~

 

“Ya think?” Morgana didn’t need Claudia’s brand of excitable babble just then.

“Yeah, but no – like a really – really – real witch!”

“Again – ya think?”

“Not so much…” Claudia said with a small shrug.

“I’m not even going to touch that one…” Morgana said, scooting around to the back of the counter.

“No – I meant – those readings – I just used you as a sounding board to see what you thought. I didn’t think you really knew…” Claudia said.

“Then why didn’t you just ask my opinion?”

“It was more fun to play witch…” Claudia said and Morgana frowned as she opened her mouth, speechless, and closed it again. Claudia waved it away. “Anyway – not just you a witch, but them being vampires.” She said the last word on a whisper.

“Who’d have thought?!” Morgana said with her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Not me.” Claudia said on a shake of her head.

“You know they are going to wipe your memory, right?”

“Don’t let them…” Claudia rushed out. “I won’t tell.” She looked serious – too serious, it really didn’t suit her.

“It’s not my call…”

“I thought you and that Nathaniel had something going on … at least Julian said…”

“Julian?”

“Well, Michael too…”

“Wait – what?” Morgana leaned on the counter and raised both of her eyebrows back at her friend.

“We – had a drink…” She looked a little cagey.

“All of you?”

“Yes, they said it was protocol when a human knew what a vampire was…” she was back to whispering again.

“Did they now?” Morgana bit out on a deeper frown.

“Isn’t it?” Claudia asked and Morgana sighed.

“Come here…” Morgana lifted her hands to each side of Claudia’s neck and felt for any sign of supernatural marks against her skin. Nothing.

“Did they…?”

“No.”

“Oh,” Claudia sounded a little downcast.

“Seriously?” Morgana bit back.

“Aren’t you curious? Or have you and Nathaniel already…?”

“Bite your tongue!” Morgana groaned back.

“Sore point?”

“Festering wound.”

“Got it…” Claudia shrugged. “But why?”

“Because…” Morgana said and she didn’t dare to elaborate.

She didn’t want to say it out loud. Saying it out loud meant that it was closer to being the truth than it was if she just denied it until eternity…

“He’s your mate?”

Morgana opened her mouth and nothing came out. Not a word. Not a sound.

Then the sound of silence was broken by the thunderous laughter of the vampire from somewhere above them.

“Is he … here?” Claudia looked around like she was following a bee…

“On the roof …” Morgana groaned. “Like a gargoyle.” She added, louder that time just to make sure that the man heard it.

“Why is he on the roof?”

“Because he couldn’t fit down the chimney.” Morgana shot back.

“Oh.” Claudia said on a small nod and then frowned. “What?”

“Never mind. Let’s get back to talking about you and your soon to be memory loss…”

“Let’s not, because it’s not happening. I wrote everything down and stashed it somewhere …”

“That’s not going to help … they’ll get you to tell them stuff like that.”

“I…” Claudia bit down in frustration. “I don’t want to forget!”

“Not your call…”

“What if I agree to give them some blood every now and then?”

“Like a bargaining chip?”

“Like a blood bank.”

“Eww.”

“But I want to remember, and it’s kind of cool, and who am I going to tell? And who would believe me even if I did?” Claudia huffed again.

“You could always join the professor and his merry band of creepy watchers…” Morgana offered back.

“And then I could remember?”

“Well, if they did wipe you, then the professor could retell you, or some such…”

“Nah, I wouldn’t believe him.” Claudia said, downcast once more…

“Fine. I’ll talk to them.”

“You will?” Claudia brightened.

“I suppose it’s the least I can do since I dragged you into this.”

“Yeah, you kind of did,” Claudia said and Morgana’s mouth dropped open again, but the sound of Claudia chuckling followed by a big beaming smile made Morgana feel slightly better about the whole thing. “I could have had fur…”

“You don’t agree with fur – you’re a member of PETA,” Morgana said, and both woman burst out laughing…

 

~

~

~

 

Morgana dragged her backside up the stairs and flicked on the overhead light with her magic; she walked into her bedroom, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the vampire laid on his side on the bed – the man was grinning from ear to ear.

“Window – out – now.” She scowled as she lifted her hand and pointed the way.

“That’s a fine way to greet your …” he didn’t get to finish because she zapped him. It didn’t last long, but she felt better about it. “Can you not?”

“No, every time I see your smug little face I want to zap something, and it might as well have been you.”

“Fine. But, I brought dinner…”

“Then bring it to the front door like a normal person.” She snapped back.

“Normal? Me? Perish the…”

“Out, Nathaniel. I swear I will…”

“Stake me?”

“Tempting…”

“Fine.” He pushed up off the bed and started towards her.

“Window!” She snapped.

“I came in the front door…”

“And you’ll leave by the window…”

“That’s not…”

“Fair? Boo-hoo. Out!” When she planted her hands on her hips he knew that he was done for. There was little point in arguing with a woman when she took that stance.

Vampire or not. She was still his mate.

“The watchers are coming.” He grumbled as he walked towards the window and yanked it open…

“What? When?” She demanded – just as the doorbell sounded.

“Now.” He grinned back with glee.