“Very busy,” she agreed. “It’s not normally like this.”
“Oh, I know.” Tobias gave her a look that asked if she was serious. “William used to say the crazy came in waves. A week of nothing going on, then two days of madness where it felt like the world was going to end.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “He did! I should have taken that more seriously. Should have remembered it when I got the job.”
“You’re learning, little witch,” Valen cut in. “Eat. Let the lover boys figure it out now.”
She gave him a saucy smile before diving into her food. Valen had taken up calling them her lover boys pretty quickly. She wasn’t exactly secretive about how she was sleeping with both of them, and neither were they. Who was going to tell them to stop? Adalyn didn’t know anyone stupid enough. It wasn’t like any of them were attached.
Unlike Mr. Martinez. Really, what was that girl thinking?
Adalyn tried not to dive back into that while eating.
“Lover boys, huh?” Tobias finally said, curious.
“Yeah…I mean, you saw Easton kiss me earlier. It happened when they first came to town. It’s casual. They’re helping me…handle the loneliness. It’s fun for everyone.” She gave him the honest answer. He might have had his suspicions, but Valen had just laid it out there for him.
“It’s not too soon after William?”
“No. It’s not like that. They know I’m not looking for a ring any time soon, if ever.”
“Never?” The shaman sounded surprised. “Are you sure? Not even for the right man?”
She lost her appetite immediately at those words. “And who’s the right man, Tobias? I’m young. I can explore and enjoy life for a little while. I’m not required to get remarried.” And I’m not going to let anyone convince me otherwise. You know that, Tobias. Don’t make this into a thing like Maxwell did. You know me so much better than he does. She couldn’t say the rest, but the silent plea must have been on her face, because he nodded.
“You’re right. Who knows why the heart wants what it wants?” He turned away from her, and William’s words came back to her.
He’s got feelings for me. Shit.
4
Tobias
My first day back in Redstone and of course, it’s nothing like what I expected. The town is going through a crazy phase. It must have been brewing if this is Adalyn’s first as sheriff.
He wanted to laugh and hide at the same time. He had missed Redstone, but he had forgotten how tiring the town could be. He was already feeling it.
“You should know the ebb and flow of Redstone by now, little witch.” Valen was still hanging around on the other side of the bar. Tobias watched him, knowing the big Russian was covering for him. Adalyn’s words had struck him. He’d never expected that she would become anti-marriage after William leaving them the way he did. Now he needed to come to terms with it and how she was sleeping with two men, openly and without commitment.
I can work with this. I hope. I can’t keep avoiding how I feel about her.
“Oh, I do, but I used to be part of the trouble, not the person who had to go…clean up the mess.” She wrinkled her nose in that adorable way he enjoyed. She always did it when she found something distasteful. “And most of the time, I was either here, in the sheriff’s office, or at home. I didn’t really mingle with most of the town. They all knew me, I knew them, and that was all.”
“Part of the trouble. Hm, yeah. You were. Being part of the trouble got you that job.” The Russian couldn’t stop chuckling. Tobias joined him as she groaned and went back to her food, trying to ignore them. He met Valen’s stare after a moment and the Russian raised an eyebrow. “Have you talked to her about it? Have you made the giant proclamation of your feelings yet?”
Tobias shook his head minutely, knowing only Valen would pick up the gesture. He wasn’t going to talk to Valen about this until she was gone. He couldn’t get into it yet.
“Her deputies complicate matters,” Valen continued, his telepathy echoing around in Tobias’ head. “She quite likes them. You should get to know them. They’re still feeling the sting of being outsiders here in Redstone, and their new place in the community isn’t helping. You would be doing her and them a large favor by extending a hand of friendship.”
He stared pointedly at the Russian until his friend went off to handle something else. It was a few minutes later when his close friend couldn’t resist continuing.
“You know, if Maxwell finds out what I am, he’s going to tell Adalyn. You’re working against the clock if you want to try for her before I do. Not like either of us can do anything about the deputies.”
“We’ll catch up later, Valen,” Tobias finally said out loud. “It’s been a long day. I don’t need to have a one-sided conversation.”
“Oh, called out. Valen, that’s rude. What are you talking about?” Adalyn was interested in them again, her blue-green eyes twinkling with delight. “And I’m done. Thank you for the meal.”
“Anytime, little witch,” the big man crooned, making her empty plate disappear. “And I mean that.”
“Oh, I know you do,” she replied, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Always the flirt, Adalyn Lovett. Tobias wished she would turn those come hither eyes on him sometimes, but he was always just the friend. He was almost resigned to the role.
Almost. She wasn’t marrying her deputies. He still had a chance to see if she felt the same way, if he ever found a moment to talk to her about it. If she didn’t, then they could just be friends. He could live with that.
“If you ever need a midnight snack, come calling,” Valen told her, leaning over the bar. “I can always find something for you to nibble on.”
Oh no. Please, you two, don’t do this right now. Tobias shifted uncomfortably, his mind conjuring all manner of images.
“I like having variety in my diet. Can you promise that?” She reached out and ran a finger over the big man’s chest.
“I think you already have quite a lot of variety in your diet.” Valen began to chuckle again, nodding towards her deputies across the bar.
“Aren’t there five food groups, though?” She was trying not to laugh now too. Tobias could hear it in her voice. She was beginning to find the flirting more ridiculous than sensual or sexy.
“With a body like yours, I think you can have more without having to worry about any consequences.” The Russian couldn’t keep it up, doubling over to laugh. Adalyn broke next, throwing her head back in a beautiful laugh that filled the space around them. Her black waves were bouncing around her and Tobias lost his breath for a second. Like he did every time he looked at her when she was so unreserved. He could feel her magic around her, enticing him, drawing him in with its power and warmth.
She doesn’t know how she draws us in. She has no idea we’re moths to her flame.
He couldn’t blame her for it. Adalyn was the queen of distraction. First, she moved out West and had to acclimate. Then she married William. Then she grieved him. Now she was holding the job, and that had to be a lot of pressure. He could see it in the heavy way her shoulders sat when they had walked in with Clarice.
“WHERE IS SHE?” a rich, feminine voice rang out. There was a strange shrillness to it, though, like a horse’s neigh. Tobias knew exactly who had just stormed into the saloon. He looked over his shoulder to see the horse shifter, Sage Martinez, standing in all her fury in the doorway of the saloon.
“Ma’am, she’s currently being held.” Easton stood up and walked over to her, patient and understanding. “Why don’t you have a seat with us and we’ll talk this out?”
Sage curled a disgusted lip. “I’m not leaving until I have that hussy’s hide! And the vampire’s! Which one was that?”
Adalyn shook her head a tiny bit to him. Tobias sighed. Neither of them had any idea which vampire it was and it didn’t matter. If Sage went and threatened one of them, Madam would defend her nest and slaughter the shifter. They would have a war
on their hands between the two groups. The werewolves would probably defend the shifters, but the werecats could swing to the vampires, since Felicity, the werecat Alpha, and Madam were close friends and worked together.
“That bull,” Valen muttered. “Had to go sticking his cock where it didn’t belong.”
“I heard that, Valen!” Sage screeched. “My husband is a loyal man! He said they both seduced him!”
Adalyn groaned next to him, her head falling to the bar.
“Ma’am, we’re not going to give you Clarice or the vampire. Why don’t you go work this out with your husband, get the truth from him, and move on? I’m sure neither of the ladies will be a problem for you anymore.” Tobias knew Easton had some serious balls by the way he stood at the ready to stop the horse shifter.
“He’s strong enough to handle this, right?”
Adalyn nodded, her back still to the action. She hadn’t bothered to turn around and watch yet. “He’s a Nephilim. Remy is a shifter, but he shifts into a hellhound. Interesting story, that. Neither here nor there, right now. All that matters is they are more than capable of handling this.”
He tried not to sputter at the idea of her lovers. A Nephilim and a…hellhound shifter? I’ve never heard of something like that. Interesting. I wonder how Remy would feel about questions. While shocked, he was also thankful. That was some firepower for the sheriff’s office. A wild magic witch for a sheriff, and her deputies were probably two of the strongest things in town. Not bad, Adalyn. William would be jealous.
“If you hurt my daughter, Sage, I’ll see you out of my fucking Pack,” David snarled, walking in.
Tobias raised an eyebrow. Forrest was right behind the shifter Alpha. “She’s justified. Your daughter—”
The Alpha grabbed the horse shifter by the throat. Tobias began to stand up, because if there was a fight, he wanted to help. The wolf shifter, William’s father, wasn’t weak. If anything, he could handle any of the shifters in his Pack, including the bulls and bears.
He wasn’t able to break up the starting scuffle, though. Suddenly, Sage slid to one side of the room. Forrest was yanked from David’s grasp and sent with her. The wolf growled, left alone where he stood.
“That wasn’t all me,” Valen said in his head. He probably sent it to Adalyn as well, because she turned around now and jumped off her stool.
Sapphire eyes were now the brightest thing in the saloon, punctuated by Easton’s power stance in David’s face. Remy prowled around, circling the shifters with their drama.
“Now, none of you are going to kill each other.” Easton’s words left no room for disagreement.
Tobias wanted to strangle Sage, who immediately tried. “And what sort of power do you have to stop us? The moment we leave this saloon, Valen won’t be able to st—”
Adalyn’s hand swung out and the horse shifter’s mouth sealed shut. Tobias swallowed. It wasn’t very often Adalyn felt the need to curse someone.
“Don’t disrespect my deputy. Either of them. Plus…” Tobias wasn’t sure why Adalyn stopped until he saw Easton nod. “None of you can defeat a Nephilim. He’s on our side. Well, I’ll correct myself. He’s on my side, and yours if you stay on my good one. Sage, Forrest, neither of you can have Clarice or the vampire. Madam’s nest will obliterate the Pack. Go get pissy with the man who couldn’t stop putting his cock in places it didn’t belong. He convinced Clarice he was going to leave you for her.” Adalyn walked into the middle of the saloon now, spinning slowly to see all of them. “Now, the werewolves were attacked this morning by humans. This is petty and childish in comparison, yet it’s given me a much larger headache. David, Clarice is upstairs. Valen will mark her room for you. She tried to shoot the damned bull, so she’s staying the night here as my detainee. That’s not up for negotiation.”
Tobias watched David glare at his once daughter-in-law. He wouldn’t fight with her, but Tobias knew he wanted to. Those two had never had the best relationship, and it looked like her being where William once was now added strain to the already fragile situation.
“Fine,” David snapped. “Can Valen let me go talk to her?”
“Yes.” Adalyn waved him away. “Talk to Esteban tonight. You can decide what to do about the drama in your pack. I don’t want to see it in this town again. And no one is going after the vampires. Keep your animals in line.”
For some reason, David cracked a small smile, even though the heat of anger was still in his eyes. “Still calling my pack a zoo?”
“No, but today it might get a new nickname.” Adalyn was smiling a little now too.
“What would that be?”
“A circus.” She snapped her fingers. “Sage, the curse is gone, but keep your mouth shut so I don’t feel the urge to make it permanent.”
David snorted and walked to the back of the building and up into the apartments over them. Tobias let out a deep breath as Sage and Forrest left without a word, their heads down. There were a couple of werecats in the room, watching Easton with interest. A lone werewolf was just sitting at a table in shock. He was going to report all of this back to Lawrence, there was no question. Tobias, though, was very interested in the mixed expressions held by the shifters in the saloon. Their Alpha was off dealing with a young woman, his own daughter, who was found to be sleeping with his married advisor. The same advisor was also a patron of the brothel.
This is unusual even for Redstone. Adalyn probably wants to pull her hair out.
“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” Tobias suggested, knowing if she stuck around, everyone would want to know about the drama.
“Good idea. Easton, Remy, I’m going to head home and just put my head down and figure out the werewolf problem. Can you two keep fielding the shit here in town?”
“Of course. We’ll be home by dinner. Would you like us to bring anything back?”
“If he’ll sell to you, we need bread from Forrest. I’ve been too tired to bake.”
Tobias raised an eyebrow. She normally loved a bit of light baking. The new job as sheriff was probably the cause for her exhaustion. She had deputies. Tobias didn’t know why they weren’t helping her more, if she was so tired at the end of the day and they seemed perfectly fine.
“You should teach one of us how, then. I don’t sleep; I can bake all night.” Easton was patient, wearing a knowing smile, as if he knew the witch’s retort.
“No. I bake. I like baking.” Adalyn waved him away. Tobias froze when she turned on him. “Do you want to come up for dinner? Or tomorrow? We can do everything tomorrow I think.”
“You don’t seem like you want any company for the evening. I’ll come by tomorrow.” He waited and then she hugged him, rubbing his back. He leaned into it, reciprocating. With a tiny wave to the rest of the patrons in the saloon, she walked out.
Tobias sighed, deflating the moment she was gone. He turned on Easton and frowned. “Now, I don’t know you or Remy, but let me make this clear. If you’re taking advantage of her, I’ll kill you.”
“If we were taking advantage of her, she would kill us,” Easton replied, looking unperturbed by his threat. “And I’ll let that sort of assumption slide once. Don’t make any more. You don’t know us and we don’t know you.” The Nephilim stepped closer to him. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at her. I don’t care what history you have with her, shaman, but let me make it clear that I’m very willing to handle any challenge you have for me or Remy.”
Tobias didn’t recoil. He knew he couldn’t show this Nephilim fear. They would take it as a sign of weakness, and Tobias, while a peaceful man, was anything but weak. He did dare to glance at the hellhound. Easton was talking softly, but the other supernaturals were bound to hear what was said. He had to choose his next words very carefully.
“I’m not here to challenge you. I’m here to live in the same town I have for over a decade and hang out with the same friends I’ve had since I moved here.” He was lying through his teeth about the ch
allenge. He wanted Adalyn Lovett, and if he had a chance, he was going to take it, deputies in her bed or not.
Easton knew he was lying, but smiled anyway. “Well, with that out of the way, it’s nice to finally meet you. They’ve all sung your praises since we came into town.” He extended a hand and Tobias took it. The Nephilim’s grip was firm, but not overbearing. It was very professional, like a handshake a businessman from back East would give. “If I’m right, shamans…you’re just warlocks or witches with different types of training, correct?”
“That’s right. We learn to utilize magic in different ways. We can learn the other ways, as well, if we apply ourselves to it. It’s a frame of mind issue, though. Maxwell’s type of magic requires a different way of thinking, and then Adalyn’s is more different. It’s honestly easier for her to learn different types than the rest of us.”
“Ah, sort of a nature versus nurture situation. You’ve been taught something a certain way for so long that seeing how the other side does it doesn’t feel or seem correct.” Easton nodded in a pondering way. “Interesting.”
“And you? Nephilim are normally…well, very evil.”
“Depends on who our fathers are.” Easton shrugged. “Partly. Depends on who our mothers are too, if you think about it.”
“Nature versus nurture?” Tobias asked, daring to smile. He hated that this suave, blond-haired, and sapphire-eyed man was in Adalyn’s bed. In her life at all, really. He couldn’t compete with the likes of him. He doesn’t seem awful, though. He’s obviously very intelligent and refined.
“Exactly. Remy and I have to get back to work, but it was nice talking to you.” Easton’s eyes were warm for a moment, then returned to the cutting gemstone that wanted to flay someone before he was even done talking. “Remember what I said, please.”
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