Page 26 of Bewitched By the Werewolf
I’m pretty sure everyone within a mile of those two can smell their pheromones. There’s something more going on there than just infatuation. He seems drawn to her as a mate would be, acting possessive and protective. If his behavior at the bar is any indication. The desire must be intensified due to prolonged abstinence and proximity to the eclipse. She’s a human after all.Humans can’t be mates to shifters. Doesn’t mean they can’t be distracting and tempting.
Tess is tempting. Irritating and smart mouthed but tempting. Those red fucking lips that demanded my attention. They were like a beacon calling to me. Making me want things I shouldn’t. Following her into the forest this close to the blood moon was a mistake. I know the effect it has on all shifters, I’m no exception. If I’d have caught her, she would be mine, or I could have ripped her to shreds. Both things that can’t happen.
I make my way through the house listening for sounds of Hunter. I can’t let him see me like this. He’ll ask too many questions that I don’t want to answer right now, but I don’t hear anything. There’s no movement in the house. I don’t think he’s home yet. He must still be with Lottie. I like her, even for a human. It’s not like we can’t be with humans, I’ve shared a bed with plenty in my life. In my opinion, it’s not ideal to get involved with someone with a lifespan a third of our own. Not to mention the issues that arise if children get involved. He can have his fun, but it won’t end well when she starts to age and wrinkle, and he still looks thirty. No matter how they feel for each other. They’ll never be able to form a mate bond.
Hunter is my brother and my alpha, and he can do whatever he pleases. Who am I to give advice on dating? My track record isn’t exactly pristine.
Ignoring my brothers love life, and the broken porch column, I jog up the stairs to my room naked, leaving a faint dirt trail in my wake. First a shower, then fairy dust. I drop the still bloody bolt on my bathroom counter and step into the shower without testing the water. By the time it warms I’m already turning if off and wrapping a towel around my waist.
In front of the mirror, I lean in and inspect my wound, prodding it gently with my finger. It’s pink, tender, and angry. I go to my belt hanging on the chair in the corner and flip openthe leather satchel holding my bag of fairy dust to find it empty. Empty? I stick my fingers inside just to make sure it’s not a trick of the light. There’s nothing inside. The small drawstring bag of fairy dust isn’t there.
Figuring I must have taken it out for some reason, I begin searching my room. Opening drawers, checking pockets, under furniture, but nothing. The bag is nowhere to be found. The last time I checked it was yesterday morning when I got dressed for the day. I was too busy this morning and don’t remember if I checked it or not, so the last time I remember having it was when I was stalking Tess and then…Then the tricky little minx bumped into me. She stole my fairy dust. She had to have. There’s no other explanation.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I really hope she has no idea what she stole and thinks I’m just a weirdo who carries around a bag of glitter. That doesn’t sound any better, but I don’t care about that now. Now, I have to get it back from her before she decides to start playing with it.
I start pulling on clothes intent on going to her right this moment and demanding she return it to me, then freeze with my pants unbuttoned and a shirt halfway over my head. It’s the middle of the night and she just had a run in with what she thinks was a werewolf. Right now might not be the best time to barge in on her, demanding things.
My shirt makes a muted thud where I throw it across the room, and I flinch at the throb of pain that pulses through my shoulder.Damn it. I’ll have to wait until the morning. Maybe then I can coerce the truth out of her too. I’m getting tired of dancing around what we both already know.
Chapter 15: Ryder
For the first time in years, I’m up almost as early as Hunter. The moment I woke up there was no way I could go back to sleep. The longer Tess has my fairy dust the more things could go wrong. I dress quickly and make my way downstairs to find my brother sitting at the counter reading the newspaper. It’s Sunday so he’s dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, obviously not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.
“Morning,” I call out as I enter the kitchen and head straight for the coffee pot that’s still half full.
“Morning,” Hunter replies without looking up from his paper.
I fill a mug and lean back against the counter sipping at the hot drink. Hunter remains with his face buried in the paper. There’s really nothing to read about in Snowberry and the paper can be read in a matter of minutes, but he peruses it as if it’s the Sunday Times.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened to the front porch?”
Hunter’s hands curls into the grey pages of the paper but release just as quickly. “Needed to let off a little steam. It was the closest thing easiest to replace.”
A completely understandable answer. Shifters, especially males and more especially alpha’s, can get a little hot headed at times. We like to release it in as healthy a way as possible. Sometimes that means damaging property instead of people.
“Someone piss you off?”
“You could say that.” He clears his throat and finally puts down the paper he wasn’t actually reading. “Vincent’s in town, paid me a visit.”
I’m instantly off the counter and striding across the kitchen to the island where he sits, my body tensing, readying for a fight. “When did he get here? Where is he staying? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Calm down Ryder. I handled him and am handling him. If I need your assistance, I’ll let you know. He got here on Friday. I have no idea where he’s staying, and I didn’t tell you because you seem preoccupied.”
“I’m not preoccupied; I’m doing my job. Which happens to include dealing with elves when they come into our town,” I bite back at him. He should have told me the moment Vincent arrived, no matter what. The fact that he didn’t stings a little. It shows he doesn’t trust me.
My body tightens with anger and hurt that he wouldn’t come to me immediately. I get that we don’t tell each other all our secrets, but we’re brothers, partners, protectors of Snowberry. There’s never been a situation we haven’t been able to solve together. Alpha and beta. Brother and brother.
“I know. But I have this handled. He’s just trying to strong arm me into selling him our land again. I told him no. And threatened him a little. It’s just one more of his attempts to get our land and he won’t succeed. That’s all. As long as he stays away from town and doesn’t bother anyone, it’ll be fine. If he becomes problematic, I’ll let you know. For now, you have other things to deal with.”
I swallow the rest of my coffee and set the mug in the sink. Turning my back to Hunter I grip the side of the counter steadying myself. I shouldn’t be getting so upset at my brother. He is the alpha, and he is in charge. It’s never been an issue before, why is it bothering me so much now?Because Tess is getting under your skin.
Tess has nothing to do with Hunter or Vincent. But now that the thought is in my head I’m coming up with all kinds of ways Vincent could be an issue with Tess. She could poke around in the wrong place and end up right in his path. There’s nothing an elf loves more than a stubborn strong-willed human to break and control. I will not let that happen.
Now I’m mad all over again that he didn’t at least tell me Vincent was in town. Warn me to be on the lookout. That grey skinned bastard has been here nearly two days already and I’m just now hearing about it. That is unacceptable. I release the counter and swing around to face Hunter, who has abandoned the farce of reading the newspaper and is now drinking his coffee and watching me.
I pull myself together and try to restrain my anger when I speak. “I would greatly appreciate if next time someone comes into town worth knowing, you tell me as soon as you know. For the safety of our residents,” I add on for good measure.
