Claws and Spells 1

A pride divided by hate, an outcast halfling, and two lion males ready to protect her.

Stacy’s always been an outcast. Half lion, half human, she’s never belonged. The pride never let her forget she’s little more than prey. But new Alphas are coming and they’re bringing a wave of change. Elias and Levi come with the Alphas who take over the pride. She’s drawn to the two big lion males and is excited and scared to discover they’re her mates.

 Elias and Levi came to help rebuild a pride community that the old Alphas twisted into a hate-filled bastion of prejudice. On the first day there, they find their mate.  She’s gorgeous, curvy, and all theirs. The elitist pride seems to be a minor problem at first. Then, Stacy is attacked. Every protective instinct is roused when their mate is hurt and Levi and Elias will protect her at any cost.

With a pride full of suspects, it’s hard to narrow down who’s behind it and time might be running out. The attacks keep coming. Elias, Levi, and Stacy will need a little luck and some witchy help to end the violence before they lose the love and the life they’ve built together.

Claws and Spells is a connected series. Some of the books overlap time. I’d advise readers to read them in order.

Chapter One

Cold Spring, Washington

Tell the Alphas we have one woman standing on the ridge overlooking the road and I think someone else is coming up the trail. Not sure, but I hear what could be footsteps every once in a while. Levi stared at the blond woman at the edge of the cliff.

They probably wouldn’t be able to see her from below without binoculars. With the trees around her and behind her, she’d blend in fairly well.

Full lion? Any sign of weapons? Elias asked.

She smells human. Completely human, but I don’t think she is full human. Not judging by the way she moves. Levi grimaced. It was all supposition, but no full human moved like she did. No weapons. No scent of any either.

The woman wasn’t wearing even a knife on her. What was she thinking? This wasn’t a tame city park. Mountain lions and wild wolves roamed the area. Unless she had something better than a blade or gun at her disposal, it was stupid to walk around without a weapon.

Just watch for now. Listen and see if you can learn anything. The Alphas say to remember this pride wasn’t normal. Not even close. So this could be one of those kept from the pride, watching to see who’s coming in and maybe trying to read something into what might be coming at them. Elias cautioned. And watch out for yourself.

* * * *

The purr of loud engines roared through the midday air. Some motorcycles, but also some big trucks. Well, probably. Stacy grimaced. If her hearing wasn’t wrong. Being mostly human had its disadvantages. Not being able to identify everything was one of them.

She trudged up the path to the overlook. Pine needles, leaves, and twigs crunched under her boots. The ledge over the sheer drop provided a great view of the road that led up to the pride house. It would be a good place to watch the incoming people.

She glanced down. Her black shirt should be okay, but the light blue jeans might be a giveaway if they looked for watchers on the ridge. Eh, whatever. It wasn’t like she was in the pride area or doing anything wrong. Who wouldn’t be curious with new leaders taking over?

The sun slanted through the trees as she drew close to the ledge. A woman stood next to a tree. Her blond hair hung around her shoulders in golden waves. From her position, she probably had a good view. With her house not too far from here, Gina would have heard the trucks before anyone else.

“Hey, I thought you might be here.” Stacy walked over to stand beside Gina. And it was good to have company. “What have you seen?”

“Some are on motorcycles. They have SUVs, pickups towing trailers, and a couple huge trucks. They came prepared.” Gina leaned her shoulder against the tree.

“I still wonder what these new people will be like. Is it going to be more of the same or will it be different, like you said your Aunt’s new pride was?” Stacy sighed.

The relaxed accepting attitude of Gina’s aunt’s pride would be great. They accepted half witches, half lions and the mostly human. Hell, even a little acceptance would be good.

Maybe not having to say the full title and name of the Alpha Primore every time they saw them. It got old fast. She’d only messed up and shortened it once, but the bruise across her face ensured she’d privately called them all the alpha bastards whenever she thought of them.

Lord, it might have been almost a month, but it was still hard to believe that old bastard Alpha, Lester Carlson, was dead. And that hunting accident was suspicious as hell. He was in human form when they brought him back. If he’d died as lion as they implied, he wouldn’t have shifted back.

The pride would be getting new Alpha Primores to lead this group of Spe-cra lions. The other two old alphas had left along with their wife. Maybe the Council called them to explain. Unfortunately, no gossip had made it out to her yet. Not really being part of the pride made getting information hard sometimes. Would the new leaders be formal or relaxed? Would they be as cruel as the old assholes?

“We’ll have to wait and see. Once they start exploring, it shouldn’t take long to see that there are more people outside of the pride’s small boundaries than in. And whoever is in charge is going to shit a fucking boulder when they see how little land around here the pride actually owns.” Gina chuckled. She tucked a thumb into the pocket of her black jeans.

“Yeah, Alpha Carlson was a lousy gambler, but he wouldn’t stop.” Stacy laughed and then glanced down at the line of trucks. It was damn strange that new Alpha Primores moved in weeks after one of the old ones died. “Do you think they did something to the old alpha?”

“Do you mean like the hierarchy here, the other part of Lester’s set, or the incoming alphas? Or maybe even the United Council?” Gina turned to her.

Stacy drew in a deep breath. Okay, that was more premeditated than she’d had in mind. “I actually meant the men who went with him, but now that you mention the others, I realize I might have been thinking too small.”

New leaders in a pride didn’t happen often. There might be something more happening. Still, how these men acted toward everyone here was far more important at the moment.

“Well, in any case, the answer is I don’t know. We don’t know what happened within the pride house, among the males there, or even if they’d pissed off any pride around here lately. Not like they ever gave us any heads up about possible danger like that. So, yeah, there is something weird about the shooting, but we’re too out of the loop to make any kind of judgment.” Gina waved her hand.

“I haven’t seen Gerald lately. He’s usually stalking around looking for easy prey.” Stacy tilted her head. Unfortunately for her, that usually meant her or someone like her. The line of vehicles slowed to a crawl on the road below.

“He’s around the pride, but don’t worry about him.” Gina plucked a leaf from a nearby bush and twirled it in her fingers. “I wonder if they think they’re lost.”

“I doubt it. If they were sent, they have the precise directions. Wouldn’t you think?” Stacy tightened her fingers. More troubling was Gerald. Well, him and his father. If he wasn’t seen, who knew what the creep was doing. “Back to what I was saying. I don’t like not knowing what he’s doing. If I know where he is, I can avoid him.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Gerald too much. If he’s not skulking around waiting to do something to someone he considers weaker than himself, then he’s got something else going on.” Gina idly crossed a foot.

Stacy looked over at Gina. Surely, she hadn’t done something to Gerald. She sounded much to calm and assured. “Did you do something to him?”

“Me? Attack the Coven Masters’ son? Surely you’re joking. The only thing I could do is what every other person in this area could do, take care of myself against an attack. Defend myself. You don’t think Gerald or his father would be stupid enough to take that kind of chance, do you?” Gina arched a brow and shook her head.

Stacy sighed. Okay, Gina had a point. The Coven Master didn’t like having Gina around because she had more power than both him and son combined. “I just wondered. He might not be a Spe-cra, but that man is a predator. And he uses his position to keep him safe from reprisals. No one seems to dare go against him.”

“I don’t know if I’d call him a predator, but I get what you’re saying. He’s more of the cowardly ambush anyone who’s in a vulnerable position type of creep. And that’s what he’s been doing for a while now. His father protects him, but I’m sure he’ll step over the line and find that there are things that daddy can’t save him from.” Gina’s mouth firmed.

“It’s just that I get nervous when he’s out of sight. Ever since that night he cornered me, I like to know what he’s up to. It’s only because you arrived that nothing actually happened.” Stacy clenched her hands into fists. She’d been helpless against his magic holding her there and sometimes that feeling haunted her at night. The nightmares were hell.

“Did you talk to the woman at the number I gave you?” Gina reached out and touched Stacy’s arm.

“No, because I feel really silly. All he did was pin me against a wall. Nothing happened physically.” Stacy licked her lips. It was all in her head and the what-ifs.

“You need to talk to her. She can help with what you’re feeling. I went through something similar years ago. Getting it out and working through it is necessary or it begins to eat at you.” Gina squeezed her hand.

“You were attacked when you were a child?” Stacy stiffened.

“Preteen, but yes.” Gina looked away.

“Was it Gerald or his father?” Stacy gripped her friends hand. Her mouth dried.

“No, neither of them. It was one of the visitors the old alphas sometimes got. They all had his attitude and my magic wasn’t under control then. I couldn’t call on it when I was panicked. He found me in the forest and thought I was fair game.” Gina grimaced.

“Fuck. I never would have guessed that you had experienced something like that.” Stacy lowered her head. Gina seemed untouchable and so assured. “I always thought of you as so powerful. Hell, even the Coven Master gives you a wide berth.”

“Yeah, that’s because the Coven Master wouldn’t have his position if it wasn’t handed down from father to son in this pride. He doesn’t have the power for the position and frankly doesn’t have the attitude, either. He can’t get the witches he considers part of his coven to work with him without threats.” Gina rolled her shoulders.

“Do you think the Coven Master finally decided to tell Gerald to stop?” Stacy pulled her water bottle off of her hip. It would be great, but probably wishful thinking.

“No, I don’t think he’d do that.” Gina smiled. “Maybe they both have something else on their minds. We also have enough on our plate without worrying about those two. I really don’t think Gerald will give anyone any trouble right now. He’s been in and out of the pride area for a few days. He’s back now, but seems be staying close to the coven house within the pride. That’s why you haven’t seen him.”

Gina’s hazel eyes had gone hard and that smile. Stacy took a deep breath. Could Gina have something to do with Gerald’s absence? Gina had to go serve in the Assembly, the militarized unit for witches. There was no choice.

It was either that or she was out of the pride. Not a huge threat, but Gina still had a few ties here. The damn Coven Master had warned Gina the last time he came to find her. Hell, he hadn’t even bothered to take Gina to somewhere private.

“I wish you didn’t have to serve years for his damn family.” Stacy exhaled. Whatever was with the thing with Gerald would have to remain a mystery. If she had done anything, Gina would never say.

“They think their too good for it, but I seriously doubt that they could get in. The power just isn’t there.” Gina bit her lip and then smiled. “Plus, there are benefits to serving. It will expose me to more Spe-cra.”

True. The Spe-cra, Spell crafted shifters came in a variety of species, but the most known in the human world were the lions and wolves. Working with the Assembly would put her in contact with them and let her know more places to look for her mates if she didn’t find them.

But the work would also put her in danger. Maybe she wouldn’t face something like the camirot, a creature drawn forth by magic, which happened to be the reason the first Spe-cra were created from animal souls and volunteer warriors. Still, she’d have to face spell craft and attacks away from the pride.

“I guess. Do you think that the Coven Master was right? That you didn’t change to lion because you aren’t meant to be lion? He always said shit like you didn’t belong here.” Stacy tilted her head. Whatever Gina eventually became, hopefully, they could stay in contact.

“I have a feeling my mates are lions. Not every blend of witch and Spe-cra who doesn’t immediately transform finds their mates with some other type of Spe-cra. Fate just has different plans and this plan involved me being mostly witch with some Spe-cra senses.” Gina shrugged. “I don’t mind. Seeing what I can see and doing what I can do is kind of cool.”

“I guess it is cool. Sometimes I wish I had abilities like that and other times I wish that I could actually change into a lion. There are moments when I feel as if something’s pulling at me, but it’s not enough.” Stacy shook her head and stared down at the line of vehicles. And it always left her aching and feeling defective when nothing happened.

“Just wait. You’ll find your mates and then you’ll get your full beast.” Gina squeezed her arm. “You won’t always feel split or strange.”

“What do you see from the vehicles?” Stacy stared down at the passing vehicles. Could Gina tell anything about them just from her senses?

“Well, there are some strong lions in them. There’s also one behind us.” Gina crossed one of her feet over her ankles.

Stacy whipped her head around. Nothing moved. She inhaled. No hint of scent, but then again she wasn’t full lion. Her sense of smell wasn’t the best. Leaves fluttered lightly in a slight breeze, but there was no hint anyone else close to them.

“Are you sure? I don’t see anyone.” Stacy put her hand on Gina’s arm. Had someone come that close to them without her knowing? Yeah, her senses were lion-strong, but her instincts usually gave her a hint of any danger. It was only when she ignored or missed it that she walked into crap.

“Oh, yeah, about two hundred yards back off my right shoulder at an angle. He’s downwind from us. I don’t think my senses are failing me. I could send a tracer right to him.” Gina lifted a shoulder.

Something moved in the trees where Gina had indicated the man was. Stacy sighed. “I don’t think it’s necessary. I think he’s coming out. Maybe he’s been listening in.”

“Probably. It would be a good idea to get a look at the territory around the pride plus search for anyone trying to disrupt the incoming alpha males.” Gina didn’t look that way.

A male moved slowly toward them. He had black hair, but from this angle, the length and style were a mystery. Green eyes gleamed as he crossed into a beam of light. Damn, he was handsome.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave. And especially not for ten years.” Stacy glanced over at Gina. It would only be a few months before her friend had to head out for her service. “It shouldn’t be that way.”

“Well, I knew my mates weren’t here before and I’m pretty sure they aren’t here now. I have a feeling I’ll know when I get close to them. There was never any guarantee that I’d be here forever anyway. Plus, I do have to serve anyway, just longer than I would have. I’ll miss you, too, though.” Gina grinned.

“Yeah, I doubt you’ll have time. You’ll be training and doing exciting things, because they won’t waste what you can do.” Stacy looked back at the man as he approached.

“I’ll make the time to keep in touch. I don’t want to lose touch with any of the people I care about here.” Gina narrowed her eyes and straightened away from the trees. “Huh, they’re stopping.”

“Yes, the alphas have a few questions based on what I heard while I was watching you. If there was an easy way down, they’d have this conversation face to face.” The man walked around in front of them.

Stacy drew in a breath. A faint hint of musk and cinnamon hit her. Her heartbeat quickened and desire whipped through her. What the fucking hell?

“Well, there is an easy way down. It’s just that the sudden stop and the hard rock at the bottom are real negatives of taking it.” Gina folded her arms across her chest. “For the short route, it’s a long, major climb. I could lower you down, but me, I’d have to go down that sheer face. Not something I want to do unless I have to.”

“You both smell human. For a little while there, I had some concerns about your motives.” The man smiled and his eyes lingered on Stacy. “You’ll figure it out soon enough, little cat.”

Stacy glanced away and heat flashed over her face. Maybe he’d felt her stare and her expression gave away her confusion. Not really a surprise. She didn’t have a poker face at all.

“I’m not a cat. Not really.” She bit her lip. Yeah, he’d mentioned her scent, but others had thought she could shift in spite of not smelling like a lion.

“Why are you two here and not within the pride holding or at your home? I know you heard the vehicles but surely it wouldn’t have been easy to hike all the way out here.” The man asked.

“We’re not welcome there. We don’t live within the pride holding.” Stacy shrugged. Even when she was young, she hadn’t been welcome.

“What do you mean? Have you done something?” The black-haired man’s eyes narrowed.

“No, it’s not what we’ve done. It’s what we are. The only ones within the main pride holding are full-blooded Spe-cra lions who can shift. Because they couldn’t legally lock us away from the pride without drawing a hell of a lot of negative attention when it was found out, they kept us on the edge.” Stacy heaved a heavy sigh. Okay, the leap wasn’t strange, even if it was insulting.

Most prides didn’t put members of the pride outside the main boundary without a reason. Bigotry and pure-blood pride held sway in this pride and made it far from normal. In some instances, it would have been easier to live away from the pride, but there were also dangers.

“How many is that?” The man shifted his balance.

“About four hundred in the main pride. And on the outskirts and within the city, about two hundred fifty who aren’t welcome for one reason or another. Usually, not full lion or some mix of lion and human or lion and witch that’s not normal.” Gina smiled. “So today, you and the alphas will meet the full Spe-cra lion part.”

“What are you?” The man locked his green eyes on Stacy.

Stacy drew in a breath. “Human and lion, but my parents weren’t mates. I’ve never changed and only have enhanced senses. So, I was never part of it.”

“What about the parent who’s a lion? Is he or she part of the pride?” He frowned.

“No, he left after the court determined that I was Spe-cra, the pride had an obligation to educate me, and that I needed to be a part of it.” She shrugged. “By the way, I’m Stacy and that’s Gina.”

“There had to be a court intervention? Any Spe-cra should have known the possibility for pregnancy was there. Even with a human. It might be rare, but it happens.” The man scowled. “And the pride should have been on top of it from the first. I’m Elias Canon.”

He cocked his head to the side. Obviously listening to something. Shadows hid his ear, but he could be wearing some type of listening device. But whatever it was, sound didn’t bleed out like in normal ear buds.

“All right, what are you Gina and why do you smell human?” He turned to Gina.

“I’m a mix of witch and Spe-cra. While the rest of my siblings changed at puberty into lions, I didn’t. And I can smell like Spe-cra, or close to it, but when my magic was manifesting there would be periods when I scented like human and then like Spe-cra. It pissed off the Alpha Primores and their hierarchy. They told me to lock it down. I did. Smelling like I do is my default scent now. I have to work on scenting like a Spe-cra.” Gina waved her hand.

“Now, that’s understandable. Okay, you two talked about your service in the Assembly. Why would you serve longer than most people?” Elias cocked his head to one side.

“The coven owes some years apparently and no one from the Coven Master’s family has served in more than three generations so years are added to those who do serve.” Gina shrugged.

“It doesn’t work that way. And you can bet that you’ll be serving only as many years as you want. Either the basic six or a little more. The Alpha Primores will ensure that. There’s no such thing as debt of a coven. There’s debt of a family and that family must pay them, but even then it’s only done by adding a year or two onto each recruit or selecting another person from that family to serve rather than one minimum per family.” Elias shook his head. “It’s the same in all the types of Spe-cra though we do tend to serve more than the witches. We need the focus.”

“What am I supposed to understand? You said I’d understand soon.” Stacy looked up at him. For the entire time he’d been out in the open, the words nagged at her.

“You feel pulled to me, don’t you?” Elias smiled.

Stacy blinked. All right, he definitely knew she wanted him, but would he be receptive to a half-human who couldn’t change.

“Yes, I am attracted to you. You have to know that you’re very handsome.” And damn that black hair was long and gleaming. Was it as silky as it looked?

“What about the other senses within you? What do they tell you?” He took a step toward her.

She licked her lips. “That I should get closer.”

“Don’t you know what that means?” He raised a brow.

“Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from other halflings and you’re the first new lions here in a while. Any others that might have come to the territory, we stayed away because they were just like the alphas.” She shrugged. Her education about the Spe-cra as a whole was hit or miss.

“Anything about mating?” He grinned.

“Only what Gina said, that I’d feel pulled toward my mates. That a link would form, but not fully until I’d met all of them. That I would be their anchor and that the bond between us would prevent the wildness from rising in them. The bite would cause me to transition.” Stacy sighed. A deep attraction definitely drew her. Was it lust or mating?

“You are our anchor. I already feel the calming effect. Do you know what I want?” He stopped a few steps away from her.

She swallowed and took a deep breath. A strong urge pushed through her and maybe it wasn’t all her. “For me to get closer. I know that’s what I really want.”

“Exactly.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. “I wish we could spend a little time like this, but the Alphas want us to meet them. Gina, you too.”

Stacy looked around. Gina was gone and had probably slipped away while she was talking with Elias. The woman could sneak when she wanted to.

“Where is she?” He glanced around.

“She probably left. She’s more on the cautious side. I’ve always been to the side, but she came from a family that was accepted. While her mother was a witch, she changed when she was bitten. When Gina didn’t change, she was shunted to the side and some of the pride treated her like prey. Since her aunt trained her that hasn’t been a problem, but until then, she had to be careful and watch everyone she let close.” Stacy ran her hand over Levi’s chest.

“Well, she’ll see things are going to be different this time and the alphas will definitely want to talk to her. But for now, let’s go join the others. We’ll meet the trucks at the side of the road.” He took her hand. “Come on, Levi can’t wait to meet you.”

Her stomach tightened. Gina definitely wasn’t the only one who was cautious. “Who’s Levi?”

“Levi is my partner. Your other mate. Believe me. He’s anxious to meet you.” He squeezed her hand.

“Is he talking on your earpiece as well.” She glanced up at him.

“No, he’s talking with me.” He tapped the side of his head. “We’re connected.”

“I didn’t know that happened.” She blinked. The other triads and quartets in the pride didn’t seem to be connected like that. Hell, if they could talk to each other mind to mind, a couple of them could have ganged up at times.

“It comes with the bond. There might be those who have a less powerful connection, or they might have trouble between them which might prevent it. It can be strengthened or lessened.” He urged her down the path.

“Okay, that’s something I hadn’t heard about.” She exhaled and rolled her shoulders. Maybe it was less powerful bonds, but whatever the reason, it was a blessing they couldn’t coordinate an attack like that.

“It’s not something that is talked about that often, but it’s another example of how this group has failed its people. All of you should have been educated more and protected better. There shouldn’t be so many people living outside of the pride’s protection.” He wove his way around a group of rocks.

The trail curved and gradually descended. He urged her off the path, probably to get to the road. Not many people walked from the forest to the road. If they were leaving, they left by vehicle. There were roads that didn’t go through the pride center.

“Where do you live?” He glanced down at her.

“On the mountain in one of the cabins.” She smiled up at him. It was far enough away from the pride that she was usually safe from those who wandered around simply looking for someone to victimize.

“And you’re comfortable being that far away from the pride?” He frowned.

“I’ve never been welcome there and quite a few of them consider those of us prey because we’re more human than Spe-cra. I wouldn’t be comfortable there. Well, unless there was a massive change.” She exhaled. The welcome of the pride would be chilly at best or homicidal at worst.

He chuckled. “Sorry. It’s just strange to talk about living outside the pride. That’s not usual. But anyway, as soon as we get to the road, I’ll introduce you to the men behind the massive change coming to the pride. As well as Levi, who is almost on the verge of coming to find us.”

“I’m excited to meet him, too.” She glanced up. The road shouldn’t be too much farther.

The trees finally cleared enough to see the vehicles along the road through the gaps. When they stepped out, a blond-haired man strode toward them. The vehicles all sat idling on the road. Three men stood beside the lead SUV waiting.

“The one coming toward us is Levi. The Alpha Primores are waiting to talk to you briefly before we head into the pride. They’ll talk with Gina later once they discover where she lives, if we don’t come up with something else before that.” Elias put an arm around her.

The big golden-eyed man stopped in front of them. Warmth curled through her and her pulse kicked into higher gear. The pull to him was just as strong as with Levi.

He held out his hand. She slipped hers into it. Heat flared at that small touch. His blond hair was buzzed on the side with longer strands at the top. Would the top by spiky and bristly or as soft as it looked.

“Stacy. I’m glad to have you with us.” Levi pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Now, let’s go meet the alphas, and we can see what they want to do.”

She wrapped her arms around him. He tightened his hold, hugging her tightly. She leaned into him. This was nice, but the Alpha Primores were still waiting.