The Jilted Jinn Read online

  Copyright © 2018 by S.E. Babin

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  The Jilted Jinn

  S.E. Babin

  For my BFF Crystal who will never see this because she doesn’t read. Which…I can’t believe we’re friends because that’s usually a dealbreaker, but whatever. I love you, Garth. #sphinctersayswhat??

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  3. Six Weeks Later

  Chapter 4

  5. 3 Months Later

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  8. Martin

  Chapter 9

  10. Martin

  Chapter 11

  12. One month later

  Chapter 13

  14. Martin

  15. Martin

  Chapter 16

  17. Martin

  Chapter 18

  19. Martin

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Also by S.E. Babin

  1

  Third time was the charm, right? It had to be. I wasn't buying another wedding dress if something happened. Again. For the third time. I shook off my maudlin thoughts, took a deep breath, and looked at myself again in the floor length mirror.

  Hair done? Check. My long black hair had been pulled back in a soft chignon with loose curls sweeping around my heart shaped face. Makeup? Also check. I had good skin, or so my grandmother liked to tell me as she would pull my lips back from my teeth like I was a thoroughbred or something, so the makeup I'd finally agreed to was minimal. Golden eyeshadow was used across my eyelids, bronzer on my cheekbones and a peach lip gloss. That was it.

  A lot of brides tanned before their big day. My skin was naturally on the darker side, so there was no need for me.

  The white dress against my skin was brilliant.

  I looked brilliant.

  This was going to be fine.

  Me being nervous on my big day had nothing to do with my fiance, only on me and the spectacular amount of run away grooms I'd suffered through.

  Jeff was the one.

  I sighed, nodded at myself in the mirror like I was a soldier about to go into battle, and turned from the mirror. As I was reaching for the door handle to let my family back in, it twisted and in pushed Jeff.

  I let out a little screech and held my hands to my face. "Get out! It's terrible luck to see the bride!"

  Jeff chuckled and pulled my hands down. He was handsome as most of the Lupin pack was. Bright blond hair and soft green eyes didn't match the angularity of his jaw or the strength in his powerful frame. It softened it somehow, making him seem like a really uptight surfer. I wasn't terribly attracted to him when we first met. My type ran a little bit darker in both the hair and eyes department, but he had won me over soon enough with his good sense of humor and charisma.

  I immediately noticed the smile didn't reach his eyes, and despite myself, my brain began to spin with the worst.

  "You look lovely, Katie," Jeff said and pulled me against his broad chest. He was warmer than normal people. Werewolves' metabolism ran faster so every time I snuggled against him I felt like I had a personal space heater.

  "Thank you." I tilted my chin up to look him in the eyes. "What's going on?"

  Jeff released me and stepped away. "I uh looked in our bank account this morning. Our savings too. We've spent a lot on this wedding."

  We had. But we'd both agreed to all of the purchases. I nodded. "Yes." I didn't like where this was going.

  "Well, I didn't realize we were so low and uh I may need some extra money."

  I stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time before I spoke. "That account was for wedding expenses. We both knew it was low. The savings is for our honeymoon." I paused. "We have separate accounts still. So...I don't understand where you're going with this."

  He scratched the back of his neck and made a sucking sound with his teeth. "Yeah. We do, but I ran into some trouble."

  I breathed in. I breathed out. I stifled the fear and rage slowly beginning to boil in my veins. This could not be happening.

  "We are getting married in less than fifteen minutes. Can this possibly wait until afterward?"

  "You can't just..." he wiggled his fingers, "do your thing?"

  I blinked at him like he had lost his mind. "My thing?" I hissed.

  Sensing he had pushed me too far, Jeff backed up a couple of steps and laughed uncomfortably. "Of course. Sorry. Yeah. I just got nervous." He swept a soft kiss across my cheek and gave me a little wave goodbye.

  As soon as the door closed behind him, my mother swept in, gave me one look and let out a soft little sigh. "Oh, honey. It’s going to be okay."

  The music struck up Ave Maria which would horrify the Catholics if we had any here, but I didn't care. My wedding. My music. If I wanted to strut down the aisle to Salt N Pepa's Push It, I would have, though I could imagine my mother wouldn't be very happy. But, I'd erred on the safe side and stuck with the classics. Even though it wasn't exactly a traditional choice, it was still pretty and my mother had approved.

  I carried a bouquet of roses and lilies, plucked from my mother's gardens. She'd tucked a sprig of baby's breath at the top of my chignon. She'd whispered it was for luck as she kissed me on both cheeks and gave me a little push toward the doors. They opened seconds later and I was confronted with the faces of my family and friends and half the town of Midnight Cove. The Lupin pack was popular and their influence was wide. Jeff had been adamant that we needed to bow to the authority of his Alpha on the guest list and while I was annoyed, it wouldn't matter in the end. We would still be married no matter who showed up.

  I squared my shoulders, pushed them back and lifted my chin up. I took my first steps into the chapel and met my father seconds later. He offered his arm out to me and I took it. His smile was...sad.

  My brow furrowed together at his expression, but I squeezed his arm and we slowly walked up to the aisle.

  When we were halfway there, I realized the reason for it.

  Jeff Hunt, my fiance, was nowhere to be seen.

  I gritted my teeth, kept my smile in place by force of sheer will, and stepped up to stand in front of the pastor. He gave me a smile that didn't quite fulfill itself on his face. I stood and waited.

  He would be here. He had to be here.

  Ten agonizing minutes of waiting and making excuses for him did not make Jeff materialize. My gaze caught the Lupin Alpha's. Mark was enraged. I could see it in every line of his body.

  "I'm sorry," he mouthed. He rose and jogged down the aisle to the back.

  Maybe Jeff was unconscious in his quarters. Maybe he had drank too much. Maybe he got caught up in football.

  Maybe...

  Maybe I had just been left at the altar for the third time.

  It was apparent when Mark reentered the chapel without Jeff what had happened. I gave him a stiff nod, let my bouquet fall from my fingers and slowly descended down the steps of the chapel. People grabbed at me gently to express condolences. My mother tried to hold me back and so did my father.

  I said nothing. I did not let myself cry.

  I should have seen this coming.

  I pushed open the doors to my quarters and locked them behind me. My friends and family knocked frantically for the
first ten minutes until they slowly walked away.

  I flopped down on the bed only to scratch my lip on what felt like an envelope. I took it away from my face, turned over, and held it up.

  Jeff's familiar scrawl was across the top.

  That SOB had left me a letter?

  Rage made my vision flicker.

  I pulled out the slip of paper. It was short and to the point.

  I can't believe you wouldn't use your gift to help me. This is not how a marriage should start. I'm sorry, Katie. I need someone who will support me.

  He had signed his name with the stupid flourish he always used where he made the last F sweep too far out so it would cross in the middle of the J in his name.

  "Support you?" I asked through clenched teeth. "I supported you through law school. I supported you when you went to find yourself after I caught you chatting up one of the succubi on Ash Street. I supported you when you wanted to wear a powder blue tux on our wedding day. AND NO ONE would have done that!" I let out a shriek of rage and shredded the note into a hundred pieces and let it fall.

  Our relationship now looked like confetti floating through the air.

  The sound of something metal scratching against the door caught my attention. "I told you to leave me alone!"

  I wiped my hand against my snotty nose, ashamed to realize I had started crying.

  The door was pulled off the hinges by a super sexy man wearing an old toolbelt.

  I let out a hysterical laugh. At least my hormones were still working, even if I were a hot mess.

  His warm brown eyes were sympathetic. "Sorry," he said. His voice was slightly accented, but I couldn't tell where he was from. "Your mother asked me to."

  I shook my head. "It's okay."

  He bobbed his head once and sat the removed door against the wall of my room. "If it's any consolation, I've known Jeff Hunt for years. He’s a douchebag and you're better off without him."

  My mouth dropped open and I wasn't sure whether to laugh or keep crying, but my mother pushed in past him and he gave me a long look and left us.

  My mother immediately started babbling, but I held up a hand. "Who was that?" I asked her.

  "Who?" she asked, her dark brown eyes concerned.

  "The man who took the door."

  She blinked and pursed her lips. "That is Martin Roma. He does a lot of construction and remodeling work around the town." My mother made a tsk noise. "Do not concern yourself. I told him to do it."

  I stared at the empty doorway, a strange feeling in my stomach. I had a feeling I would see Martin Roma again. And I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

  My mother went straight to wondering how we could curse Jeff Hunt, his family, and his unborn children, but I shook my head. "Mama. No. I should have known better. There were signs."

  She scoffed. "This magic you and your father have. It's a terrible burden."

  She wasn't wrong. I took her hand. "But it can also be a wonderful gift." And it could. I was born a Jinn, a powerful deity who had the ability to grant wishes. If you read any stories you would think I would be limited to three wishes, but that part of it was not true and only made up to discourage those who would enslave us. The part about living in the bottle? Only slightly true. Once a quarter for three days I was forced to retreat to it to recharge my magic. As things went, it wasn't a bad life. It just made it very difficult in the romance department. I was always honest with the men I dated. I told them what I was once I felt like I was serious about them. If it ended, I would erase that knowledge from their minds. With my perfect track record of zero marital success, there wasn't a single soul in Midnight Cove who knew of my powers except for my family.

  The residents knew there was a Jinn here, but I was very careful to go in full disguise to my brewery and shop. I took public transportation in to work and made sure I was never seen traveling to the bus station in my own car. It took work, but preserving my anonymity was worth it.

  My mother pushed away a thick hank of hair from my face. My perfect chignon had unraveled, leaving my mass of black hair all over the place. "You must take away his knowledge, daughter. Think of the damage he could do."

  I'd already thought about it. "I will. Will you leave me for a few minutes?"

  My mother nodded and stood from the bed. "When you are ready, change your clothes. We've decided to continue with the reception. We've asked several guests to leave so it will be just our family and the Lupin pack. Mark specifically asked to stay." She paused and sighed. "He...is a good man. Not like Jeff. I imagine Jeff will not have heard the last of this once Mark finds him."

  She bent down, kissed the top of my head, and left the room. There was no door to shut, so I would have to move into the bathroom for privacy. I collapsed back onto the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. I was going to have to face my family and friends in a little while. For the third time.

  At least this time I had been smart enough to negotiate refundable deposits on almost everything. Some things, like the food, I couldn't, but I hadn't lost everything. And, I would be seeking recompense from the Lupin pack for the rest of the funds.

  A hysterical laugh bubbled up from me. This was going to be a nightmare.

  2

  The sounds of the Macarena drifted from the booming speakers as I made my way down to the ballroom. I'd changed into a pair of simple black, flowing palazzo pants, a white silky chemise and a pair of comfortable flats. I'd released my hair from its pinned up torture and left it swinging free. I'd left my makeup on, but the bride I'd been just a couple of hours ago was gone.

  The first person to catch me was my father.

  Sympathy and rage warred in his deep brown gaze as he lifted his hands to my cheeks. "Precious daughter, do not fret so. Someone is meant for you. They will have you as you are and no other way." He leaned in to kiss me. "I know this. I see this. You will have your fairytale." He leaned back and winked at me. "Though maybe you should elope next time."

  I let out a half sob laugh. "Oh, Daddy, this is the worst."

  He made a shh noise and took me by the hand. "Come. See yourself as your family sees you."

  I allowed myself to be led by him over to a massive table where my entire family had gathered. Each person stood up and came up to me. They each kissed my cheek and whispered that they loved me and by the end I was a blubbering mess.

  My father picked up and began to ring a bell. "Let us not look at this day with sadness, but as a day to begin again!" He paused and winked at me. "And, please eat every single bit of this meal. Katie could not negotiate a refund on this, even though she really tried!"

  Laughter rang out and people moved toward the buffet style line. The DJ switched over to some slow tunes and before I even turned around, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I knew who was standing behind me even though I hadn't seen his face.

  "Katie."

  I slowly turned to see the Alpha of the Lupin pack before me. There was a frightening amount of coiled power within him. "Mark," I greeted.

  He held out a tanned yet scarred hand. "May I?"

  I slipped my hand into his. "Of course."

  Mark led me out to the dance floor. His large hand settled on my waist, no lower than my hip. He'd always been a gentleman. I liked him very much, but I would be lying if I said he didn't scare me. He scared everyone and, if he didn't, that person was a fool. His hair was blond, but looked more like a lion's mane than any hair color I'd ever seen on a man. His eyes were bright green and his full generous lips rested on a face that looked like it had been carved of granite. He was beautiful. Ferocious. Terrifying.

  And I knew for a fact he was a warrior.

  Jeff Hunt was a fool.

  Mark led with the grace of a gazelle, but the expression was one of a lion who saw something interesting to hunt. "I must apologize for the actions of our wolf, Katie. The Lupin pack has honor and breaking our word leads to consequences. You can rest assured Jeff Hunt will pay for the embarrassment heaped upo
n your pack this evening."

  A smile peeked from the corner of my mouth. "We don't have packs. Just family."

  "A pack is a family. And we do not take kindly to those who pledge to someone and turn their backs on them."

  I sighed and let him guide me across the dance floor.

  "Would you share why?" he asked me, his steps perfectly in time with the beat.

  I blinked and looked up at him, surprised.

  "I know it's intrusive, but I am curious why someone would leave a radiant beauty like yourself. You have poise and grace, and your family seems wonderful. I cannot fathom why Jeff would throw all of that away."

  I had already performed the spell so Jeff would no longer remember what I was. He would remember me, our relationship and the events inside of it, though he would have some...gaps when he thought about times where my gift was brought up.

  "I -" I started and sighed. Werewolves could smell lies. I wasn't sure what to tell him.

  Mark, sensing my hesitation, smiled. "I am the Alpha of a pack of 600 werewolves, Katie. The secrets I carry are both deadly and world shattering. There is nothing you can tell me that would make me think any worse of you. I give you my word as Alpha. If I spill your secret, I will step down as Alpha of the Lupin pack and leave Midnight Cove forever."

  I sucked in a breath. That was not a light promise to give. "Mark, don't say that."

  His eyes glittered as the disco ball flashed over us. "Tell me, Katie. So that I may understand and punish Jeff appropriately."

  Where to start?

  He spun me around again and pulled me a little closer.