The witch continued to stare at my lover but Romeo broke their eye contact and turned to me.
“If I can figure out how to do it, I’m going to show them who they’re dealing with. Then, I’m going to demand that the werewolf pack remove Floyd from his position of power and drive him away. If they don’t, I’m going to have no other choice but to arrest him,” Romeo said.
I choked out a laugh. “Arrest him? And do what then? I hope you know that a werewolf in a human jail is a danger to everyone. If he turns while behind bars, he’ll kill everyone,” I said.
“You’re right. Then, I’ll have to make this work, won’t I?”
He reached out and took my hand, sending me a smile that made my heart ache for him. I was falling so hard for this beautiful man that I knew I’d do anything for him. I sighed. “Fine. If you’re going to do this, I’ll be by your side.”
He frowned. “That’s not a good idea, Vincent. They’re already hostile enough. Seeing you at my side will most likely just anger them more.”
I smiled. “I can be very persuasive.”
The howls began again and someone pounded on the front door. “Vampire! Come out and face us!”
We all turned toward the door before I squeezed Roman’s hand. He twisted to look at me.
“It’s time to go,” he said. “You’re not going to listen to me and stay inside with the witch, are you?”
I shook my head. “Not on your life.”
He sighed and we walked to the door together. When he threw it open, Floyd Reardon stood on my lawn about ten feet from the front door. The moment he saw me, sharp claws sprang from the tips of his fingers and his face elongated and turned into the muzzle of a wolf. Massive fangs magically appeared as he gnashed his teeth. His eyes glowed iridescent yellow and hair sprouted from every inch of exposed skin as he grew taller right before our eyes. I’d never seen an alpha in his half-shifted form and if my heart had been beating, I know it would have seized right then and there.
He snarled and lunged before either of us had the time to react.
Chapter Nine
Prosper Woods Chronicle. Letters to the editor:
“Someone should do somethin’ about the wildlife around here. Last night a cow ridin’ a unicorn nearly ran me off the road. I spent an hour lookin’ for ‘em to explain how they should obey traffic signs like everyone else.” Signed, “Where’s the beef.”
Vincent
The second Floyd came at us, Romeo threw out both hands to ward him off. The move was purely protective instinct. That I knew. What I’m sure neither of us could have anticipated was the bright purple light that shot from both of his hands. I watched in awe as the werewolf’s yellow eyes widened in shock. A split second later, he was lifted into the air by an invisible force and thrown back where he landed on his ass right there on my grass. I was more surprised when the hand I’d been holding a moment before morphed into a horse’s hoof as Romeo’s entire body shifted. An instant later, I was standing beside a massive white unicorn.
“What the fuck?” I muttered.
He swung his large head to look at me and as he did, his brightly colored mane whipped around his sleek white neck. I spared only a moment to gaze into the dark brown eyes I knew so well before lifting my eyes and staring at the most magnificent horn I’d ever seen. Its spiral of rainbow colors seemed to sprout from the center of Romeo’s forehead. It was perfection as if made on some modern-day lathe by a master sculptor. I was in awe.
My stunned perusal was interrupted by a low chuckle coming from behind me. When I turned to find the witch standing there leaning on his staff, I frowned.
“You knew what he was all along?” I asked, sounding more accusatory than I probably meant to.
“Okay, yes, I knew… well, I suspected as much.” The witch held out his hand and waved it at Romeo. “He had that sparkle all about him. I suppose you didn’t see it but then again, you weren’t really looking all that hard.”
I turned back to look at Romeo. The witch was right. As he tossed his head at me, tiny little stars seemed to radiate in the air all around him. He literally sparkled. Behind him, the wolves who’d gathered around the house were all on bended knee. Floyd lay on his ass right where he’d fallen, changed back to a man with wide eyes as he stared in awe at the magnificent beast in front of him.
“What the hell?” Floyd said. “A unicorn? I thought they were a myth.”
I reached up and grabbed Romeo’s mane, twining my fingers in it, loving the feel of the strands that were so soft they felt like silk. Laughter bubbled up and burst out of me as I dragged my gaze away from my lover and back to the naked werewolf lying on the grass.
“Throughout history, unicorns have been associated with purity, virginity, and cleanliness. In the middle ages, unicorns were thought to cure disease, heal animosities, end wars,” I said. Everything I told the werewolf was true. In my travels with the crusaders through Europe and the Holy Land, rumors of unicorn sightings persisted everywhere we went. People were always claiming to have seen them in forests, drinking from poisonous lakes only to realize afterward that the waters had been purified by the unicorn’s magic. A unicorn throne was made for Danish kings and the unicorn horn has always been thought of as the most priceless object a mere mortal could possess.
Floyd got to his
