Hallow Haven Cozy Mysteries Bundle Books 1-3 by Mara Webb (books to read fiction .txt) 📕

matter of seconds a creature that stood almost as tall as I did was sniffing at the ground. His gun and flashlight had dropped to the dirt and I grabbed them both just before Miller began to run down the tunnel to our left. I chased after him as quickly as I could, flashlight in hand, hoping that I got there before the wolf did any harm to Link, or vice versa.

The sound of the four giant paws colliding with the earth came to an abrupt stop and then I heard shouting. He must have found Link. I mustered up the last of my energy to run faster. I hadn’t even been here an entire week and I was so immersed in it all that it felt like I’d spent a lifetime on the islands. I was the peacekeeper now, I had to make sure Link was brought to justice and not shredded by a werewolf.

When I caught up to Miller, I realized that I needn’t have worried about Link as it appeared that Ryder had already shot him with a tranquilizer and now had a gun aimed at the sheriff.

“Sadie, stay back,” Ryder yelled. Miller tilted forward and growled.

“No, it’s fine. Put the gun down!” I yelled in response. “Why have you shot him?” I said, pointing at Link who was curled in the fetal position with his eyes closed and a dart protruding from his shoulder.

“I sensed that there was a werewolf in the tunnels, and I ran here to neutralize it,” Ryder explained. “I just got trigger happy and shot him by mistake.”

“Well that’s actually helpful as we’re sure that Link murdered Greta. So, thanks, I guess.”

“We?” Ryder said, raising an eyebrow. “You and the wolf?”

“It’s Miller,” I explained. The wolf grunted at the sound of his name; Ryder squinted one eye as if about to take aim. “Put that gun down right now or there will be consequences,” I snarled. I couldn’t say what those consequences were as I had no idea what I was capable of, although I suppose than in itself was frightening. Ryder looked at me and then back at the wolf.

“Sadie, you don’t understand. We have been eliminating wolves from these islands for centuries, my ancestors have always done it, we were winning. As soon as one came back, I sensed it. It is my job to take him out,” Ryder said.

What was it with all the inherited responsibilities around here? I was a peacekeeper because it ran in my blood, Miller had werewolf great-grandparents, now Ryder was from a long line of hunters. This place was crazy.

“Miller is not a threat,” I insisted.

“Not yet, he’s new,” Ryder replied. “The more time he spends in this form, the more dangerous he gets. You aren‘t safe with him. Sadie, I have to protect you.”

“Protect me? What year do you think this is?” I snapped. Miller took a small step forward; it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Protecting you is part of it, I can’t go into all the details now,” he said, dropping one hand away from the gun to make a hand gesture to beckon me towards him. Miller seized the opportunity and lunged forward. In one giant stride, I reached out to place my hand on Millers back and closed my eyes. I couldn’t let him kill someone.

I saw a glow of silver light and felt as though Greta was with me, she was helping me with the magic that I didn’t yet understand. I felt air rushing past me, the fur in my hand slipping away. Was I falling? It didn’t feel like I was in the darkness of the tunnel anymore.

The scent of the salty sea air was unmistakable. I was lying on the sandy beach beside my home, the canopy of stars above me twinkling silently as I tried to make sense of what had happened. I didn’t know where Miller was, or Link, or Ryder. I didn’t know what had happened to Link’s brothers, or Greta.

All I could say for certain is that I had been underground, and now I was not. What had I done to get here? Where was everyone else? Who was running towards me now? I tried to hurry onto my feet, but the combination of the magic I had used and the swift movement of standing from a horizontal position caused me to become instantly dizzy. I staggered, then fell as the approaching figure began shouting at me.

20

“I don’t know what to tell you, it’s pretty easy,” Effie laughed. She was demonstrating some sort of magic attack by lining up glass bottles on a brick wall outside the café and having me try to fire at them. It would have been easier to do this with a gun like a regular person, despite the fact that I had never used a firearm.

I took aim again and watched as the glass remained intact. The empty bottle did refill with beer, however.

“That is probably a more useful skill actually,” Effie said, running over to twist off the cap and try the liquid inside. “Dang, it’s delicious. I don’t think there’s anything you can learn from me.”

She looked over her shoulder towards the main street. A few moments later Miller stepped out from behind a building and began to walk in our direction, she must have sensed that he was near. The night that I passed out on the sand, it was Effie that found me. She had sensed I was in trouble and ran to my aid, only to find that I had saved myself. Sort of.

I had been put on bed rest by Fitz, apparently as a dentist he was qualified to make that recommendation, but I had protested. He insisted that I lie down, then had turned into a black cat and curled up by my side. His warm body and loud purring lulled me to sleep and I had slept for the better part of a day.

Miller and I hadn’t had an