Page 56 of Herbs & Hex-breaking

I paused and took a sip of wine, before continuing. “I was so thrilled that he’d noticed me. We held hands and walked for a while, and I was too naive to realize that what Derek was truly doing was moving us farther away from the camp proper. The next thing I knew, my first kiss twisted into something more. More than I was ready for or even wanted.”

“Oh, Kate,” Lorna said.

“I tried to fight him off,” I told them. “I begged him to stop, but he shoved me down and I landed on my back, sprawled on that rocky beach. Then he was tearing at my clothes. I managed to scream once before he clamped a hand down over my mouth.”

“Oh my goddess,” Lorna whispered.

“He was cutting off my air, and in my mind, I called out to Hekate, begging for her help. I was so scared and angry, and I felt my magick lash out...and the next thing I knew, a pack of wild dogs came out of nowhere and attacked him.”

Dex said nothing. He simply lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

“It was pretty awful,” I said. “The dogs left me completely alone—all but one. A huge black dog who sat by my side—as if he was protecting me.”

“A black dog.” Dex smiled. “Like today.”

I nodded. “I managed to sit up, tried to breathe again, and watched as the pack tore into him. Derek’s screams were loud and high-pitched and the camp counselors came running and found us. The pack of dogs ran off, and...” My throat closed up, and I was struggling to stay calm.

Circe took up the story. “The camp decided to spin it that the dogs were the cause of Kate’s bruises and torn clothes, but she wasn’t a priority. After all, in their mind, a boy had sustained serious injuries from a wild dog attack, and so they shut the camp down for the rest of the summer and sent all of the kids home.”

Taking a fortifying breath, I continued. “A few weeks later, Derek’s parents sent a lawyer to come and interview me. They had concocted a wild idea that I had lured their son away from the camp, leaving him defenseless and vulnerable to a dog attack. My parents were there of course— and when the lawyer realized what Derek had tried to do—”

“Attempted rape!” Lorna interjected angrily.

I nodded. “Well, let’s just say they suddenly stopped pressuring me and left me alone.”

“I’m so sorry, Kate,” Dex said.

“I’d been so scared, thinking I was going to get in trouble,” I said, “and my Dad and the lawyer exchanged a few words as he left. Then later, in an interesting turn of events, my Mama heard that the lawyer suffered a dog bite while he was out jogging the very next day. From a very large black dog. The lawyer had to have stitches. They never found the dog.”

“Yet another black dog?” Dex gave my hand an approving squeeze. “That’s my girl.”

I fought back a very inappropriate laugh, but I did pull his hand over to my lap and held it there.

“Basically,” Circe explained, “Hekate sends her hounds to Kate whenever she’s truly frightened or calls for help. The hounds dispense justice.”

“Which is why,” I said quickly, “I work very hard to keep my emotions under control and not to lose my temper as an adult. Today wasn’t easy for me. I had to walk a fine line of calling on the divine help to me but not allowing the dogs to attack.”

“I think you did a beautiful job.” Lorna raised her glass in a toast. “And I will have a colleague of mine pay a visit to Jolene on Friday, to reinforce the warning and the order to no longer practice magick in the area.”

“Friday?” I blinked at that. “Why not tomorrow?”

“Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving,” Lorna reminded me.

“Oh well bless it!” I laughed and rubbed a hand over my forehead. “I totally forgot.”

Circe rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you were busy fighting off a hex or something...and having a show down with an evil practitioner. Oh wait, yes you were.”

That made everyone laugh.

“I’m supposed to bake apple pies to take to Mama and Daddy’s tomorrow,” I suddenly remembered.

Circe stood. “Yeah, I need to go back to my place and put together a pumpkin pie too.”

Lorna stood as well. “That’s my cue to leave so you two can get your baking done.”

“Lorna?” I asked before she could leave. “Why don’t you and Dex join us and our family tomorrow for dinner?”

Lorna smiled. “I’d like that. Can I bring anything?”