Mathers rented a house in one of the starter-home neighborhoods in town, which meant it was mostly single-story homes. But in Nocturne Falls, it was also the kind of place with white picket fences, cats lounging on the porch, dogs playing in the yard, and kids riding bikes in the street. There was a sense of pride in the neighborhood, and with the tree-lined streets and manicured lawns, it looked straight off a Hollywood studio lot to Wyatt.
Hard to believe a place like this really existed. And that it was filled with supernaturals. A group that inexplicably now included him.
“Let’s go over this one more time,” Wyatt said to the sheriff. The plan had changed a little since the addition of Charisma. He, Sheriff Merrow, and Deputy Blythe were two blocks away in his patrol car, looking at Mathers’s backyard.
Charisma was in her car two blocks in the other direction. And still not in jeans. But then, she was playing the part of the neighbor in search of her missing dog.
“Once Charisma has him distracted at the front door, we’ll go in the back.” The sheriff nodded toward the house. “Blythe and I will take him down. You get the girl out.”
“What if he runs?”
The sheriff turned to Wyatt, his eyes lighting with the feral glow Wyatt had seen in Birdie’s once before. He now understood it was the beast in them. The sheriff grunted in amusement. “No one outruns a shifter.”
Wyatt thought that over for a second. “Do you actually turn into a wolf?”
He rumbled what sounded like a yes. “So does my wife and my kids. Well, not my daughter yet. She’s too young. But she will.”
A whole family of werewolves. Wyatt tried to wrap his head around that. He wasn’t even prepared to dig into Deputy Blythe being a valkyrie, which he’d always assumed to be a mythical creature. But then, nothing was off-limits anymore, was it? “This is all going to take some getting used to.”
“Felt the same way when I had to go through boot camp with humans.” He nodded ahead. “Charisma’s on her way.”
The pretty brunette was on the street, walking toward Mathers. Suddenly, a leash appeared in her hand, the air around it rippling with what Wyatt suddenly understood was the presence of magic.
Amazing. Not only could he hear out of his left ear, but he could see magic.
Deputy Blythe leaned forward from the backseat. “You sure she can handle this? I know she’s a witch, but she’s also a life coach. That doesn’t exactly strike fear in the heart.”
The sheriff grunted. “She doesn’t need to strike fear in him. She just needs to keep him busy.” He put his hand on the door. “She’ll be getting close. Let’s go.”
The three of them exited the car and jogged toward Mathers’s backyard. Adrenaline kicked up in Wyatt’s system, the kind of charge he hadn’t felt since leaving the force. It was a good feeling, but at odds with the cause. Leah being held hostage wasn’t anything to be excited about. Still, he was revved and ready.
They jumped the small fence, crept up the back porch steps, then stopped on either side of the door, Blythe and the sheriff on one side, Wyatt on the other.
Neither the sheriff nor the deputy had their guns out. Apparently, you didn’t need weapons when you were one. Suited Wyatt just fine. Less chance he’d get killed before he could kiss Marigold some more. He hoped. About the kissing. He really wanted that to happen. Then they could talk, because they had a lot to talk about.
The house was small, and the sound of Charisma ringing the doorbell carried.
Merrow held up his hand.
More sounds followed. The front door opening. Then Mathers’s voice, distant as it was, could be heard. Charisma started talking immediately after, her frantic tones perfect for selling her lost-dog story.
Merrow sliced his hand through the air, giving them the go sign. He grabbed the door knob and ripped the door open, shattering the wood around the lock. He and Blythe disappeared into the house.
Literally disappeared. Then Wyatt realized they’d just moved so fast he’d been unable to track them.
He followed, seeing no signs of Leah. A second later, Mathers yelled. A loud thud came next, followed by a little scuffling and a lot of snarling.
Wyatt hustled through the kitchen to see a very wolfy-looking sheriff crouched on top of a struggling and defiant Mathers.
“Get off me!” The wizard tried to bring his hands up, but the sheriff was twice the guy’s size. He started to mutter something in a language Wyatt didn’t know.
Charisma immediately brought her hands up. “Conquiesco!”
The air rippled around her hands. More magic.
Mathers went still and silent.
Despite that, Deputy Blythe reached over her shoulder and unsheathed a sword, which she pointed at the wizard.
Wyatt had definitely not seen a sword strapped to her, but he had seen the air waver around her when she’d reached for the weapon.
The whole scene was the most unreal thing, and possibly one of the coolest, Wyatt had ever seen. He felt like a freaking Avenger. Although in that scenario he was more like the Avenger’s mascot, seeing as how he had no clue how to do anything with whatever magic he supposedly had. “Looks like you’ve got this handled.”
The sheriff nodded, but it was Blythe who spoke. “Get Leah.”
“On it.” Wyatt went room to room, which didn’t take long in the small house, and found her in the second bedroom, tied to a desk chair. “You okay?”
She nodded. A strip of duct tape covered her mouth.
“You’re safe now.” He removed it gently. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. Shaken up,” Leah said. “He mostly just threatened me a lot, but I don’t think he’s got the stones to actually hurt anyone. Frankly, he’s about as scary as an angry Pomeranian. You didn’t give him the pendant, did you?”
Wyatt worked on the knots at her wrists first. The knots were intricate and precise, making him wonder if Mathers had used magic to create them. “No. This guy might be a wizard, but he was severely outclassed. The sheriff is currently sitting on him in the foyer.”
Leah snorted. “Did he go full wolf?”
“Uh, judging by the looks of him, maybe half wolf? If that’s a thing.” He bent to work on the rest of the knots.
“It is.” She rubbed her wrists as he freed them. “I hope Sheriff Merrow bites him a little too.”
Wyatt loosened the last knot on her right ankle, almost getting it undone. “How did Mathers grab you? Magic?”
“Yes. He came in to get the bookends from Marigold, and when I said she wasn’t there, he got really agitated. Then he cast some kind of truth spell on me and made me spill everything. As soon as I told him about the pendant, he went ballistic. He was ranting about how it was his and how much he’d paid for it and then he just freaked. Cast another spell on me that knocked me out. I woke up here.”
“I’m really sorry this happened to you, but he won’t bother you, or anyone, again.” He pulled the last bit of rope off her.
She stood up and hugged him. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
“You’re welcome.”
She pulled back. “Hey. You’re not all evil zombie anymore. So I guess someone rescued you, too.”
“They did. Marigold, her mom, and her sisters got that pendant off me. Oh, and a woman named Alice Bishop helped too. She’s going to destroy the jaundiced eye completely.”
Leah’s eyes went big. “You met Alice Bishop?”
“Yes, why?” He waited to see what Leah would say. And if, as Alice had indicated, the words would be unkind.
“Dude, she’s the boss witch in town. There’s no one as powerful as she is. Was she nice? Or…” Leah’s brows lifted in question. “I hear she’s a little scary. I’ve seen her, but never talked to her.”
“She was nice. But I can see how people would find her intimidating. Now we should go let the others know you’re okay. C’mon.” He walked her out to where he’d last seen everyone.
They were all still there except Deputy Blythe.
“She went to get the car,” Charisma said, somehow knowing what Wyatt was thinking. “Hey, Leah. You okay?”
“I am, thanks.” Leah peered at Mathers. “What are you holding him with?”
“Conquiesco spell. Keeps him still and quiet, but enables him to move or speak if needed. And only as needed.”
Wyatt raised his brows. “Could you teach me to do that spell?”
Charisma smiled. “Sure. It’s not beginner stuff, but it’s not super advanced either. You should be able to handle it. Marigold could.”
The sheriff shook himself, not in a doggy kind of way, but like he was waking himself up. As he did it, he returned to looking fully human. “Leah, we’ll need to get a statement from you.”
“Sure.” She put her hand to the back of her head. “My head is killing me. I guess I must have whacked it on something when he knocked me out.”
“Let me see.” Wyatt looked at the spot she was touching, but her thick hair made it hard to see anything. “Mind if I touch?”
“Nope.” She pulled her hand away.
He eased his fingers over her skull and found an enormous goose egg, but thankfully no blood. “I’ll say you hit something. You’d better get that checked out.”
The sheriff stood as Deputy Blythe pulled the patrol car up to the front of the house. “If Mathers did that to you, we’re adding assault to his charges.”
Leah shrugged. “I can’t remember. But he did use magic to knock me out, so he’s the reason it happened.”
The sheriff nodded. “Deputy Blythe can take you to the emergency room after we get your statement. I’ll deal with Mathers.”
Wyatt looked at him. “You need me for anything else?”
“No. You did great. Thanks.”
“Mind if I split?”
“Marigold?” the sheriff asked.
Wyatt nodded. “She’s all I can think about.”
An understanding look filled the sheriff’s gaze. “See you at the wedding.”
Charisma pointed toward the street. “I’ll drive you to the shop if you want.”
“Don’t you need to keep Mathers under that spell?”
“No. By the time it wears off, Sheriff Merrow will have him in a cell.”
“I’d love the ride, then. And not to belabor the point, but won’t he be able to still do magic inside that cell? I mean, he could still cause problems.”
Deputy Blythe gave Wyatt a sly look. “We have special cells for supernaturals.”
Of course they did. “Then I’m ready to roll.”
He followed Charisma to her car, a pretty little Lexus that was out of his price range. “So you’re a life coach?”
“I am.” She unlocked the vehicle and they got in. Once the doors were shut, she turned to him. “You have a long road ahead of you and a lot to learn. Which we’re going to teach you. But I still have to ask, what are your feelings toward Marigold?”
Somehow, he’d known this was coming. “I like her very much.” He actually thought he was falling for her, but he thought saying that might freak Charisma out. He and Marigold had known each other only a few days.
She was looking at him in an odd way. Almost like she was studying the air around him, which made no sense. “You love her. But that scares you.”
The little hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “Are you trying to psychoanalyze me or something?”
“I can see and read auras. And yours has all the colors of love and fear. I see it a lot in my clients who are afraid of commitment.”
“I’m not afraid of commitment. I haven’t had much experience with it, outside of the police force, but I’m not afraid of it. Anymore.”
She started the car, seemingly pleased with that answer. “What is it, then?”
“Marigold and I haven’t known each other very long.” He frowned. “I don’t want to scare her off.”
Charisma’s mouth bent in a sharp smile. “She gave up her magic for you. I don’t think she’d be scared off by finding out you want more from her than a couple of dates.”
“What do you mean that she gave up her magic?”
She cut her eyes at him. “We told you. That’s how she saved you.”
“But she still has her magic, right? You can’t lose a thing like that, can you?”
“You can when it’s required to save someone’s life. All the power she had went into you.”
His throat went tight. “You mean she’s not a witch anymore because of me?”
“She’ll always be an honorary witch, but no, her powers are completely gone. Like I said, all of what she had, she gave to you.”
He sat back and stared blindly ahead for a moment. “I somehow didn’t get that.” He swallowed as the magnitude of what she’d done for him sank in. It was too much. Too big of a gift. He’d taken her identity in a way. He didn’t deserve that. Didn’t want to do that to her, either. “I have to give it back.”
“What?”
“I can’t take her power from her. It’s who she is. And I…I don’t deserve it.”
Charisma shook her head slowly. “This isn’t a sweater that you can return.” She cast an appraising glance at him. “It’s a lot to live up to, hmm?”
“I’ll say.” He shoved a hand through his hair while he let out a long, ragged exhale. He and Marigold had a lot of talking to do.