Wicked Good Witches Three Book Box Set (Demon Street Blues, Alpha Knows Best, Bye Bye Bloodsucker) (23 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Melinda stood in front of the house in which the Guardian named Nina had been staying. She felt weird stepping into a house she had never been in before.

“You did, sort of, technically meet her.” She slipped inside the house. Upon entering, she huffed out a burst of air. “Look at this place! How the hell am I going to find a ring in all this?”

She tossed around blankets, pillows, and strewn about couch cushions, kicked an empty bottle of tequila out her way, and tried not to cut herself on a broken vase, while scouring the floor for Nina’s ring.

“What the heck was she doing in here, anyway? I know this isn’t where she died.”

Melinda stood up and closed her eyes, the realization hitting her.

“Nina was Charlie’s summer fling… yuck… not a visualization I need right now.”

She ran into the kitchen and washed her hands. Nina had known many things about Charlie. She’d known a lot about Melinda too. But now that she thought back, Nina’s knowledge of Charlie had an intimate edge to it.

“C’mon,” Melinda scolded herself. “It’s here somewhere.”

She opened every drawer and cupboard, looking for the black ring that Nina had told her she would need to save Charlie. After not finding it in the kitchen, she moved on to the bathroom and then the closets.

“One room left,” she said, putting her hand on the doorknob to the bedroom.

Melinda gasped after opening the door.

The black ring lay in the middle of the bed, on a sheet of perfect white.

All Nina had told Melinda was that she had taken off the ring before she died and it needed to be given to Charlie. He needed to put it on his finger, and Nina had explained that Melinda would arrive at the exact moment Charlie needed the ring.

Something bothered Melinda about the placement of the ring.

“It’s like she was planning on dying…” an eerie sadness crept into her gut.

Melinda did not pretend to understand. She reached down, scooping up the ring into the palm of her hand and raced out of the house to find the sun had set, and the moon was rising.

She gulped, hard. “Nina said I would get there at the exact right moment.”

Could a Guardian be wrong?

Melinda took off running.

She knew exactly where she needed to go. 

##

“What do you mean, let him out?” asked Michael.

“My thoughts exactly,” agreed the sheriff.

“I have it on very good authority that we need to let him out,” William spoke decisively.

“You can’t,” Charlie pleaded. “I’ll hurt someone. I might kill someone.”

“Actually, Charlie, you’re going to lead us to the alpha.”

“How?”

“By tuning into his thoughts, you can track him. Once you lead us there, we will kill him.”

“Do you think we can?” Michael dared keep a glimmer of hope.

“Yes. I can.” Mack pulled three silver bullets out of her pocket. “Just get me a clear shot, and the alpha’s done for.” She looked nervously toward Charlie.

“Just promise me, sheriff, that you won’t be afraid to use those on me if something goes wrong.”

“You know I don’t want to, but you know I will.”

“I don’t know about this,” Michael doubted. “What do you mean, good authority, William?”

“Melinda.”

“You saw her?” Charlie asked.

“Did she have a dream?” Michael questioned.

“She’s fine. No time for details.” William headed toward Charlie’s cell. “But I trust this plan, with complete certainty,” he claimed, looking Charlie in the eye.

Something he heard in William’s definitive tone and determined face calmed him. Made him feel as though he could trust whatever plan was in motion. “What do I need to do?”

“Let the alpha into your mind.”

Charlie nodded apprehensively. He dragged himself back up, leaning his head onto the bars, opening his mind to the alpha’s thoughts.

William motioned for Michael and Mack to back away.

“What’s going on William?” Michael’s patience was wearing thin and the vampire clearly knew more than he was telling them.

“This is Charlie’s final test,” William told them, which clarified nothing. 

Michael just stood looking dumbfounded, waiting for William to explain. He did not, instead giving Michael a warning. “You must prepare yourself. What you’re about to hear will be infuriating, but you must believe me when I promise that
everything
will be all right.”

Michael looked about as ready to implode as Charlie did. It was unlike William to be so cryptic. That wasn’t true. But this was definitely extra cryptic even for him.

Charlie gripped the bars of his cell like they were the only thing keeping his body from ripping into pieces. The alpha’s voice rang through his thoughts. It didn’t hurt if he didn’t fight it.

“I will make you transform,” he heard the alpha sneer.

“No, you won’t,” Charlie panted. “But I am coming to kill you,” he warned defiantly.

“To revenge your Guardian,” the alpha taunted. “She walked right up to me and didn’t even fight when I gutted her throat.”

“I won’t let you hurt anyone else. I won’t allow you to control me.”

The night sky brightened outside the window in Charlie’s cell. The moon was full and rising fast. He clutched his chest and cried out in anguish. “I won’t fucking turn!” 

“I thought it might come to this,” the alpha expressed, sounding bored. “So I found myself a little
insurance.
”

Charlie heard a familiar voice, through the alpha’s mind.

“Another easy target,” it snarled. “Found her wandering down a pathway you’ll now follow. If you refuse me, Charlie Howard,
she dies.
”

He started to shake uncontrollably. Silver ravaged his eyes, sucking away any sign of his normal blue. His arms and legs thickened, tearing through his clothes. He let out a sound that was a mix of howling, growling and roaring, at the same time, grabbing the bars of the cell and pulling on them with great force.

The iron broke in his hands like twigs.

He lunged out of the cell, his chest heaving.

“He’s taken Emily,” his voice rattled ferociously. His eyes looked venomous as he bounded out of the morgue.

Michael just stared in awe, unable to move or put together a clear thought.

“I know where Charlie is going,” William advised.

“We’ll take my car.” Mack loaded the three bullets into her gun.

“Michael,” William called out.

Michael was in a numb haze. He felt William nudge him toward the door and his body begrudgingly moved.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Charlie raced out of the morgue and down a small alley to the back of the building, running into the woods. He sniffed the air, smelling for the alpha.

“You can’t kill me,” it scoffed. “Not while you’re still holding onto your fear.”

“I don’t fear you,” Charlie’s thoughts screamed back at the alpha. 

“But you fear the wolf. And unless you become the wolf, you won’t be strong enough to kill me.”

Charlie skidded to a stop. He knew the alpha was right. He wasn’t strong enough. He took a cleansing breath and spoke calmly. “I might die trying, but I won’t let you hurt Emily. Or anyone else.” He ran forward, deeper into the woods, stopping when he spotted movement ahead. He could see the alpha. Waiting for him.

The alpha, in werewolf form, was much more menacing than the wolf that had bitten Charlie ten years ago. It stood over seven feet tall, its body slim and muscular. It reared its head upon seeing Charlie’s shadow emerging from the woods.

It gnashed it jagged teeth, readying to battle.

“Surrender yourself, or die!” it threatened.

Charlie saw Emily tied to a tree just to the side of a small bonfire. He let out a primal cry as he sprang out of the woods. He assumed the alpha would expect him to stop and confront him, try to talk him out of all this, so instead he rushed forward, plowing his partially transformed body straight into the werewolf.

Emily closed her eyes as a vicious fight erupted. Melinda had promised her everything would be fine, but seeing Charlie trying to fight this terrifying creature concerned her immensely.

##

Michael didn’t remember walking to, or getting into the sheriff’s car.

He didn’t remember the ride.

He
did
remember arriving, stopping, storming out of the car and confronting William. “What did you do?” he roared at the vampire. “Offer up Emily as bait?”

William calmly put his hand on Michael’s shoulder.

“I swear to you, Michael, that Emily will not be harmed.”

“How can you know that? How can you be so calm? How could you allow this to happen?”

William sighed. He’d expected nothing less of a response.

Michael stuck his face right in front if William’s. “If anything happens to her, I will drive a stake through your fucking heart, William. Without a second thought.”

“Michael, if anything happens to Emily, I will drive a stake through my own heart.”

Michael backed down, saying no more. He turned and followed Mack. She had her gun cocked and ready to shoot, working down a pathway. He wanted to storm by her, but she motioned for him to stay put behind her.

The smell of salt water wafted through the trees, followed by the flickering flames of a bonfire.

When Michael, Mack and William stepped over a small ridge, they saw Charlie, still only partially transformed, crouching, as a fully transformed werewolf stared him down. There was blood dripping down Charlie’s arm as well as the alpha’s face.

Michael paced and searched desperately for Emily. “Do you have a shot?” he asked Mack, too loudly.

“Not yet,” she mumbled. “And stay put, would ya, Michael. I don’t need to worry about shootin’ you by accident!”

The alpha swung his arm at Charlie’s head, missing it as Charlie ducked out of the way.

“You know you want to give in,” the alpha jeered. “You want to kill me, I can
feel
it.”

Charlie ignored the alpha’s taunts, focusing on his movements. He heard the others arrive but gave them no mind, unwilling to give the alpha the advantage of catching him off guard. 

William used his vampire senses and located Emily struggling to free herself. Within an instant, he dashed to her side, freed her, and delivered her safely into Michael’s arms.

It happened so fast neither was sure what had just happened.

“Michael,” she exhaled hard. 

“Are you okay?” he asked her, completely confounded. 

“Can’t say I’d like to do that again, but I’m fine.
My God,
Michael! You’re shaking something wicked.”

“I was so afraid something was going to happen to you.”

She grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. “It’s all going to be okay, Michael. Melinda told me everything.” She smiled. “It’s going to better than okay. I mean, do you think I’d go along with such a hair-brained plan if I’d thought I was in any real danger? I just had to get Charlie here. Without an important enough reason, he wouldn’t have come. And everyone else he cared about was already busy.”

Somehow, between all the chaos ensuing around them, Michael could see nothing but truth and confidence in Emily’s eyes. “Would you please tell me what the hell is going on?” he implored. “I am really, really confused.” His heart was about to explode out of his chest. 

“Just wait,” Emily replied, stroking his face to calm him. “Melinda should be here any minute now.”

Back at the bonfire, the alpha werewolf and Charlie continued to stare each other down, taking turns running and attacking each other. Neither was making any real progress towards winning the battle.

The alpha egged Charlie, hoping to force him into a full transformation, and therefore becoming Charlie’s master.

Mack looked for her shot, but the alpha seemed to realize that staying in one place was a bad idea, and it continually charged out of her sight. She cautiously worked her way closer, sticking to the edge of the woods.

“Why the crowd?” the alpha’s voice leaked into Charlie’s mind. “Why not come alone since you care about these humans so much?” 

“So they can witness me killing you,” Charlie told it, lunging forward.

The alpha lunged to the right and Charlie’s body skidded across the dirt. He got to his hands and knees, preparing to lunge at the alpha again. 

“Did you think I would make it that easy for you?” the alpha’s voice raged in Charlie’s mind.

“You’ve done the last damage you’ll ever do on The Demon Isle!” Charlie kept the alpha’s gaze on him, hoping he would not hear the click of the gun behind him. He bared his teeth at the alpha, taunting it to attack.

A gunshot rang out, cracking through the nighttime silence.

Mack wasn’t fast enough.

The alpha heard the click, too, leaning out of the way just as the bullet whizzed through its fur, missing contact with its body.

The alpha turned on Mack, bolting toward her. With one swoop of its muscular arm, it hit Mack’s body, throwing her ten feet into the air. She came down with a thud, unconscious. The gun flew out of her hands, disappearing in the underbrush.

Charlie took the advantage of the alpha’s distraction and flung his body at the alpha, but he wasn’t strong enough. Not while he was still partially in human form. The alpha pushed Charlie back, and in a split second bounded off the ground and pinned Charlie’s body to a tree. Charlie wanted to give in. It felt inevitable. He could not go on like this.

It was time to make a choice: either surrender to the wolf, losing all freedom to a new master, or get killed trying to protect the ones he loved.

He craved to surrender to the wolf.

And yet, still refused.

The alpha surprised Charlie by stepping back, letting go. “I don’t want to kill you,” it admitted dejectedly. “I want you to join me.”

“Why?” Charlie needed to know. “Why would you think I would want to live under your control? Why would I let you use my power to your advantage?” Charlie spoke as if reminding himself what he was hanging on for, just as much as he wanted to hear the alpha’s response.

“You misunderstand,” the alpha’s thoughts echoed. “You would be my willing partner.”

“I will never be willing…”

“Once you surrender, your will is mine.” It snarled, turned and jumped into the woods. It stopped a few steps in. Charlie could see its piercing yellow eyes, taunting him to follow.

“I know you won’t give up so easily. Maybe you can’t kill me, but let’s see if you can catch me.” The alpha ran deeper into the woods.

Charlie sensed the alpha truly desired to get him alone, away from the people that he cared about… away from the anchors of his human life.

It did not matter, Charlie would follow regardless. He had to kill this thing, somehow.

Charlie cast a gaze toward William, Michael and Emily. They were helping Mack off the ground; she was conscious again and thankfully didn’t look injured, just shaken. He wished Melinda had been standing beside them; he wanted to look at her one last time. It was obvious now that he’d have to break his promise to her. Everything would
not
be okay.

From behind them, over the ridge, a silhouette emerged. 

“Melinda…”  Charlie’s wish was granted, but before he could follow the alpha into the woods, Melinda ran past the others heading directly at him. She stopped, out of breath, opening up her palm.

“Put it on.” 

He cocked his head, confused. Why did Melinda have Nina’s ring?

Melinda took hold of his wolf-hair-covered hand and slipped the ring onto his finger.

Calm and control jolted through him, spreading through his veins. It calmed the wolf instantly, and Charlie became Charlie again. The wolf disappeared, completely. He stared down at his body in bewilderment. Even his mind was calm and controlled.

However, still confused.

A golden glow emanated from the ring, expanding into the dark silhouette of a woman. She stood in front of Charlie wearing a regal smile. 

Melinda stepped back, standing next to William, Michael, Emily and Mack, all watching in electrified astonishment. 

Charlie fell to his knees. “Nina,” he whimpered, wrapping his arms around her waist, surprised he could touch her. She was dead, right? He rested his head on her stomach, exhausted and yet relieved to see her. “I’m so sorry you died because of me.”

Nina beamed a heavenly, inviting smile, pulling Charlie up to his feet.

“Dying for you was the most precious thing I have ever had the privilege to do. Everything that happened today happened exactly as it was supposed to, Charlie.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t just happen to vacation here. As Guardians, we don’t actually take vacations.” She raised her hand to his face. “Although, working here definitely had its perks.” She let her hand drop. “I’ve been watching you since you were bitten, Charlie.”

“How can I touch you?” He didn’t even know why he asked this. His brain was overloaded, but if she was dead, he didn’t understand how she was still here, talking to him. Ghosts could not do that. Perhaps she wasn’t really dead.

“Guardian’s physical bodies do die,” explained Nina. “However, our spirit forms work differently than human bodies. Think of me as living energy, that sometimes inhabits a physical form.” She smirked. “We’re not exactly what you’d call human,” she revealed. “But that’s a story for another time.”  

Nina turned, facing everyone.

“We are not all knowing or all powerful. Being familiar with foresight, you understand that the path forward is not always clear, but sometimes... sometimes it is.” She cast her regal gaze back at Charlie, then again toward the others.

“Our most honored job is to keep the balance of power in the favor of good. We have not always succeeded, but we hope our actions today will ensure this balance remains, as we have foreseen battles on the horizon unlike anything you have ever witnessed before.”

Her body glowed in golden light, and to look upon her felt both empowering and comforting. She turned back to Charlie.

“This ring is yours. It belongs to you now. Never before has any mortal man been given such a gift.”

Charlie stared at the ring. “Why?” he pleaded, looking at Nina. “Why give up this ring, forfeiting
your
life for mine?”

“Because the wolf should not be a curse, it should be a gift to help you in the battles to come. As long as you wear this ring, the wolf will no longer be a threat to you, Charlie. The wolf will be ruled by you, and you alone. You will be free to transform at will. The moon will have no sway. The
alpha
will have no sway. You will never fear the wolf again.”

Charlie looked with awed reverence at the ring and back up at Nina. “I still don’t understand why the Guardians would give this to
me
.”

“Because of whom you are Charlie. Not just the wolf or the witch that resides in you, but because of your compassion, your love, and your ability to be selfless and yet lead with a firm hand. These will all be necessary in the battles to come if we are to succeed in keeping the balance of power on the side of good.” She paused, smiling brightly. “You have fought for so many years, never forsaking your responsibilities, never giving into the temptation or greed that the wolf’s power could have so easily given you.”

“Why here? Why now?”

“Because you have sacrificed enough to understand the need for the wolf to be controlled, and yet how the wolf can help you succeed.”