Page 69 of The Wolf's Kidnapped Mate

She licked her lips and propped her hands on her hips. “No secret mission?”

My smile took up my face as I lied through my teeth, “No secret mission.”

Chapter 22 - Kylie

The streetlights had winked on by the time Fred pulled his monstrous truck up to the curb on main street. He parallel parked in front of the boba shop, rushed inside to place an order, and then dragged me two doors down to the right into a cramped alleyway. Brick walls rose on either side of me. I could barely fit my shoulders through.

I had to turn sideways just to breathe. “Fred, what’s this?”

He clasped my hand. He was sweating more than usual. “You’ll see.”

Oh, great. Not more than fifteen hours after nearly losing my life and losing my brother, I was following this grump machine down a slim alleyway that should have probably been filled with concrete to prevent people like Fred from exploring them.

If I got injured on this adventure, I swore to the goddess I would bring hell upon Fred’s head.

Glitter swirled through the air, reminding me of the magical tape Fred had used on me. I squinted past his head to see a cobblestone path on the other side with large lights strung overhead. Whimsical music played somewhere. It sounded like a lute.

The alleyway swelled and then widened, giving us room to walk side-by-side. Fred paused near a wooden table covered with silver trinkets. Little bells, porcelain carriages, and tiny buckets full of silvery liquid glimmered like they were from a dream—or another dimension.

The cobblestones wavered under my feet, dragging my attention to the rest of the courtyard. String lights illuminatedthe studio space that was decorated with multicolored silk cloths on the walls and flanked by floating lanterns. An older woman sat in the corner diagonal from me. She was as frail as a twig with ethereal blue skin and slim reading glasses clinging to the tip of her nose.

Long silky hair the color of bamboo hung in various braids around her shoulders. Silver tinsel seemed to coat her hair, either on purpose or by her supernatural nature. Round black eyes squinted at the crochet project between her fingers. Without looking up from where she sat perched on her stool, she called out, “Here again, Fred?”

I glanced at my date for the evening who wore a handsome grin. Wow, that was new for me. That was wild for me.

That was really nice to see.

“Eassie, you’re looking particularly tall today.”

Eassie batted her eyelids, still not focusing on us. “New potions are on that green table to your left.”

“Potions?” I repeated, to which Fred replied by beckoning me toward the correct table. He lifted a roll of tape. I glared at him. “That sure looks familiar.”

“Eassie doesn’t judge my particular client needs.”

The woman held up a thumb in the air. Round eyes like hers appeared to belong more to a dragon than a human, regardless of how much she looked like a fae creature.

Fred leaned close to my ear, his breath tickling my lobe. “Eassie is half elf, half dragonkin.”

“That’s possible?”

“She’s living proof.”

I glanced around at the other tables, noticing a gorgeous selection of gold rings. I went right up to the display, feeling like I was drawn in particular to one opal ring that seemed to be mostly a human trinket. I tapped my finger on the glass. “Can I try that one on?”

Eassie snapped her fingers. The display popped open and the ring floated up. I plucked it nervously out of the air while chucking away my anxiety. “Can’t imagine the security measures.”

Fred patted my hip. “No one steals from Eassie—without losing a limb.”

“Got it. Great.Fantastic.” I coughed profusely as I slid the ring over my left ring finger, ogling the way it glittered against my skin. It was a perfect fit. “Wow, go figure.”

The darling thing cost a number I couldn’t exactly read—or maybe it wasn’t a number—so I set it back into the case and went to another table. After picking through a few vintage items that were labeled asNot Haunted, I grabbed a vintage brush and mirror to purchase.

I rang up with Eassie, who somehow did everything without breaking her concentration. It wasn’t until I was about to leave that she offered me a razor-sharp grin and waved.

Fred led me down the alleyway until it forced us to walk sideways. We appeared on a very human street in the very human town of Beaufort that looked normal after visiting that supernatural trinket shop. As soon as we collected our boba, we hopped into the Behemoth that started up with a guttural growl.

I grabbed the handle with a gasp. Fred reached for my thigh and squeezed it. “You’re safe. You’re with me. I’ve got you.”

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