“Maybe it’s one of those mass mail drops that everyone gets?”
I studied the card. “That would be logical if it told us what I was being invited to and didn’t have a faint trace of magic on it.”
Maggie plucked the card out of my fingers and glared at it like she could force it to reveal its secrets. Nothing happened. Perhaps she needed to reevaluate her glowering skills. “Put it downstairs on my desk,” I instructed. I didn’t think the small bit of magic on the card was dangerous, but until I understood what it was, I wouldn’t take any chances. Fortune might favor the brave, but life favored the cautious. “I’ll most likely be gone at least a day,” I told her. “You’ll need to get some more bread and coffee from the store. Get Rebecca to mind the desk while you are out. The Richards couple extended their stay by two days. They’ve already paid, but please ensure you change their towels today and give their room a quick clean.”
Maggie nodded and jotted down my instructions. “Got it. What should I tell The Principal?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Dave. Ugh, just my luck that the pack’s chief busybody was lurking when I needed to escape. “Hudson isn’t here?” I checked.
Maggie tapped her pen on the pad. “No, he left an hour ago, pack business. But he left him behind.” She nodded at Dave. Could my day get any worse?
Sebastian threw open the front door. My vampire best friend was here, oh goodie. Now it was a party. He eyed the duffle bag in my hand and raised a brow. “Going somewhere?”
Since when did I need to announce what I was doing and where I was going? Nobody owned me. Wait, everyone owned me. My grandmother was in the background trying to pull my strings, my father had declared me the go-between for Heaven and the prevention of an all-out war with humans, and Hudson had claimed me as his mate in front of the pack. Everyone owned me.
“Road trip, I need to visit a town called Peach Tree.”
“I’ll get my bag,” he said as he swiveled on his heel and waltzed out of the house. Apparently my vampire friend also had a go bag, it was a sign of the times.
“Tell Hudson to call me when he gets a moment,” I told Dave. He folded his arms and stepped in front of the door, blocking my exit. I raised my eyebrow and leveled him with a stare that would make my grandmother proud. “Move out of my way.”
He looked back at me unimpressed and undeterred. I should know better than to try this on the guy whose nickname was Dangerous Dave. “Are you seriously holding me hostage in my own home? You do not want to test me, Dave.”
His jaw ticked. Oh, he didn’t like it pointed out how ludicrous his actions were.Suck it up, buttercup, because I wasn’t sugarcoating it.“Why are you going to Peach Tree?” he growled.
I jerked my head at the door, not wanting the other supernaturals to overhear my tale from the departed. Dave sighed and swung it open. I stepped through and trotted down the steps onto my driveway. Sebastian was heading toward us with an almost identical duffle bag. Dave scowled at the vampire.
“There’s a spirit here,” I whispered.
Dave tensed and looked around, his wide gaze passing right over Caleb and Harry on his left. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He’s never been able to see ghosts, why would he think that had suddenly changed?
“What does it want?” Dave snarled low. He was always snarling, this was a little less than a growl.
“He wants me to go to Peach Tree because he believes everyone is dead.”
Dave jerked back. “Everyone?”
I nodded as Sebastian sidled up to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Ugh, save me now, he was determined to wind Dave up. “Don’t fret, wolf, I will keep her safe.”
My eyes fluttered closed. Idiot vampire. “Hudson can’t accompany you, so I will.”
Great going, Sebastian. “I will be fine, plus there’s no room in my car.”
“We will take my car,” Dave said. He snatched my car keys out of my hand and turned on his heel before stalking to his Escalade.
“We might be gone for longer than a day and I don’t have time for you to stop off and pack your underwear and toothbrush.”
He grinned at me as he opened the driver’s door. “I have a bag in the car already.”
My shoulders slumped as Sebastian took my duffle bag and threw it into the back seat along with his own before sliding in beside them.
What did it say about us that we all had ready bags? I climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door closed before clipping my seat belt on. I glanced over my shoulder, finding Harry in the middle of the back seat and Caleb next to him. Two ghosts, one shifter, a vampire, and an elemental in a car. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Everythingcouldgo wrong. The trouble is,couldseemed to be in my future more often than not and now I had witnesses to my demise. Lucky me.
Chapter Six
What I would give to have a simple life filled with the simple pleasures of cookies and snuggles.
I’dknown Dave for years, but in all of that time, he’d never insisted on accompanying me anywhere.
