Willow joined them, slipping her arm around Mal’s waist. Despite it being two in the morning, she looked surprisingly perky as she smiled at Clay. “Thank you for my first teleporting experience. Sorry about the puking.”
Clay grinned. “Everyone pukes the first time.”
“Ava didn’t,” Willow said. “She didn’t even feel nauseous, and poor Rosalie and I were barfing everywhere. Thank God you teleported us outside the office building, not right here in reception. I don’t have it in me to clean up that much puke from the carpet.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that much,” Emerson said.
“It was like that pea soup vomit scene from The Exorcist,” Willow said solemnly.
“It was.” Ava joined them, and she leaned against Bishop as he kissed her forehead.
“What about the warlock?” Clay asked.
“I spoke to him,” Mal said. “He’ll keep your secret.”
“Will he?” Clay’s voice was deceptively light, but he had a look on his face that made Briggs and his bear uneasy.
“He will,” Mal said firmly. “He’s not a danger to you, Clay.”
“We’ll see,” Clay said before he wrapped his arm around Emerson’s waist, and they disappeared in a puff of wind.
“Shit. How sure are we that Clay won’t kill Monroe now that he knows what Clay is?” Bishop asked.
“He won’t,” Kat said.
“You’re willing to bet Monroe’s life on that?” Bishop asked.
“I am,” Kat said. “Trust me, Bishop. Clay won’t harm Monroe.”
They all looked up when Monroe came out of Mal’s office, tucking his phone into his pocket.
“Anything?” Mal asked.
Monroe shook his head. “They’ve reversed the paralyzing spell, but she’s not telling them why she’s after Cece. She’s…” he hesitated, “mostly insane and talking nonsense.”
“Shocking,” Kat said.
“The dark magic drove her to insanity,” Monroe said. “I doubt she was like this before she started using it.”
“Do we know who she is?” Bishop asked.
“The WWC are working on it,” Monroe said before glancing at Cece. “They are confused, though, as to how Cece could help me defeat her when she’s registered with the WWC as just an apprentice witch.”
“What did you tell them?” Briggs’s voice was sharp.
“The truth,” Monroe said evenly. “That Cece recently had an increase in her magic abilities and discovered that her father was a blood witch. They’ve changed her WWC registration to half-blood.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t mention the conduit thing, Briggs. I told you and Cece I wouldn’t, and I meant it.”
“Thank you,” Briggs said. He was being an asshole, and Monroe didn’t deserve that. “I’m being a dick, and I apologize. We all would have died tonight if it weren’t for you.”
“You totally saved our asses tonight. Which means you’re part of the Scooby gang now. Welcome to the club. New members bring cookies to their first meeting.” Ronin clapped him on the back, and Monroe grunted, pushing his glasses back up his nose when they slid down.
“Thanks. I think?” He rubbed his neck again. “Christ, am I tired. I need to speak to Cece, and then I’m gonna go.”
He joined Cece and Rosalie on the couch, and when he took Cece’s hand, Briggs reminded himself that Monroe had saved all their goddamn lives tonight. His bear, though, was ruled by instinct, and the urge to go over there and stop Monroe from touching their mate was a steady drumbeat in his head.
“Mal, can we talk in your office for a minute?” Briggs asked.
