Shifting Magic (Shifted) (13 page)

He licked and nipped playfully. The harsh man he had
been just a few moments ago faded as he gently pulled her by the waist until she was flush against him.

“Ahem,” Faith heard
. She was groggy from his touch. She looked as Nina came out of the doorway. “You two might want to bring that inside. I wouldn’t want anyone to think you were cheating on my husband.”

All
the tension Faith had built up in the last few days fled as she hid her laughter by pressing her face to Knight’s chest. The rumble she heard from him was now one of laughter as well.

“I’m riding home with Ranger. I came here with him and I’m leaving with him.” Faith stood firm. She truthfully wanted nothing more than to leave with Knight, who had turned her already complicated life upside down and inside out. Her dedication to the pack was the only thing keeping her from falling into his arms. She had heard all her life about the pull of a true mate. The stories didn’t compare to the reality.

“Knight
, a word in my office. Ranger, I would like to see you as well,” Royal boomed. His power left no choice but to follow.

Closing the door behind him
, he faced his brother and son. “Knight, I know this is difficult but Faith is right. She does need to keep up appearances at least for the time being,”

Knight growled in
response.

“Knight
, I will take care of her, but Dad is right.”

“I
don’t want her involved.” Knight tried to hide his anger.

“She
is already involved. If this June is the leak, even if it is unintentional, we have to keep up appearances,” Royal explained. Knight knew his brother was right. Still, his every instinct was to protect his mate, a mate his brother was telling him he couldn’t claim.

Faith found herself staring down the hallway
where Knight, Ranger, and the Alpha were. She didn’t like the idea that her fate was being decided for her. She knew they only had her best interest at heart, but she was an adult who had a say.

“Faith
, I have an idea,” Nina said coming up beside her.

“Does
it involve moving Knight in? Because I think it’s getting a little crowded at Willow and Ryder’s place.”

“No,
was thinking we could speed this up,”

“Meaning
?”

“Meaning
we force Howland’s hand. He hates humans right?”

“Right
.”

“And
supposedly, he is gathering information about the Alpha through what we assume is June’s boyfriend.”

“And
?”

“And
, I say you and I go on a little shopping spree.”

“You
want to go shopping?”

“I
want to look like an easy target. If you and I go to the mall, have lunch, wander around unescorted, he might make a move.”

“Isn’t
that dangerous?”

“
This whole thing is dangerous. I’ll have my dad back us up. Howland will not be looking for the coven to be involved. He’ll just see the Cheveyo’s new human and Ranger’s girl unescorted. He’s bound to make a move.”

“
You’re hoping he kidnaps us?”

“Well
, just me actually. From what I understand, his pack of rogues doesn’t kill the women right away.” Faith looked at Nina with awe. Was this girl really going to risk her safety for a pack she just joined? “I could find out where they are gathering, even take a few out in the process.”

“
Seems like a huge risk to eliminate a few of Howland’s men.”

“I
intend to eliminate all of them, Faith. As I said, I will have the coven back me. They can find me. Witches leave an energy signal.”

“Like
a wiccan Low Jack?”

“Kind of
.”

“Ranger
would never agree.”

“I
wasn’t going to tell him.” Nina smiled

Faith
looked stunned “Nina…”

“Faith,
I don’t want to risk my mate. He would go to the ends of the earth for me and I him. We don’t know how long the Alpha can keep Knight from claiming you, and if he does, all bets are off. Howland’s men would smell it on you. Pretending to date Ranger, when you smell like his uncle, isn’t going to work. We have to do something. We go shopping, they take me, and we eliminate the pack.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is easy. We can’t find Howland by conventional methods. They have been looking for months. He is crafty, but he won’t see this as a set up. He’ll assume he’s sending a message to the pack by taking their new pet human.”

“You
know that just might work.”

“It
has to work. The whole point of my keeping my nature veiled is to lure Howland’s men out of hiding. This just speeds up the process.”

16

Faith laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling. Ranger had dropped her off hours ago, yet she was still unable to sleep. Nina’s plan ran through her thoughts. The plan had so many holes in it. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to go off half-cocked. Ranger would never forgive her if anything happened to his mate. She had almost told him about their conversation on the ride home. Nina wanted to protect her mate; it was an emotion Faith was now familiar with. Knight risking himself sent a chill of fear through her. Losing him before even having him didn’t sit well. She had to think Nina felt the same about Ranger.

“The
Alpha will have a fit.” She muttered into the darkness.  Rolling over, she tried to sleep. Nina was coming to the clinic at Noon the next day. Faith knew she would be no good to the girl if she was half asleep on their shopping spree. She would need back up when the pack heard she had let herself get captured. Maybe Howland wouldn’t even take the bait.

If they were lucky
, they would uncover where he was and who he was working with. It all seemed so impossible.

“You look tired. Late night?” June asked as Faith tried to keep her eyes open the next morning.

“Yes
, late night,” she groaned and thought ‘if you only knew’.

“
Maverick said you left early.” So, she had already asked Maverick about Sunday dinner.

“
We did.” Faith let June fill in the blanks.

“Faith, hum, that cop is here. She said you were meeting her?” Tam shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. Humans were discouraged at the clinic.

“We’re
having lunch. Send her back Tam. It’s alright.”

“Lunch
with the human?” June raised an eyebrow.

“
Relax. She knows all about us. Remember, she lives with shifters.”

“Yeah
, but is that safe?”

“S
afe June? She’s human. What is she going to do?”

“I
don’t know. It’s just, things used to be different is all?”

“
Don’t let Maverick hear that. Rory used to be human as well, if you’ll recall?”

“
I wasn’t saying humans are bad. Just that they have no place in the pack.”

“I
s that what is keeping your new man from joining?” It was a long shot but bringing up Will might prompt her to call him.

“He’s
not a big fan of mixed marriage.”

“
Good thing you’re a wolf then. Besides, Nina isn’t marrying into the pack.” The lie came easy. She wasn’t marrying into the pack. She already had.

“
But if what you say is true, she knows an awful lot about us.”

“I do know a lot about you,”
Nina said rounding the corner. “Is that a problem?”

“
No… no. I mean, it isn’t a problem for me.”

“Good
,” Nina said sternly.

“Do you think she’ll call this Will?” Faith asked Nina as they got into her car.

“I
don’t think it matters. I was tailed here.” Nina smiled at the thought.

“You
were?” Faith looked around seeing nothing but empty cars in the parking lot.

“Quit
looking. You’ll give us away.” Faith groaned. She wasn’t sure she was up for this.

Nina parked in the most remote
, darkest section of the parking garage before they entered the mall. They were doing exactly the opposite of what every woman is taught to protect themselves.

“
Did you call your father?” Faith asked nervously. The Witch turned Were had skills that might be able to defend against an attack. She didn’t.

“Yeah
, he wasn’t happy. I think words like willful, and headstrong were the most flattering ones he used.” Nina laughed

“
The coven?” Faith whispered

“
They are around. Don’t worry. We got this. I figure an hour or two before we walk back loaded with packages to my car. If he doesn’t make a move then, he never will. It’s like I’m walking into his trap giftwrapped.

“Sir, the human and Ranger’s girl are at the mall.”

“
And you have followed them I assume?” Howland’s statement was short and to the point.

“
Yes. The men followed them. Sir my source said the human knows what we are.” June had been a good little gossip and called him the moment the two women had left the clinic. Little did she know, she was being used. It was so easy to convince the overly excited bitch that he was interested in the pack because he wanted to make Havens Port his home.

“
That is against council policy. Again, the Alpha thinks he is above reproach.” Blake Howland growled. His men still only numbered in the hundreds. Not enough to take the pack, but it seemed every day Royal Cheveyo did something more to anger him. He was intentionally breaking with Were law and what did the council do about it? Nothing. “Grab them both and bring them to the safe house.”

“Yes
sir.” Will had known that would be the command. He didn’t agree with Howland’s methods. Eliminating the pack’s women would eventually impact the pack in its entirety, but it was taking too long. Half of these women were unmated. What good did that do? What he wanted to do was take the Alpha’s mates. Yes. That would cripple the pack. No Chosen, no Oracle, just feral alphas. What a nice mess that would be. Then, all some Alpha male would have to do was waltz in and clean up the pieces.

Will wasn’t sure Blake
Howland was the man strong enough to do that. This hide and strike mentality had Will itch to go in guns-a-blazin. At least today, he would have some action. Not that one female and a human could put up much of a fight. The adrenalin rush would at least take the edge off.

Willow was struck by a sudden dark feeling. This had happened before and the result was never good. She tried to focus
, digging deep to see what might have prompted the sudden panic she felt.

“Ranger
, where is Nina?” she called as the man descended the stairs of their shared home.

“I thought she was with you
. Why?” Ranger looked at his best friend, trying to read the emotion on her face. “Shit Willow, tell me!”

“I’m
not sure. It’s just… “Willow hesitated. “Damn! She went off on her own. Faith is with her and she’s scared.”

“
Where Willow?”

“The parking garage at the mall,”
Willow said with confidence.

“Call
Dad and Maverick! Hell, call everyone! I’m going now.”

“Slow
down Ranger. She knows how to take care of herself.”

“Just
call!” Ranger yelled tearing out the door.

Willow called Royal
first. The Alpha could better amass a team to help. She didn’t like Ranger going off alone. It wasn’t like she could stop him.

Willow tried
Nina’s cell. Maybe the woman would answer. Willow was becoming more clear on the events that were unfolding. She had to warn them though. She had a sneaking suspicion  Nina had orchestrated the scene.

“Hey
Willow, what’s up?” Nina answered with false cheer.

“Nina
don’t do it!”

“Do
what?” Nina said. She was cursing the fact that she had forgotten her talented sister-in-law would see what she was doing even before she did it.

“Don’t
play dumb with me. Ranger’s on his way.”

“Damn
Willow. Why didn’t you call me first? I got this covered.”

“You
may have it covered, but what about Faith?”

“She’s
fine. Look, I got to go. See you at home.” Nina hung up as they were entering the dimly lit garage. Hopefully, Ranger wouldn’t blow a gasket when he found she had gotten herself kidnapped on purpose.”