“But…”Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. “The Southern Chapter wants you, the demon imp, and Brock, dead for the stunt you pulled trying to capture the siren. Byron determined it was disrespectful of you to stop by without notice.”
Shit. Just what I needed. Fucking vampires and their need for respect! If I’d called their leader, Byron, he would have tipped Calista off! The vamps and siren were clearly working together. I’d bet my Jeep that was why they wanted us dead.
“Why Brock?” I growled into the phone, and in a flash the alpha was there, breathing down my neck.
Croft was silent for a few beats. “You smell of him. Byron assumes you’re an item, and as you know, vampires are old-school. Byron is very traditional. He thinks men should be able to control their women or pay the price.”
Like hell! I was about to retort when Brock pulled the phone from my hand.
“Do you think they’ll retaliate?” he asked as I smooshed my face against his, trying to remain part of the conversation.
“He lost a quarter of his seethe that night.”
Yikes, really? I hadn’t realized that many went down in our little backyard bust-up. Gran’s sunlight spell must have caused more damage than I intended.
“So that’s a yes?” I asked, needing to be sure.
“That’s a big yes. Watch your back, Evie,” Croft warned.
Fuck.
“Alright. Thanks for the heads up,” Brock said and ended the call, appearing too calm compared to Croft’s ominous warning.
Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on my cheek. “Play safely with your new friends. I need to attend to the vampire issue.” And with that, he stalked from the porch and into the house.
Play safely? What was I, five? I was totally learning to behead demons with my katana!
I expected Sabine to follow her alpha inside, but when she didn’t, I guessed Brock had used the pack link to tell her to keep an eye on me, and make sure I didn’t do anything dangerous. A quick flick of her eyes over to me seemed to confirm my suspicion.
Cass smiled, revealing a mouth full of pointy teeth, and gestured to Gran’s cabin below. “Come on, let’s take this inside. I make a mean pot of coffee,” he told our new hodgepodge crew.
A werewolf doctor, a purple-haired human, a pink demon imp, two Japanese warriors, and my freaky hybrid self, started down the hill as a group. It was like the start of a bad joke…
2Mack Daddy
Cass wasbusy brewing a second pot of coffee, and we still hadn’t settled on a training plan everyone was willing to agree on. Molly was happier than a pig rolling in shit, following the heated discussion between Sabine, Reo, and Haru, as if she were a spectator at a tennis match. Molly loved all things supernatural, even talk of a pregnant kitsune’s training plan.
“It’s too risky,” the ash-blond female werewolf argued for the umpteenth time. “You can’t train her with actual demons.”
Haru, who appeared to be the most meticulous and patient of the two brothers, tried to be subtle about rolling his eyes. “How else do you expect us to observe how her kitsune magic actually operates without demons around? Kitsune magic is special. It reacts to demons in unique ways, depending on the kitsune. Since Evie isn’t a full-blooded kitsune, we definitely need to see her in action, to anticipate how her magic will react to a full force of demons during warfare. You must understand.”
“Of course I understand,” Sabine snapped. I’d never seen the pack doctor so feisty. “And you two need to understand that my responsibility is to make sure she and the baby she carries inside her womb are safe.”
“We know, you’ve told us,” Reo said, his long ponytail shaking. “Repeatedly.”
“Then you’d think you’d have gotten it by now,” Sabine barked.
I half wondered if I should chime in and break things up, but part of me wanted to see if Sabine could take Reo in a fight. I raised my eyebrows and shared a look with Cass as he walked in from the kitchen with the steaming pot of coffee.
‘Why are everyone’s panties in a bunch?’he asked through our telepathic link.
‘I think Brock rubbed off on Sabine.’I rubbed tiredly at my face. If this is how they were going to decide every little detail of my training, it was going to be a long-ass day.
Cass placed the coffee pot on a hot plate that rested on the worn wooden table around which everyone sat. “So who wants a refill?”
“Are you sure you don’t have tea?” Haru asked.
“Any tea will do,” Reo added.
