Page 19 of Moonlit Alexandrite

The foot traffic thickened as I moved closer to the water and the main shopping hub in town. The mate dilemma still held me in its grip, but there was one thing I knew for certain, despite my succubus’s fear.

“We’re going to try,” I said forcefully, startling the middle-aged man who happened to be in my line of sight. “Oh, I’m not talking to you. I’m just saying I have to give myself a shot at taking two guys at once.”

The man gave me a horrified look and quickened his pace.

“As mates,” I added belatedly. Too late, he was gone. “None of his business, anyway. Shouldn’t eavesdrop on others’ private conversations with themselves.”

It occurred to me that I had wandered almost all the way to the soon-to-be site of Crafty Seductions. A small smile kicked up my lip as I closed the distance, only to die a fiery death at the sight of bold, black spray-painted letters scrawled across the front door spelling out: ‘SLUT’.

I stared, uncomprehending, for a while.

Who would do that? Why?

With shaky hands, I pulled out my phone, texted an SOS message to Colbie, and sat on the curb to wait.

* * *

“She doesn’t liketo be touched all that much.” Colbie’s voice broke through my stupor at some point, just as a large, warm body lowered himself close to my side. He smelled faintly of paint, and the legs touching mine were still wearing those gray sweats.

“I really like those pants,” I mumbled as he reached a hand up and began stroking my hair in a soothing rhythm.

“They’re Ren’s. I hate clothing as a general rule,” Tase replied, and I caught the hint of a wicked smirk from the corner of my eye. That was it, though. He continued stroking, only speaking in response to direct questions until Stone arrived to investigate the vandalism. Colbie handled the statements as Tase and I sat.

There was something comforting about sitting there with him. Maybe it was the knowledge we were mates, maybe it was the soothing effect all horses seem to give off — although with the side-eyes he was receiving from Officer Stone, he clearly didn’t have that effect on everyone — maybe it was just because it was him. After a time, it occurred to me that someone was missing.

“Where’s Ren and Newt?”

“They stayed back at the gallery so Colbie could come. They’re fine, although Colbie will probably have a new accounting system set up by the time she gets back. Ren just can’t help himself.”

“Good with money, huh?”

Tase cocked his head for a moment, studying me in a way I couldn’t decipher.

“He’s the best. He knows how things work and once something is important to him, he won’t stop making adjustments until it’s seamless.”

The sound of Officer Stone snapping his notebook closed brought us out of our moment to find Colbie smirking down at us.

“We’re all done here, babes, I gotta get back to work. Tase, you got our girl?”

Tase surged to his feet and held out a hand to help me find my own. Stone grumbled a farewell and headed back to his motorbike while I stood awkwardly, realizing too late I had yet to release Tase’s fingers.

“Yeah, I got her.”

His words were for my friend, but his eyes never left mine. I cursed my pale skin as heat flooded my face.

“So you’re opening a craft shop?” he asked, gesturing vaguely toward my defaced front door.

“I didn’t tell you that the other night?”

He shook his head with a smile playing behind his short beard.

I could do this. I could get to know my mate. My succubus cringed at the word, but I pushed through.

“I have most of my things in our apartment at the moment, if you’d like to see?” It came out as a question, posed in a voice two octaves above my usual speaking pitch.

His eyes narrowed playfully as my blush crawled down my throat, causing me to shiver.

“Why, Lex, did you just invite me back to your place?”

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