Page 31 of Castings & Curses

“That’s what I thought,” Sal said. “So come on, fess up. What’s your deal, Corwin?”

Before Corwin could even decide whether he wanted to share, a white blur leapt onto the table and raced past, sending Corwin’s beer flying.

Only his quick reflexes saved him.

He managed to bat the cup away, which sent the beer cascading over the table and onto the empty bench beside him.

Better than his lap, he supposed, except now he had no beer and the pack was showing no signs of letting up on their interrogation.

“Yes, fess up.” Mallory stepped up to the picnic table, eyed the beer that was dripping from the table and bench, then walked around to the opposite side and settled next to her mate, Warren.

This pack had no concept of privacy.

Didn’t they realize Corwin had retreated there to brood?Alone?

Of course, they did. Didn’t change a thing, though, considering they were all practically salivating to know what had come over him during thewitch-thingy.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to share, Mallory,” Warren said, probably just to get on her nerves since for some idiotic reason, they loved giving each other shit.

Mallory’s response was simply an elbow to Warren’s gut and an expectant look on her face as she faced Corwin. “Well?”

He sighed.

They’d find out about it eventually, so he might as well admit how badly he’d fucked up.

“I found my mate.”

Smiles broke out across his fellow packmembers’ faces.

“But that’s great, Corwin!” Mallory exclaimed.

“Not really,” he said glumly.

A flash of white had him dodging to the left and the cat that had been aimed at the back of his head sailed over his shoulder.

Somehow the demon cat twisted her body mid-air and managed to score a line across his right cheek as she landed on the table.

She didn’t even hesitate before launching herself again, this time straight at his face, claws fully extended.

Corwin let out a shout and jerked back, falling completely off the bench.

He lay there, stunned, staring up at the white demon-cat who sat smugly on the picnic table, staring down at him.

That’s when he realized his entire pack was laughing so hard, some of them were on the ground with him.

“The look on your face,” Sal howled, rolling back and forth on the ground. “Tell me someone got that on video.”

The worst part wasn’t even the fall backwards.

It was that Corwin now lay with his legs over the damn bench and his upper body on the ground, with no way to extricate himself gracefully. “Damn cat.” He started to pull himself up, but then froze when he realized exactly which part of him the cat was staring at.

He let out a growl of pure menace. “Don’t even think about it, you mangy furball. I’ll have you roasted over a fire pit in two point nine seconds.”

A loud gasp made him close his eyes in horror.

“What is wrong with you?”

Though he desperately wanted to avoid looking, he slowly opened his eyes to see Natalie standing over him, hands on hips. “You’re an ass and a bully.” She snatched up her cat and whirled away.

---