Page 30 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Four

She’ll pay for that. One day.

“What was the end goal, witch?” I ask.

She takes a deep breath. “I want the fae gate opened. You need it open to save your brother. And I can help you do it.”

I meet her eyes, looking for the catch, the lie, or the misdirection. Tabitha has always been a straightforward person. When she wants to speak.

“Why would you want the fae gate opened?” I ask.

“I had a brother too,” she answers, and the waver in her voice does not go unnoticed. “Until one of the fae took him from me.”

Episode 62

Dig Up Dirt On A Fae Lord

It’s Jimmy who undoes the chain from around my wrist. I want to be annoyed that Bran just left me here, fucked and wet and sticky, but I guess I can’t blame him when it comes to his brother.

“Thank you, Jimmy,” I tell her and rub my sore wrist, trying not to blush. “We were…I was…”

“No need to explain. We all have our kinks.” She winks at me and then turns to leave.

“Is Damien better? Is Kelly—”

“Not yet.” She pauses at the door, her hand curled around the wood. “We’re still trying to figure it out. Bran is going to the Renshaw witches to get answers.”

“He what?” I bolt upright, forget that I’m still half naked and a mess and then grab the bedsheet to wrap around myself. “I should go with him and use my power and—”

“He’s taking the Alpha,” Jimmy says. “And I would highly suggest you don’t go chasing after him. He’ll never let you or me forget it.”

With a grumble, I take a fold of the sheet in hand and cross the room. “I’m tired of just sitting on the sidelines. I was the one who saved us all at my Pledge.”

“Do you want my advice? Or do you just need to vent?”

“Umm…well…no one has ever asked me that.” I think for a second. “Your advice.”

“Okay.” She straightens and her hoop earrings swing with the movement. “Almost no one is an expert at something when they first begin, and power is always easier to access without training when under duress. But reaching for it might not always be that simple. You need to figure out more about your abilities before you can rely on them.”

She takes a step into the room. “Bran has been in hundreds of dangerous scenarios. He’s an expert at navigating them. And even better, he’s not so easily killed.” She tilts her head and a rogue curl of hair slides over her forehead. “You may be fae and immortal, but fae can die a lot easier than vampires.”

A shiver makes my skin crawl across my bare shoulders. She’s right, of course. And I can’t help my sister if I’m dead.

“Okay, fine.” I exhale loudly. “I won’t go running after Bran.”

She nods. “I need to get to bed before I shrivel into dust. If you need anything, there are always several of our bound mortals on duty during the day. You’ll find them in the main house.”

“Thanks.”

She gives me a quick wave of her fingers and then she’s gone.

I take a shower and dress in jeans and a tee. The house is still quiet as I leave the bedroom while running a brush through my wet hair. Beyond the Anneliese, the sky is already showing daybreak.

Where the hell is Bran—

“Mouse.”

I yelp and jolt back.

Bran is standing behind me in the hallway.

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