Possession (The Mate Games 3)

“Priest,” he sneered. “Self-righteous, loathsome snake.”

The venom in his voice surprised me. I hadn’t realized my father knew the man well enough for that kind of reaction. What else wasn’t he telling me?

His cell phone rang, the jarring sound cutting through the tension in the room with all the subtlety of a chainsaw. I took that as my opportunity to leave him. I had the sudden and desperate urge to hold my mate close and make sure she was whole.

As I left the room, the unmistakable sound of the headmistress’s voice caught my ears. Tinny and thin through the phone, but definitely her. I stopped just outside, eavesdropping without shame.

“Do you have them?”

“Yes. They’re all here. Safe and sound. You didn’t tell me the priest was coming.”

“Ah, so that’s where he ran off to. Good. Keep them there. Tell no one else where they are. Moriarity is dead. His corpse was found just this morning. Our enemies grow bolder the closer we get to our goal. Keep me apprised. I need to know when the girl goes into labor. She and the child are my responsibility, and I will not fail because of your incompetence.”

What the fucking hell was this? My father and Madame le Blanc working together? To what end? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

My heart was racing as I tore up the stairs in search of Sunday. I needed to hold her close, listen to the baby’s heartbeat, remind myself they were my purpose. I’d never doubted my father before, but something wasn’t right.

She was curled up on the bed, eyes closed as she napped after such a long day of travel. I didn’t have the heart to wake her, so I slipped off my shoes and climbed into bed with her, nestling her into the curve of my body as I pulled her close.

Before I could do more than kiss her forehead, the door to our room flew open, and Kingston stalked toward us. Sunday woke, blinking in confusion.

“What the hell do you want?” I barked.

“I’m not staying in that room. Your sister put me up in the one where the king was executed. Message received, loud and clear. No way will I be the next king on the chopping block. Scoot over and make a spot for me. I’m the big spoon this time.”

I sighed and acquiesced, bringing Sunday with me as I moved. She smiled and welcomed him with open arms. Kingston had no sooner crawled up beside her when the door swung open a second time, this time revealing the Norseman.

“Bloody hell, not again. I suppose you found issue with your room as well?”

“There was a ghost in my shower. I don’t fuck with ghosts, not after the stories my mother told me.”

Kingston sat up. “Really, bro? You’re afraid of a little leftover energy?”

“Yeah, she was scary.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Aunt Callie, can you come here, please?”

My aunt manifested beside the bed, her transparent body bobbing as she floated in the air. “Yes, Noah, sweetie?”

Alek, the giant oaf who could rip apart a demon with his bare hands, screamed bloody murder and jumped up, pointing a shaking finger at her. “See? There. Tell me that’s not terrifying.”

Sunday giggled. “She’s not scary. She’s just a little see-through.”

“Did you need something, Noah? I was just haunting the halls before heading down to my laboratory for a little light research.”

“Alek, you’ve seen a ghost before.”

“Not one that popped into the shower with me. There I was, washing my hair, eyes closed as I rinsed the shampoo out, and then...”

“Boo,” Callie said, her form appearing inches from Alek’s face.

He screamed. “See?”

The door swung open for the third time, revealing a wild-eyed Caleb. “What the bleeding hell is going on in here?”

Alek pointed to Callie. “You’re a priest. Exorcise her.”