Voodoo and Fate Read online

  Kody frowned as they walked down the street. “He’s not stupid, he’s…”

  “He’s stupid.” She re-iterated, fury infiltrating her words. This could have been avoided, and now Marty had made things ten times worse. “He didn’t listen to me, and thought he knew what was best. But this is my world and the rules here are different.”

  Kody blew air out his nose in a frustrated move. “Chanti, he’s an un-mated Alpha who’s found his mate. That makes him very… yep, stupid. Let’s go with that.”

  Despite the grimness of the situation she could see the humour in Kody’s face again.

  “We need to get him out of there.”

  She nodded in agreement.

  “We do. Both of them preferably. Which means…” She took a few deep breaths. This was what she’d been afraid of. “I need to go back to the shop and make us some amulets.”

  She’d have to delve into her power reservoir for this, she knew she would. And she wasn’t even sure who she was doing it for, or why.

  Which would be a first.

  Kody nodded and touched her cheek with his hand. The move shockingly slow, and kind, considering the danger and urgency of the situation.

  He looked deep into her eyes and said, “Thank you.”

  Flashes of a future she had yet to live cartwheeled through her mind like a superfast movie.

  Children with Kody’s silver eyes. Bon fires and laughing, music and dance. The wolves and her community, all together as one.

  Chanti stuttered to a halt, her mind blurring with tears.

  Was that really what her future held?

  Kody’s arms came around her, holding her tight as she let her eyes close over the tears still running down her face.

  “What’s wrong? What happened? Chanti, speak to me. Please!”

  Kody’s voice became too urgent. The alarm was too strong and she couldn’t let him worry over what was actually an amazingly beautiful vision.

  Chanti forced herself to relax and opened her eyes to look at him.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine. Just overwhelmed, I think.”

  Kody exhaled sharply. “You’re telling me. Now, where to? Your shop, or home?”

  “Shop first.”

  She pulled away from his embrace and began walking in the direction of her shop. She’d need a few things.

  As they stepped around the corner and her business came into view, her mother’s words circled in her mind. A Voodoo practitioner can cure ailments, grant desires, and confound or destroy one’s enemies.

  Despite her born abilities, and the call she felt towards the church and the people around her, Chanti had preferred not to allow the profiteering side of the business to influence her. She treated everyone equally. Whether it be a beggar on the street, or a rich international businessman.

  But here she would be going up against her own people, and for what?

  Werewolves?

  She needed to know more.

  “Kody, come with me.”

  She unlocked the door to her shop and drew Kody inside.

  She pulled a key from her pocket and opened the glass cabinet to her right. It was full of her most expensive charms.

  She reached up and pulled down a leather strap with a pendant, then grabbed one of the wrist bands. “Put these on, now.”

  Kody was weak in every way, and it scared her. His loyalty to his brother and his feelings for her would make him act foolishly. Coupled with his inexperience in this world, and it was a deadly combination.

  Her hands shook as tied the band to his wrist and when he bent his head she put the necklace on.

  It settled against his black t-shirt and she picked it up and popped it down behind the material, against his skin.

  “It feels warm.”

  Perfect. “It will help protect you.”

  Now… I need some white sage sticks and I’ve got some mugwort out the back.

  Chanti went through the list in her head and searched her shop for anything that came to mind that may help. She wanted to get home to make the Voodoo dolls and potions she needed.

  “Tell me more about your world, Kody. Tell me why this is so important.”

  Kody leaned against the wall, fiddling with the band at his wrist.

  “All right… I grew up being told stories about New Orleans. How it was a great city, but full of powerful and nasty people that had banned our pack from ever setting foot on its hallowed grounds again.”

  Yep, that was pretty much what she knew as well.

  “But when I was about sixteen, and my brother eighteen, we took my dad’s truck and drove here. Part of me thought we’d be burnt alive by just setting foot in town. But when we didn’t and instead, we actually came in and bought something, a trinket of some sort, we went back to my father and asked what the real deal was.”

  “And what did he say?”

  Kody looked down. “He never told us the real truth as far as I know. He died in a battle for Alpha soon after that. But the legends about our mates are clear. If Marty is mated to a New Orleans Voodoo witch… then anything’s possible.”

  Chapter 4.

  Chanti gathered the last of the things she needed and headed back to the front door. She already wore the strongest protective charms she could. She didn’t need anymore.

  “Let’s go. I need to get home.”

  Kody followed her like a shadow and together they wove through the narrow cobbled streets, until they made it home.

  At the sight of her pitched roof and front door, relief filled her. She opened the door and turned to Kody.

  “What I don’t understand is why your kind stick to the swamps. Why not move further out, or even come back to New Orleans? There’s nothing liveable for miles and miles outside of the city.”

  “I know.” Kody wrinkled his nose as they settled into her lounge room. “But that hasn’t stopped my family from living out there for generations. If we could find a way to live peacefully back in New Orleans, I know a lot of us would move back here.

  Chanti sat down with four voodoo dolls in front of her and Kody on the couch, who watched her keenly. “Then maybe we can do something about that.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m creating dolls for Tania’s parents, Tania, and Marty.”

  “You’re going to hurt them?”

  She resisted the need to roll her eyes. Of course not.

  “No. I can use these to try to keep Marty and Tania safe.” She swallowed hard. “But yes… If I have to, I can.”

  She concentrated on the two she’d made for her friend and Marty. Sprinkling the dolls with a potion for protection and good health. Then lifted them up and carried them to her dresser, singing softly to them a song her mother had taught her for guidance and enduring hard times.

  Next she took the two dolls for Tania’s parents and wove them with a plant based fibre meant to decrease a Voodoo practitioner’s powers, and sprinkled them with a sleeping potion.

  Hopefully that would stop them from doing too much damage before she could get back to help Tania and Marty.

  Then she wrapped them both in a bag and tucked them into her knapsack.

  “All right. You’re wearing the best protection I can give you, and the dolls will hopefully protect everyone else. That is the most I can do from here. We need to work out how we’re going to get your brother back in one piece. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

  Kody went silent. Grave-like silent and Chanti’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Kody? What is it?”

  “I haven’t told you much of our mating system, have I?”

  Her belly dropped, visions of biting wolves and howling at the moon flashing through her mind.

  “No. But why is that important?”

  “It may be, just hear me out. As a werewolf, I am stronger than any human. Faster, bigger. I think that is why we were driven out of New Orleans so long ago. We were feared, and yet our need for shifting form at the full moo
n was seen as a curse. And a weakness. My ancestors allowed us to be banished, like the animals they think we are.”

  His tone was bitter and Chanti moved to the couch to sit with the man who’d shown her nothing but passion and kindness.

  “I can see how strong you are, Kody. But what has that got to do with…”

  “When a werewolf mates, we bind our soul to the other person. The strength is shared, linked. It is the most powerful bond we can share. When one of the pair dies, the other will often struggle to survive afterwards. My mother has managed, but only because the pack needs her. She has aged twenty years in the last ten.”

  He coughed and cleared his throat.

  She waited for the point to come.

  “But I’m not sure that would be the case if we mated with a human. I would suspect that some of the strength would be shared, but perhaps not the full amount of a werewolf linking. I don’t think a human would die from heartache as a wolf might.”

  Chanti nodded. “I’ve seen it in humans too. When a couple have been together for as long as, say your parents had, they simply don’t want to live without one another.”

  A muscles jumped in Kody’s jaw and Chanti waited for him to speak.

  But he didn’t.

  “Although I appreciate you telling me more about the wolves, Kody, are you going to tell me the point of your story?”

  “We are mates, Chanti. You are mine. If we shared the ritual tonight, you would absorb much of my strength. It would mean safety for you, going into this fight with me.”

  Chanti blinked, her mind completely frozen.

  Say what?

  “Pardon me?”

  “Can you feel it? The incredible heat and magnetism between us?”

  Hell yes.

  “Well, obviously I can… but that doesn’t mean…”

  “It does. It’s one of the first and strongest signs. If we don’t mate, or are pulled apart for some reason, the pain will be terrible. I understand if you don’t want to mate with me tonight, you barely know me, but I’ve never been so sure about anything in my whole life. You’re everything for me.”

  She’s known it the moment he’d walked into the shop. That he was meant for her.

  But how could she bind herself to this man. Now?

  “Why are you telling me this now?”

  “It would come out eventually, and here I can offer you something that will keep you safe. If I am injured or killed, it shouldn’t affect you too severely as we haven’t known each other long, but you’d absorb some of my strength...”

  Chanti pulled Kody closer, kissing his perfect lips to silence the words to come.

  Her instincts, those that she trusted more than anything, were sitting on the fence about this offer. She believed him. That in his world, and perhaps in hers too, they were meant to be together. Her vision had shown her a future that could be theirs to share. But how, with everything that stood in their way?

  A sharp knock sounded, over and over.

  Kody looked towards the sound. “Are you expecting anyone?”

  She frowned. “No I’m not. And not many people would disturb me at home…” She got to her feet and started moving down the hall, “unless there was something wrong…”

  She turned and motioned to him to move. “Hide in my room and don’t come out.”

  Kody nodded once, his jaw tight and his eyes flaring as he stood and moved into her room, closing the door, with a two inch gap.

  Chanti frowned at the door and turned around. A cold shiver ran through her that told her to strengthen herself for the fight coming.

  She opened the door and there stood Tania’s mother, looking worried and grim.

  “Mary. What’s wrong? You look terrible.”

  And she did, the colour had drained from the woman’s face and she was almost a green colour.

  “My daughter told me everything… and that, that, creature. He said she’s his mate.”

  Mary turned and spat on the pavement behind her.

  “Can you help me? I don’t know who else to ask. I know you tried to help already, but…”

  This was her way in.

  “I can come. I want to help.”

  Mary’s face lit up. “You will? Thank you!”

  “Let me just get my bag. I’ll just be a minute.”

  She closed the front door gently, smiling at Mary as she turned back.

  The Voodoo dolls were already inside her bag, safe. She gathered a few more herbs and Kody walked out into the room with her.

  “How can I help, Chanti? You can’t leave me here.”

  No, she couldn’t. But how to disguise who and what he was?

  “You need to change. Do you have any other clothes?”

  He shook his head and she searched her memory. She did have some of her ex-boyfriends clothes in the spare room that she’d never got round to giving away.

  “I have some old stuff. Come with me. Quickly.”

  They hurried into her extra room and pulled out some jeans and a tank, a hoodie, a shirt.

  “They’ll be a bit tight. But I need to be able to say you’re my boyfriend, and a fellow practitioner.”

  She threw the black shirt and black jeans at him.

  He gave her a ‘you’re kidding?’ look and she glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

  No, I’m not kidding. Put ‘em on.

  He shrugged and began to strip off his older, wolf clothing.

  Her knees went weak and she leaned on the bed as his incredible body came into view. His thick thighs, his perfect arse, his…

  Focus!

  She ran to her bathroom and grabbed some hair product, moving back to the bedroom to throw it at him.

  “Slick your hair back so you don’t look so wild.”

  He grimaced as he did as she asked.

  Another shiver shot through her and she danced on the spot. Nervous to get going all of a sudden.

  “Let’s go.”

  She took a few deep breaths and raced ahead. They’d be fucking lucky if they got away with this.

  She opened the door and gave Mary her sunniest smile.

  “Mary, do you mind if my boyfriend comes along? You know, for protection against the…” she lowered her voice, “werewolf.”

  Mary’s smug face made Chanti’s belly tighten and drop.

  “Don’t worry about him. We’ve rendered him harmless.”

  That could mean anything.

  Kody stepped up and Chanti’s body melted at the sight.

  Damn, he’s right about us.

  “Kody, this is Mary. Mary, Kody. Honestly Mary, I’d feel a lot better if he came with us.”

  Kody managed a charming smile as he leaned against the door, hands in his pockets, looking smart and relaxed.

  “Ah, sure.” Mary’s eyes ran over him, noting the Voodoo marks Chanti had put on him. “Will he be able to assist us…”

  Chanti nodded. “He may. His mother was a friend of my mothers.” She lied.

  Mary clapped her hands with glee. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”

  Mary staggered a little as she walked down the stairs and Chanti grabbed for her hand.

  “Are you all right, Mary?”

  “Yes, just feeling a little weak. The stress and the shock I think.”

  Or the spells I wove over you, perhaps.

  “Oh, yes. You’ll feel so much better once this is sorted.”

  She held tight to Mary’s hand, chanting in her head. She did not wish anyone in Mary’s family harm. She would not hurt anyone. But protect herself, she would.

  They stepped along the streets of New Orleans and she didn’t even need to turn around to make sure Kody was keeping up. She could feel her shadow behind her like he was an extension of her soul.

  As the thought registered she had to smother her groan.

  He was right about them being soul mates, or whatever name he wanted to put on it.

  He was sooo right.

  *****

 
Kody’s gaze was tugged to the gorgeous slopes of Chanti’s shoulders and the hints of dark ink he could see around the straps of her dress.

  She was one gorgeous woman.

  And she was all his.

  Despite the ridiculously tight clothes he was now wearing that smelled like another man, and the danger of the situation, he was elated.

  His mate knew they were connected, what their destiny was. And despite the fact they hadn’t been able to complete the mating, Chanti hadn’t shown any signs that she was unhappy at the prospect of being his.

  In fact, if this bitch in front of him hadn’t knocked on the door when she had, they may have been linked for life.

  The forever type of mating that the wolves had once scared him, but not anymore. He couldn’t think of anything better than spending his life next to this beautiful, strong woman.

  They turned and walked up the stairs of the big white house.

  His wolf cried inside him, backing away into a dark corner of his mind. He could smell his brother, and he was hurt. Bad.

  He took a deep breath and followed the women up the stairs, focusing on only good thoughts and good intentions. He was here to rescue his brother. Help Chanti. Nothing more.

  The women opened the door and passed through un-harmed.

  Kody, conscious of the fact he couldn’t look like he was afraid, strode straight through the door. If he was to be struck down by lightning, then let it happen now.

  Nothing happened and he lifted his hand to stroke the pendant at his chest. Chanti’s magic was powerful.

  “So, what would you like help with Mary?” He could hear Chanti say as they walked up the amazing winding staircase, sunlight blinding him as it bounced off the marble floors.

  Bloody Hell. Look at this house! How much money do these people have?

  “I need you to help me abort the foetus, without killing Tania. It’s strong and I’ve had no luck so far.”

  The woman, who Kody now wanted to punch in the face, pushed open a door at the end of the corridor and moans came through to greet them.

  His wolf growled inside him, but he swallowed it down.

  If you give us away, we’re all gone.

  He’d be dead before he could shift, he was sure of it. And that was if he could shift. Marty hadn’t been able to in Tania’s house, so why would he be able to here?