Wolf’s Witch – Copyright © 2022 by Lisa Kessler

  EPUB Edition

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Visit Lisa’s website: Lisa-Kessler.com

  Sign up for Lisa’s newsletter: goo.gl/56lDla

  Edited by Double Vision Editorial, Danielle Poiesz

  Cover design by Fiona Jayde Media

  Interior Design by BB eBooks

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition July 2022

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  The Muse Chronicles

  LURE OF OBSESSION

  LEGEND OF LOVE

  BREATH OF PASSION

  LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

  DEVOTED TO DESTINY

  DANCE OF THE HEART

  SONG OF THE SOUL

  The Night Series

  NIGHT WALKER

  NIGHT THIEF

  NIGHT DEMON

  NIGHT ANGEL

  NIGHT CHILD

  The Moon Series

  MOONLIGHT

  HUNTER’S MOON

  BLOOD MOON

  HARVEST MOON

  ICE MOON

  BLUE MOON

  WOLF MOON

  NEW MOON

  The Sedona Pack

  THE LONE WOLF’S WISH

  SEDONA SIN

  SEDONA SEDUCTION

  SEDONA SCANDAL

  SEDONA SURRENDER

  SEDONA SERENITY

  SEDONA SACRIFICE

  SEDONA SUSPECT

  SEDONA SANCTUARY

  SEDONA SALVATION

  The Salem Pack

  WOLF’S WITCH

  WOLF’S WOMAN

  The Sentinels of Savannah

  MAGNOLIA MYSTIC

  PIRATE’S PASSION

  PIRATE’S PLEASURE

  PIRATE’S PERSUASION

  PIRATE’S PROMISE

  PIRATE’S PARADOX

  Summerland Stories

  ACROSS THE VEIL

  FORBIDDEN HEARTS

  A WINTER’S WISH

  Standalone Works

  BEG ME TO SLAY

  FORGOTTEN TREASURES

  AFTER THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

  Writing as L.A. Kessler

  The Genesis Trilogy

  PERFECT

  FLAWED

  TAINTED

  Dedication

  This one is for my husband, Ken.

  Thanks for another amazing book research adventure to Salem.

  I’m so lucky to have you in my corner.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  About the Author

  Wolf’s Witch

  Book 1 of the Salem Pack

  by Lisa Kessler

  CHAPTER 1

  Ruby

  When most people thought of Salem, Massachusetts, they thought of witches. But the first thing that popped into my head was werewolves. And I’d been a witch all my life.

  I folded the Salem Broom Company T-shirt and laid it on top of the stack as the cold spring rain poured from the sky outside, pelting the storefront window of the Crow’s Nest. This was the off-season for our little town, and a rainy day made it even quieter.

  I checked the clock. Lillian should’ve been back by now.

  Lillian Baer owned the Crow’s Nest, a metaphysical store on historic Essex Street. I’d worked here for the past five years, ever since I’d rejoined the Coven of Light after trying to lead a more mundane life without magic at Boston University. Lillian also led the coven, and recently, had selected me to be her successor.

  The irony didn’t escape me that our coven operated right out in the open in the heart of the same town that killed my ancestors for witchcraft.

  I was one of the few members of the Coven of Light that could trace my family line back to one of Salem’s founding families. Three of the daughters of William and Joanna Towne had been arrested for witchcraft. Rebecca Nurse and Mary Eastley hadn’t even been witches. I descended from their sister, Sarah Cloyce, who had been arrested, but escaped the hangman’s noose. By a strange twist of fate, she had been the only one with true magic in her veins, although there were no records that she’d ever learned to use it.

  The bell on the back door jingled. “Ruby?”

  Lillian was in her eighties now, but her voice was still as pure as a wind chime without any sign of a wobble.

  “I’m in the front,” I called, breathing a sigh of relief that Lillian was okay. I worried about her driving in bad weather. I couldn’t help it. After the fire that killed my parents, I didn’t take a single day for granted.

  The back of the store had a meeting room and two smaller psychic-reading rooms. Some of our members were gifted in delivering messages to the tourists who visited our city. Most of the profits from the Crow’s Nest went directly back into the coven’s treasury to be used for supplies for rituals and spells, as well as to help any members who might need it.

  Lillian came through the velvet curtain dividing the retail space from the meeting space and smiled. She wore a violet sheath dress with a fine silver chain clipped around her waist like a belt. Her long silver hair was up in a bun today, highlighting her slender neck. She’d never been married, but she was nothing like the old spinsters portrayed in movies. She practically glowed with a sensual vitality that attracted attention. She often enjoyed the company of men; she just chose not to marry any of them. These days she seemed to have the old werewolf Alpha on her arm most of the time.

  I stacked the shirt on the display table and headed for the register. “It’s really pouring out there.”

  Concern lined her face as she met my eyes. “There’s no time to talk about the weather.” She scanned the store before adding, “The hunters are back. Mathias was attacked last night.”

  I was no fan of werewolves, but Mathias Munro had always been kind to me, and it was obvious he cared for Lillian. “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure of the details.” She sighed and put her satchel purse on the counter. “Last night, after our coven finished the full moon ritual and everyone went home, I heard the pack howling in the woods. As I placed my crystals on the windowsill to charge their energy in the moonlight, there was a terrible cry.” She shuddered. “I cast a sensory spell to detect magic, and…” Her dark-brown eyes met mine. “You were right, Ruby. The Coven of Shadows is still conjuring. The remnants of dark magic were all over the woods.”

  My fingers trembled at my sides, and sparks lit the edge of my vision. No. Not now. Clairvoyance was one of my “gifts,” but lately the images were filled with blood and foreboding. I kept seeing a red wolf chained to a sacrificial altar. I’d been having the same dream ever since the werewolf hunters had started killing werewolves for their body parts.

  I clenched my fists tightly, blinking away the encroaching glimpse into the future. Although my mother had been an earth witch with gifts that leaned toward healing herbs and material magics, I’d been born a water witch. My magic was connected to the heart and influenced by emotions. And when I was stressed, it sometimes opened the doors to visions of the future while I was awake, too.

  They seemed to be intruding more every day.

  Recently a couple of members of the Salem wolf pack had been killed during the full moon, and their wolf bodies had been dismembered. We suspected someone was selling the remains. The rarity of a werewolf paw, or ear, or almost any other body part would supercharge any dark magic.

  And people were willing to pay a high price for that kind of power.

  Lillian placed a hand on my shoulder. “If the Universe is sending you a vision, it’s best not to block it.”

  I forced a weak smile. “If I never have another vision of someone carving up a dead werewolf again, it would be too soon.”

  “Maybe you would be able to see the hunter’s face.”

  I shook my head. “I guess that would be useful, but otherwise…no, thank you.”

  Her lips quivered as if she could barely hold back a grin. “Stubborn girl.”

  “I don’t want the Universe to think my mind has an open-door policy.” A headache was brewing, but at least the vision had retreated. “You’re the one always telling me about the importance of boundaries.”

  She dropped her hand to her side. “A vision could show you our enemies, or give us an idea of Mathias’s condition after the attack las
t night. We need every advantage.” She searched my eyes. “I don’t mean to pressure you, but if we don’t stop these hunters, I fear the Coven of Shadows will drag us into a war we’re not prepared for.”

  And by we she meant me. I was her apprentice, second in line to lead the Coven of Light. Lillian had planned to retire from her leadership position last year, but after the murder of the two werewolves and the rise of dark magic in New England, she was hesitant to turn over the reins to a new high priestess.

  No one was more relieved than I was.

  I’d tried to escape my destiny, choosing to attend college in Boston and leave Salem and the coven behind me, but fate dragged me back to Salem kicking and screaming. “I know you’re worried about Mathias, but sometimes a cell phone can be more powerful than a vision.”

  I took mine out of my pocket and scrolled through my contacts until I got to Amelia’s name. I pressed it and waited for her to pick up.

  “Ruby?” Her voice carried a note of disbelief. “You called me… Is everything okay?”

  I rolled my eyes. Yes, texting was more my style, and verbal communication wasn’t my favorite. Amelia knew that better than most. We’d been best friends since grade school. “Yes, we’re fine, but Lillian is pretty sure Mathias was attacked last night during the full moon. Can you check on him and give us an update?”

  “Ah, so you want me to spy.” She tsked. “No wonder you didn’t send me a text.”

  Amelia was one of the coven’s most powerful witches not only was she a fire elemental, which meant she could control flames, but she could also astral-project, allowing her to send her spirit halfway around the world to find things or people. Over the years as she honed her skill, she could hear and occasionally move objects like a poltergeist.

  She also had integrity, which made her very cautious with her astral-projecting. As kids, we’d drafted a list of rules surrounding her special ability. She called them her ten commandments. On that list, spying could only be used to save a life.

  I sighed. “If Lillian is right and the werewolf hunters someone attacked Mathias Munro during the full moon last night, you could check on his condition. Maybe we could help him.” I paused and added, “Plus you might hear something that could help us find the hunters and stop the Coven of Shadows.”

  She clucked her tongue. “You’re saying my spying could save werewolves’ lives, is that what I’m hearing?”

  “Technically, yes.” I glanced over at Lillian as she wandered behind the counter to the cash register. Since the hunters had started carving up dead werewolves, the power of the spells from the Coven of Shadows had been increasing. Even with elemental witches with supernatural abilities in our coven, we’d been unable to locate the leader of the Coven of Shadows which had Lillian on edge. They were growing their power, but we didn’t know what their end goal might be. I lowered my voice. “The werewolves are probably tracking the hunters, too. Those werewolf hunters could lead us to the high priestess of the Coven of Shadows.”

  “Fine.” Amelia sighed. “But don’t expect me to be keeping tabs on the werewolf pack indefinitely.”

  I nodded slowly. “I understand.”

  “Good.” She sounded a little winded. “Let me put these groceries away and I’ll get out of here.”

  “Thanks, Amelia.”

  I ended the call and looked at Lillian. “Hopefully she’ll find some more information about what happened.”

  The corners of Lillian’s lips curved without exposing her teeth, like a secret smile. “You’re going to be a formidable high priestess.”

  “I’ll never be able to match you.” I meant it, too. There was an aura around Lillian that oozed calm and power. I lived all up in my feelings and emotions. I didn’t usually radiate peace the way Lillian did.

  She swatted her hand through the air. “It’s not a competition. Every high priestess manages the coven based on her own unique strengths. It’s not worse or better, just different.”

  I put my phone back into my pocket. “Mathias could’ve seen something that might help us identify the hunters.” I paused. Unlike me, she seemed pretty fond of the werewolves, Mathias in particular. “You could go see him. Maybe a healing spell could help.”

  She drummed her perfectly manicured red nails on the counter. “I called him and left a voice mail as soon as I heard the cries last night. No one has returned my call.”

  I frowned. “If you haven’t talked to anyone, how do you know it was Mathias that got attacked?”

  She arched a brow. “I have a scrying mirror, remember?”

  Although our human bodies aged and withered with the passage of years, as witches, our power usually grew. Lillian might not have the physical stamina she once had, but her magic still came to her as naturally as breathing.

  “You could stop by Munro Manor Farms and check on him.” I leaned on the counter. “Bring him some soup or something.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “His pride is bigger than his common sense. He wouldn’t be happy with me seeing him weak and injured in a bed.”

  I reached over the counter for the box cutter to open the new shipment of incense. “What is it with you two? I thought you were a couple.”

  There was that smile again, hiding her secrets. “I’m not his mate.”

  I shrugged. “But you could still be his girlfriend.”

  “We do enjoy each other’s company.” She sobered as she reached to take my hand. “But it can’t go any further than that for us. It’s forbidden.”

  Forbidden was one of those words that practically dared me to break a rule. I frowned. “Since when?”

  “Since a witch had a wolf’s babies.” She lifted her gaze to meet mine. “Years ago, before Mathias ascended to Alpha, the previous leader of the Salem Pack fell in love with a witch from our coven. Or at least he thought he loved her. But his wolf didn’t recognize her as his mate. And because she wasn’t a werewolf, they both believed she couldn’t get pregnant.”

  I’d heard something about that story from my mother when I had been growing up. She’d also told me that the shifter gene was carried on the Y chromosome and passed from the werewolf father to his twin sons. “A woman needs to be bitten to carry a werewolf’s children, right?”

  “A human woman.”

  I blinked. “We’re still human.”

  She tipped her head slightly. “Every magical family bloodline has a touch of Fae. You know this. The source of our power is in our bloodlines.”

  I shook my head. “So what are you trying to tell me?”

  She sighed. “I’m telling you one of our witches gave birth to the former Alpha’s sons. Twin shifters with witch blood.” Before I could ask if that was bad, she went on. “They were banished, shunned from both the wolf pack and the coven.”

  “Why?”

  She stared at me as if I might put the pieces together, but I couldn’t figure out why a surprise pregnancy would mean excommunication, especially not for the children who had no say in the matter.

  Lillian cleared her throat. “The universe instituted checks and balances within the supernatural world. Shifters are stronger than humans and have heightened senses. They could rule the world, but they can’t conceive children unless the female is a werewolf too, and fate chooses their one true mate. That rule keeps their population in check. And witches can use the elements to create magic and spells that could potentially allow us to rule over the humans, but our bodies are mortal, fragile. Vampires have both strength and the ability to control humans, but they can’t walk in the sunlight. Do you see?”

  Now I did. “Those wolf cubs have magic in bodies that are stronger and faster than humans.”

  “Exactly. That’s why the coven and the pack agreed not to mingle our bloodlines. The best way to keep that from happening was instituting a rule forbidding our witches from dating any of the werewolves and vice versa.” She sighed as she met my eyes. “Hopefully their mother never taught them how to harness the witch blood flowing through their veins. When Mathias returned from WWII, he took on the responsibility of leadership, even though he was not the son of an Alpha.”

  And he never found his mate.

  “What happened to the boys?”

  “I don’t know.” Lillian shrugged. “We never saw them again.”

  Before I could ask her anything else, the bell rang on the front door. I turned just as a set of broad shoulders filled the doorway. The man wore a black trench coat and a very wet, black fisherman’s cap.