Darrak nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Andy’s cheek twitched. “I’m not even a dog person.”
“It’ll be okay.” Eden touched his arm. She’d already said it, but she didn’t know what else to say. She’d never dealt with something like this before. Andy wasn’t the only one going into shock.
He struggled to sit up. “I’m — I’m a werewolf. A man who can turn into a wolf. With fur. And fangs. And the ability to howl at the moon. Paws and claws. And flea baths. And. . oh, my God.” He was breathing so quickly now Eden worried he’d hyperventilate.
She searched her brain for something to say to help make this a little better but came up blank. She wanted to cry. “It doesn’t change anything. You’re still my partner at Triple-A. This doesn’t give you the right to flake out on me.”
He gasped for breath. “It. . it doesn’t?”
“No. You’re the main investigator. I’m the girl Friday.”
“Like Rosalind Russell.”
“Exactly like that.” She nodded. “And if you flake out, you won’t be able to take on any new cases and. . and you won’t be able to make the lease payments on your Porsche.”
“I love my Porsche.” He nodded. “I have to keep her.”
“Of course you do.” This was working. She squeezed his hand harder. “Your Porsche loves you, too. So you see? It’s going to be okay. Darrak and I are here for you, no matter what.”
“I’m going to shed,” he said. “Did you see the werewolf that did this to me? He was very hairy. And. . and he drooled.”
She managed to grin at that. “You’re already really hairy, and I’m sure you drool more than your share. Really, the only difference is your love of cigars. You’ll be a cigar-smoking werewolf.”
He laughed, despite still looking panic-stricken by this life-altering news. “That’s helpful. Thanks.”
“And there are plenty of cases that I need your help on.”
“Oh? Like what?”
“Well,” she chewed her bottom lip and scanned her mind for something to tell him. Something he could latch onto as a reason to get back to normal life as quickly as possible. Darrak stood by with his hands clasped behind his back. “There’s something strange going on at Luxuria. You know, that new singles’ club that opened up recently? A friend of mine was murdered outside there the other night. You must have heard Ben asking me about him yesterday. And six other women have gone missing. My friend Graham was a reporter investigating their disappearances. We’ve been there a couple of times, and I sensed something strange about the place.”
“You sensed it?”
“Yeah, I can do that. Sense things.”
“That’s because you’re sort of psychic.”
“Right.” She didn’t think this was a good time to discuss the potential of her having angel in her background. Or the black-witch thing.
One paranormal species at a time. Today would be Official Werewolf Day.
“Sounds intriguing and definitely worth investigating even though it seems like pro bono work.” He swallowed and touched his rapidly healing face. “I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend. Were you close?”
“No. I hadn’t seen him in years, but it still hurts to lose him.” She grabbed Andy’s arm and squeezed so hard he flinched. She loosened her grip a little. “That’s why I can’t lose you, too, you hear me?”
“I’m still here.”
Darrak went to the door and glanced at the hall outside. “We’ll have to get you checked out. If the doctor checks your wounds again, she’s going to wonder what’s up.”
“I’m a werewolf,” he said.
“You are,” Eden confirmed.
“Well,
That pretty much summed it up.
Together that made the three of them a werewolf, a part-angel witch, and a demon. Sounded like the beginning to a really scary joke.
Ben paced back and forth in his living room. He wanted the phone to ring. He wanted Eden to call and ask him about last night. Hell, it was okay if she
He just wanted to know she was okay.
Oliver had told him not to leave the house. It felt as if he’d been out drinking the night before. Apparently that’s what black magic did. It knocked you out and left you with some lasting pain. Oliver had originally been wary of the demon, which is why they’d had Sandy dampen him, but he’d had no idea they had to be wary of Eden as well.
It would be amusing if it didn’t scare the hell out of him.
There was a knock at the door, and he went directly to it, swinging it open, half expecting to see Eden. Instead it was Sandy.
He was strangely pleased to see her instead.
That pleased feeling departed when he noticed the fresh bruise on her cheekbone.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Sure.” Ben stood aside, and she swept past him smelling pleasantly of vanilla. He’d met her shortly after being inducted as a member of the Malleus. She’d applied ointment to his brand. He’d called her Florence Nightingale at the time.
“I probably shouldn’t be here, but I wanted to see you,” she said, wringing her hands.
“What happened to you?”
She looked confused for a moment.
“Your face,” he clarified.
Sandy touched her bruise and flinched. “Somebody’s not too happy with my job performance.”
A line of fury ripped through Ben. “Oliver did this?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Damn it, Sandy.” He closed the distance between them and moved the long blonde hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then he gently touched the light purple patch of skin. “He had no right to hit you.”
“I tend to agree, but what’s done is done.”
“What is his damn problem?”
“He thinks I was keeping things from him. Like I should have known Eden was a black witch.”
“Should you have?”
“Yes.” She swallowed. “Actually, I did figure it out before I said anything.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because. . because Eden isn’t evil. And the way they deal with black witches, well, it’s not always a good thing.”
“It’s the demon inside her forcing her to do these things.”
“No. I think Eden’s going through a lot right now, but the Malleus. . and you. . are looking at things from the wrong angle. I honestly don’t think the demon means her any harm.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because she’s convinced he isn’t.”
Ben sighed with frustration. “Deception only.”
“I think Eden needs help, but as far as your single-handed mission to save her. . well, I think it’s extreme, and as you can see, it doesn’t go over that well with her.”
“You think she’ll continue to kick our collective asses if we get close to her?”
She managed to grin a little at that. “Yes. Without a doubt.”
It was nice that one of them could see the humor in this. “So what do we do?”
“Quite honestly, I think we should leave her be. The Malleus has enough things to worry about other than her.”
“I can’t just forget about this.” He clenched his fists and turned away.
“She doesn’t want your help, Ben.” Sandy frowned and looked closer at him. “Hey, did you hit your head last
