LITMIR.BIZ

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back on the couch, Jamie couldn’t manage more than, “Oh, my God! She hates you!”

      Yeah, he was sensing that. And he’d be lying if he said that the feeling wasn’t mutual.

      Jamie watched Tully walk out of the bathroom with his hair freshly washed. He glared at the bird as he passed the bookcase she was perched on.

      “I smell like damn honey,” he complained about her shampoo and conditioner. “Every bear in three counties will be following me around town.”

      “I like all natural hair-care products. No sulfates or silicones for me.” When he glared at her like he’d glared at Rico, Jamie could only laugh.

      Tully roughly towel dried his hair before dropping on the couch and using her favorite comb to get the shiny brown locks off his face. The entire time he watched her.

      “What?” she finally asked.

      “I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

      Not quite sure what Tully was asking, Jamie only replied, “Nothing. Why?”

      Tossing her comb down, he rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and said, “There’s only a couple of ways we can do this, beautiful. You either tell me what happened tonight and you tell me right now. Or you get your shit and you go. You and your coven…including Emma.”

      The panic eased when she realized he was asking about a few hours ago rather than what had been slowly building for the last few weeks.

      “Kyle’s never letting that happen,” she said confidently.

      “You’re right. He wouldn’t. But Kyle don’t run this town. For all the tigers, the lions, and the goddamn bears, only the Smith wolves have ever run Smithville County. And only Smith wolves ever will. That don’t mean to say that Kyle won’t go wherever little Emma goes. He will. But we both know that boy won’t be happy anywhere else but here.”

      “But you’re going to run us out anyway?”

      “I’m going to protect my town. That’s what I do. That’s what I’ll always do. And right now, beautiful, you are nothin’ but trouble. So unless you start talking right now, and unless I believe every word coming out of your mouth, I want you gone by sunup.” When she opened her mouth to respond, he added, “And stop trying to test me, it’s only pissing me off and we both know I’ll do what I say I will.”

      “We both know that, do we?”

      “I’m a Smith, beautiful. There ain’t nothin’ I won’t do.”

      Tired but no longer exhausted, Jamie leaned back into the couch and studied the man sitting across from her. “I’m on a search for power. Undiluted. Untapped.”

      “I thought you found that here.”

      “I did. But it’s kind of like having a joint checking account. Every time I pull power from here, my coven knows.”

      “And they ask questions.”

      “Yep.”

      “So that’s what tonight was? A search for more power?”

      “Kind of. I’m trying to become the champion of one of my goddesses. It’s hard, dirty work, and often requires me to fight Greek giants who like to use fire as a weapon.”

      “Sounds like a lot of risk for a Yankee from Staten Island.”

      She glared at him through slits as her eyes narrowed. “I’m from Long Island, Marmaduke. There’s a difference.”

      “And it still sounds like a lot of risk.”

      “It is. But to become a god’s champion is to enhance your power tenfold. So it’s worth the risk.”

      “I don’t understand you.”

      “What don’t you understand?”

      “You already have so much power. Everyone in town knows it, we can all feel it. But it’s natural. Part of you like the wolf is part of me. I don’t understand why you would want to enhance that.”

      Annoyed by his statement—although she wasn’t sure why—Jamie lobbed back, “And I don’t understand how you can be happy wandering around this town every day. Don’t you get bored?”

      “Nope. ’Round here there’s always something interesting going on.”

      “I’ve been here ten months and I haven’t seen anything all that interesting. It’s a nice little town, don’t get me wrong. But…”

      “But what? Go on, say it.”

      “Don’t you crave more?”

      “No.”

      “So you’re happy to settle?”

      “I guess we have a different opinion of settling, beautiful.”

      She lifted her hands, palms up. She didn’t want to fight since the man had saved her from flying hyenas. “Hey, you know what? To each his or her own. If you’re happy here that’s all that matters.”

      “Can you think of anything better than being happy where you are?”

      “Yeah.” Jamie smiled. “Power.”

      Lord. Like a dog with a bone.

      “There’s nothing else you want? Nothing else that would make you happy?” And, Lord willing, content.

      “I’ve tried the career thing. You know, moving up the Department’s ladder but…eh. Money can only do so much, although it’s always nice having it.”

      “What about a man?”

      “The answer to all women’s questions?”

      He grinned. “For some.”

      “Tried marriage and that was extremely unfulfilling.”

      Tully felt his body go tight. “You were married?”

      “You didn’t know?”

      “No.”

      “Yeah. Seven years of my life I’ll never get back.”

      “What happened?”

      “Nothing.”

      “It must have been something. Unless you’re still married.”

      “Oh, no, no, no,” she said quickly. “So not still married.”

      “Then what was it.”

      “Like I said. Nothing. That was the problem. When we’d argue, I felt nothing. When he yelled at me over something ridiculous, I felt nothing. When he threatened to out me to the Department as a witch and a kook, still nothing. And when I found him fucking a pseudo-friend of mine in my bed…more than nothing. In fact, I felt bad for him, because God knew he was doing it all for me. And I felt nothing.”

      “You never loved him.”

      “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I really never did.”

      “So why—”

      “I went through this really weird phase where I wanted to be normal. Marriage is considered normal. My parents were happy. The people I pretended were my friends were happy. I was happy. Everyone was happy…but my coven. They were not happy.”

      “They knew it was wrong for you.”

      “Yeah. They did. And tried to tell me. Guess I should have listened.”

      Although curious why anyone would be with someone they didn’t care about for seven long years, Tully decided to stick with their current topic of conversation.

      “So, you get all that power,” he said. “You scoop it up like my momma’s key lime pie at the church social. Then

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