Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Read online

I dressed quickly but carefully. Hell, if I was going to be miserable, then Beck could be too. I was going to look my best, and he could just eat his heart out. My best pair of jeans and a fitted, low-cut tunic halter worked. A last-minute pang of modesty got the best of me, so to tone things down I grabbed a three-quarter sleeve cropped jacket from the closet on my way out of the room.

  Once in the grotto, I conjured my wand and used it to draw a glowing rectangle on the air in front of me. I removed my amulet and waved it a few times like a pendulum in front of the shape and watched as a map appeared. On that map I saw a bright star that marked the location from which Jilly’s call had come. I touched the amulet to the star and the crystal turned warm and bright in my hand.

  With the proper coordinates programmed into my amulet, I slipped it into the slot in the granite grotto and then stepped under the canopy of the rock. In just a few seconds I was enveloped in light and the inside of the building began to fade from view to be replaced by striations of blue, green and pink. A few more seconds passed and I saw the front of Beck’s house begin to appear as I orbed into place.

  I had no sooner arrived when Jilly came springing from the house, jumped the steps and ran into me. She was dressed in a very opulent flowing costume that reminded me of her mother’s ghost. She beamed at me, and I could see a healthy fullness to her cheeks. Even though she’d only been back a short time, Jilly clearly thrived on her home soil.

  Justin followed closely after her, and he was dressed in a pirate’s costume. He held out a pointy hat to me and motioned that I should put it on.

  “We missed Halloween so we’re getting a make-up day! You’re a witch.” Without another word, the two of them bolted back towards the house, leaving me standing in the middle of their yard in confusion. I had just placed the hat on my head when I heard a noise behind me.

  I wasn’t surprised to find Beck standing there. I was however very surprised to see how he was dressed. His clothes were smudged and grimy-looking and he wore a huge wig of freakish, wild hair. He walked a few steps towards me and smiled.

  “You’re the troll.” I giggled, shaking my head. When he shrugged, his wig started to slip to the side. My giggles turned into full laughter.

  “Ah, Lynlee, you never did laugh often enough. Next to hearing the kid’s laughter, it’s one of the sweetest sounds I know.”

  A sudden shyness washed over me, and I looked down at my hands, wringing my fingers in front of me. “I really can’t do this, Beck. I’m completely vulnerable here, and I can’t let you do this to me again. You don’t want to be with a witch...”

  His finger on my lips stopped me, and I jumped a little because I’d been so intent on saying the right thing that I hadn’t even noticed him in front of me. “People change, Lynlee. I can’t undo the hurt, I can’t undo what happened, and I can’t promise you this will work, but I want to try it. Can we just agree to do that? Can you just let down the wall and let me feel you again?”

  He caressed my cheek as he spoke and a shudder passed through me, making my knees feel weak. I closed my eyes, then squeezed them tight for a moment. Finally, I looked up with a sigh.

  “You have no idea how relieved I am...” I said. Some of the tension eased out of his face. “...that you don’t smell like a troll. That would have been a deal-breaker.”

  Beck’s laughter exploded, as if all of the anticipations he’d been holding tight snapped free. He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me snug against him while I reached up and clasped my hands behind his neck.

  I leaned in, but my witch’s hat got in the way so I tossed my head back sharply to knock it loose. “As it is, since you don’t smell like a troll, I guess the only thing left to do is kiss you.” And so I did. I kissed him long and hard, keeping him close even when I heard what sounded like two sets of little hands applauding in the background.

  Chapter 11

  RHIANNON AND LYNLEE

  Rhiannon Blackstone yawned so wide her jaw popped then she rolled over and stretched her long limbs. The clock read 9:47, and she stretched her tired muscles with a groan. She was still trying to get all of the kinks from her body after all of the shifts she’d made just the night she’d helped save Felipe.

  Thinking of Felipe naturally made her think of Sandy, and she glanced over at the last entry she’d made in her diary:

  What a difference a day makes, eh? Who would have thought that a day I dread each and every year could turn out to be so fortuitous. I took on a chupacabra and didn’t get killed. I saved a little daywalker from being changed into a were-hybrid. And... I have a date with Sandy!

  Can you believe it? The daywalkers agreed to take me into town and rent me a car to get back home, but before I left Sandy asked me to have dinner with him. I almost peed my pants! Seriously. And then, he actually leaned down and gave me the sweetest, most polite, and most romantic kiss on the cheek.

  I’m so excited I decided to throw all caution to the wind. I canceled my subscription to MagicMatch. I don’t even care about the fact I’ll lose money for shutting down my account early. Right now I have to get some sleep so that tomorrow I can be ready for my hot date.

  I wonder what Lynlee’s been up to. We’ve missed each other’s calls twice and I figure it must’ve been a heck of a Halloween for her too...

  She fetched her phone from the kitchen and dialed Lynlee’s number while she crunched into a power bar and listened to the coffee percolate.

  “Hey, hold on,” her BFF said distractedly, and when Rhia heard her tapping at her keyboard again, she had a feeling of deja vu. “Okay, done. I’ve got a charge I’m meeting around noon, but I’ve got time for breakfast if you’re ready to catch up.”

  “Yes!” she squealed, excitement bubbling up inside her. “I have soooo much to tell you, girlfriend. You won’t even believe it.”

  It was hard to talk and eat at the same time, but Rhiannon was more than equal to the task. Between breaths and bites, she told Lynlee all about her Halloween, starting with the call from Sandy and her efforts to save the little Daywalker from the change.

  “Whoa, whoa,” Lynlee interrupted, putting her hand up and grabbing Rhiannon’s hand midway to her lips. “Are you freaking crazy? You went up against a Chupacabra? Have you lost your mind?”

  She wasn’t too surprised by Lynlee’s reaction. Her friend was a kick-ass witch who would sail headfirst into danger without a thought. But when it came to those she cared about, she would prefer to keep them out of the danger zone. And since she knew all about Rhiannon’s dad and his death, she would realize immediately how dangerous it had been for her to tangle with the Chupacabra.

  “It’s fine,” she shrugged, forcing her hand back and scooping more pancakes into her mouth. “I survived with just a teensy scratch. And it’s already healed.” Rhiannon stretched to prove the point, managing to hide any sign of the twinge of pain she still felt where the spines of the animal had sliced into her.

  “So, sounds like it was a busy holiday,” Lynlee said, looking off into the distance with an expression Rhia could just about figure out meant she had something to share, too, but wasn’t sure how to begin. She still hadn’t mentioned anything about the budding intimacy with Sandy or their upcoming date. For some reason she intentionally had the urge to hold that information back. If things worked out there would plenty of time to tell Lynlee about that. For now, she wanted to know what was causing that strange faraway look in her BFF’s eyes.

  “Spill it, girlfriend. I can tell there’s something going on in that head of yours. What did you do? Or not do?”

  One of her shoulders lifted in a little shrug, but she still didn’t look at her friend. “I fought a troll.”

  “A troll? Geez, I was wondering what the smell was on you. I should have known it was troll.”

  Her eyes snapped to Rhiannon’s with a fierce frown. “I don’t smell.” She lifted her shirt and took a whiff. “Do I? I took a bath. And a shower this morning.”

  Rhiannon�
��s uncontrollable laughter caught the attention of most of the patrons of the restaurant, but she didn’t care. Her friend’s expression was too hilarious.

  “So, you fought a troll. That doesn’t sound all that crazy for you. What else is there? I can tell there’s something.”

  Finally, she took a deep breath, put her fork down, then sighed. “I think... well, I think maybe I’m getting back together with the guy I used to be in love with.”

  Rhiannon’s mouth dropped open in astonishment, and she took a minute to consider those words before responding. “You were in love? When was this?”

  Lynlee rolled her eyes and picked up her coffee. “A long time ago. And I don’t know, this might not be really getting back together. I mean, he still doesn’t know what to think of this magic stuff. I’m probably just getting my hopes up. You know, we were really young when we first hooked up and how can you recreate that, right? I’m just being stupid again. It’s sure to end badly and...”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Rhiannon grabbed Lynlee’s chin and forced her gaze to meet hers. “I think you’d better start at the beginning...”

  The beginning starts now...

  The Trouble With Holidays (A Lynlee Lincoln Prequel)

  Olivia Hardin

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Copyright © 2015 Olivia Hardin

  All rights reserved.

  THE TROUBLE WITH HOLIDAYS (THE LYNLEE LINCOLN SERIES PREQUEL) © Olivia Hardin 2015

  Falling for a human who doesn't believe in magic was the last thing Lynlee Lincoln needed. Beck Hale was a young architect, and she was a Neutralizer-in-training—they were drawn together, but worlds apart. When Beck's apartment gets flooded, she invites him to her home for Christmas. Lynlee tries to ignore the pull of the mistletoe, but after all, 'tis the season.

  Chapter 1

  MY HAND WAS MOVING back and forth across the paper, scribbling notes without giving them much thought. I paused a moment to click the end of my mechanical pencil to refill the lead but otherwise kept writing furiously as the professor continued his lecture.

  Suddenly, I shook my head, and my writing stopped dead in its tracks. I blinked and looked up.

  Did he just say that the Native Americans had PMS?

  I hadn’t heard him wrong. He wrote the letters vertically on the dry erase board: P M S.

  I had to give him credit—he knew how to get the class’s attention. All thirty or so sets of eyes in the classroom were focused on him now, a few of the females with their mouths agape.

  “That’s right, the Indians had PMS, and not just the women.” He paused for effect, then grinned and winked. “They were polytheistic: meaning they worshiped multiple gods. They were matrilineal in that they traced their lineage through the mothers or females—and they had sex-linked traits— meaning their job and purpose within the tribe was derived by whether they were male or female. That’s PMS.”

  Huh, I mused, cocking my head to the side. You learn something new every day.

  The werewolf to my left was enamored with the class, his eyes glittering with attention as he hung on every word the professor was saying. Teddy was a history major, so his interest made sense. He was a good-looking young man, and that meant most of the female students tried to catch his attention.

  I glanced back down at my notes and thumbed through my spiral notebook. I was surprised to see I’d written about ten pages. I wasn’t sure why the hell I was going to so much trouble. I wasn’t even supposed to be in this class. In fact, I wasn’t even a student at this university. I was here strictly for Teddy.

  All I had to do was get through today without any major incidents, and Teddy would be mine. My very first charge.

  My name is Lynlee Lincoln. I’m a witch and a Neutralizer-in-training. It’s a Neutralizer’s job to keep Magical And Undead Creatures – more commonly known as MAUCs – out of trouble.

  When I decided to become a Neutralizer, I was lucky enough to get to train under one of the best agents in our profession. Tig Durham was a goblin and a top-notch Neutralizer. He had also gotten me out of a very sticky situation when I was just eighteen. That was when I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

  Books and papers started shuffling all around me, and I snapped out of my thoughts to realize class was over. I grabbed my notebook and reached into my pocket for my schedule. Teddy didn’t have another class for a few hours so I figured he’d probably grab a bite to eat.

  He was ignoring me, which didn’t necessarily hurt my feelings. The truth was the dude got on my nerves, so it wasn’t as if I really had an interest in chit chat. Also, he didn’t like the idea that he needed a Neutralizer. More than that, he didn’t want a female Neutralizer. Male werewolves tended to be a bit chauvinistic.

  I tailed him from a distance, pleased when he walked a few blocks to a little sandwich shop. My stomach grumbled as I approached the counter a few people behind him. When I had my chicken sandwich with extra cheese on wheat, I carried the tray to a spot where I could keep an eye on Teddy. There was already a gaggle of young college girls surrounding him. I rolled my eyes.

  “He’s quite the lady’s man.” A male voice spoke from beside me. I took a moment to respond, narrowing my gaze so that I could be sure Teddy wasn’t about to get himself into a pickle. Satisfied that he was playing nice, I pivoted my head towards the voice with an absent nod.

  “Yes, he is.”

  And that was when my stomach jumped up into my chest. I inhaled to force away the tightness around my heart, then licked my lips. The corners of the man’s gorgeous whiskey eyes crinkled and I flicked my gaze down to his lips to see him grinning at me. I was unable to help myself, and my mouth curled into a smile to match his. I didn’t smile much. It felt a little weird to me, but at the same time, it gave me a warm tingle deep inside.

  Or maybe that warmth could have been a reaction to how absolutely sexy the man grinning at me happened to be. My mouth went dry, and I didn’t even try to speak because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to manage it.

  “I knew I should’ve tried the chicken sandwich. It looks a helluva lot better than this BLT.”

  Like an idiot I frowned, and glanced at my sandwich then at his and back again. I nodded but remained silent.

  “Sorry,” the man muttered, looking a little embarrassed. “I guess I’m probably interrupting your lunch.”

  When his eyes broke away from me, it was as if the air in the room got sucked away from me. I mentally slapped myself, then reached out my hand to touch the table he was sitting at.

  “No, you’re not interrupting. You could sit here if you want.”

  His eyes lit up when I motioned to the chair in front of me, and he wasted no time picking up his tray and moving it from his table to mine. “Beck Hale. I’m with the firm working on the new student center.”

  He put out his hand, and I took it, giving it one hard shake before putting mine back in my lap. “Lynlee Lincoln.”

  “Are you a student? You don’t look like you should be a student.”

  I laughed, which was also pretty damned unusual for me. I generally kept a tight lid on emotions. “Was that a weird way of saying I look too old to be a student?”

  He rubbed his neck, his expression a little stricken and his fa
ce a shade or two pinker. “Not at all. I’m gonna try not to screw this up, but just look at those gals over there surrounding Casanova. All giggly and fawning all over him for attention. No self-respect. That’s the typical college girl I see around here. You’ve got more class than that.”

  He took a bite into his sandwich with nonchalance, emphasizing the confidence he had in the words he’d spoken. I tore my gaze from him to look at Teddy.

  There were about five girls sitting at tables all around him, listening to him tell some story. I needed to keep my eye on him, because this was exactly how trouble began for Teddy. He was a young werewolf, and we were currently in a full moon cycle. Just because it was daytime didn’t mean the moon wouldn’t have an effect on him. His hormones were all keyed up, and the slightest incident could incite him into a shift.

  “So, are you an instructor then?” Beck asked, drawing my attention back. I wasn’t sorry. Something about this man made me want to look at him until the end of time.

  “No, I’m not an instructor. I’m here to keep an eye on him.” I pointed at Teddy, then popped a potato chip into my mouth.

  “Wow, now you’ve piqued my interest.”

  “He’s in the witness protection program.”

  Not my best cover story ever, but those brown eyes of his were turning my quick wits to mush.

  “Seriously?”

  I didn’t say anything, just raised my eyebrows at him.

  Beck got a confused look on his face as he stared at Teddy again. “What did he do?”

  “Ah.” I tapped the table with my finger. “It’s not what he did, it’s what he knows. And that’s classified.”

  He digested that, then seeming satisfied, fixed his gaze back on me and smiled again. Heat wrapped around me, and I crossed my legs with a deep breath. I was becoming totally overwhelmed with my reaction to this man, but at that moment I didn’t care.