Finding Her

Chapter 5

King Luca’s POV

“That was odd.”

“What about it was odd?”

Johnny looks at me as if I’m losing my mind, but I can’t help teasing him.

I know that this is going to work. I can feel that I am so close to finding Rose.

“The witch. The hidden cabin in the woods. The entire thing. It was odd. Why was her face covered like that?”

“I imagine it cannot be easy being a witch. People always want something from you or are frightened of you. I understand wanting to keep your identity a secret.”

“Yeah, so she can hex people without them knowing her true identity.”

Laughing, I start to jog back to the Southern Silver’s packhouse.

Ideally, I would have liked to start working with the witch tonight. The sooner I find Rose, the better.

But I can wait one more night.

“She didn’t have a scent.”

Glancing at my Beta, I chuckle, feeling elated and unable to get worked up over anything as trivial as scents.

“So?”

“So? So, that’s weird. She must be using some potions or weird magic to keep her scent disguised…and who knows what else.”

“And?”

“And I don’t like it! It’s untrustworthy. What’s she hiding? What if she tries something funny while we are all the way out here in the middle of nowhere…”

“You can’t possibly be scared of that small woman?”

“Small witch. Witch, Luca. And yes, I can be scared of a witch. They don’t have the best reputations. I’m going to ask around tonight, see if I can get any more information on her.”

“If that would make you feel better.”

“It would, and it should you too. Don’t forget, you are the King of the Southern Territory…if something happens to you…”

“Johnny, it’s fine. I will be fine. I don’t get any bad vibes from her at all and I am not worried about it. But go ahead and ask around. And if it makes you feel better, we can take more men with us tomorrow to stay on guard.”

“That would make me feel better.”

Johnny mumbles, scowling as he swats at a low hanging limb.

Grasping Johnny’s shoulder, I grin at him and speed up, eager to get back and get the cash the witch requested.

Twenty thousand is a steal to find Rose.

Fanning the thick stash of hundred-dollar bills inside an envelope, I stick them down the front pocket of my jeans and glance around.

It’s not even light out yet and the dozen men and women who I brought to the ceremony with me are all standing on the lawn around me, looking less than thrilled to be up so early after a late night of heavy partying.

Where the hell is Johnny?

Feeling impatient, I am about to mindlink with him when the door opens behind me and Johnny steps out, his arm around the red head from last night, his head bent low next to hers as he whispers something in her ear, her hair disheveled as she smiles dreamily up at my Beta in response.

She’s still wearing the slinky green dress from the night before, her heels dangling from her fingers at her side.

Guess Johnny’s night turned out alright after all.

Johnny glances up and I swirl my finger in the air, signaling him to wrap it up.

After a quick farewell kiss, Johnny releases the girl, grinning as he jogs over to me.

“Such a shame you never let yourself have any fun.” Johnny looks over his shoulder and throws a wink at the girl. “Now you might be stuck with just one lady forever, and she might not even be hot.”

Rolling my eyes, I cut through the crowd, who spread out behind me to follow me to the edge of the woods in the direction of the witch’s cabin.

“One is plenty for me. And my Rose is very beautiful. I take it this means you are okay with the information you gathered on the witch?”

Johnny rubs his neck guiltily.

“Oh, yeah…that. I got a little distracted.”

I raise my eyebrows at him in a mocking fashion.

“But Cindi did say that the witch has lived here several years and has helped quite a few people find their mate, even their new Alpha used her to find his Luna, not that she did him any favors if you ask me.”

He shutters.

“You’d think for twenty thousand, she’d at least find him a good-looking mate.”

“You know that looks don’t matter when it comes to your mate.”

“If you say so. Anyway, Cindi said she’d use the witch herself, but she cost too much. So, she has got to wait and find her mate the old-fashioned way.” He jogs backward with a grin. “And in the meantime, she gets to have fun, like she did last night with me.”

I ignore that.

“So, she didn’t say that the witch lures children to her home made of candy and cooks them into stew?”

“Ha ha.”

Johnny makes a face.

“Still don’t think it’s the best idea. We’ve had our share of magic gone wrong before…better not to mess with it if you ask me.”

“Potions aren’t the same thing as magic.”

“Maybe not all, but some are.”

“Come on, let’s move faster.”

Patting the envelope of cash in my pocket, I take off through the forest, eager to get to the strange, but somehow still cozy, cabin in the woods.

Ever the optimist, I have high hopes that the witch will find my Rose.

If she doesn’t…if she doesn’t, then I will keep my promise to my brother.

I will stop actively trying to find her…well, not as actively. I can’t just give up entirely.

We are almost there when I signal for the group to slow down.

“Did she happen to give you the witch’s name?”

“Nah. Said she never gives it to anyone.”

The sun is completely up by the time we reach the cabin, and when I move towards the door, it swings opens to reveal the small frame of the witch, dressed in black leggings and an oversized black hoodie, her face covered again.

But even with her body and face completely covered, I can feel a pulsing energy from her, as if she is furious by my arrival.

“No! No, no no! I will not have all these Lycans surrounding my cabin! They need to go away!”

My pack members exchange glances as I stop and consider the lady in black.

She has a problem with Lycans?

I avoid looking at Johnny, blocking him from my head as I can feel him pressing to tell me that this is a problem.

Stepping forward, I gesture towards her to indicate if it’s okay that I approach.

She fidgets with her sleeves, touching the silky fabric over her face and pushing up her sunglasses before she gives the faintest of nod.

I lower my voice when I get closer.

“I am afraid that as king, I am followed by an entourage to ensure my safety.”

The witch places her hands on her hips in a challenging way.

“Don't tell me that you are afraid of a little witch, King Luca?”

The way she says it leaves me momentarily baffled, a strange sense of déjà vu coming over me.

It almost reminds me…

My eyes roam down the woman’s body and she quickly drops her hands loose to her side and deepens her voice.

“Fine, but they need to move back, much, much further back.”

“My Beta stays just outside.”

Even behind the dark sunglasses, I can tell that she is rolling her eyes.

“Fine!”

She turns around, waving her hand irritably as she steps inside.

Looking back at my pack, I silently communicate instructions to them.

They all looked hesitant, clearly not understanding why their king is insisting on visiting a witch in the middle of nowhere who is dressed like a bank robber and clearly doesn’t like Lycans.

The things we do for love.

As I turn and enter the cabin, I find myself growing a little curious about the feisty, muttering witch, who is pacing back and forth in frustration.

What is her story?

“Close the door.”

Stopping, I reach back and close the door behind me, the inside of the cabin going dark.

Squinting, I look around and notice the heavy blackout curtains over the window.

“Come sit over here.”

“It’s dark, how about a little light?”

“Oh please. I know you can see just fine.”

“You seem to know a lot about Lycans.”

“Mmmhmm.”

“How is that? You live adjacent to a werewolf pack. Did you live near a Lycan pack at one time?”

“Are you here to find your mate, or ask questions?”

“Can’t I do both?”

A flame flickers in front of the witch's covered face as she lights a match and holds it to a candle.

“No. Come sit down.”

I make my way to the seat, but before I can sit down, she holds out her hand.

“You have the money?”

Reaching into my pocket, I pull it out and place it in her hand, my fingertips lightly brushing the skin just above her wrist.

She pulls her hand back as if burned and yanks her sleeve down.

Maybe Johnny was right…maybe I should have gotten more experience before meeting my mate.

Even that small contact of skin with this random woman is causing a stirring inside of me. A strange longing to touch her again.

She backs away, putting distance between us as if reading my mind and afraid that I won’t be able to control my unwelcomed urge, and looks inside of the envelope.

“Do you want to count it?”

“No, I trust you.”

She says this in a casual way that makes me raise my eyebrows.

“You didn’t trust me last night.”

The witch decides to ignore this and gestures for me to sit again as she settles herself into the chair across from mine, a small table with the candle on it between us.

Doing so, I find my curiosity growing even further.

“Tell me your name.”

She snorts.

“I am sure that you are used to everyone doing exactly as you command, King Luca, but I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I am not in your territory. Just two inches north of it.”

She sounds cocky as she says this, and I am hit with that same crazy feeling of déjà vu.

“Do I know you?”

My question seems to throw her, her hand jerks and knocks over the candle, extinguishing the flame and leaving us in the dark again as she quickly scrambles to place it back upright.

I notice that her hands are shaking as she attempts to light another match.

Covering her hand with my own across the table, I slide it towards me, leaning over the table to try to see her face, feeling a ridiculous sense of urgency to know the identity of this mysterious woman under the mask.

“Tell me your name.”

“N-no.”

Her voice is a hushed whisper, and she yanks her hand back, touching her face to ensure it's still covered, but her hands are shaking so badly, that she pushes her sunglasses sideways, making them go crooked. In her haste to straighten them, she accidentally knocks them so that they hang completely off one ear, revealing the most beautiful green eyes that I have ever seen.

And I recognize them immediately.