~
“Holy hell’s bloody bells!” Dorothy bit out as she got to the top of the hallway and took in the scene.
“Son of a…” Angela’s magic was already at her fingertips, and she zapped Robert as hard and as painfully as she could muster.
Chloe was feeding Valerie her blood, and the human could barely take his eyes off the macabre scene in front of him. Even as the pain screamed through his body, he couldn’t drag his eyes away. That pain didn’t too last much longer as Rick’s claws tore through his throat and ended the man there and then.
Elizabeth was already at her mother’s side as Robert’s body hit the floor. She paid the man no mind as Quinn battered Hank and Lark out of the way as he started to dash down the hallway and toward his mate.
“Valerie!” He growled out as he tried to hold onto the beast within him that wanted to burst forward and defend her against everyone present.
Sarah, Dorothy, and Angela all reached for their magic at once, holding the man in place as if he’d hit an invisible wall.
“Oh goody,” Monty announced as he swept into the hallway and looked on in disbelief. “A body to dispose of. I guess I know what I’m doing tonight.” He offered in a deadpan voice.
“Yes, but doesn’t it feel good to be useful?” Angela said.
“Tell me you were in time?” Elizabeth demanded the answer from Chloe and the vampire bit down on her urge to shrug and offer back a sarcastic remark.
“There’s life in the old bat yet,” Chloe didn’t quite have a handle on willpower, just yet.
“And look at you,” Monty announced to his mate. “Somebody got invited in.”
“And no nefarious plan needed,” Chloe smirked.
“Naturally, you’re going to behave…” Dorothy said.
“Yes, I’m going to behave naturally,” Chloe offered back with a smirk.
Sarah groaned inwardly. Even if she’d had time to think about her decision, she wouldn’t have done anything differently.
Nobody noticed as Rick backed out the hallway through a side door. His anger had gotten the better of him, and he’d killed a human.
How could his mate ever look at him the same way again?
~
~
~
“I’m fine!” Valerie tossed up a hand in frustration and allowed it to fall back to the bed covers. She hated fussing — and they were fussing.
“This is so déjà vu,” Angela said as she rolled her eyes.
“Yes, you witches do seem to attract trouble,” Quinn growled at the thought of what his mate had gone through.
He was standing in front of the window with his arms folded and his backside resting against the frame. He was having to restrain himself as four witches tended to his mate. That was his job, but every time that he got close to his mate someone would reach out and slap his hand away.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Sarah chuckled. “Perhaps we’re just doing the world a service in getting rid of bad rubbish.”
“Sure, that’s it,” Quinn growled.
“Again, I’m fine. Everyone should just leave,” Valerie said. “Except for him.
All of the witches turned a slow stare towards Quinn. The man straightened, dropped his arms to his sides, and puffed out his chest as he lifted his chin in triumph.
“Someone’s gonna get a little something before dawn, methinks,” Dorothy offered a rather dirty sounding chuckle and got an elbow in her ribs from Angela in reply.
“Behave, woman,” Angela grumbled.
“I’m too old to behave. I intend to live the rest of my life disgracefully,” Dorothy offered a mischievous grin that spread from ear to ear.
“Nothing new there then,” Angela muttered.
“Are you sure, mother?” Elizabeth asked.
“No — I’m senile,” Valerie huffed back.
“And somebody has their panties in a tangle,” Dorothy said with a chuckle.
“Don’t you worry about her panties,” Quinn growled. “That’s my job.”
“Well, if you’re going camping then I guess you could use them as a tent,” Angela said on a shrug.
“That might be your panties — but it’s not mine,” Valerie offered back and got another growl from Quinn in return.
“Please, can we not talk about my mother’s panties?” Elizabeth grumbled. She was happy that her mother had found a mate, she just didn’t need to know the intricate details.
“Well, dear, you know where the door is.” Valerie lifted her hand and motioned for Elizabeth to leave.
“Someone’s eager,” Dorothy chuckled.
“Oh, don’t project yourself on others,” Angela said with a small shake of her head as she nudged Dorothy towards the door.
~
~
~
Elizabeth tipped her head back on her neck and swallowed down the shot of Scotch in one gulp. It burnt a path all the way down the back of her throat and into her chest. She gasped in a breath and slapped the glass down on the counter in front of her.
“It’s good, right?” Sarah grinned.
“Good. Right.” Her words were breathed out on a fiery breath.
“What the hell happened?” Nathan growled as he stalked into the kitchen and right up to his mate’s side.
“Just another day at the inn, honey,” Sarah offered back with a smile.
“Rick said…” Nathan started, but he never got to finish as Elizabeth gasped again.
“Rick!” It wasn’t as if she’d forgotten about him — how could she? But until that moment her mind and body hadn’t registered the loss that she suddenly felt when she’d heard his name.
“He’s down in his cabin talking about leaving and dead humans,” Nathan said.
He was somewhat bewildered by the rushed story that Rick had offered him. He couldn’t get much sense out of the man.
“Cabin?” Elizabeth’s eyes questioned Sarah.
“Pack-land. Nathan can show you where.” Sarah offered back, and Nathan did a double take of his mate in surprise.
“Someone tell me what happened?” He demanded.
“Elizabeth can tell you on the way to Rick’s cabin,” Sarah rushed out as she started to nudge her mate backward towards the door.
“I’m the alpha!” He said in disbelief. “I’d like to know what the hell is going on with my pack.”
“Well, honey. Unfortunately, if you’re going to be absent then you’re going to miss a few mini-dramas.” Sarah offered him a small shrug off her shoulders and a big grin of amusement.
“Witches,” Nathan grumbled to himself.
“I heard that!” Sarah berated him.
“And they say wolves have big ears,” Nathan tossed back over his shoulder as he continued towards the back door.