Summer Cursed

“I’m not getting into this right now. Please leave so I can do my job. We will talk later.”

I sensed a wave of his energy as he left the house. I didn’t care. He could be mad all he wanted, I had shit to do. I didn’t need literal Alpha males thinking they knew what was best for me.

“Okay, Patty, let’s see what you’ve got for me,” I said as I opened the file again and set to work.

After two days of being stuck in my house finishing my edits, I woke up stir-crazy. Before I’d gone to bed, I’d sent the file back to Patricia for the final round of her notes. I’d finished work for the time being, and I deserved a break.

Plus, I was wondering if Liam had tried contacting me with any information, so I turned my phone back on. I’d had it off to prevent distractions while I worked. I’d found out just silencing it didn’t work. I’d still pick it up now and then to see if I was missing anything. I never was, so decided to just turn it off.

A text came through the second it came back to life. It was a happy birthday GIF from Stella.

“Dammit,” I said as I replied to her.

She responded telling me she’d leave me alone for the day, but to be ready at seven o’clock.

“Damn.”

I looked around the house trying to decide what I wanted to do for the next twelve hours. I could continue working on the outline for book six in the Chastity Files, but I’d just spent most of the past forty-eight hours working. It was time for something else, but I really didn’t want to see Isaac. Something about him made me itchy lately. He was different, I just couldn’t figure out how.

Pushing aside my unease, I put on a pot of coffee to brew while I ran a bath. Sinking into my chin, I let my eyes close. A bath was the closest I could get to relaxing.

I zoned out while switching from thinking about my curse, the picture of the portrait, and the women who Chris had assaulted. Why was someone still sending the drugged candy to women? Were they also assaulting them? Was Chris in some kind of rapist group?

An odd noise snapped me out of my thoughts. It sounded like someone tapping on my bedroom window. I got out of the tub and peered into the room. The tapping grew more frantic as I neared the window.

I pulled back the curtain to see Henry sitting in the flower box outside my window. He had been tapping the glass with his beak and was screeching like crazy. I opened the window, and he flew in, landing on my dresser.

“What’s wrong, little dude?” I asked just as a crash sounded from the living room. “Ah, I see now. Thanks, buddy.”

Not bothering to cover my naked body but grabbing my phone, I made my way to see who the hell was breaking into my house. I sent a text to Liam as I went.

In the middle of my living room stood a man wearing a ski mask and holding a crowbar. I didn’t recognize his scent. The only thing I could tell is he was strong, not Alpha strong but strong nonetheless.

I cocked my hip and smiled. “Got tired of the bat, did you?”

“You don’t learn, do you?”

“Do you want to teach me a lesson? Is that why you’re here?” I stalked my way closer to him. “What is it you want me to learn?”

At top speed I moved behind him. I wrapped one arm around his neck and used my other hand to hold his crowbar arm behind his back. “Go ahead, tell me what I need to know. I’m all ears.”

He stomped my foot, crushing my toes. My hold loosened, but I didn’t let go.

“Stupid, bitch,” he ground out as he jerked forward and flipped me over his back.

I bounced back quickly, ignoring the pain in my foot as it healed. We stood staring at each other, waiting for the other to make their move. I could smell his fear and his arousal.

Men. They see a naked woman, and they can get hard in any situation.

Sickened by him, I shifted. The shift healed my injury quicker than if I’d stayed in human form. And now we’d see how much his dick liked it when a wolf’s teeth sunk into him.

My wolf growled, showing her teeth as she moved toward him. His arousal disappeared and his fear peaked.

Contrary to a lot of the stories, including the ones I write, I was fully aware of everything while my wolf was in charge. I was just kind of in the background. Like a passenger in the backseat of a car. I could watch what was going on, even make suggestions, but my wolf was in full control and did what she wanted.

This time I told her in no uncertain terms we could not kill the man. We needed him. She kind of inwardly snarled at me, but I knew she’d do as I asked.

Henry came to join the party. He swooped down at the man’s head making him drop the crowbar and giving my wolf the opening to pounce on him. He fell back, his head hitting the wood floor below with a loud crack. My wolf climbed on top of him, stepping on his crotch before sitting on his chest to pin him down. Henry landed on his head, tormenting him by digging his talons into his scalp.