When the Grave Calls

by B. L. Brunnemer

  He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and began to clean his hands of grease. “You’ve been too stressed lately. I wondered when it would all come out.”

  I gave him a small warm smile as I hopped up onto a clear spot on the tool bench. “I just wish it didn’t all end up soaking your guys’ shirts.”

  “We don’t mind so much.” He put his handkerchief into his back pocket. “So, I heard you and Hades made up?”

  “Yeah, we worked shit out.” I looked down at the car part he was taking apart. “He’s not going to kill anyone without my permission from now on.”

  “Well, that’s good at least.”

  I looked up at him. “Why are you taking apart the Jeep again?”

  He looked down at the part on the table. “I’m thinking.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “About?”

  “Just got back from my shrink.” He set his hands on the work bench. “I’ve got some homework she wants me to do.”

  “Does it involve me?” I asked softly.

  His cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

  Oh my God, Zeke was blushing. Holy shit. I hurried to keep a blank face. “What is it?"

  He shook his head and looked down at the bench in front of him, clearly embarrassed. “Nothing, never mind.”

  “Zeke, just tell me.” I reached out and lifted his chin with my fingers. “It’s just me.”

  “She suggested …” He sighed and stepped back from the bench. “She told me I should try to be close to you and see how it goes.”

  My heart leaped into my throat. Close to me was Zeke’s way of saying being physical with me. “Okay.”

  He lifted his head and met my eyes. “What? Just like that? Just because my shrink said so?”

  I smiled up at him. “Not because of your shrink, but because I love you. And I want to be close to you.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw as he took a step back from the bench and growled. “What if I trigger you?”

  “What if I trigger you?” I countered. With his history it was always a possibility. He had far more trauma than I ever had. “What if the world ends tomorrow? What if the sky falls? We won’t know until we try.”

  The hunger in his eyes was nearly my undoing right then and there. “Baby …”

  “If it happens, we’ll work through it. Together,” I said softly.

  He exhaled hard, his shoulders sagging a little. “You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

  I ran my gaze over him. Let it linger on his shoulders, that huge barrel chest, those long legs. I let my desire fill me as I met his eyes again. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  His face softened as he stepped closer.

  My heart pounded in my chest as he moved to stand between my knees, his waist forcing me to shift to accommodate him. His gentle fingers lifted my chin. He bent from his neck and pressed his lips against mine. My hands moved to his hard waist as his hands cradled my face. His lips were so gentle against mine, so soft as he kissed me. His tongue brushed over my lower lip, asking for more. He always asked, no matter how many times he kissed me.

  Body thrumming, I opened my lips to him. He kissed me slowly, as if he were savoring every touch, every stroke of my tongue. I leaned closer, tilting my head back even more to give him more access.

  He pulled back a little.

  I met his ice-blue eyes as I tried to remember how to breathe.

  “Are you good?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I breathed.

  His mouth took mine again in long, drugging kisses that grew deeper and hungrier with every kiss. Heat filled me slowly, inch by inch, with every stroke of his tongue. His hands dropped from my face to run down my back to my ass. Sparks danced down my spine. Needing to be closer, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  He pulled back a little, taking a deep shaking breath as I pressed against him. “Damn, Baby …”

  I looked up at him in surprise as his large hard bulge pressed against my core through my jeans. Holy shit. Need pounded through me. Zeke had always kept his hips from mine, and now I knew why.

  “Still good?” he breathed as his hands tightened on my curves.

  Unable to speak, I nodded and kissed him again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sank into his heat. His fingers tightened on my ass, then his arms moved around me, supporting me as he leaned me back over the tool bench, grinding his hips even more against mine. His hand moved over my back, sending hot shivers down my spine.

  He pulled back a little, his eyes filled with heat. “Still good?”

  I tried to catch my breath as I shifted my hips against his. He closed his eyes and groaned as I pressed against his length. “So good.”

  His mouth took mine again, his tongue driving every thought out of my head but the feel of him against me. The world was gone, there was only Zeke and his touch.

  A phone rang.

  He lifted his head and met my eyes.

  It rang again, this time vibrating against the bench. I cursed. Zeke pulled back enough for me to reach my phone.

  I didn’t even check the number. “What?”

  “Lexie, I don’t have much time.” Hades’ voice was like a bucket of ice-cold water over me.

  I sat up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

  “I confessed to Ordin’s murder.”

  “You did what?” I shouted into the phone.

  “I had to make up for what I did, Stellina,” Hades said. “It was the only way to get them to leave you alone without me killing someone.”

  I covered my eyes with my hand. “You stupid shit, you’re going to get thrown in jail.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Hades promised, his breathing growing harder. “I created this mess, I’ll be the one to clean it up.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m making my escape,” he said. “Just stick close to the guys and your bodyguards until I can get back to you. Please?”

  “Okay,” I promised. “Just get back here as soon as you can.”

  “I will.” He hung up the phone.

  I looked up at Zeke, stunned. “He turned himself in for Ordin’s murder.”

  Zeke nodded. “I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re not? ‘Cause I sure as hell am.”

  His hands went to my thighs. “Think about it. All he has ever tried to do is protect you, and today you came home certain you’ll be investigated for the murder of Ordin. Of course he went and confessed.”

  “He said he’s escaping now and should be here eventually.” I shook my head, still not believing it. “I guess I better go tell Uma and Brody so they can check him off my bodyguard list.”

  “Lexie.”

  I lifted my head and met his gaze.

  “He made the decision to turn himself in,” Zeke said. “This wasn’t your fault.”

  “I came home crying, I’m sure that had a hand in it,” I countered.

  He shook his head. “It was his decision. Not yours. Don’t take that on yourself.”

  I wanted to argue. But I didn’t. He was right. Hades made his own choice. “I hear ya.”

  Zeke reached out, grabbed my waist and lifted me off the bench. He set me down but held on.

  I looked up and met his gaze.

  “I didn’t trigger you,” he said softly.

  Despite the phone call, a huge smile spread across my face. “And I didn’t trigger you.”

  He leaned down and gave me a small warm kiss before straightening and letting me go.

  I was still smiling as I walked into the study.

  “Just because we have the location doesn’t mean we should attack. Without the vampires we don’t have an advantage,” Uma shouted across the library at Brody. “Quinn has just left with Jade, she’s out of danger, but we are also down one very powerful ally.”

  My smile disappeared.

  Brody crossed his arms over his chest. “We know where they are. My shifters are ready.”

  “And without the witches or v
ampires you’ll be sitting ducks,” Uma countered.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as I closed the door behind me.

  They turned to me. “We’ve got Jadis’ location and we’re deciding our course of action.”

  “You mean if you’re going to attack,” I said.

  Brody crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s time. The longer we draw this out the more deaths there’ll be.”

  I sighed and looked up at Uma. “What do you think?”

  She sat back down, frowning. “We know where they are, our numbers are about the same.” She began to tap her finger. “I wouldn’t count on surprise, and the spell to ground out magic isn’t ready. We haven’t gotten it working at a hundred percent yet.”

  “So, they’d still have some of their magic.” Brody shrugged. “It’s nothing we haven’t faced before, and with those staffs from the kid we can do some damage of our own before having to shift for close range.”

  “It’s risky,” she reminded him. “The staffs are untested.”

  His eyes narrowed. “It’s war. It’s always risky.”

  I swallowed hard. He wasn’t wrong, but … I was so in above my head that I couldn’t decide if I was drowning or suffocating. Fight or hold? What the hell do we do?

  “What are the pros?” Uma pressed her lips together.

  “From what we know, they don’t have any vampires, so they wouldn’t have an advantage,” Brody added.

  “We have more shifters than they do,” Uma said. “The advantage would be ours in the twilight and pre-dawn lighting.”

  Brody nodded. “Cons?”

  “It’s a direct fight.” Uma shook her head. “There’ll be casualties.”

  Brody ran his hand over his jaw. “But the longer we draw it out, the more time she has to gather forces, resulting in an even greater risk for loss of life.”

  Uma nodded in agreement. “Fine, I’ll get my witches ready to cloak the entire area to keep the humans from hearing the attack. Have you scouted their location?”

  “Yeah, they’re on their way back now,” Brody answered.

  “Let’s talk strategy.” Uma turned to me. “Lexie, you don’t need to be here for this.”

  Nodding solemnly, I got to my feet and left the library. I leaned against the doors and took deep breaths. We were attacking, and I didn’t know what to do. Could I even help? What about the guys? They had been training with the staffs … The guys would be going too.

  Oh, hell no. Over my dead body. There was no way in hell I was going to let them go out there. I pushed away from the wall and hurried out the door, looking for them.

  Asher

  “I’m not joining a pack, Kayley,” I repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “And it’s a mistake,” the werewolf stated. “A pack provides support, guidance—”

  “Will control my life,” I countered, my irritation bleeding into my words. “They’ll tell me what I can do and what I can’t. Who I can be with.” They’d forbid me being with Ally. They’d be logical and have reasons. They’d scare me into leaving her. I shook my head. “I’m not giving her up for a pack.”

  Kayley looked up at the sky, taking deep, measured breaths before turning back to me. “It doesn’t have to be that way. A healthy pack doesn’t control their wolves’ lives like that.”

  I clenched my fist. “Yeah, I know there’s one in Seattle, a few in Massachusetts.”

  She nodded.

  I shook my head. I didn’t know where Ally was going next year, and I wasn’t about to join some pack that I’d never met. “I still have college to think about and other decisions to make. I don’t want to commit to a pack when I don’t know where I want to go.”

  She sighed, face full of understanding. “I know. I just want you to keep it in mind when you do make those decisions.”

  “I will,” I muttered.

  “Good.” She started to walk away but stopped after a couple of steps. “You know you’ll have to fight tomorrow.”

  I shifted on my feet. “Has anyone told Ally yet?”

  “She’s probably figured it out by now.”

  I sighed. That was a conversation I was not looking forward to. “What about Ethan?”

  “Since we know what he is now, yes. It’s his fight too.”

  I nodded. “You might want to tell him.”

  “He’s the next stop for Brody.” She started towards the back door of the house.

  Light footsteps echoed across tile inside. Ally. Kayley glanced at the door to the kitchen then turned back to me.

  “She’ll be pissed,” I warned back.

  “I’ll hide.” She opened the door and disappeared inside.

  I turned and looked down at the pool, dread settling deep inside of me. Fighting witches. Not how I ever thought I’d go out. I shook my head. I wasn’t going to die tomorrow. But I might. If this was my last day on Earth, how did I want to spend it?

  The door slammed as I turned. Ally strode out of the house. The rage rolled off her in waves that I could practically see. Her stride was confident, her jaw clenched, and her eyes practically glowed with her will. Her wild hair bounced with every step. Damn, she was stunning.

  “No,” she stated before she even reached me. “You are not fighting tomorrow.”

  I fought back a grin. Of course she’d fight it. “I’m a shapeshifter, Ally.”

  She shook her head as she stopped in front of me. “No.”

  “I have to,” I said, unable to suppress the little grin that had been pulling at my lips.

  Her eyes narrowed on mine. “This isn’t funny. You could die!”

  “Or I’ll be fine.”

  She grabbed my shirt, balling it in her hands. “You can’t do this,” her voice ordered, but her hands trembled against my chest.

  I reached up and held her hands. “They need everyone tomorrow.”

  Her grip tightened. “Not you. Not any of you.”

  “I’m sorry, Ally,” I said softly. The worry in her eyes, I couldn’t take it. I took her face in my hands before pressing my lips to hers. Her response was instantaneous, opening for me, stoking my own fire. My wolf and I growled in satisfaction, sweeping in and taking what was ours. The sweet taste of her on our tongue. She pressed against me, her curves making us ache for her. For our bonded. Need swept through me. The urge to sink my teeth into flesh, to mark her, was almost overpowering. Almost. I kissed her gently one last time before pulling back.

  She kept her eyes closed and took deep breaths. “Promise me.”

  “I promise.” I held her face gently. “I promise to not let anything stand in the way of getting back to you.”

  She lifted her half-hooded gaze to meet my own. “You’d better not. I’m coming too. Uma has taught me enough that I can do some damage.”

  We growled without thought.

  “That’s not going to stop me, Ash.” Her determination was clear in her eyes. “You go, I go.”

  I swallowed hard. With that look in her eyes, I couldn’t stop her. But the others? “Let’s see what the guys say about that.”

  She nodded. “Sure, let’s go tell them.”

  Lexie

  Telling my other boyfriends went about as well as I imagined it would.

  “I don’t believe that’s a good idea,” Miles said. “You’re the one they’ve been after.”

  “You’re not going to go to a fight and make a target of yourself,” Zeke added.

  “The Veil is open again,” I countered. “I’m not that important anymore.”

  “We still don’t have the person who closed it to begin with,” Miles reminded me.

  “I told you, it was Dylan,” I said, the exasperation plain in my voice.

  Miles pushed his glasses up his nose. “And Evelyn said that wasn’t enough to allow her to get involved yet. We need more evidence.”

  “They can’t go without us backing them up!” I wrung my fingers together.

  The guys shared a look.

 
; Zeke sighed. “Then we’ll all go.”

  “What?” I could barely handle the idea of two of them going, but all of us? “No, no, no.”

  Isaac wrapped his arm around my back and pulled me close to his side. “Red, we’re a family. If you insist on going with Asher and Ethan, we all go.”

  My throat tightened as I looked up at him. “But …” I could lose all of them.

  Isaac’s face softened along his jaw. He squeezed me tight. “You can’t have it both ways.”

  I shook my head. “No one.”

  “I have to, Ally. Ethan has to.” Asher stepped closer to us, his hand taking mine and unclenching my fist. “I’m a wolf now. We’re a part of the supernatural world. We have to fight.”

  I swallowed hard. Asher couldn’t play by human rules anymore. Neither could Ethan. It’s their lives they were fighting for. But still … “I don’t like those choices.”

  “These are the only choices we have.” Zeke stepped closer. “All of us, or just Ethan and Asher.”

  I shook my head. What kind of choice was that? Risk only two of us or all of us. “I-I-I can’t make that decision.”

  “All of us.” Zeke turned to Miles.

  Miles nodded. “Seconded.”

  Isaac put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Third.”

  “Motion passed,” I rasped through a suddenly dry throat.

  “We’ll have to talk to the committee.” Asher started towards the door. The rest of us followed and I slipped my hand into Ethan’s as we filed down the hallway.

  “It’s going to be okay, Beautiful,” Ethan whispered as the others moved into the library.

  “Absolutely not.” Uma’s voice carried out to us in the hallway. That didn’t bode well.

  We filed into the room and stood in front of her and Brody as a group.

  “We all go, or no one goes,” I stated.

  Uma turned to me and shook her head. “That’s not how this is going to work. You aren’t ready for this kind of fight, and the others are too human to be in it.”

  Isaac stepped forward. “We’ve been training in MMA for yea—”

  “That’s not the same kind of fight,” Brody stated in a cold voice. “This is a war. One hit from a spell and you’ll go down, even with your shield generators. We can’t risk it.”