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  can i come over and talk to you? The text was from Meagan.

  Debating for a moment, I finally answered. yes, please do. ari’s worried sick about you.

  i know. i’d like to explain. but please don’t tell her that i contacted you. not yet.

  all right. but you’d better have a good explanation.

  Meagan showed up about fifteen minutes later. I led her into the living room. Bear shifters were usually quite athletic, and Meagan was no exception. She had been the star cheerleader in high school and one of the mean girls, but she had grown into a pleasant-tempered woman who did a top-notch job as a high school gym teacher. She was tall and muscled, with long legs and blond hair. She had even won a few powerlifting competitions in her Otherkin weight category. She coached girls’ gymnastics, and was especially attentive to the problems facing gymnasts, like abusive private coaches, eating disorders, and pushing the body beyond what it was capable of.

  “Sit down,” I said, motioning for her toward the sofa. “Would you like something to drink?”

  She shook her head. As she sat down, Klaus ran up and scrambled up her pants leg, then up her chest to lick her on the nose. She laughed, but I could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her makeup was blotched.

  “Thanks, but no. I wanted to talk to you. I can’t talk to Ari about this, not right now.”

  “So, your mother has threatened to destroy Ari’s business if you marry her, have I got that right?”

  Meagan nodded. “Yeah, she has. I told Ari to give me some time, that I could take care of it, but she’s so freaked about my mother not supporting me that she won’t listen. She’s not angry about her business, she’s angry on my behalf.”

  “Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen when you’re engaged to someone?” I frowned, not understanding yet what had caused the rift.

  “It’s just… I talked to the leader of the Pride. He told me that if I petition the Elder Council to sever my ties to my family, then my mother won’t be socially affected by what I choose to do and I could ask the Pride to intercede if she tried to destroy Ari’s business. So I’ve filled out the application. But it’s going to take a couple of months given the number of cases before the Elders right now. I didn’t tell Ari that I wanted to postpone the wedding. I told her we should put any talk of it on hold—publicly. She misunderstood and blew up. I tried to calm her down, tried to tell her that everything would work out, but she won’t listen.”

  I frowned, then asked, “So, you didn’t tell her that you’re petitioning for autonomy and that the reason you want to keep a lid on public discussion is to throw your mother off guard?”

  Meagan paused, then, her eyes widening, she shook her head. “No, I guess I didn’t.”

  “Instead, you just told her, let’s keep talk of the wedding under wraps and things will be okay?”

  Meagan groaned, closing her eyes. “I’m an idiot. She probably thinks I’m having second thoughts. She doesn’t trust me but I didn’t give her enough information to ease her fears. Do you think she believes I’m going to run out on her?” She paused, then said, “Never mind. She probably does because I didn’t give her all the information.”

  “No shit, Sherlock. Get your ass home stat and tell her what’s going on.” I stood, grabbing Meagan’s hand and pulling her to her feet. She was surprisingly heavier than she looked. “Ari’s my best friend and she’s devastated right now. Go undo the damage.”

  Wearing a contrite expression, Meagan nodded and headed for the door. “Thanks… I know I can be dense at times, but you’d think I wouldn’t be this dumb.”

  “You aren’t dumb. You just didn’t think through how to handle it. Next time, examine everything you’re planning.” I shoved her out the door and immediately pulled out my phone to text Ari. meagan’s coming home to talk to you. listen to her. i mean it.

  After a few minutes, Ari texted back, all right. i will.

  Satisfied that at least one problem was on the road to being solved, I headed back to the kitchen. I didn’t feel like reading any more, and I wanted to keep my mind off the case. I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, just as my phone rang. It was Killian.

  “Hey love, I know you’re at work—”

  “Actually, I’m not. Tad gave everyone the day off. It’s a long story, so I won’t go into it, but I have the afternoon free. I don’t suppose you do?” I lowered my voice suggestively.

  “I’m afraid I’m booked up,” he said, and I could hear the wistfulness in his voice. “But I wanted to ask if I can come over tonight? Tally’s going to visit a couple of her friends up in Bellingham, so I have the night free.”

  “Oh, please, come over. I need you.” My entire body tingled at the thought. Killian was a skilled lover, and he wasn’t so gentle that I felt like a porcelain doll.

  “I’ll see you at six-thirty, then? I’ll pick up takeout on the way so you don’t have to cook. What do you want?”

  “Chinese,” I said. “Don’t forget the pot stickers.”

  “Will do.” He paused, then added, “I miss you.”

  “Miss you too.” I made kissing noises, and then hung up.

  I made cookies, three batches, and then decided to tackle paying the bills and balancing my checkbook. After that, I watched a movie that I had been wanting to see that nobody else was interested in, and finally, when it was nearing six, I decided to change clothes and re-do my makeup.

  I had just changed, into a black swing dress with white trim and silver buttons down the front of the sleeveless, sweetheart bodice, when the doorbell rang. I slipped into my sexy-librarian heels, which were a nice, chunky black satin matte with bows on the top, and descended the stairs to answer the door. I struck a pose and opened the door, expecting to find Killian there, early. But I was in for a shock.

  There, on my doorstep, was Ellison.

  “What the hell do you want?” I blurted out, willing him to vanish.

  He snorted. “Nice greeting, January. Do you always meet your guests with such an eloquent salutation?”

  I blinked. Unfortunately, he was really there. “My guests know they’re always welcome in my home. You’re not one of my guests. I repeat, what do you want?”

  “Seriously, you aren’t going to invite me in?” He looked so offended that I broke out into a peal of laughter.

  “Ellison…if I could, I’d build a fence you’d never be able to scale.” I stared at him, finally deciding that the only way to get rid of him would be to invite him in. “What the fuck. All right, you have five minutes before I kick your ass back out in the rain.”

  The evening was gloomy, the clouds socking in for a real downpour. In the Pacific Northwest, we had rainstorms where the rain came down sideways, pelting everything like sharp little bullets. The breeze was gusting and, as I stood back to make room for Ellison, I decided to get out the battery-operated candles and make certain I had wood for the fireplace in case of a windstorm. I hadn’t checked the weather forecast in a while, but the day had a crackly feel to it, making my hair stand on end. Thunderstorm weather…windstorm weather…both were problematic.

  Ellison hesitantly stepped through the door. He had only been to my house a few times, always making excuses to get out of visiting my parents and friends. Mostly, he had come here while we were in college at Western Washington University and he drove me home for the weekends. I had lived close enough to commute, but it was easier to just stay in the dorms during the week.

  What Ellison lacked in grace and manners, he made up for in looks, but after spending ten minutes with him, the glamour faded when his personality emerged. He was a tall, lanky man, with wavy blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, but there was a coldness behind the sparkle, a sense of disdain for anyone and anything that he considered beneath his stature. While recent events had knocked him down a peg, the gratuitous snobbery remained.

  “Get to the point. What do you want?”

  He licked his lips, glancing around. “I haven
’t been here in a long time,” he said.

  “It wasn’t for the lack of invitation. You refused to come to any event my parents put on. Even their funeral,” I said, pointedly.

  “Yeah, I’m…sorry about that. I know we were separated but I should have come with you.” He was scrambling, I could see it.

  “No, really, it’s better you didn’t. It cemented what a crummy person you really are. What do you want, Ellison?”

  “You look nice,” he said, and right then I knew he wanted something. He hadn’t complimented me in a long, long time.

  “Thank you. Now, what do you want?” There was a technique they taught in classes for self-assertiveness. It was called the “broken record technique.” It involved acknowledging what the other person said, but then repeating your stance again, refusing to be sidetracked or gaslighted.

  He let out a long sigh, turning on what I assumed were supposed to be puppy dog eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about our marriage. About you.” He paused, then asked, “Do you ever think about us?”

  “Not so much. What do you want?”

  Frowning, he cleared his throat. “Can you just let me talk?”

  “Apparently, I learned how to talk over people from you, Ellison. You taught me that lesson well. Once again, what do you want?”

  “Damn it, will you shut the fuck up and let me tell you that I miss you?” He was shouting.

  I immediately pulled back and he froze.

  He took a shaky breath and added, “I said I miss you, January. I was thinking…maybe we could give it another try? Maybe we could start a new magazine together?”

  What the ever-loving hell? I stared at him, unable to process his suggestion. Was he really that dense? Was he really that stupid? As I stared at him, he rushed on.

  “I thought that we could wipe the slate clean. Start new. We could start dating again—did I tell you how great you look? If things go all right, I could move in with you here—”

  That brought me round and I found my tongue again.

  “Put the brakes on. First, you left me. I didn’t leave you. You’re the one who cheated on me. You’re the one who bilked me out of my half of the magazine. You’re the one who did everything you could to prevent me from getting my fair share of our assets in the divorce. You’re the one who found a judge you could bribe to overlook all the crap you pulled on me. I caught you with your head between another woman’s legs. Dining out costs you, Ellison. So does treating me like dirt.”

  He stiffened, his eyes shifting. The cajoling look was gone, replaced by anger. I could recognize the signs—I had learned the hard way how to adjust my actions in seconds when he got into his moods. But this time, I wasn’t going to smooth things over.

  Hands on my hips, I glared him down. “You really think that I’d ever consider going back to you? That I’d ever even think of getting back together? The thought of your hands on me makes my skin crawl. I suggest you run home to Mama because as far as I’m concerned, she’s the only woman willing to put up with your bullshit. Even your mistress learned that you’re an asshole.”

  He leaned a little too close for comfort. “When did you become so cynical—”

  “When you decided I was dead weight.” I was over it—Stick a fork in me done. “I’m with a man who truly cares about me. Even better, I care about me. I spent eighteen years under your thumb. As Ricky Nelson said, I’ve learned my lesson well. So it’s time for you to leave. I don’t ever want to see you again. Got it?”

  Frowning, Ellison cocked his head to the side. “I don’t understand how you became so…so…”

  “So self-assertive? I don’t enjoy being a doormat, Ellison. I’ll never again accept the kind of bullshit you threw at me. Good-bye.” I started backing him up toward the door, and then when we were there, I opened it and pointed toward the sidewalk. “Go home, Ellison. Get out of my life.”

  He paused, then, his eyes narrowing, he turned toward the door. I thought he was going to leave. But instead, he reached out and slammed it shut. The look in his eyes shifted as he whirled around and shoved me up against the wall.

  “Oh, you’re not done with me yet. You think I hurt your poor little heart before? Think again. I’m going to teach you what it really means to hurt. Since you won’t shut up, I’ll shut that fat mouth for you!” And then, before I realized what he was doing, he took a swing at me.

  I screamed and ducked, unable to believe what was actually happening.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ellison’s fist met the wall as I swerved, just in time to avoid being hit. I didn’t pause to respond. I ducked under his arm and away, as he struggled to shake the plaster off his knuckles. As I backed away, my anger boiled and I felt a knot of outrage growing in the center of my gut.

  “How dare you come into my house and attack me?” My eyes blazing, I shook that knot of anger free and the next thing I knew, a glowing green globe shot out of my hand as I raised it to ward him off. The energy blob sailed across the foyer, landing hard against Ellison’s chest. He let out a shout and stumbled back as the energy flared and exploded in his face.

  I froze, not sure what had just happened.

  At that moment, the door slammed open and Killian rushed in. He took one look at Ellison, one look at me, and then dragged Ellison up by his collar, snarling.

  “Did you touch her?” Killian’s voice was dangerously low.

  Ellison began to babble and kick his feet as Killian held him up as easily as he might hold a kitten.

  “Did you try to hurt her?” Killian asked again, his voice threatening. “I won’t ask again.”

  “Killian, don’t…” I started to say Don’t hurt him, but then stopped, changing my words to “Don’t kill him.” I wasn’t going to cover for Ellison ever again. I just didn’t want Killian going to jail because of him.

  “I didn’t mean to—” Ellison started to say. That was as far as he got.

  Killian dragged him out on the porch and down the stairs, ignoring Ellison’s shouts as he flailed. Ellison’s car was parked in front of the house—the convertible that I had filled with water when I walked out on him. Killian stopped at the end of the path, lifted Ellison in the air, and threw him onto the hood of the car. Ellison landed with a thud, groaning as he slid off and shakily tried to stand up.

  “Get in your car and if I ever see you again in this town, I will kill you. And no jury in the land will convict me when I expose the crap you pulled on my mate.” Killian pointed to the car door. “Don’t say a word. Get in the car and drive.”

  Ellison used the car to steady himself as he slid along the side, heading for the driver’s door. “I— I… January,” he said, turning to me, pleading.

  “You’d better do as he says,” I said. “Move it or lose it.”

  With a strangled curse, Ellison jumped into his car, and a moment later, pulled into the street and sped off.

  Killian turned to me. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’ll be okay,” I said, as I started to shake. I was great in a crisis, but fell apart after it was over. “Ellison tried to punch me, but I managed to duck.” I stared at the retreating tail lights. “I never expected him to try to hit me. He always yelled at me a lot, and insulted me, but… Maybe I didn’t cave into his expectations. Maybe he really believed that I’d fall for his change of heart again, and when I didn’t, he snapped.” I told him about how quickly Ellison had gone from trying to persuade me to take him in to trying to cold-cock me.

  “If he ever comes near you again, I guarantee, he’ll vanish and nobody will ever know what happened.” Killian wrapped his arm around me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  I nodded as we walked inside. “Yeah, but my wall isn’t.” I showed him where Ellison had swung at me and hit the wall instead. “I almost want to leave it in case I ever feel sorry for him again. Then I could just look at it and remember.”

  “Take a picture of it. You can use it in court if you like.”

&n
bsp; “That’s a good idea—just to remind myself. Plus, I suppose I should call Millie and report the incident in case he decides to come back.”

  “Call her now, while I get dinner from my car and set the table.” He paused. “I felt your fear—as I was pulling into my driveway, I felt your fear. We’re bonding, January.” He headed over to his driveway.

  I called Millie and she made it to my house in record time. Who said the cops were never around when you needed one? I showed her the wall and told her what had happened.

  “So, do you want to file a restraining order? Based on this, Judge Warrenson will have no trouble granting you one. I think you should do it, because then if he oversteps himself again, the punishment will go a lot harder. Also, cowards like Ellison usually think twice if they know the authorities are watching them.” Millie took a couple pictures of the wall.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I guess I should. What’s the procedure?”

  “Ask for a domestic violence order of protection—a DVOP—since the two of you were married. Go down to the courthouse tomorrow and put my name down on the forms as a contact, since I have pictures of the damage he did to your wall and took the report.”

  I paused. “Does it matter that Killian threatened him and threw him out?”

  “Not if he was protecting you. Also, given you are Otherkin, I recommend that you ask the Court Magika what they can do. In a mixed marriage—where one person is human and the other not—sometimes there are other avenues that can be pursued.” Millie glanced out the window. “Do you think he’ll come back tonight?”

  “I don’t know. He’d be a fool to, after Killian got done warning him, but he seemed to have snapped, so I’m not sure what state of mind he’s in.”

  “I’ll call the police in…where’s he live? Seattle?”

  I shook my head. “He used to. He’s living with his parents in Bellingham now.” I looked up the Reilly address and gave it to her.