Werecats and Werelocks (Collection) (15 page)

Well, for fuck's sake. How nice that he should want to protect her. This—this would be one of those times when she hated how he went all Neanderthal. “Weren't you even going to say goodbye?” she squeaked in disbelief, realizing her words were shaky.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to.” His face was grave, his words somber, his eyes dark.

And it was then that she completely understood.

He wanted to stay here too.

She rested a hand on his arm for a moment then turned to fly downstairs to the kitchen, scanning her countertops, pristine and white.

It was gone.

Holy fuck, it was
gone
.

Caleb followed hot on her heels, his face a mask of worry. “It's gone and I can't find it anywhere."

"So did this Volac dude come in here and just take it?"

"He can't do that, Addy. He can only take it at the portal. A human has to take it, or me, the keeper. He has no power until tonight when he gets his free pass. So where did it go? How the fuck did he get it?"

Leaning forward on the countertop, Addison pressed her hot cheeks to the cool surface. Her head popped up. She had a message on her answering machine. The angry red light blinked at her. She'd always kept the sound off because she didn't want to be interrupted when she was knee-deep in work.

Pressing the black button, her sister's voice filled the room. “Hey, Add. We popped by tonight about six. Thought you might want to trick or treat with us,” she said with a snort. “But your house was pretty quiet. You got something you wanna tell me?” she joked. “Anyway, Sophie borrowed your statue. She said it would make a reallllly cool addition to her princess costume. Joel said princesses don't have statues, but we figured you wouldn't mind. We'll bring it back tomorrow. Oh, and I told the kids I just knew you had a nice little Halloween care package for them ... Love ya!"

Addison's stomach sank to her toes. She gripped the countertop for support, her knuckles white, while stinging tears filled her eyes.

Jesus Christ in a mini skirt. He had Sophie. She was Volac's human.

Caleb came to stand behind her, pulling her back against him to give her a quick hug. “I have to go, Addy. I'll find her. I swear to you, I'll find her."

"Do—do—you really think he ha—has her?” she sobbed. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe they were just assuming. She had to call Tricia. To possibly possess
her
was one thing, but her sweet, innocent niece? She'd kill the motherfucker.

"I don't know, but if he does, I'll find her. I promise."

"I have to call Tricia."

"No!” Caleb shouted with a bark. “Let her be. More than likely, if he does have Sophie, Tricia isn't even aware of it yet. Let me go find out."

Turning, Addison let him envelop her in the arms he offered. “Go. Get Sophie. Try to come back, okay?” she said on a shaky, tear filled breath.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I'll get Sophie. No matter what, I'll get her back."

And then he was gone. As quickly as his big body had filled her arms, it left her with nothing but empty air, a heavy, cloying scent she couldn't identify and a heart that was so heavy it felt like a weight in her chest.

Okay, so this might be a little rash, but when could anyone ever accuse her of being levelheaded. She played the stock market for a living, for crap's sake.

With the flip of a button, Addison turned on her computer and thanked the goddess known as
Mavis Beacon
for keeping her typing skills up. In five minutes flat she had a letter drawn up to her lawyer, made a phone call to his office, and she was out the door, in her car, and on her way to the pumpkin patch.

She couldn't leave Sophie's fate in Caleb's hands alone. It was too huge a responsibility. Oh, God. Her stomach heaved at the thought that this Volac had little Sophie. Why the fuck couldn't those kids just leave stuff alone? They were always touching something they shouldn't.

Cuz they're kids, Addison, and you can't exactly call the kettle black, Ms. Pot. You did dig up a talisman
.

Oh, right.

Guilty.

Her thoughts, along with her heart, raced as she drove to the pumpkin patch. If something happened to Sophie, she'd kill herself, but not before she took that motherfucker Volac out with her.

How
was the question? She wasn't exactly armed for demonic destruction.

With a screeching halt, she pulled into the dirt driveway that led to the field of pumpkins, turning off the lights and the ignition.

Fear, rage and panic welled in her chest and her legs were like bricks, heavy with terror. The night was black, so black she could barely see two feet in front of her, but she stumbled over the lumpy patches, hoping against hope that she could re-locate the place where she'd found the pumpkin.

Wouldn't that be where the portal would open?

Jesus, it was cold. Her teeth chattered with a consistent clack and her hands were stiff.

"Auntie Addy?” a sweet, sing-song voice called to her.

Addison whipped around, her eyes trying to focus on the small figure that sat in the pumpkin patch to her left.

"Look what I have. Mommy said you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it.” Her voice wasn't at all afraid and as Addison's eyes adjusted, she noted there was no fear on Sophie's face. She held the talisman up. The moon shone on it, giving it a sinister gleam and leaving it looking not nearly as innocent and fun as it once had.

A flood of relief assaulted her and she fought to speak. “I don't mind at all, Sophie. Cuz it's reallllly cool, isn't it?” she said, struggling to keep her voice even and calm.

"Reallllly,” Sophie agreed with a semi-toothless grin. She was wearing her Princess Pink bathrobe and foofy slippers. Sophie called them foofy because they had tufts of marabou fur on the toes.

"But borrowing time is over, Soph. So give it to Auntie Addie now.” Addison moved closer, holding her hand out.

"Um, no."

Stubborn little nose picker. “Um,
yes
."

"No, no, no.” She stomped her little size threes for affect.

"Sophie? If you don't give that to Auntie Addy right this second, well, I'm going to have to tell Mommy.” Cheerist, she sounded like a two-year old preparing to tattle on her sibling.

"You're so meeeeean, Auntie Addy."

"Yeah, well, I only get meaner. And I've got a secret."

"What?"

"Barney says if you don't give me the statue he won't sing the ‘I love you, you love me’ song anymore.” There, take that for not listening to me. Addison went for the low blow because she had no clue what would really scare Sophie into giving her the talisman. It was a cheap shot for a six-year old, no doubt.

"Who's Barney?"

Okay, so not so cheap. Fuck. Wrong era. “Sorry, I meant ahhhh, Dora! Dora the Explorer."

"But she doesn't sing a song, Auntie Addie. Well, she sings, but mostly she teaches me Spanish. And she's got a monkey named Boots and her Back Pack."

Oh.

"Besides, I don't even like Dora. I like Blue."

"Blue?"

"Blue's Clues. You know, the dog,” she offered petulantly.

A dog. Of course. She'd forgotten Sophie's love affair with dogs. Blue, Dora, Boots, fucking purple dinosaurs. Addison made a promise to herself right then and there. From here on out she'd make a point of spending more time with the little heathens and less time at her job. Just in case a dire negotiation such as this occurred again. “Okay, so do you suppose this Blue wouldn't listen to his aunt?"

Sophie seemed to pause to think about that and then she said, “Blue is a dog, silly. He doesn't have an aunt he has to listen to,” she giggled.

Addison's patience was fraying. Her small scope of child psychology was waning. “Give me the statue, Sophie and do it now!"

She shook her chestnut curls. “Nuh-uh. I can't,” she said, with perfect calm. “That nice man said if I held it he'd give me candy for Halloween. The big candy bars too. The reallllly big ones that you don't like to give for trick or treat because mommy says you're too cheap."

For the love of Pete, this—cheap, mean old Auntie Addy never gets out—shit had to end. Tricia was brainwashing the kids. Seriously, this had to stop. Look where it had gotten them. In a pumpkin patch with a petulant kid who was willing to let the world end because she didn't have her “listening ears” on and candy was her first priority. Addy was growing more antsy with each passing moment. Wherever this demon was, he was bound to show up any second. “Sophie, Auntie Addy needs the nice statue and she needs it
now
."

"Now why would she want to give it back? That would be silly in light of the fact that it can be very useful to someone like her. Someone so young and malleable. A virgin even,” a thick, harsh voice retorted.

Volac
.

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Addison gulped hard, turning to face the root of this problem. His sudden appearance was eerily without announcement.

Well, he definitely didn't look like a demon, even if he did have that aura thing surrounding him, like a bunch of lights in a myriad of colors outlining his body. He also had yellow eyes. Yellow and glowing. If she couldn't see in the dark before, she could now.

Freaky deaky double Dutch.

He sure wasn't what she'd had in mind since Caleb had come to her with this crazy mess. He was actually pretty easy on the eye. Though not really her type per se. He was too pretty for her. His suit was too perfect. Not a wrinkle. Didn't skipping dimensions wreak havoc on a linen suit? It had to be worse than a trans-Atlantic flight.

What kind of demon wore Calvin Klein anyway? Everything about him was too—too—just—
too
. His hair was too perfect too, and his skin was without a single blemish. She'd love to know what kind of moisturizer he used...

For shit's sake, she was behaving as if she was on the dating game. Okay, what to do, what to do?

Make nice.

How often was it that a demon had someone inquire as to their well-being? Probably never. They were too busy freaking people out, but Caleb had knocked some of the freak right outta her.

So she was ready.

Besides, he didn't look
that
scary.

Without preamble, Addison stuck her trembling hand out. Cuz really, what did one do when they came face-to-face with a demon? “You must be this Volac I've heard so much about. Good to meet ya. I'm Addison Ross. If you'll just give me Sophie we'll let you do your thang. You know, take over the world and all that jazz.” Her words rang false. They were nervous and high-pitched and rife with her panic. Where the hell was Caleb?

Volac threw his midnight black head back, gleaming and slick, and laughed, ignoring the hand she offered. It echoed, hollow and maniacal.

Hookay, now that was definitely a demon-like laugh. “Wow, that was impressive. Under normal circumstances, I'd applaud you cuz that was downright blood curdling. But we have to go. Sophie needs to get some sleep.” She scooted past the very scary Volac and went to Sophie's side, grabbing her by the arm. “C'mon, honey. Time to go with Auntie Addy.” But Sophie didn't budge. Clearly the
big
candy was a strong motivator.

"Sophie can't go with you now,
Auntie Addy
,” he mocked her name with a derisive snort. “She has work to do. Volac work,” he informed her with ominous malice coating each word.

Hoo boy. This was going to be bad. “Look, how about we swing a deal? You let Sophie go and take me. I'll do your work.” If she could just get the talisman from Sophie and find this friggin’ portal, all would be well. And again, where the fuck was Caleb?

The crunch of hard dirt beneath Volac's feet brought him to stand next to Sophie. “Come, child,” he whispered on the cool night air, wiggling his forefinger. Sophie rose stiff and mechanical to stand beside him, her eyes looking straight through Addison and directly at Volac's hand.

A hand that held a reallllly big candy bar.

Ohhhh, he'd brought out the Snickers.

No fair.

Shit. Sophie's total fav.

This meant war.

"I don't think so, Addison,” he said smoothly. “However, your gesture is duly noted. I'll let them know in hell that you're a real team player. It just doesn't work for me now that I've found the little one. You, ahem, if you'll pardon my blunt assessment, are tainted.” He wrinkled his perfect nose in distaste. “Sophie is pure, unfettered by cynicism. So scurry off now, and Sophie and I will be on our way."

Unfettered? Who used words like unfettered? Pretentious son of a bitch. And how the fuck did he know if she was tainted? Taint
this
. Addison narrowed her eyes at him. “Give me Sophie,” she demanded, tugging on Sophie's hand.

"Or you'll what, Addison? Cry? Stomp your feet? Pitch a hissy? Go all girly on me?"

Maybe ... And really, what defense did she have against a demon? He was a
demon
.

D.E.M.O.N.

That beat stockbroker pretty much always.

"You don't seriously think you can pose a threat to me, do you?"

He was taunting her.

It was working.

The amber glow of his eyes made her stomach turn and her legs were racked with tremors.

"Ahh, Addison, I can smell your fear. It's deliciously divine. Human fear is especially savory."

With those words, her heart thrashed against her ribs. Clearly he was enjoying intimidating her and that tweaked the bejesus out of her. Yeah, he definitely had the one up on her and hell, yeah, he and his potential for havoc was caaa-razy scary, but she couldn't let that stop her. Obviously Caleb had skipped off to somewhere other than here.

It was time to make a move.

Realizing she was anything but imposing didn't stop her. She gave it the most threatening shot she had anyway. She meant every word she was about to speak, she just didn't know if she could follow through. “I'll see you dead before I'll let you have her, Volac!” Addison sneered, her voice rising along with her panic, sweat trickling between her breasts, clammy and cold from the autumn air.

His uber handsome face wrinkled into a frown. “Don't make me go all demon on you, Addison,” he warned, amusement tainting his words. “It's preeeetty frightening from what I've been told. And believe you me when I tell you, I've run into some screaming humans who can verify just how freaky I can be. Now go home and sleep well on the thought that by this time tomorrow, your world will be a very different place.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and began to usher Sophie away. The odd glow surrounding him lit a path to yet another eerie light.