HELLHOUND (Book Two of the Wisteria Chronicles)

CHAPTER 5~Summon~

Phoebe

   I finished my latte and shopped around for everything I would need for tonight. Since I was a dark elf, my magic didn’t require a lot of ingredients. I simply needed a few black and white candles and chalk. I made sure to pick up the supplies before I left the center and headed back towards my hotel on the edge of the city. 

  Once behind my door I marched to my bags and started to pull out my herbs. I needed to purify my room before I used the summoning magic. I lifted out a bundle of sage and lit it. I wandered through the room and banished away the bad energy. Using dark magic didn’t necessarily mean my magic process was evil. 

  Magic was all about the balance between light and dark. Light users tended to use their magic for good deeds like healing, and relied heavily on ingredients and magical items to make their spells and potions stronger. They only used defensive magic when they were life threatening situations. 

    Dark magic users tended to use their magic for less trustworthy purposes and had minimal requirements for ingredients. Blood was the key factor in order for users to activate their magic. The darker one’s soul was, the eviler their blood became. It influenced the dark forces that fuels their magic. My magic was more in the gray area. I still used blood for large spells, but for the most part I managed to keep the darkness away. Hence why I had to purify everything and tried to use my magic only when absolutely necessary.

  For a spell of this magnitude, I was going to have to spend the rest of the day preparing. I thoroughly cleaned the room and made the bed. I set up six of the tall white candles across the room, chanting a purifying invocation. When I was satisfied, I returned back to my bags and pulled out a new change of clothing. I would have to meditate for continuous hours and I wanted to be comfortable. I then carried my jars of herbs into the bathroom and repeated the sage burning process. 

     When I finished with that, I had to purify my body for the ritual. After the smoke cleared, I ran the water in the tub and prepared a milk bath. I added in honey, lavender petals, crushed sage, rose hips and Epsom salt. My body needed to be relaxed and focused while the spell was underway, or I could risk summoning someone else. I undressed and sat in the water, humming a cleansing spell until the water started to twirl, softly lapping at my skin until the water got cold.

    I wrapped myself in a towel and went to my bed, picking up the black crushed velvet long sleeve dress. It had a deep neckline and cupped my chest perfectly. The bottom half was loose and accentuated my hips. I put on a matching pair of black lace panties and a simple bralette. I slipped on my fishnet tights then tugged on my dress. Securing my favorite thick black choker around my neck to complete the look. My last step was to put on a soft pair of flats. I wanted to be fully dressed just in case I would have to warp out of the room quickly. 

   I cleaned the room one last time and mentally prepared to start the ritual. Are you sure that we have to do this? Phoenix asked. Yes. You know this is the quickest way to see him. We don’t have any more time to spare. She huffed but didn’t argue. Shutting off the lights, I walked around the room and lit the white candles. I grabbed my chalk and black candles then settled in the middle of the room. 

   I made a large circle around myself, then drew a smaller inner circle. I placed and lit the candles in the inner circle, two in front of me and the others in the back. I wrote the spell in the ancient language of the Elven, chanting the words as I wrote. When the magic circle was finished, I used my black painted thumb nail to cut my palm. A few blood droplets fell on the lines and spread throughout the circle, shining with a red glow.

     I stepped back and sat on the floor. I closed my eyes and started to meditate, beginning the summoning ritual. 

Titus

     Words couldn't begin to describe how good it felt to be back at home. I walked into my newly expanded packhouse and was greeted by my members. The house used to be a small two-story building that housed my ranked members and myself. We had a small dining hall and a common room that our seventy plus members frequented. 

   Since my work started at Bayliss, my pack had doubled in number. Some recovered lycans would stay for a few months then either went on their own way or returned back to their original pack. A majority of them wished to stay, making room around here tight.  I had to expand the land and purchase additional property just to fit everyone. 

    Now the pack house was a three-story complex where the lower level held the common room, kitchen, dining hall and twenty spare rooms that were being occupied by new members until their cottages finished. Like most packhouses, the second floor was reserved for the Beta and Gamma families. The top was meant for my future family. 

    I strutted through the dining hall and made my way to the head table. My Beta, Leo, and Gamma, Oliver, were scarfing down their food. I plopped down and grinned as they welcomed me. “Our mighty Alpha has returned!” Leo shouted. We fist bumped while Oliver notified the staff that I would need food. “So, did you tell Lotus about the invitation?” Leo asked. 

    I nodded my head, “Yeah. She said that we did a good job and she even cried a little.” “The fiercest Alpha I’ve ever met cried?!” Oliver exclaimed dramatically, covering his heart and pretended to swoon. I laughed while Leo choked on his food. “I know, motherhood has made her soft.” I joked. We laughed for a few more moments, then an omega brought a massive plate of food. I groaned; it’s been so long since I’ve had a homemade meal.  

   Barbara was our pack’s cook, and she always delivered. Today she cooked a massive T-bone steak, corn on the cob and the biggest baked potato I’ve ever seen. I started to shovel the food in my mouth, groaning with pleasure. “So, what did Lotus say?” Leo asked in between bites of his own. 

  I filled them in on the phone call I had with Lotus. “She also wanted to thank you.” I murmured before taking a bite of my steak. The guys puffed out their chests and beamed at the Lotus’s gratitude. Leo and Oliver were the backbone of Hell’s Shield. They struggled with me for the past six years and we were proud of what we were able to accomplish. 

      A loud cry echoed through the dining hall. Everlee, Leo’s mate, made her way towards us with a very upset pup. She approached Leo and pushed the baby into his arms, her face looked tired and her hair was wild. Leo cradled Josiah, immediately calming him. Everlee threw up her hands, exasperated. Oliver laughed at Everlee’s state, “You ok Ev?” 

   She turned a glare on him, “Samantha has been trying to link you for the past 10 minutes.” Oliver shot up at the mention of his mate’s name. His face was pale, “What’s wrong? Is she ok? Is it the baby?” Everlee crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face. “She’s fine, just mad as hell.” Oliver gave me a panicked look, “I’ll see you guys later.” He ran out of the hall, searching for his angry pregnant mate.

   I laughed and stood up. “I’m gonna go for a quick run. You two enjoy your baby time.” I told them as I smoothed back Josiah’s hair, excusing myself. I went outside and stripped. I let my lycan, Onyx, take over. We shifted and raced through the woods. I sat back and watched the trees fly past us as Onyx ran, his white paws digging into the ground. After a few hours of running, I came back, dreading the walk up to my room.    

   I tried to stay off my floor as much as possible. The vastness of the empty hall made the loneliness in my heart feel like an endless void. Even my own bedroom felt vacant. I walked into my room and sat down on my cali-king bed, its wideness reminding me again that I had no one to share it with. I originally had a smaller bed but my feet would hang off the edge, making it impossible to get comfortable.

   I sighed, everything about my room was meant for two. I stretched and stood up. I refused to let my loneliness affect my happy mood. I went to the bathroom and took a hot shower, letting the steam relax my weary body. I hopped out and wrapped a towel around my waist, then headed to the closet for a change of clothes. 

  My body began to feel heavy, my feet felt like they were glued to the floor. I looked down and saw a red magic circle forming around me. What the f**k was happening?  I watched the circle connect, sealing me inside. I was being summoned. At first, I was impressed; you had to be a very powerful dark magic user to summon someone of my class. But then my rage set in. I had vowed never again to be called upon like a common day slave. I refused to be treated like someone’s hellhound. I clenched my fist as my body descended further into the circle, the spell slowly transporting me. 

  My chest started to heave as the promise of vengeance coursed through my veins. I will f*****g kill whoever was on the other side of this. I kept even breaths and rolled my neck as the new room I was summoned to appeared before me. The circle stopped glowing and I appeared to be in a small room. 

   There were tall white candles lit, creating a dim atmosphere. The room smelled strongly of lavender and honey; it made my mouth water. A soft gasp came from behind me. I turned around, ready to rip the summoner’s throat out. A female came into my vision and my heart stopped. 

 Phoebe

   I watched the body of Alpha Titus Jones materialize in the room. This wasn’t at all what I had expected. The rumors didn’t give him any justice. He was tall, a frightening height of 6’3. His frame was large, making it seem like the room shrunk. All I could see was his back which was wide and muscular. I let out a soft gasp when I realized the poor man only had a small towel covering him.   

   He smelled like red velvet cake, something I haven’t indulged in for years. His presence was making my skin tingle. I was beginning to worry. He slowly turned around and my breath caught. His eyes were a beautiful milk chocolate and he had thick eyebrows. His face was aligned with a large square jawline and perfectly trimmed sideburns and beard. His chiseled chest was heaving and I had a clear view of his abs and v-line that disappeared into his towel.

  We made eye contact; my body frozen in place. He took small steps towards me. He stopped inches away from me, I had to strain my neck to clearly see his face. I thought he would be mad and murderous, but he just stood there in silent wonder.

  He brought his big hands up and cupped my face. His touch felt hot and it made my knees weak. “Mate.” he whispered, his baritone voice making my stomach flip. He bent down his head and gently kissed me. He tasted sweet; his breath warm against my skin. When he pulled back, I stared at him in a daze. “Mate.” I whispered back.