AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Even the sword fighting?”
“All of it. He was retired Navy and an avid hunter. He warned me from an early age that organizations would either want to use me or kill me, so I’ve tried to keep a low profile my whole life.” And I’d succeeded, until I moved to Fairhaven.
“Nobody wants power like yours running around unchecked.”
If he was this worried about ghost puppets, now didn’t seem to be the right time to admit I could bend nightmares to my will and drag them straight through the fabric that separated them from reality.
“That kind of power can only mean trouble for us,” he continued. “I’d rather not have it around my pack.”
“Then I guess you should stop coming to me whenever you need a ghost whisperer.” He couldn’t have it both ways; that wasn’t fair to me.
His gaze dropped to the slats of the porch. “I guess I should.”
The werewolf continued to stand awkwardly for a moment, as though debating whether to say more.
“What’s the answer, West? I should live on a mountaintop away from civilization? I’d love to hear it.”
“The answer is you shouldn’t exist.”
His response was like a punch in the gut. “Wow. Tell me how you really feel.”
His body remained so rigid that I worried he was about to explode into a giant ball of fur right on my porch.
“You chose your confidantes wisely; I’ll give you that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your spirits are as silent as the grave, and you confided in a prince of hell, a demon without scruples.”
I leveled him with a look. “Just because he’s a demon doesn’t mean he’s without principles.”
West’s cheeks puffed with rage. “He oversees a guild of assassins, for crying out loud. What kind of principles do you think he has? Of course you trusted him to keep your dirty little secret. He’s a collector of them, from what I hear. You probably made a deal with the devil to protect yourself.”
I’d never felt actual anger toward West before, but I sure did now. Every muscle in my body grew tense. “Kane Sullivan has been nothing but a complete gentleman in every way. Not only has he guarded my secret, but he’s offered assistance when he had no reason to do so. He asks for nothing in return.”
West was silent for a moment. “I suspected as much, but now I’m sure,” he said quietly.
“Sure of what?”
“You’re in love with him.”
I strangled a laugh. “I can recognize someone’s admirable qualities without needing to be in love with them. I recognize yours, even when you’re being an unreasonable jackass.”
His nostrils flared. “There’s nothing unreasonable about protecting my home. Fairhaven is a safe space for humans and supernaturals to grow and thrive together. I want that for everyone who lives here.”
“Except me.” I pulled myself together. “Whatever you may think, I’m on your side. You may not like that I kept my identity a secret. You may not like that I’m a goddess, but believe me when I say we want the same thing.”
He relaxed his arms. “And what about when we don’t? So far, our interests have been aligned. What happens when they’re at odds? Will you use your goddess powers to make my nightmares come true until I submit to your will?”
I didn’t have an answer for him. “Why don’t we cross that bridge when we come to it?”
“That’s the thing, Lorelei. I can’t trust you now if I can’t trust you later. It doesn’t work like that, at least not for me.”
Damn West and his moral high ground. He was going to die on that hill if he wasn’t careful. What good is morality when you’re dead?
“Listen, West. Something is happening. I don’t know what it is, but those wolves are trouble. Anna said she scared them off, but I think there’s more to it.”
“It’s not your concern, Clay. I’m not about to lose the life I’ve worked so hard to build here, not because of you or anybody else.”
