by SJ Himes
People he didn’t know and could barely recall being introduced to came and went through the front door of the house, assorted emergency vehicles with flashing lights were parked several deep on the street out front, and a gruff older man with a voice like cigarettes and whiskey and a heavy Southie accent shouted orders at various first responders. Anyone that tried to get to Rael was headed off by a furious glare from both his mate and his new mentor, and no one was bothering Scylla at all.
Rael gathered the blanket around his shoulders and lay down on the couch, having decided he was done with being awake. The little dragon chirped and flew over to the couch, landing beside his head, sniffing at his face like a cat. He sighed, thinking it was an odd dream, but a nice one.
Angel came and knelt next to the couch, picking up the tiny dragon. Rael blinked up at him, too tired to speak. Angel sighed in exasperation, but Rael could see the twinkle of mirth in his eyes and a slight twitch to his mouth, as if he were trying not to laugh.
“Sleep and eat something when you wake up,” Angel said. “Everything is being handled as self-defense, no charges will be filed against you or Jameson. Police will wrap up here in a bit. You’ll be alright, I promise. You didn’t drain yourself nearly as bad as you did during your breakout event. I’ll come see you soon and we’ll get you sorted out before someone else tries to murder you.”
Rael yawned and nodded, closing his eyes.
Sometime later he woke to Jameson carrying him from the house, the street now empty, and putting him carefully in the front seat of the rental, buckling him in. Jameson went around to the driver’s side and got in as Scylla leaned in the door and kissed his brow.
“I’ll come see you later, honey. Get some sleep.”
“Mom?”
“Go home with Jameson. I’ll be fine. There’s no one left to bother us.”
“M’kay. Love you,” he sighed.
“Love you, too.” She shut the door gently and stepped back from the car.
Jameson drove away, Rael thinking vaguely that he was never going to call the small house home again, and that wasn’t such a bad thing at all.
Watching Rael sleep was one of his favorite things to do, and knowing Rael was in his bed while sleeping satisfied a deeply primal part of himself he didn’t often experience. His mate. Beautiful and sweet and sexy and smart as hell, Rael was everything and more.
Jameson was restless as dawn approached, the sky going from deep black to a medium gray, overcast with fog from the cape. He washed the blood from his body and then went back to watching over Rael, worried despite Salvatore’s reassurances that Rael’s exhaustion wasn’t as bad as it could have been—Rael didn’t consume too much of his own raw power while he instinctively defended himself and his mate. Sleep, food, water, and he would recover.
“And I’ll come see him tomorrow afternoon and get started on some emergency basics,” Angel had said back at the Morrow’s house when Rael fell asleep on the couch. “He reminds me too much of myself—trouble follows him and has no appreciation for timing. No point in waiting for Monday.” Angel had then grimaced. “His mom is scary. She’s going to grill me, I know it, so might as well get that over with at the same time.”
Jameson smiled, thinking about Scylla Morrow going head to head with Angel Salvatore, and he wouldn’t miss that confrontation for anything. But it would need to wait—Rael’s wellbeing came first, and he was certain no one would want to jeopardize Rael’s health and safety. He wouldn’t let anyone endanger his mate.
Jameson turned back to the bed when he heard Rael sigh and stretch. He slid under the covers and gathered Rael close, kissing his lips. Rael sleepily kissed him back before snuggling into his arms, his scent and warmth soothing the last, anxious edge of Jameson’s nerves, letting him relax.
There were a lot of changes ahead of them, things to learn and adjustments to make. Rael had his father’s bloodline to investigate if he were feeling up to it, and their move to Cambridge to sort out. His mate was a werewolf-practitioner, though Jameson doubted Rael would ever be able to shift. Not that it mattered—Rael was perfect exactly as he was, and Jameson would always be there to make sure Rael never felt bad about his heritage or abilities.
Rael stirred in his arms, and he put aside his worries for tomorrow.
“I love you,” Rael breathed out, barely awake.
Jameson smiled, and whispered back as sleep came for him, “I love you, too.”
FIN
Afterword
Thank you for reading Wolfsbane, Werewolves of Boston Book #1! This novella is a spinoff within the expanded universe of the Infinite Arcana, encompassing the Beacon Hill Sorcerer, Werewolves of Boston, and two additional series I’ll be debuting soon. While Angel Salvatore does have his own series and books, I tried to make it so new readers could enjoy this book without needing a massive backstory. If you want to read Angel’s adventures, please start with The Necromancer’s Dance, The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #1.
Rael and Jameson will show up again within the wider realms of the Infinite Arcana universe.
If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a review to help other readers find this book. Happy reading!
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Also by SJ Himes
The Beacon Hill Sorcerer*
The Necromancer’s Dance
The Necromancer’s Dilemma
The Necromancer’s Reckoning
A History of Trouble (Collection)
Mastering the Flames
Werewolves of Boston*
Wolfsbane
Wolfkin Saga
Wolves of Black Pine
Wolf of the Northern Star
Realms of Love
The Solstice Prince
Scales of Honor
Knight’s Fire
Standalone
Saving Silas
An Infinite Arcana Series*
About the Author
My name is Sheena, and I have more pen names than I probably should. I write as SJ Himes, Revella Hawthorne, and Sheena Himes. I reside in the mountains of Maine (closer to Canada than I am to fresh lobster) on a 300 year-old farm beside a river in the woods.
My companions are my furbabies: Micah, my large dog who hates birds; and Wolf and Silfur, two cats who love me but hate each other. I write romances with an emphasis on plot and character development, and almost all my characters are LGBTQ+ and that’s on purpose.
To keep current on what I’m working on and where to find me on social media, go to my website:
www.sjhimes.com