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  Dangerous Magic

  Wolf Creek Pack Book 1

  TJ Finn

  Two Strange Chicks Publishing

  Copyright © 2020 TJ Finn

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover Design by EmCat Designs

  Dangerous Magic/ TJ Finn. – 2nd ed.

  ASIN - B08946GK17

  Dedication

  This first book is dedicated to my parents. Without their unconditional love and sense of family, I would never have gotten this far. My parents were my rock, my best friends and the reason I am who I am today. I love you mom and daddy. I will never forget.

  Acknowledgements

  This is my first book and there are so many people who helped me get where I am now. So many names to list but I will put a few of them here. Dawn Potter, my best friend, roommate and the best damn writing partner I have ever had; Tracy O’Connor, that friend who will not tell you what you want to hear but what you should and need to hear. Aidy Award, ML Guida and Lyz Kelley who never get tired of my questions and help me deal with my insecurities becoming a writer. There are so many more who helped me get here. Know that, alt-hough I may not name you, you know who are and I am forever grateful for your love and encouragement that helped me get here.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Books By This Author

  Chapter 1

  Claire

  If we can get this one to shift, his fur will be worth thousands. Just have to remember not to damage the fur.

  What the...? Claire shot up from her hiding place behind the bushes to look out into the empty meadow. The words had been loud and clear in her mind as she’d knelt in the brush waiting to see if any deer or other animals would come into the meadow so she could take their pictures. It was one of her favorite things to do since moving from New Mexico to her little remote cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Plus, it brought in a little extra money that she put away for a rainy day. She could sit in the same spot for hours watching the animals coming and going. But today seemed like a slow day in the Wild Kingdom. She was about to pack up her trash from lunch and head home when she heard the voice in her head. Since there was never anyone around out here, she hadn’t set up the walls in her mind to block out the voices like she did when she went into town. Here she could relax and keep those walls down. It was exhausting to keep her defenses up all the time.

  A man suddenly burst from the trees as if hellhounds were hot on his heels to drag him back down to hell and Claire jumped back into the bushes before two men followed him into the meadow. Opening herself up, she found that she couldn’t read the first man, but the other two were coming through to her loud and clear.

  Surely, she hadn’t heard ‘kill him’ but a moment after registering those words, the two men stopped and raised their guns. Her hands rushed to her mouth to stifle the involuntary squeak as the sound of gunshots echoed in the valley. She watched the running man fall forward, and she dropped to her knees, her legs refusing to hold her up any longer. Her body was shaking and her heart pounding so hard in her chest it stole her breath. What had just happened?

  The silence after the gunshots was just as deafening but her curiosity won out over reason and she slowly stood to see the two men making their way to the fallen man, still holding their guns out in case he stood up. The word ‘jackpot’ echoed in her mind and her eyes moved to the area where he had fallen. The shooters were slowly approaching, and all their thoughts bombarded her as they whispered to each other.

  They were quibbling over who would get to kill the man and, without a second thought, she stood and burst through the bushes, flicking her hand at the two men, and creating a barrier between the shooters and herself. It wasn’t really a barrier, but more like camouflage that kept her hidden as she ran to where she’d seen the man fall.

  Profanity and frustration echoed in her mind from the shooters as she literally skidded to a stop when she saw, not a man, but a beautiful silvery blue wolf, blood matting the fur on his side. The wolf lifted his head and let out a warning growl as she approached him.

  Crap, the last thing I need is to be eaten by a wounded animal, Claire thought as she dropped to her knees beside the wolf, careful not to get too close.

  “Shh, I’m here to help you...uh, boy.” She inched her hand toward the wolf’s head, then jerked it back when the wolf’s lips curled back, exposing his teeth as he snarled.

  “I swear to god we hit him. He should be right around here.” The men were moving closer, and she hoped the camouflage held.

  “We’d better find him and get him back to Mr. James before he dies or it’s our asses on the line.”

  “Did you see him when he shifted back there? Why the idiot shifted back is beyond me.” The voices faded as they walked past Claire and the wolf and headed into the forest at the other end of the meadow.

  Claire tried one more time to reach out and touch the wolf who lay there, his ears flat, pointing outward, slightly forward and his forehead furrowed, brows raised. His eyes were like slits and peering at her, his muzzle twitched as he growled again and made a feeble attempt to snap at her.

  She jerked her hand back and barely kept herself from backing away. “It’s okay, boy. I can help you.” At least she hoped she could. She pushed out some warm, healing magic, and the wolf whimpered and dropped his head.

  Claire looked around and didn’t see the shooters, but they could come back. Standing, she put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Alright, wolfie, I need to get you out of here. But how?”

  She chewed her lip for a moment, going over her options. She’d seen people stranded in the wilderness build a sled to drag wounded people behind them, but who was she kidding? She was so far from being a boy scout it wasn’t funny, and she probably didn’t have enough time to do it.

  Looking down at the wolf who now seemed to be calmer, Claire took a deep breath, flicked her wrist, and the large silver wolf turned into a Shih Tzu. Claire grinned.

  She took off the light jacket she was wearing and wrapped it around the dog, speaking to him, trying to sooth him as she picked him up. He whined and struggled in her arms, so she whispered a few words, putting him into a warm magical sleep.

  Waving her hand, the camouflage she had created disappeared as she quickly made her way out of the meadow along the path that led to her cabin. Hopefully, the men wouldn’t know she had been there and wouldn’t find the rough path she had worn down during her day hikes to the meadow.

  Looking up at the sky, she saw dark grey clouds moving in and smelled the moisture in the air. The weatherman on the radio had said they were in for a big snowstorm, possibly a blizzard. The upside was that the two shooters wouldn’t find them. The downside? She would be stuck in her littl
e cabin with a wounded wolf and, if the wolf shifted again, a man she didn’t know who had been running from someone.

  Who knew what kind of person he was? But she didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t about to leave him to those two men, and he’d freeze to death if he couldn’t get any other help.

  Her cabin finally came into sight and she hurried inside, laying the little dog on the rug next to the empty fireplace. It whined in its sleep, and she ran a soothing hand over his fur. “It’s okay. I’ll help you and get you changed back into a wolf so you can heal.”

  Straightening, she moved around her cabin quickly, getting blankets and the first aid kit she kept under the kitchen sink. She wanted to start a fire, but she feared that whoever was after her guest would find them. Well, she had other ways of warming up the place. With a flick of her wrist, heat spread through the cabin. Once it started snowing, she’d start a big fire, but this would do for now.

  The first snowflakes were falling by the time she finished cleaning the Shih Tzu’s wound. She was thankful that the bullet seemed to have entered his side, coming out close to his stomach, which was good because she really had no idea how to get a bullet out of a wolf or a man for that matter. Unlike her mother and sister, Claire only had some basic healing magic, like being able to send out warm comforting thoughts and help others sleep.

  However, she had mixed up some healing herbs to make a salve that her mother had taught her while the wolf/Shih Tzu lay sleeping. She applied the salve to the wound, then loosely wrapped it to help the healing process.

  She had chosen not to change him back into the wolf for now, not really knowing how he might react to her. All his growling and snapping at her made her overly cautious. She would hate to fall asleep and wake up in the middle of a wolf attack. Besides, the little Shih Tzu was completely adorable and comfortable for now. Her spell would eventually wear off. She just hoped she was awake when it did.

  Claire tucked blankets around the little dog and went to change into something warm and comfy, before making herself a little dinner. Now, she slowly rocked in her chair, gently stroking the little dog’s head, careful not to touch the wound.

  The snowstorm was finally raging outside; the wind whipping the snow around her cabin, enclosing them in a white cocoon. Looking down at the little dog, she wondered about the man he would eventually shift back into. Who was he? She hadn’t gotten a good look at his face when he was running, but she had noticed how broad his chest was and how big his upper arms seemed to be.

  The most curious thing about him, though, wasn’t the fact that he was a wolf shifter. Claire knew several back home. No, the most curious thing was that she hadn’t been able to pick up any of his thoughts. Why couldn’t she hear him? Like her other three sisters, she had inherited her strong magical gifts from her parents, but she had also inherited a gift from their grandmother.

  Claire was telepathic and only had to be in the vicinity to be able to hear the thoughts of others. It was the reason she was in Colorado instead of her hometown of Roswell, with her family. She had been trying all her life to build her walls and defenses so she could keep out most of the voices she heard. However, like her grandmother, she couldn’t seem to keep them in place.

  Not long after her mother was born, her grandmother disappeared, leaving the family behind to get away from all the voices. No one really knew where her grandmother was now. They had received letters from her throughout the years, but none in the last few. Everyone assumed she died, which made Claire sad because she wanted to meet and talk with her.

  But, like her grandmother, Claire had finally packed up her things and moved out of Roswell to the remote cabin she now lived in, keeping herself isolated, only making trips to Lake City when she absolutely needed supplies. She was thankful for the silence and peace, but she missed her family and friends. Sometimes the sacrifice didn’t seem worth it.

  Rubbing the little dog’s ears, she wondered again why she hadn’t been able to hear him. What was so special about him that he could block her out even while unconscious? Claire yawned and lay her head back against the chair. She’d have to figure that out later. Now, with the fire warming her and the gentle rocking of the chair, she was fighting to keep her eyes open. Tomorrow, hopefully, once her spell wore off and the wolf/Shih Tzu shifted back to the man, she’d have her answers.

  chapter 2

  Finn

  Finn rose from the black abyss he was in as memories of being chased and then shot slowly came to him. His wolf had taken over when he was injured despite all his efforts not to shift. The men chasing him had wanted his wolf’s pelt. He’d been trying to keep the wolf pushed down and safe, but once he was shot, his wolf took over because he would heal better as a wolf than a man.

  Opening his eyes, memories of being a small Shih Tzu flashed in his head and he frowned. He’d come awake at one point during the night and found himself wrapped in a small blanket and being held. Confused and disoriented, he struggled, nipping at the female who had been holding him. She quickly put him down and shook a finger at him. “No, no!” He’d started barking louder, or as loud as a Shih Tzu could. They had their standoff for almost a good five seconds or so before she had chanted a few words and he had slipped back into nothingness.

  Slowly sitting up, the blankets dropped to his waist, and he instantly broke out in goose bumps at the sudden frosty air hitting his skin. He scrubbed one hand down his face then held it out to examine it, grateful that he wasn’t still a yapping mutt. He felt his side and winced. He hadn’t been in his wolf form long enough to completely heal, but it felt like the woman who’d rescued him had cleaned his wound and bandaged it.

  Besides being turned into a Shih Tzu, he remembered the burning of the bullet hitting his body, the force of it knocking him off his feet. He remembered the female with hair the color of leaves that turned red in the fall dropping to her knees beside his wolf and promising that she would take care of him. When his wolf tried to warn her away, she had turned him into a Shih Tzu of all things! Shaking his head, he still couldn’t believe that she’d done that but was thankful he was a man again. Hearing the sound of humming, he turned his head and saw the same woman; her back to him, standing at a sink, her hips swaying back and forth as if she were dancing to music.

  Standing, he pulled the blanket around him as dizziness rushed over him. He waited a moment for it to pass before he straightened completely. Finn shook his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been dizzy like that. Was it from being shot or being turned into a little yapping dog?

  “Hello?” He called out to her, but she didn’t seem to hear him as her humming turned into singing, her hips moving to a beat he couldn’t hear.

  Finn took a moment to simply watch her, his eyes taking in every curve of the body she seemed to be trying to hide underneath an oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants. One long auburn braid fell down her back, almost to her waist, and her feet were bare. The intoxicating scent of lavender and lemon had his wolf stirring. Down, boy, Finn thought.

  “Oh my god! You scared the hell out of me!” His eyes snapped up from her bare feet to her face at her squeal of surprise and the sound of glass shattering on the wood floor.

  “I’m sorry I startled you.” She took a step toward him and he held up a hand. “Careful. The cup broke.”

  A slight frown creased her forehead as if she didn’t understand what he said until she looked down where he pointed. “Dang it.” With a slight wave of her hand, the glass shards knitted themselves back together, and the cup flew back into her hand.

  “You’re a witch.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. She looked at the cup then at him, nodding.

  “You’re a wolf.”

  Touché, Finn thought. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself as if it would protect him from her magic. He didn’t like witches, and he didn’t trust them. Having solid proof of what they were capable of was a bit disconcerting. Especially when, at her first opportunity, she turned him
into a dog.

  “How are you feeling?” She set the cup on the counter behind her but didn’t make a move to come near him.

  Finn looked down at the blanket, then back at her. “Cold.”

  Her eyes moved down his blanket-clad body then back up to his face, blinking a few times before shaking her head. “Of course, you’re cold!”

  Pushing away from the counter, she hurried past him, careful not to touch him. He followed her, his eyes fixated on the sway of her hips. He felt a little flutter in his chest as his wolf stirred and he loosened the sheet a little. She seemed to be the nervous kind and didn’t need to see the effect her body was having on him at that moment.

  “I grabbed your clothes when I brought you here, but they tore when you shifted so I had to repair them.”

  She opened a door and walked through it, leaving Finn standing there staring after her. Peeking around the corner, she waved him over. “It’s just my bedroom. Your clothes are in here. I have a master bath with a shower to die for.”

  He moved toward the door as she disappeared again, and looked in, the scent of lavender and lemon wafting over him once more. His steps were tentative as he stepped across the threshold, still uncertain if she would cast some kind of spell on it or turn him into something else.

  Looking around the room, he was surprised that it wasn’t all frills and girlie but seemed warm and comforting. There was a fire going in the fireplace and a queen-sized bed with a frame carved from wood sitting against the opposite wall. His clothes and boots lay on the bed.

  “The bathroom is here.” He looked up and saw the door she pointed at and nodded. “I’ll get some coffee and breakfast going while you shower. Then we can talk.”