Layla almost tripped over Rose in the kitchen, moving around her to get some tea. Nine immortals based in one house was just too much. She was going stir crazy. At least Cord and Phoenix were out looking for the killer, but they’d be back for the evening, and then the house would just be that much fuller.

“I want to go out,” Layla said to Sophie. “I need to go job hunting.”

“No, you don’t. I’ve told you, you don’t need to contribute to living expenses. We have plenty from selling spells. If you really want to, you can contribute once you’re proficient enough to sell your magic, but seriously, don’t worry about it. It’s too dangerous now anyway.”

“I feel bad,” Layla muttered. “I want to at least try.”

Sophie glanced at Hunter, deferring to his opinion. “I can take her,” he said. “I’ll call Phoenix and tell him to get back here and help guard you guys.”

Layla could tell Sophie wasn’t happy—really, she didn’t blame her. Phoenix’s time would probably have been better spent looking for the maniac who was doing this, but she just couldn’t stay indoors any longer.

They waited for Phoenix to get back, and then Hunter and Layla set off.

He looked doubtful about getting into her car, though, which annoyed her. The mechanic had had it dropped off the evening before, the initial repair apparently having been pretty simple, and she felt good to have the independence it signaled back in hand—even if the current danger level meant she couldn’t afford to go around alone. She’d soon have to figure out a way to afford all of the other repairs he’d suggested, to make sure it kept running, but that would have to wait.

Catching Hunter’s look around its interior, she shrugged at him. “It doesn’t look like much, but it’s what I could afford, okay?”

Hunter seemed confused for a moment before his expression cleared and he laughed. “I’m not judging your car, Layla. To be honest, I have no idea how to tell good cars from bad ones. Do you think we have them down in the underworld?”

Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. “You don’t drive much?”

“No, and I can tell you, I’m not quite used to it yet. And with yours apparently needing repairs, on top of what danger there already is out there? People think demons are reckless, but you don’t see us spending our free time hurtling around in deadly cages of metal that could crush us in an instant with ease.”

Layla giggled. “The rest of us don’t really think of them like that—if we did, we’d probably never get into a car again.”

“I still prefer walking,” Hunter muttered. Layla found his nerves adorable and resisted the urge to pull over and start kissing him.

Hunter didn’t seem mad about her avoiding him earlier, at least. He appeared to understand. He had said he did, of course, but Layla wasn’t used to people keeping their word with her or being understanding of her feelings. Some part of her couldn’t help but wonder how long it could possibly last.

“You okay?”

“Yes.” She shook herself out of her dismal thoughts. Whatever might happen in the future, she could at least enjoy this while it lasted.

“So, have you thought about what kind of job you want?”

“At this point, I’ll take anything, really. There isn’t a lot of choice without a college degree; it’ll be easier once I’ve saved up enough for that.” She didn’t add that there was always the chance she’d lose a job as soon as she got it, in the same way she’d lost the waitressing job. It had been something she’d worried about at first, but now that that little spell she’d tried had offered some progress, albeit not much, she hoped to know her limitations and have more control before a hiring process could be finished.

Hunter frowned as she kept driving. “I’m sure your coven would pay for you to go to college. You don’t need to get a job you don’t like. You didn’t enjoy your last one, did you?”

“No, but I can’t just expect other people to pay for my degree.”

“If your parents were able and willing to help you out with it, would you let them?”

“Probably, but those would my parents.”

“And these are your sisters, your family,” Hunter offered. “That’s part of having a coven. Haven’t you heard them referring to themselves as sisters? You’re one of them now.”

“They’ve already done so much for me,” Layla said uncomfortably. “I want to contribute.”

“Well, I’m not complaining about getting out,” Hunter said with a shrug. “If you hadn’t insisted on leaving, I may have had to invent an emergency that got me outside just to prevent myself from going mad.”

“It is getting pretty crowded in there,” Layla admitted. “How long until you give us the all-clear to go about semi-normal lives again?”

“It’ll all depends on what Cord and Phoenix find out.”

“Like a week or two? Three?” Layla pushed. Grateful as she felt about having a place to stay, she was going to start hating the space if this kept up for long.

“Hopefully less than a week. We probably won’t be able to catch them in that time, but we can at least ascertain that the immediate area is relatively safe from attack. We’d still escort you when you went out, of course.”

“Of course.” Layla wondered how she was going to explain Hunter’s presence if she did manage to get a job. She didn’t think that telling everyone he was her bodyguard would go down too well. Maybe there was some kind of invisibility spell she could use on him—or, more likely, ask Damaris to use on him.

They stopped in a busy area of town with a bunch of shops in walking distance. Layla had made plenty of copies of her resume before they’d left the house, and she and Hunter worked their way methodically up and down the streets, dropping off resumes with whoever would take them.

She tried a few restaurants, even though she secretly hoped she wouldn’t get these jobs. She really didn’t like waitressing. They also found a bookstore and a store that rented out DVDs. She blushed furiously as Hunter followed her into a lingerie store, wishing he wouldn’t accompany her on this particular drop-off, but she couldn’t be picky about her applications if she wanted a job.

The day passed surprisingly quickly, though. It was easy for her to talk to Hunter, and any remaining awkwardness on Layla’s part had dissipated before long.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Layla turned back to the manager of a shop selling lotions and perfumes, swelling with pride. Boyfriend. She liked that. She liked it a lot.

“Yes,” she said boldly, and the woman smiled. Layla glanced nervously at Hunter.

“Was that okay?” she asked as they exited, having second thoughts about her answer. What was Hunter to her, really? Would he mind that she’d said he was her boyfriend, even when neither of them was really sure what was happening between them?

“Fine with me.”

Hunter put an arm around her then, and Layla relaxed. She felt proud to have him by her side, to have his arm around her, declaring to the world that she was his.

They got back in the late afternoon to find the house empty. Layla had a few moments of panic before Hunter spotted a note on the dining room table.

“They’ve gone to Rose’s and Lizeth’s place,” he said, picking it up. “Fisher wanted to check that there’s been no new activity there, but he didn’t want to split up any further. Sophie says they’re going out for supper, and we’re welcome to join them.”

It was tempting. Layla wanted to get to know her coven better, and a normal night out with them sounded great. On the other hand, she and Hunter now had the house to themselves, and who knew when that would happen again?

“I’d prefer to stay in, if that’s all right with you.”

“Whichever you prefer.”

They ordered pizza and sat on the couch together, watching a DVD that Layla had picked out of the tall pile next to the TV. But she could feel Hunter’s eyes on her rather than the screen.

Soon enough, she’d started to forget about the screen and focus more on the feeling of Hunter’s warm body so close to hers. She absently picked up his hand and turned it over, loving the feel of his skin under her fingers.

Without allowing herself to think about what she was doing, Layla leaned around and kissed him. Hunter responded hungrily, letting her know this was what he’d wanted to do himself, and he pulled her sideways so that she was basically lying on top of him. Layla had never felt anything so wonderful, and with him against her, she realized she trusted Hunter absolutely.

“Come on.”

She extracted herself from their tangle of limbs and took his hand, leading him up to her bedroom. Once the door shut, Hunter let her take the lead, and she slipped her hands under his shirt, feeling his chest and back muscles clenching.

“I want you,” she whispered.

Hunter’s eyes widened, but seemed to see into her soul. “You’re sure?”

Layla nodded. “I think… I think I could get used to the idea of this mate thing.”

The day with Hunter had made her realize something more than what she’d allowed herself to consider earlier. Even if this was different from how she’d ever expected a relationship to go, even if it felt overwhelming at times, she felt too much for Hunter to let him slip away. She wanted him in every sense of the word. She wanted to tell people he was her boyfriend. She wanted to give herself to him fully.

“I’ve never done this before,” she whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. Nervously, she waited for Hunter to laugh or seem disappointed, but he didn’t even blink. “I’ll go slow, then.”

Layla tilted her head up for another kiss. Hunter’s hands were everywhere now, and suddenly, he was picking her up, carrying her to the bed with ease. Layla lay back, breathless, letting Hunter undress her.

His hands left hot trails down her body, and Layla gasped as she came alive under his touch. He was sweet and gentle, constantly looking at her to check if what he was doing was okay, and Layla’s nerves soon vanished in a rush of desire. She couldn’t help but encourage him to keep going, riding out the waves of pleasure.

When he finally joined with her, Layla stared into his eyes, and he looked right back at her. The movement of their bodies was delicious; she didn’t think she’d ever get enough of it.

Afterward, they curled up together on the bed. Layla felt more relaxed and happy than she could ever remember being. She felt her eyelids drooping and wondered briefly if falling asleep with Hunter was a bad idea. She could just imagine Sophie’s face if she checked on Layla and found the two of them naked under the blankets.

“Sophie will kill us if she finds us,” Layla mumbled.

“Kill me, maybe. You, she’ll probably try to send off for demon re-education.”

“There’s demon re-education?”

“No, but I wouldn’t put it past her to start a program.”

Layla sighed. “You should probably go, then, huh?”

“I’ll hear when the others are coming back. I can stay for a while longer. If that’s what you want, that is.”

“That’s what I want.”

Putting her trust in Hunter’s refined senses, and thinking she’d never been so complete, so relaxed, Layla allowed herself to drift off.

When she woke up, the warmth at her side was gone. She sat up, still a little sleep-muddled. Hunter was gone, which was probably a good thing considering that she could hear voices downstairs. She wondered about the time, but decided she didn’t care. Instead of checking, she pulled the covers over her head and tried to get back to sleep. She’d been having such a wonderful dream…or maybe it was a memory.

“Layla?”

Layla reluctantly emerged from under the blankets. “Hmm?”

“Sorry, you can go back to sleep,” Sophie said quickly. “I was just checking on you.”

Layla wondered if Sophie checked on her other coven members or just ones she suspected of fraternizing with demons.

She woke again, knowing instinctively that not much time had passed, when Hunter slipped into bed with her.

“Are you insane?” she hissed, though that didn’t stop her from wrapping her arms around his waist.

“They’re all asleep,” Hunter assured her. “Except Cord, but he’s not going to tell any of the witches. I’m a light sleeper, too—I have to be, in my line of work. If anyone comes near this room, I’ll be gone before they can make it to the door.”

It still probably wasn’t a good idea, but Layla couldn’t find it in herself to argue. She rested her head on Hunter’s shoulder as he put an arm around her. She had a million questions about them and their future, but for now, she kept them to herself. It was enough just to be with Hunter in this moment.

Perhaps a couple of hours later, Layla was pulled to the edge of wakefulness by a cold draft.

“It’s my turn to be on watch,” Hunter said quietly. “I won’t be long; we can take shorter shifts with all of us here. I’ll come back when I’m done.”

With him gone, Layla tossed and turned, struggling to get back to sleep after being in Hunter’s arms. She could hear the soft sound of conversation downstairs. Maybe the demons were swapping a report or something. She thought back to Hunter’s hands on her, their bodies moving slickly together, and smiled.

Maybe they could find a way to get the house to themselves again. She felt sure Hunter could send the demons on some fake mission that involved all of the other witches. Come to think of it, the demons probably wouldn’t even need the excuse of a mission. The men didn’t seem to have any problem with a relationship between her and Hunter now that he’d told them she was his mate.

If only her sisters could be the same. Maybe she should try to talk to them about this. Surely, they couldn’t be that unreasonable. They seemed to care about her; they must want her to be happy. They didn’t seem like bigoted people, except where it came to demons…but they’d manage to get over their objections and work with them, right?

Layla knew that getting over a prejudice enough to work with them was a long way from getting over it enough to accept a relationship that they thought was wrong, but it could be a start. Maybe she’d mention it to Rose tomorrow.

Near dawn, she became vaguely aware of Hunter slipping back into bed with her. Relieved that he’d be able to tell whenever someone was approaching, she let herself snuggle into him once again; she’d not like to be woken by screams and oaths, especially not since this was the best night’s sleep she’d had in a while.

Hunter murmured something too low for her to really hear, and his fingers tangled in her hair. Layla sighed in reaction, too happy to worry about anything right now. Together, she and Hunter fell asleep.