Cage Me: A Wolf Shifter Romantasy (Immortal Vices and Virtues: Shadow Shifter Bonds Book 1)

Chapter 26

Saying goodbye to my mother and brother wasn’t the hard part of the morning. It was once again making sure Kasha will do whatever it takes to keep them safe if Drake and I fail or if things don’t go as planned.

I feel confident that she wouldn’t accept the responsibility if she wasn’t going to do her best, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.

Yet, it also doesn’t stop me from walking out the door and heading to Spells once again.

Drake and I arrive just after nine in the morning to find the door locked. I shake the handle and look at him. “It’s never been locked for me before.”

“Maybe someone else is in here,” he suggests, trying to peer through the tinted windows.

No, she wouldn’t have other clients at the shop while working on a spell like what we need for Kel. I might not have taken the time to get to know Natalia well over the last couple months, but I do know she honors privacy.

“Why don’t we check around the back?” Drake takes a step back from the door, but I stay put. Something doesn’t feel right.

I don’t answer Drake. I put my palm against the door and close my eyes. A hum of energy moves from the building through my skin and up my arm. There’s nothing dark about the magic, but it’s also not anything I’ve sensed here before.

What are you doing, Natalia?

Maybe something went wrong with the spell and the witch is trying to keep the energy contained. It’s the only other explanation I can think of besides someone else being in there that shouldn’t be. Yet, I don’t sense anyone else.

“What is it?” Drake asks quietly.

“I don’t know, but we need to get in there.” I’m not leaving this shop without that spell. I gave Natalia the time she asked for and one way or another, we’re going to find out if she’s come through on her promise.

Pressing my hands against the door again, I lean into the glass. Magic snakes up my arms and wraps around me like a blanket, warming my body everywhere the energy touches.

“Spencer.” Drake’s tone is warning. “You’re glowing.”

Nothing I can do about that now. Whatever I’ve found myself locked into has a hold on me, but I’m not being attacked so I stay calm.

The glass starts to rattle beneath my touch, and my heart hammers in my chest as I draw more magic into myself. This is a foreign feeling for me, containing this much energy, but I can’t stop. I need to get inside, and the power wants me to unlock this door somehow.

I’m tempted to slam my head against the glass, but I’d rather not get bloody.

Drake’s hand settles on my shoulder and, instantly, the magic I’ve been absorbing starts to move from my body to his. His grip on me grows tighter and he growls.

“What the fuck is this?”

I try to shrug, but my movement is more like a flinch. “One of Natalia’s games. Hopefully.” Glancing over at my mate, I grin. “Hey, you’re glowing now, too.”

Based on the scowl on his face, he doesn’t seem too pleased with that revelation, but he should be. With his touch, the power from the shop is now flowing freely, and the weight of it lightens until I can finally lift my hand from the glass again.

My head tilts to the side as I stare at my skin. I’m not touching the door any longer, but the energy is still alive and moving through me. Shivers crawl along my skin, but I’m not afraid. Hell, I’m not even mad about the power boost.

This time, when I pull on the handle to get inside, the door opens without resistance, and the inside of Spells is brighter than I’ve ever seen it before.

Drake and I step through the threshold together, and the door nearly hits us in the ass as it closes on its own.

“It’s about time you showed up.” Natalia’s voice sounds from behind the curtain.

As she speaks, a soothing chime sounds from above us and I glance up, expecting to see something other than the annoying red-and-black songbird. Yet, it’s the same damn one.

“Did you change the ringtone of that thing?” I call out, asking Natalia.

She pokes her head out from the backroom. “Nope. He just finally finds you worthy. That was his test out there, not mine, in case you’re wondering.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I mutter, glaring up at the bird. “You’ve been screwing with me this whole time.”

He chirps, and I have no clue if he’s some kind of familiar or what, but I still want to strangle him.

Drake chuckles next to me. “No wonder you thought it was odd that I enjoyed the sound he made. I wasn’t hearing the same thing you were.”

I try not to take offense that the bird targeted me and not the cursed shifter from a shadow world, while at the same time, I can’t help wondering how many feathers I could pluck from his back before Natalia stopped me…

“I have your spell ready,” she says, walking into the bright room with one small pouch.

A frown creases my face. That bag, if you could even call it that, doesn’t give me hope that she’s going to be offering us much, but maybe big power comes in small packages. Hopefully.

I glance around as we approach the counter. The floating candles don’t seem any bigger, yet it’s almost annoyingly bright in here. “Did you increase the lighting in here?”

She raises her brow. “Have you looked at yourself? I expected the enlightening spell I gave you to give you some clarity, but I didn’t think you’d start showing off your power just because.”

If she only knew. Her little spell nearly killed me, but I don’t believe that was her fault just as my wolf had said, so I don’t tell Natalia just how intense that potion really was.

Instead, I take a deep inhale in. The magic from the glass—or the bird—still pulses inside me. That has to be causing my glow. Yet, I don’t know how to release the power.

Drake doesn’t seem to be affected any longer, so it’s just me as Natalia said, but I have no clue why.

“You’ve learned to unlock your true self, Spencer, but now, you need to know how to wield the energy you possess if it’s to serve you the way you need.”

I’m sure the witch knows what she’s talking about, but we’re out of time for me to learn new things. I close my eyes and do what I’ve always done, I start to build a wall around my core, keeping the power contained.

Except just when I start making progress, a sharp pain shoots through my mind and I suck in a breath. My eyes open to find Natalia’s pointer finger pressed against my forehead. “Um, care to tell me what the hell you’re doing?”

She shakes her head and stares intently at my chest for several seconds. Only when I can finally feel my lungs working again does she release me.

“You’re not glowing anymore,” she says, lines of concern etched around her eyes, “but you’re going to want to learn how to truly command your inner power. You can’t keep shoving energy like that down. In the meantime, the next time you want to use it, make sure you’re prepared to fully unleash your wolf.”

Sounds…fun. “Thanks for the help.”

She half snorts and huffs. “I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.” She slides the pouch closer. “Here is everything you should need.”

I pick it up and I feel rather confident the black leather is empty. “Um, thanks.”

“Reach inside before you judge,” she says with a grin.

Tugging on the thin string, I open the top as far as it will go and just manage to get my fist inside. Wait, my hand should not fit in here.

I hold the bag higher and wiggle my fingers, but the edges of the fabric don’t move like they should. “What kind of magic is this?”

“It’s a witch’s pocket,” Drake answers with amusement. “I haven’t seen one since I was a kid and tried to steal it from someone in the market.”

Natalia chuckles. “I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

“I’m a fast runner.” Drake’s fingers brush over the material. “This is going to help.”

I have no clue where his confidence is coming from, but I try and fail to mirror it. “I can’t feel anything. How do I get the spell out?”

“Call for it,” she replies as if I should have already known the answer.

Um, spell, come here.

I’ve never felt more stupid in my life, yet… Two seconds later, something glass and warm fills my palm.

I pull my hand out and there between my fingers is a glass jar with a silver top, carved with swirling symbols. “Is this it?”

Natalia nods. “Yep. And it’s one-of-a-kind. Don’t drop that jar or open it until you’re absolutely sure you’re ready to use it. You’ll also find other potions and trinkets in there, along with a few portal spells. Just ask for help and see what you get. The pocket is rather intuitive. I’ve had that for… Well, let’s just say a while.”

My skin warms, and I smile at the witch. “Thank you, Natalia. For everything. I know I haven’t always been the easiest to get along with, but I truly appreciate your friendship.”

She reaches for my hands and holds them between hers. “I knew the moment you walked through my door that you were worth the investment of putting up with.”

I laugh and do something I’ve never done before. I hug the witch, and when she returns the gesture, I nearly melt into her embrace. “You’re going to be okay, Spencer,” she whispers before we part.

“Thank you,” I say again, only because I don’t know what other words would be appropriate right now. “I guess we will see you when we see you. I have no clue how long it will take for us to find Kel.”

“Just be prepared for the possibility that she’ll find you first,” Natalia says, and that has both me and Drake tensing.

“We will be,” he says gruffly, then looks at me. “Maybe we could find that shifter Lia and see if she has more to share.”

Natalia tilts her head. “Who’s Lia?”

“No clue,” I reply. “She’s visiting with her mate Markus, but she said we needed to head north to find Kel, and my wolf trusted her, so that’s where we’re going.”

“Fair enough.” She glances between the two of us. “Keep each other safe.”

With a nod, we both head toward the door. This time, I don’t rush out or glare at the songbird. When my fingers wrap around the door handle, there’s a flare of energy, but it’s brief and welcoming. Maybe I can finally have a truce with the winged creature.

“Where do you think we’ll find Lia?” Drake asks as we step onto the sidewalk.

Spells is only two blocks from the portal, and considering most visitors are here only because of their curiosity in the new world, I take a step in that direction.

“Let’s go see what we can find at the portal,” I say, then grin. “I promise not to run away from you this time.”

His head shakes as he wraps an arm around my waist, his fingers squeezing my hip. “Just like before, I wouldn’t let you get far.”

The rumble within his words sends a tremor of want down my spine. If only we didn’t have a witch to kill.

“Oh,” I stop abruptly and reach into my pocket, grabbing the other small bag I’ve been given this morning. “Kasha gave this to me. She wouldn’t tell me what it is. Just that I shouldn’t open it unless things are dire.”

He takes it from me. “It feels like rocks.”

“That’s what I thought, but she made it very clear we weren’t to open it until we were ready to release the chaos in there.” I close his fingers around the small bag. “You keep that, and I’ll keep the witch’s pouch.”

He chuckles. “Pretty sure you’re getting the better end of that deal.”

“And I’m pretty sure your hand wouldn’t fit in Natalia’s offering.”

Drake shoves Kasha’s mysterious offering into his pocket. “True. Now, come on. I’m ready to get this over with.”

We continue and once we’re at the portal area, we move through the crowds of people out and about. My eyes continue to scan the area, and I search for the unique scent that Lia had put off. Except nothing stands out to me or Drake.

We stay there for about thirty minutes with no luck, and I can’t wait around any longer. Walking around in circles when we’re supposed to be headed north is making my wolf a little stir-crazy, especially with that spell tucked into my front pocket.

“I guess we’re on our own now,” Drake says, grabbing my hand and giving the portal one last look.

Since the day that thing opened, I’ve never had a real interest in seeing what’s on the other side, just a draw that I fought like a plague, but maybe I have a reason now.

“When this is all over, if you want to go back, I’d visit with you,” I tell him, having no clue if he left anything he cares about behind.

His head shakes. “Tartarus is only a bad memory for me. I’m ready to make new ones here with you.”

Damn him and his sweet words. I lean in closer, drawn to his warmth. “Then, we’ll do that.”

“Spencer?” A familiar voice says, and we both turn around.

“Hello, Corvin.” I grin, then nod to his powerful mate. “Styx.”

Her black eyes appraise me, and she keeps her chin raised, but there’s a flicker of a smile there. “Spencer.”

“Who’s your—” Corvin starts to ask, but I answer before he can finish.

“This is my mate Drake.” I squeeze Drake’s hand. “Drake, this is Corvin and Styx. They help guard the portal and have a new pack forming here in Crossroads.”

Corvin’s brows raise. “Do I finally sense an interest from you in regard to joining?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. I hadn’t really thought about it until this moment, but after all that’s happened since meeting Drake, a home sounds pretty damn nice.

“Depends,” I say. “Do you have room for four shifters? Because I’m a package deal.”

Him and Styx share a look I can’t read before he answers me. “We’re adding cabins to our territory by the river as we speak. There will be more than enough room.”

“That’s good to know. I’ll keep the offer in mind still.”

His head shakes as he laughs. “Stubborn through and through. We’ll be seeing you, Spencer. Nice to meet you, Drake.”

My mate nods but doesn’t reply as Corvin and Styx keep walking in the opposite direction.

“He’s been trying to get me to join their pack for over a month now,” I tell Drake when I start to sense there was something he didn’t like. “Seems nice enough.”

“His mate,” Drake says with tension, watching them disappear down another street. “She’s from Tartarus.”

Ah, that makes more sense.

“Yes, but she lives here now.” Maybe joining the pack still isn’t the best idea. “We can build our own home. We don’t need a pack.”

Drake looks down at me and shakes his head. “Seeing someone from Tartarus so soon just threw me off. I trust your judgment.”

He’s really too nice for his own good sometimes.

I turn him until he’s facing me. “We won’t live somewhere that makes you uncomfortable for any reason, Drake Cage. I promise you that. If you see her again and the same feelings still arise, then we have options. The shed isn’t all that bad.”

He finally cracks a smile. “You’re rather incredible, My Little Dove.”

“I know.” I wink at him, then reach for the witch’s pocket. “Now, how about we get the hell out of here and go hunting?”