by Vella Day
“We have a lot to talk about, but it’s too cold in here. How about staying at my place tonight? It’ll be warm.” He also could keep an eye on her that way.
“Really?”
She smiled, and his wolf rejoiced. He did not. “Yes.”
“Okay. Let me grab a few things.” Her demeanor quickly changed from sober and a bit frightened to almost happy. “I need to tell you what happened at Brother Jacob’s.”
“What happened?” he called after her, as she high-tailed it down the hallway.
Vinea turned back around. “I’ll tell you when we get to your house.”
That was for the best. “I’ll be in the truck warming it up.”
Vinea practically bounced toward her bedroom. If she had been at the pub, would she have been this cheerful? It was as if she had no clue why he was on the warpath.
It didn’t take her long to grab a small bag. Vinea locked up and dashed to his truck moments later. Once she hopped in, it appeared her good mood had evaporated. As much as Devon wanted to wait until they were at his house, he had to ask. “You mentioned something happened with the Changelings?”
Vinea leaned over and turned up the heat. “Yes. I found out a ton, and then the unthinkable happened.”
She must want to torture him, but Devon wouldn’t cave. “What was that?” He was pleased he was able to keep his voice non-threatening.
“When I arrived—cloaked in my invisibility, of course—Brother Jacob was on the phone to a seller of sardonyx.”
Devon’s fingers tightened on the wheel. Damn fucking Changelings. They sure didn’t waste any time. “Will you be heading out to California again?”
“No. I couldn’t tell if it was the same man, but he didn’t have any stone for sale. I did learn this new man’s name was Archer. I’m guessing it’s his last name.”
That was good intel, but Devon hoped like hell she was telling the truth. As much as he wanted to believe her, things kept cropping up that pointed to her not always being truthful. “Did you learn anything else?” he asked as he put the truck in gear and headed back to his place.
“Yes. I was about to leave when John Ernst came into the office.”
If she saw John Ernst up on the hill, why go to the pub? Devon had to work at holding his tongue. “What did he want?”
“He said he spoke to the owner of the craft store about selling it. But get this, Brother Jacob said the money from the hardware store theft wasn’t even enough for a down payment.” Excitement laced her tone.
Devon whistled. “I wish you’d worn a wire.”
“Me too. I actually thought of it, but only after the fact. Just so you know anything that touches me also disappears, so they wouldn’t have been able to tell.”
A few minutes later, he pulled down his parents’ drive to the guesthouse, cut the engine, slipped out, and came over to her side. “Let’s get inside where it’s warm.” Devon carried her case as he led her up the steps.
Once inside, he escorted her to the bedroom. “You can stay in here.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
He hoped she didn’t get any ideas. He’d be sleeping on the sofa.
Share the bed, his wolf urged. I can only last so long with my mate this close.
You’ll do as I say, Devon warned.
“Settle in. I’ll make us some coffee to warm you up.”
She smiled, and his libido shot into overdrive. “I’d love that. Then I’ll tell you the rest of what happened.” She slipped off her coat and followed him back to the living room. “I like your place. It fits you.”
That was an odd thing to say, or was she trying to distract him? “It’s my parents’ guesthouse. I’m here too infrequently to have a place of my own.”
“I thought you said you stayed with them in the main house the last time you were here.”
Damn, she had a good memory. “Yes, but my parents are on vacation and their house is too big without them. They’ll be getting home soon, but by then I’ll probably be on my way back to Pittsburgh.”
“Oh.” Devon headed into the kitchen to prepare the coffee and Vinea trailed after him.
“So finish your story about Ernst and Brother Jacob,” he said.
She leaned against the counter, tension creasing her brow. “I was so excited to learn that the Changelings had robbed the hardware store that I…um… kind of materialized.” She winced then looked off to the side.
His body tensed. “You what?” Devon hadn’t meant to yell, but he couldn’t help it.
“The bad part was that they both saw me. I have to say the look of shock on their faces would have been comical had it not been for the fact that they can now identify me. Before I could disappear again, Brother Jacob grabbed me. I thought I was a goner, but the shock enabled me to disappear again.”
“That’s terrible.”
She straightened. “Look, I’m really sorry, but you’re safe. They can’t tie me to you. There’s no way they could know I’m helping you.”
A million thoughts flashed through his head, the most important of which was that it was a red moon. It was possible that when Brother Jacob touched her, he was able to transform into a likeness of her. He could only hope that was the explanation for her—or rather her lookalike—visiting the pub. “Can I see your phone?” he asked.
She handed it to him. “You want to make certain that I spoke with the landlord, don’t you?”
There was no use mincing words. “Yes, but I’ll tell you why in a moment.”
He checked her phone log and noticed two calls to the same number: one after he’d dropped her off and the other forty-five minutes later. While it was possible she could have made it to the pub in time, he had a better explanation.
Devon finished brewing and pouring the coffee. “Let’s sit in the living room, and I’ll tell you what I learned tonight.”
They carried their drinks into the small space and sat. “You looked rather relieved when you saw the calls. Why?”
This was going to be difficult to explain while not coming off as being a total ass. “I am relieved. A short while ago, my brother Finn called me from McKinnon’s Pub and Pool.”
She stilled. “Did I leave something there?”
“No, he called because—” His cell rang. “Hold on for a second.” Devon checked the caller ID. “It’s Rye. I think I know what he’s going to say.” He swiped the phone. “Yeah?”
“Did you speak with Vinea?”
“She’s with me now. Vinea did spy on Brother Jacob, and when she returned home, she had to deal with a dead furnace. At the time of the incident, she was with the repairman.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. Turns out when she visited Brother Jacob she materialized by mistake. He touched her.”
“Oh, shit. That explains it. I was calling to remind you that there’s a red moon tonight and that I wouldn’t put it past them to pull a dirty trick like that. Maybe they wanted to see who responded to John Ernst being with her in order to find out who she was working with.”
“Thankfully, Finn was circumspect.”
“No kidding. How’s it going otherwise?” Rye asked.
Devon didn’t want to discuss this now. “Can we talk tomorrow?”
“Got it. Later.”
Devon pocketed his phone. “Rye came to the same conclusion I did.”
Her brows furrowed. “I’m confused.”
“Right before I came over, Finn called to say you were at the pub with John Ernst.”
He shouldn’t have made that announcement when she had coffee in her mouth, because she almost spit it out, though some did dribble down her chin. She wiped her face with the back of her hand.
“I wasn’t. I swear.”
“I know that now. You were dealing with a broken heater.”
“Why would he lie?”
“He didn’t.”
She held up a hand, set down her mug, and then stood. “Even after all I’ve done for you, your family still think
s I’m working with the Changelings?”
“I’ll admit that I did too at first, until you told me that Brother Jacob had touched you.”
She slowly returned to her seat. “And it’s the red moon. Of course. When Brother Jacob grabbed me, he was able to become me.” Her jaw lowered. “Holy crap. Finn did see me, or rather, a likeness of me.”
Devon was happy that she understood why he’d jump to the wrong conclusion. “Can you see why I overreacted?”
“Yes, but I never, ever would be in cahoots with those scumbags. And if I were—which I’m not—why would I go to the enemy’s camp, so to speak?”
That had bothered him. “They obviously wanted to be seen. What worries me is why they assumed you’re working with us?”
“Small towns talk, though the last few times I’ve interacted with McKinnon and Associates, it wasn’t to help you.”
“That I know.”
“So now what?” she asked then raised a finger. “We need to catch them in an illegal act.”
Devon’s protective nature flared. “You, Miss Goddess, will do nothing of the sort! While your snooping ended more or less without dire consequences, any future actions could ruin everything. They’ll know for sure we’re on to them if you’re caught again.”
She set down her cup with a clank. “And if I had never returned to Silver Lake, would you have been any further ahead?” she shot back.
He liked her spunk. “Probably not.”
And that was the root of the problem. He needed her. Unfortunately, it was in more ways than just her helping him with the case.
Chapter Eleven
‡
Vinea didn’t know whether to be happy that Devon seemed to believe she wasn’t the person with John Ernst or upset that he’d assumed she had been. She wished like hell she knew what it would take to melt his heart.
“It’s getting late,” Devon said right after he drained his coffee. “Why don’t you head on in to bed?”
From the rather contemplative way he spoke, Devon needed time to deal with his feelings. Over these past few days, Vinea was more convinced than ever that she and Devon were fated mates. On the other hand, it might be a cruel twist of fate foisted on her by Naliana, but if they were destined to be together, Vinea was going to do everything in her power to make it come true.
So as not to cause the man more grief, she said her goodnight. As if she were still at work, she picked up both cups and took them into the kitchen.
“Just leave them in the sink. I’ll take care of them later,” he said.
“It’ll only take a sec to wash them.” She turned on the water and dropped some soap on a sponge.
Devon stepped into the kitchen and touched her shoulders. “I want to apologize again for acting like an ass.”
She turned off the water and faced him. “It was an honest mistake. My past was bad, and you didn’t want to look like a fool again. I never thought it would be easy to prove to you that I’ve changed. Just so you know, I’m not giving up.”
His smile came out weak. “I hope you don’t.”
As Devon disappeared down the hallway, she finished washing the cups. When she returned to the living room, Devon was walking in with a blanket and a pillow in hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
His eyes widened. “Sleeping on the sofa.”
That made no sense, nor was it necessary. “Why?”
“For starters, you’re in the only bedroom. You can fill in the blank why I’m out here. Secondly, if the Changelings have connected you with the McKinnons, I don’t trust them not to show up here. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brother Jacob pretended to be you again with the intention of convincing me to tell all.”
Maybe she had misjudged these crazy bastards. “They have style, I’ll give them that.”
He dipped his chin. “I hope you aren’t serious.”
“No, but they are creative if nothing else.” She shot him a quick grin and was thrilled when his eyes flashed amber for a moment. Yes! His wolf knew they belonged together. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. If you need help with the Changelings, give a yell.”
His eyes widened. “Besides listening in on a conversation, what can you do?”
Was he serious? Not that she blamed him for not wanting her to help. Hell, she’d almost ruined things the last time. “Well, if I picked up, say—” Vinea looked around for something that might harm a person and then pointed to a rather heavy looking potted plant. “That. If I were invisible, as soon as I touched it, it would disappear. I could smash it over one of their heads. Or I could rush to the kitchen, grab a knife, and stab one of them without anyone being aware I was there.”
He studied her for a long minute. “Here I thought you weren’t capable of killing.”
“To save your life, I’d hurt anyone.” Her pulse pumped hard, and anger welled in her stomach at the thought he’d ever be in danger.
She hadn’t meant to sound so vehement, but she wasn’t sorry she had. It was about time Devon understood the depths of her commitment to him—and to them.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” He winked, and her whole body seemed to melt with erotic lust.
“Me, too. Sleep well.” She spun on her heels and rushed down the hallway to his bedroom. Being in a room where Devon slept would cause every nerve ending to fire all night long. She might as well kiss sleeping goodbye.
*
Vinea yawned from having tossed and turned all night. Devon’s scent permeated the sheets and the room, waking her up time and again with lustful thoughts. She’d been tempted many times to wander into the living room, if only to watch him sleep. True, she could have become invisible and hovered above him, but if they were to be mates, he probably would have sensed her presence, and the last thing she needed was to explain that she wanted nothing more than to have mind-blowing sex with him.
As she lay in bed with sunlight peaking through the crack in the curtains, she listened for sounds of movement. Even with her good hearing, Devon didn’t seem to be awake.
Wanting to do something nice for him, she eased out of bed. After she washed up, she quickly dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a yellow sweater, and comfy boots then headed into the main room.
Tiptoeing, she peered over at the sofa. Devon was on his back with the blanket halfway up his chest. His mouth was slightly open, and he was snoring softly. Smiling, she went into the kitchen. While she wasn’t a cook at the diner in Billard, she had watched them work, wanting to learn as much as she could about life on earth. She’d practiced her skills on EmmaLee, and her friend claimed Vinea was a born chef.
Because the kitchen was open to the living room, Vinea had to move about quietly. First came the coffee. While it was brewing, she scoured the refrigerator for something to eat, a little disappointed that other than eggs, he had very little in the way of breakfast food. What did the man eat? Not planning to stay for long, he probably decided not to stock up on food. When he was on surveillance, he probably lived on take out. His fine physique had to be due to his shifter metabolism.
Once she found a bowl, she cracked open some eggs, added milk, and then beat the mixture, surprised he didn’t wake up from the scraping noise. Just as the coffee finished, she poured the eggs into a hot pan. The kitchen itself was rather rustic, but she appreciated the cast iron pan and metal bowl.
Devon sat up with a start. “What are you doing?” His voice cracked from sleep.
She smiled. “Three guesses.”
“You’re making breakfast?”
He didn’t have to sound so surprised. “I hope you don’t mind.”
He tossed off the blanket. “I didn’t hear you get up.”
“I was goddess quiet.”
That finally got the reaction she wanted—a smile. “Do I have time for a shower?”
Oh, how she wanted to say she’d join him, but during the night he might have changed his mind about whether to trust her. Devon seemed to be so confl
icted. “Sure. I’ll turn the heat down.”
“I’ll be fast.”
He grabbed the blanket and pillow and rushed down the hallway. As much as she wanted to become invisible and watch him strip naked, she almost certainly would have become so distracted that she would have appeared. Even if he had been flattered by her need to see him, she doubted he’d be pleased. Vinea had to show him that he could trust her to use her powers appropriately.
While she waited for him to do his thing, she stirred the cooking eggs and then searched for some plates. When the shower turned off, she dished up the food and poured the coffee.
A few minutes later, Devon came out wearing tight jeans, a white T-shirt, and no shoes, drying his hair with a towel. “It smells wonderful. Thank you.”
You smell wonderful too.
This was harder than she thought. When Devon had asked Vinea to stay at his house, she’d been elated. Having the chance to be near him, to show him she’d changed, had thrilled her. Now she realized it was pure torture not to touch him in the intimate way she desired, especially since patience had never been her strong suit. In fact, her rash behavior had gotten her into trouble numerous times.
“Come sit down before it gets cold,” she said.
He pulled up a chair and dug in. “This definitely hits the spot,” he said.
She detected some darkness under his eyes. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I got enough. The Changelings’ ability to become you for another two days has me worried though.”
What did that mean? “You aren’t questioning that this is me, are you?”
Before he had the chance to answer, she disappeared, and the shocked look on his face delighted her. Vinea quickly returned to her corporeal form.
Devon held up a palm. “I’m pretty sure no Changeling can do that!”
“You’re right. If you’re ever in doubt whether it’s me or not, just ask me to repeat that trick.”
He smiled. “Will do.”
As much as she wanted to ask him if he was dating anyone back in Pittsburgh, she didn’t want to spoil the tentative thread of trust they were finally building. Instead, she gobbled down her meal and then pushed back her chair after she was finished. “I’ll wash these.”