“Actually, I’m a witch in good standing,” she admitted a little sheepishly.
She couldn’t have shocked me more if she’d revealed that she’d been born with a dick. “What did you just say?” I asked slowly.
“You heard me, Dylan,” she said impatiently, as she went through her bags to find something to wear. “My father sent me to witch school because he wanted me to be able to take all of my witch tests. That and he’s hoping I’ll marry a nice warlock someday.”
“And you passed your witch tests?” I asked lamely.
“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be a witch in good standing,” she said in a bored tone.
I’d been avoiding any involvement with witches for years, for fear my mom would push me to take the affinity test with every witch I dated. Now, I was going to a meeting that my mother would certainly be at, with a witch I was definitely involved with. The crazy part was that I wasn’t worried about being involved with Allie so much as my mom meddling in everything. Allie was skittish enough without my mom trying to push us to commit.
“Fuck!” I hissed.
“Would it help if I offered to let you spank me for not telling you?” she asked, her lips curled into a naughty little smile that had me tempted to take her up on the offer now.
“Don’t try to distract me, Allie,” I said.
“If you’re worried that my father is going to insist on some sort of relationship just because you slept with me, you can stop worrying. He’s not one of the traditional witches,” she said, obviously trying to reassure me. “He’d never force me to be with any warlock.”
“Perhaps you should be a little more worried about what my parents will do,” I said. “They have as much right to insist we take an affinity test as your father does.”
“They wouldn’t really do that,” she said, but the way the color drained from her face proved she wasn’t sure if that was true or not.
“Under normal circumstances, my mom is very much against arranged marriages,” I said. “She’s become pretty desperate to get me to settle down with a nice witch recently. Actually, I think she’d settle for any witch at this point.”
“I have every right to refuse,” she insisted.
What surprised me most was how pissed I suddenly was. “What’s so bad about being with me?” I demanded. “You don’t seem to mind my company, and I’m not exactly undesirable.”
Allie rolled her eyes and muttered something about me being dropped on my head as a baby before continuing. “We don’t have time for this ridiculous discussion. I need to shower and dress for the meeting.” Then she frowned. “I didn’t even think to pack my robe. Do you think we have time to stop by my apartment to pick it up on the way there?”
“We should, but it’ll be easier if I message Trevor and have him bring one for you. He always has at least one extra robe for when his sisters visit, so it won’t be too big for you.”
That’s when I heard Allie’s stomach rumble and realized neither of us had eaten yet. “Let’s shower quickly and grab lunch,” I suggested.
“Do we have time to make another quick stop before the meeting?” Allie asked. “I promise it won’t take more than a few minutes, and it’s on the way.”
I started to say no, but something in her eyes told me this was important. “Sure, as long it’s not too far out of the way. As much as it pains me to say this, we’d better shower separately or we won’t make it.”
If that suggestion didn’t prove that I wanted more than sex from Allie, I didn’t know what would.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dylan
Of all the places I’d imagined Allie asking me to stop, a rundown trailer tucked away in the backyard of a house in Hayward was not on my list of possibilities.
“Why exactly are we here?” I asked Allie as we walked through the back gate, which looked like it was going to fall off its hinges at any moment.
“Who’s that with you?” called out a gruff male voice from the shadows of the trailer.
“My friend, Dylan, drove me today,” Allie explained as she approached cautiously, making me worry more than a little about who was at that trailer. “Look down,” she warned me, and it was then that I noticed her gaze was directed at the ground, as well.
“You know I don’t like strangers,” the man said as he stepped out of the shadows. The man was tall and wide through the shoulders and chest, giving him an intimidating appearance. He’d also apparently given up on shaving or cutting his hair, but thankfully, it smelled like he still bathed. It was hard to miss the way the sleeve of his shirt hung empty on his left side.
“Stop being such a grump,” Allie admonished as she walked right up to the giant and hugged him without making eye contact.
His burly arm wrapped around her, and he let out a rumbling sigh. “I heard someone’s been killing your kind, girlie,” he said. “You might want to find a better bodyguard than a pretty warlock.”
Allie finally looked up at the gruff man and smiled. “He is too pretty, isn’t he?”
“Only way he’ll be much protection is if your attacker challenges him to a beauty pageant,” the man said with a smirk directed at me. That’s when I decided this downcast eyes thing Allie suggested wasn’t going to fly. I’d never been good at acting submissive.
“I saved her life last night, so I think I can keep her safe,” I said, realizing how childish I sounded after the words left my mouth.
“Puny little thing like you?” the guy asked.
“Knock it off, Gryphon,” Allie warned. “I know it’s close to the full moon, but you’re old enough to control yourself better.”
That confirmed my suspicions about his guy being a werewolf. While there were some varieties of demons that a smart person didn’t make eye contact with, the werewolves were the biggest threat when their dominance was challenged. As a rule, werewolves didn’t live on their own because they were social creatures who needed the support of the pack. Unfortunately, some packs cast out those with injuries, which explained why Gryphon was living alone, and probably why he’d let himself go to some extent.
“You’re right, girlie,” Gryphon said with a chuckle. “Back to my point, the pack does some security work, and they could watch out for you.”
“I’m fine,” Allie assured him. “Dylan’s not as weak as he looks.”
I might have taken offense to what she’d said if I didn’t know she was working the werewolf. It would not do for him to think I was a threat because they could get very territorial. Even missing an arm, I figured this guy could fight a grizzly bear.
“How did you meet?” I asked.
“I was about to jump off the Bay Bridge,” Gryphon explained.
“You were going to kill yourself?” I asked, because that was pretty uncommon among werewolves since they were so hard to kill.
“No, I was taking up diving,” he snapped before turning to Allie. “You sure you want to trust this one to take care of you? He’s not too bright.”
“That’s not very nice, Gryph,” she admonished, and he gave her a toothy grin.
“So, Allie saved your life?” I asked.
“Yeah, she’s the type that thinks she can save us all,” Gryphon said. “Crazy woman is forever collecting lost causes.”
“You aren’t a lost cause,” Allie argued.
“Nah, but I was when you found me,” he said before focusing completely on me. “How long have you known Allie?” he asked.
“Only a couple of days,” I admitted.
“Then you don’t know yet,” he said.
“Know what?” I asked.
“That she’s too nice for her own good. Damn demon needs a keeper,” he pointed out. “She needs a mate to take care of her and make sure she stays away from lost causes. Some of us feral ones are too dangerous.”
“No matter how much I like you, Gryphon, I am not going to listen to your macho lines about how I need a man,” Allie replied firmly.
“If you’re going to a
dopt a male werewolf, then you’d better get used to macho posturing,” I said.
Gryphon let out a loud booming laugh and slapped me on the back so hard, I nearly fell face first onto the ground. “You might not be so bad, warlock,” he said. “What’s your name again?”
“Dylan Hunt,” I told him with a nod.
“Well, Dylan Hunt,” he said. “You’d better not let anything happen to our little demon here. She may be a pushy pain in the ass some days, but she’s got a bigger heart than most. She’s also one of the few people I trust.”
“Pushy pain in the ass?” Allie asked, hands on her hips trying to look stern. “You’re just lucky I like you, Gryphon.”
“That I am,” he admitted, and then shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not going to kill myself. You know that, right?”
“I know,” Allie said and gave him another hug.
“Then why do you keep coming by to check on me?” he asked. “I know you were worried I’d try again before, but I’m good now. Well, I’m getting better,” he assured her.
“She comes by because she likes you,” I said. “Allie’s not going to stop caring just because you’re doing better.”
Gryphon looked somewhat embarrassed by what I’d said, and I wondered if he’d had any real friends when he was in the pack. While I hadn’t recognized Gryphon at first, I did now. He’d been the main enforcer for one of the local packs and one of the most feared werewolves in the country. The only reason he hadn’t ruled his own pack was his lack of interpersonal skills and his utterly ruthless nature. I guess I wasn’t the only one who felt like a different man around Alana Talbot.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Allie
I’m not sure there is anything more annoying than attending a Council of Witches meeting. Back in high school, I came to the realization that the acronym for Council of Witches was COW. Needless to say, the council has no sense of humor and doesn’t appreciate being referred to as COWs.
No one would guess that the conservative two-story business compound just outside of Bishop Ranch in San Ramon was where the Council of Witches met. That wasn’t the only thing housed in the building. There were also witch medical offices, a witch college, and the offices of all high-ranking council members, just to name a few things. Naturally, there was also a special area for the familiars to stay when their witches were working or attending school in the building.
Trevor was waiting outside the meeting room, dressed in his rich crimson robe, another robe draped over his arm. That’s when I realized the problem with borrowing a robe from Trevor’s family. Robe colors were assigned to families based on status. Trevor and Dylan were both in crimson because their families were considered equal in status. My family wore black, and there would be serious speculation about my relationship with Dylan if I wore a crimson robe to the meeting.
Trevor held out the robe without a word, but based on the amusement in his eyes, I was pretty sure he’d already figured out the problem with the robe color but chosen to keep his traitorous mouth shut.
“I can’t walk in there wearing this robe,” I said quietly, careful not to make a scene.
“Put the damn robe on,” Dylan said, and I could tell he was on edge about something. Maybe he’d just realized the problem, too, and he was mad at himself for not thinking of it. Surely, he couldn’t blame me for this since he was the one who’d suggested getting the robe from Trevor. Then I realized he might not have realized the problem and might think I was being difficult for no reason.
“If I put this on, the COWs will make assumptions,” I insisted.
Trevor laughed. “Don’t use that term in there or you’ll be in even more trouble than you were in school. Also, don’t worry about what everyone thinks. I thought about that on the way over, and I figure we’ll just tell everyone you’re under my protection since my parents aren’t very traditional. The council can make all the assumptions they want about our relationship, and I’ll have a lot of explaining to do with my mom later, but it’ll be fine.”
“She’s under my protection,” Dylan ground out.
“Are you out of your spell casting mind?” I demanded. “Why not just lift your leg and pee on me?”
Dylan looked at me like I was crazy, and then he laughed. “Fine, I’m a possessive asshole, but I still don’t want people thinking you’re with anyone other than me. In my defense, I don’t have much experience with relationships. I just want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“I’m not yours,” I insisted.
“You admitted you’re mine twice today,” he argued.
“Under duress,” I reminded him and then let out a sigh because I was acting like a bitch for no good reason. My choices were to wear the robe or not attend the meeting. “Just give me the robe so we can get this over with.”
Trevor laughed as he helped me into the robe. “Are you going to be okay sitting in the meeting?”
I looked at him over my shoulder, waiting for further explanation.
“I just figured you might be a little sore after that spanking Dylan gave you earlier,” he teased.
Trevor was trying to embarrass me, and I was a little embarrassed that he knew about what had happened—what I had no doubt would happen again since I’d enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Embarrassed or not, I had no intention of letting Trevor get the last word. “It does sting a little,” I lied in a breathy voice. “I’m sure it’ll be hard to stay still when the stinging gets worse, and I can’t stop thinking about having Dylan’s masterful hands on me again.”
Dylan coughed to cover a laugh, and I had trouble keeping a straight face myself.
Trevor swallowed hard. “Fuck, Allie! You are going to make me hard for the meeting.”
“What happened to you not being interested in Allie that way?” Dylan demanded.
“I’m not,” Trevor said. “I’m just taking the scene she created and picturing someone else. In case you were wondering, I’m also picturing her over my knee instead of yours.”
Dylan didn’t cover his laugh this time. Trevor really had a way of lightening the mood.
“You’re such a moron,” I said. “How do I stay friends with you?”
Trevor gave me an adorable grin. “Admit it. I’m completely irresistible.”
“Let’s get into the room before Trevor’s head gets too big to fit through the door,” Dylan suggested as he placed a hand on my elbow to lead me in. It was my turn to swallow hard as the nerves returned. How bad could it possibly be?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dylan
I was surprised by the number of attendees at the meeting since most witches likely considered this a demon matter, despite what Julian had said. Council meetings were so boring, most refused to attend unless they were actual council members and couldn’t avoid it. Even if something of interest was on the agenda, the council could make it seem boring. I hadn’t been to a meeting in at least two years, and I’d only attended that one because my mother had insisted I take her place that night. Every family had to have one member officially on the council, and my mom had really taken one for the team by agreeing to represent our family.
Since we hadn’t actually agreed on how to handle Allie’s robe color, I kept my hand on her arm as we walked into the room to make sure everyone knew she was with me. She hadn’t argued with me about it again outside, but I had a feeling she was going to try to play this off as no big deal, and I had no intention of letting that happen. Allie’s pissed off expression made my dick so hard, I was thankful for the flowing robe that hid my condition. Damn erection was actually making it difficult to walk.
My mom was there, and the slight curl of her lips meant she was happy to see me with Allie, and I had to wonder if she’d feel the same when she realized who Allie was. Separating from her group of friends, my mom made her way toward us but didn’t say one word to me as she reached out a hand to Allie.
“Alana, how are you?” my mom asked in a soothing tone. “This en
tire experience must have been terrifying for you. Your father is still quite upset, and who can blame him? Thankfully, Dylan was there to save you.” I did get a brief smile from my mom before her attention returned to Allie. It seemed she knew all about Allie’s heritage and was still thrilled to see me with a witch—even one who was half-succubus.
Allie looked confused by my mother’s approach. “Yes, it was frightening, and I’m very thankful to Dylan for saving me.”
“I’m Isadora Hunt,” my mom said by way of introduction.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Allie responded, still looking baffled by my mom’s warm welcome.
“I’m not sure if you remember, but I was there for your witch test,” my mom continued. “She’s quite a talented witch,” my mother said to me, and I made a mental note to ask Allie to elaborate on that detail later. The woman was full of surprises.
“Thank you. I studied hard so I wouldn’t embarrass my father,” Allie explained.
“He bragged about your test for months. They’re about to start the meeting, so we’ll have to talk more later.” My mom then headed toward the table where the council members sat.
“Your mom seems nice,” Allie said.
“Yes, she is a wonderful woman, and apparently she already likes you.” I was definitely stating the obvious.
“Why do I get the feeling she thinks we’re as good as married?” she asked nervously.
“Because you’re a smart girl,” Trevor said as we made our way to our seats. “Isadora is probably already shopping for the grandchildren she expects you to give her.”
“Don’t worry,” I told Allie, sliding my hand down to thread my fingers through hers. “My mom isn’t going to push us to get married.” I was pretty sure I wasn’t lying to Allie. Mostly sure, anyway.
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