“You’ll be asleep.” She was about to make sure of that. He didn’t need to waste all his precious energy trying to get involved. She touched his face and whispered the sleep spell, putting only a touch of power in it. “Goodnight.”
He couldn’t respond.
With that, she looked at the door and saw Easton.
“So…” He nodded towards the stairs. “You’re going to do it.”
“Yes.” She knew he had already figured that out.
“Have fun,” he murmured, sending shivers down her spine. “And tell him thank you for me too.”
“For?”
“Remy.” Easton blinked across the room and kissed her swiftly. Then he was gone, holding a book as he walked out of the room.
Her heart pounded. These men.
She found Tobias downstairs at her dining room table, with two glasses of water already set out. She took one and sipped it.
“Tobias…” She put it down and walked around the table. Once she was next to him, she didn’t pull up a chair. She sat on the table, looking at him carefully. “I love you. As a friend. Something more, I think. I want you, absolutely. I have thought about it for years. But I’m not ready to get remarried and I may never be.”
“A relationship doesn’t live or die by a ring,” he replied. “I’ll live without a ring. I promise. I can do that. I’ll take whatever I can get, and I should have accepted that from the beginning, because that’s how much I care about you. I care enough to accept the piece you’re willing to give and treasure it.”
“No, it doesn’t and thank you.”
“Is that everything?” He smiled, standing up and moving in front of her.
“Yeah.” She grabbed his shoulders and yanked him close. His lean hips moved between her legs and she wrapped her legs around him. She pulled open his shirt, sending buttons everywhere.
“Woah, Addy.” Tobias’ eyes were wide.
“Easton and Remy send their thanks for last night. Here’s mine.” She grabbed the back of his neck with one hand and kissed him hard while her other hand traveled over his newly-revealed chest. This was her thank you to him. For helping her and for helping Remy. For coming to terms with her life with her deputies. Just for coming to terms with them at all.
And now I’m finally going to enjoy this man who’s taunted me for years by being so damned…him.
“Addy,” he whispered against her lips the moment she let him breathe.
“Stay,” she ordered softly. “Stay the day here.”
“Okay.” He kissed her softer than she had kissed him. She moved down to his pants, pulling open his belt. Next, she opened his pants and pushed her hand down, gripping his cock the moment she could. He was already hard for her. She stroked him, relishing in the groan as he pushed his face against her neck. “A bed. Please.”
“My room,” she told him. She was only going to have sex in her bed. Remy was completely out. Easton was probably reading in a guest bedroom.
“We left Remy there,” he reminded her.
“He knows,” she promised. “Up to you.”
“Fuck.” He paused and she knew he was working out what to do. Did he dare have sex in a room with another man or out in her dining room? She was giving him the choice to accept that this was just how life could be for them. It was her final test. He pulled back and she caught his hazel gaze. “Let’s go.”
“Good choice,” she purred. “We don’t have to, though. We can have sex right here. No one will mind. It’s my house.” She kissed his throat, pulling him back to her.
“No, I want you in a bed,” he whispered hoarsely. “And if we’re going to do this, might as well get used to it now.”
She bit down on his shoulder, just a teasing bite. It made him groan. She was already wet thinking about how good this was going to be. It was going to be perfect.
“Plus…” Tobias coughed, one of those embarrassed coughs where men actually were trying to hide something. “Maybe one day I can work with them in your bedroom too. If there’s a woman I would ever consider it with, it’s you. You seem to be attached to whatever it is they do, so I might as well learn.”
That only made her hotter. “I love the way you think,” she said softly, licking up his neck and nibbling on his earlobe.
“Oh gods,” he groaned.
She was chuckling deviously as he lifted her off the table. He carried her up the stairs and straight into her bedroom. As she knew he would be, Remy was very much asleep. Tobias put her down and began to slowly pull off everything she was wearing, kissing every inch of skin he exposed. When her panties and underwear went down, he placed his mouth at her core and took a swipe. She moaned, running her hands through his hair, holding them there for a moment.
“Oh yes,” she moaned out as he continued to lick. “Tobias, that’s amazing.”
His hands roamed up her thighs and back down. He helped her step out of her pants and pulled away. She backed away as well, falling onto her bed and moving up to her pillows. She had no torture for him like she had for Easton. She wanted to see what Tobias was thinking, planning, and what he liked.
He pulled off the rest of his clothing and joined her, stalking up the bed and between her legs. He already knew she was wet for him, so she wasn’t surprised when the head of his cock pushed against her as he kissed her. He didn’t thrust right away, though. He ground his cock against her, through her folds, taunting her.
“Tobias,” she murmured. “Please.”
He chuckled and shifted his hips slightly. The next push he made, he slid into her. She bit her bottom lip and made one of those insanely feminine sounds. He filled her up. She should have paid more attention to his size. He rocked slowly, kissing every bit of her face as they moved together. She lifted her hips to take more of him, all of him.
It was slow and beautiful. She was in charge still and she knew it. He was just offering her everything she had wanted from him. Which was all of him.
They kissed as they both climbed steadily to the peak. He began to pick up his pace after a long, leisurely time. She clung to him as it hit her, crying out softly into his shoulder. He groaned, not able to go much longer either. Together, they rode it out. She enjoyed the feeling of him there. It was like home was in her arms. Like she was always meant to hold this man, no matter how much she had fought it.
“Mine,” she purred softly. “You’re mine.”
“I always was,” he said, kissing her cheek. By the time he pulled out of her, sleep was threatening to take over. He lay to her side, opposite of Remy.
“Hey, you two,” Easton called. “Tobias, do you need anything for clean up?”
“What? Is he serious?” Tobias asked her, leaning in and talking quietly.
“Hm. Yes,” she said, smiling, closing her eyes. “He likes cleaning up.”
Tobias didn’t say anything more but she felt him get out of bed.
Later, when he was back and she was clean, she cuddled into his chest. At some point, Remy’s legs got tangled up with hers.
They had problems, but damn, they were going to work them out together, her strange little team of lovers. She was certain of it.
30
Adalyn
It was late when she woke up and slid out of the bed. She saw Easton in the dark, sitting in his chair, his eyes closed as he just rested. Not asleep. She knew better than to think he was.
“Easton,” she called softly. “I’m going out for a minute. Won’t be long.”
“Going for a walk?” he asked softly, one sapphire eye opening.
“To talk to myself, really. I just…want to…”
“Go talk to William,” he murmured. “The dead have a funny way of hearing things, and I bet he loves hearing about your life in the beyond.”
You have no idea. “You think so?” she asked softly. It was surprising to hear that from him.
“Why do you think I put the picture of him down on your desk? I don’t want to make him jealous if he’s resting in
peace.” He smirked, his eye closing again.
She was chuckling as she pulled on a robe and left, shaking her head. William wasn’t jealous of them, but it was a funny thought.
The moon was still large tonight as she walked underneath it to his grave. He was there before her, sitting on the stone.
“It’s been a couple of weeks,” he said lightly. “How have things been?”
“Well, we handled the humans, as hard as that was. It had more drama than necessary, in my opinion. I wanted to ask you a few things. Something happened that I really hope you know something about before I take it to Lawrence or your father.”
That made him sit up a little straighter, much more like the sheriff he’d once been. Caring, yet serious and focused. So focused. “What happened?”
“Remy…transitioned last night…into a werewolf? Were-hellhound? We aren’t sure.”
I’ve always wondered if a ghost could get pale like a person. I guess they can. There was no other way for her to process how William nearly disappeared as he took on a shocked expression.
“Was he bitten by an Alpha werewolf?” he demanded.
“Lawrence himself. It’s a long story.” One she didn’t care to repeat. She just needed answers now.
“Damn it. Lawrence must have lost control…”
“No. From what I understand, Lawrence was very human when he did it. See, Lawrence got out while we were dealing with the humans and Remy took him down. Made him submit. Lawrence, when he was human again, needed Remy to submit. He drew blood on my boy.” That had already been explained to her. She was beginning to realize it was more than a slightly asshole-type move.
“Fucking dumb shit. He knows better.” William shook his head, trailing off.
“I need answers, William, because dealing with Remy last night was terrifying.”
“It’s…rare. Very rare. An Alpha bite on a shifter can give the shifter a second form, at a cost. There’s a few rule changes as well. He transitioned last night, because it comes on the next sign of the moon. Not the full moon, just the moon. Now that he’s done it once, you don’t have to worry about him losing control anymore.” William sighed. “But his bites are now infectious. Be careful.”
“Wait. Remy can now spread the curse?” That was surprising. “Is he going to transition every full moon?”
“No. He just has a second form, one he might not have control over. One that can take over at any time if he loses control of himself, like if he’s really angry or in danger. He’s still a shifter.” William was rubbing his spectral face. “My gods. You have a were-hellhound…”
“Can this happen to other shifters? I need to know how safe my town is.”
“It really has only ever happened to canine shifters, probably because the curse is werewolves. Like to like. Though you might want to ask Felicity if it’s ever happened with felines.” William sighed. “Because it never happened in Redstone, Lawrence, my father, and I never saw a reason to make it known.”
“Why isn’t this general knowledge?” she snapped. “Why didn’t I know?”
“Because it proves there’s a chance the curse the werecats and werewolves have are based on shifters. That they’re a twisted form of us, or someone’s attempt to make us out of regular humans. For shifters, that’s bad news. For werewolves and werecats, it means they can explode their numbers and win their wars by kidnapping our kind and trying to make the cursed shifters. Or try to make a cure, if that’s even remotely possible. Most of the werewolves and werecats don’t know, and we shifters try to keep it very quiet. Lawrence never told any of his Pack so that none of them ever got any ideas.” William seemed stressed now. “Don’t tell him about Remy. Or my father.”
“Why?” She tossed that idea out the window.
“He and I could never agree on who someone like that would report to, him or my father. They’re both strong Alphas. Lawrence would want anything that changes like him in his Pack. My father would want to keep a closer eye on the person and keep them hidden in his Pack. Probably in a basement. Thankfully, Lawrence never seemed out to make any trouble. Just keep Remy a secret.” Her late husband seemed thoughtful now. “Thankfully, since he’s already such an oddity, this shouldn’t seem too odd if he does lose control.”
“Can he use the second form naturally? Without…going crazy?” she asked softly. “I don’t want him to live in fear of what he is.”
“I don’t know. I only know the basics- what we shifters were ever able to discover about it. Adalyn, you’re going to have to play this one by ear, I think, and be very careful.”
“Thank you for having anything for me. I wasn’t expecting you to,” she finally told him. “Really, William.”
“I’m glad you brought it to me. My father would have tried to take Remy.”
“I wouldn’t let him,” she snapped. “Or Lawrence.”
“Good,” he murmured, nodding, a small smile playing on his lips now. “How is he? How are all of them?”
“Oh…well…We’ve figured all of it out, I think.” She kicked some dirt.
“Please tell me all about it. I can’t really go in and see what’s going on.” He leaned over like a schoolboy waiting to hear gossip, like he always did when she had good stuff about the men in her life to tell him.
“Remy and Tobias are in my bed,” she whispered like a naughty child, a smile breaking out over her face. “I didn’t have them at the same time or anything. Remy’s been in a really deep sleep since we got him to transition back into his normal form. But…” She shrugged. “I got really upset. Easton and Tobias, of all people, were about to get into a fight, William. I decided I was done with all of them. They came up with this…idea. That instead of fighting over me when I hate that sort of shit, they would all be together with me at whatever pace I want.”
“Thank the gods they figured it out, those damned children.” He sounded happy and mystified with them.
“Excuse me?” Her eyebrows shot up. “What does that mean?”
“Why do you think I always wanted them to admit their feelings while I was alive, Adalyn?” He smiled. “Because I knew eventually the job I love would take me away from you—and they would be there for you. They would hold and treasure your heart. Because you promised me monogamy, but I never asked for it from you. I know you witches really thrive when you have the freedom of choice, even when there’s a ring on your finger. Yet you never took me up on it. You never explored how you felt about Tobias or Valen or Maxwell.”
“And you think we missed out on something wonderful.” She could see what he was saying now. “That we could have been a big happy family.”
“Yeah, but now you’re going to try and have it with them. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” He grinned. “So, Tobias and Remy are in your bed. Easton and Valen?”
“Easton doesn’t sleep. He’s sitting in his favorite chair in the corner of the room, pretending to try. Sometimes he reads, sometimes he just sits there in silence. Valen is in the deal but…well, I’m not sure how that’s going to play out. He doesn’t want to explore his feelings for me or let me press them and see how I feel, until I know what he is. Apparently, that’s not something he can just tell me.”
“Well, it was never something he could just tell me either. No, I don’t know. Nice of him, though, wanting you to know and have it all out there. I’ve always wondered. When you find out, will you let me know?”
“Yeah, I can do that for you,” she promised, smiling. “I can’t believe you always wanted me to be with them too, William.”
“I knew it would make you happy to have them in your life, and that made me happy. Now I’m just going to kick back and watch it all play out.”
“Or you could move on,” she said firmly. “Or I’ll have to send you.”
“Or you can work on figuring out why I haven’t and resolve it. Yes, I know you want me to move on. No, I don’t know why I haven’t. We’ll have to work on that. But you better keep coming back and tell
ing me what’s going on.” He grinned. “All the details.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She couldn’t stop from laughing.
“I know what you’re into and I want to know how Tobias handles all of that.” William winked.
“We kept it simple for now.” She crossed her arms, a night breeze sweeping over them. “I should get in, shouldn’t I?”
“Go and cuddle with them. You have my blessing.”
“Like I needed it,” she retorted.
“Touche.” He waved her on and began to fade. “Sweet dreams, Mrs. Lovett.”
“Sweet dreams, William,” she said as she watched him fade. She missed him so dearly, but it was also just nice to have him right here as she tried to navigate her new life. It also gave her the strangest chance to look back on her previous one. The life she had shared with him where Tobias and Valen were just her friends and everything had seemed perfect.
Apparently not perfect enough for William. He’d wanted more for her. But he needed to move on, and she needed it as well. To have him there, it did make the pain more raw in a way.
Most ghosts don’t move on because their killers are still out there. She looked at the horizon. Beelzebub is still out there. I can’t forget that. I can never forget. I should start working on that in my free time.
With that resolve, she went back inside. She kissed Easton as she dropped the robe in front of him. He pulled her onto his lap and she cuddled into his chest for a moment until her eyes grew heavy again. He put her into bed as she was falling asleep.
She was already enjoying this new life again, nestled in between the men who were going to try, just for her.
31
Maxwell
Maxwell sat in the dark library by himself—another night searching for answers to a mystery that had plagued him for years. Since the day he met Valen, he had wondered. He’d respected Valen’s privacy, but his friend had always known he’d been desperate for an answer. Maxwell liked to know everything. He loved putting his head into the old tomes and using the knowledge he could glean from them to make a better world around him.
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