He reached over and took one of her slender, graceful hands in his, noting its soft warmth in his rather meaty man hand. He forced himself to look into her eyes. “Lilith…I know you’ve always gone for the handsome pretty boy types, but… I’ve always well… had feelings for you.”
He cringed under her gaze, feeling the sweat bead on his forehead.
She smiled and said, “You don’t have to say anything else, Bert.”
“I don’t?” he asked, his heart wrenching as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
“No,” she said, leaning closer. “It’s always been you, Bert. It’s taken me a lot of years to realize it, but it’s always been you.”
Then he was kissing her, his nervousness blossoming into passion as her soft lips welcomed his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer still. She pulled back, drawing him in deeper, and he felt the warm flush of arousal. This time he didn’t stray away awkwardly and she didn’t seem to mind. Her hands ran through his hair, down his back, pulling at him. His own hands began exploring.
Gently, he pulled the strap of one side of her dress down and then the other. The soft material fell away, displaying her perfect breasts beneath a black laced bra. Then he was kissing her neck, and she his. She reached down and pulled his shirt over his head. His hands slid around to the back of her bra and undid the strap. She leaned back and let if fall away, allowing him full view of her. She smiled and drew him in again, their mouths meeting once more. One of his hands slid over her exposed breast, cupping it gently and toying with the nipple.
His other hand slid down through the bottom of her dress and grabbed her firm but supple buttocks. He lifted her and pushed her further onto the bed. His hand slid around to the front. Her lips pulled away from his and she looked into his eyes before slightly spreading her legs and allowing his hand entrance. He felt the soft lace material of her panties and the warm dampness of her own arousal. He moved his hand, delicately stroking her.
She gave a soft moan and pushed him back, reaching for the zipper of his jeans. She yanked them down, then followed suit with his boxers, and he felt just moment of awkward nervousness again as he stood before her naked. Then she was kissing him again and it passed.
He pulled the dress over her head and tossed it aside, then slowly slid off her panties, trying desperately not to rush. She stared at him, her eyes beckoning him onward. He moved between her legs, leaning down to kiss her again as he did.
As he succumbed to ecstasy, it occurred to him that this might be the single happiest moment of his life.
But in his mind the voice of Sharp said, “Now, that’s how you use a wizard’s staff!”
Bert’s eyes widened, but he didn’t reply.
“You knew I was still in here, right?” Sharp asked. “Don’t mind me, though. Hell of a show. You just go about your business. Super proud of you, buddy! Glad you finally made a move! Don’t worry I’ll give you pointers if you—”
Bert grabbed the discarded dress, and aiming carefully, threw it at the sword, landing it perfectly over the top of him and blocking his view. “What the hell, man? I thought you were into this whole voyeur thing!”
Bert ignored him and focused on Lilith.
Chapter 34
His eyes opened to a world full of happiness, and that was a pleasant change. As the early morning sunlight drifted in through the blinds, he felt a sense of euphoria wash over him. Sure, at midnight a bunch of assholes were going to kick off a race to see who could kill him first. And one of his closest friends hated his guts. And another of his closest friends would be among his killers. And he’d witnessed more death and destruction in the past few days than a ‘normal’ person suffered through in a lifetime. But still… Beside him lay a sleeping angel, her face outlined in the first rays of morning light.
He wanted to reach for her, but resisted. They’d had a long night. So instead, he lay there, embracing this weird new feeling of happiness. It was a strange thing, unfamiliar to him, but he welcomed it with open arms.
Despite having been up for most of the night and engaging in intense cardio until the wee hours of the morning, he felt rejuvenated, fresh, and alive.
Gently, he slid out from under the covers, careful not to stir Lilith. He stretched and stifled a yawn. Unused to getting out of bed naked, he felt a little awkward, so he made his way to his dresser and found a pair of Ninja Turtle pajamas and a faded t-shirt with a picture of Willie Nelson flipping the bird.
He opened the door and slipped out of his room. He’d planned to make breakfast for Lilith, but as soon he stepped into the hall the aroma of bacon hit his senses. Someone was already cooking breakfast. It was an odd occurrence, and he decided it warranted immediate investigation.
He found Kevin in the kitchen, standing over a frying pan and cursing.
“Having problems?”
Kevin scowled and nodded. He’d never been much of a cook. Bert had taught him most of his culinary skills, which amounted to scrambled eggs and Hamburger Helper. Kevin had a whole spread going, though. Bacon, eggs, and taters on the stove, biscuits in the oven, and fresh fruit on the table. Bert’s stomach growled with desire.
“Woah,” Bert said, taking it all in. “What’s this?”
“Got hungry,” Kevin replied with a grunt. Then he glanced up at Bert and winked. “And I figured you two could use a good meal after all that ruckus you made last night.”
“Oh,” Bert replied, cheeks flushing. “Right. Thank you.”
“So, I guess things worked out well,” Kevin said, beaming like the devil.
Bert couldn’t help but to smile back. “Yeah, thanks. If you hadn’t given me the push…”
Kevin shrugged. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“And cooking kick ass breakfasts too, apparently. Thank you.”
“I don’t know about kick ass, but it’s breakfast. By the way, there’s a pack of dogs hanging out in the yard.”
“Dogs?” Bert asked, scooping up a blueberry from the table and tossing it in his mouth.
“Yeah, it’s weird. They’re just hanging around at the end of the driveway. Must be something dead over there. I was going to go shoo them away when I finished.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Bert replied. “Since you’re on breakfast duty.”
He headed back to his room. He couldn’t know for sure, but he had a feeling it wasn’t just a pack of wild dogs. He eased into his room and retrieved Sharp and his staff, then headed outside. He could see them from the door, standing near the tree-line, as though they were waiting for something. Or someone.
He walked over to the Beast and pulled out his little sawed off .410. He wouldn’t need it, and in fact, it wasn’t the most useful gun in his meager collection, but, for some reason, people found the little guy intimidating. If they were dogs, they’d probably run off when he approached, anyway. But if they were lycans, well, it couldn’t hurt to be holding a shotgun. Not everyone in the supernatural world knew what a wizard staff was, or why they should fear it. But everyone knew what a shotgun was.
His suspicions were confirmed as he crossed the yard. They rose from their lazy positions, and spread out, better to attack him from all sides. They were were-doggies.
As he closed in on them, he equipped his best smile and slowly broke open the action on his gun, put in a shotgun shell, and snapped it closed. They watched him with careful eyes. Two German Shepherds, a Rottweiler, a pit bull, two labs, and a few other species he couldn’t name. Still smiling, he said, “Sorry, guys. I only spay and neuter by appointment. Unless you’re here to be put down. Then maybe I can squeeze you into my schedule.”
One of the dogs changed his head back to human form. It didn’t quite look right, his features all distorted and stretched. Then again, he was a dog with a human’s head, so what could he expect? The dog-man said, “We’ve just come to talk, wizard.”
“Good,” Bert replied. “Because with a face like that, there’s no way in hell
I’m going to play fetch with you.”
“We’ve been sent by Howard.”
“Of course you were. Get to the point before someone sees you and decides the apocalypse is upon us.”
“Howard is prepared to forgive your slight against us.”
“Was that the ‘slight’ where he stabbed me in the back and you guys tried to use me as a chew toy?”
“You made a great offense against us,” the dog-man said, shifting uneasily. “But Howard says it can be forgiven, if you agree to find the object for us. If you do that, you’ll be in his good graces again.”
“And if I tell him to take a flea bath and go hang from his collar?”
Again, the dog-man shifted uneasily and glanced furtively at his pals. “Howard said to tell you that we know where you live. That’ll we’ll come back with the entire pack and kill you.”
“Is that all?”
“No,” he said, looking down. “He also said to tell you that we’ll kill everyone you care about.”
“You know, you aren’t the most intimidating messenger. You should really lift your human head up when you’re talking to people, and wag your tail more so they aren’t as frightened by your terrifying appearance.”
The dog-man didn’t reply.
Bert allowed himself an inward sigh. This shit was getting old. Of the enemies stacked against him, the were-doggies were perhaps the least terrifying. But in greater numbers, they were likely just as dangerous as some of his foes, and numbers was certainly something they had. Fortunately at this point, Bert had nothing to lose.
He grinned and said, “Tell Howard I’d be happy to do what he asked. In fact, I’ll throw in some milk bones just as a show of faith.”
Dog-man’s ugly face showed relief until one of the others growled. Then he hung his weird head again and said, “There’s one more thing. Howard expects it to be delivered by midnight.”
“Well, of course he does,” Bert replied, chuckling. “Why would he choose any other time? That works perfect for me, actually.”
One of the other dogs, a lab, walked over with a piece of paper in its mouth. On it was a phone number. As soon as Bert took the sheet, the small pack turned and ran into the forest. Bert shook his head and walked back to the house.
***
Carefully, he opened the door, balancing a plate of food in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. Lilith was still asleep. He moved over to the bed and set the plate and glass on his nightstand. Then leaning across the bed, he gently kissed her lips.
Her eyes opened and she returned the kiss. A moment later, she pulled away and yawned. Then she sat up in the bed, allowing the sheets to fall away, exposing her breasts. Bert found his eyes drawn to them as his arousal began to build. She noticed his stare and smiled at him, not shying away from his wanting eyes.
“Did you bring me breakfast?” she asked, noticing the plate.
“I did,” he replied, still struggling not to stare at her chest. He handed her the plate.
“See something you like?” she asked, giggling.
“Yes, I do,” he replied earnestly.
He watched her eat in silence and she made short work of the plate. When she was done she set it to the side and asked, “So, are you leaving me again today?”
“Hopefully not for long, my love…” His eyes widened as he heard the words come out of his mouth. The goofy, cliched, ridiculous words… And had he just told her he loved her? What the hell was the matter with him?
It was true, there was no doubting it, but you don’t just say that after one night of steamy passion. Sure, there’d been a lifetime of buildup, but still. A lump formed in his throat as he tried to think of something to say. Anything that would undo his foolish mistake.
Before he could recover, however, Lilith gave him a serious look and said, “I love you too, Bert.”
His heart skipped a beat and relief washed over him.
“So, how big of a hurry are you in?” she asked, giving him a wink.
“I’m supposed to pick up Hunter soon,” he said, glancing at the clock. “But you might be able to convince me to be a little late.”
“Just a little?” she asked, moving toward him. She reached out and took his hand, and in the morning light he noticed several small wounds running up her forearm. He’d not seen them before, perhaps because they were so small and nearly healed. But what the hell?
Too late, she noticed his gaze, and he was forced to ask, “What happened?”
“I had a rash that I scratched too much,” she shrugged, moving the arm away.
He swallowed, thinking it didn’t look like the results of scratching a rash. It looked more intentional. Forcing a smile, he said, “It looks a little rough. Don’t know how I didn’t notice before.”
She shrugged again, her eyes staring into his. She didn’t seem depressed. In fact, she seemed quite happy as she guided his hand beneath the covers.
His mind raced. Is that why she was here? Had she attempted to take her own life? Had his Lilith attempted suicide? Or was he overreacting? Maybe it was as she said. Or maybe it was something else. It didn’t look like slash marks, per say, more like deep pin pricks with a few jagged tears. He didn’t know what to think.
All he knew was that he loved her, and if there was more to the story then he’d get to the bottom of it, if he had time. Remembering he was supposed to die at midnight put a damper on the whole mood. What if something was going on, and now, when she needed him most, he went off and got eaten by a clown? What then?
There was nothing he could do but make the most of this short time. This moment. And in it, he’d love her with every fiber of his being and make sure she knew how he felt. That was all he could do.
***
Afterward, Bert headed for the shower. He was pleasantly surprised when she opened the curtain and stepped in with him. Eventually he finished, and ducked out while she still had some hot water. He tied a towel around his waist and headed for his room to get dressed.
He dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt, and tennis-shoes. It might be his last day on Earth. There was no sense in changing his style now. He ensured his .357 was loaded, grabbed some extra ammo, and secured it all in his jacket.
On a whim, he decided it might not be a bad idea to take his lever action rifle as well. He could leave it in the Beast, just in case he needed it. He unlocked his gun cabinet and pulled it out, jerking the lever once to ensure it was in working order. He placed his thumb over the hammer, securing it while he gently squeezed the trigger and let the hammer ease back down. Happy with the results, he turned to find Lilith standing behind him, dressed in a towel.
Her brow furrowed in concern as her gaze moved between him and the open gun case. “Expecting trouble?”
“Always,” he said, grinning. “No, Hunter fixed this gun up for me. Thought he might like to see it again.”
She gave him a whimsical look and said, “Is that a stick in your gun cabinet?”
He glanced over his shoulder at his back-up wizard staff, prepared to tell yet another lie. “Yeah, just an old walking stick. It was a gift.”
She frowned. “Why do you have it in your gun cabinet?”
“Didn’t have a better place to put it,” he replied, shrugging. “And I don’t have a lot of guns, so…”
“Makes sense,” she said, nodding.
“I really should get going,” he said, moving closer to her.
She wrapper her arms around him and said, “You never did tell what you’re working on that’s been keeping you away. I hope it’s nothing dangerous.”
“No, not particularly. It’s nothing exciting. It’d just bore you.”
“Nothing about you bores me,” she said, pressing up against him. “What is it?”
“I was hired by some people to find something they lost. That’s all,” he said with a shrug, slipping a hand beneath her towel to grasp her butt.
“I thought you had to go,” she said, meeting his gaze.
A half hour later he finally left.
Chapter 35
One the way to Hunter’s house, Bert tried to reach Uncle Tony again. No answer. He was really starting to worry. It wasn’t like Uncle Tony to leave him hanging. But with everything else going on, he couldn’t focus on that for the moment. Uncle Tony could look out for himself.
As Bert pulled up the driveway, Hunter came out the door and waited for him in the drive. As soon as Bert put the Beast in park, Hunter jumped in the passenger side and said, “Why are you so late?”
Before Bert could answer, Hunter asked, “And why are you grinning like that?”
“Uh…” He hadn’t even realized he was grinning. “I don’t know.”
Hunter stared at him, silently assessing his face, as though he were looking for a missing puzzle piece. “You look…happy.”
“Is that bad?”
Then the light bulb switched on and Hunter’s eyes widened. “You and Lilith! You finally made a move!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bert said, trying to be nonchalant, despite the grin he felt spreading across his face.
“You dog!” He slapped Bert on the shoulder. “You finally took a chance and it paid off!”
Bert just smiled.
“So, what now?” he asked. “Is she going to stay?”
“I don’t know,” Bert replied, feeling a little exasperated by the inquiry. “We haven’t discussed it. Though, she did tell me she loved me.”
“This is great!” Hunter said. “I’m so happy for you, man! I can’t wait to tell Allie! She’d going to flip!”
Moonshine Wizard Page 33