Shadow of the Wolf

definitely need to … tell… Guys?” There was an odd tone in Gareth’s voice. He stared out the window, horror growing on his face.

“What?” Christopher stood, the look on his brother’s face pushing him to his brother’s side.

Gareth pointed. “Look outside.”

Lana joined them out the window to see what Gareth was looking at. Chris was stunned, the sight of what was rolling towards them leaving him speechless.

“Holy fuck.” Lana leaned forward, wide-eyed at the huge bank of storm clouds racing in their direction. Lightning arched from cloud to cloud in a dazzling, lethal display. The clouds were a sickly greenish gray. “That’s no ordinary storm.”

The brothers exchanged glances. “It’s Cole.” Christopher pulled Lana to him protectively, tucking her under his arm. “We need to stop it before an innocent gets hurt.”

Gareth started to disrobe, much to Lana’s obvious delight. Christopher turned her and blocked her view of his almost naked brother. “Open the window. I’ll go scout and see what I can find out. Maybe he’s holed up nearby.”

Christopher opened the window in time for Gareth, now in wolf form, to leap through. He landed on the ground a story below and took off with a brief bark up at them.

* * *

“Whoa.”

He couldn’t help himself. He slapped Lana on the ass. “What were you doing looking?”

She rubbed her ass. “Hello! Hunk getting some naked time. You expected me to not look?”

“When we have a few free hours we’re going to have to explore this whole concept of naked time.” He strode for the door. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be in my work room trying to figure out what the hell Cole is up to.”

“I might be able to help.”

He smiled back at her. “Wizard and witch, remember, sweetheart?” He frowned. He couldn’t keep doing that to her. She’d more than proved herself, no matter how much he wanted her to stay out of it. “No. I know you held off the wolf in the car. If you want to try and work it out on your own, feel free. But without knowing Cole, you’ll be at a serious disadvantage.” He couldn’t protect her while he tried to unravel the storm, but he knew someone who could. “If you’re really planning on trying something, see if Annabelle can help.” When he’d last seen Annabelle she’d been attempting to scry once more on Cole, but she’d drop it in a heartbeat if she thought Alannah was in any danger.

Lana’s grin looked almost evil. “Oh, I think I can come up with something that will brighten Cole’s day.”

He strode back to her and chucked her under the chin. He was worried. What if she tried something when he wasn’t there to protect her and Cole’s protections lashed out?

Maybe encouraging her isn’t such a good idea. “Stay out of trouble.”

She blinked up at him, all sweet innocence. “Trouble? Moi?”

He couldn’t keep the slow smile off his face. “You’re going to drive me insane, aren’t you?” He didn’t let her answer, just took advantage of her open lips to lay siege to the inside of her mouth.

She was absolutely delicious. He would never get enough of her taste. He threaded his fingers through her thick hair, holding her in place while he slowly devoured her mouth. After only a moment’s hesitation, her lips joined his in the dance, moving against his own in a shy exploration that had him weak in the knees and rock hard in seconds. He realized he’d never tire of the sweet moans that poured from her mouth. The fact that her kisses were still shy after the incredible sex they’d been having was, to his mind, a good thing. It meant she was taking it, taking them, seriously.

Lightning lit the room, followed by the booming crash of thunder. Christopher pulled back, allowing himself to linger for just a moment. He stared down at her, amazed at how quickly his little witch had wormed her way into his heart. From the dazed look on her face, perhaps she was finally starting to see him as something more than a wizard, too.

Maybe she was finally seeing him as a man.

It was going to be a pain doing spell work with a hard-on, but if Cole’s games were going to be stopped, he’d have to get to work. “Stay inside where it’s safe, sweetheart.

Please. I don’t want you outside where Cole could find you.”

He waited for her to nod, but was forced to accept her shrug. Vaguely dissatisfied, he headed to his workroom to try and untangle the knotted roots of Cole’s storm, hoping that Lana was smart enough to stay safe.

* * *

“Chris?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I borrow some feathers?”

He blinked, looking up from his big old book in the middle of the table. Cute glasses were perched on the end of his nose. He looked incredibly intelligent and sexy, like one of those hunky college professors girls dreamed of getting and never actually did. Those glasses were probably going to be the final nail in her denial’s coffin. “Feathers?”

“Mm-hmm. White, blue, yellow and black.”

He sat back. “All on one or one of each?”

“One of each.”

He reached into a cupboard behind him and pulled out the feathers she asked for.

“Thanks!” She took the feathers, planted a kiss on his cheek, and hustled out of his workroom, knowing he was shaking his head at her.

Lana had already ransacked his cupboards and pantry for the other ingredients she needed. The feathers had been the last bit. He’d even had the black rope she needed in his bedroom. And if he’d used it for what she thought he’d used it for, it was better going where she planned to send it.

If he wanted to play those kinds of games with her he could damn well buy new rope.

She ran out the back door and onto the patio, into the teeth of the storm, ignoring the fact that she’d been turned on at the thought of playing those kinds of games with Chris.

Just not with the rope he used with other women. Not if she had anything to say about it.

She had to work fast. Lightning was beginning to strike all around the house, the flashes coming closer and closer together, forming a cage that they might not be able to break free from. If Chris or Annabelle caught her out here she’d never hear the end of it.

She just knew what she had planned would work, but she needed the time to make it work.

She took the large glass mixing bowl and put the feathers inside. Holding them down with one hand she began to pour salt over the feathers. The salt was meant to ground the wind, represented by the feathers.

At first she wasn’t certain it was working, but she persevered. She visualized the winds dying down gradually, and it began to work. When the last feather was covered the winds had died down until only a light, natural breeze remained. The lightning stopped, but the tang of ozone was still in the air.

Nodding in satisfaction, she took two wooden mixing spoons and bound them together in the shape of an x. She set the x on the wet ground just off the concrete patio and began pouring the salt over it.

“Evil storm that rides the sky,

it is time for you to fly.

Lord and Lady hear my plea.

As I will so mote it be.”

The rain stopped. There was a sense of expectation to the air, like the lightning was poised to strike again at any moment. If it did, her spell would be undone.

Damn, Cole is strong. The storm should have been wiped out, but some force behind it was keeping it in place. Better work fast. She pulled out the black rope, carefully