Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“What’s wrong?” Xavier asked her.
Wynter began to clear the table, stacking plates. “I don’t much like that so many people felt the need to stare at me or look at me all weird just now.”
He grunted. “Assholes.”
“Some were probably simply wondering how willing you’d be to answer some questions about what Adam said last night during his little broadcast,” said Hattie.
Wynter placed the dirty dishware in the sink. “Cain will be making a speech sometime this morning. He’ll clear everything up.”
“That’s a good thing.” Xavier stretched out his long legs beneath the table. “I hope he also makes it clear that people had better not dare try taking you to Adam.”
She had no doubt that he would, but . . . “We all know some will be up for it. A million is a lot of cash.”
Pushing out of her seat, Delilah let out a little growl. “I could honestly murder that son of a bitch.”
Anabel slid Wynter a quick look. “From now on, you need to take healing potions with you wherever you go.”
Wynter nodded. “Will do.” Being immortal now, she was harder to injure, but she could still be gravely wounded.
“Want tea?” Delilah asked, rooting through the homemade mixtures in the cupboard near her cauldron, which was at the opposite end of the kitchen from Anabel’s. “I was just about to make myself a cup—ooh, wrong tea balls. They’re for pain relief.”
Hattie smiled. “They have a nice ‘kick’ to them, don’t they? I always feel all floaty after I drink those. Like I’m in subspace.”
Wynter almost jerked back. “What do you know about sub—you know what, I don’t want to know.”
A wicked glint lit Hattie’s eyes as she cackled. “No, you really don’t.”
“Anyways, it would appear that the lycans have my back, which is nice.” And useful, because they made excellent backup and there were two packs on this street. That was a whole lot of claws and teeth.
Xavier snorted. “Lycans aren’t nice.”
Wynter sighed. “I thought Elias had stopped provoking you,” she said, referring to the Alpha of one lycan pack.
“He has, but now the Beta of Diego’s pack is being rude to me all the time.”
Wynter felt her brow crease. “Why?”
“Stewart doesn’t like that I had a one-night stand with a vampire.”
“Well, you know how lycans feel about vamps.” There was some bad history between the two species. “In Stewart’s mind, since the lycans consider us ‘theirs,’ it was a betrayal on your part.”
“Not my issue,” said Xavier. “When I told him to stop being an asshole, he grinned and said he had way too much fun tormenting me. He won’t be grinning by the time I’m done with him.”
Wynter tensed. “What does that mean?”
“It means he’ll be reminded that payback is a bitch.”
Which would be fine, if Xavier’s idea of payback didn’t tend to be fatal. “Xavier—”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to take him out.”
“Or invoke a demon and have them do your dirty work for you?”
He only scratched his jaw.
“For God’s sake.” Wynter plopped herself onto a seat with a weary sigh. With Xavier, disliking someone was all the reason he felt he needed to end their existence. Something she blamed on his previous coven, who had very few scruples. “You’ll need to find another way to deal with the Beta. Not only because it’s wrong—and no, I don’t expect you to give much of a shit about that—but because you’d be executed for murdering him unless you can first gain permission to do it from the Ancient who partially owns Stewart’s soul.”
His lips pursed, Xavier nodded. “I can do that.”
“Without lying that he’s done a bunch of things he actually hasn’t done.”
“I wasn’t gonna.” He looked appropriately offended that she’d think otherwise.
Wynter snorted, not whatsoever fooled. Was it really any wonder that she hesitated to move out of the cottage when they were all a danger to themselves? On that subject . . . “I should probably tell you that Cain is pushing me to move in with him soon.”
“I’m not surprised, he’s not a dude who’d be okay with his woman dragging her heels over something like this.” Delilah handed her a steaming cup of tea. “You need to stop stalling.”
Yes, she did. “You know why I am.”
The Latina rolled her eyes. “It’s not like we’ll burn the cottage down without your supervision, Mom.”
Flames erupted out of Anabel’s cauldron, giving off a weird green smoke. Coughing, the blonde wafted her arm through the air. “Motherfucker.” She emptied a vial of liquid over the flames, and they slowly died down.
Delilah cleared her throat. “If—no, when—you move out, you’ll still be here as often as you are now.”
Wynter sipped her tea. “That’s pretty much what Cain said.”
“And he’s right.” Delilah heaved her box of for-sale bespelled cosmetics out of the cupboard. “Look, you can keep your room here. Not that I think that things won’t work out between you and Cain in the long run. It would just be a symbol that this is still your home. In spirit. If that makes sense.”