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Maybe Nico wanted to talk to me to try to smooth things out between us. Mel had a way of making us want to do better, to do right by her. It would be easier on her if her coven-mates got along.
That must have been it.
Nico’s breathing deepened into sleep, and my thoughts grew slow and sluggish.
With my heart aching, I fell asleep with the decision to be content with Mel’s love and stop hoping for anything with Nico.
Chapter Ten
Mel
I woke up alone, the bed beside me cool. I may have needed less sleep now than before, but I still needed more than zero. The far bed was already made up and tidy.
I thought back to what had happened last night, and a need that rivaled my newbie vampire bloodlust filled me. I yearned for Jax and Nico to reconcile just as Hudson and I had reconciled.
But Jax was right. The mission came first.
Especially since this mission might be the difference between my mother continuing to suffer in the infernal realm or getting the peaceful rest she deserved. As a child, I saw how hard she worked to provide for me. She was an oddity among witches and regs alike — a single mother, not part of a coven, a daughter of immigrants in a part of the country that still didn’t see many of those.
Her life had been hard enough, and she’d met a horrifying end. And the horrors continued into her afterlife. I would do everything in my power to make sure she didn’t spend another hour suffering.
Today we would prepare. This time, we would not fail.
Something sizzled in the other room, and the delicious scent of bacon wafted to my nose. With my vampiric speed, I was in the kitchen in a flash.
Jax chuckled when he saw me. “I knew bacon would have the power to resurrect you.”
I wished such magic were real, but no witch had that power. The thought reminded me that it wasn’t just my mother’s soul that needed saving.
It was for the best that the Wildes coven hadn’t come to see us off. If Nimue knew her coven-parents’ souls might be trapped and tortured like my mother? Nim would lunge across the threshold in a heartbeat, using the infernal antidote I no longer needed.
Without infernal antidotes for her whole coven, it wouldn’t be right. The DHA was probably busy creating more — after all, they had plenty of captive vampires’ blood they could use. Which in turn reminded me that we weren’t just going back to the infernal realm to save the dead.
To distract myself and try to keep some of Jax’s levity, I belatedly replied, “I need it. After all, the three of you nearly put me in a blissful coma last night.”
Jax’s smile fell, and he went back to what he was doing in the kitchen. I should’ve known better than to bring up the fact that Nico and I had finally worked through our differences when the two of them had yet to work through theirs.
Uncertain of what I could say to fix it, I looked around and noticed a light on in the oven. I peeked inside to see pans piled high with hashbrowns, another with waffles, and a third with eggs.
“You’re the best chef a girl could ever dream of marrying.” I came up behind Jax and wrapped my arms around his waist, nuzzling the back of his neck and then kissing his skin. Goosebumps rose on his flesh, and he turned his head to give me a small smile.
From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Tempest stretching like a dog with her front paws far forward and her shadowy tail raised high.
“Tempest, what do you eat, anyway?”
“You mean besides human souls?”
I started, and her ethereal chuckle filled my mind.
“Just joking. Hudson’s coming inside.”
I gave Tempest a mock glare as the front door opened, and Hudson smiled when he saw me. “The Wildes coven had someone drop off some bloodbags early this morning.” He motioned to a box on the side counter.
“Do I just…” I stared at the bloodbags, feeling disgusted with myself. Was I really about to chow down on human blood when Jax had such a delicious breakfast waiting for us?
Hell yes, I was. My bloodlust had my hands on the first bloodbag before I was even consciously aware of what I was doing.
“Like this,” Hudson said, showing me the best way to open it for consumption.
