“I thought Ella would be back by now, and everything would return to normal?” the vampire continued.
Normal? When had things ever been normal?
“Like I said, I’m waiting every day for her to wake up. There’s nothing else I can do. But as for things returning to normal, heck, Roman, when has that ever been the case? Crazy is our normal. As for Isabella, she’s another one I keep hearing will return soon. Roman, she’s been through a lot. I know she’s a vampire, but she’s still Isabella. You hurt her. How do you expect her to behave?”
The line went quiet for a moment. “You don’t need to instruct me on the ways of the witch, Drayton. The problem I have right now is exactly that. She’s never quiet. Never. But she’s gone into hiding. Which means something is wrong. I simply want to make sure she is all right.”
Marcus knew from the vampire’s voice he was genuine, and sighed. Zephra had made him promise not to disclose the witch’s whereabouts, but if the situation was reversed, it would drive him insane, not knowing. And he would not rest until he found her.
“Well, you have an odd way of showing it. Have you tried to explain why you broke things off to Isabella? I’ve learned the hard way what happens when you don’t communicate, so I’m giving you this and I hope to hell it doesn’t backfire. She has a house in Cambridge, near Boston. I’m sending you the address now. But don’t fuck this up and make me regret helping you. Do you hear me?”
The noise in the room ramped up in volume and he flicked his gaze back at the team, who crowded around a woman. Narrowing his gaze, he straightened his back and started walking toward them. Awareness prickled along his skin. Ella faced him, a tentative smile on her full lips. His stomach tensed and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Gone were her long tresses; in their place, a short, wavy bob. The color was almost back to its natural blonde, but fine white hair shone through as a reminder that things were not the same.
Marcus ended his call without saying good-bye to the vampire. Marching over to the group, his presence ended the jovial welcomes. He glared at his men, who all politely nodded and moved away, except Jake. Appraising Ella from head to foot, he decided he liked her new look, dressed in a plain white shirt, skinny jeans, and a short leather jacket. Her blue eyes hadn’t left him since he’d caught sight of her and now, as he stood in front of her, she was silent.
“Jake, I’m stepping out for a moment. Take command here. We need to dispatch a team to London this afternoon. See who is around. We need to know where these rogue creatures are coming from. The ones in London were vampires, but the other reports are a mix of shifters and the undead. I also want an update on the whereabouts of Mr. Stein. I think it’s about time we paid him a visit.”
Jake gave Ella a kiss on her cheek and stepped away. “Sure. Right on it, boss. Welcome back, princess.”
“Um, I’m not really back, not yet, but thank you,” Ella said.
Something about the way she spoke made him believe that although she stood here, things weren’t back to the way they were before. The need to explain what had happened with the Morrigan burned inside him.
“Oh—well, it’s good that you’re here. Now, for the love of God, can you make the boss smile? He’s been as miserable as shit without you.”
Ella swiveled around and rested her eyes on him, making him feel even more on edge.
“Jake, that’s enough. Come on, let’s move upstairs. It’s more private there. I like the new hairdo, by the way,” he said, trying to remain as unaffected by her sudden appearance as possible. Although each day she remained asleep seemed unbearably long, now having her stand here brought the reality of what he had done right to the forefront. He could not keep it from her a moment longer.
Ella ran her hand over short hair. “Thank you. I woke up this morning with a million things buzzing inside my head. Things I needed to do and bursting with energy.”
“And first on your list was a haircut?” he said, not hiding the scorn in his voice. He shook his head, massaging his forehead. “I’m sorry. It’s been a tough few weeks. Go on.”
“I wanted to charge over here in my nightclothes, but Zephra made me slow down. She said the burst of energy would not last, and that I needed to take it easy for a while. She was right. Almost straightaway, I became filled with anxiety. It’s like I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. Staring at myself in the mirror, I wanted to do something to feel more…me. It was Zephra’s idea to cut my hair and she helped with the color. We couldn’t remove the white hair completely, but it’s better than before.”
An awkward tension filled the space between them as she pressed her lips together and lifted her head slightly.
“I know we’re married. But this woman standing here, well, I’m not sure who she is. Do you understand?”
Watching the clear blue of her eyes flare, he saw uncertainty and confusion there. A need to hold and reassure her rushed through him. She was his wife, damn it, but he didn’t know whether that would make things worse rather than better right now. “Maybe, a little. Come on, let’s take this to the office. I need to talk to you in private. Here, Nate’s missed you.”
It was true,
