Chapter Seven

The hair on the back of Jesse’s neck went up all at once like a battalion of soldiers. He spun around, ready to do battle with something, he just didn’t know what. No one was there. The only thing disturbed by his reaction was dust and a barn cat that threw her tail in the air and sauntered away.

He blew out a breath, still on guard for danger. He’d come to the Triad to shake off the lingering effects of prison, and now he was jumping at shadows and cats. Ridiculous for a grown man to act like that. Foolish too.

Maeve appeared in the door to the barn, her lips compressed into a tight white line. He hung up the bridle on the nail on the wall beside the stall and waited.

“House. Now.” She turned away before he could respond.

He ran after her, catching up in seconds even if her long legs were eating up the ground. “You want to tell me what’s happening?”

“Rowan caught the rat in a trap.” Maeve’s gaze narrowed. “I want to kill the son of a bitch. They won’t let me.”

Jesse didn’t know if he were glad or angry Rowan had trapped Dawson. “If it were up to me, I’d turn my gun on him too.”

Maeve slowed down long enough to look at him. “For what he did to you?”

“For what he did to you, what he made you do. Hell, for treating you girls as pawns on a chess board.” Jesse was surprised when Maeve reached out and touched his arm. Her hand was hotter than hell but he didn’t twitch at the heat. He knew being with Rowan meant this woman would be his sister too, witchy powers and all.

“I think you mean that. I can’t read people like Rowan does, but I follow my gut.” She nodded grimly. “Let’s go beat that bastard at his own shitty game.”

Jesse followed her into the house and it took him a moment to understand what he was seeing.

“Shut the door,” Bird barked at him.

He closed the door, dumbfounded to see a grown man tied to a chair, floating three feet off the ground. Dawson was covered in sweat, his fancy blue shirt ripped at the seam, buttons missing, hair sticking every which way. He looked as though he’d been in a saloon brawl and lost.

The one thing that sent a chill up Jesse’s spine was Dawson’s eyes. They were no longer the blue of the pretty rancher. Now they were black as pitch, and Jesse would swear there were streaks of red too.

Rowan stood beside Bird, her arms at her sides, still in the silly yellow dress she’d worn earlier. Her gaze found his and he saw the anger mixed with fear in the depths of her eyes. A far cry from the nearly inhuman orbs of the floating Dawson.

Talulla was in the kitchen, behind the others, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her gaze never left Dawson’s and Jesse wondered if the middle sister was the sweetest or the scariest in disguise.

“Now what?” Maeve stepped closer to Dawson and he snarled at her, spittle flying in the air.

“He won’t be under the affects of the herbs for long. We need to get what we need. To do that, all of you had to be here.” Bird pointed at Jesse. “You were the missing ingredient.”

Strange as it was, including the situation, her pronouncement made him feel needed, as though he belonged with this loco group of people.

“Stand together in a circle, hold hands, around him.” Bird had to physically move Talulla over. She didn’t resist but she didn’t appear to be willing to get closer to Dawson.

“What’s wrong with her?” Jesse couldn’t help but ask.

“She gets into these, um, fits, where she’s focusing so hard she gets lost. We need to pull her out.” Rowan took his hand and he took Maeve’s. Talulla stood between her sisters.

They all closed their eyes and raised their faces toward the ceiling. He watched Dawson, at the envy and hatred that passed over his face. Then he looked at Jesse and sneered.

“Those bitches got you by the balls, you fool.” He laughed loud enough for the lantern on the table to rattle.

Jesse looked at Bird, who stood behind them, her attention focused on Dawson. “What about Gus?”

“Rowan cast a spell of silence on his room. Buster and Jackson got a bottle of whiskey waiting for them when they ride in. That’ll be their supper for sure.” She fixed him with an intense look of pleading. “We need you all to focus.”

Jesse turned back to the floating man, wondering if his woman had also cast the spell making Dawson groundless.

“No, it wasn’t me.” Rowan answered without looking at him. How did she know his thoughts? “That was Talulla. She can manipulate objects and living beings.”

Was there nothing these girls couldn’t do? How was he supposed to fit in with this family? He was a ranch hand, a cowboy with a way with horses, nothing more.

You are so much more than that.

It was as though she pushed her voice into his head. He started, squeezing her hand hard. “Sorry.”

“Stop talking and focus,” Maeve snapped and pinched his palm. “You can control the weather, the air, things around us. Don’t you know that yet? Now shut up and focus.”

Jesse didn’t know if it was true or not but if he had those powers, he wished he had know that sooner. He felt a push on his chest and he stumbled. When he glanced up at Dawson, the rancher smiled, revealing sharp teeth that shone in the lamp light.

“He’s too weak, bitches.” He thrust his hips as far as he could. Jesse was shocked to see the man had a hard-on in his trousers. What the hell? “I’m going to fuck each of you in turn, spreading my seed. Except the midget bitch. Her I’m just going to kill.”

Rage bubbled in Jesse’s gut, pure rage. This piece of shit dared to threaten these women? The people who gave him a chance, a home, and love that he’d never had in his life? Jesse squeezed Rowan’s and Maeve’s hands, then looked skyward with them.

A low hum started somewhere near his feet and traveled up his legs and into his chest. His hands tingled against theirs as they focused their energy on Dawson. A purple circle rose and surrounded the rancher, and slowly his expression began to blur. The sneer loosened and his gaze grew unfocused.

“Who are you?” Bird asked.

“Thomas Dawson.” The rancher’s voice came out in a monotone, no longer the snarling bastard.

“Not your name, dark one. Who are you?” Bird asked again.

Dawson’s chair began to shake, and him right along with it. His head bobbed on his neck as the shaking grew stronger.

“You will tell us or you will die and the Attewodes will take your power.”

“No!” His shout pushed them all backward, breaking contact. Jesse landed hard on the floor, his teeth clacking together. “No Attewode will kill me or take my powers.”

The chair clammed into the floor with enough force to break it into pieces. The ropes were loose enough to allow him to squirm free before Jesse could get to him. They faced each other like two combatants. Jesse bounced on the balls of his feet, his arms wide, ready to beat the shit out of Dawson. In a blink, the man seemed to nearly fly out the door.

“Dammit.” Jesse started to run after him when Rowan called him back.

“No, don’t. That’s what he wants.” She was holding Maeve by the arms as her youngest sister struggled to get after Dawson herself. “Remember, together we are stronger.”

Bird helped Talulla up. “Rowan’s right. We’ve tipped our hand and he will either give up knowing how much power we have or he will come at us with everything he’s got.”

“Either way, we will end this soon.” Rowan put her arm around Maeve’s shoulders.

“Stronger? He knocked us down with one push.” Maeve got to her feet. “We’re going to have to do better than that.”

“It’s only five days until your birthday. You will only grow stronger the closer the time gets.” Bird put her hands on her hips. “Let’s get this cleaned up and get dinner on.”

Just like that, the broken chair was gone, the table was set and normalcy settled on them like a cloak. Jesse was still shaking on the inside, not from fear but from the taste of the power he’d had. Bird had tried to convince him he was a witch. He’d never thought about what that meant in terms of what he could do. If Maeve was right, he could make the weather and the air change.

He had all he could do not to try it right that minute. It was either that or hunt that crazy son of a bitch with the black and red eyes.

Rowan sat beside him and took his hand. She pressed it to her cheek and looked at him with her sapphire blue eyes. He fell into her hard, recognizing just how much he had fallen for this tall, black-haired witch. She had been braver than most men, strong and smart too. She humbled him.

“I haven’t done that for a long time.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Mortal danger isn’t something that happens every day.” A sad smile. “I hesitated because I didn’t want to kill him.”

“You think that’s why he was able to push us?” Jesse couldn’t believe she would blame herself for what happened.

“Yes.” She shook her head. “I won’t hesitate again. When I saw you face him, and I thought you were going to chase him, that’s when I tasted real fear.” Rowan moved in closer until they were inches apart. In her face, he saw the fear and the love.

It rattled him more than he thought it would. “I can take care of myself. Jesus, you think I’m some kind of coward.”

“No, not at all. You have more courage than you know.” She kissed his palm. “I was afraid you would kill him and lose a piece of your soul.”

He stared at her, surprised by her insight. She was probably right. If he had killed Dawson right then, it would have been messy and ugly. The rancher would not have gone down without a fight.

“We need to stop him, Rowan. He’s not human and he’s hurt all of you.”

“We will, but not today.” She looked down at his hands. “The battle is over, but the war isn’t.”

Jesse was afraid the war would take a bigger toll on the Triad than they were prepared to give. He didn’t know what was ahead, but with Rowan beside him, he would get through it.

 

Rowan knew she wouldn’t sleep. Her mind and body were racing with everything that had happened. Although the rest of the day appeared normal, there were dark undercurrents in every moment. She needed to see Jesse. She flat out needed him.

She crept out of bed, fully dressed and crept downstairs with a blanket on her arm. At midnight, the ranch slept, if not peacefully. The air outside greeted her with a wet coating of dew. The moon shone brightly in the sky lighting the way. She knew as soon as she stepped outside that this was the right path to take. The closer she got to the bunkhouse, the more convinced she was.

Jesse and Rowan belonged together, as one. Thomas Dawson would not change that, no matter what he did. Even death wouldn’t separate them. She knew he was her mate, perhaps for all time, and no force could change that.

She wanted to take him to the oak. The tree that had been her sanctuary all her life, where she climbed branches and hid, practiced her magic, dreamed of a normal life, and wept when she needed to. Tonight she would take him there and make love beneath its branches. Talulla and Maeve had connections to living creatures, like horses. Rowan had connections to nature, as obviously Jesse did too. The tree was more than a place to be, it was a part of her life, a friend of sorts.

Rowan stood outside the bunkhouse door and closed her eyes. She reached out to her man.

Jesse.

After they made love, the block she’d had when reading his thoughts had disappeared. When she focused on him, she could read him and although he didn’t know it, he could read her too. When they “spoke” in the house earlier, it was all through thoughts without him realizing it. She would show him tonight just how connected they were.

Rowan.

His voice echoed through her. Every small hair on her body stood on end, her heart thumped madly and moisture already gathered between her thighs. It was madness how she knew him, how connected they were in the elemental sense. They were truly mates.

Within a minute, the door opened and he stepped out, carrying his boots and shirt. He was a magnificent specimen of man, with whorls of light brown hair on his chest protecting reams of muscles, perfectly stretched over bone. It snatched her breath to look at him in the moonlight.

She wanted to kiss him, touch him, lick him, taste him. First they needed to get to the oak, then she could feast on the bounty that was her man. She took his hand and led him to the far side of the house, then across the meadow. The knee high grass coated her legs with dew, cooling her skin a smidge, but the rest of her still burned with need.

He didn’t say a word and neither did she. There was no need to speak. She gripped his hand tightly as they walked, their fingers interlaced. The night creatures serenaded them, filling the air with their songs. The oak rose in the distance and she smiled.

When they arrived at the oak, a breeze made the leaves shake and shimmy, as though the tree was saying hello. The branches spread out twenty feet in any direction while it stood at least sixty feet high. Both of them would need to wrap their arms around its trunk to judge its girth.

She spread the blanket beneath the tree and shed her shirt and blouse quickly. Beneath it, she wore nothing. He watched her, his face cloaked in shadows, as she lay down on the blanket. For a single moment, she wondered if he would join her, then his breath came out in a rush as though he’d been holding it.

“You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen in my life.” His voice held a note of reverence that was not lost on Rowan.

“I am yours and you are mine.” She held her arms up. “Tonight we are one.”

He shucked his trousers and was beside her within seconds, the warmth of his body enveloping hers. The crisp hairs on his legs and chest sent tingles up her skin at the contact. They were so different, yet the same. They held each other, body to body, for several minutes. She relished the feeling of his body pressed against hers, so hard against her softness.

Jesse kissed her brow, then her eyes, cheeks and nose. He made his way down her jaw to her ear, then the other. Her neck was next, dozens of small kisses, each hotter than the last. He finally claimed her mouth and she was hungry for more.

Their lips fused together, the hot slide of their tongues mimicking the slide of his cock into her pussy. The very thought made her clench tight, the wetness between her legs eager to join with him.

“I need you, Jesse.”

He moved to her breasts, cupping them while he looked into her eyes. “I need you too, but tonight I’m gonna pleasure you, enjoy every inch of you.”

His mouth closed around her breast while the other hand crept down to her aching core. He circled her clit, tapping and squeezing, then sliding down further, pushing his fingers into her. Teasing, tantalizing her until she could hardly string two thoughts together. His teeth closed around her nipple and she cried out at the pleasure pain it caused. He did it again, this time with a thrust of his fingers. She was close, so close, and he knew it. He eased his movements, kissing his way down her belly, the gentle scrape of his whiskers made her belly tremble.

Rowan didn’t know what to expect but she suspected. When he licked her, she nearly shot off the ground in shock and bliss.

“Wh-what?”

“Shhh, let me taste you, Rowan.” He settled himself between her thighs, then spread her nether lips wide.

She nearly died when his mouth latched onto her clit, sucking and licking in rhythm with his fingers. Rowan clutched the blanket, her body tightening with each movement until she exploded with a scream the tree absorbed into its leaves. Jesse kept licking and tasting her, swallowing her pleasure as he prolonged the ripples of ecstasy he had brought.

When she was a boneless heap of woman, he gave her pussy one final kiss, then rose to his knees. His cock nudged her entrance, sliding into the slick, hot folds easily. When he was fully sheathed inside her, the world stopped spinning and she tasted the exquisite perfect moment deep in her heart and soul.

Yes, this was him. This was her. They were one.

Then he began to move, slowly at first, teasing her and himself. She clutched at his arms, urging him to go faster. The slide of his flesh against hers was incredible. She nearly lost herself in his arms, as he joined with her in the most primal of acts.

His thrusts grew harder and faster, their bodies slamming into each other. She rose to meet him, her hips opening wide to accommodate him. The coil within her began to tighten once more, each time his cock entered her, she wound tighter. She wrapped her legs around him, opening herself up completely.

“Rowan,” his hoarse whisper held the deepest of meaning.

She arched up as the first wave of orgasm hit her, like a wave of passion so intense, it stole her breath. He plunged in again and again, prolonging her pleasure until she started to see stars behind her eyes. One last thrust and he roared his own pleasure to the night, filling her with his seed.

Rowan’s eyes pricked with tears as slide from her body. He pulled her close, tucking her head beneath his chin. They each pulled the blanket up around them like a cocoon. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“I love you, Jesse.”

As sleep finally claimed her, she thought she heard him speak.

“Dammit, I love you too, Rowan.”

 

It seemed as though no time had passed when Rowan was jerked awake. She opened her eyes, but thick blackness surrounded her. She couldn’t move, paralyzed by an unseen force. Rowan tried to call out to Jesse but even her mouth was frozen. Rough rope cut into her hands as she yelled out with her mind to her man, to her sisters, to her mentor. A black hood was thrown over her head and she was dragged through the meadow. The tall grass was no longer coated in dew, the rocks and sticks cutting into her skin.

Talulla. Maeve. Bird. Jesse. Help me.

“She’s calling for help. Stop her,” a gruff voice ordered.

Pain exploded in her head and she cried out for him once more, then a roaring darkness took her.

 

Talulla.

Rowan’s voice whispered in her ear and Talulla sat up straight in bed, instantly awake. Her heart pounded and her mouth was cotton with fear. Something had happened to her sister. She scrambled out of bed and found Maeve awake, peering toward Rowan’s bed.

“She’s gone. We need to go now.” Talulla didn’t wait for her younger sister’s response. She pulled on clothes, grabbed her shoes and raced downstairs.

Bird emerged from her small room behind the kitchen, already dressed, holding a lantern. “Rowan.”

Talulla nodded gravely. “I heard it too. She’s not in her bed. I’m guessing she’s with Jesse.”

Maeve was moments behind her on the stairs. “If that son of a bitch hurt her, I ain’t holding back this time. I’m going to kill him.”

Bird headed to the door. “Let’s find them first. Then we’ll decide if there’s killing to be done.”

The three of them hurried out into the night air. The acrid smell of the night air had them all wrinkling their nose.

“What is that?” Talulla waved her hand in front of her face.

“That, dear girls, is the smell of black magic, the darkest of dark.” Bird looked frightened, which in turn scared Talulla a great deal. She had never seen their mentor so afraid.

“Where are they?” Maeve strapped on her gun belt.

Talulla closed her eyes and listened. “I can hear the great oak sighing in the wind that’s picked up. Let’s start there.”

They made their way quickly across the meadow to the tree. Talulla’s heart beat so hard, she thought it might just burst out of her chest. She spent much of her time in tune with the world, with nature and with the animals. Now everything as off-center and off-kilter. The balance had shifted in the wrong direction. It wasn’t their birthday yet but it appeared as though Thomas Dawson and his kind couldn’t wait.

The trees leaves were shaking and shuddering as though calling out to them. Talulla quickened her pace, now running through the tall grass. She saw a figure lying on a blanket, naked in the moonlight filtering through the branches. It was Jesse, and he was alone.

She dropped to her knees and was immediately assaulted by the coppery smell of blood. Talulla reached for him, dismayed to find his face and head covered in blood. His pulse was thready and he was close to death.

“He’s dying.” She turned to Maeve and Bird. “We need to heal him.”

“You can do it better than me, so can Rowan. I ain’t no good at it.” Maeve knelt beside her.

Talulla ignored the tears rolling down her face. “He is as much a part of our family as Bird. We need to heal him and then find Rowan. Please, Maeve, help me.”

Bird knelt on the other side, examining Jesse quickly. “His head was cracked open. They probably cast a spell on her then hit him to keep him from following.” She looked at the sisters. “You must be together on this.”

Maeve nodded and all three of them put their hands on his head, surrounding him. A purple haze began to form around them, pulsing with each beat of his heart. Talulla closed her eyes and focused her powers on Jesse. A hum sounded as the pulsing grew faster, hotter.

She could only hope they were in time to save him and Rowan.

 

Jesse was floating in a sea of pain, swimming against a current that threatened to drag him under. He was so tired, nearly spent to the point of shaking. Someone needed him, but he couldn’t remember whom. Exhausted, he stopped fighting and sank beneath the water.

A jolt of heat seared him and he splashed through the surface, gasping. His head shrieked with the mostly intense, excruciating pain of his life. He screamed in agony as someone tried to rip his skull apart. Jesse fought against the bonds holding him.

“Jesse, it’s us. Stop hitting. We’re trying to help you.” Talulla’s voice penetrated his fog of pain

“I’m going to hit him back in a minute.” Maeve sounded angry.

“Maeve, hush. Hold on, cowboy, we’re almost there.” Bird was surprisingly soothing.

Jesse felt his stomach flip and knew he was about to puke all over them, but they held him down so he couldn’t move. He managed to turn his head and vomit all over whoever was beside him, his body convulsing with each heave.

“Oh hell, he just puked on me.”

Of course it had to be Maeve. Jesse would have laughed if his skull wasn’t pounding so hard. Finally the agony began to recede and he was able to understand what was happening. He lay on the ground beneath a tree, stark naked, and Rowan’s family had their hands all over his head and face. He smelled blood and vomit, and knew both of them belonged to him.

“I’m okay,” he ground out.

“Oh thank God.” Talulla squeezed his hand. “I thought we’d lost you.”

“Not yet.” Maeve sounded as though she was standing. “I’m going to go clean this mess off my britches.”

“Be quick about it. We don’t have much time.” Bird used a cloth to wipe his face and he realized she was cleaning off blood.

“What happened?”

Talulla answered. “We aren’t sure but someone tried to kill you and they took Rowan.”

He sat up so fast, his head screamed at him again. His stomach threatened and both women had him back on the blanket in seconds.

“That wasn’t a good idea.” He swallowed the bile that threatened.

“No, it wasn’t. Now lie still for a few minutes until the healing is complete.” Bird continued to clean his face. “Talulla, put hands on him again, at the top of his head. That’s where the worst damage was.”

Jesse cracked his eyes open. “What damage?”

“Someone split your skull, Mr. Nelson. The girls and I are healing you.” Bird said it so matter-of-fact as though everyone with busted heads could be fixed up like that.

“I, uh, thank you.”

Talulla put her hands on his head and heat suffused him. Like when Rowan had conked him with the coffee pot only hotter.

“You almost died, Jesse.” Talulla sounded so panicked, he started to feel it too. “We need to find Rowan before anything happens to her.”

Rowan.

They had made love, so sweet and pure, he almost cried from the perfectness of it. Then they had fallen asleep beneath the oak, her friend and protector. But someone had breached the tree’s protection, snatching her from his arms.

Red-hot fury pushed aside his confusion and pain. It roared to life inside him like a dragon, breathing fire and screeching to be set free.

“My head feels fine now.” He waited until all hands were removed before he sat up, then remembered he was naked. “I, uh, where are my clothes?”

Someone thrust them into his hands. He managed to struggle into them without embarrassing himself any further. Bad enough his future wife’s sisters saw him in the altogether. He paused, trousers halfway up his legs. Future wife? Where had that thought come from? And why did the idea make him feel all mushy and stupid inside?

“Hurry, Jesse. Please hurry.” Talulla’s urgent tone got him moving again.

First he had to find Rowan, kill the son of a bitch who had left him for dead and taken his woman. His fury came to life again and the wind picked up.

“Jesse, are you doing that?” Talulla looked up at the tree.

The branches swayed wildly, in tune with the rage that coursed through him. Bird had told him he could control the weather and the air. He looked up and felt a kinship with the tree, with everything around him. Power surged into his hands and he lifted them skyward. A bolt of lightning split the night sky and he felt it all the way to his bones.

“Yes, he is.” Bird took his arm. “What we need is rain and wind. It will prevent them from building a fire.”

“Won’t it be harder to find them?” Maeve had her hand on the butt of her pistol, looking as angry as he felt.

“No, we can use your combined powers to track them. Without a fire, they can’t burn her.” Bird’s tone told him there was no mistaking the truth in her words.

Burn her?

Not a fucking chance. Jesse would tear them to pieces if they hurt her. Little tiny pieces. He wished he’d thought to bring a gun but there was no help for it now. Talulla had her powers to move people, Rowan had her fire and Jesse had nature’s wrath.

They would find her and they would kill Thomas Dawson.

 

Rowan became aware of her surroundings slowly. A low chant sounded in her ears but she couldn’t see a thing. There was a black cloth on her head. She tried to move her hands but found her hands were tied behind her back.

A rush of awareness brought the memory of the night back to her. Jesse. They had hurt him and taken her, dragging her through the meadow. She was still naked, her legs, back and buttocks stung with the pain of being dragged. Her hands and feet were tingling with numbness. She’d been tied up long enough to lose feeling.

“Thomas?” Her voice was rough and weak.

The chanting stopped and she sensed someone stood over her. She reached out with her mind but found only grayness. That’s when she knew it was Thomas.

“You and your sisters think you’re so smart. I was playing with you before.” A finger slid down her breast, circling her nipple.

She jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Oh it’s too late for that. I’ve sampled a few of your treats while you were sleeping.”

Anger warred with disgust. Anger won.

“You dirty bastard. How dare you? What gives you the right to do any of this? Terrorize us, hurt us, manipulate us? You are nothing but a piece of shit, not worthy to even step foot on the Triad.” She twisted away from him, rolling across rocky ground, with his laughter following her.

“I am better than you. I am stronger than you and I will take your powers one by one. First you, then Talulla.” His footsteps sounded closer. “Maeve I will leave for last. She has the possibility of turning to true magic, so much darkness inside her.”

Jesse. Maeve. Talulla. Bird. Help me.

Rowan barked a humorless laugh. “Maeve will burn you alive, fool. She barely tolerates the sight of you.”

“Not so. I’ve had her tongue in my mouth and my hand on her breast. I have to say yours are much nicer.” Thomas grabbed her again and she was strong enough to push with her mind.

She heard a thump and curses. He obviously landed somewhere nearby. She focused on the ropes binding her hands, trying desperately to unknot them with her powers. They started to loosen when rough hands grabbed her ankles.

“Let’s show this bitch what real magic is.” His voice had deepened, reminding her of the black-eyed creature he’d become when tied to a chair in her house.

The sound of a match, the smell of sulfur, and a whoosh of heat told her he planned to burn her. When a witch burned, her powers could be stolen with the right spell. She would be weakened and vulnerable to Thomas’s magic. For the first time since she woke up, the taste of fear coated her tongue.

Jesse.

She wanted to tell him she loved him again, feel the press of his lips against hers, the hardness of his body enveloping hers. So many wishes, no time left.

Wood snapped and the smell of the fire grew stronger.

Hurry, Jesse. Hurry.

 

Talulla led the way, her nose in the air as though she was following Rowan’s scent. Jesse didn’t know what to do besides run beside her, desperately hoping his command of the air and weather would show itself soon.

“Jesse, we need the rain. I can smell the fire,” Bird yelled from behind them.

Panic burst into his chest and he wished like hell he’d told her how he felt. He loved Rowan, desperately and deeply. More powerful than any magic. Stupid to keep things locked inside when life could change in an instant. Since they’d made sweet love under the big oak, things had taken a hard right turn. Now her life was in danger and he was running in the dark, trying to conjure up a storm.

Bird grabbed his arm. “Stop, just stop for a minute.”

Surprisingly, she wasn’t even winded while Jesse puffed like a locomotive. “What is it?”

She took hold of his face, her tiny hands pulling him down to her level. “Stop trying so hard and getting tangled up in your thoughts. All you need to do is clear your mind.”

He snorted. “I can’t do that. She’s out there, Bird, and she might be dying right now.” Emotion choked his voice. He couldn’t lose her now. Please, God, not now.

“Don’t pray, think. Look at the sky. It’s yours to command.” She pushed his chin up and he gazed into the velvety blackness above, stars sparkling and winking. “We need a storm. A big one. Bring the rain, the wind, the lightning.”

He focused on the sky, seeing the clouds forming, the rain gathering. Lightning sounded to the right, lighting up the night.

“That’s it. Keep at it, Jesse. You can do it.”

Jesse raised his hands, power surging through him, leaving a tingling warmth. He closed his eyes and saw the storm, the one he needed to bring. Seconds ticked by and the breeze blew softly on his face.

Hurry, Jesse. Hurry.

Rowan’s voice invaded his thoughts and he knew she was close and in danger. That was the kick in the ass he needed. He roared at the sky and his hands glowed blue, filling the air with a thousand points of light. The first drop hit his cheek and he opened his eyes. Lightning snapped, thunder rolled and a torrential downpour drenched them in seconds.

I’m coming, Rowan. Hold on.

 

Rowan heard something roar and her heart told her it was Jesse. He was coming for her and judging by the smell in the air, bringing a storm. When the rain began to fall, the fire sizzled and hissed. She smiled into the darkness of the hood.

“The sky was clear.” A female voice sounded from the right. It sounded like Harriett.

“Thomas, fix it.” Another female voice.

“I want to burn her.” A third female.

“He will never be yours,” A fourth voice growled in her ear. A tickle of recognition threaded through Rowan’s mind. Who was that? “He is mine.”

Catherine. Sweet heavens, it was Catherine. That likely meant the three princesses of the apocalypse were part of Thomas’s coven. None of them were witches, or even had a smidge of magic within them. How had he convinced them to join him?

“She’s a witch. She must be burned.” Catherine’s voice grew stronger. “It’s up to us to rid the world of her and her sisters. She fornicated with naked with a man, a cowboy, under a tree in the wide open.”

A hard kick to the ribs made Rowan suck in a pained breath. A second kick and Rowan sent out a push that must have thrown the blonde bitch at least ten feet. She enjoyed the screeching immensely.

Rowan.

Jesse was close. She could feel him, and her sisters, out in the darkness somewhere. If only she could get the hood off, she would be able to see the enemy. Blind and tied, she was almost helpless.

You’re not helpless. Fight, Rowan. Fight like hell.

He was right. She wasn’t helpless. She was an Attewode, from a long line of powerful witches. Power surges through her and she focuses on the ropes. One by one, they loosen and her hands and feet break free. Blood pumped through the nearly numb extremities and she made fists to try to get the feeling back.

“We will burn her, but first we will hang her. After the rain stops, we burn her.” Thomas sounded almost aroused by his plan to murder her. He was barely human or witch.

Rowan moved slowly, trying not to alert them to her untied state. She had to get the hood off. Just as her hands are creeping toward her head, lightning snapped nearby and a woman screamed. She yanked off the hood and jumped to her feet.

Jesse appeared out of the darkness, Talulla and Maeve at his side. Fire dripped from Maeve’s fingertips as Talulla glowed purple. But Jesse was the biggest surprise of all. He had a blue haze around him, his hands the brightest of all. She’d never seen such an astonishing, magnificent sight, the man she loved, fury in every fiber of his body, pulsing with the power that flowed through him.

Let’s get him, Rowan.

She grinned, knowing she probably looked completely ridiculous. Naked, bloodied and wet, she had nothing but her wits and her powers. From behind her, a dress sailed past her shoulder, landing on the ground in front of her. She knew Bird was back there, watching and keeping guard.

Thomas tried to snatch the dress but she threw out one hand, sparks flying and sent him sailing backward again. He stopped his fall and floated up into the air, his own hands glowing red. She hurriedly pulled on the dress, unaccountably more comfortable with it on, even if she was as wet as the frock.

Three figures crept up behind her family. Rowan snarled and flicked her hands, throwing the remains of the fire at them. Sparks and embers rained down on the screaming females. The princesses scattered into the dark night, no doubt to hide for quite a while. They wouldn’t confess what they’d been doing or risk their own hides over being out in the middle of the night, with a man, trying to murder someone.

Rowan sincerely hoped it was the last she would see of them or she would take her time making sure they never bothered the Murphys again. That just left Harriett, who she didn’t see, and Thomas, who floated a foot above the ground.

“What’s this? You brought your cowboy with you. How nice. Perhaps we can find some shit for him to shovel.” Red bolts of light flew from his hands straight toward Jesse.

“No!” Rowan ran toward them, but Talulla was faster. Her sister created a shield around him blocking the bolts from hitting Jesse. She held on, her hands outstretched, her face a grimace of anger and concentration.

Maeve took the opportunity to throw balls of fire at Thomas, distracting him. Talulla collapsed and Rowan made it to her side. She was pale, the rain splashing down her cheeks that glowed the lightest shade of purple.

“Watch out!” Bird cried from behind them.

Rowan turned only to find Harriett at her back, her hands outstretched like talons. The two of them fell to the ground, rolling in the mud. She desperately tried to get hold of the slippery girl, but lost her grip. Harriett scored Rowan’s cheek with her sharp nails, then climbed on top of her, pushing her face into the mud.

Before she realized what was happening, Rowan was losing consciousness, suffocating in the mud Harriett pushed her into. She couldn’t allow this blonde twit to take her life or her power. With a primal roar, she pushed out with her mind, launching herself and Harriett into the air. Powerful arms grabbed her in mid-flight, while the vicious Dawson sister landed on a rock, her head making an awful crack as she hit.

Safe in Jesse’s arms, Rowan didn’t have a second to relish in the feeling. She had to help her sisters. Talulla was weak and Maeve needed help. Thomas was still fighting off Maeve’s fire until he singed her arm with one of the red bolts of power. She fell to her knees, breathing hard.

Rowan took hold of both of her sister’s arms and helped them to their feet. Jesse took Talulla’s other arm, holding up the weakened witch. It was reminiscent of their battle when they were eighteen and fought against an unseen enemy. This time they knew the enemy and they would not be defeated. They stood together as Thomas cackled at them.

Just like we did before. On my mark. Ready. Set.

“You look foolish. Soaking wet, bloody and beaten.” He grinned. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Now!” Rowan cried. The four of them all focused their powers on Thomas. Bolts of lightning snapped around them, fire flew through the air, as did rocks, branches and every piece of nature. A whirling vortex of Attewode and Whelan witchery fueled by rage.

Within moments, the vortex grew larger, a greenish hue glowing and pulsing. Thomas screamed as he was sucked into the twister, only to be torn to pieces. In a blink, everything stopped. The rain, the wind, the fire, the lightning, everything just stopped, falling to the ground in a cacophony of pings and plunks.

“What just happened?” Jesse looked dazed.

“We killed him.” Maeve looked satisfied, but not happy. She was bothered more by killing than she let anyone know.

“We did?” Talulla pushed wet strands of hair off her face. “Is he really dead?”

Bird appeared out of the darkness, holding the lantern and eyeing the ground beneath where Thomas had floated. “Oh yes, I believe he is. You children did your ancestors proud.” She stepped over to Jesse. “I believe you can definitely wear the name Whelan proudly.”

He shook his head. “Nobody is going to believe this.”

“Nobody will know. We weren’t here, we have no idea what happened to Thomas Dawson.” She walked over to the inert form of Harriett. “Unfortunately, she is dead as well. Maeve, when the sun comes up go into town and tell the sheriff you found her out here on an early morning ride.”

Maeve looked as though she was going to say no, but changed her mind. She nodded tightly. “Fine.”

“Let’s get back to the ranch, get cleaned up and try to sleep.” Bird paused and eyed Jesse and Rowan. “In your own beds. And no more hanky panky under the tree. Naked people ought to be indoors.”

Rowan managed not to choke at Bird’s outlandish words. She didn’t feel happy they had killed the Dawsons, but she did feel relieved the threat was over. Thomas had been a powerful witch, almost too powerful. If they hadn’t come together as they did, Thomas might have succeeded in killing them. It was a sobering thought.

Jesse tucked her under his arm as they walked toward home. He felt so real, so solid, around her, she could hardly believe he was hers.

“Oh, I’m yours all right. However you want me.”

“You do know you’re reading my thoughts, right?” She looked straight at him, letting him see her lips were not moving.

“I am?” He frowned. “And you’re reading mine? Is that normal?

“Who wants normal?” She tugged him forward. “We’re witches. We are the definition of outside of normal.”

They were silent for a few minutes then Jesse spoke. “I almost lost you, Rowan. I almost lost me too.”

“I know.” Her throat grew tight at the thought. “But we all survived.”

He stopped her, his amber gaze unreadable in the moonlight. “I want to be with you always. I was scared of what I felt around you. I didn’t understand it, but now I do. It’s love. Something I didn’t think I was capable of. I’m just an ignorant cowpoke with a bad temper and a history of violence. You’re everything I’m not.”

She heard the ancient pain in his voice, winced as it pierced her own heart. “Oh Jesse, I am only everything with you. Without you I’m an ordinary girl from an ordinary ranch. Together we make each other whole.”

He cupped her face and kissed her gently, the sweetest gift she could have ever received. Her eyes pricked with tears as his thoughts entered hers once more.

“I love you, Rowan.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as her heart, body and soul rejoiced. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on tight. This was life. This was love. This was her dream.

“I love you too, Jesse.”

“Oh get moving, would you? I want to get home before I’m too chafed by these wet clothes.” Maeve stomped passed them. “Like goddamned rabbits.”

Rowan giggled as Jesse twirled her around in a circle. She had found her true love, her family was safe. Life could not taste any sweeter.