Page 32 of Doubly Bound

Chapter 10

“Sit here, love.” Callan led Sage into the office he shared with Landry by her hand. He pulled out a chair at the long conference table that sat in front of the glass panel that served as a wall and window to the outside world, much like the rest of their beach home.

“Thank you.” She gave him a small smile, but he knew she was nervous.

The Dragon inside him bristled and scratched. He did not like any situation where his mate was less than happy, but this was a necessary evil. Witches were good or bad, as was true with most sentient beings. Shifters had a long history of mistrust with their kind, but he had been assured by the most honest people he knew that the Coven Realta was above the kinds of misdeeds he’d been worried about. Looking at his nervous mate, he could see he’d been misled.

She is ours, Callan. It does not matter how she got here, Landry insisted through their telepathic link.

Aye, that she is. But we must find out what went wrong and stop it before something else happens. We have three more weekends planned, and I won’t have other mistakes or mishandling. We could have lost her, and that is unacceptable.

“So, how many of your Alpha pairs found mates this weekend?” Sage interrupted both men’s thoughts.

“What?”

“Well, surely you are using math to help narrow down the probabilities of them finding their fated mates, right? Even with the whole magic thingy? And you mentioned this is only the first of many weekends to come? So how are they deciding who should come which weekend?”

“Here, this is a system we worked out with the Coven representative.” Landry smirked and handed Sage a tablet.

While he explained the numbers they were dealing with, Callan looked out the window. Dragons had something akin to hawk-like vision, only much stronger. He saw the Witch’s entourage heading toward them, up the same hidden road they’d rode in on only minutes prior.

“How did you say you learned of Moongate Island?”

“What?” Her head snapped up from the spreadsheets she was looking at. “Oh. A co-worker told me.”

“I see. Her name?”

“Mildred DiBenedetto, but why—”

Sage’s question was interrupted when the doors to the office opened. Standing there was Ashley White. The Witch he’d been dealing with from the Coven. Callan was not interested in her before he’d met Sage, but now that he had his mate, he saw the woman for what she was. A phony.

“Hello, Alpha McGregor. My, you look fine today.” She grinned, ignoring his partner and mate.

Indeed, the woman seemed to only have eyes for him. Something that was not missed by Landry or Sage, both of whom were seething. He felt their fury through their link, and he hoped to convey his purpose back to them. Patience was a virtue, and even an old Dragon knew what he was doing now and then.

“Ms. White.” He greeted her with a smile that belied his true feelings.

“I trust you are well,” she purred, standing far too close for his liking. “I have to say, I was thrilled you asked for this meeting in person.”

“Were you now?”

“Maybe you are ready to take me up on my offer?”

“Yes, strange that, your offer,” he mused. “I recall you wanted me to provide you with blood samples, mine and Landry’s, for the sake of finding our mate.”

“Um, yes. I did ask that, and maybe you considered my other offer as well?” She smiled widely.

“It is strange because blood magic is not condoned by practitioners of White Magic, as the Coven Realta proports to be,” Callan growled. His brogue grew thick as his anger rose.

“Well, um—”

“Do not trouble yourself for an answer. It was more statement than question. You will be pleased to know we have found our mate without your blasted magic—”

“What?” The woman pivoted.

Her eyes went straight to where Sage sat, still looking over the numbers on the tablet. If not for Landry blocking her with his body, Callan would have done the same. As it was, he was trying to rein in his fury at the conniving female.

“How? This is impossible,” she yelled.

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