Page 378 of Flirting with Darkness

“What?” I asked, my voice coming out a squeak as I tried to look at Cooper out of the side of my eye.

“Now Mary, don’t start. Honey, forgive your mother.” Their father patted me on the hand with a tight smile. “We know we sprung this mating arrangement on you and it is understandable,” he gave a pointed look at his wife, “that you would be upset with the news.”

I gave a nervous laugh and bided my time by taking a drink from the glass of water in front of me.

“A little upset?” Mary squawked and slammed her glass back on the table. “She’s been avoiding our calls ever since we announced it at the last full moon ceremony. The way she darted out of there before we could even introduce her to her mate’s parents.”

Cooper’s hand squeezed my thigh when I didn’t answer.

What the hell was I supposed to say? I don’t know where she went…

Cooper squeezed it even tighter until I winced.

“Are you okay, honey?” their father asked.

I cleared my throat and placed my hand on top of Cooper’s, digging my nails into his flesh until he let go. “Oh, I…I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun by my stomach bug.”

“Oh, honey, if you were sick why didn’t you tell one of us?” their father reached across the table and placed his hand on top of my free one. “One of us would have come and taken care of you.”

“I did,” Duke jumped in, his hand swinging out and knocking over a cup of water. It poured across the table and over the edge into my lap, ice cold water hit my thighs.

“Jesus H. Christ.” I jumped up out of my seat and waved at my lap as if that would make it less cold.

“Laurie Rose Fontaine,” Mary chastised with an appalled frown. “Since when do you take the Lord’s name in vain?”

Oh crap.

I patted my wet dress and gave an apologetic look. “Sorry, mom. It just slipped out. I’ve got to…” I shot a glance at the brothers and then spun on my heels and walked out.

I didn’t stop until the door of the restaurant closed behind me. I swiped at my dress and stomped my foot. The door opened behind me and a hot hand wrapped around the back of my neck, turning me around.

“Look, I’m sorry I just didn’t know what to say.” I came face to face with Jax. The burning hate in his gaze made my words die in my throat.

“You almost blew our cover in there,” Jax snarled, bringing his face close to mine. “Either you can do this job or you can’t. If you can’t, then get the fuck out of here.”

How dare he? I was the best damn shape shifting witch south of the Bible Belt and no low account wolf was going to make me feel bad about myself.

Glaring daggers back at him, I stepped into Jax’s personal space until there was no room between us and grabbed a handful of his balls. “Get your hands off of me, mutt.”

Jax snarled but released me, not without saying, “You’re on thin ice, witch. Don’t think that you’re going to get away with another trip up like that. I won’t let you ruin this for our pack.”

“Well, you and your pack can just go to hell,” I shoved at his chest and then swung around my purse hitting him on the turn.

Once I was far enough away from the restaurant I let the glamour fall with a sigh of relief. Cracking my neck, I rolled my shoulders and blew out a few deep breaths. This was it. I wasn’t going to put up with these wolf’s anymore. I could find the money to help my grandma some other way. I didn’t need to lower myself to this kind of debasement.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Cooper a few feet behind me. “Go away. I quit.”

“Now why would you do a thing like that?” Cooper’s long legs caught up to mine, putting us side by side.

“Because your brother is a dick,” I snapped and stomped harder down the street. There was a snap and the world started to tilt on its axle. Everything stopped when two hard arms wrapped around me.

I peered up at Cooper, my heart thudding in my chest. I didn’t know if it was from anger or from being so close to the werewolf holding me. I placed my hands on his biceps, ready to push away from him but he held me tight.

“Please wait,” Cooper murmured, holding me close. “You don’t understand how much we need you. I know my brothers can be a bit much.”

I scoffed.

---