The Second Covenant

When the Pack came up from breakfast the next morning, yes, I was cooking. Ugh. They were sniggering behind Dax’s back. I just smiled cheerfully. “Good morning. Anyone hungry?” I’d made pancakes and bacon and eggs. And hash browns. Yum. Druex finally caught sight of what I’d done and choked on his coffee. “I swear to god, if someone doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on I’m going to hurt…someone.” He glared at Declan when he said it, the man was making no effort to hide his laughter.

I just batted my lashes and dished out the food. Dax turned around and I felt the laughter bubble up from my throat. His shirt, which was plain black, now had sissy pink letters on it that said, ‘I HAVE A SMALL PENIS. SO I AM REQUIRED TO BE AN ASSHOLE.’ And he couldn’t see it. Not even looking in a mirror. I swallowed down some water and offered Druex a bite of bacon, but he was laughing so hard he was having trouble staying upright. Dax was furious because he didn’t get the joke, knew he was the butt of it, but didn’t get it.

We were still laughing when we pulled up at my house. Dax tried to keep his back to the wall, knowing something he couldn’t see was there, so I made the spell push through to the front of his shirt. My father saw it and I saw him fight not to do anything, thinking perhaps Dax thought the shirt was funny. But Riley, of course, cracked a rib. “Where’s the mothers?” I asked, trying for calm, but my twitching lips kept ruining it. “They’re…ah…” Pogue’s eyes were flicking back and forth between the ground by his feet and Dax’s chest. He cleared his throat to keep from laughing. “They’re all over at my place, going through the burial records. And um…the…names in the Book of Damnation.”

Tristan was turning red, trying not to laugh. But Peyton was sulking again, in the corner and just ignoring everybody. Uncle Tyler came in from the kitchen and smiled at me warmly. “Good morning. Did you sleep…okay?” The last word was squeaked, very unmanly, but he sipped his coffee and nearly snorted it. “What the hell is everybody looking at?” Dax demanded and it was admirable how many of us stayed straight faced. Riley and Reid were rolling, my father was licking his lips every now and again. The pack was grinning, Uncle Pogue was just trying not to look at Dax. “Nothing.” I chirped. “So how long do you think it’ll take before we get a name?”

My father frowned at me suspiciously. “Who knows honey. Days, weeks it’s not like we can just stick a thumb tack on a map and go, ‘Right there!’ And even if we get a name, we’ll have to figure out if it’s the right one next time it shows up.” Druex scowled furiously. “So we have to wait for it to come after Cherish again? That’s fucked up.” My father spread his hands. “I know. But unless you’ve got a magical know it all stashed in your pocket…”

I paused halfway to a chair and looked out the window. “Maybe we should all just take a trip to Salem. While it’s still early, not dark and check it out. Maybe the trail of the magic will be stronger and we can do some kind of tracing spell.” My father looked at Peyton. “Your place still warded? Just in case.”
“Yes.” I inhaled deeply and went to Druex. “Everybody grab a set of keys.” Reid and Dax decided to ride with me. Don’t ask me why. But once we were on the freeway, and I opened up the powerful engine on my BMW, Reid leaned over from the back seat. “Cherish, honey, your dad know you drive like a car booster?” I grinned and shifted gears, sliding in between a truck and another SUV to catch the right off ramp. “This from the guy who commandeered Tyler’s Hummer and drove it off a cliff?”

Dax was griping the door handle tightly and Druex was scowling beside me, but I could smell his excitement in the close confines of the car. “But I didn’t crash it did I?” I snorted and saw my police radar detector start flashing. I slowed down until I passed the parked cruiser and then roared up again. “Have I crashed us?”
“Not yet. Who taught you how to drive?”
“Riley.” I said and his dad laughed. “So how come I have a parental escort?” I asked and Reid sat back. “Just in case we have a hinky sort of issue with the Demonic Presence. Two wolves, two witches. Even.”
“And daddy wants you to keep an eye on me in case I flip out.”
“That too.”

I screeched into an open spot two hours later and Dax got out quickly, shaking himself violently. “I did not like that.” he said tightly and I lifted my brows at him. “Then why’d you come?” He gave me a glare and Druex who was much more easy going about my car boosting speed, gave a warning look to his cousin. “Where Druex goes, I go.” Riley lifted his brows at us. “Some wolf thing?” Druex nodded once, stiffly. “He’s like my second. Anything happens to me and he takes over the pack.”
“Which I resent, thank you very little. I told you to give that job to Declan. I’m muscle, not a brain trust.”
“Cherish Emily Danvers, do you have any idea how fast you were driving?” My father demanded and I smiled sweetly. “Really fast. It’s fun too. Reid says I drive like a car booster. But you helped him fly the Hummer right?” He scowled, but lacked the heat. “We never should have told you that story.” I nodded staunchly. “Bad influence.”

Everyone eventually joined us in the town square of Salem proper and Donovan actually shuddered and rubbed his hands on his pants. “I see what you mean about a buzz Cherish.” Declan nodded, but didn’t seem as fazed. “I don’t feel anything.” Peyton said, but was for once, not snippy. The rest of my coven nodded and I looked at the wolves. Dax had his head tilted to the side, and the others were frowning intently.

Druex looked around and shifted to his wolf form. Druex snorted with a shake of his silver head. “I feel something, like someone’s rubbing my fur the wrong way.” Daire said softly Dax nodded sharply at him and Daire started stripping. I looked away, moving over to curl against my father’s side, needed a different kind of protection. A father’s arms make everything go away. I was feeling that buzzing along my skin like thousands of bees. “What’s up honey?” my dad said softly against my hair and I breathed deep of his aftershave. “Nothing. I just wanted a hug.” Peyton caught my eyes and lifted his brows mockingly. I put in my eyes the sadness I felt over the loss between us and rested my cheek on my father’s shoulder. Peyton flushed with shameful color and looked away.

Druex pushed his nose against my thigh and I reached down with one hand to tangle my fingers in his fur. “So should we all take a stroll together or split up?” I asked and there was much manly discussion. Druex barked at Dax and the big man heaved a sigh. “I stay with Cherish. Anyone else feeling the tingle Daire did?” Declan and Donovan nodded and both men shifted to their honey red, furry selves. I conjured up a back pack to put their clothes in. “I doubt the good people of Salem will appreciate loose wolves walking around.” Reid said and I conjured up some collars and leads.

Donovan and Declan got matching, red leather collars with devils etched on them, which they grinned over. I made Daire a simple brown leather with a pair of angel wings on it. He licked my hand appreciatively. I made Druex a black leather, studded with short spikes. He let me strap it on him and then butted me with his head. “Declan and Donovan will go with Reid, Riley, Pogue and Peyton.” I said lifting my brows for objections. None. “Everyone else is with Daire, Druex and me.” I said and my father grinned. “What?” he shook his head and clapped his hand on my shoulder. “You’re definitely mine.” He said and I smiled back at him.
“Er…did anyone tell our mother’s where we were going?” Tristan said and we all winced. “Woops.” Pogue got on his cell phone and braved the call to the wives.
We were in trouble. But they were still working, so it was alright.

We took off in two groups, Tristan posing today as my boy toy. He had hold of my hand, and Daire’s leash in the other. I had Druex, my hand and the leash tucked into my coat, black today. “You know, we look like we’re going to a funeral.” Dom commented, and I realized that all of us, witches anyway, had on black coats and jeans.

Dax and Dom were wearing long sleeves, thermals, under a t-shirt, Dax’s still had the pink letters on it, jeans and big, shit kicking boots. “Well, then we’ll fit right in at a cemetery.” I said, and was following that buzz. “It’s getting stronger this way.” Tyler said and I nodded as we crossed the street.