With coffee in one hand, Zoe tiptoed out onto the old wrap-around porch and sunk into a cushioned wicker chair. It creaked into the silence with a warm welcome. Beyond the dunes, gulls soared and screeched over the muted thundering of the waves. Down at the end of the block, the sun poked its head between the tall houses and long blue shadows striped the quiet street.

She sucked in the energy surrounding her. It was so good and so right, and now she knew why. She was a witch. The elements were her balm. She stood, facing the ocean, and closed her eyes. The beach, the wind, and the water soothed her soul as bits of thoughts darted in and out.

What was she going to do about Jack? He didn’t love her and she couldn’t blame him. They’d just met. No doubt the sex would be mind-blowing, but there were all those screwed up rules.

There was an awful lot on the negative side of the balance sheet.

And yet, he’d come for her last night. No one had ever rescued her before.

The old screen door cracked open. Balancing an overly full mug, Jack hooked a foot so the door wouldn't slam. He sat down and frowned into the sun.  

 “What’re you doing out here alone? Until we figure this thing out, you need to be guarded. Always.”  He downed his coffee like a sports drink and scowled.

“Good morning to you too.” She gave a small, almost silent snort and leaned on the railing, coffee cup in hand.

“Sorry. Rough night sleeping,” Jack said, his tone low. “You said last night that Kyle tried to…” His lips drew up in a sneer. “Force himself on you.”

Zoe swallowed hard and nodded.

“If Kyle tried to mate with you, then he didn't find a woman to augment his powers.” He stretched his legs in front of him and tilted his head back, eyes closed. When he opened them again, his expression was hard, unreadable. “If he wants to dual, I’ll win, just like last time. We don’t have to have sex this solstice. Understand?”

A wave of disappointment flooded through her. Was he serious?

“What about the other guy? The one with the accent–”

“I don’t know.” He stared off into the distance. His knuckles whitened around his coffee mug. “I have a team working to identify him.”

“When he got close to me last night, he smelled of the same evil that almost killed you.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and went to the picture she'd captured of the stalker on the subway. “I didn’t tell you. He’s been following me for weeks.”

Jack took her phone and snarled at the photo.

“You should have told me about him. Did you know he was down at the shore?” He handed her phone back. His dark eyes sparked with anger.

She nodded and chewed on her lip.

“How long?” His voice was clipped.

“I saw him yesterday morning. When you made me promise to come with you.” She placed her coffee cup on the bannister and turned back to the ocean. The last thing she needed this morning was another lecture from him.

The swing creaked when Jack stood.

“I don’t get you Zoe. It’s like you walk into danger eyes wide open. That’s really screwed up.” He paced the porch, his expression darkening with every step.

Suddenly his hands were on her. His fingers curled around her upper arm and he jerked her to him. The soft brown of his eyes darkened, shining with need. Zoe swallowed hard.

“I’m putting a twenty-four-seven protection around you. I won’t let anyone else claim you. You’re mine.” His voice was hoarse, his breath tickling her cheek. “Understand?” 

“Yes,” she whispered. His? The thought both excited and terrified her.

“Good.” He released her abruptly and stormed back into the house.

Zoe let out the shaky breath she had been holding. There were two choices. Run or stay and fight.

Would either option ever make her happy?

Dealing with Jack wouldn’t be easy, but if they could learn to work around their insane physical chemistry, they could help each other. Maybe even learn to care, to love. Zoe squashed the thought immediately. Jack had made it clear that mating wasn’t about love.

A gull landed on the railing a few feet from her, squawked, then flew off.

If she ran, finger-gun-man would still be after her. With Jack, she was safe. His family would be hers. Finally, she would belong somewhere, to someone. But if that was ever going to happen, she needed to learn how to control her powers.

Air. That was the element that Kathy had told her she was to call upon. The basic element that governed her powers. Zoe lifted her palms and focused her thoughts and energy. A small vortex appeared, pinks and purples danced in her hands like a mini-tornado.

A small laugh escaped Zoe’s lips and the vortex went spinning across the lawn, hitting the neighbors’ mailbox. Metal and wood splintered and popped.

“Shit.” Zoe clenched her fists and stopped the flow of energy. She still had a lot to learn if she was ever going to fight Jack and not kill them both, but for the first time, hope blossomed in her chest.

Zoe knew what she had to do.

She would stay and fight.