The Bear's Forbidden Wolf: A Hot Paranormal Fantasy Saga with Witches, Werewolves and Werebears (Weres and Witches of Silver Lake Book 4) (7 page)

“Yes. He was killed on the property where one of our witches lives. I’m not sure what really went down, but we found a lot of blood at the site. The rumors claim that the Alpha did him in because your brother was trying to capture his woman—a woman who was a powerful witch.”

Then he deserved to die, but she wouldn’t tell him that, nor did she want to discuss Owen. The last thing she needed was for someone at work to learn what her brother had tried to do.

The man’s gaze shot straight through her and the hairs on her neck rose, sending her inner sensors to high alert. How did he know that Kalan’s Clan had told her about her brother’s death or the way he’d died? Were they following her? Listening in on her conversations? Shivers tripped up her spine.

Needing to stop this line of conversation right now, Ainsley picked up his folder. “You’re having trouble with your leg, Mr. Ernst?”

His lips pinched as if he’d wanted to test her further. “It’s been paining me for months.”

“I trust your wolf has been unable to heal it?”

He nodded. “I was born with one leg shorter than the other. It didn’t give me any trouble until recently.”

Ainsley suspected this visit might be more of a fishing expedition than to receive any health benefit. Some Changeling might have spotted her and been curious why she hadn’t sought them out. How they could tell she was one of them was anyone’s guess—unless that person was of noble Changeling blood. That thought scared her. “Have you had acupuncture before?”

“No, but I heard it works quite well.”

She doubted the word of mouth had spread to the Changeling community. From what Blair had told her, Ainsley was the first acupuncturist in many years to work at this clinic. “Hop up on the table and let’s take a look.”

For the next thirty minutes, she carefully placed the needles in his lower back and legs. “Have you been to a chiropractor?”

“No. I don’t believe in them,” he said, face down on the table.

And yet he believed in an acupuncturist? She wasn’t buying it, but she did the best she could. Once Ainsley finished with him, she discussed some herbs he could take to reduce the swelling in his lower back. “One treatment isn’t enough to cure your pain. I’ll need to see you next week.”

“I’ll think about that,” Mr. Ernst said. “Do you make house calls?”

Her stomach tumbled. “I haven’t in the past, but I guess I could. Why?”

She didn’t want to be trapped in his house with no way to escape. If the two of them battled, she’d lose. Not having practiced her skills had made her rusty though they’d be no reason for him to attack.

“My father is ailing and can’t walk.” He slipped a hand in his pocket. “Here’s the address. Can you come tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll have to check my schedule.”

“I’ve left my number. Call if you can make it.”

That was rather presumptuous of the man, but having grown up with Owen and Alex, it was best to smile and move on. “I will.”

As soon as he left, it was like the air had returned to the room. She washed her hands and stretched, her mind zinging. What the hell had that been about?

*

Last night, Jackson
hadn’t been able to sleep, and it was catching up to him. Ainsley’s image kept floating in his head. It didn’t matter that she smelled liked lavender and vanilla, or that he kept picturing sinking his cock into her, she was off limits. He’d never mate with an evil Changeling, no matter how sweet she appeared or smelled.

What he wanted to know was what had he done to deserve being alone for the rest of his life? He was given one shot at a fated mate, and he got a fucking Changeling. That was the definition of drawing the short straw.

He was the first to admit that at twenty-eight, he wasn’t ready to settle down. There were a lot of women left in town to sample, but to be told he’d never have a mate was beyond depressing.

“Did you fix the drone?” Connor asked, coming out of his office.

Jackson looked up. “Yeah. I just needed to recharge the battery.”

Connor stood in front of him, his stance wide, looking like a commander. “You figure out what you’re going to do about Ainsley?”

He looked around. Not that he needed to hide his issues from their other co-worker, Kip, but some things should be kept between shifters. “Naliana cleansed those other two Changelings—Olivia and Nathan. Do you think she’d do it to Ainsley?”

“
Do it to her?
It’s not like taking a pet to get neutered. I think Ainsley has to want to undergo the ritual. Have you spoken to her about it?”

“Hell no. I don’t want to get near her.”

“Then I guess you’re fucked.”

That he was.

His cell rang, and Connor held up a hand. “I’ll let you get that.”

His boss slipped off the table, and as soon as he headed back to his office, Jackson checked the caller ID. It was Tawny, his current woman of the week. While he cared for her, he’d needed some space and hadn’t even called her. Now he felt like a cad.

“Hey there.” Tall and blonde, she was a local realtor who had provided him with some useful information in the past. They’d clicked and started dating. This past weekend, he hadn’t given her a thought, and he blamed Ainsley for that.

“Sorry to call you at work, but you asked me to let you know if there was any more activity on the Donaldson place.”

Jackson sat up straighter. Because he’d been unable to concentrate—due to a certain short-haired blonde—he’d been goofing off by doing research on a possible treasure located under the burned out Donaldson building. Most likely it was another hoax, but he’d been intrigued doing the research that dated back over a hundred years. “What did you find?”

“A Mr. John Ernst put a bid in for the building.”

He’d never heard of the guy, but he’d check him out. “Did Donaldson accept?”

“No. He said the property wasn’t for sale.”

“Do you know what he plans to use the land for?”

“No. I’ve never spoken with him. For now, no transaction is happening, but that’s the second bid this month, which I find odd. Usually people don’t ask to buy a place that’s not even for sale.”

Something was happening, he could feel it. “I appreciate you letting me know.”

“You’re welcome. So you want to do dinner some time this week?”

Crap. His head wasn’t in the right spot. Of course, she’d wonder why he hadn’t called, but he wasn’t going to admit to a human that as a bear shifter, he’d found his mate—a mate he wouldn’t touch with the proverbial ten-foot pole. “I have a big case at work.”

“Oh, I understand.”

Jackson hated to disappoint anyone, but suddenly he wasn’t into her like he had been a week ago. “I’ll call you, okay?”

“Sure.”

As soon as she disconnected, he felt like a real jerk, but he didn’t need another woman to mess with his head.

*

Once work let
out, Ainsley rushed to her apartment to wait for her furniture delivery. She entered the building from the back alley and traipsed up the steep wooden stairs. The whole issue with Mr. Ernst still bothered her, but she couldn’t let her prejudice of Changelings get in the way. If she did, she’d be no better than anyone else. While most of the Changelings tended to be a bit sociopathic, she’d met some who were capable of having feelings. The fact her real dad loved her mother implied Mom had those redeeming qualities at one point. It was only after she’d met Owen’s dad that she’d changed.

No sooner had she entered than there was a knock on her door. “Coming.”

Ainsley was expecting the deliverymen, but instead it was Elana. She had on a cute pink top and jeans, and only a sprinkling of makeup. Her hair was pulled back and tied with a pink ribbon that had some baby’s breath stuck in the side for added interest. “Hey. Come in.”

While Elana hadn’t come out and asked if Ainsley was a Changeling, she bet her mate had told her. “Just wanted to check to see how the move was coming.”

Ainsley had been brought up to be suspicious of everyone, but Elana seemed really open and nice. “Good. The living room set I ordered should be delivered today.”

From the way Elana was looking to the side, she wasn’t really here to find out if Ainsley’s move had gone smoothly.

“Do you have a minute to talk?” Elana asked.

Here it comes
. “Sure. Want something to drink?”

Her cheeks stained red. “Water’s good.”

“You sure? I’m having a glass of wine.”

“I’m sure.”

Ainsley stepped into the open kitchen a few feet from the small table, fixed the drinks, and then carried them out. “What’s on your mind?”

Elana sipped her drink. “This is kind of awkward, but I wasn’t sure if you were aware that Naliana, the moon goddess, can cleanse people if they want.”

“Cleanse people?”

“Remove their bad Changeling blood.”

Goose bumps shimmied up her spine. “That sounds barbaric.” All Ainsley could picture were tubes attached to her body sucking the life out of her.

“It’s not like that. It’s really rather simple.” Elana told her about two Changelings, who because of their human ancestors—one parent and one grandparent—didn’t want to live the Changeling lifestyle anymore. Naliana was able to rid them of their Changeling genes by having them submerge under water and touch the bottom of Silver Lake.

“How is that possible?” Ainsley asked, thinking her story sounded like a fairy tale.

“Naliana is a goddess. Anything’s possible.”

“So you’re saying it was a miracle?” Ainsley asked.

“It sure looked like it to me.”

She supposed if a Changeling could alter another shifter’s genes by mating with them, why shouldn’t a goddess be able to alter hers? “Did you actually see Naliana do this?”

Ainsley had never even set eyes on a goddess, nor had she heard of anyone who had. Perhaps the gods and goddesses from above didn’t visit her kind.

“Yes. She and her husband, James, performed the ceremony at the lake, though I’m not really sure what his role was.”

Ainsley was overwhelmed with the possibilities. Even if she were to be cleansed, she doubted that Jackson would believe she was absolved of all the Changeling wrongdoings of the past. He’d still harbor distrust. “Can you get a hold of her for me and ask her what I’d need to do to have this feat performed?”

Elana laughed. “I can’t, but my mate might be able to. He and our Alpha, Rye, have spoken with her husband many times. Naliana only returns on the white moon.”

Mentally, Ainsley went through the lunar calendar trying to remember when the next white moon would be. “She’ll be here in a few days then. Do you think you could ask Kalan for me?”

“I’d be happy to. I think the whole family, including Shamus, would be relieved if you didn’t have the stigma of being a Changeling hanging over your head.”

“Amen.” So that was the real reason for bringing this up—to lift the veil of shame from their family. She wondered if Jackson had mentioned anything to Kalan about them being ill-fated mates. Someone knocked on her door and disrupted her thoughts. “That must be the delivery men.”

“I’m excited to see what you bought. I’m kind of lucky—or rather you’re lucky—that my parents’ hand-me-downs were destroyed in the break-in. I never liked their flowered furniture.”

That wasn’t her style either. Ainsley opened the door, recognizing right away shifters weren’t on the other side. Two men in blue overalls, with sweat on their foreheads, and the moving company logo on their shirt pockets were standing next to her new sofa. “Come on in,” she said.

“Those stairs sure are steep,” the shorter of the two said.

“Don’t I know it?” Trudging up and down all the time would keep her in shape however. “It’s a downfall of an old building.” The plus side of living there was all the character built into the place. She loved all the nooks and crannies and high ceilings.

The men carried in the yellow tweed sofa and placed it against the stairway wall. Next, they brought in the two matching lime green leather chairs with brass tack elements along with a metal coffee table. The retro look blended really well with the brick on the far wall.

“Thank you.” She then tipped them once they finished.

The whole time the men were arranging the furniture, however, Ainsley couldn’t keep her mind off the idea that she might be able to become a normal werewolf. As excitement sizzled inside her, she wondered why she’d never learned of this opportunity before?