Page 11

CHAPTER 11

“C ece, I’d feel a lot better if you stayed the night.” Elora watched as Cece pulled on her jacket and shoved her feet into her boots.

“I can’t, honey. I have an early shift at the greenhouse tomorrow, and if I stay here, it’ll take me twice as long to get to work. I’ll have to get up so much earlier, and you know how I feel about getting up early.” Cece smiled at her, but Elora didn’t return it.

“I can come to your place then.”

“Honey, I’m fine, okay?” Cece took her hands and squeezed them. “Thank you for inviting me for dinner, it was delicious, and I love spending time with you, but I told you before that I need to start getting my shit together.”

“There’s no timeline on grief and needing support,” Elora said. “I hate the idea of you being all alone in that big, cold as ice house.”

“It’s not that cold,” Cece said with a laugh.

“It’s basically an icebox in the winter,” Elora said. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to freeze to death in the night.”

“I won’t,” Cece said. “I’ll sleep by the fireplace in the living room if I get too cold.”

Elora sighed. “I’m just worried about you.”

“I know, but I swear I’m okay. I’m just,” Cece hesitated, “sad and missing Aunt Sybil, but that’s grief, right?”

“Sure, but you don’t have to do it alone,” Elora said. “And with Maisey and Kinsley now gone on their European adventure, I’m not letting you sit all alone night after night.”

“You’re not,” Cece said. “You’re an amazing friend, and if I’m ever lonely or overly sad, I will call you and demand all of your attention.”

“You promise?” Elora asked.

“I promise,” Cece said. “Now, will you be okay?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because for the first time in two years, you’re alone,” Cece said. “You don’t have Lili - I mean Jonah with you.”

“I’m fine.” Elora brushed off her concern.

“You miss him,” Cece said.

“I just saw him at lunch,” Elora said.

“You miss him, and you want to bang him until your eyes cross,” Cece said.

Elora paused. “Yeah, I do.”

Cece laughed, and Elora grinned at her. “What? He’s super hot.”

“He is,” Cece said. “But also dangerous and a total commitment phobe.”

“Tell me about it,” Elora sighed. “But it won’t stop me from masturbating to detailed fantasies starring Jonah.”

Cece turned bright red before giggling. “Oh my God, Elora.”

“ Very detailed fantasies, Cece.”

“Okay, well, you have fun with that, dirty girl,” Cece said before opening the door. “Oh my God!”

“Hello, Cece.” Jonah grinned at her.

“Hi,” she said as he muscled past her and into the apartment. “We were just talking about you.”

“Oh yeah?” Jonah’s grin widened. “Was it about how handsome I am?”

Her face went red, and she gave Elora an ‘oh, holy shit’ look.

“It was,” Jonah said, his grin turning wicked.

“No, it wasn’t,” Cece said quickly.

“Cece, you have a crap poker face,” Jonah said.

“She really does,” Elora said.

“Both of you hush,” Cece said. “Elora, I’ll call you tomorrow night.”

“Bye, Cece.”

Cece left, shutting the door behind her. Ignoring the butterflies that were doing happy handstands in her stomach, Elora said, “Hey, what’s up?”

“I brought you the car.” Jonah dangled a set of car keys in front of her. “Insurance and registration have been transferred to your name. I parked it in your visitor spot until you can get that other piece of shit car towed to the junkyard.”

“Jonah, I don’t feel right about borrowing a car from you,” Elora said.

He folded the car keys into her hand. “I want to do this. I’ve driven in your car, remember? I know how dangerous it is.”

“It’s not dangerous,” Elora said.

He just snorted and rolled his eyes. “How was the rest of your afternoon?”

“Fine, busy at the shop and then Cece came over for dinner. Did Caleb come home?”

He shook his head. “No, but his friend Alex told me where he is.”

“Where?” Elora asked.

“The fae took him about eight months ago.” His ordinarily cheerful face took on a pinched look.

“Oh shit,” she breathed. “Come sit down.”

He followed her to the couch, sinking onto the lumpy and battered piece of furniture.

Her stomach twisting, Elora gave Jonah a worried look. “Eight months is a long time. Usually, they only…”

“Keep humans for a couple of weeks, I know,” he said.

She told herself not to take his hand, then took it anyway. He linked their fingers, staring solemnly at her as she said, “Why did they take him?”

“He’s a musician,” Jonah said.

“Ah,” she said. “Fucking fae and their obsession with music.”

“Yeah.”

“Is he with the northern or the southern fae?” she asked.

“Northern.”

She didn’t want Jonah to see how her worry immediately intensified, but she must have done a poor job of hiding it because he squeezed her hand and said, “Caleb is tough in his own way. I’m sure he’s okay.”

“Did you go to the police?”

“His friends did about a month after he was taken. They basically said that if he’d been gone that long, he was probably now there of his own free will.”

“What?” Anger washed over Elora. “That’s such bullshit.”

“It is,” Jonah said.

“So, now what? Will you talk to the police again?”

“No,” Jonah said. “I’m going to their compound tonight and getting him.”

“You’re what?” Alarm stiffened her body, and her hands glowed with blue light as her magic reacted to the fear.

“Shh, little witch,” Jonah said soothingly. “Control your magic.”

“You can’t go to their compound, Jonah,” Elora said. “The fae are dangerous and can’t be trusted.”

“I can handle the fae,” Jonah said.

“No, you can’t.” Elora yanked her hands free and stood to pace the small living room. “Their magic is powerful, and they will use it on you. If you go there, you could be seriously injured.”

“I have a plan,” he said.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face,” Elora said.

Jonah grinned. “Okay, Mike Tyson. Look, I promise it’ll be fine. I’ll get Caleb back without any problems.”

“What about the poisonous thorns?” she said and shuddered all over. She didn’t know if this was true of the southern fae, but the northern fae had the ability to sprout poisonous thorns on their bodies that were toxic to other creatures.

“It isn’t a lethal toxin,” he said. “At the most, it makes you sick to your stomach and gives you a mild infection.”

“You’re being stupidly naive,” she snapped.

“No, I’m being realistic. Yes, the fae have powerful magic, but are you forgetting that I’m a shapeshifter?”

Elora chewed on her bottom lip. “Their magic doesn’t work as well when a person is in animal form.”

“Exactly. It’s why I, and the shifters, don’t fear them. If they start to use their magic, I’ll shift to a hippo.”

“A hippo?” she said.

“The hippo is the world’s deadliest land mammal,” he laughed, but she couldn’t see any humour in the situation.

“You shouldn’t go alone,” she said. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” he said immediately, the laughter dropping from his voice. “You’re not going anywhere near the fae, Elora.”

“Are you forgetting I’m a witch?” Her voice was snippy, and she hated that, but she also hated the idea of Jonah confronting the fae on his own.

“I haven’t, but you’re not going with me.”

“I can help you,” she said.

“No, you’ll distract me,” he said bluntly. “I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you.”

“This isn’t a job,” she said.

He just squeezed her hand. “I’ll text you when I have Caleb, okay?”

“You’re going right now?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“At least let me do a protection spell on you,” she said. “It’ll only take ten minutes.”

“You know it won’t work if I have to shift to an animal,” he said.

“I’ll do the protection spell on your animal form as well,” she said. “It works for shifters.”

“I’m not a shifter,” he said. “It doesn’t work the same for shapeshifters. Didn’t Sarina tell you that?”

“Sarina doesn’t tell me shit,” she snapped. “At least let me do the spell on your human form then.”

“I won’t need it,” he said. “Elora, I promise you, I won’t be harmed.”

She suddenly started patting his waist, and he looked at her blankly. “What are you doing?”

“You’re taking a gun with you, right?” She frowned, her magic spiking in her veins again when she didn’t feel a gun. “Where is your gun?”

“I can’t go in there with a weapon,” he said. “You know that, little witch. If I have an obvious weapon, the fae will attack immediately.”

Her hands were glowing bright blue, and she was dismayed by the panic that raced through her veins. “Jonah, I hate this. Please, let me go with you.”

He shook his head, shifting closer to her on the couch before leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. “Everything will be fine, baby.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered.

“I do.” He brushed his mouth against hers, and the panic subsided a little at the touch of his lips.

She couldn’t resist kissing him again, couldn’t resist using her tongue to coax his lips apart. His low groan sent heat pulsing through her lower belly, and she slid her fingers into his thick, dark hair, tugging lightly on the silky locks.

He groaned again before angling his mouth over hers and taking the kiss deep. He kissed Elora hungrily like she was his favourite feast, and she scrambled eagerly into his lap when he tugged her toward him.

She straddled him as they kissed. Jonah’s tongue was both teasing and coaxing, and he did these tantalizing little licks against her upper lip that nearly lit her on fire with need. God, she loved how he kissed.

His big hands gripped her hips, and she moaned when she felt his hardness brush against her sensitive pussy. She ground against him, seeking some relief from the sudden and intense ache radiating from her pelvis.

His hips thrust up, and his hands slid to her ass, cupping her cheeks while she dry-humped him like a horny teenage girl. She tried to push his leather jacket off his shoulders, she really wanted to see him naked again, and Jonah made a low sound of regret before pushing her back gently.

“Stop, little witch,” he rasped.

She stared blankly at him before mortification rushed in and blew away her lust. “Oh my God. Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

She slid off his lap and onto her feet, backing away from him as Jonah stood from the sofa. Grimacing, he rearranged the bulge at his crotch, and she looked away as fresh embarrassment washed over her.

“I am so sorry,” she repeated. “I shouldn’t have… have done that when you’re not… when you don’t want me in the same way and I -”

“Don’t want you in the same way?” He blinked at her. “I’m sorry, did you black out while we were making out?”

“What?”

He pointed to his crotch, where his erection was still painfully evident. “You see this, right? What part of this screams I don’t want you, little witch?”

“You… earlier, when we kissed, you said it was a mistake,” she said.

“Because it was, and so was this,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”

He stared at her, his dark eyes fierce with need and longing. “You have no idea how badly I want to be buried in your perfect pussy, little witch. How many times I’ve thought about how you would sound, how you would look when impaled on my dick.”

“Jonah,” she whispered as her lust roared back to life.

He looked away, regret colouring his words. “But it would be a mistake, and we both know it.”

He raked his hand through his hair before taking a deep breath. “I have to go, Elora.”

“Just wait. One second, please.” She hurried to the overflowing bookshelf and grabbed a bronze box from the second shelf. She opened it and rifled through the contents, her hands still pulsing with blue light. She found the pendant under two concert ticket stubs and a potion recipe for clearing acne and snagged it out of the box, yanking the chain free impatiently when it stuck on the box’s latch.

“Here, I want you to wear this.” She brought the pendant over, and Jonah studied it.

“It’s made of iron,” she said. “It’ll be a bit of protection against the fae. Iron burns them.”

“I know. Why do you have this?” he asked.

“Helen agreed to help a southern fae a few years ago. The fae came to our apartment, and Helen made me wear it. She’s never trusted the fae.”

“Why did she help one of them?” Jonah asked.

“I don’t know. Helen wouldn’t tell me why or what she did for them,” Elora said. “Please, will you wear it?”

“It’ll just fall off if I shift to an animal,” Jonah said.

“Please,” Elora said, that bright edge of panic nibbling at her edges again. “For me?”

His face softened, and he nodded. Elora slipped it over his head, tucking it underneath his shirt before pressing her hand against it. She was tempted to try to get in a protection spell before Jonah broke their connection, but as if he sensed it, he stepped back.

“I have to go, little witch.”

She followed him to the door. “Text me the minute you have Caleb and you’re away from the fae, okay? Promise me, Jonah.”

“I promise,” he said.

His gaze fell to her mouth, and for one heart-stopping moment, she thought he might kiss her again. Instead, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He grinned and winked at her, “Talk to you soon, Elora.”

He walked away without looking back, and she shut the door, leaning heavily against it as that bright panic wormed deeper into her body. She had such a bad feeling about this.