Page 24 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)
Re-Opening Night
Damon
Heatwave was ready for the public by the end of March. It had taken a couple of weeks of hard labor to get it to the exacting standards Mori required for all his businesses.
The experience, renovating something, had opened my eyes to a more serious side of Mori. My boyfriend, lover, whatever, still charmed the pants off, figuratively, everyone he met, woman, man, and everything in between. To me, though, he was the same Mori I’d gotten to know at Toth’s castle. He gave me the chance to see all sides of him, not just the image he projected to the public. That Mori was very outgoing, made friends with all, was always there to help people. My Mori was determined, fiercely protective, loyal, stubborn and sometimes had a touch of sarcastic humor.
Mori had encouraged me to be a part of everything included in the renovations. He’d asked me my opinions about everything from wallpaper to flooring. When we weren’t discussing things with the decorator, we were holding interviews for the staff who wanted to return, then for new staff to cover the slots left by unsuitable returning candidates. There were a lot of them, unfortunately.
Weeding out the alphaholes, betas with alphahole tendencies, and those who were easily influenced was mind-numbing yet essential work. No one wanted to allow situations to happen where an omega was forced into something when they couldn’t really consent. Heatwave had been closed when the former management had allowed an alpha who was stalking an omega to coerce the omega into passing some of their heat with him. The omega had escaped, thankfully with no long term added complications like a kid. I couldn’t imagine being that vulnerable and having to find strength from somewhere to get through it. I didn’t envy omegas at all.
All around us, the club had risen from the ashes of the previous incarnation into something beautiful, a sanctuary designed around omegas and their needs during their heats.
Some liked coming to the club to be the spectacle, so we had new viewing areas. Others liked the convenience of the club, with a choice of alphas and betas on staff. That part had changed little, except we were more sure of the intentions of the women and men that staffed the club .
Our biggest change was to use female staff more. The manager was a beta female, who I just knew would take no shit from the alpha males. We’d bonded over her mentions of enforcer training in another pack. She wasn’t a member of the Sweetwater pack, yet. Steph was new to the area, had the pass through rights, and was considering her options. I wanted to introduce her to Parker, just for him to have another shifter friend. Steph already had a mate, another beta, and a new member of our security team, Liam.
“Are you ready?” Mori asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I straightened my bow tie. We had gone all out for the opening night, gathering demons, witches, and shifters to the club to see all we had changed.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. I don’t know why you made me co-owner. I’m just a human. Not a very good one, either.”
“You are not just an anything. You are my Damon, the best human I know.”
“Mori, I’m a trained killer.” I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, willing him to deny that fact.
“No, you’re an ex-hitman, my son’s best friend, brother to Parker, and the person I love most in the world.”
My heart caught in my throat. Over the last month, we had danced around our feelings, never truly saying the words while clearly, we both felt them strongly. “Mori…”
“You don’t have to say it back, Damon, not if you’re not ready. I know how you feel about me,” he pressed a hand over his heart, “right here, from the moment you kneeled in the dirt and ruined that suit to make me feel better.” His lips quirked as if he was holding back a laugh.
I was still struggling with my emotions. No one had ever told me they loved me like that. I kept the feelings locked away in a battered cage, desperate to give someone the key. Then Mori had come along and shown me I was the one that needed to unlock it.
“Mori, I love you, too. I’ve never been as sure of anything as I am of you.” With a few steps, I was in front of him. I cupped the back of his neck to pull him down for a deep kiss.
We must have gotten caught up in the moment, as it was broken when we heard a throat clearing behind us. “Um, Mori? Damon? It’s time to go.” Barr stood in the doorway, looking dashing in the tuxedo I’d ordered for him. We had taken the trip to a tailor together so he could be measured properly. Neither I, nor Mori, had wanted to risk another demon coming in. We trusted Barr and his hellhound abilities were more useful than fighting skills were, especially up against a witch. Barr was naturally more resistant to magic, a talent I was a tad jealous of.
Mori planted another peck on my lips before unleashing his beaming smile on Barr. “I’m so excited to show everyone the new and improved Heatwave!”
He led us through the club with its navy walls, mahogany floors, and night sky like ceilings. Past the booths, each with new high-tech screen doors which could go clear or opaque depending on the mood of the occupants, each with sound limiting charms and so many spells it was a wonder shifters could enter them. Mori had asked some to check the facilities out and was met with a resounding thumbs up.
In each booth were dispensers for drinks, snacks, towels, anything an omega would need. It was totally up to them to tailor it to their needs. They could see out when the door was opaque and have the thrill of being close to being exposed.
The private rooms had a safe word spell on them. All the omega had to do was say this particular word, and security would come running. The alphas and even the betas that shared heats with the clients, weren’t told the word and it would be changed every so often.
For the demons, there was a lounge full of overstuffed sofas, oversized chairs to accommodate wings, and everything a demon could desire, where they could enjoy a drink and just soak up the lust floating in the air, letting them feed in luxury. We still didn’t know how many shifters would be willing to let a demon take them through a heat, but personally, I knew once you went demon, you never went back.
Time slipped away as Mori and I greeted the guests, each one having been checked by security before they could enter.
We knew full well that opening the club would attract all kinds of attention, both good and bad, so we had contingency plan after contingency plan until we believed we were covered.
Wrong.
All wrong.
Just before midnight, Basil stalked through the doors, all arrogant confidence in an admittedly decent looking tux. His wild red hair had been slicked back from his face, highlighting sharp cheekbones and sunken, boring blue eyes. Basil was plain looking, really. Thyme got all the looks in that family. But he more than made up for it with power.
During my time with supernaturals, I’d learned to sense power. It oozed from Basil, suffocating all in his path as he took a tour of the club. The witch with him had a dazed look on their face, making me suspect magic had been used on them. Clearly, not all the Northarbor coven witches could protect themselves like we’d been promised .
Basil picked up followers as he rounded the club. Someone served him a glass of champagne, which he took with a glower when the server spat in it. Gross, but I liked the sentiment.
One by one, witches and shifters spoke to Basil before leaving him alone. Why were none attacking him? This was our chance to end him.
“Mori, why—?”
“It’s the spells that are in place to prevent us from physical and magical attacks. In here he’s untouchable.” Mori’s face told of his fury. We should have expected Basil would come.
“Fuck!”
“Ah, it’s good to see you in the flesh, Amorandes. Don’t worry, I know your crown keeps you safe from me. What about you, Damon? You led me on quite the chase. Can you resist my magic?”
There was a tug deep in my chest as Basil set his eyes on me. His expression gave nothing away about his feelings, yet the twitch in his eye told me of his rage when he couldn’t control me.
“I see you were prepared. Well done.” Another tug. This time, his eyes flared with surprise. Basil backed away. “Well, it was lovely to meet you both, but something has come up and I must return home and make new plans.”
What the fuck was he going on about ?
“No! You can’t leave! Why are you doing this? Cody wants nothing to do with witch powers, just leave the coven and him alone.”
Basil whirled back around, retraced his steps, his eyes crackled with his anger, his magic sparking uselessly at his fingertips. “The Northarbor coven is mine! Once I get it back, I’m going to make sure witches are placed where they belong; at the top. No more answering to shifters. We don’t answer to elves. We own the demons,“ he spat.
“When I rise to power again, I’ll make sure even royalty can be used as the tools they were born to be.” He flicked a glance at Mori while he shook, barely restraining himself. “Cody should never have been born. He’s an abomination. That’s why he has to die.”
Mori looked horror-struck and had frozen in place.
I was ending this now.
“You, well, you were an unexpected complication. I’ll be seeing you soon… Damon.” With his last threat, Basil began to run. He fled for the door.
No. He wasn’t getting away from me.
From the secret pocket inside my tux jacket, I whipped out my favorite gun, flicked off the safety, took aim, and fired.
Nothing.
I tried again.
Still nothing .
Basil was almost at the door. I re-checked the clip. Full.
Mori laid his hand over mine, pushing the gun down so it was pointed to the floor. “It won’t work. The spells prevent guns from firing.”
“Fuck!”
The demented witch escaped through the door completely unchallenged. Mori wrapped his arms around me as I raged inwardly for not expecting this. Basil had completely blindsided us, and we’d let him.
Fucking magic.