“That’s not necessary. My sister is here, and the doors are locked. Please don’t send anyone over.”
Luke paused again. “If you insist. Chase will be informed, though.”
“I understand.” Hearing the news from his alpha rather than her would feel like betrayal. What had she been thinking calling Luke instead of Chase? Her mixed-up emotions had gotten the better of her. Maybe she should have eaten that clarity cookie after all.
“Thank you for the information.”
She pressed end and looked at her sister. “I’m sure we’re fine.”
Snow furrowed her brow. “You don’t think Isaac could have summoned the demon? I mean…you never actually saw him die.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle, holding herself together. “There’s no way he survived.” He couldn’t have. Even if he had, seven years had passed and he hadn’t come for her yet. Why would he start now?
Snow nodded. “I believe you. Between your aura-reading ability and my magic, we’ll be fine.” She drummed her nails on the countertop. “So…can we talk about Chase now?”
Chase strode into the hospital parking garage, heading for his bike, when a dark, human-like figure sprang from behind a pickup truck and darted around the corner.
“Shit.” He picked up the pace, following the shadow, and stopped to peer around the corner. The figure stood at the garage exit, and it whirled to face him, cocking its featureless head before inching away from the building.
The semi-translucent figure was nearly solid black, but as it regarded Chase, its face seemed to morph, taking on liquid-looking features that smoothed into nothingness as quickly as they formed.
At midday, the sun had risen plenty high enough to chase away the darkness, and demons only came out at night. There was no mistaking this was the same shadow Chase had seen twice before, but if it wasn’t a demon…what the hell was it?
It took two cautious steps backward before turning and running down the street.
“Goddammit.” Chase took off after the creature. Mending his relationship with Rain would have to wait.
The figure jetted around a corner, sticking to the fence line as it ran, stopping every now and then to look back at Chase…almost as if to make sure he followed. Chase texted Luke and James, sharing his location and asking for backup. They’d call it his imagination if he claimed to see a demon out in the daytime.
He tracked the creature out of the Central Business District and into a dense patch of trees in City Park. Leaves crunched as boots pounded the ground behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to find Luke and James making their way toward him.
“What’s going on?” Luke caught up first, followed by James.
“The shadow. It’s out in the daytime.”
“What the hell?” Luke scanned the trees. “Rain said it was a demon.”
Chase froze. “When did you talk to Rain?”
Luke jerked his head, indicating they needed to walk and talk. “She called me half an hour ago. Said the demon attacked her friend and took on her form. I’ve heard of demons who can shape-shift, so I assumed she meant it happened last night.”
“Goddammit, Rain. She was with me last night.” He clenched his jaw to stop himself from asking permission to leave the hunt. His duty came first, but if his woman was in trouble…
“She’s fine,” Luke said, as if reading his mind. “You can go back to her as soon as we’re done here.” Thankfully, he didn’t ask what happened between them. The fact that Luke believed in her safety eased his fears. His best friend wouldn’t leave his fate-bound unprotected if she were in danger.
James squinted at the sky. “Can demons handle sunlight?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Hell, the first time Chase had seen a demon was a few months ago when a crazy halfling tried to build an army to take over the city. The werewolves had crushed his plans within a few weeks’ time. They could take out one daylight-proof shadow demon. If that was all they were dealing with.
Luke turned in a circle, scanning the perimeter. “Weekday afternoon. Park’s deserted. Humans rarely come this far out anyway. Duck into the trees before you shift. Vanquish it and get out.”
Chase nodded, and they moved deeper into the thicket before shifting into their wolf forms. As Chase’s beast took control, his first instinct was to run to Rain and make things right with her. He fought it, using his human thoughts to remain in control. One demon wouldn’t be hard to kill. Then he could win back his woman.
The shadow moved from behind a tree. It barreled toward James, plowing into him and knocking him from his feet. James grunted as he hit the ground, but he sprang up, ready to attack. The creature tried to get Chase from behind, but he spun around, swiping his massive claws across the shadow’s chest. His paw passed straight through the entity as if it didn’t exist.
What the hell?
The thing stood there, tilting its head, its features wavering as if trying to take on a face-like form.
Luke and James fanned out around the entity until they all encircled it. Chase rocked back on his haunches, energy coiling in his legs, and sprang for the fiend.
No impact. His body propelled through the shadow; the surprise of not making contact threw him off-balance, and he tumbled into a tree, hitting the trunk with a thud. He scrambled to his feet and inhaled deeply. If this creature were a demon, the distinct scent of rotting garbage would have assaulted his senses. Instead, he smelled grass, earth, and trees. Nothing to indicate this creature had ascended from hell.
He growled low in his throat, and the wolves converged, stalking the…whatever it was…as it stepped backward in retreat. How the hell could they kill something they couldn’t touch?
The entity took a few more slow steps backward before it stopped and dissolved into nothing. Chase scanned the area, but not a trace of the shadow remained. His friends split up, searching through the trees.
Nothing.
Luke shifted to human form, and Chase and James followed their alpha’s lead. “Christ! What the hell was that?”
Chase shook his head. “I have no idea, but I’ll see if I can get more information from Rain.” His chest tightened. If she would even talk to him.
Isaac opened his eyes as his tulpa reformed before him. Perhaps draining a werewolf would be a better option for his next move. The healing abilities he’d gain might give him enough strength to create the spell he needed with his own magic. His body had burned through most of his last victim’s lifeforce in less than twenty-four hours.
Using a tree for support, he pushed to his feet. The rough bark cut into his hand, tearing the paper-thin skin as he clutched the trunk. His back was stuck in a hunched position, and his spine snapped and cracked with splitting pain as he forced himself upright.
Werewolves were too strong, and they were on high alert since he’d allowed his tulpa to play with them. He’d drain a witch. Use her power to cast his spell, and then it would be his turn to play with the werewolves. First, he’d finish what he started with the one trying to claim his Rain. With his rival dead and his magic restored, he might stick around to punish the rest of the pack.
Chapter Sixteen
“You need him, Rain. Even if you don’t have feelings for the guy, he’s the key to breaking your curse.”
Rain eyed her sister. The more she thought about it, the more she agreed with Snow; she did need Chase. Not to break her curse, though that would be a nice bonus. She needed him because life without him would be unbearable. If he thought they could make it work, who was she to tell him no?
“I suppose even seeing him once a week would be better than not at all.” She wouldn’t be able to go anywhere near his niece, and that thought made her heart ache. She loved the little girl, but seeing her wouldn’t be worth the risk. And the other werewolves… Chase would have to talk to them. Explain her curse. Her throat thickened. How could he possibly think she was worth the risk?
“The blue moon is getting close.” Snow
wiped her hands on a towel and dropped it in the laundry bin. “But seriously, sis. You dig the guy. You get heart eyes every time you mention his name.” Her heels clicked on the tile as she strode to the cash register. “I’m taking my pay for the day and heading home. He’s coming over to talk to you. Please don’t be an idiot.”
“Thanks.”
Snow left through the back door, and Rain shuffled across the store to check the lock on the front door. Glancing through the window, she scanned the street. No sign of Chase. Would he even show up? Snow had said Emma already felt better by the time she’d left the hospital. Maybe Chase had stayed there all day. Or maybe he’d had to work. Dozens of reasons could have kept him away. This didn’t mean he’d given up on her.
It wouldn’t hurt to send him a text to see how Emma was doing. Glancing through the window one more time, she sighed and padded to the counter. Climbing onto a stool, she tugged her phone from her pocket and typed a message to Chase. How is Emma?
Seconds stretched into painful minutes without a reply. Maybe he’d decided she was right. That her curse was too dangerous.
The phone buzzed, and his response lit up the screen. Fine.
Her stomach sank. Fine. A four-letter word loaded with so many meanings. The user rarely meant its literal definition. In this case, fine most likely meant final. It meant, “Emma is good, but I don’t care enough about you to elaborate. You’re only worth one word, so leave me alone.”
The phone buzzed again. Look up.
She lifted her gaze to the window. Chase stood on the sidewalk outside, his phone in his hand. Her mouth fell open as she sucked in a breath. Maybe he did mean fine literally.
When she didn’t move from her stool, he scrunched his brow and typed something into his phone.
Her screen lit up. Can I come in? I’d like to talk to you.
She smiled and slipped off her stool, forcing herself to stroll to the entry when she really wanted to run. Unlocking the door, she opened it and stepped aside so he could enter. His warm, musky scent filled her senses, lightening her head. She locked the door and turned to face him, and the sadness in his eyes crumbled her.
She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. “I’m sorry.”
The scent of soap lingered on his skin, and his hair was damp as if he’d showered shortly before arriving. “Rain.” He held her tight. “We can work this out. I’m not letting you go so easily.”
She leaned back and placed her hands on either side of his face. As she looked into his hazel eyes, she saw the rest of her life reflected in his tender gaze. “You don’t have to let me go.”
The worry lines in his forehead smoothed as the tension drained from his body. His lips curved into a tiny smile, and she couldn’t resist. She took his mouth with hers, brushing her tongue to his. He tasted like peppermint toothpaste, and a deep rumble vibrated from his chest to his throat.
With his hands in her hair, he cradled her head and kissed her as if he were drinking in her essence. Held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. He pulled back, searching her eyes as he grazed his fingers across her cheeks, running his thumb over her lips. “Luke told me you saw the demon. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. We kept the doors locked all day. As long as Snow’s charm is intact, nothing can get in.”
He nodded, looking her hard in the eyes. “Next time, call me. I have a vested interested in your safety, and it goes far beyond wedding cake.”
She took his hands, lacing her fingers through his. “I will. Emma’s doing better?”
“She’s almost fully recovered. They’re keeping her overnight for observation, but she’s going to be fine.”
She swallowed the guilt that tightened her throat. “That’s good. Did you tell her it was my fault?”
“Bekah knows what happened. Emma doesn’t, but…” His eyes tightened in a pained expression. “My sister doesn’t want you around her until we can figure out a way to break the curse.”
“That’s understandable.” She chewed the inside of her cheek and dropped her gaze to the floor. It was a fitting reaction for Bekah to have, but the appropriateness didn’t lesson the blow. “Being with me will make your life complicated. Your pack might not even accept me.”
“They’ll accept you.” He hooked his finger under her chin, raising her gaze to meet his. “And I’ll deal with the complications as they come.”
“Are you sure it’s worth it?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you.”
His words hit her like a can of biscuits popping open in her chest. She couldn’t get her breath to flow in nor out as the sensation expanded, spreading through her body.
Chase loved her.
A mix of warm elation and frigid fear swirled through her core, making her pulse race. How could something make her feel so incredibly happy and freeze her in terror at the same time?
She loved him too. There was no other way to describe her feelings for this man, but love could make people do terrible things. If she had truly been in love with Isaac and not under a spell…
But it wasn’t like that with Chase. She felt real, raw, reciprocated emotions, and he deserved to know the entire truth about her past. The whole, horrible story. She shook her head. “Chase…”
“It’s okay.” He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I know it’s too soon, and you don’t have to say it back. But you need to know…I’m not going anywhere.”
The emotion…the passion in his eyes made tears well in her own, but she blinked them back. She had to be strong; she couldn’t lie to him anymore. “It’s not that.” She doubled-checked the lock on the front door. “Come to my room. You might want to take those words back after you hear what I have to tell you.”
He gave her a quizzical look and followed her through the kitchen into her make-shift bedroom. She grabbed her robe from the chair and motioned to the seat. “You might want to sit down for this.”
He flashed his signature cocky grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Come on…it can’t be that bad.”
She raised her eyebrows, giving him her best you’d be surprised look without saying the words. No amount of banter could lighten the weight she was about to throw at him. Turning her back to him, she hung the robe on the tri-fold partition that separated the closet area from the rest of her bedroom. When she turned around, he sat in the chair and fisted his hands on his legs.
Rain lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, and her knee bumped his. “Sorry it’s so cramped in here.”
He lifted a leg, positioning it between her knees and resting his hands on her thighs. “Nothing to apologize for.”
Her heart thrummed, her throat tightening and threatening to choke the words she needed to say, but she had to say them. She took a deep breath and blew it out hard. There was no easy way to put this. No way to lessen the blow. “I lied to you about my curse.”
He straightened his spine, returning his hands to his own lap.
Crap. That wasn’t how she wanted to start. “I didn’t actually lie. I…let you believe a lie.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And that’s better?”
“No. It’s…okay. Here’s the truth. Isaac didn’t put the curse on me. The national witches’ council did.”
Confusion clouded his eyes. “Why would they do that?”
She lowered her gaze to her lap. “Because of what I did to him. To Isaac.” Tears collected on her lower lids. She tried to blink them back, but a single traitor escaped, dripping onto her jeans, darkening the fabric.
“Hey.” Chase gripped her hands. “I’m not proud of everything I’ve done in the past. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”
His touch gave her the strength to continue. “When I confronted him about the cheating and the energy stealing, I cast a spell on him. A terrible spell that wasn’t supposed to kill him…but I’m afraid it did. I broke the most sacred of all rul
es: harm no one.”
He squeezed her hand, urging her to go on.
“I don’t know if I was in love with Isaac or not. I know I was obsessed. Desperate for his approval. For his attention. My entire life revolved around him, and I thought that was what love felt like. But since I met you, I’m not sure, because I’m not obsessed with you.”
She looked into his eyes, waiting for a reaction, but he kept his expression neutral. Neither of them moved, and for a moment nothing but the sound of her trembling breath filled her ears. “The way I feel about you is completely different. With you, I feel safe. I never worry if I have your approval because you show me every day that I do. Maybe it’s because I’m older now and mature enough to not be so desperately dependent on a man. I don’t know. I’m getting off track.”
“I’ve got all night. Take your time.”
She nodded. “When I found out he was cheating and stealing my energy, I went into a fit of rage. I cast a spell, thinking I’d stop him from being with the other woman by making her reject him. It was a spell meant to hinder free will, and that in itself is worthy of my punishment. But what happened was way worse than making his girlfriend hate him.”
Chase moved to sit on the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Supporting her. Giving her strength as she confessed the worst sin she’d ever committed.
“I wrote the spell so that the thing he loved the most would reject him forever, but the thing he loved the most wasn’t a person. It was his magic. His power. Since magic resides in the blood, his own blood turned against him. Rather than delivering oxygen and nutrients to his cells to keep him alive and healthy, it stopped flowing like normal. He deteriorated rapidly. The last time I saw him, he looked like he’d aged fifty years. His girlfriend found him and reported me to the council. By the time they arrived to give me my punishment, Isaac had disappeared. His girlfriend too. I assume she took him away, so he could die with some dignity.”
Chase kissed the side of her head, leaving his lips pressed against her hair, his body going still. She held her breath, waiting for him to respond. To move. To do something to break the endless silence that felt too much like rejection. Had he changed his mind? Could he take away his love so quickly after giving it to her?
Beneath a Blue Moon (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 2) Page 17