Blood Witch (9 page)

“And why does Leslie smell like my brother?”

“He brought me home,” she said rolling her eyes.

“Whatever,” he said sitting down, “I know you aren’t a prude. Are you too good for
my brother?” They all laughed.

“Actually, it’s your brother. I really have no urge to talk about this. It’s kinda
weird.”

“Poor mom, her favorite son in love with a blood witch.”

“Blood bear witch,” Collin interrupted.

“No one is supposed to know,” Nathan said at the door.

She closed her eyes, taking in his scent. “They are close to family to me. I couldn’t
keep it from them. By the way, come on in.”

He pulled open the door and his scent hit her, making her body react. She opened her
eyes watching him move almost like a predator, his long golden hair moved around his
face, almost as though it was alive. He wore a green shirt that made his eyes sparkle,
and she took in his jeans. Tight enough to show off his very nice ass, she bet. He
smelled of the forest. Sun dried dead leaves, warm earth and fresh water with a hint
of sun baked fur. She pictured him out there in bear form at the river side catching
fish, the sight hit her so well she wished she could be there with him.

“You guys have someone in your car.”

“We stopped in to see how Leslie was doing,” Patrick said.

“And maybe you should go back to work.” They looked ready to argue and he turned to
them. “Leave.” That one word held a lot of power and authority to it.

Patrick grabbed Collin’s arm, “See you Leslie. You two be good.”

“Don’t break my TV!” Collin said outside.

“Dramatic or what?” Nathan said and sat down.

“That’s your brother for you.”

“Queen by birth.”

She stared at him. “You know?”

“He’s my brother, gay or straight I’ll always love him, although I don’t like him
dating my second. That’s risky.”

“Isn’t everything?” she said when her phone rang. She looked at the number sighed
and answered it.

“Yes?” She stood as the voice on the other end talked. “I told you no more.” She listened
some more. She started to pace. “No I’m on vacation this week.” Brief pause. “Tonight
is my first night.” She pushed her way out the back door.

“I’m not giving you any more money. I will not be responsible for you killing yourself.”
She pulled the phone away from her ear when the shouting started.

“You know what? I will talk to you when you’re sober,” she said hanging up.

The night smelled sweet. The night jasmine and mint made a great combo together. She
may not have been a pro-herbalist, but she could grow almost anything. Touched with
a green thumb, her grandma had said. She liked growing stuff too, from her herbs to
her veggies. Lately she seemed surrounded by death and darkness, so her backyard became
a sanctuary.

“You okay?” Nathan said coming out behind her.

She nodded. “My sister is very into the drugs. She wanted to borrow money, like always.
Sometimes I wish I had been born in an Opposite family. Brought up knowing why I was
different. Being different in a house of Normals sucks. You do something odd and they
get scared. But in their world everything is easier. Knowing the Opposite side is
a burden. I envy her and hate her at the same time for what she is doing with her
life.”

“If it means anything, I’m glad you are an Opposite,” he whispered into her ear.

She leaned up against him and looked at the sky and stars. “Maybe now that my bear
showed up.”

He turned her around looking down at her. “I’ve been attracted to you since the first
time you were introduced, back when you were with the wolves.”

She looked away ashamed. He pulled her chin so she could look at him. “Cute and wild
and I was jealous they found you first.” He kissed her forehead, then her nose and
then pressed his wonderful lips against hers. She pulled away to say something.

“It’s the past,” he mumbled and kissed along her jaw, making his way to her neck.
Her beast rose up and he growled at her. Surprising her, a growl trickled from her
own throat. But before she could think about it, Nathan had her on the ground in the
sweet scented grass.

His mouth made its way from her neck to her mouth her hands pulled his head closer
to hers to get a deeper kiss. One minute his hand moved down her body the next she
felt a clawed paw tear into her shirt ripping it off her. He sat up and removed his
own shirt. The moonlight gave enough light for her to see his great chest and shoulders.
One hand-turned-paw ran claws down from her neck to her belly and back up she shivered.
A small smile played on his lips as he used his claws to rip her bra off. He tossed
it away.

He looked down at her naked top. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. The warm
night breeze hit her hard nipples. He bent down for a taste, his tongue flickering
over her right nipple. She took in a sharp breath and cried out when he locked his
mouth onto it. The suction made her cry louder, so he used his teeth to give it a
light pull. He moved over her to the next nipple. She arched her back with another
cry.

She could feel how hard he was for her and she wanted him in her so bad her body ached.
But Nathan had other plans as he licked down her body. His claws tore at her jeans,
shredding her panties. She cried out again as his clawed hand gently moved over her
thigh. With a growl he greedily plunged his head between her legs. She moaned with
each lick. Each nibble brought her close. He took over her sensitive spot and sucked,
bringing her over the edge as the orgasm hit her, making her scream. He made his way
back up her body.

“Uh-huh,” she said, “my turn.” She pushed him off her and onto his back.

She caressed and licked her way down his chest making her way to his hard dick. She
paused briefly, taking in the sight. Her tongue slipped out between her lips and licked
the head. He shuddered. She took that as an okay and filled her mouth with his hardness.
She watched him as he watched her slipping up and down his shaft. She sped up and
he bent his head back growling.

“You gotta stop that,” he said and rolled her over on her back in his quick shapeshifter
speed.

He pushed himself inside her as growls escaped from both of them. He started slow,
and she knew he was holding back. But the orgasm hit her quickly. She sank her nails
into his back which made him speed up. But he still held back.

“I can take it,” she whispered. He let go and gave into the pleasure. He pounded her
hard, already the fourth orgasm ripped through her. The pleasure called to their magic.
She looked up at him and the world had a gray-gold look to it. Nathan’s breathing
sped. She could feel his release building. A few more hard thrusts and they came together.
Both of their control slipped. Magic escaped from them.

They felt as their magic clashed into one being. If it were colors it would be silver
and gold balls that combined into one bear. The ball of power exploded into the night.
Nathan, exhausted, held her to him.

“What was that?” she asked, out of breath and hoarse.

“We merged,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “No one has merged in years. Even my parents
didn’t.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we are equal mates,” he rolled on his back so they were both staring at
the stars.

“Oh,” she said. Either her eyes were fuzzy or something was wrong. But she could see
a strange light lit the night. She rolled over on her stomach and looked over at her
garden. She could see it as if they had a light on, but there wasn’t one.

“Leslie,” he said and she looked at him. He reached out and touched her face. “Your
bear eyes are showing.”

She closed them and opened them, trying to focus. “Impossible. I have no physical
beast.”

“Your beast is in there. Maybe you can’t change, but some of your beast will come
out.”

Half an hour later they were sitting at the table, both clothed and having a glass
of tea when Patrick and Collin burst through the door, both their eyes wild with their
beast. “What did you two do!” Collin asked. “Reports of shifters changing are everywhere.”

“What’s with the eyes?” Patrick asked Leslie and then he looked at his brother. “Is
that my shirt?”

Patrick glared over his half empty plate at Leslie. She ate trying to ignore the glowering
werebear. Finally she just couldn’t take any more. She put her fork down and laid
her hands on the table. She stared at him back, eyes neutral. Collin watched them
both eyes flicking back and forth as he shoveled food in his mouth.

“What is wrong with you?” she finally asked.

“I don’t want you dating my brother,” he said blinking at her voice just as calm as
hers.

“You aren’t his keeper and I don’t think we are dating.” She frowned and looked at
Collin who shrugged.

“You mean you are just going to use him for-”

“Sex, Patrick, Leslie had grown up sex with Nathan,” Collin said agitated putting
down his fork. “We are all grownups so please just get over it already.”

“Just, stop it,” Patrick said looking down at his food.

“That would be up to him,” she said, looking at the upset bear.

He glared at her. “Just tell him no.”

She got up with her plate and dropped it in the sink. “I don’t want to.” She washed
her hands in the sink and already felt him. “I am going to a movie.” She walked toward
the front door.

“With my brother?”

Nathan stuck his head in the door. “Yes. Keep the energy down, you will freak out
the Normals.” He held the door open for Leslie. She walked past and as he closed the
door. Patrick grabbed it, following them outside.

“You guys can’t date.”

Nathan held open the passenger’s side door for her. “And why not?”

“It’s against pack law. Pack master can only date a bear.”

“And what am I, chopped liver? I am a bit beary,” she said sitting in the car.

“'A bit' doesn’t cut it.”

Nathan let go of the car door and laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We will
take mom’s wrath together. I am king; do you think I don’t notice what goes on around
me and my enforcers? I’ve known for years.”

“Hey, we have a movie to catch,” Leslie said in the car.

“And now I have a blood witch to woo,” he said with a big smile and a wink leaving
Patrick staring at them as he got in the car. Leslie watched in the side mirror that
Patrick still stood out by the road even after they turned the corner.

“It was about time he knew,” he said finally.

She nodded pulling her phone from her pocket and hit a button. “Yo, Papa Bear knows
Patrick’s secret and now he knows. Not sure how he’s going to take it.” She went silent
listening. “I will thanks.” She shoved the phone into her pocket.

“Papa Bear?” he said giving her a questionable look at the red light.

She shrugged. “We have codes for almost everyone.”

“So is Jonathan Papa wolf?”

“No its King Dick.” Her phone beeped and she pulled it out looking at the text. “Collin
says Patrick is really quiet.

“Oh, hey, I have a meeting with Cathy tonight.”

“I don’t like her.” He raised his eyebrow at her giving her a quick look. “It’s not
like I am jealous or anything. It just that she feels strange. She says she’s half
breed, and I taste the bear. But I don’t feel wolf.”

“Explain. There seems to be a big difference between what we each feel in this matter.”

“Well I can taste bear in her power, but when I picked at the wolf. I got an emptiness
a deep void.”

“Why would she lie to us?”

Leslie shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she doesn’t want to out what she is.”

“I don’t know,” he had parked and they got out of the car walking across the half
empty parking lot. They crossed K Street to the theater. Leslie looked at the movie
posters she passed and her mind felt a power flair. Her eyes looked down the street.

“I can feel him too,” Nathan said his eyes also looking in the direction.

“Mr. Forever wants me to see him. He wants to talk about my past.”

“He seems to like you a great deal. More than he likes most people. Hell, some people
have to give up an organ to get info from him.”

She nodded looking at her phone. “We have a movie to watch.”

He took her arm and pulled her up to the ticket window with him. He paid after a small
argument, and after grabbing popcorn, soda and some licorice they found perfect seats.
They were watching the newest top action movie in 3D and Leslie looked around the
mostly empty theater as the lights started to dim and the commercials started up.
For the first time she felt as if she could relax and actually enjoy this time. Being
a Supervisor had taken a toll on her nerves lately.

“I haven’t been to a movie in a long time,” she whispered to him.

He laid a small kiss on her temple and shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. The
trailers ended and the movie started. For two hours Leslie felt almost like a normal
person again. As they were walking toward Nathan’s car, she thought about normality.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “Nothing. For a while there I felt normal.”

“I always feel normal,” he said giving her an odd look.

“No like before my powers manifested. I felt like a Normal.” She sighed, “I miss those
days sometimes.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t know, I have always been bear. So all I know is bear.”

She opened her mouth but her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked
at it. “Hello?” She listened for a while. “I’m coming.”

“What’s up?”

“Carlos said my DNA came up in a recent case. I need to get to the lab.”

“Let’s go see a rat,” he said.

****

They made it in the side door of the office without being spotted. The banshees were
a bunch of tattle tales and Leslie didn’t want Mark to know she was there plus bring
Nathan along might not sit very well with him. They walked into the very white very
clean lab startling Carlos.

“Hey Leslie,” he said but his wide eyes were staring at Nathan. “Nathan.” He gave
a small bow to.

“Carlos,” he murmured making her look at them both, frowning. She had never seen a
were from a different group acknowledge a king of another.

“So what did you find?” she asked looking around at the glass beakers filled with
evidence of all the crime scenes. He walked over to his desk, which was the only messy
thing in the lab. Papers and files were piled and spread out. He picked up one of
the files from the top and slowly walked over to them. His eyes watching the door.

“When this batch was produced they used your blood. It has more potency than the drug
that was in your system.”

“Any idea how and when they got my blood? I would have known right?”

“You were unconscious twice, right? I think someone got your blood either the night
of full moon or they got your blood in the clinic. Unless you are giving it away freely?”

“You know I wouldn’t do that,” she said.

“Especially now. How can you be two?” he whispered.

She shrugged. “Half breed.”

“But the blood witch part is strong enough for it to overcome the wereblood.”

“Maybe because it is a family trait, the blood has been suppressed from what I heard.”

“Did you tell Mark this info yet?” Nathan finally spoke up.

Carlos looked at the ground. “He has the file on her DNA being in the latest drug,
not that she is half breed.”

“Well, that is a good thing right?”

“He is going to know soon though I mean it is something you can’t really hide being
a Supervisor,” Carlos said.

“He is right,” Nathan murmured. “Where exactly did this blood sample come from?”

“Cathy, Collin and Patrick found it at their latest scene.”

Leslie’s eyes darkened making an already nervous Carlos step back bumping into his
desk. His eyes flicked to Nathan. “Mark said we were off the case.”

He licked his lips nervously avoiding looking at her scary eyes. “Mark let them back
on the case with Cathy because you are out of the office. He wants to see if the case
will get solved because of no distractions.”

“Like me going all scary,” she said voice low.

Nathan reached out and touched her arm. His touch cooled down the anger letting her
push the music down. She turned to give him a grateful look. “We should go,” he said.

“Leslie, I am sorry you had to hear it from me. You have always been my favorite Supervisor
because you don’t treat me like gum on the bottom of your shoe.”

Her anger disappeared. “I’m sorry Carlos, you are a person first and foremost and
it makes me sad that is how you feel.”

Shrugging he gave her a weak smile. “I’m used to it. Now you guys better go. If someone
sees you they will call Mark. I will try to keep you updated on anything I find.”

She nodded. “Thanks again.” She turned leading Nathan from the lab. They were almost
to the side door when they felt the other were.

Leslie let out a deep breath and turned to face Mark. “Hi Mark, I was just picking
up some of my stuff.” His hands were crossed over his chest. Nathan stood behind her,
calm and cool. He out powered the werepanther and everyone knew it.

“You could have asked one of your roommates to grab something for you. Someone mentioned
you were here and you were around the lab.”

“Stupid banshees,” she whispered to herself. “I stopped in to say hi to Carlos. We
are friends and there is nothing against me saying hi to him.”

“There is when I told you, you are on suspension.”

“I was just on leave,” she said her arms folding over her chest.

“That was before I got the report about your blood being in the latest batch of drugs.
So for now you are suspended until further notice.”

“Fine, you can suspend me all you want. I am done with the damn job anyway.”

He laughed. “Whether you like it, once a Supervisor always a Supervisor.”

She glared at him, hands now in fist at her side. “I am MY own person. If I quit,
I quit.”

He shook his head. “No. I can have you locked up.”

She took a step forward. “I want to see you try.”

Nathan wrapped his arm around her so she couldn’t go further. “Stop provoking her,
Mark.”

He glared at the bear. “This is none of your business.”

He shrugged easily, his power vibrating through Leslie. “She is my business.”

“I heard you two were seeing each other. Leslie, I take it you have something for
powerful men.”

“Fuck off,” she growled. Not a human growl, a bear growl.

Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh, now this changes everything.”

“We are leaving,” Nathan said.

“And I won’t be back. Fuck you and fuck this job.”

Mark made a move and Nathan turned them both around again to look at him. “Think twice
before you try anything stupid. Challenging me won’t be good for your health.” And
he turned, walking them both out of the office and let her go at the car.

“You said some things in there you might regret.”

She shook her head and looked at the building. “I meant it. I hate what the job was
making me. I have been saving up to start my own thing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

She nodded. “I was thinking maybe an Opposite Side Security.”

“Interesting,” he said as they both got in the car. “Hungry?”

“Famished,” she said now a bit shaking.

****

They were sitting on the porch finishing up dinner when Patrick, Collin and Cathy
walked up. Nathan reached over and touched her arm as she put the last sweet potato
fry in her mouth. The night sounds they were enjoying stopped as the yard was invaded
with the nervous and angry energy.

“Hey guys,” she said after she finished eating the fry.

“Leslie, we have a few questions to ask you,” Cathy said.

“Be my guest,” she replied.

“Maybe inside?”

Nathan got up. “Almost forgot my manners,” he said and as she got up. He never removed
his hand off Leslie’s arm so she was forced to get up as well. “You make me a caveman.”

“A cave-bear,” she whispered and they both laughed walking into the house.

“Come in,” he said over his shoulder. They sat in the overstuffed loveseat, and it
made her think of last night and what they did on it. Her face turned red. He glanced
at her and chuckled a very manly chuckle.

The three Supervisors sat down on the couch. “What can we help you guys with?” Nathan
asked when they got situated.

“Well, we just need to ask Leslie some questions,” Cathy said. “You don’t have to
be here if you have other matters.”

“My house, my matter,” he said.

“Well, first off Leslie, where were you last night?”

“Here with me,” Nathan said possessively.

“Do you have anyone who can vouch for that?”