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

  "Just a nibble?"

  "Yuki."

  "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

  Candace shook her head and realized she was still holding Shea's hand, letting go and wiping her palm off on her jacket. I wasn't sure if Shea had sweaty palms or she just didn't like touching the dark elf. I hoped it was the sweat.

  "Come on. Let's get your stuff moved in."

  Shea nodded and stood, sorting through the boxes. "All of my things are here, by the door. The rest belongs to Miranda."

  "Why didn't you use magic trunks? You could have just rented a car instead of a moving truck."

  "I have many volatile items that do not take kindly to being magically compressed into five-dimensional spaces. I had planned on walking everything into my apartment, but that woman insisted on a…road trip…I believe she called it. Had I not been worried about the sheer amount of power I'd have expended shadow walking, I would never, ever, have agreed."

  "I'd wondered. I just figured it was because Miranda can be so damn pushy. Ten bucks says I have to forcibly remove her from my place within a week."

  Candace sighed and slumped to the ground.

  "It won't be that bad, sweetie."

  "I see how she talks about you, the high priestess of our coven, and I get upset. If she talks that way about me…"

  "I won't let her."

  She looked up at me, blinking back tears. She stood back up and walked over to hug me around my stomach. "Thank you."

  Shea was watching our exchange, curiously. When he noticed me looking at him, he began stacking boxes by the door.

  "Take a break, Shea. Go open your apartment so we can start moving the boxes while you sort."

  He stopped and nodded, jumping nimbly down from the truck. "It's right here on the first floor."

  "Yay. No stairs."

  He led us toward the stair well, heading for the first door on the right behind it. He whispered something to the lock, and it clicked and opened with a rush of warm air. Another whisper and dim lights illuminated the already furnished apartment.

  I'd expected a modern look to his apartment and furniture, but nearly everything was ancient and made solely from wood. Cushions had been spread around for comfort, not décor. It was positively medieval, and I was in love.

  "Your apartment is awesome!"

  He bowed. "Thank you."

  "How is your furniture here already?"

  "I shadow walked what I could."

  "You dragged all this here by yourself?"

  "Furniture, I could magick."

  "Ahh. I see. Well, let's get the rest of your stuff unloaded."

  He nodded and led the way back outside. I almost slipped on the walkway. Building maintenance had salted everything, but I happened to find the spot they missed. If it weren't for Yuki, I probably would have tasted the walkway.

  "Thanks."

  "What I'm here for."

  "Keep me from busting my ass?"

  "Yep."

  I chuckled as we walked back to the truck.

  It didn't take us long to get the boxes inside. Between Yuki, Candace, and I, we made short work of it. Less than a quarter of the moving truck was filled with Shea's boxes. The rest were Miranda's. I fervently hoped they didn't split the cost of the truck evenly. I found it amusing he'd been roped into driving with her, but if she took advantage of another member of our coven… I'd be less than happy. I had no plans of prying, but if Shea complained, I would take action.

  "All right. That was easy."

  "I thank all of you for your help," Shea said with a little bow as he locked up his apartment. He was going to drive the truck back to my house and shadow walk home. I was almost jealous of his ability. I'd save a ton on gas, not that I had to worry about it, but still.

  We made it halfway down the walkway when I noticed the arrow protruding from my chest, the feathers twined around the shaft fluttered in the light cold breeze. Focusing on the vibrant white color, the rest of my vision started to fade to black until they were the only things I could see. My heartbeat, wooshing through my ears, the only thing I could hear.

  Except for Candace's sweet scream.

  Even filled with terror, it reverberated musically off the buildings around us, driving my tunneled vision out a little and giving me a little more focus.

  I wanted to feel the softness of those feathers before I left. I reached out to run my fingers along their edge, until my survival instinct kicked in. Grabbing the shaft instead, I yanked the arrow from my chest.

  Blood splattered on the walkway beneath me as the barbed hook of the tip ripped the wound open a little wider. Dropping the arrow, I fell to my knees after it. I couldn't breathe. The pain blossoming in my chest drove all the air from my lungs. My heartbeat picked up speed. I could hear it clearly and focused solely on that and the small patch of walkway I could see. Feet shuffled all around me as hands tried to lift me from the ground. Shrugging them off, I concentrated on trying to draw in a breath. If I could just do that, the pain in my head would fade and I could think again.

  Slowly, the icy shards slid past my throat, inflating my chest. I was doing it, the cold air hurting as much as it helped. My heartbeat slowed and became more normal as I exhaled and inhaled again, repeating it over and over until the world around me shifted back into focus.

  "She's still alive! Candace, can you heal her?" Yuki's voice held an edge of panic that hurt my heart. More than the arrow had. I lifted my left hand off the frozen ground and touched my chest, feeling the warm blood saturating my shirt and the hole in the fabric. Pressing further, I searched for a wound that was no longer there.

  The arrow hadn't killed me, and I'd healed, thanks to having a vampire familiar.

  "Let me guess, wooden stakes don't kill vampires," I managed to croak out through my still raw throat.

  "What? No?"

  I got a foot underneath me, and lifted myself up off the ground, still swaying and dizzy. "That fucking hurt."

  "How are you still alive?"

  Turning my head, I cocked an eyebrow at the vampire still steadying me.

  "Oh. Well that's good." She nodded emphatically.

  "Where's Dar?"

  "He took off after the elf."

  "Elf?" Shea and Candace asked simultaneously.

  "Go," I told Yuki. "Bring him back."

  "The elf?"

  I shook my head. "Dar."

  She made a grim face, but nodded, taking off in the direction he went with inhuman speed. The gust of wind that washed over me was enough to give me shivers.

  "Help me to the car."

  "Are you going to be okay?"

  "Yeah. I'm mostly fine, just drained."

  Doubt crossed Shea's face, but he didn't utter a word. He lifted my arm and slid underneath it, using his shoulders as a crutch. By the time he got me to the vehicle, I was practically panting. Getting shot with an arrow takes a lot out of a girl.

  Instead of putting me in the driver's seat, he eased me gently into the passenger's side and tilted the seat back, fussing over me. He even put my seatbelt on.

  He was squinting in the late afternoon sunlight, but his eyes were as beautiful as the rest of him, caramel colored but glinting like amber. "You have pretty eyes."

  He blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Lady."

  "If you don't start calling me Dot, I'm going to start calling you Sheamus."

  "But that is not my name…"

  "And Lady isn't mine."

  He nodded, the curve of a soft smile touching the corner of his lip. "You are very beautiful, too."

  "My eyes?"

  "Your everything."

  Blame it on the blood loss, or at least that's what I was going to tell myself, but I blushed. "Says the gorgeous hunk of fae tucking me in."

  "I am far from a hunk. More like piece. A smidgeon?"

  He was referring to his smaller stature, I knew. While most of the men in my life were near, or over, six-feet. Shea was an inch or two shorter than me. He was still gorgeous
, but fun-sized.

  Next time he calls me Lady, I'm calling him Snickers.

  "If you were any bigger, the world wouldn't be able to handle that much hotness."

  He gasped in surprise. "You are too kind."

  "No. I'm kind of a bitch. Just ask Chief."

  "You're only that way when he aggravates you. I noticed. Otherwise, you are kind, caring, and fierce. I admire you quite a lot. So unlike your mother."

  "Wow. That's the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me."

  "That you are kind and caring?"

  "No. That I'm unlike my mother."

  He shook his head, unable to tell if I was joking, but gently laughing anyway.

  I reached up, the overwhelming urge to touch his skin almost painful. Sighing contentedly when my fingers brushed his cheek, I passed out.

  Chapter 3

  The taste of blood in my mouth and overwhelming heat woke me up. I pushed Yuki's arm away and tried to crawl out from under the dog covering most of me.

  "What happened? Ew. Get me something to wash that down."

  "Are you saying I don't taste good?"

  I shot her a dirty look. She'd been hanging around with Josie too much. "I just don't like the taste of blood. Period."

  "Oh. So many more jokes, so little time," she said and snickered.

  "That's disgusting."

  "That's what she said."

  "Oh, my goddess. Will you stop." I stared at her in disbelief. She really was hanging out with Jimmy too much.

  Yuki chuckled and got up off the bed. "Feel better?"

  "Yeah. Dar get off me. You're hot."

  Thank you.

  I kind of wanted to scream. "What happened?"

  "We brought you home. Shea drove. He went back for the moving truck. Jimmy called and he is on his way to pick you up for dinner, so we juiced you back to full health."

  "What? Why? I could have canceled dinner."

  "And break the hearts of your boyfriends?"

  "Huh?"

  "They have something planned tonight. We don't know what, but Dar overheard them talking about it earlier."

  "Oh. Well help me up so I can get changed."

  "And showered. Unless you want to go smelling like a blood bath."

  "Uh. No. Shower. Help me to the shower. Wait! The elf! What happened?"

  Dar growled. He got away.

  In a way, I was glad. While it would have been nice to have had a solution to my extermination problem, I didn't want them doing it on their own. If anything ever happened to them, I'd feel horrible. I wouldn't die like they would if I kicked the bucket, but I'd feel like shit about it.

  I grabbed her hand and she hoisted me to my feet. I was still a little wobbly, but that might have just been the after effects of drinking vampire blood. She ushered me into the bathroom and helped me get out of my shirt. She let me do my leggings by myself but held me upright. I was grateful. When I stood up, the room spun a little.

  "Woah."

  "It will wear off."

  I reached into the shower and turned it on, letting the hot water get a little warmer before getting in. Yuki lifted off her shirt next to me.

  "Uh. Whatcha doin?"

  "Taking a shower?"

  "With me?"

  "Do you want Dar to do it?"

  "I'll be fine."

  "On wet tile?"

  "Yuki…"

  "I'm going to help you. When I say that I am not in the least attracted to you, or anybody for that matter, I mean it."

  She bent over and pushed her pants down to her feet.

  I gave a little gasp when she stood back up. "See? Just a flat-chested girl that's going to keep you on your feet."

  She wasn't kidding. She was definitely smaller than an A cup, but anything larger would have been too much for her slight frame. However, there was nothing boyish about her figure. Her hips, thighs, and stomach were perfect. I found myself a little envious of her figure. "You're beautiful."

  "Um. Thanks?"

  Shaking my head, I got in the shower. I'd just washed my hair that morning, so I squirted a bit of body wash on my loofa and scrubbed the dried blood off me. True to her word, Yuki's hands hovered by my elbows, ready to catch me if I fell.

  "You and Josie never showered together?"

  "Yeah, but we've been friends for almost a hundred years."

  "But she's sexually attracted to you."

  "Yeah. But I'm not attracted to her and she knows that."

  "But you don't feel weird getting naked in front of her?"

  "Nope."

  "You get naked in front of your whole coven regularly, so I can see that. Why were you hesitant about getting in the shower with me?"

  "Because… I don't know. Interesting things happen when I get in showers with other people."

  "But not Josie."

  I sighed. Unable to explain it. "Josie is like a perverted little sister. She might say she's attracted to me, but if push came to shove, she would never try anything. Don't feel bad. I wouldn't shower with Candace, either."

  "But you sleep naked with her?"

  "Are you just being a pest, or are you really curious?"

  "Just trying to understand. Bathing in Japan is… It's a lot different. Here, hand me your sponge thing."

  I handed it to her over my shoulder, expecting her to wash herself. I gasped as she started scrubbing my back with it.

  "I understand. Now that I've showered with you, I would never have a problem with it. It was just a shock."

  She slowly worked her way down my back and stopped above my butt. "Americans are weird."

  "Oh, shut up. You're American, too."

  "But I was born and raised over there. We moved when I was in my thirties."

  That came as a shock. "How old are you?"

  "I was born just after the end of World War II. I'll be seventy-four my next birthday."

  "Woah."

  "You thought I was younger?"

  "Yeah. But time is different for us, so not too shocked."

  "Rinse."

  I turned around, facing her and let the water rinse the soap from my back, holding my hair out of the way. "Thanks, Yuke."

  "For?"

  "Everything."

  "Hai."

  "I think that might have been the first time I ever heard you speak Japanese."

  "Meh. The only people around me who understand are my mother and George. Even my father doesn't."

  "I didn't think he looked very Japanese."

  "With the name Abernathy? Try Scots."

  "He doesn't look Scottish, either."

  "He looks like himself. He's very old. Even older than your mother, I think. I don't know for sure."

  "You going to get clean?"

  "I am. I was just helping you."

  I reached over and shut the water off. She held out her hand to help me out of the shower, but I shook my head and smiled. "I'm fine now. Thanks."

  I opened the door and stepped out, nearly screaming. Jimmy was standing in the bathroom door, arms crossed, eyebrow cocked, and a very perverted look on his face.

  "Uhhh…"

  Yuki did squeak when she stepped out, hiding behind me.

  "That's hot," he said and turned around, leaving the two of us standing there.

  "Great." I sighed.

  "You worried he's going to get the wrong idea?"

  "No. I'm worried how much this is going to drive his teenage-boy libido into hyperdrive. If I'm walking funny tomorrow, you know why."

  She giggled behind me.

  "Laugh it up. He saw you naked."

  "Yes, but between the steak and the cutting board, where do you think he was looking."

  I rounded on her and flashed her a stern look. "No."

  "No?"

  "No."

  "No what?"

  "No. You don't get to do that, Yukina Abernathy. Ever." I reached out and cupped her cheek. "You may not be interested in sex, but don't think for one minute that you are not beautiful in ev
ery way. I mean that."

  "I see that."

  "Huh?"

  "When you touched me, I could feel your sincerity." She was blushing, but she broke my damn heart when the tear rolled down her cheek. I didn't care if we were both naked. I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her. We stayed that way for a few moments until she tapped my shoulder.

  "I'm okay now."

  "Good." I let go and grabbed a couple of towels out of the linen closet. I was going to need to mop the floor, but it had been worth it.

  "Go get dressed. I'll clean up in here."

  "Yeah. I need to get out there before Candace spills the beans about the elf."

  "Dar and I told them not to say anything, per your request."

  "Really? I figured passing out would have given you guys free reign to tattle on me."

  "Standing orders. We tried."

  "Sweet."

  "I'm kidding. We probably could have told them, but we chose not to."

  "Why?"

  "Because you are our master, whether you like the title or not. We might not agree with your logic, or lack thereof, but we will do as you ask." She bowed her head.

  "I'll tell them. Eventually."

  "That would be wise. He'll try again."

  "Well, he's going to have to try harder. Since arrows don't work."

  "Yeah, but if he gets close enough with a sword to take your head and heart…"

  "I'm done for?"

  She nodded. "Fire, too. But, you're still a witch. I'm sure strangulation, drowning, and other fun things like that would do the job."

  "Well, that sucks."

  "Poison might work."

  "You can stop now."

  "Crushing. Stay away from Zambonis and steamrollers."

  "Okay, Yuki." I left her there, drying herself off, and headed into my bedroom.

  "Don't go skydiving, either. Or tall buildings…"

  I went in my closet and shut the door.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  "Where are we going?" I asked Jimmy for the tenth time.

  "It's a surprise."

  "But… I hate surprises."

  "I don't. Like walking in on your girlfriend taking a shower with another woman? That was awesome."

  "And…here we go."

  "What?"

  "Was waiting to see how long it took you to bring that up. I told you. I was a little dizzy and she was making sure I didn't slip on the tile."

  "Uh, huh."