Pack. But I don’t want you to keep things from the Elders if something’s wrong. As much as I hate to say this, they’re the ones who can help you.”
His hand cupped my jaw. “You’re the only one who helped me last time. And just like before, we’ll get through whatever comes together, all right?”
Which meant he didn’t want me talking to Martin, either. I didn’t want to think that there was anything wrong with him, but I couldn’t ignore what just happened. So I didn’t promise Aric anything, at least not then.
I clutched him against me until his strong arms released me and we said goodbye. Then I watched his black Escalade pull out of our driveway as he left to rid the world of evil without me. As if on cue, my iPhone buzzed on my nightstand the moment Aric’s SUV disappeared out of our neighborhood. Agnes Concepción, one of Misha’s most trusted vampires, had sent me a text.
Celia, the master has a little stone he’d like you to find.
Chapter 5
I slipped on a long, brown suede gypsy skirt that sat just below my navel, but kept the hideous red scars of my mangled pelvis hidden. The soft white cashmere sweater I wore fell just below my breasts. Aric loved this outfit because it complemented my curves and flat abdomen. I liked it because it was comfy.
I’d spent the week meeting Aric for lunch at a few local restaurants close to the Den. Today was a busier day for him and he wouldn’t be able to leave the grounds. As a treat, I decided to bring him lunch and made one of his favorite meals.
I finished marinating the steaks for dinner then hauled the picnic basket filled with goodies into my new Mercedes GL550. In lieu of a ring I’d probably lose changing, Aric had shocked me with a new ride. My jaw had practically unhinged when I saw it, and initially I tried to make him take it back. “You’re stuck with me and stuck with the SUV. Just smile and enjoy us both,” he said with a grin.
“What if I wreck it?” I’d asked.
“You won’t,” he’d said.
“What if some giant creature tries to destroy it with me in it?”
He hadn’t had an answer for that, except to have Genevieve ward the crap out of it.
The scent of Tuscan soup wafted into my nose, so did the Irish cheese I’d packed, and the Bavarian bread I’d baked the night before.
I allowed the aroma to soothe me. I needed it following my text-to-text interaction with Agnes earlier that morning.
Any more news on Shah? I texted back.
Nothing I can tell you over the phone. Get over here and we’ll talk.
I can’t right now.
Why? Are you and the mongrel having sex?
It took all I had to stay reasonable. If we were, why would I stop just to text you?
I never said you stopped. Or claimed it was any good.
Lord. Help me. I’ll be by later.
Why not now?
I’m busy.
Having sex?
I’m not having sex, Agnes!
Maybe you should—the good kind I’m saying. You’re awfully testy.
I’ll be by this afternoon.
There was a brief pause, followed by: So you are having sex?
I conceded just to shut her up. Yes. It’s just hot monkey wolf love around here.
I knew it! See you this afternoon.
What sucked was, out of all Misha’s vampires, Agnes tended to be the most conservative one of the bunch.
Which spoke volumes.
It took me only about ten minutes to reach Squaw Valley but another fifteen minutes to climb Granite Chief Peak where the Den was located. The dirt path up the mountain was easy to maneuver with my new ride, but I didn’t want to risk losing control and falling off the side.
I peeked over the nosebleed edge. Yeah, going off the side would super-suck .
Now that it was October, the temperature had begun to drop. But my inner furry beast kept me warm, so I let the windows down to breathe in the luscious aroma of pine. My sisters and I had traveled all over the U.S. as nurses until we finally settled in Tahoe. Out of all the places we’d visited, neither me nor my beast had ever encountered air as crisp or clean.
His hand cupped my jaw. “You’re the only one who helped me last time. And just like before, we’ll get through whatever comes together, all right?”
Which meant he didn’t want me talking to Martin, either. I didn’t want to think that there was anything wrong with him, but I couldn’t ignore what just happened. So I didn’t promise Aric anything, at least not then.
I clutched him against me until his strong arms released me and we said goodbye. Then I watched his black Escalade pull out of our driveway as he left to rid the world of evil without me. As if on cue, my iPhone buzzed on my nightstand the moment Aric’s SUV disappeared out of our neighborhood. Agnes Concepción, one of Misha’s most trusted vampires, had sent me a text.
Celia, the master has a little stone he’d like you to find.
Chapter 5
I slipped on a long, brown suede gypsy skirt that sat just below my navel, but kept the hideous red scars of my mangled pelvis hidden. The soft white cashmere sweater I wore fell just below my breasts. Aric loved this outfit because it complemented my curves and flat abdomen. I liked it because it was comfy.
I’d spent the week meeting Aric for lunch at a few local restaurants close to the Den. Today was a busier day for him and he wouldn’t be able to leave the grounds. As a treat, I decided to bring him lunch and made one of his favorite meals.
I finished marinating the steaks for dinner then hauled the picnic basket filled with goodies into my new Mercedes GL550. In lieu of a ring I’d probably lose changing, Aric had shocked me with a new ride. My jaw had practically unhinged when I saw it, and initially I tried to make him take it back. “You’re stuck with me and stuck with the SUV. Just smile and enjoy us both,” he said with a grin.
“What if I wreck it?” I’d asked.
“You won’t,” he’d said.
“What if some giant creature tries to destroy it with me in it?”
He hadn’t had an answer for that, except to have Genevieve ward the crap out of it.
The scent of Tuscan soup wafted into my nose, so did the Irish cheese I’d packed, and the Bavarian bread I’d baked the night before.
I allowed the aroma to soothe me. I needed it following my text-to-text interaction with Agnes earlier that morning.
Any more news on Shah? I texted back.
Nothing I can tell you over the phone. Get over here and we’ll talk.
I can’t right now.
Why? Are you and the mongrel having sex?
It took all I had to stay reasonable. If we were, why would I stop just to text you?
I never said you stopped. Or claimed it was any good.
Lord. Help me. I’ll be by later.
Why not now?
I’m busy.
Having sex?
I’m not having sex, Agnes!
Maybe you should—the good kind I’m saying. You’re awfully testy.
I’ll be by this afternoon.
There was a brief pause, followed by: So you are having sex?
I conceded just to shut her up. Yes. It’s just hot monkey wolf love around here.
I knew it! See you this afternoon.
What sucked was, out of all Misha’s vampires, Agnes tended to be the most conservative one of the bunch.
Which spoke volumes.
It took me only about ten minutes to reach Squaw Valley but another fifteen minutes to climb Granite Chief Peak where the Den was located. The dirt path up the mountain was easy to maneuver with my new ride, but I didn’t want to risk losing control and falling off the side.
I peeked over the nosebleed edge. Yeah, going off the side would super-suck .
Now that it was October, the temperature had begun to drop. But my inner furry beast kept me warm, so I let the windows down to breathe in the luscious aroma of pine. My sisters and I had traveled all over the U.S. as nurses until we finally settled in Tahoe. Out of all the places we’d visited, neither me nor my beast had ever encountered air as crisp or clean.
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