Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Books by Darlene Kuncytes

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Melinda Chambers huffed out a quick breath of disgust at herself as she made her way from her tiny kitchen to her living room, shoving a spoonful of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey into her mouth as she went.

  Happy birthday to me, she thought sourly as she plopped down on the sofa. She flipped on the TV and curled up, planning on spending the entire evening watching a sappy romantic comedy or two and not the annual Halloween Fright fest. Not to mention polishing off said quart of ice cream with unbridled abandon as she did.

  Melinda absolutely hated her birthday. Actually, almost as much as she hated Halloween. And it really sucked out loud that the two events happened to fall on the same day. How was that for crappy luck!

  Halloween and birthdays had always been a day of bad things happening for Melinda. Brian had dumped her on Halloween night last year after almost two years together when something better had come along. The better being the hot new receptionist at his office. Losing her mother, the year before that after a long and painful battle with the big C…not to mention all of the other horrible and strange things that always seemed to happen to her on this day. It was never ending.

  No, she thought with a determined shake of her head; this day was best left completely ignored. There would be no celebrating or passing out candy to the hordes of trick or treater’s for her this year or any other for that matter. No way…no how. She didn’t need any of that.

  She jumped as the lock on her door clicked and turned to watch as her best friend came rushing in, her arms loaded with bags and an enormous smile cutting across her features, and Melinda had the insane vison of the cat that ate the canary!

  Melinda had given Stacy a key right after she had moved into her very own house and was now beginning to wonder if it had been such a great idea. She loved her friend dearly, but Stacy seemed to have no problem whatsoever with barging in at any given time. It didn’t matter what time of day or night, if Stacy got it in her head that something needed to be said or done…poof! She appeared. The girl just had absolutely no personal boundaries at all.

  Not that it really mattered much. It wasn’t as if Melinda had any social life to speak of, so the prospect of being caught in a compromising situation was slim to none.

  “Happy Birthday!” she practically screeched as she rushed over to where Melinda was firmly stationed on the sofa. She dropped the bags at Melinda’s feet and threw her arms around her neck, nearly cutting off her air supply. “How does it feel to be a quarter of a century old?”

  Melinda groaned melodramatically and returned her friends hug as best she could. She didn’t need to be reminded that she was now twenty-five years old.

  Stacy plopped down beside her and yanked the carton of ice cream from her hand, causing Melinda to practically growl at her.

  “Hey, give that back!” she hissed.

  She snickered as she shoved a spoonful into her mouth and shook her head. “Nope. You don’t have time,” she tittered, eyeing the sweats that Melinda wore a moment with distaste. “You have to get ready.”

  Melinda felt her heart sink to her toes in an instant. Oh, Lord…what in the heck did her friend have planned now?

  “As much as it scares me to do this…I have to ask,” Melinda moaned. “Get ready for what?”

  Stacy set the ice cream down on the table and grinned at her. “We are going out for the evening,” she said happily, and Melinda instantly started shaking her head.

  “No…no way,” she ground out. “You know that I don’t celebrate my birthdays…besides, I have a date with Ben, Jerry, and Ryan Gosling!”

  Stacy leaned over her and snagged one of the bags that she had brought with her, her eyes gleaming devilishly. “No, you don’t,” she replied with a scowl and a stern tone. She dug into the bag and pulled out a black dress. “We are going to a Halloween party!”

  “Oh, Stacy…no!” Melinda pleaded. Good grief! Anything but that! “You know how much I hate parties! And, I especially hate Halloween parties!”

  “Tough,” she laughed in response and jumped up from the couch, pulling Melinda with her. “It’s going to be fun,” she insisted. “It’s just a night out, and I swear that it’s not a birthday party or anything as lame as that. It’s just us two girls dressing up, going out, and having a few cocktails. Seriously, Melinda…you’ve become an absolute hermit lately. You have to get out and mingle a little bit. It’s been a year since ass-hat dicked you over with Miss Silicone Valley! It’s more than time to move on, Sweetums.”

  Melinda knew that Stacy had a very valid point. She had closed herself off, but…it was Halloween! Costumes…crowds…ugh! Everything that she absolutely abhorred.

  “You aren’t going to make me dress up like a sexy nurse or something worse…are you?” she asked with a visible grimace.

  Stacy grabbed another bag from the floor and shoved it at her. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” she snorted, ushering her toward the bedroom. “Go get your hot little ass ready. I’m going to throw on my costume and we can do the big reveal in the living room in twenty minutes…now go!”

  Melinda hesitantly stepped through the door of her bedroom and sighed. Damn it! There was just going to be no getting out of this. Well, guess it was high time she manned up!

  Melinda walked back into the living room twenty minutes later as per instructed and glared at her friend. Stacy was dressed up in a fortune teller outfit that complimented her dark, exotic features to perfection. Her jet black hair hung freely down her shoulders and she was laden with gold hoops and bangles. She had to admit that her friend looked absolutely amazing.

  Melinda adjusted her dress for what had to be the millionth time as she tried to cover up some of the cleavage that was showing. Her long black dress fit her curvy body like a second skin with a low- cut front and a thigh-high slit, and Melinda felt way too exposed.

  “I don’t think this is going to work,” she huffed, yanking on the bodice of the dress in frustration once again as she blew her bangs away from her face.

  “Oh, my God, Mel! You make the sexiest witch ever!”

  Melinda nearly snarled as she adjusted the hat on her head, wanting nothing more than to crawl under the nearest rock and hide. The hat was an elaborate monstrosity with feathers and crystals and netting…and Melinda felt like a complete and total Vegas showgirl.

  “Let’s just get this over with,” she groaned miserably and Stacy chuckled. “But, know this right now, Philips…I am not staying long. You know better than anyone that tonight is just not a good night for me.”

  “Oh, quit your whining. It’s going to be fun.” Stacy promised with a huff as she, ushered her through the front door. “You’ll see.”

  As they walked into the club, Melinda felt her entire body instantly tense up. Good God! The place was packed! Wall to wall people hovered about in all types of Halloween fare, and Melinda shook her head in disgust. Why had she ever agreed to this? This definitely was not her scene. The noise. The drunks…ugh.

  She felt Stacy yank on her hand as she made her way through the throngs of people and over to a small empty table in the corner of the room, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

  Melinda adj
usted her dress once again before wedging her way into the corner seat, trying her best to stay undetected. One drink and she was so out of here.

  “Martini’s?” Stacy questioned with a grin, leaning over to yell into her friend’s ear, and Melinda nodded. She watched as Stacy pushed her way back through the sea of goblins and ghouls and headed for the bar.

  Melinda glanced around at the throngs of people mulling about, and her mouth dropped open only a moment later when her eyes landed on the man standing against the wall near the bar. She felt her face flush with heat as she noticed that he was staring right at her.

  He was muscled and toned with thick black wavy hair and intense golden eyes. His strong jaw showed just a hint of stubble that gave him a dangerous, sexy vibe that had Melinda’s heart rate picking up instantly. She swallowed hard as she looked at him. The man was pure, masculine perfection. Right out of the damned pages of a magazine!

  His lips lifted in a slight grin when he caught her gaping at him like a damned fool and he gave her a quick nod, to which she responded by quickly averting her eyes in embarrassment. Oh, good Lord! Nothing like getting caught staring!

  “Hey, beautiful, would you like to dance?”

  Melinda looked back up only to find a short, stocky guy dressed as a doctor smiling down at her with teeth that slightly resembled kernels of corn, and she hoped really hard that it was just part of his costume, although she highly doubted it.

  She felt a moment of disappointment hit her that is wasn’t someone else standing there, but quickly pushed the thought aside. Who was she trying to kid? There was no way in hell that the gorgeous guy from across the bar wasn’t biding his time as he waited for some perfect, buxom platinum blonde to join him. Besides, it was Halloween and her luck just didn’t run that way. She knew that she was decent enough looking, but man meat across the bar should have a supermodel on his arm…not her sorry ass.

  Melinda plastered as polite of a smile as she could muster on her face and swallowed back the snarky response that came to her lips.

  “No, thank you,” she shouted, wanting to make sure that she was heard loud and clear over the din of the music thumping around them. “I’m here with my friend, and she just went to get us drinks. Thank you, though.”

  Where’s Waldo stared at her a moment, his eyes sliding down to her ample cleavage and holding fast as he tried his best to look wounded, but his eyes glued to her chest was making that impossible to believe and was thoroughly pissing her off.

  “Aww, come on, gorgeous,” he whined, and Melinda had the strong urge to snap her fingers in front of his face just to get his attention off her chest before punching him in the head. Really? What a jackass!

  Chapter 2

  Colin Bane watched in fascination as the lovely creature walked into the bar with her friend and made a beeline for the out of the way table in the far corner of the club.

  He really didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t this enchanting woman dressed as a witch. He knew that she was the one as his senses picked up her scent immediately…but damn! He hadn’t been counting on her being so absolutely stunning. Her piercing blue eyes and full, plump lips complemented her straight, perfect nose and rounded cheeks. Her long golden hair shimmered like stardust and fell to just past her shoulders in waves of silk and he felt his body warm as his eyes traveled lower to the curves that filled out the dress that she wore in a way that had his pulse thrumming in his neck. Jesus! Not what he had been counting on at all.

  When she glanced around the bar and caught his gaze, he felt his entire body shiver with longing. Christ! So not what he needed at the moment. He gave her a quick smile and watched as her face reddened and she quickly looked away…and damned if it wasn’t cute as hell! Christ on a crutch! What in the hell had he gotten himself into?

  Colin felt his entire body tense up as he watched the yahoo dressed as a doctor approach her. He stood up a little straighter and glared as the man asked her to dance, his jaw tightening with the sudden fury overtaking him. Just move it along asshole…

  Colin watched intently, his senses snapping and popping as he pleaded with her a moment longer before finally shooting her a look of disappointment and walking away. Smart move, Colin thought with a grin. Well, it looked like the lady could certainly handle unwanted attention. Good to know.

  Stacy came back and handed Melinda her drink, which she took from her friend gratefully. Oh good Lord, this was amazing, she thought as she sipped the heavenly liquid.

  “What is this?” she asked, licking her lips in appreciation.

  “A Vampire’s Kiss Martini,” Stacy replied with a grin as she sat down beside her. “The bartender said it’s his specialty, and he’s hot as hell so I couldn’t refuse.”

  Melinda returned her smile. Her friend would think that the Maytag repairman was hot if he was standing there in front of her.

  “I know what you’re thinking.” She said, trying her best to sound offended. “But, he is…” she stopped short when her eyes fell on man meat standing so casually against the wall. “Hot,” she breathed out, her eyes widening, and Melinda followed her gaze and felt the heat rise up her neck when she found him still staring at her. A grin touched his lips that was somewhere between smarmy and lecherous the moment that their gazes locked.

  Melinda averted her eyes once again as she gulped down her drink in one quick swig, nearly choking on the delightful liquid.

  “Oh. My. God…” Stacy choked out. “Would you look at him!”

  Melinda swatted her friends arm and glared at her. “Don’t stare!” she ground out, utterly mortified at being caught once again staring at the man in question.

  “How could you not?” Stacy asked as if her friend were daft and not taking her eyes off him for a single moment. “And…he’s staring right at you!”

  “I’m sure he’s not looking at me,” Melinda snapped, refusing to turn his way.

  Stacy gave her the look she knew meant to not even bother trying to deny it. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she shook her head. “Oh, he’s staring at you all right,” she argued haughtily, and Melinda swore that she heard just the barest hint of envy in her friend’s tone.

  “Well... it doesn’t matter,” Melinda pushed out, trying her best to sound unaffected by this whole darn fiasco. “I’m not in the market for a quickie in the alley behind the bar.” She chanced another quick glance across the room and found those golden eyes still locked on her.

  She felt a strange humming roll up her spine and turned her head, wanting nothing more at the moment than to get the hell out of there and back to her trusty couch. Back to the safety of her little hovel.

  “Do you want another drink?” Stacy asked, eyeing her empty glass with a grin, but Melinda shook her head. She must have downed the martini much more quickly than she should have. She was suddenly feeling light-headed and just a bit woozy and knew that having another one would be a monumental mistake. She wasn’t a big drinker and two cocktails were usually her limit, but this one had hit her hard and fast.

  “I’m good,” she responded, closing her eyes a moment as she tried to get the spinning that was starting to creep up on her to stop. She swallowed hard and looked at her friend, who was surveying the room with a look of almost desperation. “But, you go and get yourself one and enjoy yourself,” she croaked out. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “Are you sure?” Stacy asked, and Melinda knew that she was itching to go dance, or flirt, or who knew what else when it came to her friend.

  “Positive,” Melinda insisted with as much of a smile as she could muster at the moment. The noise of the bar was suddenly deafening and she was really beginning to feel out of sorts. “I’ll be fine. Go on, have fun. I’ll stay for a bit then I’m just going to call it a night and head home.” Stacy opened her mouth to protest, but Melinda held up her hand. “You know this isn’t me, Stace. I really hate being out on my birthday…and I really, really hate all of this Halloween hoopla. I promise
that we’ll have a girl’s night next week.”

  Stacy watched her a moment before nodding. “I know, Mel, and I’m sorry I dragged you out.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second,” she laughed in response and Stacy gave her a small, almost guilty smile.

  “You know me too well,” she said, nudging her on the shoulder. She turned suddenly and threw her arms around Melinda’s neck. “Happy Birthday, Mel!” With that, she let go and stood, giving Melinda a look that seemed almost sad. “You’re a good friend,” she whispered before turning and pushing her way back through the crowd and toward the bar.

  Melinda watched as Stacy made her way toward Mister Gorgeous and sighed. Guess her friend had decided that the bartender wasn’t that cute after all.

  She felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up and glanced around the bar, wondering where this sudden feeling of unease was coming from. Her gaze landed on a man standing near the door and she felt a chill slide across her. He was tall, thin, with a regal, almost arrogant look about him. When he turned and caught her eyes, she heard the gasp of surprise pass her lips. His eyes were such a light blue they looked almost white.

  He gave her a smile that caused her body to shudder on its own before bowing slightly and backing out through the exit. Melinda shook her head, trying hard to clear it as she searched for Stacy. She spotted her at the bar flirting mercilessly with Mr. Hottie and decided that she had had enough for one night. All she wanted at the moment was to crawl into bed. No more Halloween celebrating for her!

  Melinda stood and unsteadily walked toward the door, pushing her way through the throngs of people and praying that some fresh air would clear her head.

  Colin fought hard to control his temper as the woman in front of him prattled on and on about what, he couldn’t say. His eyes were on the comely witch sitting across the bar. She suddenly seemed unsteady and he wanted nothing more than to go to her and make sure that she was all right. It was as if there was this pull, that he was finding hard to ignore. Something was definitely off. He could feel it. It was like a low humming deep in his bones.