by R. E. Butler
“Lucky duck,” Kinsley said. “I’ll just live vicariously through you for a while.”
“Your Mr. Right is out there, I promise,” Delaney said.
The trio worked all day, answering emails, playing with the animals, and fielding walk-ins from two human families looking to adopt. She hoped they’d have some more witches or warlocks come through to look at the familiars, but it seemed like that happened less and less.
“I have an idea,” Delaney said when they were closing up for the night.
“Uh oh,” Kinsley said.
“Hey! I have good ideas.”
“Like the time you wanted us to dress up the familiars for Halloween and Galahad freaked out when his little hat covered his eyes and he knocked over a bunch of stuff in his panic?”
Delaney snorted. “That was a fun idea, just no hats next time. Anyway,” she grumbled, “I was thinking we could do a mass mailing about our rescue to the heads of the covens on the coast. I mean, maybe we don’t get many people through here because they don’t know about us. We don’t get a lot of website traffic, so I wonder how many covens know they could come here and maybe find their familiar.”
“That’s a good point,” Hadlee said. “Monday I’ll work on a flyer and Kinsley can get the contact information for the covens so we can do a mailer. It would be nice if we could get some more people through here.”
“And maybe they’d know we could also take in rescues, too,” Kinsley said. “We’re not just about matching them up, but also giving them a home until they find their master.”
Delaney grinned. She loved it when her friends were on-board with her ideas. “Perfect. I want all our familiars to find new homes, even though it will be sad to say goodbye to them.”
Mimo made a humming sound from the travel habitat. “He’s ready for bed, I bet,” Kinsley said.
“Or a snack,” Delaney said.
It turned out that Brody’s break wasn’t until midnight, but she didn’t mind waiting up for him and told him so in a text when he’d offered to skip stopping by so she could rest. She knew that once they moved forward and were mated, she’d need to change her sleep habits so they could spend time together. She and her friends had discussed how her sleeping during the day and being up at night would affect her work at the rescue. Brody worked sunset to an hour before sunrise year-round. The rescue wasn’t open at night, but she could certainly find plenty to keep her busy there, including evening appointments. She wouldn’t need to wait until sunset to leave the house, either, so that was a plus.
“Hey sweetheart,” Brody said when she opened the door.
“Hi, come on in. How was work?”
He walked in, stopping briefly to kiss her cheek. “Good. Quiet. But it pretty much always is.”
“You probably occasionally have house parties that get crazy or loud.”
“Mostly when the parents aren’t home,” he said with a chuckle.
They sat on the couch, and she offered him a drink, but he declined. They talked for a half hour, and then he got a call for a stranded motorist and had to leave.
“We need to talk tomorrow night about what things will look like once we move forward,” he said as she walked him to the door.
“I know. I talked to my friends about the rescue and me working nights. Trust me, I’m thinking about everything right now.”
He smiled down at her and then cupped her face. “You’re amazing—I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”
Leaning down, he kissed her, but kept it light. She would’ve loved to pull him back into her bedroom and have her way with him a few times before dawn, but she knew he needed to get back to work. And also, they were waiting until they’d talked about being mated.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?” he whispered against her lips.
“Mating.”
He growled softly, his eyes darkening. “Sexy sweetheart. You smell like peaches when you’re turned on.”
Her cheeks flamed. “I do not.”
He inhaled and growled again, his fangs peeking from his parted lips. “One hundred percent peaches.”
“That’s... I don’t know what to say about that.”
“Trust me, it’s a good thing. Tomorrow night we’ll talk and see how we’re both feeling about moving forward. We’ve known each other for six months, but we don’t really know each other well. I’m not in a rush, although my libido is definitely wanting things to go a little faster.”
She giggled. “Mine, too. I like taking the time to get to know each other, too, though.”
He kissed her sweetly. “Sweet dreams, love. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Be safe,” she said. She watched him get in the cruiser and waved as he backed out of her drive.
Shutting the door, she didn’t think she’d be able to sleep for a while because she was so amped up. And she also wondered if anyone else knew she smelled like peaches when she had sexy thoughts.
Chapter Seven
After helping the stranded motorist change their flat tire, Brody continued on his patrol, wishing he were back with Delaney. It was difficult to walk away from her, particularly when she smelled so sweet. He adored how her cheeks flushed when she realized he could scent her arousal. She just had no idea how tempting she was to him.
He was going to just drive by the rescue, but instead decided to stop and take a quick look around just to be sure. He parked across the street. The brick building had quaint shutters with animal cutouts in them, a bright red front door, and a welcome mat on the concrete porch. The old-fashioned looking wooden sign with the rescue’s name creaked on metal links hanging from a hook over the door.
Vampires weren’t lucky enough to be granted familiars, which were exclusive to witches and warlocks. But he would’ve enjoyed having a pet that could help him be a better vampire, the way that familiars helped magical people cast better spells.
His senses kicked into high gear, a nagging feeling that something was amiss at the rescue making him turn off the engine. He stared at the building and saw nothing wrong, but he couldn’t shake the sense that something definitely was off.
He climbed out and shut the door quietly. Inhaling, he sorted through the smells on the night air—pavement, dirt, the faint scents of the people who’d traveled on the road that day—but nothing outwardly odd. The interior lights were off in the building save for a small nightlight plugged into the wall by the counter, which he knew was made of glass and shaped like a black cat with a witch hat.
The security light over the door was off. It was motion sensitive, so it would’ve been on if someone or something had triggered it. Resting his hands on his hips, he wondered if he was just going a little crazy or if Delaney was on his mind.
But he couldn’t shake the strange feeling.
He crossed the street and walked along the front of the building, then ducked down the side to the back. His steps slowed as he neared the corner and his senses went haywire. Something that smelled of sulfur and felt purely evil was nearby.
Sliding his hand to the holster on his hip, he removed the gun, let out a slow, quiet breath, and slipped around the corner.
Something dark, like an out of place shadow, was on the back porch where the door leading to the office and animal cages was. Inside, he could hear the owl hooting and crow cawing and screeching, and the cats howling and hissing. They must sense the same thing he did.
Grabbing his flashlight from his belt, he lifted it toward the door and clicked it on at the same time he said, “Freeze! Police!”
The shadow, which had a misty form that resembled a man but without any physical features, split apart with a hiss as if the light beam disturbed it. There was a thunderous boom which shook the ground, making Brody stumble and hit his shoulder against the brick. The flashlight tumbled from his grip, but he kept the gun trained on the place where the shadow had been.
Picking up the flashlight, he moved to the porch and looked for the shadow, sweeping the bea
m back and forth. But the shadow was gone.
The animals had quieted. He peered through the glass door and could see their glowing eyes in the darkness. Tilting his head, he focused his hearing and waited, hoping he’d hear something, anything to let him know where the shadow had gone. Assuming shadows could actually make sounds.
The flashlight beam illuminated the doorknob and he could see the keyhole was scratched up like someone had taken something sharp and tried to twist it into the lock. Around the door, the wood was scorched like it had been burned, and the knob was loose.
The sulfur smell was dissipating in the night air.
Turning around, he followed the flashlight with his gaze as he cast it slowly around the back parking lot, empty of vehicles. No footsteps he could hear to signal someone was running away.
So what the hell had he seen?
He took a circuit around the building and saw nothing else amiss. The shadow—and the evil presence he’d felt—were gone. It was just him and the animals.
Holstering his gun, he took his cell phone from his pocket and called Delaney.
She answered on the third ring, her voice sleepy. “Hi, Brody.”
“Hi, sweetheart. Sorry to wake you, but there was a problem at the rescue.”
She gasped. “What? Are the animals okay?”
“They all seem to be fine. Someone—or something—tried to get in the back door. I scared him off, but I’d like you to come down here anyway and make sure the animals are okay.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
“Thank you, Brody.”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
The call ended, and he reached out to a local locksmith who was available twenty-four-seven to come and replace the doorknob and lock on the back door. While he waited for Delaney and the locksmith, he called Venice and told him what he’d seen.
“That’s weird,” Venice said.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Do you think it was an entity made of shadows or a person covered in shadows?”
Brody leaned against the building and rubbed his temple. “I have no idea. Does it matter?”
“Uh, yeah. An entity made of shadows would be akin to a demon. Bad news all around. I mean, you never hear about a benevolent demon.”
“Good point.”
“But a person covered in shadows could be a warlock using a shadow spell to cloak themselves. I have no idea if it’s difficult to cast a spell like that, but Delaney would know. I think I’d rather it be a warlock trying to get in the rescue than a demon, because if it’s a demon then we might have bigger problems.”
“How would I know the difference?”
“What does it smell like there?”
“Sulfur and evil.”
Venice hummed. “Well, it could be a warlock or a demon if that’s what you’re smelling.”
“Thanks for being so helpful,” Brody said with a snort.
“I’ll come check it out. Be there in a few.”
“Thanks.”
Brody heard Delaney’s car before he saw the headlights, and his pulse sped up. She was out of the car as soon as she parked in the back lot, flip-flops slapping on the pavement.
She was breathless when she hugged him. “Hi.” Her eyes were filled with worry, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.
He kissed her forehead. “Hey. Try your key and see if you can get the door open.”
She nodded, and he moved aside to let her at the door. The key went in halfway and stopped. She tried it again and a third time, and then said, “You try.”
He pushed the key in and felt the resistance, as if something was wrong inside the tumbler. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any kind of witchy power that can unlock a door?”
“Witchy power?” she asked with a snort.
“Yeah, you know.” He grinned.
Blowing out a breath, she said, “I can try.”
Behind them, Hadlee and Kinsley arrived in one vehicle, and he stepped back to make room.
“Where are you going?” Delaney asked.
“Nowhere.”
“Good. I just... stick close, okay?”
His heart warmed. “Of course.”
She told her friends about the lock, and the three of them cast a spell to unlock it. It was a short spell, scenting the air of wildflowers and metal when it was over. He heard the tumblers click in the lock but was surprised when it didn’t open.
“He must’ve jammed it or something,” Hadlee said, stepping back and folding her arms.
“Can you just break it down?” Delaney asked, looking at Brody.
“Yes, but then the door will be broken.”
“You said you called a locksmith, so he can replace whatever needs to be replaced,” Kinsley said.
Brody stepped away and called the locksmith again, who’d had to turn around to go back to his shop to get a new knob and deadbolt. Then he called Venice and asked him to stop by the all-night home improvement store and pick up a security door.
“For what?”
“To replace the one I’m about to break.”
“Can’t you break a window or something instead?”
“The lock is busted, so it would be easier to just replace it. Just pick one up, I’ll cover the cost.” He hung up before Venice could complain anymore.
“We’ll pay you back,” Delaney said. “Thanks.”
“Sure thing. Give me some room, please.”
The girls all moved away. He didn’t want to put too much power into breaking the door, because it could send shards of wood flying into the cages and harm the animals. Instead of a running start, he simply put his hands on the door over the lock, inhaled, then gave a sharp, hard push. The door splintered, the lock tearing free of the wood with a creak. When it swung open, he smiled in triumph, then pushed it open enough to let them inside.
Hadlee and Kinsley rushed in, one of them turning the light on.
Delaney stopped in front of him. “That was pretty cool. Thanks.”
“It was no trouble.”
She took his hand and led him into the rescue, then went to check on the animals. He told them what he’d felt and witnessed.
They stopped checking the animals and looked at each other and then him.
“What on earth would a warlock or a demon be doing breaking in here?” Hadlee asked. “It doesn’t make sense. We don’t keep anything of value or magical here, except for the familiars, of course.”
“Has this ever happened before?” Brody asked.
“Nope. I mean, we occasionally have angry humans who think they should be able to adopt a familiar even though they’re not magical, but no one’s ever tried to break in.”
They all exchanged looks, and then their gazes landed on a cage with a tiny black kitten in it.
“This is the new one?” Brody asked.
“That’s the one someone mysteriously dropped off on our doorstep,” Delaney said. She opened the cage and took the kitten out. She snuggled into her arms, her purr loud enough for everyone to hear.
Before he could think of anything to say, Venice and the locksmith showed up, and Brody helped them remove the original door, fix the frame that was shattered on one side, and replace the door and lock. The girls cleaned up the interior, talking quietly in hushed, worried voices.
When the locksmith was gone, Venice said, “I think it was a warlock, but there’s definite hints of demon, too.”
“If he just wants a familiar, why wouldn’t he come when we’re open?” Kinsley asked. “I don’t get it.”
“I don’t either,” Brody said, rubbing his chin. “It’s definitely strange. Whatever shadowy, cloaking spell he used was powerful enough to get by the security cameras and motion detectors, which isn’t a good thing.”
“What should we do?” Delaney asked.
“Obviously there’s something the warlock wants,” Brody said. “I’m guessing it’s Flora. I think the be
st course of action is to move the animals to a safe place and watch the building to see if he comes back.”
“Where could we move them?” Hadlee asked.
“Any of our houses,” Delaney said.
“Well, hold on,” Venice said. “This guy is powerful. Your homes are pretty vulnerable. I think you need to move them to the safest place you can.”
“What, the police station?” Kinsley asked.
“My house,” Brody said.
The girls’ eyes went wide. “Oh, Brody,” Delaney said. “That’s asking too much. We can’t invade your house like that.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “Venice is right. My house is like a bank. It’s far harder to break into than any of yours. It’ll only be temporary until we catch this guy.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ve only got an hour before sunrise. You can come any time you’re ready, just text me when you’re on the way.”
Delaney pulled him outside, out of ear shot of the others. “Are you sure about this? It’s going to be really intrusive. The birds don’t like to be moved around.”
“I promise,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
She tilted her head and looked up at him. “Can I stay, too?”
He wanted to fall at her feet right then and worship her for a hundred years. “I was going to ask if you would.”
She nodded. “I’ll pack a bag. How are you going to catch this warlock?”
“We’ll figure something out, I promise. You get the animals ready to go, and I’ll be waiting.”
He kissed her goodbye and headed to the cruiser to do one more sweep through town before going home. While he waited for them to arrive, he cleared one of the spare bedrooms of furniture to make a place for the cages, and then he ordered groceries to be delivered in a few hours so he had more food in the fridge for his houseguest.
He wanted Delaney in his home, and while this wasn’t ideal, he was thankful she was going to stay with him. They’d catch the warlock, figure out what he wanted, and deal with him. Then the familiars would be safe, and he and Delaney could get back to their plans. He could finally surprise her with an amazing mating proposal and sweep her off her feet.
