The way he said her name made Joshua shake his head. He lingered at the desk a moment longer before he plunged ahead. “You know the Council is going to pair her up with someone next, right? They’ll want more possibilities for super-powered babies.”
“I know.”
“So maybe you should tell her how you really feel before that happens.”
Michael scowled at him. Joshua lifted his hands in surrender and left the office. Alpha Bael was already in Rafael’s office, and the two Alphas were clearly attempting to remain neutral in the face of their mutual dislike. Chelsey came rushing into the office just as Joshua bent his head to greet the Alphas.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly. Her sleek black hair was wound into a messy bun at the back of her head. As she spoke, her eyes slid over the gathered men, and Joshua could have sworn that there was disappointment in her eyes. She bowed first to Rafael, then Bael. Then, hesitating, she saluted Joshua. “So do I share my new potions now or wait?”
Bael narrowed his eyes at her, and Joshua stepped closer to his sister-in-law. “Go ahead and tell us about the potions.”
“Right. Well, when Kira told me about the snake-demon hiding its dark energy signature, I remembered reading about a revelation potion. It’s meant to enhance a person’s senses, but by combining it with another potion, I figure that it will allow the special ops to track the demon energy, even when the demons are cloaking themselves.”
“That will be very useful,” Joshua said, picking up one of the mason jars Chelsey had brought with her. “How does it work?”
“Both potions are meant to be drunk, so we’ll have to do the same with these,” Chelsey said, her cheeks flushed. “But not yet. I want to run more tests to make sure that there aren’t any obvious adverse effects to the mixing of ingredients before it’s used.”
Bael frowned. “I don’t want any magic used in my territory.”
“You won’t be able to defeat the demons without magic,” Chelsey answered instantly. Her gaze flickered to Rafael, who frowned at her, and she bent her head. “Apologies.”
“She’s right, though,” Joshua said.
Bael’s frown deepened. “You agree with the use of magic?”
“Of course. We have to protect our packs, and magic is how it’s done.”
“Why would you think that?” Bael demanded.
“So far, we’ve killed off three demons. And all three of them have taken magic to kill. The snakes were only defeated because we had access to potions, and the other two took direct witch’s magic to destroy them. The portal that the demons escaped from is now barred because of magic.” Joshua loosened his shoulders, meeting Bael’s eye. Part of him wanted to shock the Alpha by explaining his own magical aptitude, as limited as it was, but that would have to wait for another time. There were more important issues at the moment. “There’s more.”
“More of what?” Bael asked, irritated. “We are the descendants of witch hunters, you and I. We are not meant to…consortwith them.”
“I’ve read through everything you’ve given me that belonged to my parents and compared it to the records from the witches we have in our town. It’s all very clear. Even the witch hunters who settled in your town believed the witches were necessary for the protection of Nightfall. They were never here to hurt the witches or take their power. They were here to protect the witches from other witch hunters.”
Bael’s eyes narrowed.
“Check them out yourself if you don’t believe me,” Joshua invited.
“I will. If what you say is true…” Bael’s expression fell into a troubled frown.
Joshua’s phone started to ring. It was Kira. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Kira answered, sounding nervous. “Jenny Carps and her posse just pulled up to the house.”
Joshua ground his teeth, fighting back a surge of anger. After everything Kira had been through, the last thing they needed was the likes of Jenny Carps whipping up a witch hunt against her!
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised.
“Thanks. I—” Kira said, but the phone cut out.
Panic washed through him. Without stopping to explain, he raced from the office into the elevator. Rafael and Chelsey called after him, and Bael yelled something that he didn’t catch.
Joshua’s wolf paced in his chest, agitated and growling. He shed his clothes in the elevator and shifted to wolf form as soon as the doors opened. He shot through the town hall, out the doors, and angled himself to his house. If Jenny blamed Kira for what happened today, when she was the only reason there hadn’t been more deaths… he wasn’t sure he’d be able to contain his temper.
His wolf was impatient, pushing him harder as he raced along the streets. He cut through several yards, and when his house came into sight, Jenny Carps was reaching out toward Kira.
A howl burst from his throat. In a few bounds, he skidded to a stop between Kira and Jenny, fur standing on edge as he snarled. Jenny stumbled back, her head dropping, her shoulders hunched. The other women who had come with her flinched and cowered. Even before Kira started to speak, the smell of baked casseroles hit his nostrils, and he saw the baking pan in Jenny’s arms.
