Blood of the Maple

own story. He hoped his Renfield survived Amara’s naked wrath.

He returned his gaze to the branches of the tree, letting the feeling return to his legs before he attempted to go back to the house. “So. Looks like it’s just you and me. You come here often?”

He felt the tree’s laughter, heard it in the creaking of its branches.

It was good to be home.

Epilogue

Parker watched Amara glide across the dance floor in the arms of another man and smiled. Greer was one of the best dancers Parker had ever seen. He moved gracefully around the room in a waltz that left most of those around the pair in their dust. The fact that the blond dryad couldn’t take his eyes off Mollie, draped in a shimmering red-and-gold goddess gown, let Parker’s beast know the man wasn’t a threat to his relationship with Amara. Despite bonding with Amara’s tree in the deepest sense possible without drilling holes and inviting splinters in sensitive places, Parker was still a possessive man when it came to his love. Almost everyone else who’d approached his blood wife to ask for a dance had met with a very pointed smile and a shake of his head before the question could even be asked. Only Dragos, Greer, Brian and Ash had been allowed to take his sotiei’s hand and lead her onto the dance floor. Call him old-fashioned, but he had no desire to lose his wife, and once upon a time stealing mates had been a sport among the bloody-fanged set. Amara, amused by the whole thing, had complied with his wishes and restricted her dance partners.

She was having the time of her life at Dragos’s party. So far most of the town members had made a point of approaching her. The reunion with the Madison family had been particularly intense. Amara hadn’t wanted an apology; she’d wanted her friends back. Parker figured with a bit of time she’d get her wish, and they’d all be able to mourn Ken together. His Amara was generous with her heart, despite everything she’d been through. By the time she was done, the Madisons wouldn’t know what hit them.

If some of the townsfolk approached Amara warily, they had good reason. She was amazing, powerful and beautiful and deadly beyond compare. And she was all his.

And much to Greg’s utter disgust, he wasn’t getting tired of saying it. His his his. He grinned like a kid with a fistful of free candy.

His.

He had to resist the urge to pinch himself. The time of terror was over. No longer would Terri haunt him, in or out of his nightmares. The witch was dead, her ashes scattered, the lingering traces of her wiped away from the Throne through fire and magic. Mina, weakened but whole, had been returned to her tree by Dragos, who refused to discuss what had occurred between them. Apparently things hadn’t gone quite the way Dragos had planned, because the mayor had been growling and sullen for weeks.

At least Kate was conspicuous in her absence. The whispers of relief when she hadn’t appeared on Dragos’s arm at the start of the party had been proof positive no one, not even the other witches, liked Kate. They liked her even less when she was with Dragos.

Ash stalked by Parker’s hiding spot, arguing fiercely with Selena. She was shaking her head, denying him a dance, and Ash was getting more and more agitated. He figured at some point Ash would lift the woman onto his shoulder and haul her onto the dance floor.

He wondered what Selena would do if he dared.

“Mr. Hollis.”

Parker, brave predator that he was, let out a squawk. How had she sneaked up on him? Now he had an idea of how Amara felt. “Mollie.” He answered her slow smile. “It’s good to see you looking well again. You had us all worried.”

She grimaced. “Sorry about that. When I use that level of control, it tires me out more easily. I didn’t even realize how low my flames had gone until I woke up in front of a fire, covered in about fifteen thousand furs with a shaking dryad trying to spoon hot soup into me.”

Parker laughed. The image in his head was just too rich. He’d have to rib Greer over it later.

“Don’t you dare laugh. He spilled it all over me.”

That only made him laugh harder.

“Try explaining second-degree burns all over your breasts to the emergency-room physician while Greer knocks everything over in an attempt to help.” She rolled her eyes. “It was the worst trip I’ve ever taken. And I had to do it naked because he lost my clothes. Hmph. And that doctor was cute too.”

Parker laughed so hard he began wheezing. She blew a curl off her forehead. “Well. Back to work Monday?”

He nodded, still laughing as Carter Hayes appeared. “What’s so funny?”

Mollie batted her eyes at the were. “Hi, Carter.”

“Hey, Mollie. You look lovely. Care to dance?”

“I’d love to. I’ll see you later, Mr. Hollis.”

“At this point I think you can call me Parker.”

She grinned, not a trace left of the uptight, nervous woman he’d first started working for. “Thanks.”

“Later, Mollie.”

Parker watched as the two went hand in hand to the dance floor. Greer, watching them, smirked. What…?

“OW!” Carter was scrambling at something in his lapel. “What the fuck?” He pulled the boutonniere off and glared at the huge, bloody thorn. “How the hell did that happen?” His gaze darted to the pale-haired dryad waltzing with Amara and trying not to laugh. “Greer,” he snarled. The boutonniere went sailing right into the back of Greer’s head.

Mollie was trying to soothe the werewolf, but it wasn’t working.

“What?” The dryad waltzed Amara closer to the other couple. “Did I hear my name?”

Greer stumbled, landing right against Carter. Carter howled again and began hopping, his foot in his hand.

“Sorry, sorry. Here, let me help you…”

Parker stopped watching. Greer was a fucking Fred Astaire in Amara’s arms. But he turned his so-called klutzy ways into a weapon to annoy anyone he didn’t like, and he really didn’t like Carter.

Carter would hurt a lot more before the night was over. He bit his lip and contemplated removing Amara from the mix, but when she “accidentally” ripped Carter’s pants off, he turned away before his laughter got the better of him.

“Hey, Parker.”

“Hi, boss. Having a good time?” Brian huffed out a surprised laugh. “Where are Carter’s pants?”

“Last I saw somewhere around his ankles. And yes, I’m having a marvelous time. You?”

Brian’s arm was around Greg’s waist. It was odd, but Parker was becoming used to it. He even thought he saw a shimmer of mist where his friend stood, which was an improvement. Selena had said that given enough time, he’d be able to see Greg once in a while as a fully formed apparition. Time Parker was more than happy to spend with the ghost. “We just got off the dance floor. Who knew Greer could move like that?”

“Who indeed.”

Mollie stormed past Parker, her cheeks bright red and her eyes flashing angrily. It was all he could do not to laugh in her face.

Brian snickered into his fist. “Something tells me Greer isn’t happy with her choice of dance partner.”

“You think?”

Brian looked toward Greg and took a deep breath. “We wanted to talk to you about something.”

Brian’s tone was serious and more than a little nervous. “You can tell me anything but who likes what done to them. That I really don’t want to know. I also don’t want to know why I sat at my kitchen table and had to remove a bottle of lube from my fruit bowl.” He sniffed. “One I hadn’t put there, mind you.”

“Homophobe.”