Charmed by the Werewolf (10 page)

“What does that mean?
” His words felt forced and he willed himself to remain calm.

“Well,
” Mirela thumbed through the book, “it seems good old Mamma has doomed you to remain as a wolf ten months into your thirty-seventh year.” She glanced at him. “How old are you?”

He swallowed, refusing to look at Sophia. “I turned thirty-seven January thirty-first of this year.
” A swath of sorrow cut through him so strong he feared it would break him in half.

Mirela held up a hand at Sophia’s intake of breath. “I thought as much. I’m sorry.
”

Xavier couldn’t find the proper words to convey his feelings. Turned out, he didn’t need to as Sophia rushed to his defense.

“That’s a bunch of crap and you know it.” She glared at the marriage counselor. “If you can break the original curse then surely you can reverse the addendum, right?”

Not wanting to destroy his manly façade, Xavier swallowed his gratefulness of her defense and waited for Mirela’s explanation.

“Yes and no. You see, there is one condition, and it is a prerequisite for lifting all of Mamma’s curses—or even my family’s curses for that matter. My grandmother went through a time in her life where she practically cursed everyone she came across so I’m well-versed in damage control.” Mirela rummaged in a desk drawer then pulled out a small notepad. “I can concoct a potion of sorts which will require these three special ingredients: the scale of a mermaid’s tail, the tooth of a dragon and three ounces of magic dust—the recipe does not specify a type and it really doesn’t matter. Without each component the potion will be useless.” She handed the list to Xavier. “I must warn you the potion must be made and ingested by the stroke of midnight on Halloween since that is the last day until Mamma’s curse becomes active.”

“I understand.
” Xavier pocketed the paper. “If I fail, can I apply to the Immortal Court for a reversal? Or rather Sophia could if I become a full-time wolf.” Wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth after all this? He finally found his soul mate, but could possibly be stuck in wolf form, still unable to have her.

“You could, in an ordinary year.
” Mirela cocked an eyebrow. “You see, this year is the exception.”

“What do you mean?
” Sophia shifted on her chair and only the steady pressure of Xavier’s hand kept her there. “It’s not even the turn of the century.”

“Right, but it would seem the Court is trying something new. At the Samhain Festival this year, the Immortals are gathering pledges. They wish to overhaul—or even revamp—the Courts and want to garner support. For the first time in history they will be opening up posts to beings of mortal blood.
” Mirela’s eyes danced with excitement. “Can you believe it? My daughter, Eden, is going to apply.”

Sophia shrugged. “What does that have to do with Xavier’s plight?
”

“On All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain if you prefer, the bridges and barriers between the Mortal and the other seven Realms disintegrate. The more mischievous paranormal creatures generally cause havoc in the Mortal Realm.
”

“So? Nothing of any significance ever occurs on Halloween other than kids getting hyped up on sugar.
” Sophia quickly turned her laugh into a cough when Xavier squeezed her shoulder.

Mirela exchanged a glance with the werewolf. “Mortals never did understand.
” She gazed at Sophia. “The Immortals will be busy policing the general populace of the Realms and with the added addition of the Pledge Drive they will be too busy to lift a curse—minor or otherwise.”

Xavier flexed and relaxed
his fingers in a circuit of agitation. “What’s the catch this year?”

“If old business isn’t concluded by midnight on All Hallow’s Eve it will be forgotten forever. It’s the Immortals’ way of clearing the books every ten years or so, especially now if they re-structure the system. You chose a really bad time to take up the task of lifting a curse, or two in your case.
”

Frustration gripped his stomach and refused to let go. “Then I’m destined to live out my life as a werewolf.
” He looked away from Sophia. Her pity annoyed him. “I apologize, Sophia, for disrupting your life. I need to accept my fate without more complaint.”

“No. We can do this, Xavier.
” Scrambling from her chair, she shook his arm until he met her gaze. “This isn’t such an impossible task. It’s only the twenty-sixth. There’s plenty of time.”

For long moments, Xavier held her gaze, assessing his options. The hope in her voice spurred him to continue his quest, but his own doubt and lingering depression threatened to snatch it away. “You
’ll see this out to the end, no matter what will occur?” He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and wanted nothing more than to dive into the cool depths of her eyes.

“I promise.
”

“And you
’ll seriously take into consideration the reality that we’re mates and that even if I’m a wolf, it won’t matter?”

She visibly swallowed and her pupils dilated with high emotion. “For whatever reason, we’re bound together. I want to see what happens. I owe it to you and more importantly, to myself.
”

Warmth coated his internal organs and brought peace to his tortured brain. “Thank you.
” He leaned close and dropped a chaste kiss on her lips. Pulling away, he offered her his arm. “We’ve got work to do.”

Yawning, Sophia stared blankly at the open book in front of her and swirled a straw through a pineapple-peach smoothie. She, Mona, and Xavier had batted ideas around for the bulk of the evening. Mostly, she tried to determine plans for Halloween night and worried out a new strategy of attack to gather ingredients for the gypsy potion. A headache on Sophia’s part resulted when her traitorous roommate took it upon herself to plead Xavier’s case yet again.

She’d
capitulated, saying she’d already consigned herself to the cause and in the interest of peace, harmony, and health, she sent Xavier and Mona out to dinner.

Their constant optimistic chatter annoyed her to distraction. She needed an escape option should Sterling find out about Xavier’s paranormal status. It wasn’t a matter of if; it was now a matter of when.

With a sigh, she focused on the words.
“Generally in fiction, the most common cause of lycanthropy is to be bitten by a werewolf or another person suffering from the same malady. In other cases, lycanthropy is not given any specific cause other than being generally attributed to magic, which may be a supernatural instinct—in some cases voluntary—or involuntary by
means of a curse. Mental weakness is also a cause. The psychological state of a human has been shown to make them believe they are, indeed, a werewolf.”

Hmm. Did that mean because of the curse Xavier could choose
when
he turned into the animal? Or, did it mean he had no choice
but
to become the animal? She flipped ahead a few pages and didn’t find an answer. Why weren’t textbooks more concise? Finishing the smoothie, she shut the book. She couldn’t concentrate on the text while worries consumed her mind.

Namely Xavier. Especially Xavier. Did he truly believe the universe had thrown them together? Did she? Moreover, if she did, what did that mean for her future? Could she give in and let herself hope for a different reality, away from Sterling? If so, would they—

A crash then the tinkling sound of breaking glass jarred into her reflection. She shot out of her chair, and ran to the front door just in time to see Mona attempt to drag Xavier’s semi-conscious form over the doorstep.

“What happened? How could you have possibly gotten into trouble over dinner?
” She helped the slighter woman haul him into the living room then knelt beside the fallen man. His chest heaved with the effort to breathe. “What the hell did you do to him?” Sophia touched his sweaty forehead. There was no fever, but he was deathly pale.

“Everything was fine when we sat down. Once we started eating Xavier began to act strange.
” Mona hovered around him, finally sinking to her knees. “I didn’t know what to do. Somehow, I got him into the car and drove him here. By the time we arrived, he was like this.”

“Mona.
” She undid the first few buttons of Xavier’s shirt, listened to his labored breathing while heroically ignoring the urge to follow the little tuft of golden chest hair that peeked out from the top of his undershirt. “Mona!” Drat the girl and her knack of falling into trouble. “What did he have to eat?”

“Oh, well, let’s see.
” She grinned and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. “I had a lovely roast chicken with creamy polenta and mushrooms, and—”

“I’m about ten seconds away from losing my temper.
” Sophia gripped the girl by her shoulders and shook her gently. “What. Did. Xavier. Eat?”

“Geez, calm down.
” Mona crawled to the other side of him and looked at her with a wounded expression. “Xavier had a nice fat pork chop stuffed with spinach and some sort of pricey meat from Italy. I can’t remember the name, but it looked good.” She bit her lip then examined her fingernails. “Oh, and roasted beets, I think. Whatever it was, he really enjoyed it.”

Rolling her eyes, Sophia counted to ten at least four times. None of the food sounded too exotic or even dangerous. “Xavier, can you hear me?
” She tapped his cheeks a few times until his eyes fluttered open. “Are you allergic to anything?” His chest rose and fell, but he didn’t speak. “Xavier!” Panic clogged her throat. “Talk to me. I don’t know how to treat you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“Spinach.
” Sweat formed on his upper lip as he sucked in air. “Hurry.” He scrabbled for the breast pocket of his suit jacket shortly before he began to shake.

“He’s allergic to spinach. What do we do?
” She swatted Xavier’s hand aside and rooted in the pocket. What the hell was he searching for? She exclaimed when her fingers closed around object that felt like a pen. When she withdrew it, the bright white and yellow epinephrine pen for anaphylactic shock was obvious. “Of course. How do we use it?”

“How should I know? I’m usually the one getting myself
into
emergencies not
out
of them.” Mona’s eyes were big as she stared down at the fallen werewolf. “Why don’t you just stick him?”

“It says the medicine needs to be administered through the thigh. I’m not taking his pants off in order to do this.
” Not that undressing the hunky paranormal wasn’t exciting, but somehow she thought getting into a man’s pants—especially her mate’s pants—would be a bit more difficult.

And a bit more private.

“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one he keeps locking lips with.” She clammed up when Sophia glared.

“Funny.
”
He’s mine
. Satisfied at Mona’s jealousy, she bit her lip and glanced at Xavier’s face. White as a sheet, his eyes had rolled back in his head, his breathing grew shallower as she dithered. “Here goes nothing.” Twisting off the cap, Sophia held the pen and frowned at the tip of the barely visible needle. “Are you sure this is right?”

“I have no idea but you better hurry. He’s getting worse.
” Mona lifted Xavier’s head into her lap and stroked his hair. “You can’t let him die, Sophia. That would ruin all of his plans!” She wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Please.”

“I don’t see how he could still have plans if he was dead, but I’ll try.
” As her heart raced, she wrapped her hand around the pen and jammed it into his thigh closest to her, hoping he forgave her for putting a hole in his slacks. She cringed when a sharp click sounded a few seconds later. “Does that mean it’s finished?”

“Beats me.
”

As Mona continued to stroke Xavier’s curls, Sophia gritted her teeth, gripping the pen a bit tighter than the situation warranted. It wasn’t fair
Mona
got to fiddle with those golden locks while she—Sophia—had to stab him in the leg. “A little less petting, Mona. Those curls belong to me, just like the rest of him, so back off.” She sucked in a surprised breath at the vehemence in her voice. A glance at her roommate showed her shock as well.

Mona dropped
her hands to the carpet. “I’m sorry, Sophia, I didn’t mean to—”

“Never mind.
” She bit back a smile. Where had her sudden possessiveness come from? “What’s supposed to happen now?” Throwing what she hoped was a spent pen in the general direction of the coffee table, she leaned over Xavier and listened to his breathing. Faint, but no longer labored. “Xavier? How are you feeling?” When a tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth, butterflies erupted in her stomach. As she stared into his beautiful amber eyes, she thought she’d never seen such a beautiful sight.

“Better.
” He glanced up at her. “Thank you.” He grasped her hand and squeezed. “I owe you one.”

Her cheeks warmed from his words. “I’ll bear that in mind.
”

“Remind me never to let Mona talk me into anything that remotely resembles dinner,
” he joked weakly as he struggled into a sitting position. “And besides, I thought she was afraid of me?”

“She may now be more afraid of me.
” Relief washed through Sophia’s body at his attempt at humor. “Just sit here and rest for a moment. There’s no rush.”

“We have an appointment to keep.
”

He had an allergy attack and still managed to remember a crucial point in the quest. “We’ll go when you’re ready.
”

*****

“It’s wrong you’re making me do this,” Sophia grumbled as she and Xavier stood outside the werewolf’s library two hours later. “Why do I have to talk to her? I can’t even stand her.”

“The abbreviated answer? Because Hannah refuses to tell me anything regarding Renn’s whereabouts due to some shady business we were involved in three months ago. Hannah claims I flirted with the mermaid, but I don’t recall the incident. I simply tried to move the girl out of danger.
” Xavier leaned a shoulder against the wall and grinned. “Besides, it’ll be interesting to see if the two of you can have a civil conversation. It’s obvious you ladies have the same intentions regarding my future, yet neither of you wants to give up control.” He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Ah, I love being the center of attention.”

“Jerk. I warned you to limit your relationship with Hannah. If we
’re truly a mated pair like you claim, why don’t you honor my wishes?”

Xavier reeled back as if she’d slapped him. “I told you. There
’s nothing between Hannah and myself.” He emitted a low growl. “You must take my word for it.”

“No.
” She swung around to face him, a deep scowl etched over her face. “I’m sick of having to accept things without a valid explanation.” Sophia jabbed a finger into his chest. “I promised I’d stick with you, regardless of what’s between us, but I ask the same respect from you.” Her eyes flashed blue fire that he felt to the depths of his soul. “I want to hear it, right now.” She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly waiting for his answer.

“I
’m your mate and therefore your master. You will do as I tell you.” He advanced on her, driving her before him until her backside connected with the wall. “There are no other choices. That’s how wolves operate.” He smelled her fear but it also mixed with exhilaration and power. She must be made to understand his position.

“In case it’s escaped your notice, you’re doing everything you can to
not
be a wolf, which will make you fully human. And in human relationships, power is balanced between the pair.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll ask you again. Send Hannah home.”

Anger welled in his throat and made its presence known as a snarl. “You
’re mine, Sophia. What I say is law.” He placed his hands on either side of her head. “Hannah isn’t a threat to you. She’s welcome in my home as long as she wants to be here.” He dared her to defy him. “We have a mission to finish. I suggest we concentrate on that.” Xavier pressed closer until her body molded to his, and still she refused to drop her gaze. He’d never met a woman like her. She matched him in every way. That thought excited him like nothing else could. “Shall we go in?” His lips were a hairsbreadth from her, but he refrained from claiming them.

“After you, werewolf.
” She shoved his shoulders until he released her. “You’d do well to remember who I am as well, and sooner or later, paranormal beings fall under my control. I can make you or break you, Xavier, so don’t threaten me again.” She preceded him into the library.

He
followed every subtle sway and movement of her hips and allowed a small grudging smile. He would take great pleasure in mating with her—not to bend her to his will, but to draw out her fire and blend it with his own. His woman, for all eternity, no matter what.

Heaven help him.

*****

Xavier enter
ed the library with a smug smile, but when Hannah rushed over to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, Sophia’s good humor vanished. As she turned in his direction, Edwin intercepted her before she could do much more than clench her hands into fists.
Bastard
. Obviously, she meant nothing to Xavier except another conquest. All his words about them being life mates were lies. A sharp stab of pain pierced her heart. How stupid of her to think otherwise. “Let me pass.”

“Could I request a moment of your time, Miss Raines? I believe it would be a mutually beneficial endeavor.
”

Glancing at the hand wrapped around the upper portion of her arm, she didn’t have much choice but to comply. “Of course. Is there a problem?
” Wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes. A tiny smile lifted his lips, lending him an air of exhausted happiness. “The babies aren’t in trouble, are they?”

“As I far as I know the small ones are both fine.
” Moving to the opposite side of the room, he plunged his hands deep into his trouser pockets. “I need your help.”

She glanced at Xavier, pleased to see he watched her. She wanted to make him jealous, make him feel what she did whenever he was with Hannah. How best to accomplish this? Spend quality time with his biggest rival, of course, yet the dread that had been her constant companion since she met Xavier gripped her stomach. “What’s on your mind?
”

“Your werewolf.
” Edwin jutted his chin in the direction she looked. “I have watched them for a couple of months. Now, I am concerned.” He rubbed his fingers over a stubble-covered cheek as he held her gaze. “Is it me or are the two of them too…”