Page 52 of Resurrecting the Witch
“Why were you on a late-night walk?” Cliona asked the somewhat simple question.
“Because I wanted to walk?” Warren said, but I saw something in his eyes. Fear. He was scared of something, and it didn’t seem like he was afraid of Cliona or any of the other bodies straining to control their rage.
Cliona must have sensed the change in his demeanor, too because she transitioned into the High Priestess I knew lurked beneath her surface. “You do know Samhain is in three days’ time, correct?” Warren gulped at her question and nodded in answer. “So you know that right now when the veils are thinning and death is closer than ever.” She let her warning sink into him. “That it might not be the best time for you to test my fucking patience.”
He shuddered in response but stuck to his story. “I promise I was just going on a walk, patrolling the woods like always. I did take some tomatoes, and I am sorry for that. But it wasn’t anything personal.”
Cliona peered at him and then looked to Guillermo. They spoke in a silent language I didn’t know, which pissed me off, but then she surprised us all. “You may leave.”
“WHAT!?” Drew unleashed the fury he’d kept a tight leash on. I saw his nails lengthen and the ridge of his brow gain more hair than before. He was going to shift right here in the kitchen.
“I will deal with you in a minute, Drew,” Cliona said between her clenched teeth. “Get out of my fucking sight, Warren, before I regret this decision.”
Warren didn’t need another warning and left out the back door he was pressed against. Drew started to speak before Cliona cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Guille, you and Merrick go track him and see what else he is up to. I don’t trust him.” Guillermo aimed his head toward the back door, summoning Merrick who was already taking the shirt he’d found at some point off as if he was about to shift again. “Just follow for now, you know the drill.”
Guillermo nodded in response and followed Merrick out into the slowly rising sun. The rest of us sat in silence for several long moments and I walked up to put my hand on Cliona’s cheek. She was burning up and I could see her color change when my skin met hers. While it made a base urge in my happy to ease my mate’s suffering, I was mad that she suffered in the first place. According to Guillermo and Dr. Borisyuk, she didn’t need to. She was torturing herself for no reason and I would have to have a talk with her later about this. She didn’t need to wait for Samhain, she should just do it this morning. Right now.
“He smelled of fear,” Gioia said to break the silence. The wolves had calmed themselves down and we all gathered in the living room. I grabbed Cliona’s wrist and guided her to the large ottoman. I sat down then pulled her onto my lap and began stroking the fishnets in the exposed parts of her jeans. I couldn’t get enough of her touch, even if we were in a room full of other people.
“The young wolf is right,” I confirmed. “He was afraid, but it wasn’t of you, even though he probably pissed himself when you yelled at him.”
My blood heated at the reminder of my mate being so fierce.
“I sensed that too,” Cliona said. She was in deep thought then she looked up to Drew who had contained his shift but looked pissed as hell. “You know I only let him go so we could follow him, right?”
“Of course, I know that,” he spat, then widened his eyes, realizing how he spoke to my mate. I growled at him. I didn’t care how pissed off he was. He wouldn’t speak to her in that tone again. “Sorry, Cliona. I was so mad. We’ve all been having trouble controlling our shifting recently, and I didn’t react rationally.”
“What do you mean, trouble controlling your shifting?” Dominic asked from the end of the couch. Gioia was perched on the arm next to him and looked down as if she were embarrassed.
Drew sighed and made eye contact with Matteo and Massimo before continuing. “We didn’t want to worry you.”
“I’m so fucking sick of people worrying about worrying about me,” Cliona said in a deathly calm voice. I pressed into her skin and felt her ease again at my touch. She was getting worse.
“I don’t care how fucking sick of it you are, Cliona. You are in Mamma Adelaide’s house right now and you know she would never have let you get this bad. You can’t even have a conversation without your magick getting the best of you.” Drew wasn’t wrong, but I kept my focus on Cliona and how she was responding. “Regardless, we weren’t sure what to make of it yet. Even Anya has had some trouble controlling her shift and she’s an elder. We didn’t think much of it and would have told you eventually.”
“But you do know the wards are what prevent random shifts, right? What if something is happening with them?” Cliona took a deep breath before continuing. “And I know I’m a mess.” I moved from her fishnets to her lower back and stroked up and down the base of her spine, trying to soothe out any worries she felt, knowing it wouldn’t help much.
“I’ve felt a bit on edge myself too, but didn’t think to tell anyone about it,” Dom added. “I have felt the urge to shift stronger than usual, like something is controlling it that isn’t me. It’s been unnerving but sometimes around the sabbats the wolf acts a little funny. Samhain is typically no different, but it has felt…” He considered his words. “Intense.”
“What’s wrong, Gioia?” Cliona asked.
I hadn’t seen her, but the young wolf shook her head. Dom was having none of that and grabbed her chin, turning her to face him before letting her to face the others. Her brown and gold eyes were glassy, as if tears were about to spill over onto her reddening cheeks.
“Gioia, you will tell us what is bothering you right now,” Dom demanded. I looked at Drew who didn’t seem phased by the blatant alpha behavior from the dragon, knowing he would probably be doing the same thing if he were physically closer to her.
“I, uh…” She paused. “I shifted the other day for the first time and didn’t tell anyone because it wasn’t a full moon and that’s never happened. So, I thought something was wrong with me and I didn’t know what to do.”
“You what!?” I’m fairly certain one more outburst would cause my wolf friend to drop dead of a heart attack or something. Drew leaped to his feet and crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. “Your first shift? You shifted?” He couldn’t believe it and sank to his knees with Gioia cradled in his arms. “Oh, pup. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there with you.” He had his own tears now. Matteo and Massimo followed and surrounded them both. Even the other twins finally looked like something bothered them for the first time since I walked in. I looked to Dom and balked at the pure rage in his gaze. A mad dragon wasn’t something we needed right now, especially one who was having shifting control abilities.
Cliona got off my lap and went to join the Hemlock pack on the floor while I jerked my head to the back door for Dom to follow. We weren’t going to help anyone here, so we could stand guard outside while they comforted Gioia.
Chapter 17
Yesterday was a dream. After we left Hemlock’s, Patrick came back to my cottage and we snuggled on the couch all day watching more Buffy.
We also had a lot of sex.
I knew fae had stamina, but still, it was a shock even to me when he bent me over the kitchen counter to fuck me after already taking me in my bedroom, the living room, and even out in my garden when I was watering the plants.
