Oh. My. Gods.
Billy must’ve been spelled with the same enchanted dragon scale I used in my recipe ink. Which meant we were tuned into the same magical frequency. And not only that—but her dragon wasDeath on Dark Wings.
I didn’t know much about dragons, buteveryoneknew that name. Legendary. Ancient. Probably the most feared dragon on the planet. And something told me he wasn’t the kind of dragon who needed to sell off his scales to bolster his hoard.
Ethically sourced, my ass. I would be having words with my supplier the next time I saw them.
“No, he’s not a wolf shifter, Cass,” Billy continued. “He’s a warlock... and Lex’s brother.”
Another excited squeal pierced the air.
“No—don’t tell Maggie. She’ll—” Billy cut herself off, head tilting as she listened, her eyes widening. Then she dragged her hand down her face. “What the actualfuck, Cass. How have the two of you caused this much mess in twelve hours?”
She muttered a truly inventive curse under her breath, stabbed the screen to end the call, and turned to Lex. “Listen, I’m going to have to cut the visit short, Lex. Something’s come up with the pack, and I need to return home.”
“You’re coming back, though?” Jake asked, surprise flickering across his face like he’d just regained the ability to hear. Which, I reminded myself, he had.
“I dunno. Maybe. If I can sort—”
Jake’s brows crumpled, presumably as he lost that ability again.
“—my sisters out,” Billy continued, utterly unfazed. “Honestly. I couldkillthem. I’veliterallyjust found you, my fated mate—not that you’d notice unless I tattooedI’m your fated mate, Jake Cole!across my forehead in glow-in-the-darkink—and I should be here. With you. Challenging that siren bitch”—her eyes cut to Priscilla—“foryou.”
She stomped the ground. “Butno. I have to go home and save my sisters from themselves. Cass has run off on some half-baked mission with a pup from another wolf pack, which will absolutely get her torn to pieces the second she crosses into their territory, and now I’m going to have to explain all of this to the Alpha.” Billy dragged a hand down her face again. “Jasper is going to besomad. I hope he actually is her fated mate, otherwise Cassie is a dead wolf walking. Which is gross, by the way, because he’s my best friend—” She turned sharply to Lex. “Sorry, Lex. Jasper’s my best friend. But you’re mybestestbest friend.”
She rounded on Jake again. “And my older sister—the one who wassupposedto be the sensible one—has gone full Kathy-fucking-Bates and is hiding a whole grown-ass man in her basement”—Billy made dramatic air quotes—“nursinga fucking stranger with a broken leg and a weird dick back to health.”
She threw her hands up. “So now I’ve got to go home, convince the Alpha not to tear Cassie a new one when he catches up to her, pray Maggie hasn’tactuallytied this guy to a bed and broken his leg herself, make sure Dad doesn’t find out about him or the wolf pup, and somehow not lose my shit in the process.” Her gaze snapped to Priscilla, ice-cold and razor sharp. “All of this when what Ireallywant is to sink my claws into that bitch’s throat”—her attention slid back to Jake, voice dropping to a dangerous growl—“so you might finally realizeI’m your mate, you emotionally oblivious dick bag.”
And then, like nothing had happened, she turned back to Lex, her tone instantly sweet. “If I survive all that, then I’ll let you know if I can look after the house for you.”
Lex blinked, frowning. “Do you have to go right away?”
Billy was already pulling up the Uber app. “Yeah.” Her phone pinged. “Taxi is only thirty minutes away, so I should head back and get my stuff.”
“Want me to walk you there?” Lex offered.
“No, honestly, you go be with your family,” Billy said.
“I could walk you?” Jake chimed in eagerly, resulting in Priscilla smacking him over the head with an annoyed huff.
Billy growled a low warning, just as a flicker of residual magic licked up Lex’s arms, sparking across her skin.
Priscilla, as usual, was too self-involved to notice. “Seriously, Jake? You’re just going to leave me to deal with your family on my own?”
“I’ll be fine onmyown,” Billy said through clenched teeth.
She turned to Lex and crushed her in a bone-melting hug. I got the one-armed version. Lochran received a casual fist bump and a grin. Jake leaned in for a hug and was rewarded with an awkward handshake instead. Priscilla, still scowling, earned a raised middle finger.
Without another word, Billy turned and headed down the path, only the barest flick of her gaze tossed over her shoulder.
I gave Lochran a nod and Lex a reassuring smile. “I’ll pop by in the morning with all the cabin details.”
Then I turned and walked away, one hand slipping into my pocket as my phone buzzed with a message from Blaise.
K
I grimaced.
