Nights Embrace (Others of Seattle) (29 page)

Fiona cleared her throat.
“We need to go inside before William gets here. He won’t be able to pull anything within Elizandra’s wards.”

Trevor pulled Roxy along. She stared at Fiona with wide eyes.
“You’re worried he’ll try to what? Abduct me?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Fiona answered.

Stepping into A Good Book was like walking thro
ugh a calming mist. Roxy’s tension slipped away the second she was inside. Fiona seemed to have the same reaction. Trevor, on the other hand was still tense.

“Hello, Fiona. It’s been a long time
,” a deep voice said.

Roxana looked up to find
a man she couldn’t quite place. His dark hair fell in waves, his warm brown eyes seemed to take everything in. It had been a few days since he last shaved. Rugged, but attractive, and strangely familiar. She could feel the power oozing from him.

She turned to Fiona with a raised brow.

“You must be Roxana Nights,” the man said. “And you, Trevor Malone.”

“Indeed,” Trevor answered. “How much did Fiona tell you?”

He smiled grimly. “Enough to know that I’m not going to like the man you are meeting here.”

“Don’t worry,” a woman said as she came from the back room. Her hair fell around her in colorful waves. She walked around the counter and held her hand out to Roxy. “I’m Liz. This is Tremaine. In case William tries anything, there are a couple more mages
nearby. Fallon is across the street, as well.” Her gaze shifted to Trevor. “Your mate will be safe here.”

Trevor nodded.
“If your wards are half as good as Fiona’s, I don’t doubt that.”

Tremaine spoke up.
“Anyone want something to drink?”

Each of them ordered, and Fiona surprised
Roxy by ordering the same drink as her.

Trevor motioned to a stool, so Roxy took it as Trevor sat beside her. Fiona
perched on the next stool and gave her a reassuring smile.

Roxy
looked over at Trevor. “Why do you keep worrying about
William
?” she asked, disgust clear in her tone at her father’s name.

His eyes closed, but he answered,
“He’s your blood.”

“I’ve never even seen him. I have no idea what he looks like.
”

“Yes, but many people
struggle to see fault with their blood.”

Roxy pushed her fingers through her hair and stared up at the ceiling. “Look, there is nothing he can say to make up for what he did to my mother
, let alone what he did to you. He’s never once looked for me in twenty-four years. He wants something from me, and I refuse to give it to him. I can’t imagine he could say a single word to sway me. So
William
is shit out of luck.”

Tremaine grinned as he slid her drink her way.
“Smart woman.” His gaze swung to Trevor. “You should trust her.”

“I do,” Trevor answered simply.

“But you doubt. Don’t. Not until she gives you a reason to.” He placed the Americano in front of Trevor.

Roxy turned to Fiona.
“What does he look like?”

Her face wrinkled.
“A lot like the male version of you.”

A shudder traveled through Roxy.
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“
Trust your heart, and don’t agree to anything.”

Her blood ran cold as Trevor
’s hand grazed her thigh. She turned to find a man standing on the sidewalk outside, beckoning for her to come to him. He looked much like her, only cruel.

“Yeah, I’m not going out there
.”

Tremaine moved around the counter and
opened the door. He opened it and swept his arm inside with a sly smile. “If you want to talk to Roxana, you’ll need to come inside.”

Trevor turned to Roxy.
“Whatever you decide, I love you. Don’t forget that.”

She wanted to shove him, or shake him, or something until he got it. Instead, she leaned in to place a soft kiss to his lips.
“I’m yours, always and forever.”

* * * *

William watched as his daughter, the beautiful, feminine version of himself, kissed one of the people he hated most in the world. “What I have to say is for her ears only.”

“Then you won’t be speaking to her,” Tremaine answered,
shutting the door.

This wasn
’t going as planned. She was supposed to see him, feel his power, and realize her place was with them, not with simple wolves who wanted nothing more than peace. He wanted to bring her into his fold. Together they could do as they saw fit when and where they wanted. The damned Silver Council, that group of mages who policed Others, could be taken down piece by miserable piece.

With a
frustrated snarl, William stormed into the bookstore. The wards cast on the building drove him to his knees, his hand landing on the floor to catch himself.

He tried to summon his power but found it severed.
He glared up at the man who had greeted him. There was something familiar about him.

The stunning,
otherworldly woman crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly satisfied with his present state. “Don’t worry. Your magic will come rushing back the moment you step outside. The whole point of meeting here was to prevent you from harming anyone, and your intent is clearly to harm.”

Pushing himself to his feet, he
attempted to clarify, “I came to convince my daughter whose side she should be on.”

Roxana took that moment to stand
and join the conversation, her hands landed on her hips. “You want me to listen to the sperm-donor?”

Tremaine
snickered as his gaze flicked to Trevor. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, pal.”

“Your mother didn’t paint
a very flattering picture of me, did she?”

“You were caught cheating while
she was pregnant with me. You haven’t even tried to contact me in twenty-four years. What? Did you think I would take your side? Yeah, not happening.”

“I wasn’t cheating on your mother.”

She snorted.

William
attempted a warm smile. “Kathryn is my mate. Your mother was foolish enough to believe me when I said I loved her.”

“Which is exactly why I won’t make that same mistake.”

“Ah, but she wasn’t my blood, my flesh. I had no desire to train her to her full potential. You, on the other hand, you are my daughter, and you will learn my ways.”

“See, the little Fiona told me of your ways has already convinced me I have no interest in learning a damned thing from you.”

He moved closer to her, and she stepped back. “Won’t you let your father embrace you?”

“Oh, no. Not in a million years.
A man has to earn that title, and you haven’t done so.”

“What about your
mate.
You trust him? The man who nearly killed me.”

“Considering you raped and killed his sister, I can’t say I blame him.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. She’s the one who came onto me. She…”

Trevor growled but didn
’t stand up.

Roxana threw up her hand.
“You’re wasting your time. My decision is made.”

William
’s patience was gone. He moved lightning fast, grabbing Roxana’s wrist to pull her toward the door.

Roxy
’s hand shot out, open palmed, straight into his nose, shattering the cartilage. Her eyes flashed nearly white, a growl distorting her words. “Don’t touch me. I’m not your daughter, blood or not.” She tore her arm away from his grasp and shoved him hard.

He stumbled back.
“You will regret that,” he whispered before turning to walk out the door. Pain washed through his entire face. Without turning back, he called out, “You have forty-eight hours to change your mind Roxana.” He tossed a card over his shoulder and stepped through the door. The second his feet hit the road, he shifted into an eagle and flew away.

* * * *

Roxy stood there, glaring at the card, not that she’d have anything to do with him. Then the bastard turned into the biggest bird she had ever laid eyes on and flew away.

Her eyes rounded.
“Holy shit.”

Trevor moved into her line of sight where she was still staring at the empty road. He took her face in his hands.
“You okay?”

Her head bobbed as she blinked. Roxy took a deep breath.
“Yeah. He grabbed me. That was it. No magic.”

“I can’t believe you broke his nose.” He watched her in astonishment.

“Seriously? The asshole grabbed me!”

“
I know,” Trevor answered, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Scared the hell out of me, and before I could move he was on the floor.”

“That’s a good thing
, right?” Her brow arched.

“Definitely. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“Look, I’m not one of those little girls who always wanted a daddy. The fact he never showed up killed any chance I wanted anything to do with him. My mother raised us by herself and did a damned fine job. So, forgive me if I’m glad I broke that bastard’s nose for thinking he had a right to put his hands on me.”

Sh
e looked down at her bloodied hand. Disgust passed over her face. Roxy turned to Tremaine with a weak smile. “Can I use the sink?”

“Of course. Come on back.” Tremaine turned on the
faucet. “Soap is right here.”

“Thank you,” she said before putting her hand under the water and scrubbing.

Tremaine looked to Fiona. “I thought you said Roxy wasn’t taking things so well. She seems fine to me.”

Roxy
grinned as she moved back to her seat. “Thank you.”

Fiona squeezed her hand. “I was going by her shock at finding out we’re sisters, and her surprise at finding out she could conjure lightning.
She’s made incredible progress in practically no time.”

Liz placed a book in front of Roxy. “Here, in case you want to know more about druids who became werewolves. There’s some good information in there.”

Roxy met her gaze. “Thank you. I’m not much of a druid though. I can only cast a few spells.”

“You
found out recently, right?”

She nodded.

“Then don’t worry about it. You’ll get there. I know Fallon offered to train you. And not all druids shift. There are circumstances which can prevent them.”

A smile spread on her face. Roxy felt more at home with these two strangers than her supposed father.
“Thank you, Tremaine and Liz. It was nice to meet you both.”

Trevor lifted a hand in a wave as he stood
. Once Roxy was on her feet, he took her hand and they walked outside.

Fiona stayed behind a moment, quietly
speaking with their hosts.

Once Trevor and Roxy were both seated
back in his SUV, Trevor turned toward Roxy. “You keep amazing me.”

Later that evening, Joey convinced the clan to enjoy a night out at In 2 Deep, in Edenton. They were all gathered around a pool table, taking turns singing karaoke. Though Fiona and Nick seemed to avoid the stage.

Roxy
sipped her Lemon Drop, enjoying her view of Trevor’s hard body stretched across the table to line up a shot.

“You met Tremaine?” Sorcha asked quietly. “I’ve only hea
rd about him.”

“Oh?” Roxy tilted her head toward Sorcha.

“Fiona had fling with him forever ago.”

“
Hmm, I guess I can’t imagine her with anyone but Nick.”

“Joey’s mentioned it a few times.”

“I’m not sure I need to know any more than that.” Roxy shook her head as she watched Trevor take his shot. His eyes locked on hers and he licked his lips. “Man, I almost wish we had stayed back at the cabin,” she confessed.

“It’s not like you two didn’t have enough sexy time before coming out. I swear you’re going for a record.”

Blushing, Roxy shrugged. “That man knows how to drive me crazy.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that, but Fiona
needs to teach you how to soundproof your room with a spell. I don’t need to know how hard or where you want it.”

Roxy took a
sip of her cocktail, trying to avoid further embarrassment.

Sorcha squeezed her eyes tight and shuddered.
“And seriously, whatever you do to him… I don’t need to know about it. He’s never been one to flaunt his sexuality, so hearing him scream your name is… awkward.”

Her eyes nearly rolled out of her head as she stared back at Sorcha.
“What? Were you listening at the door?”

“I was downstairs. You two are fucking loud.” Sorcha snickered. “Literally. What the hell was he banging you against? It
sounded like something was about to come through the wall.”

Roxy chewed her lip, thinking about it for a moment.
“Oh, the dresser… I think.”

Sorcha downed the rest of her drink.
“So, what song are you going to make me sing?”

She didn
’t miss a beat, “‘Trouble,’ by P!nk.”

“Fitting.” Joey gave Sorcha a wicked grin. “My favorite kind of trouble.”

Sorcha bounced up, gave Joey a quick kiss, and made her way to the little DJ booth.

“Are you planning to sing?” Joey asked.

“Of course. I even know what my first song will be.”

“What?”

“It’s a surprise.” She gave Joey a wink.

Trevor made his way back to the table after winning.
The stakes in their game were a
secret.

“This was a good idea.
” Trevor leaned into Roxy with a warm smile. “A nice, normal evening with all the people I care about.”

“Just missing Mikey,” Roxy added
before a frown pulled at her lips. “How am I supposed to tell him what I am? He doesn’t believe in magic or monsters. He’ll have me committed.”

Trevor took her hands in his.
“If you want, I’ll be there when you do tell him. It might take him a little bit, but he’ll understand. When we’re back home, we can invite him to join us when we all go out. I’d like to get to know him better.”

Fiona nodded. “As do I.”

Roxy laughed. “Oh, having a four hundred year old sister is going to blow his mind.”

“We don’t have to tell him my age.” Fiona lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “At least
, not until he’s ready to accept our world.”

Sorcha
’s voice rang out to P!nk’s song. Roxy turned in her seat to watch the feisty redhead captivate everyone in the room.

“That’s my girl,” Joey said proudly.

“You picked the perfect song for her,” Trevor purred in her ear.

“It seemed fitting.
Wait until I go up there.” She looked up at him. “I want another drink. What would you like?”

“Jam
eson.”

She nodded
, and asked everyone else, before going up to the bar.

* * * *

Joey took the seat next to Trevor, and said, “I told you it would all work out.”

Trevor’s smile split into a grin
. “Aye, I’m a lucky man. I’ve never imagined feeling this whole. Not even with Caera was it this right.”

“Do you still miss her?”

“Not for a long time. What we had was good, and losing her hit me hard. It’s been over a century though, and she wasn’t Roxy.”

“
I hate to say this, but I’ve seen a whole new side of you since you found Rox. It’s good, man. Now you need to stop worrying so damned much.”

Trevor’s hands clenched. “You try not worrying. She’s impulsive. William tried to grab her and she broke his nose. She wasn’t even civil to him, which I can’t say I blame her, but now I’m worried he’ll do something worse.”

“He may try, but you know we all stick together. We aren’t going to let him take her away from you.”

“I k
now, but you know what he’s capable of.”

“Aye, I
do.” Joey looked back up at the stage. “Sorcha’s really killing it.”

Trevor laughed.
“She can sing, but not like Roxy.”

“No one sings like Roxy,” Joey
concurred, shaking his head, “but she’s not my little firecracker.”

The song wrapped up as Roxy laid a tray down with seven double shots of
Jameson and a double of something golden.

“Dare I ask?” Trevor gave her a raised brow.

She raised her glass. “Jose Quervo Gold. You can blame my mother.” Roxy tipped it back with a gulp and set it down.

Trevor shudder
ed. “And you question my taste in whiskey? That shit burns.”

“I prefer it to
whiskey.” She leaned against his side and brushed a kiss over his lips. “You don’t have to drink it.”

He chuckled.
“All right then.”

Sorcha jumped down
from the stage and rushed to Joey.

Roxy laughed out loud when Joey met Sorcha halfway, wrapped his hands around Sorcha
’s ass and lifted her against him so he could better devour her mouth.

Sorcha
’s legs locked around Joey’s waist as she ground herself over him. One of his big hands slid up under her shirt.

Roxy let out a shrill whistle, causing everyone in the place to turn to her. At least it caught Sorcha and Joey
’s attention before things got indecent. “Get a room,” Roxy called.

Sorcha laughed, jumping down from Joey to stroll over and take her shot.
“We’re no worse than you two.”

Trevor balked,
“Not sure about that. Joey doesn’t know how to control his hands.”

Roxy blushed
, thinking about what Trevor could do with his hands, but in public, he did manage to control himself slightly better than Joey.

Sorcha’s mouth twisted in a smirk.
“I bet Roxy wouldn’t mind if you stopped controlling yourself.”

“Alrighty then. I’m going to go do my song.” Roxy placed a kiss on Trevor’s cheek.

* * * *

William drove up to the bar in Edenton.
He still had one source out there who had let him know the Irish wolves showed up. This was likely the last time he could use the contact.

Kathryn’s porcelain face was set in a sneer.
“What makes you think the bitch will listen to reason? She has already denied you.”

“If it hadn’t taken so long to convince you to come out here, she would have listened to reason. Because of you, she’s fallen for Trevor, and Fiona has told
her all of our dirty little secrets.”

“Sure, blame me, as usual.” Kathryn turned toward him. “Why is it we’re driving?”

“We can’t fly her back.”

“So we’re kidnapping her, like Boyd and Dina attempted to do? From a bar
in town full of more Others than I’ve seen in one place for as long as I can remember?”

“We have magic to hide us until it’s time to take her. All you have to do is make sure the door is open when I bring her back to the car. Can you handle that?”

“I suppose I have to. That is, if you can even bring her back.” Her tone was cold, like she’d always been.

“Why is it you are so against me having a child to help us take what we want?”

“She’s yours, not mine. How can I trust her?”

“Are you back to thinking I want you dead? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have
brought you back from the brink of death when Fiona burned you alive. You should learn to trust me, my love.”

“Easier said than done.”

He parked the car at the back of the lot. “You stay here until I come with the girl.”

“Good luck. You’ll need it.”

* * * *

“
Tell Me ‘Bout It” by Joss Stone played through the speakers. Roxy sang the words to one of her favorite songs. Trevor stood at the front of the stage with the biggest grin on his face.

She barely got the mic back on the stand before Trevor swept her off her feet to give her a long, slow kiss. Remembering the near public display of indecency, and the hell she gave Sorcha, she broke the
embrace.

“Later,” she promised Trevor. “As soon as we get back to the cabin.”

His eyes stayed on her lips as he echoed her earlier comment, “We should have stayed home.”

A laugh burst free. “You’re the one who
agreed with Joey and talked me into a night out.”

“Awe, you’re no fun,” Sorcha w
hined. “I didn’t even get to stop you like you did me.”

Laughing, Roxy replied,
“We’re in public.”

“Fine, but you suck.” Sorcha grumbled, handing
her another double of tequila. She kept glaring at the liquor like it was poison.

Roxy winked, and swallowed it down.

Sorcha made an ugly face as a shudder travelled through her. “Gross.”

“
Have you even tried it?” Roxy asked with an arched brow.

“No. All
tequila is the same.”

“Is every whiskey the same?”

Sorcha’s brows drew together. “No.”

“Then maybe you should try it.” She turned to Trevor. “I’ll be right back.”

He pulled her closer. “And where do you think you’re going, love?”

“The ladies room, be right back.”
She blew Trevor a kiss as she walked to the back. Before she stepped into the bathroom, her phone rang with Mike’s number. She took a detour out the back exit and answered. “Hi, Mikey.”

“Hey, Roxy. I
figured I should let you know that I’m with Kara. I stayed the night with her. Don’t worry, there was no sex involved, though I doubt I can hold off much longer.”

“Mike,” she
laughed, “I really don’t need to know all that. Seriously. Be careful. You just had surgery down
low
.”

He chuckled.
“All right. I’ll spare you the details. I’m up in Mukilteo. We’re house sitting for her parents. We’ll be back in a few days.”

“All right. We’re in Edenton right now, but we’re going back to the cabin before long. Have a good few days.”

“Take care, Roxy. Love you, Sis.”

“Love you too.” She slid the phone into her pocket.

Someone put their hand on her shoulder, singing softly. She spun around, but started to fall. She was scooped her up, and she felt the air shift around her as everything went black.

* * * *

Roxy landed in a heap in the trunk. Her eyes snapped open only to see her father standing over her with the cruelest smile on his face. He raised a hand to hit her.

Roxy sprang up, shoving him with a crackle. He flew back
hitting another car with a thud. A tingle traveled down her spine as the world shifted into new colors.

The sound of a door slamming
, and a woman’s rage filled shriek, startled her. She took off into the night’sopen air, flyin
g
… freaking flying over the cars.

A woman climbed off a Harley,
removing her helmet. Roxy recognized the red curls and vibrant green eyes.

Disoriented, she somehow
managed to land on Fallon’s shoulder. Fallon threw her hands up and Roxy felt the wall of a spell surround them. A dazzling blue light nearly blinded her as Brody gently took her from Fallon.

A hushed song twisted through the air as Fallon backed toward the bar. The dazzling shield followed as Brody held the door open.

Fallon smiled over at her. “Don’t worry, Roxy. If he’s smart, he’ll leave now. Otherwise, the rest of my pack will tear them to shreds before they ever make the door. I, for one, hope he’s stupid.”