His deep-orange aura wasn’t as strong as the alpha’s, but he radiated sex and power. The man was scrumptious. His hazel eyes brightened as he caught her gaze, and one corner of his mouth tugged into a cocky grin.
Crap. He’d caught her staring.
Straightening her spine, she stepped toward the men. “Hi, welcome to Spellbound Sweets.” She glanced to the door, expecting a female to enter, but the men appeared to be alone. Pausing, she cocked her head. The taller man was obviously the alpha, so did that make the sexy one his mate? Was that even allowed?
She cut her gaze between the two men, stretching the silence into awkwardness. Snow had never mentioned the mate she’d spoken to on the phone was male. Everything Rain knew about werewolves she’d learned from her friend in culinary school. Alphas had to be blood relatives of the first family, and they were required to keep the bloodline flowing. How could he continue the family legacy if his mate was…? She held back a sigh. All the hot ones were either gay or married, and this one was about to be both. Not that a cursed witch could afford to take a chance on any man, but still…
The alpha cleared his throat. “I’m Luke. This is Chase. We’re here for a cake tasting.”
Luke, that’s right. Snow had written down their names, but Chase didn’t ring a bell. She shook Luke’s hand, and a jolt of magical energy shimmied up her arm. “I’m Rain. This is my sister, Snow. Thanks for coming.”
Snow shook both their hands, and as Rain reached for Chase, a similar electric sensation danced from his skin, but it sent an extra jolt straight to her chest. He tightened his grip and furrowed his brow. “I thought this was a witch’s bakery.”
She pulled from his grasp. “It is. My sister is the witch. I’m the owner.”
He narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Snow? Do you want to bring out the samples?” She motioned to the table she’d set up with forks and water glasses. “Please, have a seat.”
If they found out about her curse, they’d tuck tail and haul ass out of there before the sugar ever touched their lips. She’d have to do everything she could to steer the conversation away from the reason they didn’t feel any magical energy emanating from her skin.
They settled into the chairs, and an amused grin lit on Luke’s face. He looked at Chase. “This isn’t so bad, is it?”
Chase’s gaze slid over her body, feeling way more intimate than it should have. He was gay for goodness sake, and about to marry the alpha. But when he looked into her eyes, she couldn’t stop her tongue from slipping out to moisten her lips.
Where the hell was Snow?
She needed to say something. Anything to break the awkwardness of his enticing gaze. If the alpha thought she was coming on to his future husband, she’d be toast. The first thought that crossed her mind tumbled from her lips before she could stop it. “I thought alphas had to ensure the continuation of the bloodline. How will you do that taking another male as your mate?”
A look of bewilderment flashed in Chase’s eyes. “Your job is to make the cake. Pack business isn’t your concern.”
Luke crossed his arms. “I didn’t realize you were that kind of bakery.”
“I’m not.” Oh, goddess, what had she done? If she had a shovel she’d dig a hole and bury herself for the rest of eternity. She mumbled a little prayer to the Earth Mother, asking for the ground to swallow her whole, which of course went unanswered.
She stepped to a display cabinet and took two cake toppers from a shelf, holding them up so the men could see. “I’ve done same-sex weddings before. You can marry a goat for all I care, as long as the goat consents.”
The corner of Chase’s mouth twitched. “A goat?” He crossed his arms, and Rain couldn’t stop her gaze from sweeping over his muscular biceps.
Sweat slickened her palms, and she returned the cake toppers to the display. Why was she letting herself get so flustered? Sure, they were both powerful werewolves, but she’d been a powerful witch before the curse. She needed to pull herself together. Hold her ground.
Crossing her arms to mirror their posture, she shifted her weight to one foot. “You’re half-animal yourself.” She shrugged and returned to the table. “Pack business isn’t my concern.”
“Oh, Rain.” Snow stopped in her tracks, gripping the cake tray in her hands.
Luke pressed his lips into a hard line.
Dear goddess, please don’t let them shift in my store.
Fantastic. She’d pissed off the werewolves—exactly what she’d warned her sister not to do. Why couldn’t she learn to think before she spoke?
She looked at Luke. If she could make peace with the alpha, maybe she could salvage the situation. “I’m sorry. My comment was out of line. I really take no issue in who you choose as your mate.”
The alpha’s eyes sparkled as his mouth split into a grin and he laughed. “Chase isn’t my mate; he’s my second.”
She ducked her head. “Your second…mate?”
“Second in command.” Chase leaned his forearms on the table. “Do I look gay to you?”
“Yes.” Damn it! “I mean…you’re hot, so…” Jeez! She covered her mouth with her hands before she could say anything else stupid.
“You’ll have to excuse my sister.” Snow dropped the tray onto the table, clanking the forks and shaking the water glasses. “She has no filter between her brain and her mouth.”
Rain sank into her chair, afraid to make eye contact with the werewolves. Afraid if she opened her mouth again something even stupider would slip from between her lips and ruin her chance of getting this wedding…if she hadn’t ruined it already.
Luke laughed again, and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “No harm done; I’m sure it was an honest mistake.” He winked at Rain and the tension in her muscles loosened. “My mate is Macey. She had to work and didn’t want to cancel on you again, so Chase is here to help me pick the cake. His palette is a little more refined than mine. Right, buddy?” Luke clapped him on the shoulder, and Chase let out his breath in what could’ve either been a chuckle or a huff. It was hard to tell.
She caught Chase’s gaze, and his hazel eyes held hers. Light greenish-gold with little golden flecks dancing around the pupils, they drew her in, pulling the breath from her lungs. She tried to look away, but her eyes ignored the command from her brain.
As his lips curved into that cocky smile, Snow cleared her voice. “Tell them about the cakes, hon, before they dry up.”
Rain blinked, coming back to herself. Maybe the werewolves’ power wasn’t what had her flustered. Maybe it was the man. “Right, the first one is a vanilla-almond cake with classic buttercream frosting. It’s the most popular for weddings because of its light flavor and moist texture.” She needed to pull herself together. An attractive man shouldn’t have made her this flustered. She’d never gotten this goo-goo eyed over one before. Not without the help of a spell.
Snow placed a sample of the cake in front of each man. Luke popped the whole piece into his mouth and grinned. He sure smiled a lot for a hard-ass alpha. “Tastes great to me. Chase?”
Chase used a fork to slice off a small bite and mushed it around in his mouth. He looked thoughtful for a moment before training his gaze on Rain. His piercing glinted as his eyebrow arched. “Too much nutmeg. What else you got?”
She straightened. Too much nutmeg? Was he insane? The nutmeg was what made this cake. How dare he insult her most delectable dessert? “There’s only a pinch of nutmeg to enhance the almond and offset the sweetness of the vanilla.”
Chase shrugged. “Whoever pinched it has a heavy hand then.”
Heat flashed through her veins, her family’s signature hot temper flaring to life. She’d won more awards with that recipe than she could count. No one ever picked up on the nutmeg. She couldn’t help but glare at the man. He may have been as sexy as sugar was sweet, but his taste buds worked about as well as a busted kitchen scale.
Snow rested a hand on her shoul
der. “Let’s try the next one.”
Rain let out a slow breath as her sister served the men the next slice. “This one is Italian cream cake with a cream cheese frosting. It has a stronger flavor and a denser texture, but it’s also popular for weddings.”
“This one’s great too,” Luke said with the food in his mouth.
Chase shook his head. “Way too dense. Shouldn’t have to chew it this much.”
Rain bit her tongue to stop from spouting off. She served them two more rounds of cake—raspberry-almond and lemon cream—and both men had their usual reactions. The alpha loved them all, but Chase found something negative to say every time.
Rain curled her hands into fists under the table. He was messing with her, getting her back for the goat comment. He had to be. Her lemon cream was divine, and he did not nearly choke on too much zest…because she didn’t put any zest into the damn cake. “Are you this critical of everything you eat?”
Chase cracked his knuckles. “I know good cake when I taste it, and this isn’t it.”
“If you’re upset because I questioned your sexuality, that says more about you than it does me.” Clamping her mouth shut, she tried to keep her expression neutral. She should have clamped it shut before the insult tumbled out, but like Snow said, she had no filter. Words seemed to shoot from her thoughts to her lips, completely bypassing the rational part of her brain.
Luke made a strange sound in his throat that could’ve been a laugh or a choke. Chase leaned back in his chair. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And I don’t care to.” Unless it involved examining all those tattoos more closely…with her tongue. Stop it, Rain. What was she thinking?
The alpha rose to his feet. “Thank you for letting us sample your cakes. I’ll talk to Macey, and we’ll be in touch.” He slapped Chase on the shoulder and shuffled to the door.
“Rain…” Snow whispered in her ear. “Stop them.”
What was the point? The alpha wouldn’t hire her for his wedding after that debacle.
Rain narrowed her gaze as Chase stood and gave her a curt nod. “Have a nice day, Rain. It was nice to meet you, Snow.” He turned, and she caught a nice view of his backside as he sauntered out the door.
What the hell was her problem? He’d insulted her baking…several times…but all she could think about was what he looked like under those clothes and how much of him was covered in tattoos.
Chapter Three
Chase kept his gaze trained on the sidewalk as they exited the bakery, fighting the urge to turn and catch a glimpse of the insolent witch.
“You want to tell me what that was all about?” Luke stared straight ahead, giving him ample time to formulate an excuse for turning a simple cake tasting into a fiasco.
He nodded and paced through the intersection, out of earshot and any magical enchantments the witches may have put on the bakery. He wouldn’t have put it past them to cast a hunger spell on the sidewalk outside the shop to entice people to go inside and buy one of those mouth-watering cakes. Every damn one of them had melted on his tongue like an orgasm for his taste buds.
Stopping on the sidewalk, he glanced at the shop. “She’s hiding something.”
“Who? The owner?”
“Rain.” Her name tasted as good on his lips as that lemon cake. Sweet and creamy and slightly tart.
Luke followed his gaze toward the yellow building. “Everyone’s hiding something. Either tell me why you acted like an asshole, or I’m going back in there and picking the damn cake myself.”
“She’s hiding her magic. Didn’t you notice when you shook her hand? Her sister’s magic felt like a deep vibration. Strong. When I touched Rain, I didn’t feel anything.” Correction: he didn’t feel any magic. When her delicate fingers wrapped around his hand, he’d felt plenty of other things. And damn him for feeling them for a witch.
Luke shrugged. “So? Maybe one of their parents was a human, and her sister got all the magic. I didn’t sense any need to be on alert, and that bakery comes highly recommended.”
“Recommended by another witch.”
“Macey trusts Roberta, and so do I.” He inclined his chin. “The owner is pretty, isn’t she?”
He clenched his jaw. “Gorgeous.” Could his nerves be on edge because of the way his body had reacted to the woman? Maybe the years of self-imposed celibacy were catching up to him. He shook his head. “She’s a witch. She can’t be trusted.”
“I understand your aversion to witches, but they’re not all bad.” Luke shifted his weight to one foot. “Neither was the cake, was it?”
“Best damn cake I’ve ever tasted.” Possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. And the way her temper flared and she bit back when he’d baited her…he could almost see the storm brewing in her dark-gray eyes.
Luke crossed his arms. “So you acted like an asshole because you’re attracted to a witch who doesn’t have any magic?”
“I was protecting the pack.” And maybe his heart, but Luke didn’t need to know that.
The alpha chuckled. “I see. Well, since you’re so concerned about my mate’s choice in bakeries for our wedding, you’ve earned yourself a new job.”
“What’s that?” Wariness stretched out his words. Whenever Luke got that look in his eyes, it usually meant trouble.
“You’re in charge of all things cake.”
A brick settled in the pit of his stomach. He’d been trying to avoid ever having to see the beautiful woman again, not end up as the cake liaison for the alpha’s wedding.
“You’re going to haul your ass back to the bakery, apologize for being a dick, and sign the contract so I can make my mate happy, understood?”
He met Luke’s eyes briefly before shifting his gaze downward. “Yeah.” What the hell kind of mess had he gotten himself into?
“And, since you’re so concerned about her lack of magic, you’re going to do a thorough investigation into her and her background.”
He ground his teeth. “Damn it, Luke.”
His friend laughed. “You’re on witch duty until the wedding is done. Hopefully, by then, you’ll get over your prejudice.”
Second in command of the sixth largest werewolf pack in the United States, and he’d landed himself on witch and wedding cake duty. Fantastic. He grumbled under his breath as they walked away from the bakery.
Luke nodded to the left and crossed the street. “C’mon. We’ve got another appointment before you head back to apologize.”
They rounded a corner to find a couple in the alley in the middle of what appeared to be a heated argument. The woman clutched her purse to her stomach, gripping the strap so tightly her knuckles turned white. The misaligned buttons on her waitress shirt indicated she’d gotten dressed in a hurry, probably trying to get away from the asshole pursuing her.
The guy’s blond hair was slicked back from his face, his suit an Armani knock-off, his Rolex fake. He had a cocky grin and predatory eyes, and as he grabbed the woman’s elbow, she jerked away. “Come on, baby. How many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry? She didn’t mean anything.”
The smooth insincerity of his voice raised Chase’s hackles. He’d known plenty of assholes like this. Hell, he’d almost turned into one himself.
“We’re through, Alan. Leave me alone.” The woman turned to walk away, but Alan grabbed her bicep, spinning her to face him.
Chase strode into the ally and stood next to the woman, careful not to touch her—she’d been manhandled enough today—but close enough that Alan could feel the power in his aura. “Is this guy bothering you, ma’am?”
She glanced at Chase, her posture straightening. “He’s leaving, aren’t you, Alan?”
Alan flicked his gaze from the woman to Chase, and back to the woman again. The muscles in his neck worked as he swallowed whatever snide remark he was about to make and released his grip on her arm. “Yeah. I’m going.” Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as Chase thought. “See you ar
ound, Jamie.”
Jamie inhaled a shaky breath and smoothed her crumpled shirt down her stomach. Her fingers trembled over the misaligned buttons for a moment before she fisted her hands and turned to Chase. “Thank you.”
“Any time. Need me to walk you to work?”
She tugged on her blonde ponytail. “I’m already there.” Nodding to a doorway a few feet away, she adjusted her purse strap.
“If you don’t feel safe heading home after your shift, ask someone to escort you.”
“It’s fine. He won’t try anything.” She shuffled toward the door. “Thanks again.” She cast a pained glance at Alan’s back before disappearing into the building.
“You done playing Captain America?” Luke jerked his head, motioning for Chase to follow.
“Not quite.” He intended to make sure the asshole never bothered Jamie again. “Hey, Alan.”
“What do you want now?” As the man turned, Chase caught a glimpse of the tattoo on the side of his neck—a fleur-de-lis designed from a trinity knot. A coven crest.
Goddamn witch. His hands balled into fists as he barreled toward Alan. Grabbing him by his fake-Armani lapels, Chase twisted the material in his hands and slammed him against the wall.
Alan’s eyes widened as his head made contact with the brick. “What the hell, man?”
“Chase.” Luke growled a warning.
“He’s a witch,” he said through clenched teeth, never taking his eyes off the asshole. “Leave the woman alone.”
Alan glanced at Luke, and a look of recognition flashed in his eyes. He lifted his arms, trying to shake Chase off, but Chase pressed him harder into the wall. “All I did was sleep with her friend. Aren’t werewolves supposed to fight real monsters?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” He tightened his grip.
Luke moved toward him, but Chase didn’t let up.
“You’ll use her until she stops giving you what you want, and then you’ll leave her. Or worse. I know your kind.” Heat rolled through his body, his beast feeding off the emotions as memories flooded his brain.
Beneath a Blue Moon (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 2) Page 3