gave it back. It reminds me of her.”
“Oh, is she…did she pass away?” Taylor asked
sympathetically.
I shook my head. “No, she’s alive. I just can’t
see her. My dad either.”
“Oh…” Taylor hesitated, clearly uncertain what to
say about that. I could see by her face she wanted to ask why but didn’t want
to step on my toes. I took pity on her.
“I was shunned by my pack,” I explained stiffly.
“After that…when that happens, you can’t talk to anyone in the pack anymore.
Not even family.”
Taylor frowned. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry,
Victor.” She put a hand on my arm and squeezed briefly before letting me go.
“My parents don’t talk to me either. Ever since I was born to darkness they
call me ‘the bride of Satan.’ As if I wanted to be this. As if I chose it.”
“I didn’t choose what got me shunned either,” I
said, relieved that she hadn’t asked me the reason behind my expulsion from the
pack. “It’s just something I live with.”
“Me too.” Taylor sighed and then motioned at the
trap contained in the Tupperware. “You think that’ll hold it?”
“I have no idea.” I frowned. “I’m going to keep
an eye on it. You get us an appointment with that witch—we need to get to the
bottom of this.”
“Will do, as soon as I get my clothes.” She
nodded and smiled at me. “You know, you may not be able to bake but any man who
does laundry is all right in my book.”
“Don’t forget the part where I turn into a big
cuddly wolf,” I pointed out, grinning at her. “It’s not every guy who can do
that.”
“Very true.” Taylor smiled at me but I thought
there was something troubled in her eyes. “I, uh, should go. Get my clothes, I
mean.” She turned away abruptly.
“Okay,” I said, still keeping half an eye on the
trap. I wondered again who had put it on my land and why. I knew the local pack
leader, a were named Marcus Wainright, from one very brief meet and greet when
I had first moved into the area. He was an Alpha in his fifties who seemed to be
stern but fair. Putting a spelled trap on my land didn’t seem like his style.
His daughter, LeeAnn, however, was a real piece of work.
For a moment I considered the possibility that
she might have something to do with it but then I dismissed it. LeeAnn was a
spoiled little princess—Alpha bitch of the pack on account of her father’s
status—not because she’d earned it. But she didn’t strike me as malicious—just
selfish and willful. She’d made a play for me when I first came to town, which
I had declined—very politely—I didn’t want to give her any reason to claim
offense. I had no interest in that kind of woman and even if I had, I wouldn’t
have wanted anything to do with her. You can’t date the pack leader’s daughter
and not join the pack.
But ruling out Marcus and LeeAnn still left me
with a big question. “Who put you out there?” I muttered, eyeing the trap. “I
guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Eight—Taylor
“If you’re after a spell to dissolve your
blood-bond, forget it,” Gwendolyn LaRoux said the minute she opened her front
door and invited us in. She lived in Ybor City with her grandmother in a small
wooden bungalow painted pale yellow with white trim—I had gotten her address
from Addison.
“That’s not why we’re here,” Victor said stiffly,
as we followed her into a large living room filled with shabby but clean
furniture that looked like it had been new back in the seventies. “And how do
you even know about us being bonded, anyway?”
Gwendolyn shrugged. “A witch knows.” She was
pretty, with café au lait skin,
delicate features, and striking jade green eyes lined with heavy black makeup.
“You talked to Addison, didn’t you?” I said.
“What did she tell you?”
Gwendolyn settled on a worn armchair and nodded
at Victor and me to take the faded floral print couch opposite.
“She’s just worried about you, that’s all. She
wants to
“Oh, is she…did she pass away?” Taylor asked
sympathetically.
I shook my head. “No, she’s alive. I just can’t
see her. My dad either.”
“Oh…” Taylor hesitated, clearly uncertain what to
say about that. I could see by her face she wanted to ask why but didn’t want
to step on my toes. I took pity on her.
“I was shunned by my pack,” I explained stiffly.
“After that…when that happens, you can’t talk to anyone in the pack anymore.
Not even family.”
Taylor frowned. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry,
Victor.” She put a hand on my arm and squeezed briefly before letting me go.
“My parents don’t talk to me either. Ever since I was born to darkness they
call me ‘the bride of Satan.’ As if I wanted to be this. As if I chose it.”
“I didn’t choose what got me shunned either,” I
said, relieved that she hadn’t asked me the reason behind my expulsion from the
pack. “It’s just something I live with.”
“Me too.” Taylor sighed and then motioned at the
trap contained in the Tupperware. “You think that’ll hold it?”
“I have no idea.” I frowned. “I’m going to keep
an eye on it. You get us an appointment with that witch—we need to get to the
bottom of this.”
“Will do, as soon as I get my clothes.” She
nodded and smiled at me. “You know, you may not be able to bake but any man who
does laundry is all right in my book.”
“Don’t forget the part where I turn into a big
cuddly wolf,” I pointed out, grinning at her. “It’s not every guy who can do
that.”
“Very true.” Taylor smiled at me but I thought
there was something troubled in her eyes. “I, uh, should go. Get my clothes, I
mean.” She turned away abruptly.
“Okay,” I said, still keeping half an eye on the
trap. I wondered again who had put it on my land and why. I knew the local pack
leader, a were named Marcus Wainright, from one very brief meet and greet when
I had first moved into the area. He was an Alpha in his fifties who seemed to be
stern but fair. Putting a spelled trap on my land didn’t seem like his style.
His daughter, LeeAnn, however, was a real piece of work.
For a moment I considered the possibility that
she might have something to do with it but then I dismissed it. LeeAnn was a
spoiled little princess—Alpha bitch of the pack on account of her father’s
status—not because she’d earned it. But she didn’t strike me as malicious—just
selfish and willful. She’d made a play for me when I first came to town, which
I had declined—very politely—I didn’t want to give her any reason to claim
offense. I had no interest in that kind of woman and even if I had, I wouldn’t
have wanted anything to do with her. You can’t date the pack leader’s daughter
and not join the pack.
But ruling out Marcus and LeeAnn still left me
with a big question. “Who put you out there?” I muttered, eyeing the trap. “I
guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Eight—Taylor
“If you’re after a spell to dissolve your
blood-bond, forget it,” Gwendolyn LaRoux said the minute she opened her front
door and invited us in. She lived in Ybor City with her grandmother in a small
wooden bungalow painted pale yellow with white trim—I had gotten her address
from Addison.
“That’s not why we’re here,” Victor said stiffly,
as we followed her into a large living room filled with shabby but clean
furniture that looked like it had been new back in the seventies. “And how do
you even know about us being bonded, anyway?”
Gwendolyn shrugged. “A witch knows.” She was
pretty, with café au lait skin,
delicate features, and striking jade green eyes lined with heavy black makeup.
“You talked to Addison, didn’t you?” I said.
“What did she tell you?”
Gwendolyn settled on a worn armchair and nodded
at Victor and me to take the faded floral print couch opposite.
“She’s just worried about you, that’s all. She
wants to
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