Mated To Magic (Stark Creek Shifters Book 1) by Barb Shuler (free ereaders .TXT) 📕

girls. They were innocent and Jay had been through enough. Dalton was on the phone; I was trying to calm myself down, but it all kept playing over in my head like a movie on repeat. I wanted it to stop, but a little voice in the back of my mind told me, “You asked for this.” It was then that I knew I would be stuck reliving this over and over until it happened.

I must have fallen asleep after crying into Dalton’s chest because I woke up a few hours later and he was gone. I could hear voices in the other room. I crawled off the bed, grabbing one of D’s jumpers and putting it on. Pulling the sleeves up over my hands, I moved to the door to see who was out there. One of the voices was D’s and the other was Ty’s.

“Liam has looked everywhere. The bastard is in hiding. You heard what Peter was told. He wants the girls or he will take a life, anyone will do. Until we catch the other one, we aren’t going to get Sylvester to come out of hiding. The little weasel knows his days are numbered.”

D sighed and ran his hands over his face. “How the fuck is that going to be any comfort to Mia? She just cried herself to sleep after being given this information.”

“I don’t suppose she can help lure him out?”

D’s next words were growled. “I am not using her as bait. Come up with another fucking plan, Tyson.”

Ty held his hands up. “We’ll keep looking, but with nothing to go on, our best bet is to go after the serial killer. We have the club locked down every night. No one is getting in or out without us knowing about it. We’ll walk the perimeter, put Liam on cameras focusing on the front door. Angus is Mia’s shadow, so that leaves you and the other guys on the bar. No one will get to her.”

“We need to get surveillance on the other girls when they’re at home. The attack might be planned for the club, but it could change.”

“Will Mia know if it is?”

“I don’t know how it works.”

“I’ll see the decisions he makes. If he changes the plan, I’ll see the new one. I can’t tell where he is, but I do have locating spells. I doubt the Goddesses will be of help again anytime soon, though. I’m being punished.” I stepped out of the bedroom, Ty and D both turning to look at me. “It’s a constant loop in my head. I shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t stand them being one up on us all the time.” I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of D’s jumper, then moved to him when he opened up his arms.

“I promise you, Mia, we’re working on this. None of us will sleep until we have found both of these two bastards. We’ve got you, sis.” Ty spoke and my heart melted.

Not very often do you see the soft side to him, but when you did, he meant every word he said. These boys were like family to me and I knew, just like they had vowed to D to keep me safe, they would do the same for my girls.

“Thanks, Ty. You’re still not allowed in my club.”

He chuckled and pushed himself up off the couch. “You’re lucky I love you, Mia.”

“I am, love you too, Ty.”

He kissed my cheek then fist bumped D.

“You stay here where you’re needed. I’ll go and conference the boys and we’ll get to work.” I watched Ty leave and lock the door behind him. Shifting a little, I turned and hid my face in D’s neck. I just wanted all this shit over with. I wanted my life and my club back. Hell, even my fucking sanity.

21

Dalton

Where could he be? I’d been racking my brain for the last few days trying to decide if this was ever going to end. It was pulling my insides apart to see Mia so damn upset. She was on edge, which put me on edge. My wolf was about to lose his goddamn mind. The pack was on high alert waiting for him to go bonkers. They had more important shit to worry about. Like finding the fuckers we were looking for.

Morris, the serial killer who was wanted in twelve states, had disappeared, despite being hunted by the FBI and a few other of the alphabet soups of law enforcement agencies. I know he’s close. I feel it. My wolf is just waiting for him to make a mistake. It will be his last. If we got him, we got Sy.

“Dalton, this fucker has more aliases. Son of a two legged whore! Dude’s not even original with his shit…”

I paced the hallway outside of Liam and Mia’s offices. She was out in the bar with Jayden, trying to be brave and act as if she wasn’t seconds from crumbling again. I needed to get these assholes so my girl was safe again. I heard a double knock followed by a double tap, so I moved to the back door and slipped outside.

“There are no signs of him at the house. We tracked from there, covered a five mile radius, and again, nothing.”

Max looked as defeated as I’m sure I did.

“Thanks. Liam is on the killer's trail. Once we find him, we’ll get Sy. Then we all get to see him die.”

“Painfully for messing with our sister.”

“Damn straight.”

I cupped the back of Max’s neck and squeezed. He was a good pup, even if I wanted to throttle him for his antics most days.

“Go keep watch. The number of people inside is starting to increase. It’s been quiet until now.”

“Later, boss,” he said, jogging back around the building.

I moved back inside and paced. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. Feeling helpless was never good for me or the wolf. Liam shouted and I