Page 7 of The Forty-Year-Old Virgin Witch

Three

Luka

Iknew without a doubt that the witch was going to be my mate. To me it was as unquestionable as the dawn and as striking as the full moon. I’d gone to that pub to simply escape Margot’s nagging—about settling down, about standing still. I’d gotten the same speech from my pack my entire life. I certainly didn’t need to hear it from her as well.

Besides, I rather liked football, even if I preferred the American version. It reminded me of tussling with my pack and the dominance fights that popped up during the full moon. Apparently this was the biggest match of the year, so it seemed worth viewing. And the beer was good.

I barely noticed her when she first entered. One lone female braving the horde of drunk, excitable men was remarkable enough in itself. But when she released her magick in frustration? I was hooked.

It wasn’t that strong, but that didn’t matter to me. What mattered was how it desperately reached out, how it clung to me in those few precious, fleeting moments. It connected to the wolf deep within my core in a way few things ever had. For that brief, shining moment, the months of travel and weariness were purged from my bones. I felt alive and with purpose for the first time in years.

Her hair was brown but shone with red and gold highlights. Her eyes were a dazzling array of colors; gold surrounded the pupil, and then green which faded to a dark blue around the outside of her irises. She was middle-aged, but that only made me more interested. I didn’t want some blushing, immature girl who I’d have to treat like glass. My alpha back home had tried and failed to set me up with similar girls in our pack. Girls who wanted to submit to my wolf. I wanted someone who could bite back—who wasn't afraid to question me.

The witch gave a snarl worthy of any wolf, and the spell was broken. Her magick was gone as fast as it had come, and the witch ran out the back door of the pub. I focused on the bar owner fretting near me, and immediately tried to assist him by snatching the broom from his hands and sweeping the floor.

“You don’t have to do that!” the owner cried out, but I was nothing if not stubborn. If anyone knew anything about my mysterious witch, it would be him. All towns and barkeeps were the same, no matter where you went in the world. I gave him an easy smile and none-too-gently swatted his hands away from the broom.

“Don’t mention it.”

He put both hands on his head, frustrated. I quickly swept up the shards into a small dustpan and held them out.

“Here you go man. No worries.”

He shook his head frantically back and forth, obviously worried about more than just a broken jug and some spilled beer.

“Aggie rarely comes into town. I’m just upset she’ll probably leave without a replacement. Who knows when I’ll see her next!”

The guy looked honestly upset, and I eyed him carefully. He was definitely younger than me or the girl—probably in his mid-twenties. A single sniff was enough to assuage my worries; this guy wouldn’t be sniffing after my witch any time soon. Though if the calculating gleam in his eyes was any indication, it was myself I needed to worry about around him.

“How about I do you a solid and deliver a new jug myself? I know her.”

I flashed a winning smile despite lying through my teeth. The man’s brow furrowed, even though I could tell he wanted to give in. They usually did when it was something that would make their life easier.

“Really? Aggie doesn’t really associate with anyone.”

My smile twitched but I kept it in place. I would choose the anti-social girl to get attached to.

No matter. I liked a challenge. My inner wolf was salivating at the possibility of a chase. It harkened back to the old days, when claimings dictated a mateship rather than politics and family members. I straightened my shoulders.

“My aunt knows her better. Mrs. Halfpenny?”

Recognition lit in his eyes, just as I knew it would. These small towns and villages were all the same. Everyone knew everybody’s business. If you knew one of them, you were in.

“How about that jug?”

In short order I was handed a similar jug to one my witch had, filled to the brim with the pub’s finest. I didn’t have an excuse to stay so I quickly went outside, sniffing the air for a hint of my witch. Ah, she’d gone north.

I whistled a bit, confident in my ability to woo her. I knew if she just gave me a chance, I could be everything she needed and more.

The beer jostled against my side, and I gave it a sniff, nodding in appreciation. Surely my witch wouldn’t notice if I took just a little off the top?

My nose led me to the outskirts of the village, near the edge of a dense forest. My inner wolf yipped in delight. Did this mean our witch enjoyed the woods as well? I gave my wolf a firm shove down, not wanting to get ahead of myself.

A quaint little cottage with a thatched roof met me, complete with overgrown vines and a white gate. The hum of witch wards tingled against my skin as I crossed the boundary, and I frowned. They must not have been strong enough to keep wolves out. I would have to help her fix that. I froze, my ears hearing voices in the backyard.

My witch was talking with someone … with another man! A growl escaped from my throat before I could help it, but I could only smell one person—my witch. My alarm grew as her voice sounded upset. A slamming sound indicated she’d likely fled back into the house. I blinked, and a figure was hovering by the white gate, ten yards or so behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I bared my fangs at him.

“Vampyre.”

His blue eyes were tinged with only a bit of red, so he was relatively young, though he would need to feed soon. The hungrier they got, the redder their eyes usually turned. As I eyed him up and down, I wondered how young. That would determine whether or not I could beat him in a fight. An Elder vampire? No freaking chance.

I turned back to the door, ignoring him. Whatever business the vamp had with the witch, she clearly didn’t invite him in, which buoyed my spirits.

I knocked hard on the door and waited for her with bated breath. When the door swung inwards, those brilliant eyes met mine, and I was irrevocably changed. I felt my last few remaining ties with my pack snap, and in that moment, my priorities shifted and settled around her.

Whether it was as a friend or as my mate, my witch needed me just as desperately as I needed her. She just didn’t know it yet.

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