Cabin Fever - An Erotic Novel

Chapter 23 - Of witches and warlocks (FINAL EDIT)

Greg had been a good companion. Better than most. The werewolf blood that flowed in his veins had sustained him – and her – for far longer than an ordinary mortal would have. Had he been just a man, he wouldn't have lasted more than a handful of years. A man, aged before his time, weak and useless. And she couldn't just let them go either. There were too many possible complications, too much that could come back and bite her in the ass.

No, she had given up on the mundanes a long time ago. As had most of her witch sisters – not that she had any sisterly feelings for any of them. Several of them had given up on men entirely and made do with animals or more esoteric familiars.

Sharing your life with animals and spirits. How silly was that? What did they think they were? Shamans or wise women? Bah!

Bella found that the best companion material had one leg in the mundane world and one in the supernatural. Weres were preferable. Which typically meant a wolf, since the other breeds were so rare now that they were almost impossible to find. With Greg released, she would have to find a young werewolf and bind him.

Felix, budding warlock that he was, would have been a perfect replacement. A genuinely exotic prize. Warlock sightings had been few and far between since the last great hunt during Victorian times. To have found one and taken him as her companion... it would have gained her great notoriety in certain circles. Not that she was overly concerned about such things, but a little respect from her peers wouldn't hurt.

As an added bonus, she would have been genuinely thrilled to have Felix: he was a great lover and easy to be around. But it had all gone to shit: Abbie hadn't made it. Either she had just plain backed out, or the snow had stopped her. Probably the latter, but it didn't really matter. She wasn't here. And then Felix had dragged seven strangers into the equation as if the situation wasn't bad enough already.

She couldn't even begin to bind him under such circumstances. And she'd already released Greg's binding in preparation for the ritual. Even had he wanted back under her thumb, she couldn't do it, not with those damn kids snooping around. To be honest, she was done with Greg. They had come to the end of the line, one way or the other.

Felix had to die. It was sad, but it was the only way. She couldn't in good conscience let a warlock walk free. They were very dangerous if allowed to realize their potential. So dangerous that they had been hunted to extinction, just to prevent any more outbreaks.

"Just make sure he's dead." Those had been her words to Greg. She hoped he didn't make a mess. She briefly regretted not having given him more specific orders. But he wouldn't mess it up, not with the seven kids asleep at the cabin.

She briefly considered changing her mind. To try again next weekend or something. But she knew it wasn't an option; something had happened to Felix this week that had kick-started his awakening. In a week, it might be too late to bind him. That would be a real mess.

There were no other options. Greg would kill him and then get rid of the body. Greg would then disappear, to spend the rest of his life doing whatever he pleased. She had made sure he was well provided for, with money and a new identity. She owed him that much. Well, maybe not owed. She just wanted to give something back in return for all those years of service. She wasn't as cold-hearted as many other witches – she genuinely cared for Greg. Wanted him the best in life.

With Felix and Greg both gone, there was no returning to her old life. That was also a given. The police would never be satisfied with her answers. Her magic couldn't fix that. They would keep an eye on her for years and year and bother her with questions and accusations. She would have to go away too.

Letting the Company go was vexing but hardly exceptional. She'd walked away from her mortal life many times before, and always had at least two, preferably more, identifies to go to. She had everything ready for a new life in France. It would do her good to get away from the snowy, forlorn north for a while. She would savor the good life, fraternize in more civilized circles. Yes, it would do her good.

In the case of Bella's death or disappearance, Greg, as her husband, was her primary beneficiary. With him out of the way, Felix was next in line. Felix didn't know that, of course. She'd drawn up the papers beforehand, in anticipation of the ceremony. Now it would just add another layer of confusion to an already convoluted picture. She was sure it would cause the police all sorts of headaches when they tried to figure out precisely what had happened up at the cabin. The thought made her smile.

Since neither Greg nor Felix would be around to inherit anything, her stocks in the Company would end up in the hands of a trust fund. One that her new persona could, if Bella wanted to, be able to control through intermediaries. She probably wouldn't. The Company would only remind her of her loss. Of Felix, slipping through her fingers.

"Goodbye, Felix," she said softly, pulled up her fur-lined hood, opened the door, and stepped out into the swirling snow.