Veiled Spirits

Prue leaves sometime during the song, having to get back to her many tasks she does to keep the pack running.

Once Isabel teaches the pups the first song, she asks if anyone else has a song they want to learn. “Can you teach us something that’s not girly shit?” Jake calls from his spot near the back. At thirteen, Jake is all long limbs and awkwardness. He’s at the age where he thinks it’s manly to put down things girls like.

Isabel doesn’t get upset at Jake’s rude request. She just rolls her eyes at him. “I can teach you to play ‘Gasoline.’ Let me know if it’s too ‘girly’ after the play through.”

As Isabel plays the catchy song, Jake can help but bop his head, making his brown curls bounce everywhere. When she finishes the song, Isabel looks to Jake to see if he wants to learn the song. “That was dope. Will you teach it to us?” Jake asks shyly, his earlier bravado gone.

“Sure thing, my dude.” Isabel looks down at her guitar to begin teaching the pups. I watch her teach song after song to the kids. She happily stays until the last pup is picked up. Our date that I meant to be an hour or so turns into three hours of her working with the children. Every single pup makes her promise to come back again.

Once all of the kids are gone, Isabel stands up and puts away her guitar. She stretches her arms and her skirt rides even higher on her toned thighs. I’m a bastard for continuing to look rather than turning away, but I do it anyway. When she turns to walk toward me, I drag my eyes up her alluring form. I meet gray eyes and pink cheeks as she watches me watch her.

“Thanks for bringing me here, quiet boy. I really enjoyed it. The kids or, um, pups? Whatever you call them, they were adorable. I had a ton of fun.” Isabel gifts me with one of her rare genuine smiles, and I know at that moment that she holds all the fragile shards of my heart in her small hand.

After my childhood, I dreaded finding a mate. Even in the short time I’ve known Isabel, she’s proven herself to be compassionate, kind, caring, thoughtful, and the complete opposite of my mother. Watching Isabel with the pups has only nurtured the growing trust I have in my mate.

“Both pups and kids work. I’m very glad you enjoyed spending time with them. I know it’s late. Would you like to have dinner with me before going home, angel?”

“I’d love to, Cain. I’d enjoy spending time with just the two of us.”

I offer her my hand again, and she takes it. I walk out of the music room, excited for what the future holds for the first time in a long time.

CHAPTER 21

IZZY

Ican’t believe it’s already October, my birthday month. Unfortunately for me, my birthday is on Halloween. Yep. A witch born on Halloween. Cliché as fuck, and I hate it. My family and Bishop always insist on throwing a stupid party, but I’d prefer if everyone just forgot it happened.

With it being October, I’ve known the wolves for almost a month. Today’s my date with Archer. I’m looking forward to what he has planned. It’ll probably be lots of fun.

Surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed both of my dates so far. Luca and Cain took me on very different dates, but I had a blast with both of them. I’m trying not to think about what happens after my date with Archer. Once the dates I promised are over, I have to stay away from the wolves. I already like the three of them too much for their own good.

I walk toward the front of the building with a dopey smile on my face. It drops the second I hear a familiar voice call out from behind me. “Isabel Gallagher, just the girl I’m looking for.” I’d know Tyler Giles’s voice anywhere. It’s so similar to his brother’s voice.

My heart sinks as I scan the deserted hallway. I close my eyes, already knowing how this will go. “Go get Levi,” I tell Aggie under my breath as I open my lids. Her wide eyes meet mine, and she frantically nods. “Quickly, please.”

Once Aggie poofs away, I reluctantly turn to Tyler. He’s tall, with light blond hair and washed-out blue eyes. With his football player physique, he really nails the all-American look. It’s not until you really look at his eyes that you see the cold, unfeeling psychopath he tries to hide. It must be a family trait because his brother is the same way. “Funny. I was definitely trying to avoid you.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. I know about all the fun Mason and Rich had with you. Now that they’ve gone, it’s my turn.” Mason Giles and Richard Whelan were two of my biggest tormentors my first three years here. When they graduated last year, I thought I’d be safe. I guess that was wishful thinking.

“Leave me alone, Tyler.” My voice is shaky, betraying just how scared I am. Being alone with Tyler brings all the memories I try not to think about to the surface. I feel like I’m being suffocated by them, and I can’t take a full breath.

My fear makes Tyler’s sleazy grin grow. He advances on me, and I back up. I chance a glance over my shoulder and see that I only have a few feet until I hit the wall.

Hopefully, I can stall him until Levi gets here. If not, well, then I just make it through this. Whatever happens, I can handle it. To keep my family and mates safe, I can endure anything. Maybe not with the last pieces of my already damaged soul intact. But that’s beside the point.

It’s a fight to push the memories aside so I can think of everyone I love and care about. All the people I need to keep safe by not letting my magic out right now. I focus on locking down my magic even tighter than normal as I see who I’m fighting for in my mind. I refuse to put them in danger to save myself.

When my back hits the rough brick wall, I know my time is up. I look up at Tyler’s predatory grin and fight the urge to throw up. I’m shaking like a leaf, but there’s nothing I can do about it. When his strong forearm presses into my throat, limiting my oxygen and keeping me in place, I close my eyes. I’m not strong enough to look at him while he hurts me.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this, I chant in my mind. Maybe if I repeat it often enough, I can make it true.

Tyler uses his other hand to roughly yank my deep purple blouse out of my jeans. As he puts his hand on the waistband of my dark pants, a portal sizzles into existence behind him.

Levi steps through, and his obsidian eyes find me. I’ve never been so relieved to see someone in my entire life. His dark eyes turn blood red as he takes in the situation. Fury lines every inch of his face. At his strong emotions, the spooky skull flickers in and out over his face. This is probably the closest I’ve ever seen the normally unflappable man to losing control.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Levi demands, his deep voice booming in the empty hallway.

Levi’s voice startles Tyler, who has the situational awareness of a goldfish. Tyler turns toward him. “Sorry, teach. Me and my girl were just getting frisky. You know how it is.” I’m glad Levi knows that’s not the case, because Tyler’s charming grin is damn believable. I’d never be his girl, though, and Tyler would never want me for that. Being magicless, I’m apparently not good enough to be a girlfriend but good enough to screw. I really don’t understand the logic.