Louis: Supernatural Prison book 6

by Eve, Jaymin

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I should have let you all know I was going to visit family. It was a sudden trip though. I pretty much just packed up and left as soon as I got the call.”

  Literally one second after I got the call, I’d opened a step-through. Louis had always had that effect on me.

  “Well, I’m glad nothing bad happened to you,” Karen said as she started to ring up my groceries. “Your boys were here looking for you too,” she added as she bagged everything up. “They seemed worried.”

  My stomach twisted a little. I’d forgotten to call Paulie, James, and Connor. The shifters were pack animals, and I was part of their pack when they roamed Alaska. It was terrible of me not to let them know that I was okay.

  “Are they here at the moment?”

  She shook her head. “Haven’t seen them for a few days, so they might have headed back home. Hard to tell with those three.”

  It was hard to tell. They ate a very carnivorous diet, which mostly consisted of animals they hunted—not with guns—so they came to town even less than me.

  “There you go, dear.” Karen handed me the three large bags. “Hopefully I’ll see you at Mary Lou’s later in the week.”

  I smiled and winked at her. “You know it.”

  Mary Lou’s was the local bar, started all the way back in 1912. She was the town matriarch at the time and had wanted an establishment that allowed for socializing, dancing, and great food.

  It was one of my favorite places, and if I took a little fey wine with me, I got to let loose and dance the night away. I’d always loved to dance … and sing. Thursday was karaoke night, and I’d been known to sneak into more than a few of them.

  In some ways it was nice to be back home, even if my heart ached at being away from Louis. I had spent years getting past my feelings for him, and now I felt like I was back to square one, with that damn sorcerer living in my head … and chest. True mates. It was almost unbelievable, but it also explained so much about our history together.

  A rumbling growl left me, which had someone on the street nearby jumping and swinging their head around. Their focus didn’t stop on me, because they assumed there was no way I could have made that sound. They were trying to figure out if bears were strolling the streets again. It wouldn’t be the first time wildlife decided to step into Condor.

  I hurried on, clutching the bags closer to me. We were nearing the end of the daylight days, and soon twilight would descend over the area. I didn’t mind it, my eyesight easily adjusting to the low light, but it was a depressing time for the locals. Which was when Mary Lou’s did the best trade, with everyone looking to escape.

  As soon as I was out of the main town, I strode into the forest. My senses detected no one in the vicinity, so I felt comfortable opening a step-through straight to my home. I had too many wards up to land inside—no one could directly portal into my place, not even me.

  The moment I stepped inside my cabin, everything lit up. Lights washed warmth across the wood features and benches, the fireplace roared to life, and heat filled the space. Dropping my bags on the kitchen bench, I stripped out of my scarf and jacket, hanging them on a nearby coatrack. The food took me a few minutes to put away, and I was already excited to have some of my favorite junk food in the house. I had the worst kind of sweet tooth; it was almost embarrassing, but since no one lived with me and I couldn’t die from eating it, what did it matter?

  I’d always been determined to enjoy the things about my life that I could. And now … now I was going to live life to the fullest. I had almost died. I had found my true mate. Things happened when I put myself out there, and despite the ache of not being with Louis, I was ready to get on with my life.

  The old Elizabeth Teresa was back.

  Warmth in my chest flared to life, and I rubbed a hand across it. Seriously. Damn Louis! Damn him to hell and back. I really was a bit late for that. He’d been in hell with those demons, and we’d come very close to losing him. My breathing grew ragged and I almost screamed at the sudden pain flaring through me. The thought of Louis dying, of never seeing his cocky, too-beautiful face again, hurt worse than that blast had.

  “Liz!” The shout and banging on my door startled me from the panic attack threatening me. “Where the hell have you been, girl?”

  Connor. Somehow he always knew when I was back from town. Breathing in and out deeply, I straightened my clothes and hurried across to wrench the door open. I had to look way up to meet his gaze, because he topped out at six foot six, minimum, and was burly like most bear shifters.

  “Connor!” I cried, throwing myself at him. He caught me easily, hauling me up against his dark blue flannel shirt.

  He hugged me tightly, careful not to crush me with his bulk. Connor was a scary supe. I’d seen him turn other bear shifters who dared encroach on their territory into crying children, running away with piss down their legs. But he never scared me. If anything, I enjoyed having these guys in my life, because they never treated me as anything special. I was not a hugely powerful sorceress to them. I was just Lizzie.

  When he finally dropped me to my feet, his face creased into disapproval as he examined me closely. “You had me worried,” he rumbled. “We didn’t hear from you, and then we get up here and it’s like this place had been abandoned.”

  I scrunched up my face too. “Shit, I know. I’m so sorry. I had a family emergency and I just took off in a rush. I kept meaning to call you, but things were a little … hectic.”

  His eyes saw too much, and the longer he watched me, the more severe his expression got. “You look … different, Lizzie. What happened?”

  Straightening, I planted my hands on my hips.

  “I feel different, and I’m finally going to take your advice. I’m done with hiding. It’s time for me to live my life, Con.”

  A grin broke across his face, and I was struck by how handsome he really was. Like flawless, with broad, strong features, darkly tanned skin, and electric blue eyes. There had been a moment between us many years ago, but we’d both decided it was safer to remain friends. He was a leader of his community back home and would have to mate with another bear, so we could never have had anything serious.

  Now that Louis had come back into my life, I was happy we made that decision. And not because Connor was any less handsome—he could literally be a Greek god with his face and body—but because I had been in deep denial over my feelings for Louis. I’d thought I was long over him.

  I was a fucking idiot.

  “This is the best news,” Connor said, “but don’t think I missed the way you haven’t actually told me anything that happened while you were gone.” His smile didn’t fade though, so I knew he wasn’t too worried.

  As I stepped back to let him in, he added, “And you should totally come and live with our pack. You know that we know how to have a good time.”

  I laughed. “I think maybe you might have too good a time, if you get my drift.” He didn’t deny it.

  Dropping his boots by the door, he followed me across to my couch. “Where are Paulie and James?” I asked, throwing a bag of chips and dip on my table. I also got him a beer, while I poured myself a watered-down glass of fey wine. No need to get messy this early on.

  “They’ll be here in a minute. They were just on the phone with the pack.”

  I eyed him. “And you didn’t have to stay for that?” He was kinda the alpha.

  Connor shook his head. “Nah, this was about their women.”

  Paulie and James had a lot of women. Those two were the free and easy ones of the group, and we were all okay with it. Until they found their mates, true or chosen, neither of them would settle down.

  Connor and I chatted for a few minutes, talking about useless shit mostly, but it was nice to catch up. I was tired still, after almost dying and traveling to Faerie and back, so after some time I dropped my head back on the couch and let the warmth of the fire wash over me.

  There was a beat of silence, and then he said, �
��Did your family drama have anything to do with Louis?”

  I had spoken to Connor about Louis just one time, years ago. We’d both been shit-faced and maudlin, our conversations moving to deep and meaningful places. He’d never looked at me the same after that, and I think part of him knew I would always love Louis.

  A long sigh left me as I stared into the ceiling. The fire was dancing shadows across the large wood beams, and it was lulling me to sleep. “Yeah, it was Louis.” I yawned. “He almost broke the world.”

  Connor rumbled beside me before he reached out and pulled me closer. Supes loved to touch. It was life for us, and everything relaxed further inside of me. “I heard what happened. He’s now organizing the council leaders, rallying them to try and reverse the humans’ knowledge of us.”

  There was an interesting tone in Connor’s voice, but I was too sleepy to delve further into it. But I did manage to say, “You’ve always thought that supes should not be in hiding.”

  My face was pressed into his shoulder now, the woodsy and snow scent he carried soothing to me. It was safe and familiar.

  “Yes, I voted for this to continue, but there’s another, larger vote coming late tomorrow.”

  Louis would be very busy until then, because he was going to try to convince everyone this was a bad idea. Which meant he would not come looking for me.

  “What if he doesn’t look for me?”

  I must have murmured that out loud, because Connor squeezed me tighter. “Then he’s a fucking idiot and I will beat his ass into the ground next time I see him.”

  I had to chuckle. Connor could probably take on most supes, but he stood zero chance against Louis.

  Bastard.

  Sleep stole over me then, and I allowed myself to fall. I trusted my little pack, and knew I’d be safe with Connor here.

  Sometime later I was woken by banging at the door. Lifting my head, my cheek felt numb from being pressed against Connor’s hard chest. I blinked a few times, realizing there was rhythmic breathing coming from beside me. We’d both fallen asleep.

  “Elizabeth Montgomery,” James hollered. “Open the damn door.”

  Untangling myself, I slipped out of Connor’s arms and crossed to my door. It swung open to reveal James and Paulie, both of them ruddy-cheeked and smiling like crazy supes. Even Paulie, who had very dark skin, looked flushed.

  “Baby girl….” Paulie swung me up into his arms, squeezing me tightly. “We missed you. Don’t fucking worry us like that again. Fuck. I almost sent out a fucking tracker for you.”

  Paulie’s favorite word was fuck, and fucking was his favorite activity.

  “Put me down, you big asshole,” I said, hitting him on the shoulder.

  My hand immediately ached and I wished I’d learn not to hit these damn bears. They were all built like tanks. Paulie and James were slightly shorter than Connor, but still close to six and a half feet tall. Paulie had black hair, cropped close to his head, military style. His skin and eyes were almost black, and he was without a doubt too pretty for words. James was all blond curls. He’d be adorable if his face wasn’t severely masculine. He was rougher than Connor, but with so much sex appeal that I wasn’t surprised women threw themselves at him.

  The Lakeside pack bred their bears really well. I was probably a saint for not sleeping with all three of them, but I’d always valued their friendship the most, and sex would muddy the waters. Connor and I were lucky we’d gotten past our thing and become nothing more than friends.

  “Where have you guys been?” I asked. Connor and I had been asleep for a while. I could tell by how rested I felt.

  “Mary Lou’s!” James shouted, and I realized they were both semi-wasted. “Come on, girl. It’s 90s R&B, and we know you never wanna miss those nights.”

  I laughed out loud. “Yes, that’s exactly what I need. Give me five minutes to change.”

  Connor was up now. I caught his eye as I dashed past, and he winked at me. My heart swelled a little, and I wondered if this could be enough for me. The love I had with these three, my family, my pack.

  I didn’t need Louis. Fuck him. Always breaking my heart and leaving me to pick up the pieces.

  I was going to drink and dance tonight, because I needed to forget. I needed that more than anything in this world. In my room I shimmied into a pair of skinny jeans, pulling on some boots with heels. The height was required. Other than that, I just wore a black bra and tank, because it got damned hot in the middle of the bar during these dance nights.

  Slapping on a little makeup, I quickly braided half of my hair to keep it off my face while still leaving most of the long length down my back. I had so much hair, it was hard to manage at times.

  When I left my room, it was to a chorus of whistles and catcalls. “Damn, baby. Will you marry me?” Paulie asked, reaching out and taking my hands to spin me around. “You are probably the most gorgeous supe I’ve ever seen.”

  He sounded sincere. I reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “You should save those compliments for the ladies of Condor.”

  He threw back his head, white teeth sparkling. “Oh yeah, they’re already waiting for our return. Think you can magic us there quicker?”

  I shook my head. “Yes, I can totally do that.”

  Grabbing my coat and a small flask of my wine, I hurried us all out of the house. Our step-through took us into an alley near the bar that was almost always deserted. We strode out into the street, laughing and joking. Stewie was on the front door, as he was most nights. He was a mountain of a man, almost reaching the shifters in height, and he kept the establishment under control.

  “Good evening, Miss Elizabeth,” he said as we reached the door. “Long time.”

  I threw him a genuine smile. “Nice to see you again, Stewie. How’s it going tonight?”

  He chuckled, teeth white against his black skin. “A lot of dancing. Everybody loves some 90s.”

  Oh yes, give me all the 90s. I’d been a huge fan of that era of music.

  Pony by Ginuwine was on when we pushed through to the dark room, and I was already starting to sway, because this beat got me every time. Mary Lou’s was made up of a large main room with a bar running along one wall … wood, of course. There were a few tables scattered around nearby, and then there was the dance floor. It took up most of the room, and right now there were a ton of bodies swaying together.

  I quickly dropped my coat at the check-in desk, the boys did the same, and then the four of us ended up in the center of the humans. I took a swig of my wine before I passed it across to the others. Faerie wine was potent; it knocked supes on their asses. It was the best thing for us to get drunk on.

  After a few minutes of sharing, we were all dancing together. I slid up between Paulie and Connor, the two of them swaying with me. We used to draw a lot of attention, being one chick and three dudes, but now the locals were used to us and just accepted that we were all together, in whatever means they thought we were together.

  Paulie and James still always hooked up with their favorites in Condor, while Connor was more discreet. As if they read my mind, the two man-whores danced away, and soon there were barely clothed ladies pressing into either side of them.

  I laughed, and the song changed to I Wanna Sex You Up, which was more than a little appropriate for this crowd. Connor tugged me closer, and there was desire in his eyes as they ran across me.

  He leaned down close to my ear. “Louis is a fucking idiot,” he murmured to me, and my toes almost curled in my boots. Why couldn’t I have loved Connor as more than a friend? In some ways it would have been so much easier, even with him being an alpha.

  Reaching up, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer to me. “He’s my true mate,” I whispered, knowing he would hear me even over the noise.

  The bear shifter froze, pulling back so he could see my face. “True mate?” he questioned, concern sliding across his face.

  I nodded, swallowing hard, the alcohol mist that had been in my
head starting to fade. I lifted the wine again and took another drink, needing to not feel right now. “Yes, but you remember our history. It’s so complicated, and … I’m not sure what he actually wants.”

  “You ran away from him?”

  Realizing that was exactly what I’d done, my eyes dropped as I nodded. “Yeah, like a chickenshit. I bailed as quickly as I could. I can’t be hurt by him again.”

  I’d been so scared Louis would reject our bond, I’d bailed before I even gave him a chance. Sure, I said that we both needed time, and we did, that wasn’t a lie, but I could have stayed in Stratford. I could have still been near him. Fear of him hurting me again was so strong that it almost took my breath away. But at some point I had to stop running.

  Connor pulled me into his arms again, and I forced my worries down. Within minutes our bodies were moving in sync. Sometime later, he pulled back. “I’m gonna get us some more drinks.”

  I nodded, my body swaying even once he was gone. Human alcohol would keep our buzz going, which was good because I’d run out of wine. Some of the local men moved in closer now that Connor was gone, and I hid my smile. They always did this, and it amused me because if any of them knew what I was they would run screaming. Apparently the truth of supes had not reached Condor yet, because no one was questioning us, but it would only be a matter of time.

  Would I lose this freedom then too? Would they hunt me from their town?

  Someone’s hands landed on my hips, and I shrugged them off. Being small was a bitch at times, because you got manhandled a lot. Which pissed me off.

  The hands were back again, and I spun around, but he disappeared before I could remind him that he didn’t have any right to touch. James was there, his eyes flickering with anger as he stared down at me. “Stay close, baby girl.”

  I winked at him, but I did dance closer. Paulie abandoned his chick too, coming back to me, and I once again felt loved. Connor arrived with our drinks, and then the four of us stayed close and danced out the next few songs.

  14

  Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II