November Reign (Northarbor Coven #3)

25. His November Reign

His November Reign

Thyme

My heart had been in my stomach the entire time Damon fought with Basil. Damon was a skilled fighter, but Basil was better at magic, keeping Damon from making any headway.

When Oak shot Damon, I thought for one split second I’d been lied to. That Oak truly was on Basil’s side and everything was over. For it to turn out like it had, with Oak taking the kill shot, just proved to me that the insidious voice inside me was wrong, the one that sounded so like my brother and father. Oak was on our side and had proven his loyalty by finishing Basil for good.

Maybe one day I would mourn the brother I’d lost, but as his body, and Aster’s, burned in that car, I didn’t shed a tear. I wasn’t ready to think about the tyrant Basil was as being the same older brother I’d grown up with.

Aside from the burning car, there wasn’t much cleanup to do, which was just as well, because we didn’t stick around to do any of it, leaving it to the humans to organize.

The first thing I did after getting home was to ensure the book was locked away again, then I poured everyone a drink.

We toasted to putting the past behind us and a peaceful future ahead for the coven.

Damon stood, all healed from his injuries, bruises aside. “I wanted to say something. This battle might not have been mine at the start, but I’m happy to have been there at the end to put a stop to Basil and his delusions. I’m grateful for the support of my friends and my family.”

The others cheered and hooted for Damon to continue.

“Thyme, you gave me a gift when you returned my magic to me. I know I didn’t see it at the time—“

“Threw some tantrums? Damon? Never!” Parker cackled.

“As I was saying,” Damon rolled his eyes, “I’ve grown to think of you like a parent, and now we have time to decide what that looks like for you. But…” He waved his hands dramatically at Barr. “I’ve already given you a grandchild, therefore I am the best son ever.”

“Hey!” Cody interrupted with a pout. “What am I? Chopped liver?” Barr blushed, though he laughed. “I love having a brother, but I was here first! ”

They got caught up with details like if Barr was older or younger than Cody or if they went by the adoption date instead of their birthdates. Barr was older by a decade, almost the same age as me and older than his adoptive father, Damon. So our family was a convoluted, yet loving, mess.

“Anyway,” Damon yelled over the rest of us to be heard. Somehow, he was still standing, glass in hand. “Thank you to all who helped save the coven and demonkin from oppression. To the future and peace!”

We all drank and wished for a chance for the coven, for demonkin, to live their lives without the threat of war or slavery to witches who wanted to misuse magic.

Then I took Oak for a much needed shower. His injuries were more superficial than Damon’s. The bruising would last longer than I’d like. Now that Basil was dealt with, I could maybe research better healing techniques. We couldn’t always run to Sweetwater to have their healers get every little thing fixed up.

“Hmm,” Oak murmured as I ran the soapy washcloth over his body, washing away the lingering grime from the battle.

“I’m so glad it’s all over.”

Oak pulled me close. My arms encircled him, resting on his muscled back. We just stood there under the spray for a while .

“I’m so glad I get a future with you in it. If it had been you and not Damon, I’m not sure I could have taken the shot. The thought of hurting you, even to help you, makes me physically ill.”

“Good thing we won’t be in a situation like that again. It’s over. We can make our own future now.”

He peeled my arms off him and bent to go on one knee. “This is not a proposal,” he warned at my sharp intake of breath, “but the promise of one. This is me choosing you for life. Soon, in a few weeks once we know which way is up or down, I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

“Why not now?”

Oak stood and gathered me close. “Because when people ask, and you know they will, I don’t want our proposal story be set on the day I killed—“

“Fair,” I interrupted, not wanting to think back on the battle. “You’re right. When you do it, don’t make a spectacle. Something small.”

“Or maybe you can propose.” He laughed. “I’m man enough I won’t feel any kind of way if you ask first.”

“Noted.”

Part of what made us work was that we were equals. The thought of proposing to Oak set off a flutter in my belly. Maybe he needed to be chosen like that more than I needed it. An idea took root, only for me to be distracted by Oak switching off the water .

“Let’s go to bed. It’s been a long ass day.”

Waking to gentle kisses was always a hell yes, especially when those kisses were leading to my very interested dick.

I tangled my fingers in Oak’s hair as he took me into his mouth. Then, thinking better of it, I reached for the lube.

“Want you inside me,” I told him, passing him the bottle.

He let go of me with a pop. “I can just suck you.”

“No. Fuck me, please.”

“As you wish.”

The words always made me smile, reminding me of the movie I loved. I used to watch it with Damon when he was tiny, though I doubt he remembered that time. Most of his blocked memories hadn’t returned. Not a surprise since he was so young when we were separated.

Oak worked me open while kissing, licking and sucking my cock and balls. When I was hanging over the precipice, ready to come, I cupped his face and tried to pull him up to me. I wanted those lips on mine .

My gasp was loud when he slid inside me. I loved the stretch as he filled me right up. I clung to him, lips seeking his as he moved.

He started off with slow shallow thrusts, going faster and deeper when I shifted my hips with him.

It was sensual. We stared into each other’s eyes, shared breath and rocked together. His hair fell in a curtain, blocking out the world so it was only us.

Love shone in his eyes as he looked at me. I always wanted to see that on his face.

We came within seconds of each other. The feel of his release spurred mine on.

Still, I didn’t let him go, encouraging him to slump over me. He tried to keep the bulk of his massive frame off me, but I kind of liked being smooshed into the mattress. It was comforting to feel so much of his skin against mine. To smell his sweat and the natural scent he had. I still had my fingers in his hair.

“Stay,” I urged when he tried to break away.

He kissed the tip of my nose. “Any longer and we’ll be stuck together.”

“I’m okay with that.”

Eventually he got me into the shower, then dressed and sitting in front of a large coffee mug. Sadly, it was time to face reality. We couldn’t stay in bed forever.

The morning was taken up by fielding calls from other covens answering questions about the battle with Basil, or the battle for Northarbor, as many were calling it. Damon was answering as many as he could himself, including one from the mayor, Ulrian Darkglade. That call he ended up passing to me.

“Thank you for the call, Mayor Darkglade. I’m glad we could put an end to the troubles within the coven.”

“With minor property damage, if only the shifters could do the same,” the mayor’s cultured voice held a sneer.

“Well, when their vehicles are attacked, there is a chance of damage to buildings.” I would not be voting for the fae come next election.

“Quite. I trust you won’t be leaving any more bodies for us to recover?”

“No. I will cover the cost of Basil’s arrangements. No need for a funeral. Aster’s family will be in touch. We will come to an agreement with them.”

“Fine. Good day to you.” He ended the call before hearing my response.

“Charming.”

“Yeah, he’s a real peach. Listen, there’s something I wanted to ask you. Do you have a minute?” Damon looked uncharacteristically nervous.

“Sure.”

“Okay. Gimme a second, I just need to grab something.” He rushed from the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts .

Now that the grimoire was safe, I didn’t have to leave it locked away. We could return to the original coven house, though I preferred this one. Maybe we could keep it and use the old house for single witches or a couple of new families to live in. The meeting hall was near the old coven house. We could still use it for coven gatherings keeping the mansion separate. I just liked the idea of having a sanctuary away from coven drama.

“Here,” Damon brandished something at me. A stone that glowed.

Automatically, I reached for it. As soon as it came into contact with the palm of my hand, I jolted.

Power filled me. A raging torrent of it rushed through my veins.

I blinked and found myself outside in the yard. Like Damon had when he’d gotten his powers, I’d teleported!

Damon waved from the window. At least I hadn’t gone far. I trudged back inside while I tried to adjust to the vast well of magic I had inside me.

Just as I got inside the library where Damon was waiting for me, he thrust the grimoire at me. Again, I took it automatically.

It glowed! The magic inside it flared as I was chosen.

“Tag. Not it!” Damon laughed and then ran. “Thyme is Head Witch!”

Oak found me sitting on the floor, the book open in front of me. My name was already listed as the High Witch under Damon’s. It was too bizarre to comprehend.

“He told me you’d be here. Are you okay?”

“Damon gave me his magic.”

“Not all of it, no. He learned of a spell to give you nearly half.”

“Half?” I almost choked.

“Thyme… Damon’s come to love his magic, but he doesn’t want all this.” Oak was sympathetic.

“No. He wants to be with the demons, doesn’t he?”

“He does,” Damon himself said. He took a spot on the floor next to me. Oak sat on the other side. Two of my favorite people surrounded me. Bliss. “I talked to Mori before I did the spell. We want to live in the demon realm. Mori has so much work there. Heatwave needs very little from us. The coven—“

“Was holding you back.” I felt the truth of it.

“Yeah. We’ll come for all the big occasions, visit all the time, I just don’t want to lead. I shouldn’t be leading. You’ve trained for this. If you hadn’t lost so much of your magic when you transitioned, it would have been you as Head Witch.”

“So you just gave me your magic? Just like that?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m pretty badass without it.” Damon grinned. “Plus I’ve got a demon mate, a demon bodyguard and my shifter brother guarding my back. Not to mention my Hellhound son and his mate.”

“Are they going with you?” I asked, sadly.

“Sorry.” He nodded, then leaned closer. “Cody and Toth, too. They’ve got the orchard to take care of. We’ll all be popping in and out,” he reassured me. “We’ve talked about it and want you to keep this place.” He looked around the large room. “It suits you. Then we have rooms for when we want to stay.” He hesitantly added, “is that okay?”

“This place will always be your home just like I will always be your family, okay?”

“Good.” He hugged me quickly before he stood. “Oh, you have guests coming shortly, then we’re having a party. So you might want to get off the floor.”

“What are we celebrating?” I asked.

Damon shared a look with Oak. “You, daddy dearest, are this badass witch leader.” Damon smirked. “Poppy and Zinna need a place to stay. Okay, party to plan!” Then he left me and Oak staring at each other.

“Here,” I said, thrusting the book towards Poppy. “Try it.”

Poppy laughed, a tinkling sound. “Oh, no! The book won’t pick me now. I can feel the power coming off you. Plus we’re only visiting to see you named and then we’re going back to Abrocaelum, aren’t we baby girl?” She looked down at the sweet baby she was holding.

Sage, their baby created out of Poppy and Zinna’s shared magic, was now ten months old and had grown so big since the last time I’d seen her.

“For sure. The elves are obsessed with Sage. We can have a babysitter whenever we ask. And the magic! I need to tell Oak about the magic.” Zinna scanned the foyer for her brother. “Typical of him not to be here to meet me.”

“He’s setting up your room,” I defended.

Zinna squeezed my cheeks then kissed my forehead. “Ah! You two are so perfect. So glad he got his head out of his ass.”

“So glad to see you, Zin,” Oak called as he joined us. He took Sage from Poppy and peppered her with kisses. “I missed my niece. ”

“Well, you could have come with us, but you wanted to be a hero and fix Northarbor.” Zinna arched an eyebrow at her brother.

I wrapped an arm around my boyfriend, delighted at the domestic picture he made with a baby in his arms. “I don’t think we could have done it without Oak.”

“Sure, sure,” Zinna waved me away. “I’m proud of him. Of you all. Now where’s this party?”

Over the next hour, more and more people flooded into the mansion. Damon had booked emergency caterers and staff. Likely paying through the nose for it, too, but it wasn’t my money to spend. With some magic and help from some new demon friends, he got the party going.

Music filled the house along with laughter and chatter. We gathered in the old training room, now returned to a ballroom for the night.

Poppy sent sparks of magic, calling for quiet. Everyone turned to look at her. “Our last Head Witch probably doesn’t know this since he didn’t have this done for him, but it is customary for the previous Head Witch to welcome the new one. I didn’t get that either.”

The crowd all laughed. Poppy made it seem like it was nothing, not Basil having a tantrum and refusing to do what was etiquette.

“Then, unfortunately, I was unable to welcome Damon when it was my turn, not because he didn’t deserve it. He did. He saved my life.” The crowd cheered for Damon. “My baby’s life too. Damon was a hero to me that day and I would have given him anything. Instead, he made sure I was safe. Let me know the coven, all of you, were in safe hands.”

Shouts of praise went out through the room for Damon’s actions. I swore he was blushing. Mori stood next to him looking so proud of his mate.

“Damon proved again he had been the right choice for an uncertain time for our coven. He got us through the worst, then gave his power up to the person who had selflessly guided him.”

Eyes fell on me. I felt the weight of a hundred stares. Most were approving. Some held back their judgment.

“My cousin Thyme had been groomed since birth to take up the mantle of coven leadership. He was, it seemed, punished for taking the path true to his heart, by becoming his authentic self. Maybe it was just a test by our goddess, because here he is, finally in his destined role as the Head Witch of the Northarbor coven. Long may he reign!”

Everyone, coven members, my family, our friends, witch, demon, and shifter alike, took up the chant. Three times they called it bringing tears to my eyes.

“Long may he reign!”