The Wolf's Captive: A Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance (The Witch's Pack Book 4) Read online

  The Wolf’s Captive

  The Witch’s Pack Book 4

  By Rachel Medhurst

  Copyright 2022 © Rachel Medhurst

  Please note that the author is English so spelling is in British English.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Copyright

  Author

  Chapter One

  “So, I just have to put this here,” I muttered inside the damp, dripping cave, “and wait for just a few moments.”

  Lowering the blood smeared dagger onto the centre of the salt pentagram, I shuddered violently. The chill within the rock swirled around me, sinking into my skin.

  The cave was tucked just above the Seine River in Paris. I’d been staying in the city for a month, trying desperately to come up with a spell to sever myself from Kieran.

  Keeping my magic use to a minimum, I’d managed to hide myself from Malone.

  Malone.

  My chest squeezed so hard, I could barely breathe. I had tried to push every thought of my mate out of my brain, but alas, it was useless. He permeated every fibre of my being, and no matter how hard I tried to rid myself of the grief that gripped me, I failed.

  The days had been endless until I’d found myself a job in a café, serving pastries – and eating more than my fair share. By day, I was a barista, by night, a mad woman searching for the answer to my mystical prayers. Yet, it had been almost impossible to stay hidden at the same time as trying to find a powerful spell.

  “Just one more minute,” I whispered, shuddering as the cold lifted the hairs on my arms.

  The first full moon since Kieran had become my familiar was about to hit. I’d been saving all my magic and energy to try to force the break in connection. If I blasted him with all of my magic, maybe it would kill his wolf body.

  Clearing my mind, I glanced at the pentagram made of salt, checking that the dagger tarnished with my blood was pointing north. I was going to call on the power of the full moon to harness my witch and wolf magic. If it didn’t work, I would have to find help from another witch, and I really didn’t want to do that.

  My eyes flittered shut when the apex hit and my head fell back. I began the chant as I clutched my knees. The wolf spirit within me strained and stretched, ready to burst from my skin. I had to hold on long enough to cast the spell.

  A blast of energy flew through my being, starting from the floor under my butt, rising up through my hips and gathering in my chest. My bones started to crack as I cringed, collecting as much magic within me as possible before slamming my hands on the ground, right into two sections of the pentagram.

  The magic erupted from me, filtering up through the earth and almost tearing me apart. I moaned as I held on, resisting the urge to shift. The more magic that travelled through me, the more it went through into Kieran. Hopefully it would destroy him while he was at his most vulnerable. A wolf had no defences when they were shifting.

  A scream wretched from my throat as my whole body violently shuddered, the magic pulsing every vein and muscle within me. I was only just holding on to consciousness when my body morphed into a wolf, releasing the witch magic I’d been channelling with a ping.

  Huffing, I went still as I laid on my side, my skin itching from my fur and the bright flames of the candles stinging my eyes. Every trace of energy had drained from me in an effort to kill Kieran by channelling my magic through him. I wouldn’t know whether it had worked until I returned back to my witch self.

  My eyes fluttered closed as images of Malone came into my mind. I was too weak to crave him, my whole being anesthetised. Maybe, just maybe, the spell had worked.

  The ring of my phone made me jump, bringing me out of my light doze. I instantly felt better, springing to my feet and inspecting the scattered salt around me. I hadn’t exactly been tidy when shifting and writhing on the ground.

  My canine huff echoed through the empty cave as I glanced at my phone, which was placed on my bag nearby. Drake.

  The thumping of my heart intensified as I forced myself to shift, not caring about the pain as I pleaded with my brother not to hang up.

  As the fur descended into… goddess knew where, I reached out my morphing arm and grabbed the phone, swiping the screen as quickly as I could.

  “Brother!” I gasped, the growl in my throat blurting the word in a peculiar gruff sound.

  “Della?” His voice was tight. “Are you okay? Did it work?”

  Clearing my throat, I leant against the crudely cut wall to catch my breath. “I’m alright. And no, it didn’t.”

  The icky warm feeling of Kieran’s presence was still buried deep in the pit of my stomach. Shit, it hadn’t fucking worked.

  “You didn’t tell Malone, did you?” I blurted, breaking my rule of not speaking about my mate.

  Drake exhaled. “You know I’ve kept your confidence this whole time. You made me swear the brother secrecy code, which went out of date in our teens, by the way.”

  “Well,” I said, smiling to myself, “it still works, doesn’t it?”

  When we’d been young and misbehaved, we’d snitched one another, until our father punished us both by ordering us to sleep in the bathroom all night. That time, it was because Drake had painted a mural on the bathroom wall, and I’d told on him. After an uncomfortable night, we’d sworn to keep the sibling secrecy code. And the idea had been genius, if I said so myself.

  “Why didn’t the ritual work? You had everything you needed.”

  Shaking my head, I eyed the dagger still resting on the ground. The light of the moon shone in from outside. I’d found the small medieval fish storage cave purely by chance when on a boat trip down the Seine.

  As we’d headed towards the Eiffel Tower, I’d noticed the moon shining directly into the cave. I knew that having the moonlight illuminate a pentagram would inject more power to any spell. I’d been preparing for the spell ever since.

  “I don’t know. Is Kieran still incarcerated?”

  Drake’s resigned sigh made my stomach clench. He had been the only person I’d spoken to since leaving the pack. I hadn’t even told him where I was in fear that Malone would bribe it out of him.

  “Yeah, the werewolf council have kept him in prison. I really thought this spell would work.”

  Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I pushed away from the wall and picked up my folded clothes. I was standing butt naked, shivering in the cold. The things I did to try and kill my enemy.

  I placed my phone on the floor nearby and shoved my clothes on, all the while trying to stop the wobble of my chin. “I did, too. Oh, well.” Pushing away the tide of emotion that threatened to rush through me, I tugged on my jacket, retrieved my dagger and picked up the phone. “On to plan B.”

  “Which is?” Drake said slowly.

  Heading out of the cave, I flung my hair over my shoulder and cleared my throat. “To find a witch powerful enough to eradicate this fucking link.”

  Chapter Two

  “Do you want sugar with that?” I asked the grumpy
man, instantly regretting it when he scowled.

  Of course. He was a man in a business suit with an expensive leather briefcase and a phone not even released to the public yet. He would not be having any sweetness in his coffee.

  Passing him the drink with a smile, I waved him on his way. He went without so much as a grunt. What was the world coming to when a barista didn’t even receive a negative thanks? Bastard.

  “I’ll have werewolf with a shot of magic please,” a voice said.

  My heart jumped into my throat before flopping back down. Zoe, my new chic friend, popped around the corner, her long straight blonde hair hanging over her shoulder. I rolled my eyes as I checked that there were no other customers around. Luckily, for me, there was only an elderly woman sitting at the little table in front of the window, staring out into the dusk.

  The coffee shop was quaint and quiet, except for the morning rush. Hidden in the cobbled lanes of Paris, it attracted only the French people who knew it. It had been the perfect place to stay out of sight.

  Except, when Zoe had walked in the day after I’d started working and instantly realised I was a wolf. A part of the Paris Pack herself, she’d become intrigued by my story. I hadn’t told her everything, especially about being a hybrid, but it had been nice to confide in her after a few weeks of her drinking a shit ton of coffee and pouring her heart out about her recent breakup.

  What had she mean about the shot of magic? Did she know something?

  “The usual? Although…” Glancing at the clock, I frowned. “…it is almost closing.”

  Shaking her pretty head, Zoe tapped her wet leather look bowler hat and winked. “I’m here to take you out.”

  I quickly backed away from the counter, busying myself by tidying up. I had gone to and from the coffee shop every day since I’d arrived, only stopping in the occasional convenience store to buy food before heading back to my apartment.

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. “You know I can’t risk it.”

  Resting her elbow on the counter and placing her chin in her palm, she raised her eyebrows. “Come now, the other werewolves will be too busy having fun. Plus… it’s a masquerade party. You can, you know, wear a mask.”

  A snort of laughter fell from me as I wiped down the coffee machine and turned it off at the plug. It had been such a long time since I’d been out properly, it would be nice to mix with people.

  Zoe had insisted that French werewolves weren’t interested in other people. They were too busy with their own lives. Maybe I could chance going to the party.

  “Okay,” I breathed, turning back to her and opening my arms to the side, “as long as you help me find a mask that will cover my whole face.”

  Her slow smile made me shake my head. Yeah, she’d already planned everything. Why was I not surprised?

  Reaching into her extremely expensive pink Gucci bag, she pulled out a pretty black and purple masquerade mask. It had pretty swirls and a lace overlay that covered the whole face. Genius.

  I came around the front of the counter and eyed the pretty mask. Zoe waved her long pink nails, indicating that I bend forward. As the mask slipped on my face, a feeling of freedom sent tingles dancing across my arms.

  “Is it sad that I’m suddenly really excited?”

  A tinkling laugh echoed around us as Zoe placed her own mask on her face – it was light pink, of course, with twinkly crystals stuck to it.

  “Darling,” she started in her strong French accent, “you’ve been living under a rock. It’s time you learnt not to be so afraid.”

  Waving a hand in dismissal, I reached for my bag and leather jacket. It was a good job I was wearing black already, it suited the mask well, although a pretty dress would’ve suited it better. Still, I wouldn’t quite go as far as to get dressed up. What would Malone think? – No, I couldn’t think like that, I had to forget about my mate for now.

  “Let’s go,” I said in reply.

  Zoe didn’t know much about what had happened to me, it was too dangerous to reveal everything. However, she understood that I was basically in hiding. I could trust her to take care of me, hence why she’d brought a perfectly suitable mask for the ball.

  Inclining her head, Zoe inched her bag into the crook of her arm and followed me out of the door, waiting patiently while I locked up the shop.

  The owner, Selena, was semi-retired and had insisted she show me how to lock up right from day one, just so she could go out drinking with her friends. She was eighty.

  “And you promise this isn’t an orgy?” I asked as we started down the street. “I’ve read about your Kings and Queens and how liberal you french are, you dirty lot.”

  Chuckling, Zoe shook her head. “We don’t have a monarchy anymore, remember? Although, that didn’t seem to stop us in that department.”

  We both laughed as we crossed the busy street and headed down a small street that led to the edge of the Eiffel Tower Park. There were tourists snapping pictures of the famous landmark and taking selfies with each other. Their carefree excitement made me nostalgic, especially as most of them were couples having a lovely time. Malone and I had rarely had the chance to let our hair down, let alone travel to see the most romantic spots in the world.

  Zoe slowed me down as I sped up, linking her arm through mine. Her stride turned to a stroll as she watched the people, a smile on her face. “Isn’t it romantic, seeing everyone enjoying themselves?”

  “Yeah, it’s fucking amazing,” I replied, not bothering to hide my resentful tone.

  She frowned, her gaze shooting to me. “You English can be so coarse.”

  I glanced at her, rolling my eyes when she winked at me, her smile spreading into a grin. Her jokey tone lifted my mood but only a fraction.

  “Come on now,” she said, nudging me in the side, “lighten up.”

  Her own happiness had been a balm to me ever since she’d decided to befriend me. I had been miserable, and still was, sitting in my basement apartment every single night after work. My existence had become an obsession, reading every spell I could get my hands on over the internet.

  I’d even visited the local library to see if there were any books hidden anywhere. Alas, my efforts had been futile. Clearly.

  “I’ll try.”

  A strong scent of wolf wafted up my nose as we moved out of the park and ran across another road. Zoe tugged me to the entrance of a restaurant, guiding me straight in and through the tables, waving to a man with slicked back black hair.

  The stench of fur, cologne, and food made my stomach churn as I ducked my head, not wanting the waiter to see me. Regret was already worming its way through my brain, berating me. Whose stupid idea was it to agree to attend a party? Oh yeah, mine.

  “There’ll be some lovely men here tonight,” Zoe said, winking at me when I glared at her.

  She had no idea that I was mated to an alpha. In fact, I had never mentioned my relationship status. Was I that sad that she had assumed that I was single? Maybe she was right, I should let my hair down.

  Shaking off my reservations as we neared a door at the back of the restaurant, I tried to bring back the old Della. The Della who had been a witch with an awesome brother and spell shop. The Della who hadn’t been turned into a hybrid and mated to an alpha. The Della who hadn’t been cradling herself to sleep, crying into her pillow, every night since she’d left her mate behind. That was the Della I needed to be, just to get some normality back.

  “Bonjour, Zoe,” a man said from behind the bar, waving her to go through the door. “Have fun.”

  “Is this some kind of wolf orgy secret sex club?” I asked, almost tripping over when Zoe dragged me through the now open door.

  “Shush!” Her hiss echoed through the small dingy corridor. “Wolves have great hearing, remember?”

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was about to walk into a dungeon with multiple wolves mating on the floor, either in wolf or human form. I wasn’t
sure I was ready for such a sight.

  “It’s just a place for my pack to mingle. Don’t be so paranoid.”

  Heading for the plain looking white door at the end of the corridor, Zoe almost skipped, the spring in her step getting higher the further we went. As soon as she flung open the door, I paused.

  The cool air of the outside reached in and dragged me out to meet it. A tiny pathway wound through several plants and trees, highlighted by small twinkling fairy lights that were dotted between the leaves.

  My breath hitched as we wandered around the corner and into a pretty yard with a big stone fountain in the centre. The tinkling of the falling water soothed my soul, inviting me to investigate further.

  Stepping stones surrounded the round base of the fountain, wet from the droplets splashing against the ridged circular statue. The stones stretched off, leading to a thick wooden door, which was almost hidden under hanging ivy. The mystery of the place could’ve been straight out of a fable.

  All the better to surprise you, my dear.

  A sting squeezed my chest as my mind travelled back to my first meeting with Malone. I’d viewed him as the big bad wolf from Red Riding Hood, playing a game in my mind. And here I was, using it again. But he wasn’t here. My alpha.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Zoe’s whispered words broke me out of my daze.

  Every time I got lost in a thought about my mate, I remembered his broody expression the most. Oh goddess, how I missed the scowl of his handsome face.

  “It certainly is.” My reply was in relation to something other than the pretty courtyard, but I wouldn’t tell Zoe that.

  No, Malone was my secret, someone to protect.

  Once again, pushing him out of my mind – I needed a lobotomy to make it a permanent thing. Okay, that was maybe pushing it a little too far and wasn’t even funny. Jeez, my humour had become dark.

  “So… anything I need to know?”

  Taking care to avoid the splashes of the fountain, we slipped up to the door. Zoe glanced at me, a frown creasing her eyebrows.