Bear Bait (Hero Mine Book 1) Page 5

  An overactive imagination, coupled with intense fatigue. That was all this was. She had collided with Matthew. Matthew, who had given her the address of Natalie Munroe, a witch who would end this nightmare.

  “We’re here,” Cade said.

  Octavia opened her eyes; she had been dozing off in his arms. “Thanks. Would you mind lending me a car so I can continue my journey? Or if someone can drive me…”

  “You are not going anywhere,” he said.

  “I need to see the witch. She must be able to get rid of that demon creature.”

  “What’s the address?” Cade asked as they left the trees. They were in a large clearing, where a collection of houses was grouped together.

  She dug in her purse, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Here.”

  He glanced at it while they stood in the light a lamp cast over them as they stood on a wooden porch outside a house, which was lit up, and she could hear the sound of people inside. They were talking, and laughing, and she wanted to go in and be part of that and forget everything that had happened.

  “Natalie Munroe,” he frowned. “Who gave you this?”

  “A friend,” Octavia said evasively. “Natalie Munroe came highly recommended.

  “I know her, she’s the leader of the local coven. She’s an expert on getting rid of degetty.”

  “Degetty?” Octavia asked as he shouldered the door open and went inside.

  “That is the name we give to the demons with the green eyes.”

  “The demon with the green eyes? That implies there is more than one kind of demon.”

  “There is.” The door slammed shut behind them, thanks to Cade’s foot.

  “Will you take me to her?”

  “I’ll do better than that, I’ll bring her here. But not tonight. Tonight, we need to get you cleaned up.”

  At once a voice called out from somewhere in the house. “Is that you, Cade? I thought you had gotten yourself lost.” The voice belonged to an older woman, who came out into the hallway, a smile on her face, which quickly disappeared when she saw Octavia.

  “Mom,” Cade said. “This is Octavia.”

  “Oh my. Look at you! Cade, get her in the sitting room.” The woman went ahead of them, shooing the two other grown men who were in there off the sofa and telling them to fetch towels and hot water as if she were a pregnant woman about to give birth. “And you can run over to Helena’s and ask Tally to come over and bring something to help with healing.”

  “Mom, I’m not sure asking Tally to come over is a good idea,” Cade said.

  “Nonsense, she won’t mind.” The woman pulled out a throw for the sofa and draped it over, before Cade set Octavia down.

  “She might,” Cade said cryptically, casting a look at Octavia.

  Something passed between them, and then the older woman, who Octavia guessed was Cade’s mom, opened her eyes wide and said, “Oh.”

  That oh meant trouble. It meant Octavia had gone from being an injured woman in the woods, to a woman who brought trouble in her wake.

  “Still, we need her magic.” The older woman knelt down and examined Octavia’s feet. “If we don’t help the skin heal, she’s going to have difficulty walking for a few days. And looking at you, honey, you are going to need to be up and on your feet.” She looked at Cade. “What’s hunting her?”

  “Degetty. I didn’t see it, but Octavia said she saw green eyes.”

  “And it ripped a man apart before I left London.”

  “Out in the open?” one of the other men asked.

  “Let’s not do this now,” Cade said. “Seth, go and get some healing salve from Tally. Try not to tell her what’s happening, but don’t lie to her. Goddess knows she’s going to take this badly enough without giving her ammunition.”

  “Poor Tally,” the older woman said.

  “Octavia, this is my mom, Eva. Mom, Octavia.”

  “Hi,” Octavia said.

  “It’s good to meet you, Octavia,” Eva said. “Just know we will look after you. And deal with this degetty. You are safe here.”

  “That is my brother Seth,” Cade said to the man about to leave. “And Tobias has the hot water and towels.”

  “Hi, Octavia,” Tobias said. “Do you want me to do this, or do you?”

  “I’ll do it,” Cade said, taking the bowl of water from his brother and kneeling down. He sucked the breath in through his teeth, telling Octavia how bad they looked. “I’ll try not to hurt you, but this is going to sting.”

  “OK.” Octavia tried not to pull her foot away when Cade touched it. He was gentle, but the flesh was raw and the whole of her foot throbbed in pain.

  “Here,” Eva covered her with another blanket. “Let’s clean your face up too.”

  “I’ll get some more water,” Tobias said.

  “With disinfectant?” Eva called.

  “Of course,” Tobias answered.

  Eva knelt beside Octavia, brushing her hair back from her face and assessing the damage. “Are you a nurse?” Octavia asked as Eva’s expert hands touched her face lightly.

  Eva chuckled, and then gave a sad smile. “Have sons. Sons who have gotten into every scrape they possibly could. Grazed knees from climbing trees. Shins split open from falling onto rocks. As a mother, there are times I’ve felt more like a triage nurse on a battlefield.”

  “Here we are.” Tobias handed her a bowl of water and some cotton swabs, and Eva set to work.

  Octavia closed her eyes, trying to blot out the pain. “Sorry,” Eva said, as Octavia winced.

  “How bad is it?” Octavia asked.

  “Superficial,” Eva said gently, and then looked across to Cade. “How are you doing?”

  “There’s a lot of dirt in the cuts, and some thorns that need removing.” He glanced up at Octavia. “I’m going to go get some tweezers and start to remove them.”

  She nodded, swallowing down a sob as it threatened to erupt. This wasn’t the time for breaking down and crying, but she knew it would come; it was as if she were trying to stop waves from crashing upon the beach.

  Fresh air swept into the room, as the front door opened, and Octavia heard Seth’s voice. “I brought Tally back with me.” Octavia wondered if he said it as some kind of warning, because as the door to the sitting room was pushed open, and a furious young woman stood glaring at her, Octavia wondered if she might be safer in the hands of the degetty.

  “I’ve brought some salve,” the young woman said.

  “Thank you, Tally,” Eva said. “We might need something stronger.”

  “That’s why I came, when Seth described her … feet.”

  “This is Octavia,” Eva said, looking across the room as Cade came back with the tweezers. Tally ignored him with a single-mindedness that impressed Octavia. It also broke her heart. Tally was obviously in love with Cade, but it was unrequited, and she saw Octavia as a threat.

  “Hello, Tally,” Octavia said, a soft, welcoming smile on her face, which probably made her look hideous because of the bruising. Octavia wanted to be friends with this young woman, who couldn’t be more than sixteen or seventeen; she certainly didn’t want to be part of a love triangle. She had Matthew, and Matthew was safe. But Matthew didn’t ignite the same heat in her body as Cade did.

  “Hello.” Tally came forward, her body language stiff. She set to work, opening the bag she carried, taking out small vials and placing them on a small table next to the sofa. “I can numb the skin. But you will have to be careful. If you don’t feel pain, you won’t know if you stand on something.”

  “How long does it last?” Octavia asked.

  “A day at most, it will begin to wear off by the morning. I can leave some here so that you can reapply it. But you shouldn’t need to. I can heal most of the damage.” Tally didn’t make eye contact, but she worked quickly to dab the liquid on Octavia’s torn feet. As she worked she muttered words Octavia couldn’t quite hear. “There.”

  Tally pressed her finger against the
sole of Octavia’s foot, watching for a reaction, but Octavia could not feel a thing. “It worked.”

  “Of course it did,” Tally snapped. “I am the leader of my coven and a member of the squad for a reason. And it’s not because I have good legs and a pretty face.”

  This was the leader of the local coven? This was Natalie Munroe? Octavia opened her mouth to speak, but Cade gave her a quick shake of the head. He was right: Tally was on the defensive, and it was late. Although she hated putting off ridding herself of the degetty.

  “We all know that, Tally,” Cade said gently, coming over to the sofa, tweezers in hand.

  Tally snatched them from him. “I’ll do it, since you have such big hands.” She knelt down and concentrated fully on pulling out several thorns from Octavia’s feet.

  “Why don’t I go and make tea? Nice and sweet for you, Octavia,” Eva said, giving Octavia a concerned look. “I could get you something to eat too. It will help with the shock.”

  “I have something for that,” Tally said, efficiently searching through the bag and holding up a small vial of pink liquid. “It will help you sleep too.”

  “Thank you, Tally,” Octavia said.

  “It’s good stuff. Blots out all the bad stuff,” Eva said, and then pulled away. “Let’s get the kettle on.”

  Eva left the room, and the others exchanged glances. For the first time, Tally looked at Cade, and he smiled at her, his expression one of sorrow.

  Octavia closed her eyes. More secrets and lies? What the hell kind of a family had she found herself in the middle of?

  The kind that loved each other. The kind she didn’t understand because it had only ever been Octavia and her mom. No dad to miss, no siblings to argue with.

  “There, I think that’s done it,” Tally said. “If you get a flashlight, Seth, I can get a good look.”

  “I’ll get it,” Cade said, but got no reply from Tally.

  “I’m sorry,” Octavia said to Tally.

  “For what?” Tally said defensively, eyes glaring.

  For your broken heart.

  “You coming out at this time of night,” Octavia replied. Not that it was her fault. Oh, except for the part about being chased by the degetty, and ending up in Cade’s arms. So maybe it was her fault. But she was not responsible for the whole one true mate thing. Nope, if it were true, that blame rested with fate, and was really none of her concern.

  “It’s no problem.” She took the flashlight Cade offered her. “Thanks.”

  Cade knelt by Tally’s side, and Octavia could see the young woman’s face flush pink at the nearness of him. Octavia longed to get up and leave the room, maybe even leave the house and never come back. She didn’t want to ruin Tally’s life. She had no feelings for Cade other than gratitude for him carrying her out of the forest. Besides that, Tally was welcome to him. Octavia had Matthew, who was safe, who didn’t live in a world of demons and magic.

  A voice in her head told her she was a big fat liar, but Octavia chose to ignore it.

  “All done?” Eva asked, coming back into the sitting room with a tray of mugs and a plate of chocolate cookies.

  “Yes.” Tally got to her feet and handed the flashlight back to Cade. “I should go.”

  “No. Have some tea,” Eva said.

  “My mom will be wondering where I am,” Tally said.

  “Didn’t you tell Helena where you were going?” Cade asked.

  Tally pressed her lips together, as though she was going to ignore him. “I did. But she’s so forgetful… She’ll think I’m late home from school, even though I told her I was coming here.”

  “But it’s so late. She can’t think you are at school,” Eva said.

  “If I’m not at home, she thinks I’m at school. Or the store. It’s as if those are the only places she can picture me being.”

  “Why?” Cade asked.

  “Because they are the only places where there is no magic,” Tally said, and bent down to pack her bag.

  “You think that’s what is wrong with her? She doesn’t believe in magic anymore?” Eva asked, shocked.

  Tally shrugged. “Not so much that she doesn’t believe in it. It’s like it never existed to her.”

  “But she was the best witch… I mean, for her generation,” Eva said quickly.

  “No, you are right, she is the best witch, better than me. Or would be if she had her memory.” Tally stood up. “I’ll see myself out.”

  “No,” Cade said quickly, glancing down at Octavia, who was watching the whole interaction, fascinated. They talked about magic as if it was a real part of the world. More than just potions and salves. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “No,” Tally snapped. “You have your mate to protect.”

  Octavia’s face reddened. She was right; he did see Octavia as his mate. Crazy bunch of lunatics.

  “And I have you to walk home.” He walked to the door behind Tally. “You guys can handle things here, right?”

  “Sure,” Tobias said. “Octavia is safe with us.”

  Cade left the room, with only one long, lingering look caressing Octavia. She was sure she imagined it, or maybe it was some residue of gratitude toward the man who had rescued her, but Octavia felt a distinct pang of jealousy that Cade was leaving the house with another woman.

  “Cookie?” Eva asked, putting the plate under her nose.

  “Thanks,” Octavia took one, but as she ate it, she acknowledged that the thing she hungered for, was alone with another woman. A woman who might be young, but who was completely in love with Cade.

  Matthew, she said to herself. But the name sounded hollow and empty now. Octavia acknowledged she was in love with the thought of being in love. Hooked on being needed by someone, anyone, just so she wasn’t facing her whole life alone.

  Chapter Seven – Cade

  The pull of his mate was almost too much to resist. He should be at her side, not out here with another woman. But Tally wasn’t just another woman, she was a kid, who had just seen all her hopes and dreams dashed at his hand, and more than that, she was his friend. A friend he loved, just not in the way she wanted.

  “Tally, wait up,” he said, as he jogged after the young witch, who was striking off into the forest. “Let me drive you.”

  “I’d rather walk.”

  “Then I’ll walk with you.” Tally’s house was a good twenty minutes’ walk, even if they took a direct route. The journey back would be quick; he would shift and run back as a bear.

  “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

  “I do.” Cade fell into step with her. “Right here.”

  Tally snorted. “I meant with your mate.”

  “I know.” He cast her a sideways glance. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” she asked bitterly. “You have what you want. Go make babies with her.”

  “I’m sorry it wasn’t us.”

  She stopped and wheeled around on him, fists clenched. “No, you are not. Don’t lie. I bet you and your family are so relieved it isn’t me who is their fearsome leader’s mate. After all, you would not want to introduce the blood of family where insanity prevails into your offspring.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” Cade said. “Your mom isn’t crazy, she’s bound, or there’s some other spell on her.”

  “Are you so sure?” Tally asked.

  “Aren’t you?” Cade asked. This was not going in the direction he had hoped.

  Tally swung back around, marching through the trees so loudly a degetty could have heard her two miles away. “I’m not sure of anything anymore.” She swallowed a sob. “Why can’t I catch a break, just once?”

  “Tally,” Cade said, his hand reaching for her and resting on her shoulder. She shrugged away, but he caught her more firmly and turned her to face him. “You know how much you mean to me. I’m sorry we aren’t mates, but I have never led you on where that’s concerned.”

  “I get that, you’re one of the good guys,” She yanked herself out of his gra
sp. “But that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t suck.”

  “Tally, there is someone out there for you. I know there is.”

  “Yeah, because I’m so special,” she said sarcastically.

  “Yes, you are. I wish you could see it,” Cade said.

  “I’m not special, I’m screwed up.”

  “That is not true.”

  “Really? Do you see my life?” She took a big shuddering breath. “You think this fits in at school…?” She pointed to herself. To Cade she was beautiful, like some ethereal creature, pale as the dawn.

  “School doesn’t last forever.”

  “Right, I forgot. When I leave school, I’m expected to get a job, while still leading a double life. Do you know what it’s like to have to constantly make up excuses for not being able to do stuff? And the bruises. Most people think my crazy mom beats me.”

  “I’m sorry, Tally,” Cade said. He’d never appreciated how she felt. Tally was right, she should be out enjoying herself just like any other seventeen-year-old: parties, shopping, girly nights. Instead, she was surrounded by grown men who turned into bears.

  “Stop saying you are sorry. It’s not your fault, remember?”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t feel some kind of responsibility.”

  “Forget it.” She shooed her hands at him. “Go back to your mate. I’d rather be alone.”

  “No. I’m walking you home. There’s another degetty on the loose and I do not want anything to happen to you.”

  Her eyes flashed. “A degetty? That comes along right when this Octavia does.” She frowned. “Are you sure you can trust her?”

  “Yes.” Cade left the exasperation out of his voice, just. “Don’t turn this around on to Octavia.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, just because she is your mate, does that make her Mother Teresa?”

  “No.” Cade dragged his hand through his hair. “But it hunted her.”

  “And she fought it off? Because it looked to me as if she’s more of a flight than fight kind of a gal.”

  “She ran,” he conceded.

  “And she is that fast the degetty didn’t catch her?”

  “No.”

  “She’s that fast. Or the degetty just gave up?” Tally asked, taking a step closer to Cade.