Annie placed a map on the table and drew a circle around the field they planned on using for the battle.
“Cole, this is the spot here, right?” she asked.
“Yep. That’s it.”
“Perfect. Maggie, Gina, Clara, hold hands and repeat after me.In this circle, bound by us,you will try to flee. You are stuck until we set you free.”
The women repeated the phrase three times until the flames on the candles began to dance around on their wicks. The flames arched and receded. The circle on the map began to burn, leaving nothing but a scorched mark on the paper.
“It’s done,” Annie said, releasing her grip from Maggie’s and Clara’s hands.
“So that’s what it looks like when a spell actually works?” Gina asked in wonder.
“It is,” Maggie replied.
“Yeah, I don’t think my love spell worked. None of that cool stuff happened. The flames on my candles didn’t so much as flicker,” Gina said with a pouty voice.
“It doesn’t matter if it worked or not, babe. I’m still here and not going anywhere,” Nick said, pulling her into his arms.
“Aww,” she leaned into his arms, tilting her head up for a kiss.
“Get a room,” Annie mumbled.
ChapterTwenty-Four
“Are you guys ready for this?” Cole asked.
“Yep. We’re all set here on our end,” Maggie replied.
“Ready,” Nick and Clint stepped into the circle.
“Do you think they’ll show up?” Gina asked. Not knowing how any of this worked.
“They’ve been summoned. They have no choice but to show up. If their leader refuses, he puts a bounty on his clan’s head. I don’t think he’ll want that happening,” Cole explained. He tilted his head to the side. “Here they come.”
The muffled sounds from the motorcycles grew closer with each second that ticked by. Gina felt like she was waiting for the blade to drop on a guillotine. She had never been in a single fight, and yet, here she stood alongside her friends, preparing to battle a clan of bears. Had anyone told her six months or a year ago this would be her life in the future, she would have called them liars and never believed them.
Gina had always had an inkling when it came to the supernatural world, but she definitely didn’t know the sheer depth of it. Now that she had dipped her toe in, she wanted to know everything. What other species were out there, and how did she protect herself from them? One thing for certain was that she never wanted to find herself in another situation where she was the prey being hunted as she had been with Gavin.
Whatever spells she had to learn, whatever magic and rituals she needed to know, she was game for learning. Anything that could help her when it came to defending herself and those she loves, she would do whatever it took. No questions asked. Now that magic was a possibility, her possibility, there wasn’t a single thing she wouldn’t open her mind to.
Gina sucked in a deep breath, her fingers winding tight around Nick’s. Her whole body vibrated with an energy she had never felt.
“What the …” Gina glanced down to see her hand glowing. An ethereal magic seeped from her fingertips and ran up her arms.
“Um, babe …”
“I swear, this has never happened before,” she stammered, quickly pulling her hand free from Nick’s.
* * *
A few seconds later,Gavin, Mule, and all the other bears rolled to a stop at the edge of the field. They hopped off their motorcycles and looked around.
“Over here, asshole,” Nick shouted to the group. There were more bears than he’d been confronted with before. He was suddenly thankful for everyone who stood by his side. They were outnumbered, but by the looks of some of the men beside Gavin, they wouldn’t be overpowered. What Gavin had in numbers, Nick had in strength and guile.
“I should have known you were behind this. Even with your witches by your side, you have no hope of beating me and my bears,” Gavin said, sounding as cocky as ever. “You are nothing, and you know it. Running from town to town … too afraid to submit to the local alphas. I’ve met your type before. Never accepted into a clan. Never to have a family. I’ve killed your type before and will do it again.”
Nick rolled his eyes so damn hard that they almost popped out of his freaking head. “Is that what you think, asshole? Whatever. But just so you know, I’ve found my home. My mate. My family. It looks like I’m lightyears ahead of you when it comes to life goals. The only thing I see in front of me is a pathetic excuse for a man and bear who should have been put down long ago. That and the sycophants forced to follow you.”