The Wendigo Witchling
B. Kristin McMichael
The Wendigo Witchling
Book Two
The Skinwalkers’ Witchling Trilogy
By
B. Kristin McMichael
The Wendigo Witchling
Book Two of The Skinwalkers’ Witchling Trilogy
Copyright © 2016 by B. Kristin McMichael
All rights reserved.
June 6th, 2016 Edition
Lexia Press, LLC
P.O. Box 982
Worthington, OH 43085
ISBN-10: 1-941745-01-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-941745-01-4
Cover design: Jessica Allain
Editor: Kathie Middlemiss of Kat’s Eye Editing, Melissa of There for You Editing
Proofing: Ashton M. Brammer
This book is licensed for your personal use only. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means without written permission of the author. All names, characters, and places are fiction and any resemblance to real, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Summary: Cassie has a mate, not by choice, and what she wouldn’t do to get rid of him. Maybe she shouldn’t have wished too hard for that to happen, as after a road trip, Cassie finds her life back home has been thrown out of balance. Now can she turn it back to normal before it’s too late?
Table Of Contents
Other Books By this Author
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Books By this Author
The Night Human World
The Blue Eyes Trilogy (Series One)
o The Legend of the Blue Eyes
o Becoming a Legend
o Winning the Legend
The Day Human Trilogy (Series Two)
o The Day Human Prince
o The Day Human King
o The Day Human Way
The Skinwalkers Witchling Trilogy (Series Three)
o The Witchling Apprentice
o The Wendigo Witchling
o The Witchling Seer [2016]
The Chalcedony Chronicles
o Carnelian
o Chrysoprase
o Aventurine
o Chrysocolla
Standalone Books
o To Stand Beside Her
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CHAPTER 1
Cassandra Booth didn’t look back as she ran. She was getting better at dodging people on the street. Turning the corner, she dashed into the town’s only used clothing store. There were a few straggling shoppers who were scouring the racks for deals, but that didn’t matter to her. Cassie ran to the back of the store and the changing rooms, grabbing a bottle of perfume on the way.
It was only the fourth time in the last twenty-four hours she had tried to run away. She may have bonded herself to school heartthrob Nathaniel Bay, but that didn’t mean she was planning on anything changing. She did it to save her friend. She had no intention of getting married at sixteen to a guy she hadn’t spoken to in years before he was suddenly chosen as her mate. The night human world was nuts, and she wanted out.
“You need to pay for that,” the cashier told her.
Cassie waved at the middle-aged lady before ducking under the curtain which led to the back rooms.
She ran past the first few rooms before stepping into the third one. Quickly she touched everything in the room with her bare hand. Stepping back into the hallway, she doused herself with the cheap perfume. She didn’t need to be a night human to smell how obnoxious the stuff was. Cassie hurried down the hallway and placed the empty bottle on the counter in the last room, along with the only money she had with her. She didn’t care how much the stuff cost. Cassie had left more than it was worth as she snuck out the employee back door into an empty hallway.
Cassie slid down behind the door and waited, hoping to be rid of the smell as soon as she could get away.
Her life was getting more and more complicated since the ceremony to make her part of the coven drew closer. It wasn’t just a bonding ceremony they were planning; they wanted to drain all of her witch powers. Cassie didn’t plan to stick around for that. No way was she just going to sit around and hope they changed their minds. Nate had planned how to get her out of it. Or so he said. Where was he now? He had been missing in action for four days straight. Cassie knew the coven wanted her and her powers, and she wasn’t about to do as they wished. She had to get away, and she needed to leave now.
“She backtracked again,” one male voice said on the other side of the door.
“Any trail?” another person replied.
“No. She’s getting better at this. Check back in the store; we must have missed it,” the first voice responded.
“Well, I’m not going to be any use now with that smell. I’ll be lucky if I can find her in a week. You should have never told her how much you hate perfume,” the second grumbled.
Cassie smiled. She couldn’t care less if Nic Welch was going to lose his sense of smell for a week. That was his own fault for telling her about his great dislike of perfume. She didn’t know if all skinwalkers were that sensitive, but it seemed likely.
“Mikel is going to kill us for losing her again,” Nic told the other guy. He kicked in the door of the last changing room. Cassie held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t suspect the empty perfume bottle was hers.
“Only if we don’t come back with her, and I, for one, am not going to give up looking until I find her,” the first replied. They didn’t even come to the back door that read “Employees Only”.
Cassie continued to hold her breath as they walked away. This was the furthest she had gotten away from the night humans keeping her captive. Well, she wasn’t exactly being held in one place; they just never let her be alone, even in her own room at home. The first few days she didn’t noticed the people following her, but once Nate went missing, she began to see people around her more. Someone even sat outside her house, watching her bedroom window at night. Creepy. It was her best friend, Whitney, who spilled the beans and was now forbidden from seeing her. Once Cassie realized what was going on, she tried to get away. That was her first mistake—thinking she could get away. Saying Nate was upset was an understatement. He had put her on lockdown, and only had just allowed her to leave her house since her first attempt to run away. They were holding her captive in her own home, and her uncle went right along with it.
Now she just needed to make it to some sort of vehicle if she wanted to get away. She hadn’t thought it through that much. It was more of a spur of the moment decision this time. Planning gave them an edge to stop her.
‘Cassie, just go back to them,’ Nate pleaded over the bond and the direct line into Cassie’s head with his voice.
He had been physically gone, but somehow seemed to know what she was up to all the time. She needed help understanding night humans, and Whitney had told her enough to know what to do. There was a small town she needed to go to visit in the mountains that filled with night humans. Maybe they would have answers.
She had traveled across the country the summer before to help out a friend. While there, sh
e had broken a blood bond, even though it was only temporary. Given enough time, maybe she could break her unwanted bond with Nate. At the very least, she could learn more about night humans and what it meant to be bonded to one.
‘I told you that I was only doing the spell to save Whitney. I don’t want to be bonded to you,’ Cassie replied to Nate.
It had been easier than she thought, talking to him over the bond they shared, and quicker than a cell phone. The only problem was she couldn’t hang up on him.
‘Doesn’t matter. Mating bonds are for life,’ Nate answered. ‘Now go back to them before you get yourself in trouble.’
‘Life? Well, we’ll see about that.’
‘Don’t make me come find you,’ Nate threatened.
Cassie looked out the exit door. Someone was bringing packages to donate to the store and had left their car running. She was pretty sure stealing a car was a crime, probably even a felony, but what other options did she have? Cassie stepped out of the building and smiled at the blond-haired girl leaning against the wall. Whitney gave her a big smile in return.
‘Cassie, get your butt home. John and Maria are going to be upset.’ Nate sounded so parental Cassie had to try not to laugh since he was only just over a year older than her.
‘Good for them. Maybe they’ll think twice about keeping everything from me.’
‘Cassie.’ Nate was no longer teasing. He sounded very angry.
‘Good luck finding me.’
She slid into the passenger seat as Whitney got in the driver’s side.
“Where to, bestie?” Whitney asked, pulling back her long blond hair into a ponytail.
“Triclan City.” The place for night humans. If anyone could help her, she would be able to find them there. Cassie needed answers, and she needed them soon before she got too caught up in the night human world to be able to get out. It was time for a road trip.
Cassie didn’t realize the drive would be as long as it was. It wasn’t like she had been on a road trip before in her entire life. The only trips she took were on flights with her aunt to the only place in the U.S. that had other witches. Her uncle had finally explained to her that he couldn’t leave town without major negotiations between various night humans because of how all the different kinds were very territorial. If he stepped into the wrong place, it could mean serious repercussions or even death if he ran across enemies. Cassie felt lucky that she was only bonded to a night human. As a day human, she could still go wherever she pleased.
She looked at her friend as she drove. Whitney didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Cassie was a day human, but her friend was not.
“Won’t you get in trouble for leaving?” she asked.
Whitney shrugged. “They’ve kept you locked up for days. I don’t care what sort of trouble I get into if it means you get a break from all the crazy.”
“Aww,” Cassie replied.
“Besties forever.” Whitney held up a fist for Cassie to bump, and she did so.
Reaching down, Whitney began to scroll through radio channels since the last one was going out of range. It was the third time since they began their trip that they needed to change stations.
“I told my mom that not getting the upgrade would suck. Guess she didn’t plan on any road trips.” Whitney kept scrolling, not finding much to listen to.
“Because you guys can’t travel without getting into trouble, right?” Cassie asked.
Whitney was a night human along with her brother and father. Cassie was beginning to get nervous the further away they drove. She wasn’t exactly sure what the rules were that would keep her night human friend safe.
“My dad can’t travel, and I don’t think my mother wanted to go anywhere fun without him. It would make him sad to miss out.”
“But you can travel through different night human territories?” It was all very new to Cassie. She had only learned, less than two weeks ago, that night humans who lived off human blood actually existed. She was still trying to understand everything, but nothing made much sense.
“If I keep to the main road, then it isn’t a problem. We can’t take any shortcuts or anything,” Whitney explained. “And because I’m not a full member of the pack, other night humans don’t see me as a threat, at least not yet.”
Cassie nodded. That made sense… she hoped. She wanted out and away from Nate and the clan that wouldn’t leave her alone, but she didn’t want Whitney in danger because of it. The lull of the car as Whitney drove was soothing after being on edge for so many days. Cassie had no clue why Nate was gone so much, but it seemed like something was going on around her. And the constant guard kept her suspicious of every sound. Leaning back, Cassie closed her eyes. She was safe with Whitney, and finally able to relax.
‘Where are you going?’ Nate asked. He was more concerned than mad now. His moods seemed to fluctuate like the weather.
‘Away,’ Cassie replied. She wanted to add from you, but by this point, it was from everyone. Cassie felt the slight pressure of voices as they faded from her mind, like a whisper that she couldn’t make out the words from.
“Man, is he mad this time,” Whitney commented as she continued to drive.
“Who’s mad?” Cassie asked. Opening her eyes, she looked at her friend.
Whitney flipped her blond curls over her shoulder and drove with one hand, completely ignoring the cars around her. If it had been Cassie’s first time in the car, she would have been scared, but after months of riding with Whitney, she knew that her friend had a sixth sense for keeping the car on the road and accident-free.
“Than,” Whitney replied with Nate’s much cooler name. Well, at least according to everyone at school once he began to go by it.
Cassie shrugged. He was mad, but it was to be expected. He didn’t seem to understand anyone not doing exactly as he told them. He had been that way since he was a kid. Cassie used to think it was funny; now he seemed like more of a spoiled brat than anything.
“He just won’t stop screaming at me,” Whitney added.
Cassie scrunched up her eyes and peered closely at her friend. Her phone was still on the emergency brake between them. How’s Nate yelling at Whitney?
“In my head,” Whitney added, sensing her friend’s confusion.
“Your head?” Cassie had thought it was strange enough when she first heard Nate’s voice in her head after they bonded, but now it didn’t seem like it was strange at all.
“We are a pack,” Whitney explained. “We can communicate without words like your mating allows you, because we spend half our time in a form that doesn’t use words. And it isn’t like we’re all the same animal. We have to be able to communicate like this.”
“Since you hear his voice, do you hear mine, too?” Cassie asked. She thought of the word banana to see if it would work.
Whitney laughed.
“No, but Than just heard that and told me to tell you to stop blocking him out,” Whitney added.
“Blocking him out? Does he really think I have a clue what I’m doing? I mean, you just told me that you can hear him, which is news to me. I have no clue about any of this. No one would answer my questions when they held me hostage.” Cassie crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was annoying to always be in the dark about everything, but even more now that she was supposed to be part of the in-crowd. She still didn’t know anything, but everyone expected her to.
Whitney smiled. “That’s precisely why we need to get away. They’re treating you like a child one minute and then like an adult the next, and expecting you to know everything. Really? They suck. We need some time for you to see the night human world without all the crappy parts of being mated to someone without a choice.”
Cassie nodded. That was exactly what she was thinking. The only difference was that now she wasn’t just mated like Whitney thought, but actually bonded to Nate. It was a lot more serious and permanent. She hadn’t meant to bond to him, but it was kind of her fault for choosing to make the p
rotection potion with her own blood. He was right; she could have lied and acted perplexed when it didn’t work on the silver, but she’d been too worried about saving Whitney.
‘Cassie, please come back,’ Nate pleaded across the bond. ‘I know this is all new. I can help you.’
‘No. I need some time away from this, and I’ll come back once I’m ready.’ Cassie really couldn’t stay away forever like she wanted to do. It would be much easier to run away than face the fact that she was now essentially married to Nate, and they were only sixteen.
‘Then I’ll be waiting,’ Nate replied, shocking Cassie. She hadn’t expected that.
‘Really?’
‘Really. I know I’ve been busy, but I’ve wanted to be with you every minute. I know you’re scared and frustrated by all this. I get that. I’m just trying to make it easier, but it will take some time. The coven still thinks we need to bond, and they’re making plans to take your power during the bonding. Your aunt did an excellent spell to cover up the bond, but I have to tread softly to keep them from finding out, and I need everything to fall into place before the ceremony. That’s why I’ve been gone. I really would rather be with you and help you learn about all of this.’ Nate sounded sincere. Cassie almost wanted to give in and go back to him. Whitney kept driving.
‘I need to get away from all this.’ Cassie held firm though it was hard. Part of her had just forgiven him for everything in the past week. She hated when Nate acted like the friend she had grown up with and not the annoying Than that he was now most of the time.
‘I get that. Just please stay safe. Don’t leave Whitney’s side. She’ll take care of you,’ Nate told her. He had complete faith in Whitney, even if he was still a bit mad under the surface.
