Page 51 of Resurrecting the Witch
“Don’t be. He provoked you on purpose,” Guillermo interrupted.
I nodded. “I know my boobs are on display, he was just being an ass.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t kill him the next time he so much as looks at you the wrong way.” Patrick reached his hand and placed it at the pulse on my neck and I felt his magick calm me again. His touch was like my own chill pill, and I was completely obsessed with it.
“I know, big guy. It was also hot as fuck, so I’ll be thanking you properly later for defending me.” I whispered the last part in his ear even though I knew everyone in the room could hear it with their heightened hearing abilities. Matteo and Massimo choked on a laugh and then mimicked zipping their mouths shut in unison. “Now, the rest of you.” I changed my tone back to serious that allowed no room for argument. “Tell me what happened. Now.”
Chapter 16
My mate was the sexiest, fiercest, and most powerful being I had ever encountered. I would have killed the piece of shit fae next to me if she hadn’t stepped in and she pulled me back from whatever ugly force held me in its grip. I had felt that sensation before since I woke up, like darkness swallowed me whole, like I was wielding some power that wasn’t wholly me, but something I brought back from the veil instead. It typically only happened on the days surrounding the full moon, but that had happened a few days ago, thank the goddess. I had eaten my animal brain I hunted in the mountains and that was that.
I needed to speak to Guillermo about it more, Cliona too, but we were still in the middle of figuring out what the feck happened here.
I had followed Merrick back to the Hemlock house and spent most of the time keeping Warren somewhat docile, but I couldn’t do much to shut his ugly feckin’ mouth.
“Tell me what happened. Now,” Cliona commanded the room and I saw several powerful males visibly gulp in response. At once everyone’s voices erupted into a crescendo of babbling about their own version of events.
“SILENCE!” my mate yelled at the room and shut everyone up at the same time.
The lights flickered and I could tell by the wince in Cliona’s face that she hadn’t intended to unleash her magick on the lights or sound that angry. My poor Cliona. Sunday after the Silent Supper couldn’t come soon enough. She needed to power share and form her own coven soon. It wasn’t feasible for her to keep going like this. Though she looked sexy as fuck tonight, even makeup couldn’t hide the bags under her eyes. She tossed and turned the entire night on my chest, and I had even felt Schmidt use some of his own familiar powers to calm and lull her back to sleep several times. How long had he been doing that for her? Did she even know?
Again, not a problem for right now.
“I’m not saying shit to this Ó Cuinn filth,” Warren spat the words with a venom that wasn’t warranted, especially considering he never even mentioned he hated the Ó Cuinns before. Twice in the last two minutes, the entire room froze at his words; clearly the bastard had a desire to be on the other side of every alpha’s fists in this room. Gioia included, by the looks of it. Dom was having to hold the little wolf back.
“Talk about my female like that again, Warren, and there won’t be a single speck of your body remaining for us to bury.” He had the decency to pale at my comment, especially since I was stopped earlier from choking the life out of him. I looked toward Cliona, who had pink cheeks and looked… embarrassed? Had I embarrassed her with my claim? “I will not apologize for defending you. He called you a whore and trash in the last two minutes, I have killed for less and am hanging on by a thread,mo grá.”
“Care to share why you hate me so much, Warren? I don’t think we’ve had a single conversation since you arrived a few months ago, except in passing.” I hadn’t known this; I assumed they had a falling out by his behavior.
He cleared his throat and awareness flooded his features, like he was just coming back to the present and realizing how he’d fucked up saying that. “I’m sorry, Cliona. I didn’t mean to disrespect you—”
“I think lying to her is disrespectful,” Dominic interrupted.
“Go on,” Cliona told Warren, ignoring the dragon shifter.
“I was simply taking a stroll through the woods,” Warren started. “When—”
“Bull fucking shit!” Drew interrupted him this time. “A stroll through my back fucking yard?” I hadn’t seen his alpha side this unhinged before. He was normally as calm as Grom in our group meetings. “In Mamma’s tomato garden? Is it you who has been messing with the stuff in town too?”
“Stuff in town?” Cliona asked, looking just as surprised as I was at this.
“There hasn’t been enough evidence to bring to the council yet,” one of the other wolves answered. I wasn’t sure of their names, but they were twins sitting on the couch and looked content to watch the drama unfold. “We noticed someone fucking with our gas lines at the shop last week and some of the other business owners have mentioned weird things happening, but nothing that would warrant an investigation.”
“I will decide what warrants an investigation.” Cliona looked near losing it again. “You have no idea what a potential attack could be.” Her breathing increased as memories of her painful past she shared with me tonight took over. “None. No idea.” She started shaking, and I didn’t wait for Guillermo to give me the go-ahead before walking up to her and cupping her cheek. She simmered a bit but didn’t calm down completely.
“You have enough to worry about, Cliona,” Drew said this time, his voice calmer than it had been. “We didn’t want to bring you anything until we knew for certain. Guillermo even said—”
“Guillermo even said?” She looked toward her best friend with a look of betrayal in her eyes and even I was shocked that Guillermo knew.
Guillermo shook his head and heaved out a sigh. “You are barely able to keep it together for his conversation, Cliona, let alone an investigation that I was handling just fine without you.”
Cliona’s entire body seized. I felt her power rising up even as my own pushed into her skin.
“I haven’t done shit to anything in town,” Warren took the opportunity to speak up, and I felt Cliona’s body relax finally, understanding there were more important things right now. “I was just on a late-night hike, doing my job of patrolling the woods when a bloody wolf jumped out and latched on to my throat like I’m some chew toy. I’m lucky to be breathing, honestly.”
“You’re so full of shit,” Gioia says from behind Dom, who hushed her and pushed her back behind him again. “We can smell your lies, liar. We might be mutts to you, but our noses don’t lie to us, and you smelled like you were up to something when they dragged your sorry ass in here.”
“Language, Gioia,” Dom condemned, but I noted the small smile on his face at her curse words for the fae.
