Four Cowboys & a Witch (6 page)

Rodney walked over and
studied the maid. “I think this chupacabra is a shifter who was turned by a
vampire in human form. That explains why it doesn’t look like a coyote. It
craves blood, not meat. It can’t shift properly anymore so it turns to that
weird gray thing with red eyes that can be on four legs or two.”

“So stake it? Burn it?”
Ben asked.

“Both to be safe. That
should work if we have to do it. I’d like to take some samples if we can cage
it.” Rodney used his smartphone to take a picture of the wound when Trey
checked the bleeding.

Sam sighed. “I know you
love this stuff, but we might just have to kill it.”

“Damn straight,” Trey
said.

“If we can capture it
safely, good. Hand it over to the shifters. We need to make sure they destroy
it.” Ben waved at the paramedics as they pulled into the parking lot.

Dani leaned on Ben. “I
don’t want blood on our hands any more than you do, but if he’s going after
humans, I can live with it.”

“Me too.” Ben nodded.

“I’m in, but if we can
show the shifters how dangerous this thing is, maybe it’ll teach them to stay
away from the vampires. They have to learn that if a shifter does get turned,
they’ve got to be put down immediately.” Sam shrugged. “Shifters know right
from wrong. Vampires can avoid killing if they want. The combo is a nasty beast
that clearly has no control.”

“Agreed. Staking might
not even work. Cut its head off? Obviously sunlight doesn’t kill it in shifted
form.” Trey stopped talking when the paramedics came in.

“Let’s finish up here.
We can regroup at home,” Ben agreed.

Dani stared at the map
and reviewed her notes from the scrying session. The creature wasn’t what she’d
expected, but it was a killer.

“Are you sure you’ve got
the right thing? I mean, part of it is human.” Rodney fussed over his computer.

She smiled. “It’s a
shifter who was turned. The vampire shifting creature, I can feel it. The evil
of being soulless takes over. While vampires are stronger than humans, the
shifter skills make him even more elusive.”

“It’s hard to kill a new
being.” Sam nodded.

“You kill a vampire who
is attacking humans. This is no different. We can warn the shifters. If we can
capture the creature without killing it, we can take it to them. They may not
fully understand what happened to this member of their pack.” She leaned over
and kissed Rod’s cheek. “This is what you’re meant to do: handle the unusual
paranormal things that regular society can’t process.”

“We’re warriors against
the evil. We don’t kill innocent things, which is why we started a horse ranch.
Dani’s right. This thing is evil.” Ben picked up the map she’d marked.

“Do we know the ranch
it’ll hit tonight?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll make the
call. Get the spell stuff ready.” Ben kissed Dani’s forehead.

“You guys are so cute.”
She put away her stuff and looked at the spell with Rodney.

“Same thing as the first
time -- protection with strength.” He smiled nervously.

“You’re getting stronger
every time you try one. I can feel the added power in you since I’ve been here.
Not that we need spells to have great group sex, but the added bonus of sharing
energy… Our building the relationship makes the spells work better.” She leaned
on him.

Sam lit candles around
the room before he moved the coffee table. “You two going to snuggle through
this or get naked?”

Dani laughed. Carefully
she dipped into Sam’s brain. He was eager to get connected. She wiggled out of
her clothes to join him. “Ready to roll, Sam?”

“Roll, get rug burn,
then catch the bad creature so we can sleep soundly.” Sam stripped naked,
grabbed protection, and sat on the floor.

“So we can screw all day
tomorrow without spells or pressure. Round after round of lazy sex.” She wanted
it too, but once the case was closed, the pressure to stay would ramp up even
more. That scared her more than monsters or group love.

Ben and Trey entered the
room. “The owners are fine with us staking out the property tonight. All good
there.” Ben smiled.

Trey undressed quickly.
“The gear is all packed to go. Guess we’re getting used to the sex before a big
job.”

Ben and Rod finally
stripped down to nothing before they stretched out on the floor. Hands started
to roam among the group. Rodney took a deep breath. As he recited the spell,
Dani kissed Sam to quench her thirst.

She watched Ben kissing
Trey. Then Ben licked down Trey’s hard body. Sam went for Ben’s cock. Dani
kissed Rodney as soon as he’d finished with the spell.

“Give in to the energy.”
She stroked his cock while nuzzling his neck. “Go for what you want.”

Rod moved to suck Ben’s
cock with Sam. Dani watched as Rod lubed Ben’s ass. The leader turned, kneeling
on his hands and knees for Rod. Without wasting any time, Rod filled Ben’s ass,
pulling Sam close for a kiss.

“Fuck me, Sam,” Rod
said.

The smile on Sam’s face
sent a shiver through Dani. She snuggled with Trey. His fingers were persistent,
but she wanted to see how the trio played out first. Sam slid on protection and
let a drop of lube hit Rod’s ass before filling him hard.

“Just how he likes it,”
Trey whispered in her ear.

She nodded, nudging him
toward the group.

“I don’t think Sam needs
to be screwed. I’ll throw off the balance.” Trey tried to slide her under Ben’s
body to sixty-nine.

Dani shook her head.
“Nope. You suck your man off. I want to ride. You’re tall enough for it to
work.”

The look in Trey’s eyes
said she’d get it later. She fully intended to get screwed by all the guys. For
the power to work, however, she needed to be able to touch them all. It built
her connection. Being at the bottom of the fuck pile wouldn’t work as well.

Trey took his position.
Ben’s groans indicated his cock was getting attention. Dani slid a condom on
Trey’s erection and lowered her body onto him. The fullness made her tremble.
Her arousal dominated her body. She wanted to ride hard to climax. Opening her
eyes, she knew the group was in balance. Dani needed to share.

“She’s ready to go.”
Trey lifted into her.

“We’re all primed. The
sex with spells is getting more intense.” Rodney shook his head.

“It’s okay. We love each
other. That doesn’t mean we can’t act out our fantasies. Lustful urges matter
as much as love when the goal is satisfaction. This doesn’t have to be romantic
flower time.” She sensed Rod’s fear of getting swept up in the sex. This group
wouldn’t use each other, or go too far in a selfish or harmful way. “Trust each
other. Let go.”

“Ladies first.” Sam
nodded.

Her hips took the
advice, driving down on Trey’s cock hard. He groaned. It only encouraged her.
Dani saw the men humping each other with such pleasure on their faces. The glow
of their love and energy pulled her in. She kissed Rod over Ben’s body as she
came down faster on Trey.

The sweet ache inside
her made her pause to savor it. Trey lifted, triggering her release. Gasping,
she urged them on. She watched her men, and saw Rod achieve orgasm. Sam was
deep into fucking his boyfriend. Ben rocked like a machine.

Fingers rubbed her clit.
She didn’t care whose they were. The groans of releases took over. She ground
on Trey and bucked to those insistent fingers pinching her clit. She screamed
as her second climax hit. Sam’s shouts mingled with hers as Rod shook.

Then Trey and Ben
achieved simultaneous orgasm. Dani’s skin vibrated with the hum of love. If
love was the fuel, sex was the spark to free the power. It got their fire
going. Sliding off, she kissed Ben as she tried to catch her breath. They had
work to do, but later, maybe tomorrow, she’d make sure each guy knew how much
she loved them. Maybe that’d help her decide where she belonged. Her future was
the only dark spot in her life, but for now she had a mission.

* * *

With another stakeout
set up at the location Dani had found, Ben paced. He hated waiting for trouble.
In the paranormal stuff, he much preferred to go after the evil.

“He’ll be here,” Dani
said. “He’s afraid to hunt animals during the day. Everyone has a gun. It’s
Texas.”

“So bullets work.” Trey
nodded.

“Humans wouldn’t give
him enough blood, though. Shifters consume food as humans, raw meat as coyotes.
We’ve seen no evidence of eating the meat so he’s feeding on blood. The animals
are the only things keeping it alive.” Rodney checked the cage they had in the
bed of the truck.

“Seems like humans will
work in a pinch, though.” Sam shook his head. “At least the maid lived.”

“He’d need a lot of
humans to stay alive.” Rodney hopped down from the truck and hugged Sam from
behind. “We’ll get him.”

Ben smiled. “It does
explain why those chupacabras are so rarely seen. They’re fast as hell, with no
packs or real social structure. They just need blood. It’s not like they’re
reproducing. Weird hybrid thing.”

“At least we’re not
crazy. You guys were totally on the right track. Without seeing it in action,
there was no way to determine what it was.” Dani sat on the edge of the
flatbed, stun gun in hand.

She looked so natural
there, Texas wind blowing through her hair as the sun set. Ben knew she
belonged right here with them. “So what are you doing for work back east?” Ben
asked her.

She shrugged. “I
finished up my Master’s. The scholarship and job on campus made it a steal.
Then when Auntie died, I was contemplating a PhD. The job market is iffy. I
liked the flexibility of university life.”

“There are colleges in
Houston.” Sam smiled.

Rodney laughed. “Who are
you kidding? We’re a full time job. Add in all the paranormal stuff popping up,
Dani won’t have time for much else.”

“Don’t get distracted.
You guys can convince me to stay later. It’s almost totally dark now.” Dani
clicked on a tiny flashlight.

“Free room and board…
All the sex you want… All the hot men you want to watch,” Trey teased.

Ben laughed. “A chance
to work on your skills… You can teach Rodney what you know. Learn on the fly as
we figure out stuff together.”

“These romantic nights
are so much fun: the threat of rattlers, the smell of manure, and the evil
things running around. Maybe once we catch this one, we can try a quiet night
at home with popcorn and a movie. After all the sex, we can fall asleep without
having to go fight something. Just once in a while. I love you guys, but it
sure makes romance complicated,” she said.

“We can fix that.” Ben
heard the acceptance in her voice.

She was comfortable
here. Texas might not have been good to her as a child, but they’d make damn
sure she was a respected woman as an adult. Moving her in would do that. As
lady of the house on a wealthy ranch, the other ladies wouldn’t give her grief.
All of Houston could talk behind their backs, he didn’t care.

“Shh!” Dani flicked her
flashlight to the left.

Ben and the rest of the
men kept their eyes in that direction. This ranch had hundreds of head of
cattle, but the men all trusted Dani to put them in the right spot. Without
her, this job would’ve been damn near impossible.

The grass rustled, and
the men move in, Sam and Rodney armed with tranquilizer guns. Trey and Ben had
the real deal. Once the animal was out of cover, Rodney took his shot. The dart
hit a cow.

Rodney reloaded and Sam
fired. The creature growled as the men closed in, then leaped to claw Ben’s
arm. Rodney managed to hit it with a second dart. The animal fell to the ground
with a low whine, and went still.

“Get him in the cage
before he wakes up. Who knows how long that’ll last?” Trey grabbed the creature
under one arm.

Rodney took the other.
They dragged him up to the enclosure. Before closing the door, Rodney took a
bunch of pictures.

Ben tried to ignore the
stinging in his arm. “Rodney, come on. Get out of there. You can take samples
through the bars.”

Trey grabbed the darts
off the creature’s body. “Now, Rodney. We need to clean up Ben’s arm.”

“Right.” Rodney took a
skin sample before he backed away.

When the creature
started to move, Sam yanked Rodney out and slammed the door.

Trey was there with the
padlock. Ben added another to be sure.

“You don’t want to study
new creatures?” Rodney asked.

“Learning in a book is
one thing. After what we saw this do, I don’t think it’s something to play with
or experiment on. It’s not natural,” she said.

Rodney wrapped an arm
around her and the other around Sam. “Some would say five people together in a
relationship isn’t natural, but it works. This thing obviously can’t function
in the world now. Vamps aren’t meant to combine with shifters.”

“Don’t worry. Those
shifters are going to get an earful.” Ben shook his head. He tossed the keys to
the truck to Trey. “You drive us home. Dani can patch me up. Then take this
thing to the shifters. Make sure they kill it. Burn it.”

“If they don’t?” Trey
asked.

Ben smiled. “Do it for
them.”

“I’m chopped liver.”
Rodney smiled at Dani as they climbed in the truck.

“You’ll be too busy
looking at all your research.” Dani grabbed some tissues from the glove box and
pressed them to Ben’s arm.

“You didn’t get a
nursing degree by any chance?” Ben chuckled. Her touch alone helped. He needed
to wash out the wound. Who knew what sort of crud was under those nails.

“Sorry, not a nurse, but
this won’t require stitches or anything. Don’t be a baby.” She kissed his
shoulder.

When Trey pulled up to
the shifter house, half the pack came out. Maybe they smelled their pack member
or heard the struggling creature. Trey didn’t want a crowd, but he had one.

Grady walked up to the
back of the truck. “You got him?”

“Yeah, our psychic witch
is good at tracking things, knowing where they’ll be before they even get
there. One of your guys got turned by a vampire. Guess that’s what makes a
chupacabra. Any cure?” Trey asked.

Grady shook his head.
“We’ve never been able to capture one. They rip us to shreds. We couldn’t kill
our own member.”

“It’s a killer. Almost
drained a maid at a cheap motel. If we weren’t more concerned about her, we’d
have caught him then. You’ve got to put him down.”

“Yes, you’re right.
How?” Grady asked.

Trey hit the creature
with a stun gun until it passed out. “Let’s get it out of the cage.”

Grady helped, but Trey
could see how nervous he was. Once the creature was on the ground, Trey took a
wooden stake and drove it through the creature’s heart. It didn’t turn to dust
so Trey grabbed an axe from the truck. With one swing, Trey sliced off the
creature’s creepy gray head. “How many more of these do you think are out
there?”

Grady shrugged. “Not
many. I’ve only known of two others in my lifetime. Once they realized they
couldn’t rejoin our pack, they ran away. This one stayed local.”

“Burn it.” Trey tossed
Grady a pack of matches. “He’s already dead, but I don’t want any weird
headless bodies running around Houston. Just in case.”

Nodding, Grady pointed
to three guys. “Dig a hole. We’re going to bury the ashes.”

The crowd stepped back.
One of Grady’s men brought wood to fuel the fire. Grady struck a match, setting
fire to the body. Then the howling began.

Trey looked up. All the
shifters turned into coyotes and howled for their lost pack member. Removing
his hat, Trey knew it was a shame. A dog didn’t want to turn rabid any more
than that shifter wanted to be turned to a vampire. Unfortunately, there was no
going back once the deed was done.

Grady shifted back to
human. He handed back the pack of matches as the fire blazed. “Thanks for your
help.”

“Next time ask. Don’t
try to hide it or deal with it yourself. If you can’t handle it, we will.” Trey
extended a hand.

Grady shook it. “You
guys are getting into a weird trade.”

Shrugging, Trey put his
equipment back in the truck. “Houston needs it. Don’t be afraid to send us
stuff, or let us know if you see something. I’d rather get on a problem early.”

“That pretty lady of
yours sticking around? She’s got some mojo.” Grady watched the fire intently as
others turned away.

Trey shook his head.
“Not sure yet. She’s stubborn. Texas hasn’t always been so nice to her. We’re
trying to keep her, though.”

“You can go work on her.
This is a done deal.” Grady took a blanket from his mother. Out of respect they
covered the fire so the details of the burning corpse were obscured from the
crowd.

Trey waited until the
body was mostly charred, then climbed into his truck. He understood the pain.
Ben had only been scratched today, but Trey couldn’t deny his overprotective
urges. He knew Ben was fine, but the work they did was dangerous. If he lost
one of his guys or Dani, if they were turned to a vampire or something that had
to be killed, Trey didn’t know if he could do the deed.

Putting the gear away,
Trey took a moment in the garage to thank the goddess for keeping his team
safe. Ben was the leader, but Trey had to be the bad guy when Ben couldn’t. The
smoky smell clinging to Trey’s clothes was proof of that.

The group was upstairs
cuddling in bed. Ben’s arm was covered in gauze. They all turned when Trey
walked in. He felt the rush of loving concern.

“Did it go okay?” Ben
asked.

“Yeah, I had to stake it
and chop off the head. They burned it. Howling send off. I told them to call us
first next time. Be straight with us. We’ll get it done faster.” Trey rubbed
his neck.

Dani smiled. “It’s sad
they lost a member, but at least it’s done terrorizing Houston.”

“What about you?” Trey
asked Dani.

“I’m terrorizing
Houston?” she asked.

Ben sighed. “Are you
staying?”

She sat in the center of
the bed. “I love you guys, the work you do.”

“No?” Sam jumped in.

“Hold on.” Dani rubbed
her temples. “I need to go back to be sure. This is great, but it feels like a
dream. I have to go back to my apartment and see how it feels. Even if I stay
here, I have to go there, get my stuff moved. It’ll take time to give up my
place. I have a car and bank accounts out there. There’s no spell in Rodney’s
book for moving.”

“It’s not a dream. It’s
real, Dani. We love you. We’re not complete without you.” Rodney’s voice had a
little edge to it.

She nodded. “I don’t
blame you guys for being mad. I’ve thrown myself into this. Believe me, I’ve
loved every minute. I can’t imagine living alone now, but if I say I’m staying,
absolutely yes right now before I go back to see what it feels like where I’ve
been living for years, would you believe me?”

“Sure. If you tried to
stay away, we’d chase you down. Got the cage in the truck still.” Trey kissed
her. “It’s okay. You’ll be back.”

“I give it a week before
we’re moving in boxes of your stuff.” Ben squeezed her bare foot.

“You can’t resist us.”
Sam hugged Rodney.

“I really hope you’re
right. I want this to be where I belong, but your feelings are so strong. The
distance will let me find my own. I need to be confident. I should pack now.
See if I can get a flight out tomorrow.” She slid off the bed.

Trey smiled to the other
guys. They followed her into her room while Trey headed for the shower. They’d
help her pack, but no way was she leaving without a night to remember. She
could sleep on the plane.

* * *

Walking up to the old
shifter house, Dani knew she should go to her guys first but didn’t want the
men to back her up on this. As much as she loved being surrounded by them, she
needed to stand on her own two feet as well. One week without them hurt, but
it’d be a great surprise.

Grady’s mother answered
the door, and Dani followed her to Grady.

“The witch of the hour.”
Grady stood. “You’re back.”

“I am, permanently. No
more shifter/vampire hybrids, I trust?” she asked.

“No, that’s rare. Trey
gave us the message to call you guys for help. Don’t worry.” He gave her that
condescending male tone she’d heard so often growing up in Texas. All he had to
do was add
little lady
, and she’d have smacked him.

“I don’t worry. I know.
That’s my power. I see beyond words or actions to the heart of people’s
intentions. You can’t blow smoke around me, so don’t try to build an army or
take a run at another shifter group,” she warned.

“What makes you think
we’d do that?” Grady shrugged.

“I know a lot of things.
You need to be content with your pack. Don’t make waves. My powers are growing.
So are Rodney’s. You’re not just dealing with humans who’ll fight you.” She
folded her arms to shield herself from his ego and frustration.

“What exactly can you do
to me?” he asked.

“Grady, she’s a guest in
your house,” his mother scolded.

“She came looking for a
fight.” Grady stepped too close.

Dani held her ground
while harnessing her psychic powers. Taking his rage, she turned it on him and
pushed him with her mind. Grady flew back across the room and hit the wall.

Turning, she left the
house having made her point. Telekinetic powers were something she’d dabbled in
during middle school but had had to put away for her parents. With her guys
around her, the safety had brought out the power again. She’d kept it under
wraps until she got back east just to see if it was a stable power. Now she’d
tested it in Texas.

Half an hour later, she
parked her old sedan in the driveway of her new home. The car seemed tiny with
all the trucks around, but driving all that way had given her time to think it
through. She loved ranch life. Really, it was those men she loved too much to
stay away because of ignorance. As a teen, she could forgive herself for
wanting to get away, but she was an adult now.

Walking in the front
door, she instantly relaxed with the positive energy surrounding her. The smell
of the place was sheer comfort. Sam was the first one to greet her. She hugged
him tight.

“I knew you’d be back.”
He kissed her while ushering her to the family room.

Rodney and Trey pinned
her in the middle. The loving pressure confirmed she’d made the right choice.
She’d ached for their warm naked bodies.

“Miss me?” Dani kissed
Rodney and then Trey.

“A week of hell.” Rodney
turned to close his computer.

Trey held her at arm’s
length to study her. “You’ve got a little more sass than when you left. All
those men in your bed go to your head?”

“I discovered a little
more power. I have more confidence thanks to you guys. It was hell for me too,
but I had to see if it was all real.” She looked around. “Where’s Ben.”

Sam headed for the
kitchen, returning quickly with Ben.

“Hell! I knew I was
making a big Sunday dinner for some reason.” He kissed her hard.

“You’re so domestic,
it’s cute.” She inhaled the scent of flour from him. “What’s for dinner?”

“Pot roast with all the
trimmings. Tried a cake that looks okay.” Ben winked. “We’ll fatten you up a
little.”

“I don’t need fattening
up.” She pinched his arm.

The men surrounded her.
All eight hands squeezed different areas. “We’ll be the judge of that.”

“Wait, I want to hear
about her new power.” Trey tossed her purse on the couch.

“Power?” Ben asked.

“It’s nothing much. The
psychic powers have led to other stuff. I had tendencies as a teen, but I had
to hide them.” Dani looked at the wide open curtains and concentrated.

The curtains slid shut
for privacy. The men’s jaws dropped.

“That’s impressive.”
Rodney shook his head in disbelief.

“And useful.” She
shifted her focus to something she wanted even more. The men’s shirts were
suddenly off.

“I guess this means
you’re staying?” Sam tugged her shirt off.

She unbuttoned her jeans
and let them fall as she stepped out of her shoes. “Damn right, I’m staying.
You guys spoiled me but you also need me. At first I thought having four men
was out of balance, that I was being selfish. Once I was back home, I missed
all of you. Not just the great sex or adventure, but all of you. I was so
alone. It hit me that your online coven is right.”

“You checked it out
more?” Rodney asked.

She nodded. “I emailed
some of the witches. One recommended that I follow my heart. Forcing a group
like this together has bad results. On the other hand, denying what feels right
is every bit as destructive. I’m having some boxes shipped. I packed up the
essentials and hit the road.”

“You drove all that
way?” Ben towered over her.

Dani opened his fly and
mentally pushed his pants plus underwear down. “I’m a grown woman who has sex
with four men. I can drive across the country. I can take on a demon or a
vampire alone if I have to. Just because I’m the only girl doesn’t mean I’m the
weak one. I’m not the only one who enjoys getting fucked either.”

“We were going to be
gentlemen and wait until after dinner.” Trey unhooked her bra. The arousal
blazed through her as she let the bra fall. This was real. They loved her.

“Right, like I’d last
that long? I’ve been thinking about this for a really long drive!” She nudged
Ben toward the couch as the men fully undressed for her.

Straddling his hips as
Ben sat on the couch, she slid the condom Trey tossed her onto Ben’s hard cock and
lowered onto him. His strong arms curled around her. Dani was safe.

When Rodney lubed her
ass, she held still until he was all the way inside of her. Digging her nails
into Ben’s shoulders, she rocked on the two men. Trey stood on the couch and
offered Ben something to suck on. Dani crooked a finger at Sam. He moved to
her.

She sucked Sam’s cock
slowly, not wanting to get him off but keep him hard. She’d get all of them
this time, exactly where she wanted them. Grinding her hips as the men fucked
her, Dani soaked up the passion. As she tugged on Sam’s balls, Rodney smacked
Sam’s ass playfully.

The intimacy sent a
small climax through her. Rodney drove harder into her. Ben moaned as he kept
pace. She loved how the men worked together, yet there was no hint of
competition. The sex could go on and on. She could watch if she needed a break.

When Ben’s thumbs
pressed to her clit, she knew no break time would happen until dinner. She’d
missed them so much! The orgasm rumbled through her slowly, but Ben felt it. He
pulled her close and lifted into her while pressing his face to her skin.

Her moans didn’t stop as
Rodney took his time with long strokes in her ass, his fingers spreading her
cheeks like the expert he was. His cock slid along Ben’s. She shuddered as her
body squeezed Rod’s erection until he shouted.

Leaning back on Rod, she
closed her eyes, letting the release sink in. Their pleasure was hers. They all
wanted more. Grabbing Sam and Trey’s cocks, she enjoyed the throbbing in her
hands. The men tried not to fuck her palms. They’d missed her as well.

Slowly she eased off the
men inside her and went toward Sam. He pulled her to the floor while he
stretched out flat on his back. She sank down on his cock. Her pussy tightened,
protesting the week of celibacy after finding out how good four men could be.
Trey’s cock filled her ass, and she relaxed on top of Sam.