Page 48 of Bewitched By the Werewolf
I feel more than see Ryder lean into me. Then I hear him inhale deeply and again he makes that grumbly growl noise. I should probably be afraid of it. It sounds like a beast readying for a meal. Knowing that meal is me should frighten me but it only excites me. Perhaps my obsession with werewolves has finally ventured into the inappropriate, because I like the sounds he’s making.
“Senses like?” I ask, prodding the beast next to me. I always did like living dangerously. From the corner of my eye, I spot his hand on the arm of his chair, his fingers flex and grip at the edge, his nails look like sharpened points. A sliver of the beast inside showing itself.
“Smell. I like the way you smell, Red. It’s intoxicating. The first time I scented you it nearly knocked me on my ass and gave me a raging boner all at the same time. Whatever you were doing to mask it before, I’m glad you stopped.”
His words make me squirm in my chair. The thought of my scent alone turning him on to the point of physical arousal has my own spiking, pulsing between my legs with adamant approval. I remember what he told me when we were in my trailer, I smell like apple cider, and to me he smells like crisp citrus.
“I can smell your excitement even now. You’re arousal.” His nose brushes the hair over my ear as he leans closer, speaking low and deep. “You’re not afraid of me,” he continues, and I shake my head. “Why is that? You saw my true form. It didn’t scare you?”
“No. It surprised me because I never thought I would fine one again, but it didn’t scare me.”
“Find one again?”
“I saw a werewolf, or shifter, when I was a kid. It’s kind of what started my whole obsession.”
He hums and I can feel his eyes on me. I don’t dare turn to look into those silver pools. He could extract all my secrets with those bad boys. I’m not ready for him to know about everything, yet.
After a moment he leans back, finally giving me space to breath. I let out a long slow breath and try not to act too affected by him. A struggle that’s getting harder and harder to fight. If he could see my nipples right now, he would know how affected I am by him. Though I suppose that talented nose of his tells him all he needs to know about my current state.
“This is why I wanted to bring you tonight. To show you the people you would be affecting if you were to tell anyone about us, about me. It’s not just one person who can easily disappear and hide. It’s entire families. Families who have already fled from public view to hide here in Snowberry, where they can live peacefully.”
It does seem peaceful, but so did the campgrounds before the shifters attacked and fought their way through tents and people. They left a path of destruction in their wake with no concern for who it harmed. Sure, they might still be people, but they’re also still beasts. A beast lurks inside all of them and if even one is an uncontrolled as the ones I saw, this picturesque scene could all be a farce. A place to hide out to avoid consequences of their actions.
I want to believe Ryder, I truly do. He seems like a good guy, Dottie is definitely a nice woman, but I’ve only known these “people” for a week. How can I truly trust them? Some of the most prolific serial killers were family men, sociable and well-spoken with families who knew nothing of their demonic side. And those were just humans. If a shifter were like any of them, no one would ever know.
I want to tell Ryder everything he wants to hear, but I can’t. There are still too many doubts and unknowns. If I were to keep the truth about shifters to myself only to find out later that one or more did harm or killed and could have been stopped if only people knew about their existence, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. I don’t want them to be hunted and slaughtered, and with how little anyone actually believes in their existence I don’t think they would be. Me revealing their existence might not even make a difference. People may never see my website or hear the truth, but I would have at least tried.
As the night goes on the movie progresses and soon enough it’s ending. People collect their belongings and trash and take with them everything they brought, leaving no trace of them behind. Everyone seems completely at ease and happy, smiling and laughing. This is just another Thursday to them. To me it’s a total mind fuck. There are werewolves, shifters, out there among all these people. There’s a battle waging inside me to reconcile the smiling people with the beast I saw in the woods. How can one be the same as the other? And are they as innocent and harmless and Ryder leads me to believe?
Chapter 26: Ryder
Last night went as well as it could have, I suppose. Tess didn’t tell me she wasn’t going to reveal shifters to the world, but she also didn’t say she was. After revealing the presence of more shifters in town, she became quiet and pensive. It is a lot to take in. When she let me give her an innocent kiss good night without dispute and even reciprocated it, I took that as a good sign that we’re moving in the right direction.
She’s still not completely on board with keeping everything a secret yet, but she will be.
I start the day with optimism, which is quickly doused when Hunter calls me and informs me that Vincent is sending paparazzi after Lottie. When I ask why that matters, he admits who she really is. This Alexandria pop star Tess told me about. Apparently, she was right. Doesn’t matter to me either way. Hunter believes Lottie is his mate and she’s being threatened, which means we need to take action against those threatening her.
Hunter tells me to meet him at my office, he wants to see if we can pinpoint Vincent’s location. Checking in with Logan and Edith to see if either have heard where he’s staying is our first course of action. We know it’s not at the motel or anyone’s home in town, he must be lurking about somewhere.
Sliding out of my truck I spot Hunter approaching Town Hall, where both our offices are and join him entering the building. We’re about to turn right into my office when we both spot—and smell—the elves lingering in his office to the left. My brother doesn’t even need to say anything. I follow dutifully as we enter his office.
Levi approaches and apologizes to Hunter about the males filling his lobby then informs us there are more waiting in his office. When none of the males in the lobby make a move toward us or to follow us, I let them be. We need to find Vincent, not his lackeys. They mean nothing to us. Luckily, we find the male we’re looking for inspecting a family photo hanging on the wall inside Hunter’s office.
Vincent doesn’t look at all concerned, making himself right at home in our territory. There’s only one other male in the room with him. A nymph with, what appear to be, dear ears protruding from his muddy brown hair. They twitch and swivel in the direction of any noise in the room, which currently is us. He doesn’t turn his head though, focused on Hunter’s empty desk. So, I’m focused on him as Hunter zeroes in on Vincent.
I don’t hear everything they say, mostly Vincent trying to blackmail Hunter into giving up our land,again, in exchange for the photos he took. Which of course Hunter adamantly denies. No matter what Vincent threatens, Hunter will never willingly give our land over to an elf, especially Vincent. His threats are weak and easily usurped by Ginger and a few strokes on her keyboard. Hunter knows as much as well.
For a minute, I think the meeting is going to end quietly and Vincent is just going to leave unharmed. Shame really, I was looking forward to knocking out a few teeth. Luckily my disappointment is short lived when Vincent says something he shouldn’t about Lottie and Hunter lunges for him. I’m immediately in action less than a half second later interceptingthe nymph bodyguard who rises to protect Vincent. He doesn’t get very far.
I let my beast out, just a little, just enough to infuse my body with inhuman strength and speed. Grabbing the nymph by the arm I dig my claws in and latch on, pulling him back and away from my brother who already has Vincent pinned to the wall. Using his momentum and my strength, I pull back my elbow, fist my hand and land a punch square on the male’s nose causing him to reel backwards and stumble.
There’s enough space between him and Hunter behind me that I can easily fend off his attack were he so inclined to try again. He takes a step forward like he’s about to but stops when he hears Vincent’s garbled laughter behind me. It’s cut off abruptly. I sidestep and turn to see Hunter with his forearm against Vincent’s throat. Both of them stare unwaveringly at each other. Vincent’s murky grey skin flushed from the lack of oxygen.
I believe in me and my brothers’ abilities as much as the next shifter but we are outnumbered in this situation. With Levi and Donna on the other side of the door as possible collateral, I’m not willing to risk it. I’m surprised Hunter is. He’s usually much more diplomatic and careful about situations like this.
Reaching out I place a hand on Hunter’s shoulder when I realize he’s not letting up. I would love nothing more than to watch Vincent chocked to death but not here, not now.
Hunter releases the elf, and he falls to the ground gracelessly, coughing and rubbing at his throat. A spark of retribution glittering in his dark eyes. He doesn’t say anything else as he leads his men out of Hunter’s office. It’s not how I expected to start my Friday, but this won’t be the last we see of Vincent. Something needs to be done to permanently remove him from our town, whether that be by magic or death, I don’t care.
