by C. C. Wood
Suddenly, I sensed his presence. A thrill raced through me. My muscles tensed and my heartbeat quickened. Several minutes elapsed before he appeared in the doorway of the coffee shop and my heart gave a single, hard thump against my sternum before settling back into a rapid rhythm. A wave of magic rose to my left but vanished quickly, emanating from where Harrison stood behind the counter.
It didn’t matter anyhow because I barely noticed it. I was frozen in place, unsure of what I should do. Should I greet him? Ignore him? Treat him like I would any other customer?
Before I could determine my next action, Macgrath took the decision out of my hands.
He nodded to me, his green and gold gaze flicking over me quickly before he turned toward the counter where Harrison stood.
Without his eyes on me, I managed to take a deep breath, but my entire body burned as though his perusal of my person had lit a fire beneath my skin.
Yes, I needed to figure out what to do about Macgrath.
After the dream this morning, his proximity was enough to make my body go haywire. And it was clear he intended to take me up on the invitation I’d so carelessly thrown at him last night.
I turned back to the table in front of me and went back to rearranging the objects on top, only this time I did so without seeing them. My attention was focused entirely on the vampire who was currently ordering coffee from Harrison.
I was vaguely aware of Savannah emerging from behind the curtain that divided the reading room from the rest of the shop. I even heard the low murmur of her voice as she walked her client to the door and bid her good-bye.
Still, I jumped when her hand landed softly on my shoulder, my hip nudging the table just hard enough to make the crystals, jewelry, and bottles on top shimmy and clatter.
“Whoops,” she murmured. “I’m sorry I startled you.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “It’s fine, I was woolgathering.” I whispered my reply, hoping that Harrison and Macgrath wouldn’t hear my words yet understanding that hope was futile. They were both creatures with preternatural senses and they would be able to hear my heartbeat from twenty feet away. Shit. I was so flummoxed that I hadn’t even thought to cast a spell to hide my body’s reactions. There was no doubt that both males were very aware of exactly what was happening within me.
Still, I cast a spell anyway.
“So your distraction has nothing to do with—”
I pointed a finger at Savannah then pointed it again, only this time toward the reading room.
She grinned mischievously but didn’t finish her sentence. Instead she followed my silent direction and walked back toward the niche.
I herded Savannah into the reading area, sliding the curtain closed behind us. With the spells I’d cast on the room, no one would be able to hear us speak, even if they had the supernatural hearing of a vampire or a shifter.
Savannah’s grin was huge when I turned to face her.
“Why do you look so pleased with yourself?” I asked. Anytime Savannah smiled like that it meant she was up to no good.
She shrugged. “Because I am pleased with myself.”
I narrowed my eyes as I studied her face. “You meddled, didn’t you?”
Her shit-eating grin didn’t diminish in the least. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I shook my head. “That wasn’t necessary,” I stated.
“I disagree, the two of you need to stop dancing around each other. Even if I wasn’t an empath, I would still be able to feel the tension between you.”
“That’s not why it wasn’t necessary,” I replied. “I talked to him last night and told him that if he insisted on stalking me, he might as well come into the shop and buy some coffee or something. If he’s going to lurk, I might as well profit from it.”
Savannah gawked at me. “You what?”
It was my turn to shrug.
Suddenly, a laugh burst from her. “So I shouldn’t have bothered, huh?”
I sighed, no longer amused. “I don’t know what in the hell is wrong with me. I shouldn’t want him anywhere near me. Not after what he did to you.”
Savannah’s smile faded. “Macgrath may have done a few bad things—”
“A few?” I asked, interrupting her.
She gave me an impatient look. “He’s made mistakes. We all do. When he realized that what he was doing was wrong, he stopped. And don’t forget that I can see into a person’s heart. He’s not evil. He’s lonely and desperate.”
I scowled at her. “There are two things wrong with that. First, he’s as old as I am, he should fucking know better. Secondly, lonely and desperate? I don’t think so.”
“He may be a vampire, but vampires have emotions too,” she argued. “Haven’t you ever done something you regretted because you felt like you didn’t matter?”
I couldn’t argue with that statement. There was so much that Savannah didn’t know about me. Though she was right. I was in no position to judge Macgrath. Centuries ago, I had done things that haunted me now, my heart as cold and hard as stone.
“You’re right,” I relented. “I’ll give him a chance.”
Savannah’s brows lifted in surprise. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
I rolled my eyes. “You heard me.”
“Well, I can’t be sure. You’ve never said anything like that to me before. I might be hallucinating.”
“I said you’re right, you witch.”
“No, you’re the witch. I’m an empath,” she shot back dryly.
“You’re also a smart ass,” I grumbled.
Savannah laughed again. “That’s true too, but only because you corrupted me.”
“And I’ve taught you well. Now, we have work to do.”
She was grinning again when I pulled back the curtain and two intense male gazes turned toward us. She even chuckled quietly.
“Shut it,” I whispered as I stepped out of the reading room.
The soft giggle subsided at my words, but I knew she was still smiling.
I nodded to Harrison and Macgrath and went back to the table I’d been arranging. I could feel the weight of their stares on my back and suppressed a shiver.
Only time would tell if I made a mistake in choosing to interact with Macgrath.
Hopefully it wouldn’t be a fatal one.
Chapter Four
Macgrath
Today had been a test of my self-control. While I could sense Ava’s presence from a distance, physical proximity was much more difficult than I’d realized. Being able to see her and knowing that I was close enough to touch her presented a temptation that even I had difficulty resisting.
After her conversation with Savannah, Ava remained aloof and gave me a wide berth. The shifter she’d hired as a manager watched me with intense, hostile eyes the entire time I sat at the corner table. If he’d been in wolf form, his hackles would have been raised and his lips pulled back in a snarl.
I drank two cups of coffee over the next two hours and tried to read a book on my phone. It was a fruitless endeavor because my attention wandered away from the words on the screen every time Ava moved.
At four, a message popped up on the screen. It was from Callum. Just a few years after I awoke in that field with no memory of my past, I turned the two men I considered brothers after they fell on the battlefield, Callum and Marcus. Instinct alone had guided me when I turned them, desperate to save the only two people on this earth that gave a shit about me. They weren’t my only offspring but they were the first. They were my brothers. I rarely turned humans after them because I saw how difficult the transition had been. Watching their family and friends age and die hadn’t been easy for them.
Got your message. Call me.
I got to my feet and walked out of the coffee shop, not stopping until I was a block away. I didn’t trust that the shifter behind the bar wouldn’t eavesdrop on the conversation.
I connected the call and lifted the phone to my ear.
“That w
as fast,” Callum said by way of greeting.
“I didn’t want to give you time to change your mind.”
Silence fell between us and I regretted my words.
“I told you that I didn’t blame you any longer. We don’t speak because you never call nor do you answer when I call you.” He huffed out a laugh, but there was no amusement in the sound. “But now isn’t the time to discuss it. It sounds like you have a problem.”
I swallowed back the words I wanted to say but never would. Apologies and self-recriminations wouldn’t change what I had done.
“I need you to find someone for me. A witch.”
Callum cleared his throat. “Your best bet would be another witch,” he suggested.
“Tried that and got nothing. But the woman I’m looking for has money and she’ll want access to it. There’s only so much that magic can do to hide a paper trail. I need you to use those hacking skills and find that trail for me.”
“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do. What’s the witch’s name?”
“Rhiannon Temple.”
Callum fell silent again. He wasn’t even breathing. Finally, he asked softly, “Are you sure you want me to find her? We both know you’re better off without her.”
“I plan to kill the bitch,” I growled, feeling my fangs descend. Fuck. Spending too much time around Ava had brought me right to the edge of control.
“In that case, I’ll try my best to get you what you need ASAP.”
“Good.” I paused. “Thank you, Callum. For everything.”
“Just let me be there when you end the witch and we’ll call it even.”
“We’ll see. There may not be time.” And I couldn’t guarantee that Ava wouldn’t get to Rhiannon first. If she did…there wouldn’t be anything left.
I could practically hear the gears turning in his mind. “Do you need me at your back?” he asked. “Wherever you are, Marcus and I can meet you there. You don’t have to do this alone.”
“I know,” I replied. “But I also don’t want to drag you into my fight.”
“Bullshit. You wouldn’t be dragging us. We’re volunteering.”
A sharp pain originated from my heart, spearing through my chest. His words reminded me too much of the time before I’d changed Callum and Marcus. Before I’d made them like me. Over the years, they’d both adjusted well to immortality, but I found it difficult to believe either of them had ever truly forgiven me.
“I’ll call you if I need you.”
“Do you swear?” he pushed, knowing that I wouldn’t renege on my word.
“I swear.”
“Then I’ll be ready. I’ll contact you in twenty-four hours regarding my progress. If the witch knows anything about technology, this could get tricky as hell.”
“I know. Do what you can.”
I removed the phone from my ear and disconnected the call, lifting my other hand to rub my sternum. Talking to Callum always made my chest ache, even if the conversation went well.
I turned and headed back toward The Magic Bean. When I entered, Ava was nowhere in sight for the first time since I arrived. But the wolf behind the counter was still there and he was watching me with burning golden eyes.
I ignored him. Jealousy and hostility radiated from his body, declaring his issues with me like a flashing neon sign. No doubt he could smell my interest in Ava and he intended to mark his territory.
Before I reached the table where I had been sitting earlier, the shifter appeared in front of me. I jerked to a stop. He’d moved faster than I’d ever seen a shifter move before. He moved faster than a vampire.
But he didn’t attack, so I relaxed my arms and let them hang casually at my sides. That preternatural burst of speed was enough to set me on guard. If he moved that fast across the shop, how fast would he be in a fight?
“Stay away from her,” he growled.
I studied him. Now that he was closer, his jealousy was stronger. So was the hostility. But beneath it all lurked something else. I stared into his eyes, barely prodding his mind. There it was. Grief and rage. He had lost someone important and he was angry at the world.
I couldn’t blame him for that.
“I can’t,” I responded softly. “But I can promise you that I won’t allow her to come to any harm.”
“Even from yourself?” he asked, his voice still little more than a low rumble.
“Even from me,” I swore. “I’m here to protect her. Nothing else.”
He drew in a deep breath and growled again. “Don’t lie to me, vampire. I can smell you and your feelings toward Ava.”
I nearly growled back at him and fought the urge to bare my fangs. Wolves and vampires were both territorial creatures, which was why truces between packs and vampire communities were often tenuous and short. The animalistic instincts that ruled us and the predatory behavior we exhibited made it damn near impossible to maintain a civil relationship. I knew of a few packs and vampire leaders who had made it work, but not many.
“It doesn’t matter what I feel,” I shot back through gritted teeth, my fangs digging into my bottom lip. “It matters what I do about it. And I don’t intend to do anything about it.” I paused. “And let’s not forget that Ava has a mind of her own. She wants nothing to do with me.”
The wolf stared at me. Though I loomed a good five inches over him, he seemed as large as I was. I knew then that he was an alpha. No beta could fill up space the way he did. His power swelled and flexed around him, making him seem broader and taller than he was.
After a few tense moments, he relaxed. “You’re right. Ava does have her own mind and there’s not a damn thing either of us could do to change it.”
His words could be construed as a concession, but they struck me as resigned. As though he already knew the outcome of the situation and didn’t like it, but had accepted there was no way he could alter it.
Before I could respond, he stepped back. In a blink, he was once more behind the counter. Fuck me, that wolf was fast. And not a moment too soon, because Ava pushed through the door that led to the back of the shop. Her eyes landed on me and she jerked her head, holding the swinging door open.
Though I felt his eyes on me, I didn’t spare the shifter a glance as I walked toward her and slid past Ava into the storage area. She let the door swing shut behind her and our gazes collided.
Suddenly, I was reminded of the last time we were in this room. Two months ago, shortly after Rhiannon disappeared, I found her in this storage room and kissed the hell out of her.
Judging by the way her violet eyes flared as she stared back at me, she was remembering as well.
“I think it’s time we had a chat,” she stated.
The low, husky tone of her voice made the declaration sound more like an invitation. But the way she straightened her spine and pinned me with those eyes was all business.
My gaze wandered over her face, the wolf’s words ringing in my head. He’d said that Ava had her own mind and there wasn’t a damn thing either one of us could do to change it. Maybe he hadn’t intended that statement as I had taken it. Maybe he was acquiescing because he knew how Ava felt about me.
I glanced quickly at her throat. I couldn’t hear her heartbeat, likely because of some charm or spell she kept on her person, but I could see it.
There. At the base of her neck, just above her collarbone, was the telltale flutter of her pulse. It was quick and light, thrumming at a nearly frantic pace.
Although I doubted Ava Amaris would ever admit it, I affected her as much as she affected me.
And I would never do anything about it. Because I was unworthy of a woman like her and there was no dragon I could slay that would change that fact.
Chapter Five
Ava
I didn’t have to glance behind me to know that Macgrath was there. As I had all afternoon, I felt him close by. His presence changed the very atmosphere, creating a charge in the air. A tension that I couldn’t escape.
<
br /> I could feel his stare as he watched me, the weight of his attention making my skin tingle and my heartbeat quicken.
Now that he was closer, it was wreaking havoc on my senses. My head grew lighter and my stomach twisted. I sucked in a deep breath to steel myself as I walked into my office, standing to one side so Macgrath could enter as well.
When I shut the door, the room seemed to shrink, the vampire’s presence filling the already small space.
I flopped down in the chair behind my desk and stared up at him. When he didn’t sit as well, I gestured to the chair against the far wall. “Have a seat.”
He glanced at the chair then looked back at me. I lifted an eyebrow at him, refusing to take the hint. That chair was half the size of my desk chair, but I wasn’t about to give an inch of my advantage to this vampire. He screwed up my equilibrium too much as it was. I needed the upper hand whenever I could get it.
He sighed and folded his long length down until he settled into the seat. The wood and metal groaned from his weight and he froze. I bit back a laugh at the expression on his face and his obvious unease that the little chair would collapse beneath him.
When the structure held, he carefully leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, and stretching his legs before him. There was no trace of his earlier uncertainty over whether the seat would hold his bulk. A hint of a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, reminding me why I’d invited him to follow me back to the office.
My eyes narrowed as I regarded him. “Do you know where Rhiannon is?”
Though his body didn’t move an inch, I could nearly see the fine tension that suddenly ran through his muscles. “I don’t.”
I cocked my head to the side and studied him closely, looking for any sign that he might be lying. Vampires were good liars, usually because they’d had years to perfect the practice, but I’d been around for a few centuries myself and I knew quite a few of their tricks. “You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”