“Bernie,” he says.
“Yes?” I reply, moving my face to his, eager to taste his lips.
“Bernie,” he repeats, this time a little more forcefully.
“Bernie,” he says a third time, and now the snow drifts away, the white glow morphing into a dim flicker, and I’m suddenly in my bedroom.
I bolt up, an immediate sense of panic overtaking me. Where’s Rain? Who’s dead? What now?
Rune sits in front of me, his presence providing an immediate calm.
“Shhh, you’re all right. Rain’s all right.” It’s as though he can read my thoughts, which, duh, he probably can. Yikes. How much of that dream was he privy to?
“What time is it?” I ask. “How long did I sleep? Where’s everyone else?”
“It’s morning,” Rune says. “You finally got some quality rest. Unfortunately--”
The rest of his sentence is cut off when we hear AJ bounding up the stairs, two at a time like she’s done since junior high.
When she enters the room, I see worry etched on her face.
“I don’t see him out front. No sign of a car, either. He must have gone out the back.”
“What? Who?” I’m still groggy and there are too many “he’s” that she could be referring to.
A lot of my grogginess dissolves when Darius does his appearing act right next to AJ, nearly causing her to fall in surprise.
“Zev is trying to catch his scent in the woods,” he says to Rune. “We saw no prints in the snow.”
I’m still completely lost, but I think I’ve got a good guess.
“Karl?”
Darius says nothing, though the angry clench of his jaw speaks volumes. AJ just wrings her hands, confused and alarmed. Rune looks back to me, giving a slight nod.
“He disappeared.”
“What do you mean, disappeared? He just escaped? I thought Darius had--”
“I had,” the vampire cuts me off forcefully, a little defensive. “And he disappeared. The ropes are all in place, unmoved, unbroken. A human can’t escape those bonds.”
In an instant, Zev the wolf appears at the top of the stairs, and in just as little time Zev in human form stands beside Darius. It happens far too quickly, and by the time I notice he’s completely naked, he’s already started slipping into a pair of pants. But not before I see everything.
“No scent, no tracks, no sounds,” the half-naked werewolf says, his voice pulling my eyes up from his waistline to his mouth.
“Darius, what do you mean?” AJ asks. “He did escape those bonds, so what are you saying?”
“I can’t be sure,” Darius starts, choosing his words carefully. “But it appears that Karl spends his time in the company of witches.”
Chapter Ten
“Awesome, let’s bring some witches into the mix,” I say sarcastically. My nerves are frayed and I'm definitely using snark to hide that. AJ sees right through me though, and reaches for my hand, offering what comfort she can.
"I anticipated push back from those who wish to thwart us," Darius says, "but I'm surprised the witches are getting involved.”
"I'm not," Rune says calmly. "This directly affects all magical races, particularly the witches. If your kind hadn't hunted them out of our world, we might not be in this mess in the first place.”
Darius bares his teeth, and fangs protrude, his eyes darkening even further. "Push me too far, fae, and I'll develop a taste for your blood."
Zev studies them both and shakes his head. "My kind has the reputation for being hotheads, but I think you're both stealing that title."
“Please,” Darius says. “We’ve seen you at your angriest, Zev, and it’s not something either of us can compete with.”
The werewolf walks over and gets in the vampire’s face, forcing me to take a few steps back just in case a fight breaks out.
“And if your cold, dead heart could make room for emotions, you would have been angry as well.”
They’re back at it again with whatever beef developed during their years at, I don’t know, magic school. It’s like siblings who can’t let something go, and as an only child, I’m annoyed enough to put an end to it.
“Jesus Christ, what are you talking about? Get it out in the open so we don’t have to pause every hour for this redundant shit fit.”
Neither Darius nor Zev looks at me, still locked on each other and fuming. Rune steps forward to speak, putting a hand on Zev as he does so and hopefully delivering some calm to the furious wolf.
“We learned of this prophecy at the same time, centuries back,” the fae says. “As it affected each kingdom, the three of us were part of an ancient council that aimed to work with some sense of a common goal.”
“Four of us,” Darius says, still not turning away from Zev.
“Yes, there was a fourth,” Rune continues. “A witch named Cara. A dear friend to us all.”
“Not dear enough,” Zev says, leaving no question as to who he’s addressing.
I look at Darius, a new level of rage on his face. It seems like he needs a chance to speak about this through a mediator, so I ask him the next question.
“Darius,” I say in as gentle a voice as I can muster, “what happened?”
The vampire finally takes his attention off Zev and looks at me. The room immediately feels a shade less hostile.
“We all worked together to translate and understand the prophecy,” Darius says, gazing at the wall like his memories are projected there. “Cara wanted to work on a spell that might illuminate the meaning of the language. We initially told her not to, that there was too much magic in play, but she insisted. And I was the first to take her side.”
Zev opens his mouth to speak, but Rune tightens his grip on the wolf’s shoulder and silences him.
“So… your friend died?” Their silence seems like a pretty solid affirmation. “And you were all there when she did whatever she did, and Darius maybe didn’t push back as hard as you two would have liked. And instead of talking it out, you’ve been mad for, what, a millennium?”
More confirming silence.
“Okay,” I say, coming to the end of my usefulness as a paranormal counselor when they continue staring in silence. “I’m glad that got explained. It’s… a lot.”
The tension breaks a little when Rain begins crying, and I feel bad at how happy I am to hear my child fussing. "We’ll get back to that, because right now we need to find Karl," I say, my mind spinning with a plan. "Or whoever he’s working with, since I'm pretty sure he's not a witch."
"He's not," Zev says. "Witches are exclusively women. Always have been."
Huh. That's interesting and slightly unexpected. "Okay, so as I said, we need to find him and figure out who he's working with and why they also want my baby. How many magical species will we be fighting to keep her safe?" I clutch her more closely, fear and a fierce maternal protectiveness clouding my thinking.
"If he has magic, he might not be easy to track," Zev says gruffly. "As for how many others might be after her, that's hard to say. There are many races, but the witches, werewolves, fae, and vampires are the primary. All others are derived from us over the course of thousands of years."
"So nymphs are, like, some kind of blend? A magical mutt?" AJ asks, disappointment clear in her voice. She definitely wanted to be higher on the pyramid.
"In a manner of speaking," Zev says. "But this all happened ages ago. Right now, we need to formulate a better plan for protecting Rain and Bernie."
"Agreed," Rune says.
Darius nods but says nothing.
"And who will protect us from you three?" I ask, my words thrown like daggers at each of them. Rain finishes feeding and I cover myself and burp her as I stare the three men down. "You came here to take her, just like Karl. How are you any different? The only reason you're still here is because you're all keeping each other in check."
The Sexies look at each other with some level of discomfort. "It is... complicated," Rune says.
>
I know it's complicated, especially after getting insight from Rune, but that doesn’t warm me to the idea of someone stealing my child. "You all have your reasons for what you’re trying to do. So does Karl. And I appreciate that you're staying and helping. But at the end of the day, why should I trust any of you? You all want the same thing. My baby. And you all see her as a savior to your people without regard for me, or her as a person."
Tears sting my eyes and the whole situation crashes into me like a tsunami I can't contain. I turn away so they don't see me cry. "I'd like to be alone, please. Can you all leave my room?"
Before anyone argues it's not safe, I turn back to glare at them. "I'll protect Rain, and you can all wait in the other room, but I need a freaking minute with my child and myself, is that too much to ask after all this?"
I raise my voice for emphasis, and Rune especially flinches like I just slapped him, but I can't muster enough energy to care. I feel beaten and bruised after nearly losing my child, knowing it could happen again. AJ leads the men out, Rune leaving last and closing the door behind him with a sharp click.
I lock it, knowing damn well it won't make any difference to men with magical powers and super strength, but it gives me some small semblance of control over an entirely uncontrollable situation. I shuffle over to my bed and crawl into it, pulling the blankets over both myself and my child until it is just the two of us in my mini make-shift fort. She's already fallen back to sleep, content and safe in my arms, and I stare at her for some time, wondering what it is that makes her so special. I know what makes her special to me. But why is everyone else in all the worlds after her, and how can I possibly keep her safe against such threats?
Eventually, those guys will figure out how to best each other. One of them will take her from me, and I will have no recourse. No way of fighting back. I would die for her, of course I would, and it just might come to that, but I fear my blood is not powerful enough or valuable enough to matter in this battle. This is far beyond the skills of a barmaid turned pianist turned barmaid again.
The tears come hard and fast, and I'm solidly wallowing in my own pain when I hear the whir of the electricity coming back to life. Through the thick comforter, a flicker of light confirms our power has returned.
It looks like we'll be back to business as usual, and I'll need to muster my own courage to get my business up and running before I lose that too.
I crawl out of bed and use a Baby Bjorn to strap Rain to my chest, then I freshen up in the bathroom before returning to the guys in the living room.
"We’ve got a lot of prep work to do now that the power’s back on. Are you going to help?"
Everyone nods and follows me silently downstairs.
I spend the next several hours giving instructions and teaching everyone what to do. AJ insists she can handle everything, but I need something to keep my body and my mind occupied. The alternative is more wallowing, and I’m not a fan.
We clean, prep and have everything ready when our first customers arrive. Tonight it's all regulars. The power’s back and the snow stopped, but tall snow banks and black ice keep people from venturing far from home, and we’ve never been good at pulling in tourists anyways.
That suits my mood just fine. I don't really want to deal with strangers right now.
Everyone who comes in oohs and ahhs over the baby, but I refuse any requests to hold her, and keep her strapped to my chest all night except when I sneak away to feed or change her.
AJ and my new sexy staff do their part. Rune and Darius wash glasses and buss tables while Zev just chills in his wolf body--and by just chills I mean he glues himself to my heels. I swear I nearly trip on him at least three times.
When we finally close up shop that night, I'm dead on my feet, though the guys look as refreshed as always. Damn them.
Rune approaches me with hesitancy as I straighten my back, cracking it in at least five painful places.
“Let me take her and put her to bed, Bernie. You need a break.”
When I don’t answer, and instead clutch Rain closer to my chest, Rune lays a hand on me, and a rush of warmth and calm flows over me.
I jerk away. “Stop. Don’t manipulate my emotions right now. I get to be pissed and scared and… and pissed.”
He nods. “You do. I apologize. I just hate to see you so unhappy. I come from a long line of healers. It is in my blood to want to soothe and help. Forgive me for overstepping.”
Well now I feel like part ass, part justified mama bear and 100% exhausted. Rune has been nothing but kind to me and Rain. Tender even. And as I look up the staircase, I wonder if I can even make it with her on my chest. I worked too hard and didn’t accept the help that was offered. It’s classic Bernie and I usually push through, but my body isn’t used to recovering from childbirth.
With a sigh and some nervousness, I unclasp the straps and hand the bundle--baby included--to Rune’s outstretched arms. His silver-blue gaze drops to Rain, and his expression is so gentle, so loving, so full of awe and hurt for what he’s lost, that the wall I built around my heart cracks just a little. “Go. Before I change my mind.”
He nods and with fluid speed, hastens upstairs.
I pause a moment, trying to will my broken body forward, when I feel strong arms lift me up.
Zev flashes a cheeky smile. "You don't look capable of making it up those stairs, love. Let me help."
I'm about to argue, but he's probably right. Everything in my body hurts so much I feel tears coming, though I refuse to let them fall. I will not show weakness, but dear heaven I could use a bath.
Using that magically heightened intuition, Zev carries me to the bathroom and gently places me on the toilet as he runs the hot water. Rune appears with a vial of herbs and dumps it into the bath. "It will help with your pain," he says, softly.
I can see more words unspoken in the depths of his eyes, but he turns to leave before I can ask. Zev raises an eyebrow but leaves as well, allowing me to undress in private.
As I slink off my clothes and sink into the tub, I groan in pleasure. Worry for Rain still filters through the relaxation, but the scent of lavender and rose and the feel of my muscles unknotting does a lot to calm my mind.
My mind is drifting when a knock at my door pulls me back. “Uh, yeah?”
Zev walks in holding a small jar of oil as I try to strategically place bubbles to allow for some level of modesty. Though, the werewolf doesn’t seem concerned about such things, and maybe it’s just my prudish puritan culture getting in the way of things.
“Your back was bothering you. I thought I might offer my massage services to alleviate a bit of that discomfort,” he says, his gaze taking in the parts of my body that are still exposed, and lingering on the parts that aren’t.
His words send a promise directly to my body, which responds before my mind even gets a chance to talk me out of it. I pull my knees to my chest and lean forward, exposing as much of my back as I can.
Zev shrugs out of his shirt, revealing his perfectly sculpted abs of steel before taking a seat on the edge of the tub. I raise an eyebrow at that and he shrugs. “Wouldn’t want to get it wet.”
“Sure,” I say, shaking my head. “I think you’re just allergic to clothing.”
He lays his large hands on my shoulders, the heat from his skin seeping into my perpetually chilled body, and I moan at the simple pleasure of it.
Zev leans in, his lips coming dangerously close to my ear, his chest pressing up against my naked back. “Not allergic,” he whispers. “But clothes do get in the way of some of life’s most delicious moments, don’t you think?”
“They can be cumbersome at times,” I agree, trying to keep my voice steady as he begins to massage the tension out of my muscles.
As he works his way down my spine, I’m lost to his touch. He knows every tender muscle and how to coax the pain out of my body. I try not to sound like I’m having an orgasm over this massage, but it’s damn hard, and I can tell my at
tempt at silence isn’t fooling the werewolf.
“I can smell your arousal,” he says, once again bringing his mouth to my ear.
In a bold move that feels more like AJ than myself, I reach back with my hand and graze it over his pants. “And I can feel yours.”
Even just the hint of my touch inspires a deep growl low in his chest. The timbre of it resonates through my body and ignites a fresh wave of desire that I do my best to fight.
So I ask a question that could definitely kill the mood, and most likely will.
“Do you have someone? Back home?”
I let my hair fall over my face as I turn from him. Whatever his answer, I don’t want to wear my heart on my sleeve right now.
He clears his throat and pulls back, his hands lingering at my side, lightly grazing the sides of my breasts. “No, no mate at home.”
“Never?” I ask.
His fingers dig into my flesh and he moves against me, his mouth hovering over my shoulder. “Wolves mate for life, love,” he says, his voice cracking with emotion. “And you don’t know how dangerous these questions are for you.” His lips brush against my shoulder, then his teeth nip my flesh, followed by a soft kiss.
And then he stands and leaves, pulling the door closed behind him firmly.
My skin is on fire from his touch, from his bite and his kiss. I rub at the faint teeth marks left in my skin and lean back, closing my eyes as I try to process what just happened. I can’t sort out of my emotions. All I know is my skin is buzzing and my heart is racing.
By the time I'm done with the bath and dried off, I feel like a whole new woman--and am mostly recovered from my time with Zev. Though I still feel a small bruising pain in my shoulder from his bite, and it brings to mind all manner of places I’d like to feel his mouth next. Shoving aside any sexy thoughts of the Sexies, I check on Rain, who's sleeping soundly in her crib. Ah, to be so sheltered from the reality of the world. I tuck a blanket around her and then head to the living room where the guys are all there.
"Where's AJ?" I ask.
"She said she had some errands to run and will be back in a 'hot second'," Darius says somewhat awkwardly.
A Werewolf, a Vampire, and a Fae Walk Into a Bar Page 9