The Witch's Desire

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“You really need to date, sweetie. You’re a catch by any man’s standards.”

“Yeah, but you and I know it would take a very special man to accept me for who I am.”

“I found one.” Demi’s heart swelled as she caught sight of Cal at the corner of the hangar, talking to a man Demi assumed was a pilot.

“Yes, you did. I hope I’m lucky enough to find a man like Cal to love me and all my baggage.”

“You’ll find one even better suited to you. We’re all different.”

“Some of us more so than others.”

“It still feels weird to consider ourselves part of the paranormal community. I only knew of witches before the incident at Aurai’s college campus.”

“Don’t remind me. Of all the ways to be initiated into the paranormal world, coming face-to-face with a chimera wasn’t ideal.”

“You’re telling me.” Demi shivered. All their power had been nothing compared to the chimera’s when he’d manipulated it against them. “We were lucky to have Cal to help save our butts.”

“It takes all kinds.”

“Indeed it does.”

“Give my love to Cal and you two have a fabulous trip. Oh, and stay away from the east coast. I can sense a big storm building in that direction.”

“Can’t promise you anything since I have no idea where we’re going, but thanks. Love you.” Demi fumbled with the phone, clicked it off and dropped it into her purse.

Cal looked up at that moment and smiled.

The sun didn’t shine any brighter than when Cal smiled at her, and Demi felt like she could conquer the world. Especially knowing she’d be spending the next three days alone with him. No work, no chasing down paranorms, no being shot at, trapped in underground prisons, no being thrown against the walls or lit on fire. Just her, Cal and one king-sized bed.

Demi’s body tingled in all the right places in anticipation of getting naked with this human she loved more than life itself.

He met her halfway across the tarmac and enveloped her in a warm, strong embrace. “Mmmm, you smell like honeysuckle and oranges.” He kissed her soundly, the kiss stretching longer as his tongue thrust between her teeth and slid along hers.

By the time Cal broke the kiss, Demi was breathless. “Getting an early start on our weekend?” she laughed.

“Getting a start, anyway.”

“I can’t believe the chief gave us the weekend free and clear, plus transportation in a charter plane. Who did you have to do to get that thrown into the bargain?”

Cal raked a hand through his dark hair and glanced down at his shoes. “Uh, Demi…”

Her stomach clenched as Cal clearly struggled to form his next words. Her lips tightening, Demi’s eyes narrowed. “You better be hesitating because you don’t know how to tell me they only had champagne instead of Merlot on the plane.”

“No, I have a bottle of Merlot chilling in the galley.” He looked up, his forehead pinched into an apologetic frown. “This isn’t strictly a vacation.”

She stepped out of his arms and grabbed her suitcase handle. “Talk fast or I’m turning around and heading back to my apartment.”

“The first part of it isn’t a vacation. All we have to do is deliver a package to the Fifth Precinct in Manhattan, then the next three days are all ours.”

Demi sighed. “Is that all? I should have figured the chief wouldn’t let us get away without some form of payment. So where’s this package?” Demi glanced around.

Cal looked at his watch. “The chief was supposed to meet us here for the handoff about now.”

“Must be something important for him to deliver it himself.” Demi thought about it a moment. “Manhattan? Gina says there’s a big storm brewing out that way.”

Cal nodded. “I checked the weather. The reports predict a pretty heavy thunderstorm, but they think it’ll turn north before it hits and New York City will only get rain.”

“Weather reporters are the only people who can be wrong ninety-nine percent of the time and still keep their jobs.”

“We can only hope others believe their prediction and steer clear of the city. If so, we’ll find some good deals on hotels.” He winked.

She inhaled and let it out. “So we’re going to deliver this package and hunker down in a hotel before the weather gets bad, right?”

“That was my plan.”

“Then let’s do it. I want my three days of peace and quiet.”

Cal pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. “And sex.”

“That goes without saying.” She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “At least we’ll get a free plane trip out of this deal.”

“Yeah, beats driving all that way. I can’t wait to get my hands beneath this sweater.” And he didn’t wait, sliding his fingers underneath, his hands brushing the skin of her belly.

Demi trembled in anticipation.

“Do you two mind?” Chief Warner’s voice jerked her out of the lusty fantasies she’d been thinking of. “As far as the Chicago PD is concerned, you’re still on duty.”

Demi pushed Cal back and smoothed her hair and shirt. “Yes, sir.”

Chief Warner approached them from his unmarked police car. The paranormal extraction van pulled to a stop on the tarmac.

“Where’s the package?” Demi asked.

“Coming.” He turned to the van and nodded at the two men moving toward the rear door. They opened it and stood back. A beautiful blonde stepped down. She wore a white diaphanous dress that hugged her body and swirled out like feathers in the wind around her long, lithe legs.

“I don’t understand. Does she have the package?” Demi asked.

The chief smiled at the woman and held out his hand. “No. She is the package.”

Demi groaned. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“Why didn’t you tell us we’d be transporting a person?” Cal asked.

“The fewer people who knew about her movements the better. Apparently, she’s the witness to a big Paranormal Council meeting taking place tomorrow in New York City.”

“And?”

Warner shrugged. “And that’s all I got. She has to get there on time and safely. Her testimony in a trial is key to putting away one of the most dangerous paranorms of this and other centuries.”

His words sent a chill across Demi’s nerves. “What do you mean other centuries?”

“They finally caught Alexei Zhurov, one of the most infamous and elusive vampires in the world. Supposedly, he’s over three hundred years old and has been causing problems for all three hundred years of that time.”

“Why now? Why hasn’t the Council dealt with him before?”

“From what I’ve been told by the Regional Council here in Chicago, they never could pin the crimes against humanity and other paranorms on him. He has a gift of manipulating others to do his dirty work. Until recently. He had a member of the high council killed. They’re finally ready to put him out of their misery.”