Page 191 of Blue Moon Mistress

When she disappears around the corner, Chase drops his head to my shoulder. “Your friend is bossy.”

The others grumble agreements, and Johnny lets out a long sigh. “But damn if she doesn’t make an amazing meal.”

“Well,” My mother says as she follows Elaria into the room. “You four look better than you did, but you are definitely going to need some rehab.”

“I’ve already done a supply run,” I say, ignoring the uncomfortable shifting around the table.

“Good. We are done here. The coven has finished all the clean up possible. You shouldn’t have any residual effects from that spell.” She looks toward Mrs. Miller’s house. “I think we’ve worried the locals enough with our sudden invasion.”

She looks down at me. “Walk me out?”

I take one more bite of the quiche and go with her to the door. But when we stop on the threshold, I don’t receive the scolding I expect.

“I love you, Scarlette. Be safe.”

“Always.”

“We need you to take the three next door under your wing for a while. They’ll need help, and I’m afraid that—after the ordeal with Aphrodite—they might go astray.”

“They were spelled, surely the coven doesn’t hold that against them.”

“We don’t, but they are not weak, and we both know that untrained strength can be its own problem. They trust you. You were able to free them.”

“They might not trust anyone but themselves right now.”

“But they do. They saw what you did… We arrived late and they know we let this go on for too long. They don’t and won’t trust anyone in Salem.”

I nod in agreement and consider asking Elaria to help whenever she comes down. I saw the way they looked at her. The two of us are close enough to their age and we’ve had decades of training. We might be able to make it work.

“You do realize that if they won’t join the coven, or if the coven won’t accept them… They may be the final slice of the cord binding me to you all.”

“And we have accepted that.”

I’ve never heard anything so startling in my life.

“First, they accept my werewolves, then they are willing to risk the creation of another coven, so close…”

“Despite how it may feel, they trust you too. And with Martha gone, no one will try to throw stumbling blocks in your path.” She glances at the wall that separates us from the kitchen. “Get them back to fighting fit, Bagel. You’re going to need them.”

“Why do I feel like you sometimes know my plans before I do?”

“The cards rarely lie.”

Forty-Three

Johnny’s bedis deliciously warm, and I know he didn’t leave it long ago, but I can’t luxuriate in it this morning.

Since Aphrodite died, I can’t bring myself to leave them alone for long.

They don’t seem to mind.

I slip from the bed, grabbing one of Johnny’s t-shirts and pulling on a pair of socks. Then, I follow the sweet smell of blueberry pancakes out into the kitchen.

Pausing in the doorway, I watch them as they work around each other. Anyone else would think they were back to normal, but I see the signs that linger after Aphrodite’s spells.

I hate her for them.

“Good morning,” Thomas sweeps me up into a hug, kissing me sweetly before setting me back down on my feet.

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