For once in her life, Amethyst held the leading reins in a confrontation with her mother. It was a heady feeling. Her usual response to confrontation of any kind was avoidance. When that didn’t work, then out-right flight. Neither tactic had ever been entirely successful with Mildred, who, like a vampire, tended to rise again and again.

So, the opportunity to stick it to her overbearing parent was too good to pass up.

Then Kerr had claimed her mouth with a deep, tongue-thrusting kiss.

Breath-stealing shock, heart-pounding excitement, and panty-melting arousal had Amethyst immediately second-guessing playing along with Kerr. His kiss was a scorched-earth- move which promised to change Amethyst forever. If he hadn’t been holding her up, she’d have landed on her arse.

Using Kerr to taunt her mother might prove to be a colossal error in judgment, especially since she couldn’t deny the fact that there was something between them. Kerr felt he was her mate, and Oliver had concurred. The talk they were going to have had become crucial. She needed to make things clear. First, her life, her job, were in England. Second, mating with a shifter and living in the back of the beyond Appalachia had never figured in her life plans.

Though, a wildly wicked fling with a Shifter for a few days? Hey, she could handle that … right? But mating was forever—and not something to be taken lightly.

The kiss seemed endless, and she was shocked to find she was actively prolonging the delicious act. Twining her tongue with Kerr’s, Amethyst grasped his shoulders and held on as he stole her breath and kissed the stuffing out of her.

Kerr’s amusement tickled her mind. Breathe, darlin’.

H-h-how? Ammy responded, using her newly discovered mind-talking talent.

Through your nose, baby.

Easy for you to s-s-say. I forgot how … I think.

“Um, Kerr?” Mac’s voice sounded as if it came from the bottom of a well. “Ammy’s turning blue.”

Kerr broke off the kiss; his lips remained a mere whisper away from hers. “Shut up, Mac. Breathe, Ammy. Now.” He shook her slightly.

Amethyst gulped in huge breaths of air. “S-s-sorry. Never been kissed that way.”

Bloody hell, she sounded like an idiot.

Kerr grinned as if she’d just declared him the bloody king of studs.

“You’ll get used to it.” Zelda patted Amethyst’s back. “The key is to share breaths with Kerr.”

“Amethyst Sophia St. John!” Mildred’s stridency had reached stratospheric levels. “What is going on here?”

Sweet Blessed Goddess! Kerr’s kiss had been so potent, she’d forgotten her mother’s presence. She chalked that side effect up to the pro side of using Kerr as a distraction. Losing herself to all sense of time and space, she put on the con side of the list. It wasn’t smart to lower her defenses when Mildred and Reginald were around.

Darlin’, everything about you acting as my mate should be on the pro side. Kerr rubbed her back.

It’s my list. Butt out.

So many worries. Just keep in mind, I’m not your mother. I see you as a partner, not a slave to my needs. I always have your back.

Her heart lurched. The man knew how to fight dirty. Yes, she was using him as a buffer against Mildred and Reginald. But Kerr was using their time together to show her what being his mate would be like.

How could she resist the man? Kerr ticked off all the boxes of what she wanted in a man. But there were still her concerns about her job and living in the U.S.—plus, this all happening too fast.

Kerr kissed her forehead. Give us a chance, Ammy.

He’d said “us,” not “me,” showing he already viewed the future in terms of them as a team. She looked up and found him looking at her with such a pleading look in his eyes, she could only nod. I’ll try.

That’s all I ask.

Kerr hugged her, and damn it, she felt as if she’d come home. How in the hell did he do that to her?

“Unhand my fiancée, you filthy animal!” Reginald ripped Amethyst away from Kerr’s hold. His nails tore cruelly into Amethyst’s forearm and drew blood.

Amethyst cried out. Her defensive magic reared up violently and gave her the strength to shove the bastard away even as Kerr growled. The atmosphere around Kerr began to shimmer as he stalked Reginald.

“Amethyst, Kerr’s losing it.” Oliver’s tone was urgent. “His animal is taking over. You need to stop him.”

Kerr’s volcanic rage rolled off him in tsunami-like waves. The atmosphere heated up, causing a strong breeze to sweep through the great room until Zelda muttered an incantation that halted the phenomenon.

“Kerr … stop. I’m fine.” Amethyst moved behind him, then touched his back and pushed cool, calming energy into him. “Don’t kill him for me. He’s not worth it.”

“Ammy…” Kerr’s breathing was rough … animalistic. His big, strong body vibrated with the need to shift and retaliate on her behalf. “He … hurt … you … bleeding.”

Amethyst’s heart skipped a beat at the breadth and depth of his protectiveness, at his willingness to fight her battles. It was endearing—in a primitive way. “I’m fine. Let it go.”

“For now…” Kerr stood over Reginald and bared his teeth.

Then Kerr turned his back on Reginald. He reached for her arm and examined her wounds. Low rumbling growls shook his whole body as he eyed the bloody gouges. Yet, he cradled her arm so gently it brought tears to her eyes.

Amethyst gasped when Kerr began to clean the wound by licking away the blood and sealing the shredded skin with something in his saliva.

“Um, Kerr…” Amethyst cupped his chin, halting the treatment. “Is that sanitary?”

He looked her in the eye. “For you? Yes.”

Unsatisfied with his response, Amethyst narrowed her eyes. “Kerr—”

“Amethyst,” Mildred said, her tone as haughty as ever. “I insist you come home with me this instant,” her mother blithely continued as if the previous few minutes had never occurred.

Obviously, Mildred was a slow learner.

Kerr turned to confront her mother. He eyed Mildred—and Reginald who hid behind her—as if they were juicy prey, and he was ravenous. Every muscle in his body was tense, battle-ready. His fists clenched and unclenched. His rumbling growl was continuous now and building in volume with each second that passed.

Amethyst sensed he was losing the battle against his primal instincts. She latched onto his arm, but wasn’t sure she could hold Kerr back if his animal side came out on top.

The fraught situation was solved when Mildred and Reggie disappeared in a whirlwind of neon green lightning.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish.” Baba Yaga dusted off her hands and looked at Amethyst and Kerr. “I sent them back to England. They will land in the Thames or the Channel, not sure which, but it’s one of those.”

An antiseptic wipe, suspended in air, appeared in front of Amethyst’s nose. “Try this cat-man,” Baba Yaga said. “The licking thing? Can I just say eeww?”

Kerr bared his teeth at Baba Yaga. “It seemed to be working … Carol.”

Uh-oh. Kerr had used Baba Yaga’s real name, not her title. Probably not a good idea.

Sensing Kerr’s unspent rage firing up once more, Amethyst grabbed the wipe floating in front of them and used it to clean the almost healed scratches. She looked at Kerr and lifted her arm. Explain.

Don’t worry about it. Kerr gave her a gentle squeeze. I have some healing magic of my own.

Uh-huh. He was deflecting.

When Amethyst would’ve demanded they have “their talk” now rather than later, the pack rat Shifters, wearing uniform shirts stating Assjacket CSI and laden with kits, entered Mac’s great room. They were led by their supervisor Bucky.

Kerr’s forensic team was here. Time to get down to business and find clues to who had taken Merlin’s Foreskin. The talk would happen—eventually.

“Hey, Kerr. Good morning, Miss Amethyst, ma’am.” Bucky came to stand in front of them. He gestured toward the CSI crew. “The kids will shift and look for clues inside the house. I’ll take a look around outside.”

“Sounds good, Bucky,” Kerr replied. “Ammy and I will conduct interviews with persons of interest, beginning with those who showed up early this morning at Mac’s. They might’ve seen something. That’ll take most of the morning. Mac, can we use your office?”

“Sure. I have some business out of the house,” Mac said.

“I’ll be around if you two need any help,” Zelda said. “Feel free to come upstairs and help change diapers. It is a never-ending job. Good practice for you guys … for later.”

Amethyst inhaled sharply, and Zelda laughed.

“Behave, beautiful girl.” Mac kissed the laughter right out of his wife, then turned to leave. “I’ll check back later, Kerr. We can catch up on anything you find over lunch.”

“With any luck, we’ll find the artifact by then,” Kerr replied.

Amethyst, somehow, doubted it would be that easy.