The Wolf's Return: A Bite of Magic Saga, #2

By Lucille Yates

Consequences created from past decisions spiral out of control, affecting the supernatural community.

 

Pablo escapes the clutches of an evil hunter group and is on the run. After an unplanned stop in his home town, he learns his soul mate is now a werewolf. When the hunters find him, he must decide if he wants to keep running, or to stay and fight for his mate.

 

Hayley's life is returning to as normal as it's going to get, now that she's a werewolf. But today her soul mate walked into the auto shop where she works, only he left a year ago and broke her heart. After a group of hunters arrives at her door, she'll have to choose between protecting her heart or protecting her mate.

 

Can Pablo and Hayley forget the pain of the past in order to stop the hunters from destroying the supernatural and their bond?

 

The Wolf's Return is the second exciting novel in the Bite of Magic Saga, filled with danger, romance, and intrigue.

 

*18+ contains sex and profanity

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kitty Hex Press
• Release date: Nov 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736969724

Lucille Yates

Lucille Yates writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy stories. They feature strong women, complicated men, and sizzling chemistry. Lucille enjoys writing the stories that are constantly playing like a movie in her head. She is excited that others will now enjoy them as much as she does. When she is not writing, she is reading, playing with her six-year-old son, watching videos, or playing games. She lives outside of Savannah, GA with her husband, son, and four cats.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Hayley

Hayley laid on the cool grass and waited for the agony to pass. The sound of her bones crunching, breaking, and shrinking made the pain of her shift worse.

She’d shifted into a werewolf nine times in the last three months. A werewolf who is created by a bite can only shift the night before and after a full moon, as well as the night of the full moon. They cannot change at any other time. Those born a werewolf have the freedom of shifting into a wolf form any time they choose.

Being a werewolf affected her in a number of ways she never imagined. She grew stronger, had an amazing sense of smell, and experienced enhanced hearing and sight though it didn’t help her decode the nine months of blurred memories. Before she became a werewolf, Roger kept her under his spell. Literally.

She balled her hands into fists. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She dated Roger after Pablo left. Roger, who she hoped would distract her from her broken heart, cast a spell over her and tried to use her to bring forth a demon.

She took several deep breaths. The last time she let the memories take over after a shift, she went home with bloody knuckles. No matter how strong a werewolf she became, she couldn’t beat down a tree. Thankfully, she healed fast, so she avoided the awkward questions from her family.

She moaned as she pushed herself off of the grass and moved to the tunnel that led to the main house. The house belonged to Emma Luvel and her brother Spencer. Only Spencer lived there at the moment, as Emma rented a house in Savannah. This property remained the location of the pack’s monthly shifts, even after their father died. Ethan, the pack leader, told Hayley about the complete history of the Old Moss Pack when she joined. Not that she had much of a choice or that any of it mattered to Hayley. At least they didn’t quiz her.

She pulled on her clothes previously stored in the tunnel and made her way to the house. The fifteen-minute walk helped work out the sore muscles from the change. Fortunately, she didn’t work on Sundays, so she could go home and rest. The smell of breakfast greeted her exit from the tunnel. Bacon and eggs and more bacon. Everyone acknowledged her with mouths full of food. She smiled and waved as she walked past.

Hey boss, Keon said. You workin’ tomorrow?

No. I’ll see you Tuesday.

Keon gave her a look, then looked over at his dad, Isaiah.

You should eat, Hayley, Isaiah said.

She ignored him as she walked away. A few of the wolves worked with her at her dad’s business, Massey and Sons Auto shop. And she was now officially a boss. Her dad wanted her to take over when he retired, if he ever retired, and she had the qualifications. She didn’t quite like being called boss though, especially by people older than her, even if only by a few years.

Ten feet from the front door, images flooded her mind. She leaned against the wall and waited for them to pass. She didn’t know what they were exactly, only that they connected her to her time with Roger. This flash contained images of smoke, children crying, red eyes, and him handing her a cup of tea.

Roger. What a bastard.

Hayley.

Hayley looked up to see Emma walking toward her. She held out a napkin full of bacon.

Here, she said, take this for the road. You know it helps. You don’t have to sit with us, but you need to take care of yourself.

Hayley took the napkin. Thanks. She pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the door to her car. As she drove, she devoured the bacon. This was her life now. Fixing cars, eating bacon, and being a werewolf. She wanted to crawl into a hole and sleep for an eternity.

Chapter 2

Pablo

Living on the run wore on Pablo. He never stayed in one place for more than a week. Hitchhiking didn’t get him far. So for a month, he worked odd jobs and scrounged up enough money to buy a ride, a nice twenty-five-year-old van.

When he left home eighteen months ago, he didn’t think he would ever run back. This was only a quick stop, he told himself. He needed to warn the pack he left behind. Something in the back of his mind told him they needed to know. It grew stronger with each passing day and he finally listened.

I could call, but it’s better said in person, he thought.

Pablo drove down the country roads, past the state border into Georgia through the wildlife preserve. He glanced at the alligators sunning themselves in the early morning. The traffic picked up, so it must be a weekday. He’d lost track of the days of the week since his escape. It didn’t really matter. He had to keep moving.

The old van he drove made that noise again. No, not again. This sounded different. He fixed the old junk of a van twice in the last month. Last week he changed the water pump. The engine jumped. He might need to replace the spark plugs. He didn’t really know. He knew enough to get by, but clearly not enough by the sound of the van. What he knew, he learned from Hayley. He shook his head, hoping to leave her out of it. I’m not going home to see her, he thought.

The van jumped again. He needed to get it checked out, and fast. The twenty-five-year-old piece of junk cost him $300 and wasn’t worth it. The faded gray paint job might be the only thing keeping it from falling apart but he needed it to run. And there was only one place he trusted to get work done.

Unfortunately, it was also where she worked. Where her father worked. He was going to have to contact the pack soon, anyway. Before he could change his mind, he picked up his burner and dialed one of the few numbers he’d memorized.

What? the voice said on the other end.

Keon? Pablo said. It’s Pablo. Are you busy?

Busy? Keon asked. Never. What do I owe the pleasure of hearing from your sorry ass?

I’m heading into town, Pablo said. My ride needs some work. Is she working today?

Wow, Keon said. You are really heading back this way? Something either went right or went terribly wrong. And naw, she ain’t workin’.

What about the old man? Pablo asked.

Nope, Keon said. My dad’s in charge today. You can bring in your ride and I’ll take a look at it. You still drive that Impala?

Naw, Pablo said. Picked me up a sweet van.

I don’t even know what to say to that. I’ll see you at the shop.

Keon hung up before Pablo said goodbye. His eye twitched. It twitched regularly since his capture. He rolled down the window, letting the cool air hit his face. He couldn’t think back to that now.

He rolled up thirty minutes before Massey and Sons opened. Keon walked out of one of the bays to greet him. He was much taller than Pablo, with several tattoos running down his brown arms and legs.

Pablo Caballero. How’s your ugly face been? Keon slapped his shoulder.

It’s good to see you, too.

So, what’s wrong with your girl? Keon asked.

What? Pablo asked.

Keon pointed to the van.

Oh, she’s making a popping noise and jerking during gear changes. I think she needs spark plugs. I changed the water pump last week.

You changed the water pump? He raised an eyebrow. When was her last oil change?

Pablo grimaced. Six weeks ago. Supposedly, he said.

Keon shook his head. What am I going to do with you? I’ll get her fixed up. I can call you when it’s done or you can hang out in the waiting room.

I think I’ll get some breakfast, Pablo said, nodding toward a Waffle House a few blocks down.

Sounds good. I’ll keep you posted.

Chapter 3

Hayley

Hayley walked through the back door and straight into the back office. She couldn’t wallow in her bed any longer, so she slunk into work. She decided to go through the books, make the schedule, and help balance the books.

Hayley, someone called from the waiting room. She smiled and walked up to the counter. Maggie waved, her purple faded to pink hair bobbed back and forth. Maggie owned a local magic shop in Savannah, and belonged to the local coven, the Moonlight Oak Coven.

Hey Maggie, she said. What brings you here?

Just an oil change. The crew is fixing me up. How are you doing?

I’m okay.

Yeah? I was told it’s your day off.

It is, but I have nothing to do, so I might as well get some paperwork done.

I can understand that. Maggie leaned on the counter. But if you are interested, Emma and I are going fishing after my car is done. You can join us. Girls’ day drinking.

I thought it was fishing.

Well, Emma fishes and I drink. You can do one or both or something different. No pressure.

Okay, Hayley said. I’ll think about it. I’ll be in the back. Let me know when your car is ready.

Hayley made her way to the office and ran the numbers. The shop door opened and closed as customers came and went. She didn’t give it a thought until her nose smelled something she couldn’t ignore. She sat and stared at the office door. The scent slowly consumed her.

With one deep breath, she drank it in. It smelled like dirt, pine, and oil with a hint of sweetness. The familiar yet different aroma called to her. She opened the office door and walked down the small hall into the waiting room. There, in the chair beside the front door sat the source of the smell. The most glorious aroma and the most glorious man. Long black hair covered his face until he looked up and pushed it back with his hand. Those eyes, so dark brown, were almost black and those lips full and muted. Pablo.

She dashed past the counter straight for him. He stood as she approached and stared at her, his mouth dropped open. She pulled him toward her, pushing her lips against his. Pablo, her first love, the man she thought she’d never see again, stood before her. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him harder. At that moment, he was the source of her very self.

Then a voice in the back of her head said, ‘He left you’. He’d left her over a year ago, with no warning or explanation. And here he was in town, in her shop, but he didn’t come to see her.

He broke her heart, and he thought he could avoid her when he returned. Just thinking about him made her heart ache on a good day. The day he left was the day her life imploded, the day she crumbled.

She pushed Pablo back. He looked at her with wide eyes. She shook free of his hands and punched him in the face.

Gah, his cry rang loud in the small waiting room. He plopped down hard in his seat, holding his nose. Hayley stormed back into the office and slammed the door.

Daaamn. I can’t wait to tell Emma. Maggie’s voice floated through the door.

Hayley put her head on her desk. Her body reeled from that kiss and from his scent. He never smelled that good before. He smelled good, she thought, familiar, but different.

Ugh. He smelled like a wolf. When did he become a werewolf? Could that explain the different odor? She felt the wolf inside stir and nudge her to move. Stupid wolf, she thought. She didn’t know the heart ache that