Chapter Eleven
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Vinea didn’t know whether to be happy that Devon seemed to believe she wasn’t the person with John Ernst or upset that he’d assumed she had been. She wished like hell she knew what it would take to melt his heart.
“It’s getting late,” Devon said right after he drained his coffee. “Why don’t you head on in to bed?”
From the rather contemplative way he spoke, Devon needed time to deal with his feelings. Over these past few days, Vinea was more convinced than ever that she and Devon were fated mates. On the other hand, it might be a cruel twist of fate foisted on her by Naliana, but if they were destined to be together, Vinea was going to do everything in her power to make it come true.
So as not to cause the man more grief, she said her goodnight. As if she were still at work, she picked up both cups and took them into the kitchen.
“Just leave them in the sink. I’ll take care of them later,” he said.
“It’ll only take a sec to wash them.” She turned on the water and dropped some soap on a sponge.
Devon stepped into the kitchen and touched her shoulders. “I want to apologize again for acting like an ass.”
She turned off the water and faced him. “It was an honest mistake. My past was bad, and you didn’t want to look like a fool again. I never thought it would be easy to prove to you that I’ve changed. Just so you know, I’m not giving up.”
His smile came out weak. “I hope you don’t.”
As Devon disappeared down the hallway, she finished washing the cups. When she returned to the living room, Devon was walking in with a blanket and a pillow in hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
His eyes widened. “Sleeping on the sofa.”
That made no sense, nor was it necessary. “Why?”
“For starters, you’re in the only bedroom. You can fill in the blank why I’m out here. Secondly, if the Changelings have connected you with the McKinnons, I don’t trust them not to show up here. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brother Jacob pretended to be you again with the intention of convincing me to tell all.”
Maybe she had misjudged these crazy bastards. “They have style, I’ll give them that.”
He dipped his chin. “I hope you aren’t serious.”
“No, but they are creative if nothing else.” She shot him a quick grin and was thrilled when his eyes flashed amber for a moment. Yes! His wolf knew they belonged together. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. If you need help with the Changelings, give a yell.”
His eyes widened. “Besides listening in on a conversation, what can you do?”
Was he serious? Not that she blamed him for not wanting her to help. Hell, she’d almost ruined things the last time. “Well, if I picked up, say—” Vinea looked around for something that might harm a person and then pointed to a rather heavy looking potted plant. “That. If I were invisible, as soon as I touched it, it would disappear. I could smash it over one of their heads. Or I could rush to the kitchen, grab a knife, and stab one of them without anyone being aware I was there.”
He studied her for a long minute. “Here I thought you weren’t capable of killing.”
“To save your life, I’d hurt anyone.” Her pulse pumped hard, and anger welled in her stomach at the thought he’d ever be in danger.
She hadn’t meant to sound so vehement, but she wasn’t sorry she had. It was about time Devon understood the depths of her commitment to him—and to them.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” He winked, and her whole body seemed to melt with erotic lust.
“Me, too. Sleep well.” She spun on her heels and rushed down the hallway to his bedroom. Being in a room where Devon slept would cause every nerve ending to fire all night long. She might as well kiss sleeping goodbye.
*
Vinea yawned from having tossed and turned all night. Devon’s scent permeated the sheets and the room, waking her up time and again with lustful thoughts. She’d been tempted many times to wander into the living room, if only to watch him sleep. True, she could have become invisible and hovered above him, but if they were to be mates, he probably would have sensed her presence, and the last thing she needed was to explain that she wanted nothing more than to have mind-blowing sex with him.
As she lay in bed with sunlight peaking through the crack in the curtains, she listened for sounds of movement. Even with her good hearing, Devon didn’t seem to be awake.
Wanting to do something nice for him, she eased out of bed. After she washed up, she quickly dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a yellow sweater, and comfy boots then headed into the main room.
Tiptoeing, she peered over at the sofa. Devon was on his back with the blanket halfway up his chest. His mouth was slightly open, and he was snoring softly. Smiling, she went into the kitchen. While she wasn’t a cook at the diner in Billard, she had watched them work, wanting to learn as much as she could about life on earth. She’d practiced her skills on EmmaLee, and her friend claimed Vinea was a born chef.
Because the kitchen was open to the living room, Vinea had to move about quietly. First came the coffee. While it was brewing, she scoured the refrigerator for something to eat, a little disappointed that other than eggs, he had very little in the way of breakfast food. What did the man eat? Not planning to stay for long, he probably decided not to stock up on food. When he was on surveillance, he probably lived on take out. His fine physique had to be due to his shifter metabolism.
Once she found a bowl, she cracked open some eggs, added milk, and then beat the mixture, surprised he didn’t wake up from the scraping noise. Just as the coffee finished, she poured the eggs into a hot pan. The kitchen itself was rather rustic, but she appreciated the cast iron pan and metal bowl.
Devon sat up with a start. “What are you doing?” His voice cracked from sleep.
She smiled. “Three guesses.”
“You’re making breakfast?”
He didn’t have to sound so surprised. “I hope you don’t mind.”
He tossed off the blanket. “I didn’t hear you get up.”
“I was goddess quiet.”
That finally got the reaction she wanted—a smile. “Do I have time for a shower?”
Oh, how she wanted to say she’d join him, but during the night he might have changed his mind about whether to trust her. Devon seemed to be so conflicted. “Sure. I’ll turn the heat down.”
“I’ll be fast.”
He grabbed the blanket and pillow and rushed down the hallway. As much as she wanted to become invisible and watch him strip naked, she almost certainly would have become so distracted that she would have appeared. Even if he had been flattered by her need to see him, she doubted he’d be pleased. Vinea had to show him that he could trust her to use her powers appropriately.
While she waited for him to do his thing, she stirred the cooking eggs and then searched for some plates. When the shower turned off, she dished up the food and poured the coffee.
A few minutes later, Devon came out wearing tight jeans, a white T-shirt, and no shoes, drying his hair with a towel. “It smells wonderful. Thank you.”
You smell wonderful too.
This was harder than she thought. When Devon had asked Vinea to stay at his house, she’d been elated. Having the chance to be near him, to show him she’d changed, had thrilled her. Now she realized it was pure torture not to touch him in the intimate way she desired, especially since patience had never been her strong suit. In fact, her rash behavior had gotten her into trouble numerous times.
“Come sit down before it gets cold,” she said.
He pulled up a chair and dug in. “This definitely hits the spot,” he said.
She detected some darkness under his eyes. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I got enough. The Changelings’ ability to become you for another two days has me worried though.”
What did that mean? “You aren’t questioning that this is me, are you?”
Before he had the chance to answer, she disappeared, and the shocked look on his face delighted her. Vinea quickly returned to her corporeal form.
Devon held up a palm. “I’m pretty sure no Changeling can do that!”
“You’re right. If you’re ever in doubt whether it’s me or not, just ask me to repeat that trick.”
He smiled. “Will do.”
As much as she wanted to ask him if he was dating anyone back in Pittsburgh, she didn’t want to spoil the tentative thread of trust they were finally building. Instead, she gobbled down her meal and then pushed back her chair after she was finished. “I’ll wash these.”
He reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Sit down and relax. Or do you need to be someplace?”
“I promised Brother Jacob that I would tell him how my date with you went.” Of course, she was joking, but Devon’s jaw hardened, and his eyes turned nearly black. “Kidding,” she said. Okay, maybe it had been to soon for that kind of dark humor. She had a lot to learn!
He released his death grip on her wrist. “Don’t tease me like that.”
“I didn’t take you for the delicate type.”
“I’m not delicate, as you so nicely put it, but I’m confused about some things.”
Vinea sat back down and sobered. “Tell me about it. Maybe I can clear them up.”
Devon swiped a hand down his chin. He hadn’t shaved yet, and she liked the rough look. “A lot has happened in the last few days. Mind you, I want to trust you.”
“But shit keeps happening that stops you. I get it. It’s almost as if someone is trying to sabotage me.”
“Who do you think is responsible? One of your dark gods?” he asked.
“It’s possible, but it could be the Changelings, though I don’t see why they would have anything against me.”
“Before you appeared in Brother Jacob’s office, I bet they thought highly of you. After all, you were trying to destroy us.”
“True.”
“McKinnon and Associates is their main enemy. Perhaps they want to keep us off kilter. When you stole the sardonyx from Brother Jacob, I’m sure we were the first group they considered.”
“If they are guilty, I’m worried that some Changeling will now see me with you, putting a bigger target on your back.” Damn, and here she was hoping they could have more dates.
He dragged a palm down his sexy chin, acting as if it had put a dent into what he wanted to do too. Didn’t she wish?
“If we need to meet for some reason, you’ll need to just appear in my office, sight unseen.”
“I can do that. Seeing how we shouldn’t flaunt our connection, I guess I’ll just have to appear at home and walk to work from there.”
“Are you sure you want to walk? I can drive you.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Changelings have people watching your house as we speak.”
“They aren’t close. I would have sensed them.”
To be sure no one was watching, she could become invisible and take a look, but she trusted Devon to be able to tell. “Good to know.”
Together, they took the plates over to the kitchen, and in no time, she had them washed. Devon dried them and then put them away.
She dragged her wet hands down her pants. “If you need me for anything today, just text. I might not be able to get away from work right then, but I’ll find you when I’m free.”
“It’s a deal.”
Good. They had a truce of sorts, and before he could change his mind about her, Vinea nodded and disappeared. Moments later, she was inside her freezing trailer. Flapping her arms to warm up, she walked around the tiny space, trying to sense if anyone had been here. She wouldn’t put it past the Changelings to leave something of theirs—like a business card—and place it in a conspicuous place for Devon to find. Damn rabid wolves.
While she didn’t have to be at work for an hour, she didn’t want to stay in her cold trailer longer than necessary. She quickly dressed in her uniform then put on her coat. If all went well, her landlord would come through with the heater today.
If he didn’t, maybe Devon would take pity on her again and ask her to spend another night. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true? It would move them one step closer to becoming mates.
With that delicious thought, she headed out to work. The walk chilled her, but to keep from bemoaning the cold, she focused on what she’d do if she ever lured Devon into bed. Heat warmed her lower regions, and she was more convinced than ever that the two of them would combust if they ever made love.
Vinea smiled. She could still remember seeing him naked a little more than six months ago when he stood at the edge of Silver Lake. If he hadn’t shoved her into the water, she probably would have tried to take him right then.
But that was in the past.
Before she could dream any more about what could be, she arrived at work. She entered through the back where the cooks were already shouting orders.
“Hey, Ralph,” she said to one of the short order cooks.
Elise and Marissa were there picking up their orders. They both waved and smiled. Vinea walked over to the wall to check where her station would be located.
“You’re early,” her boss said as he pushed open the kitchen door.
“Thought the girls could use an extra hand,” she said. There was no reason to tell him her heater had busted. He might then ask where she’d spent the night, and she wanted to keep that information to herself.
He smiled. “Great.”
Once she checked the location of her station section, she went to work. While she’d asked Devon to text her, if he needed her, she doubted he would. It would have to be some kind of emergency before he’d contact her.
For a moment she considered returning to Brother Jacob’s house without Devon’s permission, but that would go against his wishes. Right now, she needed to do things his way. Not only that, she didn’t trust herself not to mess up again.
Given she’d already breached Brother Jacob’s sanctuary once before, it wouldn’t surprise her if he hadn’t arranged to meet his Clan elsewhere. He couldn’t chance having all of the Changeling secrets exposed. Jackson’s mate, Ainsley, could become invisible, so Brother Jacob probably figured Vinea was a relative of hers. Maybe that was how he connected her to the McKinnons. It didn’t matter now. What was done was done.
At two, she was on her fifteen-minute break and needed to hear a friendly voice. After pulling on her coat, Vinea stepped into the back alley and called EmmaLee. Today was her day off, and she prayed her good friend wasn’t with Slater.
“Hello?” her friend said.
Her pulse jumped at hearing her voice. “EmmaLee, it’s me, Vinea!”
She squealed. “Hey, how are you? How are things going with Devon?”
So many things had happened since they’d talked that Vinea didn’t know where to begin. Discussing any of the thefts, especially while standing in the alley within earshot of someone inside, wouldn’t be smart. “My heater broke in my trailer, and when Devon found out, he insisted I stay at his place.”
“Seriously? Did he warm you up?”
“I wish. Nothing happened between us—unfortunately. My primary goal right now is for him to realize I’m not evil.”
“How’s that going?” EmmaLee asked, a sudden seriousness tingeing her tone.
“It’s hard to assess, but I think I’m making progress.” She told her about breakfast and while he hadn’t been affectionate, he hadn’t pushed her away.
Someone called to EmmaLee. It was Slater. Crap. “Can I call you back?” she asked. “Slater and I are about to do something.”
“I thought you promised—never mind. Sure. Any time. I miss you,” Vinea said.
“Miss you more. I hope you come back soon.”
For the first time since her transformation, she wasn’t anxious to return. Silver Lake was growing on her. “We’ll see.”
Once she hung up, Vinea was a bit depressed. She missed her talks with her best friend. For the foreseeable future though, she had to put her social life on hold. Vinea had a job to do, not only at the café but also helping Devon.
Once back inside, she focused on making sure all of her customers were happy. While the next three hours were rather uneventful, there had been one bright spot. Mr. Sanford had come in. He was such a nice man, always smiling and telling her how much she brightened his day. Something about him reminded her of her dad—her dad when she was little that is; not when he suggested Naliana become matchmaker instead of her.
Vinea halted at that thought. Looking back on it, he might have been right. Whoa! Where had that thought come from? Only now did she understand why the gods had expelled her. Her jealousy of her younger sister had caused a mental cancer so great that only a cleansing could expel it. But why had she been jealous in the first place? Had she subconsciously known Naliana was better suited for the job? Of the two, her sister had been the more compassionate. Well, damn.
“Miss?” one of her customers called as he waved.
“Coming.”
Once she gave the man his check, she began wiping down her tables and refilling the condiments. Her shift was almost over when a group of six men sat in her section. As she turned to greet them, her blood ran cold.
Oh, shit, oh, shit. It was Brother Jacob and his men.