“You’ll be back.”

Enola thought of her grandmother’s last words as she dragged her roller bag through O’Hare Airport. To visit her gran, she would be back, but she wouldn’t be entertaining her family's supernatural bullshit.

It was nearing midnight in Chicago, and she had endured a long day of travel. Since she’d changed her return flight, she had to catch a flight with two connections. She was exhausted and couldn’t think of anything better than her bed.

Enola passed through baggage claim, thankful she hadn’t checked any luggage, and exited the airport. She pulled out her phone and summoned an Uber. She inhaled the night air, grateful that it was a little chilly. Coming home to Chicago felt kind of like removing the heat blanket that was the New Orleans weather.

As Enola waited, not so patiently, for her Uber, she was suddenly cocooned in warmth. Her skin tingled, nerves on edge, and a familiar scent floated through the air. Enola took a second to enjoy the aroma before searching the area for its source. She scanned one end of the airport, then the other, but she didn’t notice anyone that was familiar. Before she could further investigate, a Toyota that was surely her Uber was pulling over in front of her. Enola rolled her bag over to the driver, and took another quick look around before hopping in the back seat.

 

* * * *

 

“I am sooo glad you’re back. I need to crash here for a couple up days.”

Enola sidestepped out of the doorway so that Crystal and her little girl, Dania, could enter. Crystal kicked off her shoes, crossed the room, and plopped down on Enola’s sofa. Enola lifted Dania onto her hips and kissed the two-year old’s fat cheek.

“I’m watching that!” Enola shouted when Crystal reached for the remote.

“Well, damn. Okay,” Crystal murmured.

Enola sat next to her on the sofa and crossed her legs.

“How was New Orleans? Is your grandma gonna be okay?”

Enola really didn’t know how to answer that. Her grandmother didn’t seem like she was dying to her, but her Aunt Ruby has said something about her grandmother getting weaker as she got stronger. If that were the case, her gran would live a long time. Enola had no plans on doing a thing to cause her powers to grow.

“She’s weak, but she’ll get stronger.”

“So…why they say she was dying?”

“Girl, you know black folks be exaggerating.” Enola chuckled.

Crystal giggled, shaking her head. “You ain’t lying about that. Well, did you at least get to hang out in the French Quarter?”

Yep, and I got attacked by vampires, turned into an angry firebird, and rescued by a werewolf.

“Naw,” she lied.

Surely, the lie would go over much better than the truth.

“Why do you need to stay here?” Enola asked, changing the subject.

“Girl, Ray went out of town. You know I’m scared to stay in that house by myself.”

Crystal was tough as nails, except when it came to being home alone.

“You’re such a scaredy cat,” Enola teased.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. By the way, your ex called me.”

Enola rolled her eyes. The last person she wanted to hear about was Antonio.

“Nola, he is such a fucking weirdo.”

“Oh, lord. What did he want?” Nola sighed.

“That, ‘can you talk to Nola for me?’ bullshit. Blah…blah…blah.”

Nola couldn’t believe Antonio’s nerve. He’d cheated on her, assaulted her physically, and remarkably, he thought that he still had a chance in hell with her. Enola hopped up from the sofa and looked back at Crystal.

“Antonio can go fuck himself,” she muttered as she walked into the kitchen.

“Don’t be fucking cussin’ in front of my kid!” Crystal scolded, as if her sweet little girl wasn’t accustomed to her mother’s foul mouth.

“Wine?” Enola shouted from the kitchen.

“Have we met? Of course, I want wine.”

Enola pulled a bottle of white wine out of the fridge. She was thinking about how bad she needed to organize her drawers as she searched for the corkscrew.

“Girl, he said you burned him,” Crystal shouted from the living room.

Enola, half hearing what Crystal said, found the corkscrew and opened the bottle. She grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet and went back to the living room.

“He said what?” Enola asked, plopping down on the sofa next to Crystal.

“He said you burned him.”

Enola whipped her head around to glare at her friend. “What? He trying to say I gave him something?”

“Naw.” Crystal chuckled. “He said your skin burned his hand.”

Enola squinted, trying to figure out what her friend was talking about.

Then it hit her.

At the time, she’d had no idea that she was a Phoenix. Too bad Antonio had to find out the hard way. Maybe he’d think twice about putting his hands on another woman.

“Girl, Antonio is an idiot,” Enola dismissed.

“I didn’t like him from the moment I met him,” Crystal admitted.

Enola glared at her friend in wide-eyed disbelief. “Really, bitch?! You introduced us!”

Crystal fell back against the sofa, laughing. “My bad!” she screeched.

“Yeah, your bad,” Enola scoffed.

Once Crystal was over her laughing fit, Enola grabbed the remote and turned on the television. It was time for Power to come on.

“But you gotta admit…” Crystal started.

Enola turned with narrowed eyes, waiting on her friend’s revelation.

“Antonio was one fine ass Puerto Rican papí, mamí.”

“Whatever,” Enola dismissed, turning back to the television.

An hour after two bottles of wine, and a healthy dose of Omari Hardwick’s sexy ass, Enola was tucked comfortably in her bed, ready to meet the sandman. She rolled over, cocked one knee up, and hugged her pillow. When she closed her eyes, the gorgeous face of her grandmother’s breakfast guest popped into her head. If she was remembering correctly, his name was Gideon.

Enola was gazing into Gideon’s striking gray eyes as if he were two inches from her face. He was tall and more than fit, and Enola longed to see the muscles that his shirt couldn’t conceal.

“Enola Roux,” he called out in a whisper.

The deep rumble of his alluring voice taunted her senses. His eyes roamed her eager flesh. Paralyzed under his scrutiny, she melted against her pillow. Enola wanted more than anything to feel his hands on her body.

Gideon must have been in the mood to grant wishes.

He reached out and ran his warm finger down Enola’s cheek. “Beautiful,” he whispered.

Enola couldn’t blink. She was simply unable to take her eyes off of him. Gideon slowly ran his finger down her jawline, down her neck, and over her shoulder. He slipped his finger under the spaghetti strap of her nightgown and eased it off her shoulder.

He lowered himself to her height and pulled her, without the least bit of resistance from Enola, against his hard body. His face was so close. Their lips were barely an inch apart. Against her heaving breasts, Enola could feel the rise and fall of his chest. Every breath that he took teased her reactive, erect nipples.

“Gideon,” she whispered, but it was more of a plea.

Enola wanted more. She wanted all of him. As she stared into eyes the color of diamonds, she could feel moisture pooling in her warm center.

“Gideon,” she repeated in a whisper.

“Gideon, what? What do you want from me Nola?”

The deep rumble of his masculine voice echoed throughout her wanton body.

“Make love to me. Please, I–I want you to make love to me.”

Gideon shook his head and narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t believe her. He gripped her ass, pulling her pelvis to his big, hard dick and whispered close to her lips, “You don’t want me to make love to you, Nola. Tell the truth, darlin’. You want me to fuck you, don’t you, love? You want me to fuck you until you forget who you really are.”

Enola ground her pussy against his cloth covered cock and moaned.

“Yesss,” she purred. “Please, make me forget.”

Enola’s behavior was totally out of her character, but she wasn’t the least bit ashamed that she was practically begging a man she barely knew to make love to her. She wanted him more than she wanted to maintain her dignity. She needed him to invade her body and soul and make it all better. She didn’t want to think about witches, Voodoo, shifters, or vampires. She wanted to feel his sweaty body slamming into hers.

Gideon caressed her body as his hand slid down her satin nightie. Enola gasped when his fingers brushed her thighs as he pulled the soft material over her hips, exposing her nakedness. Gideon took advantage of her parted lips and pressed his lips to hers. Enola moaned against his mouth and licked his plump bottom lip. He pushed his tongue against hers and kissed her with more passion than Enola had ever experienced. When Gideon’s fingers traced her abdomen and found her swollen clit, Enola groaned loudly, pushing her fingers into his thick, wavy hair.

Slowly and methodically, Gideon circled her clit. Enola was trembling uncontrollably as she pushed her eager, swollen bud against his strong fingers. He was mastering her body, manipulating her sex like a master. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she welcomed the exquisite pleasure of his touch.

“Oh…oh…ohhhhh, Gideon!” Enola panted, creeping to the very edge of an orgasmic cliff. She pushed her legs further apart, allowing Gideon full access. He pushed one thick finger inside of her, and judging by the way that she gasped, one would think that she was a virgin.

“Look at me, Nola,” he ordered.

Enola moaned, turned her head from side to side. She was ready to welcome an orgasm that was sure to be explosive.

“Mmmm…ughhh, Gideon.”

When she didn’t comply, he growled, “Look at me, Nola.”

Nola startled. The growl had actually sounded like it came from an animal. Her eyes flew open and connected with Gideon’s. His gray eyes were glowing and metallic, and he was looking at her as if she were his prey.

“Gideon? What the fu—”

She was immediately rendered speechless when Gideon opened his mouth, displaying giant fangs tearing through his gums. Enola screamed as she struggled to get from under him. She pushed against his heavy body but he was immovable. She fought even harder when he grabbed her head and pushed her face to the side, exposing her neck.

“Oh, my God. Please, Gideon, let me go,” Enola begged.

Gideon clearly wasn’t moved by Enola’s pleas. He lowered his mouth and pierced her neck with his fangs. Enola cried out, but it was due more to fear than pain. She closed her eyes tightly and inhaled a cleansing breath. All of a sudden, it felt as if she’d been swaddled in a protective blanket of heat. Enola relaxed and embraced the new sense of warmth and security.

Enola could have basked in the feeling of contentment forever had it not been for the sound of Crystal’s blood curdling screams, piercing through the haze.

Enola’s eyes flew open. She sat up and looked around her bedroom, but there was no sign of Gideon. Enola realized that she had been dreaming, but the sound of Crystal and Dania’s scream sounded more like a nightmare. The feeling of peace and warmth fled instantly. She tossed the blanket from her body. It was then she noticed that, not only the blanket, but the entire room was in flames.

“Oh, fuck!” Enola cursed.

She jumped up and ran towards the door. Enola looked back and not only her bed, but her entire bedroom had become a raging inferno.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!”

Enola ran out of her bedroom and down the hall. Her entire condo was engulfed in flames, but she was able to walk comfortably through the fire. She made it to the guest room and reached for the doorknob. Assumed it was hot, she tested the heat with one finger. Enola could feel the heat, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Apparently, she was able to endure hot objects as well. She slowly opened the door and was horrified by what she found. Crystal and Dania were in a corner, clinging to each other. They were no longer screaming. They simply held each other, seemingly resigning to meet their end.

Enola stood, paralyzed, in the middle of the flames, choked by sadness and guilt. Knowing that she had placed them in danger was excruciating. Afraid that if she touched them, they’d burst into flames, she had no other choice than to leave them inside. Even if she could’ve touched them, it wasn’t like she could walk them through the flames. She ran out of her condo, down the stairs, and out the door. She screamed for help from anyone who could hear. She ran around the corner. To her relief, there were firefighters at the side of her building, already battling the flames.

Enola ran over to the firemen that were handling the ladder. “There!” she pointed to the window of her guestroom. “There’s a mother and daughter trapped inside.”

The firemen were eyeing Enola curiously before one of them asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive! Please hurry,” Enola begged.

The firemen positioned the ladder under the window and began to climb. Enola watched as they entered through the window. She couldn’t peel her eyes away if she wanted to.

“Ma’am?” a male voice called from behind.

“Ma’am?” he repeated when Enola didn’t answer.

She felt his attempt to place a blanket over her shoulders, but Enola swatted it away.

“I’m fine!” she snapped, still staring up at the window.

“Yes, ma’am. That’s good. But…you’re naked.”

Enola turned towards the voice. It was coming from a paramedic. She looked down at her stark-naked body and threw her hands over her breasts. She allowed the paramedic to cover her with a scratchy green blanket and returned her attention to the window. Relief flooded when she saw the firemen carrying Crystal and Dania down the ladder.

“Oh, my God. Thank you, God,” Enola breathed.

She waited as they placed Crystal and Dania on separate gurneys, then she hurried over to Crystal. Crystal was coughing uncontrollably and covered in soot, and warm tears welled in Enola’s eyes as she watched her friend struggle to breathe.

“Crys, I am so sorry,” Enola sniffed.

“It…it’s…not your fault,” Crystal coughed.

But it was Enola’s fault, and she needed to take full responsibility. “Crys, I-”

Enola’s words were cut off when Crystal grabbed her arm.

“I’m fine. Go see about my baby. Stay with Dania,” Crystal instructed.

Enola nodded and swiped the tears from her cheek.

“I’ll take care of her. I promise.”

“Thanks, friend,” was Crystal’s hoarse response.

Enola leaned over, kissed Crystal on the forehead, and reluctantly walked away. They were taking them in separate ambulances, so she climbed in with Dania. Enola leaned over and caressed Dania’s hand.

“Mommy,” the sweet girl whimpered with tears in her eyes.

“Mommy is okay. She told Tee Tee Nola to stay with you,” Enola reassured, fighting back her own tears. She was wrestling with the guilt of endangering her best friend and goddaughter during the entire ride to the hospital.

As she held tight to Dania’s hand, her grandmother’s words haunted her:

“You can’t run from who you are.”

 

* * * *

 

Gideon’s eyes flew open. He sat upright, feeling a strange sense of doom. Immediately on the defensive, he scanned his hotel room for threats. His room was completely dark, but his canine vision was perfect in the dark. When he found nothing in the form of a threat, something deep within told him that it was Enola that was in danger.

He snatched his cellular from the nightstand and called Hannibal. Since Gideon needed to keep his distance until Enola was ready to accept the paranormal reality of their life, Hannibal had been dispatched to ensure her safety.

“Boss?”

“What’s happened?” Gideon said into the receiver.

“Well, it seems that she flamed out and set her building on fire.”

“What!” Gideon shouted, hopping out of the bed. He was in Chicago. He wouldn’t let Enola see him, but he simply couldn’t stay away.

“Is she okay?”

“Well, yeah, boss. It’s not like fire can hurt her.”

Gideon pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it. “That’s not what the fuck I meant!” he growled into the phone.

“Well, she had guests. She seemed really worried about them. She ran out of the building ass naked and stood in front of a window.”

Gideon growled at the phone. For some reason, the welfare of Enola’s guests was considerably lower on the list of shit that bothered Gideon than the fact that Hannibal had seen her naked body.

“What of her guests?” Gideon snapped.

“They’ll survive. I’m at the hospital now. What do you want me to do, boss?”

“Stay with Enola.”

“Will do.”

“Oh, and Hannibal?”

“Yea, boss?”

“Stay away from her,” Gideon ordered.

“Sure thing,” Hannibal chuckled.