Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,80

the fact the fire had burned down to embers. I added a couple of logs to ensure I wasn’t shivering my way through breakfast, then headed upstairs for a quick shower. It would not only save time in the morning but allow me to sleep in that little bit longer.

Although sleep hit me fairly quickly, so too did the dreams. They were filled with shadowy figures that loomed large and threatened destruction. One of those figures was twisted in body and soul and marked by a deal with the devil. The other was tall and slender, and while not marked by evil was every bit as dangerous.

One was female, the other male. Both had the power to destroy those I cared about, even if in very different ways.

If the dreams were to be believed, I’d not only be uncovering the identity of that second figure but feeling the impact on my life very, very soon.

I had no idea what time Aiden got home, but he slept through a good part of the morning. I’d taken the day off to be with him, but found myself restless and angsty, unable to concentrate on anything. Part of that was the feeling of guilt—Sunday was a busy day for us, and I really didn’t like leaving Belle to run the place alone, even if both she and our crew were more than capable of handling it.

The other reason was the discussion about his mother that we’d delayed.

He came down just as I was making ham and cheese toasties for lunch. “You want one?”

He nodded and walked over to the coffee machine. His face was drawn, and there were shadows under his eyes. I guess even a werewolf had to hit a wall sooner or later.

I plucked the toasties free, put them onto two plates, and slid one across to him. “How’d things go last night?”

“Routine at the murder scene. Less so at the party.”

“You went back?” I said, surprised.

“It was expected.”

“Ah.” He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask. It would no doubt come under the “werewolf business” tag. “Did you talk to your mother?”

“Yes, I did.” He handed me a mug of coffee, then leaned his butt against the counter and contemplated me through narrow eyes. “What did she say to you?”

“What did she say she said?”

“Liz, I’m not in the mood. Just tell me what she said.”

I took a deep breath and released it slowly. Decision time. Should I be honest? Or did I simply wait and see what happened when Mia finally appeared?

The coward in me opted for the middle ground. “She basically just warned me off again.”

“There’s more to it than that. Ashworth was fucking furious.”

“Ashworth wasn’t in the room. He has no idea what was said.”

“Perhaps not, but he said you were pale and shaking after she’d left.”

“Because we weren’t in that room alone. Katie was there, and she spoke to your mother through me. You know how badly that drains me.”

He clearly wanted to believe that’s all there was to it … and just as clearly knew it wasn’t. He picked up his toastie and took a bite. “What did Katie want?”

I shrugged. “She was just warning your mother once again to be careful what she wishes for.”

“That being you out of my life?”

I nodded. “I’m Katie’s mouthpiece in this reservation, remember. She doesn’t want to lose that.”

“And could she?”

It was flatly said, with little emotion, and I desperately wanted to believe that was because he was tightly controlling himself. And perhaps he was. He cared; I knew he cared. Hell, he might even love me in his own way. But would that ever be enough for him to break tradition and go against his pack?

In my heart and my soul, I knew the answer was no.

I smiled, though it felt as if something was breaking inside. “No. You and I will have to learn to live with each other’s presence in the reservation when this relationship ends.”

“At least that is something we don’t have to contemplate for a long while yet.”

I smiled, though my heart really wasn’t in it. “Which will piss your mother off no end.”

He raised his coffee mug. “To pissing my mother off for many years to come.”

I picked mine up and lightly clinked it against his, even though I knew we had at best months rather than years ahead of us. “A resolution I can utterly get behind.”

Once we’d finished lunch, he took my hand, led me up to the bedroom, and made