Page 100 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

“Fresh. Better than I have in ages,” Charlotte replies warily.

“Good. There’s a spare set of clothes in the back room. Go change into them and leave what you have on there. I want to take a sample of the blood.”

As she nods and walks away, I say, “I’m already getting a sample collected and delivered to you, but with all the hocus pocus you’ve got around this place, I don’t know if my guy is going to be able to find it.”

Charlotte is already gone when I say the last part, and the way Ricky reacts to the phrase “hocus-pocus” confirms my suspicions.

He crosses his arms over his chest and studies me for a couple of long minutes. “It’s a necessary precaution. I don’t need people finding out what I am. But you seem to know.”

“Initially, I thought you were a warlock, but I’ve been studying up on the history of your kind, and now my guess is that you’re a witch. You are, aren’t you? Warlocks manifest their power from the dead while witches use nature.”

“Smart.” Ricky smiles coolly. “You are in my home, though, so if you plan to kill me, I can kill you in a hundred ways first, before you can even take a step.”

“I’m not looking to kill you,” I say flatly. “But I do want to know if you are allied with the vampires.”

“I’m not allied with anyone,” Ricky scoffs.

“But you have a vampire staff,” I point out.

Ricky gives me a disdainful look. “You can hardly call Charlotte a vampire. She’s not ruthless like them, or like your kind. She’s a gentle soul. Your kind and vampires consider those who are soft and gentle to be weak. Witches consider those to be powerful character traits. After everything Charlotte has suffered, there is still room in her heart for forgiveness. She is still capable of love. She’s a strong person.”

“How do you know what she’s been through?” I demand, on guard now.

Ricky merely smiles at me. “I have my ways. I have kept Charlotte safe for two years. I didn’t just appear in Portland on a whim. I came here for Charlotte.”

“What does that mean?” My brows knit together. “What do you want from Charlotte?”

“Nothing. I just came here to protect her.”

“From what?”

Ricky shrugs. “Anyone and everyone, Mr. Montgomery. Charlotte is very special. She is the anchor.”

“The what?”

His smile broadens. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.” I take a step forward, my voice threatening.

“I’m not obliged to explain anything to you,” Ricky replies, giving me a cool look. “I’m not answerable to you. You should focus on Charlotte. If you say the blood had a rotten smell to it, that can only mean one thing.”

My jaw hardens. “Poison?”

“Maybe.” Ricky’s expression has turned grim. “Until I have a sample to work with, I can’t know for sure, but it sounds more like her body rejected something. Check her blood supply.”

“What blood supply?” I blink.

The witch’s eyes narrow. “The blood bags. Charlotte may not be like the others, but she is still a vampire who needs blood to survive. She must be consuming at least one bag a week.”

“I’ve never seen her—”

“She won’t drink blood in front of you!” Ricky gives me a look filled with disbelief. “Go find the blood and smell it. If it’s tainted with something, you’ll be able to tell, and we’ll be able to figure out the source of this incident.”

I can hear a door opening, so I lower my voice, pretty sure Charlotte isn’t aware of Ricky’s true nature. “What if it isn’t the blood?”

The witch is silent for a moment, pondering my words. When he speaks, he’s wearing a strained look. “Then it’s as I suspect, and her body has rejected something. She doesn’t seem sick now, which means that this reaction was her body’s way of protecting her. Whatever it is, I’ll find it in the sample.”

Footsteps are approaching us as I say, hastily, “My assistant will drop off the one he is collecting. How long do you need?”

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