What I wouldn’t give to have listened to Deck Derbin.
He was right. Hell means having to live without the woman you love.
I breezed straight through town on a mission to get to the colony as soon as possible. It was mid-morning when I pulled up to the gates. Someone had forgotten to remove the auto gate opener from the car because it swung inward on my approach. That was a lucky break. Apparently nobody told the guard not to let me in either. He waved as I went through.
In two minutes I was parked in front of our house. Or rather, what was left of our house. There was no front door. The windows were all blown out. The columns were gone and the pristine white walls were covered with soot and ash. It had burned and, from the look of it, it wasn’t a small fire.
I was sitting on the hood of the car staring at the ruin, thinking that Rave must have been devastated to the core to destroy the house she loved, when I heard the rumble of a motorcycle. Raider pulled in front of me. He killed his motor, but didn’t get off his bike. His face looked completely impassive.
“What’re you doing here, Will?”
“I live here, Raider.”
“Not anymore.”
“That’s not what my contract says. My contract says I’m promised to Ravish Wimberley for a year and a day. That’s eight more days. What happened here?”
“Guess.”
“She burned the place down.”
“How is it you’re here? How is it you remember?”
I swung my gaze from the ruin of my house to Raider. “True love.”
He barked out a scoffing laugh. “When you walked away, it didn’t look much like true love to me.”
“That’s because I was blinded by idiocy. Now I’m not. And I’m back. To stay.”
“To stay,” he repeated flatly.
“What makes you think she’d want you back?”
“If she’s feeling the way I’m feeling, she’ll find a way to forgive me.”
“What if she’s not feeling the way you’re feeling?”
“Then I’m doomed. Where is she?”
“Camping. On the preserve. I don’t know exactly where.” His eyes drifted to the Boxster. “She’s in rugged territory. You’re not going to find her in that car.”
After considering the wisdom of that, I said, “What do you suggest?”
“Why should I want to help you?”
“I saved your life.”
That got me the faintest ghost of a smile. “There’s a Jeep dealership in San Marcos. It’s only twenty minutes away.”
“Come on. Leave the car. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Ride bitch holding on to your ugly carcass? For twenty whole minutes?”
“You want your woman back or not?”
I hopped off the hood. “Let’s go.”
“I’m givin’ you a head start here. If Rave’s family finds out you’re back before she can protect you, you could end up one of those flat iron frogs on the highway.”
“Thanks. I’ll owe you one.”
“You’re also gonna need some serious hardware to break the lock on the preserve gate.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll get that while you’re horse tradin’ at the dealership.”
I nodded. “Thanks, again, Raider. You’re a good friend.”
“Yeah? Well, try not to forget it so easy again, hero.”
Twenty five minutes later I was standing in the Jeep dealership in San Marcos telling them I needed to walk away with something in stock. They had a seventy-fifth anniversary limited edition 4x4 with every imaginable bell and whistle. It was a gorgeous deep maroon and I knew on sight that Rave would love it.
I paid with my black American Express that still had nine days to expiration and waited in the parking lot for Raider to return with a lock buster. He stopped next to me, pulled the monstrous thing out of his saddlebag, and said. “Good luck.”
“Thanks. This was a good suggestion. She’s gonna love this car.”
He gave a little salute and headed back to Wimberley with a wide arc U turn.
I stopped by the florist for a purple orchid then stopped by the convenience store for a Styrofoam cooler, ice, and Rave’s favorite wine coolers. I thought it would be a good idea to show up with something more romantic than just a new Jeep.
An hour and a half later I’d found her campsite, but not her. I was parked and waiting. When she hadn’t shown up after five hours, I plundered her camp to find a protein bar. I was in the middle of scarfing it down when she pulled up in a Jeep that was so caked with thick mud it would have been impossible to tell what color it was underneath. But the top was down.
She stopped the car next to me.
“You break the lock?” she asked. Her expression was set, her eyes were hard.
“Yes,” I said.
“You steal my protein bar?”
“Yes,” I answered. I stepped over to the shiny new Jeep. “But I brought you a new car.” I reached into the passenger side and came up with a purple orchid. “And this.”
She looked the Jeep over. “It’s nice.”
“I also brought your fav wine coolers.”
“What are you doing here, Will?”
“Asking you to take me back.”
Her eyes widened. “How do you even remember? Harmony wiped you.”
I took a step toward her, but sidestepped the question. “I remember everything including the fact that I’m an asshole.”
She raised her chin. “You are.” She agreed. “If that’s an apology, then I accept. Now take your wine coolers and go.”
“Can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“Can’t go.”
“Why not?”
“Well, two reasons. First, I love you. Second, I’m under contract until All Hallows.” I locked her eyes to mine and said, “As. Are. You.”
“So what?”
“On November first, I plan to renew. Forever.”
“It’s too late for that, Will. You don’t believe in love. Remember?”
“That was idiot Will. Idiot Will is dead. The Will who knows what’s good for him knows he can’t live without you. And this Will definitely believes in love.”
She stared for so long I was starting to squirm like a worm underneath her gaze.
“I can’t just switch my emotions on again and off again, Will. You hurt me.”
I took another step toward her. “Let me make it up to you.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“You can tie me to the bed and tickle me with feathers?”
The line between her brows smoothed out and I saw the tiniest smile playing on her beautiful lips.
“I can’t make you go away because you’re right. You do still have a contract. I don’t know how you managed to remember that, but I don’t have to love you or take care of you.”
“See. Here’s the thing I found out about love. You don’t get to decide whether you do or you don’t. Love decides for you. You don’t have to love me, but you do.” She looked away. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Rave. Sorry I hurt us both, but I’m really sorry for causing you pain. If I could undo it, I would. If you take me back, I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
“That’s an awful big promise.”
“I’ve got an awful big feeling for you.” I took another step toward her, which brought me within arm’s length. “I saw the house. It made my heart hurt.”
She looked down and sniffed. “You made me cry.”
“I know.” I closed the distance between us and she let me put my arms around her. “You didn’t deserve that. What you deserve is adoration.” I kissed her cheeks and her chin and her forehead, wiped away the single tear that trailed down her face. “You know how I know you love me?”
“How?”
“Glory told me I was leaving with five thousand dollars, my clothes, and a car. She didn’t say anything about a black American Express card.”
Rave t
urned her head. “I wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”
I smiled. “I feel taken care of right now, with you pressed close to me.” I felt her body relax against me. “So. We’re living in a tent?”
“I didn’t agree to live anywhere with you.”
“Okay. I’ll sleep outside the tent then.”
“It’s going to rain.”
“How do you know?”
“Because if you sleep outside the tent I’m going to ask Deli to make it rain.”
“Really? I’d better go back to town and get some plastic garbage bags.”
“Do what you want.”
She put the Jeep in reverse and left me standing there holding an orchid.
I drove into town and bought a box of garbage bags and a bucket of fried chicken. When she came back at sundown, I was sitting on garbage bags eating a wing.
“What are you doing?”
“Sitting outside the tent eating chicken.”
“You’re not really going to sleep outside the tent.”
“Yes. I am. I’m going to be as close to you as you will allow.”
She cocked her head and looked at the bucket. “Can I have a breast?”
I looked inside the round carton to see what was left. “I might have one. Extra crispy. You can have it if you let me come inside the tent.” She blinked slowly. “With you.”
“You can’t come inside the tent with me.”
“Well, what are you offering then?”
“I can put the house back together.”
I leaned back and looked into her face. “You can?”
“Are you staying?”
“Until one of us passes from this life, I’m here. I’m yours. Completely.”
“You can’t sleep with me until after you make it real. If you sign the forever contract. Until then you have to stay in the guest room.”
“Whatever you say.”
She searched my face for a full minute. When she was satisfied with what she saw, she said, “Let’s go home.”
She pulled out her phone and made a call. I heard her say, “Come back to work.”
I helped her take down the campsite and stow everything in the muddy Jeep.
While we were working, I said, “Can I sign the permanent contract now?”
She smiled. “Now you’re in a hurry?”
“Well, yeah.” I smiled. “I have several powerful motivations.”
“Not until All Hallows.”
I groaned. “What about kissing?”
She was silent for a long time. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
I gave her the keys to the new Jeep and followed her back to the colony in the one that was so covered with mud I could barely see out the windshield.
The Boxster was still sitting on the street in front of our house, only the house was completely restored to its former beauty. A year ago I would have said such a thing was impossible, but that was before I learned what it meant to be consort to a Wimberley witch.
She parked the new Jeep in the garage and I left the muddy one out on the driveway. Ed could deal with it later.
“How did you manage to be here with two cars?” she asked.
“Raider gave me a ride to San Marcos to buy you a new Jeep.”
“Raider,” she said shaking her head.
She pulled out her phone and made another call. “I’m home. Will is back. He’s staying. Let everybody know.” Pause. “I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we’re having a party the last day of this month.” Pause. “Okay. Call Mom first. Bye.”
I walked around the end of the Jeep and allowed her to kiss me stupid.
“Welcome home.” She smiled.
I rested my forehead against hers. “This is home. Right here.”
She put her finger to my lips. “Where’s my chicken breast?”
“Safe and sound.”
“I’m eating. Then I’m taking a bath. I’ve been camping for days.”
I sat on the floor next to the tub where Ravish was soaking. It was pure torture, but when it comes to my prize, I’m a glutton for punishment.
I said, “What do you think happens after we die?”
“I think our spirits go to Summerland.”
“What if spirits don’t leave?”
“It’s unfortunate, but it happens sometimes.”
“Is there any way to, I don’t know, help a spirit leave? I’ve read about it being done.”
“Yes. Sometimes. Prissy might be able to do it. Why?”
“Deck Durbin’s ghost. He tried really hard to stop me from leaving. As part of making amends, I’d like to help him move on. I think what he wants is to be where Pleasant is. He says hell is living without her, knowing he’ll never see her again.”
She smiled. “That’s pretty romantic, Will.”
I shrugged. “I just know how it feels to be separated from the person you love. I can’t imagine being in that state for centuries.”
She splashed water on her throat and said, “Okay. I’ll call her. Leave so I can get out of the tub.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“You said no sleeping with you until the forever ceremony. You didn’t say no looking.” She laughed. “You also didn’t say no fucking.”
“So you’re a lawyer now?”
I shook my head. “No. Just a very horny guy who’s desperately in love with you.”
“You’re really staying?”
“Till death and even then I hope we’re not parted.”
She grabbed my shirt and pulled me into the tub with her where she proceeded to make major compromises on what constituted ‘sleeping’ before All Hallows.
On October thirty-first, we had a party at our house for close friends and family. I swore on my honor, my soul, and my love for Ravish, that wild horses and mad demons could not drag me away from her again. Not in this life or the next. I give thanks every day that she believed me.
EPIOLOGUE
The first time Simon saw me after I came back he punched me in the face. He didn’t break my nose, but he did split my lip. I hadn’t realized our friendship meant so much to him.
The ritual to send Derbin’s ghost to the hereafter became a community-wide event. Not everybody could see him, but those of us who could agreed that he left smiling.
As for me, I was a very enthusiastic participant in the next year’s Orientation video. I finished my degree at U.T. Now I do guest lectures on paranormal studies.
A few years later I became mayor of Wimberley. You might say I’m the colony’s most devoted resident. I spend every day trying to make sure that Rave never regrets giving me another chance.
Among other things, I changed my mind about children. We have a beautiful daughter named Mistral and another on the way. Who knew that the sexiest thing in the world is seeing your woman’s belly swell with your progeny? Damn. We may have a big, big family.
Yes. We visit Fairhope a couple of times a year.
Yes. My mother got a Porsche Spyder Boxster for Mother’s Day, custom painted her signature turquoise. She’s the best. The very best.
ALSO BY VICTORIA DANANN:
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Knights of Black Swan 2, The Witch’s Dream
Knights of Black Swan 3, A Summoner’s Tale
Knights of Black Swan 4, Moonlight
Knights of Black Swan 5, Gathering Storm
Knights of Black Swan 6, A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Knights of Black Swan 7, Solomon’s Sieve
An Order of the Black Swan Novel Prince of Demons
Knights of Black Swan 8, Vampire Hunter
Knights of Black Swan 9, Journey Man
Knights of Black Swan 10 (2016)
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Exiled 2. CRAVE
Exiled 3, CHARMING (July 2016)
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bsp; THE WEREWOLVES
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New Scotia Pack 2, Wolf Lover: Konochur
New Scotia Pack 3, Cinead, Born of Fire (2016)
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CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Sons of Sanctuary MC, Book 1. Two Princes
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Links to all Victoria’s books can be found here…
www.VictoriaDanann.com
Links to all Victoria’s books can be found here…
www.VictoriaDanann.com
Victoria Danann
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
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