him.
Sitting on the bed with his back pressed to the pillow, he drew up his knees and wrapped his arms around them. “Witches…we don’t figure out that we have any power until we’re about sixteen or eighteen. And then you’ve got to find a witch to apprentice under and pray he or she doesn’t fucking kill you for the hell of it.”
“How do you know what you know about witches?”
“My mom.” Fox’s voice dropped to near a whisper. “She was a witch. She told me lots of stories when I was growing up.”
“She couldn’t teach you?”
Fox shook his head. “She died when I was eighteen. Cancer. We didn’t figure out that I was going to take after her until I was seventeen. By then, she was so weak. I learned only a few things. Little things. Like the locks.”
“I’m sorry,” Winter murmured. He reached out and placed his hand over Fox’s foot for a second, squeezing. It was such a small gesture, but Fox was surprised by how much it helped to push back old pains. Melanie Turner had also warned her son to stay away from vampires, but he wanted to believe she would have liked Winter.
“What’s the plan?” Fox asked.
Winter pushed to his feet and put the chair he’d been using over at the desk. “For now, my main priority is to keep you out of Damon’s hands and to get to the root of this prophecy nonsense. We need to know the exact wording of the prophecy and who made it.”
“Have you considered that maybe the witch got the wrong person for the prophecy? Or maybe even Damon’s goon picked up the wrong witch? I mean, think about it. Why me? I am the world’s worst witch.” Right now, those were the only things that made sense to Fox. He couldn’t possibly be the reason Winter and his family came to harm.
Winter’s lips dipped into a frown. “I don’t know why they think it’s you, but it doesn’t change anything. I don’t know who gave the prophecy, so I can’t track down anyone to confirm who the prophecy witch is. And more importantly, Damon thinks you’re the witch he needs, so that makes you a target. If he’s right, you’re a threat to my family while you’re with him. And if he’s wrong…”
“Damon would kill me,” Fox mumbled, a chill sliding across his skin. It wasn’t a new idea. He’d been sure Damon meant to kill him all along.
Winter shoved his hands into his pockets, his brow furrowed. “You’re going to stay with me for now. At least until we can deal with Damon.”
Fox snorted, forcing a small smile he didn’t quite feel. “If my choices are you, Damon’s goons, and death, I really don’t have a problem sticking with you,” he teased, ticking each of his options off on his fingers.
The vampire glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. “We’ve got several hours until nightfall. I’m going to catch a few more hours of sleep.” He paused and stared at Fox for several seconds as if he were trying to decide what to do with the witch.
“I’ll behave,” Fox quickly said, holding both of his hands up. “No need to tie me up if you’re just going to sleep. We can save it for fun things when we get to your secret lair.” Not that he meant it. He wasn’t interested in ever being bound again if he could help it. The teasing just made it a little easier to breathe and made the scary and sexy vampire more manageable.
Winter rolled his eyes before he finished gathering up the food. He pushed the trolley out into the hall and locked the door again.
Pulling back the blankets, Winter settled on the other side of the bed, but he didn’t close his eyes. He just stared up at Fox until the witch finally smiled at him.
“Go to sleep, bloodsucker,” Fox mock ordered. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“As your jailor, I’m a little skeptical.”
Huffing a laugh, Fox scooted down until his head was on the pillow next to Winter’s. He lay on his side, facing the other man. “I prefer to see you as my vampire bodyguard.”
Slowly, Winter’s eyes closed, but there was the ghost of a smile on his lips that tugged ever so slightly at Fox’s heart. “Sounds like a cheesy Hallmark Halloween movie.”
Fox hummed. “And I bet you only watch the sappy Christmas ones.”
Winter didn’t respond. His breathing evened out, and his body