Her Perilous Wolf by Julie Steimle (free e books to read .txt) 📖

her head at him. “Wait, Rick. Maybe you should. People would more likely believe you were in a car accident than attacked by cougar if your scars were not so pronounced. You could remove your shirt more often.”

He blushed. “Um, Audry, I know they’re ugly to look at but—”

“She’s right,” Andrew butted in with a firm nod. “Let the Elf fix what she can.”

Rick rolled his eyes toward his friend. “I don’t see the necessity to—”

Audry came closer, kissing him. “For your safety.”

He practically melted. “Ok.”

The Elf was a master at this. She stroked along Rick’s worst scars, helping them seal up better without the stitch marks showing quite so much. She could have been a plastic surgeon with those hands. They were not entirely gone, of course. However, when she was done, most of his major scars from the cougar attack were now faint markings in his skin, barely raised. He still had one severe claw mark on his shoulder which she did not bother to heal, and the wolf bites and scratches remained mostly the same.

“I can only heal recent wounds,” Brigidt explained. Nodding to them both when she finished.

“How?” Audry murmured, dazzled by this ethereal, if not wild woman.

Brigidt smiled at her with affection. “I encourage what nature does best. I help it grow—especially parts that are still in pain. Healing is growth.”

“I think we can put a shirt on you now,” Daniel said to Rick, chuckling. He handed over the shirts Rick had dropped on the curb. “I think your pants are somewhere around here. I couldn’t find your shoes, though.”

Looking down at his holey socks, Rick chuckled. “What’s new?”

Everyone gathered around Rick and Audry now, Andrew making sure Rick hadn’t lost anything important, such as IDs, important keys, and licenses. Rick’s key fob for the Seven was still activated, but it wasn’t like Audry’s. It was a worn looking, bronzish trinket the shape of a flaming sun. No one would have pegged it as a symbol of the Holy Seven if he had not seen the flaming sun in their palms. It had more of an Arizona quality to it.

Jessica handed back to Audry her keys, including her fob, which she said may be replaced with something less conspicuous. “We clearly need to make them with different styles so no one recognizes them next time.”

“They might still toss my keys,” Audry muttered, “assuming one of the things on it is a tracker.”

“Good point,” Daniel remarked, peeking once to the Elf who was now petting Darth with incredible fondness. It was like she was having an in depth conversation with the dog of insurmountable importance—if not in good humor. “Then maybe you need another kind of tracker.”

“I have it!” Silvia held up the smooth fish hook stone on the leather strap. She jogged over, skirting away from the Elf. “This was a tracker I had made for you. But that jerk took it.”

Audry laughed reaching out for the stone. She had thought it was gone forever. “They destroyed the white crystal.”

Rick peeked over, frowning. His eyes expressed dismay that she had asked Silvia for magical help.

“Where’s your silver bullet?” Silvia asked, peering around. “That was the most important charm you had.”

Rick colored.

Audry blinked. “What?”

Nodding, Silvia sighed. “The white crystal just channeled your love and energy into that bullet, keeping you safe. That silver bullet was the real charm of protection.”

It was not unlike what Juma had said. And Rick colored more.  

Digging into her bra, tugging her shirt closed as best as she could considering the buttons had popped off when that jerk had stuck his hand into her shirt, Audry extracted the silver bullet. “It fell in.”

Rick laughed, staring at that. “You still keep it?”

She shrugged, flushing at the cheeks as she held it up. “It reminds me of you.”

With a knowing look, he smirked. “You mean the wolf.”

“Same difference.” She blushed, biting her lower lip.

“That needs a chain,” Silvia declared, reaching out for it.

But Brigidt snatched up the bullet charm before Silvia could touch it. “I can do better.”

Silvia took a step back from her, paling. The Elf’s eyes grazed over Silvia like a knife shaving. It was too close for her comfort. Yet with her nimble fingers, the Elf drew off her head what seemed to be a thin string of twine, which she then deftly wove in three strands of her own hair to make a gentle rope. She slid the silver bullet onto the new string, then tied together the ends, weaving in the frayed parts so that one could not tell the beginning from the end. Brigidt handed it back to Audry. Blinking at her then at her bullet, Audry took it, pulling it over her head.

“Thank you,” Audry said.

But Silvia had gone paler.

“So,” the Elf said. “We have entered into a deal.”

“What?” Audry looked to Silvia then the others. Jessica was glaring at the Elf as if she had done a naughty thing.

“What kind of deal?” Jessica snapped.

The Elf held up her hands, stepping away from Jessica as one solidly chastened. “Not to worry, Chosen One. It is nothing she has promised as such, but rather that I will also be a guard for her, if needs be.”

Yet Jessica’s eyes narrowed, clearly not believing her. Audry took note. Silvia was still pale with private terror.

Daniel huffed. “Brigidt, she can tell when you are not being entirely honest. Jessica can spot a liar.”

Coloring, the Elf retorted, hands up. “Ok. Ok. Maybe there are terms she agreed to when she accepted and pulled on the necklace. But no harm done. Her silver charm is the core of it all, and I have no influence over that.”

“What terms?” Rick demanded, eying the Elf sharply. He stood protectively between Audry and the Elf. It triggered a warm rush of comfort to flood through Audry. She leaned toward him.

Grinning fondly at him, Brigidt replied, “To always protect you with her life.”

He colored, peeking back to Audry.

Audry rolled her eyes. “I was going to do that anyway.”

Brigidt nodded, grinning.

Yet Silvia peeked to Rick again, not so sure. He understood that look. Jessica also frowned, not entirely satisfied.

The Elf said to Silvia, a bite entering her voice as she saw the exchange, “Your witchcraft is not necessary here.”

Daniel stepped in between them, blocking Brigidt’s view of her. “What did I say about harassing my sister?”

Rolling her eyes, the Elf hung her shoulders, muttering. “Not to.”

He nodded. “…And?”

Moaning, the Elf drew in a deep mantra-like breath and added, “To Stop jumping to conclusions and trust your judgement.” Though clearly she did not want to do that. This Elf reminded Audry a little of Selena. They had the same kind of ennui when it came to ‘mortal things’, despite her obvious fondness for Daniel. In fact, her fondness for Daniel seemed to be what was holding her in check.

“That’s right,” Daniel said with a chastening nod. He then turned with a nod to the others in the group, searching for someone in the crowd. “Oh, and I told you there was someone here I wanted you to meet, which is why I brought you. He’s here. Randon?”

Randon stepped forward, as if from hiding. His eyes were wide and mesmerized on this elvish woman. Silvia watched him as he approached Brigidt, bracing herself.

“I just need to know, can you undo his situation as a familiar?” Daniel said to Brigidt.

Randon perked up, peeking to Silvia who had now inched behind him, hiding from the Elf’s view.

Audry pulled next to Rick watching this peculiar meeting as everyone else did. In her mind’s eye she could almost see an acolyte bowing to a powerful goddess. However, Randon merely stepped up to Brigidt, waiting with something between fear and hope.

Brigidt gazed on him, her face taking on a bronze shade, eyes going dark and hair morphing into an Egyptian style weave. It was the same face, but she now had all that heavy eye makeup and a shadow of ancient quality about her which even made her look like a cat briefly. But it came and went. Standing there was modern Brigidt once again—curly hair, tee shirt and jeans.

Shaking her head, Brigidt replied with honest sorrow, “I’m afraid your curse is not one I can undo. But you are a good cat. It has become as much a part of your soul as the human being that you are.”

“Can you at least undo the enactment words?” Randon asked, nearly pleading. Audry waited, hoping for him.

The Elf shook her head. “Sorry. I am unable to. It is one of those spells intertwined with the blood of the enactors. I’m afraid they would have to die for the curse to be lifted.”

Rick shot him a commiserating look.

“My mother and my sister are going to eventually get out of prison,” Randon murmured, stress lining his face. “And they will come for me.”

Nodding, the Elf frowned. “I am afraid that is inevitable. Unless you are willing to kill them yourself, there is nothing I can do.”

Audry flinched. Was this woman really suggesting that Randon kill his mother and his sister?

Rick squeezed her arm, whispering into her ear, “Elves live in a very final mindset. They don’t see the world the same way humans do.”

Picking up on that, Brigidt raised her eyebrows at him. “The realm of magic is not wishy washy. It is either for life or for death.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” Silvia whispered into Randon’s ear. “If they get out, I’ll be prepared for them.”

“And what will you do, witch?” Brigidt snapped. A lifetime of fury was on her face—and apparently she had an extremely long life.

Audry jumped between with Daniel. “Hey! That’s uncalled for! You don’t know her!”

They both exchanged looks. They had said the same thing.

Jessica raised a hand. “I’ll vouch for Silvia.”

Startled, the Elf stepped back, staring at them all—but most especially Jessica. “They tried to sacrifice you. You of all people should know.”

Rick sighed, tapping the Elf on the shoulder.

She turned around, startled to see even him speaking up on Silvia’s behalf.

“Give her a chance,” Rick said. “I get why you don’t trust her. But I know she’s been protecting Audry better than I could.”

“For her own selfish reasons, I am sure,” Brigidt declared, her gaze worriedly flickering from Audry to the others.

“That may be,” Rick said, not even looking to Silvia. “But I am just as guilty of acting on self-preservation as she is. For that matter, so are you.”

The Elf colored.

“My point exactly,” Daniel exclaimed irritably. “You are the pot calling the kettle black here.”

Groaning, Brigidt shot Silvia a dirty look.

“You just don’t like her because she’s been raised a witch,” Daniel bit out.

“I have endured enough witches…” Brigidt muttered, staring skyward.

“As have we all,” Daniel retorted dryly. “But that is no excuse to make yourself into a pest.”

Brigidt paled, her mouth popping open in protest—especially with him. Audry could see something else was going on here, something more than the Elf’s objection to a witch. 

Rick tugged Audry, and for that matter, Silvia aside. He whispered, “How powerful do you think is that Elf braid going to be for Audry?”

Glad to be away from the Elf’s glares, Silvia whispered with a nod to Audry, “It will work better than mine. Elf magic is the most potent. No one will be able to remove that charm without your permission. It will be stronger than steel. She’ll also be able to find you anywhere, and you will at least be protected from minor demons. If anything, they‘ll shy away from you. But the bigger, more dangerous ones, like your Chinese snake, might still have a go at you.”

Rick paled. “So, what do we do?”

“I could set up a shadow spell,” Silvia suggested. “But she’d have to move in with you.”

“No.” Both Audry and Rick shook their heads. They exchanged a look.

“We have to keep this above board,” Rick said, face hot.

“I am not moving in with a guy I’ve just started dating,” Audry protested. “I’ve never done that with anybody!”

Silvia groaned. “You