“Sorry,” Aiden said from the driver side of the truck. “Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I leaned across and unlocked the door. “Then you shouldn’t have pounded the window so damn hard.”
“I very lightly tapped a fingernail. That’s hardly pounding.” He jumped in, then leaned across the center console, wrapped a hand around my neck, and held me still while he kissed me very, very thoroughly. “You taste like chocolate.”
“I raided the stash.”
“Then I shall restock tomorrow.” His gaze scanned mine. “How’s that headache?”
I raised an eyebrow. “How do you know I have a headache?”
“Your eyes get bloodshot when things are bad. Did you take anything stronger than Panadol?”
“Didn’t have anything stronger.”
“Then I’ll add that to the stash.” He pulled back. “I’ve been in to see Mia. They’re still waiting for the final clearance from the doctors, but they shouldn’t be much longer. Have you decided where she’s going?”
“Not just her—”
“I will not go into hiding—”
“It’s not hiding, and if it were anyone else in your team, you’d be demanding they stop being childish and just do it.”
Annoyance flashed through his expression. He did not like being called out. “True.”
“And it might not be for very long anyway,” I added. “We’ve got a fragment of bone from the hone-onna—”
“How the hell did you get that?”
“I kicked her.”
“That must have been a hell of a kick.”
“Ashworth seems to think the fracture was deliberate.”
“Why on earth would she deliberately break off a bit of limb?”
“That is the million-dollar question.” I shrugged. “Anyway, it’s possible we can use it to track either the witch responsible for the curse or the hone-onna herself. But to do either, I need to know you’re safe.”
He blew out a breath. “Fine. Twenty-four hours, then. No more.”
I leaned forward and kissed him. “Thank you.”
He rolled his eyes. “It was either give in or have you nag me for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Very true.”
He snorted. “So where are we spending our time in protective custody? The café? It’s the safest spot around here, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I said, and repeated the earlier half-lie I’d told Ashworth. “You’ll both be staying with Ashworth and Eli.”
“Where he can keep an eye and ear on Mia and me and report back?” he asked, his mild tone at odds with the deepening annoyance.
“You know Ashworth would never do something like that.”
“I know of no such thing. Ashworth basically considers you the granddaughter he never had, and he’ll certainly have something to say about anyone who hurts you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Which won’t happen in this particular case because you and Mia are finished, are you not?”
“We are.” His gaze searched mine. “You know I’d never lie about something like that, don’t you?”
“I do.” And I did. But Mia wasn’t the real problem here; she was just a flesh-and-blood representation of it. “Has the team had a chance to talk to the other exes yet?”
“A rather unsubtle change of direction there, Liz.”
“I’m not in the mood for deep and meaningful tonight.”
He looked ready to argue, but in the end, simply said, “Yes. All swear they went nowhere near a witch.”
“And none of them were witches themselves?”
“Not that I know of, but you lot can magic away those tells, can’t you?”
I nodded. “Did any of them have a nasty scar down the side of their face?”
“No.” He frowned. “Why?”
“Because when I picked up the bit of bone from the hone-onna’s leg, I saw the image of a witch who is probably responsible for her presence here in the reservation. From a distance, she looks like me.”
“And is that why the hone-onna attacked you?”
“Possibly. We’re going to use the bit of bone in an attempt to track the witch.”
“How? It’s from the hone-onna, not the witch.”
“Yes, but if the witch I saw is responsible for the hone-onna’s presence here in the reservation, then she’ll have some kind of controlling leash around her creature. If I can make a connection with the hone-onna, I might be able to trace that leash back to the witch’s location.”
“That’s a few too many ifs for my liking.”
“And mine, but we have to try, otherwise more people are going to die.”
He did not look happy but didn’t offer any more arguments either. Perhaps he knew the futility. “I take it you’re going to attempt that after you drop us off at Ashworth’s?”
I hesitated and then shook my head. “I’ve a booming headache, so it’s probably better to wait until the morning.”
“And if the hone-onna—or the witch who controls her—doesn’t give you that option?”
“We’ll deal with it.” I paused. “How’s your brother? Any improvement since yesterday?”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, just say so, Liz. Don’t change the goddamn subject like that.”
I sighed. “Aiden, what else did you want me to say? You know we can’t predict what will happen. You know we’ll be as well prepared as we possibly can be. And we’re both well aware that your annoyance stems not from my changing the subject but the fact that you can’t be there, despite knowing full well your presence at the reading attempt could well endanger us all.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek for several long seconds, then he looked away. “You’re right, of course. But it’s natural for a wolf to protect their pack—”
“I’m not pack,” I cut in softly. “And never will be.”
“You’re in a relationship with me,” he growled. “That makes you part of my pack.”
“But only peripherally. And only when it doesn’t involve your ‘real’ pack.”
“Neither fact negates the truth of what I said. Damn it, Liz, you know how I feel about you.”
“Yes, but I’m beginning to wonder if the same can be said about you.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means.” I glanced around at the sound of footsteps and saw Monty and Mia walking toward us. “I think we’d better finish this discussion at a better time.”
“As you’ve noted, is there ever going to be a better time? I get the feeling you’re now intent on avoiding it.”
“And you would be right, but only because I’d rather get through this disaster before I embark on another.”
“We’re hardly a disaster, Liz. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“Your mother would disagree.”
“My mother can take a long jump off a very short pier. As I keep telling you, she doesn’t control my life.”