Entranced

Chapter Two

Jack had no idea what he’d stumbled onto, but he knew when to play the game and bide his time. That Heather felt the need to lie warned him to be wary, even if the odd surges of power running through his body hadn’t already made him cautious. He let her drag him some distance down the street and into a cobblestone alley before he pulled her into an empty alcove.

He backed her against a wooden door under a shadowed archway. No one had entered the alleyway after them, and he couldn’t sense anyone near, so he took advantage of their sudden privacy. In a low growl, he ordered, “Give me the quick version. Now.”

She tried to move away, but there was nowhere for her to go. When she brushed against his chest, ineffectively attempting to push back, his entire body throbbed like one big ball of need. He saw an answering flare of desire in her eyes, both unnerving and satisfying that the unwanted attraction didn’t seem to be all on his end.

Flattening herself against the door, she frowned and in a throaty whisper answered, “This isn’t the place. Owen really sent you?”

He nodded. “He’s worried and wants you back like yesterday.”

She blew out a breath. “Terrific. Look, we need to be somewhere private before I can tell you what you need to know.” She lowered her voice to the merest whisper. “It’s not safe out here.”

“I don’t think you want to be anywhere private with me right now.” He moved closer so that she couldn’t mistake his erection pressed against her hips.

Her eyes widened. “Y-you…”

“Yeah. This whole fucking town is like a cauldron of energy. I’m on fire from head to toe.” Let her believe the swirling energy was to blame for his perpetual hard-on and not that he’d been fascinated by her since he’d first seen her picture. He stepped back, giving her a little space.

“Right.”

She let out a soft breath, and the scent of minty chocolate washed over him.

“Quick version—the town is sitting on what they call the Source. It’s a well of power you can feel. Everyone with psychic sensitivity senses it, which in this case is nearly all of Drei-Gewalten. Oh, and they hate Stallbridges, so anyone having anything to do with my family is likely to be imprisoned or killed on sight.”

“What?” Even for a PowerUp! case, this was weird.

“That’s the quick version.” She latched on to his sweater and jerked him so that she practically kissed his ear before she added in a whisper, “I can’t talk about this out here, not without someone possibly overhearing. We’ll be safer at Ida’s.” Heather pulled back, and the searching look she gave him told him she didn’t put him in the same trust category as Ida. Not that he blamed her.

It didn’t help that he couldn’t stop staring at her mouth. “You sure you can trust her?”

“More than I trust you. She’s known who I am the whole time I’ve been here. She’s the one who told me to pretend to be her long-lost niece.”

“Okay.”

She stared at him for a moment and bit her lower lip. Then she asked, “Owen’s worried?”

“Yeah. He’s pissed he can’t find you. What the fuck are you doing out here? And why the hell is that weird reverb still echoing through my body?”

Footsteps sounded from a short distance away. They both froze.

And then he made a choice, a bad one. He kissed her. What he’d thought might prove a decent cover—that of a man and woman in a sexual clinch—soon turned all too real. Heat blazed throughout his body as the scent and taste of the woman he embraced went straight to his head.

Her hands pressed against his chest again. She opened her mouth, no doubt in protest, then sighed into his mouth and met his searching tongue with her own. She ran her palms over his chest to his shoulders and around his neck. The feel of her soft hands against his skin made him growl, and he yanked her harder against him.

All thought fled. With nothing but instinct to guide him, Jack fully intended to bury himself in her right here, right now. He deepened the kiss and felt her breath hitch as she melted into him. So fucking good. He palmed her ass and ground her against him. Then he put a hand between them and pushed under her sweater. Her full breast sat heavily in his palm, and he squeezed, loving the feel of her tight nipple through the lacy bra.

She gasped his name and moaned, clenching his neck with strong fingers. A blaze of energy whispered through him, different from the power under his feet, and seemed to come from Heather.

Immediately distrustful, he pulled his mouth away and blinked down into her cloudy green eyes. Suspicion faded as lust overwhelmed him once more. Damn, he wanted to watch her come around him, to see the pleasure blossoming on her face explode into a full-out orgasm.

“Not here, you two.” An old man chuckled as he continued past them. “Young people.”

She and Jack tensed, breathing hard. He slowly removed his hand from under her sweater, and she withdrew her hands from around his neck. She’d been standing on tiptoe, and the disparity in their sizes enhanced his need to claim and protect. The rational part of him told him to step back and reassess the situation. Especially since he hadn’t heard that old man beyond the onset of footsteps, which should have warned Jack to pull away.

He bleakly remembered the last time he’d been caught so off guard. Melissa. That lying bitch had nearly had him killed, and she’d controlled him like a puppet on strings, managing to get under his guard. A lot like this woman, and he hadn’t felt a tenth for Melissa as he did for this sexy stranger.

Jack mentally pulled himself together and glared down at Heather. She seemed a little too cool for his liking. “What the fuck was that?” he hissed.

“I don’t know.” She didn’t sound winded or upset, and her unflappable composure bothered the shit out of him.

“Great. Don’t do it again.” He completely ignored the fact he’d initiated the kiss. Still trying to restore his body to calm, he yanked her out of the alcove. “Ida’s. Now.”

“Don’t get all huffy, Jack.” She smiled at him, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Aunt Ida’s is the blue cottage around the corner. Come on.”

He let her pull away from him this time, because holding her felt too right. It had taken him years to get over Melissa’s perfidy, and to say he had trust issues was an understatement. He got on well with his PowerUp! team members, mostly because he remained in control. The PowerUp! Gym provided a place where he and his team could keep in physical and mental shape while they secretly worked out their psychic skills. He trusted Kitty, his day manager, without reserve. The empath knew his secrets and had never betrayed him. Then again, he wasn’t involved in a personal relationship with her. Kitty had his back on missions and at work. The rest of the team pulled together to accomplish the mission. He trusted them to get the job done but nothing more than that.

Jack didn’t have a personal life. He didn’t need or want one, contrary to what his team said behind his back, what they thought he didn’t hear: Lone wolf, hard-ass, monster of a boss, dickhead. He accepted his solitary nature. He just wished everyone else would as well.

Time to get his head on straight and remember that Heather Stallbridge was a job and nothing more. Sister to his business partner, Owen, and his current case. Period. End of story.

If only he didn’t know how she tasted and felt under his hands.

He narrowed his gaze on the back of her head and followed her to a pretty blue cottage that looked like something out of a fairy tale.

A look around showed much of the same up and down the street. Quaint, Bavarian-style architecture lined the houses pressed against one another. Only the blue cottage stood apart, with dark red geraniums and purple pansies clustered in window boxes under two large, paned windows.

A petite bistro sat outside the front door, caged in by a tiny yard with a wooden fence. It felt like Hansel and Gretel might pop in for a visit at any moment. The rest of the town seemed as charming, with uncluttered walkways free of litter and debris. Only the sweet scent of flowers and freshly made bread filled the crisp mountain air.

The power that swelled under his feet seemed welcoming, accepting, and before he knew it, he’d let it in, allowing it to strengthen and refresh him after so many days spent searching.

Heather reached for his hand, and he tensed when she curled her fingers around his. “Don’t open yourself up too much. It’s addicting; trust me.”

She knew. How she knew, he couldn’t say. But the woman read him, and he didn’t like it any more than he’d liked kissing her. Touching her. Grinding against her.

Fuck. His hard-on ached, and he glared down at the top of her golden head as they waited for someone to answer her knock on the door.

The door opened, and a frail old woman with blazing blue eyes stared out at them. Her long white hair lay in a braid over her shoulder, and though she seemed petite and stood slightly bent over, he sensed a core of deep strength within her. Not someone to underestimate.

She smiled at him, wisdom shining in the depths of her gaze. “Welcome.” Like the rest of the town, she spoke in German.

He answered in kind. “Thank you.” He followed Heather inside into a warm living space. A sofa and love seat surrounded an antique coffee table and side tables. A few magazines and books sat in a nearby wicker basket. A pitcher of freshly cut flowers brought attention to a farm table and surrounding oak chairs in the expansive kitchen open to the living area.

The walls were a pale cream and covered in pictures—artwork, family photographs, and a few pieces of old framed papers. Warmth and care had been poured into the house, and he felt surprisingly comfortable, despite his large size among the smaller-scale things.

“Come. Sit down. We’re safe to talk here.” Ida walked to the love seat and sat, then patted the spot next to her with a smile.

Heather sat with her, leaving Jack to take a spot on the low-seated couch. He sank into down cushions and sighed, grateful to have his back to a solid wall and his butt in a surprisingly comfortable spot. “You must be Ida.”

“And you must be Jack. Nice to meet you.”

He frowned. Heather hadn’t yet introduced him. “Did Hans call you?”

She shook her head. “Jan mentioned you’d be coming.”

“Who is this Jan? Because I’ve never met him.”

Heather answered, “Something you have to realize, Jack. This town… It’s unlike anyplace I’ve ever been. Here, being psychic is the norm. I’ve been here for two weeks, and I can’t seem to leave.”

“How’s that?” He sat up straighter, as much as he was able, and stared from Heather to Ida. “Maybe you can explain,” he said to the old woman.

“Maybe I can.” Ida laughed and pulled the dark purple cardigan she was wearing tighter around her. “Would you like some tea?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Heather said at the same time and arched a brow at him before turning back to Ida. “Shall I make some?”

Ida nodded, and Heather left for the kitchen. Jack kept half his attention on her while the rest of him sized up his host.

“You’re one of us.” Ida nodded and narrowed her gaze, studying him. “Very powerful. You vibrate with it. Rage, intensity, lust.”

She raised a brow, and he had to work to cool the heat in his cheeks.

“Drei-Gewalten was built on such emotions. We are a very old town, one that only the gifted can find. Our council works to keep the rest out.”

“Oh?”

“Why are you here, Jack Keiser?”

He didn’t show any reaction to her knowing his true name. “To find your niece, Heather.”

She nodded. “Her brother sent you. Owen.” She pursed her lips. “He was told to stay out of this mess. The boy doesn’t listen for shit.”

He paused, taken aback by her language, then had to grin. “So you’ve met him.”

“No, but Heather has spoken of him so that I feel I know him.” She sighed. “But this is for Heather to make right. It is not for Owen to interfere.”

Ida stared at him, and Jack had the uncomfortable sense of her picking and prodding at his shields.

“But you are not here for Owen, I think. You are here for Heather.”

One and the same. He shrugged. “Why the story about her being your relative?” He wanted to hear her confirm what Heather had told him.

“Because this town lives with antiquated conventions. Here, we are the law. Or rather, the Baer family is the law. For too long, they’ve run our town. Heather needed to come, to do what she was tasked. But the Stallbridges haven’t been welcome in over a hundred years, not since Johann discovered the Source.”

Heather had mentioned that earlier. “The Source?” Jack asked.

“Of power.”

Heather returned to the living room. “You’ve felt it. The vibrations under your feet? It’s real. There are places like this all over the world, where the pulse of power sends waves through the earth. In some places, the electromagnetic fields are stronger. In others, it’s just a feeling, a place where senses are heightened and life is much more defined.” She gazed at him with eyes that saw too much. “It’s a vortex. Bend, Oregon is one such place. That’s why Owen settled there.”

“But not you?” Jack asked her, his gaze intense.

“Eventually I will. I’ve had other things to keep me busy over the years.”

She studied him, and he wondered what she saw when she looked at him.

“Why don’t you tell me who you are and why you’re really here. Ida called you Jack Keiser. That name sounds familiar.”

“My name is Jack Keiser. Harmon is an alias.”

“One of many you’ve used,” Ida added.

He scowled at her. “You a mind reader?”

“I know things. Not all, just some.”

“Great. More mystery to add to this secretive town.” Jack kept his inner shields tight and concentrated on Heather. “I’m here because your brother and I work together. We co-own the PowerUp! Gym in town. In Bend.”

“I’ve been there. I remember your manager, Kitty.”

Funny, Kitty never mentioned meeting Heather. “I run a team of people who do more than work at the gym. We work private investigations. Our biggest job to date is tracking down the objects stolen from your warehouse.”

Heather’s eyes widened. “That’s you? You’re the ex-government psychics?” She stared at him with a look he didn’t trust. “Oh. You’re Jack.”

“What does that mean?”

“My brother called you an injured wolf more likely to bite first and ask questions later.”

“Nice.” He scowled.

“From Owen, that’s a compliment. He likes you.”

And Jack liked Owen, for what it was worth. It still surprised him to find he’d come to respect the arrogant millionaire. Jack could appreciate that Owen had his own secrets, things even Heather might not know.

“This is all interesting, but off topic.” Ida pointed to the kitchen. “Heather, dear, it’s whistling.”

At that moment, the kettle shrieked, and Heather left to get it.

Jack grunted. “Nice trick.”

“We all have our uses.” She winked at him. “You’re here to bring Heather home. Heather is not yet ready to go. Once she’s finished, then she may go. But not until then.”

“So what’s this task, and how soon can we get it done?”

Heather returned with two steaming mugs and set one down on the table in front of Ida. “We? I don’t remember asking for your help.”

“Yeah? Well, you’ve got it all the same. I’m here to bring you back in one piece. You tell me you have to lie so folks won’t kill you, and my feet are still tingling from the power beneath us. I think it’s past time to go, and I just got here. So do what you’ve gotta do, and let’s head back to the States.”

“Don’t you think I’ve been trying?”

She sighed, and her lips turned down. That softness captivated him. He’d had his share of rough and tough women, but Jack was a protector by nature. He gravitated toward those needing his brand of strength. Which was why he should stay far, far away from Owen’s little sister. So what that she had a killer rack, legs up to the moon, and an ass that begged to be ridden? She was trouble, a real problem he could do without.

He cleared his throat and forced himself not to scowl at Ida’s knowing smile. “So what’s the deal with the yellow gate? According to Hans, there are people on the other side of it. But Jan guards it? And how about that bizarre road I drove in on? You’re telling me everyone in town is psychic?”

“The gate is indeed protected by Jan. Only those the council has deemed fit to be here may come to town. On the other side of that gate lies the town of Grainau.”

Jack frowned at her. “That’s impossible. I turned north instead of continuing west to get here, driving away from Grainau.”

“And yet, here you are.” Ida sipped her tea. “I have been trying to help Heather find the Source before she leaves. But every time she tries to search it out, one of our people pulls her back. The Baers have put a lockdown on her movements.” Ida gave her an apologetic glance, and Heather made a face.

“Explain that.” Jack wanted to know.

“You must understand that everyone in Drei-Gewalten has psychic ability, hence the name of our town meaning three forces—mind, body, energy. The majority of our people have better senses, faster reflexes, nothing too powerful, and nothing that you couldn’t overcome with ease. But the council and a few of the first families, they could be troublesome.”

“First families?” he asked.

“The ones who first settled here,” Ida answered. “Like the Baers, a very powerful family. Ernst and Klaus, Ralf Baer’s sons, have developed…feelings…for Heather. The only thing that’s been keeping them from pressing their attentions is my connection to her. As you know, she’s not really my niece, but my name has weight here. Four generations of Wurtzes have been born and died in Drei-Gewalten. We all have wisdom and an affinity for the Source. Those in town respect my years here, even the Baers. But I’m afraid my influence won’t outlast young Ernst’s desire. That boy in particular wants to claim Heather for his own. And he normally gets what he wants.”

Over my dead body. Jack couldn’t have said why he felt so bothered by the thought, but he didn’t like bullies, and harming innocents, even a woman with power like Heather, went against everything he stood for. It was obvious from watching her reactions that Heather wanted little to do with either Baer.

He changed the subject to something more important than his stupid feelings, which had no place on the job. “So how do we leave town to find this Source? Just go through the gate? And this Jan guy. He knows who I am?” He still didn’t like that.

“Yes, he does. I’m sure it’s been passed all over town that you and Heather are involved. You fit together, and your energy is in tune. If I hadn’t known you’d never met before, I would have thought you lovers in truth.”

“Ida.” Heather wouldn’t look at him.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jack growled.

“It means that when Heather disappears, it will be assumed you’re with her. She has to reach the Source, and soon. Her instructions were quite clear.”

“Instructions?”

Ida continued, “She must reach the Source before the next full moon in three days’ time. It’s on a trail accessible only through the mountains, a good two days’ walk from here. The problem is that only a chosen few are allowed to visit the Source. It’s the energy that empowers the town, and so much more. The people here are very protective of it.”

“Great,” Jack muttered.

“Yet because we are so protective, there will be no one nearing the clearing until after the full moon. It will be difficult for you two to be there when the power is at its zenith, but it’s necessary, I think. And you have to take Chronicles with you,” Ida insisted.

“I know. It says it in the book.” Heather nodded.

“You two cannot afford to be caught. Especially because it won’t be long before Ralf has your last name, Heather. He’s been digging since you got here, and Jan and I are at the end of our tether. That’s another reason why you have to leave tonight.”

“Christ. This gets more bizarre every time I learn more.” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “I still don’t understand why being a Stallbridge is so bad. She’s worth millions. Can’t she bribe her way to this Source?”

Heather frowned at him. “Apparently my family did something to this town when my great-grandfather Johann was here. The Baers hold a mean grudge.”

“They do.” Ida nodded. “But it’s more than that, and not what’s important right now.”

“So you got your instructions from Chronicles, is that right?” Jack asked Heather, needing her to step him through it. So many facts were running through his head, and none of them made any sense. His head started to hurt.

Heather nodded.

“I’ve seen Chronicles.” Jack wished now that he’d never laid eyes on the thing. “In it, there’s nothing but lurid crap about your great-grandfather’s favorite sexual positions. Sorry, but it’s true.”

Ida grinned. “Johann was such a creative fellow.”

Jack exchanged a look with Heather before Ida spoke again.

“Oh, you two. He had skill with a pen, is all I’m saying. He could imbue objects with hidden messages, the kind which can only be read by someone like Heather.”

“How’s that?” Jack studied Heather with curiosity.

“I’m a healer,” Heather said softly. “Not only physical hurts but psychic ones too. It cost my great-grandfather to share what he did in that book. I can read his pain in the words no one else seems able to see. Ida helped, but even she couldn’t see everything that I could.”

Jack wondered why anything surprised him anymore. He worked with a pyrokinetic, a telepath, and a levitator, for God’s sake. He’d met people who could change into something not entirely human. He himself could shift his shape, mimicking anyone he’d ever touched, male or female. What the hell constituted normal in his world, anyway?

Ida sipped her tea. “Chronicles is beyond even what I consider normal in a town full of psychic energy. But Heather must find the Source to understand.”

“Understand what?” Jack asked.

“Everything.”

A simple answer, and one that told him absolutely nothing.

To Heather, Ida said, “You’ll find what you’ve been looking for next to the backpack on your bed.”

Heather tore out of the living room and returned moments later, carrying the book and a stuffed backpack. “You found it and packed my things?”

“You have a journey to make, and it’s past time you made it. I’d hoped your grandmother might one day return to finish things, but she never came. Not that she could have done much good. It’s now up to you.” Ida turned to Jack. “Your things are at Jan’s house. Jan has visions of the future. He’s known you were coming for some time, and he took your things from your car. Between us, we shielded your information from the others, but it’s wearing thin, especially since you and Heather are together now. The town is buzzing with curiosity.”

He didn’t trust the sly smile she shot him.

“Things are finally unfolding.”

“I wish I understood what the hell you’re talking about.” At some point, what she said had to make sense.

“For now, know that you’ve found Owen’s sister. You would be smart to keep your identities as Heather Wurtz and Jack Harmon at the forefront of your minds, at least until you start on the trail. Steer clear of the Baers, and remember that I’m a friend.”

“And Jan?” Jack asked.

“Jan helps now because he must, but the time will come when you two will be solely on your own.” Her gaze intensified. “Listen well, Jack. Ralf Baer can kill you without blinking twice, and no one will ever find your body. You’re away from everything you know out here, in this place that shouldn’t exist but does. Away from reason in a land ruled by instinct and supernatural power.”

“Ida?” Heather asked softly. “You’re starting to scare me.”

“I like you, Heather. I don’t want to see you hurt. Your grandmother was a good friend of mine, as was your great-grandfather. I promised them that if they ever needed me for anything, I’d help in any way I could, and I always keep my word. But I’ve done all I can do. Now it’s up to you.”

“I’ll do my best. I’ll find the Source with the map and compass you gave me.”

Ida shook her head. “That’s only half the battle, dear. Not where but how to get there, that’s the important part of your journey.” She stared at Jack with eyes so bright they seemed to glow. “Only together will you find the Source. Only together will you find lives worth living.”

Jack snorted. “A little dramatic, aren’t you? What—”

Her voice, when she finished, rang with an authority he couldn’t ignore. “Only together will you get out of the mountain alive.”