The Vampire's Accidental Wife (Nocturne Falls Book 8)

by Kristen Painter

  She laughed, the sound soothing every pain he’d ever felt. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Although I realize we are once again embarking in a nuptial direction while you are under the influence of mood-altering substances. Should I wait until you’re off the pain meds?”

  “No.” Her face went gravely serious. “I am fully aware of what you’re doing.”

  “But what about what you’re doing?”

  “That too.”

  “I hope so.” He kissed her again, just a soft, quick brush of his mouth on hers to seal the deal. But when he backed away, she looked sad again. “What’s wrong, darling?”

  “Did you sell my ring?”

  He dug into his other jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He’d been planning to see Willa about that very thing, especially since he’d expected Desi to sign the divorce papers. He popped the box open. “You mean this ring?”

  She gasped. “Outside of you, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He laughed and took it from the box. “I like you on pain meds. You’re very gushy.” Then he slipped it on her finger.

  She held her hand up. “I am never taking this off again.”

  He brushed a curl off her forehead. “You know, if we’re going to do this, we should do it right. Have another ceremony. Here in town. One where neither one of us is intoxicated until after the vows.”

  She nodded. “So your family can be there?”

  “Yes. And you can invite Sam and whoever else you like. What do you think?”

  “Let’s do it.” She flung her uninjured arm around his neck. “I love you, Jules. Like crazy. I’m sorry I put you through so much hell. Do you forgive me? How on earth did you stick around when I was so awful?”

  “I never thought you were awful.” He kissed the tip of her beautiful nose. “And let’s just say, despite what my family might think about me, I’m no quitter.”

  She sighed and nuzzled her cheek against his. “I want to have your babies.”

  He barked out a laugh that was half shock, half desire. “Well now, I’m going to have to get the name of these meds—”

  The door opened and Birdie strode in. She had a basket of flowers in one hand. “There’s my girl. How are you feeling, Desi?”

  Desi shoved her hand toward Birdie. “We’re married again!”

  Birdie stopped short. “Again? So you were married?” Then her eyes widened. “Is that an engagement ring or a skating rink on your hand? Lands, child, that is a boulder.”

  Desi grinned. “Jules has good taste.”

  “I’ll say.” Birdie put the flowers on the window sill, then hitched her purse straps higher up on her shoulder and approached the bed. “All right, you two, tell me everything.”

  They’d just about finished explaining why they were already married when a second werewolf joined them.

  Sheriff Merrow stuck his head into the room. “Up for a visitor?”

  Birdie turned toward her nephew. “Hank! Did you know these two were married?”

  He glanced at Julian like he was fishing for a clue as to the right answer to that question.

  Birdie sighed. “You did. I know that look. That’s why you called her Mrs. Ellingham. Did everyone in town know but me?”

  “No,” Julian assured her. “Just my family and even that was unintentional. I told Hank because he was helping me investigate.”

  Hank stepped into the room and hooked his thumbs into his utility belt. “About that investigation…”

  Julian nodded. “Let’s talk outside.”

  The two men stepped into the hall.

  Hank cleared his throat. “We have to do something with the hunter.”

  “I know. Problem is she’s human.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Julian frowned and glance toward Desi’s closed door. “I need to talk to my family about this. Can you give me a day?”

  “I’ve got her in holding. You can have all the time you want.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be in touch soon.” Right after he called a family meeting. The hunter was too much of a danger to just be turned loose, but charging a human with a crime against a supernatural was sticky business.

  She had to be punished, but more importantly, she had to be prevented from doing it again.

  After being released from the hospital the following morning, Desi had expected a leisurely day at home with her husband. Instead, she showered, changed, and headed off with him to his grandmother’s for a very important family meeting.

  She sat on a loveseat next to him and looked around the library, stunned by how things had turned out. It was a little surreal to be back in Elenora Ellingham’s mansion, especially since Desi was now a permanent Ellingham. The reality of the pain in her shoulder kept her grounded, but the subtle throbbing meant the wound was healing, which was good, because there was nothing fashionable about the stupid blue sling she was strapped into.

  His whole family was gathered, just as they had been for the dinner. A family that she now really and truly belonged to. Getting used to that was going to take some time, but that was just fine. She was deliriously happy, and if she was honest, a little bit scared, about her commitment to Julian, but that was life, wasn’t it? Risk and reward were paired for a reason. You didn’t get one without the other.

  And Julian had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the right man for her. He and Alonso might share some characteristics, but those were surface traits only. Julian was nothing like the man she’d once considered the destroyer of her life. She still hated Alonso, but she finally had begun to see him as strictly a part of her past.

  It was hard to think of him any other way when her future was so stunningly bright. And he was ash in the wind.

  “We have a very serious issue to deal with, which is why I’ve called you all here,” Julian began.

  Alice Bishop glanced at him, then went back to the needlepoint she was working on. She’d chosen a seat in the far corner of the room. Plenty close to listen, but far enough away that her presence might be forgotten. She was crafty, that one.

  “Agreed,” Sebastian said. “This business with the hunter is unacceptable. We cannot have her roaming free. Not when she’s been exposed to the truth of Nocturne Falls.”

  Tessa looked at him. “Do you think that’s the case?”

  “I do,” Julian said. “She saw Birdie shift. It was unavoidable. And she knows Desi and I are vampires.”

  “Yes,” Desi added. “But she might not know that the town is a haven for supernaturals.”

  Hugh shook his head. “We cannot risk it.”

  “Worse than that…” Julian scowled. “She threatened George.”

  Delaney’s eyes went white hot in anger. “What?”

  “How dare she,” Elenora cried. “How did she even find out about him?”

  He nodded. “She went through my things, found his picture in my wallet.”

  Delaney inched forward on her seat, her body rigid with rage. “What did she say?”

  “Just general threats, really. But enough that we have to find a way to put an end to her hunting days.”

  Elenora jaw was taut with resolution. “You know what I think.”

  Sebastian sighed. “We cannot kill a human, Grandmamma. It’s not the 1800s anymore. These things aren’t so easily hidden. And it breaks the laws of the council.”

  Hugh nodded. “It would also set a dangerous precedent.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We are powerful creatures. If we cannot use those powers to protect ourselves, what good are they?”

  “And risk starting a war?” Sebastian shook his head. “We are not going to kill the human. There are other ways to use our power.”

  Elenora’s lip curled. “She threatened my grandson. She is not going free.”

  Alice cleared her throat. “There is a spell we might try.”

  They all turned to look at her. Elenora waved her forward. “Speak up, woman. Explain.
”

  Alice put her handiwork aside, and joined them. “The sanguim vocat. It’s a complicated spell and comes with its own dangers, but if it worked…” She shrugged.

  Elenora’s perfect brows lifted. “In the king’s English, please, Alice.”

  “Supernatural bloodlines aren’t as pure as they used to be. A lot of humans carry DNA they know nothing about. Strands of the fae, a trace of nymph, a little remnant of a shifter who once picked a leaf from the family tree. All they’re aware of is the full moon gives them energy, or they can tell when a storm is coming, or they know someone’s about to call before the phone rings. They don’t know the why or the how of it.”

  Elenora’s squint seemed like a lessening of her patience. “And where does this spell come in?”

  Alice stuck her hands into the pockets of her cardigan. “Sanguim vocat roughly means blood calls to blood. And it is, in fact, blood magic. A gray area by most coven standards, but this is a special situation.”

  “I’ll say.” Delaney crossed her arms. “What does this spell do exactly?”

  Alice continued. “It pulls out the supernatural threads in a human’s DNA, finds the strongest one, and strengthens it until it’s no longer a shadow in the background.”

  Julian let out a small exhale. “You mean to turn her into a supernatural.”

  Alice nodded. “If the spell works, yes.”

  “No,” Desi said. “That only gives her more power to fight with. I can’t fathom how this could be a good thing.”

  A slow, understanding smile broke across Elenora’s face. “Because, my darling daughter-in-law, if the hunter becomes a supernatural and then raises her hand to another vampire, she does so under a new set of laws. Being human will no longer protect her from the consequences.”

  Julian took Desi’s hand, his eyes on Alice. “What do you need to make this spell happen and how quickly can it begin?”

  If Desi had any doubts about the power the Ellingham family wielded in Nocturne Falls, they were banished a few hours later as she stood with Julian in front of a heavy steel door in an alley in the center of town. They’d parked in a nearby lot. “Where are we going again?”

  He swiped a card through a reader. A small click announced access had been granted. “The Basement.”

  “I feel like we’ve spent enough time in one of those to last us a while.”

  “It’s not that kind of basement.” He winked at her. “C’mon.”

  She followed him onto the dim landing, then he turned and closed the door behind them. Running lights along the stair treads blinked on. They headed down. At the bottom, the passageway opened onto a bright white hall that felt vaguely industrial.

  “What is this place?” There were lines on the floor like a road might have. Granted, the space was big enough to drive a vehicle in.

  “This is the Basement. It’s an employees-only area of Nocturne Falls. We use it to allow workers safe passage, for storage, for access to things like the gargoyle fountain, and in case of zombie apocalypse.”

  She whipped around. “What?”

  He laughed. “Just seeing if you were listening. We also have some holding cells down here for cases that are beyond what the sheriff’s department can handle.”

  “Is the hunter down here?”

  “She is, but it’s more about performing the spell in a safe space than being able to hold her. She’s human, the station can handle that no problem, but Alice wanted to use one of the secure rooms in case the spell doesn’t go as smoothly as it should.”

  Desi nodded. “I see. I hope that’s not the case.”

  “Me too, but I appreciate her being cautious.” He tipped his head to the left side of the passage before them. “We have a little farther to go.”

  Three minutes later, Julian unlocked yet another door and they walked into a large, nearly empty space. Nearly empty because despite there being almost no furniture in the room, there were plenty of people. Including Alice and the hunter, who was restrained in a chair that seemed made for that purpose. All the rest in the room, save Julian’s brothers, were female supernaturals from town, something Desi knew because of Alice’s explanation of the spell. The witch had told them that female contributions would be the most effective.

  It was impressive that each one in the room had answered the call for help without hesitation.

  Julian nodded to Alice. “Is this everyone?”

  “Now that you’re here, yes.”

  The hunter was blindfolded and her hands were secured to the arms of the chair, but her chin was raised defiantly. “I demand to see my lawyer.”

  Julian walked over to her and pushed the blindfold up. Then he leaned down so they were eye to eye. “Doesn’t work like that, sweetheart. You wanted to be a vampire hunter, well, welcome to vampire justice.”

  “Get away from me, bloodsucker. Touch me and I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Without your tranquilizers and crossbow, you’re at my mercy.” He laughed. “You should be very thankful the vampire council has strict rules that govern dealing with humans, or you’d be in a world of hurt right now.”

  She sneered and looked past him at Desi. “I see your girlfriend survived. Too bad. I thought that shot had gone straight through your heart.”

  Desi opened her mouth to tell the hunter where the next bolt could go, but Julian moved into the hunter’s path, blocking her line of sight. “That’s my wife you’re talking about murdering.”

  “So?” she snarled.

  He straightened. “Take a good look around you.”

  She did, glancing left and right at the semicircle of women gathered. “Yeah?”

  He raised his brows. “You’re the only human in this room.”

  Her sneer melted away, and her breathing got a little shallower. “I don’t believe you.”

  He shrugged. “You don’t have to.”

  He walked back to Desi and kissed her cheek before giving Alice a nod. “Your show now.”

  “Thank you, Julian.”

  He squeezed Desi’s hand, then went to join his brothers near the wall.

  Alice stepped forward, holding a wooden bowl and a long, thin wooden needle. “We are gathered here to cast the sanguim vocat. If you are not here voluntarily, or have changed your mind about participating, I ask that you leave. There will be no ill will.”

  No one moved.

  “I’m not here voluntarily,” the hunter spat out.

  Alice raised her hand at the woman. “Silence, human.”

  The hunter’s mouth snapped closed. Judging by the shock in the woman’s eyes, Desi guessed Alice had thrown a little magic at her and helped her shut her mouth.

  Alice faced the women who’d come to help, her back to the hunter. “A drop of blood will be required from each of you, but you have my word it will be consumed in the casting. None of your blood will be left behind.”

  The group nodded in understanding.

  “I ask that each of you come forward and state who you are and what you are so that the subject of this spell might better understand the world she lives in and those she threatens.”

  Desi didn’t hesitate. She walked up to Alice and held out her right hand. “I am Desdemona Valentine Ellingham and I am a vampire.”

  Alice pricked her finger with the wooden needle, then squeezed Desi’s fingertip and a single bright red bead fell into the bowl.

  Desi went back to her place in the semicircle, and the rest of the women lined up to follow.

  “I’m Willa Iscove, fae.”

  “Jayne Frost, winter elf.”

  “And princess,” Birdie added.

  Jayne looked back and shook her head.

  “Ramona Mabine, and I’m a brownie.”

  “I’m Norma Turnbuckle, and proud to say I’m a hobbit.”

  “I am Monalisa Devlin, and I am a will o’ the wisp.”

  “Birdie Caruthers.” Birdie looked around Alice at the hunter. “I’m the werewolf you tried to kill, you silly girl.”


  “Imari Zephara. Jinn. Retired.”

  At that one, Desi turned to glance at Julian. She raised her brows. He nodded back as if to say, Yes, really.

  The women kept coming.

  “Pandora Williams. Realtor and witch.”

  “I’m Undrea Seely and I’m a mermaid.”

  The hunter’s eyes were wide, her mouth agape. Desi understood. The range of supernaturals in this town was staggering. And for them to all be so comfortable with each other and willing to help on such short notice…it almost made her weep to think of how incredible living here could be.

  She might finally have some friends, as sad as that statement sounded even in her own head.

  “I am Tessa Blythe, librarian, valkyrie and soon to be sister-in-law to Desdemona.” She, too, peered past Alice to address the hunter. “You need to understand that we protect our own.”

  Tessa came back to stand beside Desdemona as the last few women gave their contributions. Tessa gave Desi a small, reassuring smile.

  Desi smiled back and mouthed the words thank you.

  A thought that had been slowly forming began to solidify even further. Regardless of what happened in the next few minutes, she wanted to be with Julian. Physically be with him. As in live in the same time zone.

  Vegas, Desi realized, no longer felt like home.

  Julian stood between his brothers, watching Alice with great curiosity. The witch had never used her skills in front of any of them before, so this was quite the occasion. It also felt like a huge gift from Alice. She wasn’t one to do much publicly, preferring the quiet life of being Elenora’s assistant and confidant.

  To see her now in such full command of things was unusual. It also softened his attitude toward her. He made himself promise to be nicer to her from here on out.

  Alice lifted the bowl as the last woman took her place in the semicircle. “The blood has been gathered. Your involvement here will not be forgotten. Thank you all. I wish you a good day. You are free to return to your day.”

  The women left quietly, most with a nod to Desi or quick pat on her good arm. A minute later, only Desi, Tessa, Alice, Hugh and Sebastian remained in the room with Julian.