Hunt Mates

by Mary Hughes

  Emma shivered as if she’d felt even the small bit of magic the talisman released. She was something. He really wanted to get to know her better. If only he could tell her he was a witch. He wished like buttered hell he’d never heard of the Witch’s Council taboo.

  A yellow dot appeared on a map of the city, heading rapidly east…and suddenly winked out.

  “What does that mean?” Emma breathed.

  It meant the witch had somehow countered or blinded his psychic eyes. “The thief found—and neutralized—both my tracers. Scrambled eggs and damn. Now how will we catch him?”

  While in one way it was good the witch hadn’t been royalty—there’d have been more power flung around and Emma might have gotten hurt—in another, it was very bad.

  The number of royals was small, and Gabriel knew most of them. He’d have had at least a chance of identifying the thief.

  Masked and gloved, the pool of potentials in the thousands? No way.

  The only thing Gabriel could say for sure was the thief wasn’t Emma or himself.

  Although—terrifying thought—there was a real possibility the witch knew Gabriel was a mage, too. Even though he took great care to hide his magic and power, he hadn’t always been so discreet.

  Right now, the thief held all the cards.

  * * *

  “Scrambled eggs and damn. Now how will we catch him?”

  Emma stood beside Dr. Light, her tummy shimmying from his nearness, his heat, size, and male beauty, and suddenly realized she knew the answer to that question.

  How will we catch him? I smelled him. I can identify him because I know his scent.

  The sheer joy rushing through her at the thought, I can help Gabriel Light, the giddy, dizzy need to help him, threw her.

  She’d smelled rancid beef that first day here, in the office, but hadn’t thought anything more of it. Then she’d sensed it at the crime scene, but passed it off as someone’s lunch.

  But tonight, she smelled spoiled meat in the air the witch had whipped up. It was all too apparent the smell belonged to the thief.

  And since she’d also smelled it when Omniss had gotten her arrested…

  She opened her mouth to name him.

  Another thought hit her. She slowly closed her lips and played it out in her mind.

  “Dr. Light, I can name the thief. It’s Mr. Omniss.”

  “How do you know?”

  What could she say to that? Anything she named, he’d be able to verify.

  “I saw a unique ring.”

  “I don’t see any ring.”

  “I heard a pattern in his voice.”

  “I heard his voice too. No way anyone could tell that rasp was Omniss.”

  “I smelled him…”

  “I don’t smell anything. How can you?”

  No, the only way they could arrest Omniss was if Dr. Light took her on faith.

  He’d never do that. Even her own family didn’t just take her word for anything. How could a man she just met?

  She wrapped her arms around herself—and felt the comforting weight of her new emergency bracelet.

  She sighed. Since her father died and the Bloodfang debacle, she’d felt so alone. Then she’d waited with Dr. Light. Talked with him. Laughed with him.

  Put on his bracelet.

  Tell him. Tell him Omniss is the thief.

  He won’t believe me. Not without proof.

  Her arms loosened and fell. And there was that bracelet, rolling down her wrist. A commitment to help her. His commitment.

  Of all the people she knew, Dr. Light was the only one who might actually take her at her word.

  If she trusted him.

  It scared her. But she had to try. I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but I’m asking you to. I know the thief is Omniss.

  She opened her mouth again to tell him.

  A pounding started at the door.

  “Gabriel Light,” a man shouted. “Your security is worthless.”

  Emma exchanged a shocked glance with Dr. Light.

  It was Omniss.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Gabriel Light,” Omniss shouted. “Open up, now!”

  Dr. Light shoved the chair back with an angry jerk, rose, and strode to the door.

  Omniss is here. Emma flushed cold with doubt. Was she wrong? Was he not the thief?

  Or was he returning to the scene of the crime?

  She shifted her weight to her toes. “Dr. Light,” she whispered urgently. “I have something to tell you. The thief is…”

  Unlocking the door, he turned to her.

  The door burst open and Omniss stalked triumphantly through…a scent of spoiled meat wafting before him.

  Emma did the only thing she could. She met Dr. Light’s gaze and nodded significantly toward the insurance adjuster.

  Dr. Light frowned. Then his eyes widened slightly. He glanced at Omniss, his eyes returning immediately to hers, one brow quirked in a, “No.”

  Just to be sure, she inhaled. Definitely a mix of testosterone and rancid beef radiating from the insurance adjuster.

  She nodded at Dr. Light. “Yes.”

  Dr. Light’s gaze turned to Omniss and narrowed.

  He believes me. Her whole being expanded with surprise and gratitude.

  “It’s pathetically easy to get in after hours,” Omniss was saying. “I hid here tonight to prove it. Your supervisor locked up, never noticing I was here. Alone in the store, I could’ve stolen anything. I’m denying the original insurance claim, Light. And it’s your fault.” He almost chortled it.

  “Anybody ever tell you gloating is unattractive?” Dr. Light drawled, sauntering nearer to the man.

  Panic flared in Emma’s breast. Omniss was a witch. If Dr. Light tried to take him down, he might get hurt.

  She gauged their positions. Omniss stood in front of Dr. Light’s desk. She and Dr. Light made a V with the witch at the bottom. Emma was maybe two steps away, Dr. Light maybe three, but with Gabriel Light’s long legs, probably two steps for him.

  “You can, of course, appeal my decision,” Omniss was saying. “Even if the fools at the home office overturn my decision, it’ll take them months and months to work the claim through the system. Even years.”

  Emma could surprise Omniss, jump on his back and take him down, if Dr. Light distracted the witch.

  Yes, Omniss was a witch, but she was an iota wolf. Though mostly small and weak compared to alphas and betas, she was still stronger than a human, and if she could catch him before he could use his magic, she was stronger than a witch.

  All she had to do was surprise him.

  All Dr. Light had to do was distract him.

  The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. Besides taking Omniss down, Dr. Light wouldn’t try to be the hero if he was busy distracting the witch.

  She caught Dr. Light’s eye. Mouthed, “Distract him.” She made tiny gestures with her hand as if she was throwing a pebble into the corner of the room.

  Dr. Light’s eyes widened slightly. The smallest of nods.

  “So if I were you, Gabriel Light,” Omniss laughed, “I’d just take my lumps.”

  She held up a hand, turning slightly so that Omniss didn’t see it. Three fingers.

  Two fingers. One.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gabriel decided Emma was brilliant, so brilliant that he loved her.

  She not only had identified Omniss as their thief, she realized he was a witch, and therefore dangerous.

  Gabriel knew what she was planning. She wanted him to distract Omniss so she could attack the witch by surprise. And, if Gabriel were a normal man, that might even be the best plan for success.

  But Gabriel was no normal man—he was a battle mage. As Emma folded down fingers, counting off, he took a step toward his desk.

  Omniss saw him coming and frowned.

  Gabriel reached deliberately toward his half-eaten dinner, bagel sitting in its paper wrap, open coffee cold besid
e it. As if he’d been unnerved enough by the man’s threats to need to either comfort eat or clean.

  Emma folded the last finger down.

  Gabriel pretended to stumble into his desk. The cup of coffee knocked hard, splashing liquid up and out—and onto Omniss.

  Gotcha.

  As the other witch sputtered and slapped at his shirt, Gabriel said, “Sorry. That’ll stain. Let me help.”

  Emma, beyond Omniss, flashed Gabriel a big smile. She thought this was his distraction.

  But wait, he thought. There’s more.

  He put the flat of his hand to Omniss’s chest. The man was an air witch, but as a wizard prince, Gabriel could use any element to augment his magic.

  Emma leaped.

  The instant they were both distracted, Gabriel touched his free hand to a talisman on his belt.

  The talisman held a calming spell. He used it for customers who were so furious they couldn’t do anything but shout, calming them enough that he could discover what their issue was to solve it. But it normally sent its calming vibes through the air, and an air mage could neutralize its effect.

  Through water though, the thing was unstoppable.

  Gabriel slammed the spell through his body and pumped it through his hand into Omniss’s wet chest.

  Omniss shuddered, the Calm spell penetrating deeply. His eyes rolled back in his head just as Emma hit him from behind. Gabriel danced back and let her carry the man to the floor.

  “Nicely done,” he said.

  She wrestled Omniss’s wrists behind him, not getting at first that the man was asleep. “We need to tie him up. A gag would help, too.”

  “Right. I’ve got zip ties that will do for wrist restraint for now.” He went to his supply cabinet and grabbed a couple, marveling again at her quick thinking. Most witches needed their mouths and hands to cast spells or activate talismans. If Omniss had been awake, tying his hands and gagging him would be ninety-nine-percent proof against him casting spells.

  When he came around the desk, she’d turned Omniss onto his back and was peeling up his eyelids one at a time. “He’s unconscious. But I don’t think he has a concussion or stroke.”

  “Strange,” Gabriel said. “You didn’t hit him hard enough to hurt him. Maybe he fell on something.”

  He’d said it to reassure her that she wasn’t the cause, but he could see her quick brain pick up on it. Could see her consider the possibility that the witch had a hidden calming talisman, and when he fell, he’d activated it.

  Close enough.

  Gabriel zip-tied the man’s wrists together. He used the act, bending close, to cover activating another talisman—a truth talisman. When Omniss woke, they’d get his confession.

  The man’s lids soon fluttered open.

  Emma edged closer. Helping Omniss sit up, Gabriel could see she was readying herself to stop the witch from chanting a spell or snapping out a talisman activation command.

  But Omniss only sat there, body wavering a bit woozily.

  “Why?” Gabriel said. “Why’d you steal the Wrapphone?”

  Omniss turned a blank stare at him. “Stupid.”

  “Me?”

  “Stupid question. Stupid marks. Too easy.”

  Gabriel touched another talisman under his vest, a wake-up. “You stole the phone because it was easy?”

  The witch blinked, and lucidity returned to his eyes. He sneered, “Not just the phone. Jewelry, art, tech. The company insures it—putting the security details in the policy write-up.”

  His eyes widened, and his jaw snapped shut. He’d realized he’d been hit with a truth spell.

  Wouldn’t do him any good, though. Gabriel said, “You mean you skim insurance policies looking for small, high-end stuff that you can steal and sell?”

  Omniss’s jaw shuddered as he tried to keep silent. But he croaked, “For millions. Too easy. Even better, I go in afterward to do the investigation. Any mistakes, I can cover ’em up. Befuddle the police. Pin the blame.” Falling on Emma, his gaze momentarily blazed.

  Then that angry gaze came to Gabriel. “You.” He shook his head. “Gabriel Light, so smart. So powerful. I talked to some people, suggested they ship the prototype early, so you couldn’t put a physic…phsickick…damn.”

  Gabriel’s breath stopped, waiting for the words “So you couldn’t put a psychic eye on it.” Words that would reveal Gabriel was a witch, too.

  But Omniss only finished, “So you couldn’t bug it.”

  He let out a relieved sigh. His secret was still safe. “Well, you nearly fooled us. We thought because the security cable wasn’t cut, that it was an inside job. But you used some sort of tech to shake it open.” He knew the shaking was air magic, but the question would hopefully misdirect Emma and reinforce him being mundane.

  Lightly touching the Calm talisman again—it had a few more times before it would need recharging—he sent the other witch back to sleep. “Huh,” he said. “Must be narcoleptic.”

  As he hoped, Emma rose, dusting off her hands. “Well, I’m glad we have proof it isn’t me. I hope the police believe us when they come to take Mr. Omniss away. Um, as long as he’s sleeping, I think I’m going to go use the restroom.”

  “Good idea. I’ll stay here.”

  He knew where she was really going—someplace private to call the Witch’s Council. They were the only people equipped to incarcerate a witch, but she wouldn’t think Gabriel would know about it.

  In the meantime, he called Carol, told her they’d caught the thief and asked her to come in. Her being there would force the Council Enforcers, when they arrived, to pretend to be mundane police. From there, the charade would spin out, everybody treating everyone else as if they were mundane, all for Carol’s sake.

  His secret would be safe. More importantly, Emma would be safe.

  He’d have to give Carol a bonus for it. She wouldn’t know why, but that didn’t matter.

  * * *

  The next morning, Emma was facing product in the entertainment aisle when Dr. Light arrived.

  She no longer even had to turn to see him stride into the store proper. She could feel his big, comforting presence.

  “Everyone, gather ’round.” Carrying a full plastic shopping bag, he hopped up onto the platform where he’d spoken that first day. “Mr. Crandall. If you’d come here, please.” He waved at Brant.

  The gangly teen loped eagerly toward the platform, leaping up like a colt—bashing straight into Dr. Light. Only the man’s enormous strength kept them both from going down.

  Then Gabriel Light’s star-shot sea-blue eyes turned toward her. “Ms. Singer. If you’d join me on the stage.”

  Her heart began to thump. Hesitantly, she approached.

  “Come on, Emma.” Dr. Light gave her an encouraging smile. “If you can face Omniss, you can face this.” He reached toward her.

  Automatically, she put her hand in his. His palm engulfed her hand, the warmth and masculine power sending tremors shivering all the way to her belly. With a simple tug, he brought her flying onto the platform. Her belly swooped at the casual display of strength. Shockwaves of desire hit her sex, and her own scent turned distinctly musky. Her face heated. At least she knew a human Gabriel Light couldn’t smell it.

  “Today I want to present two people who have trained long and hard and have achieved the highest honor we can bestow.” He reached into the bag and drew out a folded stack in Choice Buy blue, a small rectangle lying on top of it. “Ms. Singer.” He handed the stack to her.

  She trembled, this time with hope. As he called Brant’s name and dug in the bag a second time, she looked at the rectangle.

  It read “Emma Singer—Techie Titan.”

  Her eyes itched with tears. She shook out the material to reveal an official Choice Buy polo shirt.

  As Dr. Light handed Brant his permanent shirt, badge, and emergency bracelet, he spoke to them both, but his gaze was on her.

  “You’re part of the team, now. We will always be here
to support you. If you have problems, we’re here to work things through with you. If you have joy, we’re here to share it and make it even more special. Mr. Crandall, Ms. Singer—welcome to my team.”

  Emma shook Dr. Light’s big, masculine hand, and she felt wanted, at last.

  The End

  Dear Reader,

  Thanks for reading! My greatest joy as an author comes from you joining me here in my book world. I hope you’ve found entertainment and pleasure in these pages for a time, and that you’ll come back and join me soon.

  ~Mary

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  A Request

  If you enjoyed this book, I’d really appreciate it if you’d take a moment to review it online. You can help prospective readers find new books to love by writing a few sentences about what you enjoyed.

  Thanks for taking the time to do a review!

  Want to know what happens when Gabriel’s scent-hiding talismans fail? Continue on for the first chapter from Mind Mates (Pull of the Moon book four), now available at your favorite store! Or why not start the series from the beginning? Prophecy Mates is on Kindle Unlimited now. Your favorite vendor is soon to follow.

  * * *

  Foreign words and other ideas used in this book:

  Vulgaris—ordinary. (Latin)

  1023 Megabyte—one byte short of a gigabyte, or gig. A bit is a single data storage unit either on (1) or off (0). A byte is eight bits. Currently (as of 2017) a megabyte is 1024 kilobytes, and a gigabyte, or gig, is 1024 megabytes. Not all manufacturers list their products using the base two values, though, and so a gigabyte might be one billion bytes. The International System of Quantities has standardized all bytes into base ten and established binary prefixes for the base two values, such as gibibyte. But then the joke doesn’t work.

  Shrödinger’s cat—Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment to demonstrate superposition, in quantum mechanics, an object being in two (or more) states until observation collapses into one of the possibilities. In this case a cat is in a steel chamber with a flask of poison and a bit of radioactive substance. The poison is released if an atom in the substance decays, which can happen at a random time. Quantum mechanics implies the cat is both alive and dead until the state is observed. Schrödinger meant the case to be a sarcastic comment on superposition.