Page 18 of Witch of My Heart

“What did your note say?” I asked Duke. “Liam said it was the same message, but different context?”

Duke dug in his pocket and handed off a crumpled sticky note as he dug into one of the to-go containers.

The one you seek will find you. Wait here.

-An old, dead vampire

“I’ll be right back,” Cord said, rising to his feet, but still holding onto my hand.

“Where are you going?” I asked, not ready to let go of him yet.

“Drinks. I’m thirsty. Just to the kitchen,” Cord said. “I mean unless you just want hot tea. That we can do in here.”

“Okay,” I said, not sure which part I was okaying.

Cord stared at our entwined fingers and took a deep breath before letting go of my hand, “I’ll be right back.”

“I expected you two to already be in his bed by the time I got here,” Duke said. “I was just going to drop off the food and go.”

“Don’t be so crass,” I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t act like some lily pure virgin. I know you’re not,” Duke said, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Do we have a problem I don’t know about?” I blinked at Duke.

“No, I’m just saying don’t be one of those guys who go all weird and prude-ish just because you met your mate.”

“Look, just don’t make him uncomfortable, okay? That’s all I’m saying. He’s already skittish. I don’t want you to chase him off again.”

Cord slid back into the room with cans of soda and rosehip beer. Reaching up, I unloaded his arms so he could sit back down.

“I’m not going to run off, but I’d like you to think less about what might go on in my bed,” Cord said to Duke.

My cousin blinked and I stifled a laugh behind a cough.

“Just saying what everyone thought would happen,” Duke shrugged.

“Well, they can keep it shut too,” Cord said.

“Your carrier is going to love him,” Duke said, cracking open one of the beers. “Cheers to both of you!”

“He means that,” I smiled at Cord.

“I know. Most people get ruffled feathers when they receive cryptic notes from the other side,” Cord shrugged. “Now, what was this long story about who you were waiting on?”

I took a deep breath and cracked open one of the rosehip beers too. Then I told him everything. How my father was kidnapped by a man driven mad with grief because of the fascists practices of a vampire coven that technically no longer existed. I told him about my long hours studying and hunting down every bit of vampyric magic I could find.

“I get the pull,” Cord said. “I do. I got my books back. Star made sure I got them back. I got my Dad’s Grimoire. He was killed by my sire. Ummm…. Ginger Barrel,” Cord said as if he didn’t want to say her name at all, but wanted to get it out of the way.

“I was planning to go to speak with the Ash and Phoenix Coven, but I think---” I sighed and looked at the note.

I shoved it in my pocket before I continued speaking, “I would’ve put off leaving now even without cryptic notes from dead men.”

“Because of me?” Cord asked, as if he needed to double-check.

“Because of you,” I said.

He touched my cheek softly, tracing the flesh where he scratched me earlier. They were healed now, but he wiped away the dried blood and flashed me an apologetic smile.

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