Chapter 16

I stop at Goddess Apothecary before leaving for New Orleans. Someone in the coven needs to know my whereabouts, and there’s no one I trust more than Iris.

The bell chimes with my arrival.

“We open in a half hour,” she says from the back.

“It’s me,” I reply, going to the back where she’s brewing the potions she had out in the full moon the night before.

“You’re up early,” she says and I swallow thickly.

“I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I’m going to New Orleans for a few days to help the Salvador Coven.”

Her brows pinch and she pauses mid stir of her potion, putting the lid on and wiping her hands on her apron.

“They have two healers,” she says and I try to keep my wits about me.

“They’ve been having issues with vampires and need help on a few cases.”

“You’re lying,” she says, calling me out immediately. “You’re not one to keep secrets, Vi.”

I look over my shoulder and flick the door shut.

“If I tell you, you need to take a vow of silence,” I tell her and her eyes widen.

“Violet, what the fuck is going on? You’re scaring me.”

“Vow of silence or nothing, Iris.”

“Fine,” she says, pulling out her wand. Hers is golden, with vines wrapping around, while mine is silver with intricate silver violets and an amethyst at the base.

We hold the tips of our wands together, a golden spark and a purple spark meeting as Iris says the words.

“I vow silence to my fellow coven member and hold her secret with me till death and time separate us,” she says and I sigh.

She won’t die if she keeps my secret, but the vow will literally demand her silence. My secret is completely safe.

“Now, please tell me what is so important to require a vow of silence. I’ve never even contemplated that type of magic before.”

I take a deep breath and tell her everything. The pact at sixteen, the courthouse, how he’s been sleeping at my house, up until last night’s encounter. I don’t mention his wolf or anything personal, and wonder why I feel like I need to keep that to myself.

She falls back into her chair, her eyes wide as she looks me up and down.

“Holy shit.”

“Now you understand the secrecy?”

“You really think your mother is in New Orleans and can help you?” she says, her amber-colored eyes looking at me with pity.

She knows if I don’t find her, it will just be another disappointment.

“I have to at least try.”

Iris nods, standing up and grabbing my wrists before placing her forehead against mine.

“I give you my protection, and my love. Mother goddess above, keep Violet safe. Protect her against those who wish her harm. Give her guidance and keep her safe,” she whispers, and I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her tight.

“I love you, Iris.”

“I love you too, Violet. Promise me you’ll check in. That you’ll be safe and that you’ll watch your back,” she says and I pull back.

“Your vision,” I say with a gasp and Iris’ shoulders slump. She looks away and I glare at her. “Iris. Did you see something else?”

“No, I didn’t see anything. Just be careful, you promise?”

“I promise.”

“Let me send you with a few potions, just in case,” she says, handing me all things that could take a man or a wolf out.

I don’t tell her that they aren’t necessary, but thank her and drive back to my home where Silas waits on the porch.

“I need to hide your bike,” I tell him as I get out of the car.

“It won’t hurt it, will it?” he asks, and I roll my eyes at him.

“No, a little illusion spell isn’t going to hurt your baby,” I reply, casting the spell as we watch the motorcycle disappear. “It’s still there. It just doesn’t look like it is. A little extra incentive to make sure I’m safe, because I’m the only one who can lift the spell,” I tell him.

“Give me the keys, I’ll drive,” he says.

I toss them over to him and grab a few books before taking the passenger side and read while he drives.

It’s only a few hours, but each moment in the car feels heavy with words unsaid. We’re not talking about the past, and we’re apparently not talking about the future either as we finally make it downtown.

Silas parallel parks and for a moment, I’m glad I brought him along. Plus, I’d probably be in physical pain if I left him behind, anyway.

“Any clue where we should start?” Silas asks as we walk down the street. I have her photos in my hand.

“I thought once we were down here I’d have more direction,” I tell him.

He doesn’t chastise me or tell me I’m stupid, thank Hecate, he just nods his head.

“Should we look for the places in the background?”

So, that’s what we do. We spend the day doing an endless amount of walking with nothing to show for it. We’ve gone through a third of the photos and we’re walking down Bourbon Street as the night picks up. It’s not carnival season, so it’s not as packed, but with Halloween around the corner, it’s bumping.

Silas stills a few times while we’re walking. Clearly there’s a shifter presence here, but none of them approach him. I wonder if they can sense that he’s an Alpha, or if they can sense what I am.

“Should we get a drink?” I ask him, pointing over to one of the more empty bars that’s trying to entice women to come inside.

“Yeah,” he says, everything about him is alert.

It shouldn’t be attractive. Because it’s not. He’s just a big man, I’m only a woman after all, it’s not a crime to notice that he’s big. Or that his veins are bulging out of his arms, or that he could probably kill someone with his bare hands.

Not hot, just natural. I shake the thought away.

“If you want to go home, you can,” I tell him as we each take a stool and Silas holds his hand up to the bartender.

“What do you drink?” he asks.

“Oh, I’ll have a hurricane,” I say and his lip tilts as he shakes his head.

“I’ll have a brandy.”

The bartender hands us our drinks as the jazz band plays their music, the bar slowly filling with more people. It’s weird, but I find myself relaxing more. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the fact the hex likes the fact that Silas and I are drinking together.

“Two more days. If we don’t find anything in two days, we’ll leave.”

“What did you tell your pack?” I ask, taking a sip of the beverage that’s cool against my tongue.

I don’t drink often, and I find the cocktail has me feeling loose for the first time in weeks. Shit, I should have gotten a potion from Iris. I’ll just make sure to not drink too much.

“Nothing. I’m the Alpha. They don’t need to concern themselves with what I’m doing.”

I toy with the umbrella in my drink, finding those words attractive. What it must be like to not give a shit what anyone thinks.

“Does Jonas know about us?” I ask.

“Partially,” he says, and my brows furrow.

“I’m glad you had him,” I say, covering my mouth as soon as I say it.

“Did you just say something nice to me?” he asks with a smirk.

The black shirt he’s wearing stretches over his arms so tightly I wonder what size he has to order. Do they have a store for men specifically built like him? Probably not, because I don’t think I’ve really seen anyone else so tall and muscular before.

“Who me? No way,” I say with a smile, spinning in my seat. “Can I get another?” I ask, waving down the bartender.

She acknowledges me, and I sit back down on the stool. I feel light for the first time since this ordeal happened, but it’s quickly washed away as a hand touches my shoulder.

When I spin around, it’s a large man—not as large as Silas. He has short hair, and an irritated scowl on his face. Silas’ gaze automatically flings to where the man is touching me.

“I suggest you move your fucking hand,” Silas says in a low timbre.

“Why the fuck is an Alpha from another parish here, with a witch? A very pretty witch,” he says with a grin.

I shrug and the man only doubles down, gripping me harder. Silas stands, grabbing the man’s wrist and squeezing.

“It’s New Orleans. I think you’re quite used to others passing through,” he says, shoving the man’s hand off me.

“Not an Alpha and a future High Priestess.”

I stand up, feeling incomparably small next to the two men.

“Wait. You know who we are?” I ask. Silas scoots closer to me, his chest nearly pressed against my back.

I hate it. Kinda.

“Word travels fast. Heard about your little meeting all the way here in the big city,” the man says with a smile that just looks wolfish.

I pull out one of the photos, even though Silas tries to shove my hand back into my purse.

“Have you seen her?” I ask.

He holds the picture and tilts his head. “She works at the jewelry store on St. Philip street.”

“You’re sure?” I ask.

“Why are you looking for a human?” he asks, and my heart sinks.

“None of your concern. Once we get what we need, we’ll be on the road back to our parish.”

“Back to your parish and head your separate ways, I presume?” he asks looking down at me, I’m sure I looked confused. “Bold choice, not marking her with your scent here,” he says to Silas who’s still behind me.

“We’re just passing by. I want nothing to do with your pack,” Silas says behind me.

“No? Not good enough for Pack Corsair? Are we beneath you, Alpha?” he says, and I can tell he’s goading Silas, it’s the first time I’ve seen anyone get under his skin in this way, and maybe I’m enjoying it more than I should.

“We’ll be going now,” Silas says.

“No, wait a minute. The little witch, who smells only of magic, came all this way to the Big Easy. Wouldn’t be hospitable of me to let her leave without a reminder of what being around a real Alpha is like. Would the little lady like to dance?” the unfamiliar wolf says.

“No, she would not like to dance. Fuck off,” Silas says and I crane my neck to glare at him.

“The little lady can speak for herself. I’d love to,” I tell him.

I don’t want to dance with him, I just want to piss Silas off as the shifter holds out his hand and I follow him to the dance floor.

My grand-mère would probably go into cardiac arrest if she knew what I was up to right now. Not only am I married to the shifter glaring at me from the bar, but I’m now dancing against some random shifter to piss my said husband off.

“I didn’t know witches could be so amenable,” the shifter purrs behind me.

I roll my eyes and glance over at Silas whose eyes seem to be almost glowing.

“Seems like your big friend over there is jealous.”

“He’s not jealous,” I assure him. “We hate each other.”

“Oh, cher, that doesn’t look like hate,” he says, his hands sliding down my hips and his warm breath hits the shell of my ear to whisper. “That looks like?—”

He doesn’t finish his sentence as Silas grabs the man by the throat and pushes him against the wall.

“Oh, my fuck. Stop it, you’re going to get in trouble,” I plead with Silas, tugging on his shirt.

“Do you want to take this out to the bayou? Should I take over your pack too?” Silas seethes at the man’s face and I sigh.

“Just drop it. We got what we wanted,” I tell him. Silas doesn’t even pay me a single mind as he leans over and whispers something to the other shifter. The man's eyes go wide as he glances at me.

“My mistake. See to it that you’re out of town by the end of the week and we won’t have any problems,” he says.

Silas lets the man go and grabs me by the wrist, tugging me out of the bar.

“Ow. Slow down,” I complain, though he doesn’t. I nearly have to jog to keep up with him.

As soon as we’re out of the bar and making our way down the street, he drops my arm like it disgusts him.

“What is your problem? He gave us our real first lead.”

“He was goading me,” Silas says, his shoulders tense and he seems even more on edge than earlier. “Fuck,” he says in a raised voice.

“What?”

“We need to go somewhere private. Now.”

“Why?” I ask, wondering how the normally composed Alpha before me seems to be losing his shit.

“Thorin is demanding to be let loose. I clearly can’t do that here.”

“Aren’t you the one in control?”

“Violet,” he says my name in an irritated tone, his eyes glowing again as he looks down at me. “Please, for once, stop questioning me.”

I point across the street at the closest hotel. “We can see if they have any vacancy.”

“Quickly,” he rumbles.

The inside is nice, though the street noise is insanely loud. A complete juxtaposition from the silence of my home.

Silas is nearly vibrating next to me as I smile at the hostess. She looks at Silas like he might be on something, but she’s respectful enough.

“Hello, I was hoping you had two rooms for the night.”

“We have one,” she says and I groan.

But as I look over at Silas, I know we’re running out of time. He pulls out his wallet and slaps his card in my hand.

Well, that’s not attractive at all.

“We’ll take it,” I tell her with a smile as she books us for the night and hands me the keys. I swear Silas looks like he wants to rip her throat out when she goes over the Wi-Fi and breakfast options and busts out a map of New Orleans, giving us that true Louisiana hospitality.

“Have a lovely stay,” she says.

I have to jog, yet again, to keep up with Silas. I glide the key over the door handle and it whirls. I step inside, loving the history of the room. They’ve preserved a lot of the fireplaces and brick walls, the same with the iron banisters out the window.

There’s nothing to be done about the noise outside, but it’s a place to rest our head for the night.

When I turn around, Silas is tugging at his shirt over his head, basically showing off his big man chest. Right before my eyes, I watch him shift. His clothes rip loudly as his skin ripples into fur, and the large brown wolf I now know as Thorin takes his place.