“I know it must be hard seeing them do the mating ceremony with that fae, but you told me yourself that Rebe isn’t your viramore and that you want them to be happy. I’m really sorry you’re still hurting over them.” He pulled me into a hug, and I let him because I was a little shocked by his words.
Rebe was a kelpie I’d been with for over a year when we’d lived in Faela, the land of the fae. I hadn’t wanted a commitment, and they had, so we’d stopped seeing each other, but that had been years ago. It was true that the last time we were in Faela, we’d gone to the mating ceremony for Rebe and a fae, and admittedly, it had hurt to be there because I still cared about the kelpie. But that wasn’t what this was. It wasn’t surprising that was where Jorah’s head went though, not after I’d been so distraught over Rebe when we’d broken up.
I sighed and said, “I’m fine, Jor. I just need some sleep.”
He leaned back. “Do you want me to stay?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m good.” He could tell I wanted to be alone without me having to say the words.
He nodded and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m right next door if you need me.”
“Thanks, Jor.”
He smiled before walking out the front door. His house was right beside mine—between mine and Thayer’s—so he literally was next door and only a few feet away.
I made my way up the stairs, got ready for bed, and climbed under my covers before everything Jorah had said hit me. He’d said that I knew Rebe wasn’t my viramore… but why would he even bring that up? Of course Rebe wasn’t my viramore, we all knew it, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to not be with them anymore, but…
And then it hit me.
He’d said it because I’d been holding my chest and hurting. Because that was how it was described in all the books. When you found your viramore, if you separated from them or saw them in pain, it supposedly made your chest tight and caused physical pain. Like you were stabbing yourself in the heart, one of the books said.
Had I seriously been behaving that way?
I thought about it. I mean, yeah, I guess. But why? Why would my chest be tight like that and hurting when all I was thinking about was Grim being the witch killer?
Grim being executed.
Pain laced my heart again, making me gasp out.
Oh.
Oh shit.
No. That… that couldn’t be right.
I cringed and pushed the feelings away because what the hell? Grim? Ha! I don’t think so. Asshole. Just… no way. No fucking way.
Chapter Four
Basil
“Again? Seriously, Basil, what the hell’s your problem?” Alec roared loud enough I had no doubt the entire station heard. “First it was the vampire, then the basilisk, then the group of kobolds, the king of the gnomes or whatever the hell he was, then the orc, then the satyr, let’s not forget the fucking satyr catastrophe—” I wished I could forget the satyr catastrophe, I still had nightmares about that one “—then the mind-bender—” he forgot the wendigo, but I wasn’t about to remind him about that horror “—and now you couldn’t even catch a cat shifter!”
“It’s not my fault.” As excuses went, it was a horrible one.
“Not your fault? It hasn’t been your fault for two months! Two fucking months I’ve been dealing with your bullshit excuses. You need to get over this fucking rival bullshit you got going on with that damn hunter—the one that no one else has ever even seen! I’m starting to wonder if this hunter of yours even exists or if you’re just using this as some kind of crazy ploy to make me insane.”
I blinked at my brother-in-law and stifled a sigh, then I crossed my arms over my chest and sent him a glare because he was being a total asshole. “He exists.”
Alec waved that away. “I don’t give a shit if he’s real or a figment of your imagination. I only care that whatever or whoever he is, he’s messing with your fucking cases.”
“I told you that I don’t know how he keeps ending up with the same marks as me.”
“Marks? Now you’re even speaking like them.”
I waved that away. “Perps. Whatever. You know what I mean.”
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what to do with you.”
“Put me on the witch case.”
He laughed out humorlessly.