Chapter 37
“I like what you’ve done with the kitchen.” Willow sipped at her peppermint tea.
“Honestly, it was all Briggs,” Cece said with a soft smile at him. “While I’ve been working on potions, he sanded and painted the cupboards this week and reattached all the doors. He also fixed the light and installed the dishwasher earlier.”
“That’s awesome,” Willow said.
“Very awesome,” Cece said. She rested her hand on his leg, and a flicker of her magic sparked in his veins.
He growled to her, and she leaned in and pressed a kiss against his mouth before smiling at Willow. “He’s saved me so much time and money by doing it himself. I’m very grateful for his help.”
“Whatever my mate needs,” Briggs said.
“Oh my God, you two are the cutest.” Willow scooted a little closer to Mal, and he put his arm around her, tucking her up against him.
“I haven’t replaced the furnace yet,” Cece said. “I’m sorry it’s so cold.”
“It’s all good,” Willow said. “Honestly, it feels slightly warmer than last time.”
“I think that might be from moving all the plants downstairs. Covering the walls with their vines is insulating the place a bit,” Cece said.
“Cool.” Willow took another sip of tea as Cece gave Mal a look of expectation.
“I assume this isn’t just a social visit?”
Mal shook his head. “No. The WWC agent in charge of your case contacted me this morning.”
“Thank you for being the point of contact with them,” Cece said. “The night it happened, I was in no condition to comprehend anything they were saying.”
“Happy to help,” Mal said.
“Have they gotten the witch to talk?” Briggs asked.
Mal shook his head. “No. Her madness has grown worse, apparently. They’re still trying to figure out who she is. She won’t tell them her name or any basic information. She’s just basically speaking nonsense right now, and they’re not sure she’ll ever be lucid again.”
“It’s the dark magic,” Cece said softly. “Eventually, it turns a witch or warlock insane.”
“Really?” Willow looked horrified. “Every witch or warlock who uses dark magic goes insane?”
“Not every time,” Cece said. “I think the more powerful the witch, the less likely they are to go insane. But even if they don’t go crazy, the dark magic does other terrible things to them. Physical changes, paranoia, and a tendency to become obsessed with an idea or a person.”
Willow leaned into Mal. “That’s so awful.”
“It is,” Cece said.
“Briggs told me your grandfather contacted you last week. Have you spoken to him since then?” Mal asked.
Cece shook her head. “No. I’ve been more focused on learning to control the magic. And while I don’t believe that he had anything to do with it, I’m not so certain about his wife and son.”
She sighed and rubbed at her forehead. “This whole thing is just so messed up. I feel like I can trust him and I want to have a relationship with him, but I also am confident that even if he isn’t a part of this, his wife and son are.”
“Okay, we’ll continue to keep a security detail on you for now,” Mal said.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky, and the WWC will figure out who this woman is.
If they identify her, we can then chat to them about the possibility that your family is behind this, and they can search for a connection between your family and this witch. Sound good?”
Cece didn’t reply, and Mal raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”
“I don’t -”
“My mate, Mal’s plan is best,” Briggs said.
She squeezed his hand. “Let me tell him my plan, honey.”
He didn’t want to, not when he so fully objected to her plan, but trying to control his mate was something he would never do.
“I talked with Briggs yesterday about this, but I don’t feel that I need the security detail any longer.
My magic is much stronger now, and even after just a week, I feel like I have better control of it.
It’s been easier than I thought.” Cece studied the plants that sat on the counter by the window.
“I did a protection spell on Briggs and then tried to break it, and it took a lot to break it. Didn’t it, honey? ”
“Yes,” he said grudgingly.
Cece smiled at Mal. “I am incredibly grateful for everything you and your firm have done for me, but I can’t continue to take advantage of your generosity. As long as Briggs and I are together, my magic is boosted and powerful enough for me to protect myself against another attack.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mal asked.
“Yes,” Cece said.
“You aren’t,” Briggs said. “There’s no way to know for sure until another attack.”
“There may never be another attack,” she said gently.
“You don’t know that either.” His voice was getting louder, and he told himself to chill the fuck out, but Cece just gave him a sympathetic look before squeezing his hand.
“I know you’re worried, honey, but I believe I’m strong enough to defend myself now.”
Briggs stared at Mal, wondering just how much of his desperation was obvious to him.
His boss didn’t owe him anything, and there was no reason why he should keep allowing Briggs to protect Cece.
Still, the thought of leaving Cece alone every day, of her being vulnerable to an attack while Briggs was off patrolling some goddamn mall or watching over a pretentious rich shifter made him want to vomit.
He’d have to quit his job. He had enough savings to live off of for a while.
Mal studied him for a few seconds, and Briggs could have fucking kissed him when he said, “We’ll continue the security detail for a while longer.”
Cece started to protest, but Mal shook his head and said, “In a few days, Briggs is heading on vacation for two weeks, and leaving the city, correct?”
“Yeah,” Briggs said. “I’ll be in Alaska for my folks’ anniversary.”
“Okay, so we’ll have a rotating shift of Tori, Hudson, and Ronin staying with Cece while you’re gone.”
“So now you’re using three of your people?” Cece said. “Mal, that’s -”
“You’ll need them,” Mal said. “With Briggs gone, your magic will diminish, right?”
Cece pressed her lips together in a thin line before making a reluctant nod. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Okay, so stopping the security detail now makes no sense. Once Briggs is back and your magic is boosted, we’ll look at making some changes. We’ll start with one or two days a week with Briggs on a different security detail.”
Cece sighed. “Mal, it’s not -”
“I wouldn’t bother arguing with him,” Willow said cheerfully. “Once my husband has made up his mind about something, it’s impossible to change it. It’s why I have a chaperone on every ghost mission I go on since meeting him. Even though they aren’t even dangerous.”
Mal growled softly, and Willow laughed before leaning over and kissing his arm. “God, I love getting you all worked up. You know our kid will probably be just like me, and then it’ll be a team effort to drive you nuts, right?”
“I’m aware, my mate,” Mal said with a small smile before he glanced at his watch. “I was going to set up a meeting with Monroe to redo the protection spell on you and Rosalie, but it sounds like you’re good for that, Briggs?”
“Yes,” he said, “and Cece did a protection spell on Rosalie last night.”
“Perfect.” Mal and Willow stood, and Willow hugged Cece.
“Don’t worry, honey, we’ll get this all sorted out.”
Cece gave her a faint smile, but Briggs could smell her anxiety and her guilt. He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll walk them out, you stay here where it’s warmer.”
She nodded, and he followed Mal and Willow to the front door. He glanced behind him before saying, “I’m asking Cece today to go to Alaska with me, so if she says yes, you won’t need to schedule in the others for her security.”
“It’s a good idea from a security standpoint as well,” Mal said. “I doubt her family would think to look for her in a small town in Alaska. Just let me know later today if she’s going with you, and I’ll let Bishop know before he makes up the schedule for next week.”
Briggs hesitated before holding out his hand. Mal shook it as Briggs said, “Thank you, Mal. I appreciate everything you’re doing for my mate, and while I know she believes she’s strong enough to protect herself…”
“You’re not quite there yet,” Mal said.
Briggs shook his head as Willow patted his arm. “Try not to worry, Briggs. Mal, Bishop, and Kat have no problem with providing security for Cece for however long is needed.”
“Willow’s right,” Mal said. “But I also get what it’s like to have a headstrong and stubborn mate, so if we need to provide security without Cece being aware, we will.”
“Hey,” Willow said. “I am a delight.”
Mal grinned at her. “A stubborn delight.”
She just wrinkled her nose at him, and he took her hand before stepping out into the cold. “We’ll touch base later today.”
“Okay. Thanks again,” Briggs said. He shut the door and leaned against it in relief. His mate would be safe even after they returned from Alaska.
If she goes with you.
He wanted to ignore his inner voice, but there was a possibility that she wouldn’t go with him. Meeting all of his family at once could be overwhelming for her, especially given how new their relationship was.
Tell her she’ll see a polar bear if she goes.
He grimaced. He wouldn’t bribe Cece to go to Alaska.
Either she wanted to go, or she didn’t, and if she didn’t, well…
he would figure out a way to stop his bear from freaking the fuck out at being so far from their mate.
And if he only went to Alaska for two or three days, his family would understand.
But it did remind him of something he’d been meaning to do all damn week.
Cece wanted to see a polar bear more than anything, and he would do whatever he could to make her happy.
His polar bear growled with excitement. It had been a while since he shifted, and his bear was impatient to show their mate how powerful he was and how well he would protect her and their cubs.
A small grin on his face, Briggs stripped off his clothes and called for his bear.