by Leia Stone
The laughter of relief circled the room. Even Johnny chuckled a couple of times before Molly yelped, and we all stopped celebrating.
“It’s the demon,” Cho and Willemena said in unison.
“Now we’ll find out whether she has it in her to fight the demon and win,” Tianna said, clenching her jaw and setting it into fierce lines, as if she were the one about to take on a fog demon instead of my apprentice.
“Molly,” Johnny said, and the white wolf with the one black leg faced him, tilting her snout upward. “You have to fight the demon that’s inside you. There’s nothing we can do to help you. You have to get it out all on your own.”
“You can do it, girl,” Tianna encouraged. “You’re a badass wolf. Now all you have to do is kick that demon’s nasty ass back to the underworld.”
Molly dipped her head; her shoulder muscles flinched as she seemed to take what the woman said to heart.
“That’s it?” I whispered, meeting Tianna’s gaze. “She just has to force it out and it goes back to the underworld?” I didn’t want Molly to hear me and be discouraged.
My dad beat Tianna to the answer: “Not exactly. But once Molly evicts the demon, the witches and warlock will have to contain it, and either trap it back in the underworld by sending it through the gate, or obliterate it entirely.”
“I’m all for obliterating it entirely,” I mumbled.
“Hell yeah,” Cass said. “Time to rid ourselves of this thing once and for all. There’s no redemption for a fog demon. They’re one of the darkest monsters of the underworld. We need to kill it.”
“I can get on board with that plan,” Tianna said, and cracked her knuckles.
“All right, Molly,” I said loudly. “This part’s on you. Kick some fog demon ass for all of us.”
And that’s exactly what Molly did.
After how torturous and prolonged her shift had been, I figured the fight with the demon would be similar. But Molly growled like her prey was right in front of her instead of inside her, and then narrowed her eyes in concentration until she started panting from the effort once more. After a few moments, a black, putrid-looking green mist rose from her fur.
Holy shit. She was doing it.
Haru and Reo’s eyes widened as they drew closer to their girl, desperate for a way to assist and ease her struggle. But damn if Molly didn’t have this all on her own.
She snarled and growled and grunted … until every speck of nasty-ass fog had emerged from within her to hover just above her body.
When she collapsed against the floor in exhaustion, Haru and Reo swept forward to ease her into their arms, as Johnny, Tianna, Willemena, and Cho extended their arms above their heads. Cho began calling out some more rapid-fire Japanese. The power building in the room crackled across my skin. When Cho clapped her hands together, I jumped and squealed.
Damn, Cho was one badass witch. Gone was the pleasant, kind-looking Japanese caretaker. She looked like she could take on the entire underworld right now, her nostrils flaring, her jaw clenched with power.
Johnny, Willemena, and Tianna clapped their hands together immediately after Cho, and magic swept around them in a whoosh, creating a square of vibrating white light that pulsated between the four of them. The fog that had left Molly rushed toward the square of power they’d formed, apparently compelled by Cho’s spell. The fog whipped into the center of their power square, bouncing around like a ball trying to escape a pinball machine.
But there was no escape.
“We expel you from this earthly plane!” Johnny called out.
“We nullify your power. You can do no more harm,” Willemena said.
“We banish you from this world and transmute your essence to the white light of the universe,” Tianna added.
“With our combined power, you cease to exist. Now!” Cho roared.
In precise synch, Cho, Tianna, Willemena, and Johnny clapped their hands once more … and the dark fog vanished as if it had never been there at all.
Not a single trace of the demon fog remained as I trudged with heavy legs to an open chair and sank into it. That tiny little speck of fog demon had just taken four powerful witches to eliminate it. The monsters from the underworld were no joke.
Holy shit. We did it. And we’d all survived.
I slouched into the dining room chair. Molly was looking better already, all evidence of her struggle to shift and banish the demon fog gone. In its place was a wolfish grin.
My supe-groupie girl was now a supe herself. And she looked damn pleased about it.
Brock approached Molly and knelt before her, reaching out slowly. She lowered her head to her new alpha as he stroked her back. I could see in the way they were looking at each other that they were speaking mentally. Finally, Brock stood and addressed the room.
“If you’ll excuse us, my new pup would like to go for a run. It will be easier for her to remain a wolf for the next day or so before turning back. Shifting expends a lot of energy, and I need to work on helping her control her wolf.”
We were all grinning like mad. Molly and Brock running as wolves together? I wanted to pull out my camera and take a video because it was fucking perfect.
“Have fun,” I told my man. “We’ll get something for dinner and meet you back here.”
Brock led Molly out the front door, and the moment he pulled it closed behind them, everyone collapsed onto the couch.
My cousin was the first to rub his belly. “Did you say dinner?”
I grinned. “I’ll order pizza.”
When I pulled out my phone, I realized I’d left it on silent since my nap and had about fifty missed calls from two different people: Croft and Detective Swanson.
Oh God. A stone sank in my stomach. Why would these two people be trying like mad to get a hold of me?
“Actually, Cass, you order the pizza,” I said. “I’m gonna step outside and make a few calls.”
My bestie nodded, though he cocked his brow at me because I usually put pizza first. I’d fill him in later. Right now I didn’t know what was going on.
I walked pretty far out onto the front driveway so I could have privacy, and decided to call Detective Swanson back first. None of my callers had left a voicemail, which was definitely weird.
Detective Swanson picked up immediately. “Evie?”
“Hey. Sorry, my phone was off. Please tell me we don’t have another fog demon trapped in town.”
“No. It’s worse.”
“Worse?” I croaked. What the fuck was worse than what we’d just gone through?
The detective sighed. “Look, I just wanted to give you a heads-up since you’ve helped us so much. The fog demon story got national media coverage. Now there’s going to be a press conference at the White House tonight.”
The whole forest around me swam at his words and dizziness overtook me. National media coverage. White House press conference. Oh, this was so bad.
“Okay…” Supernatural shit made the news often, but when they called a press conference, a smackdown was coming.
“Evie, they’re going to make every supernatural register for identification and adhere to curfew and God knows what else. They’ve had enough. I felt I owed you a heads-up since your crew helped us out of a bind. Teams will be heading out in the morning.”
Identification, curfew. What? My hands shook as adrenaline pumped through me. Teams heading out?
“Thanks, Detective. I gotta run, but I really appreciate the heads-up,” I told him and signed off.
I called Croft.
“Do you know?” I asked the second the vampire answered.
“That the government is about to tag us like animals and attempt to control our every move? Yes, I have an inside source.”
Fuck!
“What do we do?” I asked. He was the leader of the local vampire seethe, and a lawyer. If anyone had a plan, it’d be him.
“It’s too late for us,” he replied, “but as far as the authorities know, you’re
human. So while we’re all getting registered starting tomorrow, you remain human. Do you understand?”
Holy shit. My head swam with the ramifications. I was registered at birth as a human, and when I’d starting working with Mack, I’d enlisted as a human. Every bounty hunter’s race had to be listed on their application.
“Okay. Human. Got it. Anything else?” I said while my brain galloped off in a million different directions. This was really bad. Increased control was the first step in a war for race supremacy.
Heavy silence descended upon our conversation until Croft finally spoke again. “Anyone demonic in origin is going to be taken to a holding site until they can determine the individual’s role in society.”
Bile rose in my throat.
Cass. They were coming for Cass. For my best friend in the whole entire world, the one who always had my back.
Over my dead fucking body.
That little booty-short-wearing demon imp was no danger to humans.
I whimpered.
Croft cleared his throat. “So tomorrow morning when the registration team arrives at the alpha’s place, you have no supernaturals of demon origin on your property.”
Oh God.
“Damn right I don’t.” My voice shook.
“And Evie?”
I swallowed hard. “What?”
“Close that fucking gate,” he said, and hung up.
I was really glad I took that three-hour nap, because shit was about to hit the fan.
12 I will fucking cut you
I didn’t have the composure to deal with the upcoming shitstorm calmly after what had just happened to Molly. My nerves were frayed. So instead of walking into the cabin and coolly announcing that we had an issue to talk about, I ran through the door and yelled that the government was coming after us and Cass was going to be taken. Needless to say, it created a panic.
Tianna was fierce. “So they’re coming in the morning?” An unseen wind blew through her hair, causing it to fly off her shoulders as her magic whipped around her. She stood in front of Cass like a sentinel.
Johnny stood from his place at the table. “That means they’ll be coming for us too.”
I nodded. “Detective Swanson said in the morning. You’d better go prepare the coven.”
My cousin nodded and started for the door, but as he reached me he placed a hand on my shoulder. “This was crazy, no doubt about it, but it was still nice to see you after so long.”
I smiled. “Thanks for all your help.”
With a quick bob of his head, Johnny was out the door. One of the wolves would give him a ride back to Cottage Grove.
Brock was still out on his run with Molly and I didn’t have the heart to call him back just yet. I needed to figure this out first.
Cass stepped out from behind Tianna. “If they want me, they can try to come and get me. They won’t like what happens.” He crossed his arms over his little potbelly and scowled.
My heart pinched. Cass was a badass for sure, but I didn’t think he was a match for the entire human government.
Kneeling down, I met his gaze. “I’m sure you could lay a good ass whooping on anyone who came after you, but eventually they’d find you. They might even kill you if you seem like you’re causing trouble.”
His frown intensified. “I don’t care.”
Tianna reached down and smoothed the pink furry hair between his horns. “I care, hot stuff. We can’t let that happen.”
I nodded. “And we’re sure as hell not going to. I have an idea…”
Cass’ eyes grew wide. “I know that look. No! Last time you had that look I nearly lost my finger.” He pushed a stubby finger into the air, waving it around.
I chewed on my lip. “It’ll be temporary. Just while the agents are here registering everyone. Once they leave, you can come out of hiding.”
Cass leveled me with a suspicious gaze. “Hiding where?”
I was pretty sure the humans were smart enough to bring along supernatural agents, probably witches, to sniff out all supernaturals on the property and make certain everyone was accounted for and registered. The only way to properly hide Cass while the agents were in town was to…
“Hide just inside the gate,” I mumbled.
Tianna’s eyes widened so far I thought they might fall out. “The gate to the underworld!”
I winced. “Well, yeah. No one else can see it and Cass can go in there, unlike the rest of us, so it seems like the best hiding spot.”
“Best hiding spot if we want him to be eaten by a fog demon!” Tianna roared. “Or something worse!”
Cho, my father, the Japanese warriors, Willemena, and Ray all just watched us bicker while they remained silent.
“She’s right,” Cass said.
I was?
“I can slip into the gate and go undetected if they search the property magically, which I’m sure they will. If the government is getting involved, they’ll be smart about things. I’ll find a good hiding spot and lay low for the day. You guys can send in some type of signal when it’s safe to return.”
Tianna looked so vulnerable right then I thought she might cry. Seeing the fierce Amazonian fae-witch like this was worse than her rage.
“I can get a flare gun,” I said. “Shoot it through when it’s safe.”
Tianna rolled her eyes. “Do you want to alert half of the underworld to Cass’ presence? No, I’ll send a magical signal that only he will hear.”
Oh yeah, that was way better.
Tianna frowned. “But I don’t want you going in there alone.”
Cass thought about it. “I might not have to. Let me check in with a friend. I’ll be back.” He started for the door. “T baby, you’re with me.”
I smiled as Tianna shuffled after her man, glad we’d found a quick solution.
“Text me if anything happens!” I screamed after my bestie.
When I turned to check in with the others and make a plan, my father was right there, in my face.
“Evie, if they’re registering supernaturals…”
I nodded. “I know. They’ll probably have witches and sniff me out.”
His eyes brimmed with concern. “We can’t let anyone find out what you are. It will lead the Akuma straight to you.”
Fuck. I’d forgotten about the damn Akuma again. The sirens were off in the underworld and the Akuma hadn’t shown up since.
“How can I hide what I am?” I pressed my father. If these government officials had witches capable of sniffing me out or forcing me to shift, there was nothing I could do to conceal my true nature from them. They’d have a field day if they figured out I was a kitsune.
Cho sidled next to my dad. “I have an idea. I can create a potion that will keep her from shifting or smelling like a shifter for twenty-four hours, no matter the circumstances, and it won’t harm the baby.”
“That way, worst case, she’ll just look like a mediocre witch,” Haru interjected.
That was a bit too close to home after my history of being the Black family dud, but it sounded like our best plan.
“It’s worth a try,” I told Cho.
After a curt nod, she climbed the stairs to Gran’s loft, where all the tincture-making items were kept.
Now that we had a plan in place, I couldn’t put off telling Brock any longer.
‘Hey, umm … can you guys head back early? We’ve got some news.’
His energy bristled across our link. ‘Ray just told me. I’ve called a pack meeting.’
My eyes flicked across the room to Ray.
Tattle.
Brock’s second-in-command shrugged as if to say that was his job.
A pack meeting? That sounded serious. Brock wasn’t going to try to fight this … was he?
“We’re going to fight this!” Brock roared as he stood on his back porch an hour later and looked out across the grim faces of over a hundred pack members.
Oh God.
“Most of you have jobs in town and wo
rk odd hours. A curfew could keep you from making your night shifts. An ID tag could get you fired if your boss doesn’t know you’re a wolf.”
The men and women in the crowd were nodding.
‘Just what do you expect to do to fight this?’ I asked my alpha privately.
He turned to meet my gaze, but answered aloud. “I have a meeting with the local vampire seethe leader. We are going to come up with a plan by morning that makes sure this new law won’t interfere with your livelihood.”
The pack roared their agreement, and then Brock looked back at me. ‘Want to go meet Croft with me?’
‘Hell yes.’ If my man and the local king of the vampires were going to be making some plan for rebellion, then I wanted to be involved.
The drive to meet Croft was filled with anxiety. Cho was making me some freaking anti-shifting potion, Cass was trying to meet up with some demon buddy so he didn’t have to hide out in the underworld alone, and I was pretty sure Brock was about to flip his shit on the American government.
“So what are you thinking?” Croft asked Brock as he paced the length of his private office.
We were in the vampire’s law firm, the very one I’d come to after my gran had died so that I could get my inheritance.
Brock splayed his big hands out on Croft’s desk. “As leaders, we throw ourselves under the bus. We follow curfew and let them tag us, but we tell them they won’t be touching our pack or seethe. We make a full-on threat. Half of my pack runs this town from positions of power.”
Croft stopped pacing and grinned. “You think they’ll listen?”
Brock shrugged. “This is a small town. If I pull all my wolves from their human jobs, it will damn near shut the place down.”
The big vampire rubbed his chin. “I’ve got two ER doctors in my seethe. If I pull them, people will die.”
I gasped. “You have vampires working around bloody, injured humans?”
Croft nodded. “They are old and can control their bloodlust.” He returned his attention to Brock. “I’ve also got over a hundred blood slaves on monthly retainer.”
Yeah, Molly was one of them. Was being the keyword.
