“What I’m saying is, Chief Cipher, we have an opportunity to take advantage of a situation while using the knowledge of Bernard, a respected native of Darkwood. I can investigate this angle while Kaleb tries to pick at the others and find another lead. If he finds one, and it’s proving futile where I am, then I will return and assist him. I don’t think it needs to be any more clearer than that.”
Cole went to respond, but then stopped. He looked torn between trying to act like my boss, and trying to act like—well, hell, I don’t know what.
“I’ll put a rush on the request order and use whatever influence I have to make sure it gets pushed through,” he said eventually, his eyes still burning. “But you go see Mayra before you leave and make sure you’re protected against the vampires. That’s an order.” He laid his cold and calculating eyes on Bernard. “A lot of vampires can’t be trusted.”
Bernard didn’t look too pleased with that comment as his own eyes flared in response. But this time Kaleb chose to intervene.
“It’s too late for Mayra to do anything now,” Kaleb said as he took a step closer to Bernard. “But Terra can send her a transmission and give her the heads up on what she needs. We can sleep on the rest.”
“A great idea,” I said throwing him a grateful look.
“I’m happy with that,” Bernard declared, “but I’m hungry and homeless. I don’t have a permanent residence over here anymore.”
I’d forgotten about that. “No worries. We’ll go grab a bite to eat while I call Mayra and you can crash at mine and Rosie’s for the night.”
“I’ll come with you for that bite to eat,” Kaleb said while Cole remained silent. There was an oppressive tension starting to build in the room as Cole’s attention remained fixed on me. “We can work out a few kinks in the plan to make sure we get the most out of this undercover work,” Kaleb continued.
Cole still said nothing.
“How about you two guys go head out?” I suggested, aware that allowing myself to remain alone with Cole again was like playing with fire. But I couldn’t leave him like this. A set jaw and amber in his eyes meant that he was struggling to rein in his temper. This was so unlike him.
Kaleb didn’t look pleased so I urged him along. “I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”
“Alright. We’ll start a slow walk to The Gobbling Goblin. Don’t be long.”
Waiting for them to leave seemed to feel like an age. I felt like I could breathe again when Kaleb finally shut the door behind him.
“Cole,” I dared to whisper. “What’s wrong?”
He glanced away, as if he was trying to fight for control. Then he glared at me.
“He’s sleeping at yours?”
“Only for tonight. He’ll sleep on the floor,” I rushed, hating that I had to justify myself. But this was one weird ass situation, and I was sailing into unfamiliar territory right about now.
“Why?” he taunted me. “You’re going to have to play the role of the doting wife soon enough if you’re going to convince the vampires.”
Crap. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. But I would just be doing my job. There would be nothing else in it. Bernard and I had already finished what we’d started all that time ago. Any feelings left between us had blended into friendship. Nothing more.
“It’s just a job,” I told him. “I’ve done undercover jobs before now.”
“Pretending to be your ex-boyfriend’s wife?” he asked. His voice was quiet enough to be borderline threatening as he held his anger in check.
“And it’s your business because?” My attitude returned with a vengeance. I mean, what the hell? Really? He’d kissed me. He’d promised me nothing. I’d promised him nothing. And we both knew we would be a disaster together. The fact he was probing at me like this, right now, was proving that.
“You kissed me,” he said, luring me into a challenge.
“You kissed me, and I kissed you back. That’s all. You want nothing from me. Nothing that would last beyond a roll between the sheets, and that’s a risky game to play for both of us.”
“This is more than wanting a roll in the sheets,” he snapped before trying to regain his composure. “You know it is.” He rubbed his face with frustration as if he didn’t know how to handle himself in such a situation. “I wouldn’t be risking anything if that’s all this was.”
Letting out a resigned sigh, I replied, “I know that. I get it. But right now, you’re willing to throw aside Bernard’s help in this case because of a kiss we shared. We have to be careful …” I pressed my lips together to try and hold onto my patience. “Cole, you’ve promised me nothing. And I don’t expect you to. But we don’t have the luxury of dating to see if we fit either. Anything outside of that could make working together a living hell once one of us decides to step back. It’s too much.” He took a deep breath but said nothing. “I’m right, aren’t I? You know I am.”
“I don’t know,” he said eventually. “I don’t know what either of us are doing or playing at. All I know is that it drives me insane to know he’s had his hands on you in a way where I crave to. I hate that he could be with you so easily, in a way that I can’t. It’s killing me not to kiss you right now. It’s killing me because I want to do the ‘get to know you’ part. I want to get to know you on every level. And I don’t know how to turn that off.”
Shit. He was not making this easy. Every part of me was craving him, crying out for him. And I felt guilty for the old feelings that had dared to rear earlier with Bernard. But Bernard and I knew what lay beyond door number one. That’s why we didn’t open it. But I couldn’t stop my hand reaching for door number two where Cole was standing. I wasn’t sure why I was always attracted to the ones who couldn’t be a long term potential. But what I did know was that I’d avoided the heart-yanking with Bernard. I didn’t think I would be as lucky the second time around with Cole. I needed serious help.
“I don’t know how to turn that off either,” I admitted on a long drawn-out sigh. “But I won’t hold back with Bernard in acting the part. I won’t apologize for that if it gets results because he knows where we stand and this is my job.” I paused, knowing I was ready to dive right over the edge of a metaphorical cliff. “But I want to get to know you better, too. I want more. And I don’t know how to deal with that either.”
He stared at me. Neither of us knowing what to say after our embarrassing admissions. I was struggling not to reach out to him, and it looked as though he was struggling, too. But stoking that fire wouldn’t do either of us any good right now. Neither would it do us any good for me to remain here. The more distance between us, the better, so I turned away and left his office. He didn’t try to stop me, and I was glad of it. Instead, I locked away the prickle of pain from not feeling his touch, and headed out into the night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
TO BUY SOME time from Kaleb’s complaining, I sent a message to his comms to let him know I was hanging back to contact Mayra. Telling him what to order for me in The Gobbling Goblin brought me even more.
Not far from the restaurant, a bench with my name on it called out to me on the crystal-lit street. I walked over to it and sat down.
Confident I was seated far enough away from the restaurant where I wouldn’t be fodder for nosy vampires and shifters with sensitive hearing, I dialed my friend’s transmission code.
The street was empty this time of night, and the background noise of music and chatter coming from local bars and restaurants was soothing. My heart ached. And I had to wonder what the hell I was getting myself into in regards to both work and pleasure. However, right now, I fancied my chances with the vampires.
Mayra answered the transmission after a few rings. “Hey, Terra. What’s up?”
“Sorry to contact you this late, but I need to ask a favor.”
“It’s not late. I was just restocking some of the shelves in the shop. Are you okay?”
Mayra lived above a shop she owned named The Mystical Moon. It was her ba
by and her life’s work, selling everything in there reflective of her personality and talents. You could find anything from potions and wands to spells and grimoires in that haven of mysticalism. Mayra was a very powerful witch who fooled people with her erratic ways, and she was the only witch I knew who could wield both dark and light magic. She was also like family to me.
“I think I’ve jumped into something head first as always,” I told her, “and not just with a certain someone.”
“Uh-oh,” she said, and I heard her shuffling around. I visualized her getting comfortable on the chaise she kept in the store. She would no doubt be tucking her feet beneath her to get comfortable. It made me chuckle.
“Uh-oh?” I mimicked. “You’re going to need more than an uh-oh. Trust me.”
“You want to confess all. I can tell. Well, I’m all ears. Come on. Out with it.”
“How good are you at reading between the lines?”
“Damn. It’s going to be like that is it? Alright then. Hit me. Let’s see how well I do.”
“Something serious has happened and I’m going to need your help.”
“Do I get any more than that?”
For the benefit of anyone listening in the dark, I said, “I couldn’t live without him, Mayra. After what he had said to me, I knew I had to make a choice. I love him. And I knew I needed to take the risk. So, I decided to take the plunge and I went over to Earthside to get my Bernard back. We got married in Vegas, and I’m going to visit Darkwood with him for a few days. It will be nice to meet his friends.”
“Holy crap!” Mayra shouted so loudly that I could have sworn my watch comms vibrated with it. “Give me a second.” A bit more rustling round and I heard her whisper something in Latin. Before I knew it, I felt my wrist heat up and then something rushed through me.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded, knowing she’d just done some magic on me.
“Just a simple spell. It clouds what we’re saying. No one will be able to hear you but it only lasts for about ten minutes. And I doubt you need that long to tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!”
“Alright, alright. I can still hear you, you know. Jeez.”
“Sorry.” She didn’t sound sorry. “But you can’t just spring that on me.”
“Then why do the spell if you thought I was telling you the truth?”
“I don’t know. It sounded both valid and ridiculous at the same time so I’m confused. Will you just tell me?”
“Fine. But I need you to swear to secrecy on everything. And I mean everything. I know you told Kaleb about me and Bernard sleeping together a few times after we broke up.”
“I didn’t know that was a secret.”
“It kind of goes with the territory of what I told you.”
“Not with Kaleb, it doesn’t. Joined at the hip you two are. Now stop delaying the inevitable. I promise not to tell. Promise. Promise. Promise.”
Suppressing a smile, I decided to let her off the hook. “There’s been a break out at the prison. Cole is only involving me and Kaleb right now as per the Consilium’s instructions for need-to-know. But I’m breaking that need-to-know with you because Cole has ordered me to ask you for help. He wants me to have some protection before playing with the vampires. And this was after I convinced him to sanction me to travel to Earthside to find Bernard. I’m grateful Bernard has agreed to help in catching one of the escapees who is a dangerous vampire.
“So you didn’t go hunt Bernard down to get a ring on your finger?”
“No. But that’s the ruse we’re going to use when I go undercover at Darkwood tomorrow as his wife. He thinks it’s the best way since I don’t have to hide my job from anyone. Cole wasn’t happy about it.”
“I can understand that considering how he behaves around you. But it’s a good idea on the work front if you need to track a vamp. Bernard is respected at Darkwood. And he’s a vampire hunter. It’s a wonder the vampires haven’t hired him for the job.”
“They don’t know about the escape yet. No one does. That’s why we have to tread carefully while we wait for the result of an official request order. But Cole kind of had a shit fit.”
“What? But why? Surely he can see this is a good thing?”
Here it was. Time to take the plunge.
“I kissed Cole,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I hadn’t planned on this being a confession, but I knew Mayra wouldn’t judge me—even if she’d been the one to warn me off Cole along with my roommate, Rosie.
“When?” she asked calmly.
“This morning, as soon as I arrived at the agency. He pulled me into an office to give me the third degree, and his tirade ended up abruptly finishing when he kissed me. I know it’s a mistake, and I thought as such, but then later on in the morning we almost kissed again.” I covered my face with my hands even though she couldn’t see me. “What am doing Mayra? What the hell am I doing?”
“Well,” she said after releasing a long, deep breath, “it was inevitable, you two coming together, I suppose. Don’t beat yourself up over it. But now you’ve made the bed …”
“I have to lie in it,” I finished for her. “But isn’t that the problem? Even though I may want to get down and dirty with Cole, I know it will only lead to heartache?”
“But you’re going to go down that road anyway. And sometimes we have to take the risk. Sometimes we just have to see where the path leads, even if it looks scary. And sometimes it will work out. But if it doesn’t? At least you will know for sure.”
“And my job is worth taking that risk?” I dared to ask.
“Your job would be at risk anyway as long as you have these feelings for him. And not only that. What about when he meets someone else and finally settles down? Would you be able to handle it knowing you never went for it yourself?”
“Damn it, you’re right.” I twirled my black and purple hair around my finger. It made me wonder why a shifter like Cole would want to risk anything for me in the first place. I suppose I should feel honored. “But this still sucks. And I don’t know how to handle it.”
“Stop trying to control the situation when it doesn’t want to be controlled. Just see how it all plays out in Darkwood. A little distance from Cole may be a good thing. And who knows? Maybe being near Bernard for a few days, your head might be turned back in that direction.”
I groaned out loud. “No more drama, thank you very much. I know very well that Bernard has heartbreak written all over him. I don’t need to take a walk down the scary path to see that. I jumped that sinking ship a long time ago.”
Mayra laughed. “Like I said, don’t try to control it. The more you do, the more screwed up it will become. What’s meant to happen will happen. That’s all you need to know. And it’s all quite funny if you think about it.”
Seeing it from Mayra’s perspective it was pretty funny, I guess. I never seemed to do things by halves. Why would my love life be any different? “Thank you for not judging me.”
“Judging you? Honey, if I thought it would end well for you I would say have them both. But that’s not you. So I won’t. Stop beating yourself up over everything. You’ve had enough crap handed to you for one lifetime. Don’t add to it.”
Tears welled up in my eyes at those words. Not for any memories it brought up of the past, but for the love that oozed out of her words when she said it.
“This isn’t going to end well, is it?” I asked her, and Mayra sighed.
“I don’t know. But if it doesn’t then I’m here. We’re all here.”
“You always are.”
“As you are for us. It’s our way. Now stop worrying. Come by the shop first thing in the morning, and I’ll have some things for you. They won’t be perfect because of the short notice, but they’ll be better than nothing. Cole’s right: you need to have some protection from the vampires. They’re not all like Bernard.”
“Don’t I know it. You know how I feel about vampires.”
“And you’re about to walk in
to a nest of them. We’ll make sure you’re protected.
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams. But not too sweet. You sound like you’ve got enough on your plate.”
“I can always rely on you, eh?” I chuckled, and she didn’t hesitate in replying.
“Always.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
AFTER A FEW hours of plotting and planning the next steps with Kaleb and Bernard, we decided to call it a night. To keep Kaleb in the loop, we’d arranged for me to come up with an excuse to come back to the city for a few hours over the next day or so. Those at Darkwood would be expecting us to stay a while, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t venture to the city when needed. Rather than set a specific date or time, I told Kaleb I would head to Mayra’s and call him from there when I got the chance to get away. He’d asked briefly what had happened back at the office with Cole, but I managed to brush it off without too much trouble.
Bernard managed to wheedle his way into my bed when we returned to my apartment, but only to sleep. He’d guilted me into it saying that he wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t dragged him away from the comfort of his creepy hotel room. I told myself I needed to get used to it considering we were going to be doing a lot more than sleeping in the same bed. Convincing the vampires was key to the plan.
When morning came around, we packed some things into a bag and headed to Mayra’s shop. When we arrived, the wooden shutters were over the windows and a CLOSED sign was pinned to the door. I tried the door and it opened, its little bell jingling our entrance as always.
“Mayra?” I called out as I stepped over the threshold. No reply. But then I felt someone grab my arm. “Ow,” I yelped as Mayra pulled me into the corner of her shop. The present candlelight casting shadows on her creepy inventory.
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