Page 3 of Bewitched by the Werewolf (The Bewitching Hour #5)

I could kill something right about now. Although my impromptu meeting with the elf Dottie told me about, Roman, was uneventful, his presence alone and what it signifies has me fuming.

It was clear Roman works for Victor and is in town to try and make a mess of things to force Hunter to sell.

Even though Hunter and I know nothing he does will work, that doesn’t mean his presence in town won’t be a disturbance.

Especially with the blood moon approaching.

Having a snooping elf around with dozens of shifters dealing with the force of the blood moon isn’t ideal.

For most full moons, shifters are not compelled to shift at all.

If one wants to form a mate bond or have some fun, let off some steam, sure it’s a perfect night for it.

But there’s nothing like the force of the blood moon, a full lunar eclipse that turns the color of the moon, well, blood red.

There’s something about it that gets under our skin and in our blood making us desire to shift and unable to deny it.

We can still control it but only to the extent that we’re not mindless beasts shifting in the middle of town and terrorizing humans like they portray in their movies.

That doesn’t mean we haven’t had our own mishaps, like the last blood moon.

It compels us to shift but it does more, specifically with our hormones.

We like to fuck. It’s as plain as that. We shift, we chase, we fuck.

To a human with no knowledge of our world or kind it can appear scary, when really, we’re just horny beasts.

Mixing that with elves is not a good combination. It usually ends bloody. The sooner we get Roman out of town the better. Unfortunately, we can’t force him without cause, so I’m left waiting for him to do something before carrying him by the throat between my fangs out of town.

I could use that run more than I anticipated.

The sheriff’s office—my office—is fairly quiet when I return.

Edith, our receptionist, sits at the front desk tapping away on her keyboard.

For a female of nearly two hundred she doesn’t look a day over fifty.

As a mere she has the ability to shift between forms like shifters do, except she only has two forms; human and mere.

As such even to my eye she appears human with lightly greying brown hair and bright green eyes set behind colorful polka-dotted glasses, one’s that I know aren’t prescription and she only wears because she likes the accessory to make her appear more human.

I’m pretty sure she has a hundred pairs at home since they change daily.

“Everything good in town?” she asks, not realizing the can of worms she’s about to open.

“Sort of,” I answer vaguely.

“What do you mean, sort of? ” my deputy, Logan chimes in from his desk behind Edith’s.

Logan is a human but knows all about non-humans.

He was born in Snowberry to a family related by marriage to non-humans.

He’s known all about us since he was a kid.

Having a human as deputy helps especially with the humans who have no clue what’s really going on.

He was given the ability to see our true selves, even with our glamours, when he was a teenager.

So thankfully, I don’t have to worry about him getting confused.

Both watch me with concern and questions but wait for me to elaborate. They both know how little I like to talk and have learned to wait for me to say what I need to.

“There’s an elf in town, and I don’t think he’s on vacation.”

“One of Victor’s?” Logan asks standing from his desk and circling to meet me.

“Undoubtedly. He won’t admit it of course.”

“Of course he wouldn’t, he’s an elf. They’re all liars and swindlers,” Edith interjects.

There aren’t many non-humans who care for elves.

The whole lot of them are criminals, crooks, liars and cheats.

They may be well dressed and have large bank accounts but that doesn’t detract from their choice in profession and slimy personalities.

Victor just so happens to be one of the slimiest. A criminal mob boss within the non-human and human world, specializing in magic infused drugs.

I’ve heard stories of his cruelty towards sprites and fairies to exploit their magic and use it to make his drugs.

Hunter and I have made sure to keep any of those drugs, and drugs in general, out of Snowberry.

This town is quiet and special. If drugs were to make their way in they would ruin everything the previous generation, and many still around, worked for and built so we could have a safe space to live.

I grunt in acknowledgment at Edith, my face beginning to hurt from all the scowling I’ve done in the last hour.

“We’re going to need to keep an eye on him. He’s staying at the motel, room three. Probably driving the obvious black SUV parked out front.”

“Do I need to tail him?”

“Not yet, just keep an eye out for him. If we need to, call in an extra deputy, until either he leaves or after the blood moon that’s fine.”

Logan nods and pulls his phone from his back pocket, probably checking with our alternates to see who’s available.

He’s not as large as a shifter male in human form but for a human he’s tall with close cropped brown hair, blue eyes and physically fit.

It’s necessary when working in a town filled with shifters who can out run, out weigh, out muscle and out do him in basically every way.

He may not be able to take down a shifter in their beast form but he sure as hell can take them down in human form, I’ve seen him do it.

But there are still things he can’t do on his own.

There are things I can’t do on my own and having back up never hurts.

We may be protective by nature but we’re not arrogant.

“Hunter’s already met with him too and is also keeping a close eye on him. I’ll talk with him tomorrow and get an update.”

“Anything else we need to keep an eye on?” Logan asks.

His question brings back that sensation I had in Dottie’s .

After hearing about the elf, I had assumed that uneasiness I’d felt was about him.

But now? Now I don’t think it was just the elf.

There’s still something prickling at the back of my neck and base of my spine, a sixth sense that’s telling me there’s something more to come.

“Not yet, but the next couple weeks will bring an influx of shifters into town.”

This isn’t Logan’s first time handling a blood moon or non-human celebration. He knows what to expect and how to handle it. I can rely on him to do his job and do it well. I don’t have to hold his hand and babysit him, which allows me to focus on my own work.

Logan returns back behind his desk, and I head for my own settled within a glass box office in the back.

Snowberry is generally a quiet town, and I rarely have much use for my office, it’s more of a formality than anything.

It came with the position, and I use it when necessary.

Stepping behind my desk I set my now empty travel mug on it then drop into the rolling desk chair.

It squeaks in protest under my weight but doesn’t buckle.

Edith’s polka-dot clad smiling face appears on the opposite side of my desk holding a stack of files. I internally groan because I know what’s coming.

“Since you’re here and with nothing to do, I thought you could take a look at these minor issues and complaints and perhaps take care of a few?”

Edith is always on my case to handle the minor calls and issues that arise while I’m out.

Residents calling in complaints about noisy neighbors, property line issues, pets crapping on lawns, teens teepeeing houses and so on.

Most of which work themselves out by the time I get to them. So why bother wasting my time?

Edith cocks her hip and smiles down at me like a child about to throw a tantrum.

She taps her green pointed nails against the manilla folders and waits me out.

I know from experience ignoring her and expecting her to leave doesn’t work.

She’ll just stand there and sigh and tap her nails until it drives me nuts and I give in.

Holding out my hand for the files I accept the stack, not having the patience to deal with her stubbornness today. She sets the stack in my hand with a flourish and expression of triumph on her smug face.

“Don’t look so smug. I just don’t have the patience to argue with you today.”

“But it’s my favorite part of the day,” she pouts mockingly. It probably is. I’m sure she derives some sick pleasure from agitating me.

I grunt at her, which she thankfully takes as her cue to return to her own work at her own desk, far, far away from mine.

Since I still have hours before I can shift and run tonight and there’s nothing I can do currently about Roman, reading through these minor reports will have to fill my afternoon.

At least it’ll get Edith off my back for a couple days.

I do however text Hunter regarding Roman, informing him that I paid him a visit as well.

I know he’s already spoken with the elf and made himself crystal clear, but I want him to know I have also.

Hours later I’m finally pulling into my driveway after having a quick dinner in town, the sun setting behind the trees circling the two-story log style home I share with Hunter.

As alpha and beta it suits us to live in the same house.

We’re both single males and being in close proximity in case of emergencies makes things easier.

Hunter doesn’t seem to be home yet, the gravel driveway empty of other vehicles.

I park and make my way to the house. There’s no need for me to go inside, I just need to leave my clothes on the porch.