King of the Asheville Coven (Winterset Coven #1)(5)

The breeze kicked up, swaying the elaborate garden she’d planted. Bushes, grasses, and brightly colored flowers were placed tastefully in the front landscaping, down both sides of the house, and around the dogwood tree out front. The grass was mowed, and the landscaping perfectly weeded, the soil damp and smelling of rich earth. Before Sadey had gone inside, cradling her sore arm, she’d talked to each plant as she watered them like they were her children.

This was a woman who reveled in sunlight, so why the f*ck couldn’t he leave the shadows of this old sycamore tree across the street right now?

For the past ten minutes, he’d tried to convince himself he was just trying to make sure she got home safe. He’d tried to convince himself he was just watching her warily as a predator watches a rival in its territory, but she wasn’t a physical danger to him.

Her face had given her away when he’d asked if she was a bear. She was something smaller. She didn’t smell like a dragon either, so she wasn’t either of the two shifters that could threaten his life and the lives of his coven. Not when she was so obviously alone out here without a crew to protect her.

He didn’t like that.

It was dangerous for supes to be alone, and she hadn’t even called anyone on the cab ride from the hospital to her house. He’d flown near her taxi in his shifted form and watched for her to lift her phone to her ear, but she didn’t. Tonight, she’d almost died, and she had no one to call?

A shallow hiss filled his throat at the idea that her people had failed her so epically.

Movement caught his attention in the front left window. A light had turned on, and now Sadey’s shadow walked across the room. She pulled her shirt off gingerly, as though her arm was really hurting.

A reckless thought consumed him. He could dip into her mind briefly and take the pain away. He did that sometimes when he was called to a bad injury on a shift. But the thought of digging around in her mind had him doubled over in pain.

Squatting down in the shadows, Aric glared at her outline. Perfect breasts bobbed out of the bra she removed and, f*ck it all, his dick was so hard right now. This wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be sitting here watching her like this. Why didn’t she have blackout curtains? Because she won’t burn to her final death if a ray of sunlight peeks through, his * subconscious whispered.

What was his purpose here? He was fighting something that drew him to her. It rivaled bloodlust, but the thought of drinking her made him feel guilty. This right here was why he made a terrible vampire. His maker, Arabella, had known it would be like this, but she’d Turned him anyway. Wasn’t he supposed to be heartless by now? Wasn’t he supposed to feel less?

Instead, he felt everything. His coven could sense it and resented him. They thought him weak. If it wasn’t for the power of mind-manipulation that had manifested when he’d risen from the dead, they would’ve put him down by now.

His phone chirped, and he checked the glowing screen. It was Garret, his Second. Where are you? Dawn is almost here.

Aric slid his glance to the gray horizon and muttered a curse. This was the part he hated—the fear of the sun.

And for the billionth time since he’d been Turned, he cursed his maker for all she’d taken from him. Arabella had promised him great power, and when he’d turned it down, she’d Turned him anyway. She’d ruined his life with that power.

And now he couldn’t have a normal conversation with a woman like Sadey without smelling the stink of fear pouring from her skin.

Aric stood, made his way into the middle of the street, and inhaled deeply. Sadey was a being of the light, and he was of the shadows, and he had no place in her life.

He would be poison to her.

Sadey’s shadow froze, and slowly she made her way to the window. He should leave before she saw him and become even more scared, but he couldn’t conjure his shift. He just stood there, a dark part of his heart wanting her to see him. Wanting her to know he saw her.

Sadey lifted the thin blinds and then paused, staring at him with those gold eyes that said whatever animal she harbored was close to the surface.

Sexy, mysterious, rogue. He bet her animal was stunning.

But this was enough. It had to be. He had no place being here. Aric closed his eyes and gave his body to the bats.

And then in a haze of smoke, he disappeared into the night and out of her life.





Chapter Four


Sadey frowned down at the address, then back to the giant Victorian home surrounded by wilderness. It was beautiful, but not at all like the gothic castle she’d imagined a coven of vampires would inhabit. A shallow porch graced the front and was lined with a trio of white rocking chairs to match the intricate railing.

There were a few girls leaning against the railing. They wore sundresses, jean jackets, and cute wedges of differing colors as if they’d called each other and coordinated their outfits. They talked low and laughed easily. Sadey stuck her nose out the open window of her rental car and sniffed. They were definitely human, and they weren’t afraid of being at a coven house, so why should she? She was a motherfluffin’ shifter. And not just a bird shifter either, but one with teeth and claws. She wasn’t defenseless.

Plus, something deep down inside of her said Aric wouldn’t hurt her.

She remembered the look on his face right before he’d disappeared in a haze of flocking bats and purple smoke. There had been such a raw vulnerability in his eyes when he’d stood outside her house. That was one week ago, and she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since. That would’ve been good except she was curious about him, and apparently that curiosity-killed-the-cat saying didn’t work on her. Hopefully the nine lives adage would work, though, because now that she was here, her animal apparently thought this was the greatest idea ever instead of the stupidest.