Witch Hunt, A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy (The Maurin Kincaide Series) (34 page)

"I was at my mother's, a luncheon for my sister. Her wedding is tomorrow." I explained.

Mike brought a coffee and set it down in front of Cash who pushed it over to me.

"Don't feel bad just because
your younger sister is getting married before you." He laughed. "I'm sure the fanged freak is just waiting for the right moment."

I kicked him under the table connecting with his shin. I forgot I took my shoes off. I didn't hurt him, all I managed to do was jam my toe.

"Do I look like the kind of girl who obsesses about being engaged and planning a wedding? Don't answer that." I laughed when he started to smirk. I could only imagine what kind of girl he thought I actually looked like. "I have managed to avoid my family for almost ten years, going back home has me a little unnerved."

"Not a happy home coming I take it." He said nudging the coffee closer in the hopes that I would actually drink it.

"I didn't expect it to be. I'm just having a pity party, which you are crashing. So what's so important that you had to track me down instead of just harassing me when I got home per usual?" I slurred.

"I told you the challenge for Alpha is tonight." He said, as if that explained why he was sitting across from me.

"It's about time. But I don't see what pack business has to do with me. This is between you and Roul." I finally took a sip of the coffee, also known as battery acid. It was cold, strong and burnt.

"And you have to be there." He explained.

"Sorry, no can do. I've got another fun filled family evening ahead of me, the rehearsal dinner. Followed by the wedding tomorrow. So as you can see my dance card is full for the weekend." I told him, while wishing I could cancel my plans.

"So you'd rather hang out with the family that hates you? You a glutton for punishment or som
ething?" Cash asked genuinely confused.

"I never said I'd rather be there but I already told my sister I would be." I tried to explain but I could tell he didn't get it. Packs didn't work like that. You were either a part of the pack or you weren't.

"Well you're just going to have to tell her you can't go." He caught me eyeing the bottle again and moved the vodka out of my reach. "You're in no condition to go anywhere in my opinion but you can't shirk your responsibilities to the Council."

I stuck my tongue out at him. We both knew I would be fine after an hour or so. "What responsibi
lity?"

He sighed. "Doesn't anyone tell you anything?"

"That's what I keep saying!" I pounded my fist on the table, sloshing coffee over the rim of the cup. Mike's head popped up from under the bar where he had been switching out a keg at the sound of my fist connecting with the old wood table. He was watching us now, looking for signs of trouble. 'No trouble here', I thought and quickly grabbed a napkin out of the metal holder to clean up my mess.

Cash continued as I finished the rest of the cold coffee. "You're the liaison. That means you witness the challenge."

"I don't think that's what it means. In fact I'm pretty sure it doesn't. I'm the first liaison, they made up this damn position for me. Challenges have been going on for as longs as there have been werewolves, long before I came into the picture. Who witnessed them before?" I had a sneaking suspicion I wouldn't like his answer.

"She's tied up at the moment. Literally." He said.

I grimaced. "Mahalia."

"Since you're the reason she's spending time spindling spells for the
fae, the task falls to you." He explained.

"She's the reason she's there, not me. She's in their prison for trying to kill me, remember? " I said indignantly.

"Like I said, you're the reason. Seriously Maurin, you know where you'd rather be. Why are we even having this conversation?" Cash knew I didn't want to go to any more of my family functions.

"You haven't met my mother." I said flatly.

"Neither have you." He said and I winced. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No, you're right. I don't owe her anything. I wa
sn't going for her. Why do I let that woman do this to me? I don't belong there anyway." I mumbled that last part.

"Not your world, kid. You fit in just fine with us. Look if your sister is half as concerned with your feelings as you are with hers she'll understand." Cash was trying to be sympathetic but I could tell his patience was growing thin.

"How come you're here? Why didn't they send somebody else?" I asked suddenly realizing he didn't have time for this crap. He was supposed to be getting ready for the challenge.

"That's what I said." It was his turn to slam a fist on the table. "Olwyn insisted I was the only one you'd listen to with the bloodsucker gone."

Mike was watching us again. We were going to get tossed out if we kept smashing his table. I waived him off and looked at Cash. He'd saved my ass getting me off Winter Island. And Matthison's. I owed him.

"She was right." I muttered, digging in my purse for my phone. Cash signaled for Mike to bring us the check as I scrolled through my contacts for Frankie's number.

She picked up on the third ring. "Maurin, where'd you run off to? Never mind it doesn't matter. If you hurry up and get back home you can ride with us to the rehearsal."

Sometimes I wonder if we grew up in the same house. "Uh Frankie, about the rehearsal," I hesitated.

"You're not coming are you?" She asked over my mother's confirmations in the background. I could hear her I told you so's through the phone.

"I got called into work. I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you. Promise." I sighed, remembering all the times I told her that growing up whenever I bailed on some family obligation she was stuck going to because she really was their family.

"You can try, at the wedding tomorrow." She said, the windchimes were back in her voice as she said goodbye and hung up.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"Are you serious? Sorry Frankie, I can't make it tonight because I have to go watch two werewolves try to kill each other over leadership of the Salem pack- because that would have gone over well. Besides, I didn't lie. Technically I am working."

"Whatever. Can we go now?" Cash left a stack of money on the table, more than enough to cover my tab, and slid out of the booth.

I slipped my shoes on and took his hand, letting him pull me across the seat and help me up. "Do I have time to go home and change?"

"I had hoped to talk you out of your clothes someday not help pick them out." He laughed.

I just rolled my eyes, grabbed his hand again and popped us back to my apartment.