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  I left a note for our overnight baristas, who had the most free time to mix up a new blend of fruit mixer. The strawberry kiwi was too sweet. It needed more of a blackberry undertone, even with the grape in the mix.

  For now, I had to mix a powerful potion. They weren’t the most glamorous part of the witch world, but they packed a punch. I debated adding a backup potion of cat got your tongue to the main one. Shutting up that hunter would help calm things down tremendously.

  3

  Walking into the coven room on the second floor, I locked the door behind me. The smell of sage and other herbs ignited the witch in me. Soothing customers and keeping my aunt happy were part of my life, but magic was my purpose.

  The paranormal world felt more natural to me. Part of me would love to ignore reality and the humans, but that’s how problems start. Too often, paranormal creatures would avoid humans and eventually let their guard down.

  Grabbing a small cauldron, I assessed what ingredients I’d need. I gathered everything for a healing potion and began to mix it. The sooner he was healed, the sooner he could get on with his life. But my aunt said he was really injured. Should I make this potion extra strong? Then, he might push himself, and he’d relapse.

  He needed to sleep more than anything. I added herbs to encourage sleeping. Once everything was in, I cleaned up. Taking the cauldron with me, I locked the room and headed down the stairs.

  Sure, I got a few odd looks, carrying a straight up cauldron, but the café was called Witch’s Brew. Some thought it was a joke or a nod to the old witch trials. Others knew that my aunt was part of the Wiccan religion. As long as she didn’t recruit, no one seemed to care.

  I headed straight downstairs and found Aunt Mandy forcing tea on the hunter. Esme sat in the corner in cat form, swishing her tail back and forth.

  “Is he cooperating?” I asked.

  “I’ll do anything you say,” he teased.

  “How much have you had to drink?” I asked.

  “Not much. But your aunt’s pain medication is wonderful.” He smiled.

  “That’s so you can rest. The healing will take days,” my aunt replied.

  Esme darted under his cot and batted out a phone. One of those pay-as-you-go burner phones a lot of hunters used to make themselves harder to trace.

  “Look at this. Who did you need to call?” I asked Ryan.

  “I have friends. I needed to touch base. The cops are still looking for me. Can’t go back. Sorry,” he said with a smirk.

  “This will help.” I set the cauldron down.

  Esme dashed off into another area and returned in human form wearing a long dress but no shoes.

  “I heard you had a problematic customer. I could take care of that for you. Ladies love me.” He laughed.

  “How much did you give him?” I asked my aunt.

  “He was in a lot of pain when we cleaned the wounds.” She shrugged.

  Esme cleared her throat. “The customer won’t return. I’ve seen it.”

  “I think she might with that free coffee offer,” I said.

  “I can’t explain it, but my visions are rarely wrong,” Esme said.

  I knew she was right.

  “Who is dumb enough to mess with witches? You could turn her into a frog,” he said.

  “I could turn you into a frog. Keep you in a cage—it’d be less trouble.” I grinned.

  “And miss all this?” He gestured to his body.

  He was hot. They’d left him shirtless and in nothing but boxers. The wounds were extensive and all over. Deep gashes. The werewolf or wolves had gotten a hold of him for some time.

  “You’re lucky to be alive. You need to sleep, eat, get your bandages changed, and go back to sleep.” I held up the cauldron.

  “That sounds boring,” he said.

  Esmerelda mixed the potion and nodded. We whispered the spell over it then poured it into his glass. My aunt helped him get the glass to his lips.

  He got half of the potion down. “That tingles. You ladies are too strong to let some human complain and ruin your business.”

  “She didn’t ruin our business. And you’re a human, so should we not help you?” I asked.

  “I’m a hunter. I know all about you. I help keep the humans from going crazy and attacking the paranormal world by weeding out the evil ones like rabid dogs.”

  My aunt pushed the second half of the potion on him.

  “We’d rather everyone get along, but you are a necessary evil, for now,” I said.

  “You don’t like me because I know too much about you witches. But you shouldn’t let regular clueless humans push you around. You’re strong.” He gulped down the rest of it.

  “I’m strong enough to put you in your place if you need it. Esmerelda could smoke you into nothing with no effort.” I smiled at her.

  “Don’t forget it.” She pointed at him.

  “You’re very strong. I want to help you if I can. I like you ladies.” He snuggled up with the pillow and reached out.

  He grabbed my hand.

  “No, grabby,” I said.

  “I expected more of a hands-on healing.” He pouted.

  Esme slapped him across the face. “You’re doped up enough now that we can sew up the cuts, and that potion will help you.”

  “Yeah, if you grab or touch anyone, I’ll have the vampires toss you out in the snow and drain you if you try to get back in. I don’t like gropey guys,” I warned him.

  “You gave me all this. I’m used to pain, not drugs,” he admitted.

  “Maybe I did overdo it,” Aunt Mandy admitted.

  “No, don’t blame yourself. He should be at a hospital, not here. We can put him in a cage or tie his hands to the cot,” I suggested.

  Esme nodded and waved her hand. Rope appeared and tightly knotted his wrists to the metal sides of the cot.

  “You think this will hold me?” He smirked.

  “It’ll slow you down if you want to grab someone. If you want to leave, we’ll let you go,” I offered.

  “I’m not a good guest. I’m a lone wolf.” He laughed and howled.

  I looked up. We didn’t need him freaking out the customers. “You’re tripping. No more pain meds. Maybe I should take your phone while you’re out of it.”

  “No! I’m not a prisoner. I appreciate you letting me stay here, but I need to stay in touch with my friends and other hunters. I have to know what’s going on with my case.” He clutched the phone.

  “He’ll be less happy soon.” My aunt got out a suture kit.

  “You know what you’re doing?” he asked.

  “I’ve sewn up my husband plenty.” My aunt pulled a chair up. “It’s really just his leg that needs it. I can tape the others together.”

  “Fine.” I glared at the hunter. “Don’t give up your location. I’m not an accessory to anything.”

  “I’d never endanger my helpers.” He hissed when my aunt stuck a needle in his skin.

  “Just a little local numbing,” she said.

  I turned to Esme. “You can go. I’ll watch him.”

  Esme nodded and headed upstairs.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t lay a hand on your aunt. Her husband would kill me,” he said.

  “Not if I get you first. And I hide bodies better than hunters do.” I tossed the cup he’d been drinking from in the air. With a flick of my fingers, it was gone in a puff of smoke.

  “Hot,” he said.

  “Men.” I shook my head. All the good-looking ones were evil, human, or stupid. This guy was two out of three. I wasn’t convinced which two yet, but time would reveal all.

  4

  Running into the darkness, I dared to glance back. I couldn’t see the werewolf, but I heard the snarls and howls. I ran faster until my heart felt like it would explode in my chest. Finally, I found a tree and transfigured into a cat. I climbed the tree and went as high as I could without breaking a branch.

  The sounds seemed to be coming closer. That only made the ter
ror worse. It sounded like a pack was surrounding me.

  “No!” I shouted as I sat up in bed. Even knowing it was a dream didn’t stop the fear.

  I hadn’t had those dreams in a while. The cold sweat made me shiver, but I threw off the covers, anyway. It had to be the presence of the hunter.

  The dreams had plagued me when I was young. As the memory of my mother’s death faded, I just had nightmares about being chased by a werewolf myself. It didn’t matter that my uncle had killed the werewolf that murdered my parents.

  In this dream, I felt like I was chasing a secret. Maybe it was whatever my aunt and Iris were talking around. Hunters had never been a sore point, before but we’d never known any but gypsy hunters as far back as I could remember. I didn’t really remember my dad… He was the only non-gypsy hunter I knew of. They were rare and not trusted in gypsy circles. Nothing clicked. The puzzle was giving me a headache.

  I trudged to the bathroom and washed my face. My little loft apartment on the top floor was perfect for me. Open space done in dark greens and dark purples. I could be myself here. But the idea that there was a hunter in the basement of the building made me anxious.

  Hunters were a necessary evil. Some vampires and werewolves always refused to coexist peacefully. The vamps wanted real hot blood from a human. The werewolves needed to hunt and experience their wolfie side. Or so they claimed.

  Killing humans or other vampires or werewolves, that was murder. They had to be held accountable, and there was no prison to hold them. Human justice wasn’t aware enough or evolved enough to understand the needs. No vampire or werewolf council existed to judge them or set down laws. The witch’s council was a reassuring international body that brought order for us. The hunter problems were relatively few when they were gypsy hunters. They had their own way of keeping order. But the rogue non-gypsy hunters were more dangerous.

  On the flip side, some hunters were too into their work and judged unsafe. What was to stop them from someday rising up against witches? If Ryan decided I was too powerful, would he kill me?

  What had kept them in check was their loner lifestyle. They had a loose network, but they called on each other only in emergencies. At least, those were the non-Romani hunters. The gypsy hunters had a network and could easily wage a war, but they respected the right of the paranormal to live. The Nazis had tried to exterminate the gypsies, so the gypsies were not about to treat others that way.

  No, the loner hunters worried me more.

  I checked my phone to see if there were any issues or problems. It sucked that I slept so hard I’d never hear my text notification. Luckily, my family and staff knew to call me, not just text, if they really needed me.

  Brad had texted that he’d brought the clothes for donation.

  Damn!

  I ran my fingers through my hair and checked in a mirror that the bedhead wasn’t too awful. Finding the jeans I’d worn today on the floor, I slid them back on. I’d fallen asleep in my pink T-shirt that had the café’s name on it, so I stepped into my fuzzy black cat slippers and headed downstairs.

  Brad and the other baristas all wore shirts in various colors with the same logo. I liked my little coffee shop, especially now when it was quiet. Some college kids and night owls occupied tables, but there was no rush or unhappy customers.

  I slid behind the counter, and Brad handed me a bag.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “No problem. It’s quiet tonight. But rumor is you’ve got a guest,” Brad said.

  He leaned on the counter and then shifted his posture and wiped a towel across the prep area. The fidgeting told me he was uneasy.

  “Have you heard anything from downstairs? He’s supposed to stay down there,” I said.

  Brad shook his head. “Nothing. I just don’t like the feel of him. The smell,” he said.

  Vampires’ heightened senses were annoying, but it meant I never smelled burnt coffee. They always caught it first. But it made them jumpy if there was someone they didn’t like the sense of.

  “I’ll check on him. He’s injured so you could take him out easily. You’re faster than humans, anyway,” I said.

  He nodded.

  The blood. No wonder Brad was jumpy. He could smell the dried blood on Ryan’s clothing. Even though they’d cleaned up and bandaged his wounds, his clothes were still there.

  “Are you eating enough? I know the blood bank stuff isn’t as good as fresh stuff, but with my aunt’s supplements and some extra blood, you’ll be fine.” I patted his arm.

  He nodded. “It’s just tempting. Some hunters aren’t so nice, and if I were to feed from a human again…”

  “I hear ya, but don’t.” I wagged a finger at him. “I could eat nothing but candy or try meth. But that’s not good for me. Killing humans hurts you.”

  “There are parties where humans let you drink. You don’t kill them, just feed,” he said.

  “Creepy. And how long do you think you could just feed without going out for a kill the next day?” I asked.

  “I understand what you’re saying. But you eat meat,” he said.

  “I do. And if you want to stop the blood bank and go for pig’s blood, there’s a butcher up the street. Some vampires prefer that. It’s fresher and not processed. Heat it up and go for it. You’ve got options, but if you kill a human or a cat, I’ll stake you myself.”

  He grinned sheepishly. “I won’t. But the blood smell—”

  “I’ll handle it.” I took the bag with me downstairs.

  “I thought I heard your voice.” Ryan was up and waiting for me.

  “Feeling better?” I asked as I pulled a worn pair of jeans and a pair of sweatpants from the bag. Digging for more, I retrieved a few T-shirts and set it all on his cot.

  “Good enough. I’ll need some of your aunt’s magic in the morning.” He sat up slowly.

  “Change into these. I’ll wash your clothes.” I grabbed his jacket from the corner. His shirt was on the other side of the room. I found his pants under the bed.

  “I’m not wearing another guy’s underwear.” He tossed the new clothes aside.

  “I don’t care if you go commando or stay down here naked. Those are your clothing options. These blood-encrusted rags need to be washed or the vamps will down here for a snack.” I smiled.

  He slid off the boxers, and I tried not to look. He was well-defined and muscled. I grabbed his boxers and turned for the stairs.

  “Running away so soon?” he teased.

  “I’m not running. I want the vamps to calm down, though. The sooner these are in the washer with a lot of soap, the better for you.” I shot him a look.

  He grunted and winced as he tugged on the sweatpants. “I’m decent.”

  “That’s debatable,” I mumbled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing. Did you pull that bandage off your leg?” I asked.

  “No. It’s tender but not bleeding through or anything. Wouldn’t want to tempt your friends,” he said.

  “You don’t want fight them off. Not in your condition. My aunt probably needs to get you on some natural antibiotic herbs to avoid infection.” I moved closer and put my hand to his forehead. “Yeah, feels like you’ve got a fever.”

  “I’m fine. Just having hot dreams about you.” He grabbed my wrist.

  “That’s cute. You’re not that hot or charming. You’re sick, and we’re trying to help you.”

  He sighed. “You said you didn’t care if I left. Now, you care?”

  “No, but my uncle does. If you cooperate and appreciate the help, fine. I’m not going to turn you out to die or land in jail for doing your job. But don’t test me.”

  “You’ve sent people to their death? I’ve killed. I’ve looked vamps in the eye and staked them,” he said.

  “And I haven’t? I hire vamps. Not every one of them can handle being tame. If my employee slips, I stake them. Or however I see fit. That’s my responsibility.”

  “Tough girl. I thought yo
u’d make your uncle handle it,” he said.

  “My uncle saved my life when I was kid. I trust him, and I’ll help. But I take care of my own messes. You don’t want to be one of them.” I poked him in the chest with my shimmering purple nail.

  “No, I don’t. But I can enjoy the cat-and-mouse game. Do you turn feline like Esmerelda?” he asked.

  “Not as a rule. I can transfigure, at times, but I didn’t achieve that young enough to get the nine lives ticket.” I wasn’t proud of that.

  “Maybe you’re more of a dog person. Ever tried being a cute little poodle?” he teased.

  “Please,” I scoffed. “I’m going. Aunt Mandy will check on you in the morning with breakfast.”

  “Night,” he said.

  I trudged up the stairs with the bloody clothes and went right for the washer off the kitchen area in the back. Lots of scented detergent, long presoak, heavy wash, and a note on the washer that said Private load—see Claudia before opening.

  They could think it was my sexy lingerie or witch’s robes. I just didn’t want the vamps to open it up if all the blood didn’t come out in the first wash.

  Brad was waiting for me when I stepped back into the café area.

  “The clothes are in the wash. Spray some air freshener and brew some of the gingerbread blend. That has a strong scent,” I suggested.

  He nodded. “You’re sure he’s a good hunter?”

  “My uncle brought him here. He’s injured enough to not be a threat, now. But I’ll try to check into the case he’s running from to be sure. But it was a werewolf case, and with all the video surveillance, you know hunters are getting hunted by the human police, now,” I said.

  “Okay. I can defend myself, but I don’t like the idea of you alone here with him.” He folded his arms.

  “Aww, that’s sweet. But I’m not. The shop is always open with staff. Plus…” I held out my hand. The huge knife they used to cut up fruit for our mixers flew from the counter to my hand. “I think I’m good.”

  He nodded and took the knife.

  “Good work, everyone. I’m heading back to bed,” I said.