Page 7 of Witch Please
“The Mazzikin are making the wolves aggressive, they can’t control themselves.” The widening of their eyes in realization would’ve been comical if we were not in imminent danger. “Last one inside buys dinner.”
Alex barked out a surprised laugh when I bolted by him, my shoulder clipping his chest as I passed. Good thing I didn’t dislocate it, the male was built like a tank. Adrenaline surged through me as I pumped my arms, giving it my all to reach the open blackened doors of the house. We must’ve left them open when we rushed to help the pack fight off the Mazzikin. Lot of good that did now that we had to run back inside so we don’t end up ripped to shreds if we refuse to fight the wolves.
River and Sissily were right behind me, because when it came to saving my own ass, I turned into lightning even on two-inch heels. We would’ve made it, too.
I should’ve known Ace was lurking nearby, however. The male never learned to take care of himself first before looking out for me especially after his alpha announced the pack oversaw my protection. Ace somehow took it personal. My guess was he didn’t like that I tricked him to take me off pack land and almost got myself killed. If I didn’t know him to be a wolf though, I could’ve sworn he was a mule. Stubborn to boot. Disheveled, half naked and scratched up he was grinding his molars fighting whatever horror the high tones of the Mazzikin’s shrieks did to his animal; tendons were standing out on his neck and his knuckles were turning white while he fisted his hands.
“Get out of my way!” I shouted, not slowing down a bit. “Go, go, go!” I emphasized each “go” by stabbing my finger toward the beckoning front doors.
Ace glared at me, a muscle twitching in his jaw but he didn’t move. If I wasn’t freaking out, I would’ve thought it strange that he didn’t acknowledge me at all but at the time my brain had a one-track mind. Get inside and away from the wolves. Plus, Blackman was breathing down my neck. He was so close behind me I could feel the heat of his body blasting my skin. Sissily’s harsh breathing spurred me on too.
As we neared the shifter, I did the only thing I could think of. I lowered my head and charged him like a raging bull, my magic perking up at the prospect of a fight added a bit of speed as well. Ace shifted slightly spreading his legs a bit more to better balance his weight. I clenched my teeth and plowed right into the center of his chest shoulder first like some football linebacker. I am not sure who was more surprised me, River, or Ace, when I lifted the shifter off his feet and with a satisfying grunt, a whoosh of air exploded from him that had me grinning from ear to ear like a fool.
“Punch him or move before I blast him unconscious.” Sissily huffed from behind me.
“I’m trying not to—”
Ace squeezed my side so hard with his arm around my waist, I thought for sure a kidney would burst or something would break in half if he kept pressing any harder. What was I going to do? Punch Ace? A werewolf as big as the entire friggin’ house? “You two go ahead, I'll follow shortly.” I panted as loud as I could.
“I don’t think so.” River growled from right next to me and the next thing I knew Ace's arm was gone and I was airborne, sailing over a few concrete stairs right toward the double doors. Which, by some bad luck, were now closed. Grunts, and shouts sounded behind me as Blondie continued punching Ace like the shifter was his personal punching bag. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even turn around to see what was going on because I had just enough time to hug my head with both arms before I hit the now closed doors made of solid wood at full speed. Pain exploded in my neck when the impact nailed my head and back toward my shoulders, you’d think I was a turtle trying to hide in my shell.
A silent scream lodged in my throat as everything from the top of my head to the middle of my back numbed from excruciating pain that made my body throb like one giant ball of agony.
“You…. are…heavy.” Sissily huffed and puffed as she hooked both arms under my shoulders and dragged me over the threshold without stopping for a breath. “Maybe ease down on the burgers and try more greens, yeah?”
My groan of misery wasn’t enough for her to give me a break and not lecture me on my food choices, so I just clenched my jaw and pushed with my feet to help her out instead of pointing out she was getting thicker around the waist as well. Hiding to stay alive was wreaking havoc to our figures.
“Get River.” The moment my feet were over the threshold I slapped at Sissily’s hands. “They’ll kill each other.”
“Blackman, Hazel is not breathing!” Sissily cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted from the top of her lungs.
“What in Hecate’s name are you doing?” recoiling from her I gaped at my friend.
“Where is she?” River materialized in the doorway out of thin air, his hair sticking out in every direction, eyes wild.
“Getting River inside as you asked.” Sissily answered me calmly, yanking Blondie further inside and slamming the doors shut in Ace’s furious, bloodied face. “Now what?”
CHAPTER4
Ifound my wrinkled dirty clothing fascinating in my attempts to avoid looking at River while Sissily cast a spell to hold the doors closed no matter what. The pigeon on the other hand stared at me so intently I could feel heat on the side of my face from it. I was also imagining all the ways I was going to strangle Sissily for being such a jackass. Hecate knows what she was thinking making crazy comments like that. Blackman had an agenda behind offering his protection to me and babysitting my ass. He sure as hell wasn’t doing it from the goodness of his heart or goddess forbid because he cared.
My snort had my best friend cocking an eyebrow at me.
I ignored her, too.
“The Mazzikin are not acting like themselves.” I told the parquet floor because I refused to make eye contact with either of them. “The pack is reacting to their screams, and we will not under any circumstances harm any wolf. I hope I’m making myself clear.”
“Or what?” Sissily snarked. “You gonna spank me?”
“Do you want to hurt any of Alex’s pack?” pain was blooming at the back of my neck and spreading over my shoulders. I wanted to puke, and I wasn’t in the mood for sass.
“No.” taken aback she even physically jerked back.
“Then what’s the problem?” With a sigh I scrubbed a hand over my face, smudged dirt all over my skin, and my mouth twisted in disgust when I saw blood, soil and who knows what else on my palm. “And what’s wrong with him?” I jabbed my thumb in the direction of River.
“What made you think exorcism would work on the Mazzikin?” Blackman decided to use the wrong approach with his accusatory tone while I was already in a pissy mood.
“Sheesh, I don’t know? Maybe the fact that it’s the only sure way to get rid of them?” I challenged him slapping my hands on my hips and turning to fully face him. “Why? Did I mess up the nothing you were doing? Sorry, it was not intentional.”
