Page 11 of No Potions Needed

I nodded my consent, and a second later Mori sat down in front of me on the floor. His wolf’s eyes were out, and he looked contrite. I was a jackass more than a jaguar when I knocked him over. I knew that but there were rules about this and being nice to my true-mate was one of them.

“I didn’t know this would happen when that was said,” Mori said. “If I had, I’d never have said anything. I don’t know what I want in a true-mate. Not really and that’s part of what drives my sire crazy. It’s like I can’t even narrow it down but I don’t think it matters if I narrow it down or not because I’ve already picked him in the Other World. I know it’s hard right now. I know the true-mate response messes with everyone’s head but I don’t want to lose my friends because of it.”

Sighing, my jaguar relinquished his control and let me back out. My ears, tails, and whiskers stuck around as they sometimes did when he wasn’t sure how safe the world was. Safety was thousands of miles south of here. Well, except for when it stormed there.

“I shouldn’t have knocked you over, I’m sorry,” I said.

“It’s okay. No one got hurt,” Mori said. “Your carrier started talking about coming up here, but I convinced him that would only make things worse. If it’s a territorial issue, it’ll probably calm down after your claiming vows. I mean, this whole thing is probably the reason your family leads the pard. Not because you’re all assholes but because you act on those instincts that not everyone does and keeping an alpha alive long enough to make cubs with would’ve been very important at some times in history.”

I blushed and fought off the urge to kick Mori. This was one hundred and fifty percent not the time to talk about kittens. I glanced at Teddy who stood with one arm leaning against the dresser and both of his eyes on me. I wanted to climb him like a tree. Then I could eat Dern and inform everyone who we knew if they even looked at Teddy sideways I’d eviscerate them and use their finger bones as styluses for my tablet. There would be zero exceptions to that rule. He was mine and I’d keep him safe.

“You do know he’s a dragon, right?”Mori teased me over the pack link.

“Yes, yes. I know but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need protection. Look at his tattoo!”I nodded at his arm where his lotus tattoo was besmirched by one of the bullets.

“He has a better chance of surviving a gun shot than you,”Mori pointed out.

“I’ll call my ancestors to drag off all the people who would shoot him,”I said, feeling my jaguar’s fur rise on my legs again.

“How about not?” Mori laughed. “Can you calm him down or do I really need to leave? Hell, if even you can calm him down do you want me to leave?”

“What about Dern?” I asked.

“We can go if you really think it would help,” Teddy answered before Mori had a chance to speak.

“It would. Well, would’ve beforehand. I don’t think it’s a good idea right now, though, Teddy. I think Ni might eat him for shooting you,” Mori sighed.

Teddy smirked and Mori rolled his eyes.

“You two deserve each other,” Mori laughed.

“What? That would totally be hot, Mori, and you know it!” Teddy laughed and the sound wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

“I have an idea,” Mori said. “What if I leave for now? Go take a shower or something for a few hours and then we can meet up around dinner time if you two feel up to it?”

“That works for me, if it’s good for you,” Teddy glanced at me.

“Okay. I don’t want you to feel chased off, though,” I said to Mori.

“I don’t. This is the way things are supposed to go. I’m sorry but I’m not into watching live action pornography, okay?” Mori laughed.

“Good because he’s mine,” I said, and I meant it but managed to laugh too.

I hugged Mori before he left and let Teddy hug him too. It wasn’t infidelity that worried me. Teddy smelled sad and melancholy enough all up close and personal as we had been. No one else needed to make him sad and no would else would get by with it on my watch.

Chapter Six

Mori

I hadn’t totally lied to my friends. I did stop and take a shower before leaving and hailing a taxi back to the old folks’ home. The roads were still wet, and a few trees were down here and there. I didn’t feel like hoofing it through that mess and the Appalachian Taxi Service was surprisingly affordable. Dern might not tell me his biography, but I was sure he’d have something to say about Ni and Teddy’s mating response. The son of a bitch probably knew it would happen and that was the reason he dug his heels in so hard about waiting for Teddy. He wasn’t the first older seer who did things that way and I had a feeling getting this story out of him was going to be a long, slow process even if he wanted it to be told.

“It’s the one thing keeping him on this side of the door, I bet,”my wolf chimed into my thoughts.“Ormund’s still around for him. So, he has no reason to hurry it up.”

The furry guy was probably right but this wasn’t the time to talk about that. Everyone had the right to die with dignity and in their own time. If Dern needed to draw it out, I’d let him. Now, I only needed him to be more forthcoming with me about all of it.

Rian waved to me and said something about he was glad they closed all the windows in time before the storm rolled in. My wolf was preoccupied with something he hadn’t considered before. Something I’d never ask Dern because it was selfish, but he had known who Astral’s true-mate was and probably that Teddy and Othoni belonged together. Did he know who my true-mate was too? Did he know when I’d crash into him?

“I’m not a psychic like that,” Dern said in lieu of hello when I walked into the room. “I take it by now your friends have met and nature is taking its course.”

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