Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross

Epilogue

~VIOLET~

“Stay right here.”Nico stood between my thighs where my butt was planted on the stool, my back leaning against the bar. He brushed a lingering, closed-mouth kiss to my lips then sauntered back toward the stage where he’d been playing for most the night.

I’d gotten gussied up, even put on a dress at his request, for a late dinner and who knows what else. It was date night, and I didn’t care where we were going.

He’d insisted that I meet him at the Cauldron at the end of his gig. When I told him Jules would’ve understood if he wanted out of tonight’s gig, which he’d scheduled over a month ago, he said no, he wanted to work it. And he wanted me here before he finished.

So here I was, sitting next to Charlie, who was waiting for JJ, his boyfriend, to get off work. His boyfriend! I turned to look at Charlie who’d spun around to watch with me.

“I still can’t get over the two of you.” I waggled my eyebrows at Charlie.

His usual smirk lacked the sharp edge because of the ridiculously obvious bliss sparkling in his baby-blue eyes.

“You were the one who said I needed to go for it with him.”

He glanced behind him where JJ was serving Flaming Gin Dragons—our newest and most popular cocktail—to three giggling girls at the end of the bar.

“So you were the one to make the first move?”

He opened his mouth then snapped it shut again and smiled. “Sort of.”

“No more of this cryptic shit! Who kissed who first?”

His smile widened to Joker-levels. “He did.”

“That’s it. You and I have a date tomorrow afternoon. At Tea Witch Café. I need all of the details.”

“It’s not like I’ve been hiding from you. You’ve just been way too busy for me.”

“Charles. I had like a dozen werewolves to tattoo. And I have more coming in almost every day, seems like. Sean can barely fit them in fast enough.”

“I thought that pack was from Austin.”

“They are. But apparently, they decided to stick around here. And they’ve been telling friends about the shop. Which is fine by me, but I’m glad Nico made me take the day off.” Smiling wickedly to myself, I said, “Actually, I think Nico needed me to take a night off as well.”

“Why? What’s that look for?”

“See, this werewolf charm works best when it’s tattooed close to the heart. So I’ve been spending every day with hot, bare-chested werewolves.”

“Poor you,” he said sarcastically. His attention swiveled to the stage. “Poor Nico.” Charlie grinned as Nico lifted the guitar strap over his shoulder, saying something to a customer down front. “I’m sure he had other ulterior motives. He wanted you well-rested.”

“I have no problems with that since I always get lots of orgasms from his ulterior motives.”

Then Nico spoke into the mic. “How are all our lovers this Valentine’s Day?”

Catcalls and whoops echoed through the bar. Evie yelled louder than most from her spot on the other side of Charlie, standing between Mateo’s legs and facing the stage. Livvy said something to them that made them both laugh.

My attention snapped back to Nico when he said, “Here’s hoping you all get some love tonight.” More catcalls, laughter, and applause. “This last song goes to my sweetheart. It’s called ‘Sapphire River.’”

I gulped hard, barely feeling the nudge of Charlie’s elbow in my ribcage. His sweetheart. Something about those words proclaimed so publicly sent an eruption of shivery tingles along my skin.

As he strummed the first chords, looking down at his fingers moving over the strings, my heartrate picked up speed.

Wearing dark jeans, a black button-up, his hair casually messy, a little scruff on his sharp jaw that gave him a sexy edge, he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. And now he was singing a song for me.

When he started singing slow and sensuous, I blocked out every soul in the room. This wasn’t another artist’s work he’d used to tell me how he felt. These were his own words. Written for me.

He’d explained that he didn’t like the spotlight. He liked to blend into the background, even as he loved singing and using his creative gift. I could barely hold in the swelling of love, knowing that he had put his words to music for me.

He sang about being lost in the deep, dark woods. A half-man without a home. Then his voice became more intense, deeper, rougher as he sang about being swept away by a river, nearly drowning in an abyss of despair and longing. But then the intense strumming suddenly stopped with his palm over the strings. He hummed deep and low into the mic before beating his hand on the hollow of the guitar, a slow tempo slowly gaining speed, like a heartbeat coming back to life.

Then his eyes landed on me across the Cauldron, a shimmer of electric green in his eyes as he picked a tender, sweet melody from the strings, singing about an angel with sapphire eyes, pulling him out of the dark and delivering him onto a shore of paradise with purple skies and warm, warm nights. He strummed the last few chords of the sweet melody in unison with his rumbling masculine hum.

When he finished, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of applause and whistles. He modestly stood and gave them a little wave, unhooking his guitar and setting it in the case.

I was moving without even knowing it, my heart in my fucking throat as I pushed through the crowd and around tables to get to him. By the time he’d turned and took a few steps toward me, sweet smile on his face and love in his eyes, I was on him, leaping into his arms.

He caught me, bracing an arm under my ass when I wrapped my legs around him, not giving a shit that my loose skirt rode up my thighs. I pressed my face into his neck, and he held me, swaying back and forth with comforting strokes up and down my spine.

“I’ve got you, baby.”

Like he knew I needed those words, needed him to soothe and calm me as emotions swelled and poured out of me. I barely heard the crowd cheering us on, and I knew this was probably driving him crazy with everyone watching us.

Even so, he held me in the middle of the bar, crooning sweet reassurances into my ear, his big hands sweeping gentle strokes until I managed to loosen my death-grip and slide my feet to the ground.

“That was—” I shook my head, swallowing the lump choking my vocal cords.

He lifted his hands and cupped my face, brushing away tears on my cheeks that I hadn’t realized I’d cried.

“Just wanted you to know how much I love you,” he whispered.

I gripped his nape and pulled him down to me. “You’re going to get the best blow job of your life tonight.”

He laughed, even as I kissed him.

“Now that I know what it takes, I’ll start writing another song for you for my birthday.”

Both of us laughing, I tugged him back to the bar where JJ, Charlie, Livvy, Evie, Mateo, and Clara clapped vigorously. For Nico. And why shouldn’t they? He was insanely talented. I might’ve been biased and thought his song was the most beautiful ever created, but the truth was, it was absolutely amazing. He was amazing. And he was mine.

“Man, you’ve been holding out on us,” said JJ, sliding a Killian’s Red longneck to him across the bar.

He shrugged. “Thanks, guys.”

Livvy eyed him with serious calculation. “You know, if you’ve got more songs like that, I could totally help you create a social media presence.”

Nico’s eyes widened in fright. Before he could answer, I said, “No, Livvy! He doesn’t want that. He already makes plenty of money on his songs. He doesn’t want to be famous or anything.”

“Damn shame.” Livvy shook her head. “Looking like you do and with a voice and talent like that, you could sell a million albums.”

“And then I’d have to live in a gated community with bodyguards, imprisoned in my own house. Thank you, Livvy, but no thank you.” He swept a kiss to the crown of my head. “I love my life just the way it is.”

“Hmph. You have a point.”

Finnie walked up, carrying an empty tray of drinks. “JJ, can I get four more Spider Bite Martinis? Extra olives.”

“Sure thing.” JJ turned back to the bar to make the order.

“Finnie, you got a hot date later?” asked Livvy. “I’ll bet those college girls are lining up for your cute face.” She pinched his cheeks.

He chuckled. “Yeah. A seriously hot date with my Organic Chemistry textbook. Can’t wait.”

“Where are you two headed?” asked Mateo to me and Nico.

“I don’t know.” I glanced up at the man wrapped around me from behind. “Where are we headed?”

“Drago’s. I know how much my girl loves raw oysters.”

He squeezed his banded arms around my middle. Honestly, the two of us didn’t need an aphrodisiac, but I really did love oysters. Raw, chargrilled, fried. Any old way. And Drago’s had the best in town.

“Yum!” I wiggled in place, then suddenly noticed Evie’s face going white.

“You okay?” Mateo asked her with a hand at her hip.

She didn’t answer, even when JJ slid Finnie’s tray across the bar with fresh martinis, olives galore. He picked it up, passing it right under Evie’s nose.

“Oh, God.” She clutched her stomach and sprinted toward the hallway where the bathrooms were.

“Oh, no!” Clara circled into our group, worry etched into the lines of her face. “Her aura is gray.”

Mateo seemed completely unconcerned. Actually, he was smiling.

“What the hell, asshat?” Livvy scowled at him. “Why are you happy that Evie is sick?”

A sharp pulse vibrated in my bones, my psychic eye sending me a clear message. “Holy fuck,” I whispered. All eyes swiveled to me. “Evie’s pregnant.”

No one said a word, all of us stunned silent. Then we all looked at Mateo who was grinning even wider.

“Explain yourself,” Livvy demanded in a high shrieky voice.

His eyes went molten gold and his voice was rumbly dark when he spoke in Alpha’s voice. “I’m very potent.”

Charlie laughed but Livvy slapped him in the stomach with the back of her hand.

“But Evie was on the pill,” said Clara, not quite believing this herself. “Wasn’t she?”

Alpha shrugged with all the smugness of a championship-winning underdog football team. Evie wandered back out of the bathroom, her face pale. Then she caught all of us staring and froze.

Before she could utter a word, Livvy said, “I thought you were on the pill.”

She looked nervously from one of us to the next. “I was.”

“Did you miss a pill or something?”

“Not one,” she said.

“Isn’t the pill ninety-nine percent effective?” asked Clara.

“I’m the one percent.” Alpha exhaled a satisfied, manly breath. “My seed is strong.”

“Are you okay?” asked Clara, reaching out a hand to Evie.

Then Evie unfroze and beamed a smile at Mateo. “Very.”

Clara pulled her into a hug.

“Damn,” said Livvy. “A baby.”

“Likely more than one,” pointed out Alpha with a heavy dose of arrogance. “A small litter, at least.”

A shot of magic simmered along my skin. I gulped, looking at Evie. “He’s right.” I reached out and put a hand on top of her flat stomach, still not even a bump. “Triplets.”

“What!” Evie’s question came out breathless on a laugh. Then her joy morphed back to anxiety.

But Mateo reached through the circle of sisters and hauled her close, pressing his mouth to her ear. “I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry about anything.” That was more Mateo’s voice than Alpha’s.

She wrapped her arms around him as the rest of us looked at each other, completely shell-shocked.

“Well, Jules is going to have to find a new waiter,” I said. “She won’t be able to work too long. She’ll be on bedrest in a few months.”

Everyone talked excitedly at once, letting the reality sink in. Our family was growing, and as happy as I was, I was also terrified. When Mateo insisted on getting his pregnant mate home, who couldn’t have been more than six weeks or so along, we dispersed, Nico leading me out to his Jeep, holding my hand.

We were both quiet, obviously trying to assimilate to the reality that we’d have nieces and/or nephews by next Christmas.

“Nico?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“If werewolves are that fucking potent, we may be going back to condoms.”

He chuckled and pulled me into his chest next to the passenger door of his Jeep. “That’s fine. Whatever you want.”

“What does that mean?” I frowned up at him.

He tucked my hair behind both ears, contentment written all over his face. “Just what I said. Whatever you want.”

“Are you implying that you’d be fine taking a chance in getting me pregnant right now?”

“If you want to wait, that’s fine with me. But having a baby, many babies with you, is something I hope we do one day. I’d be just as happy as Mateo so obviously is.”

“You want babies with me?” I grinned like the devil, having never thought much about having kids in the past.

“Of course, I do.” He lowered his head, kissing the corner of my mouth. “A little, wild Violet running around would melt my heart.”

Sighing, I gripped the lapels of his black peacoat. “Or a little hellion Nico.”

“I was never a hellion.”

“Liar! Mateo has told me stories.”

He chuckled. “I’m fine waiting, Violet. But I hope you want them at some point.”

Huffing out a breath, I said, “I actually think I will.” Then my thoughts wandered to Evie. I’d definitely read the word three along my psychic eye, but I wasn’t sure about the sex of her babies. “So will she have werewolves or witches?”

Nico’s brow furrowed, his mouth thinning a little before he answered. “Every male offspring of a werewolf carries the werewolf gene. As for mixed blood with witches, I don’t know. I’ve actually never met a mixed couple who had more than a one-night stand. I guess we’ll find out.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, allowing the joy of being an aunt sink in. “We’ll love them no matter what.”

“Of course, we will.” He pressed his lips to mine, sliding his tongue along the seam till I opened for him. He licked in with a tender stroke, his hand at my back, sliding down to my ass. Giving me a squeeze, he grunted as he pulled back. “Now, let’s go to dinner then go home and practice making babies.”

“Practice makes perfect, they say.”

“Then we need to get started.” He spanked my behind and urged me into the Jeep.

I hopped in and buckled up. When he’d gotten behind the wheel and pulled out into traffic, I put my hand on his thigh. “Thank you for my present. For the song. I loved it.”

He slid me a tender expression, putting his hand over mine and curling his fingers under my palm. “I’m glad you did, baby.”

“Although,” I said playfully, “a traditional love poem would’ve sufficed. For Valentine’s Day and all.”

“It would, huh?” His mouth quirked with a wicked smile as he made the next turn toward mid-city. He remained silent for about thirty seconds. “There once was a werewolf in love. Who was sent an angel from above.”

“Omigod, stop!” We both knew I wasn’t an angel. The fact that he saw me that way had me laughing hysterically.

He chuckled then went on. “But her halo was bent from her constant descent.” He arched a brow at me. “Even so, the wolf loved her the more.”

My head back on the headrest, I beamed over at him. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, wolfie, but that wasn’t a perfect limerick.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He lifted my hand, our fingers laced, and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. “My girl’s perfect.”

I didn’t correct him because we both knew that I wasn’t perfect. But our love was. We were perfect for each other.

“Your turn,” he said, squeezing my hand in his lap.

“Oh, no! I’m so horrible at this.”

“Which is why I love hearing you come up with them.” He laughed with complete joy, and it was heady hearing it, filling my chest to bursting. “Let’s hear it.”

“Ugh!” I complained, coming up with something quick and absolutely ridiculous. “There once was a girl who was horny, who wrote poems that were hopelessly corny. But her man didn’t care, he just wanted her bare, so he could try all his moves that were porny.”

“Got that fuckin’ right.” He pulled into a parking spot across from the Hilton. “Now let’s go get you fed so I can get you into my bed.”

“Stop rhyming!”

“Let’s be quick. So I can show you my hard dick.”

He unbuckled me and pulled me, laughing, into his lap, my hip scrunched against the steering wheel.

“You are so fucking ludicrous,” I giggled as he pressed his smiling mouth to mine.

“As long as you’re laughing, or moaning, I’m a happy man.”

“Same, baby.”

Then we made out like teenagers, making it to second base before we calmed down enough to go into dinner. It was the best Valentine’s Day I’d ever had. Perhaps because it was the first I’d spent with a man I loved.

Jules and Ruben had called a cease fire and agreed to work together to present my plan, now our plan, to the regional Witches Coven Guild and to the Vampires Guild. That would be step one. We also had babies on the way. Babies! I couldn’t wait to meet my little niece or nephew. Or according to Alpha, nieces and nephews.

Squeezing Nico’s hand, I looked up at him. I could see our future clearly now, my psychic eye tingling. Chaos and love, wolf babies and little witches, heartache and happiness. And I knew for a fact, as I stared at the tall, fine man—my best friend—at my side, that one day we’d have our own. Without a single sliver of fear about our future, I let him lead me on.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading Nico and Violet’s love story. If you’d like more of the STAY A SPELL world, a holiday anthology is coming this October!

Preorder Walking in a Witchy Wonderland today!

WALKING IN A WITCHY WONDERLAND…

Mischief and mayhem descend on the Savoie sisters of New Orleans during the holiday season. Five stories set in the witchy world of STAY A SPELL, including:

BEWITCH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

JINGLE BELL JOCK

ROCKIN' AROUND THE HEXMAS TREE

JINGLE SPELLS

YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR. GRIM