Page 6 of A Deeper Blue
“I will attempt to do that,” he promised, thinking he’d get right the hell over it if he could kiss her again. “My name is Rafe.”
“Hi,” she said. Her speculative look was back.
“Hi,” he said.
“So, warlock bikers,” she said. “That seemed like a thing back there.”
“They’re assholes,” agreed Rafe, nodding. Now that they were indoors, the stench from his shirt was even more potent and starting to bother him. He was going to have to rinse it out.
“I’m going to grab my bag,” he said, pulling open the door.
Azure looked annoyed as he slammed the door behind him. He hurried to his bike and checked to see that the Hydro Flask was in place. Rafe gave it a quick shake, and it sloshed like it was full of water. He shrugged and shoved it back in before taking the entire bag off the bike. Pack business was pack business, even if they weren’t his pack anymore. And maybe… he didn’t like to think it, but if his father had called him, then this might be his way back in. He couldn’t take the chance on trusting a human with any of that, even a witch. Even an incredibly hot witch. Probably particularly not one of the hot ones.
“OK,” he said, going back in and tossing his bag on the bed next to hers. “Warlocks, they’re bad dudes.” He kicked his boots across the room. “Don’t fuck with them.” He yanked off his shirt. “There. Done.”
Azure’s mouth swung open, and she raised a finger, but from the smell of her, she wasn’t exactly upset about the view.
“No, not done,” she objected. “There’s more to cover.”
“I don’t like it covered,” he said, stepping up close to her. Those blue eyes that matched her name looked about ready to snap him in half, but he decided to take his chances. He pushed by her, enjoying the tiny little bit of her skin brushing up against his. She made his fur—no, it was hair—stand up on end. He growled at himself as he shut the door to the bathroom. He needed to remember what shape he was because she made his wolf want to howl like a puppy, and witch or no, wolfing out was going to scare the shit out of her.
Rafe stood for a moment, hand still on the bathroom door handle. He could smell Azure on the other side of the door, and he grinned. She smelled… warm. Not quite in heat, but definitely sliding that direction. He still had a shot at double occupancy on the bed.
Episode 4
The Spell
Azure
He was singing Sinatra in the shower. And he was good.
“Moonlight and love songs, never out of date.”
It was such an old song to choose, but he sounded smooth. She found herself swaying as he sang. She felt like she’d made several strategic errors in the last half-hour. Getting a single hotel room was definitely one of them. But she didn’t have the cash for a second room, and her second sight had thought it was fine. She felt like she should have checked in with her common sense for that decision. His cocky grin when they’d announced that number eight was their lucky number had said exactly what he thought the lucky happening in the room was going to be.
“A fight for love and glory, a case of do or die.”
A fight, indeed. The man was a brawler—explosive and dangerous—just like that spell he’d used to break the window. But he wasn’tonlya brawler. He was a magic wielder of some kind—obviously not the warlock kind—and he knew far more than he was telling, which annoyed Azure. She was used to being the one ahead of the curve. She needed more information, and he was holding out. That wasn’t surprising—just like for Supernaturals, the threats against witches and magic wielders were numerous, trusting some chance-met stranger in a bar was a bad idea. But she had thought that he would at least fill in some of the basic information, except that her hoped-for conversation when they’d entered the room hadn’t exactly panned out. She felt like he had been suspicious and dismissive of her. And then he’d ripped off his shirt.
That had been a show-stopper.
Those muscles made her want to put little bite marks all over his chest. His palpable physical presence reminded her that it had been way too long since her essential femininity had been properly celebrated, or whatever bullshit her coven sister Rose called getting laid.
And now he was taking a shower and singing, and she was thinking about him naked.
But even the basic questions remained unanswered: who and how many people were after them and why? On the other hand, she hadn’t exactly been forthcoming either. Maybe she had to give a little to get a little? But Azure hesitated a moment longer. Being Fae meant that she had enemies even among the Supernaturals. When the Fae people – elves, sprites, fairies, and others – had begun their mass exodus off the earthly plane, it had left a massive hole in the fabric of Supernatural society, one that had never quite been filled. Many Supernaturals were still bitter about the loss of knowledge, history, and allies. There were also Supernaturals who worked the dark blood magic that would drain the power from a Fae being. Her family had to be very cautious with who they trusted, and if she was going to talk to Rafe, she would have to be careful about what she discussed.
Azure got up and cracked the bathroom door.
“Rafe?”
“I’m using all the hot water,” he said. “If you want some, you’d better come in and get it now.”
“Mm, a true gentleman,” said Azure, opening the door further. His wet shirt was now hanging on the towel rack. “These Warlocks, the motorcycle gang, are they related to the Temple of the Unified Vision?”
“The Temple of the… What kind of bullshit is that?”
“Temple of the Unified Vision. The warlocks that I’m familiar with all belong to that. They’re nasty little shits that believe in killing all the others and anyone magical that isn’t them. And also repressing women’s rights, you know, just for good measure.”
