A huge black bear chased after her. Even in the dark forest, she could see the pink scar along the length of its face. Its teeth glistened in the moonlight as the distance between them shrunk with each stride.
Holly clutched her staff and said a silent prayer to the Maiden.
She turned just enough to clearly see the shifter and swung. Her staff cracked against the side of its face hard enough to splinter the wood. Startled, the shifter faltered. Holly faced forward and ran as hard as she could.
She could see the house now as well as four figures on the deck.
Johnny, Garret, Keller, and Loch leaped from the deck as soon as she came into view.
“Loch, get her inside. You can’t be seen. The rest of you with me!”
Johnny, Garret, and Keller shifted into their bear forms while Loch scooped up Holly.
He ran faster than any average human should be able to and bore her weight like she was nothing. He ran around to the front of the house and shoved his way through the door.
Once safely inside, he bolted the door and pressed his palm against the wood.
Holly watched, wide-eyed, as he murmured something in a language she’d never heard before. When he removed his hand, a symbol glowed faintly before seeping into the wood.
“What the hell was that?” Holly demanded.
Loch whirled on her, his eyes burning with anger. “You don’t get to ask questions right now. What the hell were you doing in the woods?”
“That was magic!” Holly pointed at the door. “You can do magic!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN—Holly
“First off, that wasn’t magic.” Loch ran a hand through his hair as he paced the room.
“Something glowed that doesn’t normally glow. What else do you call that?”
“A rune,” he said as if it should be obvious. “Tons of runes were built into this house. I just activated one, that’s all. You don’t need magic to activate the rune because it’s already soaked in it.”
“What does it do?”
“In layman’s terms, it zaps whoever enters the house uninvited. It’ll come in handy in case that big bad shifter you made friends with in the woods decides to follow you home. Which brings me back to my question, what the hell were you doing out there?”
“I was talking to the witch who made the concealment spell for the house,” she replied. “She wants to help.”
“At a cost, I’m sure,” Loch scoffed. “Johnny’s going to have a field day when he finds out. I’m more than happy to let him clean up that mess.”
“I didn’t make a mess!”
“Holly.” Loch pressed his fingertips into the bridge of his nose. “I think you’re the most amazing woman on the planet, but you have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Gee, really?” Holly made a show of scratching her head. “If only I had tried to tell someone that sooner. Oh, wait! I’ve been saying that for weeks now! Of course, I don’t know what I’m fucking doing.”
Loch’s eyes went wide as Holly’s temper exploded.
“Is there some unwritten rule that I don’t get to learn about anything until I smack into it? Or maybe there’s a rule that everything has to be as cryptic and mystical as possible, hmm? Is that it?”
“Hey.” Loch’s voice dropped to a soothing rumble. He gathered a pacing Holly into his arms.
She didn’t fight him.
“I’m sorry for snapping,” he said. “You just scared the life out of me.”
“I tend to do that a lot,” she muttered. “The others should’ve given you a crash course. Shouldn’t you go to help them? I’m worried.”
“Even the nastiest shifter out there can’t win a three on one fight. If that witch is out there too, I’m sure he’s already running for the mines.”
Sure enough, Holly soon heard the others coming up the porch steps. She opened the door for them, ready to dispense hugs and apologies as necessary.
Keller was the first through the door. As soon as he saw her, he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to his chest. “Are you all right?” he asked, pressing kisses into her hair and forehead.
Holly tipped her face to speak but instead received a full kiss on the mouth. She felt his fear and urgency through his kiss. She kissed him back, hoping to soothe his worries.
When they broke apart, he didn’t release her from his embrace.
Holly didn’t mind. She felt unsteady after her run through the woods. She needed the support.
“You’re shaking,” Keller murmured.
“Keep me upright?” Holly replied, only half-joking.
“Can someone tell me what Edwina was doing in the woods outside of our house?” Johnny demanded.
“Edwina?” Garret asked. “I didn’t see her.”
“I smelled her magic in the air. All witches have a magic scent, if you will. I’ve been around them enough to know hers.” Johnny fixed Holly in his gaze. “Care to share?”
“She wants to help,” Holly explained. “She offered to make protection spells for the four of you and a trust spell for me.”
“Trust spell?” Loch’s brow furrowed. “Why do you need that?”
“Because you’re living in the house,” Johnny muttered.
“You know what?” Loch stormed toward Johnny.
“Stop!” Holly pled.
Loch halted on command.
“If we’re gathering an army to fight on my behalf, I need to know that every single person who joins us is someone I can trust.”
“That’s why we’re gathering them for you,” Keller pointed out.
“But people can lie. Someone could take advantage of your trust to get to me,” she replied. “That’s why I asked for the trust spell.”
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” Johnny groaned. “Witches are trickier than lawyers. Did she ask for anything in return?”
“Only an exchange of power as payment. She said the spells I’ve asked for are draining.”
“Did you specify any terms?”
Holly shook her
