“I won’t let anything ruin this wedding. I have no idea why they’re hanging around, but they’re not a threat. Even if they do try something, Zoe could fry them in five seconds flat, and I’m pretty sure I could take all three of them on my own.”
“They were bitten not born, right?” I asked.
“You’re getting better at this,” Aric said, flicking the end of my nose. “How could you tell?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “It was a feeling more than anything else. Born wolves have more … swagger.”
“Are you saying I swagger?”
“Among other things,” I replied. “How about you guys? Are you excited for the wedding.”
“I’m excited for the groomsmen,” Kelsey said. “Are they hot?”
“I have no idea,” I said, pointing toward Aric. “Ask him. I’ve never met them.”
“I don’t generally find other men hot, but I’m sure you’ll be happy,” Aric said. “They’re both single. They’ll be here right before the wedding.”
“That’s something to look forward to,” Kelsey said, beaming.
“I think I’m going to stay away from men for a while,” Paris supplied. “When your last boyfriend turns out to be a homicidal maniac and one of your earlier boyfriends turns out to be a … well … homicidal maniac, I think it’s time to take a step back and consider your dating choices.”
I barked out a laugh. Paris did have bleeding tragic taste in men. Not only had her last boyfriend been crazy, he was also old. “I think that might be a good idea,” I said. “Given your love of senior citizens, though, I’m sure we can find a state senator or two who would love to take you out on the town.”
“Quinn was not that old,” Paris snapped.
“You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make it true,” I said, shifting my eyes when Aric broke off from the group and moved closer to the tree line. “What’s wrong?” I could read the set of his shoulders and knew he’d scented something. That was another wolf thing that weirded me out.
“Wolves have been here,” Aric said, not holding back despite our company as he lifted his nose to the air. “It was sometime during the night.”
“Was it our friends from yesterday?”
“I can’t be sure, but I think that’s a pretty good guess,” Aric said, shaking his head. “They didn’t cross over into the yard, but they stood here for a good amount of time. They must have been watching the house.”
“What does that mean?” Paris asked, her eyes shifting from jovial to worried in a heartbeat.
“It means that I want you to put up wards,” Aric replied, refusing to raise his voice. This wasn’t the first time someone had approached our home.
“I can do that,” Paris said. “Do you want me to keep people out or alert you if they come in?”
“Alert me,” Aric answered. “You’re staying in the house. If someone comes, I want to catch them. I have some questions to ask as long as we don’t have onlookers.”
“I can do it right now,” Paris offered. “I have supplies in my car.”
“You can’t do it until the wedding coordinator leaves,” I said, shaking my head. “He’ll notice if you’re out here chanting and throwing witch stuff at the woods.”
“I don’t generally throw witch stuff around,” Paris said dryly.
“Whatever.” I wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Until then you should probably reactivate the security system, Aric.”
Aric stilled, his eyes flat when they locked onto mine. “I promised I wasn’t going to lock you in here to keep you safe again. I meant that. It’s not fair to you.”
“You’re not locking me in,” I argued. “We’re locking the bad element out until Paris can cast her spell. It’s only a few hours. If you think this morning was bad, what do you think will happen if we’re attacked and Pemberley sees it?”
“I … .” Aric worked his jaw, unsure how to answer.
“Your wedding coordinator’s name is Pemberley?” Kelsey asked,
“They were bitten not born, right?” I asked.
“You’re getting better at this,” Aric said, flicking the end of my nose. “How could you tell?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “It was a feeling more than anything else. Born wolves have more … swagger.”
“Are you saying I swagger?”
“Among other things,” I replied. “How about you guys? Are you excited for the wedding.”
“I’m excited for the groomsmen,” Kelsey said. “Are they hot?”
“I have no idea,” I said, pointing toward Aric. “Ask him. I’ve never met them.”
“I don’t generally find other men hot, but I’m sure you’ll be happy,” Aric said. “They’re both single. They’ll be here right before the wedding.”
“That’s something to look forward to,” Kelsey said, beaming.
“I think I’m going to stay away from men for a while,” Paris supplied. “When your last boyfriend turns out to be a homicidal maniac and one of your earlier boyfriends turns out to be a … well … homicidal maniac, I think it’s time to take a step back and consider your dating choices.”
I barked out a laugh. Paris did have bleeding tragic taste in men. Not only had her last boyfriend been crazy, he was also old. “I think that might be a good idea,” I said. “Given your love of senior citizens, though, I’m sure we can find a state senator or two who would love to take you out on the town.”
“Quinn was not that old,” Paris snapped.
“You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make it true,” I said, shifting my eyes when Aric broke off from the group and moved closer to the tree line. “What’s wrong?” I could read the set of his shoulders and knew he’d scented something. That was another wolf thing that weirded me out.
“Wolves have been here,” Aric said, not holding back despite our company as he lifted his nose to the air. “It was sometime during the night.”
“Was it our friends from yesterday?”
“I can’t be sure, but I think that’s a pretty good guess,” Aric said, shaking his head. “They didn’t cross over into the yard, but they stood here for a good amount of time. They must have been watching the house.”
“What does that mean?” Paris asked, her eyes shifting from jovial to worried in a heartbeat.
“It means that I want you to put up wards,” Aric replied, refusing to raise his voice. This wasn’t the first time someone had approached our home.
“I can do that,” Paris said. “Do you want me to keep people out or alert you if they come in?”
“Alert me,” Aric answered. “You’re staying in the house. If someone comes, I want to catch them. I have some questions to ask as long as we don’t have onlookers.”
“I can do it right now,” Paris offered. “I have supplies in my car.”
“You can’t do it until the wedding coordinator leaves,” I said, shaking my head. “He’ll notice if you’re out here chanting and throwing witch stuff at the woods.”
“I don’t generally throw witch stuff around,” Paris said dryly.
“Whatever.” I wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Until then you should probably reactivate the security system, Aric.”
Aric stilled, his eyes flat when they locked onto mine. “I promised I wasn’t going to lock you in here to keep you safe again. I meant that. It’s not fair to you.”
“You’re not locking me in,” I argued. “We’re locking the bad element out until Paris can cast her spell. It’s only a few hours. If you think this morning was bad, what do you think will happen if we’re attacked and Pemberley sees it?”
“I … .” Aric worked his jaw, unsure how to answer.
“Your wedding coordinator’s name is Pemberley?” Kelsey asked,
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