"This is a terrible idea," Dayton grumbled to himself in the driver's seat of his Ford Expedition.
Kalem couldn't agree more: having three hot-headed males and one female in a vehicle was a terrible idea. He should have insisted on taking Sabrina in his car. Camen was giving her all kinds of death glares from the passenger seat, which set Kalem's wolf off and had him at the edge of his seat. Not only that, Dayton's choice of music stunk like a monkey's hairy balls.
"You all agreed on this plan," Sabrina muttered, not at all understanding the danger she was in. Or maybe she did, but the opportunity was too exciting for her to pass up.
She sank into her seat, which coincidently led her to leaning into Kalem. All the tension he'd felt earlier unwound and he finally let himself relax.
Was this how Damon felt around Kinsey? He had witnessed her calming his wolf with a single touch, had heard of other couples experiencing a similar phenomenon, but he hadn't understood the depth of their connection. It did more than ease the beast, it soothed his soul.
"I didn't agree to letting you come along," Camen reminded Sabrina butterly. He cut Kalem with a dark look for bringing her along in the first place. This was shifter business, after all. There was no place for a human.
"I'm the best part of this plan," Sabrina shot back, not at all intimidated by him. Kalem wasn't sure if it was encouraged by bravery or stupidity. "Who else is going to write about your amazing adventure?"
Camen turned in his seat to face the front again, crossing his arms. "You don't know anything, human."
Kalem felt his words. Perhaps he should have told Sabrina why Camen was the way he was, then she wouldn't try to glorify their lives.
There was nothing fantastical about their lives. The Hayes lost their parents to poachers, their youngest brother to an evil scientist, and Kalem was abandoned after his first shift, when his human father found out his wife had cheated on him. For years before Damon had found him, Kalem had wandered from city to city, meeting Night Folk from all around, discovering his real father had not only been a shifter but one with fae heritage, which gave Kalem certain abilities other shifters didn't have. Like his premonitions, which were more like a gut feeling than anything, and his uncanny ability to make people see his way.
Sabrina crossed her arms and grumbled to herself quietly. Kalem patted her leg to calm her down. They were almost at the Midnight Rose Coven and the last thing he needed was for Sabrina to mouth off to the witches and for them to turn her into a toad. Or worse, not give them the Mimic potion.
Dayton pulled to a stop outside the large black Demenirium gates protecting the estate. The manor sat several kilometers out of town, shrouded in the dense Grimrock Forest. Witches liked to keep their privacy, a place to practice their spells without interruption.
Sabrina unbuckled her seat belt to get a better look out the window. "Whoa. I feel like I've woken up in a Victorian novel."
The manor was built during Queen Victoria's reign. It had spires, turrets, faded blue paint, and gothic detailing. Nothing new to Kalem or the others, but this kind of style wasn't popular in Wensworth; he understood why Sabrina fawned over it. He liked the way her eyes sparked with imagination.
"Sit down," Dayton threw over his shoulder. "We're not here to sightsee." He had been tense since the gates loomed into view, and it had nothing to do with the heavy sense of trepidation the gates gave off.
Dayton didn't have the best track record with the Midnight Rose Coven.
Suddenly, the front gate pulled back for them. Barely. The mirror clipped the tip of the gate; Dayton swore under his breath. No man was stupid enough to utter a curse in front of a witch. Or they'd show you what a real curse looked like.
Dayton took them to the front door and remained seated when Sabrina and Camen stepped out.
"You can stay here if you want," Kalem offered. It might be better for all of them if he did.
Grunting, Dayton kicked the door open then slammed it shut behind him, putting the SUV's suspension to the test.
Camen chuckled. "Are we afraid of a little witch, brother?"
He glared daggers at him. "You don't know Jess."
"Who's Jess?" Sabrina asked, eager to know more about this mysterious witch.
Kalem wished he knew more about her. Dayton refused to talk about her. She helped Lone Wolf from time to time and was young but powerful. That was it.
Ignoring Sabrina's probing, Dayton marched for the front door. It opened before he could knock. A petite woman with waist-length black hair stared up at him. She blinked slowly at him, as if she was about to nod off.
"High Witch Colleen has an appointment with Damon Hayes, not his brothers. Leave."
She moved to shut the door in his face, but, growling, Dayton slammed a hand on the door, freezing it in place. "Damon is unavailable. We are meeting with her in his stead."
The witch glowered dubiously at him. "I'll warn you out of respect for Jess: take your hand off my door."
"Where is Jess? Let me talk to her."
"Not here. Do you really think Jess would let you see the High Witch? You don't have an appointment, you don't see her."
Dayton's shoulders began to tremble--Kalem's cue to butt in. He slid to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder in a silent warning. Now was not the time to let his temper get the better of him.
"I'm Kalem Jones, acting Alpha when Damon is unable to perform his duties. I need to speak with High Witch Colleen. It's important."
Rather uninterested in anything he had to say, she pulled out a ledger and handed it to him. "Book an appointment, then."
Fuck. Usually his magic would have more affect than that.
She seemed to notice his frustration and grinned wickedly. "Your fae blood won't help you here, Acting Alpha."
Clearly.
Sabrina huffed behind him. "What the hell are we supposed to do? Kinsey could be dead by the time we see the High Witch."
"Wait." The witch's eyes locked onto Sabrina. She raised her hands, sending a wave of magic into Kalem and Dayton, knocking them out of her way. The most animated he had seen the young witch, she skipped down the stairs to Sabrina. Camen moved to stop her, but she swatted him aside with a blast of magic, sending him across the driveway. She stood in front of Sabrina and squealed. "Oh, by the Gods! Are you. . . are you Sabrina Colman? The author?"
A slow, smug smile crept up Sabrina's face.
You're kidding me.
"I am."
The witch flipped personas entirely and became a giddy super fan, bouncing up and down excitedly. "I love your Shadow Ops series! I adore Bobby! His struggle between choosing his duty and the woman he loves? Genius!" She peered around at the shifters she had cast aside so easily then shook her head at Sabrina. "You could do with with broadening your horizons, though. Shifters aren't all that sexy. If you want sex appeal, girl, write about fae."
Sabrina's eyes shone brightly, despite the overcast sky. "I don't know anything about fae."
The witch fanned herself, almost hysterical in her excitement. "Come with me. We'll have tea and I'll tell you all about the fae."
Kalem sprang to action. "Hang on!"
Sabrina, alone with witches? That couldn't be good. It was just asking for trouble.
Kalem leapt for Sabrina, taking a firm hold of her arm before the witch could suck her in.
Sabrina winked at him. Winked. At a time like this! Her friend was in danger and Damon was missing. Probably hurt and in danger himself.
She tapped his chest. "You boys stay here. I got this."
Camen marched up to her, ignoring Kalem's presence, and snarled in her face. "Woman, if you don't get what we're after, I'll have your head."
The witch flicked his forehead. He was instantly sent flying backwards into the car. She gave Kalem a warning look then ushered Sabrina inside.
The door shut.
A sense of unease filled Kalem's stomach. It was different from his premonition, which in itself was a good thing, but his wolf was running wild in his head, demanding he went in there and protected Sabinra from the witches. One wrong word and they'd cast a curse on her.
He moved away from the entrance and paced the bottom of the stone stairway. He needed to remain calm. Letting his wolf take control would make matters worse than they already were.
Camen stood back up like he hadn't been thrown into a car and seethed, claws bared. "This is bullshit! We're Damon's brothers. Why does the human get to go inside?"
Kalem had to agree; it was frustrating that the three most influential shifters in Wensworth were denied an appointment, but a human author was allowed to meet with High Witch Colleen.
Regardless of the witch's reasoning, Kalem had faith that Sabrina would pull through for them. They just had to wait.
He sat on the steps leading to the front door beside Dayton, who had adopted a hard set in his features.
Kalem lost track of how long they waited outside for her, but the front door suddenly opened. Sabrina was laughing--with High Witch Colleen herself.
The elder witch touched Sabrina's cheek tenderly and whispered in her ear, ensuing a pink flush on her cheeks. Kalem's wolf growled in his mind, the simple jealous beast that he was.
The witches receeded into the manor, shutting the door softly behind them.
Kalem rushed to her, thoroughly examining every square inch of her body for any curses or hexes the witches might have snuck on her person. He took her face in his hands and tilted her head back to get a better look at those sky blue eyes for signs of enchantments.
There was nothing. She had left unscathed.
Her hands seared his chest when she touched him. "You know, if you just wanna makeout you can say so?"
Sputtering, he staggered away from the vixen. What did she think she was doing, tempting him like that? They were on a mission. There was no time for flirting.
Camen took his place and then some. He crowded her, a haulking beast before his fearless human. "Well?" he demanded.
Sighing contently, not bothered by the close proximity--which drove Kalem's wolf wild--Sabrina pulled a small vial from her pocket, dangling it carelessly between two fingers. "I think you'll like what we've conjured up for you."