Chapter 7 #3
Emerging in the library’s transportation circle, I find the place empty.
Upon further inspection, I realize Elly isn’t home, and for a fraction of a second, something awfully close to panic rushes through me.
Needing to know where she is, I reach out to her magic.
It quickly finds her, safe and sound in the park, and some of the tension seeps out of my body.
Before I go to her, I decide to stop next door. Someone clearly needs to be put in their place, and with the day’s frustrations built up, he better own up. I leave a sliver of my magic with Elly, just to be sure.
Alix opens the door before the first ring has finished sounding, a wide smile on his face. Seeing that grin only serves to ignite my anger and annoyance further. I punch him hard in the face, and he slams against the wall next to the door, cracking the plaster on impact.
“What the hell, D?” he whines, holding a hand to his now-bloody face. “Why?”
“You know damn well why, you manwhore.” I step past him, entering his home. “You just had to sleep with the whole coven, didn’t you?”
“Oh.” His eyes light up with understanding as his face begins to heal. “I didn’t think you would mind.”
I spin to fully face him. “I don’t.” I narrow my eyes at the vampire, my magic reaching out to tear him a new one, offended by his rapid healing. “It’s the principle. You had a job to do, and it didn’t include sleeping your way through the coven working for me.”
Right then, Désirée flutters into the hallway, her hair almost floating behind her. She steps through the open front door, wrapped in a long black leather coat. “Boys, please, don’t fight.” Despite her words, her black eyes sparkle with delight.
“And”—I spin again, pointing at Alix’s wife, whose eyes widen in surprise—“you joined him? Control yourself and your man, Désirée.”
“Ow.” She feigns offense, pressing a hand to her heart. “Someone needs to get laid.”
Alix raises his hand, and I glare at him, knowing exactly what he’s about to say. I manage to silence him before he can get a word out.
These two, I swear, are going to be the death of me one day. I care deeply for them since they’re my oldest friends and we’ve been through a lot together. But at times like these, I also really want to strangle them.
“You’re unbelievable,” I snarl at Désirée, then turn back to Alix. “Both of you.”
“Hey, they didn’t mind, so I really don’t see the problem.” Alix shrugs.
“Again,” I say, ready to rip both their heads off, “not the point.”
“I take it the meeting with Loxley didn’t go well, then?” Désirée asks, shrugging off her coat and putting it in the foyer closet.
“It went well, actually. They wanted out, and even though Alix’s interference”—I glare at the vampire, who’s already ignoring me as he heads to the living room—“didn’t cause it, it certainly didn’t help.”
“But I didn’t cause it,” Alix yells back at me as he steps through the open door, sounding way too cheerful about this.
Désirée chuckles while I groan. She turns to face me. “We didn’t mean any harm,” she says with a small smile. “We just like being among them. It reminds us of the old days.”
“But did you have to sleep with them?”
“No,” she admits with a shrug. “But everyone involved was a consenting adult, and no one ended up pregnant, so all is well. I think that’s what matters in the end, no?”
She turns away from me once more and follows her husband to the living room, lingering by the door to see if I’ll join them. I sigh, accepting that this is one discussion I’m not going to win, then shut the front door and follow them.
Entering the living room, Alix is already pouring me a drink. At this rate, the man is going to turn me into an alcoholic. Then again, I never hesitate to accept when he offers.
“I saw your wife earlier,” Désirée says when I join her on the sofa. “She looks lovely.”
Alix takes a seat next to her, wrapping his arms around Désirée and pulling her close. “What did she look like?”
“Like a fair maiden. Beautiful skin, silver-white hair, and mesmerizing eyes—one blue and one green. I’m certain there’s a story behind that.” Désirée looks from her husband to me. “When do we get to meet her?”
I empty my glass, considering her hopeful expression. “Will the two of you get off my back about it if I promise to bring her over tomorrow evening?”
“About that, yes,” Alix starts. “But I would love to get on your back for something else entirely.”
Without missing a beat, I throw the empty glass at him.
Désirée skillfully ducks, and it hits Alix square in the face.
The glass shatters on impact, cutting his skin.
He yelps, flinching, and looks at me with an unamused expression.
Blood drips from his cuts, but they don’t seem to hinder him.
Désirée leans in, collecting the shards from his skin.
The cuts seamlessly melt back together, vanishing as if they had never existed.
“Tomorrow”—my tone is firm—“you two aren’t going to force her to do anything, understood?
” I say, standing up from the sofa and straightening my jacket.
I make a point of glaring at both of them, making it clear that this isn’t up for debate.
It doesn’t matter what we used to do in the past; Elly’s my wife, and I won’t tolerate it.
“How about a little taste?” Désirée asks, looking up at me with her hand full of broken glass.
“Just”—I sigh, running a hand over my face as I’m starting to feel too tired for any of this—“don’t force it, okay? I can’t stop you from doing whatever you want, but if it ends up with me having to choose between her and you…” I look at both vampires. “Don’t make it come to that.”
I don’t wait for their reply. Instead, I turn and leave them to it.
It’s clear what they really want with her, but if push comes to shove, I will always choose her.
On the other hand, if Elly chooses to indulge them, either tomorrow or later, then I’ll let them have their fun—depending on what she agrees on.
But something tells me she’s not quite ready for the kind of fun those two like to have.
Which is just as well, since I’m not sure I’m ready for it either.
I used to be, but things are different now.
Morning creeps around the corner, and my magic senses that Elly is still in her spot in the park, sleeping.
The little bit I sent to keep her company wraps around her like a blanket, keeping her warm and safe without her even noticing.
I should probably point out that’s not a good idea, no matter how safe she is.
I won’t have my wife sleeping on a bench like some filthy beggar.
Before heading to her, I make my way to a little coffee shop a few streets down to fetch her a hot drink. Something tells me she’s going to need it.