Entice Read online

  His wide-eyed gaze zeroes in on the bite mark on the side of my neck. “He bit you? Alana, do you know what happens when a werewolf bites someone who doesn’t have the werewolf curse in them?”

  “I do, but I don’t think it worked on me.”

  His brows knit. “Why not?”

  I lift a shoulder. “Because all I want to do right now is kick Jax’s ass for doing this to me, and I think if the bite did bind him to me, I probably wouldn’t feel this way.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” But doubt weighs in his tone. “You probably won’t know until you’re around him again.” His forehead creases. “You don’t know how he managed to shift?”

  I shake my head, feeling a bit guilty for omitting so many details of the story, but I remind myself that it’s for his own protection. “I really don’t have a clue. Honestly, I don’t remember that much about what happened. I’m not even sure how much time has gone by since he bit me.”

  He glances at his watch. “Well, it’s been about six hours since Jax told me to go find the fey magicae.”

  “So I haven’t been out for that long.” That revelation makes me feel a faerie drop of glitter better.

  And speaking of fey magicae …

  “Do you have your phone on you?” I ask, setting the bag of fey magicae onto my lap.

  With his brows puckered, Thad sticks his hand into his jacket pocket and retrieves his phone. “I thought you said you didn’t want to call Jax?”

  “I don’t.” Giggling, I take his phone from him. “I’m going to call my parents.”

  “To tell them what happened to you?” he asks, plucking a leaf out of his hair.

  “Not exactly.” No, if I told them everything that was going on, not only would they worry—which they so don’t need to do right now—but it could put them in danger. Plus, until I know for sure who I saw in the room was actually my grandpa, I’m not going to say anything. “But I am going to ask them how to properly use the fey magicae.”

  “What if they ask why?”

  “Then I’ll tell them it’s for an assignment.” I giggle yet again.

  Shit, I have got to hold it in.

  He looks at me warily. “Why don’t you want to tell them the truth?”

  I start to dial my mom’s phone number. “Because they’ve had a lot of stress in their lives lately”—giggle—“and I don’t want to add to that.”

  “Yeah, but …” He hesitates. “Maybe if you told them, they might know of an actual cure, because the fey magicae is only a temporary solution.”

  “Hmmm … you’re right.” But that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell them what’s going on with me. “I’ll tell them that’s for an assignment, too.” Another giggle slips out.

  “Oh, okay,” he says, skepticism lacing his tone.

  “It’ll work,” I assure him, putting the phone up to my ear. “I’m an excellent liar when I need to be.”

  “I wish I was,” he mumbles with a heavy sigh. “Dash is always telling me how awful I am at it.”

  “That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” I tell him through another giggle.

  “Maybe sometimes. But there’ve been times in my life when I wish I was better at it.”

  “Why—”

  “Hello?” my mom answers the phone, her voice heavy with exhaustion and confusion.

  “Hey, Mom, it’s me … Alana.” I choke down a giggle tickling my throat. “I’m calling on a friend’s phone because my battery died,” I lie like a total pro. “And sorry for calling so late.”

  “It’s fine,” she insists with worry in her tone. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine.” I can’t help glancing down at my arms while thinking about the bite mark on my neck and trying to subdue the giggles. Everything is far from fine. “I’m just up late working on an assignment and there are a couple of questions I can’t find the answers to, and then I remembered how awesomely knowledgeable my parents are.”

  She laughs softly in the phone, something she hasn’t done much of since my grandpa died. And while I’m glad to hear her laugh again, it makes me feel guilty about lying to her right now.

  “All right, what’re the questions?” she asks. “And we’ll see if I’m as awesomely knowledgeable as you think I am.”

  Please let her know the answers.

  A giggle slips past my lips. “Well, I need to know the proper way to use fey magicae to temporarily slow down a pixie bite. And then I need to know of a permanent solution to get rid of a pixie bite.”

  The line is quiet for a second, and then she asks suspiciously, “Are you sure this is for an assignment?”

  Okay, maybe I’m not as good of a liar as I think I am.

  “Yeah, it’s for my Curing Curses, Bites, and Magical Effects class,” I say, shrugging when Thad cocks a brow at me.

  “You know that’s not a class, right?” he whispers.

  I shrug again and mouth, “She doesn’t know that.”

  At least, I hope she doesn’t.

  “Oh, that sounds like an interesting class,” my mom replies, the suspicion leaving her voice. “I don’t know of a permanent cure for a pixie bite, but I do know applying fey magicae directly to the bite will slow down the effects … Let me see if your father knows of a permanent solution. Hold on.”

  The line grows quiet again, and then I hear the murmurings of my parents’ voices. I can’t tell what they’re saying, though.

  Finally, my mom gets back on the line. “Your dad says he knows of only one way to permanently get rid of a pixie bite. It is to extract the pixie dust from the pixie that bit you and apply it to the bite.”

  I grimace. “You can’t just use any pixie dust?”

  “No, it has to be from the same pixie, or else the magical elements won’t match up enough to cure the bite,” she explains. “Magic is weird like that. Like how, if a vampire or a werewolf bites someone, that person is usually bound to only them instead of all vampires or werewolves.”

  Mother of all unicorns, it’s like she knows what’s going on with me. I’d worry that maybe she’s had a foreseer check in on me, but I know my mom well enough to know she wouldn’t tiptoe around it. No, it’s got to be a freakish coincidence. Still, her being so close to the truth has me feeling twitchy, so before I can say something that will reveal I’ve been lying to her, I decide to get off the phone.

  “Thanks, Mom. This really helped. I’m going to go now and finish the assignment.” I tense at what sounds like moaning drifting from the trees somewhere close by.

  Thad tenses, too, straightening his stance and sweeping the area with his eyes.

  “Okay, let me know if you need anything else,” my mom says. “I don’t care how late it is. You can call us anytime.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I say in a rush. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too—”

  I hang up on her as the moaning grows louder and finally let out the giggles I was containing.

  “What the hell is that?” I whisper when I regain control of myself.

  Then I hand Thad his phone and peer around at the trees, tension rippling through my body.

  “I’m not sure … It sounds like it’s coming from over there, though.” He points toward a cluster of taller trees while stuffing his phone into his pocket. “I’ll go check. You wait here.”

  I roll my eyes. “Dude, Thad, I know we don’t know each other very well, so I’m gonna let that comment slide.”

  He glances at me. “It could be something dangerous.”

  “I can handle danger,” I assure him, swinging around him and starting through the trees.

  He lets out a quiet sigh then hurries to keep up with me, knocking branches out of the way as he does and creating a lot of noise.

  I want to hiss at him to be quiet, but the moaning is so loud that I doubt anything else can really be heard.

  “What do you think it is?” I whisper as we make our way through the trees.

  “I’m not sure … It could be any
thing from a wounded creature to maybe a moaning demon,” he whispers. “Which means we’re walking into a trap.”

  “And we’re in deep shit,” I utter with a hint of nervousness, wishing once again that I had a weapon.

  I slow down my pace, deliberating whether I should turn back or not.

  “Oh God, make it stop,” the moaning creature groans out.

  Wait a second. I know that voice.

  “Is that Jax?” I hiss, glancing over my shoulder at Thad.

  “I think so,” Thad whispers then squeezes past me. “Stay here, okay? I’ll go check.”

  Before I can say anything, he takes off, shoving branches out of his way.

  While I’m not one for hiding from danger, I’m a tad bit apprehensive about going near Jax. But I can't just let Thad deal with this by himself. He doesn't even know Jax is possessed.

  “Suck it up, Alana,” I whisper to myself. “You’re tougher than this.” Taking a deep breath, I make my way through the path of flattened grass Thad left behind him, following his footsteps until I step out into a flat area amongst the trees. Then I slam to a halt, my heart rate quickening at the sight before me.

  Jax is rolling around in the dirt, butt-ass naked, his muscles contorting as his bones try to shift. His fangs are poking out from his lips, his silver eyes flashing, and patches of hair sprout from his flesh then fade whenever his body convulses.

  It’s like his body can’t quite shift into wolf or human form, as if stuck mid-shift.

  “Holy vampires,” Thad mumbles as he cautiously approaches Jax.

  As a twig snaps underneath Thad’s feet, Jax rolls over on his hands and knees, his head snapping up. Then his eyes flash as he growls at Thad.

  Thad freezes and lifts his hands up in front of him. “Easy, Jax. I just want to help you.”

  Jax’s shoulder muscles bulge upward as he snarls, his claws digging into the dirt. Then he starts toward Thad, his body stuck between human and wolf form.

  Thad takes a step back. “Easy. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Jax lowers his head as his body takes on more of a wolf form.

  Shit. This isn’t good. If he full-on shifts, he’ll attack us. Then again, if he’s still possessed, he might try to attack us even if he’s in human form.

  Damn crazy witches, how the hell do I fix this?

  “Hey, Thad? You wouldn’t by chance have any silver on you, do you?” I ask through a giggle with my gaze fixed on Jax. If only I had a bit of silver, I could at least knock Jax out for a bit.

  Jax’s gaze darts in my direction, his eyes glowing brighter as he sniffs the air. Then he tips his head back and lets out a howl.

  Well, that’s probably not good.

  “Alana, back away,” Thad says, his hand slowly drifting toward his pocket. “I don’t have any silver on me, but I do have a drop of sleeping potion. If we can get him to ingest it, that should knock him out for a bit.”

  “Why the heck do you have sleeping potion on you?” I ask, inching back as Jax slowly heads in my direction.

  “It’s … um … complicated,” Thad mutters as he rummages around in his pocket.

  The movement catches Jax’s attention, and his head whips back in Thad’s direction. Then he releases another ear-piercing growl before stalking toward Thad.

  Thad freezes, his eyes widening as he backs up. “Jax, we’re just trying to help you.”

  Jax releases a low growl then snaps his teeth and starts to lunge at Thad.

  Instinctively, I step toward Jax. “Hey, wolf boy,” I taunt. “What’s your deal anyway? Don’t you know how to shift? Because this whole between shifting thing is kind of lame.”

  Jax snaps his gaze toward me and snarls, his rippling body shifting toward me.

  Well, at least I got his attention, although I have no clue what to do with it.

  "Yeah, it's definitely lame," I continue to taunt, adding a smirk for emphasis, knowing if Jax is in there somewhere, it'll piss him off. And even though I'm scared shitless right now, I do get a bit of satisfaction in knowing that. "And honestly, it's more gross than scary."

  Jax’s lips curl upward, and then he stalks toward me.

  I gradually back away, not wanting to move too quickly and lose his attention, but also not wanting him to get too close either. But then, he abruptly charges at me, his shifting body starting to transform more toward his wolf form, hairs sprouting from his body, teeth lowering from his lips, and his nose sprouts out like a snout.

  “Dammit!” I reel around and run.

  His feet pound against the dirt as he chases after me through the trees. I don’t know whether to be relieved that he’s chasing me or not. Sure, it gives Thad a chance to dig that sleeping potion out of his pocket, but Jax could tear me apart by then. And that possibility only becomes greater as I break through the forest and reach the edge of a cliff.

  I slam to a halt then glance left to right, searching for another way out, but the cliff stretches for as far as I can see. I glance down, hoping water might be at the bottom. Yep, a lake is down there. But, as the moonlight glistens against the surface, I detect the slightest bit of movement in the water, making me question if perhaps water fey or even sirens are swimming around down there.

  Cursing, I start to spin to my left so I can run along the edge of the cliff, when a set of arms loop around my waist. Moments later, a chest presses against my back and the warmth of heavy breathing dusts my neck.

  “Jax?” I ask with a bit of uncertainty.

  Lips brush my ear as they let out a growl.

  Yep, it’s definitely Jax, but he’s standing up, so he can’t be in wolf form. Yet he sounds like he is …

  What the hell is going on?

  I try to turn my head to look at him, but he pulls me tighter against his body, pressing his face against the crook of my neck and sniffing the spot where he bit me.

  What in the crazy trolls is he doing?

  Not wanting to wait around to find out, I elbow him in the side. He stiffens, but his hold on me only constricts. Then a soft growl purrs from his lips as he lightly grazes the bite mark branding my flesh with his teeth.

  That’s when I realize what he’s doing.

  “Don’t you freakin’ dare bite me again,” I warn, irritation scorching in my veins.

  On a more positive note, at least I don’t crave him biting me, which more than likely means that, for whatever reason, the first bite he gave me didn’t bond me to him.

  Although, if he bites me again, I’m unsure what’ll happen.

  As his fangs lightly graze the side of my neck again, my control over my anger withers.

  “If you don’t back the hell off, I’m going to have to make you,” I warn, curling my fingers into fists.

  What can only be described as a taunting growl leaves his lips before the hairy bastard sinks his teeth into my neck.

  Tingles erupt across my flesh and warmth pulsates through my body. A moan fumbles from my lips. It feels so good, yet underneath the wonderful sensations, irritation nips inside me.

  That damn asshole needs to stop trying to bond me to him! I don’t give a crap if he’s possessed.

  Fighting off the urge to lean against him and let his teeth mark me deeper, I lift my foot and kick him in the shin. Hard.

  He goes rigid, and then his teeth leave my neck and his grip on me loosens. Seizing the opportunity, I throw my weight forward, spin around, and knee him between the legs. He howls out in pain as he trips back, clutching his manly parts. But he swiftly recovers, his gleaming gaze locked on me.

  I lift my fists, preparing to fight, even though there’s a good chance I’ll end up losing, but then Thad jumps out of the trees just behind Jax with a syringe in his hand. He jabs the needle into the side of Jax’s arm and the light in Jax’s eyes dims as he slumps back, collapsing onto the dirt.

  “Holy hell, that was perfect timing. He is out, though, right?” I ask Thad as I cautiously inch toward Jax. He’s lying motionless with his eyes sh
ut, his body in full naked human form.

  Thad nods as he crouches down beside Jax. “He should be out for a couple of hours.” He tosses the syringe onto the dirt then rests his head on his knees as he examines Jax. “We need to get him somewhere where we can lock him up until we can figure out why the hell he’s shifting when it’s not a full moon.”

  Cupping the spot on my neck where Jax bit me, I crouch down beside Thad. "Was he even shifting really? He looked like he was kind of stuck in the shifting process.”

  “I know.” Thad glides his gaze to me. Or, well, to the spot on my neck that I’m cupping. “Did he bite you again?”

  Sighing, I lower my hand. “Yeah, but I think he was in human form when he did it.”

  He squints at the bite mark. “That shouldn’t matter. You should still feel bonded to him.”

  “Well, I can assure you that I don’t.” I rub my neck. “I feel way too pissed off at him to be. I even got a few good kicks in.”

  “Yeah, I saw that.” His confusion magnifies. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

  It might if he knew about my weird abilities. Then again, I know about them and nothing really makes sense to me. Maybe it would if I knew why the hell I could do all the things I can do, like see premonitions and being able to see through the deads’ minds.

  My thoughts briefly drift to Ollie and his search. He set out to get the Scrawl of Secrets from Hushing Forest. As far as I know, Jax hasn’t heard anything from him since we parted ways at his house. But since I’m not certain how long Jax has been possessed, who the heck knows if that’s true or not?

  “So, do you have any ideas on where we can lock him up for a while?” I ask Thad, trying to divert his attention away from my strange ability to resist a wolf bite.

  Thad considers what I said, wariness creeping into his expression. “Actually, I do.”

  “Okay, good.” I eye him over. “Why do you look so wary about it?”

  “Um …” He scratches the back of his neck. “Because it’s in a vampire’s crypt.”