It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare Page B

But we’re gettin’ servants tomorrow.”
    “Ye are welcome ta stay,” Aiden said hesitantly. “For dinner.”
    Blaire punched his arm. “Invite them both ta stay the night,” she hissed at him. “Now.”
    “Why the devil would I—” he began to say, until she stomped on his instep. Hard. “Bloody hell, Blaire. What is wrong with ye?”
    The earl stepped to the door and opened it. Kettering scurried out of the sunlight with a wince, moving into the shadows as he’d done earlier. “On second thought,” the earl said, shutting the door, “perhaps we could beg some privacy in one of the Lindsays’ parlors instead. Just for a short time so we can become reacquainted.”
    “Aiden!” Blaire hissed again. If Aiden didn’t ask soon, she’d overstep the bounds of propriety and invite them herself. Damn it all to hell. She couldn’t allow them to leave Briarcraig. Not until she knew why Kettering had been trapped and locked up. She glanced at the handsome earl beside her brother. He was just as dangerous as the baron, if she wasn’t mistaken.
    “Ask them!” She glared at her brother. Aiden pursed his lips together. Stubborn man. Fine, she’d take matters into her own hands. “We’d love ta have ye both as our guests here at Briarcraig,” Blaire blurted. “I’ll go and prepare another room for the earl.”
    Blodswell bowed swiftly. “I’d be honored to be your guest, Miss Lindsay.”
    He cut a fine figure and was honestly a gentleman. What else he was, she had no idea. But she planned to find out.

Nine
    “Where is your ring?” was the first thing out of Blodswell’s mouth when they finally found themselves alone. They’d talked about inanities the entire time the witch lurked in the corridor eavesdropping. They’d both known she was there. Finally, her brother had retrieved her with a stern word. Her cursing in response made Matthew smile.
    James held up his hand and rubbed his ring finger. “I have no idea. It wasn’t there when I woke up.”
    “It’s nearby. That much is obvious.”
    “Is it?” James swung around quickly to face him. “How do you know that?”
    “It connects us. If it’s lost to you, we lose the connection. I lost you for twenty years, old friend. I thought you were dead.”
    “I may as well have been. I slept for two decades, Matt, thanks to your blasted coven.”
    “ My coven?” Blodswell placed a hand over his heart and opened his mouth in mock-astonishment. “When did the Còig become my coven? The last I heard, they were an entity unto themselves.”
    “They’re a force to be reckoned with,” James grunted. “They attacked me.”
    “Why would they do such a thing? It’s not like them to take action lightly.” His eyes narrowed. “What did you do? Did you attempt to entrance one of them?”
    “Of course not,” James scoffed. “I was standing outside an inn, minding my own business and enjoying a perfectly lovely cheroot.”
    “Stalking prey, in other words,” Matthew said with a nod. “Since you have no need to inhale.”
    No, James had no need to inhale, and Matthew had taught him the little trick with smoking. It made them appear more human if they adopted some of man’s more basic habits. “I may not need to inhale it, but I can still taste it,” James muttered.
    Matthew gestured at him impatiently. “That’s neither here nor there. I’d like to hear your tale, James.”
    And James was ready to tell it to someone he trusted. “The night had just fallen.”
    “And you were thirsty?”
    “Yes, I suppose I was. A lovely young woman, one who resembles Miss Lindsay quite closely, by the way, approached me. The night was incredibly foggy, so foggy I could barely see my hand in front of my face, but I could see her. Very clearly. Actually, there were two of them.”
    “A moment,” Matthew said quickly. “You say one of them looked like Miss Lindsay? The captain’s sister?” He gestured toward the corridor.
    “An amazing resemblance,”