Page 188 of Blue Moon Mistress

Her prickly stance softens a little.

I turn to the guys. “If you want her gone. All you have to do is tell her—or anyone, for that matter—to get out.”

“It’s fine.” Thomas sits upright again and looks my mother in the eye. “We know this ordeal put your daughter at risk, and I have a feeling that terrified you. I deal with teenagers all day, I know that people can lash out when they’re scared. But we’re not good targets for that.”

“And,” Chase says, leaning forward on his elbows. “Scarlette saved seven lives last night… who knows how many potential lives she saved too. If Aphrodite hadn’t gone after us… if it had been someone else, someone not protected by a woman as powerful as Scarlette is, what then? You’d have an overpowered blood witch on your hands… wouldn’t you?”

My mother inhales deeply, her jaw still tight. “I just came to check in. But I see you don’t need me.”

“Is the coven leaving?” I ask, drinking some of the tea as well.

“Soon. We’re sweeping the down. Just in case.”

“Glad to see you’re finally taking things seriously.” Johnny says, listing. “But I hope there’s nothing to find.”

Forty-Two

When the doorbell rings,I’m the one who goes to answer it. The guys that aren’t asleep aren’t in a mood to move, and I’m not about to make them.

But Sheriff Jones isn’t the one I expect to see.

He smiles at me, sheepishly. “You weren’t at home, so I figured you’d be here.”

I feel Joshua step up behind me, his hand goes to my waist.

“Is there a problem, Sheriff?” Joshua asks from behind me.

“Shit, Josh, you look like hell.” He clears his throat. “Sorry, I just wanted to drop by and check that the… erm, threat, has passed. There’s an awful lot of new faces in the area.”

“Everything is back to normal.” I assure him. “And those new faces will be gone by the end of the day.”

“Right. Good.” He nods, the movement using his whole body. “Is there something I can do… to stop that ‘feeling’ we talked about… to keep it from happening again.”

“Yes. I’ll swing by your office next week and we’ll talk.”

He looks like he’s not happy with that timeline. “Okay. The sooner the better, right?”

“That feeling?” Joshua asks when he gets four steps down the walk.

“Aphrodite had him wrapped up in an enchantment. He fought it pretty well, considering. But he wants to know how to make sure it never happens again.”

“I would too.”

A familiar black car pulls up to the curb behind the Sheriff’s and brilliant neon red hair peeks out from beneath the hood of Elaria’s sweater.

When the two pass at the bottom of the steps, I bite back a smile when the sheriff leans back, his smile stiff.

The fact that the sweetest woman in the world scares so many men will nevernotbe funny to me.

“Don’t be gone too long.” Joshua kisses my shoulder and heads back into the living room.

I’m not exactly sure how he knows I’m leaving again, but I don’t question it.

“Everything okay?” Elaria asks hopping to a stop on the stoop.

“Yeah… I just need a few supplies. Will you watch them while I go to Wexxon’s?”

She glances into the dim house. “I could do the shopping.”

---