“Stop,” she warned, the word drowned out by the portal. “It’s an unstable portal! No shifting! There could be consequences!”
He didn’t listen, choosing to protect her instead. Cooper completed his shift into his big red dragon, and it seemed that his huge wing span actually pushed at the boundaries of the portal. It seemed to expand, but that was truly impossible.
“What the hell is going on, Lou?” Portia shouted when Lou materialized back into the portal quite as suddenly as he had disappeared. “Lou, fix this! Now! You know the consequences!”
Cooper could only hear her because of his heightened senses, but there was no way he could respond, even if he did know what was happening. There wasn’t enough air around them to do much, and he needed as much as possible to flap his wings…and maybe even breathe fire.
The portal tumbled them around, and Cooper was vaguely aware that Lou was trying to do magic to set things to rights, but Cooper couldn’t tell if it was working.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the portal spat them out into Portia’s office, forcing Cooper back into his human form. Portia discreetly handed up a throw blanket that he wrapped around his waist.
“I think I know what happened,” Lou said, raising his hand as if they were in the schoolroom. His eagerness to share his findings did little to slow the flow of the succubus’s anger. “When Portia placed Alice under her and Lucifer’s protection, I think it might have had the opposite effect that we were hoping for.”
“Explain yourself,” Cooper growled while Portia said, “But this didn’t have to happen. I had a whole brunch laid out for us downstairs. But no. You had to play the hero, as always.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know that someone would intercept the portal? It’s not like anyone knows I have it.”
Portia pursed her lips. “Does that even matter? Someone just tried to take Alice fromHell. From the resort, even though she is under my protection.Lucifer’s protection. Do you know what this means?”
Lou sighed. “Sadly, I don’t, but I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me. But first, I need to say something to you, Alice. I’m sorry that our little visit to Hell was cut short. I wanted to show you a few things, things your mother would have seen, before having this conversation.”
“What conversation?” Alice’s voice was still a little shaken by the portal mishap.
“If I could speak to Lucifer on your behalf, Alice, would you want me to?” Lou looked deep into her eyes to try and get the answer.
Cooper was also curious. He wanted to know if his new wife had one foot out of the door despite how close they were becoming.
Alice was silent for a moment, and when she finally answered, her voice was loud, clear, and full of certainty. “No. I don’t want to lead a coven. I saw what it did to my mother, and I don’t want to live through that.”
Lou frowned. “But not all covens are like the ones who killed your mother. If you would want to lead a coven, I am sure it would be great. The best coven to have ever existed. No fighting, no petty wars.”
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Lou, but my place is not with other witches. They’ve hurt me too much. I want a new kind of family now. One that respects me and all of my decisions. A place I belong. One that wouldn’t let a child fend for herself.”
Lou’s eyes cut to Cooper, but the dragon wondered if it was because Cooper had stepped closer to Alice while she spoke. He draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. If Lou and Portia weren’t there, witnessing this, Cooper would have promised Alice that with the dragon thunder he led, she would always be safe.
Instead, he said, “I will never let you fend for yourself, Alice. Never.” He sealed his promise with a kiss. In fact, Cooper was suddenly very upset with himself that he hadn’t addedthatto his vows. Surely, that would have gone a long way to making Alice feel safe.
He would have to remedy that somehow. Perhaps if Alice didn’t end up leaving him, if she chose to stay and become his wife in all of the ways of the word, he could convince her to renew their vows.
Cooper wanted to give Alice the life she had never had, and if it had to begin with a lavish second wedding, he didn’t care. He hadn’t lied when he told her that he was a very rich and powerful dragon, and now, he would be able to use his resources to help Alice heal from her past. As much as she could, anyway. And only if Alice let him.
Fuck, I hope she lets us in, Cooper thought to his dragon, who gave an emphatic roar of agreement.
“Well, if you’re sure,” Lou said. “And if this dragon man is willing to keep you safe, then I guess my offer is moot. But if you ever change your mind, all you have to do is let me know.” He winked and left Portia’s office as if his precious portal Bertha hadn’t just spat them back out.
“Where is he going?” Cooper asked once the door closed behind Lou.
Portia sighed. “Who knows? He probably went back to the bar to serve some drinks.”
“Right,” Cooper nodded. “Well, then he can’t help us? We need to figure out who tried to take Alice.”
“I would also like to know how the hell Lou knew to keep me safe in Hell and in the portal.” Alice’s voice was soft and almost inaudible, yet both Cooper and Portia turned to look at her. “What?” she asked. “At the very last moment, Lou called his portal, and it saved my life. Obviously, he must have known something we didn’t, right?”
“I’ve known Lou a long time, and that is entirely possible, but he won’t tell us. He can’t.” Her tone was so stern, both Cooper and Alice knew better than to question.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t speculate. Cooper couldn’t shake the feeling that what Portia intended to say was that Loucouldn’thelp, but how could that be? The demon had portal magic, but he couldn’t help them learn who had tried to intercept the damn thing?
“Can you help, then?” Alice asked, all but reading Cooper’s mind.