It looked like we had a big problem. I gathered the Wiccans sans Nick, who George was fussing over. We retreated into the dining room, keeping our voices low, and I told them what Erasmus had said.
Doc worried at his lip with his fingers. “This is very alarming. If Andras could get the ghoul out of the book—”
“Then he can get anything out of it,” I said. “Anything I’ve already put back in it. The werewolf, the kelpie, the succubus…”
“That’s not good,” said Jolene.
“No. It isn’t. We’ve got to get this guy.”
Seraphina tapped her nail on the table. “Is Shabiri helping him?”
Erasmus grunted. “It’s a possibility. She wants control of the book. With Andras’ help, she just might get it.”
“I…have an idea,” I said. “Would you all excuse me for a minute?” I walked around the table and grabbed Ed’s arm, pulling him along to the kitchen. I dared not look back at Erasmus.
Once the door was closed, I bit my lip. “So…George checks out?”
“As far as I can tell. He was pretty shocked that I’d accuse him. Then he got mad. But…now that I’ve seen him with Nick…well.” He shook his head. “He looks like a different guy. I can’t believe he’d do anything like that.”
“Good. Because I have a plan. It’s going to be dangerous, and it might mean taking you out of circulation for a while. George will have to be in charge of the law and order around here.”
He gave me a sidelong glance. “What do you have in mind?”
When I told him, the whole house likely heard his yell. But after some convincing, he sourly agreed.
* * *
George quickly drove home, tried to return to Alderbrook Lane, got lost twice, but was eventually able to bring over new clothes for Nick. After, he wouldn’t leave his side, even when Jeff showed him the spare room.
“Looks like you might have an extra roommate tonight,” I said to Jeff.
Jeff shrugged. “As long as it makes Nick comfortable, I’m all for it. But it’s starting to look like a frat house here.”
“How are you holding up?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Okay, I guess. Feeling guilty as hell. I didn’t know I’d be making recruits. What if—you know—in the middle of the night, what if Nick shifts and accidentally bites George? I don’t know how this alpha thing works or if they’ll both listen to me.”
“Seraphina said they gave Nick a double dose tonight. He’ll mostly sleep.” I yawned.
“Looks like you could use some sleep, too.” He glanced at the clock. “It’s three in the morning. You can’t run a shop this way.”
“I don’t even know anymore, Jeff. What’s the point of pretending everything is all right and there’ll even be a future?” I paused to gather myself. “Look, if…if something happens to me, I want you to have the shop. As long as you still let Jolene work there.”
“Whoa, girl, don’t talk like that. You’re gonna get through this. You’ve got all of us watching your back.”
“And two of my friends have been turned into werewolves. What next? Will I get one of you killed?”
“Kylie.” He took me in his arms and rested his cheek against my head. “Babygirl, you sure know how to whip up the drama.”
“I didn’t want to. I just wanted a new start, a new shop…”
“And everything will be okay. You’ll see.”
A low growl sounded behind us. Jeff moved with speed and grace, pushing me behind him while he spun and partially shifted, pointed ears pricked and snout full of sharp teeth.
But it was only Erasmus. “Step away from her,” he growled again.
I thought Jeff would challenge him, but he only laughed. His ears receded, and his snout shrunk back to normal. “He’s the jealous sort, isn’t he? Stand down, Frodo. Mordor’s not going anywhere.”
Erasmus frowned.
“Besides,” said Jeff with a dark smile, “isn’t this a Sheriff Ed night? Since you can’t seem to make up your mind—”
Great. My love life was the stuff of jokes now. “We’re not…” I took a breath. “Goodnight, Jeff.”
He waved and trudged up the stairs. Seraphina had offered to stay, too, but Doc decided that between Jeff and George, they could handle things.
I could tell that everyone was exhausted. We’d worked on everything we could think of. Erasmus had spent a lot of time with Jolene, going over possible rituals and discussing the Booke’s unique qualities.
I had a plan that I hadn’t told the coven about. I preferred asking for forgiveness rather than permission.
But it was time to turn in. Everyone retreated to their various cars, with Seraphina steering a sleepy Jolene toward her Saab.
I turned to Erasmus. “Can you take me home?” He frowned at first, until the realization hit him.
“Not your constable?”
“Has your transporter mechanism suddenly broken down?”
“No. But I—”
“You don’t appear to be listening.” I stepped closer and put my arms around his neck. “Are you going to take me home or what?”
Before I got the last word out, the cold and dark enclosed us. When next I blinked, we were in my bedroom. And he was kissing me.
He wasn’t hesitant. He knew what he was doing, what he wanted. In fact, he seemed rather jubilant that it was him here and not Ed.
I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Both our clothes burned away at the same time, and I met flesh for flesh, thinking vaguely how I was going to have to invest in more jackets.
He tore his mouth away from mine to run his lips over my face and neck. “Why must you torment me?” he whispered.
“I don’t mean to.”
“But you do. You torment me with jealousy. With uncertainty.”
“I’m here now.”
“Yes. Yes.” He lifted me so that my chest was in reach of his lips. “You’re here.” His kisses ran slowly over my skin. He mouthed my breasts, burying his face between them, sliding his tongue across the curve of one and taking the tip deeply into his mouth. A warm feeling shot right down into my belly. He licked his way to the other but then seemed consumed with moving further downward. He fluttered his hot tongue over my stomach while hiking me higher. Unbalanced, I fell back onto the bed. His strong hands caught me, still clutching my hips, and continued his slow mission lower without skipping a beat.
His hands were talented, but so were his mouth and tongue. I squirmed, winging higher and higher on a crest of heat and pleasure. I surprised myself when a gasp transformed into a fevered whiteout of bliss. I was still gasping when he raised his head and grinned—proud of himself. But it was his eyes that held me. He let my legs fall to either side of him as he crawled up my body with intent. I was beyond ready for him, and he entered quickly, then settled in and paused.
“What are you waiting for?” I said breathlessly.
He watched my face and gently moved.
I smiled. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
And he did. He was working in earnest, breathing hard as he thrust, hips snapping. He bent to kiss my breasts, my neck. Everywhere he touched or licked burned with heat. Did it feel so intense because he was a demon? Was that why it was actually hotter where his body touched mine? I couldn’t be sure and I didn’t care, wrapping my thighs tight around him and rocking my hips up to meet him.
When he roared his culmination and his shoulders smoldered…I felt a little proud myself.
His body was covered in a sheen of perspiration. His hair fell damp and bedraggled across his face. I reached up and swept a strand from his eyes, and he looked down at me, surprised. We were still joined, but his face was more perplexed than ever before.
“I don’t understand you,” he said quietly. He reached down and touched my face, fingers trailing over my cheek. His eyes softened, and he cocked his head. His fingers gently ran up my face and then through my hair. “You are difficult to fathom,” he said. And he seemed about to say more when the window exploded.