knowing if we'd ever get to share them.” She stretched up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek and wrapped her arms around his shoulders so tight it hurt. “If that's not love, I don't know what is.”
His bear gave a contented rumble, a deep vibration of sound just for her. “We're going to have plenty of time to share our dreams, Ivy.”
“I'm scared,” she confessed against his shoulder. The worries she'd had only a few days ago of failing to get her business off the ground to support her coven seemed so ridiculously small compared to the looming threat of her mother's killer coming for her.
If a coven of over thirty dark witches couldn't have stopped whatever came for them, and if the spells surrounding Haggara couldn't keep Le Doux safe in her own office, what chance did six witches and her big bear of a mate have?
“I know you are, honey, but I swear to you, so long as there's breath in my body, I'll keep you safe. I promise, Ivy. I won't let anyone or anything tear us apart.”
“I believe you,” she said, struggling to keep the feeling of ominous foreboding from making a liar out of her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
McManus ditched out soon after reading the letter, muttering something about having to report back to his alpha.
One hundred percent unwilling to leave Ivy and go back home, Uriah braced himself for a hellish night spent in the coven house with a bunch of emotional, freaked out, slightly drunk, battle-ready witches who smelled like burning incense and made his fur stand on end.
Uriah didn't like it, not one little bit, but he understood the need to all be under the same roof.
Rowena at least had the practical thought of soundproofing Ivy's room. Uriah could hear everything happening outside the closed door, but none of the women could hear him doing his best to help Ivy stop thinking all the dark, fearful thoughts of some unknown, unseen enemy coming for her.
Ivy's bed was too small for any strenuous activities, so he made good use of the floor, the wall, and the small couch she had in front of the fireplace. By the time he curled around her in the itty bitty queen-size bed, she was too tired to do any thinking.
Mission accomplished.
Too keyed up with his own thoughts of keeping Ivy safe, he doubted he would get much sleep, especially not with the weird sounds of someone communing with aliens somewhere above them.
Seriously, Uriah wouldn't be surprised to find crop circles out in the field later.
He’s just closed his eyes for a second when the first tingle of serious unease trickled up from around his ankles. Uriah looked down at where his feet were hanging off the end of the bed and came face to face with the misty form of a man missing half his head.
The ghost stood there, wearing the tattered remnants of what looked like a Redcoat uniform. Uriah couldn't smell anything but Ivy, but he sure as fuck could hear the heavy mouth breathing coming from the unwelcome visitor.
Legit, he had no idea what to do, or if he could do anything at all. He gave Ivy's delectable ass a squeeze, pulling his feet back at an uncomfortable angle to make sure he was out of reach, should Mr. Red over there get any funny ideas. “Ivy.”
She nuzzled against him, wiggling herself higher up his thigh. It was almost enough to distract him from this horrific invasion. Almost. “Hmm?”
“There's a ghost standing at the end of the bed watching us.”
“It happens when Kerrigan gets upset,” Ivy slurred, completely unconcerned. “Just ignore it.”
“It’s mouth breathing at us!” he hissed in a loud whisper.
Ivy lifted her head and briefly opened one eye, completely unconcerned or disturbed. She pressed a clumsy kiss to his jaw and snuggled back in. “The more you acknowledge him, the longer he'll hang around.”
Uriah tore his gaze away from the truly creepy creature hovering, struggling not to let his bear bust free when the damn ghost reached out and actually tugged a little on the blankets. The urge to roar was right there, to jack-knife up out of the bed to haul Ivy out of this freaking witch sorority and back to their den.
“Honey, I love you and I'll do just about anything for you, but ghosts are a hard limit. We aren't spending the night here ever again.”
He expected Ivy to give him some kind of resistance, but was thrilled