Wicked Writings (Wicked #11)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

P iper had always considered herself an adventurer at heart. She believed life was meant to be explored one curious footstep at a time. Okay, in her case, one reckless pedal at a time. Her blonde hair whipped in the wind as she peddled down the sidewalk on her vintage bicycle. Piper’s eyes scanned for anything unusual as she breezed by. The old building across the street had been empty and run down for as long as she could remember. She always wondered why, after so many years, no one bought the place. Maybe it was because of the rumors of paranormal creatures that roamed this part of town.

As she continued traveling her route, she noticed no cars on the road. The quietness was a little unnerving. She had been to this part of town too many times to count, but today felt different. Maybe it was because she was seeking something taboo—well, perhaps not taboo. Were stories of Witches, Shifters, and Vampires taboo? Of course not. They were just—different.

Piper rolled her eyes. If she was going to write a book on the paranormal, she needed to improve her vocabulary. Feeling unease tingle through her body, she snorted. She probably needed to get a backbone, too. The afternoon was beautiful. The sky was cloudless and a vibrant blue, with the sun drenching everything in a golden hue. There was absolutely nothing spooky about this perfect October day. Her tire hit a rock, making her swerve dangerously. The only scary thing was her over-enthusiastic bike riding skills.

She was close to the woods now. As she passed, she kept one eye on where she was going and the other on the thick, leafless trees that seemed to reach for her like bony fingers out of a fog. She wondered what kind of paranormal creatures could be hiding in there. It would be the perfect place, for sure. Even on such a beautiful day, the wooded area screamed, STAY OUT OR ELSE.

Smiling at her thoughts, Piper continued on her way. She had always been a dreamer, the type of person who believed in the impossible even when the world told her otherwise. She wasn’t na?ve, just relentlessly curious. She was hooked when she first heard the stories about the secret town hidden deep in the woods where paranormal creatures lived. Now, as an adult, her curiosity turned into a full-blown obsession. And that full-blown obsession turned her into a bookworm reading anything and everything paranormal, which sent her on the journey of being a paranormal author. Okay, she wasn’t quite there yet; she was attempting to become a paranormal author. Right now, she was on her research journey.

Maneuvering her bike carefully off the sidewalk, she made her way onto a dirt trail. It narrowed, taking her deep into the woods; the scent of pine and earth filled her lungs. The breeze felt good against her face as she pedaled along, her blonde hair bouncing in the wind. A grin tugged at her lips, enjoying the peace she felt surrounded by nature. Her life to this point had always been lonely and chaotic, but here she felt—alive.

A streak of black fur shot across her path. “Hey! Watch it! Dumbass!” the thing hissed. Piper yanked her handlebars, barely missing it. Her eyes shot open wide, looking away from the path and her impending doom to a cat who was glaring at her.

Hitting something hard, she flew over the handlebars, tumbling into a pile of bushes with a graceless thud. Not even checking herself for injuries, she shot up to her knees, peeking over the thick bushes. The cat sat looking at her with an angry look on its face.

“Butter my butt and call me a biscuit,” Piper whispered, still staring. “A talking cat.”

As Piper knelt in a bush, processing the fact that she was staring at a talking cat, a shadow loomed over her. Turning her head, she looked up and was met with the sight of the most dangerously handsome man she had ever seen. His wild black hair framed a rugged face with the sharpest jawline Piper had ever seen. His eyes were, oh, those eyes seemed to glow with primal energy. His build was muscular, like someone who was used to exerting power, and everything about him screamed danger, and yet, she couldn’t look away.

“Are you hurt?” His deep voice rumbled like distant thunder, drawing her out of the daze his appearance put her into.

“I-I...” She stuttered, then swallowed hard. “Don’t think so.” She blinked quickly a few times, making sure this man was real. Or maybe she was dead, and this was the angel warrior sent from the heavens to?—

A large hand appeared in front of her face, disrupting her thoughts.

She took his hand, which swallowed hers. She couldn’t help noticing how warm his touch was and how little effort it took for him to pull her from the bush. “Thank you,” she muttered as her cheeks flushed. She brushed off her clothes, trying to compose herself. She noticed he wore a well-worn flannel shirt, faded blue jeans, and... no shoes.

“What are you doing out here?” The man frowned down at her, pulling her gaze from his bare feet.

Piper tried her best to understand how she was being saved by a man who would look amazing on the cover of her paranormal book. She stammered, “I was -ah- was doing research.”

The man raised his eyebrows, his frown deepening. “Research?” He glanced around the woods and then back at her. “Here?”

“Yes,” Piper said with a nod, and then she remembered the talking cat. Her head swung to where she last saw it, but it was gone. “Where did that cat go?”

She took a step, tripping over her bike, but his hand shot out, steadying her. “What cat?” He also glanced that way and then back at her. “I didn’t see a cat.”

“It shot out in front of my bike and yelled at me.” Piper frowned, pulling out of his grasp and walking toward where she had seen the cat, but it was gone. “It was black. It was right here, darn it.”

“So, a black cat ran in front of you and yelled?” The man had walked closer to her, towering over her small frame.

“Yes, because I almost hit it,” Piper mumbled absently, her eyes searching; she even bent down as if that would help her see better through the dying foliage. “Told me to watch it and called me a dumbass.”

“Yeah, okay,” The man said in a tone of voice Piper had heard way too often from people. She wasn’t crazy. She heard what she heard, and dammit, she was going to find that ugly cat. “I think you may have hit your head.”

Piper stood, rounding on the man. “I’m telling you that mangy-looking cat talked.” She pointed over her shoulder where it had been. “I did not hit my head. The cat talked before I fell off my bike.”

“Mangy my ass.” The same voice that called her a dumbass came from the woods.

“There!” Her eyes widened. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” The man frowned, but something in his amber eyes told her he heard what she had just heard. “Let me help you get back home. I think maybe you should get seen. You may have a concussion.”

“I don’t have a concussion.” Piper walked around the area, still searching. “My Pops always told me my head was harder than an oak tree.”

The man behind her picked up her bike and then glared at her. “Let’s go. It’s getting dark, and you shouldn’t be alone in these woods.”

Piper stared at him for a long minute. “I’m not alone, which brings me to why you are in these woods and barefoot to boot?”

“Jogging.” He didn’t hesitate with his one-word answer. “You need to stay away from these woods. There’s a lot of unseen dangers.”

“Like talking cats?” Piper’s eyebrow raised, and then she glanced at the bike he was holding. He was so big it looked like a child’s bike in his massive hands. “And please put my bike down. I’m fine with riding it out of here.”

“There is no talking cat, and that would be the least of your worries about getting caught out here after dark.” He growled, his eyes narrowing, and she knew he was losing his patience with her. What was new? Everyone lost their patience with her.

“Your tire is busted.” His voice was low with a rough edge that made her insides flip and flop all over the place. “I will at least walk you to where there are people.”

Looking at her tire, Piper frowned; it was flat and slightly bent. Taking one last look around, she sighed. “Fine,” she said, following him from the wooded area. She glanced at his feet again. “You jog barefoot?”

“What?” He grumbled and looked down at her, confused.

“You said you were jogging?” Piper replied, intrigued by this handsome stranger who appeared out of the shadows to save her from a bush. Okay, that was her inner wanna-be author talking. “I don’t know many people who jog in the woods barefoot in jeans and a flannel shirt.”

“And I don’t know many people who ride a bike in the woods,” He shot back cocking his eyebrow at her before looking away.

“Hmmm, guess you got a point.” She smirked, her gaze still scanning for the cat. “So, do you know many talking cats?”

“Do you always ask this many questions?” He countered, this time keeping his eyes straight ahead.

She snorted before answering. “If you only knew.” She whispered with a frown. Piper had a question for every situation and every person she ever met, which is why most people probably avoided her. “Do you always answer a question with a question?”

“If I don’t want to answer the question, yes.” He answered, and she noticed his gaze scanning the area as if looking for something. Maybe the talking cat?

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then ignored her. He seemed like the type who carried the world's weight on his massively broad shoulders. Quiet and moody, always thinking about something serious. Piper couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like if he smiled. Did he even smile? The thought made her curious, and curiosity was Piper’s kryptonite.

“I’m Piper,” she introduced herself, breaking the silence between them as they walked side by side down the sidewalk. When he didn’t reply, she frowned. “And you are?”

He remained silent, shifting her bike to his other arm. His eyes were still scanning the area, totally ignoring her. She sighed long and loud.

“If you tell me your name, I won’t ask another question.” She totally lied but wanted to see if he would fall for her ruse.

“Talon.” He answered right away, his voice deep and rough. Yeah, he definitely fell for it.