~

 

“Meaning?” Julian demanded.

“Meaning … she sort of inadvertently took possession of something that didn’t belong to her and she really doesn’t want…” Nathaniel offered that little snippet and Julian’s gut said that there was more…

“Why do I feel a life and death style but coming on?”

“No buts…”

“But?”

“But – it’s delicate…”

“As in it breaks easily?”

“Oh, I think that’s the least of our worries, and his…”

“His who?”

“Whomever it belongs to,” Nathaniel offered him an innocent smile. Too damn innocent for Julian’s liking.

“What is it?”

Nathaniel took a long moment to wonder how he was going to deliver the news. One way or the other, now or then, Julian was going to find out what was in the boot…

“A paw…” Nathaniel muttered.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said a paw…”

“Yes.” Nathaniel winced.

“A … paw?” Julian said again, trying to wrap his head around what Nathaniel was telling him.

“Yes.”

“We’re walking into a wolf pack with one of their paws in our boot?” Julian looked unamused.

“Yes.”

“Are we insane?” He tossed back.

“I can only speak for myself when I say no.”

“I feel a little insanity coming on…” Julian said as he eyed the fast buzz of the outside world go by.

“Right after this, straight to the nut house.” Nathaniel offered back.

He supposed he should have felt guilty about dragging Julian into the mess he was in, but he didn’t. Julian had never apologised for the little misunderstanding with a palace guard ninety five years before; that had seen Nathaniel run through with a blade and having to leave Windsor for a good long while…

“You could have warned me.”

“You might have said no.”

“Probably would have.”

“There you go then, better to ask forgiveness than beg for help.” Nathaniel offered with a smirk.

“Go on then.”

“What?”

“Ask for forgiveness.”

“Nothing’s happened yet.”

“On the other hand; you might die without ever having done it.”

“That lets us both off the hook then.”

“You can’t do it, can you?” Julian twisted in his seat to look at Nathaniel and the vampire turned his head to give him a double take.

“Are we having a moment?” Nathaniel shot back.

“Be true and ask.” Julian shot back, ignoring his comment.

“Ask what? My memory isn’t what it once was …” Nathaniel offered back.

“Didn’t think so … Where’s Michael. Doesn’t he normally accompany you on stupid quests like this?”

“Yes, and he’s somewhat busy doing me a favour.”

“Did you ask him to do you a favour?”

“Yes,” Nathaniel shrugged.

“Him you ask…”

“Oh, for the love of all things bloody …” Nathaniel sighed.

“And for the witch no less – that witch – the one that has you twisted around her little finger…”

“I wish…”

“Ah-ha!”

“Eureka!”

“That’s it, isn’t it…?”

“If I had a clue what you were talking about I could deny it.”

“You’re inside her panties…”

“It’s been many, many years since I wore a woman’s panties, although, they were quite comfortable…” Nathaniel offered back, hoping to shift the conversation to a whole new direction, but Julian was like a dog with a bone, and not the one in the boot.

“You want her, don’t you?”

“To do what?”

“I can imagine…”

“Please don’t … that would be … wrong on so many levels.”

“Just tell me why she’s worth it.” Julian demanded.

“I …” Nathaniel frowned, shook his head, and then shrugged his shoulders. “She’s a friend.”

“Bull…”

“Where?” Nathaniel sat forwards and craned his neck to look out of the windscreen.

“Fine. Deny it to me – to yourself – to her, but I know.”

“Well could you explain it to me because I have no clue?”

Nathaniel was finally being honest about something and it was that. He didn’t know what his irrational attachment was to Morgana, but he didn’t want to see her get hurt, and if he truly was her downfall – then he’d do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t happen.

 

~

~

~

 

Morgana turned the open sign to closed and snapped the locks on the front door of the shop. She started to turn away; when a sharp rap on the glass of the door made her jump in place, and she seethed inside, wanting the day to be over and her heart to beat naturally and without pounding once more.

She turned back to see Joseph grinning in at her like an idiot.

“Drink?” He asked, raising his eyebrows and giving her a dimpled, good natured smile that she feared was supposed to entice her panties to drop around her ankles.

“Not tonight, thanks – so very tired…” She feigned a slight yawn.

She saw disappointment within his eyes and she hated herself for it, but dating someone because they wanted you too wasn’t exactly the best laid plans in life. It was dishonest for a start and sure to end in disaster – much like stringing someone along.

She wondered if she needed to have that talk with him – the one that spelled out just how they were friends and nothing more … she hated that talk and tried to avoid it like the plague.

“See you tomorrow,” Joseph gave her a small wave and walked on, and she felt a sigh inside of her chest, but kept it at bay.

Turning on her heels; she stalked into the back room and tossed the curtain closed behind her … a heartbeat later and she felt the rush of the supernatural against her shields, but it was already too late … a hand at her throat told her that she wasn’t so much as avoiding conflict, as trying to save herself from becoming a victim of it…