She smirked. “Technically, that’s true. But Leif’s sword stabbed you first. And I did it to save your life. It’s just that the resurrection stone works best on those whose life was also ended by Helgrind. I know. It’s complicated Norse magic. Best not to question it. The gods get touchy about that.”
He looked around. “I’ve been in the hospital a lot since going into that attic with you.”
She laughed. “That’s true. But I promise that after this, your hospital visits are over.”
“That would be nice.”
Birdie pressed a hand to her chest. “I should call Hank and Bridget and let them know you’re awake.”
“Don’t bother them if they’re working,” Titus said.
“You hush,” Birdie answered. “They’re in the cafeteria. They went to get coffee.” She walked toward the door to make her call.
Titus snorted. “Glad to see she’s not going to baby me or anything.”
Jenna smiled. “That’s my job now.”
He smiled back, liking the sound of that very much. “So if they went to get coffee, I’m guessing I’ve been here overnight?”
“You’ve been here for two overnights. About two and a half days.”
“What?”
She put her hands on her hips. “You did have a sword through your heart, so…”
“Yeah, but I’m a werewolf. I heal very fast.”
“Sure, but you were also just getting over wolfsbane poisoning.”
He exhaled. “Thanks for reminding me what a dangerous woman you are to hang around with.”
“I know. I’ve been terrible for your health. Sorry about that.”
Another thought occurred to him. “The race!” He groaned. “I missed it.”
Bridget and Hank walked in with their coffees, smiling at their brother.
Bridget went straight to the other side of his bed. “It’s good to see you awake.”
“Likewise,” Hank said.
“Thanks, but I missed the race.” Titus let out a sigh that sounded grouchy even to his own ears, but he gave himself a pass for being in pain. And being stabbed twice in the heart with a sword. That had to be worth a little bit of crankiness. He looked at Jenna. “I suppose you won, since I wasn’t there to beat you.”
“I did.” She smiled like she knew more than she was telling.
“Of course. Another trophy for the sheriff’s department.” Titus shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother.
Hank sipped his coffee. “Actually, the trophy went to the fire department.”
Titus stared at Hank for a second, then looked back at Jenna. “I don’t understand.”
Her smile got a little bigger. “I switched teams and ran anchor in your place.”
All his grouchiness disappeared. “You did?”
She nodded, then winked at him. “But next year? I’m totally winning back that trophy for the NFSD.”
He laughed, which hurt but was worth it.
Birdie nudged Hank. “Let’s give these two a little time alone, okay?”
Bridget squeezed his arm. “See you later, bro.”
“Bye, sis.”
When the door closed, leaving just the two of them, Titus took Jenna’s hand as best he could with the IV sticking out of him. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all?”
“A couple scratches. Nothing serious. Speaking of, Ingvar’s out of the hospital. Doing pretty well too. I’ve moved her into my place. I think she might stay in Nocturne Falls for a while. After everything the coven did for her, she feels a little indebted, you know?”
“I do know. Did she tell you how Sola took her over?”
“She did.” Jenna took a breath. “As best she can figure, Sola finally worked out the magic to raise Leif as a wraith, then they located me and decided to bring him all the way back. She knew Ingvar and I were friends, so she put Ingvar under a spell, took possession of her body, and used her as a decoy to lure me in.” She smiled at him. “You were just collateral damage.”
He nodded a little. “Wow.”
“Yep.”
He loved the warmth of her hand in his. “Listen. I’m well aware that you saved my life with your actions. I don’t remember it all too clearly, but you used the resurrection stone on me, didn’t you?”
“I did. But you saved me from getting skewered by pushing me out of the way. We’re basically even.”
He squeezed her hand. “Are there any consequences from being resurrected by that stone? Any side effects I should know about?”
She pursed her lips. “I was trying to figure out how to break this to you… You can’t be more than a hundred feet from Helgrind at any given moment, or the stone stops working and—”
He went very still. “Are you serious?”
She laughed. “No. But it was worth it to see the look on your face.”
He snorted, then frowned. “Did you take Leif’s sword to the underworld yet?”
“Not yet. I needed to know you were going to be okay. But it’s in safe keeping, don’t worry.”
He exhaled. She’d stayed. For him. “I really do owe you my life. I probably shouldn’t be too far away from you anyway.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
“And when I get out of here, we can try that hot-tub picnic again.”
Her smile went from ear to ear. “I’d like that even more.”
Want to be up to date on new books, new audiobooks & other fun stuff from me?
Sign-up for my NEWSLETTER.
No spam, just news (sales, freebies, releases, you know, all that jazz.)
If you loved the book and want to help the series grow, tell a friend about the book and take time to leave a review!
About the Author
USA Today Best Selling author Kristen Painter is a little obsessed with cats, books, chocolate, and shoes. It’s a healthy mix. She loves to entertain her readers with interesting twists and unforgettable characters. She currently writes the best-selling paranormal romance series, Nocturne Falls, and the cozy mystery spin off series, Jayne Frost. The former college English teacher can often be found all over social media where she loves to interact with readers.
Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram
Other Books by Kristen Painter
PARANORMAL ROMANCE:
Nocturne Falls series:
The Vampire’s Mail Order
