Her heart belonged to Caulder Mason.
The urgent knocking on the front door interrupted the most amazing kiss ever.
Raymond was already shuffling out of the room, but Lavender lunged past him. “You can’t answer the door,” she chastised. “You’re a wanted vampire.”
“Looks like you’re pretty wanted yourself,” he said with a wink.
Lavender felt a blush warm her cheeks. “Hush, you.” She swept past him and answered the door.
She didn’t recognize the woman on the other side. “Yes?”
“Hi. I’m Immie Cotton.”
Lavender gasped. “You’re the Great Ash.”
“Yeah. But I’m here to warn Caulder—“
“If it was about the demon,” he interrupted, poking his head out the door above Lavender’s. “I already know.”
“Okay. Well, that’s good. Now we just need to break Begonia out of demon jail and reunite her with Raymond. Then I need to go home and have my nervous breakdown before my kids get home from school.”
“Did she say Begonia was in demon jail?” yelled Raymond.
“Yes. Stay away from the door, or you’ll burst into flames.”
Immie looked at Caulder. “Do you still have the amulet for Ray—the one that will protect him from daylight?”
He drew it from his front jean pocket. “Right here.”
“Awesome. So, let’s go rescue us a bride.” Immie frowned. “I don’t suppose you know how to translocate, do you? If I do it, we might end up somewhere else—like Siberia or the middle of the Pacific Ocean.”
Lavender reached out and took Immie’s hand. “Thank you so much,” she said. “But I can take it from here, Great Ash.”
The woman looked relieved. “Okay. If you’re sure…”
“Believe me, she’s sure,” said Caulder. “She can kick major ass.”
Lavender warmed to the sound of pride in his voice.
“I’m going to,” exclaimed Raymond. “I think I should help rescue my woman.”
“As you can see,” said Lavender. “I have all the help I need.”
“Okay. Let me know how it goes,” said Immie. “You know, if you survive and all.”
Chapter Seven
As a young girl, Lavender had lived in hell with her grandmother. After the deaths of her parents, Begonia Darklight had done her best to love and raise her Halfling granddaughter.
So, even though it had been years, Lavender still remembered the layout of the Darklight’s region of hell. She also remembered that Ferth had taken her to the old prison cells and managed to lock her inside one. That’s when she found out demon powers didn’t work inside the cells. It was hours before her grandmother finally located her.
Ferth was an asshole, but he was a predictable asshole. She wanted Caulder and Raymond to remain at her house while she handled Grandmother’s rescue and Ferth’s well-deserved ass-kicking.
They were not having it. Men, no matter the species, were stubborn creatures. And that’s why they were beside her when they arrived at the demon prison.
“Lavender,” said her Grandmother. “I see Immie found you.” Her gaze went to Raymond. “Ray-ray!”
“Bee-bunny,” cried Raymond. He rushed to the bars and reached through them. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“Ferth wouldn’t hurt me. Humiliate me. Boss me around. Trap me in hell. Yeah, sure. But I’m still his grandmother.” She took his hands and kissed his knuckles. “What you about you, honey? Are you all right?”
“Hi,” said Lavender’s maybe-mate to Begonia. “I’m Caulder Mason. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Darklight.”
Begonia’s gaze narrowed. “You’re the one who wanted to take away my Raymond.”
“No, sweetheart,” corrected Ray. “He belongs to Lavender. They’re mates.”
“We’re not mates,” said Lavender. “We’re experiencing the Mating Scent is all.”
“The Mating Scent? That’s not nothing, honey.” Begonia took another look at Caulder and this time her eyes held approval. “I’m so happy for you.”
Lavender wasn’t going to try and explain, again, to everyone why her getting mated was a horrible idea. Right now, she wanted her grandmother out of jail and into her vampire’s arms.
Then she’d hunt down Ferth and yank off his tail. And maybe his arms. Why not? They’d all grow back.
Lavender touched the bars and commanded, “Open.” The rocks melted away and Begonia stepped through them. Raymond gathered her into his arms and smooched his true love right on the lips.
“Aw,” said Lavender.
“Awwww,” said a petulant male voice. “Thanks for bringing me the vampire, cuz.”
“Guess what? You two are eloping.” Lavender flicked her magic at the couple, wrapping them in loops of black and purple. They disappeared.
Lavender turned to face her cousin. “I can’t believe you put Grandmother in jail. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m trying to be a bad ass,” said Ferth. “If I conquer you, that’s way better than preventing the disgusting union of demon and vampire.” Her cousin was in his demon form, forked tail twitching and muscles bunching. Attack her, would he?
She began to transform, so focused on where she planned to punch Ferth, that she didn’t see him form the fireball. Only when he lobbed it at her did she realize she’d made a grievous error.
Then her stupid, brave, amazing not-mate pushed her aside and took the full blunt of the blast in his chest.
He was blasted backward, into the cave wall. Even a Shifter would have a hard time recovering from that kind of magical blow. He slumped to the floor.
Lavender saw purple. Deep, dark, angry purple. She felt her demon blood surge forth, transforming her into the beast she never wanted unleashed. At least she was in hell. No innocents would be hurt. But Ferth, the idiot who’d hurt her mate, yes, damn it, her mate, would be hurt.
Very, very badly.
Ferth lobbed another fireball at her, but she merely caught it and threw it at his head. He barely managed to duck it. She stomped forward, the ground shaking beneath her feet as her claws swiped at his chest.
Black blood oozed from the wounds. Ferth looked down at his chest, stunned that she’d scratched him, and that gave her the opening to kick his knee. He went down with cry of pain, grabbing his leg.
“For a ruler of one hell’s legions,” she said her echoing growling voice, “you’re decidedly pathetic.”
“You can’t lead the legion!” he yelled. “Dad said it was mine. Mine!”
“You’re a child, Ferth. A petulant, mean bully who needs a timeout.” Lavender opened the cell, grabbed her stupid cousin by the neck and threw him inside. The bars sealed together once more.
“No!” screamed Ferth. “You can’t leave me in here!”
“Watch me,” said Lavender. She turned, scooped up Caulder’s limp form, and without another look at her crazy cousin, she left hell.
Chapter Eight
Caulder woke up and stretched. He knew two things. First, he’d been stomped on by trolls and second, he wasn’t in his own bed.
Also, there was a warm, sexy, smells-like-dark-chocolate female next to him.
“Lavender,” he murmured, rolling onto his side. He pushed her hair away from her face and watched her eyes flutter open.
“Caulder,” she said. “You’re okay.”
“I am, thanks to you.”
“I was so worried. You wouldn’t wake up. Immie came over and did her Great Ash healing thing, but even then you didn’t stir.”
“I’m all right, sweetheart,” he said, pulling her into his embrace. “And I’m not leaving, either.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” she admitted softly. “I think … I’m okay with mating with you. But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop being a disaster.”
“I come with baggage, too,” he said. One day, he’d share his stories, the ones that caused his scars. And he’d listen to her stories, too. It was what m
ates did—support and love each other.
“I was thinking we should probably kiss again,” said Lavender. “Just to make double sure we still have sparks.”
“I concur,” rumbled Caulder. “Though I might not stop at just kissing your lips.”
Lavender smiled. “I’m counting on it.”
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Michele Bardsley writes about Oklahoma vampires, alpha werewolves, small-town romance, Las Vegas ghosts, curvy heroines, and super hot heroes. Obsessed with dark chocolate, "Supernatural," and all things yarn, she creates fictional worlds because, hey, it's a lot more fun than housework. She lives happily-ever-after in Texas with her husband and their fur babies.
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