‘This is a trap. What’s the bigger motive?’Brock rumbled.
“Why?” I asked aloud, because I definitely agreed with Brock. “You don’t want to get to know me and my baby. Does our being on the land make you more powerful or something?”
That had to be it.
Bertie bared her teeth. “Oh, you always were a clever little girl. Yes. Something like that. You being here makes the clan more powerful. We have a business to run, you know.”
I nodded. “I do know. I’m a bounty hunter now and I’ve heard all about your ‘business.’” I did air quotes for good measure, and Aunt Bertie narrowed her steely eyes. “Don’t you sass me, child. Do you want our help or not?”
Dammit, I did. The town was on a murderous rampage, and I needed the Blacks to stop it. “I do, but I won’t ever bring my baby around you.Ever.If you can settle for me coming by for an hour every two weeks, then you have a deal.”
Bertie scowled, crossing her arms, but Johnny stepped forward and extended his hand. “Deal. Good to have you back, cuz.” He winked.
‘These guys are a real piece of work,’Brock commented.
‘You have no idea.’Regardless, I shook on it. Last I’d heard, Johnny was the coven leader now that Auntie Bertie had stepped down, and so his word was law with the clan even if his mother didn’t agree.
“Stay for a cookie?” Auntie Bertie asked.
“Nope. Round up the coven and meet me at the Eugene County Sheriff’s office. We’ve got a fog demon to vanquish.” I turned on my heel and stalked toward the door.
Some family members were impossible to get rid of…
6Foggy apocalypse
After our tumultuous history,I’d imagined I’d encounter resistance in getting enough of the Black Clan members to agree to join my cause, but even before Brock and I left Cottage Grove, Johnny had chosen the seven of them who would help us defeat the fog demon. Apparently Gran hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said Johnny was a head honcho warlock now. Even Aunt Bertie hopped to when Johnny told her to, though she did plenty of eye narrowing and flinging her hands about. She even threatened to shrivel up his manhood if he continued ordering her around.
Brock shifted from werewolf to human as soon as I drove us down the long drive away from Johnny and Aunt Bertie’s home, passing the many cottages that spread across the Black family land. He shook his head, rubbing his hands across his face. “I couldn’t stand that binding for another second longer. It was driving me crazy.”
“It didn’t hurt though, right?” I glanced his way. “Holy shit, Brock, you’re naked.”
He grinned, mischief lighting up his honey-colored eyes. “Glad you noticed.” He didn’t bother to cover up any of his, hmm, manly bits for a few minutes. He was all smooth muscles and lean planes, and I was half tempted to pull the truck over to explore them.
“Eyes on the road, love,” he said, pleasure at my reaction evident.
Oh right. The road. I yanked my focus back to the front.
“So,” I started, trying to return my mind to our next move while Brock grabbed his clothes from the seat behind him and started putting them on. “Johnny chose the most powerful witches to join us, so that’s good. At least based on what Gran told me.”
They were going to be about ten or twenty minutes behind us. They were still assembling the crew when we left.
“Tell me about them,” Brock said while zipping up his jeans.
“Well, Johnny knows his stuff, or he wouldn’t be in charge of the Black Clan, but as you see, he’s a prick.”
“That fact didn’t escape me.”
“Auntie Bertie holds her own. She was the head of the clan before Johnny came of age and came into the bulk of his power. I suspect she could probably still give him a run for the position if she were so inclined.”
“And why isn’t she? She seems to have enough grit to take him on.”
I shrugged. “Gran never really told me, but I expect Auntie Bertie just got tired of it. She complains a whole lot, as you saw, but she probably enjoys her semi-retirement. It’s a lot of work to run a clan of witches and warlocks like the Blacks. Not a one of them seems to do anything without griping first.”
“I noticed. Makes me glad the wolves are more easygoing.”
“Totally. I’m grateful for that too. I couldn’t imagine living on the Black land with all of them.” I shivered. “Or raising a baby among them. It will be challenging enough raising a kitsune-witch-werewolf baby without having all of them around, breathing down my neck.”
“I’m glad you told Bertie you wouldn’t bring the baby by,” Brock said.
