Wolf Spell 1 (22 page)

My heart fluttered. I could feel Jarak’s breath hot on my skin.

“About what?” I whispered.

Jarak hesitated then leaned in. “About this…” His lips were as soft as velvet as they brushed across mine. The soft pressure of our mouths molding together made my knees go weak. All thoughts of finding out what Nicholas needed disappeared.

Jarak broke the kiss, his lips lingering over mine. He rested his forehead on mine with his hands at the back of my head, keeping me close.

I leaned back, breaking the spell between us. Brushing my fingers over my lips, I could still feel the tingling sensation of his kiss. “I guess we should get going.” My voice was raspy. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but my body craved more.

I turned away from him. My cheeks were still warm from our closeness. He guided me down the hallway with his hand on my back. The long maroon drapes framed the floor length windows as the light flooded the hall.

A razor-sharp pain moved through my stomach. I doubled over, wincing and unable to catch my breath. Everything in my body became heavy as if something constricted me. The tight pressure enveloped me, and my eyes fluttered as I fought to keep them open.

Strong arms wrapped around me then my body was weightless. The hall swished around me with intricate colors—blue, green and red swirled together, making me dizzy. No sound came out as I tried to call out to Jarak for help.

Muffled noises made me aware of another presence. Blurring commotion filled my ears as if I swam underwater.

The firm hold around my waist moved to the back of my neck and at the small of my back. Jarak carried me, but I didn’t know why. Nothing made sense.

– Jarak –

“Maztic!” I shouted, the bellow echoed in the house as if we were in a cave.

I looked down at Es, still in my arms. She hung limp and unresponsive. Her skin went pale and cold. Fear churned in the pit of my stomach.

Heavy footfalls lifted my attention from Es.
“What happened?”
I could hear Maztic. A worried tone laced his usual confident growl.

I dropped to the floor in a heap, still protectively holding Es. Her chest still rose with shallow breaths. “I don’t know, we were walking and then—then this.”

Meadow bent down beside me, wiping Es’s hair away from her face. Her nostrils flared. “He’s close now—too close.” Deep red veins became visible around her neck as she became angry. It was what happened to all vampires when a thirst overcame them, it was in reality a chilling sight to see. Especially standing so close to one.

“What do you mean?”

“Nicholas. He’s close. He has to be. It’s the only explanation…” Her voice trailed off. “I thought we had more time, but in order to use a tracking spell to this magnitude he needs to be close. It looks like he obviously wants her dead.” She glanced over at Victor, who held a solemn look.

“What do you mean more time? What is going on?” I wanted to yell.

Ree came forward, glaring at Meadow. “Nothing.”

Meadow turned away. “Don't lie Ree. You and I both know it. It’s too late for us to fix it.”

“Not right now, if he can get her far enough away, there is still a chance.” Ree walked over to Meadow.

Ailaina cried out as she walked out from the bathroom, her hair still wet. She raced over to us. “What happened?”

Meadow answered her, “Nicholas is too close.”

I clenched my jaw and my body trembled. There was something amiss, and I needed to find out what. Resting my other hand on Es’s chest, I could feel a rise with a slight intake of breath, reassuring me that she was still alive.

How could I live if she wasn’t there? I couldn’t go through that again.
I began to think I could try to have a happy life with someone again. I spent days watching over her while she recovered from the evil she endured with Nicholas and the Belladonna. It killed me not being able to help her. What could I do now?

“He will pay for this.” My eyes stared off into nothing, but I continued to hold Es’s warm body against my own.

I stood up, keeping care not to jostle her around too much. I would rather die than to watch her go through this again. It was too much.

“Where are you going?”
Maztic asked. I turned to face him. A snarl came as he raised his upper lip. I didn’t have to explain to him. He knew what I would do. He was one with me.

“Home.”

– Arabeth –

“I’m fine,” I managed to say as Jarak laid me on the bed that I just spent too many days on. My eyes fluttered as I looked around.

Everyone surrounded me. “I’m fine.” I repeated. Whatever sharp pain that tried to shred me into pieces was gone. “Honestly.” I pushed away the many hands that seemed to be all over me.

I lifted my head and placed a hand on his chest, looking into his eyes. “I promise. Whatever it was, it’s gone.”

“What happened?” he whispered.

I shrugged as I sat up straighter. His bet was as good as mine was. “I don’t know. It was like a flash or bolt of lightning went through my middle and then I passed out. There was no warning.”

“A tracking spell. Jarak brought you in here while we made plans for your departure. You need to leave, get away before it’s too late. We can’t help you here.” Meadow sounded so sure, so confident. I looked over at her and almost cringed. Her face splotched with red markings.

It was weird seeing her with a vampire trait. She was mad. Her protruding veins gave proof. My stomach churned at the sight.

“I agree, we need to leave.” Jarak gazed down at me, never taking his eyes off me.

“Okay, then let’s leave.”

“You have me now too. I’ll help protect you.”
I turned fast as I heard a familiar voice in my head. I recognized it from when I was still semi-unconscious with the Belladonna.

The most beautiful grey wolf walked through the doorway. She was almost as large as Maztic, but her coloring was grey with white.

“Luna,” Jarak murmured against my head. I could tell he heard her too.

She came right up to me and nuzzled my hand. It was as if I were under a spell. I reached out and brushed my hands through her thick fur. “Luna.” I said her name to myself, liking the way it rolled off my tongue. It was as if I’d known her my whole life. A tingling connection spread through all my body.

“You two were chosen to be together before your birth. You are bonded before you even take a breath, but your magic line that keeps you together was never connected until now because you were taken as an infant before you two were together,”
Maztic spoke in my mind.
“In order to connect that line, you must see each other, eye to eye…”

It was incredible. I could feel a part of her inside of me. It was hard to describe, other than saying that unseen forces connected us together. Her thoughts, my thoughts, our thoughts.

I could feel her happiness, making me smile. All at once, everyone in the room came back into focus. What a trip. It was as if the world stopped, and it was just the two of us in existence.

“Okay. So where are we going?” Ailaina blurted out, breaking the silence. I forgot she couldn’t hear the wolves and what just happened must have looked extremely awkward to her.

“We’re going home.” Jarak’s eyes twinkled as he gazed at me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Home?”

“Yeah, my house. It’s a secluded cabin in the Sawtooths and our wolves wouldn’t look out of place there, like here in the city.”

I got excited. That was in Idaho, which was close to home. Oh how I missed the states.

“I’m all for it.”

“Me too.” Ailaina grinned.

A Seer

– Esmerelda –

November 3, 2012

The wheels of Victor’s private plane touched down in the small town of Stanley, Idaho. The view astounded me. The snow-capped Sawtooth Mountains surrounded the town, with quaking aspens and tall pine trees scattered around. I stepped off the plane and inhaled the sweet mountainous scent of sage and pine. A breeze tickled my bare arms, and I shivered. I was used to Spain’s mild, yet warm temperatures. This was certainly a lot colder.

The airport was a lot smaller and more secluded than I thought it’d be, but then again, I guess being in the middle of the mountains it wouldn’t be like Salt Lake International.

I slept most of the way to Idaho on the plane. I wasn’t about to tell anyone, but I was still a little weak from the Belladonna overdose. It was too bad too. I had the perfect time to spend with Jarak, but I slept through ninety nine percent of it. I’m sure Ailaina kept him in good company—she was never without words.

“Want your coat?” Jarak came up behind me with a warm coat Victor took from my apartment.

“Thank you.” My teeth chattered a little.

“Jeesh you two, just kiss and get it over with already.” Ailaina bounded around us, already wearing her faux fur trimmed coat.

I blushed as I remembered how his lips caressed mine, and then realized I hadn’t even told her about my kiss with Jarak.

 “Come on, we need to get home. The sun will set soon, and we still need to stake out the place and make sure Nicholas or his hunters aren’t anywhere close.”

I nodded. It was still weird leaving Meadow and Victor back in Spain. They were making blind trails for Nicholas to follow, giving us time to prepare. Being here in the woods of Idaho gave us an advantage because Jarak knew the territory well. I needed the time because I had nothing solid to go off in order to find the other counteracting agent, and I was beyond baffled about how I would do it.

So much changed in the last month, and it pained as well as excited me to acknowledge it. Although, I can honestly say I never saw this in my future—not once.

Jarak led us to a parking garage right outside the airport where a parked silver extended cab truck sat. I wasn’t too perceptive in the whole vehicle department, but I knew this was a newer Dodge Ram. I let out a whistle, feigning the innocent girl. “Nice. Yours?”

He smirked. “Yeah. This is my baby.” He ran his hand along the short bed railing, throwing our entire luggage in the back.

“Boys and their toys.” Ailaina shook her head. She was right. Never get in between a guy and his first love—anything with a motor.