Fourth Rite: A Reverse Harem Tale (Lovin' the Coven Book 4) Read online

  "Uh… We're witches. Not a problem. Rest of forever and all that."

  He nodded, his tense shoulders relaxing with some of the pressure off him. "Well, the good news is you're all incorporated. I made myself a manager, so I hope you don't mind. Unfortunately, First Moon is already a corporation, so now you're Lady of the First Moon, Inc."

  "That's kind of sexy," Jimmy said with a grin.

  "I like it, too," I told him and walked over, leaning against him as I looked at what else was on the laptop. He had gotten waste management all settled, created accounts with book distributors and food service suppliers. The more I flipped through his open tabs, the more impressed I got. He was doing a fantastic job. "Wow. You've been busy."

  "Not busy enough. There's still a ton of shit to get done. I've been working on a…planogram? For the layout of the bookstore. Have time to take a look?"

  "Email it to me. I'll look at it tonight."

  "Okay."

  "What are your plans tonight? Want to come to dinner with us?"

  He blushed. "Uh…"

  "What?"

  "I'd love to. But I have class tonight."

  Blinking in surprise, I grinned and hugged him. "Already?"

  "Yeah. Classes were just starting up."

  "What are you studying?"

  "Business management."

  I couldn't help it. I sniffed and a tear leaked out, I was so proud of him. "See! Now, even if you get sick of my weird ass, you'll never step foot in another factory again, unless it's to run it!"

  He stood up and looked over my shoulder, shy because Jimmy and my familiars were in the room. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Like I could ever get sick of you."

  I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. Hard.

  "Hey," he said after pulling away. "Not allowed to kiss me when I'm on the clock."

  "You're my boyfriend. I can kiss you whenever the damn hell I want."

  "Uh. I am?"

  I blinked in confusion.

  Woah. Way to jump the gun. I could have kicked myself. I just assumed…

  "Did you not want to be my boyfriend?"

  "Gosh, I don't know. It's so sudden… I mean I like you, but– I'm kidding!" He must have seen the look in my eye, or noticed I stopped breathing. My heart started beating again and he started choking from laughter.

  "You're a funny man. Remind me to kill you last."

  "Welcome to the club," Jimmy said with a grin over my shoulder.

  Chapter 2

  "Can I get you something to drink?"

  "I'd love a glass of wine!"

  I bet you would.

  Instead of saying the thought out loud, I just gave her a sickly-sweet smile. Miranda Barton, Josie's mom, wasn't the brightest bulb on the string, and probably thought it was genuine. What I really wanted was a meteor, preferably planet-killer sized, to come down and kill the dinosaur in my living room and put the rest of us out of our misery.

  Not that she looked like a dinosaur. Even with her stubby little arms, she was far from it. We were witches. Once we hit our mid-twenties, we stopped aging. Miranda's problem was she wasn't very pleasant looking when she hit twenty-five. She was a witch and she made what she was into who she was, with a vengeance.

  I tried not to stare at the pointy, purple hat, green and orange striped leggings, purple dress, and green-tinged makeup. It was almost Yule and she was dressed for Halloween. I was pretty sure she owned ten outfits and they were all the same. Hers was the house that the kids avoided on Halloween. Christmas, weekdays, and weekends, too. Any ball accidentally kicked in her yard was lost forever.

  Miranda was the reason Josie practically lived at my house growing up. And probably why she moved four states away with me.

  "Would you like anything, Shea?"

  "Two glasses of wine?"

  I nodded at him, knowingly. He had shared the expense of a moving truck with her and had subsequently spent almost twelve hours trapped in the cab of a vehicle with the crazy witch. He looked like it had been twelve days. "Sure thing."

  "I'll get it, Dot," Yuki said and headed for the kitchen, cutting off my escape route. "Would you like one?"

  "Please."

  Want me to put some arsenic in hers? Yuki asked silently.

  I snorted, drawing a confused look from Miranda. Don't bother. Probably not strong enough to kill her.

  How in the hell is Josie related to that?

  Human father. She probably got him drunk and took advantage. Maybe he was hot?

  "So, did you find places yet?" I said to make conversation. Please say yes. Please say yes.

  "I have taken an apartment not far from here," Shea answered.

  "I'm going to find Josie and I a cute little house. How is the real estate market, dearie?"

  Oh, boy. This isn't going to end well…

  Josie needed to hurry her ass home. I'd left her and Candace at the book store. She'd promised to hightail it home as soon as she was done, but I had a feeling she'd left me to do her dirty work.

  "Miranda… Josie is planning on staying here. Her and her significant other are quite happy. Why don't you find an apartment, too? It would be easier for you to take care of by yourself." I'd specifically left out the word 'girlfriend' on purpose. She might have expected me to fight the housing battle with her mother, but I'd be damned if I was breaking that news to the crazy old bat.

  "Oh, don't be silly! Of course, she's going to want to move in with me."

  "No. She really doesn't." This was going to be harder than I thought.

  "But, why?"

  Oh, I don't know. Might be because you're a control freak and take the witch thing a tad too far? Maybe? "The whole point of us moving away, other than being driven here by the goddess herself, was to strike out on our own. It was time to become independent witches. Do you think I would let my mother move in with me?"

  "You're hardly one to talk. Isn't your grandmother here?"

  "In her own house, yes."

  "Really?" Her voice rose twenty octaves.

  "Really."

  "Oh. I did not know that. Do you think she would be interested in a roommate?"

  I started chuckling to myself. Evilly. Inside. "Honestly, I don't know, but you should definitely ask her, Miranda."

  It was totally worth it. Shea's hood fell back, and he looked like he was going to shit a familiar. Even Yuki dropped a wineglass, the shattering sound a prelude to the fireworks that were going to happen when Miranda popped the question to Nana.

  "I definitely will!"

  Sometimes, I really loved being me.

  Until the thought of Nana turning me into a three-petered puppy crossed my mind…

  Yep. Still worth it.

  Yuki brought some wine over to get us started. "I'll go clean up the mess. Sorry about that, Dot."

  "No worries." I shot her a grin.

  Dar, who had been sitting next to me, guarding me from the Miranda, gave up and lay down, head covering my feet. It was nice knowing you. Your grandmother is going to vaporize you.

  I'll just plead innocence. How was I to know she would ask?

  Evil.

  And its name is Dot, I said with a grin.

  "Well, I can recommend the local motel until you get situated. I'd offer you a place here, but we're full. I should add a second story."

  "Oh, I don't mind the couch, dearie."

  Fuck me. This is never going to end.

  "I can stay in your room, Master. Miss Barton can stay in my room."

  "Master?" Miranda asked confusedly.

  "She's my other familiar." What are you doing? I asked Yuki separately.

  She's not going away until she has a place. I really don't want to walk out of my bedroom and see that sleeping on the couch. Please?

  "You have a vampire…as a familiar?"

  "Yes, Miranda. And a…hellhound." I pointed at Dar, not wanting to let her know he was a demon who could transform into a hellhound. Not that I knew what he was anyway. Even Nana h
ad never seen his kind before, and I was pretty sure she was from hell, too. I knew my mother was the devil.

  "What? How is that possible?"

  "Magic."

  I looked back at Yuki. She was pleading with her eyes.

  Fine. But if you snore, I'm pushing you off the bed.

  Yay!

  I rolled my eyes.

  The front door opened, and Josie peeked in. "Hi, Josie," I said loud enough for both her, and her charming mother, to hear. Just in case she wanted to run away.

  "Hey…Dot. How's it going?"

  "Your mom is here," I said, pointing in her direction. Josie could see me from the front door, but not Miranda or Shea. "Come say hi."

  "Mom?" Josie tried to sound surprised.

  Miranda got up from the couch. "How's my widdle Josie Wosie?"

  You're fucking kidding me. Dar lifted his head and stared at the woman, doggy disgust evident on his face. He made a gagging noise that I'm sure had absolutely nothing to do with hair balls.

  On second thought, I'll go stay at Nana's. Yuki's mental voice sounded a lot like Dar's gag reflex.

  Oh, you're not going anywhere. Either of you.

  I'd tell you to send me back to Gehenna, but I'm reasonably sure she might be native to that plane. She smells like a pit fiend and probably farts like a balor.

  I spit wine.

  Josie walked in with a very afraid-looking Candace hiding behind her. "Hi, Mom. Missed you."

  With every bullet apparently. Yuki added.

  Yuki!

  What? Please. I thought my father was scary…

  I think I win that award. I said haughtily.

  True story, your mother is scary. But, this woman…

  She's more annoying than anything.

  "So, is this true? You don't want to move in with your mother?"

  "It's not that I don't want to, Mom. Dot would be completely and utterly lost without me."

  I decided to let it slide. If it made her life that much easier, so be it. Apparently, there were no limits what I would do for a friend.

  "She cooks like Madeline!" Josie added, almost as an afterthought.

  Except that.

  "Wait. What?" I stared at her, forming the words for my frog spell. She could get away with a lot of things, but saying I cooked like my mother…

  She looked over her shoulder at me and winked.

  "Well, I suppose… She obviously needs someone to take care of her. And since her grandmother refuses to live with her, not that I blame her, I guess it's up to you."

  I poured my glass of wine into my face hole, sucking it down in one swallow. It was going to be that kind of night.

  Yuki got up to get me a refill. Don't forget you have dinner plans. Don't get shit faced.

  I flipped her off when nobody was looking. Don't tell me what to do.

  Thanksgiving was her only reply. It was enough. One more glass wouldn't hurt, though.

  "So, where is this 'significant other' I've been hearing about?"

  Oh, boy. Here we go. Don't chicken out, Josie.

  "Um…"

  There was a moment of silence while Josie internally debated introducing Candace to her mother. I was starting to sweat when she finally took a deep breath and stepped to the side, putting Candace in full view of her mother.

  "Well, where is he?"

  "She. Where is she. Mom, this is Candace. Candace this is my mother."

  "Hello, Miss Barton."

  "You?" She turned her confused glance to her daughter. "Wait. You're gay?"

  I quietly sucked in a breath, ready to jump in.

  "Yeah."

  "I can't believe I never knew?" She peeked around her daughter and looked at me.

  "No. The sleepovers were just sleepovers." I shook my head and held up my hands.

  "You, I could believe. But I'm shocked that my daughter likes girls. She was always so popular and boy crazy."

  "Mom…"

  "Oh! I'm sorry. It's a pleasure to meet you, dear!" She got up and gave Candace a hug.

  Thank the goddess.

  "Pleasure to meet you, too, Miss Barton."

  "Call me Miranda! Oh, my Lady. You're adorable. You're over eighteen, right?"

  "Mom!"

  "I'm just checking! She looks young. Especially with those pointed ears… Wait. You're fae?"

  Candace nodded.

  "Oh, my Lady!"

  Shea shuddered and gently rubbed his ear.

  Poor Candace. I guess it's better than the alternative.

  "You want to take the truck to your place and unload?" I asked Shea, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of my own house.

  He seemed surprised by my question, glanced around, and nodded emphatically. "Please?"

  "Come on. We'll let these three get to know each other."

  Josie shot me a dirty look and I took great pleasure in ignoring it. "Miranda, have Josie show you where Yuki's room is."

  "You're staying here, Mom?"

  Miranda blinked. "Just until I find a place."

  Josie pulled out her phone. "I'll introduce you to the real estate agent, tomorrow. I should probably go call him right now and set up an appointment or something."

  I chuckled. "Come on, Shea."

  He nodded and practically leapt from the couch. Dar got up and Yuki grabbed my jacket for me.

  "Need an extra pair of hands?" Candace looked desperate.

  "Of course! Come on, sweetie. We'll let Josie and her mom catch up."

  Josie's face screamed, Betrayal!

  "I'll have her home before dinner. I'm going out with the guys tonight."

  "Uh. Okay. Thanks, Dot."

  "You're welcome!" I put on my coat and herded my herd out the door. Shea pulled out a key ring and headed for the driver's side door of the large moving truck. "You can drive that thing?"

  His hood nodded.

  "Okay, we'll follow you in my car."

  The drive to his apartment only took a few minutes and was down some side streets I'd never seen before. While the neighborhood wasn't exactly posh, it was nicer than most of the areas in Cedar Falls. By far.

  "I wish I had known these were here."

  "Do you not like your house?" Candace leaned forward between Yuki and me.

  "Yes. But this is a pretty nice neighborhood."

  "Yes. Doctor Shapiro lives in that house over there."

  I looked up, catching her gaze in the mirror. "How do you know that?"

  "Christmas party."

  "He's a pretty nice guy. For a doctor."

  Candace nodded enthusiastically.

  "Do you miss working?" When she'd been kidnapped by the evil witch trying to slaughter the vampires, she'd been placed on leave, too.

  She shrugged, noncommittally. "Sometimes. I've been there almost ten years. People were starting to take notice of my not aging. It was almost time to move on, anyway."

  "That might not be necessary… With the demons and Dar at the diner, we might be out of the closet, anyway. People are going to start talking. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out."

  "Interesting."

  "Sure. Let's go with that."

  Shea pulled into the apartment complex and made a right, parking in front of the first building. I slipped into one of the few open parking spots, relatively close to the truck. By the time we made it back to him, he had the back door open and was sorting through the contents.

  "You relieved to be Miranda free?'

  "You have no idea. That woman is certifiably insane. I'm amazed her daughter is as stable as she is."

  "You're welcome. I raised her as my very own."

  "Aren't you two the same age?"

  "Well, yes. But, you don't think the woman with striped leggings and a witch hat is responsible, do you?"

  "No. You did an excellent job, Lady."

  "Call me Dot, Shea."

  "Is Shea the fae blooded witch you told me about?" Candace asked curiously.

  "I am," he said and
pulled back his hood.

  Seeing them together was like night and day, which made sense. Shea was a shadow walker. His blood gave him the ability to travel from place to place in our world through the realm of shadow. Candace, with her golden hair and lustrous skin, looked like the sun incarnate. They were both absolutely beautiful, but in different ways. Shea's hair was much darker, brown bordering on black. His features, while not masculine in the slightest, were far more angular than Candace's delicate, rounded features. Even their eyes were dissimilar. His were shaped like almonds and had an upward tilt. Hers curved more but were tilted under a straighter brow.

  "Twinsies." Yuki chuckled next to me.

  "They do look quite a bit alike, but they're Ying and Yang."

  "Literally."

  They both turned to regard Yuki and I, before focusing back on each other. Candace shyly stepped forward and offered him her hand. He bent down and took it, squatting in the back of the packed truck.

  "Hello."

  "Greetings, Candace."

  I half expected sparks to fly from their fingertips when they touched, or something like that. It was almost a disappointment to see them acting normally, even shyly.

  Until Candace gasped.

  "Unseleighe sidhe!"

  He held up his hands. "Aye. My father."

  I spoke Irish. Without a doubt, she had just called him an elf of the dark court. He was a shadow walker. I wasn't that shocked.

  Candace turned and gave me a worried expression. I shrugged my shoulders at her. "I have a demon and a vampire as familiars. Not too worried about the flavors of elf blood running through your veins. Yuki might, but I'm not."

  "Hey! I'm not going to eat them."

  "Why? It would be like a chocolate and vanilla sundae."

  "I am kind of hungry."

  "When was the last time you ate?"

  "A few days ago."

  "Do you think you'd still be welcome to feed with George and the other vampires?"

  "Probably not."

  "So, I need to set something up with your father."

  Yuki blushed, telling me all I needed to know. I'd do it as soon as we got Shea settled into his apartment. I mentally kicked myself for not asking sooner. I was supposed to be taking care of her.

  Focusing my attention back to the fae, I grinned at their reaction. They were still holding hands but staring at Yuki and I like we were monsters. "I was kidding! She's not going to eat you!"