I felt the power of his magic guiding me. Suddenly the world started to spin, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to combat the lurching vertigo. Then, out of the blackness, I saw my godmother. It was like I was looking through an unsteady handheld camera, but I could see her.
She shuffled about in her garden, tending to flowers. One of the lawn gnomes had fallen in the path, so she knocked it out of the way. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear what she said.
I ignored my churning stomach and watched her go about her garden chores. I’d always taken it for granted before, but now, the care with which she tended the flowers brought tears to my eyes. A glimpse of what normal had once been.
Then it was gone.
I jolted as the vision turned dark and I returned to my uncle’s workshop. “Holy crap, I did it!” I cried.
He beamed and stuck a cork in the top of the potion, then he handed it to me. “First time’s the charm! Now you can check in, but I’ll warn you, I was able to give you a little nudge with my magic since I brewed the stuff. If you tried on your own, it would be a lot harder. So don’t go trying without me. This stuff can be dangerous.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
A lie.
22
Savannah
I showed up at the back door of Eclipse at one p.m. and texted Jaxson. Part of me knew that coming to this den of wolves was insane, but I needed answers, and this was the road forward.
Clearly, I didn’t belong here. Jaxson had asked me to use the back door like a girlfriend he was ashamed of. He probably was. I was a dirty LaSalle, and after last night, I was willing to bet everyone in Dockside knew—and was pissed.
Before he let me out of the house, Casey had insisted on me taking more of his crazy, military-grade mace. Don’t spray yourself in the face, and don’t let the wolves know you have it, or they’ll kick your ass. I checked my purse. Still there.
The door opened. Jaxson was wearing jeans and a button-down that stretched across his chest. There was no trace of the monster I’d seen last night. No claws. No honey eyes.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“You came. To say I’m shocked would be an understatement.” His jaw was set as he stepped aside.
I pulled my sunglasses off and pushed through the door. “Here I am, ready to do your bidding.”
He stiffened, and his eyes flashed, just for a second.
“Don’t get any ideas. We’re just scrying. I’ve got the stuff, so let’s do this.”
I marched through the kitchen, not quite sure where I was supposed to go but not wanting to give up the lead.
“Left,” Jaxson prompted, as if he could read my mind.
I turned into the vacant bar, Jaxson following close behind. I could feel his eyes on me, unwavering. And I could almost smell the heat of his desire. Had I missed something?
Jaxson Laurent hated my guts, and after last night, probably even more so. I snapped him a look that put an end to his wandering eyes.
His signature filled the room. I knew, very clearly, that I had just walked into his lair—a place that was intimately a part of him. Everywhere I stepped, I felt his warmth around me, even though the bar was cool.
Then I remembered where I was, and my skin chilled. The wolf den.
The last time I’d been here, it had been with hundreds of werewolves, all staring at me for parading around with the alpha. At least they hadn’t known who I was, or they would have torn me apart.
“You cleared the place?” I asked.
“Just for you, just for an hour.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“We don’t do lunch, so it was just the staff.”