Alice addressed them. “This could take some time.”
Julian walked forward to stand beside Desi, putting his arm around her waist. “We’ve got lots of that.”
Sebastian and Hugh nodded as they came forward as well.
Alice turned toward the hunter and whispered words over the bowl, then held it at arm’s length.
Flames danced up from the wooden vessel, then disappeared to be replaced by a fat coil of red smoke. Alice blew the coil toward the hunter.
The woman twisted and turned, but the smoke enveloped her like a veil. She grunted, still struggling.
Alice waved her hand at the hunter, and the woman’s mouth came open. She gasped, inhaling the smoke.
“Now,” Alice said, straightening. “We wait.”
Abigail choked and spat like she was trying to get the smoke out, but Julian knew that wasn’t going to happen. Alice’s magic was strong.
But fifteen minutes later, they were still waiting, still watching, and Julian was now wondering if the magic would work at all.
A few questioning glances were exchanged, but they stayed as they were. Every breath the hunter took was scrutinized for some sign of supernatural emerging.
Finally, with an hour gone, Alice motioned for them to follow her out of the room. In the hall, with the door shut, she shook her head. “There is no supernatural in her, or the spell would have drawn it out by now.”
Julian let out a few choice words.
“I told Delaney I’d call as soon as I knew something,” Hugh said. “But this isn’t the news I wanted to share. Delaney might kill the woman herself.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Or Grandmamma will.”
Tessa planted her hands on her hips. “I could pull my sword now and do the job.”
“Wait.” Desi put her hands up. “If you kill this woman, which I totally understand wanting to, you run the risk of bringing the wrath of the Talisman Club down on Nocturne Falls. I can’t stand to think of this incredible place ruined by fear and fighting.”
Julian took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “I agree, my love, but I will not have you or George or anyone else I care about in danger. We have to deal with this hunter in a way that puts an end to her awful ways.”
“Especially now that so many in our town have revealed themselves to her,” Sebastian added.
“I agree.” Desi smiled. “And I think I know just how to do that.” She looked at Alice. “I know you are a very powerful witch.”
Alice nodded. “I am.”
Desi continued. “One of the techs in my show is a witch. She casts the main illusions we use, mostly the pyrotechnical stuff, but also a few others. Can you cast illusions too? I don’t mean to imply you can’t, I just don’t know enough about witches to know if you can all do that or not.”
Alice took the question in stride. “No, not all witches can. Illusions aren’t a problem for me, however. In fact, I have a book I can consult.”
Desi’s smile brightened. “In that case, I have an idea…”
It took them twenty-seven minutes to assemble everything they needed and get it set up. The process, which had required Sebastian to go to Elenora’s for Alice’s book and for Julian to run to the sheriff’s department, had also resulted in one more audience member, namely Birdie. Fortunately, she was happy to act as the electronics manager once she was brought up to speed.
She was bent over Helsing’s camera and tripod setup. Finally, she straightened and gave them a thumbs-up. “All right, we’re good to go here.”
“You’re sure it’s connected to the laptop as well?” Desi asked. “I mean, I see the cable, but it’ll record to the laptop?”
“Yes,” Birdie reassured her. “And it’ll instantly be saved to a folder in my cloud, which I’ve already shared with the Ellinghams and the sheriff’s department. There will be plenty of backups.” She looked at the hunter. “This isn’t something that is ever going to disappear, understand?”
The hunter’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you freaks think you’re doing, but nothing is going to stop me. As soon as I get free, I’m coming back here and I’m bringing a whole crew of hunters with me.”
Desi sighed and shook her head. “Anytime you want to start, Alice.”
The witch looked up from a small spell book she’d had Sebastian retrieve from Elenora’s. “Oh, are we recording?”
Birdie pressed a button. “We are now. I can edit it down into smaller videos once it’s all done.”
“All right, then,” Alice said. “Almost ready. Just need to finish this page. Must get this right.” She muttered a few words under her breath, like she was practicing them.
Julian nodded. “Take your time.” Desi’s idea was a good one, but it had to be convincing or they’d be no better off than they were.
Birdie bent to look through the camera’s viewfinder again. “Oh, wow, Alice. That is very convincing.”
They all turned to look at Helsing. Her head was back and the muscles in her neck were straining with the effort of what appeared to be a shift of some kind. Small gray hairs sprouted along her jawline and forehead as her face elongated into a muzzle. She growled and the sound was eerily inhuman, but dead-on for a werewolf.
“Hell’s bells, Bishop,” Sebastian whispered. “You did it.”
Alice shook her head as the hunter’s transformation continued. “I haven’t started the spell yet.”
Julian began to laugh, because his life was too good not to. “So she’s actually a werewolf?”
Alice nodded. “I believe so. The threads must have been so buried or so thin, the calling spell just took longer to work than it should have.”
“This is perfect.” He clapped his hands. “You’re a shifter, Helsing. A real, live supernatural. How does that feel? You are now one of the creatures you’ve dedicated your life to eradicating. You’re going to need a new profession, because if I get the slightest whiff you’re still at it, not only will we release this video showing what you really are, but you will have a host of supernaturals hunting you down in turn.”
He leaned in. “And human law no longer applies to you.”
She snapped and growled at him.
He couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh, and better avoid silver from here on out, or you’re going to give yourself some nasty burns.”
She leaned toward him, stressing the restraints holding her to the chair.
Sebastian and Hugh went to her sides and each took an arm before looking at Julian. He instantly understood. “The holding cells. Immediately.”
“It’s really over.” Desi looked at Julian as they walked hand in hand into the lobby of the Excelsior. A wave of love and admiration washed through her, almost too much to bear. This amazing man was her husband.
“It really is,” he answered. “Tomorrow, she’ll be sent packing with info on how to contact the pack in Upstate New York. If she doesn’t check in with the alpha in three days, she knows there will be an APB sent out to every supernatural organization in the US, and a week after that, the video will be uploaded to the Talisman Club forum.”
They gave Freddy a wave as they walked to the elevator.
Desi pushed the button. “She has no choice but to toe the line.”
The doors opened and they got on.
“It’s actually a huge gift,” Julian said. “And not one she deserved. When she figures out how amazing her new life is, she’ll probably understand how generous we were.”
“You really think she’ll get to that point?”
“I do. Maybe not immediately, but someday. You can’t be a supernatural and not have a greater appreciation for how wonderful and precious life is.”
She smiled at him as the elevator slowed to a stop. “I don’t think I felt that way until I met you.”
He grinned as they walked through the open doors and into the penthouse foyer. “Is that so?”
“It is. I owe you. For centuries, I blamed Alonso for destroying my life
. And he did. But what I didn’t realize was that someday I’d get that life back. I have you to thank for that.” She kissed him. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
He kissed her back. “So we’re even, then. You saved my life and I saved yours. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds about right. There’s just one little problem we have yet to address.”
He punched in the key code and let them into the penthouse. “What’s that?”
She gave him her slyest, sultriest smile, which wasn’t easy for a woman with one arm in a sling. “We haven’t really had a proper wedding night yet.”
His jaw went slack. “No, uh, no, we haven’t. But you’re injured and all, so I thought…” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can be very careful.”
She snickered and started backing toward the hall that led to the bedroom. “Darling, we’re vampires. We mend.”
He followed, unbuttoning his shirt and stumbling over the shoes he was stepping out of. “I love being a vampire.”
She raked an appreciative gaze over him, designed to incite him further. “Oh, you’re about to love a whole lot of things.”
One Week Later
“Do you, Julian Fitzwalter Ellingham, take this woman again to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Julian smiled at Desi. She looked like an angel in her beautiful white gown, and it was great to see her out of her sling, her shoulder nearly healed. But to think he was already married to her felt like more than he deserved. “I do.”
The officiant turned to Desi. “And do you, Desdemona Clarke Valentine, take this man again to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
She blinked back tears. “I do,” she whispered.
“Then by the power vested in me by the great state of Georgia, I hereby proclaim you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
The small crowd cheered as Julian did just that. He did his best to keep it PG, but there wasn’t a part of him that didn’t want to whisk this woman back to their penthouse for very un-PG activities. Which, as it turned out, they were very good at. But his grandmother had gone to a lot of effort and expense to make this renewal and reception happen, so he restrained himself as best he could.
At last, he released Desi from the kiss, and they turned to face their audience of family and friends. Julian hugged his bride close, the scent of her familiar orange blossom perfume wrapping him in joy. He addressed the small crowd. “Thank you all for coming. And for being a part of this day. While it’s true that we’ve been married for a little over eight months, I think I speak for Desi and me when I say our life together has only just started. And we’re so very glad you could join us in that new start.”
He glanced at her, and she nodded, eyes shining bright.
He kissed her cheek before looking at the crowd again, then he raised their clasped hands over his head. “Let’s party!”
Music swelled through the great hall and servers streamed in with trays of champagne and finger foods for the cocktail hour Elenora had planned. There would be dinner and dancing into the wee hours to follow, because when Elenora did something, she did it in grand style. This occasion was certainly no exception.
Speaking of his grandmother, Julian saw her in the crowd and nudged Desi. “Do you see what you’ve done? You made my grandmother cry.”
“Maybe she just saw the bill for the catering.”
He snickered. “She has only herself to blame for telling you there was no budget.”
“True.” Desi flattened her lips down like she was trying to stifle a grin. “And I hate to tell you this, but I’m sure it won’t be the last time I give her a reason to be weepy.”
“I’m okay with that.” He laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. And I have a little gift for you.” She reached into the bodice of her wedding dress and pulled out a key.
He took it, trying to figure out what it was for. “It’s not to any car I recognize.”
“Because it’s not to a car. It’s to my place in the Skye Towers. And that’s only half of the gift.”
“Oh? Thank you very much.” He tucked the key into his jacket pocket. “What’s the other half?”
“In about a month, when Sam’s capable of being back at work, I’m turning the show over to her. She’s perfectly capable of taking the lead, and frankly, she’s earned it.”
A spark lit within him, but he wasn’t sure he understood enough to let it fully combust. “Are you saying…what are you saying?”
“I want to live here with you. In Nocturne Falls.” Her brows suddenly pulled together. “That’s all right, isn’t it?”
“All right?” He let out a whoop that turned heads. “Yes, it’s all right. It’s better than all right.” He stilled for a moment. “Wait. Are you sure? That’s a lot to give up. You’ve put so much time and effort into that show and—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “And I’d have to take a hiatus anyway to film the TV show.”
“Only for a few weeks. You’re talking about giving it up entirely.”
“Not exactly. See, you’re going to build me a theater as part of the new lakefront retail space. I’ll do a show or two a week until…” She shrugged and laughed.
“Until what?”
“Until the first baby. Then we’ll reassess. Deal?”
“Deal.” Babies. His head spun. “I’ll call the surveyor right now and we’ll get that thing started.”
She laughed and patted his chest. “How about we concentrate on our wedding reception and you call tomorrow?”
Happiness bubbled up in him. It was overwhelming and magical and the most alive he’d felt since he’d been turned. “Yep, much better plan.”
“Good. Let’s go dance.” She grabbed his hand and they started down the dais toward the rest of the swaying crowd.
“Sad that you have to be both brains and beauty in this relationship.” He sighed with great drama. “I shall endeavor to do better, my darling.”
“You’re doing just fine.”
He pulled her into his arms, turning them into the rhythm of the waltz with a few easy steps. “I appreciate your support. We make an excellent team.”
She nodded. “Yes, we do. Marrying you was the best drunken accident that’s ever happened to me.”
He wiggled his brows, letting go of her to snag two glasses of champagne from a passing server. He held one out to her. “Well, now, drink up. The night’s still young. And I do love a challenge.”
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About the Author
Kristen Painter is a little obsessed with cats, books, chocolate, and shoes. It’s a healthy mix. She loves to entertain her readers with interesting twists, entertaining stories and unforgettable characters. She currently writes the best-selling paranormal romance series, Nocturne Falls. The former college English teacher can often be found all over social media where she loves to interact with readers:
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Other books by Kristen Painter
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Nocturne Falls series:
The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride
The Werewolf Meets His Match
The Gargoyle Gets His Girl
The Professor Woos the Witch
The Witch’s Halloween Hero – short story
The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish – short story
The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée
The Vampire’s Valentine Surprise – short story
The Shifter Romances the Writer
The Vampire’s True Love Trials – short story
The Dragon Finds Forever
The Vampire’s Accidental Wife
> Can’t get enough Nocturne Falls?
Try the Nocturne Falls Universe books.
New stories, new authors, same Nocturne Falls world!
Sin City Collectors series:
Queen of Hearts
Dead Man’s Hand
Double or Nothing
Box set
Standalone Paranormal Romance:
Dark Kiss of the Reaper
Heart of Fire
Recipe for Magic
Miss Bramble and the Leviathan
COZY PARANORMAL MYSTERY:
Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case – A Nocturne Falls Mystery
Miss Frost Ices the Imp – A Nocturne Falls Mystery
Miss Frost Saves the Sandman – A Nocturne Falls Mystery
URBAN FANTASY:
The House of Comarré series:
Forbidden Blood
Blood Rights
Flesh and Blood
Bad Blood
Out for Blood
Last Blood
The Crescent City series:
House of the Rising Sun
City of Eternal Night
Garden of Dreams and Desires
Nothing is completed without an amazing team.
Many thanks to:
Cover design: Janet Holmes
Interior formatting: Author E.M.S.
Editor: Joyce Lamb
Copyedits/proofs: Marlene Engel
The Vampire's Accidental Wife (Nocturne Falls Book 8) Page 24
