Page 50 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

My heart kicked up a couple of notches. I’d been hoping I’d overreacted. “Can you tell what they were doing?”

Sedrick’s growl was low and vibrated up my spine. I had no idea what it must feel like to Phil, seeing as how he was still connected to Sedrick. “I can’t say for sure, but given their tracks and the way their scent moves, I’d say they were coming at your barrier.”

“Testing it?” I asked, the words catching in my throat.

“Looks like. It also looks like they trotted off disappointed.”

I turned, staring toward the north end of my boundary. “Anywhere else?” I asked.

I hadn’t had time to check everything. Truth be told, I hadn’t even thought of it until now. I’d been so focused on the area we knew about that it hadn’t even occurred to me to look further.

“It’s all I can scent for now, but I’ll have a better look around before I leave.” Sedrick’s gaze tracked to the healing bite mark on my neck. Eyelids narrowed, Sedrick worked his hardened jaw back and forth, shifting his scruffy beard.

I stiffened, not liking the attention but refusing to apologize or cover the area.

When my shoulders defiantly straightened instead of rounding with embarrassment, Sedrick finally said, “Wolf wasn’t all I scented. There was at least one vampire too. I don’t suppose Lucroy’s been lurking about?”

“Of course not. Just like you, he’s welcome here. Lucroy doesn’t have tolurk.” Anger and a hint of hurt filled my words, negating the bravado I wanted to instill.

Phil slapped Sedrick on the chest and ordered, “Be nice. Besides, you’ve scented Mr. Moony before. You’d know if it was him or not.”

Sedrick appeared properly chastised. “I know. Mostly you’re right.”

“Mostly? What does that mean?” I stubbornly asked.

“What it means is that, unlike most other species, vamps can change their scent. It’s as easy as changing the blood they drink. Lucroy’s pretty easy. He has a specific blend he likes.” Sedrick’s nose wrinkled with disgust. “Most vamps smell like human blood. Lucroy smells like that, too, mostly. There’s ogre in there. Just a hint, but a hint’s enough.” Staring at my marked neck, Sedrick seemed to think better of his words. “Might be he smells a bit like pixie now, though.”

My cheeks flushed with heat. Turning my head to the side, I let my hair drift across my face, hiding my expression. Gaze fixed on my cottage, I said, “Might be,” and left it at that.

Right now, I had too much to worry about. I couldn’t begin to concern myself with how Sedrick felt about my relationship with Lucroy.

Wolves were lurking about. Vampires too. Werewolves and vampires weren’t all that tight. In fact, there was a fair amount of animosity between the two groups. That prompted the question: Had the wolves and vampires been there at the same time, or had they come sniffing around independently of one another?

Sedrick was right; my barrier had held. That part didn’t surprise me. What did was the fact I had two different predatory species lurking around my border. Goddess help me, I had no idea what I’d done to garner that kind of unwanted attention.

I was just a nature pixie. A wonderfully content nature pixie, but a nature pixie all the same. I wasn’t a threat to anyone but a few thousand aphids. Somehow, I couldn’t believe their curiosity was because of the insects that had been infesting my apple trees.

ChapterTwenty-One

LUCROY

Ishould have woken with a smile on my face. Initially, that was my singular emotion. That feeling was quickly eclipsed when thoughts of Frederick’s smug smile smacked into my memory. No one as wholly unimportant as that little pissant should be that arrogant.

If it had only been thoughts of Frederick, they wouldn’t have been enough to deter my good humor. Peaches’s blood had been exquisite. More than exquisite. I’d never felt a high like that. Last night, I’d beenwarm. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that way—well and truly human-warm. It must have been before my first death. That had been so long ago that memories of my human life were faded and dull at best. I’d had to push them into the deepest recesses of my mind lest I would have gone insane.

And insane vampires didn’t spend much time on their second lives. If they didn’t self-destruct, they were put down by the vampire council.

Alone, I allowed my anger to show. Lips pulled back, I stared at the latest piece of filigreed paper to pass through my doors. Evidently, after initial investigation, the council found my actions the night of Dillon and Ruthie’s custody hearing . . . questionable. They’d written to inform me they were sending a contingent here, into my territory, to investigate the matter more fully. I was summarily informed they would expect my full cooperation. They’d also noted they would be speaking with Alpha Belview as he had supported the claim that the werewolf I’d killed had been uncalled for.

There didn’t seem to be any dissent regarding the fact that Peaches life had been at stake, only the fact that I had little reason to intervene. The vampire council did not understand why the death of a pixie was any concern of mine.

I growled and snapped my fangs at the letter. Vampire growls sounded nothing like the werewolf equivalent. There was nothing remotely natural in the sound I released.

Climbing into the shower, I allowed the warm water to flow over my skin. Despite the heat, I was cold. Now that I knew the warm pleasure Peaches’s blood gave me, I found my mood souring even further, knowing how fleeting it had been.

Drying and dressing, I considered calling Peaches but decided against it, at least for now. My mood was poor, and I didn’t want to call him until I had myself under control. Heading for my fridge, I reached in and pulled out a bottle of blood. The thought of drinking it was not appealing, but without it, I’d be difficult to deal with, and controlling my emotions and actions would not be easy. I’d force the fluid down my throat. It would nourish my undead flesh far more than it would what was left of my soul.

My phone buzzed. It was the one connected to the bar via a landline. Reaching for it, I picked it up and answered a swift, “Yes?”

---