“Your person?”
“You’re my Christina, and I’m your Meredith. You’re my person.”
Someone’s been binge watching Grey’s Anatomy. But it’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.
“Who says I’m Christina?”
Ethan laughs. “You’re fearless. You rush in and save the people you love. Meredith is a little more cautious but just as insane. I’m like that. If I’d been more like Christina, then I’d have kissed you at Christmas.”
I swallow thickly, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“So, how about this time when I kiss you, you kiss me back, huh?”
“I…”
Another laugh from Ethan. “Don’t you want to kiss me?”
I nod, not trusting my voice. I swear I feel like I’m back in junior high school, kissing my crush for the first time. My palms are all sweaty, and I’m trying desperately to remember if I had onions on the burger Mrs. Banks made for lunch. No one wants to kiss someone with onion breath…
“You’re thinking too hard, Eric.”
Yeah, probably.
When he comes in this time, I’m a little more prepared, and I kiss him back, putting all my feelings for him into that one kiss. It’s like he’s reached in and touched my soul with each stroke of his tongue against mine.
He pulls back, and we’re both breathing heavier than we were. “That was…wow. I never knew you could kiss like that. I might have kissed you sooner if I’d known that.”
I lean my forehead against his. “Thank you for being braver than me.”
“I was going to lose you to Clingy Chad. I couldn’t let that happen. You’re more important to me than my fears and insecurities, Eric. You always will be.”
Someone clears their throat behind us, and we both turn our heads to see Mary standing there, a huge smile spread across her face.
“Cass is here.”
She doesn’t comment on the way we’re pressed against each other, which is a relief. This is new, and we both need to process it, but neither of us broke apart like we’d done something wrong either. I didn’t even have the urge to do that and hurt Ethan in the process. I’ll never hurt him as long as I live. I’ll protect him with my dying breath.
“Ready to go upstairs?” Ethan asks.
I nod. “Yeah, let’s go get our sister back.”
Ethan takes my hand and pulls me along as we follow Mary upstairs. For the first time since Mattie disappeared, I feel a little bit of peace.
And that’s all because of Ethan.
When we hit the stairs, my smile is just as wide as Mary’s.
Cass
New Orleans, LA
I’m so tired, all I want to do is curl up in my bed and sleep for de next week, but I can’t do dat. I got a 911 text from Mary Cross. Emma Crane is in need of help. She’s gone and gotten herself into some kind of trouble, and Mary needs my help to get her ou’ of it. I’m no’ sure what kind of trouble it is, but Em’s helped me more times den I can count. She’s saved my life just as many times too. De girl is freaking scary, but she’s still my friend. No, she be family. Half-demon or no’, she’s my family.
My phone died a couple hours ago, so I’m no’ sure if they’ve already taken care of de situation. Still, I dragged myself here after catching a ride from a hunter I knew. I had him drop me off at a diner and den called an Uber to bring me to de Crane estate. Hunters aren’t too fond of de Cranes in general. And for good reason. They’re bad people who do bad things.
Unless you’re a Crane. I’ve seen how much Ezekiel Crane loves his daughter, how he’s gone above and beyond to make sure she’s safe. Dat is his one redeeming quality—his love for his family.
I t’ank de driver and climb out. Hopefully, Mary or Eric will have a charger I can use to charge my phone. Emma talked me into getting an iPhone just so we could FaceTime. The only downside is dat it doesn’t have a universal charger. I had no idea my tires would blow out and I’d be stuck in Nowhereville overnight. Dey didn’t have de tires I needed either. I called a friend of mine who’s going to haul my car home on his wrecker. He owed me a favor, so at least I’m not out any money.
De door’s ripped open before I can even knock. Nat’aniel Buchard, Emma’s bro’der, glares at me. “What took you so long?”
“Tires blew out. I had to bum a ride and make sure my car landed back home.”
Som’tin’s very wrong. I can feel it as soon as Nat’aniel moves aside and I enter de house. It’s like a shadow of darkness has descended upon it. I feel it in my bones.
Zeke and his parents are in de library when Nat’aniel ushers me in. Dey all appear haggard. Zeke glances up, and he has dis look in his eyes dat puts me on guard. I’m no’ sure wha’ it is, and I’m definitely sure I doan like it.
“Cass.” Lila Crane comes over and hugs me. Stiffening, I try my best not to bark at her to back off. Dis be Emma’s grandmo’der, and I won’t be rude to her. She’s been no’tin but nice to me since I’ve started coming around.
“What’s going on?” I ask when she finally lets me go. “All Mary’s text said was Emma was in trouble and she needed me to help.” I make sure my Cajun accent is gone. I doan like usin’ it around strangers, and I consider Nat’aniel a stranger.
“Didn’t you get the rest of my texts?” Mary asks as she, Eric, and Ethan come t’rough de door. All our eyes zero in on de fact Ethan is holdin’ tight to Eric’s hand, who’s blushin’. About time dose two stopped dancin’ around each o’der.
“No, my phone died.”
“Kristoff has Mattie, and we can’t get to her.”
“And none of your precious hunters will help us,” Nat’aniel bites out. “After she’s done nothing but try to help them.”
As much as I’d like to say I’m surprised, I’m no’. Hunters doan trust de Crane name.
“How do you know he has her?”
“Because she snuck out of the house and handed herself over to him,” Eric snarls.
“She did what?” My alarm spikes at dis news. I swear dat girl doan know how no’ to get herself in trouble.
“It was Mary’s mother who forced the decision.” Zeke stands and brings me Emma’s phone. I look t’rough de text messages and photos of Mary’s mother. Emma would never put Mrs. Cross in danger. She cares more about other people dan she does herself, which makes her a good hunter. But it also makes her vulnerable to t’rets like dis one.
But all her hunting skills woan help her now. Alice, my best friend, told me wha’ Kristoff did to her, de head games he played wit’ her while he fed from her. He’s a sick, twisted psychopat’.
“Dis be bad.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” Nat’aniel mutters.
“Swear jar,” Mary and Eric say automatically.
It’s ano’der reminder dat Emma’s no’ here. I have dis awful feeling in de pit of my stomach dat’s gettin’ worse.
“Where’s Dan?”