Page 15 of Alice and Her Shifters (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 2)

“Right,” Calvin said and looked pointedly at Milo.

“Yes, yes… you want to go home,” Milo said. “The fact that you are wearing the amulet means that you are worthy of its power. You’re the only one who can help us break the spells and curses hindering us. Do this, and we can get you home.”

“A caveat to this is we all want her dead,” Calvin added. “You know, to avoid more beheadings.”

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. If what they said was true, and I had little reason to believe any of them, then I could at least try to help them if only to pay for my way back home. For Aidan, at the very least. He didn’t deserve to have his mind scrambled. I didn’t like the idea of jumping into someone else’s business, but it was the only option I had available to me.

“Fine. I’ll help, but I won’t be killing anyone,” I said. “And you should have asked in the first place instead of trying to take what isn’t yours.”

“Leave the killing part to us, love,” Milo said.

“Milo is a bit stuck in his ways,” Calvin said. “But I agree with you. We should have asked.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“Anything else you want to know?” Milo asked. “It’s a one-time offer.”

I shook my head. “I can’t focus enough to keep this up much longer. My head hurts and I’m dead tired.”

Milo nodded. “Aidan, be a good lad and lend Alice your bed.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? How did you know it was my nickname?” I asked.

He shrugged. There was a certain knowing in the way that he smiled. Almost like I had handed him exactly what he was searching for. “That’s whathername was.”

“Who?” I asked.

“The white witch who brought peace so long ago,” Milo said. “The one you inherited your little trinket from.”

“My mom was the only person who ever called me Alice,” I said and then yawned. “I hadn’t heard it since she died. That was until tonight, and you apparently have a nasty penchant for ignoring my wishes on being called my actual name.”

He waved me off.

I scoffed at him.

Aidan stood and gestured for me to follow him. I did so, coming to a bed that was lopsided and topped a broken frame. At least the bedding looked fresh and clean. I sighed. “This will have to do.”

“Thank you, Alice,” Aidan said.

I gazed at him with surprise. It was the first thing he ever said that I didn’t have to decode. I didn’t even mind that he called me by my nickname. “Thank you, Aidan.”

I waited for him to leave the room before taking off my shoes and pants and then crawled into his bed.

6

AIDAN

I hated the curse that was forced upon me, don’t get me wrong, but I had gotten used to the idea that things were the way they had been, and nothing was going to change that.

No one understood that my brain functioned quite well. I was coherent, lucid, and knew what everyone said. But my words came out a mess and barely half of those made a lick of sense. The other half was gibberish.

I had fallen so far from where I had once been. From the man that I used to be. Though those days were long gone, I often found myself longing for them time and again. I had it all. I was one of the head wizards. Top of my league. A stellar reputation, and the riches that came from such a life.

Then Camelia stole my attention. It didn’t take long for me to see right through her. She was greedy, shady, and wanted nothing more from me than access to my power and my bed.

When I put a stop to it, she was furious and blamed me for tricking her. She said I had a silver tongue. That was true. I was noted for being something of a ladies’ man. I thought with my dick more often than I should have, and there had been no consequences until the red witch came along. But Camelia wanted more than I could give her. More than I could allow her to take.

Just before she enacted the curse, she said, “I will make you pay for this.”

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