~

 

  I wandered lonely as a cloud, ha! Clouds on Skye were never lonely and thought nothing of crashing into the mountains and creeping down to offer an eerie blue fog-like haze at sunset, which really freaked some tourists out. We also had a habit of experiencing all four seasons in one day, which was confusing for the poor dears not knowing which way to dress which was another reason why we layered our clothes.

But as the charcoal clouds were playing chase-me across the sky propelled on by the winds, I stood at the back of the bistro and looked out over Loch Portree to Raasay in the near distance. If it wasn’t for the little boats bobbing on the water, then I could have imagined a dinosaur just strolling those large hills.

But it wasn’t dinosaurs that worried me, although, I did have a soft spot for Nessie and hoped nobody ever found the poor beast, but Ross, Kenzie, and the animal attack. People who knew what Ross was were going to be giving the man sideways glances, but without figuring out who the culprit was, be it Lachlan, Fraser, Malachi, or something else out there, then I couldn’t put the matter to bed.

“You wish you were far, far away in a land where the drain on your time and responsibilities vanished and only I existed to fill your day,” Malachi said, and I’d already covered myself in an anti-him spell, so even though he was projecting those words at me, they weren’t having the desired effect, but they did tickle my shields.

“Correction, I wish you were far, far away, and that you forgot the Isle of Skye existed,” I tossed back over my shoulder.

“Still fighting this thing between us, I see,” his voice was teasing, and it did perk me up a little.

Show me a woman that didn’t like a little flirting, and I’d reveal her to be a closeted nun.

“Correction, the only thing around here is you,” I tossed the words back, and snatched a look at him this time. Oooo.

His just rolled out of bed-head, black leather over a black shirt and jeans, did make him look darkly-good in a bad-boy way. But that smug smile was perched on his lips like he knew just how good he looked, and it annoyed me so.

“I’m not feeling the love today,” he was playing again, and sure, it was a distraction from my worries over Ross, but it was also a fire I knew I shouldn’t be messing with.

“I thought that was an ongoing thing for you.”

“You’re weakening to my charms…”

“That thought turned my stomach…”

“You didn’t say that when I saved you from the detective…”

“Saved me?” I turned a frown on him.

“Ooo, Gargoyle face…”

“Oh, this is for you.” I flipped him my middle finger and heard that deep melodic chuckle that soothed my nerves a little more.

“If I thought you meant it, I’d leave…”

“Please, tell me what I have to do to convince you?”

“And another thing…” Moira’s shrew-like tones came screeching toward me, and I turned to see her, rolling pin in her flour-covered hand, backing Lachlan out of the back exit from the kitchen of the bistro – good for her – but, when did the man sneak in there?

“I’m just warning you,” Lachlan said with a low growl in his voice that became more prominent the closer I got to them.

“You – warning me – pah!” She screwed up her face and rallied the rolling pin for action, a little magic behind that thick wood, and she’d do enough damage to put the mutt down for a wee sleep.

“We’ll not take kindly to you turning Ross’ head and keeping him from his kin…” Lachlan warned, and I joined Moira in a rush to anger.

I lifted my hands and forced my magic out, making the man suffer the pain that was akin to being stabbed in the gut with a knife. That pain was fleeting when Malachi knocked my hands down, whispering in my ear.

“Allow me.”

I was about to tell him where he could get off, but he was already stalking towards the alpha with purpose. Lachlan must have felt his approach because he spun around fast, and his eyes were locked and loaded on his biggest threat – Mr top of the food chain.

“This doesn’t concern…” Lachlan bit out, but he got no further when Malachi’s hand wrapped around his throat and slammed him back against the wall with so much force I was sure I heard the building protest.

“The witches are protected – nod if you understand,” Malachi bit out, and I could see what Gran and Duncan were talking about – dangerous – check, but as sexy as hell doing the chivalry thing – check – check.

“I – get – it,” Lachlan pushed out the words that sounded like sandpaper over gravel, and Malachi twisted his head to the right as his top lip twitched with anger.

“It’s done,” I said, jarring the vampire out of his wrath, and his black eyes flicked to mine for the longest moment of my life, causing my heart to skip a beat, my stomach to fill with butterflies, and my stupid girlie-self – that had a thing for bad-boys – to rise up and motion towards him like he was all things chocolate.

That wasn’t good. Although, a chocolate covered Malachi did raise that awkward question of; how much temptation is too much?

“Leave,” Malachi bit out, and I had the feeling that if I hadn’t been there, then Malachi would have stepped over the line in a heartbeat.

Malachi took a step back, although not far enough so that Lachlan could just walk away. No, the vampire had to rub salt into the man’s pride and make it, so he had to sidestep the vampire like he was walking away with his tail tucked firmly between his legs.

Malachi was certainly at the top of the alpha food chain, and boy, did he look sexy exerting his authority.

“Didn’t that make your loins heat with a need for me?” Malachi teased me, and for a moment I had to check to make sure my magic hadn’t slipped, and he hadn’t read my thoughts.

Nope, still had the wards up, but he didn’t know just how close to being right he was. Sucker – in more ways than one.

“Oh, my secret’s uncovered,” I used my best bored tone to match my best bored look. “I burn with desire for…”

“Chocolate cake,” Moira said, and I chuckled, she was kind of right too.

“What she said,” I offered the vampire a smug smile.

“Spoilsport,” Malachi sniped at my sister.

“What can I tell you? I’m a party pooper,” Moira said with a small shrug and a gleeful helpless look.

 

~

 

It was an uneventful dinner at home followed by an uneventful night at the pub. The only thing that happened that was out of the ordinary was that our youngest sister, and most unsociable bookworm, had decided to tag along on a siblings night out. I guess bat-boy was good for bringing our little tortoise out of her shell, and she was even doing magic again.

Thankfully, I didn’t see Jack the whole evening, and we spent the time laughing from around the corner table in the back of the pub and talking about all things male. Of course, Jack’s name came up, but I didn’t really get that buzz of butterflies dancing inside me anymore, not the way I did when Moira mentioned Malachi.

Now that was just silly. There was no way in Heaven or Hell that I was ever going to go there. Sure, the view was grand, and I appreciated the verbal jousting, who wouldn’t like either? But the man had a dark side that was a little too unpredictable to be a serious consideration in the dating department.

“I need one more drink just to…” Moira swayed as she pushed up to her feet.

“Fall flat on your face, and no, I’ll not carry you home, Moira McFae,” I berated her. I was the designated driver for the night, and even Eileen was a little buzzed.

“I’ll call Ross,” Moira said, giggling as she reached for her bag, and I pushed up to my feet. “He likes to carry me, the big, strong…”

“You’re done.” I snatched up her bag, grabbed her shoulders and spun her towards the door. She groaned as her hands came out to steady herself.

“You might regret that move sometime soon,” she muttered.

“Come on, Snow White…” I hoisted Eileen to her feet and pushed her into the back of Moira, setting off a little conga line towards the door.

“Who’s moving the floor?” Eileen asked, and I groaned inwardly. Those two were going to be fun to have in the car on the way home. Still, if one, or both of them were going to throw up, I’d make sure that they did it in each other’s laps and not on the little rugs I had in the back.

I was kind of hopeful that they’d both just crash out asleep and I wouldn’t have to deal with them until I got them home. Then I could just zap them all the way to bed if I had to.

When we rounded the corner of the street into the area not covered by the limited street lights, Moira tripped on something and squealed as she tried to right herself, but that only sent Eileen crashing into her and falling down to the ground.

I groaned again and reached down for Eileen’s hand, she felt cold to the touch as she giggled like a schoolgirl on her first date, and I yanked, but she didn’t put much effort into helping me.

“Geez, you’re like a dead weight, woman,” I bit out, yanking again and feeling her shift towards me.

“Like a hand?” Malachi’s tone wafted towards me from the right, and I thanked Gran’s spell for dissipating that projection thing that he did.

“I got it…” I huffed, yanking again, just as a light from a mobile phone illuminated the area and I dropped the hand I was holding as I jumped back into his hard chest.

Eileen squealed and scurried back on her hands and backside across the ground, as I stared in disbelief.

“I’m guessing you didn’t want to hold the dead guy’s hand,” Moira said, and then hiccupped.

“That’s…” Malachi turned an accusing eye on me.

“Not my dead guy,” I shot back.

“Well, you were trying to remove the body when I got here,” Malachi’s tone matched that accusing look.

“The last time I saw him you were trying to crush his throat,” I snapped back, and eyed Moira as she swayed, did a sideways crab, and leaned forward to eye the victim.

“That’s bad. That dead guy is Lachlan,” Moira hissed out, stating the obvious, and then hiccupped again.

“The man you threatened with a rolling pin,” Malachi announced.

“Did not,” Moira lied, pulling back and getting all defensive.

“He’s been sliced and diced,” Eileen said with disgust.

“Oh, thank the Goddess!” I rushed out and noted the double look that Malachi offered me.

“I know we didn’t like the dead guy, but can we save the happy jig for later?” Malachi offered me a smirk.

“You know what I mean,” I scowled at him.

“I know you had your hands all over a dead man.”

“Oh.”