Page 2 of China

“What’s going on?” China put her hand up. “Before you say something, like it’s not my concern or I misheard you, just remember that we’ve known each other our whole lives and we both detest lying.”

Demi pursed her lips then gestured to the end of the half-circle booth. “Sit down.”

China sat and listened as Demi told her that Abbie, the pride match-maker, had attempted to match alpha lion Benecio with a female from her match-book. Benecio had a hard-on for Demi and refused to leave her alone, even now that she was mated.

“Abbie had a vision,” Demi said with a frustrated sigh. “She doesn’t know what it means exactly, except that if you meet with Benecio, someone is going to die. She doesn’t know who or why, but she was really scared, and I’ve never seen her like that.”

“That’s disturbing,” China said, drumming her fingers on the table.

Conversation stopped for a moment as the waitress appeared and set food down for everyone. “Want anything?” she asked China.

“I’m picking up a to-go bag for Zeke, so I just need that since I’m not staying.”

The waitress nodded and left. China cleared her throat. “So if I meet with this Benecio asshole, someone might die?”

“We just don’t know,” Demi said.

“To be fair,” Demi’s dad said, “Abbie said she saw death related to Benecio and that there was something off about the match. So she’s not sure you’re his match, which is why she asked us to keep quiet about it.”

“Sorry,” Demi said. “We shouldn’t have been talking about it in public, I’m just so frustrated.”

“It’s okay, really. I’d rather know than there be this weird thing between us because you needed to keep it from me,” China said.

“You’re my best friend and I love you dearly.” Demi squeezed China’s hand. “I don’t want you to get hurt in anyway. I’d rather deal with Benecio on my own than involve you.”

Demi’s mates—Rafe and Rhaider—both growled softly. China thought it was sweet and awesome that her bestie had two fierce mates.

“I understand. I wish he’d never come to Kedrick,” China said.

“Don’t worry about anything,” Rhaider said to China. “We’re not going to let Demi get hurt. We’ll defeat him and send him packing, and it will be the end of things.”

“If Abbie wanted you to know, if she thought you were meant to be with Benecio, I think she would’ve contacted you,” Demi said.

“That’s a good point,” China said. She slid from the booth and stood. “Thanks for filling me in. I hope that he sees the truth that you’re mated and moves on. It’s pathetic that he’s been acting like a toddler who had a toy taken away.”

“Fact,” Demi said. She stood and hugged her. “Love you, bestie.”

“To the moon and back,” China said.

She said goodbye to the group, then stopped at the counter and picked up the to-go bag. Her heart was in her throat as she left the diner.

What did it mean that Abbie had had a vision of China related to Benecio? And just what the hell was she supposed to do with the information? She couldn’t just leave Demi and her mates to deal with the crazy alpha lion. If she could help her bestie, then China sure as hell would.

“I’ll go see Abbie,” she said out loud as she started her car. First, she’d drop off the food at her aunt and uncle’s, and then she’d go to the match-maker’s. She and Abbie had some talking to do.

* * *

Abbie was in hell. Not literally, of course, but figuratively. She had no idea what to do with what she’d seen recently. Match-makers used a kind of ancient magic to match couples. She could look at a person and envision their perfect match, sometimes even seeing a little glimpse of the future for them. It wasn’t science, so sometimes the matches didn’t work out.

Shaking her head back to the matter at hand, she replayed what she’d seen when she tried to match Benecio. She’d taken one look at Benecio and seen right into his murderous soul. He had no intention of waiting for his heart-match, taking a match from her, or leaving Demi alone. He had plans to make her his, period.

But more than what she’d seen of his intentions, her magic had given her a glimpse of a bloody future involving Benecio—and to her utter surprise—China. Abbie had no clue how China was involved or who was going to die when the two met, but she knew for certain that China and Benecio were headed for disaster.

Something prickled at the back of her mind. Abbie put the coffee mug on the worn side table next to her couch and walked to the front window. Drawing back the curtain, she looked outside.

“Speak of the freaking devil,” she muttered.

There on the bottom step of her porch, in all her cuteness, was China herself.

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