Luke kissed her again, but she put her hand on his shoulders, pushing him back. “I have Aiden’s backpack.”
“So, run it over and then come back.” He grinned. “I promise I won’t start without you.”
She laughed. “What makes you think I wouldn’t like watching you pleasure yourself? You’d probably like watching me.”
“Woman, you are such a tease! This will not be a comfortable car ride back.”
“This island isn’t that big. It’s ten minutes to the house in town. Fifteen tops.” She walked to where she left the backpack and picked it up. Unzipping the top, she pulled out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.
“Your call, wolfman. Delicious images building torturous tension for fifteen minutes, and then we shut the door and spend all night playing and exploring, or you can settle for a quickie against a Splinter City Limits tree?”
Luke exhaled and then held his hand out for the clothes. “You win. The last thing I want is to spend the night pulling splinters from your luscious ass instead of riding it high and hard.” He pulled on his clothes, grumbling.
“Don’t look so pained. Gabby laughed, pecking his mouth.” Have I ever left you high and dry?”
“Never. High, yes. Dry, never. I’m usually dripping with your juice.”
“Good. Keep that in mind while we walk the half mile to the car.”
“Half mile! Woman, do you know how hard it is to walk with a raging hard-on?”
She giggled, tugging him toward the milking shed and Aiden and Ray. “No pain, wolfy, no gain.”
***
Gabrielle stood with Raven and the others in the chateau’s basement. Moe looked horrible. His skin was no longer that dark, scaley mass, with fine, black fur. Instead, he was a sallow olive tone, and his skin hung off his bones like so much melted wax.
Still, it was his eyes that surprised her the most. They were no longer a muddy red. They were a muddy brown, rimmed in red.
“What happened?” Raven asked.
“We don’t know.” Laura lifted a hand. “He was fine until Greg started his play by play on what was happening on Île d’bec.”
“It’s as if every blow struck against the other demon,” Avery paused, “Thazos?”
Ray nodded.
“It feels weird to say his name,” Avery continued. “Every blow struck seemed to hit Moe as well.”
Laura agreed. “It was hard to watch, but we stayed the course.”
Gabby walked “Whatever happened with Moe is not your fault, Mom. Nor is it Avery’s.” Tanya moved to Laura’s side. “Nothing we planned went off without a hitch.”
Jared nodded, squeezing Tanya’s hand. “T’s right. There were way more moving parts than any of us anticipated. It could have been a real shit show, but the girls were amazing. You should be proud.”
“I am.” Laura tucked a stray hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Capiria called from the Motherhouse this morning. She actually got them to listen. Someone there had their ear to the ground, so it wasn’t a secret what you were able to accomplish.”
“What we were able to accomplish.” Tanya looked at Gabby and Raven. “It’s not just us three. You, Avery and Capiria. You made us our own coven, so I don’t really care what the Motherhouse has to say.” She stopped her mom from fussing with her hair, and held her hand instead. “And neither should you. It’s too little, too late, and if they want us, they’ll have to take us on our own terms.”
Laura laughed. “How did you get so strong?”
“A lot of hot stove moments, and a really great Mom.” Tanya shrugged. “Besides, I’m a hard ass attorney. The Motherhouse will have an iron clad contract and a half if they want to play ball with us.”
“God, I love it when you talk dirty lawyer.” Jared kissed the side of her hair.
“You two are too much.” Laura grinned. “I can’t wait for your father to meet Jared.”
“Well, T already made an impression on my mom. She loves Tanya, and now that Aiden is mated, I think we should get everyone together in New York to formally bond our families as a clan.”
Aiden glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “I totally agree. I can’t wait for Mom to meet Raven. Luke and Gabrielle, and everyone else, as well.”
“Whatever you’re signing us up for, it better not be magazine subscriptions,” Luke teased, but Aiden’s attention was on Raven standing at the holding cell bars. He moved to her side, and everyone quieted.
“Gregory, couldn’t we do without these bars? I doubt anything untoward is going to happen.”
“I’m sorry, Raven, but I can’t allow that. Too many lives have been lost to demon hands, and now Tim Brodeur is the latest name added to the casualty list.”
Gabrielle’s brows knotted at the audacity. Just when she thought Luke’s father had made strides.
“Casualty?” she repeated, angling her head in disbelief. “Tim brought this upon himself, Greg. Did you know he dug up a celestial blade? A blade used to try and kill Raven, but ended up nearly killing your nephew, Aiden? God knows where Tim acquired the artifact. It was probably stolen.”
“Gabby’s right, Dad. Tim was unrepentant and vicious. I don’t know what Milo Brodeur told you about his son, but he was no casualty.” Luke told him about Brodeur’s poisoned ambush in the church, and how he went after Gabrielle and the baby.
Gregory’s jaw hardened. “Is there proof?”
Luke went to say no, but Gabrielle nodded. “Hell yes, there’s proof. Luke was already taken hostage, but Aiden and Jared scoured the wreckage in the church and found a clump of Tim’s fur, complete with poisoned grease on the top coat.”
“Gabrielle’s right, Uncle Greg,” Aiden confirmed. “I have the evidence in a sealed container for safe keeping.”
Gregory turned for the basement stairs. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s
