± I looked back at Micah but his thoughts showed all over his face; he didn¡¯t expect her to wake up. I turned back to Ian and Fiona and grabbed her hand, tears falling down my cheeks as I waited for her to come back from death.

    When it seemed all hope was lost, and that Ian had been lying about his talents, I hung my head in defeat. Deep down, I knew that it was improbable but I had pushed the doubt aside and held on to every ounce of hope I had. Hope that was now squashed like a bug.

    Fingers trembled against my own and I looked at mine and Fiona¡¯s joined hands. Her fingers moved lazily but they moved! I was utterly speechless, full of disbelief and happiness that something was happening.

    ¡°Fiona?¡± I said softly but didn¡¯t get a response. Ian said one last round of chants and all of a sudden, Fiona gasped loudly and her eyes popped open. It was like the world stopped moving and everything was in slow motion. I watched Fiona sit up on her own and look around the room in confusion. My feet were firmly planted to the floor and my mouth gaped with my surprise. I stared at her like she was something my brain couldn¡¯t comprehend and in truth, she was. She was death that had been resurrected, something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    ¡°Gwen, what am I doing in the morgue?¡± Fiona asked with a scratchy voice. As soon as I heard her speak, I was brought out of my shock and encased her in one of the tightest bear hugs I could manage. Her body was slightly cold but otherwise normal.¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­breathe!¡± Fiona choked out. I loosened my grip but didn¡¯t let her go. I was laughing and crying all at once, if there were such things as miracles, Ian had performed one.

    ¡°Can someone please tell me what is going on? Why am I in a body bag?¡± Fiona¡¯s voice trembled with fear. I broke our embrace so that I could look into her eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure how to explain what had happened. How was I supposed to tell my best friend that she was stone cold dead only minutes ago?

    ¡°You were¡­dead,¡± I said cautiously. I expected her to start crying or hyperventilating; I didn¡¯t expect her to burst out laughing. I eyed both Ian and Micah worried that Fiona had lost her mind. Surely, she was entitled to be a little insane with what had happened; I know I was on my way to insanity.

    ¡°Fiona?¡± I asked. She held up one hand and waved me off while she tried to control her giggles.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine. You really got me.¡± She laughed again. ¡°Dead.¡± My eyebrows scrunched as my confusion took over. Did Fiona think that I was playing a trick on her?

    ¡°Fiona, this isn¡¯t a joke, you were really dead. Ian brought you back.¡± She stopped laughing and looked between Ian, Micah and me and then took in her surroundings and finally stared at the black body bag she was currently sitting in.

    ¡°Oh my God! Am I a zombie? Am I going to start craving brains?¡± Fiona was past her confusion and was now heading to the paranoia stage. I held back my laugh because I could see the horror all over her face and knew she wouldn¡¯t appreciate me laughing, even though it was difficult not to.

    ¡°No, Fiona you are not a zombie and brains are not on the menu,¡± I told her. ¡°Somehow Ian was able to bring you back and you look like yourself, and you feel like yourself, right?¡± She thought for a few seconds and then nodded her head. I knew her personality was all her so that was good.

    ¡°But how did I die?¡±

    ¡°They thought I killed you,¡± Ian chimed in. I shot him a look, still not convinced he hadn¡¯t had something to do with it. At the very least, he knew who had killed her.

    ¡°Ian wouldn¡¯t ever hurt me,¡± Fiona said. I silently grumbled that my best friend still seemed to be enamored with the devil¡¯s advocate. I had hoped that coming back from death would put her self-preservation mode in overdrive, but it hadn¡¯t affected her whatsoever.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a peach,¡± I said, glaring at Ian. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly sure what happened to you but Ian knows and he¡¯s not talking.¡± I had hoped that the new information would set Fiona¡¯s inner diva off, but did it? NO. She pulled her legs out of the horrible black body bag and hung them over the side of the table, bracing her hands on the edge to steady herself. She took a couple of deep breaths and then hopped off the table. I stepped closer to help and she grabbed my outstretched hand. I pulled her into a hug again, too overwhelmed with happiness.

    ¡°Whoever¡­killed me must be dangerous and Ian doesn¡¯t want to put us in anymore danger by telling us who they are,¡± Fiona said, pulling back from me. I rolled my eyes at her faith in Ian Despereaux but didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t the time to fight with my newly resurrected best friend about her bad taste in men.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Ian agreed.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get back to the FPD, the sun will be up any moment,¡± Micah said. I glanced at him, forgetting that he was in the room; he¡¯d been so quiet. Maybe he was freaked out about seeing the dead come back to life.

    ¡°We?¡± Fiona asked. Her eyes looked like they were tired and her body seemed to struggle to hold up her weight. I laced my arm around her waist and helped steady her.

    ¡°Ian is still in custody of the FPD until he tells us who is behind your death and the other witch killings.¡± Ian mumbled something angry but it wasn¡¯t clear enough to make out. He held out his arms, with his wrists together, so that Micah could put on his silver bracelets again.

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy, Micah, Ian didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Fiona said lazily, like it was a huge effort for her to speak.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out later, we should get home so you can rest,¡± I told her. Luckily Fiona¡¯s inner diva wasn¡¯t up to fighting at the moment. She let me escort her out of the room and outside. We had driven there with Micah, so I had no clue how we were getting home. Nor had I any clue as to where the hell Aiden went. He had been pretty pissed, so he¡¯d probably went home or to get dinner. Micah led Ian outside and noticed that we didn¡¯t have a car so he ushered us into the SUV.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drop Ian off and then take you guys home, is that alright?¡± I nodded my head and settled Fiona into the front seat so that she wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near Ian and then climbed in the back.

    After driving for five minutes, Fiona was sound asleep. I imagined it took a lot out of a person being brought back from the dead. Ian leaned over so that his lips were close to my ear and I tried not to think of how his bite had felt. I was putting that experience in the denial department, it never happened.

    ¡°You can start paying me back tomorrow night,¡± he whispered. Micah glared at us through the rearview mirror but I ignored him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not feeding off me again,¡± I said with authority.

    Ian smiled. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to, you are delicious and powerful, but I have other ideas in mind.¡± His blue eyes watched me with interest but I quickly looked away, not interested.

    ¡°We¡¯re not having sex either.¡± Ian laughed and Fiona stirred in the front seat. I glanced up at her but she had already gone back to sleep. I crossed my arms across my chest and looked out the window.

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    ¡°You said you¡¯d do anything if I brought your friend back, remember?¡± I looked over at Ian with disgust. He was right, I had said I¡¯d do anything for Fiona to be brought back but that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d give up my life to act as a blood whore to Ian Despereaux. I¡¯d kill him before that happened.Advertisement

    Ian must have noticed my unease because he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little witch I prefer my woman to be willing. You will meet me tomorrow night to put an end to the big man in charge.¡± My eyes shot wide and my mouth hung open in surprise.

    Ian wanted me to help him take down the man behind the brew distribution? He didn¡¯t need to ask me twice, I nodded my head. ¡°Alright.¡±

    20

    I felt like my life revolved around vampires. I had stayed up all night with them which left me to sleep it off the next day. I called Penny to see if she would open the store for me. I¡¯d have to give that girl a raise for all the help she gave me.

    It was just after the sun had set. I sat at our kitchen table, eating a bowl of vegetable soup. I couldn¡¯t even remember the last time I¡¯d eaten, which tended to happen whenever I was around creatures that don¡¯t eat regular food. I dipped a cracker into my soup and scooped up vegetables onto it, then placed the whole thing in my mouth. I was either starving or the soup was the best vegetable soup in the world, probably the latter.

    Fiona trudged into the kitchen and sat across from me, leaning her head on her propped up arm. She looked like she hadn¡¯t slept at all, dark circles shadowed her eyes and her skin was pale. My worry overtook my appetite and I pushed the bowl of soup away from me.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked. Fiona looked up at me with bloodshot eyes and gave a small smile.

    ¡°Tired, but alive.¡± I watched her for a few moments and then got up and filled a cup with hot water, placed it in the microwave and retrieved the tea bags Ms. Ozland had given me for energy.

    Two knocks sounded at our front door so I walked the short distance to answer it. Ian stood on the other side with crossed arms and a smile. His blonde hair was perfectly gelled into a spiky style. He wore jeans with a gray turtleneck sweater and a black leather coat. I squished the thought that appeared in my mind on his attractiveness. I turned on my heel when the microwave beeped, leaving the door open and my invitation unspoken. Vampires had to have an invitation to enter a home, but Fiona had already invited Ian in, so he didn¡¯t need me to say it. If I were smart, I¡¯d rescind his invite so he couldn¡¯t come into our apartment without both of our okays.

    ¡°They let you out?¡± I asked, astounded. I plopped a teabag into the cup of hot water and set it in front of Fiona. She started to self-consciously fix her hair and I noticed she had magicked makeup on her tired face. I hated that she was worrying about impressing Ian when she needed to focus on resting.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t hold me without evidence and the person I was accused of murdering is quite alive, and looking very lovely.¡± I rolled my eyes at Ian¡¯s sickening smooth talk and took my seat. Ian walked over to Fiona and lifted her hand in his and pressed a kiss atop it. Fiona giggled, while I silently gagged. What the hell was the matter with her? How could she not see that Ian Despereaux was bad news?

    After whispering sweet nothings to Fiona, Ian straddled the seat next to her and wrapped his arms around the back of the chair. I took a drink of my bottled water and waited for him to say something, hoping he had forgotten about me helping him with his plan. I had no qualms about capturing the psycho responsible for the killings, but I didn¡¯t want to work with Ian.

    Two more knocks sounded at the front door. I pursed my lips at Fiona but got up and answered it. Aiden and Micah stood next to each other, Micah with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Aiden smiled at me and I smiled back, happy that he wasn¡¯t pissed at me for feeding Ian.

    ¡°Hey guys, what are you doing here? I looked between both of them. Micah had been leaning against the rickety railing that was meant to protect anyone from falling from our second story apartment hall and when he turned, his right eye was swollen, with red and purple coloring the surrounding flesh. I gasped and said, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Micah learned that he shouldn¡¯t kiss another man¡¯s woman,¡± Aiden said with a grin. My eyes shot wide and I stepped out of the apartment to inspect Micah¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Like you left me alone when I was Micah¡¯s?¡± I shot back at Aiden. Some girls love when men fight over them, but I wasn¡¯t that type. I didn¡¯t want to be the cause of anyone¡¯s pain.

    ¡°I did leave you alone, at least in the physical sense, and you shouldn¡¯t coddle him, he deserved it,¡± Aiden said with a sneer. As much as I would have loved to argue with the fact that Micah didn¡¯t deserve it, I couldn¡¯t. Micah shouldn¡¯t have kissed me when we were both with other people, but I still didn¡¯t want him to be punched over the violation.

    ¡°Did you come to punch me also?¡± Ian said from the kitchen. Aiden stepped over the threshold with me following quickly behind, worried that a full-blown fight would start in the middle of my little apartment.

    ¡°If you guys break anything, you¡¯re paying to fix it,¡± I warned. It was pathetic, at best, but I threw it out anyway.

    ¡°I came because there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting Gwen be alone with you for a second, but now that you mention it¡­¡±

    Aiden was across the room in a flash as his fist connected with Ian¡¯s face. Luckily, Ian didn¡¯t fight back and the commotion was over within seconds. Ian held his face but sniggered. A punch in the face to a vampire was as painful as a stubbed toe. He¡¯d heal before any bruising.

    Fiona jumped up from the table and rushed to make sure Ian was okay. I¡¯d been slapped over the kiss, why shouldn¡¯t Ian be punched for it also?

    ¡°Feel better?¡± I asked Aiden. Micah walked into our apartment and shut the door. His bruising was already turning yellow. Werewolves could heal at an exceptional rate but vampires healed quicker. His eye would be yellowish for a day and then it¡¯d be good as new.

    Aiden wrapped his arms around my waist and said, ¡°I¡¯d much rather rip their heads off, but this will suffice, I suppose.¡± He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss that radiated tingles throughout my body. I smiled at him but realized that we had an audience so I reluctantly unwound my arms from him and turned around.

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been another body found, has there?¡± I asked Micah. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and cleared his throat.

    ¡°No. I knew that Ian would be coming over here to have you help him and I didn¡¯t trust him to be alone with you, so¡­¡± he said, leaving the sentence to hang. So I had two bodyguards against Ian; that was comforting.

    Aiden snickered behind me and I elbowed him and smiled at Micah and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He nodded his head as if to say ¡°no problem.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m offended,¡± Ian said. We all turned to look at him, begging him to prove it. He shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms across his chest.

    Fiona looked like she was dead on her feet, so I went over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Maybe you should go lie down.¡± She looked apprehensive to leave but nodded her head. I walked her back to her bedroom and helped her get settled into her bed. Then I flipped on the television and handed her the remote. She smiled up at me but I could tell there were unspoken words dangling on her lips. After a moment, she finally spoke. ¡°Gwen, I¡¯m sorry for slapping you and saying that I was moving out. I don¡¯t know why I acted like that. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d love to keep living here.¡±

    I sat on the edge of her bed and held her delicate hand. It wasn¡¯t the first time Fiona and I had fought, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last. I loved her like a sister and because of that, I would put up with anything from her.

    ¡°I understand you were upset and I¡¯m sorry for hurting you. Of course, you can live here, for as long as you want, or until the building collapses,¡± I laughed. ¡°I love you, Fiona, and I only want you to be safe.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Gwen, you really are a great friend.¡±

    I smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. ¡°Get some sleep.¡±

    I left her room and returned to the kitchen where I would have to deal with three stubborn men. I¡¯d much rather crawl into bed with Fiona and watch reruns of Ghost Whisperer with her. All three men were sitting at my small table, eyeing each other with contempt. I released a heavy breath and took a seat next to Aiden, with Micah directly in front of me.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan for tonight?¡± I asked. We all looked at Ian and waited for him to come forth with his information.

    ¡°What I want to know is, how Ian knew I was indisposed the night of the Gala and why he came galloping to escort my girlfriend to the ball?¡± Aiden said, his hands balling into fists from his anger. I arched an eyebrow at Ian, wondering the same thing. Obviously he had lied when he said he knew Aiden and that Aiden had sent him to escort me.

    ¡°Louis told me to escort Gwen and find out what she was. Aiden had let it slip that a woman from Flora was able to read the dead. Louis thought you might be a psychic, but he still wanted to be sure. He made sure Aiden wouldn¡¯t make the Gala,¡± Ian said. ¡°Of course, that night didn¡¯t go as I planned, so I wasn¡¯t sure about your spirit walker status until I drank from you.¡±

    I looked at him with disgust and Aiden glared at him with hatred. ¡°So you killed Fiona so you would have the opportunity to drink from me? Because you knew I¡¯d do it if Fiona¡¯s life was in danger?¡± I kept my voice low so that Fiona wouldn¡¯t hear, but I put all of my anger into my whispers.

    ¡°Fiona was never dead, not really.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean she wasn¡¯t really dead? I saw her, she was dead.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I knew you¡¯d allow me to drink from you if it was for her life. I¡¯ve been drinking brew for about a year now. I¡¯ve learned how to do wonderful things with the magic,¡± Ian grinned. ¡°Fiona was under a spell, one that was meant to make you think of what could happen if you didn¡¯t go along with Louis¡¯ plans.¡±

 Page 34

    My mouth hung to the floor in astonishment. Since the night of the Gala, Ian had a plan that I knew nothing about. Sure, I knew there was something he was hiding, but I didn¡¯t think it involved me.Advertisement

    ¡°First off,¡± I started, talking slowly. ¡°who is Louis? And what exactly does he want from me?¡± I watched as Aiden stood up and paced my small kitchen, thoughts running wild in his eyes.

    ¡°Louis is my friend from Chicago, the one I told you was sending me the sample of brew,¡± Aiden replied, shooting daggers at Ian with his eyes. ¡°I know for a fact, I did not mention anything about Gwen to anyone.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The first time drinking brew is much like a human being drunk, you don¡¯t always remember what you do or say.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re drinking witches¡¯ blood?¡± Micah said with disgust. Great, the last person I wanted to know about Aiden¡¯s stroll down brew alley, was the FPD.

    ¡°No, he is not. He drank it twice and that¡¯s because Louis made him,¡± I said in Aiden¡¯s defense.

    Aiden held up a hand to say that it was okay. ¡°Yes, I drank witches¡¯ blood because Louis made me, but afterwards I wanted it. It¡¯s highly addictive and because of Gwen, I¡¯m getting over my addiction.¡± Micah snorted and shook his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the last spirit walkers, Gwen, what do you think Louis wants from you?¡± Ian said. I

    shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, at a loss for what a vampire in Chicago would want with me. ¡°My blood?¡± It seemed like the obvious answer. Ian laughed and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love to taste you, but he has more permanent plans. You¡¯re very rare and he¡¯d love to claim you as his.¡± Ian watched me with an emotion I didn¡¯t understand, nor did I care to. I laughed bitterly.

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m like a collector¡¯s item to him?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ian said. ¡°I don¡¯t claim to know his reasoning. I only tell you what I know.¡± I eyed him and tried to decide if he was telling the truth or feeding me another story. I could have laced my words with magic, a spell to make him tell the truth, but somehow I thought he¡¯d be able to dodge it, using the magic he¡¯d already learned.

    ¡°So, Louis is the big man behind the brew distribution? Why do you want to take him out if you¡¯re working for him?¡± I asked. Aiden stopped pacing and crossed his arms across his muscular chest, curious at Ian¡¯s answer. Micah shifted so that he was sitting sideways and could watch Ian. It had only been a little over a week since Amy Harper was killed, but it seemed like it¡¯d been forever. I knew I was ready to put all of this to bed and, from the look on Micah¡¯s face, so was he.

    ¡°Louis is most definitely untrustworthy but he is not the man responsible for the witches¡¯ deaths, nor is he responsible for the distribution. The man who I have reason to believe is responsible is Liam Fawns. As to why I want to stop him, let¡¯s just say I have my own reasons.¡± Micah, Aidan and I all looked at Ian like he¡¯d lost his mind. Liam Fawns was a major bigwig and one of the founders of our town. He¡¯s also a warlock.

    ¡°What¡¯s your evidence?¡± Micah asked, voicing the question we were all wondering. A grin lifted the corners of Ian¡¯s face and he leaned back in his chair, propping one leg atop his knee. He was devilishly handsome. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle with the information they held. He took so long to answer, enjoying our suspense that I finally motioned with my hands to ¡°get on with it already.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones who¡¯ve been trying to find him. The brew distribution is just like any other drug world. There are heavy hitters who want to take over the drug running.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Aiden asked.

    Ian laughed and shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    I rolled my neck as I felt my magic tingle against my skin from my anger. I could feel it travel all the way down my arms until a bright blue glow emanated from my palm. I stood up quickly and raised my hand out towards Ian. I threw my built-up energy right at his chest. Ian anticipated the magic and jumped out of the way. The orb of magic smashed into my cabinet and left a dark brown scorch mark.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± Ian asked, leaning against my refrigerator. My magic was still revved up and I worked on controlling my anger so that I could extinguish it.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of listening to all of this. You talk as if brew is something as simple as a human drug; it¡¯s not! Witches are being murdered for their blood and you act like it¡¯s nothing. Add to the fact that you, yourself, are a brew user and now you want us to help you take out Liam so ¡®someone¡¯ can take over his drug business?¡±

    Fiona rushed down the hallway and into the kitchen, no doubt having heard my magic crashing into our cabinet. ¡°What happened? I heard a cracking and yelling?¡± she asked me. My magic instantly went out and I took a few deep breaths to calm my anxious nerves.

    ¡°Sorry I woke you; everything¡¯s fine,¡± I told her. Her eyes found the scorch mark on the cabinet and she gawked at me like I had gone crazy.

    ¡°Were you purposely trying to burn down our apartment?¡± She sounded like she was scolding a child. I eyed Ian with ire and Fiona gasped as she realized that I had actually been trying to burn Ian down.

    ¡°What has he ever done to you? We¡¯ve only known him for a couple of days, geez Gwen,¡± Fiona rushed to Ian¡¯s side to look him over for any injuries. The anger I thought I had gotten under control spiked back up. Fiona¡¯s fascination with Ian irked me.

    ¡°Listen I don¡¯t wanna fight with you but, from what I¡¯ve learned in those couple days, Ian deserved that and much more. I don¡¯t fire my magic off willy-nilly Fiona.¡± I told her, keeping my voice as calm as my anger would allow. A thought suddenly dawned on me as I looked between Ian and Fiona. ¡°Did you glamour her? Is that why she¡¯s all gaga over you?¡± Fiona gasped from embarrassment and gave me a look of anger. I wasn¡¯t trying to embarrass her though. I¡¯d known Fiona for ten years and she had never acted this involved with a guy, especially one she¡¯d only known for a couple days.

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, vampires can¡¯t glamour witches, Gwen,¡± Fiona said sarcastically. I dragged my gaze away from her angry eyes and to Ian. He had a thin-lipped smile but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Well, did you?¡± I asked him. He looked down at Fiona and then back at me, releasing a heavy sigh.

    ¡°I had to, I needed to get closer to you, to find out if you really were a spirit

    walker and I knew you wouldn¡¯t see me otherwise.¡± Fiona¡¯s hurt was apparent as she considered his words and I walked over to comfort her, but she shrugged off my embrace.

    ¡°Undo it,¡± I told Ian. I was hoping that once Ian¡¯s glamour was lifted, Fiona would be back to her normal diva self.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he told Fiona. She lifted her eyes from the floor and met his unwillingly. I couldn¡¯t imagine what having a glamour put on me would do but I doubted I¡¯d like it. I could tell that Fiona really thought she liked him, even without having any reason to. No one is that hard up for a person they just met. I worried that once the glamour was lifted, Fiona would be heartbroken, but in the end, I knew it was the best thing for her. Ian Despereaux was bad news.

    ¡°I release you,¡± Ian said as he stared into Fiona¡¯s eyes. A tear slowly started to travel down her pink cheek but as soon as Ian spoke those magical words, Fiona¡¯s hurt disappeared. She blinked a of couple times at Ian and then looked around the kitchen, as if wondering what was going on. She looked back at Ian again and then turned and went down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door.

    ¡°Is she going to be okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, she¡¯s pissed off, but otherwise okay. Now, can we get started on capturing Liam or would anyone else like to take a crack at me?¡± Ian said. I pursed my lips as I considered taking him up on that offer.

    21

    Hiding out in brush wasn¡¯t the smartest idea. I had stumbled over my stilettos and grabbed onto a thorn bush to steady myself. A stinging sensation cut into my palm as the thorns dug into my flesh. I cursed under my breath and shook my hand, as if that would make the pain go away. Aiden grabbed my hand and his tongue licked the length of my palm. I was about to yell at him for drinking my blood, but, when the stinging sensation waned, I realized he was only trying to heal me. I mouthed the words ¡°thank you¡± and settled in for our stake out.

    Liam¡¯s home was a very large Victorian style that looked like it¡¯d come straight out of the pages of Better Homes and Garden magazine. Wood siding, painted white, covered the entirety of the house. Arched windows lined the whole front of his home. A large wooden wrap-around porch hugged the front of his house. Intricate detailing along the dormers and porch lent a gingerbread feel. Liam Fawns seemed more of the modern type, not the homey kind. I had only met him twice and our conversations had never lasted more than five minutes. Still, when I had spoken with him, I never imagined his home to have a white picket fence. His lawn was perfectly manicured, not one piece of nature out of place.

    ¡°This is so stupid, there¡¯s no way Liam is responsible for the witches¡¯ deaths,¡± I said to Micah and Aiden, my stakeout partners. We¡¯d gone along with Ian¡¯s plan to visit Liam¡¯s home while he went inside, outfitted with a recorder. I trusted Ian Despereaux about as far as I could throw him, which wasn¡¯t far.

    ¡°Gwen, I¡¯ll follow any leads at this point. Whoever is responsible is good at covering their tracks. The most we have on this guy is what you¡¯ve told us and that isn¡¯t much,¡± Micah said.

    My feet were killing me so I abandoned my crouching pose and sat on my butt in the dewy grass in Liam¡¯s backyard. I honestly couldn¡¯t believe that Micah was going along with this. First of all, Micah was a hell of a detective and took his job seriously. He wasn¡¯t one who followed crazy ideas without proof. Second, we were in the middle of staking out one of the founders of our town, a major bigwig who could have Micah¡¯s job should he find out what we were up to. It wasn¡¯t like Micah had gotten a warrant.

 Page 35

    ¡°Exactly, the man I saw wasn¡¯t Liam. He was British and had light hair, two features that Liam doesn¡¯t have. Ian openly admits that Louis wants to collect me and we¡¯re stalking Liam? Am I missing something?¡± I was beyond annoyed by the whole situation. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Ian was up to something yet again and Aiden and Micah were just going along with it. Was I the only one who saw him as a sleazeball?Advertisement

    ¡°You also said that you thought he might be a warlock because his face was blocked from you, like he used a spell to protect his identity. That¡¯s why I¡¯m following Ian¡¯s crazy plan,¡± Micah said, defending his detective status. I was quiet while I considered his words. Witches and warlocks could glamour their appearances, so Liam could have changed his, but it still didn¡¯t sit well with me. I couldn¡¯t say anything else though; I¡¯d already voiced my objections to the whole nonsense, now I¡¯d have to wait until my intuitions proved right.

    I decided watching Aiden would be a much better use of my time. I admired the way his muscles played under his white, long sleeve t-shirt and the way his muscular legs filled out his jeans. I felt a familiar heat radiate through me, the same one I¡¯d felt every time I was around him. He was beyond beautiful and even if I saw him twenty-four hours a day, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to appreciate his mouth-watering good looks.

    Aiden¡¯s body stiffened and if I hadn¡¯t been staring at him, I wouldn¡¯t have caught the way he sniffed the air. His head swiveled around and his eyes burned into mine. I sucked in a deep breath at the intensity, but licked my lips as my desire grew.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be right back, we¡¯re going to check on the other side of the house,¡± Aiden said to Micah, holding a hand out to me to help me from the ground. I looked at him quizzically but followed him around the house. Liam¡¯s yard was large and covered with trees, plenty of spaces for us to hide.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I whispered, once we were hidden behind a large oak tree. Aiden peered around the tree and then turned to me, his lips on mine before I could even gasp. I happily returned his kiss, twisting my tongue with his as the heat stirred within my stomach. His hands roved all over my body, igniting every last one of my nerves on fire. I was breathless when his lips broke from mine. He trailed kisses from my ear and all the way down my neck until he got to the top of my breasts.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly the best time for this,¡± I said breathlessly. My hormones wanted to smack me for telling Aiden to stop. My body definitely thought it was the perfect time to experience Aiden again.

    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have been thinking naughty thoughts earlier,¡± he laughed.

    I arched my eyebrows and said, ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± I moaned as he pulled open my jacket and ripped my shirt down the center, exposing my breasts. He flicked his tongue against one of my excited nipples and I thought I¡¯d spontaneously combust from the thickness of my lust.

    ¡°Your magic may be gone from my system, but your blood still runs through my veins, I¡¯m attuned to you, my Gwen. Plus I could smell your desire.¡± He grinned at me and I returned the smile. In normal circumstances, it would embarrass me that he could smell my desire, but all it did was turn me on more.

    His finger slipped under the waistband of my jeans and popped the button open easily. He pushed my jeans all the way off so that I stood in only a pair of thin, red panties. I was half excited about what we were doing and half scared of getting caught. I was, in no way, a prude but I also wasn¡¯t that big on PDA, especially in the yard of one of the founders with my ex-boyfriend within hearing and smelling, distance.

    Aiden¡¯s jeans disappeared quickly and I gasped when his erection was hard and ready for action. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing this,¡± I whispered. I thought I should throw it out there, even if I didn¡¯t believe it, I wanted nothing more than to feel him inside me again. Flashes of our first time together flooded my mind and I visibly shuddered with want.

    ¡°Are you afraid we¡¯ll get caught? Or that Micah will hear us?¡± he whispered, his lips close to my ear. I closed my eyes as tingles traveled all through my body. The boy knew how to turn me on.

    ¡°Both,¡± I said huskily.

    ¡°That¡¯s the fun of it.¡± He grinned and without another word, lifted me up so that I was straddling his waist and thrust into me. I clung onto his strong shoulders and absorbed the feel of him inside of me. Everything about Aiden set me on fire. His energy swirled around me like a million electric currents caressing my skin, sending my lust into overdrive. I found his lips and kissed him feverishly. I moaned against his mouth and shook as an orgasm erupted within me. Aiden pumped a few more times and held onto me tightly as he reached his orgasm. We held onto each other, kissing, touching and absorbing each other. When Aiden reluctantly set me back on the ground, I started to giggle. I felt like a teenager who¡¯d just done something extremely naughty.

    I noticed that my panties lay torn in two on the ground. I hadn¡¯t even remembered him doing that. I picked them up and pulled my jeans up in the process.

    ¡°You¡¯re playing hell with my underwear supply,¡± I said with a smirk.

    ¡°I prefer you panty-less anyway,¡± Aiden said, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss on my lips.

    We were walking back around the house, holding hands when we noticed a loud crash from inside the house. I looked up at Aiden and then to where Micah still stood by the rosebushes. Three things happened all at once. Micah ran toward the house, a loud crack of bright green magic sent Ian flying through the window that Aiden and I were standing in front of, and the magic didn¡¯t stop with Ian. It slammed all the way through Ian and still traveled its path, directly toward me. Aiden screamed, ¡°Gwen!¡± and tried to shove me out of the way, but was too late, a burning sensation hit my chest like a Mack truck and I hit the ground, falling into oblivion.

    22

    I awoke on the ground in front of Liam¡¯s house, the spot where I fell when his magic hit me. Aiden cradled my body in his arms and screamed for me to wake up. The atmosphere had changed though, to a colorless, gray. I knelt down beside Aiden and my body and stared in confusion. All I could do was stare stoically at my limp body in his arms, a large burn right between my breasts.

    ¡°Aiden?¡± I said, unsure if he could hear me. I had to be dreaming, passed out from the hit. I couldn¡¯t be dead; my mind wouldn¡¯t accept that.

    Aiden¡¯s head snapped up and he stared right at me, but his eyes didn¡¯t see me. That¡¯s weird, I thought. Can he hear me?

    ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m here,¡± I said again and his eyes widened as they searched the surrounding area and then down at my lifeless body in his arms.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± He shook my body and pressed two fingers to check the pulse of my carotid. He was still for a few moments while he listened to the thump of my heart, only to drop my hand in defeat when he didn¡¯t feel a pulse. Bloody tears trailed down his flawless skin as he cried. My heart swelled with his pain. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen a vampire cry. It was eerily beautiful.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Aiden,¡± I said again and set my hand over his. He jerked and his eyes roamed the area in front of him.

    Micah came bustling out the front door with Liam and Ian, both in special handcuffs. He pushed them down on the lawn and told them to ¡°stay put¡± after seeing my body cradled in Aiden¡¯s arms. He rushed over to where Aiden was and knelt down beside him, his eyes wide with fear.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked softly. Aiden¡¯s energy was swirling around him like a storm. I¡¯d never been able to actually see his energy but now that I was ¡°passed out¡± I could see the vibrant brick red energy he held.

    ¡°Who cast the magic?¡± Aiden asked, his voice deathly calm. He looked up at Micah with an expression that would have frozen me with fear, had it been directed at me. Micah¡¯s eyebrows arched and he looked back at where Ian and Liam sat and then back at Aiden, like he was wondering if he should say. Aiden looked like he was ready to tear someone¡¯s head off.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll kill them both,¡± Aiden said, just as calmly as before.

    ¡°Liam cast¡­¡± Micah barely got out before Aiden was up and holding Liam by the throat, three feet off the ground. Liam¡¯s body flailed and fought against Aiden¡¯s hold.

    Micah approached cautiously, knowing that a pissed off vampire wasn¡¯t an easy thing to calm down and Aiden was beyond pissed. While Micah tried to talk Aiden out of committing murder, I noticed Ian watching me. I looked down at my body and back at Ian. He wasn¡¯t watching my body, he was watching me, my spirit self. I walked over to where he sat and noticed his eyes followed me the whole way.

    ¡°You can see me?¡± I asked, completely flabbergasted. Out of all the people I would want to see me, Ian was the last. He nodded his head instead of speaking and drawing attention to himself. Anger surged within me and I motioned toward where the other three men stood.

    ¡°Tell them! Tell them you can see me, that I¡¯m not dead!¡± I said. In all honesty, I didn¡¯t feel dead. I may have been in spirit form but I was still very much attached to my body. Ian¡¯s lips curved at the edges as he tried to conceal his smile. I cursed loudly when I realized that Liam hadn¡¯t been the one to cast the magic. I saw it as clearly as if I had been inside that house. I didn¡¯t know how but it all played through my mind.

    Ian was inside Liam¡¯s house, taunting him about the witches¡¯ murders. ¡°You¡¯ve been sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong and now I have to teach you and the NAWC a lesson,¡± Ian said to Liam. Liam wasn¡¯t someone to mess with. He was a very powerful warlock. They were standing in Liam¡¯s office. The walls were covered with dark red wallpaper, a dark wood desk sat against the far wall, while a sitting area occupied the other side of the room. Desk lamps and a glow from the fireplace illuminated the English style office causing dark shadows to play off Liam¡¯s and Ian¡¯s angry features.

    ¡°Who are you to teach me a lesson?¡± Liam asked with authority. Ian walked over to the fireplace and propped an elbow on the mantle, acting as if he weren¡¯t in the presence of a powerful warlock who could turn him to ash in a matter of minutes.

 Page 36

    ¡°The man you¡¯ve been looking for. I don¡¯t appreciate being hunted so I¡¯ve decided to kill the hunter,¡± Ian said with a grin. Liam¡¯s magic revved up and soon he held a bright green orb within his palms. His light brown hair stirred within the air that swirled around him; His brown eyes pinned on the vampire threatening his life.Advertisement

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the vampire responsible for killing my kind and you come to my home and think you¡¯ll do the same to me?¡± Liam said the words and instantly cast the magic at Ian. Ian had anticipated the move though, and got behind Liam before the magic crashed into the fireplace. Without hesitation, Ian sank his fangs into Liam¡¯s neck and greedily drank as Liam tried to fight him off. When it seemed Ian had had his fill, he released his hold on Liam¡¯s neck, turned him around quickly and punched him squarely in the jaw.

    Ian closed his eyes in concentration and soon held Liam¡¯s same bright green magic. It seemed Ian was a sponge, absorbing the powers of those he drank. He shot a blast of magic through the window, strong enough that it would hit me, and jumped backwards through the broken pane. To Micah, Aiden and me, it looked like Liam had cast his magic at Ian and we were none the wiser to Ian¡¯s game.

    When the vision faded, I focused my eyes on Ian, who watched me with amusement. I quickly looked over to where Aiden had Liam by the throat and realized that Micah had called for backup. Wyatt and Micah sprayed Aiden with a liquid silver that burned through his clothes, searing his flesh. I screamed for them to stop but my pleas went unanswered. Aiden dropped Liam and fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Wyatt quickly cuffed his burnt wrists with silver handcuffs and carried him to the back of his police SUV.

    ¡°Ian, you son of a bitch!¡± I screamed as I watched the chaotic scene play out. The smile on Ian¡¯s lips said that everything was going according to his plan. Micah cuffed Liam and escorted him to his SUV, then retrieved Ian from the ground and put him in Wyatt¡¯s SUV. Once all three men were contained, Micah and Wyatt walked over to where my lifeless body lay.

    I tried to run over to tell them I was still alive but in my haste, I actually floated towards them, my feet four inches off the ground.

    ¡°MICAH!¡± I screamed. Micah flinched like he was dodging an annoying bug that buzzed his head and looked around.

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± he asked his brother.

    Wyatt looked at him and then listened for a moment, shaking his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Micah pursed his lips and looked behind him and then down at my body. I floated towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. He shivered like a chill had just crept up his spine and stepped back, looking around again.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Wyatt asked. Micah was momentarily dumbstruck. He stared at Wyatt and then down at my body again.

    ¡°I¡¯m here Micah, I¡¯m alive. It¡¯s Ian, Ian¡¯s the bad guy,¡± I spoke loudly into his ear, praying that at least my last words got through to him.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± Micah said to the area where my voice had come from. Wyatt looked at the empty space and then at his brother, arching his eyebrows.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Wyatt asked.

    ¡°I just heard Gwen¡¯s voice, twice. You didn¡¯t hear it?¡±

    ¡°No, I think you might be losing it. I know how much she meant to you and it¡¯s horrible what happened, but she¡¯s dead, Micah,¡± Wyatt said slowly. Micah growled deeply in his chest and Wyatt growled back. Wyatt was in a higher position, next in line to become the alpha of the Flora weres. No one challenged him, not even his brother. I knew they wouldn¡¯t start fighting; Wyatt was just putting Micah in his place.

    ¡°She¡¯s a spirit walker; you don¡¯t think that her spirit might still be here? How do we know this isn¡¯t another one of Ian¡¯s spells? He made us believe that Fiona was dead too,¡± Micah said, his voice strained with anger.

    ¡°You said that Liam attacked Ian and that his magic hit Gwen, how would Ian have had time to bewitch her?¡± Wyatt watched his brother with remorse, knowing that Micah was taking my death hard.

    ¡°I¡¯M HERE!¡± I screamed as loudly as I could, so loudly that my throat burned with the strain. Panic was slowly consuming me at the thought of watching my body go through the process of embalming and then being buried. Even though I was in spirit form, I felt my emotions as if I were still solid. My heart still beat strongly and at the moment, it was like a battering ram against my chest. My lungs constricted with my panic and my hands shook with bewilderment. I had no clue what I was supposed to do to save myself. The one person who knew I wasn¡¯t dead was the bad guy, who had no plans of letting it be known. I knew, deep in my heart, that I wasn¡¯t, even if I were a ghost, trapped within the spirit realm. It was like I was Alice trapped behind the looking glass. I saw everything that was happening in real life but I couldn¡¯t interact with it. The few times Aiden and Micah heard me was the closest I¡¯d come to being noticed.

    Both Micah and Wyatt reacted to my bloodcurdling scream and looked at each other with perplexed stares.

    ¡°You heard her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Micah asked Wyatt. Wyatt nodded his head, too confused to speak. They both looked down at my body and then at the space where I hovered.

    ¡°Maybe the vampire can give his blood and heal her, maybe she¡¯s not all the way dead. I¡¯ve heard of people having out of body experiences when close to death,¡± Wyatt said with a shrug of his shoulders. I knew that they were both at a loss of what was happening and I loved them for not giving up so easily on me. Vampire blood could heal a human but I wasn¡¯t so sure it would do anything for me or the fact that I was just having an out of body experience.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± A female voice said from behind me. I turned; stunned that someone was talking directly to me. Standing only a couple feet away was Bridget.

    ¡°Bridget, what are you doing here?¡± I asked. I only saw her when I was sleeping and I knew I wasn¡¯t currently asleep.

    ¡°You¡¯re in my world now,¡± she said, her voice somber as she watched me. I knew I was within the ghostly realm, the world seemed gray from this point of view and the air blew an icy chill along my skin.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dead,¡± I said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be dead, spirit walker, to be in my world. I was drawn here, I don¡¯t know why,¡± she said.

    That was the first time I¡¯d had a lucid conversation with the ghost who haunted my dreams. She was clear in her spirit form. I could make out her features and her clothes just as clearly as I could my own. Confusion no longer colored her eyes and her image didn¡¯t flicker in and out like before. She had either come to grips that she was dead, or my acceptance of what I really was helped me to see her more clearly.

    While I was talking with Bridget, I noticed that Wyatt retrieved Ian from the back of the SUV and brought him over to my body. My eyes shot wide at what was about to happen. When Wyatt mentioned the vampire giving me blood, I thought of Aiden, not Ian. I did not want Ian Despereaux¡¯s blood in my system. Obviously, Aiden didn¡¯t either; he slammed his body against the door of the SUV and soon the door popped off the hinges as easily as a dandelion head. Aiden fell out of the SUV and I gasped at his appearance. Where he¡¯d been sprayed with the liquid silver, his body was burned so severely that it looked like his skin had melted. Tears flowed down my cheeks at the mess of what was once his perfect, creamy skin and I wanted nothing more than to bash Micah¡¯s and Wyatt¡¯s skulls in.

    Aiden stumbled over to where the men were gathered around my body, his hands bound with silver handcuffs.

    ¡°Get..away..from..HER!¡± He spat out, as if it caused him pain to speak.

    ¡°Aiden, I know you¡¯re upset about this, but I¡¯m trying to save her. We think Gwen might be alive but very close to death¡¯s edge. Ian¡¯s blood holds magic, something that could save her life,¡± Micah replied. Aiden was so weak, they didn¡¯t even try to put him back in the SUV. My tears fell harder as I took in Aiden¡¯s state. I didn¡¯t understand how Micah and Wyatt could be so cruel as to watch him like he was beneath them.

    Aiden fell over onto his side right in front of my body and stared at me with unblinking eyes. Eyes that held so much emotion, my heart literally skipped a beat. Warmth filled me as I watched Aiden¡¯s love for me. Even weakened and beat, Aiden would not give up on me. I floated over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered but remained still. I leaned down so that my lips were close to his ear and whispered the words I had feared saying since Micah. ¡°I love you.¡± Aiden closed his eyes as my words floated on the air and into his ears. Bloody tears fell from his blue eyes and he screamed a bloodcurdling scream filled with despair.

    ¡°That¡¯s him!¡± Bridget said as she peered around Micah¡¯s large shoulder. I looked up and noticed she was staring at Ian.

    ¡°Ian¡¯s the man responsible for killing witches?¡± I asked her although I already knew the answer, ever since overhearing the conversation between him and Liam.

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯d recognize his aura anywhere. He hid his face from us but I know it¡¯s him,¡± Bridget said with urgency. I nodded my head, unable to do anything until I was back in my body. Relief washed over me though, knowing that Bridget would finally see her killer captured.

    Ian bent down on his knees and lifted my body into his lap. He peered at me through his eyelashes and grinned. He bit into his wrist and held it to my still lips, all the time watching my spirit form. Our gazes were locked as his blood poured into my mouth. I tasted the coppery electric fluid and let it fill my mouth until my chest rose and fell heavily at our connection.

    Ian finally closed his eyes and whispered something no one could hear. Micah and Wyatt stood behind him, unaware that Ian was chanting.

    My body began to feel lighter and I looked up to Bridget with worry. I was slowly slipping away and it scared the shit out of me.

    ¡°Thank you, spirit walker, for helping me, I won¡¯t soon forget it,¡± Bridget said with a small smile. She turned and started to walk away, her body fading into the gray.

 Page 37

    I looked down at my hands and gasped as they too were fading into nothingness. My head hung lazily as if I was drugged and my eyes fell shut as the rest of me faded away.Advertisement

    23

    My eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleepiness. It took me a moment to focus, but when my surroundings came into view I realized I was in my bedroom.

    ¡°She¡¯s awake!¡± A female voice announced. I stretched and groaned, my body felt as if it hadn¡¯t moved in eons. My muscles strained when I stretched. I propped myself up on my elbows and noticed that Fiona was kneeling on the side of my bed with a huge smile lighting her face.

    Aiden walked through my bedroom door and enveloped me in his arms. I inhaled his familiar scent of soap and spices and devoured the feel of him against me. The last time I had seen him, he was severely weakened by liquid silver, at the hands of Micah and Wyatt. Looking at him now, no one would ever know that his features were once mangled. His skin was back to its normal creamy perfection and his eyes shone as brightly as sapphires.

    ¡°How long have I been out? What happened?¡± I asked as I looked at Fiona over Aiden¡¯s shoulder. Aiden released me and sat on the side of the bed, grabbing my hand. Relief was evident when he looked at me and happiness filled me when I looked at him. The entire time the man for me had been right under my nose but I was too involved with Micah to notice¡­until now.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for three days, Gwen. It was touch and go at first, but I knew you¡¯d come back to me,¡± Aiden said with a thin-lipped smile. My mind was in a whirlwind, three days I¡¯d been out? I couldn¡¯t remember much except being pulled away from Aiden¡¯s side as he lay by my side¡­and Ian.

    ¡°Is Ian in jail? He¡¯s the one responsible for the witches¡¯ deaths,¡± I suddenly said in a shrill voice, overly anxious to get the news out. Aiden¡¯s hand went to my back and rubbed small circles to calm my panic. I watched him expectantly, waiting for him to confirm that Ian was, in fact, in prison.

    ¡°Ian fed you his blood in hopes of healing you, he seemed rather willing to do so too,¡± Aiden paused as his anger momentarily overtook him. ¡°When he finished feeding you, he disappeared.¡±

    I gaped. ¡°What do you mean he disappeared?¡± My heart slammed against my chest at the thought that Ian Despereaux was still wandering around freely. It seemed he had some sort of fascination with me and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to running into him ever again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. One moment he was feeding you and the next minute he wasn¡¯t there anymore. Micah brought in Louis for questioning and found out some interesting things¡­¡±

    ¡°What things?¡± I interjected quickly. Fiona had gotten up while Aiden told me the news and had returned with a cup of hot tea. She handed it to me and I took a slow sip. The warmth slid down my throat and settled happily in my stomach that felt completely empty. I¡¯d worry about not eating later; right now, I had to know about Ian. Fiona sat Indian-style on my floor and waited for Aiden to continue his story. I took a moment to look at her and asked, ¡°Are you okay, hearing about Ian and who he really is?¡±

    She shook her head with a bitter smile and said, ¡°Absolutely, the only attraction he held over me was his glamour. What an idiot I was.¡± I gave her a small smile but internally I jumped for joy that my best friend was finally free of Ian¡¯s charms. I looked back at Aiden, anxiously awaiting the information I had interrupted.

    ¡°It seems Ian is actually Louis¡¯ sire. Ian had made it seem like he worked for Louis, but it was all part of his plan not to draw attention to himself. Louis was hesitant to rat out his sire, but Micah and Wyatt found a way around that,¡± Aiden smiled and I shuddered, thinking of the methods the FPD used to get a vampire to tell on his sire.

    ¡°Liam isn¡¯t in prison is he? It was Ian that hit me with the magic and it was on purpose,¡± I said.

    Aiden shook his head. ¡°No, Liam projected his thoughts so that we saw what happened. I bet Ian hadn¡¯t expected he could do that,¡± he snorted.

    I rubbed my forehead as a million thoughts rushed through my mind. We now knew that Ian Despereaux was responsible for the killings and selling witches¡¯ blood, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was close to being over. I mentally cursed myself for ever getting involved in this mess but a small part of me was happy to have the knowledge I¡¯d gained from it.

    ¡°Fiona would you mind giving us a moment alone?¡± Aiden asked. Fiona looked up at me and then nodded her head. She gave me a hug before she walked out of my room, closing the door behind her.

    Aiden¡¯s hands held my face as his blue eyes watched me with an emotion I no longer feared, love. He drew closer and pressed his lips softly against mine and I closed my eyes with the heat that stirred within me. When Aiden pulled away and looked at me with remorse, the heat was quickly doused, an icy chill replacing the warmth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked softly. I learned with this case, that nothing was ever what it seemed. I knew that Aiden wasn¡¯t telling me everything where Ian was concerned and I feared the words that dangled silently on his lips.

    ¡°Gwen,¡± he began, releasing a heavy sigh. ¡°Ian fed you that night.¡± A storm was brewing in Aiden¡¯s eyes and all I could do was wait for the torrential downpour of the words he hesitated to speak. I nodded my head as my stomach rolled with my anxiety.

    ¡°Remember when we were out by the tree that night? How I could tell that you wanted me?¡± Aiden asked. Through the chaos I had forgotten that Aiden and I had a quick tryst before everything blew up. A blush rushed to my cheeks and I smiled in remembrance. How wonderful if all I had to worry about in my life was getting caught for indecent exposure with Aiden as we experienced each other¡¯s bodies all over Flora.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said cautiously, unsure what he was trying to tell me.

    ¡°I can sense your emotions because I¡¯ve drunk from you.¡± Aiden paused and I widened my eyes, wanting him to just spit out the bad news already. I hated the suspense he was causing me.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Ian has drunk from you as well, which means he can also sense you¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! My! God!¡± I quickly said as the gravity of what Aiden was telling me sunk in. The one man who had a deep fascination with me, who was responsible for killing my kind, could find me as easily as if I had a tracking chip implanted.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to the bad news yet,¡± Aiden said. My insides froze, not knowing how it could possibly get worse.

    ¡°You drank from him as well. When a vampire shares his blood with a person he has also drunk from, it forms a bond. Bonds are very serious, Gwen, and as vampires, we do not take them lightly. I tried to stop Micah and Wyatt from letting Ian feed you but I was too weak. I¡¯m so sorry, Gwen.¡±

    I stared at Aiden but my eyes didn¡¯t see the dark haired, blue-eyed man I¡¯d come to love. I stared blankly past his beauty as I absorbed what he told me. Words failed on my stunned lips and air seemed to escape my panicked lungs. I shook my head back and forth, unable to believe that Ian and I were bonded.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be bonded for long. Ian will die by my hand the first chance I get, this I promise you, my Gwen.¡± Aiden¡¯s words did little to comfort me. I knew that Aiden was strong and over six hundred years old, but Ian was over eight hundred years old and had magic on his side.

    ¡°What does the bond mean?¡± I mumbled as I looked up at Aiden.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be able to feel your emotions as much as you¡¯ll be able to feel his. You¡¯ll also be telepathically linked.¡± Aiden explained.

    I hung my head in my hands and tried to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. Like breathing exercises would calm me down after learning that I was bonded to Ian.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he wanted to bond with me,¡± I said, but it came out in a mumble since my hands were covering my lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the last spirit walkers, Gwen; Ian¡¯s interest is in your rarity. Try not to worry, he can only run so far before he¡¯s caught,¡± Aiden said, trying to keep the anger from his voice. I knew he wanted me to look on the bright side of things, but when it came to Ian, there wasn¡¯t a bright side.

    Two soft knocks sounded at my door and Aiden was up in a flash, opening the door. Fiona jumped slightly when the door whipped open, but quickly regained her composure. She peeked around Aiden so that she could see me and said, ¡°Micah is here to talk to you; do you want to see him?¡± Aiden¡¯s hand tightened on the door handle, a grinding sound moaning under the pressure of his grip.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to ruin my door handle,¡± I told him. He let go and crossed his hands across his chest instead.

    ¡°I would love to see him, I have a few choice words I¡¯d like him to hear,¡± I told Fiona. She nodded her head and disappeared down the hall. Aiden walked over to the bed and knelt in front of me, pushing his body between my legs. His hands cupped my face and he pressed a kiss to my lips. His tongue darted out and licked my upper lip before slipping into my mouth. I massaged his tongue with mine and ran my hands over his shoulders and up into his dark hair. My whole body yearned to be close to Aiden, to taste him, to feel him. When our kiss ended, I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder. I enjoyed the comfort he provided me.

    ¡°I need to tell you something,¡± I whispered. He looked up at me and the sides of his mouth curled up as he grinned at me.

    ¡°What is it, my Gwen?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I began but was interrupted when Micah stepped into my bedroom. I looked back at him and sighed. ¡°Can we pick up where we left off after Micah and I talk?¡± I asked Aiden. He kissed my forehead and got to his feet.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be in the living room.¡± I nodded my head and turn on my bed so that I was sitting crossed-legged. Aiden glared at Micah and pushed past him. Micah closed the bedroom door and walked around the bed and leaned against the far wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you finally woke up; you had us worried,¡± Micah said cautiously.

 Page 38

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy to see you.¡±Advertisement

    ¡°Excuse me? What did I do?¡±

    I unwound my legs and dangled them off the side of the bed so that I could look at Micah directly.

    ¡°You sprayed my boyfriend with liquid silver and you let Ian Despereaux feed me, which bonded us.¡± I eyed him with my anger and let the words sink in.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Micah began, only to stop and think more about what I had told him. ¡°We didn¡¯t know it would form a bond, Gwen.¡± He paused and silently cursed. ¡°He planned this all along. He bewitched Fiona so we thought she was dead and so that you¡¯d allow him to drink from you, and then he knocked you out with magic because he knew we¡¯d have him feed you to bring you back, forming a bond. I may hate the prick, but he¡¯s clever.¡± Micah snorted.

    ¡°Yeah, and Aiden was trying to stop it but he was too weak from being sprayed with the liquid silver, thanks a lot.¡± I spat out. I knew that Micah wasn¡¯t solely responsible, but I had a lot of anger stirring within me and I needed to direct it at someone. I found fault with Micah to a certain point making him a fine target for my anger. He may not have known what constituted a bond with a vampire, but he was the reason Aiden couldn¡¯t stop it from happening.

    ¡°Aiden would have killed Liam if we hadn¡¯t sprayed him. He¡¯s strong, Gwen. Wyatt and I could have subdued him for a little while, but not long enough to save Liam¡¯s life. Liquid silver was our only option.¡±

    I stared at Micah, my fury aimed right at him but I didn¡¯t speak; it¡¯d be pointless to repeat what I¡¯d already blamed him for. I wanted him to know how pissed I was for what he¡¯d done, whether it was for Liam¡¯s life or not.

    ¡°Yeah, well now my life is the one in danger. You guys let Ian get away and I¡¯m bonded to him.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find him, Gwen. We ambushed the warehouse two nights ago and have all of his goons in custody. The VC (Vampire Council) came and killed four of them but the ones that are left are only alive because they are spilling all of the information they know about Ian¡¯s dealings. I suspect that they will be dead by the end of the week though, I don¡¯t trust the VC. Witches¡¯ blood benefits vampires too much for them to really care about taking action to stop it. We¡¯ve learned some interesting things though,¡± Micah said.

    ¡°Yeah, I have a feeling that things are going to come to blows between the VC and the NAWC very soon. You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re a werewolf and not in the middle of the shit storm. What interesting things did you guys learn?¡± My anger had eased, if only a tiny bit. I was more excited that I had been able to lead Micah to the warehouse where Amy Harper and Bridget Downing had been killed. It was a small victory though; the vampires would just move their operation to another secluded area.

    ¡°Remember how you kept saying the main guy was British?¡± Micah asked and I nodded my head. ¡°Well, Ian¡¯s goons told us that he¡¯s from Bedford, England. He probably disguised his voice while he was around us because the vampires say he normally speaks with an English accent. I wanted to be absolutely certain that Ian was, in fact, the man so I made sure to ask about that. He¡¯s learned how to use the magic very well so that¡¯s why no one could see his face. Without you¡¯re help, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get this far, thank you, Gwen.¡± Micah¡¯s eyes showed too much emotion for my liking. I broke eye contact and leaned my elbows on my knees, resting my head in my palm. I focused on the floor instead of the longing in Micah¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Were one of the vampires close to Amy Harper?¡± I asked, remembering from Amy¡¯s memories that she had definitely known her attacker. Her brother, Anthony, had seemed nervous talking to us.

    ¡°Yeah, his name was Jason. He was only three years old, in vampire terms. He was one of the first ones that the VC killed. Amy had started dating him three months before she was killed.¡±

    It was nice to see all the loose ends make some sense. I was still uneasy though. I knew the situation was far from over.

    Aiden opened the bedroom door and said, ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but Gwen and I have dinner plans.¡± I arched an eyebrow at the news but with the mention of food, my stomach grumbled.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll head out. I just wanted to catch you up on the case. Happy you¡¯re okay, Gwen, and I¡¯m sorry for letting Ian feed you but you have the FPD¡¯s guarantee that we¡¯re doing everything in our power to find Ian and put a stake through his heart.¡± Micah gave me a small smile and then walked to the door but, before leaving, he turned to Aiden and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for spraying you with the liquid silver but we thought it was the only way to stop you from killing Liam. I understand what it¡¯s like loving Gwen, you¡¯d do anything to keep her safe.¡± Micah looked back at me and then turned and left.

    Aiden paid to have one of the nicer restaurants in Flora closed for only the two of us. Behind the restaurant was a brick patio, surrounded with wisteria-covered lattice for privacy. White twinkling lights wove through the lattice, making the purple flowers glow.

    Our table sat in the middle of a gazebo and the white lights continued around all sides while an elegant light hung from the ceiling and lent a soft glow above our table. I had eaten here three years before, but somehow it seemed more romantic with Aiden on the other side of the table, with the lights reflecting off his sapphire eyes.

    A waiter poured us both a glass of champagne while another waiter carried a silver dome-covered dish, placing it in front of me. He removed the lid to reveal an array of seafood, scallops, lobster, and grilled shrimp, on a bed of rice with lemons garnishing the sides. I smiled and looked at Aiden. I had mentioned a long time ago that I loved seafood and it seemed he hadn¡¯t forgotten.

    The waiter¡¯s left and soft music began to float on the night air as Aiden and I watched each other over the rims of our glasses.

    ¡°Consider this our first official date,¡± Aiden said with a smile. I had told him that I wanted to go on a few dates before things between us got serious, but things had spiraled out of control while we were on the case and we hadn¡¯t had time for any dates.

    ¡°Seems like we¡¯re doing things backwards. Aren¡¯t we supposed to sleep together after dating?¡± I laughed.

    ¡°Oh, I have every intention of sleeping with you after this date,¡± Aiden said with a devilishly naughty grin. I giggled and a blush rushed to my cheeks from the fire Aiden had ignited.

    It was strange eating in front of Aiden since he didn¡¯t eat, but my stomach demanded the food so I tried not to shovel it into my mouth. Aiden watched me close my eyes as I forked a piece of lobster and put it into my mouth. The edges of his pupils had begun to darken with his growing lust and by the time I scooped the last bit of rice into my mouth, we were both ready to enjoy dessert.

    Aiden definitely took his time exploring my body and an hour later, we lay next to each other panting and cuddling. He rubbed my arm while I lay on his muscular chest but when his phone rang, I grumbled and moved so that he could answer it.

    He excused himself and walked out of the bedroom where I could hear him talking about some order that hadn¡¯t shown up at Vain. I made a note to check on my own inventory and give Penny a raise first thing in the morning. That girl was a peach and more responsible than any other nineteen-year-old I¡¯d ever met.

    A slight pain rushed into my head and I cursed that I was getting a headache. But when the pain subsided just as quickly as it had come and a white noise took its place, I sat up. I bunched my eyebrows as I tried to understand where the noise was coming from. Aiden didn¡¯t have a television in his bedroom and the radio was off.

    ¡®Ello, little witch, a voice said in a British accent. I jerked so strongly that I hit my head on the back of Aiden¡¯s headboard. I rubbed the spot and cursed, my eyes roaming the large room for the owner of the voice, for Ian.

    I can sense that you just enjoyed Aiden. You¡¯ve got me all randy and it¡¯s your body I¡¯m craving. I will find you, Gwen, and you will be mine. Your body will be beneath me as your lips moan only my name. Until we meet again, little witch.

    Aiden stepped back into the room and apologized for the call. He hopped back into bed and noticed that I was frozen with fear.

    ¡°Gwen, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± He was in front of me in a flash, both of his hands gripping my arms. I dragged my eyes to his. Tears dripped against my cheeks as I replayed what Ian had said.

    ¡°Ian communicated with me telepathically.¡± I mumbled. ¡°He said that he¡¯d find me.¡± I left out all of the dirty stuff Ian said; Aiden didn¡¯t need to hear that part of the conversation.

    ¡°Damn it¡± Aiden said between clenched teeth. He drew me into his arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ll kill him, Gwen, I promise.¡± I moved back and wiped the tears away, knowing that, from now on, I had to be strong if I had any chance of beating Ian at his own game.

    ¡°There was something I tried telling you before, in my bedroom, before Micah interrupted. I don¡¯t know what the future holds for me, Aiden, but I know I want you in it and if tomorrow doesn¡¯t come for me, if Ian finds me before we find him, than you should know¡­that I love you.¡± I stared into his eyes and waited for his reaction. My heart pounded against my ribcage but it had felt great to say what I felt. I knew without a doubt that I loved him. But what if he doesn¡¯t love me? Maybe I jumped the gun.

    Aiden smiled and laughed. He leaned close to my face so that his lips hovered in front of mine and in a whisper so soft, he said the words that melted my heart.

    ¡°You are my past, my present, and my future, all that I am, all that I aim to be is for you, my Gwen. Until my last breath I¡¯ll love you.¡± Aiden¡¯s lips met mine and I knew that with him beside me, I could handle anything life threw at me.