Page 3 of Forbidden Virgin Mate

I stammer, "Yea-yeah, of course.” I scribble my number on a pad and give it to him. He flashes me a thoroughly disarming and sexy smile before rushing off.

What have I done? I can't go out with him.

Or can I? I have a plan for revenge on the McCormicks, but I'm sure it would be even better if I get to know Zack better. I could make it hurt even more.

I'm still mulling over my options when I see Diego take the stage and reveal the big surprise: he's proposing to his mate, Quinn. It's all very romantic, and even though I roll my eyes at the corniness, I can't help wondering what it feels like to actually find your mate.

It sounds as though they've already had a mating ceremony, so I'm not sure why they're having another.

Saffy suddenly bursts through the crowd, her eyes widening when she sees me behind the stand. "Oh, thank you, thank you," she gushes. "I was supposed to keep Quinn, Diego's mate, occupied, but it all took longer than I expected. How did you get talked into this?" she asks with a laugh.

"I met your brother…well, I walked into him and the cakes." I gesture to the table. "And here I am."

We both laugh, Saffy's gorgeous red hair cascading around her as she ducks under the counter and appears by my side. "This is very sweet," I say, gesturing to Diego and Quinn on the stage. "But why the ceremony if they're already mated?"

Saffy cringes before laughing again. "Well, it’s a long story. Diego sort of kidnapped her, but obviously, it all worked out really well, and he's lovely."

"Kidnapped!" I exclaim, though I try to keep my voice low.

"I could say it sounds worse than it is, but I think he's just really lucky it's worked out so well,” Saffy says, and I nod. “Kinda romantic, though,” she adds.

I roll my eyes at her naivete. "As your teacher, it's my duty to tell you that kidnapping is definitely not romantic." But then I look at the couple swooning at each other and sigh. "They do look very happy, I'll admit."

We both sigh, and Saffy hands me a delicious-looking cake with chocolate frosting. "Cake for the single girls?" she offers.

I laugh and accept the cake. As we continue to watch the romantic spectacle, my eyes wander to the side of the stage, where I spot Zack talking to some of the witches gathered for the ceremony. As if sensing my gaze, he glances at me. I blush furiously, trying to look away in time.

My appetite lost, I thank Saffy for the cake and excuse myself. She thanks me for my help as I head away from the stall to the edge of the pavilion for some air.

My first meeting with Zack McCormick hadn’t exactly gone as I’d envisioned. I’d spent years hearing about our enemy from my parents and picturing the moment I’d come face to face with them. I’d thought about all the things I'd say to them.

In reality, I helped my enemy with a cake stall and accepted a date with him.

Zack doesn't at all look like I’d expected. I'd looked him up online and seen pictures of him, but nothing could have prepared me for how hot he is in person.

Taking a few deep breaths, I remind myself that nothing and no one will stop me from avenging my family. I straighten my shoulders and walk away from the festivities.

Chapter 2 - Zack

I throw the last of the logs into the back of the truck and secure them before driving away from the site. I'm not even halfway down the road when my cell rings. It's Saffy, so I put her on speaker.

"Where are you?" she demands.

This is how it is with us. At times, we're more like a bickering couple than siblings. Or maybe that's just how siblings who live together behave. "I woke up, and the house was freezing, and you're nowhere."

"Calm down, Saf. We're out of timber, so I drove up to the site. I'm on my way back down now."

She huffs, and I roll my eyes. "You know, you do own that place. You could just get it delivered. Then you wouldn't get busy, and we wouldn't run out. Or we could use something fancy and modern, like, I don't know, elec—"

"Enough!" I cut her off. "I like my house. I built it. I like my heating system. And I don't mind driving up to my own site to pick up some logs."

"Urgh," she groans. "You owe me pancakes. If the stove ever warms up, of course."

"Whatever, sis," I say, disconnecting the call before she can get another word in.

She's not wrong; I could get the logs delivered. It's my company, after all. But I'm used to doing things myself, relying on no one, which usually works out just fine. Except I have been so busy recently and didn't realize we were out of the biofuels the cabin runs on. So, I had to resort to good old logs today. I'll put in an extra-large winter order when the office opens, just to keep Saffy off my back.

I may complain, but I can't help but smile when I think of my sweet spitfire of a sister. She's gone from being a shell of a child when I’d gotten her back from our useless parents to a shy girl with a lot of potential. Now, she is blossoming into a young woman who's smarter than I ever imagined and loved by the whole damn town.

---