Page 27 of Warrior Witch

Her dark hair fell across surprisingly delicate features, relaxed in a way that would have been endearing if she weren’t unconscious. As the wind changed direction, it brought with it a scent I was becoming very familiar with, even if it had been faint due to the distance I had imposed upon myself up to this point. She smelled like night-blooming flowers and the secrets of the moon. A combination that dulled my senses to the point of insanity while simultaneously drawing me in to meet my doom.

My primary objective had been deserted after her confrontation with the president of the MC. No longer interested in their destruction, my only goal had become the protection of my mate and her pack. A chosen family that had continued to grow while I watched from afar. Following Harlow had been an action I could justify as a way to isolate the club’s enforcer and extract information, but staying in the shadows, playing guardian angel, had been harder to reason my way out of. I just wanted to be close to her. This level of interference had never been in the plan.

Her eyelids fluttered, the movement pulling me out of my reverie as I drew close enough to touch her for the first time.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe,” I murmured, sliding my arms beneath her shoulders and knees, and hoisting her against my body.

Part of me hoped she would remain unconscious a little longer so I could avoid the awkward conversation about my nakedness, while the other half was desperate to hear her speak directly to me. To hold her attention for just a moment.

This deep in the woods, it was a risk to carry her all the way back to the road alone and in my human form. There were many things that stalked beneath the tree canopy that would happily make a meal out of the both of us, and I couldn’t trust my luck to hold that whatever attacked next would be easy enough to fight off and protect her at the same time. I’d been lucky with the wolf. I might not be able to manage it again, and losing her wasn’t an option. Instead, I turned my head toward the campsite I’d slept at the previous night, with a very surly gryphon for company.

The scent of wood fire reached me long before we arrived at the clearing where Hendrix sat on a camp chair, auburn curls obscuring his face as he stared at the ground between his knees. I made no effort to hide our approach, but he didn’t bother to lift his head until we were almost toe to toe.

“You should be careful. There are wolves out here, you know,” he murmured, eyeing my mate’s lax form.

A growl rolled over my tongue before I could swallow it, causing his gaze to flick to mine. “I know.”

A moment passed, each of us eyeing the other as I waited to see his reaction to my current situation. Wolves in general got a bad rap, and I couldn’t even blame people for it, considering one was responsible for what happened to my mate. Granted, there was a big difference between other wolves and raiju, but most people weren’t educated in the different species. I wanted Hendrix to like me. The funny thing was, he seemed to be more cautious of my human form than he was of my canine.

“What you got there?” he asked eventually, flicking his gaze back to my mate.

“She hit her head and lost consciousness. Do you have a first aid kit?”

He reached into the backpack and began unloading things. “Lay her down. I’ll take a look at what we’re dealing with here.”

Another growl snuck out, and heat rose in my cheeks at the possessiveness in the sound. It was definitely something I’d have to work on. Witches were renowned for having multiple mates, and as much as the idea of sharing made me want to tear shit up, the man in me recognized the benefits of having multiple men to keep her safe and happy.

“Easy there, Fido. I’m dealing with your literal swinging dick here. Don’t make me put up with the metaphorical one, too.”

I snorted. “I’m comfortable with my sexuality, and how the hell are you so prudish when you’re a shifter?”

“I can keep my clothing on with my shift, thank you very much. I’m civilized like that.”

Whatever.

Magic was freaking weird, and the idea of clothing disappearing and reappearing as a person shifted creeped me out. Seriously, where did it go? Would Hendrix cough up lint balls from his clothing being absorbed into his skin with a shift? Or did it hang above his form and somehow not get ripped to shreds like mine did if I wore it through the shift? My head hurt thinking about it.

“Please don’t burst a blood vessel thinking too hard. Make yourself useful and prop her up so I can see her head.”

Between us, we got her into position and confirmed that while a large, purpling lump was forming on the base of her skull, there was no wound to tend. It was as we were laying her out flat that her breathing hitched, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her brow furrowed. “Naked man?”

Oh shit. I cupped a hand over my cock and backed up a step to give her room, concerned for the first time that I should have at least tried to find some clothing. Unfortunately, my carry bag was somewhere back in the woods, abandoned the second I saw her in danger.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just a surprise to wake up to a strange penis in my face.”

The penis in question kicked in response to her attention, and I subtly tried to press it into submission. There would be plenty of time for them to be acquainted in the future, preferably when she hadn’t just regained consciousness.

Hendrix’s deep chuckle stole her attention, and I tried to hide the way my lip wanted to curl in warning. Hendrix was a friend. Kind of. He’d helped me. More importantly, he’d helped her.

“It’s you.”

Okay, there was no part of me that liked the breathless awe that those two words held. Hendrix shifted back on his heels, flicking a quick look at me before grunting and pushing to stand.

“He was worried about you. I’ll give you both some space.”

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