“Breathe, dammit,” Luke shouted behind her, as the werewolves continued CPR, trying in vain to bring James back to life.
Odette stroked her thumb across her soulmate’s cheek and gently pushed the spirits together. “What hate and greed fractured, let love mend.”
The spirits glowed, bright golden light surrounding them both as they joined into one. As the light subsided, only James remained, a complete soul, ready to be reborn whole.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I promise I’ll find you in the next life.”
Odette shook her head. “I’m not living another minute without you by my side.”
“What?” He reached for her, but she withdrew her magic, and his arm passed through her. “Odette.”
“I’m ready, Baron Samedi. Take me.”
“You can’t… He won’t let you die.” Panic creased James’s forehead. “Noah! Cade, stop her!” His friends couldn’t hear his screams.
Odette swayed, letting an imaginary rhythm guide her movements as if she were dancing at a ritual. She spun and stomped, lifting her hands to the sky and clapping out a beat. Calling on her met tet to take her.
“Are you okay?” Noah hesitated in the doorway, his arched brow and concerned gaze indicating he thought she’d clearly gone insane.
“Are you going to keep your promise? Do anything I ask?” Her rhythm increased with the vibrating energy pulsing through her. Baron Samedi’s presence pressed harder on her shoulders, giving her one last chance to change her mind, but she was doing this. Fear was no longer an option, and the block she had created all those years ago dissolved with her determination.
“Yeah.” Noah shuffled into the room. “What do you need?”
“Get ready to catch me.” She took a deep breath and invited the loa inside her.
An electric shock ricocheted through her body, paralyzing her. She collapsed into Noah’s arms, and he guided her to a chair.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” He straightened her head and situated her feet flat on the floor.
She tried to speak. To tell him her met tet had possessed her, but she had no control of her body. Instead, her eyes opened wide, and her lips curved into what felt like a Cheshire grin. Her body rose against her will, Baron Samedi in complete control, and she sauntered toward the altar.
Picking up the small bottle of rum, she uncapped it and tossed back the contents. The liquor warmed her throat, and she expected a light-headed sensation to form, but she felt no effects from the drink.
Her gaze locked on the top hat sitting atop the fabricated skull, and her hand reached toward it, her finger brushing the brim. All of her senses remained intact. She was like a puppet, the master residing in her own head.
Her hands trailed down her sides and up her stomach to cup her breasts. “Nice,” her voice said aloud. “If I had access to a body like this, I’d never leave the bedroom.” She glanced at James’s ghost. “You’re a lucky man,” the Baron made her say with his Haitian accent.
She put on the hat and sunglasses and took a cigar from the mantel. “Tell your friends to stop. Whether he lives or dies is up to me.”
“Uh, guys.” Noah waved a hand, his brow creased in concern. “She said to stop.”
“Bullshit.” Luke continued the chest compressions.
“I said stop!” Her commanding voice rose above the noise, and Luke froze with his hands on James’s chest. Though it was impossible to tell where her magic ended and Baron Samedi’s began, that power had felt like her own. “Not bad,” the Baron made her say, clearly impressed with her ability.
James’s spirit floated in front of her. “Baron Samedi.” He bowed his head and pressed his hands together in prayer. “Please don’t take Odette. She deserves to live a full life.”
“I gave her this life. Don’t you think I know that, son?” He made her head turn. “Noah, go to the kitchen and get me a decent-sized bottle of rum. This flask ain’t gonna do it. And I need a sprig of rosemary, some betel nut, anise seed, and henbane. And a cup of water.”
Had she been in control of her body, her heart would have been racing. Not only could Baron Samedi move and speak through her, but he had access to her knowledge, her memories too. And the combination of herbs he’d requested would be lethal for anyone to ingest.
“Yes, ma’am.” Noah scurried to the kitchen.
“Bring his body in here by my altar.” She stepped aside, and Luke and Cade obeyed, carrying James into the room and laying him on the floor.
Alexis followed, and the Baron sidled next to her. “Hey there, sweet thing.”
“What the hell?” Alexis stared into her eyes, squinting her own as the realization hit. “Guys, I don’t think Odette is here right now.” She snapped her fingers in front of Odette’s face, and Baron Samedi made her grin widen. “Who are you?”
“I’m Death, of course. Who did you expect?” Baron Samedi laughed and settled Odette’s form on the floor next to James’s body, James’s spirit hovering by her side.
“Here’s everything you asked for.” Noah put the ingredients on the floor next to her.
James covered the herbs with his hands. “That combination will kill her. You can’t drink that.”
The Baron reached her hand through the spirit and picked up the henbane. “The woman wants to spend forever by your side, man. Stop complaining.” Breaking the root apart, she dropped it into the cup of water. “Where’s my rum?”
“It’s here.” Noah handed it to her. “I couldn’t carry it all.”
“When you’re in the presence of a Ghede, boy, the rum always comes first.” She unscrewed the cap and sucked down a third of the bottle. Surely now she’d feel the effects. If she’d been the one doing the swallowing, she’d have gagged. Thrown up all over the floor. Instead, she wiped her mouth and set the bottle down, feeling nothing but a tingle on her tongue. “That’s more like it.”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and the room vibrated with energy. The werewolves moved closer, encroaching on the sacred space Baron Samedi was creating, so she opened one eye and flicked a hand. “Go stand by the wall, all of you.”
So much power filled her words not even the alpha argued. They all shuffled to the wall and stood obediently, their gazes trained on James’s body lying on the floor.
She settled back into a trance, and her mouth began forming words she didn’t understand. A chant in Haitian Creole flowed from her lips, but she didn’t need to comprehend the syllables. The power building in her core was unmistakable.
Her body swaying from side to side, she rubbed her hands together, the friction building a heat almost unbearable on her skin. Pressing her hands to James’s forehead, the ancient energy flowed through her arms and into his body, a connection forming between them as thick and strong as an iron cable running from her heart to his.
As the heat on her skin subsided, she crushed the remaining herbs and dropped them into the water before placing a piece of betel nut over both of James’s eyes. Another Haitian prayer rolled off her tongue, more magic building in her core.
The calmness Baron Samedi exuded over her body was killing her. She needed her heart to race, her hands to tremble, her lungs to expel a scream. Anything to release the pressure inside her. If the Baron called on another ounce of magic, she would explode.
Reaching a steady hand to the cup, she picked it up, and James’s spirit tried in vain to knock it from her grip.
Ghostly tears filled his eyes as he clutched his hands in front of his chest. “Please, Baron, I’m begging you. Spare her life.”
A wry smile curved her lips, and she tossed the contents onto James’s lifeless face. As the mixture splashed across his skin, a searing sensation ripped through her body, Baron Samedi taking his leave. Her stomach lurched as she collapsed onto her back, her vision tunneling until darkness consumed her.
Chapter Nineteen
James gasped, his quick inhale sucking the Voodoo concoction into his nostrils. The mixture burned and
rolled to the back of his throat, causing a coughing fit to wrack his chest. A commotion ensued around him, and the sound of shoes shuffling on the wood and his name being called repeatedly grated in his ears, making his head pound.
He rolled to his side and sputtered the last of the liquid from his orifices before opening his eyes. Odette lay next to him, her arm draped across her forehead, her eyes closed.
The pounding in his head subsided, and he registered the activity around him. Noah knelt by his side, resting his hand on his shoulder. “James? Are you okay? Is that…are you you?”
He blinked and turned his head toward his friend, squinting through his blurred vision. He was breathing, wasn’t he? And awake. Why the hell were they so concerned with him when Odette lay unconscious on the floor?
Turning back to his fate-bound, he cupped her face in his hand, running his thumb across her soft cheek. Was she herself? That was the obvious question his friends should have been asking, and he’d tell them so if he could find his voice.
Odette stirred beneath his touch, nuzzling into his hand, a tiny smile playing on her lips. A very Odette-like smile. Cool relief flushed through his chest. Baron Samedi wouldn’t nuzzle against him like this.
“James.” Concern filled the alpha’s voice, but James didn’t miss the irritation edging his tone. Luke would want answers, though he’d probably figured most of it out by now.
He braced his forearm against the floor, propping himself up.
Luke rushed toward him. “Lie down for a while. You were dead for a good ten minutes.”
“I’m fine.” He pushed to sitting and rubbed a hand across his chest. He was better than fine. More life surged through his veins than he’d ever felt before. He held his hand up, and the collective gasp added to his own astonishment. He held the other hand up and turned them both over several times. He had all ten fingers. “How the hell?”
Odette really had made him whole, just like she’d promised.
A soft mmm emanated from her throat, and she rolled to her side, blinking her eyes open. With a small gasp, she sat up, clutching her head as she swayed. “James.” She threw herself into his arms, climbing into his lap and burying her face in his neck.
Her magic danced across his skin, mingling with his with an intensity he’d never felt before. A shared connection, like she was actually a part of him now. He tightened his arms around her, soaking her in, the emotions compressing in his chest, expanding into an ache that consumed him. Mine, his wolf said with a penetrating fierceness. As if the man needed to be reminded.
He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair before glancing up at his alpha, silently telling him they were okay.
Luke nodded. “Cade, Alexis, take care of the body. Noah, clean up the mess and make note of what repairs are needed.”
Noah clapped James on the shoulder as he rose to his feet. “I’m glad you’re back, man.”
“Me too.” Cade nodded.
“I’d have been fine without you.” Alexis grinned before heading into the foyer with Cade.
James pressed his lips to Odette’s ear. “You scared me. I thought you were going to kill yourself.”
Lifting her head, she brushed her lips to his. “I told Baron Samedi I’d pay any price to be with you. How that happened was up to him.”
He pulled her close, nuzzling into her hair, the overwhelming feeling of sheer joy bringing tears to his eyes, tightening his throat. “And I asked him not to let you die.”
“I guess he had no choice but to bring you back, then.”
He tried to laugh, but it came out as a muffled sob. “We owe your met tet big time.”
“We have the rest of our lives to pay him back, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it.” She kissed him, and the magical connection flared, fire shooting through his veins.
He held her closer, sliding his fingers into her hair and kissing her harder. He owed his life to this woman. She’d mended his soul, her love making him whole.
Pressing his forehead to hers, he held her face in his hands. “Thank you for saving my life…and for this.” He held up his hand, wiggling his new finger.
“That was a gift from Baron Samedi. I didn’t know he could do that.” Taking his hand in hers, she trailed her lips from the base of his pinkie to the top, sucking the tip into her mouth. Her dark eyes bore into his soul, and an inferno ignited in his core.
He leaned in, taking her mouth with his again, unable to stop the possessive growl from rolling through his chest. Mine. Forever.
Luke cleared his voice, and James reluctantly broke the kiss to address his alpha. “I know you need answers.” He glanced into his eyes and lowered his gaze, his silent admission that he’d done wrong by the pack, not telling them…or at least Luke…the truth about L’Acallemon.
“I expect you in my office tomorrow afternoon with a full report. You both deserve some rest after that ordeal. If you want to call it rest.” A smile tugged at his lips, but he flattened it. “But I do have a rule about my crew sleeping with clients. You remember that, right?”
James fought a grin. “Sure do, boss. That’s one rule I intend to follow.”
Luke nodded. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
Odette stood, pulling James up with her. “Thank you for your help and for cooperating with Baron Samedi.” She offered her hand to shake, and Luke accepted.
“You…he didn’t give us much choice.” Luke crossed his arms.
“I hope you know that I had no ill intent in any of this. We were only trying to stop the Rougarou.”
The alpha narrowed his eyes at her and cut his gaze to James. “He trusts you. I trust his judgment. James, my office tomorrow at noon.”
“Got it.” James shook his hand. Luke knew better than anyone that when fate chose a werewolf’s mate, there was no use fighting it. Fate would never match a were with anyone less than perfect for him.
The alpha sauntered through the foyer and out the front door, closing it behind him. Silence enveloped the home as James eyed the mess left behind. The dented, cracked drywall would have to be replaced, and the small table was toast. Dark-red blood stained the wood floor where the body had lain, and he bent to get a closer look. “I think we can sand this out. The repairs will add another three days onto the timeline, but we were ahead of schedule anyway.”
“And the bedroom window?” Odette stood next to him, and he ran his hands up her shapely legs as he rose to his feet.
With his arms around her waist, he pressed a kiss to the curve where her neck met her shoulder. “We’ll fix that too. Everything will be perfect,” he whispered against her skin.
“Mmm… You are so good at scattering my thoughts and turning my knees to jelly.” She pulled from his embrace and picked some dried herbs from his forehead. “But we need to get that window covered so no critters get in tonight.”
He didn’t hide the disappointment in his sigh. “Always the responsible one.” She was right though, and the sooner they took care of the mess, the sooner he could take care of her.
She laughed. “One of us has to be. I’ll set up a temporary protection spell, and you cover the window with plastic.”
He let out another overdramatic sigh and slumped his shoulders, fighting a grin. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And when you’re done with that, you’re going to make up for dying on me.” She crossed her arms, lifting her chin as if daring him to challenge her order.
“How am I going to do that?” He placed his hands on her hips.
She gripped his wrists, pulling his arms together and pressing them into his chest. “However you see fit, as long as you make me scream your name.”
Oh, he’d make her scream. Again and again. “Deal.”
James cleaned up the glass and covered the window in fifteen minutes flat, thoughts of how he would make amends with Odette making his dick harder than a lead pipe. He adjusted his jeans and shuffled into the kitchen to find her leaning against the counter, sipping a glass of spiced ru
m.
He stopped in the entry, resting his hand against the jamb and admiring his fate-bound. Her dark jeans hugged her curvy hips, and the V-neck of her black shirt revealed enough of her delicate collarbone to make his mouth water in anticipation of exploring the rest of her soft, dark skin.
She smiled as he sauntered toward her, and she picked up another glass of rum. “Have a drink.”
“I’d rather have you.” Gripping her hip, he closed the distance between them. Her warm vanilla scent mixed with the spices of the rum, and he leaned in, gliding his tongue along her lip. She opened for him, deepening the kiss for a moment before pulling back and offering him the glass.
“You’ll have me in time.” She grinned. “We have plenty of that now.”
“That we do.” He took the glass and clinked it against hers before taking a long sip. “You didn’t get enough of this stuff earlier? I think you downed half a fifth.”
“Baron Samedi took it with him. This one.” She gently rocked her glass. “Is for us.” She drained the contents and set it on the counter. “The Baron also took what was left of Nicolas’s spirit energy. Your soul is complete, and the ghost has crossed over. This is the first time we’ve been truly alone in this house.”
“And all I can think about is making you scream my name, yet here you stand, cool as a popsicle.” He sipped the rum and set his glass next to hers.
“Oh, I’m plenty hot, James. Don’t worry about that. But I’ve been thinking.”
The intensity in her gaze made his throat thicken, and he swallowed the dryness from his mouth. “I’m thinking about getting you naked.”
She suppressed a chuckle. “Take off your shirt.”
“With pleasure.” Finally, he was going to get this woman into bed. He yanked his shirt over his head and went straight for the button on his jeans.
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “Just the shirt for now.” Biting her bottom lip, she swept her heated gaze down his chest, the gesture feeling so much like a caress his stomach tightened.
A Deal with Death Page 24
