A Gift of Magic

Chapter 3

            Leigh had to think quickly. She sat cross legged on the ground, placed her hands palm down on the ground, and opened her mind to the land. She was able to determine that the community she was kept in was about five or so miles away which gives her some time to find a way out. She then searches for the pull she felt for the spell book. The pull came from the Northeast, now she just needed to find her pack. Opening her eyes, the pudgy raccoon from earlier was walking towards her dragging her pack on the ground. She got up and went to the raccoon and pat her head and tried to pick up her bag, but all the straps were undone. She sighed and quickly put her straps to rights and slung her backpack on. She started jogging towards the Northeast where the pull came from. Fortunately for her she was an avid runner although she never did achieve that runner’s body that other were able to accomplish. Surprisingly, the raccoon ran ahead of her and up a tree to land on the pack as Leigh was running under her. Apparently, she had made a friend.

            Logan had been watching the pack meeting from his concealed location. He was shocked when Jason decided to give the witch to Robert. That male was sadistic, he had heard the females whisper of horrible dealings with him when they thought no one was listening. How could an alpha choose a beta to keep the pack laws that was constantly breaking council laws never mind pack laws. Logan had made the council aware of the mistreatment of the pack and the issues with the leadership. They had just been waiting for a solid reason to remove the leadership permanently, this witch gave that solid reason. While Robert was placing the collar on the witch and moving the chain Logan was preparing to intervene when the witch suddenly changed into a black bear. Since her new shape was so large and silver is a soft metal the collar and shackles snapped and fell to the ground. She was beautiful with a sleek black pelt with those odd bright green highlights throughout. The entire pack, including the alpha and beta, were so shocked at her transformation and the breaking of the bindings that she was able to quickly escape.

            This  shock ended when she hit the tree line and the alpha and beta jumped into action. The beta growled and started running in the direction she had escaped. The pack erupted with everyone talking at once. The alpha Jason stood up and yelled at the pack with the authority of an alpha in his voice, “Quiet all of you! Sit down.” The pack quieted immediately and resumed their original seating patiently waiting for Robert to return.

            Robert returned snarling, “The witch escaped somehow. I followed her scent a small distance into the forest and then her scent just disappeared.”

            A scowl appeared on Jason’s face making him appear crueler than normal, “Form search parties of two or four to hunt the witch. Fan out in all directions. Don’t come back until you have news of the witch.” He ended his order with a howl, and the pack howled along with him.

            Logan knew he had to find her first and help her, the council members coming had an idea of what was going on and could handle things here when they arrived. Knowing he could travel more ground as a wolf he stripped and quickly rolled his clothes into a special pouch he carried with him. Slipping the pouch over his head he cracked open the door of the observation area and shifted as quickly as possible. Shifting required the rearranging of bones, ligaments, and muscles and was less painful and quicker as he got older. Fortunately, he was a strong alpha male in his own right, but with no desire to be a member of a pack or run a pack. His strength allowed him to shift much quicker than most. So, within a minute of shifting, he was in wolf form. The pack already resting around his neck he slipped out of the observation area to sneak into the woods. Immediately he was headed toward the clearing he first found her in. He was running full out an indescribable feeling insisting that he find her first. He didn’t understand why his instincts had him so desperate to find her, but he learned long ago to follow his instincts, they have never served him wrong.

            Less than ten minutes later he stopped in the clearing panting hard. He took a minute to catch his breath and calmly walked to where she must have gone to reclaim her pack. He easily found her scent and started following it. Her scent was less than ten minutes old, so she didn’t have a large head start on him. He started trotting evenly with his nose to the ground following briskly behind her. Looking at her small footprints he could see that she was running so he picked up his pace to a run, he could always slow down if her scent took an unexpected turn.

Leigh could now feel the insistent tugging on her to the mountain ahead. The ground not even so she had to slow down to a walk as she hiked toward the mountain. Now that she had slowed down to a walk her new raccoon friend jumped from her pack to a nearby tree and quickly climbed down to the ground. Leigh looked at the raccoon, “hello friend, looks like we are getting close to my goal location.”

            The raccoon looked at her with her bright eyes and chittered softly to her, “food?” Immediately sniffing the air.

            Leigh chuckled taking her pack off to pull out the fruit she had stored earlier. As she pulled out the first fruit, she could get her hands on she noticed it had several small bites taken out of it. She inspected the fruit and shrugged handing it to the raccoon, who took the fruit and started eating it greedily. Curious she pulled out another piece of fruit to find it had several small bites taken out of it as well shrugging she put the fruit back in her pack. As she was tightening the straps and putting the pack back on her back, she swore she heard giggling in the trees but upon investigation she saw nothing. “So odd,” she said to herself and started picking her way to the mountain again with a happy raccoon carrying a mango seed beside her.

            Leigh was about one hundred feet from the base of the mountain when suddenly she had the distinct feeling she was being watched. She stopped dead in her tracks and heard a twig snap behind her. She spun around and saw nothing at first. Speaking clearly, she said, “I know you are there come out where I can see you.”

            A beautiful jet-black wolf stepped out of the  sparse woods to the left of her position about twenty feet away. He was extremely large, and his shoulder was level with her face and had beautiful clear amber eyes that watched her with clear intelligence. Growing up in a magical community she was familiar with most were species and spoke clearly to this wolf, “shift and speak to me or I will be forced to assume the worst and incapacitate you.” She couldn’t feel any negative intentions coming from him, but better safe than sorry.

            She didn’t expect him to shift right in front of her. One moment she was looking at a sleek beautiful wolf and then his limbs were contorting and the next minute she is looking at a large muscular very naked male. Knowing nudity wasn’t as uncommon for the were as it was for her, she focused on his face, although if she was being honest, it was difficult. He had a handsome face with high cheekbones, full lips, jet-black hair just like his wolf, and the same clear amber eyes of his wolf. He held his hand palms out towards her in a placating gesture. His voice was deep and soothing as he spoke his first words, “I am a member of the were-council investigating the pack of Alpha James, I mean you no harm.”

            Leigh looked at him speculatively, “And just how am I to confirm this?”

            He smiled at her; he had a nice smile that lit up his eyes. “I have identification that I keep in my pack if you will allow me to get it out.”

            “Toss me your pack and I’ll get it out myself,” by the goddess does this guy think I’m a moron? He could have a weapon in that pack for all I know.  

            He smiles again and indulgently tosses me his pack, but it lands about five feet from me. I look at my raccoon friend, “could you bring that to me please?”

            She looks at me and says, “food?” I nod and she scurries over to the pack and drags it to me. I crouch down and place my pack on the ground pulling out banana and handing it to her. I notice that the banana also has the same small bites, so weird. My raccoon buddy grabs the banana and moves over to the side and behind me to eat. I reach for the stranger’s pack while keeping him in my peripheral vision, quickly I realize that this is going to be uncomfortable. Let us just say that his personal bits are in my peripheral and that’s not exactly what I need to see right now. I quickly sling my pack over my shoulders and stand up with his pack in my hands. When I stand, he has a self-satisfied smirk on his face. I roll my eyes and open his pack. Inside I find his identification, just like he said, along with clothes. I toss him his clothes. “Get dressed while I examine your id.”

            He dresses without complaint, and I scan his id, it looks real, and he matches his picture. When he’s done, I put the id back in his pack and toss it back to him. He catches it easily and stretches out the strap to fit the pack cross wise on his chest. I catch myself checking him out and snap myself out of my fantasy, “what have I done to catch the attention of the council. I am not a were and I have not broken any of your rules.”

            “My name is Logan. I saw what happened to you at Alpha James’s meeting. His pack is searching for you. Although you are no longer on his pack territory, I doubt that will stop his search. I would like to protect you from them.” Logan gives Leigh a smile and waits patiently for her reply.

            “Nice to meet you, Logan. If you were at the meeting then you know that I don’t need your protection, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself.” Leigh turned dismissing Logan and took one step away before his hand was on her bicep gently turning her.

            As soon as Logan touched the witch, he could feel tingles running along his skin where he was touching her. Her scent fully hit his system and it calmed his inner wolf like nothing else. When she turned to face him, and they made eye contact he felt the connection deep in his soul. Her bright green eyes captured him, and he was unable to move. MATE. Rarely is a were mated outside of his species but it has happened occasionally in the past. He had started doing a little research about non-traditional mates when he hadn’t found his mate yet at 25. Through his research he knew that he had to make this witch fall in love with him before she would feel the mating bond, but research says that she will be attracted to him.

            He said softly, “I know you do not need my protection, but I am offering it anyways. James’s pack can be ruthless. Please let me help you.”

            Her eyes softened. “Fine but don’t get in my way. I’m on an important mission and cannot be sidetracked.” She looked pointedly at his hand which was still softly gripping her arm.

            Logan nodded. “May I have your name witch?”

            Her eyes turned hard immediately, oh crap he inadvertently insulted her. She said in a sharp tone, “I am a Druid not a witch.”

            Logan bowed his head, “I am sorry, I had never heard the term Druid before today, but I will use it from now on. Your name Druid?”

            She said, “Leigh,” then turned and snatched her hand out of his grasp. His mate had spunk, he liked it. He took a few large steps to catch up to her and they walked in companionable silence until they reached the mountain base.