An hour-and-a-half and way too many introductions later, Angel was seated at what she mentally called the “singles table.” As expected, all her dining companions were young, male, unattached – and if she was being honest, reasonably attractive. Too bad they had absolutely no chance of endearing themselves to her, since her wolf wouldn’t even consider the possibility of being with another male now that they’d met their Mate. Regardless of her current internal struggle, Angel decided to play nice, if only to make her mother happy and avoid a fight later on. For the most part, conversation at the singles table had consisted of random pleasantries in-between bites of food.
“Would you like some more lemonade?” Humphrey Abrams asked her, holding up a pitcher of the pink liquid.
“Yes, please,” Angel replied, holding out her glass and silently pitying the young man for having such an awfully old-fashioned name.
“Your dress is lovely,” Adam Cross commented.
“Thank you,” Angel replied, trying to sound sincere. And so it continued throughout the entire meal, or at least until dessert came.
Angel was still hungry, but since her mother had encouraged her not to “stuff her face,” she picked daintily at her dessert, promising her half-empty stomach a giant cheeseburger on the way home. She was halfway through the tiny slice of cheesecake when Dean Foster spoke up.
“So,” he began casually, “I don’t imagine the Warners were invited to this particular event?”
Adam, Humphrey, and Elliot snickered.
“Uh, no,” Angel answered cautiously, her stomach sinking at what was going to come next, “they weren’t.”
“No big loss there,” Elliot remarked, and surprisingly, the others nodded in agreement. “If I have to listen to that prick talk about how close he is to getting a Council position, I might be sick.”
“Yeah, or maybe we could hear all about his wedding preparations with Jill what’s-her-name,” Adam added.
“Uh, yeah,” Angel said noncommittally, taking a big swig of her coffee.
“Is it true you shot him with a stunning spell, Angel?” Humphrey asked.
“No, no, no,” Dean interrupted before she could answer, “she clocked him - knocked him out cold.”
“Where’d you hear that?” Adam asked.
“A very reliable source,” Dean replied.
“More reliable than the witch who did it?” Humphrey demanded, gesturing to Angel.
“Uh, look,” Angel interrupted before anyone else could speak again, “it was a stunning spell, and it was a rather…uh…delicate situation.”
“I knew it!” Humphrey crowed.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Dean grumbled, clearly upset that he’d been proven wrong.
“So, Angel,” Adam said, turning to her and reaching for her hand. She pulled away before he could do more than brush his fingertips across her knuckles. “Would you like to come to the Autumn Ball with me? I just know Warner’s gonna be there, and I bet seeing you would make him scream like a little girl!”
“I don’t think so,” Angel replied, a little uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.
“Then come with me instead,” Humphrey offered. “I know there’s a lot of people who would just love to meet you.”
“Because I shot William Warner with a stunning spell?” Angel asked, a little incredulous.
“Of course!” Humphrey exclaimed. “You’re like an urban legend!”
“Uh, right,” Angel mumbled, suddenly very uncomfortable. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to have to decline. I, uh, I have to use the ladies room. Please excuse me.”
Before any of them could react, Angel was up, out of her seat, and across the lawn. She smiled politely at anyone she passed, but didn’t slow down until she made it to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Leaning back against the door, Angel sighed heavily.
“What the hell…” she muttered to herself. “It’s like I’m some kind of attraction.”
Before Angel even had the chance to contemplate what her newfound fame would mean, her mother knocked on the door.
“Angel?” she called. “Angel, is everything alright?”
Angel almost replied with a “Yes,” mostly out of reflex, before actually considering her answer. Here she was, two months off the job, pining after a man she could never actually be with, and she might as well be the damn centerpiece on the table. Flinging open the bathroom door, she faced her mother
“No,” she snapped, “everything is not alright. I’m sick and tired of your silly attempts to find me the ‘right’ man, when all I am to these people is some cheap novelty. I’m done. I’m going home. Right now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Angel,” Elizabeth chastised her. “That’s not how they see you at all. Now, why don’t you take a minute to calm down, then come back to the party?”
“Not happening,” Angel insisted, pushing past her mother and down the hallway. Her mother called after her, but Angel just tuned her out and kept walking.
Later that night, after a couple massive cheeseburgers and more fries than she could count, Angel sat on her couch, watching television. The news was on, the pretty blonde newscaster blabbing on about one thing or another. Her mind kept wandering, trying to figure out the mess that had become her life. At this point, the only thing she could think of that would improve things would be if she could get back to work. Then, she could at least have something to focus on, something to distract her from everything else. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like she’d be getting back to work any time soon.
A face flashed across the TV screen she recognized immediately: William Warner. Despite herself, Angel turned up the volume.
“Big news for the magical world in Waterloo today,” the newscaster began, “William Warner has been appointed First Witch for the Waterloo Coven. Mr. Warner will be taking his place as the Coven leader in the upcoming solstice. In other news, another strange attack has been reported in downtown Toronto, with the victim suffering from extreme blood loss. This is the third reported attack in as many months, and -”
Angel abruptly flipped the channel. Her mother was certain to bring up the news about William as soon as possible and launch into yet another tirade about how badly Angel had messed up that relationship. It wasn’t like she could help it that William was a pompous idiot with absolutely zero survival skills. If anything, the Warners should have thanked her for saving their precious son. Flipping through the channels, she tried to find something that would distract her long enough to forget her mess of a life. After a few clicks of the remote, she found a suitable program, some sort of reality show where a contestant was working his way through a bucket of worms to try and win money. It turned her stomach a little, but it was a welcome change, at least for now.
Chapter 5
Caleb wasn’t sure if it was his brother’s enthusiasm or the amount of alcohol he’d consumed, but by the second bar of the evening, he was feeling pretty good. A large number of single wolves - both male and female - had come along and were taking up the majority of the tables in the small, dimly lit bar. A live band was playing near the back, and mediocre covers of popular country songs drifted through the air.
“Didn’t I tell you this would be fun?” Ryan asked as he returned to the table with a couple beers.
“You did,” Caleb admitted.
“And?” Ryan prompted.
“I’m having fun,” Caleb allowed, grabbing a beer and taking a long swallow.
“Of course you are!” Ryan beamed proudly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ethan grumbled from Caleb’s right, “we get it, you were right, just like you were right at the last place. Now quit your bragging and drink your beer.”
Caleb laughed as the smile slid from his brother’s face, to be replaced by what could only be described as a sad pout. Glancing around the bar, Caleb saw a number of female pack members he’d slept with in the past. Several of them looked his way and smiled seductively, but only one actu
ally approached him. Sadie was a lovely, tall, blonde wolf with amazing legs. Tonight, she was wearing a tiny skirt that barely covered her ass and a tank top at least two sizes too small for her. They’d had fun together in the past; Sadie was always up for a romp, and she was definitely attractive.
“Alpha,” she greeted him formally but ran her red-painted fingernails up his bare forearm at the same time.
“Hello, Sadie,” he replied. “How are you tonight?”
“Oh, I’m just fine,” she purred, leaning forward slightly to give him a better view of her cleavage. “But I could use a little company. You wanna dance?”
Caleb hesitated, but Ryan took that moment to interfere. “Of course he would,” he insisted, pushing his older brother towards the she-wolf.
Sadie wrapped her arm around his and led him towards the dance floor, while Caleb flipped off Ryan behind her back. Sadie pulled him to the center of the open space occupied by other dancing couples, enticingly swaying her hips. Caleb let her take the lead, moving his body in time with the music, but something still felt wrong. He couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to dance with Angel.
“What’s the matter?” Sadie asked a few minutes later, sensing his distraction.
“Uh, nothing,” Caleb answered quickly, “just thinking.”
“About what?” Sadie asked, suggestively trailing a fingernail down his chest.
“Nothing in particular,” Caleb said.
“Well, maybe I can change that,” Sadie replied, taking his hand and leading him to the back hallway of the bar.
It was dark and relatively deserted, and Sadie backed up against the wall, pulling him against her. Her lips went to his neck, licking and nibbling her way up to his ear. Caleb rested his hand on her hips, trying to focus on Sadie, but images of a tough little witch with green eyes danced through his head. When Sadie’s lips found his, Caleb’s wolf angrily shouted at him.
No! the beast insisted, causing Caleb to break the kiss and step away from her. Sadie looked up at him, confusion in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he told her, “I have to go.” Before she could protest, Caleb moved out of the hallway and headed towards the table where Ryan and the others still sat.
“Back so soon?” Ryan quipped as Caleb grabbed a beer and took a long swallow.
“Shut up,” Caleb warned.
“Oooh,” Ryan continued, “Sadie looks pissed. What happened, stage fright?”
“I said shut up!” Caleb growled at his brother, and the other males at the table slowly backed away, not wanting to get between the two of them. Ryan raised his hands defensively.
“Sorry!” Ryan apologized. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It was just a joke.”
“Just drop it, okay?” Caleb said, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
“You got it,” Ryan said. The two sat in silence for a moment before Ryan spoke again. “You alright, Caleb?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Caleb replied, sighing deeply and finishing his beer.
“You want to talk about it?”
Caleb paused before answering. How could he explain his feelings for Angel to his brother when he didn’t even understand them himself? The little witch had wriggled her way into his head, then disappeared, leaving him lost and confused. It was beyond frustrating, especially when his own wolf couldn’t help clear things up. His animal side wanted Angel, that much was clear, but was it just curiosity, or was it something else? Thankfully, he was saved from having to answer Ryan’s question when his phone rang; the Caller ID flashed “Wyatt” on the screen.
Caleb hit the “Answer” button. “What’s up?” he asked.
“It’s Sarah,” Wyatt replied, “she’s gone into labor.”
“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” Caleb assured him, hanging up the phone and turning to Ryan. Thanks to their enhanced hearing, his brother had heard everything and was already throwing down a couple bills to cover their tab.
“About damn time,” Ryan said, grinning widely.
Chapter 6
The phone woke Angel with a start, rousing her from incoherent dreams about wolves and turkeys. It took her a minute to process what was going on, then she grabbed at the handset.
“Hello?” she mumbled into the mouthpiece.
“Angel?” Caleb’s voice came through the line, jolting her from half-asleep to wide-awake instantly.
“Uh, yeah,” she croaked out, cursing herself for not checking the Caller ID.
“It’s Sarah,” Caleb told her, “she’s gone into labor.”
“I’m on my way,” Angel replied, jumping out of bed and searching for a pair of reasonably clean pants. “Gimme twenty minutes.”
“Okay,” Caleb replied, and when it seemed like he was about to say more, she hung up the phone.
After finding some clean clothes and throwing them on, Angel grabbed her purse, fishing out her car keys as she tore through the house and out the front door. Twenty minutes later, Angel pulled up to the main house of the pack compound, grateful very little traffic was on the roads at 3am. Ethan met her at the front door.
“Just in time for all the fun,” Ethan told her, gesturing up the stairs. Angel strode quickly down the familiar hallway, pausing a moment before knocking on the last door on the right. Ryan answered the door a moment later.
“Angel,” Ryan greeted.
“How is she?” Angel asked.
“Doing well so far,” Ryan said. “Come on in.”
The outer room was empty, but sandwiches, snacks, and coffee were set out on the kitchen table. The doors to the bedroom were open, and Angel could hear soft voices coming from inside. Caleb’s voice was easily distinguished from the others, and for a moment Angel was frozen in place; part of her was terrified to see him after ignoring him for so long, and part of her was thrilled to see him again. Shaking herself slightly, Angel squared her shoulders, blocked out her wolf as much as possible, and strode into the room. Sara was on the bed, propped up with a large stack of pillows, eyes closed while focusing on her breathing. Wyatt sat on the bed to her right, holding her hand tightly and whispering encouraging words. Caleb sat in a chair to her left, looking a little out of place at the moment. He looked up as she entered the room, and hope flashed across his face, quickly replaced by an overly polite smile.
“Angel,” he greeted. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Angel lied, giving an equally polite smile.
“You’re both awful liars,” Sara said, opening her eyes and pinning first Caleb, then Angel with an exasperated look. Unfortunately, it was ruined when she winced in pain.
“Has the doctor seen her yet?” Angel asked.
“Yes,” Wyatt answered. “He said she’s still a few hours away from giving birth. He said to try and keep her relaxed and he’ll be back in an hour or so to check in.”
“Ow,” Sara complained, “this hurts.”
“Angel, do you think you could help?” Wyatt asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Angel replied. Skirting around Caleb’s chair, she sat on the bed to Sara’s left, scooting close to the she-wolf. She then wrapped one arm around her shoulders and rested the other hand on Sara’s large belly. “Sara,” she spoke softly, waiting for the wolf to open her eyes, “are you ready?”
Sara nodded gently.
“Go for it,” she said.
For several months now, Sara had been encouraging Angel to practice using her magic on wolves. Most of the time, Wyatt had ended up the test subject, since he didn’t want anyone practicing on Sara, and Angel had completely agreed with him on that point. Luckily, it turned out Angel had no problem working magic on wolves anymore. Whether that was because of the blood magic she’d acquired from Caleb and Ryan or her own genetics helping out, Angel couldn’t be sure. Either way, it meant Angel would be able to use her magic to help Sara through the delivery process. Since most drugs didn’t work on them, natural birth was pretty much the only option female wolves had, but with a few simple spe
lls, Angel would be able to keep Sara relaxed and reduce her pain. Focusing her magic, Angel released a small wave of magic into Sara that basically acted like a mild sedative and painkiller. Within minutes, Sara was breathing deeply and lying back on the pillows, much more relaxed than she’d been before.
“Thank you,” Wyatt said.
“No problem,” Angel replied, smiling at him.
Over the past few months, she’d grown to like Wyatt a lot. He was fiercely protective of his Mate, loyal to a fault, and surprisingly, he had a great sense of humor. While Sara had decided early on Angel was going to be her friend, it had taken a little longer to get there with Wyatt, but it was certainly a friendship worth waiting for.
“Now what?” Ryan asked, strolling into the room with a ham sandwich in one hand and a very large cookie in the other.
“Now we wait,” Caleb told him.
The doctor, a middle-aged male wolf with graying red hair named O’Hare, returned about an hour later, pleased with how Sara’s labor was progressing. He encouraged her to get up and try walking around, suggesting it might help move things along. Together, Wyatt and Ryan maneuvered her to her feet, and Sara began making slow laps around the room. Angel stayed close by, ready to provide magical assistance whenever she was needed.
Burned: Wild Magic Book 2 Page 2