“Christ, you are so damn bossy!”
“Yep.”
“And it’s really annoying.”
“So I’ve heard.” He leaned over and licked each nipple. She groaned and he smiled. “An hour, Emma. We’ve got an hour to play.” He gave her a light push back to the mattress. “So keep that adorable ass right where it is till I’m done with it.”
Twelve
Emma stepped out of Kyle’s SUV and closed the door, but she leaned back through the open window.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need you baby-sitting me.”
Kyle frowned, looking around at the nearly deserted streets. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wait at the house?”
“Yeah. I’m sure. I’m just going to get some breakfast, or it might be more of a brunch.”
“All right.” That frown on his face seemed to be getting worse and worse, but she had no idea why. “But don’t go wandering around without me.”
“Why?”
He stared at her. “Why what?”
“Why don’t you want me wandering around without you?”
“You ask a lot of damn questions.”
“Yeah, and you never answer them.”
Quiet for a long moment, staring off down the street, Kyle seemed to finally come to some conclusion. “Tonight.”
“Tonight what?”
“Tonight I’ll answer your questions. Tonight I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“O…kay.”
“Don’t panic on me yet.”
“Government experiment,” she whispered.
Kyle’s frown deepened even more. “Again with that?”
She shook her head. “Forget it.”
“Good. Now come here and kiss me.”
Chuckling, Emma lifted herself up so she hung half in and half out of his SUV window. Kyle leaned across the seats and kissed her, his mouth warm and delicious. She loved how he kissed her. Like he actually enjoyed it. Like he could do it for hours if she let him. Which was why it took her a good twenty seconds to realize he was slowly pulling her back into the SUV.
“Oh, no.” She pulled away laughing. “I’m hungry…” His eyebrow peaked. “For food!”
“Fine. Be that way.”
“I will.” She again stood safely on the outside of the SUV. “Go to your meeting, you’re already late.”
“All right. You got my cell phone?” She held the small black device up. He’d handed it to her and told her to use Tully’s number to contact him. “Call me if you need me. Okay?”
She knew he meant it, and that felt really nice. She nodded. “I will.”
Before Kyle walked into the Smithville Junior High classroom where the Elders held their monthly meetings, he felt damn good. Emma, with her quirky sense of humor and slightly obsessive nature, turned out to be quite the match for his cranky-cat personality. She constantly made him smile, and when she irritated him, she still made him smile.
In short, the woman rubbed up against him in the nicest way possible.
Of course, if she hadn’t gotten him all sappy with images of all the things he planned to do to her tonight, he might have seen all this coming. But he walked into that room completely unprepared.
“Well, boy?” his father demanded.
Kyle stopped in the doorway and stared. “Well, what?”
“Did you do it?”
Concerned what his father might actually be asking him, Kyle looked to Tully and Bear, both standing off in a corner. The look his brother gave him had the hairs on his neck standing up, and he started to feel angry before he even knew why.
“Did I do what, Daddy?”
“Did you send that little witch packing?”
Emma kept her head down, read her magazine, and ate her breakfast. She knew they were all watching her, she simply didn’t know why. Had they never seen a half-Chinese woman before? Or maybe it was because she was the smallest adult woman in town. Whatever the reason, she didn’t like it.
The fist slamming down on her table had Emma almost flying out of her chair. She looked up into a slightly familiar face. Maybe one of the nurses at the hospital? Then Emma realized the woman wore the black baseball cap, T-shirt, and jeans that seemed to be the uniform for the town’s sheriff’s department, although the baseball cap was a tad too big for that head.
“Don’t y’all have something else to do?”
It took Emma a moment to realize the woman wasn’t speaking to her, but behind her. Emma looked over her shoulder and stared at the three…uh…men? Yeah. Very femme men.
“We were only trying to be neighborly,” one said, and the other two gave high-pitched giggles that Emma found extremely disturbing.
“Go away, Mary Lou Reynolds, or I’ll make you cry again.”
Holy shit! This is a woman?
Emma tried not to look surprised and then she tried not to rear back as the woman leaned over her chair slightly and gave a seriously unholy grin. It seemed wider than normal.
“So, tell us, darlin’. Is it true what they say about Kyle Treharne? Is he the wild ride we’ve always heard? Or were you a little too tame for him?”
Nope. She didn’t know what to say to that. Emma didn’t have confrontations. Hell, people barely noticed she breathed, much less got in her face. She could toss a spell, but the satisfaction would be fleeting. Especially if they decided to burn her at the stake or something.
So Emma merely stared and wished her Coven were around. They did all the ass-kicking when necessary, and Emma lied to the police. A very symbiotic relationship.
But as she watched a pepper shaker fly past her and slam right in the middle of the woman’s forehead, she realized that sometimes help came from the strangest places.
Mary Lou screeched and grabbed her forehead while the other two women—or whatever—giggled hysterically.
“Now, listen up,” the female deputy barked. “First off, never mess with the tourists. And second, don’t ever talk about my brother again. Either one. Don’t even breathe around them. Or they’ll be finding parts of you around town for decades.”
Interesting. Based on what Emma knew of the law, threatening bodily harm in front of witnesses…not really a good thing. Of course, ’round here, phone stealin’ is a hangin’ offense.
“Now get out of my sight.”
The three women, after a little more glaring, skulked off. And it was definitely “skulky.”
The deputy pulled out the chair and dropped into it. Literally. Kind of like a load of bricks, she sort of landed in the seat. “Sorry about that, darlin’. Some people just don’t know any better.”
“It’s okay,” Emma finally managed.
“My name is Katie Treharne-MacClancy. I’m Kyle and Tully’s baby sister. You look cute in my way-too-big-for-you clothes, by the way.”
Emma glanced down at the oversized white T-shirt and enormous blue boxer shorts she had on. Kyle had given her these when her sweat clothes suddenly went missing from his living-room floor. “Thanks.” She motioned to the now-empty chairs behind her. “And thanks for that.”
“No problem. It’s part of my job. Besides, I hate those bitches. Just downright mean. But all their kind is.”
Emma blinked. Their kind? Funny, they all looked white to her.
“Lord, you sure are a little thing. I can see why Kyle’s keeping you close.”
Once again, not sure what to say, Emma gave a small shrug.
“Kind of shy, too, huh? I used to be shy. Sort of. Okay, not really.” Katie grinned, and Emma saw Tully’s grin with Kyle’s eyes. A very nice mix on a woman.
“So,” and Katie took a sausage off Emma’s plate, the way Kyle had, “you in love with my big brother or what?”
Emma stared at the pretty woman. And she kept staring.
“Lord, girl. You look like a deer caught in headlights.”
Emma cleared her throat. “Kyle and I barely know each other.”
“’Round here that don’t count for much. You
’ll find the people of Smithville make up their minds right quick. We see something and we just go for it. Like a cheetah after a zebra.”
An interesting analogy that had the table of men next to them laughing.
Katie winked at the men and smiled at Emma. “Come on, darlin’. I’ll show you around our fair town. You might find it very interesting.”
Her appetite gone, Emma pushed her plate away. “I think I already do.”
“You said they were evil.”
Miss Sophie sighed. “You never listen, do you, Jack Treharne? I said, they worshipped the Dark Mothers. I did not say they were evil.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Trust me when I say there’s a very big difference.” Miss Sophie glanced at her sister. “All of you need to face it. Our Coven is gone. And every day, Addie and I get weaker.”
“There are other Covens,” Bear’s momma, Gwen, cut in. “From good Southern families.”
“Who?” Tully asked. “The hippies? You can stand that smell? ’Cause I can’t.”
“We could ask them to bathe,” Miss Gwen offered hopefully, “and ask ’em not to wear that pawhatsit oil.”
“Patchouli, Momma,” Bear laughed. “It’s called patchouli oil.”
“Well,” Kyle’s daddy groused, “they gotta be better than these devil worshippers.”
Finally Miss Adelaide slammed her hand down. “None of you are listening. This isn’t up for debate. This isn’t something we can go off and think about for ten years while you all fight for territory and a hunk of zebra carcass. Times have changed, and this town must change with it if it hopes to stay the same. There’s evil at our borders, and it will get in. This Coven, they could be our only hope.”
Kyle sighed. “I’ve seen Emma…protect herself. She’s powerful, but I don’t think she’s as powerful as you seem to think she is, Miss Addie.”
“On their own, they’re powerful, Kyle.” Miss Sophie rubbed her forehead, clearly tired. Twenty years ago she’d been spry and strong, but her age had caught up with her. “But it’s the coven working as one that makes them the allies we need. Together they can protect this town from those covens you don’t want anywhere near this place. Covens who make them seem downright cuddly.”
“Why would some Yankees wanna stay here?” Jack pushed, clearly not willing to give up the fight on this. “Especially a bunch of New Yorkers.”
Miss Addie snorted. “How could they resist all this Southern charm?”
“And the first Smithville settlers landed right here in 1610.”
Emma frowned up at Katie. She had to frown up because the woman was huge. “In 1610? I thought the first U.S. settlers didn’t land on Plymouth Rock until 1620 or so.”
Katie shrugged. “We don’t make a big deal of it, but we were here first.”
With a nod, Katie started trudging back over the sand. “Come on. I’ll take you over to the Smithville museum.” She turned and faced Emma while walking backward. “I think there are some old photos there you’ll find very interesting. Then we can go shopping. Tiffany’s having a sale.”
“Smithville has a Tiffany’s?”
“Sure. Don’t you have one in New York?”
She fought the urge to say, “Yeah, but it’s New York,” because she knew how snobby that would sound. Instead she said, “Oh. Yeah.”
Emma really didn’t know what the hell was going on, but she couldn’t shake Katie or the feeling Katie wanted to show her something. Needed her to understand something. Emma tried to hint at her government experiment theory, but Katie only stared at her.
Trying her best to keep up with the much taller woman’s long strides, Emma studied her. Although beautiful, the woman still looked like she could lift a Hummer over her head for laughs. Emma had always thought Mac had a strong body, but Mac and Katie had one big difference.
Mac didn’t make Emma nervous.
Not that she thought Katie would do anything, but the potential to do something lay right under the woman’s skin. It didn’t escape Emma, either, that she’d felt the same way when she met Kyle and Tully. Something raw and predatory she couldn’t quite put her finger on. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized everyone in town had the same vibe flowing through them.
A quick jaunt back onto Main Street in Katie’s truck, and they soon pulled up in front of the Smithville County Museum.
Like all the county buildings in Smithville, Emma now realized, the museum reeked of old money and powerful influence. Lots of marble and Italian tile. When Emma noticed they had a whole wing dedicated to Pollock, Monet, and Van Gogh—originals, no less—she knew she was way out of her league financially in this town. Although she did have a framed Monet poster on her hallway wall.
“Now, you could spend a couple of days really exploring this museum, but I thought I’d show you this wing. It’s my favorite. It’s all about the history and whatnot of my town.”
Politely, even though convinced she’d be bored out of her mind, Emma walked down the hall, glancing at the extremely old pictures. Some clearly dating back to the late 1800s. As her eyes passed each photo, she suddenly stopped and took a step back, staring intently at the shot of six women dressed in ceremonial robes. She recognized the emblem on their clothes from one of her history of witchcraft books. An old, powerful coven, they worshipped Artemis mostly, disappearing around 1892 or so. Except the photo was dated 1905.
Yet even that wasn’t what caught Emma’s interest. It was the big lion pride asleep in the background. Emma leaned in closer to see if they had superimposed the images or something. Then she realized one of the male lions had his tail wrapped around one of the witch’s ankles…and the witch didn’t seem to mind.
Emma, heart slamming against her rib cage, took several steps over to another photo, dated 1958. She recognized Miss Sophie and Miss Adelaide immediately. Extremely young and not too bad looking, they sat on the beach with their coven as well as two male lions, a cheetah, a leopard, and a hyena. Not surprisingly, the hyena had his head in Miss Adelaide’s lap, while one of the lions rested his majestic head on Miss Sophie’s shoulder.
Then it hit her, like a shovel to the back of the head. Pirate dog.
That wolf in Kyle’s picture had been posing. He’d probably been saying “cheese” too.
“Witches aren’t the only ones who must be silent, Emma.” Katie stood next to Emma now, speaking quietly. “Secrets are what keep this town safe.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“You know why, Emma.”
Without another word, Emma turned and headed for the exit.
“Emma, wait.”
She barely heard Katie’s voice through the screaming in her head. Suddenly everything made sense. Every growl, purr, snarl…and hiss.
It also explained why Kyle could traipse in and out of her dreams so damn easily.
Emma stormed out of the museum and headed blindly down the street. She would have kept going too, straight back to Long Island, if that hand hadn’t grabbed hold of her arm and swung her around.
“Hello, pretty little Emma.” The creepy heifer from the diner. “Don’t run off. We only want to talk.”
With a roll of her eyes, Emma snatched her arm back and marched off. But fingers grabbed at her again.
Emma didn’t even think about it, she spun around and let a spell fly, realizing too late that the one grabbing her arm had been Katie. In horror, she watched Katie fly back and slam into the store front windows of a Gucci store.
Glass exploded out and sprayed across the sidewalk. Some of the people on the street ducked to avoid the spray, but none of them ran. None of them screamed. They only waited until the glass settled, and then they all turned and stared at Emma.
It was the snarling, though…the snarling and the growling and the palpitating anger swirling around her that convinced Emma she’d just made a very bad mistake.
“I’ll tell her the truth tonight. I was planning to anyway. And then
she and her Coven can decide.”
His father threw his hands up in exasperation. “Tell them who we are before we find out if they’re staying? Have you lost your mind?”
“She won’t say anything.”
“How do you know? You barely know this woman.”
“I know her enough.”
“Have you marked her, Kyle?” Miss Gwen asked softly.
“No. I won’t do that until she knows the truth. Until I know it’s what she wants.”
“You’re a fool, boy,” his father snapped. “Risking this town and your kin on this one woman.”
“Just like you did when you were chasing after my momma,” Tully murmured.
“That’s not the same.”
“It’s not? Some Smith Packs were ready to kill her for getting involved with you. A cat. Lord knows, I wasn’t happy. My momma risked her life to be with you, old man. And don’t you ever forget it.”
Kyle’s father finally calmed down, looking sufficiently chastised by Tully. A few factions of the Smith Packs were notoriously unstable. So although Tully’s momma wasn’t a Smith by blood, she still had one of Buck Smith’s sons. A meaner Alpha bastard few of them knew. He’d threatened more than once to take Tully from her when he found out Jack and Millie were mated and, even more appalling, married. But the town had protected them. No matter the infighting, the town always protected its own.
“Why don’t you go get her, Kyle,” Miss Gwen said softly. “Get her and when you’re ready, tell her the truth. We’ll decide what to do from there.”
Kyle nodded. “Yes’m.”
Walking toward the door, Tully behind him, Kyle heard Miss Gwen snap, “And, Jack Treharne, why don’t you take your ornery ass home. Maybe that female of yours can calm you down!”
Kyle and Tully had enough respect for their father not to start laughing until they walked outside.
Emma backed up as they moved toward her. They’d…changed, going from human to predator in about sixty seconds or so, shaking off designer clothes while jewelry snapped off wrists and necks and littered the ground.
No, these weren’t some cursed “were-animals” or a crazy government experiment. These were a perfectly blended hybrid of human and animal created by nature.
Sun, Sand, Sex Page 23
