Paranormal Dating Agency: Spring Fling (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Twilight Crossing Novella Book 2)

by Jen Talty

  Nico held his stare, forcing his feet to stay planted on the floor, even when he wanted to pace. His nerves were shot, his focus fractured, his mind flailing about, filled with both grim and glorious outcomes. “My mate is Isidore Crowe. The daughter of Kidar Crowe, and one of the high-ranking officers of the Coven of the Unseen Moon. The same coven that had been murdering royals all those years ago.” What a clusterfuck this had turned out to be. However, had Nico not called Gerri, he might have been blindsided by his mate and her potential deadly plan.

  Chaz’s eyes narrowed into tiny. His nostrils flared in beat with Nico’s heart.

  “That’s no mate. That’s a set-up,” Chaz said, his jaw tight with wrath.

  Nico clenched his fists, forcing the tension to stay inside versus coming out in plethora of angry words directed at his brother. “Gerri wouldn’t do that, and you know it. She’s got a perfect record.”

  “I wouldn’t put anything past some witches, including doing something to Gerri.”

  “That’s next to impossible. Besides, the legend predicts I will mate before this is over. Why fuck with it, though this one might leave me high and dry for the rest of my life if she turns out to also be the predicted traitor.” He glanced to the last family portrait that hung proudly over the fireplace. His parents were excited to be taking a new one shortly after the Spring Fling.

  Chaz let out a long breath, relaxing his stance. “So, you’re not going to meet her.”

  Nico’s stomach swirled as if he were a small child ready to defy his father. “No. I’m going to meet her and use her to find out what her Coven’s plans are.”

  Chaz pinched the bridge of his nose. “This could be a dangerous game between putting my family at risk and the potential of you mating with her. If she turns out to be an enemy, and leaves you, it will kill you eventually. We’ve both seen it happen.”

  “It’s a risk I have to take as your family’s protector, but I don’t want anyone to know other than you. I don’t want to unnecessarily worry Mom and Dad, and Daphne has enough on her plate with rainbows flying out of her belly.”

  “That is a weird one.” Chaz glanced over his shoulder. “I need you close, but I don’t want that witch anywhere near my wife.”

  “I wouldn’t be far at all. You’d be on the top of Buck Mountain, and I’d take Isidore to those cabins where you and Daphne went.”

  Chaz shook his head. It went back and forth in time with the grandfather clock ticking behind him. “Too close. Besides, there is a Crescent Moon celebration going on there. A wedding from one of our pack groups in Lake Placid.”

  Nico nodded. “I was invited and told Isidore I thought it would be a good setting to meet for the first time. We’ll be surrounded by mostly members of our own pack, and I’m just one howl away from you if needed. I’ll post Twilight Crossings best officers at various locations. They will blend in with the wolf pack that is near the camp. It’s The Mystic Warriors.”

  “You’ve already talked with their Alpha, haven’t you?” Chaz rested his back against the wall, arms folded at the chest.

  “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I don’t need your permission. Until your children are one month old, this is my rodeo.”

  “How did you get the leader of The Mystic Warriors to agree if you haven’t told them the woman you’re taking to the wedding is hell-bent on killing the entire fairy population?”

  “The Mystic Warriors believe they are on protection detail while I try to navigate the threats and eliminate them. I am one of the best detective officers we have on the council,” Nico said, letting a little pride and ego roll off his tongue.

  “Everyone at the wedding will know she’s a witch, and if they find out she’s—”

  “They don’t have tattoos like we do, it’s not that simple to find which coven they belong to.”

  “They do have a branding ceremony,” Chaz said, holding up his hand. “And I’ve seen witches just look at one another and know the other’s coven.”

  “They can also cast a spell to make it appear they are from a different coven. And some witches, with the news of the Wolfairy, have even rejected covens who favor their destruction, or at the very least, to banish them, stripping them of all their powers. The Twilight Crossing Council is having to find safe havens for many misplaced witches coming from small rouge covens, which concerns me even more, because many of them could be trying to find a way to make sure the Spring Fling doesn’t happen, by infiltrating us. Or it could be them redirecting our attention.”

  “I seem to have forgotten how good you are at proving your point,” Chaz said, his demeanor lightening with a quick smile. “But I worry about you.” He turned, resting his palm on Nico’s chest. “Mating with someone, to only have them reject you is a slow, painful death.”

  “If Gerri believes Isidore is my fated mate, then it is my duty to vet her personally, and I’m willing to risk dying of a broken heart to ensure your children are born.”

  The two men stared at one another for a long moment. No words. No thoughts.

  Two young fairy children came barreling through the room, startling both men as they each took a step back.

  Daphne followed the children into the room with a bright smile, holding her stomach with both hands. A warm ray of sunshine emanated from her stomach as if shot from the sun itself.

  “Hello, Wolf King,” one of the little girls said as she stopped and gave a small curtsey.

  Chaz bent over, batting the little girl’s nose. “What have I said about calling me that?”

  The girl frowned. “My mama says that’s the only thing I’m not to listen to you about.”

  “And mamas know best,” Daphne said, patting the girls on the head. “Back to the playroom with you two, got it?”

  They nodded and ran off giggling.

  “And what are you two boys so serious about?” Daphne asked, taking Chaz’s hand and placing it on her round stomach. It jumped immediately.

  “You and I are going on a romantic trip.” Chaz gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

  Nico couldn’t stop from smiling. Their happiness dribbled off their skin like flakes of fairy dust. Who wouldn’t want what they had.

  “That is husband speak for ‘we’re going into hiding.’”

  “It’s for the best. Just until we get to Spring Fling. And then, I promise you, I’ll get you here to give birth,” Chaz said.

  “All right. If you both think it’s best,” Daphne said. “When we will be leaving?”

  “This afternoon,” Nico interjected. “No one, not even your parents, can know where I’m taking you.”

  Daphne reached out, taking Nico’s hand. “I know you’re doing everything to protect the children.”

  He nodded. “Don’t pack anything. I’ll make sure you have everything you need. We leave in three hours.”

  Chapter 2

  “MISS CROWE, your boyfriend has already checked in. You’re in cabin two, which has a fine view of the lake. I’ll get someone to bring your bags down,” said the man behind the desk inside a small hut that made for a lobby to Bell Wood Park on Assembly Point.

  “I can take my bag, and can I park my motorcycle down by the cabin?” Isidore swallowed her thumping heart and brushed her sweaty palm over her jeans. She still had no idea if she would go with crazy-ass-get-herself-killed plan, or insane plan and do what she was told.

  The man nodded as he pushed a key across the counter along with a map of the lodging area.

  “And is it a two-bedroom?”

  By the man’s arched brow, she figured that was not the question a lover asked.

  “Was it supposed to be? Because I could move you.”

  “No. No. I was just making sure,” she said, shoving the key in her back pocket, before glancing quickly at the small handwritten map. “Thanks a lot.”

  Tucking her helmet under her arm, she pushed open the screen door, stepping into cold New York air. Pretty stupid to drive her motorcycle in April across the S
tate of New York. It generally didn’t snow this time of year, but it could be below freezing and right now the temperatures barely hit forty.

  She strapped her helmet on the back of her bike as a couple of wolves strolled by, sniffing in her direction. The only reason she knew for sure they were wolves was because they wore T-shirts and their pack tattoos peeked out from under their sleeves. She shivered, wishing her body temperature ran hot in this chilly afternoon.

  Nodding, she kicked the starter, revving the engine, and made her way down a small dirt road until she found the back side of the cabin. The parking spot was half taken up with a fancy Harley.

  Score one point to the wolf.

  A cold breeze kicked up, sending a sharp shiver down her spine. While the bright sun beaded down on the blue lake, she figured she’d turn into an ice cube if she opted to take a swim. She flung her backpack over her shoulder and walked across the pavement, cracked from a harsh winter. Dead unraked leaves from the season before crunched under her boots.

  The burden of death hung over her head like a dark cloud. If she failed her mission, her sister would die, or maybe worse. A few months ago, Isidore had watched some weird human science fiction show about a man who had to kill a friend in order to save his children. The man did commit murder, but he’d never been the same and, in the end, he’d hung himself.

  She clutched her neck, laying her hand over the soft flesh where her pulse beat wildly out of control.

  As she rounded the corner of the porch, she came to a quick stop and gasped. A large, no, a massive white wolf with paws the size of dinner plates stood at the base of the steps. The top of his head came to her chin and at five-foot-six inches, that made for one big fucking wolf.

  “Um, hello,” she said with a wave of her hand. “If you can understand me, I’m Isidore. My date is inside that cabin.” She pointed with a shaky finger, which just pissed her off. Granted, any wolf up close was intimidating, but she was a warrior witch, and trained to take out the most formidable enemy.

  The only enemy she wanted to destroy was her father.

  The wolf sat, staring at her with russet-colored eyes. His gaze traveled over her from head to toe, then he tilted his head. His shaggy white fur fluffed in the wind.

  “All righty, well, I’m just going to go inside,” she said with a soft, but sweet voice. Her mother would have been proud. She almost sounded like a polite female over a smart mouth with a chip on her shoulder. Inching forward, careful not to make any sudden movements, she took three steps toward the porch.

  The wolf stood, blocking her way, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed.

  “Yes. I know I’m a witch,” she muttered, assuming that was what he was turning his nose up at. “But I can’t smell that bad.”

  The wolf let out a growl noise, that sound more like a snicker.

  “Do you mind? I’m meeting someone.” She reached her hand out, fingers itching to thread through his thick-looking fur. Fear should be prickling her senses, only the excitement of curiosity flowed through her veins. She’d been raised that wolves were not to be trusted. That one day, they would bring the Royal Fairies back into this world, threatening the witch’s way of life.

  Isidore believed no such nonsense. Every chance she’d gotten over the years, she’d studied the long history of the growing hatred between her species and fairies. Witches practiced a craft that could be honed, but each witch, wizard, and warlock possessed different talents. A different specialty. Fairies were all created equal. But what seemed to scare witches the most, was that they were seen more as energy than a creature. Some witches believed that fairies had taken on the image of a human and could easily vaporize into something else, like a bee, or a swan, or even an inanimate object, like a flower.

  And if they could, more power to them. A shape shifter with the power to make things happen. How could this not be seen as a good thing?

  She tried to side-step the beast, but the animal moved with her and if she didn’t know better, she would have thought he smiled as he lowered his head, pressing it between her arm and stomach.

  “Are you seriously looking to be petted? My boyfriend is right inside. I don’t think he’d take too kindly to me flirting with another wolf.”

  The mongrel licked her hand, before turning and running up the stairs. He raised his paw in front of the door, and it opened.

  “What the fuck?” she muttered. Wolves didn’t move objects. Witches did. Fairies did. But not his kind.

  He jerked his head.

  Tentatively, she followed him into the cabin, where he disappeared into a room, slamming the door shut with his nose.

  Shit.

  She tossed her backpack on the floor near the opening to the kitchen and plopped down on the sofa, staring at an opened bottle of wine and two glasses on a tray on the coffee table along with some cheese, crackers, grapes, and nuts. She reached over, snagging a handful of the salted peanuts.

  Every few seconds, she checked her watch. Four minutes before the door screeched open. Longest fucking four minutes of her life.

  “Hi, Isidore,” a tall man with dark hair and a thick five o’clock shadow said. His biceps bulged in his white T-shirt, which pulled tight around his chest and stomach, showing off all his muscle definition. “I’m the boyfriend, Nico.”

  She waggled her finger in the air before adjusting her jet-black hair, which had been tumbling out of her clip. “Not yet, you aren’t, and that was not fair.”

  “But it was fun.” He sauntered across the room in his bare feet. His jeans were loose around his hips.

  “For you, maybe. I’ve never seen a wolf that size before.”

  “You didn’t appear scared at all.” He sat down on the couch next to her, holding out his hand. “Nor did I smell it on you.”

  She took his hand in a firm shake. “Your sniffer must be off because this entire situation terrifies me.”

  “Then you hide it well.” He tossed his arm over the back of the cushion, staring at her with those rich, muddy eyes. His hair flipped down over his forehead and hung about an inch past his collar. The only thing Gerri had told her was that he was a detective for the Twilight Crossing and was the perfect match.

  “How old are you?” he asked in a serious tone with his one eyebrow lowered.

  “Twenty-one. Why?”

  “I don’t know why I was expecting someone in their late twenties, not that it matters,” he said, his finger twisting a strand of her hair.

  “You don’t look to be much older than me,” she nearly whispered, mesmerized by the way he held her stare. “I’m guessing, twenty-five, though that would make for a young detective.”

  “Twenty-nine, so thanks for the complement.” His smile showed off a set of high cheekbones and made his dark eyes swarm like melting chocolate. Raw sexuality oozed from his pores.

  He reminded her a little of every bad boy she’d brought home just to piss off her father. While there was something insanely wild about Nico, there was also something calming. Sweet.

  At least she didn’t have to kill him.

  Only his sister-in-law and her babies.

  Bile rose, and her mouth tasted like vomit. She swallowed, hard, pushing those thoughts out of her mind.

  She glanced around the cabin. A lot nicer than she expected even if the furniture was dated. No, she’d have to call it retro. The dining room table had a fake Formica-looking, natural-colored top. The chairs were covered with white vinyl, and the plate and mug were that two-tone white and blue right out of a nineteen fifties movie.

  “Let’s have some wine and get to know one another.” He reached for the bottle.

  Wine hadn’t ever been her drink of choice. She much preferred a shot of Tequila, or good bourbon on the rocks.

  “You don’t like wine?” he asked, holding out the glass.

  “What makes you think that?” The red liquid hugged the sides as he swirled it.

  “You made a face like this.” He scrunched up his nose.


  She laughed. “It’s not my first choice, but I’m good with it, and this way I won’t get smashed on our first date.”

  “Good to know.”

  The red wine tasted better than the cheap shit her father kept around the house, so she was pleasantly surprised that it flowed down her throat like a smooth, creamy peanut butter.

  “Tell me, why did you seek out Gerri at twenty-one? You’re a beautiful woman with years and years ahead of you. Why do you want to settle down?”

  The questions made her vision blur as she set the glass down on the coffee table, swallowing a bigger gulp than she’d planned. She understood wolves found partners very differently from other species. One of the biggest mysteries in their culture was the idea that with Alpha males, higher level council members, and other leaders of the pack had fated mates. Two people destined to be together.

  Witches had no such prophecies, and she knew many that had cast love spells on their significant others. Generally, that didn’t make for happy marriages. The witches she knew that had used Gerri’s services believed they’d found their perfect match. Isidore had seen that firsthand and hoped she’d find the man to help her leave.

  Only Nico wasn’t that man.

  “I’m planning on leaving my coven, and it’s not an easy thing to do.”

  Both his brows shot up. “May I ask why?”

  “You may not want to get to know me after I tell you.”

  She focused on his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he took two swallows. “Let me be the judge of that.”

  Part of her wanted to tell him everything. As a detective and member of the Twilight Crossing Council, it would be his duty, his obligation, to check into any allegations she made. But if her father caught wind, which he would, her sister would be dead. Had only her soulmate been anyone else other than the protector.

  “Let’s just say I had a difficult childhood and now that my powers are fully developed, it’s time for me to find my own place in this world, away from what I grew up with.”