Of Shadows and Ash Page 3

  When he found himself at the base of the mountains he turned and waited for his partner of the day to catch up to him. Of the other ruling dryads, Ash was the quickest.

  The shifter stumbled out of the forest and collapsed at Ash’s feet, his breath heaving and his limbs askew.

  Ash made a mental note to take better care of his partner. It wasn’t fair to run poor Carter ragged because Ash was upset over the situation with Selena. “Sorry.”

  Carter’s furry ear moved, the only sign he’d heard Ash speak. His chest continued to rise and fall rapidly as he tried to catch his breath.

  “You need to work out more.”

  Carter’s lip lifted, revealing one snowy-white fang.

  “Hmph.” Ash brushed his hand through the shifter’s fur, enjoying a rare moment. Wolves didn’t often allow themselves to be petted, and there was a chance Carter would try and bite him.

  It was all right. Ash already knew he was faster than the wolf. Meaner, too.

  “How’s Mollie?” Ash poked Carter in the ribs, noting how Carter’s heaving breaths stilled for a second at the sound of Mollie Ferguson’s name. “Hmm? You two have been dating for months, right?” He kept his tone cheerful despite the urge to strangle the wolf for the pain he was causing Greer.

  Carter’s ear flicked.

  “So, is she your mate?”

  Carter picked himself up, turned around, and flopped back down with his back to Ash.

  “You don’t want to tell me?”

  Carter whacked Ash on the ankle with his tail.

  Ash stared off into the forest. “Mollie is Greer’s.”

  Carter completely ignored him.

  “Nothing to say?”

  Carter snarled softly, got to his feet, and padded quietly back into the forest.

  “All right then.” Ash followed, keeping pace with the wolf. “Then how about you tell me why you’ve been visiting Selena?”

  The wolf paused, looked at Ash like he was a complete idiot, and then began walking again. He actually shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe Ash had asked him that.

  “Shift to human, asshole, and answer my question.” While Ash was willing to back down on the topic of Mollie, he would be damned if he wouldn’t get answers about Selena.

  Carter shifted, and soon the naked blond fireman was glaring at him. “She called me. Seems she’s been hearing strange sounds at night, bumps and thumps. She wanted me to check and make sure there wasn’t someone prowling around her place.”

  Ash gritted his teeth and reminded himself that none of this was Carter’s fault. Selena should have called him, not the damn wolf shifter.

  At least Ash knew she was taking care of her safety. “Did you find anything?”

  “No, and that’s the odd thing. I could have sworn I heard some of the knocking myself, but there was no real scent for me to catch. Just some...” Carter made a face. “I can’t tell you if I smelled something or not.”

  “But it definitely wasn’t a person.”

  “Nope. At least, nothing I could determine that would be a threat to her, even without her powers.”

  “They still aren’t back?” Ash was shocked. Most of the other witches were back to normal, but Selena wasn’t? She was the strongest witch next to Gideon. It had to be irritating her no end to have the weaker witches already back on their feet while she struggled.

  It might also be why she was relying on others instead of her mate. She still must feel the need to prove herself capable, and without her witch doctor gifts she was simply another vulnerable human.

  It was time to talk to Mina. Ash wasn’t going to sit on his ass much longer waiting for Selena to call him. The pull of his mate was becoming far too strong for Ash to resist. “What does Gideon have to say about it?”

  Carter shrugged and scratched his ass. “I don’t know. We don’t hang out much with the woo-woo set. Noah’s Beta is standing in his stead, taking care of things while Noah stays near his mate.”

  Hmm. Maybe Ash should try and contact Gideon. He’d had little luck getting hold of the man so far, but as the coven leader Gideon was still very much involved in the effort to keep the town safe as well as the healing of his wounded coven members. He was also researching the demonic attack that had killed the second in command of the Van Helsings, trying to find out of it might be a threat to the town or not.

  The man’s plate was overflowing, but perhaps he’d answer a call from Mina. If not, Ash would use Mina’s connections and get Dragos to hunt the coven leader down for some answers.

  Chapter Three

  Aw, fuck. Not again.

  Selena rolled over and covered her head with her pillow. This was getting really old. It was three-twelve in the morning.

  Time for whatever it was to drive her crazy.

  The first couple of times it happened she’d forced herself out of bed, thinking an animal had gotten into her home. The scritch, scritch scritch of claws brought raccoons immediately to mind. She’d had someone come and check her roof to see if she had a hole big enough for one of the furry bandits to get inside, but her roof was in perfect condition. So she’d called out pest control, thinking maybe a squirrel had gotten in somehow.

  No dice. Her attic was clear of any nests or nuts.

  So she’d invited Carter over more than once to have a sniff around. All he’d been able to tell her was that her house “smelled funny,” but he couldn’t scent any critters other than the ones that regularly visited on two legs.

  Maybe she was going insane?

  Nah. Insane people didn’t question whether or not they were sane. As far as they were concerned they were the only sane ones in an insane world. No, she was sane. Just...hearing things.

  Yeah.

  She was cool.

  Scritch scritch scritch.

  Everything was cool. Really.

  Scritch scritch scritch.

  Fuck it.

  Selena picked up the phone and called the one person she knew who could kick ass better than anyone else—the hamadryad, Amara Hollis.

  “Do you know what bloody time it is?” Parker Hollis’s British accent was thick with annoyance.

  She had to smile. From his annoyed tone she’d done more than interrupt the man’s television. As a vampire, Parker was one of the night owls. He’d probably been in bed with Amara, and Selena very much doubted the pair had been sleeping. “Hello to you too, Parker.”

  “Selena?” His tone quickly went from annoyed to concern. It would have bothered her if she wasn’t so frightened. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ah.” Now that she had him on the phone she didn’t know what to say.

  “Never mind. We’re on our way.” He hung up before she could protest.

  Honestly, she didn’t really want to. She was getting tired of hearing something that wasn’t there. Maybe Parker, with his vampire hearing, would catch something everyone else had missed. Or Amara, with her unique bond with nature, would sense a hidden critter that not even a werewolf could find.

  If it was all in Selena’s head, then shit was seriously messed up. The witch doctor couldn’t afford to be crazy. She had too god damn much to do to be nuts.

  It was bad enough her connection to the spirit world had become thin and wobbly. She could barely sense the ghosts that inhabited Maggie’s Grove. One of her many jobs was supposed to be the liaison who spoke for them, since true mediums who could clearly hear what the ghosts had to say were rare.

  Luckily they had a strong physical medium among them now. Parker’s Renfield, Brian, had married Parker’s best friend, the ghost Greg. Brian had become the de facto liaison among the ghosts and the rest of the town’s residents, and she was grateful for that. Hell, he could keep that job if he wanted. She had plenty of other things to take care of, like figuring out why her magic was still acting wonky.

  The fact that her gift was still broken after most of the other witches had healed their own frightened her more than she wanted to admit. Add in the strange th
ings that had been happening around her house, and Selena was on the verge of going nuts. Worse, things only seemed to happen when she was home alone, which meant either she was losing her mind, or...

  Damn it. As a kid, she’d always wanted to live in a haunted house. Now that she might be, she wanted to go back in time and kick her ten year old ass. And if it wasn’t a spirit doing this...

  Selena gritted her teeth. It was possible that this had nothing to do with the Van Helsings at all. Kate could have put some kind of curse on her home. The black witch had enjoyed hurting people. Despite Kate’s death such a curse would linger until it either fulfilled its mission or Selena figured out how to banish it.

  Of course, there was always another solution. She loved this house. She really didn’t want to move, but if she had to she would. But that would be admitting Kate had won, and Selena wasn’t ready to do that just yet.

  Call Ash.

  Aw, hell no. The urge to call him to her side, have him there to protect her, was almost overwhelming, but she couldn’t give in. Not yet. She could deal with this...whatever it was on her own. She was strong. She was—

  Bang!

  She was toast.

  Selena scrambled out of bed, the phone clutched in her hand. Maybe I’ll wait by the front door.

  Until her gift was back under control she was going to continue keep him at arm’s length. There was no way she was going to risk harming one of the ruling dryads and bring Mina and Dragos’s wrath down on her head.

  But keeping Ash out was becoming harder and harder to do. Ashton Ward could kiss like nobody’s business. Add in that sculpted chest, the muscled arms and bright green eyes?

  Yum.

  Even his leaf-green hair didn’t bother her. She’d swear there were three different shades of green in there, from emerald to peridot. The color fascinated her, just as everything else about the man did.

  But he was bossy, and demanding and far too overprotective for her taste. He needed to learn that Selena Giannone was not a woman who needed to be coddled. She was a witch, a power in her own right, and a woman to be reckoned with. The more he tried to fold her up in bubble wrap the harder she fought him. Until he could see her as an equal she’d continue to keep his butt out of her life.

  Selena pulled on sweat pants and a T-shirt and quickly ran a brush through her hacked off hair. She’d gone to the hair dresser to try and get it fixed, and wound up with a funky cut that was slowly growing on her. Short in the back and on the sides, they’d managed to keep the top longer, framing her face with long, side-swept bangs. It was an almost boyish style, but it suited her face.

  She still missed her long hair, but this wasn’t too bad. She might keep it for a while, maybe get some fun colored highlights done. She tilted her head, trying to picture some of Ash’s green in her own dark brown tresses.

  She bet he’d love that.

  The doorbell rang, startling her. She was more tired than she thought if just the sound of the doorbell made her jump. Selena made her way to the front of her small house and opened the door, hugging Amara as soon as she saw her.

  Amara was the town’s hamadryad, a rare creature among the people of Maggie’s Grove. She was a protector of the forest, bound to the town, and would do anything in her power to keep it safe. Even Mina, Queen of the Forest, was awed by the power the sweet redhead held.

  “You okay, Selena?” Amara’s voice shook. So much had happened to the young dryad recently that she had to be overwhelmed. Selena wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear she’d joined with her tree for a little R&R.

  “Hush, sweet. Let’s get inside and make everything better, hmm?” Parker grinned, his brown eyes sparkling, his hand on Amara’s back as he ushered them into Selena’s home. “What seems to be...?” The vampire sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “What the devil is that smell?”

  Amara closed the door with a curious glance at her mate. “What do you mean?” She sniffed. “I can’t smell anything.”

  Parker stared at her in shock. “Really? It stinks.”

  “My house stinks?” Selena took a whiff, but couldn’t smell anything other than the scents that normally were there. “What are you smelling?”

  “It smells bad, but I can’t quite place my finger on what it might be.” Parker sniffed again. “No, I can’t tell you what it might be.”

  Selena scowled. “Why can’t I smell anything?”

  “I have a superior sniffer.” Parker grinned. “It’s faint, barely there. Did anyone else come by to try and sniff anything out?” Parker settled on the couch with a worried frown. The vamp always looked uncomfortable on her white sofa, like he was afraid he’d somehow wind up defiling it with his masculine behind. But Selena loved the barely there red flower pattern and the red and white pillows she’d tossed on the back. The matching white armchair was her favorite place to curl up with a good book and a mug of tea. The large red-and-white checked ottoman was perfect for cushioning her feet while she read.

  Her wooden furniture was worn and sturdy, well-loved pieces she adored. The high wood and beam ceilings and the stone fireplace counteracted the feminine sofa, and the wooden floor wasn’t a gleaming showcase. Selena couldn’t be bothered with too much polish, because people came in and out of her home all the time, requesting the aid of the witch doctor. People actually walked on it, marring the surface and adding to its shabby chic charm. She’d painted the walls a warm taupe—with vibrant prints scattered throughout the room—and the lamps she’d placed around were simple, with red bases and white shades. Potted plants sat by the windows, a common feature in most of the homes of witches.

  Her altar, a square table behind the white armchair, held two silver figurines—one male, the other female—with candles behind each. Her other ritual tools were stashed away, ready to come out when Selena felt the need to celebrate her connection with the gods.

  Her living room was her favorite room in the house next to her bedroom.

  “Carter. He said something smelled funny, but couldn’t put his finger on it.”

  Parker shook his head, confused. “It’s gone now.”

  Selena bit her lip. “Maybe it was something outside?” She could hope.

  “Perhaps.” But Parker didn’t seem convinced.

  That was all right. Selena wasn’t convinced either.

  “Why did you call us over?” Amara settled next to Parker, her hand on his knee. “Parker says you sounded tired and scared.”

  Selena glared at Parker. “I did not.”

  “Did too.”

  “Did not.”

  “Did too.”

  “Children.” Amara grinned. “Do I have to separate you two?”

  Parker stuck his tongue out at Selena, and she returned the favor.

  “Tell us what’s wrong.” Amara shook her head. “Before you two start calling each other names like meanie head and doo-doo brain.”

  Selena sat on the red and white checkered ottoman with a sigh. “Look. I’ve been...hearing things.”

  Gah. This was so embarrassing. Why did she think it would be easy to tell Parker and Amara that something might be wrong with her?

  “What kind of things?” Parker leaned forward, his gaze suddenly intent.

  “Scratching, mostly. I thought I might have squirrels or raccoons in my attic, but nothing has been found. No nests, no rodent smells, nothing.”

  “Hmm.” Parker watched her. “Have you spoken to Ash about this?”

  “No, and I don’t ask Ash if I can go to the potty by myself either.” Selena rolled her shoulders, trying to ease some of her tension. “I can handle this.”

  His brows rose. “Which is why you called us?”

  Selena scowled. “Don’t make me break out the foam weapons, McBitey.”

  “He has a point, Selena.” Amara shrugged when Selena growled at her. “Ash would be here in a nanosecond if he thought anything was wrong with you.”

  “Which is why I don’t want him here right now.” Selena ran her fingers
through her hair. “Look. Compared to Iva, my problem is so small it barely registers. Let him take care of his sister. She needs it. I don’t.”

  “Everyone needs to be taken care of sometimes.” Parker put his head on Amara’s shoulder and sniffled. “Hold me.”

  Amara giggled, but put her arms around the pouting vampire. “Does my snuggle-bunny need some wuvving?”

  Selena gagged.

  Parker slowly sat up and stared at his mate. “Snuggle-bunny?”

  “Smoofy-poo?” Amara smiled innocently.

  Parker shuddered. “Not on my worst, neediest day.”

  Selena watched her friends, yearning for the closeness they had. She wanted that with someone, she really did. The loneliness was beginning to get to her.

  Maybe she should give Ash more of a chance. After all, when they’d battled the dragons trying to destroy the Throne of Oak they’d worked well together. He’d ridden her broom like a surf board, using that silver sword of his with brutal efficiency. And he hadn’t once berated her for using her magic until she’d nearly collapsed from the strain.

  Perhaps he saw her as an equal after all. It wouldn’t hurt to test the waters, to see if he could let her be who she needed to be.

  “Can I ask you something?” Amara sounded curious.

  “Sure.” Now that they weren’t cooing at each other hopefully they’d get back to the topic of the weirdness in Selena’s home.

  “Why do you keep pushing Ash away? Is it because of Dragos?”

  Ugh. She had no luck lately. Amara would bring up Selena’s old, unrequited crush. “No... Well, okay. At first it was because of him.” Amara was aware of the feelings Selena had once had for the town’s mayor. He was hot, masculine and didn’t try too hard to hold her back from entering into battle when necessary. But Dragos had been with Kate, under her spell, and had offered Selena only friendship.

  She’d taken it, even though it had broken her heart.

  Dragos had found his life mate, and he was strictly off limits. Watching him with Mina had been a revelation. The man would give his life for Mina, had changed his whole life for her. They lived half their time in the Throne and half of it in Dragos’s mansion, where he conducted the business of running the town. She couldn’t fault in any way the love the two had for one another, and watching it had brought home how she truly felt about Dragos.