“Right. Of course.”
“And I bought you that BlackBerry so we could stay in touch. I’ve been texting you all afternoon and I haven’t heard back from you once.”
“Oh, right. The BlackBerry.” She bit her bottom lip.
“Eden destroyed that,” Darrak said. He leaned against the wall right next to the glass door surveying the small office space. “Her black magic made it go boom.”
“When was this?” Andy’s voice went a bit pitchy.
“Yesterday morning. Didn’t she mention that to you? Not surprised about that. She likes to keep things to herself.”
Andy’s brows knitted together. “I sense that you two aren’t exactly in a good mood. What’s the problem?”
“We’re fine,” Eden said, with a pointed look at Darrak. “Aren’t we?”
“Stellar.” He shrugged and focused on Andy, his expression now turning concerned. “Forget about us. How are
you
feeling right now?”
“Me?” Andy pointed at himself. “I’m fine. I feel fantastic, actually.”
“You would. Lycanthropy usually brings with it a renewed life force, kind of like a sip from the fountain of youth.”
Andy’s jaw tensed. “I hope this evening will prove to the two of you once and for all that you’re wrong about me.”
Even though his words were firm, there was now a sharp edge of worry that slid behind his eyes. They were close now. That had to be scary when he didn’t know what to expect.
“It’s going to be okay, really. The moment I sense that you’re changing”—Eden held up her hands at his immediate bristle—“
if
that happens, of course, Darrak and I will leave, and I’ll read the spell from out in the parking lot.” She glanced over her shoulder at the sunset. “We don’t have too long to wait.”
“Great.” Andy stood up and began to pace. “This just . . . it feels wrong. It’s not going to happen. I can make the choice
not
to be a werewolf.”
Darrak shrugged. “You can try.”
Andy walked to the glass door and then back to his desk. Twice. “I’ll be fine.”
He was keeping up a good front, but Eden knew him well enough by now to see it was all fake. He was scared. He hadn’t mentioned much about the attack, but it had been bad. He’d been bloody, torn up, and if he’d been attacked by a regular wolf, there was no doubt that he would have died from his horrible injuries. As it was, they healed up quickly, leaving him with no scars.
There was no doubt in Eden’s mind what was going to happen after the sun went down. All she could do was try to be here for him and contain the situation.
Control
it.
She smiled wryly as that word flitted through her head. Everything could be controlled with the right amount of will. And a little bit of magic didn’t hurt.
After all, she’d controlled the Malleus situation. Last time she’d been face-to-face with Ben, his boss Oliver Gale, and his new witchy girlfriend Sandy, Eden had unleashed her black magic as self-protection. It had practically killed them, and at the time, she hadn’t cared if she had.
It was as disturbing as it was empowering. She might still look like a nice girl, but underneath . . . she knew she wasn’t. Not anymore. Eden didn’t want to hurt anyone, but if they tried to hurt her first, what choice did she have?
Just the thought scared her. She pressed her hand over her amulet, feeling the cold stone surface like ice over her heart.
She sensed Darrak watching her and she looked at him, surprised to see the concern in his gaze.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Other than the flu still circling her like a vulture waiting to swoop in, and a tendency to latch onto black magic at the drop of a hat, she was fine. Sure she was.
She held his gaze. “I’m sorry about . . . well, I—I’m sorry, Darrak.”
He nodded. “Me, too.”
Well, that was a start. Just because they argued, or disagreed, or got angry with each other, didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t like they could break up—not like normal couples could, anyway. They were bound together whether they were romantically involved or not.
She really would prefer to have a choice about that. But, much like who her mother was, fate hadn’t given Eden much of a choice in anything in her life.
So be it. She’d deal.
There was a jingle as the door opened, and Eden glanced over her shoulder.
Great
, she thought.
Speak of the devil.
Caroline Riley peeked her head in. “Hey there.”
“Hello,” Andy greeted her cheerily. “Come in. We’re about to close, but we have a couple minutes left.”
Caroline grinned. “Andy McCoy.” Her gaze slid down the front of him. “You’re still looking rather delicious, even after all this time.”
His eyebrows went up. “Why, thank you. I have to say that the feeling is utterly mutual.” He held out his hand. “And you are?”
She smiled and took his hand to squeeze it in hers. “Let me give you a clue. Vegas. New Year’s Eve, five years ago. Strip poker. You lost.”
He blinked. “But, I—uh. That was . . . I mean, I remember . . . vividly . . . but . . .”
Eden wanted to move this along. “Yeah, that’s my mother, Andy. She’s back from the grave and renting the body of a lingerie model.”
Caroline looked at her sharply. “Aspiring actress, actually.”
“Whatever you say.”
Andy gaped at her. “You’re kidding me. Caroline? Is that really you?”
“In the flesh.” She turned in a slow circle.
“Christ on a cracker!” Andy exclaimed. “You’re alive!”
Caroline grimaced. “Sort of. My original body is gone for good. I’m stuck on earth until I redeem myself. It’s proving to be a challenge. Apparently, I was more of a bad girl than I ever gave myself credit for.”
“But . . . but this is wonderful. Just wonderful!”
“I’m glad someone finally thinks so.”
Andy always had a thing for her mother. It had never really been discussed between them, but Eden was fairly certain there had been more than just a poker game during the fateful night when Andy had lost 49 percent of Triple-A to her, which she’d left in her will to Eden.
But
strip
poker? There were some things she really didn’t need to know.
For Andy it might have been love. For her mother—it had been yet another fling with a man who paid her some attention.
Frankly, Eden wanted better for Andy than that.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“I want to talk to you,” Caroline said, then flicked a disapproving glance at Darrak. “In private. Can you do that for me, honey? Five minutes of your time is all I’m asking for. Please.”
Eden looked at Darrak, who nodded.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Let her give you an earful about why you should have me exorcised at your earliest convenience. I’ll keep Andy company.”
“Five minutes,” she assured him. “Then I’ll be back and we’ll . . . you know . . . do what we have to do.”
“Sounds good.”
There was still a lot left unsaid between them. Later that night they would have a serious conversation and Eden would force herself to get into it. She’d tell Darrak why she wasn’t able to give her heart to him completely. He’d understand. He’d give her time to get comfortable with everything. After all, time together was one thing they could count on.
She looked at her mother. “I’ll buy you a quick coffee. Have your say. And then I’m really sorry but I have other important business to deal with.”
Caroline shook her head. “My daughter, always so serious. Must come from her father’s side.” At Eden’s sharp look, she huffed out, “What? It’s true. I’m way more laid-back than you are. Always have been.”
“
Too
laid-back, if you ask me,” Eden mumbled as she did her coat up.
“Bye, now. Have fun with mommy dearest,” Darrak said dryly.
She met his gaze. “I’ll be back.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
She reluctantly left the office, leading her mother right next door to Hot Stuff. Nancy quickly prepared their coffees, and they sat down at a booth.
Eden looked across at her mother’s borrowed face. “Okay, we’re here. You have the floor.”
“You know how much I love you, Eden,” Caroline began.
Eden sighed. “I know. And I know you mean well, but you don’t know Darrak like I do.”
“He’s a demon from Hell.”
“This is an argument that is going to go in circles, so let me stop you right there. He’s great. He’s wonderful. If he was a human guy I’d just met on the street I’d be damn lucky if he’d even look in my direction.”
“But you’re not happy, are you?”
“My current level of happiness actually has very little to do with Darrak himself. It’s complicated. I know you’re trying to help, but you have to give me space to deal with this.” She glanced at her watch. “I don’t have much time. What’s your plan? Are you going to stay here in Toronto?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Caroline took a sip from her coffee, black with two sweeteners, just like Eden remembered.
Her mother had always been on a diet to keep her figure as fat-free as possible. She’d saved up money when Eden was just a little girl to buy herself breast implants. She’d looked exactly like a Vegas showgirl, blonde and glamorous—everything that Eden knew she herself wasn’t.
Not that she ever wanted breast implants. And Eden never had a great desire to be a size zero. She was a six. Sometimes an eight. She didn’t overeat, but she didn’t really pay too much attention to it. She figured if she did pay too much attention she might become like Caroline, concerned with every calorie. Finding her pleasure with a diet of cocktails instead of a good meal.
It wasn’t exactly a surprise that Caroline had chosen the svelte, beautiful,
young
body she had. Eden would have been able to call that particular decision from a mile away.
Caroline had always valued beauty and her outward appearance because it bought her what she needed—men to take care of her when the tables didn’t pay out right. Beauty was a commodity, and she’d had it in spades. Eden knew, at the time of Caroline’s death when she’d been pushing fifty, that her fading beauty was an issue for her.
“So now what?” Eden asked when Caroline didn’t say anything for a moment. “Do you need money?”
Caroline laughed. “I can take care of myself.”
“Half of Triple-A is yours. Maybe you want it back.”
“No, I don’t want anything from you, Eden.” Her expression shadowed. “I know I was a lousy mother. It’s time for me to make up for that. I’m here for you in your greatest time of need.”
Eden reached across the table and took Caroline’s hand. “Things weren’t always the best between us, but I know you meant well. And I was really sorry to lose you like that, especially after we hadn’t spoken in a while.”
“That was totally my fault.” Caroline shook her head and took another sip of her coffee. “I should have stayed in touch. I got mixed up with an acrobat from Cirque du Soleil. Half my age. He was very . . . flexible.”
“Sounds interesting.”
She grinned. “It had its moments. And about your father . . . I honestly didn’t know what he was. I had no idea about anything supernatural in the world until after I died.”
Eden grew concerned again. “Were you okay? I know you were in . . . in Hell for a while.”
“I was fine. I felt like I was sheltered—like someone was looking out for me, protecting me. Then I was returned here with the knowledge that I had to redeem myself for the mistakes I’d made in life before I’d have the chance to go to a better place. It could take me a long time to do that.”
Eden knew who’d been protecting her mother. Lucas had. But only because he was using Caroline’s soul as a bartering tool to get Eden to do what he wanted. Still, she was glad her mother hadn’t had to suffer. She stood up, knowing they had to wrap this up. The sun was setting. “You know I’m here for you.”
“I know, honey.” Caroline stood as well. “I’d like to spend more time with you while I’m here. If that’s okay with you.”
“I think that could be arranged. But you’re going to have to let the subject of Darrak go. Him and me—we’re together. For better or for worse.” Eden inwardly cringed. That phrase made her think about his proposal again.
She threw her coffee cup in the garbage as they made their way toward the door. She waved at Nancy and saw the sparkle of her engagement ring as the barista waved back at her. She looked so happy.
The air felt cold on her face as they left the café.
Caroline looked disturbed. “You deserve better than to be possessed by a demon, Eden. It’s nothing I ever would have envisioned for you.”
“Sometimes life doesn’t always go the way you envision it. It’s a lesson I’ve recently learned.”
Caroline grasped Eden’s hands in hers. “This is bad, Eden, and it has to end. I can see that even if you can’t.”
“Mom, please. I need to get back.” It was the same thing over and over and her patience was wearing thin. By the look of that sun, Darrak was going to start to lose form very soon.
“I’m not the only one who cares about you, Eden,” she said tightly. “This—what’s happening right now—this is an intervention.”
She really didn’t like the sound of that. “What are you talking about?”
“Eden,” a familiar voice said from behind her. “Don’t get upset.”
She swiveled to see Ben Hanson standing ten feet away.
Shit. This was the last thing she needed right now.
“What do you want, Ben? I thought I made it very clear the last time I saw you that—”
He cut her off. “I know. I approached everything the wrong way then. I was motivated by my own hurt feelings. But Eden, this is so much bigger than that—I see that now. It’s made me change my life, and I wouldn’t do that simply out of some misplaced emotion toward a woman I’d been on a single date with. It’s just taken me this long to get the right kind of focus.”
Eden hissed out a breath of frustration. “I swear, Ben, don’t come another step closer to me. I think you know what I can do if you push me too far. I’d rather not go there, especially not here.”
Actually, there weren’t that many cars in the lot. And the café had been practically deserted, apart from Nancy, the baker in the back kitchen, and maybe one other customer. No witnesses nearby if she had to use a little bit of magic to protect herself.