Witch Undecided by Debbie Cassidy

Chapter Three

Torsten hammered the last nail into my windowpane to keep it from opening as I climbed into bed. ’Cause that would totally keep out an ancient original vampire who could turn into a bat at will. But whatever helped the wolves feel better. I was just too tired to give a shit right now.

It was almost two in the morning and my eyelids were heavy with sleep. A yawn ripped my jaw wide. I needed to pass out now.

I’ll stay with her tonight. Rune padded into the room. We can take shifts during the week.

God yes, his voice was a lullaby that I craved.

“It’s a good plan.” Leif stood in the doorway.

Tor nodded. “I’ll do tomorrow.”

“And I’ll take the next day,” Leif said.

“Or,” Jasper said, materializing by the bed, “you can all fuck off and I can keep her safe.” He smirked. “All she needs to do is take the amulet off and she’ll have all the protection she needs.”

Tor was across the room in a flash, his hand whipping up to grasp Jasper’s throat, but my malevolent tag-along was no longer there. He’d misted and was standing by the window that Tor had just nailed shut.

Jasper crossed his arms. “You all know it makes sense. I can keep her safe.” His gaze dropped to me and the smirk fell, his expression softening slightly. “You know I can keep you safe.”

There was sincerity in his tone that tugged at the heart of me. I closed my eyes, staunching the emotions. “I can’t give myself to you, Jasper.” And yes, I was discussing this in front of my mates. Fuck it. Cards on the table and all that. “I can’t give you what you want.”

“Can’t, or don’t want to?” He sounded…hopeful.

Fuck, I wanted him. I always wanted him, but I didn’t want to want him, and now, with the seal at stake, wanting him was dangerous. He was even more dangerous than my mates because he and I already had a connection that went deeper than sex. Yeah, time to admit that shit. Time to accept that I had…gag… feelings for the malevolent fucker, and those kinds of feelings needed to be off the table.

I lifted my chin and lied. “I don’t want to, Jasper. The amulet stays on.”

I didn’t trust myself to take it off. Ever.

Jasper’s expression hardened and then his mouth twisted cruelly. “In that case, have fun staying alive.”

He vanished and I sagged back against the pillows.

Leif climbed onto the bed beside me, his eyes warm with compassion. “You still feel it, don’t you?”

He was referring to Jasper’s influence, and my feelings for him that were supposed to be muted by the bond I’d formed with the three wolves.

I closed my eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m fucking sorry.”

“What the fuck is this about?” Tor’s face was contorted in confusion. “And how do we get rid of him for good?”

We don’t, Rune said softly.

“I’ll fill you in, Tor.” Leif sighed. “Cora, get some rest.” He kissed my cheek, his lips warm and lingering on my skin, and I allowed myself to breathe him in before he slipped away, taking Tor with him.

Rune settled on the floor by my bed, but for some reason I was suddenly cold and bereft, like a chasm had opened in my chest.

Cora?The mattress dipped with Rune’s weight. You’re sad.

Urgh. I’d be okay after some sleep. His hazel eyes bore into mine for a long beat, gold flecks swirling almost hypnotically. Then he settled beside me, head on my pillow, and closed his eyes.

I can’t hug you, but you can hold me if you like.

Yes, that was exactly what I needed. I turned on my side, slung my arm over his back, and sank my fingers into his silken fur.

He chuffed. Sleep well, Cora. I’ll watch over you.

But I was already drifting away.

Rune was gonewhen I woke in the morning. Bright sunlight filled the room, kissing me with deceptive warmth because the frosted window told a different story.

I washed and dressed quickly and hurried downstairs to find Tor and Leif sipping coffee in the kitchen. The room smelled of the forest, and if their state of partial undress and the dewy look to their bare torsos was anything to go by, then they’d just come back from a run.

At least they’d put on joggers to cover up the majorly distracting bits, although to be honest I wouldn’t have complained about the show. I made a pointed effort not to stare at the tattoos and washboard abs, instead glancing up at the clock on the wall.

It was gone eleven a.m. “Why didn’t you wake me?” I pulled out a seat and parked my ass. “It’s late.” I yawned. “Urgh.”

“We thought you could do with a lie-in,” Leif said with a grin.

Tor poured me a mug of coffee. “There’s nothing urgent for you to do today.”

“Aside from the fact that the women of Vita Pack have invited you over for a late lunch,” Leif added. “My mother and sisters would love to meet you.”

“Mana and Holm Packs will expect similar visits.” Tor reclaimed his seat and rubbed the back of his neck with one huge hand. “They’ll want to get to know the new member of their pack.”

“Me?”

“You’re a member of our packs now,” Tor explained. “You’re our mate and we’re your family.”

Family…I liked the sound of that. “Okay, I can do the rounds.” My gaze flicked to the door, because we were missing one huge shaggy dire wolf shifter. “Where’s Rune?”

Tor and Leif exchanged glances, and it was Leif who responded.

“Rune needs to officially pick a proxy for the breeding ceremony.”

Leif looked away and Tor’s throat bobbed. This was good. A reminder of why getting too close to these guys was a bad idea. They were going to have to breed with other wolves soon. And no, it didn’t bother me. Not one bit.

I was a great liar.

But what did they mean about a proxy for Rune? “I don’t understand. Why does Rune need a substitute? Wait, how would that even work? Don’t the kids need to be primal bloodline?”

Last I’d heard, Rune and Halle were the last of the Holm Pack primal bloodline.

“Yes,” Leif said. “The proxy will be Halle. As his twin, and one of the last of the primal bloodlines, Halle will be bred to produce heirs. Rune is passing the mantle to her, and she’ll pick wolves to breed with before she picks a lifemate.”

“But…Why can’t Rune have his own children?” I looked from Tor to Leif. “Wait, are you saying he can’t shift out of wolf form?” I shook my head. “No, even if he can’t, surely he can still procreate?”

Leif tucked in his chin and slid a glance Tor’s way.

“That’s Rune’s story to tell,” Tor said gruffly. “Don’t push him, though, Cora. He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

God, I hated intrigue, it made my stomach ache with the need to solve it. Mysteries didn’t sit well with me and secrets were one of my pet hates.

“You want some breakfast before we head to Vita?” Leif asked.

It was almost half eleven now, and if lunch was like any other meal the wolves and witches had, then I’d need to leave room to do it justice. “Nah, I’ll save myself for lunch.” I sipped my coffee. “So, how many women will be at this lunch?”

Leif winced and Tor ducked his head with a wicked smile.

I paused, coffee mug halfway to my lips. “What?”

“Vita Pack is the only pack where the females outnumber the males,” Tor said. “It’s estrogen central.”

“Mana doesn’t complain when your males need mates,” Leif retorted with a grin.

Tor shrugged a powerful shoulder. “Not complaining, just warning Cora what she’s about to step into.” He met and held my gaze. “Female wolves are extremely territorial. You may be mated to their alpha, but you’re not one of them. You’ll have to work for their respect, to be accepted. It won’t be easy.”

There was a challenge in his eyes and my pulse kicked up. I loved a good challenge.

“Nothing worth having is ever easy.” I smiled. “Besides, I’m adorable.” I widened my eyes and pouted sweetly. “They’ll love me.”

Both guys froze before their gazes dropped to my mouth, lingering on my pout hungrily. Heat rushed up my chest to hug my neck. I should break up this moment, say something, stop pouting maybe? But the wicked part of me took over, allowing my tongue to peek out and sweep across my lips.

Tor sucked in a breath and averted his gaze, bringing his mug to his lips for a hearty gulp of his coffee.

“Fuck,” Leif said. “Friend zone, friend zone, friend zone.”

God, I was a bitch.

Leif cleared his throat and stood with a scrape of his chair. “I’m gonna take a cold shower real quick. We leave in half an hour.”

He ruffled my hair as he walked past, but my gaze was ensnared by Tor and my heart pounded hard because there was ravenous hunger in his gaze, feral and primal.

I stood quickly and crossed the room to the sink to wash up my mug. Break up the tension. This worked. Normal, menial tasks.

His chair scraped softly on hardwood, and my pulse kicked up a notch. He was leaving, that was all. Please be leaving, but the delicious prickle across my nape told me different.

His heat kissed my back and my pulse quickened further, leaving me with a breathless fluttering in my chest like a trapped bird. His large hands bracketed my hips as his lips brushed the delicate shell of my ear, sending shivers down my neck and across my chest. His fingers tightened on my hips and heat bloomed low in my belly. It took everything I had not to push my ass into his crotch and grind. Instead, I froze, muscles tense, mug clutched tightly in my hand.

“Little piece of advice, Cora.” His breath licked my skin and liquid fire raced through my veins. “If you play with fire, you’ll eventually get burned.”

My mouth went dry and my throat tightened. “Okay. I won’t do that again.” My voice was a breathless whisper.

He smiled against my ear. “Good girl.”

Oh fuck, now I was wet.

He inhaled. “Fuck, you smell like peaches. One taste won’t hurt, Cora.” His voice was a delicious purr. “In fact, it’ll feel so fucking good.”

Heat coiled in my belly, pushing low to throb at the apex of my thighs. I pressed my legs together to quell the ache.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” My voice was a husky whisper.

“Yes, you do that.”

He patted my ass, then retreated, taking his heat with him. I sagged against the sink. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I needed a cold shower. Stat.

Vita territory overlappedwith Grimswood land, and the Vita Pack house was barely two miles away. We could have walked, but Leif insisted on taking the car.

We drove slowly down a narrow woodland track, bumping and rocking. “How are Sten and Toke?”

“They’re preparing to hand over to Tor and Rune. They’re keeping busy.”

“Have they seen Charlotte…since?”

His jaw flexed at the mention of her name. “I don’t know.”

Fuck me and my insensitivity. Just because he smiled and acted okay didn’t mean he was. If anyone knew about putting up a front, it was me, the queen of poker faces and acts.

I turned in my seat slightly. “How are you coping?”

He flicked a glance my way. “I’m okay, Cora. I’ll be okay. Arne was a good father. He was loving and strong and he died to protect my mate. To protect the world. I can’t be mad at that. I miss him. It hurts, but I can deal.” His tone was a little too flat to be believable. But I wasn’t about to push if he wasn’t ready to open up.

I slid my hand onto his thigh and squeezed. “I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

“I appreciate that. But Cora, you need to remove your hand before I crash this car.”

Shit. I yanked my hand away and he shot me a grin and a wink.

Damn, he was good at masking, but then so was I, so I didn’t miss the dullness to his eyes that hinted at his pain. And then that pain was inside my chest, dark and swirling, and fuck, it hurt so bad it made my eyes sting.

This was the real Leif. This was his grief communicated through our bond, and it was darkness and emptiness and…No. He wasn’t going to do this alone.

“Pull over.” My voice was gruff and urgent.

“What?”

“Pull over now.”

He swung the car to the left and put it in park. “Cora—”

I crawled over the gear box and into his lap.

“Cora?” Confusion painted his features.

“Come here.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight, pressing my body to his and giving him my strength. His hands remained at his sides for a moment and then he hugged me back, his arms crossing over my back and enveloping me in his unique scent. “Stop it. Stop hiding it and let it the fuck out. Please.”

“I…I can’t.” His voice was thick with emotion.

“Yes. You can.”

He tucked his face into the crook of my neck and took a shuddering breath. And then warm wetness kissed my skin.

He was crying.

Oh fuck, he was crying.

My chest ached with his tears, and my throat pinched with his pain, then my vision blurred with tears of my own. We remained like that for long, silent seconds, just holding one another as he vented his pain. The knots in my chest unraveled a little, the pressure ebbing.

Finally, Leif pulled back, looking at me with wet eyes. He brushed my tears away with the pad of his thumb.

His gaze fell to my mouth and my lips parted on instinct. “Fuck it.” He kissed me. A soft, tentative kiss, plucking at my lips with his like the intro to an epic tune.

Just a peck, this was just a—

His tongue flicked out to taste me and I lost control, deepening the kiss, taking his tongue and sucking on the mint and coffee flavors while my fingers reveled in the rasp of stubble across his jaw.

His grip on me tightened, fingers digging into me, and then he tore his mouth free, chest heaving, gunmetal-blue eyes dark and drenched with desire.

“Friend zone…” His breath kissed my lips in a goodbye.

I nodded mutely, grateful for his restraint, because in that moment, I had none.

He closed his eyes and brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “Thank you, Cora.”

“You’re welcome.” I climbed off his lap and settled back in my seat, keeping my eyes on the road ahead and willing my pulse to slow as he started the engine.

It was only when we were back on the track that it hit me.

I’d not only be meeting Leif’s mother and his sisters. I’d also be meeting all the women who wanted to fuck him.

An ugly emotion twisted in the pit of my belly.

Jealousy.

Great. Fucking great.