Page 181 of Blue Moon Mistress

“You were sapped too. You need rest, even if it isn’t as much as we do.”

“True, but I wasn’t in it as long, and I got the blowback. It put back what she tried to steal.”

It should have killed me.

Joshua drops his hand, but watches me with heavy lids. “Why us?”

I know they weren’t bait. Not at first. “Because moon magic works better when there are werewolves involved. Moon magic on werewolves who don’t turn on the full moon probably seemed like a pretty safe option to her.”

“But it wasn’t a real moon.”

“No. I know she hadn’t meant to perform the spell tonight. She probably meant to keep you long enough that she’d drain enough of your blood and keep you weak enough that it wouldn’t matter if the Miller girls were there or not.”

When they look at me with concern, I say, “Most people who use blood magic don’t care who they hurt along the way.”

Joshua scowls, but Chase—who I’d though was asleep—says, “If I’m just a bag of blood, who cares what happens to me after I’ve served my purpose?”

“Something like that.”

“Pretty safe to say she’s the one who sent that terratoma after us, right? Or is there another witch out to get us?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Not even the one down on the boardwalk that wants to take our place.” Joshua asks, the chuckle in his voice tells me he’s not serious.

“It would be impossible for anyone to take your place, but no, Anthony is just another victim.”

Johnny sits up and slumps against my side, wrapping his arm around my leg. A moment later, he pulls back, looking at my jeans. “You’re wearing pants.”

“I do that sometimes.”

“It’s weird.”

“She’s gone. Right?” Chase asks. He’s propped up against the couch and it looks like he’d fall over without it.

“Yes. Her spell consumed her and she’ll never get anywhere near you again.”

The doorbell makes everyone perk up. “I ordered some food.”

Thomas groans and starts to get up. “Nope. Stay put. The food comes to you.”

Opening the door, I watch the guy pull the stack of boxes from the insulated bag. I don’t have cash, so I’ll have to call the place back to—

“You having a party?” He asks a moment before he looks up. “Whoa… can I join?”

He looks me up and down as I take the boxes from him and set them aside. When I take the two bags, I say. “Don’t be gross, kid.”

I start to kick the door closed and he protests. “Hey! What about a tip?”

“That was the tip. Don’t be a creep!”

Thomas is halfway across the floor in an army crawl when I go back into the living room. “What are you doing?”

He slumps forward, head to the back of his hands. “He needs somebody to teach him manners.”

“And you were going to do what? Bite his ankles?”

The others laugh. He doesn’t.

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