Shameful by May Dawson
50
Legacy
The pretty witchsmoothed a map on the counter and worked a spell with Tobias’s blood, dipping a marble into her potion. Disgust was written across her face as she scooped up the blood-infused marble and dropped it on the map, where it rolled to pinpoint Tobias’s location.
“How do you think Tobias has been able to track me down?” I mused.
“If he’s got something of yours, he might be doing something similar to what I’m doing.” Fiona’s gaze was fixed on the marble as it rolled across the paper.
“Maybe he’s dead,” Rhett suggested, although he didn’t say it with any real optimism.
Vamps, like shifters, are hard tokill.
“Do you think he’ll be able to re-grow that finger already?” West asked.
“Can we just not use the word finger anymore?” Fiona asked, her face a bitpale.
Just then, Hayes, one of her other guys, came in from the back. “Hey boss, looks like we’re about out of chicken fingers. I’m going to plan a Costcorun.”
She squeezed her eyesshut.
Rhett picked up a catsup bottle from the bar and began to play with it. West took it from him, shook his head, and set it back down before she opened her eyes again. No tormenting the helpful witch.
“Can you show me how to work that kind of spell?” I asked. “I don’t want to sit around and wait forever for him to show up and try to killme.”
“I wouldn’t want that either,” she agreed.
“I want him to show up and try to kill me so I can endthis.”
She stared at me blankly. “I don’t understand you shifters.”
“Also.” Casey leaned on the countertop, deep brown eyes meeting mine frankly. “Didn’t you barely get away with your life the other two times you encountered thisguy?”
Rhett rested his hand on my shoulder, but before he could say anything, West said, “This time we’ll be there.”
“How’d you know Tobias Bentley will even show up? Surely he’s going to suspect you’re using this girl as bait?” Casey demanded.
“Rhett is a perpetual optimist,” West said drily. “And Legacy suffers the same affliction.”
Rhett propped his chin in his hand, elbow on the bar, and studied West. “You talk so little, you’d think you’d be rusty. I’m always surprised when you break out the big words.”
West gave him a smile that was more of a bearing of teeth.
“Since Tobias found you twice already, he might very well have a way to track you.” Fiona pushed the marble and the map across the bar toward me. “Is there any way he could’ve gotten your blood?”
“I did leave a lot of it on the street the first time we met,” I said. Then, frowning, I added, “We also had a pack blood drive regularly… maybe he somehow got his hands on one of the bags of my blood.”
West nodded. “But if he’s a hybrid… maybe he’s just got tracking abilities.”
“A super-vamp with shifter strengths,” I muttered. “Great. I sure know how to pick them, from mates to enemies.”
“We don’t know if Tobias is the only one who might track you,” Rhett said slowly, his gaze worried, “With the mating bond… maybe Lucas will be able to sense you. We’re dangerously close to pack landsnow.”
“We could end up with the pack’s enforcers showing up.” West raked his hand through hishair.
Those enforcers would include my own father, or at least it should. I didn’t know if I’d cost my father his place in the pack. Worst of all, Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to hurt my men. The thought that I was still tied to him brought a familiar rush of shame that turned my breathing shallow, as if I didn’t even deserveair.
“We’re not mated anymore. The bond’s broken.” I wasn’t sure if those words were true, but I wanted them tobe.
Rhett regarded me, as long and steady as Fiona gazing into her potionsbowl.
“Okay,” he said, but his words sounded like a dismissal, not like he believedme.
I shouldn’t care what any man thought. Not after what Lucas had put me through.
But his curt tone still stung.
“One more favor, Fiona,” he added, and she sighed.
“Yes?”
“Could you do up a marble for each of us? In case we get separated?” Rhett’s voice was smooth.
“Are you worried I’m going to run away from you again?” I asked lightly.
“No,” he said. “I want to make sure that if you ever need me, I’ll be there, Legs. No matter what happens.”
The words hung in the air. I leaned in to kisshim.
“I might be able to do you another favor,” Fiona said. “I might have a spell that will strip away a hybrid’s power.”
Rhett grinned at her. “Look at you! Not interfering in shifter and vamp business! I could hugyou.”
“Please don’t,” Fiona said, raising ahand.
I was touched by her willingness to help as she prepared another spell, poured a potion into a bottle.
“If this works,” she said, handing me a crystal perfume bottle, “it will take away Cyrus’s special powers for a while. It’ll turn him back into what he was always supposed tobe.”
“If it works,” I echoed, worried about how she’d emphasized those words. But still, it was hope, and I added, “Thank you for helping us, Fiona.”
She winked at me. “Shifters or witches or mortals, girls like us have to stick together.”
She touched Casey’s arm. “After all, keeping these men of ours alive and out of trouble is a full-timejob.”
He shook his head and smirked down at her, then leaned over and pecked herlips.
The witch and her men seemed to be doing just fine without being fated mates. Maybe the moon’s blessing was always bullshit.
Maybe there was a happy ending out there for me if I could just claimit.