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Prologue

Jo ran blindly through the forest, the blackness of night pressing against her eyelids as heavy as felt. Her heart thundered in her chest and her breath tore in her throat—heavy and hot—and still she could hear the thing right behind her. The shadow creature that had been hunting her these past nights had finally decided to take her.

Only Jo had no intention of being taken.

It must be a demon of some kind, Jo thought as she crashed through the underbrush and ducked under a low hanging limb. She could feel its darkness—its hunger to consume.

And her magic was useless against it.

She’d felt it behind her for weeks—ever since she’d been forced to leave Avalon, the only home she’d known for years. It kept getting closer and closer and that night she’d decided to take a stand.

Using the implements she’d managed to take with her before the Elders escorted her to the gates and put her out for good, Jo had cast a circle around herself—a circle of warding and protection. She was a Third Level Wiccan and she knew what she was doing—she’d been confident that the circle would protect her.

But the shadow creature had walked right through it, as though it wasn’t even there.

How? she wondered wildly as she ran, trying to keep from falling. How could it get past my magic? She practiced strictly white magic, and lived by the Wiccan rule of three that stated any energy a witch put out into the world would return to her three-fold. A creature of evil shouldn’t have been able to break past the magical boundaries she’d set, but the shadow thing was most definitely evil. Jo could feel it in her bones.

Maybe the Elders were right. Maybe my magic is turning dark, she thought. But that couldn’t be—she’d followed the path her mentor, Miranda, had set out for her so carefully all these years, always avoiding the temptation to seek greater power through dark channels. She’d even stopped herself from seeking retribution from those that had wronged her—though she had been very greatly wronged before she found her way to Avalon.

And now she was trying to find her way away from Avalon—and away from the shadow creature chasing her.

Please, Goddess, she thought, sending a prayer heavenward. Please, help me get away! Help me find safety somewhere—anywhere!

As if in answer to her prayers, the clouds parted and she saw a break in the trees up ahead. The moon overhead was new and thin but it shone as brightly as it could to help light her way.

There! Jo gulped in a breath and somehow pushed herself faster, running full tilt until she thought her heart would burst with the effort. The shadow creature was right behind her, she could feel it reaching for her—one clawed hand scrabbling at the ragged back of her dress. Its cold fingers sent ice down her spine and she knew if it caught her, it wouldn’t just eat her body—her soul was what this thing was hungry for.

She reached the edge of the forest and saw a smooth expanse of lawn with a big Victorian house in the middle of it. There was a ramshackle old shed behind the house.

Jo’s heart quickened—she was mostly a Hearth witch, so her powers strengthened inside a home where people dwelled.

The shadow creature’s fingers tightened on the back of her dress, causing the skin of her back to ripple helplessly into goosebumps.

Goddess! She prayed again. Help me!

Suddenly the thin sliver of the new moon seemed to glow even more brightly. A beam of its light stabbed between the pines and maples that made up the borders of the forest and found the creature that was trying to consume her.

Jo heard a low hissing sound and then the strangling pressure at her throat was abruptly gone as the thing loosed its hold on the back of her dress.

She staggered out of the forest and ran, sobbing with exhaustion and fear, into the shelter of the shed. She threw a glance over her shoulder before she went in, fearful that the shadow thing was following her—she didn’t want to be trapped in the shed, cornered with nowhere to go.

But mercifully, the thing stayed just within the borders of the forest. Jo could see it sliding back and forth like a dark wind in the trees, hissing and muttering angrily to itself.

She felt a rush of pure relief so intense it nearly made her faint. The creature couldn’t get to her. Safe—she was safe in here.

But for how long?

Chapter One

Reese Cooper heard the soft sound of sobbing long before he got to the entrance of the ramshackle shed in his backyard. It was a low, broken sound that tugged at his heart and froze him in his tracks.

Damn . . . He clutched the brown paper bag filled with the bacon cheeseburger and fries he’d ordered from the Cougar’s Den, his friend Liam Keller’s bar, and shifted uncertainly from foot to foot. He’d wanted to eat the food there with his friends. Keller and his new mate, Samantha, and her sister Sadie and her mate Mathis had all been eating lunch. But then Fiona ShadowTree, the town’s resident pharmacist-slash-wise woman, had informed him that he had to take the food to go because there was someone crying in his back garden shed.

How she had that information, Reese had no idea and he didn’t ask. Fiona wasn’t someone you ignored, though, so he got the food packed up and left. But despite the wise woman’s words, he still hadn’t really expected to find a damsel in distress sitting between his lawnmower and the bag of potash he kept to fertilize the hydrangeas. And yet, the sounds coming from the broken-down garden shed were unmistakable.

Not that he was sure it was a damsel—he still hadn’t looked into the shed, after all. But the soft sobbing sounded feminine. Reese, who had grown up in a house full of sisters, knew the sounds of an upset female better than the average single guy would.

Inside himself, he felt the Fox, his other half, lifting its pointed nose to sniff with interest. Who was this intruder and what did she want with him? People always said, “sly as a fox,” but Reese thought that was a misrepresentation of his kind, who were extremely rare even in Shifter country.

True, Foxes could be sly and cunning when it came to protecting themselves and the mates they claimed, but his own beast was more curious than crafty. The soft feminine sounds of distress tugged at his Fox as much as they did on Reese.

Hang on, he told it. We’ll check it out but we don’t want to scare her—whoever she is.

Taking quiet, cautious steps, he approached the front of the shed where the warped wooden door, which was hanging halfway off its hinges, was only partially shut.

Sitting inside, in a dark corner, was a petite girl with long red hair and a pale face smudged with dirt and tracked with tears. She’d rubbed some kind of gray dust on her skin that smelled strange and made his nose itch. Reese couldn’t see what color her eyes were because they were cast down, looking at what she was holding in her hand. Which was . . .

Holy shit! Reese’s eyes widened. The girl had a long silver dagger with a black handle in one hand and she was holding the wickedly sharp-looking blade over her wrist. Her hand wavered and the knife dipped—it looked like she was trying to nerve herself up to slice into the tender bracelet of blue veins that pulsed under her pale, scratched skin.

Reese felt a surge of distress from his Fox, which echoed his own emotion. This poor girl, whoever she was, was clearly at the end of her rope and she’d somehow decided his garden shed was the right place to off herself. He couldn’t let that happen.

“Hang on now, honey,” he said, taking a step into the shed. “Don’t do that. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. Just stop and think a minute before you do something you can’t take back.”

The girl started and the knife jumped in her hand, making a long but hopefully non-lethal slice in the pale skin of her arm. She looked up and her eyes grew huge with fear as she stared at Reese looming over her.

“Get back!” She jumped to her feet and the wickedly sharp blade was suddenly pointed at his heart. “Get back you . . . you man!”

As a curse word it wasn’t very cutting—not nearly as much as the dagger in her hand would be, Reese was certain—but he had the idea she said it with the same venom anyone else might have called him a bastard or a son of a bitch.

“Now look, darlin’,” he said, trying to make his voice low and appeasing. “I’m not going to hurt you—”

“I know you’re not because if you come one step closer I’m going to stab you through the heart!”

There was a wild, fierce light in her eyes that told Reese she was absolutely serious even though the top of her head didn’t quite reach his shoulder and she was probably only about a hundred pounds soaking wet.

“I mean it!” she said, waving the knife threateningly. “Get away—get back! I may look helpless but I’m not and I won’t let you . . . let you do that to me no matter what. I’d rather die first.”

Reese frowned. “Do what to you? And this is my shed you’re in, you know. I have a right to be in here.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean, you man,” she spat, using the word as a curse again. “I know what you want—I’ve been through it before but I’m never going through it again. I’ll kill you and then myself if you try it! I swear I will!”

“Whoa . . . okay, all right . . .” She was serious, Reese could tell and not just by the fire in her red-rimmed eyes. Under the strangely scented dust she’d rubbed on her skin, his sensitive Shifter nose detected the smell of fear and desperation like a strong perfume. The girl was nearly suicidal and it wouldn’t take much to push her into being homicidal too.

Then her words began to sink in. “I won’t let you do that to me,” she’d said. “I’d rather die first.” And she seemed to think he was a threat just because he was a man.

Someone hurt her in the past—hurt her bad, he thought, and a surge of anger went through him. Growing up as the only brother in a houseful of sisters meant his protective instinct towards females was strong and well developed. If someone—some male—had hurt or abused the little red-haired female in the past, no wonder she was frightened now.

It also probably doesn’t help that you’re looming over her like a fucking monster, Reese, muttered a voice in his head. She’s so tiny and you’re so big—she’s already upset and now you’re scaring her half to death just being so close. You need to back up—give her some space.

His Fox agreed with the idea and Reese knew it was the right thing to do.

“Look,” he said, raising his hands, one of which was still gripping the bag with the cheeseburger and fries in it. “I’m backing up. I’m not going to hurt you.” He took a step back and the fries inside the bag rattled as the warm scent of the cheeseburger wafted from the sides of the paper sack.

The girl’s eyes tracked the bag and Reese saw for the first time how skinny she was. She had on a tattered black dress with thin straps that showed her dust-smeared arms and he swore he could see her ribs through it. Her collarbones, as delicate and fragile as a bird’s, were clearly visible above the rounded neckline.

It gave Reese a sudden idea.

“Hey, are you hungry?” he asked, trying to make his voice low and coaxing. “Want some food?” He rattled the bag again, deliberately this time. “Why don’t you come out of the shed and into the house with me? We’ll split this cheeseburger and get that cut on your arm taken care of, and you can tell me why you decided my garden shed was the right place to shuffle off your mortal coil.”

For a moment the dagger she held sagged and Reese saw her lick her lips hungrily. He felt a surge of pity. Oh yeah, she was starving. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in a week, if not longer.

But then her gaze hardened and she lifted the silver blade of the dagger again.

“Go into the house with you? I don’t think so,” she snapped. “If you want me out of your shed, fine, I’ll go. Just don’t try to stop me.”

“I’ll let you go,” Reese said, taking another step back. “As long as you tell me you’ve got someplace to go. Where do you belong, anyway?”

The girl’s eyes went wide and her lush lower lip trembled for a moment.

“Nowhere,” she whispered. “I . . . I don’t belong anywhere anymore. I just know I can’t . . . can’t go back into the forest. Not at night, anyway.”

Reese’s heart fisted in his chest.

“Look, honey—” he began but the girl waved her dagger at him threateningly, a motion that caused the blood dripping from the cut on her arm to spatter on the ground below.

“I said I’ll go—I’ll leave your shed and you won’t even know I was here. Just leave me alone.”

Reese felt a surge of frustration. Clearly she wasn’t going to trust him. He was too big—too male. He was six foot seven and muscular, as most Shifter males were. If she’d been hurt by a man before, someone his size was going to look scary, no matter what he said to try and assuage her fears.

Someone your size, yes, whispered the Fox in his head. But what about me?

It was a good idea—Reese felt it in his bones.

“I’ll go,” he said to the girl. “But I’m not kicking you out. In fact, I wish you’d stay—as long as you don’t kill yourself, I mean,” he added hastily.

“Why would you want me to stay?” Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. They were amber, Reese saw as she moved into the light slanting in through the half-open shed door. When they flashed with fear and anger they were almost gold. Her hair, when the sunlight fell across it, lit up like a flame—it was a pale red with hints of orange, not unlike the color of his Fox’s coat when he Shifted.

Gorgeous, he couldn’t help thinking. Despite the dirt and tattered clothing and the tear tracks down her cheeks, she was so beautiful it took his breath away. But this was no time to start handing out compliments—it would only make her more suspicious.

“I just don’t want to push you out in the cold with no place to go,” he said. “Okay—I’m leaving now,” he added when she waved the knife at him again.

Turning, he walked quickly across his lawn towards the backdoor of his house, which was a big, rambling Victorian with a wrap-around porch he’d inherited from his dad. Leaving the brown paper sack on his back steps, he stepped around the side of the house and began rapidly shedding his clothes.

The girl was never going to trust him—not in his human form, anyway. But he’d rarely seen a female who could resist a cute, cuddly little animal and that was exactly what Reese intended to become.

It was late afternoon and the moon was nowhere near full yet, but Reese was an Alpha, able to Shift anywhere and anytime he needed or wanted. Of course, it hurt—Shifting was an agonizingly painful process, made worse by the fact that Lady Moon wasn’t out to help him—but Reese managed.

He felt his bones bending in different directions and his muscles shifting even as his mass decreased dramatically. With most other Shifters, the change would have gone a different way and their mass would have increased. That was because when most Shifters turned into their animal counterparts, they became much, much larger than they were in human form.

Reese’s friend Liam Keller, for instance, turned into a cougar the size of a draft horse with six-inch serrated fangs. Mathis Blackwell became an Irish Elk—the largest deer to ever roam the planet. It had gone extinct around eleven thousand years ago, as had the kind of saber-tooth cougar Keller became—except among the Shifter community.

The Shifter race had started back in the Stone Age—the Paleolithic Era, technically. That was when Lady Moon—the goddess who lived in the moon and watched over the world at night—had consecrated a special cave where only the bravest and fiercest warriors could enter. The legend went that on full moon nights when a warrior entered the holy cave and painted the shape of the animal he wished to become on the wall, Lady Moon would endow him with that animal’s shape and strength on the nights when she was full.

Reese didn’t know if the story was true but he figured Shifters must have started somewhere and it was certainly true that it was easier to Shift during the full moon.

He considered his size in his Fox form and then made himself a little smaller—until he was about the size of a Chihuahua. Reese had the extra benefit of size control, unlike most Shifters. There was even a neat little addendum to the Shifter legend to explain it—Reese’s father used to tell it to him at bedtime when he was a kid.

The story was that one full moon night a brave warrior made his way to the holy cave. On its walls rather than painting the massive cave bear or the fierce saber tooth tiger or even the swift and deadly dire wolf—instead, he painted the fox. A plain, red fox which was only a little larger back in the Stone Age than its modern counterpart today.

On seeing the fox, Lady Moon spoke and asked in her silvery voice, “Warrior, why do you seek to become such a small creature when the world is filled with predators much larger and fiercer than the fox?”

“Lady Moon,” the warrior—presumably Reese’s very distant ancestor replied—“the fox may be small but he is also swift and cunning. He is fast enough to stay out of the way of larger predators but fierce enough to fight for his mate if need be. And he can get into places larger animals cannot and needs much less food to sustain himself. The Fox is also wise—I want wisdom and knowledge, not just brute strength. Given all this, why would anyone wish to be other than a Fox?”

Lady Moon had given a silvery laugh.

“Why indeed, Warrior?” she replied. “Wise you shall be, but never defenseless. I grant you the ability to change your Shifted form. You will be able to shrink to the size of the smallest mouse or grow as big as the cave lion at will. Go and use your power wisely.”

Reese hoped he was using his power wisely now. His instinct told him that the girl in his shed would respond better to him in Fox form than as a human. Also, he was taking care to use what he thought of as his “little” size. He thought for a moment of going tiny—the size of a mouse—but rejected it. She would think that size was strange and he was too vulnerable in it. Likewise, he wasn’t about to show her his largest form—what he thought of as his “holy shit!” size. Seeing a red fox the size of a cave lion—which had been a huge prehistoric beast that put modern lions to shame—would only scare her.

No, Chihuahua size was about right, he decided. Leaving his discarded clothing in a pile, he trotted out from around the side of the house and headed back to the shed.

* * *

Jo kept a firm grip on her athame and watched the door of the shed alertly to see if the huge man with the reddish-brown hair was coming back. She didn’t trust his seeming kindness or his promises not to hurt her. She’d heard such promises before—many years ago.

“What’s the matter, baby? Where are you going? Stay here and just talk to us—come on, we won’t hurt you,” whispered a voice from her past.

Jo shook her head, her long hair whipping around her dirty face as she tried to push the memory back. No—I won’t think of that now. I swore never to think of it again!

It had been so much easier when she lived with her coven. Back at Avalon, the all-female retreat and commune she’d lived in for the past twenty-two years, she knew her place and her station in relation to her sister Wiccans. She’d had the Elders to look up to and the respect of the younger members of the community as she taught them spell-craft, weaving, meditation, and healing. On every Tuesday and Thursday she had ventured into town to teach a children’s Yoga class at the local YWCA. And best of all, she’d never had to come into contact with any men.

Men. Jo shivered with disgust. Since being kicked out of Avalon, it seemed like men were the only people she saw. She’d been traveling in the forest alone in fear for her life for what felt like years—though it was really closer to two weeks. In that time she’d been attacked three times—every time by men.

Jo frowned. Well, she thought all the attackers were male. The group in the forest certainly were men . . . until they suddenly weren’t human anymore.

She thought of the male voices that had turned thick and growling, of the hungry howling and the blur of shadows in the moonlight as they became . . . something else, Jo didn’t know what. She’d heard of Skin Walkers before—evil beings that could skin an animal and wear the pelt to take on the form of the beast they had killed. But she’d never encountered them until the horrible night of the full moon—the first night after she’d been kicked out of Avalon, the only home she’d known from the age of nineteen.

She’d escaped, but just barely and then the pain had started—the awful, burning, tearing sensation that made her feel like huge hands were trying to rip all her limbs out of their sockets. It felt like she was falling apart—like she was dying. And after a while, Jo had wanted to die—had wished for death and begged the Goddess to take her. A request that had not been answered, or she wouldn’t still be here wondering what was happening to her.

The pain had been just another sign that something was going wrong with her—something terrible and possibly fatal. But Jo didn’t know what her mysterious new disease was or how to stop it. She’d only known that she had to keep moving somehow, despite the pain. Had to keep the Skin Walkers—if that was what they were—from finding her.

And they weren’t the only ones stalking her either.

Stumbling through the forest with the howling pack behind her and her body in agony, she’d come upon a white ash tree that had been struck by lightning. Knowing the magical properties of the wood—associated with protection and wisdom—Jo had rubbed her skin with the ashes she scraped from the tree’s blackened husk.

The horrible pain had eased some and the pack of Skin Walkers had run past her in the night, mercifully oblivious to her presence as she crouched in the shelter of the dead tree’s split trunk. She’d stayed there all night, shivering and alone, yet not alone because always, always she felt a presence at her back—a menacing something that was glad to see her pain. The shadow creature coming for her . . .

Jo pushed the thought aside. The shadow creature which had chased her into the safety of the shed couldn’t come out during the daylight hours—it was a thing of darkness, she was certain. Somehow she’d survived last night and she would again—she just had to find another safe haven before the sun set.

Her mind returned to that first awful full-moon night. The ashes from the holy tree had helped hide her scent and the awful, tearing pain hadn’t reoccurred . . . so far. But there were other pains—less pressing but still enough to make her miserable—that the white ash tree’s ashes couldn’t help. Like the headache in her temples that wouldn’t go away. Or the strange throbbing between her thighs that seemed to grow worse all the time.

Despite her pain and fear she had journeyed on, though she felt worse by the hour and the shadow creature kept drawing nearer. There was no repeat of the pack of Skin Walkers in the forest but a man had tried to pick her up as she walked wearily down the side of the highway. He seemed nice at first, then grew angry and grabby when Jo declined his offer. She’d had to fight him off with her athame, which wasn’t meant to be used as a weapon at all, but only a tool for ceremonies.

The attacks had brought back bad memories—ones she’d kept buried for twenty-two years. She didn’t want to remember—didn’t want to think of that awful night in the park. And yet the present kept bringing back the past.

She’d run back into the woods and done her best to avoid the shadow creature and get back to civilization—although she had no idea what she would do once she got there. Civilization, after all, appeared to be full of lustful, abusive men who wanted to take what she wasn’t willing to give. Clearly a woman alone wasn’t safe—not even a Third Level Wiccan like Jo. But where would she be safe? Where could she go now that the woods were too dangerous to enter?

After making sure she was safe in the shed, she’d fallen into an exhausted sleep and woken in the afternoon with her temples throbbing and her aching head full of questions.

Who am I? What am I? Where do I belong? What should I do next?

These questions—once so easily answered—eluded her now. Her life was a mess and she had a strange disease—one she couldn’t even diagnose, though she had searched through both her own Book of Shadows and her old mentor’s for clues. She had no place to go and no one to love or care for her. Miranda, her mentor from the time she’d been nineteen, was dead and Jo hadn’t allowed anyone else to get close to her. Her life, once so grounded in routine and tradition, was out of control.

I don’t want to live like this, Jo told herself. And then, somehow, she’d found the athame was in her hand with the sharp silver blade poised over her wrist. Most Wiccans kept their athames dull, the edges deliberately blunted. But Jo liked to keep hers sharp. She felt that chopping the herbs she used in her spells with the implement she used to cast greatly enhanced her magic.

It wasn’t the first time in her desperate journey that the sharpened edges of her ceremonial dagger had come in handy, but Jo told herself it would be the last. She’d been just about to make the first cut when that huge man had showed up and scared her half to death.

Jo had felt frightened and cornered—there was only one way in or out of the shed and he was blocking it with his big, muscular bulk. What was she going to do when he attacked, as she was certain he inevitably would?

And then, to her surprise, he had backed off. He’d even offered her food. Goddess help her, she’d almost been hungry enough to trust him and accept it. Luckily, her sense of self-preservation was stronger than her hunger—just barely.

He was just trying to lure me out of the shed and into his house so he could attack me there, Jo told herself. And yet . . . his aura hadn’t looked violent or lustful. Not that she’d had much time to study it—she was too busy trying to defend herself.

Her stomach rumbled when she thought of the grease stained paper sack and the scent of a hamburger and french-fries that had come from it. The food at Avalon had been strictly vegan, but Jo wasn’t above grabbing a fast-food burger from time to time during her bi-weekly trips to town to teach Yoga to the kids at the YWCA.

Stop thinking about it, she ordered herself. Stop it—it was a trap! He probably wanted—

Her thoughts were interrupted by a short, sharp bark—more of a yip, really.

Jo jumped in surprise and looked down. Standing there, in the open door of the shed, was a fox no bigger than a teacup Chihuahua.

“Hey . . .” She looked at it uncertainly. It was a red fox with a flame-colored coat, a sharply pointed muzzle, and a white tuft at the end of its bushy tail. Despite its small size, she didn’t think it was a kit—it seemed more like a full grown fox in miniature. It yipped at her again and tilted its head to one side, showing the snow-white ruff of its throat.

“Hey, you . . .” Somehow Jo found herself taking a step towards it. She had always been good with animals—beast lore was one of her sub-specialties, and she’d acted as a kind of unofficial veterinarian at Avalon. The other sisters had brought her their familiars to heal when they were sick or wounded.

The fox turned and trotted out of the shed. It went a few feet and then turned its head as if to see if she was following it.

“You want me to come with you, little guy?” Jo asked it.

The fox yipped and did a little dancing step on its tiny black paws. Clearly it was impatient for Jo to join it.

It could be a trap, a little voice whispered in her head. But Jo didn’t really believe that. Men she didn’t trust a bit, but animals were pure. The Goddess had made them that way—innocent and beautiful. Looking into the little red fox’s big brown eyes, she couldn’t resist.

“Hang on a minute, buddy,” she told the fox. Going to the back of the shed, she grabbed the battered blue knapsack that held her magical paraphernalia and pretty much everything else she owned in the world and came out through the sagging door.

The fox danced and yipped some more and then frisked away on its little black paws through the tall green grass. It led Jo to a huge, rambling Victorian mansion—white with green trim—and stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the wrap-around porch.

Here Jo stopped.

“I don’t think so,” she told the fox when it scampered up the steps and poked its sharp little nose at the screen door. “I’m not going in there.”

The fox whined a little but when she shook her head firmly, it seemed to accept her decision. It came back across the porch, its nails tap-tapping on the wooden boards which were the same deep green as the trim, and jumped back down the steps.

There was a brown paper sack that looked suspiciously like the one the huge man with the reddish-brown hair had been holding. It was sitting on the bottom porch step and the fox nudged it hopefully. Looking up at Jo, it whined softly.

“What are you saying? You want me to open that?” Jo looked up at the back door of the house, expecting the owner to come out at any minute. She wondered if he had left the bag of food deliberately for her and then sent his fox to lure her out to eat it. Was it a trap?

The fox pawed at the brown paper sack and whined again. He sniffed the sack, his miniature muzzle wrinkling as his long, black whiskers twitched.

Jo’s stomach twisted in hunger—she hadn’t eaten in three days and nights and she was nearly faint with the need for food.

“All right,” she said at last. Throwing herself down on the bottom porch step, she opened the bag and reached inside.

The food was amazing. Even though it was more warm than hot by the time she sank her teeth into it, the burger was still juicy and cheesy, the bacon crisp and salty and the lettuce and tomato tart and tangy.

Once she took the first bite, Jo found she couldn’t stop. Good . . . so good, so good, so good! she thought deliriously as she gobbled the huge burger hungrily. All thoughts of the big, scary man who had confronted her in the shed were gone. For a moment, she wasn’t scared or wary anymore—she was just a starving creature finally getting something to eat.

As she finished the burger and started on the fries, the fox came up and nudged her leg with its little, pointed head.

“Hey, you . . . hey, boy.” Jo put out a hand to it and it sniffed her fingers, licking away some of the burger juice that remained.

She didn’t know how she knew it was a male. It just seemed obvious somehow, even without looking. But that didn’t bother her—male animals were pretty much the only kind of males she trusted. She’d had a tomcat as a familiar for many years at Avalon. When Rufus died, she had mourned him as though he was a person and she missed him still.

“Hey, buddy,” she said to the fox again, stroking his flame-red fur and scratching around the bases of his big, pointed ears. The fox closed his eyes in apparent delight and nudged her hand, asking for more attention. He was obviously tame and Jo wondered again if he belonged with the big man who had confronted her in the shed.

“Where’s your human?” she asked the fox. Anyone else might have said “master” or “owner,” but as a Wiccan, she didn’t believe in owning or mastering other living creatures. “Is he nice to you?” she asked the fox. “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” Then she gave a sarcastic snort of laughter at her own question. “What am I saying—he’s a guy. A man. That’s bad enough, right?”

The fox opened its eyes and yipped sharply. If Jo hadn’t known better, she would have sworn the little animal understood her and was disagreeing with her statement.

“Okay, all right,” she told it. “Sorry if I offended you. I just . . . don’t have the best track record with men. I’ve been attacked several times since I got kicked out of my home.” She sighed. “Seems like the other sex hasn’t changed a bit since I swore them off twenty-two years ago.”

The fox whined softly and rubbed against her hand again, then he leaned over her to nose at the brown paper sack hopefully.

Jo reached into the sack and pulled out some fries. They were lukewarm but still smelled amazing.

“You want one of these?” she asked, holding out a single french-fry to the fox. “Are you allowed to have them? I don’t want you to get sick.”

In answer, the fox nipped the fry out of her fingers and ate it in two quick bites. Then he stared hopefully at her for more.

Jo smiled.

“Hey, so you like fast food too, huh?” she asked, giving him another fry.

The fox yipped and spun in a circle, then danced on his hind legs, begging adorably for more.

Jo couldn’t help it, she found herself laughing at the little animal’s antics. It was the first time she’d smiled or laughed in weeks and she was surprised at how good it felt.

She gave the fox another fry and ate some more herself, feeling the heat of the late afternoon sun warming her skin as she sat on the creaky wooden porch step. It felt good to feel good again—even for just a minute. To let go of her worry and laugh and relax a little after the long, stressful journey to nowhere she’d been on for weeks.

“Thanks little guy,” she told the fox. “You’re a sweetheart.”

The fox yipped in agreement and came closer. He put his little front paws on Jo’s leg and looked up at her inquiringly.

“All right.” She patted her lap. “Have a seat.”

The fox gave a little hop and curled up in Jo’s lap, turning himself into a warm, furry donut as he buried his sharp little muzzle in the snow-white tuft of his tail.

Jo felt her heart melting. “Maybe your human isn’t such a terrible guy after all,” she told the fox as she stroked the flame-colored fur gently. “Anybody attached to a guy as cute as you can’t be all bad.”

A soft wind was blowing, bringing the scent of autumn from the forest just beyond the backyard. The nights had been getting colder lately and Jo shivered when she considered where she might sleep that night. Probably buried in a pile of dead leaves, like she had the past several nights—if she could find a secluded spot outside the forest, that was. She’d thought she might spend the night in the shed when she found it but that hope was dashed now.

She wished she had a jacket or even a sweater to keep warm but she’d been forced to leave Avalon so suddenly she’d been lucky to grab her casting paraphernalia and her athame, let alone anything else. She had a few other clothes but nothing that kept away the night chill.

“I wish I had a fur coat like you to keep warm with,” she told the fox, who was still cuddled in her lap. “It’s going to be freezing tonight and it’s no fun camping out in the cold.”

Just the thought of sleeping in the open for yet another night made her feel sad and lonely and scared all over again. She couldn’t help thinking of the past—nights spent in the warmth of Avalon, snug in her own chamber or performing the Great Rite in the moonlight, or simply sitting by the fire trading spell-craft with her sister Wiccans.

And even worse than the loneliness and cold was the fear she felt every time the sun went down. What if the shadow creature came back? She’d be helpless against it if it managed to come out of the forest and attack her.

She couldn’t help the terror that overcame her at the thought. Her happy mood abruptly fizzled and her eyes stung with tears.

“I don’t want to go back out there,” she whispered and a sob caught in her throat. “Back out into the cold and dark. I don’t want to—I’m afraid.”

The fox looked up at her and whined softly. Suddenly, he sat up in her lap. Standing up on his tiny hind paws, the little animal lapped at her cheeks which were wet and salty now. His warm little tongue seemed to bring Jo back to herself.

“I’m sorry, little guy,” she told him, sniffing. “I’m just so tired of going and going and never getting anywhere. I’m sick of being alone and scared all the time and having no place to stay at night. I’m just tired.” She sighed and stroked the soft, flame-colored fur. “I wish I could find someplace to stop for a little while and just catch my breath—you know?”

The fox yipped again and then jumped off her lap. It trotted down the porch steps and around the side of the house.

“Hey!” Jo called after it, feeling immediately lonely. “Hey, don’t leave! Where are you going?”

She stood up and was about to go looking for the fox when the huge man with the curly, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes came suddenly around the corner of the house.

“Hi,” he said. “It’s me again.”

Chapter Two

The big man was barefoot and he was pulling his white T-shirt down over a set of impressive looking abs, as though he’d been getting dressed around the side of the house for some reason.

Not that Jo was interested in his physique, no matter how nice it was. The relative peace and safety she’d felt melted away at the sight of the big, male body approaching her own and she took a step back and reached for her athame.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s all right.” The big man stopped in front of the porch and held up both hands, giving her plenty of distance. “I’m not going to hurt you—I’ll stay right here.”

“What do you want?” Jo pointed her athame at him for the second time. The silver blade was heavy and reassuring in her hand and she felt a little less frightened even though he looked as huge and muscular as ever. At least this time she was out in the open, not cornered in the shed. She was also well fed—it made her feel stronger and more solid to have some food in her belly—less likely to faint and make herself vulnerable to attack.

It occurred to her that the food that was making her feel better had been given to her by the man she was now pointing her athame at. Either that or he had left it on the porch while he went off for some reason and now he was going to be pissed off that she’d eaten it.

“What do you want with me?” she demanded again, still pointing the long silver dagger aggressively at him.

“What do I want with you? Well . . .” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as though trying to think of what to say. At last he shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling under his white t-shirt. “I guess I just want to offer you a place to stay—a place to catch your breath for a little while.”

Jo frowned—he was repeating her own words back to her. Had he been spying on her? Watching her while she talked to his fox and listening to what she said?

“Why would I stay with you?” she demanded.

He shrugged again. “Because you don’t have anyplace else to go. Right?”

Jo stiffened. “How do you know that? And why would you offer me a place to stay? You don’t even know me.”

“We can fix that pretty quick.” He gave her an easy smile. “Hi, I’m Reese. Reese Cooper but most everybody here in Cougarville calls me ‘Coop.’ And you are?” He raised his eyebrows inquiringly, waiting for her to fill in the blanks.

“Jocasta Ferrell,” Jo said unwillingly. Names had power—she didn’t know why she’d let him know hers—it just came out somehow.

His eyebrows shot higher. “Jocasta? That’s an unusual name.”

“It’s from a Greek tragedy. My mother was a professor of Ancient Mythology,” Jo said. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Sure, from Oedipus Rex, right?” Reese asked. “Although she could have picked a name with a less tragic story behind it. Why didn’t she name you Dianna or Athena or something like that if she was so hung up on Greek Mythology?”

It was Jo’s turn to look surprised.

“You know about that . . . that kind of thing? About Greek mythology?”

He grinned. “What? You think because I’m a hick from the sticks I don’t know my ancient myths and legends?”

“I just . . . nobody ever knows. That’s all.” She shook her head. “I go by Jo for short.” Then she bit her lip. She’d done it again. Why had she given him her name? It too, had power—it was how she thought of herself, though no one but her mentor, Miranda, had ever called her that.

“Well, Jo, now that we’ve been introduced, do you want to crash at my place?” Reese asked.

“I don’t have any money,” Jo said. “And I have no intention of paying for lodging in the way you’re hoping I will either.” She glared at him.

Reese frowned. “Give me a little credit—I wasn’t thinking that. I’m not a bad guy—I won’t bother you.”

“I don’t believe you.” She lifted her chin. “And I’m not afraid of you, either.”

“Oh, I think you are, darlin’,” Reese said quietly. “Or you wouldn’t be holding that big, scary-looking knife on me.”

“It’s an athame,” Jo snapped challengingly. “A ceremonial dagger used when casting spells. I’m a witch.”

“Okay, well . . .” Reese shrugged apparently unperturbed by her statement. “I’m a mechanic. Nice to meet you.”

“That’s it?” Jo frowned at him. “You’re not going to freak out or think I’m strange for being . . . what I am?”

“Nope.” He shrugged. “You’re a witch, I’m a mechanic—so what?”

His laissez-faire attitude towards her profession confused Jo. She hadn’t declared herself to many people outside her coven, but on the few occasions she had, they either feared her or thought she was crazy. When she went outside of Avalon, she told people she was a yoga instructor and left it at that. The fact that Reese just seemed to accept her as a witch was troubling. But not nearly as troubling as something else she had noticed about him.

“You’re not just a mechanic,” she said. “There’s something about you—your aura . . .”

Jo squinted at him, letting her eyes go out of focus for a moment to pick up the colors around him. There was something strange in the soft cloud of pigment radiating out from around his slightly curly reddish-brown hair . . . something she’d never encountered before but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

The trick to seeing an aura was to focus until you saw the thin, white band floating around a person’s head—that was the first layer of their aura—the emanation of personal energy everyone on Earth carried with them. The next step, seeing the other colors each person emitted, was much more difficult and had taken her years to master.

As she watched Reese, a line of pale red appeared above the white band that surrounded him—that meant strength and courage. The pale red deepened into crimson—loyalty and passion—and then moved into silvery green which meant compassion and nurturing.

Hmm . . . could it be that Reese really was offering her a place to stay out of the goodness of his heart? Jo couldn’t help thinking of the aura of the man who’d pulled over on the side of the road and tried to get her to get into his car with him. She’d hesitated long enough to read him and had seen the blackish-red color of lust swirling around him, leading into the grayish-green of greed and the dark pink of dishonesty.

Reese’s aura was pretty much the opposite of her attacker—well, one of them anyway. She hadn’t gotten a chance to read the Skin Walkers in the forest.

She looked at the big man again, seeking another layer. Above the silvery green was a thin band of blue. Jo frowned—that was interesting . . . blue usually meant intellectual ability. It wasn’t something she’d generally expect to find in the aura of a mechanic.

Reese had called himself a “hick from the sticks,” but he’d known the true origin of her name. Could he be smarter than he looked? Not that he looked stupid, just young. Jo placed him around twenty-six or seven—considerably younger than her own age of forty-one.

Young but also really big and probably strong as an ox, she reminded herself. You’re not actually considering his offer to stay here, are you?

Jo didn’t know. There was another band of color at the top of Reese’s aura—one she hadn’t seen in a human before. It was a band of golden yellow that didn’t belong there at all. In fact, it didn’t belong on any person. It belonged on an animal—but that was just crazy, wasn’t it?

“Um . . . are you okay?” Reese asked and she realized he’d been standing there patiently while she took her time reading his aura in complete silence.

“I’m fine.” Jo lifted her chin. “Just trying to determine if you are what you claim to be.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what did I claim to be?”

“A good guy,” Jo said dryly. “If there is such a thing—which recent experience has led me to doubt.”

“That’s right—you said you’d been attacked several times.” He frowned. “I’m sorry about that. Any male that attacks a woman deserves to be shot.”

Jo shook her head. “So . . . what? You just sat there around the side of your house and listened to everything I said to your fox? Where is your fox, anyway?”

“No, you’ve got it all wrong. The fox . . .” Reese took a deep breath as though nerving himself up to say something important. “The fox is . . . me,” he said at last. Then he shook his head. “Don’t know why I told you that.”

“What?” Jo stared at him blankly. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying me and the fox—we’re the same person. Well, the same creature, I guess. He’s the other half of me.”

“So . . . he’s your familiar?” Jo still wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. “Are you trying to tell me you’re also a practitioner of Wicca?”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, I’m not a Wiccan or a witch or anything like that—I’m a Shifter. I can literally turn into a fox.”

Jo took a step back, tightening her grip on her athame.

“Skin Walker,” she breathed. “You skinned that poor innocent creature so you could wear his aspect. Taking a life—even the life of an animal—for your own magical gain is the blackest kind of magic.”

“What? No!” Reese protested. “I didn’t go out and hunt down a fox and skin it—I was born with it inside me. He is me and I am him—I’m a Shifter. I can Shift from human to fox and back again.”

Jo took another step back. Was he crazy or lying to her? Of course, she’d seen the other men—the Skin Walkers—turn into animals, but that had been at night under the full moon. Although, if he was telling the truth it might explain the strange band of yellow-gold in his aura . . .

But no—she pushed the possibility away. She’d been studying Wicca for years and she’d never heard of anyone who could shift between two forms, animal and human, without performing black magic. Reese must be making up a story to keep her here, and the only reason she could think for him to try and keep her was because he wanted what every other man she’d met wanted.

Inwardly, she sighed. And for a moment he’d seemed so nice and normal and non-rapey. Was she ever going to meet a decent man? Apparently not.

Reese seemed to correctly interpret the look on her face because he raised a hand and took a step forward.

“Look, come on,” he said. “I didn’t bat an eye when you told me you were a witch. And now you think I’m crazy for telling you I’m a Shifter?”

“I think I’d better be going now,” Jo said, reaching behind her to gather her things. “Thank you for the food—if you meant to leave it out for me. If you didn’t, I’m sorry I ate your lunch. Just let me be on my way and we can forget we ever met each other.”

* * *

“No!” Reese didn’t understand why he was so desperate to keep her with him, but he couldn’t help it, damn it—he was! There was something about the little witch that drew him like a magnet, and the longer he was around her the stronger the pull became. He had to convince her to stay with him somehow—he just had to.

Well you’re doing a piss-poor job of convincing her so far, buddy, whispered a little voice in his head. She thinks you’re fucking crazy. Why’d you go and tell her you’re a Shifter anyway? You know you’re not supposed to.

It was an unwritten rule of Shifter life—Don’t tell outsiders what we are. And every time a Shifter broke it, disaster and heartbreak followed.

Reese thought of his friend Liam Keller, who had revealed his true nature to his pregnant fiancée back in college. The fiancée had broken up with him and aborted their baby. It had taken Keller years to get over that—in fact, he never really had until he met his new mate, Samantha.

At the time, Reese had listened sympathetically to his friend’s sad tale, but he hadn’t been able to help wondering what had possessed the other male to break the unwritten rule and tell his woman about his inner beast. The secret world of Shifters ought to be kept exactly that—a secret—or so he’d always thought. And now he had gone and done the same idiotic thing Keller had within the first few minutes of meeting this girl. But he couldn’t seem to help it—something inside him was telling him it was vitally important to convince her to stay.

“Look,” he said. “I can prove it.”

“Prove you can turn into a fox?” She lifted one deep auburn eyebrow critically. “Right.”

“If I prove it, will you stay?” Reese asked. “I mean, at least for one night?”

She frowned. “For a nice guy who doesn’t want any kind of payment and swears not to bother me, you sure are eager for me to stay. Why is that?”

“I don’t know,” Reese said honestly. “I just get the feeling I shouldn’t let you go. That you need to be here. I can’t explain it—I’ve never felt like this before. I know . . .” He cleared his throat. “I know it sounds crazy but I swear I don’t mean you any harm. I just . . . want to get to know you.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest though the silver dagger still gripped in her right hand belied the casual pose. “Prove you can change into a fox and I’ll consider staying. But I warn you, if you turn out to be a Skin Walker I’m leaving. I’ve already encountered a group of those on the way here—I don’t want anything to do with another one.”

“Skin Walker—that’s a Native American legend, right?” Reese asked. “If I was one of those, I’d have to put on a fox pelt to change. But look . . .” He held out his hands. “No pelt.”

“I’m watching.” She raised both eyebrows this time. “Not getting any younger here.”

Reese thought of pointing out she couldn’t be more than nineteen or twenty anyway, but then he decided just to let it go. For the second time that day, he prepared to Shift.

Even for a strong Alpha, it was exhausting to do two Shifts so close together when Lady Moon wasn’t out yet. But Reese knew this was the only way to keep the little witch with him. And more and more, he desperately wanted her to stay.

Concentrating hard, he willed himself to change, calling his other self forward and ceding control to his Fox.

The change happened rapidly but this time he hadn’t thought to undress before his Shift. The consequence was that once he was down to his little form he was stuck inside the white cotton folds of his T-shirt. He yipped sharply, scrabbling to try and find his way out of the fabric enclosure. The human part of him was thinking what a fool he must look, but the Fox part just wanted to get out in the open, and didn’t care if he looked silly or not. That was the thing about animals—they didn’t embarrass easily.

Which was why when Jo pulled open the hem of the shirt so he could get out, Reese jumped up at licked her cheek in gratitude rather than slinking off with his tail between his legs.

“Wow . . .” Her amber eyes were huge as she considered him in his Fox form. “You were telling the truth—you really can turn into a fox.”

Reese yipped and licked her cheek again. He liked her even more in his Fox form. She felt right to him—felt like she belonged. It was as though his animal side could sense something his human form wasn’t quite getting yet.

“All right . . . all right.” Jo was smiling and the expression lit up her lovely face like a sunbeam breaking through clouds. Reese had the sudden wish to see that happy expression on her face and know that he’d caused it in his human form.

He leaped recklessly into her arms and she caught him with a little gasp of surprise. Reese wiggled around in her arms until he could press his pointed muzzle to her neck and inhale her fragrance. Yes, there was definitely something there but the gray stuff she’d smeared on her skin covered it so completely he could only catch a vague whiff of it. Still, what he was able to get was intriguing.

“Hey, that tickles!” Jo was laughing as he nuzzled against her neck. She had a gorgeous, soft laugh that he loved. It sent quivers of happiness through his entire body, knowing he was the cause of her joy. In fact, his Fox self liked it so much he was tempted to curl up in her lap and never leave.

Inside, the human Reese frowned. His Fox had never fallen so hard and completely for anyone. In fact, when he was in his Shifted form he usually preferred to keep to himself.

It made sense, since there were no other Fox Shifters around. Foxes tended to stay with a family unit or become loners. Since all of Reese’s sisters had moved away and his dad and mom were dead, he had no family to Shift with. It made him sad sometimes but he mostly just accepted it with Rejuvenated females—Juvies as the Shifters called them—and as scarce as they were, he had no illusions about ever finding a mate. At least, not one with the Shifter Gene to carry on his line. So his Fox kept a lonely vigil on full moon nights, occasionally voicing his high, yipping howl to Lady Moon and staying away from other Shifters.

Now he had somehow stumbled across a girl his other self was crazy about. The intensity of the Fox’s emotion scared Reese a little bit. He was an easy-going guy—not used to drama or strong feelings. Maybe it was time to take a step back.

Wiggling out of Jo’s arms, though his Fox protested against it, he backed away from her and Shifted again, going back to human.

He wound up crouching naked at her feet.

“Oh!” Jo gave a little gasp and took a quick step back from him.

“Sorry.” Reese started pulling on his clothes as fast as he could. “Can’t help it—the clothes don’t Shift with me.”

“I see,” she murmured, although she was pointedly averting her eyes.

“So?” Reese asked as he finished buttoning his jeans and reached for his shirt. “You believe me now?”

“I guess I have no choice.” She frowned. “I’m sorry for doubting you—I thought you were like that pack of Skin Walkers that attacked me on the way here. But your, uh, other form isn’t nearly as scary as theirs. They turned into a pack of wolves—huge ones.”

Reese felt a little guilty about not admitting that the little fox wasn’t his only size option, but he wanted to hear more about the ones who had attacked her.

“A wolf pack, you say?” he said frowning. “Where about did you see them?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “In the woods outside of Asheville. I was leaving Avalon and I was already too far away to call for help.” She looked down at the ceremonial dagger still clutched in her hand. “Not that anyone would have come, even if they could have heard me.”

“Avalon? You mean the private females-only Yoga retreat?” Reese asked. “Is that where you came from?”

“What do you know about Avalon?” she demanded defensively.

Reese shrugged. “I know because I bought my little sister, Meggie, a gift pack to take classes there for her birthday one year. She loves that kind of stuff.”

“I miss it.” Jo’s voice had fallen almost to a whisper. “So much. But . . . I can never go back.”

“Why not?” Reese asked, but she only shook her head. Clearly the pain was too great to talk about. He decided to go back to their earlier topic. “Tell me about this wolf pack that attacked you,” he said, going to sit on the porch steps with his t-shirt still in his hand. “What makes you think they were Skin Walkers?”

“Well . . . because they changed. They . . . Shifted from human to animal form.”

“Like I just did, right?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m just asking because I’ve never heard of real-life Skin Walkers before but there are plenty of Shifters around these parts. In fact, just on the other side of Asheville is a town called Wolverton—that’s dire wolf country. They have a pack about twenty or thirty strong—I know their head Alpha, Jase Saunders. Fixed his truck for him a couple of times.”

Her eyes widened.

“Is he a really tall man with coal-black hair and amber eyes?”

Reese nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. Did you talk to him?”

“He tried to stop the others from attacking me,” Jo said. “He kept shouting that they were a bunch of Betas and they had to control themselves. In fact . . . he held them off just long enough for me to get a running start. But then . . .” She shivered. “I looked behind me and I saw them changing. They were so huge—bigger than any wolf I’ve ever seen.”

“Sounds like dire wolves all right. They went extinct shortly after the last ice age—all the animals were bigger back then. Well, most of them.” Reese frowned. “And that sounds like their Alpha, Jase. But I don’t understand why they would attack you in the first place.”

Jo gave a short, hard laugh. “Because they’re men—what other reason did they need?”

“I’m sorry about that,” Reese said quietly. “I just want you to know you’re safe with me. I won’t hurt you.”

She took a deep breath. “Which is why I should stay with you, right?”

“Do you want to?” Reese asked. “I mean, because I want you to—I really do. But I’d like to know how you feel about it.”

“Well . . .” She looked down at her knife, studying it while she thought. “I want a place to stay—a place to catch my breath. It’s true what I told your fox—or you in your other form, I guess—I’ve been traveling for weeks and I’m really tired. And . . .” Her eyes were suddenly huge and haunted. “And I can’t go back in the woods. Not after the sun goes down, anyway.”

“Then you should stay,” Reese said decisively.

“All right.” She nodded as though making up her mind. “I’ll stay—but only on my own terms.”

“Hands off, I get it.” Reese held up his hands, to show he wouldn’t touch her.

“Hands off is right but . . .” she took a deep breath. “I have to be sure about that.”

Reese frowned. “You want me to give you my word? Because I will.”

“And if I knew you better, I would take your word,” Jo said. “But I’m afraid I have something else in mind—something you might not like.”

“What? Try me.” He wanted her to stay so badly he would have agreed to almost anything. Inside him, he could feel his Fox yipping eagerly. She was going to stay! The wonderful female with the fox-red hair was going to stay!

We’ll see, he sent cautiously to his other half. Settle down.

Jo took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.

“I need to cast a spell,” she said. “A binding spell to keep you from touching me.”

Chapter Three

Jo waited to see what he would say to that. Most males, she thought, probably wouldn’t have taken it well. Not that she’d had much contact with the opposite sex for the past twenty years or so but from what she remembered they were a thin-skinned, easily offended bunch only interested in one thing besides their egos.

Reese, however, just looked at her thoughtfully for a long moment before nodding.

“All right,” he murmured in that deep voice of his. “If it makes you feel better, that’s all right with me.”

Jo looked at him uncertainly. “Wow, you really do want me to stay.”

“I do,” he said simply. “I honestly don’t know why. I know we just met and this isn’t something I normally do, invite strange girls over to stay at my house. But I can’t help it—I just . . . feel like you belong here.”

Jo studied him carefully as he spoke. If he was acting or pretending she certainly couldn’t tell. He seemed to be thinking deeply about this and his warm, mellow voice was completely sincere.

Why does he want me to stay so badly? she wondered. An even trickier question was, why did she want to stay as well? Because she did. Now that she was (mostly) over her fear of the big Shifter, she felt herself drawn to him, drawn to his house and the grounds around it—and not just because she needed to stay out of the forest and avoid the shadow creature.

Her old mentor, Miranda, had taught her that physical places can hold memories and feelings. The big old Victorian house with its wraparound porch and green trim seemed to echo warmth and joy and love. She didn’t think she would get such happy echoes from a place where anyone evil or wrong-intentioned lived.

“Well,” she said at last, thinking of his comment that he didn’t normally invite strange girls over to stay. “I’m hardly a ‘girl,’ although you might think I’m strange when you see me casting.”

“Why?” Reese raised an eyebrow at her. “Is it weirder than watching someone turn into an animal in front of your eyes?”

Jo felt her mouth quirk upward in a smile.

“Okay, point taken. No, I guess not. Listen . . .” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to cast out here, in your backyard if that’s all right.”

“Fine by me.” He shrugged, his bare shoulders rolling. He had yet to put back on his t-shirt and she couldn’t help noticing that his broad, muscular chest with its dusting of reddish-brown hair was very attractive. Not that she was attracted to men—not after her past. But still . . .

“Okay well, I’ll need some time to get ready. And . . .” Jo bit her lip, wondering if he would accede to her next request. “And I need something of yours to use to bind you from touching me. Something personal that you’ve worn next to your skin.”

He regarded her quietly for a moment, then nodded and held out his T-shirt to her.

“Will this do?”

Jo took it from him, scarcely believing his willingness to go along with her request.

“Yes,” she said, clutching the warm, soft cotton to her chest. It had a spicy, masculine fragrance that must be the scent of his skin. “It . . . this will do fine. But I don’t understand . . .” She shook her head. “Why are you so all right with this? I mean, I’m preparing to cast a spell specifically to keep you from . . . from touching me the wrong way. Any other male would have been insulted.”

“I heard what you said back in the shed,” Reese said quietly. “Somebody hurt you, darlin’—hurt you bad. I can understand you wanting to do everything in your power never to let that happen again. And if this is what it takes to make you feel better—to help you trust me—then I’m all for it.”

His quiet response surprised Jo more than she could say. She clutched the warm t-shirt to her chest and stared at him with wide eyes. Reese met her gaze and looked back, his brown eyes filled with quiet understanding. For a moment, Jo felt like she could fall into those eyes and stay there forever. Then she pushed the idea away—it was ridiculous. He was a male and therefore inherently untrustworthy. Plus, even if she had been interested—which she absolutely was not—he was way too young for her.

“I’ll need some time to prepare,” she said briskly. “Casting under a full moon is best but since Lady Moon is new right now—”

“You know about Lady Moon?” he asked, interrupting her.

Jo frowned. “It’s a name for the Goddess—yes, I know about her.”

“It’s just . . . that’s the Shifter deity. The one who looks after Shifters and supposedly started our race in the first place.” He shrugged. “Just never heard of a non-Shifter who knew about her.”

“Oh, well . . . we Wiccans think of her as just one aspect of the Goddess, but there’s definite power in the moon. Although I never heard of her creating a whole different race of people.”

“It’s a Shifter legend.” He smiled a little. “I’ll tell you later if you want—since you seem to like myths and legends so much.”

“Okay, I’d like that.” Jo found herself smiling at him. “I love to learn new lore. Now . . .” She cleared her throat. “As I was saying, it’s better to cast under a full moon but since I can’t, twilight will have to do. That’s a time of power as well.”

“Okay, well I have to get back to work for a little while.” Reese rose from the porch steps. “I own Fox’s Auto Body Repair here in town and I have a car up on the rack I promised would be done by closing time tonight. Do you need anything else before I go?”

“No, I think I have everything I need to cast in my pack. But . . .” Jo bit her lip, uncertain how to ask.

“But what?” Reese said patiently. “Just ask, Jo. I’ll get whatever it is you want—as long as it isn’t a million dollars in small unmarked bills.” He grinned, that warm, easy grin she was already beginning to like more than she wanted to.

“I don’t need anything,” Jo said. “I’m just . . . really thirsty. And I’d, uh, like to use the facilities.”

Which was a nice way of saying she had to pee. Of course, she’d been managing by peeing in the woods for weeks now—more often than not she hadn’t been near a bathroom when she had to relieve herself. But she was tired of that—so damn tired. It would be nice to act like a human for a while instead of living the life of a hunted animal. Plus she really didn’t want to go back into the forest—not even during the daylight hours—if she could help it.

“Oh sure.” Reese walked up the porch steps and opened the back door for her. “You want to go before I leave?”

“Um . . .” Jo hung back. She didn’t want to enter the house with him until the binding was set. He seemed like a nice guy and every instinct she had said she could trust him but still . . . she couldn’t risk letting the past repeat itself. She just couldn’t.

Reese seemed to understand her reluctance.

“It’s okay,” he said. “Tell you what, I’m going to run upstairs and pull on a shirt before I drive back to work. But I’ll leave the back door open for you—you go in and, uh, do what you need to do while I’m gone. That way you don’t have to feel worried.”

“Thank you,” Jo said. “That’s very kind of you but you just met me. Aren’t you placing an awful lot of trust in a complete stranger?”

Reese gave her a long look.

“I guess I am, darlin’,” he said at last. “But my Fox says you’re trustworthy and he hasn’t steered me wrong yet.”

Jo thought of the adorable little red fox he turned into and got a sudden case of the warm fuzzies. It was hard to believe that such a huge, muscular man could turn into a fluffy little ball of fur with those big brown eyes and that unbearably cute pointed muzzle but Reese had proved he could do it.

“I like your Fox,” she said impulsively. “He’s so—”

“Cute? Cuddly? Adorable?” Reese grinned at her.

“All of the above,” Jo agreed.

“Well he is actually me, you know,” Reese pointed out. “The other half of me, anyway.” He frowned. “This spell—once you cast it, I won’t be able to touch you at all? Because . . .” He cleared his throat and got red in the face. “Well, because my, uh, Fox really likes the way you scratch behind his ears. He doesn’t take to many people that way. In fact, you’re pretty much the first.”

“No, no,” Jo hastened to assure him. “You’ll still be able to touch me in your Fox form. And um, in your human form too. Not that we would have, uh, reason to touch.” She felt her cheeks getting hot as she tried to explain. “You just won’t be able to touch me the wrong way.”

“Sexually, you mean?” Reese raised an eyebrow at her.

Feeling her face heat even more, Jo nodded.

“Right. Look . . .” She cleared her throat. “Why don’t you watch me cast? It might clear up some of your questions and it’s only fair that you know what the binding keeps you from doing since I’ll be staying in your house.”

He nodded. “I was going to ask if I could watch but I wasn’t sure if it was, uh, polite.”

Jo smiled. “Nothing about casting a binding spell is polite, but it would be rude of me not to include you in the process—especially since you’re being so nice about it.”

“Hey . . .” Reese spread his hands. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m a nice guy.”

That remains to be seen, Jo thought, but she didn’t say it aloud. Instead she just nodded her head.

“All right. Well . . . I’m going to grab a shirt and get back to work,” Reese told her. “I’ll be back sometime between five and six. But . . .”

“But what?” Jo asked, seeing him hesitate.

“Well, don’t take this the wrong way but you’ll be all right, won’t you?” There was genuine concern on his face. “I mean, when I found you, you were just about to . . .” He mimed cutting his wrist. “You’re not just waiting for me to go so you can finish the job, are you?”

“What?” Jo was startled. “No!” she exclaimed. “No, I . . .” She paused and took a breath, thinking about it. “I don’t know why I tried that,” she admitted at last. “I think I was feeling overwhelmed and trapped . . . kind of hopeless.”

“And now?” Reese’s warm brown eyes regarded her quietly.

“Now, well . . . I guess I don’t feel so hopeless anymore.” Jo surprised herself with the words but it was true, she didn’t feel so dejected and depressed. When she’d had her suicidal moment in the shed, she’d been feeling like she had nowhere to go, no hope for the future. She didn’t feel that way now.

I have a place to stay . . . if I want. My options aren’t so limited. And inside a dwelling the shadow creature can’t get me. She hoped, anyway.

“So you’re feeling better?” Reese asked.

“Yes . . . I guess I am. But thank you for asking. I . . .” She cleared her throat. “I guess it must have been weird for you, finding a strange woman about to slit her wrists in your shed.”

Reese grinned. “Well, it is one of the weirder things that have ever happened to me but I’m a Shifter—I’m used to weirdness. And I’m glad you showed up here.”

Jo bit her lip. “Me too,” she admitted quietly.

“Good.” Reese nodded at the house. “Okay, I’ve gotta go. Make yourself at home.”

“Thank you,” Jo said. “I . . . I will.”

With a final nod, he left her, going into the big old house and letting the screen door bang shut behind him. But Jo noticed that he didn’t close the back door itself—he left it standing open, a clear invitation for her to come in whenever she felt safe to do so.

But do I feel safe? Jo asked herself. Not just to go in the house but to stay there? To stay there with him?

She honestly wasn’t sure, but it seemed she had committed herself. And surely it was safer here with Reese than out in the forest with the shadow creature.

Jo scanned the dark trees of the forest, just beyond Reese’s backyard and shivered. Whatever it is, it can’t get to me here.

She hoped.

* * *

Reese whistled as he drove back to his repair shop. What a bizarre lunch hour. Speaking of lunch, he was still hungry. A few french fries in his Fox form did not make a filling meal. Never mind, he could grab something on the way home. And he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so good.

She’s staying! the Fox yipped excitedly inside him. She’s really staying!

Reese hoped his other half was right. He supposed that he might get back to an empty house and find that Jo had changed her mind and decided to leave after all. But somehow he didn’t think that was going to happen. There was something there—some connection he didn’t quite understand yet. But it was definitely real. His Fox was ecstatic about the girl—about Jo—and that had never happened before. Never, though he had dated around plenty when he was younger.

When he got to the garage, his longtime best friend, Liam Keller, was waiting for him.

“Hey, problems with your Porsche again or is it the Mercedes this time?” Reese asked, grinning as he stepped down from the cab of his tow truck.

Keller was a bio-tech wizard who could probably buy and sell everybody in town five times over. But he didn’t flaunt his wealth—well, other than a penchant for fast, expensive cars.

“Neither.” Keller was leaning against a wall of the garage with his arms crossed and a curious light in his eyes. “I just came to see if you liked the take-out you got from the Cougar’s Den. Did it taste good?”

“Couldn’t tell you,” Reese said cheerfully. “I gave it away. All but a few fries, that is.”

“Gave it away?” Keller’s eyebrows shot up. “To who?”

“Who do you think? The girl in my shed Fiona told me about.” Reese shook his head. “Goddamn—how does she know things like that? I’d pay good money to spend time inside her head.”

“You’d be wasting your hard earned cash. I don’t think anyone but Fiona could figure out what goes on in there,” Keller said dryly. “But tell me about the girl. What is she like? What’s her name?”

It was Reese’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“You checking up on me, Keller? Or is it the Cat inside you that’s so curious you can’t help asking?”

Keller shrugged easily. “A little of both, maybe. Mostly I just wanted to be sure everything was okay.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you what I know—it’s not much though,” Reese said. “Her name is Jocasta Ferrell. She looks to be nineteen or twenty and she’s a witch.”

“A what?” Keller looked startled.

“You heard me.” Reese laughed at his friend’s expression—Keller wasn’t easy to rattle. “Oh, and she’s staying at my place but only under the condition that she can cast a binding spell on me so I won’t touch her.”

“What?” Keller frowned at him. “And you agreed to that?”

Reese was surprised at his friend’s extreme reaction.

“Take it easy, buddy. You and I know I’d never hurt a female but Jo doesn’t know that—she’s been, uh, hurt before. So this spell thing is just to help her feel better about staying in my house, that’s all.”

Keller frowned. “You don’t believe in witches or witchcraft, do you?”

“Well, I mean I believe that the people who call themselves witches believe it,” Reese said. “But I don’t think there’s much more to it than that. It’s like the power of positive thinking, you know? Jo thinks she’s casting a spell on me to keep me from hurting her—which I would never do—so she feels more comfortable around me. There’s no actual effect except for the mental one.”

“That’s really what you think?” Keller shook his head.

“What? You don’t mean to tell me you believe in all that stuff—do you?” Reese asked. “I thought you were a man of science and all that.”

“I am but I’ve learned not to discount anything—especially someone else’s beliefs, no matter how far-fetched they may seem,” Keller said. “Ask yourself this—would you still let this girl cast a spell on you if you knew it was going to have an actual physical effect?”

“Well . . .” Reese, frowned, mulling it over. “She told me the spell is just to keep me from touching her, uh, the wrong way.” He cleared his throat. “You know what I mean. So yeah, I guess I’d still let her, if it helped her feel better.”

“You said she’s been . . . violated in the past?” Keller asked.

“Pretty sure she has.” Reese nodded, his jaw clenching at the thought of someone hurting Jo like that. He hadn’t known her long but his Fox had already laid claim to her and he felt a powerful feeling of protectiveness growing inside him where she was concerned. “Plus, she’s been attacked twice since she left Avalon.”

“She lived at the females-only Yoga retreat?” Keller asked.

“Apparently it’s more than just a Yoga retreat. Anyway, she was attacked by a pack of dire wolves just outside of Asheville. She thought they were ‘Skin Walkers’.”

“Jase Sanders’ pack?” Keller asked, frowning. “Why would they attack her? Did they mistake her for prey?”

Reese shrugged. “Don’t know but I didn’t get the sense she was lying about it. She’s really, really distrustful of males. That’s why I agreed to let her cast the uh . . . the binding spell on me—it was the only way she’d agree to stay.”

“And you think that was wise? Inviting a strange woman into your house and your life? A witch who’s already admitted she intends to cast spells on you?” Keller demanded.

Reese frowned.

“Get over it, Keller,” he growled. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m not sure you do,” the other Shifter retorted. “Look . . .” He put a hand on Reese’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’m just worried about you.”

“Well don’t be. I have it under control.” Reese shrugged off his friend’s hand, then thought better of it. “Look, Keller,” he said, trying to make him understand. “How did your Cougar feel about Samantha? Not now—back when you first met her?”

Keller sighed. “My Cat loved her—claimed her—almost right from the start. But we formed an early bond so—”

“It’s the same with my Fox,” Reese interrupted him. “He loves Jo—in fact, he’s fucking crazy about her and he’s never, never reacted that way towards a female before.” He shrugged. “I like her too and well, this just feels right somehow. I can’t explain it, I just feel it in my bones, you know?”

Keller looked at him for a long moment and then shook his head.

“All right, forgive me for butting into your business. I just worry about you getting mixed up with witches. Their powers are real, you know—as real as ours.”

Reese felt a wave of unease roll over him. Could it be his friend was right? Was he walking into some kind of a trap, allowing Jo to cast this spell on him when he barely knew her?

But his Fox insisted loudly that she was good, that she was right and trustworthy.

He shook his head.

“Sorry, Keller, but I’ve got to go with my gut on this one. Or in this case, my Fox’s gut. He really likes her.”

“All right.” Keller took a step back, a doubtful look on his face. “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Don’t worry,” Reese said stiffly. “I do and I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat. “Look, Keller, I’ve got a lot of work to do, so . . .”

“Of course. Sorry I bothered you.” Keller sighed. “Look, at least promise me one thing—take her to meet Fiona. She’s the one who told you about this girl in the first place. She’ll know what to do with her—where to put her.”

Reese frowned. “Where to put her? I already told you, she’s staying with me—that’s where she belongs.”

Keller sighed. “I can see your Fox has already claimed her, but just talk to Fiona—will you at least promise me that?”

“I’ll go by her shop tomorrow if it’ll make you feel better,” Reese growled, thoroughly pissed off by his friend’s high-handed behavior. He was beginning to be sorry he’d ever told Keller anything about the little witch. “And I’ll bring Jo with me—if she wants to come.”

“Good,” Keller said shortly. “Look, I can tell you’re angry at me, Coop, and I’m sorry. I just . . . want you to be okay.”

Before Reese could answer, he went to get behind the wheel of a candy-apple-red sports car sitting just outside the shop. After sliding his muscular bulk into the low-slung vehicle he poked his head out and looked at Reese.

“If you need anything—any help—just let me know.”

“Will do.” Reese tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He and Keller were good friends but the other male could be all kinds of nosy and officious sometimes. Then again, Reese reminded himself, Keller was a Cat. It went with the territory.

He went about the rest of his day, trying to forget his friend’s words of warning. But even as he worked, he couldn’t help hearing what Keller had said to him echoing in the corners of his mind.

“I just worry about you getting mixed up with witches. Their powers are real, you know—as real as ours . . .”

Could Keller possibly be right? And if so, was he doing a foolish thing, allowing Jo to work her magic on him?

Reese didn’t know, but he thought he was about to find out.

Chapter Four

There were some noises from inside, then the sound of the front door closing and an engine—it sounded like a big one—starting. Looking around the side of the house, Jo saw a big wrecker truck drive by. On it was the slogan, FOX’S AUTO BODY: YOU BROKE IT, WE FIX IT! Reese was inside and he drove the huge vehicle with easy confidence, one hand on the wheel and the other arm on the open window.

After he disappeared Jo sat back on the porch steps and looked at the back door. Should she go in? And more to the point, should she stay?

She supposed she could just use the restroom, grab a glass of water, and continue her journey—there was nothing holding her here. But where would she go? It wasn’t like she had a destination in mind other than away from Avalon. And strangely, she wanted to stay.

“I’ll just go in and look around,” she muttered, daring to climb the creaky back porch steps. “See what it’s like inside.” Collecting her backpack and holding her athame out in front of her just in case, she pushed her way past the screen door and entered the house.

She got the impression that Reese lived alone so she was expecting a bachelor clutter. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to see that the big Shifter was apparently a guy who knew how to clean up after himself.

The back door led into a large and well-appointed, if somewhat old-fashioned, kitchen. It was white with sunny yellow trim, a gas stove, and a big old refrigerator that hummed quietly to itself in a corner. Faded white and yellow checked curtains hung in the window, which showed a good view of the backyard and the forest beyond it.

A grandma kitchen, Jo thought. She could almost imagine a nice little old lady with gray hair baking batches of chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles by the dozen. But when she tried to picture the scene, she saw herself instead, standing over the gas stove and stirring a pot of her famous vegetable stew.

Jo frowned. That was ridiculous—she was here as a guest, not to get comfy enough to take over the kitchen and cook. Although she supposed she might offer to make Reese dinner one night as a kind of payment for staying in his home. That would be nice.

She walked through the kitchen and out into the living area, which was filled with faded but clean furniture in a floral pattern that must have been picked by Reese’s mother or some other female relative. She wondered if he’d inherited the house and just left everything as it was. After all, the floral print love seat and couch still looked comfortable and serviceable—if it isn’t broke, why fix it?

There was a den with some sports posters framed on the wall but the TV was an old box model, not the flat screen Jo would have expected. Across from it was a big, comfortable looking leather chair and a reading lamp on a little table. The walls were lined with bookshelves and the books didn’t look purely ornamental either—their creased covers and battered edges showed they’d been read. There were war histories, biographies, mysteries, thrillers—a thoroughly masculine selection, Jo thought. There was also an e-reader lying on the little table under the lamp. Hmm . . . if Reese really read this much it might explain the blue band of intellect she’d seen in his aura.

Jo was intrigued but she was also in dire need of the restroom. She cut her exploration of the big house short and headed upstairs, looking for a bathroom.

The upstairs was a long hallway lined with doors. After peering into several guest rooms, Jo finally turned the right knob and was rewarded by the sight of a toilet facing a big, old fashioned claw-foot tub. Finally!

Stepping inside, she stowed her athame in her pack and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. After taking care of business, she sighed in relief and her eyes wandered back to the bathtub. How long had it been since she’d had a bath? Ages and ages—it felt like forever.

Looking down at herself, she saw with distaste that the ashes of the white ash tree were still smeared thickly across her pale skin. That had been necessary out in the forest to throw the Skin Walkers—no, Dire Wolf Shifters, she reminded herself—off her scent. But if she was going to stay with Reese, she didn’t need to be grimy and coated in ashes anymore. Plus, she really needed to wash the cut on her arm from where her athame had slipped.

The clock on the wall said a quarter to three. Reese had said he wouldn’t be home until between five and six, which left her plenty of time to take a bath and prepare to cast the binding.

Jo filled the tub, watching the steam rise with anticipation. Oh, the hot water was going to feel so good on her aching muscles! She even found some Epsom salts to pour into the tub. It wasn’t scented bath oil or bubble bath but it would do and hopefully the salt in the water would help scrub away the stubborn gray ashes that stained her skin.

As she waited for the huge tub to fill, Jo wandered towards to the mirror over the bathroom sink. She hadn’t looked at her reflection in ages and she expected to see a woman with dirt-smeared cheeks and weary circles under her eyes.

What she saw instead shocked and surprised her. There certainly was dirt smeared on her face and her eyes looked weary but . . . it wasn’t her—wasn’t Jo. Or at least, not the Jo she was used to seeing.

With a gasp, she drew away from the mirror, her hands going involuntarily to her face. Where was she? Where was the woman she had become?

Staring at her from out of the glass was her younger self—the girl she’d been twenty years ago. The thick streak of silver that had been in her hair for the past ten years, which had started fading in Avalon, was now completely gone. The crow’s-feet around the corners of her eyes had been smoothed away and the curving lines around her lips had been erased.

Pulling her dress off, she saw that her body was similarly changed. Her breasts, which had begun to sag, were now high and tight, and her ass was firm and round again. The varicose veins that had started around her ankles had magically disappeared and there wasn’t a trace of cellulite on her anywhere. She had thought her body felt somewhat different during her travels through the woods but there never seemed to be a good time to stop and really examine herself. Now she could see how much she’d changed and it scared her.

“What happened to me?” she whispered, looking down at herself. “How can this be? What’s going on? Is this what the Elders were talking about when they kicked me out?”

She looked at her face again, at the flame-red hair without a single silver strand, the pale, dirty cheeks and big amber eyes. She looked exactly as she had during that awful time—the time she’d tried so hard to forget. It was as though her body was going backwards, trying to force her to remember the past trauma, the awful attack she’d thought she would never get over . . .

No—don’t think like that. Don’t dwell on it, she told herself, trying to be calm. You worked through it years ago with Miranda. Don’t dredge it all up again now.

It was easier advice to give than to take but before she could dwell on it longer, she saw that the claw-foot bathtub was about to overflow. Quickly, she ran to shut off the taps and drained a little of the steaming water before she climbed in and sank down, trying to make peace with her young, new body.

She spent a long time soaping and scrubbing herself, finally managing to get all of the gray ashes off her skin. The cut on her arm stung from the salt in the water, but it was just a shallow scratch and Jo was sure it would heal quickly. It felt good to be clean again and good to get reacquainted with her body—despite the way it had changed.

But the question was, how had it changed? When the Elders had kicked her out of Avalon, they’d accused her of working Dark Magic. Though Jo knew perfectly well she had done nothing of the kind, now she wondered if maybe someone—some malignant other—had worked some on her.

She thought of the shadow creature and shivered. Could that entity—the one she’d been trying so desperately to escape—have something to do with her drastic change? Had it been planning to get her kicked out of Avalon so that it could have its dark way with her?

Also, did her sudden youthening—Jo couldn’t think of a better name for it—have anything to do with the awful pain she’d had on the night of the full moon? Or the throbbing between her legs? Or the dull headache that had settled in her temples and wouldn’t go away, no matter what she did? She’d gotten so used to living with these constant pains they became almost normal, but with her suddenly much younger body she realized she ought to be feeling much better than she was.

Although actually . . . she frowned. The headache was gone—at least for now. When had that happened? She didn’t know, but it was nice not to have the dull pounding in her temples for once.

Jo washed her hair and then sat and soaked and pondered, occasionally adding hot water until she glanced at the clock and realized it was almost a quarter to five. Crap! How had it gotten so late? She had to hurry now, to get everything in order for the binding before Reese came home.

She got out of the tub and dried herself with a big, puffy yellow towel that felt good against her sensitive skin. I’ve been roughing it so long I’d forgotten about little creature comforts like hot baths and soft towels, Jo thought. Having access to them again, as well as having a full belly, was a luxury.

She felt a flash of gratitude towards her host and then told herself to be careful. Especially now that she was young again, maybe Reese was only after her body. She needed to be certain he couldn’t touch her, just in case.

But his aura was pure, whispered a voice in her head. And the house has nothing but good echoes. And what about his Fox?

Jo couldn’t help the rush of good feelings she got when she thought of the soft, furry little creature Reese turned into. The way he had nuzzled her neck and curled up in her lap . . . the way he danced around begging for french-fries—really, it was impossible not to be won over by the adorable little animal.

Maybe that’s what he wants, though, whispered the voice of caution in her head. Maybe he’s just trying to lure you and get you off guard so he can—

Jo pushed the thought abruptly away. So far, Reese seemed like a decent guy. He agreed to the binding spell, so she ought to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Speaking of the binding spell, she had to get dressed and go outside to start casting the circle. She took off the puffy towel and hung it over the shower curtain to dry. But her black sundress was tattered and dirty—she couldn’t bear to put it back on over her freshly washed skin. She’d brought very few other clothes with her but a look in her pack showed they were all in pretty much the same state as the dress. Dirty, ragged, smelly . . . and since she’d taken so long in the bathtub, there was no time to wash them.

There was a man’s button-down, dark blue dress shirt hanging from a hook on the back of the bathroom door. Jo hesitated . . . then put it on. It fell to mid-thigh on her and she had to roll up the much too long sleeves. She hoped Reese wouldn’t be upset with her but she could always promise to wash the shirt later, after her own ragged clothes had taken a trip through the washing machine. And he had told her to make herself at home.

Jo looked in the mirror, startled all over again at the young face staring back. The shirt looked good with her eyes and her freshly washed hair hung down her back, long and damp and, because it was wet, looking more dark auburn than her usual pale red. She was . . . pretty.

How long had it been since she’d thought of herself in those terms? Since before the attack in the park so many years ago, she thought. After that, she’d blamed her looks for what had happened to her and had wanted nothing more to do with dressing up or fixing her hair or anything that related to making herself attractive to the opposite sex.

She wondered if it would ever be possible to reclaim that part of herself—the part that liked feeling pretty and desirable. Could she ever . . . Her eyes wandered up to the clock and she saw it was getting late.

“Stop it, Jo, you’re wasting time,” she muttered to herself.

Gathering her things and making sure the bathtub was clean, she went back downstairs and out into the backyard. The sun was much lower in the sky now, almost setting, and there was a chilly light wind whispering through the pines and maples behind the house. Jo sat on the creaky back porch steps and dug in her pack once more, looking for everything else she needed.

Out of the pack she took a baggie of sea salt, four candles of various colors, her athame, a metal chalice, a small bottle of red chrism oil, and Miranda’s book of shadows.

Of course, Jo had her own book—but at the time of Miranda’s death, her mentor had been a witch for at least thirty more years than Jo had. Her book was probably the most complete one Jo had ever seen—excluding the Great Book that stood on the cedar stand in the room of wisdom back in Avalon.

Of course, a protection or warding spell would probably work the best to keep Reese away from her—unfortunately it would work too well. It would force him to stay at least one hundred yards away from her at all times—kind of like a magical restraining order. That would be awkward if she was staying in the same house with him and also, Jo felt it would be rude. Kind of like saying she didn’t trust him any further than she could throw him. No, the binding spell was definitely a better option.

Thumbing carefully through the book with its cracked leather binding, she came to the spell she wanted—the binding of male to female. Of course, she wanted to bind Reese away from her—to stop him from touching her—but the spell would work for that as well—she only needed to reverse some of the wording. But . . . Jo frowned as she read over the instructions for how to work the magic.

“Crap,” she muttered. “I can’t believe this! Seriously?”

“Hi,” a deep male voice said from behind her. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh!” Jo gasped and turned around, her athame gripped tightly in one fist.

Reese was standing there, wearing jeans and a light blue t-shirt. He put up both hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I just—” He stopped abruptly, his entire big body stiffening like a hound on point. His eyes went wide and his nostrils flared, as though he was catching some strange scent on the evening breeze.

“Reese?” She kept a tight grip on her athame and tucked the book of shadows under her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I . . . did you . . . did you take a . . . a bath?” he asked at last in a strangled voice.

“Well . . . yes.” Jo wondered if he was angry. “You told me to make myself at home and I hadn’t had a chance to get clean in two weeks. I’m sorry about your shirt,” she added hastily, plucking at the dark blue fabric with the hand not holding the athame. “But all my clothes are dirty. I promise I’ll wash it and iron it and—”

“No . . . no, it’s okay.” Reese gave a forced-sounding laugh and took a step back from her. “Keep the shirt—it’s fine, really.”

“Are you sure?” Jo raised her eyebrows at him.

“Sure I’m sure.” He cleared his throat. “I’m, um, glad to see you’re getting comfortable.”

“I appreciate that,” Jo said sincerely. “I was, uh, just about to call the circle.”

“Call . . . call the circle?”

“It’s the start of most Wiccan spells,” Jo explained.

“Okay. Um . . .” He coughed. “Excuse me. I need glass of water before we, uh, get started.”

“Sure.” Jo nodded. “And while you’re in there, I need some wine. Do you have any?”

“Wine?” He frowned. “Not much of a wine drinker myself—beer is more my style. But I might have some. Let me go see.” And he fled into the house, almost stumbling in his haste to get through the backdoor into the kitchen.

Jo frowned as she watched him go. What had that been all about? He’d seemed perfectly fine when he first walked up behind her and then he had become . . . flustered somehow. But why?

She didn’t know and anyway, she was more concerned with getting this spell right. Looking at Miranda’s Book of Shadows again, she frowned.

This was going to be more complicated than she’d thought.

* * *

Reese nearly ran in the kitchen and grabbed the edge of the countertop with both hands, squeezing so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Her scent! Oh God, her scent!

Now he understood what his Fox found so damn attractive about the little red-haired witch. She was a Juvie—a Rejuvenated female.

A woman could be born with the Shifter Gene, but it would be dormant all her life as long as she had a man who claimed her and made love to her regularly. But once she reached her forties or fifties, the age of Rejuvenation, if she had no mate or if her mate had neglected her sexually for at least six months, the hormonal changes would start.

Her body would return to the physical state she’d been in during her early twenties and a state of hyper-fertility would be induced. And since Lady Moon wanted to ensure that there were always more Shifter babies to continue the race she had created, the newly Rejuvenated female would start emitting a Juvie scent that was like pure sex—a siren call to any male Shifter in her immediate vicinity to mate and breed her.

That was the scent that Jo was putting out right now—Reese couldn’t understand how he’d missed it earlier. Maybe it had to do with the strange, gray dust she’d smeared all over her skin—it had acted as some kind of camouflage and masked her Juvie scent. But the gray dust was gone now and Jo smelled like a female in heat, ripe and ready to be mated and bred. Ready to be claimed by an Alpha who wanted to fill her belly with his babies.

Get a grip on yourself. Reese told himself angrily. He looked down at the hard bulge in his jeans—his cock was standing at attention and throbbing with need. You have to get control. You can’t go out there like this—you’ll freak her out and scare her off!

He also couldn’t tell her what she was—not yet, anyway. It was clear to him that Jo had no idea she had the Shifter Gene. Hell, she hadn’t even known what Shifters were—she’d thought they were Skin Walkers before he’d told her otherwise. And right now, when she was about to cast the spell, was not the time to start laying out revelations. Especially when the revelation was, ‘Hey, did you know you’re a Shifter female and you’re going to need sex from a Shifter male really soon and oh, hey look—I just happen to be a Shifter male, how can I be of service?’

Reese winced. That made him sound like an opportunistic bastard. No, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell her.

Just get through this, he told himself. Get through tonight and tomorrow you can ask her to go see Fiona with you, like Keller suggested. Fiona can explain everything.

It was a good plan—much better than the one his Fox suggested, which was that they go and claim their mate this very instant.

We have to take it easy, he told his other half. She’s been hurt before—we can’t scare her off.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and began hunting in the cabinets for the bottle of wine Jo had asked for. Everything would be all right—he would keep his distance, keep his hands to himself, and try to hold his breath when the wind was blowing her scent in his direction. They would get a good night’s sleep in separate rooms and tomorrow he would take Jo straight to Fiona.

Everything was going to be fine, just perfectly fine . . . he hoped.

Chapter Five

“Okay, this is a little awkward, but . . .” Jo took a deep breath and looked at Reese. He was shifting uncomfortably just outside the circle she’d drawn using handfuls of the sea salt she’d brought with her.

“But?” he echoed.

“I, um, for this ritual to be effective, I need to do it sky-clad.”

“Sky-clad?” He shook his head, not understanding.

Jo bit her lip. “Naked,” she said in a low voice. “The spell requires that I cast it naked.”

“Um . . .” He shifted again and frowned. “Why?”

“It’s about getting closer to nature to draw the necessary power for your spell to you. Look . . .” Jo stepped closer to the edge of the circle she was standing within and showed him Miranda’s book of shadows.

Reese immediately took a step back, as though he was trying to put distance between them.

Jo frowned. It wasn’t like she was naked yet. She was still wearing his dark blue shirt—she wouldn’t take it off until it was absolutely necessary.

“It’s all right,” she told him. “I haven’t called the circle yet—you can come a little closer. I just wanted to show you the spell and try to explain a little bit. See?” She held up the book of shadows.

Reese stepped closer again, reluctantly, she thought.

“What’s that?” he asked. “Some kind of cookbook for all your spells?”

“That’s exactly what it is. It’s a book of shadows, which is like a recipe book for spells. Every witch keeps one of her own—a kind of magical diary and how-to book. This one belonged to my mentor, Miranda. She . . . she’s gone now but she left it to me.”

She blinked back sudden tears, overcome as she often was by her mentor’s loss. Miranda had been so wise and patient. Jo had felt lost since her death a year ago.

“Hey . . .” Some of Reese’s unease seemed to fade and his brown eyes filled with compassion. “You really miss her, don’t you?”

Jo nodded. “She helped me through a really hard time in my life. I don’t think . . . don’t think I’d be alive today if she hadn’t.”

“Sounds like a special lady,” Reese remarked gently.

“She was.” Jo nodded. “She was the closest thing I had to a mom, since my own mom died so young. Anyway . . .” She brushed tears from her eyes with the back of one hand. “I found this spell in her book of shadows and I think it’s as close to a sexual binding as I’m going to get.”

“Hmm . . .” Reese was reading from the book now, his eyes flicking rapidly over Miranda’s thin, spidery script. “My breasts shall you cup . . . my thighs shall you part . . .” He cleared his throat and looked at Jo. “Uh, excuse me for saying so, darlin’, but this doesn’t exactly sound like a spell for keeping a man away from you.”

“It’s actually a spell to bind a man to you sexually,” Jo explained, feeling her cheeks getting hot. Why had she showed him the book of shadows? But she’d felt compelled to explain what was going to happen, lest he get the wrong idea. Which, from the look on his face, he already was.

“But . . .” Reese shook his head. “I thought you wanted to bind me away from you—to keep me from touching you.”

“I do but there’s no specific spell for a sexual distancing in the book,” Jo explained. “So I’m going to improvise. I’ll conduct the spell as it is written in the book and then, after I’ve sealed it with a sip of the herbed wine . . .” She held up the chalice she’d filled halfway with the red wine he’d given her and added a sprinkle of the dried herbs she’d gotten from one of her storage pouches. “After that I’ll say the words, ‘All shall be opposite to what I have told, so the sun shall be silver and the moon shall be gold. The night shall be day and the day shall be night and never upon me thy hands shall alight.’”

“Um . . . okay. So you do the whole spell and then tack on the opposite thing on the end to reverse its intention?” Reese raised an eyebrow at her. “And what are the herbs you put in the wine?” he asked.

“Let’s see . . . Yerba Mate for faithfulness, Violet for love, lust, and luck, and Holy Thistle for purification and protection.”

“That still sounds like you’re binding someone to you—is this spell actually a love charm?”

“It’s a sexual fidelity spell,” Jo admitted. “But since I’ll be reversing it—”

“It won’t make me want to run out and, uh, get with a bunch of strange women, will it?” he demanded. “Because I don’t want that. I’m not that kind of guy.”

“No, no,” Jo assured him quickly. “It will just keep you from, uh, wanting to get with me—that’s all.” She could feel her cheeks heating. “Goddess, saying that out loud makes me sound kind of conceited—here I am working an entire ritual just to—”

“Make yourself feel safe,” Reese finished for her. “It’s all right, Jo—I understand why you need to do it. I just want to be sure it doesn’t have any weird side effects.”

“It shouldn’t do anything but keep you from touching me sexually,” Jo assured him.

“Well then . . . guess you’d better get started. Oh, one more question though—is it reversible?”

She opened her mouth to ask why she would want to reverse it . . . but found herself answering instead.

“It is but I’d have to find the right herbs to counteract the ones I used in the wine.”

“You don’t have them with you in your pack?” He looked at all the implements she’d laid out inside the circle. “You seem to have everything else.”

“I’d have to look,” Jo said. “But multiple herbs have multiple uses. Look . . .” She gazed at him earnestly. “I don’t want you to worry about me casting a malicious spell on you—I only work white magic and I live by the rule of three.”

“The rule of three? What’s that?” Reese frowned.

“It was the first thing my mentor, Miranda, ever taught me about being a witch.” Jo closed her eyes and recited. “Bide the Wiccan law ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust. Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An ye harm none, do as ye will. What ye send forth comes back to ye, so ever mind the Law of Three. Follow this with mind and heart, merry ye meet and merry part.”

“So . . . anything you do to me comes back to you times three?” Reese asked.

“Exactly. So you can feel comfortable knowing I wouldn’t try to hurt you—I’d be hurting myself three times as badly if I did,” Jo explained.

“Okay.” He nodded. “Thanks—that does make me feel better, actually.”

“Good. Then I’d better get started—the sun is beginning to set.”

Jo looked up to where the sun was sinking behind the mountains, darkening the woods beyond Reese’s backyard and shivered a little. She was fairly certain the shadow creature couldn’t pass the barrier from the wilds onto tilled soil—a place settled and civilized by people—but she would just as soon get this spell over and done with so she could go inside and feel comfortable and safe.

“You okay?” Reese asked her.

“Hmm?” Jo dragged her attention from the woods to see that he was looking at her with concern.

“The woods—you keep staring like you expect to see a monster out there.” He nodded at the pines and maples that edged the border of the forest.

His words were so astute they sent a shiver down Jo’s back. She had to fight to keep from wrapping her arms around herself and shaking with fear.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, not liking how thin and frightened her voice sounded. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I just . . . don’t like the woods at night. That’s all.”

That was an understatement but it was all she was prepared to say—at least for now. She took a deep breath. It was time to get the ritual started, before complete darkness fell.

Walking to the center of the circle, she unbuttoned the dark blue shirt and let it fall to her feet. She kicked it to the edge of the circle and raised her arms above her head, ignoring the low, hoarse noise she heard from Reese. Let him look—in a moment he wouldn’t want to touch her even if she walked around naked all day. She would be perfectly safe in his house no matter what.

A little voice whispered in her head that she would probably be perfectly safe with him even without the spell. He truly was a nice guy—his aura, his house, and especially his Fox said so. But with the horrors in her past, she just couldn’t be sure. She needed to feel not just mostly safe, but completely safe. It was the only way she could spend the night in the house of a strange man—even a man she was beginning to like very much.

Closing her eyes, she felt the cool wind blowing across her body, tightening her nipples into points and sliding between her thighs to tease the lips of her sex. She visualized the clouds parting and a pure, white radiance pouring down from above to fill her to the brim, the way clear water fills a cup.

Goddess, she thought. Help me do this right.

Then, opening her eyes, she stooped and picked up a candle along with a lighter from the little pile she’d laid out. Walking swiftly to the east-most point of the circle, she placed the yellow candle carefully upright in the ring of salt and lit it as she spoke.

“Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the East. Spirits of Air, powers of Thought. I call upon you to lend your essence to this rite.”

Walking to the western-most point, she lit the blue candle and spoke again.

“Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the West. Spirits of Water, powers of Emotion. Come to me now and lend your power to this rite.”

She did the same for the southern and northern points of the circle, lighting the red and green candles, calling the circle as she had so many times in the past. And to her surprise, she felt a power rising in her that rivaled anything she’d ever felt before.

There were plenty of people who called themselves Wiccans or witches, Jo knew. Many of them went through the motions, doing spells and working rituals but nothing actually happened. That was because while they might have the desire to be witches, they didn’t actually have the aptitude or ability for it.

“They got no juice, honey,” Miranda had said in her soft, deeply Southern accent. “Ain’t a one of ‘em got the power in their whole body that you got in your pinky finger. You’re a natural witch—you have the strength to work the Craft to your will.”

Jo had found her mentor’s words to be true. When she cast spells, things happened. She wasn’t just playing at being a witch to make herself feel better or more powerful—she actually was one, and she’d rarely called the circle without feeling her natural talent rise within her. But this time was different. This time . . .

It’s like I called for soft rain and got a flood, Jo thought, wondering at the sense of pure power that prickled the skin of her naked body into gooseflesh and raised the short hairs at the back of her neck. Like I called for a spring breeze and got a hurricane.

The feeling of extreme power almost made her pause in the ritual. Was she at some kind of supernatural nexus here? Or did Reese’s presence have something to do with the intensification of her abilities? Whatever the reason, the result was going to be an exceptionally powerful spell.

I can’t stop now, Jo told herself. I’ve already called the circle and asked the Goddess for help. I just have to make sure I don’t screw this up.

Taking a deep breath, she continued. Putting down the lighter, she picked up the small, cut crystal bottle of red chrism oil. She dropped a tiny bit on Reese’s white t-shirt, which she had spread on the ground inside the circle and then turned to face him. He was watching her, an intent expression in his deep brown eyes, as though he was drinking in everything she was saying and doing and saving it all to mull it over and process later.

Jo closed her eyes and intoned:

“Behold now in this sacred hour, I call upon the Goddess’s power

Thy body now shall yearn for me and mine for yours again times three.

Listen as I say the spell, bide the words and hear them well

As I say, so shall we do, though moon be full or be it new

So shall we two be bound as one, beneath the moon, beneath the sun.”

The words of the sexual binding ritual were filled with power—indeed, Jo felt the tips of her breasts tingling and her sex throbbing between her thighs. Desire flooded her and she tried to push it away. It was an uncomfortable feeling—one she wasn’t used to at all. After the attack so many years ago, she’d preferred to think of herself as uninterested in carnal pleasures.

She heard a low, hoarse growl from Reese. Looking at him, she was startled to see that his brown eyes were glowing with a golden light and his big, muscular frame looked tense, his broad shoulders tight. His reddish-brown hair was tousled as though he’d been running his hands through it and his mouth was open, almost as though he was panting. Clearly, he was feeling the power too.

The sound of his lustful growl filled her with even more unwilling desire and for a brief instant, she had a mental image of herself on her hands and knees in the moonlight while Reese crouched behind her and filled her with himself, thrusting the long, hard shaft of his cock deep in her willing pussy . . .

Jo frowned and pushed the erotic image away. Where had that come from? She’d sworn off men and sex years ago when she first came to Avalon and offered the Goddess her celibacy, and she certainly didn’t want to start being sexual again now. In fact, she was working this entire ritual to avoid going in that direction—or having Reese go in it, anyway.

It’s only temporary, she comforted herself. As soon as she got through the entire ceremony and said the words of reversal, she would feel no more attraction to Reese and he would feel no more attraction for her. They would stay in the house feeling nothing but safe and dependable friendship for each other.

In the meantime, though, she had to go through the uncomfortable feelings of desire in order to reach the purity and safety of disinterest.

Almost halfway there, Jo told herself. You can do this—keep going!

“Reese,” she said, addressing him again. “My body shall you worship, with hands and lips and tongue. My lips and no other’s shall you kiss.” Here she dipped one finger in the red chrism oil and painted a bit of it over her full lips. “My breasts alone shall you cup . . .” Jo dipped back in the holy oil and circled each breast, leaving a shining trail in the light of the setting sun which bathed her in its orange and purple and crimson rays. “My nipples and no other’s shall you suckle,” she went on.

She felt her cheeks getting hot at the erotic words and the action they called for but there was no help for it—she had to go through the entire ritual before she could reverse it. Dipping her finger in the oil again, she painted two circles around the tight buds of her nipples.

Power poured through her and shivers of desire seemed to shoot from her tender tips straight to the swollen mound of her pussy. For a moment she swore she could see the big Shifter on his knees before her, taking her aching nipples into his warm, sensuous mouth, drawing them between his lips and sucking hard as he traced warm patterns with his tongue around her sensitive flesh . . .

One look at Reese told her he was imagining the same thing. His deep brown eyes were still glowing and half-lidded with desire and there was a very obvious bulge in the crotch of his jeans. For a moment, Jo had to fight with herself to stop from crossing the circle and throwing her arms around his neck to drag him down for a kiss.

She pushed away the urge with incredible difficulty. She didn’t want a man—any man! And certainly not one who was a stranger and too young for her, she told herself. What was wrong with her? Why was this spell so devastatingly powerful?

For whatever reason, she was deep in it now and couldn’t stop, no matter what.

Have to go on—have to finish this before the power and desire overcome me! she thought desperately.

Dipping her fingers again into the chrism oil, she painted two lines on her inner thighs.

“My . . . my thighs shall part for you alone,” she said, trying to remember the exact lines in Miranda’s book of shadows. She usually had no problem memorizing spells before she cast but the almost electrical surge of power and lust flowing through her, making her entire body ache and throb, was making it hard to think . . . hard to remember.

“My sex shall you part with lips and tongue, to worship at the altar of my female energy,” she said. Wait—was that in the spell? The words didn’t sound quite right but they came out anyway and the ritual went on. Dipping in the oil again, she reached between her legs.

She’d only meant to draw two short lines on the outer lips of her sex but somehow she found herself parting them instead. As if by their own accord, her fingers found the sensitive button of her clit and began to circle, drawing slippery lines of pleasure around and around the little pink pearl until she was gasping with need—shaking so hard with desire she could barely stand. And yet, when she opened her mouth to pant, even more words poured out.

“My clit shall you lap to bring pleasure to us both,” she heard herself saying. “And my cunt shall you fill with your cock, thrusting deep to seed my womb with your essence.”

Wait . . . what? Jo blinked, wondering what was going on. It was almost as though someone else was speaking through her. And the power continued to grow along with her pleasure—it was threatening to overload her completely.

She tried to stop touching herself and found she couldn’t—her fingers were busy between her legs, stroking around and around her sensitive clit, building her pleasure as Reese watched, his eyes hungry with lust.

How many times had she seen that look of lust in a male’s eyes? How many times had it frightened and repelled her—made her want to run far away and never look back. But now, seeing the need and desire on Reese’s strong features, Jo felt herself drawn to him, drawn to this strange man she hadn’t even known for twenty-four hours yet.

Your mate, whispered a little voice in her head. He’s your mate. You’re meant to be together . . . you need him in you, filling you, breeding you . . . now.

No! With a violent effort, Jo pushed the thought away. She wasn’t sure what was happening but it wasn’t right. It was as though some outside power had flooded her and taken control of the rite she was performing. If she didn’t get back in the driver’s seat now, who knew what might happen . . . what it might make her do?

Have to finish this fast! she told herself.

She was still facing Reese, the two of them standing on either side of the circle drawn with salt—her on the inside and him just outside it—as she stroked herself. With an intense effort, she pulled her fingers away and put down the bottle of chrism oil. Picking up the chalice, she took a sip of the herbed wine and said, “So mote it be.”

They were the words of completion—the spell was now bound and it was time to say the incantation of reversal. But as the last syllable broke from Jo’s lips, the power burst outward, a hundred, no, a thousand times stronger than she had ever felt it before. It engulfed her and then she felt something at her back—a hot wind like a gust from the desert pushing against her like a huge, invisible hand.

Jo gave a cry as the chalice fell from her hand and the herbed wine landed on the ground, spilling across the line of sea salt that formed the sacred enclosure, breaking the circle.

She was pushed outward—pushed out of the circle of protection and light—and straight into Reese’s arms.

He caught her, a surprised look on his face and then the power of the spell overwhelmed them both.

* * *

Reese suddenly found himself with an armful of naked, beautiful witch who was kissing him eagerly and tearing at his clothes and he didn’t know what to do.

Oh, he knew what he wanted to do—he wanted to claim her, breed her—mark her as his own. His Fox howled for it and his cock throbbed like a second heartbeat between his thighs with the desire to make her his.

All through the spell he’d felt a strange sense of power growing and flowing through both of them. It tingled through his veins like static electricity, raising the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck and making his shaft painfully hard.

Jo had looked beautiful in the light of the setting sun—its final dying rays turning her hair into a fiery red corona around her face and gilding her slender, naked body with flame. As she went on, Reese could feel not only his own desire rising, but also hers—and her Juvie scent intensified until it was all he could do to stop himself from crossing the circle and grabbing her.

By the time the ceremony ended abruptly and she fell into his arms, her scent was calling to him so strongly Reese could barely think straight. And having her kissing him and pressing her naked body against his certainly didn’t help.

“Now! I want you now!” Jo gasped, tangling her fingers in his hair and kissing him savagely. Reese wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss, even though a small voice at the back of his head was telling him he shouldn’t, that this was wrong somehow. The little witch’s mouth was sweet and wild, like the herbed wine she’d been sipping and when she slipped her tongue between his lips, Reese welcomed her eagerly—she tasted like desire.

Suddenly Jo broke the kiss, tearing her mouth from his and pulling his head downward. Eagerly, she thrust the hard, pink point of her nipple between his lips.

“Suck me!” she demanded, her voice breathless with lust. “Take me in your mouth—taste me!”

Reese didn’t have to be told twice. Eagerly, he pulled her pink bud into his mouth, laving the tight point with his tongue, sucking hard to take as much of her breast as he could between his lips.

Jo keened—a high, animal sound—the sound of a vixen in heat, begging to be bred, Reese thought. She pressed her chest forward, giving him more, offering herself completely. Then she grabbed his right hand. Taking it in both of hers, she pressed it down between her legs.

“Touch me,” she breathed, her eyes wide and wild as two amber moons in her face. “Stroke me! I need your fingers inside me, please.”

Hardly knowing what he was doing, Reese cupped her warm, soft pussy in his palm. She was so wet and slick her outer lips seemed to open of their own accord, eagerly accepting his seeking fingers.

He stroked her slippery core, his fingertips finding the hard little bud of her clit and circling around and around as he continued to suck first one nipple, then the other.

Jo keened again and buried both hands in his hair, dragging him forward, spreading her thighs to open herself for him completely.

“Inside me!” she begged. “Please, Reese—inside me!”

Obligingly, he slipped two thick fingers down to her entrance and pressed up hard and deep, filling her as well as he could. Jo threw back her head and moaned, rolling her hips to thrust against his invading digits.

Her pussy was wet and hot and tight and he longed to feel it wrapped around his cock instead of his fingers. This was where the maddening Juvie scent was coming from, Reese thought—the scent that was clouding his mind, making him want her so badly he couldn’t think of anything else.

“Take me—fuck me!” Jo was begging now. She pulled away from him and dropped to all fours in the soft grass. Spreading her thighs, she looked back at him, her face a mask of need. “Now!” she begged. “I need you in me now!”

Reese was already fumbling with his belt when a little voice spoke up in the back of his head. She said she doesn’t want this—the whole spell was supposed to keep this exact thing from happening—was supposed to keep you from touching her sexually.

The hell with that though—right? Here she was begging for it—not only with her mouth but with her whole body! Her thighs were spread, her pussy wet and glistening with need. Her scent was calling to him, making him crazy. He had to fill her—fuck her—breed her.

Still the little voice wouldn’t shut up. She doesn’t want this, Reese. Her hormones might want it and that crazy spell she cast probably has something to do with it too but her mind—her rational mind—doesn’t want this. She fears it. She fears you and she’s going to hate you if you do this.

God, he wished he could ignore that voice. The little witch was right there in front of him, so warm and willing and wet and open and every Shifter instinct in his body was shouting at him to take her, to make her his. His Fox was impatient with him.

Why don’t you do it? Make her ours! She belongs to us!

But the little voice inside was getting louder—more insistent. She’ll hate you. You’ll lose her forever! it warned.

Deep down, Reese knew it was right. Jo was in the grip of . . . something—either Juvie lust or the spell she’d woven or maybe a combination of the two. But though she smelled hot, Reese didn’t smell the breeding heat on her. It wasn’t a fuck or die situation—not yet. Although when the moon got full it probably would be. But for now, while Lady Moon was still new, he had no business doing this.

Though it was by far the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, Reese took a step back from her open, inviting body . . . then another.

“No,” he said and his voice came out sounding hoarse and ragged. “No, we . . . we shouldn’t be doing this. You don’t want this, darlin’.”

“What?” She looked up at him, her lovely eyes clouded and confused. Her flame-red hair was a tangle around her face and her naked body looked pale and defenseless, almost glowing in the darkness now that the sun had finally set.

“I said you don’t want this,” Reese repeated, more firmly. “Your whole reason for casting that damn spell in the first place was to keep this from happening.”

“I . . . I don’t . . .” His words seemed to bring Jo back to reality somehow. She passed a hand over her face and looked around. Suddenly she seemed to realize what was happening. “Goddess—look at me! What’s wrong with me?” she gasped.

She looked so upset that Reese wanted to go to her and comfort her—or at least to offer her a hand up. But he couldn’t trust himself—couldn’t tell what he might do if he let himself get too close. So he held his ground and said nothing.

“I can’t stay here now.” Jo jumped up and grabbed the blue button down shirt she’d shed earlier. Wrapping it around herself hastily, she grabbed her pack from the porch and began shoving things into it. The candles, the chalice, the strange crystal bottle of red oil—she grabbed it all and pulled the long, black and silver knife she’d called an athame out to grip in one hand. Then she rushed for the trees that formed the border of the backyard.

Reese, who had felt frozen in place with indecision and lust overwhelming him, suddenly came to life.

Don’t let her leave! his Fox begged.

Reese seconded his other half’s feelings in every way. He couldn’t let her go—he just couldn’t.

“Wait! Jo, wait!” he shouted, rushing after her. But he didn’t have to run far—the little witch had stopped just at the edge of the forest. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide with fright. Terror was wafting from her in waves, almost covering her Juvie scent with its intensity.

At the scent of fear on a female he wanted to keep safe, Reese felt a surge of protectiveness overcome him.

Save her! We have to save her! his Fox howled.

Yes, but save her from what?

He came right up beside her but Jo didn’t even turn her head to acknowledge his presence. She had dropped her pack and her athame to the ground and her entire attention was fixed on something just inside the woods—but what?

Reese skidded to a halt beside her and stared, following her gaze into the darkening trees. What was out there that had her so terrified? He couldn’t see anything but shadows. Nevertheless, whatever it was she saw was scaring Jo to death. The scent of her terror had almost completely overwhelmed her Juvie scent which dampened his own lust as well. When she smelled so frightened and looked so terrified, all he wanted to do was shelter and comfort her.

“Darlin’,” he said in a low voice. “Go back in the house. Whatever it is, I’ll protect you from it. You’ll be safe inside.”

“Yes.” She seemed to grasp his words like a lifeline. “Safe inside—it can’t come onto cultivated lands. Inside is safe.”

Leaving her pack and athame on the ground, she fled back to the safety of his home, her hair flying out behind her like a flag made of flame.

Reese heard the screen door bang but he didn’t make any immediate attempt to follow her. Instead he stayed where he was on the edge of the forest, staring into the trees. What was it that Jo could see and he couldn’t? What was frightening her so badly?

He still couldn’t make out a thing in the forest. At last he stooped and picked up the pack and the silver dagger she’d dropped. As he touched it, he felt an almost electrical tingle run through him. He got a very strong sense that it didn’t want to be touched by him—or by anyone but Jo.

Of course, it was stupid to assign emotions to inanimate objects but the feeling was too strong to ignore. Gingerly, Reese stowed the long ceremonial dagger in her pack and then made his way back to the house.

The circle of salt was still evident on the grass and he felt another tingle as he stepped through it. Whatever the hell Jo was messing around with, it was real, he thought. Keller had been right—her powers of witchcraft were as real as his own powers of Shifting. He’d made a grave mistake thinking otherwise.

Well, it was a mistake he didn’t intend to repeat.

He opened the porch screen but just as he was about to step inside, something dark moved in the corner of his eye.

Reese felt a chill go down his spine. He turned his head, looking back at the forest that edged his yard—the forest he’d run and hunted and Shifted in for as long as he could remember.

In the darkness between the trees, there was nothing but shadows. But then as he watched, the shadows seemed to move. Roiling like malignant clouds they boiled through the trees, stopping just short of the neatly clipped edge of his lawn.

“What the hell?” Reese muttered, staring. But as suddenly as he had seen it, the thing in the trees disappeared. Or else hid in plain sight. He blinked, wondering if he’d imagined it.

Then he heard soft sounds of female distress coming from the other room and his attention was diverted. The thing in the trees—if there actually was a thing out there—would have to wait for later. Shutting and bolting the back door firmly behind him, he went in search of Jo.

Chapter Six

“Oh God, what have I done? What have I done?” Jo dug her fingers into her hair and pulled, trying to make sense of the wildly contradictory thoughts and feelings that were rushing through her like water over a flooded streambed. She was huddled on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chin, trying to piece together everything that had happened out there but somehow things just weren’t coming together.

One thing was clear, at least—her spell had gone very, very wrong.

“Jo?” Reese’s deep, quiet voice made her jerk her head up. He was standing in the doorway of the living room, holding her pack in one hand. There was a cautious look on his face and she noticed he wasn’t coming any closer, as though unsure if it was safe. “Jo?” he said again. “You all right, darlin’?”

“I . . . I don’t know.” Jo shook her head, still feeling fuzzy and uncertain. “I’m just . . . trying to piece together what happened.”

“You mean you don’t remember?” Reese asked incredulously.

“Some . . .” She shook her head. “The last thing I really remember is saying, ‘So mote it be’ and then being pushed by this big, hot wind right out of the circle and into your arms. And then . . . I . . . you . . .” Her heart began to pound as the memories began to pour in. “Oh my God,” she whispered, her stomach clenching. “I threw myself at you!”

Images of the two of them together flashed through her brain. The feel of his lips on hers—rough yet gentle at the same time . . . his mouth on her breasts, sucking her nipples, sending sparks of pleasure straight to the spot between her legs . . . and then his fingers opening her, stroking her, filling her . . . And then, worst of all, the memory of getting down on her hands and knees and begging him to fuck her . . . it all came flooding back.

Jo could have cried from shame and fear and confusion. What was happening to her?

“I . . . I begged you to take me,” she whispered, looking up at Reese.

“Yeah.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “But I didn’t. Came damn close, though.”

Jo shook her head. “Goddess, what possessed me to act like that? I don’t . . .” And then sudden realization hit her. “The spell! I never got a chance to reverse it!”

“No,” Reese remarked. “I’m afraid you didn’t get that far before you, uh, jumped me.”

“I didn’t jump—I was pushed!” Jo protested. “Don’t you see? There was something else going on out there tonight. Something that forced me to stop the spell before I was able to finish it—to reverse the effects.” She put her head in her hands. “I can’t believe this.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Reese came forward, dropping the pack at her feet, he crouched by the side of the couch and put a gentle hand on her knee. “It’s all right, Jo,” he said softly. “It did get kind of, uh, intense out there but we didn’t actually . . . you know. So . . . no harm done, right?”

“No harm done?” Jo looked up at him. “No harm done?” she repeated incredulously. “Reese, do you realize what I’ve done? I just cast the strongest, most intense magic of my life—a sexual fidelity and desire spell—on both of us. And I have no way to reverse it!”

“You don’t?” He frowned. “I thought you had everything you needed in your pack.” He nodded at the battered knapsack at her feet and Jo saw the handle of her athame sticking out of it.

“You don’t understand,” she said dully. “A spell like this isn’t easily reversed—it’s for fidelity, and when you call for fidelity you’re calling for staying power—emotional stamina. It’s going to be like trying to dissolve super glue, getting this undone. Plus I’m going to need some special ingredients I’m pretty sure I don’t have with me.”

“Okay, well . . .” Reese shook his head. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it tonight. I guess we’ll just have to live with it.”

“Live with it?” Jo looked up at him. “You don’t understand,” she told him in a low, intense voice. “My chastity is vowed to the Goddess and I haven’t been with a man—or even wanted to be with a man—for over twenty years. I know it may be hard for you to believe, because I don’t look it right now, but I’m actually over forty.”

“I know, darlin’” he said quietly. “I know you’re not as young as you look.”

Jo felt her eyes widen in surprise. “You do? But how?” She frowned. “Are you some kind of Wiccan? A warlock, maybe?”

“No.” He shook his head. “It’s part of being a Shifter, which is all I am. The thing is . . .” He took a deep breath and looked at her steadily. “The thing is, I’m pretty sure you’re one too.”

“One what?” Jo asked blankly.

“A Shifter,” Reese said patiently. “Or at least, you have the potential to become one.”

“What does that mean?” Jo demanded. “What are you saying? I don’t turn into an animal—I can’t.”

“Not yet,” Reese said. “Because you haven’t found a mate. But I can tell by your scent—you’re ready for one. Or at least, you’re going to need one soon.”

“I don’t want a mate!” Jo flared at him. “I don’t need one either—I don’t need any man!”

“Look,” he said carefully. “I know you’ve been hurt in the past—”

“You don’t know anything about it,” Jo spat. “You don’t know what it’s like to be . . . to be . . .” But she couldn’t go on. The attack came back to her—rose up before her eyes like a dark, uneasy ghost—and for a moment she felt like she might drown in the past. Their hands on her . . . the way they’d pushed her to the ground . . . their laughter and shouts and grunts as they—

“Jo, I’m sorry . . .” Reese’s soft voice pulled her mercifully back to the present.

“It’s all right.” She pulled way from his hand on her knee and scooted to the far end of the couch. She had to get away from him. It scared her how good his touch felt—how it made her want more. Goddess, how could she want that after what she’d been through? And yet, she did—so much that she’d begged for it.

It shamed her to remember that—to remember how she’d begged him to take her—to fuck her. How could she have acted like that? She’d been afraid of men—of being touched sexually by one at least—for years. How could one spell overcome years of fear and pain and make her want the unthinkable?

What if it’s not just the spell? whispered a little voice in her brain. What if Reese is right? What if the strange disease that makes you ache and throb and feel like you’re being pulled apart during the full moon has something to do with it? What if you really are becoming what he is?

But no—that couldn’t be it. It’s the spell, she told herself. It has to be. She would just have to find a way to reverse it. Goddess knew it wasn’t going to be easy. And in the meantime, she’d have to be careful around Reese. Not that she was afraid he would jump her—he’d shown incredible restraint when she was on her hands and knees, offering herself like some kind of a . . . Jo couldn’t even finish the thought. Anyway, she was more afraid she might jump on him.

Even now she felt the restless lust growing in her again, no matter how hard she tried to push it back. It was with her to stay—at least until Jo reversed the spell, she realized. She would just have to deal with it as best she could.

“I should go,” she said dully. “It’s not safe for me to stay here.” She looked at Reese briefly. “Not safe for either of us.”

“I don’t think it’s safe for you to leave either,” Reese said, frowning.

“Why do you say that?” Jo asked.

“Out there in the trees . . . I thought I saw . . .” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“No, wait—you saw something?” she asked eagerly.

He frowned. “Maybe. The point is, you shouldn’t be out on your own at night. Especially not when the temperature is supposed to dip down so low tonight.”

I should go anyway, Jo told herself. No matter how cold it gets. But where? Where could she possibly go? Not to the forest, that was for sure. The shadow creature was out there, waiting for her—she’d seen it grinning in the trees. It hungered for her soul, and if she went out into those woods she’d be serving herself up on a silver platter.

“Jo . . .” Reese’s deep, quiet voice cut through her doubt and misery and she looked up to see him regarding her with a mixture of compassion and longing on his face. “Jo,” he said again, when he saw he had her attention. “Look, honey, don’t go. There’s somebody I’d like you to meet—a woman who might be able to help you. With your spell, I mean,” he said quickly when he saw Jo’s face. “Although she also knows a lot of Shifter lore too. Her name is Fiona and she’s kind of the town’s resident wise woman.”

“Is she Wiccan?” Against her will, Jo’s interest was piqued.

“I don’t know.” Reese shrugged. “Something like that, maybe. I know she’s a priestess of Lady Moon. Also, she runs a compounding pharmacy—more of an apothecary, really—here in town. She’s got all kinds of ingredients because she makes medicine for all the Shifters in Cougarville. So she might have what you need to reverse the spell.”

Now Jo was definitely interested.

“You really think she can help?”

“If Fiona can’t help with this kind of thing, nobody can.” Reese spoke with absolute certainty.

“Well . . .” She could feel her resolution to leave wavering and Reese seemed to sense it too.

“Stay here tonight,” he coaxed softly. “You can lock yourself in the guest room and feel safe. You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he finished in a low voice.

“I . . . I’m not. Not like I was when I first met you,” Jo admitted, biting her lip. “Now I’m more afraid of me—of what I might do. This spell . . .”

Reese suddenly grinned at her.

“Well, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll lock my door too. Would that work?”

Jo felt a small—a very small—smile twitch her lips.

“Yes, all right,” she said softly. “I . . . I guess that would be all right.”

“Fine.” Reese straightened up. “Then it’s settled—you’ll sleep here tonight and tomorrow I’ll take you to see Fiona. Only first we should have some dinner.” He put a hand to his flat abdomen. “Having spells cast on me makes me hungry—what about you?”

Jo didn’t want to say that what she was most hungry for was the big Shifter himself. Even now she could feel her body aching for him and the heated throbbing between her thighs. Although, strangely, the pounding headache in her temples, which had just started to creep back by the end of her bath, was completely gone again. That was good at least.

Well, if Reese could control himself, so could she, she told herself defiantly. And anyway, she couldn’t keep running away from her problems—she had to stay and face the consequences of her actions.

“Well, what about it?” Reese asked, breaking into her train of thought. “How do you feel about spaghetti and meatballs? I know it’s not gourmet but it’s what I have on hand to make.”

Jo lifted her chin and took a deep breath.

“I say that sounds delicious,” she said. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to cook. It’s one of my favorite things to do—it calms me down.” And right now she could certainly use some calming.

Reese spread his hands.

“Hey, who am I to refuse a free meal? Come into the kitchen and I’ll show you where I keep everything.”

Jo followed him from the living room, making sure to keep some distance between them. She hoped she was doing the right thing by staying but she just couldn’t face the thought of going out into the night again, not when the shadow creature was waiting for her.

Goddess, she prayed silently. Give me strength and help me not to mess up any worse than I already have.

Chapter Seven

Jo had to admit that Cougarville was a charming little town. It was nestled in a valley between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fall weather had made the leaves a gorgeous riot of colors. Reese had a little shop right on Main Street—which appeared to be the biggest road in town and was lined with other small businesses as well.

Jo made sure to keep some distance between them as they rode through town in his big truck. It had been difficult enough keeping her hands off him the night before and it wasn’t any easier this morning. They’d had a surprisingly pleasant—though somewhat strained—supper the night before and Jo had turned in early, locking the guest room door as he had suggested, as much to keep herself in as to keep Reese out.

Not that she thought he would try anything. He seemed to have remarkable restraint although Jo did see him looking at her a lot and sometimes he would inhale deeply, as though taking in her scent. She had no idea what that was about—it was probably a Shifter thing, she told herself and tried to put it out of her mind.

After they parked at Fox’s Auto Body Shop and Reese put the SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED sign on the front door, he took her on a short tour—very short, since the town really was tiny.

On one side of the road Jo saw The Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Diner, Sweet Stems Florist shop, and The Friendly Bean coffeehouse. On the other was a bar and grill called The Cougar’s Den, right beside a tattoo shop called Bad Decisions. Up the road a little way was a small accounting firm and The Cougarville Chemist, which was where she assumed Reese was taking her.

“Can we stop at the diner or the coffee shop on the way to see your friend?” Jo asked as Reese led her quickly up the street.

“Um . . . better not.” He shook his head quickly.

“But I’m cold,” Jo protested. She was wearing her thin black dress again, which she’d washed and dried the night before. Over it she wore a white cardigan Reese had loaned to her—apparently it belonged to one of his sisters who had left it along with some other clothing there.

“Meggie won’t mind,” Reese had said when he’s offered them, to her. “She’s off in New York trying to break into Broadway—she’s not coming back to the sticks anytime soon.”

Jo had politely declined even though the clothes were her size. Reese had made it clear he expected nothing in return for letting her stay with him but she felt she already owed him for the food and shelter—she didn’t want to add to her debt. But now she was wishing that she had accepted. Many of Meggie’s clothes had looked a lot warmer than what she had on at the moment and the brisk fall wind seemed to slice right through her thin dress and light sweater.

“Look,” she said to Reese. “I have a little money I was saving just in case—enough for a couple cups of coffee or tea. You’ve done so much for me—let me treat you.”

They were passing by the Friendly Bean coffee place as she spoke and Jo saw the neon OPEN sign blinking in the window. Without waiting for Reese to answer, she opened the front door, causing the bell to jingle, and walked into the shop.

Inside it was deliciously warm and the scent of freshly roasted coffee pervaded the air like an enticing perfume. There were faded vintage movie posters on the walls and a shelf of lending books with tattered covers in one corner. In the far rear of the establishment was a battered leather couch. It looked like the perfect place to sit and read or just drink coffee or tea. There were also a few little round tables scattered around with people already at them, sipping from thick china mugs. A woman with short dark hair and a no-nonsense attitude was standing behind the glass counter filled with pastries taking orders and making drinks.

Jo instantly fell in love with the coffee-scented warmth of the place. Even the fact that there was a line of two or three burly workmen types already waiting at the counter couldn’t deter her. She walked up behind them, taking her place in line and fingering the little bit of money she had in her ragged pocket.

It might be reckless to spend her last cash reserves on something as decadent and unnecessary as a cup of hot tea, but she was feeling good this morning after having her first night’s sleep in a real bed in two weeks. Even the fact that the throbbing between her thighs was more intense than ever and her headache had come back couldn’t completely dampen her mood.

Behind her, she heard Reese’s voice raised in protest.

“Jo,” he said. “I really don’t think—”

“Cooper—Reese Cooper, just the man I wanted to see,” a second voice said.

Glancing back, Jo saw that a little old lady who had been sitting at one of the round tables had gotten up and was bearing down on Reese.

“Um, hello Mrs. Landry,” he said. “It’s nice to see you, but if you’ll excuse me—”

“Now Reese,” she said, ignoring his attempt to get away. “My engine is making this funny noise that really has me worried. It sounds like—click - click - whirrrr - click - click - whirrr. Now what in the world could that be? Do you think it’s my alternator?”

“Mmm, I thought I smelled something good besides coffee in here.”

Jo’s head jerked around as she realized the loud masculine voice was talking to her. Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins as she saw the burly man in front of her in line had turned around and was looking her up and down like she was a piece of meat on display at the butcher’s shop.

“I’m sorry?” she said, giving him her frostiest look.

“I said, you smell good, girlie. Didn’t know there were any new Juvies in town.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jo said stiffly, trying not to let her terror overcome her. Hey, sweetheart, voices from the past called in her head. You sure are pretty—where are you going? Stay here and talk to us—we won’t hurt you.

“Oh, I think you do, Juvie.” The man stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. He was big—as big as Reese, she realized—and had a thick, long, Grizzly Adams type beard that hung down almost to his belt buckle. He looked like a lumberjack but the blue work shirt he had on had a little picture of a lightning bolt on the pocket and said, Carl’s Electrical Service.

“Leave me alone,” Jo said tensely. She could feel the old familiar suffocating fear gathering at the back of her throat—the fear of being attacked again. But along with it there was another emotion—rage. A rage as pure and white-hot as iron in a forge.

How dare he—how does he have the nerve to come up and harass me like this? Just because he’s bigger than me he thinks he can take what he wants? Well, he’s wrong—they’re all wrong! growled a voice in her head.

And then something began to happen—something she’d never felt before. There was a tingling in her fingertips, a feeling almost like static electricity waiting to be discharged.

Jo had known she was a witch from the time she was nineteen, when the attack she’d endured had released her latent powers. But doing witchcraft and casting spells required a lot of work, learning, and preparation. It was true that she could affect things magically and that her spells had serious clout, but they also took time and the proper materials to cast. In other words, she didn’t have power literally at her fingertips, ready to come to her beck and call at a moment’s notice.

Or did she?

“Come on now, baby . . .” The burly, bearded guy seemed to have completely forgotten about ordering coffee in favor of harassing Jo. “You wouldn’t be in here smelling like you do if you didn’t want a man. Am I right?”

“Smelling like I do? What are you talking about?” Jo demanded.

She had no idea what he was saying—she’d taken a shower that morning. A long, luxurious hot shower with plenty of soap, which was one reason she’d been feeling so good—until now, that was.

Her headache was suddenly worse, throbbing in her temples like a drum and her fingertips itched and tingled in a strange, disturbing way.

“How dare you talk to me like that?” she demanded, lifting her chin to glare up at the tall, burly bearded man. “You don’t even know me!”

“Yeah, but we can fix that, can’t we girlie?” He leered at her. “You smell like you’re hot for it. Want to get out of here right now? I can make you come so hard they’ll hear you screaming on the other end of town.”

“You . . . you . . .” Jo couldn’t think of anything bad enough to say to him. And his talk about screaming had set off her panic response again. Scream all you want, baby, whispered a voice from her past. There’s nobody out here to hear you.

“I don’t think the lady’s interested, Carl.” Reese’s deep, familiar voice was filled with a possessive growl Jo had never heard before.

“What’s it to you, Coop?” The big man’s face wrinkled into a snarl. “You got a claim on this little Juvie? Cause I don’t smell your scent on her.”

“Doesn’t matter what you smell or don’t smell—she’s not available, and you’re acting like a goddamn asshole hassling her like this,” Reese growled.

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want, Fox.” The man stepped forward, shoving his face pugnaciously into Reese’s. “I smelled the little Juvie first—she’s mine.”

“I don’t think so, Bull.” Reese pushed back, standing toe-to-toe with the big, bearded man. “She’s not yours to claim.”

Suddenly the tingling that had been growing in Jo’s fingertips and the fear and anger inside her seemed to come to a head all at the same time.

“I’m not anybody’s to claim!” she heard herself snap in a low, intense voice. Putting out both hands, she shoved the two men apart.

Of course, the gesture was ridiculous. Both Reese and the other man—who he’d first called Carl and then “Bull” for some reason—were head and shoulders taller than her and each man outweighed her by over a hundred pounds. Moving them should’ve been like shoving two huge boulders aside.

Yet, when her tingling fingertips touched the men, they were thrust backwards with such force that they both went flying in separate directions.

Reese landed on the battered leather couch at the back of the shop—which was thankfully unoccupied. But Carl—or Bull, or whatever the big man’s name was—went flying straight into the front of the shop. His vast bulk smashed through the glass front counter with its delicious assortment of donuts and sticky buns and coffee cake, making the barista with short dark hair shriek and jump back.

“Oh!” Jo put her hands to her cheeks, staring in disbelief at the damage she’d wrought. How in the world did she do this? She was a witch, but her powers needed the proper tools and time and incantations to work correctly. She couldn’t just touch people and blow them halfway across the room! Except . . . that was apparently exactly what she’d just done.

She ran over to Reese, who was struggling to sit up on the leather couch. There was a dazed, surprised look on his face as he stared at her.

“Reese?” she gasped, looking him over for injury. “Reese, are you all right? I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened—nothing like that has ever—”

“It’s all right. I’m fine.” He got to his feet and grabbed her by the arm, being careful not to touch her bare skin. “Look, we need to get out of here. I’ll come back and settle with the Friendly Bean folks later but for now, it’s best we just go.”

Before Jo could protest, he towed her out of the shop, leaving the other patrons staring and the angry bearded man struggling in the glass shards and smashed pastries of the shattered counter.

Chapter Eight

“Well, well. You two seem to have caused something of a kerfuffle down at the Friendly Bean,” Fiona remarked when they entered The Cougarville Chemist.

“Word travels fast,” Reese growled, frowning as he scanned the little shop to make sure they were alone. As usual, the pharmacy was crammed with all kinds of healing remedies encompassing Western medicine, Eastern medicine, and everything in between. He threaded his way through the packed shelves and Jo followed him.

“Always, my dear. This is Cougarville, you know.” Fiona smiled tranquilly. “So what can I do for you, this fine autumn day?”

Fiona ShadowTree was the closest thing Cougarville had to a medicine woman, and she wore her unofficial title with gravitas and pride. She had auburn hair with streaks of pure silver running through it piled atop her head in an elegant updo and today she was wearing a rich, crimson muumuu with silver beadwork and chunky silver jewelry to match. The white lab coat she wore over her outfit turned it into a strange juxtaposition of mystic wisdom and no-nonsense medicine—but then, that pretty much summed Fiona up in a nutshell.

Reese didn’t know how old she was—it was impossible to tell—but he had an idea she was much, much older than anyone would guess. He could remember her standing right here at the counter of the Cougarville Chemist back when he was a little kid and his father had told him he had similar memories. Each new generation that grew up in Cougarville learned to trust Fiona and came to her with their problems. He just hoped she could help him and Jo.

“Well, well, my dear—and who might you be?” Fiona asked, speaking to Jo this time.

“I . . . I’m Jo. Jocasta Ferrell.” Jo started to put out a hand and then snatched it back quickly before Fiona could take it. “Uh—I’m sorry, I . . .”

“It’s all right, my dear—you won’t hurt me as you did that rude male at the Friendly Bean.” Reaching over the counter, she took Jo’s hand between both of her own.

“How . . . how did you know about that?” Jo looked at her in disbelief. “I mean it just happened.”

“The young lady who works in the Friendly Bean called me to warn me you and Reese here were heading my way.” Fiona smiled tranquilly. “My, you are a powerful one,” she added, focusing on Jo. “I understand you threw Carl Bullond across the room with a simple touch of your hand.”

“Bullond,” Jo said, sounding stunned. “Is that why . . . why Reese called him ‘Bull’?”

“Oh no, my dear—Reese was calling him by the name of the animal he Shifts into. A bull—or a Musk Ox to be more exact. A species of Shifter that are, if you will pardon the pun, extremely bull-headed. As I’m afraid you found out for yourself.”

“I just don’t understand.” Jo shook her head.

“What don’t you understand my dear?” Fiona asked, leaning forward encouragingly. “Why Carl would approach you so brazenly in the first place or how you managed to toss him across the room with barely a touch?”

“Any of it.” Jo shook her head. “I don’t understand any of what’s happening to me lately.”

“Well, let’s see if I can explain. Carl probably smelled your Juvie scent—which is quite strong if I may say so myself—and it emboldened him to try and claim you.”

“My Juvie scent?” Jo frowned. “What’s that? He did call me a ‘Juvie’ but I didn’t know what he meant. And I had a shower this morning—I shouldn’t smell of anything but soap.”

Fiona turned her large, dark eyes on Reese, who squirmed uncomfortably.

“Reese Cooper,” she said severely. “Why didn’t you explain to this poor child what is happening to her?”

“I don’t know, Fiona . . .” He shifted from foot to foot. “I guess I just thought it would be better coming from you.”

To his surprise and relief, Fiona gave him another long look, then nodded.

“Well, as it happens you’re right. But first I need to know everything that’s happened to you, my dear,” she said to Jo. “Let’s start from the beginning, as they say, and we’ll work it out together.”

* * *

Jo looked at her uncertainly for a long moment. Should she trust the older woman behind the counter? It was clear that Reese trusted her implicitly and she had power, Jo could feel it like a warm tingling when Fiona touched her hand. But should she really pour out her life’s story to a woman she’d just met?

Not all of it, she told herself. I’ll tell her about how this whole thing started in Avalon and how I was kicked out but I won’t tell her about anything before.

Finally, she nodded.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll tell you, but . . .” She glanced out the plate glass window of the pharmacy. “What if that, uh, Bull guy comes looking for me? He was pretty angry and this isn’t exactly a big town—he’ll find me if he wants to.”

Fiona’s big dark eyes flashed.

“Oh, Carl Bullond knows better than to come troubling anyone in my shop, my dear. But just in case, Reese, if you would put out the BE RIGHT BACK sign on the front door?”

“Sure.” Reese went to the front of the shop and flipped the hanging card around before coming back to the counter.

“Now then, my dear,” Fiona smiled tranquilly. “Would you like to come to the back of my shop? It’s a little cluttered, I’m afraid, but I have a place to sit there and a teapot. I believe you’d like a nice cup of tea, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes.” Jo smiled at her tentatively. “Yes, I would.”

“All right.” Fiona made a motion. “Come on back.”

The back of the little shop was bigger than Jo could have imagined and it was completely crammed with big, dusty books, stacks of paper, piles of bones, heaps of shells, strings of dried herbs, jars of exotic ingredients, and other things perfect for spell and medicine work. It was a witch’s dream come true, and Jo couldn’t help stopping to exclaim over this or that as Fiona led them back.

“Is this a real lump of pure, undiluted ambergris?” she asked, stopping in front of a wide mouthed jar holding a large, grayish-yellow mass as big as her fist.

“Why, yes it is, my dear.” Fiona seemed pleased. “That came from a narwhal, as a matter of fact.”

“And, oh look!” Jo rushed over to another shelf and picked up an oval crystal cut into many beautiful facets. It was as big as her thumb and glittered green when she turned it one way and then red when she turned it another. “Alexandrite!” she exclaimed. “I’ve heard of its healing properties but I’ve never seen any.”

“It’s very rare, as I’m sure you know.” Fiona smiled. “I keep that for my cure-all potion. You simply let the stone sit in the cauldron of potion overnight so that it can convey some of its healing essence and remove before bottling.”

“This is amazing!” Jo spun around slowly, taking in all the ingredients. “You have about a hundred times more spell and healing materials than we had in Avalon.”

“Is that where you came from, Jocasta?” The older woman’s voice was quiet.

“Well, yes.” Jo bit her lip. “I lived there for over twenty years. Until . . . until they kicked me out.”

“Why did they kick you out?” Reese asked. He had been following silently and he sounded curious but not judgmental, which was nice.

“They accused me . . .” Jo took a deep breath. “They accused me of working dark magic. But I wasn’t—and I wouldn’t,” she added hastily. “I would never—”

“Of course you wouldn’t, my dear. The energy that comes from you is pure and light.” Fiona put a hand on her arm and squeezed comfortingly. “Ah, here we are. Why don’t the two of you have a seat and I’ll get the tea.”

She sat the two of them beside a surprisingly neat desk—plainly her work area—and bustled off for a moment to yet another inner room, making Jo wonder exactly how many rooms were in the little pharmacy. When she returned, she was carrying a tray that had a pot of steaming tea, some cups, sugar lumps, and a plate full of what appeared to be homemade shortbread cookies.

“Now then.” She sat down the tray and started pouring tea. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Jocasta dear? Who accused you of doing dark magic and why?”

“Well . . .” Jo took the teacup she was being offered and breathed in the warm steam coming from it. The soothing scent of bergamot calmed her at once—Earl Grey had always been her favorite. “It started about a month ago,” she told Fiona and the silently listening Reese. “When the silver in my hair started disappearing.” She gestured at Fiona’s regal hairdo. “I had a streak of pure silver—a lot like yours—right here, on the right side.” She touched her right temple, which was throbbing with the familiar headache which never seemed to leave her for long, to show what she meant. “I’ve had it since I was in my thirties—I’m forty-one now.”

“I see.” Fiona looked interested. “And it started to fade?”

“It started to go back to my normal red color. Just little by little, the silver streak started to shrink.” Jo frowned and shrugged. “I didn’t think anything of it at first. But Bianca—she’s one of the Elder Witches there at Avalon—noticed it. And the next thing I knew, I was being called to the Elders’ Council.”

“Ahh . . .” Fiona nodded. “And they accused you?”

Jo took a sip of tea, remembering the awful scene. Bianca had been standing there, tall and stately as ever. She was over six feet and had long, black hair Jo was quite certain she dyed. Her eyes were faded emeralds in her wrinkled face, though Jo knew she used firming and tightening agents and potions on her skin constantly.

Miranda used to say that Bianca was fighting the hands of time—she refused to age gracefully as the other Elders did and looked with jealousy on the younger sister-witches at Avalon.

“You!” Bianca had thundered, staring down at Jo from her great height. “You have been practicing dark magic, Jocasta! How else could your hair be growing darker and your face younger?”

“I’m not! I swear I’m not!” Jo had exclaimed. She had been aghast at the sudden accusation, though she supposed she ought to have expected something like it. Before Miranda had died, she had warned Jo to be wary of Bianca.

“You have true power, child,” she’d said to Jo. “And you have beauty that defies time. Bianca will covet both—you must be mindful of crossing her.”

Following her mentor’s warning, Jo had done nothing to upset the older witch—nothing on purpose, that was. Yet, before she knew it, Bianca had declared her in violation of the magical rules of Avalon and had gotten the other Elders to agree to expel her from the only home she’d known for the last twenty years.

“That morning everything was normal, and by that night I was out in the cold with almost nothing to eat, not much to wear, and nowhere to go,” she explained to Fiona and Reese.

“Bianca should pay for what she did to you—turning you out in the cold with nothing for no damn reason!” There was an angry growl in Reese’s voice that surprised Jo. Why would he get so upset at a woman he’d never met?

“You’re surprised at Reese’s protectiveness?” Fiona said, speaking her thoughts aloud. “Why should you be, my dear? His Fox has already laid claim to you, as you may well know. He feels you are his to protect and to avenge if need be.”

“Fiona . . .” Reese shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “We just met yesterday.”

“The length of a relationship isn’t nearly as important as the intensity of it,” Fiona said tranquilly. “Anyway . . .” She made a “go on” motion at Jo with one hand. “Please, do continue. What happened next?”

“Well . . .” Jo took another sip of tea, trying to put everything in order. “It was a full moon that night . . .”

She told about the group of Shifters and how they’d started to attack her before their leader stopped them—or at least held them back.

“Jase Saunders,” Fiona said and nodded. “He’s a good male—a powerful Alpha—I know him well. You’re lucky he had enough control over the other dire wolves in his pack to give you time to run.”

“I needed all the head start I could get,” Jo admitted. “Because the minute the moonlight touched my skin I started having this horrible pain.” She shivered. “Like something was trying to rip me apart from the inside out.”

“Oh, my dear,” Fiona put down her delicate china teacup and sat forward. “I see what happened now—you are one of the Unformed!”

“The what?” Jo frowned. “I though you said I was a ‘Juvie’? And Reese seems to think I might be a Shifter like him. But I’m not,” she added quickly.

“No, but you must become one if you want to live.” Fiona shook her head. “I don’t understand how you withstood your first full moon when you were in total Rejuvenation without a male to breed you and keep you from dying!”

“I found a white ash tree that had been struck by lightning,” Jo said. “I rubbed the ashes on my skin to cover my scent so the, uh, dire wolves couldn’t find me.”

“Ah . . .” Fiona nodded. “The ash is a holy tree. Its essence must have helped hold you together during what should have been your first Shift as well as masking your scent.”

“So that was the gray stuff you had on you,” Reese remarked. “It covered your Juvie scent almost completely. I had no idea you had the Shifter Gene until after you took a bath and washed it off.”

Jo frowned and put down her own teacup.

“Please—don’t you start telling me I’m a Shifter again, because I’m not. I can’t turn into an animal and I don’t want to either. I’m a witch—that’s all I am.”

“No, my dear—for you are doubly blessed,” Fiona said. “‘Twice brilliant, doubly blessed, rare as diamonds, Lady Moon’s best,’” she recited. “’The Goddess calls and gives at last, power to Shift and power to Cast.’ That’s a little rhyme my own mentor taught me, oh . . . so many years ago. For you see . . . I too was doubly blessed.”

Reese frowned. “You were a Shifter, Fiona? I thought you were just . . . that you just stayed in Cougarville to look after us Shifters and make medicine.”

“Indeed I do, my dear, because I feel for you. For I was one of you, for a single brilliant, blessed year.” Fiona sighed. “It’s not common, you know—to find a witch with true natural power who also has the Shifter Gene. I was one and I have never met another until now.” She nodded at Jo.

“So what . . .” Jo frowned, not knowing if she believed this. “What kind of, uh, animal did you turn into?”

“A Saiga Antelope—there aren’t many left, you know. And my mate—the male who claimed me—was one of the last.” Fiona’s large, dark eyes grew sad. “Only a year after we were mated, he was killed in a hunting accident—shot while he was in his Shifted form.”

“I’m sorry, Fiona.” Reese reached forward and touched her arm gently. “I never knew.”

“Oh my dear, it was long before your time—long before your father’s time as well,” she assured him. “After that, I brewed a potion to dampen the Shifter side of myself and concentrated on healing medicines instead.” She shook her head. “I knew I never wanted to be mated again, but I couldn’t live on as a Shifter without a mate to help me with my monthly cravings. So the potion was necessary.”

“Wait—” Jo put up a hand to stop her. “So you’re saying that if you are, uh, ‘doubly blessed’ as you called it, you can get rid of the Shifter side just by drinking a potion?”

Fiona frowned. “Not ‘get rid of’, only dampen so that you no longer need to Shift during the full moon or endure your monthly cravings. But the potion is only effective after you have had your first Shift. So it would be of no use to you now, my dear.”

Jo shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to ask since I am absolutely not a Shifter.”

“Well, well . . .” Fiona looked at her thoughtfully. “A skeptic, are you? I suppose we must work a little harder to try and convince you. Now listen, my dear . . .”

She told Jo about the legend of how Lady Moon had made the first Shifters by consecrating a holy cave where brave warriors could come and draw the animal they desired to be on the wall. Then she spoke of the Shifter Gene which ensured that females who had it would rejuvenate back to youth at a certain time and how the Rejuvenation process brought on a state of extreme lust and hyper-fertility.

Jo had listened with interest to the legend—as she had told Reese, she loved learning new lore. But the part about hyper-fertility and monthly lust cycles made her distinctly nervous. She couldn’t help feeling like the throbbing between her thighs was getting worse—almost in proportion to the dull ache which was growing stronger in her temples. And the way Fiona had explained that a Rejuvenating female would suddenly become twenty years younger seemed to fit her own situation a little too neatly.

Still, she didn’t want to believe she could be a Shifter—that she might turn into an animal every full moon. It was a frightening prospect.

At last, the older woman stopped speaking and stared at her. Jo stared back, her heart pounding and her mouth too dry to talk.

“Do you see now?” Fiona asked at last, after a long moment of silence. “Your increasing powers—which are normal for a doubly blessed one at this time—your suddenly much younger body, the scent you exude. You’re in Rejuvenation, my dear, and ready to be bred by a male. In fact, you’re past due, which means you’ll be suffering a great deal of sexual need and painful lust if you aren’t already. Are you?” She looked at Jo directly.

Jo shifted uneasily in her seat.

“You don’t understand,” she burst out. “Yes, I’m . . . uncomfortable but that’s because of the spell I worked last night. It went wrong—really wrong—and it affected me strangely.”

“Spell?” Fiona frowned. “Tell me all about it.”

Haltingly, Jo explained her original intention and how the spell had been interrupted before she could reverse it.

“Hmm . . .” Fiona frowned. “And you say you felt an outside power which interfered?”

“There’s something out there—something in the woods.” Jo shook her head. “It chased me here—chased me to Reese’s house. I barely got out of the forest and onto his land just in time.”

“So you were chased to the house of a Shifter when you yourself have the Shifter Gene and are going through Rejuvenation,” Fiona said musingly, as though she was thinking aloud.

“I know it sounds crazy but it’s true,” Jo said quickly.

“It doesn’t sound crazy,” Reese said quietly. “I saw something out there too. Don’t know what it was but it didn’t feel very friendly. It was there one minute . . .” He snapped his fingers. “And gone the next. Just like that.”

“I call it the shadow creature,” Jo said in a low voice, glad he believed her. “I don’t know what it is—maybe some kind of a demon. It’s been hunting me since I left Avalon but the night before last it almost got me. That’s why I can’t . . . don’t dare to go out in the woods again.”

“You don’t have to go out there, darlin’,” Reese murmured. “You can stay with me where it’s warm and dry and safe.”

“I can’t keep living on your charity,” Jo protested. “I’m used to making my own way in the world.”

“Which is why you need a job,” Fiona said briskly. “And I have just the thing. I’ve been looking for a knowledgeable young person to help me catalog my inventory. As I’m sure you can see, it’s going to be quite an undertaking.” She nodded at the shelves overflowing with ingredients.

Jo frowned. “You mean it? You want to give me a job?”

“If you’ll take it.” Fiona threw up her hands. “I know it’s something of a mess in here.”

“But a wonderful mess,” Jo exclaimed. “I’ve never seen so many rare artifacts and ingredients all together before in my life.”

“Then you’ll do it?” Fiona asked, looking at her hopefully.

“I’d love to,” Jo said honestly. “But you really don’t know me. Are you sure you don’t want to do some kind of a background check or something?”

“No need, my dear.” Fiona gave her a mysterious smile. “I know more than you guess. I only have one condition.” She raised one beringed finger as if to illustrate her point.

“And that is?” Jo arched an eyebrow at her.

“That you continue to stay with Reese here and live under his roof. Now the reasons for this are twofold,” she continued, clearly seeing Jo’s mutinous face.

It wasn’t that Jo didn’t like Reese—it was that since her disastrous spell, she liked him too much. She didn’t want to forget herself and have a repeat of last night’s shameful performance. Just remembering his kiss . . . his mouth on her breasts . . . the way he’d stroked and filled her pussy with his fingers until she moaned and begged for more . . .

Stop it, Jo, she told herself firmly, aware that the throbbing in both her temples and between her thighs had become almost unbearable. Stop it, you can’t think like that! You have to forget it ever happened!

“What are your reasons?” she asked, trying to pry her mind away from the dirty details of her encounter with the big Shifter who sat watching her quietly, sipping tea from the delicate china cup Fiona had handed him. It looked tiny and breakable in his big hand but he handled it with gentleness and grace that belied his size.

“You need to stay with Reese, firstly for protection,” Fiona said. “You may not want to believe that you’re a Shifter female in Rejuvenation, but you are, my dear. The Juvie scent you’re putting out right now means every male in your immediate vicinity will be drawn to you. You need to be with an Alpha like Reese who can control his impulses. Without him to protect you, you’ll be in constant danger here in Cougarville.”

“So . . . you’re saying that scene in the coffee shop wasn’t just an isolated incident? That men—Shifters—would be coming up to me all the time and, uh, trying to . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence—it felt like her throat was closing up as memories of the past came rushing forward.

“Afraid so,” Reese said, frowning. “Your Juvie scent is pretty overwhelming right now, darlin’. Letting you run around town on your own is kinda like taking a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies past a bunch of starving men and expecting them not to try and take a bite.”

“All right.” Jo sighed. “I understand about the need for protection. But you said you had two reasons for me to stay with Reese—what’s the second?”

“You’re going to need the touch of an Alpha, my dear,” Fiona said quietly. “Eventually your cravings will become too much to bear and someone will have to help you. And when Lady Moon becomes full again, you’ll have to be bred—you can’t go through another cycle without a mate. It would kill you.”

“What?” Jo put down her teacup with a tinkling sound, splashing lukewarm Earl Grey over the side into her saucer. “What are you talking about? I can’t . . . I won’t . . . My chastity is vowed to the Goddess!” she got out at last.

“The Goddess—or Lady Moon as we call her—has called you to other things,” Fiona assured her. “She made you a Shifter—she will not also require your chastity. The two are incompatible.”

“I don’t believe that. Breaking my vow would be the worst thing I could do. And besides that I just can’t. Can’t do that.”

“Jo was . . . attacked some time ago,” Reese explained delicately to Fiona. “It’s made her, uh, kind of shy of males, not that I blame her,” he added, casting Jo a compassionate glance.

“I see.” Fiona nodded. “I thought I sensed something like that when I touched you. Well, know this, my dear,” she said to Jo. “When Lady Moon waxes full and you have a male you trust and care for by you, the past will melt away to shadows in the heat of your need.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of!” Jo exclaimed. “That this . . . this need inside me will overwhelm me and make me act like . . . do things I normally wouldn’t do.”

“You will do many things you normally wouldn’t do,” Fiona said tranquilly. “Including Shifting at the full moon. But lust is not the only problem Reese can help you with. There are other pains only the touch of an Alpha can allay. Tell me—how long have you had the headache?”

“What?” Jo half raised a hand to her temple. “How . . . how did you know about that?”

“It’s a common symptom of Rejuvenation. Only the touch of an Alpha can alleviate it.”

“The headache comes and goes on its own,” Jo protested. “It doesn’t have anything to do with if Reese has, uh, touched me or not.”

“Oh no?” Fiona raised her dark auburn eyebrows. “Tell me, my dear, when was the last time you were pain free?”

“Well, last night after . . .” Jo stopped, biting her lip. The throbbing in her temples had disappeared briefly the night before after she and Reese had been all over each other. And before that, it had left briefly after he touched her in his Fox form.

“I want to show you something,” Fiona said. “Reese, put out your hand to Jocasta if you please.”

Silently, Reese held out one large hand. Jo couldn’t help thinking that for a mechanic, he had extraordinarily clean hands and fingernails. They were large and well formed with long, artistic fingers that looked more suited to painting or sculpting than rebuilding engines.

And you know from experience how good he is with his hands, whispered a little voice inside her head. Jo tried to push it away but she couldn’t help remembering the gentle but urgent way those long fingers had circled the swollen bud of her clit and then pressed deep inside her pussy . . .

Stop it! With a fierce effort, she pushed the memory away.

“Take his hand, please, Jocasta,” Fiona said to her. “You need not do anything else—just take Reese’s hand and hold it.”

Jo really didn’t want to—it felt dangerous to touch him, somehow. As though once she started touching him, she might not want to stop. She hesitated, looking for an excuse.

“What if I, uh, blast him again?” she asked. “Like I did in the coffee shop? I’ve never done that before—never had that power. I don’t know how to control it.”

“Your growing power is simply the sign of a twice-blessed one in Rejuvenation,” Fiona said patiently. “It manifested unexpectedly because you felt threatened by a strange male and needed to protect yourself. You have no need to protect yourself from Reese—he will not harm you.”

“Well . . .” Jo couldn’t think of any other excuses. Reluctantly, she placed her hand lightly on his outstretched palm.

A shiver ran through her—a feeling of pleasure so strong she almost yanked her hand away at once. Reese seemed to feel it too because his eyes were suddenly half-lidded and he gave a little grunt of surprise.

“Hold just a minute more, my dear,” Fiona said to her when Jo would have pulled away from the contact. “That was simply a telling sign—it will pass. Just hold Reese’s hand and concentrate on your headache.”

Grudgingly, Jo did as she was told. Closing her eyes so she wouldn’t fall into Reese’s chocolate-brown gaze, she focused her attention on the throbbing in her temples. Only . . . in just a few seconds, there was nothing to focus on at all.

The pain in her temples was gone—magically erased as though it had never been there in the first place.

Jo’s eyes flew open in surprise. “He . . . you . . .” She looked back and forth between Fiona and Reese.

“Feeling better, darlin’?” he asked quietly.

“Actually, I am.” Jo still couldn’t quite believe it. She’d been willing to think that the previous times the throbbing had left were simply coincidence. But this proved that Fiona was right.

About everything, though? whispered a skeptical little voice in her head. Are you one hundred percent sure you’re a Shifter? And even if you are, do you think that all this lust you’re feeling is due to your new hormones? Because though the throbbing in her temples had disappeared, the ache between her thighs had most definitely not. She still felt wet and hot and ready in a way that scared her. Jo squeezed her thighs together tightly and bit her lip.

Isn’t it more likely that some—or maybe even most—of the need you’re feeling is due to that damn spell you botched? asked the reasonable little voice.

Yes—that had to be it, Jo told herself. What she needed to do was just reverse the spell and she’d be feeling much better and more comfortable about staying with the big Shifter. And she was going to be in a perfect position to do that—Fiona’s pharmacy was filled with rare ingredients. Surely what Jo needed to reverse the spell was here, somewhere in these piles and stacks and shelves.

“All right,” she said at last, looking at Fiona. “I’ll stay with Reese.” She looked up at him. “If you, uh, really don’t mind.”

“I don’t,” he said simply. “It’ll be nice to have a female around the house again—my last sister moved out over two years ago and it’s felt pretty empty since then.”

Jo thought it was nice he was trying to put her more at ease by talking about his sisters, although she doubted he’d ever looked at any of them the way he was looking at her now. Those deep brown eyes of his would be so easy to fall into . . .

Quickly, she looked away and drew her hand out of his.

“Good—then that’s settled,” Fiona said. “Reese can drop you off here in the mornings when he comes to open his shop and take you home in the evening. And if your headaches get too painful to bear during the day, he’s only just across the road.”

“I don’t know if Jo is going to want to be holding hands with me during the day,” Reese said dryly. “Since mine are usually covered in grease about a second after I get to work.”

“We shall see.” Fiona gave both of them a sharp look and then focused on Jo. “Well—can you start today?”

“I . . . I guess so. I don’t have anything else to do.” Jo shrugged.

“Good. Well then, enough chatting—we all have work to do.” The older woman got up briskly and started clearing away the tea things. When she took them in the other room, Jo looked uncertainly at Reese.

“Are you sure you’re really okay with this? With me staying with you for a while?”

“More than okay,” Reese assured her. “But it’s not just me that wants you to stay.”

“Well, I know Fiona does,” Jo said.

“No, not her.” Reese shook his head. “Didn’t I tell you? My Fox is crazy about you.”

Jo thought of the adorable fuzzy little animal with his sharp, pointed muzzle and big brown eyes and couldn’t help smiling. Though she knew cognitively that Reese and the sweet little fox were one and the same, it was really hard to make herself grasp that fact on a gut level.

“I’m kind of crazy about him too,” she admitted. “Tell him . . .” She cleared her throat. “Tell him I’ll try to be a good roommate.”

“I’m sure you will, darlin’,” Reese murmured. He reached out and seemed about to stroke her cheek. But then, at the last moment he drew back.

Jo wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad about the almost-touch.

“Well . . .” she said awkwardly.

“Well . . .” Reese echoed and sighed. “I’d better go open my shop. I’m glad you’re going to stay and work with Fiona—I think you’re going to really like her. I can tell she likes you.”

“Thank you.” Impulsively, Jo stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She felt a little tingle as she did, though nothing like the electrical charge of pleasure she’d had when she’d deliberately taken his hand earlier.

When she drew back, Reese was giving her a quizzical little smile.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“For everything,” Jo said softly. “For offering me a place to stay and making me feel safe there, for introducing me to Fiona, for believing me about the thing watching in the woods . . .” She shivered at the thought.

“You’re welcome, darlin’,” Reese rumbled. “And listen, you don’t have to be afraid of that thing or of anything or anybody else. As long as you’re with me, I’ll be making your safety my first priority.” He grinned. “Although, with your juiced-up powers, you might not need me.”

Jo thought again of the shadow creature and shook her head.

“Whether I need your protection or not, it makes me feel better to have it.” She laughed. “I guess that’s not a very feminist thing to say. And after all these years of taking the hard line—‘A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle,’” she quoted dryly. “Maybe I’m going soft in my old age . . . or would it be my young age?” She shook her head.

Reese gave her that easy, charming grin of his, his brown eyes sleepy with amusement.

“Who says a fish doesn’t need a bicycle? How else is he gonna get to the store to buy fish food?”

Jo found herself smiling back, almost against her will.

“All right. Well, you’d better open your shop so you can look at that old lady’s alternator and all the other bad transmissions and flat tires in town.”

“You got that right.” He nodded. “Enjoy working with Fiona. Her filing system is . . . kind of eccentric.”

“I can see that.” Jo looked around at the crowded shelves. “But I like a challenge.”

His eyes flashed. “So do I, darlin’.” He turned to go but then turned back again for a moment. “And listen, if your headache comes back, just give me a call—Fiona has my number.”

“So you can come across the road and hold hands with me?” Jo asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “I thought you said you’d be covered in grease?”

“Well, you can hold my elbow if you want—doesn’t really matter.” Reese shrugged. “Any kind of skin-to-skin contact will do it.”

“Okay.” Jo nodded awkwardly although she secretly had no intention of asking him to drop his work and come across the street to hold hands or elbows or anything else with her. She might be staying with him, but until she got her lust and fidelity spell reversed, it was going to be advisable to keep some distance between them—a lot of distance.

Which is why you shouldn’t have kissed him on the cheek, whispered a reproving little voice in her head. Jo knew it was right but she hadn’t been able to help herself. Even now, she felt herself drawn to the big Shifter, wanting to touch him again . . . to hold him and let him hold her . . . to taste those warm lips just one more time . . .

She took a step back and looked down at her hands.

“I’d, uh, better go see where Fiona wants me to start.”

“Right.” Reese studied her face for a moment longer and then turned again. “If you need me, darlin’, I’m just across the street,” he reminded her. And then he was gone, weaving his way through the crowded shelves to the front of the pharmacy.

Jo watched his broad back retreating and wished she could call him back for a kiss goodbye . . . and maybe much, much more. Then she did her best to squash the impulse and went to find Fiona.

She had to get that spell reversed—and soon—or her living arrangements with Reese were going to get very awkward, very fast.

Chapter Nine

“So how are things going with you and the witch?”

Reese looked up from the engine he was examining to see Keller leaning against the doorway to his shop, his arms crossed over his chest. There was a sardonic little grin on the other male’s face, but Reese thought he could detect just a hint of worry far back in Keller’s leaf-green eyes.

“Going great,” he said, wanting to put his best friend at ease. “Better that great, actually—Jo and I are getting along like a house on fire.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Keller sounded skeptical. “And what about the spell she put on you? How did that turn out?”

Reese felt his cheeks getting hot. Should he tell the other male what had happened during the incomplete binding spell? On one hand, it was pretty private but on the other, Keller could keep a secret. He decided an abbreviated version would be the best.

“Well, actually . . . “ He cleared his throat. “The spell went a little . . . wrong.”

“Wrong? Wrong, how?” Keller was instantly on the alert. “What did she do to you, Coop? Are you okay?”

Reese laughed. “Take it easy, buddy—I’m fine. More than fine to be honest.” He told Keller briefly about how Jo had cast a binding spell and hadn’t been able to reverse the intent at the end as she’d meant to.

Keller gave a long, low whistle.

“So she basically cast a lust and fidelity spell on the two of you and now you’re living in the same house with her and trying to keep your hands to yourself?”

“It’s not like that, Keller.” Reese frowned, trying to think how to explain. “I mean, it’s hard to be around her, wanting her so much, but I don’t really think the spell’s to blame. If anything, it only heightened what was already there. I mean, Jo’s a Juvie, so—”

“What? Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Keller demanded.

Reese shrugged. “Figured you already knew. After what happened at the Friendly Bean—”

“No, what did happen at the Friendly Bean?” Keller demanded. “I’ve been on a business trip, you know. Trying to wrap everything up before the babies come along. Just got back in an hour ago.”

“Makes sense.” Reese nodded. “Okay, so we go into the shop . . . “

After he related the incident, the Cougar Shifter shook his head.

“So she’s a witch and a Shifter?”

“So says Fiona.” Reese shrugged. “Got no reason to doubt her—Jo certainly shows both characteristics.”

“Sounds like she does.” Reese nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad she’s a Juvie, Coop.”

“You are?” Reese frowned. “Why?”

“It makes me feel better about this whole thing—about her staying with you.” Reese left the doorway and came over to clap Reese on the shoulder. “If your little witch is a Juvie, that means Lady Moon’s got a hand in this too. And we know the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Don’t believe she does.” Reese smiled at his friend wryly. “Although sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s going on.”

“You’ll work it out,” Keller said confidently. “Speaking of which, Samantha and I are having a get together with Mathis and Sadie later on this week. We’re going to throw some steaks on the grill and take it easy. Why don’t you bring Jo along?”

“I’d love to, but are you sure? I mean, Sadie and Samantha don’t even know Jo.”

“It’ll be a perfect time to introduce them to her. To introduce all of us,” Keller said firmly. “Just come, Coop—if you like Jo, I’m sure we will too.”

“She’s a little shy,” Reese said. “Especially around males. But yeah, I think you’ll like her. She’s pretty great.” He smiled, thinking of her beautiful, fox-red hair and gorgeous amber eyes. Not to mention her laugh or the way her long fingers felt when they ruffled his fur . . .

“More than great if that look in your eyes is anything to go by,” Keller said dryly. “You better bring he by so we can get to know her before the two of you start having babies of your own.”

Reese frowned. “I think we’re a long way from that point, Keller. In fact after . . . what happened to her, we might never get there.”

“Lady Moon will make a way,” Keller said confidently.

Reese laughed. “Now you sound like Fiona.”

Keller shrugged. “Why not? She’s usually right. Well . . . “ He clapped Reese on the shoulder again. “I’d better go. Samantha would skin me alive if she knew I came to talk to you instead of going straight home when I got back into town.”

Reese raised an eyebrow. “She’s got you on a short leash, huh?”

Keller laughed. “No, leashes are for Dogs and I’m a Cat—haven’t you heard? But I had to come talk to you first before I went home to Samantha. The pregnancy hormones make her, let’s say . . . amorous. The minute I get home to her, I won’t be going anywhere for the next few days.”

“Well don’t let me keep you.” Reese grinned at his best friend. “Go have fun.”

“Will do. You too.” He winked at Reese and was gone.

Reese sighed and went back to his engine. Though he appreciated his friend’s vote of confidence, he wasn’t at all sure that he and Jo would ever be having the kind of “fun” that Keller was currently anticipating. Still, you never could tell—maybe Lady Moon did have a hand in all of this. Fiona certainly seemed to believe so.

“If you’re listening, Lady Moon,” he muttered under his breath. “I’d be very grateful to have with Jo what Keller has with Samantha and Mathis has with Sadie. If you sent me Jo just to protect her, I’ll do that, no problem. But if you sent her for me to love her, well . . . “ He sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling of his shop just for a minute. “I think I could do that too.”

No one answered his prayer, but he felt a little better when he was finished. He went back to work on the engine humming, a feeling of hope and contentment in his heart.

* * *

The next week, life fell into a routine for Jo. She got up each morning and made breakfast for Reese and herself and then he drove her to Fiona’s pharmacy before opening his auto body shop where he worked until noon. Around that time he would usually come across the street and the two of them would have lunch together, sometimes in Fiona’s little shop or sometimes, on sunny days, they would get in Reese’s truck and go out on a picnic in a little secluded park on the far edge of town.

Jo liked the picnic days the best—the air was bright and crisp and since she’d given in and accepted the clothing Reese offered her, she was warm enough to enjoy the Fall air unlike during her weary journey after leaving Avalon. They packed sandwiches, or sometimes Reese picked something up from the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Diner or the Cougar’s Den Bar and Grill. They sat on an old plaid blanket and talked of everything and nothing and generally got to know each other.

During these lunches, Reese always found a way to touch her.

His fingers would brush hers while passing a plate or a napkin, or he would see an eyelash on her cheek and brush it off, his big hand gentle on her face. Jo knew he was helping her the only way he could—touching her to take away the pain of the ever-looming headache that returned more and more frequently during her hours away from him. It was a kind gesture—even kinder because she couldn’t bring herself to ask for it.

Jo liked the feel of the big Shifter’s hands on her and knew that Reese wished she would tell him when her temples throbbed and ask for what she needed . . . but she just couldn’t. Because she liked it too much—and even as the headache faded with his touch, she could feel the heat between her thighs growing more insistent.

She often saw Reese’s nostrils flare and knew he was catching her scent. Sometimes he got restless and got up to walk around the park or Fiona’s small back room. At times like that, Jo often saw the thick ridge of his shaft pressed hard against his jeans and wondered if he was making space between them because he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. The thought both frightened and intrigued her . . . and then she felt ashamed that she was interested in something she’d sworn off so many years ago—and scared of the silent yearning that sometimes fell between herself and Reese when they were together.

Jo tried to tell herself that the sexual tension between them was there because she hadn’t been able to find a way to reverse the spell she’d cast. If she could just find a way to undo what she had done that first night in his back yard, she was certain the lust that rose inside her when she saw Reese and felt his gentle touch on her skin would fade. This whole Shifter thing was probably nonsense—it was the spell that was to blame.

So she hoped.

In the early evening, after another four or five hours working on the new ingredient and artifact filing system she was designing for Fiona, Reese drove her home again and Jo made supper.

He had protested, at first, about letting her cook all the time but Jo told him she liked it—which was true.

“But I thought you were a feminist,” he said, frowning. “And you’re already insisting on paying me rent, which is ridiculous. We should share the cooking.”

“I’m a hearth witch—what some people call a ‘kitchen witch,’” she told him, as she stirred a big pot of her famous vegetable stew which was bubbling on the stove. A pan of homemade cornbread was baking in the oven to go with it. “That means I draw power and satisfaction from things to do with the home—cooking . . . mending . . . healing. Not cleaning though—you’re welcome to do the dishes if you want.”

“I can handle that.” Reese had given her his warm, sleepy smile and she’d had to look away, biting her lip because she wanted so badly to put her arms around him and kiss his luscious-looking mouth and feel his hands all over her body.

After supper one night, near the end of the week, they were in the den slash library and Jo was looking for something new to read when she found a whole stash of books she hadn’t seen before high in one corner of the shelf.

“Oh,” she exclaimed. “Lest Darkness Fall . . . The Years of Rice and Salt . . . The Difference Engine—you like alternate history?”

“Sure.” Reese nodded. “I like any kind of history. In fact, I’ve always wished I could teach it—you know, on the university level.”

“Really?” She was instantly intrigued.

“Yeah but I was the only son in a family full of daughters. Would have broken my old man’s heart if I’d left him alone with the auto body shop. So . . . “ He shrugged. “What could I do? I stayed while all my sisters went their separate ways. All of them got out of Cougarville, but here I am in this big house all alone. Well . . . “ He grinned at her. “Not quite so alone now, I guess.”

Jo felt her cheeks heat at the warm look in his eyes but she tried to push the attraction away.

“You shouldn’t give up your dreams,” she told him. “It’s important to do what you love.”

“Well, I haven’t completely. Look . . .” Reese got up and went into the other room. He returned with a framed diploma and showed it to her.

“A bachelor’s degree in ancient history!” She looked up at him, surprised.

“It’s only from an online university.” Reese shrugged self-deprecatingly. “But it’s a good one—I did plenty of research before I enrolled. And I’m thinking of taking classes for a master’s degree next.”

“You should! Reese, this is really impressive. I knew I saw a band of intellect in your aura. I couldn’t figure it out at first.”

“Yeah, a mechanic who likes to read.” He grinned. “Go figure, right? Well . . .” He took the diploma back from her and stretched. “Think I’ve had enough reading for one night. It’s time to let my Fox out to roam around some.”

This was something he did every evening, about an hour before bedtime. He’d explained to Jo that his other half enjoyed spending time with her too and it was only fair to give the Fox a chance to see her at least once a day.

Jo felt a wide smile spread over her face at his words. She loved his Fox to pieces—the little animal was so frisky and cuddly. Just hearing his sharp little yip and seeing him tear across the living room to jump into her arms made her bubble over with happiness. Plus, sitting on the couch and stroking his lithe, furry body just before bedtime ensured that her sleep wouldn’t be interrupted by the pounding in her temples coming back before she woke.

“Good,” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see the little guy.”

“Sometimes I think you like my animal half more than my human half,” Reese said dryly, but Jo could tell he was only partially joking.

“Of course I don’t, Reese,” she protested, getting up to go to him. “You know I love, um, spending time with you . . . talking to you.”

She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she spoke—her body yearned for his and she wished they could do a lot more than talk. But she tried to push the need she felt away and went on.

“Your fox is just so cute and cuddly,” she told Reese, “Nothing like those huge, ferocious dire wolves that chased me after I left Avalon.” She shivered at the memory. “Goddess, I’m so glad you don’t turn into anything like that.”

“Uh, yeah. That would be a real shame,” Reese muttered. He looked like he wanted to say something, then he just shook his head. “Guess I’d better let him out then.”

He turned away but Jo couldn’t ignore the hurt look she’d seen in his brown eyes.

“Reese,” she said, stepping forward and putting a hand tentatively on his arm. He was wearing a t-shirt and she saw his bicep tense and knot at her light touch. She hadn’t reached out to him—hadn’t touched him voluntarily—until now. Other than the kiss on the cheek she’d given him that first day at Fiona’s, she hadn’t touched him at all—it was always him touching her.

“Yes, darlin’?” he asked, turning back to her, his voice dropping into a lower register—almost a soft growl. “What is it?”

“I . . . I just wanted you to know . . . wanted to say . . .” Jo tried to think of how to put it.

He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting, which made her even more nervous.

“I want you to know I like being with you—like spending time with you,” she heard her voice saying. “I . . . I like it too much. So much it makes me . . . uncomfortable sometimes when I’m near you in your human form. That’s all.”

She pressed her thighs tightly together, trying to ignore the throbbing which got worse any time she was near him. His hands on her body . . . his mouth on her breasts . . . his fingers between her legs . . . No!

Goddess, she had to stop thinking of their erotic encounter after she’d cast the spell! The lust was messing with her head, making her think of doing things she hadn’t desired in years. Why couldn’t she just turn her libido off, the way it had been the entire time she’d lived in Avalon?

She hadn’t desired a man’s touch in over twenty years, but now, sometimes when she was close to Reese, she thought she would go crazy if she couldn’t have those big hands roving over her body . . . making her naked . . . making her his . . .

“Being near you makes me uncomfortable too, you know, darlin’,” he said matter-of-factly. “You smell so good it drives me crazy. Half the time I’m with you, your Juvie scent makes me so hard I ache.”

“I . . . I’m sorry.” Jo took a step back from him but he followed her and reached out to stroke her cheek lightly with the back of his knuckles.

“Don’t be,” he murmured. “It’s worth it to be near you. Even if I want you so badly I can hardly see straight. It’s a kind of torture but . . . a sweet torture, if that makes any sense.”

“Yes,” Jo whispered. “It . . . it feels that way to me too.”

“Then why are we torturing ourselves, darlin’?” he asked softly. He cupped her face in his big, warm hands and leaned down to look into her eyes. “Why can’t we stop playing this game?” he murmured.

Jo’s heart pounded and she wanted to pull away from his soft touch, but somehow she couldn’t. He was so close . . . close enough to kiss and his breath smelled sweet and a little spicy, like the apple pie she’d baked for dessert. She knew his mouth would taste of cinnamon and cloves and hot, aroused man and Goddess, she wanted so badly to taste that—to taste him.

“See, this is why I like your Fox form,” she said breathlessly, not answering his question. “Because there’s none of this . . . this tension when you’re the Fox. I can touch you as much as I want without wanting to do more . . . to go too far.”

“How far is too far?” Reese murmured. He hadn’t released his light hold on her and somehow Jo couldn’t make herself pull away. His touch seemed to send electrical tingles though her entire body.

“I . . . I don’t kn—” she began.

Before she could finish, Reese took her mouth in a sweet, urgent kiss. Soft, yet demanding, his mouth covered hers.

Goddess! Jo felt like she was melting. Throwing her arms around his neck, she returned the kiss, opening her lips to his, welcoming him in, finally giving in to the lust that had been burning inside her for what felt like forever.

Reese gave a low groan and crushed her to him. His big body, hard and hot, was pressed against hers from chest to groin and Jo felt the solid ridge of his shaft pressing insistently against her thigh.

Come on, baby, whispered a voice from her past. I just want a little kiss—c‘mere and give me a kiss . . .

With a gasp, she broke the kiss and pushed away from Reese. What was she doing? What was wrong with her? She had to get away—to get out of here before she did something she’d regret—before he took what she wasn’t willing to give.

“Jo?” Reese looked at her uncertainly, clearly wondering why she’d pulled away from their passionate embrace so abruptly.

“I . . . I’m sorry.” Jo shook her head, her long red hair whipping around her face. “I can’t—I just can’t. I have to go now.”

Turning, she fled up the stairs to the room Reese had given her. She locked herself in, threw herself on the bed, and shook and cried, trying to push away the past. Trying not to think of how badly she wanted Reese . . . and how badly she didn’t want to want him.

It was awful and made all the worse because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to stop the feelings welling up inside her for the big Shifter.

At last, though, she felt she’d cried herself out. Sitting up, she wiped her eyes with the clean but faded patchwork quilt that covered her bed and took a deep breath. There had to be something she could do—some way out of this mess.

There is, whispered a little voice. You know there is—you just have to be brave enough to do it.

Biting her lip, Jo considered her options. Just that day she’d found a recipe for a love spell reversal potion in the back of Miranda’s book of shadows. While perusing the book, she noticed that two of the pages seemed to be stuck together. As she carefully separated them, the potion recipe had been her reward.

At first Jo had been elated—it was exactly what she needed! And the list of ingredients and accoutrements needed seemed to be all things she had on hand or could get at Fiona’s pharmacy. But then the last thing on the list had caught her eye and her heart had lodged in her throat.

“Cestrum nocturnum, sometimes called night-blooming jasmine,” the list read. This tender perennial blooms from spring until fall, but it must be gathered in the wild under the light of the moon to be effective.”

Gathered in the wild . . . just the thought made Jo shiver. She knew where she could get some night-blooming jasmine. She’d seen some in the forest as she made her way through the trees. Finding some, even this late in the season, should be no problem . . . except for the fact that she’d have to go into the woods to get it.

Just thinking of that—of entering the forest when the shadow creature might be waiting for her—made Jo feel like she’d swallowed a pound of ice cubes which were sitting in the pit of her stomach refusing to melt. And yet, what else could she do? There was no other way to get the jasmine she needed—no other way to make the potion to break the lust spell that was driving both her and Reese crazy.

I can probably grab the jasmine and be out of the woods in no time, she told herself, trying to nerve herself up. And besides, I haven’t seen the creature lately—haven’t sensed its presence. Maybe it realized that I’m protected now—that I’m safe—and it decided to give up.

She hoped she was right because tonight she had reached her breaking point—she was damn well going to go into the forest and pick herself some night-blooming jasmine. She needed to brew that potion, no matter what the risks were.

Jo sat up straighter and took a deep breath. Okay, fine—she was going to do it—she was determined. But how could she get out without alerting Reese? After the passionate kiss they’d shared, she didn’t want to tell him she was going to try and eliminate all the passion and desire between them. He might feel offended and insulted, and that was the last thing Jo wanted. No, she had to get out of the house without Reese realizing she was gone.

Taking stock of the situation, Jo looked around the room and saw the window, opened just an inch to let in the cool night air. It was right beside a huge old oak tree and Reese had told her how his little sister Meggie, whose room this used to be, had always snuck out the window and climbed down the tree to go meet her friends when she was grounded.

Jo would never have dreamed of climbing out a second story window and down an oak tree in her forty-one year old body. But now that she felt nineteen or twenty again, the idea wasn’t daunting at all.

Lifting the window sash as quietly as she could, she measured the distance to the nearest tree branch and then to the ground. A chill wind rustled the trees and Jo shivered.

Going to the closet, she pulled out an extra warm, cable-knit sweater and pulled it on over the thinner sweater she was already wearing with her jeans. Then, sending a short prayer to the Goddess for protection, she slipped out the window and disappeared into the night.

* * *

Reese paced up and down, running his hands through his hair, cursing himself for a fool. Why had he done that? Why had he kissed her when he knew she had a past, knew she was frightened of being with a man? It was her Juvie scent driving him crazy, making him want her so badly he couldn’t see straight . . .

That’s no excuse and you know it, Reese told himself. You’re a full-grown man and an Alpha. You ought to be able to keep your hands to yourself!

But he couldn’t help thinking of that one moment when Jo had allowed herself to kiss him back, the way her arms had slipped around his neck and she’d pressed herself against him, giving in for just a split second to the need they both felt.

And then she’d pulled away and went running up to her room.

The desire was a palpable thing between them—a presence that pressed down on both of them like a huge, heavy hand whenever they were close enough to touch. It was suffocating . . . distracting . . . a burning thirst he couldn’t slake. It made him so frustrated at times he had to get away—yet he couldn’t bear to leave her. That was where his Fox form came in.

Reese knew Jo needed his touch and also knew she wouldn’t or couldn’t ask for it. He also wanted desperately to be near her without being constantly overwhelmed with desire. So he’d fabricated the idea that he had to spend time as his Fox every night.

When he was the Fox, he didn’t have to feel the desperate desire that made his cock so hard it ached when he looked at Jo and couldn’t touch her. And as the Fox, he could and did touch her as much as he wanted to. Reese looked forward to Shifting every evening, despite the pain it entailed. It was a relief every night to take his other form for an hour—to be close to her without wanting her so badly it made his whole body clench with need whenever she was near.

He thought of Shifting to his Fox right now and going up to scratch on Jo’s door. She would probably let him in as the Fox, even if she was upset with him as a human. Though she knew cognitively that he and the Fox were basically the same entity, it still hadn’t quite sunk in for her yet on an emotional level. She seemed to trust the Fox in ways she couldn’t trust him as a man.

It made Reese sad . . . made him wish she could trust his human form as much as his animal one.

He was just about to Shift when he stopped himself. Shifting right now would be a cop out. He had to talk to Jo—had to apologize for kissing her, for pushing too hard. Damn it—he’d been trying to keep his hands off her, trying to gain her trust. He supposed he might have destroyed that now—all his effort washed way in that one, intense kiss.

Sighing, he mounted the stairs and went to stand in front of Jo’s room. Taking a deep breath, he called through the door.

“Jo? Jo, can we talk? I know I was an ass down there—I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m really sorry.”

No answer.

Frowning, he tried again. “Jo? Are you all right?”

Still no answer and his sensitive Shifter senses didn’t pick up her heart beat or any sounds of breathing either. A surge of worry shot through him. What was going on?

“Jo?” He knocked on her door, which wasn’t very securely latched, and the wooden panel swung inward.

The room was empty.

“Jo? Jo, where are you?” Fighting the panic that wanted to overwhelm him, Reese came into the room. He looked everywhere but didn’t sense her presence, though her maddening Juvie scent still hung faintly in the air.

Then his eyes lit on the window. Jo normally slept with it cracked because she liked the spicy scent of the leaves and the slight chill of the autumn air. But now the window wasn’t just cracked—it was wide open. Jo was gone.

Reese ran over to it, looking out into the darkness, hoping to find her still in the tree or in the backyard but it was no use—the little witch was nowhere to be seen. She had run away in the dead of night—probably to get away from him.

Great going, Reese—you drove her away. Your kiss scared her so badly she’d do anything just to get away from you!

He wanted to kick himself. He shouldn’t have pushed her, shouldn’t have kissed her, no matter how badly he wanted her and sensed that she wanted him. He shouldn’t have—

And that was when he heard it. Out in the forest, lost in the trees and shadows, a woman was screaming. The short hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a low growl rose in his throat as Reese recognized the voice.

It was Jo.

Chapter Ten

At first it seemed like getting the night-blooming jasmine would be easy. Jo slipped across the back lawn in her little white tennis shoes as quiet as a cat. Lady Moon was waxing—she was over three quarters full by now—and shed plenty of light on this cloudless night.

Jo reached the edge of the woods at the border of Reese’s backyard, and stood there, listening and watching. She couldn’t hear or see anything but the moonlight on the branches and the soft rustling of the wind in the trees. The Shadow Creature was gone—Jo didn’t even feel a hint of malice in the chilly night air.

All right. So far so good . . . Now she just had to find some night-blooming jasmine and get in and out of the forest with it and back to the house without Reese seeing her.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she pointed her face into the wind and took some deep breaths. The scent of night-blooming jasmine could extend for as much as twenty to thirty feet around the plant itself. It was going to be a matter of following her nose . . .

Soon a sweet, heady aroma came to her. Jo opened her eyes and took a step toward the scent. She peered through the branches of the trees and again, saw no sign of the Shadow Creature. Another step and the scent got even stronger.

It must be close—really close. Looking deeper into the woods, she thought she saw a glimmer of white—like moonlight on a cluster of flowers. That must be it! All right—here goes nothing.

Taking a deep breath to nerve herself up, Jo dashed lightly into the forest. Bobbing and weaving around the branches, her feet crunching on dry leaves, she ran as fast as she could, intent on grabbing just a handful of the greenish-white bell-shaped flowers and getting back to the yard as quickly as possible.

She was reaching for them, the little waxy blossoms brushing her fingertips—when a hand grabbed her arm.

Jo shrieked in surprise as someone terribly strong gripped her wrist.

“All right now, none of that,” a rough, masculine voice said as a hand was slapped over her mouth.

Jo kicked and struggled, her past rushing up to swallow her whole as terror coursed through her, sharp and jagged as lightning. She bit down on the hand over her mouth but it was covered in some kind of thick, black glove and her teeth only sank into the rough, suede fabric, making no impression.

“Well, well—you’re quite a little fighter, aren’t you?” Her captor sounded amused. “Don’t worry, witch. I’m not going to hurt you—yet.”

His words seemed to unlock something inside Jo—something that had been growing slowly since the last full moon. Just as she had at the coffee shop, she felt a tingling start in her fingertips.

You bastard, let’s see how you like this!

Reaching back with her free hand, she planted it firmly against her attacker’s torso and concentrated on shooting the energy out at him, deliberately using her new power for the first time.

The man grunted and jerked, as though he’d been punched. But her attacker never loosened his grip on her wrist, though his hand did slip from her mouth.

“Leave me alone! Get off me!” Jo shouted, ramming an elbow back against his midsection.

He gave another grunt and pulled her closer, nearly breaking her wrist in the process.

“Mouthy little bitch!” he snarled in her ear. “And strong too. Good thing I invested in some anti-magic gloves or that last blast would have thrown me.”

“Anti . . . anti-magic?” Jo panted.

He laughed harshly. “You think I’d come against you unprepared? Hell, with your Shifter blood you’re the most powerful witch in the country right now—you should be, anyway, if that fucking Fox has bred you.”

“Wh-what?” Jo shook her head, still tugging against the cruel, gloved hand encircling her wrist. “Reese never . . . I wouldn’t . . .”

“He hasn’t bred you yet?” Her attacker shook her so roughly Jo’s teeth clicked together on the tip of her tongue and she tasted warm blood.

“I . . . no!” she gasped. “No he . . . he never . . .”

The man shook her again, angrily.

“What the hell is wrong with you, you little bitch? After that lust spell you worked and the Juvie scent you’re putting out, he ought to be all over you! There ought to be a baby planted in your belly by now and you’re telling me he hasn’t even fucked you yet?”

“Get your hands off my female!” The low growling voice was familiar and Jo felt a stab of relief.

Reese! Oh, thank the Goddess.

He was standing there, having come up silently while her attacker was shouting at her and shaking her, Jo guessed. His eyes were glowing a pale gold and there was murder on his face.

“Let . . . her . . . go,” he snarled, reaching for the man.

Jo’s attacker laughed and took a step back, dragging Jo with him.

“Or what? You’ll turn into an itty-bitty fox and nibble my ankle? I’ve seen your animal form—hell, a Pekinese is scarier than that.”

“I’ll nibble a hell of a lot more than your ankle, asshole. I’m going to fuck you up!”

The last word ended in a roar and then Reese was changing . . . Shifting under the moonlight before Jo’s eyes.

But he wasn’t transforming into the tiny, cute creature Jo had come to love so much. Instead of shrinking down and having to wiggle out of his jeans and t-shirt as he usually did, Reese burst out of his clothes as he Shifted.

The familiar red coat and white ruff appeared, as did his pointed muzzle and black-edged ears. But they were on a much larger scale than before. His mass doubled and then tripled as he grew and grew until he was bigger than any of the dire wolves that had chased Jo that first night in the forest.

She stared at the huge Fox, her eyes widening in fear. He wasn’t so cute and cuddly anymore. In fact, he was freaking terrifying. Eyes as big as baseballs glowed gold and green in the darkness and when he bared his teeth, Jo saw they were sharply pointed and as long as her hand. The huge, leonine head swung toward her attacker and a low, rumbling growl came from his shaggy throat.

“Holy shit!” the man who had grabbed her breathed in Jo’s ear. “What the fuck?” His grip on her wrist, which had been so tight she’d been afraid he might break her arm, suddenly loosened.

The giant Fox took a step forward, its menacing growl still rising into the cold autumn air. Jo didn’t know which she was more afraid of—the man who’d grabbed her or this immense, wild beast which bore almost no resemblance to the cute, fluffy animal she’d been cuddling with for over a week.

With a cry, she ripped away from her attacker and dashed through the woods. Away, she had to get away from here! From the Fox, the attacker, from this whole situation.

She heard a hoarse cry and a crunching sound like boots on dry leaves and knew her attacker was running too. There was a blood-curdling sound—a howl that was half scream which sent another shiver of fear down her spine—and she knew the Fox must be in pursuit.

But in pursuit of who? Who was the man who had almost kidnapped her and how had he known so much about her?

Jo didn’t have time to think about it at the moment.

She ran blindly, not sure what else to do, crashing through the forest as branches whipped her in the face and dead leaves crunched under her feet. Only one thought pounded in her brain over and over—Have to get away from here! Have to get away!

She wasn’t paying any attention to where she was running—the only direction she cared about was away. She ran for what felt like forever but finally she was forced to stop because she literally couldn’t go on anymore.

Jo staggered to a stop under a tree, her breath tearing in her lungs as she heaved in great gasps of air. She put a hand to her chest and tried to still her galloping heart,

All right—it’s all right, she told herself. Her attacker was gone and so was the giant Fox. And thanks be to the Goddess, the Shadow Creature hadn’t shown up. She was all alone in the forest at night but that was fine—the main thing was the “alone” part.

Still . . . where was she? Jo looked around, searching for the familiar golden glow of Reese’s back porch light. She couldn’t see anything but blackness and trees and moonlight. The house was completely out of sight and with it gone, her sense of direction in the dark forest was nonexistent.

Before, when she’d been alone and on her own, she’d been able to work little directional spells to give her an idea of where to go. But all her Casting equipment was back at Reese’s house.

Not that I’m sure I want to go back there! she thought with a shiver, remembering the massive beast he’d turned into. How could he pretend all this time that he was little and cute and cuddly when he had an animal bigger than a dire wolf inside him?

She felt betrayed . . . lied to and hurt. Also scared. What was she going to do? What if her attacker got away from the Fox and came back? Or what if the Fox came and found her? What would she do? She knew deep down that the huge beast was still just Reese inside but still, it was a hell of a lot scarier than his cute little form.

At last, unsure of what else she could do, Jo started walking just to keep warm. There was nothing else she could do. She was out in the middle of the forest with no way to find her way back.

There was no sugarcoating it—she was lost.

* * *

Reese nosed through the underbrush, smelling for traces of Jo’s sweet scent. He had chased her attacker as far as he could and then the male had somehow suddenly disappeared. How he had done it, Reese didn’t know. One minute the man was there, racing just ahead with Reese hot on his heels and the next minute he was gone—vanished into thin air.

He sniffed around some, trying to find the scent again but it had also disappeared. Reese’s Fox didn’t like that—it didn’t make sense. But at last he realized that the attacker was gone for good and Jo had been left alone in the forest.

Alone . . . sudden fear stabbed at him. What if the man had only been a distraction—a diversion so that someone else could grab Jo? It was a complicated concept to grasp in his animal form but once he had it, Reese was terribly frightened it might be true.

Jo! Have to find Jo! Have to make sure she’s safe!

The chase had led him deep into the woods and he had no idea what direction Jo had gone in. He hoped she’d headed back for the house—if she hadn’t been grabbed, Goddess forbid. But when he finally found the place where the attack had first taken place, he could tell by the scents that lingered in the cool night air that she hadn’t gone back home. There was no sign of her but her scent trail led deeper into the forest.

Reese stayed in Fox form—it was much easier to track her that way. Putting his nose down to the forest floor, he scented for her, following the smell of her long hair and the rubber of her little tennis shoes but most of all, the warm, enticing aroma of a Juvie in heat. He just hoped no other Alpha Shifter was out tonight in the woods—Jo’s scent would lead them right to her.

Have to find her, he thought anxiously. Have to make sure she’s all right—that she’s safe. She’s mine to protect—mine to guard. Mine!

* * *

Jo didn’t know how long she wandered or where she was going. At first she was afraid her attacker or the Shadow Creature might show up again. But after a while, she just concentrated on keeping warm. It had gotten a great deal colder in the week since she’d come to Reese’s house and the two sweaters and thin jeans she had on weren’t nearly enough protection against the icy wind which howled through the trees like an uneasy ghost.

Goddess, I’m freezing! Have to keep going.

Jo knew it was true. It was plenty cold enough out here to die from exposure or hypothermia. If she stopped to lay down, as she desperately wanted to do, she might never get back up again.

Her arms wrapped around herself, as she staggered forward doggedly.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, she told herself grimly. Just keep—

Something caught the toe of her shoe—probably a root. With a little cry, she pitched forward, the dark ground coming up to meet her with no warning.

Jo tried to put out her hands to try and stop her fall but she’d had them tucked under her armpits for warmth and her fingers tangled in the loose cable knit of her sweater. Before she knew it, something hard hit her in the side of the head.

She gave a sharp cry and knew no more.

Chapter Eleven

Jo woke up to feel something warm and wet bathing her face.

“Hey . . .” She tried to push the thing away and then touched the place where it had been rubbing. Her right temple ached fiercely but not the way it usually did when she needed Reese’s touch, she thought blurrily. It was more of a stabbing pain than the dull throbbing she was used to.

The warm, wet something came back, rubbing gently over the sore spot on her temple. Jo winced away from it.

“Hey,” she protested again. “What . . . who . . . ?”

At last she came more awake and opened her eyes . . . only to see the face of the enormous Fox bending over her, nearly blotting out the moonlight.

“Ahhh!” Jo sat up so suddenly a sharp bolt of pain stabbed through her injured head. She tried to scramble away in the dead leaves but the Fox was having none of it. Lithe as a big cat, he leaped in front of her, blocking her way. Then he curled his big body around her, making himself into a round, furry donut with her in the center.

Jo froze, uncertain what to do. She felt trapped—caught in a living net. She stared fearfully at the Fox’s big eyes, which still glowed gold in the moonlight. He simply returned her look, however, and then put his head down on his paws, almost as though he was trying to appear less threatening.

“R . . . Reese?” she ventured at last.

The Fox looked at her and raised its head long enough to give a single, firm nod.

“So it is you,” Jo said. “I mean, of course it’s you. I saw you change.” She remembered the way he’d ripped out of his clothing, doubling and trebling in size as he Shifted. “But you’re the wrong size,” she continued. “You’re supposed to be little and fuzzy and cute.”

The Fox turned his eyes up to her and sighed deeply, his entire furry body moving with the gesture.

“Yes, I guess you’re right,” Jo said reluctantly. “Little and cute wouldn’t have scared off that bastard who attacked me.”

The Fox made a low growling sound in his shaggy throat but Jo somehow knew it wasn’t directed against her.

“Yes, he was an asshole,” she said in agreement. “Did you catch him?”

The Fox made a soft whining sound and shook his head from side to side—no.

“Damn.” Jo frowned. “I would have liked to know who he was and what the hell he wanted with me.”

The Fox whined again.

“It’s okay,” Jo told him. “You did your best and you showed up when it counted. I don’t know where I might be right now if . . . if you hadn’t come when you did.” The reality of the attack seemed to hit her all over again and a sob rose in her throat. Jo swallowed it down as best she could even though her eyes were stinging with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered to the fox.

He whined softly again and his long pink tongue came out to bathe her face.

Jo gave him a small, tentative smile and reached out hesitantly to stroke between the huge animal’s ears—this was something he loved, at least in his smaller form.

Sure enough, the Fox’s eyes nearly closed with pleasure and he made a soft, approving sound in his throat somewhere between a purr and a growl.

“You like that, boy? Hmm?” Jo scratched harder, using both hands to reach around the bases of his huge, furry ears.

She was beginning to feel more comfortable with the immense animal now. After all, it was still Reese in his Fox form, just scaled up—way, way up. And she often talked to the Fox this way during the hour she spent with him before bedtime each night.

But as much as she enjoyed spending time with the Fox, they couldn’t sit here in the dark forest all night.

“Reese,” she said. “We can’t stay out here—we need . . . need to go back home.” The word seemed to stick in her throat. Home—she had to admit Reese’s big old house had begun to feel like her home too, not just a place she was staying for a while.

“Well?” she said to the Fox when it didn’t move. “Why are we just sitting here?”

In answer, he twitched his soft, bushy tail, which was almost as big as a blanket, so that it covered her shivering body.

“Oh . . .” Jo cuddled down under the soft, warm fur. “You want to warm me up first, before we go?”

The Fox nodded. Then he whined gently and lifted his head to lap gently at her right temple with his long tongue.

“Ouch!” Jo winced. “I must have hit my head when I tripped on a root and fell. But I’m all right now—not dizzy at all,” she told the Fox.

He seemed to give her an appraising look and Jo marveled at how expressive his face was, even in animal form. She could almost see him weighing her words, considering if he thought she was well enough to travel. At last, he nodded.

“Good. Then let’s go.” Jo started to get to her feet, but the world seemed to spin around her. “Whoa . . .”

She reached for a nearby tree trunk but the Fox’s broad back insinuated itself under her hand instead. Then he nudged her thighs and looked at her.

“What?” Jo asked him as he nudged her again. “I wish you could Shift back to human for a second and just tell me what you want.”

To her surprise, the Fox began to shrink and change, its orange-red pelt, so like the color of her own hair, disappearing as reddish-brown hair with a slight curl appeared atop his head. In a matter of five seconds, Reese was standing there naked.

“God it’s cold!” he muttered, rubbing his hands together and blowing on them.

“Oh!” Jo was surprised and a little uneasy—he was so big and naked and male standing there in front of her. The sexual tension, which she never felt when he was in his Fox form, suddenly filled her body with longing. “I never,” she started. “I mean, I didn’t mean you had to—”

“Look, let’s make this quick,” Reese interrupted her. “I’d like to know why the hell you were out in the forest in the middle of the night—were you running away because of what happened between us?”

“No,” Jo denied quickly. “No, I—”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Reese cut her off. “It’s fucking cold out here in human form—especially with no clothes on.”

“All right,” Jo said at once, glad to put off that particular discussion. “Then Shift back to your Fox form—your little Fox form—and lead me home. Um, back to your house, I mean.”

“It’s your house too, darlin’, as long as you stay with me,” Reese said frowning. “I’ll shift back but I’m going to be my ‘holy shit’ size again—sorry.”

“Your ‘holy shit’ size?” Jo was surprised into a quick burst of laughter. “Well, I guess that’s one way to put it. But can’t your little Fox get through the forest more quickly and easily?”

“Yes, but he can’t carry you on his back,” Reese said, frowning. “Which is where you’re going. That head injury has made you too dizzy to walk.”

“That’s not true,” Jo objected. “I’m fine now.”

He sighed roughly. “God damn it, Jo—why do you have to fight me every step of the way? Would you rather I carry you in human form? I won’t be as warm and cuddly but I’ll do it if you’d rather.”

“No, I’d rather walk on my own!” she exclaimed, beginning to get irritated. The idea of being swung up in those big, muscular arms and held close to his broad chest made her heart skitter nervously behind her ribs.

She took an unsteady step away from the tree and then another, swaying slightly. Her head still ached fiercely but she was damned if she’d let him make her into an invalid.

With a low curse, Reese came up to her. Without warning, he reached down and swung her up into his arms.

“Reese!” she gasped, pushing ineffectually against his broad chest. “Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!”

“I’m taking you home,” he replied shortly. “And if you won’t ride on my Fox to get there, I’ll have to carry you this way.”

“Let me down—you don’t have to do this!” Jo protested. He was so big and warm and so close she could smell the spicy, masculine scent of his skin. It made her pussy throb and ache being so near to him—made her nearly crazy with desire.

Feeling so much heat—so much need—made her panicky. She wriggled in Reese’s arms.

“I said, I’m perfectly capable of walking!”

“Right. Which is why you’re falling all over the damn place when you try to take two steps,” he growled sarcastically, tightening his grip. “I’m not going to argue with you, Jo. I’ll carry you home in human form or Fox form but you’re not walking.”

“Fine!” Jo nearly shouted. “Fine, your Fox form then. Anything is better than—” She broke off abruptly, seeing the look on his face.

“Anything is better than being close to me, being held by me. Is that right?” There was a bitterness in his deep voice Jo hadn’t heard before.

“Reese—” she began but he was already putting her down. Without another word, he Shifted back, growing into the huge Fox once more so quickly she would have missed it if she’d looked away for even a second.

The Fox gave her a long, steady look, then crouched low so she could get on his back.

Feeling miserable, Jo obeyed the silent command. Throwing a leg over his furry side, she climbed aboard and held on to his ruff. The Fox cast a glance over his shoulder, as if to make sure she was well settled.

“I’m fine,” Jo told him. “You can go.”

He nodded once and began picking his way with surprising delicacy through the forest. For such a huge animal, he made hardly any noise, and he was good at avoiding any tree branches that would hit her or scrape her off his back.

His fur was warm and soft and Jo found the ride surprisingly comfortable—or she would have if she hadn’t been so miserable.

Why did I say that? she asked herself. Now Reese thinks I hate him, when actually I . . . What? How did she feel for the big Shifter? She’d only known him a little over a week but she’d found Reese to be kind and intelligent—not to mention patient and generous. Don’t forget hot, muscular, and mouthwateringly sexy, whispered a little voice in her head.

Jo tried to push it away. I’m only feeling like that because of that stupid spell, she thought. The stupid spell she still had no way of breaking since she hadn’t gotten the night-blooming jasmine after all. Damn.

Anyway, that was the reason Reese was feeling for her as well—the spell. And maybe it had something to do with the Shifter hormones Fiona kept talking about, though Jo was still skeptical about the idea of being a Shifter herself. It seemed to her that the physical changes in her body could be explained by magical means as much as hormonal ones.

“You know,” she told the Fox, since he was easier to talk to than Reese in his human form. “You only think you care about me—that you like me, I mean.”

One pointed ear swiveled back as though he was listening and the Fox made a short, sharp yip that sounded like a negation to Jo.

“It’s true,” she insisted, as they reached the edge of the forest. “It’s that stupid spell I cast on both of us—it’s making us both crazy for each other. Or maybe it’s the whole Shifter thing—I don’t know. But I think it’s more likely the spell. I—”

They were back in Reese’s backyard by now. With no warning, the Fox Shifted and twisted under her. Jo gasped as she suddenly found herself straddling Reese’s naked, muscular torso and staring down into a human face instead of his Fox.

“Oh!” she gasped in surprise.

“Is that really what you think?” Reese demanded, glaring up at her. “That I only care about you because of some spell?”

“Yes, all right?” Jo snapped. “It’s driving us both crazy and it needs to be broken. That’s what I was out doing tonight—I wasn’t running away. I was trying to get an ingredient to put in a spell breaking potion I found. Look . . .” She scrambled up off of him and stood aside so he could stand. “Come in the house and I’ll show you. And, uh . . .” She could feel her cheeks getting hot as her eyes flicked over his big, naked body. “You can put some clothes on too.”

“All right. Let’s go in.” He stooped to pick her up again but Jo stepped hastily away.

“I feel better now. I really can walk.”

“Fine. But it you start to fall I’m going to catch you whether you like it or not, darlin’.” Frowning at her, Reese held out a hand in an “after you” gesture.

Jo was feeling steadier on her feet by now. Her temple still throbbed, but the world had stopped spinning and swaying. She walked carefully but quickly up the back porch steps without falling.

Once inside, she headed for the upstairs area and went to get Miranda’s book of Shadows. She would prove to Reese once and for all that she’d had a legitimate reason to be out tonight and that she hadn’t been running away.

Are you sure about that? whispered a little voice in her head. Don’t you think trying to find a way to break the spell is a form of running away? Running away from what you feel for Reese?

Not now, Jo told the voice firmly. She wasn’t ready to think about how she felt for the big Shifter. She might never be ready.

Pushing the thought aside, she went to find the book.

Chapter Twelve

Reese went to his room and pulled on a pair of blue pajama bottoms. He didn’t bother with anything else—it was the middle of the night and presumably they would be going to sleep soon.

Not that he could sleep with so many thoughts on his mind . . . and so much pain in his heart. He’d thought that he and Jo had a connection—that they were forming a bond between them. They seemed to have so much in common—they laughed at each other’s jokes, they enjoyed working in the kitchen together, talking together, reading together, and just generally being in each other’s company.

At least he’d thought they did.

Was I imagining it all? he wondered as he brushed the pieces of dried leaves out of his hair. Was I making it up to make myself feel better? Trying to believe she felt for me the way I feel for her?

Because he did feel for her—so much it made his heart ache with yearning to be near her, to touch her and hold her—to heal the old pain he saw lurking in her lovely amber eyes sometimes.

I love her, Reese suddenly realized. And it’s not because of any damn spell or even because of her Juvie scent—I love her for being everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman . . . for just being herself.

But he couldn’t tell Jo that—not now, when she’d made it so transparently obvious that she wanted nothing to do with him. Not when he knew she’d rather risk her life in the dark forest at night than spend one more day feeling for him the way he felt for her.

Be fair, whispered a little voice in his head. She has a past—a reason not to trust males. A reason to be afraid. He thought of the little sachet of herbs and the instructions Fiona had given him. The wise woman’s words came back to him.

“Jo must be healed of the past before she can move forward into the future, Reese,” she’d told him. “A kind and patient male may be able to help her. But you must wait for the right time.”

Well, he’d been waiting and so far it seemed like Jo was running away from him rather than towards him. Was there anything he could do to stop that? Was there any way to show he could be trusted, that he would never hurt her?

Reese just didn’t know.

“It’s gone.”

He looked up to see Jo standing at the doorway of his room. She, too, had changed clothes. She was wearing the warm, woolly green robe his sister Meggie had left behind—it made her flame-colored hair look almost auburn.

She was holding a book—an old leather-bound journal—and thumbing desperately through the pages.

“What’s gone?” Reese asked, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

“The potion formula I told you about—the one for breaking love spells.” Jo looked up at him, her face stricken. “It’s gone. But it was here—right here at the end of Miranda’s book of shadows. It was even in her handwriting. Two of the pages were stuck together and . . .” She trailed off, her face going pale.

“What is it, darlin’?” Reese stepped forward, concerned.

“I just . . . I wonder if it was an illusion somehow. A way to get me out into the forest tonight. Some of the things that . . . that man said to me . . .”

She looked so upset and unsteady that Reese took her by the arm. He felt her flinch but she didn’t pull away from him—that was something, he supposed.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go sit by the fire downstairs and talk about it. Try to make some sense out of all this.”

“All right.” She nodded numbly and they went downstairs, Reese still holding her arm, to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace in the living room.

It had been a chilly day and there was already a fire going, although it had mostly burned down to embers. Reese threw another log on and made sure it caught before turning back to Jo. She had her legs pulled up under her and her arms wrapped around herself. There was a frightened, uncertain look on her face.

Reese felt his heart fist in his chest. The pose made her look like a vulnerable little girl. He wanted so badly to gather her into his arms and just hold her—just comfort her. But he knew Jo wouldn’t want that. She wouldn’t trust him or herself to be that close.

Instead, he came and sat beside her, but not too close, making sure to give her some space.

“All right, darlin’,” he said quietly. “Tell me what that bastard said. And what he did to you.”

“He . . . he didn’t . . . do that.” Jo shook her head, clearly unable to get it all out but Reese understood. He hadn’t thought the son of a bitch had raped her but he wasn’t completely sure until he heard it from her. A wave of relief washed over him.

“All right,” he said gently. “I understand. So then, what did he say to you?”

“He knew I was a witch for one thing,” Jo said. “And he knew you were a Shifter. He asked . . . asked if you’d bred me yet.” Her cheeks in the firelight were pink with embarrassment. “And he got really angry when he figured out you hadn’t.”

“What? That’s fucked up!” Reese growled. “How did he know you were here?”

“I don’t know.” Jo shook her head. “But we haven’t exactly been secret about spending time together. Anybody watching would see me going in and out of your house, see us driving to work and back home together, and then there are the picnics . . .”

“True.” Reese sighed. “I still don’t like it. Why would he want me to breed you? If he’s another Alpha that’s after you, I would expect him to not want another male to take you.”

“Is he a Shifter, though?” Jo asked. “Are you sure about that?”

Reese frowned. “I couldn’t tell, to be honest. It seems like if he was a Shifter, he would have Shifted and fought me instead of running. But there was something about him—his smell was wrong. Kind of sour and not quite human, if that makes sense.”

“Nothing about this makes sense.” Jo shook her head. “But I’m beginning to wonder if you and I didn’t just meet by accident—if maybe I was chased here to your house on purpose by someone.” She shook her head. “But who?”

“I think we ought to talk to Fiona about this,” Reese said thoughtfully. “Maybe my friend Keller and his mate, Samantha, too. She was turned into a Shifter against her will by a compound someone injected into her.”

Jo raised her eyebrows.

“You think someone forced me to . . . to change into a Shifter? Not that I have yet—I still don’t think I will,” she added quickly, frowning.

Reese sighed. He wished she wasn’t still in denial about being a Shifter. He felt like things would be easier between them if she could accept what she was . . . what she was becoming.

“It’s possible,” he said evenly. “Keller told me there was some speculation about the water supply around here being contaminated with the same chemical that forced his mate Samantha’s recessive Shifter Gene to become active. And Fiona thought we’d see a lot more Juvies popping up as a result.”

Jo gave a broken little laugh.

“Well, I certainly did pop up—right in your shed. But I don’t like the idea of someone else somehow manipulating my life to go in a certain direction.” She sighed. “God, I sound like a conspiracy theorist.”

“We can talk about all of it when we have everyone gathered together,” Reese told her. “Keller is planning a barbeque at his place. He already invited us. I was just, uh, waiting for the right time to ask if you wanted to go.” He cleared his throat. “Everyone wants to meet you.”

“Oh, um . . .” Jo nibbled her lip. “I don’t mind meeting new people when I’m not some kind of outcast refugee. But right now—”

“You’re not an outcast and you’re not a refugee. You’re my—” Reese stopped himself abruptly. He’d wanted to say, ‘you’re my mate’ but he was sure that wouldn’t go over well with Jo at all. “My guest,” he ended lamely. “But forget the barbeque for now—what I want to talk about is why you decided to risk going into the forest alone.”

“I thought about that,” Jo admitted. “But I guess I decided . . .” She trailed off, still studying the book in her lap.

“Decided what?” Reese asked, frowning.

She shrugged defensively. “Decided it was worth the risk, okay?” She looked up at him. “Worth the risk to stop feeling this way all the time—so . . . so hot and achy and needy and miserable. It’s like you said earlier—it’s torture.” She shifted on the couch uncomfortably. “I ache every time I’m around you—there’s a . . . a throbbing between my legs that just never goes away. It’s like my libido is stuck in overdrive and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“There is something you could do—you could let me help you,” Reese said quietly. “I’m an Alpha, Jo—and you can talk about your spell all you want but what your body craves is the touch of an Alpha. I could ease your ache if you’d let me.”

“What—by breeding me?” She shivered. “I don’t think so! I told you, I won’t break my vow of chastity to the Goddess.”

Reese ran a hand through his hair and strove to keep his tone steady.

“It doesn’t have to be breeding—not now, anyway. When Lady Moon gets full, well, that’s going to be a different story. But right now I might be able to help you in a different way.”

“What way?” She looked at him mistrustfully.

Reese tried to think how he could explain it.

“There’s a . . . a healing ritual. Fiona told me about it,” he said at last.

“A healing ritual?” Jo frowned. “What exactly would you be healing?”

Reese took a deep breath. “Your sex—your feminine core, essentially,” he said, trying to be delicate. “Fiona explained that certain parts of the body hold on to trauma—the same way a certain place or building can hold on to bad or good things that happen there. Does that make sense?”

He’d been afraid she would give him a curt, angry answer and leave. To his surprise and relief, she nodded instead.

“Well . . . yes,” she said at last. “In Yoga we teach that you can hold a lot of tension and hurt in your hips. That’s why a lot of women have so much tightness and pain there.”

“Fiona said that some parts of you can get . . . blocked, for want of a better word,” Reese said, encouraged.

“Like your different chakras?” Jo raised an eyebrow.

“I guess so.” He shrugged. “Honestly, I’ve never done Yoga so I don’t know. But I do know I’d like to try healing some of the hurt that was done to you, darlin’. Fiona said . . .” He cleared his throat. “She said that since it was male energy that hurt you in the first place, it would have to be male energy to heal you.”

“So this ritual . . . is it spellcraft? Casting?” Jo asked uncertainly.

Reese chuckled. “Hardly, darlin’. I told you before, the only magic I have is my Shifting ability. I believe it’s more of a psychological thing. But Fiona seemed to think it would help, so . . .”

Jo was quiet for a long moment, studying her hands and the leather bound journal in her lap. Reese could feel his heart pounding—if only she would let him try to help her! But he sensed she couldn’t be pushed so he gave her time to think.

At last, she looked up at him.

“I suppose as long as there’s no penetration involved it wouldn’t technically break my vow of chastity to the Goddess . . .” She sighed. “All right. Tell me what to do.”

Chapter Thirteen

“You might not like this,” Reese said. He was sitting on the floor at her feet. Beside him on a tray was a bowl of steaming water, a small sachet of dried herbs, and a pure white cloth, about the size of a washcloth, made of new lamb’s wool.

Jo herself was still sitting on the couch wearing nothing but her underwear and the puffy dark green bathrobe. She’d refused to take it off until the last minute—she felt too vulnerable without it.

She still wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to let Reese try this ritual. Maybe it was because of her background as a Wiccan—rituals and spells comforted her. Or maybe she was touched by his wish to help heal her pain. At any rate, if it helped take the edge off her insatiable lust and eased the throbbing between her thighs, the ritual would be worth any amount of discomfort and embarrassment.

But Reese’s words weren’t exactly encouraging.

“I won’t like what?” she asked cautiously.

He sighed and raked a hand through his tousled hair. In the firelight, his face was earnest and she could see the auburn highlights in his brown, almost-curly hair.

“You have to tell me,” Reese said in a low voice. “Tell me your hurt—tell me what happened to you—before I can try to heal it.”

Jo almost balked. She hadn’t told anyone in detail about her attack since she’d first found her way to Miranda, so many years ago, and she didn’t want to dredge up the old pain again. She opened her mouth to refuse . . . but the serious, hopeful look on Reese’s face stopped her. What if this ritual really could help her? She shouldn’t refuse to participate in it just because it made her uncomfortable. She needed to at least give it a chance.

“All right,” she said at last. Taking a deep breath, she tried to think how to tell the old pain. But there was no gentle way to go about it—she would just have to come out with it, like ripping off a bandage. “There’s no nice way to say this,” she said at last. “I was raped.”

She saw Reese wince but to his credit, he didn’t look away from her. Instead, his hand crept up to take hers. Though she generally avoided skin-to-skin contact with him unless he was in his Fox form, Jo let him hold her hand.

“Go on,” he said quietly.

Jo swallowed hard. “It wasn’t just once and . . . and it wasn’t just one man. They . . . it was done to me repeatedly, over a few days and nights. I . . .”

She closed her eyes and suddenly she was back on the jogging trail in the woods by her campus apartment, so many years ago. It was late afternoon and the sun was beating down in brilliant profusion. But it was shady and dim in the shadows of the trees where Jo was jogging.

She wore a pair of running shorts with a sports bra and a tank top. Her long hair was back in a ponytail and she wasn’t even thinking about her surroundings. Her thoughts were on the poli-sci midterm she was taking next week. Inwardly, she was reviewing her notes, wondering if the test was really going to be as hard as everyone seemed to think—

“Hey, pretty lady.” The man popped out of nowhere, blocking the jogging path so that Jo nearly ran into him. He was wearing a plastic Batman mask—the kind trick-or-treaters wear on Halloween. Why would a grown man be wearing a mask in the middle of the day?

“Excuse me.” She veered to go around him and suddenly another masked man was there. This one was wearing Bugs Bunny. The childish mask clashed with his big, burly frame. He was built like a linebacker running to fat, Jo noticed—he probably outweighed her by well over a hundred and fifty pounds.

“Hey!” She tried to dodge again, to turn and go back the way she’d come, but a third man was there, already in her way. His mask was just a generic ghost with empty black eyes and a howling O of a mouth, but that scared Jo most of all.

“Hello, baby,” he drawled, crowding forward so she was forced back against the big man wearing the Bugs Bunny mask. She hit his chest and thick arms wrapped around her like bands of steel.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” Batman mask said, telling the first of many lies. “We just wanna have a little fun.”

“Let me go!” Looking over her shoulder, Jo could see the college campus and even the dorm where she lived. It was all right there—so normal and safe out in the sunlight. But she had entered the shadows now and something told her she wasn’t going to leave them for a long, long time.

She opened her mouth to shriek and a meaty hand clamped over her lips.

“All right now—no need to get upset,” the ghost-masked man said. “We’re just going to go someplace private and get to know each other a little better. Okay?”

It was most definitely not okay with Jo. Panic burned in her throat like bile and she kicked and wiggled and almost got away—but the man in the Bugs Bunny mask reeled her back in with a curse. Lifting her easily off her feet and tucking her under one arm, he took her off the jogging path. With the other two men following, they went deeper into the woods.

“The bastards,” Jo heard Reese growl and realized with surprise that he was seeing this too. That somehow he was reliving it with her.

She thought she should probably be shamed by the knowledge that he was seeing this—seeing her lowest and most vulnerable moment. Instead, she felt comforted—it was horribly hard to be here again and see her younger self being attacked but she felt reassured knowing she wasn’t alone this time.

The three men dragged her to a cabin in the woods—really nothing more than a shack with a broken stove and a rickety iron bed frame without a mattress. There was nothing but box springs on the rusty frame but it had four posts. The men stripped her and tied her arms and legs down—one to each of these—spread eagle. Then they put a piece of silver duct tape on her mouth to stifle her screams.

“God!” Reese’s voice in her head was hoarse and horrified.

“You might not want to see this next part.” Jo’s own voice sounded cold and somehow removed. “It might be . . . difficult to watch.”

“No . . .” Outside the confines of the memory they had both somehow fallen into, she felt him interlace their fingers and squeeze her hand. “No, darlin’—you went through it so I’ll watch it. But God—I just wish I could get my hands on those bastards. I’d kill every last fucking one of them!”

So they watched together as the horror played out again. Jo saw herself, as from a distance, while the three men took turns assaulting her. She remembered the leering, bright plastic masks hovering above her . . . their grunts and the reek of sex . . . the trollish laughter as they did what they wanted . . . the pain of the wooden slats in the box springs digging into her back and bottom. And worst of all, the burning agony between her legs. She felt again the shame and fear for her life—would they kill her? Was the rape only a prelude to worse things to come?

“I’ve heard other victims say they wanted to die,” she told Reese as they watched. “But not me—I wanted to live. I don’t know why, but I did. But I also wanted desperately to take myself away . . .”

She watched as her younger self closed her eyes, a look of concentration on her bruised and taped face.

Away, she remembered thinking. Have to get away . . . take yourself away . . .

Finally, mercifully, the scene faded and she opened her eyes to see Reese opening his at the same time.

“What happened?” he asked hoarsely and Jo saw there were tears standing in his eyes. He swiped at them with one arm. “How did you get away?”

“I didn’t,” she said simply. “Not for a long time—not physically, anyway. But that was how I learned I was a witch.”

“How? Did you blast them like you did with Carl and me at the Friendly Bean?” There was an angry growl in his voice—a thirst for vengeance that Jo herself hadn’t felt in a long time—not since she released the incident to the Goddess. Or tried to, anyway.

“Hardly,” Jo said dryly. “I didn’t have that kind of power back then. No, that . . . that time I spent in the shack was the first time I was able to project my spirit into the astral plane. I wanted to get away so badly that the dormant power inside me became active. I was literally able to leave my body—my consciousness was anyway—and fly away.”

“You did?” He frowned. “Where did you go?”

“I saw a beacon shining in the woods and I went towards it.” Jo remembered the bright, golden light she’d seen and the feeling of home and safety that had enveloped her. “It was my mentor, Miranda. She was meditating and even though we had never met before, she sensed my presence.”

“Were you able to tell her where you were?” Reese asked.

“Not at first.” Jo shook her head. “I was too weak—too new at projection. I drifted back to my body even though I didn’t want to. It . . .” She took a deep breath. “It was some time before I was able to project myself away again. And then I only managed with Miranda’s help. She cast a spell, you see—to bring me to her—to strengthen my spirit.”

“What happened then? How long . . .” Reese swallowed and there was a dry clicking in his throat. “How long were you trapped there?”

“Three days and four nights,” Jo said, sounding more calm than she felt—at least in her own ears. “When I was finally able to tell Miranda what was happening to me, she called the police. She was friends with one of the detectives there—she’d helped him find a missing child in the past using her powers—so he was willing to go out looking for me.”

“What happened to those bastards that hurt you?” Reese asked, his voice dipping down into a growl again.

“They’re in prison,” Jo said shortly. “And no, you can’t sneak in and kill them. I’ve given all of this to the Goddess and purged myself of the need for vengeance long ago.”

“You haven’t been purged of the pain though,” Reese pointed out, sounding troubled. “Darlin’ . . . I can’t even begin to understand how you came through that. No wonder you hate men.”

“I didn’t used to,” Jo said wistfully. “I had a great relationship with my father. He would hold me and rock me and tell me bedtime stories . . .” She shook her head. “But he died when I was in my first year in college. My mom died when I was only ten—so that left me on my own.”

“Which was why you wound up at Avalon after they . . . after,” Reese said quietly.

Jo nodded. “Miranda told me to come find her. She said I had power and potential and I didn’t have to let that one awful part of my past define me.” She lifted her chin. “And I’ve tried not to. I haven’t even thought of the attack in years—I haven’t had to. I was safe in Avalon. Safe and comfortable and respected. And now . . .”

“Now you’re here with me,” Reese said softly. “Are you sorry?”

“No . . .” Jo looked down at their entwined fingers. “Not anymore. I suppose I should be but . . . I’m not.” She looked up at him. “Still want to try and heal me? It’s a pretty tall order.”

“I don’t know if I can or not,” Reese said honestly. “But . . . well, I’d still like to try if you’ll let me.”

Jo bit her lip and nodded.

“If you still want to try after what you saw . . .”

“What I saw was three evil males who deserve to die for what they did to you,” he growled. “But none of that was on you, darlin’.”

Jo laughed grimly. “Try telling that to the lawyer who represented them. He tried to make it sound like I led them on. He said my jogging outfit was ‘erotic’ and ‘provocative’ and besides, I actually knew one of the attackers—I’d even been out on a date with him.”

“What?” Reese sounded incensed. “Who was it?”

“A guy from my intro to psych class,” Jo said. Her voice still sounded cold to her—cold and unfeeling, as though none of it mattered even though inside she felt stripped bare—raw. “He was the one in the ghost mask. I went out with him once, but he got handsy. I put him off and walked out halfway through the movie he took me to.”

“And his lawyer tried to make it sound like—”

“Like I’d been leading him on for months.” The thought made Jo feel sick. The memory of the trial was almost as bad as the memory of the rape. She’d had little enough self-esteem left as it was, after what had happened in the shack on the dirty, stained box springs. Then, after the lawyer got through with her, she’d wanted to crawl under a rock.

“But that’s a fucking lie!” Reese exclaimed, getting more and more upset.

Jo shrugged. “But my attacker—the one in the ghost mask anyway—had rich parents.” She shook her head. “His name was Pierce Phillip Drummond the Third. I mean, who has a name like that, right? His parents hired this lawyer who was known for getting rapists and murderers off with just a slap on the wrist.”

“But I thought you said they went to prison?” Reese asked indignantly.

“They did.” Jo lifted her chin. “I testified against them. And Miranda helped too—she came and sat with me every single day of the trial.

She . . . she saved my life,” she ended in a whisper. “If not for her . . .”

“I’m glad you had her with you,” Reese murmured.

“I . . . I wish I had her with me now.” Jo’s throat felt tight as some of the ice that had been coating her feelings began to thaw. “I miss her so much,” she told Reese, looking down at her hands. “I feel so alone without her.”

“Look at me, darlin’ . . .” He raised her chin gently. “You’re not alone,” he told Jo when she finally met his eyes. “I’m here for you and I’ll never, ever hurt you like that.”

“I know that . . . with my head,” Jo whispered. The tight feeling had spread from her throat to her chest and her eyes were burning. “But it’s hard to internalize it. To feel it here.” She put a hand to her heart.

“Sweetheart . . .” Reese drew her towards him and he found her face pressed to the broad, bare planes of his chest. Slow, hot tears trickled down her cheeks, wetting his skin but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Jo,” he said. “I’m sorry . . . so sorry. Those males deserved to die for what they did, but we’re not all like that.”

“Men . . .” Jo sighed and swiped at her eyes. “First those bastards who raped me, and then their lawyer who tried to make it my fault . . . not to mention all the times I was attacked after I was kicked out of Avalon. And now tonight, that man in the woods . . .” She shook her head. “I know men aren’t inherently bad, but it’s awfully hard to make myself feel it and believe it after everything that’s happened to me. I guess . . .” She looked up at him. “I guess that’s why it’s easier to trust your Fox sometimes. That and the fact that I don’t ache when you’re the Fox.”

“Let me try to ease the ache and heal the pain—at least a little.” He stroked a thumb over her cheek, brushing away a tear. “Let me try to help, Jo.”

She shrugged and gave a broken little laugh.

“I’d like that. If you think you can.”

“I want to try,” Reese said quietly. “But first I just want to hold you for a while. Would that be all right?”

“I . . .” She sniffed. “I guess so.” Because despite the throbbing between her thighs, which had definitely gotten stronger, she wanted to be close to him. Wanted to feel those warm, muscular arms around her and know she was in the arms of a good man who wanted nothing but the best for her. She hadn’t had that kind of reassurance since she was a little girl.

Reese gathered her into his lap and tucked her head under his chin and simply held her. With a shuddering sigh, Jo melted against him and tried to forget the past.

“It’s all right, darlin’,” he murmured. “Everything is going to be all right.”

* * *

Jo trembled in his lap like a frightened, hurt child and Reese felt like his heart might break from sorrow. God, the things she’d endured . . . it had been almost more than he could bear to watch those three evil bastards assaulting her.

He still wasn’t sure how he’d been able to come into her memories with her—maybe it had something to do with her magic. But for whatever reason, the things he’d seen were going to give him nightmares for months.

We must avenge her! growled his Fox. It doesn’t matter how long ago the attack was—our female was hurt.

Reese agreed. He was already planning to track down the three attackers. Even if they were still in prison, bars and walls weren’t going to keep him out. And he might have a look at that lawyer too . . .

But for now he wanted to hold Jo and try to heal her, although he had serious doubts about the ritual Fiona had given him being able to completely ease her pain.

But even if I only ease it a little, even if I’m able to prove to her she can trust me and I won’t hurt her, it will still be worth it, he thought. God, how he wanted to be worthy of her trust! To be the one to help heal the pain of her past. He knew he could never erase it, but maybe he could make it easier for her to bear.

Lady Moon, he prayed as he stroked her back soothingly and held her tight. Let me be able to help her . . . let me be worthy.

Chapter Fourteen

At last Jo’s shaking stopped and she felt a calmness coming over her. Maybe it was the warm, spicy scent of Reese’s skin that helped her . . . or the feel of his arms, so comforting and safe around her. For whatever reason, she was able to put the bad memories back in their box and push them aside—at least for now.

And that was when the throbbing between her thighs really started in earnest. It was as though the lust that had been plaguing her for days had waited just long enough for her to get over the worst of her trauma before it came rushing back.

Jo shifted in irritation and pain. She knew she ought to make some distance between herself and Reese—that would help her control her desire. But she didn’t want to, damn it! She hadn’t felt this safe and good and protected since she was a little girl. She wanted to stay in his arms, no matter how uncomfortable her insatiable desires made her.

The ritual, she thought. Reese said he thought he could help ease my pain. Could he really, though? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

“Reese . . .” she said at last, looking up at him.

“Hmm?” He looked down, his brown eyes filled with tenderness and desire. “What is it, darlin’?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

“Do . . .” Jo cleared her throat. “Do you really still want to try and heal me?”

“If you want me to,” he said gravely. “Although after reliving all that, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to wait for another time.”

“No.” Jo took a deep breath. “No, I . . . I’m aching again. It . . . it hurts between my thighs.”

“So you want to try it now?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.” Jo nodded decisively. “Yes, I . . . I think I do.”

“All right.” He cupped her cheek in his hand and looked at her for a long moment. Then he drew her close and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be right back, darlin’.”

He put her gently off his lap and went to empty the bowl of now-cold water. He came back with a fresh bowl of steaming water and set it beside him as he knelt at her feet. Taking the dried sachet of herbs, he put it into the bowl, letting it steep.

The aromatic scent of lavender, vanilla, and mint rose from the bowl. Jo sniffed appreciatively—it smelled good. Calming . . . soothing.

“Now . . .” Reese put the cloth of new lamb’s wool into the steaming bowl and looked up at her. “I’m afraid in order for this to work, I have to get to you, darlin’.” He nodded at the fuzzy green robe she was wearing and Jo knew she would have to open it.

The thought might have made her nervous since the bad memories of her past had only recently been dredged up. But somehow, despite her recent trip down the horrors of memory lane, Jo found herself unafraid of Reese. Or at least, only a little anxious. Maybe it was the sincerity in his brown eyes, or the way he’d held her while she cried, or that soft, comforting kiss on the forehead. For whatever reason, she wanted to trust him.

“All right,” she said. Untying the robe, she spread it open, baring herself from neck to knees.

She had no bra underneath and her nipples hardened immediately in the slight chill. Her panties were still on though—a rose silk pair stretched tight over her pussy.

Looking down at herself, Jo was embarrassed to see that the throbbing between her legs had had definite results. The sheer panel of silk over her sex was wet with her juices, making it cling transparently to her outer pussy lips.

She started to close her legs self-consciously but Reese stopped her with a single touch on her thigh.

“No, darlin’,” he said softly. “Don’t hide yourself. God, you’re beautiful.”

“I . . . I’m all wet,” Jo protested. “I . . . the spell . . . the desire . . . being so close to you . . . I can’t seem to help it.”

“It’s beautiful,” Reese assured her. “You’re beautiful, Jo.” He rubbed one big, warm hand up and down the top of her thigh soothingly. “But I want you to know something—we can stop at any time. If you don’t want this, all you have to do is say stop and I will. I promise.”

Jo bit her lip and nodded slowly.

“I . . . I believe you,” she said.

“Good, because I mean it.” He stroked both of her thighs this time, easing them open so gently Jo barely realized her legs were parted. “Now,” he murmured, looking up at her. “This ritual is called ‘Bringing down the Moon’ or some people also call it ‘Worshipping the Goddess.’”

“Wor—worshipping the Goddess?” Jo asked rather breathlessly.

“Mm-hmm.” Leaning forward, he placed a hot, gentle kiss on her inner thigh, just by the tender inside of her knee. “Because that’s what I’ll be doing—first cleansing away the hurt and pain and then worshipping your female essence with my mouth and tongue. Is that all right?”

“I . . .” Jo hesitated as he kissed her again, this time higher up her thigh. She’d never had a man do this to her before. She might have tried it in college—if her college career hadn’t been cut short by the attack. But aside from the other night after her spell had gone so spectacularly wrong, she hadn’t allowed any part of a man’s body to touch her between her legs. The idea of letting Reese kiss her there—of letting him put his mouth and tongue on her pussy—made her feel nervous and hot.

And yet, as nervous as she was, she wanted it too . . . wanted to feel the soft, hot, gentle kisses he was placing on her inner thigh, in her most secret place—the core of her femininity.

Reese was waiting patiently for her to answer and it was that—his patience and his refusal to rush or pressure her—that finally made her decide.

“Yes,” she said at last. “Yes, that’s . . . that’s all right.”

“Good.” He gave her a warm smile that centered more in his eyes than his mouth. “Now, do you want to take off your underwear, darlin’? It’s up to you—the ritual can be performed with or without, although I think without would be easier.”

In answer, Jo raised her hips and hooked her thumbs into the sides of her rose-pink panties. She slid them down and Reese helped by pulling them over her feet.

Jo expected him to toss the discarded garment aside but instead he balled it in his fist and brought it to his nose. He inhaled deeply and for a moment, his eyes glowed gold as they sometimes did when he was in his Shifted form.

“God, darlin’,” he almost groaned. “You smell so damn good. Can’t wait to taste your sweetness.” He straightened up and tucked the panties into his back pocket. “First, though, I need to do this ritual before the water gets cold again. Are you ready?”

Jo nibbled at her lower lip and nodded.

“Yes, I . . . I think so.”

“Good. Then spread your legs a little more, darlin’. We’re about to get started.”

Taking the lamb’s wool cloth from the steaming, fragrant water, he wrung it out carefully. Holding it in both hands, he brought it first to his forehead, then to his heart, and then to his lips. Looking up at Jo, he spoke softly.

“Jocasta Ferrell, the male in me worships the Goddess in you. You are precious and beautiful . . . delicate yet strong . . . my opposite but also my equal and my completion.”

Jo’s breath caught in her throat at the lovely words of the ritual and the sincerity with which Reese spoke them.

For so long when she looked at men—when she looked at them at all—she had seen only ugliness and hurt and pain waiting to happen. But with Reese, it was different. The firelight gilded his bare chest and broad shoulders as he knelt between her thighs and she thought she’d never seen so much pure, masculine beauty.

Bending to her, he kissed the inside of her right knee and said, “If any has hurt thee in the past, I will heal thee.” He placed another kiss on the inside of her left knee and said, “If any has denigrated thee, I will raise thee high.”

Straightening up, he brought the soft, fleecy cloth to her inner thigh. It was still warm from the hot, scented water and Jo shivered a little as Reese stroked it gently but firmly over first her left thigh and then her right. He dipped the cloth in the water again, wrung it out, and brought it back steaming.

“If any sins have been committed against thy flesh, I will wash them clean away,” he murmured, pressing the soft, warm cloth to her outer pussy.

Jo gasped and jumped a little, but didn’t pull away. His big, warm hand felt too good on her—she only wished the cloth wasn’t between them.

Reese cupped her firmly, holding her sex in his palm with only the warm, wet cloth between his hand and her flesh. He looked her in the eyes as he spoke.

“Thy body shall be my temple, to worship and adore.”

He withdrew the cloth and dropped it back in the water. Then he scooted between her thighs again, his big hands on either side of her bare mound. He didn’t touch her . . . yet. But the feel of his gentle palms placed so firmly on either side of her throbbing pussy made Jo wish he would. The scented moisture from the soft cloth evaporating on her thighs gave her a cool, ticklish sensation which raised goosebumps along her flesh and made her pussy throb even harder.

“Jo,” Reese murmured, continuing the ritual. “Thy sacred flesh will I heal and pleasure . . .” Leaning forward, he placed a soft, hot kiss at the top of her pussy mound, just at the start of her slit. “Until pleasure drives out pain. Until the present eclipses the past,” he continued, kissing her again, lower this time so that Jo felt his hot breath against her aching clit, which was peeking out from between her outer lips.

“Oh, Reese . . .” she whispered, but he wasn’t done yet.

“May that which was violated be restored,” he murmured. “May you be made whole by my touch . . . my kiss . . . my worship of your female beauty.”

As he spoke, he spread her outer pussy lips fully, revealing her inner folds. Jo bit her lip to see how wet and shiny she was in the firelight—how swollen and needy her clit looked, throbbing like a second heartbeat between her thighs.

But she didn’t have long to see because Reese leaned forward again and placed another kiss—this one right over her clit. Jo felt his tongue flicker out as he lapped gently at her little pink pearl and a wave of pleasure seemed to roll across her entire body.

With a low moan, she slid her fingers into his thick, brown hair, gilded red by the firelight, and drew him closer. Reese came willingly, slipping his big, warm hands under her thighs and ass and drawing her to the edge of the couch. Eagerly, he lapped her again, this time starting at the bottom of her slit and dragging his tongue upward over the tender bump of her clit with excruciating slowness.

“Oh!” Jo heard herself moaning. “Oh, Reese . . . oh, Goddess!”

He looked up briefly, his eyes half-lidded with lust in the firelight.

“God, you taste so good, darlin’,” he growled hungrily. “Knew you would. I’ve been wanting to taste your sweet pussy for so long . . .”

“Don’t stop then.” Jo surprised herself by gripping his hair more firmly and pushing him back down between her legs. “Don’t stop—keep . . . keep tasting me.”

“That’s right, darlin’,” he murmured, kissing her pussy again. “Guide me . . . show me where you need me. Take control.”

To Jo’s continued surprise, she did. Gripping his hair, she pushed him down until his tongue was centered over her throbbing clit.

“There,” she moaned, thrusting her hips up shamelessly to meet his mouth. “Lick me there, Reese. Oh, Goddess, please . . . I need to come!”

He made a low, inarticulate growl and redoubled his efforts, lapping eagerly at her wet, open pussy, tracing around her aching clit with the tip of his tongue and then laving it with long, hot licks as though she was his favorite flavor of ice cream and he was trying to lap it up before it melted.

Too late, Jo thought incoherently. Because I’m definitely melting . . . Her pussy felt hot and needy, her clit throbbing with the pleasure he was building in her and the insistent need to come. She gripped his hair harder, arching her back, pushing herself up to his mouth with no shame as she took pleasure in his long, slow licks. But though her orgasm got closer and closer, it still eluded her. Finally she was moaning and writhing—nearly crying in frustration in her need to reach the peak.

Reese looked up again briefly. His eyes were sleepy with lust and his mouth was shiny with her juices.

“Darlin’,” he said hoarsely. “Need to fill you. Not with my cock—just my fingers.” He held up two fingers together and Jo remembered how good they’d felt inside her right after the spell, when she’d been crazy with lust. “I think it might help you get there,” Reese murmured.

Jo realized he was waiting for her go-ahead. Now that he knew what she’d gone through, he was being extra careful not to do anything without permission that might bring back the past.

But right now, the past was the furthest thing from her mind. All she could think about now was how badly she needed to come.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Goddess, yes please, Reese . . .”

“All right.” He slipped his fingers into his mouth for a moment, getting them wet. Then he slid them between her thighs and Jo felt him find the entrance to her body.

She tensed for just a moment, but Reese’s fingers were gentle, not harsh and cruel. They slid easily into her hungry pussy and then she felt them move inside her, pressing against a spot inside she hadn’t even known was there.

At the same time, he lowered his head again and sucked her aching clit deep into his mouth. Circling the little bud again and again with the tip of his tongue, he pressed the spot inside her.

And suddenly, just like that, Jo was there.

“Oh, Goddess . . . Oh, Reese!” she gasped. Her hips bucked up and her pussy clenched hard around his invading fingers. A lightning bolt made of pure pleasure seemed to have struck her because it felt like every muscle in her body was contracting, especially her inner muscles. Her fingers tightened in his hair and her hips were jumping all over the place as she moaned and gasped and begged.

Reese stayed with her, riding out her orgasm and continuing to lap her clit until Jo’s hips started to twitch away because of the extreme sensitivity. Then he pulled back a little and looked up at her.

“God, you taste so fucking good.” He withdrew his fingers and sucked them clean, his eyes still half-lidded with desire. “And you’re beautiful when you come.” He frowned. “But are you all right, darlin’?”

“More . . . more than all right.” Jo was surprised to find she was crying. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, even more than when she’d been reliving the attack.

Reese looked concerned. “Are you okay, Jo? Was it too much?”

“No, it . . . it was just right. I’m sorry . . .” She swiped at her eyes which wouldn’t stop leaking. “I don’t . . . don’t know why I’m crying.”

“Release of tension.” Reese kissed her trembling belly gently and rubbed the tops of her thighs in long, soothing strokes. “Maybe release of some of the pain you’ve been carrying around?”

“Maybe,” Jo acknowledged. “I just . . . I haven’t . . .” She took a deep breath. “I think that was the first orgasm I’ve had since college.”

His eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Really.” Jo nodded. “After the attack I just . . . wanted nothing else to do with it. With sex, I mean. So I just . . . stopped. I concentrated on my casting and on learning the Craft and immersed myself in my new life at Avalon. I cut off that part of myself—the sexual part. I think that’s why it’s been so scary and awful having these . . . these desires and urges. It was like a part of me I’d tried to starve wasn’t willing to be starved anymore. It kept coming out in the open, demanding to be fed.”

“I can’t imagine not having sex—any kind of sex—for twenty years,” Reese murmured thoughtfully. “But after seeing . . . what I saw, I don’t blame you, honey.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you think it helped?”

“The ritual?” Jo nodded and sniffed, swiping at her eyes. “You know, I do. I still don’t think I’m ready to do the whole, uh, Shifter breeding thing . . .” The thought made her nervous and hot and uncertain and she had to make herself go on. “Of course, I wouldn’t anyway because of my vow to the Goddess. But I feel less scared of . . . of that side of myself. Of the sexual side. And the past . . . doesn’t hurt quite as much as it did before . . .”

“Before what, darlin’?” Reese urged gently.

“Before I shared it with you,” Jo admitted. “I’d never told anyone but Miranda in detail about . . . about exactly what happened. I mean, I had to talk about it during the trial but it wasn’t like actually showing it, the way I was able to show you.” She shook her head. “I’m still not sure how I did that.”

“Another new power, maybe,” Reese suggested. He looked at her seriously. “I’m glad you showed me, even though it was hard to watch. I feel like you trusted me with so much of yourself tonight.”

“You made it easy,” Jo said softly, running her fingers through his thick, tousled hair. “Or at least, not as hard as it was.”

“The main thing is that you’re feeling better than you were,” Reese said. “About the past. But . . .” He cleared his throat. “Did the pleasure help with the other thing? Do you feel less achy? Less painful between your legs?”

Jo considered for a moment. It was true that the insistent throbbing ache, which had become quite painful, had been eased somewhat by her orgasm.

“Yes,” she said, nodding decisively. “It does feel better than it did. I mean, the ache isn’t completely gone, but it’s a lot better than it was.”

“Good.” Reese nodded. “Now listen, darlin’—I think this falls into the same category as your headaches.”

“Meaning?” Jo raised an eyebrow at him.

“Meaning you need an Alpha’s touch to help.” Reese looked at her sternly. “From now on, when you feel the need—when your head or any other part of you aches—I want you to come to me and let me help you.”

Jo nibbled her lower lip indecisively.

“You mean you want to do the ritual again?”

“If you want to or you feel like we need to, sure.” Reese shrugged. “But if you just need me to touch you . . . to taste you, well . . .” His eyes were suddenly half-lidded again. “Just ask me, darlin’. I’ll be happy to oblige. More than happy.”

“But . . . what about you?” Jo asked. “Don’t you want me to, uh, return the favor?” She felt an uncertain lump rise in her throat as she asked. She wasn’t certain if she was ready to touch his big, male body yet. But she didn’t want to be selfish.

“We can talk about that later,” Reese said firmly. “You have to walk before you can run. You just had your first orgasm in twenty years. I can take care of myself until you’re ready but for now just let me make you feel good.”

“Any time I want?” Jo asked. “Really?”

“Really.” He nodded, his eyes hungry again. “You tell me what you need and I’ll drop everything to take care of you.”

“What about . . .” She shifted a little on the couch, looking at him uncertainly. “What about now?” she asked at last. “I feel . . . I think maybe the throbbing is coming back. Maybe once wasn’t enough to, uh, satisfy it.”

“Mmm . . .” His brown eyes flashed gold with hunger in the firelight. “I’d love to, honey. But let’s take it even slower this time, all right? I want to know exactly what feels good to you . . . what feels best so I can help you come as much and as often as you need to.”

Jo felt herself melting back against the couch while her thighs drifted wide.

“All right,” she whispered. “Let’s take it slow . . .”

* * *

Later, Reese didn’t know how long it lasted. It seemed to go on forever, with time stretching like a sweet, slender thread of honey between them. He wanted to study Jo’s body—to memorize it as completely as he could—and he loved that she was willing to let him learn her.

He mapped her skin with his tongue, leaving kisses for landmarks over her delicate, pale flesh. Her pussy trembled under his gentle touch, her slick, secret folds opening for him while she told him exactly what felt best.

Reese loved getting to know her in this new, intimate way . . . loved the way she trusted him . . . opened for him like a flower unfurling its petals for the first time. She was so beautiful, his little witch, and he felt his heart swell inside him as she gave herself freely to his mouth and hands.

He brought her to the peak again and again, taking pleasure in her pleasure, loving the soft, helpless sounds she made when she was coming. If he hadn’t known that he was in love with her before, this would have sealed it. There was no doubt about it—Jo held his heart in her hands.

Reese just hoped she decided to keep it.

Chapter Fifteen

“Well, you two seem very cozy together.” The short blond woman Reese had introduced as Samantha, the mate of his best friend Keller, smiled at Jo.

“Yes, Cooper seems really taken with you.” The taller, brunette woman Reese had told Jo was named Sadie smiled too. Supposedly the two women were twin sisters, although they looked nothing like Jo. Both of them were obviously pregnant.

“Yes, we’re getting along like a house on fire.” She smiled brightly, still a little uncomfortable in the presence of strangers. She wished again she hadn’t let Reese talk her into going to this gathering of his friends. But since Fiona was supposed to be here too and they wanted to talk about the strange man in the woods and what he had said to her, she had consented.

“I think that’s sweet,” Sadie said earnestly. “Coop—sorry, we all call him Coop but I guess you call him by his first name?”

“Yup. He’s Reese to me.” Jo nodded.

“Okay, well whatever you call him, he’s a really nice guy,” Sadie said. “He helped me out of a jam when I first came to Cougarville and someone had slashed all my tires.”

“What?” Jo frowned. “Why would someone do that to you? Does this town have some kind of a crime problem?”

“It didn’t used to,” Samantha said dryly. “But who knows what’s in the water supply now?”

“Reese said something about that.” Jo leaned forward and addressed Samantha. “He said your body was, uh, forced into . . .”

“Rejuvenation?” Samantha asked. “Yup.” She nodded. “It absolutely was. I was injected with a serum that brings the latent Shifter Gene to life in a female of the right age—middle age.” She laughed. “No one would ever guess I’ll be forty-one on my next birthday.”

“You look like you’re barely twenty,” Jo said. “You too,” she added to Sadie.

“And you. We all do.” Sadie smiled at her. “That’s part of Rejuvenation—you should know by now.”

“Actually, I’m not completely sure what’s going on with me,” Jo said carefully. “I mean, Fiona says I have this, uh, Shifter Gene and that I’m a ‘Juvie’ but honestly, I think most of my problems stem from a spell I cast that went wrong.”

“A spell?” Sadie’s eyes widened.

“That’s right—my hubby Keller told me—you’re a witch, right?” Samantha’s blue eyes gleamed with interest.

“I am,” Jo said with dignity. “I’m a Third Degree Wiccan. I’ve been practicing for over twenty years now.”

“Well anybody who sticks with anything that long has my respect.” Samantha raised her glass, which was full of pinkish liquid. “To you, Jo, and to new friends.”

“To Jo.” Sadie also raised a glass—hers seemed to have some kind of thick, grass-green milkshake in it.

Jo raised her own long-stemmed glass of white wine. “To new friends,” she said, and was about to take a sip when Sadie’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to drink, hon?” she asked earnestly. “I mean—have you taken a pregnancy test? It’s just that Rejuvenation induces a state of hyper-fertility. So if you and Coop, I mean Reese have . . . you know . . .”

“We haven’t,” Jo said quickly and blushed. “I mean, we’ve done other things but . . . but not that.”

But even as she spoke the “other things” came crowding into her mind.

Ever since Reese had performed the ritual on her and helped her with her cravings, she’d been more comfortable in asking him to help her again. At first Jo had been hesitant, enduring the insatiable desire, which only seemed to grow stronger every hour, but he’d been so willing, however, and also so eager to let her lead the scenario that Jo had, to a large degree, gotten over her shyness. Just that day when Fiona had gone out, mentioning that she would be gone at least an hour, Jo had called him over to the pharmacy when it was closed for lunch.

There, in the backroom, amid the shelves of exotic ingredients and stacks of dusty books, she had pushed him to his knees. Reese had gone down without hesitation. Looking up at her, he’d said in a hoarse, growling voice, “Use me, darlin’. Take what you need.”

The sound of those hot words in his deep voice made Jo feel like she was going crazy with lust. She’d pulled up her skirt and pushed down her panties. Straddling his face, she had lowered her throbbing pussy directly down onto his eager mouth.

Reese had gone to work at once. Pressing his face between her legs, he lapped hungrily, bathing her aching pussy with his tongue, exploring her slick inner folds and teasing her clit until Jo tangled her fingers in his hair and moaned with delight.

He gripped her ass and hips, supporting her with his strong arms when her knees went weak from the pleasure he was giving her and Jo rode his face shamelessly, using him exactly as he had asked her to, taking what she needed from him without embarrassment or guilt. It was pleasure freely offered and freely accepted and Reese had kept offering until she had lost count of her orgasms.

Sharing herself with Reese so freely had begun to make Jo feel much more comfortable with herself and her own body. In fact, she’d even felt ready to return the favor, but when she tried, Reese put her off.

“Later, sweetheart,” he murmured, his mouth and chin shiny with her juices. “I don’t want to rush you.”

“You’re not,” Jo protested. “Honestly, Reese, I know you don’t want to bring up my, uh, past trauma but I won’t freak out at the sight of your cock—I promise.”

“Oh yeah?” A little smile had been playing around his face. “All right then—let’s test that, shall we?”

Before Jo could answer, he’d unbuckled his belt and unfastened his work trousers. He was still on his knees and she watched with wide eyes as he reached into his pants and pulled out his long, thick shaft.

It looked achingly hard and for a split second, Jo flashed back to her attackers, on the engorged clubs between their thighs. But those had been ugly . . . horrible. Reese’s equipment didn’t look that way to her at all. True, it was extremely large, but it had smooth, clean lines Jo rather liked. It was long and straight and stood tall between Reese’s muscular thighs. At the broad, flaring crown she could already see a clear bead of precum, showing evidence of his desire for her.

“Is this all right, darlin’?” Reese had asked hoarsely, fisting himself as he knelt on the floor before her. “Does it bother you? Want me to put it back?”

“No . . .” Somehow Jo had found herself mesmerized. She pulled the rolling office chair from behind the desk and sat in front of him. “No, go on,” she told him, her voice sounding breathless in her own ears. “I . . . I want to watch.”

“Your wish is my command,” he growled softly. And, with a slow, steady rhythm, he began to stroke the hard, pulsing pole of flesh with his big hand.

Jo watched, her breath coming short as the throbbing grew between her thighs once more. She couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like, having that thick shaft between her legs, sliding into her, breeding her, filling her with his seed . . .

No, she told herself sternly. No, I can’t do that. I’m already straddling the line with what we’re doing now. Letting Reese fill me . . . would be breaking my vow of chastity completely.

But she couldn’t look away as he finally came with her name on his lips, his thick cock jerking in his fist as ropes of cum splattered his flat belly.

“Jo,” he groaned as he shot. “God, darlin’, I can still taste you on my lips. Love the taste of your sweet little pussy . . . it makes me so hard . . . makes me need to come so fuckin’ bad . . .”

Jo had been feeling the need again herself by the time he finished and she might have ridden his face some more if she hadn’t glanced at the clock and realized that Fiona was due back in five minutes time.

Hastily, she and Reese had straightened their clothing and cleaned up but he hadn’t left until he’d kissed her and shared her own secret flavor with her. Then he’d reminded her that they were going straight to his friend Keller’s house for a cookout right after work.

Jo had thought she would be all right—that their lunchtime tryst would surely take the edge off her lust long enough for her to meet all Reese’s friends and be social at dinner. But now, sitting here with Sadie and Samantha—who both seemed really nice—all she wanted to do was get Reese alone somewhere and ride his face some more.

Maybe you want to ride other things too, hmm? whispered a little voice in her head. But Jo pushed it away. Even if she was completely over her past trauma—which she didn’t think she was—she couldn’t even think of breaking her vow to the Goddess. It would be wrong. She needed to stop thinking about making love with Reese—needed to get the thought completely out of her mind.

Still, she looked longingly at the barbeque at one end of the long deck that edged the back of Keller’s stately home. Reese and Keller and another man he’d introduced as Mathis Blackwell were standing around the fire, talking and drinking beer while Keller turned the steaks. The women were at the other end of the deck, taking it easy. Jo wondered if she and Reese could slip off into the woods or maybe pretend they were looking for the bathroom and have a quick tryst. Keller’s home was huge—surely they could find some privacy somewhere within the sprawling mansion . . .

“Okay then,” Samantha said, breaking into her memory of lunchtime with Reese and her speculation about getting her itch scratched yet again. “If you haven’t, uh, done the dirty yet, I’m sure you will soon. After all, it’s not long until the full moon.”

“Yes—you’ll have your first Shift.” Sadie clapped her hands excitedly. “You’ll get your animal form. And since Cooper is a Fox, you’ll be one too. A . . . uh . . .” She frowned at her sister. “What’s the name of a female fox, Sammie?”

“A vixen,” Samantha said promptly. “You’ll Shift into a vixen.”

“But I don’t want to Shift!” Jo protested. “I’m a witch, not a Shifter!”

“You are both, my dear, as I have explained. Doubly blessed.” Fiona came into view, carrying a dry martini in one hand. She was wearing a deep blue caftan and sapphire and silver jewelry which sparkled in the light of the dying sun.

Though Jo saw her every day at work, she always marveled at the new and exotic clothing and jewelry choices the wise woman came up with on a daily basis. She didn’t think she’d seen Fiona wear the same thing twice in all the time she’d known her.

“I don’t believe that,” she said stubbornly.

“Maybe you just don’t want to believe it,” Samantha said gently. “I didn’t either, you know. I’m a successful surgeon and I worked for years to get where I am. I didn’t want anything to do with turning into an animal, coming into heat, and bearing any man’s child. I fought it for as long as I could.”

“You . . . you did?” Jo felt like her throat was closing up. “And what happened—why did you stop fighting?”

“I didn’t want to but when the breeding heat comes on you . . .” Samantha shrugged. “There’s not much you can do but give in. Or you’ll become one of the Unformed.”

“Jocasta did become one of the Unformed,” Fiona said tranquilly, taking a seat across from Jo on one of the outdoor settees.

“What? But I thought that was a death sentence!” Sadie’s face went very pale.

“It is,” Fiona said, giving Jo a level look. “Jocasta is very lucky she didn’t die on the last full moon. If she hadn’t found a white ash tree that had been split by lightning and rubbed its ashes on her skin to help dampen the need to Shift, she may well have been torn apart.” Fiona shook her head. “I fear that Lady Moon will not be so lenient again. This full moon, Jocasta my dear, you must Shift and breed or die. I am sorry to give you pain by speaking so plainly, but it’s only the truth.”

Jo remembered the awful sensation like someone was trying to pull her arms and legs out of their sockets and shivered. Still, she didn’t want to believe what the wise woman was saying . . . didn’t want to acknowledge that she would have to Shift on the next full moon. She wasn’t ready for such a huge change in her life and she certainly wasn’t ready to be bred. It would be breaking her vow and besides the very idea was frightening and brought back bad memories.

“I’d really rather not talk about this right now,” she said tightly.

“Oh, of course—we’re sorry.” Sadie looked contrite. “Um . . . well what did you think of that weird thing in the news today?”

“What weird thing?” Samantha rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me more political crap, Sadie. You know I had to stop watching that stuff—it was driving me crazy!”

“No, no—this was local. Or at least, it only happened over in Asheville,” Sadie said. “A man was found with his throat ripped out—they said it looked like some kind of a wolf or wild dog attack but made by a really huge dog.”

“That sounds like a Shifter,” Samantha said flatly.

“I know—I thought so too,” Sadie said. “But who would do something like that?”

Jo felt a chill run down her spine. “Did . . .” She cleared her throat. “Did they say his name? The victim’s name, I mean?”

“Um, let me think . . .” Sadie frowned. “It was one of those rich guy names—something something Drumhead the Third, I think?” She shook her head. “I remember thinking it was weird he had a name like that because the newscaster said he was an ex-con that had only recently been paroled from prison. So he—”

“Excuse me.” Jo got up abruptly, leaving her drink on the patio table. Her thoughts were in a snarl and her stomach felt like a lump of ice.

How could he? How could he? Cupping her elbows with her hands, she ran blindly into the house.

* * *

“So it seems like you found a Juvie of your own. Good for you.” Mathis Blackwell, the Buck Shifter, smiled at Reese over the barbeque grill where Keller was turning steaks.

“I guess you could say so,” Reese said carefully. “Although I wouldn’t exactly call her mine yet.”

“Oh? Waiting for the full moon to do the first breeding so you can Shift together?” Mathis asked. “Good choice.”

“It’s not that, exactly.” Reese sighed. “It’s . . . complicated.”

“She’s a witch,” Keller said bluntly, looking up from the steaks for a moment.

“What?” Mathis frowned, confused. “She seems nice enough to me.”

“No, Buck—not a witch with a capital B. An honest-to-Goddess Wiccan witch,” Keller said, frowning at the other male.

“Keller’s worried I might be in over my head,” Reese said, glaring at his oldest friend.

“Well, are you?” Keller asked blandly, staring back. “I heard about the way she blasted you and Carl at the Friendly Bean the other day.”

“That was an accident,” Reese said hotly. “Her powers are growing right now because she’s doubly blessed—a Shifter and a witch. Fiona was one too, you know.”

Mathis’s eyes widened. “Fiona’s a Shifter?”

“She was when she was younger,” Reese said quickly. “Not anymore. She was able to take a potion to suppress her Shifter side after her mate died.”

Keller frowned. “I never heard of anything that could keep you from Shifting once Lady Moon lays her silver finger on you.”

“It only works for witches who are also Shifters,” Reese explained. “And only after the first Shift is completed. Anyway, Jo hasn’t even made her first Shift yet so it’s a moot point.” He sighed. “What I’m worried about now is the fact that Fiona isn’t the only one who knows Jo is doubly blessed.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mathis asked.

Rapidly, Reese outlined the other night in the woods, how a strange man had attacked Jo and talked about her powers and then had been angry when he found out she hadn’t been bred yet.

“But that makes no sense,” Keller said, frowning. “If he’s another Alpha, he wouldn’t want her bred—he’d want to do the breeding himself.”

“That’s just it—I don’t think he’s a Shifter. Or not one like we’re used to,” Reese said. “His smell was all wrong—some animal, some human, and something else I’ve never run across before. And when I was chasing him, he suddenly disappeared. It was strange.”

“Strange and troubling, no doubt, my dear.”

Reese jerked in surprised and turned to see Fiona behind him with a troubled look on her ageless face.

“Reese . . .” She frowned up at him. “Why did I not hear about the attack on Jocasta until now?”

Reese shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot while Mathis looked away and Keller busied himself flipping steaks.

“Well, Jo wanted to wait and talk to everyone at once,” he said at last. “About the idea that her body might have been forced into Rejuvenation the same way Samantha’s was. And who might be behind it . . .”

“Somebody at the very top of the food chain over at Pfizer is my guess,” Keller said, frowning. “At least, that’s what the Hyena Shifter who kidnapped Samantha said. He told her that he had backing from the top and there were shortly going to be a lot more Juvies running around.” He shook his head. “I’ve been having the water supply tested but there are an awful lot of streams and brooks and rivers flowing in and around this area. I haven’t found traces of the chemicals that were used on Samantha yet.”

“Well it must be coming from somewhere,” Reese said. “Have you checked around Avalon?”

“What? The Yoga place outside of Asheville?” Mathis asked.

Reese nodded. “That’s where Jo used to live. If something is in the water supply it might be around there.”

Keller nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll send a technician up there to get a sample. But we could be wrong about the water, you know. Whoever is behind this might be using another vector to infect women with a latent Gene.”

“Whoever is behind it, it’s clear that Jocasta is his most immediate target,” Fiona said severely. “Listen to me, Reese—you must keep her close to you! The full moon is tomorrow night and it will be a very dangerous time for her. She’s still in denial about becoming a Shifter so it’s likely the breeding heat will come on her suddenly and very strongly. You must help her—breed her—or she’ll die.”

Reese sighed unhappily. “What if she doesn’t want to be bred?” he asked. “You know about her past, Fiona. I can’t . . . I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You have to give her body what it needs,” Keller said, frowning. “It was the same with Samantha—she didn’t want it even though she was begging for it.” He shook his head. “I certainly found that out the hard way.”

“Yes, but everything came out right in the end, dear,” Fiona said to him. She pointed a finger at Reese. “But everything will not come out right for Jocasta if you don’t do as the Goddess commands.”

“Well . . .” Reese sighed. “She has been warming up to me lately. The, uh, ritual helped,” he murmured to Fiona in a low voice.

“It’s good if she’s gaining trust in you because I fear she is in very great danger—from this strange male as well as from her own unchecked breeding heat,” Fiona said. “But I’m afraid you might have forfeited some of Jocasta’s faith in you just now.”

“What?” Reese frowned and looked over at the patio furniture where the other women were sitting. Jo wasn’t there. “Where is she?” he asked Fiona. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, dear—only you can answer that,” the wise woman replied steadily. “And I think that Jocasta is inside the house right now, waiting for answers.” She nodded at the back door of Keller’s palatial home.

Reese shook his head. “I still don’t understand.”

“Apparently there was something on the news?” Fiona said delicately. “Something about an ex-convict who was out on parole getting his throat ripped out by some kind of very large beast? Perhaps . . . a very large Fox?” she added pointedly.

“Seriously?” Reese suddenly felt his stomach drop to his boots. “Fuck,” he growled.

“I saw that report,” Keller said, frowning. “You know something about it, Coop?”

Reese felt his blood start to boil.

“It was vengeance,” he said, his voice dropping down to a growl. “Righteous and well deserved.”

“Well, if somebody hurt your female—” Mathis began but Reese just shook his head.

“Excuse me—I’ve gotta go.”

Pushing past them all, he headed into the house, wondering what in the name of Lady Moon he was going to say to Jo.

Chapter Sixteen

But when Reese got in the house, Jo was nowhere to be found. He searched all over Keller’s palatial mansion of a home—damn, did the male really need four fireplaces?—but he couldn’t find her anywhere.

At last, he checked the burnished walnut key peg hanging in the entryway of Keller’s home. With a frown, he saw that the keys to his truck were gone. Not the wrecker—that one he kept mostly at the shop. His smaller two by four was the one he and Jo had driven over in and now its keys were missing.

Going out on the front porch, he saw that the truck itself was missing too. He wasn’t worried about the truck, though—Jo was his main concern. Damn it, had the little witch gone off by herself when it was almost dark?

With a low curse, he decided it must be so.

Damn it—should have told her. Should have come clean about the whole thing.

But he hadn’t wanted her to worry or be upset. She’d claimed that she had released her wish for vengeance along with all the pain of the rape to the Goddess, but how could that be true? Reese had seen for himself the pain she still carried inside her. And anyway, even if she didn’t want revenge, he and his Fox did.

It was part of the Shifter code of honor—an attack on a beloved female must be answered in kind. It didn’t matter that the rape had happened twenty years ago—there was no statute of limitations when it came to redressing harm done to one’s mate, which was how Reese saw her.

He had felt not an ounce of shame or remorse for ripping that asshole Drummond’s throat out. He’d relished the act, reveling in the act of vengeance. And of course, before he’d Shifted and done the deed, he had made certain the bastard knew what was coming to him and why.

“This is for Jo—Jocasta Ferrell,” he’d told Drummond. “For what you and your buddies did to her. It’s time to pay.”

“What?” The other man’s eyes had grown wide as Reese had Shifted into his largest form in the blink of an eye. Before the rapist could even begin to run, he’d shredded his throat with a single bite.

Drummond had died almost immediately—really, it was a much more merciful death than he deserved, at least in Reese’s opinion. But now he had to deal with the aftermath of his vengeance and he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy.

With a sigh, he stripped off his clothes—he could pick them up the next time he visited Keller—and opened the front door. Looking up at the nearly full moon, he took a deep breath and let the moonlight release his Fox. With a bound, he was off the front porch and headed home, hoping that Jo would be there, waiting.

* * *

Jo paced in her room, running her fingers through her hair. She’d gotten home and gone straight for the Internet to verify what she feared.

Unfortunately the story was true.

Someone with a cell phone had snapped a few photos of the crime scene and apparently had no problem putting them up. The bloody, gory images had gotten into Jo’s head and now she felt like she wanted to scrub her eyeballs out with soap. The horror was something she couldn’t unsee, no matter how hard she tried.

If she’d had anyplace else to go other than Reese’s house, she would have gone there. But she had no place of her own—no place she belonged.

And to think for a little while I was beginning to think I belonged here . . .

But no more.

For the first time in a while, she thought of Avalon with longing. The community of sister witches . . . the female-only environment . . . the freedom from fear and the absence of the lust and desire which had troubled her almost ceaselessly since she’d left . . . Goddess, but she missed it so much! But most of all, she missed Miranda. Her mentor’s calming presence was what was absent from her life.

For a time she’d thought that Reese might fill that hole in her heart. But he’d proven that he was not to be trusted. Now all Jo wanted was to go home . . . but she had no home to go to.

A scratching sound and a soft whining at her bedroom door drew her out of her troubled thoughts. Jo frowned . . . she knew who was out there. She ought to ignore him. But the scratching came again and she found she couldn’t.

Walking across the room, she flung open the door and frowned out into the hallway. Down by her feet was the Fox, but not in the huge, “holy shit” size, as Reese called it. No, the Fox was back to his teacup Chihuahua size—the one that had charmed her in the first place, comforted her, and helped ease her pain before she’d trusted Reese enough to let him touch her in his human form.

The little Fox looked up at her with big, sad eyes and whined softly in the back of his throat.

Jo crossed her arms over her breasts and glared down at him, determined not to be moved.

“You can stop the act, Reese,” she snapped. “I know what you did, and trying to manipulate me with your cutest form won’t make me any less angry.”

The Fox whined sadly and came forward to press his pointed nose against her calf.

“No!” Jo said, even though her heart was trying to melt. “No, absolutely not!”

The Fox took a step back, shook itself, and abruptly there was a very large, very naked man standing in her room instead.

“Fine,” Reese said. “You’re right—coming to you in my little form was low. I just . . .” He shrugged, his broad, bare shoulders rolling. “Wanted to soften you up some before we talked.”

“Well, it didn’t work. And there’s nothing to talk about.” Jo tried not to look at him—at his big, masculine body—or smell his spicy scent, which was always especially strong after he Shifted. It drew her like a magnet and reminded her that her headache was coming back, throbbing in her temples, demanding the touch of an Alpha to ease it. Grimly, she ignored the pain. “I mean it, Reese—just leave,” she said.

“Not until we talk—and there is something to talk about,” he said calmly. “The fact that I hunted down the man who hurt you and killed him.”

“Why?” Jo rounded on him. “Why did you do it? I told you I released my need for vengeance to the Goddess.”

“Well I didn’t, darlin’,” Reese growled. “I saw what he did to you. I couldn’t rest until I paid that debt. Now, I’m sorry if it upset you—”

“Upset me?” Jo cried. “Of course it upset me!”

“Why?” Reese ran a hand through his hair. “Make me understand this. The bastard had it coming. And I would have killed the other two and the lawyer as well, if they weren’t already dead.”

“They were?” Jo whispered.

Reese nodded. “One got shanked the first week he was in prison—the other died not too long after in an escape attempt—guards shot him. The lawyer had a heart attack.”

“You . . .” Jo put a hand to her mouth. “You researched all of them? You were going to go . . . go kill them all?”

“I told you—a debt like that can’t go unpaid.” There was a low, animalistic growl in Reese’s deep voice she hadn’t heard before and it scared her. He took a step towards her and Jo took a step back.

“Stay . . .” She licked her lips. “Stay away, Reese.”

A dark look came into his brown eyes, which had always seemed so mild and kind to her before. Now she knew differently.

“So now you’re scared of me again? Is that it? Just because I took vengeance for you?”

“You didn’t take vengeance for me—you took vengeance for you.” Jo shook her head. “I never asked you to do that—to hunt them down and kill them for me.”

“Darlin’, if you understood more about Shifters, you’d understand you didn’t have to.” Reese sighed heavily. “It’s a code for us—when someone hurts the female we love—” He stopped abruptly and Jo stared at him. Had he just said that he loved her?

“Reese,” she began but he cut her off.

“I had to do it,” he said harshly. “And to be honest, I don’t understand why you’re so Goddamned upset about it.”

Jo cupped her elbows in her hands, feeling cold and shaken.

“I told you I live by the rule of three. That whatever you put out into the world comes back to you—”

“Bullshit,” Reese growled. “You’re not the one that killed Drummond—I did and I’d do it again! His death isn’t on you—it’s on me and I take the blame willingly. So tell me, Jo, what is it really?”

Jo bit her lip, trying to frame the words, trying to say what was in her heart.

“It’s you, Reese,” she whispered at last. “You . . . you’re not who I thought you were.”

“What? Because I’m willing to kill?”

“Partly.” Jo took a step back from him. “It’s the same thing—the same deception—you pulled with your Shifted form. You pretended for the longest time your little Fox was the real you. The sweet, cuddly, harmless little animal who wouldn’t hurt a fly. And then I find out the big scary Fox is your true form—the one that’s bigger than a freaking lion and apparently willing and able to rip out someone’s throat!”

“Yes, I ripped out his throat and I’d fucking do it again!” Reese shouted. “He hurt you! He had to pay.” He seemed to grow bigger as he spoke, bigger and more menacing—terrifying.

Jo felt as though all the breath had been sucked out of her lungs. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her hands were icy. Reese was suddenly too big—too masculine—too naked. She felt her past crashing down around her and all she wanted was to get away. But there was no way out—his muscular bulk blocked her doorway. She was trapped.

Reese seemed to sense her distress because he raked a hand through his hair and took a step towards her, one hand out.

“Look, darlin’, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to shout . . .”

Jo backed away from him. “You made me trust you, Reese,” she whispered. “And now I . . . I feel like I don’t even know you.”

“You know me, Jo,” he said earnestly. “I’m still the same guy I always was. I know I showed you the sweet, nice side to start with because I didn’t want to scare you away. But I never claimed that was all there was to me. I have a beast in me—all Shifters do.” He thumped his chest with his fist. “And that beast—my Fox—just wants to protect and avenge his mate.”

“I’m not your mate,” Jo said through numb lips. “I . . . I don’t know what I am right now but I’d really like to be alone.”

“Jo . . . honey . . .” Reese began appealingly but she shook her head.

“Please . . .” She shook her head, her throat tight with unshed tears. “Please, just go.”

Reese looked like he wanted to say more but finally he just shook his head.

“Fine,” he said in a low, toneless voice. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave you.”

“Please do.” Jo wanted him gone—she was going to cry and she didn’t want him to see her do it. “Please.”

Without another word, Reese turned and shut the door behind him, leaving her alone as she had requested.

Jo sank to the ground and buried her face in her hands, finally letting the sobs take her. Reese wasn’t who she’d thought he was at all. He’d presented himself as a kind and caring man who wouldn’t hurt a fly and now she saw the truth—he was a stone-cold killer as ruthless and bloodthirsty as any male out there. He, like almost every other man she’d ever known, was not to be trusted.

What was she going to do? Oh, Goddess, what was she going to do?

Chapter Seventeen

“Cougarville Chemist, how can I help you?” Jo asked automatically, speaking into the old fashioned, heavy black phone.

Fiona was out on a house call and had asked if Jo could answer the phone while she was gone. It was the day of the full moon and the wise woman apparently had much to do to help the Shifters of Cougarville prepare.

She had dropped a few delicate hints to Jo about how tonight would be especially important but Jo had pretended not to get them. She didn’t want to talk about her possible Shifter status—not when she felt she couldn’t trust Reese any more.

Speaking of Reese, his absence was conspicuous by lunchtime. Jo thought with longing of the day before, when he’d come over while Fiona was gone. The feel of his mouth on her . . . the look in his eyes as he’d told her to take what she needed . . .

No! Stop thinking like that! It’s just your hormones talking—that and the headache.

The pounding in her temples was back full force and worse than ever. Jo knew that if she just held Reese’s hand for a minute or two the pain would recede but she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to acknowledge that she needed the big Shifter for anything.

She still felt betrayed and hurt and frightened. She’d ridden to work with him as usual but they had barely spoken a word and Jo had made certain she sat on the far end of the truck cab to be sure there was no contact between them.

If her cautiousness around him had hurt Reese, he hadn’t shown it. In fact, he hadn’t shown much of anything at all. His face had been carefully blank and they had ridden in stony silence, with barely a word spoken between them.

It hurt Jo’s heart that the situation between them had deteriorated so quickly but she didn’t know what she could do to fix it—or even if she wanted to fix it. She still felt strongly that Reese had lied to her about what he was and what he stood for. She told herself he was just like every other male—and that was the worst thing she could say about him. Or anyone, for that matter.

She didn’t know if she could ever trust him again.

“Hello?” said a woman’s voice on the other end of the phone, pulling Jo out of her miserable thoughts.

“Hello? This is the Cougarville Chemist,” Jo repeated, trying to sound cheerful and failing. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, Jocasta, is that you?” the woman asked.

Jo felt a jolt go through her.

“Who—?” she began.

“It’s me—Bianca!” A soft, tinkling laugh on the other end of the phone sent a little shiver down Jo’s spine. “I heard you were working there but I didn’t expect to get you on the first try.”

“Hello, Bianca,” Jo said carefully.

She couldn’t believe the Elder witch who had been responsible for getting her kicked out of Avalon in the first place was speaking to her so cheerfully and casually. It was as though they were old friends and Bianca had never stood before the Council of Elders and accused her of dark magic at all. What was going on?

“Um . . . how can I help you?” she asked Bianca.

“Well, you can come back home, Jocasta!” Bianca exclaimed. “As soon as possible, in fact.”

“Come back home?” Jo repeated blankly. “You mean . . . home to Avalon?”

“Of course! Where else would you call home?” Bianca demanded.

“Well, I . . .” Jo thought again with longing of how, for a brief time, Reese’s lovely old Victorian house had begun to seem like a home to her. But she pushed her regret aside. “I can’t go back to Avalon,” she pointed out. “I was accused of dark magic and cast out.”

“A terrible oversight on our part, I’m afraid,” Bianca said breezily. “I’m calling to let you know that the Council has voted unanimously to bring you back to Avalon. In fact, I’m sending a car for you within the hour.”

“Within the hour?” Jo could scarcely believe it. “I don’t think . . . I mean, I don’t have my things with me here. And I can’t just leave the shop unattended.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to if you want to come back home.” There was a steely note in Bianca’s voice now. “We need to convene a council to reinstate you tonight while the stars are in alignment. So just put the CLOSED sign on the door and lock up. As for your things, we can send for them later.”

“Well—” Jo began.

“Look, Jocasta, do you want to come home or not?” Bianca demanded.

“Of course I do!” Jo exclaimed. “I haven’t thought of anything else from the minute you kicked me out.”

“Well now, ‘kicked out’ is a rather harsh term, don’t you think?” Bianca purred. “I prefer to think of it this way—we sent you on a sabbatical and now you’re being recalled. But you must come right now—as soon as the car pulls up. The meeting of the Elders is already being convened.”

On sabbatical—right, Jo thought sarcastically. A sabbatical where I had to sleep in the woods and had no place to go and nothing to eat. But she didn’t say any of it out loud. She was too busy thinking of home—of Avalon.

“All right,” she heard herself saying. “I’ll be ready.”

“Good. Mindy is driving—you remember her, don’t you?”

Jo did vaguely recall a younger witch by that name—she was one of Bianca’s recruits and was slavishly dedicated to the older witch. Jo didn’t particularly like her but then, she didn’t particularly dislike her either. Maybe Mindy could fill her in on what had been going on since she’d left.

“Um, yes, I remember her,” she said. “I’ll be ready to go when she comes.”

“Very good,” Bianca said shortly. “I expect to see you soon, Jocasta.”

The older witch had never been much for prolonged goodbyes. With a sharp click, she hung up the phone in Jo’s ear.

“So you’re going? Just like that?”

The deep, familiar voice made Jo jerk so hard she nearly dropped the phone.

“Oh!” She put a hand to her racing heart.

Reese was standing there, just inside the doorway. He raised one eyebrow at her sardonically when their eyes met.

“I didn’t even hear you come in. How did you open the door without the bells jingling?” Jo demanded.

“I’m sneaky like that. Haven’t you heard the expression, ‘sly as a fox?’” He laughed like he was making a joke but the bitterness in his voice couldn’t be disguised. “So . . . you’re going?” he said again, crossing his arms over his chest.

“How long were you standing there, anyway?” Jo asked, ignoring his question.

“Long enough to hear you making an extremely questionable decision, darlin’” Reese said dryly. “Isn’t Bianca the one who got you kicked out of Avalon in the first place?”

“Yes, but she’s had a change of heart.” Jo lifted her chin. “She and the whole Council of Elders want me to come back. I’m going to be reinstated.”

Reese raised an eyebrow at her. “And you think that’s a good idea? Going back on the night of the full moon?”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Jo snapped. “And the moon has nothing to do with it.”

“You’re fooling yourself, darlin’” he said quietly. “You’re going to have your first Shift tonight—you can’t hold it off again and you know it.”

“I know no such thing.” Jo hung up the phone and reached under the counter to get out her battered pack. She was using it as a purse and had a few odds and ends in it. Of course, she had no clothes but hopefully her old clothing from her life before at Avalon hadn’t been thrown out. The only thing she was really worried about leaving was her athame, which was back in her room at Reese’s house. Well, she would have to send for it later as Bianca had suggested.

“Jo, this isn’t safe,” Reese argued. “Why would they want you back all of a sudden? How do we know Bianca doesn’t have something to do with the man who attacked you in the woods the other night?”

“That’s impossible. The witches of Avalon have no contact with males,” Jo said coldly.

“Look, at least let me drive you up there if you’re so hell-bent on going,” Reese said, coming up to the other side of the counter. “To make sure you’re safe. And to be near you when the moon rises tonight.”

“If you think you’re going to . . . that I’m going to break my vow just because the moon is full tonight . . .” Jo shook her head. “It’s not going to happen, Reese. And no, you can’t drive me because, as I said, there are no males allowed within the borders of Avalon.”

“But—”

“Look, I need to go write a note for Fiona and make sure things are straightened up in the back room,” Jo interrupted him. “I’m sorry but I just don’t have time to talk about this right now. My ride will be here any minute.”

“Are you that eager to get away from me, Jo?” he asked and there was a note of sorrow in his voice that tore at her heart. “You don’t trust me? Can’t stand to be near me after what I did—is that it?”

Jo’s heart felt like it was tearing in two. It was true she didn’t trust him anymore—not like she had, anyway. But did she want to leave him here and never see him again?

No, whispered a voice in her head. No, of course not! I care for Reese. More than that—I don’t just care for him, I lo—

Jo cut the voice off sternly. There was no point in thinking such things. She was going back to Avalon now, leaving the new life she’d made in Cougarville to return to her old one. And since no males were allowed in Avalon, there was no place for the big Shifter.

“I’m sorry, Reese,” she said at last, her voice breaking on his name. “But I belong in Avalon.”

“No, darlin’ . . .” Reaching over the counter, he cupped her cheek tenderly in one large hand. “You belong with me. Please, Jo—don’t leave.”

The throbbing in her temples eased at once, erased as though it had never been, and her whole body flooded with longing for him. Jo felt every part of her yearning to be close to the male touching her so tenderly—every drop of her blood was on fire for the big Shifter whether she wanted to admit it or not.

“Reese . . .” For a moment she almost gave in. But then the bloody images she’d seen on the Internet rose before her eyes. I can’t stay here—I need to get back home—back to Avalon, she told herself. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

Pulling away from his gentle touch, she ran to the back room and sat down at the small desk to write Fiona a goodbye and thank you note. But when she grabbed a piece of paper and sat there with the pen poised over it, she didn’t know what to say.

Dear Fiona, she began and then just sat there.

All she could think of was Reese—of how he’d pleasured her and loved her right here, in this very room the day before. Of how good his big body felt against hers and how badly she wanted to be with him.

Before she knew it, tears were dropping onto the paper, smearing the ink and ruining the letter before she even started it.

Damn it! Jo crumpled the paper and reached for another sheet. Then she put her head down on the desk and sobbed. She had to get hold of herself and go back to her life in Avalon but just for a moment, she couldn’t help losing control. The tears took her and for a long, awful time she couldn’t stop crying.

* * *

Reese listened to her soft, helpless sobbing and felt like a spiked fist was squeezing his heart. He wanted to go to her, to try and explain, to beg her to stay . . . but he could tell nothing he said was going to convince her. Actions speak louder than words and right now Jo couldn’t hear anything over the act of bloody vengeance he had committed.

Never mind that he had been taking vengeance for her. Reese understood now that by killing her rapist, he had shattered the image of himself that Jo had built in her mind. By showing himself capable of such gory violence, he had also shown her he was like every other male she’d ever known—at least in her eyes.

Yes, Reese understood, but that didn’t make her rejection of him hurt any less.

Forget about your hurt feelings, his Fox growled. This is no time for licking wounds—our female is going into danger. We have to stop her!

Reese frowned—his other half was absolutely right. Jo was going into a sketchy situation—every bone in his body said so. But she was determined to go and leave him here—what could he do?

His eyes fell on the beat up knapsack she’d had with her when she first showed up at his place. It was filled with all the detritus most women carry around in their purses, a pack of gum, a brush, a tube of lip gloss—along with a few most women probably didn’t—some packets of dried herbs for spells, the colored candles she used to call the circle when she cast, a vial of some essential oil she had told Reese was used for healing magic . . .

There was so much stuff in there, he was certain she’d never notice if he added one little thing . . . right?

Reese hoped not because there was no way he was letting her go into danger without any protection.

* * *

When Jo got back to the front of the pharmacy, Reese was gone. She looked for him, half hoping he would try to talk her into staying one more time but there was no sign of the big Shifter.

You can’t blame him for leaving, whispered a spiteful little voice in her head. Not after the way you acted—the way you pushed him away.

But she’d had to push Reese away—it was for his own good as well as hers. She was going back to Avalon—there was no place for him there.

As if in answer to her thoughts, someone honked a horn outside the pharmacy door.

Looking out, Jo saw a long black limousine waiting just outside the curb. Her eyes widened—could that be for her? The only cars allowed in Avalon were mostly Earth-friendly Priuses. But the driver looked familiar—a thin girl with dark hair and eyes and a mean, pinched look to her face. She saw Jo watching her from the front of the pharmacy and waved to her impatiently—an obvious hurry up gesture.

Jo grabbed her knapsack and slung it over one shoulder. Going around to the driver’s side door, she leaned down and Mindy rolled down the window.

“What is this?” Jo asked. “Why did Bianca hire a limousine to come get me?”

“Just get in,” Mindy snapped. “We don’t have all day. Bianca is waiting.”

“Okay, but . . .” Jo stared at the long, black car uncertainly. “Should I ride in the front with you?”

“Of course not, idiot.” Mindy rolled her eyes. “Get in the back, and hurry.”

She glared at Jo with open hostility that Jo almost balked at getting in. But then she remembered she had just burned her bridges here in Cougarville and she had nowhere else to go. Frowning, she opened the back door of the limo and slid inside.

The interior of the limo was all plush, dove gray leather with wide, comfortable back seats and a well-stocked bar on one side. Jo barely had time to notice the amenities, however, before a soft humming sound caught her attention. Looking up, she noticed that the smoked glass partition between the driver’s portion of the limo and the passenger area was rising slowly, cutting off her view of Mindy and the view of the outside world through the windshield. She couldn’t see anything out the side windows—they were too darkly tinted.

“Hey, Mindy—why are you doing that?” she called, frowning. “I wanted to ask you some questions.”

The glass partition paused about three quarters of the way up and Mindy looked at her in the rearview mirror.

“What do you want to know?” she asked flatly.

“Well, mostly I was hoping you could catch me up on what’s been going on in Avalon,” Jo said. “Have there been any changes?”

Mindy gave a short, humorless laugh.

“More than you know, but you’ll find out soon enough.”

“What? What does that mean?” Jo demanded.

“That’s all I’m allowed to say—Bianca’s orders. And these are her orders too.” The glass partition hummed again and rose to meet the roof of the limo, cutting Jo off by herself in the backseat area.

“What are Bianca’s orders?” she demanded, pounding on the partition. She was beginning to get a very bad feeling about this—a cold tremor in the pit of her stomach that told her something wasn’t right.

This isn’t good—I need to get out of here!

But when she tried the door handle, she found it was locked. And then a soft hissing sound filled the cab and a sickly-sweetish odor met her nose.

What’s going on? What is this?

Jo opened her mouth to scream and sucked in a lungful of the sweetish gas that was filling the limo.

Immediately, her head began to go swimmy and everything looked very distant and far away.

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride, bitch,” she heard Mindy say over the limo’s intercom system.

And then everything went black.

Chapter Eighteen

Jo woke up with a pounding headache and the feeling that her entire body was being crawled over by ants. She twitched reflexively, trying to get rid of the crawling sensation but it wouldn’t go. Opening her eyes, she looked at her hand, trying to see if she could shake the insects off.

But there were no ants. Though the crawling sensation continued, her skin was bare . . . in fact, all of her was bare, Jo realized with a shiver, and it was cold!

She sat up and looked around. She was in the middle of the Sacred Glade—the outdoor clearing in the forest was hallowed ground, dedicated to the worship of the Goddess. It was where the Elder Witches practiced the Great Rite when they performed it during the Summer equinox.

The sun was setting, painting the sky bloody red, and the trees loomed all around her like wraiths. She shivered and put her arms around herself, wishing she could get rid of the ants-crawling-all-over sensation. What was going on? Why was she here and who had taken off her clothing? The last thing she remembered was the whitish gas filling the back compartment of the limousine. Someone must have drugged her. But why?

“Oh look, she’s awake,” said a familiar voice. “She must be stronger than I imagined—I thought you said the gas would keep her out until moonrise.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said a deep, masculine voice. “I can breed her before moonrise just as well—if that idiot Shifter didn’t breed her already, that is.”

Jo’s eyes flew open wide at the sound of a male voice in the Sacred Glade. Male energy was forbidden here! And the other voice belonged to . . .

“Hello, Jocasta.” Bianca emerged from the trees, smiling nastily at her. “Are you up for a little ceremony?” She was wearing a long, flowing black gown that clung to her boney body and her black hair was loose around her waist. Jo thought the youthful hairstyle did nothing but make the Elder witch look older—her wrinkles were obvious, even in the light of the setting sun—but it wasn’t Bianca who drew her eyes.

Stepping out of the forest beside the Elder Witch was a powerfully built naked man with broad shoulders and cool, appraising eyes. He was big—about as big as Reese was, she estimated—and he’d shaved his head completely bald. In fact, all of him was bald—even his armpits and pubic region. In his hands was a long, hairy, spotted pelt.

“Who . . . what . . .” She looked wildly at Bianca. “Where is the rest of the Elder Council? And why is he here? Male energy is forbidden in the Sacred Glade!”

“Yes, yes, I know, I’m breaking the rules.” Bianca sighed as though following the ancient customs handed down for generations was an insignificant detail which simply got in her way. “And as for the rest of the Council, they’re on a retreat at our sister site in California right now. I volunteered to stay behind and keep the younger witches in line.” Her eyes flashed. “Which I fully intend to do.”

“What do you want with me?” Jo demanded, standing on shaky legs and trying to cover herself with her arms. “Why did you drug me? And what is this . . . feeling?” She shivered again as the tingling, tickling sensation ran all over her bare skin.

“One question at a time, Jocasta,” Bianca said primly. “That ticklish sensation is a confining spell I placed around the glade before we began. It stops you from using all those nifty new powers you’ve been acquiring and to make sure you don’t run off before the fun starts. Go ahead—try to leave.”

Jo took a step forward and then another and another. But long before she reached Bianca, she encountered what felt like an invisible glass wall in her way. Keeping one arm firmly over her bare breasts, she felt the barrier with her fingertips. It seemed to go up and up forever and extended as far as she could reach on either side in smooth, unbreakable infinity.

“See? It’s quite impenetrable—from your side anyway. You cannot get out.” Bianca sounded smug. “Of course, there’s nothing to stop someone from coming in to join you.” She gestured to the nude, bald man who was still gripping the hairy pelt in one big hand. “Meet Mr. X—I won’t tell you his name, not that you’ll be around to repeat it after tonight, but some secrets must be kept.” She smiled primly. “I will tell you he is the silent partner who owns one of the richest and most influential pharmaceutical companies in the world.”

The bald man gave Joe a most unpleasant smile.

“Oh, we’ve met before, in the forest a little while back. Remember me, Jocasta? Of course, I had a little more hair back then . . .” He rubbed one hand over his bald head. “But some sacrifices must be made in order to fulfill our destinies.”

A wave of cold horror washed over Jo’s entire body at once like an icy wave. This man was the one who’d tried to capture her in the forest outside Reese’s house—the one who had been so upset that she hadn’t been bred yet . . . Suddenly she remembered what he’d said when he and Bianca first entered the Glade—“I can breed her before moonrise just as well—if that idiot Shifter didn’t breed her, that is.”

“Stay away from me,” she said in a shaky voice.

“I’ll be happy to, my dear.” The man leered at her. “As long as you’ve already been bred.”

“What do you want with me? Why do you care if I’ve been . . . been bred?” Jo backed away from the invisible barrier.

“It’s the only way to release your full potential, Jocasta dear,” Bianca purred. “Until you take your Shifted form for the first time, your new powers aren’t fully formed.”

“How do you know?” Jo demanded. “How do you know anything about Shifters at all?”

“Well, I didn’t until Mr. X approached me some time back.” Bianca gestured at the huge bald man again. “He told me a most interesting and surprising story about how female Shifters are able to regain their youth through the Rejuvenation process. And he had been doing a bit of research into the matter and found that a witch who was also a Shifter would have quadruple the power after she had undergone the Shifting process.” Bianca paused and smiled at Jo meaningfully. “All that was required was for the latent Shifter Gene in such a witch to be woken up, and both youth and power would be hers. And he just happened to have a formula that could achieve this awakening.”

“Why didn’t you take it yourself then?” Jo demanded in a shaky voice. “Why give it to me?”

“Oh, I didn’t just give it to you, Jocasta—no, no! Why, the formula was put into our water supply here—all of Avalon got it. You’re just the lucky one it affected.” She smiled sadly. “I, alas, do not have the Gene myself at all—nor does Mr. X, which was why he approached me in the first place.”

“I’ve always wanted to be one of you—to be a Shifter,” Mr. X said, eyeing Jo in a hungry way that made her stomach flip over with sick fear. “To change my skin and run and hunt as an animal—I’ve spent the better part of my career in Pharmaceuticals researching ways to scientifically change my form.” He looked at Bianca. “But in the end, science failed me and it was magic that brought me the answer I’d been searching for so long. You see . . .” He held up the hairy, spotted pelt from which wafted a very unpleasant musky, sour odor. “I can’t become an actual Shifter. But with help from Bianca, here, I can become a Skin Walker.”

“A Skin Walker?” Jo felt like an icy hand was squeezing her throat. She stared at Bianca. “You can’t do that—it’s the darkest kind of magic! It’s forbidden—it will stain your soul for eternity.”

“Mr. X is going to make it worth my while,” Bianca said primly. “In addition to a tidy monetary payment, he promised me we could both have what we want. I will work the spell to turn him into a Skin Walker and in return, he gave me the formula to awaken your latent Gene, Jocasta. And once you are bred and Shift for the first time, your power will be ripe for the plucking. So tell me once and for all, my dear . . .” She leaned forward, glaring at Jo. “Have you been bred by that damn Shifter whose house I had my demon-shadow chase you to or not?”

Jo felt like her heart had stopped and for a moment she couldn’t say anything.

“The . . . the thing in the forest,” she finally managed to get out. “You sent that to chase me?”

“It worked beautifully. You ran right into his arms and he was supposed to have bred you by now. I was so certain he would, I even cast an illusion spell to make you see the incantation you wanted with ingredients which could only be found in the forest.” Bianca frowned. “But you disappointed me, Jo—you didn’t breed as you were supposed to. Please tell me I won’t be disappointed again.”

“I . . . you . . .” Jo shook her head, keeping her naked body as well covered as she could. “You know I wouldn’t break my vow of chastity to the Goddess,” she said at last in a shaky voice. “I would never—”

“He still hasn’t bred her!” Mr. X sounded disgusted. “I suppose I’ll have to do it myself.” He leered at Jo. “Of course, I’m not a regular Shifter so I’ll have to take a few extra steps to be certain the animal side of you is satisfied.”

Jo’s mouth felt dry as sawdust.

“Ex . . . extra steps?” she whispered.

He nodded. “A natural Shifter could breed you in his human form and satisfy your craving to release your inner beast. I will have to breed you in my Skin Walker form to achieve the same result.”

“You . . . you what?” Jo could hardly make herself believe what he was saying and her eyes kept returning to the hairy pelt hanging from his hand.

“You heard me.” He gave her a leering grin. “You and I are shortly going to be much better acquainted, my little witch.”

“Indeed you are.” Bianca nodded. “Very well, Mr. X as soon as you enter the circle I will begin casting the incantation. When you feel the change upon you, breed the girl. The moment you deposit your seed inside her, she will be able to Shift and her power will be complete.” She looked at Jo greedily. “And then I can begin the second spell—to claim her youth and abilities as my own.”

The huge man stepped into the circle, his bald head glowing in the last faint rays of the setting sun. Soon the moon would rise and bring with it unspeakable changes.

But Jo wasn’t concerned with the moon just now. She backed away from Mr. X in horror.

“Stay away from me,” she said in a trembling voice. “I don’t want anything to do with you!”

“Don’t worry, my dear.” He gave her a most unpleasant smile as he slipped the hairy pelt over his head and let it dangle down his bare back like a macabre headdress. “You won’t have anything to do with me—it’s my beast you can look forward to meeting.”

Jo wondered numbly what kind of beast he would become. It was too dim in the Sacred Glade to see what kind of animal the spotted, scruffy hide he was wearing had once belonged to but whatever it was, she knew she didn’t want it anywhere near her.

“Please,” she begged Bianca, looking at the older witch. “Don’t do this to me! Don’t let him . . . let him . . .” But her throat closed up with fear and disgust and she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“You did it to yourself, my dear.” Bianca tsked and shook her head as though she truly regretted what was about to happen but could do nothing to stop it. “You could have allowed yourself to be bred by that nice, sweet Shifter boy I sent you to,” she told Jo. “Then all this breeding in Shifted form could have been avoided. But no, you had to be stubborn. So you see, my hands are tied.” She lifted both hands as though to illustrate her point. “You must be bred so that I can have your power and your youth and if this is the only way, well—so be it.”

“You can’t—” Jo began but the older witch was already raising her arms high and chanting words that sent shivers of pure dread through Jo’s entire body.

“Spirits of Night, Spirits of Blight,

Forces to stop a man’s heart with Fright

I summon thee now in all thy power,

Heed me in this sacred hour.

That which was human must now be beast

The fur his power, the lust his feast . . .”

“Stop!” Jo shouted. “You don’t know what you’re doing!” She looked at Mr. X, who seemed to be growing larger under the furry hide that dangled down his back. “You don’t know what a curse this spell is. Do you know what you’ll have to do in order to ever change back into a human again?”

He grinned at her fiercely, his teeth long and sharp and white in the dimness of the glade.

“Oh, I know, little witch,” he growled and his voice no longer sounded human. “I know what I’ll have to do—I just don’t care.”

Behind him, Bianca was still chanting.

“Allow this male to shed his skin

And fully loose the beast within

To run through shadows, over forests and hills

He’ll not be human again until he kills

So mote it be!”

She clasped her hands together over her head and then threw her arms forward, almost as though she was flinging some heavy, invisible object into the circle at Mr. X. The huge man staggered forward, then fell to all fours in the invisible circle.

Jo backed as far away from him as she could—backed up until she felt the cold barrier of magic pressing against her bare back. A cold sweat—the sweat of fear—was trickling between her shoulder blades, making her itch. She wanted to run but she was frozen to the spot, unable to move or look away as she watched Mr. X’s transformation.

She had watched Reese Shift plenty of times before and there was always a gracefulness in the act—a feeling that his body knew exactly what it was doing and that it was enacting a natural process. What was happening to Mr. X was nothing like that.

His bones didn’t move and shift like Reese’s did—they just seemed to grow bigger. And the fur didn’t sprout naturally from his skin and flow over him in a rippling wave like it did with Reese either. Instead, the strange, spotted hide he was wearing seemed to wrap itself around him, almost as though it was possessed. It clung to his skin, sliding over him like a hungry snake and covering him in a thick, coarse pelt.

The only part of him that seemed to change, other than growing larger and hairier, was his mouth. It elongated into a gaping snout with sharp, crooked teeth jutting out in ragged profusion. The furry ears of the hide twitched at the top of his head and prickly, spotted fur covered his face. And yet his eyes remained human—human and hot with lust as the thing Mr. X had become looked at Jo.

The snout-mouth opened and a long, red tongue unfurled, dripping saliva onto the grass of the Sacred Glade.

“Come here, little girl,” the monster said in a low, snarling voice like a dog with a bone lodged in its throat. “Come here—I want to eat you up.”

For a moment Jo felt like she might black out with pure panic. She couldn’t let that thing touch her—couldn’t let it anywhere near her! If it tried to take her in this hideous half-form she would go crazy—she was sure she would.

“No,” she whispered, inching away from the thing which was not completely animal but not human anymore either. “No, stay away from me!”

“Give in,” the snarling thing Mr. X had become told her in its hoarse, awful voice. “Give in and maybe it won’t hurt so much.” He gave a harsh, howling laugh that sent goosebumps rushing all over her skin. “Then again, maybe it will. You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

“No!” Jo gasped. The past rushed back to her like a black, drowning wave and she had to fight not to be sick. Yet everything that had been done to her on the sagging, stained box springs in the crumbling cabin so many years ago would be nothing to being taken against her will by this monstrous half man/half beast.

I’ll go crazy if he touches me, she thought wildly. I know I will! My mind will break—I won’t be able to stand it.

There had to be someone who could help her. Some way to get free of this nightmare. Far away in the distance, she could hear the howling of wolves. Dimly she wondered if it was the pack that had chased her when she first left Avalon but she didn’t know or care. She only knew she had to find help somewhere and fast.

“Help!” she screamed, raising her voice as loudly as she could. “Help me! I’m being attacked! Help.”

Suddenly her abandoned knapsack twitched, then ripped apart. Out of it came a creature who was tiny at first—no larger than a mouse. But as Jo watched, it grew with exponential speed until it was bigger than a horse.

The Fox, she had time to think. That’s Reese’s Fox!

And then the immense creature was leaping into the glade, passing through the one-way magical barrier with ease as it launched itself at the other beast’s throat.

Chapter Nineteen

It was Jo’s cries for help that wakened Reese from the drugged stupor he’d fallen into during the limo ride. He’d taken his tiny form to hitch a ride in her knapsack because he had the distinct feeling she was going into danger. And sure enough, he’d been right. But the gas that had knocked Jo unconscious had nearly killed him in his smallest form. No bigger than a mouse, his tiny Fox had inhaled much more of the sleeping gas than he should have.

In trouble—our female is in trouble, his Fox shouted in his head as he finally came completely awake. Shifting from his smallest size to his largest in the blink of an eye, he leapt from her bag to put himself between Jo and the creature that threatened her. But once he was there, he couldn’t help looking at the snarling, hairy, spotted thing and wondering, What the fuck?

It was huge—a beast and yet not a beast—not completely anyway. It stood upright for one thing, towering nine feet tall like a Kodiak grizzly bear walking on its hind legs. Its muzzle was long and sharp but blunted at the end like a snout and its teeth gleamed white and crooked in its slavering mouth. The fur that covered it was spotted and scruffy.

Its eyes were human. Human and completely evil.

Hyena, Reese thought, eyeing the spotted fur. That’s what it is—only not completely. What the fuck is that thing anyway?

“Get back, Fox—the girl is mine,” it growled at him. “You had your chance and you didn’t breed her. Now it’s my turn.”

It took a step towards him and Reese held his ground, snarling up at the weird, unnatural thing.

Not right—it’s not right! Not what Lady Moon intended! his Fox insisted, and Reese completely agreed with it. A Shifter was either wholly in his human form or wholly in his animal form. This creature seemed to be stuck somewhere in between. It was an affront to the Goddess who had created the Shifter race in the first place. A sacrilege—a blasphemy.

It lunged suddenly forward, clumsy and bear-like in its movements as it tried to get around him to Jo. Reese moved to intercept it and it raked him with its claws, scoring his flank as he snapped at its scruffy hide.

He growled angrily and sank his teeth into the flesh of its thigh, making it shout with pain. Its blood tasted sour and wrong.

“Get off me, you fucking Shifter!” it snarled. “I told you, the little witch is mine!”

For once, Reese wished he could speak in his Shifted form. He wanted to curse this abomination and tell it he would tear it limb from limb before he allowed it to so much as touch his female. But he had to satisfy himself with going for its throat.

The skin was loose and fleshy and for some reason Reese couldn’t get a good hold though he snarled and snapped and dug with his fangs, trying to find the vulnerable blood vessels.

The hybrid hyena thing ripped at him with its claws and shouted curses in its hoarse, not quite human voice. Its breath was as sour as its blood—rotten and rank and disgusting but Reese didn’t pay any attention to that. He also ignored the curses and the pain its claws caused—he just wanted to put the fucking thing out of commission so it could never hurt or frighten Jo again.

Though he couldn’t seem to kill it, he dragged it to its knees, his teeth locked tight on its loose pelt as he tugged and ripped and growled around his mouthful of sour fur.

Dimly, he could hear the older witch—Bianca, he supposed—standing outside the natural glade they were in and shouting something. He could also hear Jo’s frightened breathing behind him as she tried to keep away from the violence. Far away in the distance came the cry of the dire wolf pack—Jase Saunders, their Alpha, was leading them in a hunt.

The moon must be rising, Reese thought distractedly. A silvery light illuminating his adversary’s still-human eyes confirmed it. Then he heard the sounds around him change.

Jo was no longer gasping with fright—now she was making sounds of pain—of agony. As though someone or something was hurting her horribly and she couldn’t get away.

“No,” Reese heard her moan. “No, please . . .”

“Hurry, you fool, the moon is coming up,” he heard Bianca shout. “You have to breed her now or she’ll die and her power and youth will die with her!”

Jo! Reese unlocked his jaws and jumped from the cursing hybrid to the female he loved.

She was lying on the ground, huddled into a ball. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with agony.

“Reese!” she gasped. “Hurts so . . . so bad. Like someone trying to pull . . . arms and legs . . . off.” Then her eyes widened. “Behind you!”

Reese pivoted and saw the hyena-thing coming up behind him. It was still on all fours, putting its head level with his own.

It was reaching for Jo with one long, shaggy, claw-tipped arm.

Without hesitation, Reese snapped out at it, his right front fang catching it in its still all-too-human eyes. He felt the soft orb pop like a grape against his tooth and then the thing was shoving itself backwards, roaring in fury and pain.

“My eye!” it screamed, clapping a furry paw-hand to the streaming socket. “You put out my goddamn eye, you fucking Shifter!”

That’s right and I’ll take the other one too! Reese thought. His chest was filled with rage as he glared at his adversary. This unnatural abomination had threatened his female—he would blind it and maim it and kill it.

The thing scrambled backwards, one paw-hand still to its face and Reese followed it, moving in for the kill.

“Open the barrier!” he heard it shouting at Bianca who was still raging at the edge of the glade. “You fucking open it right now!”

“No! You have to do it! You have to breed her! All her power will be gone,” Bianca shrieked.

“Fuck that—it got my eye!” The hyena thing stood and began pounding one hairy fist in the air—looking like he was hitting an invisible wall. “Let me out now or you’re not getting a dime from me!” he shouted.

With an angry curse Bianca made a gesture with one hand and spoke words in a language that sounded a little like Latin. The hyena thing, which had been leaning forward against the invisible barrier, suddenly fell through and landed at her feet.

She shouted and jumped backwards. For a moment, Reese saw his chance. The circle was, at that instant, broken—he could leap through it and kill the hyena-hybrid thing.

Then he heard Jo moaning again.

Reese made an instant decision. The hybrid monster would have to wait—his female needed him.

* * *

Jo writhed naked on the grass as the agony ripped through her. Wherever the moonlight touched her, it felt like huge, silvery hands were pulling at her arms and legs, trying to rip them out of their sockets. Her very spine felt like it was being pulled apart like a careless child yanks beads off a string.

Going to die, she thought deliriously. I’ve been fooling myself—lying to myself all this time because I didn’t want to admit I’m a Shifter. Now I’m going to die.

Then suddenly, Reese was beside her, first in his giant Fox form and then, after a split-second Shift, in his human form.

He was huge in the moonlight—huge and naked—but Jo didn’t care. She only knew she needed him—needed his touch on her skin to help ease this awful pain.

“Reese . . .” She held out a hand to him weakly. “Please . . . please . . .”

“Hang on, darlin’. I got you.” He scooped her swiftly into his arms and cuddled her close to his broad, bare chest. “It’s okay. Everything is okay now,” he murmured.

Jo buried her face in his neck and breathed in his warm, masculine musk, dragging the wild scent of fur and dark, male spice into her lungs as though it was oxygen and she was drowning.

At once the awful, unbearable agony eased. Her muscles, which had been locked tight with pain, finally stopped seizing and relaxed. With a moan of pure relief, she went limp in his arms.

“Oh, Reese,” she gasped, still lightheaded from the aftermath of the dreadful pain. “Thank the Goddess you’re here. How did you . . . ?”

“Hitched a ride in your knapsack in my tiny form,” he murmured, stroking the hair out of her eyes. “I figured you might be headed for trouble. I’m sorry I was right.”

“Thank you for coming with me,” Jo whispered. “After the way I treated you—”

“Don’t worry about any of that now, darlin’. Just need to make sure you’re safe and well.”

“I . . . I think I’m okay now that you’re touching me.” Jo looked around cautiously. “Where did Bianca and that awful Mr. X go?”

Reese scanned the area alertly while he held her close in his arms. “I don’t see or sense either the other witch or that fucked up hyena thing. What did you say his name was?”

“I don’t know, really—Bianca just called him Mr. X. He’s from some pharmaceutical company. He gave her the formula to activate my Shifter Gene.”

“Didn’t look like any pharmaceutical rep I ever saw,” Reese muttered. “He looked like a fucking unnatural abomination.”

“He’s a Skin Walker,” Jo told him in a low voice. “What I mistook you for when I first saw you Shift. He—ahhh!”

“What, darlin’? What is it? What’s wrong?” Reese was looking at her anxiously as she moaned and twisted in his arms.

“The pain . . .” Jo could barely get the words out. “It’s back but it’s . . . different.”

In fact it wasn’t a pain so much this time as a need. The need to be touched, tasted, filled, fucked . . . Bred, you need to be bred, Jo, whispered a little voice in her head.

Jo knew it was true. Her nipples were tight, achy buds at the tips of her breasts and her pussy was suddenly painfully sensitive. She had to spread her legs to ease the ache of her throbbing clit, begging for attention. Not only that, but she felt empty, so empty inside.

And yet, despite the intense pain and need, she still hesitated.

Fiona had told her that when the breeding heat was on her, her past would be burned to ashes in the fire of her lust. And to Jo’s surprise, it seemed to be true. She could still remember the past—remember all that had been done to her—but it didn’t stop her from wanting Reese desperately. She felt just as she had after performing the lust and fidelity spell—almost frantic to have him in her.

So it wasn’t her past that was stopping her. It was guilt.

This is wrong, whispered the little voice in her head. Your chastity was promised to the Goddess! Not only that, this is the Sacred Glade where male energy is strictly forbidden. Are you really going to break your vow and profane a holy spot all at the same time? Have you no shame at all left?

I’ll die if I don’t, she argued with herself. I need Reese—I have to have him or the pain will tear me apart!

Speaking of Reese, he was still looking at her anxiously.

“Jo,” he murmured. “Are you all right? Your cheeks are all flushed and your eyes . . . they’re wild.”

Jo put a hand to her cheek and felt how hot she was. In fact, her entire body was feeling overheated, despite the fact that she was outside on a cold autumn night, completely naked and sitting in the chilly grass.

“I . . . Reese,” She heard herself say. “I need . . . I need . . .” But then she couldn’t go on—couldn’t say what she needed so desperately or beg him to give it to her.

Reese understood anyway.

“I know what you need, darlin’,” he growled softly. “The only question is, how to give it to you without making you feel hurt or frightened.”

“Maybe . . .” Jo licked her suddenly dry lips and tried again. “Maybe we could start with some of the . . . some of the things we’ve already been doing,” she suggested.

His eyes blazed. “Good idea. But I think you should take the lead. I don’t want to push you too far.”

That seemed fair enough to Jo.

“All . . . all right,” she whispered.

“Good. Then do what you want.” He took his arms from around her and leaned backward, resting his hands on the cool grass as he looked at her. “Take what you need from me, darlin’.”

As always, his willingness to let her take the lead seemed to kindle Jo’s lust even more. Her heart thundered in her chest and her mouth was too dry to talk but that was all right—she knew what she needed.

Pushing the shrill little voice of her guilt away, she straddled him so they were face to face. She could feel the hard, throbbing shaft of his cock pressed between their bellies but she didn’t care. Right now she just wanted to get some relief from the burning need that threatened to consume her.

Raising up on her knees, she pressed one of her aching nipples to his lips.

Reese opened for her at once, sucking the tight bud into the heat of his mouth and slowly swirling his tongue around and around her areola and nipple until Jo thought she was going to go crazy.

“More,” she managed to whisper. “Harder, Reese, please.”

He sucked harder, taking her breast deep in his mouth and bathing her with his heat.

Jo moaned and gripped his hair. The strong suction seemed to be shooting sparks of pleasure straight from her tender tips right to the aching cleft of her pussy. Goddess, that felt good!

And then Reese was switching to the other nipple and sucking it deep in his mouth too as he pinched and tugged her other peak until she moaned and gasped and rubbed herself shamelessly against him.

Suddenly she knew she wanted that hot mouth someplace else . . . lower down on her body. The breeding heat inside her demanded it.

Pulling her nipple free of his sucking mouth, she pressed gently against his broad shoulders.

“Jo?” Reese made her name a question. Again, it was hard to talk but somehow she managed to whisper a little.

“Lower . . .” She pushed at him again. “Need . . . your mouth lower, Reese.”

His eyes flashed gold in the moonlight.

“My pleasure, darlin’.”

Lying on his back in the grass, he beckoned for her to come up to him.

For a moment, Jo bit her lip and hung back.

Are you really going to do this? The voice of her guilt demanded. Really going to go so far right here under the light of the Goddess herself?

But try as she might, Jo couldn’t resist the temptation. Crawling up Reese’s lean, muscular torso and over his broad, bare shoulders, she straddled his face and positioned his head just under her pussy.

“Gods, darlin’!” she heard Reese groan. “That’s right—come down on me. Come down and ride my face.”

Jo couldn’t stop herself—didn’t want to stop herself. Gripping his thick hair in one hand and steadying herself on one broad shoulder, she lowered her aching pussy to his waiting mouth.

She heard Reese give a groan of pure hunger and then his big hands were at her waist, holding her up, helping her ride him.

Jo moaned as she felt his hot tongue part her throbbing pussy lips and bathe her inner folds. God, it felt good . . . so good, even though she knew it was wrong with every fiber of her being.

The coven will have to stop using this place for their rites, she thought deliriously. Some of them will probably want to burn it if they find out what I’ve done here—how I’ve polluted the Glade with my lust!

But somehow she still couldn’t stop. Rubbing hard against Reese she could feel his scratchy cheeks abrading the tender skin of her thighs even as he sucked her throbbing clit between his lips and lashed it mercilessly with the tip of his tongue.

“Reese!” she gasped. “Oh Goddess, Reese—that’s good! So good.”

In answer, he released her clit and brought his tongue lower so that he could plunge it deep inside her.

Jo moaned and rubbed even harder—she was close now—so close to coming. Her orgasm, which had seemed to be miles away earlier, was suddenly right on top of her, hovering like a thundercloud ready to split and drench her with pleasure.

“Reese!” she moaned, rocking shamelessly against his face. “Oh Goddess, yes—yes. Don’t stop!”

In answer, his long fingers tightened on her waist and he pulled her even closer. Alternately lashing her clit and fucking her deeply with his tongue, he pushed her higher and higher, clearly willing her to come.

Jo couldn’t help herself—didn’t want to help herself. She just wanted Reese and she wanted the pleasure he gave her to never end.

Suddenly her orgasm hit, drenching her like a summer rain as the pleasure rushed over her in a wave. Jo felt like every muscle in her body was clenching at once—her hands fisted cruelly tight in the big Shifter’s hair, but Reese didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he tightened his grip on her hips and pulled her down even harder.

The message was clear—take what you want—take what you need. And Jo was more than happy to accept his generous offer.

She didn’t know how long she ground against him, wringing the last drops of pleasure from her orgasm as Reese looked up at her, his eyes blazing gold with lust.

It felt so good Jo never wanted it to end but though the orgasm had satisfied part of her need, another part was growing. The emptiness inside her was swelling, threatening to swallow her whole with its insatiable hunger.

“I need you inside me,” she blurted, looking down at him. “Goddess, Reese, I feel like I’m going to go crazy if I’m not filled soon.”

“That’s the breeding heat.” He lifted her and sat her gently on the ground beside him. “Tell me how you want it, darlin’—how you need it.”

Jo found she couldn’t answer—not out loud. The voice of her guilt was back, demanding to know if she was really going to break her vow of chastity right here in the middle of the Sacred Glade.

It’s an affront to the Goddess, the little voice insisted. Sacrilege . . . blasphemy!

But the need inside her was too great to be denied. Biting her lip, Jo got to her hands and knees in the cool, ticklish grass. In Yoga, this was called “tabletop position,” but now she thought of it as something else.

Breeding position—that’s what it is, she thought as she spread her thighs wide and felt the cool autumn wind caress the wet, open folds of her pussy. Because that was what she needed, she suddenly realized—not just to be fucked but to be bred. She needed to feel Reese thrusting inside her until he filled her with his come—with his seed. She needed to give herself completely and take all he had to give in turn—it was the only way to satisfy the breeding heat that rode her like a cruel master, demanding she defile this sacred place with her lust.

Reese seemed to sense her need but he was hesitating. After all her fear and the way she had shown him her past, Jo wasn’t surprised. He cared for her—he didn’t want to hurt her—that much was clear. But by now she needed him so badly she felt like she was going to die if he didn’t fill her soon.

“Reese,” she moaned. “Please, I need you.”

“Darlin’,” he said, stroking her trembling back with one big, warm hand. “I know you’re in need—I can feel the breeding heat coming off you, and your Juvie scent is making me fucking crazy. But I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t—I swear you won’t! Please, Reese, just breed me,” Jo heard herself begging shamelessly. “Take me—fill me up. I need you to.”

“Tell you what I’m going to do,” Reese murmured. “Gonna put just the head of my shaft inside your sweet pussy. Then you can do the rest—back up against me and take as much as you need. All right?”

The fact that he was being so careful made her simultaneously want to weep for his sweet consideration and curse him for his reluctance to give her what she so desperately needed. Jo did neither. Instead she nodded and spread her legs a little wider, offering him complete access.

“All right,” she whispered. “Do it.”

Reese got on his knees behind her and she felt the broad, mushroom shaped head of his shaft kiss the slick folds of her pussy. At first he just rubbed against her aching clit, drawing a sharp cry of pleasure from her throat. But then, finally, he slid down and slipped just the tip of his thick shaft into her entrance.

Jo moaned with relief—finally. He was finally inside her—although not nearly as deep as she needed him to be.

“All right now, darlin’.” Reese’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “You take it from here. Take me however deep you want me.”

Jo didn’t have to be told twice. Tilting her hips up, she backed to meet him, impaling herself on his long, thick shaft—taking him to the root.

“God, darlin’,” she heard Reese groan as he finally hit bottom inside her. His hands came up to her hips and squeezed reflexively, possessively.

Jo did some moaning of her own as she felt her inner walls stretch to take him in. Goddess, he was huge, but he had made her incredibly wet and ready to take him. Though she had never felt so thoroughly filled in her life, it didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt amazing.

But just being filled by him wasn’t enough for long. Soon she felt the need to move—to feel him thrusting inside her. This was a problem, though, because Reese seemed determined to stay completely still on his knees behind her, letting her do what she wanted.

What Jo wanted was to feel him moving inside her and she did the best she could to get what she needed. Leaning forward, she let the thick shaft slide almost all the way out of her wet sex before pressing back again to fill herself to the limit. Only when she felt the broad tip of his cock kiss the mouth of her womb did she feel satisfied.

“God, darlin’,” Reese groaned again. “That’s right—take what you need. Fuck yourself on me—fuck your sweet little pussy on my cock.”

The hot, dirty words excited Jo, sent a shiver of pure lust down her spine. Moaning softly with need, she repeated the action—pulling away and pushing back to fill herself with his shaft. She did it again and again and again.

But her own motion simply wasn’t enough to satisfy the intense need inside her. She kept feeling like there was another level she wasn’t getting to—that there was something else her body desperately hungered for that she wasn’t giving it.

“Reese,” she gasped at last. “Reese, this isn’t enough. Please, I need your help—I need you to breed me—hard.”

“Don’t want to hurt you,” he objected but his deep voice was hoarse with desire and she could feel his fingers gripping her hips as though he was dying to thrust.

“You won’t hurt me,” Jo promised breathlessly. “Please, Reese—this isn’t doing it for me. I need more.”

Her words seemed to spur him to action and she felt him shift behind her, as though changing his stance, getting ready to pound into her.

“All right, darlin’,” he growled in a low, hungry voice. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure—I swear it! Please.” To show him she meant what she said—that she was serious about what she was begging for—Jo lowered her head and pillowed her face on her crossed arms. The cool grass felt good against her flushed cheeks and the new posture opened her pussy even more for him, leaving no doubt that she really meant what she said. “Now,” she told Reese in a trembling voice. “Now give it to me—hard.”

With a low roar, he gripped her hips, pulled almost all the way out, and then slammed back into her.

Jo cried out sharply as he skewered her with his huge shaft but though there was pain in the deep, penetrating stroke, there was also relief. Finally, she was getting what she needed—what her body had been crying out for, begging for.

She knew it was true, because the minute Reese became an active participant in the breeding, her pussy clenched tight around him and the most intense orgasm she’d ever felt wracked her body.

Jo gasped as her pleasure crested . . . and then kept climbing. What was happening to her? Why was the orgasm not ending? It felt like her pussy was clenching and sucking around Reese’s cock, almost like a mouth.

Milking him, she thought dimly. My body is trying to get him to come—to fill me with his seed. Until he does, until he breeds me, this won’t be over.

Moaning and crying, she backed to meet his deep thrusts as her pussy sucked at his invading shaft. And all the while the intense orgasm ravaged her body, forcing her to heights of pleasure she’d never before experienced, making her come so hard she saw stars in the darkness before her eyes.

“God, Jo—you’re squeezing me so tight, darlin’!” she heard Reese groan. “Can’t hold out much longer. Gonna come.”

“Do it,” she begged shamelessly, pressing back to meet him, to get as much of his thick shaft inside her as she could. “Do it, Reese—come inside me. Breed me. Fill me with your seed.”

“All right—gonna get in you as deep as I can before I shoot, before I fill you with my come,” he promised hoarsely. Then, suiting actions to words, he gripped her hips so tightly Jo was certain she’d have ten finger-shaped bruises there the next day—not that she cared.

With a final hungry growl, Reese slammed into her as hard as he could, driving his shaft to the root inside her sucking sex. Then he held rock-solid and steady, and Jo felt something hot and wet gush inside her.

Her orgasm, which felt like it had been going on forever, suddenly climbed another notch as her womb drank his seed in thirstily.

Wrong, so wrong, she thought dizzily as they completed their act of fornication and desecration there in the Sacred Glade. But if it was so wrong, why did it feel so good, so right?

Jo didn’t have an answer—she only knew that the feeling of Reese spurting inside her, of his thick shaft pumping her full of his seed—was the most intense pleasure she had ever felt. She gripped the thick, slippery grass and tried to hold on, tried to be open enough to take all of it. She could feel her pussy drinking his cream greedily, soaking it up like sponge.

What if I get pregnant? The thought drifted into her mind and drifted out again. She was too immersed in her orgasm and the feeling of Reese coming inside her naked, unprotected pussy to worry about it now.

At last, with a groaning sigh, Reese pulled out of her.

Jo felt him go and then collapsed slowly onto her side. She felt spent—completely exhausted as though she’d just run a marathon. For a moment the only thing she wanted was to catch her breath.

She closed her eyes and just concentrated on breathing but inside, the voice of her guilt was back and louder than ever.

Chapter Twenty

“Jo?” Reese sounded worried. “You okay, darlin’? You’re awful quiet.”

“I . . . I don’t know.” Jo shivered in the cool grass. Now that the breeding heat was gone, she felt cold in the autumn air. The full moon shone down on her, reminding her of the shameful act she had just committed, right here in the Sacred Glade. Why had she done it? Why hadn’t she been able to control herself?

At the very least she could have asked if they could leave the glade before they jumped all over each other—with Bianca gone it shouldn’t have been a problem. But no—Jo had been so hot she couldn’t wait, even to avoid committing blasphemy. Some distance away, she heard the long, lonely howl of a wolf. A hot tear slipped down her cheek.

“Jo?” She was lying on her side but Reese rolled her over gently, trying to get a look at her. He must have seen her tears because a look of regret came over his face.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked gently. “Was I too rough? Did it bring up . . . bad memories?”

“Not . . . not exactly.” More tears slipped down her cheeks, she couldn’t help it. She still couldn’t believe what she had done. What would Miranda think of her if she could see her now? The thought made her cry even harder.

Reese’s face twisted.

“Damn it,” he growled. “I’m so fucking sorry, darlin’. I shouldn’t have taken you so hard.”

“I . . . I don’t . . .” Jo began but just then she began to feel strange—to feel wrong. Everywhere the moonlight touched her bare body she felt a strong tingling. “Reese,” she gasped. “I feel like something’s wrong with me—like something’s wrong inside me.”

“What? How? Describe it,” he said urgently.

“The moonlight,” Jo whispered, having to fight to get the words out now. “Everywhere it touches me I tingle. And I feel so . . . so . . .” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it.”

“The moonlight?” His frown suddenly cleared. “Hell, darlin’, that’s just your Fox trying to get out—your Vixen. You’re about to have your first Shift.”

“My first Shift?” Jo looked at him, wide-eyed. “You mean . . . I’ll really turn into an animal?”

She had known cognitively that Reese Shifted into an animal form—she had seen him do it multiple times now. And she’d known that female Shifters could do the same thing. But somehow the idea of having an animal inside that she herself could change into at will still seemed like a dream—an impossibility.

But Reese was nodding his head eagerly.

“Sure you will,” he told her. “Just close your eyes and let Lady Moon have her way with you.” he frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know how you didn’t Shift the minute we were finished and the moonlight hit you—your magic must give you incredible control. But now you need to let it go and just Shift.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jo said nervously. “Before when the moonlight touched me it felt like it was trying to tear me apart.”

“Because you were outside Lady Moon’s will. Now that you’ve answered her call and gotten . . .” He cleared his throat. “Gotten bred, you should be okay.”

I’m still outside the Goddess’s will, Jo thought grimly. But since the strange feeling inside her was growing, she didn’t see what else she could do but go with it.

Closing her eyes, she tried to reach out to the deity she’d worshipped since she had first found her way to Avalon.

“Please Goddess,” she prayed. “I’m sorry for breaking my vows and defiling your Sacred Glade. Please be merciful to me . . .”

As she prayed, she tried to surrender herself to the will of the Goddess, to give in to the tingling moonlight and let it do what it wanted with her.

And then she began to change.

First she felt her arms and legs shorten and then her knees bent the opposite direction they normally did. This seemed like it ought to be painful but somehow it wasn’t. Her nose and mouth elongated into a pointed muzzle and her ears moved from the sides of her head up to the top. Her hair vanished and instead, she felt a coat of soft, luxuriant fur flowing all over her body.

Last and perhaps strangest of all, a long, puffy tail with a white tip popped out of her backside. Jo twitched it experimentally from side to side, trying to get a good look at it. It was hard to see the color, other than the white tip, but she thought it might be the same shade of orangish-red as her hair when she was human.

When I’m human—what a strange thought! Now that she was a Fox, it felt like she’d always been one. She scampered in a circle, chasing her tail, then held still to listen to the rustling in the undergrowth. There was mouse out there, digging in its burrow. Jo had the sudden urge to hunt it and pounce on the tiny creature—some fresh meat would taste good right about now.

“God, darlin’—you’re beautiful. Knew you would be.”

The deep rumbling human voice made Jo jump, her entire, lithe body leaving the ground as all four dainty black paws came up at once. When she came down, she saw Reese, still sitting beside her in human form, and looking down at her with a smile playing around his lips.

“C’mere,” he murmured and patted his thigh.

Cautiously, Jo approached him. He was so big when she was in this form—even bigger than when they were both human. But his voice was familiar.

“Here, Jo—here my little vixen-witch,” he said and rumbled laughter as he held out his hand.

Jo came closer and sniffed at his offered fingers. Immediately, his scent told her all she needed to know. Even in her new Fox form, she had no trouble recognizing her mate.

With a happy yip, she jumped into his lap the way he had jumped into hers so many times in his own Fox form.

With a soft exclamation Reese held her close and cuddled her to his broad chest. His hold on her was gentle and light—she could have gotten away at any time. But Jo didn’t want to get away—she only wanted to be close to the big man who was somehow also her mate.

Making a soft sound in the back of her throat, she pressed herself against him and nuzzled her head under his chin. Gently, very gently, Reese scratched her behind her ears.

“That’s right, little girl, little vixen,” she heard him murmur. “You can have all the hugs and cuddles you want.”

“Well, well—isn’t this a touching scene.”

Jo looked up with a shock—even in her Fox form she knew that voice. Knew it and distrusted it.

Bianca was back, standing at the edge of the Sacred Glade with a cruel smile on her lips.

“Well,” she said, looking at Jo as Reese held her protectively close to his bare chest. “I guess there’s no question if you’ve been bred now. There’s no way you could have Shifted otherwise.”

“You leave her alone.” There was a low, warning growl in Reese’s voice that seemed to vibrate Jo’s entire body. “Jo wants nothing else to do with you and neither do I. We’re done with you.”

“Isn’t it a pity, then, that I’m not done with you?” Bianca remarked. “Or more specifically, with Jo. Now that she’s Shifted and claimed her power, I can take it from her.”

“The hell you will.” Reese rose to his feet in one fluid motion, still holding Jo close to his chest. “We’re getting out of here and if you try to stop us, I’ll Shift and rip out your fucking throat.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Fox,” Bianca sneered. She made a motion with both hands and spoke some words in Latin. “My circle has not been broken and the two of you are trapped within. You’ll be helpless to do anything but watch as I suck Jocasta’s pretty little life away.”

She began to speak the words of a spell Jo could barely understand in her Fox form, but she felt their effects almost immediately. It was as though a pair of huge, cruel hands had grabbed her and were squeezing as hard as they could.

Jo gave a yip of pain and began to writhe in Reese’s arms.

“Stop it! Fucking stop!” he roared at Bianca. Rushing forward with Jo still cradled close to his broad chest, he tried to push his way out of the glade. But the spell Bianca had put around them held strong.

Next, he tried putting Jo down and Shifting himself. She was dimly aware that he was in his biggest form—what he called his “holy shit” form. He jumped at the invisible barrier again and again, teeth out, eyes flashing. But he couldn’t get through and all the time Jo could feel the pain growing.

Closing her eyes as the invisible hands squeezed her and wrung her out like someone might wring out a dishcloth, she howled, a high, pitiful sound even in her own ears.

This is how I die, she thought. The Goddess didn’t forgive me for defiling her Sacred Glade after all. This is the end . . .

And then she felt her body go limp as everything went black.

* * *

Reese felt her life-force leaking away through the new bond they shared.

“Jo!” he sent to her urgently. “Jo, hang on—you have to hang on. Don’t die on me!”

But the fucking evil witch was standing there chanting, sucking away Jo’s life with every word she spoke. Jo let out a pained, desperate howl that tore at his heart and then went limp.

No—no she can’t die! Not when we’re finally bonded! She can’t!

He put up his muzzle and howled in confusion and pain—a cry that was more than half prayer.

Lady Moon help me! Help me save my mate!

Suddenly, he heard an answering howl coming from beyond the trees. It was a familiar cry—the sound of his friend Jase Saunders, the Alpha of the dire wolf pack. Immediately, Reese knew what to do.

Lifting his head, he howled again, this time making it a plea for help.

“We are of one blood, you and me,” he sent desperately. “Come to my aid, Brother, for my hour of need is on me!”

“I’m coming!” came the answering howl. “Hold on, Brother!”

There was a crashing in the forest, the sound of a huge animal bounding through the woods, not caring who heard it coming.

Anyone within a mile would have heard the noise, Reese thought, but that bitch, Bianca, just kept chanting. There was a cruel smile curving her lips and a hungry, greedy expression in her eyes. Clearly she was so focused on her spell she’d blocked out everything else. Beside him, Jo’s small furry body was completely limp.

Reese howled again. “Hurry!”

Suddenly an immense black shape came bounding out of the woods. Jase Saunders was an Alpha in every sense of the word and absolutely huge in his dire wolf form. His golden, glowing eyes took in the scene before him and he directed a short, sharp bark at Reese.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Reese barked back. “The witch—the woman chanting—she’s killing my mate! Draining her life! Stop her!”

Saunders didn’t need any urging. With a low, snarling growl he turned on Bianca.

She, for her part, seemed to suddenly notice him for the first time. Reese saw her startled expression as she took in the horse-sized wolf that was suddenly facing her down. But still she wouldn’t stop chanting. Though her eyes grew wide, her mouth kept moving, saying the spell that was draining Jo’s life.

“Get her!” Reese shouted, only dimly aware that he had shifted back to his human form. “Stop her before she kills my mate—before she kills Jo! I can’t get to her, Jase—she has us trapped in here. Kill her!”

With a snarling growl, Jase sprung. He landed with his forepaws on Bianca’s chest and bore the witch to the ground. Then, with a quick, decisive motion, he ripped out her throat.

As soon as the chanting stopped, Reese felt something—some heaviness in the air—lift and dissipate. He was certain the magic circle was broken now and the spell that had been draining Jo was gone as well.

But though the malevolent magic had been stopped, she didn’t move. Still in her Fox form, she looked like nothing more than a limp bundle of fur.

Stooping, Reese scooped her into his arms. Stroking her silky coat tenderly, he spoke to her.

“Jo?” he whispered into one furry, pointed ear. “Jo? Come on, darlin’—wake up. Please.”

But no matter how he talked to her and stroked her, Jo didn’t move and Reese couldn’t feel her breathing either.

“Jo!” Her name was a cry of anguish, torn from his throat, and there were tears, hot and hard as bullets raining from his eyes onto her soft fur. “Jo, don’t leave me—I love you!”

The words, which he had felt for some time but hadn’t dared to speak aloud to her, seemed to break something inside him. He fell to his knees, cradling the limp bundle of fur to his chest.

Too late. Help had come too late. Jo was gone from his life forever.

Across the glade, Jase Saunders, still in his dire wolf form, seemed to understand what was happening. He threw back his head and howled—giving voice to the sound Reese’s heart was making.

Reese wanted to rage and scream and howl too. But then he felt a flash of guilt.

My fault. I took her too hard when I bred her. This is my punishment from Lady Moon. I lost her because I never deserved her in the first place . . .

“Reese, what are you doing? And where is Jocasta?”

The familiar voice made him raise his head. Across the glade he could see three shapes coming towards him. One was a huge Irish Elk with an immense rack of antlers. The second was a sabertooth cougar, gliding noiselessly over the grass. Between them walked the slim, petite figure of Fiona, clad in one of her colorful, flowing muumuus.

“Fiona?” He felt a stab of hope but he tried to push it down. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, when I saw Jocasta’s note—”

“No, never mind,” Reese cut her off. “I don’t care why you’re here—I need your help.” He motioned to Jo’s limp body, still cradled to his chest.

“Is this Jo?” Fiona stroked the little Fox’s fur gently with one beringed hand. “What happened to her? Tell me everything.”

Rapidly, Reese explained what had happened, recounting the spell Bianca had been working and its effect on Jo.

In the moonlight, Fiona’s face grew graver and graver. She put her ear to Jo’s furry chest and frowned.

“There is still a tiny stirring of life in her,” she told Reese, straightening up at last. “But we need to get her out of her Fox form and into her human form at once.”

The sabertooth cougar Shifted and suddenly Keller was standing there naked.

“Samantha’s in the car,” he said to Reese. “If anyone can help Jo once she Shifts back to human, she can. Come on.”

“Lead the way,” Reese said.

They hurried across the glade and back through the forest. Once under the deep shadow of the trees where even the moonlight couldn’t penetrate, Reese felt the tiny, furry bundle in his arms quiver.

“Wait!” he said urgently. The whole party paused and in a moment, he was holding Jo—the human Jo—in his arms.

“She changed back by herself? Good, that’s very good.” Fiona nodded and

Reese began to feel the faint stirring of hope in his heart again. But he pushed it away savagely, afraid to let himself expect the impossible. After all, Jo was still out cold and when he put his ear to her chest he could barely make out a heartbeat—it seemed slow and uncertain, as though her heart hadn’t made up its mind if it would keep working or not.

“Do you think you can save her?” he asked Fiona, almost afraid to hear her answer. “Please, Fiona . . .”

The wise woman frowned. “I hope so, Reese. Only Lady Moon knows for certain, but between myself and Samantha, I can promise you we will do our best.” She motioned to the huge buck and cougar—Keller had Shifted back to his animal form. “Come on—we need to hurry.”

Reese clutched Jo tight to his chest, shielding her pale skin from the moonlight as well as he could. But as he walked, he was saying a silent prayer.

Please, Lady Moon, he prayed. Maybe I didn’t treat her as I should—wasn’t gentle enough when I bred her. But if you’ll only let Jo live, I’ll do anything—anything at all. I’ll even give her up. Just please—let her live!

Chapter Twenty-one

Later, Jo didn’t know how many times she slipped in and out of consciousness. It might have been days . . . or possibly weeks. She only knew she felt terribly weak and unsteady and she was in an unfamiliar bedroom she didn’t recognize.

Through the fog that seemed to cover her vision, she saw many familiar faces. Fiona was almost always at her side, and she often saw Samantha and Sadie too. Samantha was all business at these times, checking her vitals and monitoring the IV in Jo’s arm. She noted everything down on a clipboard before leaving. Sadie just held her hand and whispered that everything was going to be okay. Once or twice, Jo even saw Mathis and Keller, when they came with their wives.

But the one face that was missing was Reese’s.

Though Jo was barely conscious most of the time, she was still hurt by the big Shifter’s absence at her bedside. Where was he? She could recall the intense breeding sex they’d had in the Sacred Glade—a memory tinged with both longing and shame—and the way he’d held her and stroked her in her Shifted form before Bianca had come to ruin everything. But everything else was a blur.

Speaking of Bianca, what had happened to her? How had they gotten through her spell and managed to get free? These questions and others drifted in and out of Jo’s mind like fuzzy thought balloons but she was too weak to catch them.

Finally, though, she opened her eyes one day and everything around her was clear. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest and she could breathe—really breathe again—for the first time in what felt like ages. The IV was gone from her arm and she felt better.

“Where . . . where am I?” Her voice sounded rusty and dull in her own ears but at least the words were understandable.

Fiona, who was sitting beside Jo perusing an ancient book with a cracked leather binding, looked up alertly.

“Ah, Jocasta! At last the fog has lifted.” She put down her book and took Jo’s hand. “How are you feeling, my dear? You’ve had us all immensely worried.”

“I . . .” Jo licked her lips which were terribly dry. “I don’t know,” she admitted at last. “What happened to me? Where am I?”

“Most of your life-force was drained through the use of some extremely dark magic.” Fiona’s ageless face was grave. “And you are in my spare bedroom. I wanted to keep a close eye on you, my dear.”

“Thank . . . thank you.” Jo coughed and tried to sit up but she was as weak as a kitten. Fiona helped her and soon she was propped upright against a mound of pillows with her legs covered by a colorful patchwork quilt. Jo looked down at her arm. “I thought . . . I dreamed I had an IV.”

“You did, my dear. You’ve had fluids and several blood transfusions. But the past two days you’ve been showing signs of improvement and Samantha judged it time to take the IV out. You may not remember, but I’ve been feeding you broth and you ate it just fine.”

“Oh . . . thank you.” Come to think of it, she did have a fuzzy recollection of someone spooning something warm and salty into her mouth. But something else stuck in her mind. “Blood transfusions?”

“As I said, your life-force was almost drained. You needed an infusion of new Shifter blood. Don’t worry.” Fiona smiled at her. “We found a willing donor.”

“Um, okay.” Jo coughed. Her throat still felt incredibly dry.

“Here, have some water, dear. Everyone is going to be so pleased to know you’re on the mend,” Fiona told her as she held a glass of water for Jo to sip. “You’ve had a lot of people very worried, young lady.”

“Did I?” Jo remembered all the concerned faces she’d seen as she drifted in and out of the fog that had covered her mind for so long. And then she remembered the one she hadn’t seen. “All except Reese, I guess,” she said, looking down at her hands, twisting aimlessly in the quilt.

“Oh my dear—you couldn’t be more wrong.” Fiona shook her head. “He’s very worried about you. So much so that he’s been sleeping on my couch these past three weeks. And who do you think donated the blood that brought you back from the brink? Luckily you two are the same type. I think he would have bled himself dry if Samantha had let him—anything to heal you.”

Jo shook her head. “But if he’s so worried, why don’t I remember seeing him?”

Fiona sighed and a look of aggravation passed over her face.

“Because the silly boy will not listen to reason. He believes that what happened to you was a punishment on him by Lady Moon.”

“What?” Jo exclaimed. “But why would the Goddess punish him? I’m the one who should have known better! I’m the one who broke my vow of celibacy and let him . . . uh . . .” She felt her cheeks go hot. “Let him breed me right in the middle of the Sacred Glade. Reese didn’t know we were defiling a holy place! It’s not his fault.”

“It’s no one’s fault,” Fiona said sternly.

“Yes, it is,” Jo insisted. “I broke my vows. Not only that, I committed blasphemy by breaking them in the Sacred Glade—”

“Which had already been defiled by the senior witch, Bianca, when she worked dark magic there,” Fiona said crisply. “And as for your vow of chastity, I told you before that you cannot be a Shifter and be chaste—the two are incompatible.”

“But—”

“My dear, Lady Moon has called you to be doubly blessed,” Fiona said firmly. “She has need of more Shifters. Since only Rejuvenated females such as yourself can bear the next generation, she had need of you.”

Jo bit her lip. “So . . . you really think she forgives me?”

“Not only does the Goddess—Lady Moon as we Shifters call her—forgive with lavish generosity, she loves her children with intense affection.” Fiona squeezed her hand. “You, my dear Jocasta, are one of her children. She will not hold you to vows that are impossible for you to keep or punish you for fulfilling your destiny in a spot sacred to her. In fact, I would think she would be much more likely to be honored than to be angered by such an act.”

Jo felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her heart.

“Really?” she asked Fiona in a small voice.

“Really, my dear. Lady Moon loves you and needs you in her service.” She patted Jo’s hand reassuringly. “And Reese needs you, too. He has been at your side every night, you know, as you slept. I can barely get him to eat or drink anything—he’s tormented by worry for you.”

Jo felt tears prick at her eyes and a lump in her throat she couldn’t quite swallow.

“Then . . . he really does care?”

“So much he’s half out of his mind, my dear.” Fiona gave her a sad smile. “He really is dreadfully in love with you, you know. But he thinks he had to give you up. He even talked me into making . . .” She shook her head. “Well, never mind. Suffice it to say, he thinks he, ah, was a bit too rough with you during your first breeding and that he deserves to lose you because of it.”

“But I asked him to be rough. I needed him to be.” Jo shook her head. “He asked me if it brought back memories of my . . . my past.” She swallowed. “But you were right—in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t think of anything else except, well . . . getting bred.”

“Speaking of that, my dear,” Fiona said primly, “There’s a little test I think you ought to take.”

“A test?” Jo frowned.

“It’s waiting for you in the bathroom—if you think you’re strong enough to get up?” Fiona asked.

“I think so. And if we’re going to the bathroom, I’d really like a shower.”

“I’ll bet you would, dear. But let’s see how well you get around first,” Fiona said.

Slowly and carefully, Jo swung her legs over the side of the bed. She still felt weak but after Fiona helped her to her feet, she found she was able to walk into the bathroom on her own.

“All right now,” she said once she got there and was standing in front of the sink. “Where’s this test? I—” She stopped abruptly, cut off by the sight of her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Goddess,” she whispered, reaching up to touch her hair. “It . . . it’s back.”

The pure silver streak which had completely disappeared during her Rejuvenation had reappeared. It twisted through the left side of her hair, adding a dramatic flair to her bright red strands.

“Ah, yes—I believe that is the result of the life-draining spell the other witch worked on you,” Fiona said. “In my opinion, it is the only adverse effect the dark magic had on you but I’m afraid it is permanent. Of course . . .” She patted her own auburn hair, streaked liberally with veins of purest silver. “Such hairstyles can be quite becoming on a woman strong enough to wear them.”

Jo let out a little laugh.

“I think I’m strong enough,” she said dryly. “After all, I had it for years before I started Rejuvenating.” She frowned. “The rest of my face still looks young, though.”

“As I said, I believe that lovely silver in your hair is the only lasting effect,” Fiona told her. “You’re very lucky Reese was able to call for help and the spell was stopped before Bianca drained you completely. But I believe there is a reason Lady Moon spared your life.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Jo asked.

“Take the test and see,” Fiona said mysteriously. “I think you’re steady enough on your own so I’ll just be right outside the door if you need me.”

She shut the bathroom door, giving Jo some privacy.

“Okay, well thank you,” Jo called and turned towards the shower. She had no idea what Fiona was talking about but she did know one thing—she was dying for a shower.

She would just get in and get clean, she decided. Then after she was done she could ask Fiona what she had meant when she said something about taking a—

Her thoughts cut off immediately as her gaze fell on the small, rectangular box sitting on the back of the toilet. Jo stared at it, her eyes widening as the wise woman’s sudden meaning came rushing over her.

Take a test . . . she told me to take a test. But that means she thinks I’m . . .

But she couldn’t finish the thought, even to herself.

* * *

“She’s calling for you, Reese. You must go in and talk to her,” Fiona said firmly. “No more excuses, it’s time to show your face.”

“I . . . I don’t know.” Reese ran a hand through his shaggy hair. He’d been taking regular showers while he stayed at Fiona’s house because the wise woman had badgered him into it. But he hadn’t been shaving and it had been weeks since his last haircut. He could barely even remember to eat. All he could do was worry about Jo.

But though he thought of her constantly and held her hand every night as she slept, he hadn’t dared to explore the bond that was between them. He didn’t deserve to have formed it in the first place, not after the way he’d taken her, he told himself. He didn’t deserve to have her in his life at all . . . which was why he was prepared to offer her a way out.

He fingered the small vial of potion in his pocket. He’d begged Fiona to make it for him and at last she had, though he knew she strongly disapproved of what he was planning to do.

“I know you’re still uncertain, but Jo is feeling much better and she wants to see you,” Fiona told him. “The fog has lifted—she’s herself again. And I think she has something she wants to tell you.”

Something like get out of my life and never come back, probably, Reese thought morosely. Well, there was no use in putting it off. He’d known since the vow he had made in the forest that he would have to give her up. It was time to face the music.

Sighing, he got up and walked down the hall to Fiona’s spare room. He’d wanted to keep Jo with him and Samantha had wanted to take her to the hospital. But since Jo’s illness was magically induced, Fiona had insisted on keeping her close and nursing Jo herself. It was a compromise they could all agree on, though it left Reese’s back sore from sleeping on her couch.

The pain in his spine was nothing compared to the pain in his heart, however, as he opened the bedroom door and looked inside. What he saw made his heart leap in his chest.

Jo was sitting up in the bed where she’d laid so still and quiet for so many days. Her hair was long and damp around her shoulders and her face, while thin, was still beautiful—though she was always beautiful to Reese no matter what.

“Hi, darlin’,” he said, stepping into the room. “Fiona said you wanted to see me. She said you have something to tell me?”

“Yes. Yes, I . . . I do.” Two spots of color burned high on Jo’s pale cheeks and she was fidgeting nervously with the patchwork quilt on her lap.

Probably trying to think of the best way to let me down easy, Reese thought. Well, he would save her the trouble.

“Here,” he said, digging the vial of potion out of his pocket and holding it out to her abruptly.

Jo took it from him uncertainly and stared at the dark green liquid in the small glass vial.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a potion—the same one Fiona took to suppress her Shifter side after her mate died,” Reese explained stiffly. “I . . . thought you might want it.”

Jo frowned. “What? Why would I want to suppress my Shifter side?”

“Well, because . . .” Reese gestured awkwardly, feeling like a fool. “A Shifter female has . . . needs. Monthly cravings that only a male Shifter—her mate—can satisfy. And I figured that if you didn’t want anything else to do with me, you wouldn’t want to be bothered by those cravings. So . . .” He let the sentence hang, letting her grasp the implications for herself.

“So . . . you think I want to get rid of you? That I don’t want you in my life?” Jo asked.

Reese sighed harshly and raked a hand through his hair.

“Wouldn’t blame you a bit if you didn’t, darlin’. After what happened in the glade . . .” He shook his head. “I’m sorry about that. So goddamned sorry.”

“You think you took me, uh, bred me too hard—is that it?” Jo asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Reese nodded shamefacedly. “I wanted to do things right—wanted to be so gentle with you, darlin’,” he said earnestly. “But then I just kind of . . . lost control. There’s no excuse, I know—”

“No excuse except that I asked you to—that I needed you to take me like that,” Jo said quietly. She was still blushing but she spoke steadily and kept her eyes locked with his. “Nothing else could have satisfied me, Reese.”

“But after what you went through—”

“My past does not define me.” Jo lifted her chin defiantly. “Not anymore.” She shook her head. “I told myself I worked through it but, I spent years running from what happened to me back in college. But now, after being with you—feeling so wild and free and having so much pleasure when we . . . when we made love . . .” She made a gesture, as though trying to gather her thoughts. “I don’t know, Reese. I feel like the other night in the glade I finally reclaimed a part of myself. I mean, I felt guilty for what we were doing and where we were doing it because of my vow of chastity. But I never felt attacked or hurt or forced by you. I felt loved,” she ended quietly.

“Darlin’ . . .” Reese felt like his heart was going to burst. Was she really saying what he thought she was saying? He wanted to ask . . . wanted to be sure but he couldn’t make the words come out somehow.

“So I’m sorry, Reese,” Jo continued. “But I can’t take this potion.” She held out the small vial of dark green liquid to him. “Because I don’t want to be separated from you. Because I love you. And because . . .” She bit her lip and finished in a low voice. “Because it might hurt the baby.”

“Jo!” The second she said she loved him, Reese surged forward and gathered her into his arms. She felt so right against him—her petite body so soft and fragile he was afraid to hug her too fiercely though emotion was pouring through him like a waterfall.

Then, a moment later, her other words hit him like a sledgehammer.

“Wait a minute.” He pulled back and stared down at her, holding her by the shoulders. “Did you say . . . baby?”

Jo nodded, her eyes welling up with tears.

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have told you so suddenly like that,” she whispered. “I just didn’t know what to say or how you’d feel about it. So . . .” She bit her lip. “How do you feel about, um, being a dad?”

“How do I feel about it?” Reese looked at her incredulously. “How can you ask me that?”

“Well . . .” Jo sniffed. “Because not many guys want to be saddled with a baby after only knowing a girl for a month. Or I guess it’s more like two months now since I was out of it for so long—”

“Saddled with a baby?” Reese could barely believe her. “Darlin’, don’t you know that after having a loving mate, that’s what every Shifter male in the world wants most—a child to love and care for and carry on his genes?”

“Really?” Jo looked up at him hopefully.

“Really,” Reese assured her. He raked a hand through his hair. “You don’t understand, Jo. I came in here expecting you to give me the heave-ho and instead you tell me you love me and you’re having my baby? I feel like a condemned man who finds out that instead of getting fried in the electric chair, he just won the Mega-Millions lottery!”

Jo laughed through her tears.

“What a way to put it! Well I’m relieved too, although I can’t think up a metaphor to top that one.” She took his hand and gripped it in both of hers. “I really do love you, Reese. I should have said it before this but I don’t think I knew it myself—or else I couldn’t let myself admit it.”

“I love you too, darlin’,” he said earnestly. “But . . . you’re not still upset about what I did? The act of vengeance I took?”

Jo sighed. “It doesn’t make me happy but I forgive you as long as you promise not to do anything like it again.”

Since all the other men who had attacked and hurt her were dead, Reese thought he could safely promise that. He frowned, well, except for Mr. X. What the hell had happened to that Skin Walker bastard anyway?

But Jo was cuddling up in his arms, so he pushed the worry away to think of another time. She was his now—his little witch, bound to him and carrying his child. No one could take them apart.

“We’re a family now,” he told her, kissing her shining red hair with its gorgeous new silver streak. “You and me and baby makes three.” “I love you, darlin’,” he added through their bond.

Jo’s eyes widened. “Reese? Is this . . . part of it? Part of our bond?” she sent back. “Being able to hear each other’s thoughts?”

“That and a whole lot more. You’ll have plenty of time to find out—we both will.” He kissed her again. “Come on, darlin’—I’m taking you home.”

Epilogue

“I hope I’m not intruding.” Jase Saunders stood in the doorway to The Cougar’s Den bar awaiting entrance. He was a tall male in his early thirties with coal black hair and pale amber eyes almost the same color as his Dire Wolf’s.

He’d been Alpha of his own pack for years now but he still had enough sense and courtesy to ask before entering another Alpha’s headquarters. Besides, the Cougars didn’t often interact with the Wolves, each keeping to their own small towns, on either end of the greater Ashville area.

“Not at all, Jase. Please come in.” Liam Keller motioned him in courteously with one hand. “We’re happy to have you.”

“Thanks.” Jase came over to the bar where several other Shifters were sitting.

Keller was there and so was Reese Cooper. With some surprise, Jase also recognized the gruff Buck Shifter, Mathis Blackwell. The guy was nearly a hermit, staying in his cabin and only coming out occasionally. He almost always had a scowl on his face.

Not now, though. He looked about as happy and relaxed as a male could be as he sipped an imported ale and sat at Keller’s bar. In fact, all of them looked relaxed.

Jase frowned. What the hell was going on here? Why were carnivores like Reese Cooper and Liam Keller so at home with an herbivore like Mathis Blackwell?

That question would have to wait, though—he had something more important to ask Reese.

“What happened the other night?” he demanded, frowning at the other man. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but your mate—Is she . . . ?”

“She’s fine. Not only that—she’s pregnant.” To his surprise, the Fox Shifter suddenly got up and hugged him. “Thanks to you, Jase,” he said, his voice sounding a little husky. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did—”

“It was nothing.” Jase muttered, uncomfortable at being thanked. “Well, I mean, not nothing exactly . . .”

He trailed off uncertainly. He had, after all, taken a life at the Fox Shifter’s behest. The body had been found and labeled an animal attack, but Jase knew the truth—he had killed and he was here today to make certain that killing was justified.

“You saved my mate’s life,” Reese said seriously, perhaps sensing Jase’s unasked question. “If you hadn’t killed the witch who was draining her life-force, she’d be . . .” His jaw clenched and it seemed he had to force himself to go on. “If you hadn’t, Jo would be gone right now instead of helping Fiona in the pharmacy and picking out baby names.” He held out a hand to Jase. “I owe you a life-debt, Brother. Anything you need, just ask.”

“And if you don’t need help with any life or death situations, I’m sure Coop here will be glad to change your oil and rotate your tires for free for the rest of your life instead,” Keller said, lightening the mood.

Jase laughed and Reese grinned at him as they shook.

“Keller’s right. Anything you need. Anytime,” he swore.

“Well . . .” Jase frowned. “That’s actually one of the reasons I came. I’d like your help in tracking down a possible rogue Shifter.”

“A rogue Shifter?” Keller’s eyebrows shot up as he offered Jase a frosty glass bottle.

It was a serious problem when a Shifter went rogue and started killing people for the hell of it. They were a lot harder to catch than your average serial killer because their murders could be covered up as animal attacks. And the norms—people who didn’t know about the existence of Shifters—had no clue what they were up against.

“You have a rogue Shifter in your neck of the woods?” Mathis asked, frowning. “How do you know?”

“All the bodies showing up, for one thing.” Jase took the beer from Keller and took a swig before continuing. “The last victim was someone I knew—a lady in her late fifties named Michele Hannigan. She was my neighbor when I was growing up—used to bake cookies for all the kids. She was nice.” He shook his head. “I hated like hell to see her like that, all torn up. And calling her daughter who I grew up with, well . . . let’s just say I want this sonofabitch. Want him bad.” He clenched his jaw, remembering the bewildered sobbing on the other end of the phone when he’d had to call his old schoolmate out in Atlanta and tell her the bad news.

“A female in her late fifties?” Keller asked, frowning.

“Yes. Actually, all the victims have been females in their forties and fifties,” Jase said, nodding. “Hell of a thing. The whole town is up in arms about it. My department has been labeling them as animal attacks but I know better.”

“That must be pretty fucking uncomfortable for you,” Reese remarked, taking a drink of his own beer. “You being on the local PD down in Wolverton.”

“Just made Detective, actually.” Jase nodded as the others voiced their congratulations. “Thanks, but this is serious. We’ve had three victims already, all of them clawed to hell with their throats torn out. Almost looks like a grizzly attack, but the smell is wrong.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, the Chief is a norm—doesn’t know anything about Shifters—and I can’t exactly tell him I think it’s the work of a serial killer instead of an animal attack because it smells funny.”

Reese was frowning. “What does it smell like? Is it a kind of sour, musky odor—not quite human and not quite Shifter?”

Jase frowned.

“Hell yes! That’s it exactly.”

“Did they find any hair or fibers?” Reese asked.

“Yeah, but it’s weird. The fur isn’t from any of our local Shifters. We sent it to a lab to have it analyzed and it came back inconclusive. They said the closest thing they could match it to was hyena, but the composition was wrong. And besides, why would a Hyena come here? They mostly stay in Vegas.”

“Yeah, that’s him all right.” Reese sighed. “I think I know who your rogue might be.”

“What? Who?” Jase demanded. “Tell me! I need to stop this sonofabitch before he goes for it again.”

“Well, that’s kind of a problem—I don’t actually have a name,” Reese said. “Bianca—the witch you killed, who was trying to drain Jo’s life force—just called him ‘Mr. X.’”

“Mr. X, huh?” Jase frowned. “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down much.”

“I can tell you one thing that might help,” Reese offered. “Supposedly he’s high up in one of the big pharmaceutical companies.”

“If he’s the same male who was bankrolling the hyena who attacked my mate, Samantha, that would be the Pfizer company,” Keller said grimly. “And if he’s that high up the corporate ladder, he’s going to be rich enough that getting to him will be extremely difficult.”

“I don’t care how fucking rich and famous he is, the fucker is going down,” Jase snarled. If he thinks he can walk into my town and get away with killing just because he’s a Shifter—”

“That’s the thing though,” Reese interrupted him. “He’s not a Shifter—he’s a Skin Walker.”

“A what?” Jase shook his head. “What the hell is a Skin Walker?”

“It’s a Native American legend—well, we thought it was a legend, anyway,” Keller said dryly. “A male who doesn’t have the Shifter Gene but is still able to take the form of an animal through dark magic.”

“Jo told me that the witch you killed—Bianca—worked a spell for this ‘Mr. X’,” Reese explained. “I saw him—he turned into some kind of fucked-up mutant hyena-hybrid looking thing. Not like a normal Shifter at all. I put out his eye when we fought but he got away.”

Jase frowned. “So I’m looking for a top pharmaceutical executive with a missing eye who can turn into a hyena-thing? Well, that’s a little more to go on.”

Reese shook his head. “I’m sorry as hell I never said anything about the bastard before. I didn’t know what was going on over in Wolverton. I’ve been so crazy these last three weeks while Jo was recovering . . .”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jase said grimly. “I know it now and I’m going to do everything in my power to catch this sonofabitch.”

“We’ll help in any way we can,” Keller said. “The Cougars—and other Shifters of Cougarville”—he nodded at the other two Alphas with him—“are with the Dire Wolves on this one. Any help or resources you need, just ask.”

“Thanks, but you’ve helped me plenty already,” Jase said. “I’m going to start following up on this Mr. X guy.”

“I might be able to help you—I have some contacts in the pharmaceuticals community,” Keller said.

“What I want to know is why he’s going after women in the Shifter community who probably have the Gene and are of Rejuvenation age,” Mathis remarked, frowning. “I thought you said he had that serum, Keller—the one that kick-starts even latent genes.”

Keller shook his head. “I don’t understand it either, Buck. Logically, if he wanted to find a female to mate with, you’d think he would just inject them with the serum—or slip it to them some other way—and wait for it to take effect.”

“Unless he’s looking for some very specific quality and none of those females he killed had it,” Jase said thoughtfully.

“Or maybe being turned into a Skin Walker made him crazy,” Reese said in a low voice. “You guys should have seen him—he was taller than a Kodiak bear but his body never really Shifted like ours do. It was fucked up.”

“You say your mate saw the spell cast on him and watched him Shift or change or whatever for the first time?” Jase asked.

Reese nodded. “By the time I came on the scene, he was already in his Skin Walker form. I never saw him looking normal.”

“Your mate is the place to start then,” Jase said. “If she heard the spell, she might know more about what makes him tick . . . or why he’s killing.”

“I’m sure Jo will be happy to talk to you,” Reese said. “But just . . . go easy on the crime scene descriptions okay? Don’t tell her about the ripped up victims—she’s kind of sensitive these days.”

“Sadie’s like that too, and from what Keller’s said, so is Samantha. It’s the Shifter pregnancy hormones,” Mathis growled knowingly. “She’ll be okay—you just have to be extra gentle with her.”

“I’d never be anything else with a female,” Jase said firmly. He looked at the three of them, sitting around the bar drinking so companionably and felt a surge of envy. “You’re all lucky sons of bitches, you know that? Every one of you has a mate and a baby on the way. I wish Lady Moon would bless me so generously.”

Keller cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You getting tired of playing the field, Wolf?”

“Yeah,” Reese chimed in. “Now that you’re a detective I would’ve thought you’d be getting all kinds of tail—literally.”

Jase shrugged uneasily.

“You know how the Dire Wolf community is—lots of arranged marriages and not many free females. I guess I could mate a norm or a Shifter-sympathizer but, well . . .” He shook his head. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, maybe somebody new will come along,” Mathis said consolingly. “I never thought there would be another female for me after my first mate died. But Lady Moon had other plans.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with her even if Miss Right did come along just now,” Jase said seriously. “I’ve got my hands full with this case—no time for romance.”

“Spoken like a male mated to his job,” Keller said grinning.

“Just telling the truth. I wouldn’t have time for a female now even if she ran right into my arms.” Jase held out his arms as though catching an invisible woman.

“Well, you never can tell what might happen.” Reese gave him a knowing smile. “Come on, let’s go down to the Cougarville Chemist and I’ll ask Jo to tell you what she knows.”

“Appreciate it.” Jase nodded to the other two Shifters. “Guess we’d better get going. Thanks for the hospitality and the help, Keller.”

“You’re more than welcome. Let me know if you need my contacts.”

“Will do.” Jase nodded gratefully. He was going to find this serial killing bastard and make him pay for Mrs. Hannigan and all the other females he’d killed so savagely . . . make him pay so hard he’d wish he was never born.

Somewhere out there, the Skin Walker was stalking another female, but Jase swore to himself there wasn’t going to be a fourth victim. Whoever Mr. X’s intended target was, Jase would find her and keep her safe, so help him Goddess.

No matter what he had to do, he would protect her—whoever she was.

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About the Author

Evangeline Anderson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Brides of the Kindred, Alien Mate Index, and Born to Darkness series. She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind, and she has been writing paranormal and sci-fi erotica steadily ever since. Visit her on the web and sign up for her newsletter at www.evangelineanderson.com.

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Also by Evangeline Anderson

Cougarville series

Buck Naked

Cougar Bait

Brides of the Kindred series

Claimed

Hunted

Sought

Found

Revealed

Pursued

Exiled

Shadowed

Chained

Divided

Devoured

Enhanced

Cursed

Enslaved

Targeted

Forgotten

Switched

Uncharted

Mastering the Mistress

(Brides of the Kindred Novella)

Born to Darkness series

Crimson Debt

Scarlet Heat

Ruby Shadows

Cardinal Sins

Alien Mate Index series

Abducted

Protected

Descended

Severed

The Institute series

The Institute: Daddy Issues

The Institute: Mishka’s Spanking

Compendiums

Brides of the Kindred Volume One

Contains Claimed, Hunted, Sought and Found

Born to Darkness Box Set

Contains Crimson Debt, Scarlet Heat, and Ruby Shadows

Stand-Alone Novels

Purity

Stress Relief

The Last Man on Earth

Anyone U Want

Shadow Dreams

Mastering the Mistress

Hunger Moon Rising

Cougar Christmas

YA Novels

The Academy

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Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Evangeline Anderson

Contents

Copyright Page

Copyright Page

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

STONE COLD FOX. Copyright © 2017 by Evangeline Anderson. All rights reserved. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover design by Patricia Schmitt man © Halay Alex/Shutterstock.com; fox © ollytindall/Fotolia

Cover photographs: man © Halay Alex/Shutterstock.com; fox © ollytindall/Fotolia

ISBN 978-1-250-14206-1 (ebook)

First Edition: August 2017

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