Page 39 of Fractured Mates
The blonde gives Sophie another onceover. “Pity. Let me know if you change your mind.”
She winks in return, takes her drink, then heads back toward our table while I openly gape at her, wondering under which circumstances the blonde would have had a chance and trying not to picture more than I should.
“Oh, put your tongue back in your mouth, dog,” she teases, keeping her voice low. “She never had a chance with me. I just needed to see if my senses were still spot on.” Sophie sits a little taller in her seat. “Clearly, they are, which means you’re going after the redhead. She’s going to be the easiest to get the cloaking spells from.”
“Right,” I say slowly, then I quiet my voice. “And you’re sure the redhead wouldn’t prefer you over me?”
“Positive. While you were watching me, she was watching you.”
My eyes flick toward the bar and as soon as they do, I find the redhead looking at me. She quickly averts her gaze, takes a long pull of her fruity cocktail, then excuses herself to use the bathroom.
“Go shoot your shot, lover boy,” Sophie teases. “And don’t miss. I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
“Are you implying?—”
“That you should do whatever you have to in order to get the cloaking spells?” she finishes for me and not for the first time. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”
When I stand, I know I’m about to regret ever taking this job, but there’s nothing I can do now. Sophie is mine. She’s…
Holy shit. I nearly stumble as I make my way across the bar, and it takes every bit of strength within me to remain standing. I’ve just called this woman mine.
I knew this morning that I’m drawn to her, and because of my wolf that she’s our second chance mate, but to call another mine? I expect the thought to, I don’t know, hurt, feel wrong, seem like a betrayal… Yet, the more I consider the truth in the words, the more right everything within my world becomes.
Sophie might not be mine for all eternity, but she can be for this lifetime. And I can be hers.
Continuing with the mission, I follow the redhead down the hallway that Sophie earlier said leads to the restrooms. The second I turn the corner, out of sight from any of the other patrons, I’m pushed against a wall and there are nails lightly scraping over my cheeks, then down my neck.
“I knew you’d follow me,” the redhead’s sultry voice whispers. “I’ve seen you staring all night.”
So much for this one being docile and easy to manipulate.
Her body presses against mine, and my wolf growls so loudly that the sounds escape from between my lips, but the witch only takes that as encouragement.
“That’s right, Wolfy,” she purrs. “I can take care of you like no one ever has.”
Her hands start moving down my chest, but I grab her wrists, halting any touching she intends on doing. Sophie was clear that I needed to seduce this witch into giving us the cloaking spells, but the thought of this redhead touching me is not worth getting what we want. We’ll find another way.
Except before I can put an end to things on my own, Sophie appears behind the woman with a knife in her hand, pressing the blade to the witch’s throat.
“Touch him again and I’ll cut your vocal cords out,” Sophie hisses menacingly, and I can’t stop the grin from appearing on my face.
Especially when I see the slits in her eyes, telling me that it’s not just Sophie’s jealousy showing, it’s also her wolf’s.
The redhead’s hand lifts from my chest. “I thought you said he was just your friend.”
“I lied,” Sophie growls. “Now, give us two cloaking spells for the inconvenience of your presence and I just might let you live.”
“My sisters would hunt you down if you harmed me,” the witch threatens, but while she’s bold enough to put hands on me, she’s not frightening either of us with her words.
“And they would meet the same fate as you if they did,” Sophie says without missing a beat. “Now, the cloaking spells.”
The witch reaches inside her jacket, and I tense, expecting her to fight back, but instead, she retrieves two small vials filled with clear liquid. “I’ll need to conjure it. I don’t just keep this shit on me.”
The disdain in her voice isn’t missed, but still, Sophie doesn’t remove the knife from the witch’s neck.
“Do it quickly,” I advise. “You won’t see us again.”
She chuckles darkly. “That’s what you hope.”