Night Terrors

Bambi

Holly pulled her long, silky blonde hair to the side and exposed a small tattoo of a rosemary sprig behind her ear.

“Our coven isn’t a major one,” she said softly. “And now that Luna Rosemary is dead, I’m the only surviving member.”

I still couldn’t believe that Holly was a witch. She definitely had that flower child, “one with nature” vibe, but that didn’t align with the kinds of witches that we’d been researching.

“Show us your powers!” Ela shouted excitedly. “Can you set things on fire?”

“Ela, that’s rude!” Victoria admonished her, though her own excited expression seemed to indicate that she was also hoping for a spectacle.

“I’m…I’m not that impressive, honest. I haven’t had the proper training to become a full witch, even though I have the potential to be one. My training was cut short after…”

Holly’s words trailed off into a sad silence, and I remembered that everything she’d loved had been stripped away from her.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled. “We’ll help you train, Holly. After all, you’re a part of the group now.”

“Wait, you’re really letting me join you guys?” she asked hopefully.

I nodded, and she threw her arms around me, squealing.

“Um, one problem,” Ela interrupted. “None of us knows a damn thing about witchcraft.”

“Yeah, and I’m not sure how comfortable I am with all this dark magic,” Victoria said apprehensively.

“Oh, the Coven of Rosemary never practiced dark magic,” Holly assured us. “We specialized in purifying spells, potion making, and cleansing.”

“Sounds like a spa day.” I laughed.

“We could use one of those.” Victoria sighed.

“In order to train, I’ll need access to spell books, but I already looked around, and this library is completely devoid of witchcraft literature,” Holly said, discouraged.

Victoria and I instantly turned to Ela.

“Oh no, don’t look at me. I’ve already risked my neck once getting restricted materials. I can’t make that happen again. I’m not the magic one, remember?”

“Then what are we going to do?” Victoria asked, slumping into her chair. “We can’t train a witch without proper training materials.”

Holly would be an invaluable resource to us in our hunt for Devina and Matthias. I was sure of it.

There was only one option left, and even though I didn’t like it, I knew what we had to do…

Ekon

“We still don’t have any leads, and Alpha Hunter’s team hasn’t turned up anything either,” Ryland said, frustrated. “An entire pack doesn’t just spontaneously combust.”

“We need to look at this from another angle,” I growled.

We’d determined that the pack had been somehow barricaded inside the city, unable to escape, which was just plain sadistic.

This wasn’t simply a massacre. The murderer had wanted their victims to suffer.

And the use of fire meant that they left no evidence behind.

It appeared that the perpetrator would need to have intimate knowledge of the pack’s layout and structures to pull off something so calculated, which made this even more confusing.

To make matters worse, the Northern Pack’s land was now in the middle of an ownership dispute.

By right, the land of a defunct pack would normally go to the nearest Alpha, which, in this case, was me.

But it seemed others felt their own “connection” to the property.

Distant cousins and bastard children.

~Close friends~ of the Alpha.

The matter would have to be solved in the Royal Council now, which was the last thing I wanted to deal with.

What I really wanted to deal with was my mate. She was still mad at me, and I was at a loss for how to fix it.

Just like I was at a loss about the Northern Pack.

It felt like I was losing control again.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, followed by the voice of my Gamma.

“Your mate is here to see you, my Alpha,” Kalindi announced.

I smelled Bambi’s scent as she walked into the room, and it was intoxicating.

I had seen her clearly with my wolf only once, but I’d committed her image to memory.

She had fiery amber hair, eyes the color of a mossy forest, and delicate freckles across her nose.

Her eyes were brimming with innocent wonder, and her soft pink lips were always pouting, on the verge of asking a question.

This was the image I always thought of when Bambi entered the room, and it made me feel warm inside.

She wasn’t alone, however. There was a second scent—I recognized it as the refugee girl.

Why was Bambi bringing her to my office?

I was surprised that she was here at all, given the way we’d left things…

“Ekon, I need to speak with you about our new guest, Holly. It’s a matter of pack business.”

~Ah, she wants something. Of course.~

“And what is this business?” I asked dryly. “Don’t tell me you’re starting a second book club.”

“No, but I do need some books,” she responded coolly. “Books on witchcraft to be exact. It seems you’ve removed them all from the library.”

I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck as I dug my claws into my desk.

“Why the hell would you need books on witchcraft?” I growled.

“Please, Alpha, it’s for me.” The refugee girl stepped forward meekly. “I was a witch in training at the Northern Pack, and Luna Bambi encouraged me to continue my training here.”

So the refugee girl was a witch?

“Ryland, why was I not aware of this?” I asked angrily.

“I…I wasn’t aware either, Alpha,” he stuttered.

“Ekon, I know you’re wary of witches,” Bambi said, walking over and placing her hand on mine. “But I think she could be an asset to our pack if you let her train. Her coven specialized in healing magic.”

Her touch ignited a wave of desire within me.

I wanted her to trust me…

Maybe this would be a good place to start.

“My mother was a witch, so I know there is value to having a witch in the pack. I’m not discriminatory. I just have my reservations. If I allow training, all spells and materials will need to be approved by me first.”

I felt Bambi squeeze my hand affectionately.

“Oh my Goddess, thank you SO much, Alpha Jedrek.” The floor vibrated as Holly jumped up and down.

“You must also devote your allegiance to this pack. If we are going to train you, it must be as an official member of the Jedrek clan.”

“I’d be honored,” Holly responded, quickly getting serious. “You’ve brought me into your home, and I’ll work to be an asset to this community.”

I nodded. “Very good. You’re dismissed.”

Bambi started to leave too, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto my lap.

“Not you,” I whispered into her ear as I clutched her hips.

Ryland cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the PDA.

~Shit, I forgot he was still here.~

“You’re dismissed too, Ryland,” I growled.

He closed the door behind him, and I kissed my mate’s cheek, listening to the soft beating of her heart. “Will you join me for a walk?”

She sighed, but I felt her fingers running through my hair. I think she missed me as well.

“Yes, I’d like that,” she replied.

***

We walked through the woods bordering the compound, hand in hand, our fight forgotten for now.

The moonlight illuminated our path through the trees, and we walked mostly in silence, just enjoying each other’s company.

A mild thunder rumbled in the distance, but I could usually smell when rain was coming, and the air was clear tonight.

Bambi led the way, though I could easily navigate these woods on my own.

“There’s a cave not too far from here that has old carvings from an ancient pack,” I said, pointing in its direction. “I used to play there often as a child.”

“How do you even know where we are right now?” she asked, surprised.

“I’ve shifted here many times. It was the only place I felt safe shifting,” I responded. “I have every tree, rock, and stream memorized.”

“~Every~ tree?” she asked, with a hint of skepticism.

I abruptly grabbed her by the waist and pressed her into the nearest tree. I could feel the excitement in her sharp breath.

Her nails dug into my chest, and she pulled me ever so slightly closer.

I started kissing her neck, and she let out a soft moan. “Do you believe me now?”

“Yes,” she replied as I nibbled on her ear.

We began kissing with a rough kind of passion, the woods bringing out our wilder sides.

I grabbed her ass and lifted her up, and she didn’t resist, instead digging into my skin even harder.

“I’m very good at finding things in the dark.” I smirked. “Would you like me to show you what other things I can find?”

“Goddess, yes,” she replied in a breathy tone.

I got on my knees and lifted her skirt, skillfully putting my tongue between her legs, eliciting moans of pleasure.

She pushed me away, but this time, it was playful—she was giggling.

“If you want more, you’ll have to prove yourself. Catch me if you can,” she said, running into the woods.

So, she wanted to play a game? This would be easy.

Her broad movements bounced off the trees, giving me her exact location—not to mention her strong scent.

“This will be over in minutes.” I laughed. “I’ll even give you a head start.”

I waited several minutes and then began swiftly running through the woods, avoiding the trees and following her scent.

I stopped in my tracks when a water droplet hit me in the forehead.

And then another.

Shit.

Rain started falling—no, not just falling, pouring.

Her citrusy scent began to fade fast.

I started to panic. Not only could I not scent her but the rain threw off all my other senses too…

I couldn’t get my bearings.

“Bambi!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I turned and started to run, not even knowing which direction I was going.

CRACK.

I smacked face-first into a tree, and a searing pain ran through my head. I felt blood trickling down my face.

As I stood, stranded in the woods, completely helpless, I heard a bone-chilling scream in the distance.

I recognized it immediately.

Bambi’s scream.