Howl (Witches & Warlocks Book 4) Read Free Page A

you , I bet,” I murmur into his neck as I nuzzle my face into his fur. “You’ll love me for always, won’t you? Because I’m the one with all the foods.” I smile and carry him into the kitchen, set him down before I fill up his bowl. While Twinks chomps away at his dinner, I take off my coat and change out of my funeral clothes. I wash my face and fix my streaky make up. It’s nearly time for dinner of my own, but I’m not sure if I’m even hungry. I sit down on my shiny new couch in my shiny new living room. I watch my shiny new cat curl up on my shiny new pillow. My toes dig into the shiny new rug and I let my eyes wander the shiny new pictures on my shiny new walls.
    Just last week I was fighting for my life. Stopping time and launching spells at vampires. Going on covert missions to the gym to discover what the werewolves might have planned. This week? I’m just any other girl in her early twenties, not sure what she’s going to do with herself. I don’t know how to be this person. Not now. Not after all that’s happened in the last few weeks.
    I sit for a while and watch the sun sink lower and lower until it finally kisses the horizon. Somewhere, deep in the woods behind my house, a lone wolf howls and the hairs on my arms stand at attention. With a little wave of my finger and a tiny little blip of magic, I flip on the light switch without needing to get off the couch, hoping that light will help with the growing sense of unease reaching into my living room with the darkness. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I’m being watched.
    I putter about the kitchen, making dinner. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but now that I can use my magic to help out, I love it all the more. I’ve got a pot on the stove, stirring itself. Cookie batter mixing up on the counter behind me. Dishes being washed right after they’re used. All while I’m busy working on the main course, humming to myself, my magic sparkling and creating a soft light in the room. The feeling of being watched fades along with the stress of Becca’s faux funeral and by the time I’ve got dinner done, I’m ready to start making my mark on this awesome new house of mine.
    Other than the cookies, the meal is totally healthy. I kinda decided I like being in shape, so in addition to keeping my appointments with Albert at BAM! Fitness, I’ve been working on my meal plans as well. In an attempt to keep our hobbies aligned, Noah joined the gym, too. I had to fight down a huge surge of worry when he did. What if he’s got ulterior motives for joining the gym? What if he’s on a mission to scope out the wolves? What if Daya decided that without Luke to balance out my dark magic, I’m worthless? What if? What if? What if? Will I ever learn to trust?
    Anyway, gym time is the only thing on the calendar tomorrow. I’m thinking after that, I’ll head over to Windsor and see what I can find in the library about the witch families and genealogy. Maybe start learning a little more about our history. Our strengths. Our weaknesses. Maybe learn a little about the vamps and the weres while I’m at it.
    Not that I really need to. With the Trinity missing a key player, I’m not so sure that I’ll be any kind of useful at all anymore. Thing is, I’m not really OK with that. I liked my high octane lifestyle. Going back to work in cubicle-land while worrying about building a 401k and paying off student loans won’t hold a candle to being a badass witch out to save the world from the evil vampires plotting against it.
    As impatient as I am to find out what they’re going to do with me, I’m gonna have to bide my time because there are some major shifts in the political structure of the witches. With Barnabe Withers dead, there’s a vacant throne and it looks like Daya’s going to take his place. That means someone’s going to have to take her place at Windsor Manor. There’s been like fifty summits since Barnabe died, all designed to suss out the