Lycan on the Edge: Broken Heart Book 13 (12 page)

She saw the bathrobe at the end of the bed, and

grabbed it, slipping on the soft terrycloth before

she got up. The bathroom door was shut, so she

assumed Trent was inside. Her stomach fluttered

just thinking about him, and she was sure her inner

thighs would be sore for a week, supernatural

healing aside. She sighed and smiled, wistful,

allowing herself this moment of sheer happiness

after months of pure hell. Trent made her feel

almost like herself, or as close to herself as she

could remember.

She wished she could get back all her

memories. Something was going on with her, and

she was certain now that Damian had sent Trent in

to figure it out. But Sophie didn’t want to worry

about the Alberich, about the attack, and how it had

changed her inside and out. She wanted to live in

this moment. While she was here in the city where

anything could happen, she just wanted to enjoy

being with him, not worrying about the why.

A whiff of pure deliciousness quickly diverted

her focus to her stomach. On the table was a

breakfast fit for a werewolf. A pile of bacon.

Fluffy scrambled eggs. Biscuits. And a whole pot

of coffee. She poured herself a cup, put a dollop of

creamer in it, and sipped on the hot brew. Man,

that was good.

Trent came up behind her, trailing his fingers

up her arms. He lifted her hair and kissed the nape

of her neck. “Good morning,” he said, his breath

tickling her earlobe.

Electric shivers ran through her, and the now

familiar yearning awakened within her. Sophie put

down the cup and turned in Trent’s arms, resting

her hands lightly on his shoulders. “Good

morning.”

“Morning. I hope you’re hungry.”

She sat down and he took the across from her.

Sophie smiled to hide her uncertainty. Before,

when he’d been in the bathroom, she’d felt clarity

about Trent, about the role she’d like him to play in

her life. With him right next to her, his hand grazing

her knee, she needed more information to process

what was happening between them. It might’ve

been a little old-fashioned, but she wanted to

know: What were his intentions toward her?

Working up courage, she bit into a strip of

bacon. The salty, smoky slice had just the right

texture. Chewy meat and crispy fat.
Perfection.

“I wish I were that bacon right now,” Trent

said.

Sophie flushed hotly. She hadn’t realized she’d

closed her eyes. Or that she was making a humming

noise. “Trent.” She hesitated when his heated gaze

met hers. Sophie shook her head to combat his

bedroom eyes. “I have to know. What are we

doing?”

“Today?” he said as if the implication didn’t go

deeper. “Going home with a very grumpy

grandma.”

“No. I mean this. And last night.”

He kissed her forehead. “Before we start down

that path, and we
will
go down the path if I have

anything to say about it, we need to talk. Us and

Virginia.” He took her hand and gave it a

reassuring squeeze.

Sophie, however, didn’t feel reassured. Not at

all.

“HMPH. EGGS ARE dry. Bet I could do better

with my wok.”

“That wok needs to be destroyed.” Sophie

tapped her spoon against the plate. “Eat the

bacon.”

“Pork gives me gas.”

“Nana!”

Nana crossed her arms. “You brought it up.”

“I did not—oh, never mind.” Sophie sighed.

“What do you think he wants to tell us?”

“Well, if he’d hurry up with his secret phone

call, we’d find out already.”

Sophie tried to will away the ache in her gut.

Why did she have the terrible feeling whatever

Trent told her would change everything, including

what was unfolding between them? His cell phone

had gone off before he’d even gotten a word out.

He’d immediately taken the call into the hallway,

apparently far enough away that not even her

werewolf hearing could pick up the conversation.

Nana leaned back and crossed her arms. She

gave Sophie a once over. “So, I take it you got your

bell rung last night?”

“Oh, my God. Nana, I am not talking to you

about my sex life.”

“Well, at least you have one now.”

The hotel door opened, and Trent entered, his

gaze automatically seeking hers. His expression

was a combination of resigned and hopeful. He

seemed to be asking for her to understand, to

forgive.

“What’s going on?” demanded Nana.

Sophie couldn’t look away from him. “Trent?”

“SHE’S PRETTY,” SAID a woman’s voice tinted

with a French accent.

“Yes,” agreed a male voice. Ah, the gorgeous

Ren. “She is also trouble.”

The woman laughed. “Maybe you need some

trouble, brother.”

Meckenzie debated about pretending she was

still asleep. Meh. She wasn’t one to hide. Gee, if

she had time for personal growth issues, she might

add, “learn to stay put and shut up” on her list of

behaviors to modify.

“Hi,” Meckenzie croaked as she opened her

eyes.

“Welcome back,” soothed the woman. “I’m

Anise.”

Dressed in a white pantsuit, Anise looked like

a nymph who’d stolen clothes so she could cavort

as a mortal. Pale as moonlight, her skin seem

carved from flawless white marble. Her waist-

length hair was the color of new lace. Her gold

eyes made her appear otherworldly.

Like her twin.

“How are you feeling?” asked Ren.

Meckenzie turned her head to look at him. The

sizzling connection between them held firm. Oh,

lawd. Lust was a terrible, beautiful thing.

“Freaking great,” she muttered. Pain throbbed in

her temples, and her mouth felt filled with sand.

“May I have some water?”

Anise left, presumably to fulfill her request.

She looked around the room. It was tiny, white, and

smelled like antiseptic. She’d been tucked into a

twin-sized hospital bed; the metal railing had been

left down.

“It’s a mobile medical facility,” said Ren. “It

was closer than the hospital.”

“Oh.”

Anise returned with a plastic cup filled with

water. The woman’s gaze skated over Ren, and she

turned a knowing glance to Meckenzie.

Oh, no, sister, Meckenzie thought. She was not

in the market for a man. But sex … well, now that

was something else altogether.

She slowly sat up and took the cup Anise

offered. “Thank you.” She gulped down half the

liquid. “Did someone run me over with a wheat

thresher?”

“You don’t look worse for wear,” Anise said,

smiling. “But I’m sure you feel like shit.” Her gaze

filled with concern. “Why were the shadows after

you?”

“You saw them, too?”

She nodded.

Once again, Meckenzie considered lying. What

was the point? She planned to fulfill her bargain

with the witch, but there was no way in hell she

would let Ena the Evil and her goons destroy a

whole town. She put the cup onto the little metal

table next to the bed. “I owe a very powerful witch

named Ena.”

Ren and Anise shared a look, and then both

pinned their gazes on her.

“What did you do?” asked Ren.

“It’s more like what she did. And what she

plans to do. But it’s your lucky day. Ena doesn’t

know it yet, but I have something that will trump

her ace.”

“Trump her ace?” Ren frowned.

“If she’s such a powerful witch,” said Anise,

“then why can’t she…” She trailed off and blinked

at Meckenzie. “You know about witches? Real

witches?”

“My mother was a friend to parakind,” she

said. “So, yeah, I know all about you guys.” She

paused. “Except you two are weird. Vampires?

Werewolves?”

“
Loup de sang
,” said Anise.

“Blood wolf,” Ren translated.

“Wow. That’s … er, new.” It wasn’t like she

kept track of the supernatural. She was usually too

busy watching out for her ass. And look what being

a selfish jerkface had gotten her.

On the up side, she felt somewhat better. The

pain in her head had receded, and her body didn’t

feel clammy. She hesitated to reveal more

information. Oh, hell. The jig was up. She couldn’t

pretend she didn’t know where she was, or that

she’d had every intention of getting here. “You

have bigger issues than little ole me.”

Anise smiled carefully, and, if Meckenzie

wasn’t mistaken, her gaze turned suspicious. “It’s

not a coincidence you ended up near our borders?”

If Mom taught her anything, it was to be open to

the good and look out for the bad. Thus far, she’d

sucked at following that wise advice.
Darkness

lurks in the brightest of places, Meckenzie.
She

had to trust someone. She doubted the paranormals

here were one-tenth the asshole that Ena was.

Finally, she said, “I need to talk to Brigid.”

“Your mother is a friend to the goddess?”

asked Anise in a voice filled with awe.

“Uh, yeah. Mom said Brigid owed her a solid,

and if I ever needed it, I could call in her marker.”

“Your mother will not collect her debt?” Ren’s

gold gaze went as cold as an Oklahoma ice storm.

“She died more than a year ago,” Meckenzie

said. “Brigid’s favor belongs to me now.”

Ren’s lips tightened into a thin line. Well, so

much for the possibility of doing the mattress

mambo. French guy had the kind of morals

Meckenzie found irksome. His gaze locked on

hers, and she felt her stomach dip. Why’d he have

to be so gorgeous? It’d be easier to ignore all the

judgment in his tone if he was an ugly troll. He

raked her with a look she couldn’t quite figure out

then he nodded to Anise and … left.

Pffffffft to you, too, buddy.
She turned her

stare to the enigmatic werewolf’s sister.

“He’s a fun guy,” Meckenzie said, her ego

unaccountably wounded by his dismissal. She

swung her feet off the bed, stood, and wobbled.

Anise grabbed her shoulder and steadied her.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Meckenzie, there’s more, isn’t

there?”

Meckenzie met Anise’s glare and sighed. What

was the point of keeping all her secrets? “Yeah. A

lot more. Please tell me Brigid is within yelling

distance.”

“I do not know where the goddess is.”

Ren re-entered the room, and his expression

was thunderous. Anise took one look at his face

and then said, “I must go. Good-bye, Meckenzie.”

“Bye.”

Ren said, “Queen Patricia wishes to speak

with you.”

“That’s great. ‘Cause I’d like to speak to her,

too.” She put a hand on Ren’s arm and felt energy

arc between them. He looked at her, and she knew

he’d felt it, too. “What is this thing we have?”

“It is nothing.”

“Wow. Figured you for a lot of things, Ren,”

she said, shaking her head and tsking. “But never

for a liar.”

He went utterly still.
Men. You could always

hit their egos squarely if you questioned their

honor, especially men like him.
He looked at her

and saw what she wanted him to: a sexpot thief

with a bad attitude. He was attracted to her, and it

pissed him off.

He moved aside, gesturing for her to walk

ahead of him.

The next room was small, set up as an office. It

was empty. She saw the exit to the left. Ren’s hand

grasped her elbow as she opened the door and

jumped over the two extended metal steps.

Ren stepped behind her and wrapped his arms

around her waist.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“Taking you to see the Queen.”

Meckenzie fit snugly against him. God, he was

muscular. To feel his strength envelop her, protect

her—she wanted to crawl inside that feeling and

stay there. She had known love, but never safety.

And Ren made her feel safe.

“Hold on,” he whispered, his lips grazing her

earlobe. Her stomach jolted at the light, sexy touch.

She grabbed his arms tightly, not sure what to

expect, but she was all in.

They shot up into the sky, higher and higher.