A Wicked Good Witches Paranormal Romance Books 1-7 (Wicked Good Witches Seasons) (74 page)

Eva was a murderer, who wanted to control him. And now she was pregnant with his child. Eva had tried to take his ring by forcing innocent mermaids into tricking him. She was after the power source. She’d stop at nothing… and this was the woman carrying his child.

How had he not seen all the signs? Why hadn’t he listened to his gut instinct? It had tried to warn him. So many times…

The connection between them was their wolves. He just didn’t know it was because she was a wolf as well. The wolf that had turned him.

Carrying his child or not, he needed to know everything. All she had done. Was her father in on the plan as well? Were they indeed after the power source? Charlie lifted his head, clarity finally washing away the shock. He opened his mouth to demand she tell him everything, but slammed it shut in defeat.

Eva was gone.

She’d taken the opportunity of his shock to slip away.

Charlie didn’t know where to start his search. Would she return to her father? Flee the Isle? Would the Jordan’s finish what they’d come here to do?

A gut wrenching pain knotted through him. How would he explain this to his family? He was already a failure… already letting them down, and now…

Eva was a monster who’d proven she was willing to hurt and kill to get what she wanted. Who also happened to be pregnant with his child, and he’d just let her slip away.

If Eva fled and he never saw her again, and by doing so the Isle and its power source were safe again, could he live with this outcome? Would it be enough for him to live knowing he’d done his job, fulfilling his duty as protector of The Demon Isle?

Charlie Howard could see only two choices, neither appealing.

“I can abandon my child or abandon my heritage,” he breathed out tensely. “I am damned either way.”

A WICKED GOOD WITCHES PARANORMAL ROMANCE

BOOK SIX

A Stake With a View:

You are the Worst Witch! Goodbye! 

Starla Silver

CHAPTER 1

Eva Jordan rushed into the house shouting for her father. She’d just escaped the clutches of Charlie Howard after lying to him that she was pregnant with his child.

Or was she pregnant? She wasn’t entirely sure. The Firebrand Feyk had done something to her. If it wasn’t a fake pregnancy, what was it?

And she didn’t even want to think about the possibility that she might actually be pregnant. Kids were not in her future. She preferred independence.

Anthony Jordan, her father, appeared from out of the kitchen meeting her in the foyer. He leaned calmly against the doorframe with a filled mug of coffee and took a swig.

Eva proceeded to pass him, grab a suitcase from a closet, and disappear into her room. “We have to leave.
Now.
”

He remained calm, watching his daughter do a mad dash to pack. “Why do we have to leave?”

“Char- the Howards found us out! They’ll be coming for us. We don’t have much time so start packing.”

“This is not necessary,” her father disagreed, far too calmly considering what she’d just revealed.

Eva spun around, hands on her hips. “You think they’ll just ignore everything we’ve done? I killed that Guardian Charlie was crazy about. Not that I had a choice. She threatened to tell the Howards who I was. But I also broke into their house and stole their father’s diary. I am the alpha werewolf Charlie thought he already killed. I don’t think he’ll have a problem
killing
me
again.”

“Being a bit dramatic, Eva, don’t you think?”

She let out a sharp gasp. “Dramatic… you’re freaking kidding me, right?”

Anthony waved her off.

What the hell was wrong with him? She needed him to see reason.

“Dad, is this vendetta of yours worth dying for? Because that’s what’s coming.” There was no other way to put it. Death was coming for them in the form of the Howard Witches.

“It’s
our
vendetta,” her father reminded with a stern glower. “And don’t worry, Eva. Charlie Howard is not going to kill you. I’ve taken measures to ensure this.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What aren’t you telling me, Dad?”

“What aren’t
you
telling
me
?” he returned.

“Games? Really?” She continued with her rushed packing.

“The Feyk took care of everything,” claimed Anthony. “Charlie Howard will not sacrifice his own child to kill you.”

Eva froze. Dumbstruck.

How did her father know this?

“I might not win the father-of-the-year award, but you are my daughter, Eva. I am quite aware of what’s been going on between you and Charlie.”

She fumed in speechless anger and humiliation.

Her father had discovered her secret. That she’d been sneaking out of the house at night. Not so much her, as her wolf. Eva had been more of an unconscious participant to her wolf’s depraved desires. Mainly consisting of playing the part of the submissive wolf to Charlie Howard. God, he’d pay for that.
I don’t submit to anyone. Even my father.

“It’s not your fault, Eva. I don’t blame you,” he continued. “It’s your wolves reacting to each other. Nature taking course. But seeing as it was happening, I decided we could use it to our advantage.”

Eva opened her mouth to reply, her breath catching. “Let me get this straight… you let my nighttime romps with Charlie Howard
continue,
rather than put a stop it, because you thought you could use
it
...
me
... to
our
advantage? And you did this all behind my back?”

“I couldn’t have stopped it, Eva. Even if you had made the choice to confide in me, and fill me in on what was happening, you’d still have gone romping off at night with Charlie Howard. You chose not tell me. I chose not to interfere.”

“Oh, so no stopping it. But using your daughter to your advantage is okay? Letting another man
fuck
your daughter…”

Anthony growled. “It wasn’t like that and you know it!”

“You could have locked me up. Kept me the hell away from him.”

“And have werewolf-Charlie storming the house to get to you. You can’t fight nature, Eva. For whatever reason, your wolves saw each other as potential mates. And to be frank, it would have been a smart match if you’d gotten Charlie under your control as originally planned.”

“Oh so now this is somehow all my fault? Because I wasn’t able to get Charlie to submit to me as his alpha?”

“No. I’m saying it is what it is. It’s over now. Let’s move on.”

“I cannot believe you did this to me,” she stammered hotly. “But you’re right about the moving on part. We don’t have time to argue. They’re coming. Screw packing, let’s leave the Isle.”

“Eva… we are not leaving. You need to calm down.”

“Calm down? Dad, I don’t think you’re grasping the seriousness of what’s happened. It’s over! We came. We tried. We fucking lost!”

“No. I do understand. But I’ve taken care of things. We have time.”

Eva sucked on her lips, many choice words wanting to spew through them at her father, but what came out was, “The Feyk, they did do this to me, right? Just a trick… Please tell me I’m not actually pregnant...”
I so can’t deal with this shit right now…

“No. You’re not pregnant, Eva. But it’s real in the eyes of Charlie Howard, and therefore will keep you safe. And alive.
Which is my point.
I could not stop nature from taking course, but it gave me the chance to protect you.”

“And in protecting me, if this also just so happens to work to your advantage…” she added snidely.

Anthony shrugged. “It gives us more time. What more can I say? If I hadn’t asked the Feyk to do it, do you think you’d still be alive right now?”

She let out an aggravated sigh. No. She would not be alive. Without that second heartbeat, Charlie would have killed her. But God damn it she hated that her father had done this to her behind her back.

More than that, she was starting to see his point. They thought a lot alike, her and her father. She’d have done the same thing in a heartbeat.

“So if it’s fake why can’t I shift? I thought the shifter gene only went dormant during pregnancy?”

“The spell the Feyk used is very powerful. Your body sees the pregnancy as real.”

“And you don’t think
that’s
a bad idea? Taking away my ability to shift?” Her voice was calmer now. “How fast does it wear off?”

He hesitated.

“
Dad?
”

“A couple of days, or so.”

“Days? Are you serious?”

“It doesn’t affect your wolf. Only the shifter part of you.”

“Oh, that’s totally frigging helpful. I can grow my nails, get some sharp teeth and turn my eyes yellow... unless you’ve figured out how to have a full moon each damn night of the month. It’s only my shifter side that can turn at will, Dad.”

“I am aware. But considering the alternative…”

“You mean me being dead?”

“Naturally I’d rather keep you alive. Besides, you can still let a little of the wolf free, like you said. That includes some of the strength.”

“I really don’t see how this gives us extra time, other than to get the hell off this island. Yes, it kept me alive. But Charlie
will
figure out I’m faking it. I still vote for leaving. Immediately.”

“I’m not leaving until I finish what I came here to do!” Anthony barked impatiently.

“A few more days is all we need. We know the location of the power source, we just need to figure out how to get inside. The Feyks have guaranteed me they have something
special
in store for the Howards. Their attention
will
be elsewhere. And if we do reach the power source,
we
won’t be the ones fleeing The Demon Isle.”

Eva closed her eyes, fisting her hands. “And if we don’t succeed? Then what? I’ll ask it again, Dad. Is this vendetta worth dying for? Because I’m telling you they are coming for us, Feyks keeping them busy or not. Me being
pregnant
, or not.”

“I will avenge your mother’s murder with my own dying breath if I have to,” he bleated in a raised voice. “The Howard’s will pay for killing her. They must!”

“I want them to pay, Dad,” Eva agreed. “But maybe this is not the time. Maybe we need to try again, later, when we’re not fucking dead!” She darted into the hallway scouring inside a basket for keys. They could drive to the ferry; there was one leaving in just a few minutes if they hurried.

Anthony followed her, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “This is our only chance,” he besieged his daughter. “The Howards have been in control of this Isle for too long, killing anything they see as a threat because of a power source only
they
have a right to control.
What gives them that right?
What gave them the right to kill your mother?”

“Don’t act like this is all about the Howards, Dad. It’s not like Mom was just here vacationing,” spat out Eva. “She was here for you. Remember? Spying on the witches... searching for the mysterious power source.
Your obsession
. Not hers.” There was a hint of blame in her tone.

“She didn’t do anything that warranted her execution!” he blasted back, his rage level rising.

“We don’t know what happened! Only that the Howards killed her. Yes! I want them to pay for that. But not at the expense of our lives, too. Your obsession over the power source is going to get us both killed. Face it, Dad! This is Howard territory and we’re outnumbered.”

“We have the Feyks...”

“That’s not enough.”

“I’m not leaving,” said Anthony stubbornly. “I will avenge your mother. And if finding the power source and
dethroning
the Howards requires my life, then I give it freely.”

“Now
that,
is a sentiment I can agree with…”

It wasn’t Eva or her father that said it. They gasped and swung around facing the front door. She’d left it open.

A set of villainous emerald eyes glared back at them. “Surprise…” hissed the vampire. He’d heard every word of their conversation.

“William Wakefield,” stated Anthony. He’d only had brief encounters with the vampire, but had studied up on the topic for just such an occasion.

“I feel it’s only fair to tell you, Mr. Jordan, that your information is incorrect. It was not the Howards who killed your wife.”

“She died on the Isle.”

“True. And as you are already aware, she was not
innocent,
” rebuked William. “In reality, quite the contrary. She left no choice but to stop her using any means necessary. Regardless, her life was not ended at the hands of a Howard.”

“I do not believe you,” sputtered Anthony.

“
You should,
” William warned with a severe stare.

Anthony opened his mouth to speak but Eva blurted out, “Does Charlie know your here?”

“No. And it is of little concern to me. You can only imagine how intriguing it was to be roaming the Isle last night and happen upon Charlie’s scent. I tracked him with the intent of discerning a specific problem, but to my delight I caught a second scent, got curious and followed.”

Eva wanted to shout a hundred different things at her father. If he’d just stopped her from seeking out Charlie, rather than try to use the situation to his advantage, the vampire would not be at their door right now.

“I have to admit,” continued William evenly. “I did not expect it to lead me to your door. Alas, here I am. And
thank you
for speaking so freely, your conversation has been most illuminating. It places many pieces to the puzzle I’ve been trying to put together. And with everything I just heard you discussing… well… need I continue?” His lip curled into a deadly snarl.

Eva wracked her brain for a way out. The vampire would tell the Howards all he’d heard, and they would return for them. She imagined aimed to kill. They had little time or chance of escape. Everything her father had done to protect her and give them more time was for nothing. They should have fled the moment she came home, just like she originally believed.

She lifted her chin in defiance. “Charlie thinks I’m pregnant with his child. So don’t go getting any ideas, Vampire. He’d never forgive you, would he? If you killed his unborn child...”

“Except that you are lying.”

“Will he believe you?” she challenged.

“Never mind all this,” Anthony protested. “None of this matters because you cannot get into the house unless we invite you in.”

Eva hoped this would bide them some time. Not much, but if they were lucky just enough to get away.

William grinned darkly. “I am afraid you would also be wrong about that
fact
.” He took a deliberate step through the front door, standing inside.