Voodoo and Fate Read online

  She wrapped her legs around his waist again, her arms tight around his chest.

  She gripped him hard as he rode her. Faster and harder. Higher and higher. Her pussy tightened like a vice, clenching down on him. She broke their kiss, arching her spine as she began to cum. The ripples flowed around him and through him like a wave crashing over his whole body. Saturating his skin and sending hot pulses through him.

  Kody cried out, seating himself fully in her body as his flesh spasmed with hers. Rejoicing in the unity of their bodies.

  Hot seed squirted from his cock, flooded her as he shuddered, collapsing to the side so he didn’t squash her, and pulling her with him.

  They both panted hard, the only sounds in the room now, their hot breathing.

  Chanti stared hard at him, sweat beading her forehead. “Wow.”

  “You can say that again.”

  The silence stretched and Kody glanced away, awkwardness creeping into the room like a thief in the night.

  He slipped further away from her and she reached down for the sheet, pulling it up to cloak them both.

  What should he say? Now that the moment was over and their hunger had been quenched, there was something lacking.

  “So… what’s the plan for tomorrow? Anything I should know?”

  Chanti shrugged, one creamy shoulder rising in the dark. “The werewolves are feared and hated in this town. Be very careful. I will do everything I can to help you, but I’m not entirely sure what we’re going up against.”

  Kody rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. What were they going to face tomorrow? He had no idea. But he was here to support his family. That was his only aim.

  He sat up and swung his legs off the bed.

  “Where are you going?” Her words were soft, but the strength behind the question was unmistakeable.

  He was compelled to reverse his movements, lying back down again.

  “I thought I should go back to the couch and sleep.”

  “No.”

  She closed her eyes and Kody let his own body relax. After everything that had happened today, was he really going to be able to sleep?

  Kody woke up seven hours later.

  He glanced at the clock, unable to believe his eyes.

  “Good morning.” Chanti’s sleepy greeting had him turning to look at her. Had she drugged him last night?

  “I think I just had the best nights’ sleep of my life.”

  She quirked an elegant dark brow. “You think?”

  He huffed out a laugh. “I know. Damn… what did you give me last night?”

  “I think it’s was you that gave me something, not the other way round.”

  She stretched and rolled out of bed, her elegant back flashing as she bent to pick up her clothes. Art work covered her beautiful shoulders.

  “Wow. Your tatts are incredible.”

  He hadn’t seen them last night. Black roses, covering her upper back and down her arms in a line.

  “Thank you. But they’re not tattoos. I was born with these. No one knows why.”

  “No way.” He shuffled over to the side of the bed and she stilled, obviously sensing what he was going to do.

  He raised his hand and traced her skin. It looked like it had been inked on. There was black pattern, up to her neck and down the other shoulder.

  But there was something different about the texture. Raised, hot. If they weren’t tattoo’s, what were they?

  “They’re beautiful.”

  He pressed a kiss to the base of her neck and she shivered, a soft moan escaping her lips.

  “Thank you.”

  She stepped away and grabbed clean clothes, slipping into a simple black dress and sweeping her hair back up into an elegant arrangement on top of her head.

  “Let’s eat and get moving. Time is running out.”

  He nodded, grabbing his underwear and moving out into the lounge to grab his clothes.

  His brother was already there, dressed and pacing. Marty raised an eyebrow at him and Kody shrugged. He wasn’t saying anything about last night. He wasn’t even sure it was real.

  He reached for his clothes and tugged on his jeans.

  “You’re pretty brave you know. Letting two werewolves you don’t even know sleep in your home overnight.” Marty said to Chanti as she stepped into the room and began banging around the kitchen.

  “Yes and no.” She answered. “Coffee?”

  “Yes, please. Black.” Kody said, glaring at his brother.

  What are you doing?

  Marty ignored him and stepped closer to Chanti. “Why wasn’t it brave? Aren’t you voodoo witches scared of us?”

  What was his brother doing? Trying to intimidate the one person who could help them?

  She turned and fixed Marty with a hard stare and Kody moved into position beside his brother. Marty was his blood, and his Alpha.

  But at this moment, he wasn’t sure who he’d protect if the moment called for it. For the first time in his life, he feared it wouldn’t be Marty he’d be jumping in front of.

  “Number one… I’m not a witch, I’m a healer. Number two. My home is protected by protection spells and other Voodoo charms. This house was my great grandmothers, a very powerful Voodoo Queen… so I dare you to try anything here.”

  A growl rolled out of Marty and Kody grabbed his brother’s arm. “No! Don’t!”

  Marty was shaking as though he was about to shift, and panic raced through Kody. He tugged at his brother’s arms to pull him back, and yet nothing happened.

  “What the fuck is this?” Marty asked through clenched teeth.

  Chanti went back to making coffee. “I told you. I am protected from harm here. Relax. We need to eat and go if we’re going to find Tania before she drinks my potion.”

  Marty shrunk and stepped back and Kody moved into the kitchen, desperately trying to calm his wolf down.

  How dare Marty try to hurt her.

  As though sensing his distress, Chanti put a hand on his arm and handed him the coffee mug.

  “It’s okay. Sit. We’ll leave soon.”

  He walked towards the small table and sat down, his head spinning with the ramifications of what that sort of challenge to his allegiances would mean.

  He daren’t even think about it.

  “Here. Eat.”

  Chanti placed a plate down in the middle of the table filled with pastries and bread rolls.

  His brother sat back and regarded the food with suspicion.

  Kody’s stomach growled and he dug in, eating some of the delicious food and drinking the hot coffee she had prepared. He’d never tasted anything like it.

  “Wow. This is just beautiful. Thank you.”

  Chanti sat and picked up one of the pastries. “You’re welcome. I don’t usually have so much, but I was walking past a shop on my way home, and just had the feeling I needed to buy what they had left.”

  She gave him a shy smile and ate her breakfast.

  Kody glared at his brother and eventually, after watching Chanti eat also, Marty joined them.

  They finished the whole plate off and even Marty groaned his thanks for the rich food.

  “All right. Let’s go.”

  They all stood and walked through her house, moving out into the crisp morning air and sunshine.

  New Orleans was beautiful, and Kody was glad he was finally here to see it with his own two eyes.

  ****

  Chanti nodded at a passerby and pulled her door closed. Out here in the world, she didn’t have the same protection as she did in her home. But she couldn’t let fear rule her heart.

  She had to stay strong. Today was going to be a testing one, that was for sure.

  Part of her was still rattled by the happenings of yesterday and last night, although she was trying not to show it.

  What had possessed her? To throw herself so ashamedly at Kody, and then not letting the man go to sleep where he wanted to go.

  She wanted him close,
and she needed him to stay there.

  She’d never felt like this before. An all consuming passion that went far beyond the conscious.

  “So... what do you know about Tania, Marty?”

  Marty, the big lug, just shrugged. “Not much. We had one night together, and not much talking was done, to be frank.”

  Yep, she got the idea.

  She wasn’t sure she liked Kody’s brother much, but despite all the bravado, she could feel that he was a good man beneath it all.

  “Well… I’ll tell you a bit then. Tania is young, but she is strong, and she is powerful. She comes from an old, established family, who would be utterly mortified if they knew what has been going on.”

  The werewolf gave her a dirty look and she just waved her hand in rejection of his supposedly wounded feelings. “Don’t look at me like that. Anyway… here’s the house.”

  She stopped outside the mansion that housed Tania’s family.

  A shudder ran down her spine. The Voodoo on this place was dark.

  Scary even.

  She didn’t like to use that side of their religion. For her it was about peace, and love, and healing. But there was another side. One Tania’s family knew and used, too often if the vibe from the house was any indication.

  “I’m going to go inside and talk to Tania. Hopefully she’s home.”

  Kody grabbed for her arm. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

  “No. I can’t guarantee your safety in there. I don’t know what sort of protection they have set up, but I don’t believe it is as benign as my home.”

  Kody’s jaw tightened and then he let go, a flood of sadness flowing over her as her lover moved away to stand in the shadows.

  He was so big and strong, but his soul was so light and loving.

  She shook herself of those thoughts and concentrated on her task.

  Tania. The baby. Woah, this was going to be tough.

  She gathered her courage and marched up to the front door, thinking only healing, calm, good thoughts. She wasn’t here to harm anyone. She was here to help.

  She lifted her hand and knocked on the large white door.

  A moment ticked by and then their butler opened the door.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, my name is Chantelle Dubois. I was hoping to speak to Tania. Is she home?”

  The butler inclined his head and she stepped inside, nervous butterflies taking wing inside her belly.

  “Miss Tania has not been up long. I will see if she is available. Please sit.”

  Chanti sank into the chair he pointed to and waited for the butler to ascend the stairs and disappear along a corridor.

  She let her gaze wander. To the huge oak stair case. The large chandelier. The home was grand indeed.

  The butler began to descend the steps and Chanti got up to meet him at the landing.

  “Miss Tania would like to speak to you, but would prefer you to follow me. Please come.”

  He turned back around and Chanti followed him back the way he’d gone, arriving a moment later at a closed door.

  “Have a good morning.”

  Chanti nodded at the older man and pushed open the door, her heart leaping in anticipation of what she would find.

  Tania, lying on her bed in foetal position was not what she had been expecting.

  “Tania, are you alright?”

  The young girl shook her head and as Chanti moved closer she could see the glistening of tears on her face.

  “I can feel it Chanti. Moving inside me. How is that possible?”

  Tania looked up, her face a mess of red and blotched white.

  “I… don’t know. It’s only been a month since you conceived, has it not?”

  Tania sat up straight, her hair at an odd angle as she stared at Chanti with accusing eyes. “How do you know that?”

  She swallowed hard and sunk into the arm chair next to Tania’s bed.

  “Because Marty and his brother found me yesterday.”

  Tania’s eyes went huge and wide. “Marty? He’s here? How did he find me?”

  “He tracked you down by scent, I believe. He told me that you’re his one and only true mate, and he can’t be without you. He asked me to come up and get you to speak to him.”

  Tania’s hands went to her rounded belly. “Does he know?”

  How was her stomach so much bigger today?

  Chanti nodded. “Yes. He had someone following you and they heard us speaking yesterday at the shop.”

  “Oh no!” Tania got up and raced for her dressing table. The brewing tea stood there, the dark, murky water an ominous sign to all.

  “I have to get rid of it now!”

  Chanti wasn’t sure how it happened, but she raced over and knocked the potion out of Tania’s hands, spilling the stench over the patterned carpet.

  They both stared at the ground and a terrible tightening in Chanti’s gut told her something bad was coming.

  She twisted around and shook her head at Tania. “No. You can’t do that.”

  Tania stared at her as though she’d lost her mind, and perhaps she had.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “I’m not sure… honestly, I’m not. But everything in me tells me you can’t kill off this baby, Tania. Not today. Please speak to him. I can’t in good conscious help you in this.”

  Tania snatched up the glass that had fallen and marched to the door, pulling it open.

  “Then get out. I’ll make it myself.”

  Her belly once again caught Chanti’s eye. It was dark in the room and Tania wore a flowing dress, but she looked about five months along. How was that possible?

  “But Tania, can’t you see that this is something special? If you can feel it already… maybe it is already forming? Perhaps the werewolf blood changed it? Does it grow faster? You look a lot further along than two months. We have to find out.”

  “Werewolf forming? What is she talking about?”

  They both jumped as Tania’s mother walked into the room, obviously hearing part of the conversation.

  She sniffed the air and then stared down at the carpet, her shrewd gaze landing on the spilled potion. It had a very distinct colour, one Chanti knew her senior would recognise.

  “Chanti… Did you do this?” Then she rounded on Tania. “What have you done?” She stared down at Tania’s hands which were clutching her abdomen. “You’re pregnant! To who?”

  “Ah…um…. It doesn’t matter, mama. Please help me get rid of it.”

  Her mother seemed too calm as she pointed to the bed. “Lie down and pull up your shirt.”

  Tania trembled as she walked to the bed and lay back, lifting her cotton dress with one hand.

  There was already a round bump, her flesh twitching and contorting beneath their gaze.

  Oh God. That is a real baby. Why didn’t I check Tania before I made her the potion?

  “What magic is this? It’s already too far gone for those herbs. What were you thinking, Chanti? You could have killed my daughter.”

  Chanti held up both hands, staring at the belly that looked at least five months along.

  “Tania said it was only six weeks. I…”

  “Get out. I will deal with this.”

  Tania’s mother pushed at her and Chanti moved as she was instructed, her limbs moving of their own accord. But even though she moved through the house, she was torn. Should she stay and help Tania? What would her mother do now?

  Chanti wandered down the curved staircase and a banging made her jump, then raised voices and a scream.

  Oh fuck.

  She raced down the rest of the stairs and ran out into the street to find the wolves.

  Kody’s arm snaked out and grabbed her, pulling her out of sight behind the building.

  She squealed then swallowed hard, trying to calm the racing of her heart.

  “What happened?” Kody asked, still gripping her hard as though he sensed her fear.

  “I
spilled the potion so she couldn’t use it, but her mother found us and… uh. I think she’ll try to get rid of it now.”

  She turned towards Marty, hope flaring in her mind. Maybe they could get out of this. “Are you sure it’s yours? That belly of hers looks like she’s five months along already.”

  Marty grimly nodded. “Yes. That is how it is with werewolves. Our gestation is only two lunar months. I wasn’t sure if it would be the same for a human… but…”

  “She’s your mate and that changes things.” She finished for him. Why did she already know so much? It was all fitting in too well.

  Damn it.

  This was getting more and more complicated.

  Kody grabbed her attention again. “Chanti, what can we do? This is my brother’s heir. Possibly the next Alpha for our pack. You need to help us. Please.” Kody’s hand squeezed hers and fire licked up her arm.

  “I will help you, but I don’t know how we’re going to get in there now. Her mother knows I tried to help her, and there is evil in that house. You can’t go in there.”

  She squeezed tight to her wolf’s hand.

  “Ok. Then we need a plan.”

  “I’ll just go in there and get her.” Marty growled out, the veins in his neck bulging as he stormed across the road.

  “No.” Chanti yelled out as she held Kody back with all of her strength, as he tried to follow his brother. “You can’t go in there.”

  Marty opened the door and marched inside, his scream of pain sounding as he hit the ground.

  She pushed back at Kody. “Stay here. Don’t expose yourself.”

  She ran for the door as it banged shut, the sight of Marty on his knees holding his head in his hands was the last thing she saw.

  Oh No. Dear Christ in Heaven. What are they going to do to him?

  Tania’s family were known throughout New Orleans as being devout Christians, but there was a side of them that few people knew about. They dabbled highly in the dark arts and Marty was going to soon find out how powerful they were.

  She ran back to Kody and grabbed his arm, pulling him down the road and away from the huge white building.

  He was practically vibrating. “What the fuck was that? What happened to him?”

  “I assume they have a very strong protective spell on the front door. Your stupid brother stormed in there wishing them harm, and it wounded him. What they’ll do with him now, I can only guess…”