Page 16 of Magical Sass for Three
“You have nothing to fear, Hanna. We have a few witches in Vella Cove but not many, which is why I need your assistance. I have friends visiting from out of town, and I want to make sure they’re protected while in our territory.”
“I don’t understand,” she said. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to use your own pack members for something like that?”
Braylon sighed. “There is some high tension in my pack right now, and I’m not sure who to trust besides my family. Derek and Kyro recommended you as an ally, and we need as many of those as we can get.”
“They barely know me.” Hanna didn’t understand. She’d only been around them twice. How could they see her as a good person? She’d done things in Miami she wasn’t proud of and that were far from making her a good person.
He smiled. “That’s one thing about my boys. They’ve always been good judges of character.”
Hanna rubbed the material of her pajamas. “I don’t know about that.” How could they know anything about her character?
Braylon watched her closely. “Are you saying they’re wrong?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just…what exactly do you need me to do?” she asked, hoping to get away from the topic of her past. She didn’t want to think about her time in Miami at all if she could help it.
Braylon took out a sheet of paper that looked like it was old and frayed. He also pulled out a gold bracelet that had wolf charms embedded in it, so it looked as if the wolves were running along the strand of gold. “This is the spell that was created by a witch who has been a friend to my family for generations. It’s meant to be cast over a piece of jewelry so that whenever someone who isn’t trusted by the Alpha comes near, it’ll glow. However, it can only be worn by a witch. That’s where you come in. I need you to do that spell on this bracelet to ensure Barbara Wolfe is safe, while I discuss pack business with her husband, Tristan. It’s a safeguard to make sure nothing happens to them while they’re visiting.”
“I know nothing about being someone’s bodyguard,” Hanna said.
“You don’t need to. I’ll make sure someone’s always around to help you if you need it. Besides, you’re meant to show Barbara around town to help her enjoy her stay. It requires someone to be welcoming, and some of the members of my pack can be a little rough around the edges to outsiders.”
“So you want me to be her witch tour guide?” she asked.
“When you put it that way, I guess so,” he said. “They haven’t been to Vella Cove in years, so I want to ensure everything goes smoothly while they’re here. I’ll make sure you are compensated for your time, though.”
Hanna thought about that. She’d have to leave town soon anyway, and she didn’t have a lot of money to her name. The witch trackers would figure out her location soon enough since she didn’t cloak herself as soon as she stepped foot in town.
Part of her dreaded leaving Riana, but then two other faces popped up in her head. Derek and Kyro. Why had she been so consumed with them since their encounter last night? No matter how hard she tried to push them out of her head, they found a way back in. She instinctively rubbed the shirt-covered part of her neck where Kyro bit her. She switched to Derek’s bite next. Both were a little sore, but knowing they were there comforted her for some reason. It was odd.
Then she thought about the people after her and the magic they could perform. She’d seen them in action. They were merciless with their victims and anyone who got in their way. She’d seen them pull magic from a witch and absorbed her powers. Their abilities frightened her. The girl went missing after that, and she knew what that meant. No coming back from death.
What if the trackers after her attacked the Kellers and her family? She couldn’t risk it. She had to leave soon, and the only way she could do that was with money.
“I can help for one day, but that’s it,” she said.
“One day is all I need. I doubt Tristan and Barbara will be separated after our meeting. I just want safeguards in place while they’re apart.”
“Just tell me what you need me to do.”
She listened as he gave her the arrival time at the airport and handed her a cell phone with numbers programmed in for emergencies.
When he left, she prayed to the Goddess she didn’t let them down and that her departure would keep anyone from getting hurt because of her.
Her mother grabbed her arm when she went back inside the house. “What trouble did you get into to have him come here?” she asked.
Hanna yanked her arm away and smirked. “Sorry. It’s not your business. It’s mine and no one else’s.”
She had to hurry so she could find a place outside of her mother’s house to do the spell and get to the airport in time. Then she could plan to leave and never come back.
