Free The Spell by Heather Killough-Walden Page B

There was Mischa, the six-year-old son of Rebecca and Adam, two of the coven members. Alice was there too; she was a year younger than Mischa and the daughter of Jennifer Rae, another coven member.
    And then it hit Danny. Magic. It was all around them.
    Oh no , she thought, her head snapping back around to look up at Lucas. His dark eyes were sparking strangely at their centers and his mouth was closed tight.
    Fangs, she realized. He’s trying to hide his fangs.
    *****
    It washed over Lucas like a crimson tide, smothering and strong and shocking to the point that his fangs instantly erupted in his mouth, and his fingertips began to ache where his nails threatened to grow.
    Magic. The scent was staggering. It was everywhere. It smelled like stardust and promises and flowers that were almost in bloom. The scent was indescribable really, and to most people it probably would have smelled like hope.
    But to him, it was nothing short of the stench of impending death. He had no way to defend himself against magic. There was nothing he could do to protect Danny from whatever it was that was here in this crowd.
    His wolf reared its head and awakened within him, snarling at the gates, clawing at the edges of his being and begging to be set free.
    “Lucas, you know I just had a thought,” Danny said beside him. He looked down at her and saw her flinch.
    Fuck , he thought. Keep it together Caige! He barked at his wolf to heel, sending the animal within him scurrying backward long enough to keep the red in his eyes from showing any more than it most likely already did. He took a deep breath, shoved his fangs back in, and also forced his grip on his woman to loosen.
    My woman . Where the hell did that come from?
    Danny slowly pulled her hand from his and had enough kind consideration not to rub it, which he knew she must want to do. He’d really been holding on. “It’s kind of crowded here,” she ventured softly, her voice like a salve on his hyper-alert nerve endings. “It might be a little quieter further down the beach. I know a short cut if you’re game.”
    God bless her , Caige thought. Maybe I’ll manage to keep from scaring the crap out of her tonight after all.
    “Danny!”
    Caige’s head snapped up and around at the sound of someone calling Danny’s name. A young man dressed in Russian dancing clothes was jogging toward them. He was a fairly handsome man, probably in his mid-to-upper twenties, with thick brown hair and a slightly goofy smile. His gray-blue eyes were open and friendly.
    And he smelled like magic.
    “Danny, what are you doing here?” the man asked in a heavy Russian accent. Caige glanced down at the woman beside him. She looked distinctly uncomfortable, self-conscious and more than a touch afraid. Lucas’s inner wolf bared its fangs.
    “Sasha!” Danny replied amidst a nervous laugh. “Is Imani here with you?” she asked then, looking around for herself.
    “Yes, but –”
    “Danny, what the hell are you doing here?” came Imani’s angry voice from behind them. Lucas and Danny both spun to see the gorgeous African-Brazilian woman standing hands-on-hips, head cocked to one side, deep chocolate eyes shooting daggers at Danny. Danny took a step back.
    But Imani was having none of that. With lips pursed and gaze narrowed, the woman came forward and grabbed one of Danny’s hands. Caige fought the sudden impulse to yank her back out of the woman’s grip. That was ridiculous. The two were best friends – almost sisters. What was wrong with him?
    The magic was getting to him. He needed to get out of there.
    “I’m sorry, Lucas. Can I borrow her for a moment, please?” Imani asked and then didn’t wait for a reply before she was pulling Danny several yards away to speak with her in whispered tones.
    Lucas felt a warning in the air. The stench of legerdemain was all around him, threatening from all sides. But it was more than that. Danny seemed scared, and for some reason that bothered him even