The Witch and the Werewolf Read online

  Her eyes quickly scanned the darkly lit surroundings. Bodies filled the opulent space, most writhing to the deep bass of the music that blared through invisible speakers.

  She recognized immediately that the majority of the crowd were Vampires. That didn’t bode well for her two companions. Where were they anyway?

  She first spied Conall in the arms of a tall female Vamp who seemed to take a shine to the virile young Wolf. The black-haired Vamp had him pinned against a wall. They appeared to be talking and he was holding his own just fine. He caught her eye and nodded.

  She scanned the crowd again. Where was Seff? Her heart pounded as she realized he’d leapt into the lion’s den just to prove he trusted her. What if some Vampire decided he’d make a tasty treat? Without his Wolf he’d be hard-pressed to defend himself. Sherry’s pulse tripled. Guest or not, she’d blast anyone who dared hurt him! She exhaled when she finally caught sight of his tousled brown hair.

  He was facing away from her. He hid it well, but she could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was tense. That was when Sherry caught sight of the Vampire in a short red-vinyl dress who’d taken a shine to her man. That bitch!

  The whorishly dressed Vamp gyrated her hips against Seff’s a little too aggressively. Sherry’s lips thinned as she began to see red. Jealousy, a new feeling, welled up inside of her.

  The female Vampire seemed to ignore the fact that Seff stood stock still. His disinterest evident, even insulting. That was when Sherry saw the trap. Oh, damn you, Bal! Vampires and their foolish games!

  Sherry crossed the highly polished Italian marble floors, ignoring the elegant furniture, and the eclectic art collection. She waved towards Conall and soon he joined her in her pursuit of Seff who was now being sandwiched between two scantily clad Vamps. Sherry was in no mood for games.

  “What do you want, bitch?” said the one in the painted on red dress.

  “I supposed we should thank you for the snack, I always get the midnight munchies during one of Bal’s parties!” the two of them smirked as they ran their long fingernails down Seff’s chest.

  “Take your hands off of him,” Sherry said in a low voice.

  The two Vampires hissed and stood in front of Seff as if he was theirs! Clearly, they both needed lessons in basic manners. Mess with what is mine and you will regret it.

  “Let’s see what you got then!” they said and showed their needle like fangs, eyes glazed with bloodlust.

  Sherry smiled and not nicely. She drew her power to her and with barely a flick of a finger she sent the one in the red dress flying across the room. Her eyes turned to the other, but she clearly got the picture and relinquished her hold on Seff.

  He went to Sherry’s side immediately. For a second, she wondered if he would be angry that she’d saved him, but he grabbed her hand and squeezed. A smile on his kissable lips as he said, “You were freaking awesome, baby.”

  “Well, now! Is that anyway to behave in my home, cara mia?”

  Sherry turned slowly around and stared at the six-foot-two-inch Vampire who stood regally in the center of the room. His long blonde hair shone in the dark lighting. It reached his impressive shoulders in gilded waves, his one true vanity, she knew.

  “Baldassare di Capua, you arrogant bastard!” Sherry said.

  CHAPTER 15

  SEFF WISHED LIKE HELL his Wolf was on hand the second he entered the Vampire’s lair. Okay, so it was his house, but lair fit better.

  The dozens of cold bodies in the room seemed to zero in on him and Conall the second they entered through the portal Sherry had conjured.

  Almost immediately, they were accosted by female Vamps who were as strong as they were demanding with their many attempts to glamour him and his Pack mate. Hint, Werewolves weren’t easy to cow, even with magic.

  Being cut off from his Wolf didn’t diminish that ability, however, he was still at a disadvantage. Female or not, Vampires were notoriously strong. And he was a guest here.

  As Pack Beta, he knew enough about the rules of etiquette to determine he’d be insulting his host if he were to upset said host’s guests. A risk he was willing to take as he had no intention of being a supple snack for either female.

  Good thing Seff didn’t have to ponder the problem for long. His beautiful Witch came right for him, guns, or magic as it were, blazing. Yup, Sherry came in and rescued his hairy ass. Again. Emasculating? Maybe to someone else, but to Seff it was ridiculously hot. In fact, the more he watched her the more he basked in her amazing talents.

  She was freaking awesome and what’s more, the fact that she fought for him meant she cared about him. A lot. Heck yeah! Just a little while longer and she’ll know she is mine!

  “Are you hurt?” her sultry voice interrupted his thoughts, but he didn’t mind. He grinned broadly and stepped towards her, hands on is hips when another voice spoke, and Sherry turned her attention away from him. Grrr.

  “Baldassare di Capua, you bastard!” Sherry said.

  “Indeed! And yet here you are, my darling, Shereen Morgan, and I see you’ve brought a couple of your pets with you,” the Vampire seemed to glide across the floor until he stood in front of them.

  Conall barely contained his growl, but Seff did not act. He was used to dealing with other supernaturals. The fact that the Vampire was taller than him, and for the moment, stronger, made Seff edgy, but he kept that hidden by barely acknowledging the man’s arrival.

  “You dare insult me by having your harem attack these men when entering your home under my protection?” Sherry’s voice rang clear throughout the suddenly quiet room.

  Seff took in the moue of distaste on the Vampire’s face. It lasted but a second before he broke out in a charming smile. Sherry was right, he is a bastard.

  “Come, darling, let us not fight. Sit please,” he captured her hand and brought it to his lips as he spoke. He didn’t relinquish her hand, a fact Seff noted angrily, as he strode towards a pale sofa. The music started up again and the party resumed as Bal, Sherry, Seff, and Conall sat down.

  “I hear you’ve got a problem, Shereen darling. The Covens are speeding up the deadline and demanding you honor your promise. Tell me, are you having trouble finding a mate? I could always volunteer-”

  “That is not your concern,” Seff growled between tight lips. He was vibrating with anger.

  “Ah, I see, this is the one you are seeking to help? He is besotted then, the poor pup,” this seemed to delight the Vampire who thought to reach out and touch a strand of Sherry’s hair.

  Seff didn’t think first, he simply reacted. He shoved the offending hand off Sherry and grabbed the Vampire by the neck. The idiot smiled broadly at the gesture, clearly allowing the hold.

  “You do realize, you are not yourself, don’t you? No Wolf, silly pup, I could snap you like a twig,” he said, but he made no move to do so. In fact, he wasn’t even angry. Seff realized he’d been goaded.

  He cursed to himself and reluctantly let go of the Vampire. He looked down, hated his weakness, missing his Wolf. A sound came from Sherry and his gaze swept to her. Immediately he felt a sort of calmness settle over him.

  Was she using her magic? Or was it merely her nearness that soothed his ravaged soul? Either way his heart thudded in his chest as he gazed into her eyes. He liked the way her lips opened in response to that look.

  Her eyes grew wide, the color changing to a dark grayish-blue that churned wildly like a sea storm. He could get lost in the depths of her eyes. Someone cleared their throat. Conall, he thought. But Seff didn’t know of he was angry or grateful for the interruption.

  “Bal,” Sherry’s soft voice infiltrated his mind, “My companion here is not himself. You are correct in that. Pax, my friend, we come here in peace seeking your aid.”

  “She is right. I am sorry if my behavior has offended you,” Seff hated the words, but he said them. For her sake.

  Seff felt like an idiot. He was acting like some lovesick teenager for Pete’s sake! He had no ri
ght to play the jealous fool and endanger their mission. Not when Sherry had so selflessly put herself on the line for him.

  “Hmm. Interesting. Yes, well, I made the inquiries you asked me about, belissima, but why do you go looking for trouble when it so readily finds you?” Bal smiled wickedly and turned his head to the far side of the room. The three of them followed his gaze, all eyes falling on a tall, thin man dressed in black from head to toe.

  Vasco. From the look of him, he’d just strolled in to the Vampire’s little party. He seemed agitated and reckless. Unusual, Seff was sure, even though he barely knew the male Witch.

  One thing he knew, Vasco had not noticed them. He tilted his head back and drank heavily from a large black glass bottle that he held in his right hand. Then he dragged the first woman to walk past him against his body with his long, thin arms.

  It was the female Vampire from before with the red vinyl dress. She writhed against him as he squeezed her, molding her long frame to his whipcord lean body. Seff growled. He didn’t need his Wolf to tell him what was going on. Traitor.

  From the second he’d spotted the Witch, Seff had known something was off. The man was clearly courting danger. That black glass bottle was surely Black Market Brew, a magical liquor created to allow any supernatural to feel the effects of drunkenness whereas they wouldn’t otherwise due to their supernaturally enhanced metabolism. No one knew who made it, but most shifters knew to stay away from the concoction.

  Seff’s eyes narrowed. He should have known that bastard had something up his sleeve from the second he’d laid eyes on him. Hell, he would have known were it not for his disconnect from his Wolf.

  Dammit. Not that any of that mattered now. Not when Sherry’s lovely face wore the hard look of betrayal. Seeing that look on her face alone left Seff nearly rabid with fury.

  “I should have known,” she whispered.

  “Sherry, I’m sorry about this,” he began.

  “Why should you be sorry?”

  “I feel like I should have sensed something. Goddammit!” He growled.

  “No, Seff, this is not on you. Vasco is a Witch and he has betrayed me by his own accord. He will answer for it,” fury turned her eyes red and Seff sat in awe as her innate power began to change the atmosphere in the room.

  “Brava! I always enjoyed watching you work, darling, perhaps you can use my office?” Bal inserted himself into the conversation.

  A fact that made Seff want to howl in rage, but not any more than her smiling response did. What the hell? She liked this guy?

  “Thank you, Bal. That would be lovely. Shall we?”

  She stood up from her seat on the pristine couch and the entire room seemed to stop. Sherry had frozen everyone in place. Holy shit. She held Seff’s eye for a moment as if to gauge his reaction.

  When he smiled encouragingly, she slapped her hands over her head and she, Seff, Conall, Bal, and a stumbling Vasco were suddenly transported to an office that was decorated with more impeccable, high end furniture that could only belong to the Vampire.

  The male Witch tripped as he went to grope the female Vamp who was no longer there. When he realized what had occurred, his long face grew even paler, if possible. Seff’s lip curled in disgust as he watched the man drop to his knees in front of Sherry.

  “Sherry, please, Sherry, you don’t understand-”

  “You are correct, Vasco, I don’t understand.”

  “I had no choice-”

  “Do not think you can lie to me! How could you?”

  Her voice was ice cold, but no more than her eyes. They flashed white as she seethed with anger and betrayal before him. Seff had never seen this side of her. It was beyond his experience, but he felt no fear. In fact, quite the opposite. Her power was astonishing as was her anger. It was almost palpable in the small and suddenly ice-cold room.

  “Please, mercy, mistress!”

  “You knew about my contract with the Macconwood Pack, you knew about my, er, personal interest with them, and yet you deliberately set out to double-cross me! Me? Shereen Morgan, the last Morrigan! Surely not, Vasco,” Sherry’s eyes blazed green as she looked scathingly upon her former ally.

  “No, never! I did not seek to betray you, Sherry! You had to let go of the Wolf, so you could fulfill your destiny! You needed to be free to choose a mate! To choose me to mate! Don’t you see? You could never honor your promise to the elders if you still harbored feelings for that, that cur!” he wailed and fisted his hair.

  It was not a good look for the Witch. Seff grabbed him by the color and flung him away from Sherry’s feet. The idea that the sniveling scum stood anywhere near her made him want to rip the guy’s head off. Back away. Mine.

  Sherry’s gaze remained on Vasco, but she stayed Seff with a touch of her hand on his arm. Heat seeped through the billowy fabric of his shirt to his skin. He felt her desire for him to remain still. He even understood through their connection what it was she meant to do.

  Seff nodded his assent, but he remained at her side. He respected her enough to allow her to deal with the Witch her way. She was more than capable.

  Seff snarled his displeasure at Vasco’s prone form. He heard Conall’s echoing growl. His Packmate was there for him should he need it. Seff signaled him to wait and had no doubt his order would be carried out. Bal sat quietly through all of it. Seff dismissed the Vampire as he watched Vasco grovel on his hands and knees.

  How he wished his Wolf would come to him now! He wanted to tear out Vasco’s throat! The bastard thought to keep him from his mate. His Sherry. Mine. He turned and addressed Sherry.

  “You don’t need to do this, I can take care of him for you,” Seff wanted to spare her the pain of having to deal with a friend turned enemy.

  The ugliness of the act contrasted vividly with the beauty of his Witch. This was, after all, his mess. He didn’t want her to sully her hands with the clean-up.

  “It is alright, Seff,” Sherry’s hair swirled around her shoulders in wild disarray as she called on her powers.

  “Wait, I will tell you all, I will tell you where to find the Dark Witch who cast the spell on your mongrel lover!” He spat the word and Seff took a step forward.

  “Yes, Vasco, you will tell me his name, but not before this,” she raised her hands and it was as if all the light in the room flowed directly into her. She looked down at the cowering man, still on his knees before she opened her mouth. When she did her voice rang out strong and clear, leaving the hairs on Seff’s arms to stand on end and goosebumps to form along his exposed skin.

  “Vasco Demerus of the Corvum Clan you have betrayed the sacred vow of all Witches. You have betrayed your own kind. You will face the Tribunal and be brought to justice. Until the day of your trial you will be stripped of your powers. They will be hereby bound and sealed, to be released only by me, as I will, so mote it be,” her voice echoed in the confines of the office space.

  Vasco wailed as if he were in pain. The man seemed to shrivel before Seff’s eyes as his powers, whatever they may be, were pulled from him and bound into a glowing black sphere by Sherry’s awesome magic. She waved her hand and the sphere disappeared. Vasco writhed on the floor and wailed as if he were in agony.

  Still, Seff was not satisfied. It wasn’t enough. He wanted the man to do more than beg for mercy. He wanted his blood.

  “Well, it appears mia bella signorina has acted with mercy. Do not make the mistake of thinking that I will follow her lead. You will have one minute to vacate the premises after you tell us the name of the one you work for. Now, tell us,” Bal, who was not as impartial as Seff had thought, leaned forward from his position in the white leather chair he’d occupied since they arrived in his office.

  Seff could feel the power emanating from the Vampire and wondered at the way Vasco seemed to become even smaller as the glamour took hold. He’d heard of the magic ability of Vampires to possess and control weaker minded beings, but he’d never seen it actually work.

  “Without h
is powers, Vasco is not immune to the Vampire’s magic,” Sherry explained.

  “I, I, I don’t know his name. only the place, master,” Vasco sniveled before Bal.

  “That is good, my pet, tell me then, where is he hiding?”

  “In the dark, master, he hides from the Covens because they do not accept him as one of their own. He has used science and magic to break through the barrier of the supernatural world. He will remake us all.”

  “Will he now? Tell me, my pet, where can I find him?” Bal said. He spoke with a sort of innate patience, his stillness almost unnerving to the others in the room.

  Seff focused on the male Witch instead. Vasco held vital information. Information that once garnered would lead him to the one who would end the curse that separated him from his beast. And then I shall claim her for good.

  It was stunning to realize that Sherry consumed all his thoughts. Yes, he was still loyal to his Pack. He would continue as Rafe’s Beta as long as the Wolf would have him, but Sherry was his mate.

  Though Rafe may have a softer view on Witches than his father had, Seff had never really asked him how he felt about Werewolves mating with Witches. Not that it would matter. His mind was made up.

  If he had to choose between the Pack or Sherry, he’d choose her. Every. Single. Time.

  Seff was in love with Sherry. Desperately so. She was his one true mate. He simply could not live without her. Hell, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  “I said name a location,” Bal insisted. The glamour he cast proved strong as the male Witch began to whimper and jerk on the hard marble floor.

  “He, he’s holed up at the Ramapo Valley Reservation. You won’t find him on any trail. He’s hidden himself well with casts,” Vasco’s eyes were glazed as he spoke, but Seff had heard enough.

  Vasco was handed over to a pair of Guardians, who assured both Sherry and Seff that they would escort him to the Cells. That place was feared by most supernaturals as it was nearly impenetrable and rendered most supes weak as newborns the second they entered the eternal fortress. That was where Vasco would await his Tribunal. The finality of it weighed on the rest of the group as they sat in silence after his departure.