The Chase

36 Evie

I was exhausted, and hungry. These were Luca’s parents, complicated as their relationship seemed to be. It was more than obvious to me that they loved him, just like he loved them back. I felt like I was an anthropologist seeing healthy, normal family relationships up close for the very first time. It was like being in a different world. 

Sarah and her family had none of the unconditional love that was so obvious between Luca and the parents who had raised him after his mom and dad had died defending the pack. The pack he was now exiled from because of me. 

With everything that had happened, I especially hadn’t been ready or equipped to understand how to react when Moira? Mrs. Goldstone? Had come over to thank me for getting Lark away, for starting the evacuation. Before wrapping me up in a hug, Lark and Elijah and their baby were so loved by her. A flash of what I had seen, Rocket torturing Lark in front of me. I knew the man I saw chained and collared had been Elijah now. Every little twist had led me here. I had done something good. 

I wasn’t being a good mate or girlfriend or whatever I was supposed to call our relationship. I was back to being stuck in my own head. Circling over everything. Until Luca came over, a new peace had taken over his heart while I had been focused on me. His parents were gone, and there was a large picnic basket over taking the table. I had missed saying goodbye and hadn't even noticed when or how lunch arrived. 

“Mom and Willie went to speak with Raven about getting additional help to rebuild Gold Creek." I felt the hitch in his heart when he didn't call it home this time. "Once they negotiate that they are going to head to Gold Creek, Help Elijah and Lark with everything.” I could feel the hurt, that he wasn’t welcome there right now. It had dulled quite a bit from the original sharpness of the pain, though certainly was still there. I grabbed the picnic basket, dropping the blood stained robe, and went back to bed naked.

“Come eat with me, then we’ll get cleaned up and try and talk to one of the in charge people.” I said. 

Luca stripped down, and was immediately behind me on the bed. Reaching out and around me to dig in the picnic basket. Both of us making a mess of crumbs in the sheets. Things just felt better the more skin to skin contact we had. That we both agreed upon.

After a long shower with a game of truth or dare using the duffle bag of tricks the women had left behind for all the dares, Luca and I emerged, clean. Sexually satisfied at least long enough to try and tell everyone what had to happen next. 

Sarah was dead, and a demon had taken her face, probably had been able to probe through some of her memories. I couldn’t move on, not really if I had to spend literally eternity looking over my shoulder. Worried I could see her face around any corner.

Luca and I exited the shower in a cloud of steam to see two nice, causal outfits arranged on the bed for us, with a note to meet everyone back at Melody’s house. And a warning that Josephine was going to come with a gift. Soon.

Ash’s very elegant signature on the bottom. It really looked like it had been written with a flowing quil. There were some ink splotches and everything. Certain that if this note said soon, Josephine was probably almost here, I jumped to  towel out my hair, and dashed to get dressed in the wide legged jeans and very cute sweater with a medium sized Frenchie Bulldog line drawing print scattered all over it. While I also shamelessly oogled Luca as he pulled on his own slim fit straight legged jeans with a nice black t shirt. 

Barely enough time to take a deep breath after we were dressed there was a knock at the door. Luca ran and slammed the bathroom door closed, hiding the treasure trove of toys that had somehow all fallen out of the bag and gotten dirty. I opened the door to Josephine standing there waiting. I watched as she leaned down to air kiss my cheeks, “We will talk in a moment, I want your charming mate first.” She said. My eyes went wide as I jumped to move out of the doorway. Making room for Luca, who did not seem to feel as fondly towards everyone’s Auntie Jo as I did.

Vi’Ja was excited. He had been slithering laps, coiling around one arm over my shoulders and around my throat, slithering down the opposite arm only to do it all again. I had told him he couldn’t take magic from anyone here unless I said so. The link to Luca stays as it was on its own. He thankfully agreed to what he described as reasonable terms. 

Luca and Josephine were talking so low I couldn’t hear them. Not unless I took more from Luca, and I had a feeling he was learning just as fast as I was and would notice if I tried to draw from him. So I waited mostly patiently. Picking little bites off the loaf of bread we didn’t quite finish from the picnic basket. 

I felt a burst of joy from Luca before it was tamped down or covered up. Which made my head cock towards one shoulder. He had something magical, I could feel it in his hands. It was so enticing to me, drawing me in.

Luca turned around, walking towards me, Falling to one knee in front of me.“Evie Emily Violet Evangelina Marie Bowman Hawthorne,” Smiling at me as he spoke all the names that were me, and weren’t me. “Will you do me the supreme honor of wearing my mother’s ring; Be my Evie Mclean?” Vi’Ja had given himself a little rattle on his tail and was vibrating while he was the size of a baby garter snake around my finger next to the ring as Luca slipped it on my finger. 

I could feel the spell, it was around me, without touching me. Snake approved of whatever this was. "Your mother's ring?" I said breathless as I looked at the stunning heirloom. Feeling all that it meant to Luca to have me wear it. I nodded my head, still looking at the sparkling, powerful ring. "I'm already yours, of course Luca-" I was cut off as he picked me up in his arms, searing my lips with a passionate kiss. 

Josephine cleared her throat, loudly. Interrupting our happy moment. “The ring was blessed by me, one of my best yet I think.”Josephine said, gloating. I tried to not fangirl,  she was trying to impress me with her magical skills on this ring. ”Strangers will have a hard time paying any attention to you, No magic can touch you while you wear it. My personal favorite achievement was you can not travel magically without your consent. Gateways will close, rips will refuse to form near you. That particular charm has a fairly short radius-though more than enough to keep someone from stealing you from your bed ever again.” I looked at the beautiful cushion cut diamond ring, now sparkling on my finger. I could feel the connection Luca had to the ring, My own bond to it now. 

“It was tuned to us, to make it stronger?” I asked, Vi’Ja already confirmed I was right, but he wanted us to show off as well. He turned to give me a very concentrated stare as I lamented in my own head that it was pretty weird to have an invisible snake be so vain.

Taking his advice also proved worth it, as Josephine looked a little flustered when I had already known something she had held back. Vi’Ja could see the weaves of magic, he could read them as easily as I read free web novels. She nodded, “Yes, mate bonds are powerful, binding and Selene likes to meddle a little more than usual lately.” Reminding me that I had heard a goddess everyone seemed certain was real. Not just an imaginary friend. Even without hearing voices in their head. That other people could smell her divine touch on the world after she had spoken to me. 

“It’s very good, one of the best charms made since the original breaking.” I heard myself say. Repeating what I knew to be true even though the knowledge wasn’t mine. Josephine however looked thrilled by my offhand comment. 

She quickly smoothed her face back to her stern visage, that I knew was just a front. “I am pleased to know my efforts are appreciated.” Very formal. 

Too formal. “You know something you aren’t telling me.” I accused, shocked at my words. I never stirred trouble. Safety was in being quiet and small. I never used to stir any trouble. Stay small, run fast. That was how I lived.

Josephine didn’t seem to notice my minor identity crisis, as she did reveal what she was holding back. “I need your help.” She said, plainly and nothing more. 

Vi’Ja made himself bigger, a large, boa constrictor, I could feel his weight as his new larger body wrapped around my shoulders, torso, legs, more of him twisted around one of my legs. He was trying to protect me, He hadn’t set off a counter attack yet, I knew he was ready. “I made a mistake when I was young, I set the dark coven on their path. I need to stop them. It is my life’s work to undo the one mistake I made. With you, we stand a chance of living in a true time of light.” Her fervent hope was obvious as she pleaded her case.