Phoenix Under Fire: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries Read online

  The short nap had been just enough to fuck with his ability to go back to sleep easily, but not enough to make him feel rested. Ram knew some sort of exercise or some dull repetitive task was what he needed right now. Luckily, this room was equipped with a computer. Ram turned it on and connected to the internet. He was able to access his computer at home and he started doing some of the work that he usually put off.

  It felt good to accomplish things and it was also tiring. An hour later, he turned the computer off. Getting out of the chair, his butt felt a bit numb. He never liked to sit for too long. After he stretched a bit, he felt ready to go to sleep. Once he laid down, he was gone in no time.

  Ram opened one eye and he saw the light. Morning already, he groaned and tried to open both eyes at the same time. Usually he was all about work and getting things done. He slept four to six hours a day and worked hard or played hard the rest of the time. Could mating be making such a large change in him? Glancing at the clock, he saw it was seven. Not as early as he usually got up but he had worked a while last night, so not bad either.

  Rising, he went to take a shower to wake his ass up. The water hit him, invigorating him and now he was ready to take on the day. He dried off and dressed. Going downstairs, he finds breakfast served in the rec room.

  “Good morning, Cam. Hope you got enough sleep?”

  “Fuck you, Ram.” He turned and shot him the bird.

  “I guess that’s a no?” Ram asked with a raised brow.

  “Man, my plate was full enough before you showed up. Your mother called at four to check on her little man. I couldn’t get back to sleep after that.”

  Ram chuckled. “Little man, huh? She never said that.”

  “Whatever. I thought you talked to your parents?”

  “Only my father. You know how Mom gets.”

  “Yes, I do. I heard it all at four this morning while you slept without a care. It’s alright, though. They’ll be here in about four days and Mama has some big plans.” Cam chuckled maniacally.

  “What did you do, Cam?”

  “Me? I did nothing except answer the questions your mom had. I told her I was sure you and Annie would want her advice on just about everything.”

  “What kind of a friend are you? You threw me under the bus. I’m going to have Annie cast a spell on you. Something toxic.”

  “Annie’s too nice. She won’t do it.”

  Ram went to the buffet and filled his plate and got some juice. He sat down across from Cam. “What goes around comes around. Your time is still ahead.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ll get even. I know.”

  They both quieted and turned their attention on their food. Shifter metabolism made them have big appetites. When they finished, they both leaned back and enjoyed feeling full. “What now?” Ram asked.

  “I’ve not heard anything back but it could be a week,” Cam offered.

  “Do you know any supernatural police?”

  “As a matter of fact, I know a few.”

  “Can you find out if there has been a spike in crime among any particular group or region?”

  “You think it’ll start small?”

  “How would you start it?”

  “By gathering allies, but maybe it already has.”

  “I will contact some of my friends and see what I can find out.”

  Chapter 4

  A Day in a Witch’s Life

  Annie was torn about leaving Ram. Maybe she should have thrown caution to the wind and allowed him to claim her and go on from there. She knew her father intended to make her wedding the political event of the year, regardless of who it was to. Each of her sisters would also have a big blow out event whether they liked it or not.

  If they mated, it might interfere with his negotiations but it wouldn’t affect the wedding. He would invite the heads of every group worth his while. There would be more political dallying at her wedding than there was any other time of the year.

  It would start with a ball to announce the engagement. There would be a pre-wedding supper for the heads of prominent families, political or not. Some families had businesses and simply backed politicians, without being active themselves. The wedding would be the next day with a giant reception afterwards. This would be for politically active people.

  Annie knew because she’d seen such goings on before on a smaller scale when other leaders married off their daughters. It always reminded Annie of a conversation between her father and the vampire king one day at a party.

  “Royal, you poor thing. How do you deal with the fact that you only have daughters?” Thorton asked.

  “Ah, but you are looking at this all wrong. I have three lovely, intelligent, and skillful daughters. They will attract the best sons anyone has,” Royal replied. Maybe considering that conversation, she should have expected what her father had attempted.

  Thinking about all the political jockeying she would be exposed to gave her a headache. She had always hoped to have a romantic wedding, but she had been ignoring the reality of the situation. Now she had been forced to face it head on.

  Once she’d gotten home after leaving Ram, Annie had done some work on her computer. When she was tired and sure she’d sleep, she’d readied herself for bed and crashed. She was happy about finding her mate and that had contributed to a night of sensuous dreams.

  Morning came with a bang and the alarm screeched like an angry banshee. Annie felt like throwing the stupid thing against the wall, but she’d just have to buy another one. Dragging herself out of bed, she dressed and hurried downstairs where breakfast was in progress. Her father was finishing up and her mother was lingering over her coffee.

  It didn’t look like either sister had made it to the table yet. She grabbed a cup of coffee and a cup of cranberry juice and sat down. Minutes later, her favorite breakfast was set in front of her. For an average size girl, Annie could put the food away and breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Steak, eggs, hash browns covered with fried onion and cheese, and a side plate of biscuits and sausage gravy. Oh, yeah! No better way to start out the day.

  Gertie came down and grabbed herself a cup and poured some coffee. For such a tall girl, she didn’t seem to eat enough to maintain all that muscle. A bowl of cottage cheese and fruit was all she usually had for breakfast. She looked at Annie’s plate and made a face. Annie just shrugged.

  Pru, as usual, came down last. She had a plate of donuts and Danish waiting for her. Grabbing a mug, she got her coffee too. She moaned as she drank her first sip. “Elixir of the Gods!” She exclaimed as her father grabbed his mug and exited quietly, no doubt feeling outnumbered by four females at the table and all the female staff surrounding him.

  “We got rid of him now, girls. Let’s talk about what’s going on,” their mom said.

  “What’s this about you finding your mate, Annie?” Gertie asked.

  “He’s my fated one. Dad was going to stick me with Darby,” Annie admitted.

  “That would have been perpetually awkward,” Gertie offered.

  “Dad had no clue,” Pru added.

  “Typical male animal. Only instincts no thoughts,” Maybelle expressed.

  “What are we going to do when he tries to arrange the next mating?” Annie asked.

  “He already has,” Maybelle admitted. Gertie choked on her coffee and it spewed everywhere.

  “Ew!” Annie and Pru yelled.

  “Sorry.” Gertie said. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. He promised a daughter for Darby, but he looked at the contract and it doesn’t say which one. He plans to send you. At least he’s waiting until Annie is settled. You may have a year before you have to worry about it,” their mom said.

  “I know he’s my fated, but I can’t stand him,” Gertie whispered.

  “I’m sorry. The fates rarely mess up like that. In truth, this is the first time I’ve heard of it,” Maybelle admitted.

  “Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Gert
ie said as she stomped off and out the door.

  The rest of them stared after her. “That could have gone better,” Annie admitted.

  “She has to know eventually she’ll have to accept Darby,” her mother commented.

  “Why?” Annie asked.

  “He’s her one. That’s just the way it is,” Maybelle offered.

  “I don’t see it that way. Sure, Annie got lucky, but not everyone seems to,” Pru observed. “I’ll run away if he tries to arrange my mating.” She bounced out the door too.

  “I guess it’s just us now,” Maybelle pointed out.

  “We both need to get started on our day too,” Annie pointed out. She stood up and walked to the computer where the schedule was pulled up. “Looks like I have three consults for as soon as possible.”

  “Do you want me to take one of them?” her mother asked.

  “I’ll call you if I can’t make it through them. I want to have a busy day so it goes fast,” Annie explained as she sent the schedule with directions and phone numbers to her electronic tablet. Grabbing her purse, her tablet, and her keys, she waved at her mother as she headed out the door.

  Her first stop was near the swamp. Mrs. Delaney, a rich widow, wanted a protective spell. She thought someone was out to kill her for her money. Annie arrived and pulled up to the gate and was waved through. The widow was a regular requiring all manner of spells depending on the mood. Sometimes, Annie thought the lady was just lonely.

  She parked and went up the steps to knock on the door. A maid opened it and escorted her into a sitting room where the widow sat with a tea cart loaded with snacks. “Annie, it’s so nice to see you. Come give me my hug.”

  Annie stepped up to her and bent over to hug the elderly and frail lady. “It’s lovely to see you again. Tell me what has been happening.”

  “I’ve just been a nervous wreck, my dear. My great nephew, Arnold, comes around all the time begging for money. I told him no more. He got very angry and told me I would regret abandoning family. It was a nasty scene, I can tell you that.”

  “It sounds dreadful. Is that why you want the protective spell?”

  “That’s just one reason. My grand-niece was getting married and I hired a private detective. She’s such a trusting girl, you know what I mean? The detective discovered gambling debts. Not just small ones, either. I set up a trust fund for her that I was considering releasing when she married, in part, and the rest once the first child was born. Of course, when I discovered his background, I had to tell her no. She broke down and cried. He found out there was no money to be had and he broke it off. Can you believe her parents are angry with me? My nephew yelled at me. He had to be removed from my house by security.”

  “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that,” Annie offered. The stories were so outrageous, sometimes Annie wondered if they were true. “Have you given any thought to what kind of spell you want?”

  “What do you mean, dear?”

  “Do you want a protective ward placed on the house so no one with ill intent can enter? Or maybe you want a piece of jewelry turned into a protective charm to ward off anyone from having contact with you that intends harm?”

  “Can you do both?”

  “Why, yes I can. Have you a piece of jewelry in mind? We can do that first.”

  “I do have something in mind. See this charm bracelet? My husband gave it to me thirty years ago, adding a charm a year. It means more to me than anything I own,” She said and her eyes had a faraway look and they glistened.

  “That’s perfect,” Annie said as she reached out to touch it. It glowed gold for a moment than the light disappeared. The flashy part of their business was for the clients and really didn’t add any magic to the spell.

  “That was so exciting,” Mrs. Delaney said her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling over what she’d seen.

  “Yes, it was. Now let’s set the wards on the house,” Annie said. She spoke the necessary spells and then there was a puff of smoke and flash of light. The smoke was gone in a second. “Now you’ll be perfectly safe.”

  “Thank you so much, dear. Why don’t you have a cup of tea and a scone before you leave?” The widow asked hopefully.

  “Thank you. I’d be pleased to. Why don’t you tell me more about the recent happenings?”

  “You wouldn’t believe some of the crazy things going on lately.”

  Annie wasn’t sure she did, but she always got a laugh out of the widow. She was a sweetheart, but also a real character. They didn’t make them like her anymore. An hour later, full of scones, tea, and humorous stories, she left the widow and went to her next appointment. Mr. Caroll wasn’t nearly as pleasant to be around.

  Pulling into the giant electronics headquarters, she headed to the office of the president of the corporation. The man called on her services a couple times a year. He always tried to push the limits of what he knew they were willing to do.

  His secretary sent Annie right in. Apparently, Mr. Caroll was waiting for her impatiently. She always assumed the man was some kind of rare paranormal. He knew too much about witches and other kinds and she’d known him twenty years without seeing any sign of aging.

  They shook hands as they greeted her. “I’m glad you finally managed to get here.” He made a big show of glancing at the clock.

  “We have other clients and you weren’t listed first this morning.”

  “I have a problem. Corporate espionage and I need to know the culprit. I have the list I know you require.”

  While the list made things easier, Annie didn’t really need it. It was just a way to hide what witches could actually do. She placed the list in an ashtray and magically set it on fire. Annie could see a poor employee had been coerced. He’d asked for the one responsible and she saw that man’s name was on the list. That man was a major competitor. The ashes formed the last name of the man who had planned it all.

  “I knew it!” Caroll said as he slammed his fist on his desk. “I want him taken out. How much will it cost?”

  Annie looked at Caroll to see if he was serious. “You are well aware witches do no harm. You are entitled to know who is undermining you, but we will not kill him. Signing an agreement that says you’ve read our rules means you should be aware of them.”

  “All that power without the ability to use it. Such a waste! Alright, I give up, Vampires are more suitable to the task anyway.”

  “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

  “Of course, you will. Thank you for your help.”

  “Thank you for your business.”

  It wasn’t even lunch time yet and she was on to her last job of the day. She wasn’t hungry, as she was still stuffed from the scones. Her clients were a mix of good, bad, and average. Caroll could also afford the hefty fee he would be charged and she didn’t feel guilty about charging him the top fees. He bordered on being evil and she suspected he was a troll. They had two forms and the human one blended in perfectly.

  She left his company, glad to be on her way. A girl had to make a living, but she didn’t always enjoy it. When she was younger, her dad had brow beaten her a great deal every time she’d had a client like Caroll. It was the distasteful part of the job. Annie wondered if he was just angry or if he really intended to assassinate his competitor. Hoping it was just anger speaking, she left to go to her next and last job of the day.

  Pulling into the parking lot of the private clinic, she parked in the visitor spot. It was amazing that today she would have a client representative of each of the three types of traits. The widow was the good one, Caroll the bad, and Teri Spencer was the average. Neither good nor bad, friendly nor hostile, she was slightly cool without being unfriendly. She never asked for anything against the rules, but her requests were sometimes up against the line.

  The woman was beautiful, yet Annie didn’t find her appealing or personable. She entered the clinic and was ushered right in. “I’m glad you were able to make it,” Teri said holding out her hand. They s
hook and Annie shivered. Teri’s hands were always cold as ice. “I called you for a client. This is Stefanie Breacher.”

  “Nice to meet you, Stefanie.” Stefanie didn’t hold out her hand, so Annie didn’t either. Many of the clients Teri dealt with had severe psychological issues.

  “Stef was the victim of rape and torture. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve talked about this and I feel she needs some kind of justice to finish healing. I realize you aren’t in law enforcement, but the man that did this is a witch. He used his powers to hide his appearance and she can’t identify him. We are willing to pay whatever it costs, but we want to know who he is.”

  Another slippery slope. Her father would say no. Maybelle would say do it. She hated the thought of a criminal, a sadist getting away with it. “I will see what happened and then decide if I can help you. Either way, you will not be charged.” Annie approached Stef. The girl looked down and couldn’t meet her eyes. She had long, curly brown hair. She was average height and slim but curvy. “I need you to look me in the eyes.”

  “Okay,” Stef said and she slowly looked up. She had the most beautiful gold colored eyes. Exotic, they pulled her in.

  Annie whispered the incantation. She could see the memory unfurling. The violence and the pain, his face was blocked but it slowly revealed itself to her. Gasping when he was revealed, she knew the male. He was Morton Trex, a nondescript male and she would have said before that that he barely had enough magic to get by, but apparently, he’d fooled them all.

  “I’m sorry. I believe the witch’s council will want to deal with this man. I will request that you be allowed to watch either in person or by video if you prefer,” Annie assured.

  “Will they actually do something to him?” Stef spoke for the first time.

  “I know this may be hard to hear. The punishment for the rape and abuse may not be as serious as the punishment for the abuse of his magic. When he is found guilty, which I am sure he will be, his magic will be stripped from him. It is the worst punishment a magic user can get.”

  “Why is that?” Teri asked.