Page 49 of Fangs & Fur

“HEY! ENOUGH!” A strangled voice pierces the air, and a cloud of black, swirling dust forms behind Cole. Like a whirlpool of darkness, it forms so suddenly I barely get a moment to comprehend what is happening before Tyler is stumbling through the void and reaches for Cole.

The moment his feet touch the ground, the dark cloud vanishes, leaving nothing in its trace.

“They asked for help, so I'll help,” Tyler hisses, shoving Cole away. The large witch steps back willingly. Clearly, Tyler wouldn’t have a chance at actually moving the mountain of a man.

“You owe them nothing,” Cole reiterates, throwing his hand over Tyler’s shoulder, gesturing to the group.

Sighing loudly, Tyler shakes his head. “I gave Noah his curse. I saw what was going to happen to him, so the least I can do is help. Back off, Cole.”

Cole stares at Tyler for a beat too long; the silence between them is almost unnerving. His gaze drifts over Tyler’s face as if he’s reading something only he can see. Then a low growl rumbles from deep in his chest, and he gives a slight nod. “Then make it quick.”

Turning toward the house, Tyler slides past everyone crowding the door and saunters up to me. He looks tired, with dark circles hanging below his eyes and a grey sheen covering his skin.

“Hey, Noah,” Tyler greets me softly.

“Hey, Ty, you don’t look so good. Is everything okay?” I slide from my seat as Tyler wraps me in a hug.

“I’m fine. Just not sleeping the best.” He releases me and gives me a faint, strained smile. “Let’s get these wards up then.”

I nod as Tyler grasps my hands in his, holding me steady as he closes his eyes and begins to chant quietly.

The hairs on my arms stand on end as tingles spread through my body. Inch by inch the house comes to life. The paintings lining the walls clatter and shake; footsteps thunder above us as whatever spirit haunts this house panics.

Xander is by my side in the blink of an eye, his hands grasping my shoulders as he kisses the shell of my ear. “Don’t let go, sweetheart.”

Cole is challenged by the others at the doorway as he barrels through and steps closely behind Tyler, yet he doesn’t touch the witch.

As my body grows warmer and warmer by the second, my fingers cramp and my arms shake with exhaustion. Tyler’s chanting grows louder until he’s nearly shouting, and the entire house is vibrating. Before, after what feels like far too long, Tyler stops.

The house falls quiet, the footsteps stop, and he lets go. Stumbling backwards, Cole catches him and wraps him up against his chest, whispering sweetness into Tyler's ear. The witch looks exhausted now, and I feel terrible for him as my energy grows steady now that I'm free from his grasp.

“Will he be okay?” I ask sheepishly.

Cole snarls in my direction, “He will be when you’ve killed that thing. And we will accept your offer of protection.” His eyes dart to Ambrose. “Ten years of service to the coven. God knows why you would want that.”

Tyler’s eyes open, and he faintly smiles at me. “Now you’re safe.”

The similar swirl of dark matter forms around Cole, swallowing him and Tyler whole before sinking into a tiny point and then disappearing.

“So that fixes the ward situation,” Cassius sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “But tell me again as to why you’re willingly signing away a decade of your life to the witches?”

Ambrose shrugs. “I’ll be needing a witch for something.”

Xander scoffs and kisses the top of my head. “Vague much.”

I giggle and my stomach rumbles. “Why am I sapped? I ate half an hour ago.”

Xander hurries into the kitchen and pulls together a peanut butter sandwich and a bowl of green grapes. “Tyler needed your energy to form the wards. Humans have great energy for those kinds of things. Eat this.” He passes the sandwich over as I take a handful of grapes and chew them quickly. My stomach growls angrily at me as I wolf down the sandwich.

By the time Xander is collecting my plate, Harlan is bouncing on his toes at the front door. His eyes glimmer with excitement as he nudges Ambrose, who rolls his eyes at the little vampire.

“Ready?” Harlan chimes and adjusts his leather jacket.

Xander pulls his own from the coat stand and slides into it before passing me mine. We all look like a team. A family. Each vampire’s jacket is slightly different, with Harlan’s cropped waist, Ambrose’s cinched hem, and Cassius’s silver chains that hang from the collar.

Both mine and Xander’s jackets have matching silver buttons on the sleeves, and I smile happily at him, bumping my hip against his thigh and enjoying the way he chuckles at me.

But we’re missing someone…