Page 30 of What The Hex (The Family Spells)
Hex ran both palms over his hair as the Ebon Red wolves (I knew what pack they were from based on scent and coloring alone) waited about twenty yards ahead of us. They probably felt they owed us their help in getting out of here okay. I’d soon be hearing from the Alpha Female of Pack Ebon Red, no doubt.
“Now that we have this settled, we should go,” Spec said gently, his lavender eyes drifting back in the direction of the sanctum. In truth, I didn’t think anyone from Coven Wyrmwood or Cabal Ungeist would chase us just now.
For all they knew, my entire coven was out here waiting. That, and with Lulu Witch fast asleep, Hex was no longer under her control. For whatever reason, they needed him (and not just as a warm body) to unite their two groups. Something else. Something to do with him being the demon king’s second son?
I glanced at Hex, but it was a tad hard to believe. My hand went to my belly and Spectre noticed, his face softening.
“Agreed. No point in testing fate,” I said, and then I turned and headed into the woods, Caine once again in wolf form beside me, Hex trailing just behind. Spectre took up the front while Monster and Argent guarded the rear of our little group. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were talking about me, about our shared past, about … whatever else.
But then I started to run, and the rest of the group followed. We ended up at the edge of a dirt road where we’d left our brooms. Because, you know, witches do travel on brooms. It’s fast, faster than Caine’s sexy motorcycle. Some nights, it isn’t worth the effort what with glamour spells and all that to keep prying eyes away.
But tonight? On All Hallows’ Eve? You bet your sweet cheeks I was going to ride shotgun on my broom. I thrust the extra we’d brought out at Hex, and he blinked at me a few times before taking it in his hand.
“We didn’t know if your wings were, um, functional or not.” I cleared my throat and waited as Hex flexed the orange leathery bat-like wings behind him.
“Admittedly, I’m a pretty terrible demon; I’m not sure I could fly if someone were to push me off a roof.”
“We could arrange such an occasion to test the theory,” Argent posited, and Spectre gave him a harsh look in my place.
“Please tell me you’re not such a terrible witch that you’ve never ridden a broom before,” I begged, and Hex frowned hard at me, tail twitching.
“Of course I’ve ridden a broom before,” he scoffed, staring down at it like he was terrified of the damn thing. But our magic was sympathetic enough that, despite his affiliation with a different coven, I knew he could ride it just fine. Maybe … even better than a broom from his own coven.
“Have you? If so, I’ve never seen it,” Connard replied haughtily, still clinging to his master’s shoulder. I imagined Hex would have some serious kitty welts to deal with later. Hex ignored him entirely.
“We couldn’t get back the one you dropped in Hael,” I said with an apologetic lift of my shoulder. I tucked my broom between my legs and then exhaled sharply as Monster moved up beside me.
He wasn’t a witch, so he didn’t need a broom to get around.
“All of my demonic appendages work just fine,” he purred, reaching out like he might touch me but stopping short when Spectre reached out to stop him.
And, much as my husbands hated the idea of Monster touching me, I wasn’t about to let him smear his heady pheromones all over their skin either.
“Hands to ourselves please.” I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my vampire husband’s wrist. “Even my kids know how to follow that rule. Come on, boys, get your shit together.”
Monster lifted up the edge of his lip in a small snarl, and then opened his shadow wings behind him, snapping them sharply and making Hex cringe.
“Terrible demon indeed,” he snorted, but I ignored him.
“Thank you for escorting us to the road,” I offered with an incline of my head toward the nine werewolves that Hex had saved. I tried not to let my heart warm at the thought and failed miserably. Maybe he wasn’t as much of a worm as the rest of his filthy coven?
One of the female wolves inclined her head in turn and took off, trotting down the road with the others behind her. They picked up their pace into an all-out sprint, and I was able to rest a little easier. They’d get away just fine, but that wouldn’t stop Coven Wyrmwood or Cabal Ungeist from rounding up more wolves in a second attempt at this stupid wedding.
