What a Rowe Wants

Levi's lips purse together in a tight line as his gaze sweeps around the graveyard. "Do you mean money? We don't have a ton, but I'm sure we can figure something out."

A snort escapes me, and I wave away the suggestion. "Forget that. I'm a bajilionaire."

His attention cuts back to me. "That's not a real number."

"There are more zeros in my bank account than I can spend in a lifetime." My hands rest in my lap. "Offer me something I can't buy."

"You've never been to Silver Hollow before." His boots crush the well-manicured grass as he paces in front of me. "What could you possibly want from us?"

"Good question." I tap my knees as I consider my options.

The truth is, I want his amulet. Or rather, the spell for how to make one. I'm not so cruel that I'd demand he give up an heirloom. While he said the spell was lost, I know a thing or two about sneaky witches, so I don't trust what he thinks is true.

The thing is an antique, though, and the likelihood of the same line of witches still being around, or that they passed the spell down to someone else, is slim. Just look at the Wendalls.

They kept important magics secreted away, passed down within the family line instead of sharing them with the very people those spells are meant to help. If Aspen has taught me anything, it's that witches hoard their knowledge.

Which means speaking to the coven at Silver Hollow, and if they don't have the spell, then I need them to direct me to where I can find the witch who does.

However, none of that is something Levi can give me. Sure, he can make the introduction to his local coven, but from there, it will all be on me to do the bartering.

Off in the distance, the sound of festival preparations rises and falls, but in the graveyard, it's just me and Levi, cut off from the rest of Hartford Cove.

"Tell me more about Silver Hollow," I say at last. "Its history, how it came to be, the type of people who live there… Just throw it all out."

"Right here?" Levi glances around the graveyard. "Can't we go somewhere less…disturbing?"

"Hey, if I can handle being buried here, you can handle standing on my grave." I kick my heels against the gravestone I perch on for emphasis. "But if you'd like to go into the sheriff station, where there's another werewolf, I suppose we can."

His eyes shift toward the closed back door before he shakes his head. "What about the mayor's office? You said that was on the other side of the graveyard? That should be private enough."

"In Owen's domain? The werewolf who wanted me to shoot you?" I arch an eyebrow. "Seems like you'd be pushing your luck with that one."

He sighs in frustration. "Out here is delightful."

"It has its charm." The cold stone beneath my ass numbs me through my fleece-lined leggings. But it's the most private place in Hartford Cove where we can talk without interruption. "Now, spill the deets about Silver Hollow."

Levi moves to squat across from me, his back to the sheriff's office. "Where do I even start?"

"With the werewolves." A shiver of anticipation runs down my spine. "That's your area of expertise, right?"

"True enough." He nods thoughtfully. "Silver Hollow was founded as a sanctuary for werewolves centuries ago. Our ancestors were tired of constantly being hunted and persecuted, so they came together and created a safe haven where our kind could exist in peace."

"Sounds better than turning into blood-crazed murder-monsters every month." The idea of a whole town dedicated to cursed werewolves both fascinates and terrifies me.

"Yes, it is." He leans his head back against the brick wall and closes his eyes. "We could have a community, have families, live like other shifters do." His lips quirk at the corners. "We could be civilized."

His eyes open, and he stares up at the cold blue sky. "As time went on, children were born, but the curse didn't pass down to all of them. A second population, this one of humans, grew alongside the werewolves. Then word spread about our little town, and other paranormals started showing up. First a murder of crow shifters, then a clowder of cat shifters."

"Wow." I try to imagine what life must be like in such a diverse community. "So, everyone just… lives together? No conflicts or anything?"

"Of course there are conflicts. We're not perfect." Levi chuckles. "But we've learned to coexist, for the most part. There's a council made up of representatives from each paranormal faction, and they help maintain the peace."

"We've just recently done the same." It sounds like Silver Hollow is actually ahead of us on that one. "Until a couple of months ago, this place was wolf exclusive, except for, you know…" I twirl my finger to encompass the graveyard.

"It must have been hard being the only witch family among a wolf pack," Levi says.

"I wouldn't know. No one told me I was a witch until I came back." The stone of my grave numbs my ass, and I shift in an attempt to regain circulation. "Adding more witches, and now vampires, has made some people here uneasy."

"It will settle with time." The assurance in his voice eases some of my anxiety over turning Hartford Cove on its head.

I nibble my lip. "The humans are all okay with the paranormals?"

"Most of them are." He grimaces. "Those who aren't are sent outside the barrier, and then they forget we're anything but human."

When I try to picture the bustling streets of Silver Hollow, filled with humans and paranormals living side by side, my imagination comes up blank. "But now your barrier is failing."

"So it is," he agrees.

I slide off my grave to sit in front of it, drawing my knees up, and the scent of fresh flowers mixed with bruised grass rises into the air. "Tell me about your witches."

"It's the same coven who set up the original barrier." He mirrors my pose, his hat dangling from one hand. "Or rather, it's their descendants. Silver Hollow has been around for a couple hundred years now."

Just like Hartford Cove, but more open-minded. Will we get to the point Silver Hollow is at in another hundred years?

"After they erected the barrier, they left the werewolves there to sort themselves out, only returning when the spell needed to be renewed." He bounces his hat against his thigh. "I suppose it was a bit of an experiment to see if our kind could be tamed. Once they started having families and growing the town, the coven returned to stay and gifted the pack leader's family with these amulets."

He touches his chest, where the charm hides. "It was a sign of goodwill to show that Silver Hollow wasn't a prison for my kind. Leaving was an option, with their help."

Excited, I lean forward. "Are you telling me that the same coven who created your amulets still lives in Silver Hollow?"

That's even better. It means the witches who made the amulets didn't leave and take that knowledge with them.

"Yep." A gleam enters his eyes. "The very same. They've been around for centuries, and they're an integral part of our town's history."

Realizing I overplayed my hand, I force a note of nonchalance into my tone. "Spiffy."

Levi watches me closely, gauging my reaction. "I can introduce you, but you have to remember that this isn't a pleasure jaunt I'm asking you to take with me. Silver Hollow is in trouble. That's why I'm here."

His words dampen my enthusiasm. "Right. You said the barrier's been poisoned?

He nods, his brow furrowing with worry. "It's been weakening for the last several months, but we don't know why or who's responsible. There's a lot of suspicion surrounding the witches right now, so you'll need to tread carefully."

"Poisoned how?" I didn't realize that was possible.

The barrier around Hartford Cove gets reinforced every year by the Wendall family, though the most recent one was reinstated by Mel's moms, and I had to reclaim it.

Would poisoning it mean another witch is casting a spell to harm the barrier? Or something else altogether?

"We're not sure," he admits, looking pained. "Some suspect that the tension between the paranormals and humans in town is at the root of the matter, but my Alpha isn't convinced. We need to find out who did this and fix the barrier before more damage is done. We've been unable to uncover the culprit."

"I'm good at identifying bad guys." Though not always before they try to kill me.

In fact, my brilliance usually happens because they try to kill me. Nevertheless, I'm still standing and they're not, so that has to count for something, right?

"I'll be careful around the witches in Silver Hollow," I promise.

And I mean it. As much as I'd love to burst into their coven and start asking a million questions, discretion is the better part of valor.

Note to self: look up how to be discreet.

Levi straightens. "So, you'll do it?"

"I haven't agreed yet." I stick my legs out in front of me. "An introduction to your local witches isn't really worth risking my life."

He slumps back against the brick wall.

Curiosity gets the best of me, and I ask the question that's been nagging at the back of my mind since Levi showed up on our porch this morning. "Why didn't you seek help from the Paranormal Council? Aren't they supposed to be the bigwigs when it comes to supernatural matters?"

Levi hesitates for a moment, his brow furrowing as he considers how to answer. "Well, yes, they hold authority in our community, but…" He runs a hand through his tousled hair. "Let's just say their methods can be a bit… harsh. We'd rather handle things ourselves if we can."

I remember how Mel's moms reacted to Owen and nod. "Yeah, I get it. They'd prefer to kill a werewolf instead of treating you like a human. Better to keep them away from Silver Hollow."

"Exactly," Levi agrees, relief clear in his voice. "We're all about protecting our town and its people, but sometimes asking outsiders for help can lead to unintended consequences."

Like the paranormal council now having a say in my witch training. They really weren't even that helpful, showing up only after the citizens of Hartford Cove had saved themselves.

A cold breeze rustles the grass, sending a chill through me. "How far is Silver Hollow? Are we talking a couple hours, or…"

"Actually, it's about a two-day drive from here." Levi grimaces. "If we're on the road for twelve hours a day."

"Seriously?" My eyes widen in surprise as my mind races through the logistics. "That has to be, what…? Three states away?"

He nods.

Wrapping my head around that one, I ask, "Where'd you park your car?"

"Ah, well…" Levi scratches the back of his head. "I ran most of the way here in my wolf form. It was the fastest option, since the return trip would take longer."

"Wow." With new respect, I take in his tall, lean body. "But why the rush?"

"One of our younger werewolves went moon mad at the last full moon and had to be contained." His expression grows tense. "The yearly festival in Hartford Cove is well known, so with the barrier weakening so fast, I wanted to make sure we had enough time to get everything sorted out and have you back in time for the big event."

"I mean, thank you? The whole orgy thing lost its shine after sharing a house with four mates, though." Now, it's my turn to grimace. "Besides, it's not like I'm a wolf, so I'm kind of excluded from the fun."

Levi's brow puckers. "But don't you perform a blessing before the run?"

Equally confused, I stare at him. "I do what now?"

"You bless the run so that mates will be found, and pups take root in the womb." Levi crosses his legs and leans toward me. "No one told you about that? It's why so many come here for the festival."

"Those dirty, rotten, secret keepers." Fists clenched, I spring to my feet. "Okay, Levi, you got yourself a deal."

Surprised, he hurries to rise. "Really?"

"Yep. I mean, you had me at ‘coven who created the amulets,' but escaping this baby-making horror fest? There's already been one too many discussions about knocking me up, and this baby maker is out of order." I pat my stomach. "So, that means I'm your witch."

"Thank you, Rowe." Levi puts his hat back on. "You don't know how much this means to us."

"Believe me, we're doing each other a favor." I shudder at how close I came to being hoodwinked by my precious mates. "A vacation away from Hartford Cove is exactly what I need."

Levi hurries ahead of me toward the gate. "When can we leave?"

"Right now." I bounce from foot to foot, ready to get a move on. "We can hot-wire Deputy Arden's SUV. He owes me after wrecking my car's engine."

Levi's excited pace slows, and he pauses with one hand on the latch. "Shouldn't you tell your mates?"

"Pshaw." I flap my hands in dismissal. "That's what cell phones are for. It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission in cases like this."

His gaze shifts to the fence. "Um…"

"Come on." I move past him and push open the gate. "We need to get going before the fuzz finds us."

"Too late." A hand wraps around the back of my neck, halting me in my tracks. "Just where do you think you're scampering off to, bad puppy?"