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“What if it wasn’t Mildred?” Lucy asks, her voice suddenly shaking. “What if it was it, in Mildred’s form?”
“Nothing would surprise me.” I rub my hand over my face, angry at myself for scaring the others, but they need to know. The more informed everyone is, the more they can protect themselves.
“Back on high alert,” Lorelei says, pushing her dark auburn hair off her shoulder. “Awesome. Listen, we shouldn’t let this interfere with the task at hand. The curse is our priority. I’m done giving this asshole more attention than he deserves. I’m over letting it bully us.”
“Agreed,” Jonas says. “And I’m not just saying that out of selfishness because of the curse. I think it feeds off the energy of the fear and anger everyone gives it. So, while we should always remain watchful and guarded, we shouldn’t panic.”
“Excellent advice,” I agree. “I do, however, think it’s smart for us to stay in packs. I’ll alert the rest of the coven. While we might not intend to give it attention, there’s no need to be careless.”
Everyone nods in agreement, and I sit at the table once more.
“You’re not moving in with me,” Lorelei informs me, jutting out her stubborn chin, practically daring me to argue with her.
“I can sit on the front porch. The elements don’t bother me.”
“You will not invade my space.”
“Uh-oh, here we go,” Breena says with a sigh. “Lorelei, you can’t be there by yourself.”
“Fuck that,” Lorelei shoots back. “I’ve been on my own for a long time, and I’ll be just fine. I’m more powerful than I’ve ever been. I’m protected.”
“We’re safer together,” Jonas argues. “If you won’t let Xander stay with you, come here, or go to Breena and Giles’s home.”
“Right. Because I want to hang out with all the newlyweds. Look, I’m happy for all of you. Over the moon, in fact. But you’re all newly married and need your privacy. I’m fine. Why won’t you all believe that?”
“You’re strong,” I agree. Now it’s my turn to reach for her hand, which I can tell irritates her.
At one time, she longed for my touch. Now, it only makes her angry.
“You’re powerful, and you’re a force to be reckoned with. All of that is true, Lorelei. But for fuck’s sake, use your brain. You know as well as anyone that it’s safer when you’re not alone.”
“Then I’ll be taking a risk because you will not, under any fucking circumstances, come to live with me. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings.” There’s a war raging in her gorgeous green eyes. I can see it. “I really, truly am. But you will never know how having you so close hurts me, and the thought of you being in my space all the time is absolutely unfathomable.”
Breena sniffs and wipes a tear from her eye. “I wish I knew what hurt you so badly. Both of you.”
But Lorelei will never willingly tell them.
Because even in her anger and pain, she will continue to protect me, even if it’s just that much.
At the end of the day, she still loves me.
“I understand,” I say at last. “The coven will come and set extra protection wards around your home. You’ll use your element and your magick to protect yourself at all times. I mean it, Lora.”
“I will,” she says with a nod. “Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
“It’s fine,” Lucy echoes and then chuckles humorlessly. “Right. It’s all just fine.”
Lorelei can so easily cut me with words. The fact that it hurts her for me to be near her pretty much brings me to my knees.
My instinct is to protect her. From the thing fucking with us, from the dangers of lifting the curse, and from anything else that could possibly harm her. And to do that, I need to be close by, even if it means lurking around the borders of her property as a wolf or a raven and keeping an eye out.
She may not want me with her all the time, but I’ll stick close.
I just have to make one last trip out past the bay to the ocean to collect the nets and traps I have out there, and then I’ll be on land until after Samhain.
Unfortunately, Lorelei will have to suck it up and go out with me.
I sigh as I climb her front porch steps and rub my hand down my face in agitation before raising my fist to knock on the door.
A few seconds later, she answers, her eyes wide as she looks up at me.
Goddess, she’s gorgeous. Every time I see her, it’s like a punch to the gut.
“Hey,” she says, leaning her shoulder on the doorjamb though not inviting me inside. “What’s up?”
“I need a favor.”
Her beautiful eyes narrow with suspicion.
“Okay. What’s the favor?”
“I need you to ride out with me on the boat to gather my fishing nets and traps.”
