Strange Lake Falls Witch Read online

  “What are you talking…” he watched as Cat’s eyes rolled back and she passed out. He moved to lift her in his arms and leaned down to check her vital signs. He was grateful to hear her heart was beating steadily and the sound of her breathing.

  His first thought was that maybe she hit her head and that he had failed to protect her. Then her soft snoring had him relieved and chuckling. She had simply passed out. His whole life flashed before him when he thought he might not make it to her. It was a life with her and that was unacceptable. Somehow, the woman had made her way to his heart. Waiting years to mate her was no longer his game plan. Plans change.

  Getting to his feet while keeping her in his arms was a task, but as he held her close to his heart, it felt right. “What am I going to do with you?”

  In response, she snuggled closer and let another little snore escape. Damn, she was cute.

  He headed for his truck and would take her to the hospital to be checked just in case she did get injured from the fall. Once he had her buckled safely in the passenger side, he walked around the truck and glanced in the direction the car had gone. He wasn’t paying attention at the time to the description of the car or who was driving, but when he found the person who had endangered her, he would make them pay for every scrape and bruise she suffered.

  Chapter 3

  “What the hell happened?” Wolf councilman Ric demanded as he and his mate Mary and some of the wolf pack came through the waiting room at the hospital.

  Jay turned from the window he was standing at. “Cat was almost hit by a hit and run driver. I made it to her just in time. The doctors are treating her cuts and bruises but luckily she didn’t suffer anything else.”

  “Did you see who the driver was?”

  “No, it was dark and foggy. I concentrated more on getting to her.”

  The building shook and the lights flickered just moments before a voice called out, “Where’s my grandchild?”

  Everyone turned to look as Granny James came into the room. Her eyes were glowing and her silver hair began to float around her head.

  Adrian Belliveau suddenly appeared next to her. “Easy Mabel, the humans will see you.”

  “I don’t give a damn who sees me. I want to know what happened to my Catherine!”

  “I’m fine, Granny, calm down.” Cat answered, walking into the room. She stopped to lean onto the wall and the power sizzled out. A second later, several nurses came running in after her with a wheelchair and made her sit down.

  “Miss James, you have not been released yet.”

  “I am perfectly fine. You’ve treated my cuts and bruises. I want to go home.”

  Adrian stepped up to the nurses and used his vampire abilities to smooth things over with them. “She will fill out the paperwork on her way out. Everything is fine here.”

  “Take care, Miss James.” The nurses turned and left the waiting room.

  Jay thought that was one of the most incredible things that vampires could do. Then again, he remembered what Adrian’s vampire toddler could do and shivered. He would have to remember not to piss them off.

  He turned his attention to Cat, who was enduring her grandmother’s fussing. He had to smile at their antics. He couldn’t remember his grandmother and seeing them reminded of a sense of family that he had missed out on. He had his twin brother and the pack, but had missed having a motherly person in his life that worried over him.

  “Granny, please, I am fine. I promise,” Cat reassured her.

  “What happened?” Granny James demanded.

  “Someone almost ran her over,” Jay answered, moving closer to hover near Cat. His wolf wanted out but he fought to stay in human form. Everything male in him wanted to hold her in his arms and keep her safe.

  “Who would do such a thing?” Granny asked, horrified.

  “It was just an accident I’m sure,” Cat tried to brush it off.

  Jay growled. “It was done on purpose and they didn’t even stop, just kept going.”

  Mabel looked at Jay. “Did you see the car? A license plate number?”

  “I’m sorry. It was dark and foggy and my sole attention was on getting to Cat in time. I regret that she got injured.”

  Cat looked up at him. “Jay, you took the brunt of the fall. You’re the one who should have seen the doctors.”

  “I’m a werewolf, we heal with each shift. You’re basically human and injure like one. You don’t recover easy or have our long life.” This was just one more reminder of how different the two of them were. Jay was relatively young for his pack but would live a long, long life. Cat would age like a human and die—unless he changed her to a werewolf. Was that even possible? Could a witch be turned into a werewolf? He had never heard of such a thing but then again, he had never heard of a werewolf mating a vampire and his friend Sam did just that.

  Cat waved off his concern. “I’m not without abilities. I can cast a health and healing spell to speed up the process.”

  “I thought you couldn’t use your magic for your personal benefit,” Ric commented curiously.

  “There are consequences for spells done with bad intentions toward others or to give ourselves something that is not already present, like a new power. The health and healing spell helps a body’s natural healing abilities, speeding it up and making the process work more thoroughly. That’s allowed,” Mabel explained.

  A young male doctor walked into the room. “Miss James, you are supposed to be signing release papers.”

  Cat sighed wearily. “Okay, where do I go?”

  “Go to the first floor. There’s a checkout desk. They’ll help you there.”

  Mabel walked over to the doctor and raised her hand in the air like she was trying to feel something invisible surround him. “Doctor, do you like to research ancient healing techniques and herbal remedies?”

  The doctor blinked. “How did you know that?”

  “I have my ways. There’s a meeting at the town library this Tuesday at seven-thirty in the evening with others who have similar interests. You’re welcome to come.”

  “I’ll have to see if I am working a shift that evening,” the doctor replied before he turned and left.

  Cat stared at her grandmother. “What was that about?”

  “I sense untapped magic.”

  “You think he’s a warlock?” Adrian asked with surprise. “I haven’t heard of warlocks existing in many years.

  “We won’t know for sure until he comes into his full powers. Sometimes descendants of warlocks will retain an essence of power around them.”

  Jay watched as Cat shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair. He could tell it was taking a toll on her. “Let’s get you checked out so you can go home and rest.” He walked behind her to grip the handles of the wheelchair. Mabel put her hand on Jay’s arm.

  “Thank you for saving my girl. I would not have recovered if something serious had happened to her.”

  “I would do anything to keep her safe.” Both Mabel and Cat looked at him strangely and felt heat rise to his cheeks. He pushed the chair down the hallway as he thought about what he needed to do. First thing, he would have to call his brother Rod. Where was he? Ric answered as if he had read his mind.

  “I had Rod and Laws scan the area to see if they could get a clue as to who was driving the car. Maybe there was a witness at the club who saw something.”

  Jay nodded his head. His brother was one of the best trackers in the pack and Laws Carrington was the packs new beta, he was very good. If any clues remained, they would find them.

  Not everyone could fit in the elevator. Ric motioned for Jay, Mabel, and Cat to enter it. “We’ll see you at the pack house.”

  “Thank you...coming,” Cat said with a yawn and slurred words.

  Jay leaned down and sniffed her. “Did they give you drugs?”

  “Yes, some shot to help me relax but I don’t think it’s work…” her head slumped to the side and she was asleep immediately.

  Mabel
ran her hand through Cat’s hair. “Poor thing. She has been through so much tonight. Thank you again for saving her life. She means everything to me.”

  He looked down at Cat’s sleeping form. “She means a lot to me, too.”

  “Does she know she’s your mate?”

  He looked at Mabel with surprise. “How did you know?”

  Mabel snorted. “We’ve been in town almost four months and you’ve been making up excuses to be around her that whole time. I recognize a man hooked on a woman when I see one.”

  “What does a hooked man look like?” he asked with a smile.

  “Like you, werewolf.”

  Chapter 4

  Cat felt her body being lifted and carried in strong arms but she had the hardest time rousing herself. She snuggled against the warmth and inhaled the most delicious scent. She was safe and protected, that’s all that mattered. She dozed again with images of one sexy werewolf caressing her body.

  She started to rouse from her dreams when she heard soft voices in the background. It took a moment to recognize the motel room. “Granny?”

  The voices stopped and she could hear someone moving close to her. She opened her eyes and looked to the side where her grandmother usually slept in the other bed. A large figure came toward her and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Easy, Cat, it’s just me.”

  “Jay? What are you doing here?”

  “You gave in to the drugs the doctor gave you at the hospital, so I carried you to your car and followed you and your grandmother back to the motel so I could help get you out.”

  “Now Jay, I told you to call me Mabel or even Granny,” her grandmother chimed in from across the room.

  She tried to sit up on the bed but still felt woozy. “Why did the doctor give me drugs?” She felt the bed dip as Jay sat his big body down next to her on the tiny bed. She rolled into him a little and Jay reached out to take her hand in his. He caressed her knuckles softly. It was so nice she didn’t pull away.

  “You started to go into shock from the accident so they gave you something to relax you. They didn’t know that your system would react so easily to the drugs and it pretty much knocked you out.”

  “I didn’t embarass myself while I was out of it did I?”

  Granny moved closer. “Not at all. You did tell Jay that he had pretty eyes and that he could carry you forever.”

  “I didn’t!” She was shocked. Cat tried to sit up but gave up and laid back down on the pillow.

  Jay helped her to sit up and lean against the headboard. He was so gentle for someone so big. “You did and thank you. I think you have very pretty eyes too.”

  She felt heat rise to her cheeks but she didn’t respond to what he said, she licked her dry lips. “I could use some water.”

  “I’ll go get it for you,” Granny turned to grab a paper cup and went into the bathroom.

  Jay leaned closer to her. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Still a little woozy and really, really thirsty.”

  “They didn’t give you a strong sedative. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”

  “I’m sure. I don’t take drugs, not even an aspirin. I keep my system as clean from impurities or anything that would take a long time to process.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Does that include the wine and beer?”

  “They were organic.”

  “Here you go, dear,” Granny handed her a glass of water. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a bucket of ice, but I can run outside and get you some.”

  “That’s okay.” She drank it like she hadn’t had anything to drink in days.

  “Easy, honey, if you drink too much too fast you might choke,” Jay put his hand on hers to ease the cup down.

  She looked into Jay’s handsome face. Their eyes locked and she felt an electric current between them. His body heat was wrapping around her making her feel way too comfy. “What a fluke accident. Thanks for saving me.”

  “Any time, but I prefer you not step out in front of cars on a regular basis. I might not be as fast next time.”

  She laughed. “Smartass.”

  “Language, young lady,” Granny corrected her with humor.

  Cat smirked, “Where do you think I learned to cuss? I listened to you enough times.”

  “Never tell on your Granny dear.”

  Jay laughed at their easy way with each other. He had that with his brother. As he thought of his brother, he could sense Rod outside the motel room waiting for him.

  “Ladies, I need to leave. Call me or Ric if you need anything at all.”

  Granny walked him to the door. “Thank you, Jay, for helping us and for saving my granddaughter.”

  “I would do anything for her.”

  With that, Cat she watched Jay leave. What did he mean by that? Granny gave her a wink.

  “That man has it bad for you.”

  “What?” Cat almost chocked on another sip of water.

  “You can’t fool me honey. Jay is head over heels falling for you. The question is, are you falling for him?”

  She felt her throat getting dry again. “I’m afraid to Granny.”

  Granny came over and took her hand. “Life’s about taking chances dear. If you let fear of getting hurt keep you from taking risks, you’ll never reap the rewards.” With that Granny stood up and walked back into the bathroom, leaving Cat alone with her thoughts.

  Was she falling for Jay? Or had she already fallen?

  *****

  Jay walked around the motel to make sure it was safe. He frowned at the thought that his mate was living in a place like this. The carpet needed to be steam cleaned or ripped out and replaced completely. Who knew how long it had been since the walls had been painted. It was unacceptable, but the pack house was overrun with people so he couldn’t take her or Granny James back there with him.

  “Brother, are you okay?”

  He turned to face Rod. “Yeah, a few scratches and bruises but those will heal when I shift.”

  “Why haven’t you shifted yet?”

  “I was busy taking care of Cat. Someone tried to run her over on purpose and then kept going. I didn’t see who it was. There was no time.”

  “Does Cat have a clue of who it might be?”

  “She thinks it was a fluke accident. I just don’t buy it.”

  “What do you want to do about it?”

  Jay glanced back at the motel. “First, I want to find a place for them to live that can be easily guarded. Then I’ll watch over her to make sure no one else bothers her again.”

  “I’ll watch over her too. It won’t be a hardship because she is very, very sexy. You could guard her in the daytime and I could guard her body all...night...long.”

  He growled at his brother’s taunt. “Don’t touch my mate.”

  Rod held up his hands. “Easy Jay, I was just teasing you. So...does she know she’s your mate?”

  “Look, I’m just coming to terms with it myself. I want to give her time to get to know me. We’ve been playing this dance around each other. She’s attracted to me. I know it. I had all these plans to take my time with her but with someone after her, my timeline has been changed.”

  “Tell me what you need from me. You know the whole pack will welcome them in.”

  “It's getting crowded at the pack house. I think her grandmother would have a hard time going up the stairs so they need a one-story or at least a two-story with a bedroom downstairs.”

  “What about an apartment?”

  “Witches like to commune with nature. They’re going to want to have something close to the woods and water.”

  “I can check with Jackie and Adrian. There may be something on their property that could accommodate them.”

  “I appreciate that. I need to shift now so that I can start to heal.” Jay couldn’t take his eyes off the window to the motel room. He fought the urge to rush back to her side.

  He knew for months that he was attracted to her and that his wolf
was obsessed. A few weeks ago, he flirted with her at a party and wanted to claim her then. His brother mentioned them hooking up with a couple of female werewolves visiting the area but he had refused. His brother teased him that he was becoming serious a sexy witch. Jay wasn’t quite ready to admit his feelings yet so he told him that he wasn’t ready to settle down. Even his brother knew that had been a lie.

  Cat never came back to him that night. He found out that she had gone home feeling sick. The next day he went by the diner she was working at and she started giving him the cold shoulder. It had been an uphill battle ever since trying to get back to that easy flirtatious moment they had shared. He longed for her smiles and to hear her laughter again.

  “Go ahead. I’ll watch the motel until you get back.”

  Jay nodded at Rod as he removed his shirt, then he kicked off his boots and shrugged out of his pants before he shifted. His injuries stung but it only lasted a few minutes. As the pain started to fade away, he began to heal. He was determined to make sure that Cat and her grandmother would be safe — always.

  Chapter 5

  Early the next morning

  Cat grabbed her purse and left the motel room, trying the whole time not to wake her grandmother. Just as she closed the door and made sure it was locked, she turned and hit a wall of muscle. She blinked as she looked up and up.

  “Jay?”

  “What are you doing?”

  She had to squeeze to get past him and started to walk down the parking lot. “I’m going for breakfast and coffee for me and Granny. What are you doing back here so early?”

  “I never left. I’ve been guarding your motel room all night.”

  She stopped walking to look at him. He was wearing the same clothes from yesterday. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I did. Someone tried to kill you.”

  “That was a freak accident, Jay.” Even as she said it, there was something that didn’t ring true. Why didn’t the driver stop? Why did it seem like the car sped up instead of trying to slow down before impact? These thoughts were very unsettling. She turned and started walking again.