Witch Undecided by Debbie Cassidy

 

Chapter One

Ihad a vampire’s fangs in my neck, and he was slurping me up like I was a slushy on a hot day.

My body wasn’t my own, paralyzed as the bloodsucker took his fill. He’d done something to immobilize me. Something that regular vamps couldn’t do, but then this was no regular vamp. There was only one thing he could be. One of the Sons of Adam.

Jasper had said they’d come, and one had. Wait, were there more? No. Just this one. One, I should be able to take in a fight. I could blast him, if only my damn body would cooperate with me.

Oh, God, I was so fucking screwed. Despair threatened to bloom in my chest, but I pushed it back. No way would I be a meal for one of these fuckers. There had to be a way to get out of this. Think, fucking think! My body was paralyzed but…But my mind wasn’t, and my power…My power was connected to my will. I didn’t need to move to use it, for fucksake!

I was not helpless.

My chest heated with determination and my power flared, pushing back at the numbness this creature had forced into my limbs. The threads connecting me to the guys quivered, as if urging me to take hold and tug, but numbness still gripped the back of my mind, the part of me that controlled the link. I needed more power. I needed a moment to gather it.

The vampire squeezed my throat with his bony fingers, tongue lapping at my neck, and my head swirled with dizziness and the edges of my vision darkened.

Fuck this. I was not passing out. Anger flickered then blazed in my chest, and my power lashed out, obliterating the numbness holding me captive. I bucked, taking the vamp by surprise.

His fangs tore from my throat and fire lanced through my neck, but I was free and tugging on the threads, my panic and urgency rushing down the connection.

I rolled away from under the vamp. He lunged at me, cloak flapping. A fucking cloak? What the hell? I hit the ground and rose in a crouch, hands up, ready to fight.

The fucker’s face was obscured by the hood of the cloak, which flapped about his body like it had a mind of its own. He was either a huge fan of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula interpretation or just shitty with fashion.

“Come to me,” he said imperiously.

Like, seriously? “Um, no.”

The door behind me slammed open and Tor barreled in, fully dressed and vibrating with power. Rune was hot on his heels, coming to stand in front of me, haunches bunched, ready to attack.

The hooded vamp levitated off the ground.

“What the fuck?” Tor lunged at him.

The world shimmered blue and then Tor was thrown back with a crackle.

A forcefield,Rune said in my head. Not a warlock. Not fae.

I stared at the creature, desperate to see his face but getting nothing but an oval of shadow. “Vampire.”

That oval of shadow turned to face me. “Your blood is ours.” The voice was now like snapping twigs and the crunch of dry bracken, teasing gooseflesh to life across my skin. “You will come with me.”

Invisible bands wrapped around me and tugged. My feet slid across the hardwood before I could dig my heels in. Tor grabbed me and hauled me to his chest, his powerful arms unrelenting bands.

The blue shimmer flared and lashed out at us. I was yanked forward with sudden force. Tor bellowed as I was ripped from his arms. My feet left the ground, and I flew toward the vamp.

A growl tore the air and Rune hit me from the side, knocking me onto the bed. He stood over me, huge shaggy body bristling as he snarled at the vamp.

Tor picked up my huge dresser as if it weighed nothing and threw it at the shimmering blue barrier. It slammed into the shield with such force the barrier vibrated.

“You cannot fight me,” the vamp said. “Give her to me.”

But he didn’t sound so sure now.

Again!Rune ordered. He’s not as strong as he looks.

Tor, who already had my wardrobe in his arms, threw it at the barrier, and both the wardrobe and the shield shattered. The world was an explosion of blue light and wood.

The vamp screamed, an inhuman sound that was claws digging into my mind.

Tor charged at him.

The vamp’s cloak flapped wildly as he whirled and shrank until he was a…Bat? What the fuck?

Tor made a grab for the creature, snagging its wing. He almost had it, but the bat screeched and clawed, tearing free and hurtling out of the open window.

Tor ran to the window, but the bat was gone. “Fuck!”

Rune, still standing over me, turned to look at me. Are you all right? His voice was melted chocolate and snuggly blankets.

I looked into his warm hazel eyes, bright with flecks of gold. He’d saved my ass. If he hadn’t knocked me down… “I’m okay.” My voice was a whisper. “I’m good, thanks to you guys.”

I shuffled out from beneath him, hands sinking into his fur and curling to grip him as I hauled myself to my knees.

My pounding heartbeat slowed.

Tor pulled the window closed and turned to face us, his expression tight with anger. “Get up. We need to call a meeting. Now.”

The bite wouldn’t completely healno matter how much Rune licked me.

I’m sorry, he said.

“Don’t be. Thanks for trying.” I reached up to gently probe the tender flesh around the puncture wounds at my neck. “At least the torn skin is healed and it’s not bleeding anymore.”

“We need to keep it clean.” Tor entered the kitchen carrying a first aid kit.

Rune padded out of the way to allow Tor to get to me.

The tattooed monolith nudged my knees apart and slipped his leg between them to get close. He gripped my chin gently and tipped my head to the side so he could get to the wound.

I winced at the sting of antiseptic and the pressure of his fingers as he taped on a square of gauze.

“That should help it heal.” He stroked my chin with his thumb, turning my head so I could lock gazes with him, his steel-gray eyes dark and stormy. “Do you need pain meds?”

“No. I’m good.”

His throat bobbed and his jaw tensed. “How long was he feeding before we got there?”

The memory of that thing on me, his mouth on my neck, fangs in me…I suppressed a shudder. “A minute or so. I couldn’t move. He had me paralyzed.”

Normal vamps can’t do that,Rune said.

Yeah, they couldn’t. “I know.”

Tor’s jaw ticked. “He could have drained you.”

Yep, he totally could have, but, “I’m okay. I don’t think he wanted to drain me.”

Tor exhaled through his nose. “You’re too pale.” He released me and busied himself at the kitchen counter, filling the kettle and pulling out mugs from cupboards. “I called Anna. They should be here soon.”

What did she say when you mentioned the Sons of Adam? Rune asked.

“Absolutely fucking nothing.” He made tea like it was a mission, and I was mesmerized by his fluid movements. “Eat.” He handed me a biscuit from the tin he’d just opened.

I took a bite and sighed as sugary goodness melted over my tongue.

He passed me a mug brimming with the good stuff just as the kitchen door slammed open and Leif charged in, butt-naked and carrying the scent of the forest with him. His crimson locks were windswept and his gunmetal-blue eyes were bright from the shift.

He skidded to a halt at the sight of me sitting at the table, chocolate biscuit in one hand, tea in the other.

“Took your time,” Tor drawled, putting the biscuit tin on the table. “What did you do? Crawl?”

Leif fell to a crouch in front of me, his hands coming up to cup my face, and then his gaze fell to my neck.

“What the fuck?” His fingers were warm as they slid down my cheeks to trace a line around the bandage. “What the fuck is this?”

Don’t look at his crotch. “I’m fine. It’s gone.”

“What the fuck happened?” He turned to Tor, demanding an explanation.

“Vampire attack,” Tor said bluntly.

Leif stood and turned away from me, offering me the perfect butt shot. Oh, God, we needed to keep a box of clothes in the kitchen.

“What vamps would be dumb enough to attack on wolf territory?” he asked.

These weren’t ordinary vampires, Rune said. These were Sons of Adam.

“The vampires Jasper told us about?” Leif took the seat across the table from me and ran his hands over his face. “Fuck, the malevolent was right.” He sat up straight. “Wait, Jasper said the elders were also talking about handing you over…”

Tor’s chest rumbled in a growl. “If they are, then they’ll have to go through me.”

“Us,” Leif said. “They’ll have to go through us.” He made a sound of exasperation. “I never should have left you guys.”

He’d left to go to his pack house, to tell his pack about his father’s death. Oh, God. Arne was dead. Leif shouldn’t be here. He needed to be with them.

I reached across the table to take his hand. “Leif, I’m sorry.”

“What?” He looked confused.

“I pulled you away from your pack and Arne. You need to go. We’ve got this.”

“No,” Tor and Rune said in unison.

Leif gripped my fingers and leaned across the table. “Arne died to save your life, and I can’t allow his death to be in vain. I need to be here. I want to be here. You come first, Cora. It’s just the way it is now. I want to protect you.”

“And if what Jasper says is true, we may have to protect her from the elders,” Tor growled.

No, Rune said. I don’t think the elders sent that thing.If they wanted to hand her over, they’d have been sneakier about it.

He was right. This was too messy for a Grimswood witch.

“Well, they can tell me that to my face,” Tor said. “Once they get here.” He pulled out the chair beside me and parked his ass. “And if I’m not satisfied with their response”—his lip curled—“then they’ll be getting a visit from my beast.”

I looked across at my mate’s profile, stern and unforgiving. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Tor’s wrath, not for any money.

Anna better have answers, and they better be good.