Page 21 of Wedded Witch
“Hey, brother!” Sol calls out cheerily. “How’s it going? I heard some noise and thought I’d check on you.”
I scowl. “Don’t start with me. I’m in no mood for your games.”
Sol’s grin widens. “Ah, you’re still brooding over the new girl, aren’t you? Saw her name in the book. Swyn, wasn’t it? I saw she came in last night. Cute, huh?”
The name makes my stomach churn. It’s so unusual. “Yeah, she’s cute. But she’s not just ‘cute.’ She’s my fated mate. And now I’ve got to figure out how to handle that.”
Sol’s eyes widen in genuine surprise. “You’re kidding. She’s your?—?”
“Yeah,” I cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest of it. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you showing up as a dog and sniffing around her. What the hell were you thinking, Sol?”
Sol’s grin turns into a smirk. “Oh, come on. You know how it is. I just wanted to make her feel at home, give her a friendly welcome.”
I glare at him. “You should be sulking over the fact that she liked you in dog form and not in your actual form. I bet she’ll discover your fleas soon enough.”
Sol laughs, a playful twinkle in his eye. “Oh, you’re just jealous because I got to her first.”
Before I can retort, Kel comes striding in, looking every bit the part of the concerned brother. He catches sight of Sol and me and immediately senses the tension. Damn peacekeeper.
“What’s going on here?” he asks, arching an eyebrow.
“Nothing,” Sol says, his tone too nonchalant to be believable. “Just some brotherly banter.”
Kel’s gaze shifts between us, and I can tell he’s not buying it. “I’m pretty sure you two are talking about something more than just dog fleas.”
Kel’s perceptive. It’s one of his strengths, but right now, it’s just making things more complicated. I can see him piecing together that the new girl, this…Swyn, is the centre of this conflict.
“We were just—” I start, but Sol cuts me off, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“Ri’s just grumpy because he thinks he’s got a claim on that new chick,” Sol teases. “But it’s nothing serious.”
Kel’s eyes narrow slightly as he studies me. “You saw her first, huh? I believeI’mthe one who checked her in last night, so if anyone has a claim, it’s me… Well, I guess it’s a good thing we all get along so well. We wouldn’t want to be fighting over a lady.”
I know Kel’s being sarcastic, but there’s a thread of seriousness beneath his words. “Yeah, well, I’m going to make sure she knows I’m interested,” I say, my voice firm, even as I wonder how to do it after being such a douche. “I’m going to make her my mate, and you two need to stay away from her.”
Sol raises an eyebrow. “Oh, really? And what if she doesn’t like the idea of being ‘claimed’?”
“Then I’ll deal with that when it happens,” I snap, trying to hide my uncertainty. “But she’s mine, and that’s final.”
Kel’s gaze is thoughtful, but he doesn’t press further.
As the conversation winds down, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in way over my head. I know I’m being possessive and unreasonable, but it’s hard to ignore the primal urge to claim what’s mine.
The thought of Swyn being with someone else—whether it’s one of my brothers or anyone else—drives me mad with jealousy.
Once Kel and Sol leave, I sit alone at the desk, my mind racing. I’ve got a mate to claim, a town to protect, and brothers who are probably not as excited about this as I am. I know I’m making mistakes, but I can’t back down now. Not when she’s so close and everything feels so right.
SWYN
It’san hour later when there’s a knock on my door. I’ve showered and calmed down a little, but my pulse quickens at the unexpected sound. I wasn’t expecting anyone.
My mind races.Shit. What if it’s my family? What if it’s my husband?
I can’t breathe for a moment, a tight knot forming in my chest. They couldn’t have found me this quickly, could they? Every instinct I have tells me to be cautious, but I can’t just ignore it.
My body moves on autopilot as I quickly check my reflection in the mirror, brushing down my clothes, and flicking my damp hair over my shoulder.Calm. You have to look calm.
With a steadying breath, I stride to the door, pull it open, and—freeze.