“You’ve got this, Charli,” Dash said. “Nick and Lucky told you how to make sure you keep the terms of the contract specific enough that she can’t weasel her way out. They’ll both be here at the ready with me. We’ve all taken great measures to make sure this goes our way. And if it looks like it isn’t, then there’s some decent backup ready to fight.”
A cool breeze blew between us, and I shivered. Dash involuntarily quaked next to me. “Dang, this binding is messing with both of us. You witches get cold too easily.”
My body warmed in a wave of sudden heat. “Did you do that?”
“I guess,” the shifter said. “I thought about how us shifters run a little on the hot side.”
I sighed. “If we’d had more time, we could have practiced.”
“You and I both decided that we needed to push things as fast as possible for the sake of your grandmother’s health and so we can break this bond before Mason comes and tries to fracture my head,” Dash said.
The colors in the sky deepened as the sun set a little further. “It’s almost time, assuming Nick’s sister stays on schedule.”
“Lucky will give us the signal. He’s got some of the pixies stationed through the town to monitor her entry point and let him know when she’s approaching.” The shifter leaned his head to the left and right, cracking his neck. A sudden urge to do the same filled me, and I stretched my neck as well.
Dash chuckled. “I wonder what will happen when my wolf rears his head.”
“Frosted fairy wings, I didn’t think about that. Will I shift?” I panicked.
He grinned. “You’re not an actual shifter, so I doubt it. But you might succumb to your more basic instincts and needs.”
“Like an animal.” I wondered what kind I would be if I could change into one. Crow like Biddy? Cat like Peaches? Or something a little wilder like a mountain lion. Or a grizzly bear, much bigger than Dash so I could kick his butt at least one time.
I giggled, and Dash snickered. “What has us so amused?”
“Doesn’t matter. But do me a favor. When things start to happen, try your best not to go all wolfy protective from your position,” I begged. “I don’t want to get distracted.”
Impatient annoyance made us both frown. “I can’t make any guarantees,” Dash said. “But I’ll do my best.”
I heard someone’s voice that sounded like Lucky but couldn’t discern the exact words. While I got a hint of some of the shifter’s abilities, I didn’t possess his actual powers.
“One of the pixies reported that the sister’s on her way.” Dash squeezed my hand. “You’ll be fine. Stick to the plan and make sure she stays inside the circle.” He pointed at the ring of red-capped mushrooms surrounding me. “Lucky says if we do this right, Nick’s sister won’t bother anyone for a very long time.”
“You better get to your post,” I insisted.
He turned to go but stopped. Taking me by my arms in a gentle grip, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. A swirl of emotions crashed over me like a tidal wave, and I knew in that one moment exactly how the shifter felt without him saying a word. But if our connection worked both ways, then he knew that I couldn’t return the sweet sentiment.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He placed his warm fingers under my chin. “Don’t be. Life has a way of working things out the way they should be.”
“And if Fate is fair, then she’ll make sure you find someone who’ll return those feelings,” I said, hoping my words were true. “Now, git.”
The Spanish moss rustled underneath the Founders’ Tree. Cicadas sang their evening tune while the crickets chirped, but all of nature’s noises stopped the second Nick’s sister reached the edge of the field.
I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds coming from her direction. The young woman cursed and complained under her breath as her heels sunk into the field underneath her feet. She wore a tight miniskirt and a dark green shirt with a deep V-neck. Her jewelry sparkled with her movement, and the numerous bangles stacked on her arms clinked as she waved her arms in the air, trying so hard to stay upright. It wasn’t until she almost reached me that she looked up.
“Eww.” With a scrunched-up face, she stepped over the line of mushrooms, dismissing it as an icky part of nature. “So, I was expecting my brother Nick. I’m guessing you must be some girl he’s used his specific charms on in order to date him?” She giggled at her poor joke.
I ignored the overwhelming initial instinct to curl my lips back and show her my teeth, adding a growl for good measure.
“My name’s Charli Goodwin.” My voice held more rasp in it than normal. “And I know exactly who you are and what you want, Lorelei.”
She snorted and ignored me, rummaging around in the large purse slung over her shoulder. “Oh, please. Is my big brother so much of a coward that he sent you to fight his own battles? Why did he ask me to meet here instead of at the rundown house he purchased for his little side project?”
“I thought it best for us to conduct our business right here under the same tree where our town was founded.
Lorelei squealed and slapped her bare legs. “I’ll be eaten alive by mosquitoes or drained of all my blood.”
“There are residents here that could fulfill that job,” I said, hoping that the vampire contingency was as good at hearing as Dash.
“Yes, Nicky told me about your motley band of citizens here.” She popped off the top to a shiny tube of lipstick and smeared it on her pouty lips. “Guess the ugly and unwanted need to live somewhere. But you know what Daddy taught me?” Lorelei blotted her lips once and glowered at me while she waited.
I suppressed an eye roll. “What?”
“The
