I followed in a poof of my purple smoke and watched her get into her black SUV, noting that all the windows were shaded black.
I turned and in the pouring rain, standing before me, was one large, handsome, and very naked man. His eyes were yellow…or hazel, I’m not sure. His hair looked to be dark blond, but it was soaking wet, so I wasn’t sure of that either. I knew it was the wolf shifter in human form.
“Hawkeye,” I said, and then with all my heart, “thank you.”
“Are we on the same side, Red? It looks like it, but looks can be deceiving,” he said.
“If we are on the side of the innocents, if we both care about making sure we do whatever we can to keep humans safe, then we are on the same side,” I answered.
He smiled and said, “You are quite a stunning beauty, but something about you standing soaking wet in the rain, well, woman, you take my breath away.”
“You,” I said, ignoring his flirtation and trying not to look at his enlarged cock. “Are naked and will catch a death of a cold if you don’t hurry up and go wolf, or get dressed.”
He laughed. “Later, Red. Later.” He shifted into wolf and loped off into the woods and out of my sight.
I poofed back to the house, where I immediately uncloaked myself, sent my sword into its invisible space, and started shouting as soon as I entered the castle. “Davis…Mrs. Tunny…time for you to leave MacLeod!”
* * * * *
I spelled myself dry and clean as Mrs. Tunny and Davis came running from the kitchen area and she hugged a sweater tightly around herself. “What is it…what is wrong?” she asked, somewhat frightened.
“They have coom?” Davis asked with a knowing nod. “The vampires have coom.”
“Yes, but it has stopped raining and the sky has cleared up. It is safe now for you to travel, and I want you both to pack up and go to one of your homes and stay there until you hear from us.”
Now that I knew Allora could come and go at will, they were no longer safe at MacLeod.
“What about ye, miss.” Davis took my hand. “Will ye not coom with us?”
“I am not going to mince words. No. I have to stay and finish this. However, just to be on the safe side, I am going to your car and giving it a blood bath!”
I saw the shocked expressions on their faces and calmed down enough to be clear. “Blood Wards, my dears, Blood Wards to keep the vamps from coming near you when you are in the car.
“Don’t go anywhere at dusk or dawn, or when it is raining. Clear?”
They nodded and went upstairs to pack their things.
&nbs
p; When they returned to me in the Great Hall, we all held hands and I told them, “Stay indoors if there is any question of a gray day. She travels during the rain…easily. Don’t come back here until we call and let you know it is over and safe. Understood?”
They nodded, but just to drive it home I added, “No matter what you hear…no matter who tells you what, unless you hear from me or Jeremy, you stay put.”
They didn’t argue but stood staunchly and told me they would rather help. “I know, but these are vampires with super strength and speed. They could snap both your necks and feed on you before you blinked.” I sounded rough and harsh, but I wanted to drive the fact home.
“Aye then, how will ye be safe?” Mrs. Tunny hugged me. “Coom with us, child.”
“Mrs. Tunny, I know you guessed, almost at once, that there was something…unnatural about me…” I said.
She smiled. “Och aye, but not unnatural. I noticed that ye are part of the earth, the sun, the air, and the water that gives light. Och aye, I know what ye are.”
I hugged her again. That was such a beautiful thing to say. “Wait here until I finish with your vehicle.”
I ran to the kitchen and fetched a knife, went into the courtyard and cut my wrist open and did a sloppy job of smearing the car with my blood. I needed to get a good part covered before my wound healed. I quickly chanted the Druid Warding Spell, and hurried back to them, and ushered them outside.
“Go on, be safe so I don’t have to make deals with the devil to keep you that way,” I told them, and watched them ‘til they vanished down the driveway.
My next step was to let Jeremy know, so I quickly went to the library and penned a pretty long note to him. Yup, I thought, reading it to myself, comprehensive as I told him everything that had happened since last we spoke.