“Can you walk?”
“I can manage.”
“The car isn’t too far. Come on.” I wrapped an arm around his waist to help him move, but stopped when we spotted a group of werewolves streaming out from the surrounding trees.
“The pack,” Papan whispered. “You were wrong, Saul.”
“Glad to be wrong about this,” the demon said with a smile. His face was as blackened as his clothes, and the cuts were now tiny scabs.
Martha was the last to appear, and the only one in human guise. A smile stretched over her wrinkled lips when she spotted Papan. “Ah, the alpha has survived. I wasn’t placing any bets on your survival.”
“You never were a betting woman, Aunt Martha.” He held out his right hand and she took it, squeezing. “How many survived?”
“This is it.” She swept a hand over the wolves sitting in front of her. “Less than a dozen from the estate.”
“Fuck,” Papan cursed and if it wasn’t for Martha’s hand and my supporting him, he would’ve fallen flat on his face. “The grounds are destroyed.”
“But not the mansion,” Martha said with a nod. “That’s the heart of this place. We can rebuild everything else. I’ll take these wolves to the scattered members of our pack and let them know what happened. I’ll send the others to put out what’s left of the fires and clean up the place, while you claim that inheritance of yours. We’ll need the money.” She quickly glanced my way. “Looks like your mate brings a lot of baggage with her—”
“She didn’t do this,” Saul said, stepping forward.
“This wasn’t her fault,” Papan added. “Besides, her baggage is now ours.”
Martha smiled at them, but spoke to me. “With allies like these two, you might be able to defeat your enemies. But that wasn’t what I meant. I’m just letting you know that the pack will be taken care of until you’re ready. We’re not going anywhere, but it looks like you are.”
“I’m sorry about what happened,” I said.
She shrugged. “You’re not the reason we’ve become a target, but you all need to get as far away as possible.” Martha slid her hand from her nephew’s. “I’ll take care of the pack for now. They need their alpha, but you’re needed somewhere else first.”
“Thank you,” Papan said with a smile. “I appreciate the time.”
“You know where to find us.” Martha ushered the wolves, encouraging them to follow her back into the dense trees. She looked at us one last time before shifting into a beautiful gray and orange wolf. Their receding howls filled the night and Papan looked like he wanted to join in.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Saul, with Lavie beside him, continued past us.
“Papan, are you really okay?” A lump formed in my throat when I thought about him being the pack alpha and what it would mean for us. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with them?”
He turned his head to look at me. “I know where they’re going, and more importantly, I know where I need to be.” He kissed the top of my head.
Relief washed over me as I tilted back so I could meet his gaze. “Are you sure?” I had to be certain.
He nodded. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“You didn’t think I’d give up on you so easily, did you?”
“How could I? I know how stubborn you are.” The flames flickered in his eyes.
I licked my lips. I might as well get this out of the way. “Do you know what Saul and I did to get you out of the coma?”
“I can still taste the blood in my mouth, so I’ve got a pretty good idea.” He looked away. “We can discuss this later. Right now I just want to hold you.”
I welcomed the sentiment and wrapped my arms around him. The fact he could taste blood was mildly disturbing but with the threat of attack, Saul probably had no other option than to force Papan to drink his blood. He’d tried the civilized way, but Mace ruined everything.
We stood together, enjoying the moment. I closed my eyes and forced aside thoughts of the fires, and the multiple battles that had taken place on these grounds during the last week. Papan was safe and in my arms. Everything wasn’t right in the world, but some of the balance had shifted back into place.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you too.”
I got up on my tiptoes with the intention of giving him a quick peck, but he pulled me tighter into the circle of his arms and pressed his mouth firmly over mine. By the end of the kiss, I felt light-headed.
“Wow, I’ve missed that,” I said, licking my lips. Damn, the taste of blood in his mouth was sweeter than I thought it would be. No wonder Lavie drank Saul’s blood with such gusto.
“Me too.”
“Do you want to shift so you can heal faster?”
“That might be a good idea.” He stepped back, but nothing happened. He closed his eyes and tried again. Nope, still a man. “That’s strange.”
I didn’t say anything, but recalled the symbol Lavie painted on Papan’s chest earlier. It was supposed to keep the animal calm, but for how long? Were there residual side effects?
“You’re probably too tired to change,” I said. “Let’s just walk.” Lavie and Saul had already disappeared into the trees.
“Yeah, sure.” Papan nodded, took my hand and we continued on our way.
We walked in companionable silence. I hoped the silver his brother had injected into him, along with the gunk, coma, and the ritual of demonic blood transfusion hadn’t affected his shifting long-term.
If the ritual had done something to stifle the wolf, I’d never forgive myself.
“We’re home,” I called as I switched off the engine and peeked into the rearview mirror to make sure Saul and Lavie were behind us. I’d driven my car with Papan riding shotgun, while the demon and the demon hunter took one of the many black vans at the demon’s disposal.
I turned to look at my wolf and noticed he was still asleep. I hated to wake him, but shook his shoulder lightly. He’d fallen asleep shortly after we got on the road, and even though I secretly wanted him to stay conscious after being in a coma, I let him rest. When he didn’t rouse, I shook him harder and started to worry.
Saul’s headlights switched off, leaving us in the dark.
“Papan, wake up.” When he didn’t respond, I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed over the seat and onto his lap. “Come on, we’re home. You can rest upstairs in my—our—room.” I cradled his face in my hands, willing him to open his eyes. “Come on, Papan.”
“What…what’s going on?” He looked at me and a lazy smile curved his lips. “Oh, this is good. Am I dreaming, or is this really happening?”
I kissed him quickly. “You’re not dreaming, but you scared the hell out of me. You wouldn’t wake up.”
“Sorry, I’m just tired.” His smile widened. “But I think you’ve woken me up now. If you catch my drift…”
Of course I caught his drift—I could feel his erection pressing beneath me. I couldn’t help but rub against him. After everything, finding a ray of sunshine amongst all the darkness made me crave our connection. I’d missed him in my bed, probably the reason I couldn’t rest. I lowered my mouth to his and kissed him so thoroughly I wasn’t sure we were going to make it out of the car without finishing this.
He groaned into my mouth, running his hands along my hips and settling them under my butt. “I missed everything about you.”
A knock on the passenger-side window made me jump. I pulled away from the kiss and rolled the window down. Lavie was grinning from ear to ear, while Saul rolled his eyes.
“You two think you can keep it in your pants until you get inside the house?” he asked.
“You go ahead, give us five minutes,” I returned.
“That’s all the time you need?” Saul snorted, staring at Papan. “What the hell are you doing wrong
, Jason?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m just kidding. Let’s get inside. Willow and Oren will be glad to see you, and I’ve got to tell them—and you—some terrible news.”
Papan didn’t question or try to stop me as I climbed off his lap and back into the driver’s seat, then out of the car. I went around to his side and helped him out. As I was shutting the door, a familiar police sedan stopped in front of the house. I tried to get Papan to move along, hoping he didn’t notice Gareth, but of course he did.
“What the fuck’s he doing here?” he snapped under his breath. “I thought I took care of him.”
“Papan, it’s okay. He’s—”
“The hell it is!” He stepped around me, almost tripping on the concrete path in his haste to reach Gareth.
The constable was slowly making his way up the path, eyes on Papan. The last time these two met, my boyfriend had smacked the man he suspected was trying to come onto me. He’d been right, and Gareth went as far as baiting Papan, but we hadn’t known then that the cop was possessed. While under the influence of a demonic entity, he’d acted like a possessive, ruthless jerk with only one thing on his mind—me.
“Wait!” I caught up to him, but he’d already reached Gareth.
“You’ve got some balls showing up here again,” Papan growled into the cop’s face.
Gareth sighed, took a step back but didn’t respond.
“Did you hear me?” Papan shoved a hand into Gareth’s chest, and still the other man didn’t respond.
I stepped between them. “Take it easy, you’re not fully recovered.”
“Even tanked this badly, I can take this guy on.” He tried to reach around me. “No one makes a move on my girl, gets all snotty about it, and then shows up at her house like nothing’s wrong.”
“Jason, the last time we met things were different,” Gareth said, finally looking Papan in the eye. “I wasn’t myself.”
Papan’s eyes darkened and he clenched his jaw.
I opened my palm over Papan’s chest. “He’s telling the truth.” The last thing he needed to be doing right now was confronting anyone. “Papan, he was possessed by the same demon that attached itself to Jonathan.”
“No way, I would’ve known. I would’ve smelled that horrid stench.” He met my eyes. “And this guy smelled nothing like J.”
“I don’t know how to explain that, but Lavie and I exorcised the demon.”
Gareth stepped closer. “The demon knew you would detect the demonic smell and concealed it. I have no idea how. I was a just a passenger.”
Papan looked away, his teeth clenched. I took his hand and encouraged him to look at me. When he finally did, I said, “The demon’s gone. It’ll never come back, but you have to believe Gareth. He only acted on the demon’s impulse, didn’t you?” I waited for Gareth to agree but when he didn’t, I turned to glare at him. His hazel eyes were shiny. Whether the constable’s feelings for me had been enhanced by the demon or vice versa wasn’t important, but his hesitation wouldn’t help.
“Yes, it was the demon.” Gareth turned away as he added, “The demon was the one who had feelings for Sierra, and made me act on them.”
Papan didn’t look convinced. “I’ll still be keeping an eye on you.” He took my hand and led me up the path, past the porch and into the house.
“Oh my God, you’re both all right!” Willow ran down the hallway and threw her arms around Papan and me. “I was so worried. You said you’d call but when you didn’t…”
“I couldn’t.” It was close to the truth.
“Why do you both smell like smoke?” She wrinkled her nose and stepped back.
“Will, I need to tell you something first. Where’s Oren?”
“He’s in the kitchen with Lavie and Saul.” She looked past us, a beaming smile on her face. “Hey Gareth, didn’t know you’d rocked up too.”
“Hello, Willow Tree.”
I led Papan into the kitchen, where Saul motioned him to one of the chairs. He sank into it and I sat next to him, holding onto his hand. I didn’t want to end the physical contact.
Gareth greeted Oren and Lavie after Willow called, “Oren, look who else is here!”
“What happened this time?” Oren pressed a hand to my shoulder and I covered it with mine. “What do you need me to do?”
I sighed. “I need to tell you something.”
Oren withdrew his hand and made his way around the table, until he was standing in front of the cabinets. He leaned back and waited, a position he seemed to be making a habit.
As soon as everyone was settled around the table, I took a deep breath and slid my hand from Papan’s. The pain of loss swept over me all over again, taking my breath away as tears stung the backs of my eyes. I bit my lip to keep them at bay.
“Sierra, are you okay?” Willow asked, concerned.
I shook my head and took another breath, releasing it slowly. “There’s no easy way to put this… Ebony’s gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” my sister echoed, her face darkening with a frown.
“Maya killed her.”
“What are you talking about?” Papan’s eyes were wide. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
I sighed, meeting his eyes. “There was no right time to tell you. You nearly died yourself.” A tear slid down my cheek and I was surprised I had any left. I looked down at my hands, only to watch Papan’s fingers wrap around them. “She’s gone. Maya took her soul.”
“No,” Willow whispered. “It was her, wasn’t it? When I passed out in the car, it was because Ebony died.”
“That does explain what happened,” Oren said. He wore his poker face, but I could see the pain buried deep in his light blue eyes. Ebony said she’d fallen for him, and I thought it was probably mutual. No age difference was going to get in the way of a true connection, and he had to be breaking up inside. “Excuse me.”
“Oren,” I called after him but he’d already left the kitchen. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to talk to him.”
Papan nodded and let go. I made sure Willow was okay, and left Lavie holding her as she wept. I would comfort her soon, but first I had to speak to Oren. I raced out of the room and caught him reaching for the front door. “Oren, where are you going?”
“I need some air.” He didn’t say anything else, just stepped outside.
I followed him, leaving the door open behind us. Oren sat on the top step. I joined him, sitting close enough that his bony hip pressed against mine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.” I didn’t know where else to start. I’m sorry wasn’t going to cut it, but I had nothing else.
Oren scanned the dark front lawn, still as a statue.
Minutes seemed to tick by. “Say something. It’s not good to bottle things up.” When he didn’t say anything, I added, “She told me she really cared about you. She said your connection went beyond the need to perform a ritual.” I sighed. “Ebony was in love with you.”
That got his attention long enough to glance my way, before he turned back to the quiet suburban street ahead. “Sounds like the delusions of a young girl trying to humor an old man.”
“No. She really cared about you, and I know you cared about her too.”
“You don’t understand.” He shook his head, sending the white braid over his shoulder. “When you get to be my age and you’ve had a taste of love and happiness only to have it ripped away, you never expect to experience it again…certainly not with a woman young enough to be your granddaughter.” He paused long enough to sigh. “Ebony believed herself to be damaged, but she didn’t realize how good she really was. She was of pure heart, even her aura. But she never trusted or believed in herself. I was hoping to change that, to make her see her self-worth, and now she’s gone.”
“You’re an honorable man, Oren McKee, which is probably why she fell fo
r you in the first place.”
He didn’t say anything for a short while. “That Maya took her wasn’t your fault. I didn’t leave the kitchen because I blamed you.”
“Why did you leave?”
Oren turned to look at me, his gaze intent on mine. “I didn’t want anyone else to see my grief. You might know and accept what was going on between us, but it wasn’t something Ebony and I advertised. Now that she’s gone, I’d rather it be kept private.”
“Conrad knew,” I said. “And Saul seems to know everything, so he probably did too. Lavie was with me the night I saw you two, so…”
A chuckle escaped him, but it sounded bitter.
The landline phone rang, startling me.
“You better get that,” Oren said. “The phone has been going crazy all night.”
“Are you sure? I can let the machine get it.”
“No, go and answer it. Whoever it is hangs up when the machine answers. Besides, I need a few minutes alone.”
I nodded, draped an arm over his shoulder and gave him a quick squeeze before jumping to my feet. I grabbed the phone before the answering machine kicked in. “Hello?” Static filled my ears. “Hello?” I repeated.
“Si…er…ra…”
“Yes!” I could barely hear whoever was on the other end. “Who is this?”
A second before I was about to hang up, a female voice said, “Sierra, is that you?” Her words were tinny and echoed down the line, but I knew who she was.
“Yeah, Lee, it’s me.” Lee Huang was a fellow spook catcher I hadn’t seen in years, but we’d kept in touch via email. Until recently—when she stopped replying.
“Oh, thank god you answered. I’ve been trying for ages,” she said, paused and added, “I need to make this quick, before he figures out I called you.”
“Lee, what’re you talking about? Where have you been?” Lee had been good friends with Mara and Daisy, who’d both recently died because of the Council. After finding a bunch of catchers in danger of having their souls ripped out of their bodies, I discovered Lee hadn’t been one of the girls who’d perished. She was on Roe’s MIA-catcher list, and we hadn’t been able to find a single person yet. “I’ve been trying to call, and emailed you heaps of times—”
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