Sunglasses at Night

by Jessica Lynch

  She let him go.

  It hurt to watch him leave. And his last parting shot? That was like a stake to the chest, it stabbed at her so deeply. She didn’t even know what part was worse: the cold way he called her Tabitha or the determination in his voice when he told her he wouldn’t see her again.

  She didn’t know what to do. When she made her report to her uncle, she did so out of habit and training; to not tell him never crossed her mind. And maybe it was selfish, since she had no problem making up story after story, excuse after excuse when Boone asked her if she’d finally uncovered the identity of the vigilante vamp who—miraculously—seemed to go undercover in recent days.

  Yeah. Because she’d kept him busy in Woodbridge and, later, in her apartment. Adam hadn’t had a chance to leave to roam the nights, hunting with his enchanted falchion, while he was with her in her bed.

  Not anymore.

  It only made it worse when she realized she was being a selfish brat. She was upset that she’d been dumped, but what about Evangeline? The kind woman had welcomed her into her home, taming her wild mate while actually offering Tabby the reason why the Alpha had to refuse to get involved with the Society. If she had an unstable witch on her ass, Tabby would probably hide behind wards, too.

  And now, because of her big mouth, Evangeline was in danger.

  She hoped that Wolfe was wrong. That the overprotective shifter was jumping to conclusions, that having a baby was a time for celebration, but it wasn’t the catastrophe that Wolfe was making it out to be.

  Nope.

  She made a few phone calls, starting with Boone. It didn’t take long before she discovered that that was wishful thinking.

  It was out there. All of the contacts she could get in touch with confirmed what Wolfe said: news of Evangeline’s pregnancy was spreading like wildfire through the Para communities.

  She had no one else to blame, either. Adam swore to Wolfe that he kept the secret, and none of the members of the pack would dare do anything to piss their leader off. No. The only one who spilled the beans was Tabby when she told Boone.

  It had been a reflex. Being a slayer, it was ingrained into her to share any and all intel with the head of the Society. For Tabby, that went double since she trusted Boone with her life.

  But that was the thing, wasn’t it? Her uncle would sacrifice anything for her. To some degree, it was the same for any of the slayers on his team. But while Boone took care of and watched out for his slayers, he couldn’t be bothered with Normies or paranormals unless they could help him—or they were targets.

  Since Maddox Wolfe refused to trust the slayers with the truth about the witch tormenting his mate, Boone obviously didn’t feel the need to keep the Alpha’s secrets. The fact that Evangeline Wolfe was almost ready to give birth didn’t mean anything to him apart from another addition to the case files he kept on all-powerful Para figures in the area.

  So while her uncle didn’t run around telling the world that Evangeline was pregnant, he didn’t keep it under wraps, either. It got out and, after she spoke to her uncle on the phone, she had the sinking suspicion that—like everything Boone did—there was a method to his madness.

  After all, her uncle was interested in uncovering the paranormal surge in the mixed city. Even before the increase of Nightwalker killings last winter, there was a documented case of a witch using magic against a shifter and a human before disappearing.

  She didn’t pay attention to that note in the Grayson file—why would she, when it didn’t involve any vamps—but now she knew exactly who’d been attacked by the lone witch: Evangeline Lewis and Colton Wolfe, Maddox Wolfe’s brother.

  If that witch had anything to do with the increase of Para activity in Grayson, waving the unborn Wolfe pup in front of her could be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

  If so, then Adam was right. It was her fault.

  She lost her Nightwalker because, after purposely hiding him from her uncle these last few weeks because she wanted to, she didn’t know when to keep someone else’s secret.

  And there was nothing she could do about it now.

  That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to do whatever she could to fix her mess-up. It might not earn her a second chance with Adam, but there was more at stake than her budding relationship with him. Tabby would never forgive herself if something happened to Evangeline’s baby because she was so quick to report in to Boone.

  Three days later, when a familiar number popped up on her phone, she hoped that she would get her chance.

  Taking a deep breath, trying not to sound overly eager, she answered. “Hello?”

  “It’s me.”

  There was only one man she knew with a voice so deep, so delicious, she immediately got hot. Was it possible to be turned on in two words? When the man was Adam Wright, it seemed it was.

  And then she had to remind herself that she’d screwed up everything by giving away the secrets he trusted her with.

  “Adam. How are you?”

  “Been better. Look, I was wondering… are you still in town?”

  She tried not to let that sting. Did he think so little of her that she would grab her stakes, her dagger, and her shit, and just run? Of course she was still in town.

  “Uh, yeah. I haven’t gone anywhere yet.”

  “Good.” He said good. She wasn’t so sure what was good about it. “Listen… did you mean it when you said that you never wanted to put anyone in danger?”

  “I did,” Tabby said quickly. “Adam, it was just a big misunderstanding. I don’t want anything to happen to her or the baby—”

  “I believe you.”

  “You do?” A soft exhale escaped her, the sound pure relief. “Can you tell her that? And the Alpha? I’d tell them myself, but—”

  “If you’re up to it, you can tell Wolfe yourself.”

  If I’m up to it? “Adam? What’s going on?”

  “We’ve gotten word that Priscilla Winters will be making a move on the Wolf’s Creek house tonight. It’s a credible tip. We don’t know how many people she’s bringing with her, but we do know that she works with the same Nightwalker clan that terrorized Grayson last year. I’m going. We’ve got a couple of shifters, a witch. We could use a slayer.”

  She recognized his phone call for what it was: a way for her to make up for her careless report. If only she had made sure that Boone knew Evangeline’s pregnancy was a secret, but she hadn't, and now the dangerous witch was on her way.

  Before she could be too pleased that he’d come to her for help, Adam went on to say, “Maddox Wolfe asked me to call you. The Alpha says you got him into this mess, you might as well put your dagger where your mouth is and help protect his mate.” He paused, a scowl in his tone as he added, “It’s a direct quote, but the asshole is asking for your help. Will you come?”

  She noticed he didn’t say that he wanted her there. Then again, if he wanted her to stay away, he could’ve just told Wolfe no. Unlike most other paranormals, Adam wasn’t afraid of the Alpha.

  It was early afternoon. Priscilla was coming tonight. That gave her some time to gather her supplies, check around with a couple of contacts, and figure out how to get her ass to Wolf’s Creek since she knew she couldn’t count on Adam for a ride in his coupe.

  No matter what she had to do, she’d make this up to everyone else.

  “Yup,” she promised. “I’ll be there.”

  Tabby was already waiting at Maddox Wolfe’s house in Wolf’s Creek by the time Adam pulled up in his coupe.

  Another downside to being a goddamn Nightwalker. Ever since Wolfe’s phone call that morning, Adam paced the lengths of his basement, counting down the seconds until the sun went down and he would no longer be a prisoner in his own home.

  He’d dashed to his car as soon as the sun wasn’t a problem. Before he started for Wolf’s Creek, he crossed Grayson, pounding the stairs that led to Tabby’s apartment. He banged on the door for a few minutes. When no one answered, he had to a
ccept that either she found her own way to Wolfe’s house—or she was avoiding him.

  Either way, he realized that he’d fucked up. He was the one who suggested Tabby’s help to ward off Priscilla’s oncoming attack. Despite telling his slayer that he was done with her—that whatever they were doing was a mistake—it didn’t take long for Adam to regret letting his anger get the better of him. He was still bothered by the way she went behind his back, but he realized that he should’ve expected it. When he was still on the job, wouldn’t he have made the same kind of report to his sergeant if he thought it wouldn’t go any further?

  Of course, pride had him refusing to contact Tabby. He’d been such an ass to her when he walked out of her apartment, and that didn’t change the situation. Wolfe was still pissed, Eva was in danger, and now Colt wanted to take a piece out of Tabby.

  Adam managed to cool off Colt’s legendary temper—okay, he admitted, that was more Shea, but he was the one who talked to the healer first—before trying to talk Wolfe down. Once Evangeline had been tucked away in the heart of pack land where even Priscilla couldn’t get her, he calmed down considerably.

  Until a bounty hunting witch showed up at the Wolf’s Creek house with an advanced warning that Priscilla was on her way.

  That’s when Wolfe rounded up everyone he could trust to stand their ground when the witch arrived. Colt, obviously, and because both Wolfe brothers knew that Adam would always defend Eva, Wolfe told him he had to come, too. And then Adam suggested Tabby...

  It took some convincing. Wolfe was dead-set against it. Still, the truth was that Tabby was a slayer who specialized in Nightwalkers. The witch chasing Priscilla wasn’t just a bounty hunter. Somehow, she had an advanced warning that Priscilla wouldn’t be alone when she attacked.

  So Wolfe said yes, and Adam made the call, and all along he hoped that, if Tabby helped him take out Priscilla and her crew of probable vamps, then he could put all this shit behind him and maybe… just maybe… they could try again.

  He hoped she might feel the same way. Too bad she couldn’t even wait for him at her place.

  When she waved at him after he parked at the far end of the cul de sac before jogging to the assembled group, Adam nodded, but didn’t offer any other greeting. What could he say? That, despite only knowing her for a few weeks, he already missed her desperately? That her betrayal—whether she meant it or not—cut him bone-deep, but he was almost willing to forgive it all just to see her smile again?

  No.

  Until this was over and done with, it was better not to say anything at all.

  Adam was the last to arrive. Wolfe was there, of course. Colt and Shea. Tabby. A dark-haired stretching next to Colt. And a lanky blonde female who was chatting with Shea.

  Wolfe was in his man form, though the way he hunched, his golden eyes rolling over with an amber sheen, warned Adam that he was ready to wolf out and shift in an instant. He prowled the length of his walkway while his brother greeted Adam.

  Colt gestured at a college-aged kid with black hair, gold eyes, and a cocky smile. He was about an inch or so taller than Adam, though his body was more thick than stocky.

  “This is Travis Fenton,” introduced Colt. “He’s a packmate who lives a couple of houses down from the Alpha.”

  With a casual shrug, Travis said, “Got lucky to pick out the house before the last Alpha challenge. Now everyone wants to live near the new Alpha couple but the cul de sac is full up. Well, not tonight. Alpha didn’t want to present too many targets for the twisted witch.”

  “Twisted is right.” Wolfe huffed, pausing in his prowling pacing to finally acknowledge Adam’s arrival. “I thought I knew Cilla, but now I have no idea what she’s capable of. She’s tried to kill my mate twice before, nearly took out my brother—”

  “Hey,” argued Colt. “She blindsided me with magic.”

  “That’s right,” the blonde female added. She wore her hair cut short, a pixie cut, and she had a sharp face set off by her brilliant lavender eyes. Definitely a witch. Must be the bounty hunter. “And she’ll do it again.”

  “Who are you?”

  She stuck out her hand. “Virginia Stone.”

  Adam hesitated. He still hated to show off his Nightwalker claws, but remembering the way Tabby stroked them lovingly while they lay together in her bed, he took her hand carefully.

  She didn’t seem to mind at all. They shook, then Virginia reached around Adam’s bulk to shake Tabby’s hand next.

  “Virginia’s the witch who gave us the heads up that Cilla’s hunting my mate,” Wolfe said gruffly.

  “I work for Luciana—”

  “Luciana la Sorcière,” Shea cut in. “The head witch of Coventry.”

  “Right. It’s my job to hunt down rogue witches like Priscilla Winters. I’ve been tracking her for close to a year. This is the first time she’s crawled out of her hole. She’s on her way here.”

  “That’s why my mate’s not,” growled Wolfe. The way he kept saying ‘my mate’ while pointedly looking Adam’s way wasn’t exactly subtle, but Adam let it pass. He didn’t blame Wolfe one bit and, besides, if Wolfe was scowling at Adam, that meant he wasn’t turning his aggression on Tabby. “She’s safe, and once I get my claws on Cilla, she’ll have nothing left to fear.”

  Colt crossed his arms, his pretty boy face twisted in an annoyed expression as he flickered a look Shea’s way. “You should be with her,” he muttered. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Shea patted her mate on his upper arm. “We already had this argument and you lost. Be graceful about it, okay?”

  “Shea…”

  She blinked, her lovely purple eyes almost innocent. “What? You act like I forgot what that nasty witch did to you. Three days, Colton. I had to sit at your bedside for three days. I owe Priscilla, too.”

  He looped an arm over her shoulder, tucking her close. The annoyed look faded into one of total adoration. “I love you.”

  Shea chuckled. Adam found his attention being drawn to Tabby, wondering what she was making of the lovey-dovey bonded couple in front of them. She gave him a small smile that hit him dead in his chest—then arrowed straight to his cock.

  Adam cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from his slayer.

  He turned to the blonde witch. “How do you know the witch is coming here?”

  “Witches sometimes have certain gifts that go along with their magic. The Moonshadow line produces healers with a stray empath or two. My family? We have the sight.”

  “You mean like a psychic?”

  She shrugged. “Something like that. And it’s not just Priscilla who’s coming here. I couldn’t see exactly who she was traveling with, but they were red.”

  Red like the glow on his enchanted sword?

  “Nightwalkers?” Adam confirmed.

  Virginia nodded. “Man-eaters, too. The vamps closing in on Wolf’s Creek with the rogue witch aren’t just for show. She brings death with her.”

  “Yeah,” echoed Wolfe, with more relish to his hoarse, raspy voice than should be possible. “And we’ll be ready for it.”

  17

  It was closing in on midnight when Virginia peeked up from the rune stones and cut diamonds cupped in her palm and announced in a calm voice, “She’s coming.”

  Colt immediately warned Shea to stay back near the house. If they needed her abilities, she could leave her post; a healer, not a fighter, her mate agreed she could stay so long as she was as far from the inevitable confrontation as possible.

  Wolfe loped out to the middle of the street, his brother on his heels. Travis moved near Virginia, covering the witch as she focused on her palm.

  Adam cracked his neck, rolling it on his shoulders. He bounced in place, ready to burn off some of the anxious energy that had been running through him since he got the phone call.

  He wanted to protect Eva. That privilege belonged to her mate, belonged to Wolfe, and he wouldn’t step on the big shifter’s toes when it came to that. But even
if she wasn’t his girlfriend any longer, she was still his friend—and he couldn’t get past his guilt over her condition getting out there. If he hadn’t brought Tabby to Wolf’s Creek in the first place, if he had realized the need to emphasize that Evangeline’s pregnancy should be kept a secret, maybe this wouldn’t be happening at all.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he spied his slayer. He nearly told her to wait with Shea before realizing that that would never work. For one reason, she was only there because Wolfe reluctantly agreed that a slayer might come in handy. For another, she’d probably bust a gut laughing at him if he finally broke his silence by telling her what to do.

  Adam continued to keep his mouth shut.

  And he waited.

  It was dark, the gloom broken up by sporadic street lamps dotted around the curve of the cul de sac. It was early June, the air humid and heavy, warm despite the late hour. The moon hung heavy in the deep, dark midnight sky, a twinkling of stars the only audience as the seven of them watched for the witch’s approach.

  She came alone at first.

  Priscilla Winters was a knock-out. Standing tall, with a slender yet luscious body, skin the color of a deep caramel, and hair as black as pitch, she reminded Adam of some kind of Egyptian goddess. Beneath the moonlight, she seemed to glow a gentle purple color, matching the shocking color of her witch’s eyes.

  She brought the sweet scent of baby powder on the air with her as she moved, as well as a cloying, sickly undertone that had him snuffling through his nose.

  A witch, but an evil one. The scent of black magic clung to her like an unholy miasma.

  Adam never met her before but, without a doubt, this woman had to be Priscilla.

  With a gesture, Nightwalkers spilled out of the woods. At least ten, though they moved so quickly, Adam wasn’t sure his count was right at first. And then, when he recognized the lead vampire who took his place at Priscilla’s left side, it didn’t matter how many corpses showed up.

  He only had eyes for one.

  Rafe.

  There was no way Adam was expecting this. Even when Virginia warned that Priscilla was bringing Nightwalkers with her, it never occurred to him that his… his nemesis would be one of them.