Page 35 of Jacinth

I knew I was the only one capable of making it happen, and I was equally aware that my brothers would camp out in this cemetery until such a time as our girl could leave it permanently.

All of us were in too deep for it to end for as stupid a reason as mortality.

The problem was the Fates.

As far as the Fates were concerned, Jacinth’s thread had been cut. She was no longer part of the pattern, and her re-introduction into their precious weave would cause a wrinkle in the fabric. An aberration was unacceptable to the Fates, and they would come for all of us unless I could think of something.

The amulet was a short-term fix.

It was the only one of its kind and I was already feeling the strain on my warding tattoos that its absence caused. I was also running out of skin to tattoo to reinforce those protection marks.

Some day soon, I wouldn’t be able to part with it at all. So we were back to moving into the cemetery. Where spirits would harass Niko to get to me, and a minor slip of my power could mean a disaster of catastrophic proportions.

Jacinth snorted and rolled in her sleep, smacking her lips and muttering about... coffee-flavored dildos? Must be a kink. She really seemed to like me in this body suit.

Had to admit, I was feeling a lot more manly after the way she looked at me in it. I wouldn’t tell a soul, but the thing was actually quite comfortable.

Well, it had been comfortable, I mentally amended as I shifted and realized the panty line was digging into my junk and cutting off circulation. I adjusted things as best I could—it hadn’t been easy getting everything in there in the first place—and stood quietly in the clearing for a moment.

I wanted to do something for her.

Energy coursed through my limbs, and I decided I could do without the amulet long enough to get into town and buy her a coffee. I had worn her out so much she would probably sleep right through to my return.

Was I smug about it? Hell yeah, I was.

With nothing else to leave as a message, I stood the dildo up in the grass beside her head.

Hopefully she would understand that my departure was short term... somehow. Look, I was working with what I had, and in this outfit, that didn’t even include my cell.

I left the cemetery and saw that familiar van again. Where had I seen the thing before?

Worry about it later.

I rushed home and took a shower in record time, changed into jeans and a light sweater, and jumped into my baby to head to Jewels Cafe.

Julian was behind the counter as I made my way inside, distractedly counting how many minutes I had been away from her.

“Well, look at you. A mated man, huh?”

I grunted and pulled out my wallet. “I need a big girlie coffee for Jace. What would you suggest?”

“What about an extra-large triple shot mocha latte?” he asked, pulling an enormous cup off a stack over the coffee machine.

“That’s not a cup, that’s a bucket.”

“Worried you can’t handle the energy kick she’ll get from this?” Julian asked.

The growl that left my chest was the sound you would expect from a bear shifter.

Julian’s hands flew up in front of him immediately. “Kidding! I was most definitely kidding.”

I cleared my throat, only slightly embarrassed by my dominant display, and nodded, handing over cash when he rang up the total.

“Hey, I get it, man. I don’t know what I’d do without Amber.”

Julian’s voice was soft with understanding, and it sent my mind straight back to the dilemma I had been mulling over earlier. What the hell could I do?

I listened to the background noises in the café. The grinding of coffee beans, the hiss of steam frothing milk, the gurgle of the espresso, and the shhh of the can of cream swirling the topping on my order.

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