Romani Witch (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 2) Read online

  “Not until you tell me what’s happened.” He plucked a twig from my hair and glanced down at my dirt-streaked clothes. “You’re a mess. Have you been crying?”

  “No.” I looked away. No way was I going to tell him what I’d seen. “I need to go.”

  “It’s not safe out here. Why don’t I drive you home? It’ll only take me a minute to grab my keys.” He shook his head when I didn’t answer. “Please, let me drive you wherever you need to go.”

  I stared up at him. What would he say if I asked for a ride out of town? Did he know my biological mom was a witch?

  “You can trust me. I swear,” he insisted.

  Trust him? No. But Garrett had the answers I needed.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the wolf trackers, who still stood in front of the hotel, watching us. “What are you and your friends doing tonight?”

  “We’re having a few drinks by the pool,” he replied.

  “Just you and them?”

  “They’ve invited a few girls, but we’re keeping it small.” His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “I could use some fun tonight.” I walked around Garrett, waving to the wolf trackers as I headed toward the hotel. Their faces lit up when they realized I planned on joining them.

  With nowhere to go and no one I could trust, I had nothing to lose. Since both Mom and Kaleb had betrayed me, why not break a few rules by partying with a warlock and some of his friends?

  Chapter 14

  “We’ll be there in a minute,” Garrett shouted to the guys. He closed the glass door that led to the hotel’s indoor pool and folded his arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I glanced around the hotel’s hallway, not caring if anyone saw us together.

  “Don’t tell me nothing’s wrong. Your clothes look like you’ve been rolling around on the ground. There’s dirt on your face, and you’ve been crying.” He touched my cheek.

  I flinched away from his hand. “I’m fine.”

  “Let me drive you home. I’m sure your family must be worried.”

  “If you don’t want me here, just say so.” I bit my lip to keep from saying what had flashed through my mind: I don’t have any family to worry about me.

  “That’s not what I meant.” He scratched his jawline. “Are you okay?”

  “Of course.” I looked at him, surprised to see he actually looked concerned. He barely knew me. Why would he care if I was upset? “It’s been a tough week. I need a night of fun, without any rules.”

  “Ah…Those pesky Romani rules. I don’t understand why you follow them when you don’t have to.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Well…” He lowered his voice. “You’re a witch. Witches don’t have all those stupid rules.”

  My breath hitched. Garrett did know I was a witch.

  “It’s not like we can do whatever we want though,” I insisted. Surely the witches must have rules. Maybe different from the Romani ones, but they wouldn’t have a High Council if they were able to do as they pleased.

  “That might be true, but—” He glanced over my shoulder, putting on a charming smile as he opened the door. “Looking very sexy tonight. Glad you beautiful ladies could make it.”

  I rolled my eyes, turning to see who Garrett wanted to charm.

  Dressed in halter tops, shorts, and sandals, four girls in their early twenties strutted down the hallway toward us. I recognized a couple of them from the café. They stopped by for lunch several days ago and had talked to the locals, asking about things to do. Apparently, they’d already taken a group tour of Norwood Isle, a scenic boat ride around Lake Sweeney, and hiked a few of the trails. From what I remembered, they’d been asking about places to party and meet single guys.

  “You’re looking handsome tonight, sweetie,” one of the girls said as she slowly walked by Garrett, running a hand across his chest.

  His smile broadened as the other girls passed him to enter the pool area. He turned to me. “There is one rule we must follow. No magic on sacred ground, so don’t try anything funny tonight. I’ll be watching.”

  “That won’t be a problem.” I walked past him, heading toward the wolf trackers. If only he knew the truth. I had no magic. No powers. No idea how to be a witch.

  The wolf trackers and the girls sat on white plastic chairs near the large windows at the far end of the room. A cooler sat next to a table topped with chips, pretzels, an ice bucket, soda, and mini bottles of alcohol.

  “Why don’t you sit here, and I’ll grab you a drink?” A guy with short black hair winked at me.

  “Thanks.” I sat on one of the white chairs.

  One of the girls got up and picked up the bag of pretzels. As she sat down again, she opened the bag and tilted it toward me. “Did you want some?”

  “Sure.” I smiled as I helped myself to a small handful of pretzels from the bag. She didn’t seem to mind I’d crashed their private party with the guys.

  Garrett finally joined us, taking a seat across from me. He opened a can of beer and casually leaned back in his chair.

  The guy with black hair came back and handed me a red cup with ice, cola in a can, and a mini bottle of rum. He pushed the large cooler over next to me and sat on it. When I didn’t open the cola or the rum, he stared at me. “We have beer if you want that instead.”

  “No. This is fine.” I shook my head, grateful he hadn’t mixed my drink. At least I didn’t have to worry about him spiking it.

  I opened the rum, poured it into the cup, and tossed the bottle into the trashcan. After adding the cola, I took a sip. All I could taste was the cola.

  One of the girls asked the guys about their jobs and if they’d seen any large wolves. The guy next to me explained he was a college student working with the biologist, not a wolf tracker. Then he launched into a lecture about wolves, telling us all about their eating habits, various ways of finding their dens, and other snippets of information.

  Sipping my drink, I listened to their stories, laughing when one of them said something funny. It felt strange to feel accepted by these strangers and to hang out like a regular teenager. Would this have been my life if we hadn’t moved to Woodlake?

  “Hey, don’t you work at the café?” the girl sitting next to me asked.

  I nodded. “How are you enjoying your trip to Woodlake?”

  “It’s a cute little town, and the people are friendly,” she replied. “I loved hiking Norwood Isle. It was amazing, and the guys there are so hot.”

  The girls fanned themselves, giggling, as I finished my rum and cola. Had Kaleb given one of them a private tour? He used to date tourists, and these girls were friendly—and attractive.

  “Did you guys meet Kaleb on Norwood Isle?” Garrett winked at me. “I hear he’s a real charmer.”

  I glared at Garrett and got up to prepare myself another drink. This time, I poured in two bottles of rum and took a big gulp. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, trying not to grimace.

  “Kaleb? I don’t think we met him,” the girl sitting next to Garrett said. “What does he look like?”

  “He’s tall, strong, and muscular. He’s got dark wavy hair and green eyes. You’d remember him. He’s got this great smile,” I replied and then guzzled down half my drink, suddenly feeling hot all over.

  “He doesn’t sound familiar,” another girl replied. “He must’ve been with another tour group.”

  I let out a long, shaky breath, not sure if I should feel relieved. What if he wasn’t fooling around with a bunch of random girls? What if he liked Tessa and it was more than a fling? I wiped away a tear, refusing to give in to my grief.

  “Who wants to get wet?” The girl next to Garrett stood and took off her clothes to reveal a swimsuit, then ran and jumped into the pool.

  The other girls removed their clothes and jumped into the pool, encouraging the guys to join them. The wolf trackers glanced at each other, grinning as they stripped off their clothes.

  “Are you com
ing in?” the guy with short black hair asked.

  Blushing, I looked away when I realized he and the other guys were in their boxers. “Maybe later.”

  Me stripping down to my underwear and jumping into that pool was not going to happen. Instead, I added more rum to my cup, drank it, and waited. I waited for my problems to disappear, to fade away to nothing. And waited for my heart to stop hurting. Wasn’t alcohol supposed to help you forget your problems? I didn’t feel any better, and all I could think about were my problems: Mom lying to me, Kaleb kissing Tessa, the witch blood flowing through my veins.

  Sighing, I twisted the cap from another bottle of rum and drank it straight. Ignoring the burning sensation, I gulped it down and tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan.

  I shouldn’t have run away from Mom and Calandra. I had too many questions that needed answers. Who was my biological mom? Was it Calandra? Is that why the High Council sent her to Woodlake? And who was my father? There was a good chance that the dad who’d raised me wasn’t my biological father.

  As a tear trickled down my cheek, I reached for another bottle of rum and sent it tumbling to the floor.

  “That’s enough.” Garrett picked up the bottle and set it on the table. “You and I need to talk.”

  “Right now?” I shoved two bottles into my pocket, giggling like Drina. I giggled even more as I thought about her. “What if I don’t want to talk?”

  “You don’t have a choice.”

  Water splashed and everyone laughed and shrieked as they played around in the pool. Garrett and I were the only ones who hadn’t stripped and jumped in. One of the girls called out to us, inviting us to join in the fun.

  “Maybe later,” Garrett yelled as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me toward the white double doors at the far end of the pool. He opened the door on the left and stepped aside, allowing me to walk ahead of him.

  I stumbled into the women’s restroom, giggling at the thought of breaking another strict rule. “You know, I’m not supposed to be alone with you.”

  “Sit on the bench over there.” Garrett pointed to the left side of the bathroom, ignoring what I’d said. A wooden bench sat in the middle between three showers and a wall of blue lockers. On the right were five-bathroom stalls, a row of sinks, and an oversized mirror.

  I sank to the floor, resting my back against the cold lockers.

  “Have you lost your mind?” He towered over me, holding out his hand. “Give me the bottles.”

  “What bottles?”

  “I saw you take them. C’mon, hand them over.”

  “Fine.” I let out a deep breath and leaned sideways, pulling the bottles out of my pocket. “Who made you the party police?”

  He took the bottles and tucked them into his back pocket. “You’ve had enough.”

  “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” My voice sounded slower, different somehow. Maybe Garrett was right: I didn’t need more alcohol. Not when I felt so relaxed and happy.

  “You know what I’m talking about.” He folded his arms and gave me a stern look. “Alcohol messes with our magic. You need to be careful.”

  “Don’t try and tell me what I know. You have no idea what…” An unexpected sob erupted from me, and tears—so many tears. I pulled my legs up and hugged them to my chest.

  I knew I should get up, splash cold water on my face, and get out of here. But the sinks looked so far away, and I didn’t want to leave. Who cared if I was alone with a warlock? Garrett didn’t seem all that bad, and he could answer my questions. Of course, then I’d have to admit the truth—Mom had lied to me and I’d had no idea I was a witch.

  Garrett sat in front of me on the floor. “I’m not good with crying girls. Do you want me to hold you or something?”

  “No.”

  “How about if I cast a spell or punch someone?” He nudged my boots and gave me a goofy grin. “Would that help?”

  I shook my head, feeling woozy. “What happened to ‘no magic on sacred ground’?”

  “No one has to know.” He wiped a tear off my cheek. “Can you please tell me what’s wrong?”

  I hugged my legs even tighter. Maybe I’d been wrong about Garrett. He could have easily stripped off his clothes and jumped into the pool. He didn’t have to keep an eye on me. But how could I trust him when I couldn’t even trust the ones I loved most in this world?

  “Is it that Norwood wolf, Kaleb?” he asked. “You must have known it wouldn’t work.”

  “No. It’s Calandra.” I didn’t want to say anything about Kaleb and Tessa kissing. If what Calandra said was true, then I had more important things to discuss with Garrett. “She came by the house this afternoon and told me the truth about my real mom. I had no idea, but I don’t have all these powers she seems to think I possess.”

  “Wow,” he muttered. “You didn’t know Calandra was your mom? Growing up as a witch without any guidance must have been tough. You’ve definitely inherited powers from her though. You just need to learn how to tap into them. Did she say why she gave you away? The rumor was she lost the baby, but my mother never believed it.”

  “She didn’t say.” I took a deep breath. Garrett had confirmed what I’d hoped wasn’t true—Calandra was my biological mother. I thought about correcting what he’d said, about me growing up as a witch without guidance. He had no idea I’d been clueless all these years.

  “Hey.” He nudged me again. “If it makes you feel any better, my mother’s worse than Calandra.”

  I grinned, suddenly feeling lightheaded and giddy. “I’m sure she’s not that bad.”

  “Trust me. She’s on the High Council. When you meet her, you’ll—”

  “Hey.” The door flew open, and one of the girls popped her head in. “We’re playing Truth or Dare. Are you guys gonna join us?”

  Garrett got to his feet and held out his hand. “Why don’t we join the party? It’ll take your mind off things, at least for now. I promise.”

  “Okay.” Taking his hand, I stood, swaying slightly before falling into his arms. He smelled like lavender and sage, which seemed odd for a guy. Of course, Garrett wasn’t just any guy. He was a warlock and, hopefully, someone I could learn to trust.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning, I woke to sunlight streaming through the blinds. Groaning, I rolled over and pulled the covers over my head. My head pounded and my body ached all over like I’d run a marathon. After taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes. And froze.

  This bed was too big, too soft. Even the comforter didn’t smell like mine, and the sheets felt rough against my naked body.

  Why the hell was I naked?

  I sat up, wrapping the scratchy comforter around me. I took in the neutral décor and the bland furnishings: the console with the flat screen television, the brown couch, the functional coffee table and the mini refrigerator. The room looked neat and tidy, but nothing felt familiar. At first glance, I almost expected to find out I was in someone’s college dorm room, but that didn’t seem possible.

  I reached over and picked up a small notepad from the nightstand, relieved to see Woodlake Hotel’s logo at the top. At least I hadn’t left town. Now, if I could just find my clothes and sneak out of here before I had to face whoever had taken me back to their room.

  An image of the guy with short black hair flashed through my mind: laughing as he leaned over me and pushed my hair aside.

  “No,” I gasped, hoping I was in one of the girl’s rooms. The last thing I remembered was talking to Garrett. Had he let me leave with one of the guys? It wasn’t like he was responsible for me or cared if I hooked up with someone.

  The door opened halfway, and voices drifted into the room.

  “Is Sleeping Beauty up yet?” a guy asked. “We’re going to the café. Thought you two might want to join us.”

  “She’s still asleep,” Garrett replied. “Can you do me a favor? Her family doesn’t like me. It’s best if they don’t know she’s here. They’d be pissed, a
nd I don’t want her getting into trouble. Can you tell everyone not to say anything about her?”

  “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back,” the guy said. “We know how strict the Romanies are.”

  “Thanks.” Garrett opened the door wider.

  I pressed back against the bed’s headboard, hoping the other guy couldn’t see me. Eating with them at the café would be a bad idea. Did anyone even know I wasn’t at home or in Dover with Mom? Garrett seemed confident his friends wouldn’t rat on me, but the wolves could easily sniff me out. Of course, they thought I was out of town.

  Garrett tossed a laundry bag onto the couch as he released the door and let it shut behind him. He looked at me and smiled. “Hey, you’re up. Sorry for waking you.”

  “Hey,” I mumbled, still clutching the comforter around me. In a way, I was relieved to see it was Garrett and not one of the wolf trackers, but this whole situation was beyond awkward. Clearly, I’d slept in Garrett’s hotel room. Had I been drunk enough to lose my virginity to a warlock?

  “You don’t look so good.” He grabbed a bottled water from the mini refrigerator and opened it before handing it to me. “You need to rehydrate.”

  I took a big gulp, trying to decide which question I wanted to ask first. Maybe, Why the heck am I naked in your bed?

  He went to the bathroom, returning with two aspirin. “This will help with the hangover.”

  I swallowed them, keeping my gaze low to avoid any eye contact. How could I possibly ask him if we had sex? Did he know I was naked under the comforter?

  “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “So…” I took a deep breath, steeling myself to look at him. “Have you seen my clothes?”

  “You’re still naked? I left a t-shirt and shorts in the bathroom for you, but I guess you never got up.”

  My cheeks heated. He’d asked if I was still naked, so he knew I’d been naked at some point. And he sounded so calm about it. Like me being naked was no big deal.

  Damn. I had sex with a warlock.

  He lifted the laundry bag and dumped clean clothes out onto the bed. “I washed your clothes with mine because they were wet and smelled like chlorine, and I figured going home in my clothes wasn’t such a good idea.”