Page 89 of Witchbane

Anything to be with him. Even the kitsune gave focus to him. Our mate, our scion,ours.

“Yours,” Liam promised. “Let’s share this, shall we? You tend to keep it all bottled up until it’s making you sick.” His fingers dug into my fur and seemed to pull out the magic I’d been gathering. It didn’t hurt, and it looked a bit like cotton candy. He flung it outward, the strands spreading across the distance, covering our wolves, which worried me for a second. But the power pulsed like a bomb had gone off, not with heat and pain, but warmth, life, and happiness.

Liam wobbled a little. The strength of the emotions tied to the power gave him pause too. “That happy to see me?”

Always. He was everything.

He pulled out more, casting it until I got a feel for what he was doing. Spreading the power, not keeping it for ourselves but sending it through the pack and into the ground that had become our home. With each pulse I shrank until not only was I no longer huge, but I was human, clinging to Liam, shaking with joy and need.

“There you are.” He held me tight. Brushed a hand down my arm and I was suddenly clothed in pants, socks, shoes, and one of his hoodies. He touched my face, lifting my chin to look up at him. He was so beautiful. “Nothing compared to you,” he said.

“How?” And where was Ari? Had that been a dream?

“Ari’s back at the house. Where I plan us to be as soon as this mess is cleaned up.” His gaze fell on Al. “We will have to send a message to the courts. See who wants him, or if they don’t care if he’s dead.”

“He’s powerful,” I said, remembering the feeling of ice trying to trap me, and how he’d easily taken over the pack.

“Was powerful,” Liam corrected. But he frowned. “Still a small fry, at least based on what I encountered getting home.” He looked at Sean. The ties were still there. My power couldn’t suction those up too? Liam stepped in close and ran glowing fingers over the ties. They began to unravel, turning from orange to green, then falling away.

Sean suddenly blinked. He stared at us; his eyes wide, probably as large as mine. Did he remember? How did Liam know how to do that?

“Had a lot of time on my hands,” Liam muttered.

“What happened?” Sean asked looking around at his battered garage. His gaze found Al, but passed right over him, seeking out Dylan, who had changed back to human and was kneeling on the pavement outside, wrapped around himself like he was a bit nauseous. All the wolves were doing that. Sean was up and running to Dylan in a heartbeat.

“That worked better than I had hoped,” Liam remarked. He scowled at the mess. “This kitsune thing requires lots of cleanup.”

“Sorry,” I grumbled, not sure how to fix it.

A car rolled slowly into the lot, parking on the edge away from the pack and the fallen vampires who all looked like dried-up fall leaves. When the door opened, I was unsurprised to see Wesley get out. Liam didn’t seem thrilled to see him either.

“We aren’t willing to play more games with you and your kind,” Liam said.

Wesley crossed the parking lot unafraid. He only stopped when he stood before Liam and me, then dropped to his knees and put a hand on his chest. “I offer myself and service to your court.”

I blinked. What?

Liam stared down at him too. “Our court?”

“The counsel has granted you this place to build your own court,” Wesley agreed without looking up.

That was an interesting turn. Did that mean they were done trying to control me? I didn’t think so.

“And you wish to serve our court?” Liam asked. “As a liaison to the counsel?”

“If that is what you wish.”

That seemed a bit too convenient. How did we know he was telling the truth? I mean, fae had to tell the truth, but it was always in a twisted sort of way.

“Fine. Others will be made aware?” Liam asked. I didn’t think keeping Wesley was a good idea, but we’d debate it in private later. “That this land and everyone on it is ours?”

Wesley nodded. “Not all will be happy. But they fear the kitsune’s power.”

Actually, what they feared was me sucking the power out of them like I had done to good old Al here. And honestly, they had reason to be afraid. I could feel the kitsune easily now, awake and part of me. It was content and satisfied for the moment, happy our mate was back. But we were also very possessive of those that were ours. Anyone who came after us would face me first.

I grinned. “I’m a badass,” I said to Liam.

He snorted and kissed my forehead. “Try to be less of an out of control badass in the future, yeah?”