King of the Asheville Coven (Winterset Coven #1)(18)

“Are you okay? Tell me you’re all right, Sadey. I heard you…f*ck.” He hugged her tighter, lifted her off the ground. “I heard you call for me, and I was afraid I would be too late. I heard you say you were sorry.” His voice hitched on that last word. “Garret,” he said in a hard tone as he set her down.

“Yep, we’re on it,” Garret muttered. “Come on boys, let’s check out the damage.” The others meandered up onto the porch, but Garret hung back and clapped his king on the shoulder. “I’ll order the supplies, and we’ll get it fixed up.”

“Thank you,” Aric murmured to Garret’s back as his Second made his way up to the destroyed house with the others.

Cupping her face and angling it back, he studied her throat. His relief she’d felt a second ago transformed to anger, and power pulsed against her skin. “I wanted to kill him, Sadey. Seeing him choking you…” He gritted his teeth and looked like he wanted to spit. “You should know what’s in my heart. If you hadn’t spoken up for him, that * wouldn’t be breathing right now.”

“I wasn’t speaking up for him, Aric.”

Her mate frowned, and confusion filled every beautiful angle of his face. “What do you mean?”

“I was speaking up for you.” Sadey gripped Aric’s wrists to keep his touch on her. “I didn’t want you to have another black mark on your heart because of me. I wanted to protect you.”

Deep emotion pooled in his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. “I keep thinking you’re a dream. Like I’ll wake up, and my life will be like it was before you. Dark and empty. I don’t know how I got lucky enough for you to pick me back.” He parted his lips to say more, but his phone chirped in his back pocket. He checked it and muttered a curse. “I have to get back to the station. Will you do me a favor?”

“Well, you did just save my life,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I pretty much owe you any favor you want. What’ll it be? Titty squeezes? A BJ? I’m drawing the line at a threesome because I don’t share my man, my food, or—”

Aric kissed her into silence, making her forget her train of thought completely. With a deep chuckle, he eased back and rested his forehead against hers. “I was just going to ask you to sleep at the coven house tonight. My protective instincts are kicked up, and Garret can make sure you are comfortable.” He bit his bottom lip and grinned wickedly. “We can discuss BJ negotiations when I get home.”

“Deal,” she whispered, thoroughly enjoying the way he’d said home, as if it was hers, too.

But as she watched him saunter off, evaporate into a powerful gust of bats and smoke, and then disappear into the night, she reconsidered that word. Home wasn’t her rental house or the coven house, or even Winterset.

Now, home was Aric.





Chapter Nine


Aric smiled at the new bed of flowers in the landscaping of the coven house. Three months living here, and Sadey had put her stamp on every piece of this place. The music of laughter floated out of the open windows and reached for him on the front porch.

This was his favorite part of his fire shifts—when he got to come home to her and to his coven.

His old life felt a million years ago now.

Aric pushed open the door and paused in the entryway just long enough to set his gear bag down. Dawn was an hour away, but the boys were still riled up, joking with each other and playing the music too loud. Quietly, Aric padded into the living area and leaned against the doorframe there. Dawn and the girls were here tonight, which made the human food smell of steak make sense. Sadey always insisted on cooking for the feeders before they left so they wouldn’t feel faint on the way back to their lives.

The coven had complained half-heartedly at first about cooking in the kitchen and filling the house with the stink of food, but Sadey wouldn’t be budged, and Aric was glad. The feeders were happier for the tradition they were creating now. Dawn and Sadey were cracking up over something at the table as his mate forked a bite of salad. She had her blond tresses up in a messy bun and wore an easy smile that said she was comfortable with everyone here. Her charcoal gray cable-knit sweater dropped from one shoulder and exposed the claiming mark he’d given her.

Some of the coven were on the couch watching a television show, two were playing chess in the corner, and two of them were sitting at the table with the girls, teasing them. Garret was standing over the old jukebox the boys had ordered for the house, and after he punched in the number he wanted, Sadey groaned out, “Garret! We’ve heard this song three thousand times tonight.”

“And we’ll hear it three thousand more because it’s that good,” he said with a wink at Dawn.

These were Aric’s favorite nights, when everyone was happy.

“Hey you.”

Aric blinked slowly and smiled at his mate. Sadey looked so pretty under the chandelier above the kitchen table, an easy greeting grin on her full lips, her eyes crinkling as the grin reached them.

She really loved him.

Sure, he could tell from the fact that she’d switched her work hours and sleep schedule around to coincide with his. He could tell from the way she snuggled him in her sleep in the dark of their room during the daylight hours. But this—the way she looked at him with her heart in her eyes—said she was happy to be in love with him.