The Bewitched Box Set Page 13

  I almost cried out as he pulled the sword from my body.

  He reached down and caught me as I fell forward. He lifted me into his arms and smiled. “I have a deal for you. I’ll help you live and you’re going to help me free my brother.” It wasn’t a question or even a statement. “Trent, go get the truck.” He tossed his brother the keys from my leather jacket.

  Trent disappeared as I fought to stay conscious.

  My truck appeared from around the corner. Trent jumped out and picked Eddie up gingerly and put him in the back.

  Evan walked behind him and placed me in the bed of the truck beside Eddie. I lay against the cool metal and listened as the two wolves got into the cab and felt the truck pull away and then lurch to a stop. The loss of blood made it hard for me to stay awake. Eddie lay beside me, watching me.

  I forced myself up on my elbows to look where the fight had taken place. A woman stood over a pile of ash that used to be Jason. Her long, curly red hair blew from the wind. She turned toward me. Her dark green eyes bore into mine as she sneered. I’d somehow just made an enemy for life. She was deadly now and would stop at nothing. Deep in her eyes I saw it. They didn’t just tell me of the pain she was going through and the hate she had for us all. They spoke of punishment and what was sure to come. She would die trying to find me and she would make me and all those around me suffer. I knew I had to get to Malcolm and tell him what happened. That was the only way to keep them safe. The woman who promised suffering would make me suffer any way she knew how. I’d warn Malcolm the moment I had the strength. I fell back against the truck and let the blackness surround me.

  Piper.

  ––––––––

  I woke with a start, no idea where I was. I was starving – for blood. It took an effort to swallow the burning in my throat. Eddie sat beside me, showered and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He turned worried eyes to me and reached over to wipe the hair from my eyes. “It’s weird being the one to pet you for once.” He chuckled and I thought of the irony in his statement. He was right. It was weird. I tried to smile but felt too weak. He was human and all I could think about was the main artery on his neck. I was starving! And weak. Not just my body, which felt like it had been hit by a Mack truck, but my mind too. Dazed, I tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by Eddie. My ever faithful friend.

  “No. You must rest.” Eddie gently stroked my hand. “The blood helped, but there wasn’t enough. You need to heal.”

  I didn’t want to lie there. Exhaustion made me too weak to argue. I needed my wits and strength if I had any chance at solving the problem I’d just created. I fought to keep my eyes open, but they began to droop as the sleep tried to overtake me. I heard Eddie talking to Trent or Evan but I must have passed out. I blinked when I woke suddenly and tried to focus, even though I couldn’t. My ears heard that Eddie would be leaving and I wouldn’t see him for a bit. My mind took longer to realize that he was going to warn Malcolm and Hamish.

  Eddie knew as well as I did that Piper, Jason’s mate, would be after all those who were important to me. She would go after Malcolm, and even Hamish, although he was a pain in the ass. If she saw Eddie on his own, she’d go after him first. He knew that, but Eddie left anyway, determined to reach Malcolm in time. The only person left in the world, other than them, was my father. If I’d have been fully awake, I’d have snorted. He would be fine. Even if Piper was dumb enough to go after him, he could crush her with one finger. I struggled to sit up and tell Eddie to stay beside me. He obviously trusted the wolves watching over me better than I did.

  The exertion of sitting made my head dizzy. I opened my eyes, the sun bright and burning from the closing door. It was too much. My elbows gave out and everything went black when my head hit the wall behind the bed I lay on.

  ––––––––

  When I awoke, I lay curled in the fetal position as far into the corner of the bed as I could get. My head hurt like a hangover but I ignored it and slowly looked around the room. Uncurling myself, I knew my chest had closed and was healing. Nobody sat guarding me, I was now alone.

  And nearly naked. Wearing someone else’s tank top and my undies. My shirt, skirt, and jacket were somewhere, but I had no clue where.

  I sat up slowly and realized I felt much better. Where did I get blood from? That would be the only way I would feel stronger. Had Eddie said something about blood? My thoughts from the last conversation – I didn’t even know how long it had been – were incoherent and foggy. I had made a promise with Eddie a long time ago to never give me his blood in order to save me. It could hurt him in the process.

  Thirst drove vampires. The blood couldn’t have come from Eddie. It was too risky for him to turn human and try to feed me, especially with how bad I had been hurt. I would have drained him without a second thought. I stretched and sat up. I didn’t know where the blood came from and at the moment didn’t care, as long as it wasn’t Eddie’s.

  What I had thought was a room earlier was a sad, sad excuse of one. I was sitting on an air mattress inside a damp cave. Embers from a fire on the far side of the cave lay glowing as a cast iron pot rested on top.

  What I had thought was sunlight earlier must have been flames from the fire. A strong aroma of meat floated in the air. Hearing a noise outside the entrance, I smiled, ready to see Eddie. The smile died on my face when Evan Alexander ducked inside.

  “Where’s Eddie?” I knew my voice was sharp and quick. I was ticked, and hungry. What the hell was going on and where in the hell was my pup?

  “Eddie left to warn your friends of Piper.”

  So he did know who she was after all. Eddie must have told him. Piper wasn’t just Jason’s hunting partner. She had been his mate as well. I had a vicious enemy on my tail.

  How dare Eddie tell these wet dogs things about my personal life? I glared at the werewolf standing unreadable in front of me. He threw his hands in the air and turned to go.

  “Wait,” I hissed. Moving faster than the wind, I was pressed against his hard body, my hand around his throat. I ripped a bandage from his skin soaked in delicious smelling blood. Two holes made by incisors lay healing on his heck. My nostrils flared. I now knew where I had gotten the blood from to heal... “You.”

  He covered his neck and stepped back. “Me, what?”

  “You fed me.”

  Evan shrugged. “Yeah. Somebody had to. You lost a lot of blood.”

  “I didn’t need yours. Anybody’s but yours would have done.” I cringed. I’d never had wolf’s blood before. What would happen to me? I felt strong, but different? I couldn’t tell. Maybe since he hadn’t shifted yet, I’d be okay... or dead by the next full moon.

  “You wouldn’t have survived if you didn’t get some into you.”

  “I don’t want your blood.” I was being rude, I knew it, but didn’t care.

  “Bit late now.” He rolled his eyes, a glimmer of slyness shot through them. “You sure didn’t seem to mind last night. Ed had to pull you off of me.”

  Really? Could this get any worse? The image of me all over handsome Evan made my mouth water. I stared at the marks in his neck. Focus! Sarcasm had a habit of covering my true feelings. “Great! I get fed by a damn wolf. Next, people will be lining up to feed me. You have a waiting room in the cave beside this hole?” I waved my hand and moved toward the opening. “Whatever. I’m outta here.”

  “You’re welcome.” Evan crossed his arms over his muscular chest and set his feet shoulder width apart, blocking the exit. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I appreciate the hospitality. Your, uh, cave is nearly a five star.” I reached for my guns, dismayed to find nothing in the holsters. Where was my jacket? “I have things to take care of.”

  “Starting with my brother?” He was in front of me in an instant.

  I didn’t react fast enough, surprised he moved so fast for a wolf that hadn’t shifted yet. Werewolves were born with speed and other supernatural gifts, like healing, but E
van was faster than quick. Not like others I had chased down and killed.

  His face grew angry as he stared down at me, inches away. The vein in his forehead worked overtime as the twitch of his jaw gave his anger away. “I saved your ass. You owe me.” His words were punctuated.

  “I owe you nothing.” My eyes burned and I knew they were turning a brighter shade of blue. My incisors pressed against the flesh inside my mouth. Sharp, and ready.

  “Bullshit! Vampires have some sort of honor code. You owe me for saving your life and you know it. You’re going to help me save my brother.”

  I laughed. “Save your brother? Are you crazy? He’s a damn werewolf.”

  He didn’t budge, nor did his facial expression change. “He is. So am I.” Warm air shot out of his nostrils and brushed against my face like a tender touch. “And I still saved your damn life.”

  I stomped my foot, ticked I didn’t have a response. He was right. On too many levels. We did have this internal code of honor about a life for a life. It wasn’t written anywhere but just naturally assumed. However, nowhere did it say I had to honor a damn werewolf. Nowhere did it say I owed him if he was stupid enough to help me survive. His fault, not mine. “I don’t work with werewolves. Sorry.” I rested my hand on his shoulder to push past him.

  He grabbed it and held me from moving. “And what about Eddie?”

  “Eddie’s fine.”

  “Really? How do you know that for sure?” He pointed at his chest with his free hand. “Oh yeah, I know all about him. I nursed him back, too. Your only friend is a were. You don’t find that strange?”

  “He’s not my friend. He’s my mutt.”

  Evan’s eyebrows rose. He didn’t believe me. “You wouldn’t put yourself on the line for him? What about a sister, or a brother?”

  He was right about Eddie. However, I wasn’t about to let him know that. What about Blair? I had put everything on the line for her. And I knew nothing about her. My entire existence was in jeopardy because I saved my sister’s life and I didn’t even know her. Evan knew his brother and, by the way they spoke to each other, they were close. He was trying to help him, but didn’t know Trent was doomed. If I didn’t kill him the coven would just send someone else after him, and another, until the job was done. The coven hit their marks no matter how long it took or how many hunters died for it. They always got the job done in the end.

  Evan’s intense stare didn’t leave my eyes for a long time. He slowly released his hold on my hand on his shoulder and reached for my face, moving a chunk of hair out of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear. “Can you just wait a day?”

  “I don’t have time.” My voice came out softer than I intended.

  “You do. It’s daytime now. You have at least eight hours before the sun sets.” He rubbed his neck, carefully avoiding where I had fed.

  I followed the movement of his fingers and licked my lips.

  His hand reached for mine. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat and then we can talk.”

  Eat? He’d let me feed from him again?

  “You don’t have a daylight ring. You can’t leave the cave.” His voice was soft, as his touch was. But there was something else there. A bolt of electricity that shocked me and made me gasp. His touch felt warm and inviting.

  I had the urge to lean in to him, but quickly caught myself before I did and made a complete fool of myself. Straightening, I backed away slowly. Not like a scared rabbit, as I’m sure I looked, but more as a surprised woman who had felt something for the first time in a very long time. I shook myself mentally and physically to keep my thoughts from going back there. “There’s no such thing as daylight rings.”

  “No?” A single eyebrow rose.

  “I’ve never seen a hunter with a ring.”

  “It can be any piece of jewelry. Whatever works.”

  “They don’t exist. It’s folklore.”

  “You don’t believe in witches then?” He moved to the fire embers and poked the smoldering wood to bring the flame up slightly. He glanced at me. “Do you or don’t you?”

  I walked over, arms crossed over my chest. “Of course I do. I’ve killed my fair share.”

  “Then why would you question daylight rings?”

  He obviously didn’t have a clue. Or was I missing something? Blair was a witch, they were hunting her. She was also Vlad’s kid. Part witch, part vampire. I never knew that existed either. For as long as I’d been alive, how could I have been in the dark so long? “What’re you cooking?”

  Evan grinned. “Smell good?”

  “Smells like dead animal.”

  The corners of his mouth turned downward. “It’s meat. Of course it’s dead animal.”

  I sniffed. “Beef. Onions. Potatoes. Carrots.” I noticed my boots set beside a rock and moved toward them. “Stew.”

  “Impressive.” He tilted his head as he watched me sit down on the rock across from him. He dropped down into a squat. “I’ve got a decent sense of smell myself.”

  “You should. You’re a were.” I didn’t mean to make it sound like he was an idiot. The words just came out.

  He chose to ignore my comment and set to filling two bowls. He straightened and handed one to me.

  “I’d rather have something else,” I mumbled.

  “Be nice. I might just let you then.” He moved to the rock beside mine, purposely moving my boots to the other side of his rock. “Eat this first.”

  I felt the smile curl its way onto my face as I took a spoonful. He had guts. I could appreciate that. It didn’t mean I liked him. I stared at the stew. Normally I didn’t eat anything someone else cooked until after they did, but, here, in this cave, I knew I was safe. Not only did I feel it, but I knew if he was going to kill me or hurt me, he would have already done it.

  Apparently, I needed him as much as he needed me.

  * * *

  Chapter 6

  “Who made this?” I used my finger to sweep the last bit of gravy out of the bowl and stuck it in my mouth, savoring the flavor. It had disappeared too fast. I was hungry, the wrong kind of hungry, but it did fill the need – for a moment. I set the bowl down and looked up.

  Evan sat, spoon halfway to his mouth, staring at me with wide eyes.

  “What?” I sucked the last morsel off my finger, the sound making a soft smacking sound as it left my mouth.

  He stuffed the bite into his mouth and quickly glanced down, as if embarrassed to be caught staring. “I did,” he mumbled.

  “Do you have more?” I leaned toward the hot pot over the fire and reached for the lid.

  Evan slapped my hand away. “You’re not the only one who needs to eat.”

  I glared at him. One moment I saw him as a real guy and the next he had to remind me of the beast inside of him. “Fine.” I rubbed my wrist. “You’re the one who said I had to heal.”

  “I did, but not at the cost of starving everyone else. We don’t have a ton of food and your greedy stomach doesn’t deserve all of it.”

  Dumb dog. “Whatever.” I stood and began pacing the room, irritated because I wanted to feed off of him, not the stupid stew. I was starving. My body wanted to heal and it was itching for blood. Moving directly in front of him, I motioned with my hand. “Gimme my boots.”

  “Excuse me?” His foot moved directly in front of my knee highs, blocking them.

  “You heard me.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not giving you the bitchin’ boots.”

  Had I not been so pissed and starving, I’d have laughed. “Did you just call me—?”

  He had the decency to turn a shade of red before scowling at me. “No, I was referring to those ridiculously high boots you wear.”

  “They serve their purpose.”

  “To make you look like some female superhero?”

  Funny guy. “To hold my weapons.”

  “Oh yeah. I found some of those inside.”

  “Then give me the boots.”

  “Why?”


  I pushed an exasperated breath from my lungs. “Seriously? You’re going to ask why I need them?”

  “I am.” He stayed sitting, which really annoyed me. It was like he wasn’t scared of me at all. He was an idiot. He should be.

  My hands flew into the air out of pure frustration. “Because I’m starving! I don’t need your stew. I need sustenance. If I don’t feed, I’ll become really cranky, and you don’t want to see that.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to keep a straight face. “This isn’t crabby?”

  My fingers curled tight against the palm of my hand. I really wanted to slug his cocky, handsome face and wipe the smile right off it. My lips pressed tight together as I tried to calm the raging hunger and anger inside of me. My words came out terse, “You’ve obviously never been around a starving, healing vamp before. I will seriously tear this place apart to get outside. If it means ripping your beating heart out of your chest to get my boots, I’ll do it.” I wouldn’t, at least not yet, I wasn’t that hungry. I’d been through worse but it had been a long, long time since I’d been famished.

  Evan sat watching me without saying a word. He closed his eyes and exhaled a long, warm breath. It brushed against my bare legs, reminding me all I wore was the tank top and undies. When Evan opened his eyes, he stood. A wolf’s body temperature was warmer than the average human. Nearly fever temp. There was little space between the two of us and I refused to back down. He handed me the boots.

  I stepped into one and bent down to zip it up. My head bumped against his hard chest as I bent down. “Sorry,” I mumbled, but didn’t move away. I repeated the process with the second boot. Both small handguns had been taken out, along with the ninja stars. I straightened, my nose nearly brushing his as he watched me, his mouth slightly hanging open. I smiled. Now I was back in control. Lifting my left foot up, I leaned toward him and let my bare thigh brush against his hip as I set the heel of the boot on the rock behind him.