Stone Cold Fox Read online

  “Hey, problems with your Porsche again or is it the Mercedes this time?” Reese asked, grinning as he stepped down from the cab of his tow truck.

  Keller was a bio-tech wizard who could probably buy and sell everybody in town five times over. But he didn’t flaunt his wealth—well, other than a penchant for fast, expensive cars.

  “Neither.” Keller was leaning against a wall of the garage with his arms crossed and a curious light in his eyes. “I just came to see if you liked the take-out you got from the Cougar’s Den. Did it taste good?”

  “Couldn’t tell you,” Reese said cheerfully. “I gave it away. All but a few fries, that is.”

  “Gave it away?” Keller’s eyebrows shot up. “To who?”

  “Who do you think? The girl in my shed Fiona told me about.” Reese shook his head. “Goddamn—how does she know things like that? I’d pay good money to spend time inside her head.”

  “You’d be wasting your hard earned cash. I don’t think anyone but Fiona could figure out what goes on in there,” Keller said dryly. “But tell me about the girl. What is she like? What’s her name?”

  It was Reese’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

  “You checking up on me, Keller? Or is it the Cat inside you that’s so curious you can’t help asking?”

  Keller shrugged easily. “A little of both, maybe. Mostly I just wanted to be sure everything was okay.”

  “Fine, I’ll tell you what I know—it’s not much though,” Reese said. “Her name is Jocasta Ferrell. She looks to be nineteen or twenty and she’s a witch.”

  “A what?” Keller looked startled.

  “You heard me.” Reese laughed at his friend’s expression—Keller wasn’t easy to rattle. “Oh, and she’s staying at my place but only under the condition that she can cast a binding spell on me so I won’t touch her.”

  “What?” Keller frowned at him. “And you agreed to that?”

  Reese was surprised at his friend’s extreme reaction.

  “Take it easy, buddy. You and I know I’d never hurt a female but Jo doesn’t know that—she’s been, uh, hurt before. So this spell thing is just to help her feel better about staying in my house, that’s all.”

  Keller frowned. “You don’t believe in witches or witchcraft, do you?”

  “Well, I mean I believe that the people who call themselves witches believe it,” Reese said. “But I don’t think there’s much more to it than that. It’s like the power of positive thinking, you know? Jo thinks she’s casting a spell on me to keep me from hurting her—which I would never do—so she feels more comfortable around me. There’s no actual effect except for the mental one.”

  “That’s really what you think?” Keller shook his head.

  “What? You don’t mean to tell me you believe in all that stuff—do you?” Reese asked. “I thought you were a man of science and all that.”

  “I am but I’ve learned not to discount anything—especially someone else’s beliefs, no matter how far-fetched they may seem,” Keller said. “Ask yourself this—would you still let this girl cast a spell on you if you knew it was going to have an actual physical effect?”

  “Well . . .” Reese, frowned, mulling it over. “She told me the spell is just to keep me from touching her, uh, the wrong way.” He cleared his throat. “You know what I mean. So yeah, I guess I’d still let her, if it helped her feel better.”

  “You said she’s been . . . violated in the past?” Keller asked.

  “Pretty sure she has.” Reese nodded, his jaw clenching at the thought of someone hurting Jo like that. He hadn’t known her long but his Fox had already laid claim to her and he felt a powerful feeling of protectiveness growing inside him where she was concerned. “Plus, she’s been attacked twice since she left Avalon.”

  “She lived at the females-only Yoga retreat?” Keller asked.

  “Apparently it’s more than just a Yoga retreat. Anyway, she was attacked by a pack of dire wolves just outside of Asheville. She thought they were ‘Skin Walkers’.”

  “Jase Sanders’ pack?” Keller asked, frowning. “Why would they attack her? Did they mistake her for prey?”

  Reese shrugged. “Don’t know but I didn’t get the sense she was lying about it. She’s really, really distrustful of males. That’s why I agreed to let her cast the uh . . . the binding spell on me—it was the only way she’d agree to stay.”

  “And you think that was wise? Inviting a strange woman into your house and your life? A witch who’s already admitted she intends to cast spells on you?” Keller demanded.

  Reese frowned.

  “Get over it, Keller,” he growled. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I’m not sure you do,” the other Shifter retorted. “Look . . .” He put a hand on Reese’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’m just worried about you.”

  “Well don’t be. I have it under control.” Reese shrugged off his friend’s hand, then thought better of it. “Look, Keller,” he said, trying to make him understand. “How did your Cougar feel about Samantha? Not now—back when you first met her?”

  Keller sighed. “My Cat loved her—claimed her—almost right from the start. But we formed an early bond so—”

  “It’s the same with my Fox,” Reese interrupted him. “He loves Jo—in fact, he’s fucking crazy about her and he’s never, never reacted that way towards a female before.” He shrugged. “I like her too and well, this just feels right somehow. I can’t explain it, I just feel it in my bones, you know?”

  Keller looked at him for a long moment and then shook his head.

  “All right, forgive me for butting into your business. I just worry about you getting mixed up with witches. Their powers are real, you know—as real as ours.”

  Reese felt a wave of unease roll over him. Could it be his friend was right? Was he walking into some kind of a trap, allowing Jo to cast this spell on him when he barely knew her?

  But his Fox insisted loudly that she was good, that she was right and trustworthy.

  He shook his head.

  “Sorry, Keller, but I’ve got to go with my gut on this one. Or in this case, my Fox’s gut. He really likes her.”

  “All right.” Keller took a step back, a doubtful look on his face. “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

  “Don’t worry,” Reese said stiffly. “I do and I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat. “Look, Keller, I’ve got a lot of work to do, so . . .”

  “Of course. Sorry I bothered you.” Keller sighed. “Look, at least promise me one thing—take her to meet Fiona. She’s the one who told you about this girl in the first place. She’ll know what to do with her—where to put her.”

  Reese frowned. “Where to put her? I already told you, she’s staying with me—that’s where she belongs.”

  Keller sighed. “I can see your Fox has already claimed her, but just talk to Fiona—will you at least promise me that?”

  “I’ll go by her shop tomorrow if it’ll make you feel better,” Reese growled, thoroughly pissed off by his friend’s high-handed behavior. He was beginning to be sorry he’d ever told Keller anything about the little witch. “And I’ll bring Jo with me—if she wants to come.”

  “Good,” Keller said shortly. “Look, I can tell you’re angry at me, Coop, and I’m sorry. I just . . . want you to be okay.”

  Before Reese could answer, he went to get behind the wheel of a candy-apple-red sports car sitting just outside the shop. After sliding his muscular bulk into the low-slung vehicle he poked his head out and looked at Reese.

  “If you need anything—any help—just let me know.”

  “Will do.” Reese tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He and Keller were good friends but the other male could be all kinds of nosy and officious sometimes. Then again, Reese reminded himself, Keller was a Cat. It went with the territory.

  He went about the rest of his day, trying to forget his friend’s words of warning. But even as he worked, he couldn’t help