~

“Out of my way,” Mel said as she sidestepped her mate and rushed into the house after Kat.

“That’s…” Grayson started, he reached out for her but she was already gone, and he grumbled a growl as he closed his large hand into a fist around nothing at all.

“Don’t even think about it,” Dusty warned his mate. He put his body between her and the cabin.

“Move, or else,” Paige warned him, but the beta held in place. He even folded his arms over his broad chest and cocked one eyebrow at her – like that was going to help matters.

Bad move. Paige lifted her hands in front of her, but that was just a distraction tactic, as he narrowed his gaze on her hands, so she took one step forward and stomped down on his toes.

Dusty yelped, dropped his arms and reached for his foot out of instinct, but she didn’t wait to see what came next – she darted around him and disappeared into the cabin.

“Damn it,” Dusty growled and stomped down on the pain in his foot. Too late, she was gone, and they were on the outside.

“Go ahead,” Grayson motioned toward the doorway. “Maybe the magic spell doesn’t work on betas — give it a try, if you’re man enough.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dusty grumbled, feeling his brother’s challenge itching at something within his very soul.

He took a step forward — and shoved Grayson into the doorway.

Grayson yelped as he was propelled backwards through the air, only narrowly missing the alpha, and landed on his pride on the ground with a loud thud. He bit out several dark curses as he dragged himself to his feet and eyed his brother with a death glare.

“Nope works just fine for betas,” Dusty chuckled.

 

~

~

 

“Well, that doesn’t look helpful,” Mel said.

The three witches stood side-by-side watching the elder witch as she dithered in confusion. In one hand; she held a salt shaker and in the other some thistle. It was a tossup as to whether the woman was trying to make a soup or a potion, but one thing was certain, she didn’t look as if she knew how to make either.

“Better check just to make sure – I hear that witches are devious,” Kat said as she located the woman’s bedroom and started inside. She dropped to her hands and knees beside the bed and peered beneath it. “Yep, we have another poppet.”

“If not her, then who?” Paige said, more to herself than to her sisters.

“What the hell is going on in there?” Parker growled from the open doorway where he stood eyeing the scene in front of him.

He could see inside, but he couldn’t see where his mate had gone to. His wolf was clawing within him to be set free, but if he couldn’t step over the threshold then what hope did his beast have?

He was helpless in the face of the magic wards, and he didn’t like that feeling one little bit.

“It looks like we’re looking for the Wizard of Oz,” Kat informed him as she stalked back into the room where he could finally see her again. She lifted her hands and dropped them back against her thighs in frustration.

“A wizard did this?” Parker growled.

“Damn, I hate wizards more than I hate witch…” Dusty said, catching himself in a stupid moment as he peered around the door frame and caught the scathing look that was mixed with disbelief on his mate’s face. “I’ll shut up now.” He grumbled, pulling his head back and grimacing.

“Good choice, knucklehead,” Paige bit out.

“What’s that about a wizard?” Grayson asked as his head appeared over the alpha’s shoulder and he peered into the room.

“For the love of…” Mel sighed. “It’s not a bloody wizard!”

“What’s not a wizard?” Grayson asked, confused by what was going on.

“Whatever — whoever,” Paige corrected herself, “is doing this, is not a wizard – it’s a witch — just not that witch.” She pointed at Evangeline, and the old witch offered her a puzzled look in return.

“I’m not a witch, who said I was a witch?” The elder asked, at least she knew enough to lie about that, or did she just not know that she was a witch? That could be … dangerous, should her magic get away from her.

“Just an educated guess,” Mel muttered.

“So, what now?” Raff said as he peered in through the window.

“Now, we go on a witch hunt,” Kat said as she strolled from the bedroom and pointed toward the elder. “The question is; what we do with her?”

“We take her back to pack land,” Parker said. “It doesn’t look like she can take care of herself.”

 

~

~

 

“I can’t believe that Evangeline did this,” Bella said as she sat in the kitchen of the main house and eyed the elder witch with contempt as they brought her in through the back door. They weren’t exactly friends, but they’d never been enemies either.

“You’re right — she didn’t,” Kat said, and she led the elder witch to the table and sat her down.

“You look better,” Parker said with a nod of approval for Bella.

“I feel better — less cloudy — less foggy.” Bella reached out a hand and placed it on the top of Evangeline’s that was resting on the table. “I’m guessing she has it as well?”

“Yeah,” Kat gave a small nod, “and it’ll take her longer to get over it because she’s human and doesn’t have your healing capabilities.”

“What about vampire blood?” Bella looked at Raff, and the vampire offered her back a devilish grin.

“I do love the way that people just assume bleeding the vampire is the answer to their problems.” He questioned Bella with just a look.

“It sounds good to me,” Bella tossed back.

“Gee, I wonder why?” Raff grumbled. “We already tried it with the pack – it didn’t work.”

“Why would anyone do this?” Bella asked.

“Who cares why — let’s just kill them,” Raff said as he stalked up to the table and a drop down into the chair opposite Bella. The elder frowned hard across the wooden divide at him.

“Oh good — even after my little slumber I see nothing changes with the blood-hungry vampire,” Bella bit out.

“Now, stop being so sour, Bella. You know you love me really,” Raff offered her a devilish grin in return, and the elder snorted her contempt for him.

“Sure, about as much as I’d like to chew on Wolfsbane,” Bella bit out.

“And she’s back!” Dusty chuckled.

“Unfortunately…” Raff said, but the grumbled growl of warning that came from Bella’s lips made him pause and cock an eyebrow in her direction. “Now don’t jump the gun — wait for it — unfortunately, we still have a witch to catch.” He offered her a cocky grin, and the elder snorted her contempt for him. “Now don’t you feel silly?”

“No, but my wolf does feel like sinking her fangs into your backside,” Bella growled.

“Bella, you always say the sweetest things,” Raff offered her the kind of devilish grin that annoyed her to the very bone.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere.” Parker’s mind was racing. He needed to do so damn much, find the witch, protect his pack, keep the witch mates under control, and woo his damn mate. “I want that damn witch.”

“One not enough for you, alpha?” Raff said with a teasing smile. Parker wanted to rip that smile right off the vampire’s smug face. He added killing the vampire to his to-do list.

“Allow me,” Kat said, and without another word, she used her magic to flip the chair that the vampire was sitting on, and deposited him on his backside on the floor.

Bella couldn’t help herself, she tossed her head back on her neck and roared with laughter.

“Yes, yes, laugh all you like,” Raff grumbled.

He sat back on his knees and slapped his palms against the table top to push up to his feet. It wasn’t as if he needed the help, but it felt symbolic.

“I enjoyed that so much – I think I might even have peed a little,” Bella chuckled as the vampire let out a groan.