Page 73 of Of Flame and Fate

The young wolf shakes his head, his shaggy brown hair batting against his forehead and shoulders with how low he keeps his chin. “He says he wants to speak to your mate alone, or he won’t speak at all.”

I shrug. “All right.”

I start to follow when Gemini cuts in front of me. “Where are you going?”

“To speak to Johnny,” I reply. I try to inch around him only for him to sidestep in front of me.

“Really?” I ask.

“I know you think he’s an innocent kid. He’s not.”

“You don’t like him. I get it. That doesn’t mean I can’t talk to him.” I cross my arms when he doesn’t budge. “Gemini, he’s not a prisoner and you are not his warden. You heard the prez last night. We have no grounds to keep him.”

It was a hell of a conference call, lots of growling and yelling, mostly by Tye. Tye demands a duel between him and Johnny to determine his worth. The witches demanded Tye respect Johnny’s position within their kind, as they respect Celia and Omar. I don’t think daddykins appreciated the witches placing Celia’s importance before his, but ultimately, President Omar Gris de Leon ruled in favor of the wand-wavers, proclaiming Johnny is to be spared from harm at all costs.

“Babe,” I press. “We’ve kept him here long enough. If we continue to treat him like our enemy and captive, we’re no longer the good guys, and we risk offending the witches.”

I’m not the first person to rise in defense of the witches. But I’ve been a part of this world long enough to recognize insults to packs, clans, and / or covens aren’t easily dismissed by the species it offends. If anything it results in more distrust and paranoia.

Gemini scowls, more taken aback by the “bad guy” reference. “You know what I mean,” I stress. “Omar gave us until this afternoon to release Johnny. Let me talk to him while I still can. I’ll iron out the details of his departure and maybe get a better fix on him.”

“Fine, but I’m going with you. If he speaks, he speaks to us.”

Ever try to argue with a wolf? No? Lucky you.

I point at him. “Fine. But try not to be your growly self. You know I only like those sounds in bed.”

I strut out the door, passing the wolf who practically becomes one with the wall when Gemini steps into the hall.

Johnny was kept for the past week on the other side of the campus, as far away from Celia as Aric could manage without shoving him into a tent and handing him a marshmallow to roast. I saw him the other day when we took a walk, flanked closely by the pack of snarlingwereswho weren’t exactly making it a skip through the park.

Clouds loom over us as we step outside, turning the crisp mountain air colder. I huddle into the long cardigan sweater I pulled on following my shower. The sweater is warm and a lovely shade of “oatmeal”, very neutral like my jeans and white shirt, and very unlike the hot pink platforms I’m wearing.

Every woman needs color in her life, even a “weird girl” like me.

“Do you have to wear those?” Gemini asks. He keeps his stare ahead. “I assumed you learned your lesson the last time you chased Fate.”

“Hmm,” I say. “Are you trying to tell me he’ll outwit and outrun you wolves, and that it will be up to little ol’ me to catch him?” The collective scoffs from the wolves trailing us are telling enough. They’re in their human forms, not that they can’t tear something to shreds with their bare hands. “Then don’t worry about it,” I add. I wrap my arms around Gemini’s waist. “Besides, you don’t seem to mind the heels when I wear them to bed.”

A few wolves glance over their shoulder, trying not to chortle at Gemini’s beat red face. “Turn around,” I say. “This is a private conversation and considering you spend most of your lives naked and womanless, you have no room to judge.”

I adjust my hold over Gemini. “The cute shoes stay.”

He slips his arm around my shoulder. “I suppose it’s too much to ask for you to be practical.”

“In my world, fashion is more important.”

“In my world, footwear you can run in keeps you alive.”

“I can run in these,” I add, sounding insulted.

“Can you climb a tree in them?” the wolf beside me asks. He averts his gaze when Gemini narrows his eyes. I guess the wolf isn’t supposed to talk to me too soon after my being in bed with Gemini reference.

That doesn’t stop me from answering. “Why would I need to climb a tree?”

“To escape,” he mumbles, careful to keep his gaze off me. “You know danger. Human women have been known to do that.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not exactly human,” I remind him. “And if I’m in danger I’m not climbing a tree. I’m burning it and the whole damn forest down if I have to.”

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