Page 24 of Hit By the Cupid Stick

“Only so many witchesassociate with minotaurs,” Delilah had said dryly.

True. Supernaturals tendedto avoid the hotheaded, narcissistic creatures whose assholesetting was eleven on the dial.

Elodie had insisted ongoing with them to speak to the witch they suspected. And Chanceinsisted on going with Elodie, blaming the arrow’s effects on hisneed to stay close to her. She’d side-eyed him but hadn’tobjected.

They hadn’t found the witchthough. Delilah had taken them several places to no avail, beforefinally returning them to Elodie’s for the night. Which had set offanother argument between Elodie and Chance with her insistence thatbeing on her home turf gave them the advantage. The only reasonhe’d agreed to it was Delilah.

“I’ll spell the apartment,so that nothing can get in,” Delilah had offered. “But nothing canget out either.”

“See.” Elodie waved at herfriend. “All settled.”

There’d been something inher expression…something he couldn’t pin down…that had sent uneaseinto his belly, but there was no way to argue with both women. Sohe’d agreed.

And now here he stood. Waiting.

The spell involved goingaround to every window and door and locking them shut. Then Delilahhad spelled it from the outside, not that he could tell. Elodie hadsaid she needed to take another shower then, because she wasn’t allthe way warm and disappeared on him. He could still hear the soundof the running water, but it had been a while.

And Chance needed an outletfor all this unresolved energy.

He’d left Elodie on her ownthis morning to face the minotaur hunting her. What the fuck had hebeen thinking? What if Cretan had actually been there? What if thatdamn bull had hurt her?

He stalked through herbedroom, frowning at her drawers thrown open and closet strewn withclothes. He knocked on the bathroom door, but no answercame.

“Elodie?”

Another knock. Anothercall. Still no answer.

What if she’d passed out orsomething in the shower? Hit her head? Anxiety added another layerto the fear and self-blame he was already wrestling with, turningto weight in his gut. Screw being a gentleman. He burst into theroom to find the shower running…and the room empty.

“What the fuck?” He whirledand jerked to a halt at the sight of the small window, just thesize for a petite woman like Elodie to fit through, wideopen.

He ran to it and stuck hishead outside, waving his arm around. Sure enough, Delilah’s spellwasn’t working on this, and the fire escape was rightoutside.

He jerked back into theapartment, smacking the back of his head as he did. “Damnit.”

The trouble was he didn’tknow if she’d been taken or had gone out on her own. Either way, hehad no idea where to even start looking. Which left him with onlyone option. Glaring at the offending window, he pulled out his cellphone and called Delilah.

“She’s safe,” sheanswered.

Relief huffed out of him ona sharp breath, but on the next inhale was replaced with anger.“What the fuck, Delilah?”

“She needed tofeed.”

Feed? He would have madeher something to eat if she was hungry. “So you gave her an escapehatch?”

“She was worried abouthurting you.”

Which might have pulled himup short if he wasn’t so damn pissed. “Where’d she go?”

“I have a tracker on her.She’s safe. In fact, she’s already marked her target.”

Target?

Realization pierced hisanger like an arrow through his chest. This was a different kind ofhunger his siren was dealing with. One he couldn’t help sate. Fuck.Of course. She’d been hunting when he’d shot them both with hisarrow.

At least Elodie hadbothered to get help so she could feed as safely as possible. Butthe fact that she felt as if she had to hide this from him… Hethought they’d made more progress than that. That she trusted him.He shook his head, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. “Whatdo I do?” he asked Delilah.

“Wait there. She’ll be homesoon.”

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