Page 43 of The Worst Mate Ever

Madie’s worried blue eyes met mine, scanning me from head to toe.

“Don’t worry, Tinkerbell,” I chuckled. “I burned him good before he could touch me. No one was infected. We noticed the plan and prevented it.”

“Are they still trying to infect the coven, then? Are they trying to get in through the pack?” Madie asked in a hurry, her words tumbling out.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. If they wanted to only infect the coven, they could easily do so outside of the city limits. My aunt and uncle have a bar that houses a large portion of the coven. They could easily get to them without being noticed. Their target has more to do with Liberty and myself, I’m certain of it. Especially Tristan.”

“Does he want some kind of revenge over what happened to his face?” She asked the magic question.

All eyes fell on me as I nodded solemnly. “The moment my attack landed, I was struck with a vision. I saw him coming back for me. He doesn’t have the same agenda as Minerva, it just happens that working with her gives him the advantage of getting to me. He was a very vain wolf. His looks and his hair were his pride. I took that away. So, it’s his goal to take what’s important to me.”

“So then, why hasn’t he targeted the coven again?”

I balked at her question. We all did. Did she not see herself as something much more important to me than my position? Did she really not know her importance to my entire life?

“Because the coven, while important, isn’t what is most important to me, Madie.”

She frowned as she looked back up at me, her eyes questioned what else could hold importance, clearly not understanding her place in my life. Even after accepting our mateship, she still didn’t understand that she is what I hold most dear in this world.

“That’s enough,” Dad interrupted, silencing me before I could utter a word. “We need to understand what it is they are doing. The vampire is new, and personally, I don’t enjoy having the scent of death and decay around my pack. Did he say anything during his attack?”

“Not really,” Madie answered. “It seemed to me that he was looking for a hostage. He mentioned targeting me, but given that I often patrolled alone, I’m sure it only made me an easy target.”

“Or the only target,” I muttered under my breath, the words barely audible.

Madie glared at me, fire in her blue eyes. “I’m strong enough to protect myself, Brady. And I’m not the only one in the pack who takes their patrols by themselves. If you have something to say about it, then say it now.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said, frustration clear in my voice as I wearily rubbed my hand across my face.

She stood up suddenly, her nose inches from mine as a growl vibrated through her chest. “Just because we’re mates doesn’t mean you get to dictate how I conduct myself in my duties to the pack.”

I didn’t have a chance to respond to that, as she turned and left the room. All eyes were on me as I stood frozen in shock.

My mind raced over what had just happened, desperately searching for answers to the unknown cause. I pondered over my words, trying to understand what it was I said that had led her to this misunderstanding.

As I looked up around the room, I saw my mother’s eyes crinkle with amusement, her shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle her laughter. I was appalled to find her finding amusement to my distress. Throughout my life, she had been my closest confidant and unwaveringly supported me through all of my struggles. However, she seemed to take some twisted pleasure in witnessing the torment inflicted on me by my mate.

“Can we get back to business, please?” Dad asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “My flight leaves in the morning. I’d like to get some rest and relaxation before I have to go, but I can’t until we complete all the business here.”

I let out a defeated sigh as I sank into my seat. “Alright, but let’s make it quick. I need to go and find out what’s going on with Madie.”

Mom let out another snorted laugh as she pressed her hand harder against her lips. Dad and I both frowned at her as she attempted to collect herself.

“Sorry, don’t mind me. Just a bug in my throat.”

Dad smirked, but turned his attention back to me. “Do you recall anything about the vampire that can help us?”

I nodded. “He was the same from the visions I had. He had been with Minerva and Tristan in Montana to meet Hathor. He seems far more loyal to Minerva than Tristan is. As if he’s known the witch longer. Ricardo has confirmed his identity as John Thorne, former headmaster of the Pacific Academy.”

Dad turned to Ricardo, who was still nose deep in the book I brought. He seemed to have not even noticed the dramatic exit of my mate, his eyes scanning over the pages of the book as he turned one after another.

Edwardo cleared his throat before nudging his brother, the delta wolf jolting as he realized the attention now on him.

“Pardon me,” he said with a bowed head.

“Tell me about John Thorne,” dad said, disregarding the delta’s distraction.

Ricardo nodded quickly and cleared his throat. “There isn’t much to say on him in the book. He isn’t a pure vampire, he was changed. For an alpha vampire, he is young. No one quite knows or understands what happened to him. One moment, he was friends with shifters and witches alike. He valued the unity of all three beings living in harmony with one another. He was the perfect headmaster, until he wasn’t.”

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