Chapter 12 #2
“They’re a special blend,” she replied. “Fae-engineered to enhance his well-being, make him feel grounded and calm. One hundred percent natural.”
“How can I get my hands on some?”
She smiled as I sat on the chaise beside her. “I’ll give you my source, if you tell me why you changed your mind about the coven.”
“It was a lot of things.” I picked up a piece of lavender and stroked my fingers over the buds. “But mostly, it was Ronan calling me out. He said I don’t like it when people take care of me because I perceive it as weakness. Then he asked if I saw the people I help as weak.”
Margaux’s eyes pinched into thin slits. “I’ve been telling you this for years.”
“My answer was no, of course,” I continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. “I didn’t judge their character by their moments of need, so why would I do that to myself?”
“Sounds like Cecil’s not the only one on the road to enlightenment,” Bronwyn said.
The spell didn’t take long to set up and, once we had it going, it didn’t require much effort to maintain. I was going to babysit it, though, spend the night in the garden room to make sure nothing went wrong.
The witches went home around nine, and I went into the house to grab my things. Ronan was in the kitchen wolfing down a huge plate of enchiladas.
“Did you make these? They’re delicious.”
“Margaux did. I think it was a bribe.” I reached over and ate a bite with the serving spoon. The enchiladas were cold from the fridge but still amazing.
“Wish she’d try to bribe me sometime.” He scraped the last of the enchilada sauce off the plate with the edge of his fork and shoved it into his mouth.
“So, what’s going on with the witches? I heard you three chanting when I got home—even the boys.
” He took his plate and the empty casserole dish to the sink.
“Well, chanting might be stretching it—Fennel’s was more like heavy purring and Cecil’s sounded oddly like a hoarse squirrel, but I clearly heard Spanish from you. ”
“We’ve started the process of forming a coven,” I said.
“You’re kidding.” He spun around, leaned against the sink, and faced me. “I know you said you were going to, but I wasn’t sure you’d go through with it.”
“Why? I alwa—usually do what I say I will.”
“Yeah, but you’ve also compared joining a coven to an invasive dental procedure and lemon-soaked paper cuts.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I said I’d rather have a root canal without anesthesia and stick a lemon juice Band-Aid on a paper cut than join a coven, and I meant it.
” I sat back in my chair and let out a pent-up breath.
“Then. But things have changed. I have to protect my people. Sometimes, you have to do things you don’t want to do for the greater good or whatever. ”
Ronan stared at me without saying anything for so long, I started wriggling uncomfortably in my chair.
“What? What is it, Williams? Just say it.”
“You’re a good Alpha.”
I rubbed the healed, but still tender, arrow wound on my shoulder. “Not so sure about that.”
“The elder wolves love you. They’re moving like twenty-year-olds again thanks to the charms you’re providing at a steep discount.
And your destruction of the blackmail files has changed the minds of some of the fence-sitters—a few have approached me in the pub to tell me so.
Dr. Marrakchi even felt confident enough to send you her medical plan for the pack and she cc’d the security team.
” The look in his eyes was fiercely serious.
“She wouldn’t have dared to do that before.
Floyd didn’t tolerate what he perceived as weakness. ”
Him listing things off made me feel uncomfortable. Felt a little like he was keeping score.
“They’re your wolves, Ronan. I’m a stand-in for you, and everyone knows it.”
He drummed his fingers on the counter edge, avoided my eyes. “Starting to think they might be okay with you sticking around.”
“Does it bother you?”
“My wolf struggles with it. I’ve been pretty open with that.” He didn’t sound as petulant as his words suggested. More tired and sad.
“Not talking about your wolf. I’m asking about the human you.”
“Yes and no. I watch the way you move in a dangerous world, and it scares me. You haven’t been taking threats of violence seriously—”
“The coven is my way of taking them seriously. I did listen to you, Ronan.”
“And I appreciate that.” His voice softened. “But you still have to get over the idea that every wolf in the pack is yours to protect. Some of them want to see you dead, Betty.”
“You’re talking about Blink Gristle.”
“Brock Greer is definitely your enemy, and before this is over, you’re going to have to make him bleed.” Ronan threw up his hands. “The wolf disrespected you, Betty, and you made him walk home like a misbehaving kindergartener.”
“Most people would rather take a punch to the head than have someone strip away their autonomy.” I gave him a wry half-smile. “I’m a woman—you can trust me on this.”
“You shamed him, which is only going to make him hate you more.” Ronan pulled away from the counter and sat in the chair next to mine.
“I know this is a touchy subject for you, but eventually, you’re going to have to bring the same dark violence you used on Floyd and those Org gunmen to your enemies within the pack. ”
I clasped my hands in my lap, said nothing.
“And while you say you’re starting the coven to protect the people you care about—and, don’t get me wrong, I do believe that’s part of it—I also know that you intend to use the witches to keep your demon side under control, and I’m not so sure you need to.”
I squeezed tighter, until my fingers turned bright red.
“The honest truth is the pack needs you, Betty, all of you.” Ronan set his hands on top of mine. “The light and the dark.”