Once Upon a Shifter (65 page)

I was just about to start screaming through my thoughts at her when a woman's voice interrupted them.

"You must be Mena."

A stunning woman with long, black hair and a thin frame practically danced across the room, her hand outstretched for a greeting. With all her physical perfection, I sensed there was something off about her; I just couldn't put my finger on it.

My wolf was smiling, but the instant our flesh touched, a surge of energy passed between us and my wolf immediately jerked away. It hadn't hurt, but it had stunned us both, and I was well aware that my wolf didn't have any intentions of letting her touch us again.

"Chill out. It was probably just static electricity,"
I said through my thoughts, but she only shook my head then laced my fingers together behind my back.

The woman smiled apologetically. "I am sorry, my dear. That is just my way of getting to know you. It's harmless, I promise."

"Yeah, well, I hope we're good and acquainted now, because you're not doing that to me again."

Sweet smile still in place, her head dipped into a slow nod of agreement. "Very well. My name is Meridia, and these are my sisters." She took a step back as a fiery redhead joined us. She was also very pretty, elegant even.

She didn't try to touch me, and I was grateful for that. I didn't know how much more touchy-feely my wolf could take without showing her hairy side. "I… am Mag… na… laaayna. It is… so nice… to meet you." A proud smile graced her pretty face, lighting up her eyes.

I knew right away the girl was deaf. I was raised with only one sibling, and he had been deaf from the age of ten. Their speech was slower than and not as clear as someone who could hear.

With every ounce of energy I had in me, I pushed my wolf out and took full control. Being fluent in ASL, I used my hands to tell her that it was lovely to meet her, too, and to thank her for inviting me into their home.

Magnalayna's mouth fell agape as excitement filled her features, and she signed back that the pleasure was all theirs and she hoped I came to visit again soon.

"I could have learned how to do American Sign Language from your memory in less than a minute, Mena. There was no need to be so pushy,"
my wolf said through my mind.

"I communicate a lot better with people than you do. I'm definitely nicer,"
I said as I nodded to Magnalayna, and then signed that I would love to come back for a visit.

"Being nice will only get you challengers for my position as Alpha."

I ignored her, and smiled when a pretty blonde walked up beside Magnalayna and only looked at her, anxiety clear in her petite body. My smile faded when she turned her head to look at me. Shimmering tears filled her eyes, but she didn't say a word as the tears cascaded over her cheeks and fell to the floor.

My hand flew up to cover my mouth, and after a moment I lowered it to speak to her. "Did I say something to offend you? I apologize if I did—"

I stopped short when Magnalayna leaned over and whispered something in Meridia's ear. The black-haired beauty inhaled deeply then let it slowly seep out.

"What's wrong?" Alex said, but Meridia didn't answer him as she turned her head toward Phoenix, rage coloring her pale cheeks a shade of red that wasn't very becoming, and fury filled her eyes. That's when I realized what was so off about her. She didn't have pupils. A light blue haze covered them and her irises. She was blind. Somehow I knew she wouldn't have to see to strike us all down. I did the first thing that came to me; I twisted and threw myself against the front of Phoenix's chest, shielding him from any nasty spell she might decide to cast upon him.

"How dare you come into my home and make me look like a fool!" Meridia said.

I heard him sigh, and barely caught the stern look of disapproval in his eyes and the shake of his head before I was swiftly shoved behind him.

"Meridia, I don't know what you think I've done, but—"

His intake of breath was brief before he reached toward her, but it was too late; she clapped her hands together and power swept through the room.

Chapter 39

Phoenix

Phoenix's eyes grew wide as he stared in horror at the unconscious bodies scattered on the living room floor of the witches' cottage. And he knew they were only unconscious—not dead—because he was breathing and Mena was still standing, but all the others, besides the witches, were out cold.

"What did you do to them?" he finally managed to say.

"Quiet, vampire. I had to make it believable," Meridia said as she closed the distance between herself and Mena then brought her hands up to place on either side of Mena's face. After drawing in and letting out a relieved breath, she nodded. "The wolf is asleep, too. We don't have long, maybe five minutes, at best, before she and everyone else wakes up, so we have to make this fast. Mena, dear, I've put a block on this conversation, so your wolf won't know what is said here unless you deliberately think about it. Let Phoenix and the few pack members you are linked to try and fix this. I left you conscious because I felt you had a right to know what your fate may be if their efforts fail." Angling her head toward another room in the house, she spoke to her sisters. "One of you bring me a wolf's bane elixir."

Mena blinked in confusion. "What—what has happened? I don't understand."

Meridia huffed as she hurriedly spoke to Phoenix. "Only another Alpha wolf can find out what the wolf has named herself. When the time is right, Phoenix will give you the elixir to drink. It will only put your wolf to sleep long enough for you to do what is necessary to save yourself."

"What?" Phoenix shouted in disbelief. "We'll never find an Alpha willing to cooperate with her pack and my clan. There has to be another way, Meridia. Find another way."

"What my wolf is named? Somebody help me understand what's going on, please," Mena said, and Phoenix sighed as he raised his hands and placed them gently on her shoulders, desperately trying to calm the racing blood in his veins so he could explain that there was absolutely no hope of a future for any of them.

"Mena, I'm so sorry, baby. Your pack forgot to tell you that you had to name the beast inside you within two nights or she would begin to take over. So much was going on, and they simply forgot to mention it. Now it's too late. Your wolf is taking over your body, and you have to call out her name by the next full moon or you'll be locked inside your head forever. If she succeeds, she'll be a Moonrising Alpha and will be able to pretty much take over the world in a matter of weeks."

Mena's eyes grew wide as the realization hit her at full force. "I knew it! She was being so shady and secretive, and she refused to talk to me when I asked her direct questions. She can't have my body, Phoenix. I have to do something." She looked at the three witches as the blonde one handed Phoenix a small purple bottle. "What has to be done? I won't let her do this," she said, determination filling her tone. She grabbed Meridia by the arms and pleaded as tears filled her eyes. "Tell me!"

"I'll do everything I can, Mena," Phoenix said. "You know I will, but it is going to be difficult to get another Alpha to agree to even come and try."

"That isn't the bad news, my dear vampire," Meridia said, her voice defeated even before she spoke the nearly impossible task.

He studied the witch, her distressed expression saying more than her words had, and he immediately understood that what he'd thought was nearly impossible, had just become full-blown never gonna fuckin' happen! Swallowing hard, he shook his head, even knowing she couldn't see him. He did it for himself, because he couldn't—no, he wouldn't—believe it. The only way for another Alpha to be able to discover the name was if he read Mena's mind, and the only way for another Alpha to be able to do that… he'd have to bond with her. Fuck! He would find another way. He had three weeks. It was possible. He wouldn't lose her. His heart couldn't take the breaking.

"What?" Mena said as she looked back and forth between him and the witches. "Tell me what I have to do before she wakes up, Phoenix!"

With sad eyes, he drew in an unsteady breath. "You have to bond with another Alpha wolf. If we can even get one to agree to do it, there will be no future for us. You'll belong to him and he'll belong to you." A sob racked up her throat as she stared at him. "I'm so sorry, Mena. I am so fucking sorry. I'll try my damnedest to find another way."

She took two steps and threw her arms around his neck then briefly kissed him hard on the mouth. "Do whatever you need to do to make sure she doesn't win, Phoenix. Promise me that she won't win."

Taking her face in his hands, he looked deep into her eyes. "I will. I promise. Do you hear me? I won't let her take over you completely."

"Even if that means killing me?" she said.

It felt like someone shoved their hand through his chest and squeezed his heart until it burst, but he eventually nodded. "Whatever it takes. I promise."

Mena's lips curved up a little. "You don't break promises."

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Phoenix…" she said as she looked down at her boots.

"What is it, baby?"

"I love you." She didn't wait for him to respond—not that he could after hearing that come out of her mouth—before talking again. "I just wanted you to know that in case this doesn't end well. I don't want you dying thinking that nobody ever loved you, because I do. I love you, and you don't have to love me back. I know how you feel about love—"

Sighing long and hard, he gently took her face in his palms again and forced her to look at him, realizing then that there was a ridiculous smile on his face. "If I don't love you, I don't know what the hell it is that I feel for you."

She laughed as he kissed her.

"The spell is wearing off," Meridia said.

Phoenix lost his smile as he focused on Mena's eyes again. They were shimmering with love and fear. "We'll fix this. Stick with the wolf's plan. Stay with Rhodes. Don't think about any of this. We will be together again. I promise." She nodded, and he wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Trust me, Lupacchiotto. I won't fail you again."

"Just don't let her make it to the next full moon. I'd rather die than be imprisoned in my head for an eternity."

He nodded as he knelt, pulling her down with him and lying on the floor, like the others, never losing eye contact with her. These next three weeks were going to be the hardest time of his life; there was no doubt about that. "I'll see you soon, my love."

"See you soon," she sobbed.

"Mena?" Phoenix said.

She wiped at her cheeks as she stared back at him. "Yeah?"

"Don't fall in love with the cop, too."

She laughed. "No chance. I'm attracted only to arrogant blood drinkers."

He smiled. "Lucky me. Arrogance is my best trait."

She leaned in and kissed him one last time.

Mena

I waited until I heard a few of the others in the room stirring and my wolf snarling in my head before I opened my eyes to the dimly lit room. I knew it had to look like Phoenix and I had been affected by Meridia's power, too. I felt a little drained, but I didn't think it was me, because I hadn't felt this way before my wolf woke up. It had to be the spell Meridia put over my wolf to knock her out. Maybe it would keep her weak a little while longer, forever if I was lucky. Sadly, I didn't seem to have luck on my side of late. Karma, though… yeah, she was having a blast with me.

Phoenix groaned from beside me, and I almost reached out to take his hand, and then remembered Alex thought I was with him and that I supposedly hated Phoenix. I managed a frown. It really wasn't hard, considering what I had just been informed of.

Trying not to think about anything the witches and Phoenix told me, I scowled at Phoenix. "What did you do, Phoenix?" I said, and the harsh tone of my voice even fooled me. "We came here for their help and you've screwed everything up! Apologize to them," I demanded.

"For what?" he barked as he got to his feet, not bothering to help me to mine. Guess he was good at acting, too. Imagine that.

Unsurprisingly, Alex was there to help me up. I smiled up at him as I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet, exaggerating the act a bit more and snuggling against his body. I cringed inward, but didn't let it show in my actions. My wolf knew I wasn't interested in Alex, but if I suddenly shied away from him and showed Phoenix favoritism, he would suspect something. It was best to act like my wolf when I was around Alex.

Placing a finger under my chin and tilting my head back, Alex studied my eyes with concern. "Are you all right, Mena?"

I nodded once then turned my mean face on Phoenix. I was just about to demand he apologize again when Meridia started shouting.

"Everyone out! Get out of my house!" she wailed.

"Wait!" Roel said as he pointed at Phoenix. "I don't know what he did, but we are innocent, and we need your help!"

Magnalayna and Morgana turned their backs on us and walked into another room. Meridia stood rigid and appeared to be staring down her nose at Roel.

"Seek your help elsewhere," she said, and then turned and followed after her sisters, shutting the room door behind her.

Wow. They were making this really believable.

The flames licking the air and crackling in the fireplace were the only sounds in the room until Daryn spoke.

"Should have known better than to trust witches. Hope you didn't pay them much, asshole," he said to Phoenix, then opened the front door of the cottage and walked out onto the porch.

"We'll find them on our own," Heath said.

"I never thought using them was a good idea. They always want more payment than the job is worth anyway," Brad said.

Jaw flexing under his taut skin, Roel glared at Phoenix. "You'd better have a damn good back-up plan. You know what's at stake."