Page 71 of Watch Me Burn

My mate blames himself. No one could have guessed that Linda was a witch hunter until she blew her cover, but Conall is convinced that he should’ve known. He should’ve been able tostop her before she struck that match—or before I had to use my fire magic to put her down after she attacked him with her knife.

It’s not his fault. It’s mine, but if he’ll hold me close at night, telling me that it isn’t, I’ll do the same for him.

Conall is an alpha wolf shifter. So I’m still a complete newbie when it comes to all things supernatural. I’ve learned enough to know that—like how Elise can’t help how mortals are drawn to her vampiric nature and beauty—Conall has this need to protect those he considers his. Me. Dyea. We’re his pack, and as I come to terms with my magic, it’s amazing, watching my Mr. Grump realize he’s not as much of a lone wolf as he thought he was.

“Uneventful,” he says, turning so he can kiss my palm. Kiss it, then breathe in deeply, taking my scent into his lungs. It’s a wolf thing, and though it freaked me out in the beginning, I’m getting used to it. “Jenny was playing dead again, but Clive was in charge of watching over her until she snapped out of it. Oh, and Mo is making a fish stew for dinner in the canteen if you want to eat with the others.”

Mo is a penguin shifter and a recent addition to Dyea. Left to his own devices, he’d make fish for every meal, including dessert, but he’s so cute, when he offered to work as a canteen chef, no one could refuse him. And I like fish, too. But I like spending time with my mate more.

Fate’s a funny thing. If you would’ve told me, back when I was a ‘human’, that I would be playing house with a guy I barely knew, I never would’ve believed it. Now look at me. Since the full moon that I let him claim me and our undeniable bond sprang into existence, we haven’t spent a single night apart.

For the first couple of them—after the arson and the stabbing—he stayed with me and Elise. Watching him bleed like that freaked me the hell out, and if Conall had any doubts that I cared about him, they were long gone by the time he was all healed up.

That’s when he asked me whether he should go ahead and move my stuff to his place, or if I would prefer him to just stay with me here.

Well, like I said, the fireplace sold me. That, and knowing we can bang to our hearts’ content without scalding poor Elise’s ears.

Hmm…

“We could do that. Or,” I offer, using my thumbnail to scratch through his thick scruff, “we can stay in, find something in the kitchen, make s’mores, and fuck in front of the fireplace.”

Hey. He built it because he thought I’d like it, and I do.

Like him, too.

Fate, huh? Looks like Conall’s goddess got it right because I’ve never been so happy as when I decided to go all in with my mate.

Living with him isn’t that big of an adjustment for me. I’ve lived with roommates my entire adult life, from the friends I roomed with in Queens, to Elise in Clarity, then in Dyea. Though Elise seemed a little wistful when I told her I was moving in with Conall, she didn’t mind the idea of staying by herself.

I thought she’d head back to Clarity. The initial threat of the first witch hunter’s partner coming after me is over with. Now that I’m Conall’s mate, I’m not leaving Dyea, but Elise could have if she wanted to. The only thing keeping her here is me, and as the one vampire living in the village without a consistent blood source—except for the small prey non-shifter animals she snacks on—she’d probably be better off returning to the Fang City.

I don’twanther to. To live in this supe sanctuary with my best friend and the scowling wolf who snuck in and somehow stole my heart… that seems pretty perfect to me. So when she didn’t make any move to leave Dyea in the last couple of weeks, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just enjoy life while I can.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it can change at any freaking moment.

Like now?—

Conall stiffens, and not in a good way. His body tightens behind me, though that’s the only reaction I get to my proposition before our front door flies open.

Elise comes dashing into the house, shoving the door closed behind her. Her eyes are wide, her usually perfectly-styled hair a windblown mess as she whips her head around, searching for us.

“I’m not here,” she gasps, and I’ve never heard her sound so frantic and nervous before. Her fang worrying her bottom lip, she shakes her head while holding up her hands. “I need to hide. Bridget, where can I hide? I know! Kitchen.” She dashes across the room, pausing in the entryway that leads to the kitchen before repeating, “I’m not here,” and disappearing into the other room.

I blink.

What the…

Ducking out of Conall’s embrace, I turn so that I can dash after Elise.

“Go,” he murmurs. “Your friend needs you.”

He’s trying. After our mating, I finally got him to stop referring to Elise as my ‘dead’ friend. This house is his personal territory, specifically for Conall and his mate, but there was a reason why he didn’t actually say anything about Elise’s approach until she was running inside. If I live here, she’s welcome to visit whenever she wants, and he had to get used to that.

I squeeze his upper arm in appreciation, then manage three steps before he growls.

The deep rumble stops me before I take the fourth. I glance back at him. “Conall?”

“Predator,” growls my wolf.

---