Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Erin slid into a quiet corner booth. She was all about keeping a low profile, but heads turned the moment her ass hit the bench.
Great, she thought to herself.
Waiting for the server, Erin pulled out her phone and texted the only other person in the world she could trust: Mina. Though Mina had only been at Black Paw for a short time, the two had become very close. Mina was different from other females at Black Paw, and that’s why Erin felt comfortable around her. Growing up, she’d always longed for a BFF, but never found one until Mina had showed up at Black Paw.
No matter what she did, she was always the oddball. Her hair was too frizzy, her hips too curvy, her boobs too big. The other girls always made fun of her. Had they known she was part witch, they likely would have burned her frizzy-haired fat ass at the stake.
It didn’t matter that she had grown up at Black Paw just like all the others. She was sick and tired of the labels, but how could she break free from the bonds that had always restricted her?
Physically, she was different from pure-blooded wolves. A unique mix of majik ran through her blood, fueling her witch and wolf. In her youth, it was the best of both worlds. While she was one of the wolves, she was so much more…and there wasn’t a damn person she had ever talked to about it, save for her mate—and look where that got her.
The days of hiding her true abilities was over. She was tired of pretending to be someone or something she wasn’t. Now that she was no longer bound by the spell, Erin was finally free to talk about the fact that she was part witch. Her mom’s words of caution replayed through her mind.
One thing Erin quickly realized: She was not her mother. There wasn’t a bone in her body that longed to stay quiet about who or what she was. She didn’t want to live in the shadows, hiding the abilities she’d been born with. None of the wolves with special powers hid their abilities, so why should she? The way she looked at it, the pack would be stronger with her on their side.
“What can I get you?” the waitress asked as she filled Erin’s coffee cup.
“I’ll have the pancakes and bacon, please.”
“Sure thing.”
Erin sighed as the waitress walked away, proving the point Erin had made moments ago in her thoughts. She’d grown up with the waitress. They had been in the same classes from kindergarten through high school graduation. Yet all the woman could say was two single sentences. No pleasant greetings, no asking how her family was. Nothing.
It was a lonely way to live. So what did it matter if everyone found out she was part witch? What was the worst they’d do—ignore her? Treat her differently? Avoid her? Well hell, at least they’d have a valid reason for it once she clued them in on what she really was.
“Hey Tad, lookie what the cat dragged in.”
“Taavi, Tad, don’t you guys have someone else to harass this morning? Or are all the pack tramps still asleep?” Erin didn’t mince words when it came to the twins sliding into the seat across from her.
“Now Erin, is that any way to treat two of your favorite pack members?” Tad said with a wink.
Her wolf growled in her mind.
“Your charm isn’t going to work on me, Tad. It never has. What makes you think that today is going to be the day I’m going to fall into your arms and beg you and your brother to have your way with me?” Erin sipped her coffee, less than amused by their antics. Any other day, she’d blow them off like she normally did, but today her patience registered at roughly negative one billion.
“One of these days, Erin, you’ll beg for us to make you feel like a real woman. Both of us sliding in and out of you while you scream our names, pleading for more.” Tad tried to reach for Erin’s hand but she pulled back, avoiding the unwanted contact.
“I don’t think so, sorry.”
“Imagine it. You’d get not one, but two of the best-looking wolves at Black Paw devoted entirely to pleasuring you in every way you could possibly imagine for a single night. Think of all the naughty things we would do to you. Most women only dream of having two men in their bed at the same time. We’re offering to make it your reality.”
There was no denying the sex appeal of Tad and Taavi. They were two of the hottest males Black Paw had to offer, but they had never been her cup of tea. She’d watched them pick up girl after girl over the years. The last thing she wanted was to end up as one of their conquests.
Please tell me I’m not really having this conversation right now, Erin thought.
“Your offer does sound too good to refuse—”
“You better fucking refuse their offer.”
Erin jumped at the sound of Lucas’ voice.
Her mate’s eyes glowed with a barely controlled rage. She prayed he would keep his Berserker in check in the restaurant. Erin jumped to her feet as Lucas grabbed each of the younger wolves by the scruff of the neck, tossing them to the floor like rag dolls.
Every head in the diner turned to witness the drama.
“She is my fucking mate! Mine! And if I ever see either of you so much as look at her again, I’ll cut your fucking balls off and feed them to you. Got it?”
Tad and Taavi picked themselves up from the floor and left the diner with their heads tilted down in shame.
Erin’s wolf panted at Lucas’ powerful display of affection. Erin, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at her mate’s behavior.
“Seriously, you are such a barbaric fucking beast. You know how those two are. Why did you have to treat them like that? I’ve been perfectly capable of fending off their advances for years. I didn’t need you to do it for me.”
Lucas slid into the booth. “No one talks to my mate that way.” Lucas glanced away, but not before Erin caught the worry that suddenly covered his face. “It looked like you were going to say yes to them.” The beastly glow from his emerald eyes finally subsided and was replaced with a look of sadness and despair.
“So what if I did accept their offer? You made your feelings about me perfectly clear last night. In case you forgot.”
“Erin—”
“Don’t you dare! Wasn’t it enough for you to ruin my night? Do you have to ruin my breakfast as well?”
“We have to figure this out.”
“What’s there to figure out? Other than going to Rafe and asking him to break the bond?” Tears threatening once again, Erin refused to meet Lucas’ gaze.
“That’s not going to happen,” Lucas replied quietly.
“What’s not going to happen?” This time Erin met Lucas’ sad gaze.
“Rafe isn’t going to break our bond.”
“How do you know? Did you ask him?”
Lucas’ silence said all she needed to hear. Tossing ten bucks on the table, she stood and headed for the door.
“Erin, wait.” Lucas charged after her.
“Wait for what? For you to tell me again what a shitty person I am? Thanks, I’ll pass.”
Lucas grabbed her arm as she turned to walk away.
Sparks of magic danced on the tips of her fingers. “Let me go, Lucas.”
“We need to talk.” Lucas pulled her closer.
“You said all I needed to hear last night.”
Lucas glanced at her fingertips. “Prove to me that I’m wrong about you. That you’re not like the others.”
“You’ve known me my whole fucking life. What is there to prove? What could I possibly do or say to make you change your mind?” Erin shook her head in disbelief. “You know what…I’m done caring what you or anyone else in this pack thinks of me, Lucas. I’m fucking done. Now let go of my arm before I zap your ass across the damn street.”
“Look around you. There are people everywhere, watching us to see what happens. Do you really think showing off your powers in front of everyone is the smartest thing to do?”
“Do you think I fucking care what everyone thinks? I just told you I didn’t give a flying fuck, and I meant it. Last warning.”
“Erin, please.”
Lucas’ grip tightened around her arm.
She called on her witch to deliver a charge of majik just strong enough to knock him on his ass, but not kill him. Cerulean sparks swirled around her fingertips just before they flew into his chest, sending him flying through the air. The crowd gasped as he landed in wolf form a few feet away from where she stood.
“She’s a witch!”
Chapter Eighteen
A million and one thoughts swirled through Lucas’ head, none of them good. His presence during the whole Gus-and-Beth-mating thing had proved too much for his wolf to handle. It made him long for his own mate and what they had shared not so long ago.
Rafe was right about one thing. It was crystal clear that his wolf had fully bonded with Erin’s. Seeing her in the diner with Taavi and Tad had nearly driven him out of his mind. Hearing the proposition they had for his mate sent him into a rage, almost unleashing his Berserker right there in the diner. That would have been a bloody disaster. Then there was the thought of her walking away from him because he had hurt her yet again. It fucking broke his heart. He couldn’t let go. Even though his mind told his hand to release her, it refused to obey the command.
That had led to his current predicament. After being zapped by Erin and her wicked strong majik, his wolf seized control, forcing the shift before he landed on his ass. Maybe it was a good thing his wolf had pulled the rug out from under his feet. Lucas was starting to wonder if he could be trusted to do the right thing when it came to dealing with Erin. He’d fucked it up so bad, he’d be lucky if she ever talked to him again. So he shouldn’t have been surprised to be on the receiving end of her majik, yet he was.
“I can’t believe she fucking did that,” Lucas said to his wolf.
The wolf snarled at Lucas, not happy with the way Lucas had treated their mate. “If I had her powers, I would have blasted your ass long ago. You need to fix this shit with the woman before you destroy everything. We need her.”
If his wolf could have found a way, he’d have bitten Lucas on the ass for being such a complete dick. Had Lucas bothered to listen to him in the first place and not flown off the handle when he’d found out about Erin’s witch blood, everything would be as it should with their mate.
Instead they stood in the middle of the street, fighting like crazed lunatics for all the world to see. And not only that, but their mate had just exposed herself as a witch—something that not only could have but should have been avoided, and was sure to spell disaster.
“Why do you continue to antagonize our mate?”
“Every time she’s near us, I feel like I’m losing my goddamn mind. I have zero control when it comes to the shit that spills out of my mouth, and even less control over the motions my body chooses to make in her presence.”
“Because of your latest little stunt, our mate is in danger. We need to get her out of here and away from all these people. Once word spreads to the pack as a whole about her powers, they’ll hunt her down. Make no mistake. Have you forgotten about the decree from the Wolf Council?”
Lucas’ wolf took charge, knowing he was the only one who had any hope of reaching his mate in order to mend the feelings his human had hurt. Cautiously he made his approach, each step small and deliberate. He paused to let out a single sad howl, calling to his mate.
Erin’s wolf quickly responded, taking control of the woman and witch, shifting before his very eyes. Through the eyes of his wolf, Lucas watched the scene unfold. Neither of their wolves seemed to care about the conflict between their humans. Lucas sucked in a deep breath and allowed the emotions of the mated wolves to flow through his body, without his own biased opinion.
It didn’t surprise him when Erin’s wolf ran to her mate, rubbing against him the second she reached his side. Because of the mating bond, Lucas knew that Erin’s wolf needed everything his wolf offered: to feel safe, warm, wanted, and—finally—to feel loved.
His wolf was right. They needed to get Erin to safety. The crowd was starting to close in on them. The only place that would be safe would be with Rafe and Mina.
“Erin, I know I’m the last person you want to talk to or listen to right now, but we need to get you somewhere safe,” Lucas pleaded with Erin through their mating connection.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Look around you, Erin. The pack is starting to gather, looking for an explanation.”
“What, suddenly you care? You made it perfectly clear last night that you wouldn’t care if I was crucified for being part witch.”
“Can we argue later? We need to get out of here until we can figure something out.”
“And where do you suggest we go?”
“We need to talk to Rafe. He’ll know the best way to handle the situation.”
Reluctantly Erin agreed, and they ran for the Alpha’s home as fast as they could.
***
“Did you see that, brother?” Ivar asked.
“I did.” Christoph watched as the crowd that had gathered around Erin and Lucas began to dissipate. His eyes grew wide at the thought of having such a powerful mate by his side. “What an interesting development, indeed. Not only is there trouble in paradise as far as her relationship with her mate, it seems like the female has a few powers of her own that she’s been hiding from the good wolves of Black Paw.”
“Tread carefully, brother. I can tell by the look in your eye that you’re already trying to figure out how to get the woman by your side. Witches aren’t to be taken lightly. Their power is unpredictable at best. You saw what she did to her own mate. Imagine if she unleashed her full power on someone who tried to abduct her.”
“Father had a taste for taking women against their will and forcing them to submit to him. Not me. I’d rather they come willingly.”
“But you wouldn’t rule out taking what you wanted.” Ivar smirked, knowing his brother all too well.
“Of course not. I’d simply try to use my charm and powers of persuasion first.” Christoph recalled his first run-in with the woman. Though she had seemed quite distracted at the time, she’d still managed to undress him with her eyes. Christoph knew the gods had blessed him when it came to his rugged good looks.
Ivar did what he did best—teased his brother. “I’m not sure that’s possible in such a Puritan village. Have you noticed how straitlaced the wolves here are? What the hell do they do for fun? Play shuffleboard and chess? Where’s the booze and loose women? I haven’t found a single one yet. Where are the males who’ll gladly share their mates for a bag of nose candy?”
Christoph rubbed his chin, deep in thought, missing the ways of life at Twisted Tail under his father’s rule. If his father or his own existence had taught him anything, it was that wolves, no matter how good, could be corrupted. “They’re here. I’m sure of it. Maybe they just haven’t been exposed to that sort of life yet. Either way, we’ll find them.”
“Thank the gods. It’s terribly boring here. And what do you propose to do about the female and the fact that she has what appears to be a fated mate? He could become a problem.”
“The male won’t be a problem if he has silver poisoning. As for the female, mate or no mate, I have yet to meet a woman I haven’t been able to charm the panties off of. Why should this Black Paw bitch be any different?”
Chapter Nineteen
Ecstatic that he had found his mate after all these years, Gus wanted nothing more than to shout his joy and good fortune from the rooftops. The wolves at Black Paw would think he was crazy, but what the hell did he care? Nothing could bring him down from the cloud on which he floated high above the earth.
His faith in the Fates was restored after years of bitterness and resentment, losing all hope of finding his mate, and deciding instead to devote his life to the Wolf Council. Thanks to those very same Fates, his world had just been turned upside down—and this time, he was perfectly okay with it.
After the very public mating mark, Gus wanted nothing more than to be alone with h
is new mate. His mind swirled with the taste of her blood fresh on his tongue. There was so much he wanted to do with her. So many questions he wanted to ask.
Beth grasped his hand and led him upstairs to a large suite. The sound of the door closing followed by the tumbler sliding into place on the lock told Gus that he and his mate were on the same page.
His wolf’s mind was much less of a jumbled mess. His thoughts were crystal clear about claiming what was rightfully his. He didn’t want to fill their time with useless chatter. The human emotions and talk bored him. He’d waited his entire life to find the woman now standing a few measly inches away. As far as he was concerned, everything else would have to wait until they sealed the deal.
Beth padded closer, drawing him from his thoughts. Gus sucked in a deep breath, the smell of her caramel scent driving him once more to the brink. One glance into her sapphire eyes and he was lost.
Hesitantly, she ran her fingertips over his face. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”
His mate’s soft voice gently swirled through his senses, simultaneously soothing and exciting his wolf. Her fingertips were soft against his coarse stubble.
Of their own accord, his fingers twisted through her auburn locks, pulling her closer, wanting to feel the heat of her body pressed against him.
One touch was all it took for Gus to become a slave to the tiny curvy woman in his arms. He would do anything to please his beauty. “I can’t believe I’ve finally found you.”
Gus’ heart skipped a beat when his mate looked up at him with unshed tears in her sapphire eyes. A smile spread across her full lips. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come and sweep me off my feet.”
“I guess I shouldn’t keep you waiting any longer.” In one smooth motion, Gus swept Beth into his arms and carried her to the four-poster bed in the center of the room. A delighted squeal sprang from her mouth as he gently lowered her onto the velvety quilt that covered it.
Their eyes locked again for an instant before his lips crashed down over hers. Hearing his mate moaning into his mouth was all the encouragement he needed. Feeling like a testosterone-filled teen, Gus’ hands were everywhere at once, tearing the t-shirt and shorts from her body. His cock throbbed at the sight of his mate lying before him in only her panties and bra, but he needed to see more.
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