September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(85)

“Yeah, you look real enthused about celebrating love right now,” I said with a smile. I patted her hand, stilling it with my own so the annoying noise would stop. “I think you should stay with me until the wedding. We’ll get furry and unwind. I’m sure you need it as bad as I do.”

“That sounds good, actually. I think you’re right. I can’t remember the last time I shifted.” She was fidgety, twisting a sugar packet between her fingers until it exploded in a small shower of white powder.

Oh dear. White powder of any kind was likely a trigger for her. I swept it aside, pushing it into a small pile behind the napkin canister.

At her insistence, I spent most of the time talking, telling her about what went down at Shya’s. She nodded as if she was listening, but her eyes began to droop. Fatigue was a withdrawal symptom. The poor girl probably needed some serious rest.

“When was the last time you slept?” I flicked her hand, and she sat up straighter, forcing her eyes open.

“Honestly? I’m not sure.”

“As soon as I’m done here, we’re going home. I’d offer you a bed, but I doubt you’d want to lay on anything in this building.”

Jez made a face of disgust that was made absolutely hilarious by her inability to keep her eyes open. “Ew. Most definitely not. I’d rather sleep in the parking lot.”

I sat there quietly, wondering how she could drift off with the loud music and voices thundering all around us. I guess a few days without sleep will do that to a person.

She didn’t even stir when Willow appeared. He seemed to step out of nothing, becoming corporeal. Jez was slumped against the wall of the booth, drooling into the palm of her hand. I would have laughed if Willow hadn’t pulled me out of the booth into a colossal hug.

“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop him from taking you. I tried.” Willow’s words were muffled by my hair.

“None of this is your fault, Willow.” I pulled back to find his eyes shadowed with regret. “I know you think it is because of the choices you’ve made, but I don’t blame you for anything. Please, stop blaming yourself.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m trying.”

“Try harder.”

“Will do, boss.”

I glanced from Willow to Jez, wondering why those I loved had descended into such self-loathing. It hurt me to see them suffer and to know I couldn’t take away the pain.

I was wary of discussing demon business in a place where anyone could be listening. So I told him the gist of what Saber had said and left it at that.

“That doesn’t surprise me at all. Shya must be having a fit over it though.”

“He took it out on me. He demanded the dreamwalker that I owe him. I have one month.”

Willow swore and shook his head of dirty-blond hair. “Why does that not surprise me? Try not to worry about it. We’ll figure something out.”

“I’m not sure there is a we in this case.” My gaze dropped to Shya’s dragon sigil. “This is very much a me scenario. I made the deal. I have to honor it.”

“You’re not going back into the FPA building. You can’t, Alexa. That place is too dangerous.”

“Save me the warnings and pep talks, ok?” I laughed, but it was forced and dry. “I have a wedding to get through without any mishaps or deaths. It’s going to be harder than it sounds.”

My name being shouted from across the room had me whirling to find Shaz dodging people as he made his way through the crowd. In his enthusiasm he lifted me off my feet and squeezed until I yelped.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he scolded, lowering me back to the floor. “You had me scared half to death. Arys wouldn’t take me to Shya’s no matter how much I threatened him.”

“Good. You have to stay off Shya’s radar. Trust me. You don’t want to be on it.” I hugged him close, reveling in the scent of wolf and aftershave.

“Thank God you’re ok,” he murmured before kissing me with raw emotion. That simple act was filled with love and affection. It made me wish so badly that I could be what he needed.

Willow excused himself, heading to the bar to avoid the kissfest.

“It’s not over, Shaz. Shya isn’t going anywhere. Not anytime soon, that’s for sure.”

“Kylarai is a wreck. She was planning to cancel the wedding if you didn’t make it back in time.”

“No way in hell is that happening,” I vowed. “Somebody deserves to get their happy ending, and it’s going to be Coby and Kylarai.”

“Excuse me?” A gruff voice drew my gaze to Dayne who stood a few feet away, waiting for us to disentangle from one another. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to speak to you face to face.”

Reluctantly, Shaz let me slip from his embrace. The sudden absence of his warmth made me reconsider. He extended a hand to Dayne.

“I must apologize for what happened at Doghead,” Shaz said, remorse heavy in his jade eyes. “It was unacceptable and completely bad judgment on my part.”

Dayne accepted both Shaz’s hand and his apology. “Think nothing of it. My boys like to scrap. It doesn’t take much for that shit to get out of control in a pack as big as ours.”

“Would you like to sit down?” I glanced at the booth where Jez snored softly and led Dayne to an empty one a few booths away instead. “Anything you want is on the house, of course.”