Wickedest Witch (20 page)

Now he needed to find a believable distraction so that someone could attempt to nab the fake Tina.

Turned out he didn’t need to look far because the diversion found him.

“There you are,” said a soft voice belonging to none other than his ex-fiancée, Vivian.

“Vivian,” he said, turning to face her.

Clad in a shimmering teal gown that set off the platinum of her hair nicely, he found h
is short-lived fiancée beautiful; however, she stirred nothing in him, not even hatred.

“Hello, Ryker,” she said, smiling at him tremulously.

Ryker wanted to walk away, because he really had nothing to say to the woman, but from the corner of his eye, he could see his disguised witch still weaving through the crowd. No one had made a move on her yet.

“Why are you here?” he asked suddenly. “You aren’t acquainted with either the bride or the groom
.”

“What do you mean why? You invited me. I have to say I was surprised given what happened between us. But I’ve had time to think and mother—”

Ryker stopped listening.
Fuck, Vivian’s a plant to distract me.
His eyes searched the crowded room and just in time. He caught a glimpse of Tina, holding her mother, Heidi’s, hand and leaving the ballroom.

Sprinting through the crowd, he began unbuttoning his shirt, jostling revelers.
Fuck this.
With a roar, his beast burst through his tux and landed with a soft thud on the marbled floor. Given the gathering of magical and supernatural beings, no one even batted an eye as he moved through them quickly in his panther form.

Slipping through the door his disguised witch had exited with Heidi, he peered around. A flash of color caught his eye. Slinking through the darkness, he crept up and heard voices.

“I brought her like you asked, darling,” said Heidi.

Peering
through the bushes that hid his quarry, Ryker coiled his hind legs, ready to spring.

A stranger smiled coldly at Heidi. “There’s a good girl. Now go back to the ballroom and forget any of this happened.” With a wave of his hands, the
male used magic on Tina’s mother who, with a vacuous smile, headed back the way she’d come.

Shit, a wizard.

“As for you, little girl, we’re going to go on a little trip.”

Tina’s little girl shape disappeared and Evangeline, looking like a delicious pink bonbon in her bridesmaid’s dress, shook her head at the wizard.
“I don’t think so, asshole.”

“Who the hell are you?” snapped the wizard.

“Your worst nightmare.”

O
zone permeated the air, the smell distinctive, as was the crackling energy as his witch drew magic into herself. The static electricity of it made her hair flutter, and her eyes turned black.

However, when she released her magic against Heidi’s mysterious
friend, nothing happened, to him at least. However, the magical backlash knocked Evangeline back. She flew through the air and hit the trunk of a tree with a hard thump. Her limp body slumped to the ground in a frothy heap of lace and satin.

The bastard laughed and held up an amulet. “Sorry
, witch, but with this special artifact I found in Merlin’s tomb, I am immune against magical attack.”

But not big kitty ones.

With a snarl of rage, Ryker pounced, all four claws out and fangs just aching for a target.

*

Evangeline shook her head, trying to clear it.
Fucker had a magical shield.
And like a rookie out of magic school, she tossed a spell right at it. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Her grandfather would have smacked her a second time if he’d caught her acting so cocky with an unknown sorcerer.

Sitting up,
she shook off her daze in time to see Ryker, sporting his black panther form, come sailing out of nowhere to land on the wizard.

“Get him, kitty.” She whispered the words, her bloodthirsty nature not averse to seeing the man who’d bested her torn to shreds.
As it turned out, the wizard—who was really starting to piss her of
f—
had more than one trick up his sleeve. With nary a trace of magic, the wizard suddenly became a striped white tiger, and since touching Ryker didn’t dispel the illusion, the only conclusion she could come to was the stranger was both wizard and shifter.
I’ll be damned. What happened to the species not being able to mix?

Snarling and slashing, the two massive beasts rolled through the bushes onto the dimly lit terrace, their claws raking bloody grooves.

Evangeline could only watch helplessly and it roused her anger to a boiling pitch.

Ryker’s getting hurt. I need to stop this, but how
? I can’t use my magic on them.

At least not while he’s wearing that amulet.

“Ryker, pull off his amulet.”

Teeth suddenly clamping around the dangling ornament, Ryker tore it from the wizard’s feline neck. But in doing so, he left himself open and the white tiger
who, with a roar of rage, scored his claws down Ryker’s side, opening several deep, bleeding lacerations. Then the bastard turned to snarl at her. But she didn’t care about the threat to herself, not when her lover lay bleeding on the ground.

“Son of a bitch!” Evangeline screamed. “How dare you fucking hurt him
!”

Sucking into herself an immense amount of power,
enough it burned along her nerves, haloed her hair, and made her skin fairly steam she held so much, she flung it all at the white tiger, only belatedly realizing that being part-shifter, the magic might not work.

She needn’t have feared. Apparently
, only a full shifter could dispel a witch’s magic. With wide eyes and a horrified scream, the wizard-shifter hybrid turned into a grease spot on the terrace.

Wild clapping erupted and Evangeline looked over to see a crowd had gathered to watch the fight.

Ignoring them, Evangeline ran over to the panther who lay on the ground, chest heaving, blood seeping. As she approached, he reverted back to his naked, human male body.

Dropping to her knees beside him, she could see the
crimson fluid streaking his skin.

“Ryker,” she cried. “
Don’t you dare die, you big, dumb cat. You can’t die.”

“A kiss,” he gasped.

Immediately, she ducked down, and finding his lips, sealed hers to his.
He’s dying, oh fuck. Why did this have to happen?
It figured that just when she found a man she could love, he would get himself killed. She couldn’t stop the tears from forming, and one dripped onto his face. “Oh, Ryker.”

His lips
continued to devour hers hungrily and he murmured against them, “My sweet
heksen
, you didn’t really think a puny jerk like that could kill me, did you?”

Evangeline rocked back on her heels
and glared at him with sudden suspicion. “I saw your injuries. He practically ripped your guts out.”

“And I am a shifter with excellent recuperative powers.” Ryker
swiped at the drying blood and showed her the already closing wounds. He also showed off his very large erection, which garnered quite the collection of gasps and titters from the watching crowd.

Cheeks burning, Evangeline got up. “I’ll go find you some clothes.”

And perhaps strike some women blind while I’m at it
, she thought, eyeing the chattering gaggle who wouldn’t stop pointing and staring at her naked man.

“Anyone who wants to live, leave now,” she snarled, not caring if she appeared jealous.
He’s mine.

However, her words had the desired effect and the crowd moved back indoors.

Now to find some clothes so she could dress Ryker long enough to get him somewhere where she could undress him and fuck him for scaring her. Then she’d screw him again for coming to her rescue. Then...

Hmm, considering what she planned to do, she’d better grab some food as well to keep them energized.

Ryker almost laughed when his witch made the gawkers scatter. At least she seemed uninjured. The rage he’d felt when that wizard had hurt her...well, it was a good thing she’d turned him into a grease spot because his plans for the bastard involved a lot more blood
and screaming, which might not have gone over well considering this was a wedding.

Even better, with the bad guy out of the way and the job done, it meant he could now indulge in his fantasy of peeling her out of the girly dress and making her scream in an entirely erotic fashion.
He’d not missed her cry of rage when he’d gotten hurt.
I do believe my witch cares for me.
Something he planned to make her admit to later on when he got her alone and naked. The things he planned to do to her...

Standing up, uncaring of his nudity—
if you’ve got it, flaunt it
—he waited for her to return, his face craned up at the half moon.

“Oh, Ryker, that was so brave
,” gushed Vivian from behind him.

For fuck’s sake. Not now.
Ryker whirled and saw his ex-fiancée, eyes aglow with admiration, a look Ryker had never seen before on her face, and one that rendered her quite pretty. However, she didn’t even come close to comparing with his witch, whom he craned around looking for.
I’d better get rid of Vivian before she gets back.
Somehow, he didn’t think Evangeline would take the time to listen to excuses. Or show mercy.

“Listen Viv—”

The body that plastered itself to him and kissed him took him by surprise. Incredulous, he peered down at Vivian. She had her eyes closed and was pressing herself passionately against him. Unfortunately for her, it left him cold.

However, he knew someone who would be more than hot if she saw this pathetic attempt.

When he heard the snarled, “Bitch, get your hands off my man,” he realized it was already too late and prepared to enjoy the fireworks.

Vivian pulled back with a smirk. “You must be the witch he’s been sleeping with. Well, you can just go find yourself a new boy toy. The engagement is back on, right
, darling?”

Ryker raised his hands and shook his head at Vivian. “Like fuck. I’ve found my mate, and if I were you, I’d run because she is
not
happy you touched me.”

Evangeline graced him with a smile that made him harder than a rock, and then with a snarl
, she turned to Vivian, who stupidly stood her ground.

“Listen up and listen good, you little fucking bitch. Ryker is mine, as in do not touch, look
, or think of him,
mine
.”

Was it wrong that
he enjoyed the way she stated her possession of him?

“But you’re a witch
. You can’t be a couple,” said Vivian stubbornly.

“You know what?
Screw being diplomatic, you stupid cow.” Evangeline drew back her fist and cold cocked Vivian, dropping her hard. “You’re lucky I’m in such a good mood, or I’d be gutting you right now.” Eyes dark with anger and her skin practically sparking, Evangeline glanced at him, as if daring him to say something.

Damn but jealousy looked hot on her.
Ryker’s heart filled with love for his feisty, evil witch.
And I am not waiting a second longer to tell her.

“You really are evil, aren’t you?” Ryker said, his words a cruel reminder of what so many others had said to her. Of course, she hadn’t cared what they thought.
But I care what Ryker thinks.

Evangeline hung her head in response, ashamed at the tears that pricked her eyes. Calloused fingers gripped her chin and tilted her face back up.

“What the hell are you crying for?” he asked, aghast. “I was just stating the obvious.”

“I’m sorry, but I refuse to be some perfect fucking Barbie doll. I can’t help myself. Evil runs in my genes.”

“Why the hell would I want a dumb, cookie cutter doll when I can have you?”

“But I’m not nice,” she replied dumbly.

“Screw a nice girl. I want a wicked witch. Besides, I happen to like watching you at work.”

Evangeline suddenly couldn’t breathe, and she obviously couldn’t hear because it had sounded like he’d said he wanted her.

“Ah, my sweet
heksen
, don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

“Spell it out for me,” she asked, wanting him to say it.

“I love you. I love every evil inch of you. And now that I’ve proven I’m braver and said it first, what about you?”

“I love you too, you
big, stupid beast.”

His t
hick arms crushed her ribs as he swung her around enthusiastically and let out a roar of excitement.

“So when do you want to tie
officially tie the knot?”